Seaside Times March 2012 Issue

WEST COAST CULTURE march 2012

Travelling Far & Wide For the Kids of Jeneece Place

bonus!

Flip over to read our special issue

Women in Business

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Seaside Times

contents

west coast culture – march 2012 issue features Girl's Dream: 13 One Jeneece Edroff

The story of a girl who inspired a community to unite on a single charitable project

20

School District 16 Saanich Jumpstarts Student Careers

Stelly's student Katrina Archibald.

Spotlight 32 Restaurant Fly in, Fly Out at The Spitfire Grill!

Columns First Word............................................ 6 Tweet This!........................................ 10 Weatherwit...................................... 19 Island Dish........................................ 20 Forbes & Marshall........................... 31 Smell the Coffee............................. 48 Last Word......................................... 50

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departments 7................................................. Letters 8 (Women in Biz).......... Can We Talk?

9............................ Raincoast Update 14.......................................... Footprints 23........ Young Readers Book Review 28.............................. Common Cents 38....................................Grey Matters 43............................. Veterinary Voice 46..........................What's Happening 49.................................. Entertainment

double issue!

With great stories about West Coast Culture inside and out, flip over to enjoy the inaugural Seaside Times Women in Business special issue!

Cover photo courtesy www.joannway.com

www.seasidetimes.ca

On the cover: Cover art ŠSheena Lott 2011. Used with the permission of Sheena Lott and the Queen Alexandra Foundation for Children. (see page 13)

first word Double the impact, double the issue, double the fun!

Sounds like a bubble gum commercial, doesn’t it?

Well, this issue of Seaside Times is just that: it sort of feels like chewing your favourite stick of gum, where the flavour lasts a very long time. I’m hoping this issue will have much of the same impact and much of the same staying power.

So … wait, turn the magazine over. Now do you get it?

I’ve learned over the years that marketing yourself or your business means taking some risk, but it also means having the courage and passion to go for it. Seth Godin, one of my favourite authors and a leader in marketing, and in his famous book, Purple Cow, says: “Cows, after you've seen them for a while, are boring. They may be well-bred cows, Six Sigma cows, cows lit by a beautiful light, but they are still boring. A Purple Cow, though: Now, that would really stand out. The essence of the Purple Cow – the reason it would shine among a crowd of perfectly competent, even undeniably excellent cows – is that it would

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be remarkable. Something remarkable is worth talking about, worth paying attention to. Boring stuff quickly becomes invisible." Seaside Times is that Purple Cow. Our front cover reveals hints of the upcoming children’s book, Island Santa by Sheryl McFarlane, illustrated by Sheena Lott. As you’ll read on page 13 in an article by Tara Saracuse, the Norgaard Foundation had a dream that each family staying at Jeneece Place would receive a children’s book, so Sheryl wrote Island Santa about founder Kaare Norgaard, who captained the Blue Fjord to deliver Christmas presents to children on remote Gulf Islands.

Our back cover celebrates "Women in Business," a tribute to International Women’s Day and to a group of women on the Peninsula who have passion, guts and a drive for success. As part of this celebration, I’m thrilled to have interviewed Sylvie Rochette, founder of Epicure Selections: a quiet and very humble woman, but sensational in her own success.

Seaside Times will always strive to be the best it can, and it will continue to be the well-crafted magazine it is.

It will continue to be remarkable and never boring. So remember to be that Purple Cow, to be that leader, and you too can be remarkable!

www.seasidetimes.ca

Sue Hodgson, Publisher

letters

www.seasidetimes.ca Publisher, Advertising Sales

Seaside Times welcomes your feedback! Send letters to the editor via editor@seasidetimes.ca. Letters may be edited for space and content.

I enjoy reading your magazine, but as a frequently published writer and 30-year winemaker, I have to ask why you allow Dave Gartley to use his column to advertise events at his business. I have no doubt he's a fine winemaker – I know several such shop owners whose fervour for the flavours of fine wines keeps them going in the toughest of times – but to say he "find[s] it increasingly difficult to get a meaningful message across in [250] words" suggests he's not working hard enough.

Kindest regards, Lorne Peasland, Saanich

Sue Hodgson 250.516.6489 sue@seasidetimes.ca

Editor-in-Chief Allison Smith 250.813.1745 editor@seasidetimes.ca

Advertising Sales Lori Swan 250.516.6489

✢ ✢ ✢

This Month’s Contributors Robert Alison • Arlene Antonik • Trysh Ashby-Rolls Emily Begg • Jennifer Bowles • Shelley Breadner Chris Burdge • Sharlene Coss • Susan Dafoe • Lynn Fanelli Chelsea Foote • Michael Forbes • Chris Genovali Valerie Green • Pene Beavan Horton • Linda M. Langwith Sheena Lott • Devon MacKenzie • Barry Mathias Elizabeth May • Derek Peach • Pat Phillips Amanda Punch • Steve Sakiyama • Tara Saracuse Steve Sheppard • Jo-Ann Way • Heather Zais Seaside Times magazine is printed 12 times a year in Richmond, British Columbia by Rhino Print Solutions. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Reproduction requests may be made to the editor or publisher via the above means. Views of contributors do not necessarily reflect the policy or views of the publisher and editor. Staff of the magazine cannot be held responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs.

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Before I tell you why I’ve written to you, allow me to tell you a little about me. I’m a TV Director from Toronto, worked for CBC TV, but have been working in Hollywood for the past 20 years as a Director's Guild member where I directed all manner of programming and worked with many famous folk. To drop just a few names: Bill Cosby; Frank Sinatra; Elizabeth Taylor, who was a guest of the soap opera General Hospital which I directed for eight years; and Demi Moore, who was a regular cast member and a regular pain-in-the-butt! I picked up some Emmy nominations along the way.

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I’m now back home, thankfully, living in Sidney, and some months ago I ended up in the hospital, lost a kidney, and have been recuperating since. I’ve written to tell your readers how much I appreciate all members of BC Health; they’re dedicated, loving people. If this had happened to me in California the DGA medical plan would have paid the bill, but I’m sure I wouldn’t have been showered by so much TLC as I’ve had here in B.C. George Thompson

250-655-9445

Cedarwood

Just to let you know, the February issue flew off the shelf. We are totally out of magazines. Plus thanks for the fabulous article. My staff are tickled!

Toni Brassard, Zanzibar Café

250-656-9194

Just a note of thanks to say how much our Club appreciated the article you published in the January Issue of Seaside Times on page 21. We appreciate the exposure and goodwill your magazine has given us.

Catherine Mills, Peninsula Newcomers Club

www.seasidetimes.ca

march 2012

7

Look at us now.

Stay in touch while on the go with the Times Colonist.

Your go-to destination for news, sports, business and more is virtually everywhere you are, 24/7- available on any Android smartphone.

With features such as breaking news alerts, extensive video and photo galleries, sharing tools and an offline reading option, our feature-rich applications allow you to enjoy your news - your way.

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June 8 – 9 th 2012 Victoria Conference Centre

The third annual Social Media Camp is packed full of social media workshops, panels and speakers featuring New York Times Bestselling Author – Chris Brogan.

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rain coast u p date

Surfin' Safari

by Chris Genovali Raincoast Conservation Foundation has an exciting project in the works with our friends at Patagonia, a leader among environmentally-minded businesses.

Striving to alert more people about plans to impose tar sands pipelines and oil tankers on British Columbia’s central and north coast via the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway project, how could we inform the people of California, for instance, as they are expected to be one of the primary recipients of this crude oil?

It came to Raincoast’s surfing science director, Dr. Chris Darimont, while immersed in the water, literally.

Why couldn’t surfers – the closest approximation of marine mammals among we humans – bring voice to this issue on behalf of whales, dolphins, porpoises and other species that would be at risk from a catastrophic oil spill on Canada’s Pacific coast? An idea for a

documentary film and new outreach initiative was born.

A year later, our research vessel Achiever was equipped with a most unlikely rigging: a surfboard rack. Joining Raincoasters Chris Darimont and Captain Brian Falconer aboard Achiever were members of Patagonia’s famous surf team, including accomplished filmmaker Chris Malloy, stellar surfers/creative artists Dan Malloy and Trevor Gordon and the amazing videographer Scott Soens. Coastal B.C. was proudly represented on Achiever as well, with Canada’s top-ranked surfer Peter Devries of Tofino and two fellow Vancouver Islanders who happen to be Canada’s premier surf photographers: Jeremy Koreski and Dean Azim.

Chris and company were off to immerse themselves in the waves of stormy October, learn from the vast coastal region known as the Great Bear Rainforest, and tell its story.

What they experienced changed Canadian surfing. It also changed each and every one of the expedition participants, strengthening their resolve to protect B.C.’s priceless coast.

Groundswell, the film documenting this amazing surfing and wilderness adventure in Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest, will be released later this year. The trailer for Groundswell is hot off the press and it is guaranteed to pique your interest and get your blood pumping. To view the film trailer, visit: http://video.patagonia.com/video/Ground-Swell-Trailer.

Chris Genovali is the executive director of the Raincoast Conservation Foundation. Photo courtesy jeremykoreski.com.

tweet this!

Facebook Parenting: For the Troubled Teen

by Chris Burdge On February 8th, Tommy Jordan of Albemarle, North Carolina posted an eight-minute YouTube video of himself chastising his 15-yearold daughter because of a rant she posted on Facebook in which she cursed out her parents and complained about having to do chores. Tommy's argument was that he was going to punish her publicly, using the same forum she used and allowing all her friends to see what can happen when "a

Optometry Clinic Central Saanich 250-544-2210

spoiled child" complains about their parents on Facebook – which apparently is fairly common.

OK, so this is an odd thing for a parent to do, but not really something worthy of international media attention. What came next was the kicker: seven minutes, 10 seconds into the video Tommy stands up and trains the video camera on his daughter’s laptop which is sitting on the ground. Next we see Tommy pull a 45-caliber pistol out of a holster and pump nine bullets into the defenseless laptop, including, as he says: "one for your Mom because of what you said about her."

Tommy then calmly holsters the gun, sits back down in his Adirondack chair and says "you

Paul Neumann, OD

Gurpreet Leekha, OD

Time to Get New Glasses?

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SEASIDE TIMES

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can have a new laptop when you buy one for yourself. Have a nice day."

As of the date that I wrote this, the video has been viewed more than 28 million times, received 314,000 likes and 30,000 dislikes. There are dozens of parody videos, thousands of video replies and well over 50,000 comments on Tommy’s Facebook page where he’s been updating the world on the repercussions of his video shoot-up. He's received visits from Child Protective Services, invitations from TV shows such as Good Morning America and Glen Beck, and even a few death threats.

Suffice it to say Tommy has achieved the proverbial 15 minutes of fame.

As a parent, I can relate to needing to discipline children from time to time. However, having never held a gun, let alone shot one, I cannot relate to Tommy’s decision to shoot the laptop. I tried to think of a relevant analogy: I play hockey, but I don’t think I would ever smash my kid’s laptop, or anything else, with a hockey stick. But that’s another subject.

What I find both shocking and fascinating is that a father would post something private and personal about his relationship with his daughter on YouTube or Facebook, for the world to consume, comment on, mock, rate, report on and make fun of.

Having said that, I appear to be in the minority of people that think what Tommy did was inappropriate.

Most of the comments on his Facebook page call Tommy a hero and consider him to be a great father. Which brings me to the point of this month’s Tweet This article – what would possess someone to “parent” their child in front of 28 million people?

Is this the shape of things to come for the social media family? march 2012

Jeff Bryan

jeffbryan@shaw.ca

Gay Helmsing

ghelmsing@gmail.com

Don Bellamy

info@donaldbellamy.com

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ross@rossshortreed.com

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SEASIDE TIMES

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One Girl's Dream – Jeneece Edroff

by Tara Saracuse Have you heard the story of Jeneece “Penny,” the girl who raised over a million dollars in pennies and inspired a community to unite on a single charitable project?

Jeneece Edroff was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis (a genetic disease that causes tumours to grow in the spine) at age three. Throughout her childhood, she and her family surfed hospital wards and hotels, travelling so Jeneece could receive the necessary surgeries that would save her life. At the age of seven, Jeneece started a penny drive, and over the next seven years she raised $1.5 million for Variety - The Children’s Charity. In 2009, at age 15, Jeneece announced she wanted to build a home-away-from-home in Victoria for other families like hers, who are required to travel for medical care.

It would be called Jeneece Place, and this community immediately rallied around her dream.

A project of the Queen Alexandra Foundation for Children, Jeneece Place opened its doors this January, with support and funding from many individuals, businesses and organizations. Just as important, however, are the local artists who heard about Jeneece Place and contributed to the magic.

Rose Leonard (pictured with Jeneece) and Alana Brownlee of Silhouette Glass and Wood Designs Inc. have been operating their glass sculpting and wood carving company on the Saanich Peninsula for 24 years. When they heard about Jeneece’s project, they were inspired to donate a piece of art, and initiated a collaboration with Jeneece. The three designed a piece that includes a giant glass penny, backed by shiny copper, and a flying pig in honour of Jeneece’s unique ability to achieve the impossible. Its practical application is as a donation box at the front hall of Jeneece Place.

Jeneece was invited to the Silhouette studio this past November, where she learned how to carve wood and etch glass. Jeneece even burned her own messages of hope and strength into the top of the donation box. Much to Rose and Alana’s delight, Jeneece’s story also inspired their suppliers to donate the materials for the project.

Also inspired by Jeneece Place, local children’s book duo

Sheryl McFarlane (author) and Sheena Lott (illustrator) teamed up at the request of the Queen Alexandra Foundation for Children and the Norgaard Foundation.

Having made a large donation to Jeneece Place, the Norgaard Foundation had a dream: that each family who stayed there would receive a children’s picture book to take home. Sheryl and Sheena have created a fictional book based on the true story of the Norgaard Foundation’s founder, Kaare Norgaard. The late Norgaard captained a ship called Blue Fjord, and at Christmas, he travelled to remote Gulf Islands to deliver presents to children. The book will be called Island Santa, and it will be available in local bookshops in time for Christmas 2012.

It’s a wonder, at only 18 years of age, that Jeneece's dream has already brought so many talents together to create a comfortable, hopeful place for families to stay while their young loved ones are hospitalized. As Jeneece Place is already full, we can only await Jeneece’s next project to see how she will continue to inspire our community.

Photo courtesy Silhouette Glass and Wood Designs Inc.

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Conversations from the Past – Samuel Brethour Have you ever wondered what it would be like to sit down and talk with some interesting characters from Greater Victoria’s past? If so, wonder no more. In these “interviews,” imaginary conversations will be conducted with some well-known (and some lesser-known) men and women from Greater Victoria’s colourful history. Although these conversations are merely creative figments of my imagination, they are all based on fact.

The name Brethour has always been synonymous with the founding of the town of Sidney as we know it today. Patriarch Samuel Brethour and three of his sons, John, Julius and Henry, cleared their original land and donated some as the family continued to become involved in the community that soon grew up there. Although Samuel himself only lived on the Peninsula for four years, it would have been interesting to talk with him about his roots and his dreams for the future through his descendants. (Interview conducted in 1875.)

Interviewer: Where were you born and what made you come to British Columbia, Mr. Brethour?

Brethour: I was born in County Limerick in Ireland on August 28th, 1818. My ancestry can be traced back to the Huguenots of the 16th and 17th centuries, who had suffered hundreds of years of persecution at the hands of the Catholics. The Brethours were constantly on the move throughout Europe (Germany mainly) and then on to Ireland. Eventually some came to the new world and settled in Ontario. That was where I met and married Margaret St. John in 1844.

I: But you didn’t stay there for long?

B: No, we didn’t. In the early 1870s, Margaret and I and our 11 children decided to head west where prospects looked better.

I: Where did you first live?

B: On Pandora Street in Victoria, near to the old Methodist Church and our next door neighbours were Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Sandover.

www.seasidetimes.ca

I: So what made you move out to the Saanich Peninsula?

B: Well, one day Stephen Sandover brought me out here to show me how rich and fertile the land was and I was so impressed that I decided to buy some acreage. That was in 1873. I divided this acreage into five farms of 100 acres each. My sons and I cleared the land. We slashed and burned about 60 acres, fenced the whole farm area and then plowed another 40 acres with a yoke of oxen.

By the fall of last year (1874), we had threshed 1,800 bushels of grain. This year we reached 4,000 bushels.

NEW IN STORE

I: That must have been very hard work. How do you see the future of this land and this entire area?

B: I would love to live long enough to see my descendants being a part of this community for many generations to come. There is so much potential here on the Peninsula.

Maybe one day we might even see a town grow up here!

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I: Indeed we may!

Sadly, Samuel Brethour only lived another two years after this interview. In 1877, he was the first Brethour to be buried in land which he had placed in perpetual trust as a family cemetery. The cemetery is still there today, a secluded spot surrounded by a high hedge alongside the airport. Upon his death the farm land, which stretched east of where the airport now is and went west down towards the sea (including all the land that the town of Sidney now occupies), was divided among his sons.

Samuel would have been proud to know that his son, Julius, was later responsible for promoting the Victoria and Sidney Railway which commenced in 1894 and he became the first president of that Company. Son Henry was the first male teacher to teach in a public North Saanich school. Brethours still live on the Peninsula today.

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Valerie Green is an author and historian and can be reached at valgee@shaw.ca. Photo courtesy Saanich Pioneer Archives.

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Saanich School District Jumpstarts Student Careers – Katrina Archibald

by Devon MacKenzie Katrina Archibald is pursuing her dream of becoming a chef, but what makes her stand out from any other aspiring culinary artist, you may ask? Archibald has already completed her Level 1 Professional Cook’s Certification – and she hasn’t even graduated from high school yet!

nothing but accolades for the up-andcoming chef.

In June 2011 as Archibald was finishing grade 11, she signed on with School District 63 as their first E-pprentice and was able to begin work towards her certification. The district’s E-pprentice programs are innovative ways to provide an online means of technical training and curriculum delivery.

"(It’s been) a privilege to work with such a remarkable young woman.

Katrina's commitment (to the program) and caring attitude made her a role model to her peers. Very few teenagers are prepared to give up every lunch hour … Katrina worked and served in the kitchen every day in a leadership role,” said Watson.

“The E-pprentice program is designed so that all my theory work is done in my own time through the web and all the hands-on work is done through the Stelly’s Teaching Kitchen with Chef Peggy Watson and at my place of work,” explained Archibald.

As well as impressing her teachers with her positive attitude and willingness to help, Archibald also impressed them by achieving the highest theory mark in her cohort of E-pprentices on the final exam at Camosun College.

With Archibald as the first student from Stelly’s Secondary to complete the E-pprentice program, Chef Watson has

The E-pprentice program works through a partnership between School District 63, the

The 17-year-old Stelly’s Secondary School student gained her certification by participating in one of School District 63's specialized apprenticeship programs. These programs provide students with personalized learning opportunities to receive technical training and work as legitimate apprentices on a part-time basis while still attending school.

Archibald, who has been interested in the culinary arts since she was much younger, chose electives that related to cooking when she started at Stelly’s in 2008. “Stelly’s has a full commercial kitchen that serves hundreds of students each day, so the cafeteria program was a great way to start,” she said.

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SEASIDE TIMES

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Stelly’s Teaching Kitchen, Chef Gilbert Noussitou from Camosun College’s Culinary Arts Faculty and B.C.’s Industry Training Authority.

“The program definitely takes a certain type of person to complete it because it’s very dependent on you finishing your work without supervision, but it was great for me because I could work it around my part-time job and sports and stuff like that,” said Archibald.

She began her work experience in the culinary field at the Sidney Pier Hotel & Spa and is now working as an apprentice under the tutelage of Rita Cooney and Dale Carter at Breadstuffs Bakery and the Screaming Bird Café in Brentwood Bay. The school district’s partnership with post-secondary training institutions and ITA has allowed District 63 to be able to offer training in almost any trade to any student who is interested – all free of charge.

“We work to design a program that is tailored specifically to the individual student and his or her desired trade,” said Stu Rhodes, the apprenticeship coordinator.

For more information on how to get involved as a student apprentice or as an employer sponsor in any of the career or trade programs, contact Stu Rhodes at srhodes@sd63.bc.ca or 250-415-9211.

For an overview of the trade training opportunities offered by the Saanich School District, view the YouTube video “Jump Start Your Career” at http://www.youtube.com/ user/saanichcareers.

It’s our hospital.

Give Receive Build Achieve

Experience first hand the financial insights of the experienced and knowledgeable Ron Gurney (retired Sidney financial advisor) and Ken Stevenson (retired Brentwood Bay lawyer) covering the benefits of charitable giving and tax savings.

Thursday, April 5, 2012 2:30 - 4pm

Learn how you can GIVE to local charities and RECEIVE tax savings, as you help BUILD community health and ACHIEVE greater wealth.

Mary Winspear Centre

For information and to RSVP please call Donna Randall at 250-652-7531 www.seasidetimes.ca

march 2012

17

weatherwit

March Weather Forecast I Need a Menu for Dummies.

I don’t know about you, but I’m finding it increasingly difficult to order food these days. I never took gastronomy as a second language in High School, and I’ve regretted it ever since.

Ground Alberta grain-fed, free range sirloin on a butter-toasted sesame bunwich of grilled Amish cheddar drizzled with gorgonzola, served with organically grown sweet red Wethersfield onions and yellow brandywine tomatoes topped with a hint of pea greens and jicama.

Includes an autumn vegetable medley drizzled with a special house blend of herbed flax oil.

After reading this, here is the following conversation with my very patient server: “Excuse me. Does this mean a … um … cheeseburger and a side salad with Thousand Island dressing?” I ask sheepishly.

“Well done sir – you got the gist of it,” he replies, sounding like Jeeves the butler.

“What is jiccama – or do I say hiccama? It sounds like an esophageal reflex disease. Is it any good?”

“Well sir, I don’t know about

by Steve Sakiyama

the disease. If you mean jicama, oh yes it is very good.” “ … and gorgonzola? Isn’t that the terrible sea monster in the old movies that attacks Japanese cities?”

“You mean Godzilla – no, no, no … it’s an Italian cheese – the Japanese love it.”

“Godzilla is Italian? Really … OK, sounds good, as long the cheese is fresh.” I announce proudly while slapping my menu shut, creating a breeze that flips what little hair I have off my forehead.

“Excellent choice sir,” he replies, barely able to control himself.

Speaking of different languages, years ago meteorological lingo like “jet streams” and “pressure ridges and troughs” was language reserved for weather experts. Today, these terms are in common language thanks in part to the proliferation of weather-related information on the internet and other media. There are 24-7 weather channels, hundreds of websites and “apps” that provide instant weather information and forecasts for anywhere in the world (even the South Pole if you want), and displays them in a visual format that is easily understood and relatable to our daily lives. There are even “bad

hair day,” “mood” and “migraine” forecasts – based on the relationship between weather and health outcomes.

It’s all at our fingertips, ready to order.

So what’s on the weather menu for March? Although La Nina will have almost disappeared, its lingering effects are pushing the recipe towards a cooler and wetter early spring.

However, the South Island winter was much drier than normal with average temperatures, certainly not what the experts expected to come out of La Nina’s kitchen. These long-term forecasts play the odds, and this time I have an organic egg on my face.

Well, I do know for certain that March brings the start of spring, so my sentimental forecast on the vernal equinox is an order of: “fresh spring floral medley, drizzled with a special house blend of raindrops, mixed with a hint of sunshine.”

Sounds good, doesn’t it?

For a list of my favourite weather web sites, see my blog page at weatherwit.wordpress.com. Questions about the weather? Send them to weatherwit@gmail.com. ~ Weatherwit

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march 2012

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Coolest Conclusions

by Jennifer Bowles

There are a million ways to end a sensational dinner: a fudgy slice of chocolate cake, a morsel of tangy cheese and fig, a handsome cigar and two fingers of cognac, or you can take a dive into the endless variety of sensational sorbets and ices.

Grapefruit Sorbet (top right) will make your

taste buds stand up and do the twist with its intense pucker-worthy finish and take-charge attitude!

Perfect after tenderloin or a creamy pasta dish.

This past month I’ve been experimenting with everything from raspberries to lychee fruit, and even popcorn, in a quest to make the most luscious frozen indulgences ever to grace your palette … all perfectly matched with vodka … I mean cookies.

I’ve come up with three seriously sensational treats that are ultraeasy, packed with flavour, and a perfect way to finish a spring meal!

No fancy equipment required for these, believe it or not.

The three flavours I’ve come up with are basics that can be upgraded with only a few tweaks – palate-cleansing grapefruit, rich coconut and intense pepperberry. Let’s jump in!

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SEASIDE TIMES

3 grapefruits 2 oranges 2 lemons 1 lime Zest the grapefruits and the lemons until you get about 2 tablespoons; set aside. Juice all of the citrus through a strainer into a bowl, set aside In a saucepan pour a cup of water, ½ cup of sugar and all of the zest. Bring to a boil, simmer for 2 minutes and set aside to cool.

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isla nd dish Strain the cooled sugar and mix with the juice you set aside. Pour into a shallow metal pan, cover with foil and freeze for 3- 4 hours.

Remove mixture, throw it in your blender and pulse until it looks almost creamy. Return to dish and refreeze for abut an hour.

Upgrade? How about a Creamsicle?

Pair up a scoop of vanilla ice cream with the sorbet and you’ll have the most perfect duo since peanut butter and chocolate!

Coconut Ice caresses your

tongue, tricking your senses into believing you’re toes-up, soaking up some tropical sun. Perfect after BBQ, curry or any grilled veg.

Combine 1 can of coconut milk, ½ cup of heavy cream and ¼ cup to ½ cup of sugar and bring to a boil; set aside to cool Pour into a shallow metal dish and freeze for 3-4 hours. As this contains dairy, there’s no need to blend it to give it a creamy texture: it’ll be rich on its own.

Upgrade? Pan-fry pineapple rings, cup brown sugar, a knob of butter and bring on the rum! Sauté on medium until sugar caramelizes and pineapple has started to brown.

Take your round of pineapple, place an orb of coconut cream in the center of the pineapple, drizzle with the golden pan sauce and introduce your tongue to a new level of love (opposite page, left).

1/8

Pepperberry (opposite page,

bottom right) is a sexy blend of naughty and nice: pairing the angelic sweetness of the berry with the foxy heat of the peppercorn.

Perfect after seafood, garlicky sauces and richer entrees.

2 cups fresh raspberries (if frozen, cut down to 1.5 cups) Juice and zest of 1 lemon

Juice of 1 orange 2 tbsp black peppercorns 1 tsp ground black pepper ½ cup sugar

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Juice all of the fruits through a fine strainer into a bowl, set aside.

In a saucepan place all ingredients and bring to a boil – simmer for 5-7 minutes on super low.

Strain the mixture back into a bowl to remove the pepper. Pour into a shallow metal pan and cover with foil; freeze for 3- 4 hours.

Remove the mixture, throw it in your blender and give it a whir until it looks creamy. Put it back in the dish and refreeze for about an hour.

Upgrade? Serve this sumptuous number in a martini glass with a splash of ice-cold quality vodka … heaven.

Frozen = fabulous!

Gay Helmsing – Realtor® 250-360-7387 ghelmsing@gmail.com Gay knows Saanich & Peninsula Real Estate She expertly guides buyer and seller through the intricacies and regulations that may apply to both residents and non-residents of Canada.

Call for details on available properties, exchange rates and mortgages.

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young readers book review

The Last Dragonslayer,

by Jasper Fforde Reviewed by Emily Begg, 17

Are You a Young Reader That Loves to Curl Up With a Good Book?

Fifteen-year-old Jennifer Strange is working as acting manager at Kazam Mystical Arts Managment since the disappearance of the Great Zambini. While introducing her new apprentice, Tiger Prawns, to the workings of Kazam, Jennifer hears that the Dragon Maltcassion will die within a week. Not only will thousands of people will be rushing to claim free land but there will be no more dragons. With an unproven link between dragons and magic, Jennifer fears that magic might disappear as well. After being chosen as the next dragonslayer, Jennifer goes from being an unknown foundling to an overnight celebrity. Facing pressure on all sides to slay the dragon, Jennifer must face the difficult choice of killing the dragon or trying to avert the prediction while dodging death threats and irritable sorcerers.

This book, while not particularly gripping, introduces threads of mystery that run through the undercurrent of the story that might be missed on a first read-through. Set in the Kingdom of Hereford in the Ununited Kingdoms, the story world hints at a slightly decayed version of a world where corruption is rampant and magic is disappearing. All spells cast must be filled out on the appropriate form or the magician risks the punishment of being burned to death. The reader is left wanting to find out more as casual conversation between characters hints at a larger world within the story.

Jennifer Strange is an interesting and likable character who is able to take the strange moods of sorcerers in stride and struggles with her own doubts about killing the dragon.

This story is told in first person from Jennifer's perspective.

A creative cast of characters from the normal to the questionably insane provides the plot with humour mixed with moments of seriousness. Those who are interested in magic in a modern day setting and dragons should enjoy this book. It will likely appeal to children aged 12 and up.

New Releases – Available at The Children's Bookshop Wonderstruck, Brian Selznick Big Nate Goes for Broke, Lincoln Peirce Clementine and the Family Meeting, Sara Pennypacker Kane Chronicles Survival Guide, Rick Riordan Bad Kitty Meets the Baby, Nick Bruel Picture a Tree, Barbara Reid World of the Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins Henderson Boys # 5: Prisoner, Robert Muchamore Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes, Eric Litwin Polar Bear, Polar Bear What Do You Hear? Bill Martin

Do You Want to be Published?

Then Seaside Times is Looking For YOU! In this issue we launch our “Young Readers Book Review & Contest” Each month Seaside Times will have a selection of titles from Tanner’s Books to choose from If you’d like to write a review and have it published, please email editor@seasidetimes.ca Enter to win! Of the 10 new releases listed in the review each month, tell us your favourite and why on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/SeasideTimes) and you could be the lucky winner of that book!

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march 2012

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s k r o w b e W b m o c y ign e s e n o D b H e W l a c Lo

You talk, we listen.

When you communicate we understand.

That's how we build lasting relationships.

You call, we respond.

When you need us we are there.

Phone, email or face-to-face.

You ask, we answer.

Explaining computer jargon in plain English.

Is that a Web Guru in your pocket?

Deep Cove Business Given New Life Everything old is new again – that’s how the story goes. It’s certainly true in Deep Cove: a long-time fixture in the community has been brought to new life through the capable hands of Ian Calvert.

Calvert is the new owner of Deep Cove Auto Service on West Saanich Road. There’s no mistaking that this new business is all about service. “We deliberately made the word 'Service' the largest word in our logo and sign,” says Calvert. “That’s the message that we want to come through loud and clear.”

He’s earned his stripes in both customer service and auto repair through his combined 25 years with Cadboro Bay Village Service and Saanich Auto Repair. Now Calvert is welcoming customers to his own shop which he shares with the Deep Cove Co-op Gas bar. In his three service bays, he’s able to perform diagnostics, repair, routine service and inspection on all makes and models. He also deals in a wide range of tires, depending on the customer's needs and budget.

“My years of caring for customers and their vehicles have taught me be a good interpreter,” explains Calvert.

“I work hard to be sure my customers have the right amount of detail, in simple language, to make an informed decision. If their vehicle needs immediate attention, then we make that happen. On the other hand, they may need preventative maintenance or predictive maintenance, and we work around their schedule."

Every chance they get, Calvert and his team will offer tips such as how to get the best mileage and how to look after vehicles to minimize maintenance costs.

Although no longer living in the area, Calvert’s mother still lives in Sidney. “I’m counting on her to be my most frequent customer – even if it’s just for the coffee,” he smiles.

Deep Cove Auto Service is located at 10930 West Saanich Road, North Saanich.

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SEASIDE TIMES

100 Years Old and Still Rolling Last October I started a part-time job at the newly opened Canada Scooters Store on Beacon Avenue in Sidney. As the days passed, I noticed my attitude toward my age began to change. I had thought, at 66, I was on the downward slide toward the inevitable but as I interacted with my customers (many in their 80s and 90s) I learned that was not the case.

The defining event in this epiphany came one afternoon when I noticed a bright red enclosed scooter at the shop door. An older gentleman came in. His name was John Bell and he informed me he had purchased the Shoprider Cabincruiser from our downtown store a year ago. As we chatted, the subject of age arose and John informed me he had just turned 100 in October.

I asked him about his past and discovered that he was born in Washington, D.C. – one of seven brothers. He had been a carpenter since age 15, after informing his father he wasn't going to school anymore. His father replied: “then you're going to work today."

He also worked for the Province of Alberta as coordinator for programs to teach people to be their own contractor for building their homes. Later he was involved with a program which helped seniors improve their homes to accommodate their advancing age. John finally retired at 80 and, in 2003, moved to Sidney with Eva, his wife of 73 years. John was her caregiver until she passed away.

While we talked, a strange thing happened … you could say I had a MOMENT. It occurred to me that I was speaking with someone who had lived on this globe for 100 years. I felt privileged to be in his company. I asked him the secret to longevity, expecting a reply of clean living, moderation etc. Instead, he replied: "Humour. I approach life with humour and stay clear of negative

When World War II started John was not allowed to enlist because his woodworking skills were required to repair the military aircraft.

Following the war, John joined the city of Edmonton's works department and became the Head Plan Examiner. www.seasidetimes.ca

people." I mentioned how my view of life had changed since reaching my 60s. "Wait till you're 100," he replied. "When I look out my window every morning I see eternity."

As John rose to leave, I asked if he needed anything for the scooter.

He smiled and said everything was good, but he was going to get some flames painted on the front end.

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Dad was a general contractor, so the dye was cast.

I enquired what had brought John to Canada – apparently one of his brothers developed a medical condition which required a high, dry climate. They were heading to Arizona when John's uncle invited them to come north to Grimshaw, Alberta.

On arrival in Edmonton they were informed there wasn't any road, rail, telephone or telegraph to Grimshaw.

Mr. Bell then informed his boys that “this is as far north as we go.”

by Pat Phillips

We’re excited to welcome Travis Koivula to your team of trusted financial advisors.

With over seven years’ experience as a successful investment advisor, Travis graduated in the top 1% of his Certified Financial Planning class and is a Canadian Investment Manager, Fellow of the Canadian Securities Institute and Life Licensed Agent. He is also one of the few Chartered Strategic Wealth Professionals on Vancouver Island.

Travis serves our Brentwood Bay, Mayfair Mall, Downtown Victoria and WestShore locations. Make an appointment with him today: call 250-386-4003 or email TKoivula@iscu.com

SeasideTimes_TravisKoivula_appt.indd 1

10/02/2012 3:22:37 PM march 2012 25

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Irish Forever

by Linda M. Langwith With over 70 million people on the planet claiming Irish ancestry, including 3.8 million Canadians, no wonder St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated all over the world.

Those living in Newfoundland and Labrador are as lucky as leprechauns because St. Patrick’s Day is recognized as an official holiday.

Montreal has been hosting a St. Patrick’s Day parade since 1824, while Toronto’s parade is entering its 25th year. Not to be outdone, the Irish Society of the National Capital Region in Ottawa holds a week-long celebration featuring Irish food, music, dance, poetry, song, sport, language, history and theatre.

The story of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is one of faith over adversity, which is also the story of the Irish people. Kidnapped from Britain by pirates at the age of 16 and sold as a slave to tend sheep in Ireland, Patrick eventually made a miraculous escape back to his homeland where he became a priest. Feeling the tug of the Emerald Isle, he returned to bring Christianity to its pagan people and, as the legend goes, rid the Island of snakes. A marketing genius, St. Patrick put the shamrock front and centre, using its tri-leaf structure as a metaphor for the Holy Trinity. The shamrock today is a true icon of Ireland, as well as a symbol of good luck.

Fortunately, leprechauns escaped St. Patrick’s attention when he was dealing with the snakes. These mischievous mythical fairies are delightfully portrayed in the classic film Darby O’Gill and the Little People, starring a very young Sean Connery – well worth borrowing a copy from the library to entertain the leprechauns young and old in your family.

St. Patrick’s Day is an opportunity to celebrate all things Irish. Add some green vegetable dye to your garden pond or fountain (the city of Chicago does this to their river on St. Paddy’s Day), plant some peas or lettuce for a green crop, sport a shamrock pin on your lapel and rummage

in your closet to find something green to wear. If you’d like to search out your Irish roots, the Irish Genealogical Project www.ugp-web.com is an excellent place to start, with plenty of useful links and free access to different databases to help you refine your focus.

There’s an old Irish saying, one of many, that goes “Laughter is Brightest Where Food is Best,” and no St. Patrick’s Day celebration would be complete without an Irish dish or two on the menu: Irish stew, a rich mix of lamb, onions, potatoes and root vegetables, flavoured with Guinness, Ireland’s national drink; Champs – creamy mashed potatoes laced with green onions; Irish soda bread – best served warm from the oven, topped with butter and jam.

Great recipes for these and more are easily found online. Or, with the kids at home on Spring Break, make a batch of your favourite sugar cookies using a shamrock-shaped cookie cutter, and bring a little bit of Ireland into your home and your heart.

Linda is the author of “The Golden Crusader,” a mystery/action novel published by Twilight Times Books.

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SEASIDE TIMES

In my 30+ years in the financial industry, one consistent issue for clients is the income they receive from their investments. Given the volatile markets of the last few years, what has for the most part remained constant is the annual income a portfolio can generate, whether it is dividends from bank stocks, pipelines, REITS or interest from bonds and GICs.

Dividends are how a company rewards a shareholder by paying out some of the earnings on a monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual basis.

Generally, dividends are subject to favourable taxation due to the Dividend Tax Credit available to shareholders come income tax time. Basically, you retain more of the income you receive from a dividend versus the interest income from a bond or GIC. The government rewards the shareholder for investing in Canadian Corporations.

I think it is important to review every position within your portfolio. If it is not earning any type of an income, discuss with your advisor what it could be replaced with. Stick with something you know – we all have bank accounts; why not invest in your own bank? The Top Six Canadian Banks are yielding anywhere from 3.5% to 4.8%, and with the dividend tax credit that translates to anywhere from 4.725% to 6.48% interest equivalent.

Our Canadian Banks received very favourable reviews in a report from Bloomberg Markets in May 2011. This report was based on the quality and stability of a bank’s holdings and five of Canada’s biggest banks were named to the Top 20 list of the World’s strongest banks. Canada had the most banks on that list and our own bank, National Bank, was the top Canadian bank and third in the world!

The report reflected how our banks fared through the 2008 financial downturn in comparison to their peers from United States and Europe. Canada has stricter regulations that require them to keep more capital on their books.

Every well balanced portfolio should contain Canadian bank(s) for both dividend and growth purposes.

The securities or investment sectors mentioned herein are not suitable for all investors and should not be considered as recommendations. Please consult your investment advisor to verify if the securities or sectors suit your investment profile. National Bank Financial is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of National Bank of Canada which is a public company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (NA: TSX).

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Why Art? Why Art? I started searching for the answer and I was amazed that it wasn't that easy to find. I started with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs to see if his analysis provided insight into why we find it necessary to express ourselves with creativity, but my search led to more questions. Do we really wait to be creative once we have fullfilled our basic needs, as Maslow said? I think not. When my daughters were little they wanted to create as soon as they could crawl, so I made a craft closet full of fun things to do. The closet held costumes, clay, paints, chalk, pencil crayons, paper and glue … you probably get the picture. The girls have grown some since then, but the need to create is still within.

by Lynn Fanelli Festival which will be running from mid-July to midAugust. Once the children create their pieces of art, there will be an exhibition of their work in the Myfawny Art Gallery located in the Centre as well as performing arts camps and performances in the Charlie White Theatre.

The visual art instructor is Odette LaRoche and Margaret Watt guides students in theatre arts. They bring years of experience as artists and teachers.

Additionally, the Art and Music Fund, created as a legacy for the Winspear 10th Anniversary, offers financial assistance to families of low income.

My daughters have had the opportunity to undertake new artistic endeavours at the Mary Winspear Community Cultural Centre, which has dedicated artists and educators who provide exceptional opportunities to learn visual and performing arts.

I believe that art and creativity has a powerful impact on children. Participating helps them develop their own creativity; even more valuable is the impact on their lives.

Numerous studies show that there are long-term benefits to children who receive arts education early in life, including improved critical thinking, self-esteem, the ability to collaborate and even improved scores in math and science.

Children gain skills that help them well into adulthood.

This coming year we will be participating in the Spring Art Symposium (March 19th to 23rd). Children will have the opportunity to create beautiful works of art on canvas using oil and acrylics and participate in a theatrical Maybe our creativity is the first step in our hierarchy Sidney Pier Spa • Seaside Times March 2012 Ad • Size: 7.75” (w) x 4.925” (h) • Rough 3 • Feb 20/12 performance. In the summer we are going to continue of needs.

Maybe creativity is what allows us to meet our creative experience at the Youth Arts and Cultural our needs. Maybe it is the necessity to life.

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forbes & marshall

The Mahler Marimba

by Michael Forbes Please forgive me for my blatant lack of culture, but I always thought that the musicians in a symphony ignored the conductor. I mean really, they have all the sheet music in front of them and we’re assuming they know how to read it, so why would they need some self important arm waver choreographing their every movement?

My first big indication that he or she holds all the power was the recent story I stumbled across about the maestro of the New York Philharmonic. Mahler's Ninth Symphony had worked itself into a melodic frenzy and had come to the point in the piece where the strings combined for a roaring crescendo when art patrons throughout the hall heard the sound of a misplaced marimba.

Now, Wikipedia doesn’t say anything about the Austrian composer Malher backpacking through Guatemala during his gap year, so it was unlikely he would include a marimba in his work. The source of the mysterious sound was to be found in the front row in the form of an iPhone marimba ringtone. With a wave of his magic wand, conductor Alan Gilbert stopped the masterpiece in midclimax and waited for the concert wrecker to turn it off.

All the while, a lynch mob was forming in row fourteen.

an instant. It was the forefather of the iPods and Androids which seduce the same part of the brain that built Vegas.

We keep spastically pulling the arm of the bandit with the anticipation that at any moment it could really pay off.

I too admit that I’m guilty as charged. Why would I ever pick up a germy and cumbersome doctor's waiting room magazine, with all that exhausting page turning, when I could slide my iPhone into my palm and email someone on their Blackberry about my cousin who was poked on Facebook while tweeting about an email she got from her boss who always plays Angry Birds on his iPad? Forbes & Marshall are the hosts of Ocean 98.5’s popular morning show.

They are one of the few married morning show teams in Canada and have two children, Noah and Adam. Join Forbes & Marshall weekday mornings from 5:30 to 10:30 a.m.

Interruptions are on the rise and so are the growing pains of a generation that has been blessed and cursed by the gadgets we use in our everyday life. It’s considered rude to talk loudly on your cell in public or have it go off in a meeting or movie theatre. It’s OK though to use them as a lighter during a emotional rock anthem or tweet about some hot guy you saw at Denny's. Some of us are so addicted that you could be completely alone, but will put your life on hold because an incredible urge came over you to respond immediately to the pavlovian ping of an incoming text.

We are a society that is short on attention and long on instant gratification, and we can place the blame squarely on the invention of the TV remote control. Before it came along, people used to have to get up from their comfy couch, brush the nacho crumbs off their chest, shuffle all the way over to the TV and change the channels manually!

Just describing it seems torturous. How our ancestors must have suffered. The clicker was the boob tube holy grail: if you didn’t like the view you could change your world in www.seasidetimes.ca

march 2012

31

If you can’t get away to the Southern Sun this winter, you can sit and dream as you watch planes take off right outside your table’s window at the Spitfire Grill. Located just west of the runway at the Victoria International Airport off Willingdon Road, this unique restaurant practically sits on the tarmac. With model planes hanging

from the ceiling and the real thing just beyond the glass, it’s easy to sit back and let your imagination take flight.

Or perhaps you’re the pilot of a small plane flying in from Port Angeles or Powell River or Nanaimo to enjoy the beautiful Saanich Peninsula and a meal

Fly In, Fly Out at the Spitfire Grill!

by Arlene Antonik

250- 479- 6612 Tuesday: Steak & Lobster

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Sunday: Prime Rib

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Visit the Seagrille to experience our fresh approach to seafood & sushi in Victoria’s our Chef’s seasonally inspired menu with ingredients harvested from the sea and grown fresh on Vancouver Island. Watch our highly trained Japanese Sushi Chefs create a truly authentic “West Coast” sushi experience.

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upon landing. The Spitfire Grill makes it easy to “fly in and fly out” as there are airplane parking spots right outside the restaurant’s doors.

If you’re at the airport waiting for a commercial flight, why not take a 10-minute walk in the fresh air to the Spitfire Grill rather than hanging around the terminal building? Maybe you’ll be walking alongside pilots and flight attendants who know this route very well. You can choose from the extensive breakfast, lunch and dinner menus with fresh 32

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Open Tues - Sun 11:30am - late night 5285 West Saanich Rd, Victoria

Friend us on Facebook!

www.saanichroadhouse.com

local produce and seafood and let Chef Willy Troy tempt you with his special feature of the day.

Some say the best burgers in Victoria are served up right here at the Burger Bar with piled skyhigh specialties such as the “Ultralight,” the “B-52” and the aptly-named chargrilled “Spitfire.”

Most popular of all is Sunday night’s roast beef dinner. Locals know to make their reservations early for this classic entrée with tender beef, mashed potatoes, gravy and seasonal veggies, www.seasidetimes.ca

The restaurant is open seven days a week, from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. Monday to Thursday and Sundays, and until 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday evenings. The menu is posted online at www.spitfiregrill.ca and Chef Troy promises some delicious new additions this month.

Co-owners Wally and Barbara Boctor opened the restaurant on this site in 1998. How did it come to be located on airport land?

“From the beginning we’ve been a flight kitchen for the airlines,” Wally explains. “We supply specialty items for private jets and for sun destination flights to places like Mexico and Hawaii and items-for-purchase on Air Canada and WestJet. These might include king crab legs,

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lobster tail, cheese platters, desserts – you know, the fancy stuff!” he adds with a grin.

“The airlines tell us what they want, we prepare it, load it onto trolleys and truck it out to the airplanes. Our kitchen is a busy place and is actually quite a bit larger than our restaurant space which seats about 100 people.”

The Spitfire Grill also runs a catering service which is managed by Wally and Barbara’s son, Brandon. If you have a special event coming up such as a wedding or banquet, contact Brandon or Wally at 250-655-0122 and they’ll assist you in making your event memorable, either at the restaurant, in your home or on your airplane.

Sorry – gotta fly – I’ve got a reservation to keep at the Spitfire Grill that I don’t want to miss! march 2012

33

Check out These Great Peninsula Restaurants!

all served in a dinner-plate sized Yorkshire pudding bowl.

Tanzanian Diary – Teaching and Testing

by Derek Peach One of these days we’re actually going to teach some classes.

In the old days, I got up at some ungodly hour, had breakfast and trudged off to school, but now instead of lurching along back roads, intermittently trying to connect a coffee mug with my mouth, I literally trudge for just over half an hour to reach Katesh Secondary School, and then I’m sent back home.

Because B has classes scheduled later than mine, she gets to have another cup of tea and go back to bed. Last week, the cancellation was about making preparations for graduation ceremonies; today it was about cleaning up those ceremonies.

When you understand what was entailed in the graduation business, it all makes sense, but still … .

To prepare for graduation, you first need a wall – like that one over 34

SEASIDE TIMES

there on that unfinished classroom block. Then you need a lot of sticks, branches, tree trunks, tarpaulins, rope and bits of cloth. Oh and a sound system, some balloons and all the chairs you can round up. Wait, there’s the case of soda pop, cooks, tubs of food, plates, cutlery and invited dignitaries to consume those things.

Our invitation read simply 4:00, but that was Maasai time, which starts with zero hours at dawn – pretty consistent as our 6 a.m. here at the equator – and so we didn’t have to be there until 6:00 + 4 hours (10:00 by our watches). But then, no one really arrives at designated times, so we arrived at what would be considered early at 11:30, and sat around the principal’s office for only half an hour before the main group of district education officials got there.

We had a light meal of rice, meat www.seasidetimes.ca

stew and drinks before heading out to seats under the shaded area against the previously-mentioned wall, now sporting an outgrowth of poles and tarps all lashed together with ropes with the tarps snapping ominously in a rising wind. But then, there’s always a rising afternoon wind in these parts, so we just got on with it. The junior classes sat out in the sun while the parents continued to arrive and be provided with chairs from those junior classes until, by the end, pretty well all the kids were standing and the graduating seniors with us were crowded under our makeshift awning.

It was quite a spectacle. Kids were called up to receive awards to grand cheers and family members rushed up to hang wreaths around their necks for photo ops, although the wreaths mostly had to be removed after the photo to be used for the next celebrity and

that caused some near-garrotting in the excitement.

The only serious problem was the collapse of a section of our awning when a piece of wood snapped under the strain and fell on one elderly gentleman.

He was taken away bloodied about the head, the chairs were set back up and things went on.

A Saanichton Institution Spelt’s has been providing high quality service since 1971. The business has evolved over the past 41 years and for the last 23 years Ron and brother Dave Spelt have been operating the modern Shell gas station and convenience store.

In 1996 Ron added a coffee shop and sister Angelee soon joined her brothers to manage it, offering the best fresh donut selection in town and delicious Level Ground coffee roasted right in Saanichton!

She and her staff (with some second and third generation Spelts) also serve muffins, great soups, sandwiches and more!

The atmosphere really was incredible and the parents were the best show in town. They represented the community in all its variety with business suits, stunning outfits on ladies, youngsters in suits, hijabs and traditional Muslim dress, kitengas (women’s wraps) in all the brilliant colors of African fabrics and barabaig pastoralists in their plaid sheets. After about three hours, it wound down and the invitees went to one of the classrooms for a feast – this is where the cooks and other supplies came in.

The modern gas pumps and four pay points inside help Spelt’s staff to service their customers fast and efficiently so they can focus on providing the “Fast, Fresh and Friendly” cornerstones for their business.

Back in 1971, when a car drove through Saanichton, Ron would stop and wave because he usually knew who it was.

Nowadays, there are a lot more people in the area but Spelt’s is a still a great place where you can meet friends day and night.

The speeches there were best listened to in Kiswahili, because we couldn’t understand any of it but were pretty sure what was being delivered. There was political grandstanding, sincere acknowledgements and lots of plain old moo-moo-kaka. By the time we left, we felt we had been to a memorable performance. The undergrads were clearing away the trappings as we drove off, and they were back at it when I walked onto the school grounds this morning and was told there would be no classes today.

at the corner of Wallace Dr. & East Saanich Road

Next week, look out!

Magic Wand Helps Students Attend Grad No senior needs to miss their grad due to the high cost of formal wear. The Magic Wand Project is a non-profit organization that is run by a team of dedicated volunteers.

It was started in 2001 by Elizabeth Surerus and a friend when they realized that the need for affordable graduation dresses was great in Victoria. Magic Wand has grown over the years and now outfits both young women and men.

Magic Wand makes dreams come true by providing dresses, tuxedos and accessories for graduation events.

To date, they have helped over 450 male and female students attend their graduation ceremonies in style!

The Magic Wand project hosts several “boutique weekends” where graduates can come and choose their outfits. The first of these weekends will be March 17th and 18th. Visit www.themagicwandproject.ca for more information.

Orr’s Family Butchers

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Meditations on a Garden in Early Spring

by Barry Mathias At this time of the year we can always recognize the garden owners: they are the ones who stand at their windows staring out at the pouring rain, seeing nothing.

They hover, suspiciously, around the seed displays in general stores, and buy nothing. They tinker distractedly with their motor mowers, dismantle their hedge cutters and oil their spades and forks, but they accomplish nothing: it is too early.

Those islanders who live on rocky knolls, and have resisted the peer pressure to construct acres of raised beds, have gone south for the winter. They are basking, contentedly, in some treeless, vegetation-deprived desert, where there is nothing to remind them of their guilt of being gardenless. But when they return it will be spring and the owners of gardens will have regained their social and moral ascendancy. Everywhere, the garden owners will be slaving, untiringly creating their unique Edens.

Physics is a useful science for gardening: each action has its equal and opposite reaction. Or, put another way, the longer we dig and delve, the more visits we make to the chiropractor. Garden tools play an important part in the annual ritual. After digging a few potato trenches, there is nothing more satisfying than leaving the spade upright in the soil, a clear statement to the neighbours that battle has commenced. However, it cannot be left for too many days, or it smacks of vacillation and indecision, and birds leave messages on the handle.

Giving the right impression is an essential element in gardening. While tools add character, it is machinery, like the rototiller, that inspires images of muscular superiority.

Instead of using the back-breaking traditional spade, we wrestle for hours with this earth-digging monster that has a mind of its own, and will, at our slightest moment of inattention, race madly across the manicured lawn, gouge out the rose beds and demolish the cold frame. To neighbours we nonchalantly admit to having "rototillered the vegetable patch." They note our bandaged hands, our pronounced limp and the plaster on our nose … they know what we mean. Then there is the manure pile, that exotic smelling mound of goodness that is harder to acquire on an island than a regular cord of dry fir. Many gardeners, having obtained a truckload of nature’s best, will stoically refuse to deplete the mound, preferring to let it "mature."

This is merely an excuse. The social value of having such a large pile is enormous: there is nothing that will incur such horticultural envy. It guarantees hours of philosophical controversy as to whether horse is better than donkey, or sheep is better than chicken. Many islanders avoid this form of upmanship, and resort to dragging massive, anaconda-like coils of brown seaweed into their gardens, where they attack the serpents in a scene reminiscent of the Chain Saw Massacre. The resulting brown sludge, although good for the soil, does not have the same social significance as animal dung, even if it is suspected of being llama, ostrich or even warthog.

Next, there is the planting: that genesis, that creative exodus, that credit linedestroying annual event, when parsimony gives way to reckless expenditure and we buy triple the amount of seeds, bulbs and plants that we could possibly use in 10 years. Our imagination goes wild and we contemplate unlimited fecundity: a garden of unrestricted production. Then, the weather changes, uninvited visitors arrive, the dog has a personality change and becomes a strip mine engineer and we are back to minimum expectations, trying desperately to get something – anything – planted.

The dream gives way to reality, and we are once again grateful for what the garden produces without our help. But let’s not worry: there's always next year!

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37

grey matters

Birthday Wishes

by Trysh Ashby-Rolls Viola Arnold from Windsor, Ontario, always wanted her ears pierced, but it wasn’t until close to her 101st birthday that she got them done. So what was the headline in the news? "Granny Gets her Studs."

Many were the readers who mistook granny’s studs for something altogether different.

What impressed Tina most was how young Mrs. Arnold looked. “Her skin is so smooth; she looks like an 80-year-old.” What impressed the lady herself was how terrific the studs looked when Ken held up a mirror for her to see her new look.

“Perfect,” Mr. Gayowsky pronounced.

Ken Gayowsky, owner of Caryl Baker Visage Cosmetics in Windsor, normally does children’s ears, including babies. He told reporters his senior clients include women aged 60 to 90 but this was the first time he’d done the honours for a 100-year-old.

Several of Viola’s friends and a staff member accompanied her to the salon, which is across town from the retirement residence where the glamorous centenarian lives. They egged her on while Gayowsky measured her ear lobes, swabbed them with antiseptic and prepared what looked like a weapon of war for action.

“Ow,” said Viola as the staple gun shot an earring into her lobe. Then she laughed.

Tina Sharron, an employee at the salon, sang Mrs. Arnold’s praises when reached by telephone for comment.

“She’s cute. Vibrant, right on the ball, perfect memory, a charming lovely lady.” This was the first time Tina – or anyone else at Visage – had met the remarkable senior.

Someone from the retirement residence had called to ask whether they would pierce the ears of a 100-yearold woman. When the answer came back "yes," an appointment was booked. The salon was told media would be present. Media continues to call from coast to coast.

“Ow,” Viola hollered as the second stud – er, earring – punched into her lobe.

“Glad it was perfect,” said Mrs. Arnold. Her son, who originally had no idea what to get his mother for her 101st birthday, is elated: he’s getting her diamond earrings.

Yet there are still questions: Why did Viola Arnold want her ears pierced at this time of her life? Why didn’t she just wear clip-ons? Turns out, she did wear clip-ons, but they pinched and hurt. So when her friends urged her to get studs put in, she gave in. Peer pressure, one might say.

Will she get a card from the Queen on her birthday?

According to the Queen’s Anniversaries Office, "Cards are sent to those celebrating their 100th and 105th birthday and every year thereafter, and to those celebrating their diamond wedding (60th), 65th and 70th wedding anniversaries and every year thereafter."

Assuming the birthday gal or guy is receiving a pension, the Pensions Service is supposed to inform the Anniversaries Office of upcoming important birthdays. A card then goes out automatically. For friends and relatives wanting to make sure their loved one receives a card, there is an application form available online at http://www.royal.gov.uk/Home.aspx.

What would you like to do on your 100th birthday? Be as imaginative and outrageous as you like. No prizes given but we'd love to hear from you; drop us a line at P.O. Box 2173, Sidney, BC, V8L 3S6 or email editor@seasidetimes.ca.

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Spring Tattoo of the Ruffed Grouse

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by Robert Alison Every spring, many male birds go to great lengths to draw female attention to themselves. Elaborate displays emphasize male plumage, heightening the overall masculine impression, and females find the approach irresistible.

Ruffed grouse are famous for having one of the most intricate and compelling courtship behaviours. The forests of Vancouver Island echo with their hollow "drumming" tattoos, starting early in March and lasting into June. Strutting and posturing are part of the behaviour, but the main attraction is the actual drumming. The male stands on a log, clutching the wood with his claws, then begins a series of vigorous wingstrokes. The bird itself remains still and the strokes start off slowly, then speed up. A typical display involves about 50 wing-strokes, and near the end, the wings become a blur.

The sound is muffled and hauntingly audible at up to half a mile away. The drumming site of each male is at the same spot on the same log, every day without exception. For each male, the drumming site is the focus of activity spring, summer and fall even though actual drumming is mainly done in the spring. Such sites are vigorously defended against all intruding male grouse and sometimes fights can take place.

When a female grouse appears at a drumming spot, the male puffs up his "ruff" feathers, a collar of black or brown neck feathers that give the bird its name. Slowly, purposefully, he moves toward the female, sometimes shaking his head and hissing. It is a very impressive sight. Drumming starts before dawn and continues periodically all day. It must be tiring, because males often puff and pant when each bout is concluded.

This is iconic behaviour throughout the vast range of this grouse. There are 11 subspecies of ruffed grouse, occurring Canada-wide. The Vancouver Island ruffed grouse is one of them, local and distinct.

This bird is famous for its nine-year sweeping population cycles in which its numbers can fluctuate by up to 15-fold. The causes for such enormous population swings remain uncertain.

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39

Photographic Treasures As a recent graduate from the University of Victoria’s Classical History Department, I stumbled upon the Sidney Archives while looking for hands-on experience in the world of history, unaware of the treasure trove that lay within the small room tucked beneath Town Hall. Charged with the daunting task of scanning and digitizing the archives' photo collection, which boasts over 2,000 individual pieces, I quickly became engrossed in this small town's big history.

Almost immediately one becomes fascinated with portraits of unidentified children in baptismal wear, a shy couple’s wedding photo or formal portraiture of well-known pioneer families. These photos often tell a story, with many narrating an individual’s life from baptism to marriage and all the way through old age: an entire life story within a

few yellowed but well-loved pictures. It's not until you discover a family picnic, or Sidney’s first female softball team, that you truly begin to understand the personalities, and lives, of those within the pictures. A farmer and his strawberry fields, the laying of a foundation for a new home or an aerial view of a town which once consisted of buildings used for industry alone are the types of images which stick with you and provide a personal, often intimate view into the lives of those who lived and created this town’s history.

Although the task seems somewhat impossible for someone as unfamiliar with the field as myself, I can't help but feel a desire to share these images and their stories. With every clean, crisp ivory envelope I open, I am unsure

Wildlife art show Mary Winspear Centre April 14 & 15 Saturday: 10 am to 5 pm 7 pm to 9:30 pm Sunday: 10 am to 5 pm Admission: $7 BCʼs largest wildlife art show and woodcarving competition. Displays, silent and live auctions, woodturnings, art sales, & demonstrations.

Featuring the Islandʼs best nature and wildlife carvers, painters, photographers & sculptors.

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P975.J.185.1 – Boat for Hire, 1910. Courtesy of Sidney Archives.

what treasure lies within but I know that history was once someone’s life, and should therefore be treated as something extremely special.

Within this quiet town’s hidden archive is a world of unbelievable treasures waiting for us to discover.

Chelsey Foote is a Sidney Archives volunteer. The Sidney Archives are open Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Staff are always excited to share their knowledge with the public, as well as accept new pieces into the collection.

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by Chelsea Foote

250-544-0727 • kipwilson@shaw.ca

www.seasidetimes.ca

Empathizing With Oysters I was sitting on my balcony the other evening counting planes flying over my head about every 20 minutes … and wondering if the world was getting noisier, or if it was just me, getting older and less immune to noises.

Added to the crescendoing then diminishing reverberation of the planes coming and going, a couple of macho motorbikers snarled down our street with revved engines, and a delivery truck a few streets over was backing up with its warning whistle bleeping plaintively.

by Pene Beavan Horton

Sidney, so I can walk wherever I want to go, but the noises are starting to cut a groove in my brain.

As I write this, I hear what sounds like a garbage truck crashing empty containers back on the concrete. Cars swish by. I can also hear the constant muted roar from ferry traffic on the Pat Bay Highway.

I' m beginning to empathize with oysters, the kind that "a noisy noise annoys." (an old tongue twister).

What to do about it?

This is what makes Sally and Ian’s home on Pender Island so special. Their house is on a dead end road with forest on two sides, so very few cars drive past.

My balcony faces a public parking lot so most of the time a variety of raised voices adds to the general sound, coupled with seagulls scolding each other overhead.

I can sit on their balcony and hear an occasional wasp buzz by.

It’s almost totally quiet and peaceful, with huge dragonflies wafting about the garden, making no sound.

I haven’t even heard a dog bark. No voices either.

What, no dogs barking? By this time I was becoming interested in how many more noises were happening around me.

A TV blared. Anderson Cooper, "keeping them honest," followed by the wail of an ambulance siren from the highway … I paused to say a prayer for whoever was needing it … and then there was silence for a blessed minute or two. Next came another jet. A car backfired in the parking lot and roared out to the street as if seven devils were chasing it. This symphony of jarring sounds was making my ears tingle … .

Deer wander by, but they aren’t noisy. I hear a plane maybe once a week. I do hear leaves rustling. There's a beautiful big maple tree that grows beside the house and its golden green leaves cover the skylight in the upstairs bedroom, bringing the outdoors indoors.

I could have retreated, shut my lovely new soundproof double doors and sweltered in the heat in my living room. At least it would have been quiet.

Outside the house, I feel the "presence" of the trees surrounding us … trees can make themselves felt.

These dark green firs are so tall, and so old, they must have been there longer than I've been alive. They could tell me things, if they could talk. I like being near them, listening to what they are not saying. Breathing them in. Being grateful they're there. Listening.

It’s wonderfully handy to live right in downtown

Come to think of it, on Pender I can hear the silence.

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Sidney Pier (Haro’s) Seaside Times Ad Dec 2011 • Size: 7.75” (w) x 4.925” (h) • REV 1 • Nov 30/11

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veteri nary voice

Don't Worry, My Dog's Friendly!

by Shelley Breadner, DVM After seven weeks of rest following major knee surgery, I began taking my dog out for short walks as part of her recovery therapy. She was rambunctious, and had to be walked on a short leash. Calm, calm, calm I thought, as I guided her with her “go slow” command. I was feeling pleased with her progress.

In the distance we saw an owner with their dog off leash, so we elected to take a side trail to avoid any excitation. We’ve got to protect that leg! As the loose dog was barrelling up the trail after us, I heard those often shouted words: “DON’T WORRY, MY DOG’S FRIENDLY!” We all love our dogs, and know that they are the best dog in the world. We know they would not hurt anyone or anything when they meet up. Yet as a pet owner, it is our responsibility to also think about that other person and their dog as we are out on our walks.

People keep their dogs on leash for numerous reasons.

Unbeknownst to us, their dog might have a sore back, may be recovering from a surgery, be very elderly and frail or may be extremely fearful of other dogs. They don’t have to be aggressive to be on a leash. They might simply not be good at coming when called, and their owners are taking precautions for their dog’s safety.

Dogs and people are very similar in their social structure. We have evolved together to be this way! We love to be around our families (most of the time!), enjoy our friends and will greet our neighbours. Yet when we walk down the streets of the city, we do not have to run up to every person we see and say hello and ask how they are doing. Some people are more outgoing and will smile, nod and say hello. Others will look down or straight ahead and ignore those passing by.

Dogs are much the same. Some are outgoing, want to be the centre of attention and make sure everyone is in on the party. Others like to be off in a corner reading the pee-mail on their own. Some dogs are grumpy, like they missed their morning coffee, while others are full of vim and vigour all day long!

It is up to us as dog owners to see how the dogs and their people are responding to our approach. If someone tries to make a wide berth around us, or turns up a side path, we need to be conscientious with regard to our own dog’s behaviour and give them their space. This also applies to people who are walking without a dog. They may not wish to meet an exuberant youngster with muddy paws!

We all need to share the trails and continue to be welcome in the community with our dogs.

As a responsible dog owner, please take these simple guidelines to heart: • Keep your eyes open and check the path ahead regularly on your walks.

• Practice your “reliable recall” at every chance, first with no distractions, then with small distractions, and slowly build from here.

• Leash your dog when you see someone whose behaviour indicates they need their space with their own dog.

• Please remember to pick up after your dog! We want to be invited back!

More information can be found at www.breadnervet.com.

Meet spike!

Spring break @ Panorama Recreation!

Check Out Our New Inflatable!

This giant crocodile is 16.2m long and almost 4m high. Check it out March 19-25 during our Everyone Welcome swims. Our Fun Leader will be supervising play and organizing jungle theme games and activities. Looking for a camp check out the many exciting camps 250.656.7271 being offered this spring break! www.panoramarecreation.ca

www.seasidetimes.ca

march 2012

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Seriously – how does a retired couple who has never owned a boat, much less piloted one, end up cruising the canals and rivers of France on a vessel named Calypso? Have they lost their minds? Well, “not really,” they would tell you. A TV program set

the boat. That being said, we have had our adventures.

This was the Year of Living Dangerously – in the canal and river locks. Holland had lots and lots of lifting bridges but very few locks. France, on the other hand, has no lifting bridges but a multitude of locks that get you up and over the various mountain ranges and hillsides covered in vineyards. Sometimes we cruise on the rivers (Marne, Seine and Yonne) but mostly we are on the canals. Each has its own charm. The rivers are wider and more open and the countryside is perfectly laid out for wide angle photographs. The canals are much narrower and with a shorter viewpoint but teeming with shrubs, plants and bountiful wildlife. Either waterway scenario is stunning, peaceful and relaxing. Well, mostly relaxing!

Another Calypso Summer – More Cruising Adventures

by Sharlene Coss the wheels in motion, but the dream to extensively tour France was always there. And what better way to travel in Europe (and France) than by boat?

Summer 2011 was our third cruising season. It took the previous two years to get from the north of Holland to the north of France, but we did it! Sometimes we even surprise ourselves that we have arrived – finallyt! – in France, in one piece and with minimal damage to either ourselves or

The 27-lock series called Le Chesne, on the Canal des Ardennes, was our first encounter with stepped locks.

We weren’t really concerned though as we were going downstream – in at the top, secure the lines, the water is

Managing the World’s Most iMportant investMents:

yours!

expelled from the écluse and we drop to the next level.

Piece of cake! Unless, of course, when you're between locks 17 and 18 and the motor overheats so that you have to shut it off, immediately causing Calypso to drift gently to the left side of the canal. Unfortunately the wrong side.

We want to be on the right bank where you can actually get off the boat or, more importantly, the mechanic can get on board. Picture the Captain "paddling" a 10-metre cruiser using a six-foot-long plank. Not the most efficient method and it certainly explains the purchase of a longhandled paddle at the next port of call. Happily there was nothing wrong with the motor. A plastic bag got trapped over the water intake valve so the motor wasn’t being cooled; sadly, the canals are used as dumping grounds for refuse of all sorts. The next time the Captain can slip over the side and check under the hull because sure as heck, the Crew/Navigator is not doing it!

Cruising through the Ardennes and then the Marne was beautiful – right in the heart of Champagne country. The hillsides were covered in vines which were gloriously green. We saw lots of pumps and pipes leading from the canals which carried water to the top of the hills to feed the vineyards. It was unseasonably dry last summer and the water levels were quite low in the canals, low enough so that there was talk of closing some of them. Luckily the rains finally came – and came – in June. But not before we tried to make our way up the Canal de Bourgogne, got totally caught up in thick weeds, freed ourselves eventually (all while the looky-loos on shore shrugged their Gallic shoulders in response to our cries for help) and we then headed back to the River Yonne and deeper water. So much for France’s most beautiful and picturesque canal.

The 2011 summer highlight was mooring almost in the heart of the city of Paris. The Arsenal Marina, near the Bastille, is an amazingly convenient way to be a tourist in Paris. We were about a 10-minute walk from Nôtre Dame and a very short subway ride to the Louvre. There were several choices of Métro lines nearby and we had wonderful access to major tourist sites. The daily moorage fee – while expensive compared to other locations – is certainly a budgetfriendly way to stay in Paris for longer. The sights, the sounds, the smells and the food – j’aime Paris!!!

In this business…

susan dafoe investMent advisor susan.dafoe@nbf.ca

#205, 2537 Beacon Avenue, Sidney

250.657.2224 • 1.866.678.2200 National Bank Financial is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of National Bank of Seaside ad Jan 2012.pdf PM Canada which is a public company listed on the 1/19/12 Toronto Stock 4:59:10 Exchange (NA: TSX).

IslandBlue’s

Sidney Art Store

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Stay tuned for more Calypso adventures next month.

Follow Sharlene Coss' adventures via her blog: (canalcruisingwiththecosses.blogspot.com).

SEASIDE TIMES

Experience Matters!

www.seasidetimes.ca

• Artist Paints • Drawing Materials • Children’s Art Supplies • Art Studio Equipment • Art Papers & Canvas • Craft Supplies • Specialty Gifts www.islandblue.com Island Blue Print Co. Ltd. Downtown: 905 Fort Street, Victoria, BC V8V 3K3 Tel: 250.385.9786 Sidney: 2411 Beacon Avenue, Sidney, BC V8L 1X5 Tel: 250.656.1233 Website: www.islandblue.com Toll Free: 1.800.661.3332

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What’s Happening – March 2012

2nd Thursday of Every Month

Peninsula Newcomers Luncheon Haro's Restaurant & Bar, Sidney Pier Hotel & Spa, 11:30 a.m. www.peninsulanewcomers.ca Just moved to the Saanich Peninsula? Why not join our club to make new friends and get to know the community! We meet for lunch on the second Thursday of every month with an invited speaker on diverse topics. Share in a variety of interests and activities organized and run by our members. For more information, check out our website (above).

Until March 31 7th Annual Lego Exhibit

Sidney Museum, 2423 Beacon Ave, Sidney Open daily 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

250-655-6355, www.sidneymuseum.ca More models join the over 250 Lego models from pirates to Star Wars and cranes to castle that are on display in Sidney Museum.

This year the Super Star Destroyer is the feature exhibit (over four feet long!).

Admission by donation.

Until June 17 "Bite Me" Theme

Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre 9811 Seaport Place, Sidney Open daily 10-4 p.m.

250-665-7511, www.oceandiscovery.ca Explore the who eats who of the Salish Sea. Come learn who is a grazer, scavenger, trapper or filter feeder. Come learn how humans are affecting different species and their food webs.

Regular admission rates apply.

Spring Break

Children's Programs: Photo Break, Printmaking Story Building With Clay Lúz Gallery, 1844 Oak Bay Avenue, Oak Bay 250-590-7557, www.luzgallery.com These new children's programs are an important extension in the gallery's firm belief that art and the photographic arts can serve as a powerful medium for communication, expression and education. Ages 8-12 (all programs) and 13-16 (photo break and printmaking only).

March 9

March 19

Linnea Good in concert with David Jonsson

Companions of the Quaich Robbie Burns Dinner & Tasting

Holy Trinity Anglican Church, 1319 Mills Road, North Saanich, 7 p.m.

250-656-3223

Sidney Pier Hotel & Spa, 7 p.m.

250-658-1109, wuhrer@shaw.ca

Contemporary Christian singer-songwriter and storyteller for all ages. Admission: $15/adult, $10/youth (6-18) and seniors, $40/families (2 adults/2children).

March 10

North Saanich Farm Market St. John's United Church Annex 10990 West Saanich Road, 9:30-2:30 www.northsaanichfarmmarket.ca Expect to find seasonal veggies, eggs, mushrooms, baked goods, meat and crafts, and of course seeds for the home gardener.

Come out and meet your neighbours and support our local farmers.

March 18

"The Clean Bin Project" Documentary Showing Centennial Park Baptist Church, Wallace Drive, 7-9 p.m. www.brentwoodlead.com Presented by Brentwood Local Environmental Action Divas. Come see how a Vancouver couple significantly reduces their garbage in this lighthearted, award winning documentary featuring interviews with renowned artist Chris Jordan and marine pollution expert, Captain Charles Moore.

March 18 - 19

World Storytelling Festival 2012 Celebrate Trees in Story and Song March 18th - First Metropolitan United, Quadra & Balmoral (entrance by donation) March 19th - 1831 Fern Street, Victoria ($5 admission; students $3) 250-477-7044 www.victoriastorytellers.org The Victoria Storytellers’ Guild, Storytellers of Canada-Conteurs du Canada, City of Victoria and Arbutus Singers present three Concerts: Trees Please! (March 18th 2-3 p.m.); Branch Out! (March 18th 7-9 p.m.) and Tree Stories at Fern (March 19th 7:30 - 9:30 p.m.).

Isolated from the Scottish Mainland, distilleries on the isles have produced their own unique whiskies. They draw on local barley and water, firing the kilns with peat and storing their casks in warehouses exposed to the surrounding sea. We will taste four whiskies, hopping from isle to isle. Three-course dinner; four whiskey tastings. Members $60, guests $70, dinner only (designated drivers) $50.

March 27

Canadian Federation of University Women Saanich Peninsula Meeting Mary Winspear Centre, Sidney, 7 p.m.

250-656-7010 www.cfuwsaanichpeninsula.org Speaker Nancy Hum, who has an MA in counselling, is presenting "Laughter Therapy" featuring the need for a balance in life between good stress and distress. As a survivor of breast cancer and a proponent of "Hakomi" ( Chinese term for reverent laughter), Hum has developed a program of yoga and laughter therapy that inspires and invigorates.

Potential new members are welcome.

March 31

Horticulture Centre of the Pacific Market Basket Class 505 Quayle Rd, Royal Oak, 1-4 p.m.

250-479-6162, www.hcp.ca Bring our native pollinators to your backyard by learning how to build a successful bee condo. The design encourages periodic viewing of the bees within and has two styles to attract a range of species throughout the summer season. No prior carpentry experience is necessary. Gord Hutchings will ensure all students will go home with a bee condo ready to paint and set up in the garden! All material and tools provided.

HCP Members $40; non-HCP Members $55.

For details on other events happening in your community, visit www.mypeninsula.ca

Tod Inlet: Undisturbed Artifacts and Nature

by Amanda Punch Follow the trails beside Tod Creek in Gowlland Tod Provincial Park (the same creek into which I released the salmon our class raised in the third grade) and you will soon find yourself at Tod Inlet. When it’s sunny, the water turns an almost tropical green, and in spring and summer, wildflowers grow and bring vibrant colour to the surrounding land. Located near worldrenowned Butchart Gardens, the park is not only a great place to hike or boat: it’s a “natural museum.”

You’ll find many artifacts, dating back to about 1904, lying alongside the trails – giant concrete slabs and the footings of weathered buildings are a common sight, but rusty, discarded drilling equipment, pottery, shards of glass and even old shoes also lie untouched in the park. Looking around, you can’t help but imagine what the area was like all those years ago.

At the time, the inlet was a bustling port and part of the land was used for limestone quarrying. Limestone was mined for cement production; therefore, there was also a cement factory. In 1904, landowner Robert Pim Butchart founded the factory. The majority of the workers were immigrants from India who traveled to Canada by ship and train, and lived in Tod Inlet. In addition to vague records, we know this because the old pottery remains found aren’t of Canadian origin. Later on, records show Chinese immigrants working for the factory.

After years of production, when the quarry was exhausted of its limestone, Butchart’s enterprising wife, Jennie Butchart, restored the land by transporting top soil by horse and cart from nearby farmland to the bleak pit. Bit by bit, she used the soil to line the floor of the quarry, and watched it bloom into what is now Butchart Gardens’ flourishing “Sunken Garden.”

The factory stopped producing cement in 1916, but continued making smaller objects such as tiles and flowerpots until about 1950 when the quarry was abandoned. The only surviving section of the Butcharts’ factory is the tall chimney of the kiln, which can be seen at the Sunken Garden Lookout, as well as at Tod Inlet.

A series of films have been made about the history of Tod Inlet. “Behind the Garden’s Wall” is composed of three films: “Searching for the Sikhs of Tod Inlet,” “The Chinese Workers of Tod Inlet” and “The Lost Community of Tod Inlet.” The documentary even includes real SEASIDE TIMES

footage from the 1900s and interviews with descendents of the people who worked for the factory.

Gowlland Tod Provincial Park is located in Brentwood Bay, just off Wallace Drive. The park is great for recreational activities like bird watching, nature appreciation, walking and picnicking. It has over 25 kilometres of trails and the large amount of marine wildlife attracts scuba divers from around the world. It’s definitely a place worth checking out – see it for yourself!

Photo: Butchart’s cement plant, 1904.

Saanich Archives 1981-019-019.

y unda

e erenad

SUNDAY AFTERNOON CONCERT March 25, 2012

2:30 pm at

ST. MARY’S CHURCH, SAANICHTON 1973 Cultra Ave. @ East Saanich Rd.

BC Fiddle Orchestra TICKETS

Adults $12/Students $10/Children under 12 free Tickets will be available at the door

For tickets/information, please call 250-652-5392 or email sueandjohn@shaw.ca SPONSORED BY...

www.seasidetimes.ca

march 2012

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smell the coffee

T-Discs, K-Cups, and the Good Old Fashioned Cup

by Steve Sheppard

Exceedingly Evil

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Puzzle by websudoku.com

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Hardly Simple

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Saanichton: Mt. Newton X Rd

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www.freshcup.ca

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Your Taste Buds Can Tell …

Puzzle by websudoku.com

I Need A Fresh Cup Coffee !

Sudoku Solutions 1 4 3 8 7 2 9 6 5

I Drink

Gone are the days of making a huge pot of coffee and letting it sit on the element for four to five hours while you consume it. I think in a changing world, where time is a huge factor in our everyday lives and the younger generation is instant-gratificationoriented, single-serve coffee brewers are here to stay.

My only suggestion is: try to avoid the capsules of stale coffee they try and sell alongside the machines.

Stick to using fresh coffee, and grind as you go – you’ll be impressed with the results … Steve out.

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Friends don’t let friends get Stale Coffee Sweater Tongue !

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Attention Coffee Drinkers :

There’s a plethora of coffee choices when it comes to what you can put through these machines. Some ads on TV talk about how each of the coffee types has a "barcode" on them, which affects the way each of the different coffees are processed, and if you are a lover of sweet things and need a sugar fix you can make hot chocolate and apple cider too. Unfortunately, the lackluster coffee choices overshadows what the Keurig and Tassimo are really supposed to be all about: "freshness." Thank goodness the machines come with an insert that can be used with my favourite locally roasted and freshly ground coffee. I’ve tried them using the same coffee I use in my stove-top espresso machine with the appropriate grind level and the results are impressive.

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The newest craze to emerge onto the coffee scene are the Tassimo T-disc and Keurig K-Cup single-cup coffee makers. It seems like every place you go you see signs of these machines being on sale, or the coffee pods they use are available in bulk. The machines are not cheap by any means: they easily run over $200. Their durability is virtually unknown at this point, and it will be interesting to see how

the consumer uses this technology over time. Recently, over 1,000,000 Tassimo machines were recalled because of a design defect! Now, not all recalls are serious and my guess is anything that works with hot liquid can be mishandled and doesn’t always warrant a recall, but I am not in the liability insurance business.

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Most times new gadgets are just a passing fad; however, I think there’s something to be said about the singleserving coffee concept that’s exploded over the past year.

I’ve been a fan of the stove-top espresso maker for years.

This is a process of making coffee on the stove that is relatively simple, and the coffee taste it yields is second to none (when you use fresh coffee).

march 2012

Sudoku Puzzles 5

Hardly Simple

8 1

3

Exceedingly Evil

9 8 7 6 5 1 5 4 9

8 3 6 1 6 5 4 6 2 7 9

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5

Puzzle by websudoku.com

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Keep Your Brain Healthy

Puzzle by websudoku.com

The Alzheimer’s Association recommends doing puzzles like Sudoku to strengthen brain cells and the connections between them. Each Sudoku has a unique solution that can be reached logically without guessing. Enter digits from 1 to 9 into the blank spaces. Every row must contain one of each digit. So must every column, as must every 3x3 square. * Sudoku Solutions can be found on opposite page

Zais Astrology – March 2012

by Heather Zais (heather_zais@telus.net) Aries (march 21 - april 19) Pay attention to private matters or what goes on behind the scenes. This can extend to the health of yourself or those close to you. Take care of situations that you don't want to become public. Clear away any debts or other backlogs.

Libra (september 23 - october 22) Putting in extra hours can take a toll on your energy level, so organization will be more important to keep things on track. A change of lifestyle is helpful. Lighten your load or responsibilities. You are at a transition point.

Taurus (april 20 - may 20) Contact with wealth or influential individuals will benefit you now. Discuss plans or projects that would be beneficial to all involved. Your hopes and wishes are unfolding; work with time constraints, increasing income and benefits.

Scorpio (october 23 - november 21) A desire for a little more freedom can see you weighing the balance between work and fun.

Its time to develop or display any creative talents you have. Love or romantic ties will grow closer. Entertain or visit all ages.

Gemini (may 21 - june 20) Dodge those who target you on your climb up the ladder of success. Don't answer questions or leak information unless it is critical to your ambitions. Let the pecking order shuffle around you as you rise above it all. Stay calm.

Sagittarius (november 22 - december 21) Make decisions about home, office or base of operations. Take your time with it as you want the best result for future gains. In any case, environments can be improved. Consolidate relations at home or in the community.

Cancer (june 21 - july 22) Distance matters are more interesting to you now. Stay in touch with those connected to your plans or vice versa. You can be a support or outlet for each other. It may become important for you to travel or meet in person.

Capricorn (december 22 - january 19) Process a lot of information (personal or business). It's up to you how it ends up on the bottom line. Take care of anything outstanding so it's not in your way. You are heading onward and upward – use cruise control.

Leo (july 23 - august 22) Review all jointly held finances or assets.

Reorganize them to create better cash flow. Paperwork may be tedious, but necessary. Sell what is no longer needed as you prefer a clear path to success. Take a proactive role.

Aquarius (january 20 - february 18) Extra money, perks or backing makes it easier to get what you want now. You come up with great ideas or solutions that will bring benefits as well. Others see you as a winner and join in, hoping some of it will rub off.

Virgo (august 23 - september 22) Tighten relationships on all levels.

It helps to have others on your side when needed. Try to remain calm no matter what pressure you are under. Patience will carry you to the finish line. You will be glad you went the distance.

Pisces (february 19 - march 20) You receive more attention now with the sun in your sign. Put your best foot forward; improve your appearance or wardrobe. Others are more willing to give you what you want now. Negotiate the terms that you would like.

last word What a difference three years makes!

In March of 2009 my younger sister Kathryn wasn't married – now, she has a wonderful husband, Scott, and my niece Cassidy, the beautiful little girl you see pictured, was born a few weeks ago. You know what they say: time flies!

While searching for a story in back copies of Seaside Times, I came across the March 2009 issue - the first that former publisher Tim Flater and I produced as a team. At that time, I'd just returned from seven years living in Vancouver and was happy to be back on the Island. Well, feeling lucky to live here hasn't changed, but the magazine sure has!

EntEr thE

2012 Look Amazing Contest by

Let MD ESTHETICS help unveil the true you!

Enter your story, along with a photo, telling us why you deserve to Look Amazing for 2012. Post your submissions at www.lookamazing.ca.

Last year’s winner enjoyed treatments including: + Volumalift, a non-surgical face lift using Juvederm™ filler, to restore facial contours and volume, lifting the skin and erasing shadows + Botox™ to smooth lines & create a brow lift + Jane Iredale mineral make-up that looks like your skin only better + IPL Photorejuvenation to reduce redness & sun spots Submissions will be accepted between March 1 and 25, 2012.

For full contest details, call 250.478.2336 or visit www.lookamazing.ca

WIn $10,000 In SErVICES AnD ProDuCTS SPonSorED By:

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Client: MD Esthetics

PMS 186

www.seasidetimes.ca Pub: Seaside Times Magazine

Back then, Seaside Times was printed on newsprint and only about half the pages were in colour.

With full colour and glossy paper today, the difference is undeniable. We used to run 10 regular features; now there are around 20! Our means of distribution has also evolved – readers used to get the magazine solely at pickup points, but Times Colonist now puts 19,000 copies directly into subscribers' hands every month. Our most recent "big step" was into the arena of social media.

Doreen Gee, one of our regular writers, has just taken charge of this department and is doing a great job of sharing interesting tidbits with our followers.

As you can see from this month's "Double Issue," our growth continues – after all, as Sue says in this month's First Word, one must always strive to be a Purple Cow. The changes we've undergone in the last three years are almost too numerous to count, but I believe we've remained true to the goals I shared in my first issue: " … to create something that I'll be proud of and that my community will value and look forward to reading every month." Your feedback assures me that we're still on the right track.

Allison Smith,

Editor-in-Chief

turn this issue upside down

to read the inaugural issue of WOMEN IN BUSINESS!

march 2012