WHAT’S UP

We’re not the greyest community in Canada – but close

According to new numbers released by Statistics Canada, Parksville is Canada’s eldest city, with 44% aged 65 or older. In descending order, others in the top 10 are Elliot Lake, (39.5%), Cobourg and Wasaga Beach (34%) and Hawkesbury (32%), all in Ontario. Next up are Matane, Penticton, Powell River and Thetford Mine (31%), then Courtenay (30%).

It’s fair to say, this little corner of Canada is popular with seniors, given that Parksville, Powell River and Courtenay are on this very short “top 10” list, and Canada has more than 5,000 municipalities.

Vipers head to the Special O

Two qathet athletes are going to represent the community at the 2023 Special Olympics BC Winter Games in Kamloops February 2 to 4. Tanya Norman and Andrew Swindlehurst play floor hockey on the Comox Valley Vipers.

Here is a Q&A with Tanya:

How did you get involved with the Vipers?

Tanya • Andrew and I got involved with the Comox Valley Vipers Floor Hockey team way back in 2003 because we didn’t have enough players in Powell River to form a team so we built a composite team instead.

How often have you been practicing?

Tanya • We practice every other Sunday with our team. To follow our contract for training we also have to do two or three more days of training, one day at the gym and one other Special Olympic sport or an extra day at the gym.

How do you think the team will do this year?

Tanya • Andrew and I think we will do awesome this year, we have a pretty good team and we go out to play the way we play and to do our best.

What should readers know about the Special O scene here in qathet these days?

Tanya • Special Olympics – Powell River is a busy but fulfilling organization that helps people with intellectual disabilities to try new sports or join sports that they love and know how to play already. Special Olympics – Powell River is alway looking for volunteers and coaches to make sure that the programs we have running now still run. The programs we are running are: swimming, bowling, club fit, curling, bocce, and golf. We are hoping to get baseball going again but need a coach to help run it.

Audition for A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Shakespeare at the Gazebo began as an idea shared by a few Lundies who love their community and wanted to provide a creative outlet that could sustain us through the winter and still foster moments to gather during the warm months.

For those theatrically inclined or even just curious, we encourage you to come try out for a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Lund Gazebo.

This is a production by and for the community and we will rely on community involvement to make it happen, so if you are interested in acting, costuming, stage direction, tech and stage design or any other aspect please feel free to reach out to Ermen at ermengalatea@gmail.com

Auditions will be held February 15 and 16 at the Northside Community and Recreation Centre in Lund, 6:30 to 9:30 pm.

We also encourage folks to keep this event in mind as the weather warms and to consider coming to see the show.

Our current plan is to start small with one production, showing a matinee and an evening show this summer with a cast and community wrap party at the Gazebo following the show. With the right enthusiasm, we will be back the following summer with more productions and show days.

See you on the stage!

– Ermen DelliCarpini

GREEN GRAPHIC NOVEL

Lund’s Prashant Miranda is releasing his first graphic novel for Amazon pre-sales February 14th, with writers (and part-time Lundies) Paul Shore and Deborah Katz Henriquez.

Steve and Eve Save the Planet will be for sale at Pollen Sweaters in Lund by mid-March. Watch for a Lund launch event in March, as well (the book will launch officially at Arts Umbrella in Vancouver February 25). The trio are planning a series. See savetheplanetbook.com for more.

Photo by Monique Labusch

RETURN OF THE WEED LUBE

After a sold-out run at Forest Bistro in the fall, the Townsite Actors Guild is bringing the locally-written Weed Lube: A Slippery Slope back March 2 to 4. The original cast returns to tell the story of an essential oil business going terribly right. Tickets are $20 at Base Camp and Forest Bistro.