December 2022 Issue 169

owichan

December 2022 Issue 169

Cowichan Valley Voice Magazine

Publisher Richard Badman

Editor Sheila Badman

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

Distribution Proofreader Calendar Stephanie Sayers Diana Pink Stephanie Sayers

Advertising Enquiries Please contact us at info@cowichanvalleyvoice.com for a rate card, monthly offers and current print ad specials.

Next Ad Deadline December 15 for January 2023 Issue 170 *Non Profit Community Ad Rates available please enquire.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR LISTINGS ARE FREE!

Next EVENTS DEADLINE December 12 for January 2023 Issue 170 E-mail: Date, Event Title, Time, Location and Cost w/ subject “EVENT” to events@cowichanvalleyvoice.com

SPECIAL THANKS TO FOLLOWING VALLEY VOICES

Craig Spence, Karen Allen, Arie Vander Reyden, Jenny Garlini, Veronica Scott, Bill Jones, Jessica Schacht, Tamra Nash, Laura Boyd-Clowes, Grant Easterbrook, Brad Boisvert, Stephanie Farrow, Krystal Aikman, Sonia Furstenau, Cari Burdett, Soleil Mannion, Samaya Delaat, Orith - Lady O, Bernie Dinter, Icel Dobell, Heather McKenzie, Shauna Devlin, Terence Miranda, Dr Gordon Levin, Naomi Low, Dawn Howlet, David & Ranji, Vida Glaser, Amy LuckMacGregor, Helga Feichtinger, Debbie Shkuratoff, Diana Anu Pink, David Suzuki, Angel Jury, Debbie Wood, Shiloh Badman, Tina Lee Foster, The lovely Georgia Nicols, Nicolette Genier, Cindy Jolin, and the Wonderful Staff at the Community Farm Store.

We welcome your story ideas & photo submissions; however Cowichan Valley Voice Magazine reserves the right to omit and/or edit all submissions for space, clarity, content and style. The opinions expressed in Valley Voice Magazine do not necessarily reflect those of the editor, publishers or other contributors. Please send a query email with your suggested topic prior to sending your article as space is limited and may not always be available.

Valley Voice Magazine is distributed through 450 + select locations throughout the Cowichan Valley- Malahat, Mill Bay, Shawnigan Lake, Cherry Point, Duncan, Cowichan Bay, Crofton, Chemainus and Salt Spring Island and to Cowichan Lake, Ladysmith, Victoria, Tofino and Parksville.

Season’s Greetings from Rainforest Arts 6 Banks Rd Artisan Market 9

Cowichan Camerata Christmas Concerts 15

Imagine That! Artisans’ Designs 16-17

The Returning of the Light 26 Winter Bazaar in Victoria 27

For Lego Lovers - Shop Brickity-Dooda 36 Christmas in Chemainus 38

Best of Cowichan 2022 Gift Guide 40-45

The Middle Years of Waldorf Education 51 Cowichan District Hospital 57 Allistair MacGregor Reintroduces Bill C-305 58 reFRESH Coupon Program for Low Income Families 61 Rupert Scow at the HUB 62 Meals on Wheels Seeking Volunteer Drivers 66 Georgia Nicols December Forecasts 77 Directory 78-79

LOCAL FOOD & DRINK

The Particularities of Pinot Noir 14-15 Cowichan Holiday Treats 18

Recipe: Kladdkaffa: Swedish “sticky” Chocolate Cake 18 History Glass Holiday 2022 19 Celebrate with Local Food and Gifts 21 Recipe: Ricotta, Cilantro & Roasted Onion Dip 22 Pre-order your Holiday Turkey Roll at Cure 23 Recipe: Bacon Herb And Apple Stuffing 23

HOME & GARDEN

Sustainable Gift Giving Made Easy at PlentiFILL 25 Care for Christmas Trees 48 Til the Season to Be Green 60-61 What is Happening in the Real Estate Market 64 Fenna’s Carrots 65

LOCAL ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

The Crucible presented by Shawnigan Players 7 Winter Harp Ethereal Holiday Performance 11 Our Lives Are Works of Art 30 Downtown Duncan Art Pages 32-33 Lady O & the Omen 34 Brandon Isaak Trio - Authentic Blues 35 Comic Strip - Ratty 76

BODY, MIND & SOUL

To Light For Love 10

Coping with Grief During the Holidays 28 Singing Light into Darkness 29 Be the Gift Giving Hero this Holiday 31

Excerpt: Pim’s Great Christmas Adventure 37 Simple Dolls Strengthen The Imagination 53 What is a Hearing Test? 54

The Importance of Sleep 55 Aikido: The Peaceful Warrior 56 Why We Should Read: All the Quiet Places 63 The Holidays and Reflexology 68 Infrared Treatments 69

Remembering the Simple Things in Life 70 Celebrate Your Loved Ones In Spirit 74

PETS, RECREATION & NATURE

Time to Think about Forestry Management Options 46 Why would we Log our Backyards? 49 Climate Conference - We Must All Do Our Part 71 Lucky Dog - Lady Tana’s Christmas 73

DECEMBER EVENTS

Tree of Remembrance - Place an ornament on the tree in remembrance of a loved one. Sands Funeral Chapel 187 Trunk Rd. Duncan RSVP 250746-5212

1-3The Crucible by Arthur Miller Shawnigan Players 7:30pm Duncan Showroom 133 Station St. Duncan Tickets at eventbrite.ca or the door

1Lego Art Show CVAC Gallery at Cowichan Community Centre 2687 James St. Duncan FREE runs to 12/16

Lila Community Choir: Songs of our Ancestors & more 7-8:30pm 3228A Gibbins Rd. $15-20 drop-in No one turned away for lack of funds. www. joythroughmusic.com Also 12/8/15/22

The Beholder’s Share: Fibre Art Show w/Shannon Wardroper CVAC Annex at Cowichan Community Centre 2687 James St. Duncan runs to 12/16

2-4Westholme Tea Annual Open House 10-5pm 8350 Richards Tr. Duncan www.westholmetea.com FREE

2HUB Cafe Fridays Coffee/ Baking/Lunch 8:30-2pm The HUB @ Cowichan Station 2375 Koksilah Rd also 12/9/16

3Sunrise Waldorf School Winter Faire: A magical festive celebration, local vendors, silent auction, crafts and food, cash only, 10-3pm 2148 Lakeside Rd Duncan

Annual Craft Fair @ Providence Farm: local vendors, Santa photos, silent auction 9-3pm 1843 Tzouhalem Rd Duncan FREE

Handel’s Messiah with the Cowichan Consort Orchestra & Choir 7:30pm Christ Reformed Church 930 Trunk Rd Duncan $20 @ door or Volume One

Spring Awakening in Winter Jennifer Lawson Art Display CPAC theatre lobby @ Cowichan Community Centre James St runs to 12/31

South Cowichan Healthcare Auxiliary Craft & Bake Sale 10-4pm Mill Bay Baptist Church 2095 Dickson Rd Mill Bay

3Osborne Bay Pub Live Music: Blue Moon Marquee 1534 Joan Av Crofton Tickets @ eventbrite.ca $25

4The Crucible by Arthur Miller: Shawnigan Players Sun Matinee 2pm Duncan Showroom 133 Station St Duncan Tickets@eventbrite.ca or door

Chemainus Classical Concerts: West Coast Chamber Players 2pm St Michael’s Church Chemainus $25/$10 Reserved $20 250-748-8383

5-7Trial days at Sunrise Waldorf School: Come see what Waldorf Education has to offer. 8:253:10pm 2148 Lakeside Rd Please RSVP admissions@ sunrisewaldorfschool.org

9Holiday Sip & Shop w/ snacks, wine, vendors, specials, giveaways 6-9pm @ Blend & PlentiFILL163 Kenneth St. Duncan

Osborne Bay Pub Live Music: The Kingpins Christmas Show 1534 Joan Ave Crofton $20 adv. Tickets @ eventbrite.ca $25/ door

10Lady- O & The Omen Concert 7pm Duncan Showroom 131 Station St, $25

Holiday Open House w/ specials, giveaways, locally made gifts 10-4pm @ Blend & PlentiFILL 163 Kenneth St. Duncan

Cowichan Folk Guild Christmas Potluck Dinner & song circle. All welcome. Please bring your own dishes. 6pm Duncan U=nited Church Hall 246 Ingram St Food item donations to foodbank welcome

Intuitive and Systemic Constellation Readings w/ Mitchell Chatham 11- 4pm @ The Community Farm Store $1/ min 15-75min max. To book: mitchellsoulfeather@gmail.com

Brunch w/ Santa @ Bridgeman’s Bistro 10-2pm 740 Handy Rd Mill Bay for reservations: 778356-3568

11Holiday Market @ the HUB 10-4pm 2375 Koksilah Rd www. cowichanstation.org FREE

BackYard Sessions w/Cari Burdett Families welcome 9-1pm Lila Music Centre Yurt

3228A Gibbins Rd Call to register 250 710 4174

11Winter Harp Holiday

Performance: An ethereal journey of pure magic 2pm CPAC $38 tickets @ www.cowichanpac.ca or 250-746-2722

Love’s Triangle Community Kirtan 2:30-4pm, Collective Space 166 Station St Duncan lovestriangle108@ gmail.com by donation

Selfie With Father Christmas! Hot Chocolate & Homemade Cookies by donation 12-4pm Fuller Lake Park 9279 Poplar Rd. Chemainus

14Warmland Book & Film Collective: Our Voice of Fire: A Memoir of a Warrior Rising by Brandi Morin 5-7 pm For Zoom link: WarmlandBFC@ gmail.com

16Hub Film Club feature “Amelie’’ on the big screen 7pm The Hub @ Cowichan Stn 2375 Koksilah Rd hubfilmclub@gmail.com

17Osborne Bay Pub Live Music: Brandon Isaak Trio 1534 Joan Ave Crofton Tickets @ eventbrite.ca $20

Our Lives Are Works of Art Collage Workshop w/ Soleil Mannion 10-1pm/4:30pm Sol Ctr 5380 TCH Duncan soleilispainting@gmail.com $105 half-day $190 full-day

Vocal Improvisation Grief/ Praise Workshop Ceremony w/ Cari Burdett 6-9pm Lila Music Centre Yurt Register 250 710 4174 $40 - $60 (sliding scale)

Christmas Candlelight Service w/ refreshments to follow 2pm Sands Funeral Chapel 187 Trunk Rd Duncan RSVP 250746-5212

Movie Event: Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen A Journey 7pm CPAC $17

18Art and Tea w/Soleil Mannion Art sale and meet the artist 2-5pm 3855 Lefran Rd Cobble Hill RSVP

soleilispainting@gmail.com

The Basket of Stories:Tad Hargrave for stories & Basket Weaving w/Cari Burdett 2-5pm Lila Music Centre Yurt info: tadlington@gmail.com sliding scale $20-$40 no one turned away for lack of funds

19Reel Alternatives Movie Night feat. Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen 7pm Cowichan Performing Arts 2687 James St Duncan $17 250-748-7529

20Solstice Celebration w/ Love’s Triangle & Adeline Dubois: Cacao, Kirtan, Sound Bath. 7-9pm Collective Space 166 Station St Duncan lovestriangle108@gmail.com $44

25Christmas Day Open House w/ hot cider, Christmas baking & fellowship 10-12pm Sands Funeral Chapel 187 Trunk Rd Duncan RSVP 250-746-5212

31Osborne Bay Pub: Dinner & Show feat. Row of Crowz 1534 Joan Ave Crofton Reservations required 250-3242245 $69/person

OUT OF TOWN

11 Winter Bazaar Market: A gathering of hand picked artisans we adore! 11-4pm Norway House 1110 Hillside Ave Victoria

Have a Merry Christmas!

What images do those words conjure up for you? Perhaps a happy family gathered round the groaning board? Or kind citizens comforting the poor with Christmas treats and warm blankets to keep off the seasonal hunger and cold.

Those were the scenes depicted by John Callcott Horsley ‘illustrator, and designer of the first Christmas card’, according to Wikipedia. He was commissioned to do the work by Sir Henry Cole, widely credited with ‘introducing the world’s first commercial Christmas card in 1843’.

What were the factors that made Christmas cards both popular and possible?

The answer to both those questions is rooted in the Industrial Revolution. People became much more mobile as that era gathered steam, meaning family and friends were often located farther and farther apart. At the same time postage became relatively quick and affordable. That made it possible for Christmas cards as a quick means of conveying love

SEASON’S GREETINGS FROM RAINFOREST ARTS

and good cheer to be a huge commercial success.

At the same time, printing presses became faster, more efficient and affordable, so companies like greeting card giant Hallmark could fill the demand.

Fast forward to the 20th and 21st centuries and the digital, social and cultural revolutions that have remade the world have also transformed Christmas card content and

production. In a nutshell: the advent of digital design programs and ink jet home printers has made it possible for people to produce their own cards; and the remaking of social and cultural boundaries is constantly changing the messages they want to convey.

A great sampling of the creativity and diversity of contemporary season’s greetings is on display at Rainforest Arts during its

Have an Artful Christmas exhibit. So be sure to take a spin through the card rack as well as enjoying the diversity and talent of local and Vancouver Island artists on the gallery’s walls and plinths.

Rainforest Arts is located at 9781 Willow Street in Chemainus, hours are 11am to 4pm daily. Visit RainforestArts.ca for more information.

craigspence.ca

What is considered the world’s first Christmas card, by illustrator John Callcott Horsley, portrays an entirely different scene from the contemporary cards on display in Rainforest Arts’ Have and Artful Christmas exhibit.

THE CRUCIBLE PRESENTED BY SHAWNIGAN PLAYERS

Afire, a fire is burning. I hear the boot of Lucifer, I see his filthy face and it is my face and yours…” ––words from The Crucible, a play by Arthur Miller, dramatizing the Salem witch trials in Puritan Massachusetts, in the 1690s. Although originally written in 1953 as an allegory explor ing the McCarthy-era hunt for communists in the United States, the themes remain relevant for us today, explor ing not only political strife and conflict but also, and more poignantly, the mystery of evil itself and the ways in which people participate in it, on a very human level.

Though certainly a historical play, The Crucible neverthe less offers the opportunity to truly encounter our own capacity for darkness––but also our capacity to rise above it, in spite of ourselves. Because in the end Miller also writes us a love story: no Hollywood rom-com, to be sure, but certainly this is a story of love, the kind that runs deep, deeper even than the confusion and conflicts that characterize so much of our human experience.

Of course, it is also a fasci nating, gripping play and a great experience to attend. Whoever has seen one of the many Shakespeare plays the Shawnigan Players have

put on in the last 11 years - and the many plays in the decades before - knows that with a minimal set, beautiful costumes and capable actors a very entertaining and immer sive show can be created.

Some of the actors of recent Shakespeare festivals are performers in The Crucible as well: Jacob Dennison, Alex and Breann Gallacher, Mary Gallagher, Senya Pike, Raine Edgar, Dan Leckey, Graham Fielding, Bruce Childs, Con nor Lachmanec, Luke Downs, Svea Young, and several others. Even Longevity John Falkner and Ted Cadillac might show up as characters. Who knows?

Directed by Alex Gallacher of the Shawnigan Players, The Crucible plays at the Duncan Showroom runs to December 4th. Tickets are available through eventbrite.ca. Seating is limited, so don’t hesitate!

ANNUAL OPEN HOUSE AT WESTHOLME

DECEMBER 2-4

Our Annual Open House at Westholme is Friday - Sunday December 2nd – 4th. We are extending our hours to 10am5pm each day of this event.

This is our way of saying ‘thank you’ to the community who continues to support our dream of creating a home for tea cultures in Cowichan.

This is a great opportunity to bring a friend and share the warmth of the season, inspired by tea traditions world-wide. Share the space with tea lovers of all backgrounds and ages as you sample teas and delectable sweets!

We are pleased to be sharing several new offerings, including genuine Cowichan knit tea cozies, a Special Reserve of our farm grown tea, as well as newly imported rare teas. Alongside our collection of 150+ organic loose teas + tisanes from around the globe, handbuilt ceramic tea ware + functional art, little library, tea pots + tools hand-wrapped giftsets and more.

Stop by to see what is new, enjoy the light of the woodstove and find the perfect local gift.

We will be open regular hours through December for all your shopping needs. Open House Event December 2-4, 8350 Richards Trail, Westholme www.westholmetea.com

WALDORF WINTER FAIRE SATURDAY DECEMBER 3

Winter Faire is coming to Sunrise Waldorf School! A magical day of winter celebrations and festive activities for all ages. Enjoy tasty fresh baked goods, organic popcorn, grilled lunch and an assortment of refreshments. Participate in kinder crafts, or venture into the Enchanted Garden. Blow a Boat, dip a candle or create a holiday wreath. Family entertainment includes puppet shows, live music, silent auction and a local artisan vendors market. All proceeds go to supporting Sunrise Waldorf School Parents Association. Please bring cash to purchase your tickets. Tickets are $1 each. There will be fun for the whole family! Winter Faire at Sunrise Waldorf School Saturday, December 3, 10am-3pm 2148 Lakeside Road. Duncan www.sunrisewaldorf.org

BANKS ROAD ARTISAN MARKET

The finest of hand crafted, beautifully designed, up-cycled, and fine art will be on offer. Hosted in a relaxed home environment, with no entry fee, and refreshments on offer. We invite you to join us, take your time, chat with the makers, and gift your family and friends with local love.

support these amazing local artists, here’s how to contact them directly:

refreshedliving@gmail.com

Artists

Chantey Dayal, Decemberstudio Art, Drift Refreshed Living, Elsewear, Bewick’ed Candles, Taryn O’Gorman Designs, and Ceramics by Franziska have come together to host an intimate, and truly local holiday market this season.

5840 Banks Road, Duncan Saturday, December 3 / 10 am - 4 pm Sunday December 4 / 11 am - 3 pm

Plenty of parking available at Sun Drops Centre next door. If you can’t make it out to for the Banks Road Artisan Market, but would like to

Chantey Dayal - omchantey@ hotmail.com December Studio - dalyce@ decemberstudioart.com Drift Refreshed Living - drift

Taryn O’Gormantaryn.ogorman@me.com Hilary Elsehilary@fooelse.com Ceramics by Franziskafranziska.ditter@gmx.de Bee-wick’ed Candlesfionasaskiad@gmail.com

We grow plenty of them! t.250-710-6135 www.asmicrogreens.com

To Light For Love

‘Light up’ please!

‘Light’ as in de-light- full! ‘Light’ as in people in love are ‘lit up’!

‘Light’ as in there is nothing ‘heavy’ about it! ‘Light’ as in it eliminates the dark!

Things have been pretty dark for a couple of years. No need to remind anyone. And the ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ still seems somewhat evasive. In order to eliminate the ‘dark’ one needs to switch on the light. The question is ‘how do we do that?’

There are numerous ways. Sometimes these work for us: - Smile at more people more frequently

- Find a way to praise, compliment - Hug, whether a tree, a pet, or a neighbour

- Be the first to connect, say hello, to call, email, text, etc - Remind yourself of all the things you are grateful for - Sing, laugh, chant, dance - And more than anything, look into the mirror in the morning and say ’Wow, I really like that person’

It has been demonstrated in studies that what we send out reflects back at us. Often multiplied by the ‘other’ who reflects back, mirrors, or matches us. ‘What goes around comes around’ is an old saying.

A German university in Kassell showed in their research that people who create the feeling of love within themselves, their heart area emits 5,000 times more protons – light – per second, than what it normally emits. And that certainly proves that love and light are very complimentary and quite similar. Through quantum theory we have discovered that it is not a matter of scale, size, measurement, quantity, that makes a difference. It is the intensity, focus, of consciousness, of feeling that matters.

Half-heartedness doesn’t get us very far in anything we do. So let us make the effort to shine our light whenever we can. It does make a difference, and, it reflects right back at us.

At this time of year the winter solstice invites festivities in various cultures: Christmas, New-Years, Hannukah, Hopis’ Sayal, Yalda in Iran, Dong Zhi in China, Makara Sankranti in India, etc. All are about gratitude for the light.

One way to celebrate the light is the cacao ceremony which has been around for thousands of years primarily in South American countries. Drinking cacao activates our sacred heart, respect and love for mother earth, our spirit, and our empathy.

Ceremonial grade cacao differs from other cacao products in that it is grown, harvested and prepared in a sacred way, intended as an offering to the earth and all life. A heartmedicine with antidepressant properties, and a great support in releasing emotional blockages. Softening and opening your heart in ceremony with the support of cacao can be a healing experience to the human body, mind and spirit.

Join in this ceremony whenever it is offered. And, let’s ‘light up’. Our Earth needs it.

lovestriangle108@gmail.com

Love’s Triangle Karen Allen: Guitar, Frame Drum, Bowls, Arie Vander Reyden: Harmonium, Drum

The Cowichan Performing Arts Centre is proud to present Winter Harp on Sunday, December 11 at 2pm. Featuring elegant velvet gowns, golden instruments, candles, backdrops of cathedrals and snow, the performance is reminiscent of Christmases of long ago.

Classical and Celtic harps combine with flutes, violin/ fiddle, rare medieval instruments, percussion, poetry and song to wrap you snugly in the silken cloak of Christmas. Medieval carols, rare carols and familiar carols will have your heart singing.

Over the decades since its first moving performances, this acclaimed ensemble has become renowned for delivering beautiful, soulstirring presentations.

Concerts are must-see events on holiday calendars, with many audience members returning year after year – passing the Winter Harp tradition on to new generations. What has audiences returning again and again is the sheer wonder of the concert experience that captures the spirit of the holiday season.

Winter Harpʼs outstanding musicians and singers, clad in colorful medieval attire, perform a collection of music ranging from familiar carols to Celtic and medieval carols. The hauntinglybeautiful music features a fascinating combination of modern instruments and an assortment of rare medieval instruments, including the bass psaltery, organistrum, hurdy-gurdy and nyckelharpa.

Tickets to Winter Harp are $38 regular and can be purchased online, by calling 250-746-2722 or by visiting the Ticket Centre. Group discount available for groups of 10 or more. For further show information visit our website at www.cowichanpac.ca.

The Particularities of Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir is perhaps the only noble red wine grape that is the most suitable for a cooler climate and makes it perfect for the Cowichan Valley. The diurnal shift from hot days to cool nights is what the grape truly enjoys, allowing it to maintain its acidity and develop its bright aromas and flavours. At Blue Grouse Winery, a southfacing slope and proximity to the ocean (only 1.5km) allow for a diurnal fluctuation in spades. Daytime temperatures can reach 32 degrees in the vineyard and 12 degrees at nighttime.

At Blue Grouse, our oldest planting of 30 years is the Ritter clone, which is Germanic in origin, and produces a more tannic, deeper representation of pinot noir. These grapes are planted on a slope of 6ºC and they are 100% organically farmed using no or minimal till, cover crop rotations, and minimal irrigation.

There are 40 different clones of Pinot Noir in

the world but only about 15 are popular to use because of their quality. We have recently planted three other Dijon clones (French in origin) which will bring different characteristics from balance to structure and finesse. Different clones result in different characteristics in wine, which is where the winemaker gets to experiment.

“Pinot Noir is a temperamental grape that requires much coddling, but with great challenge comes and unfiltered, the wine was bottled and further aged for 6

Pinot Noir Vines, photo Jacqueline Downey

2020 Pinot Noir, photo Jacqueline Downey

months prior to release.

Blue Grouse Estate Pinot Noir is a sophisticated wine; elegant yet intense, complex on the nose and palate. Flavours of pine mushroom, baking spice, and white pepper spiciness with nicely balanced fruit, tannins, and acidity. It is a classic Cowichan Valley Pinot Noir, well suited for pairing with venison, lamb, cassoulet, or braised lentils

Some fun facts about Pinot Noir:

• Pinot Noir is an ancient variety, around 1000 years older than Cabernet Sauvignon

• Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris are colour mutations of the same grape

• Germany is one of the top producers of Pinot Noir, but it is more commonly called Spätburgunder

• Chardonnay is a genetic relative of Pinot Noir

Blue Grouse Winery 2182 Lakeside Road

Duncan www.bluegrouse.ca

The Cowichan Camerata String Orchestra invites music lovers to warm up this winter with two Christmas concerts. For their 2022 Christmas concert, the Camerata String Orchestra is performing Benjamin Britten’s ‘Simple Symphony’, Mozart’s ‘Eine Kleine Nachtmusick’, and the beautiful Christmas Concerto by Archangelo Corelli, together with some other pieces and carols to celebrate the festive season. During the orchestra’s short break, concert goers will be treated when Chris Redsell (on viola) and Elisabeth Jahren (on accordion) take center stage. Special guest, harpist Lesley Hartford, will join the orchestra to out the program.

Performances are December 10 at St. Peter’s Quamichan (5800 Church Road, Duncan) and December 11 at Oceanside Community Church (381 North Davis Road, Ladysmith). Both concerts begin at 3 pm. Tickets are $20 (under 18 free) and available from orchestra members, as well as at the door. For more information, please email info@cowichancamerata.org.

Bailey pressing Pinot Noir into the clay amphora, photo Jacqueline Downey

Jenny Garlini Head Office Maven Blue Grouse Estate Winery and Vineyard

By Veronica Scott

Dropping into the Imagine That! artisans cooperative at Christmas time has become a tradition for many Island shoppers. Whether you are looking for stocking stuffers or something extra special, there’s a gift for just about every taste and budget. Best of all, everything in the store is hand-crafted by experienced Island artisans, most of whom live and work in the Cowichan Valley.

The past two years have been challenging for small, local businesses such as ours. Hopefully, the worst of the global pandemic is behind us. On behalf of our artisans and board of directors, a big thank you to everyone for shopping locally. You’ve helped us keep our doors open and the lights on. We very much appreciate your support! We’ve come a long way since our modest beginnings twentynine years ago. The idea to start a retail store for artists originated with Lorraine Taylor and Jan Kure who met at a community artists’ show at the Duncan Community Centre in February, 1994. With a ‘can do’ attitude, they quickly started rounding up other like-minded souls.

With 25 artists, the first Imagine That! opened in the summer of 1994 where Studio One salon is

now. (Sadly, Jan passed away in 1996). A six-member organizing group and a “glad to help” bookkeeper Rick Kennedy – and Jan’s husband - worked long hours laying the groundwork.

Shortly afterwards, we moved next door to where the Matisse Day Spa is now located. However, space was tight so we moved once again, this time to our current location where we’ve been for 25 years. By this time, we had fifty artists. In fact, several early artists or founding members, including Lorraine and Margot Page remain active and involved participants today.

Jan and Lorraine’s original idea for an artisans’ retail store has flourished to include 70-some artisans and a five-member board - Sandy Greenaway (president), Rick Kennedy (treasurer), Lana McQueen and Joyce Leroux (members at large) and Veronica Scott (Secretary). We are now the largest artisans’ cooperative on Vancouver Island.

Here is a look at what we sell by genre along with the artisans who create the magic.

Art cards, paintings, prints

– We offer a huge selection of ‘one-of-a-kind’ cards, paintings, and prints, all produced by British Columbia artists including Melanie Bishop, Lynn Bisset, Tina Bonkowski, Carol Borrett, Stuart Clarke, Michael Dean, Valerie Gilbert, Doug Gormican, Laurel Hibbert, Jillian Kondrat, Jennifer Lawson, Tracy Lewis, Robin Millan, Christine Reimer, Richard Schick, Dean Vance, Bryan Wilson.

Candles – Whether it’s tiny tea lights or tall elegant tapers, beeswax candles are so popular during the festive season. Light up your home with hand-crafted candles from both Carolyn Morris and the Glenora Farm.

Enamels – Margot Page’s beautifully crafted enamel on steel brooches and bookmarks are hugely popular throughout the year. She also adds her colourful enamel piecesfeaturing marine life, mammals, and birds - to journals and vases.

Fibre Arts – This grouping includes hand-painted silk scarves, kimono-style robes, jackets, handbags, rag rugs, aprons, felting kits, bookmarks, hand-woven baskets – and lots of other little goodies, just perfect for stocking stuffers. Artists -

Glass – There’s something magical about glass, especially at Christmas time. Our selection includes stained glass, glass mosaics, fused glass, and blown glass. All are ready to hang on the wall or place on a table.

Artists – Hazel Galey, Ted Jolda, Joyce Leroux, William Reynolds, Veronica Scott.

Jewellery – Our jewellery is original and affordable. We have necklaces, brooches and earrings made from just about everything including silver, sea glass, enamels, dichroic glass, and small beads. Even jewellery made from tree bark impressions on metal – very west coast!

Artists – Peggy Brackett, Rene Deerheart, Taylor Easton, Susan Koch, Ann MacKinnon, Rowan Walton, Susan Jean Whyte.

Metalworks – We have a large and varied selection of metal ornaments and wall art from

large ‘tree of life’ wall hangings to small crabs and meditative gongs. Artists - Renae Lehmann, Dave and Debbie Mackie, Massimo Pintus.

Photography - Lana McQueen’s beautiful depictions of island wildlife and landscapes are inspiring. In fact, one of her barred owl photographs was recently featured on the Canadian Wildlife Federation website.

Pottery – Where oh where would we be without our pottery? We have mugs, plates, platters, bowls, and butter dishes. Whether it’s whimsical and

decorative or functional, we carry just about everything made from clay. Potters - Wendy Cyrenne, Brenda Donn, Hilary Huntley, Christina Lindstrom, Sandi Madsen, Patti McNeice, Monica Ritenour, Lee Stead.

Soaps and Salts – Everyone appreciates a bar of sweetsmelling soap or bath salts. Our soaps are made with natural ingredients. Artists – Rene Dekleer, Melva Geldreich.

Woodworking – Our store shelves hold an extensive collection of beautifully handcrafted wooden bowls, boxes, spoons, cutting boards, and crib boards. All are made from local trees and make very special west coast gifts. Artists – Robert Andrews, Joe Barton, Ken Broadland, Heather Craig, Ralph Erickson, Jake Humphrey, Jake Malone, Antho Santarossa, Andre St. Cyr, Garry Whitaker, Bud Wilke.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays from us all at Imagine That!

Imagine That! Artisans 251 Craig Street, Duncan 259 748-6776

Donna Ashton, Katie Daniel, Sandra Greenaway, Sandra Holmes, Gail Hook, Arleigh Jamieson, Janet McDonald, Dana Pennington, Jennette Rowan, Lorraine Taylor, Tracy Taylor, Nancy Wesley.

Kladdkaffa –Swedish “sticky” Chocolate Cake

Bill Jones, Deerholme Farm

This is a popular Swedish dessert that has a soft and sticky brownie like consistency. The cake can be made with dark, milk or white chocolate and features a chewy crust and a soft interior. Often served with a dollop of sour cream or yoghurt, but equally good with ice cream, whipped cream or on its own.

Serves 4 but the recipe can be easily doubled.

Ingredients:

2/3 cup (135 mL) butter

1 cup (250 mL) chopped chocolate (dark, milk or white)

2 eggs

1 cup (250 mL) sugar

1 cup (250 mL) flour

1 Tbsp (15 mL) pure vanilla extract

1 tsp (5 mL) orange zest

Pinch of salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C)

Place butter and chocolate in a heat proof bowl and microwave for 1 minute on high power. Remove the bowl and stir until smooth. If there are still lumps, microwave for 30 seconds at a time until the chocolate is melted and smooth, stirring each time after you heat the mixture.

In a mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) beat the eggs and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Fold in the flour until smooth, add the melted chocolate and whisk until smooth. Add the salt, vanilla and orange zest and stir until incorporated.

Prepare a square baking pan lined with silicon paper or use a non-stick coated pan. Pour in the batter and distribute evenly. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. The top should be firm and beginning to crack and the interior should remain moist. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan. Cut into serving portions and top with sour cream, yogurt or ice cream, best if eaten the same day it is made (but leftovers are still good!)

Cowichan Holiday Treats

We have some fine purveyors of food in the Cowichan Valley. To discover this you, just have to take a trip to the Farmer’s Market in Duncan on Saturdays to see a wide range of handmade delicacies. I particularly enjoy some of the baked goods found from producers like Well Bred. Crafted with care and executed with flair with some witty puns thrown into the mix for good measure.

I’m sure anyone on your holiday gift list would enjoy some of the treats found there - like jams and preserves. It wouldn’t take much to put together a gift basket to showcase the talent of the valley producers. You could throw in some local honey (fireweed is my favourite) or perhaps some dried mushrooms from the forests. Your money is well spent if it goes back into the local economy, multiplying it’s value by many times as it circulates through the local businesses.

You may not think of chocolate as a local product but there is a great local company producing artisan chocolate in Cobble Hill. Organic Fair has been producing bean to bar chocolate in the valley for many years and they have

just opened a storefront in the Cobble Hill village that is worth a trip for their hot chocolate alone. We use their bulk chocolate in many of our desserts at the farm. It adds a depth of flavour and lots of healthy antioxidants to our products. One of my favourite chocolate desserts is a Scandinavian style cake called Kladdkaffa, a name which translates to “sticky cake” – a soft and gooey brownie that people will love. The bonus is that the recipe is very easy to make. Just seek out the best ingredients you can (like Organic Fair), and you will be impressed with the results.

Spend your money on local businesses and you will be awash with good food and good karma – and Happy Holidays from my family to yours.

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

History Glass Holiday 2022

Whetherthe weather outside is frightful or not, this time of year I love to cozy up with a hot beverage. Hot chocolate, tea, hot toddies…or maybe a hot buttered nocino? You may be familiar with Hot Buttered Rum, which traces its roots back to the toddies of the 1650’s. Alcohol got involved in America sometime in the 19th century and winter drinks were never the same. Hot Spiced Rum appeared in How to Mix Drinks or The Bon Vivants Companion by Jerry Thomas in 1862. This holiday season I offer a spin on this classic that just happens to be an easier version. Hot Buttered Nocino! is somewhere between eggnog and a hot toddy. Nocino! does the heavy lifting here with its delicious warm spices of cinnamon, fresh lemon, and allspice. It adds depth of sweetness with local honey as well. All you have to do is add a little brown sugar, butter, hot water and whisk it all together. And if

you’re interested in my takes on classic cocktails, I invite you to check out an updated bon vivants companion: “The Five-Bottle Bar: A Simple Guide to Stylish Cocktails” written by yours truly! It’s been a labor of love over the last two years and I’m so excited it’s now available wherever books are sold (including Volume One here in Duncan!). A collection of classic and contemporary cocktails (including Hot Toddies), it was inspired largely from this column. So thank you, dear reader, for being with me on this journey through cocktail history. I raise a cup of cheer (or y’know, Hot Buttered Nocino!) to you this holiday season.

Hot Buttered Nocino!

2 oz Nocino! Green Walnut Liqueur 1 tbsp unsalted butter 1 tsp brown sugar ¼ tsp vanilla extract 4-5 oz hot water

In a heatproof mug, mix the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract. Add the Nocino!, top with hot water, and whisk until the butter is well incorporated. Garnish with a cinnamon stick. (And maybe a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.)

Jessica Schacht Ampersand Distilling Co. ampersand distilling.com

A Holiday Classic with a Twist Taking on Dicken’s host of characters, a small ensemble of actors embraces simple theatrical magic and storytelling imagination in this holiday classic. Built from the five staves of the original story, this adaptation centres on the joy of connecting and Scrooge moving from self-imposed isolation to community and good cheer. Chemainus Theatre Festival Box Office:1-800-565-7738

Free Admission. Shop Local Vendors, Santa Photos, Silent Auction, Eat & Be Merry www.providence.bc.ca/events

PROVIDENCE FARM HOLIDAY CRAFT FAIR DECEMBER 3

Providence Farm is thrilled to bring the magic back with our Winter Craft Fair! Head out for a day of holiday shopping among our three halls filled with amazing variety of vendors. Pictures with Santa, a Silent Auction, Food Options and more. Annual Craft Fair @Providence Farm: 1843 Tzouhalem Rd Duncan. Dec 3, 9am-3pm

The Holiday Market at the Hub takes place on Sunday, December 11th. We’re hosting a bountiful day at the Hub as we celebrate the Holidays and locally made creations. There will be a great diversity of vendors as well as food from our cafe and a jolly visitor too!! 10am to 4pm. 2375 Koksilah Rd. www.cowichanstation.org

In our December Backyard Sessions of Deep Nature Connection we will be offering candle dipping, coiled scotch broom baskets for the holiday gifting season, as well as getting into making fires with friction. December 11th, 9 am - 12/1pm Lila Music Centre Yurt, 3228A Gibbins Rd, 250 710 4174, Families welcome Sliding Scale Pre - Registration recommended www.joythroughmusic.com

Robert Cerins is blessed with a beard that needs to be Father Christmas! No matter the time of year when children see Robert’s bearded face they know he is Father Christmas! So Robert is celebrating the Season of Giving! Come to Fuller Lake Park! Feel the Holiday spirit! Bring your camera and take a free Selfie with Father Christmas! Hot Chocolate & Homemade Cookies by Donation. Blessings & Happy Holidays! December 11, Fuller Lake Park 12-4pm 9279 Poplar Road, Chemainus

CELEBRATE WITH LOCAL FOODS + GIFTS

By Tamra Nash and Laura BoydClowes

It’s December and Cow-op is in full swing for the holidays! What better way to embrace the joys of the season and the spirit of giving than by supporting the local farmers, fishers and small businesses of the Cowichan Valley? It is these people that make our community so vibrant and bright. We at Cow-op are fortunate to have access to the best locally grown fruits and veg etables, sustainably caught and grown local meats, and a vast array of hand-crafted artisanal products. Allow us to help you choose a thoughtful gift for the loved ones in your life!

The Host: Instead of imported flowers, get them a beautiful bundle of fresh, locally grown eucalyptus. The uplifting smell lasts for weeks, and the unique blue-green colour of eucalyptus foliage is centrepiece-worthy. Add a few small tins of differ ent Westholme Teas, and a box of handmade chocolates from Folklore Chocolates to sweeten the gesture.

Plant Lover and Green Thumb: Botanacine’s bottles of Cedar or Fir essential oil are made in small batches from locally foraged botanicals, and will lend that

Yuletide smell to any room. Kin Park Youth Urban Farm’s Native Seed Bombs or locally adapted seeds from the Cowichan Green Community Farm and Food Hub are perfect stocking stuffers for the plant lover. Serious gardeners will appreci ate an excuse to soak those hand-working hands with handcrafted bar soaps and bath bombs from Sarah’s Soaps

Pet Parent: Pathfinder Dog Adventure’s Paw Wax Salve is thoughtfully made from lo cal herbs and beeswax to help protect a furry friend’s paws from salty winter sidewalks. Also pup-approved is their dehydrated treats made from organ meats of cows, chickens and turkeys, all sourced from local farms!

When it comes to cooking a fes tive meal, we recommend sourc ing local and indigenous foods to celebrate this season, especially seafood and fish from our sus

tainable small fishery suppliers at Michelle Rose Community

Supported Fishery, River Select Fisheries Co-operative and The Fishery, plus winter squash and potatoes for roasting, brassicas for vegetable dishes (which will be all the sweeter, thanks to the cold temperatures!), fresh True Grain Bread, and don’t forget the coffee!

This season we are joyful and we extend so much gratitude to our community, our farmers, fishers and food producers, and this beautiful valley that we call home.

www.cow-op.ca

Ricotta, Cilantro & Roasted Onion Dip

Ingredients

1 lb. fresh ricotta

3/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest plus 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 garlic clove, finely grated

1/4 cup Cilantro & Roasted Onion infused Olive Oil

1/4 cup finely chopped mixed chives, parsley, mint, and tarragon.

Kosher salt

Pepper Pepper flakes - optional Organic EVOO - drizzle on top

2 baguettes

3 tablespoons of Butter infused Olive Oil – for baguette

Method

In a food processor, puree the ricotta, Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic and the 1/4 cup of Cilantro & Roasted Onion infused olive oil until smooth. Scrape into a medium bowl, stir in the herbs and season generously with salt and pepper. For baguettes (use oven or grill) - Brush the baguettes with Butter infused olive oil. Grill over moderately high heat, turning once, until lightly charred, 3 minutes.

Serve dip in bowl and top with pepper flakes. Add a drizzle of EVOO. Can be served with baguette, or grilled veggies.

Courtesy Grant Easterbrook, The Olive Station

PRE ORDER YOUR HOLIDAY TURKEY ROLL AT CURE

Essentially a turkey roast but better. Cure has been making these signature stuffed turkey rolls now for eight years as a specialorder menu item just for the holidays.

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 house made signature sausage stuffing and then rolled and tied.

Every turkey roulade comes with easy-to-follow instructions so 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 without the fuss of a turkey carcass. Suggested accompaniments are turkey gravy and homemade stuffing which we will have also on hand for those who like an easy prep. Last but not least do not forget to grab some mulled wine cranberry sauce. Please order turkey roulade by December 15th. Happy holiday feasting from Cure.

December Hours

Open seven days a week

Monday-Friday 10-6pm Saturday and Sunday 10-5 December 22 & 23 9-6pm December 24 & 31 9-4pm

December 25,26,27 – Closed December 28-30 10-6pm December 31 9-4pm January 1 Closed

Cure Artisan Meat and Cheese,Valley View Centre Lower level 250 929-2873

Ingredients

2 cups celery, finely diced

1 onion, chopped

1/2 cup unsalted bu

200g Cure house smoked bacon cubed

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 day-old baguette bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

3 apples – peeled dice

1/2 cup fresh parsley, sage, thyme - all chopped

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

1/4 cup good quality olive oil

Method

1. In a large, heavy skillet pan over medium-high heat, cook bacon until brown and add butter, celery, and onion. Sauté for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Remove the skillet from the heat. Season with salt, and pepper.

2. Place the cubed bread in a large bowl. Add the bacon mixture. Bring chicken stock to a boil and gradually add tossing gently to moisten all of the bread. Transfer the stuffing to a buttered 9” x 13” pan.

Brad Boisvert, Cure Artisan Meat and Cheese

3. Drizzle the olive oil evenly over the top. Cover tightly with buttered foil and bake 30 minutes, then uncover and bake until the top is golden brown, about 15 minutes more

Bacon Herb And Apple Stuffing

Courtesy Brad Boisvert, Cure Artisan Meat and Cheese

Chef

Cowichan Station Creamery

COWICHAN FOLK GUILD POTLUCK & SONG CIRCLE

The Cowichan Folk Guild is a non profit organization promoting live folk music at various venues throughout the Valley. With a monthly coffeehouse every second Saturday of the month at Duncan United Church Hall as well as Chapel Concerts at Providence Farm and our annual flagship event on the 3rd weekend in July The Islands Folk Festival.

Please join us for our annual Potluck Christmas dinner and Song Circle and consider becoming a member... Saturday, December 10, Bring your own plates, cups and clutlery and a dish to share. Duncan United Church, 246 Ingram Street, Duncan.

Peace and Love to you all.

JENNIFER LAWSON DECEMBER 3-31

This large collection of my work is a retrospective of my 35 years here painting the Cowichan Valley. A plein air painter, I have often been seen painting on locationand have been lucky enough to meet many wonderful people on the job! This show will feature pieces from several series: houses and gardens, florals, farm animals and interesting buildings. My paintings radiate warmth and sunshine: this show is like a breath of spring in winter. December 3 - 31 Spring Awakening in Winter CPAC theatre lobby at the Cowichan Community Centre, James St., Duncan jenniferlawsonart.com

Sustainable Gift Giving, Made Easy

Try one or all of these 5 tips to reduce your Holiday gift giving ecofootprint

1. Consider practicality: When choosing a gift, ask yourself ‘will this actually get used?’. Remember, you want your loved ones to think of you every time they use their gift, not every time they look at the item they keep out of guilt, right? When in doubt, a gift certificate to their favourite store is always a great choice.

2. Buy quality: That old saying “you get what you pay for’’ is true (usually). When considering larger purchases do some research on the average longevity of the product, the quality of the company and service, as well as the availability of replacement parts and expansions. Plan on having it for years to come.

3. Reduce packaging: Consider how the gift is packaged and look for low or no waste options. Toys encased in plastic shells essentially doubles their footprint. While many of these materials are technically

recyclable, the unfortunate reality is that only about 9% of these actually get fully recycled... the rest just ends up in a landfill!

4. Give experiences: Dinners, theatre tickets, dance lessons, classes, paint nights.... the options are endless when you think beyond the box. Your loved ones will cherish the memories created long after the Holiday glow is gone... plus, you may even get to tag along!

5. Shop small: We all know the economical benefits of supporting local business, but consider also the reduced carbon emissions of purchasing Canadian made products within your own community. From less shipping, to less gas driving the malahat, it’s a win-win! Grab a coffee and a group of friends to walk around your local downtown shops... you might be surprised what you find.

Plentifill 163 Kenneth St, Duncan

Submitted by Stephanie Farrow & Krystal Aikman

The Returning of the Light

The Winter Solstice marks the longest night of the year. This season is a time of stillness, and it provides an invaluable opportunity to reflect on the year that was.

This past year has been tumultuous, to say the least. We continue to navigate through the impacts of climate change, multiple respiratory viruses that are impacting our already fragile healthcare system, and rates of inflation we haven’t seen in decades.

Amidst such stark harm and darkness, Winter Solstice also reminds us of the coming light, and longer days ahead. As the deciduous trees shed their decaying leaves to make room for fresh growth, we too can let go of the difficulties of this past year to create space for greater strength and resilience.

I want to take this opportunity of reflection to recognize the great work being done in the Cowichan Valley. Difficult challenges can only be addressed when we work together. This Winter Solstice, we should draw inspiration from and build upon the successes of our community.

Thanks to the efforts of Cowichan Tribes and conservation groups around the Valley, thousands of salmon returned to spawn in our watersheds.

Earlier this year, an agreement was reached with the BC Ministry of Forests to undertake a Water Sustainability Plan for the Koksilah watershed. This historic first for the province

wouldn’t be possible without the leadership of Cowichan Tribes, the Koksilah Watershed Working Group, and the Cowichan Watershed Board.

In Duncan, the ‘It Takes a Village’ housing program on Trunk Road is supporting dozens of community members, building trust and new relationships locally, and inspiring communities across Canada as a model to support unhoused people.

And regional groups like the Cowichan Community Action Team and the Our Cowichan Regional Health Network are blazing trails for community groups around BC, showcasing the power of community solidarity and strong relationships.

I am inspired by the efforts of community members and groups across our communities. They showcase how we can, working as a community, bring light into our lives day by day. Although our province is being faced with more challenges than ever, I have no doubt that our communities will provide the support needed to remain resilient.

I wish you and your families a warm and joyous holiday season. May your days be filled with gratitude, love, and light.

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

Winter Bazaar in Victoria

On December 11th from 11 till 4pm at the Norway House at 1110 Hillside Avenue in Victoria, we are proud to present a very special gathering of hand picked designers that we adore in our community. Handmade everything: colourful contemporary ceramics, hand built, botanical perfumes, silver memory inspired jewelry,

timeless bamboo & linen clothing, velvet and corduroy totes and pouches, porcelain light fixtures, colourful fun clothing, contemporary first nations spray paint stencilled art, brass and silver deco inspired jewelry, porcelain hand painted mugs and bowls, hand crafted bow ties, bright emotionally supportive calendars and cards, leather pocket harness, attachés and belts, first nations oxidized copper jewelry, hand printed lino cut linen napkins, aprons and table clothes, leather pillows, handmade fun soaps and candles, blacksmithed kitchen ware, collaged sweater, first nation handmade intentional candles, creature tees, original mixed medium art, locally made ice cream and baked treats, winter floral wreaths and swags, locally grown herbal yummy teas and apothecary, alpaca socks and knitwear, handmade high quality chocolates and confectionary, hot toddys and monsters!

Milk on tap at 7088 Richards Trail, Duncan I www.promisevalleyfarm.ca

Small Batch Pasteurized Whole Guernsey Milk Thick and Creamy Yogurt Fresh Baked Granola Feta Cheese

Coping with Grief During the Holidays

The holidays are a time to practice gratitude and spread positivity. When we are deep in the midst of our grief, simple tasks become daunting and the slight thought of spreading joy can easily fall to the bottom of our to-do list. Emotions can be most unpredictable. Our heart aches uncontrollably from the heaviness of loss. A simple moment or a slight memory can come rushing back and shoot through you like a lightning bolt. It hurts. The pain becomes all consuming. No one around you can see it nor feel it as you do. Just you. You feel isolated in your suffocating grief but please know that you are never alone.

During this most difficult time, it is important to comprehend that the healing process is arduous. Little by little, those feelings of sadness, regret, and anger, are slowly replaced by healing, light, and relief.

Providing grieving families a space to help support each other is essential, especially this year. Experts anticipate that the collective grief we have experienced from the pandemic, whether from losing a loved one, a job, or our sense of normalcy, will change the way society shares in the experience of loss.

This year, with safety measures in place, Sands Funeral Chapel Duncan will be providing necessary support at the Christmas Candlelight Service, Tree of Remembrance and the Christmas Day Open House.

Our hope is that these offerings will remind families of the warmth of Christmases past, the anticipation of bright Christmases to come, the importance of cherished memories and continued traditions, and the possibility of new shared remembrances.

Tree of Remembrance

Throughout the month of December, families are welcome to place a special ornament in memory of their loved one on our “Tree of Remembrance”.

The Tree of Remembrance is located at Sands Funeral Chapel Duncan. All ornaments will remain in our care from year to year.

Christmas Candlelight Service

Saturday, December 17 at 2:00 pm

Refreshments to follow

Christmas Day Open House

Sunday, December 25 10:00am - 12:00pm

Hot Cider, Christmas Baking, and fellowship Please RSVP at 250-746-5212

All Special Events are held at Sands Funeral Chapel, Duncan 187 Trunk Road, Duncan.

INTO THE DARKNESS

It’s cold outside, the days are shorter, the darkness is creeping in and when we pause for a moment, perhaps we feel grief surround us. There is so much struggle around us, at times it seems challenging to find gratitude and beauty.

Sometimes it just feels good to move a little and sing a lot. No one is required to be a singer or a vocalist - every voice is welcome to attend and sing. You will be guided in vocal parts that will shift and change, the layers will be instantly created and simultaneously let go of. We will soar with our voices and come to silence, the rhythms will intensify and at times the lullabies might be heard.

For centuries, and perhaps for as long as villages have existed, songs and wailing rituals, have been voiced to release, transform, cure, inspire, welcome us through our lamenting grief and equally to celebrate our joy. Grief was never meant to be experienced alone, It’s best held in community.

Participant testimonials: “Cari orchestrated us like true wizardess weaving invisible strings of connection and healing” “I had the experience of working with Cari in her

grief and song workshop last year, at Wild and Alive, Thriving Roots, (an outdoor nature program for adults) and it was one of the most profound workshops I’ve ever sat in. The way in which Cari holds space is with both such tenderness and strength. I’ve never felt such deep grief as well as joy simultaneously and been held in it all. There was one particular part in the ceremony where I felt that if we did this more often the world would be a much better place to exist, humans would feel less alone, to feel grief is to feel love and in this container Cari holds space for all these parts to be explored within your own sound.”

“This was one of the most powerful ceremony rituals

I have ever been a part of. I wanted so much to be witnessed in my grief and through this I was, and held so deeply, surrounded by community, as we sung back to each other, our rage, our joy, our sadness, our fear.”

December 17th, 5:30 pm - 9 pm Vocal Improvisation Grief & Praise Ceremony

Lila Music Centre Yurt, 3228A Gibbins Rd, 250 710 4174, $30 - $60, Sliding Scale www.joythroughmusic.com

HUMAN DESIGN SYSTEM

In the Human Design information, we have a treasure map. In learning to read your own map and follow it’s path, you are embarking upon a journey into the core of your being at a true cellular level. Would you like me to take you on a journey to your own unique treasure map?

Cathy has been studying and living her design for over 10 years.

Join me for a halfday or full-day workshop and create a Wabi Sabi piece or begin a Life Book that combines elements of mixed media, collage, destruction, intuition, discovering the beauty in something old/ mundane/broken, and conscious choice. We will be approaching our artwork with curiosity, and a sense of play, gently and with vulnerability building images and texts into collages that speak to the heart of who we are. By using found objects, old books and any other scraps we come across we will have the opportunity to rip, tear, break and put things back together again. In my work, I have found that ‘playing’ with words, colours, images, textures and objects touches our authenticity more than ‘trying’ to write a biography or life vision. For me art is about exploration, vulnerability and authenticity, it is a wonderful opportunity to turn off our inner Judges and Critics and return to the open state of a child.

“Embracing wabi-sabi is as easy (or as difficult) as understanding and accepting yourself — imperfections and all. It’s about being compassionate with yourself as you are, and building on whatever that is — not feverishly trying to rebuild yourself in order to pose as something else entirely.”

- Beth Kempton (Japanese Wisdom for a Perfectly Imperfect Life)

Learn about composition, colour, collage, intuitive writing, drawing and mixed media artwork.

What to bring: paper, glue, old book(s), things you find on the

Our Lives are Works of Art

road, paints, pencils, broken things, old things that you loved that now can not be used and anything else that tickles your fancy. Lunch if you are staying for the full day.

Cost: Half-day: $105 Full-day: $190 To register contact Soleil at soleilispainting@gmail.com

Saturday, December 17th, 10 am - 1:00 pm or 10 am4:30pm Sol Centre, 5380 Trans-Canada Hwy, Duncan

Soleil Mannion

“I love helping people be creative, authentic and confident. By coaching people to connect to their feelings through art, I believe they can develop a sense of play and fearlessness that spills into other areas of their lives.”

Be the Gift Giving Hero this Christmas

Give the gift of luxury and comfort this holiday season. That is to say luxury and comfort all rolled into one supremely comfortable present.

Whether you gift them or treat yourself (yesss, treat yourself!) does anything say a very Merry Christmas like sinking into your favorite chair with a mugful of coffee and Baileys while your feet are warmly cocooned deep into a pair of sheepskin slippers?

Imagine the next 10 years of soul replenishing bliss every day as you come home from work, kicking off your pointy toed soul-suckers to plant your trotters into these fluffy babooshes.

There’s simply nothing like it. No spa day, no sparkly dress, no piece of jewelry, or new drill set is going to bring you the same value as the daily treat, utter serenity and relaxation that is sheepskin.

Handmade right here in Cowichan, these fluff-puppies are equipped with heavy leather soles and replaceable insoles. I’m not kidding you, they last for years!

No need to purchase new ones every season due wear and tear or stinks.

Being an organic and hallow fibre, sheepswool is naturally

breathable, making them stinky bacteria free! Add that to its innate talent of easing arthritis, skin conditions like athletes foot, promoting circulation and keeping the feet sweat-free and warm.

Wool is especially beneficial to diabetics. Skin stays strong, while the wools wicks moisture away and prevents the potential for bacteria to thrive. On top of that you can say goodbye to blisters! Due to its spring-like buoyancy and breathability, chafing is unheard of!

PLUS being machine washable, you’ll feel like you’ve won the lottery every time you put them on.

This is the most extravagant yet practical Christmas gift you and your loved ones are praying for. Make their dreams come true. Gift them sheepskin slippers.

*Bonus tip* You can even purchase the insoles

separately to turn your soulsucking work shoes and boots into you very own on-the-go woolly burritos.

Walking on sunshine? I call it walking in heaven!

Submitted by Samaya DeLaat

PAULINE DUECK CRITTERS OF THE COWICHAN VALLEY EXCELLENT FRAMEWORKS

I often say “there are many artists who paint deep, thought provoking works – I’m not one of them.” But if I can impart a sense of wonder or whimsy or humor, I am all over that. I am unapologetically a teller of tales and painter of “happy art,” perhaps my small attempt to counter the deepening sense of global despair.

A Thriving Arts and Cultural Community

“Critters of the Cowichan Valley” is a body of paintings telling stories of the animals that inhabit and enrich our lives locally. We are so blessed to live in an area where animals are accessible and present in our lives! I enjoy “meeting and greeting” my muses, whether a scheduled photo shoot, or a random fortuitous encounter. Observing animals first hand gives me insight into their individual personalities, often triggering the whimsical narrative that I surround them with.

I enjoy painting a variety of subjects, but it is always a good day in the studio when I have an animal staring back at me from the easel. I paint their eyes early in the process so their soul feels present as I work, holding me accountable to do a good job. I use a combination of acrylic paints and glazes, in a variety of thick and thin layers, to create a soft “blendy” painting. As a former veterinary technologist turned full time artist, my intimate association with animals and understanding of their anatomy is seen in my detailed depictions of them. There is some degree of realism in my work, but I intentionally depart from photo realism as I enjoy a more unpredictable outcome. Honestly, it feels like a magic chemistry when paint and a flat white canvas morph into a new friend!

Excellent Frameworks

Home of the EJ Hughes Gallery 115 Kenneth St, Duncan 250-746-7112 excellentframeworks.ca ejhughes.ca

Date Night 20” x 16” Acrylic on Canvas by Pauline Dueck

Tough Enough To Wear Pink 12” x 12” Acrylic on Canvas by Pauline Dueck

Thyme” 16” x 20” Acrylic on Canvas by Pauline Dueck

A TOUCH OF WINTER MAGIC NEW PAINTINGS

BY DALE BYHRE AT AQUAMARIS ART GALLERY

Idyllic, pastoral scenes eloquently painted by the award-winning Canadian artist Dale Byhre, add a heartwarming touch of winter magic to the existing offering of Byhre’s landscapes and marine themed works of art at Aquamaris Art Gallery.

Painted in acrylic on panel and board, and true to traditional landscape sizes that perfectly suit his contemporary impressionist style, these little gems portray acres of winter wonderland and invite a viewer to marvel at the harmony of winter hues.

In a delicate balance between broad brush work and exquisite fine detail, Dale Byhre captures the winter landscape in strokes of brilliance, setting his signature glowing skies in contrast with elements clad in muted blues and greys and grounded in deep browns and auburns. Whether it’s the warmth of a winter sunrise as it glistens across a frozen field or the evening light caught in barren canopies of trees as they tower over their long shadows, there’s much comfort to be derived from the palpable cold

DECEMBER ARTS

AQUAMARIS ART GALLERY

Adding a touch of elegance and sparkle to the artwork displayed in the gallery this Holiday Season are tall and slender abstracted works by the newly introduced mixed media artist, Laila Jensen, while the newest small paintings of poppies by Gail Johnson bring splashes of bright reds.

December Hours: Tuesday - Saturday, 11 am - 5:00 pm Suite 202-330 Duncan St. Downtown Duncan 250-597-2798 aquamarisartgallery.com

EXCELLENT FRAMEWORKS

EJ HUGHES GALLERY

in these universally appealing and poetic depictions of rural Western Canada in wintertime.

They make truly special, oneof-a kind works of Canadian fine art to deck the walls with any time of the year.

Happy Holidays!

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

DUNCAN GALLERIES

Excellent Frameworks SURPRISE Custom framing sale! Visit our Instagram page or website for our surprise sale! Get your artwork custom framed at a fantastic price... With a surprise frame! Excellent FrameworksHome of the EJ Hughes Gallery 115 Kenneth St., downtown Duncan 250-746-7112 excellentframeworks.ca Excellent

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

First Light on a Frosty Morning, Acrylic on Panel, 12” x 16” by Dale Byhre

Evening Winter Shadows, Acrylic on Board, 11” x 14” by Dale Byhre

Join Lady O’ and The Omen on December 10th to celebrate the coming winter solstice with heartwarming music in good company. The aspiration of the group is to share music that reminds us that we are all in this together. To lift the spirit and alleviate suffering, even just a little. They’ll be serving up jazz, funk, world, reggae flavors and some original compositions, standards, and cool interpretations of old folk melodies.

Orith - O’wreathLady O completed a music degree from Capilano University in 2007. She is a multi-instrumentalist, singer songwriter/composer and music educator. While in Vancouver she performed weekly for 15 years with her trio The Grand Trine. She also got to play at the Vancouver Jazz festival on the Galaxy Rising Star Stage, and for the athletes at the Winter Olympics. After relocating to Duncan, she founded ‘Jump into Music’, a group music and movement program for young families.

Lady O & The Omen

Nanaimo based Nico Rhodes is an award winning, genre jumping, musician, composer, arranger and producer. Growing up touring around the globe he is equally comfortable playing jazz, classical, funk or roots music, orchestrating a symphony, writing musicals, and conducting choirs.

For the show, Orith will be both singing and playing the bass fiddle known as the upright bass. Orith enjoys that the role of a bass player is both rhythmic and melodic, as the bass is the bridge between the drums and piano/guitar. Orith says, “I love singing and playing bass at the same time, I get to hold down both the low and high end.”

Accompanying Lady O’ are Nico Rhodes on piano and James McRae on drums.

Nanaimo based James McRae is a mentor, composer, arranger, and producer. He has long been an important part of the Vancouver Island music scene. His passion for music defies easy categorization.

Tickets are $25 and can be purchased in advance at www.showroomproductions. ca or at the door. Saturday December 10th, Door open at 7pm, show starts at 7:30pm at Duncan Showroom 131 Station Street. Join us on live stream at www.youtube.com/c/ duncanshowroom/live.

Brandon Isaak Trio Authentic Blues

This guy lives and breathes the blues. Brandon Isaak is an authentic, heart felt roots and blues songster who always delivers the goods. You always get 100% of this artist.

He is currently nominated for Blues Act of the Year in the Maple Blues Awards.

Brandon is an award-winning musician with a passion and a thirst for the history of music and origins of the blues, and it shows in his live shows. He is an entertainer as well as a

gifted musician.

“Entertaining an audience and making a connection with them is as important as great music and lyrics”.

So many artists today just sit and play and don’t connect with their audiences.

Brandon has been very busy touring and recording a new album in 2022. He’s one of the busiest blues guys in the business today.

Brandon will have with him the amazing Billy Hicks, drummer extraordinaire, as well as Casey Ryder a fantastic upright bass player! They will have the dance floor jumping with a mix of blues, funk and, of course, some Christmas tunes!

A show to not miss!

The Brandon Isaak Trio Osborne Bay Pub, 1534 Joan Avenue, Crofton December 17th, 8pm $20 tickets at Eventbrite.ca

Image courtesy Vancouver Blues Around Town

CALLING ALL LEGO LOVERS!

TIME TO VISIT BRICKITTY - DOODA IN CHEMAINUS

Brickitty-dooda is Vancouver Island’s only LEGO specialty shop. Located in the beautiful town of Chemainus inside the Chemainus Public Market. This amazing shop offers Lego lovers of all ages a quality LEGO experience. We stock over 1000 unique mini figures, nearly 100 different sets which includes hard to find, vintage, collectable, still in production and previously experienced sets as well as LEGO accessories such as backpacks, t-shirts and other branded items. Brickittydooda buys, sells and trades all things LEGO! LEGO brought in for trade will only be considered if it is in like new condition. Recently, we added a brick by the pound section where customers can

choose their own bricks and pay by weight.

As an avid collector and builder, buyer and seller, for almost 10 years I opened the store hoping to add something to the Cowichan Valley that I hadn’t seen before. What I wasn’t expecting was the sense of purpose running this shop gave me. Getting recognized as the “Brickittydooda guy” while I’m out shopping is heart warming to say the least, but the look on a child’s face when they see my shop for the first time is beyond priceless.

Whether you are a LEGO pro or just getting into it, Brickitty-dooda is a must stop shop for all your brick building needs. So pop on by and...”Let’s build something cool!”

Brickity-Dooda Chemainus Public Market. 9790 Willow Street, Chemainus

From Chapter 6 - Lift Off Story Craig Spence Art Diana Durrand

(From Chapter 1 - The Naughty Elf)

Pim was one of Santa’s favorite elves. True, he was always getting into trouble and caus ing toy works foreman Fanafroo grief. ‘He’s just a lad,’ Santa would say, year after year, ‘he’ll grow out of it.’

But elves, you must know, are like Douglas fir, it takes them forever to mature, and old Fanafroo would have none of Santa’s excuses. ‘He’ll ruin Christmas one of these days,’ the gnarly elf predicted. ‘You mark my words, sir, one of these years millions of kids are going to be miserable on account of that bundle of mischief.’

‘Now Fanafroo,’ Santa frowned whenever the conversation turned in this direction. ‘You know I don’t like that kind of talk. Why can’t you be a little more patient with the boy?’

Fanafroo couldn’t be patient, though. Nor could he keep from saying harsh things about Pim. After all, he did have a toy factory to run, and deadlines to meet, and problems to solve, and every day it seemed something went wrong on account of the one worker who could never get anything right – Pim.

‘You’re a bungle-fingered, left-foot ed, tongue flapper and no doubt about it,’ Pim’s good friend Whizzpop would tease. Whizzpop was the North Pole’s Master of Mysterious Inventions. If you ever needed a widget, or a wodgit, or a whatsit or a thinga

majig, he was just the fellow...

There was one other person who thought a great deal about Pim – Dabbledee, an appren tice in the toy factory’s paint shop, who had earned the great honour of touching up San ta’s sleigh each Christmas Eve. She could not keep her eyes off the young elf, and cringed whenever there was a commotion out on the great factory floor, because she knew Pim would almost certainly be in the thick of it...

‘Honestly, I fear for Pim’s life,’ Dabbledee told Mrs. Claus one day. ‘Fanafroo gets so angry. His face gets red as a tomato, his eyes bulge like water balloons, and he bellows like a fog horn. I’m sure he’s going to murder Pim,’ she fretted. ‘I’m sure of it.’

‘Don’t be silly, child,’ Mrs. Claus would answer. ‘Fanafroo has been popping gaskets for more years than a doll has hairs. If it wasn’t Pim, he’d find someone else to be mad at, my dear. Really, I think he’s mad at himself.’

‘Oh?’ Dabbledee said doubtfully.

‘Believe me,’ Mrs. Claus assured. ‘Pim is destined for a great adventure, and I believe you shall have a part in it.’

At this Dabbledee blushed and fumbled with her tea cup, almost tipping it over. How Mrs. Claus could say something like that she would never know, but Mrs. Claus’ predic tions were not to be taken lightly...

Walking home, Dabbledee couldn’t forget what Mrs. Claus had said. It was a clear night. A crescent moon skimmed the horizon, looking ever so much like the headlamp of a fantastic sleigh, cutting along ridges of ice

that had been pushed up by the Arctic Ocean.

‘Great adventure indeed,’ Dabbledee won dered. Beautiful as it was on a winter’s night, the North Pole was hardly a place where you were likely to find an adventure laying about. ‘No, no,’ she clucked. Borealis was a realm of routines. Work, work, work, albeit merrily (when Fanafroo wasn’t about); then dinner, family, friends and games; then peaceful slum ber; then back to work at the crack of dawn. She laughed at this last thought, remembering there was only one ‘dawn’ at the Pole each year, followed by a six months of day, then one sunset, followed six months of night.

Still, Dabbledee mused, an adventure would be lovely… a great adventure with Pim. ‘Wouldn’t that be exciting!’ she smiled, then retreated back into the ice tunnel that led from the Toy Factory to the great domed village of Borealis. The night was frigid and it wouldn’t do to stand outdoors for long, not even for a northern elf. ‘Besides,’ she scolded, ‘why am I out here gawking at the stars when Christmas Eve is but a single spin of the world away. Get in with you girl, and get busy!’ she bossed.

Her job that night, as it had been for many a year, would be to touch up and polish Santa’s great sleigh. She bustled down the dim blue corridor, her boots squeaking in the packed snow. ‘It’s a tremendous honor,’ she repeated puffing herself up just a little and feeling very proud and important for once. Continued at craigspencewriter.ca/pim

“Pim delighted in the sheer wonder of flying – flying over the vast darkness of the North Pole, watching the twinkling lights of Borealis get smaller, and smaller, until his home was but memory.”

Make the most of

holiday shopping this season!

Chemainus has a plethora of local businesses overflowing with fantastic gifts--plus, they are running specials all through December! Check out the Advent calendar with deals all throughout December and the holiday passport which gives shoppers a chance to win a $250 gift certificate or a $100 Gift Certificate at Bound To Be Different.

CHRISTMAS IN CHEMAINUS

Why face the crowded shopping malls when you could stay right here and get everything you need while supporting local businesses? Shop local, shop Chemainus this holiday season.

Shop some of your favourites this season with the Hello Holidays Christmas Advent Calendar. Some of your beloved businesses have

chosen a day throughout the month of December to offer amazing deals, giveaways, and specials! Keep an eye out for the holiday advent calendar as you count down to Christmas.

Holiday Advent Calendar

When: December 1st to 24th

Where: At participating retailers

What: Deals at a different business each day of December

The Holiday Passport rewards you for doing the shopping you were already going to do. How it works: When you spend $10 or more per purchase at one of our participating businesses you earn one stamp at time of purchase. After you collect 5 stamps from three different retailers, you can enter to WIN a $250 gift card or a $100 gift card to Bound to Be Different by dropping off your filled card to any participating business.* Must be over 19 to participate.

Holiday Passport

When: Now until December 21st at 5pm

Where: At participating retailers

What: Collect stamps and be entered to win a $250 gift card to a local shop or a $100 gift certificate to Bound to Be Different*

*See online for details www.visitchemainus.ca

BEST OF COWICHAN 2022 GIFT GUIDE

REIKI WELLNESS Treat Mom to a relaxing Reiki Balancing session and/or Detoxing Foot Spa Relax-Balance-Energize Packages Gift Certificates Valleyview Centre www.reikiwellness.ca 250 743-8122

RESTHOUSE Sleep is the gift that keeps on giving. Filled with either organic rubber or wool, Kakūn pillows can be easily adjusted to fit any sleeper. They come travel-sized too! Local pickup and free shipping. 250 597-7378 resthousesleep.com

BUCKERFIELD’S FOLKMANIS HAND PUPPETS Featured in Buckerfield’s Holiday Gift Guide, these beautifully crafted toys inspire creativity and become lovable, treasured companions for years. 5410 Trans-Canada Hwy, Duncan

SACRED SILENCE Holiday gift certificates available for soul alignment sessions - private or couples - with intuitive spiritual advisor Angel Jury - Sacred Silence 250 710-5287 Sacredsilence.net

COMMUNITY FARM STORE

Gifts for the foodie! Gourmet oils, vinegars, olives, spreads, pastas, salts, and more. 5380 Trans Canada Highway, Duncan 250 748-6227 www.communityfarmstore.ca

BOTANICAL BLISS LUMP OF COAL Best stocking-stuffer - Ever! Castile soap with essential oils of Cedarwood and Bergamot. Botanical Bliss the Duncan Market every Saturday. www.botanicalbliss.ca

WESTHOLME TEA COMPANY

Chai Gift Set $45 The gift set contains four of our best selling, 100% organic Masala spice chai blends in decorative, reusable tins. 8350 Richards Trail, Westholme www.westholmetea.com

OUTLOOKS MENSWEAR Secrid wallets are made in Holland, with great care. The patented mechanism slides out your cards with one simple motion. 53 Station Street, Duncan 250 597-2848 outlooksmenswearduncan.com

WILD COAST PERFUMERY

Natural, artisan perfumes they will love. All made in Cowichan Bay Synthetic & Cruelty Free 1721 Cowichan Bay Road., Cowichan Bay. www.wildcoastperfumes.com

BEST OF COWICHAN 2022 GIFT GUIDE

THE OLIVE STATION Give the gift of flavour with an expertly curated Olive oil & balsamic vinegar gift pack! available in-store or online. 225 Canada Ave #7, Duncan 250 597-8808 www.theolivestation.com

BLUE GROUSE WINERY A perfect local gift for that wine-lover! Valid for tours, tastings, or wine. Free shipping for 12+ bottles and free local delivery within 10km of the winery. 2182 Lakeside Road 250 743-3834 www.bluegrouse.ca

ROBERT CERINS DESIGNS

Coloring Books Make Great Gifts! Find Colouring Cowichan and more great gifts at Duncan Farmers Market and at www.robertcerins.com

MARGIT NELLEMANN HANDBUILT CERAMICS

Handbuilt, functional and decorative ceramics, including cups, mugs, bowls, teapots, vases and lanterns - created with love and care for your every-day enjoyment. 8350 Richards Trail, Duncan 250 748-3811

FIELD AND VINE GIFT CO.

Give the Gift of Local! Luxury gift boxes featuring the finest, locally sourced artisanal goods. Shipping nationally or free local pick-up. Field and Vine Gift Co. 250 701-1131 fieldandvinegiftco.com

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

LUMIA

BOTANICALS at SOUL ESCAPE SPA Goodies to enable inner-confidence and self-love. Infuse Love roll-on, Velvet Bath Salts, and Virtue Room & Body Spray trio. Soul Escape Spa, 2763 Beverly Street #109, Duncan soulescape.ca

ARTHUR VICKERS GALLERY

Experience works of Art that capture stories and meaning. Representing objects of Beauty that delight the senses. 1719 Cowichan Bay Rd, Seaside Village Cowichan Bay 250 748-7650 (always by appointment)

ISLANDS FOLK FESTIVAL TICKETS

Everyone’s favourite stocking stuffer! The ultimate musical experience Enjoy live music, multiple stages, food, vendors and beer garden. Presented by Cowichan Folk Guild. www.islandsfolkfestival.ca

TRUE GRAIN ORGANIC CRAFT

BEST OF COWICHAN 2022 GIFT GUIDE

VOLUME ONE BOOKSTORE

suggests The Five-Bottle Bar: A Simple Guide To Stylish Cocktails by Jessica Schacht, of Cowichan’s own Ampersand Distilling Co. 149 Kenneth St. Duncan www.volumeone.ca

SHADES OF GREEN POTTERY

Hand built and wheel thrown functional ceramics including plates and platters made from rhubarb leaves. Janet Magdanz, Shades of Green Pottery, 2808 Sprott Rd. Duncan 250 510-4264

HUMAN DESIGN READING A gift to dramatically improve the quality of one’s life in a practical, fun and insightful way. crystalclearawakening.com Crystalclearawakening@gmail.com

VIVA MEDICAL AESTHETICS

Bela MD Medical grade facial for toning, lifting, deep cleansing your skin. Includes diamond microdermabrasion, ultrasonic extraction, and customized serum. #4 - 177 Fourth St. Duncan www.vivamedicalaesthetics.com

FREYA SOPHIA WALDORF STORE

Warmth, Wonder, Wisdom: Beautiful Waldorf dolls for all ages and stages, beautiful variety to choose from. Located by the Community Farm Store in the Sol Centre: 2, 5380 Trans Canada Hwy (by the Brick) Duncan 250 597-4763

PARADISE PIES Ajay at Paradise

Pies would be pleased to create your holiday dessert. 778 422-3456. 177 Kenneth Street, Duncan www.paradisepies.ca

SOUNDWEAVE Singer Sara

Marreiros uses locally sourced wool to create weavings inspired by the colours and sounds of landscapes. Custom orders available. www.etsy.com/ca/shop/Soundweave

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

CLOSETS TO CASTLES Home organization and clutter clearing can transform your life. Give the gift of a helping hand to someone who needs it. Dawn Howlett 250 701-5046

BEST OF CHEMAINUS 2022 GIFT GUIDE

GIFTS N THINGS is the perfect one-stop-shop for presents for the whole family, from socks, to art, and toys, they have it all. 9756 Willow Street, Chemainus

At BOUND TO BE DIFFERENT you can find unique jewelry, clothing, and gifts for the home. Not to mention the greeting cards, bags, gloves and more! 9739 Willow Street, Chemainus

The CHEMAINUS PUBLIC MARKET is filled with shops that carry home goods, books, art, pet items, artisan creations and much more all under one roof. 9790 Willow Street, Chemainus

BY

Treat your loved ones to a calming product made of quality, locally harvested lavender from By the Bay Lavender. These exquisite products are relaxing and healing. 9772 Willow Street, Chemainus

SILVERMINE ON CHEMAINUS

You can never go wrong with the gift of hand-crafted jewelry. Silvermine on Chemainus is a must stop shopping destination this holiday season. 9650 Chemainus Road, Chemainus

BEYOND THE USUAL Stocked with clothing, gear, and shoes for the whole family, you need to stop by Beyond the Usual for some holiday shopping--there is something for everyone.

Stop into WIFFLE GAMES and give the gift of retro games, records, and comic books. Perfect for gaming nerds, vinyl freaks, and comic book collectors alike. 9756 Willow Street, Chemainus

LITTLE ANGELS CHILDREN’S BOUTIQUE Looking for the perfect gift for that little someone in your life? Find a wide selection of new clothes and accessories. 9844 Croft Street, Chemainus

CHEMAINUS THEATRE GALLERY AND GIFT SHOP has beautiful artisan creations, specialty items, and gifts perfect for everyone on your list! 9737 Chemainus Road, Chemainus

THE BAY LAVENDER

BEST OF COWICHAN 2022 GIFT GUIDE

AMPERSAND DISTILLING

COMPANY Nocino! 2021 Canadian Artisan Spirit of the Year! Made from green walnuts & local honey. Grab a bottle at the Duncan Farmers Market 250 999-1109 www.ampersanddistilling.com

CURE ARTISAN MEAT & CHEESE

Foodie gift baskets! Great for Christmas parties, host and teacher gifts. Custom baskets need 24 hour notice. Many pre made baskets available to choose from. Valley View Centre 250 929-2873

FABRICATIONS Full line of Pyrrha jewelery - “Meaningful and sustainable jewelry that fosters connection through personal storytelling.” 125 Kenneth StDowntown Duncan - foreverfab.com Mon to Sat 10-5 Sun 12 to 5

KAHUNA BURGER/ALOHA

BOWLS Aloha for your ohana. Gift Cards on sale. 10% discount on any purchase $50 and over. Experience our food and hospitality. 177 Kenneth Street, Duncan

CFS FOR SOUL Find magical crystals, oracle decks, jewelry, art & locally crafted treasures to enhance any sacred space. Upstairs 5380 Trans-Canada Highway, Duncan. cfssoul@communityfarmstore.ca

MARGOT PAGE Ideal gifts for the book lover in your family, enamelled bookmarks to mark your page. Enamelling on Steel by Margot Page available at Rainforest Arts, Imagine That! and 7113 Osborne Bay Road, Duncan 250 746-8446

THE MUD ROOM CLAYWORKS

Special mugs for everyone on your list! (or bowls, teapots and MORE) Hand made with LOVE The Mud Room Clayworks 1725 Cowichan Bay Road, Cowichan Bay Waterfront

A FRESH START Treat yourself or someone you love to a personal Bach Flower Remedy to balance and soothe your emotions! Let’s chat. Diana Pink 250 597 2102 afreshstart@shaw.ca

ALTERNATIVE WOODWORKS

Artful furnishings inspired by wood’s natural attributes. Choose something unique or create something together by contacting David at: www.alternativewoodworks.com

It’s time to think about forestry management options

You have probably hiked through, biked down, or gazed at North Cowichan’s Municipal Forest Reserve and not realized that, in addition to being a stunning landmark or world-class recreation amenity, the mountains are also a working forest.

The forest reserve is comprised of six areas -- Tzouhalem, Prevost, Sicker, Maple, Richards, and Stoney Hill mountains (plus a handful of other pockets of land) -- that have been owned and managed as a forest reserve by the Municipality of North Cowichan since 1946. The 5,000 hectares of land were acquired through a tax sale when the previous owner finished logging the land and walked away, leaving unpaid property taxes and huge swaths of unremedied clear cuts. North Cowichan started implementing sustainable forestry management practices such as providing environmental consideration for watersheds and viewscapes, public education, fire protection (such as FireSmart), and silviculture activities. The generated revenue allowed the forestry operations to be selfsustaining and also helped fund related recreation amenities and offset property taxes. Revenues were also placed in reserves that supported scholarships for

In 2018, area residents wanted a say in how the forest was managed, and Council listened and paused all harvesting activities. A group of forestry professionals from UBC, who have been leading the technical review, dove into feedback heard last fall as part of the first round of public engagement, and have developed four possible forest management scenarios. These scenarios were also informed through review of technical reports, industry best practices, carbon offset options, and conservation and biodiversity data.

Now it’s your turn to help us choose the preferred forest management scenario.

• Take a moment to complete the survey, and consider attending an information session (online December 6 and 12).

• Register for a session, take the survey, and learn more about this project (including background information and videos), at www.

connectnorthcowichan.ca/mfr

Whether you appreciate the landscape, enjoy the trails, or have an eye on fiscal realities, your voice matters.

Floden, Communications and Public Engagement

Municipality of North Cowichan

local students, woodworking contests, and non-profit youth groups.

Barb

Care for Christmas Trees

To brighten up the darkest time of the year many of us will bring a tree into the home and decorate it with lights to create a festive atmosphere of joy and reflection.

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

cultivated trees 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 the past year and anticipating the coming year. This brings comfort during the darkest and coldest time of the year.

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

Fresh cut trees are grown specifically for the holiday season and can be chipped and returned to the soil as mulch. Naturally shaped trees have branches spaced with room to hang ornaments. Most

Icel Dobell, Where Do We Stand.

The final public consultation about our community forests is happening now — our chance to make a profound difference not only for our own sake, but also for our Six Mountain Forests and future generations.

This month we are invited to speak out about UBC’s 4 forest management scenarios: Active or Passive Conservation, Status Quo Harvest (leaves 15%), or Reduced Harvest (leaves approx. 40%).

The logging scenarios are similar: Both patch clearcutting. Both destructive to ecosystems, biodiversity, root and mycorrhizal networks, watersheds, habitat, 141 species at risk, our recreational/ spiritual sanctuaries.

Both would happen on the Valley side of the mountains.

Both require the same amount of logging roads and culverts, while increasing wildfire risk, fragmentation, blow down, spread of invasive species, creation of wind channels, erosion, noise and disruption in and around our trails and neighbourhoods — logging trucks coming and going.

Where Do We Stand, the grassroots group of hundreds who started the forest campaign, supports the Active Conservation scenario — and here’s why.

The UBC report tells us that through carbon credits, over 30 years, Active Conservation will generate a net revenue of $35.1 million for the Municipality.

That’s $4.4 million more than Reduced Harvest and $3.8 million more than Status Quo.

Such are the benefits that accrue from carbon credits for leaving forests intact.

Why Would We Log Our Backyards?

And, yes, while the revenues are highest for Passive Conservation, there are also some important failings.

Passive allows for no remediation of past damage through clearcutting, ignores fields of invasive species, and allows for nothing inspirational that we might imagine.

Under Active Conservation, our forests will double in volume to become invaluable assets, financially and ecologically — while avoiding the pitfalls of systematic clearcutting.

As for jobs, imagination reels with possibilities — through restoration, removal of invasives, remediation of old logging roads, thinning of tree plantations, and restoration of woodlands spiritually significant to the Quw’utsun.

Under Active Conservation, we can think outside the box, of visionary possibilities.

For instance, we could become a world destination for conservation studies, including ancient Quw’utsun knowledge, and an eco-tourism Mecca.

What about a Quw’utsun centre of traditional medicinal/ spiritual/forest knowledge, where all people could learn together? It’s a dream a Quw’utsun friend and I have

shared for four years.

A healing centre isn’t on the table, but in Active Conservation it’s possible. UBC was clear, the scenarios are loosely defined, details to be worked out.

On the survey, we can submit our values, visions, hopes, dreams — including for future generations.

In 2018, hundreds of citizens shared a vision of ending the clearcutting of our community forest. We were told it would never happen, yet here we are.

So. Given the potential for jobs, revenue, fire-resistant mature forests, and the ecological reasons — healing our forests and uniting the Quw’utsun and North Cowichan in a common profound vision, to pass onto “seven generations,”why would we log our backyards?

The UBC report says we have over-logged the back country; if we continue to log, it will be around our homes, watersheds, trails, views.

And lest we forget: our community already spoke during the first round of consultation, the vast majority supporting ecosystems, recreation, viewscape protection, spiritual values, on and on.

Above our Valley, the forests are rare, mature ecosystems, already functioning as old-growth — critically endangered Coastal Douglasfir forests. If we leave them 30 years, they will be 100 years old.

Have you been in a 100 yearold, naturally-regenerated forest? It’s nearly old-growth.

On the Valley sides, our forests are not tree plantations. Many people don’t know the difference between a timber farm and a second-growth, naturally regenerated forest. So, WDWS made a short video/story for people to see with their own eyes.

You can see New Old Growth, the 4 scenarios, and everything you need to know about our forests to fill out the survey and attend a zoom meeting, plus all the links, on WhereDoWeStand.ca.

A final note to readers of the Valley Voice everywhere:

In our public consultation this month, all people in the province, and beyond, may fill out our forest survey.

Residents will take precedence — but hundreds of thousands of people visit our mountains to hike and bike, and then visit our markets, shops, restaurants, vineyards, and stay — so contributing to our community’s financial wellbeing.

As in the tradition of the Quw’utsun and all our early ancestors, nature is beyond ownership — so, like all forests, all voices matter.

Please spread the word: Together, we can raise our voices for Active Conservation of The Six Mountains, now.

www.wheredowestand.ca

Waldorf

education in the middle years provides a supportive developmental atmosphere for young people as well as a strong academic foundation to guide them into High School. When students are provided enrichment such as creative arts, handwork, music and nature-based learning and play, these ingredients contribute to supporting positive mental health, allowing the brain to rest and recover in the safety of the body’s parasympathetic nervous system. Serving the heart, mind, and soul of the students through ongoing, caring relationships with educators and the school community are the fundamentals of Waldorf education.

With a legacy of over 40 years,

Head of School Rae Calder to the Sunrise Community. Ms Calder brings nine years of Independent School leadership experience, and has a background supporting vulnerable youth, young parents and families. Rae brings a perspective of collaborative, values-based guidance and a student-centered approach to her role. Her priorities are supporting a healthy, positive community and individual student wellness. She values her relationships and looks forward to expanding her connections within the school community and beyond.

In this rebuilding phase, the school is committed to continuing to deliver a robust educational program to Sunrise students. Specifically, Sunrise is looking to increase the number of students in the upper grades (five through eight) to balance out the classes across the school. As part of this special initiative, Sunrise is offering a one time only enrollment grant for prospective new students to receive a discounted tuition for the remainder of the 20222023 school year. Additionally, Sunrise has a Tuition Adjustment program for families with limited incomes and are facing financial challenges that can be applied to for the following year(s).

Extra Outdoor Curriculum

With plenty of time outdoors, students are fortunate to have seven acres of rolling Cowichan landscape that make up the campus. Sports fields, playgrounds, forested areas and gardens. Under the leadership of Dr. Jasmine Oberste TCM, Sunrise now boasts an extensive permaculture garden. With a respect for nature incorporated into the curriculum, each grade

tends designated garden plots with an emphasis on growing food and native plants. Come visit the colour wheel mosaic, created with corresponding plants, the outdoor classroom, sitting areas and more. Parent volunteers are always welcome! The Food Forest, an ongoing legacy project held by the Grade 7 class offers a glimpse into how a garden grows. All lower and upper grades work on various garden projects on site and throughout the wider community as part of the curriculum and their youth volunteer service.

If you have a family member aged 10-13 and are interested in learning more about joining the Sunrise Waldorf School community contact us to book a spot for a December Student Visiting day. Visiting Days are open for prospective students going into Grades 5, 6, 7 or 8 classrooms. Trial days at Sunrise Waldorf School Sunrise: where children thrive December 5, 6 and 7, 8:25 - 3:10pm 2148 Lakeside Road, Cowichan Station. Contact admissions@ sunrisewaldorfschool.org to RSVP and for waiver. Limited spots. 250 743-7253

Dolls have been part of the human experience since prehistoric times. The doll holds a unique place among our children’s toys, being an archetypal image of the human; this makes it one of the most important toys to help support the self-image of the growing child. Today with the large amount of mass-produced dolls made in factories, there is no consideration of the individual that will receive the doll. A handmade doll is a one-of-a-kind, as unique as the child, such a treasure in today’s world.

Simple dolls, handmade from natural materials (wool and cotton), allow children to strengthen their imagination and their connection to the natural world. And the softness and warmth of wool and cotton can have a calming effect on the young child. This type of doll, often associated with Waldorf Education, has its origins in Europe. Germany became the

leader in this tradition of doll making. In German the word doll has two meanings: doll/ puppet and butterfly. What a beautiful image: once the child takes a doll as their own and gives it life, the doll can help to release a butterfly.

The combination of simple features, natural materials, and a loving set of hands crafting the doll allow a child a great sense of life. A child will likely feel more reverence and care for a beautiful handcrafted doll than a mass-produced one. As Plato stated, “The most effective kind of education is that a child should play amongst lovely things.”

Find a great selection of non toxic, natural dolls in all sizes and colours at the Freya Sophia Waldorf Store. 5380 Trans Canada Highway, Duncan (by the Brick). By Shauna Devlin

What is a Hearing Test?

Resonance clinician Jon Lewis, RHIP performing earwax removal.

Aquality

hearing test is much more than pressing a button whenever you hear a tone. A full

hearing evaluation should include a comprehensive case history followed by a close inspection of the ear canal and eardrum. It should also include the careful removal of excessive cerumen (earwax) that may be causing temporary hearing loss. Immittance testing (testing of middle ear function) should also be conducted. Hearing thresholds (both by air and bone conduction), uncomfortable loudness levels, quietest speech thresholds and ability to repeat words at comfortable volume should all be performed in a specialized soundbooth. At

this time, the clinician must review the results and identify any need for medical referral for further diagnostics or treatment. The results should be explained to the patient and counseling provided on hearing loss prevention, tinnitus or hearing aids. A report of the results and their interpretation should be provided if needed. There are many hearing clinics who advertise a free hearing test. Who doesn’t like getting something for free, right?!! A free sample of food, free admission to a show, a free used book…. When it comes to your hearing however, our advice is to be wary of a free hearing test. Are you getting a quality hearing test or just a hearing screening? How good is the interpretation and the quality of the advice?

At each Resonance Hearing Clinic, hearing tests are

performed by an experienced clinician using calibrated diagnostic equipment that is regularly serviced and checked for proper function. We charge a small professional fee (currently $95) to give a quality hearing test with patientcentered advice. Charging for a hearing test allows us to charge less for hearing aids when they are required. It also removes any kind of ‘sales pressure’ and makes for a more professional, enjoyable environment for our clients and our clinicians. At Resonance, our mission is to provide friendly, professional, cost-effective hearing services and products to everyone. We look forward to seeing you at one of our clinics!

Terence Miranda, AuD, RAUD, RHIP Doctor of Audiology Resonance Hearing Clinic

The Importance of Sleep

the hormone melatonin. The physiology of melatonin is complex, but suffice to say it is key to creating sleepiness as opposed to wakefulness.

As we transition from summer and fall into winter and daylight hours decrease we need to make sure that our sleep habits allow for the changes to our circadian rhythm.

We know that good sleep is critically important for maintaining health from infancy to old age. Many readers will recognize the name Lebron James, probably the currently most successful NBA basketball player and an amazing athlete.

During a recent podcast interview Lebron discussed how important sleep is to his physical , mental and emotional health. Lebron James trainer Mike Mancias said , “the body does recover and it heals itself while we’re asleep…for Lebron it’s always …making sure the room is completely dark, you have no distractions, trying to turn off all your electronics, your televisions, your phones, a half hour to 45 minutes before you actually want to sleep.

This is not news to those of us who study sleep and sleep disorders. Here’s what medical science has taught us.

Blue light as found in natural daylight and as emitted from our various electronic devices, TV’s, cellphones, video games and computers causes the retina in our eyes to communicate with the pineal gland located in our midbrain.

The pineal gland is responsible for secretion of

Blue light as found in daylight and electronic screens inhibits melatonin production and in turn inhibits sleepiness.

Another important hormone is growth hormone and its is largely created during deep sleep. Growth hormone is not only essential for normal growth of children it is also important for the maintenance of health in adults of all ages.

To maintain a strong immune system we need enough good quality sleep, both REM and deep sleep.

I believe we are all very happy to be once again entering into a holiday season during which we can once again enjoy family gatherings and socializing with friends . Something we can appreciate all the more after enduring a long stretch of pandemic restrictions.

So here’s my advice. Let’s all enjoy this holiday season for all it has to offer. But although it is great to enjoy watching movies together on TV and all our other wonderful electronic device, practice a little restraint before bedtime. You and your kids will probably sleep a lot better and in the long run enjoy better health.

Wishing everyone the best of the season and a wonderful New Year!

Aikido

Aikido is a martial art that teaches how to blend and harmonize with any aggressive energy, whether physical, psychological or emotional. It teaches you how to remain relaxed in your mind and centered in your body and spirit in the face of adversity.

Aikido, the peaceful warrior art, calls on all men and women, young (14+) and old, who want to make a positive difference in their lives and in their communities . Build the confidence to stand your ground and speak your truth in a relaxed, centered and open-minded way.

Beginners class starting in mid January at our Shawnigan Lake dojo.

If intrigued, please inform by contacting Steve Elskens.

Phone: 250 701 3332 Email: selskens@shaw.ca

Aikido, The Peaceful Warrior

Dear community,

In the spirit of last month’s remembrance, I would like to introduce you to aikido, a Japanese martial art that was offered to humanity after the second world war, as an antidote to the insanity of global conflict.

In reality, smaller-scale conflict resides within us and surrounds us daily, but its presence does not necessarily have to be a hindrance to the positive growth in a relationship. The study of aikido offers tools for managing and resolving conflict in a peaceful, constructive way.

In our practice, we learn how to lead, as well as to follow. Both are essential to a beneficial and creative group dynamic, whether that group constitutes a spousal unit, or a boardroom. There is no competition in aikido. In fact, we must work together for the techniques to blossom. We learn how to throw, and we learn how to fall. We must be respectful of our own and one another’s limitations. We need to display a sensitivity to each other’s capacities and desires. In other words, we need to harmonize.

doesn’t

people at any cost just to avoid confrontation. Harmony as used in aikido does not involve compromising at all. Rather, aikido’s harmony brings different, even opposing elements together and works as a first step towards reconciliation, towards building a deeper, more productive, and reciprocal relationship.

The incredible benefit from the mostly physical training on the mats is that you can transport the philosophic principles embedded in the practice into daily life. What we ultimately try to accomplish is to create a spirit and sense of being that is relaxed, confident, present, adaptable, and resilient. However, the path towards the perfection of self and community is full of pitfalls, which is why we invite you to help us show the way.

Our dojo welcomes practitioners from all walks of life, from all ages (14+), from all genders. We all practice together because we can all learn from each other. If this sounds intriguing to you, please contact us for more information at selskens@ shaw.ca. We will start a new beginners class on January 8.

Harmony

mean getting along with

Smarter, Safer Medication Management for Cowichan District Hospital

The Cowichan District Hospital Foundation is committed to supporting the best possible healthcare, right here in Cowichan, with world class equipment.

Thanks to our generous community’s support last year, the Foundation successfully raised over $450,000 for new 3D mammography equipment for Cowichan District Hospital. This state-of-the-art equipment was installed in April 2022 and is now in use.

In August, Foundation staff and board members visited Cowichan District Hospital to meet with the Medical Imaging team to view the new 3D mammography equipment, which is the first of its kind on Vancouver Island. The team discussed how the 3D technology offers significantly improved imaging that can help aid in earlier detection of breast cancer and decrease false positives. This mammography equipment is making a difference in the lives of many families — thanks to our community for helping us make this possible.

This year, the Foundation has committed to raising $320,000 for two ADCs at the Cowichan District Hospital. Automated Dispensing Cabinets are specialty locked cabinets that safely and efficiently store, track, and dispense medications to Nurses, based on verified Physician medication orders.

ADCs can:

• help reduce medication errors

• improve inventory management and tracking

• ncrease efficiency to give Nurses more time for care

• integrate with Electronic Health Records and Pharmacy packaging equipment

Currently, there are over 1,500 ADCs in use in British Columbia Health Authorities, and they are quickly enabling a new standard of care within our hospitals. We’d like to make Cowichan District Hospital the next location.

The Foundation is committed to maintaining and improving healthcare at our current facility until the new hospital is complete. ADCs will help train and orient current staff on new technology, while in a familiar setting, in preparation for Cowichan’s new hospital.

This crucial equipment will be transferred to the new hospital when it is complete. Help us invest in a future with better healthcare for everyone in the Cowichan Valley.

To learn more and support this important initiative, please visit cdhfoundation.ca or you can call

SOMATICS

Somatics

Violet Reynolds RMT - teaching since 2008

the office at 250.701.0399.

“On behalf of everyone at the Cowichan District Hospital Foundation, thank you for investing in and supporting local healthcare. Your donations make a real difference for the community.”

– Naomi Low, Executive Director, Cowichan District Hospital Foundation.

Cowichan District Hospital Foundation: For nearly 40 years, through the generous support of donors and thousands of volunteer hours, the Cowichan

District Hospital Foundation has raised over $22 Million for equipment and improved healthcare at Cowichan District Hospital and Cairnsmore Place. The Cowichan District Hospital Foundation is also currently raising funds for Cowichan’s new hospital, anticipated to open in late 2026 or early 2027. For more information or to make a donation, visit: https:// cdhfoundation.ca/ or call 250.701.0399.

Image; Laura Harrison, LPN, BDM, Medication Safety Consultant, Island Health

Alistair MacGregor Reintroduces Bill to Address Freighter Anchorages in The

Salish Sea

NDPMP

Alistair MacGregor reintroduced his legislation from the previous Parliament to amend the Canada Shipping Act, 2001 to prohibit the anchoring of freighter vessels using coastal waters along the Southern Strait of Georgia. The bill is widely supported among local stakeholders including First Nations, local government, and community activist groups and is seconded by Nanaimo-Ladysmith MP Lisa Marie Barron.

Over the past several years, community groups and First Nations tribes have made repeated calls to Transport Canada to protect ancient clam beds, prawns, oysters, and endangered species, such as the southern resident killer whale, from the environmental impact of the anchored shipping vessels.

The waters in the southern Strait of Georgia have been recognized as worth protecting by the federal government as a part of its process in establishing a National Marine Conservation Area (NMCA).

used by Parks Canada, MacGregor’s Private Member’s Bill C-305 An Act to amend the Canada Shipping Act, 2001 (anchorage prohibition) aims to prohibit large freighters from anchoring in the waters to be designated as a future NMCA.

“Two years ago, I introduced Bill C-250 to address the issue of freighter anchorages in the Salish Sea. Regretfully, coastal residents, local First Nations, and conservation groups continue to plead with Transport Canada and the Vancouver Port Authority to find solutions to this problem,” said MacGregor. “The federal government has been dragging its heels on this issue, and Vancouver Island coastal communities deserve to have their voices heard in Ottawa.”

“It’s a shame that I find myself saying this again,” said MacGregor. “If the federal government values these waters enough to establish a National Marine Conservation Area, then they also deserve protection from being used as an overflow industrial parking lot for the Port of Vancouver.”

Bill C-305 (Full Text) https://www.parl.ca/ DocumentViewer/en/44-1/ bill/C-305/first-reading

Furoshiki is the Japanese art of wrapping using fabric.

Instructions:

1. Lay your fabric square or rectangle down on a flat surface.

2. Place your gift upright and diagonally in the middle of the fabric.

3. Bring one set of opposite corners over the gift and tie a knot or tuck the fabric under.

4. Bring the last two corners together over the gift and tie a knot.

5. Add a flourish of greenery and tie it on with another knot. Your gift is ready to present.

Christmas is here with all the extra planning, events and gift exchanges, and that means more clean up. I find it all rather daunting myself, and personally don’t enjoy all the extra garbage generated at this time of year. I plan to up my recycling game this holiday season. Creating an organizational system could be just the ticket to help me manage. Care to join me?

Let’s start by carving out some space where we can place some sorting bins. In the garage or a spare room. Somewhere easy to access.

Next label each box with these categories:

1. Curb-side recycling - paper and hard plastics.

2. Returnables - sort cans and glass by type, which will speed things up at the depot.

3. Clean plastic grocery bags - organize the soft and crinkle plastics separately (ask for help at the depot if you need).

4. Miscellaneous: broken electronics, Christmas lights, light bulbs, batteries and ink cartridges (not toners).

5. Styrofoam (not peanut chips) Duncan’s Island Return

Tis the Season to Be Green

It is the only depot in the valley that takes styrofoam.

Recycling as we go will make clean up at the end of the season a breeze, and helps keep it out of the landfill. Throw it all in the back of the car and take it into the depot the next time you are going that way.

Making thoughtful and creative choices around gift wrapping also helps to minimize garbage. Choosing reusable materials and getting

crafty during the holidays makes good sense when it comes to lessening our impact on the environment.

Here are a few of my favourite ideas:

1. Consider using fabric to wrap a gift, which can then be reused. Cotton bags with draw strings make a great option. Explore your local thrift shops and stores for scarves, tea towels or funky pillow cases….even hair scrunchies can adorn a present and then be used by

Dawn Howlett loves to promote sustainability and recycles at Island Return It Centres.

the new owner. And if you do use paper, avoid metallic or mixed material types that must go to the landfill.

2. Gift tags are a big part of Christmas. Since strings can’t be recycled with the tags, I suggest avoiding those and use paper tags tied with raffia (which is compostable) or fabric ribbons. You could also try writing directly onto the paper with a fancy festive pen.

3. Present your food gifts in a mason jar. Dress it up with some pretty string, fabric scraps and wild harvested sprigs.

4. Baskets can be a wonderful way to present a gift. Choose one that can be repurposed, such as a decorative plant vessel, blanket holder or for toques and mitts.

5. Wrap gifts using old maps, calendars, sheet music or brown craft paper, and have some fun embellishing them with stamping, ribbons and greenery.

With a little bit of planning, we can up our game when it comes to recycling and reusing at Christmas. Involve the kids and grandkids and make new memories together, while teaching them about recycling and sustainability. Getting creative together is fun.

From my home to yours, and from everyone at Island Return It, have a peaceful and joyful holiday season.

www.islandreturnit.com

The reFRESH Coupon Program supports 120 lowincome families, individuals, and seniors with $25 of groceries in the reFRESH Marketplace weekly. The program is 100% supported through fundraising and donations. Unfortunately, the demand for access to fresh and healthy food has recently increased drastically.

Cowichan Green Community is counting on support from the community to continue this program beyond December 31, 2022, so program participants do not have to go without access to nutritious food. This holiday season, consider supporting this important initiative with a donation. For more information, please contact Cowichan Green Community: 250 748 8506 info@ cowichangreencommunity.org www. cowichangreencommunity.org

Sands Funeral Chapel

Janice Winfrey

Funeral

Director

tel: 250-746-5212 • fax:250-746-7034 sandsfuneral.com/duncan email:sandsduncan@arbormemorial.com

187 Trunk Road, Duncan, British Columbia V9L 2P1

Cremation & Reception Centre-Duncan by Arbor Memorial

The

THE BASKET OF STORIES

Carver Rupert Scow

Many of us live in a time and place with so little of the basket of community left to carry us and to give us a place to thrash about in.

These evenings, held in a cozy yurt in Duncan, will be two parted. In the first part, you will be engaged in the process of basket making, weaving together real baskets, by hand with real plants. Don’t worry if you have no skill. You will learn. The second part of the evening will be hearing and exploring the troubles and tributaries, travails and triumphs of community through the medium of an old, European folk tale.

December 19th, 2pm - 5pm Lila Music Centre Yurt, 3228A Gibbins Rd, 250 710 4174, tadlington@gmail.com, Register at https://basketofstories. eventbrite.ca Sliding Scale $20$40, no one turned away for lack of funds.

There is an exciting new activity taking place at The Hub at Cowichan Station. Rupert Scow, carver and artist, is carving a totem pole, and he is inviting the community to come and share the process of this special project.

Rupert is Kwikwasut’inuxw “The people of the Bear,” from the village of Gwa’yasdams on Gilford Island near Alert Bay. He is a skilled artist and carver, learning as a young man and coming from a lineage of carvers. He began carving this totem pole at Roberts Creek several years ago from a Western red cedar log gifted to him by a friend, Andrew Dunkerton. He continued working on it after a move to the Lower Mainland when his progress was interrupted, first by a stroke in 2016 and then by the pandemic. When Rupert

moved to Vancouver Island, the pole moved with him, eventually to the Cowichan Valley. Throughout all that time, Rupert remained committed to carving, first learning to use his left hand to carve after the stroke and then gradually regaining the use of his right hand. He is committed to sharing his passion for carving with others, and he has done so in many ways, including as a volunteer with the Cowichan Brain Injury Society and with the Cowichan Valley Arts Council. It was through the Arts Council that he met Lyndon Crossman, who is also a member of the Cowichan Community Workshop Co-op at The Hub. It

was Lyndon who suggested that Rupert could perhaps finish his totem carving there.

Rupert has been welcomed to The Hub, on the traditional land of the Quw’utsun people where he now resides and continues to create art, teach others, and share his storytelling. At a ceremony and feast at The Hub in October, Rupert was given a blessing from the Quw’utsun people to complete the carving of his family totem in this place. Rupert’s pole has already travelled through several different places and communities. People from those communities, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, came together to the welcome feast to meet each other, to witness, and to celebrate. Since then, Rupert, Lyndon, and another carver, Drew Barnes, have been working on the pole under the big tent at The Hub. They will continue carving this Fall for as long as weather permits, and they all welcome visitors to stop by and learn more about the pole and talk with Rupert about his carving.

Written by Rupert Scow and Barbara Purves

Beatin’ Stick told by Tad Hargrave, Weaving Baskets with Cari Burdett.

Why We Should Read All the Quiet Places

Although he has been writing all his life, Brian Thomas Isaac did not publish his debut novel until he was seventy-one. This book, All the Quiet Places, has gathered a lot of attention, including being chosen as a finalist for the 2022 Governor General’s Literary Award (results of which were announced after the deadline for this column).

Isaac draws on his experiences growing up on the Okanagan reserve in the southern interior of BC in this coming-of-age story of Eddie, a young Indigenous boy trying to cope with the impact colonialism has left on his family. Living on the edge of the reserve and sent to a white school by his mother who wants to prepare him for life in the outside world, Eddie strives to stay connected to his culture. Fishing in the river and gathering nuts with his grandmother while being bullied as an outsider at school, Eddie struggles to find his place in the world.

There are some truly beautiful descriptions of the natural world surrounding Eddie –storms, swelling rivers near flood level, and one of the last bands of wild horses. These passages come as a balm in what is otherwise a bleak and hard-hitting book. Eddie faces violence and racism throughout, from adults in his family who bear their own scars and from settlers he meets off reserve. Given the intensity of what happens to Eddie, this book would not be recommended for young teens unless a conscious effort is made to give them support in discussing and processing what they read.

The book has some of the issues of a first novel, the timeline seems confused in places and there are sections which could have been better edited. That being said, it is clear from the beginning that Isaac is telling a story close to his heart.

The Warmland Book & Film Collective – a response to the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada – next

Cobble Hill Dental 250-743-6698 Friendly, Family Practice We Welcome New Patients!

Island Pharmacy 250 743-1448

Open 7 Days a week for all your pharmacy needs.

meets online December 14th to discuss Our Voice of Fire: A Memoir of a Warrior Rising by Brandi Morin. Email

Valley

WarmlandBFC@gmail.com for zoom link.

What is Happening in the Real Estate Market?

Vancouver Island residents have seen many changes in the real estate market the last two years. Influences were the Covid-19 Pandemic, low interest rates and low housing supply that caused rapid home sales and fuelled price increases, until the summer of 2022. The markets have now softened and recovered to pre-pandemic levels of sales. This is partly due to Bank of Canada interest rate increases, which were intended to flatten home prices and decrease the rate of inflation across Canada.

What does this mean for current and forecasted home sales on Vancouver Island? The real estate market has changed on Vancouver Island and currently favours buyers. With change there is opportunity! Rising interest rates will cause some buyers to sit on the sidelines and wait. While other well prepared buyers may find great opportunities with the current higher inventory of homes and motivated sellers.

If you are thinking of buying a home, it is a good idea to be financially well prepared to be ready to take advantage of buying opportunities. There

may be one or more interest rate increases in the next year, so consult with your mortgage professional first.

If you are thinking of selling your home and have time on your side, speak to your realtor about how to to prepare your home for sale and be ready for an early spring surge of sales and eager buyers. At the slightest indication of interest rates stabilization, buyers, who are waiting on the side lines will come back to the market in early spring 2023. At that time there may be pent-up demand for homes that will favour sellers. If you are considering selling your home, call me or talk to your Realtor about the best timing that favours your situation.

I would be happy to advise you on the best strategy for your purchase or sale. In the meantime, enjoy your home this holiday season.

vidasellsvi@gmail.com

Fenna’s Carrots

happen to be on the vegetable platter in front of us, and Fenna’s family are on their way to the party.

What we are tasting – and going out of our way to source – is the alchemy that comes from the dance between plants and the life in the soil. Other folks have described taste as coming from the “soul of the farmer and the soul of the soil.” I do love the soul stuff, but I also love a good update on science, especially when my two favourite things are under analysis – soil and food.

It’s the last of the dog days of the season and we are sitting around a picnic blanket celebrating my youngest’s birthday. The lovely mama next to me is telling us how much she enjoys the sweetness of “Fenna’s carrots.” In two strokes of coincidence, Fenna’s carrots

“What Your Food Ate” is relevant to anyone who eats, most especially at this time when food prices are insane and we are all trying to figure out how to get the best bang for our buck. This book dives deeply into the relationships between soil health and plant health, into how our own health is affected by the health of the plants we consume, and in turn, by the health of the plants consumed by the animals we eat.

Be prepared to critically reexamine some of the common narratives floating around – ideas such as all red meat and dairy is inflammatory, organic food is no more nutritious than conventionally farmed food,

organic farming is better for soil health (it can be…), glyphosate and artificial fertilisers do not affect the taste or health benefits of crops, minerals are depleted when crops are harvested. What the latest science tells us about these concepts, and much more, is thoroughly laid out.

The bottom line: the nutrient density of plants is directly related to how farmers treat their land. If you care about maximizing nutrition (and your health), this book will help you ask the right questions. What a great gift it would be for any food-growing, soil-loving geeks in your life

Amy LuckMacGregor Certified Soil Food Web Laboratory Technician

Meals on Wheels Needs You!

Meals on Wheels volunteer drivers only need

Individuals can volunteer as little as one shift a week up to how many shifts they feel comfortable doing each week. I am also taking names for casual/on-call names so that I have a pool of people to call upon incase someone gets sick or is away and I don’t have anybody from my main pool of volunteers available. Shifts are scheduled for 3:30pm - 5:30pm Monday thru Saturday. Meals on Wheels does not operate on Sunday, so for those clients who would like a meal for Sunday we deliver a chilled meal on Saturday for them to warm up the next day.

An individual wanting to volunteer for Meals on Wheels would need to submit the following documents:

1. Registration form

2. ICBC Abstract

3. Criminal Record Check

4. Copy of both their personal car insurance and driver’s license. (drivers do use their own personal vehicles, but are able to claim mileage each month from CGC)

5. Emergency contact form

Email mow@ cowichangreencommunity.org to request above forms.

Meals on Wheels also highly encourages our drivers to have their flu shots and Covid vaccination for their own safety and that of our clients. Drivers, at this time, are asked to wear masks when dropping off meals to clients. For more information call 250 715-5312.

The Holidays and Reflexology

Nervous

systems go into overload when the holidays approach. Christmas is a time when we all want to feel good and look great. It is traditionally a season of joy, family reunions, roast turkey and generosity. While that sounds great –the holidays can bring on even more stress, pressure, and for some loneliness and depression.

So, how can we better “deal” with this Holiday season? The scientific theory behind this practice is that certain regions of your feet are connected via your nervous system to other parts of your body, and a reflexologist can use these regions to access the corresponding body parts. The tips of your toes, for example, might be used to trigger a response in your head. The chest region can be accessed through the ball of the foot, your heel is connected to your lower back and intestines. And the arch can be used to bring healing to many of the organs in your lower torso. The sensitive, trained hands of a qualified reflexologist will detect imbalances in the feet, indicating that there are depletions or blockages in the energy channels through the body. By applying pressure to these points with thumbs or fingers, the reflexologist can stimulate the flow of energy to all parts, clearing blockages and helping the body to achieve its own state of balance and good health, without any adverse sideeffects.

People who undergo reflexology treatments generally find them to

be effective and very comforting and the treatments themselves are non-invasive and pain-free. It is most commonly used for treating stress, digestive problems, migraines/headaches, insomnia, plantar fasciitis and back pain. Utilized by many cancer and surgery patients to improve their circulation and promote healing, it is also effective as a postoperative or complementary therapy.

Reflexology is a wonderful tool used to restore equilibrium within the body. Whether you’ll be hosting a family gathering, improve your sleep, balance your hormones, or enhance your over all well-being, reflexology can help. Remember: self-care is an act of self-love! Do yourself a favour and see for yourself about the wonderful benefits of reflexology!

Gift certificates are always available; call Helga or book on-line at www. naturalheelingreflexology.com and give your feet a treat for the holidays! Wishing you a Merry Christmas with many blessings in 2023.

Helga Feichtinger is a Registered, Certified Reflexologist and Massage Practitioner in the Cowichan Valley. 250-732-7988

Benefits of Far-Infrared Treatments

Far-infrared rays are the safest and most beneficial electromagnetic energy available for the human body. These rays have the amazing ability to penetrate through the skin and directly affect all metabolic functions while promoting cellular waste removal.

Some of the benefits of infrared treatments include: Promotes circulation & cardiovascular function, improves immune system function, relieves muscle and soft tissue pains, helps control weight and cellulite reduction, relieves arthritic pain and stiffness, eases fibromyalgia, polymyalgia and diabetes, reduces stress and fatigue, improves skin health and appearance, detoxifies the body, and promotes soft and healthy skin.

massage, acupressure, and sauna all in one! In this 180-degree ergonomically designed capsule your whole body will be surrounded by far-infrared rays that stimulate oriental acupressure points, while jade rollers move slowly up and down massaging the neck, back and leg meridians. It stimulates the lymphatic system, washing away aches & pains and improving blood circulation. Sessions are 33 minutes long.

Far-Infrared Sauna

Amethyst Crystal Bio-Mat:

By combining state of the art Far-Infrared & Negative Ion Technology, and further enhancing it with Amethyst crystals, the Bio-Mat energizes the body for optimal health. While resting on the Bio-Mat, you will also enjoy the Amethyst and Tourmaline Pillow which will keep your head cool, while your body temperature increases, and the healing properties of the Amethyst crystals work on calming and relaxing your mind. A BioMat session is approximately 45 minutes long.

Infrared Massage Capsule with Jade Rollers: The ‘Jade Roller’ combines

You can breathe easier in the Infrared Sauna, with a Zirconium Ceramic heater™ and cross-flow ventilation,with cedar panels, it provides twice the sweat at half the temperature of conventional saunas Most sessions are 45-60 minutes in duration.

Remember - Drink plenty of water during and after sessions. We offer Amethyst Bio Mat and/or Jade Roller Massage Capsule sessions.. Give us a call to book your complimentary 30 minute session to try either the Infrared Jade Roller Massage Capsule or the Amethyst Bio Mat with Infrared technology Reiki Wellness 250 743-8122 reiki-wellness@shaw.ca www.reikiwellness.ca

Debbie Shkuratoff, Reiki Wellness Reiki Master-Teacher, Usui/Tibetan/ Karuna Komyo/Seichim

Reiki Wellness Services

Relax - Balance - Rejuvenate Reiki Master Teacher 250 743-8122 Registered Reflexologist 250 710-0784 • Debbie Shkuratoff • Francoise Moulin

Relaxing, Balancing, Reiki/Chakra Alignments, Reiki Classes, Reflexology, Aromatherapy, Foot Detox, Healing Touch, Amethyst Bio Mat

Daytime • Evening • Weekend • By Appointment Only #13- Upper Level • Valleyview Centre • Cobble Hill www.reikiwellness.ca • reiki-wellness@shaw.ca

Have a safe and magical Christmas from all of us! We will be closed December 25 - January 8, 2023.

REMEMBERING THE SIMPLE THINGS IN LIFE

The pace of this modern digital chaotic world has somehow sadly meant a sacrifice of our most basic human values and the simple, pleasurable things in life where the sweetness truly is. What has happened to us as human beings and as a human species? How and when did common sense become rare sense?

This is a big unending question I know, and we are gently being moved and guided to look inwards to find this answer and more daily. How is it that we have moved so far away from the basic sharing of kindness with another human or an animal? Where has the overall compassion and tenderness for another’s suffering gone to? Why are people so afraid to share deep vulnerability with another? How did respect for our elders and each other get forgotten by younger generations?

It’s a time of darker rainy days and less sunshine and it can be a hard time for some folks who are alone and feeling the hardships of this harsh world first hand. It is the responsibility of all of us to reach out to all of our brothers and sisters

with an open heart, real compassion and tenderness to soothe the collective suffering and pain. It’s time for some self-responsibility, emotional honesty and sharing. It can help us to feel better to be honest. We are all traumatized this is sadly true, however when we share loving kindness and care, miracles happen and hearts can mend.

I feel moved to call us together energetically, as the greater Cowichan community, to surround and support those that are in need of extra goodness and love this season and at all times really. It’s also a time of rest, rejuvenation and reflection too on a year of adventures, gifts and lessons. May we be grateful for the simple and gentler human virtues as we move to a new year of exciting possibilities, opportunities and learning!

Let’s bring kindness, respect, appreciation, tenderness, reverence and compassion back into fashion this season and let’s share it everywhere! It’s certainly a gift worth sharing with each other again and again forever more. Remember who you are before the madness of the world. Be the change you wish to see in the world.

Seasonal blessings to each and every one of you for personal peace, joy and remembrance of what’s true and real.

Diana Anu Pink Wholistic Health Practitioner Inspired Mentor and Messenger

AS CLIMATE CONFERENCE

WRAPS, WE MUST ALL DO OUR PART

The 27th annual Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change recently wrapped up, and the world continues to burn.

Despite positive commitments — including on methane emissions and a climate “loss and damage” fund — it will take more to slow and reverse climate disruption and the impacts it’s fuelling. We can’t hope it will be resolved by governments — or the industry responsible for the crisis, which was wellrepresented at COP27 in Egypt.

That doesn’t mean individuals should shoulder the burden. Governments must make big decisions that enable us all to reduce emissions. Personal choices and behaviours are important and add up, but one of the most powerful things we can do is join with others to demand action. Research shows that when just 3.5 per cent of a population actively supports a campaign, protest or movement, real change is likely.

We’ve been certain for decades that burning fossil fuels is causing everworsening impacts, but industry, governments and media have perpetuated myths and misinformation to keep the inevitable transition to renewable energy from happening in the time needed. Now it’s urgent. We must demand a rapid end to the fossil fuel era.

Let’s support real solutions to curb our voracious consumer habits and the coal, oil and gas that are fuelling them and polluting land, water and air and altering the climate. We must let governments know we expect them to live up to and strengthen their global commitments.

It means calling for transparency and ensuring no one is left behind in the global transition to clean energy and better ways of living. Global North nations must step up with financing for the most vulnerable countries, communities and people who contribute least to the climate crisis but are most affected.

One idea gaining traction in the wake of COP27 is a windfall profits tax. With fossil fuel executives and shareholders gorging on record returns squeezed from global conflict as people everywhere struggle to keep up with rising fuel costs and related prices, many, including UN secretary general António Guterres, say industry should pay up. (The Guardian reports oil and gas companies made US$100 billion in the first three months of 2022 alone.)

More than 30 media outlets from more than 20 countries recently published an opinion article arguing for such a tax, with money directed to helping the vulnerable adapt to inevitable climate consequences and forestall the worst, and to compensate for “loss and damage.”

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“Rich countries account for just one in eight people in the world today but are responsible for half of greenhouse gases. These nations have a clear moral responsibility to help,” the article says.

To ensure governments get serious about climate disruption, calls are also getting louder for a “fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty.” Harking back to the 1970 global nuclear nonproliferation treaty, advocates say, “Climate change, like nuclear weapons, is a major global threat.”

The fossil fuel nonproliferation treaty website states that “thousands of academics, scientists, parliamentarians, cities and civil society leaders” have joined the call to “stop the expansion of fossil fuels and manage a global just transition away from coal, oil and gas.”

To rein in industry and do our part in the global effort against climate change, Canada needs a strong, declining, vigorously enforced cap or limit on emissions from the oil and gas sector immediately. It’s Canada’s largest and fastest-growing emissions source, accounting for 26 per cent of the domestic total — increasing 89 per cent since 1990 as other sectors reduced

emissions.

Industry is trying to get the federal government to halt or water down its promised regulations. We can’t let that happen. Restrictions need to be strengthened, not weakened — and they need to cover all emissions, including those from burning fuels.

Canada must also uphold its commitment to 100 per cent net-zero-emissions electricity by 2035. David Suzuki Foundation research shows how we can move even beyond that to entirely emissions-free, affordable, reliable electricity.

We can’t continue to support an industry that’s putting our health, well-being and survival at risk. We need to end all fossil fuel tax breaks and subsidies. With its slowmoving governments and industry lobbyists, COP27 shows again that we all must step up, with votes, actions, calls and letters. We’re in this together.

David Suzuki is a scientist, broadcaster, author and cofounder of the David Suzuki Foundation. Written with con tributions from David Suzuki Foundation Senior Writer and Editor Ian Hanington.

Learn more at davidsuzuki.org.

BRITISH COLUMBIA SPIDER SURVEY

In 2006, Royal British Columbia Museum researchers began systematically documenting the diversity of British Columbia’s spider fauna. Annual field surveys of spiders, primarily targeting alpine and subalpine habitats, began in 2008; barcode identification of previously unidentifiable specimens commenced in 2012. Many of the additions to the checklist represent the first Canadian or Nearctic records of those taxa or are undescribed species. The number of species recorded in British Columbia has climbed from 212 in 1967 to 902 in 2021. The lack of conservation

concern regarding spiders relative to other taxa is notable: particularly in light of the fact that more than 40% (357) of the native species of spiders in the province are represented by five or fewer collection records. Through these efforts we have determined that British Columbia is an important area of Nearctic spider diversity.

Claudia Copley has been a collection manager at the Royal BC Museum since 2004. She is responsible for maintaining the entomology collection, which includes insects, arachnids and myriapods. Claudia’s graduate degree was focused on the spider fauna of the ancient forests in the Carmanah Valley, but her interests include everything entomological.

December 5th at 9:30am via Zoom. (The link will be sent out to CVNS members a few days prior to the event. This is a free event, open to the public. If you are not a CVNS member, please email cvns@ naturecowichan.net to receive the zoom link.)

HALLELUJAH: LEONARD COHEN, A JOURNEY, A SONG

This is an American Film in English. It traverses Leonard Cohen’s rise from Canadian poet to iconic musical artist. The documentary is a deep exploration into his artistry, particularly his record label’s rejection of his work and his subsequent musical failures. Though Cohen worked on “his” hit song for many years “Hallelujah” only began to take off after several others had released recordings , most notably Jeff Buckley. In the song we witness a man grappling with his faith and love, evidenced in archival footage and interviews with Cohen. The film also features interviews with Brandi

Carlile, Bob Dylan, Clive Davis, Adrienne Clarkson, Eric Church and more.

Writing in “The Wrap”, Steve Pond says,” Does the film explain “Hallelujah”? Of course not, the song stubbornly resists explanation, because it’s so many different things and because there’s a beautiful mystery at its heart. (The film) is smart enough to embrace that mystery and that beauty, and to know there is far more to Cohen than can be summed up in four, or seven, or even 150 verses.”

Reel Alternatives Movie Night

‘Hallelujah’ December 19th 7pm Cowichan Performing Arts Centre 2687 James St. Duncan $17

RATTY

by Shiloh Badman

Lady Tana’s Christmas

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

It was Christmas Eve and Lady Tana, a dog with impeccable taste for cheese was returning home after a month-long visit to Europe’s finest cheese stores. As addicted to cheese as Lady Tana was, she had found herself equally absorbed in her new hobby, True Cheese Crime. She read cheesy crime books and listened endlessly to True Cheese Crime podcasts. Her baggage was heavy with new cheeses and a Cheese Crime Investigation Kit. Tana was tired from the long flight, but happy to be home. She ap proached her front door and set down her bags. It was dark and cold outside, but she knew her neighbour, Bonnie the Labrador had taken care of her tiny house

while Tana was away. Bonnie was trustworthy and Lady Tana anticipated a warm and orderly home. Tana’s other neighbour, Relic the dog of many breeds, was too young to handle such a responsibility, though he did express great interest in helping her out.

Upon opening her front door and flicking on the lights, she gasped at the horror she saw. Her cheese fridge cheese was wide open and the floor was smeared in cheese. She whined a little and noticed the cupboard doors were open and the crack ers were all gone. Crumbs lay on the counters, wrappers tossed everywhere. Her cheese ball Christmas tree was gone. Lady Tana had been robbed of her cheese! She knew what to do. She found her Cheese Crime Scene Investigation Kit. She donned blue booties and nitrile gloves to not contaminate the scene. She picked up every wrapper and placed them in evidence bags. She took photos. She checked for prints in the smeared cheese. It was clear that a different dog had created this heartbreaking scene. But who? What dog in this tight knit com munity would be cold blooded enough to steal cheese? She heard a sound coming from her tiny bedroom. Fearing the intruder was still in the house, but angry enough about the senseless tragedy, she pushed the bedroom door open and turned on the lights. More cheese curds and cracker crumbs spilled over her bed onto the floor. Some one (or something) was sleeping under her bed covers. Lady

Tana silently approached the bed and poked at the form under the blankets.

A black mass of hair flew up and off the bed so swiftly, she thought the monster was going to kill her. It barked loudly and stood menacingly before her. They stared at each other fear fully then the monster wagged his tail.

“Oh hi! You’re home early,” said Relic. He looked around and saw what Tana saw. A cheese party gone crazy. He had brie in his fur and cream cheese on one ear. His belly was round. “You ate my cheese!” Tana barked.

“Um, yeah. Bonnie had to go away last night so I’m here! It looked like your cheese was going bad, so I thought I’d help. It doesn’t look good, does

it?” Relic said sheepishly. “I guess I should help you clean up.” Tana shook her head with exasperation and walked back in the kitchen. She was so tired and now she was hungry. “Relic, get in here and help me.” And they set to work.

It wasn’t much later that Bonnie let herself into Lady Tana’s house to find Relic and Tana licking the floor with gusto. Bonnie saw she was late to a Christmas party with a weird forensic theme, but without even asking, she joined in and before long every smear of cheese was cleaned up and every crumb had been eaten. Although Relic knew he hadn’t been the best house sitter, it had been his best Christmas yet.

Celebrate Your Loved Ones in Spirit

Sometimes it is hard to enjoy the holidays when we lose a beloved one. Emotions such as loss can stir up so many feelings around any celebration, especially Christmas. Permit yourself to process the grief but try to honour their memory as best you can. Below is a list of suggestions that might help you celebrate them.

Make a playlist of their favourite music and share it via Spotify, Apple Music or USB with all their loved ones. Make videos, on your favourite device, and share them on Christmas Day via social media YouTube or Vimeo.

Have their loved ones write Christmas cards, put them under the tree and read them aloud at your special gathering.

Make a loving book of their legacy. Google business’ or apps that specialize in this. Have a piece of their clothing (or something they enjoyed) professionally displayed in a shadow box.

Plan an outing around something they loved. Get the family tree, have an ice skating party, organize a sleigh ride, or have a Bingo night.

Do a baking exchange of their favourite recipes. Host a family Christmas talent show, in your house, in their honour.

You can buy them an ornament and place it on your tree.

Snuggle up and watch their favourite Christmas shows. Make Christmas crackers, putting your favourite memory in them.

Have their photo put on the drinking glasses for the

Christmas dinner. Get blankets made up from their favourite t-shirts, sweaters or photos.

Host a secret Santa asking everyone to honour their memory by purchasing something that reminds them of that person.

Donate on their behalf to their favourite charity or food bank.

Place their ashes in keepsake gifts. My father-in-law’s ashes are in a custom-made cylinder in my husband’s drag racing car.

Plant a Christmas tree and bury some of their ashes with the tree.

Plan a vacation and keep their memory alive by doing the things you all loved.

Enjoy a Christmas celebration at one of the local churches.

Plan an evening enjoying the Christmas lights with your loved ones around your community.

These are only a few suggestions to help spark your imagination and warm your heart during cold winter nights. Enjoy celebrating them this holiday season in spirit.

Have a happy holiday, from my family to yours.

Jury - Sacred Silence Modern Day Oracle

Not only are they beautiful and help to create a feelgood ambiance, himalayan salt lamps have some incredible health benefits.

Positive ions infiltrate our homes, mainly created from our electronics. Breathing in a lot of these positive ions cause the cilia which line our passages to become sluggish and not function as well to keep contaminants out of the lungs and our bodies. They also sap out our energy. Himalayan salt lamps work through the power of hygroscopy to attract and absorb water molecules from the surrounding environment. As the lamp warms up, that water evaporates into the air and the trapped particles removed from the air are locked in the salt. In this way, salt lamps purify the air, remove dust, pollen, cigarette smoke, and other contaminants. The positive ions also get sucked up with the water and particles and when the heated salt releases the vapor back out it expels negative ions which benefit our airways and whole body. The ionized air can invigorate you like going outside!

This can make for a reduction in allergy and asthma symptoms through that removal of dust and dander, mildew and mold, etc. from the air. Himalayans pink salt is good for your airways! This can also ease coughing. Place one in the room you are in most.

Negative ions also neutralize electromagnetic radiation. Our homes are filled with this, through computers, television, refridgerators, and other electrical devices and appliances. Long-term effects of EM exposure can be detrimental to health, including increased stress levels, chronic fatigue, decreased immunity, among other issues/ problems. Salt lamps neutralize electromagnetic radiation. Place one in the living room.

Positive ions can reduce blood and oxygen supply to the brain, not only making you tired but this can also disrupt regulate sleep patterns. Keep one in the bedroom.

Negative ions also help mood and concentration, giving you a serotonin boost! The beautiful light they emit can aid seasonal affective disorder(SAD).

Choose size according to room size. Multiple lamps spread out around the home a good idea.

Come check out our different sizes, and shapes- traditional, hearts, cubes, bowls, lanterns, and lovely candle holders too!

Essential Remedies 141 Craig St, Duncan

Good health to you! Tina Foster, RHN Essential Remedies

Himalayan Salt Lamps: Bringing light and peace into your life!

Aries (March 21-April 19)

Grab every chance to travel this month because you need a change of scenery! Fortunately, the heavens will help you fulfil your wish so start packing. This is also the perfect time for study and education, because you want to learn more about the world. Enjoy art exhibits, social outings, publishing opportunities and romance with someone “different”.

Allow extra time for everything because retrograde Mars will slow down your progress. (Hey, you can’t have everything. And anyhow, where would you put it?)

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Three planets are in one of your Money Houses this month, which creates a concern about finances and shared property including loans and mortgages. You might try to borrow money, get a mortgage or settle an inheritance. Fortunately, fair Venus is in this Money House and will attract money to you through your spouse, business partner or a bank. It will also heighten your intimate relationships, making them affectionate and cozy! This is a good time to look at your inner compulsions to be aware of who you are.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

This month the Sun is opposite your sign. (Happens only once a year and it means you need more sleep because the Sun represents energy, and it’s symbolically as far away from you as it gets all year.) This polarization can create conflict; but it also gives you more objectivity to see your role in the relationship, which means you can do something to make it better. This is the perfect time to work with others. Don’t go it alone. Discussions will be clarifying. Meanwhile, your closest relationships will be more affectionate because your ego is more in tune with others.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

This month it’s time to roll up your sleeves and work. Focus on efficiency and effectiveness because you want to be as productive as possible. Admittedly, you might have to

work according to someone else’s demands; but it’s a great time for mental work as well as getting along with others. A work-related romance might begin. Bonus! this is a lovely window of time for your health! Avoid overindulgence, especially seconds on dessert; and be aware of self-defeating acts. Don’t worry about getting credit for what you do. Just get it done.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)

It’s play city for Leos for this month! This is why you’ll have a strong drive to get out and have a good time. You will feel lighter; you’ll enjoy the company of children; your relationships will be more playful. Accept invitations to socialize! The arts, the entertainment world, musical performances, the theatre, sports events and good times with others are perfect choices this month. Grab every chance to express your creative talents because you are a creative sign. Don’t be hard on yourself if your self-discipline is weak. This is a time of pleasure and romance!

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

This month your focus is on home, family and your private life. You will feel happier being among familiar surroundings. (Note: memories from your past will bubble to the surface of your mind.) Tackle home repairs and DIY projects. This is the perfect time to redecorate your home and invite people over to see what you’ve done. Offer your guests good food and drink. Ironically, although you will enjoy entertaining, you will also enjoy quiet times by yourself at home as well. You’re happy to cocoon in your safe, cozy refuge. (How unfair that rum and eggnogs are so fattening.)

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

The pace of your days will accelerate this month because you’re busy with short trips, errands, appointments plus increased interactions with siblings and relatives. You will enjoy socializing; plus you will read, write and study more. Because Mercury is in your House of Communications, you’ll be eager to talk to others. Venus will sweeten your words and make you entertaining and diplomatic. Venus will also heighten your appreciation for your daily surroundings. It will also make you realize just how

much love there is around you.

Scorpio (Oct. 23Nov. 21)

This month is about money, earnings and cash flow. Actually, it’s an opportunity to examine your relationship to your wealth and possessions. For example, do the things that you own make your life easier, or are they an albatross around your neck? In other words, do you own your stuff or does it own you?

On the upside, this is the perfect time for you to give pleasure to your friends through what you own. (Offering drinks by the hearth kinda thing.) Meanwhile, what will also warm your heart is you will attract money to you this month. Ka-ching!

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

The Sun is in your sign now, giving you a chance to recharge your energies for the rest of year. This is why you will project yourself more forcefully! Obviously, this is your time to make a wonderful impression on others. Fortunately, with Venus in your sign as well, you will look charming, accommodating and gracious; while Mercury will make you chatty and keen to talk to everyone. This is a wonderful time for you to attract people to you. The Sun and Venus will sweeten your words – all will be well.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Your personal year is drawing to a close now; however, your new year will not begin until your birthday arrives. This means this month is like limbo. You’ll be happy to work in the wings or use this time for contemplation. In fact, it’s the perfect window of time to set goals for your new year ahead. Goals give you a clearer focus on what is important. They give you more clarity in future decision-making. They give you better control over your future and a sense of purpose. Some of you are dabbling in secret love affairs and enjoying yourselves. Hmmm.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

A popular month! Enjoy interactions with friends and groups. Examine the role that friends and groups play in your life. Bounce your hopes and dreams for the future off someone to get their feedback. Meanwhile, relations with others (including younger, creative people) will be so exciting for some, a friend will become a lover. Chogyam Trungpa said, “You are continually inviting all beings to be your guest -- knowing they will not stay forever; and you will not be leaving with them.”

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)

The Sun is at the top of your chart this month casting you in a spotlight that is flattering! This mean bosses, parents, teachers and VIPs will see you as competent, capable and clever – even if you don’t do anything special. Since you create such a marvellous impression without any extra effort, obviously, now is the time to advance your agenda and demand the advantage. Go after what you want! Make plans for your professional life. This is also an excellent time to talk to bosses and superiors. Meanwhile, romance with a boss might begin. (Certainly, a flirtation.)

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