1
Laplante plays Beethoven, conducted by Alain Trudel
Tafelmusik (Baroque Orchestra) Sunday, Nov 25, at 2 pm The Galileo Project - Music of the Spheres Fully Staged Concert
Maestra Tania Miller with pianist Ian Parker bring Gershwin to life
Elgar’s Cello Concerto performed by Zuill Bailey and much more.
2
Valley Voice Magazine -Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley
3
Published by Cowichan Valley Voice Magazine
Editors
Sheila & Richard Badman Contact us at: editor@cowichanvalleyvoice.com 250 746 9319 - 936 Arbutus Avenue, Duncan V9L 5X4 Visit us online at www.cowichanvalleyvoice.com
Our Community James Barber Fundraiser Dinner 5 October Community Calendar 6 Renaissance Women Meet Somenos Women’s Institute 8 Growing Garlic With Makaria Farm 9 Enterprising Women 33 Websites, Emails and Verbal Lint 32 All About Our Pets 39 Community Farm Store Pages 44 - 47 Crowder’s Corner 48 Local Menu Pages - Alderlea Farm Cafe 49 Cowichan Valley Feature Listings 52 Cowichan Valley Directory 54-55
Copy Editor Maeve Maguire Proofreader Diana Pink Advertising Enquiries Please Call Adrienne Richards 250 510 6596 Next Ad Deadline October 18th e-mail adrienne@cowichanvalleyvoice.com *Non Profit Community Ad Rates available please enquire. COMMUNITY CALENDAR LISTINGS ARE FREE! Please upload your information through our website Please include: Date & Event Title IN SUBJECT Be advised that space is limited to up to 2 spots per business, space dependant and is prioritized by 1st sent, 1st printed. Next EVENTS deadline OCT 15th for NOV 2012 Issue. E-mail to: events@cowichanvalleyvoice.com Cowichan Valley Voice Magazine reserves the right to omit and/or edit submitted listings due to space limitations Valley Voices Mary Ann Watson, Bill Jones, Jo Ludwig, Raelynn Gibson, Rick Dennis, Nicolette Genier and The Wonderful Staff at The Community Farm Store, Lynn Shortt, Grant Keefer, Leanne Schultz, Cam MacDonald, Sandra Holmes, Linda Mimeault, Kelsey Lawford, Ryan Hollett, Joe Gelinas and Sandra Carr, Henry Landry, Marilyn Swallow, Leola Witt McNie,Victor Vesely, Sandra Beggs, Bruce Wood, Heather McLeod, Jim Musselwhite, Judith Cullington, Jackie Barker, Joy Story,Tracey Hanson, Chuck Thompson, Bruce Whittington, Sheila Walmsley, Ajay Appelaar, Keary Conright, Pat Amos, David Coulson, Jean Crowder, Cari Burdett, Sheila Jones, David Suzuki, Sue McKitrick & The Lovely Georgia Nicols. 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 contirbutors.
Local Food and Recipes Guide To A 50km Cowichan Thanksgiving Meal 10 Island Farmhouse Poultry: Cornbread Sausage Stuffing 10 Fresh Local Cranberries 12 Local Thanksgiving Pairings 14 Bruce’s Kitchen - Preserves 16
for choosing Valley Voice advertisers FIRST! They help keep the community informed.
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 from the Victoria International Airport Arrivals Hall. Cover Image Chantrelles In The Forest, Image Drew Sunga
Are over 25,000 LOCAL readers your business market? Advertising Works! Contact Adrienne Richards to be part of the NOV & DEC Gift Guide and for Holiday Ad Promotions
Now Booking NOV 2012 Issue 48 AD Deadline: OCT 18th 250 510 6596 adrienne@cowichanvalleyvoice.com
4
Farm & Garden Pages Urban Farm: Backyard Hens 36 Guess The Weight of The Pumpkin 37 Soy Free Chicken Feed 38 Helpful Garden 39 Home & Design Designing Green: Harvest Time 26 Natural Latex Mattress 27 Radiant Heating 28 Natural Composting Toilets 29
October Event Highlights Madquerade Party at Birds Eye Cove 20 Travelling World Community Film Festival 21 Film Festival Descriptions 22-23 Listen Up Book Lovers 35 Art, Music, Theatre Ray Bonneville 7 LIGHT clay + wood 17 Cowichan Symphony 57th Season 30 Imagine That Artist Sandra Holmes 30 CRAFT Cowichan Valley Artisans 32 Talking Arts: Gelinas Carr Furniture 31 Outnumbered by Sue McKitrick 45 Sport, Recreation & Healthy Living Cycle Therapy: Emil Sorenson 24 Green Living: Green Halloween 25 Body, Mind & Soul Local Author:Buddha Nature Now 36 Yoga Moment with Kelsey 41 Coach in Your Corner 50 123 Shift! 50 October Horoscope with Georgia Nicols 45
Valley Voice Magazine -Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley
Culinary Arts Certificate
2nd Annual James Barber Fundraiser Dinner Sunday, October 7th Noon till 4 pm Providence Farm 1843 Tzouhalem Road Duncan Tickets $100 250 746 4204
T
he Cowichan Chefs Table is presenting a culinary showcase in honour of the late James Barber, Canada’s Urban Peasant. This year’s fundraiser has the theme of savoury, spicy & sweet dishes made with local honey. This fundraiser features stations throughout the historic buildings offering culinary delicacies paired with local beer, wine and cider. The funds raised go directly to support Providence Farm’s food programs. The proceeds from last year’s event replaced the kitchen ovens at Providence Farm. This year funds will be directed to refurbishing the outdoor kitchen. “Working with Providence Farm is really satisfying, they have great staff, beautiful facilities and important work to do. The Farm itself is a jewel for the Cowichan Valley and a vital cog in the local food system,” commented Bill
Jones, author, chef, and food consultant, Deerholme Farm. The following Cowichan Chefs Table and invited BC chefs along with food & beverage producers are confirmed: Chef Allan Aikman, Vancouver Island University; Chef Brad Boisvert, Amuse Bistro on the Vineyard; Chef Fatima da Silva, Bistro 161; Chef Frédéric Desbiens, Saison Market Vineyard; Chef Jonathan Duquette, Moby’s Oyster Bar & Marine Grill; Chef Matt Horn, Cowichan Pasta; Chef Dan Hudson, Hudson’s On First; Chef Bill Jones, Deerholme Farm; Chef Dave Lang, North Island College; Chef Janice Mansfield, Real Food Made Easy; Chef Cory Pelan, The Whole Beast; Chef Brock Windsor, Stone Soup Inn; Chef Bruce Woods, Bruce’s Kitchen; Chef Ryan Zuvich, Hilltop Bistro; Applejack Farm; Cowichan Bay Seafood; Hilary’s Cheese; True Grain Bread; Vancouver Island Sundeck Centre; Averill Creek Vineyard; Blue Grouse Estate Winery; Phillips Beer; Merridale Ciderworks; Tugwell Creek Farm; Unsworth Vineyards; VenturiSchulze Vineyards; Victoria Spirits; Drumroaster Coffee; and Tea Master Victor Vesely,Teafarm.
Professional Cook Level 1 and Level 2 Apprenticeship Training
New LOCATION! Providence Farm Classes
Wednesday – Saturday
3 pm – 945 pm
February 4, 2013 – November 22, 2013
Foodsafe Required
Call Student Services At
250 746-3509
For Admission Requirements! www.cc.viu.ca
Eat Local, Learn Local!
Image above; Chef Bill Jones and Pat Barber in front of the James Barber wood burning oven. Photo Credit: Cassandra Anderton
Home of the Cowichan Valley’s “100 Mile Dawg” A locally based, socially conscious mobile food alternative FOR UPDATES
depotdawgs
@depotdawgs1
To book events call 250 732-5250 or email depotdawgs@gmail.com.
Watch for opening date of the new restaurant in Spring 2013.
Thank you for choosing Valley Voice advertisers FIRST! They help keep the community informed.
5
1- 27
Chickens - A Musical Comedy runs to Oct 27 Chemainus Theatre Festival 1800 565 7738
13 10am -9:30pm
Travelling World Community Film Festival Island Savings Centre, 2687 James Street
1- 16th 10am-5pm
Anne Jarvis, Kaye Smillie and Sharron Campbell CVAC Portals 2687 James St., Duncan
13 7pm doors
Cowichan Folk Guild Coffee House Fraser Union Duncan United Church, 246 Ingram St $7
1- 31 9am - dusk
Abby Lane U Pick Pumpkins and Horse Drawn Wagon Rides I7233 Mays Road, 250 709 5405
15 9am - 4pm
Garden House Foundation Charity Book Sale Cobble Hill Hall, Watson Ave 250 743 4627
1 - 27
Sue Coleman and Sandra Holmes On View Imagine That! 251 Craig St, Duncan
15 4-8pm
South Cowichan Open House Discussion on Water Shawnigan Lk Community Centre, 2804 Shawnigan Lk Rd
1 -28 open late on Sat
LIGHT, clay + wood - Art Lamps on Show Margit Nellemann Studio 8350 Richards Trail 250 748 3811
15 7pm
Cowichan Valley Green Party of BC General Meeting VIU Cafeteria. All are welcome!
6 & 13 10am -2pm
Honeymoon Bay Outdoor Market Coffee Mill Site, Honeymoon Bay 250 749 7233
15 10am 1pm
Healthy Soup Program Chemainus www.cnha.ca Cowichan Neighbourhood House 9796 Willow Street
3 6-8pm
Cowichan Writers’ Group Duncan Library, James Street For Info 250 746 7805
16 7:30pm
Cowichan Symphony hosts The Naden Band Cowichan Theatre, 250 748 7529
3 8pm
Cougar Annie Tales “Pick of the Fringe” Duncan Garage Showroom $12 in adv./ $15 @ door
21 7-8:30pm
Sacred Chant Circle @ Rivendell Yurt (by donation) for more info sdbartram@gmail.com/250 748 2089
4,11,18,25 7pm
Meditation with Nichiren Peace Centre VIU All are welcome 250 715 7594
17 start 3:30pm
Bounty Of The Harvest, From Garden To Forest Cooking Class Amusé on The Vineyard 250 743 3667
4,11,18,25
2:30 -5:30 pm
Multicultural Leadership Group-Interfaith Bridging United Church Heritage Hall, 246 Ingram St 250 743 5685
17 7 -8:30 pm
Chakra Yoga Class @ Rivendell Yurt pre-register sdbartram@gmail.com/250 748 2089
4 4pm -6pm
Open House, Expansion Project Chemainus Valley Historical Society Water Wheel Park
17 & 27 10am -noon
Zero Mile Lunch and Public Tour OUR Ecovillage 1565 Baldy Mtn Road Shawnigan Lk, 250 743 3067
4 7pm
End of the Line, Enbridge Pipeline odyssey United Church Heritage Hall, 246 Ingram St 250 743 5685
17 4-8pm
South Cowichan Open House Discussion on Water Mill Bay Community Hall, 1001 Shawnigan Mill Bay Rd
5 7pm
Om Chanti Kirtan An evening of call & response chanting Harmony Yoga 201-111 Station St. Duncan
18 10am -5pm
POG 21st Annual Show CVAC Portals 2687 James St., Duncan.
5&6 10am -5pm
Maple Bay Painters Art Show St Peter’s Church, Maple Bay 5800 Church Road
20 10am 5pm
Saltspring Vineyards Annual Grape STOMP Kinsmen Park, Alderlea Street, Duncan
6 7:30pm
Ray Bonneville - Blues, Slide Guitar Master & Harmonica Cowichan Theatre, 250 748 7529 $20 Seniors/$25 Adults
21 & 22 9am -2pm
Arbutus Ridge Art Club Annual Show Arbutus Ridge Golf Club
6 3pm -9pm
Harvest Festival OUR Ecovillage $40 1565 Baldy Mtn Road Shawnigan Lk, 250 743 3067
22 10am -4pm
Share the Harvest: a family day of food and fun Kinsmen Park, Alderlea Street, Duncan
6-28 noon -4pm
Bright Colours! and Art of the Edible Tues - Sunday Ladysmith Waterfront Gallery, 610 Osyter Bay Dr
22 7pm
Reel Alternatives Movie, A Separation Cowichan Theatre, James Street, Duncan.
7 noon 8pm
Amusé Family Style Thanksgiving Dinner 3 courses $40 2915 Cameron Taggart Rd, Cobble Hill 250 743-3667
23 7pm
Photographing Birds on a Budget w/ Bruce Bird Hardwick Hall, High Street at 3rd Avenue, Ladysmith
7 10am 12:30pm
Thanksgiving Brunch $12.95-$26.95, kids under 5 FREE Reservations 250.743.5100 Arbutus Ridge Golf Club
25 5:30pm or 7:30pm
A Taste of Germany (Oktoberfest) Honeymoon Bay Lodge & Retreat, 250 749 4252
7 noon 4pm
James Barber Fundraiser Dinner Providence Farm, Tix $100 250 746 4204
26 7:30pm
Cowichan Symphony presents Victoria Symphony Cowichan Theatre, 250 748 7529
7,14,21,28
Discovery Service Nichiren Peace Centre Reservations 250.743.5100 Arbutus Ridge Golf Club
27 9am 2pm
FREE Guess The Weight of the Giant Pumpkin Duncan Farmer’s Market
12 & 13 5-9pm
Merridale Thanksgiving 3 Course Meal $40 1230 Merridale Rd, Cobble Hill 250.743.4293
27 10am
Beginners Mushroom Identification Workshop Wildwood Forest, 250 245 5540 to register
12 7:30pm
Clubhouse Partay - The Gary Preston Band $5 Mt. Brenton Golf Course - 2816 Henry Rd, Chemainus
27 8pm
Birds Eye Cove Masquerade Party 5881 Genoa Bay Road For Tickets Call 250 748 6379
13 & 27 7pm
Chemainus 55 +Dances & Luncheon Double Play Chemainus Seniors Centre
27 & 28 9am - 5pm
2 Day Veneer & Inlay Wood Workshop with Karen Trickett Cowichan Bay Maritime Centre, 250 746 4955
13
Holotropic Breathwork Workshop Kali Yoga Studio, Shawnigan Lake, 250 507 4557
28 2pm
Classical pianist Lorraine Min St. Michael’s Church Chemainus 250 748 8383
13 9am -1pm
Harvest Fair United Church Heritage Hall, 246 Ingram St 250 746 6043
31 Doors at 6:30pm
Halloween Haunted House - Chemainus Cowichan Neighbourhood House 9796 Willow Street
Ongoing
Cowichan Valley Artisans Studio Tour Various Locations www.cowichanvalleyartisans.com
6
Valley Voice Magazine -Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley
J B 6 A p F a s l M h
I
b P i d p r M R t I s D c h a B s i w f
“ s s R a c m w t o
Where The Songs Come From
Juno award winner Ray Bonneville will be here October 6 at the Cowichan Theatre. A master of slide guitar, Ray played the 2011 Islands Folk Festival and blew the crowd away. His sounds are swampy sultry, blues with excellent lyrics, guitar and harmonica. Musician Ryan Hollet shares his meeting with Ray.
I
listened to Bonneville play his set in the acoustically brilliant chapel venue at Providence Farm and was impressed by his poetic delivery, effortless guitar playing and boot-tapped rhythm. “Where does the Music come from?” I asked Ray. “You got to do better than that!?” was the response I received. Sure, to a stage savy, cowboy boot wearing, Danelectro playing Nashville crooner, this question might have been a little unorthodox, and perhaps even boring. But, to myself, a frustrated songwriter, this was, and still is, a legitimate concern. So, where does the music come from Ray? “You know when you’re shopping for a car, and you see all the for sale signs?” said Ray, “I’m always shopping for a song. So whenever words come up that are interesting to me, sometimes they’re just two words, or three words strung together in a novel, newspaper or conversation, they kind of
jump out in italics at me... Cause I’m looking for a for sale sign. And I go, “OK” and I’ll have to write that down or put it in my iphone, because I will forget it, and within five minutes it will be gone... And really that’s just like taking a seed and putting it in the dirt. That’s not the song, that’s just what is going to grow the song.” Ok, so Bonneville relies on his perceptions of the world, mining his day’s experiences for gems of literary insight. Then he takes those gems and puts them in the dirt, and then what happens? How does haphazard notes on an iphone become a groovy little tune? “Then, when I get home” explains Ray “I take those things and I look at them and try to think of a story that will trigger my imagination... I’ll write a verse, I’ll write two verses. And then I rewrite it and rewrite it, and I’ll make a verse into a chorus and a chorus into a verse. I’ll change all the words around. I will wake in the middle of the night and change a line. And, after a while, I have boiled it down and I have a song.” Geez, that sounds like a lot of work! I guess staying perpetually in the process is what makes Bonneville a full-time songwriter. Whether out kicking tires, or on task in his workshop, it is obvious this man spends a lot of time writing songs. “It is a lot of work, a labor of love” confessed Ray. But something tells me he would have it no other way! www.raybonnevile.com Ryan Hollett lives in Chemainus and teaches guitar in the Valley. For inquiries email: ryan.hollett@ yahoo.ca
7
Renaissance Women Learn Preservation From The Somenos Women’s Institute
R
ecently I attended a canning workshop hosted by the Renaissance Women, a local group of dedicated “reskillers.” When I was invited to join them to learn how to preserve our local harvest, I jumped at the chance. Led by Mrs. Ruth Fenner and Lynn Wellings of the Somenos Women’s Institute, my cohorts and I learned how to make a delicious apple jelly, a veritable cornucopia of a summer salsa, and a lovely pickled vegetable recipe that looked almost too beautiful to eat. For three hours, we cored, peeled, diced, and chopped, all the while keeping our Ladies chopping and prepping together Image Heather McLeod.
ears perked for the gems of wisdom that the ladies would dispense. For example, although most recipes call for it, Ruth prefers not to pre-cook her cucumbers when she makes dill pickles. The reason? It generally leads to mushy pickles. I got
Patti, Heather, Ange and Ruth ready for jarring just made salsa. Image Heather McLeod.
the impression that Ruth’s homemade dill pickles are probably the most crisp and satisfying dill pickles you can find here in the valley! I came away with several jars of preserved summer. But I also came away with something more valuable: a sense we were preserving history. You see, I had never heard of the Women’s Institute in British Columbia, and I suspect that I’m not alone.
Founded in the late 19th century, the Women’s Institute movement has grown from a grassroots organization in rural Canada into one of the largest women’s voluntary organizations worldwide. Here in BC, they have been instrumental in providing some of the basic amenities that smaller communities like ours take for NEW LOCATION and LIQUOR LICENSE! 3106-115 Fulford-Ganges Rd in granted, such as Grace Point Square, Salt Spring Island public libraries, community halls, and healthy baby programs. Locally, their quiet and stable influence Hours of Operation Tues-Sat 11:30-3pm / 5:30 to close (+/-9) continues to shape Sunday 11:30am-2pm / 5:30-close Monday Lunch only 11:30am - 3pm the Cowichan Reservations or Take Out 250 931 3399 Valley. Members
8
Maeve and Ruth straining Apple Jelly Image Heather McLrod.
like Ruth and Lynn give canning workshops in the aid of preserving heritage crafts, as well as fundraise for scholarships and bursaries for students who will return to their community in a serving occupation. Ruth and Lynn said meeting our group was an inspiration to them—--it was a validation of their work with the institute to see a group of women from another generation trying to reclaim the skills they hold so dear. The honour was all ours. Leanne Schultz lives in Maple Bay with her husband and 2 active girls.
Valley Voice Magazine -Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley
Makaria Farm garlic. Image Paul Fletcher
Step 2: Prepare Your Garden Raised beds/rows are the secret to avoiding mould in our wet winters. And plan ahead: you’ll want to stop watering your garlic in July, so don’t plant garlic with your vegetables that need water (e.g. tomatoes).
L
Step 3: Plant! October is traditionally garlic-planting month. Separate your garlic bulb into its cloves, without peeling off the wrapping around each clove. Then plant each clove 6-12” apart, pointy side up, about 2” deep. Covering the garlic bed with up to 4” of dead leaves or grass clippings will help prevent weeds.
on the farm
With Makaria Farm
Heather owns and operates Makaria Farm with her husband Brock. www.makariafarm.com
ove garlic? Try growing your own! Garlic doesn’t need to be watered, deer don’t eat it and, if you treat your plants to some mulch, weeding isn’t a big issue either. Here’s what you do:
Step 1: Get Your Seed Some grocery store garlic won’t germinate properly, but organic garlic, “seed” garlic from garden stores, and bulbs grown by friends or family will sprout and grow just fine. Visit a local farmer’s market and choose from many different varieties, from Music to Russian Red, or order online from a seed company like Salt Spring Seeds.
Step 4: Leave it Alone Leave your garlic plants to do their magic. You don’t even need to water them. In June, a shoot will start to emerge from the top of the plant and will get curly, like a pig’s tail. Snap it off (it’s edible) to ensure your plant produces a large bulb. Harvest in midJuly when half of the leaves have died down. Brush any soil from the bulb and roots and leave the whole plant to cure in a dry, shady, breezy place for several weeks before snipping off the stem and roots. Easy!
9
THANKSGIVING
MEAL
“It’s fresher from here”
Country Cornbread Sausage Stuffing Amount
Ingredients
1 cup 1 cup 2 teaspoons 1/2 teaspoon 1 1 cup 1/4 cup 1/4 cup
Cornbread Method
cornmeal flour baking powder salt egg milk oil local honey
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F . Lightly grease an 8 inch square cake pan. In a large bowl sift dry ingredients and combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder. Mix egg, milk, honey and vegetable oil and add to dry ingredients. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Amount
1 Package 4 Cups 2 Cups 3 1/2 Cups 3 1 Cup 2 tsp. 1/2 tsp. 1 Cup 1 Cup 1 tsp.
Ingredients
Island Farmhouse Chicken Sausage crumbled cornbread dry bread crumbs chicken stock eggs milk salt black pepper chopped celery chopped onion fresh sage
Stuffing Method
Remove chicken sausage from casing and fry till cooked with chopped onions. Set aside. Mix cornbread and bread crumbs with stock. Beat eggs and add milk, salt and pepper to bread mixture. Add celery, sausage and seasoning and mix well. . If needed add more liquid to keep moist. Stuff into turkey for roasting or bake in a well greased pan at 375 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.
M
y partner’s family has a tradition where each night before eating they go around the table and express something they are thankful for from that day. This gives pause between dishing-up and digging-in, and also sets a tone of graciousness that flows into those first bites of food. We continue this tradition but add to it our own ritual of giving thanks toward the
people who tended the food we eat - from seed to table. Thank you (imagining the person who tilled the soil, planted the seed, harvested the produce, and packaged the food). Thank you (imagining the person who transported the food). Thank you (seeing the person who retails the food).
Cranberry Sauce 4 Cups fresh YPC cranberries 2 Cups sugar 1/2 Cup water Combine all ingredients and bring to boil. Turn down to a slow simmer. Cook until berries pop. Serve hot or cold.
Open 11am - 5pm Daily
4532 Yellow Point Rd Ladysmith 250 245-5283 Visit our farm store for local cranberries and other delicious cranberry products and condiments ranging from spicy and savoury to succulent sweet.
1615 Koksilah Road Cowichan Bay BC 250-746-6163 • www.farmhousepoultry.ca Chicken available from Country Grocer, 49th Parallel, Duncan Butcher, Chemainus Foods, Crofton Foods and Thrifty Foods
10
Cranberries • Tours • Homemade Preserves • Gift Shop
yellowpointcranberries.com
Valley Voice Magazine -Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley
When I began this practice many years ago, I remember envisioning farmers in China, merchants in India, and pickers from Mexico. These days I find myself envisioning familiar faces and including names to the people involved in my dinner plate, reflecting my personal decision to eat more locally-produced food. Farmers’ Markets, pasturefed chickens, and heirloom tomatoes are not just a passing fad – eating local is an environmentally, socially, economically, and culturally significant shift. Eating local decreases carbon emissions, keeps more dollars in the local economy, builds community, increases food security, protects agricultural land, and re-kindles the connection to our food source. By connecting to our food source, we may stop seeing food as just another commodity in the marketplace. We may remember that although food is a basic need, millions go without it daily. We may remember why we once said grace – a tradition leftover from a time when your daily bread was something to be truly grateful for. Even if you don’t give an intentional blessing and thanks for your food on a daily basis, Thanksgiving is an annual celebration where we can take pause and give thanks. Food is the focal point of this holiday so why not make this special meal all the more meaningful by using local ingredients and creating a ripple of thanks giving throughout our region. When you join with friends and family this year to share in abundance and to give thanks, I challenge you to thank your farmers by name at your dinner table.
Here’s a quick grocery guide for your Thanksgiving shopping. Most of the producers below can be found on the Cowichan Green Community’s Buy Local! Buy Fresh! Map. Have fun meeting the farmers and producers while you shop for the ingredients and you will have a greater appreciation while eating your 50km Thanksgiving meal this year! Turkey: OUR Ecovillage; Crawford’s Farm; Cali Farm; Kilrenny Farm; Lockwood Farms; Westholme Farm; Stocking Creek Farm; Organic Fair Farm and Garden; Crazy Dog Farm; Stonefield Farm; Glen Eden Organic Farm Squash: Isabelle’s Garden; Cali Farm; SOL Farm; McNabs Corn Maze; Code’s Corner Farm; Applejack Farm; Glenora Farm; Cedar Valley Poultry Farm; Makaria Farm, 8 1/2 Acres Pumpkins and Apples: Pumpkin: Glenora Farm; McNab’s Corn Maze Apples: Hard to Come by Farm; Mossy Banks; Innisvale Farm, Abby Lane Farm Potatoes: Glenora Farm; Isabelle’s Garden; Henry Farms; Terra Nossa; SOL Farm; McNab’s Corn Maze; Applejack Farm Corn McNab’s Corn Maze; Henry; Makaria Farm; Hope Farm Fresh Cranberries: Yellow Point Cranberry Farm Breads: True Grain Bakery *ask for their selection of bread made from locally milled grains.
COOKING CLASS! Italian Harvest Dinner Oct 15th 6-8:30 pm with CBC Food Show host Don Genova $65 + tax
Fresh Organic Artisan Pastas & Sauces Fresh organic artisan pasta locally made in Cowichan Bay. We use only organic grains in our pasta. Classic Italian pasta sauces : Bolognase, Puttanesca, Marinara & Amatriciana (all made at the farm! ) Visit our Farm Store Thurs to Sun 11 am to 6 pm 1470 Cowichan Bay Rd, Cowichan Bay
Check kilrennyfarm.com for more info or call 250-743-9019
Raelynn Gibson resides in Duncan and is part of the team at Cowichan Green Community.
11
Fresh Local Cranberries
T
he Keefer family has been growing cranberries in British Columbia for over 25 years. “There are about 6000 acres of cranberries grown in BC. Of that 6000 acres, only 60 acres are grown for fresh fruit because the dry harvest process (not flooded in the fields) is labour intensive and less economical. The Keefers do both dry harvesting for fresh berries and water harvesting for cranberries to be processed.
For their fresh berry harvest, the Keefer’s grow a cranberry called the Bergman. It is a small and tasty, earlier darkening berry perfect for those who love the rich colour that cranberries are known for. These vines are trained and pruned to grow leaner and lower to the ground, with consideration for easier picking. To bring in a crop of fresh cranberries the farmers are required to walk very slowly behind a small machine the size of a big lawn mower. The picker combs through
the vines, plucking the fruit off and lifting it into a sack. When the sack is full (30-40 lbs) the fruit is carried off the field by hand and deposited into totes. About 15-30 % of the fruit fall through and is left in the field. After all this process the fruit is cleaned, sorted and packed and then quickly shipped for market. Cranberries are a perennial ground covering plant that grow on low bushes about 4-6” off the ground. There are no rows in the field. They blossom at the end of June and the harvest begins near the end of September and continues through the beginning of November. Good news for cooks who enjoy the freshest picks of the season as you can buy early picked cranberries for Thanksgiving and still buy fresh cranberries at the end of the season for Christmas dinner. If kept cool cranberries will keep very well.
Just harvested 2012 cranberries. Image Grant Keeferr
to visit their farm gate store. “We now make over 20 different preserves - from Cranberry Sauce to Cranberry Salsa, and a variety of dry packaged goods such as Cranberry Ginger Scones and Cranberry Chocolate Bark.” says Grant. The store also sells fresh cranberry juice, a
Join us for a relaxing ZEN EXPERIENCE
• Full Hair and Esthetics Services • Joico hair color and products • Natural Sugaring Hair Removal • Onsite Gel Nail Artist
Stop by the farm for a tour or
Thanksgiving Dinner Dungeness Crab Feast Plan 1 crab per person for a meal. You may call ahead to reserve crabs or choose your own from the tank. Fresh, live crab available daily!
Amount
Ingredients
10 Fresh 1 tsp 1
Dungeness Crab Kosher Salt Bay Leaf unsalted butter, melted
* Large pot with steamer insert or large stock pot.
Fall Hours Open 7 Days a Week 10 am to 5:30pm
Method Prepare a large pot with steamer insert and lid with 1 inch of water. Dissolve salt in water, throw in bay leaf and bring to a boil on high heat. Place crabs in steamer rack, cover and bring water back to boiling. When water reaches boiling, turn heat to medium- high and steam until crab is cooked through about 7 minutes or until bright orange-red. Remove crabs with tongs, and let cool in large bowl while you repeat process with remaining crabs for meal. Serve with melted butter for dipping, corn on the cob and baked stuffing! Fresh live crab should be purchased and cooked the same day—the crabs can only be stored in the refrigerator for a few hours once taken out of their holding tanks.
Cowichan Bay Seafoods
12
www.yellowpointcranberries.com
AhZenya the newest salon and spa in the Cowichan Valley
LIVE DUNGENESS CRAB • FRESH FISH • LOCAL PRAWNS AND MORE!
1 pound
selection of cranberry based condiments and their bake at home dessert make fantastic food gifts. In October, a special demonstration will be set up for when they water harvest their cranberries for processing.
1751 Cowichan Bay Rd, Cowichan Bay 250-748-0020 E-mail: info@cowichanbayseafood.com
Valley Voice Magazine -Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley
F
G W G Q M
T T G c ( b r o O c c s c
LIGHT clay+wood Image Victor Vesely
F
LIGHT clay + wood Exhibit runs until October 28 October 6,13,20,27 - Open LATE til 9pm Gallery hours 10am - 5pm Wed - Sun Open until 9pm Saturdays in October Teafarm 8350 Richards Trail, North Cowichan www.teafarm.ca 250 748 3811
To add flair to your Thanksgiving Table True Grain can make an edible centrepiece for your table (see right. It is made up of 18 buns. Local sifted dough upon request. Centrepiece by pre order only. On a pre-order basis, one can order our 18 piece centrepiece and request the sifted local dough. You can choose specialty seed and
LIGHT clay+wood is a celebration of the art of lighting. GelinasCarr Furniture and Margit Nellemann join their creative forces in this autumnal exhibit and harvest of light. It is at this time of the year we like to invite more light into our homes and lives. Lamps, lanterns and other light sources will illuminate Margit Nellemann Studio & Gallery @Teafarm until October 28th. Every Saturday in October the Gallery will remain open
Breads Made With Island Milled Flour
or those looking for a truly local loaf, True Grain Bread makes a Rustic White made from sifted Island Grown grain from either the Qualicum, Duncan or Metchosin area.
Open Wed - Sun 10am - 5pm
True Grain Bread Centrepiece
nut toppings (not all local) but centrepieces can also be requested without toppings. For more information on how to order your centrepiece contact True Grain Bread 250 746 7664 in Cowichan Bay.
8350 Richards Trail
North Cowichan
until 9pm so that you can experience Teafarm in a different light. Tea and sweet pairings are available for your delight as well. Saturday evenings will be an opportunity to learn about your favourite tea, discover new teas and explore the world of culinary tea. This Tea+Talk series will compliment your gallery experience.
250 748 3811 www.teafarm.ca
13
local wine IDEAS for A
THANKSGIVING meal
T
his year we have made a conscious decision to serve only local wine and cider at our Thanksgiving table. As the harvests of October are a great time to give thanks for our local food and farmers why not show the same appreciation to the vineyards and winemakers? Our own household has vowed to switch one bottle of wine consumed a month to a local, Cowichan Valley wine. As there are many Okanagan, French, Italian and Californian wines that we have adored for a long time we are finding that this small step is a manageable way to honour big intentions as we taste and discover our favourite local blends. We urge readers to do follow suit in our local tasting adventure, starting with your Thanksgiving Dinner. It’s offseason now and the line ups are gone. Here is a quick list to some favourite local pairings for a traditional Thanksgiving meal of turkey, potatoes, stuffing and cranberry sauce. Great things can happen with small steps.
Under $20 Local Pairing Suggestions:
Blue Grouse Vicesimus 2010 $18 Lush, aromatic, crisp apple white. Rocky Creek On the Mark $19 Black current, blackberry, American oak and hint of spiced coffee. Venturi Schulze Primavera 2010 $19.90 Juicy, delicious dry white. Unsworth Vineyards 2011 Pinot Gris $19.90 Bright, crisp and clean, citrusy white. Deol Estate 2007/2008 Blanc de Noir $14.90 Clean, crisp refreshing white. Merridale Normandie $16.35 Dry, full bodied still cider more like an apple wine. Zanatta
Choose one of Daniel’s famous dishes. No Matter what your taste buds are craving, we have a great meal for you.
Now open for dinner 7 Days a week Open for lunch Thurs to Sunday
14
Valley Voice Magazine -Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley
Vineyards Pinot Grigio $19.99 Full body, dry white wine. Averill Creek Somenos Rosé 2010 $17 Cherry leads to a light body and crisp wine. Merridale Traditional Cider $9.62 Light, dry and effervescent.
$20 and Over Local Pairing Suggestions:
Glenterra Pinot Blanc (Certified Organic Grapes) $20; Spicy oak and fruit on the nose. Buttery, creamy white. Garry Oak Vineyards Prism 2008 $22 Blend of Gewtrztraminer and Chardonnay hinting tastes of flowers pineapple, fresh peach, lime and ginger. Venturi Schulze Nero di Collina $26.10 Medium-bodied, delicious, unique & juicy red. Rocky Creek Pinot Gris $20 Un oaked with pear and apple flavours hinted with vanilla and caramel. Alderlea Vineyards 2007 Pinot Noir Reserve $32 Full on the palate with a long finish. Salt Spring Vineyards Karma 2008 $34.90 Methode Champenoise style sparkling wine. Glenterra Vineyards 2011 Gewürztraminer $20 Excellent food wine with grapefruit, melon & subtle spice. Averill Creek Pinot Noir 2009 $26 Black cherries, leather, and tobacco followed by a lasting well balanced finish. Mistaken Identity 2011 Rosé $20 Dry and ready to pair with strawberry in the nose and finish. Rocky Creek Pinot Noir $25 Versatile red with hints of cloves and pepper.
d 0
15
Walkabout The Salt Spring Market A s Farmers markets start to wind down and Autumn approaches most of our thoughts turn to preserving the bounty of the harvest. I have memories of foods being put down when I was young and to this day it is one of my favourite kitchen activities. Canning and preserving can be a great family activity, with the children helping to slice and chop vegetables ready for the jars. Indeed they can learn many valuable skills while being involved. Recently at work we have put down blueberries, tomatoes, plum chutney, hot peppers and dill pickles.
BRUCE’S KITCHEN 2013 APPLE CALENDAR Salt Spring Island’s renowned Chef Bruce Wood is offering a delectable sampling of recipes featuring the versatile apple in both sweet and savoury forms, these recipes follow the seasons so that you can enjoy apples all year round! Watercolour illustrations by Salt Spring • Cider Brined Rack of Pork with Heritage Apple artist and Blackberry Glaze Diana Morris
• Quince and Blue Cheese Tartlets • Oatmeal Crepes with Apples, Chevre, and Lavender Infused Maple Syrup and more! Now Available! Price: $20 plus shipping and handling. To Order: Bruce’s Kitchen 250-931-3399 chefbruce@shaw.ca www.bruceskitchen.ca
make beautiful preserves. In the recipe this month you could add one pound of prune plums cut in half. Cook them with the sirop just before you add the rest of the fruit. Served with rich cheeses or cold meats this is a great harvest recipe. As with any canning care should be taken to follow safe procedures, I can recommend the book The Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving: Over 300 Recipes to Use Year-Round by Ellie Toppe & Margaret Howard. It is an excellent guide to canning & preserving. Bruce Wood is chef/ owner of Bruce’s Kitchen in Ganges on beautiful Salt Spring Island. www.bruceskitchen.ca
We are just getting the first pears and plums and they
Italian Mustard Fruits Recipe courtesy Bruce Wood, Bruce’s Kitchen, Salt Spring Island Serving a sweet and sour condiment like this mustard fruits with rich foods helps to provide balance. I like to make extra and place them in jars.
Amount Ingredients 2 cups 2 cups 2 cups 2 cups 8 (peeled, and cut into 1/2inch cubes) 4 cups 2 cups 3 cups 1/3 cup 1 tsp. 1 cup
dried cranberries dried apricots, quartered dried figs, quartered raisins fresh pears dry red wine red wine vinegar white sugar mustard powder dried chili flakes whole mustard seeds
Place all the fruits in a bowl and reserve. In a heavy bottomed pot stir together the wine, vinegar, sugar, and spices and bring to a boil. Simmer hard for 5 minutes and remove from the heat. Pour the hot syrup over the fruit. Cool and refrigerate and let steep for 24 hours. Pour the cooled fruit into clean jars and keep refrigerated.
16
Valley Voice Magazine -Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley
M
s m d a M t f m a
O e t a o
Cowichan
EATING
Cooper and some pine mushrooms. Image Bill Jones
Fungi in the Forests and Fields Bill Jones is an author, chef and food consultant who can be found at Deerholme.com
M
ushrooms have been running my life for the past several years. In many ways I moved to the Cowichan Valley due to the abundance of fungi and the beauty of the forests. My whole year revolves around the mushroom seasons – waiting for mushrooms, talking about mushrooms, cooking mushrooms and of course eating them too. Our valley is a great place to explore the world of fungi and the fall is prime time for foraging and eating the bounty. Each area of the region is a micro climate
for various types of mushrooms. A mushroom is actually the fruiting body of a larger organism, usually consisting of a network of fibres or filaments called mycelium. You can think of most mushrooms like an apple on a large tree. When you are picking a mushroom like the chanterelle, you are plucking fruit from the larger organism. Luckily there appears to be little harm done to the plant when we forage. Habitat destruction is however a serious detriment to the mycelia. Man made actions like forestry and road building do cause damage to the organism, mainly through the removal of tall trees that shade the mosses below. Moss is a protective layer that
helps retain water and serves as a natural ground cover, protecting the mycelia below. When the forests are cut down the ground becomes very dry and the protective moss layer is killed off. Apparently the organism goes into a dormant stage and as the trees above mature in 15 or 20 years the mushrooms will recover and become productive again. So where do you look for mushrooms? It depends on what type of mushroom you are after. Most good edible types are associated with mature forest of Douglas fir in our region (of course there are many exceptions). The fir trees usually grow tall and create a protective canopy for moss to flourish below. In addition, the firs have evolved over time to create a mutually beneficial association with many types of fungi (including the good edible – but also a few poisonous varieties!). Cedars, on the other hand, tend to drop their needles below the trees and contain substances and properties that kill off the moss. In addition there are many poisonous and toxic mushrooms that flourish below the cedars. The correct identification of mushrooms is a daunting task for
those just starting out. There is good reason for caution. There may be more than 10,000 types of mushrooms in the Pacific Northwest and only 30-40 types are considered good edibles. The other 9,940 types contain a variety of bad taste, poisonous compounds and in some causes deadly toxins. Chanterelles are one mushroom that is fairly easy to identify and abundant locally. You could just stop there, as many people do, and not go further on the journey into the world of fungi. If you are adventurous and inspired, there are many ways to learn and explore the wonderful world of mushrooms. Each fall Deerholme Farm opens up the doors and offers instruction on foraging for wild mushrooms. There are foraging days (October 6th and 20th), cooking classes (October 27th) and fabulous mushroom feasts based on the great cuisines of the world (October 3th - Italian and November 3rd – Asian). These are great introductions to the complex world of mushrooms and a fast track to appreciating the beauty and amazing flavours of our valley fungi. More info is available on our website (www. deerholme.com).
Eliza Hemingway, Antiques
Hours: 10-30 to 5pm Tuesday to Sunday Closed Mondays. 9756C Willow Street, Chemainus, V0R 1K0 tel: 250-416-0363 www.elizahemingway.com
17
Valleyview
Centre
So much to oer!
1400 Cowichan Bay Rd Books Bucknuck Books 250-929-2665 Used books and Local authors Fitness Valley Health and Fitness 250-743-0511 Full service gym/classes Spa and Wellness Reiki Wellness *New Location #13 250 743-8122 Reiki, Foot Detox, Infrared, Acupuncture, Craniosacral
Cobblecinos 250 743 8158 Breakfast, Lunch, Brunch Country Grocer 250 743-5639 Bakery, Meat & Produce Dragon Yuan 250 733-2335 Chinese Eat In/ Take Out Healthcare Cobble Hill Dental 250-743-6698 Friendly, Family Practice
We Welcome New Patients!
Pets Dunkin Dogs 250 743-3935 Grooming, daycare, food/raw and more Computers Teky.ca 1-888-843-8359 Computer service & sales Websites & print design
18
Food
South Cowichan Physiotherapy & Sports Rehabilitation 250-743-3833 Physiotherapy, Acupuncture, Orthotics
Valley Voice Magazine -Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley
Master of The Slide Guitar
U-Pick Pumpkins at Abby Lane Farm
Open 9am - Dusk Daily Wagon Rides to U-Pick 10am - 4pm daily. 7233 Mays Rd off Herd Rd. 250 709 5405
P
ick your own farm-fresh pumpkins from this local organic pumpkin patch from thousands of pumpkins to choose from ranging in size from 1lb to 30lbs. Watch smashing pumpkins fly from a medieval catapault or search for pumpkins in a maze of ornamental corn. ANYONE can pick a pumpkin up at the grocery store, but how many have the privilege of choosing one right from the fields. “The U-pick patch has many carving pumpkins to choose from, but new for this year are also a selection of squashes.” exclaims Catherine Young, owner and operator of Abby Lane Pumpkin Farm. Cooks and bakers are invited to u-pick organic acorn, blue hubbard and delicious orange cutie buttercup squash. “In the patch we urge you to search for your own perfect jack-o-latern pumpkin but also keep your eyes open for sugar/pie pumpkins, rare blue pumpkin varieties and the favoured warted “Goosebump” pumpkins.” Some farm and family history... The original owner of the property was Catherine’s father who now assists Catherine by driving
THE COWICHAN FOLK GUILD proudly presents...
Ray Bonneville in Concert Squash and pumpkin selection at Abby Lane Pumpkin Farm.
one of the horse drawn wagons. (insert his name) He’s great with the kids, loves the horses and knows the lay of these lands like no one else. “He has farmed all his 77 years learning to drive horses very young.” Catherine tells us. “He grew up in Central Saanich on a strawberry farm and rode work horses in the fields well before tractors were widely used. On the farm we still use traditional practices for farming such as hand planting, weeding and cultivating by horse in harness.”
Ray Bonneville is a Canadian born, Austin based singer, hard-hitting songwriter, world-class guitarist and harmonica player, who is known for his “loose, darkly funky vibe”. He has received rave reviews from blues, jazz and roots critics alike. “A master of the slow burn, the gentle funk, the infectious rhythm.”— The Ottawa Citizen
Ray Bonneville LIVE
Saturday October 6th 7:30 PM Cowichan Theatre
2687 James St, Duncan For info(250) 748-7529
Tickets: CFG/ Youth Seniors $20 / Adults $25 Cowichan Ticket Centre www.ctcentre.bc.ca
The Abby Lane experience is memorable with a beautiful horse drawn wagon ride and farm tour down to the multi acre patch of pumpkins. The only way to the patch is by horse drawn carriage - no walk ins please. Drop ins are welcomed and groups tours can be scheduled in advance on weekdays please call Catherine to arrange.
Abby Lane Farm U Pick Pumpkin Patch OPENS Sept 29th 10am to Dusk Daily All October. Last tour 4pm.
Take a horse-drawn wagon tour to an authentic pumpkin patch! Thousands of pumpkins to choose from!
Scarecrows - Farm Gate Stand - Smashing Pumpkin Catapault - School & Group Tours - Horse Drawn Wagon Rides - Picnic Area - Halloween Fun!
www.abbylanefarm.com 7233 Mays Road, Duncan 250-709-5405 19
Masquerade Party In Genoa Bay
M
odern masquerade balls are often mistaken as costume parties; these are two very different events. Unlike a costume party, where identities are usually known, a masquerade is all about mystery. Masquerade ball attire can be as simple as a formal dress or suit right up to an elaborate well-thought-out renaissance costume. Costume, in this case, is considered fancy dress. The intent is not to guess a person’s identity, but rather to engage in candid conversation prior to the unmasking at midnight. A mask is mandatory at a masquerade affair. Proper etiquette at a masquerade ball is extremely important. For example, it is poor form to attempt to guess the identities of others. Guests are often encouraged to modify their voices and to avoid giving verbal cues as to who they are. If one does recognize an individual, it is considered polite to move to another conversation so as to not give away the identity to other listeners.
Honeymoon Bay Every Saturday Outdoor Market Every Saturday 10am - 2pm May - Thanksgiving
For market info call Bob at 250-749-7233 or 250-510-1113
20
As midnight approaches, attendees are encouraged to locate the guests with whom they have enjoyed the most stimulating conversation to engage in the final dance. As the the clock strikes midnight, all guests remove their masks. The fall schedule at Birds Eyes Cove kick’s off with a Masquerade Ball on October 27th. To maintain everyone’s enjoyment no individual will be allowed to enter the ball without a mask and costume. All masks are to remain in place until midnight and any individual who chooses to remove theirs prior, will be asked to leave. Hors d’oeuvres will be served throughout the evening and as this is a licensed event; no admittance will be given to minors. For those looking for a good ball mask Venetian mask designer Giafranco Zanardo lives in Victoria. You can visit his website at www.thevenetianmask.com for a great selection and information on how to order.
Look for in-season local produce, plants, flowers, sewing, baking, preserves, handmade soaps, bodycare, arts & crafts and more! Follow the signs to the Coffee Mill Cafe in Honeymoon Bay.
Valley Voice Magazine -Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley
Travelling World Community Film Festival Comes to Duncan October 13th!
Kinshasa Symphony Mesachie Room, Island Savings Centre 1pm
Consuming Kids VIU Lecture Hall 4:30pm
T
he World Community Film Festival, BC’s largest social justice film festival that has successfully run in Courtenay for 21 years, will now be travelling to Duncan for the first time on October 13th.
The Festival features 27 social justice and environmental documentaries that are sure to inspire, sometimes shock, and ultimately motivate audiences to action through awareness of issues both local and global. Tickets are available at the Island Savings Centre box office - $20 for a full day pass and $8 for the Saturday evening screening only. Early bird day passes are available for $17 until October 5th. Check out the great line-up of films in our pull-out program. For complete descriptions, visit www.cowichangreencommunity.org/events . To purchase tickets, call 250.748.7529 or go to www.ctcentre.bc.ca for complete listings and most up to date schedule.
Saturday, October 13th 2012 Film Schedule
Island Savings Centre and Vancouver Island University, Duncan
s
The Mesachie and Koksilah rooms are located on the main floor of the Island Savings Centre. The Boardroom is on the 3rd floor of the Island Savings Centre. The VIU Lecture Hall is on the main floor of Vancouver Island University, within a few minutes walking distance of the Island Savings Centre. The Island Savings Centre is located at 2687 James St.
21
22
Valley Voice Magazine -Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley
23
Having So much fun. Rider Emil Sorenson
M
eet Emil Sorenson. He remembers first riding a bike at the age of 5 and riding every day until he immigrated to Canada from Denmark when he was 25. He said that in Canada everyone drove a car so that’s what he did. No more bicycles. But when Emil turned 50 he decided that memory of joyfully riding every day was one he could no longer ignore. He bought a bike and began riding it to work every single day. Emil worked at
Vancouver Island University teaching Heavy Duty Mechanics. There was a very big hill to climb between his house and VIU but every day Emil rode that hill on his mountain bike. Then Emil retired. A tireless man, Emil decided to carry on at VIU as a volunteer instructor. He continued to pedal his bike up that hill and to the school every day. A few years ago, Emil began finding that hill more challenging. So, unbeknownst to his wife, he began to save. Small change, he said went into a Danish cookie jar regularly. Until just recently, when he told his wife that the hill up to VIU was almost too difficult to continue volunteering. That’s when he told her that he had a bit of money saved to purchase something special. He brought her into Cycle Therapy and showed her what he’d been saving for. A
Emil Sorenson and his new bike that pedals him up the hill with ease.
brand new Rocky Mountain Whistler 30 retrofitted with a BionX Electric Assist System. Anthony and David built it up for him and the first time he took it for a spin he was as giddy as a kid with their first new bike. Now, he says, “Going up that hill was becoming work. Now
it’s fun!” He named the bike ‘Small Change’. His wife calls Emil ‘Big Change’. Emil will be celebrating his 85th birthday in December. Sandra Beggs owns and operates Cycle Therapy in Duncan. wwwcycletherapy.ca
End of Summer Parking Lot Sale and Gear Swap!
OCTOBER 13TH
Blow-out prices on 2011 and 2012 BIKES, CLOTHING, & ACESSORIES! Clear-out on all Asics running shoes & apparel. Up to 75% off select items.
24
Valley Voice Magazine -Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley
S
Green Living
Green Halloween
ometimes during holiday times it can be easy to revert to old patterns that may not be the most eco-friendly so here’s a few ideas for the coming Halloween celebration that may help your family reduce their negative environmental impact and still have a spooky good time.
•Think home made! Whether its costumes or decorations, a little time and creativity can bring about some really original ideas. A quick google search will reveal a bunch of easy patterns or check out www.pinterest. com for unique costumes too. Your kids will get so much joy out of wearing what they have helped design and create and won’t go out looking like another of the same store bought, plastic, commercialized character. If you’re not all that crafty and still want to buy a costume consider www.etsy.com, amazing online shop for all things handmade.
Making decorations is a good opportunity for family time and they can be used year after year. My kids love getting out the Halloween box and laugh at the funny ways they drew ghosts and pumpkins when they were younger. •Traditional Halloween face paints are full of toxic ingredients that don’t belong on our children’s skin or discarded into our land and water supply. Moms can share their organic or natural make up or look for natural face paints. I found a recipe online to make warts and scars from gelatin and boiling water. •As for the “trick or treat” part of the evening, there are lots of options. If you still want to hand out candy and chocolate, source organic fair trade options. You will likely even be able to find ones sweetened with natural sweeteners like fruit juice and are dye free. As an alternative you can hand out non-edible treats like stickers, funny erasers, crafting supplies, mini flashlights etc. Halloween can be a time that lasting childhood memories are made and with a little thought and effort it doesn’t have to leave a lasting impact on our planet too. Image above; Rosie as a witch for Halloween eating a healthy treat. Tracey Hanson local mompreneur and owner/operator Clean Choice Eco-Friendly Cleaning Services
ARE YOU PREPARED FOR THE INEVITABLE? DO YOU HAVE?
• • • • •
A Will An Enduring Power of Attorney A Medical Representation Agreement An Advance Medical Directive (Living Will) An Estate Plan (that deals with jointly owned property, corporate property, trusts, registered accounts, life insurance, income tax and probate fees)
CALL US TO DISCUSS YOUR PLANS
201 – 64 Station Street Duncan BC V9L 1M4
Tel: 250-748-6633 Fax: 250-748-1496
R. Brian McDaniel – bmcd@mcdancolaw.com Julia E. Henderson – jeh@mcdancolaw.com
S L www.mcdancolaw.com
OU
ESCAPE
ESTHETICS Est. Since 2006
SPECIAL EVENT - OCTOBER 11th Come in and check out Soul Escape Esthetics’s new look and enter to win door prizes! #4 -5777 Trans Canada Hwy, Duncan BC 250.748.2056 www.soulescape.ca
www.cleanchoicecleaners. com
25
DESIGNI NGgreen IT’S HARVEST TIME
A
nd in the design and construction industry that still means it’s time to reap the rewards of good planning and safe food. Locally we have endeavoured to build an affordable housing solution for the many students and workers here in the valley. Our concept was to take an existing series of buildings on the ‘edge’ of the industrial park of Duncan and develop an easy accessible life style for both shelter, work opportunities and a wholistic approach to community living and gardening. The results after year three have been amazing! We call it Urban Edge Properties. Firstly, the buildings have been revitalized by taking
Image of a creative garden gate. An organic design of Cedar slabs and bamboo. Image courtesy David Coulson
advantage of harvested up reclaimed materials from our dozens of renovations and custom home projects. The result of this waste stream now provides shelter for sixteen valley residents and at least two operating working businesses with more in the works, providing jobs that can be walked to from your back door. The historic grounds, once the back lawns to Robert McKlay Jr and his wife, and then the gardens for the Cedar Crest health facility, have now been transformed to include three separate biodynamic gardens. Together with the existing apple and plum orchards, blueberries and recently planted grape vines, a whole plethora of foods are offered seasonally to the tenants. We involve each tenant by charging a nominal annual planting fee to cover the common costs of tools, mulch and fresh garden soils to build up the raised beds. On site composting tops up the rest of the nutrients. Current harvesting now include potatoes, corns and squash, beans have been canned, fruits have been jammed and now for the cider press to process the abundance of apples for a winter cocktail. Community gardens are not a new endeavour but planning them into housing
Salvaged clay roof tiles from the Stonehaven home of Carlton Stone. French made in Liberon at the turn of the last century. Image courtesy David Coulson
developments and subdivisions should be mandated and become part of the permitting process. Rather than simply dedicating green space, site the dedicated gardens for full exposure, recycle and stockpile top soils from the excavation process (we reclaimed fertile top soils from newly created parking stalls) and place gardens in close proximity to rear kitchen windows so that the reminder of food and it’s necessary maintenance is front and
center for all living around them. Collect water runoff and even re-direct rain water leaders and gather to a common bio-swale area to feed more water loving plants and take the pressure off municipal infrastucture. Oh, and there is so much more! David Coulson is a local certified Built Green design builder. He has a staff of 25 that have built throughout the island for over 20 years.
For full design/build service, give us a call
250.746.5372 • coulsondesign@shaw.ca • www.davidcoulsondesign.com 26
Valley Voice Magazine -Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley
100% Natural Latex Rubber Mattresses A Hypo Allergenic, Healthier Sleep Solution
A
ccording to the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School sleep plays a vital role in promoting physical health, longevity, and emotional well-being and still all too often our last action of the day is spent intimately breathing in a myriad of unknown chemicals (look at the label), fire retardants, dust mites and allergens as we lay our heads and bodies down. If sleep is so important to a healthy lifestyle, shouldn’t greater consideration be given to the most intimate piece of furniture we own? Local Duncan business owner Orlando Sumners has been providing the Cowichan Valley with furniture and foam for over 22 years. Sensing a need that customers were looking for 100% natural solution to a mattress, he began carrying 100% natural latex foam rubber mattresses. Harvesting Natural Rubber
The mattresses are made almost entirely from rubber tree milk and do not contain any synthetic rubber. The rubber comes from fully sustainable plantations in Sri Lanka where the rubber tree milk is harvested on a regular basis. The natural foam rubber is formed from the milk of the rubber tree. Rubber trees grow within 10 degrees of the equator and constitute some of the best managed forest systems in the world. Natural latex
is completely renewable, sustainable, nontoxic, hypoallergenic and very ecofriendly. It is also the most durable mattress material available. Natural mattresses made their debut in Europe and have gained popularity over the years in both European and Asian homes. Now available in Canada, his mattresses cost about half the price of other sustainable mattresses options, and are also antimicrobial and dust mite resistant - the main culprit of allergy and asthma sufferers. Natural latex can also help to regulate temperature as the material dissipates heat very effectively resulting in a calmer and cooler sleep. How do you know when it is time for a new mattress? “When you start to feel and see body impressions. Most coil mattresses (even expensive units) are made up of metal coils and a layer of economy grade foam as a pillow top. They are non flip so you always lay in the same spot every night. Your body weight will cause them to flatten out in the area you lay. These are the areas to look for wear.” Orlando shares. With more 100% natural options like Duncan Futon and Foam’s 2012 may be just the year for change. A natural mattresses could be your best practical investment to good sleep, which in turn will enhance a healthier rhythm in all areas your life. I know my interest is piqued - see you at the foam store! Sheila Badman lives in Maple Bay with her lovely husband and toddler twins.
27
Double flue radiant earth heater. Image (and builder) Holger Laerad.
A Fire In The (H)Eart(H)
A
s Autumn sets in and the weather grows chilly, many a Valley dweller’s thought turns to warming our living spaces. With the rising cost of fossil fuels and uncertainty of electricity, questions arise about more ideal home heating systems. Given the amount of renewable biomass here on the coast, firing wood is an obvious way to heat, but due to concerns about air pollution and fire hazard, wood burning has fallen out of favour. The trouble is not that we have been firing wood, but that we have been doing so in metalbodied stoves. These stoves must often be damped down to lengthen burning times and/ or prevent overheating. This restriction of oxygen supply evokes incomplete combustion, excessive pollution, slow draft and creosote build up in the chimney flue. These stoves are also dangerous to touch, as they will burn anything flammable that contacts them.
28
Centuries before the metalbodied stove became standard issue, masons and clay workers in cold wood-scarce regions of the world developed highly efficient stoves built from non-fired earthen bricks and/ or clay tiles. These are known as MASONRY HEATERS or, (given that they are not always made of masonry) EARTHEN HEATERS. These earthenbodied heaters are fired once a day for an hour or two at a very high temperature. The intense heat is absorbed into the large earthen mass of the heater and then, for the remaining day and night the earthen mass simply, passively, slowly radiates the gathered heat into the living space. Because there is no danger of the stove body overheating, the supply of oxygen is unimpeded. This creates firing temperatures up to 1200 degrees F. The intense heat in a tall fire-box evokes A Fire In The (H)Eart(H) continued on page 48
Valley Voice Magazine -Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley
Consider a Composting Toilet and Lessen Your Environmental Impact
O
ur world is changing. The environment and its diminishing resources require different thinking and choices. Managing our water in a way that supports sustainability is not only increasingly important, experts deem it critical. We do not have a limitless supply… Ongoing studies conclude that declining water quantity and quality are realities for many communities, yet sustaining conventional means of sewage disposal work to exasperate the growing water problem. Not only are large amounts of potable water wasted (roughly 1/3 of household water is flushed) aging and failing septic fields significantly contribute to water pollution. Sadly, potable water is regularly acquired through chemical treatments and filtration in our homes before it can be consumed. Increasingly water is becoming “more precious than gold”. Composting toilets are one ecological and economical solution to these issues. They use little - if any- water, eliminate contamination of our drinking supply by eliminating the possibility of leaching into aquifers (ground water) and water basins (surface water), and provide an alternative to septic fields and sewage connections, which cost tens of thousands of dollars to install and require long-term maintenance expenses. Composting toilets are not a new concept; they have been used for
centuries in European countries and have become increasingly popular in areas where water resources and management are a concern. Specific applications include: cabins, cottages, boats, pools, lakeside properties, and yes, homes. Contemporary technologies allow for variations to any composting system, which make them non-offensive, highly efficient, and capable of functioning year-round. Simple maintenance of the system is periodically necessary; however, the composted remains are clean, odorless, and make for an easily transferable fertilizer. Consider a composting toilet: no septic, pollution, footprint, water, or odor. Different thinking and different choices, appropriate responses to our 21st century water reality.
www.rainwaterconnection.com
BOB BURGESS Tel 250.246.2155 Gulf Islands Rainwater Connection Ltd. Thetis Island, BC
SolarBC accredited Jim Musselwhite lives happily in Shawnigan Lake with his wife and 2 children. He has been a journeyman plumber for over 20 years.
Email: bob@
rainwaterconnection.com
South Cowichan Talks About Water These water open houses will be an opportunity for folks to look at some information boards, pick up background materials, talk to CVRD staff and the consultants, and share their ideas and concerns both by chatting with us and filling out surveys. It’s intended as a drop in event, so no fixed times or speakers.
The info sessions hopes to generate discussion about what’s important to residents in regards to water quality and supply, both now and in the future and also for people to what actions Danette Noble, Registered Clinical Hypnotherapist suggest they would they like to see the CVRD to •Private sessions - Hypnosis & Reiki take. •Training in Self-Hypnosis, Reiki &
Hypno-Baby Birthing • Now located in a tranquil setting in South Chemainus, BC
Cowichan Valley Hypnotherapy
Refreshments will be available.
250 709 7380
By appointment only, please call Danette or visit www.cowichanvalleyhypno.com for more information
29
Victoria’s Naden Band
G
Cowichan Symphony Celebrates 57 Years!
T
he Cowichan Symphony Society has been sponsoring concerts performed by professional orchestras since 1955. Local audiences have enjoyed many world renowned musicians and vocalists accompanied by the Victoria Symphony in the hall of our own Cowichan Theatre. In addition, the Society has sponsored two educational concerts each February performed by the Victoria Symphony for 1400 elementary school children. These concerts have always wowed our youngsters who quickly recognize the language of good mu-sic transcends time, gender and generations. In addition to four concerts this season (October 2012 to March 2013) we are very pleased to present the Naden Band on Tuesday, October 16, 2012. This Navy band has a celebrated history with the Canadian Navy. These are professional musicians who delight audiences of all
stripes. These performances are specially priced at Adults: $20; eyeGO and children:$5 to be as inclusive as possible. The Season and the educational concerts would not be possible without our patrons and sponsors. The Peninsula Co-op has very generously do-nated $10,000 to help us continue our educational concerts and bursary program to encourage musicianship. Warmland Dental has joined us as a Season Sponsor with a $1,000 donation. We have received $500 concert sponsorship from Sun Life, Averill Creek Vineyards, HW Wallace Cremation and Burial Centre and many from private donors. Join the symphony society this season to see why so many believe quality live music is so important to our lives.
CowichanSymphonySociety.ca.
Ticket orders at: www.cowichantheatre.bc.ca Or call: 250-748-7529
Designer Sandra Holmes
S
Sandra Holmes The Lady With The Beautiful Fabrics
andra Holmes grew up in the city of Edmonton, Alberta. “I was always interested in fashion & design. Made my first skirt in Home Economics. That was my basic training.” she tells us “ I consider myself self-taught but met an English tailor, named Mrs. Wally who taught me a lot of the finishing touches”. From her pieces it isn’t surprising that this artist admires fashion that is one-of-a-kind. “A few years later, I was sewing for our children, making new Christmas outfits and suits for my husband. I remember standing in line to buy that special Fortrel fabric and my girls still remember how itchy that fabric was” she shares. With her family, Sandra moved to the Island in the early 70’s. She reminices about how she became
30
very busy sewing for their Taxidermy business, making vests, purses and hats from wolf and fox fur. She even made Davey Crockett hats! When they eventually opened a store on Government Street in Victoria, her designs were finally given the stage they deserved with many of her creations travelling all around the globe. After 35 years, they retired and Sandra moved into home décor, sewing pillows, table runners and wall hangings. “My passion is still in the design of coats, vests and purses, which I still sew today.” Sandra’s work is available at Imagine That! Artisans’ Designs, 251 Craig Street in Duncan. From October 1 to 27, Sandra will have a display of her more exclusive creations in the front window at Imagine That!
Valley Voice Magazine -Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley
Gelinas Carr Furniture 6259 Mina Drive Duncan, BC www.gelinascarr.com 1- 866 733-3888 Studio visits are by appointment.
W
e are a design/build company that specializes in custom furniture. Private residential commissions are the basis of Gelinas Carr, but we occasionally create pieces for exhibitions and galleries. We love a good design challenge and working with individuals to create unique works that become a part of someone’s home. One of the best things about working wood is that no matter how much you may know or how experienced you may be, there are always different areas to explore. For us, it’s an essential part of our creative nature to keep moving forward with new work and ideas. Working as a team we each bring different elements to the mix. Recently we completed a sideboard that incorporated woven cedar bark panels (Sandra’s basketry) and forged steel pulls (Joe’s blacksmithing).
Talking Arts • Gelinas Carr Furniture
with a different look and feel. There are also many technical considerations with hardware, wiring, and achieving the right quality/quantity of light. LED components have become available in the last year that have the added benefit of long life and ultra-low power consumption.
Over the last couple of years we’ve been exploring and ‘playing’ with light and lighting. Playing is definitely the right word- the design process is often driven with questions like ‘what would happen if we did this?’ and ‘what other materials could we use?’. We’ve built a few lights that don’t really fit the traditional form; you might not know what it is until the
switch is turned on. Working with materials other than wood has also been a lot of fun. Designing for light requires a different set of parameters. What’s exciting for us is designing and making objects that are aesthetically pleasing and will stand on their own merit, but when lit they transform into something
We’re really excited to show our ‘light work’ with Margit Nellemann’s new series of lamps and lanterns at her studio & gallery. The show will run thru to October 28. Images Top Left; Joe Gelinas and Sandra Carr. Middle Image; WTable lamp in yellow cedar6W led Dimensions; 20cm X 20 cm X 30 cm Right Image: Artist working on reclaimed redwood suspended lamp in progress-54W led Dimensions; 70cm dia. X 25cm. Bottom; Breakfast table in pacific yew and ebonized walnut with yew chairs.
31
Marquetry Workshop
With Karen Trickett October 27-28 2012 9:00am-5:00pm
Cowichan Bay Maritime Centre
Antiques & Collectibles 9756 A Willow Street 250 246-4333 English & European Antiques
Saltspring Soapworks 9748 Willow Street 250 324-2226 Handmade Soaps, Natural Body Care
Chemainus Health Food 9738 Willow Street 250 246-9838 Natural Grocery, Vitamins, Hemp Fashions
* Toad Hall Emporium 9738 A Willow Street 250 246-4400
CLOSED FOR RETIREMENT
Eliza Hemingway Art & Antiques 9756C Willow Street 250 416-0363
* The Wine Den 9779 Willow Street 250 324-2215 Wine Kits, Equipment and Supplies
Etc. 9747 Willow Street 250 324-2227 Beads and Beading Classes
* Utopia Bakery A-9780 Willow Street 250 246-9992 Fresh Bread and European Pastries
In this 2 day course you will learn the fine art basics of Veneering and Inlay. Topics include: choosing wood for impact; Bedside tables by Karen Trickett. planning your work; matching; gluing, clamping and taping; and how to inlay and repair veneers. Some materials included, a small list of supplies required by students. Instructor Karen Trickett is a graduate of Camosun College’s Fine Furniture program and has taught woodworking since 1996. She is well-known for her custom woodworking and custom-built furniture. Adding veneer, inlay and marquetry to her designs has enhanced their beauty and she shares the basics with other woodworkers in the two-day workshop. Course Fee: $250 + HST for members $300.00 plus HST for non members
For more information or to register call Suzan at 250 746-4955 Email: cwbs@classicboats.org
Jean Crowder has been the NDP Member of Parliament for Nanaimo-Cowichan since 2004. Crowder.J@parl.gc.ca 1-866-609-9998
Crowder’s Corner
Each year, Parliament grants the Centennial Flame Research Award, with a monetary value this year of $5750. The award is funded by the coins people toss in the Centennial Flame on Parliament Hill. Seasons Tickets on Sale Now!
*
We Accept Chemainus Dollars
Come to Chemainus; where the people are friendly and the parking is free! Enjoy shopping, excellent eateries, live music, professional theatre and special events. Come for a day or make it a getaway.
This award is offered to a person with a disability to conduct research and prepare a report on the contributions of one or more Canadians with disabilities to the public life of Canada or the activities of Parliament. Applicants must be a person with a disability who is a Canadian citizen. In addition, they must submit an outline - in any medium - of the proposed research project dealing with the contributions of a Canadian or Canadians with disabilities to public life in Canada or the activities of Parliament. The outline must explain the significance of these contributions and describe how the research will be undertaken. They will also need a letter of support for his or her application from a person other than the subject of the research. All required documents must be sent to the Clerk of the Committee and must be postmarked on or before October 14, 2012. That address is Evelyn Lukyniuk, Clerk of the Committee, Sixth Floor, 131 Queen Street, House of Commons, Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6. Or email at huma@parl.gc.ca.
32
Valley Voice Magazine -Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley
craft Restored Morris. Structural wooden pieces by Karen Trickett. For October, the Cowichan Valley Artisans are proud to feature Karen Trickett, veneer marquetry craftsman extraordinaire. Karen was introduced to woodworking by her grandfather when just six years old. He was a CPR steamship Captain and he let Karen “help” him on projects made from lumber salvaged from ships being refitted at the CPR docks, and so, in Karen’s wåords, “It was many years before I learned that not all projects were built of Teak and Mahogany”. After a first vocation as a Veterinary Technician, Karen answered the fondly remembered call of the wood shop and changed her career: she enrolled in the Fine Furniture Program at Camosun College, graduating in 1990. Since then she has worked full time making furniture and restoring the woodwork used on vintage automobiles. On automobiles! How cool is that?! The veneer work on car dashboards led Karen to explore materials and techniques used to create Wood structure for Morris by pictures in wood. As Karen Karen Trickett says: “I really like to use the natural wood colours and grain features as the palate for the pictures I create”. So if you have any antique or vintage automobiles whose woodwork needs replacing, refinishing, re-inventing or repairing or if you just love veneer marquetry call Karen. For those interested in learning veneering and inlay for your own furniture projects Karen will be hosting a workshop at the Cowichan Bay Maritime Centre Oct 27 - 28.
To find Karen Trickett, go to www.CowichanValleyArtisans.com or find a brochure for the Cowichan Valley Artisans’ year-round studio tour, available here and there in the valley but always at the Duncan Garage, 101 330 Duncan Street and at Experience Cycling, 482 Trans Canada Highway, Duncan.
Enterprising
Women
Anne Broadley knows her AFC from her ATS. Oilcheck uses these fluids in their vehicle preventative maintenance services and she had to learn all about them to keep her husband’s business thriving when he got sick. She enrolled herself in an Automotive Class at Camosun College and then had to learn the nitty gritty day to day operations of a quicklube business. Sadly, her husband died in 2008, but Anne’s determination, wit and charisma has grown this business into something he’d be proud of– a clean, customer service centered quicklube that values fair dealing and community involvement with a Better Business Bureau A+ rating! Oilcheck has also been recognized by the Better Business Bureau of Vancouver Island five times with their customer nominated Torch Awards for Marketplace Ethics and Integrity. On Wednesdays, you will be greeted with Ladies’ Day treats, an idea created by Anne to help other entrepreneurial women network throughout the Valley. Refreshments, goodies, offers and other surprises from various local businesses are handed out every week and Anne always loves to share stories about how these women got started, grew and blossomed. Environmentally, she has incorporated technology that enables their furnace to reuse their own waste oil, as well as a system that helps prepare all their oil bottles for recycling. You can also bring your own used oil into Oilcheck for safe disposal. Recycling oil and the metal oil filters for can save over 60% of the energy that would otherwise be requires to process raw materials. Oilcheck’s AOCA certified technicians offer the latest technology 7 days a week with their warranty approved, no appointment, drive through service. Most services take less than 20 minutes as you stay in your car enjoying a complimentary refreshment and newspaper. They even provide dog biscuits! Services are based on the manufacturer’s specific recommendations and include oil changes, air and cabin air filters, flushes Oil Check for engine , radiator , automatic and 2757 Beverly Street manual transmission, fuel system Duncan cleaning , batteries, wiper blades, bulb replacement and more. 250 748 1215
www.myoilcheck.ca
Buy 3 Oil Changes Get 2 free! Save your money for shoes!
2752 Beverly Street Duncan www.myoilcheck.ca
33
T
Local Author Explains Buddhism
he publishers of local author, Henry Landry’s book Buddha Nature Now, has just released a Special Fifth Anniversary Edition. This book described as “A lay persons guide to the Buddhist philosophy is now available in both print and as an E-Book. Since the 1950’s the Buddhist philosophy is a wisdom teaching that has appealed to millions of North Americans for it‚s way of spiritual sustainability and peaceful means. The publishers say that within the pages of Buddha Nature Now, one will find the tools and actual proof needed for widening the doors of One’s spiritual health; at the very least a person is able to find the knowledge and wisdom to make an informed opinion about this three thousand year old faith and practice. Topics covered in the book include; Is Buddha a God, Is God a Buddha, the Meaning of Enlightenment, the empowerment of Sound Meditation chanting, and the meaning of Nirvana: Nirvana like energy and karma has many levels of Being and translates as the release of all suffering. With this in mind, we can begin to understand how One can achieve health, happiness and the riches of this life and beyond, in the here and now.
A
Meet Zoe
dear little member of our community who has recently been diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Zoe is eight years old and is now undergoing intensive treatments at BC Children’s Hospital for 6-8 months. This book offers instruction on finding health, happiness and prosperity in all challenges in life. The Nichiren Buddha Society is currently working on obtaining two acres of land as a permanent Peace Center for the greater Cowichan Valley. Buddha Nature Now is available locally at Wishes in downtown Duncan, the E-Book version is available at www. Amazon.com.
The local Buddhist organization offers several programs including: helping Youth At Risk and their families, teenagers under sixteen who are already in our BC Prison system, Counseling all who come seeking to share their suffering about family, relationships, career, health matters. They participate in suicide watch, and offer hospice assistance to help individuals and their families find peace in loving and compassionate ways; as well as services for Buddhist wedding and funerals. Meditation at Nichiren Peace Center
Zoe’s mother Jody, is a well respected and sought after massage therapist in Cobble Hill. Because Jody, has had to leave her practice for an undetermined length of time, and is a single mother, the financial burden will be felt as she stays with her daughter in Vancouver for the therapies. The community has gathered together to raise funds in many ways. There will be a Fundraiser held at Cobble Hill Hall from 3-6 on September 29th. This will include, food, music, bake table, craft table ( for the kids) and an amazing silent auction, filled with incredible donations. As well, The Cowichan Cruisers will be there with their amazing cars. Donations can be made to The Palfy Family Trust, at the Royal Bank or Island Savings Trust or online at www. gofundme.com/124880?pc=fb_d. Please make cheques payable to Palfy Family Trust. Please follow Zoe’s progress and new fundraisers including Poker nights and concerts at FB page : Jody and Zoe
Website: www.VIRetreats.com
“With practice, one is able to attain the highest Buddha wisdom, and there find Nirvana” Lotus Sutra Nichiren Buddha Society Vancouver Island Retreat Garden Peace Center Phone: 778. 422. 0155
34
Valley Voice Magazine -Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley
L
e G c
B h i s s s b B N h a a c L t d w G a A l w c y c w a
T a
L
Listen Up Book Lovers!
isten up book-lovers! You are in for some exceptional buys at this year’s Garden House Foundation’s charity used book sale. Besides the 12,000-plus high quality used books in all genres offered at the sale, highlights at the sale’s silent auction will include single signed copies of books by famed artist Robert Bateman, popular writer Nora Roberts, Canadian historian Peter C. Newman and Jo Bannatyne-Cugnet author of the award-winning children’s book A Prairie Year. Lucky purchasers will have the opportunity to own two distinctive collections of the works of Henry Van Dyke and Gilbert Parker, valued online at $375 and $234 respectively. According to Jim Barker, last year’s first time auction was a great success, but will conclude every two hours this year. “This will give people a chance to see if they have the winning bid while they are still at the sale,” he says. The Barkers wish to thank all supporters for helping
them build a fund that will continue to provide grants to the Duncan SPCA, Cowichan Women Against Violence and Cowichan Family Life in perpetuity. Special thanks to Gallowglass Books, Ten Old Books, Bucknucks Books, Bibles for Missions, South Cowichan Rotary, Ken Evans Ford, Bonner Middle School, the Island Savings Youth Team and the sale’s thirty-plus regular volunteers. “We had hoped to make $25,000 by the end of five years, but now the fund will exceed $55,000 by the end of 2012,” says Jackie Barker. “We are ecstatic!” Almost all of the sale’s books will sell for between 50 cents and $2.00. Prepare to be amazed at the quality and variety of the books! Visit http://gardenhousefoundation. wordpress.com for more information. Garden House Foundation’s Charity Used Book Sale October 20th 9 am to 4 pm Cobble Hill Hall
Call for entry! The 24th annual Out of Hand Artisan Fair currently has space for professional artisans, especially in the food, wood, fashion and home décor category. The dates for this year’s show at the Crystal Garden in Victoria are Nov 23-25. Contact: ramona@outofhand.ca 250-737-1788 for more information on how to apply.
THE ARBUTUS RIDGE ART CLUB PRESENTS THEIR ANNUAL
‘12 SAT. OCT 20TH - 10am - 6pm SUN OCT 21ST - 10am - 4pm AT THE ARBUTUS RIDGE GOLF CLUB
T
October Arts
he hilarious rural musical comedy, Chickens by Lucia Frangione a collective story about four chickens and two people runs at the Chemainus Theatre Festival. The show runs for 4 evenings and 4 matinees till October 27th. For tickets call 1-800565-7738. Maple Bay Painters host their annual show at St. Peters Church Hall in Maple Bay. Runs Oct 5 & 6th From 9am - 4pm. Bright Colours!, and Art of the Edible.sponsored by Turning Point Arts running from October 6-28 Ladysmith Waterfront Gallery Show and Sale featuring work by Anne Jarvis, Kaye Smillie and Sharron Campbell at Portals Gallery, 2567 James St. runs to Oct 16.
The Arbutus Ridge Art Club presents their annual art show and sale Sat and Sun Oct 20-21st at the Arbutus Ridge Golf Club. Light, wood and Clay featuring the wood lamps of Gelinas Carr and clay lamps of Margit Nellemann. Margit Nellemann Ceramics Studio and Gallery 8350 Richards Trail, North Cowichan. Open WednesdaySunday 10-5 runs to Oct 28. Imagine That Artisans presents watercolours by Sue Coleman and fabrics by Sandra Holmes. 251 Craig St, Duncan runs to October 27th. Tzouhalem Spinners and Weavers Guild will be showing their works from October 27 - November 27th in the upstairs gallery of Valley Vines to Wines.
35
urban farm Backyard Hens; Why I love them and reasons to have them!
I
’m sure that having urban chickens might not be for everyone, but I would like to share the amazing benefits I have experienced from having hens for almost three years here in the city of Duncan and the reasons I believe that they should be not only allowed but encouraged.
They provide great-tasting, nutritious eggs: My 5 heritage
hens exchange room and board for about four golden eggs per day. In my garden the chickens are fed only certified organic chicken feed, (soyfree from Buckerfields) and organic scraps from my own kitchen and The Community Farm Store. I know that everything they are fed is organic and so I also know, in turn, “egg”sactly what my family is eating. Research also shows that chickens allowed to roam freely and eat grass lay eggs that are higher in Omega-3 fatty acids and Vitamin E.
Organic eggs are safe eggs:
Chickens that are raised on nonorganic chicken farms or factory farms are fed conventional feed which usually contains soy and corn. Most soy and corn, unless it is certified organic, is Image Nicolette Genier
genetically modified. Even farms that raise chickens naturally but feed them conventional feed (non-organic) are at risk of glyphosate (from Roundup) and GMO contamination. This is truly a health hazard and the subject is worthy of your research and concern, especially for your children. Google Dr. Huber & Monsanto.
Urban chickens earn their keep: Not only do I get
nutritious, ethically produced eggs and valuable fertilizer, my chickens are also amazing helpers in the garden. I had no idea when I first got them how much work they would do for me. Due to their inborn desire to scratch, they have worked up countless garden beds for me, turned my compost pile, scratched and deweeded large patches of sod into fertile soil – and, best of all they have managed to rid my garden of a serious overabundance of slugs, earwigs, woodbugs and weeds. Their manure, in turn, is one of the best ways to add valuable nitrogen to your heap!
No more waste! Did you
know one chicken can consume over 300 lbs of kitchen scraps
per year. Talk to any municipal councilor about what that means for cost savings. Chickens are a wonderful way to reduce your ecological footprint. Your small flock can also work away heaps of yard, kitchen and garden debris in no time at all. No more need to bag it or haul it away!
quickly, or buried, that there is nothing left for the hungry rodents. Mismanaged compost piles can attract far more rodents than a chicken coop. It takes education to deal with these potential problems, along with a couple of neighbourhood cats, not restrictive bylaws.
No mess, noise, disease or smell: I have never had any
Predators? To keep your chickens safe, it’s a good idea to make a predator proof coop where the chickens can be locked in at night and then let out again in the morning. If you live in a neighbourhood like mine where the raccoons have forgotten they like to eat chickens (more interested in catfood I guess) you won’t even have to bother locking them in. I hear them often but they never show any interest in the birds whatsoever. Of course, I have a pretty ingeniously designed coop where the doorway is quite small and about three feet off the ground. Maybe that is part of the solution.
problems of any kind with my chickens. Two hundred chickens can be a cause for concern and require careful management but two to six chickens with adequate space to range will never create any mess, noise, smell or disease. I am most definitely an advocate for urban chickens but I would not want to see them kept in small confined spaces.
Cheap to keep: Considering the fact that my teenagers have more “important” things to do than help me in the garden, I am counting my blessings for having these helpful “free” garden workers. Well, almost free. I figure to keep hay in the coop for bedding and to keep them fed them costs me just under $2.00 a day. The value in what they do for me and provide for me far exceeds their costs. Easy to take care of: After
building the coop and fencing their run, the effort to keep them involves filling their food about twice a week, changing their water every couple of days and changing the bedding in their coop, where they spend the night and lay their eggs, about once a month. You must also provide them a nice dry patch of dirt to “dust” themselves in. Chickens always put themselves to bed at dusk so you never have to gather them up or find them.
Rodents? In three years of
keeping chickens I have yet to see a live rat in my yard. In theory, the food you are feeding your birds could attract rodents but in reality, the scraps you feed them are worked away so
36
Chickens have personality!
You can really bond with a chicken and if you get it young enough, it will think you are its mother. I personally have not subscribed to the need to be the mother of a chicken since I have three children of my own already (still waiting for some of them to fly the coop!) but even so, I must agree that chickens make awesome pets. Each one of them has it’s own personality and it’s own little quirks and foibles. At our home, every hen is named Henrietta. When someone tells a story about one of the chickens and we ask which one it was – the answer is always “Henrietta”. So at our home you might say the owners are more quirky than the chickens.
Save a Chicken from a Factory-Farm Life! By
keeping a few pet chickens of your own, you’re reducing the demand for store-bought eggs raised in battery cages. This sends a message to those factory farms that you don’t want what they’re
Valley Voice Magazine -Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley
s s c
B h
p i r h i i i f t f e
F s
w w s d b o u c a y a n t c t c
C
F p a p M c g e f t
selling. Chickens in factories are subjected to cruel and unnatural conditions.
Backyard Chickens are happy chickens: Any
propaganda that factory chickens in cages are happier than free range chickens because they don’t have to worry about predators is ridiculous. It’s a pretty good indication of what kind of information we are subjected to from companies that reason with their wallets – not their hearts. A free chicken is a happy chicken – end of discussion.
Food security and sustainable living: We all
want to eat food – lots of it – but we don’t want to see it, hear it or smell it. We’ve become seriously disconnected and it’s time to bring food production back into our neighbourhoods. It’s highly unnatural and unhealthy to consume food that comes from a factory, instead of a farm or a yard. It’s common knowledge amongst the forward thinking nations that urban agriculture is the most simple and significant contribution we can make towards food security and community resilience.
Community Building:
For me, this is the most important part of all. I live on a busy street and dozens if not hundreds of people pass my yard everyday. My “front yard farm” as I like to call it, is always an occasion for good conversation and friendly exchanges. I have met people from every walk of life and they all enjoy seeing the food,
the flowers and the chickens. Especially all the school children on their way to and from the Duncan Elementary school around the corner.
Guess The Weight of The Pumpkin
Duncan Farmer’s Market Saturday October 27th (9 am to 2 pm)
Happiness Index: Now, this
is something you can’t put a value on but needs to be brought into the equation. Chickens are entertaining, friendly and charming. They make you smile and the satisfaction of doing something that feeds your own family, builds community and helps you grow your own food is beyond measure. Just ask any one of my neighbours or the children who come to visit the chickens and collect the eggs! Vandana Shiva, the outspoken Indian food activist, said that farms are zones of peace on this planet. Front yard farms and urban chickens can be our way of participating in this peaceful revolution.
Nicolette Genier is the very happy co owner of Duncan’s Community Farm Store. She is an avid urban farmer and supporter of community.
Well, the early frost last month cut short a promising year for the giant pumpkins of 8 1/2 acres. Estimating the weight of these beauties is an art and a science, involving complex algorythms and sometimes the use of supercomputers. However, based on rough estimates (the next best thing when you lack a supercomputer or basic math skills), the largest behemoth in our patch should weigh in at somewhere just 1500 pounds short of the world record. Not bad for a short growing season on the West Coast. Eastern Canada seems to be the best place to grow giant pumpkins, and 2011 was a record breaking year, with the largest squash weighing in at 1486 lbs and the new world record pumpkin crushing the scales at a whopping 1818.5 lbs. These monsters are so big that after the weigh-in the farmers hollow them out and paddle across the pond in the annual pumpkin regatta. Don’t believe me? Check out www.
worldsbiggestpumpkins.com for images. Our champion pumpkin is not quite ready for the contests back east, and I’m not about to paddle it across our pond, but we are still pretty proud of it. One thing I can guarantee is that it will make the biggest jack-o-lantern I’ve ever seen. And you, dear reader, have a free chance to win it. All you have to do is come to the Duncan Farmer’s Market on Saturday October 27th (9 am to 2 pm), take a look at our prize pumpkin and guess its weight. At 1:30 pm the contest will close, the weight will be revealed and the winner announced. How big is that pumpkin? Who will win it? Do they have a big enough place to put it? Come on down and take a chance to have the biggest Jack-o-lantern on your block. Cam MacDonald grows organic food with his partners at 8 1/2 acres
37
Soy Free Feed for Chickens
S
oy is now one of the top 8 food allergens for us humans because it is so prevalent in our North American diet. It is in everything from baby food to fast food, processed meats and breads. When you read your food product labels, you will discover that you are eating more soy than you realize, hense the increase in soy allergies. Now our animals and especially our chickens, are also consuming soybeans as feed, which is being concentrated in their meat and eggs.
Get back to school with a clean home and workplace.
Giving you back the luxury of time and a naturally clean home to enjoy it in! Providing professional, eco friendly cleaning services.
250 929 8381 www.cleanchoicecleaners.com Licensed - Insured - Bonded
Home Cleaning Gift Certificates available for Family & Friends!
Unless specified, all soy products come from GMO seed stock and grown using heavy doses of toxic herbicides. This is one reason to avoid soy. Organically grown soy beans are GMO free. There is even organically grown feed available (which contains soy) for our animals, however there is a growing concern about the amount of soy we have in our diets and a movement to decrease it.
levels of testosterone. It has been related to premature sexual development in females and delayed development in males. Animal studies show soy foods causes infertility in animals. Originating in China, soybeans have been consumed by humans for thousands of years. It’s only been the last century that the way we eat soy has changed dramatically. Fermentation is how soy was first prepared for eating. It was a side dish that complimented the rest of the meal. Today’s soy is processed in a variety of methods (not fermented) which denatures the proteins and increases levels of carcinogens. What to do? There is NOW a “Soy Free” Chicken feed available that is produced in Abbotsford by In Season Farms. Buckerfields in Duncan is willing to bring in a pallet of this Complete Protein Organic Feed with kelp when demand is established. Top Shelf Feeds in Duncan can also provide this specialty feed upon demand. Both establishments require an order of 50 bags. The cost difference at Top Shelf Feeds works out to about $1 per 20kg bag.
Joy Story, helps people grow food! Check out her on-line Magazine and Newsletter growfoodnetwork.com
Why should we be concerned? Soy increases levels of estrogen (possibly simulating the growth of related tumors) and decreases
Large or small we feed them all. Hours of operation Sun 10 - 4pm Mon - Sat 8:30am - 6pm
2800 Roberts Rd. Duncan (250) 746-5101, Fax (250) 597-0312
38
100% Fresh
100% Locally Owned and Operated
Valley Voice Magazine -Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley
E
About our Pets
N
ow school is in and your children are settling back into a routine, some may be wanting a small pet of their own. There are several great “starter pets” for your young ones. These are a simple ways to install an early sense of responsibility. The long forgotten ANT FARM is fairly inexpensive and fun for kids to watch and have their own little world of ants thrive and grow. They will acquire the responsibility of learning a sense of ownership and habits of these little creatures. Ants will eat fruit, bird seed, white part of hard cooked egg, chopped meat, all crumb size smaller than their head. Fresh water daily. HAMSTERS are low maintenance, teaching young children to be gentle and to work with them learning feeding skills and also a number of tricks - climbing bird ladders, sitting up and running in circles are a few.
GUPPIES and GOLD FISH are very low maintenance, very entertaining and soothing to watch swim. A ten gallon tank can hold a number of either, but check how many first with your favourite fish store before purchasing. Guppies breed easily and children enjoy watching babies grow. Parents should supervise feeding as Guppies will eat their babies if hungry. I had a little green frog in my tank - fun watching him climb to top of tank and fall back down :>) HERMIT CRABS are easy to keep. Have two or three small ones in 10 gallon tank with gravel and shells in bottom - they need bigger shells to hide under as they grow in size. Fresh food and water daily and misting several times a day. Have fun, and hurry safely home from school, kids - your pets may be hungry! Sheila Jones offers holistic consultations for both people and pets. www.holisticnc.ca
very summer we love having big tropical plants on the deck, especially Brugmansia (Angel’s trumpet) with giant fragrant yellow bells and Abyssinian Red Banana. These both grow quickly and are spectacular for several months during the heat of summer.
Helpful
Garden Banana Fall
The red banana and the Brugmansia are common to most garden centres here on the island and many of you no doubt also have one or both. The problem with both of these is that they need to be overBrugmansia wintered out of our freezing temperatures. This involves either moving them into the house, the garage or a greenhouse. My Brugmansia is too big to go anywhere but the garage. Place it against an interior wall in the garage, give it little to no water until late February and it’s fine. Every year I try and nurse a banana through to spring and three years running they’ve died on me. In the house, too dry. In the garage, too cold. Same for the unheated greenhouse of my friend and neighbour Heather. It always dies. This year I’m trying something different for the banana. I’m buying an electric oil radiator and keeping it turned on all winter in Heather’s greenhouse with a small fan running next to it. Hopefully it keeps the temperature above 3.8 degrees. I’ll cut back all large leaves and give it no water until March. In March I’ll start to water it and feed it. If it dies on me again, (shakes fist at Mother Nature!) my friends Stan and Charmaine at Fisher Farms will be more Ajay Oppelaar is an exthen happy to sell me yet perienced horticulturist and President of the another one in May. Fingers Mill Bay Garden Club. crossed on my end anyway… Contact him at arkengardens@gmail.com
Getting Ready for Cold Weather Backyard Birding
F
all is a great time to get your backyard bird feeders ready for the birds. In the fall birds are busy organizing their winter territories which include food sources, water supply and roosting areas. Flocking together allows them to find food easier, spot predators and keep warm when roosting at night. Caching is what birds do in the fall to make sure they have enough food for the cold weather. Chickadees, nuthatches and the Steller’s Jays will cache or store food, just like squirrel’s do, in unique spots. Setting up bird feeders now allows the birds to establish food sources for the winter. The birds are not going to be dependent on the feeders as birds will always feed on natural seeds first and use the feeder as a supplementary food source. Black oil sunflower seed is the best seed to have for the birds as as all the finches, chickadees, nuthatches, jays, towhee’s, and junco’s feed on these seeds. White millet, the stuff you find most of in a general wild bird mix, is only preferred by a few birds such as sparrows and blackbirds and is the seed that is all over the ground making all the mess. If using a general mixed seed, check that there is more The Backyard Wildbird & Nature black oil sunflower seed than the other ingredients to help attract a wide variety of birds Store, 1-888-249-4145, thebackto your backyard. For no mess, use hulled sunflower seeds. Fall is also a great time yard@shaw.ca or check out our blog at www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com. to put out suet and peanut halves for the woodpeckers, chickadees, nuthatches and the Bushtits.
39
Shamanic Healing Trevor Husband operates Orca Healing at Skutz Falls. Info at
V
www.orcahealing.com
Fall Art Classes at Sacred Mountain Studio Expressive Watercolour with Nan Goodship October 6th and 7th 10:00am -4:00pm Oil Painting Basics for Beginners with Peter Spohn Oct. 13th,14th 10:00 am to 4:00pm Making Gifts from clay and paper that are personal, creative and useful with Nan Goodship November 1, 8, 15, 22 (Thurs) 7pm to 9:30pm Creative Form Drawing as a way of Centering with Peter Spohn November 5, 12, 19, 26 7pm to 9pm
1529 Khenipsen Rd Duncan, British Columbia
250-746-4130 To Register
www.sacredmountainstudio.ca
40
S
hamanism uses trance states to connect with the spirit world. We all have spirit guides, and they can help us on energetic realms to heal, to move energy. As we go through life, experiences can traumatize us, and that negative energy sticks to us. We can experience soul loss. This is when a part of our soul breaks off during a traumatic event like sexual abuse, violence, etc. It does this to protect our innocence, which helps us at the time, but later it inhibits us from moving forward. We are incomplete. Shamanic healing can retrieve this part of the soul and bring it back to us so we can move on with our lives. If we are not allowed to express ourselves, our truth gets stuck in us, and causes sickness. Other people can take our power, by manipulating us. We give our power away. We can become separated from our soul purpose, not understanding why the creator put us on this world, not aware of our talents and gifts.
A shaman’s tools: hand drum, raven wing and elk antler Image courtesy Trevor Husband.
As I drum and sing, and use animal, plant and stone tools, my spirit guides and the clients own spirit guides do the healing on the person. I move the stagnant energies in their body, and make room for the new energy to plant itself.
you, if you feel sadness or sickness and don’t know why, this healing work can change your life for the better.
Energy work is based on the belief that everything is constantly moving, that is it’s natural state. When we cling to things, from fear, it is like a cesspool building in a slow moving river. The current needs to flow to clear things out, make it healthy. This is what this work does.
t t g i t o s a
I p w d p y
G y fi y t o y g B h c R M l o
If you feel stagnant, if you feel like you are not living the real
These are very common things that I work with people on. A healing session takes about 2 hours. I smudge the client, and open the sacred space. We talk about what they would like to work on, or sometimes they just trust that I will know what to do. And as long as the client is open minded and open hearted, it always does work because spirit knows what is needed.
Valley Voice Magazine -Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley
S C o 5
Yoga
V
moment
rikshasana Tree Pose. A great pose to celebrate the coming of fall and the harvest. It promotes grounding and balance, which is helpful in this time of transition. Just as the leaves of the trees change with the seasons, we to have to change and adapt too. I have offered 3 way to practice this pose. Starting with the easiest play with the different combinations of this pose to find what works for you and your body. Go to a favorite spot where you can see the trees and find some level ground. Rest your gaze on a still point on the ground in front of you or straight ahead, also called your drishti. Feel your feel grow roots into the ground. Bring your hands to your hips. Lift your chest and crown of your head to the sky. Relax your shoulders. Move your weight into your left foot. Open the right knee out to the side.
Little Tree Slide the right foot up to the calf AVOID the knee, pressure on the knee from the side is not good for the knee. Bring your hands from your hips up to prayer position in front of your heart. 5 DEEP BREATHS
Big Tree Reach down and place the right foot on the inner left thigh. Avoid knee. Press the foot into the thigh and the thigh into the foot, reach your arms over head and spread your branches wide 5 DEEP BREATHS Repeat on the other side How do you feel in this pose?
Sapling Come to balance on the ball of the right foot. 5 DEEP BREATHS
Kelsey leads transformational retreats, training programs and workshops worldwide to help others find their true essence. Welcome to your inner journey! www.mahalayavida.com
41
Hypnotherapy is the way to use your subconscious mind to uncover and change patterns and habits that no longer serve.
Effective for: · Fears & Phobias · Stress Management ·Weight Release ·Smoking Cessation ·Pain Control ·Achieving Goals Lori Austein Clinical Hypnotherapist 250 743 5685 • laustein@shaw.ca
Find out how Medical Qi Gong can be a part of your journey to healing, health and vitality. Contact Rommy at: 250-749-6563 rommy.v@hotmail.com
Medical Qi Gong Exercise Classes Fridays 10:15am-11:45 am Harmony Yoga, 111 Station St., Duncan
42
What is Holistic Counseling?
A
ccording to Josef Graf, a holistic counselor in the Cowichan Valley “Holistic counseling strives to respond to the whole system of the human being - body, mind, emotions and spirit. It is based on the premise that we have a multi-dimensional bearing and inner resources that are largely unused to date. Significant resolutions are waiting from within, to be applied to our external experience during our incarnation. Applying too much “expertise” in a counselling session can prevent an optimal outcome for a client.” In holistic counselling a more natural approach of the whole wide mystery of human nature and spirit is taken into consideration. “Because people are not given training, or orientation, for their spirituality, many people are erupting in psychological disorders at this time.” says Josef His practice allows people to safely move through “threshold” experiences with the spiritual world and according to their own individual path forward. There is no pushing, or going against the natural current of an individual’s degree, and intensity of need for initiation into their spirituality. “I like to work toward transformation of unwanted habits, behaviours, or aspects of the self that one wants to modify. Creative explorations of health issues can be an exciting road to embark on, especially
when directed by the inner “Director”, once a person has that channel opened up.” shares Josef. “Another important consideration entails exploring trauma, but from a safe distance. One does not want to throw a client into the full turmoil of their traumatic memories that can be over-whelming and do more damage than help. Gradually meeting and transforming trauma allows for a wholesome process, which ends up being very dynamic, in that the stumbling block, which may have been very big, becomes an equally large stepping stone. Overall, because I am familiar with anthroposophical understandings of human development, my conception of human nature is able to keep pretty broad and multidimensional. I believe this is one of the most significant aspects of my practice.” Josef invites you to call for a free initial consultation and can work with clients via Skype, by phone or even in your own home. His fees are sliding scale with special consideration for the Waldorf community, seniors and those who are financially challenged. Call or e-mail Josef at 250 709 8583 or jgraf5@yahoo.ca for a free initial consultation.
Valley Voice Magazine -Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley
L
e o e a f S a n t c a
K i W t a o a s a fl t i d o t ( s o l p
K A f a h i a i
g
r
Community tapestry Image courtesy Leola Witt-McNie
Explore Community Weaving at Whippletree
L
eola’s Studio in Whippletree Junction is busier than ever! Bringing over 30 years of experience and teaching experience in weaving, spinning and textile art. Leola has formally studied traditional Swedish weaving, linen weaving and flax preparation, as well as natural and chemical dyeing and tapestry. Her friendly, warm and colourful space invites all ages and all levels of weaver. Keeping true with her belief in the value of Community Weaving, two projects the CAW tapestry and the triangular shawl are currently on the go. For those of you who don’t know about the triangular shawl it is very easy and it is done on a wide floor loom rather than the triangular loom that is quite popular these days. Simple as 1, 2, 3, one weaves the warp as the weft and beats 50/50 (very important). The studio is starting another one, so if you would like to participate please phone or drop by. Kids Can Weave! Also continuing this fall are Leola’s textile and weaving classes for homeschoolers. Space is still available for after school programs in weaving, sewing,
knitting and dyeing. For more information please call Leola at 250 597 0820. Student on a loom Image courtesy Leola Witt McNie
For info 250-709-5239 mpaylor@noisymime.net Or visit our website at www.noisymime.net
Leola’s Studio Whippletree Junction
•Art Classes •Weaving and Spinning •Community Loom •Artisan Textiles Learn and Experience the joy of textiles.
leolasstudio.blogspot.com
250 597-0820
43
44
Valley Voice Magazine -Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley
Thieves Oil
45
Today to avoid getting sick I purposefully eat lots of soup in the winter made with bone broth and/or miso. I use juniper berries, onions, garlic, black pepper, oreg-ano, cayenne, etc... Lots of soup and spices — less sugar. That is pretty much my remedy. Oh and don’t forget the cul-tured food. Cultured food is my passion and I believe that by strengthening your digestive system and restoring healthy flora is the very best way to be healthy and resilient. For assistance on doing your own veggies, kefirs, live apple cider vine-gar, kombuchas — I am here to help! When my dog got a systemic bacterial infection (very bad) I did the same for her. Bone broth and pro-biotics. The vet assured us that we would be back for anti-biotics because most people whose chose to opt out of them do eventually come back for them. I could see why. It was a lot of work to support her through her own healing process. We monitored her pretty much twenty four hours a day, for many days. To facilitate the healing I knew her body could do, I made bone broth, herbal teas, and administered pro-biotics. We did calendula and goldenseal compress to address the topical infection. I just held my faith and envisioned her immune system fighting for itself- I imag-ined her getting stronger! I chose not to use the anti-biotics because I wanted to give her the chance to exercise her im-mune system. I didn’t want to weaken her fire of life. She got better and she is bet-ter. The point here is that it taught me a lesson: good food, faith, envisioning, dedication, attention and the knowledge that you come out stronger on the other side is so powerful. It was also important to realize healing takes time sometimes. When someone in the family is sick it means the rest of the family has a job to do. It was a lesson I am grateful for at this special time as an expectant mom awaiting her first baby. That said I am now learning to make a master tonic from my live apple cider vinegar and the veggies from my own garden. I am going to make this winter for my husband Shane and have it ready for after the baby is born — with less sleep we will ikely be needing it! I invite you to check out the Heal Thyself website for directions on making the master tonic and much more.
46
My medicine cabinet is mostly based on essential oils. I dilute all oils with jojoba oil at the time of need. A little goes a very long way. Lavender has been the most popu-lar, for myself and my two daughters. It sooths sore mus-cles and calms us in the evening. In the past, for conges-tion of the sinuses and lungs, we use peppermint or eucalyptus in a steam bath, in the bath and on our pil-low. Now I use Marseille’s Remedy and I find that one drop of Ravintsara internally also works very well. As most people know, my other area of specialty is teas and herbs. Our selection at the store is awesome and we are very lucky to have such high quality products, many wild-crafted and harvested locally. Together with homeo-pathics, tissue salts, olive leaf extract, miso soup and medicinal mushroom tinctures — I seem to be able to deal with anything that comes up for myself or my fam-ily. I highly recommend the Combo J from the Schuessler Tissue Salts for cough and chest conjestion and Comb T for onset of fever, sore throat and immune support. Oh yes, don’t forget that homeopathics cannot be used at the same time as essential oils.
Ferrum Phos: cold and flu Gelsemium: Flu/apprehension Natrum: runny nose Belladonna: fever and cold Kali Bich: also for runny nose
Every morning I take lemon water on an empty stomach; I also take 1 to 2 drops of the Marseille’s Remedy in wa-ter when I am fighting something and I regularly spray it in the air over our beds. Or I put it into an oil for a very good chest rub. Eucalyptus drops in oil or on the pillow we also like to do. For times of illness I make chicken broth or curried onion in butter; we eat, and drink, lots of garlic, curry and ginger. For sore throats we gargle with warm salt water. It really helps. (Apple cider vine-gar in warm water is also very effective). Luckily my son loves teas so I can serve him throat tea, cough teas, calming teas. Whatever is needed. Reasons for sickness is also to be asked. Are we weak in thoughts?? This can attract sickness. So keeping healthy means keeping thinking strong and healthy. Lastly, combine all taking of products with conscious thought—believe that it will help you. If you don’t believe it will help – it probably won’t. Many of our staff and their children have managed to avoid antibiotics and tubes with this remedy. In a small sauce pan slowly warm olive oil with a clove of crushed garlic. When the oil has become infused with the garlic you can use an eye dropper or small spoon to take only the oil and gently let it drip into the child’s ear. (It should be warm but not hot!) Do one ear at a time with your patient lying on his or her side. Be sure to massage under the ear and along the neck after you have put the oil into the ear. Repeat as needed. The garlic aids in fighting any infection and the warm oil helps to sooth the pain. A cotton or hemp cloth bag filled with real salt (Celtic sea salt) placed over the ear can ease pain and there are also some natural remedies involving lightly sautéed onions (also into a bag and placed over the ear). Warm colloidal silver dripped into the ear has also worked well for us.
FOR COLDS AND COLD PREVENTION!
SURO BIOSAMBUCUS Elderberry syrup and elderberry tincture! Traditionally used to fight colds, flu and viral infections. RESPIRAFECT by St. Francis Herb Farm for lung infection. COLD DEFENCE by Harmonic Arts with Echinacea, Angustifolia, goldenseal, Usnea, Osha, Marshmallow and Ginger. RESPIRACLEANSE by St. Francis Herb Farm for Coughs. GRIPP HEEL & ENGYSTOL by Heel For fever and symptoms of flu.
Valley Voice Magazine -Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley
Staying Healthy: I start my day everyday with a half fresh lemon in luke warm water with a big squirt of Barleans Olive Leaf Extract. If I feel something coming on, I will add a tincture of some kind — 6 mushroom blend or Reishi from Harmonic Arts are my favourites. About 20 minutes after my morning lemon juice water, I make myself an awesome green drink with all sorts of things in it like aloe vera, kefir, NutraSea oil together and green powder. I also like to add Vitamineral Earth and a good protein powder. I’ve decided to spoil myself over the next few weeks and add some bo-rage oil as well. It’s very expensive but I feel so akin to the borage in my garden that I’m sure that it will be good for me. The synergistic quality of what we take (meaning how we feel about it) is just as important, maybe more important, than what a scientist or doctor has told us. I truly believe we should not rely heavily on lab tests and the “proven” scientific benefits of any product. I also believe that the antioxidants and nutritional value of the foods and herbs that grow near by are 10x better for us than something imported from far away. No matter what Dr. Oz says! That being said, I hope you all ate lots of blackberries and blueberries this summer! The Basics: Knock on wood but I have not had a cold or flu for about two years. I have “almost” gotten sick many times but I always seem to know what to do. When I do start feeling something, I immediately dress warmer, put on a scarf and hat, take remedies, jump in the sauna or …. whatever my body tells me to do. I also tend to eat light, drink miso broths or make myself chicken soup with fresh ginger and curry if I feel “under the weather”. I don’t like getting sick so I avoid it like the plague (pun intended). My teenagers on the other hand seem to battle with colds and coughs regularly and I often see it come on immediately after they get chilled or when they don’t get enough sleep or when they have been exposed to bad air. (Paint fumes, perfume, smoke, car exhaust). So the basics, besides eating fresh healthy organic food is to stay warm, get lots of fresh air, and of course, get enough sleep. I’m still working on that!
47
A Fire In The (H)Eart(H) continued from page 28. optimal combustion of the wood gasses, and a powerful draft – both of which eliminate creosote build up in the chimney flues. Well-designed heaters burn at 90% efficiency, so air pollution is negligible. There are numerous designs for earthen heaters. Some have prefabricated refractory cores (which simplifies the process). Others are fully hand built. Some involve a primary flue to get the fire going full tilt, then shift to a secondary flue that meanders through a large earthen mass. Other designs involve a carefully shaped single flue with a serpentine path. In either case, the main idea is a lengthy run for the exhaust gases to transfer as much heat into the earthen mass as possible before exiting the chimney. Earthen Heaters are more expensive than metal-bodied stoves, but they burn only 1/3 to 1/4 the wood per year, and they will last hundreds of years with Patrick Amos, M.A. is an educator, natural builder and natural health practitioner in the Cowichan Valley. somatome@gmail.com
minimal maintenance. Also, when we consider the repair/ replacement costs associated with even the most efficient higher-tech heating systems (eg heat pumps), the simplicity, efficiency, reliability and comfort of earthen heaters pays off sooner than later. Furthermore, the hidden costs associated with industrial scale production, storage and distribution of other heating materials (such as natural gas, propane, hydro-electric…) is eliminated. Best of all, earthen heaters are safe to touch at all times. In fact, they feel so good to be in contact with that they are often sculpted with contoured benches and nooks for sitting or curling up on. Feeling the heat soak deep into our body on any chilly day or night is profoundly comforting. Nothing says ‘home’ quite like a fire in an earthen hearth. If you would like to see one of these heaters in action, give either of us an e-shout. The information in this article was provided by natural builder Pat Amos and natural builder Keary Conwright. Keary Conwright is a natural home designer and builder living in Otter Point www.kcnaturalhomes.com
WEBSITES, EMAILS AND VERBAL LINT ACADEMY ALL THE WAY: Winner of an Academy Award For Best Foreign Language Film “A Separation” comes to Cowichan Theatre Oct. 2 ( pm) as part of Reel Alternatives’ 012 fall and winter season. This exceptionally well acted and intriguingly filmed drama (imagine a subtitled reality TV show shot in Iran) tells the story of personal,political and cultural factors that combine to tear apart the marriage of a young upper middle class Tehran couple. Yes, it’s available on DVD but this is your chance to see it on the big screen and contribute to a very worthy cause at the same time. (Reel Alternatives is a fundraiser for Cowichan Hospice Society.) For more info email reelalternatives@gmail. com. WHATEVER HAPPENED TO ... HILARY KENT: Well, for one thing, she’s not Hilary Kent anymore. Since moving to Victoria a few years ago the former Shaw Duncan reporter/cameraperson and, memorably editor and co-producer of Cowichan Arts & Entertainment Guide has married long-time love Jason Hallman (official title: ENG Camera/Live Eye Op/CTV Vancouver Island) and is the proud mom of baby daughter Elaina Rose. Currently she is on maternity leave with plans to rejoin Shaw TV Victoria’s programming department in December. “I’m looking forward to getting back to work at Shaw and until then I am loving my days spent with my baby, watching her grow and change!,” writes Mrs. Hallman. “Life in Victoria is good but I do miss the Valley and the many kind faces I met there. I still visit often!” THESE PUPPET SHOWS DESERVE A HAND: The local libraries are getting in the mood for the spooky season with family friendly Halloween Puppet shows scheduled Oct. 5th (3:30pm - 4pm) at the Cowichan branch of Vancouver Island Regional Library and Oct. 7th (11 am -11:30am) at the Cowichan Lake branch. For 24/7 online access to all the cool stuff the library has to offer type virl@bc.ca into your browser. By Rick Dennis
Rob’s Lighthouse Eatery & Art Gallery Fresh, friendly, affordable and pet-friendly! • Fish, Veggie and Beef Burgers • Fresh-cut Fries • Fish & Chips • Lavazza Espresso and more!
Dine In on our heated patio or Take Out!
Cowichan Bay Waterfront
48
Valley Voice Magazine -Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley
Sample menu - Items change with the season. Food is made with fresh Organic/Biodynamic ingredients from our farm.
Soups
3390 Glenora Rd. Glenora 250 597 3438 Hours of Operation Tues/Fri/Sat 11am - 6pm
Welcome to Alderlea Farm Cafe A farm to plate experience
All Soups come with fresh baked homemade buns and have the option of accompanying salads created using farm fresh greens and in house dressings. Chicken soup - Our homemade chicken soup is made with our farm raised chicken meat and seasonal ingredients. Add noodles or rice Minestrone - Filled with root vegetables, beans, and noodles Hearty Chili - Homemade recipe filled with vegetables, organic mince beef and other goodies. Green Soup - We often have a soup reflecting the green in season eg: Kale, Stinging Nettle, Broccoli
Pizza
Homemade crust, single serving pizzas cooked in our brick oven with your choice of many ingredients including grass fed beef and farm raised chicken and specialty toppings like artichokes and sun dried tomato! ** gluten free options available**
Quiches
All our daily quiche is made with organic eggs from the farm, and loaded with vegetables, cheese and other delicious ingredients.
Burgers
Deluxe homemade veggie burgers served on a fresh bun accompanied by a fresh side salad Grass fed organic beef burger served on a fresh bun, accompanied by a fresh green salad.
Daily Specials
Our daily specials change and reflect the freshest produce from the farm.
Desserts
Daily homemade pies, using fruit picked on site, and Farmer John’s favourite home made chocolate chip cookies. Desserts can be served with fresh whipped cream or without.
Selection of Hot and Cold Beverages
Teas, lattes, chai and specialty sodas and juices available. Gorgeous pastoral views. Indoor and Outdoor dining. Family Friendly with Childrens Play Area.
49
1-2-3-SHIFT !
E
7 Ways to Practice Self Love
Being loving to yourself by treating yourself, nourishing yourself or improving yourself. The more we love ourselves, the greater our capacity is to love others, so turn on the tap of goodness and fill your glass with love from the one who matters most, you! 1. Reflect. Take time each day to check in with yourself and reflect on your life. What questions would you like to ask yourself? One way you might do this is to start a journal, on paper or on the computer. Commit to sitting down and writing regularly, come from a place of curiosity and exploration and let your thoughts flow onto the paper, grammar and spelling not considered. 2. Compliments are not just for others. It feels oh so good to be complimented by another, so why not do it for yourself? Notice those little things you do so well throughout the day and acknowledge yourself for them. 3. Try something new, just for you. The time is now. Sign up for those guitar lessons, go bungee-jumping or try an exotic food. 4. Eat foods that make you feel good. Feeling good on the inside shines through to the outside. 5. Exercise. We only get one body, taking care of it’s physical health is big self-love. 6. Curl up with a good book. You deserve to take time for yourself to relax and enjoy. 7. Prioritize. Choose to put the things that contribute to your well-being first. If you are well taken care of you can then take care of others.
quinox is not just a calendar date, but also an energetic shift. Subtle yet profound. The many wheels of the cosmos continue to turn,and when that cog clicks into place it unlocks the door to a new season. Some of us don’t notice, while others are thrown off balance. Angst, irritability, and mystery illnesses,(often the common cold) are some of the things that can befall us if we are not paying attention. Here are 3 things to keep in mind during these quarterly events: Celebration and self care come in many forms, from booking a tropical vacation to dinner guests and sacred ceremony.
• BE AWARE of the change coming, Get out there and feel it! People who spend quality time outdoors rarely get surprised. • PREPARE yourself with self care. • EMBRACE AND CELEBRATE all that the new season offers. When summer shifts into fall we have the extra whammy to deal with .It’s the Christmas train which gets fired up about now, begins to careen towards the year end, and pushes 1/2 a ton of stress out in front of it! That, combined with the return of cold damp weather,often brings familiar aches and pains on. Go on and book your flight and eat your feasts, but also consider the benefits from massage and heat applications at this time. Slip into a hot bath or visit your favorite Body Worker or Massage Therapist. Not only for the aches but for the sense of well being and calm that body therapies invoke. Ramp up your self care with essential oils by adding them to bath or burner. Rosemary, a nerve tonic, analgesic and immune booster is abundant now so Marilyn Swallow RMT RA is one of if you do not have the oil, try the therapists at straining a large pot of steeped Wildflower Natural Rosemary tea right into your Health in Ladysmith. tub. Soak in the goodness of the 250 245 9269 seasonal harvest! *Do not use rosemary oil if you are pregnant or have epilepsy.
Sheila Walmsley, Certified Life Coach
50
Valley Voice Magazine -Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley
G
L m t m t t a i t a i
Georgia Nicols M.A. is Canada’s most popular astrologer. A Buddhist, this Vancouver-based astrologer is featured in regional papers across Canada, the United States, and New Zealand. www.georgianicols.com
Aries (March 21-April 19)
This month, the Sun is opposite your sign. (The only time all year this occurs.) Since your source of energy is the Sun, youíll need more sleep because the Sun will be as far away from you as it gets all year. Respect your need for more sleep because when Aries doesnít get enough sleep, Aries gets cranky! This placement of the Sun also makes you focus on friendships and partnerships more than usual. Itís one of the best times all year to learn more about yourself and how you relate to others.
Taurus (April 20-May 20)
You’re gung-ho to get organized because you want your life to run more smoothly. This is why you want better efficiency at home and at work. Act on your impulse to buy shelving, file folders, labels, batteries, flashlights, cleaning equipment and paint to make your life smooth and productive. Since you’re on such a self-improvement kick, you will likewise be keen to introduce dietary changes and start new exercise regimes. You’ll also buy something beautiful for where you live. ìIím almost perfect!”
Gemini (May 21-June 20)
Lucky you! This is a fun-filled month. You want to have a good time. (It’s not selfish; it simply means you want to do your own thing.) Enjoy sports events, the theatre, the arts, movies, parties, and all kinds of amusements. This is also a great time for playful times with kids. Dabble in arts and crafts because you will find it rewarding to express your
creativity. Romance and love affairs will shine. Work quickly to meet your daily obligations so that you have more time to play. (No guilt!)
Cancer ( June 21-July 22)
You’ll enjoy this month because youíre a nester. You need a place to have long baths and curl up in a fetal position with a warm feeling in your tummy. Therefore, it will please you now to enjoy a stretch of time where your focus is primarily on home, family and personal matters. You will probably tackle some home repairs. Similarly, family discussions will be significant, especially with parents. You’ll also want to spend time alone doing a little navelgazing because of childhood memories.
Leo ( July 23-Aug. 22)
The tempo of your days accelerates this month with a jam-packed schedule of short trips, increased reading and writing plus running around doing errands and talking to everyone. Accept this and go with the flow. This is not the time to stay at home. Get out and hustle thy buns! With Venus in your sign, youíre attractive and socially charming, which means this is an excellent time to shop for wardrobe goodies. However, be patient at home because domestic tension is a brief dark cloud on your horizon.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
Ka-ching! You’re focused on money. Some of you will push for a raise while other will look for a new job. You might also focus on budgets to figure out how to juggle your money to keep the wolf away from the door. Some will contemplate a major purchase. However, money is an external value. This focus on cash flow means youíre also focused on your basic values. This is the best time
of the year to ask yourself if you know what your values are. What really matters in life?
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
The Sun is in your sign, which means youíre pumped with energy this month. When the Sun is in your sign, you easily attract others to you, plus favourable circumstances come your way. Naturally, you should make the most of this! Look for these opportunities coming your way and jump on them. You’re working hard to earn money (and spend it). Relations with friends, especially group situations, are warm and friendly. Basically, this is a fortunate month for you!
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
Your personal year is ending. Think about last year. How do you want your new year to be different? If you write down some specific goals, this will increase the likelihood you’ll achieve these goals. (You can either go through life responding to what happens, or you can have specific goals that you want to achieve.) Use the next few weeks to formulate goals about your job, health, home, relations with family members, personal relationships, spiritual life and how much you can express your creativity.
Sagittarius (Nov.22-Dec.21)
You’re popular! This month is all about talking to friends, joining clubs and groups, schmoozing with acquaintances plus making valuable new contacts. Youíre aware of your hopes and dreams and how close you are to achieving them. With Jupiter opposite your sign, this is a time of culmination for you. You feel a sense of achievement. Travel for pleasure is possible. In fact, romance with someone from another culture or a different country could be thrilling.
October Horoscopes Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
This month, the Sun will slowly cross the top of your chart acting like a spotlight on you. This is why parents, teachers and VIPs notice you. Fortunately, this lighting is flattering so they think you’re hot! Demand the advantage. Ask for a promotion or raise (or anything you want). Bosses will ask you to take on increased responsibilities. (Not surprising because this is the year you can improve your job.) Meanwhile sex will be sweet and affectionate; plus gifts, goodies and favours will come your way.
Aquarius ( Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
You’ve got the wanderlust and travel totally appeals to you right now. Bottom line: You want to do something different! You want to expand your horizons. You’re hungry for fresh ideas, new knowledge and an opportunity to meet fascinating people. Study or sign up for a course. Naturally being in a different environment will satisfy your desire for stimulation. Yes, youíre restless but it’s a positive thing. Meanwhile, fair Venus opposite your sign guarantees warm relationships with others.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)
You’re sensitive and emotional. (This doesn’t mean you’re wishywashy. Albert Einstein and Steve Jobs were Pisces.) You react emotionally to events around you and, this month, youíll be more intense than usual. You might do some soul-searching, and many will meet someone who triggers this psychological self-inquiry. Or someone might challenge your values? One thing is certain: Sex will be passionate and memorable! (Mae West said, ìGood sex is like bridge. If you donít have a good partner youíd better have a good hand.
www.georgianicols.com
51
COWICHAN FEATURE LISTINGS High quality handwoven traditional rugs and carpets made by Tibetan refugees from Nepal.
Small World Imports Tibetan Rugs and Carpets www.smallworldimports.ca 250-748-6570
Hand-knotted and made of 100% Tibetan wool in a family run venture that houses workers and educates children to alleviate poverty.
Want to learn how to make your own jewellery? Etc! offers a wide range of classes from introductory classes in Beading, Kumihimo and Bead Weaving to more advanced techniques and workshops. We have a fantastic range of beads and supplies as well as unique gifts. Call for prices and dates 250 324 2227 New Hours Monday - Saturday 9-5 and Sunday 10 - 4
9747c Willow St, Chemainus 250 324 2227
Metal Artist Brad Allen
With a torch,welder and array of metal finishing tools, Brad creates joyful, nurturing and thought-provoking pieces. - Metal Wall hangings - Free Standing Sculptures Studio located in Duncan by appointment Brad Allen 250 748 0934 www.meddleart.com Our mission is to inspire, motivate and most of all... to have fun! We offer encouraging, experienced tap dance instruction for beginners to advanced of all ages.
Lynda Allen 250-748-0934 lyndaallentapstudio@shaw.ca
Photographing Birds on A Budget October 23 7pm Hardwick Hall, High Street at 3rd Avenue in Ladysmith Non-members $5 LadysmithCameraClub.com Ladysmith Camera Club presents “Photographing Birds on a Budget” offering techniques for getting great bird photos when you can’t afford giant lenses or trips to exotic locales. The workshop will be presented
by noted Ladysmith, BC photographer, naturalist, author and lecturer Bruce Whittington. Bruce has been watching and photographing the birds of Vancouver Island for over forty years. He is the author of three books, and is a naturalist aboard cruises on the BC coast. He also works with his wife Wanda Dombrowski at Bayview Framing & Art in Ladysmith. Image Downy Woodpecker Bruce Whittington
Memory foam yoga mat PVC Free. Ideal for pre/postnatal yoga, pilates and those who need more support. Suitable for all types of yoga including, Vinyasa Flow, Power, Bikram, Ashtanga, Iyengar, Gentle and Kundalini.
52
www.vvitayoga.ca Richard 250 746 9319 Vancouver Island and Gulf Islands Distributor
Valley Voice Magazine -Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley
What’s The Fracking Problem With Natural Gas? increase earthquake risk. Gas leakage also leads to problems, even causing tap water to become flammable! In some cases, flaming tap water is the result of methane leaks from fracking. And methane is a far more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide!
Science Matters with David Suzuki
A
t least 38 earthquakes in Northeastern B.C. over the past few years were caused by hydraulic fracturing (commonly called fracking), according to a report by the B.C. Oil and Gas Commission. Studies have found quakes are common in many places where that natural gas extraction process is employed. It’s not unexpected that shooting massive amounts of water, sand, and chemicals at high pressure into the earth to shatter shale and release natural gas might shake things up. But earthquakes aren’t the worst problem with fracking. Hydraulic fracturing requires massive amounts of water. Disposing of the toxic wastewater, as well as accidental spills, can contaminate drinking water and harm human health. And pumping wastewater into the ground can further
Those are all serious cause for concern – but even they don’t pose the greatest threat from fracking. The biggest issue is that it’s just one more way to continue our destructive addiction to fossil fuels. As easily accessible oil, gas, and coal reserves become depleted, corporations have increasingly looked to “unconventional” sources, such as those in the tar sands or under deep water, or embedded in underground shale deposits. And so we end up with catastrophes such as the spill – and deaths of 11 workers – from the Deepwater Horizon blowout in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. We turn a blind eye to the massive environmental devastation of the tar sands, including contamination of water, land, and air; destruction of the boreal forest; endangerment of animals such as caribou; and impacts on human health. We blast the tops off of mountains to get coal. We figure depleted water supplies, a few earthquakes, and poisoned water are the price we have to pay to maintain our fossil-fuelled way of life. As Bill McKibben points out, it didn’t have to be this way. “We could, as a civilization, have taken that dwindling supply and rising price as a signal to convert to sun, wind, and other noncarbon forms of energy,” he wrote in the New York Times Review of Books, adding that “it would have made eminent sense, most of all because it would have aided in the fight against global warming, the most difficult challenge the planet faces.”
Some people, mostly from the fossil fuel industry, have argued that natural gas could be a “bridging” fuel while we work on expanding renewable energy development and capacity, by providing a source of energy with fewer greenhouse gas emissions when burned than coal and oil. But numerous studies, including one by the David Suzuki Foundation and the Pembina Institute, have found this theory to be extremely problematic. To begin, leaks of natural gas – itself a powerful greenhouse gas – and the methane that is often buried with it, contribute to global warming. Burning natural gas and the industrial activity required to extract and transport it also contribute to increased greenhouse gas emissions. As McKibben notes, the U.S. National Center for Atmospheric Research concluded that switching to natural gas “would do little to help solve the climate problem.” More than anything, continued and increasing investment in natural gas extraction and infrastructure will slow investment in, and transition to, renewable energy. Would companies that build gas-fired power plants be willing to shut them down, or pay the high cost of capturing and storing carbon, as the world gets serious about the need to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions? Just as fossil fuels from conventional sources are finite and are becoming depleted, those from difficult sources will also run out. If we put all our energy and resources into continued fossil fuel extraction, we will have lost an opportunity to have invested in renewable energy. If we want to address global warming, along with the other environmental problems associated with our continued rush to burn our precious fossil fuels as quickly as possible, we must learn to use our resources more wisely, kick our addiction, and quickly start turning to sources of energy that have fewer negative impacts.
Interested in contributing to the Valley Voice? E-mail us at editor@cowichanvalleyvoice.com
53
DIRECTORY
Valley Voice Magazine now offers readers a new directory to discover local services and businesses. 2 sizes of ad space are available to suit every business message and budget. Affordable, stylish and straight to the point. Contact Adrienne Richards for more info 250 510 6596 or adrienne@cowichanvalleyvoice.com Deadline October 16 for November 2012 Issue 48.
Belly Dancing
T w
Business Services
Child Care Need childcare? Taking care of children? Call the Cowichan Valley Child Care Resource & Referral 250-746-4135 local 231
Beauty and Hair Salon Services
Nika’s Natural Hair & Relaxation Salon
Barb’s Mobile Hair Salon
Hairdressing In Your Home
haircuts for the whole family color & hi-lites (featuring eco-colors) hair and scalp treatments Matraea Centre all natural products 170 Craig Street Duncan 250 710-7339
Services offered include: haircuts, styling, colouring and perms for Ladies, Men and Children! 1- 250 483 5043 / Cell 250 715 6568
Counseling Josef Graf, MSW, Human Services, in clinical counseling
250-709-8583 jgraf5@yahoo.ca
Holistic Counseling Exploring life issues www.JGC5.com
Facilitating self-empowered resolutions by access to the inner field of resources.
In person in Cowichan Valley, or Skype/phone elsewhere sliding fee scale, to affordability
Counselling
Farms and Food
Individual and couple counselling services.
More than a Meat Shop
Sophie Barbant - Hayward, M.A. Registered 331 St. Julian Street Professional Counsellor Duncan, BC Bilingual French and English 250- 510 - 0182
The Duncan Butcher 430 Trans Canada Hwy 250 748 -6377
Gluten Free/Organic Pasta’s, Organic Meat, Homemade Sausage, International Foods.
The Valley’s 1st Certified Organic /Biodynamic Community Supported Agriculture Program Year round availability or 24 weeks Come eat at our Organic Farm Cafe - Child, Celiac and Vegan friendly! Alderlea Farm and Cafe Open Tues, Fri, Sat, 11am-6pm 3390 Glenora Road, Duncan, 250 597 3438 Special seating for family meals!
Health and Healing For more information on how to be part of the
VALUE 2012 Valley Voice Directory Call Adrienne Richards 250 510 6596 or e-mail adrienne@cowichanvalleyvoice.com
54
Downtown Ladysmith
Marilyn Swallow RMT RA Sherry Bezanson BSW, M.Ed., RCC John Carter DOM (250) 245 9269 / 714 5044
www.wildflowernaturalhealth.ca
Valley Voice Magazine -Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley
1 w
Health and Healing (continued) Vitamin And Herbal Supplements Organic Bulk Foods & Herbs Health & Beauty Aids Herbal Medicine & Food For 4-180 Central Duncan Dogs And Cats (Located Beside Sears in Village Sports Nutrition & Weight Loss Snack Bar Green Mall) 250 748-4421
SENIORS!
15% Discount Every Day! on Supplements *Unless Already Reduced Last Tuesday of Every Month Seniors receive 15% off most food items as well as supplements.
Reflexology and Chi Wellness by Terri
Indian Head Massage, Foot Reflexology, Reiki, Spiritual Healing & Therapeutic Touch * RELEASE DISEASE CAUSING STRESS * STIMULATE IMMUNE FUNCTIONS Terri 250 709-2388 balancedbody@shaw.ca www.terriswellness.com • 1453 Algonkin Rd, Duncan
IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN 141 Craig Street, Duncan 250 748-9632 www.mercias.ca
3-1 hour relaxation sessions of your choice for $159.00
•A Large Variety Of Supplements, Flower Remedies •Homeopathics, Tinctures •Aura-Soma Colour Therapy, Bath and Body Products •Hair Care Products, Specialty Creams, Bulk Soap and More! •Duncan’s Largest Selection Of Bulk Medicinal Herbs Amazing Lines Of Professional Natural Cosmetics including: Zuii Organics Make Up and ZUZU Luxe: luxury color cosmetics line - spa inspired - VEGAN!
To book an appointment Shiatsu facilitates deep relaxation using hand and finger pressure along 250 748 - 6441 with stretches and joint rotations to RELIEVE PAIN, IMPROVE JOINT marthashiatsu@gmail.com MOBILITY, and EASE PHYSICAL & EMOTIONAL STRESS
Home Maintenance
s .
Music Lessons Allan Cameron B.Sc., Diploma in Music (Jazz Studies) Drum Set and Percussion Lessons Specializing in Rock, Funk, Latin and Jazz Drumset And Afro-Cuban percussion. 250-737-1757 atlasfunk@gmail.com
Pet Health and Care Holistic Care For Pets and People Specializing in Holistic Nutritional Education, Acid/Alkaline Balance, Food Buddy Shopping Services, Alternative Healing, Home Care SHEILA JONES chp Holistic Practitioner MOBILE SERVICES www.holisticnc.ca 250-597-3212
Websites, Domains & Hosting
Web. Domains & Hosting Services WEB HOST Richard Badman rbadman@gearth.com 250.746.9319 Duncan, BC
Painting WCB covered & Fully insured Seniors discounts & affordable rates
Contact Saldana today for your FREE QUOTE (250) 7017197 or exquisite_dezigns@yahoo.com
Professional Framing and Local Art 139 Station St. 250-748-3311 ssgfs@telus.net Professional Framing •Local Art •Unique Gifts
Yoga Classes, Studios and Instruction Sadie Bartram - Inspiration Yoga
Chakra Yoga and Sacred Chant Circle at Rivendell Yurt Prenatal Yoga and Mom and Babe Yoga at Matrea Centre, 170 Craig St Duncan sdbartram@gmail.com/250-748-2089
55
56
Valley Voice Magazine -Your Monthly Guide to Living in the Cowichan Valley