Introducing Paul Ferdinands. Paul’s specialty is custom and madeto-measure suits and sports jackets. And he is very good at it, having made thousands of menswear customers happy throughout his career. If you have difficulty buying off the rack or are looking for something unique for a wedding or special event, Paul will take very good care of you. I invite you to reach out for an appointment at dgb-victoria@shaw.ca.
Pick your fabric from hundreds of samples.
Pick your lining ... from mild to wild! Pick your style — and trim it up with custom buttons and thread; Paul is a genius at making the details spectacular!
Terry Calveley Anna Sterloff
Lisa Williams Logan Wilson
Chisholm Sean Farrell Shaelyn Mattix
Jon Baker
Robyn Wildman Sandy Berry
Peter Crichton
Kirsten MacLeod
Harley Shim
Don St Germain Eileen Harper
Dean Innes Glynis MacLeod
D’Arcy Harris
Brayden Klein Brad Maclaren Andrew Maxwell
Hobbs
Grace Shin Brian Danyliw
Mavrikos
Beth Hayhurst
Stephenson
HOLIDAY ISSUE Contents
36
Cool But Cozy
How to create a stylish but weatherproof outdoor space to enjoy (almost) all year round.
By Carla Sorrell
52
A Simply Wonderful Christmastime
Make this your best holiday ever! We have everything you need for all the joy and none of the stress. By
YAM Staff
60 Walk It Off
Strolls, ambles and hikes for even the coldest winter days. By
Carolyn B. Heller
72
Good Relations
Avoid tears and tantrums. Follow our guide to finessing the season’s most fraught family dynamics. By
Carolyn Camilleri
98 Holiday Escape
Need a seasonal change of scene? Grab your carry-on and just go.
By Joanne Sasvari
“The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear!” ~ Elf, Will Ferrell ...and Happy New Year from all of us at Trillium Communities.
Contents HOLIDAY
17 HERE + NOW
Festive wreaths; dramatic ceramics that evoke coastal life; sartorial solutions to brave the elements; ornamental nature; holiday markets; a legendary inn reopens; paws-itively perfect gifts; where rest is best; First Nations stations take an artful turn. Plus: The YAM contest.
26 IN PERSON
Artist Joe Coffey brings detail and whimsy to his really, really big paintings of animals.
By David Lennam
44 LIFE AT HOME
A bright and thoughtful reno brings mid-century magic to a 1950s Oak Bay rancher.
By Danielle Pope
66 STYLE WATCH
Warm up to winter with layers and layers of cozily textured knits. Styled by Janine Metcalfe
102 SCENE
Daniel Lapp brings more than 200 musical performers Home for Christmas; plus, our Culture Calendar.
By David Lennam
106 PERSPECTIVE
Look closer: Icy crystals capture winter’s magic. By
Joanne Sasvari
FOOD + DRINK
77 IN SEASON
Bloody good oranges; sharpen your knives for the big bird; how Clark Deutscher joined Friends of Dorothy; gifts for cooks; restaurant news.
82 COOKIES THAT WOW!
Seven of Victoria’s best pastry chefs share their favourite holiday cookie recipes. You’re welcome. By YAM Staff
92 DINING IN Make-ahead breakfasts that feed the crowds — and impress them, too. By Julie Van
Rosendaal
96 SIPS
Pour a dram and raise a glass to our whisky Island. By Joanne
Sasvari
This season,
Check out these amazing businesses in your neighbourhood and throughout the Greater Victoria region and find even more through the online directory at thinklocalvictoria.com
IT’S HOW YOU GET THERE!
A local business supporting other local businesses and community groups. Book your next trip, special event or wine tour with us.
L.A. LIMOUSINES
info@lalimo.ca | 250-391-9000 | lalimo.ca
Life can be hard. Your cocktail doesn’t need to be. Spinnakers’ Even Keel zero proof cocktails are made from 100% natural mineral water. Be yourself, and live life on an Even Keel.
SPINNAKERS BREWPUB
308 Catherine St., Victoria | 250-386-2739 | spinnakers.com
Proudly local, Ruffell & Brown and Pacific Awnings offer custom window coverings, closets and outdoor covering solutions. With shared showrooms in Victoria and Nanaimo, these local experts bring comfort to every space.
RUFFELL & BROWN AND PACIFIC AWNINGS
2745 Bridge St., Victoria Ruffell & Brown: 250-384-1230
Pacific Awnings: 250-361-4714 | rbpacific.ca
PERFECT FOR BUSY PARENTS
This Week’s Lunch — a subscription service in Victoria since 2021 — is perfect for busy parents tackling lunch prep! Choose from over 40 hot or cold mains, each paired with fruit, veggies and snacks for a healthy, delicious, kid-approved meal.
THIS WEEK’S LUNCH
778-440-0700
thisweekslunch.com | info@thisweekslunch.com
Learn local history from a lifelong Victorian. Discover the stories behind old buildings, read journals about naval history, or delve into hockey and baseball history.
HELEN EDWARDS BOOKS
810 Linden Ave., Victoria 250-686-0788 helenedwards.ca
If great staycations, fantastic food, or carefully crafted cocktails are on your special someone’s list this year, gift them a local experience they’ll cherish with Chateau Victoria Gift Certificates! CHATEAU VICTORIA HOTEL & SUITES 740 Burdett Ave., Victoria chateauvictoria.com/store Passionately
Join Prince of Whales to experience BC’s best whale-watching! Explore the breathtaking waters of British Columbia and encounter humpback whales and orcas in their natural habitat.
PRINCE OF WHALES 812 Wharf St., Victoria 888-383-4884 princeofwhales.com
All we want for Christmas
It’s no secret that we love the holidays over here at YAM. We love all the baking and decorating and gift wrapping, the cheesy Christmas carols and sentimental holiday rom-coms, and any opportunity to wear velvet and tartan. We get as much of a thrill from welcoming people to our homes as we do going out to all the festive events around town. We’re smitten by just about every aspect of this sparkly season.
But — and don’t tell anyone — there comes a point when even we find all the busyness a bit much. Enough, we think, and go curl up for a few hours with a good book and a cozy blanket.
I suspect you can probably relate.
So, this year, when we started planning our annual Holiday Issue, we decided that it would be all about making things simple — but still festive and fabulous because, well, have you met us?
“I’ll admit, I’m not really about simplicity, especially at the holidays.”
I’ll admit, I’m not really about simplicity, especially at the holidays. I usually spend weeks and weeks making candy and cookies, salmon gravlax and duck confit, jars of preserves for host gifts, oleo saccharum for cocktails and seriously over-the-top feasts for the big day. But a few years ago everyone in the family went away for Christmas except my mom, my husband and me. None of us really felt like making a huge effort. Instead, we spent the day in our comfiest sweaters, grazing on cheese and charcuterie, drinking wine, gossiping about our family members (that’s what you get when you skip town) and watching classic Christmas movies: The Shop Around the Corner, It’s a Wonderful Life, Bad Santa.
It was perhaps my favourite Christmas ever.
That’s because what the holidays are really about is spending time with the people you love.
Life is precious and short, the hours we get to spend together all too few. And sure, everyone will be impressed by your homemade croquembouche or meticulously decorated home, but they really just want to sit down and visit with you. I bet you feel the same about them.
So go ahead. Order takeout for dinner. Buy your dessert at the bakery. Have your gifts wrapped by someone else. Hire someone to put your lights up for you or just opt for a single, stunning wreath instead. Turn your annual party into a potluck. Get out of the kitchen so you can spend time with your guests.
Most of all, have the happiest of holidays in the company of all your favourite people.
Printed in British Columbia by Mitchell Press. Ideas and opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of Page One Publishing Inc. or its affiliates; no official endorsement should be inferred. The publisher does not assume any responsibility for the contents of any advertisement, and any and all representations or warranties made in such advertising are those of the advertiser and not the publisher. No part of this magazine may be reproduced, in all or part, in any form — printed or electronic — without the express permission of the publisher. The publisher cannot be held responsible for unsolicited manuscripts and photographs. Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement #41295544
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YAM is Victoria’s lifestyle magazine, connecting readers to the distinctive lifestyle and authentic luxury of the West Coast. For advertising info, please call 250-595-7243 or email sales@yammagazine.com.
WELL MADE, BEAUTIFUL, FUNCTIONAL
Come On In
One of the easiest ways to decorate for the holidays is simply to hang a wreath on your door.
It’s pretty, it’s festive, it’s welcoming. It can be a simple round of evergreen branches or it can be an extravaganza of ribbons, twinkly lights and shiny ornaments. In either case, the wreath follows a venerable tradition. In the ancient Germanic countries of northern Europe, the evergreen wreath was a symbol of Yule, the 12-day holiday around the winter solstice. Eventually Christians adopted it (along with many other pagan traditions) and the wreath became a symbol of everlasting life. You can, of course, always buy a wreath, but if you make one it’s uniquely yours. Start by taking a wreath-making class — there are several around town, among them at Russell Nursery (several dates starting November 16) and Modpots (November 30 and December 1), which produced the one crafted from local, sustainable greens, pictured here.
COASTAL CERAMICS
Ucluelet-based potter captures the rugged essence of the Island.
Tough, rugged and awash in moody hues of green, grey and blue, Karla Strickland’s pottery pieces are designed to evoke the land and seascape around Ucluelet. Under the name Kay Ceramics, she produces contemporary works that are as functional as they are beautiful, and also offers classes in her studio/gallery/retail space. She fell in love with ceramics while studying for her BA in psychology, and mainly works in stoneware clay on the potter’s wheel, creating everything by hand. Among her fans are chef Warren Barr and Lily Verney-Downey, the owners of Pluvio Restaurant + Rooms just across the street, who use her plateware in their dining room. But we could be talked into making the trip across the Island just for one of her stoneware vases. kayceramics.com
Weather the Storm
These 5 essential pieces help even tough guys stay warm and dry.
A cozy sweater: Ecologyst’s thick, warm and naturally speckled fisherman sweaters are made from sustainable merino wool, warm enough for the outdoors but stylish enough to wear out to dinner. They come in pullover and full-zip styles, perfect for layering, with matching tuques to keep your head warm, too. ecologyst.com
A warm overshirt: The sturdy melton wool shirt from Anián is woven from the same material traditionally used for mariners’ pea coats. In this case, it’s recycled post-consumer wool, making it sustainable as well as resistant to water and wind and ideal for wintry West Coast weather. While you’re at it, pick up a pair of classic wool camp socks. anianmfg.com
A rugged boot: Since 1931, Victoria’s own Viberg has been designing footwear that is both goodlooking and made to last, like the lace-up Service Boot, which comes in everything from sleek black calfskin to rugged rawhide. Pricey, yes, but this is a piece worth investing in. viberg.ca
A cool tuque: Call it a tuque, a beanie or a ski cap, this knit hat looks so much more stylish when it’s designed by one of coastal B.C.’s great Indigenous artists, such as Maynard Johnny Jr., Donnie Edenshaw or Leila Stogan. nativenorthwest.ca
A weatherproof jacket: The Apoc jacket from Vancouverbased Westcomb is ready to tackle any outdoor situation. It combines oldworld tailoring with highperformance design and a technologically advanced Polartec NeoShell that fends off weather and rain while still being breathable. It’s literally made for West Coast conditions. westcomb.com
From wheel-thrown stoneware vases (left) to organic bowls accented with golden splashes, Karla Strickland’s pieces are as functional as they are beautiful.
FOUND IN THE FOREST
The season’s trendiest ornaments take their cues from nature.
Some of our favourite holiday ornaments are the ones from German companies like Inge-Glas — glass moulded and painted in shapes that range from the classic (Santa Claus, Nutcrackers, candy canes) to the culinary (pickles, cupcakes, teensy Champagne bottles) to fancy, maximalist ornaments in bedazzled jewel tones.
But among the hottest trends this year are ornaments that could have been spotted on a walk through the woods. Think: magical mushrooms, acorns, chestnuts, pine cones, hedgehogs and barn owls, as well as prettily decorated balls all in warm, autumnal shades of bronze, copper, ochre and the like.
It all taps into our craving for earth tones and nature’s soothing balm, a feeling of peace and joy when we need it most.
Merry Markets
Whether you’re searching for a one-of-a-kind gift or that elusive holiday spirit, these makers’ markets are guaranteed to put you in a festive mood.
45th Annual Creative Craft Fair
November 8 to 10, Pearkes Rec Centre
Join the thousands of attendees at this threeday fair featuring more than 125 exhibitors selling crafts, gourmet food, fine art, photography, clothing, glass art, jewelry, bath and beauty products, wine, spirits and fine woodwork. creativecraftfairs.com
Yuletide Christmas Craft Market
Weekends, November 8 to December 15, Christmas Night Market, December 16 to 19, Bilston Creek Farm
Over seven weekends, this pretty farm in Metchosin offers retail pop-ups featuring a rotating list of more than 90 local vendors, so there’s something new each weekend, along with food, drink and cozy fire pits in the orchard. Then, the week before Christmas, the Christmas Night Market adds romance to the holiday season. bilston.ca
Rockin around the Vintage Christmas Tree Holiday Fair
November 16, Da Vinci Centre
Prefer to go old school?
This is where to find vintage clothing, toys, kitchenware, pop culture items, sports memorabilia, comic books, video games and more. islandvintageevents.com
Owl Designer Fair
November 23 and 24, Fernwood NRG
This annual community craft show features terrific local musicians and food trucks as well as handy gifts — plus it supports local non-profits. owlfair.com
Local Folk Holiday Fairs
November 24 and December 1, SeaCider
More than just a market — though it’s that, too — these magical indoor-outdoor fairs also feature wreathmaking, garland-making, reusable gift-wrapping, a kids’ creation station, live folk music, wandering carollers and warming food and drink options including mulled cider. Note that partial proceeds go to a local charity. seacider.ca
Out of Hand
Modern Market
November 29 to December 1, Crystal Garden
Browse through works by more than 100 of the best artists and makers in Western Canada at this muchanticipated holiday market, which celebrates its 35th anniversary this year. outofhand.ca
Touch of Salt Spring Crafts & Art Show
December 6 to 8, Saanich Fairgrounds
From small beginnings on Salt Spring Island in 1991, today this is the biggest and best-attended arts and crafts show in the islands, and features more than 200 crafters and artisans. atouchofsaltspring.com
Dickens Fair
December 7, James Bay Community Centre
Even Ebenezer Scrooge would be tempted by the toys, jewelry, festive food and more from dozens of artisan vendors at this beloved, 40-plus-year-old Victoria tradition. jamesbaymarket.com/ dickens-fair
Out of Hand Modern Market features vendors like Slate Jewelry.
Above: Shiny acorns from Canadian Tire. Below: Forest finds by Inge-Glas.
ROOMS AT THE INN
The legendary Sooke Harbour House reopens with a fresh take on its quirky, nostalgic charms.
Manfred Agath loves to hear your stories about Sooke Harbour House. The ones about your first date, your wedding, your honeymoon, that special anniversary you spent here. Your memories of that room you stayed in, the one with the tree or the library or all the Indigenous artwork. That time you saw the orcas from your balcony or that day the fog rolled gently in to swaddle everything in soft cotton wool.
He loves the stories, but as the general manager of a beloved seaside property that has just reopened after a three-year, $14-million renovation, he’s ready for a whole new chapter. “We’re starting out fresh,” he says. “My motto is, we build on the past, but we don’t live in it.”
Sooke Harbour House was originally built in the 1920s, a three-bedroom farmhouse overlooking the Whiffin Spit that protects Sooke Harbour from the Juan de Fuca Strait. In the 1970s, it was bought by Frederique and Sinclair Philip, whose early passion for local, farm-to-table dining earned the inn the nickname “Chez Panisse North.” Over the next 40-plus years it hosted everyone from hungry gourmet travellers to Hollywood celebrities. In
2020 the current owners came on board and began the refurbishment of this iconic property.
Now the 28 guest rooms (each with its own fireplace and balcony; all but one with a stunning ocean view) have been refreshed with sumptuous linens, smart features including electronic blinds and lights, and all the high-end amenities you’d expect in a luxury property — but still preserve that quirky individuality.
As Agath says, the character has been “grandfathered in.”
“You have this West Coast vibe,” he says. “It doesn’t have a corporate feeling. It just wouldn’t fit here.”
Although the storied fine-dining room has not yet reopened, a casual bistro called the Copper Room serves up locally inspired from-scratch cooking. Agath, who brings with him meticulous Swiss hospitality training, has elevated the service at every level. But perhaps the most exciting feature is the sweeping, 125-seat, year-round patio — easily the best on the South Island — with a second patio on the lower level for weddings, events and the next generation of stories to be told.
“It’s quite a special place,” Agath says. “I sure think so.”
Presents for Pets
Don’t forget your four-legged pals! Here are three paws-itively perfect gift ideas for your good boy (or girl).
1. More Together Time Overcome separation anxiety with the Furbo 360° Cat (or Dog) Camera. This gadget uses AI to let you see, hear and speak to your furry pals while you’re at work or on the road. The cat version comes complete with a cat toy and gives you some insights as to what kitty gets up to all day; the dog version, meanwhile, detects barking, sends alerts to your phone and lets you toss treats to Fido remotely. It’s better than TV. furbo.com/ca
2. More Walkies The perfect solution for those long hikes or even a short stroll on a sultry day, the Springer Pets Flip Top Travel Bottle has a lightweight, foldable and leak-proof design with a built-in silicone drinking bowl. It’s easy to carry, fits in most cup holders and attaches to a leash or backpack with a carabiner. Plus it comes in six stylish colours and four sizes from a 15-ounce mini to 44-ounce growler. springerpets.com
3. An Endless Supply of Treats Sure, you can pick up a bag of treats at the store. But make them yourself and you can omit the ingredients you don’t want (like sodium and preservatives) and add the one you really do — love. The Dash Express Dog Treat Maker is like a waffle maker that produces up to eight boneshaped biscuits at a time. It’s food safe, easy to clean and comes with a handy set of recipes. bydash.com
Each guest room at Sooke Harbour House is unique, and features works by local artists, such as the pieces by Kwakwaka’wakw master carver Victor Newman pictured here.
JEFFREY BOSDET/YAM MAGAZINE
Sweet Dreams
How to plan your sleep vacation.
When it comes to wellness, sleep is a top priority for many of us and yet, according to research by McKinsey & Company, it’s the area where we have the greatest number of unmet needs. And that’s bad news, because not getting enough shuteye means we’re crankier, grumpier, more stressed, less focused and at greater risk of getting sick — even really, really sick.
In fact, we’re so sleep deprived these days that, where we once might have planned our holidays around partying or adventure travel, we’re all becoming sleep tourists.
We’re not just talking afternoon siestas in sunny climes. We’re talking deliberately planning your vacation around your Zzzzzz’s. Here’s how to do it right.
First, book a time when you can power right down, even if it’s just for a night or a weekend.
Find a hotel, spa or resort that offers comfortable, quiet rooms with quality mattresses, fine bedding, good soundproofing, a pillow menu, an attention to wellness/mindfulness and, ideally, the soothing shush of ocean waves or the wind whispering through the trees outside.
You don’t have to travel far; plenty of properties on the Island are ideal for a sleep getaway, from small, urban boutique hotels to luxurious oceanside resorts..
If you have time and budget, though, you could consider one of the sleep retreats offered by properties like Mountain Trek resort in Nelson or the Hästens Sleep Spa in Coimbra, Portugal. (Hästens is a Swedish company that makes some of the world’s most luxe and expensive mattresses.)
Plan your stay so you can dine early, avoid alcohol and caffeine, go to bed in a timely manner, shut off all your devices and let your body decide when it needs to wake up. If you must plan activities, make them ones that will help you decompress, like a long walk on the beach, a yoga class or a soothing massage.
Sleepy yet? Us, too.
YOUR HOLIDAY
Bake Shop
From Panettone to Stollen, indulge in festive treats that bring joy to every bite.
Available for pre-order & pick up in-store
@duocafebakery duocafebakery.ca
A Sense of Place
Indigenous artworks add notes of grace, beauty and culture to the heart of the city.
I f it seems that some bright, bold octopi (octopuses?) have spread their tentacles through the Inner Harbour, well, you’re not wrong. They’ve also been joined by stylized sea wolves, otters, hummingbirds and salmon, all part of a collaborative placemaking project designed to celebrate the community’s rich First Nations culture.
Look closely and you’ll see: lampposts adorned with hummingbirds designed by artist Brianna Bear; a family of orcas by Melissa McClurg on a marina pile; sea wolves by the father-daughter team of John and Lajah Warren etched into the glass of the marina gates near the Fairmont Empress: and, at the Ship Point pier, a gorgeous metal gate featuring a sea otter and salmon designed by Darlene Gait. And then, of course, there are the eye-catching red-andgold octopus umbrellas by artist, master carver and Songhees Elder Clarence “Butch” Dick.
The Greater Victoria Harbour Authority joined with the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations to create this outdoor gallery and, in the process, to tell the story of this remarkable place.
gvha.ca/first-nations-partnerships/harbour
A lamppost with hummingbirds by Brianna Bear.
FIND YOUR CENTRE GIVEAWAY
WIN A RELAXING RETREAT FROM SAPPHIRE DAY SPA.
Craving a little post-holiday self-care to recentre yourself? This contest is for you!
One lucky winner will enjoy a Vata Retreat from Sapphire Day Spa, Victoria’s Ayurveda-inspired sanctuary. (According to Ayurveda, Vata is the energizing force of both body and mind; when it is in balance, Vata allows us to seamlessly navigate our thoughts, feelings and actions.)
This featured retreat begins with a grounding warm foot soak, followed by a customized Vata-balancing hot stone relaxation massage. You will then flow into a hydrating face treatment, while warm shea butter melts on your toes during a warm foot wrap.
This special Vata Retreat package has a value of $300. To enter, visit yammagazine.com or scan the QR code. Contest closes January 2, 2025. Good luck!
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Umbrellas decorated with a jaunty octopus by Clarence “Butch” Dick.
The artist Joe Coffey with his oil-on-canvas work Tales from the Hedgerow
Animal Magnetism
Artist Joe Coffey brings both discipline and whimsy to his vast canvases.
By David Lennam | Photo by Jeffrey Bosdet
They’re what the artist calls “a theatrical whimsy.”
Joe Coffey’s enormous oil paintings feature animals.
Everyday animals: cows, horses, dogs, goats, maybe an owl. More playful than comical, unsentimental, dignified.
“They’re removed from their context,” he explains. “They’re kind of like actors and I’m a casting director.”
It’s an apt description of his signature works, some by commission, the rest his own choices — his originals, as he calls them. Almost always animals, anyway. There’s the odd human. But Coffey doesn’t fancy himself a portraitist in the strict sense of the word.
“Luckily, the animal subjects and the way I paint them in these theatrical poses endlessly fascinates me,” he says. “There’s always a new theatrical tableau to create. And that’s found a market … I don’t think I’m an actual portrait artist. I’ve just been fortunate that I can do commissions for people who want what looks like one of my originals, so if they want a painting of their horse or their dog they know I’m not going to paint them in a field with trees. I’m going to at least try and put my own spin on it.”
Coffey was once told his work was kind of like a wax effigy come to life. He liked that.
“It totally encapsulates what I’m trying to do,” he says. “On the one hand I’m trying to create real life, but going on in my brain, I’m fascinated by textures. It kind of looks like a sculpture that I’ve painted — a realist sculpture.”
His commission work — and there’s a lineup to have him paint your pet (or famous racehorse) — is about making a living. The rest is typical of what will be hanging at Madrona Gallery’s Deck the Walls show next month, a showcase of several brand new pieces.
Madrona’s owner/director Michael Warren says Coffey is in demand all over North America.
“For some of his best work, we see it go as soon as we announce it,” he says. “That’s pretty validating when an artist can drop a painting off at the gallery and we do a couple of phone calls or a quick email and then it just gets snapped up.”
Warren is impressed with the way Coffey has married a traditional level of high realism with irreverent, contemporary art.
“It really livens it up in a way I find so engaging and adds a whole other dimension to the work. He’s established a really unique niche for himself with his style of wildlife painting,” says Warren. “It’s just so beautifully executed.”
ENJOYING THE PROCESS
Because his technique is so classical, it seems preposterous that Coffey is self-taught. More so that he’s colour blind, particularly to shades that are pastels.
“I worked for a designer tile company during the early ’90s when things were pastel,” says Coffey, “and I had to memorize the samples, what position they were in. Grey looked exactly like green to me.”
“On the one hand I’m trying to create real life, but going on in my brain, I’m fascinated by textures. It kind of looks like a sculpture that I’ve painted — a realist sculpture.”
It’s a hindrance more than a handicap, though it kept him out of art school. Trying to take a night course about colour theory at Emily Carr University of Art + Design, he was rebuffed after mentioning his colour blindness.
“I paint what I see and you obviously intellectualize it. I do have some colour theory that I’ve learned so I know this colour goes with this and you can make this, but other times you just paint what you see. I remember Michael [Warren] saying to me, ‘I wouldn’t have thought you could use blue like that in a shadow, but it works.’
”
Coffey’s affinity for animals, especially farm critters, came from his upbringing in rural, small-town Ontario, part of the 4-H set. He shovelled muck at a horse farm, joined Pony Club and donned breeches for the strict form and style of equitation competition.
“Honestly, I could just sit quietly with our dog or with the pigs. I remember on a sunny afternoon, just sitting with the sows and the boars and just feeling totally at ease.”
You may have seen him out on one of his long, afternoon walks.
Coffey’s large-scale paintings, like 2017’s 72-by-51-inch Hillbilly Haiku, combine meticulous detail and a touch of irreverence.
That’s the after-work artist. All morning, the 58-year-old Coffey has shuttered himself in his studio like a hermit, his blood infused with some tincture of iron discipline, an artist’s discipline. The kind of discipline Virginia Woolf wrote about in her diaries.
“I’m obsessed with Virginia Woolf. I’m obsessed with her diaries,” Coffey admits with some pride; he’s read the five substantial volumes six times. “It’s the writer discipline. I find that inspiring. Just her work ethic.”
Adhering to the kind of strict schedule Woolf observed (she was rigid about keeping the undisrupted rhythm of her writing routine and became frustrated if she was unable to impose that on herself), Coffey rises early and addresses the canvas.
“I am a morning person. That’s when I paint, then I go out for my walk every day. That’s what she did,” he says. “I kind of have this happy, monklike life. Honestly, I cannot paint well if I’m not enjoying the process.”
Warren suggests that an artist is someone who can present an idea, or a thought, visually, that you couldn’t experience in any other way.
“Joe brings that really, really well, even if it’s just a sense of sheer beauty and inquisitiveness or the ability to knock a viewer off kilter with combining high realism with contemporary art,” says Warren. “And I think that that’s what has really allowed him to have such a successful career.”
Imagination takes flight in the dramatic 2023 work Duet.
There’s a long line of people hoping to commission paintings of pets like this portrait of Jasper
Gift Guide
With over 50 flavours of macaron, from sweet to savoury, as well as hand-decorated Christmas characters and mini-macarons ready for stocking stuffing, everyone will find something to celebrate!
BON MACARON PATISSERIE
Victoria: 1012 Broad Street | 778-265-0850 Vancouver: 545-1689 Johnston Street 778-379-6065 bonmacaron.com
Opera is an epic gift this holiday season!
Two tickets for The Little Prince (Portman) start at $70 ($15/each for youth under 18), February 19-25. Gift cards can also be used for Rigoletto (Verdi), April 23-29. Both at the Royal Theatre.
PACIFIC OPERA VICTORIA
250-385-0222 | pacificopera.ca
Tulipe Noire is known for timeless quality clothing that remains fresh, fun and on trend.
We are especially honoured to carry the traditional Cowichan Sweaters, recognizing their longstanding heritage and supporting the Indigenous knitters who craft them.
TULIPE NOIRE CLOTHING
1887 Oak Bay Avenue tulipenoire.com | Instagram: @tulipenoireclothing
Bring joy to your world with our holidaythemed treats. Choose a gingerbread yule log, rum + egg nog cupcakes or assorted holiday mini cupcakes to celebrate the season!
OOH LA LA CUPCAKES + CAKES
1391A Hillside Avenue
250-385-0707 | oohlalacupcakes.ca
Instagram @oohlalacupcakes_canada
@georgielawson
Adorn your life with collectable treasures from Tofino. Heirloom-worthy ceramics in simple forms and brilliant glazes. Mugs, bowls, canisters, planters and more. Shipping available.
DANIELA PETOSA CERAMICS
Winter Bazaar: Nov 29-Dec 1 Gorge Park Pavilion, 1070 Tillicum Road 250-266-0056 | danielapetosa.com
It’s Cranberry Season!
Our Cranberry Orange Wash gently cleanses, leaving skin soft and silky smooth. Use at the sink, in the shower, or in a soothing, moisturizing bubble bath.
SALTSPRING SOAPWORKS
8 Fan Tan Alley, Victoria saltspringsoapworks.com
Give the gift of adventure!
Make 2025 the year of adventure and play with a WildPlay season pass or gift card, on sale now with limited time holiday pricing.
WILDPLAY ELEMENT PARKS
Locations in Victoria, Nanaimo and Maple Ridge. wildplay.com/store-cad
Membership makes a great gift!
Unlock a year of endless adventure with a Royal BC Museum Membership, IMAX® Victoria Membership, or get the best of both worlds with the Combo Membership. Learn more at rbcm.ca/join.
ROYAL BC MUSEUM 675 Belleville Street
Give the gift of yumminess with classic and creative small-batch baked goods and delicious holiday treats.
DEER & DOUGH
BAKERY CAFE
770 Fisgard Street
250-590-3309
deeranddough.ca
Give the gift of anticipation!
Treat yourself or someone special with an e-gift card for Black Rock Oceanfront Resort.
With cool, crisp peppermint swirled into the warm scent of freshly baked butter cookies, Voluspa Candles create an instant infatuation.
PHARMASAVE BROADMEAD 310-777 Royal Oak Drive pharmasavebroadmead.com
A Vancouver Island tradition!
Share St. Jean’s smoked salmon gift boxes — embracing the rich flavours and history of the Pacific Northwest this holiday season. Order online today at www.stjeans.com. We ship across Canada and the U.S.
The redesigned Allpa (28L, 35L or 42L) enhances its bestselling, beloved features with game-changing updates, like improved weight distribution, air mesh shoulder straps, a stretch water bottle pocket and a luggage passthrough strap.
ADVENTURE CLOTHING
560 Yates Street 250-590-6381
2227 Oak Bay Avenue 250-363-9500
The Butchart Gardens 12-Month Pass
The perfect holiday gift for the whole family! Looking for a gift to be enjoyed year round? Give a 5-season experience from The Butchart Gardens with an Adult, Youth or Child 12-Month Pass.
Adult Pass $82.40
THE BUTCHART GARDENS
250-652-4422 | butchartgardens.com
Come see our large assortment of stylish Rain and Sun Umbrellas, Canes, Walking Sticks, and Shoehorns.
THE UMBRELLATORIUM
4 Fan Tan Alley 778-265-6771 theumbrellatorium.com
Warmth is a place called Glerups. HEART AND SOLE 1023 Fort Street | 250-920-7653 heartandsoleshoes.ca
A curated boutique focusing on high-quality, ethical and sustainable children’s new and preloved items, featuring sustainably minded, women-led brands offering timeless style, quality and purpose.
Gifts for creatives! Eccentrically unique. Get them into a beginner-friendly ceramics studio with unique Friday hand building workshops and multi-week courses to express their artistry. EAS&G is the perfect place to begin a noteworthy artistic journey in clay!
Top tier baskets, boxes, bags and swags — let us take care of your holiday giving! Customer care is our passion; quality is our standard. We ship Canada-wide.
GIGI’S GIFT CO & VANCOUVER ISLAND GIFT BASKET CO. gigisgiftcreations.com | vanislandgiftbasket.com
Luxury made simple.
Give the gift of ultimate relaxation with a bathtub caddy that holds it all — wine, candle, book, tablet... Visit Flush Bath & Travel for a fabulous selection and complimentary gift wrapping.
A Prince of Whales gift certificate is sure to delight the adventurer on your gift list. Grab them now at special holiday rates!
PRINCE OF WHALES princeofwhales.com/gift-certificates
Gift a wellness experience. The sauna and cold plunge circuit delivers thrills, chills and laughs — and you’ll walk out feeling incredible! Also: massage therapy, private sauna suites, memberships, passes and gift cards. Shop/book online.
RITUAL NORDIC SPA #101-989 Johnson Street 778-440-9009 | ritualnordicspa.com
Holiday gift giving made easy with Beam Beauty! Let the Beam Team pamper you or your loved ones with beauty treatments and relaxation — perfect gifts for everyone!
BEAM BEAUTY AND WELLNESS CENTRE #110-3046 Merchant Way Belmont Market, Langford 778-440-2289 beambeauty.ca
Give a gift of time well spent. Ancient wellness experiences await for body, mind and spirit rejuvenation.
SAPPHIRE DAY SPA
Est 2005
714 View Street | 250-385-6676 sapphiredayspa.com
Let your loved one choose their gift. A cozy getaway, a day at the spa, a fireside meal or a shopping spree at our gift shop. Our gift cards are redeemable anywhere at Tigh-Na-Mara Spa Resort. Purchase online, by phone or in person. Happy Holidays!
Find our best deals of the year during our Christmas sale! Save on floats, massage and our new sauna/cold plunge.
FLOAT HOUSE VICTORIA
662 Herald Street 778-433-3166
FLOAT HOUSE WESTSHORE 106-2871 Jacklin Road 778-433-6655
floathousevictoria.com
Ignite holiday joy with the unique festivity, colour, cheeky humour and inimitable style of Goldenball. Discover décor, art, apothecary and bespoke treasures, wrapped for giving in impeccable style. Welcome to our brand of holiday fun!
GOLDENBALL MERCANTILE
649 Fort Street
778-877-0695 | goldenballmercantile.com
Give the gift of a satisfied sweet tooth! Keep the tradition alive with our sweets! We have something for everyone: chocolates, cookies, yule logs, fruit cake, stollen, mine tarts, to name a few.
DUTCH BAKERY AND DINER
718 Fort Street, Victoria 250-385-1012 | thedutchbakery.com
COOL BUT COZY
In Victoria, we can enjoy our outdoor spaces (almost) all year round. Here’s how to do it comfortably.
By Carla Sorrell
Asuccessful outdoor space is one that feels like an extension of your home. Incorporating design elements that can transition seamlessly from inside out — like portable lamps, throws, pillows and even chairs — creates continuity between spaces.
When it finally starts to snow, a relatively nominal experience on the West Coast, interior designer Pamela Billinghurst dries off her Hot Mesh chairs by Blu Dot, brings them inside and sets them up in her children’s rooms as reading chairs. “I love the practicality of pieces that co-ordinate well with both interior and exterior spaces,” says Billinghurst.
Plus, it’s a win-win for both style and storage.
We all crave that natural dopamine fix from being outside. Living on the West Coast, it’s not hard to capture a nice view, even if it’s just a glimpse of Juan de Fuca Strait from the corner of an upstairs room window or peering over
a backyard fence. But the real quest is to make outdoor living last, if not year-round, then for the better part of the year.
Whether it’s a fully equipped patio, a balcony retreat or a garden corner, a little planning and creativity can turn even the smallest space into a welcoming, cozy, cold-weather retreat.
WHERE TO START
Builder Andrew Chapman advises that you start with the question: “Where are the nicest places to sit outdoors on this property?”
“Designing around that will always lead to better results,” he says. “It might be a little patio on the east side with morning light that is a wonderful place to have outdoor breakfast in the spring and the summer, or a little nook on the south, which is often too hot in the summer, but a fabulous spot for a sunny day in the winter.”
One common mistake in outdoor design is treating it as an afterthought rather than a priority from the outset. “Being
outdoors is something people really value and prize in their homes,” says Chapman, “but it’s often overlooked in the design phase and added on later.”
SIZE DOESN’T MATTER
It’s possible to make a cozy outdoor space regardless of your budget. From condo balconies to the sprawling backyard of a custom home, there’s always a way to bring that outside-in connection to life.
For those working with limited space, prioritizing multipurpose areas is key. “If you can swing a dining table and two small lounge chairs in a small area, that would probably provide the maximum benefit,” says Billinghurst.
Chapman notes that balconies, on homes or in apartments, have huge potential for cozy, year-round outdoor living, but often fall too short on square footage to give lasting value to homeowners. He references the book A Pattern Language, in which British architect
A LITTLE PLANNING AND CREATIVITY CAN TURN EVEN THE SMALLEST SPACE INTO A WELCOMING, COZY, COLDWEATHER RETREAT.
Christopher Alexander provides evidence that “balconies and porches which are less than six feet deep are hardly ever used.”
Less than six feet, explains Alexander, and there’s not adequate room to group chairs — they have to be in a row. He also adds, interestingly, that balconies offer a better experience if they are recessed, because a cantilevered balcony can feel unsafe, if only psychologically.
Location is crucial when designing outdoor areas. Placing seating or lounging spaces near the kitchen or living room allows for easy access, and existing overhangs can be leveraged for shade and protection.
GREAT EXPECTATIONS
To keep it cozy and convenient — a worthwhile mantra for the West Coast lifestyle — balancing comfort with durability is essential. The design challenge is combining easy-to-maintain materials that withstand the elements with the softness and coziness that makes you want to relax.
“The majority of people view outside as a place to entertain and relax with either their own family or others,” says garden designer Jennifer Sleigh. “And so they’re looking for it to be a space that doesn’t stress them out, a space without any kind of pressure to maintain.”
When it comes to planting, Sleigh recommends simplicity. If you’re using pots, go big. Larger pots allow for more layered plantings and hold more water, reducing maintenance. They can accommodate a tree, which, Sleigh notes, “creates that feeling of being sheltered and adds to the ambience of coziness” while leaving enough space to experiment with seasonal plant combinations.
FOR THOSE WORKING WITH LIMITED SPACE, PRIORITIZING MULTIPURPOSE AREAS IS KEY.
Below: In this Pamela Billinghurst project, wipeable furniture that is both attractive and easy to keep clean is clustered around a warming fire pit.
THREE WAYS TO WARM UP YOUR COZY
1. A Welcoming Light
A portable table lamp like the Marset FollowMe can easily be brought outside for dinner, board games or a nightcap; even better, it has a rechargeable battery and comes in décor-friendly hues like pink, blue and terracotta. grshop.com
2. A Snuggly Throw
The Rowyn fleece throw from Tofino Towel is at once stylish, functional and eco-friendly. It’s one of several designs made by artisans in Turkey, pretty enough to keep on the sofa and warm enough to toss over your shoulders on a chilly evening outdoors. tofinotowelco.com
3. A Friendly Flame
Level up from your old firepit with a sophisticated fire table like the concrete, gas- or propane-powered ones handmade by Vancouver-based DreamCast Design. dreamcastdesign.com
@bagheera_boutique_victoria
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Get updates on local goings on, recommendations for fun stuff to eat, drink or do, plus exclusive entry access to contests and giveaways.
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We make
“Definitely opt for furniture that is easy to spray down and is wipeable, especially for water and pollen, but also for mould and mildew,” says Billinghurst. “I love specifying furniture that’s comfortable enough on its own without cushions, so that you never have to worry about whether you left them on or not.”
Opt for furniture that can handle outdoor conditions, but still offers interior-level comfort without cushioning, like the round rope woven Pluvia chair by Ethimo or any of Vondom’s highly sculptural outdoor chairs. If you want to warm up your space with cushions and textiles that can’t be taken inside, consider a waterproof storage bench that co-ordinates with the rest of the furniture or a coffee table with integrated storage.
ELEMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS
Victoria’s unpredictable weather can be challenging, even in summer. “Capturing heat is important because even on the warmest days, the temperature can drop quickly,” says Chapman. “It is important to add physical warmth to the outdoor space. Even in the summer our nights can be cool, but especially for the fall, winter and spring months.”
His preference for using stone and concrete is inspired both by ancient building techniques, where heat is absorbed throughout the day and emitted as the temperature cools down, and its longevity. Wood, he says, degrades quickly in our damp climate and can end up in the landfill sooner than you might hope.
For smaller spaces and renovations where you are working with the existing structure of a home, overhangs can be leveraged for shade and
“Whether it’s a custom home or renovation, the first consideration is shading and protection from the elements so that, whether you’re working outside or relaxing outside, you can stay out there for an extended period of time,”
She recommends retractable awnings to offer shade or rain protection when needed and tuck away when you want more light. Chapman suggests shade sails as a versatile solution.
For a more permanent setup, achieved through integrated design, a louvred pergola or deep awnings can extend outdoor living through the cooler months. For ultimate comfort consider integrating heating sources into the
Pluvia by Ethimo: comfort without cushioning.
design — like recessed heaters or adding ambient heating in concrete benches to retain warmth.
Planting is vital to creating what Sleigh describes as “that sense of being nooked in” that defines the feeling she looks for in an outdoor space. “A cozy corner can be created by planting on at least two sides of the space,” says Sleigh, who adds that the shade and wind protection provided by that planting creates more options for being outside year-round. “Use plants for screening if you need privacy and think about layering plants — tall, medium and low — especially in smaller spaces where you can mimic the natural layering we see in forests.”
For those with limited space or time, decorative metal screening or glass panels can be effective windbreaks that add a more structured and deliberate design to the outdoor landscape.
ATMOSPHERE
While it’s easy to capture the magic of a late June evening, early spring or late fall may need a little more finesse.
In those curb months, good lighting comes into play. The shorter days are a backdrop for lighting to enliven an outdoor space in the evening. Wall sconces are a practical choice if your area is near the house, while portable table lamps provide flexibility when hardwiring isn’t an option. “I love those little portable lamps — they’re super versatile and instantly create a relaxing atmosphere,” says Billinghurst.
In the garden, where spring and early summer fight for your attention, year-round interest is more nuanced and can be achieved by choosing evergreen trees like pines or shrubs with interesting textures or light colours.
“They’re the plants that carry your garden through the seasons,” says Sleigh of the evergreens. “You can get that with a conifer as well — I love pines for that. Mungo pine is especially popular. They’re interesting all year round and they’re really beautiful in the snow.”
And don’t forget to pile on the cozy pillows and throws, and perhaps install a firepit that is as welcoming as it is warming. As Sleigh says: “Establishing the feel that you want outdoors is key.”
AHEAD OF THE CURVE
Screening, in the form of lattices and plants, provides protection against the elements.
TERIYAKI AND ROLL
We offer a delicious selection of teriyaki rice dishes, noodle bowls, tempura, udon, fresh sushi & sashimi, and a variety of Japanese & Asian Foods. It serves as fast as fast food, but the quality of the food will satisfy you.
vicexpressteriyakiroll.ca 778-265-8374
SHASHWAT
Welcome to SHASHWAT, where we celebrate North India’s rich culinary heritage. Enjoy classics like Paneer Butter Masala, Tandoori Chicken, and Dal Makhani, or try street favourites like Pani Puri and Samosas. For a twist, indulge in fusion dishes like Hakka Noodles, Chili Paneer, and Manchurian, blending Indian spices with Chinese flavours. shashwatindiancuisine@gmail.com 778-265-5928
1701 Douglas Street Monday-Saturday, 11am–6pm Sunday, 11am–5pm
victoriapublicmarket.com
NAAMI’S MEDITERRANEAN
What sets us apart is our wholesome, fresh and wellbalanced meals. From saffron lemon chicken, seasoned beef kebab, spicy chicken, hummus, saffron rice or salad dishes, savour the flavours of the Mediterranean.
naamis.com + DoorDash
ROAST
From our oven to your table — let us do the work and you get the credit this holiday season. Visit our website or give us a call. roastsandwichshop.com 778-433-6639
Located in the iconic Hudson’s Bay Building, the Victoria Public Market features locally sourced artisan foods, handcrafted goods and gourmet items — perfect for all your holiday gifts!
WHISK VICTORIA
Whisk Victoria puts the fun in functional with practical gifts to be used beyond the holiday season.
Instagram: @whiskvictoria 778-433-9184
TWO CROWS CRAFT FOODS
We offer a dizzying array of both sweet and savoury pies, vegan and non-vegan, baked goods, mustards, accoutrement, cocktail garnishes, and more. Whether you’re looking for a quick snack, a lunch, or looking to feed an army, we’ve got you covered. Pop by to see what we’re up to!
twocrowsmustard.com 778 433 3411
LA PASTA LA PIZZA
Celebrating authentic Italian cuisine where all of our pasta, pizza and sauces are housemade ... it’s the only way! We have a cozy event space to book for an after-hours holiday party, birthday or just because.
lapastalapizza.com 778-433-6639
GONZALES COFFEE
Start your day right with the perfect brew! Friendly neighbourhood café located in Fairfield Plaza now has a second location at the Victoria Public Market serving hand crafted coffee from local roaster 2% Jazz along with a daily assortment of their pastries, sandwiches, and wraps.
MIDCENTURY MAGIC
A thoughtful reno makes this Oak Bay home bright, welcoming and accessible for the whole family.
By Danielle Pope | Photos by Joshua Lawrence
Mid-century rainforest: that’s the term Natalie and Adam use to describe their Oak Bay family home.
Its Scandi vibe, washed oak floors, white walls, fluted room dividers and watery blue accents tell part of the story. There is pop art tile in the bathrooms, exposed beams and wood everywhere. A mature garden horseshoes its way around the home, creating enchanted green vistas.
With the holidays drawing close, the couple are readying their expansive kitchen to host 14-person dinner celebrations — Adam in his chef element, kids watching movies on the lower level, the adults settling into conversation nooks around the house.
“We really wanted to capture the idea of coziness and the feeling you get when you come home from the beach with your muddy shoes and you kick them off at the door,” says Natalie. (The couple asked that their surnames not be used.) “Our house is a representation of that very comfortable feeling — the Gore-Tex-sockshanging-up-in-the-mudroom kind of feeling.”
Between the juxtaposition of its modern beauty and its reality as a house designed for a family with two teen boys and dogs, it’s hard to believe the home was ever not this way. Yet the family lived here for almost a decade in what was then a largely outdated, 1930s-style home, with a “death staircase” and very limited accessibility.
And, for this family, that always mattered.
These homeowners redesigned their 1950s rancher with gathering in mind. “Our favourite part of Christmas is definitely hosting family and friends and eating together,” says Natalie. “We designed the kitchen and dining area for hosting.”
DARK TO LIGHT
“I have a physical disability and always have,” says Natalie. “Putting my kids to bed or going to my own bed was a barrier. With the staircase to the laundry basement not up to code, it was actually unsafe for me or anyone else.”
The home was dark, due to its tight hallways and closed rooms, but the backyard redeemed it almost entirely. The family dreamed of living in a post-and-beam mid-century home, and they brought forward what they could with furniture and accessories.
“This started as a 1957 rancher, but without a lick of mid-century modern,” says Natalie. “It was built with 1930s-style coved ceilings, small, divided rooms, lots of doors and a huge fireplace that occupied 100 square feet of the living room. Someone had painted every room a different colour, and the kitchen had that faux-Tuscan vibe that was really popular in the ’90s.”
Adam is the first to say it’s funny how long you can live with something before making a change. The thing was, even as they searched for other options, nothing compared to what they had.
Somehow, that made the “unworkable” kitchen, the outdated bathrooms and even the risky layout palatable for a time.
“We wanted a modern layout with three beds
on the main floor, rather than the classic Oak Bay two up and two down. The boys having their own space was important, and stairs just don’t work for us; we needed something functional that could let us age in place,” says Adam. “We searched for years, but we kept coming back to what our place offered — a beautiful, southwestfacing backyard, a huge lot, close to the beach and so many amenities.”
And, despite its sketchy staircase, most of the basement was finished, giving the family just enough room to get by. Then the pandemic hit.
RENOVATE OR REBUILD?
Suddenly, Natalie and Adam were putting their computer monitors back to back in a makeshift shared office. Then Adam’s dad had a nearby space to rent, offering the family an attractive place to stay so they could get serious about renos.
“Our goals at the beginning were just to redo the kitchen and bathrooms. That was in 2020,” says Adam. “Pretty quickly, our focus was changing. We realized it would be good to have a real home office, and it was time to move the laundry upstairs and give everyone their own space.”
Thanks to the support of D’Introno Interior Design and Goodison Construction, the family was able to realize their vision.
Before
The kitchen’s dated faux
was replaced by sleek oak cabinetry, a continuous stone backsplash and a new layout featuring an island that’s perfect for visiting. It remains one of Natalie’s favourite spots in the home. She can usually be found nearby working at the kitchen table, or chatting with Adam while he’s in his chef element.
Tuscan vibe
Before
Prior to the reno, large columns and closedoff rooms divided this home. The homeowners created a more easeful flow by opening up the kitchen and dining area. The result is a united, welcoming and accessible space designed to work long into the future.
“I was brought on because they wanted to upgrade their bathroomaccessibility situation, but pretty early on I could see how much of the house was not functional, at all.”
end result has room for everyone’s needs and can easily keep mess out of sight, with a fluted, sliding closet door that adds visual interest upon entering the house.
Designer Tonia D’Introno says she was “playing with inches” when it came to creating a mudroom out of the original entrance. The
“This home was cute for its time, but it needed to be updated for a family and for someone who needed accessibility,” says Tonia D’Introno, principal of D’Introno Interior Design. “I was brought on because they wanted to upgrade their bathroomaccessibility situation, but pretty early on I could see how much of the house was not functional, at all.”
A sore spot for D’Introno was the entryway, littered with boots, shoes and coats along its narrow corridor.
“It was literally hard for Natalie to move around things as soon as you entered the house because the hallway was very narrow, with no proper place to put anything,” says D’Introno. “My original impression of the house was that while some areas felt so cramped and poorly designed, others were so expansive and relatively useless.”
The large, cordoned-off living area went unused, with the enormous column fireplace the only mainstay of the space.
“Sometimes when you do a reno of this scale, you look at the wish list and it doesn’t equal a reno — it’s a teardown and rebuild,” says D’Introno. “You have to be careful not to get halfway through and say, ‘We should have just done a teardown.’ ”
PLAYING WITH INCHES
Yet the team pulled it off, with almost every wish-list item checked. The home was gutted, with long-term livability at the helm, should ramps or other accessible features ever be needed.
The oversized living room was portioned off for a new entryway, extended bathroom, a larger primary bedroom, a new laundrypantry area and an expansion to the kitchen, which blended seamlessly with the backyard. A large island is now a welcoming gathering spot.
The basement, finished with just seven feet of clearance, was redrafted with optical illusions to bring a feeling of spaciousness — like tall doors, thin trim and a redesign that gave each boy their own room, a dedicated bathroom and lounge area.
And, of course, the stairs are gone, replaced with an accessible staircase only the kids need to use.
“I was literally playing with inches,” says D’Introno. “It’s so understated. You would never think so much thought was put into it. Now, when you walk in the home, it opens to this hidden mudroom with space for everything and the sliding-wall system means you can tuck it all away and enjoy a beautiful millwork feature.”
Despite all the changes, Natalie and Adam say the kitchen is their biggest win. Natalie says you can usually find her at the kitchen table, chatting with Adam while he’s cooking up a storm.
“It’s exactly what we want. I never have a day when I say I wish we’d done that differently,” says Natalie. “I see us feeling really comfortable here for a long time to come.”
Give the gift of something extraordinary. The perfect wellness experience awaits.
Offering ancient wellness traditions and extraordinary experiences to our community since 2005 Organic Skincare • Ayurvedic Treatments • Therapeutic Massage • Vegan Nailcare
714 View Street 250-385-6676 sapphiredayspa.com
Your Financial Partner in Times of Change
(Left) Charlotte Paul, CIM, Associate Portfolio Manager, Assante Capital Management Ltd.
Electrician: Victoria Lightworks Electrical Services
Doors and hardware: Slegg Door Shop
Windows: Westeck Windows and Doors
Roofing: Phil Smith Roofing
Drywall: Definitive Drywall
Painting: Amira’s Painting
Kitchen and custom millwork: Splinters Millworks
Finishing carpentry: Goodison Construction
Glass: Parker Glass
Countertops: Stone Age Marble
Wood flooring and tile supply: Island Floor Centre
Wood flooring install: Cherry Point Hardwood Floors
Tile install: Kyle’s Tiles
A Simply Wonderful Christmastime
We all know that behind the picturepostcard perfection of the holidays lies a lot of hard work. But not if you follow YAM’s guide to making the season merry, bright and easy.
By YAM Staff
It’s all too easy to get caught up in the busyness of the holidays, the endless cycle of cooking-shoppingcleaning-decorating, the many social events, the pressure that always comes with hosting family and friends. But the truth is that only one thing really matters — spending time with the people you love.
So we’re here to say: Relax. Pour yourself a glass of wine, put your feet up and let us help you make this the best, most stress-free holiday ever. Here’s how.
Prioritize Planning
First, spend a little time making your list and checking it twice. Not your shopping list, or at least, not yet. Make a big ugly list of all the things you believe you need to attend, host and do over the holiday season. That includes the social events, gift shopping, cleaning, decorating, baking, hosting parties and house guests, and taking part in festive traditions like watching the IEOA Truck Parade or listening to Handel’s Messiah.
Which ones are essential? Which ones do you like to do? Which ones make you feel good about yourself? Which ones let you spend the most quality time with your family and friends?
Those should all go on your actual “to do” list. Schedule them into your calendar now.
Take another look at your big list. Are there some things you can ask someone else to do? Can you have something delivered rather than spend a couple of hours you don’t have shopping? Can you hire someone to take a chore off your hands? Then just do it. (See page 52 for more ideas for outsourcing holiday tasks.)
Finally, look at what’s left and consider simply saying no. No to those after-work drinks, that last-minute event that conflicts with your annual Love Actually movie night, that expectation that you’ll be hosting again when your friends haven’t reciprocated in two years. No, too, to the ridiculous demands we put on ourselves, like making gifts from scratch when we already work a demanding full-time job.
We know that for many of us saying no is hard. We worry about letting people down or missing out on something fun. But the reality is that if you say yes to everything, you’re going to burn yourself out, and that’s not good for anyone.
Focus on Essentials
That said, there are still things that need to be done. The house needs to be decorated, the guests need to be fed, the gifts need to be bought and wrapped. For sure you’ll need to work those into your schedule, but maybe ease up on how intense you’re going to be about it.
For instance, if you plan to bake cookies, don’t feel you need to make a dozen different varieties. And don’t feel you need to make anything super fancy and complicated (unless, of course, you love doing it). Your guests will still be impressed if you make even one of our pastry-chef-approved recipes (see page 82). Scratch that — they’ll be happy even if you just crack open a tin of those Belgian butter biscuits.
Same goes for decorating. If you love going all out with the holiday bling, by all means bring on the twinkly lights, the fancy seven-foot tree, the festive vignette in the powder room, the faux pine branches and ribbons wrapped around the balustrades. But you don’t have to. A simple wreath on the door and a garland on the mantelpiece is fine.
Finally, make sure to take some time for yourself. The holidays are meant to be a time to refresh, re-energize and reconnect with people. They should not add a full-time job to the work you already do.
Go for a walk. Hit the spa or sauna. Curl up with a good book. Sleep in. Order takeout.
You’ll be happier and so will the people who love you. And isn’t making people happy what the holidays are really about?
Outsource Everything
The idea of making everything from scratch is a lovely one, but with our busy lives it’s often just not realistic. So stop putting the pressure on yourself. Do the things you love and outsource everything else, starting with the items on this list. Just beware that in most cases you need to book at least a few weeks ahead, so don’t leave it to the last minute.
CLEANING THE HOUSE
Having a clean house is satisfying. Getting it that way isn’t always as much fun. Victoria has several cleaning services that will do the job — check with the Better Business Bureau to make sure the one you’re interested in is legit. Meanwhile, housekeeper.com is an online service that can connect you to the kind of cleaner you need, whether it’s a one-time thing, a regular gig or even a job for a rental property.
WRAPPING THE GIFTS
Each year starting at the beginning of December, The Mustard Seed Church offers a gift-wrapping service by donation, typically at Hillside and/or Mayfair Shopping Centre. Visit mustardseed.ca/giftwrap for this year’s details. It’s a great way to offload a chore while also helping those who need it most.
PUTTING UP THE LIGHTS
Who doesn’t love a dazzling light display? But putting up outdoor lights can be tricky, time-consuming and treacherous, especially if it’s dark or the weather is unpredictable, as it often is at this time of year. This is one time it’s good to call in the experts. In Victoria, try: Gorilla Property Services (gorillapropertyservices. com), Lush (lushecolawns.com), Light Right Outdoor Lighting (lightright.ca), FestiLight (festilight.ca), We Hang Christmas Lights (wehangchristmaslights.com). Note that you can also install permanent lights that can change colour with the season or event.
STOCKING UP ON FOOD AND DRINK
Heading to the grocery store on a December Saturday afternoon can be a lot. If stress levels are already high, there’s nothing like a jammed parking lot to push them right over the edge. Luckily, most major grocers now have pickup and delivery services, including Thrifty Foods, Save-OnFoods, Whole Foods Market and The Market Stores. Some even offer same-day delivery, although that might be less readily available during the busy holiday season.
Similarly, you can get your wine, beer and spirits delivered by private retailers such as Cascadia Liquor, Liquor Plus, The Strath Ale, Wine and Spirit Merchants, and Vessel Liquor Store. Or you can order cases of wine directly from B.C. wineries and support an industry that could use your help.
Our best advice: Whether you are ordering food or drink, stock up on as much as you can ahead of time so you don’t need to worry about things running out.
DIMITRIJE
COOKING THE BIG DINNER
We love to cook, but we’ll admit that prepping the big feast can be a bit of a grind. That’s why we’re so happy the takeout turkey dinner has become a thing. Q at the Fairmont Empress is famous for their luxe feast. Jones Bar-B-Que’s smoked turkey breast and confit turkey leg dinners are so popular they’ve had to double production. Whole Foods has a wide choice of turkey, ham, prime rib or vegetarian meals. Roast, Marriott Victoria Inner Harbour, Heron Rock Bistro and many catering companies also offer holiday meals to go.
… Or Just Part of It
OK, maybe you love roasting turkey but hate making appies and don’t have the patience for baking. Do the parts you enjoy and have someone else do the rest. Consider hosting a potluck or purchasing part of the meal, like fancy cheese and crackers from your favourite gourmet store, charcuterie (locally made by The Whole Beast, Pickles’ Pantry or Haus Sausage), smoked seafood or chowder (from Finest at Sea), tourtière or appetizer sausage rolls (from Saltchuck Pie Company) and, of course, baked goods from The Dutch Bakery, Crust, GoodSide Pastry House or whoever makes the sweets you love best.
A Real Gift Guide
Even for those of us who love shopping for gifts and pride ourselves on our thoughtful choices, it can be a challenge finding, wrapping and mailing all the right gifts for all the right people. Here’s how to simplify it.
• Give yourself plenty of time. The sooner you get started on planning, shopping and wrapping, the better, especially if you are ordering gifts online or mailing them abroad. For guidelines on when to send cards and packages, visit canadapost-postescanada.ca.
• Plan ahead. Do not, we repeat, DO NOT go into that shopping mall without a list of all your recipients and at least some idea of what you plan to get for them. Better yet, pay attention to what they want (ask them if necessary) and keep a running list of gift ideas throughout the year.
• There’s an app for that. Giftser lets you create public or private wish lists with links to the exact products you want, including details like size and price. The lists are shareable, easily updatable and will show if a gift has already been purchased. giftster.com
A ROARING NEW YEARS
COCKTAILS and all that JAZZ
Step back in time and usher in 2025 with a glamorous and exclusive Gatsby-themed celebration at Fairmont Empress. Enjoy a lavish evening inspired by the roaring 1920s where a secret password is your ticket to an unforgettable night filled with style and elegance. Don’t miss out on the most talked-about event of the year!
Fancy something else? Fairmont Empress is reopening its doors to the Bengal for another unforgettable New Year’s Eve celebration!
For full holiday event details visit: fairmont-empress.com
• Be thoughtful. The best gifts aren’t the most expensive ones, they’re the personal ones that make the recipient feel seen. For instance, if you shared a memorable dinner at a local restaurant, you could pick up a gift card for a future meal or a jar of their famous hot sauce.
• Be thoughtful, part two. Food and drink are ideal gifts — they are caring, nourishing, designed to be consumed and are even more precious if they come from your kitchen. But be careful and consider whether the recipient has any allergies, aversions or cultural dietary restrictions, especially when it comes to alcohol.
• Don’t forget the gift wrap! We love to pick a theme each year for our paper and ribbons. (For instance: sparkly silver and white snowflakes; glam forest green and gold; or homey red plaid with animal motifs.) Whatever you choose, stock up well in advance so you’re not running around at the last minute searching for one more spool of ribbon. And don’t forget the sticky tape, gift tags and, if you need to mail any parcels, packing paper.
• Money on your mind? If you have a lot of family and friends to buy for, consider setting a mutually agreed-upon price limit to keep costs under control or drawing names so everyone only has to buy a gift for one person.
• Choose experiences over stuff. Many of us have too many things as it is, so it might just be better to offer something fun to do, especially if it’s something you can share. Just a few ideas: a whalewatching excursion, pickleball lessons, concert tickets, sports season’s pass or membership in a museum or gallery.,
• Short on time? Gift cards are perfectly fine.
Sophia Pastras Client Care & Marketing Coordinator (unlicensed)
For those who are far from home or who have experienced a recent loss in their lives, the holidays can be a sad and lonely time. And people also struggle with this time of year for myriad other reasons that can range from financial worries to past traumas to time limitations.
If this sounds like someone you know, here’s how you can help:
1. Call, text, send a card or drop by to let them know you’re thinking about them. Be available if they need someone to talk to, but don’t pressure them to do so, and don’t be judgy if they share something you find uncomfortable.
2. If appropriate, invite them to join your celebrations, but be understanding if they decline.
3. If they can’t join you because they are caring for a child, senior or someone with health problems, find a way to work around their schedule so they can be included.
4. Bring them something they love, whether it’s their favourite celebrity magazine or some home-baked goodies.
5. Offer practical support if it’s needed, for instance, by helping a timestrapped friend decorate her house or walking a housebound neighbour’s dog.
If this is you:
1. Practise self care. Eat well, get lots of sleep and do something you love, whether it’s binge-watching your favourite TV show or booking a massage.
2. Reach out to a friend, neighbour or work colleague, even if it’s just for a quick coffee and catch-up.
3. If that seems like too much effort, connect with your social networks online.
4. Check out festive events around the city, many of which are free.
5. Help someone else by volunteering for a charitable cause. You may even make new friends there!
And if things get really bad, there are many services available to help, but in an emergency call the Government of B.C.’s Mental Health Support line at 310-6789.
Cozy comfort
Wrap yourself in cozy comfort with blankets from Highland Tartan Threads of Scotland!
Made from premium wool and wool blends, each blanket boasts classic tartan colours that celebrate Scotland’s rich heritage.
Walk It Off
Five local strolls, ambles and meanders to get you through the winter.
By Carolyn B. Heller
On the best winter days, Victoria might lure you outdoors with misty mornings or crisp, clear afternoons. But even the darkness and drizzle that can descend on Vancouver Island isn’t a reason to stay indoors. Take advantage of the serene winter season to wander through the city on foot.
A good raincoat and waterproof walking shoes or boots are the basic gear you need for comfortable winter strolling. Add rain pants, a rain hat or umbrella, as well as water-resistant mittens or gloves for damper days. Layers will help you adjust to changeable weather — just add a sweater when the wind kicks in or shed a layer as you warm up while walking. And don’t forget your water bottle. Even on cold days, it’s important to stay hydrated. Now let’s go for a walk.
Perambulate Through the Park
In the summer, Beacon Hill Park bustles with families petting the goats at the Beacon Hill Children’s Farm, tourists snapping selfies at the Trans-Canada Highway’s “Mile 0” and urbanites sheltering from the sun beneath the cedars and Douglas firs. But in winter, a walk through Victoria’s central park can be a scenic escape, especially if a dusting of snow has settled on the evergreens.
Enter the park from Douglas Street (where you will also find the iconic Beacon Drive In) and circle Good Acre Lake. Look for the Moss Lady, an 11-metre-long sculpture reclining behind the Cameron Bandshell. If it’s a clear day without too much wind, climb the path behind the children’s farm to the park’s summit, where the views across the water extend to Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. From this viewpoint, head down the trails toward Dallas Road — take care if the paths are slippery — and continue your walk in either direction along the Dallas Road Waterfront Trail, where you can dream about sunny days by the sea.
Take an Indigenous Art Walk
Victoria sits on the territory of the lək̓ wəŋən (Lekwungen) people of the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations. Take an art walk through the city’s downtown to find the “Signs of Lekwungen,” seven sculptures marking places that are culturally significant to these two nations. Coast Salish artist Clarence “Butch” Dick created these 2.5-metre-tall artworks, bronze casts of cedar carvings, each in the shape of a spindle whorl, which Coast Salish women traditionally used to spin wool.
Start at Songhees Point on the west shore, in the waterfront park behind the Delta Victoria
The Moss Lady in Beacon Hill Park.
This spindle whorl is one of seven “Signs of Lekwungen” sculptures by Coast Salish artist
Ocean Pointe Resort, to see the first of these sculptures. Another is outside Victoria City Hall, while a third is on the former site of Fort Victoria, overlooking the water on Wharf Street at Broughton. The sculpture on the Inner Harbour’s Lower Causeway opposite the Fairmont Empress Hotel marks the “place of mud,” former tidal mudflats where First Nations people once dug for clams. Other artworks along this sculpture trail are located outside the Royal BC Museum, in Laurel Point Park and at the lookout in Beacon Hill Park, a point that the First Nations called MEE-qan, meaning “warmed by the sun.”
Saunter and Sip
Don’t let a little rain — or a powerful thirst — keep you from your winter walks. Plan your stroll around stops at the city’s craft breweries, where you can duck inside for a drink along the way.
Begin at Whistle Buoy Brewing in Market Square, kicking off your walk with Coastality, their signature North American pale ale, or with the nuttier Stouty McStoutface. Continue up Douglas Street to Phillips Brewing for non-alcoholic options like their iOTA line, which comes in pilsner, cerveza, pale ale, hazy IPA and blackberry lemon ale varieties, or the Spitfire Ginger Ale or Dare Devil Orange Cream, made by their sibling craft beverage company, Phillips Soda Works.
Take a left on Bay Street and walk to Moon Under Water, where you might pair your drinks with a chicken and brie burger, a tofu and veggie bowl, or an order of masala cheese fries. Continue your stroll down Bay to Songhees Walkway and Spinnakers, one of the first brew pubs in Canada. Alternatively, retrace your steps on Bay, then go north on Bridge Street to Hoyne Brewing Company, known for brews like Dark Matter or Helios Dortmunder, a
malt-forward golden lager. Keep walking north to Île Sauvage Brewing, where you might wrap up your walk with their unique Yuzu NPA, a hoppy non-alcoholic blend of Genmaicha (green tea) and yuzu juice, before making your way back downtown.
Ramble Along a Rail Trail
The 29-kilometre-long Lochside Regional Trail runs from central Victoria to the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal. While this multi-use pathway along a former train line is popular with cyclists, you can follow the path on foot, too.
Cross the Johnson Street Bridge to the Galloping Goose Trail, which intersects the Lochside at the Switch Bridge. Take the Lochside northeast, passing placid Swan Lake and crossing the Swan Lake trestle bridge. After about three kilometres, the Lochside meets Blenkinsop Greenway, which leads east to Babe’s Honey Farm. Duck into their tasting room (call first to confirm their winter hours) to sample their Sparkling Bee Line, a fermented kombucha-like beverage made from honey. The Earl Grey tea will warm you with its bergamot and vanilla flavours, while ginger lovers should make a beeline for the Ginger Splash.
Enjoy masala cheese fries at Moon Under Water.
Lochside Regional Trail
Follow the Flight Path
Dreaming of a winter getaway? A walk on the Flight Path, which loops around Victoria International Airport in the centre of the Saanich Peninsula, won’t get you to a tropical destination, but it might help spur your fantasies of flight, watching the airplanes take off as you follow this paved, multi-use trail.
Part of the nine-kilometre-long route passes Patricia Bay Park on the waterfront, while another section takes you beside warehouses, garages and electrical supply stores through the peninsula’s industrial heart. On the path’s north side, detour for a hot drink and a decadently rich salted caramel pecan brownie at the Fickle Fig Farm Market. Or duck into the BC Aviation Museum for a look at the heritage aircraft.
You can pick up the trail near Sidney or at the airport itself, both transit-accessible from downtown. The Flight Path isn’t shaded or sheltered, so it’s best to follow on a clear, mild day. Just watch for icy spots when the temperatures drop.
If you’re walking the Flight Path when winter has eased into spring, take a break amid the wildflowers in the YYJ pollinator garden. You can sit and spot the planes, or simply pause to be grateful that you’ve walked your way through another winter.
Chunky, Tweedy, Sleek & Cozy
Indoors or out, edgy or elegant, fashion this winter is all about texture. Layer on the knits and you’ll be ready for anything, any time, anywhere.
Fashion Stylist: Janine Metcalfe
Photographer: Jeffrey Bosdet
This page: Add a Shot of Espresso
and
Engineer
Opposite: Stay Warm in Tweedy Flecks Naka long, lightweight, speckled
by
Turtleneck
Mason Kanai cardi in espresso by Ayrtight, available at Moden Boutique. Short
boots by Red Wing Shoes, available at Heart and Sole Shoes.
sweater
FIG, available at Adventure Clothing.
This page: Be Bold in Black and White Striped sweater and Loyce knitted scarf by Part Two, black knit skirt and jacket by Anneclaire, all available at Bagheera Boutique. Boots model’s own.
Opposite: Get Casually Cozy Euro chunky cardigan and hoodie cardigan, both by Made in Italy with Love, available at Butik Naturals. Light grey pullover sweater and charcoal grey pants, both by EKRU Europe, available at Butik Naturals. Pegada sneakers available at Good Bones Clothing Company.
This page:
Embrace Winter Whites
Cream
Opposite: Layer in Natural Loveliness
cashmere turtleneck by Repeat and longline, open-front knit cardigan by Oui, available at Good Bones Clothing Company. Loyce knitted scarf by Part Two, available at Bagheera Boutique.
Wool sweater by JcSophie, beige knit dress by Mansted and cashmere poncho by Repeat, all available at Tulipe Noire. Short Engineer boots by Red Wing Shoes, available at Heart and Sole Shoes.
Model: Angela Vanderwal
Hair and makeup: Anya Ellis/Lizbell Agency
Makeup: Charlotte Tilbury
Hair products: Oribe
GOOD RELATIONS
Dreading those awkward family conversations over the holidays? Follow our guide to navigating them with grace — and shoring up your inner resources, too.
By Carolyn Camilleri
The festive season is fraught with conversational pitfalls, especially with certain family members: the aunt who always has a critical comment, the uncle who shares his conspiracy theories, decades-old sibling rivalries and all those questions about when you’re getting married/having kids/ retiring/whatever pushes your buttons.
And that’s in addition to the other stresses of the holiday season, which can make us all more sensitive and more likely to react (or overreact) to the things our loved ones say, even when they are wellintentioned.
“Excitement, stress, grief, happiness, and we are often confronted with family-of-origin stuff, financial realities, child-care realities,” says J. Nicole Little, PhD, a registered clinical counsellor (RCC) in Victoria. With a laugh, she suggests that Hallmark needs to make a movie about this side of the holiday season.
“Spending time with our families of origin often touches on vulnerable, child-like parts of ourselves that we often don’t even know are there, so we can be taken off guard when we react in ways we wouldn’t in other parts of our lives,” says Victoria-based Linette Read, RCC. “I think we’ve all had that moment of disbelief as we’re responding to a family member like we’re still a teenager.”
That slide into a past role has two sides: how we are treated, especially by an older generation of relatives who may still see us as a child or youth; and how we behave in response, which may include expecting them to take care of everything — or resenting them for doing so. Either can activate both old hurts and any current struggles we may be experiencing.
“But let’s face it. Holidays often come with constraints on time, money and energy, so it can be helpful to step back and ask: Who am I doing this for?”
“When we slide back into the role that the people we’re going to visit may still see us in, then we tend to act from that,” says Leanne Rose Dorish, RCC. “We tend to take things personally faster because of that potential to slip back into a childhood role.”
Add to that self-criticism, failed expectations and loneliness even in a room full of people, all at a time of year when we are supposed to be happy, and, as Dorish says, “The vulnerable parts of ourselves bubble up to the surface more.”
Here’s how to survive it all and maybe, just maybe, keep things merry and bright.
MANAGE EXPECTATIONS
Before any event, whether it’s with friends, colleagues or family, level up your advance preparation. Start by managing your expectations.
“We are susceptible to social media versions of life — and therefore unhelpful social comparison — and perhaps our own fantasies of what the holiday season ‘should’ look like,” Little says. “But let’s face it. Holidays often come
with constraints on time, money and energy, so it can be helpful to step back and ask: Who am I doing this for? At the end of the holiday season, what do I hope to have gained that aligns with my values — for example, more time with family, an eco-conscious holiday, more spiritual communion, more actual downtime, etc.? Am I performing the holidays or participating in them?”
She adds: “Most of us imagine the worst about events we are stressed about. I have had clients who said, ‘Well, let’s expect the worst and then maybe not be disappointed.’ But this is counterproductive as you are laying the neural pathways to be on the lookout for what is the ‘worst.’ ”
Instead of saying a particular event is “always a disaster,” say the event is “typically chaos” and make a plan for handling it.
Dorish, who is based in Salmon Arm, also emphasizes the importance of managing expectations, noting that in between hoping for the best and expecting the worst is a neutral zone, and that it’s perfectly fine if things are just … fine.
“You’re weighing all of these pieces against what you’re expecting these people are going to say and the reality of what they’re going to say, or who you want them to be versus who they still are,” she says. “The expectations can make the whole thing worse, because for weeks in advance you’re thinking, ‘Oh, this is going to be a disaster.’ ”
Dorish adds: “We don’t need to be totally
miserable and we don’t need to be totally ecstatic that we’re there.”
BE PREPARED
How much time and energy you take to prepare is going to influence how deeply you delve into your family dynamics and the conflicts that can arise at gatherings.
A good place to start is by setting boundaries.
“What are you willing to share? What are you willing to talk about and what are your limits?” says Read. “Prepare and practise some lines ahead of time that can help you to navigate tricky situations in a polite but firm way, even something as simple as, ‘I’m not feeling comfortable talking about this. How about we change the subject?’ ”
Then make sure you are physically and emotionally fit to handle whatever the situation throws at you.
“We can work to regulate ourselves ahead of an event by making sure we’ve eaten well and had some good exercise and sleep,” says Read. “We can wear clothes that feel both physically comfortable and help us to feel confident in who we are. We can also wear or have something in our pocket that we can touch to help ground us in uncomfortable situations, like a smooth pendant or a pretty rock.”
Dorish says it may also be helpful to have a close friend on standby for text messages or a call — someone you can laugh with or who can offer encouragement, support or just distraction.
Little advises reducing vulnerabilities and coping ahead, both key practices in dialectical behaviour therapy.
In a holiday scenario, “reducing vulnerabilities” means reducing the variables that may increase stress and/or make triggers worse. What does this look like in practical terms?
Little offers a list:
• Maintain a regular schedule for sleep, exercise and nutrition;
• Ask for help (“Even Santa has a partner and elves!”);
• Swap maladaptive but immediate coping skills (like having a drink or two before the staff party) with more adaptive ones (such as calling a good friend before heading to a mandated event);
• And don’t take on more than you can handle — in other words, set appropriate boundaries. (“No, I cannot make 300 snowman cookies for tomorrow’s event!”)
“Coping ahead” goes a step further.
“We rehearse in our mind the stressful event, then imagine ourselves using healthy skills to navigate the event,” says Little. “Doing this — more than once, by the way — primes our brain to use skills in the live moment just as we have practised in the imaginary one.”
Coping ahead may also mean planning ahead by, for example, choosing to attend the event, but staying elsewhere and ensuring you have access to your self-care or spiritual program or that lifeline friend you can contact when you need them most.
Dr. Braden Zoon and Dr. Denysse Zoon
BE KIND TO YOURSELF
There’s a third part to Little’s process: Practise self-compassion, especially if you’ve done or said something that feels out of character.
“Too often, people are skilled at rehearsing events that have happened or they are busy doing ‘social autopsies’ on their faux pas,” she says. “Once an event has come and gone, let it go. Rumination is our brain trying to solve a problem, so be kind to it and at the same time, remind yourself that you are a perfectly flawed human — and so is everyone else!”
Maybe you’re curious about why these types of issues happen every year and you want to do a bit better than just survive a family gathering. Before you do, though, ask yourself: How do I
want to be with these people who may still see me as a child or youth? How important is it to fix things?
“It really is about reflecting on how you want to feel after the interaction,” says Little. “Conflict can be intimacy enhancing when it is repaired, but my experience of the holidays with clients is that sometimes conflicts arise without the repair.”
To help navigate these sticky situations, Little recommends asking yourself this: “Is arguing with person X to get my point across going to divide us or bring us closer?”
Ultimately, you can’t change other people, but you can change how you react to them — and nurture compassion for yourself. And that might be the best holiday gift of all.
5 Conversation Non-Starters
Despite your best efforts, sometimes you can’t avoid the tricky conversations that happen in social settings, especially with family. Our experts recommend these five ways to handle them and keep your emotions, temper and relationships intact.
1 Breathe
“Never underestimate the power of a few deep breaths,” says registered clinical counsellor Linette Read. “Not only do they give us a moment to pause and reflect on how we want to respond, but they also literally help our nervous system to regulate.”
2 Trust Your Gut
“If you’ve been with these people enough through your life, you will have a spidey sense when something’s about to happen. Even if it’s a moment where you suddenly need to get up and walk to another room, listen to that piece, trust your body,” says fellow RCC Leanne Dorish. “When you come back, you may learn you just missed a fight about how to baste the turkey.”
3 Laugh it Off
“Bring lightheartedness and humour into an awkward conversation,” Dorish says. “If someone asks, ‘When are you getting married?’ make a lighthearted joke about waiting for that gorgeous farmer to sweep you off your feet or something extravagant to make someone laugh and change the subject.”
4 Walk Away
“Politics is a hot topic, and if you are really not into discussing politics, you can listen politely or leave under the guise of another task,” says RCC J. Nicole Little. “A staple in my house is to simply say, ‘I have to take the dogs for a walk.’ ”
5 Deflect Politely
And remember: You don’t have to take the bait. As Dorish points out, “If a controversial question is directed at you, reply with something like: ‘I’m happy when people do things that are in their heart as long as it doesn’t hurt others.’ ”
Arabesque Ring Collection
Food + Drink
SEASON Gifts and The Dish
SIPS Whisky Island
RECIPES
84 Spiked Eggnog Cookies
85 Matcha Amaretti
86 Mint Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
87 Linzer Cookies with Wild Berry Jam
88 Citrus & Chestnut Yakgwa Cookies
89 Speculaas Cookies with Banana Caramel
90 Ginger Cookies with Rum Butter Glaze
94 Dutch Baby
95 Panettone Bread Pudding
IN SEASON
Blood Oranges:
The Sweeter Citrus
The name may be gruesome. The flavour is anything but. Smaller than regular navel oranges, with a bumpy skin that often has a reddish tint, blood oranges may not look like much — certainly nothing to warrant the price. But inside that unprepossessing peel is a sweet, fragrant flesh that can range from deep pink to dark red, thanks to a pigment called anthocyanin. The aroma is delicately floral, the flavour sweeter than most oranges, with a decided raspberry note. While blood oranges can be eaten just as is, or segmented and added to salads, we prefer to use the juice in baking and cocktails. It makes a delightful and pretty deep pink curd for tarts, and is divine in cocktails that call for other citrus juice, like Margaritas and Sidecars.
(You’ll still want to add a splash of lemon juice to balance the sweetness.)
Blood oranges are available from December to May, and they’re not always easy to find, so enjoy them while you can.
BY JOANNE
Gifts for Cooks (Especially When that Cook is You)
Cooks always need one more gadget, one more tool, one more amazing pot or beautiful board. Start with these seven great (mostly local) ideas for the cooks on your shopping list.
in a cook’s arsenal than a really good knife. Or two. Give your favourite cook a blade that’s a cut above the rest — either a damascened Japanese knife from Vancouver’s Knifewear (knifewear.com) or one that’s custom made just for you by Leechtown Blacksmith north of Sooke. leechtown.co
A stunning salad bowl: Give your greens a glow-up with these beautiful wooden bowls in maple, red alder, walnut or dogwood, made by Qualicum Beach artist Richard Porter. (He also makes pretty and practical salad servers to go with.) They’re available through Salish Sea Market in Bowser. salishseamarket.com
A beautiful board: If you have a good knife, you need a good cutting board, preferably an end-grain one. (End grain boards are firmer, more durable and more scratch resistant.) Check out the gorgeous ones made up Island by West Coast Boards — woodworker Ryan Hawkins crafts them from hardwoods such as maple, walnut and cherry in mesmerizing zig-zag and other patterns. westcoastboards.ca
Pasta tools: A hand-turned mattarello (in maple, beech or walnut) or a bronze pasta cutter with burled wood handle is an ideal gift for anyone whose idea of a perfect Sunday afternoon is to make tagliatelle from scratch. Find them through Nonna’s Wood Shop in Mission. nonnaswoodshop.com
Wrap it up: If you’re looking for a smart stocking stuffer, the bright, cheerful beeswax food wraps from Victoria’s own Nature Bee are fun, practical and good for the environment. naturebeewraps.ca
Better beeswax: If you invest in good boards and bowls, you should also invest in a good product to preserve them. The choice for many pros is Clapham’s Beeswax Products from Salt Spring Island.
The finishing touch: Flaked sea salt from the waters around Vancouver Island is the perfect finishing salt; its crystals are hollow pyramids that last longer on the surface of food than finer salts, adding texture, crunch and a delicate saline note to any dish. Make like a chef and order the kilo-size bucket from Vancouver Island Sea Salt. canadianseasalt.com
The Dish
What’s Cooking on the Island’s Food Scene
In the last few months, Vancouver Island has seen some exciting restaurant openings — and some well-deserved recognition.
Outside Victoria:
One of the Island’s most highly anticipated new restaurants is Ombré in Tofino, from the team at Wolf in the Fog. It’s housed in the former SoBo location, where chef David Provençal (formerly the sous chef at Wolf) serves up share plates of Mediterraneaninspired fare. Think: tender house-made bucatini cacio e pepe showered in peppery nasturtiums, gloriously garlicky focaccia topped with foraged chanterelles or nutty buckwheat madeleines piped with swirls of feather-light chicken liver parfait. “It’s a bit of an homage for my grandmother,” says Provençal. Assistant GM Jonathan Carlile adds the finishing touch with gorgeous cocktails and a wine list heavy on dynamic, foodfriendly and natural wines.
Meanwhile, former SoBo chef-owner Lisa Ahier has been competing on Top Chef Canada while also refining her line of SoBo ready-toeat products. “It’s food that you can taste the love in it,” she says. The first, her famous wild smoked salmon chowder, has been available in small quantities across the Island, but has just been picked up by Choices Markets; Ahier also has another 14 or so products in the works, starting with her chicken and white bean chili. “Now it’s time for the big boys,” she says. “I’m ready to rumble.”
In Courtenay, the Kingfisher Pacific Resort & Spa has a high-profile new chef: Jonathan Macdonald trained in Michelin three-star restaurants such as The Fat Duck and The Ledbury in London, and the iconic Noma in Copenhagen, and cooked aboard the superyachts of emirs, princes and prime ministers. Expect exciting things to happen here!
In Greater Victoria:
In Esquimalt, former Top Chef Canada finalist Andrea Alridge is leading the team at high-end Janevca Kitchen at Rosemead House, while just down the road Demian Merino, a veteran of top pubs including Vancouver’s Donnelly Group and Victoria Pub Company, has opened Saxe Point Public House
In downtown Victoria, kitty corner to The Courtney Room, Chobap is a new, eight-seat sushi bar that specializes in omakase, where the chef crafts a personalized meal for you.
That chef is Clark Park, formerly of Yua Bistro and Marilena Cafe and Raw Bar, who honed his skills in Osaka’s modern-meets-traditional omakase restaurants. Reservations are essential.
A holiday to remember
The Oak Bay Beach Hotel is excited to unveil our calendar of festive holiday events!
There’s more sushi, too, at Uni Japanese Restaurant on Wharf Street, which also boasts a cozy patio on Yates Street.
Emmaline’s in Quadra Village brings the spirit of Vancouver’s beloved Dock Lunch restaurant to town; owner Elizabeth Grace Bryan is dishing up a terrific brunch and welcoming comfort fare.
Awards:
We’re thrilled to see Café Malabar, winner of the YAM Best Restaurant Award for Best South/Southeast Asian, on the long list for the enRoute best new restaurants in Canada. It was the only Island eatery to make the list of 30 restaurants.
Meanwhile, the Michelin Guide recently announced its first-ever Key Distinction awards for Canada, honouring the world’s most outstanding hotels.
Among them are four right here on the Island. The Fairmont Empress and Magnolia Hotel & Spa in Victoria were each awarded One Key; the Wickaninnish Inn in Tofino received a Two Key distinction; and the Clayoquot Wilderness Resort earned Michelin’s highest accolade, Three Keys.
Returning this winter season are our iconic Holiday Movie Nights, Christmas Day Brunch, Christmas Dinner, Breakfast with Santa, and annual New Year’s Eve Dinner.
The Hotel is sure to be the perfect antidote for any stress the holiday rush may bring, both for guests and locals alike.
We encourage you to join us for the most magical of
Roasted golden beets at Tofino’s Ombré.
Food + Drink IN SEASON
Deutscher at Dorothy’s
Fresh, local fare and dishy drag shows are on the menu at this fabulous lounge.
I
t’s not that Clark Deutscher really needed another project. After all, YAM’s 2024 Chef of the Year already oversees three restaurants: Hanks, Ate and Nowhere *A Restaurant. But here he is, dishing up an “old school diner brunch” and happy-hour snacks at Friends of Dorothy, Victoria’s popular LGBT2Q+ lounge and bar.
“They were doing a drag show featuring a Filipino performer they’d brought in from Edmonton and they asked if we could do the food because we’d just opened Ate,” says Deutscher, whose wife Jonna’s Filipino heritage is celebrated at the Douglas Street eatery. The crowd loved it so much that FOD owner Rudy Tomazic asked if the Deutschers would be willing to do all their food. “It was a really fun space and we couldn’t say no.”
And so began the community collaboration called Somewhere *A Restaurant at Dorothy’s.
Located in the former Willie’s Bakery on Johnson Street, FOD is all about inclusivity in a space fabulously decked out in punk-meets-kitsch-meets-theSun-King décor, where guests gather to sip colourful cocktails, check out the drag performances and enjoy some great dining.
“We just get to play with food, with smaller bites and snacks, so that lets us throw fun things at the wall,” Deutscher says. That might mean a “Pig Mac” pork slider on housemade ciabatta, tomato tostadas made with MAiiZ tortillas or a Moroccan-style lamb shank. There’s even a nod to Willie’s much-missed maple bacon, scratch-made from Island-raised pigs. In fact, as much as possible is made with fresh, local and seasonal ingredients.
“It will change constantly and that’s the fun of it,” Deutscher says. “People are eating, they seem happy, so that’s good.”
Blade Runner
Dull knives? This mobile sharpening business cuts to the chase.
For a long time, Franz Dessombes wanted to have his own restaurant. “But that dream changed,” says the former executive chef of Pizzeria Prima Strada. “Now I get to play with knives.”
Last September he left the restaurant and started his own business, Wooly Buggers Sharpening, a mobile service that comes to your home or business and, well, sharpens things. (The name is a reference to a type of artificial fishing fly, “plus I’m a wooly bugger,” he says.)
Most of his clients are chefs at restaurants like Cafe Brio or The Courtney Room. “I get to go into people’s kitchens all over the city and I don’t have to worry about staffing,” he says happily. It’s a good sign that chefs are willing to trust him with their precious knives, “especially if they have been traumatized by previous experiences.”
He offers two types of service: In the first, he pulls up to your place and uses a belt sander with four different grits of paper, ranging from 200 to 2,000 grit, to sharpen your knives to near-whetstone quality; this only takes an hour or so and is all most of us need.
The second is more bespoke and involves taking your knives away for 48 to 72 hours while he uses a whetstone to sharpen them by hand.
He also does some work sharpening garden tools, and his goal is to open a storefront where he can sell high-quality knives like the ones by F. Dick, a German brand he describes as “an incredible mid-priced line.” Basically, Dessombes says, “I’m wherever I need to go.”
He’s working on a website, especially for knife sales, but in the meantime can be contacted through Instagram @woolybuggerssharpening or by email at: woolybuggersharp@gmail.com.
COOKIES THAT
wow!
Pastry Chef APPROVED
INDULGE IN THESE SWEET TREATS FROM SEVEN OF VICTORIA’S MOST CELEBRATED PASTRY CHEFS, PERFECT FOR GIFTING, SHARING OR KEEPING ALL TO YOUR HAPPY SELF.
By YAM Staff | Photos by Jeffrey Bosdet
Cookies are the happiest of baked goods. They are the perfect size for snacking, just a couple of sweet bites, plus they’re (relatively) easy to make, pretty to look at and as fun to give as they are delicious to eat. They are by nature meant for sharing — after all, you never bake cookies for one person — making them the perfect treat for a season that is all about giving and gathering.
So when we started putting together YAM’s annual holiday issue, we quickly decided that what we wanted most of all was cookies — but not just any cookies. We reached out to seven of Victoria’s best pastry chefs to see if they’d be willing to share their favourite recipes. We were thrilled when they all said yes.
Kimberley Vy of the Inn at Laurel Point, Haley Landa of GoodSide Pastry House, Tracie Zahavich of Fox & Monocle, Gerald Tan of the Fairmont Empress, Dominique Laurencelle of Marilena Cafe & Raw Bar, Kelly Duke of The Courtney Room and Tom Moore, author of the new cookbook Crust, sent us recipes for spice cookies and chocolatey ones, cookies filled with jam and others with caramel, chewy cookies, crispy ones and even all-grown-up boozy ones. There’s sure to be a cookie — or two, or three, or seven — in here that you love. Happy baking, and even happier eating!
COOK’S NOTES
Pastry chefs measure in weight rather than cups and tablespoons, so in cases where the recipes were submitted in grams we’ve kept them that way, but included a volume conversion as well. The grams will be more accurate (and, frankly, easier), so we suggest using those if you have a digital scale.
Pastry chefs love complicated recipes with many steps and multiple components. With these cookies, you don’t need to make the fillings, glazes, soaks and garnishes — the cookies alone are delicious enough. But all those extras are so pretty and delicious, we think you’ll want to.
Some of these cookies are also quite large; by all means make a smaller version if you like, but note that you may need to adjust baking times if you do.
For more tips, see page 91.
RECIPES
Cookies:
SPIKED
EGGNOG COOKIES
Pillowy, pleasantly spiced, with just a hint of booze and a luscious buttercream frosting, these sweets created by Dominique Laurencelle, pastry chef at Marilena Cafe & Raw Bar, celebrate our favourite spiked holiday beverage. But, she says, you can make them kid-friendly by removing alcohol from the cookie dough and using non-spiked eggnog in the buttercream. The cookies will still be delicious.
Makes 30 (1 oz) cookies
• 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp nutmeg, preferably freshly grated
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 oz amaretto liqueur (if using)
• 1 oz spiced rum (if using)
Eggnog buttercream frosting:
• 4 egg whites
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into small cubes
• 1½ cups purchased eggnog spiked, if you like, with the liquor of your choice (Laurencelle likes to use both spiced rum and amaretto in her eggnog)
• 1 Tbsp nutmeg, preferably freshly grated
Make the cookies: In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until fluffy and light in colour. With the mixer on medium-low speed, slowly add eggs, vanilla, amaretto and spiced rum (if using) to the butter mixture.
Once they are fully incorporated, turn the mixer to low and slowly add the dry ingredients. Mix until well combined, but do not overmix.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a 1 oz ice cream scoop, portion the dough onto the baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches of space between cookies, then place in the fridge for at least an hour, but preferably overnight. (You can also keep the dough in the freezer for a couple of months, then thaw and bake.)
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Transfer cookie sheets from the fridge to the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
Cool completely before adding the frosting.
Make the frosting: Create a hot-water bath by adding a couple of inches of water to a saucepan and bringing it to a simmer. (Use a saucepan that the bowl of your stand mixer can sit snugly on top of.)
Place egg whites, sugar and salt in the stand mixer bowl, then place it over the hot water bath and gently whisk until the sugar is dissolved and mixture reaches 50°C (122°F) on a digital thermometer.
Transfer the bowl onto the mixer stand and fit it with a whisk attachment. On mediumhigh speed, beat the egg white mixture until it doubles in volume.
Turn the mixer speed down to medium and slowly add the butter, 1 or 2 cubes at a time. Once the butter is fully incorporated, slowly pour in the eggnog (spiked or not, as you prefer, see note) and continue mixing until well combined.
Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with your favourite piping tip (such as the Wilton 4B open star tip). Starting from the centre of the cookie, pipe a spiral, working your way to the outside. Finish with freshly grated nutmeg.
Preheat oven to 325°F and line two baking sheets with parchment.
In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, matcha powder and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the sugar and egg whites on high speed to a medium peak.
Remove bowl from mixer and, using a spatula, gently fold in the dry ingredients. Mix just until evenly combined.
Pour about ¼ cup granulated sugar into a shallow bowl and another ¼ cup icing sugar into a separate shallow bowl; note that you might need to add more.
If you have a digital scale, gently form balls of dough weighing 35 g each. Alternatively, use a large (size 20) cookie scoop.
Roll each ball in a bowl of granulated sugar, then roll again in another bowl with icing sugar, then place on lined baking sheets. Squish down slightly and bake immediately, for 23 to 26 minutes or until set and just starting to turn golden on the edges.
MINT CHOCOLATE SANDWICH COOKIES
Over near the Swartz Bay ferry terminal, the Michelin-trained pastry chef Tracie Zahavich is baking up sweet things at the charming Fox & Monocle Café. For the holidays, she came up with this all-grown-up take on childhood favourite Oreos. Just note that the filling is very soft, so keep the cookies refrigerated until ready to serve. Makes 12 to 16 cookies
White chocolate filling:
• 125 g (1 cup) chopped 35% white chocolate
• 15 g (1 Tbsp) unsalted butter
• 125 g (½ cup) heavy cream
• 1 tsp green crème de menthe (mint liqueur)
Chocolate shortbread:
• 260 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
• 87 g (¾ cup + 1 Tbsp) dark or black cocoa powder (a heavily alkalized/ Dutch process cocoa)
• 2 g (¼ tsp) baking soda
• 230 g (1 cup) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 6 g (¾ tsp) kosher salt
• 160 g (¾ cup + 1 Tbsp) granulated sugar
• 3 g (1 tsp) vanilla extract
To make the filling: Place the chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl and in 30-second increments slowly melt the chocolate and butter, stirring in between each increment, until chocolate is fully melted.
In a small pot over medium heat, bring the cream to just under a simmer. Pour the cream over the melted chocolate, add créme de menthe and whisk to combine. Pour into a container and refrigerate until completely chilled.
To make the shortbread: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line two sheet pans with Silpats or parchment paper.
Scale the flour, cocoa and baking soda into a bowl and whisk to combine.
Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Turn to medium-low speed and mix until smooth. Add the salt and mix for another 15 to 30 seconds. Add the sugar and vanilla and mix for about 2 minutes, until fluffy.
Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then working on low speed, mix in the dry ingredients in 2 additions.
Roll out cookie dough to 1/8-inch thick. (Do not refrigerate the dough; if you do, the cookies will crack and crumble.)
Using your desired cookie cutter, cut out cookie dough, ensuring you have enough cutouts for both sides of the cookies. If you like, cut out a circle or festive shape like the trees here in the centre of half the cookies.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the dough doesn’t spring back when pressed.
Assembly: Place the filling in the bowl of the mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, and beat until smooth. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip. Depending on the size of the cookies, pipe 1 to 2 tsp filling onto one cookie and sandwich with another. Chill until ready to serve, and enjoy with a hot cup of cocoa or a cold glass of milk.
LINZER COOKIES WITH WILD BERRY JAM
The pretty, jam-filled Linzer cookie evolved from the famous Linzer torte, a jam-filled tart made with a shortbread-like crust in the Austrian city of Linz as far back as 1653. The smaller cookie version, made in the shape of hearts, circles or stars with cutouts allowing the jam to peep through, have become a popular holiday treat in Austria and Germany. This version, by The Courtney Room pastry team, shows you why. Makes 12 cookies
• 300 g (2 ½ cups) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• ½ tsp salt
• 200 g ( cup or 1 ¾ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 110 g (½ cup) caster sugar (also known as superfine or berry sugar)
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup Vancouver Island wild berry jam, strained (or other jam to your liking)
• Icing sugar as needed
In a bowl, combine all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Set aside. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.
Add the egg and vanilla to the butter mixture and beat until well mixed.
With the mixture on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture into the butter mixture, taking care not to overmix.
Form the dough into a thick disc, then wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate until very firm, at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.
When you are ready to bake your cookies, preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two baking
sheets with parchment paper.
On a floured surface, roll out the dough until it is about 1⁄8-inch thick. (You can also roll out the dough on a floured piece of parchment for easier handling.)
Working quickly, while the dough is still cold and firm, use a 2½-inch (6 cm) cookie cutter to cut out as many rounds of dough as you can and place them 2 inches (5 cm) apart on the prepared cookie sheet. Gather any scraps, rewrap and chill until firm enough to reroll.
Once the cut dough is on the cookie sheets, cut a 1-inch (2.5 cm) hole out of the centres of half of the cookies.
Bake for roughly 15 to 18 minutes or until the
edges are golden brown. Let cool on the cookie sheets for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
On each cookie base (the one without the hole), spread about 1 tsp of strained wild berry jam not quite to the edge.
Using a fine-mesh strainer, dust the top halves of the cookies (the ones with the cut-out circle) generously with icing sugar. Carefully place the tops on the jam-covered bottoms. Press to seal very gently so you don’t break the top half.
The cookies are best enjoyed the day they are made, but if needed, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature.
CITRUS & CHESTNUT YAKGWA COOKIES
This recipe by YAM Pastry Chef of the Year Kimberley Vy of the Inn at Laurel Point is a modified version of a traditional Korean confection known as yakgwa (yuck-GWA), only baked rather than deep-fried. The sweet was typically offered in a jesa (ancestral rite) and enjoyed on festive days such as chuseok (mid-autumn harvest festival). In modern South Korea, it’s also served as dessert.
Note that you can make these into sandwich cookies, fill them or simply dust with icing sugar and serve as is. Makes about 2 dozen filled ox-eye cookies and 18 sablé sandwiches
Candied peel garnish:
• Peel of 1 orange
• 300 g (1 cup) simple syrup, 1:1 ratio (see note)
• Berry sugar, as needed
Soaking syrup:
• 180 g (½ cup) orange marmalade
• 130 g (6 Tbsp + ½ tsp) honey
• 220 g ( cup) maple syrup
• 100 g (7 Tbsp) water
• 20 g (1½ Tbsp) orange or mandarin juice
Citrus yakgwa sablés:
• 246 g (2 cups) pastry flour, sifted
• 2 g (½ tsp) salt
• 100 g (½ cup or 1 stick) cold butter
• 2 g (1 tsp) grated fresh ginger root
• 20 g (1 Tbsp) honey
• 20 g (1 Tbsp) orange marmalade
• 20 g (2 Tbsp) finely grated orange zest
• 14 g (1 Tbsp) sesame oil
• 14 g (1 Tbsp) canola oil
• 20 g (4 tsp) cold water
• 10 g (1 Tbsp) diced preserved lemon peel
Chestnut filling:
• 100 g (½ cup) chestnut paste, at room temperature
• 30 g (2 Tbsp + ½ tsp) butter, preferably grass fed and 82% butterfat, at room temperature
• Icing sugar to taste
Assembly:
• Icing sugar for dusting
Make the candied peel garnish: Peel segments of orange rind, making sure there is no pith. Cut peel into pieces about an inch long and julienne as finely as you can. Place them into a small pot with simple syrup. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Allow to cool completely and strain. Toss zest with berry sugar, then arrange on a wire rack to dry. (Leftover syrup can be used as a cake syrup or in cocktails.)
Make the soaking syrup: In a saucepan, combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Set aside and keep warm.
Make the citrus yakgwa sablé dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the pastry flour, salt and cold butter. Add the ginger, honey, orange marmalade and zest, sesame and canola oils, and cold water. Begin to mix on low speed. When the dough starts to come together, add the diced preserved lemon and mix until just combined.
To shape and bake the ox-eye shaped cookies: Divide dough into two portions and place between two silicone mats or sheets of parchment. Roll out each portion to 0.4 cm ( -inch) thick. Set aside in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm the dough.
First portion: Cut out using a 3 cm fluted round cutter. Place on 13x18-inch baking sheet(s) lined with parchment or, preferably, a perforated silicone baking mat.
Second portion: Cut out using a 3 cm fluted round cutter, then cut centres in each using a round 1 cm cutter.
Place second dough portion pieces (with the circle in the centre) on top of the first dough portion, taking care to line up the edges and create an ox-eye cookie. Return the cookies to the refrigerator to chill for 20 minutes before baking. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F.
Transfer baking sheets to oven and bake cookies for 10 minutes. Rotate sheets back to front and top to bottom, then bake for an additional 5 minutes, for 15 minutes total, until deep golden on the edges and tops.
To shape and bake the sablé sandwiches: Roll out each portion to 0.4 cm ( -inch) thick. Cut out using a 4 cm fluted round cutter, then follow a similar process to the one above.
Chill for 20 minutes on a silicone- or parchmentlined baking sheet, then bake in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes, rotate the baking sheet(s) and bake for an additional 3 minutes, or 13 minutes total, until deep golden on the edges and tops.
Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then place cookies into warm soaking syrup. Soak for 5 minutes, then remove cookies and place on a rack to dry and mature.
Make the chestnut filling: In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add chestnut purée and butter, then mix on medium speed until smooth and lighter in colour, occasionally scraping sides and bottom of bowl. Transfer into a piping bag fitted with a round piping tip.
For the ox-eye cookies: Pipe about 1 tsp of filling in the centre of each ox eye and garnish with two pieces of the candied orange zest.
For the sablé sandwiches: Pipe about ¾ tsp of filling between 2 sablé cookies, with perforated side facing out. Garnish with two pieces of candied orange zest. If you like, dust the top cookie with icing sugar.
Note: To make 1:1 simple syrup, place 1 cup each sugar and water in a small pot and bring just to a simmer, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and cool; will keep for about two weeks in a clean glass container in the refrigerator.
SPECULAAS COOKIES WITH BANANA CARAMEL
The Fairmont Empress’s pastry chef Gerald Tan plays on the traditional Dutch biscuit, sandwiching
Place the cookies on a perforated silicone mat and bake for 15 minutes, until golden brown. (If you don’t have a silicone mat, use a parchment-lined baking sheet.) Cool completely.
Make the caramel: In a small pot over medium heat, warm the cream, glucose and butter until steaming (about 130°F). Turn off the heat, but keep the cream warm.
In a light-coloured, medium-sized saucepan, make a dry caramel with the sugar. Add the sugar to the pan, give it a shake and place over low to medium heat, allowing the sugar to melt. It will gradually turn golden brown — do not let it get too dark or it will be bitter.
Once the caramel turns a nice amber
colour, slowly add in warm cream mixture in batches, whisking constantly and taking care to avoid splatters. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes.
Turn off the heat, then add in milk chocolate, salt and banana purée. Remove from heat, then transfer to the fridge to chill completely.
Assembly: Transfer filling to a piping bag fitted with a round tip, then pipe about 1 tsp of the filling on each bottom cookie. Place another cookie on top to make a sandwich and press lightly.
If you like, decorate by drizzling little melted chocolate on top and adding a garnish of gold leaf.
GINGER COOKIES WITH RUM BUTTER GLAZE
TOMATO AND FENNEL BRAISED SABLEFISH
Serves 2
INGREDIENTS
2 x 175g pieces Wild BC Sablefish
1 cup thinly sliced fennel bulb
½ cup thinly sliced shallot
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp Calabrian chili paste
½ cup white wine
28oz can San Marzano tomatoes, diced
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ cup chopped parsley
1 tsp kosher salt
¼ cup basil pesto (for garnish)
HOW TO MAKE IT
Preheat oven to 450F.
In a medium sauce pan on medium high heat, sauté fennel and shallots in olive oil until soft and translucent.
Add garlic and chili paste and cook 1 minute longer. Deglaze the pan with white wine and reduce by half.
Add diced tomatoes and salt and bring to a gentle simmer.
Tuck the sablefish in the pan with the sauce and place in the oven. Cook for 2025 minutes or until fish begins to flake. Serve hot, garnished with parsley and pesto, over your favourite carbs.
We love a squid ink pasta but this would also be great with roasted potatoes, polenta, gnocchi or grains.
Thin, slightly chewy and with a deep, dark spiced flavour that’s not too sweet, these more-ish cookies are created by Tom Moore, cofounder of Crust Bakery, proprietor of Tombo Eats (which recently closed its downtown location) and author of the excellent new cookbook, Crust (Appetite by Random House).
Makes about 25 cookies
Cookies:
• 830 g (6 cups) all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting
• 27 g (¼ cup) cocoa powder
• 10 g (2 tsp) baking soda
• 10 g (1 Tbsp) ground ginger
• 3 g (1 tsp) ground cinnamon
• 1 g (½ tsp) ground cloves
• 5 g (1 tsp) kosher salt
• 3 g (1 tsp) ground black pepper
• 300 g (1½ cups or 3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 318 g (1½ cups, packed) dark brown sugar
• 353 g (1 cup) molasses
• 22 g (2 Tbsp) finely grated fresh ginger root
• 73 g (4 large) egg yolks
Rum butter glaze:
• 80 g ( cup) confectioners (icing) sugar
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• 15 g (1 Tbsp) unsalted butter, melted and warm
• 1 Tbsp dark rum (or, if you prefer, good quality vanilla extract)
• 1 tsp warm water
For the cookie dough: In a medium mixing bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, salt and pepper. Set aside. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter, both sugars, molasses
JEFFREY
7 TIPS FOR BETTER COOKIES
Cookies are among the simplest of bakes, but these tips will help make them even better.
1. WEIGH, DON’T SCOOP
and fresh ginger on medium-high speed until smooth and incorporated, about 1 minute.
With the machine running on medium speed, add egg yolks one at a time. Continue beating until fully combined, another minute or two. Turn the machine off and add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Carefully switch the mixer on to low speed. Mix just until the mixture comes together; do not overmix.
Remove the bowl from the mixer and scrape the mixture onto a lightly floured surface.
Gently knead the dough until well combined. This should only take a few pushes and pats — don’t overwork the dough.
Flatten the dough to about 1-inch thickness. Wrap in plastic film and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.
Set the oven to 350°F (or 335°F for convection) and line two baking sheets with parchment.
Cut the dough into 4 pieces and keep them in the fridge until you are ready to roll them.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to about ¼ inch thick. (If you like, create imprints by lightly flouring the dough and using cookie stamps or a textured rolling pin — press quite firmly so the imprints don’t disappear as the dough will rise during baking.)
Cut out cookies using a fluted 3- to 4-inch cookie cutter and transfer to lined baking sheets, spaced about 2 inches apart. Collect all the scraps and gently knead them together again, making sure not to incorporate too much flour or you’ll get a dry and brittle cookie. Wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour before rolling.
Place the baking sheets in the oven and bake for 9 to 10 minutes, rotating halfway through, until firm to the touch, and transfer to a wire rack. They will continue to firm up while cooling so don’t overbake!
For the glaze: In a small microwave-proof bowl, sift together the confectioners sugar and cinnamon. Add melted butter, rum (or vanilla) and hot water. Mix until smooth. The consistency should be like runny honey; add more water if needed.
While the cookies are still warm, about 5 minutes after they come out of the oven, apply the glaze with a pastry brush. Cool completely on the wire rack.
Note: If the glaze gets too cool to brush, pop it into the microwave for a few seconds and stir well.
There’s a reason why pastry chefs use a scale rather than cups and tablespoons: Weight is way more accurate than volume. A cup of flour can weigh anywhere from 118 grams to 160 grams, depending on the humidity in the air and how tightly you pack the flour, but 120 grams is always 120 grams. Pick up an electronic scale (you should be able to find one for under $50) and your baking life will be transformed.
If you don’t have a scale and you need to make cookies right now, here’s how to scoop properly: Fluff up the flour first, use a spoon to scoop it into the measuring cup, then scrape off the extra.
2. ADJUST YOUR TEMPERATURES
In baking, temperatures matter. A lot. Most importantly:
• Butter needs to be at room temperature to cream properly. Room-temperature butter should feel like clay when you press your finger in it; it should not feel soft and greasy. The most reliable way to get roomtemp butter is to leave it on the counter for a few hours; to speed things up, slice it first. (If your recipe calls for room-temperature milk, cream and/or eggs, set those out for about an hour before using them.)
• Butter needs to be very cold if you are making laminated dough or short pastry, where it is cut into or layered between the flour.
• If the recipe says to refrigerate your dough or pastry, do so. Otherwise you are likely to end up with a greasy, puddled mess on the baking sheet.
• For ingredients that require accurate temperatures — such as custards, some frostings, candies, chocolate and caramel — invest in a digital thermometer.
• Also consider the temperature of your oven — the degrees on the dial may not be the actual temperature inside. Use a digital thermometer to check it and adjust accordingly.
3. CREAM CORRECTLY
Creaming butter and sugar together does more than just blend the ingredients; it also creates little pockets of air that help leaven the cookies as they bake.
If you don’t cream butter and sugar long enough, the mixture will be gritty and your cookies dense; if you cream them too long, the cookies may puff up too much, collapse while baking and/or become cakey. Properly creamed butter and sugar should be pale and fluffy, which takes about four minutes at medium speed in a stand mixer.
4. USE THE RIGHT SWEETENER
In baking, granulated sugar does not equal icing sugar does not equal brown sugar and definitely does not equal honey or maple syrup. Each has varying amounts of moisture and acidity, which react differently with any leaveners you might use. Use the sweetener the recipe calls for.
5. USE A COOKIE SCOOP
If you’ve ever tried to portion cookie dough with a tablespoon, you probably ended up with misshapen,
lopsided, randomly sized cookies and very sticky fingers. Make your life easy and your cookies beautifully consistent by using a cookie scoop (basically, a small ice cream scoop with a lever).
6.
LINE YOUR BAKING SHEETS
You never want to place cookies on an unlined, ungreased baking sheet; they will most likely stick. But greasing the pans can make your cookies spread in ways you don’t want and cause dark bottoms and burnt edges, too. The solution? Either parchment paper or a non-stick silicone mat, both of which give you good, consistent results, ensure your cookies don’t stick to the pan and leave you with less mess to clean up later.
7. DON’T CROWD YOUR COOKIES … AND DON’T OVERBAKE THEM
Cookies tend to spread more than you think they will. When you place the balls of dough on your (lined!) cookie sheet, spread them out with a few inches in between and bake them in batches rather than all at once. In between batches, never place raw cookie dough on a hot baking sheet, but let the pan return to room temperature first. Also, baking times can vary wildly from what the recipe suggests, depending on the temperature of your oven and other factors. Typically, cookies are done when the edges are set and lightly browned. If in doubt, err on the side of under rather than overbaking cookies — even after you pull them from the oven, they will continue to bake on the hot baking sheet.
BOUNTIFUL BREAKFASTS
The best holiday meals are the ones we wake up to. Here’s how to make them both festive and easy.
The holidays are all about enjoying each other’s company — and, of course, food. While our memories tend to veer to big festive dinners and holiday baking, I always get excited about December breakfasts. I love having the opportunity to linger, even by myself, on drizzly winter mornings, and I adore standing at the stove making crêpes or waffles for a boisterous houseful of friends and family. To wake up to the smell of something delicious cooking is a pleasure we rarely associate with the season, but is one of my favourites. When my son and his cousins (and my friends’
kids) were young, I started hosting holiday gatherings in the mornings. We were all up early anyway, the kids were at their peak energy levels, and there was far less struggle to co-ordinate schedules in the morning vs the evenings, which were packed with parties, school performances and extra-curricular activities.
I would put coffee on and make something indulgent. I’d bake a panettone bread pudding or perhaps a savoury cacio e pepe Dutch baby, or heat an inch of oil in my cast iron pot and fry doughnuts we would all eat warm and doused in cinnamon sugar, standing in the kitchen.
Hungry people to feed first thing in the day? No problem. Just prep a make-ahead meal like this richly satisfying
Even lavish spreads are more affordable to host early in the day, when there’s no pressure to invest in a pricey protein or to serve wine, beer and cocktails. There’s always the option to pick up a bottle of sparkling wine — ginger ale for the kids — to mix with mango, grapefruit or orange juice for those who want to imbibe. By early afternoon, everyone is ready for a nap — grownups included.
I love being in the kitchen, particularly with other people, but one of the most common questions I get during entertaining season is: What can be made ahead so that time spent
panettone bread pudding.
JULIE VAN ROSENDAAL
with the people you love isn’t disrupted by monitoring meals or prepping ingredients? Fortunately, there are plenty of things that can be prepared ahead and frozen, and many that actually improve with time in the fridge — soups, stews, braises, curries, dips and dressings tend to get better after a day or two — and there are plenty of dishes that can be prepped the night before and baked in the morning.
When the gathering is around the breakfast table, spending more time in the kitchen means getting up earlier than you have to, so being able to quickly stir something together or prep it the night before is a huge bonus. While most baked goods are best fresh out of the oven, some, like gingerbread, improve in taste and texture after a day or two on the countertop. Others, like yeast-raised cinnamon buns, can be made and assembled the night before, refrigerated to slow the rise, and baked in the morning. Batter for crêpes and Dutch babies — essentially sharing-size Yorkshire puddings that can be dressed up with sweet or savoury toppings — can be whisked up to hang out in the fridge overnight.
As for the sides:
• Instead of all the peeling and chopping required for an elaborate fruit salad, peel and slice a few oranges, which are at their best in winter, onto a plate or platter and drizzle with honey, then scatter with pomegranate seeds and perhaps some fresh mint.
• Hash browns are best if you start with precooked potatoes: Boil up a few spuds or bake them in the oven, then chop or coarsely grate and crisp them up in a skillet, with a generous drizzle of oil and/or butter, then topped with a sprinkle of salt or your favourite spice blend.
• Rather than serving full-sized sausages, cook them a day or two before, slice them on an angle and reheat in the same way as (or along with) the potatoes.
• Granola is perfect for making as far ahead as you need; all that’s required is to set it out in a bowl with berries and yogurt for friends to help themselves, perhaps with a drizzle of maple syrup.
• Even scones can be made the night before and baked in the morning.
Of course, there’s no rule that says you have to do all the cooking. When people ask what they can bring, tell them: coffee, doughnuts, muffins, fruit or their favourite morning food. Guests generally want to bring something anyway and a collaborative effort is not only interesting, it takes the pressure off of everyone and makes for a wonderful feast.
Amazing Malaysia
Your hosts Colleen and Cathy. Trek into the lush rainforests of Batang Ai National Park, visit Iban longhouses, enjoy a traditional feast, experience a hands-on cooking class in Kota Kinabalu before thrilling wildlife encounters, including orangutans and sun bears. Immerse yourself in Borneo’s vibrant cultures, landscapes, and natural wonders! Join Cathy
Dutch Baby
One of my favourite things to make for company is a Dutch baby — it takes just a couple minutes to whisk together, or you could blend the batter overnight and keep it in the fridge. Bake it in a hot oven, in a preheated baking dish or skillet, and it puffs up dramatically, just like a Yorkshire pudding. You could make it sweet, filled with berries, maple syrup and whipped cream, or savoury, stuffed with holiday leftovers (turkey, stuffing, cranberries, gravy). Here we make it simple with plenty of Grana Padano or Parmesan cheese and black pepper for a delicious cacio e pepestyle Dutch baby. Serves 2 to 4
Dutch baby:
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp canola or other vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup milk
• ¼ tsp salt
Cacio e pepe filling:
• Freshly grated Grana Padano or Parmesan cheese
• Freshly ground black pepper
If you want to make your batter ahead of time, whisk together the eggs, flour, milk and salt, or pulse it in a blender, and refrigerate overnight. Remove from the fridge at least 30 minutes before you plan to cook it.
When you’re ready for breakfast,
preheat the oven to 450°F. Put the butter and oil into a 9- or 10-inch ovenproof skillet (cast iron is perfect), and heat it on the stovetop over medium-high.
Meanwhile, if you haven’t already done so, whisk together the eggs, flour, milk and salt. Pour the batter into the hot pan and immediately slide it into the oven.
Bake for 15 minutes, or until the Dutch baby is puffed and golden. Slide it out of the oven (I keep it on the rack), grate plenty of Grana Padano or Parmesan over it, grind lots of black pepper on top, then return the pan to the oven for a few minutes to let the cheese melt. Serve immediately.
Note: If you want to make a smaller version, just keep the ratios the same — 2 eggs, ½ cup flour, ½ cup milk — and bake in a smaller dish or ovenproof skillet.
Panettone Bread Pudding
I always seem to have a surplus of sweet breads — panettone, stollen and the like — in my kitchen throughout the holiday season. I learned this recipe for panettone bread pudding with warm marmalade sauce (which I bumped up with a bit of butter), from my friends and Canadian culinary icons Elizabeth Baird and Emily Richards. It’s perfect for assembling the night before — all you need to do is slide it into the oven in the morning. Even the marmalade sauce can be made ahead and rewarmed.
Serves about 8
Pudding:
• 8 cups cubed panettone or other fruited bread
• ¼ cup golden raisins or chopped apricots (optional)
• 5 large eggs
• 3 cups milk
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Optional: 1 Tbsp grated orange zest
Marmalade Sauce:
• ½ cup orange marmalade
• ¼ cup orange juice
• 2 Tbsp butter
• Pinch cinnamon
Spread the panettone cubes into a shallow, buttered 9- or 10-inch baking dish and sprinkle with the raisins. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla and orange zest (if using). Pour over the bread and let stand for an hour, or cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove from the fridge for at least half an hour before baking.
When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350˚F. Remove the covering from the baking dish, place it in the oven and bake for 45 minutes, until puffed and golden and a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean.
To make the marmalade sauce, warm the marmalade, orange juice, butter and cinnamon in a small saucepan over medium heat until the marmalade melts and the mixture simmers. Stir until well-blended and serve warm with the pudding.
Food + Drink
WHISKY ISLAND
’Tis the season to pour yourself a wee dram.
Winter is whisky season, these cold, dark, damp days cry out for the rich, warm flavours and aromas of uisge beatha, “the water of life.” Luckily, as it happens, Victoria is a good place to enjoy a wee dram. Or two.
It’s home to one of the world’s best whisky bars (Clive’s Classic Lounge, named Whisky Hotel Bar of 2023 by the Icons of Whisky awards), as well as several prominent whisky societies and one of the best whisky festivals in the world (see opposite page), which also plays host to the annual Canadian Whisky Awards.
But what’s really exciting right now is the number of artisanal distilleries on Vancouver Island that are releasing whisky that has been slumbering in barrels for the past decade or so. From Shelter Point in Campbell River to Tofino Distillery on the west coast, Stillhead in Duncan and, here in Victoria, Macaloney’s Island Distillery and Spinnakers, our distillers are transforming grain into award-winning spirits ideal for sipping, mixing in cocktails or giving as gifts.
It was only in 2013 that changes to the B.C. liquor laws made it easier for small, independent craft distilleries to operate here. Back then, there were only half a dozen or so artisanal distilleries in B.C. Today there are 82, according to the industry organization BC Distilled, and of those, 23 are on Vancouver Island or the Gulf Islands. Actually, make that 22 — the multi-award-winning DEVINE Distillery has announced it will be closing by the end of the year. (Its products will still be available for a while, though.)
What’s really exciting right now is the number of artisanal distilleries on Vancouver Island that are releasing whisky that has been slumbering in barrels for the past decade or so.
Globally, Canada was long known for its smooth, easy-drinking “club” style whiskies; now it’s getting a reputation for deliciously adventurous sips. That’s because our rules are pretty loose compared to some places, and that allows for some exciting experimentation. (In Canada, to be called a whisky, a spirit must be made from cereal grains and mashed, distilled and aged in Canada. It should also be aged in small wood for no less than three years and contain no less than 40 per cent alcohol by volume.)
Here on the Island, three of the best-known and most award-winning distilleries are Shelter Point, Stillhead and Macaloney’s. They will be holding a joint presentation at the Victoria Whisky Festival (January 16 to 19), giving attendees a taste of what makes them unique. Meanwhile, other distilleries no doubt have a barrel or two tucked away, just waiting for the right moment to crack it open. We can’t wait to raise a glass of the good stuff with them.
5 TO TRY
Shelter Point Classic
Single Malt, 46% ABV
BY JOANNE SASVARI
A classic expression made from 100-percent B.C. barley in small batches using traditional methods. Well-balanced notes of fresh and dried fruits, caramel, baking spices and honey, with just a hit of seaside salinity. Awarded double gold at San Francisco World Spirits Competition and Best Canadian Single Malt at the World Whiskies Awards.
The spicy notes of this 100-per-cent rye whisky mingle with the honeyed sweetness of Pedro Ximinez sherry. Expect loads of dried fruit, vanilla and baking spices, as well as salted caramel, orange zest, fresh and dried fruits.
Macaloney’s Island Distillery An Aba, 46% ABV
This lightly peated and sherried signature single malt was crafted from Canadian barley and aged in a mix of bourbon, sherry and red-wine casks to create complex, layered flavours. Notes of citrus, fruit cake, vanilla, milk chocolate, marzipan, heathery florals and the smoke and salt of a seaside bonfire. A double gold winner at Whiskies of the World 2023.
Spinnakers Knot Single Malt Spirit, 43% ABV
As this spirit distilled from 100-per-cent B.C. barley has only been aged 18 months (on second-use American oak) it can’t legally be called whisky, but it still has notes of caramel, dried fruit and chocolate, with the promise of even better things to come.
Tofino Distillery West Coast Whiskey, 46% ABV
This blend of organic corn, rye and barley mash has been aged five years in newcharred French oak for aromas of baking spices and flavours of caramel, nutmeg and toasted oak. Awarded gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2024.
Best OF THE FEST
The Victoria Whisky Festival returns for its 19th year January 16 through 19 at the Hotel Grand Pacific. These four days of all things whisky include grand tastings, master classes, whisky dinners, consumer tastings and more, many events featuring presenters from all over the world.
The weekend begins with the Canadian Whisky Awards on Thursday evening, celebrating the people who are putting this country on the world whisky map.
Friday features eight grand tastings showcasing some of the world’s most renowned global brands, among other events.
Saturday is the big day of the fest, with a full lineup of 44 master classes during the day and, in the evening, the great, big consumer tasting.
Throughout the weekend, whisky enthusiasts can look forward to sampling more than 200 drams from 50 distilleries, including several new ones, across 11 countries.
Note that tickets sell out fast. Out-of-town attendees can purchase festival packages on November 15 when they book a hotel room at the Hotel Grand Pacific, 1-800-663-7550. In-town attendees must purchase tickets in person starting at 9 a.m. on November 17 at Strath Liquor Merchants. victoriawhiskyfestival.com
november
The festival’s master classes are one of the best ways to improve your whisky smarts.
Holiday Escape
How to get out of town and make this the most wonderful time of your year.
By Joanne Sasvari
For me, travelling at Christmas used to mean flying across the country to visit family, white-knuckling it through blizzards and endless lineups, lugging giant suitcases full of gifts and coming back to work more exhausted than when I left.
Not this year. This year, my family has their own plans, so I’m going to take my carry-on and a credit card and go somewhere just for fun. But where?
“First and foremost, it would depend on what you want to do,” says Cathy Scott, the “chief exploration officer” of Departures Travel. “Do you want a beach-resort experience or do you hate hot weather and just want to see pretty lights?”
That’s a good question, but it’s not the only one. There are logistics involved in holiday travel that are different from other times of the year. Here’s what to consider when planning your holiday escape.
THE CROWDS
The good news is that, for the most part, Christmas is low (or at least lower) season for leisure and business travellers. The bad news? It’s high season for everyone else.
It’s the time of year when families want to be together, and they’re
all trying to get home at the same time, which is why the Friday before Christmas is typically the single busiest travel day of the year in Canada.
In 2023, the number of people travelling during the holidays had almost caught up to pre-pandemic levels; this year, it’s likely to be even higher. So pack your patience — and definitely plan ahead.
“Flights — book as soon as you can because rates are not going to get any cheaper,” Scott says. Same with accommodation. Also, she says, “Do not check a bag in. Carry on. This is high season for flying, and bags get lost left, right and centre. And make sure to get super good travel insurance.”
Some destinations will be busier than others. “A lot of destinations like Mexican and Hawaiian resorts are extremely busy and really expensive,” Scott says. On the other hand, big international cities are “going to be busy, but not as busy as summertime. Especially places like Rome, Barcelona, Paris — they’re so touristed out [in summer], but in the slower season they can use more visitors.”
You can, of course, avoid the crowds entirely by heading to a smaller, less popular and more remote destination, but just beware that many businesses in those places close for the winter season,
including hotels, restaurants and attractions.
THE WEATHER
If you’ve ever been trapped for hours on the tarmac at Toronto Pearson while your Airbus A330 is being de-iced, you know that the other big variable in winter is the weather.
In 2022, a major snowstorm during Christmas week disrupted travel plans for thousands of people all the way from B.C. to Newfoundland. Hundreds of flights were delayed or cancelled, roads were closed and a plethora of mechanical issues, poor communication and mishandled luggage just made everything worse.
Since then, the country’s major airports have invested heavily in deicing and snow-removal equipment as well as better technology for tracking luggage, among other things. But the fact remains: Winter weather will always be a thing in Canada.
And it’s not just us. With a changing climate, weather is unpredictable everywhere right now. Keep that in mind when planning your journey. Be prepared, be flexible, carry good travel insurance and don’t check a bag if you can avoid it. Speaking of which …
The Packing
One of the things that makes December travel so difficult is that everyone is carrying so much stuff with them, from skis to gifts to party clothes.
Unless you have a very specific event to dress for — a wedding, say, especially if you’re the bride or groom — you need far fewer clothes than you think you do. Think: layering, simplicity and multipurpose garments. Jeans are not, generally, your best travel friend, but a little black dress can go almost anywhere, and so can a nice pair of white sneakers. Wear your bulkiest clothes on the flight and consider a lightweight puffer jacket, which can squish down to almost nothing and double as a pillow if you need it. And don’t forget — you can always buy clothes in the destination you’re visiting, and bring home a good story as well.
Pro tip: Invest in a really good quality rollaboard suitcase and embrace a minimalist fashion esthetic. Packing cubes like the award-winning compression ones from Vancouver-
based Monos will keep everything organized and let you fit more into small spaces.
As for gifts, remember: Good things come in small packages, and gift cards take up even less room. Alternatively, you can check unwrapped presents (as long as they’re not breakable) or ship them ahead of time.
“I certainly wouldn’t take a big bag of big gifts,” Scott says. Besides, she notes, unless you’re bringing someone a regional specialty like smoked salmon, “You can get anything you can get here anywhere else.”
The Holiday
One of the best reasons to travel in December is to take part in the events your destination has planned around the holidays, such as Christmas markets, festivals, fairs and parades, as well as concerts and theatrical performances. There are also traditional foods, beautiful light displays and sparkly decorations to enjoy. It is, for sure, a special time.
But the holiday itself might be a bit more challenging.
Some destinations have
Think: layering, simplicity and multi-purpose garments. Jeans are not, generally, your best travel friend, but a little black dress can go almost anywhere, and so can a nice pair of white sneakers.
public events that you can join in — midnight mass at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome (well, Vatican City to be precise) or Junkanoo in the Bahamas or Jamaica — but not all festivities are open to tourists. Be respectful of that, and plan your own celebration.
Also recognize that many restaurants, shops and other businesses may be closed on December 24 and 25, so you will either have to book well ahead of time or make alternative plans. This is where staying in a shortterm rental is a good idea. At the very least, you can purchase some festive food and wine and have a cozy night in.
The Destination
So, where to go?
Scott likes the idea of taking a boutique cruise to a destination that might be a little less busy this time of year, like the trip she took to Antarctica over Christmas a couple of years ago. “It was phenomenal,” she says. She also suggests booking a short-term rental somewhere like Portugal, Spain or other popular destinations that are much less over-touristed in winter.
Me, I’m still deciding, but with a whole wide world to choose from, I know this truly will be the most wonderful time of the year.
Organize your luggage with packing cubes like these ones from Vancouverbased Monos.
3 GREAT HOLIDAY GETAWAYS
Sure, you can do the typical sun-beachsand trip to a tropical resort, but there are other places to enjoy the holiday season, starting with these three.
Vancouver
Go for: The food, especially the exceptional Asian cuisine, and the outdoor activities, including the three ski hills in town (Grouse Mountain, Mount Seymour, Cypress Mountain) as well as Whistler-Blackcomb and Sasquatch Mountain Resort within a two-hour drive.
Get festive: Canyon Lights at Capilano Suspension Bridge Park; VanDusen Festival of Lights; skating at Robson Square; Vancouver Christmas Market; PNE Winter Fair.
Info: destinationvancouver.com, hellobc.com
Mexico City
Go for: The history, culture, art, architecture and beautiful parks, plus epic parties, feasts and events from the Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe (December 12) right through to Three Kings Day (January 6). Get festive: Candlelit processions, dancing and fireworks; festive lights and outdoor skating in the Zócalo; living nativity scenes along the Pasea de la Reforma (Avenue); the pilgrimage to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe; piñatas, so many piñatas. Info: visit-mexico.mx
Italy
Go for: The culture, food, fashion, history and la dolce vita, which is at its sweetest this time of year. Plus, it’s just … Italy. Get festive: Midnight mass on December 24; Christmas markets including the epic one in Rome’s Piazza Navona; Fiera Degli Oh Bej! Oh Bej! in Milan; beautiful lights and nativity scenes; visits from Babbo Natale (Italy’s Santa); panettone vs pandoro.
Info: italia.it
Step into the warmth of the holidays with a festive Afternoon Tea at Pendray Inn and Tea House. Embrace the elegance of a Victorian Christmas in the heart of Victoria.
Cypress Mountain
Strings, Horns and the Spirit of the Season
Famed fiddler Daniel Lapp leads the biggest kitchen party in town when Home for Christmas returns for its 21st year.
By David Lennam
Every time he assembles one of his massive Home for Christmas concerts, Daniel Lapp evokes the spirit of Duke Ellington.
“Not to compare myself to Duke Ellington,” concedes Lapp, “but he’s probably the inspiration in some ways.”
Like the great Jazz Age bandleader, Lapp is a master arranger of musical parts. And for his annual Christmas concerts — this is his 21st year — that means sorting out notes, chords, harmonies and overall structure in adapting compositions for nearly 200 singers and musicians (many more than Ellington had in his big-band days).
Ellington, of course, was writing parts for players who were among the world’s best. Lapp does it for a mix of pros, kids learning the craft and a lot of what you might call weekend singers.
“I’m doing it for your average housewife and schoolteacher and amateur,” the local folk musician and fiddle icon says with a laugh. “I get to know my ensembles and what they’re capable of and kind of push them every year.
“We always have at least one or two songs that are epic.” (Like “Go Tell It On The Mountain,” with a swampy New Orleans vibe that gave way to double-time polka hoedown, or the Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” with French horns and a Texas fiddle tune in the middle.)
Those unfamiliar with the Home for Christmas format can expect a colossal Eastmeets-West-Coast kitchen party featuring a feast of Lapp’s own ensembles: the Joy of Life Choir (which he started 25 years ago), Folkestra (an all-adult folk band orchestra now in its 17th year), the BC Fiddle Orchestra (in its 30th
“I feel like I know how to write an arrangement that really brings the best out in each performer.”
year), the relatively new Strings of Lights string section and a brand new dance band of seven- to 12-year-olds.
They’re held together with an ensemble of top professionals anchoring the Swingin’ Shepherds House Band and the Shiny H’ORNaments horn section.
And there’s always a special musical guest or two. Last year it was Valdy. Past shows have included the likes of Roy Forbes, 54-40’s Neil Osborne, Mae Moore, Shari Ulrich and Kendel Carson.
The Lapp method has always been that of the all-inclusive mentor with a bit of rah-rah and a lot of serious musicality. (The man seems to be able to play every instrument he picks up.) His big-heartedness in helping everyone succeed is the backbone of Home for Christmas.
“I feel like I know how to write an arrangement that really brings the best out in each performer,” he says. “For Folkestra I write three fiddle parts, so the 60-year-old that hasn’t played her violin since she was seven and only had lessons for one year, now she has a part to play and she can play the ass out of her part. I write it in a way she feels good about it and she can dig in and play hard by memory.”
A seasonal spectacle that began small in the Fairfield United Church and grew through St. Andrew’s Presbyterian, Alix Goolden Hall and, last year for the first time, at the Royal Theatre, promises singalong fun and maybe some lastminute surprises — the Lapp way.
“Last year, literally a week before the show I threw together a whole arrangement of The Pogues’ “Fairytale of New York” because Shane McGowan had just died.”
Daniel Lapp’s Home for Christmas concert runs December 18 and 19 at the Royal Theatre.
rmts.bc.ca
CULTURE CALENDAR
These events make this the most magical time of the year.
Russell Peters
November 2, Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre
Recently named one of Rolling Stone’s 50 Best Comics of All Time, Russell Peters has been awarded Gemini, Peabody, Emmy and Canadian Screen awards for his hosting, producing and acting talents. You may know him from his CTV series, The Indian Detective, or his standup specials on Comedy Central. If you’ve been looking for a good laugh, this show delivers. sofmc.com
Murdoch Mysteries in Concert
November 2 and 3, Royal Theatre
Fans of the CBC hit TV series will thrill to this live behind-the-scenes look at how the music is made, hosted by composer Rob Carli and some special guests. The highlight: listening to the orchestra perform the soundtrack live while a full episode, “Murder in F Major,” plays on the big screen. rmts.bc.ca
Jim Cuddy All the World Tour
November 13, McPherson Playhouse
With All the World Fades Away, the singersongwriter and Blue Rodeo co-founder may have penned his most personal solo album yet. He draws on decades of life experiences to tell haunting, yet always life-affirming, stories of love and loss and hope, like the tender and moving ballad “Impossible.” rmts.bc.ca
Dance Victoria Presents A.I.M by Kyle Abraham
November 15 and 16, Royal Theatre
This contemporary dance troupe, led by acclaimed choreographer Kyle Abraham, is galvanized by Black culture and history; a leading creative force in dance, he describes his work as a “post-modern gumbo” of movement exploration. rmts.bc.ca
Sarah McLachlan Fumbling Towards Ecstasy 30th Anniversary Tour
November 20, Save On Foods Memorial Centre
Victoria is the final stop on the cross-county tour celebrating one of the most beloved albums ever recorded by a Canadian artist. Within weeks of its release in October 1993, Fumbling Towards Ecstasy went platinum — and now the multi-Grammy and Juno Award-winning McLachlan performs the whole beautiful thing live. sofmc.com
Raffi
November 23 and 24, Royal Theatre
Raffi has been called “the most popular children’s singer in the English-speaking world” and “Canada’s all-time children’s champion”; he’s also a recipient of the Order of Canada and the
United Nations’ Earth Achievement Award. More importantly, your little ones really, really want to see him live. Good luck getting “Baby Beluga” out of your head after this one! rmts.bc.ca
Dance Victoria Presents Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s Nutcracker
November 29 to December 1, Royal Theatre
It’s the Christmas classic — with a Canadiana twist involving a hockey game, Mounties, polar bears, reindeer and a battle on Parliament Hill. This extravaganza features nearly 100 dancers, lavish costumes, elaborate sets and all the magic you love best. rmts.bc.ca
Beauty of Mending: Kintsugi and Beyond
November 30 to May 25, 2025, Art Gallery of Greater Victoria
Curated by Asian art expert Dr. Heng Wu, this exhibit explores how imperfection can reveal unexpected beauty and profound meaning through the traditional craft of repairing shattered ceramics with lacquer and gold. aggv.ca
Mom’s The Word: Talkin’ Turkey
December 3 to 22, The Belfry Theatre
Three decades after six moms got together on Saturday mornings to write a show about motherhood, they’re back to tell the unvarnished truth about the most wonderful time of the year. Nothing is sacred and everything is hilarious in the world of writer-performers Jill Daum, Alison Kelly, Robin Nichol, Barbara Pollard and Deborah Williams. belfry.bc.ca
Glenn Miller Orchestra
In the Christmas Mood
December 3, Royal Theatre
This spectacular new holiday show from the legendary Glenn Miller Orchestra features timeless hits and festive favourites performed by more than 18 musicians and singers for an evening filled with the warmth of the season. rmts.bc.ca
The Peninsula Singers Present: Deck the Halls
December 6 to 8, Mary Winspear Centre
Artistic director Lena Palermo leads this mixed voice choir and professional show band in a rollicking performance of singing, dancing, singalongs, humour and so much more. Expect Christmas classics, rock, jazz, R&B and all the joyful sounds of the season. marywinspear.ca
Victoria Symphony presents Christmas Pops With Canadian Brass
December 7 and 8, Royal Theatre
Christmas time is here and the world-famous brass quintet is back in town, joining VS to jazz things up with their own dynamic take on the holiday classics. Ding Dong Merrily on High! rmts.bc.ca
Victoria Symphony presents Messiah by Candlelight
December 12, 13 and 15, Christ Church Cathedral
Could there be anything more magical than the magnificent setting of Victoria’s Christ Church Cathedral, aglow with the soft light of hundreds of candles, as the glorious “Hallelujah Chorus” rings out? We think not. christchurchcathedral.bc.ca
Yellowpoint Christmas Spectacular
December 14 to 15, McPherson Playhouse
One of the Island’s favourite holiday traditions returns for its 16th season with an extravaganza of music, dance, lights and decorations that includes musical medleys of well-known songs by the likes of Van Morrison, Dolly Parton, Neil Diamond, Taylor Swift and more, all interwoven with touching readings and stories. rmts.bc.ca
Ballet Victoria
presents
The Gift of the Nutcracker
December 28 to 30, Royal Theatre
Enjoy Tchaikovsky’s score performed by the Victoria Symphony and let the magic of this timeless tale fill your soul with holiday whimsy and warmth. rmts.bc.ca
A New Year’s Day Celebration
January 1, Royal Theatre
Start the New Year in the best possible way with this sumptuous musical banquet of song, music and dance from the Victoria Symphony, soprano Tracy Dahl, members of the Pacific Opera Chorus and dancers from Ballet Victoria. Cheers to 2025! rmts.bc.ca
AGGV’s kintsugi show features ceramics mended with gold, like this bowl by Naoko Fukumaru.
Window on Winter
By Joanne Sasvari
There’s something a little magical about ice, and it’s not just the transformation of vapour into liquid into solid, or even the mesmerizing patterns it forms.
Wake up one chilly, winter morning and you may find a thin, sparkly layer of ice blooming across your bedroom window. It’s a sign that perhaps there’s nothing all that important to leave the house for; instead, it might be a good day to snuggle into your warmest sweater and coziest shearling slippers, mix yourself a cup of hot chocolate and curl up with a good book.
But did you ever wonder why, exactly, the ice is there in the first place?
Outside the window, when the surface temperature drops below the dew point, water vapour turns into liquid. As the outside temperature continues to fall below 0°C and the inside temperature stays warm and moist, that liquid condenses on the glass, then freezes and forms ice crystals that may look haphazard, but are actually arranged in layered hexagons, a.k.a. a hexagonal crystal lattice.
Whatever the explanation, we just know it’s pretty. Well, until we have to scrape it off our car’s windshield so we can get to work or until we realize that it’s a sign that all is not right with our homes.
Icy windows may indicate that your home is overly humid or your windows are leaking air due to age or poor installation. The ice that forms on them can cause long-term damage, warping the wood, cracking the glass and making air leakage problems even worse, which means you’re almost certainly wasting energy and money. If you get a lot of icy buildup, you might want to consult a professional.
But in the meantime, take a moment and enjoy the magic of a winter’s day viewed through a beautiful prism of ice.
