October 2010 | THE STEW Magazine | PAGE 1
the first issue ISSUE 1.1 | OCTOBER 2010
Inside: Ghost-hunting in Barkerville Page 4 It’s Happy Hour Somewhere: Celebrating Oktoberfest in the Cariboo Page 9 Local band Soupbone is ready for its Juno Page 17
PAGE 2 | THE STEW Magazine | October 2010
Fun Fact: The stories on this page were some of the first that were written for this magazine, almost three weeks before we went to press. They were also some of the last stories to be placed in the magazine. Publishing is weird like that!
Our favourites of the famous hauntings
On the Cover: Though you’ll have to flip ahead to page four if you want to know how our ghosthunting trip to Barkerville turned out, if our cover photo is any indication, it looks like the trip was pretty successful. Unfortunately, what you see on the cover isn’t photographic evidence of ghostly happenings in the historic town. Instead, it’s a pretty basic trick of photography. Here’s how we did it. With our camera on a tripod (you’re not going to want to have any movement while the photo is being exposed), we set the camera to allow for a 30 second exposure. After we set up the scene — the ghost hunter seated, with the ‘ghost’ lurking behind him — we hit the shutter, and we counted to fifteen. At the fifteen second mark, our ghostly model hit the road and darted quickly out of the picture, while the shutter remained open for another 15 seconds. This gives the ghostly, transparant effect. We also had our ghost model shake his head vigorously back and forth during the photograph, so his facial features would be blurred and impossible to make out. Kind of a creepy effect, eh?
You can take it with you! Be sure to check out our center section, titled PLAY, which features a list of upcoming events here in the Cariboo, designed to be a convenient pullout. Take it with you, in your pocket or in your purse, and you`ll never have to worry about missing out on something cool to do again.
Play
The Amityville Horror It is perhaps the most famous haunting of all time, inspiring six books, nine films, and an endless debate about its authenticity. Was it really a true story, or just an elaborate hoax intended to net the house’s owners some quick cash? The debate will likely go on as both George and Kathy Lutz, the husband and wife who owned the Long Island home, are now dead. And if that’s a debate you’d like to be a part of, there’s plenty of places online where you can do that, like at the official web site: www.amityvillehorror. com.
The Shining It doesn’t make any difference if you’re a fan of Stephen King’s novel or Stanley Kubrick’s film (just don’t mention the abomination that was Mick Garris’ television miniseries), both versions have had an undeniable impact on popular culture (though the film version, with its raving and drooling Jack Nicholson, likely had the bigger impact). The hotel in King’s book was based on The Stanley Hotel in Colorado, which has its own share of ghost stories. A visit from the crew of the television show Ghost Hunters left some of the reported hauntings debunked, but others still free of explanation (particularly ghostly happenings connected to the ballroom).
Winchester House Most haunted houses develop their reputations over time, but not Winchester House. It was built from the ground up to be a home to the dead -- specifically the dead who had been murdered by Winchester rifles. Built by Sarah Winchester, the widow of the man who invented the Winchester rifle, the house was under constant construction for 38 years, until her death in 1922. Located in San Jose, California, Winchester house is now a tourist attraction, something we’re sure the restless victims of 19th century violence that reside there appreciate.
The Haunted Mansion Yes, it’s an amusement park ride at Disneyland, and yes, the ghosts you see as part of that ride aren’t real ghosts. But it is apparently famous enough to spawn a film (starring the familyfriendly version of Eddie Murphy). While there are stories of a young man dying during an annual ‘Grad Night’ event at Disneyland, there is little evidence to support these stories (though that doesn’t mean Disneyland is completely free of accidental deaths -- there have been nine since the park first opened in 1955). Instead of ghosthunting, we’d recommend a visit to Splash Mountain, where female visitors have been known to flash their breasts.
Finding a shred of truth in those Halloween urban legends Ghost stories are everywhere around Halloween, and not always where you expect them to be. Some of the best ones start with “This happened to my brother’s best friend’s second-cousin” and end with, “and I swear that’s a true story.” They’re urban legends, and we’ve all heard them, but which ones are true, and which ones are just more fuel for the spooky season? The Mysterious Case of the Razor Blades in the Apples: Perhaps one of the most famous Halloween legends is the story of the razor blades hidden inside the candied apples. It’s an old one, but it’s a good one, and it’s responsible for apples and other loose treats ending up in the trash come November 1. It’s also true, but probably not something to get too worked up about. According to Snopes.com, experts in all things urban legend, there have been approximately 80 reports of sharp objects hidden in food since 1959, but almost all were hoaxes. Only ten culminated in any sort of injury, and even in the worst case, the victim only required a few stitches.
Still, if you have to choose between junking a few treats, and taking the chance you might bite down on something not quite meant for consumption, you’re probably best to toss ‘em. After all, you’ve still got a bag full of Snickers to get through. The Case of Spending Too Much Money On Candy Another common legend surrounding Halloween is that it’s a big moneymaker for those in the retail sales trade, coming in only behind Christmas for most dollars spent. It’s easy to see why some people might think that, what with the extravagant decorations that some people spread around their property in the days and weeks leading up to October 31, not to mention the buckets of candy you’re going to need when the kids come to the door. And that’s not even including the price of razor blades or apples. Turns out, though, that even with all that spending, Halloween still has a long way to go before it reaches second place. According to data from the US’s NRF (National Retail Federation), Halloween shopping only totals about $5 billion each year, while Christmas is
at $457.4 billion, followed by Mother’s Day at $13.8 billion, Valentine’s Day with $13.7 billion, Easter at $12.63 billion, and Father’s Day with $9.01 billion. Clearly Halloween has a ways to go before it can play with the big boys. The Case of the Accidental Halloween Decoration Perhaps one of the most tragic Halloween urban legends is the story of the person who, finally tired of his painful existence, decides to end his life at the end of a rope. But instead of the tragedy and the mourning that would normally follow a suicide, he is instead mistaken for a Halloween decoration, and simply left to swing amongst the trees. This is exactly what happened in Frederica, Delaware in 2005. A similar incident occurred a few years later in 2009 when the decomposing body of a 75-year-old suicide victim was left where it sat on the porch in Marina del Rey, California, for several days before people realized that the deceased was not a Halloween decoration. Can you imagine how embarrassing it would have been if either of those displays had won some kind of Halloween decorating contest?
October 2010 | THE STEW Magazine | PAGE 3
Nutrition Facts Serving Size: 24 pgs Servings Per Container 1 Amount Per Serving
Barkerville Ghost Hunt
Calories 0 Calories from Fat 0 % Daily Value* Total Fat <1g Saturated Fat 0g Sarcasm 10mg Pictures A couple thousand words Words More than we can count Bad Words 5g Really Bad Words 0g Protein 1g
It’s more than going out for dinner.
Ingredients (or things that helped us get through the last month): Halo Reach, Alan Wake, The Brewfest celebration in World of Warcraft, Pacific Pilsner, the new season of Mad Men, catching up on old seasons of Breaking Bad, a new HTC Legend phone, a new Canon DSLR camera, chocolate, a plethora of herbal teas and even some coffee, good road trip reading, hot baths, naps, Netflix, the excitement of having a new proj-
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ect to work on, being able to decide weather to work in pajamas or in a shirt and tie, fast food, home cooked meals, knowing that we can spend a day relaxing in Kamloops while the magazine prints, knowing that after that day relaxing it’s time to get to work on issue number two.
It’s like coming home.
Oktoberfest in the Cariboo Page 9
What’s New at the Gallery Page 10
Breakfast daily from 8 to 12 Daily Steak Specials All you can eat Pasta & Stir Fry Tuesdays
Dinner with a view Page 15
Bram Stoker on stage Page 18
Bras for a Cause
Live Music Tuesday and Saturday
Page 21
All You Can Eat Rib-Fest Saturdays
All You Can Eat Prime Rib Fridays
Sunday Brunch from 10am to 2 pm 1527 Highway 97 South Williams Lake, BC (250) 392-4225 • 8am - 10pm daily
PAGE 4 | THE STEW Magazine | October 2010
Though we didn’t find any evidence of ghosts during our trip, we did frequently find ourselves jumping at shadows — Barkerville is a spooky place in the dead of night!
GHOST HUNT The Stew takes a tour of the haunted hot-spots at Barkerville
BY TODD SULLIVAN THE STEW MAGAZINE
Saying that Barkerville has a bit of history is like saying that Jack the Ripper had a bit of an issue with prostitutes — it might technically be accurate, but it misses a certain degree of depth. Though it’s now a historical site, offering visitors a chance to step back in time and see what the world was like more than 100 years ago, Barkeville was once a thriving city, the largest north of San Francisco, its economy fueled mostly by the Cariboo gold rush. Barkerville’s boom came almost overnight, and it’s population at one point reached as high as 5,000 In 1868, Barkerville was nearly completely burned to the ground. Rebuilding began immediately and within just six weeks nearly 90 buildings had been rebuilt from the ground up. It continued to thrive for a few years, but by the end of the century it was nearly a
PHOTO BY TODD SULLIVAN
WALKING WITH A DEAD MAN Taking a walk through the graveyard outside Barkerville is like taking a walk through history. Many of the graves are more than 100 years old, while some were added only a few years ago.
ghost town. It may have only been around for a few decades, but Barkerville had been the center of a unique, tumultuous, and even dangerous period of history. And it had the ghosts to prove it. *** Ghosts stories are an inevitable addition to the reputation of any place that’s been around long enough to have a bit of history. All it takes is a few ugly deaths before word starts to spread of restless spirits walking the streets at night. And Barkerville has its share of those stories. Though there were many ghost stories to choose from, we headed to Bakerville intent on investigating some specific hauntings. We were going to take a look at the former sporting house (more accurately known as a brothel) where the proprietor, Ah Mow, was murdered on the steps. His murderer was caught, but never
convicted, in part because his accused murderer was white, while Mow was of Chinese decent. We were also going to spend some time at the Tai Ping Phong, the hospice for the Chinese in Barkerville, where they would go to die. And we had heard stories of a ghost who could be seen in the Theatre Royal, either an actor or a musician, long dead, but who still refused to take his final curtain. We would be spending some time with him as well. Our goal was to bring a scientific mindset and 21st century equipment to this 19th century community and see if there was any truth to these stories. We wanted to ghost hunt in Barkerville. We were amateurs, to be sure, mostly educated by ghost hunting television shows. But we were open minded, driven by curiosity, and we had a camera, digital audio recorder, and a fat stack of notebooks. Our crew would consist of myself, my partner Juli Harland, and her son (and, for this excursion, our Junior Reporter), Adrian Smith.
October 2010 | THE STEW Magazine | PAGE 5
Prancer, our kitty cat companion for the evening, would occasional make a mewling noise when we tried to ask the spirits to communicate with us. Perhaps this was a sign?
We arrived at Barkerville late in the day and settled into our room at the St. George Hotel. While everyone else headed to the Theatre Royal to take in the evening show, we worked our way up and down the quiet streets, snapping pictures in the last of the day’s light. Along the way we hooked up with a cat who seemed to be a full time resident of Barkerville. His name was Prancer, and we were grateful to have him along. Knowing that animals were thought to be more in tune with the supernatural, hopefully Prancer would give us a heads-up if anything spooky was coming our way. But it was likely still too early for that, so we headed back to the St. George where we relaxed and prepared for our nocturnal investigation with a few ghost stories in the parlour, some from our host, Saya Woods, owner of the St. George, and some from James Douglas, who’s in charge of Marketing and Communications for Bakerville. By 10:00, the streets were dark and silent. We weren’t quite at the witching hour yet, but it was time to start our work. *** The thing about ghost stories is that they are inherently optimistic. I think that’s what’s appealing about them. When we hear tales of an apparition, of a haunting or a ghost, these are stories that confirm a life, of some kind, after we die. We may not know for sure what sort of life it is, but at least it means that death is not the end, that something of us might continue on. The other thing about ghost stories is that people love to tell them. Even if they’re telling someone else’s story. Even if they don’t even really believe in ghosts. Most people have a ghost story, and if you ask, they’ll tell it to you. Maybe it starts with, “You know, I don’t actually believe in ghosts, but...” Maybe it starts with, “This happened to my best-friend’s sister’s boyfriend’s cousin, but I swear it’s true...” The details are always different, but then it’s not really the details that matter. What matters is the fascination we have with the unknown, and with trying to shine a light on the darkness. These stories don’t so much tell us what we see, but what we want to see. *** We wanted to see something in the dark and vacant Barkerville streets. Sadly, there wasn’t much there. We started at Tai Ping Phong, hoping the Chinese hospice, where so many would have died, would be a source of some decent ghost-hunting material. “Anyone here, that wants to be noticed, wants us to know that you exist, could you make a noise, please?” we asked. “Could you maybe talk to us, touch one of us?” But no one was
Stories from the Staff We talked to a few people who make their living at Barkerville, and they shared their own ghostly experiences with us
PHOTO BY TODD SULLIVAN
IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE? We spent some time in the Theatre Royal, which was reportedly haunted by a ghostly performer. In many ways, ghosts seem to be the energies left behind by those people who simply refuse to take their final exit. talking. No one was touching. Prancer stirred nearby. Our cat companion had found us again. We moved on to what we believed was the sporting house, where Ah Mow was murdered. A few minutes later we would find the actual sporting house and realize that our previous stop hadn’t had any sort of spooky history, at least none that we knew of. Strangely, this was the only stop that inspired any sort of a reaction from anyone — Prancer darted off, disappearing into the shadows, and I felt a strange tingle of nerves on the back of my neck. A stop at the proper sporting house didn’t offer any more evidence of hauntings. “Well, it’s starting to rain,” Adrian said. “We should probably go.” I’d like to say he was eager to leave because he was scared from our ghost hunt. More than likely he was bored. So far our hunt hadn’t turned up much of anything. We met up with security guard Roy Boyetchko just before 11:00, hoping someone would let us into the Theatre Royal, our final stop for the night. He unlocked the door and let us (and Prancer, who was now clinging to our heels again) in from the backstage entrance. After a quick tour that led us through the green room and the theatre itself, we were left alone with the spirits.
According to stories we’d heard earlier, the basement of what was now the theatre had once been used as a morgue. If there were restless dead anywhere in Bakerville, they’d be here. We called out to them, hoping to communicate. We caught a glimpse of something moving, softly, in the shadows, but it was only a table covering caught up in the airflow spilling out from a vent. On our way out, backstage through the greenroom, we passed by a staircase leading down into the dark, cavernous basement. Our flashlight threw a sickly, yellow wash on the stairs before the darkness swallowed the glow. No one wanted to descend into what had once been the morgue. It would seem that there are some places best left to their own darkness during the witching hour. *** Crossing paths with a ghost seems to be entirely a matter of chance. What if, while we were out looking for them, they were out looking for something else entirely? What if they had wandered off from their usual place of restlessness, leaving us to call out their names in vain? What if they were looking for us? Continued on Page 6
“It’s a haunted house, so I tell all these ghost stories, so one night in bed, and I’m totally alone in the hotel, and my bed started moving. So my first thought was that, ‘Oh, it’s just settling,’ but then it was like, my second thought was, ‘No, it’s not spring, so the house isn’t settling.’ And then my third thought was like, ‘Oh, earthquake.’ Well, no, we’re in the mountains, we don’t have earthquakes, so that was thought number four “And then my fifth thought was like, ‘Oh my god, there really is a ghost in this hotel,’ because my bed was going like this. Nothing was moving on my wall, my curtains were not moving, only my bed was physically going back and forth, like this. It was really weird and my heart sort of fluttered, and I was like, ‘Oh my god,’ and then it stopped. And when I mentally had a conversation and said, ‘I’m sorry, I’m going to stop being so cynical, and I’m going to really believe that you really are real.’ And then it stopped.” — Saya Woods, Proprietor St. George Hotel, Barkerville *** “The really most intense spectral experience that I’ve had here actually happened in the Nicol Hotel. I still, to this day, have no explanation for what the phenomenon was. “It was before it had been restored as a hotel, it was just a building that was kind of locked up and being used for storage. And one evening after one of the revelries that we’d had here, someone happened to have a key, and we went in, a couple of us, about four of us, because we’d always heard that these buildings were haunted. “And honestly, there was a patch of air that was almost, like, it seemed like at least it was the exact circumference of a circle, that went right in the center of the building from floor to ceiling, that was freezing cold. “So this was August, right? It was warm at night. Everywhere that we were was completely warm except for this one spot in the middle of the room, and if you ran your arm over it, you could swear you just felt it get cold as soon as you hit the side of it, and then right through. “And we went upstairs, and the same phenomenon was happening in the center of the room on the second floor. So there was this column of air that was going right through the building. And there may be some natural phenomenon that explains that, I have no idea, but it was pretty, pretty weird.” — James Douglas Marketing and Communications Barkerville Historic Town
PAGE 6 | THE STEW Magazine | October 2010
Keep in mind that just because we didn’t find anything in Barkerville , that doesn’t mean there isn’t anything there. It could be that the ghosts were just feeling antisocial that day.
“I’m walking down the street one time, I’m coming from, say, China Town, coming back this way. You just walk along, and you stop, and you’re in the middle of the street, 2:00 in the morning, or whatever, and you get these feelings, right? And I thought, ‘What is it?’ “And I just turned to the side, like this, flashlight on, looked between the two buildings, and there’s a little log cabin in the back called the Chinese peace room. And I’m looking up like this, and the metal door that’s on there, it’s padlocked on, the door is hanging open, and the padlock is hanging there. And I’m thinking, like, ‘Who the hell was in there and left the thing open?’ Right? I mean, leaving it open, and this is like, 2:00 in the morning, right? So you just, well, got to go up and close it, right? So I’m walking up to the building, and you come right up, there’s an inside door, and usually we put something like a bucket or whatever, and you have to step into the building far enough to reach the thing, or whatever, and just as I walk up to the building, you get that feeling, right? Whether it’s, you know, whatever, it’s just, it’s a feeling, right? “And I just thought, no, I’m not walking in there. Close the gate, lock it up. “You explain that to me. It’s like you said, you’re just walking down the street, it’s like, you know, if you’re believing those things. ‘Come into our parlour,’ said the spider to the fly, or whatever.” — Roy Boyetchko Security
Continued from Page 5 What if, later, something found us? Not content to merely ghost-hunt while awake, we’d been put up in the St. George Hotel, in the, reportedly, haunted room. We could now ghost-hunt while we were asleep. “The ghost in the St. George,” explains Saya Woods, owner of the hotel, “is that this was once a saloon and brothel, and most of the women that worked here were brought from Holland and Germany, and the guy paid off the debts of their family and bought the girl in exchange. And her job was to dance away the debt, and often times that was like 1,000 times more than what the debt was, originally. So of course a lot of these girls also supplemented their income with prostitution. “So as this was a brothel, a lot of times what happened was, wealthy miners or merchants would buy the women out of their indentures, so what we think has gone on is that somebody had promised to buy someone out of their indentures and he left and never came back. And so she has, ever after, whenever there’s a guy sleeping alone in Room Two, she will go into that room and she will sit on the edge of the bed and look at this guy, and check him out, see if he’s the scumbag who broke her heart.” And were we visited by just such an apparation? I’m not one to jump to conclusions, but something strange happened that night. The next morning, Juli explained that she had felt something on the bed, a pressure, as if someone had perhaps sat down. She looked over and couldn’t see anything, and then went back to sleep, missing what might have been the best opportunity of the night to flick on our recorder and try to commune with the spirits. As for myself, something strange happened in the early,
early morning. Drifting out of sleep, I felt a presence behind me, as if something spectral and cloudlike was embracing me. I opened my mouth to call out to Juli, but I could only make choked, gutteral moans. I reached out to shake her awake, but found I could not move. A few moments later, it all passed -- the frozen limbs, the silenced throat, and the sense of a presence behind me -- and everything returned to normal. My rational mind thought little of the event -- sleep paralysis is not unheard of, and I had experienced such a thing before. And yet, how strange that it would happen to strike on this particular night, in that particular room, and under those particular circumstances. In the end, our hunt for ghosts led us to little but the stories themselves.We heard plenty of them, and even came away with a few of our own, but the evidence behind such stories, the evidence we had gone to Barkerville to find, was as spectral and incorporeal as the ghosts themselves. But then perhaps the evidence was secondary. Perhaps the point wasn’t to prove that ghosts existed, but only to try to push away the darkness by giving a name and face to what we could not see, to rob it of its power to spook us, not by tearing away its mask, but only by acknowledging the mask in the first place. It was the stories of the actor that stuck with me in the days after we left Barkerville. The image of a ghostly figure, still taking to the stage every night, still reciting his lines, going through the motions, never knowing that it was time to take the final curtain. Now tell me that it wasn’t what all ghost stories are essentially about -- the energies left behind by those who don’t yet quite know they’re done. And who can blame them? Who among us is really all that eager to take that final, eternal bow.
The same great food. The same excellent service. The same beautiful view.
All year long. We’re smart. And sexy.
For reservations Phone: 778-412-3399 104 Fairview Drive, Williams Lake Open Sunday to Wednesday from 11 am - 8 pm and Thursday to Saturday from 11 am - 10 pm
MAGAZINE
October 2010 | THE STEW Magazine | PAGE 7
Juli’s daughter (and part-time sales representative), Cheslie spent much of her toddler life travelling to other countries and planets inside a magical cardboard box. NOT EXACTLY AS ILLUSTRATED Your cardboard creations might not turn out quite like this oppressive looking tombstone, but this image should still give you something to aspire to.
Economic Halloween decorating solutions I will say it more than a million times as the months wear on in this column, but one of the absolute best things that will help those who are, or are wanting, to be frugally minded, is the Internet. No matter what it is you want to do -- buy something for a better price or learn how to make something -- it is just plain cheaper to look online. You don’t even need to have a computer or your own Internet access, you can go to the local library and use theirs. This month I am going to help you to have a frugal Halloween. With a few simple decorating ideas, you can make a spooktacular day for all! One of the best places to start is with some empty boxes that you can grab from just about any local store. With these boxes you can make a multitude of things, like a spooky castle
Fine Frugality By Angela Shephard or a pyramid, even tombstones! With just a few other materials in your arsenal, you are equipped to make a wonderful themed yard. To build a castle, gather together at least half a dozen medium- to large-sized boxes. First cut the boxes along the side and open them up flat. To assemble them, using packing tape or a stapler, connect four boxes together into a large, flat square (your castle walls). Once the base is done feel free to embellish the castle as your imagination sees fit.
You may want to connect the flaps together, or get out your handy-dandy scissors and cut out some squares along the top to mimic a castle battlement wall. You can also create turrets from rolled cardboard. To make your castle more authentic and give it a good finishing touch, take your scissors and cut out a round top drawbridge, leaving the bottom of the opening attached to the rest of the castle. On both sides of your drawbridge and in the wall next to it, poke
holes, then run a length of yarn from the castle wall hole to the drawbridge hole. You can set it up so that your drawbridge is completely, or partially open. Now that your castle is built it is time to decorate! Black markers are great for drawing the lines of the “bricks” for the wall. You can paint your castle, or leave it unpainted, it’s up to you. Tape or tack your castle to a tree, deck, or even a couple of large weighted boxes, and voila! You might even want to make a fair sized shield and sword, and using a stick taped to their backs, put it into the ground closer to your door. It will look like a spooky castle is waiting for little trick-or-treaters to conquer in their quest for candy. Not into castles? You could use those boxes to build a pyramid. You simply need four triangles of the same size, either stapled
or taped together to form a large triangle, and you can use a brown marker or paint to make the “stones” of the pyramid. To add to the Egyptian theme, stuff three pairs of old nylons with crumpled newspaper, to make a mummy’s body. One pair for legs, one for arms, and one using the body section of the nylons as the head with the legs connected together to form a body. After you get the desired “body” effect, wrap it up with toilet paper, paper towel, or old cloth in a mummy pattern. What is a spooky house without ghosts swaying in the breeze? These simple and striking ghouls are both simple and cheap to put together. First, pick up a package of white balloons, some mini glow sticks, and white garbage bags or cheesecloth (heck, you could even use an old white sheet that you don’t need any more!). Take
the balloon, stretch it out by blowing it up and letting the air out again and put an activated glow stick inside. Once the glowstick is in place simply blow up the balloon, and then knot it. Tie a length of string to the knot and draw a face on the balloon, with the knotted side up. Take the white garbage bag, slit a hole in the bottom that is large enough for the string to slip through, and slide the bag over top of the balloon. Hang from whereever your heart desires. Halloween decorating doesn’t need to cost you an arm or a leg, and can even be a great way to get together with your little ones for some holiday crafting fun. Be sure to visit our blog at www.thestew.ca where I will be adding a few website addresses and more do-ityourself Halloween decorations, along with places for party and costume ideas.
PAGE 8 | THE STEW Magazine | October 2010
Welcome to the first issue of The Stew Or what the heck were you thinking starting a magazine? BY TODD SULLIVAN THE STEW MAGAZINE
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to The Stew. At this point, the first question many of you are asking is likely, “What is The Stew?” Hopefully by now you’ve had a chance to look through the book and get a feel for it, but if that hasn’t quite done it, let me try to narrow things down a little bit. The Stew is a brand new arts and lifestyle magazine, primarily servicing the Cariboo-Chilcotin. The way we look at it, it’s not so much about life, but about the things that make life better. Arts and culture. Food and drink. Health and fitness. That kind of thing.
Following this, you might find yourself asking, “Why The Stew?” If by that you mean, why did we call it that, then the answer is that we were looking for a name that would evoke the idea of a bunch of separate and distinct flavours that were all thrown into a pot and simmered together for a few hours to make something delicious. This literal, and literary, “Stew” is of course made up of all the different stories and ideas that come together to make what we hope will be an interesting and entertaining edition of this magazine. Of course, if by “Why The Stew?” you mean “Why did you guys decide to start a magazine; I mean seriously,
what the heck is wrong with you?” then the short answer is simply this: It seemed like a good idea at the time. For those interested in a longer answer: It seemed like exactly the sort of thing my entire life has been building towards. I started working in newspapers when I was 16 years old. I was fresh out of high school and I got a job working for a guy named Darcy Hadden at a depressing little rag called the High Country Advertiser. He hired me to be a reporter, which I thought was fantastic because at 16 I had dreams of becoming a writer when I grew up. Unfortunately, at 16 I was too shy to actually conduct interviews with anyone, so my time as a reporter was cut depressingly short. After only two months, I threw in the towel, ready to resign. Instead of letting me go,
Darcy offered me a job in production, helping to design advertising. And before I knew it, a few years had passed and what had started as a part-time job to fill a few hours after graduation had turned into the start of a career. A few years later The High Country Advertiser became The Williams Lake Advocate. A few years after that, I jumped ship and joined The Williams Lake Tribune. And a few years after that, I parted ways with them to join some friends over at The Cariboo Advisor. It’s now been more than 20 years since I first started working with Darcy, building ads on the PC in his living room while he pasted up the paper in his kitchen. And if there’s one lesson I’ve learned from him, an idea I carry with me to this day, it’s to find joy not just in doing something that you believe in, but also something that’s yours.
Even if it means doing it from your basement. The Stew is a dream. It’s a dream that Juli and I have had for a number of years now. It hasn’t always been called The Stew -- mostly we just called it “That Arts Magazine,” though it was sometimes known as “That Crazy Dream,” or just, “That Thing We Should Maybe Finally Get Around To Doing Before We Die.” But whatever it’s called, and wherever it’s produced, whether in a kitchen or a basement or (who knows, maybe someday) in an actual and for real office, we hope you enjoy our little dream project. If you do (and, let’s be honest, even if you don’t), I’d love for you to send us a note at letters@ thestew.ca. After all, we’re going to have a letters page to fill up next month, and we’re going to need all the help we can get. todd@thestew.ca
SPEAK
Call or Fax us: (778) 412-2600 Email us: letters@thestew.ca
Please enjoy our comfort food for the brain What started as a dream is now in your hands as a realty BY JULI HARLAND THE STEW MAGAZINE
I would like to introduce you to our brain child — The Stew. What is The Stew? A stew is a mixture of various flavours, textures, and ingredients designed to nourish the body and the soul. A stew is comfort. A stew is what you reach for when you need to feel good. A stew is something you share. And, okay, you probably wouldn’t want to toss this magazine in a pot of water
and chow it down, but we sure hope that what is between its covers will make you feel good, will nourish the soul at least a little, and that you will feel compelled to share it. And I know it certainly has its share of flavours. Our own stew -- The Stew -- is the result of years of debate, wishing, dreaming, talking and weighing the odds before we finally bit the bullet and threw our brainchild into the world as you see it today. My own part in this feat for the brain has scattered
and long beginnings. When I was a very young girl (not that I am a terribly old girl — I like to think of myself as matured, like wine), I used to dream of growing up and being the next Sylvia Plath, without the pesky suicide, or Anais Nin without all the...nah, I’d keep all the Nin stuff. She was pretty wild. Then, as with many dreams of youth, I got out on my own and found out that not everyone wants to support the poetic ramblings of a young woman just out on her own, and with a young family of my own I started a much more “grown up” career. Thankfully that didn’t last forever. Bit writing parts scat-
tered my life, from sermons to coffee house poetry to business proposals, and then somewhere around early 2006 I started on at the Cariboo Advisor Newspaper. Ah, print media. I was in love. Working up from a sales girl to the editor, I grew to adore the social aspect of meeting people, hearing their stories, and getting to be a part of sharing their histories with the community at large. That is the part that still makes me excited each day — we learn a lot about our communities through the people who live there. Though the vision of The Stew Magazine may have started as a dream between two people, it certainly
takes more than two ingredients to make a good stew. We are fortunate enough to have a beautifully varied bunch of people who make up the solid foundation of what makes The Stew pretty damn appetising. Without everyone’s involvement -from the columnists to the sales folk, from the people who advertise within the covers to all of you who will pick it up, hold it in your hands and savour the flavours, this would just be a pile of paper holding some ramblings. I thank everyone for making it a fantastic offering, full of flavour, comfort, spice, and damn good brain food. juli@thestew.ca
October 2010 | THE STEW Magazine | PAGE 9
The original “Oktoberfest” occurred in Munich, on October 12, 1810, following the marriage that took place five days before betwee Crown Prince Ludwig (later King Ludwig I) and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen.
MAGAZINE THE STEW Magazine wants to know: Have you ever seen a ghost? Send your answers to letters@thestew.ca Todd Sullivan publisher / editor-in-chief “I remember seeing some kind of ghostly apparition as a teenager, more a sense of movement than a shape. I don’t know if it was a ghost, but I don’t know if it wasn’t either.”
Juli Harland sales manager / executive editor
Grab your steins and leiderhosen! Oktoberfest celebrations in the Cariboo are just around the corner JULI HARLAND THE STEW MAGAZINE
The Oktoberfest tradition (and subsequent party) is alive and well in the Cariboo. On October 23 the Lac La Hache Community Club will be hosting their annual Bavarian-themed event at the Lac La Hache Community Hall. Doors open at 5 pm, dinner at 6 pm, with beer, music, dancing and festivities well into the evening. An adult affair, this party is ready to rock, leiderhosen style! Originally organized by longtime Lac La Hache resident Rolf Zeis, the Cariboo’s Oktoberfest celebrations have had a long history in the longest town in BC. Unfortunately, after many years, the event was put on hold for a variety of reasons, but the community never forgot the stellar times that had been had by visitors from near and far. A few years later the current organizer, Sylvia Gunther, along with her partner and crew, picked up the braided reins and brought back the brewfest last year. The original Oktoberfest oc-
curred in Munich, Bavaria, Germany in October, 1810. The event was to commemorate the marriage between the Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of SaxeHildburghausen and was centered around a large horse race. Things certainly changed over the years. “It went from horse races to sports events and games,” Gunther explained. “And then there was a break because of the war and when it came back it was full of celebrating!” This year Oktoberfest celebrated it’s 200th year in Bavaria where over 8000 participants gathered in traditional costume and partied in the streets. “Once in your life this is a must that you must do because it is so huge you can’t imagine,” said Gunther. Of course, a quick trip to Bavaria for Oktoberfest is likely not in the cards, but you can sure catch your share of the bubbly fun at the Lac La Hache celebrations! “It’s like a little mix of Canadian and Bavarian culture,” said Gunther. “It’s not all typical Bavarian,
but it’s fun!” Throughout the evening there will be music by Alphenlandmusikanten (translated ‘musicians of the Alps’), yodelling contests, sing-alongs, a muscle-testing beerholding contest, dancing, and even some good old fashioned oom-papa! And food. Lots of food. The menu this year is wienerschnitzel, along with a variety of salads, crusty breads and pretzels, as well as a variety of different breads and butter, strudel desserts and, of course, Okanagan 1516 Bavarian Keg Beer on tap. Vegetarian meals are available if you book a week ahead. For those who are travelling, there is free dry camping at the arena, and special motor rates are also available. The event is strictly advance tickets, and the cost for the funpacked night is $25. Tickets are available in 100 Mile House at the South Cariboo Visitor Centre or the Alpine Daily. In Lac La Hache they are available at Race Trac Gas, or you can pick up your tickets at the Williams Lake Chamber of Commerce. Volunteers are still needed for set up. For more information about the event you can contact Sylvia Gunther directly at 250-396-4791.
“I have had ghostly encounters over the years. We lived at a particularly hot spot, at an old brothel-turned-boarding house, in Vancouver where everyone in the family had seen, heard, or felt things that couldn’t be explained.”
We’re smart. And sexy. Angela Shephard sales representative
“No, not visually, but I have always felt that spirits in some form or another are near. As a small child I felt them very near, and I believe that my mother, who died when I was a toddler, is always near watching out for me.”
Jamie Horsely tone soup (music beat) “Well, I've seen Alice Cooper. He's a ghost isn't he?”
Will Meeks where’s wally (travel beat) “Nope.”
THE STEW Magazine is a monthly arts and lifestyle magazine published in the Cariboo Chilcotin. All information contained in this magazine is correct, to our best knowledge, as of press time. Opinions expressed by correspondents and contributors are not necessarily those of THE STEW or its employees. We reserve the right to edit letters to the editor for grammar, punctuation, content, or length. All letters must be signed by the author. THE STEW Magazine accepts no responsibility for correctness beyond the amount paid for that portion of advertising space occupied by the incorrect item. The contents of this publication are copyright The Stew Magazine 2010.
PAGE 10 | THE STEW Magazine | October 2010
China may be home to the world’s oldest pottery. A team of scholars found ceramic remains in a cave in the Hunan province that are between 15,400 and 18,300 years old
PHOTO BY JULI HARLAND
GONE TO POT Some of the potters’ work stays on display year round in the gift shop area of the Station House Gallery. The October show will be showcasing many different styles and offerings of the club’s whimsical and creative trade.
Hanging at the Station House Gallery BY JULI HARLAND THE STEW MAGAZINE
Throughout October, Cariboo residents are encouraged to come on down to the Station House Gallery in Williams Lake to catch the month’s artistic offerings. Sponsored by David C. Hall, October brings two completely different and unique displays to the heritage gallery. The women of the Cariboo Potters Guild will be filling the main gallery with their vast array of clay media artifacts. From porcelain to earthenware, these ladies have a wealth of talent - pooled together it is spectacular. The ladies’ showing entitled “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” is a collection of their varied collective artistry with pieces as different as snowflakes but
the strong passion for the art as their communal tie. The potters work in a variety of clay media, such as porcelain, earthenware and stoneware. Members use hand-building techniques and the potters wheel to create functional and decorative pieces. Firing techniques range from primitive sawdust firing and dramatic raku firing to the high temperature effects of the gas kiln and the precision of the electric kiln. These ladies certainly know how to have a good time with their craft. Meeting regularly and honing their skills within the Potters Guild in Williams Lake, these members have spent many accumulative years sharing knowledge, trying new techniques, and simply having fun with mounds and mounds of clay.
““Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” is a title that depicts the theme of the entire group. We are all women (right now) and this is how we have fun!!” says Guild member and artist Jude Prevost. For more information on the Potters Guild display, artists, or how you can become a member yourself, please contact Prevost via e-mail at artandjude@shaw.ca. While the girls are all having fun downstairs, upstairs the walls are transformed into tales of human drama through photography as Alix Reynolds presents her unique take on the lives and characters that she encountered during her travels in Peru and Cuba. Reynolds, who shows in her own Kurio Studio & Gallery in Winnipeg, MN as well as throughout the country and beyond, is pleased to bring her
“Latido del Corazon” collection to share with the Cariboo. “I am, first and foremost, a traveller and I have had the privilege of exploring many corners of this remarkable world. Along the way I have endeavoured to capture images which translate into a defining moment of a place and its people. These moments may range from the exotic to the sublimely banal; my simple goal being to see and share the exquisite beauty of our world while not turning a blind eye to the pain and tragedy that allows that beauty to exist,” says Reynolds of her craft. Her Latido del Corazon collection, literally “Beating of the heart” in Spanish, is comprised of twenty portraits of individuals Reynolds had encountered, who helped define her both as an artist, she says, and helped
her find her joy. Reynolds explains, “This collection represents a tribute and thanks to the people of Peru and Cuba whose hearts beat so brightly that my own heart could not help but join in.” For a deeper look into Reynolds’ art check out her website at http://adrphotographicart. blogspot.com/. November brings a special “Anonymous Footwork” event to the Station House Gallery. The showing, made up of anonymously submitted art pieces on 12x12 format to be sold via silent auction is a fundraiser for the Station House Gallery Society in the face of budgetary cuts. For more information on how you can submit a piece or bid on ones you may like, please contact the Station House Gallery at 250-392-6113.
October 2010 | THE STEW Magazine | PAGE 11
Play Your guide to where to go and what to do for the month of October
PAGE 12 | THE STEW Magazine | October 2010
Want to get your upcoming event into the November listings for our PLAY section? It’s easy! Just email us at play@thestew.ca! Be sure to ask us about some of the value-added options we have available too.
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From Sep 17-Oct 30, 2010 the Canim Lake Band Heritage Show continues to showcase local craft and history at Parkside Centre in 100 Mile House . Every Tuesday night at 7pm at the Wee Chippies in Quesnel the Quesnel Singles Social Group meets up for fun outings, coffee and chat. New to town? Would you like to meet some new folks? You do not have to be Single to join. (All Welcome) For more info contact Ken at 250-249-5645 or visit them online at www.qssg. org
MAGAZINE
Throughout the month of October, from 7-10pm, the Haunted House and Corn Maze once again promises to spook
crowds from far and wide. Hot Chocolate, coffee, hot dogs, and home baked foods will be sold in concession. Sit round the bonfire and listen to the screams. Please wear warm (and appropriate) clothes and footwear, bring a flashlight and have fun! $5 entrance fee. Hwy 97, 32 km from the lights at Maple Drive, for more info please call 250747-8339
tact: Krista Liebe Phone: 250398-9149 Email: krista.liebe@ gmail.com
Thursday, Oct 7 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm The Williams Lake Film Club is hosting a film in the Gibraltar Room.The film is called High Life (Canada). The proceeds from the film will go to the Learning Disabilities Association.S o come out and enjoy a unique experience. Con-
Friday, October 8 Las Vegas Impressionist Houston MacPherson brings his Neil Diamond and Celebrity Friends Vegas-style show to the Billy Barker Showroom in Quesnel. Tickets are $25.00, doors at 6:30pm, show starts at 8:00pm. For more information please call 250-992-5533
October 8 through to October 30 The Station House Gallery in Williams Lake is hosting “Cariboo Potters Guild - Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” - in the Main Gallery and “Latido del Corazon” by Alix Reynolds in Upper Gallery - sponsored by David C Hall
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October 2010 | THE STEW Magazine | PAGE 13
Drinking with co-workers is not a prerequisite for a job at The Stew, but it sure helps...
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COMING THIS MONTH TO OUR NEW LARGER LOCATION NEXT DOOR!
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Sulphurous Lake Thanksgiving Sale October 9, 2010; Sponsored by the Sulphurous Lake & District Volunteer Fire Fighters; Baking, Crafts, Books, Christmas Items, Yard Sale Items. Kitchen will be open for snacks and Lunch. Sale will be from 10am-2pm. Location: Firehall on Petty John Road Contact: Mireille at 250-593-4878 or Ruth at 250-593-4183 Wednesday, October 13 Gord Bamford, with special guest Chad Brownlee, will be taking to the stage bringing his “This Crazy Day Job” tour to the Quesnel Seniors Centre at 461 Carson Ave. Tickets are $35 and are available at Circle “S” Western Wear. For more information please call 250-992-2811 or check out Gord’s website at www.
gordbamford.com Visit the Haunted School at 488 McLean Street in Quesnel on October 21,22,28,29 or October 23, 11am-3pm; October 30 from 12pm-5pm. Entry is by donation with all proceeds to support the Quesnel Child Development Centre. For more information please contact Heidi Kuhn at 250-9922481 Barter Faire & Harvest Feast October 16 3pm to 7pm at 3159 Dugan Lake Rd at the corner of Horsefly Road. 3:00 Barter Faire * 6:00 Feast. Come out and celebrate community & give thanks for our mutual abundance! Bring goods that you have excess of.... veggies,preserves, art, gifts, ser-
vices, stuff, positive vibes, love! Share and trade with other amazing humans! Pot Luck feast and cocreated music and entertainment to follow into the evening. Bring a table or blanket to set up on & food to share, eating tools & Musical Instruments. Info ~ Chanti @6203592 * cariboochanti@care2.com On Saturday October 16th, 7:30 pm, at Martin Exeter Hall in 100 Mile House Chris Harris and Country Light Publishing presents: Book launch and reception: Motherstone; British Columbia’s Volcanic Plateau. Reception will take place in the Valley Room. Tickets are free - everyone is welcome. Please contact Rita Giesbrecht at 250-791-6631 for more information.
TO JOIN THE STEW
They’re not just photographs.
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Leanne Kunka Owner
392-7599
WE WANT YOU
Are you looking for a part time job where you get to meet interesting people? Do you like talking about things like books, movies, and the lastest pop-culture trends? Do you have your own car? Are you somewhat computer savvy? Do you enjoy drinking with co-workers? Then you might be just what we’re looking for!
They’re memories. Let us help you keep those memories for a lifetime.
The Stew Magazine is looking for a part time advertising representative immediately. Interested? Forward your resume and cover letter to Juli Harland at juli@thestew.ca.
photography
Also home to 105 B N. 2nd Ave North Williams Lake • 250-392-3814
MAGAZINE
PAGE 14 | THE STEW Magazine | October 2010
Want to know more about Diamonds and Dust’s ‘Bras for a Cause’ event? We’ve got all the details on page 21!
For those who cannot attend the October 16 presentation the Friends of Churn Creek Protected Area Society will be presenting Motherstone; British Columbia’s Volcanic Plateau on Wednesday, October 20th, 7:30 pm, also at the Martin Exeter Hall at the Lodge - reception in Valley Room and Anahim Lake will be presenting the book also on October 21. Tickets by donation Contact: Ordell Steen, oasteen@ shaw.ca for more information. Williams Lake Studio Theatre is happy to kick off their 2010/2011 season with the whodunit “‘Who Walks in the Dark” a Victorian Horror Mystery directed by Sharon Hoffman. The show will be on stage last week of Oct/ first week of Nov at the Williams Lake Studio Theatre site. Tickets available at About Face Photography and The Open Book. Lac La Hache welcomes the ever-popular Oktoberfest celebrations on October 23, 2010 at the Lac La Hache Community Hall. Doors open at 5:00pm Dinner at 6:00pm. Live Music by Alphenlandmusikanten. Tickets are $25.00. The night will be full of Games, Yodelling Contest, 50/50 Draw, Door Prizes, Special Motel Rates, Free Dry Camping at Rolf Zeis Areana. For more information please contact Sylvia or Rudi at 250-
396-4791.
a-thon.” The Hugathon is where they collect pledges, and then meet later for hugging. You can register for this unique fundraiser in person at the Prince George Hospice Society on Ferry Avenue. If you collect 100 dollars in pledges, you’ll get a free Hugathon shirt. You must be 18 or older to participate.
October 23 brings the popular Cariboo Book Fest to 100 Mile House at the Creekside Activity Centre. Featuring Local & regional Authors & their books, writers’ workshops, kids’ storytime and ask-a-writer panel. Drop by anytime from 10am-4pm.To kick off the day there will also be an Authors Breakfast at 7:45 a.m. at Latitude 21 (above the Gold Dust Cafe) Have a delicious buffet breakfast with the Authors & hear about new releases in 2010! Admission by ticket only - $15.00 per person (on sale at Storytime Books & the Visitors Bureau) - includes a chance to win a basket of the authors’ new books! Contact for more information: Storytime Family Bookstore 250-395-3195
Thursday, Oct 28 6:30pm - 8:30pm The Williams Lake Film Club will be hosting a film in the Gibraltar Room.The film is called Leila(Iran).The proceeds from the film go to the Learning Disabilities Association.So come out and enjoy an interesting film. Contact: Krista Liebe Phone: 250398-9149 Email: krista. liebe@gmail.com 4th Annual “Halloween Town” Celebration Oct 31, 2010; From 6pm - 9pm; events include a community bonfire, a haunted house, skating, cartoon-type scary movies on the big screen; fireworks. Location: S.C. Rec Centre, 100 Mile House Contact: SC Rec Centre, Kersti Foote. Phone: 250-395-1353 Email: kfoote@icesports. com
October 23: Annual 2010 SPCA Dinner & Auction in 100 Mile House, BC at the Valley Room @ The Lodge, behind Red Coach Inn. Doors open 4:30pm, dinner 5:30pm, auction 7:00pm. BJ’s Catering will be providing the dinner. Tickets $20 available at K9 Pack Pal, Free Press, North Country Insurance, Total Pet and Lakeland Vet Clinic October 23 Diamonds and Dust Exotic Entertainment Lounge will be hosting the first annual “Bras for a Cause” event at their Williams Lake, Oliver Street location. Doors open at 7, bid-
ding should start at aproximately 9pm. Businesses, individuals and groups are encouraged to enter their decorated bras/bustiers/teddys for
auction with all proceeds going towards the Hough Memorial fund in Williams Lake. For more information check out the Bras for Cause
story right here in The Stew Magazine! October 23rd, the Prince George Hospice Society presents “Hug-
October 31 - Barkerville Ghostly Halloween Tour. Check out the wild and creepy history of Barkerville for yourself during this spookily popular annual event. Contact Barkerville office for more information: 1-888-994-3332
We’ll give you something to think about. The Cariboo’s Only Exotic Entertainment Lounge.
MAGAZINE
Nightly shows starting at 8pm 84 Oliver Street, Williams Lake (250) 398-5811 Log onto strippernet.com/diamonds.htm to check out the line-up of girls, then email us your favourites at diamondsanddust@shaw.ca for your chance to win a VIP night!
October 2010 | THE STEW Magazine | PAGE 15
If anyone ever wants to hang out on the patio at Casa Todd and Juli, just send us an email. We can probably work something out.
WHERE PEOPLE COME
FIRST.
ENJOY THE VIEW You can’t get much closer to the lake than you are at Big Mama’s Steakhouse. Unless you’re on a boat.
Enjoy your food with a view BY JULI HARLAND THE STEW MAGAZINE
There are a number of great places to sit and enjoy a good dinner in Williams Lake. But only a few have caught our attention as being fabulous places for not only good food, but fantastic views. There’s nothing like a night out with one, two or even 10 of your nearest and dearest, and if you can also peer out and make like you’re royalty, gazing out at your mighty kingdom, then all the better I say! Out of the loads of great restaurants in the Lakecity three of them stand out to us here at The Stew for mixing good, wholesome, and creative food with striking views, mixing together to form a stellar meal experience. If it happens to be nice enough to take dinner outdoors, or if you can snag one of the few seats by the window (come early, ask nicely) the restaurant at the Signal Point Gaming Center offers a high-class menu and a stellar look at the lake. A long standing favourite, The Point is well known for their 2-for-1 steak special dinner offer, elegant appetisers, and fabulous wait staff. The food is first class, the drinks are always on time, and the general atmosphere is heavy with class — or at the very least good behaviour. Intimate dining meets modern decor at The Point, and when you’re full of food, and your liquor of choice, you can even stumble down the stairs and try your luck at the electronic casino. Feeling the need for a big slab of steak with piles of fantastic food? Big Mama’s Steakhouse offers the kind of home-style cooking you’d expect if you lived in a mansion, just without the crazy costs. As for the view, nestled on the hill looking over the north side of Williams Lake, the
view of the water is unbeatable unless you lived on the shore. There is room enough to bring along a large group of friends and there are tables cozy enough for just you and a date. Hit the right nights and you’ll even be serenaded as you peer out over the ever-changing lake scene. The food is almost completely made from scratch, with a dedicated kitchen staff who definitely know their way around a slab of beef. Now if what you’re after is an expansive view of the city of Williams Lake, a vast landscape of green (or white, depending on the season), The Fox’s Den is the place to be. More than just “That place to eat after playing a round of golf,” the Den is open year round and is a hidden gem when it comes to fine dining without breaking the bank, while offering a breathtaking view of the city lights. The staff are friendly, the food is both healthy and plentiful, and depending on the time of day you can find families, lovers, golfers, and the business crowd. All things really are equal in the Den. Of course the very best view for dinner in Williams Lake is located somewhere just up Dog Creek Road, looking out over the entire city through a parcel of trees, from the patio at Casa Todd and Juli. The deck may be a little rickety and the trees may need some trimming (we won’t even discuss what needs to be done with the lawn), but the food is always pretty damn good and the view is breathtaking. This is, of course, not the definitive list for all the awesome places in the Lakecity for some sweet food and even sweeter scenery, but they are certainly my favourites. Know others? We’d love to hear about them!
Canadian Tire’s Tools Manager Tam Woods’ passion for power tools goes well beyond the aisles of the store she’s such a big part of. An avid artist, Woods has a soft spot for woodworking. “It doesn’t matter what it is, I just like to build,” she says with gusto. “I just love wood!” From simple trinkets to a deadfall bed project that she is particularly proud of, Woods certainly is a fitting last name for a tool-lover like herself. Woodcrafting isn’t the only thing that gets Woods’ gears. She also has passions for fabrics and quilting and regularly treats the staff to all kinds of baked treats - especially pies. Not one to limit herself and her creativity, Woods is looking forward to many creative expressions as time goes on. “Life is out there,” she says, “there’s so many gorgeous things and so many things I haven’t got to yet -- but I will!” Next up for Woods, along with co-workers/managers Sharon Webstead, Les Szmadyla and Chip Schick, is a trip to the Canadian Tire Trans-Canada cup competition in Winnipeg with their productknowledge team “Pond Scum”. What a multi-talented lady! Best of luck to the local team.
Canadian Tire: More than a store, we’re family. 1050 S. Lakeside Dr, Williams Lake • 250-392-3303 Mon-Wed 8am to 8pm • Thur-Fri 8am to 9pm • Sat 8am to 6pm - Sun 9am to 5pm Automotive Department: Mon-Sat 8am to 5pm Sun 9am to 5pm • 250-392-3697
PAGE 16 | THE STEW Magazine | October 2010
Another interpretation of Lady Gaga’s meat dress: As a celebrity, she is frequently treated as a commodity, or as just another piece of meat. Yet another interpretation: Beef is delicious.
Eminem tops the summer Did you have a good summer? Eminem sure did. He seems to have been king of the charts this summer with his latest album, Recovery, floating around the top 3 of the Billboard 200. If you’ve been living under a rock for the last three months you need to hear the amazing single Not Afraid as well as the chilling duet with Rihanna, Love The Way You Lie, which has been holding strong among the top 2 of Billboard’s Hot 100. Eminem opened MTV’s Video Music Awards on September 12 with an amazing performance of both songs. Rihanna joined him for Love The Way You Lie. Not Afraid took the Best Hip Hop Video and Best Male Video awards. Lady Gaga took everything else. Actually she won Video of the Year, Best Pop Video, Best Female Video, Best Dance
Tone Soup By Jamie Horsley Music Video, Best Choreography, Best Direction, and Best Editing all for Bad Romance. Oh, and Best Collaboration for Telephone. At 13 nominations, she set the record for most nominations in a year. She probably also set a record for most shocking outfit when she appeared on stage in her dress made entirely of raw meat. Later, in an interview with Ellen Degeneres she said, regarding the dress: “It has many interpretations, but for me, this evening, it’s: if we don’t stand up for what we
believe in, if we don’t fight for our rights, pretty soon we’re gonna have as much rights as the meat on our bones.” Katy Perry’s most recent outfit is also making headlines. Her duet with Elmo, which was released on YouTube before it was set to air on Sesame Street, was slammed by parents of potential viewers and will now not be seen on the television show. Parents complained Perry’s dress-up clothes were too revealing. Sesame Workshop claims “We use
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parodies and celebrity segments to interest adults in the show.” Well, since the segment won’t be seen on TV, any adults interested in Katy’s cleavage wont have to sit though an episode of Sesame Street. Just head on over to the singer’s website (www.katyperry.com) as the video can still be seen there. For those of you who just leapt to your computer to check it out, you might also want to dig up the official video for The Pretty Reckless’s Make Me Wanna Die, in which 17-year-old front-girl Taylor Momsen (whom you may know from TV’s Gossip Girl or as little Cindy Lou Who from How The Grinch Stole Christmas in 2000) strips down to leave little to the imagination under her bra and panties and some lens flares. Move over Avril, Taylor is totally ripping off your grunge-punk bad-girl style, and she takes her clothes off ! Now that we’re done ogling the young girls, let’s get back to what really matters, music. Real music! Some of the greatest guitar classics of all time were recently covered by Santana and friends on the aptly titled recent release Guitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics of All Time. With covers of Zeppelin,
Clapton, The Beatles, Def Leppard, AC-DC, Deep Purple, T-Rex, Hendrix and more, it promised to be amazing, but in truth, it’s pretty hit-and-miss. Nas helps Santana commit heresy in the cover of AC-DC’s Back In Black while India.Arie and Yo-Yo Ma make While My Guitar Gently Weeps sound more beautiful than ever. Andy Vargas even lends some latin style to Red Hot Chilli Peppers’ Under the Bridge, which I’m not even sure should be on an album with a title like this. Meanwhile, Phil Collins is trying to be completely original with his release Going Back, an album full of mowtown covers that sound exactly like their originals. Yay? Probably not. Speaking of covers, violinist David Garrett released an album full of classical covers of famous rock songs and rockin’ covers of famous classical songs which has been enjoying some time among the top 5 of the classical chart. Rock Symphonies includes such gems as Smells Like Teen Spirit, November Rain, and Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. This summer had some treats for those of us who like our music a little heavier too. I was very excited
to see Avenged Sevenfold’s Nightmare become the first album to kick Eminem’s Recovery out of the #1 spot. Nightmare is their first album release since the death of their drummer, Jimmy ‘The Rev’ Sullivan, and features former Dream Theatre drummer, Mike Portnoy, on drums in his place. It’s a wicked album overall and fans of hard rock and metal should definetly check it out! Disturbed also released their fourth consecutive #1 album, Asylum. I’m not a real fan of the Disturbed sound, but for those who are, this album is sure to delight, as, to me, it sounds just like everything else Disturbed has ever done. Want something to to look forward to? Here it is! It looks like our first treat of the new year will be a brand new album from Cake. Spin.com landed the exclusive premier of the first new song from Cake since the Pressure Chief album in ‘04. The song Sick of You is the first taste from the upcoming album, Showroom of Compassion, which is on it’s way January 11. If the rest of the album is full of as much classic Cake funk as this song, I think it’s safe to say they’ll have a chart topper on their hands. tonesoup@thestew.ca
October 2010 | THE STEW Magazine | PAGE 17
While working at a recording studio in the lower mainland, one of the members of Soupbone was among a group of people who found a joint in a mixing board shipped from Abbey Road Studio B, where the Beatles recorded.
Getting a piece of the Soupbone blues BY JULI HARLAND THE STEW MAGAZINE
With a name like Soupbone and a style that grabs you by the guts and gets you moving, we here at The Stew couldn’t help but showcase this smokin’ hot band. Local blues band Soupbone has been wowing crowds all over the Cariboo and beyond for the past year, and during the first weekend of October have laid the tracks for their premiere original album destined to be on shelves before Christmas! Made up of lead singer, keyboardist and harp player Dean Fulton, Joel Gyselinck on lead guitar, Brandon Fateaux on drums, Shane Boxeur on bass and back up vocals, and Garry Grosso on rhythm guitar, the band has been around since last November, but these boys are no stranger to the stage. Fulton has spent years on the music scene lending his vocal, harp and keys skills to the likes of The Spokes, Train Wreck, and the Sofa Kings among many others. Gyselinck has had his share of experience across Canada including a stint in Winnipeg with Beg to Differ and others, as well as time closer to home spent playing the blues with the likes of Brad Morrey, Hung on Sugar and the Sofa Kings. Grosso, whose garage has been transformed into the delicious den of blues the guys spend their time practicing (and playing the occasional bout of PlayStation 3) in, has been a part of the Lakecity scene for “longer than Brandon’s been alive,” he laughs. Most recently he would have been found kicking it old school with Late Breaking News and Texas Threat. Speaking of Brandon, Fauteux has been banging the drums to all kinds of beats for almost as long as he’s been alive, recording and touring with his most recent band Kook Show. Last but certainly not least, Boxeur has honed his rock solid bass style with many bands in the Lower Mainland over the years as well as more recently, and more locally, with the renowned Sofa Kings. For this particular interview the guys gathered at Grosso’s blues den, each surrounded by
WE’RE READY FOR OUR F***ING JUNO Local band Soupbone is prepping for the big-time, with a new album on the way before Christmas. Pictured from left are Joel Gyselinck, Dean Fulton, Shane Boxeur, Garry Grosso, and Brandon Fateaux. their respective instruments, taking some time to chill out and chat before their regular rehearsal. “We’ve all played with each other, for the most part,” said one of the members behind me in the room. “I’ve never played with you,” Fauteux quipped to Grosso. “And you never will!” Grosso retorted to a room full of laughter. The guys are just like that. And they wouldn’t have it any other way. Rehearsals? “Idiocy,” laughed Gyselinck as he plucked out some crazy licks in his little pedal-coated corner of the sizey room. “It’s about an hour and a half of music and an hour and a half of laughing and listening to Grosso ‘I’ve got a story about that...’ We harass each other quite a bit,” Fulton explained. “It’s good.” “Sometimes there’s the odd scrap, but it’s all good. Everyone gets over it really fast,” said Grosso. “In real life I can hold a grudge for a long time, but not in here.” “Because there’s nothing real
about this!” shot back Fulton. Cue rim shot. Resume laughter. The general feel of the bluescluttered room is one of hilarity and chiding. Not one of these fantastic musicians are taking life too seriously. The quips and jabs fly free and each of them are quick to retaliate with more while the laughter rolls as background ambiance. Like a room full of schoolboys. Then the music starts up and it is quickly apparent that this is not the school yard, and these guys mean business. At the time of our chat, the guys were hard at work polishing up their skills for the coming weekend’s recording. “We imported two wonderful professionals from Vancouver,” said Grosso. The two wonderful professionals, Head Engineer Marcel Ketting-Olivier and CoEngineer Lorne Seaton, turn out to be long-time friends of Fulton’s who have agreed to take a trip up north to help out the Cariboo band in realizing their dream. Part of the plan from the time they got together, the album is designed to be a launch-
ing pad for Soupbone. “The whole plan is, last year we really wanted to get three demo songs to all the outdoor festivals. The big one we’re after is Salmon Arm. We’ve got a connection to Nanaimo. We want to play all the outdoor festivals. So what we want to do is get the record in the can, mail it, get it up on ITunes, so we can have a total finished product to send out for summer gigs,” says Grosso. “In the meantime we’re still playing the circuit.” “I’ve always wanted to do an album,” says Fulton. “For me this is huge.” The album, consisting of 14 original songs written mainly by Fulton and Gyselinck, will be available at Sight and Sound, through the guys in the band, and on their website before Christmas. “Joel and I had written a bunch of these songs before we even got going,” says Fulton. “We don’t do politics in our music at all,” says Fulton. “Most of them are about relationships and shit like that. Drinking, all the stuff.” “It’s one step up from country music,” Grosso adds. “In a
country song your dog runs away, in a blues song your baby leaves you. She may take the dog...” “There’s some funky stuff in there and then there’s one that’s totally shlocky and shmoozy, but it rocks,” Fulton goes on. By this point the guys are getting twitchy. Music breaks are getting closer and closer together. They are itching to play, and who am I to stand in their way? The guys in Soupbone have big aspirations, from playing the hottest blues venues in Canada and beyond to showing their stuff in blues festivals far and wide, right up to taking the country by storm with national music awards. “I wanna rent a tux and pick up my f****ing Juno,” says Fulton. Cue guitar lick. Throw in the keys and rhythm. Add smoky voice. Get ready to be amazed. For more information on Soupbone check out their MySpace page at http://www. myspace.com/soupbonebluesband or check them out on Facebook under Soupbone Blues.
PAGE 18 | THE STEW Magazine | October 2010
A film adaption of Bram Stoker’s Jewel of the Seven Stars exists. It is called Bram Stoker’s The Mummy and it stars Louis Gosset Jr. and Richard Karn (that guy with the beard from the Home Improvement television show)
‘Dark, comedic thriller’coming to WL stage BY TODD SULLIVAN THE STEW
The Williams Lake Studio Theatre has a new play taking to the stage at the end of the month, and it’s an appropriate choice for the Halloween season. Based on Bram Stoker’s Jewel of the Seven Stars, it’s called Who Walks in the Dark, and it’s being directed by Sharon Hoffman. “This is the book he wrote after Dracula,” explains Hoffman, “I heard something on CBC the other day, and they were talking about something as being a dark, comedic thriller, and I would call this also a dark, comedic thriller. “It’s a wonderful play, it’s written by Kim Kelly, who I had never heard of, but he’s written a kazillion things. It comes complete with mayhem, murder, mystery, and mummies.” Continued on Page 19
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October 2010 | THE STEW Magazine | PAGE 19
This is not the first time that the Williams Lake Studio Theatre has tackled one of Stoker’s works — in 1990 a production of Dracula took to the local stage.
PHOTO BY TODD SULLIVAN
MUMMIES AND MORE! Craig Smith, Micheal Hodgson and Amanda Downing work a scene from the Williams Lake Studio Theatre’s upcoming production of Who Walk in the Dark.
WHO WALKS IN THE DARK October 27-30 and November 3-6 Writer: Tim Kelly Director: Sharon Hoffman Cast: Sir Abel: Craig Smith Margaret: Kathy MacDonald Dr. Winchester: Michael Hodgson Nurse Kennedy: Sylvia Swift Mrs. Grant: Becky Strickland Christopher: Matt Reym Sargent Daw: Curt Sprickerhoff Suliman: Michael Rawluk Judith: Tara Sprickerhoff Tessie: Sandi Alaric Queen Tara: Amanda Downing Crew: Producer: Sharon Hoffman Stage Manager: Tony Savile Costumes: Bev Frittenberg Lighting: John Walsh Lighting Assistant: Conlan Sprickerhoff Set Design: Curt Sprickerhoff, Sheryl-lynn Lewis Sound: Brad Lawryk Musical Scores: Brandon Hoffman
Play features twists and turns and mummies Continued from Page 18 It sports a considerably large cast -- 11 actors, five men and six women -- a fact which could prove daunting to some directors, but not for Hoffman, who cut her teeth as director on the ambitious Little Shop of Horrors in 2003. “Little Shop was a very big cast, and also a musical. That was a very big project for a first attempt.” She followed that production with Sylvia in 2007, before beginning the search for the play that would eventually bring her to Who Walks in the Dark. “I wanted to do a murder mystery,” says Hoffman, “and since doing Sylvia, I have read so many murder mysteries, and I like the sort of genre that was popular in the 40s, but I just didn’t like the quality of the women characters. The women were all kind of mindless and would say stupid things, and what I like here is the women characters are very strong” Who Walks in the Dark tells the story of Sir Abel Trelawny, a noted archeologist, and the mummy seeking revenge on him, and on his family. “It’s about his evil past, and what he’s done in the past, and how he feels about the past. It has a huge impact on his family.” And speaking of family, there’s some family involvement in the show as well.
Hoffman’s son, Brandon, has written some original music for his mother’s show. “He’s a music producer down on the coast, so he’s written a bunch of different themes that we can have when the movement comes on stage. Sometimes it sounds like sand, sometimes it sounds like little rodents, and sometimes like bugs walking across the surface. He calls it Scuttlefingers.” While the play is definitely on the spooky side, Hoffman insists it’s not for adults only. “It might be scary for little kids, but if parents are comfortable having their children see mummies come to life, it’s not too over the top. For a ten year old child and on, I think the parents would feel pretty comfortable with it, with their children. But not with the little ones, the little ones would be scared.” So get ready for some dark, comedic thrills come Halloween, and be sure to pick up your tickets from The Open Book and About Face Photography in time for the run of Who Walks in the Dark from October 27 to 30 and November 3 to 6. “It has twists, which I really like, things I didn’t expect to have happen. And it’s a great story, and it’s a surprise ending. And then she adds with a laugh: “And mummies!”
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PAGE 20 | THE STEW Magazine | October 2010
Another potential issue with the Netflix streaming service: It makes it really, really easy to watch some really, really bad movies. Having said that, Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus was actually pretty awesome.
tweet the
Netflix streaming service arrives in Canada movies BY TODD SULLIVAN
We review a few random films from Netflix’s archives in 140 characters or less.
WELCOME TO THE FUTURE On demand, streaming video will likely be a major part of how we interact with home entertainment in the years to come, and it’s a feature already available in services like Netflix.
THE STEW MAGAZINE
Netflix for Canada was first announced on July 19, 2010. On September 22, official word arrived in my inbox that the service was live. I was, to say the least, pretty damn excited. Netflix is an online video rental service that allows people to rent DVDs from the comfort of their or own home, with rentals arriving in their mailbox in just a couple of days. Or they can just stream movies directly to their televisions or computer screens, and skip that whole annoying “waiting for the DVD to show up” thing. At least that’s how it works in the US. Here in Canada, all we’re getting is the streaming version of the service. But as that seems to be the best part of the Netflix experience anyway, I’m not complaining. I’m a big fan of instant-gratification. So I figured, with Netflix being a brand new service here in Canada, what a great opportunity to give the service the once-over. And, of course, the twice- and thrice-over. All in the name of putting together a little review for our new magazine, The Stew. There’s a few different
LAYER CAKE: Daniel Craig, before he was James Bond, doing a pretty good James Bond impression, except for the whole being a drug dealer thing.
ways to get access to the Netflix streaming service. You can do it on your computer, of course, but not everyone has their PC set up in a way that’s convenient for watching movies. You can also access the service on home entertainment devices like the PlayStation 3, the Nintendo Wii, and the Xbox 360, as well as certain compatable Blu-Ray players. Cost-wise, the service
Williams Lake Studio Theatre Society presents:
Who Walks in the Dark
By Tim Kelly Directed by Sharon Hoffman October 27-30, November 3-6 Tickets available from October 15 at About Face Photography and The Open Book Williams Lake
STUDIO THEATRE Society
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PERFORMANCE PATRONS:
Craig Smith’s photography 570 AM (Cable 100.1 FM)
comes in at $7.99 per month, which allows for unlimited downloads (though those video streams will use up your Internet bandwidth, so if you’re working within some tight download restrictions, you’ll want to be careful), and that price tag is actually lower than what those south of the border would pay for the same service. Unfortunately that $1.00 savings we get is balanced out by a weaker selection of movie titles. Don’t get me wrong, there are easily a couple of hundred films to choose from at the moment. But you won’t see too many brand-new A-listers among them, at least not at the moment. Hopes are that as the months go by, Netflix will be able to sign
up Canadian licenses for more and more titles. The best part of the new service is that you can take it for a spin for an entire month, completely free of charge. Sure, they’ll ask for your credit card digits when you sign up so they can start billing you after those 30 days, but as long as you cancel your service before those 30 days are up, you won’t have to pay a dime. It’s a pretty clear win-win situation. Even if you don’t like the selection of movies available, you could still easily watch a bunch, and all for free. If your Internet connection is fast enough, you can even stream some of the titles in high definition, a definite plus to anyone with an HD
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capable television. Our own experiences with Netflix over the last week or so have been mostly positive. The video starts to stream after only a couple of seconds. HD streams will start out displaying at standard definition, then switch over to HD when a sufficient amount of data has been cached. And if your Internet speed ever drops during the film, it’ll automatically change its resolution to best support whatever the current bandwidth is. If there’s one major downside, it’s this: If you and your significant other don’t already have similar tastes in film, a service like this could create some relationship tension. Or else look at picking up his and hers matching TV sets. In the end, whatever your taste in film, it’s worth taking for a free, 30-day spin. Ondemand, streaming video is likely to be a pretty major component of the next generation of home entertainment, and this is a fantastic opportunity to get an early idea of what that might look like.
MEGA SHARK VS. GIANT OCTOPUS: A megashark, a giant octopus, and 80s pop star Debbie Gibson. Not good, but pretty hard to avoid watching anyway. Also, Lorenzo Lamas.
CAPTIVITY: If you like supposed ‘Torture Porn’, this might be the movie for you. Predictably torture-y. Strangely porn-y. Pleasantly Elisha Cuthbert-y.
October 2010 | THE STEW Magazine | PAGE 21
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We’re currently trying to talk Todd into being the model for our entry into the Burlesque Bras for a Cause event. If you’d like to try to help us convince him, email your support to todd@thestew.ca.
the
movies Supporting breasts at Diamonds and Dust We review a few random films from Netflix’s archives in 140 characters or less.
DIRTY DEEDS: High school kid redeems himself by systematically breaking the law. Predictable but good for a laugh.
BEING JOHN MALKOVICH: Social commentary wrapped around pseudo-lesbianism and a sexy John Malcovitch, how can you go wrong?
BY JULI HARLAND THE STEW MAGAZINE
On October 23 at Diamonds and Dust Exotic Entertainment Lounge, the new hot-spot owned by the mother and daughter team of Jessica and Gail Lively, the adult public is encouraged to help get people out of their bras. To help cancer. The cause for commotion? Burlesque Bras for a Cause. Raising money for breast cancer by auctioning off bras, bustiers, bra-related art, sculptures, and all things boobie, created and donated by local businesses, groups, and individuals. The bras, which are decorated, built, created and / or embellished by the donating parties, can be modelled at the auction by the donor, “Which I think I prefer,” says coowner, and the daughter part of the team, Jessica. “Especially if it is a bunch of big hairy men — way more money!” But don’t be worried if you can’t find anyone willing to model your entry, D&D will provide models for the show. Of course wearable bras aren’t the only way to support breasts: sculptures, paintings, collages and more — as long as it is within your interpreta-
IN SUPPORT OF BREASTS Bras are usually known for providing support for breasts, but dduring the upcoming Burlesque Bras for a Cause event at Diamonds and Dust, the support will be of a slightly different variety — financial. tion of a bra — can all be a part of the festivities. “Audio Video is doing a bra made from speakers and an MP3 player, so that’s fantastic. We have Brian Garten, our local tattoo guy from Praying Mantis, is going to sculpt something, I am very excited about it. And the list goes on and on,” Jessica bubbles with excitement. Behind her sits her own bags of sparkly things and ribbons, surrounding Diamonds and Dust’s own creation-in-progress. Even we here at The Stew are already planning a bustier of sorts for the boobie fueled night.
“All of the door proceeds [as well as funds from the bra auction] will be going to Hough Memorial. Everything goes to Hough Memorial because they buy equipment for Williams Lake, it doesn’t go anywhere else,” says Jessica. The fun and provocative fundraiser hits a personal note with the unique and effervescent D&D duo. “Eleven years ago mom had breast cancer. She’s been in remission for 11 years, fought for two years of her life. It was devastating, literally. When she got better we started
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“There has been great response. It is something really different, and it is fitting for us. It’s going to be great,” says Jessica. “ It’s creative! It’s going to be so much fun.” For more information please call Jessica or Gail at 250-398-5811. Throughout the month of October at D&D there will also be Avon breast cancer bears as well as ribbons, and Thing-a-maBoobs, which show the sizes of lumps at various stages, all of which will be available at the door with funds going directly to the Canadian Cancer Society. Entries for the Bras for a Cause Fundraising event are being accepted right up until they hit the stage, so head on down and get involved!
The Station House Gallery Local art and crafts make great gifts for yourself and others. Come browse the hidden treasures at the foot of Oliver Street in the old rail station.
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all different fundraising efforts. We’ve done a hike and bikem, all sorts of different things,” Jessica explains. “[Now] we have a business, this seemed to fit our industry, the Burlesque Bras for a Cause, so we’re going to run with it. It is going to be a great gala. ” Doors open at 7pm for the event and those who are submitting pieces are encouraged to come between 7 pm and 7:30 pm. There will be exotic entertainment throughout the evening as well, though minimal, with the main focus on the Bras for a Cause event. The auction itself will get started at approximately 9:30 in the evening.
a break feels good on Stressless products at 99 North 2nd Ave 250-392-6933 1-800-371-8711
PAGE 22 | THE STEW Magazine | October 2010
This is the first we’ve heard of the Japanese “Village” rule. Can any readers confirm or deny this for us?
Hunting ghosts, and finding ninjas, in Victoria
Where’s Wally? By Will Meeks
GHOSTBUSTING Craigdarroch Castle, original homestead of coal baron Robert Dunsmuir. Previous tenants include a military hospital, the Victoria College and the Victoria Conservatory of Music.
Last weekend, J and I drove to Victoria to celebrate our one year anniversary. For those of you who have never been there, it’s a mecca for tourists. I have had some fun nights there in past years; tourists are just too much fun to harass and there are many pubs. You can get kicked out of quite a few and still manage to get served somewhere. We arrived at the hotel and prepared for the evening with energy drinks, gin and potato chips. We called a cab to go downtown for dinner, waited for a few minutes then decided to walk. It was a long walk; we booked our “mystery hotel” through expedia.ca. You get a substantial discount by booking a non-refundable reservation, but you wont
know where you stay until they take your money. We walk. And walk some more. Leaving my trusty Google Maps printout and carefully planned agenda in the car adds to the sense of adventure. Surely with my keen sense of direction and superior navigation skills we will get there on time and avoid any delays in our schedule of events for the evening. We play “spot the local” for directions, and find the restaurant. We ate at a Japanese restaurant called Japanese Village. All good Japanese restaurants end in ‘Village’, ask any Japanese person... they know. We are seated around a large iron grill with several other couples. Most of us order a Japanese beer called Sapporo, which comes
Next Month: FIGHT THE FEVER
in a bottle resembling a size 14 boot. They bring glasses as the bottles are quite hefty, some people can not lift them to their faces. After a couple glasses of this beer, we are all good friends. After a few airborne appetizers, several bad jokes and a pathetic attempt at a volcano made of sliced onions and a shot of brandy, our chef began preparing the main course. He hacked at the vegetables with a secretive vigor that can only be described as ninjalike. Knives appeared and dissapeared in and out of his his ninja utility belt. We finally eat, the food is good. After dinner, more ninjas (this time with drums and harmony) surround us and we are presented with vanilla (pronounced banilla) ice
It’s 25 below zero and you’re miles from civilization. How do you keep Cabin Fever from setting in?
cream with a single lit candle in the middle. “Happy Anniversary... to our custama!” Damn them. It is obvious. They have used their deft ninja interrogation tactics and discovered our dirty secret. Drunken old people chortle at our seemingly insignificant milestone. We finish our ice cream and beers, pay the lady and leave. Victoria is arguably the most haunted city in Canada, being one of the oldest and richest in murderous and bloody histories. We are on the search for ghosts. We spot a ghostly albeit nerdy girl leaning on the wall of the tourism info center, and give her our money. She gives us stickers to put on our persons and tells us to wait. We wait. Our guide to the spiritual underbelly, known historian and author, John Somethingorother, arrives. He checks the tally with nerdy goth girl, gathers the cattle and our journey begins. Our guide begins by telling us a story of how the locals lived before the gold rush. He explains how the
Songhee and Esquimalt Indian bands buried their dead in shallow cairns or suspended corpses in boxes from trees. How when settlers from Europe arrived, they cleared the land for “settling,” discarding the bones into the sea. He says the salinity in the air of coastal towns contributes to paranormal activity. The crowd is uneasy. We are paraded through the same streets poet Robert Skelton once walked, who’s works were no doubt inspired by the stories of the dead, whose demise replays for eternity in the form of paranormal apparitions. We pause at Rogers Chocolates, where Charles and Leah Rogers made chocolates. Their son, Fred, committed suicide shortly before his 16th birthday. Heartbroken, the couple stayed at the factory, spending their evenings in rocking chairs in the upstairs office. Like most people, they died, but their spirits remained, in the form of floating sweets. Next, we are taken through a dark alley, sadly not to piss in.
The alley backs onto an old well into which a native boy was once pitched into. A hotel was erected on this spot, the well resurrected by an architect who rebuilt the well structure as a focal point for the elevators’ waiting area. To this day, people still see a young boy playing around the well. Helmcken Alley leads to Bastion Square, the hotspot for hantings in Victoria. The Square is where hundreds of people were hanged, and was one of the stomping grounds of Judge Begbie, “the hanging judge”. John and nerdy goth girl take turns telling tales as we make our way out of the alley. A drunken frenchman in a tree yells, “ze booooooooo, now youz have zeen a real ghost!” I doubt he is a real ghost but he sure put a scare into J. We are shuffled into a dark room with a smoke machine and lit candles. To conclude the tour, our guides show us the restrooms, invite us to take our time to feel the various “energies” in the room and of course encourage us to purchase a hard copy of John’s book. We took a cab back to the hotel that night, due to a bad case of the heebie jeebies. No shenanegans downtown tonight. The rest of the evening entailed a spiritual discussion with a cab driver, more gin and cable T.V. We need rest, for tomorrow we gear into full tourist mode. whereswally@thestew.ca
October 2010 | THE STEW Magazine | PAGE 23
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PAGE 24 | THE STEW Magazine | October 2010
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