YAM magazine Sept/Oct 2023

STYLE ISSUE

STYLE ISSUE Contents

more to savour Page 67

28 Skin Deep

Caring for your complexion is, well, complex. Follow our skin-care primer to make it beautifully easy.

By Joanne Sasvari

50 Red Hot Fall Fashion

Retro ’80s punk glam! Bold shoulders! Head-to-toe crimson! We gather the looks you’ll be craving this fall.

By Melissa Gignac

41 Fall Flourish

Follow these five décor trends to zhuzh up your home just in time for the cooler and cozier days ahead.

By Danielle Pope

62

How to Get Dressed

Pleated pants and lapel pins: Your guide to the must-have pieces men will be wearing this season.

By Liam Razzell

FOOD + DRINK

68 TASTES + TRENDS

What we’re eating now: tasting menus, hazelnuts, fancy fish and more. By Cinda

Chavich

70 SEASONAL FLAVOURS

In Victoria, every season is salad season. We round up the recipes you’ll want to try right now.

By Cinda Chavich

80 PAIRINGS

Matching wine to salad can be tricky. We show you how to get it right. By Joanne

Sasvari

82 DESTINATION

The Okanagan’s best-kept secret is hiding in plain sight. Welcome to Summerland! By Joanne

Sasvari

In the flow with artist Samantha Dickie; top trends in accessories, fitness and makeup; dreamy books to whisk you away; how to create a sleep sanctuary; growing the marmot family; the Green Team cleans up; a contest you won’t want to miss.

How costume designer Carmen Thompson weaves her Indigeneity into every piece she creates.

By David Lennam

A 1911 character home adapts for a family of five, while keeping all its historic charms.

We check in with The Choirs YYJ and Rifflandia — and introduce our new Culture Calendar. By David Lennam 90

Look closer: You may not be heading back to school, but don’t you want some pencil crayons anyway?

By Joanne Sasvari

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81 COUNTRIES

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Season of New Beginnings

Each season has its mood — winter’s cozy contemplation, spring’s fresh energy, summer’s relaxed vibe — but if you ask me, the very best time of year is right now, this liminal month of September as summer slips gracefully into fall.

That faint chill in the mornings, the soft golden light, the bounty in the farm markets, the extra layers we toss over our shoulders — they all say autumn is just around the corner. For me, and I suspect for you, too, autumn is all about new beginnings, more than New Year’s Day or even the spring solstice. As F. Scott Fitzgerald once wrote, “Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.”

Nature may be readying itself for its long winter nap, but the rest of us are getting ready to go back to school, to the office and to all the season’s big cultural events. Aren’t you feeling just the tiniest urge to rush out and get yourself a new pencil case? I sure am. And aren’t you craving a new jacket, a luxurious cashmere sweater, an eye-catching red handbag or maybe one of those furry bucket hats all the cool kids will be wearing this fall? Me, too.

Fall, of course, is also the season to get back to fashion, to dress up again after summer’s low-key shorts, flip flops and beach hair. This is a good year to do it, too, with an exciting return to tailoring and dramatic new silhouettes for both men and women. You’ll discover plenty of ideas for your own fabulous fall look in this, our annual Style Issue.

But this being the season of new beginnings, we’ve also got more exciting new things to share with you. We’ve added a new Culture Calendar to help you plan your social life. And we’ve created a new Food + Drink section, where you will find engaging stories about your favourite chefs and growers as well as recipes, wine pairings and destinations to dream about.

Fall is at once what the novelist Mary Rusell Mitford called “the very sunset of the year” and Albert Camus described as “a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” We can’t wait to share this exciting season with you.

Joanne Sasvari, Editor in Chief editor@yammagazine.com

SPEAKING OF NEW BEGINNINGS ...

One of our all-time favourite restaurants is getting a second chance, with one of Canada’s best chefs at the helm. Melissa Craig, the rock-star chef of Whistler’s Bearfoot Bistro, is heading back to Sooke Harbour House, where she began her career as an apprentice two decades ago. It’s a delicious rebirth for the legendary restaurant, with an opening date planned for later this year.

“Autumn is all about new beginnings, more than New Year’s Day or even the spring solstice.”

“I WAS A CHILD WHO WENT ABOUT

WORLD

— Frida Kahlo

WELL

Only at

Heart and Sole Shoes

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PUBLISHERS Lise Gyorkos, Georgina Camilleri

EDITOR IN CHIEF Joanne Sasvari

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Jeffrey Bosdet

PRODUCTION MANAGER Jennifer Kühtz

DIGITAL MARKETING CONSULTANT Amanda Wilson

LEAD GRAPHIC DESIGNER Janice Hildybrant

ASSOCIATE GRAPHIC DESIGNER Caroline Segonnes

MARKETING CO-ORDINATOR Claire Villaraza

ADVERTISING CO-ORDINATORS Lauren Ingle, Rebecca Jeutten

EDITORIAL INTERN Liam Razzell

ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS Deana Brown, Will Gillis, Cynthia Hanischuk, Brenda Knapik

FASHION EDITOR Janine Metcalfe

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Cinda Chavich, Melissa Gignac, David Lennam, Danielle Pope

PROOFREADER Lionel Wild

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Dasha Armstrong, Cathie Ferguson, Lionel Trudel

CONTRIBUTING AGENCIES Getty Images p. 20, 28, 31, 41, 69, 89, 90; StockFood p. 78; Stocksy p. 17, 71, 74, 80

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ON THE COVER Style Watch, see page 56.

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Photo by Jeffrey Bosdet

MADE, BEAUTIFUL, FUNCTIONAL

Soft alpaca shawls keep you elegantly warm on cool fall days

GO WITH THE FLOW

Samantha Dickie’s sculptural installation is designed to contrast the softness of nature against the “beautiful boldness of the architecture.”

Dickie is a Victoria-based ceramic artist who has largely displayed her works in gallery spaces. “The pieces would find homes over time,” she says. But now more and more homeowners are commissioning her directly. Take this untitled work, customdesigned for the three-storey foyer of an oceanside private home. Made from soda-fired ceramic, it was originally part of a project called Viveka, designed to “explore the benefits of stillness and observation.” Here, though, it’s all about flow, of time, of sound, of nature, of the ebbing tide beyond the walls. samanthadickie.com CATHIE

1. WRAP IT UP

Toss a gloriously oversized shawl or scarf over your shoulders, preferably in a chunky knit or lushly textured weave and richly autumnal or jewel-toned colour. (Ombre blanket scarf, All Saints.)

Trend Report

If you know, you know. Catch up on the latest news in fashion, fitness and the essential makeup looks that say fall 2023.

5ACCESSORIES TO INVEST IN RIGHT NOW

Fall’s clothes may have taken a turn for the sleek, tailored and classic, but the accessories bring all the drama and then some. Capture the season’s mood with bold shapes, vibrant hues and more than a hint of ’80s glam.

2. TOP IT OFF

This is the year of the chapeau and, while you could opt for a preppy-chic beret, what you will want to wear is a fuzzy bucket hat, as much cozy comfort as cool street cred. (Faux fur black bucket hat from Emma Brewin.)

3. BE BOLD

Jewelry this season is big, bold, dramatic and as individual as you are, whether it’s a stack of sparkly bangles, a single giant ear cuff or a chunky oversized pendant. (Zilie earrings by Darlings of Denmark, Smoking Lily.)

4. MAKE A POINT

Kick your sweet, roundtoed flats to the curb. The pointy pump is back — but then, so is the lace-up combat boot, for all your stomping-aroundrighteously needs. (Vionic Lena, Heart & Sole Shoes.)

5. HANDLE IT

Just accept that you will need a new bag, whether it’s a squishy suede clutch, portfoliosized metallic tote or the must-have top-handled satchel in eyecatching red. (Ferragamo Iconic Top Handle in Velvet Red.)

Face up to Fall

Blume Reishi Hot Cacao

MIND, BODY, SOUL

These five trends are part of our new, more mindful approach to wellness.

1. ADAPTOGENIC DRINKS

These days we want our beverages to do more than hydrate. We’re seeking out drinks that have additional wellness benefits from ingredients that claim to improve gut health, emotional well-being, nutritional optimization and/or sleep quality — but without the potentially negative side effects of caffeine or alcohol.

TRY: Vancouver-based Blume Superfood Lattes.

2. FULL-DAY SPA RITUALS

Pausing between Zoom calls to anxiously attack your worry lines with a facial roller is so 2022. Now it’s all about the long, relaxing, rejuvenating spa experience. That could mean spending a leisurely afternoon at the HAVN floating sauna, remodelling your bathroom to create a spa experience at home or adding treatments to your next massage or facial. TRY: A destination spa with stunning views like the one at Villa Eyrie Resort on the Malahat.

3. MICRO WORKOUTS

Skip the long hours sweating at the gym (unless, of course, that’s your jam) and try micro-workouts throughout your day instead. According to the World Health Organization, even 15 minutes of low-tomoderate intensity exercise, twice a day, five days a week, is beneficial to both physical and mental well-being. TRY: A brisk walk or some energetic housework.

4. SLEEP SYNCING

Ahh, sleep. So beneficial in so many ways, yet so elusive. Enter sleep syncing, which tunes your sleep cycle with your circadian rhythm, just like nature intended. It starts with good sleep hygiene — shutting off devices, making your room dark and cool — and continues with setting a proper sleep schedule, and sticking to it. TRY: Sleep-tracking apps like Sleep Cycle or Oura.

5. CONNECTING WITH NATURE

Forest bathing was just the start. We all know that being in nature has proven benefits for body and soul. Now we are looking to the natural world for everything from body-care products to plantbased diets to holistic supplements. The hottest trend may well be plants that improve cognition — known as nootropics — such as certain mushrooms. TRY: Mood-boosting (and delicious) lion’s mane mushrooms, available through Foragers Galley.

If you’ve forgotten just how much fun makeup can be, fall 2023 is here to remind you. But if the season’s ’80s-inspired, neon-hued, maximalist, glam-punk style isn’t your thing, you can be perfectly on trend with stylish updates to these three classic looks.

The Red Lip

Makeup is all about the bold lip right now. Dark purply hues are back, but red is a classic for a reason — there’s a tint that suits every complexion and it works for almost every occasion. For day, consider defined matte red with lip liner; for casual, soft and smudgy is fine; for dressy evenings, go glossy and maybe add a bit of sparkly embellishment.

The Dewy Complexion

Skin is in, and the most essential look of the season is a beautiful complexion. It starts with good skin care, but gets a boost from highlighters brushed on your brow, the inner corner of your eye or the tops of your cheeks for that livingyour-best-life glow.

The Black Eyeliner

Your face is a canvas, black eyeliner both the frame and a tool to sketch in the personality you want to play today. Pair it with a bit of primer and/or eyeshadow in soft pink or beige, then try one or more of these looks. The sophisticate: A clean line with a subtle wing is flattering on almost everyone. The drama queen: Try a big, bold, sweeping cat’s eye, amplified with fake lashes. The pretty punk: Go smudgy, smeared, all ’90s-era Robert Smith. The fairy goth: Break the rules and draw romantic lines wherever suits you best.

MAC Cosmetics Red Rock Matte Lipstick

HANNAH CRISWELL/STOCKSY

HERE + NOW PICTURES AND PROSE

Let these books whisk you away on adventures near and far.

A Ribbon of Highway: A Photographic Exploration of Canadian Identity by Taylor Roades (Rocky Mountain Books)

A thoughtful yet adventuresome exploration of Canada and its culture in pictures, taken by a noted Vancouver/ Victoria-based photographer. She visits places both remote and recognizable, rich and poor, wild and urban, capturing this land in all its awesome beauty.

Landlines by Raynor Winn (Penguin UK)

This poignant work by the author of The Salt Path and The Wild Silence follows her and her ailing husband Moth on a remarkable 1,000-mile walk from Scotland to England’s South West Coast Path, meeting strangers and friends, wilderness and wildlife along the way.

E.J. Hughes: Life at the Lake by Robert Amos (TouchWood Editions)

This intimate portrait of one of Canada’s best-loved artists captures his quiet post-war years, spent with his wife Fern in their cottage at Shawnigan Lake. Not just a fascinating story, the book also includes dozens of sketches and paintings of his lakeside refuge.

534 Yates St. 250-384-2848 Uptown Blvd. 778-432-2848 outlooksformen.com

Your Sleep Sanctuary

Whether it’s stress, hormones or a snoring spouse that has us staring at the ceiling in the wee hours, about a third of us aren’t getting enough shut-eye. It’s gotten so bad that “sleep tourism” has become one of the year’s hottest travel trends.

Who doesn’t love the luxe king-sized mattresses and high-thread-count sheets of high-end hotels? But as Olga Roberts says, “We have to get back to making our own homes and our own bedrooms into a sleep sanctuary.”

She knows the struggle first hand, both as a former international flight attendant and the current co-owner and CEO of Resthouse Sleep, the Uptown-based retailer of high-quality, certified-organic and all-natural bedding. “In our place of work, we look at sleep as the foundation of wellness,” she says.

A sleep sanctuary starts with a cool, dark, quiet room. It continues with a quality mattress that is breathable and supportive and, if you share it, customizable to both sleepers, like the store’s in-house Kakun line. Same with pillows. Finally, bedding should be made from natural materials, such as sustainable wool, cotton or linen, which help regulate body temperature.

The cozy days of fall are ideal for creating your own sleep space. “In my life, it’s a time for balance and consciousness, of reflection and introversion,” Roberts says. “Changing the bedroom can be really significant. You want to create this luxurious sanctuary of comfort, ease and restorative sleep.” resthousesleep.com

Soft, breathable organic linens like these from Resthouse Sleep help transform your bedroom into a peacful oasis.

More Marmots

Breeding program works to save the Island’s endangered giant ground squirrel.

The lonely Vancouver Island Marmot isn’t quite so solitary any more. Canada’s most endangered mammal — whose numbers had dwindled to just 70 in 1998 — saw its family grow this summer when 14 pups were born at the Wilder Institute’s new conservation breeding and research facility in Alberta. The Archibald Biodiversity Centre, located about 70 kilometres east of Calgary, is also working to increase populations of endangered burrowing owls and whooping cranes. Although the centre may keep some baby marmots to increase the gene pool for its breeding program, the rest will transfer to the Marmot Recovery Centre on Mount Washington when they are old enough to travel, before being released into the wild. Welcome home, kids!

Brambles and Ivy Begone!

How the Green Team fights the invaders.

Left to their own devices, this city’s green spaces would be little more than a tangle of blackberry bushes, English ivy, morning glory and a host of other invasive species. The fact that they aren’t can be attributed, at least in part, to the Greater Victoria Green Team.

Since 2014, this 1,300-strong volunteer army has regularly descended on some 55 city parks to remove the unwelcome plants that threaten to choke the life out of trees and indigenous greenery. They also plant native species, pick up litter, grow and harvest vegetables, and educate at-risk and other youth. Along the way, they forge connections with nature, build community — and have fun, too.

Together with the Lower Mainland Green Team, which was started in 2011, it comprises the country’s largest environmental volunteer group, Green Teams of Canada. For more information about volunteering, donating or heading out to remove some ivy, visit greenteamscanada.ca.

CARE CENTRE

A Greater Victoria Green Team member wrangles invasive plants at UVic’s Cunningham Woods.

YAM CONTEST ALERT!

$1,100+

OKANAGAN GIVEAWAY

The Okanagan Valley is one of the world’s most exciting wine regions, with a food scene to match.

Now you can savour all it offers in a new cookbook, Okanagan Eats: Signature Chefs’ Recipes from British Columbia’s Wine Valleys, by Dawn Postnikoff and YAM editor Joanne Sasvari.

To celebrate its launch, one lucky winner will win a copy of the book and two exceptional experiences from establishments featured in it:

• A two-nights’ stay at the lovely, condo-style Watermark Beach Resort in downtown Osoyoos, valued at around $800.

• A guided private estate tour and tasting for two at the luxurious Phantom Creek Estates winery in Oliver, followed by a three-course lunch with wine pairing for two, valued in total at $340.

Visit

or scan the QR code to enter. Contest closes October 27.

(Note that travel is not included in this prize.)

Threads of Power

Carmen Thompson weaves equity, respect and authenticity into every costume she designs for film and TV.

By David Lennam | Photo by Jeffrey Bosdet

It might be going too far to suggest Johnny Depp is the reason costume designer

Carmen Thompson got into film and TV, but a 13-year-old Thompson, smitten with the budding 21 Jump Street star, convinced her mom to let her work as a background performer on the made-in-Vancouver series. And those brief appearances got her up close to Depp. Really close.

“I had a crush on Johnny and I had this friendship bracelet that I had made and it took forever,” she recalls. “I was sitting right behind him in one scene. I said, ‘I made you a bracelet’ and then he stuck out his wrist with all the other bracelets — you know Johnny Depp, he’s got 12 bracelets on each arm — and he said, ‘Go ahead, put it on.’ So I tied on my friendship bracelet to his wrist and he wore it for that episode.”

It was an early foray into a career in costume design that had her building her resumé with six-and-a-half years in Hollywood and, since 2014, steady gigs in Victoria. She’s won two CAFTCAD (Canadian Alliance of Film and Television Costume Arts and Design) Awards and is a double Leo Award (for the B.C. film and television industry) nominee this year.

The fortysomething Thompson, who is Ditidaht/Kyuquot/Coast Salish Nations, is one of Canada’s leading Indigenous costume designers. That we add “Indigenous” to “costume designer” might insinuate a qualifier is needed. Thompson wears it like a badge of honour.

“I am the first one and I have to hold that and there’s probably 5,000 costume designers out there. There’s only one Indigenous costume designer and I’d much rather have that title than just be a costume designer,” she says.

Thompson explains that, while in Los Angeles learning the craft, she was known as a costume designer who was Indigenous. That shifted when she came home to Victoria, where her first job was on the mini-series 1491: The Untold Story of the Americas Before Columbus.

“I felt the realness of it all — taking that power of Indigenous costume designer.”

SPIRIT POWER

Thompson talks about her uniqueness. Her cultural roots. Her standing has empowered her in an unofficial role as on-set liaison, allowing her knowledge of First Nations customs and traditions to inform producers how to tackle certain issues, scenes and even conflicts.

Shooting Bones of Crows, which dramatizes the grim history of residential schools, she was approached by two of the producers urging her to “get the kids dirty” for a scene.

“And I’m like, ‘No.’ ”

There was some back and forth with various producers until she was asked to explain, which she did. It wasn’t enough.

“So I pulled out my phone and called my Uncle Charlie, dad’s brother, and put him on speakerphone. ‘I have the producers and director here. Just wanted to ask you: How dirty did you get in your residential school uniform?’ He laughed and then he told them why. He was like, ‘Niece, niece, listen to this. This is what I’m going to finish with. Cleanliness is next to godliness is what they would yell at us and punish us with and hit us with while they were beating us up when we got dirty. So no, we did not get dirty.’ ”

Victoria costume designer Ken Shapkin, who shares a Leo nomination with Thompson for Why Can’t My Life Be a Rom-Com?, calls her a rising star, a champion and role model, particularly for her work on Indigenous productions.

On set for Bones of Crows, for instance, Thompson could be found sitting cross-legged on the floor with the young cast, explaining the sensitivities around scenes exposing the harsh realities of the residential school system.

Thompson admits that role is more than she anticipated. “If you claim Indigenous that means the umbrella of Indigeneity, and if your story has Indigeneity — and I know there’s something wrong — I have to say something, because I’m holding Indigenous as my title,” she says.

That almost wasn’t the case. Thompson was raised by her mother “as colonized as possible”

in an effort to shield her from the racism and the legacy of residential schools and all that it spawned. “I was the most non-Indigenous-raised Indigenous person,” she recalls. “I didn’t even know I was native until I was 12.”

Until her mid-teens, Thompson was estranged from her father, the renowned Nuu-chah-nulth carver and painter Art Thompson. His arrival in her life was a crash course in an unknown culture.

“When I met dad, dad was full-swing dancing, potlatching, making masks … and I knew nothing, so I sponged it. He brought me to anything and everything I could go to. I completely dove into [our] culture. To be immersed in the culture with someone like that, you don’t just learn how to dance, you learn how to DANCE.”

Her father was a residential school survivor and a man deeply immersed in what she calls “spirit power.”

Asked what kind of an influence he had, she replies, “Everything.”

TELLING HER OWN STORIES

Between costuming gigs, Thompson is writing, developing her own scripts on projects that are based on West Coast Indigenous culture.

One is a romantic love story, an Indigenous story with a Victoria twist. The other, grittier. About her father and the residential school and the effects that are carried through generations.

“It’s about time there’s some Indigeneity in normal filmmaking,” she says. “Flipping the coin on the negative to the positive. Talking about why there’s fridges and stuff in the front yard and why there’s alcoholism — all of it.”

It’s time for her to tell her stories.

“What ribbons I’m intertwining in Indigeneity — the culture, the cleansing, the smudging, the alcoholism, the residential school … holy, it’s a lot.”

“She’s a true warrior,” says Shapkin. “A voice for female Indigenous filmmakers and the community as a whole, advocating for equity and respect.”

Thompson says the work she’s been doing up until now has prepared her.

“Not knowing I was native until I was 12. All these little things, the little tiny ‘Lego blocks’ I’ve built. That’s why I know I can do a really good job.”

“What ribbons I’m intertwining in Indigeneity — the culture, the cleansing, the smudging, the alcoholism, the residential school … holy, it’s a lot.”

An Evening in Support of Dance Victoria

Live Jazz & Libations

Saturday,

October 21 at Luxe Home Interiors

Celebrate the kickoff of Dance Victoria’s 2023/24 Season!

All proceeds benefit Dance Victoria’s Artist & Community Engagement Programs.

Featuring curated whisky tasting by Adam Bradshaw of the Dram Association Whisky Club at the Strath, Damian Graham Jazz Trio, online auction, libations by Storied Wines & Spirits, and catered bites by local artisan suppliers.

7PM-10PM | 19+ EVENT | $99 TICKET INCLUDES FOOD, DRINKS + ENTERTAINMENT DANCEVICTORIA.COM

jeans.” — KIM CATTRALL

SKIN DEEP

Considering having a little ‘work’ done? Here’s what you need to know.

By Joanne Sasvari

There was a morning, not so long ago, when I looked in the mirror and discovered I’d aged a couple of decades overnight. This, I later discovered, is almost always how it happens. You go to bed feeling fine, maybe a little worried about work or your Visa bill or what you’re going to make for dinner the next day, and wake up covered in crow’s feet and not-asadorable-as-they-sound bunny lines. And that’s how you find yourself in the midst of a taut, shiny and apparently ageless crowd at a collagen event held by a local medi-spa.

Skin care is health care, of course. But there is baggage attached, and not just the kind that lurks under your tired, aging eyes. We live in a world obsessed with appearance; we also live in a world of harsh judgment for those who try too hard, do too much (or not enough) or somehow get it wrong.

Still, take a look around and chances are someone nearby has had a little somethingsomething done. Chances also

are that they’re happy to tell you all about it.

For instance, at that collagen event, everyone was eager to share what procedures they’d tried and what they were planning to do next. And just in the last couple of weeks I’ve learned that one friend uses laser therapy to deal with brown spots, another goes for microneedling to firm up her jaw line, a third has injectables to plump up her thinning lips, several are using neurotoxins

(a.k.a. Botox) to reduce the look of their “11” lines and all of them are holding time at bay with medical-grade cosmeceutical serums.

They all, by the way, look fantastic.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with a simple regimen of gentle cleanser, sunscreen and a drugstore-brand moisturizer, if that works for you. And there’s nothing wrong with proudly wearing your laugh lines and sunspots as the signs of a life well lived.

There is also nothing wrong with deciding not to.

But before you try something that might drastically alter your appearance and is potentially painful and certainly expensive,

it’s good to know what you’re getting yourself into.

For one thing, no procedure is a one-time thing. Are you willing to stick to a four- to sixmonth maintenance schedule? Do you have the budget for it? The time? For another thing, having someone stick needles in your face or laser off a layer of skin is serious stuff, so it’s important to have a qualified professional do it.

Shortly after that collagen event, I sat down with one of the clinic’s doctors for a consultation. They were patient and thoughtful, listened to my concerns, explained different possible treatments and together we came up with a plan, if I decide to take the plunge. No pressure. Just lots of information.

WHAT IS SKIN ANYWAY?

The body’s largest organ is made of water, protein, fats and minerals. Just one inch of your skin has approximately 19 million skin cells, 1,000 nerve endings and 20 blood vessels. And it is made of these three layers.

The epidermis

The top layer of the skin acts as a protective barrier against bacteria, germs and the elements.

The dermis

The thick middle layer, comprising 90 per cent of your skin’s thickness, contains collagen (which makes your skin resilient) and elastin (which makes it flexible) as well as: nerves that let you feel heat, softness and pain; oil glands that keep skin soft and smooth; and sweat glands that help regulate your body temperature.

The hypodermis:

The fatty bottom layer of skin stores energy, insulates your body, connects skin to your muscles and bones, and cushions your body from injury.

The idea, they told me, was not to create radical change, but to look as if I’d had a good night’s rest. Sounds pretty good to me. Then again, I can’t help but wonder if all I really need is an actual good night’s sleep. So we shall see.

The thing is, your skin works hard. It protects your body from the elements and keeps it at a comfortable temperature. It allows you to feel the softness of a cashmere sweater or the tenderness of a lover’s touch. It is tough, yet it is vulnerable to everything from acne to rashes to cancer, and it is where we show the first signs of age.

And that’s why we need to do our best to take care of it. Here’s how.

OUCH

As the body’s external protection system, your skin is vulnerable to a variety of injuries and ailments, from blisters and bug bites to skin cancer. Talk to a doctor if you experience:

❍ A new mole or one that changes size, shape or colour.

❍ A severe burn (including sunburns).

❍ A cut that won’t close with just a bandage.

❍ A skin infection with red streaks.

❍ Any unexplained rash or other skin condition.

“The idea, they told me, was not to create radical change, but to look as if I’d had a good night’s rest. Sounds pretty good to me.”

BASIC SKIN CARE

No matter how old you are, there are some basic things you should (and shouldn’t) do to keep your skin healthy.

DO: WEAR SUNSCREEN

Yes, even if you rarely leave the house — there is growing evidence that the blue light from those screens we stare at all day causes damage, too. Choose a sunscreen with an SPF (sun protection factor) of at least 30.

DON’T: STRESS

Or at least find healthy ways to manage it. The stress hormone cortisol can trigger inflammation, leading to rashes and hives, and also breaks down collagen and elastin, contributing to fine lines and wrinkles.

DO: BE GENTLE

Your skin is tough, but not THAT tough. Use mild cleansers and a daily moisturizer to protect your skin from environmental damage, infections and other irritants.

DON’T: SMOKE

Nicotine and other chemicals in cigarettes and vape pens are damaging to the skin. Besides, they call those grooves above your upper lip “smoker’s lines” for a reason.

DO: EAT WELL

Vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and healthy fats nourish the skin and delay the onset of wrinkles. They also prevent serious skin conditions like dermatitis, inflammation or hyperpigmentation.

DON’T: FORGET TO HYDRATE

If you don’t drink enough water, your cells shrivel, causing your skin to look dull and dry, and making fine lines more noticeable.

DO: GET A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP

As you catch your Zzzzzzzs, blood flow increases to your skin, helping it rebuild collagen and repair environmental damage.

A LITTLE WORK

As you get older, your skin loses collagen and elastin, the dermis gets thinner, bone density decreases, fat migrates from where you want it (your cheeks) to where you don’t (everywhere else), your skin sags, wrinkles appear, sunspots pop up. There’s nothing wrong with any of these signs of age, but if they make you unhappy, Victoria is a good place to find someone to help make them go away. This city has a plethora of high-quality medical spas, led by qualified physicians who can advise you on what will work best for your skin. Short of actual cosmetic surgery, here are just a few things they may suggest.

Cosmeceuticals

These are generally cosmetics that have, or claim to have, some therapeutic benefits. Compared to drugstore brands, they tend to have higher proportions of active ingredients in formats that your skin can more easily absorb. Among them are Retinol, a fat-soluble form of Vitamin A that can fight acne and reduce fine lines, and Vitamin C serum, which defends against environmental damage.

Injectables

There are basically two kinds of injectable treatment — fillers and neurotoxins (such as Botox). Neurotoxins relax wrinkles and are what you want to reduce “dynamic” lines like ones between your eyebrows. Fillers replace volume loss; use them to plump lips, smooth out marionette lines (the grooves from nose to chin alongside your lips) and restore cheek contours.

Microdermabrasion

This popular process sands off the top layer of skin to treat uneven skin tone and texture, hyperpigmentation, age spots, enlarged pores and blackheads, fine lines and wrinkles, stretch marks, acne and acne scars, and sun damage.

Microneedling

Also known as collagen induction therapy, this procedure involves repeatedly puncturing the skin with teeny-tiny needles, which in turn speeds up the production of collagen. Use it to treat acne or surgical scars, burns, wrinkles, stretch marks and even enlarged pores.

Laser and/or light treatment

Lasers are beams of light that remove the outer layers of your skin, reducing wrinkles and scars, promoting collagen growth and tightening skin. Some laser treatments are quite uncomfortable and require significant recovery time; others less so. LED light therapy is a non-invasive treatment for conditions ranging from acne to wrinkles.

Your complexion is, well, complex, and how much — or little — you choose to do to it is very personal. But armed with the right information, you can make the best decisions for your beautifully unique skin.

Fit for Five

By Danielle Pope Photos by Dasha Armstrong

When Erin and Trevor* moved back to Victoria in 2009, the couple knew exactly which house they wanted to move into. It was a 1911 character home in Oak Bay, and it was the first home they circled in a real estate book they were flipping through. In fact, it was the only home.

“We both had this moment where we said, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s that one.’ But the price was so crazy — and it was the only one we wanted to see,” says Erin, who is originally from New York.

The couple only had themselves to think about at the time, and they loved the style of the house. It was in their choice neighbourhood, it would keep them close to Trevor’s family in the region and, as one of the street’s original builds, it was filled with stories. Not long after their initial tour, they were calling the home their own. The pair had dreams of bringing kids into their family, however, and wondered how their visions would fit into a space with limited bedrooms, a “deathtrap” staircase and outdated storage.

Still, life moved forward. By 2020, the family had grown to five — with a rambunctious set of boys, then ages eight, five and one-and-a-half. With the youngest quickly growing into his own space, change was indisputably on the horizon.

“We had been talking for a couple of years about leaving, or maybe knocking the house down and starting over, but we really couldn’t bring ourselves to do either,” says Erin. “There were many issues with building new in our neighbourhood and we wanted to keep the character of our home. But we needed it to be conducive to a family of five.”

How one family updated their 1911 heritage home to make room for three lively young boys — while keeping its grownup charms.

*The homeowners requested that their last name not be used.

REDEFINING POSSIBILITY

With few options, and a market that yielded no homes as appealing as their own, Erin and Trevor sought the advice of Jenny Martin Design to discover if a reno could bring the 2,300-square-foot home up to modern standards. The answer was yes. The house would have to be stripped down to the studs, but transformation was possible.

“At this point, the place just looked like a kids’ play zone. I remember closing the door on this home as we knew it,” says Erin. “We turned around for one last goodbye, and we looked at the high stick marks in the wall and said, ‘Yes, it’s time!’ ”

Jenny Martin, principal of Jenny Martin Design, says the biggest theme for the reno was to create a made-to-live-in space. They wanted it brighter and airier, with a dedicated area for the boys to play in and an “escape” for Erin to retreat from the chaos.

“The functionality of this home clearly wasn’t working,” says Martin. “As soon as everyone was home, book bags and sports equipment were dropped in the dining room off the door. There was no natural place for anything. You want to walk in and feel the beauty of a home, and you do that by creating a ton of storage to keep clutter at bay.”

There was plenty of opportunity — if they went up. The plan was to raise the house to turn the dark, turn-of-the-century laundryroom basement into a functional kids’ level with additional bedrooms and a play zone.

Above: The foyer takes the space of the former dining area, where hockey gear and book bags used to accumulate. Now everyone has a designated area for their things and the space easily maintains a welcoming look even on busy days. The renovated staircase makes an elegant and safe rise to the second level.

Left: The homeowners worked with Jenny Martin Design to bring the space up to a standard that would work for a family of rambunctious boys, and still offer comfort and a retreat for all.

The former dining room on the main level would become a foyer, and a new staircase would elevate the landing area. The kitchen would be expanded with a small rectangular addition, and the upper level would transform into a primary bedroom space with ensuite.

“The house, prior, had a very activeboys feel. One of the biggest things the family wanted was a soft, coastal palette that was quiet and restrained — very Belgian countryside,” says Martin. “They also wanted a kitchen where five people could gather around an island and eat and visit, because that’s what was happening. They just needed the space to do it.”

While the house could only be lifted a few feet, space was also won by exposing beams on the ceiling of the upper floor, creating an optical feeling of height. Tony Aindow, owner/director of Goodison Construction, worked on the reno and had support from structural moving firm Nickel Bros for the lift. The team faced a few serious challenges, including encountering bedrock that could have required blasting, but was fortunately overcome by manual removal of the boulders.

“The build was created using yesteryear building codes, as you’d expect, but there’s also all this beautiful old-growth Douglas fir,” says Aindow. “It was nice to be able to keep as much as we could while transforming the inside to modern building codes, with thicker insulation and double-glazed windows. It’s quite the thing to keep something old and make it work for today.”

EYES TO THE FUTURE

Today, the boys are ages 11, eight and five, and even Martin marvels that the home looks as good as the day the project was completed. It’s a mark of a space that’s working as functionally as was intended.

“When you’re standing in a kitchen with old fir flooring and cabinets that someone else has installed, sometimes you have to ask, ‘Where do we go from here?’ ” she says. “Often, it just takes someone revisioning it to find a way forward.”

For Erin, the transformation was remarkable. Life’s easier now, she says. The kids have independence, and shoes are put away when people arrive home. It’s those little things that make a difference.

“I didn’t want to be cleaning all the time, so we went for cabinets that wouldn’t collect dust, counters that could easily be wiped clean, and floors that wouldn’t show much wear,” Erin says. “We wanted a home that would be open for everyone and, today, I can honestly say there’s nothing I would change.”

The kitchen’s full reconfiguration factored in purpose-built storage for special items, including a coffee and tea station to support busy moments and keep the area tidy in the midst of chaos. The oversized island was built to double as this family’s eating area, with five custom seats prepared to host meals throughout the day, leaving the formal dining table for special occasions. With so much life happening in and around the kitchen, the space needed to be big enough for visiting while cooking, cleaning and homework takes place.

“Often, it just takes someone revisioning it to find a way forward.”

Storage remains at a premium even after this reno, so the design team had to find clever ways to fit in drawers, cupboards, nooks and baskets wherever possible. Clockwise from upper left: Built-in closets create an illusion of space as the walls create a perception of clean lines while ensuring laundry is stowed away; baskets of every shape and size make even the most standard laundry-room detritus seem manageable; an attractive bench in the entry doubles as shoe storage for all five family members; keeping clutter out of sight with rollaway shelving in bathrooms ensures counters remain clear.

PROJECT SUPPORT

Designer: Jenny Martin Design

Builders: Tony Aindow, Goodison Construction

House lift: Nickel Bros

Excavators: Chad Hogan, Whole Excavation Services

Engineering: Scott Engineering, Ryzuk

Geotechnical

Framer (interior): Goodison Construction

Plumbing and mechanical: Lance Priestly, Magnum Plumbing and Heating, JB Sheet Metal

Electrician: Bert Moore, Victoria Lightworks

Electrical Services

Light fixtures: Pine Lighting Victoria

Doors and hardware: Home Lumber & Building

Supplies

Windows: Marvin Windows & Doors

Sliding doors: Pella Windows & Doors of Victoria

Tile: Stefanie Watchman, Island Floor Centre (supply), Kyle’s Tiles (install)

Countertops: Stone Age Marble & Granite

Flooring: Stefanie Watchman, Island Floor Centre (supply), Nick Kay, Cherry Point Hardwood Floors (install)

Landscape design: Rob Spytz

Fall Flourish

Five essential décor trends to warm up the cooler days ahead.

By Danielle Pope

As breezy days gently nudge us indoors, our homes become sanctuaries of style, inviting us to savour the simple pleasures of warmth, tranquility and the tea-stirring beauty of a fleeting season.

Autumn all too quickly breathes itself into winter, but before it does, the best elements of the season can set your home at peace for the cool months to come.

Those of Danish background are well accustomed to the design principle called hygge, a quality of coziness and comfort that creates a space of well-being. The best time to enact this principle is fall, when it’s easier to tune into the world inside our own four walls.

With that inspiration in mind, YAM has gathered five essential fall décor trends that are sure to capture the seasonal ambience. From pops of autumnal colour to velvety textures and mood lighting, this season has plenty to watch for and even more to feel inspired by.

With pieces that mirror the richness of fallen leaves, the intoxicating bouquet of mulled spices and the warm embrace of a flickering fireplace, may you find your own inspiration to evoke a feeling of beauty and mystery on the inside of your home this season.

1ART THAT AWES

After years facing down the popularity of austere white walls, designers are now seeing art — specifically, oversized art pieces — making a comeback in the style world. From extra-large wall-towall canvases to diptychs and triptychs that cover a space, these pieces are surging in popularity and create drama, colour and a sense of story in any room.

Whether you’re into making a bespoke collection gallery wall, seeking support for a custom piece or prefer mixing mediums with a display combo of paintings and

sculptures, Victoria’s art scene has plenty of options. One way to tap into the many artists who make this region so vibrant is through the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. The gallery’s art rentals and sales program works with a cross-section of local artists dedicated to producing fine art. You even have the option of renting and trying a piece on your own walls before committing to purchase.

Below: Miles Lowry’s pigment-and-wax painting on wood, Tsunami Warning, is among several works available to buy or rent through the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria.

A luxe pillowcasE

Texture is fall’s signature move, but this season’s “Surreal Representations” — the pillowcase launch from the Iván Meade Collection — features textures to elevate every corner of your home.

Created from fine silk and brushed velvet handmade by artisans in Canada, this collection adds an edgy, whimsical element to any space. Snakes, cranes, floral patterns, geometric shapes and Meade’s signature gold, black and grey colour palette bring a sense of sophistication that’s neutral enough to blend in with many décor styles.

Meade’s intention with this collection is to bring life to a phrase his mother would often use: “Find luxury in what you touch every day.” With unique textures and images, these pillows are sure to do just that.

A BRIGHT LIGHT (OR TWO)

Mood lighting hits the wall with the latest technical innovation from Mike Randall Design. The PURE 9ty – Standard Retro Fit Model wall sconce offers flexibility, sustainability and a modern take on a retro look, with the introduction of OLED lights. (Organic Light Emitting Diodes are made of organic, carbon-based panels that emit light when electricity is applied and create energy-efficient displays.)

The sconces can illuminate upward, downward or both ways, and are available in fully dimmable and automated varieties, with wood finishes in ash, eastern maple, black walnut and white oak and the option to add a shade. These sconces can flank a mirror or adorn a bedside, modernizing any room in your home.

4A SPLASH OF BURGUNDY

Pantone may have named Viva Magenta its colour of the year 2023, but all its crimson-tinted, wine-soaked relatives are also enjoying a surge in popularity. This season brings burgundy back in full force, with accents the recommended approach for creating magnetic spaces.

To keep this colour current, designers suggest moving away from ’90s-era styling (drenching rooms with the colour). Instead, spread touches of burgundy through a space, with features as subtle as vintage books or as overt as an area rug, like the Bullerswood rug by Morris & Co. With its soft half-inch pile and hand-tufted wool finish, the rug is impervious to marks.

The key for making the most of burgundy is to balance it with neutrals, setting the focus on standout ancillary pieces. Be selective with location, too, and choose burgundy for rooms where energy and conversation should be stirred up — like the kitchen, communal gathering spaces and dining areas.

5A REALLY GREAT CHAIR

It’s the time of year to focus on comfort, and what better way to do so than with a chair made cozy with Scandinavian sheepskin?

The Audo Copenhagen Brasilia Lounge Chair comes in a range of soft fabrics, but pure sheepskin is one of the most popular. Brought to Victoria through Gabriel Ross, this low-lying chair and its accompanying footrest combine mid-century design with serious Scandinavian style.

The luxurious armchair-lounge hybrid, with its highly cushioned seat and backrest, was created by Norwegian design team Anderssen & Voll — a pair known for creating comfort and quality. Characterized by stout and sturdy legs and made using traditional joinery techniques, this chair creates a sense of ease in any setting, and is sure to become a conversation starter.

Cafe bowls in Cider Burgundy from Crate & Barrel.

The Butterswood rug by Morris & Co.

The Audo Copenhagen Brasilia Lounge Chair at Gabriel Ross is all Scandinavian styling and cozy fabrics.

HEARTWOOD AND CO.

At Heartwood and Co., a premiere beauty studio right in the heart of beautiful downtown Victoria, guests are always welcomed with an upscale and tasteful yet sunny approach that leaves them feeling in high spirits. As Heartwood’s Managing Director Jessica says, “We are profoundly committed to our clients, our brand and this industry because we believe in the transformative power of beauty. And that makes us performancedriven, which is why we curate every look with expertise and passion.” To that end, guests can expect professional, world-class talent with an impeccable range of services, including hair cutting, colouring and styling, lash extensions, lifts and tints, facials, skin care and spray tanning, event hair and make-up — everything a client needs to look and feel their best, for everyday, travel, weddings, or other special events.

In addition to the thoughtful service, the studio itself is a heavenly environment to spend time in. Clients constantly speak to the bright, peaceful, truly wonderful experience they feel arriving in-salon.

“We have the entire second floor of a building which is over a hundred years old,

and we’ve kept it open and airy. It’s truly a breath of calm and joy, right in the city,” notes Jessica.

The eco-conscious client can rest assured knowing that choosing Heartwood means they are choosing a certified Green Circle salon: Heartwood recycles up to 95% of their beauty waste. That includes everything from colour tubes and foils to packaging, plastics, papers, cardboard and more.

Contact Heartwood and Co. to ask about their new and exciting skin care offering (and its promotional launch pricing!): the Hydrabrasion Facial, an ideal treatment to replenish and renew a beautiful complexion.

Coming out of the summer months in particular, skin can feel dehydrated from sun exposure, sunscreen, summer activities and travel. A change of season is the optimal time to invest in a refresh, so the Hydrabrasion Facial is an essential addition to your skin care regimen year round.

During this luxurious, 75-minute facial, the vacuum action draws away impurities, stimulates circulation and boosts collagen production, while the serum infusion hydrates and plumps. A light, relaxing massage and a nourishing face mask completes the experience for instant and progressive results, leaving you glowing from the inside out. Perfect pre-event, or anytime you want a radiance boost.

Heartwood and Co. Let’s get gorgeous!

MODERN REAL ESTATE TEAM

Shoes, Sips and Silent Auctions: Support local women’s shelters in style this September

The Modern Real Estate team is back with their annual Raise the Roof for Shelter fundraiser this September, and this year it’s bigger and better than ever!

Strap on your favourite footwear and join like-minded locals on September 21 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Fluevog Shoes for the 9th annual Raise the Roof for Shelter fundraiser. After a three-year hiatus on in-person events, the hosts are excited to reinstate this annual gathering supporting a cause that is near and dear to their hearts — creating safe homes for women in our community.

All proceeds from the evening’s festivities will support local women’s shelters and national domestic violence prevention programs.

“We are so thrilled to be partnering with Fluevog’s again to bring this event back in person,” shares organizer Saira Reynolds, “Seeing the community come together to support this important cause truly makes the evening magical.”

Attendees can sip cocktails while they bid on an array of local silent auction items, mingle with familiar faces while they shop a selection of designer shoes and enjoy delicious canapés provided by Food for Thought Catering while they learn about the missions of incredible local non-profits.

Shoe lovers shop for a good cause this evening, as John Fluevog Shoes commits to generously donating 50% of their shoe sales from the event.

The Royal LePage Shelter Foundation

supports women and children fleeing domestic violence across Canada. In Victoria, four shelters currently benefit from the program’s funding: the Victoria Women’s Transition House, Margaret Laurence House, Sooke Transition House Society and the Cridge Centre for the Family. National initiatives that champion teaching healthy relationships in schools and domestic violence prevention programs also receive a share of the funds.

John Fleuvog Shoes is located at 566 Johnson Street. Entry to this vibrant evening is by donation and is open to all members of the community.

Learn more and RSVP for the 2023 Raise the Roof for Shelter event at modernrev.com/ events.

Left to right: Miles Lyndan, Lindsay Block-Glass, Sarah West, Bill Ethier, Saira Reynolds, Laura Roberts, Sonya Conn

UPLIFT Women’s Business Summit A transformative, two-day experience

Envision networking with 800 dynamic women, with British Columbia’s serene beauty as your backdrop. Victoria BC Conference Centre, in Victoria’s heart, hosts the UPLIFT Women’s Business Summit. Scheduled for November 14th and 15th, the venue merges contemporary elegance with toptier facilities, creating an environment for innovation and dialogue. Attendees will engage in workshops led by compassionate thought leaders and be empowered with tools and knowledge to elevate both personally and professionally.

Keynote speaker Jamie Kern Lima embodies the essence of UPLIFT. A self-made billionaire entrepreneur, Jamie’s inspiring journey resonates with every dreamer who has ever dared to pursue a vision with passion and perseverance. Her story is not just a tale of business success; it’s a love letter to every woman who has ever believed in herself, even when the world doubted her. Jamie’s trajectory is inspiration personified.

UPLIFT is more than an event; it’s a heartfelt gathering. The very soul of UPLIFT

lies in understanding the silent struggles many women face as they navigate the challenging terrains of their professional lives, battling personal demons like imposter syndrome and self-doubt. Our “Sticky” approach ensures everyone is heard and involved, able to connect and learn, and leave with lasting, positive change.

Discover UPLIFT’s Pathways:

• Mental Health: Find strength in vulnerability. Uncover ways to navigate life’s stresses and business challenges.

• Leadership: Embrace genuine leadership. Lead with heart and unwavering belief in yourself.

• Technology: Journey through the digital age. Streamline, boost efficiency and stay updated with tech trends.

• Financial Literacy: Secure your future. Dive into wise financial choices and growth opportunities.

• Wellness: Embrace total well-being. Harmonize work and life, fostering habits that nurture success.

• Equity and Inclusion: Celebrate every

voice. Advocate for an inclusive workspace, honouring everyone’s unique story.

UPLIFT also extends beyond presentations. In collaboration with Mamas for Mamas, we pledge 1% of the summit’s revenue, emphasizing our commitment to uplift beyond business, reaching out to mothers and caregivers in need.

Victoria’s charm and the conference centre’s advanced setup enhance our summit’s essence. Together, we craft narratives where women lead, innovate and redefine. UPLIFT isn’t just a platform — it’s your launchpad. Secure your spot at upliftwomensummit.com. Join a brigade reshaping industries. Dive in, rise and let Victoria’s allure inspire at UPLIFT 2023!

JANUARY GIN JOINT & EATERY

The Jewel of the Brewery-Design District

The year 2020 marked the beginning of the Centennial of the iconic Roaring 1920s: an era of glamour, opulence and excess, ushered in by the Art Deco/Art Nouveau movements and the Golden Age of Cocktails. They were an indulgent, lavish celebration of life and gave rise to great change in fashion, design, and décor. These iconic influences are the inspiration for the much-anticipated January Gin Joint & Eatery at 1820 Government Street.

January’s goal is to complement, not compete with, nearby establishments such as Brasserie L’Ecole, Eva, Il Terrazzo, and newly opened Marilena Cafe and Raw Bar.

Chinatown, Old Town and the surrounding neighbourhood are emerging as a world-class destination for restaurants and bars. January’s menu aims to promote the community’s growing finer dining and craft-beverage culture, with the hope that patrons will stay in the area longer and support more than one local small business when they venture out for an evening. At a time when rising interest rates and inflation are a concern, January Gin Joint & Eatery’s goal to deliver an exceptional experience promises to make your nights out spectacular.

The soon-to-open heritage space is an intimate charcuterie, dessert and craft cocktail lounge reminiscent of gin joints found in London and Paris at the height of the Jazz Age. The luxe eatery offers appetizers, fine cheeses, custom-cured meats, exclusive desserts, vegan options, hand-crafted cocktails — and the city’s largest selection of gin. Specifically designed for socializing and networking, it’s sure to be a new favourite for your everyday indulgence of luxury, fine food and drink. From the crushed velvet booths to the crystal barware and chandelier, the 40-person capacity main floor will deliver a sensory experience unlike any other.

Craving something a little more stripped down? Step into the lower level Asian-inspired Lim Bang Room. Named for the Chinese Canadian businessman whose bricks make up the building, the speakeasy will feature live, unplugged musicians and room for just 20 patrons. Unpolished concrete floors, low ceilings and rough brick walls are in stark contrast to the lavish finishes found above, all just one block North of Chinatown. Make sure you’re on the “guest list” to receive text messages about hours and entertainment, and, of course, the password of the day — assuming you can find the unmarked door in the alley!

The WetCleaner

The WetCleaner is dedicated to building a triple-bottom-line business. This means they take pride in their commitment to their team, their customers and the planet. In fact, they are Victoria’s only non-toxic “dry cleaner,” which may come as a surprise to customers based on the name. Drycleaning, as the name suggests, does not involve water. Instead, it uses environmentally toxic chemical solvents such as Perchloroethylene (PERC). Drycleaning, in other words, is neither dry nor clean. Wetcleaning on the other hand uses water as its primary cleaning agent, but it’s true that a garment labeled “dry clean only” can be professionally cleaned by The WetCleaner!

So what is “professional wetcleaning”? It’s an environmentally safe, non-toxic, chemical-free cleaning process for your garments that doesn’t compromise on quality or your health. Even though every cleaning agent involved in the process is gentle and biodegradable, wetcleaning is just as effective as traditional methods, leaving you with no shrinkage, no harmful residues and no harsh odours — so your garments are truly clean!

As owner-operator Summer-Rain Heal notes, “We are proud that using safe products means our team members have a safer working environment. But we also make good on our commitment to our customers and the planet by offering a free pick-up and delivery service which we run using electric vehicles, and we have many new routes available. On top of that, our laundry bags are reusable and not made from plastic.”

The WetCleaner also makes it possible to give your garments a longer wearing life. They are Vancouver Island’s only leather, suede and fur cleaners, so you can bring your item in for a noobligation quote and they will give it new life. Also, if they notice your garments need repair, for example, there is a missing button or they find a hole in your favourite cashmere sweater, they will message you. Then, if you want to proceed with the repair, they’ll message you when it’s done.

For regular laundry The WetCleaner now offers a wash and fold service; this includes everything that does not need professional wetcleaning or hand pressing, right down to socks and underwear. “As a busy mother, I was keen to develop our wash and fold laundry service. I feel this service can make all the difference to a busy household!” says Summer. “If you visit our website you’ll see our extensive list of items we clean beyond just regular clothes, such as duvets, wedding gowns and even your child’s stuffies!”

Left to right: Adrian, Summer-Rain, TJ, Hanna, Lily, Robin and Cedric

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As the thermostat tumbles, warm up your closet with pieces that trounce the expected flannel and fleece.

FALL FASHION RED HOT

By Melissa Gignac

Fall fashion evokes visions of sumptuous, cozy cashmere paired with quintessentially autumnal textiles like collegiate corduroy, tartan and tweed in rich, warm, harvestseason tones. While these classics are always in style, turning to the runways for a hit of what’s hot now invigorates sartorial staples by injecting the colours, textures and shapes that are having a fashion moment.

This season is all about powerhouse tailoring and sizzling hot red, either in a single piece that pops or head-to-toe scarlet, like this runway outfit from Theory.

Ravishing Red

Greta Gerwig’s live-action ode to the doll be damned, Barbie pink has been dethroned! Fall 2023 runways ran red, awash in sensual scarlet, crimson and ruby tones. From sleek suits at Theory to sculptural evening wear at Alexander McQueen, red is running hot. Donning such a dramatic shade might feel intimidating for those with neutral leanings, but there’s no need to shy away — there’s a red for everyone! Warm skin tones glow against reds with an earthy, orange undertone like coral and brick, while cooler skin is complemented best by the blue undertones of crimson and cherry. If you’re still feeling timid, ease into red and embrace this trend with saucy stockings.

Savage Garden

Florals may be associated with spring, but they make a darkly romantic statement in autumn’s richer tones. And florals don’t have to mean delicate, pretty prints. Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen emblazoned skirts, suits and evening wear with an oversize orchid motif, equal parts floral fetish and anatomical art, while Coco Chanel’s signature camellia burst from knitwear and tweeds, and added textural interest to metallic textiles. Fall’s best florals are bold, relying on scale to make an impact.

Chanel

Alexander McQueen

Alexander McQueen

Valentino

Exaggerated Suiting

Slouchy, academia-inspired menswear chic has been usurped by strong lines and exaggerated shoulders. We aren’t talking “boyfriend fit” — unless your boyfriend is built like former football legend William (The Refrigerator) Perry, with a penchant for couture. The new boxy, knee-grazing blazers pair with everything from fluid trousers to a leather LBD. To avoid looking swamped, your best bet is to balance volume on the top with slim lines on the bottom. If you’re feeling bold, pair with shorts and tights — an unapologetically leggy look to transition into fall. This strapping silhouette carries over to outerwear as well with overcoats reminiscent of Dick Tracy and ’80s-esque sloped-shoulder leather coats making a comeback.

Elevated Oxford

Keeping with the tradition of borrowing from the boys, simple white button-ups ranging from classically corporate to sweeping frocks with thigh-high slits take a decidedly for-her turn this season. Pair with a narrow black tie for a (Wo)Men in Black-inspired esthetic or look for amplified lapels and oversize cuffs to make a more modern statement. You can always reach into his closet for the real deal — think of how Sharon Stone tucked an unbuttoned Gap shirt, nicked from her husband, into a Vera Wang column skirt on the Oscar red carpet.

Boudoir Chic

An extension of ’90s minimalism, unapologetically feminine lingerie looks slink from the bedroom to the street. The ubiquitous cowl-neck, biascut slip dress is as much a closet staple now as it was pre-millennium. If you’re feeling daring, swap out satin for sheer silks and chiffons and treat yourself to foundation garments intended to peek through. For those of us harbouring an inner goth, sheer black lace and tumbles of tulle scream screen siren with a dark secret. No need to feel exposed in your underpinnings — lingerie looks inspired by corsetry layer beautifully under leather or a simple button down. Paired with suiting they play homage to Madonna’s iconic Express Yourself video look.

Saint Laurent Gucci

Valentino

Hot Hosiery

Be it feisty fishnets, jewel-box gems or co-ordinated patterns, hosiery is playing peekaboo and demanding its due attention. Daniel Lee’s first collection for tartan titan Burberry layered its signature textile with skirts over leggings in matching or contrasting tartan tone, while opaque chartreuse peeked out through sheer lace at Gucci. If bright tights feel a little too self-consciously superhero, take a nod from Chanel, where white lace complemented signature tweeds, or Victoria Beckham, who paired punky black fishnets with everything from oversized blazers to elegant evening wear. Just steer clear of textured patterns on stockings that match your skin tone — from a distance, they can look like a skin disorder.

Burberry Chanel Victoria Beckham

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Wrap It Up

We crave coziness as the mercury drops, but that doesn’t have to mean bulky or boring. Scarf-inspired outerwear lends the comfort of the ubiquitous “shacket” (shirt + jacket), with a shot of chic that belongs nowhere near the barn. Toteme’s scarf jacket in felted wool edged in blanket stitches is sure to inspire a sea of dupes.

If you lean toward the sleeping bag security of a puffer, look to Junya Watanabe’s inflated shrug for inspiration.

Supple, draped leather, as seen at Saint Laurent, introduces an unconventional use of one of fall’s staple textiles. Whether built into outerwear or slouching across your shoulders, scarves are taking centre stage.

Toteme

Saint Laurent

Junya Watanabe

Nancy Stratton

Sophia Briggs

Rebecca Barritt

Erin Smith

Erin Smith

Leather Everywhere

Moto and bomber jackets are going nowhere, but leather is breaking boundaries with new applications and technologies. Bottega Veneta’s knee-high socks of knit leather evoke a luxury storm-watch staycation, while their printed leather mimics the look of items normally produced in cotton and denim. Layered leather is a big trend, but if you balk at that much hide, tailored leather trousers paired with a chunky knit is a classic fall combination. Swap classic black leather pants for cognac and caramel shades that evoke the pumpkin spice vibe of the season.

Birds of a Feather

From the moment Euphoria star Hunter Schafer stepped onto the Oscar red carpet with Ann Demeulemeester‘s single feather adorning her bust, it was clear that feather(s) were having a moment. Of course, most of us need more than just one! Feathers, and feathereffect fringe, lend a luxe texture similar to furs, but feel fresher floating off the gowns and onto outerwear. Voluminous plumes feminize androgynous shirts and ties, and balance temporal with tough when paired with fall-standard combat boots. Carwash-effect metallic fringe is also hot, giving a feather effect that’s PETA friendly.

Express Yourself

Runways might dictate trends, but personal style is about identifying an esthetic that feels uniquely you. For most of us, copping looks straight from couture fashion houses isn’t practical — or possible. Think of fashion forecasts as a mood board from which to pull inspiration.

If you like the look of leather, but not the idea of being encased in it, introduce a piece like Alexander McQueen’s wraparound leather bustier to get the flavour without buying the whole meal. Worn under an oversize suit, over a white shirt with jeans or toughening up a floral skirt, it’s a surprisingly versatile piece that plays well with other fall trends, and we’re sure to see pieces at more accessible price points emulating this and other runway looks.

For some, eschewing trends altogether in favour of a reliably uniform look is where personal style lives. Whatever your style expression, dressing in a way that makes you feel good ensures that you’re wearing the clothes, and the clothes aren’t wearing you.

Victoria Beckham

Louis Vuitton

Bottega Veneta

Alexander McQueen

Valentino

WildBeauty

Let nature inspire with textured layers perfectly designed to take you on a hiking adventure — or anywhere else you might want to go this fall.

Fashion Stylist: Janine Metcalfe Photographer: Jeffrey Bosdet

This page: Mustard knit sweater, made in Italy by EKRU, available at Butik Naturals. Euro cotton jeans by EKRU and Jasper beanie by Lost Horizons, available at Butik Naturals. Socks by SockWell, available at Adventure Clothing. Suede boots by OnFoot, available at Waterlily Shoes.

Opposite page: Dark vintage denim shirt by Part Two, Ilse Jacobsen jacket in walnut and VariaSZ Cargo pants by Saint Tropez, all available at Moden Boutique. Plaid shirt by Royal Robbins, available at Adventure Clothing. Hat and watch, stylist’s own.

This page: Grey turtleneck by GAI+LISVA, navy blue hoodie by Velvet, black jersey skirt by Eileen Fisher and coat by Yerse, all available at Tulipe Noire. Ciele Athletics sunglasses by Article One, available at Maycock Eyecare. Cotopaxi Allpa travel pack in Desert, available at Adventure Clothing.

Opposite page: Tajo Pyrenees cape by Baserange, sweater by Cordera, Gatherers cotton skirt in umber by Wright + Doyle, all available at Open House. Suede boots by OnFoot, available at Waterlily Shoes. Eagle Creek tour travel pack, available at Adventure Clothing. Hat, stylist’s own.

This page: Plaid shirt by Royal Robbins and KÜHL straightfit Trekr pants, available at Adventure Clothing. Yaya cord shirt jacket, available at Moden Boutique. Vest, stylist’s own.

Opposite page: Cerulean-blue sweater and matching wrap by Cashmere Clouds, available at Bagheera Boutique. Raffaello Rossi pants, available at Bagheera Boutique. Dansko Paisley shoes in burnished red suede, available at Waterlily Shoes. Cotopaxi Allpa travel pack in Desert, available at Adventure Clothing. Hat, stylist’s own.

Page 8: Grey sweater by GAI+LISVA and olive coat by Yerse, available at Tulipe Noire. Wine-coloured fun-fur bucket hat by Maria Curcic Millinery.

To get this clean and fresh approach to minimal beauty: Light Wonder foundation, The Golden Goddess eyeshadow palette and lip lustre in Pillow Talk, all by Charlotte Tilbury. Embryolisse Lait-Crème hydrating moisturizer. Moroccanoil hair products.

Model: Hannah Johnston/Lizbell Agency | Hair and makeup: Anya Ellis/Lizbell Agency

GET DRESSED

How to A

By Liam Razzell

ccording to the fashion runways, men this fall are going to be wearing purple leather and threadbare “grungecore,” kicky dude skirts and floor-sweeping coats, sharply tailored suits and gigantic pleated pants.

But are they really? We checked in with some Victoria menswear experts to find out.

Mostly what they see is a return to basics, but in a looser, more voluminous way than in recent years. Think: pleated pants, double-breasted jackets and relaxed sweaters.

It’s a change that is right on schedule, says Matt Jensen, co-owner of Still Life on Lower Johnson Street, which has sold streetwear and accessories by independent designers since 1984. Styles typically change every decade, and slimmer, form-fitting clothing has been in vogue for the past 15 years. It was time to loosen up.

“We want to point fingers at the pandemic, but … loose was coming whether we liked it or not,” Jensen says. When he was in New York four years ago, “the ultra-fashionable were wearing loose, pleated, highwaisted pants — this is all stuff that’s trickling in now.”

During COVID, people definitely had an appetite for comfortable,

non-restrictive clothing, ideal for Zoom meetings and Netflix binges, which may have played a role in its growing popularity. However, COVID should be considered an accelerant, not a catalyst, Jensen says. It sped up the loose clothing trend; it didn’t create it.

During the pandemic, Still Life saw more demand for T-shirts, fleece, sweatshirts, lightweight jeans and jogging pants than they did pre-COVID. Now, though, they sell more button-up shirts and heavy denim. And while sales in fleece and T-shirts have remained high, sales in sweatpants have dipped.

“Things have kind of got back on track,” Jensen says. “[COVID] was a pretty minor blip in the fashion world.”

Over at Outlooks for Men, owner Dale Olsen says that some of his customers have told him they’re happy to start dressing up again. “The pandemic had me worried that I’d spend the rest of my life trying to sell fancy sweatsuits,” he says. “Most guys were happy to get back to pants and shirts.”

Outlooks is now selling more suits than it did during the pandemic, a trend Olsen attributes to people attending more weddings. But it’s selling fewer dress trousers, as stretch and alternative pants have risen in popularity over the last several years.

You can’t wear sweatpants forever. From relaxed chinos to classic sneakers, here’s how menswear has changed for fall.

An outfit that works: This Ted Baker quilted Skelton chore jacket, relaxed black chinos and classic sneakers will take you (almost) anywhere.

It’s part of a gradual move toward casual dressing that began before COVID. “Casualness has been going on for a long time. I mean, look at my industry — really traditional menswear stores that refused to change are gone,” Olsen says. For instance, he notes, many traditional shoemakers make sneakers now. “They realized, to keep their business growing, they couldn’t just rely on good old sturdy dress shoes.”

Like Olsen, David Bremner, the owner of D.G. Bremner, which has two locations in Victoria and one in Sidney, says his customers are dressing up again.

“Suit sales skyrocketed in the Victoria store as soon as we reopened from the COVID-19 shutdown,” he says. “The demand was so high that we greatly expanded the suit selection in our Sidney store, which up until that point had concentrated more on sport coats than suits.”

In addition to staple colours blue and black, Bremner expects to see heavy, cozy fabrics in warm colours like rust, burgundy and dark orange this fall. Overall, though, he says, “I expect we will see silhouettes very similar to what we have seen for the past few seasons.”

On these pages you will find things men will actually be wearing this fall.

Stretch Blazers and Suits

Now that we’re going to weddings, events and in-person meetings again, suits and blazers are back in style. But we’re not giving up on comfort. Modern fabrics have stretch woven into them, making them mould to your body and move when you do. For fall, consider an autumnal hue like this brown suit in stretch wool from Pal Zileri’s Vicenza collection, available at Outlooks for Men.

THE 10-PIECE WARDROBE

“You get dressed every day, so you might as well put a little effort into it, and it really doesn’t take much,” says Dale Olsen, the owner of Outlooks for Men. With just 10 items, he says, any man can build a versatile wardrobe. He recommends:

❑ A black suit

❑ Black dress shoes

❑ A white dress shirt

❑ A black blazer

❑ Blue jeans

❑ A white button-down oxford shirt

❑ A grey T-shirt

❑ A charcoal-grey crew or V-neck sweater

❑ Old-school white sneakers

❑ A black raincoat

Says Olsen, “If those are the only clothes you own, you could go anywhere and no one would say a bad thing to you.”

Relaxed Chinos

After more than a decade of skinny jeans and narrow, fitted trousers, the style pendulum has swung to the wider side. That’s right: The pleated pant is back in style, along with a wider leg and generally more relaxed style. Above: Ralph Lauren relaxed, pleated Whitman chino. Below: Scotch & Soda pleated Blake corduroy chino.

Simple, practical and versatile — that’s what these items have in common. In the suit, you’ll look the part at formal events like weddings and business meetings. Pair the blazer and jeans for a business-casual look for dinners out. The raincoat will keep you dry in Victoria’s winter months. Together, the sweater and buttondown shirt are perfect for fall layering. Throw on the sneakers and T-shirt, and you’re ready for a night out at the pub.

What’s great about these 10 items is that they’re interchangeable. If all the clothes you own work together, you can build more outfits, but if all you own are gaudy shirts, experimentally cut pants, colourful running shoes and impractical jackets, putting together a cohesive outfit can be difficult. With a minimal wardrobe, you’ll also save time trying to pick pants and a shirt that work together.

Besides, if you own just 10 items of clothing, you’ll have more closet space.

Classic Plain Sneakers

The dress sneaker has become a stylish and comfortable footwear staple for the modern gent, but no need to go all blingy and designer-y. The coolest guys are stepping out in old-school white sneaks, like the Adidas Stan Smith, Nike Air Force 1 or these Veja Campo sneakers, available at Still Life.

Chunky Sweaters

You will want a sweater for the cooler days ahead, and not just any sweater, but something rugged and textured, cozy and, well, chunky. A good place to start? This shawlcollared Lada sweater in marbled lambswool blend from Fjällräven.

Flannel and Cotton Oxfords THE ESSENTIAL ACCESSORY

Forget the pocket square; lapel pins are everywhere right now. At red carpet events and ceremonies, actors including Timothée Chalamet and Rami Malek have styled their jackets with small but flashy pins that catch the eye.

Sure, you need a dress shirt or two for special occasions, but for almost everything else, a more casual button-up shirt will do just fine. In flannel or cotton oxford, it’s a terrific layering piece over a T-shirt or under a sweater or jacket. Above: The Sunday Flannel from Anián. Left: Organic cotton Cole Shirt from Still Life.

A small pin will make black, navy and grey suit jackets pop, and big pins can make an outfit (see: Harry Styles’ giant green Gucci boutonnière). Pins are also a way to showcase your personality. Show off your fun side with a brightly coloured pin or your elegant side with a gold one.

Want to incorporate a pin into your wardrobe? Outlooks for Men has flower-shaped pins priced around $20 in a range of colours. Looking for a vintage pin? Check out local thrift and vintage shops, or call your grandma.

VIRAGO NATION

Electrifying Indigenous burlesquemesmerizing and empowered. With special guests from the local burlesque community.

Hip Hop duo LightningCloud bring you a Treaty 6 Indigenous twist to the classic musical. Fun for everyone.

Vintage Cartier pin worn by Timothée Chalamet at the 2020 Oscars.

Origami T-Rex lapel pin from OTAA.

CUSTOM BLINDS, SHADES, DRAPERIES, CLOSETS & MORE

CUSTOM BLINDS, SHADES, DRAPERIES, CLOSETS & MORE

WORKWEAR JACKETS

Ruffell-Brown.com

Ruffell-Brown.com

250.384.1230

250.384.1230

In the hit HBO show The Last of Us, Pedro Pascal fought zombies in a waxed, flannel-lined, Flint and Tinder trucker jacket that developed a fan base of its own. The result: The popularity of workwear jackets surged. And among the most popular is the chore coat.

Main Showroom: 2745 Bridge St, Victoria, BC

Main Showroom: 2745 Bridge St, Victoria, BC

Satellite Showroom: 101-9818 Third St, Sidney, BC

Satellite Showroom: 101-9818 Third St, Sidney, BC

Originally made in late 1800s France of heavy cotton fabrics, the loose, multipocketed chore coat was dyed a deep ocean blue and designed for hard labourers. In the early 1900s, the rugged U.S. workwear company Carhartt began producing its own chore jackets made of denim, and would later introduce tan versions. Today, there’s a huge market in vintage French chore coats, which can cost hundreds of dollars.

But chore coats come in many more colours, fabrics and cuts these days: plaid or camouflage, wool or corduroy, baggy or slim, minimal or intricate.

AWNINGS, PATIO COVERS, LOUVERED PERGOLAS, RETRACTABLE SCREENS & MORE

AWNINGS, PATIO COVERS, LOUVERED PERGOLAS, RETRACTABLE SCREENS & MORE

Since its 19th-century debut, the chore jacket has moved well beyond heavy labour. Among its fans are gardening expert Monty Don, who regularly wears the workwear staple on his BBC show Gardeners’ World, and the late, legendary New York fashion photographer Bill Cunningham, who was never seen without his.

PacificAwnings.ca

PacificAwnings.ca

250.361.4714

250.361.4714

Showroom: 2745 Bridge St, Victoria, BC

Showroom: 2745 Bridge St, Victoria, BC

Channel your inner Pedro Pascal in Flint and Tinder’s flannel-lined waxed canvas trucker jacket.

The classic French blue chore jacket works as hard as you do. Above: Patagonia’s hemp denim chore coat. Right: Navy chore jacket from Four Horsemen.

Designer Roller Shades with LiteRise®

©2023 Hunter Douglas. All rights reserved. All trademarks used herein are the property of Hunter Douglas or their respective owners.

Designer Roller Shades with LiteRise®

©2023 Hunter Douglas. All rights reserved. All trademarks used herein are the property of Hunter Douglas or their respective owners.

Food + Drink

INTRODUCING YAM’S EXCITING NEW FOOD SECTION.

68 TASTES + TRENDS A Taste of Autumn

70

SEASONAL FLAVOURS Falling for Salad

Recipes:

75 | The Big Green

76 | Arugula Salad with Peppered, Hot-Smoked Salmon

78 | Lyonnaise Salad

79 | Kale Salad with Engevita Dressing

80 PAIRINGS Sips for Salads

82 DESTINATION Savouring Summerland

The tasting menu is back at hot Victoria restaurants like Ugly Duckling Dining & Provisions.

SAVOUR THE SEASON

Slip into September with new menus, new techniques and autumnal flavours. | By

Cinda Chavich

Return of the Tasting Menu

Is it a sign of the times?

The tasting menu may seem like an elaborate — and sometimes expensive — way to dine. But we’re seeing more chefs dumping their à la carte selections for a fixed menu, or at least a very clearly curated one. For a small, chef-run restaurant, it can be the best way to organize the kitchen, ensure consistent staffing, control food costs and reduce waste. But it’s also a win for the diner looking for top-quality cuisine and everchanging seasonal menus from chefs who constantly push into new territory.

Nowhere *A Restaurant is a prix-fixe, tasting-menu-only restaurant, with multiple courses (usually eight, but up to a dozen) based on what’s available any given week. There’s only one chef cooking, so the tasting menu usually has some unexpected and eclectic selections. It’s always an experience.

Ugly Duckling Dining & Provisions, chef Corbin Mathany’s new contemporary restaurant in Chinatown, offers two menus that change weekly — a three-course menu (with three

Brewery & the Beast

Topping off the festival season is Victoria’s favourite day of craft beer and meaty noshes, Brewery & the Beast, September 24 at Starlight Stadium in Langford.

One $150 ticket gets you into the main event — an all-inclusive pass to an afternoon of food, drink and live music.

For libations, there’s beer from our many local brewers, as well as cider, cocktails, wine and non-alcoholic beverages. On the food side, expect to find your favourite city chefs firing up the barbies for lots of smoky snacking, from meaty bison ribs and cowboy steaks to smoked salmon, wicked wings, pork belly burnt ends and suckling pig porchetta sizzling on the spit.

Last year’s lineup included visiting chefs, too — like Ontario Indigenous chef Zach Keeshig of Naagan serving his smoked duck and salmon, and the team from Tofino’s Lil’ Ronnie’s Beachside BBQ — so expect some delicious surprises!

choices per course) and a six- to seven-course tasting menu. Both are always a revelation and an amazing window into his kitchen’s creative talent.

The Courtney Room chef Brian Tesolin excels at the tasting menu, too, this year celebrating the restaurant’s fifth anniversary with a tasting menu of their greatest hits — such as stinging nettle ravioli or yuzu custard with caviar and surprise pop rocks.

For parties of 8 to 12 guests, AURA’s Ken Nakano offers a chef’s tasting menu at the Inn at Laurel Point, with several courses including seared scallops with XO sauce, cured and glazed pork belly and chicken breast with wheat berries.

Many restaurants around town also routinely organize dinners with visiting winemakers, like the ones at Zambri’s, which feature live-fire cooking from their new head chef Matias Sallaberry. The Oak Bay Beach Hotel hosts a winemaker’s dinner series throughout the year, too, with multi-course menus created by executive chef Kreg Graham.

The tasting menu at Nowhere *A Restaurant features seasonal surprises like these ravioli.

JEFFREY BOSDET/YAM MAGAZINE

Dry and Delish

You may have heard about dry-aged beef — the way to take a steak into the tenderest territory — but now city chefs are dry aging fish, too.

Dry aging in temperature- and humidity-controlled conditions improves the flavour and texture of fish by removing excess moisture, leaving a tender, clean-tasting result. It’s a technique that’s been used by Japanese sushi chefs for centuries, and it’s becoming popular among a new generation of chefs on this side of the Pacific. Aging can tenderize lesser cuts and increase the shelf life of fish, so it’s also a good way to reduce waste in the kitchen.

If you’d like to try the results, some city chefs have added dry-aged fish to the menu.

At end dive, fish is aged in a special refrigerator imported from Germany. Whole fish, including local salmon and albacore tuna, are received from Finest at Sea, cleaned and then hung on hooks in the dry-aging fridge. The albacore is typically used in crudo, tartare and ceviche dishes while salmon, aged with the skin on, is pan-fried and basted with butter for a tender and crisp result.

And with a high-tech Italian dryaging chamber, The Courtney Room serves a full selection of dry-aged beef cuts plus aged fish dishes like its 14-day dry-aged New Zealand kingfish crudo.

Nuts for Hazelnuts

Did you know that a species of hazelnut grows wild in British Columbia? The native Corylus cornuta or beaked hazelnut is a tall, bushy shrub found in the province’s Interior and coastal regions. It produces a small nut that has long been a food source for Indigenous people, who also used the young branches for weaving and the roots to produce an intense blue dye.

B.C. also has a small number of commercial hazelnut farms, with nearly a third of B.C.’s hazelnut production coming from Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands, and the rest from the Lower Mainland. A blight nearly wiped out the fledgling B.C. hazelnut industry a decade ago, but with the help of provincial government grants, many growers have replanted their orchards with

newly developed blight-resistant varieties. Production is rebounding.

The vast majority of the world’s hazelnuts are grown in Turkey and one-quarter of global production goes into the popular spread Nutella. Though B.C.’s production is tiny by comparison, growers say hazelnuts have been farmed here since the 1930s and, as in Oregon, the main U.S. growing region, our coastal climate is perfect for hazelnuts.

Hazelnuts are harvested in October, so look for locally grown hazelnuts from Island Hazelnut Farm in Ladysmith, the Healing Farm in Saanich and Sea Bluff Farm in Metchosin. Find them at farmers’ markets and small grocers like The Local General Store or The Fickle Fig Farm Market.

Kingfish crudo from The Courtney Room

FALLING FOR SALAD

Any time is the best time to enjoy the leafy greens grown year-round by local producers. | By Cinda

Chavich

Arugula Salad with Peppered, Hot-Smoked Salmon, recipe on page 76.

Special thanks to Penna & Co. for the props.

Have you planted your lettuce yet?

Put in the winter kale, radicchio and tatsoi?

It may seem counterintuitive to think about salads in September, when farmers are harvesting squash and brussels sprouts, but in this part of the world you can enjoy fresh-from-the-garden baby lettuces, arugula and other tender salad greens, or rainbow chard, Asian mustard greens, curly kale, frisée, endive, arugula and broccoli sprouts all year round.

“We have an acre of winter greens,” says Robin Tunnicliffe of Sea Bluff Farm, one of the Saanich Organics farms that offers greens from their farm stands and weekly city markets throughout the year.

“I do winter romaine to have all winter, endive, radicchio, mustard greens — just seed in the fall and they will go all year.”

Greens, you see, love our mild Island climate. There’s no need to rely on salad greens imported from California, Mexico and points south when so many local growers offer a fresh supply.

You can grow a variety of sweet, spicy and crunchy winter greens in your home garden, too. They are quick and

easy to grow, and even tastier and less likely to bolt or go to seed when the weather is cooler.

Seeds of the Revolution, the seedgrowing arm of Saanich Organics, selects their seeds from plants and varieties that have survived Victoria’s cool and rainy winters, says Tunnicliffe. Chard and kale are among the hardiest winter greens, but indigenous miner’s lettuce and corn salad (a.k.a. mâche) add exciting flavour to winter salad bowls.

“Corn salad is an important green in France,” she says. “It’s like a lettuce, but can literally be frozen and survive. ”

THE PLOT THICKENS

At The Plot Market Garden in Saanich, Emily Harris and her partner Tyler Browne have perfected the business of intensively growing salad greens in a small space. When I visited them in early spring, they were well into production of a new crop of baby greens, rows of oak leaf lettuce, tatsoi and mizuna, all hardy plants that thrive in cool conditions in their unheated poly greenhouses.

“Greens are a super successful and

rewarding crop to grow here on the Island,” says Harris.

Starting with just one acre (and expanding to two acres this year), Harris and Browne have turned what is essentially a large home garden into a business, supplying chefs, small grocers and CSA box customers with their “salad-forward vegetables.”

Masters of zero-till, carbon-capture farming, they’re proving that growing in an organic, regenerative way, harvesting greens by hand, is both sustainable and profitable.

“Our small farm uses electric hand tools, no-spray, non-GMO and no-till practices to minimize our carbon footprint and improve soil health and biodiversity,” says Harris, noting they received a Saanich Environment Award for their business leadership in environmentally sustainable food production.

“We do ‘cut and come again,’ ” she adds as Browne demonstrates a handpropelled harvester that shears the leaves from the young plants, leaving the root and crown that will soon sprout

Corn salad (also known as mâche) is a popular green in France and grows in Victoria well into winter.

HARALD WALKER/STOCKSY

a new crop. At home, says Harris, it’s easy to do with kitchen shears — the lettuces will “come again,” with new leaves for a second or third harvest.

Direct seeding starts in early spring, under the protection of a poly hoop house, and progresses with weekly planting until October.

The Plot supplies restaurants and small retailers like Niche Grocerant and House of Boateng. Consumers can also have their CSA vegetable boxes delivered weekly or order their baby kale, spring mix, arugula or spicy mesclun mix or Asian mustard greens from the online store.

INNOVATIVE GREENS GROWERS

Local growers Like The Plot have embraced the business of growing greens in many innovative ways. Beyond intensive field crops, farmers are growing greens in shipping containers, in vertical farms and even sprouting from outdoor pyramids in city parks.

The latter is something you might have noticed while strolling through the gardens at Government House, where Allan Murr is producing greens using a system he designed himself.

Murr once produced commercial basil and lettuces on his aeroponic pyramids in Saanich and sold the patented pyramids around the world. But in recent years he’s partnered with the City of Victoria and its Get Growing program, launching the non-profit Harvest & Share Food Relief Society, a charitable organization that grows greens, herbs, bok choy, chard and cherry tomatoes for Victoria food banks and community kitchens.

The charity also partnered with Glenlyon Norfolk School students this year to grow lettuce hydroponically in the school’s underground parking area, a science project producing fresh greens to share with other school children through the Backpack Buddies program.

It’s a way to get fresh local greens into the hands of people who might not otherwise be able to afford this kind of healthy food.

The pyramids, each four by four feet square at the base, stand on special tables filled with a nutrient-rich solution that’s sprayed inside the structure to reach the roots of the plants. Each pyramid can hold 136 plants in its “grow ports” so the 28 planters at Government House simultaneously grow a crop of 3,800 plants in a space of just 1,100 square feet.

While Murr oversees the operation,

Entrepreneur Allan Murr demonstrates the aeroponics pyramids he developed and has set up at Government House. Each holds 136 plants and the harvest is distributed to local food banks and community kitchens.

PHOTOS: JEFFREY BOSDET/YAM MAGAZINE

volunteers help to plant and harvest the food. Murr says the society hopes to replicate the pyramid garden on the rooftops of downtown buildings this year.

Growing fresh greens is an easy way to improve local food security and the city offers grants — even soil and seedlings — to support urban agriculture programs, community gardens and other food-production initiatives on both public and private lands.

GREENS ON THE MENU

When the price of imported lettuce skyrocketed late last year — a shortage of iceberg and romaine due to problems with weather and disease in California crops — restaurants across Canada took salads off the menu. Even fast food burger chains and sandwich shops struggled to find a solution as the wholesale price for a case of lettuce tripled to $140 and higher.

But Island restaurants and consumers had an edge, thanks to the nearly year-round supplies of fresh greens.

The other bonus to buying Island greens is variety, quality and shelf life. Chefs love them because they’re crisp, flavourful and will last in the fridge for a week or two, unlike imported mixed greens.

Local lettuces, chard and kale are de rigueur on many of the best restaurant menus. Among them: the classic Rebar salad, a big green salad loaded with healthy grated veggies, nuts and seeds; the HOB salad at House of Boateng with The Plot Market Garden greens, avocado, pickled fiddleheads, soft-boiled egg and chermoula; or the daily layered salad-in-a-jar lunch to take away at Deer & Dough Bakery.

The Ruby on Douglas serves a Cobb salad with mixed greens, bacon, avocado, blue cheese crumbs and house rotisserie chicken breast. Café Brio offers butter lettuce salad topped with garlic bread crumbs and lemon pepper vinaigrette, while Chorizo & Co. serves salad greens as they do in Spain, with a simple splash of aged sherry vinegar, arbequina olive oil and sea salt.

Many local chefs have even created their own specialty dressings.

Wild Mountain Food + Drink in Sooke has a line of organic vinaigrettes (available in fig leaf, red wine, parsnip and malted apple flavours) featuring vinegars naturally fermented by chef Oliver Kienast, and honey from his family’s farm. Find them at some speciality stores or at Wild Mountain’s online store.

Chef Castro Boateng’s curry vanilla or orange miso dressings are now available in jars from their HOB Fine Foods storefront in Langford, and at several grocers around town; meanwhile, Charlotte & the Quail’s popular engevita dressing is available at the restaurant.

Meanwhile Chef Zachary Kenneth of Elk & The Tide Catering Co. adds just a touch of truffle oil to his highly popular dressing, perfect for adding flavour to anything from greens to rice, potatoes or veggies.

EASY CRAB CAKES

INGREDIENTS (Makes 4 appetizer-size cakes)

• 225g crab meat (Gently squeeze out excess moisture and double-check for shells.)

• 1 egg

• 1 tsp grainy mustard

• 1 Tbsp mayonnaise

Preheat oven to 400F. Mix all ingredients except panko and butter together in a small bowl. Form the mixture into 4 equal, puckshaped patties.

Coat sides generously in panko. Melt butter (or heat oil) in a medium pan over medium-high heat.

• 3 Tbsp finely chopped herbs

• Zest of 1 lemon

• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

• 1/2 cup panko

• 2 Tbsp butter or oil

Gently place crab cakes in the pan and cook until golden brown on one side, approximately 2 minutes. Flip the crab cakes over and put the pan in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes or until just firm to the touch.

GROW YOUR OWN

Whether you pick up the fresh greens at their urban farms stand downtown or take transplants home to your garden from their edible nursery, Mason Street Farm is a go-to for an amazing selection of leafy greens. They include kale, chard and their famous Mason Mixer salad blend (on many chefs’ menus), which includes red and green romaine, red gem and tri-coloured butterhead lettuce.

You can also grow your greens from seed in small pots to transplant or seed directly in the garden. Look for the winter greens mix from Seeds of the Revolution or the cool-weather lettuce blend from Full Circle Seeds, grown at ALM Organic Farm Sooke, plants that will overwinter in a cold frame in our climate. Like Saanich Organics or Mason Street Farm they have seedlings for sale, too.

When you start with transplants, you can start harvesting greens in a few short weeks. Use the “cut and come again” method to harvest and your plants will continue to sprout new leaves for many weeks.

The trick to having a continuous crop of tender, young greens is to keep planting — every three weeks, says Harris. Lettuces are some of the easiest things you can produce in a home garden, and thrive in raised beds and pots. The more substantial winter greens, such as kale, mustard, arugula and various Asian greens, continue to grow even as fall days get colder. And don’t forget to harvest the leaves of young beets, Japanese hakurei turnips and radishes to add something spicy or bitter to your salad suppers. So don’t worry about the changing seasons — here on the mild West Coast, it’s always a good time to grow, and eat, your greens.

Think of this as a base recipe. It can take on any flavour profile you like depending on what you are serving. We used dill and green onion for our herbs but you could use, chives, tarragon, Thai basil, parsley — the possibilities are endless. You could add corn, peppers and smoked paprika. Mint, cilantro and a touch of sweet chilli sauce. The world is your oyster … or maybe it’s your crab cake?

Check our website for more seafood recipes!

The trick to having a continuous crop of tender, young greens is to keep planting — every three weeks.

ROWENA NAYLOR/STOCKSY

•

The Big Green

When fresh lettuces are available at the market (or from the garden), combine as many as possible for this complex layered salad that can be served in a big bowl family style or individually plated for a fancier dinner. Leaf lettuce, baby turnip greens and romaine offer both flavour and texture contrasts. Include watercress, mustard greens or arugula for a nice peppery bite, or pick some nasturtium leaves from the flower bed for a similar spicy zing.

Dressing:

• ¼ cup orange juice, preferably freshly squeezed

• 1 Tbsp lemon juice

• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

• 2 tsp honey or maple syrup

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Salad:

• 8 cups mixed salad greens (include crunchy and tender lettuces, bitter greens and something spicy like turnip tops or nasturtium leaves)

• 1 ripe pear (regular or Asian)

• 1 avocado, peeled and cubed

• 1 tsp lemon juice

• Dressing, divided, to taste

• 2 cups pea shoots or other microgreens

• ½ cup chopped chives or green onions (about 3 green onions)

• cup toasted pine nuts, sunflower seeds or almonds

Whirl the dressing ingredients together in a blender to emulsify or combine in a small jar and shake. Set aside.

Wash the greens well in a sink full of cold water and spin dry in a salad spinner. If not using them right away, pack loosely in a plastic bag with a piece of paper towel, seal and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. This will ensure your salad stays crisp.

When you’re ready to serve the salad: Core the pear and slice it very thin, leaving the skin on, and then cut into flat batons or 1-inch squares.

Peel the avocado and cut into thin slices or slivers. Toss the avocado with the lemon juice to prevent it from discolouring.

In a large salad bowl, toss the mixed greens with a little dressing to combine well. Top with pea shoots, green onions and pine nuts. Add the pear and avocado, and drizzle with more dressing. Serves 6.

Arugula Salad with Peppered, Hot-Smoked Salmon

Here’s a substantial salad from Andrea Duncan and Andrea Mackenzie (a.k.a. the Andreas), the talented chefs at Niche Grocerant. There’s always an amazing salad or two on the lunch menu at Niche, and you can buy fresh local greens and dressings in their hyper-local grocery out front. For this recipe, note that you will need to make the pickled shallots a day before serving.

Pickled shallots:

• 6 to 8 peeled shallots, peeled and thinly sliced

• 1 small beet, peeled and thinly sliced

• 1 cup white vinegar

• 1 cup water

• 1 Tbsp kosher salt

• 2 tsp sugar

Focaccia croutons:

• 3 to 4 slices of focaccia (preferably from Pagliacci’s)

Lemon, honey and caper vinaigrette:

• ¼ cup chopped capers with 1 Tbsp of the brine

• 1 clove garlic, grated on a microplane

• ¼ cup vegetable oil

• Juice and finely grated zest of 1 lemon

• 2 Tbsp honey

• 1 Tbsp grainy mustard

• Salt and pepper to taste

Salad:

• 8 oz arugula (preferably from Saanich Organics)

• 6 hard-boiled eggs (preferably from Lockwood Farms), coarsely chopped

• 1 cup focaccia croutons

• Vinaigrette to taste

• 8 oz peppered, hot-smoked salmon (from a quality seafood market like Finest at Sea, or make your own), broken into bite-sized pieces

• ¼ cup pickled shallots

Make the pickled shallots: Place beets and shallots in a medium-sized heatproof and nonreactive bowl. Place remaining ingredients (vinegar, water, salt and sugar) in a small pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and pour over beets and shallots. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. Let them sit for at least a day to pickle.

Note that this is a quick pickle, which will keep up to two weeks, chilled.

Make the focaccia croutons: Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut focaccia into small cubes and place in an even layer on a sheet pan. Bake until dry and golden, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.

Make the vinaigrette: Whisk all ingredients in a bowl until combined, and set aside until needed.

To assemble the salad: Toss the arugula, egg and croutons with the vinaigrette in a large bowl. Divide between two to four plates. Arrange pieces of salmon and slices of pickled shallot over top. Serves 2 to 4 as a main course or 4 to 6 as a starter.

Lyonnaise Salad

This simple salad is a classic bistro dish from the French city of Lyon. Make it when you have bacon, eggs and sturdy greens for a healthy, satisfying supper, with a fresh baguette on the side. From The Waste Not, Want Not Cookbook by Cinda Chavich.

• 2 thick slices side pork (pork belly) or smoky bacon, cut into ¼-inch strips or cubes

• 1 shallot, minced

• 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar, divided

• 2 to 3 Tbsp olive oil (depending on how much fat renders from your bacon)

• 2 tsp Dijon mustard

• 4 eggs

• 1 head frisée (curly endive), or a mix of sturdy greens (endive, spinach, dandelion, arugula, radicchio, etc.), torn into bite-size pieces (about 4 to 6 cups)

• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

In a skillet over medium heat, fry the side pork or bacon until crisp. Remove to a plate lined with paper towel, reserving the fat in the pan.

In the same pan, sauté the shallot in the remaining bacon fat for 3 minutes over medium heat. Remove pan from heat and whisk in 1 Tbsp of the white wine vinegar, the olive oil and the mustard. (If there isn’t much

LILIA JANKOWSKA/STOCKFOOD

fat rendered from the bacon, use the larger amount of olive oil.) Set aside on low heat to keep warm.

Combine the greens in a bowl.

Fill a straight-sided 10-inch sauté pan with 2 inches of water. Add the remaining 1 Tbsp white vinegar and bring the liquid to a bare simmer (not a rolling boil). Gently crack the eggs into small dishes or teacups and slip them one at a time into the water, taking care not to break the yolks. Cover the pan and let the eggs cook until the whites have set and the yolk is done to the desired consistency, 3 to 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the eggs from the water.

Toss the frisée with the warm vinaigrette, then divide among 4 shallow bowls.

Place 1 egg on each portion of dressed salad greens. Sprinkle the crispy pork evenly over each salad and season with salt and pepper. Serves 4.

Kale Salad with Engevita Dressing

Engevita, or nutritional yeast, is the backbone of this delicious dressing, which gets a hit of umami from miso. There are no eggs, cheese or anchovies in this combo, but it makes a vegan Caesar-style salad sing. Feel free to add other vegetables to this salad, such as cubed roasted beets or shredded carrots, or include mustard greens and arugula in the mix.

Salad:

• 8 cups kale leaves

• Salt (optional)

• Toasted croutons (optional)

• Toasted sesame or sunflower seeds (optional)

Dressing:

• ¼ cup nutritional yeast (engevita)

• 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

• 3 Tbsp soy sauce

• 3 Tbsp water

• 1 Tbsp white miso (or substitute tahini)

• 1 large clove garlic, minced

• ½ cup oil (olive, avocado, canola)

Strip the leaves from the kale stems and rip into small pieces. Place in a bowl. (Compost the kale stems or keep them for stock.) For tougher leaves, sprinkle with salt and squeeze/massage them with your hands to break down and soften slightly before dressing.

To make the dressing: In a blender, combine yeast, vinegar, soy sauce, water, miso and garlic and, with machine running, slowly add the oil to emulsify and form a creamy dressing.

You can also combine ingredients in a widemouth jar and use an immersion blender to emulsify, or just put everything into a small jar and shake well to combine. Refrigerate dressing in a covered container for up to 2 weeks. Shake to recombine if needed.

Drizzle dressing over kale leaves, and toss with croutons or seeds to serve. Serves 4.

Forest to Table

Harvested by families in Saint-Quentin, New Brunswick, Maple Roch syrup is an exceptional organic, single-forest maple syrup. Its lighter flavour is perfect for baking, coffee and more — it’s not just for pancakes! We are also excited to carry their line of maple candies, popcorn and caramel dips.

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SIPS FOR SALADS

Seriously Good Food!

By Joanne Sasvari

Salads are notoriously difficult to pair with wine. The problem isn’t so much the greens (though they have their own challenges) as it is the dressing — there’s nothing like vinegar to knock the flavour right out of a wine, making even an exceptional vintage suddenly taste flabby and bland.

The most important rule, then, is to make sure the acidity in the wine meets or exceeds the acidity in the salad dressing. The best choice, in most cases, is a white wine, ideally something lean, cool climate and refreshingly tart. In addition, leafy greens and herbaceous components pair better with wines that have similar “green” notes.

Some good, go-to salad pairings include:

Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley, Austrian Grüner Veltliner, Portuguese Vinho Verde, Italian Vermentino and some of the very dry B.C. Rieslings.

But! Not all dressings are the same; after all, there is a world of difference between a simple vinaigrette and a creamy buttermilk ranch or garlicky Caesar.

Pairing the right wine with your leafy greens can be hard — but it doesn’t have to be.

The most important rule, then, is to make sure the acidity in the wine meets or exceeds the acidity in the salad dressing.

So just as you would pair the wine with the sauce rather than the protein (which means yes, you can and should drink red wine with fish), you should also pair the wine with the dressing rather than what it coats.

Consider the weight and richness of the dressing, as well as its sweetness and other flavours, such as the smoke of chipotle chilies or fruitiness of raspberry vinegar. And if you really want to enjoy your salad with red wine, consider replacing the vinegar in the dressing with verjus or a milder citrus like orange or tangerine.

Here are five pairings to consider:

Classic vinaigrette: Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley, especially Sancerre.

Creamy ranch-style dressings:

Cool-climate, mineral-driven Chardonnay from Chablis or Vancouver Island.

Sesame-ginger dressing: Riesling, either dry or off-dry, or perhaps a not-too-sweet Gewürztraminer.

Caesar salad:

Lean, crisp, Provence-style rosé.

Chef’s salad/Cobb salad/steak salad with honey mustard dressing: Lighter-bodied, juicy reds like Grenache, Gamay or a Barbera d’Alba from Piemonte.

DARINA KOPCOK/STOCKSY

SAVOURING SUMMERLAND

Why you should add the Okanagan Valley’s best-kept secret to your travel plans. | By

Joanne Sasvari

You could drive right past Summerland and never discover its pretty lakefront, or its charmingly retro downtown, or the vineyards that stretch way back into the steep hills and deep canyons.

Ask anyone who lives here and they’ll tell you the same. “Best-kept secret,” they’ll call their town, or “a hidden gem.” Even those who’ve lived here for decades are still finding new corners to it. “I had no idea this was here,” one winery owner told me about a vineyard they’d recently purchased, acres of land that had suddenly appeared like some wine country Brigadoon.

Yes, you could easily miss Summerland as you head south on Highway 97, past Kelowna’s shouty billboards and ever-expanding sprawl, through tiny Peachland and alongside shimmering Okanagan Lake toward Penticton.

But you shouldn’t.

“OUR TIME TO SHINE”

Summerland. The very name is evocative of lazy days spent under endless blue skies, a glass of rosé in hand. And why not? This was, after all, the site of B.C.’s first ever estate winery, Sumac Ridge, which opened in 1980 and closed just this past year, and it is still home to nearly 20 others, ranging from the cheeky Dirty Laundry to the elegant Lunessence to the funkily progressive Haywire.

“I find when people discover this, they’re shocked to find it’s here,” says Alison Moyes, the general manager and winemaker for the newly opened Solvero Wines. “I think Summerland to an extent has been overlooked as a major wine destination. I think this is our time to shine.”

But Summerland is more than wine. It’s spectacular views, sandy beaches, an authentic taste of nature and a fascinating snapshot of B.C.’s history. Most of all, it’s community. “It’s a quaint little town with lovely people. Very collaborative,” says Christine Coletta, co-owner of Haywire Winery, formerly known as Okanagan Crush Pad. “We’re all small mom-and-pop organizations.”

Only about 12,000 people call Summerland home. But the district sprawls over a vast area that stretches from the lakefront high up into the hills, comprising the Garnet and Prairie valleys, Giant’s Head Park (named for an extinct volcano with a distinctive appearance), the Trout Creek Ecological Reserve and the only still-functioning part of the historic Kettle Valley Railway.

This was for millennia the home of the Syilx (Okanagan Salish) people. Indeed, back in the 1820s, Summerland was known as Nicola Prairie, named for Grand Chief Nicola, the powerful Indigenous leader who ruled here during the fur trade era of the early 19th century and into the colonial period that followed.

By the 1890s, a century after the fur traders arrived, settlers ranched, hunted, farmed and planted orchards on the fertile land of what was

Located on Summerland’s lakefront, Haywire Winery is just off the highway — but could be in a whole different world.

“It’s a quaint little town with lovely people. Very collaborative.”

Christine Coletta, co-owner of Haywire Winery

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by then known as Trout Creek. It was only in 1902 that Sir Thomas Shaughnessy, president of the Canadian Pacific Railway, bought a piece of land here, convinced his rich friends to join him, and renamed the community Summerland.

Not surprisingly, a railway was soon to follow.

ALL ABOARD!

On a sunny Saturday in June, it’s all aboard the Grand Sommelier Express, a 1912 steam locomotive pulling cars full of revellers on a 90-minute journey through Prairie Valley to the historic Trout Creek Trestle and back again for a grazing feast at the station. As the whistle sounds, winemakers pour rosé into our glasses. And as we chug through the dramatic landscape, passersby stop and wave; we wave cheerfully back.

This is just one of several runs the 110-yearold steam locomotive No. 3716 makes each year from Mothers’ Day to Christmas along this small section of the Kettle Valley Railway.

The history of the KVR is a complicated one, but the short version is that fruit growers needed a way to get their apples and cherries to market, and they just happened to have a railway magnate as their neighbour. Sure, CPR sternwheelers connected them to the railway at the northern tip of Okanagan Lake, but a train that travelled from the Kootenays to the coast would be much more convenient.

And so, between 1910 and 1916, the KVR was built, 500 kilometres of rail stretching from Midway to Merritt and eventually to Hope, running through three mountain ranges known for treacherous terrain and unpredictable weather. By the 1960s, there were better, faster and safer ways to transport people and goods. The last KVR passenger train rolled in 1964, the final freight train in 1989.

But in between, the KVR was known for some remarkable engineering achievements, including the Trout Creek Trestle. Designed by Andrew McCulloch, the “infinitesimal bridge” stretches 619 feet (189 metres) across and 238 feet (72.5 metres) above the canyon floor, and was the third largest structure of its kind in North America at the time.

Today, the defunct railway is mainly a popular walking-hiking-cycling trail, just one of many around Summerland. There are also trails to explore on Giant’s Head, through the beachside provincial parks, up Mount Conkle and along an old fur-trading trail deep into Garnet Valley.

And if that’s not enough to keep you busy, you can also lounge around on Summerland’s sandy beaches, paddle its calm waters or meander through the welcoming shops and cafés of the town itself.

COOL CLIMATE, COOL WINE

Then again, let’s not kid ourselves. If you’re visiting wine country, you’re probably here at least in part for the wine.

For years, Summerland has been trying to make the Bottleneck Drive — actually, three

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scenic touring routes linking the community’s wineries, cideries, distilleries and brewery — a thing. This year, it’s finally gaining momentum, in large part because the province recently approved three sub-geographical indications for the region: Summerland Valleys, Summerland Lakefront and Summerland Bench..

“It was an interesting process and it took years and years,” says Cameron Walker, the general manager of Lunessence Winery & Vineyard on the bench, which, like several others here, follows organic and even biodynamic principles.

Generally speaking, this is a fairly cool region where Chardonnay and Pinot Noir do especially well. “It’s a very Burgundian focus,” says Moyes.

That’s especially true in Garnet Valley, where Solvero, the winery Moyes manages, is located. If Summerland is a well-kept secret, Garnet Valley is the enigma tucked inside it, buried deep in the back of beyond, where Solvero and its even newer neighbour, Garnet Valley Ranch, have some of the highest-altitude vineyards in B.C.

But whether in the valleys or on the bench or on the lakeside, wineries here tend to be smaller, family run, the experiences more personal and intimate, tastings often only available by appointment.

“We’re all getting away from the big tour bus experience,” says Coletta, who only offers seated tastings at Haywire, located in the lakefront sub-GI. “In Summerland we have small wineries and it can be really disruptive. It means more curated experiences for everyone. It seems to be what people want.”

Most of all, what people want is what Summerland has, as long as you take the time to venture off the highway and discover it.

“People are always surprised when they come here,” Coletta says. “They say it’s a hidden gem, but I don’t want to use those words. I don’t want it to be hidden. I just think it’s a gem.”

Solvero Wines in the Garnet Valley is one of Summerland’s newest, and specializes in Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

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IF YOU GO

Getting there: Air Canada flies from Vancouver into both Kelowna and Penticton airports; from there, Summerland is about 50 kilometres south of Kelowna and 17 north of Penticton. If you are driving from the coast, it’s about 20 minutes south of the Merritt connector exit.

Staying there: The Summerland Waterfront Resort is a lovely, easygoing place to stay lakeside, with a big pool, day spa, boats and bikes to rent, and one of Okanagan Lake’s five natural wetlands right in front. summerlandresorthotel.com

Dining: Shaugnessy’s Cove, a bistro located next door to the resort, offers globally inspired elevated casual dining and a wide range of local sips (shaughnessyscove.com). Penticton, just a few minutes’ drive away, is experiencing a culinary boom with the new OROLO, Kin & Folk and Chulo Tapas restaurants, among others (visitpenticton.com).

Exploring: Follow the interactive Bottleneck Drive (actually three different routes) to the region’s wineries, distilleries, cideries and spectacular viewpoints. bottleneckdrive.com

For more info: visitsummerland.com

Shaughnessy’s Cove bistro

Voices Raised in Song

Rifflandia favourites The Choirs YYJ take their harmonies to surprising new heights.

By David Lennam

Marc Jenkins recalls the earliest days of what has become the behemoth Choirs YYJ, an assemblage of three choirs and more than 200 singers. In 2012, he was on hand with Anne Schaefer, negotiating what sort of non-auditioned community choir could fill a niche.

“There were a lot of choirs in Victoria,” says Jenkins, “but if you wanted to sing in one, you could sing in a church choir, you could sing in a school choir or the UVic Community Chorus. You were basically singing hymnal music or classical music. The whole idea was there’s people who want to sing music they actively listen to, like Cyndi Lauper, Bahamas, Björk and Radiohead.”

Jenkins took over as director in 2014, a year after their first concert, and later that year had The Choirs YYJ booked for their first Rifflandia Festival. (Their setlist included songs by Springsteen, Bowie, Beck, The Smiths and Nirvana.)

This month’s Rifflandia will be The Choirs’ seventh on the big stage at The Park.

“It’s incredible. Every year that we’ve been asked, I have been so grateful and so appreciative. I don’t take it for granted,” says Jenkins. “It’s really

a testament to how committed [Rifflandia producer Nick Blasko] and co. are to having it grounded and rooted in Victoria.”

At last year’s festival, The Choirs sang Lorde’s Green Light. Lorde, of course, was headlining later than night. A group of young teenagers crammed the front of the stage, elbows up, holding their spots for the big acts to come.

“And they lost it when we sang a Lorde song,” says Jenkins. “I could hear them singing [along] from the audience over the choir because they were so ecstatic.”

Fay Melling, who has lent her voice to The Choirs YYJ since that first day in 2012, says Rifflandia is a very different experience from singing in theatre venues.

“[In a theatre] people are seated, watching the show, and there’s very little opportunity for interaction. At Rifflandia it feels like you’re singing at a rock show. People are standing, dancing, singing along. They’re excited. Everything is amped up.”

Rifflandia will take place September 7 to 9 on Electric Avenue (ages 19 plus) and September 15 to 17 at The Park (all ages). rifflandia.com

THE CITY THAT SINGS

Victoria might just be the “singingest” town in Canada. A quick tally turns up at least 37 choirs, not counting church or school-based groups. That might just be the highest number of choirs per capita in a country that in general has more choirs than you might think. “In fact, a few years ago I heard from somebody at Choral Canada that there are more people in Canada singing in choirs than playing hockey,” says Marc Jenkins, director of The Choirs YYJ.

Fay Melling, who is just one of at least 1,000 people who have been part of The Choirs since their inception, thinks much of the appeal is visceral. “When you sing and you’re just a little part of a wall of sound that’s singing in harmony, it just resonates, makes your whole brain tingle,” she says. “There are many times you’re even tearing up. There’s a vibrational resonance that’s a real thing when you have 80 to 100 people singing together.” thechoirsyyj.com

Caption? tktk

JENNA SILVERSTONE

CULTURE CALENDAR

These are the events we’re most excited about for fall.

Bonnie Raitt: Just Like That Tour

September 2, 8 p.m. | Royal Theatre

Bonnie Raitt will give ‘em something to talk about when the blues/roots/rock/folk/ country singer and guitarist stops in Victoria on her first headlining tour of Canada since 2017. Winner of the 2022 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and the Icon Award at this year’s Billboard Women In Music Awards, she is one of the most remarkable, influential women in music, and this show is one you won’t want to miss. rmts.bc.ca

Bryan Adams: So Happy It Hurts Tour

Saturday, September 9, 7:30 p.m. Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre

If you’ve never seen Bryan Adams perform in person, prepare to have your world well and truly rocked by one of the world’s most exciting, energetic and engaging live musicians. And one of the busiest, too — in 2022 alone, he released four new studio albums including the Grammy-nominated So Happy It Hurts and Pretty Woman — The Musical. sofmc.com

Unexpected: The Life and Art of Sophie Pemberton, Canadian Artist

September 23 to January 21

Art Gallery of Greater Victoria

“Sophie,” as she was known throughout her long life (1869 to 1959), was considered British Columbia’s first professional female artist, a friend and near contemporary of Emily Carr, the first Canadian woman to win the prestigious Prix Julian for portraiture and, although she studied in France and London, a lifelong resident of Victoria. This retrospective examines her fascinating life as well as the portraits and landscapes that gathered so much acclaim. aggv.ca

Above: Sophie Pemberton’s oil painting, Mansi — An Italian. Estate of Theresa Susan Yoder Moyle.

Victoria International Wine Festival

September 24 to 30

Victoria Conference Centre

Wagner’s Die Walküre

October 12 to 21, 6 p.m. | Royal Theatre

Pacific Opera Victoria presents this “bold and robust masterpiece of musical storytelling,” the second of the four operas that comprise Richard Wagner’s epic, 15-hour-long Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring Cycle). Let this iconic work take you deep into the world of Norse mythology, complete with love, tragedy, heroic acts, sweeping melodies and the otherworldly Valkyries who accompany the souls of the dead to Valhalla. pacificopera.ca

Art of the Cocktail: Grand Tasting

October 14, VIP 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., general 6:30 to 9 p.m. | Crystal Garden Plan to go all out on glam as the fest goes Vegas! Put on your glad rags and jazziest cocktail attire — along with the drinks, snacks and entertainment, this annual fundraiser for the Victoria Film Festival features a costume competition, with the winner taking home four tickets to the VFF Opening Gala. victoriafilmfestival.com

Noah Reid

October 14, 8 p.m. | McPherson Playhouse

You probably know him as Patrick on Schitt’s Creek, the sweet, even-keeled partner to Dan Levy’s fabulously OTT David, but you probably should know the multi-award-winning Noah Reid for his folksy musical stylings. Think: singer-songwriters of the 1970s, only with a contemporary twist. rmts.bc.ca

An Evening with Mary Walsh

October 24, 7:30 p.m. | Mary Winspear Centre

Lewis Black

September 21, 8 p.m. | Royal Theatre

Come out and enjoy the King of Rant’s hilarious, finger-pointing exposés of the absurdities of life. A Grammy Award-winning standup, Black may be best known for his appearances on The Daily Show and comedy specials on HBO, Comedy Central and Showtime. rmts.bc.ca

Come on out and sniff, swirl, sip and (maybe) spit your way through dozens of wines from around the world. The week will feature seminars, dinners, trade events and three grand tastings held September 29 and 30. This is the best way to learn about wine, taste something new and thrilling, and maybe even pick up a few bottles at the on-site liquor store. vicwf.com

Uh-oh, better warn the folks at the Leg — Marg Delahunty’s in town! Or at least her alter ego, Mary Walsh, is. The Canadian cultural icon makes it all the way from the Rock on the other side of the country, bringing her sharpest comedic bits and most popular characters from Dancing With Rage, CODCO and This Hour Has 22 Minutes, along with up-to-the-minute local political satire. marywinspear.ca

Fall Colours

By Joanne Sasvari

“Back to school” means different things to different people. For parents, it’s harried mornings and jam-packed schedules. For students, it’s catching up with friends after a long summer. For those without school-age kids, it’s remembering to slow down in school zones and taking extra care around 3 p.m. each day.

But for some of us, it’s all about the school supplies.

There is something wonderfully hopeful about an empty notebook, an unsharpened pencil, an eraser that has yet to tackle a mistake. Anything and everything is still possible, those blank pages say. Nothing, after all, is written. Yet.

Of all the school supplies, none gives us as much delight as pencil crayons. Or, as the rest of the world calls them, coloured pencils.

Who didn’t love opening that plastic packet of Laurentien “crayons de couleur” and carefully choosing their favourite? Peacock Blue perhaps, or Orchid Purple, or Poppy Red? (Poor old Burnt Sienna was always left in the pack.)

The Laurentien brand has been gone for more than a decade, but we’re still tempted by the rainbow of hues in a tin of the much-higher-quality Faber-Castell artist’s pencils available at Opus, the Bruynzeel Expression watercolour pencils at Monk Office & Art or the Prismacolor ones you can find at Michaels. Pick me, they seem to say, and we’ll draw you something beautiful.

We know not everyone is nostalgic for school days, that not every experience was a good one. But when you filled your brand-new pencil case with bright, optimistic colours, didn’t it feel like it could be?

Gibney Company

NEW YORK // CONTEMPORARY

Three works by renowned international choreographers in one night!

Bliss JOHAN INGER

A Measurable Existence YUE YIN

SARA SHARON EYAL & GAI BEHAR

“The troupe’s superpower is clear: its strong and versatile dancers, artists who appear to be physically capable of anything.” — NEW YORK TIMES

NOVEMBER 17 + 18 • 7:30 PM

ROYAL THEATRE

TICKETS: 250-386-6121

DANCEVICTORIA.COM

From $31!

Gibney Company in Bliss by Sharen Bradford