Rural Observer March 2017 Issue

Rural

OBSERVER Celebrating Our Rural Community Lifestyle

Serving the Juan de Fuca: Port Renfrew Jordan River Willis Point Otter Point East Sooke Malahat Shirley

INDIGENOUS SCIENCE IN SEARCH OF SALAMANDERS LIGHTHOUSE RESTORATION PROGRESSING Cover Photo by Deanna Brett of Love Sooke

Vol. 14 Issue 1 March 2017

The Juan de Fuca Rural Publication Society

Rural OBSERVER

MISSION STATEMENT

Celebrating Our Rural Community Lifestyle

BECOME A MEMBER or RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP!

A group of Juan de Fuca residents formed a non-profit society to launch a news and advertising publication for the Juan de Fuca Electoral Area.

Celebrate our rural community lifestyle by helping us share stories and information about our region. Become a member of the Juan de Fuca Rural Publication Society today. Our fee structure is as follows - you may renew/join at the basic level of $20, or become a “Lifetime Member” for only $100.

We recommend the lifetime membership - you won’t need to remember to renew each year! The Rural Observer needs your support to keep it strong, viable and independent. Please make out cheques to the Juan de Fuca Rural Publication Society and mail to: 2617 Seaside Drive, Shirley BC V9Z 1G7

We provide a forum for our rural communities to share news, exchange ideas and develop a sense of community.

At the same time the publication gives businesses within and outside the electoral area an opportunity to promote their products and services and reach potential customers.

We also hope to make current information about the region and its services available to the many tourists who visit the area each year. Our goal is to protect, preserve and enhance rural life.

The publication will rely on community members to share their interests and points of view through articles, correspondence and photographs. We welcome articles and letters reflecting the very diverse interests of our member communities and expressing all points of view. The editorial committee reserves the right to edit for brevity, accuracy, clarity and taste. Though every reasonable precaution will be made to verify the accuracy of material submitted, the editorial committee assumes no responsibility for the content of published articles.

The responsibility is that of the writers. References and descriptions of products or services are provided “as is” without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied.

We’re online! www.ruralobserver.com If you wish to submit an article for an upcoming issue of the Rural Observer, please email it to:

Jo in U s Juan de Fuca Rural Publication Society

2017 MEMBERSHIP / RENEWAL

submissions@ruralobserver.com

Click the button below to purchase your membership NOW. via PayPal. You do not need a PayPal account to purchase a membership.

Or mail to: Juan de Fuca Rural Publication Society 2617 Seaside Drive, Shirley, BC V9Z 1G7

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Annual Membership $20 ViviCurutchet Curutchet Vivi

Lifetime Membership $100

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WHERE’S THE RURAL OBSERVER? By now, many of you may have noticed that you didn’t receive a Rural Observer in your mailbox in December.

You may also be thinking that you should be receiving the first issue for 2017 this month. Well, change is in the air. Welcome to the new and improved Rural Observer!

by Terri Alcock

of the RO on the coffee table to re-read articles and to reference goods and services in the area, it will be an adjustment. For others, especially younger readers, it’s what they are already used to, and what many publications have opted for in recent years for many of the same reasons as the RO. As we have been out in our communities talking to people about the change, many people have told us they are excited to have the opportunity to access the RO online, and this gives us hope that our loyal readers and supporters will follow us to the new format.

The RO has gone digital. After 13 successful years in print, with advertisers and readers all across the JDF and Sooke region, you may well ask why the RO Board (Juan de Fuca Rural Publication Society) would mess with a good thing? The reasons are many, but in the end it all boils down to $$. With the increasing cost of production, printing and distribution, it’s just not possible to raise the almost $3800 per issue needed to get the paper into mailboxes around the JDF. Advertising, memberships, donations and occasional grants are no longer enough.

We will be producing the paper in full colour - this is very exciting as countless times we’ve had to convert stunning colour photos of the region and its wildlife to black and white for the print version and been disappointed in the result. And we will be able to go beyond our format of 20 pages, which, due to the cost of postage, was not possible in the printed version.

The Board was faced with a difficult decision - shut down the paper, or find another way of delivering it to our readers. We decided to try publishing digitally, while continuing to look for new income sources that might allow us to print the occasional issue.

There are some definite advantages to delivering a digital paper: potential for a broader readership; production in full colour; more pages; and the possibility of enabling links for advertisers to allow easy access for potential clientele via email and website addresses. We will also be able to link to community groups with similar goals to allow broader networking.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank the communities of the Juan de Fuca - our readers, writers and advertisers - for staying with us through the years.

We hope that you will continue to support this “new” Rural Observer by reading it online, advertising in it and by sending the link to your email lists to help us achieve wider distribution. We hope that you will respond to this article with suggestions and support; moral support, financial support, volunteer support.

We’ll take whatever we can get to keep the RO alive and to continue providing community news and events and connecting our communities for as long as we can.

It’s been quite a ride, and it’s not over yet!

This is the first digital RO. You can find it it at www. ruralobserver.com, and read it on-line or ask to have it emailed to you for more leisurely reading and future reference. For those of us who loved to keep our copy

For more information or to volunteer, please contact the RO through submissions@ruralobserver.com; advertise@rural observer.com; or call Terri at 250 646-2528.

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TABLE of Contents FEATURES 6 Knowing Home: Braiding Indigenous Science with Western Science (2016) edited by Gloria Snively and Lorna Williams

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The Western Red-Backed Salamander

by Rosemary Jorna

OUTDOOR ADVENTURE 12 Juan de Fuca Community Trails Society Hikes for April by Rosemary Jorna 14

Love Sooke by Noella LeDrew

STEWARDSHIP 16 Heritage Lighthouse Site Restoration Progressing by Sheringham Point Lighthouse Preservation Society

18 Seagirt Ponds Preservation Society Upcoming Events 20

HAT Celebrating 20 Years by Alanah Nasadyk

22 Public Help Needed - To Monitor Spread Of Deadly Bat Disease by the BC Community Bat Program

COMMUNITY CARING 24

Local Refugee Sponsorship Update

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Dancing In Circles by Susan Nelson

by Sharon Sterling

Camas Photo byAlanah Nasadyk, Community and Development coordinator, 4

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NEW INTERACTIVE AD FEATURES! Our ads now contain direct links to our advertisers’ websites. Click on the email address and send a message immediately.

HEALTH & WELLNESS 26

Acupuncture,Etc.

by Angela Berscheid, RPharm, RAc

RURAL KITCHEN 27 Recipes that Work, Made With Love

by Sheila Wallace

THE ARTS 28

Artifacts - Art Show In The Works

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Call to Artists - Stinking Fish Studio Tour

by Nastazja Maria Pedersen

COMMUNITY CALENDARS 30

East Sooke Commnity Calendar

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Shirley Commnity Calendar

RURAL REPRESENTATIVES 32

Mike Hicks, Jdf Regional Director

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Randall Garrison, MP Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke

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John Horgan, MLA Juan de Fuca

ADVERTISERS’ DIRECTORY 37 NEW! Interactive AD Features

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FEATURE

KNOWING HOME:

Braiding Indigenous Science with Western Science (2016) edited by Gloria Snively and Lorna Williams For hundreds and thousands of years, Indigenous mothers the world over, where willow trees grow, gave their children willow bark tea when they had fevers.

We now know that willow bark is a mild analgesic that contains acetylsalicylic acid, the same ingredient in aspirin. However, encyclopaedias and science textbooks credit Charles Gerhardt of Germany with the “discovery” of aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) in 1853. One might ask, “Who really discovered aspirin?”

under-represented in science, engineering and healthrelated occupations. Clearly, a great many factors inhibit the progress of Aboriginal students in Canadian schools generally. Studies in science education indicate that an Indigenous view of science education in not presently widespread in Canadian schools, particularly at the secondary level.

Books and curriculum materials in Canadian schools do not accurately depict the history, cultural diversity, worldviews, and philosophies of Aboriginal peoples.

Textbooks and curriculum materials in many schools continue to depict a distorted image of Aboriginal peoples, complete with tepees, animal bones, rock tools and arrowheads, working their way towards assimilation in urban areas.

Indigenous Science (IS) in this book refers to the science knowledge of all peoples who, as participants in culture, are affected by the worldview and interests of their home communities and homelands. Ogawa (1995) proposes that every culture has its own science and refers to the science of a given culture as its “indigenous science”. Ogawa quotes Yamada (1980) a Japanese historian of Oriental science, who writes, “every culture has its own science, and its function is sustaining its mother society and culture”.

Imagine what it would be like to never see anyone or anything familiar in science textbooks or science activities––to never see your ancestral heritage and never learn about the richness of Indigenous Science (IS) in the classroom. Imagine what it would be like to never see a famous environmentalist, astronomer, engineer or chemist of Indigenous ancestry.

The fact is, numerous traditional people’s scientific and technological contributions have been incorporated into modern applied sciences such as ecology, So, why does it matter? The fact is, Aboriginal students biology, medicine, architecture, engineering, geology, are under-represented in high school sciences classes pharmacology, astronomy, agriculture, horticulture, plant Canada wide. As well, Aboriginal peoples in Canada are breeding, navigation, and nautical science. (Berkes, 2012; Turner 2014a, Turner, 2014b). In Knowing Home we bring to the attention of John Horgan MLA Juan de Fuca readers the science knowledge and processes underlying such innovations. In addition, we provide a glimpse into the vast storehouse of Indigenous #122–2806 Jacklin Rd, Victoria, BC V9B 5A4 Science innovations that developed across the great 250-391-2801 landscapes and seascapes

Your Rural Voice in the Legislature

john.horgan.mla@leg.bc.ca www.johnhorgan.ca

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of Northwestern North America.

Many different peoples developed immense knowledge systems, created rich and rewarding cultures filled with strong family and community bonds, artistic expression, ritual and ceremony, and enduring relationships with other species—the plants and animals of their home territory.

black bears, grizzly bears, as well as numerous smaller mammals found shelter and abundant food among the mountains or in coastal and interior forests. However, these riches of nature are not always abundant year-round or entirely free for the taking.

Some of them, on the contrary, are exceptionally difficult to access or capture.

Knowing Home attempts to describe the creative vision of Indigenous scientific knowledge and technology that is derived from an ecology of place. The traditional wisdom component of Indigenous Science—the values and ways of decision-making—focuses on balancing human needs with environmental requirements, and in so doing assists humans in their relationship with the land and water, each other, and all of creation.

It was Indigenous Science and technology, plus the knowledge of its application, that provided the vital means for ensuring a reliable food supply year round, as well as a sustainable range of resources in the area. These techniques and wisdom practices did not suddenly spring into being. They developed slowly and painstakingly as more effective variations were invented or introduced and applied to achieve more effective results. In every community, extending back thousands of years, there have been men and women who were experts in their knowledge of plants, animals, and the environment. The final result produced some of the most elaborate and productive fishing, hunting, agricultural— and on the coast aquaculture societies that knew how to live well, and who knew how to selectively harvest, thus sustaining the resources they used for their own purposes and for future generations.

A fundamental focus of future curriculum development, then, is to try to understand how Indigenous people’s systems of knowledge developed, disseminated, and adjusted, and how they evolved across great landscapes. What were their legacies?

How did old and new practices combine and shift?

What can we learn from the ancient clam gardens?

Did they observe, infer, question, predict, theorize, evaluate, adapt? Of importance in these times of global declining biodiversity and environmental stress, what lessons can be learned from these knowledge systems as we attempt to solve the increasingly complex problems of the 21st century?

We sincerely hope that all readers will realize that Indigenous peoples are not simply vestiges of the past, but rather are alive today, and have much to share. It is our hope that teachers, parents, and readers will strive for effective ways to inform and inspire all our children.

Many different peoples developed immense knowledge systems, created rich and rewarding cultures filled with strong family and community bonds, artistic expression, ritual and ceremony, and enduring relationships with other species—the plants and animals of their home territory. One of the roles of Elders and knowledge holders is to find ways of passing on what they learned in their own lifetimes to the next generation so that its members would be able to benefit materially and culturally from this knowledge and wisdom. We must

The Science of the Indigenous Peoples of Northwestern North America The Indigenous peoples who live in Northwestern North America, specifically those who live in present day British Columbia and in southwest Alaska and Yukon Territory adjacent to British Columbia, eastward to the Rocky Mountains and southward to the Columbia River, inhabit a region with a remarkable wealth of natural resources. The northwest coast is home for a variety of land and sea mammals as well as an abundance of edible intertidal invertebrates (clams, mussels, crabs, shrimp, snails, chitons, sea cucumbers, and sea urchins) and seaweeds. Great flocks of waterfowl and teeming hordes of fish migrate from the ocean up rivers and streams to interior lakes. Deer, elk, moose, caribou, mountain goat, 7

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infer that this cycle of learning, observing, predicting, using, inventing, adapting, experimenting and sharing ecological wisdom, technological breakthroughs and cultural knowledge has been occurring in Northwestern North America since time immemorial—since before recorded history (Turner, 2014a, 2014b).

region was famous for its beautiful Garry oak and blue lily fields which Captain Vancouver described upon his arrival in May of 1792 as “a landscape almost as enchantingly beautiful as the most elegantly finished pleasure grounds in Europe diversified with an abundance of flowers.”

This article begins a series of several short articles to appear in the Rural Observer taken from chapter 7 by Gloria Snively and John Corsiglia. The chapter focuses on the Indigenous Science of the peoples who live in Northwestern North America. Each article will provide a brief window into Indigenous Science examples, including: burning over hillsides, building large cedar houses and moving massive cedar beams, 6 canoes of BC, ancient clam gardens, root-vegetable gardens, sustainable fishing methods, fish cultivation and enhancement, and combining Traditional Ecological Knowledge with Western Science. This first article will focus on controlled burning and the harvesting of blue camas.

The burning of hillsides released nutrients into the soil and discouraged less useful plants that compete for sun and moisture, maintaining mosaics of grasslands rich in camas, deer forage, wild strawberries, blackcap and trailing blackberries; diversifying habitat and increasing options for food and other resources.

When controlled understory burning was practised, the carbohydrate-rich camas bulbs grew to the size of small table potatoes. Newcomer Europeans who misunderstood the practice and had very different land use agendas outlawed the Indigenous landscape burning practice. A century later camas bulbs, where they are found, are often significantly reduced in size and they are no longer widely gathered. Thus, according to Turner (1991), “the concept of genetic and ecotypic variability was obviously recognized

by Indigenous peoples and was a factor in food gathering”.

Controlled Burning Indigenous people of Canada (and throughout the Americas) developed highly articulated and effective approaches to grassland management. Most Indigenous people understood plant succession and many employed fire to encourage the growth of valuable plants, foster optimum habitat conditions, and control insect pests and disease (Turner, 1991; Turner & Peacock, 2005; Turner, 2014a, 2014b). In British Columbia, controlled burning was practiced at Lekwungen, on southern Vancouver Island, to optimize the production of edible blue camas, which grows best in an open Garry oak meadow habitat.

Lekwungen (Songhees) people have gathered, harvested, and prepared camas bulbs for thousands of years in what is now the greater Victoria region. The Lekwungen territory includes Greater Victoria, stretching West to Beecher Bay and east to the San Juan Islands. The

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Productivity of a wide range of berries was increased by burning grasslands and hillsides, the pruning of berry bushes, selective harvesting, and the cultivation and transplanting of roots from one location to another. By researching the nature of people-plant interaction on the northwest coast, Turner and Peacock (2005) conclude that the Indigenous peoples were “active managers who promoted and valued plant resources and thus have much more in common with farmers than previously supposed”.

The bulb of camas, until 150 years ago, was the main source of starch food and export of the people who occupied the Lekwungen territory. Two hundred years after Vancouver, there is a growing group of Lekwungen women locating camas plants, weeding others and harvesting selected bulbs. The Lekwungen people want to bring harvesting sites and traditional food such as camas back into use (Penn, 2006). Not surprisingly, with urban development in the greater Victoria area, Gary Oak and camas meadows are one of the most endangered ecosystems in Canada. The challenge is to bring together cultural and ecological aspects of restoration, and to restore teaching and learning out on the land.

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Garry oak meadow with blue camas plant. Photo by Abe Lloyd (2014). Reprinted with permission.

Blue Camas roots and bulbs. Photo by Abe Lloyd (2013).

Reprinted with permission.

The next article in this series will describe how coastal Aboriginal people cultivated large quantities of preferred butter clams and cockles in walled sea gardens that may be unique in the world.

Turner, N. (1991). Burning mountainsides for better crops: Aboriginal landscape burning in British Columbia.

Archaeology in Montana, 32(2), 57-73.

Turner, N., & Peacock, S. (2005). Solving the perennial paradox: Ethnobotanical evidence for plant resource management on the Northwest Coast. In D. Deur & N. Turner (Eds.), Keeping it living: Traditions of plant use and cultivation on the Northwest Coast of North America (pp.

101-150). Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press.

Turner, N. (2014a). Ancient pathways, ancestral knowledge: Ethnobotany and ecological wisdom of Indigenous peoples of northwestern North America, Volume 1: The history and practice of Indigenous plant knowledge.

Montreal, QC: McGill-Queen’s University Press.

Turner, N. (2014a). Ancient pathways, ancestral knowledge: Ethnobotany and ecological wisdom of Indigenous peoples of northwestern North America, Volume 2: The history and practice of Indigenous plant knowledge.

Montreal, QC: McGill-Queen’s University Press.

Knowing Home is available free online: pressbooks. bccampus.ca/knowinghome/ Order a hard copy through the UVic bookstore: www.uvicbookstore.ca/general/uvic-publishing/ References Berkes, F. (2012). Sacred ecology (3rd edition). New York, NY: Routledge.

Ogawa, M. (1989). Beyond the tacit framework of ‘science’ and ‘science education’ among science educators.

International Journal of Indigenous Education, 34, 33-43.

Penn, B. (2006). Restoring camas and culture to Lekwungen and Victoria: An Interview with Lekwungen Cheryl Bryce. Focus Magazine. Downloaded from: http:// www.firstnations.de/media/06-1-1-camas.pdf Snively, G. & L. Williams. (2016). Knowing home: Braiding Indigenous science with western science (Book 1). Victoria, BC: University of Victoria.

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FEATURE

THE WESTERN RED-BACKED SALAMANDER Several years ago we found a Western Red-Backed Salamander (Plethodon vehiculum) in our yard, but I had not seen one anywhere since. Last fall that changed. The Greater Victoria Green Team (GVGT) and Habitat Acquisition Trust (HAT) were working on invasive plant removal in Ayum Creek Park. HAT was also conducting a quick survey of the biodiversity, checking the bases of ferns and the edges of rotting logs for salamanders. There at the base of a rotting stump was Plethodon vehiculum, a small, slender salamander about 10 cm long with tail and body both having the same width. A wide rusty stripe ran the full length of its dark body keeping it well camouflaged as it was much the same colour as the rotting wood. We left it untouched as salamanders, like most amphibians, have very sensitive skins.

by Rosemary Jorna

The discovery started me reviewing salamanders.

There are three species of terrestrial salamanders on Vancouver Island. They are a woodland species, preferring moist areas with maturing trees and lots of woody debris. They have no lungs. Oxygen is absorbed through their skin over their whole body and through the lining of their mouths. They need moisture and a clean environment to survive, so it is no surprise that they are most often seen in the wet weather. They are carnivores and spend most of their time hidden under logs and leaf mould, venturing out after dark to hunt for spiders, mites, isopods and small insects.

Terrestrial salamanders do not breed in water. In the spring they lay eggs underground, in moist rotting wood or duff. The mother stays with the eggs for months, trying to keep them clean and safe until they hatch in

2015/16 attempt to reproduce failed, but if she survived it will be late in the summer of this year (2017) before she recovers enough energy to breed again. If she has recovered she will release pheromones. A nearby male will pick up the scent. If his head butting and neck rubbing suits her, she will walk up behind him straddling his tail they stroll along. It is this behaviour that gives these salamanders the second part of their Latin name, vehiculum. He is acting as a vehicle for her. During the walk he will drop a single spermatophore, a package of sperm. He can do this every year. She will pick it up and store it inside her body, in a spermatheca, over the winter and into the spring of 2018 when she will use it to fertilize her developing eggs. If she is successful in raising that clutch they will emerge in the fall of 2018 as tiny, perfect 2.5 to 3 cm salamanders ready to grow into adults and breed in 2020 or 2021. There is a record of this salamander living for 11 years in captivity but life in the wild is generally shorter so realistically a female has 3 to 4 chances to raise a brood.

the fall. Miniature copies of adults emerge: all their metamorphasis has taken place within the egg.

A few weeks after the Ayum Creek encounter, the Otter Point and Shirley Residents and Ratepayers Association (OPSRRA) was cleaning up on Otter Point Road. I was called over to a garbage covered slope where volunteers had uncovered a cluster of more than 18 pearl-like eggs. The eggs were too big for slugs. Our best guess was one of the terrestrial salamanders.

My third encounter was during a very wet hike on Broom Hill. Brian spotted this salamander. It was doubled up on a flat stone with the water running around it. He protected it from careless feet as we crossed a small stream on the narrow trail. We might have moved it if I had read further, since Western Red-Backed salamanders can drown if they cannot get out of the water. The best photo of Plethodon Vehiculum was taken in the Sooke Hills that week by Jean Oke.

Back to the books. The Wandering Salamander (Aneides vagrans), is uncommon. They hang their eggs in strings not clusters. Ensatina escholtzii produces 8 to 10 eggs in a clutch. By elimination, Western Red-Backed salamander, (Plethodon vehicular) with a clutch size of 8 to 20 eggs was the most likely mother. She should have been close by as these salamanders occupy a very small territory of a few square meters. They are neighbourly home bodies, not prone to wandering or defending their territories. They are willing to live in close proximity if the food supply is good.

Unfortunately there was no sign of the mother, and there was no indication that the embryos had developed. It may be that the dump site was toxic to salamanders or that something ate the mother. The

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OUTDOOR ADVENTURE

Juan de Fuca Community Trails Society

HIKES FOR APRIL

by Rosemary Jorna

Saturday April 1 To Mary Lake in the Highlands: A 9:00 a.m. start from a location to be announced. This will be a 10km hike through CRD park & Highland Road. Bring a lunch, good footwear and dress for the weather. Everyone welcome. For more information call Rosemary at 250 642-2767, or email jdf.cts@gmail.com

Saturday April 8 Flower Ridge: This is a JdF Electoral Area Parks & Recreation Commission sponsored hike. Meet at William Simmons Memorial Park's west parking lot (Sooke Business Park). Alternatively, meet at Sooke Potholes Provincial Park parking lot (very first one) at 9:30/35 a.m. Good footwear is essential, dress for the weather, bring snack and lunch. Hot drink is recommended. For more information call Sid at 250 642-2767, or email jdf.cts@gmail.com

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Saturday April 29 - Sunday April 30: The Walbran Valley There is interest in this trip as the upcoming provincial election will be held in May, so we chose the April date. This could be a long day trip or an overnight camp depending on interest. The number going will depend on the number of 4 wheel drive or high clearance vehicles willing to ride share. This will be on a book your place basis. 16 people are on the list already. Please let me know about the availability of high clearance or 4 wheel drive. Please let me know if you are interested by email to jdf.cts@gmail.com

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OUTDOOR ADVENTURE

Love Sooke

ON OUR COVER: The magnificent breaching southern resident orca was captured by Deanna Brett right off Whiffin Spit.

by Noella LeDrew

If you admired the beautiful shot of an Orca on our cover then a guided tour with opportunities to see and photograph local flora and fauna might be just the ticket.

Sooke resident Deanna Brett is launching a new business offering a unique and beautiful West Coast experience. Her Facebook page,

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Love Sooke, has been showcasing nature and adventure as seen through her camera lens, and now she wants to provide visitors with a personal experience in what she believes are Sooke's and the Juan de Fuca region's hidden gems.

There are many locations worth visiting! Secret beaches, hidden

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corners, beaches for combing or sea glass collecting, wildlife sighting opportunities, land based whale spotting, and more! Deanna wants to introduce others to the wonders she has discovered in and around Sooke.

Check out Deanna's personal photography and videography at www.lovesooke.com and stay tuned for the official launch of www.lovesooketours.com this spring. Deanna can be reached by email at hello@lovesooke.com for more information. www.lovesooke.com www.instagram.com/lovesooke/ www.instagram.com/lovesooketours/ www.lovesooketours.com - coming soon

Juan de Fuca Electoral Area Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission The Commission meets on the fourth Tuesday of every month at 3pm, Juan de Fuca Local Area Services Building #3 – 7450 Butler Road, Otter Point, BC Public Welcome to Attend For meeting confirmation or enquiries, please call 250.642.1500.

Deanna Brett Photo

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STEWARDSHIP

Heritage Lighthouse Site Restoration Progressing

by Sheringham Point Lighthouse Preservation Society SHIRLEY, BC – Excavation work, trenching and installation of a new solar power array and a new electrical shed are getting underway at Sheringham Point Lighthouse in Shirley. This work will allow power to be brought back to the historic light station, and will enable site operations to be enhanced.

The Lighthouse, built in 1912, was transferred by the Government of Canada in late 2015 to the Sheringham Point Lighthouse Preservation Society, based in Shirley.

Since then the Society’s volunteers have been working on plans for restoration of the lighthouse and its surrounding lands.

boulders have been put in place, and will continue to protect access to the Lighthouse for the next 100 years.

Society Board member John Walls said, “We are extremely fortunate that the Lighthouse Tower and Engine Room are in fundamentally sound shape thanks to Coast Guard and DFO work, so Society volunteers can focus energies on a few key areas. If all goes as planned, the Society anticipates being able to complete much of the restoration work by this summer.”

Returning power to the site will allow the Society to more effectively manage the site. It will provide light and heat in both the tower and engine room, and that will help cut down the corrosion in the lantern room at the top of the tower. It will also provide power for the ongoing Environment Canada operations (weather station) and the hydrophones for the Whale Monitoring Project being run by the Department of” Fisheries and Oceans. The Society decided, in keeping with its mandate to be good environmental stewards, to provide the power from a solar array connected to the BC Hydro grid as a backup.

The first step was to address erosion problems along the causeway that connects the main parkland to the Lighthouse (see photo). The area had been filled when the Lighthouse was built, and it had been eroding ever since, to the point that it was feared that access to Lighthouse could be cut off completely with a couple of large storms. With the help of Clarkston Construction and 4M Bobcat and Trucking, both of Sooke, a retaining wall and reinforcement with large Dom_BusCard_back.pdf

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Certified in Small Water Systems Operation, Distribution, Maintenance UV, Filtration, Chlorination Member BCWWA

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done by Otter Point Electric, both local businesses. A small electrical shed is also being constructed by Minten Fine Woodworking of Shirley.

Once the electrical work has been completed, the restoration work on the tower and engine room will begin. It will include removing the corrosion in the lantern room and re-fabricating the metal as required. New window panes will be installed, concrete patching will be done and the entire tower and engine room will get a new coat of paint.

“We have been working toward this – and fundraising for it – for the past dozen years,” Walls said, “and it is very rewarding to see it coming together.

This is a major undertaking for our small society, and we still need help.

Society volunteers and members want to encourage anyone who supports the protection and conservation of iconic heritage structures such as this – places that are so important to the history and the character of our communities – to go to the Society website and support the cause.”

Check out the Society’s website at: http://www.sheringhamlighthouse.org.

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STEWARDSHIP

SEAGIRT PONDS PRESERVATION SOCIETY Upcoming events:

Mason Bees: Why Bees are Disappearing and What to do About It

by Gary Fletcher Wednesday, March 22nd, 2017, 7:00 p.m.

East Sooke Community Hall

Bees are disappearing worldwide. What happens if bees disappear? We would have no more oranges, blueberries, avocadoes, coffee, broccoli, beans, carrots, kale, apples, and many more. According to Albert Einstein, “If the bees disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would have only four years of life left.

No more bees, no more pollinators, no more plants, no more animals, no more man.” Gary will explain why we should be concerned with the disappearance of bees and provide some viable actions for increasing the population of bees.

Gary raises Mason bee cocoons on his farm in Metchosin and sells them cleaned and packaged in two dozen lots for $15. Dried natural Phragmites reed tubes harvested from our wetland are used for culture, and are also sold in 2 dozen packages. Gary finds these tubes are the most efficient for attracting mason bees and reducing parasite infection. He will show people how to make their own bee houses out of simple materials. He will also have a few Natural Bee Houses for sale. Check it out at: http://www.gfletcher.ca/?cat=2.

Among his numerous accomplishments, Gary was a teacher of biology, marine science and environmental systems programs at Lester B. Pearson College, and served as the Race Rocks Ecological Reserve warden for BC Parks. Throughout, he has been working on strategies for community stewardship of ecologically significant areas.

Indigenous Science: Proven, Practical and Timeless (Part 2)

by John Corsiglia & Gloria Snively Monday, April 10th, 2017, 7:00 p.m.

East Sooke Community Hall

This power point presentation gives special attention to Northwest Coast examples of Indigenous people’s contributions to science, environmental understanding and sustainability. Indigenous perspectives have the potential to give guidance to the kind of environmental ethics and deep understanding of sustainability that we must gain as we attempt to solve increasingly complex problems of the 21st century.

Knowing Home: Braiding Indigenous Science with Western Science is available free on-line https:// pressbooks.bccampus.ca/knowinghome/. Hard copy by print on demand UVic bookstore: https://www. uvicbookstore.ca/general/uvic-publishing. John taught natural history and local knowledge subjects for U. Vic, UNBC, and Wilp Wilxooskwhl Nisga’a (WWN). 15 years consulting research re: history, resources, land ownership and cultural matters, and FN “overlap issues” with Nisga’a (Treaty Research) Haida, and Ahousaht governments. Support for BC School Districts: K-12 bi-lingual bi-cultural curriculum development. Eight years research and post-secondary curriculum and course development for WWN, (Nisga’a College).

Gloria’s work with Indigenous education spans four decades and has always been inspired by Indigenous leaders. She has enjoyed a long relationship with the Kwakwaka’wakw, the Yalis (Alert Bay) First Nations.

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March 2017

Seaweeds

by Diane Bernard Monday, May 8th, 2017, 7:00 p.m.

East Sooke Community Hall

Diane Bernard is a former local Sooke politician and also known as the Seaweed Lady. Today, her business, Seaflora Skincare Inc., specializes in skincare products for the spa industry, worldwide. But did you know Diane also conducts fun, fascinating and informative sessions about British Columbia’s coastal wild seaweed? Join us for an entertaining and ‘hands-on’ seaweed evening where she will showcase our own local, wild seaweeds. Hear about the science of seaweed and why they are the planet’s healthiest sea plants. Diane captures her audience through enthusiasm, passion and her ability to educate an audience of all levels. Her seminars have been reviewed by Canadian Geographic, Canada on the Edge, Organic Spa, Healing Lifestyles, Sunset Magazine, Coastal Living and numerous other national and international media.

Work Party

Saturday, April 1st, 2017, 10:00 a.m.

Seagirt Ponds Park, East Sooke This will be a work party to remove invasive species in the park - English Holly, Daphne, English Ivy, Scotch Broom and Bull Thistle. There will be a potluck lunch at Richard Snyder's afterwards.

Annual General Meeting

Monday, May 29th, 2017, 7:00 p.m.

East Sooke Community Hall Seagirt Ponds Society Board: Ute Schnarr, President; Gloria Snively, Vice President & Education Coordinator; Dixon Nuber, Secretary; KT Shum, Treasurer; and Richard Snyder, Stewardship Coordinator.

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Deanna Brett Photo

March 2017

STEWARDSHIP

HAT Celebrates 20 Years

by Alanah Nasadyk

When it comes to the environment, it can be easy to get caught up in the doom and gloom of the many challenges we face in protecting and caring for nature. However, as we battle to protect the many special places across our region, it’s important to pause and reflect on the positive outcomes we’ve seen and celebrate the incredible time, energy and support that our community has invested into making a substantial contribution to habitat protection. This year is a year to celebrate, marking Canada’s 150th birthday and Habitat Acquisition Trust’s 20th anniversary in conservation on South Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands

Ayum Creek Habitat Restoration team, Oct 2016. and stewarding Ayum Creek in Sooke and the last Garry Oak Ecosystem along the Victoria Inner Harbour, Matson Conservation Area.

Reflecting on the stewardship of Ayum Creek, Linda explains, “We removed 14 refrigerators from Ayum.

Truck-load after truck-load of garbage was removed -- washing machines, stoves, you name it. There used to be bamboo encroaching on the forest there too. That was normal then. That mindset is changing because of organizations like HAT.”

Habitat Acquisition Trust (HAT) is a local, not-for-profit charity based in Victoria. The organization’s mission to protect nature on a regional scale is grounded in grass-roots stewardship, outdoor education, habitat management and land protection. HAT began in 1996, as a fund set up by the Victoria Natural History Society for the purpose of acquiring and protecting habitat.

Through the years, HAT’s programs and projects have grown and developed but remain rooted in sound science, innovation and community-driven conservation.

This year, over 55 volunteers visited Ayum Creek to remove invasive plants. But the quality of habitat here has improved markedly, with volunteers recently spotting an owl, a bear, and two Red-Backed Salamanders among many other plants and animals thriving by the creek side.

Jennifer Eliason, current Board Member and former HAT Executive Director reflects, “There’s been a slow build and I’ve seen a huge difference since I first got involved. We went from nobody knowing what HAT or a land trust was to being a trusted resource. Now, if something comes up with bats or snakes, you’re going to call HAT, and when you call you get a friendly voice on the phone.”

Looking back, long-time HAT supporters and volunteers John and Linda Beare attribute HAT’s ability to make a difference locally to a few key things. “Habitat Acquisition Trust has really a very solid foundation, and it was started carefully and thoughtfully. They gradually built well-thought-out projects within their ability”.

Adam Taylor, previous Executive Director of Habitat Acquisition Trust from 2008 to 2015, and current Executive Director of the Marmot Recovery Foundation, tells us, “There is good news to share. All of that comes

Over the course of 20 years, HAT has steadfastly worked away at its mission of protecting nature. Some of the big milestones along the path have been protecting

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March 2017

Habitat Acquisition Trust is celebrating 20 years of habitat preservation, enhancement, and restoration.

You can join the celebrations by asking for donations to HAT in lieu of a birthday gift.

from the things that people do. We need to celebrate that people are doing good things and making positive change.”

government, First Nations, local organizations, and landowners to make a difference for nature, for today and tomorrow.

As an example of HAT’s role in creating positive change over the years Adam points to, “an integrated vision of how stewardship, land protection, and education tie together.” “By Integrating these aspects in the way HAT does, you have a better, more thorough form of outreach to people, for the whole spectrum of nature preservation. All the way from ‘I need a little bit of information’ to, ‘I want to protect my land in perpetuity’.

As HAT celebrates 20 years of conservation and the true north strong and free turns 150, share your birthday with nature! Wondering what to ask for this year, or what to buy for that friend that has it all? Celebrate your time on earth with a present to protect the habitat in your community, by giving the gift of making a difference. HAT encourages celebrators to ask their friends to make a donation to conservation in lieu of birthday gifts. It is as simple as collecting donations at a party, directing friends and family to hat.bc.ca/ donate to make a gift in your honour for a tax receipt, or setting up your own fundraising page at http://www. canadahelps.org/en/fundraise/

Any time you can help somebody a little bit along the spectrum from behaviours that are damaging to behaviours that are less damaging, every one of those moments counts. For example, encouraging someone to replace an invasive Butterfly Bush with a native Nootka Rose.”

Habitat Acquisition Trust is a non-profit regional land trust and registered charity that conserves nature on south Vancouver Island. HAT works towards conservation through habitat stewardship, land protection, and community engagement. HAT accepts donations for all programs including the Community Bat and Land Protection programs – for more info visit hat.bc.ca/donate. For more information, contact Alanah Nasadyk, Community & Development Coordinator, 250995-2428 or email alanah@hat.bc.ca

HAT’s current Executive Director Jill Robinson attributes HAT’s long-time success to “its incredible relationships with people in the community. Our organization is strong because of the many partnerships, friendships and collaborations that we invest in, which enhance our impact and expand the scope of our programs.

We continue to be inspired and encouraged by our dedicated members, long-lasting partners, generous donors, and hardworking volunteers. Our knowledgeable and caring Board carefully and mindfully steer our organization’s programs and projects that are led by a passionate and expert staff.”

Habitat Acquisition Trust 250-995-2428 825 Broughton St www.hat.bc.ca

Despite a challenging climate, Habitat Acquisition Trust continues to press forward, working alongside

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March 2017

STEWARDSHIP

Spring Brings Increasing Interest In Bat Health

by Habitat Acquisition Trust (HAT)

Fortunately for the bats of BC, it has been a quiet winter. The BC Community Bat Program, in collaboration with the Province of BC, is on the lookout for signs of White-Nose Syndrome (WNS). WNS is a fungal disease harmless to humans but responsible for the deaths of millions of insect-eating bats in eastern North America. WMS was first detected in Washington State in March 2016. To monitor the spread of this disease, Community Bat Program (CBP) coordinators have been collecting reports of unusual winter bat activity across southern BC and ensuring that dead bats are sent to the Canadian Wildlife Health Centre lab for disease testing. To date, no WNS has been reported in the province.

bats increases, and the BC Community Bat Program is continuing to ask for assistance.

"We are asking the public to report dead bats or any sightings of daytime bat activity to their local Community Bat Project (CBP) as soon as possible (contact Katie at HAT by calling 250-995-2428 or emailing bat@hat.bc.ca)" says Mandy Kellner, coordinator of the BC Community Bat Program. Reports of unusual bat activity will help focus research, monitoring and protection efforts.

Never touch a bat with your bare hands as bats can carry rabies, a deadly disease. Please note that if you or your pet has been in direct contact with a bat, immediately contact your physician and/or local public health authority or consult with your private veterinarian.

But spring conditions mean increased bat activity and an increased chance of detecting the disease. As bats begin to leave hibernacula and return to their summering grounds, our chances of seeing live or dead 22

March 2017

Currently there are no treatments for White Nose Syndrome. However, mitigating other threats to bat populations and preserving and restoring bat habitat may provide bat populations with the resilience to rebound. This is where the BC Community Bat Program and the general public can help. Funded by the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, the Province of BC, and the Habitat Stewardship Program, Mountain Equipment Co-op, Lush, and Victoria Natural History Society the South Island Community Bat Program works with the government and others on public outreach activities, public reports of roosting bats in buildings, and our citizen-science bat monitoring program.

To contact the BC Community Bat Program, see www.bcbats.ca, email info@bcbats.ca or call 1-855922-2287.

Contact Kate A.H. Bell, contract biologist at HAT 250 995-2428 or email bat@hat.bc.ca

A little brown bat with fungal growth, associated with WhiteNose Syndrome, on its muzzle (credit: Larisa Bishop-Boros) BELOW LEFT TO RIGHT: Little Brown Bat photo by Todd Carnahan Townsend’s big-eared bat photo by Christina Carrieres

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March 2017

COMMUNITY CARING

Local Refugee Sponsorship Update by Sharon Sterling It’s been a long wait, but the Iraqi family of four sponsored by the communities of Sooke/Juan de Fuca has finally begun the series of interviews, medical checks, and security screenings that are required for admission to Canada. We don’t yet have an arrival date, but this recent action on the file has cheered everyone up immensely!

Team Sooke/Juan de Fuca is certainly ready to welcome the family. Thanks to generous community support, we have met our financial goal for supporting them for their first year and have most of the furnishings we need for their future home. We will need some larger household items—such as a vacuum cleaner, television, and bedroom furniture, and it seems there may be some additional expenses that we had not anticipated. But these are things we can work on once we know exactly when the family is coming.

In the meantime, the family continues to study English and learn about Canada and Canadian culture.

We talk to them two or three times a week for English lessons, and we always find something to laugh about.

Team Sooke/JdF will have an information booth at the Rotary Spring Fair, April 29th. Please stop by to say hi and find out the latest news. You can also email teamsookejuandefuca@gmail.com or visit the Team Sooke Juan de Fuca website, or Facebook page.

Awareness Film Night Change and thought-provoking documentaries.

Screened monthly from October thru May. Always available from AFN library at A Sea of Bloom.

Details: awarenessfilmnight.ca

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March 2017

Dancing in Circles

by Susan Nelson There is no leader, no follower. When the music plays the stories of life, we dance the lives together, being one being. Hand in hand, left palm down, right palm up, links in a lifeline chain to carry the story of the human experience of connection. When the song ends, there is a soft settling, a moment to embody the essence of music and movement and unison. We humans have been telling stories, making music and dancing for a while so there are plenty of steps to learn and more of everything to create. More life, more music, more dance, more life. That’s how it goes.

Some of the steps taught now have been passed down through generation upon generation, and some have been created based on the collaboration of the Findhorn Community in Scotland with Bernhard Wosien, a dancer and lover of traditional European dances, who was concerned that the dances were disappearing. After his travels throughout Europe, learning the dances, he wrote, “Through the medium of dance we embark on the path of self-realization, whereby we may find ourselves, but may equally find all that is other – the environment, group, in fact all otherness; and through its intimate connection to music, dance transmits and helps to establish harmony.”

has generously given of her time and efforts to help us begin to dance in and around Sooke. We’ve started slowly, with 3 dances since beginning in October. Lots of enthusiasm has been generated in the process and there is some talk of going from dance ‘events’ to a dance ‘group’. Of course, we could do both.

If you are interested in building and sustaining community, enjoy music and dance, and think you might like to join us for an hour or two to see what this is all about, please let us know.

Email: susanyvivi@yahoo.com or phone 778 528-2299 A couple of links for your audio visual pleasure: http://www.circledancing.com/summer-dance-campvideo.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IN51HpIa2ek

Vivi and I first experienced Circle Dancing in Argentina at an eco-village. We knew we would like to find a way to continue dancing when we moved to Seattle, but the circle dancers we finally found were here on southern Vancouver Island. Happily, we moved here.

One of the wonderful dancers from Victoria whom we met in the first weekend of circle dancing we attended,

Email: jdfepc@crd.bc.ca Phone: 250-642-8105 Cell: 250-883-0607 #3-7450 Butler Road Email: jdfepc@crd.bc.ca

Sooke, BC V9Z 1N1

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March 2017

HEALTH & WELLNESS

ACUPUNCTURE, ETC.

by Angela Berscheid, RPharm, RAc UNDERSTANDING TCM, part I While many of us have heard of acupuncture, the term “Traditional Chinese Medicine” (TCM) remains a mystery. It is the goal of this column to give you better understanding regarding this complex therapeutic method.

TCM, which originated approximately 4500 years ago, consists of what are called eight “limbs” or practices and techniques that are used to maintain health. They are listed in order of decreasing importance: • Mind—this refers to meditation and relaxation techniques; • Exercise—classically the martial arts, including Tai Qi and Qi Gong; • Diet—prevents and treats diseases with carefully selected foods; • Feng Shui—living in accordance to the harmony of the 5-elements; • Astrology—used as a guide to treatment; • Chinese Massage (“Tui Na”), Cupping, acupressure, and in some cases, applied Qi Gong • Herbs—The Chinese Materia Medica is extensive, including mostly plants, shells, and very few members of the Animal Kingdom. Use of endangered species is illegal in Canada where formulas also have stringent quality control.

• Acupuncture—the insertion of fine needles into cupoints to achieve a therapeutic effect;

As only the last 3 limbs require a practitioner’s aid, we can see that the focus of TCM is on the maintenance of health and the prevention of disease, allowing us to live in a state of balance where we and our loved ones can fully enjoy life. Acupuncturists do, however, often treat people seeking us as a “last resort” when all else has failed. As a rule, the longer the duration of illness, the longer the duration of treatment required. It is thus best to start treatments before symptoms become severe.

In conclusion, I would like to wish you a belated Happy Chinese New Year! “Xin Nian Hao!” in Mandarin; “Gung Hey Fat Choy!” in Cantonese. It begins on the first new moon of each year, that being January 28th in 2017.

People born under the year of the Rooster (2017, and every twelve years before that) tend to be hardworking, resourceful, confident, and talented. Their talkative and engaging ways make them popular; they enjoy the spotlight but can be seen as vain or arrogant. Some famous roosters include Rudyard Kipling, Yoko Ono, Britney Spears, and Eric Clapton. May you enjoy peace, joy, health, and prosperity in the Year of the Rooster.

The first 5 limbs are tools we can learn that empower us to take care of ourselves. When healthy, practicing these techniques regularly can prevent serious illnesses. Common sense tells us that relaxation techniques, Tai Qi, yoga, and/or aerobics combined with weight bearing exercise, a proper diet and a healthy living environment will keep us healthy. Regular practice would save us a lot of discomfort, and our overloaded healthcare system, much money. Did you know that in ancient times, Chinese doctors were not paid if their patients became ill?

Angela is a registered acupuncturist practising in the Colwood Medical Centre. She can be reached at angela@hokuhealth.com

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March 2017

Rural’KITCHEN

R E C I P E S T H AT WO R K ,

Made with Love

by Sheila Wallace Although most folks in Sooke know me for my Coastal Crunch Granola and baked goods at the Sooke Country Market, my love of baking is almost matched by my love of cooking. However, I am not keen on long complicated recipes that demand obscure or expensive ingredients. So, since the winter seems to be hanging on relentlessly, here is an easy, warming and delicious soup, that takes minutes to put together. It is my “go to” soup recipe, shared by my dear friend Annie many years ago. It freezes well so I usually double or triple the recipe for a quick lunch when unexpected guests stop by. Just add a homemade cheddar and herb scone – and you’ll impress anyone!

See you at the Sooke Country Market – starting May 6!

Email Me: smwallace@shaw.ca

Ginger Peanut Soup 1 med. Onion chopped 1 1⁄2 c broccoli chopped 1 1⁄2 c cauli ower chopped 1 T fresh ginger, minced ne 3 cloves garlic, minced ne 1⁄2 t. cayenne pepper 1⁄2 t. salt 1⁄2 t pepper 2 T. olive oil 3 c. veggie stock or water 1- 14 oz can diced tomatoes or cut up fresh tomatoes 5 T. natural peanut butter (smooth is best but chunky will work too)

In large pot, sauté onion, broccoli, cauli ower, ginger, garlic, cayenne, salt and pepper in oil over medium heat until veggies are tender. Add stock, tomatoes, and peanut butter.

Reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes – stirring occasionally. Can be frozen.

Fresh and Local... Just like you The Stick in the Mud 6715 Eustace Road M-F 6-5 S&S 7:30-5

SpeedStick

The New Branch

Right next to The Stick 6711 Eustace Road 7 days 8 (ish)-1

Open 7-1 seasonally in the lobby of The Prestige Hotel

www.stickinthemud.ca

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March 2017

THE ARTS

ARTIFACTS - ART SHOW IN THE WORKS by Nastazja Maria Pedersen The third annual ARTiFACTS art show is being readied for the Sooke Region Museum this spring. Organized by the Sooke Community Arts Council, this exhibit will run from April 28th to May 28th. The Upstairs Gallery at the Museum is open Tuesday to Sunday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

ARTiFACTS will feature local art by both established and up and coming artists. Various art forms will be on display. There will be painting, fabric art, photography, sculpture, pottery and prints, as well as literary works and music. This is a juried art show and a debut for many of the works submitted.

Opening day, April 29th, will have a Meet the Artists event from noon to 4:00 p.m. Demonstrations, music and book readings are scheduled on the following days: Saturday, May 6, Sunday, May 21, and Saturday, May 27.

During these Demo times, all artists, musicians and authors are invited to showcase their work and talk about their creations. SCAC members may sell their art at these events.

There will be a Potluck open to the SCAC membership and the public on May 27th from Noon to 3:00 p.m. The show concludes on Sunday, May 28 at 3:00 p.m.

More information about these special events during the ARTiFACTS Show will be available on the SCAC Website at www.sookecommunityarts.com The Sooke Community Arts Council is accepting entries to the show until March 27th.

The requirements are as follows: All entrants who would like to be in the show and to sell their items must be current SCAC members, the cost of which is $15 per year (September 1st- August 31st). Memberships are available online at www. sookecommunityarts.com . Go to: Join SCAC and follow the prompts. Memberships may be paid on line or downloaded, printed and mailed with a cheque to SCAC, Box 46, Sooke BC V9Z 0E4. $5 participation fee per person (not per art entry).

A 5 hour per week commitment to help for the 4 week duration of the show is required – this time may be done by the artist or by family or friends.

The Member participants can enter as many items as space allows, right now it is 30 inches wide from oor to ceiling – low ceiling about 6 feet. All entries must t within the 30 inch wide area, space may be larger or smaller depending on number of entries.

All entries must have a theme relating to the Sooke area, including the West Coast of the region.

Each entrant is responsible to print out and bring with them a bio and a couple of sentences about the art submitted. This is to t within the Museum format of informing the public about the item, how it relates to the area and what inspired you to create it!

This is a juried show. You will be required to submit 2 digital photos of your work during the application process.

For more information or to submit an entry please go to our website www. sookecommunityarts.com and click on Artist Calls.

March 2017

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March 2017

East Sooke COMMUNITY CALENDAR Unless otherwise noted, all events are held in the East Sooke Community Hall 1397 Coppermine Road Karate Classes for All Ages Tuesday 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Armin: asielopp@telus.net 250 642-3926 Pilates Class Wednesday 9:30 - 11:00 a.m.

Gina: ginatremblay@yahoo.ca 250 882-0637 Hatha Yoga Classes Thursday 7:00 - 8:15 p.m.

Connie: connieroseyoga@gmail.com 250 889-0753 Seniors’ Lunches 4th Wednesday of the month 12 Noon Watch for notices posted in area

East Sooke Books for Breakfast For preschool aged children Contact for date Stephanie: sookeliteracy@gmail.com East Sooke Fire Protection & Emergency Services Commission Third Monday of month 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. at Community Hall East Sooke Volunteer Fire Department New Hall - 6071 East Sooke Road Fire Practice Thursday nights 7:00 – 9:30 p.m. Volunteers Welcome Contact: esvfd.deputychief@gmail.com For more information regarding events in the Community Hall, please check the calendar on the website: eastsookecommunityhall.com

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March 2017

Shirley COMMUNITY CALENDAR Unless otherwise indicated, events held at the Shirley Community Hall Shirley Fire Department Practices held Thursdays 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. at the Fire Hall To volunteer: 250 646-2107 Pilates Saturdays, 9:30 - 10:30 a.m.

Sandra: 250-646-2651 or info@sandrasmithyoga.com Yoga with Megan Sundays 6:00 - 7:15 p.m.

Gentle Yoga for Women Mondays 10:00 -11:00 a.m.

Elizabeth: 778 528-6602 or bloomingyoga4kids@gmail.com

Restorative Yoga Thursdays 7:00 - 8:15 p.m.

Linda: linda.lamers69@gmail.com Rise & Shine Hatha Yoga Saturdays 8:00 - 9:15 a.m.

Linda: linda.lamers69@gmail.com Nia Dance/Movement Sundays 11:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.

Melody: 250 646-2995 or movingmelody@gmail.com Shirley Quilters and Crafters Thursdays 10:30 a.m.

Karate Mondays 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Armin: asielopp@telus.net

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Shirley Women’s Institute 2nd Wed of the month,10:30 a.m. stephaniecroft@hotmail.com Shirley Fire Commission Meeting 3rd Monday of the month 7:00 p.m. at the Fire Hall Shirley Community Association Meeting Wednesday, May 10, 7:30 p.m.

BC Provincial Election Tuesday, May 9 (Shirley Community Hall is a Polling Station) Shirley Spring Craft Fair Sunday, April 2, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Armin: asielopp@telus.net

March 2017

Rural REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE DESK OF MIKE HICKS, JDF REGIONAL DIRECTOR This past year has had great accomplishments and some major disappointments:

upsetting for the residents forced to leave their Jordan River homes, and we are grateful that they were at least compensated by BC Hydro.

Port Renfrew: Port Renfrew is absolutely booming with the addition of a private year round marina, more oceanside cottages, Tall Tree Music Festival (miniature Woodstock) Avatar Grove and three busy restaurants.

The Pacific Marine Circle Route is plugged and Pacheedhat Nation are building a mill, a gas station and a major improvements to their campground. The library, rec centre, utilities and fire department are all doing well.

Shirley The Sheringham Point Lighthouse Preservation Society finally, after years of work, lobbying and fundraising, took possession of the Sheringham Lighthouse in Shirley. This was a great accomplishment for the Society who will now take on the maintenance of the lighthouse and surrounding lands. Both the Society and Juan de Fuca Parks Commission members deserve our praise for working through many problems to make this happen.

East Sooke The Juan de Fuca Search and Rescue have settled into the top floor of the old East Sooke Fire Department.

The community is using the lower floor for meetings, lunches, recreation and all things community. It is an ideal situation with Search and Rescue’s rent and user fees supporting the hall with no help, so far, from the East Sooke taxpayers. The Ministry of Highways worked on widening the East Sooke Road shoulder but the community excitement ended quickly when they left without paving the expansion.

At one point last year, the CRD ruled that water could not be extended in Port Renfrew area, due to the 2003 Regional Growth Strategy. We challenged this decision at the CRD Board and with the strong support of the community, we prevailed and overturn the decision.

Jordan River Nine of the ten homes in Jordan River have been sold to BC Hydro. The homes will be removed and the sites will be restored to grass and meadow. The CRD sold the old town site north of the highway to BC Hydro and continue to operate the campground and surfer’s beach.

The CRD with the help of Queesto Logging re-built a beautiful rock retaining wall to hold the beach together and installed a $150,000 Tsunami Warning System to clear the beach and campground in the event of a massive earthquake. The whole affair has been very

Willis Point The Willis Point Pointers have been busy monitoring the proposed Bamberton LNG Plant development, which would be directly in their view. In addition, a committee has joined me in consultations with the CRD Core Area Sewage Project Board discussing the

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March 2017

proposed and probably inevitable anaerobic digester to be built at Hartland Landfill.

As most will know, a sewage plant for the Core Area municipalities will be built in Esquimalt, the sludge will be pumped 18 kilometers to Hartland Landfill, the sludge will go through an anaerobic digester and the bio-solids will be stored in bio-cells on the Hartland property. Willis Point residents are deeply concerned with the project and extremely concerned with the potential contamination of their aquafer and air. We have a strong Pointer committee and a willingness from the Project Board to engage, find solutions and make commitments.

Malahat Our friends on the Malahat have lost a great community leader Rob Patterson. Rob was their fire chief and champion for safety improvements on the highway. He died suddenly while helping a snowmobiler in distress. I was honored to attend his service along with an army of fire fighters and first responders from across Vancouver Island.

of 6 Chinook to 1,000 last year. Mr. Martin, who gave permission to use his land for all these years, passed away and his widow placed the land on the market.

With the blessing of the T’Sou-ke First Nation we purchased the property and ensured the future of the Chinook and made a beautiful park in the process.

JDF The Juan Fuca Electoral Area should see a reduction in tax requisition this year. Our planning staff have been reduced by one member, we made a few cuts in redundant services and we have experienced considerable growth (10% over the last 5 years).

At this moment I have four major projects which I hope to report on next time. A new 6 million dollar Vancouver Island Regional Library in Sooke; a million dollar artificial playing surface in Sooke; an amended Regional Growth Strategy, which will allow for the potential extension of water in the Juan de Fuca; and a satisfactory outcome for the Harland Digester issue.

The Ministry of Highways against the wishes of the Malahat residents, are eliminating some left hand turns. This means many residents wanting to go in the direction of Victoria will firstly have to go in the direction of Duncan for kilometers, make a u-turn and then carry on South to Victoria. The residents had a rousing meeting with MOT, expectations were high and just recently MOT has informed the residents that they will carry on with their plan against the wishes of the community.

CRD In my capacity as Chair of CRD Parks, I will be proud to open the Trans Canada Trail or what is now called “ the Great Trail� in July. It is absolutely beautiful with our CRD portion running 13 kilometers from the top of the Malahat to the Humpback reservoir. The trail goes downhill all the way through a beautiful forest and will have a 120 suspension bridge. It will be a perfect downhill ride for old fellas like myself.

We were absolutely thrilled to purchase on behalf of CRD Parks, 15 acres and 2,500 feet of river frontage on the Sooke River. The property has a beautiful house, fields and most importantly the Pemberton Pool. The Sooke Salmon Enhancement Society have been gathering their Chinook brood stock from this pool for years and have restored the stocks from a low

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March 2017

Rural REPRESENTATIVES From the Desk of Randall Garrison, MP Esquimalt Saanich - Sooke Renegotiation of NAFTA

NAFTA, the Canadian government has an opportunity to push for more stringent labour and environmental standards to be included in the deal, and to get rid of regressive provisions like the investor-state arbitration rules that allow corporations to sue our governments.

The Trump administration has signalled that it will begin NAFTA talks as early as this spring, with the goal of either completely scrapping the trade deal or making large, substantive changes to it.

My New Democrat colleagues and I are calling on the Prime Minister to tell Canadians how he plans to protect our economy, jobs, and environment. There is so much at stake for Canadian workers, but the Prime Minister has not told Canadians how he plans to protect industries impacted by NAFTA. New Democrats are calling on the government to work for a trade deal that promotes Canadian exports, boosts wages and narrows the income and wealth gaps; protects labour and environmental standards and makes them enforceable; eliminates investor-state dispute settlement mechanisms; and eliminates the energy proportionality clause, which prohibits Canada from reducing oil and gas exports to the US, even if we are unable to meet our own energy requirements.

In these negotiations, the Canadian government must stand up for Canadian jobs and not cave in to pressures from the Trump administration. Hundreds of thousands of Canadian jobs depend on trade with the US, but the Liberals have yet to present their priorities for NAFTA negotiations. This is an opportunity for the Canadian government to advocate for our economy, jobs, and environment, and we must seize it.

Donald Trump has called NAFTA the “worst trade deal maybe ever signed anywhere,” and his nominee for commerce secretary said NAFTA would be a “very, very early topic in the administration.” Trump has suggested the implementation of across-the-board tariffs, as well as border adjustment tariffs – which would have serious consequences on many Canadian industries.

Canadian workers in many sectors like softwood lumber, dairy, and auto are worried, and the Prime Minister and his government are not telling them how they plan to protect their jobs. Negotiations must be transparent, and the government must be receptive to input from Canadians whose livelihoods are on the line.

Despite the urgency and how much is at stake for Canadian workers, we have so far heard nothing from our Prime Minister about how he intends to protect good Canadian jobs in the upcoming negotiations – and how he plans to ensure trade talks with the US don’t hurt wage growth, labour force participation and income inequality.

Any renegotiation should fix current problems.

Problems like investor state provisions and the lack of strong environmental and labour protections must be included in negotiations. Protecting and growing good-paying Canadian jobs is the NDP’s number one priority. We want to see the government put workers interests ahead of the wealthy and well-connected.

Canada and the US are the world’s largest trading partners, with almost $900 billion in goods and services crossing our border annually. Three quarters of all Canadian goods exports and more than half of all Canadian services exports are to the US. The Trump administration’s attack on NAFTA could have profoundly damaging consequences to our country. On the other hand, if the United States wants to reopen

Randall Garrison, MP Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke

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March 2017

From the desk of John Horgan, MLA Juan de Fuca BC raw log exports hit the second-highest monthly level in recorded history in November, with nearly three-quarters of a million cubic metres being shipped elsewhere for manufacturing - most of them from already struggling coastal communities.

Earlier this month I introduced a climate action plan that will cut carbon pollution, create good jobs, and double the number of British Columbians receiving rebate cheques to offset a higher federal carbon tax.

I was incredibly proud to bring together leaders in business, labour and the environmental movement to create this plan. And I am excited to put the thoughtful work of the government appointed Climate Leadership Team into action. I will do more than pay lip service to the important work they did.

Under the BC Liberal government we've lost 30,000 good paying, family supporting jobs in the forest industry, and seen the closure of almost 150 mills. Our forests are a valuable public asset. Yet local people and local communities are not benefiting from our forests.

The federal government has said it will impose a new carbon price across Canada by 2022. We need a madein-BC approach that gets us the right results, good jobs that last, and real reductions in carbon pollution without making average families pay the price. My climate action plan cushions the impact of the federal government’s carbon price on low and middle income families by putting money back in their pockets.

Corporations that profit from polluting should pay – not average families.

This government has continued to allow big companies to strip our forests and send raw logs overseas – taking jobs away from local communities and First Nations, a practice that has only benefited big money donors to the BC Liberal party.

There have been many concerns raised about big money buying influence from the Christy Clark government.

The New York Times even wrote an article calling BC the "Wild West of Political Cash". A total of only 185 donors gave the BC Liberal party $6 million dollars in 2016. That amount represents half of the money the BC Liberals raised last year and is an average of $37,000 each. That's more than a lot of British Columbians make in a year. And that kind of money buys big favours from the government. British Columbians are at a disadvantage when only the wealthy and well connected have access to government.

The BC NDP Official Opposition has introduced a private members bill five times since 2005 that would ban big money from influencing BC politics, but the government has refused to pass the bill. This is not a partisan issue. This is an issue of public trust, and it goes to the root of the health of our democracy.

Government should be owned by the people of BC - not bought and paid for by corporations and rich donors.

On February 16th, I reintroduced this bill for the sixth time in the legislature, because I strongly believe that the job of government is to serve the people of this province.

My plan will also invest carbon tax revenues in good jobs building public transit, expanding clean and green technology industries and constructing energy efficient buildings in communities across BC. Doing that will ensure that we use less energy, less fuel, and that a family’s overall bills go down, not up.

We need a strong commitment to technological innovation to get more lasting jobs, to minimize carbon pollution and to create new jobs and new sustainable industries. When I think of innovators that are building opportunities, I think of Chief Gordon Planes from the T’Sou-ke First Nation. Under his leadership, the Nation installed PV solar panels on the roofs of all the common buildings and additional panels to heat hot water on family homes. Most days, they’re selling energy back to the grid. He’s fueling his community and our local economy.

We need to cultivate that kind of leadership. Train for it.

Nurture it. Invest in it. And build it -right across BC. John Horgan, MLA Juan de Fuca Website: www.johnhorganmla.ca Tel: 250-391-2801 Email: John.Horgan.MLA@leg.bc.ca

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March 2017

The Sheringham Point Lighthouse Preservation Society Needs

YOUR HELP AND ADVICE In the fall of 2015, Sheringham Lighthouse was designated by the Government of Canada as a Heritage Lighthouse, and ownership of the heritage site was transferred to the care and protection of the volunteers at the Sheringham Point Lighthouse Preservation Society, on behalf of the community. Society volunteers are now looking to the future, and planning how to preserve, protect and use the Lighthouse and its surrounding lands - the entire Heritage Lighthouse Site.

From the beginning, the community and the Society have been working to create a "passive park" surrounding the Lighthouse opening the land for everyone to visit, while continuing to conserve and protect the land, public access and historic buildings.

Society volunteers want to discover how you and others are using the site and what vision you see for the Heritage Site. Please use the link below and take a few minutes of your time to complete the COMMUNITY/VISITOR SURVEY on the Society’s website.

SheringhamLighthouse.org JOIN US ON

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March 2017

Advertisers’ DIRECTORY

NEW INTERACTIVE AD FEATURES!

Awareness Film Night p.24 awarenessfilmnight.ca

Our ads now contain direct links to our advertisers’ websites. Click on the email address and send a message immediately.

Cleardesk Computer Services p.33 778-747-3335 Custom Digging p.32 250-413-7685 Dom’s Water Service p.16 250-646-2528 Fossil Bay Resort p.24 250-646-2073 Hugh Gregory Fine Painting p.13 250-480-8295

SHOP LOCAL, SUPPORT THE RURAL OBSERVER

JdF Emergency Program p.25 250-642-8105 JdF Parks and Recreation p.15 250-642-1500 John Horgan - MLA, JdF p.6 250-391-2801 Juan de Fuca Veterinary Clinic p.8 250-478-0422 Kimmel Massage Therapist p.16 250-646-2865 Noella LeDrew, Graphic & Web Design p.37 778-352-2070 Numa Farms p.23 250-474-6005 Race Rocks Automotive p.11 250-478-1920

When you contact our advertisers, be sure to tell them you saw their AD in the Rural Observer.

Rural Observer - Advertising pp.2,37 778-528-2299 Salish Sea Technologies p.7 778-425-1994 Sheringham Point Lighthouse Pres. Soc. p.36 250-646-2528 Shoreline Design p.18 250-858-9575 Sooke Veterinary Hospital p.24 250-642-4413 The Stick In The Mud Cafe p.27 250-642-5635 Vivi Curutchet, Architectural Drawings p.25 778-528-2299 Walk, Sit & Stay - Dog Walking p.19 250-642-0458

RURAL OBSERVER 2017 PUBLICATION SCHEDULE May 1 Deadline for Submissions

Westside InstaPrint p.17 250-478-5533

April 10

WorkLink p.32 250-642-3685

ViviCurutchet Curutchet Vivi

Advertising Sales Advertising Sales Phone: 778-528-2299 Ph: (250) 642-1714 Email: Email:advertise@ruralobserver.com advertise@ruralobserver.com

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March 2017

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A view north from Juan de Fuca Ridge Photo by Noella LeDrew March 2017