December 2020 Issue 145

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2020 DECEMBER ISSUE 145 STAY LOYAL TO LOCAL I LOCAL FOOD I LOCAL ART I LOCAL SHOPS I LOCAL PEOPLE

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December 2020 Issue 145 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 Richard Badman Diana Pink Angela Sheppard Advertising Enquiries Please contact us at info@cowichanvalleyvoice.com Next Ad Deadline December 15 for January 2021 Issue 146 Theme “New Year, New Habits” *Non Profit Community Ad Rates available please enquire.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR LISTINGS ARE FREE! EVENTS DEADLINE December 15 for January Issue E-mail: Date, Event Title, Time, Location w/ subject “EVENT” to events@cowichanvalleyvoice.com Cowichan Valley Voice Magazine reserves the right to, omit and/or edit submitted listings due to space limitations SPECIAL THANKS TO FOLLOWING VALLEY VOICES Cynthia Montgomery, Ronn Stevenson, Tina Short, Ginette Sylvianne, Louise Pickles, Karen Bernard, Chef Brad Boisvert, Chris Turyk, Victor Vesely, Susan Down, Mark Holford, Jessica Schacht, Miyo Stevens, Grant Easterbrook, Denise D’Fantis, Veronica Scott, Kate Koyote, Jenna Waddy, Rikst Attema, Sandy McPhearson, Susan Smith, Dr. Lyn Pascoe, Tina Lee Foster, Donna Shaw, Robin Round, Cynthia Qin, Craig Spence, Bill Hibberd, Julie Pyon, David Yaeger, Nicky MacDonald, Marin D, Debbie Wood, Christina Hamill, Marti Smith, 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 e-mail 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, Crofton, Chemainus and Salt Spring Island and to Cowichan Lake, Ladysmith, Victoria, Courtenay and Parksville Cover Image: STAY LOYAL TO LOCAL! Duncan Garage Cafe (House Dressing), Mud Room Clayworks (mug), Freya Sophia Waldorf Store (Uriel cream), Kama Soap, Margot Page Designs (bookmark), Wesholme Tea Company (tea pouch) , Chocolate Pearl, Little Bird (paper, tag and ribbon), Botanical Bliss, Imagine That! Artisans (wood spatula), CFS for the Soul (jade bracelet), Taryn O’Gorman Designs (silver cuff), Soul Comfort Sheepskin (wool insole), The Olive Station, Morena Clothing (Silk Mask), Cure Meat & Cheese

I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re doing something.

Neil Gaiman, Author

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OUR COMMUNITY December Events 5 A Human Economy 6 Cowichan Station Christmas Market 7 Christmas Market Events 22 Festive Fridays And More in Downtown Duncan This Holiday Season 26 Become A Supporting Member of The Cowichan Green Community 34 Best of Downtown Duncan 2020 Christmas Gift Guide 40-41 Best of Cowichan Holiday Gift Guide 42-45 Best O’ The Bay Cow Bay Gifts 48 Let Chemainus Fill You with Holiday Warmth 52 Best of Chemainus Gift Guide 54 Care for Christmas Trees 63 Celebrating the World from Our Montessori Classroom 68-69 The Plastic Dilemma: Sorting it Out 70 Your Money, Your Voice 71 In Wonder They Play 76 December Forecasts 77 Directory 78-79 LOCAL FOOD & DRINK Pro Tips for Creating A Delicious and Bountiful Charcuterie 10-11 Entertaining Locked Down 12 Turkey Rolls Are Here for Christmas! 13 Bacon Preserve Lemon and Sage Stuffing 13 Winter Wines 14-15 Oh Christmas Tea 15 Walnutmeg Teacake 15 Holiday Wine Pairings 16 Christmas at Rocky Creek Winery 19 Grown-Up Hot Chocolate for Two 20 “Las Posadas”A Christmas Celebration in Mexico 21 Oven Roasted Brussel Sprouts 27 The Tin Cup, When Coffee Met Tai Chi 36 Plant Based Cheese Available in Chemainus 55 Christmas Lives in Cowichan 58-60 Feature Community Chemainus 60 Big Brothers Big Sisters’ Festival of Wreaths 61 LOCAL ARTS Gifting Art 18 Santa’s Artisan Helpers have been Busy at Imagine That! 28-29 Soapstone Carving Kits - Sculpture in Five Easy Steps 35 Stockings Stuffed with Art? 46 2020 Best of Artisans Gift Ideas 47 New Works at Excellent Frameworks 50 Christi York at Aquamaris Art Gallery 51 Get into the Christmas Spirit at Rainforest Arts 53 Artist Bill Hibberd 56 BODY, MIND & SOUL In-Person Counselling Resumes at Cowichan Family Life Association 8 Blue Christmas 9 Why We Should Watch Our People Will Be Healed 23 Natural, Vegan, Sustainable Make-Up Canadian Made 24 The Soul Escape Dual Pedicure: A Perfect Gift Experience 25 Cozy Natural Wool Slippers 30 Acupuncture and Cupping for Winter Overstrain 32 Cowichan Women’s Health Collective 33 Behind the Mask 38 Diffusing for your Wellness 39 Here’s Good News for Your Hair 49 Hot Tubs and Elephants 62 High Vibration Wellness 65 PETS, RECREATION & NATURE Things I Learned Birding for 31 Years with Tom Briggs 74 Lucky Dog 74-75

DECEMBER

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Enter to win open edition E.J. Hughes canvas giclee of choice in gallery, FB page or Instagram Excellent Frameworks 115 Kenneth St, Duncan Tues-Sat 10-4pm Runs to Dec 18

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Virtual Tree Lighting Ceremony in honor of those who have died 6pm live streamed on Facebook.com/ CowichanHospice

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In Wonder of Water Works Paintings by Pauline Dueck Excellent Frameworks 115 Kenneth St, Duncan 250 746 7112 paulinedueckartist.ca

Lotsa LEGO creations from young community artists combined w/ whimsical art from CVAC members Cowichan Valley Arts Council Gallery 2687 James St, Duncan Mon-Fri 11-4 Sat 12-4

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CALL TO ARTISTS for Then and Now show Submit old and new art, and tell us about your creative journey in between. Deadline Dec. 18 cowichanvalleyartscouncil.ca

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Big Brothers Big Sisters Festival of Wreaths Facebook Auction @ BBBScowichanvalley

Moments in Time acrylic paintings Joanne Mitchell Cowichan Valley Arts Council Annex Cowichan Community Centre 2687 James St, Duncan Mon-Fri 11-4 Sat 12-4

Unsworth Sunday Care Packages Savoury & sweet treats paired w/ wine 2915 Cameron Taggart Rd, Mill Bay 250 929 2292 80/$300 for all 4/ Sunday pick up also 13,20,27

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Things I Learned Birding for 31 Years w/ Tom Briggs a man I never met w/ David Fraser

9:30am Email cmilo@telus.net for Zoom Link everyone welcome

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Cowichan Valley Arts Council open studio dabble in art w/ a small group 2pm 2687 James St, Duncan also Dec 18

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Special Winter Farmer’s Market 10-2pm Sat & Sun Craig St, hosted by the Duncan Farmers Market, Downtown Duncan

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Hub Evening Christmas Market 5-9pm 2375 Koksilah Rd 250 746 1794 FREE

Rd 250 932 3205 Runs to Dec 27

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Genoa Bay Cafe New Year’s Eve Dinner By reservation only. Seatings 5pm/5:30pm and later seatings 7pm/8pm 250 746-7621 Genoa Bay Rd, cafe@genoabaycafe.com

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Sunday Shopping Event 11-3pm Imagine That! 251 Craig St, Duncan FREE

Celebrate the New Year w/ Chef Maartyn’s five course menu 2 seatings 5pm/8pm Seating very limited Unsworth Restaurant 2915 Cameron Taggart Rd, Mill Bay 250 929 2292

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Hub Outdoor Christmas Market10-4pm 2375 Koksilah Rd 250 746 1794 FREE

New Year’s Eve Menu Farm Table Inn 6755 Cowichan Lake Rd 250 932 3205

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Christmas at the Farm Christmas Menu Farm Table Inn 6755 Cowichan Lake

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Cynthia Montgomery is a concerned citizen who loves living in the Cowichan Valley

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e must be among the most fortunate of all people. We live in an area of stunning beauty among a community of caring, resourceful people as interested in looking out for each other as they are for themselves. When we call ourselves the ‘Warmland’, it means more than just physical warmth. One very important way we maintain and grow what we have is by buying locally, from our neighbours.

On a recent Saturday, I walked around Duncan asking shoppers and shop workers why buying local is important and what it means to them.

Lauren, of the Big Red Balloon Toy Store, told me it ‘keeps people downtown employed. Without shopping downtown there would be no jobs, no downtown.’

But some of those I spoke with saw an even wider meaning to shopping local.

A Human Economy open. When people shop here, they get a little piece of the Valley. In our store, we make some of the clothes. Or we buy from people in the Valley and sell them here. We sell really high quality local products, which is worth the extra. And not everyone will have the same thing.”

Stephanie, of Giggle Gear, says, ‘For us, it’s a huge support. It’s kept our doors

VALLEY DENTAL CLINIC Dr. Gordon Levin DMD Dentist

NEW PATIENTS WELCOME Please see our YouTube Video: “How We Made Our Dental Office Completely Safe for Patients and Staff “ https://youtu.be/tMvTDHfTP10 Qualified Dentist American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine

# 101-321 Festubert St Duncan, British Columbia V9L 3T1 250-746-9697

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Khanh of Lele Fashions, says, “People shop local because they love the local products and they know the people who are working very hard to make very good quality.” (She makes all the clothes herself, to your specification.) “I can do custom fit and exactly what people want. “ Outlooks, next door, offers a similar service for men. You don’t have to go to the Big City to find highend tailored clothing.

Shopper Julie says, ‘It helps the businesses stay open during these hard times’.

Holly adds, ‘it keeps my money local’. So shopping local supports our jobs, businesses, and our vibrant downtown. According to Alyssa, “Now more than ever, it’s important”.

Walking around the Duncan Farmers’ Market, I asked the same questions. Cindy, of Come by Chance Farm, says buying local “supports farming in the Cowichan Valley. We are very dependent on our customers.” Among everything else that we are, we are a farming community.

Shopping local supports our farmers.

Ron at Kilipi Farm, ‘My whole livelihood depends on people who shop local.’ We can affect people’s lives with this simple act.

According to Carol, at Well Bred Bakery, “buying local builds a sense of community, not only financially but also bonds people together.’ Many must agree, as in Summer, the Farmers’ Market brings together as many as 1500 people on a Saturday.

I like the way Sol, of The Red

Balloon Toyshop, puts it.

“When people shop local, the community grows together.”

The sterile efficiency of tech interactions is leaving us cold, empty, and needing a human connection such as buying from a living person.

Cam, the principal farmer at Old MacDonald Farm, expresses it like this: Buying local supports a human-scale economy.

Cowichan Station Christmas Market

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hristmas time has traditionally been a time to gather. A time to celebrate the year and although 2020 has been a wild ride, we will find a way to look back and find times of love, hope and light. We might not be able to gather as we did but we will find a way to connect with each other. We might not be able to do the same format as the Christmas Market of 2019 but we will find a way to support local artists and enjoy the festive season.

We aim to recreate a European themed night market, outdoors around the HUB, with strung light canopy, warm drinks and fire pits, hot food like chestnuts and soup and the sounds of distant carollers that will truly warm your heart.

The HUB at Cowichan Station had its first community run Christmas Market last year with everyone leaving feeling warm and fuzzy. It was mostly inside in the wonderful century old school but some were outside as well. This year it will be the opposite with most of it outside on the local community centre’s beautiful grounds.

To start, there will be a Night Market 5-9pm December 19th and then a Day Market 10am4pm on December 20th.

Supporting each other and our community and maybe make all of us feel a little cheerier, merrier and appreciative of just how lucky we are to call the Island and Valley home.

All the latest health and safety protocols will be followed with some innovative and creative solutions such as live streaming with Santa, pre-sales and online ordering for vendors with the help of COW OP, personal shopping Elves in the latest North Pole PPE, drive-through and pick up or park up and tune your radio to festive tunes. We will find a way to make this happen and provide a safe and healthy environment for all.

Masks will be mandatory.

Trial By Fire Pottery Studio Pottery Classes

NEW ONLINE SHOP AND FARM STAND www.trialbyfirepottery.ca I 250-710-8758 www.trialbyfirepottery.ca

For more information and the latest news on the format of this event please check our website cowichanhub.ca The HUB is a community run community centre in the heart of Cowichan Station.

Ronn Stevenson, Community & Facility Coordinator, The HUB at Cowichan Station

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In-Person Counselling Resumes at Cowichan Family Life Association (CFLA)

of Cowichan citizens who are going through rough patches.

The work that we do has always been important, but now more than ever before as we are seeing increased demand for our services due to COVID-19.

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e are excited to announce that the Cowichan Family Life Association office is open again for in-person counselling.

We offer counselling services to individuals who are suffering from stress, depression, anxiety, grief, relationship problems and loneliness via telephone, Zoom and now in person again.

2020 marks the 50th anniversary of this amazing organization, which quietly helps thousands

We offer packages of 8 – 1 hour sessions based on a sliding scale on your ability to pay with a

cap of $30 per hour however no one is ever turned away for inability to pay. Our clinical in-take counsellor will speak with you and match you with the counsellor who would be best to help you. If another block of 8 sessions is required we will assess the situation and can provide additional support. Our sessions are confidential so that you do not have to worry about your privacy.

CFLA is unique in that it is all inclusive, we are open to everyone. We support all individuals and families no matter their personal or financial situation. We focus on strengthening each client and the family unit, thus our community.

All visitors are asked to observe the Covid-19 protocols in place when visiting our offices. We ask that you arrive no sooner than 5 minutes before your scheduled appointment and ask that you wear a mask and sanitize your hands when you come in.

Each counselling room has a door where you can exit without having to return to the reception area. The counselling room allows for 6’ distancing between yourself and your counsellor and the room is disinfected before the next client is seen. We stagger each appointment by 15 minutes so that each client does not intersect with the next person.

For more information you can contact us by phone 250-7488281, e-mail us at admin@ cowichanfamilylife.org or Via Messenger at Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ Cowichanfamilylife Mission: We support individuals and families to strengthen relationships and reach their full potential.

Our vision is a thriving community of strong and happy individuals.

Tina Short, Executive Director CFLA

Our Island. Your Pharmacy.

Duncan • Lake Cowichan • Cobble Hill • Shawnigan Lake • Mill Bay • Gabriola Island • View Royal FREE PRESCRIPTION DELIVERY - Nursing In Home Daily Medication Administration Compounded Medication - Veterinary Mixtures - Compression Stocking Fittings

Duncan Locations:

192 Kenneth St. ph (250) 746-4680 I 102-330 Festubert St. ph (250) 746-7494

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Sands Funeral Chapel Virtual Christmas Candlelight Service

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Blue Christmas

he holiday season can be difficult after experiencing the loss of a loved one.

Furthermore, this particular year has been especially difficult.

The inability to mourn the loss of your loved one in traditional ways has become a particularly heartbreaking challenge. Simple gestures, such as the warmth of a friend’s hug, which can bring us comfort, cannot be extended nor can they be received. These acts of kindness that so often help us heal our grief has become a tremendous void in our lives.

It is important to understand that this time of year is not solely about Christmas. This time of year is also about grief. In fact, the grief that we experience during this season, when carefully acknowledged and validated, can be a helpful stage in the reconciliation of loss.

To provide guidance during these unprecedented times, Sands Funeral Chapel – Duncan would like to extend an invitation to our Virtual Christmas Candlelight Service which has been made available throughout the month of December on our Sandsduncan.ca website.

Throughout the month of December, we also invite families who have suffered loss to bring a special memorial ornament and place it on our Tree

of Remembrance. Sandra, whose mother had passed away, placed an ornament that contained a delicate white feather. The feather was a reminder of her mother’s precious and pure love. Each ornament placed on our Tree of Remembrance tells the story of a life lived. Each ornament promises meaningful memories and cherished blessings.

Should you wish to place a memorial ornament on the Tree of Remembrance or receive Grief support brochures: “I can’t face the holidays!” and “A not so jolly Christmas”, please do not hesitate to call our office in advance, 250-746-5212.

Our hope is to bring Peace, Faith, Love, Hope.

Sands Funeral Chapel Virtual Christmas Candlelight Service Can be viewed throughout the month of December at www.sandsduncan.ca Tree of Remembrance This Memorial Tree is located at Sands Funeral Chapel, and all memorial ornaments will remain at our location and carefully placed on the Tree of Remembrance from year to year.

Submitted by Ginette Sylvianne Aubin

Zak Stolk Violin Maker

25 Years Experience of Lutherie in the Italian Tradition.

Making, repair and restoration of Violins, Viola, Cello, Double Bass, Harp, and all manner of Stringed Instruments.

250-749-6563 zakviolins@shaw.ca www.zakviolins.com 9

Pro Tips For Creating A Delicious and Bountiful Charcuterie Find us at the Duncan Farmer’s Market on Saturdays!

Charcuterie, Grazing Boxes and Entertaining Ideas

www.picklespantry.ca I 250-266-2464

Upcoming EVENTS Deerholme Truffle Dinner I December 12th Deerholme Truffle Dinner II December 19th Gift Certificates Available for Foraging Workshops, Cooking Classes and Farm to Table Dinners

For full details visit www.deerholme.com

BY RESERVATION ONLY

Private Dinners are available • Minimum 8 people – custom menu

4830 Stelfox Rd, Duncan

For ReservationS 250 748 7450 10

Louise Pickles, Chef and Owner www.picklespantry. ca

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efore we can begin to discuss how to create the most bountiful and delicious charcuterie board for your holiday entertaining needs, we need to clear a few things up.

When referring to a charcuterie board traditionally, we are talking about salted, cured, smoked or confit meats (most often pork), accompanied by a few simple sidekicks such as olives, mustards or vinegary cornichons and probably some fresh baguette or bread – oh, and wine or some other delightful cocktail to wash it all down with.

Our modern Western interpretation of a “charcuterie” board over recent years has changed this definition to include cheeses, jammy spreads, dried fruits, salted nuts, pickles, crackers and on and on. Really we should be calling such feasts of different textures and flavours “meat and cheese boards”

or even “grazing boards” if we’re splashing out and adding vegetarian spreads, fresh fruits, and a crispy vegetable or two.

But at the end of the day, does it really matter what we call them?!! Whether it’s a single simple salty fatty salami paired with a delightful hard cheese and a hunk of fresh sourdough bread, or a cornucopia that spreads from one end of your dining room table to the other, with some thoughtful consideration, each is fantastic in its own right and it doesn’t really matter what it’s called.

When putting together your meat and cheese board for the holidays it is important to keep things simple. Start with a few of the following core components and go from there: One maybe two dry cured or smoked meats such as an artisanal salami or even some smoky ham make a great starting point for your board, just make sure they are sliced thinly so they are easy to eat.

Next, cheese. The golden rule for cheese is to pick three: one hard or firm, one soft and runny, and one blue. If blue cheeses aren’t

your thing then maybe pick a lovely piece of chevre (goats’ cheese) or fromage frais. To add something a little different at this point, a pâté or terrine is a wonderful way to add a contrast in texture and add a smooth rich flavour to your board. Now you have your basics in place, the next part of the puzzle is often my favourite… the accompaniments!

Keeping the salty, fatty richness of all of the above in mind, you don’t want to overpower the wonderful flavors that you’ve chosen. Let that runny gooey rich cheese on your baguette be the star, and compliment it by picking something with a bit of sweetness like a chutney (mild) or fruit butter (like all that apple butter you made this summer), or if you’re lucky enough to come across some, a bit of honeycomb with blue cheese is delicious.

To contrast the flavours of your meats, a vinegary crunchy traditional French cornichon

is ideal – not the sugary sweet ones please. Wholegrain mustard provides a nice spicy kick to fattier charcuterie such as confits or rillettes, where meats are cooked slowly in their own fats and then shredded, well seasoned and cooled and topped with… you guessed it, more fat (for preservation purposes obviously).

A fresh baguette or sourdough bread is a must, as well as a cracker – those with dried fruits, nuts and seeds in them are ideal for cheeses but less so for your cured meats, maybe here stick to something simple and light on the seasoning.

At this point try not to go overboard with other ‘bits’ as I call them, instead stick to one or two from the following depending on the size of your spread: a candied pecan or walnut for crunch (avoid salty bar snack nut mixes as your meat is already salty enough), dried fruits such as apricots, figs or apple chips are a great way to add fruit if it’s the middle of

December, olives provide a great interlude between bites - don’t forget a bowl for the pits, and maybe last but not least something unexpected like that jar of pickled spicy beans, asparagus or cauliflower in your cupboard!

You don’t have to spend a fortune putting all of this together and it doesn’t need to be complicated, have fun with it, there are no rules. Pick Tasting Room Open one or two from Saturdays and Sundays 12-4 pm each component December 1 to December 20 mentioned above, let your creativity 250 597-4075 guide you, and where 6798 Norcross Rd, Duncan possible source your ingredients locally To contact Louise to pre order from the many creators of fine your charcutrie ingredients food found in the Cowichan Valley and you can’t go wrong! visit www.picklespantry.ca

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Karen Bernard is the Wholesale Coordinator for the Cow-Op Online Farmers’ Market.

COW OP Marketplace CHARCUTERIE CONTEST 1. Name three ‘international foods’ crafted locally that you can order from Cow-Op.

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his holiday season will look quite different for us in terms of entertaining. If nothing else, 2020 has proved that as a community, we are adaptable. Serve yourself and your family as if you were having the most important people over, break out the finest dishes and delight yourselves with special treats!

Why not!? You deserve it!

To show that you are missing your extended people, send a basket filled with the items they may have enjoyed at your home if they had been able to join you. A highly anticipated event of my childhood holidays was the ‘special foods’ basket my aunt and uncle sent to our home every year. For many of us, delectables at the holidays are the ones found on those lovely cutting boards filled with meats, cheeses, pickles and fruits.

Did you know that the Cowichan Valley is home to several fine artisans of charcuterie and cheese. From Duncan, Louise from Pickles’ Pantry adds a modern twist to traditional and rustic French Charcuterie items such as pâtés, terrines and rillettes.

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2. Name the most unexpected item you found offered on the Cow-Op Online Farmers’ Market.

Entertaining Locked Down The team at Cure Artisan Meats and Cheeses in Cobble Hill offers their own pates and spreads and cures or smokes a wide variety of charcuterie meats. Also from Cobble Hill, Shani and Penny at Fat Chili Farm produce condiments such as their Spicy Vegetable Pickle. At Cowichan Station, Haltwhistle Cheese handcrafts fine cheeses with their own goats’ milk and cows’ milk from a neighbouring farm.

Infuse your board with local, artisan preserves made by Angie at That’s My Jam in Shawnigan and add baguettes or sourdough crafted by Bruce at True Grain Bread in Cowichan Bay. If you are trying to accommodate various diets, Pickles’ Pantry also makes a

lovely Lentil Walnut Pate, and hOMe Grown Living Foods in Lake Cowichan has several ready-to-bake plant based nut, grain, and gluten free keto breads that would translate nicely to a ‘grazing board’.

Try their “Rawgles” for a healthy alternative to crackers with your spreads this year!

The current conditions make it hard to easily access all of these producers, but you can have all of these items and more delivered to your door by using the Cow-Op online Farmers’ Market.

LOOKING FOR MICROGREENS?

3. What can’t you find on the Cow-Op Online Farmers’ Market you wish you could?

Please include your name and contact info along with your 3 answers and your name will be entered into a draw for your chance to win one of 3 Cow-Op Marketplace Charcuterie Gifts delivered to your door on Thursday, December 24.

Please send your entries by December 15 to info@cowichanvalleyvoice. com * All entries must reside within the Cow-Op delivery area. Only the 3 winners will be notifed.

We grow plenty of them!

A&S MICROGREENS t.250-710-6135 www.asmicrogreens.com

Let Cure be your personal chef this holiday season Charcuterie, Turkey Roulade Porchetta Panattone Italian Christmas Cake 4 Person Dinner Box

Worldly flavours in your home 250 929-CURE (2873)

Valley View Centre

curemeatandcheese@gmail.com 5-1400 Cowichan Bay Rd

Turkey Rolls Are Here for Christmas!

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ssentially a turkey roast but better. Cure has been making these signature stuffed turkey rolls now for six years as a special order menu item just for the holidays.

The turkey roll is the best of both worlds. Light and dark meat in one. We brine (a brine is a salt, sugar, water and spice solution) a skin on boneless turkey breast then pound it out flat for tenderness. It is then stuffed with a housemade signature sausage stuffing and then rolled and tied.

Every turkey roulade comes with easy to follow instructions so all you have to do All you need to do is take it home and roast. As each roll was brined for juicy flavour, you do not need to add any extra seasoning. Just roast and serve with all your favourite holiday trimmings.

When planning your dinner we recommended 200 grams

per person. Crispy skin, dark meat, light meat - YUM, there is something for everyone there without the haul of a big turkey carcass. Suggested accompaniments are turkey gravy and homemade stuffing which we will have also on hand if you want to keep it easy. Last but not least do not forget to grab some mulled wine cranberry sauce. Happy holiday feasting from Cure.

Pre order Turkey Rolls by December 15.

December Hours Monday-Friday 10-6pm, Saturday and Sunday 10-5 Holiday hours December 22 9-6, December 23 9-6, December 24 9-4, December 28-30 10-6 December 31-9-4 Closed December 25,26,27 and January 1.

Cure Artisan Meat and Cheese, Valley View Centre lower level. 259 929-CURE Chef Brad Boisvert, Cure Artisan Meat and Cheese

Bacon Preserve Lemon and Sage Stuffing Recipe courtesy Brad Boisvert, Cure Artisan Meat & Cheese Ingredients

12 cups dry bread cubes 3 tablespoons Cure preserve lemon chopped 12 ounces rendered Cure bacon cubes, and rendered fat 2 tablespoon Cure beer mustard 3⁄4 teaspoon pepper 1⁄2 teaspoon sage 1 cup melted butter 1 cup chopped onion 1 cup chopped celery 3 teaspoons Vancouver Island salt 1⁄2-1 cup hot Cure house made chicken broth *All ingredients in italic print can be purchased at Cure Artisan Meat and Cheese Method

1. Combine cooked bacon and fat, lemon, mustard, onion, celery and all seasonings. Add melted butter. Toss gently to mix.

Then add hot broth to moisten to desired consistency (but be careful NOT to make it soggy; a little dry is best since it will retain juices from cooking inside the turkey).

2. Pour all into a large casserole and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35-45 minutes, not letting the top get too crispy.

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Winter Wines at Unsworth

A Enjoy our 3 course Winter menu!

Changing weekly and available with wine pairings.

Contact us to enquire about hosting your holiday events at Unsworth Restaurant.

Call(250) 929-2292 ext 1 restaurant@unsworthvineyards.com

REIKI WELLNESS 250-743-8122 Debbie Shkuratoff Reiki Master-Teacher-All Levels Usui-Karuna-Komyo-Seichim

SARA TILLIE ACUPUNCTURE 250-812-9813 Sara Tillie Registered Acupuncturist Traditional Chinese Medicine

Reiki Therapy & Classes - Detox Foot Spas Acupuncture - Amethyst Mat - YL Essential Oils Daytime • Evening •Weekend • By Appointment Only #13- Upper Level • Valleyview Centre • Cobble Hill www.reikiwellness.ca • reiki-wellness@shaw.ca 14

Chris Turyk - I love wine, a lot. I’m a Certified Sommelier, WSET Diploma graduate, and get in everyones way at unsworthvineyards.

few short months ago our picking crew was feverishly harvesting away; then white juice became wine, and the reds were pressed - leaving tanks and barrels prickling through the last bit of fermentation. In the weeks following harvest it is no longer ‘hurry up and wait’ and Unsworth winemaker Dan Wright can look out of the winery from time to time for a few short breaths. All in all, harvest of 2020 finished well.

Whatever incarnation the holiday season of 2020 takes we have your back when it comes to wine. Recently released is Unsworth Sauvignette 2019; on the

nose, Sauvignette is not shy and shows aromas of grapefruit and white peach.

On the palate it is decidedly dry with poise, elegance, and a long finish. Due to time aging neutral French oak, the weight and creamy texture are somewhat of a departure from the Unsworth house style; Sauvignette remains ever so close to my heart.

If you desire something off-dry, Unsworth Petit Milo is back on the shelf! The 2019 Petit Milo shows ripe, almost tropical, aromas and flavours with just a touch of sweetness making it certain to please the crowd. These varieties are relatively new to the global viticultural scene and are currently only planted in Coastal BC - we feel fortunate to work with new spokes in this historically entrenched wheel. These varieties were chosen and planted for their ability to flourish given our cool and maritime climate. Occupying ever more conversation in the wine industry is the roll of new varieties and suitability to various growing regions.

As the conversation around new varieties increases, as does the vineyard acreage.

Bordeaux, for example, has recently amended its laws to allow a variety grown in hot regions of Portugal into its epically revered wines; all this to accommodate a radically warming growing season. Notable Napa Valley wineries have ripped up precious Cabernet Sauvignon vines to plant hybrid varieties that show resistance to Pierce’s Disease. The ongoing battle against fungal diseases

in Champagne has resulted in centuries old producers seeking expertise from of the very same individual who brought Sauvignette, Petit Milo, and other varieties to our shores. Forest fires have rendered otherwise premium fruit as unsuitable for wine production. Unpredictable hail has eliminated entire wines before harvest. Wines from regions once described as lean, tart and austere are now, alcoholic, ripe and generous. Perhaps the wine industry represents the penultimate example for tasting climate change. As the factors of our growing seasons change, we must adapt alongside them. In many ways Cowichan Valley, and indeed all Vancouver Island wineries are part of a bright and creative future as more heads turn to take notice of our community. Ever supported by those around us, we never fear the road less travelled.

in as the drink replacement, and food was served. These Temperance parties were a huge affair, bringing in anywhere from hundreds to sometimes thousands of guests and their families, who sat at long and lavish tables covered in sweets and savouries of all sorts, and tea for all who attended (so long as you sat through the sermons condemning alcohol).

Along with the Duchess of Bedford, who started having her friends over for a mid-afternoon tea and snack around the same time, these events are said to have paved the way to the practice of Afternoon Tea as we know it today (though, ironically, champagne is now often served alongside the English Breakfast).

Oh Christmas Tea Victor Vesely is Co-Founder and Tea Maker at Westholme Tea Company

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rowing up in a British family where the kettle never stopped boiling, it was generally assumed that drinking copious amounts of tea was a major part of every celebration, especially Christmas. I eventually learned that most human bodies are made up of 60% water, not 60% strong black tea, and reeled in my presumption that every holiday is a caffeinated one.

However, after doing a bit of investigation this week, it does turn out that Christmas has traditionally been a time of tea, at least in the UK and North America, since around 1830.

According to the research of Erika Rappaport, the Temperance Society brought about Christmas Eve Afternoon Tea in an attempt to reduce the amount of disorderly public drunkenness.

At the time, Christmas was the only day that most of the working class was typically given off. To make this activity more appealing than the pub, tea was brought

To make sure you’ve got something delicious for your new favourite holiday tea tradition, we created a new gift set called the Gourmet. It includes the incredible cookbook ‘Culinary Tea: More than 150 Recipes Steeped in Tradition from Around the World’ by Cynthia Gold and Lisë Stern, as well as 10 trial pouches of tea to cook with! The recipe below is from the book, and the warming spices are perfect for any winter night, but especially for Christmas Eve Afternoon Tea. For more teas, gift sets and ceramics, visit our website westholmetea.com or come by the Teashop.

Happy Holidays, and Happy Steeping!

WALNUTMEG TEACAKE Courtesy Victor Vesely, Westholme Tea Company Ingredients 1 1/3 cup Flour, all-purpose 2/3 cup Flour, whole-wheat ¼ teaspoon Fine Sea Salt 1 teaspoon Baking Powder 1 teaspoon Baking Soda ½ teaspoon Grated Nutmeg 1 ½ teaspoons Ground black tea leaves 1 Egg 2 tablespoons Walnut or Canola Oil ½ cup + 2 teaspoons Granulated Sugar, divided 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract 1 cup Low-fat or non-fat buttermilk ½ cup Walnuts, coarsely chopped Method Preheat oven to 350ºF, and oil a 9”x 15” loaf pan. Combine both flours in a medium bowl with the salt, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg and tea. Stir until well mixed, and set aside.

In large bowl, beat eggs thoroughly. While mixing, add oil and continue to beat for 1 minute. Repeat with ½ cup of sugar. Repeat with vanilla. The final product should be light and lemon-coloured. With a rubber spatula, stir in half of the flour mixture until just blended. At the buttermilk, and blend on medium-low until just combined. Repeat with the remaining flour. Gently stir in the walnuts. The batter should be thick - scrape into the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 teaspoons of sugar. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the colour is light gold, and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a rack for 1 hour, then finish cooling on a plate. Serve at room temperature with a cup of tea.

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Holiday Wine Pairings Emandare Vineyard 2020 Farm Fresh Foch A fresh, juicy, delicious and chuggable red!

This nouveau style of wine will slide across your palate far too easy as you enjoy it with all of your favourite savoury Christmas treats. Notes of bright red cherry, fresh wild flowers and juicy, smooth notes of raspberry and plum.

Merry Christmas! $25

Alderlea Vineyards Alderlea Rosé

A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Marechal Foch, this robust red wine exhibits aromas of caramel, black cherry, and licorice with rich cocoa and cloves on the finish. Pair this wine with your favourite holiday feast, it will be the crowd pleaser for sure! $23.99

Rocky Creek Winery Sirius Red

This versatile, full-bodied rosé wine with hints of cranberry pairs beautifully with holiday fare including poultry, meat and seafood. $24.25

Unsworth Vineyards 2019 Petit Milo An off dry foil to the rest of our dry white wine offerings.

Petit Milo is a unique grape to Coastal BC and shows surprisingly ripe and flavours of apricot, white peach and green papaya. It has a crisp finish and brings an exotic flair perfect for a wide array of food. $21.65

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Blue Grouse Winery 2018 Quill Q Red

Mark’s first attempt at making a bold, serious red from their estate-grown CabFoch grapes. His 10 year journey to produce a full bodied red from estategrown grapes has come to fruition in this premium red which is perfect to pair with a Christmas roast such as Mark’s favorite, Beef Wellington. This wine has aromas and flavours similar to those of a Cabernet Franc, with plum, black currants and roast pepper notes with a hint of violets. It is earthy with a slight oak toast. The tannins are very smooth, making this wine very drinkable right now. $40

Holiday Special

3-sessions of Foot Reflexology for $150 Gift Certificates Available

250-701-8962

Reflexology & Chi Wellness

by Terri

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DECEMBER ART EVENTS

IN THE ANNEX MOMENTS IN TIME December 3 - 18

Acrylic paintings by Joanne Mitchell

CVAC Membership Gift Package

Gifting Art

IN THE GALLERY

Susan Down is managing director of the Cowichan Valley Arts Council.

LOTSA LEGO

Runs to December 18

Artistic LEGO creations from young artists in the community, combined with whimsical art from CVAC members.

CALL TO ARTISTS THEN AND NOW Deadline to register is December 18

Submit old and new art, and tell us about your creative journey in between. The show runs January 7 to February 4, 2021.

Hours: Monday-Friday 11-4pm, Saturdays 12-4pm

CVAC will Closed for the holidays

December 18 – January 5

2687 James St, Duncan (250) 746-1633 I cowichanvalleyartscouncil.ca

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rt is a gift. You need a certain gift of creativity to create it. And for the rest of us, just by looking at it, we receive the gift of insight through the artists’ eyes. Not to mention that sense, after a visit to an art gallery, that our souls have been nourished.

December is all about gifts at CVAC. For a limited time, CVAC is offering gift packages for art lovers on your list. The wrapped packages include a ceramic mug or bowl and art cards – created by local artists – as well as a one-year membership to CVAC, all for $45. Order online or come to the gallery.

Our two December art shows are gifts, too. In the Annex, award-winning painter Joanne Mitchell presents Moments in Time, from December 3-18.

She paints subjects that she feels an instant, powerful connection with, what she calls the-I-can’t-wait-topaint-it-feeling. It might be a young, slightly awkward bird, that makes you laugh out loud. Or a landscape that evokes such profound peace and contentment that you want to hold onto it forever.

As an artist, her challenge and joy is taking that inspiration and rendering the moment on canvas. Joanne’s work translates mood with light and colour; celebrates a sense of place; and captures moments of silence and solitude. To see some of Joanne’s work, visit www.joannemitchell.com We celebrate young talent with the fun-loving Lotsa LEGO, on until December 18 in the main Gallery. This is a holiday show for the whole family, supported by the Vancouver Island Regional Library (Cowichan Branch) and The Red Balloon Toyshop. Enjoy the LEGO creations and some whimsical art by CVAC members. cowichanvalleyartscouncil.ca Lotsa Lego

Robin celebrating the holidays at Rocky Creek .

Friday and Saturday we’re opening for some amazing ideas.

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his Christmas season we’re not attending any Christmas markets; instead, we are holding our own. We’ve decorated the tasting room like we would our Christmas market stall. Every

Enamelling on Copper and Steel

One of these special ideas that is being featured for Christmas is a Mulled wine pack. Perfect for the holidays. People are always amazed at how flavourful it tastes. It Jewelery • Vases • Journals • Guestbooks takes the chill out of Frames • Bookmarks • Magnets • Lightswitch Plates the rainy season. For $55, you get the two Available locally at: Imagine That Artisans wines, the recipe and all the spices you need Rainforest Arts • Artzi Stuff • TOSH to make the wine alone.

The only thing you quaylecard.indd 1 8/8/2011 3:23:00 PM need to add is citrus fruit for decoration and flavour.

JAN DONALDSON DESIGNS Did you know that mulled wine’s Clothing Designer, Fibre Artist origin began in Greece in the winter seasons to warm up the “Imagination in Stitchery…. people but they also believed Let’s Talk” adding the spices were medicinal and would help with their health.

Musicians Stagewear, Hats, It then spread across Europe Men and Ladies Wear and many countries have taken this on with their own version Studio open by appointment only and name. Linda’s heritage is jandonaldsondesigns@gmail.com 250-416-1155 German and we’ve found an facebook/jan.donaldson.18 authentic Glühwein recipe that we tweeked. www.jandonaldson.com

Christmas at Rocky Creek Winery Mark Holford, owner, winemaker Rocky Creek Winery Cowichan’s most award winning winery.

Margot Page

www.margotpage.com

Linda’s family was without their Dad many times at Christmas because of working night shifts; he would come home to a warm mulled wine before going to sleep, as they celebrated on Christmas Eve in the evening. Just perfect after dinner and ready to go off to bed.

Linda didn’t’ have mulled wine for many years since but starting the winery reminded us of this experience. We’d go out for Fall walks with our family and instead of hot chocolate, had mulled wine. We also love to cook and wanted to have a great recipe that matched our flavour profiles.

At the winery, we wanted something warm as we opened later in the season

250 746 8446

The Clay Hub Collective Open with COVID-19 measures

Happy Holidays and see you in the New Year!

New classes starting in January.

Check our web site for current info

www.theclayhubcollective.com

each year and started serving this in the tasting room. Many people commented on the flavour and wanted the recipe, so the gift box was created and tried out at the markets.

When you are planning your festive purchases, please be loyal to your local suppliers. There is a long Winter to weather before the Spring brings renewal and hopefully a brighter future. So now, why not take some time and explore our area of Cowichan Valley? You never know what you may stumble upon. www.rockycreekwinery.ca 250-748-5622

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TRADITIONAL MEXICAN FOOD Restaurant and Catering Services in the Cowichan Valley

ViSIT US At WHIPPLETREE JUNCTION enchiladas • mole • salsas and guacamole • mexican rice • birria tacos • carnitas tacos • bean & Cheese tacos • Family packs

vegan & vegetarian options Winter Hours are Wednesday-Saturday 12-7 FOR TAKE OUT AND CURBSIDE PICK UP call: 250 597-8226

www.madeinmexicobc.com

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rinking chocolate, like many spirits, was consumed as a type of a medicine (in addition to a special treat) up until the 19th century. It began in Mexico as early as 500 BC, with Mayans creating drinking chocolate from ground cocoa seeds mixed with water, cornmeal, and chili peppers (among other things).

This was poured back and forth between cups to make it frothy and then served cold.

Chocolate then made its way to Europe via Spain, when Cortes returned in 1528 with the means to make this bitter beverage.

Chocolate became a status symbol across Europe, with cocoa being given as a dowry when members of the Spanish Royal Family married other European aristocrats. As it was sweetened it grew in popularity and was mixed with everything from jasmine flowers, vanilla, black pepper, and cinnamon.

Grown-Up Hot Chocolate for Two

In 1828 the first cocoa powder producing machine was built in

Grown-up Hot Chocolate For Two Recipe adapted from The Modern Proper Ingredients 2 Cups whole milk 1 tbsp sugar ½ vanilla bean or ½ tsp vanilla 3 oz dark chocolate (60% or higher) ½ tsp sea salt 2 oz BRBN from Okanagan Spirits 1 oz Nocino! from Ampersand Distilling Co. 1 oz Big Mountain Creamer from Monashee Spirits Mashmallows for garnish Method Heat the milk, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan over medium low heat until the sugar and salt dissolve. Take care not to let the milk come to a boil. Add chocolate piece by piece, whisking until completely melted. Remove from heat.

Add BRBN, Nocino!, and Big Mountain Creamer. Divide between two mugs and top with marshmallows.

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the Netherlands and led to the invention of solid chocolate.

It also meant there was purer powder left behind that could more easily be stirred into water or milk. Now hot chocolate comes in many versions – whether made from powder or melted chocolate, water or milk, and is widely available as a comfort food across the world.

Though we hardly keep hot chocolate in the medicine cabinet these days, it’s the sort of cozy comfort we could all use this winter. This version uses local spirits to amp up hot chocolate into a grown-up affair. The vanilla is echoed in the BRBN, while Big Mountain Creamer stands in for traditional Irish Cream. And of course, our favourite holiday tipple, Nocino!, makes an appearance to contribute some bittersweet nuttiness. Soothing and spicy, the notes of honey and cinnamon pair nicely with the chocolate, while adding a complex flavour from the green walnuts.

Treat yourself and use solid chocolate – it’s worth the time to melt it down. As always, enjoy responsibly and have a safe holiday season.

Jessica Schacht Ampersand Distilling Co. ampersanddistilling. com

Take Out Thurs-Sun Unsworth Sunday Care Package ~ features re-heat meal, bread and dessert ~ See website for more details Polenta Fries ~ 8 Smoked Cheddar, Lemon Paprika Aioli Spice Crusted Lamb Shoulder Croquettes ~ 11 24hr Braised Lamb Shoulder, Almonds, Parsley, Mint Sauce Wild Mushroom Arancini ~ 9 Buffalo Mozzarella, Basil Aioli

“Las Posadas”-A Christmas Celebration in Mexico

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f you’ve spent time in Mexico this time of year you probably witnessed some form of “las posadas”. Traditionally, the “posada” which means “inn” or “shelter”, was a religious celebration to honour the birthplace of Jesus. People would re-enact the journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem. The community would gather in a lantern-lit procession searching for the place where Jesus would be born. The group would sing specific songs at different stops to the people inside in a ‘call and response’ way--telling them to continue on or to invite them in.

Once they arrived to the place where they would be received, the group would be welcomed in and they would pray and share food together.

Although this tradition is still practiced, “posadas” has essentially become the word for a Christmas party. You can have a posada for work or school, with your friends, family, church members--basically any group of people that you associate

with, which means you will be attending a lot of fiestas!

Celebrating, gathering and of course eating are a central part of Mexican culture and December is the perfect time to embrace this.

If you would like to create your own posada or would like us to host it, ‘Made In Mexico—Traditional Food and Catering’ has everything to make your posada a success!

Here are some ideas: 1.) We can host your Christmas party as a private catered event at our location 2.) We can deliver food for your Christmas party 3.) We offer curbside pickup for takeout convenience 4.) We have gift cards, piñatas and imported Mexican products (dried chiles, tortillas, maiz flour, tortilla chips, salsas, organic coffee, hibiscus flowers) available for sale.

Contact us for more information: 250-597-TACO madeinmexicobc@outlook.com madeinmexicobc.com Tamara is happy to share the beauty and taste of Mexican food and culture.

Fall Squash Salad (gf) ~ 17 Mobetta & Wicklow Farms Greens, Local Squash, Pickled Radish, Pumpkin Seeds, Haltwhistle Fromage Frais, Sage & Apple Cider Vinaigrette Unsworth Signature Burger & Fries ~ 21 Two Rivers Ground Beef, Pancetta, Basil Aioli, Spicy Tomato Jam, Chipotle Aioli Gluten Free Substitution ~ 2 Add Smoked Cheddar ~ 2 Smoky Seafood Chowder (gf) ~ Cup 13 / Bowl 20 Carrot, Fennel, Celery, Potato, Parsley, Fresh Local Fish & Shellfish, Bread of the Day Steak Frites (gf) 8 oz ~ 32 \ 10 0z ~ 39 Grilled Ribeye, Garlic Herb Butter, Red Wine Shallot Jus, House Greens, Lemon Vinaigrette Pan Seared Pacific Halibut ~ 42 Mushroom & Potato Croquette, Watercress, Pickled Radish, Lime Aioli, Crispy Shallots Lentil Croquettes ~ Small 17 / Large 26 Golden Beet Purée, Mustard Micro Greens, Pickled Beetroot, Sumac Sour Cream House-Made Pasta of the Day ~ Ask about Today’s Selection ~ Desserts Baked Cheesecake ~ 13 Graham Cracker Crust, Cream Cheese, Fruit Compote ~10% Gratuity Applied To Every Bill~

2915 Cameron Taggart Rd, Mill Bay www.unsworthvineyards.com Call 250-929-2292 ext 1 to order 21

Christmas Market Events

WINTER FARMERS MARKET DOWNTOWN DUNCAN

THE HUB at COWICHAN STATION CHRISTMAS MARKET

A Day In Santa’s Workshop PROVIDENCE FARM

Head downtown and shop local this holiday season! Duncan Farmers’ Market is hosting a Special Winter Farmers’ Market. We will have local Artisans, Farmers, Bakers, Primary Food Producers, Wineries and Distilleries in attendance with locally-made gift ideas for the whole family. Please enter on Craig Street at Kenneth Street. Saturday December 12th and Sunday, December 13th from 10:00am-2:00pm.

The HUB is changing it up for Christmas 2020. A Night Market 5-9pm December 19th and then a Day Market 10am-4pm on December 20th.

All the latest health and safety protocols will be followed with some innovate and creative solutions such as live streaming with Santa, pre-sales and online ordering for vendors with the help of COW OP, personal shopping Elves and more. We will find a way to make this happen. Masks will be mandatory.

For more information and the latest news on the format of this event please check our website cowichanhub.ca

Operated by the students in the Hospitality Management program at Camosun College, we are working with Providence Farm for an afternoon craft and virtual time with Santa.

We would like to invite your families and or friends to purchase a ticket and enjoy your early afternoon with ornament painting, cookie decorating, and participate in our silent auction. Silent auction prices include one night stays at various hotels and resorts and gift certificates for restaurants. All proceeds will go for Providence Farm. Here is a link for more information: https://www.facebook. com/events/357969862160874

CELEBRATING

13 YEARS IN BUSINESS IN THE

COWICHAN VALLEY Heronwood Custom Cabinetry Inc. Is a local custom cabinetry shop located in the Cowichan Valley.

Heronwood is know for its meticulous craftsmanship and creative design.

VISIT OUR SHOWROOM

E4-4970 POLKEY RD. DUNCAN

250-597-4701

heronwoodcabinetry.ca 22

WHY WE SHOULD WATCH Our People

Will Be Healed: A Brighter Future Through Education, Culture and Tradition

by Alanis Obomsawin

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his film is enlightening, both for its cinematography and its message. It is testimony to how the benefits of meaningful education within ones’ cultural and traditional way of life enhance the lives of those who experience them. Interspersed throughout the film are scenes from the land. They are aweinspiring. Indigenous filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin presents the vibrant Kinosao Sipi Norway House Cree Nation, ~460 kilometers north of Winnipeg.

The community and its Leaders are persistent and tenacious with their vision. They succeed at “sharpen[ing] the gifts of their children”.

The Helen Betty Osborne Ininiw Education Research Centre is a Nursery to Grade 12 school, envisioned and built by the Nation. This school is uncommon. It is part of the provincial school system. It receives provincial funding for each student and follows the Manitoba curriculum. When Canada and Manitoba failed over 122 years to live up to their promised land requirements pledged in the 1875 signing

of Treaty #5, the Nation was awarded funds through a Treaty Land Entitlement decision (1997). It is with these funds that the Nation built HBOIERC. Most of the teachers and teacher’s assistants are Indigenous; most are from the community. At this school, every child is mentored and welcomed.

Obomsawin has filmed many of the Nation’s enterprises: a grocery store, restaurant, a community radio station with Cree translators, the Norway House Fishermen’s Co-op, The York Boat Days, to name a few. The well-used sports field was built within 3 months of imagining, using the expertise and skills of members.

Traveling by canoe, the viewer accompanies Ninth grade students and others who go out on the land with an Elder for two weeks. It is part of their education. So is music.

The school offers an amazing Music Program. They host the

Frontier Division Annual Fiddle Jamboree each year. The music department brings in world class fiddle instructors, and 500 Students participate from throughout the area. It is clear how a school with a library, laboratories and equipment, a music program, a gym and an up-to date curriculum combined with culture and tradition retains students and produces increasing numbers of graduates with dreams and ambitions “to be the best” one can be. The sounds of the Annual Fiddle Jamboree will stay in mind for a long time.

View this NFB film at: https:// www.nfb.ca/film/our-peoplewill-be-healed/ The Warmland Book and Film Collective – a response to the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. Explore, celebrate, and learn from Indigenous authors and filmmakers – meeting the 2nd Wednesday/each month.

Next meeting is December 9, 2020 and the next book is The Outside Circle: A Graphic Novel

by Patti LaBoucane-Benson, Art

by Kelly Mellings. Questions? warmlandcollective@gmail.com Submitted by Miyo Stevens

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Himalayan Salt Lamps

Find them at Country Grocer Cobble Hill!

When it comes to the lamps, the pink salt is thought to release negative ions into your space, which would be able to get rid of dust particles that may affect your health, thus purifying your space and helping the air quality of your home. Many believe that it can do everything from increasing your energy levels to alleviating symptoms of allergies. Some people say these pink salt lamps can even help boost your overall mood, alleviate depression and help you sleep more soundly.

Available in different sizes. Also available in tea light candle holders, egg shaped, and round ball styles.

1400 Cowichan Bay Rd, Cobble Hill (250) 743-5639

Lexington Spa A PROFESSIONAL MOBILE SPA THAT COMES TO YOU!

Cindy Beam, Owner

MANICURES • PEDICURES • REFLEXOLOGY

250-514-1380

www.lexingtonspa.ca I lexingtonspa@shaw.ca

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o you love the ritual of beautifying your features and putting on make up? The ladies in Cowichan Bay share this love too and have found a Victoria based company that ticks all the boxes for a feel good, healthy and sustainable make up application.

Elate Cosmetics will give you a gorgeous look without compromising the health of your skin, your lifestyle, or the earth. Beautiful colours, skin loving ingredients, and sustainable packaging. It is also vegan, cruelty free, toxin free, gluten free and made in Canada.

Natural, Vegan, Sustainable Make-Up Canadian Made

“We love that they are local, sustainable and as natural as make-up can get with good quality.” shares Lenka Luduc, Assistant spa manager. “Their mascara is a best seller because it is good for sensitive eyes and stays on all day with no toxic ingredients.”

Elate Cosmetics are committed to empowering everyone to have the choice to use the best possible products for their daily make up rituals. They create safe, effective beauty products using cruelty-free ingredients and sustainable practices.

Certified by Leaping

Bunny and PETA, all of the ingredients used in their products are fair trade. In addition to all of those great things - more than 75% of their products are waste-free.

Every piece of packaging they use is either compostable, recyclable, reusable or plantable.

New to make up? The spa offers 60 minute make up application sessions with pre booking and currently have a great promotion on their in stock Elate Make Up products. December Special - Purchase 3 products and get your 4th free, buy 5 and get 2 products free.

Unit B-1681 Cowichan Bay Rd, Cowichan Bay (250) 597-0668 www.cowichanbayspa.com

The Luxurious Organic Retreat in the heart of Cowichan Bay Village

DECEMBER INDULGE

Custom Spa Packages 20% OFF 10% OFF products Elate Make-up Special Buy 3, get 1 Free / Buy 5, get 2 Free www.cowichanbayspa.com I 250 597-0668 24

Located on the lower level of the Oceanfront Suites at 1681 Cowichan Bay Rd.

“Let’s go see the girls at the spa and pamper ourselves!”

(Dogs talk you know that, right?)

It’s A Date! Double Pedicures Now Offered at Soul Escape Organic Spa!

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ow much one-on-one time do you set aside to spend with someone you love? How about sweetening the deal with a spa treatment to nourish the soul? Now that feels a bit like we’re getting things done!

Whenever my sister or I visit our mother in Ontario, we always try to book ourselves in for a family pedicure. Mom, a former nurse believes that regular professional pedicures are essential to maintaining healthy feet and there is no expense spared on health.

As with many of you, I recently went from seeing a good friend regularly, to rarely ever. Withdrawal from this easy catch up time hit us both and what was really missed couldn’t be replicated by phone calls. When we heard that our local organic spa had recently renovated their pedicure room to safely service two people at a time we quickly booked in!

Upon arrival to Soul Escape Organic Spa, you are safely greeted into the bright and friendly boutique reception.

Soul Escape is conveniently located at the Thrifty’s Plaza in Duncan with lots of parking for everyone. I arrive early

to be able to spend some time browsing in the boutique, one of my favourites in town.

The spa is well stocked with Eminence organic skincare as well as other gorgeous luxury gift items - milled soaps, soy candles in glass, slick designer deodorants and a very cool selection of Uashmama designer paper bags from Tuscany. I mentally make notes, matching perfect gifts to people.

Once Linda arrives we venture into Soul Escape’s recently renovated pedicure room.

Now professionally outfitted with dual treatment recliners separated by clear plexiglass, friends and family can be in the same room together while having their feet pampered and polished.

The spa recently welcomed new esthetician Verity Martin to their team. For this appointment, I had the pleasure of her attending to my legs, feet and toes. With over 15 years experience in the hustle and bustle of busy spas in Ontario, Nova Scotia and Yellowknife she switched to working in the organic spa industry after the birth of her son. A perfect match for Soul Escape.

THE ORIGINAL HUNGARIAN ORGANIC SKINCARE LINE IN NORTH AMERICA

2763 Beverly St (Thrifty Foods Plaza), Duncan 250.748.2056 www.soulescape.ca Our pedicures begin with a warm Gehwol foot bath to relax and soften the skin.

Once soaked, we are treated to a gentle massage of the lower legs, feet and toes. Next, calluses and rough patches are seen to with their files. As the two pay careful attention to detailed cuticle care and nail grooming, Linda and I easily engage and catch up on the affairs of the world. Eva, the spa owner is a Certified Master Pedicurist and her work has earned her a loyal roster of regulars. “This was my first pedicure from Eva. My favourite part was Eva’s toe massage! She was very gentle and I was so relaxed I just reclined and closed my eyes for part of the treatment.” smiles Linda Working in tandem, Verity and Eva both performed with the easy flair of expertise.

Verity’s style is very similar to Eva’s - gentle but thorough. “I have always participated doing double pedicures in every spa I have worked at.” shares Verity

“Clients love to come in with their friends, family, coworkers and even men have come in together with their buddies or wives. Usually, it’s the wives who book the appointment, but they are always happy they come in the end.” While Linda opted for her usual French Pedicure, I chose a fun and sparkly wintery blue. When all was done, our feet were softer than they had been in months, our toenails shone and our souls sparkled from time together well spent. Don’t forget your flip flops to leave in!

60 min Pedicures $70 add $10 for Polish/ French Polish *Enquire about diabetic Foot Care - Soul Escape Organic Spa & Boutique, 101-2763 Beverly St. Duncan (Thrifty Foods Plaza) Appointments 250 748 2056 Sheila Badman, happy wife and mother of two, loves experiencing the treasures of Cowichan, both indoors and out.

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Festive Fridays And More In Downtown Duncan This Holiday Season

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re you wondering what Christmas will be like in downtown Duncan this year?

With COVID-19 regulations in place, the typical Christmas Kick Off is not possible. However, the DDBIA has put together some activities to enjoy throughout the holiday season. We have done our best to bring a special shopping and community experience to you this year!

Starting Friday, November 27th a number of our special boutiques and restaurants will be open until 6pm or later for four Festive Fridays in December. Visit the Ainslie, Area 51, Belongings, Cardino Shoes, Eclectic

Avenue, Excellent Frameworks, Fabrications, the Ginger Room, Ironworks Cafe & Creperie, Khaya Home Decor, Little Bird, Lise Brown Cosmetics, Martin’s Menswear, Outlooks for Men, Refresh Marketplace, Resthouse Sleep Solutions, Rembrandt’s Chocolate, the Red Balloon Toyshop, Shades, Sheer Essentials, Soulful Memories, Spinning Ninny, the Garment District, the Olive Station, Volume 1 Bookstore, W Dance & Yoga Supplies, W.I.N.G.S, Wishes and Wall Street Clothing after you get off work! Shopping at participating boutiques and restaurants with extended hours

Image courtesy of Festilights. Not the actual ornament on display but what the downtown Duncan ornament will be based on.

will be further enhanced by a 12” interactive-by-app, light up ornament display in City Square and a special 15” Christmas tree in the Common with a display on the wall. Take your picture next to our ornament and Christmas tree display to mark your time downtown!

Also running throughout the month of December, we will have two Story Walks arranged in partnership with the Vancouver Island Regional Library.

Come downtown to walk about, window shop, and read Bear Snores On and Llama Llama Holiday Drama with your children. Many retailers like Chocolate Pearl have also designed beautiful windows to appreciate! Be sure to look out for this year’s mascot, a bald eagle. Collect two names of the mascot in store windows on each Station Street, Craig Street, Kenneth Street, Canada Avenue or Duncan Street, and 1st-4th streets. You should submit these

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ten names by direct message on social media or by email to ddbia@downtownduncan.ca for the chance to win $50 Duncan Dollars. The winner will be selected via random draw and announced Monday the 21st of December.

Finally, in the spirit of thinking of others during the giving season, be sure to participate in the tenth annual Toys, Toiletries and Toques fundraiser! Instead of a wrapped donation box, they will have donation tins located at several local businesses.

Donate cash or gift cards at local businesses like the Red Balloon Toyshop and Station Street Tattoos.

Just a reminder to use hand sanitizer, wear masks, and remain physically distant, shopping and celebrating only with your bubble!

Downtown Duncan merchants wish everyone lots of joy and good health this holiday season!

Oven Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Recipe courtesy Grant Easterbrook, The Olive Station, 225 Canada Avenue, Downtown Duncan Brussel sprouts; you either love them or you hate them! At The Olive Station we are of the Brussel loving persuasion. If you are someone who needs another reason to love these little green balls of flavour have we got a recipe for you! These oven-roasted Brussel sprouts combine our Fig dark balsamic vinegar and lemon olive oil to create a beautifully balanced dish. This recipe is a great side dish for small holiday meals.

Ingredients 2-3 cups Brussel sprouts 3 tablespoons Neapolitan Herb Dark Balsamic Vinegar Dash of sea salt (or salt of your choice) - we like Saltwest Roasted garlic & onion.

Freshly ground pepper to taste 3 tablespoons Lemon olive oil

Directions 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees 2. Prepare Brussel sprouts. Rinse, pat dry and trim off and hard or brown ends.

3. Slice Brussel sprouts in half lengthwise.

4. In a mixing bowl whisk together olive oil, vinegar salt and pepper until evenly combined.

5. Add in the Brussel sprouts and mix until evenly coated.

6. Place brussel sprouts on a baking sheet lined with tin foil or parchment paper.

7. Roast in oven for 25 minutes, turning once (to ensure crispiness!)

Serve alongside your favourite holiday meal and enjoy!

Serves 4.

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Submitted by Veronica Scott

A

s we mark our 27th year in the Duncan town square, all of us at Imagine That! Artisans’ Cooperative extend a very special thanks to our customers, landladies, and our members and artisans - everyone who has made this challenging time a little easier.

This holiday season we are delighted to introduce three new artisans who have joined our Cooperative family.

Martha McHardy is a superb knitter who works with wool and fine fibres. A former

Occupational Therapist who came to the Island many years ago, Martha has worked as a contract shepherd with large BC commercial flocks, and a breeder of border collies. Along the way, she has competed in sheepdog trials in both Canada and the US. “I wasn’t knitting in those days, as I rarely had time, but I have always appreciated the qualities of wool,” she says.

“When it came time to stay warm, dry, and comfortable, wool and natural fibres were always my first choice to wear because wool is both practical and functional.” Martha, who describes herself as a ‘woolly diva,’ loves the look, feel and texture of hand dyed, natural fibres.

Martha makes wool accessories, suitable in size and style for just about everyone. These include toques, hats, scarves, boot cuffs, fingerless gloves, cloaks, shawls and ponchos.

Knitwear by Martha McHardy

Patti McNeice joined Imagine That! recently - and we’re so glad she did! Patti is a potter with a unique style she calls “ceramic assemblage.” Instead of the smooth surfaces of traditional pottery, Patti uses a variety of materials including found

Ceramic Assemblage by Patti McNeice

Santa’s Artisan Helpers have been Busy at Imagine That! objects and stencil art.

The end result is a creation of unique, lush and vibrant surfaces. Each piece of pottery is imaginatively detailed – a ‘one of a kind.’

“My grandmother and mother root my curiosity. Our three spirits dance when I create.

It’s a magical time, somewhat addictive I confess,” she notes.

bling and bits,” she explains.

Patti makes both wall art as well as platters, small plates, and other sculptures.

Patti is inspired by “pattern, textures and the mystery of seeing something for what it is not.” There are no artistic rules in her studio, she says. “Things happen by chance, without intention or influence. I let my passion and distractibility guide me. I move clay and colour around then add curiosity with

“Lift the gong from its cradle, strike with a mallet, then gently wave back and forth and the tone of the sound becomes magical,” he explains. The clear sound transcends the ages with peace and strength, perfect for these unsettling times.

Musician Massimo Pintus joined us recently, as well.

Massimo creates beautiful gongs that he calls ‘sound sculptures’ forged from copper, iron, and bronze.

Massimo started his musical

JOIN US

WEDNESDAY to SATURDAY look for our daily specials on

www.theainslie.ca 161 Kenneth St., Duncan 250-597-3695 28

40 Ingram Street

www.theoldfirehouse.ca

Downtown Duncan

(250) 597-3473

SHOP WITH US Tuesday - Friday 11am - 4pm Saturday 10am - 3pm Sunday, December 20 11 am - 3 pm

Imagine That! Artisans’ Designs 251 Craig St., Downtown Duncan

imaginethatartisans.com I 250-748-6776

Come see our wonderful selection of Christmas gifts

Sound Sculpture by Massimo Pintus

journey at the age of five in Sardinia, Italy. He was captivated listening to his grandfather play a Spanish ‘romanza’ on the guitar. At this early age Massimo knew that music would be an integral, life sustaining part of his life.

Years later, Massimo enthusiastically plunged into all types of sounds and instruments including East Indian and Sufi music. After an extended time in Sweden, he moved to Vancouver Island and settled in Duncan where he makes his inspirational Gaia gongs while continuing to explore the healing, life affirming properties of his passion – the sound of music.

There are more than seventy artists at Imagine That.

Everything you see is made by

the hands of Island artists and artisans. Our creations are the end result of many hours of hard work, patience, and love.

While the ‘profit margins’ are relatively small in comparison to the effort, the ultimate reward of customer satisfaction and funds to purchase more supplies is huge!

ORGANIC & NGI PIES, CAKES, BREADS, ROLLS & FRUIT CAKES

We’ve been busy. We also follow provincial safety guidelines and welcome a few people into the store at any one time, The walls and shelves are stocked full with Christmas treasures from small glass and ceramic ornaments, crocheted rugs, enamelled bookmarks and jewellery to paintings, kimonostyle robes, silk scarves, pottery, mosaics, candles, papier mache and wooden bowls made from local trees.

Open MonDAY-SatURDAY to nourish you during shopping with warm, delicious & organic home made food.

Come see what we’ve been up to!

Prudence

Imagine That! Artisans 251 Craig St, Duncan 250 748-6776

Open: Monday - Friday 10am - 5pm Sundays 12 - 4pm

Natural Skincare & Cosmetics

• 155 Craig Street, Downtown Duncan

www.prudencenaturalbeauty.ca

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Cozy Natural Wool Slippers

I

f Santa Claus lines his snow boots with warm, cozy wool, he likely buys his merry insoles at Duncan’s Soul Comfort Sheepskin.

Christmas lists should include Soul Comfort’s wool and sheepskin footwear for loved ones with cold or aching feet — a gift friends and family will enjoy year-round.

From insoles, sheepskin pancake slippers and cabin boots, to slipons and ankle slippers, owner Anyes DeLaat and her merry elves stock it all and can custom make footwear at their Duncan store.

“We have several styles of sheepskin slippers, “ Anyes says of the addictive attire with therapeutic pluses.

“Once you wear sheepskin footwear you never go back to anything else because it’s comfortable and you have happy, healthy feet.”

That’s because “wool keeps the skin dry as it wicks moisture away from the body.”

If folks have any bacterial or foot-fungus issues, wool is the answer.

“Our cabin boots are eight inches high so they’re especially good for people with cold feet in basement suites — just nestle your feet in luxury comfort of sheepskin.”

For folks who are vegans, Soul Comfort sells wool and hemp products with no animal skin

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involved, notes Anyes.

Guys looking for a cozy, special gift for their sweetheart, mom, sister or other females in their lives, sheepskin is also the answer.

“Women in general have cold feet so by giving sheepskin slippers, you’ll get many kisses for years to come,” Anyes predicts.

Men begin feeling cold at around age 65 so sheepskin footwear is also a great gift for grandpa.

“All our footwear is made in house so we can custom fit, and we have a variety of products for medical needs too.”

Other practical Noel gifts span seating pads for car and home, plus warm, odourless presents for pets.

“Wool is naturally odour resistant so you don’t smell pets when you come inside,” Anyes advises of dog mats and beds. “Pets just love wool.”

Christmas shoppers can make a Yuletide stop today at Soul Comfort for a tour of its tons of products featuring wool, the miracle fibre.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a warm wooly night!

Soul Comfort Sheepskin Wool 190 Fourth Street Downtown Duncan 250-737-1281

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Denise D’Fantis Cowichan Valley Acupuncture

W

hile the days and nights on Vancouver Island are definitely cooler, it is still mild enough to enjoy outdoor walking or hiking, mushroom picking, biking, winter gardening, yard clean ups, etc. Sometimes however, these activities can result in muscle stiffness and soreness, especially in the cooler months.

Musculo-Skeletal pain is experienced occasionally by many individuals, as we move our bodies through our busy lives. Raking a lawn, bending over to pick up leaves and debris, using a wheelbarrow, hiking on a slight incline, etc. are just some of the seemingly harmless activities that can sometimes result in temporary muscle pain and discomfort, and mobility restriction.

Cupping, an ancient healing modality dating back thousands of years in China and Greece, may also help to release tight and strained muscles.

Acupuncture And Cupping For Winter Overstrain When someone feels like they have “pulled a muscle” following either strenuous or low impact activities, they often experience pain, stiffness, and the inability to move their bodies like they normally do. (Mobility restriction.)

Whether used separately or together, Acupuncture and Cupping may help ease the discomfort of muscle pain as a result of physical activity, overstrain, etc.

Acupuncture may help to promote the healing of damaged muscle tissue, and provide pain relief. When tiny sterile acupuncture needles are inserted into the body, a cascade of biochemical responses occur such as enhanced endorphin production, which activate the body’s opiate receptors, causing an analgesic (pain relieving) effect.

Acupuncture also dilates blood vessels and softens muscle spasms which then allows increased blood circulation into the muscle, resulting in oxygen and nutrient rich tissues to assist healing.

When glass, silicone, or plastic cups are strategically placed on the body creating a subatmospheric pressure either by heat or by suction, blood circulation is increased to the area, facilitating healing of damaged tissue.

In addition, Cupping changes the skin’s biomechanical properties, increasing pain thresholds, and improving local anaerobic metabolism reducing inflammation, and modulation of the cellular immune system.

(Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies Volume 11, Issue 3, June 2018.)

Cupping is much like the inverse of massage: rather than applying pressure to muscles, cups use gentle pressure to pull the muscles upward, often resulting in a relaxing and relieving and warming sensation, a delight during the colder months of winter.

Cowichan Valley Acupuncture 170 Craig Street, Downtown Duncan 250 715-5649

Offering: •Drinks •Take Out •Frozen Meals to Go 100% Plant Based Comfort Foods With a Vegan Twist!

171 Canada Ave, Duncan (250) 597-8168 32

Cowichan Women’s Health Collective Postpartum mood disorders are known to be the single biggest clinical risk that new parents face. The physical stress of having a baby compounded by disruption in sleep, eating, and exercise routines increases the risk of experiencing some form of postpartum depression for anyone who has given birth. And, depending on where you live and other variables, resources like counselling and support groups may be limited, making solutions other than prescription medication difficult to find.

“Exercising, getting enough sleep, and creating a support network are also integral to promoting your wellbeing during early parenthood. ”

By preparing for some of the challenges that postpartum poses, you can create real opportunities to mitigate the risks to you and your baby. For instance, naturopathic medicine offers support during both the prenatal and postpartum period. Blending the art of traditional healing modalities with current, evidence-based approaches, a holistic and comprehensive treatment plan can be created.

Compromised nutrition levels such as low iron stores (ferritin), vitamin D, and B12, can add to the fatigue and overwhelm of new parenthood. The sharp decline in both estrogen and progesterone hormone levels after the birth of the baby adds to the rollercoaster of emotions as the body tries to balance the mental/ emotional shifts in the postpartum period. Common symptoms of lowered progesterone levels include anxiety, insomnia, and overwhelm. During breastfeeding, the increase in prolactin affects the body’s natural ability to produce dopamine, which is a hormone essential for well-being, euphoria, and relaxation.

As nature intended, many foods and herbal medicines can be supportive during these transitional periods. A diverse diet, rich in colorful fruits and vegetables, provides antioxidant support for healing. Essential fatty acids from nuts, seeds and fish are also integral for nervous system and hormonal support. Trying to maintain a regular eating schedule can also be helpful to keep blood sugar levels stable. Prepping a few nutrient dense snacks can be helpful, as hands-free time is a rare and precious commodity. A few simple snack ideas include:

Exercising, getting enough sleep, and creating a support network are also integral to promoting your wellbeing during early parenthood. Choosing a midwife and/or doula who can support you throughout your pregnancy, labour, and postpartum is a wonderful way to receive help during this process – although sometimes this can be difficult! We are one of the few cultures where new parents are not fully supported in their postpartum period. Challenge yourself to say ‘yes’ to the neighbor asking if you need anything, or the friend at your child’s preschool willing to pick up or drop off. Let someone do your laundry or hold your baby so you can eat lunch, nap, or take a shower.

The Cowichan Women’s Health Collective acknowledges our settler relationship to the unceded territory of the Hul’q’umi’num’ speaking peoples upon which we live.

Cold and rainy weather affects everyone. Maintaining your nutritional health is an important way to support your mental and emotional wellbeing. New and expecting parents can be at risk of losing electrolytes and minerals simply from being pregnant or breastfeeding. Filling up and drinking a 1 liter water bottle twice a day can be a good way to gauge your daily fluid intake. Coconut water and non-caffeinated herbal teas are also great hydration support.

Below is a simple and safe nourishing tea blend to enjoy during your pregnancy and every day!

NOURISHING WINTER HERBAL ELIXIR • Milky oat tops – 25g • Milky oat straw – 25g • Nettle tops – 25g • Peppermint – 25g

• protein powder energy balls • hard boiled eggs • overnight oatmeal • rice cakes and avocados

The most important thing to remember is that you do not have to be alone.

Reach out – it will make a difference.

BEATING THE DECEMBER BLUES

Kate Koyote (she/her) Jenna Waddy ND (she/her) Rikst Attema ND (she/her) Cowichan Women’s Health Collective

Directions: Add 1 Tbsp. of the mixed herbs to 1 cup boiling water. Steep with lid covered 15-20 minutes – add a can of organic, full fat coconut milk to make a creamy, nutritionally supportive herbal elixir!

Drink 1-3 cups daily. Ideally sitting in front of the fire with a good book! Enjoy.

For more information about natural supports in pregnancy, contact the Health Practitioners at the Matraea Centre located at 170 Craig Street, downtown Duncan.

PRACTITIONER & SERVICES AT MATRAEA CENTRE: Denise D’Fantis, Registered Acupuncturist, Rebecca Christopherson R.C.C., Hayley Sinai Youth & Family Counsellor and Intuitive Reader, Registered Midwives Jane Ballaro, Talia McKenzie, Kate Koyote and Elizabeth Morrison, Amanda Slydell Tax Preparation, Two Moons Lactation with Candice Wray, Naturopathic Physicians Dr Attema ND & Dr. Waddy, ND, Amber Burwash and Erin Sheen, The Place to Mortgage, Cowichan Valley MLA Office.

www.matraea.com I 170 Craig Street, Downtown Duncan I 1-844 Matraea 33

• $30 for individuals • $50 for a family • $100 for a business Member Benefits: • 10% off reFRESH items in the reFRESH Marketplace store • Free access to events hosted

by CGC • Voting privilege at the Annual General Meeting

C

owichan Green Community (CGC) is a non-profit organization that has been focusing on environmental sustainability since 2004. With a focus on food security in the Cowichan Region, CGC has grown to include the downtown office building “The Station” where the reFRESH Marketplace store is located, KinPark Youth Urban Farm, as well as the Garden Education Centre on Beverly Street. This organization is proud to be running a variety of programs that support farming, food sustainability and resiliency in the unceded territory of Quw’utsun Tribes.

An integral piece in providing these programs are CGC’s members whose dedication, devotion, and diligence strengthen the vast CGC community. Susan Smith has been an active member and volunteer at CGC for over 15 years as well as a member of

Where to Purchase: • In the reFRESH Marketplace at 360 Duncan, St. • On line at https:// cowichangreencommunity. org/product/cgc-membership/

Become A Supporting Member of The Cowichan Green Community the Food Security Coalition for 10 years. She strongly believes in the ethos at CGC around food security and ending food waste.

An older farmer once told her that “it takes more than a weekend to grow some peas.”

And that it does. Susan knows the importance of passing on the skills of food production and cooking to the younger people she works with in the garden, the kitchen and the store. Sewing sheets into tubes to edge gardens, cooking and serving meals

in the kitchen, stocking the reFRESH store, and attending meetings with politicians to raise awareness of the food security issues on behalf of CGC are a few of the ways that Susan is a liaison between the work of CGC and the broader community.

Membership purchases made in December 2020 will expire December 31st 2021. Come join CGC’s community by becoming a member where your dedication, devotion, and diligence can bring us one step closer to a food secure Cowichan.

CGC currently has 129 members! Our goal is to double that for 2021! Here are the details!

Cowichan Green Community 360 Duncan Street, Downtown Duncan (250) 748-8506

Yearly Memberships: • $20 for youth or seniors

Image above; Sandy McPhearson and Susan Smith are both volunteers who received CGC totes for their dedication.

TEN OLD BOOKS

Always something for everyone

Visit our new Gallery space featuring Local Artists - next door @ 165 Station Street!

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Great Selection of Used & New Books • Bestsellers & Award Winners • Classic Novels & Timeless Favourites • BC & Canadian Authors Plus Local Cards • Crafts • Children’s Books • Jewelry • Unique Gift Ideas and More!

102-330 Duncan St 250 -715-1383 Find us inside the historic Duncan Garage

Soapstone Carving Kits - Sculpture in Five Easy Steps

S

tudiostone Soapstone Carving Kits are designed to inspire creativity and introduce people of all ages to the art of carving. Kits include everything you need to create your own carving from start to finish. Perfect gift idea!

Choose from ten different animals: Wolf, Cat, Seal, Orca, Eagle, Bear and also Lion, Elephant, Rhino, and Turtle The concept was created by professional sculptors from British Columbia.

Stone carving is one of their favourite experiences and their Studiostone Kits are a great way to help you make your own sculpture. Every element of the process is carefully thought out and tested with ages 7 to 99.

Easy-to-do in 90 minutes!

Every Kit is made with their own hands so that when they put it into yours, the quality

and enjoyment speak for themselves. The art of stone carving is both their mission and passion and they hope that you enjoy this timeless tradition that puts you right in the moment. Think with your hands and make art from the heart!

Soapstone Carving Kits contain everything you need to create your own carving: • Pre-cut soapstone animal shape 2 × 3.5” • Carving file • 220 and 400 grit sandpaper • Wax and polishing cloth • Step-by-step instructions The carving process is done using water so there is no need to be concerned about stone dust.

Very fun, safe, creative and the result is a timeless little treasure!

Find Studiostone Carving kits at Ten Old Books in the Duncan Garage.

WILLOWANDORCHID.COM

Weekly and monthly floral subscriptions • Weddings & Events • Customized Gift Crates • Floral Design Classes and Workshops • Sympathy Arrangements • Online, Telephone and Email Ordering • Delivery 101 Station Street Downtown Duncan 250-748-9868 willowandorchid@gmail.com Ten Old Books 330 Duncan Street, Downtown Duncan 250 715-1383 Submitted by Kathie Tenold, Ten Old Books

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Cynthia Qin a storyteller and lover of photography,

I

n Cowichan Valley’s Liujun Zheng is known as Lou, a 12th-generation Chen Taijiquan master who has taught Tai Chi for free since moving to Duncan in 2014. The Tai Chi team he leads performs every year in festivals and schools, such as CIS International Festival, Cowichan Summer Festival and Victoria Spring Festival.

“A lot of people have helped me since moving here. That is why I have volunteered to teach tai chi for six years and never stopped. I teach for free because I like to contribute to the community. That is how I want to give back.” Lou said that.

For another way to give back to the community, Lou is running businesses successfully and solving local employment.

After successfully operating The Island Bagel Company, Lou took over The Tin Cup on August 1, 2020. During COVID-19, it is a hard time for running a new business. But Lou focuses on the future. He desires to build an exquisite style café for Cowichan Valley, that is focused simply on excellent coffee, great food and hospitable service.

After taking over The Tin

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The Tin Cup, When Coffee Met Tai Chi Cup, Lou updates and uses the most professional coffee machine in the world, Black Eagle. Since 2015, it is the official machine of the World Barista Championship and the first professional espresso coffee machine that loves the planet. Lou also invited a professional barista to train his team for improving coffee making process. The Tin Cup uses the green coffee beans which are no chemical addition and freshly roasted in BC, so as to provide a cup of amazing tasting coffee.

More than just a coffee bar, The Tin Cup offers a rustic and elegant atmosphere. Lou maintained the aesthetic and exquisite appearance of The

TIN CUP to suit the leisurely lifestyle of those living in the surrounding Vancouver Island areas. A beautifully designed space, with high ceilings and windows that flood the café with lots of natural light, it is the perfect setting for a casual coffee, some light and heartwarming food. The quality has improved but the price has not changed. New and old customers are pleasantly surprised to appreciate this change.

Interestingly enough, Lou also incorporated Tai Chi into The Tin Cup. He said, “In the system of Change there is the Great Ultimate. It generates the Two Modes (yin and yang).

The Two Modes generate the

Four Forms (major and minor yin and yang). The Four Forms generate the Eight Trigrams.

There are yin and yang in Tai Chi, and the wonderful thing is that coffee also has yin and yang. For example, a cup of coffee, espresso is yang, milk is yin. Espresso and milk, yin and yang blend together, different combinations ideate different types of style coffee.”

“High-quality coffee beans, professional coffee machines, excellent baristas with love and emotion to make coffee, so that everyone in Cowichan Valley is willing to take their stories to The Tin Cup and has a cup of coffee .” Lou’s wish is so unpretentious.

When you wander along the streets of Totem Town Duncan, you might as well take a seat at The Tin Cup, located in the center of the town with a beautiful landscape. Have a cup of high-quality coffee, and listen to Lou telling stories about Tai Chi and coffee.

Tin Cup Coffee and Espresso Bar 277 Canada Avenue Downtown Duncan

Welcome to Tin Cup Coffee & Espresso Bar The perfect place to sit down, relax, have a chat, enjoy free WiFi, and flip through some inspirational books, all while sipping your favourite drink.

Open Hours Monday to Saturday 7:00 -17:00 277 Canada Ave, Downtown Duncan Please visit us at www.thetincup.ca

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months during my consultations. So, what to do?

Dr. Lyn Pascoe Viva Medical Aesthetics

Wearing Masks It was a little weird until it wasn’t. We are all used to them now and are happy to follow the advice of our public health experts to help manage the situation we are dealing with at present.

So, how do we deal with the skin issues behind the mask? Have you noticed more acne, blackheads, and whiteheads? Have you experienced more aggravation of existing skin issues? If so, you are not alone. Troubled skin under the mask is one of the most frequent issues I have been seeing in the last few

Exfoliation is Key I don’t mean harsh physical scrubs as those can be damaging to your skin and cause inflammation.

Chemical exfoliation with alpha-hydroxy acids and retinol is the kind of exfoliation that can be very helpful. Adding either lactic, glycolic, or salicylic acid to your daytime regime or retinol to your nighttime routine can help keep those pores breathing.

The Right Product for You Choosing the right product for your specific skin type is important. Here are some

Behind the Mask guidelines: Rosacea and Sensitive Skin Lactic and glycolic products will be the most important for this skin type. Gentle chemical peels using lactic acid can be very helpful and are also cost-effective.

In addition, they are a nice, relaxing treat.

Normal Skin Retinol is great for this skin type. Save this treatment for your nighttime routine because it can make your skin more sensitive to the sun (even low winter levels). Retinol not only chemically exfoliates but also gives a glow to your skin. Treatments such as HydraFacial MD will both physically and chemically exfoliate your skin to help with the congestion of pores.

Chemical peels are also very helpful in maintaining healthy skin. If you do one a month through these winter

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months, you will notice how your skin appreciates you.

Acne This is a tough one since acne thrives in the conditions caused by masks.

Luckily, we have strong tools in our medical toolbox.

Alpha hydroxy acids and retinol can be helpful, but sometimes a prescription topical cream may be necessary. You will need a physician consultation for this. HydraFacial MD and chemical peels can be added to the acne skincare regime as well.

There is Always Hope Our masks will come off at some point and you can be ready with healthy, glowing skin by using the above suggestions which are specific to your skin type.

Viva Medical Aesthetics #4-177 Fourth Street Downtown Duncan 250 746-6512

DIffusing for your Wellness Submitted by Tina Lee Foster

T

here are many applications and benefits of using essential oils. One of the most popular is diffusing the essential oils (which is obtained by distillation of the plant source/extract) in a room diffuser.

Not only does this add a nice aroma to a living space, each essential oil also provides numerous health benefits for the home and air, and for those present in the room and breathing it in. Among these is improving your mood, boosting energy, for a healthy immune system, for relaxation, or for promoting a good nights sleep.

Users of essential oils will attest to these and to many many more uses and benefits!

Your preferences will be unique to you as a wonderful individual!

The easy to use and handy diffuser offers a safe and natural alternative to chemicalladen air fresheners, and

also offers more for your well-being. One can start their own personal essential oils collection, and choose any fragrance or blend to use for your specific need or environmental requirement.

There are various types of room diffusers available, including: • heat diffusers, like a candle diffuser, plug-in steam diffuser, or a lamp diffuser.

• evaporative diffuser, like diffuser stones (good for small spaces, closets, drawers, etc.)

• portable diffuser, which use diffuser pads and are available battery operated or USB plug (small rooms, offices, and travel), and also car diffusers that simply clip onto the vent.

Top picks for essential oil uses: • Stress relief- lavender, frankincense, rosemary, rose, citrus, lemongrass • Sleep- lavender, bergamot, chamomile, sandalwood • Energy boost- lime, orange, grapefruit, cinnamon, peppermint • Immune system- clove, tea tree, lemon, eucalyptus, thieves blend • Respiratory healtheucalyptus, lemon, thyme, palo santo, tea tree • Cognitive function- basil, rosemary, thyme, lemongrass • Cleaning the environmenttea tree, lemon, clove, lime,

eucalyptus • Repelling insectspeppermint, lemongrass, tea tree, geranium, cinnamon, clove, rosemary, lavender • Pain-relief(best topically)clary sage, peppermint, chamomile, eucalyptus, ginger, frankincense

Essential Remedies 141 Craig Street Downtown Duncan (250) 748-9632

Get started today, using essential oils for a healthy and heightened internal and external well-being!

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BEST OF DOWNTOWN DUNCAN

Give the gift of flavour with an expertly curated OLIVE OIL & BALSAMIC VINEGAR GIFT PACK! available in-store or online. The Olive Station #7 - 225 Canada Avenue Duncan 250597-8808 www.theolivestation.com

MARGOT PAGE ONE OF A KIND COAT PINS enamelled onto 2 inch large copper hearts. $16 each. Many designs to choose from. Special orders by request. Available at Imagine that! Artisans Designs 251 Craig St, Dunca .margotpage.com

COZY SWEATERS, COLOURED DENIM AND FINE ACCESSORIES Doesn’t take much to help your men be the best dressed guys around.

Outlooks For Men 53 Station St, Duncan 250-597-2848

BEAUTIFUL PROPS TO SUPPORT MIND AND BODY WELLNESS. This year, give the gift of peace, well being, and yoga. Harmony Yoga and Wellness 103-360 Duncan Street, Downtown Duncan www.harmonyyogaduncan.com

WHEN WE ARE KIND, BY MONIQUE GRAY SMITH , celebrates simple acts of everyday kindness. Published by Orca. $19.95.

Volume One Bookstore.

149 Kenneth St. 250748-1533 www.volumeone.ca

SPARKLY WIRE TIARAS & CROWNS Handmade in store, unique, beautiful & customizable!

Little Bird, 163 Station Street Downtown Duncan 250 748-6861 www.littlebirdonline.ca

Enjoy the soft glow of a natural HIMALAYAN SALT LAMP creating ambiance and relaxing tranquil atmosphere. Private Shopping & Gift Certificates available. Wishes Gifts 125 Station St., Downtown Duncan 250 748 9411 Visit FB & Instagram

FRESH COFFEE & DELICIOUS CREPES Give the gift of incredible crepes packed with fresh ingredients Gift Certificates Available. Ironworks Cafe & Creperie Locations in Duncan and Ladysmith! 250 710 9441 www.ironworkscafe.ca

LUYCHO MIRROR CUP AND SAUCER Stunning luxury tea cups.

Each one a shiny work of art that includes shadow and reflection.

Many styles to choose from. Tin Cup Coffee & Espresso 277 Canada Avenue, Downtown Duncan

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2020 CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

ORGANIC FLANNEL SHEETS make for a great gift during the frosty winter months. Cozy colours for everyone in the family.

Visit Resthouse at 126 Station St.Downtown Duncan 250-597-7378

GOLDEN GLASS PEARS handblown by BC glass artist Joanne Andrighetti, at Aquamaris Art Gallery 330 Duncan St Upstairs (inside the Garage building) Downtown Duncan 250 597-2798

STAY LOYAL TO LOCAL! Pick up one of these best of 2020 gift ideas and more when you visit Downtown Duncan for all your holiday shopping this year. Can’t decide? Gift certificates fit all sizes!

JADE RUBBER YOGA MATS Incredible grip, great comfort and eco-friendly. No PVC, EVA or synthetics! W Dance & Yoga Supply 225 Canada Ave, Duncan 250-7483277 www.wdanceandyoga.ca

E.J. HUGHES PAINTS THE 1940’S 2021 CALENDAR This calendar contains works of art painted by EJ in the 1940’s. A homage to the decade of post-war challenges and the beauty of hope. 115 Kenneth Street in Downtown Duncan 250-746-7112

FABRICATIONS The sparkle of the West Coast can be found at Fabrications. Showcasing jewellery artisans from near and far.

125 Kenneth St. Downtown Duncan 250 746-4751 Open 7 days a week. www.foreverfab.com

Treat a loved one to a relaxing and rejuvenating medical-grade HYDRAFACIAL MD TREATMENT at Viva Medical Aesthetics! #4 177 Fourth Street Duncan 250-746-6512

STUDIOSTONE CARVING KITS come with everything you need to transform rough cut soapstone into a work of art. Made in B.C. Easy to do and fun for everyone from 7 to 99.

Ten Old Books 330 Duncan St (inside Duncan Garage) 250-715-1383

CORKCICLE STEMLESS WINE CUP keeps drinks cold for 9 hours or hot for 3, and always looks cool.

Triple-insulated for the perfect chill.

Shatter-proof crystal clear lid. 101 Station St, Duncan 250 748-9868 www.willowandorchid.com 41

BEST OF COWICHAN 2020 HOLIDAY

REIKI WELLNESS Relax with a Platinum Energy Detoxing Foot Spa or Reiki Balancing session. Relax Balance - Energize Packages and Gift Certificates Reiki Wellness Valleyview Centre 250 743-8122 www.reikiwellness.ca

WESTHOLME TEA COMPANY A tea lover’s dream. Tea For One Gift Set - large hand-built mug by Margit Nellemann, fine-mesh stainless steel teacup strainer, 100g bag of looseleaf tea 8350 Richards Trail, Duncan 250 748-3811 westholmetea.com

HANDMADE BREADBOX BY WOODWORKER FOREST TATE For the baker in your life. Rolling tambour, mahogany, fine joinery.

Fits two loaves. 250 880-2638 15102 - 700 Shawnigan Lake Rd www.foresttate.com/seasonalfeatures

MERRIDALE CIDERY & DISTILLERY Merridale’s Yule Fuel mulled cider tastes just like Christmas. Delicious hot or cold. Proceeds go to the TLC kids fund. 1230 Merridale Road, Cobble Hill merridale.ca

SPAN “Every day carry leather goods for life,” that are made on Vancouver island and will become treasured heirlooms. 1533 Joan Ave Crofton WEspan.ca

SACRED SILENCE MODERN DAY ORACLE Gift Certificates for the BEST holiday gift experience Intuitive Psychic & Spiritual Medium Sessions (includes a card reading) 250-710-5287www.SacredSilence.net

CLEAN CHOICE CLEANING SERVICES Professional, eco-friendly cleaning services for home or business. A great gift idea for new moms, busy households, move ins/ outs and workplaces. 250-929-8381 www.cleanchoicecleaners.com

BRU-GOS COFFEE MILL BAY CENTRE Locally made products, coffee accessories, artisanal chocolates and gift certificates available! 2720 Mill Bay Rd, Mill Bay Centre 250 929-2739

WARM LAND IRRIGATION Give the gift of micro-irrigation! Conserve water, preserve plant health, increase yield and eliminate stress while saving time & money! Free Estimates warmlandirrigation@shaw.ca

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GIFT GUIDE • STAY LOYAL TO LOCAL!

BLUE GROUSE WINERY A perfect local gift for that wine-lover! Valid for tours, tastings, or wine. 2182 Lakeside Rd, Duncan 250-743-3834 www.bluegrouse.ca

ISLAND GEM AND BEAD SUPPLY Custom Pieces Gift Certificates Classes for Last minute Gifts 250-510-4369 378 Trunk Rd #2, Duncan www.IslandGem.net

URCHIN BAGS BY CLARE are sewn from upcycled bike tubes and reclaimed seatbelts to create unique and durable bags, wallets and accessories. Designed for both men and women. www.urchinbags.com

GROVE HALL FARM ITALIAN KITCHEN & DELI Local, farm fresh and imported Italian foods. Gift certificates, gift baskets, custom food hampers, pizza, pasta & gelato. Online market at www.grovehallfarm.com 6159 Lakes Rd. 250-597-8388

ROCKY CREEK WINERY 6 Great gift box ideas at the winery, especially our ‘Mulled Wine’-- 2 wines, 1 tasty recipe + spices.

250-748-5622 www.rockycreekwinery.ca

MARGIT NELLEMANN HANDBUILT CERAMICS Functional ceramics, including cups, plates and teapots, created with love and care. 8350 Richards Trail, Westholme www.margitnellemann.com

COW-OP ONLINE FARMER’S MARKET Give the gift of supporting over 75 local farmers and food producers in the Cowichan Valley with a Cow-op Gift Certificate! www.cow-op.ca

GLENORA FARM STORE Artisan gifts to brighten spirits and share the love. Hand crafted at Glenora Farm, woven, pillows, scarfs, blankets, towels, local yarn, bees wax candles, prepared herbs, and more. 5090 Indian Rd, Duncan 250 746-5313

MADE IN MEXICO Authentic 3 course meal includes starters, soups and mains. Dine in, take out, curbside pick up or gift certificates!

250-597-TACO Whippletree Junction www.madeinmexicobc.com 43

BEST OF COWICHAN 2020 HOLIDAY

CURE ARTISAN MEAT & CHEESE Personalized and corporate foodie gift baskets available to suit every gift budget. Valley View Centre lower level. 250-929-2873

LOTUS FLOWER INTUITIVE PSYCHIC READINGS by KATHRYN Personal or distant readings.

Birthdays and special events.

250 891-5138 www.lotusflower.ca kathrynlotusflower@gmail.com

REFLEXOLOGY WITH JOY Treat that special someone to a pampering Reflexology Treatment this Christmas. Gift Certificates available. 9980 Beach Dr Chemainus 250 246 1401 jstalinski@shaw.ca

KINDERBEEZ CHILDREN CONSIGNMENTS We sell LEGO playsets! All themes! Come in and see. Hours: Mon - Sat 10am - 4pm Closed Sun & Wed. 2763 Beverly St, Duncan 250 748-2345 www.kinderbeez.ca

SHAWNIGAN COFFEE & CHOCOLATES A delicious gift of chocolate goodness made in-house with love and care. 1761 Shawnigan Lake-Mill Bay Rd, Shawnigan Lk 250 733.2245 shawnigancoffee.com

ALDERLEA VINEYARDS BACCHUS Bright fruit aromas and flavours make this wine an excellent choice for holiday celebrations and meals.

1751 Stamps Road Duncan 250 746-7122 www.alderlea.ca

NEUROHARMONY NEURO FEEDBACK Relief from anxiety, trauma, insomnia, depression, headaches, brain fog & stress.

Improves brain function. Gift Certificates for $50 intro session.

250-533-9797 www.neuroharmony.ca

A MEMORABLE GIFT This handmade cheese board features some of the best products that the Cowichan Valley has to offer. 6043 Rockland Terrace, Duncan 250-710-3088 www.amemorablegift.com

A FRESH START Detox & Balance your Life with Personal Bach Flower Remedies, Detoxing Foot Spa, PEMF or EFT session to Restore your Vitality! Combo Sessions + Gift Certificates Available. Diana 250 597-2102 afreshstart@shaw.ca

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GIFT GUIDE • STAY LOYAL TO LOCAL!

STITCHED PICTURES BY CAROLINE STORIE: whimsical images using fabric, paint, thread and ink. Greetings cards and 2021 Calendar now available. www.stitchedpictures.com

PIZZERIA PRIMA STRADA COBBLE HILL Delicious wood fired pizza, gelato, craft beer and local wines! Gift Certificates available on line - www.pizzeriaprimastrada. com1400 Cowichan Bay Rd, (Valley View) Cobble Hill 250 929-4655

FARM TABLE INN RESTAURANT & FARM STORE Christmas at the Farm - NEW Holiday menu - Dine in Or Take Out - or shop our on-site Farm Store to take goodies home 250-932-3205 www.farmtableinn.ca

GLOW JUICERY AND RAW FOOD CAFE Juice yourself to Health!

A Glow Juice Cleanse makes the perfect stocking stuffer!

5380 Trans-Canada Hwy, Duncan glowjuicery.ca 250 597-2595

AMPERSAND DISTILLING COMPANY Treat the spirit lover in your life with Per Se Vodka. Winner of the 2020 World’s Best Varietal Vodka. 250-999-1109 www.ampersanddistilling.com

CVAC ART LOVERS GIFT PACKS Give the gift of art this holiday season with a beautifully-wrapped mug or bowl made by a local potter, two art cards from local artists and a one-year membership to CVAC, all for $45. Call 250-746-1633 to order.

EMOTION CODE BODY CODE QUANTUM TOUCH Experience yourself at a higher resonance. Rise above day-to-day sameness. Find out what can be overcome and healed. Gift to a friend who needs it or gift to yourself! 250 597-3686

LYNNS VITAMIN GALLERY Slowburning, toxin-free, elegant...our 100% Natural Honey Candles truly are the ideal Christmas Gift - to give or receive 180 Central Rd unit #4, Duncan 250 748-4421

BOTANICAL BLISS Our Shampoo Bar is the perfect gift for anyone with hair and a desire to reduce plastic waste! Find us at the Duncan Market Saturday 10 – 2. Contactless pick up 6119 Lakeview Dr, Duncan 250-710-1276 www.botanicalbliss.ca 45

Stockings Stuffed With Art?

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wice a year the Cowichan Artisans open their studios and galleries for the well known art tour in the Valley, for people to enjoy the creations of the full-time professional artists. Finding personal gems and the great presents for Christmas becomes an experience as you travel from studio to studio.

Buying hand-made by local artists is such a great way to support artists and our local economy.

This year, however, we realize that we need to do things differently.

As professional, full time artists who make our living from our art we welcome you into our space on private tours where you can receive individual attention with each artist, get some Christmas shopping done. Buying handmade gifts by local artists is such a great way to support artists and our local economy.

For a truly exceptional experience immerse yourself in the forest setting of Cathi Jeffersons pottery studio, nestled next to the Cowichan

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River, where she creates functional and sculptural pieces that connect you to nature through their natural tones and shapes.

Visit mixed media artist Wilma Millette, the Creartful Dodger, in her seaside studio in Maple Bay and feel yourself step into a cabinet of curiosities. Wilma creates one of a kind collage and assemblage artwork using paper ephemera from the 19th and 20th centuries as well as vintage and antique found objects.

Surround yourself in vessels to enrich and inspire on a trip to Ladysmith to visit with Mary Fox in her studio.

Glass and ceramic vessels in incredible hues as well as functional pottery items and dinnerware.

So as you can see there are many amazing artists to visit!

We look forward to spending time with you in a safe and relaxing way. Each Cowichan Artisan can be contacted directly by going to our web site: Cowichanartisans.com Submitted by Donna Shaw

2020 BEST OF COWICHAN ARTISANS GIFT IDEAS

CATHERINE FRASER Expressive imagery in mixed media. Water colour, oil and acrylic paintings, prints and art cards. Phone 250-748-2067 for appointment catherinefraserart.com Irisconnection123@yahoo.com

WILMA MILLETTE of CREARTFUL DODGER STUDIO A variety of curiously creative artwork featuring original, antique papers and found objects that make unique and affordable gifts. millettea@shaw.ca creartfuldodger.wordpress.com

LIVE EDGE DESIGN Custom art furniture studio in the heart of the Cowichan Valley. Visit by appointment.

250 748 0763 www.liveedge.com

MIXED METAL MIMI Jewelry, accessories and NEW mixed media work available for purchase at www.mixedmetalmimi.com or studio visit by appointment at mixedmetalmimi@shaw.ca

JENNIFER LAWSON Jennifer is a specialist in house and garden portraits. Visit the historic studio overlooking the Bay - enjoy her newest paintings, prints, giclees and cards. .250 748 2142 jlart@telus.net jenniferlawsonart.com

BEV ROBERTSON ART Oil Paintings, Signs, Handmade Decor.

Custom work welcomed 250 710 5200 @bev.robertson.art FaceBook Bev Robertson Art bevrobertsonwildflowerartstudio.ca

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BEST O’ THE BAY I COW BAY GIFTS

Moments in Time Joanne Mitchell A kayak glides silently through the wilderness, like a floating leaf barely touching the water’s surface. A little green heron stretches for a spider.

As dusk settles, a coastal mountain range turns a hundred shades of blue.

Serene, joyful moments in time that celebrate a sense of place and the natural world. For an online look at Joanne’s vibrant and sensitive paintings, visit. www.joannemitchell. com. To see her newest work ‘live’, visit her solo show Moments in Time at Portals Gallery (in the Annex), 2687 James Street, Duncan from December 3—18.

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COWICHAN BAY SPA & SALON Indulge 20% OFF Custom Spa Packages 10% OFF ALL Products Elate Make-up Special ~ Buy 3, get 1 Free / Buy 5, get 2 Free 1681 Cowichan Bay Rd, Cowichan Bay cowichanbayspa.com 250-597-0668

CLAIRE CROWFOOT Indigenous Owned Collective featuring authentic Indigenous Artists. Our beautiful handmade soy/coconut candles are inspired by Sacred places on Vancouver Island.1725 Cowichan Bay Rd, Cowichan Bay clairecrowfoot.com

TRUE GRAIN ORGANIC CRAFT BAKERY Mmm Gingerbread…the rich warmth of honey & molasses, mysterious spices, and irresistible organic icing. Village Centre, Cowichan Bay www.truegrain.ca

LISA’S OWN in Cowichan Bay has put together ‘Kindness & Gratitude Baskets‘ containing her most popular preserves and treats ($25) All ready and wrapped for giving! Pre-order at 250-746-7813 Contactless pick up in Cowichan Bay www.lisasown.com

WILDCOAST PERFUMERY True, natural botanical perfumes made in the Cowichan Valley. Contact us to private label one for their most memorable gift! 250-701-2791 1721 Cowichan Bay Rd., Cowichan Bay www.wildcoastperfumes.com

THE MUD ROOM CLAYWORKS Everyone loves a handmade coffee or tea mug! Find the perfect one at our studio! 1725 Cowichan Bay Road, Cowichan Bay (find us behind True Grain Bakery) 250-710-7329

Here’s Good News for Your Hair (and it doesnt include a plastic bottle)

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ne of the most disturbing things about the world of consumer goods is the monumental difference between perception and reality.

When I began designing my Shampoo Bar, I found that most commercial shampoo is the wrong ph for your hair.

Your scalp is slightly acidic (lower number) on the ph scale, which prevents the growth of bacteria and fungi and the hair shaft is even more acidic.

Commercial shampoo and conditioners are detergents, and most have an alkaline or basic (higher) pH and this causes hair shaft swelling. This swelling loosens the protective cuticle predisposing the hair shaft to damage. What you get is dry, frizzy unmanageable hair, sometimes with dandruff, or oily hair as you overproduce oil to repair the damage caused by the shampoo. This process also strips colour from colourtreated hair resulting in the need to colour more frequently.

If your hair is unhappy, you should examine what you are washing and conditioning it with.

I won’t use commercial shampoo ever again. I use my Shampoo Bar, made with olive oil, shea butter, coconut oil and 4 essential oils and rinse with dilute apple cider vinegar (a weak acid). I wash my fine long hair less (from every second day to once a week), it combs out easily when wet (formerly impossible without conditioner), it doesn’t smell

like apple cider vinegar once dry, and is incredibly soft.

While I think I have made an amazing discovery, this is nothing our grandmothers and great grandmothers didn’t know as shampoo was a bar until the 1930’s and apple cider vinegar rinse was popular.

Other benefits of switching to a shampoo bar include very low cost, virtually no packaging, and everything going down your drain is biodegradable.

And of course, it’s locally made by hand!

THE GLENORA STORE & CAFE IS A LOCAL CORNERSTORE WITH A TWIST! Stocked with basic groceries and produce.

The cafe offers fresh baked goods, hot lunch specials, drinks, and snacks. We also sell hand-woven products, beeswax candles, and prepared herbs from Glenora Farm Outdoor heated seating 5090 Indian Road (corner of Glenora Rd & Indian Rd)

250-746-5313 I www.glenorafarm.org

Rock I Funk I Blues I Reggae I Latin I Metal

Paul Jutras

DRUM KIT AND HAND PERCUSSION LESSONS 35+ years experience- Private / One 2 One / Customized / Fun

Beginner to advanced - In your home or in my studio in Duncan

250-732-7735 I chopsdrumschool@gmail.com

Most of us are waking up to the toxic stew of products around us and their effect on our health and the environment. We don’t want to use detergent surfactants, foaming agents, sequestering agents, preservatives, artificial fragrance and other chemicals to wash our hair. We don’t want to throw single use plastic bottles into the landfill or ocean any more. We don’t want to spend a fortune on products that don’t work for the purpose they were designed, or worse, create the very problem they claim to address. Bring your hair health back into balance and join the Clean Revolution! www.botanicalbliss.ca

Robin Round, is a Chartered Herbalist and Aromatherapist with over 25 years of experience working with plants.

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A Thriving Arts and Cultural Community

NEW WORKS AT EXCELLENT FRAMEWORKS

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IN WONDER OF WATER WORKS

BY PAULINE DUECK

Breaking Hearts, Pauline Deuck Acrylic on Canvas, 30” x 24”

My Fascination, Pauline Deuck Acrylic on Canvas, 24” x 48”

’ve often said that many artists create deep, thought provoking work – I’m not one of them. But if I can paint something that imparts a sense of wonder or whimsy or humor, I’m all over that.

The spectacular, beautiful nature of water has always fascinated me. I grew up in the agriculture belt of Manitoba, hours from a large body of water, so an outing to the lake was extra special.

After living on the Island for 12 years, I’m still in awe of our proximity to the ocean.

Water is as necessary for life as the air we breathe.

It bathes, soothes, refreshes, replenishes. It is therapeutic and evokes memories of relaxation and holidays well spent. It is synonymous with luxury.

We ask the questions: “Does the hotel have a water view? Is there a swimming pool? How far to the beach? How’s the fishing?”. Water can also

GoldRUSH, Pauline Deuck Acrylic on Canvas, 72”x 36”

be damaging, crashing, unrelenting in power and fury. Just as it supports life, it can take life.

I enjoy painting water because it’s like a day off.

There’s a freedom in big, bold, often unplanned brushstrokes, very different than when I’m painting my more detailed muses. Water is about light, reflection, movement. It is crashing or still. Its movements are fleeting, so I don’t feel a need to micromanage details. I paint in a bold, “blendy”, color-saturated style, using acrylic paint.

I use multiple thin layers of paint, glaze and dry

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brushing to create depth, complexity and a blended effect.

I hope my paintings will be a reminder of the wonder for water, perhaps triggering memories of vacations and dreams of adventures yet to come.

Pauline Dueck runs December 3-24th.

Excellent Frameworks Home of the EJ Hughes Gallery, 115 Kenneth St., Downtown Duncan 250-746-7112 www.ejhughes.ca

DECEMBER ARTS EJ HUGHES GALLERY & EXCELLENT FRAMEWORKS

The E. J. Hughes Book of Boats Avaiilable at The EJ Hughes Gallery

Illuminated Shells by Christi York.

Photo Credit: Martin Gisborne

Christi York at Aquamaris Art Gallery

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ward-winning mixed media artist Christi York joins the talented gallery assembly with a selection of pieces from her Illuminated Shells series - showcasing seemingly humble and overlooked materials transformed into exquisite objects of beauty that beg the question; “What do we hold precious?”

Inspired by ancient traditions, generational knowledge and the biological complexity that surrounds us, Christi York sustainably harvests and processes all her own natural

materials and, in doing so, weaves the very spirit of Vancouver Island into her art-form of contemporary sculptural basketry.

Aquamaris Art Gallery Upstairs in the historic Duncan Garage Building (Level entry from the back) Suite 202 - 330 Duncan Street December Hours: Tuesday - Saturday 10am-4:00pm Holiday Hours: Closed on Christmas Day & Boxing Day (250) 597-2798 aquamarisartgallery.com

Boat lovers of all ages and people who enjoy the scenery of BC’s coast will delight in this charming gift book, a worthy addition to books about BC’s art history.

In the course of his career, one of BC’s most beloved painters, E. J. Hughes (1913–2007), depicted paddle wheelers, steamships, fishing boats, and car ferries.

Now The E. J. Hughes Book of Boats brings many of his coastal paintings of boats together in one handsome volume—a book for art lovers and boating enthusiasts alike.

Robert Amos is the official biographer of E. J. Hughes, and works with the participation of the Estate of E. J. Hughes.

This new compendium features never-before-seen sketches and photographs accompanying fullpage illustrations of some of the artist’s finest works.

Excellent Frameworks Home of the EJ Hughes Gallery 115 Kenneth St., Downtown Duncan 250-746-7112 www.ejhughes.ca

ENTER OUR CONTEST! Enter to win in person at the gallery, via our FB page or on Instagram to win an open edition E.J. Hughes canvas giclee of your choice. Contest runs to December 18.

Gallery hours:Tuesday - Saturday 10-4pm, Closed Sunday to Monday

AQUAMARIS ART GALLERY

December dazzles with the arrival of vibrant new paintings by Gail Johnson, complementing the works by newly introduced artists: oil painter Tylor McNeill, jewellery artist Wendy Pierson Diamond & glass artist Joanne Andrighetti.

December Hours: Tuesday - Saturday 10 am - 4:00 pm.

Closed: December 25 & 26

VISIT THESE DOWNTOWN DUNCAN GALLERIES Excellent Frameworks Home of the EJ Hughes Gallery 115 Kenneth St, Duncan 250-746-7112 excellentframeworks.ca ejhughes.ca

Aquamaris Art Gallery in the historic Duncan Garage Building Suite 202 - 330 Duncan Street 250-597-2798 aquamarisartgallery.com 51

C

hemainus is one of those idyllic little towns with the charm of being small, but with so much to offer you’ll realize that it’s not just about finding the perfect gifts, it’s about enjoying the whole experience of holiday shopping.

Known for its larger than life murals and live theatre, there is so much more to discover.

Maybe it was somewhere you went as a kid, or pass through from time to time, or you might even make a habit ofwandering through on a regular basis. Regardless of your familiarity with Chemainus, there are so many special things to discover in town this holiday season.

Chemainus offers the perfect mix of modern, traditional, vintage, and artisan gifts in one place. Not only that, but many businesses are committed to carrying local artists and creators, displaying works found nowhere else.

Each shop has an individually curated collection of items reflecting many different tastes. There are shops that specialize in the trendy, hip and modern items that are highly sought after; jewelry

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Let Chemainus Fill You With Holiday Warmth boutiques that delicately select or create each beautiful silvery piece; stores that are filled with giftware, cards, ceramics, and keepsakes; while other shops are lined with treasures of the past, children’s items, or eccentric finds that can only be described as amazing. You can browse the highly anticipated Chemainus Public Market and its many vendors, bakers, artists, antique curators, and artisans all under one roof or simply just pick up the basics. If you

can’t find it in Chemainus, you likely can’t find it anywhere.

But, the holidays aren’t only about the shopping, they’re also about the experience and warmth you get from a community like this that makes you feel so at home.

So when you find yourself pulled by the savory smells begging to warm your belly, pick from one of the exquisite restaurants, artisanal bistros, gourmet cafes, world cuisine, local craft brewery, artisan pizza, or gourmet dinner theatre cabaret, and revel in all the season has to offer.

When you’re done, head over to the museum for a wonderful look at our past, take a peaceful stroll in one of our many greenspaces

and parks, or head down to the water’s edge and watch the tide wash in. Come for the shopping but stay for an experience to remember.

Come discover Chemainus all over again.

For more information visit our website: www.visitchemainus.ca

which offers safe housing, counselling and programs for women and children affected by abuse. Rainforest will collect essential items, useful for CWAV clients, and will have a donation box at the gallery for cash contributions.

People who donate items or money to CWAV will also be eligible to enter their names in the draw for one of Ray Sapergia’s works. Find out more about Rainforest’s CWAV campaign at RainforestArts.ca/partners.

Get Into The Christmas Spirit at Rainforest Arts

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ainforest Arts is a shop and gallery you’ll want to visit when you’re in Chemainus, filling out your Christmas wish-list. Not only will you find a great selection of paintings, jewellery, sculpture, fabric art, pottery and cards, you’ll also find an affordable range of prices and styles. There’s something for everyone at Rainforest Arts.

Art makes a great gift, and at Rainforest’s annual Christmas show you will be able to choose from hundreds of items, all produced by Chemainus and Vancouver

Island artists. Each piece on the RFA’s walls or shelves is unique, and the volunteers who run the gallery will be able to help with your selection, and tell you a bit about the works and artists on display.

Shopping locally is especially important right now, and Rainforest Arts is the venue where local artists share and sell their creations. The gallery and shop is operated and owned by the Chemainus Valley Cultural Arts Society, so purchases support local

Gaia’s Garden, wall plaque by potter Peggy Grigor

The Christmas season is about giving, and Rainforest Arts is a place where you can give to your family, friends and community, all at the same time. Christmas is also a season for receiving, so drop in and take in the ambiance at Rainforest Arts, where you can enjoy the imaginative creations of Island artists in every discipline and style.

The gallery, located at 9781 Willow Street in Chemainus, is open 11 AM to 4 PM Wednesday to Sunday. More information at RainforestArts. ca or 250-246-4861. You can also email info@ rainforestarts.ca.

CraigSpenceWriter.ca

artists and the organizations that foster arts in the Valley.

The gallery also likes to give customers a gift of its own at Christmas time. Two donated works by carver and wood turner Ray Sapergia will be offered as prizes in a New Year’s draw. With each Rainforest purchase, you can enter your name and increase your chances of winning one of these beautiful works.

Rainforest Arts invites people to have an Artful Christmas, with its seasonal exhibition of paintings, sculpture, pottery, fabric art, cards and more. Customers can enter a draw for donated works by carver and wood turner Ray Sapergia.

They can also donate to an RFA campaign in support of Cowichan Women Against Violence.

This year Rainforest will also be helping Cowichan Women Against Violence, 53

BEST of CHEMAINUS 2020 GIFT GUIDE

DOC THE BARBER Soften your skin and beard with our locally made beard oil.The light sandalwood & clove scent is gentle for masks.

9739 Willow St, Chemainus, 250 324-0362

CHEMAINUS HEALTH FOOD STORE Beautiful selection of essential oil diffusers and accessories.

Improves sleep, helps to alleviate stress and anxiety, encourages relaxation and more. 9738 Willow St, Chemainus 250 246-9838

SANDPIPER GARDENS & GLASS Gift Certificates available. Give the Gift of Spring! 2891 Laurel St, Chemainus 250 246-2421 www.sandpipergardensglass.com

VINTIQUITY Why buy new when you can gift TREASURES! Find the perfect gift from our selecton of Vintage, Antiques and Collectibles.

9885 Maple St, Chemainus 250 324-0040

SILVERMINE ON CHEMAINUS Fabulous selection of chains from Italy... Assorted lengths and styles.

Beautiful one of a kind pendants also available. 9650 Chemainus Rd, Chemainus 250 246-5003

GALLERY GIFT SHOP CHEMAINUS THEATRE FESTIVAl Soapstone Carving Kit. Hands on learning and creative fun, ages 8-99.

Made in Canada and created on Vancouver Island9737 Chemainus Rd, Chemainus 250 246-9820

GIFTS N THINGS has Himalayan yak wool blankets hand woven by Nepalese women. Cotton blend adds to the softness. Warm and cozy for winter. 9756 Willow Street, Chemainus 250 246 4531

ETC. Goat Milk is an excellent mild moisturizing bar that lathers well, rinses clean and lasts a long time.

Available in 13 luscious fragrances and fragrance-free 9752 Willow St, Chemainus 250 324-2227

WIFFLE GAMES We specialize in retro video games, silver age comics and vintage toys. We have the perfect gifts for comic freaks and crazy collectors. 9756 Willow St, Chemainus, 250 324-5544

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We have everything you need for a green and healthy Christmas.

• Organic Groceries • Eco-Fabric Clothing • Natural Gifts • Stocking Stuffers • Specialty Baking • Vitamins • Gift Certificates!

9738 Willow St, Chemainus 250-246-9838 Hours Mon-Sat 10am-5pm

Plant Based Cheese Available In Chemainus

Closed Sundays and Stat holidays

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he Cultured Nut is an artisan, small batch, plant-based cheese company located in Victoria.

Their nut based products are entirely vegan, as well as being both soy and gluten free. Regardless of whether you are choosing plant-based products out of necessity or choice, this company is here for you!

Cultured Nut products are for those who refuse to take “no” for an answer.

Over the past few years, we’ve found ourselves leaving dairy behind and moving towards plantbased options. For some of us, this was not a choice! Being unable to accept a

cheese-free future, we went on the hunt for alternative products and discovered we were not satisfied with what we found at the grocery store. The founder was determined – if she couldn’t find the vegan cheese she was

looking for, she would make it herself!

Once she started making cheese, the decision to share it with the world felt like the natural next step.

Their mission? To create delicious, creamy, nut-based cheeses which are perfect whether you want to make a grilled cheese sandwich on a Tuesday night, or wow your friends with a gourmet cheese plate on the weekend. They use organic products where

possible and seek out the highest quality ingredients for their products.

Seven flavours are now in the shop to create your own vegan charcuterie board for the holidays.

Chemainus Health Food Store, 9738 Willow Street, Chemainus. Open Monday Saturday.

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win an original oil painting www.billhibberd.com

Warmland Snow 24X36”, Oil on canvas by Bill Hibberd

Artist Bill Hibberd Duncan based oil painter Bill Hibberd was born in Port Alberni. After spending years in the Okanagan Valley he could not resist the lure of Vancouver Island. While he was formally educated at Okanagan College in Kelowna Bill’s personal study of past and present masterworks laid the groundwork for his artistic development. After years of painting the desert Bill is now so thrilled to explore and respond to the massive visual drama of our spectacular West Coast. He works thematically, exploring a particular subject or a particular medium over extended periods of time. Bill spent one year painting 100 portraits from life in an effort to learn how to set up and paint people. This project evolved into a collection he called “My Tribe” which was shown in several public galleries. Bill integrated gold and silver leaf into his paintings for several years and occasionally steals a bit of leaf into current work. Since moving to the Island Bill has developed a appropriate palette, sympathetic to our ocean, rivers and forests.

He spends days kayaking through the rocky coastline, observing the drama of the interface between sea and land. While wandering through humid, moody forest trails Bill composes scenes that express the feeling of those sacred places.

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“The Watchman”was inspired by the vulnerability of our ancient forests. The raven sifts by, observing. Will we respect this place? Or will we destroy the watchman’s home?

“Warmland Snow” celebrates the sensuous forms and warm colours of Arbutus trees as counterpoints to the cool white snow which blanket an incredible display of green mosses.

“Wild Pacific” was composed from several recent camping locations on the interface. An expression of gratitude for the abundance of West Coast life.

Bill prefers to work with traditional oil paints using walnut oil as his medium. He begins with small notan (little black and white) value studies to create a design plan and then moves to a large free hand drawing in vine charcoal. When satisfied with a general composition, he will carefully wipe away most of the charcoal dust and begin laying down paint thick over thin. Bills best art occurs in process when a phenomenon the Druids called “spirit flow” visits his studio. He is currently represented by the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria.

To win an original oil painting - discuss commissions - book studio visits- contact Bill. www.billhibberd.com 250-748-2838 billhibberdart@gmail.com

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here’s something so magical about Cowichan during the holidays. Hearty winter produce fills the local restaurants, cafes, and bakeries, and a dream-like mist settles over the valley.

In the winter, Cowichan restaurants feature dishes made from the seasonal bounty of kale, swiss chard, carrots, Brussel’s sprouts, parsnips, squash, and rutabagas. While winter fruits like apples, quince, strawberries, and pears round out the dessert menus.

The mild climate means that outdoor activities - from hiking trails, to fly fishing, to Christmas displays - are enjoyable any time of day.

Add a cup of hot local cider or hot chocolate and discover the wonders of your own backyard this season.

In fact, Cowichan has the warmest average temperature in Canada, meaning that as the temperature cools across the rest of the province, Cowichan offers year-round outdoor activities that you can’t find elsewhere. The long growing season means that Cowichan has become worldrenowned for its food and beverage scene. Add these two together, and you have the perfect winter getaway just 45 minutes north of Victoria!

Grow Local Local is first in Cowichan. In fact, businesses in the region strive to work collectively - it is common to find artisan products in the local corner stores, or local farms featured on restaurant menus. The region adheres to a single tenet: locally grown and locally made.

Cowichan’s average low temperatures in the winter hover around five degrees, which means that their growing season is much longer than elsewhere in the province. Harvest season runs later, and planting starts earlier, resulting in a variety of fresh ingredients you 58

BC Discovery Centre Christmas Tree

Christmas Lives In Cowichan can’t find anywhere else.

With over 800 farms dotting the countryside, it’s almost

impossible not to immerse yourself in the farm-to-table movement here.

Try a delectable pork en croute Farm Table Inn.

Eat Local The number of farm-totable options in Cowichan have earned the region the moniker of “Canada’s Provence” from James Barber, host of the popular Urban Peasant. Cowichan Bay was North America’s first Cittaslow community, a designation born of the slow food movement and given to communities that feature local products and unspoiled lands.

At Farm Table Inn in Skutz Falls, owners Evelyn Koops and George Gates, a Red Seal Chef, have cultivated a truly unique restaurant and B&B built around their on-site farm, which provides many of the ingredients used in their dishes.

The quaint farmhouse-style restaurant is open four nights a week and features a very popular prime rib dinner with all the fixings every Thursday! It’s prime (no pun intended) season for this dish so reservations are highly recommended.

Their 3-course holiday menu is available until December 20th and features a mouthwatering Salmon Wellington, served with seasonal vegetables and a caper dill sauce. For dessert, be sure to try the house-made lemon tart with fresh grand fir cream.

They will also be offering a Christmas menu December 25, 26 and 27 that will feature

Image courtesy Tourism Cowichany

a traditional turkey dinner.

Reservations are key for them so please phone ahead to reserve a table.

The onsite B&B was the Times Colonist Readers’ Choice best bed and breakfast on Vancouver Island in 2019, and it certainly lives up to its

Enjoy the view at Bridgemans Bistro, courtesy Bridgemans Bistro

name. The property features two cozy yet spacious rooms, each with its own mini fridge, coffee maker and kettle with supplies and private patios.

Wake up to the fresh farm air and choose between an inroom continental breakfast or a full breakfast in the dining

room before heading out for the day.

Head down to picturesque Mill Bay, where you’ll find Bridgemans Bistro situated on the Mill Bay Marina. In the brisk winter months, their Seafood Puttanesca is the perfect warm-up meal!

Fresh clams, mussels, prawns, and salmon served with a classic puttanesca sauce, and local fettuccine noodles from nearby Cowichan Pasta Company.

If you’re in the mood for something more festive, their Sunday Roast Beef Dinner is a must-try! Top sirloin beef served with roasted potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, seasonal vegetables and a demi-glace.

Pair it with a glass of Blue Grouse Estate Winery’s robust Quill Q Red. Beginning December 1, many boats at Mill Bay Marina will be lit up and decorated for the holidays, making it the perfect festive backdrop while enjoying your meal.

Tofino Perfume at Wildcoast Perfumery

Cowichan is home to a vibrant artist and artisan producer community, and the locally made products bring visitors from around the province each year.

Everywhere you turn, you’ll find something to catch your

eye, from antiques and fine art to First Nations creations, fashions, arts & crafts, jewelry and more.

Nestled in the seaside village of Cowichan Bay, just north of Victoria, you’ll find many artisans focused on creating unique gifts and craft goods made from local ingredients.

One of the most unique spots is Wild Coast Perfumery, where they create purely natural, location inspired perfumes.

Hand blended from a variety of essential oils, absolutes and tinctures from needles, leaves, flowers, lichen, and fungi sustainably harvested from local forests! Botanical perfumes already adapt to your body’s individual chemistry making them quite uniquely your own. Or you can choose to intensify your selection for a deeper, moodier vibe.

Wild Coast Perfumery can also create a special label for your intensified version, making for a truly memorable gift. Be sure to book ahead for bespoke labels. Shipping or curbside pickup is available online. While in Cowichan Bay, be sure to stop into True Grain Bread for some amazing goodies, and 59

Merridale Christmas Light Up, Merridale Cidery and Distillery

FEATURE COMMUNITY Chemainus With so much to offer, Chemainus is the place to be inspired this holiday season.

Entertain your senses with the delectable menus of Chemainus’ exquisite restaurants, artisanal bistros, gourmet cafes, world cuisine, local craft brewery, or a gourmet dinner at the many restaurants. Explore the boutique shops dotting the town – a perfect mix of modern, traditional, vintage, and artisan gifts in one place. Shopping here is truly exceptional, with an abundance of original, local, and hand-made items.

Visit one of our many antique shops lined with treasured of the past, take a look at beautiful and original pieces by local artists, or browse through the fabulously curated gifts lining the shelves of many other shops.

Take a stroll through our Wednesday craft market or browse the many booths in the Chemainus Public Market.

Head over to the museum for a wonderful look at our past, take a peaceful stroll in one of our many parks, or head down to the water’s edge.

Come to browse and make it an afternoon to remember. Explore one of the most beautiful communities on Vancouver Island.

For more details head to VisitChemainus.ca 60

Beachology for some unique and locally made gifts.

At nearby Merridale Cidery & Distillery in Cobble Hill, you can stock up on the holiday essentials at their farm shop, including mulling spice packs to make your own mulled wine and cider. They also sell homemade bread, jams and preserves. Be sure to stock up on the popular Apple Blossom Honey and Apple Butter!

Locals will also be excited to know that Merridale has brought back their popular lights display, because all need some holiday joy! The team invites you to immerse yourself in the magic of Christmas from November 21 to January 3 at the Merridale

Farm. Take an enchanting stroll through their courtyard where you’ll find thousands of twinkling lights, and holiday displays. It’s family friendly and even Fido is welcome on a leash. Best of all it’s free – Merridale’s gift to you. By wearing masks and practicing social distancing, we can all enjoy some holiday magic this season.

Make your reservation for Farm-to-Fork holiday dinners at Merridale.ca, or join them for lunch, sipping and shopping seven days a week – no reservations required.

Whatever you’re in the mood for this holiday season, you’ll find it all in your own backyard in Cowichan.

Stock up on homemade goods at Merridale. Credit Merridale Cidery

around the world and its associated social and economic stressors can undermine children’s development and well-being. Not only must they cope with major changes to everyday life, such as physical distancing and home confinement, but young people may not be receiving the critical supports they need when community services are limited and fewer adults have direct contact with them. The good news is that research on resilience shows that protective factors can buffer children from harm and increase the chances they adapt positively to adversities such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Having a mentor has been proven to be a critical protective factor for young people.

Big Brothers Big Sisters’ Festival of Wreaths

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nleash your Holiday Spirit and help raise funds for young people in the Cowichan Valley! Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Cowichan Valley is hosting the Festival of Wreaths and we have invited local businesses to participate in this holiday celebration.

Local businesses throughout the Cowichan Valley have generously donated beautifully decorated wreaths that include a minimum of $50 worth of merchandise and/or gift certificates. These amazing wreaths are listed online in our Facebook auction that is running from December 1st through December 15th. 100% of proceeds support young people locally through our mentoring programs. Check out our auction on Facebook at @BBBScowichanvalley.

Your help is needed now more than ever to support the Cowichan Valley’s children and youth during these uncertain times. COVID-19 has brought an increased level of worry to many people

How our mentors visit with their mentees will need to adapt during any COVID-19 outbreaks and our mentoring programs are being adapted to allow for virtual contact between mentors and mentees.

Matches may be switching between low-contact faceto-face and virtual meetings depending on public health recommendations, the type of mentoring program, and the permission granted by all match participants. We are working hard to continue to support young people in our community while keeping everyone safe. Children and youth are counting on you now more than ever! If you are interested in becoming a mentor, visit our website www.bbbscowichan.ca or call the office 250-748-2447.

Island Hellerwork & Somatic Counselling ALIGN - CONNECT - EMBODY

Heal Trauma Increase Vitality Improve Posture & Alignment Freedom From Chronic Pain & Injury Improve Movement & Flexibility Heal Anxiety & Depression Better Sports Performance

islandhellerwork.com I 250-661-1687

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We’ve a whale of a good reputation!

• • • •

Pool installs & liner replacements Hot tub service, including bio-film flushes Equipment repair/replacement & supplies Inspections & consultations Contact Mike, owner & certified technician

CALL: 250-466-4050 I TEXT: 778-837-0138 orcaspaservice@gmail.com

www.orcapoolandspa.com

Hot Tubs And Elephants...

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uess what? Purchasing a hot tub to relieve a medical condition could potentially be a tax right off for you!* This year many families replaced travel plans by investing in their backyard as a stay-cation haven. Hence, hot tubs are - ahem - a HOT commodity.

Due to C19, manufacturers of hot tubs are on limited production schedules, while trying to respond to high demand (and the same applies to pools.) If you are planning a new hot tub purchase – even from C***co - expect to wait awhile... probably until next year to receive it. Yup. Next year.

Sooooo.... what about buying a used hot tub? Well, make sure there’s not “an elephant in your hot tub!”

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Here’s three things to consider: 1) never buy a hot tub that is sitting empty, always assess it while it’s full & running 2) consider hiring a professional, like us, to inspect the tub (or pool) before you buy - same as you’d hire a mechanic for a used car or a house inspector for a home purchase.

AND 3) if you do buy a used hot tub (or you acquired one through a home purchase), for goodness sake, do a spa flush!

Visit Orca’s website for a DIY option, or call us to do it for you.

Stay tuned for upcoming articles about best practices for pools & hot tubs.

Meantime, Happy Tubbing through the Festive Season!

To your health and wellness! www.orcapoolandspa.com

joy and reflection.

Living trees have the advantage going into the landscape and being remembered for Christmas past.

This year may be a special Christmas you want to reflect back on. These live trees are coming from the depth of winter into warm, spring-like conditions. Their stay should be limited to about 10 days. A realistic time would be from Dec. 15 to Boxing Day. Living trees need daily watering and a saucer to protect the floor or table. Your local nursery will have many species of spruce and fir with forms suitable for Christmas.

Care for Christmas Trees Bernie Dinter, Horticulturist and owner of Dinter’s Nursery

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his year with Covid restrictions Christmas celebrations will be smaller and more subdued. To brighten up the darkest time of the year many of us will be looking to bringing a tree into the home and decorating it with lights to create a festive atmosphere of

Fresh cut trees are grown specifically for the holiday season and can be chipped and returned to the soil as mulch. As a naturally shaped tree, the branches are spaced with room to hang ornaments. Often, they are sheared into a tight, dense forms that the decoration have to be draped over. Douglas Fir is the most popular species locally, but

Nordmann, Fraser and Noble Fir make excellent trees with their colour, texture and fragrance.

Tree size should be selected to fit the scale of the room considering its height and diameter, so the tree does not overwhelm the room. When lighting up have about 50 LED lights per foot to not to be overwhelmed by the decorations. Follow a theme by placing the larger element at the top and moving down, filling in with smaller elements.

Have the glass and shimmering ornaments close to the lights. Step back periodically to look at the tree as a whole.

With a beautifully decorated tree, family can enjoy the festive season, reflecting on this challenging year and anticipating the coming year.

This brings comfort during the darkest and coldest time of the year.

Gifts for Gardeners Open until Christmas Eve

Stocking stuffers Hand Tools Garden Themed Giftware Poinsettias and Flowering Plants Tropical Plants and Decorative Pots Trees! from Live Table Tops to Quality Cut Trees NOT SURE ? TRY OUR GIFT CERTIFICATES FOR GARDENERS

See our table for ideas on hardy winter planters. www.dinternursery.ca 5km South of Duncan on Hwy 1

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century, created a scale from 0 to 1000 and registered the most common human emotions from lowest to highest on that scale. For example, shame is at 20, and guilt is at 30, the very lowest frequencies. Love, joy, peace, and enlightenment are at the other end of the scale at 500, 540, 600, 700, and beyond.

The point of this scale in relation to healing, I believe, High Vibration is that the lower the frequency that Wellness we are vibrating at (shame, guilt, Submitted by David Yaeger apathy), the less likely it is that any sort of healing can he most common take place. Conversely, the question I am asked as higher the frequency that one a practitioner of energetic is vibrating at (love – 500, healing modalities comes 528 and beyond), the more in the first few seconds of a likely one is to experience conversation with a client. healing.

Invariably, people ask me “How are you?” Before I Human beings are always even get a chance to ask seeking to vibrate at as high them how they are and why a frequency as possible. The they have asked for a healing work I do with Dr. Bradley session, they want to know Nelson’s Emotion Code and how I am.

Body Code, as well as with Richard Gordon’s Quantum I find this very instructive.

Touch modality, is to remove People who seek healing the trapped emotions, want to know that they are imbalances, and other dealing with someone who obstacles that are keeping one exudes wellness and can from vibrating and living at thus, hopefully, lead them to the highest possible levels wellness. every day.

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So what is wellness? “Feelin’ good, you know what I mean…” as the famous jazz song suggests. But is there any way we can measure wellness? I believe that there is. We need look no further than David R. Hawkins’ “Scale of Consciousness”.

David Hawkins, a wellknown philosopher and professor of the twentieth

People want to vibrate into higher experiences and expressions of good health. I hope that when they call me, I am able to offer something that helps us both to resonate higher with every session.

Traditional Chinese Exercise for Health Wild Goose Qigong (Chi Gong) Gentle movement Calms your mind Heals internal organs Develops flexibility Mondays 9~10:15am (Rivendell) Wednesdays 10:15am-11:30am Thursdays 8:45am-10am (HUB) Fridays 10am-11:15am (Victoria) Northern Shaolin Chun Yuen Quan Dynamic movement Improves posture Increases energy Strengthens bones Tuesdays 6pm-7:15pm Wednesdays 9am-10:15am

250 748 4060 rivendellrhythm@shaw.ca

www.WildGooseQigongCentre.com

Release trapped emotions Resolve sleep problems Manage stress and pain Achieve self-confidence 250-597-3686

First appointment free!

David Yaeger

Emotion Code Body Code and Quantum Touch davidyaeger650@gmail.com

https://discoverhealing.com/practitioner-map/ (find me in Duncan)

Sands Funeral Chapel

Cremation & Reception Centre-Duncan

by Arbor Memorial

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

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HOLIDAY HOURS:

Open 11—3 daily

Discover our Disana Wool Leggings These knitted leggings have been a huge hit in our community. Made from 100% organic merino wool; soft and light and can be worn indoors or outside. Kids love them! The fine ribbed knit make the leggings especially flexible and a gentle elastic in the waistband keeps them up without pinching. The leggings come in bright colours and are a great mix and match with Disana wool sweaters, cardigans and jackets. Many colours and sizes to choose from.

In the SOL CENTRE, 5380 Hwy. 1 ~ Duncan Located Adjacent to Community Farm Store

250-597-4763

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closed Sundays with the exception of the last Sunday before Christmas we will be open 11—3.

Beautiful Selection of Beautiful Advent Calendars, Stories, Craft Books and so much more to fill your holiday with warmth and wonder!

CALL US OR FACEBOOK MESSAGE TO PLACE ORDERS FOR DRIVE-BY PICKUP OR TO HAVE IT SENT BY MAIL. :)

Exceptionally beautiful stories, cards, craft books, toys, silks & natural art supplies for magical seasonal creations!

Handmade slippers

for babies, children, adults — made in the Cowichan Valley from 100% Canadian wool, leather and sheepskins. Lovingly made by “Art of Zen”.

Wooden Animals, People and Seasonal figures from Holztigger & Ostheimer Advent spiral candle holders from Grimm’s!

Locally made balance boards have arrived!!!! $125.00 Beautiful Waldorf Dollsmany to choose from Stockmar Paints, Lyras, Block Crayons for painting & drawing

BOOKS! BOOKS! BOOKS!

Yes, we have Gift Certificates

Hundreds of titles for children including titles by Astrid Lindgren, Isabel Wyatt, Elsa Beskow, Sybille von Offers, classic Grimm Fairy Tales and all the Findus stories by Sven Nordqvist too!

Hundreds of titles for adults too!

Here at the Freya-Sophia Waldorf Store (FSWS) we, the staff and management, are inspired by the work of Rudolf Steiner and committed to meeting the soul needs of our children and our community by providing books, toys, supplies, resources, classes, workshops, instruction, support and conversation to all those who visit our store. We are here to help and to support. To be on our email list for Steiner and Waldorf inspired events email sol-steiner@communityfarmstore.ca 67

START THE NEW YEAR WITH A CLEAN HOME & WORKPLACE

Celebrating The World From Our Montessori Classroom

Dr. 10-Point Disinfection with Every Clean Equipment Sanitized after every Clean Providing professional, eco friendly cleaning services.

Ask about our all-surface, whole room disinfection service for home or office. We use a totally Green, Health Canada registered disinfectant.

Home Cleaning Gift Certificates Available for Family & Friends!

250 929 8381 I www.cleanchoicecleaners.com Licensed - Insured - Bonded

ACUPUNCTURE MASSAGE THERAPY HERBAL MEDICINE

Online Booking & Direct Billing www.pestleandpins.com DR. KEVIN IANSON, Dr.TCM (R.Ac)

AMANDA KNAPP, R.TCM.P (R.AC) CHELSEA RANEY, R.TCM.P (R.AC) EVAN MONCRIEFF, RMT DR. BREWSTER SCOTT, ND, R.TCM.P

4705 Trans Canada Hwy I 250-889-9066 I Whippletree Junction

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Maria Montessori noted over a hundred years ago that young children learn and develop by using their hands to explore the world around them, and as any parent of a young child knows, all children have a natural desire to touch everything they see. Montessori environments support this natural inclination of children, to learn through doing, by providing lots of opportunities to touch and manipulate a wide variety objects so that they can gain direct experience of the World.

In the Montessori classroom we initially help children to get a sensorial understanding of their World by connecting them to parts of the Earth they are already familiar with – soil and water. All young children have felt the rain falling, splashed in puddles, and hopefully played with mud. A child is helped to collect samples of water and soil from outside, and then back inside, helped to connect these samples to the water in the oceans and the soil which covers much of the Earth’s land masses. The child can use then their sense of touch to feel a special globe which has areas of smooth blue oceans and rough feeling sandpaper continents.

Children can then use puzzle maps, where they can lift out the Earth’s seven continents, leaving just the oceans

left behind which helps to develop their understanding of the land and water making up the surface of the Earth.

Finding ways to connect young children to the diverse people that inhabit the Earth can be more challenging, but is just as important to their overall development, particularly today when opportunities to actually travel and explore have been hugely reduced due to COVID-19.

At Shawnigan Lake Montessori we “fly” children across the world, taking them to visit other countries, discovering through these pretend visits how children, just like them, living all around the world celebrate with their own winter festivals, just as we celebrate Thanksgiving, Solstice, Christmas and Hanukkah here in Canada. Dr Montessori believed that helping children understand the similarities between people around the world, rather than seeing their differences, would help to create peace in future generations.

Each year the teachers prepare the classrooms for either Chinese New Year Celebrations, Diwali’s Festival of Lights, or Sweden’s St Lucia Day to help brighten the long winter months. These preparations might involve a whole classroom being filled with Chinese New Year

decorations, festive food and drink, or making and baking St Lucia saffron buns, which the children eat while learning how children in Sweden celebrate St Lucia day in their homes and schools.

Families who celebrate these festivals or others at home are invited to share traditional food, pictures, books and when possible come in to talk with the children about their celebrations When we celebrate Diwali with the children. we tell them how families in India and Nepal get together, and everyone dresses up in special clothes, eats delicious food and lights special little lights called diyas. The children have the opportunity to

make their own diyas, which they use to help light up the classroom with rows of these little lamps. The children have also made these little tea light holders for presents for their families during winter holiday celebrations.

Bringing a little light into these darkening days of autumn and a little hope into these difficult times of COVID-19, feels like a positive and lovely activity to do with children over the next few weeks. www.shawniganlakemontessori.com Nicola ConstantineMacdonald, Head Teacher, Manager at Shawnigan Lake Montessori and Trainer for WestMont Montessori’s Teacher Program.

Making Diyas at Home

Courtesy Nicky Macdonald, Shawnigan Montessori School

Materials

White air drying clay: Das, Sculpey etc., Rolling pin Circle cookie cutter, approx. 7cm diameter Old toothbrush, water Acrylic paint Tea light

Method

1. Roll a piece of clay flat using rolling pin. With cookie cutter, cut out a circle to make base for tea light. Roll out 3 or 4 snakes of clay, about 1cm in dia. and approx. 22cm long. Use an old toothbrush dipped in water to wet and scrape the edge of the clay circle, creating a roughened wet area about 1cm wide, all around the top edge of the circle.

2. Clay snakes can then be “glued” onto this wet area, by laying them around the edge of the circle. More snakes can be stacked on top, after further scraping and wetting each layer. This will create the wall of the tea light. Alternatively, clay snakes can be rolled up first like a snail shell and then placed, standing upright around edge of circle, remember to wet and scrape base first to “glue” on coils!

3. Clay will air dry in approx. 2 days. Children can then paint their tea light, and once dry add a little tea light, ready for either a Diwali celebration or for wrapping, as part of Christmas gift giving.

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A video on their website explains: “If we continue like this, by 2040 the volume of plastic on the market will have doubled. And the flow of plastic in the ocean will have about tripled.”

Marti Smith is a writer and musician happily living in the Cowichan Valley with her family.

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ecycling plastics can be a mystifying process. Can onion mesh bags actually be recycled? Do candy wrappers get recycled with regular plastic bags? What about plastic lined paper bags?

The answer to the last one, is unfortunately, no. Which means I can no longer in good conscience buy a certain brand of corn chips.

Stretchy and Non-Stretchy The way I see it is that there are two groups: the stretchy plastic category which includes grocery bags and all things that stretch; and a crinkly plastic category, such as all non-stretchy bags. The second category is also sometimes called: Other Flexible Packaging. I am happy to say I’ve solved the mystery of onion and avocado bags – they go in with the non-stretchy plastic, otherwise known as Other Flexible Packaging, or Category 9. Stiff, stand-up by themselves zip loc bags for things like granola, cat food and frozen berries, also get recycled with the OtherFlexible Packaging category.

Island Return It and other recycling depots now accept Other Flexible Packaging.

To make this process easier at our house, we have two

The Plastic Dilemma: Sorting it Out recycling bins at home, one for stretchy plastics and the other for non-stretchy plastics. When they’re jammed full, we make a trip to Island Return It. One of the reasons it can be so perplexing, even when you get the stretchy, nonstretchy thing, is that there’s so darn much of it, like an overwhelming mountain of plastic, and that’s of course, the real problem. But it’s so malleable and mutable, which some people say is a great thing, because it can be created into many different products. Like the company that turned scraps from funnels and component

6476 Norcross Rd, Duncan I Islandreturnit.com I

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parts for conveyors and elevators into recycled plastic toboggans.

Some people feel very strongly anti-plastic, so they’re willing to take products out of their packaging and leave them in grocery store carts, in order to make a statement. Other people want to be a little quieter about their views, but they contribute to change by using alternatives to plastic like cloth mesh veggie bags or using glass jars at the bulk bin. And there are still others, who are willing to be part of change within the industry, such as organizations that are working on the creation of a circular plastic economy.

Circular Plastic Economy According to the Recycle BC website, they are supporters of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment. The foundation proposes a circular economy for plastic, where it never becomes waste or pollution.

Yes, it’s true, millions of plastic ends up in landfills, incinerators and in oceans.

So, improving recycling is crucial, but we can’t recycle our way out of plastic pollution, alone.

The foundation is calling for broad innovations, like eliminating single use plastics, delivering products to customers packagefree or with renewable packaging and only using plastics that can be reused, recycled or composted. As well they are proposing innovative technologies for new collection systems to accelerate the circular economy. The circular plastic initiative is also part of a larger vision calling for a regenerative and restorative economy.

As these broad sweeping changes are afoot, if we get our recycling into the right bins at Island Return It, or other recycling depots, less of it may end up in landfills and in our oceans.

A Note about Pre-sorting Pre-sorting plastics at home is easier and faster than doing it at the depot. If you’re still confused, put items you’re unsure about aside in a different bag and ask for clarification at the depot.

Unfortunately, contamination of the stream creates more garbage.

For further clarification, you can visit the Island Return It or Recycle BC websites: https://islandreturnit.com/ https://recyclebc.ca/

global poverty is $175 billion per year for 20 years (1). And while many political leaders say that, as a world, we can not afford that, we somehow managed to surpass spending one trillion dollars in the Christmas of 2018 alone (2).

Could you imagine how the world would change if every person donated the money they usually spend at Christmas to a charitable cause?

Your Money, Your Voice

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here do you stand when it comes to issues such as child labour, your environmental footprint, povery, clear-cut logging of rainforests, animal abuse, treatment in the workplace, and fair wages? The answer lies in where you spend your every dollar.

You can campaign, donate, and sign petitions as much as you like, but where you make the most impact, is in your everyday purchases.

Jeffrey Sachs, one of the world’s leading experts on economic development and the fight against poverty, has stated that the cost to end

6 IDEAS FOR GIVING RESPONSIBLY THIS CHRISTMAS: • Challenge your family to shop on Facebook marketplace and in thrift stores for your gifts this year.

• Plan a gift exchange where everyone re-gifts something from their own home.

• Make or buy organic, fair trade chocolates.

• Wrap your presents in newsprint, recycled Valley Voice magazines, or in fabric.

• Buy gift certificates for local stores.

• Buy gifts that support good causes such as adopting an endangered animal from the World Wildlife Fund (wwf.org.uk)

As citizens and consumers, we are responsible for the carpets in our houses that were made by children.

We are responsible for the fashion we buy that is made in sweatshops overseas where people die. We are responsible for how much Jeff Bezos is worth, and how much money Nestle makes per year. As the Christmas season begins to arrive, and people start buying gifts and festive treats, I urge you to think twice before you make your purchases. Ask yourself, is this chocolate fair trade? Is this shirt made by a child? Or is it made locally, using sustainable materials?

It may not be the easiest or cheapest option, but who and what you support with your money sends a loud and clear message. Your money is your voice.

What do you stand for?

Marin D. is 14 years old. She loves books and learning about the world.

(1). Reference: borgenproject. org/how-much-does-it-cost-to-endpoverty/ (2). https://fortunly.com/statistics/ christmas-spending-statistics/

Come in and see all the great new products available to help you maintain a healthy and sustainable household.

250-748-4421 4-180 Central Rd, Duncan - Village Green Mall www.lynnsvitamingallery.ca 71

The Community Farm Store Pages — Your Organic Health and Whole Food Market in Duncan — 250-748-6227

8th Annual

22 local and global organizations and businesses selling fair trade products Unique quality crafts, clothes, ornaments, art, edibles, toys, jewellery, and more!

SHOP ONLINE at

fiestaworldcraftbazaar.org For all of November and December

GIFTS THAT GIVE TWICE!

Vendor Feature: Mondo Trading Company Located on Salt Spring Island, Mondo sources unique designs from artisans living in marginalized communities around the world.

They feature fairly traded & ethically sourced handcrafted products from 30+ countries. Look forward to beautiful clothing, home décor, bath & body products, toys, and much more.

Visit www.mondotradingcompany.com to learn more

FIESTA is online!

fiestaworldcraftbazaar.org Visit this year’s virtual bazaar!

You will be able to select one of the 20 vendors, read about them, see their products, then click and you will be at their store. Vendors are accepting credit, debit cards, e-transfer; making shopping easy. Pick up or shipping of goods is available.

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Giving Gifts that Give Twice

For the last eight years, FIESTA has floated into the Cowichan Valley like a warm breeze! It has been a tonic, a massage, the sanity that we have been looking for. This Valley has generously supported local and global organizations and businesses working to make a fairer world for everyone.

This year the global COVID pandemic has sadly made an in-person FIESTA impossible. Luckily, FIESTA is resilient and adaptable and is now ready to come into your home! We will miss the smiles, the food, the fun and our friends, but we don’t have to miss the amazing handmade crafts from around the world. FIESTA gives us the opportunity to look outside our bubble and correct some of the inequities of the world.

The Community Farm Store Pages — Your Organic Health and Whole Food Market in Duncan — 250-748-6227

Give the gift of supporting your community this year! If you’re thinking about giving gifts to the special people in your life, choose to purchase them locally. We are your one-stop shop for all your holiday needs! Visit the CFS Pantry for organic baking essentials, our Apothecary for festive spices & teas, our Chill Aisle for organic eggnog, whipping cream & artisanal cheeses, the freezers for ethically raised meats, and the CFS Produce Aisle for the freshest ingredients to round off the meal. Don’t forget the fairtrade chocolate; we have hundreds to choose from!

The Community Farm Store

Organic Health & Whole Food Market www.communityfarmstore.ca

2-5380 Hwy 1, Duncan BC V9L 6W4 250-748-6227

CFS Hours

Monday-Saturday 9-6 Closed Sunday

Soul Hours

Monday-Saturday 11-3 Closed Sunday

Please follow our Facebook Page for the latest information

Mulled Rose & Cranberry Pear Cider Holiday Hours

**Sunday December 20 11-3Special Day of Shopping with festive music, prizes and happy holiday vibes** Monday December 21 9 - 8 Tuesday December 22 9 - 8 Wednesday December 23 9 - 8 Thursday December 24 9 - 6pm Friday December 25 Closed Saturday December 26 Closed Sunday December 27 Closed Monday, December 28 - Thursday December 31 9-6 Friday, January 1st Closed Happy Holidays!

6 cups freshpearjuice 2 c u p s p u r e wa t e r 1 c u p f r e s h c r a n be r r i e s 2 s l i c e d o r a n ge s w i t h p e e l 2 t b s p dr i e d r o se p e t a l s 3 c i n nam o n st i c k s 4 s t a r a n i se p o d s 1 t b sp c a r d amom p o d s 1 t sp w ho le c l o v e s C om b i ne a l l i n gr e d i e nt s i n a la r ge p o t , s i mme r o n low h e a t f o r 2 0 - 2 5 m i nu t e s . S t r a i n s p i c e s a n d se r v e ho t , ga r n i s he d w i t h a c i n n amo n s t i c k .

OPEN:Monday-Wednesday 11am-3pm Thursday-Saturday 11am-5pm (*until Dec 19) CLOSED:Sunday

Sunday December 20 11am-3pm Monday December 21 11am-6pm Tuesday December 22 11am-6pm Wednesday December 23 11am-6pm Thursday December 24 11am-5pm CLOSED: Dec 25, 26 & 27

We wish you all the happiest holidays!

Love from the Community Farm Store Family 73

containing nearly daily observations from Vancouver Island, commencing in 1959.

It wasn’t until 20 years later when a ‘happy accident’ led to the note taker’s identity – Mr. Tom Briggs. This key piece of information now allowed David to enter these 31 years Photo of David Fraser taken by Leah Ramsay of records into eBird* (online database) and share them entry of historic data into eBird with the rest of birding world. can document significant changes Tom Briggs’ observations haven in BC bird life. David’s talk is proven to be of key importance illustrated with his own sketches, in recognizing changes in the paintings, photographs and video avifauna of Vancouver clips.

Island – particularly where breeding *eBird is an online database records of horned of bird observations which larks, nesting locations provides scientists, researches for western bluebirds and naturalists with real-time and records of other data about bird distribution and species are now rare or abundance. It was launched no longer exist. in 2002 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology at Cornell David Fraser’s University and the National presentation will Audubon Society. It is now demonstrate how the among the world’s largest biodiversity related science programs.

“Things I Learned Birding for 31 Years with Tom Briggs: – a man I never met.”

I

n 1995 David Fraser found himself in possession of an unknown birder’s notebooks

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We Welcome New Patients!

Cure Artisan Meat & Cheese 250 929-2873 Charcuterie, Cheese House Made Pates

Island Pharmacy 250 743-1448 Open 7 Days a week for all your pharmacy needs.

Valley Health and Fitness 250-743-0511 Full service gym/classes

Cobble Hill Dental 250-743-6698 Friendly, Family Practice

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Fitness

David Fraser has a Master of Science Degree in Plant Ecology and is a naturalist, artist, and biologist. David was the Unit Head of Species Conservation Science for the BC Ministry of Environment until 2018. He has been a member of the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada for over 20 years.

The Cowichan Valley Naturalists’ Society invites all community members to attend this intriguing talk on Monday December 7 at 9:30 am. Email cmilo@telus.net for the Zoom link.

LUCKY DOG Lady Tana Goes into Business…

L

ady Tana is a dog who loves cheese. She loves cheese more than she loves swimming, finding free bones, or napping.

Lady Tana loves cheese so much that she has travelled the world in a hot air balloon to taste cheeses.

She has attempted to make cheese and is well known amongst her friends to never share her cheese.

One chilly afternoon Lady Tana was napping by her fireplace on her overstuffed bed. She was brought out of a dream; a dream of cheese. She had been trying her whole life, since that first bite of puppy Parm, to find a way to have cheese around her at all times. In the dream Lady Tana was indeed surrounded by cheese, but not the usual dream of her sitting in a circle of cheese wheels. In this dream the cheeses were on shelves.

She woke up with a start. Of course! A cheese shop. Lady Tana would open a cheese shop. Then she could have any and all the cheese she needed for the rest of her life!

She made herself a cup of parmesan tea and paced about her house. The only thing she knew about a cheese shop, was that she would need cheese. Lots of cheese.

Knowing that her neighbour, Mrs. Cow sold her milk to a cheese company, Lada Tana put on her warmest collar and went

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camembert, Munster, and gruyere. They had soft cheese, washed rind cheese, and alpine cheese. She ordered everything.

The next morning while still in her fluffy bath robe a parade of gorillas came down her driveway.

Some were carrying the largest wheels of cheese she had ever seen. Some carried huge wooden crates and the smaller gorillas pulled wagons of bleu cheeses and buffalo cheeses. She dashed outside.

next door.

She excitedly rambled through her plan to Mrs. Cow and found out that the local wholesale cheese broker was a band of gorrillas.

“Gorrillas?” Lady Tana jumped back slightly.

Mrs. Cow explained, “Gorillas are strong enough to carry the huge wheels of cheese and are notorious vegans. They would never eat the cheese. Gorillas are also naturally trustworthy.”

Lady Tana also had no idea that gorillas were so industrious. She had Mrs. Cow draw her a map to the gorilla’s warehouse and she set off right away.

The map led to a small grove of trees, and although Lady Tana could smell a strong non-cheese odour, she saw no sign of gorillas or a warehouse. As she sniffed about a pinecone dropped on her head. She looked up to see a band of gorillas in the trees!

There must have been more than fifteen huge dark creatures and Lady Tana’s eyes widened.

Nervously she asked, “Are you the gorillas that sell cheese?”

One of the smaller gorillas threw another pinecone at her. This one had a business card attached.

“Check out our website!”

The gorillas all laughed as she quickly retreated with the information.

Cozy back at home with a cup of warm milk and a charcuterie plate, Lady Tana perused the gorilla’s cheese website. They had everything! Mozzarella,

“Wait! Wait” she barked. “Where do I put all this cheese?”

The gorillas put the heaping piles of cheese on her front lawn, shrugged their massive shoulders and walked away. A murder of crows was gathering in the trees cawing “I like your cheese!”.

The cheese needed to be protected. As she ran into the house to panic, one of her paws dipped into a shallow mole hole and she came up with her plan.

She got her phone and ran back outside to bark at the crows who were jumping closer to her beloved cheese. She dialed her friends Mr. and Mrs. Badger.

Between barks she explained that she needed their (bark!) help digging caves for her to (bark!) hide cheese in.

Very soon after a colony of badgers were there to help Lady Tana. They went to work digging tunnels and rooms that could store all of the cheese at the perfect temperature and humidity. Many paws make light work and before nightfall all the cheese was catalogued and safely stored. What a day!

Lady Tana dragged her overstuffed bed into the cave and slept surrounded by the loves her life.

She dreamt of her cheese shop.

Coolers filled with Emmental and Beemster. There would be sheep’s cheese and goat’s cheese and she’d make a grilled cheese sandwich-of-the-day. In her dreams there were crackers and cutting boards and customers.

Her legs started to kick in her sleep as her sweet dream ebbed into a nightmare. Customers were walking out of her shop with her cheese. Animals were taking her lovely cheeses away! She awoke

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This would not do. She could not part with her tonnes of cheese.

But how was she going to pay for all this cheese?

She cut a large wedge of cheddar and went up into her yard. It was barely daybreak and she tramped about her yard nibbling cheese and rethinking her plan. The barn cat, Mewsy, walked along the top of her fence, mewing.

“Good morning, Lady Tana” The cat said to her. Tana was deep in thought, but mumbled “Hello, Mewsy….umm.” Lady Tana stopped in her tracks. (Mewsy… um.)

“Lady Tana?” queried the cat.

But Lady Tana was already running home.

That’s it! Thought Lady Tana. A Mewseum, I mean a museum!

She would charge people to visit her cheese caves.

By weeks end “Lady Tana Wesleydale’s Cheese Emporium and Museum” was in full swing.

Animals from far and wide heard about the caves and they all had

Just north of Pots & Paraphanelia

to see the cheese. Lady Tana took great pride walking other animals through the caves and explaining the different cheeses. “And no, none it is for sale” she would repeat, laughing, on every tour.

The museum was a success.

Lady Tana was able to pay the gorillas for all the cheese, but as time went on the cheese piles slowly got smaller and Lady Tana slowly got bigger. Her last cheese museum tour was Christmas Eve. When she was able to fit the last of the cheese in the refrigerator, she was barely able to fit through the caves. So, she closed the door on her cheese museum for the last time and spent Christmas day with her friends.

She served them cake, nuts, and oranges. Grass, grubs, and mushrooms; but Lady Tana had no cheese to spare.

Debbie Wood is a certified Small Animal Naturopath and can be reached at 250-597-7DOG.

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W

ith diverse Winter festivals approaching, gift giving for the child or children in your lives is likely to be actively on your mind. If you feel inspired, I encourage you to make your own gifts. If that doesn’t feel doable, then I encourage you to scout out local shops or artisans who tend to make their creations from natural materials. A helpful question to ask when choosing is “How will this gift nurture wonder in this particular child?”

Children can sense when a gift has been specifically chosen just for them because of a certain something that connects them to you or you to them or because of a special quality or character that stands out in them that you admire. They also connect with gift giving gestures that acknowledge something that is of a particular enjoyment or interest to them that fosters wonder within them. Wonder is the seed of imagination and imagination cultivates creativity and healthy emotional and physical development throughout childhood and lifelong learning.

Another approach is to attune to the child’s age group and stage of development. Taking an interest in this gives you a better understanding of the world they live in and how they see, experience, and question the world around them. This insight offers useful information regarding a gift that recognizes their growing capacities and that has the potential to add to their self confidence and expand their overall abilities and maturation.

I remember long ago when my husband and I were running a mixed age licensed home daycare and a potential new family came to visit our space. The dad said his child would not be able to manage because we didn’t have

enough toys. With that feedback, we realized that the best time for a family to visit was when the children were in the midst of their play. They had everything they needed to transform the space into multiple kinds of play and movement games, all motivated by the various ages and reciprocal collaborations between the children.

There can be a tendency to believe that more is better, but for children it’s actually overwhelming and snuffs their imagination. They risk resorting to not engaging in play at all if there are too many choices and if they are inundated with “dead end” toys that are very limiting.

In early childhood, promoting the attitude of “sky’s the limit” through “open ended” toys, materials, and household objects, meets the need and desire for exploration and discovery.

Babies love to put everything in their mouth because their body functions as one sense organ that enables their whole self to meet their new world, so choosing a couple of safe quality mouthing toys, that can also serve when teething begins, is important. A collection of rainbow and solid coloured play silks initiates playful engagement as early as infancy. They capture varied hues of light and make wonderful veils for peek-a-boo games, song & sensory interactive play, and later inspire creative dress up, a sling for a doll or favourite stuffy, a landscape of grass or snow or a even a pond, lake, or ocean scene, where animal and people figures participate as characters in spontaneous stories.

The toddler likes to spend time emptying and filling, as well as moving objects from one place to another, placing them in particular ways, and exploring

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the moveable traits of objects or the sound they make when they fall, roll around or are banged! They tend to love sensory play, such as with water, sand, and mud—this touch experience awakens and deepens their proprioceptive relationship with the external world and nurtures the scientist in them throughout childhood.

IN WONDER THEY PLAY

Preschoolers are usually inspired by an object of interest that leads them into their imagination. For example a set of varied shapes and sizes of wooden blocks and cylinders can lead to varied blocks representing a car, a truck, a boat, then minutes later, becoming loaves of bread in a game of imaginary bake shop.

A cylinder shape might start out as a tower and then turn into a trumpet or a flute, then into a parade!

The inspiration for play shifts for the kindergartener who is stimulated by ideas of what to play, resulting in retrieving certain toys, materials, objects, props, etc. to make their already well founded imagination come even further to life with additional attention to details.

This is where we see the children putting a lot of time into preparing or setting the stage for their idea to come into fruition.

The actual playing out of it is unfortunately often interrupted because so much time was spent in the creation of the world they imagined or wished to imitate.

It’s beneficial to children for caregivers to recognize that they need a lot of uninterrupted play to feel fulfilled and complete in their process of play. In addition

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to benefiting from working rhythmical fine motor skills, such as with handwork like finger knitting, this age group has an innate need to engage in gross motor movement.

Hopping games and skipping games strengthen balance and coordination simultaneously.

Nonetheless, a jumprope is likely to get used not only for skipping, but also for pulling a box, a wagon, a log, or for creating a clothesline when playing house, or perhaps it becomes a device for hoisting buckets up and down!

Two of my favourite books for guidance with choosing age appropriate children’s books, toys, and imaginative play items, as well as how to organize them and how to arrange the spaces where you keep them are: You Are Your Child’s First Teacher by Rahima Baldwin and Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier and More Secure Kids by Kim John Payne.

Best wishes in your searches and thank you for supporting local businesses and artisans!

Christina Hamill RCST® Registered Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapist 250-748-5551

Collectibles Eclectibles Estates & More!

Come Snoop Around!

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

Aries (March 21-April 19) Mars is your ruling planet; and it is in your sign only once every two years for about six weeks. In a weird celestial fluke, this year it is in your sign for six months! Mars has finished being retrograde, so things will get easier for you.

Furthermore, this month the Sun gives you a fantastic boost!

You want to travel, explore new ideas and meet people from different backgrounds because you want to expand your world! (Do what you can.)

Taurus (April 20-May 20) This month, your focus is on shared property, taxes, debt, loans, mortgages, inheritances and the responsibilities you have for others. Mercury and Venus opposite your sign, will encourage successful discussions with everyone.

Mercury will help you clarify and explain issues; plus, promote cheerful banter and spirited debate, while Venus will smooth your relations with everyone. In fact, Venus will even improve your relations with enemies! It’s a good thing.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) This month the Sun sits opposite your sign, which means your energy will be less and you will need more sleep. This polarized Sun (to your own Sun) means it’s time to bring your affairs to a culmination. Because you might encounter opposition from others, be careful about dealing with authority figures.

If you have a sense of failure about something, accept this and move on. Fortunately, Venus will boost your health and sweeten your relations.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) You want to get better organized this month because you want to work efficiently so that you can be razor-sharp, effective! Because the Sun will be travelling through a part of your chart that is concerned with service, even if you are your own boss, your actions will be dictated by others at this time. Nevertheless, Mercury and Venus are still in a playful part of your chart urging you to explore sports, social activities and romantic dreams.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) Lucky you! This month will be more playful, lighthearted and fun-loving! Enjoy happier relations with kids and warmer relationships with your main squeeze. (New romance might blossom?) You have a strong urge to express yourself in an open and honest way because you’re ready to be exactly who you are. Mercury encourages attention to home repairs and family discussions, while Venus makes you want to entertain at home and redecorate. Expect to enjoy warmer relations with family.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) You will welcome this chance to cocoon at home this month.

You might be more involved with a parent. Childhood memories and discussions about the past will bubble to the surface of your mind.

However, you won’t be super reclusive because Mercury and Venus encourage discussion with others. Mercury will attract group interactions on line because you want to be part of what’s going on.

Meanwhile, Venus will make you appreciate your daily surroundings and the people with whom you are involved.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) The pace of your life is accelerating this month

with a busy schedule of appointments, errands, discussions with others, increased involvement with relatives and siblings plus more reading, writing and studying.

It’s been a struggle for you with Mars opposite your sign for six months this year. (It stays until the end of the year.) The last time this happened was in 1988. It creates challenges with those who are closest to you. (Exhausting.) Things are already improving, and will get even better by the end of December! “Yes, Virginia there is a Santa Claus.”

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Both Venus and Mercury are in your sign this month. Venus will make you diplomatic and charming with everyone, while Mercury gives you a busy mind and make you keen to communicate to everyone.

Furthermore, because you have more objectivity than usual, you will be able to examine yourself with scrutiny.

Meanwhile, this month you will reflect on your values. It’s important to know what really matters to you because if you don’t know what matters, how will you know how to make important decisions?

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Look at you! The Sun is in your sign! This makes you energized, sassy, and keen to express yourself. This happens only once a year, and when it does, it’s your turn to recharge your batteries. In addition, you will attract favourable situations and people to you.

Indeed, some of you are exploring secret love affairs now while others are busy doing research projects and digging up solutions to old problems. It’s a happening month and it’s all about you!

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) This month you will choose to be more reclusive and work

alone or behind the scenes.

However, two influences will counter this impulse: Mercury and Venus are in your House of Friendship! Mercury will encourage discussions with friends, especially groups.

You might want to discuss problems with others or your future goals? You might also be more involved with younger people. Meanwhile Venus will encourage cozy relations and perhaps turn a platonic friendship into a romance.

(Interesting.)

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) You are entering a lovely month because the Sun is in through your Aquarian “home”, which is the 11th House of Friendships. This means friendships will be more important during this next month. You might also question your role in a group.

(Are these my people?) One thing is certain, although you want to work with a friend or a team, it’s important for you to establish who you are.

You need to maintain your own integrity. You might also want to scrutinize your friends because in large measure, they are a reflection of who you are.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) The Sun is at the top of your chart this month, something that can occur only once a year. When this happens, it symbolizes that you are in a spotlight – and this spotlight is flattering! This means others (especially bosses, parents and VIPs) admire you and think you are super capable even if you don’t do anything special.

Because you have all this going for you, now is the time to advance your agenda! Ask for what you want! While this is happening, Mercury and Venus are in a different part of your chart encouraging travel and a desire to study.. Things are going your way! www.georgianicols.com

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DIRECTORY OF LOCAL SERVICES

A great way to discover local services and businesses. 2 sizes of ad space are available to suit every business message and budget. Affordable, stylish and straight to the point.

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 Adrienne Richards for more info 250 510 6596 or by email to adrienne@cowichanvalleyvoice.com Deadline for January Issue 146 - December 15

Acupuncture

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Art Classes

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Waldorf Kindergarten

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Discussion Group on 5G A concerned group of citizens in the Cowichan Valley are looking for a moratorium on 5G until proven safe for our communtiy. If you are interested in more discussion on this topic with others please contact dorotheasiegler@gmail.com

Food More than a Meat Shop Gluten Free/Organic Pasta’s, Organic Meat, Homemade Sausage, International Foods.

The Duncan Butcher 430 Trans Canada Hwy 250 748 -6377 78

CSA shares available in 15 or 30 week options CERTIFIED ORGANIC VEGETABLES & MEAT rupert@shawlfarm.ca

Health and Healing Customizable Organic Mattresses, Pillows, Linens Locally made Platform Beds and Furniture 126 Station St. 250-597-REST (7378) www.resthouse.ca

Hidden Gem Reiki Studio

Judy Johnstone, Reiki Master 250-661-0192 www.hiddengemreiki.com

What’s your story around body image/ food/health?

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Call Sacred Silence 250-710-5287 www.sacredsilence.net or facebook: Sacred Silence

Pet Care & Grooming Lucky Dog U-Bath, Duncan Now accepting new grooming clients.

Book online www.luckydogubath.ca Or call 250-597-7364

Collaborative design towards ethical sustainability • workshops • consulting • grant writing terraethics@gmail.com

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Monthly Print Advertising Reach the locals!

Contact us at info@cowichanvalleyvoice.com

LEARN WHY - WE SHOULD STOP OLD GROWTH LOGGING NOW www.ancientforestalliance.org/bc-old-growth-panel-report-announcement 79

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