Raspberry - August 2016, Issue 3 by Raspberry

Issue 3 August 2016

magazine

Cover art by Tessa Lee Dumanski

Editors Anthony Biondi Katie Stobbart Nick Ubels

FRESH curators Alex Rake - Fiction Aymee Leake - Art

Business

Dessa Bayrock - Ad sales Sasha Moedt - Events

Contributors Aaron Levy Dessa Bayrock Glen Ess Jennifer Colbourne Joe Johnson Martin Castro Sasha Moedt

Raspberry publishes letters to the editor of 150 words or less. Letters should be sent via email to info@raspberrymag.ca. The editors reserve the right not to print a letter for any reason. If you have a tip for arts, culture, or community coverage, let us know.

Contents

Local artist competes in Toronto Art Battle Our Toronto correspondent Jennifer Colbourne follows up with Shannon Thiesen, who won the local and regional Art Battle competitions, then moved on to nationals!

p.19

On the cover FRESH art from Tessa Lee Dumanski p.40

www.raspberrymag.ca

Contents Q&A with Astrid Lyre p.8

What you missed this month p.24

Music on tap at Field Days p.28

Fresh flavours at Harvest Grill 'n' Greens p.35

Philosophy of Fraser Valley Concerts p.49

Oldhand goes East p.52

Exploring ECK p.57

Columns State of the Arts by Aaron Levy FRESH Art by Tessa Lee Dumanski FRESH Fiction by Katie Stobbart

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p.16

p.66 Local Harvest: a review of books

p.40 p.61

p.68 August FRESH Picks

Partners

Jam in Jubilee Published by

red

PRESS

The Red Press Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering the growth of the literary arts in the Fraser Valley; publishing works which stimulate local arts and culture, including Raspberry magazine; and promoting awareness and readership of contemporary Canadian literature.

A city on the

cusp

of cool

Nick Ubels

Several months ago, Vancouver lifestyle quarterly Montecristo Magazine published a piece in which they heaped faint praise on boutique Abbotsford businesses for “elevating [the city] to a starting level of … hip." Nothing, of course, to quite ascend to the heights of “B.C.’s shining star”: Vancouver. >>

Your ad here email info@raspberrymag.ca with the subject “Ad Sales” for ad pricing and inquiries

How will we address the real issues facing our community? Before detailing the Vancouver-esque (read: refined) qualities of popular local haunts like Duft and Co., Field House Brewing, and Spruce Collective, the writer describes in no uncertain terms how Vancouverites fleeing the high housing prices of their city are responsible for the whole of Abbotsford’s cultural identity, providing us with those vaunted “antler decals.” Abbotsford is not Vancouver. And it shouldn’t try to be Vancouver. For the city to thrive, it needs to both draw on the best of its neighbours and cultivate the unique cultural identity bubbling just under the surface. All of the excitement about new businesses is understandable. I mean, have you tasted those croissants? But an expensive pastry isn’t going to inspire a new work of art or solve the homelessness crisis. It isn’t going to make housing affordable for students and young families. And it isn’t going to magically turn a highway-side big box store into a thriving U-District. A similarly misplaced emphasis is evident in the City’s recent promotional video starring comedians Sunee Dhaliwal and Cliff Prang. The video is pretty damn funny, and shines a light some of the same businesses, but as an attempt to showcase the city’s Official Community Plan, it comes up woefully short. First of all, has anyone added up the cost of the duo’s trip through the City? It’s a privilege to afford just one of those on a given weekend. Secondly, it seems

pretty rich to retroactively take credit for the existence of these businesses before the Abbotsfwd plan has come into effect. Let’s be clear: these kind of places are fascinating, aesthetically pleasing additions to the community. But they haven’t raised Abbotsford out of the dust of the Sumas Valley. Long before there was Oldhand Coffee, there was Hemingway’s Books. Long before Field House, there was CIVL radio. They’re a colourful (or perhaps Instagram-filter grayscale) piece of the puzzle, but not the whole picture. The way forward requires some soul searching. What kind of city do we want to be? How will we address the real issues facing our community? The answer isn’t more antler decals. Consider this a gentle corrective to the idea that a few small businesses will transform Abbotsford. A vibrant community requires so much more than a nice place to drink coffee. It needs good, pedestrianand transit-friendly infrastructure. It needs higher-density housing and community centres. It needs to address the needs of all of its citizens, not just the affluent ones. And it needs to embrace and support the original voices working tirelessly to create an arts and culture scene that would make our westerly neighbours jealous.

The answer isn’t more antler decals.

Glen Ess

Astrid Lyre Raspberry Magazine

Astrid Lyre, lead singer and guitarist for the Nanaimo based alt-rock group Eleanore, returned to her hometown of Abbotsford in late July. During her short stay Astrid, who underwent a transition from male to female, visited CIVL Radio’s studios at UFV to discuss Eleanore’s debut album, and the state of gender and sexuality in Canada’s musical community. Over the course of 40 minutes Astrid offered an intriguing, entertaining, and thought-provoking look into her decision to make the transition, and the subsequent effect on her musical career and personal life.

Why don’t you give us a brief history of your career in music, what lead you to form “Eleanore,” and why is it called “Eleanore?” Eleanore was just a name that I liked, and it turned out to be the middle name of our former bass player, so it was kind of like it was “meant to be.”

So it was just a nice coincidence? I wanted a name that sounded a little bit old-fashioned, but also drew you in. To me the name “Eleanore” has a lot of images in my mind, like "Eleanor Rigby" from the Beatles, and it just it had a bit of mystique to it that I liked.

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I started transitioning I was thinking about what I wanted to do with my life, and my career. And I thought it would be important to take it in a direction that was more creative that allowed me to express myself in ways that I hadn’t before. As soon as I started transitioning I knew I had to just jump on this.

Self-expression is the entire point of music, in many ways, so that, of course, led to you forming Eleanore and releasing your debut album on Mighty Speck Records. So you started writing your own music, composing your own material and then you formed Eleanore?

My musical career started pretty much in Abbotsford, I went to highschool here at W.J. Mouat, and I started playing guitar as a teenager. I did some shows at the high school, some benefit concerts for street kids in grade 12. I played around town in indie-rock bands as a bass player, I was in a local band called Modern Lakes, and we put out two CDs. I think we even played here at the university a few times. I played in a band called “Sweet Sweet Honey Bucket” and that was a blues band, where I sang and played guitar for that. This was all pre-transition, so I was a lot different then! Then I kind of decided to focus more on music, and actually go to school for it. So I went to Capilano University in North Vancouver and studied Jazz Bass and Classical Guitar. Then I started working in musical theatre, in pit bands, live readings, sort of as a side person, I found myself working with some pop artists, in their side bands. I never really had my own project though, and shortly before

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Yeah, Eleanore started as a project for myself and my partner Alicia who I met at music school. She and I had been playing together for six years, more now, and she’s a fantastic drummer. Together we wanted to make an original music project, and Eleanore just sort of happened. In a month I had written all these songs for our first album, and we started playing with our friend Marisia, who’s a great session player from Nanaimo. It happened organically; we didn’t play many shows initially — our first show was a house show, and a lot of our musician friends came and checked it out.

That’s something I’ve noticed, especially in our local scene, where a lot of the support comes from your contemporaries and peers. Now for your debut album, what was the process for your first ever, original, composition? We wanted to do something that would be a study in contrast. We wanted to explore the narrative of a boy and a girl and the difference between the two? And

when you think about it, music is fundamentally a contrast; it’s about sound and silence, harmony and rhythm. With our minimalistic power trio that we had going on — guitar, bass, drums, and myself singing, and some harmony vocals — it was a pared-down first album, and we wanted it to be almost live off the floor, just recording the band almost like a live performance. Very few overdubs, I think there’s only one guitar track I dubbed over on the final record. It was pretty much all just one-takes.

That would make for a very raw recording. Yeah, we went with our friend Rick Salt from Nanaimo — he’s a studio wizard and guitar player. He did a really good job mastering and recording the album for us. Following the concept we had of that minimalism, and the high dynamic range for the album. It’s not maybe as compressed as a normal rock album might be, we wanted to feature quiet parts and louder parts more than your average pop album would have.

It does stand out quite noticeably as well. You talked about the overarching themes, the album’s concepts, contrasting the two binary genders, boy vs. girl ... what are your own thoughts on that? For me, the difference was being happy with myself. Starting my transition released these pent-up emotions that I had, the image of myself that I had growing up, this sense of helplessness, of being stuck in this course of life and not really knowing what to do about it. When I started transitioning, it was like a weight was lifted. My creativity just started flowing a lot more quickly. It was pretty nice!

It sounds like you made the right choice! Definitely. Now a lot of the songs feature the themes of depression, as I’ve struggled with that a lot over my life, in different context. The first song “Who is This Man” is about looking in the mirror and not really seeing yourself, being frustrated and afraid and realizing that you have to take action before it’s too late.

Now, as I mentioned earlier in the show, you’re more than just a musician, you’re an example, a role model, and this is the perfect time to talk about last week, because last week was Fraser Valley Pride (July 16). Sadly I wasn’t able to attend for the first time in a few years, but apparently they had fun! I would imagine, we had a fun experience in Nanaimo for Pride. Which I did attend, and a lot of my friends were there. It was cool, it was Nanaimo’s very first Pride Parade this year, so it was a cool landmark event for the town I’m currently living in.

That’s a little surprising, I would have thought Nanaimo had a longer history than we do here.

Yeah, surprising isn’t it! Nanaimo is a small town, but it’s a very creative community, with a lot of cool music being made there. But it does have a reputation for being a little, you know, redneck. There’s a lot of cool places, like the Vault, which is kind of like the hip [licensed] coffee shop where a lot of bands that are similar to Eleanore in that indie-vein come through town to play there.

That is a big draw right there. Note to any bookers, don’t skimp on the beer. Hah, it’s true! It’s true. But they make you take it outside for some sort of legal reason.

Hah, there’s always something. It is interesting to hear though that Nanaimo had its first Pride Parade, but what are your thoughts about trans-individuals in music? Being a transgender musician is kind of special in some ways. We’re still a minority when it comes to being active in music. There’s a really good band, Against Me! With a transgender frontperson, Laura Jane Grace. I’m trying to think of other people I know, but there’s not that many.

It’s a minority group among a minority group. Other than Laura Jane Grace and Lucas Silveira (of the The Cliks) I can’t think of any other. And statistically there should be more, right? When you think about it, yes, the statistics are something like 0.03% of people are transgender, and that’s probably comparable up here in Canada. I know another transgender singer-songwriter in Seattle, Claire Michel, but apart from that it’s hard to think of that many and so I think we’re kind of positioned at this point where we can be role models to other trans people who are wanting to be musicians, or just trans people in general who are wanting to be more open about it and feel like, hey, it’s totally cool, you can be accepted like this, you don’t have to be afraid or hide it.

That’s one of the great things to having a more visible Pride community, but sadly, transgender individuals aren’t as visible, like you said, a lot of it is hidden. So having more visible members, like yourself, taking that stand, is important. But getting to that point must be very difficult I imagine. Yeah, it’s important to remember that no matter what, you’re still just a regular person, for me, my goal is to be accepted as a normal person. My gender shouldn’t really, ultimately, matter. It should be my guitar playing, my singing, my songwriting that’s important. Until we have more and more trans people being visible and open about this, and once it becomes

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normalized I think that will be the case. It will be just not a big deal. It just won’t be important. I’m excited for that day to come.

We do seem to be making progress there, there have been issues for many in the Pride community that they have faced out here. May I ask what your experience was in coming out? I came out after university, I’d graduated already. It came to a head when I was watching this anime series called Princess JellyFish, where the main character is this boy who dresses as a girl, and she’s just gorgeous. I found myself identifying with her a lot and thinking “I want to be this person,” and I finally decided, you know, I’ve had these thoughts for most of

my life, since puberty basically, and it was time to act on it. So when I did come out, I told my parents over the phone. Initially I wanted to have a face to face, dinner or something, but I made the mistake of telling them I had something important to tell them, a few days prior.

Rookie mistake! Yeah, my brother sent me a message on Facebook and telling me that my parents were freaking out, they thought I had cancer or something! I thought, I’d better just tell them before anything horrible happens! So I told them over the phone, and they were kind of surprised but very accepting. They immediately started doing a whole bunch of research about it, which was really cool. To have someone supporting you like that, by trying to learn more about it. Often I find myself being like an ambassador for trans people in my friends group because there’s not a whole of information being taught in school, or on television. It’s still kind of hard to get the facts. So I don’t mind being kind of an educator among my peers. It’s really cool when people do their own research though, they show you that they care about you. My parents are very supportive, my brother is too. My partner Alicia, we’d been together for a few years while I still a boy.

transition I was like “Hey, so what would you say if I told you I wanted to become a lady?” and she just kind of looked at me, and was like “eh, I dunno. Cool?” It didn’t really faze her. I know a lot of my trans friends have had issues in their relationships, coming out to their partner and them being confused and upset. I was really lucky in that respect, to have someone so incredibly supportive and accepting.

She sounds fantastic. Yeah, and her drumming is pretty great too!

So she was with you while you transitioned? Yeah! She’s still with me, and we still play music together in Eleanore, and it’s really cool. Alicia’s been very supportive. I remember when I told her I was going to

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Let’s not forget that! Now, did you have a similarly positive experience with your peers, record labels, and the fans? Among my friends, and colleagues, basically everyone was supportive. I have a wide age-range of musical friends, who I do stuff with. James McCray, for example, is a drummer I work with a lot, he’s kind of the jazz drummer in town and he was very supportive, and he’s an older guy, so if he can do it, anyone can!

It’s that stereotype of being too old to change, it’s not true. Not necessarily, the only negative responses were from Alicia’s extended family, like her grandma and grandpa, it’s very hard when you’re facing off against someone’s deeply held religious beliefs and the culture they were raised in as children. It’s very difficult to change people’s mind at that change. But it doesn’t go that way for everyone, my own grandma is in her mid 90’s and she sent me a little card when she heard through the grapevine that I was transitioning, and the card said “To Astrid, I just wanted to let you know whether or not a boy, a girl, or twins!” I don’t know if she was referring to budding or something.

I think there has, when you think about how many trans characters are on TV. I just binge-watched Sense 8 on Netflix and it has a very prominent transgender character, and of course there’s Orange Is The New Black, with Laverne Cox. So yeah, there’s a lot more trans characters than there used to be, but there’s still needs to be more.

So I have only one last question, and that is: what is the future for Eleanore? We’ve got a couple things cooking! We’ve got a tour with other Mighty Speck artists, like Herokah and a few other label artists on Vancouver Island. We’ll actually be playing here in Abbotsford at the Spotted Owl in September. So come by and say hi!

This interview has edited for length and clarity. The interview was originally broadcasted on CIVL 101.7 FM, on the July 22 episode of The Shuffle Spot.

It is fantastic that you had a supportive experience. I’ve been fortunate, I know a lot of people didn’t have the experience I had. I’m hoping that by being visible, and proud of being transgender I can change that for the future, and make it more accepted.

Do you think there has been the start of a shift towards more inclusivity and accepting?

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State of the Arts

How to Book Your Aaron Levy - CIVL Station Manager

Band

The Fraser Valley has a burgeoning underbelly of homegrown music. Here's a guide to some of the best spots and most accessible ways for bands and musicians to get out and get playing around the Central Valley in Abbotsford and Mission.

Open Stages at The Spotted Owl The old Airfare Lounge is reborn, with Harma Whiteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own Kyler Pierce hosting open jams on Thursday, and FVMA Hip Hop winner Saint Soldier hosting a spoken word open stage on Sundays. Also bookable for bands other nights. Look for a Battle of the Bands coming up Saturdays in the fall.

Sipp Chai CafĂŠ The aforementioned Soldier does an open mic on the middle Friday of every month, supported by a fresh new vocal crew led by Saint's cousin Hubbo. Proprietor Jas Anand hosts a multicultural variety show on Joy TV, and is mega supportive of local music, so stop by and have a chat/chai (best in town).

Sup at O'Neill's/Open Mic Mondays Not just a sweet potato sandwich, in addition to hosting sweet touring band and local shows on occasion, the first Monday of every month is a no pressure, anything goes open mic!

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Envision Financial Coffee House and Concert in the Park Series Paying $100 per member for up to four members per act, this series takes place in three local coffee shops, as well as the Kariton Art Gallery outdoor stage at Mill Lake in the summer months, May through November every year. Applications open in the winter, and a nominal membership fee applies to be eligible for this jury curated concert series, so sign up at AbbotsfordArtsCouncil.com today and get notified about next year's 24-date goldmine. Also check out the similar Twilight Concert Series in Mission at Heritage Park.

Captain's Cabin Okay, so you've been playing some gigs out of town, your friends always ask when your next show is, and you want to do a CD release, tour kickoff, or fundraising for your new recording. If you've got minimum 50 to 75 people who are willing to check out a free show, and are guaranteed to buy at least two to five drinks and a bit of food, then pick a few dates a couple months down the road, put together a lineup of the best and most popular bands you know but haven't played in town for a while, and see what kind of availability there is at the Cabin. Awesome venue, amazing payout, and great opportunities on the Fraser.

Red Tape Productions at The Basement Punk, metal, and anything else under the sun at this DIY All Ages $7 cover space. No drugs or booze please.

Regime Live Booking shows at Brothers, Spotted Owl, Phoenix, Gators, and more, this is likely the most active promoter in the Valley.

Jam in Jubilee Thursdays in August, this is Abbotsford's own, and likely one of British Columbia's premiere free live weekly music and culture events. Three bands in the park 7 to 10 p.m., DJs and electro performances at Townhall til 11.

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Captive Audience by Katie Stobbart

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Abbotsford artist battles at the nationals Jennifer Colbourne

Before you enter Queen Streetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Great Hall, you know you are in the visual arts centre of Toronto. Colorful murals and graffiti compete for your attention in their mastery and detail, making it difficult to distinguish which is which. Outside the Great Hall itself mill art patrons and artists, as indicated by paint-splattered jeans and hand-painted boots. They are as imaginative and youthful as the Great Hall is grand and old.

The Art Battle nationals inside are going full swing to the beats of one DJ Steintology, and in the midst of this humid melee competes Abbotsford’s own Shannon Thiesen. Thiesen, a teacher at Abbotsford School of Integrated Arts, is the winner of this year’s Vancouver regionals. Here in Toronto she battles other regional and provincial champions for the Canadian national title. After each round, the audience votes for their favourite painting; the top two artists of each group move forward as finalists. Each of the 14 artists’ personalities is as unique as their painting style, and Thiesen is no exception. Wearing overalls that read, “Some people dream of meeting their favourite artists, I teach mine,” Thiesen easily has the most energy in the room, as one might expect from an artist who spends her days keeping up with 10-yearolds. She dances and grooves to the music as she paints, evidently having the time of her life, even under the pressure of producing a competition-worthy painting in a meagre 20 minutes. Her weapons are as unconventional as Thiesen: a window squeegee, house painter brushes, and palette knives. Thiesen likes materials that leave “interesting marks,” and she encourages her art students to think beyond the traditional brush. With bold black strokes, Thiesen attacks the canvas and a portrait begins to appear. One neighbour works in sepia

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tones and the other bright rainbow colours, but Thiesen opts for more sombre blues, purples, and reds. The large crowd slowly circles around, closely watching the painters of the first round, but Thiesen and her competitors are oblivious to everything but their work. Time is flying by, but Thiesen gradually brings a sorrowful face to life. She is known to win Art Battle competitions with her portraits, though she finds they do not as sell well due to the subjects’ unnerving expressions – “it scares them sometimes.” Her animal paintings sell much better, which she finds “people can identify with”; her exhibition painting the day before the competition was a striking blue and gold polar bear, now hanging above her in the Great Hall. Portraits, however, are Thiesen’s passion. Brushes down, and Thiesen steps back from her canvas while the audience applauds and prepares to vote. Thiesen is pleased with her creation, though she wishes she “had five more minutes” – a sentiment undoubtedly shared by her fellow competitors. Reflecting on her

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portrait, Thiesen states: “It got really sad. I don’t know where that came from. I’m a pretty happy person!” Thiesen acknowledges that her piece has evolved from her initial plan, adding “It was a guy this morning, but it might be a girl now. My portraits are very androgynous.” She shrugs. “It’s whatever you want it to be.” The tallies come in, and Thiesen finds out she won’t be competing in the final round. She doesn’t seem overly disappointed. “I’m just excited to have been part of it all. Everyone here is very talented.” She relaxes to enjoy the rest of the show, guessing correctly who will win the finals (Allan André from Ottawa). Thiesen has a message for her students back home: “Creativity takes courage. If you never take a step outside your box and make mistakes, you’ll never see what’s out there.”

community snapshots

photo by Kory Alden

Highwayman Statue What better way to showcase a classic Abbotsford pub than with an 10-feet-tall statue of a highway man riding on horseback. And not only is he great at showing you where to go for a pint, he's also great at helping you grab a few more pokĂŠballs. If you're a die hard PokĂŠmon Go-er, of course.

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did you miss ...

Image: Katie Stobbart

Fraser Valley Music Awards This first-ever awards show featured an incredibly talented selection of local musicians from virtually every genre on one stage at the Abbotsford Arts Centre on July 16. The show included performances from local artists as well as the final showdown of CiVL Radio’s Battle of the Bands. If you missed it, you missed out! But you can console yourself with the remains: a video of a tingle-inducing tribute to Prince and David Bowie by finalists in the For and By Youth category; weekly interviews with the talent by coordinator James Kasper, which aired weekly on CiVL Radio preceding the awards; photos; tales of greatness; and the many, many events and concerts highlighting local musicians in the Fraser Valley. You can also stay tuned for an interview with one of the winners in our next issue. The best way to ensure you don’t miss out next time is by showing love and support for local music, and turning up to celebrate next year’s crop of amazing artists.

Image: Facebook/Party in the Park

Party in the Park Party in the Park was held in Downtown Chilliwack every Friday evening in July. It featured entertainment from previous years as well as a new addtion of a pop-up market, which included vendors and artisans from the community along Wellington Avenue. Along Mill Street was a small food fair. You had four chances to attend this annual, popular event downtown, so hopefully you got a chance to check it out. If not, it should be back next year, so stay tuned for the next iteration of Party in the Park (and now, Downtown)!

Image: Facebook/Mission Folk Fest

Mission Folk Fest This 29th year of Mission Folk Fest was a bit scaled back in comparison to previous years due to some changes and challenges at the organizational level. Their longstanding artistic director left this year, for one thing. So if you went, you probably noticed things were a bit smaller and closer to home, but still full of that wonderful, familiar energy that has been a staple of the Fraser Valley's summer music scene for decades. Some attendees even said there was a silver lining to the event's slightly smaller scale: there was more of a focus on local musicians, and the weekend from July 22 to 24 had a good, intimate feel. Funding has been cited as a particular challenge this year, so keep this event in mind when you're thinking of your plans next summer, and if you have dollars to donate before year 30.

Image: Katie Stobbart

Berry Beat Festival The 35th annual berry festival, which took place July 9 and 10 in Downtown Abbotsford, got mixed reviews this year. Some say it was the best yet, others commented on social media that loved elements from past events were missing, and that there was not enough “berry” at Berry Beat. It was surprising to see a lack of arts and culture organizations present, but you could linger around the Central Fraser Valley Graphic Guild’s tent to watch local artists engaged in plein air painting. A fun feature for kids was the presence of Robin Sather, Canada’s only LEGO Certified Professional—making some adults contemplate a career change. Entertainment onstage, which included some of the staple performers at local events from over the past years—Topaz, Fiddlin’ Frenzy, and Groove Daddy, for example—was well-received, especially from Phonix and Suburban Swing. But one of the most visually successful aspects of this year’s festival was on Saturday morning, when the weekly farmers’ market on Montrose was the busiest we’ve ever seen it. This is one of the largest and longest-running festivals in the Fraser Valley, and worth adding to your summer calendar for next year. In the meantime, you can practice your swing-dancing skills for free with Suburban Swing Tuesday nights at 6 p.m. at Highstreet mall, and keep the high attendance at the farmers’ market rolling Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.—or check out other local markets in Downtown Chilliwack and Mission (also Saturdays) and Yarrow (Friday evenings).

Image: Facebook/ Jam in Jubilee

Jam in Jubilee — upcoming! You haven’t missed it! Some are asking whether they somehow missed out on one of the best-attended concert series in the Fraser Valley, which has traditionally started earlier in the summer. This year, Jam in Jubilee will take place every Thursday evening in August, starting August 4. There will be community tents, food trucks and vendors, a beer garden, and of course, excellent musical talent. There are some FVMA finalists on the docket (Joel Sojonky, Western Jaguar, The Sylvia Platters), other great local musicians and DJs, as well as some non-local performers—Julia Doiron, for example, who won the Polaris prize in 2007. We’re also helping to create a new Jam in Jubilee zine this year, which is being sponsored by CiVL Radio. All that’s left to say is, clear your Thursday evenings. Bring a blanket, some sunscreen, your friends, and your whole family.

Know of an

EVENT

If you are an organizer or know of an upcoming event you'd like to see covered, email us at info@raspberrymag.ca to give us the heads up.

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Field House's Field Days

The beers were flowing; the music was glowing Joe Johnson

bbotsfordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fine microbrew establishment, Field House, was host to an entirely new music festival in the valley at the end of June. Over two days they welcomed 10 indie bands to their outdoor stage. Some of the bands were well-known, such as Jordan Klassen, while others were relative newcomers still developing their mark. Beginning on a calm, overcast Friday evening, Warm Amps, Kin, and Mike Edel nailed their sets and paved the way for the remainder of the festival. Saturday then came along, as did the sun. Opening the day were The Sylvia Platters, followed by Coalmont, Mental Health, and Van Damsel who all had steller performances. Van Damsel in particular owned the stage as the sun seemed to amplify their effervescence. After a brief break, and with the evening settling in nicely, Teen Daze, Alexandria Maillot, and Jordan Klassen brought the festival to a very fitting end. Klassen, a product of Abbotsford who made it big, was a fine choice to close as he performed with his ukulele during the warm summer night, under the string lights. This wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a loud ruckus of a time, far from it. The two days were a charming social gathering. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to be expected as Field House is a social gathering place and the organizers, The Backyard Concert Series, come from a background of developing intimate concert experiences. In making this a true festival they had food trucks, a ping pong table, and Oldhand Coffee on site. With a good first year turnout, the beers were flowing and the music was glowing. It was an experience to remember and if things go right, it will become a regular staple of summer in the valley.

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Interview with Levi Klassen, co-founder of the Backyard Concert Series How did the backyard concert series start? Essentially, my brother Adam and I saw a need for something like that. We had been to lots of concerts and house shows in Vancouver and Bellingham and Seattle. We just thought something similar to that might as well be happening closer to home. There’s a lot of that stuff in the bigger cities but not a whole lot of that happening in the Abbotsford area. And at the time I had a back yard that was a great space for something like that so we just called up friends, and friends of friends, and just got some artists and made it happen.

How long have you been doing it for now? We just started last year. Last summer we started with three concerts, June, July, and August. It was going really well, it was a good response, and we added a September date as well. This year we decided to partner up with Field House and do the big Field Days festival. We’re going to continue through summer with three more backyard concerts. Just smaller events.

How did the partnership with Field House come up? We met Josh, the founder of Field House last year, at one of our concerts. He had reached out to us, bought some tickets,

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and came out. We just seemed to hit it off and Field House is a very community oriented business, which there seems to be an increasing amount of in Abbotsford. They are just always looking for a good opportunity to partner with people in the community and put on events like that. So we teamed up with them and knew we wanted to do something. The Festival itself was their idea, and then we just went from there.

I guess this is the biggest one you’ve done then? For sure. The concerts last year we typically had three artists play. And it would just be one evening. Ten artists on Friday and Saturday, that’s definitely a bigger undertaking than we had done before. It was a challenge in some ways but I think it was really rewarding. We were pretty satisfied with that.

How do you think Field Days went? We were really happy with the outcome. We had a really good response. People seemed to react positively and be excited. Like I said, there’s these neat kinds of things happening in Abbotsford and they don’t have to leave their city to find higher quality events and music. We were really happy with the musicians we were able to get. They were all really excited to be there and thankful to be a part of something like this, too.

How did you decide on the musicians to bring in? Was it difficult to decide?

Do you think you’ll do another Field Days next year? Is it kind of in the air right now?

A few of them are contacts we had made before. A number of them had played in our series last year and then a few were other bands and musicians that we either know of or enjoy and wanted to bring out to Abbotsford that we thought would be a good fit for this kind of festival. We really wanted to get high quality artists but also keep it somewhat local so that we’re not only bringing in a high quality concert experience to Abbotsford but also highlighting the talent that we have locally, whether it’s the Fraser Valley, or the Lower Mainland, or B.C. We wanted to keep it focused.

I think it’s up in the air but I think Field House and us were very satisfied with the outcome. We think that we can definitely build on the momentum of this year now that people are a bit more familiar with what it is. I think the response was really positive. I don’t see any reason why we wouldn’t do it again.

Do you think this will set precedent for doing bigger events now?

How did you attract the bands to Field Days? When you talked to them they were all really gung ho or…?

I think it’s kind of twofold. I think there’s something special about a big event like that… a wider draw. You get more people out. More momentum around it. It’s incredibly exciting to be a part of an enjoyable couple days. But I think there’s something really special about what we do in the Backyard Concert series. They’re much smaller, more intimate shows, still with a high quality set of artists. But it’s just a very different feel. People are definitely there for the music and for the experience of it. The small intimate concerts definitely holds a special place for us.

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Is there anything you’d do differently next year if you do it again? I don’t think so, actually. I don’t know. I think it went really well. We were happy with it.

All the artists were incredibly eager to be a part of it. Some of them we knew personally and others we didn’t. The ones we knew personally know us and know the kinds of events we put on. They were eager to be a part of it. The ones who weren’t, I feel like they understood pretty quickly the kind of environment it would be and the kind of event that it was. They certainly didn’t hesitate to jump in.

community snapshots

photo by Nick Ubels

"Fatale" Hastily graffitied on the back exterior wall of Legal Grounds Coffee House, this one-word cipher was spotted Friday, July 22 steps away from the throngs of shoppers filing through Downtown Abbotsford. Was it written in quiet desperation? Snickering vandalism? Minor protest? Whatever the intent, the offending letters will soon be covered up by a good coat of fresh paint.

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Grill ‘n’ Greens rounds out Downtown Abbotsford Sasha Moedt Harvest Grill ‘n’ Greens owner Dion Brisson admits he feels lucky. “Everyday, I go wow, what a great decision,” Brisson said, sitting out on the patio outside of his restaurant in downtown Abbotsford. Since choosing this location for his dream restaurant and procuring it August of last year, he’s been there every day. “No one’s seen this street more than I’ve seen it. I couldn’t be happier. It’s the best spot, and [everything] is changing so fast downtown.” Harvest Grill n’ Greens opened in the dead of winter — late December, 2015. Brisson admitted that while winter is a quiet time for a restaurant to open, it allowed room for mistakes and growth. “It was actually the best time because it was slow and all our systems were new. If we would have been busy-busy right off the get-go, we would have looked terrible. We would have been bumping in to each other and it’s impossible to make a good first impression. “I’m happy the way things are. I mean sure it’s a struggle as an owner but it’s just been a natural progression to the way it’s supposed to be. ” Abbotsford is getting attention, notably downtown, and previously apathetic locals are getting drawn in — and Brisson is delighted to be in the thick of it.

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Finding Downtown Abbotsford Brisson has always known he’s wanted to own a restaurant, ever since selling a banana to a vegetarian construction worker when he was nine. Since then, he’s spent 30 years working at bars and restaurants from Whistler to London to the Cayman Islands. When he decided to follow his dream of opening a restaurant, he narrowed the location down to Chilliwack, Abbotsford, or Langley. After months of looking at locations in each respective city, there was a restaurant in Abbotsford that got his attention. “Oldhand was a big reason why I chose Abbotsford. I walked in there... And I’d order a coffee, and I’d put my head down, and I’d be like, if I didn’t know it, I could be in Vancouver. Just hipsters everywhere.” That was the vibe he wanted, and Abbotsford had room for growth: Brisson noticed there was a lack of healthy options in Abbotsford. After coming down from the Abby grind, he didn’t have any options. “There’s Pita Pit and Subway — [but], let’s get our story straight. That’s all processed. We don’t have flour here, we don’t have cornstarch here. We make all of our soups from scratch, all our salads from scratch.” After a recommendation from a friend, Brisson checked out Downtown Abbotsford. And he did his homework: “I came down and I parked my car here for two weeks. And I just kind sat there in my cars and watched people. And I thought, you know what, there is something about this.”

Providing Abbotsford with real options Going out to eat is very social, but we’re at a time where food restrictions are quite common. Harvest is a somewhat safe place for foodies with restrictions — and their friends. Brisson explained that Harvest is set up so that anyone can sit and eat with their friends. “Our menu is set up for the heartiest meat eater — pulled pork sandwich to the chicken and Brie, and all the way to the vegan-est vegan.” Harvest is set up for more than one type of clientele, Brisson explained, highlighting flexibility and diversity. “Everyone is covered. And that’s important — that you’re not just keying on the demographic. We always have one soup that’s vegan friendly, we always have one soup that’s meat. Our veggie sandwich has grilled tofu, grilled red peppers, zucchini, sun-dried tomato spread, chickpea hummus. It’s like a veggie big mac.” Harvest creates their salads in the back without dressing or cheese. Their menu items are used as rough guidelines. “We’ll mix and match for you, we’ll design for you. There are some places where there is nothing there for [vegans]. Or they look ‘silly’ asking. Well, you don’t look silly here.”

“I want people to change their concept of ‘restaurants.’” After 30 years of working in the restaurant industry, Brisson wants his staff to experience something different. “What I explain [to staff] is, they grow as the Harvest grows. It’s not like this corporation where money is coming out of it, we kind of split everything. When someone walks in, then leaves, it doesn’t just affect me — it affects [staff] as much as me. When the salads don’t look good or don’t taste good, it doesn’t just affect me.” As Harvest reaches goals, Brisson explained, his staff will see that growth. As they reach and go above the target goal, "everyone gets another raise." Brisson hopes to get to the point where staff can earn $20 an hour with tips. He already feels that this system gives Harvest a positive dynamic. “[Harvest staff] are always cleaning, always doing something. They take ownership. Because Harvest is them too, not just me.”

Sourcing local One of Brisson’s visions for Harvest is to source local as much as possible. He is currently working with a couple local veggie farms, including Abundant Acre Family Farm and Flavourful Farms, and hopes to branch out to local meats, as well. “It’s just a matter of time before we’re able to locally source almost every-

thing. I like eating organic and pesticide free ... I like it because it’s good for me, and I like it because I’m giving [the farmer] the money. Cut out all those trucks, cut out California, that to me makes the food taste better.” Sourcing local can clash with his goal of providing for all kinds of clientele, Brisson noted. Not everyone wants to pay the higher prices for local or organic. As Harvest shifts to more local, he wants to keep options open for customers. “I listen to what works for people and what doesn’t. That’s kind of my style – we’ve got the cheapest soda pop, cheapest water, all the way to the most expensive kombucha. You can have whatever you want.”

Harvest’s growth Dion Brisson’s vision for Harvest has changed since opening. “The first thing was to just get open. Get through lunch rushes, find out what people want.” The nature of Harvest’s food made is easy to move into catering — they even do weddings. “Our food travels really well. People like that.” Harvest’s next goal is to extend their hours. “Right now we’re open at 11 a.m., but I want to lock down and show people that Downtown doesn’t just close at 4. Bow and Stern has been great. These people are unbelievable; they’ve done such a great job.” Brisson admits that, while initially thinking about branching out — potentially to Whistler — he is content with slowly growing from his current location. “I’ll want another adventure. [but] I don’t want to rush somewhere else. I’m falling in love with downtown.... I believe in it so much.” “I’m here already. My plan is to do something else downtown, but I want to first make this perfect and find the right people.”

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fresh art Tessa Lee Dumanski Tessa Lee Dumanski resides in Langley, B.C. and is a Bachelor of Fine Arts graduate from the University of the Fraser Valley. Her hard work and creative explorations have landed her the CICan 2015 Regional Prize for B.C. from Colleges and Institutes Canada for her surface design fashion creation and the UFV Undergraduate Research Excellence Award for her final graduate piece focused on feline welfare. Tessa also had the opportunity to show her mixed media work at the Maple Ridge Art Gallery as part of the 2nd Fraser Valley Regional Biennale. Her artistic practice has mainly consisted of mixed media work but over the past year Tessa has truly found her niche creating quirky illustrations many of which feature her main artistic muse, the cat.

Pattern, repetition, texture, and cats are key elements that can be seen within my illustrative work. As a collector at heart I have always accumulated multiples of things and enjoy repetitious imagery seen on fabric, wallpaper and everyday objects. The way in which I work speaks to this habit of collecting as I tend to obsessively draw multiples of similar imagery in a wallpaper like format. I am also a true cat enthusiast and draw inspiration daily, not only from my two tabby cats Dexter and Daisy, but also from my immense collection of ceramic floral felines. I strive to connect significant creatures and objects from my past and present in unusual ways to create quirky and bold imagery.

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Interested in having your FRESH art featured in Raspberry magazine? Visit raspberrymag.ca/Fresh-submissions to view our submission guidelines.

community snapshots

photo by Anthony Biondi

The Brick Fish Floundering outside of it's nearby watery habitat, this poor giant fish turned to brick near the entrance to the southern tip of Fish Trap Creek in Abbotsford. With the addition of a nearby bench, the brick fish has become a frequent destination for elderly men to discuss whatever it is they discuss. Recently, he has seen even more traffic after being inaugurated into PokĂ¨spot-dom.

On the nature of concerts Whoop-Szo and co. open a window into local concert culture

Martin Castro

ntario folk/metal outfit WHOOP-SZO were joined by Chastity and Abbotsford’s own Villain Villain on June 30 at Brothers Bowling and Billiards, performing for a packed house. If there’s one thing that struck me while I bopped my head along to the hazy incarnation of surfpop Villain Villain showered guests with, it was the fact that the entire gathering felt like less of a concert, in its formality and set-up, and more like a family gathering. The room wasn’t split between performers and show-goers; members of other local bands mingled with show regulars and newcomers alike.

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And despite the black-leather tinge that visibly denoted the headbangers up front while WHOOP-SZO rocked on, the crowd seemed as motley as the night’s surf-pop/metal/punk lineup itself. Somehow, though, it worked. From one act to the next, shoe-gazers gazed, dancers danced, head-boppers bopped heads. This sense of community was only bolstered in my mind as I witnessed previous concerts being used as reference points for catching up in conversations. “Oh, I haven’t seen you since so-and-so, what have you been up to?” It’s almost as if defying a genre-specific mould is ingrained within the concert culture of the Fraser Valley. Is it because, caught between two mountains—the cultural behemoth to the south and Vancouver to the west—Fraser Valley culture has no other choice than to patch itself up, a ragtag hand-me-down suit made of pop and metal and punk and folk and spoken-word poets? We hear it all the time: Music brings people together, it transcends social conventions. But what the hell does that mean? That doesn’t mean anything. Of course music brings people together— we all listen to music in one form or

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M peopl it t

co another. Such a blanket statement can’t quite capture the heart of the sentiment, which is that music forms community. I might work at a retail store and live in a different town than someone who works at a mill and hangs in different social groups than myself, but through concerts like these, multi-genre and niche, for lack of a better word, we bridge the gap.

Music brings le together, transcends social onventions I’m not a metal fan. At least, I haven’t been one for a while. I used to listen to some metal back in the day but that was ages ago. Chastity’s thrashing about up on stage sparked in me a curiosity about more discordant rock than I’m used to listening to. Why do I bring this up? Because not only can I, after the fact, write that this, through art, is how we build a stronger, more interconnected community, but I can see it happening within the framework of my own tastes. If you asked me whether the night was enjoyable, the answer would invariably be, yes, you bet it was. But more

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than that I think it was also necessary. If there’s anything I’d like to see, it’s this kind of event, this kind of community, self-supported and ingrained within itself while still being open to outsiders, in other genres outside of music, such as literature or performances like drama or art. If the current turn-out for and involvement in concerts can serve as an indicator, we’re well on our way there.

Oldhand to try

their hand in Downtown Abbotsfor

Joe Johnson In business for a year and a half, the people of Abbotsford have discovered that Oldhand, which got its start at Jam in Jubilee, is part of the cultural wave surging through the valley. Owners Johannes and Kristina van Bommel van Vloten have crafted a warm and inviting second home to many mainstay customers. It’s not uncommon to see people spend countless hours at Oldhand, making the place their own temporary office. It’s just as common to find people reading, and of course, socializing. Oldhand has no pretense about it. It’s a beautifully designed shop where people can enjoy delicious coffee, alcoholic delights, and baked goods. Inside, you find yourself consumed with an ambience of flowing indie music, warm lighting, antique decorations, white and blue painted beach house features, as well as church pew seating. At any time, a game of Settlers of Catan could break out. It’s a relaxed atmosphere and Kristina and Johannes are the kind of people who know each of their customers by name. Things are soon to change. Johannes and Kristina already have a two-year old daughter, and joining them any day will be another. To coincide, at the end of Au-

gust, Oldhand will be moving from their location at the corner of Clearbrook and South Fraser Way to Downtown Abbotsford. To say the least, it’s a busy time. Given their personal backgrounds of managing bakeries and coffee shops in Vancouver, the challenges are nothing they can’t manage. The move itself isn’t one of necessity, as they’ve proven that they are a destination location, but it’s more a move to provide better service to more people, and in a way that allows them to fully realize their vision. In fact, the new location isn’t a totally

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new idea. They’re moving to 2617 Pauline Street, a place they had eyed up years ago when the idea of Oldhand was still in the conception stage. As much as people enjoy coming out to their location now, many of their customers do come from east Abbotsford. Re-establishing their home on that side of town will be a positive move for many. And not only will the bring them closer to a large percentage of their customers, but it will also cement them in the downtown with other like-minded young businesses.

Kristina says that “just being close to those businesses that we’re already communicating with, they’re all right there. It’s kind of nice to be in that hub. It’s like the one sort of city centre part of Abbotsford that we’re excited about.” It’s true that Downtown is where the excitement’s at. And while other similar businesses, such as Duft and Co. are already established there, neither business sees each other as competition. It’s actually the opposite. They see it as strengthening the area by having great businesses located there; it’s a win-win

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for everybody. No longer will people be driving just to Oldhand on one end of town, but they’ll now go to Oldhand in conjunction with every other business on the strip. In less than a month, Oldhand will take the next step in its journey.

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Finding (Alternative) Religion in the Fraser Valley Lian McIntyre

he flyer hanging on the community event board at Steamers Coffee house on McCallum Road simply read “Discovering Your Spiritual Purpose,” with a time and place for what was identified as an ECK worship service. Although I had done some research, I had only determined that ECK was related to Eckankar,

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a type of religion or belief system that aims for reunion with God via personal spiritual experiences. So, when I arrived at the Quality Hotel —formerly the Ramada Inn & Convention Centre on North Parallel Road— shortly before 1:00 p.m., I wasn’t sure exactly what I would be walking into. The service took place in a small conference room just off the main reception area of the hotel. There was a long table at the door which held glasses for water, various reading materials relating to Eckankar, along with a framed photograph of an older man in a suit: the “Mahanta,” Living ECK Master and Spiritual Leader of Eckankar, Harold Klemp. Chairs were arranged in rows, and there was a microphone and lectern at the front of the room. Eckankar borrows from several

other, primarily eastern, religions. While the teaching of ECK has allegedly been in existence for hundreds of years around the world, Eckankar was first introduced in 1965 by an American named Paul Twitchell. The group in Abbotsford was small; no more than 12 people in total. Everyone in attendance was at at least 50 years or older. As the youngest person in attendance, and in such a small group, I was an easily identified newcomer. After finding a seat, a thin woman who identified herself as Marlene approached me. She asked how I had found out about their group, and when I referred to the flyer at the coffee house, she was visibly delighted to know that her efforts to advertise had paid off, informing others who stopped to introduce themselves of the method by which I’d found my way to them. She explained that she was the area coordinator for their group and that services rotated between Surrey, Vancouver, and Abbotsford, with services in Abbotsford typically falling on the third Sunday of the month. Each week the service was based around a common theme, with the theme of the afternoon being “discovering your spiritual purpose,” as advertised. A woman by the name of JoAnne facilitated the proceedings, which were simple and straightforward, more reminiscent of a Bible study small group than a worship service. She gave a brief welcome and introduction before inviting a group member to do a reading. The readings are several short passages from Eckankar texts written by Harold Klemp and are related to the theme of the week. Following the reading, JoAnne introduced Marlene, who sang two songs pertaining to HU, before initiating a period of silent contemplation called “singing HU.” HU, according to the introductory list of terms on the bulletin provided, is the “most ancient, secret name for God. The singing of the word HU, pronounced like the word hue, is considered a love song to God.” Marlene makes a point of

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saying that participating is not necessary, which is unmistakably directed to me, the only new face in the room. While I didn’t “sing HU,” I did close my eyes and experience the rest of the group in their mediation. HU, which is repeated in an even, drawn out tone much like the way Buddhist meditators would say “OM,” filled the empty spaces of the room in a mix of voices, volumes, and octaves. The singing of HU continued for a minute or two before falling into silent meditation. JoAnne signalled the end of the prayer by saying “May the blessings be.” JoAnne then introduced Will, who would be giving the talk on the theme of the week. Will, with a PhD in forestry and an adjunct professor at universities in the Lower Mainland, originally heralds from the eastern United States. Will spoke primarily about a life experience that led to his eventual residence in British Columbia. In applying to colleges for forestry, Will’s first-choice school was in California; but he made what he referred to as a “$5 decision” to apply to Oregon State, because the application fee was $5 less than the other schools he had applied to. In the end, he was rejected from the school in California for a half-credit shortfall, but was accepted to Oregon State, which he went on to learn was one of the best forestry schools in the world. The take away from the story was that if he hadn’t made this one-off “$5 decision”, Will would

have missed out on an amazing opportunity that led to further opportunities landing him in British Columbia. Will talked about the importance of putting questions out into the world, as answers can come in many forms. As for discovering one’s spiritual purpose, Will spoke about being “God’s co-worker,” which involves actions as simple as acknowledging another person fully for something they have done for you, or offering a genuine moment of contact through a smile to a stranger on the street. The meeting concluded by breaking into two groups to discuss what had just been spoken on, allowing group members to share experiences, recent or otherwise, that they felt were similar or relevant. As foar understanding what my spiritual purpose is, I’m not sure that was made abundantly clear by the end of the meeting. I found that the approach in Eckankar is very self-deterministic; one person’s experience may be very different from another’s in terms of their approach to practicing Eckankar and the discovery of their spiritual journey. It seems that people commonly find Eckankar after not connecting or finding what they need in other religions. In an area as culturally diverse as the Fraser Valley, it is no surprise to learn that there is religious diversity as well.

photo from Graphicburger.com

community snapshots

photo by Anthony Biondi

Korean Tae Kwon Do presentation at Mill Lake A South Korean Christian Tae Kwon Do missionary group was celebrating their 21st year doing missionary work. They travel to different countries, doing demonstrations every year. This year they came to Canada, partnering with local Korean churches to put on shows in a few select cities. They feature some aweseome martial arts stunts, as well as a reenacment of the death of Christ with a martial arts flare.

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fresh fiction A selection of 3 poems by Katie Stobbart

Weed-whacking Knee-deep in the yard full of weeds, I contemplate familial obligation; even months after those weeds are dormant, roots sleeping underground, the sound of whirring, the wet green fleck of stems furring my legs resists forgetting. Beheading the dandelions requires a firm grip holding the spin and slice at armâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s length. Those tiny plastic ropes could cut you up as well as any weed. The trick is not to think of blood. The trick is not to let it pierce your skin.

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To: City in the Country I must leave you. You are too small for anyone to grow— although I love your blueberry shrubs in spiky, neat red rows, I can't look at every corner on the weekend, where churches sprout from their dark windows and closed doors. I can't stand your gaudy highway signs, or the noses up downtown, where they shoot quaint Christmas movies and the stores shut after five so you can't get a warm coffee or directions or eye contact with other benign strangers. I look at the fifty swans that fill your pasture and feel sad because the greenhouses pretend this place is warmer than it is, grow year-round fruit, try to compete with California, which even in their drought is selling produce to local suburbanites. When you came through my grocery line with damp-shoe grumbling, your faces squelched at ordinary torrents, I tried to fill you with my well-intentioned produce. I tried to fit my wares—even just the ones you cherry-picked—into your bag, which you would take home and then think what you wanted. I have no more forgiveness for your negligence, nor space for your chicken shit in some person's humble tent and I am tired of the way you treat people who aren't as rich as you, Image by: Gloria Cabada-Leman

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because let's face it: you're an underdog. You've tried to make it catchy, our hinterland chic, but giant fruit sculptures aren't unique or as good as the real thing. You won't fund the arts, but maybe you wouldn't need so many cops if people felt they could sing outside a church basement, or busk, or recite poetry in the street or attend free workshops where they could learn to paint our vision of this place, one that's not full of big box stores but mountains, because mountains are what you hold in your heart when you're thinking of leaving. They're what makes this place sacred. I will be sad to leave you. I'll write my love into a box and bury it on the mountain where my mother used to take our dead pets. I will give my heathen prayers to your birds' nests. I still love your cedar smells, your morning rain, your never really winter. The little lights in your dark windows, and of course your kneeling children, the ones who still see clearly when the moon silvers the valley, whispering fervently: please take me anywhere but here.

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Under Aldergrove Lake Buried under covers, I dream of sand its soft, coarse weight in one palm, then the other, damp from the lake we made carrying buckets to fill this deep hole—

what is manmade?

Remember the wet, smooth cut

through the water, making green clear. Look into the mirror, dip

your eyes in. See the sunlight dim and sounds slow to a single breath

Look up: the trees have gone still as skyscrapers, the sky cobalt steel

and a breath.

—are you still there? the call from the beach, worried I’ve gone too deep into that other world. Lift myself to the surface. forget, and wake.

your pale arm

Breathe again,

Where is here? My pale face pressed

against the glass.

Interested in having your FRESH art featured in Raspberry magazine? Visit raspberrymag.ca/Fresh-submissions to view our submission guidelines.

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Interested in contributing? We are always looking for writers photographers artists Email info@raspberrymag.ca for contribution oppertunities.

Local harvest Home grown Westcoasters Dessa Bayrock and Jess Wind bringing you some local literary flavour. We review works set in the valley, written by authors from the valley, or that have that British Columbia, Fraser Valley vibe. Come back each month to see what the Fraser Valley has to offer.

Monkey Beach by Eden Robinson

drag your finger the map, across t strait to the coas Dessa Bayrock

Monkey Beach immediately places you in the heart of itself—in the traditional Haisla village of Kitamaat on the coast of British Columbia. Before she even tells you her name, the narrator seems to take you physically by the hand to drag your finger down a map of the coast. Look, she says, here is the whole of it. The novel pulls you so deeply— so intimately, so immediately and easily—into its traditional geography that you can’t finish the chapter without feeling as though you’ve lived there all your life. You can see the water of the Douglas Channel, deep and serene in the early morning; you can see the crows settling in the trees outside her bedroom, impatient and silent; you can see the trees rising out of the shoreline, out of the fog, like ghosts of themselves. This geography—and not just the place of it, but the history of that place—settles around you like a blanket. And that’s it. The novel has you, before you learn the narrator’s name, before you learn her brother has been swallowed by this geography’s treacherous waters, before you

learn the landscape is as rife with ghosts as it is with people, as rife with secrets as it is with stories. It would be easy to float on the image of this serene landscape forever, but of course the landscape is not just a quiet background. History refuses to be quiet. Monkey Beach takes place as much in the past as it does the present, as much in the world of the living as it does in the world of the dead. Our narrator, Lisamarie, has been avoiding the omens for years – the bad dreams, the funny ginger-haired man who appears in her bedroom the night before a tragedy, the words she hears crows squawk at her in the traditional Haisla tongue. Because how can she place trust in it? How can any of it be possible in a world

somewhere in the se between here and n

of telephones and computers and a cannery continually belching smoke over the community? And yet here she is, home in Kitamaat despite her best intentions to desert it forever. Here she is, searching for the clues to her brother’s disappearance – not only in the present, but in the past—not only in the world belonging to the living, but in the world belonging to ghosts and spirits. Robinson is masterful at weaving these disparate pieces together into a whole, creating a fantastical narrative without diving too deeply into fantasy. Lisamarie’s omens and visions could be—and have been— read as metaphors for mental illness, or inherited tragedy, or for wounds wreaked on her community by the myriad poisons of colonisation. However, they also provide a much-needed shift in perspective, a move of reconsideration and reconciliation. What truly became lost

when the stories and traditions were stripped from these communities? What depth and vibrancy may be returned through the vision of a single person? What is the nature of the wound – and what is the nature of its healing? Most chillingly, Robinson draws a portrait of a place where myth and reality blend into one another – where the flash of the sasquatch disappears between the trees, and yet the true monsters walk the streets of the community disguised by smiling faces and tragedies of their own, wreaking devastation on themselves and those around them. Here is where the novel tightens its fist around your heart, and tightens, and tightens, until its histories come together in a single moment on a cold, wet beach, and you wonder how you ever existed before reading this novel.

across the hecate st.

eas namu

fresh picks Music Blessed, Tunic, Cousins (solo) and Loans August 9 at 7 PM

Catch local alternative favourites Blessed and Loans with Winnipeg punk trio Tunic and a solo set from Cousins’ Aaron Meagle (Halifax) as they break in this new Abbotsford venue with aplomb. Carport Manor 33780 King Road, Abbotsford

Jam in Jubilee Thursdays at 6 PM

Bust out your sunglasses and picnic blankets for another all-star line-up of local and touring independent bands, including Julie Doiron, Adrian Teacher and the Subs, Teen Daze, and many more. This year’s event includes a licensed beer garden hosted by Raven’s Brewing along with some amazing local artisan vendors. Jubilee Park 2478 McCallum Road, Abbotsford

Comedy Chris Gordon and guests

August 5 at 8 PM

Calgary stand-up comedian Chris Gordon headlines a night of Fraser Valley comics including Lisa Person, Mike Haire, Tia Jeanette, Harris Anderson, and Jenny Toews. Chances Casino 8180 Young Road, Chilliwack

Theatre The Wizard of Oz Runs until August 7

Secondary Characters presents their take on this classic musical, running from July 28 to August 7. Chilliwack Cultural Centre 9201 Corbould Street, Chilliwack

August 2016 Visual Arts Anonymous Show Art Fundraiser August 6 at 6 PM

For the third year in a row, the Abbotsford Arts Council put out a call for artists to submit work for this exhibition. Proceeds go towards Arts Council initiatives and programs. The show opens August 6 and runs until August 30. Kariton Art Gallery 2387 Ware Street, Abbotsford

Community Kwantlen Walking Tours Learn about the history and culture of Kwantlen First Nation on this FREE leisurely one kilometre tour let by a member of Kwantlen First Nation. Pariticpants will learn about Kwantlen traditional territory, language, cedar and plant resources (and their significance to Kwantlen) as well as environmental stewardship programs. Visit coastsalishtourism.ca for start times.

Running until September 5

lelem' Arts and Cultural CafĂŠ #100 - 23285 Billy Brown Road, Fort Langley

Missionfest Don't miss this massive community festival with something for everyone, featuring food trucks, artisan vendors, ziplines (!), face-painting, craft beer tastings, buskers, and so much more! 7311 James Street, Mission

Raspberry Magazine

August 13 at 10 AM to 4 PM

Our contributors CIVL Station Manager Aaron Levy loves local music and helping artists get involved with Valley shows and opportunities to connect and enjoy the scene! Email info@civl.ca to get involved even if you're not a musician! Support local arts! Express yourself! Anthony Biondi is an artist and writer living ni Abbotsford. He has been previously published in The Louden Singletree, and served four years on The Cascade’s editorial board as Art Director and Production and Design Editor. He is a humourless crab, and fundamental contrarian, whose cholesterol may be higher than his IQ. www.anthonybiondi.com Dessa Bayrock is an ex-journalist with a soft spot for the Fraser Valley. She currently lives in Ottawa and studies the apocalypse as part of her M.A. in English. You can find her reviewing books online at Bayrock, Bookrock and for Ottawa Review of Books. If you rearrange the letters of her name you can spell “abyss croaked,” “as bark decoys,” or “brocade as sky,” all of which describe her in one way or another. @YoDessa www.bayrockbayrock.wordpress.com Glen Ess is the host of The Shuffle Spot on CIVL Radio, which airs every Friday at 4:00 p.m. He was the culture editor and managing editor at The Cascade newspaper, and is currently attending UFV. Jennifer Colbourne lives in Toronto, where she is in grad school studying raccoon intelligence at York University. Her undergraduate was spent at the University of the Fraser Valley, where she wrote and edited for The Cascade newspaper and the Louden Singletree literary magazine. Colbourne loves apocalyptic fiction, her parrot Ajax, and referring to herself in the third person.

Raspberry Magazine

Joe Johnson is keenly interested in exploring new creative outlets and has always been drawn to photography and the arts. Having been through the rigors of working at a student newspaper, coming to Raspberry magazine is a natural progression for him. Other passions of his are found in writing, running, and the outdoors. He also has his roots in web operations and digital marketing. Katie Stobbart is a writer and editor from Abbotsford. She has edited The Cascade newspaper, Louden Singletree literary magazine, and the Pacific Rim Review of Books. She is also a member of the PWAC (Professional Writers Association of Canada) Fraser Valley chapter. A selection of her poems will appear in a co-authored chapbook soon to haunt local library shelves, dentists’ offices, and hotel lobbies: It looks like a chicken. Katie is also working hard to improve her patio gardening game.

Martin Castro is an emerging poet and proud purveyor of hip-hop, rap, and music generally. He hails from Mission, which, in the glow of sunset, is perhaps perfect fodder for a Bob Ross painting. Martin is the current Arts in Review Editor of The Cascade, the University of the Fraser Valley’s student newspaper, as he completes his Bachelor of Arts degree in English. Nick Ubels is an editor, musician, and event planner living in Abbotsford with his wife and three cats. He loves black coffee and tennis but is terrible at both. His life story served as inspiration for the events of Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice. Sasha Moedt is a UFV grad and a former arts editor at The Cascade. She currently works as a residential support worker as well as a copywriter. When she’s not working, she’s writing, and when she’s not writing, she’s out enjoying local culture, food, thrift shops, and all the cool things the Fraser Valley has to offer.

Contribute to magazine To contribute writing, art, or photography to this emerging Fraser Valley publication, contact info@raspberrymag.ca

Raspberry magazine is a monthly Fraser Valley magazine devoted to arts, culture, and community life. Established in June 2016, Raspberry publishes reviews, event coverage, and other arts-friendly content online as we work toward our goal of publishing in print. You can follow us on social media for updates on our progress, information and insights on the Fraser Valley arts and culture scene, and fresh arts coverage.

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