YAM Magazine Mar/Apr 2025 by Page One Publishing

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HOME ISSUE Contents

Embrace these top décor trends and fall in love with your space all over again.

By YAM Staff

We all seem to have too much stuff. Here's why — and what to do about it. By

Joanne Sasvari

Where the Sea Wolves Play

An expedition to the Great Bear Rainforest reveals the magic and beauty in our own backyard.

By Linda Barnard

A Formula for Feeling Better

A new book offers doable tips and tools for getting your life deliciously back on track.

By Joanne Sasvari

10 EDITOR’S LETTER

13 HERE + NOW

A rare view of Island wildlife; groovy gadgets that keep your place tidy; tulip tips; fire smarts for the overly anxious; a compassionate crime-solving solution; taking your workout to the next level with Hyrox.

18 IN

PERSON

We catch up with Randy and Tal Bachman just before they take BTO back on tour.

By David Lennam

20 LIFE AT HOME

Thoughtful design makes this Saanich home accessible, sustainable and ready to withstand just about anything. By Nessa Pullman

42 STYLE WATCH

Finish your look with the dazzle and drama of these standout jewelry pieces.

Styled by Janine Metcalfe

63 FOOD + DRINK

At Syriana, savour Victoria's hometown take on the viral Dubai chocolate bar. Plus: Your guide to cooking with eggs; a worldbeating local whisky; a book to help you shop local; how to love kale; Island gin is in for spring; and what's happening on the city's dining scene.

By Linda Barnard and Joanne Sasvari

80 SCENE

Discover The Point Group, Victoria's long-forgotten modern art revolutionaries. Plus: Culture Calendar. By David Lennam

82 PERSPECTIVE

Peek at the scrollwork on this house and discover a little-known vintage architectural style. By Joanne Sasvari

property marketing, personal attention, and moving results, call our team today.

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME

For the past couple of years I’ve been in a constant state of selling, buying, decluttering, decorating and/or renovating my home. So let’s just say I have a lot of thoughts about “home” and what it means these days.

AWARD WINNING REALTOR®’S

Robyn Wildman REALTOR®

250.818.8522

Samantha Chisholm

Home is, of course, the structure where you live, the four walls around you and the roof over your head. It’s the place you keep all your stuff, hang out with your family and entertain your friends. At its most basic, as the poet Robert Frost wrote, “Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in.”

Home is also your neighbourhood, your city, your province, your country. If you’re anything like me, that’s probably been on your mind a lot these days, with so much attention focused on buying local and shopping Canadian.

But home is more than a country or a building. It’s also our memories and our dreams, where we are most comfortable and most loved, even our sense of who we are.

Home is more than a country or a building. It’s also our memories and our dreams, where we are most comfortable and most loved, even our sense of who we are.

As I’ve been going through my stuff (SO much stuff), I keep coming across remnants of previous lives I’ve lived: the red plaid kitchen towels from when I was still in university, the pottery bowl that was a going-away gift from my first journalism job, the busted espresso maker that is all that remains of a relationship that broke my heart, the cheesy paprika jar I inherited from my mom, the cushion covers from when “Tuscan” décor was a thing.

Nostalgia aside, it makes me think of how home décor styles change — slowly, then suddenly, then totally. We’re in one of those big transitional phases right now and it’s exciting to see all the warmer, cozier, more colourful, more textured and more individualistic looks heading our way. Partly it’s because we’ve all been spending so much time at home these past few years. Partly it’s just human nature to crave something new and fresh, a different view even if it is the same old place.

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It all comes down to this: We love our homes, and with just a little bit of inspiration and elbow grease, our homes will love us right back.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a few more boxes to unpack …

Joanne Sasvari, Editor-in-Chief editor@yammagazine.com

VICTOR IA’S LIF EST YLE MAGAZIN E

PUBLISHERS Lise Gyorkos, Georgina Camilleri

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Joanne Sasvari

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Jeffrey Bosdet

LEAD GRAPHIC DESIGNER Janice Hildybrant

ASSOCIATE GRAPHIC DESIGNER Kelly Hamilton

ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS Deana Brown, Jennifer Dean Van Tol, Cynthia Hanischuk, Brenda Knapik

ADVERTISING CO-ORDINATOR Rebecca Juetten

MARKETING & EVENTS

CO-ORDINATOR Lauren Ingle

FASHION EDITOR Janine Metcalfe

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Linda Barnard, David Lennam, Nessa Pullman

COPY EDITOR Lionel Wild

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER Jody Beck

CONTRIBUTING AGENCIES Alamy p. 54; Getty Images p. 32, 33, 34, 38, 60, 63, 67, 70, 71; Living4Media p. 1 (cover), 32, 33, 35, 36; Stocksy p. 15, 68, 76

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ON THE COVER Romancing the Home, p. 30 Photo by Winnie Methmann/ Living4Media

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The World, In All Its Wild Beauty

ISLAND PHOTOGRAPHER’S MESMERIZING UNDERWATER IMAGE IS THE BIG WINNER AT THIS SPECTACULAR EXHIBIT.

Behold the tiny tadpole, swimming amid the lilypad stems in a Vancouver Island lake. Make that dozens and dozens of Western toad (Anaxyrus boreas) tadpoles in a magical underwater world captured by marine conservation photojournalist Shane Gross. His image, called “The Swarm of Life,” so delighted the judges of the 60th annual Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition that it beat a record-breaking 59,228 entries from 117 countries and territories to make Gross this year’s Adult Grand Title Winner. His photo is now on display at the Royal BC Museum until April 27, one of 100 shots from the travelling exhibition developed and produced by the Natural History Museum in London. Gross describes the win as “surreal” and says: “I hope folks walk out the museum fired up to love and protect our stunning planet and all the wonderful biodiversity she supports.” royalbcmuseum.bc.ca

Pretty and Practical

Is it a work of art or just how you’re keeping your place tidy?

Aplace for everything, and everything in its place. That’s the key to having a lovely, livable home where you can find the things you need when you need them, and tuck them away when you don’t. Unless, of course, you have something beautiful to keep them in. Here are five gadgets that keep things tidy, and look great while doing so.

 Brabantia Newicon Step-On Pedal Bin

This Dutch company makes beautiful, functional garbage and recycling bins with a sleekly elegant, ever-so-slightly-retro vibe. Even better, they come in a huge range of colours and sizes, from three to 30 litres, making them perfect for just about any room and any style of décor. brabantia.com

 Lomi 2 Food Recycler

We’re happy to compost our food scraps, we just don’t much like having a stinky, messy container of them sitting on our counter. Enter the Lomi 2, the second generation of the countertop food recycler from Kelowna. This smart gadget transforms your leftovers into compost quickly, quietly and stylishly. lomi.com

 Vida by Paderno Glass Pantry Storage Set

We’re always searching for better ways to store the dry goods in our pantry, so we were thrilled to find this three-piece set of sleek and sustainable one-litre glass jars with bamboo lids by Canadian-made Paderno. Available at Canadian Tire. vidabypaderno.com

 Umbra Woodrow Storage Stool

Canada’s Umbra has long been known for its stylish yet functional design, and this natural wood storage stool is no exception. Its base can easily store blankets, toys and other household clutter, while its lid works as a seat or tabletop and the handles make it easy to move around. ca.umbra.com

 Gialletti & Pimpinelli Rinascimento Umbrella Stand

The fancy umbrella stand seems to have gone out of style, but we’re determined to bring it back. It is, after all, a useful thing to have here on the wet coast, so why not make it a thing of beauty, too? Ceramic ones won’t rust or rot when they get wet, and we love the fun of something ornate, like a blue-and-white Chinese motif or this Renaissance-style urn by a traditional Italian family company. Available at The Tuscan Kitchen. gpderuta.com

HOW TO Tend your Tulips

Nothing announces the arrival of spring quite as beautifully as a vase full of colourful, cut tulips. But it’s pretty disappointing when they droop and wilt after only a couple of days. With proper care, cut tulips should last five to 10 days after opening. Here’s how to make them last as long as possible.

Start with a clean vase. Dirty vases can contain bacteria that will shorten the life of any flowers you put in them.

Choose the right flowers. Tempted by those big, colourful blossoms? Be aware that fully open tulips might look impressive, but their beauty is fleeting. For the longest-lasting cut tulips, choose those whose buds are mostly closed with a bit of colour peeking through the green.

Snip ’em. Did you know that, unlike most cut flowers, tulips keep growing in the vase? In fact, their stems can grow as much as six inches after they’ve been cut.

When you get them home, remove any leaves that would sit below the water line — these will decompose quickly and shorten your flowers’ life. Then snip an inch or two off the bottom of the stems.

Cut them at an angle to open up the flower’s water uptake channels so they are less likely to wilt. And be prepared to trim them again in a day or two.

Add plenty of cold, fresh, clean water. All tulips need is water. Don’t add flower food or use gimmicky and ineffective home remedies like adding vodka or pennies to the water, brushing the blooms with egg whites or piercing the stems just under the bloom.

Arrange your flowers. We love the look of a big mass of nothing but tulips. If you are tempted to create a spring show by mixing them with daffodils, take care — daffs emit a saplike liquid that hastens the tulips’ demise. If you must combine them, put the daffs in their own water for about eight hours first.

Put them in the right spot. Keep cut tulips in a cool place, away from heat sources (including radiators, lamps, television sets and other electronics), out of direct sunlight and away from drafts. Also remember that tulips are geotropic and phototropic, which means that their growth is affected by gravity and light. If you find your cut tulips are bending in one direction, chances are the flowers are reaching for a light source.

Repeat as needed. Tulips are very thirsty flowers, so check the water level every day, top it as needed and, for the longest vase life, change it every day. Trim the stems if the flowers seem to be growing unruly. And keep them cool; you can even add an ice cube to the water to keep temperatures down.

DON'T FRET, BUT BE FIRE SMART

If wildfires have you worried, here's how to protect your home.

We don't want to raise any alarms, but if you're like us, you watched the recent fires in Los Angeles and immediately wondered how safe your own home is from wildfire.

Well, FireSmart BC has a good idea, and also some suggestions for how you can make it safer, starting with these tips.

Wildfires need two things to spread. They need fuel and they need wind, which can carry burning embers long distances to ignite new fires. To protect your home you need to do two things: Remove as much fuel from around your house as possible, and prevent embers from finding a way in.

The first thing to do is stay on top of basic maintenance. Keep the roof, gutters and edges of your house clear of combustible materials, and tidy up any debris in the garden. Install a spark arrestor on the chimney and metal mesh screens on gutters and vents. Patch any gaps or holes, and cover the base of decks and any other open areas with fireresistant material.

Also: If you can, create a 1.5-metre, non-combustible zine around your house, which means don’t stack firewood against it and and don’t plant anything close enough to touch it. Within 10 metres, it’s best not to plant anything with aromatic leaves or needles, that produces resin or oils, or has loose, papery or flaky bark, especially coniferous trees (cedar, fir, pine, spruce) and tall grasses. Also avoid any woody debris, including bark mulch, which is highly combustible.

There are plenty of other tips at firesmartbc.ca, including advice on building materials. (If possible, choose metal, asphalt, clay and composite rubber tiles for roofing and stucco, metal, brick, concrete and fibre cement for siding.)

And lest you think that wildfire is impossible in Victoria, think again. This January was the driest on record, and it followed years of drought. Our trees are already thirsty and combustible, with months of hot weather to come. As John Vaillant wrote in Fire Weather, his chilling book about the Fort MacMurray fires, “This is a new place — a fire planet we have made, with an atmosphere more conducive to combustion than at any time in the past three million years.”

SIBILA AND PAVEL/STOCKSY

Kinder, Gentler, More Thoughtful

How a new, developed-in-Victoria product offers both compassion and clues for the most challenging of crimes.

It’s not something any of us like to consider, but the reality is that, in B.C., 37 per cent of women and 11 per cent of men report having been sexually assaulted, the highest percentage in Canada, according to the most recent General Social Survey (2019). Yet sexual assault is the least often reported crime in this province.

There are plenty of reasons for that, but one of them is the embarassment, difficulty and perceived pointlessness of gathering evidence in the aftermath, especially for people in remote areas without access to trained professionals.

Now a Victoria woman is doing something about that.

Chloe Hunt, founder of Fourworlds Solutions, has developed the self-administered paceKit, which is designed to be an evidence-collecting option for those who might not otherwise report their assault, whether due to geographical location, a lack of privacy or other circumstances.

Mind you, it’s a little shocking to realize how new the idea of a standardized collection kit really is, especially given that sexual assault is one of the most prevalent yet difficult crimes to prove. It was only in 1978 that Chicago-area hospitals began using what we now know as the “rape kit,” which was created by (and never credited to) a woman named Marty Goddard. Her story is told in the compelling new book The Secrey History of the Rape Kit by Pagan Kennedy.

Meanwhile, Hunt, who developed the paceKit in consultation with law enforcement, legal professionals, advocates and forensics experts, and based it off similar projects in Australia, the U.K. and Kenya, has started rolling the kits out in Trail and Terrace. They will be available to individuals of all genders who are over 18 years old in these and select other B.C. cities.

Chloe Hunt with the paceKit.

SAY HI TO HYROX

Bored with your workout? How about mixing it up with some sled pulls and sandbag walking lunges?

f you’ve been looking for a new fitness challenge, one that doesn’t require a lot of pricey high-tech equipment, but still delivers cardio, strength and endurance, then you might just be in search of Hyrox.

This booming indoor circuit sport alternates one-kilometre runs with eight different functional movements such as burpee broad jumps, rowing and wall ball. Oh — and it’s a race, which also makes it competitive and social and fun.

Hyrox was founded by two Germans, endurance racer Christian Toetzke and Olympic field-hockey champion Moritz Fürste, with the idealistic goal of creating an event that would appeal to both top athletes and anyone of reasonable fitness levels. (They call it “the global sport of fitness racing for Every Body.”) They wanted mass participation, so the moves are designed to be accessible to almost everyone.

The first Hyrox event was held in November 2017, in Hamburg, Germany, when 650 people competed. There are now dozens of events around the world, with hundreds of thousands of competitors taking part, as many as 12,000 in a single event. In 2024, Hyrox was named one of

Tackling the sled-push station at BPM Fitness Centre, Victoria's first Hyrox-licensed gym.

the world’s most influential companies by Time magazine.

Hyrox is also becoming a popular spectator sport, which is handy since its races are held in giant exhibition halls in places people like to go. This spring, for instance, there are Hyrox races planned for Copenhagen, Miami Beach and the Paris Grand Palais, with the world championships scheduled for June 12 to 15 in Chicago.

There is so far no Hyrox race in Canada, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still do the training. BPM Fitness Centre is the first Hyrox-licensed gym in Victoria, but there are also YouTube tutorials you can watch and trainers who have expertise in functional fitness (think CrossFit, HIIT or boot camp).

Ultimately, the point is to get moving and maybe do a few kettlebell farmer carries while you do. hyrox.com

REFRESH YOUR HOME GIVEAWAY WIN A GIFT CARD FROM MOE'S HOME COLLECTION!

Planning to zhuzh up your home for spring? Then this is the contest for you! One lucky winner will take home a $500 gift card from Moe’s Home Collection.

A family-owned and operated company for over 30 years, Moe’s is known for its ethos: “Better design for better living.” That means design that is functional and beautiful, expressive and long-lasting, in everything from sofas to dining tables, desks, outdoor furniture, lighting and décor items such as prints, vases and pillows.

Note that this card may be used for anything in the store, but has no cash value.

To enter the contest, visit yammagazine.com or scan the QR code. Contest closes April 29, 2025. Good luck!

JOSHUA LAWRENCE

STILL TAKIN’ CARE OF BUSINESS

Randy Bachman heads back out on the road with his son Tal and a lifetime full of stories.

By David Lennam | Photos by Jeffrey Bosdet

Before heading out on the road, Randy (left) and Tal Bachman hang out at home in Sidney with the newest generation of this musical family, Tal's baby Dahlia.

Randy Bachman has a time machine that only goes back to 1976. The legendary songwriter and guitarist is faithfully recreating classic Bachman-Turner Overdrive and the rock-harder mid-’70s vibe that it pulled along in its guitar-heavy wake.

As faithfully as he can recreate BTO, that is, minus founding members and brothers Robbie and Tim Bachman, both recently deceased, and bassist/vocalist Fred Turner, who has elected not to tour. Instead, alongside Randy will be son Tal, no mere tourist on this musical journey, having played with his dad many times in various projects, including a past assemblage of BTO.

At 81, Randy seems as revved up as ever as the band prepares to head across Canada. The tour — appropriately titled Back In Overdrive — begins April 1 at Victoria’s Save-On Food Memorial Centre and features fellow ’70s/’80s rockers April Wine and Headpins.

The idea of the tour, notes Tal, is to really make it a BTO tour, “full-on 1976 BTO in its heyday.”

“All we have is now and yesterday,” muses Randy, who, along with Tal, lives in Sidney. “The good old days start yesterday and go back. Everybody wants the good old days. When I’m playing these songs, if I’m with Turner or Burton Cummings, I’m suddenly 32 again. There’s a weird time travel you go into this space, and everybody loves doing it.”

Asked, naively, why the Bachmans are resurrecting BTO, they answer almost in tandem, “Why not?” with one of them cheekily adding, “What else is there to do?”

Randy recalls his dad once telling him to get a real job.

“I said, ‘I have a real job and I’m making more than you.’ I was 18 playing with the early Guess Who and I’ve been doing that ever since. Like Springsteen and everybody else, I’ll be rockin’ until I drop.”

He knows it’ll be night after night of that collective consciousness, where the whole room is singing along.

“And if you’re singing ‘Takin’ Care of Business’ or ‘American Woman’ there’s such an incredible, I don’t know, a lightning action with the audience. There’s no synthetic to that. You’ve got to do the real thing.”

So the new incarnation of BTO (“fulltilt BTO,” Randy calls it) is as much as the original. The original gear, the original cowboy shirts and, in a nod to the fans, some deeper cuts that have never been played live (“Shotgun Rider,” anyone?)

THE STORYTELLER

With a laugh, the elder Bachman remembers how the band looked coming out in an era of glam rockers.

“We were the boys next door who’ll cut your lawn or take your garbage out or shovel your sidewalk when it snows. We were the fat boys next door. Basically, we’re not beautiful people. We’re the average white band.”

It’s impossible not to get sidetracked chatting with Randy. He’s one of the all-time great talkers.

Conversation is like tuning into a lost episode of Vinyl Tap, the longrunning musical storytelling show he hosted on CBC Radio. And his consummate ability for total recall of exhaustive details in a run of 60plus years (and more than 40 million records sold) is why he’s been able to make almost a second career out of gigs built around his reminiscing. Our chat veers off in different directions.

On being tutored by guitarist Lenny Breau: “I flunked Grades 10 and 11 thanks to him,” then having the jazz stylist advise him to pretend he’s trumpeter Chet Baker during guitar solos — “play your riff and then breathe.”

ASKED, NAIVELY, WHY THE BACHMANS ARE RESURRECTING BTO, THEY ANSWER ALMOST IN TANDEM, “WHY NOT? ... WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO DO?”

“You never play some of your really cool songs. Nobody knows them. Fans are asking for these songs now,” Randy says.

Adds Tal: “I think it’s cool when you go see an act and they throw in a couple of fan favourites that were maybe not big hits, but then they’ll maybe play the odd obscure track that only 10 per cent of the crowd might know.”

He’s a bit of a stickler for authenticity.

“When I go see a classic rock band or an artist, I want to see him playing the gear he was playing when he was big in that golden moment,” the 56-year-old Tal says. “I wouldn’t want to go see Albert Collins, he’s passed away now sadly, playing a Charvel Jackson guitar through a BOSS amp. I want it to be 1962 again … if you see Ritchie Blackmore, you want to see him play a white Stratocaster.”

On hanging out with Les Paul twice, first as a 15-year-old and having the father of the solid body guitar and multi-tracking sneak him into a Winnipeg supper club, then decades later at New York’s fabled Iridium jazz club and having the legend invite him up to play: “There’s a guy in the audience, I taught him a lick when he was 15, I’d like to see if he still knows it. Randy, c’mon up here.”

On being promoted in Germany as lumberjacks: “They play so loud they knock down trees.”

On a famous lost-and-found Gretsch guitar: The decades-long saga is the subject of a coming-soon documentary.

On the formula for writing rock anthems: “Tal knows it. He wrote ‘She’s So High’ to be formulaic, like catchy intro, short verse and bam, into the hook. And the hook has to be so good that the second time you hear the song you can sing it.”

On the flute solo in The Guess Who’s “Undun”: Lead vocalist Burton Cummings had never played a flute before, but nailed his solo in five minutes in the back of a music store after songwriter Bachman decided a sax wouldn’t fit the song.

It’s an amazing life that just keeps going. Apart from the forthcoming documentary about his once-missing guitar, there’s a BTO Live At Budokan album on its way, as well as a Bachman & Bachman recording to come, inspired by Randy and Tal’s ad hoc YouTube sessions during the pandemic.

“You’re just in the moment,” admits Randy. “I’ve had quite a career of accidents, that you learn to embrace the accident. Good and bad happen. They don’t happen to me, they happen for me. I learned a long time ago, no matter how fucking dark it is, jump. It’s OK you don’t know where you’re going.”

Bachman-Turner Overdrive is Back In Overdrive with April Wine and Headpins on Tuesday, April 1 at Save-On Foods Memorial Centre.

sofmc.com

READY FOR ANYTHING

At this country house, every detail is thoughtfully designed with safety and resilience in mind.

By Nessa Pullman

Photos by Jody Beck

When Aven and Reed Poynter moved from the mainland to Vancouver Island, they were looking forward to being closer to their children. At the same time, they worried about some of the geographical risks that could come with living on an island — earthquakes, tsunamis, power outages, even possible food shortages — especially as Reed would also be navigating a visual impairment.

They wanted to build a home that would be disaster proof, but also sustainable and beautiful, a place where they could gather with family and immerse themselves in the peaceful nature of the Island.

They found the perfect lot in Saanich: an old farm nestled quietly in a Garry oak meadow and surrounded by wild pastures and rigid rock formations. Then they approached local firm Waymark Architecture to create a reliable home on this rugged piece of land.

What they ended up with was a self-sustaining, energy-efficient, accessible home with a post-disaster structural system and even a cold room for the canning the Poynters like to do each year. What they ended up with is a home that’s ready for anything.

NATURE AT HOME

“Looking at the top of the lot, there is this exquisitely tall oak tree that nestles next to a grouping of exposed rock,” says Will King, co-founder of Waymark Architecture. “This naturally became the crux which we designed the whole house around.”

Around that large oak tree, King and his team wrapped an L-shaped, Passive House-certified structure that includes a triple-paned window system facing south and west. “In the summer, the tree shades the house,” says King. “And in the winter it opens up and allows sunlight deep into the living spaces.”

As supporting the connection between indoors and outdoors was a huge focus for the homeowners, Waymark designed their home by using the framework of the Living Building Challenge, an international sustainable building certification program managed by the nonprofit Living Future Institute. “Living Building aims to restore the relationship between people and nature by creating sustainable homes with a focus on natural materials,” says King.

For instance, a standout design feature of the home is the gabion rock wall in the landscape design, which was created by caging blast rock left over from digging the foundation. Waymark then carried the rock wall into the interior of the home, using an identical interior stone. “The Living Building Challenge inspired the idea of mirroring natural elements from exterior to interior,” says King. “Outside you have these naturally beautiful Garry oak trees and exposed rock, while inside we have oak millwork and stone walls.”

Carrying the exterior gabion rock wall into the cladding of the interior creates a seamless transition between the two elements. In the dining room, a feature window framed in rock and oak looks out over a Japaneseinspired garden designed by Biophilia Design Collective.

ADDING ACCESSIBILITY

As the interior also had to accommodate the homeowners’ needs, especially Reed’s visual impairment, Waymark brought in local designer Carly Sanderson, of Carly Sanderson Interiors. She worked closely with the Poynters to create a space that was functional while still reflecting the surrounding natural elements.

She quickly learned that Reed relies heavily on touch to get around. “The home was very angular, very sharp,” says Sanderson. “I wanted to make it soft for Reed to run his hands along while he finds his way around.”

Using a slatted oak panel, Sanderson designed the millwork in the kitchen with curved corners, then built a foot-controlled on/off switch under the sink to create easier access to the tap. “Every single item in the home was placed with intention,” says Sanderson. “Reed knew his routine; we just needed to build a space that would support it.”

As Reed’s hearing is exceptionally heightened, eliminating loud noises was also a priority, so King designed a cathedral-type vaulted ceiling in the living room to help dissipate reflected sound. And, because the Poynters plan to age in place, the entire one-level home was made with accessible features including a walk-in shower and step-free access to the outdoor areas.

The kitchen was thoughtfully designed to accommodate the homeowners’ needs. The slatted wood panelling was inspired by a photo of a 1950s oak kitchen, its rounded corners making it easier for a visually impaired person to navigate. The appliances, too, were chosen to accommodate a visual impairment, while stools hidden in the toe-kick can be popped out to enable the homeowners to reach the higher shelves more easily.

“EVERY SINGLE ITEM IN THE HOME WAS PLACED WITH INTENTION.”

The vaulted ceiling was designed to prevent flutter echoes and other unpleasant acoustic effects common in new homes. With 25-inch thick walls and no traditional heating systems, a natural byproduct of Passive Homes is quieter interior spaces and improved acoustical performance, which supports both homeowner Reed’s heightened hearing and his love of music.

That thoughtfulness was built in from the beginning: During their initial design, King and his team built a small-scale clay model of the home so that Reed could use his hands to understand the design plans .“We placed the kitchen at the centre of the home, with the living areas off to one side and the bedrooms the opposite so Reed always knew where to go,” says King.

DISASTER PROOF

Above all, this house is designed to withstand anything nature or circumstance throws at it.

Utilizing a net-positive power system typical of Passive Homes, Waymark installed photovoltaic solar panels on the roof; they produce enough energy to give back to the grid annually. That, along with a backup Tesla PowerWall battery in the garage, means this home could run independently for several days in the case of a power outage or geographical emergency.

The Poynters also opted for a rainwater collection system rather than a traditional municipal water connection, so they can irrigate their home naturally.

And just in case the big one ever does hit, Waymark designed a unique post-structural disaster system with more than 1,000 anchor bolt hold-downs securing the home to the bedrock below.

“Though 100-per-cent earthquake proof is not achievable, this home is about 10 times more secure than an average building,” says King. “We often joke with the homeowners that they have built the zombie-apocalypse house.”

The L-shaped floor plan was designed to make the layout easier for a visually impaired person to navigate. The kitchen is at the centre of the home, with the bedrooms off to one side, the living areas to the other and a large sunny deck in the crook of the L.

In the surrounding gardens, a greenhouse and raised beds help the homeowners grow some of their own food supply. Native species were planted to repopulate the natural Garry oak meadow, while pollinator plants and shrubs provide space for birds and bees to gather. In addition to the anchor bolt hold-downs drilled into the bedrock below, metal straps were put on the roof to hold the entire structure tightly together in the case of an earthquake.

The bathroom was designed with clever age-in-place, safety and storage features, including a ledge-free walk-in shower, a long tiled storage bench and, on the floor, small shaped tiles with more grout lining to make the surface less slippery.

RESOURCE LIST

Architect: Waymark Architecture

Builder: Interactive Construction

Interior designer: Carly Sanderson Interiors

Landscape architect: Biophilia Design

Collective

Structural engineer: Anthony Spick

Electrical engineer: AES Engineering

Mechanical engineer: Focal Engineering

Plumber: Oceanview Mechanical

Electrician: EM Electrical

Doors and hardware: Interior — Slegg

Building Materials; Exterior — Fenstür Windows and Doors

Windows: Fenstür Windows and Doors, Cascadia Windows & Doors

Roofing: Soare Contracting

Siding: Interactive Construction

Drywall: Dunn Brothers Drywall

Painting: Monarch Painting

Kitchen and custom millwork: David H Moore Cabinetry

Finishing carpentry: Interactive

Construction

Glass: Parker Glass

Countertops: Matrix Marble & Stone

Wood flooring and tile: Hourigans Flooring

Stonework: DS Masonry

THE ART OF HOME MAKEOVERS

Join Spruce magazine for an evening of inspiring

The best home makeovers transform a space into one that’s more functional, valuable and beautiful, right now and for years to come. At this exclusive event, homeowners will discover the latest décor trends and practical tips from top industry and design experts. Don’t miss this chance to mingle, learn and enjoy an evening of home makeover magic!

Each $75 ticket includes two beverages, gourmet bites from Zambri’s, a chance to win prizes and a fabulous swag bag to take home.

The dynamic Ann Squires Ferguson CEO, Western Design+Build returns as moderator.

Romancing

the H ome FALL IN LOVE WITH THESE 12 DÉCOR TRENDS FOR 2025.

By YAM Staff

It’s a good thing

for both our budgets and our overflowing landfills that home décor trends don’t change as quickly as fashion ones do. Usually it’s easy enough to paint a wall, swap out a light fixture or pick up some new throw pillows to keep your home looking relatively au courant. But every once in a while there’s a seismic shift in design that has us rethinking, well, everything.

This is one of those moments.

For the longest time it seemed that cool, white, grey and minimalistic was just how we would decorate our homes forever. Wood, if there was any, would be pale; colour would only pop up here and there; lines were clean, angles sharp, floor plans open. We looked to Scandinavia for inspiration, or the mid 20th century, or, for those of us who craved something a bit more cozy, some variation on rustic-industrial-steampunk-farmhouse-cottagecore.

And then, as we all know, the pandemic came along. Lockdowns, home-schooling and working from home had us stuck 24/7 inside our minimalist spaces. We quickly realized that something had to change. Since 2020 we’ve seen a shift to warmer, comfier, more welcoming décor, to richer colours, softer shapes, lusher textures and an embrace of nature. Suddenly the white walls, grey floors and open spaces we thought would be timeless are looking decidedly dated.

Now we’re shifting to a new mood, one that’s all about colour, comfort and romance. Here are the year’s top décor trends — and a few that are on the way out.

Lush Patterns  Not so long ago, William Morris patterns were the stuff of historic retrospectives and ye olde English country homes. Now the richly detailed designs are back in style in wallpaper, draperies, tableware and upholstery, even carpeting. And they’re not alone — stripes, checks, bold geometrics and romantic florals are all on trend, often mixed together.

Colour Drenching

Forget those random “pops” of colour; in 2025 we’ll be drenching rooms in a single hue, creating a cohesive theme for walls, ceilings, floors, furniture and accessories. Those colours will be deeper, darker, earthier and jewel toned; consider dusty greens, wine-soaked reds, baked-earth browns, moody dark blues and sunshiney and buttery yellows.

Eye-Level Lighting 

Overhead lights may illuminate a space, but they are rarely flattering or welcoming, and they can cast distracting shadows. Sconces and table lamps, though, provide light at eye level, just where it feels most comfortable. Remember: The key to really good lighting is layering it — and putting everything on dimmers, too.

Farrow & Ball’s Calke Green No.34

Get the Look

The Remy table lamp, West Elm

A great way to bring colour and pattern into your home is with wallpaper such as the Obassia Silk Opulance (above) or William Morris's Bird and Pomegranate pattern (left), both from Graham & Brown.

FARROW & BALL

oastal

Scandi

Fornia

 But wait! Minimalism isn’t going away; it’s just picked up an easybreezy coastal vibe in oceanside hues of sand and sea blue. The clean lines and simple functionality of Scandi style combine with the relaxed charm of the coastal grandmother/Nancy Meyers esthetic for a look that is bright, sun-washed and fuss-free.

Enjoy Your Home

NewStyle®

Warm Neutrals

Modern Farmhouse

 There will always be those who crave the down-home comforts of farmhouse style, with its rustic décor features like reclaimed wood, barn doors, harvest tables and industrial lighting. For 2025, this look gets sleeker and softer, with darker woods, checkerboard floors, dusty pastel hues, more elegant fixtures and the shabby-chic elements of English country style, such as pretty florals and free-standing wood cabinetry.

 Cool white, grey and black are so yesterday; right now it’s all about the soft, warm tones of brown, beige and cream. Pantone’s 2025 colour of the year, Mocha Mousse, is the kind of neutral that goes with almost everything. Also back? Wood, in a mix of finishes, grains and hues, especially in kitchen cabinetry.

Out-of-the-Box Kitchens  Goodbye all-white, straight-from-theshowroom (or IKEA flatpack) kitchens; hello unfitted kitchens that look like they’ve been lovingly assembled over decades. They feature details like harvest tables instead of islands, freestanding butcher blocks, mismatched chairs, vintage sideboards, countertop lamps, patterned tiles, wooden cabinets and plenty of colour. This look is not just packed with personality, it’s endlessly adaptable to changing needs and tastes.

Tactile Fabrics  While we may have gone a bit overboard last year with cream-coloured bouclé, we are still craving softness and texture. Everything is upholstered now — headboards, benches, dining chairs, even our walls. Windows are hung with lush drapery. Sofas and armchairs are curved, squashy and cozy in velvet, tweed or suede, and topped with chunky knit throws. Call it our comfy-chic cocoon.

Chic

Ceilings

 Look up, way up. If your ceilings are still boring old white, you’ve got an exciting new surface to play with. Cover your ceilings with bold colour, texture, patterns and even wallpaper.

Rolph velvet headboard in Plush Pacific Green, Article Get the Look

Perfect Imperfection

 If there is one thing that will make your home look dated in 2025, it’s a sort of overly curated, overly matched, overly organized perfection. Instead, layer colours, patterns, textures and eras. Embrace the flaws that make a piece unique, the crack in the glaze, the chip in the paint, the worn spot on the staircase. Most of all, celebrate the stories that make our homes places to live, not showcases for resale.

BREAKFAST • DINNER • CURATED CULINARY & WINE EXPERIENCES • LIVE MUSIC

Scan for menus + reservations

V intage Va -Voom 

Perhaps the biggest U-turn in décor is the return of vintage. Retro toile, floralpatterned and scallop-edged dishware is all having a moment. So are Victorian flourishes, the geometric lines of Art Deco, the quirky charms of mid-century modernism, reclaimed/repurposed materials and the well-worn-in look of verdigris — all at the same time, in the same space.

“It’s a gift to find a dental clinic that is as meticulously thorough as it is beautiful. I felt like I was at the spa while also receiving dental care.”

Look Monique Lhuillier

Juliana scalloped salad plates, Pottery Barn

—Yiely H.

Dr. Braden Zoon and Dr. Denysse Zoon

Space for Wellness

Whether you have space and budget for a fully equipped home gym or just a corner for your morning meditation practice, your home should have a dedicated place for wellness. Think: serene, soothing spa-inspired bathrooms and/or a quiet, secluded spot behind a door or screen where you can set up your yoga mat, Spin-style cycle or free weights.

Mindless (read: messy) maximalism

Excessive use of subway tile

Grey vinyl flooring or any other obviously fake wood finish

Barbie pink and brat green

Live-laugh-love and similar signs

curated spaces 10

sland Window Coverings Ltd. has been Vancouver Island’s trusted source of manual and motorized window covering products for residential, commercial and hospitality clients for 39 years and counting. As a family-owned and -operated business they take pride in their team, many of whom have been with them for over ten years. Both the sales team and install team regularly attend training seminars to ensure their knowledge is up to date on the latest products and trends. Says president and owner Debbie Couvelier, “We offer a complimentary consultation with solutions that meet your vision and budget. We love that a large number of our wonderful clients are returning customers.”

FEAD

Advancing Canadian agri-food innovation

When Sondra Pearn set out to create the perfect Caesar mix, she had one goal in mind: to craft a premium product that made entertaining effortless. What started as a family favourite at the lake has now grown into a sought-after brand, thanks in part to the support of Female Entrepreneurs in Agri-Food Development (FEAD) and the Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre (Food Centre).

FEAD is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering women and gendernonconforming individuals in the food and agriculture industry. Through expert-led courses, networking and mentorship, FEAD equips food entrepreneurs with the knowledge and tools needed to scale their businesses.

“Joining FEAD was one of the best decisions I made when we started our business,” says Pearn, founder of Lake Life Caesar Co. “I learned so many tips and tricks about being an entrepreneur, and I met some really great women in business that have become lifetime friends and mentors.”

With a solid foundation from FEAD, Pearn turned to the Food Centre to bring her vision to life on a national scale. The Food Centre,

a leader in food innovation since 1997, offers cutting-edge manufacturing facilities and expert guidance for food businesses of all sizes. Its CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency) inspected pilot plant allows entrepreneurs like Pearn to produce their products efficiently while meeting rigorous food safety standards.

“We chose the Saskatchewan Food Centre because our goal was to sell our product nationwide,” Pearn explains. “The expertise and professionalism they provide is firstclass, and we are so grateful for all of their hard work in helping us produce our Lake Life Caesar Premix.”

The Food Centre’s state-of-the-art production line at the CFIA pilot plant can process up to 5,000 units of sauces, jams and liquid products per day, helping businesses like Lake Life Caesar scale seamlessly. By reducing overhead costs and providing access to certified processing facilities, the Food Centre ensures that small food businesses can focus on growing their brands and reaching new markets. Now it is actively looking at strategic partnerships across Canada to collectively work together to advance agrifood innovation.

Today, Lake Life Caesar is one of more than 1,500 women-owned Canadian companies supported by FEAD, and one of many brands benefitting from the Food Centre’s expertise. Whether you’re launching a new product or looking to expand, FEAD and the Food Centre provide the support needed to turn food business dreams into reality.

To learn more, visit www.fead.ca and www.foodcentre.sk.ca

FAMILY CAREGIVERS OF BC

Caring for the caregivers in our communities

Anyone can become a caregiver overnight — whether it’s an adult child supporting an aging parent while raising their own children (“sandwich caregivers”), a spouse caring for a partner after an accident or a young person helping a family member with chronic illness. The impact is far-reaching: caregivers often face emotional and physical strain and relationship challenges. Many must reduce work hours or leave jobs to provide care and their own well-being frequently takes a back seat. For 35 years, Family Caregivers of BC (FCBC) has helped navigate this life-changing journey.

“Caregivers are the backbone of our healthcare system, yet they often don’t recognize themselves in that role until they’re overwhelmed,” shares Barb MacLean, Executive Director of FCBC. With one in four Canadians serving as a caregiver and over one million British Columbians providing 80% of care in our communities, preventing caregiver burnout is a healthcare priority.

FCBC’s Caregiver Rx program makes connecting caregivers to support effortless. “We’ve created a simple online referral form for busy healthcare professionals,” explains Wendy Johnstone, Director of Programs and

Innovation. “Through our referral system, providers can quickly identify caregivers and connect them to our team with minimal disruption to their workflow. Once referred, we reach out directly, so caregivers don’t have to navigate support alone.”

FCBC’s Caregiver Support Line offers immediate emotional support and resource navigation. Caregivers can also access oneon-one support, caregiver coaching, peer support groups and wellness programs such as therapeutic art classes and journaling.

“Many caregivers don’t seek help until they’re in crisis,” Johnstone notes. “Through Caregiver Rx, healthcare providers become vital links in early intervention, spotting signs of stress and making an immediate connection to support services.”

Built on a social prescribing model, Caregiver Rx recognizes that well-being extends beyond medical care. Caregivers report reduced stress, greater confidence and increased sense of support.

With funding from the BC Ministry of Health, the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence and the Petro-Canada CareMakers Foundation, FCBC continues to expand support for family caregivers.

As National Caregiver Awareness Month approaches in May, healthcare professionals can:

• order a free Caregiver Rx package for quick referrals.

• learn how social prescribing can enhance patient care.

• encourage caregivers to seek help early.

• visit familycaregiversbc.ca for tools, training and resources.

Together, we can strengthen the backbone of our healthcare system — one caregiver at a time. Call our Caregiver Support Line, available Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. PST at 1-877-520-3267.

Let us help

#6-3318 Oak Street, Victoria familycaregiversbc.ca

PENDRAY TEA HOUSE

Where tradition meets modern elegance

IIn the heart of Victoria’s historic James Bay, just steps from the Inner Harbour, Pendray Tea House offers an unparalleled blend of Victorian charm and contemporary indulgence. Set within a beautifully restored 19th-century mansion, the tea house provides a timeless setting for cherished experiences — whether it’s enjoying afternoon tea, celebrating a wedding or hosting a social gathering.

n the heart of Victoria’s historic James Bay, just steps from the Inner Harbour, Pendray Tea House offers an unparalleled blend of Victorian charm and contemporary indulgence. Set within a beautifully restored 19th-century mansion, the tea house provides a timeless setting for cherished experiences — whether it’s enjoying afternoon tea, celebrating a wedding or hosting a social gathering.

Renowned for its signature afternoon tea, Pendray Tea House captures the essence of Victorian tradition. Guests can delight in an elegant selection of delicate finger sandwiches, freshly baked scones and handcrafted pastries. Surrounded by rich wood accents, original stained-glass windows and lush gardens, the tea house creates an enchanting escape from the everyday.

The Scottish high tea, Pendray’s newest offering, adds a unique twist to its culinary

INN & TEA HOUS E

repertoire. Rooted in the traditions of Scotland and Northern England, this hearty evening meal is reimagined with a Britishinspired three-tiered dinner of savoury bites, warm cheddar scones and seasonal desserts. Guests can further enhance their experience with optional pairings, including locally brewed beers, crisp ciders, wines or Pendray’s signature cocktails, crafted with a modern twist. For those seeking additional variety, a small à la carte menu is also available featuring house-made pot pies, baked with love and using locally sourced ingredients wherever possible. Available Friday through Sunday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., it’s the perfect evening indulgence. Begin your day with Pendray’s gourmet tiered breakfast, a delightful combination of sweet and savoury offerings, crafted with premium, locally sourced ingredients. Whether it’s breakfast, Afternoon Tea or the Scottish high tea, every meal is infused with

Pendray’s signature warmth and attention to detail.

For those seeking an overnight retreat, the Pendray Inn offers a boutique bedand-breakfast experience with 10 elegantly refurbished rooms. The inn’s serene gardens and cobblestone paths provide a tranquil haven, just steps from downtown Victoria’s vibrant attractions.

A Biosphere-certified property, Pendray Tea House is proud of its commitment to sustainability, holding The PLEDGE on Food Waste certification — the first in Canada to do so — as well as BC Green Business’s highest certification and Surfrider approval. These efforts reflect a dedication to environmental stewardship while delivering exceptional culinary experiences.

Pendray Tea House invites you to step into history, savour exquisite cuisine and create unforgettable memories in one of Victoria’s most treasured landmarks.

Fashion

Stylist: Janine Metcalfe

Finish your look with the dazzle and drama of these standout jewelry pieces.

THE GOLDEN AGE

Photographer: Jeffrey Bosdet

This page: ADD THE CHARM

You’ll bring the good luck with you when you wear the 24-karat gold-plated Calliope necklace with “fers à cheval” pendant. Pair it with Cinq huggies studded with Austrian crystals, both by French Kande, available at Waterlily Shoes.

Left: GO FOR THE GOLD

Nothing glitters quite like gold, especially in sophisticated statement pieces rich with warmth and lustre. Start with a gold-and-pearl necklace, add wide hoop earrings, then finish the look with Dendritic quartz, checkerboard tourmaline, pear-shaped diamond or Baby Bee stacking rings. All in 18-karat gold; all designed, crafted and available at Idar Jewellers.

This page: STACK ‘EM UP

Arm yourself with a bounty of gleaming gold bracelets — in mesh, chain link and bangle styles; 14-karat yellow gold,18-karat white gold or a mix of white and yellow gold — and grab a brass ring or two while you’re at it. All available at Stones Jewellery.

Right: TAKE THE TIME

Nothing announces your presence like a truly significant watch such as the original electric watch first introduced in 1957, the Hamilton Ventura watch with its iconic triangular face and Swiss quartz movement. Pair it with dazzling Canadian diamond “inside out” hoops. Both available at Lugaro Jewellers.

This page: MAKE A STATEMENT

When you have something to say, make your point in bold designs with clean lines and the subtle power of green and gold. Plaza and Mini Plaza rings with green onyx, Disco pendant and Reign earrings, all by Dean Davidson, all available at Provenance Fine Things.

Left: DAZZLE EVERYONE

From colourful mixed stones to simple gold bands, worn simply or all at the same time, these pieces suit every style, budget and occasion — and even better, are designed and made right here in Victoria. Rings, bracelets and necklaces all from Flux and Stone Jewelry.

SPRING’S SOFT FOCUS

The change of season means it’s time to refresh your makeup look, to put away your dark matte lipsticks and moody eyeshadows and embrace spring’s lighter, softer, more natural vibe.

For this fashion feature, hair and makeup artist Anya Ellis used products by Oribe on the model’s hair and Christian Dior makeup on her face.

For a clean, hydrating base, she began with Dior Forever Skin Glow foundation, then added contour and a subtle shimmer with the Rouge Blush Colour & Glow palette. On the model’s eyes, she used Diorshow eyeshadows in softly shimmering bronze-brown hues from the Khaki, Coral Flame and Red Tartan eyeshadow palettes. To finish the look, she layered her lips in glossy soft-pink using Dior Addict Rose des Vents, Diormania and Dior Cannage.

Model: Jacquie Rouleau/Lizbell Agency | Hair and makeup: Anya Ellis/Lizbell Agency

When home

begins a decluttering project,

usually starts with a client’s clothing for the most immediate impact.

organizer Sarah Moonshine

she

THE OVERWHELM

We all have too much junk. The question is, why? What is it doing to us? And what can we do about it?

FBy Joanne Sasvari

or the past five years, I’ve been dealing with a lot of stuff. Not the emotional kind, but actual stuff, in bins and boxes and closets and drawers, in the shed and the attic and an off-site storage unit that’s filled with things I don’t need or use, yet can’t let go of.

I know I’m not alone. You probably have way more stuff than you need, too.

In fact we all have so much stuff that a large and lucrative industry has sprung up to deal with it, including off-site storage facilities, home organizers, commercial cleaners and retailers that specialize in storage solutions.

Now more and more researchers are looking into the “why” of clutter, trying to pinpoint the underlying reasons why we have so much stuff and why we struggle so hard to deal with it.

But ask a home organizer and they can tell you. It’s all about the overwhelm, both physical and emotional.

HOW DID WE GET HERE ANYWAY?

There are basically two reasons we have too much stuff. We bring too much of it into our homes — and we don’t get rid of enough of it. Simple, right? But that doesn’t take into account a whole mess of emotional, psychological and societal factors.

Just on a purely practical level, consider how easy it is to buy stuff these days. You don’t even have to get off the sofa or even take your credit card out of your wallet; just a few clicks on your phone and more stuff is on its way to your door.

“SOMETIMES THE CLUTTER CREATES ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION AND SOMETIMES THE ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION CREATE THE CLUTTER. THE EMOTIONAL SIDE OF CLUTTER IS VERY REAL.”

“Sometimes the clutter creates anxiety and depression, and sometimes the anxiety and depression create the clutter,” says Sarah Moonshine, proprietor of Sunlight Home Organizing in Victoria. “The emotional side of clutter is very real.”

Wait. Now that I think of it, along with all those books and papers and kitchen gadgets I have in storage, there might be some emotional stuff, too.

Getting rid of stuff, though, is more of a hassle. Busting down cardboard boxes, removing data from electronics, sorting clothes, packing up dishware, looking up opening hours, driving to the transfer station or ReStore — it all takes time and effort, and we don’t even get something pretty and new when we’re done.

The dopamine hit we get from shopping is one reason we keep doing more of it. But researchers have found that there are other factors, too. Some of us suffer from a scarcity mindset, in which we obsess about what we don’t have; convinced that we are never going to have enough, we keep buying more. Some of us believe that more stuff will make us more secure and/or impress other people. Some of us try to compensate for what we believe are our deficiencies by, say, seeking the confidence we lack in a new outfit or fancy car. Some of

us shop for the life we wish we had, rather than the one we do.

At the same time, there are equally powerful issues around letting things go.

There’s often guilt involved, whether it’s over wasting the money you spent on an item or hurting the feelings of the person who gave it to you. There’s shame, too. Then there is the messy mix of grief, loss and guilt that comes with inheriting your parents’ stuff or letting go of your kids’ things as they grow up and move away. And that same scarcity mindset that has you buying more stuff might have you thinking you need to hold on to all of it “just in case.”

WHY DOES IT MAKE ME FEEL SO BAD?

Added to all of that, Moonshine says, people who “are in a state of clutter” end up owning multiple versions of things because they simply don’t know what they own. “Clutter,” she adds, “really has a way of growing.” It also has a way of filling every available bit of space, as anyone who has moved into a bigger house quickly discovers.

“And once the home is in a state of overwhelm, it’s hard to know where to start,” she says. “The main thing about clutter is that it makes our brains feel it’s impossible to do anything.”

DECLUTTERING DOS AND DON’TS

Whether you follow the KonMari Method, use the Clutterfree app or declutter in daily 15-minute intervals, these tips will almost always apply.

 Do create a plan.

X Don’t let perfection get in the way of progress.

 Do set aside bins, boxes, baskets or bags for things you plan to toss and/or donate.

X Don’t neglect to actually take that stuff to the transfer station or donation centre.

 Do create “drop zones” for things like keys, dog leashes, school bags and mail.

X Don’t let those drop zones become receptacles for junk — find permanent homes for things that need them.

 Do seek support from a friend, a professional organizer or a virtual helper if you’re feeling overwhelmed.

X Don’t feel ashamed to ask for help. We’ve all been there.

 Do toss any duplicates of things.

X Don’t be tempted to run out and buy new ones to replace them.

 Do keep things of personal and sentimental value, such as your children’s art, but consider digitizing them or finding smart ways to file them.

X Don’t hang on to something just because you feel guilty about the money you spent on it or because it was a gift.

 Do invest in practical (and pretty!) organizational tools such as bins, baskets, boxes, wardrobes, etc.

X Don’t buy any of them until you know exactly what you need and have measured your space to make sure it will fit. And don’t forget to label everything.

 Do have fun while decluttering — make it a party, and celebrate your wins.

We love our city

and we know you do, too.

But if we want to preserve all that’s wonderful here, we need to support the retailers, makers, restaurateurs and everyone else who adds to the character of our city.

Join us in supporting our Greater Victoria community. Shop and dine local, and when you do, share your finds by posting the hashtag #loveyourlocalyyj on social media.

Clutter isn’t just a minor annoyance. Taken to an extreme it can have serious health and safety implications. But even a little clutter limits our enjoyment in our homes.

Moonshine’s philosophy is that “Your home needs to be a refuge that fills you up.” Yet she notes for most of her clients, their main goal is simply that they want to be able to host people — and are too embarrassed by the state of their homes to do so. “It’s so heartbreaking because it’s the feeling of not knowing where to start and then it leads to feelings of inadequacy,” she says.

We may accumulate clutter because we don’t feel so great, but it is well documented that clutter itself can make us feel even worse.

It increases stress levels, makes it hard to focus, takes a toll on relationships and can lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation. It costs us money, and it costs us time. Some studies have found links between clutter and obesity. Others have found links to insomnia, a poorer working memory and lower enjoyment and quality of life.

And — not to put too fine a point on it — too much stuff makes it harder to keep your space clean. A cluttered home is likely a dusty home. If it’s filled with papers, it might also be a fire hazard.

Doesn’t that just make you want to get out the jumbo-sized garbage bags and start purging?

“YOU NEED TO HAVE SIMPLE WINS. THE LITTLE WINS BECOME ADDICTIVE LIKE ANYTHING YOU DO FOR SELF CARE.”

WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT?

If you’re anything like me, you probably already have a good idea of what you should or could do about your clutter. You’re familiar with KonMari and Swedish death cleaning. Maybe you’ve signed up for Apartment Therapy’s January Cure or obsessively scrolled through storage solutions on Pinterest when you can’t sleep at night. Maybe you’ve even bought the bins and labels and baskets you need for your reorganizing project.

But still the clutter persists.

That might mean it’s time to call someone like Moonshine who can lead you past the overwhelm to a place where you love your home all over again.

She points out that the idea of being organized is not about having an immaculate house at all times, but to be able to quickly get it back to a “baseline” of order. “Everything has a home,” she says. “We’re creatures of habit and organizing doesn’t have to be about changing the flow of your home. It can just be done in five-minute increments.”

Often the most effective place to start is with your clothes — it’s probably the hardest thing to do, but it will immediately make your life easier.

Surface clutter can likely be easily corralled by creating homes for different things, like drop zones for school bags.

“A lot of it is just about creating small habits,” Moonshine says. “You need to have simple wins. The little wins become addictive like anything you do for self care.”

And when the clutter is gone, no matter how arduous the process was to get rid of it, there is always a sense of relief.

“The whole process of organizing is very simple. It’s all about doing it, and taking the time to do it,” she says. “It’s important to know that holistically your home is a part of you and there’s a correlation to your mental state.”

7 WAYS TO DECLUTTER YOUR SPACE

KonMari Method

When it comes to decluttering there is no single system that works for everyone, which means that whatever you decide to do is right for you. But you still have to actually do it. Here are seven popular decluttering methods to get you started.

Room-by-room decluttering

This is the system launched by Japanese tidying queen Marie Kondo, author of the 2014 book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and host of the subsequent TV show. Her focus is not so much on what you choose to discard, but what you choose to keep, the objects that “spark joy.” She advises tidying up in one shot, rather than little by little, believing that intermittent decluttering just leads to more clutter. Her process involves going through possessions category by category, thanking anything you no longer need, then letting it go. konmari.com

Swedish death cleaning

It may sound morbid, but this system is really all about compassion for those you leave behind. The idea is simply to get rid of as much of your unwanted stuff as possible now so no one else has to do it after you’re gone. Like the KonMari Method, interest in this was sparked by a book, 2018’s The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Margareta Magnusson. It also advises decluttering by category, but where it differs is in gathering essential paperwork and other information for those who will be going through your things after you die.

In this approach you declutter not by category, but by room, starting with the easiest, preferably one that is also a high-traffic zone, such as the living room. The advantage of this is you see results right away and have at least one space in your home that makes you happy. Some organizers suggest removing everything from the room and returning only the things you need and love; others advise going section by section.

4 Doing a little every day

Set the timer and … go! Whether you set it for five, 15 or 30 minutes, short bursts of tidying feel doable. And by doing a little every day, decluttering not only becomes a habit, eventually your whole space will be tidy, or at least so the theory goes.

Hiring a professional

If you are short on time or simply overwhelmed by it all, reach out to the pros. A professional organizer can help you declutter, organize and prioritize your things; even better, they can help you set up systems and processes to keep the clutter at bay in the future. Victoria has several

professional home organizers, but you can also connect virtually with home organizers anywhere. One place to start your search is with Professional Organizers in Canada. organizersincanada.com

Decluttering by the numbers

Organizers are orderly folks, and many like to put a number to the task. Among their methods: The 50-per-cent rule recommends removing half the objects in any space. The 40-bags-in-40-days approach requires you to remove one bag of clutter a day for 40 days. The 10-10-10 decluttering challenge involves selecting 10 areas in your home and removing 10 items from each, spending only 10 minutes per session. Not sure whether to keep something? The 90/90 rule requires you to ask yourself: Have you used it in the past 90 days? If not, will you use it in the next 90 days? If you answer no to both, toss it. Alternatively, the 20/20 rule advises you to discard an item if you can replace it in less than 20 minutes for under $20.

7 There’s an app for that (of course)

The Clutterfree app is a personalized road map to decluttering your home step by step. It also allows you to track your progress, find inspiration and record any donations you make. It even allows you to compare before and after photos. clutterfree.com

Every year, thousands of Island families find themselves far from home without a place to stay.

Where the Sea Wolves Play

Connecting with wild nature in the Great Bear Rainforest, an ecological treasure in our own backyard. By Linda Barnard

Our boats drifted silently in the early-morning gloom of the Great Bear Rainforest. We squinted and raised binoculars and cameras, trying to make out the shapes on the beach. Was that a sea wolf lying on the white sand? Two sea wolves? Oh boy — pups!

We were up before dawn to board a pair of 10-passenger tenders from Maple Leaf Adventure’s 138-foot expedition catamaran Cascadia. We hoped to spot the sea wolf, a rare marine species unique to the Great Bear Rainforest and certain corners of the Pacific Northwest. It lives primarily on seafood. Remarkably, it swims to get it.

Three sea wolves trotted from the rainforest, along the rocks and onto the beach to rest, forage and play, joining the others in spine-tingling, pitch-changing howls. Another wolf slipped into the ocean from a rocky islet several metres from our small boats. It swam strongly to join the pack onshore, shaking the water from its coat in a way familiar to all dog lovers.

And all this happened before I’d had my first cup of coffee. But that’s just the kind of magical moment you come to expect on a journey to this unique place.

The sea wolf is among the rarest and most elusive of the myriad wild creatures that inhabit the Great Bear Rainforest. An apex predator also known as the Vancouver Coastal sea wolf or Vancouver Island wolf, this subspecies of northwestern wolf is unique in that it leads a semi-aquatic lifestyle, swimming for kilometres between islands and rocky shores to forage for its marine-based meals. Sightings are rare, fleeting and unforgettable.

FRAGILE, NATURAL BEAUTY

The Great Bear Rainforest doles out natural wonders lavishly. This protected place of fragile, natural beauty along the northern coast of British Columbia covers an area about the size of the Republic of Ireland. Home for millennia to the First Nations, it includes the Kitlope, called Xesdu’wäxw, the largest contiguous tract of protected temperate rainforest on the planet, where thousand-year-old trees tower above streams and rivers rich with wild salmon.

We’re lucky to have this remarkable place in our B.C. backyard, although exploring the crinkled coast of the Great Bear Rainforest takes some planning. There are no through roads or large cruise ships. The only way to experience the fjords, islands, rainforest and silence is by water on a small vessel.

Victoria-based ecotourism company Maple Leaf Adventures has been bringing curious travellers to the Great Bear Rainforest, as well as Haida Gwaii, northwest Vancouver Island and Alaska, since 1987. Cascadia is the largest and newest of the three Maple Leaf vessels.

Company co-presidents Kevin Smith and

Maureen Gordon run small-ship experiences that travel lightly on the land and water, leaving no trace. They support regional communities, are key players in annual shoreline debris cleanup projects and follow protocol agreements with Indigenous stakeholders.

Smith is an experienced mariner and onetime backcountry park ranger whose love of the Great Bear Rainforest is palpable. As expedition leader on our trip, he told us we were about to enter “a unique, very, very special corner of this one blue planet.”

There were 18 passengers from the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States and Vancouver Island on board the 12-cabin Cascadia. One couple travelled with their curious kids, who had fishing licences, which meant we had freshly caught Dungeness crab for dinner one night.

Cascadia felt roomy and comfortable, with an outdoor room on the rear deck plus a windowlined salon that was our lounge, dining room and hangout hub. The twin hulls made for a smooth voyage. The affable crew of 10, primarily from Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland, included Toronto-based chef Pete Keegan, sous

Passengers take in the view from the bow of the Cascadia expedition catamaran.

Ben Fox ʻLittle Islands 4ʼ

chef Mara Jernigan and naturalist Janet Winbourne.

If I wasn’t at the railing admiring the scenery and watching for humpback whales or taking a soak in the top-deck hot tub, I loved being in the salon with its well-stocked library of nature and local history books and excellent espresso machine. Because Maple Leaf believes Wi-Fi takes passengers away from the world outside the ship, we played cards and board games instead of being glued to our phones, or tried our hand at watercolours or joined Winbourne at the long dining table to work on a wildlife- and nature-mapping project.

We also got to know each other over hearty meals featuring Vancouver Island cheeses, excellent B.C. wines and sustainable halibut or albacore tuna from Victoria purveyor Finest at Sea. “Fresh food is a given,” said Jernigan, the former president of Slow Food Canada whose lengthy career includes running a cooking school in Italy. She nailed it when she called Cascadia “a little floating boutique hotel.”

LESSONS OF THE WILD WORLD

We went days without seeing another boat, travelling through deep channels bracketed by glacier-topped mountains, slipping into estuaries and milky blue glacier-fed bays.

When Cascadia was at anchor, its small tender boats made wild spaces accessible. Those of us with temperamental knees were glad for the drop-front bows, which meant we could walk off with ease. The crew were experts at steering the nimble little watercraft, nosing them beneath magnificent waterfalls, where we leaned over the front ramps to fill reusable cups with glacier water, laughing as we toasted each other.

Smith explained the negative ions created by waterfalls are nature’s happiness generator. “Have you ever been unhappy at a waterfall?” he asked.

Winbourne taught us about the wild world, like how salmon are a key to forest health, their carcasses providing most of the nitrogen used by the trees. She helped us safely hold and examine bright purple sea stars and vermilion sea

The journey to the Great Bear Rainforest means getting up close and personal with nature. Above: Watching the sun rise over the mountains during an early-morning kayak paddle. Below: The pause that refreshes — drinking glacial water fresh from a waterfall.

urchins. In the forest, she showed us carnivorous plants, tiny and perfect in their hunting skills.

Two special guests, Haisla First Nation members Louisa Smith and Liz Robinson, shared stories and insights into their culture to help us connect with their traditional territory. One rainy morning, they took us to Smith’s family oolichan camp, where they explained how the fatty, smelt-like fish are processed in a multi-day process to make a health-promoting oil that has been a key trade item for thousands of years.

Our days were dictated by tides, weather and wildlife. As we gathered in the salon for coffee and a pre-breakfast of homemade granola, fruit and yogurt, Smith and Captain Jeff Harvey conferred at an interactive navigational map. We watched them plan the day’s route on the wallmounted, big-screen TV.

Smith wrote the expected itinerary for excursions, sailings and meals, what he jokingly called “Plan A,” on a white board beside the bar.

If we got waylaid on what Smith dubbed a “tender toodle” up the Kitlope River by a juvenile grizzly bear doggie paddling across an estuary, brown ears bobbing, who wouldn’t want to hang around to watch that?

ALL WE DIDN’T MISS

I know I was incredibly lucky to spot the region’s rare sea wolves, but I had also hoped to see the even rarer white-coated black bear known as the spirit or Kermode bear. British Columbia’s official mammal is the handsome star on some licence plates and often used in destination marketing. It isn’t an albino animal; it’s the result of a genetic mutation and only lives in the Great Bear Rainforest, where it has significant cultural meaning for Indigenous people.

LINDA BARNARD

A humpback whale breaches in the protected waters of the Great Bear Rainforest. Humpbacks are the largest of the creatures that call this place home, and play an essential role in the ecosystem.

Gordon cautioned that focusing too much on seeing a spirit bear could make me miss the other riches the Great Bear Rainforest has to offer. She was right. What we didn’t see hardly mattered.

After all, what we did see was pretty spectacular. How many people are lucky enough to say they’ve seen sea wolf pups in the wild?

Captain Harvey called it “W Day” when we followed up the morning sea wolf excursion with a trip along the aptly named Whale Channel. The heart-shaped sprays from humpbacks were so plentiful, we lost count. The animals made slow, graceful arcs out of the water to breathe, their tails rising last. Some humpbacks breached in astonishing displays.

People say they are changed by their time in the Great Bear Rainforest. I keep thinking about a shallow river on a sunny afternoon, where dying pink salmon flopped in the rocky shallows at the end of their spawn and life cycle. They created the next generation and will feed the eagles, grizzlies and the forest with their deaths.

“This place is a perfect system that endures and continues. It will always be here,” Smith said. “When life becomes busy, overwhelming, put yourself here and remember this place.”

IF YOU GO

Three Maple Leaf Adventures small ships sail to the Great Bear Rainforest from April to October. Trips last five to nine days. Rates start at $5,750 per person, based on double occupancy, and include meals, wine and beer. Air fare is extra; passengers must take a 100-minute flight from Vancouver to Terrace, followed by a 45-minute shuttle transfer to the marina at Kitimat, where the ships embark. mapleleafadventures.com

March 22nd

and

LINDA BARNARD

PHILIP STONE

A Formula for Feeling Better

A NEW BOOK ENCOURAGES US TO KEEP PLEASURE, HAPPINESS AND NOURISHING HABITS IN MIND.

By Joanne Sasvari

How do you feel right now? A little tired, a little stressed, maybe a little regretful about that chocolate bar you snorfled back during the mid-afternoon slump?

Well, Catherine Roscoe Barr knows you could probably feel a lot better — and it wouldn’t take much to do so, either.

You may have met Barr at one of the wellness retreats she leads every January at the Oak Bay Beach Hotel, sat in on one of her coaching workshops or stumbled across one of the many articles she’s written for publications across Canada. Now she’s taken all she’s learned in a dozen years of wellness coaching and distilled it into a new book called Feel Better Now: The Life-Changing Power of Simple Pleasures (A Revolutionary Approach to Reclaim Your Wellbeing).

The idea is to take everything she covers in one of her five-day retreats and share it with everyone, especially those who can’t afford what is, after all, something of a luxury. “I just wanted to put my retreat in a book so it’s accessible to everyone,” she says.

What makes this book different from so many of the others that promise transformation is that it doesn’t make you feel bad about yourself, set impossible-to-maintain goals or shill gimmicky cure-alls. Instead, it offers practicable advice based on both science and the principles of mindfulness, while extolling the virtues of pleasure.

“My advice is super boring. There’s no fads, it’s all about doing what you know,” Barr says. “We all know we should move our bodies, eat better and have better relationships. But there is some disconnect between what we know and what we do.”

CHANGE YOUR MIND

So why should you listen to Barr? It’s not just that she has a degree in neuroscience and spent years as a fitness instructor and lifestyle journalist before becoming fascinated by mindfulness and wellness. She’s someone who’s been there, just like you.

At the time she was working as a fitness instructor, the trend was all about pain and deprivation, gruelling workouts and restrictedcalorie diets. Yet despite all that hard work, her clients rarely met their goals, and neither did she. As a result, she became “burnt out, frustrated and depleted.” She found herself eating poorly, drinking too much, doing all the self-destructive things we do when we’re unhappy. So she quit. She found joy in food and travel, and then she discovered mindfulness.

She remade herself as a wellness coach and founded her brand, The Life Delicious, because she says, “I want to feel delicious in my body, in my spirit, in my life.”

And now the book.

It took Barr two years to write, although she’d been thinking about it for much longer. It includes a foreword by lifestyle entrepreneur and media personality Jillian Harris, who describes how Barr helped her overcome her own struggles with feeling depleted and burnt out. “Reconnecting with ourselves through small, simple pleasures is the revolution we all need right now,” Harris writes. “It was definitely the revolution I needed.”

The book is divided into four sections: The Rescue, which focuses on the importance of taking care of our well-being; The Revolution, which covers self-coaching and setting

“I want to feel delicious in my body, in my spirit, in my life.”

Roscoe Barr brings years of experience in neuroscience, fitness training and lifestyle journalism to her wellness workshops and new book.

Catherine

boundaries; The Rituals, which offers practices for exercise, nutrition and rest; and Reverence, a reminder to offer the compassion you feel for others to yourself.

Of them, perhaps the second is the most significant. The Revolution encourages us to change our inner dialogue from one that is negative and self critical to one that is positive and based on constructive questions.

“That’s the revolution, that’s the new operating system,” Barr says, noting that if we ask ourselves good questions, we will come up with good answers. “It could be as basic as: What do I know? What do I want? How will I care for myself? And most importantly: How did that feel?”

It’s based on the concept of neuroplasticity, which is basically the brain’s ability to rewire itself. Barr explains that there are two types of neuroplasticity: Experience-dependent neuroplasticity is a passive process in which we unconsciously reinforce habits — often destructive ones — through repetition; selfdirected neuroplasticity, on the other hand, is an active process in which we choose to develop positive and enduring habits.

By being mindful and asking the right questions, we can reinforce positive thoughts and, ultimately, better habits. And it’s something we all can do, in just a minute or two a day.

“It’s so simple!” Barr exclaims. “That’s why I want people to know this.”

The Renaissance Collection

“Set aside five minutes every day to ask yourself three questions: What do I want? How did that feel? How can I feel better tomorrow?”

SIMPLE PLEASURES

Of course, if it really was that simple, we’d all be doing it already.

But our fast-paced, overly connected world could have been perfectly designed to make us feel ill at ease, which is why there is a global wellness industry worth an estimated $6 trillion.

“I think it’s just a disconnect from the truth of who we are. Everything is so fast,” Barr says.

We have to make time and space for simple pleasures, for nourishing food and gentle movement, for adequate rest and time spent with the people we love. We have to recognize that some things that make us feel good in the moment will make us feel much worse later on. And we have to be flexible, to forgive ourselves when we can’t stick to a rigorous workout schedule or diet, to have a plan B, or even a plan C or D, to fall back on when things go awry.

“What would today look like if you look at it through the lens of simplicity?” Barr asks, noting that her words for the year are “pleasure and simplicity.”

Underlying Barr's book is a simple message: Life is too short not to enjoy every moment of it.

When asked for one single thing we can all do to feel better right now, she says, “Set aside five minutes every day to ask yourself three questions: What do I want? How did that feel? How can I feel better tomorrow?” It’s a simple mindfulness practice that can instantly help you identify the difference between constructive and destructive habits and, ultimately, make better choices.

After all, Barr says, “How do you want to feel? Life is so short and precious.”

Food + Drink

THE DISH

What's cooking on Victoria's dining scene. Plus: An essential guide to shopping local and Victoria's own multiaward-winning single malt.

68 Eggs-actly Right

A primer to the perfect protein.

72 Sweet Sensation

A hometown take on the viral Dubai chocolate bar.

76 Island Gin? It's In

RECIPES

67 Kale Chips

68 Boiled Eggs

70 French Press Shakshuka

71 A Formula for Frittata

76 Negroni/Sbagliato

79 Dirty Island Martini

79 Quick-Pickled Garlic Scapes

IN SEASON

All Hail, Kale

It’s that funny time of year when it feels like spring, but local produce has yet to arrive in grocery stores. While we’re waiting for the radishes, asparagus, rhubarb and strawberries to show up, we have kale, and thank goodness for that. This loose-leafed member of the cabbage family thrives in cooler months and is both a nutritional powerhouse and super-versatile addition to any meal. There are dozens of varieties of kale, both edible and ornamental, in colours that range from pale green to dark purple. We generally find only two or three varieties at the store, notably curly kale or the dark Lacinato or Tuscan kale. The one downside with kale is its toughness; the key to making it tender is removing the stems and massaging the leaves a little. Kale is a sturdy addition to smoothies and salads, as well as frittatas, pastas, soup and stew. Sautéed, it’s a great side dish; crisped into chips, it makes a terrific snack, too. See recipe on page 67.

What’s Cooking Around Victoria

Burgers, butter chicken and other exciting things to taste in town, plus a timely reminder to support our friends and neighbours.

OPENINGS AND BIG MOVES

It took us longer than we would have liked to get to Kinu by Sizzling Tandoor at Uptown, which is still owned by the Bawa family, but has had a fresh, stylish and sophisticated makeover as a modern Indian tapas restaurant. For that, credit Kirn Bawa, daughter of founders Narpinder and Gurinder Bawa. (They still have Sizzling Tandoor locations downtown and in Langford.)

One of the most tempting reasons to visit is the great drinks program, which features house cocktails like the Fortuna (London Dry gin, ginger liqueur, fig syrup, lime, vegan foamer, edible glitter) or Garden of Silence (vodka, pear, lychee and rose cordial, banana and bergamot bitters, Prosecco). Dishes are sharable and often crafted with a cheeky note, like the “fish tacos” (mini naan stuffed with panko-crusted fish pakora) or aloo tikka “smashburger,” a housemade potato-cake slider on a brioche bun, best enjoyed with khatti meethi “dirty” fries. But don’t worry — you can also still get their famous butter chicken, too. kinuvictoria.ca

Great news for fans of the multi-award-winning Cafe Malabar: After the brief closure of their Victoria Public Market digs, chefs Kiran Kolathodan and Karma Tenpa have found a bigger and better space at 407 Swift Street, in the old Tug Eatery location. For opening details, follow them on Instagram @cafemalabar.ca

We could not be more thrilled to see Blue Nile Restaurant reopen in a new location less than a year after the popular East African restaurant’s landlords announced they would no longer continue the lease long-term. For 20 years, Blue Nile had been offering its hearty and flavourful dishes in Esquimalt. Now it’s got

a primo new location on Douglas Street across from the Victoria Public Market, where it’s serving up its delicately spiced beef, chicken and vegetarian dishes, dine in or take out. It’s licensed, too, so you can enjoy beer or wine with your meal, as well as excellent Ethiopian coffee. And you can feel even better knowing that the owners make an effort to employ recent immigrants and help them get their start in Canada. bluenilerestaurantvictoria.com

Victoria has fallen in love with Syrian food, and now there’s a new place to enjoy it: Levantine Middle Eastern Restaurant in the heart of James Bay. You’ll find all your favourites here — hummus, fattoush salad, falafel, beef or chicken shawarma wraps, pastries — but we are especially excited by the loaded shawarma fries, which come topped with beef or chicken shawarma, tahini and garlic sauce, like a sort of Syrian poutine. levantinerestaurant.net

Speaking of Middle Eastern restaurants, we’re hearing plenty of raves for Niloo Persian Kitchen & Grill, which opened recently in Royal Oak. You’ll find all the classic Persian dishes here — think koobideh or marinated chicken kebabs, fragrant stews, saffron rice and the like — along with with favourites from across the Middle East, like falafels, hummus and baba ghanoush. For the latest hours, find them on Instagram @niloorestaurant.

Here at YAM we are seriously in love with proper smashburgers — the kind with thin, crunchy, lacy meat skirts, squishy buns and melty cheese — and are delighted to find not one but two great options settling into new locations.

Murder Burger began as a popup and now is solidly ensconced at

Picnic on Fort Street, open Fridays and Saturdays, 5 to 8:30 p.m. It’s all about the meat here — dryaged, grass-fed, super flavourful — topped simply with pickles, onions, secret sauce and American cheese, served on a squishy potato bun, as it should be. Don’t even try to resist the krinkle fries. Order ahead at eatmurderburger.com

Meanwhile, after a brief closure, Bangers Burger Club has moved from Shanzee’s Biscuit Café to Ile Sauvage Brewing on Bridge Street, where it serves up its marvellously messy burgs around lunchtime on Thursdays through Sundays, and on

Fridays from 5 to 8 p.m. Smashed ground chuck, housemade pickles, onions, “real” cheese, with the option of mayo, ketchup and gooey cheese dip. Find them on Insta @bangersburgerclub.

GOODBYES

It’s the end of an era — Shawn Soole, the long-time lounge manager at Clive’s Classic Lounge, has poured his last Negroni at the multi-award-winning bar. It’s hard to express what a huge impact he has had on not just the city’s cocktail scene, but its entire approach to hospitality. Since he

At Kinu, it's all about cocktails and "tapas" like the cashew-stuffed chilis and torki chaat potato baskets.

arrived here from Australia in 2008, he has always raised the bar, whether opening new joints like Little Jumbo, helping others develop their cocktail programs, hosting collabs with global bar stars, telling it like it is for his Post-Shift Podcast or becoming a mentor to a whole generation of young barkeeps.

Now he’s heading over to Vancouver to oversee Laowai and Bangheera, two hot speakeasies in Chinatown, with the promise of some exciting new opportunities to come. (He promises to keep doing some consulting gigs in Victoria.) We wish him nothing but the best, whatever comes next.

Fans of Clive’s need not fear, though. The talented Harry Tham is stepping into the head role here, so we know that we’ll be in good hands.

As we all know, this has been a terrible few years for restaurants, and it breaks our hearts to see so many of them struggling. Just recently we saw the closure of Sushi Jiro, Sea Glass Waterfront Grill in Sidney, Blue Bayou Cafe in Brentwood Bay and Cafe Zanzibar, also in Brentwood Bay. Also gone: The North

Eat the Island

Here at YAM, we know how important it is to support our local food growers, makers and producers, especially given that we live on an island and a bad storm can empty grocery store shelves practically overnight. But it isn’t always so easy to find those great products — or even to know they exist.

That’s why we’re so thrilled to see a newly revised and updated version of Pacific Palate: Food Artisans of Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands hitting bookstores in April (published by TouchWood Editions; pre-orders available now).

Food journalist Don Genova has followed up his successful 2014 volume with one that has expanded from fewer than 100 entries to more than 160, organized this time by region rather than product. “It’s a better guidebook that way, so if you go to a region, you can just look up the chapter,” he says. Each of the six regional chapters (Greater Victoria, Comox Valley, mid-Island, Cowichan Valley,

Saanich-based Epicure, a direct-to-sale cooking supplies business, which not so long ago employed up to 175 people and carried hundreds of products. And then there’s the loss of Coho Commissary in the Victoria Public Market, and now Charelli’s, the beloved destination for cheese, charcuterie and all things delicious, has announced it will be closing on May 24 after 22 years in operation.

We know you’ve heard it before, but if you don’t get out and support your favourite eateries and culinary businesses, they simply won’t be around. Lose them and we lose not just a place to go for dinner, but an essential part of our city’s character. So go eat!

Saanich Peninsula and the Gulf Islands) also ends with what he’s calling a “Saturday Sojourn” to help you plan your shopping spree.

True, not every Island producer made it into the book. “It’s my curation of things,” he says. There are no restaurants, either, unless they also make and sell food products. There are, however, specialty shops like Market Garden, The Chocolate Project and some Middle Eastern markets.

“Damascus Food Market has that nice little story where local immigrants make the baked goods and [owner Mohamad Salem Ajaj] sells them in his shop.”

Some of Genova’s favourite discoveries include Leechtown Blacksmith near Sooke, The Cure Hot Sauce Co. in Courtenay and, on Salt Spring Island, a whole wealth of producers, including Woodshed Provisions and South End Sausage. “They are friggin’ amazing,” he says.

We can’t wait to dig in.

Financial Group is a unique wealth management firm that specializes in working with women during and after times of transition, specifically divorce and widowhood.

This newly revised guide will make your shopping easier and more delicious.

New directions for barman Shawn Soole.

JEFFREY

(Left) Charlotte Paul, CIM, Associate Portfolio Manager, Assante Capital Management Ltd.

Food + Drink

A Dram to Dream Of

If you’re looking for some of the world’s winningest whiskies, just take the Quadra exit to Macaloney’s Island Distillery.

When whisky lovers talk about island distilleries, they generally mean Islay or maybe Orkney, Jura or Skye, all Scottish isles famous for their distinctive single malts. But now a Vancouver Island distillery is saying: Hold my beer.

In January, Macaloney’s Island Distillery won the top prize at the 15th annual Canadian Whisky Awards when its Peat Project Moscatel Barrique single malt was named Canadian Whisky of the Year. The distillery also won Wheat Whisky of the Year, Single Malt of the Year, six gold medals and Blender of the Year for founder Graeme Macaloney.

“Here this little Victoria distillery has mopped up all the awards. I thought I was having some kind of a dream,” says Macaloney, shaking

his head in disbelief. “We literally took home more Canadian Best or gold medals than any other brand in Canada. The medal haul looked ridiculous.”

Then, just a few weeks later, Macaloney’s scooped up four gold medals at the World Whisky Awards in London. “I was flabbergasted,” he says.

To put it into perspective, Macaloney’s is a tiny distillery that has only been in operation since 2016; it took a crowd-funding campaign among 700 whisky drinkers to get it off the ground. Its competition includes some of the biggest, oldest, most highly respected brands in the world, or as Macaloney notes: “And then there’s these big guys with their deep, deep pockets.”

So what are they doing right? It’s

a combination of “best equipment and best ingredients,” including the same copper pot stills the Macallan uses as well as B.C. barley and Olympic Peninsula peat, plus a style that prizes “a complexity and depth of flavour that stays in balance.”

It’s a winning formula. After hearing from the World Whisky Awards, Macaloney did the math and figures only two other distilleries on the entire planet have won more awards since he started competing in 2020.

“We gave them a good skelping,” he says, with a laugh.

For the full results of the 2025 Canadian Whisky Awards, visit canadianwhiskyawards.com. Find the Macaloney Island Distillery & Twa Dogs Brewery tasting room at 761 Enterprise Crescent. macaloneydistillers.com

Graeme Macaloney

R ecipe

Kale Chips

Enjoy these easy, healthy, delicately Asian-flavoured kale chips as a snack or use them to garnish a grain bowl. Serves 4

• 1 large bunch curly-leafed kale

• 2 tsp miso (any type)

• 2 tsp soy sauce or tamari (see note)

• Optional: ¼ to ½ tsp red pepper flakes

• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil

• Flaky sea salt or furikake, as desired

Preheat oven to 300°F and line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment (for easy cleanup later).

Remove stems and discard. Tear leaves into bite-sized pieces, then rinse and dry well — ideally, use a combination of salad spinner and paper towels to pat dry; you want these as dry as possible or they will not crisp up. You should have about 7 cups of kale leaves. Set them aside while you prepare the dressing.

In a large bowl, whisk together the miso, soy sauce or tamari and red pepper flakes (if using). Whisk in the vegetable oil — it’s OK if the dressing looks a little lumpy or separated. Add the kale leaves to the bowl and toss well, massaging the dressing into every little crinkle and crevice. Spread leaves in an even layer on each of the two prepared baking sheets and place in the oven. Bake until crisp, about 20 minutes‚ rotating the pans halfway through the baking time.

If you like, sprinkle the kale chips with flaky sea salt or the Japanese seasoning mix known as furikake. Kale chips are best enjoyed right away.

Note: Tamari is a Japanese soy sauce that is gluten free and has a richer, less salty flavour than most soy sauce.

Food + Drink

EGGS-ACTLY RIGHT

Considered by many nature’s perfect food, eggs are also quick, easy, versatile and an essential ingredient in many of our favourite dishes.

Almost everything is better with an egg on it. Think: an umami-rich bowl of ramen topped with a jammy boiled egg or a gooey croque madame garnished with a crispy-edged fried one. But eggs are stars whatever role they play on your plate, whether they’re tucked into a savoury shakshuka, topped with the vinegary anchovies known as boquerones or served beside a mountain of comforting bacon and hash browns.

If I’m feeling hungry but too tired or lazy to make anything complicated, eggs are always the answer. They are delicious at any time of day, and it doesn’t take much effort to make an omelette, a frittata or spaghetti carbonara. It takes even less effort to scramble a couple of eggs, adding any random bits of smoked salmon, ham, cheese or veg hanging about the fridge.

Aside from being the quick, easy solution to your culinary conundrums, eggs are a nutritional powerhouse. One large egg only has about 80 calories but contains loads of protein, as well as healthy fats and nutrients including vitamins A, D, E, choline, iron and folate. In fact, eggs are one of the few foods considered to be a complete high-quality protein source, because they contain all nine of the essential amino acids that are considered the body’s building blocks. Yes, eggs also contain cholesterol, and there has been much debate about how that

BOILED EGGS

Boiled eggs make great additions to main-course salads like a classic Cobb or Niçoise), as well as Asian noodle soups and charcuterie boards; they are also the starting point for Scotch eggs and devilled ones, as well as egg salad sandwiches. So knowing how to boil one is a good skill to have.

There’s this myth going around that it’s easy to boil an egg. As anyone who has ever stared at a blackish ring around the yolk or the goopy remains of a broken egg in a pot of murky water well knows, that’s not always the case. That said,

affects us. The most recent research shows that eating eggs has minimal impact on our levels of blood cholesterol, though, as with anything else, it’s still a good idea to enjoy eggs in moderation.

If you’re a baker, you know that eggs are kind of magical. They create structure and stability in batters, thicken and emulsify sauces and custards, and add moisture to cakes and other baked goods. The yolks have lots of lovely fat that makes things rich and creamy; the whites, when whipped, incorporate millions of tiny air bubbles, giving lift to chiffon cakes and meringues. And mixed with a little milk or water, eggs can work as a sort of glue between layers of pastry or add gloss when brushed on top.

There truly are almost endless uses for eggs. A number of years ago I was taking a cooking class when the chefinstructor challenged us to come up with as many dishes featuring eggs as we could in a minute. We found over a hundred, everything from quiche to devilled eggs to all those luscious “aise” sauces (mayonnaise, hollandaise, Béarnaise), and I bet we’d have found hundreds more if we’d had time.

Best of all, eggs are the perfect food for this time of year, when spring hasn’t quite arrived, but we are craving its lighter, brighter flavours. They’re perfect as part of a maincourse salad or a vegetable-packed frittata.

So what are you waiting for? Get cracking!

there is a lot of disagreement on how, exactly, to do it right.

Unless you use a gadget like a sous vide circulator or Instant Pot, there are basically two schools of thought: Bring a pot of water to a boil before adding the eggs or add the eggs first, then boil the water.

Boiling the water first gives you more control over the doneness of your eggs, but can easily result in one or two sacrificial ones. If you choose this method, bring your eggs to room temperature first, then very, very gently and carefully add them to the boiling water.

The second method is much

By Joanne Sasvari

less likely to result in broken eggs. Simply put the eggs in a pot, cover them with cold water and bring the water to a boil. Once it reaches a rolling boil, turn off the heat, cover the pot and let it sit until the eggs reach your desired doneness.

In either case, you are typically looking at three minutes for very soft boiled eggs, six to eight minutes for medium/jammy ones and 12 minutes for hard boiled.

For greater likelihood of success, also:

• Don’t crowd too many eggs into too small a pot or they are more likely to (a) cook unevenly

and (b) crack while cooking.

• Do use eggs that are a little older as they are easier to peel than really fresh eggs. Buy them a week or two before you plan to boil them.

• Don’t overcook them. Even if you like your yolks really firm, overcooking them will give you a green-gray tint, sulfuric odour, rubbery white and crumbly yolk.

• Do submerge them in cold water immediately once they’ve reached your preferred cooking time. This will not only stop them cooking, it will also make them easier to peel. Let them soak until they are completely cool.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT EGGS

Types of Eggs

Most of the eggs we see come from chickens, though you can also occasionally find quail, duck and goose eggs, especially at farmers’ markets.

Most chicken’s eggs are white or brown, but can be pink, blue, green or speckled, and are sold in in a range of sizes based on weight:

• Peewee: less than 42 grams

• Small: at least 42 grams

• Medium: at least 49 grams

• Large: at least 56 grams

• Extra large: at least 63 grams

• Jumbo: 70 grams or more

Recipes typically call for large eggs. However, unless you’re using whipped egg whites in baking, you can generally swap out a medium or extra-large egg if that’s what you have on hand.

Farming Eggs

According to BC Egg (bcegg.com), there are 155 egg farms in B.C., all of them family owned and operated. Eighty per cent of them are located in the Fraser Valley, but at last count nine of them were here on Vancouver Island, including Firbank Farm in Saanichton and Farmer Ben’s Eggs in the Cowichan Valley.

There are five different types of egg production in this province. Your basic grocery store eggs are produced in conventional (also known as classic) or enriched systems (34.2 and 34.9 per cent, respectively). The rest are more or less equally divided between free-run, free-range and organic production.

That said, Canada has made a commitment to phase out conventional cages by 2036, replacing them with either cage-free housing or enriched housing that gives the hens more space and allows them to practise all the natural chicken behaviours conventional cages don’t, like perching, scratching, stretching their wings, laying eggs in cozy nest boxes and enjoying free access to food and water.

Farms must also adhere to strict protocols to prevent disease, whether it’s the deadly avian H5N1 flu that has devastated American flocks or pathogens like salmonella. Note that Canada has some of the world’s highest food safety standards and outbreaks of food-borne illness are extremely rare here.

Egg Safety

If you’ve been to a market in Europe, you’ve likely seen eggs kept on the counter at room temperature. In North America, though, consumers are advised to keep eggs refrigerated at all times. So what gives? Two things: Some European countries vaccinate chickens against salmonella and we don’t; they also don’t wash eggs the way we do in North America, which removes a

Hoppy Spring!

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PHARMASAVE BROADMEAD

protective barrier that leaves the shells porous to bacteria.

The Government of Canada advises shoppers to buy only refrigerated eggs with clean, uncracked shells. All eggs sold in grocery stores are graded “A,” which means they have passed stringent inspections. Grade A eggs are marked with a maple leaf on the carton; note that you might find ungraded eggs at some farm stands. If you have doubts or concerns, ask.

At all times, keep your eggs cold. Refrigerate them as soon as possible when you get home from the market and store them in the coldest part of your fridge (not the door). And whether they are raw or cooked, eggs should never be left at room temperature longer than two hours.

Cost of Eggs

The price of eggs in Canada has steadily risen in recent years, from an average cost of $3.87 for a dozen eggs in 2021 to $4.66 in 2024. That’s due to a confluence of factors including supplychain issues, inflation and the rising costs of labour, feed and fuel. And don’t forget that more than 600,000 chickens and ducks died in B.C.’s devastating floods of November 2021. Now farmers are facing the spectre of the lethal H5N1 avian flu, which is also causing shortages and rising costs, especially in the U.S.

Still, eggs are a relatively affordable — and reliably delicious — source of high-quality protein.

For more info on everything to do with eggs, visit eggs.ca and bcegg.com.

French Press Shakshuka

Hard to believe, but miracle of miracles, halibut and BBQ season are just around the corner! Halibut steaks are a perfect grilling option. Just like with meat, when bone and skin are present they add great flavour and help keep the fish tender and juicy while cooking. So fire up that Q and we’ll “sea” you soon!

GRILLED HALIBUT STEAK WITH SPOT PRAWN SALSA

Serves 2

• 2 small, or one large Wild BC Halibut steak

Marinade ingredients:

• ½ tsp cayenne pepper

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp lime zest

• 1 tsp coriander

• 1 tsp kosher salt

• 4 Tbsp high heat cooking oil

Salsa ingredients:

• 6 wild BC Spot Prawns

• ¼ cup sliced green onions

• ¼ cup chopped cilantro

• 1 avocado, diced

• 2 tsp chopped fresh jalapeño

• Juice of 1 lime

• ½ tsp kosher salt

Mix all marinade ingredients together and coat the steaks well. Set aside in the fridge while you prepare the salsa. Put on a pot of salted water and bring to a boil. Drop the prawns into the boiling water and allow to cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the pot and cool immediately in an ice bath. When prawns are cool, peel and chop roughly. Mix prawns with the remaining salsa ingredients and set aside in the fridge. Preheat your BBQ on high. When the grill is hot, grease it well and put the halibut steaks on. Cook approximately 4 minutes on each side depending on the size of the steaks. Once cooked, serve warm with chilled salsa and share with the ones you love.

This favourite breakfast/brunch/lunch dish from French Press Coffee Roasters in Qualicum is a warm hug in a bowl — fragrant with spice and hearty with tomatoes and peppers. Recipe from Island Eats by Dawn Postnikoff and Joanne Sasvari (Figure 1 Publishing).

Serves 2 to 4.

• 1 Tbsp butter

• ½ onion, peeled and chopped

• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped

• 1 Tbsp ground cumin

• 1 Tbsp smoked paprika

• 1 Tbsp sumac

• 1½ tsp cinnamon

• ¼ tsp ground cardamom

• 2 large, ripe vine tomatoes, roughly chopped

• 1 (14-ounce) can whole peeled plum tomatoes, roughly chopped

• ¼ cup vegetable stock

• 2 tsp sriracha sauce

• 1 Tbsp brown sugar

• 4 large eggs

• ¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro

• ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese

• 1 tsp lime zest

• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat a deep, 10-inch sauté pan over medium-high and add the butter.

Sauté the onion, garlic and red bell pepper in butter until aromatic, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the ground cumin, smoked paprika, sumac, cinnamon and cardamom, stirring and cooking until vegetables are well coated, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the ripe vine tomatoes, canned tomatoes, vegetable stock, sriracha sauce and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, turn the temperature to medium-low, and simmer uncovered for about 15 to 20 minutes, until the peppers are soft and cooked through. Bring the stew to poaching temperature (158°F) by covering the pan and cooking until the spiced tomato stew reaches a vigorous boil. Crack the eggs into the stew, cover the pan and turn off the heating element for about 4 minutes.

Garnish with cilantro, feta, lime zest, salt and pepper and enjoy with a slice of your favourite toasted buttered bread.

A Formula for Frittata

A fritatta is a baked egg dish that sits at the intersection between an omelette and a crustless quiche, but is way less work than either. It’s also a great way to use up the odds and ends in your fridge; feel free to come up with your own creative combinations. You can prep the fillings ahead of time, then just whisk everything together and have a hot, satisfying lunch, brunch or dinner on the table in about half an hour. Serves 2 to 4.

• Fillings and add-ins (see sidebar)

• 6 large eggs

• ¼ cup heavy cream

• ¼ tsp kosher salt (or to taste)

• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)

• 3 oz (about 1 cup) grated cheese such as Cheddar, mozzarella, Gruyère or Asiago

• 1 Tbsp butter or as needed

Prepare your filling and set aside to cool to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 325°F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, salt and pepper. Stir in the fillings and the grated cheese of your choice.

In an 8- or 10-inch ovenproof, nonstick sauté pan, melt the butter over medium heat.

Pour the frittata mixture into the pan, cook for a couple of minutes just until the egg mixture starts to set around the edges, then place in the oven and bake until set, 20 to 23 minutes. Be sure to keep a dish towel over the pan handle after you remove it from the oven; otherwise it’s easy to forget that it’s hot and burn your hand. Slice into wedges and, if you like, serve with bread and salad.

Basic Fillings

You can cook all of these in the same skillet you plan to use for the frittata, which means you don’t even have to wash it in between. Just remember to cool the fillings to room temperature before adding them to the egg mixture.

Spinach: Melt 1 to 2 Tbsp butter in the skillet over medium heat, then add 1 finely chopped shallot (or about half a smallish onion) and sweat until soft and translucent. Stir in 10 oz baby spinach leaves and a large pinch of salt. Cook until wilted and moisture has largely evaporated. (You can also squeeze out the liquid once the spinach has cooled.)

Cool to room temperature and, if you like, chop it fine.

Zucchini: Grate 12 oz zucchini (about 2 small) on the large holes of a box grater and squeeze out any excess moisture. Melt 1 to 2 Tbsp butter in the skillet over medium heat, then add 1 finely chopped shallot and sweat until soft and translucent. Stir in the zucchini along with

½ tsp salt and cook until soft and most of the moisture has evaporated.

Mushrooms: Melt 1 to 2 Tbsp butter in the skillet over medium heat, then add 1 finely chopped shallot (or about half a smallish onion) and sweat until soft and translucent. Stir in 1 to 1½ cups of sliced mushrooms, ½ tsp salt and, if you like, a generous pinch of thyme leaves. Cook until soft and lightly golden brown.

Optional Add-ins

You can zhuzh up any of the basic fillings above by adding a small handful of one or several of the following to the filling mixture: sun-dried or halved cherry tomatoes; cooked and sliced baby potatoes; broccoli or cauliflower florets; roasted red bell peppers or minced jalapeños; ham or bacon; cured or cooked sausage; shrimp or smoked salmon; fresh herbs such as basil, chives, thyme or oregano. You can also top your frittata with a handful of arugula and/or a crumble of goat or feta cheese.

By Linda Barnard

SWEET SENSATION

Take a bite out of Victoria’s own take on the viral Dubai chocolate bar.

Move over, Dubai. Safaa Naeman thinks Victoria deserves its own homegrown take on the viral pistachio chocolate bar.

In February, the owner of Syriana Restaurant and Catering started making and selling the lusciously crunchy-gooey bars encased in rich white, milk or dark chocolate shells.

“I decided just to do it because we use kataifi all the time in our place. And I know the recipe for it. So absolutely I can do it,” says Naeman, whose Esquimalt café was named Best Middle Eastern or North African Restaurant by YAM magazine last year.

Kataifi is the hero ingredient in the Dubaiborn chocolate bar that has been beguiling social media for months. It’s a thread-like spun dough, its filaments fried in ghee (clarified butter) for a nutty flavour. Kataifi is used in dozens of desserts in the Middle East, Mediterranean, Greece and Turkey, as well as some savoury dishes, but for the Dubai chocolate bar, it is broken into small pieces and mixed with tahini (sesame paste) and lightly sweetened pistachio butter or pistachio cream to create a thick filling with a satisfying crunch.

“I love the crispy filling,” Naeman says.

FROM DUBAI TO THE ISLAND

The chocolate bar that inspired her is the one the whole world seems to have been talking about for months: the TikTok-famous “viral Dubai chocolate bar” created last year by Dubai entrepreneur Sarah Hamouda at FIX Dessert Chocolatier. (You can, if you wish, order it direct from Dubai at fixdessertshop.com.)

After much experimentation, Syriana's Safaa Naeman has mastered three types of Dubai chocolate bar.

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Hamouda calls her indulgent, brick-like confection “Can’t Get Knafeh of It” as a nod to a classic dessert made with kataifi. Kunafa (or knafeh) is a sweet-savoury baked cheese dessert topped with toasted kataifi, simple syrup and pistachios. Its name comes from kanaf, an Arab word meaning “to shield or protect.” For kunafa, the “shield” is the topping of kataifi.

While Naeman’s is the only knafeh bar currently made in Victoria, other retailers have been selling different versions of it.

In December, owner Mohamad Salem Ajaj imported 500 pistachio kataifi bars from Istanbul to sell at his Damascus Food Market. Thanks to word of mouth, they sold out in two days at his Hillside Avenue store.

Showcase stores at Hillside Shopping Centre and Tillicum Centre sell 75-gram, Canadianmade Oasis Treasures Dubai Chocolate bars for $9.99. Besides the white chocolatepistachio kataifi version, they carry other stuffed varieties like cookies and cream and pecan caramel.

Meanwhile, Oh Sugar on Johnson Street has started selling the Dubai Pistachio Knafeh Dessert Bar created by Vancouver-based Hype Chocolate.

“Oh Sugar has been such a great partner for us since day one,” says Scott Symons, who founded Hype in 2022 with his partner Marlayna Pincott. Hype has made its name with elevated-yet-fun quality chocolate bars like Everything Bagel, Dunkaroos, Holy Duck Chili Oil and milk chocolate and White Rabbit candy.

Hype’s pistachio bar is a pricey indulgence at $30 for a 220-gram bar. (A typical chocolate bar is 50 to 100 grams. Dessert bars are bigger and twice as thick. They’re a new trend, says Symons, designed to be shared and enjoyed.)

Symons says the cost comes from the ingredients, the most expensive of which is the lightly sweetened pistachio nut butter made by Delta company, NutJar. The kataifi, organic tahini and ghee inside the Belgian milk chocolate bars comes from Middle Eastern markets on Commercial Drive in Vancouver. “What we’re trying to do as well is supporting the culture that supplies these ingredients,” Symons says.

Symons sells the chocolate bars online across North America. Like FIX in Dubai, he sells his bars by pre-order only in Vancouver.

“I didn’t want to do this just to jump on a viral trend and sell something to make money,” he says. “I wanted to give people of Vancouver and North America the experience of this chocolate bar as they should, as it deserves.”

Hype’s Dubai Pistachio Knafeh Dessert Bar

THE TASTE OF FREEDOM

In December, when the brutal Syrian dictator Bashar alAssad was overthrown, it was a sweet moment for Victoria’s Syrian community, who celebrated in the best way possible: with pastries.

Over at Damascus Food Market on Hillside Avenue, owner Mohamad Salem Ajaj offered a steady stream of joyful customers pistachio baklava and other sweets in celebration.

Meanwhile, at Syriana in Esquimalt, owner Safaa Naeman was sipping cardamonscented coffee with a visitor one afternoon when a young man came into her café and bought every last pastry.

He was taking the desserts to his workplace to give to his co-workers, sharing with them a sweet taste of freedom.

PISTACHIO DREAMS

If you want to try your hand at making your own version of the kunafa bar, Fig Mediterranean Deli carries frozen kataifi as well as jars of Pisti pistachio cream from Italy. Damascus Food Market, meanwhile, offers three varieties of frozen kataifi for home cooks as well as the Dutch-made Gold Medal ghee that Ajaj recommends for frying it.

Naeman makes her own pistachio cream, using a commercial blender to mill Turkish pistachios with sesame oil, a touch of vanilla and a little sugar until smooth. She then fries Krinos-brand frozen kataifi dough in ghee until it’s golden, breaks it up and adds it to the silky cream to make the filling.

She also uses kataifi in ballourieh, a delicious small square of whole pistachios in syrup pressed between two layers of kataifi, and would like to start making freshly baked kunafa to order for customers. “People back home in Syria love the dessert fresh from the oven with the cheese stretchy and soft,” she says. (Damascus Food Market sells ready-made frozen kunafa in two sizes: a single-portion dessert and a pizza-size disc.)

Because sweets mean celebration in her homeland, Naeman feels desserts make her customers feel welcome. She’s always working on new recipes and plans to expand the glass showcase in the dining room to show them off. In January, she added sweet cheese rolls and haresa semolina and coconut cake to Syriana’s menu. She’s also worked the pistachio filling into Syriana’s crispy baklava triangles, calling them Victoria Baklava.

But first there’s her knafeh bar (prices still to be determined). The milk and white chocolate bars are her favourites, and she’s loved “the magic” of painting green-tinted white-chocolate swirls on the bars. In fact, this was her first time working with chocolate, which can be tricky to temper properly so it has a glossy finish and signature snap.

As Naeman says, “Chocolate is a different world.”

Food + Drink

ISLAND GIN?

IT'S IN

Local botanicals are the stars in this refreshing and versatile spirit, perfect for the spring days ahead.

By Joanne Sasvari

As spring arrives and the days get longer and brighter and warmer, we crave sips that are light and refreshing rather than rich and comforting. What we crave is gin and the many, many cocktails that can be made with it.

Luckily, here on Vancouver Island we have a bounty of great artisanal gins, many of them made with local botanicals that taste uniquely of this beautiful place.

Gin starts as a neutral spirit, typically (but not always) made from grains such as wheat, rye or, less often, barley. It is then flavoured through maceration, vapour infusion and/or redistillation with a variety of botanicals, as little as four of them in Tanqueray and as many as 47 in the Monkey 47 Dry Gin from Germany, which additionally (and a little exotically) is made from a molasses base.

Those botanicals often include citrus peel, licorice, angelica, orris root and coriander, but what makes gin, gin is the addition of the juniper berries that give it its distinctive piney aroma and bite. That’s because the London Dry style of gin we know today (juniperforward with a hint of citrus and herbs) evolved from an earlier spirit, genever, a juniper-flavoured grain spirit from the Netherlands that is richer, slightly sweeter and has more of a cereal-grain flavour from malted barley.

We think of gin as crisp, fresh and herbaceous, but gins can also be fruity, floral, earthy or savoury, depending on the botanicals.

Just here on Vancouver Island, we can find gins

flavoured with local berries, flowers, hops, wild mushrooms, seaweed and/or cedar tips. Most are made with a grain base, but others are made from fermented honey or apples.

Those botanicals, paired with that clean base, make gin one of the most versatile of spirits. It's refreshing with a generous splash of tonic or soda water and a citrus twist to make the palate pop. It's elegant in a Martini for those times you really want to savour the botanicals. And it plays nicely in more complex cocktails, such as a bittersweet Negroni, juicy Clover Club or something clever of your own creation.

Now that the Island’s first craft whiskies finally have enough age on them to be enjoyed, they seem to be getting all the headlines and plenty of prizes, too. But ever since artisanal distilling became a thing in B.C., gin has captured the real spirit of the Island — fittingly, given the English history that flavours the place.

Some of the province’s first distilleries opened here around 2006, followed by a boom in 2013, when the B.C. government modernized its liquor laws. Although some, like the much-lauded DEVINE Distillery, have closed in recent years, there are still around 20 of them on Vancouver and the Gulf Islands. And most, if not all, are making some sort of gin.

So why not pour yourself a little shot, mix it in a cocktail or a highball, and raise a glass to the tasty terroir of the Island? It’s the most refreshing way to welcome spring.

ISLAND NEGRONI OR SBAGLIATO

The Negroni is one of the great classic cocktails that shouldn’t work, but somehow does. Traditionally, it’s made with equal parts gin, Campari and sweet vermouth, though we also like it lengthened with something fizzy, what’s known as a Sbagliato.

• 1 oz Vancouver Island gin

• 1 oz Esquimalt Rosso Sweet Vermouth

• 1 oz Esquimalt Bitter Red

• Garnish: lemon or orange peel

Place all ingredients (except garnish) in a mixing glass with ice and sir until it is chilled and reaches your ideal dilution. Strain it over fresh ice in a rocks glass; garnish with a curtis peel, squeezing some of the essential oils over the drink before dropping it in. Serves 1.

Make it a Sbagliato: Make the Negroni as above and pour it into a double rocks or large wine glass filled with ice. Top it with about 4 oz soda water or sparkling wine, such as a Cowichan Valley Charme de L’Île. Stir gently, then garnish with the citrus peel.

7 Island Gins to Try

These

gins use local ingredients to capture the unique flavours of Vancouver Island.

ANTIDOTE DISTILLING BLACK GIN,

43% ABV

The botanicals in this black-hued gin from Port Alberni include juniper and spruce for those classic gin notes, salal berries for their fruity sweetness and an umami-rich blend of Island truffles and locally foraged mushrooms. Plus it turns a bright violet when you add tonic water. Complex, layered, utterly unique.

Mushrooms, truffles and salal berries go into Antidote Distilling's unique Black Gin.

MERRIDALE COWICHAN GIN,

40% ABV

Perhaps not surprisingly for a distillery that’s also a cidery, the base of this handcrafted gin is entirely made from B.C. apples. It is then flavoured with Cowichan Valley botanicals ranging from coniferous trees to local berries and even the herbs and roots used for ground cover. This gin is all about the terroir.

Spinnakers Sparkling

Mineral Water is sourced from an ancient aquifer 225 feet below the brewhouse floor.

14–APR 27, 2025

SHERINGHAM SEASIDE GIN AND BEACON (KAZUKI) GIN, both 43% ABV

We couldn’t decide between these two exceptional gins from formerly Sookebased Sheringham, which has relocated to Langford, so we included both. Seaside is their flagship gin, the one that’s won all the awards and has wonderfully briny notes from sustainably harvested winged kelp. Beacon Gin, formerly known as Kazuki Gin, is a fragrant bouquet of floral and fruity notes from cherry blossoms. Both capture essential flavours of the South Island.

STILLHEAD

WILD BLACKBERRY GIN, 37.5% ABV

This award-winning gin from Duncan pays homage to the sloe gins so popular in the U.K. A classic gin base is made smooth and fruity with locally harvested wild blackberries and Canadian honey. Delicious lengthened with soda.

TOFINO DISTILLERY OLD GROWTH CEDAR GIN, 45% ABV

This award-winning, small-batch, organic gin includes a healthy amount of western red cedar tips in its botanical mix. Its aroma is like a coastal forest after the rain, complete with Tofino fog when ice is added (thanks to its non-chill-filtered process). The spirit of the rainforest in a glass.

WAYWARD DISTILLERY UNRULY GIN,

Up in Courtenay, David Brimacombe and his crew are fermenting honey into mead, then distilling that mead into an elegant and subtle gin flavoured with local and organic botanicals. Among them: cedar, lavender, sarsaparilla root and coriander. A smooth and versatile Canadian-style alternative gin.

DIRTY ISLAND MARTINI

If you love the savoury flavour of a classic Dirty Martini, but wish it could be even brinier, then this is the drink for you. Instead of olives, it uses the brine from quick-pickled garlic scapes, kicked up a notch with the salinity of seaweed in the Sheringham Seaside Gin. Of course, if you are too impatient to make your own pickled scapes, you can use green olives and their brine instead.

• 2 oz gin, preferably Sheringham Seaside Gin

• ½ oz Esquimalt Dry Vermouth

• ½ oz brine from pickled garlic scapes (see recipe below) or green olives

• Garnish: 1 pickled garlic scape or 3 green olives

Place all ingredients (except garnish) in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake well. Finestrain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the pickled scape twisted around the inside of the glass or three olives on a skewer. Serves 1.

QUICK-PICKLED GARLIC SCAPES

Garlic scapes — the curly green stalks of hardneck garlic plants — start appearing in farmers’ markets in June, and are delightful in pesto, grilled as a side dish or pickled, as they are here, and used in cocktails or on burgers and other sandwiches. Note that this is a quick pickle; it should be kept in the refrigerator and consumed within three months.

Makes two 1L jars.

• 1 tsp peppercorns, divided

• 1 tsp mustard seeds, divided

• Optional: ½ tsp red pepper flakes, divided

• 1 large bunch garlic scapes, about ½ lb

• 2 cups apple cider vinegar

• 2 cups water

• 2 Tbsp kosher salt

• 1 Tbsp sugar

Thoroughly clean two litre-sized mason jars and their lids and allow to air dry; to be absolutely sure of avoiding contamination, place them in boiling water for 10 minutes.

When they are dry and cool enough to handle, divide the peppercorns, mustard seeds and red pepper flakes (if using) between the two jars.

Trim the garlic scapes by removing any withered ends, then cut them into lengths that will fit into your mason jars. Arrange scapes in the jars, winding them around the sides if you like, leaving about ½-inch headspace at the top. Combine apple cider vinegar, water, salt and sugar in a medium-sided pot. Bring to a boil and stir until salt and sugar dissolve.

Pour the brine into the jars, making sure the garlic scapes are completely covered with the liquid. You should have about ¼ to ½ inch of headspace.

Loosely fit the lids onto the jars and leave on the counter until they cool to room temperature. Tighten lids and place in the refrigerator to pickle for at least 48 hours before using. (They should be at their peak after about two weeks.) Consume or discard within three months.

The Business Hub

STRAIGHT TO THE POINT

At this exhibition, discover a crucial — but nearly forgotten — slice of Victoria's artistic

history.

The Point Group is that group of a dozen Victoria artists you’ve never heard of. But their importance in the narrative of visual art in this city is massive. Without them, there would be, for instance, no Limners. The Society of Limners, that renowned collection of talent that included the likes of Max Bates, Karl Spreitz, Myfanwy Pavelic et al. They’re the famous ones, right?

And yet it was The Point Group, loosely formed in 1959 and featuring members who later formed the Limners, that introduced modernism to the city and fostered a sense that Victoria was an important dot on the cultural map.

Now you can discover them in a retrospective at UVic’s downtown Legacy Gallery in a show titled Victoria and Expressionism’s Second Wave: The Point Group

By David Lennam

The exhibition’s curator, UVic associate professor of art history and visual studies Carolyn Butler-Palmer, explains The Point Group’s role in establishing an open space here for modern art, when living rooms were still adorned with watercolours of English gardens or harbour scenes.

“I think they were really trying to, as Emily Carr had in the early part of the 20th century, bring a language and appreciation of European modernism to Victoria,” she says.

The Point Group — Herbert Siebner, Elza Mayhew, Richard Ciccimarra, Robert de Castro, Flemming Jorgensen, Nita Forrest (all of whom joined the Limners in 1972), plus Molly Privett, Sylvia Sutton, Duncan de Kergommeaux, Virginia Lewis, Michael Morris and William (Bill) West were our first “modern” artists.

At the Legacy Gallery, it’s the legacy of The Point Group that’s really on display, Victoria’s own take on West Coast expressionism, boldly playing with colour and inviting a somewhat radical post-war vision to establish itself here.

“I would say the kind of binding element was trying to situate Victoria internationally as an art centre,” says Butler-Palmer.

Without a defined manifesto or a style that bound them, and working in a variety of media from sculpture to printmaking, The Point Group met and exhibited their work at The

Michael Morris, Untitled (Pat Bay Highway Renovation Series), 1962 (detail). Image courtesy of UVic Legacy Art Galleries.

Point Gallery above a Danish modern-style furniture store on Fort Street (and sold their work downstairs in the furniture store). Today, a handful of their works can be seen around town: West’s striking red-and-yellow cedar mural at UVic’s Chief Dan George Theatre, for instance, or Mayhew’s three-metre bronze sculpture on the grounds of the Royal BC Museum.

Butler-Palmer notes that, like the expressionists in Europe, where several of them had emigrated from, they were interested in colour and were hip to the post-abstract expressionist world of New York, as well as what artists like Andy Warhol were doing with everyday objects.

Collectively, The Point Group haven’t been scrutinized by academics, nor have they been recognized for their importance. Butler-Palmer suggests they may have been overlooked because they were interested in selling their art and half the group were women (at a time when female artists had to fight for recognition) and because members went on to form the Limners.

“Maybe that the Limners sort of eclipsed them, coming on their heels and with some common members, people just kind of put the two together,” she says.

Many of the 80 works in the current exhibition have never been publicly shown. In fact, half weren’t even framed prior to hanging.

Victoria and Expressionism’s Second Wave: The Point Group continues at the Legacy Gallery until April 5. uvic.ca/legacygalleries

CULTURE CALENDAR

Spring forward with these thrilling events.

From Warhol to Banksy

and From Balzar to Hunt

Until April 27, Art Gallery of Greater Victoria

Two provocative exhibitions explore the world of Pop Art, a form that is all about consumerism, social consciousness and activism. From Warhol to Banksy features works by the genre’s most iconic figures; From Balzar to Hunt, meanwhile, focuses on B.C.’s own Pop artists, from the 1960s to the present. aggv.ca

An Evening with Bruce Cockburn

March 11, Royal Theatre

One of Canada’s finest artists, Bruce Cockburn has embraced folk, jazz, rock and worldbeat styles while writing memorable songs about the wonders of this world. Throughout his 50-year career, Cockburn has won 13 Juno Awards and is an Officer of the Order of Canada. There is perhaps no better voice for capturing the nuances of the human experience. rmts.bc.ca

Banachek

March 15, McPherson Playhouse

You may know this legendary magician from TV and magazines; he’s also the guy other magicians — including Penn & Teller, Criss Angel and David Blaine — turn to for advice. Expect an evening of magic and mystery with this multi-award-winning Las Vegas mentalist. rmts.bc.ca

Ballet Victoria presents Carmina Burana

March 21 to 23, Royal Theatre

Ballet Victoria artistic and executive director Paul Destrooper designed this dance to follow the 24 medieval songs in Carl Orff’s epic 1937 orchestral and choral cantata. Riveting, romantic and passionate, it also features the emotionally charged voices of the Victoria Choral Society under the baton of Brian Wismath. rmts.bc.ca

Natalie MacMaster and Donnell

Leahy: The Four on the Floor Tour

March 26, Royal Theatre

Enjoy this all-new show from Canada’s internationally renowned virtuoso fiddlers Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy. They’re joined on stage by their two eldest children, Mary Frances and Michael Leahy, who are masterful violinists in their own right. Don’t miss this rare night of musical magic. rmts.bc.ca

An Inspector Calls

March 26 to April 13, Langham Court Theatre

Playwright J.B. Priestley’s morality play is as relevant today as it was when it was first performed in 1945. In this scathing commentary on upper-middle-class hypocrisy, an inspector interrogates an industrialist and his family about the suicide of a young working-class girl and uncovers how each is implicated in her undoing. A classic of 20th-century theatre. langhamtheatre.ca

Michael Kaeshammer

March 27, Mary Winspear Centre

The brilliant piano player, seven-time Juno Award nominee and host of CHEK-TV cooking show Kaeshammer’s Kitchen introduces his 15th album, Turn It Up, a compilation of “eclectic yet accessible jazz-based pop” from an eclectic, electrifying and consistently upbeat musician. marywinspear.ca

Glass Tiger: This Island Earth

March 28, McPherson Playhouse

Time travel to the 1980s when the multi-platinumselling rockers from Ontario hit town with special guest MuchMusic VJ Erica Ehm. Join them in a one-of-a-kind retrospective featuring indelible hits you love, like “Don’t Forget Me ( when I’m gone),” “Someday” and “Diamond Sun.” rmts.bc.ca

Judy Collins

March 28, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church

Think of this award-winning singer-songwriter and you likely think of the songs that made her famous in her folkie 1960s and ’70s incarnation, “Both Sides Now” and “Send in the Clowns.” But her career is much more than that. Listen to this Renaissance woman with the dreamy voice in an equally dreamy setting. rmts.bc.ca

Children of God

April 1 to 2, McPherson Playhouse

Corey Payette’s gorgeous, powerful musical tells the story of an Oji-Cree family whose children were taken away to a residential school in Northern Ontario. This play blends ancient traditions and contemporary realities, while celebrating Indigenous resilience, culture and spirit. Each performance is followed by a facilitated talkback from stage. rmts.bc.ca

Susan Aglukark: “This Child” 30th Anniversary Cross Canada Tour

April 4, Mary Winspear Centre

The multi-Juno winner and Officer of the Order of Canada describes “This Child” as “my artist statement, my call to personal action … my song to my future artist and Inuk self.” She marks the three decades since its release with backup from the remarkable throat singer Angela Amarualik. marywinspear.ca

Dance Victoria presents Compañia Rafaela Carrasco

April 11 to 12, Royal Theatre

Winner of the Critics’ Choice Award for Best Dance Show at the XXVII Flamenco Festival of Jerez de la Frontera, Nocturna (Architecture of Insomnia) features an exceptional cast of dancers and musicians, who lead the audience on a sleepless journey from dusk to dawn. rmts.bc.ca

HMS Pinafore (or The Lass Who Loved a Sailor)

April 12 to 13, Mary Winspear Centre

Victoria Gilbert and Sullivan Society presents this classic nautical comic operetta, a romantic story with toe-tapping hummable tunes, delightful costumes and plenty of fun for everyone. marywinspear.ca

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella

April 18 to April 26, McPherson Playhouse

The Canadian College of Performing Arts presents an award-winning musical that reimagines one of the world’s most beloved characters in quirky and irreverent fashion. Cheeky, visually stunning and set to the indelible music of Rodgers and Hammerstein, this is one the whole family will enjoy. rmts.bc.ca

Rigoletto

April 23 to 29, Royal Theatre

Pacific Opera Victoria presents Verdi’s tragic tale of love, betrayal, revenge and redemption set in Renaissance Italy. Based on Victor Hugo’s play, this grand opera follows the tale of Rigoletto, a court jester bent on avenging the dishonour done to his daughter, and features timeless themes and unforgettable music. rmts.bc.ca

Jerry Seinfeld

April 26, Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre

Be among the first to experience the newest standup routine from America’s premier comedian. Seinfeld needs no introduction — after all, his nineyear eponymous sitcom was named the best ever. His superpower is finding the hilarity in the small things in life. Be prepared to laugh. sofmc.com

All in the Details

Back in 1862, Victoria was a small town, home to about 3,600 people (according to the 1871 census), and their homes were for the most part plain and simply built.

The Wentworth Villa was not.

The home of the seafaring Hudson’s Bay Company Captain Henry Bailey Ella, his wife Martha and their seven children, it stood on a hill 20 minutes’ walk from town, at what is now 1156 Fort Street. Back then, it was surrounded by Garry oak meadows and had sweeping views across the growing community. But what made it really stand out was the ornate fretwork around the edges of the peaked roof, emblematic of a style that would come to be known as Carpenter Gothic.

By Joanne Sasvari

This North American architectural style was an offshoot of the medieval-inspired Gothic Revival movement so popular in England. But while the structures featured similar elements, such as pointed arches and steep gables, what made Carpenter Gothic unique was that instead of stone, builders used timber; instead of cathedrals and universities, they designed mostly homes and small churches; and instead of sombre medieval motifs, they used newfangled scroll saws to create the charming ornamentation that became known as gingerbread.

It’s believed that the villa, with its 14 rooms, nine fireplaces, pierced bargeboards, centred front door and steeply pitched roofs,

was designed by John Wright and George H. Sanders, the first professionally practising architects in Victoria, who also designed Emily Carr House and Point Ellice House. (They later moved to San Francisco, where most of their buildings were destroyed in the 1906 earthquake.)

In the 160-plus years since Wentworth Villa was built, it has been a home and an antique store and briefly fell into the hands of a developer. After a significant restoration, it is now home to Wentworth Villa Architectural Heritage Museum, which preserves the kind of vintage architectural styles — like Carpenter Gothic — that add so much charm to our city. wentworthvilla.com

Compañia Rafaela Carrasco in Nocturna (Architecture of Insomnia)