Aqua jan\feb 2018

Aqua Gulf Islands JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

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Living

Volume 13, Issue 1

of Home Housing alternatives for island dwellers

the FABRIC OF ART Mayne Island's Judy Taylor

RHEN'S POETRY Nature in focus

Arts | homes | people | food | culture | community

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contents

TANTALIZERS! PAGE 6 COVER STORY

Shipping container homes meld beauty, design and function, PAGE 8

HOMES

Tracy Calvert's cob building passion, PAGE 14 A day in the life of a Salt Spring tiny home, PAGE 25

ARTS

Judy Taylor and her colourful fabric art, PAGE 30

NATURE

Rhen's Poetry: Midwinter Interlude, PAGE 21

COMFORT FOOD

Fraser Hope and his Mince an' Tatties, PAGE 36

Q&A

Tami and Fernando: The couple behind Dragonfly Commons, PAGE 38

25

Page 4 – AQUA – January/February 2018

21 30

january/ february 2018

Unordinary living

O

ne day last fall I managed to squeeze in a quick trip to Hornby Island to visit a muchloved friend from high school.

She lives on a massive waterfront acreage, has a market garden and is an artist as well. The property is smack-you-over-the-head beautiful, but maintaining the farmer-artist lifestyle has always been hard work. The last time I visited, about five years ago, my friend was hoping to finally get a hydro connection to her waterfront cottage. This time I observed that electricity and internet service had made it to an impressive new workshop/ studio on one part of the property but not to the cottage yet.

Convenience and paradise don’t generally stroll along hand in hand. All island dwellers experience that to some degree because of our reliance on ferries or other vessels.

My own place falls rather high on the inconvenience spectrum, with its long, bumpy driveway, and the parking area and house separated by a bridge and steep path.

But there's no way I'm going to try living without hydro.

Aqua

michael murray photo

Editor’s Message

Gulf Islands

Living

This issue published January 10, 2018

These days people seem more willing to sacrifice space, if not comforts, in order to have a home of their own. This issue of Aqua explores some alternate forms of housing, from tiny homes to cob and straw-bale structures and one made from shipping containers.

Our Q&A subjects are Tami and Fernando dos Santos, who have made providing affordable housing for Salt Spring’s workforce a personal mission.

We also meet a dynamic Mayne Island fabric artist, Judy Taylor, and Comfort Food columnist Marcia Jansen tracks down Fraser Hope for the lowdown on tasty Scottish victuals and his fascinating life.

Aqua kicks off 2018 with two new faces. Barb Levy merges photographs and poetry that celebrate island nature through the seasons in a Rhen's Poetry page.

Marc Kitteringham joined the Driftwood editorial team in December and wrote the Salt Spring Island Tiny Homes and Honomobo stories in this issue. I know you will enjoy their contributions in both this and future editions.

— Gail Sjuberg

Publisher: Amber Ogilvie Editor: Gail Sjuberg Art Director & Production: Lorraine Sullivan Advertising: Drew Underwood, Shirley Command Aqua Writers: Cherie Thiessen, Marc Kitteringham, Marcia Jansen Aqua Photographers: Cherie Thiessen, Marcia Jansen Cover photo of a Salt Spring Honomobo home by Nick Schafer of Fresh Finish Media Aqua is published by Driftwood Publishing Ltd., 328 Lower Ganges Road, Salt Spring Island, B.C. V8K 2V3 Phone: 250-537-9933 / Email: news@driftwoodgimedia.com Websites: www.driftwoodgimedia.com; www.gulfislandstourism.com; www.gulfislandsdriftwood.com Publications Mail Reg. #08149 Printed in Canada

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Fraser Hollins on double bass and Dave Laing on drums.

Taurey Butler is the group’s special guest pianist. For classical music fans during the same month, ArtSpring presents pianist Jan Lisiecki on Feb. 18 and the Rolston String Quartet on Feb. 20.

Galiano Literary Festival 2012 scene.

• One of the Gulf Islands’ most anticipated annual events is coming up next month with the ninth-annual Galiano Literary Festival on Feb. 23, 24 and 25. George Bowering, David Chariandy, Wayne Johnston, Charles Demers, Kyo Maclear, Michael Redhill, Timothy Taylor and Sam Wiebe are just some of the many writers attending the festival. Audrey Thomas, Angela Crocker and Theresa Kishkan are leading workshops on the Friday.

• The Sidney Pier Hotel & Spa is hosting a unique fundraiser for the Sidney Food Bank on Saturday, Jan. 20. People can step back in time to Tombstone, Arizona, circa 1881, and enjoy the hospitality of the old west with locales like Big Nose Kate’s Saloon, the General Store (silent auction), Main Street jail for photo ops and The Birdcage/Crystal Palace dance hall. Costumes are encouraged!

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AQUA FILE PHOTO BY DAVID MIDDLETON

• A new season of Workshops on the Rock begins on Jan. 27.

The Salt Spring Arts Council’s program of in-house classes ranges from fabric arts topics to mask making to mural painting and beyond. Some sessions are geared for kids, others for all ages and some for adults. Salt Spring instructors include Stefanie Denz, Janet Cliffe, Johanna Hoskins, Kaya Reiss, Charlotte Holmes, Cam Novak, Tracy Harrison and Marta McKeever.

Connie Morey and Alexandra Morgan are two visiting artists set to provide fresh inspiration. See www.ssartscouncil.com for all the details.

• World-class jazz doesn’t come to the islands every day of the week, but ArtSpring is bringing back an ensemble that had a Salt Spring crowd enthralled last winter. This time the Rémi Bolduc Jazz Ensemble pays tribute to Oscar Peterson in a Feb. 5 show. Bolduc Rémi Bolduc performs on saxophone,

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January/February 2018 – AQUA – Page 7

Cover Story

Home Sweet Honomobo Shipping container one option in alternative housing STORY BY MARC KITTERINGHAM PHOTOS by Nick Schafer / Fresh Finish Media

Page 8 – AQUA – January/February 2018

They’re strong, rust-resistant, modular, meant to withstand years

being shipped all over the world, and are perfect to live in. Shipping containers are the newest materials being used to make custom alternative homes.

An Alberta-based company called Honomobo has been designing and building modern homes made from shipping containers since 2016, and Salt Spring Island couple Graham and Linda McFarlane are among the newest owners of one of these homes.

Honomobo specializes in custom-built modular homes made from shipping containers. The company was founded by Devon Siebenga, the owner of BigSteelBox Structures. Seeing a need for quality-built modular homes, Siebenga looked to his other business for inspiration.

“A lot of the drive behind the concept was our wash cars and a lot of the items that we use and interact with are built in a factory, so therefore why are houses not built in factories?” he asks. “When you look at traditional, factory-built homes, often there is a lot of negative stigma around them.”

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Page 10 – AQUA – January/February 2018

Above: Contemporary kitchen area in Graham and Linda McFarlane's Honomobo home on Salt Spring Island.

Next page: One wall is set for installation on the foundation of the McFarlanes' home.

Previous page, from top: Front of the home; further along in the installation process.

When they were looking for their new home, Graham and Linda McFarlane wanted something a bit different. They’ve owned their land on Beddis Road on Salt Spring for six years and had a trailer on it for most of that time. They were looking for something that had a reasonable price tag and a short construction time.

“We went to see the show home in Edmonton about a year and a half ago, and literally placed an order on the spot,” says Graham McFarlane.

Before the installation, the McFarlanes hired a local contractor to prepare the land and build a foundation.

Honomobo homes are built to local building codes and fill all of the requirements of a permanent home.

The McFarlanes' house is 704 square feet in size with two bedrooms, one bathroom, a full-length bathtub and ensuite laundry. Like other Honomobo homes, it has a super modern design and high energy efficiency. The homes are built in the factory in Nisku, Alta. and can range in size from 207 to 1,380 square feet.

The McFarlanes' home was shipped to Salt Spring and installed on the foundation. Getting all of the containers in place took one day, while the little bits of electrical, plumbing and finishing touches took the rest of a week.

“We went to see the show home in Edmonton about a year and a half ago, and literally placed an order on the spot.”

— Graham McFarlane “They just lifted the four containers into place and the trucks were gone within a day because all of the containers were in place,” says McFarlane. “There was still assembly work left to do. That took an extra week or so.”

Honomobo homes are designed to be installed quickly and efficiently. All of the appliances and other details are pre-installed in the factory, so the company can cut down on installation time. Siebenga says he “saw the opportunity to embrace and leverage the fact that there’s consistency in a factory and use that to [their] advantage in terms of building well-designed homes and having that repeatability to really refine [their] homes.”

The housing crisis has hit hard for many people. Companies like Honomobo are stepping up to fill the gap with creative solutions. For Honomobo, the creativity has paid off.

January/February 2018 – AQUA – Page 11

More images from installation of the McFarlanes' home in March of 2017.

Next page: View out the front of the home.

Page 12 – AQUA – January/February 2018

“So far it has been insatiable,” says Siebenga. “There has been an unbelievable response. Social media is our best friend and also an enemy in the sense that you just get inundated. We’ve had millions of different people responding, sharing and showing interest in our product.”

Realizing that the current model of home ownership does not always work has made people think more about what they want out of their homes.

“I think people are interested in well-designed spaces.

They are looking for something unique, but also I think something that is predictable and energy efficient but also environmentally responsible,” says Siebenga. “I think people want the way that we’re doing things to be rethought.”

For the McFarlanes, rethinking has paid off. While the home may look like a storage container on the outside, inside it is a completely modern and functional living space. The front wall is made entirely of glass, giving the McFarlanes a clear view of the ocean. Inside, the home is designed to be very modern and comfortable. The home is heated by a heat pump, and thanks to the efficient insulation it is also eco friendly.

“Our whole mindset and values are really around

design focus and genuineness of how we design,” says Siebenga. “We want to be true to the materials that we use and we want to create something that’s efficient.”

Finding affordable and comfortable housing can be difficult for many people. Often, traditional home con-

struction can leave people out in the cold for months, and leave insurmountable holes in their wallets. As a result, alternative housing is on the rise. Homes made from shipping containers, like the homes sold by Honomobo, offer people another option.

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January/February 2018 – AQUA – Page 13

Artisans

Playing in the Dirt How Tracy Calvert fell in love with cob building

By CHERIE THIESSEN Photos by Cherie Thiessen, except as noted

Cob: an ancient building method that uses a combination of earth mixed with sand and straw.

I

n 1999, a registered massage therapist working out of her clinic in Vancouver Island’s Brentwood Bay made a life-changing decision. Nearing 40, she had been caring for her terminally ill mother and that experience understandably made a strong impression on her. That’s when she decided that she shouldn’t wait to do the things she really wanted to do.

“Shortly afterward,” says the ex-therapist and Pender Island’s green builder, Tracy Calvert, “somebody gave me a book on cob building and I could not believe what I was seeing. It was so amazing to me that you could actually sculpt yourself a house.”

Page 14 – AQUA – January/February 2018

Cob making has been described as a sensory and aesthetic experience similar to sculpting with clay. It’s easy to learn, much cheaper to build and so much kinder to the environment.

“So I contacted the Cob Cottage Company and found out there was a workshop on Mayne Island, hosted by Pat Hennebery.”

She took the hands-on course, and when that was over, continued to work on the cottage’s completion. Committed to this new passion, she moved to Mayne Island shortly afterward and soon became one of the three founders of Cobworks, with Hennebery and Elke Cole.

For the next five years Calvert could routinely be found “playing in the dirt,” but as she became more knowledgeable in natural building she began At right: Outside of a Pender Island half cob and half straw bale home owned by Mary Reher and Andy Nowak.

Previous page: Tracy makes stainedglass art in her studio.

January/February 2018 – AQUA – Page 15

photo courtesy tracy calvert

From top: Calvert and the cozy living room of her home; Calvert with a stained-glass gate made in collaboration with Colin Hamilton of Thuja Wood Art. Next page, from top: Details sculpted into walls of the home of Mary Reher and Andy Nowak; straw bale workshop led by Calvert on Orcas Island.

Page 19: Calvert's 650-square-foot cob and straw bale home.

Page 16 – AQUA – January/February 2018

to embrace other forms of environmentally sustainable building.

“Although cob is more sculptural, straw bale is far more insulative than cob and I found after years of working in the field that straw bale is also faster and somewhat less work.”

Soon she was buying property on Mayne and building her own straw bale home.

Then the Pender Islands lucked out. Calvert had friends on South Pender who invited her to come and live on their property. Enjoying the community and support she found on Pender, she decided to make it her new home. She bought a school bus and made the move in 2006, living in it for a year until she sold her Mayne Island home and bought the property from her friend, abstract artist Corre Alice.

Soon she was giving a presentation at the Pender Island Recycling Society’s AGM on cob building, forming close relationships with the Penders’ other green builders, and once again getting into the dirt by giving her own building workshops, consulting and overseeing projects. (The Eco Homes Network, a collaboration of five like-minded Pender Island green businesses and individuals wanting to help educate and spread the word about sustainable and green building on Pender, organized and sponsored two very successful ecohome tours.

“I’ve worked on five homes here and done plaster inside three others,” Calvert tells me as we sit outside her 650-square-foot cob and straw bale home. “Some have been Cobworks workshop style; on others, I’ve been a consultant, where I show the owner and sub contractor how to do natural building and then come back later to consult and then do

— TRACY CALVERT

photo courtesy tracy calvert

“I love detail work. it is just part of my nature.”

some aspects of it. I love consulting work and I especially like plastering — that’s where my expertise is.”

She honed this art on her Pender home, which continues to be a work in progress. “I’m renovating it now, building in cabinets and bookcases, a new bathroom and eventually a new kitchen.”

She mentions another project she has been involved in that gave her a lot of satisfaction.

“Colin Hamilton and Wendi Lopatecki [of Thuja Wood Art] are doing the second phase of their straw bale home and are putting the first coat of plaster on now. I’ve done a lot of work with them, consulting and working with them on the first phase of their home as well as Colin’s cob workshop. Then I did some consulting with them on the second phase where they added some light clay aspects, which was fun and interesting. A lot of people came out and I would teach them and then they would carry on. I would pop in and check on the progress and make suggestions if they needed it. It’s a great way to work.”

She also has fond memories of her involvement in Mary Reher and Andy Nowak’s hybrid cottage (half cob and half straw bale). Elke Cole did the design, Adrian Schamberger from the Island School of Building Arts on

January/February 2018 – AQUA – Page 17

Anytime . . . is a great time to visit the Southern Gulf Islands!

Galiano Island

When thinking Galiano, superlatives come to mind. It seems to have more of everything, except crowds. That’s surprising, really, given that it’s the first stop on the Tsawwassen-Gulf Islands ferry, a trip of under an hour. The lanky island seems to have more sunsets, more oceanfront, more spectacular hikes, more beautiful drives, more stunning views, more range of places to stay and eat, and more things to do.

Mayne Island

Salt Spring Island

As the largest of the Southern Gulf Islands, Salt Spring has services, shops, galleries, restaurants and accommodations for all tastes and budgets.

February is a great time to visit Salt Spring with the annual February Festival on tap. The Family Day concert, Indoor Market (on Feb. 17) and numerous arts and cultural events take place throughout the month.

Saturna Island

How can an island so close to the mainland be so quiet? The answer lies in the getting there. It’s only 14 nautical miles from the Tsawwassen terminal as the crow flies, but the trip involves two ferries, and can take over three hours. The journey is so scenic, however, that most visitors consider this a bonus — two ferries for the price of one. Don’t miss a visit to the Wild Thyme Cafe in the double-decker bus!

This is an island of surprises. Who would have thought that quiet little Mayne Island could ever have been labelled “Little Hell,” for example? Blame the gold rush for that 150-year old label. It was the miners who gave their name to Miners Bay, a jostling halfway stop between Vancouver Island and the Fraser River, en route to the Cariboo. Back then, Mayne was the commercial and social centre of the Gulf Islands.

Pender Island

Where can you get free killer whale shows with a sunset thrown in? Try Thieves Bay on North Pender. The orcas are a big island summer draw as they feed and frolic almost daily in the rich tidal waters here. These islands have the balance just right, just developed enough to have many amenities, and just natural enough to offer secluded beaches and lonely forest treks, especially on the more undeveloped South Pender.

SALT SPRING COMMUNICATION STATION has grown and we are now the island’s source for retail consumer electronics.

We have added additional space in the upper level of our location at 342 Lower Ganges Road (Upper Ganges Centre). Stop in and see us and if we don’t have what you need in stock, we can supply it. In addition to our mobility sales, we carry: PC laptops, printers, monitors, tv’s, networking supplies, hard drives, video and audio cables, drones and many other electronic items.

342 LOWER GANGES RD • 250.537.8371 Page 18 – AQUA – January/February 2018

Gabriola and Nowak did the structure, and then Calvert led a workshop on cob and straw bale building. Calvert says most of the wall was done in 10 days.

With home renovations, chickens wandering about, a large market garden, a 1,200-square-foot straw bale workshop and Artwood, a cottage she rents through Airbnb, you would think the fit 58-year-old would have enough to do, but no, these days she is in love with stained glass.

“I love detail work. It is just part of my nature. Working with Jude Farmer with his cabinetry has refined that love of detail. In my stained glass work I do my own designs because the designs just arise from an inspiration or feeling I want to create and share and I tend to be drawn to more abstract rather than literal interpretations. There are so many aspects to stained glass that are all part of the design: the lead lines, the colours, the shapes, the light that comes through in the reflection.”

She talks about a huge glass collaborative project she did on Bowen Island with Colin Hamilton. It’s driveway gates.

“I love working with Colin. We both appreciate each other’s aesthetic focuses. He got an enquiry about gates but the owner wanted colour, so knowing my art he asked me whether I’d like to do a collaborative project and I jumped at it.”

Calvert is often asked for classes in stained glass and would love to create a space where people come and learn about the craft, feeding off each others’ creative juices, a kind of collective almost. An Airbnb experience where people could come and stay on the property while learning stained glass is another possibility. She certainly has the space already in the lofty straw bale workshop she helped to build, her first ever plaster job.

“I want to create a ‘maker space’ here,” she enthuses. “A place for people to come and be creative and experiment, to have fun and to create together.”

Well, we all know “if you build it they will come,” and it’s already built!

Calvert can be reached at tracyccrow@gmail.com for information.

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January/February 2018 – AQUA – Page 19

Gulf Island

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For reservations visit

www.saltspringharbourhouse.com or phone 250-537- 4700 Page 20 – AQUA – January/February 2018

Now open at Harbour House Hotel! Join us for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner or Drinks.

For more information or to register: call 250-539-3340 or e-mail: galianobookstore@gmail.com www.galianoliteraryfestival.wordpress.com

Nature

Rhen's

Poetry

poetic images of salt spring Island POEM & PHOTOS BY BARB LEVY

Midwinter Interlude A boat floating quietly over raw silk waters. michael LEVY photo

Fingers gently teasing strands of mist.

Barb Levy, AKA Rhen, is a poet, musician and photographer who has lived on Salt Spring for 15 years. Rhen's Poetry will appear in each issue of Aqua.

Note: Grace Islet photo is on Page 4 (index page).

For more images

by Barb Levy, see www.facebook.com/ saltspringbarbrhenpoetry/

Snow-dusted trees on the mountain.

Veils and Icicles in this soft, wintry hush.

Grace Islet showered with crystalline flakes.

Tiny songbirds sprinkling the air with tiptoe notes.

A beautiful deer with her sunlit gaze.

Midwinter interlude — winter’s warm touch.

January/February 2018 – AQUA – Page 21

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first quarter of the previous fiscal year.

This was mainly due to an increase in fuel consumption, labour and training related costs that resulted from higher traffic volumes, an increase in round trips provided and the introduction of new ships.

“We remain focused on prudent fiscal management while striking the right balance between earnings and operational costs. All earnings are reinvested in services and infrastructure for our customers,” said Collins. “During this quarter alone, we invested $91 million in new vessels, vessel upgrades and terminal improvements.”

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tation and Infrastructure. The process is anticipated to take between three and four months.

The project was approved by Sidney council for rezoning in 2016. When Sidney council approved the project, construction was anticipated to begin this spring as Omicron expected their applications – pending an infrastructure report from the transportation minister – to go to the Victoria Airport Authority at the end of 2016.

Omicron has already worked with the town and ministry extensively to resolve issues such as moving the $3-million pedestrian overpass from the south side of the Beacon Avenue intersection to the north side to better serve pedestrians and school children crossing highway traffic.

The overpass is part of the developer’s $5.5-million amenities package.

The 98,000-square-foot shopping centre includes 10 buildings. It will feature a large grocery store and include a major appliance and electronics store, while there is also consideration for a daycare and a medical office affiliated with the Saanich Peninsula Hospital.

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Homes

Simple

Living

Tiny house phenomenon takes root on Salt Spring STORY BY MARC KITTERINGHAM PHOTOS courtesy Salt Spring Island Tiny Homes

You wake up slowly. Cozy in your

bed, you look outside to the forest around you.

It is misty out, one of those typical West Coast mornings where everything looks surreal. You snuggle down a bit deeper, not willing to move yet.

Finally, thoughts about coffee get you going. A quick step down the ladder and you’re in the kitchen. Soon the smell of coffee is permeating through your home and you’re back in bed, waiting contentedly for the coffee to finish. You don’t have to get out just yet. There are no long cold hallways to wander through, no stairs between you and your kitchen and no lights to turn on. You’re right where you need to be.

Thoughts about breakfast really get you going. Pancakes are a good idea right now. More coffee, obviously, and maybe some farm fresh eggs. The stove keeps your whole home warm as you cook, and just as you start to eat, the sun breaks through the clouds.

This is morning in a tiny home.

Colin Crystal loves tiny homes. He caught the bug when he picked up a book called Tiny Homes: Simple Shelter by Lloyd Kahn. At the time, he was working towards his Red Seal Journeyman Carpenter training at Camosun College in Victoria.

“My face was just in that book all the time,” he says. “Basically it was just motivating me and inspiring me to become a carpenter . . . I love the amount of creativity that you can get into a small space.”

Besides that, he says, tiny homes can give people a way to afford their own homes.

Recognizing Salt Spring Island’s need for affordable and sustainable housing, Crystal started a company called Salt Spring Island Tiny Homes. It is the only company of its kind on the island, which desperately needs an affordable housing solution.

“My friends are moving every six months to a year, and they have kids. People aren’t happy about that.”

Tiny homes can be a perfect solution for the world’s housing crises. They are starting to be a viable way for people to live. Places like Portland, Ore. have already passed legislation to allow tiny homes to be put on existing properties. This has opened up worlds of housing opportunities for people who would otherwise be renting. This is not currently the case in B.C., but legislation is on the horizon.

“Things are just getting to a pinch in terms of the housing crisis. There is so much tension and there needs to be resolution. That’s when things change.”

Customizability, quality construction, lower cost and smaller environmental footprints all make tiny homes real and legitimate places to live.

January/February 2018 – AQUA – Page 25

“I think if people want to do it they should just go for it,” says Crystal. “Everybody that I talk to thinks it is about to become a reality for North America.”

After breakfast, you go outside. Outside is where most of your life takes place. It’s the weekend, so you decide to go for a walk.

The trails are great this time of year. There aren’t many people out, and you feel like you have the whole forest to yourself.

By the time you get home again, it has warmed up considerably.

The sun is charging both your solar panels and your herb garden by the kitchen window. Having a tiny home makes the outdoor space much bigger, so your garden can be huge this year. By the time you’re home the sun has taken over and kept the inside of your home the perfect temperature.

You go inside and pull out the couch in the great room. You might feel like watching a movie, or maybe reading a book. Both are within arm’s reach. You spread out comfortably and the hours drift by.

This is the afternoon in a tiny home.

Tiny living is about living sustainably. Crystal has a background in natural building, which is building with natural and sustainable materials. He has applied that thinking to his tiny home. Being so small, the structure is much easier to heat than a traditional home.

It also has the possibility of running solar power, and many of the main energy draws of a traditional home are covered by propane.

Living small also forces a person to enjoy the outdoors more.

When your home is small, it makes the world so much bigger.

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“I love the amount of creativity that you can get into a small space.”

— COLIN CRYSTAL People often have large gardens and make a lot of use out of the outdoor space. Finally, since the tiny homes are mobile, there is less of an effect on the property itself.

There is no need for permanent structures like foundations or basements, because the home is on wheels.

Tiny homes are special because they can be completely custom made. Unlike apartments or other rentals, the homeowner and builder have a lot more leeway when it comes to design.

“It’s so important to make it perfect for you because it’s your home and people just want to be comfortable and happy in their home,” Crystal says.

Many people are wary to try tiny living because it is so small. Crystal has found a way to make a tiny home feel more spacious, while still having all of the coziness. The roof has been built with gables, which provide windows in the bedroom and make the space seem much bigger than what is in most tiny homes. He has also installed a sunroof over the bed so the owner can fall asleep looking at the stars.

Tiny homes aren’t for everyone, but those who are interested in owning a tiny home don’t see limitations but strengths. Tiny homes appeal to people who want to simplify their lives. They are people who don’t want a lot of things. They want to be able to move easily and efficiently and don’t want to be tied down by what they own. To some people, having a big home full of nice things is the dream. To others, it can be a nightmare. Yes, there is a lack of storage space, but to someone interested in a tiny home, that is exactly what they are looking for.

“The whole thing about it is that it is freeing because you can move it. A lot of people say that having less stuff is more freeing, but a lot of people who wouldn’t live in a tiny house would consider that a limitation.”

You have just finished eating dinner and cleaning up was easy. After watching a few episodes of your favourite TV show it is time for bed. The ladder to your loft has been stowed away to save space, but you pull it out and climb up. The moon is rising, shining through one of your gabled windows. Above your head are a million stars. You stare at them as you start to drift off, comfortable and safe. Tomorrow there will be coffee again.

Tomorrow you will still be in your own home. You’re asleep and everything is quiet.

This is night time in a tiny home.

Tiny home kitchen area shows part of the light-filled interior space.

SALT SPRING ISLAND Tiny Home Facts > Size: 10 by 19 feet and built on a heavy duty 8 by 16-foot flat deck trailer.

Content: 3-piece bathroom with shower, composting toilet and vanity, kitchen with standard sink, refrigerator and propane stove, sleeping loft and living area.

Construction: 2×4 with standard double-glazed vinyl windows.

Walls and roof are insulated with R-12 fiberglass batts, the 2×8 floor joists are insulated with R-28 batts. The roof is metal.

Siding is cedar.

Heat + hot water: Propane. If adequate power is available, electricity could replace the propane.

Electricity: Standard 110v supplied from an outdoor extension cord. Lighting is LED. A PV system can be added for off-grid locations.

Water: Supplied either by a waterline from an adjacent building, or rainwater can be harvested from the metal roof. A pump, pressure tank and water treatment system fits beneath the kitchen sink.

Grey water: Sink and shower grey water can either be connected to an existing septic system or can be filtered through a reed bed treatment system and used for irrigation.

Source: Salt Spring Eco Living Tour 2017 January/February 2018 – AQUA – Page 27

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• First Nations culture can be explored at the Quw’utsun’ Cultural and Conference Centre and through a walking tour of 40 totem poles within downtown Duncan.

• The BC Forest Discovery Centre has 10 locomotives, including Samson, dubbed “The World’s Friendliest Steam Engine,” which celebrated its 105th birthday this year.

• The community of Duncan was named after William Chalmers Duncan, one of 78 settlers sent to Cowichan Bay in 1862 by Governor James Douglas. Duncan • The Kinsol Trestle Bridge settled on a farm called Alderlea, is 187 metres (614 feet) long which became the site of a small and rises 44 metres (145 community. feet) above the Koksilah • The former E&N train station River, making it the highestis now a standing wooden railway museum, bridge in Canada. It was with exhibits restored in recent years thanks like the Jack to funds and hard work from Light, Airy and Serene...

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Island Artists

Quilting Diva Mayne Island’s Judy Taylor and her colourful passion STORY AND PHOTOS BY CHERIE THIESSEN

Recently a physiotherapist gave Judy Taylor an exercise to do against a wall of her house.

She laughs as she tells me this, saying: “Not as easy as it sounds. Do you see any free walls anywhere?”

The house is large and roomy, but no, I have to say there are no bare walls anywhere. Every space is taken up with frames, hangings, collages, the trappings of quilt art. Although she has a large studio and workspace, her creations can’t all be contained there and spill out the door into every perpendicular and horizontal space, every square inch. They’re the embodiment of her incredible inventiveness, creativity and enthusiasm for her art: the abstract made concrete and taking over the house.

My first thought upon seeing the complex, manyfaceted, incredibly original art is: “Wow!” My second is: “This vast array of gorgeous work needs to be seen, not hidden behind three other equally gorgeous works. Why haven’t they been given the chance to be centre stage in galleries and homes everywhere?”

Page 30 – AQUA – January/February 2018

“Well I do have three hanging at the Mayne Island Resort,” she tells me. “Two are upstairs in the reception area and one downstairs.”

And while her art is frequently displayed in shows on Mayne like the Festival Active Pass 2017 art show and events organized by the Mayne Island Quilters Guild, marketing her work is a low priority for this artist. She has no website, no gallery representing her, or any social media presence. An attractive and amazingly energetic woman in her 80s, Taylor does not even have a computer. It’s not that she doesn’t want to sell her work, it’s just that she can’t spare the time. It’s 100 per cent about creation.

“I wake up in the night with an idea and then start thinking ‘OK, so how am I going to do it?’ Sometimes I’ll just get up and go to the studio and start in on it because when I get these ideas I have to make them work.

It’s very tiring. I’m always trying something new.”

Sandra Sandvik, a Mayne Island resident and fellow artist, agrees.

“Judy teaches quilting courses through our guild and her most recent one was a new project with large prints using a technique she had recently created four quilts from.

She is able to support the students with her

sense of colour and design that is just so natural to her.”

Sandvik, who has been a quilter for 25 years and works out of Studio 652 on Mayne, also says: “She had been an amazing mentor to me as a textile artist and encouraged me to have my first show. We come from similar backgrounds of weaving and then on to working in fabrics and then experimenting with different media. She always makes herself available for advice and is always thinking of the arts community and how to move it forward on the island.”

As a child, growing up in Yorkshire, England, Taylor was always getting into trouble for touching and feeling things.

That tactile passion is still one of her driving creative forces.

“It’s also always been all about colour and balance my whole life. That’s how I realize I exist,” she says.

Although there are smaller works in her artistic mélange, she loves doing thing large and says she’d love to have a big show. Someone should help her organize that!

Taylor attended art school part time while still at school, because an older friend of hers was doing it and she was intrigued. Then when she was about 15 she was encouraged by her mother and her principal to study art and applied for a scholarship to the London School of Art. To her amazement she got it.

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The deadline for advertising in the next issue of Aqua is February 7, 2018.

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“I wake up in the night with an idea and then start thinking ‘OK, so how am I going to do it?'”

— JUDY TAYLOR Several other educators had also already recognized her ability and urged her to pursue it.

“When our school was being remodelled I was encouraged to make murals on the plaster. It was only temporary.”

For a long time, however, her creativity only smoldered because another passion burned brighter: her early age desire to be Florence Nightingale. She had turned down that art scholarship in favour of training as a nurse with pediatric and plastic surgery specialties, soon to be travelling around the world.

“I like small communities and being a district nurse and midwife suited me perfectly. When I was working on a sheep station in New Zealand my interest in art resurfaced. The owner’s wife used to spin, so I went to some of her sessions. Then when I went to Australia I took my spinning wheel with me, which I still have. The friend I stayed with in Australia sewed and so I started sewing as well. That’s where I met my husband, Robert, too.”

After living in the remote community of Seton Portage, where Robert was teaching and she was director of nursing in the town of Lillooet, the couple was ready to live on the Gulf Islands. Moving to Salt Spring with their two young children was their first choice. HowAt right: Judy Taylor quilted piece at Mayne Island Resort.

Page 30: Taylor in her studio.

Page 31: Detail of a fabric piece.

January/February 2018 – AQUA – Page 33

ever, Robert first had to take a temporary stint as teacher on Mayne in 1980. The Salt Spring job then did not materialize due to budget cuts, and by then the family had settled happily into the smaller island.

Robert himself was an artist, so the couple used to go over to Salt Spring regularly to meet with the artists and attend shows there. It was inevitable then that with art in her life and time on her hands, she would finally let that love of touch and wealth of creative ideas really run free.

In 1992, when the Mayne Island Quilters Guide was formed, Taylor joined.

“Even then I was not so interested in doing formal patterns. I liked to do what just came out of my head.”

And what came out of her head was pretty amazing. She started attending workshops

Page 34 – AQUA – January/February 2018

From left, Our Island Home, depicting Mayne Island; cattle-themed piece.

Below: Taylor in her studio, with other works hanging on the wall behind.

Next page: Tools of the trade.

at the Stitches Quilt Shop on Salt Spring, and in 2007 was amazed to be named an award winner at the Canadian Quilters’ Association’s annual juried show. Inspired by well-known textile artists like Nancy Crow and Katie Pasquini Masopust, Taylor is now an artist to inspire in her own right.

Interested in seeing the artist’s work?

You’ll just have to plan a day on Mayne and visit the artist.

Call Judy at 250-539-2431 for an appointment.

For travel to Mayne check out www.bcferries.com for the schedule and accommodation packages.

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January/February 2018 – AQUA – Page 35

Comfort Food

Scottish tongue Fraser Hope’s longing for minced meat pies and black pudding STORY & PHOTO BY MARCIA JANSEN

You’d be surprised by how many different nationalities live on Salt Spring Island. And each one of them has their own comfort food.

W Marcia Jansen is a Dutch journalist and writer who has lived on Salt Spring since 2012. www.ssicomfortfood.com

Page 36 – AQUA – January/February 2018

Fraser Hope at his Beddis Road home.

hen Fraser Hope goes back to Edinburgh, Scotland, the first thing he does is drop off his bags at home and walk along the high street to his favourite butcher.

“I buy four minced meat pies, take them outside and sit in the sun on a south-facing bench next to the police station and eat them all.

After I’ve finished them I go back in and buy a few more to bring home, and some black pudding: a blood sausage made of pork fat or beef suet, pork blood and oatmeal. That’s what I miss the most when I am in Canada.”

The 73-year-old Fraser was born and raised in Leith, an area north of the city of Edinburgh. Having served as the port of Edinburgh for hundreds of years, the area’s original harbour dates back to the 14th century and has been visited by many travelling kings and

queens, including Mary Queen of Scots and King George IV. After he graduated at the University of Edinburgh as a geography teacher, the then 24-year-old and his wife Rosalind thought about volunteering in northern Kenya, but when Rosalind became pregnant, Africa didn’t seem the best place to raise a child.

Shortly after, when he was at teacher training, he met a fellow student from Montreal and her father happened to be a principal in the Protestant School Board system.

“She told me that two superintendents from the board were in Edinburgh to hire Scottish teachers. When we heard that the interviews were being held in the Caledonian, a fancy hotel we’d never been in, we decided to go to see what the hotel was like. Long story short, Rosalind and I both got offered a position at a school in Montreal.”

Fraser taught one year at the Verdun High School in Montreal after arriving in 1968, then moved to Niagara Falls to teach there.

Next to his teaching job he also played as a goalkeeper — earning $60 a week, or $120 when they won — in the first professional soccer league in Canada.

“But I only did that one season because Rosalind and I had the chance to become teachers in Canada’s Arctic. As a geography teacher, I was highly interested in glacial geomorphology and glaciation, so I accepted the job. I called Rosalind, who was back in Scotland with our son and daughter, and told her that we had been offered positions in Pond Inlet in the Northwest Territories. What do you think? I asked her. She replied with ‘maybe we should do it.’ And I said: I am glad you said that because I already accepted.”

The couple worked in the Arctic until 1999. Fraser — whose Inuit name is Uniqarti, “the storyteller” — learned to fish and hunt, ate caribou and seal, and learned the Inuit language.

“It was a very interesting period in our lives. It is very isolated up there and you have to live with a lot of challenges. The cold, the lack of fresh vegetables and fruit, and the limited supply of fuel. I still like to eat my food cold, because when you live in the Arctic you can’t afford to use much fuel for cooking or heating things out on the land.”

In 1986, Fraser and Rosalind moved back to Scotland, after both their dads died. In 1998 they moved back to the Arctic and in 2000 they finally fulfilled their dream by going to Namibia in Africa where Fraser taught English at the university for two years and Rosalind developed student support at the Onfraser hope gwediva Teachers College.

Since 2003 the couple has lived on Salt Spring Island, close to Beddis Beach.

“I love it here. I’ve always lived close to the water and when I look out of my window, I see the ocean and the mountains.

That’s everything I need. But however much I love this island, Salt Spring may not be our final destination. As we get older, Edinburgh is a better place for us. I worry about the time that I can’t drive my car anymore.”

He is never homesick. “We are retired and quite comfortable so we can travel back home whenever we want,” but Fraser likes to cook Scottish recipes. “I learned to prepare food for large groups when I was young and I am the cook at home. My pièce de résistance is Cullen Skink, a traditional dish with scallops, prawns, mussels, baby clams, sole filet, leeks, onions, lots of butter, milk and heavy cream: it’s very good, very rich, but expensive comfort food. I made it a while ago and it cost me $140,” he smiles. “But my ultimate ‘comfort food’ is of course Mince an’ Tatties — a dish that’s well known for being used historically in school canteens — which we have at least once a week. In fact, [granddaughter] Kailan’s choice for Christmas dinner was not turkey, not roast beef, but … Mince an’ Tatties!”

“my ultimate ‘comfort food’ is of course Mince an’ Tatties.”

–

Mince an’ Tatties Ingredients • 500 g extra lean ground beef • 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped • 2 c beef broth (use 3 heaped Tbsp. of Bisto gravy granules to 2 cups of water) • 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into thin rounds • 1 c fresh, canned or frozen peas • 6 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into eighths • 1 tsp. salt • 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter • Salt and pepper to season Mince Brown beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking meat up with a wooden spoon if necessary.

Once beef is browned add onions to the skillet. Cook for a few minutes until vegetables start to soften, but not brown. Add carrots until both softened, about 15-20 minutes under low heat.

Slowly add beef broth, starting with a tablespoon or two and gradually increasing quantity. Once broth is added, continue stirring to make sure the gravy does not thicken too much — add a little extra water if necessary. Bring the mince and gravy to a simmer and reduce heat to low, stirring occasionally to prevent gravy burning.

Simmer, uncovered for about 30-40 minutes, until sauce has thickened and reduced slightly. Add peas and cook for 15-20 minutes, until carrots have reached desired tenderness. Stir occasionally to prevent gravy burning!

Season lightly with salt and pepper.

TATTIES Meanwhile, place potatoes into a large sauce pan and cover with 2-3” of cold water. Add 1 tsp. of salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a strong simmer and cook for around 20-25 minutes, until tender.

Drain water and let potatoes air dry in the strainer. (Do not rinse!)

Assembly: Mash potatoes with butter if desired. Serve mince over tatties and garnish with more mince.

January/February 2018 – AQUA – Page 37

Q&A

Tami and Fernando dos Santos are working on affordable housing solutions for Salt Spring on a not-for-profit basis.

Tami and Fernando dos Santos on a recent trip to Hawaii.

Q. How long have you lived on Salt Spring Island? What prompted you to start Dragonfly Commons?

A. We arrived on Salt Spring Island in 2008 and after renting for three years it became apparent to us that there was a lack of affordable housing. Over the last few years, the housing situation has only worsened and two years ago we decided to do something about it. We purchased a lovely secluded property that we thought would be ideal for affordable housing, within walking distance to Ganges and adjacent to Mouat Park. That is how Dragonfly Commons came about.

Q. Once the project is complete, what will people see if they live or visit there?

A. Dragonfly Commons will provide affordable home ownership in a secluded, ecofriendly development of 30 small homes on 10.5 park-like acres featuring a lush pond and a spectacular ravine. The community building will have rainwater collection, laundry facilities, meeting hall and a kitchen. Homes are one or two bedroom with lofts and a covered deck. See www.dragonflycommons. com for more information.

Q. What have been the challenges and triumphs so far?

A. We hoped to break ground in the spring of 2018. Unfortunately, despite doing everything in our power to achieve that goal and getting amazing support, that is not going to happen. Dragonfly will not be Page 38 – AQUA – January/February 2018

built for at least another year. This is due to many factors, primarily the inordinate number and complexity of bureaucratic hurdles.

As far as affordable housing projects are concerned, Dragonfly has moved through the system at lightning speed. We want to thank some of the many people who have supported us. It starts with our local trustees. From our very first contact with Peter Grove and George Grams we have been very impressed. The Trust staff have also been extremely helpful. In particular we want to thank Stefan Cermak and our wonderful planner Rob Milne. We also want to thank our steering committee and our architectural consultant, Don Gunn, whose help has been invaluable.

Q. So why do affordable housing projects take so long to complete?

A. The difficulty goes far beyond local rezoning issues, which are complicated but manageable. Rezoning only constitutes a small part of what needs to be done.

For example, subdivision is under the purview of the Ministry of Transportation and their requirements easily match the rezoning process. There are many other complications, such as water management under the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, where it has taken months just to get someone assigned to our file.

The Water Sustainability Act (2016) is a brand new system with inflexible standards

that no one seems to understand, including FLNRORD, and which may end up forcing our little project to meet the same standards as a major municipality like Vancouver.

So given all of this bureaucratic morass that effectively makes affordable housing almost impossible to achieve and ironically very expensive, we have been looking to see if there is any way around this glacial bureaucratic system.

We think that we have found a way.

We are continuing our efforts on Dragonfly Commons to bring it to fruition as soon as we can. But we cannot in good conscience say when that will be and we need affordable housing on the island now. That is where our new project called Coastal House comes in.

Q. What is Coastal House?

A. Coastal House is affordable workforce rental housing, providing up to 30 new rental units, and it is our intent to have it built in the next 18 months. We are excited to tell you about this project and to get public input. We will be putting out a press release shortly and will be holding a public information meeting at the Lions Hall soon.

Q. What are some other ways that islanders might know you both?

A. Fernando is involved in tennis and golf and Tami is involved in golf and many musical endeavours.

photo courtesy tami and fernando dos santos

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