TAKE 5 Dec-Jan 2019 by Take 5 Print & Digital Media

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Letters Saltair Halloween Party The CVRD was once again the host of our annual Halloween celebration at Centennial Park. The rain held off and a crowd estimated at over 200 enjoyed the costume parade, hotdogs, bonfire, fireworks and a beautiful night. Over 60 children dressed in outstanding costumes were given goodie bags filled with toys, fruit and a Dairy Queen coupon. Many family costume themes participated this year as well. Our Grand Prize for best costume (1-year supply of ice cream compliments of 49th Parallel Grocery and Island Farms) was awarded to a youngster that was dressed up as a Caterpillar excavator … a homemade costume that was fantastic. Big thanks to the crew that organized and safely fed the bonfire for all to enjoy. Also, kudos to the fireworks crew that put on an outstanding fireworks display worthy of our small community. Of special note: the people of Saltair left their park so clean, there was nothing to clean up in the morning. Way to look after your community. A big thank you to our sponsors: The 49th Parallel Grocery, Great Canadian Dollar Store, Panago Pizza and Dairy Queen. The event was once again a big success and enjoyed by many in the community. Special thanks to the organizers of this event who help every year: The Key, Evans, Irving, Roe, Ahola, Rutti, Milne, Wright, Johnson, Beadle, Mutcher, Brocklebank, McDowell, Hinton families. — Dave Key, Saltair Area G Parks Commission member

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Pedestrian & Vehicle Safety in Ladysmith Most citizens want to ensure pedestrians are safe and local government can, and should, make investments that improve safety. However the recent decision to spend $30,000 on the ﬁrst part of a $533,000 project for protective bollards on First Avenue isn’t the best investment the Town could make. Better lighting at crosswalks, pedestrian activated cross signals, sidewalks

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that actually connect, and traﬃc calming are all projects that would get much better results for the money invested. I didn’t see where there was any analysis of where to put our safety dollars into improving pedestrian safety, so I question how Council came to the conclusion that bollards on First Avenue was the preferred solution. I’m not convinced there is a problem. It is likely that First Avenue bollards could help protect pedestrians from cars jumping the curb, but let’s do the

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simpler, more effective projects first (bollards would be way down the list). I hope the new Council will reconsider this project. Fourth Avenue is one of our busiest roads (school, hospital, designated truck route, churches, etc.) yet we can’t even get a new design approved, let alone started (it’s been in the budget for three years, but who knows where it stands. The one-lane bridge at Rocky Creek is an ongoing risk, and instead we start on a hastily conceived half-million dollar “bollard” project. It is so hasty we dug up the sidewalks and then refilled them, all to do it again at a future date (not fake news – I wish it was). Taxpayers are not filled with confidence that their tax dollars are being well used and that their streets and citizens are getting safer. Let’s change that. — Gord Horth

Cowichan Cheer It is that time of year again when we are looking for people to sponsor families in our Adopt a Family for Christmas gift & food hamper program. If you’re unable to adopt a family, but still wish to help us help others this Christmas, there are ways you can be involved. For those who express interest, we will send updated versions of the list of families as it grows. Early drop-offs can be arranged, but the final drop-off date is December 15.- Cowichan Neighbourhood House Association (CNHA) Letters to the Editor may be edited for space, clarity or legality and do not necessarily represent the opinions of TAKE 5 and its affiliates. editor@take5.ca or PO Box 59, Ladysmith, V9G 1A1

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Tree for a cause. A local couple is donating proceeds from their Christmas trees farm to the Salvation Army. “There are about 150 naturally grown Noble and Frazer Fir, Norway and Blue Spruce from three feet to 20 feet that are ready to harvest,” said Bill Rathlef. “My family has always done this for charity but the time has come to clear out what remains.” Trees are by donation, with all proceeds going to the Salvation Army programs. Saws will be provided. You can visit them for two weekends from 11 a.m. to dusk on. Dec. 8-9, and Dec. 15-16 at 11880 Pilon Road oﬀ Brenton Page/Shell Beach Road. Phone 250245-7240.

Oktoberfest Ladysmith’s ﬁrst Oktoberfest was a foot-stamping success. The fundriaser raised $5,000.00 towards the construction of a one kilometre Fitness Trail around Forrest Field and the remainder of Lot 108. Construction is planned to start in spring 2019. The organizers thank Save-on Foods, 49th Parallel Grocery, Riot Brewing, Fox and Hounds, ABsolute Fitness, and

Ladysmith’s first Oktoberfest at the Aggie Hall. Photo: Gerry Beltgens

the Town of Ladysmith for the use of Aggie Hall. The Ladysmith Lions, Rotary, Kinsmen and Eagles Service Clubs teamed up with Mid-Isle Soccer to make this event happen. This group has now formed the Forrest Field Enhancement Committee and will be working together to help the town complete the work that was started 20 years ago. Next steps include working on available grants, getting the trail surveyed and laid out and clearing and leveling the trail. If you want to help out contact Gerry Beltgens (Rotary Club) by phone or text at 250-739-3887, or John Shephard (Lions Club) at 250-668-0650. Oktoberfest Team thanks the community.

Open House for LRA The newly formed Ladysmith Ratepayers Association is looking for input

Vicky Stickwood-Hislop, president. Erik Piikkila and director at large, Ladysmith Ratepayers Association. Photo: Marina Sacht

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on issues the community feels strongly about. They are hosting an informal Open House on Wednesday, December 12th from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm at Frank Jameson Community Centre, lower level meeting room. “We will have sign-up sheets for those wishing to add to the list of topics, we will also have a sign up sheets for those wishing to sit on a subcommittee...and of course to speak one on one with the Executive Committee to better understand our direction,” said Vicky Stickwood-Hislop, president. The group’s role is not adversary but of cooperation with the Town of Ladysmith. We are here to share community concerns, resources and information,” she adds. The non-proﬁt, non-partisan group is looking for input, new members and directors. https://lra2018.org/

“Community support this time of year is especially needed,” said Christy Wood, executive director of LRCA. Their Christmas Cheer program provides hampers containing all the traditional Christmas dinner ﬁxings to families in need. Hampers going to families with children contain new toys. It takes about a hundred volunteers to put together and deliver the hampers to an average of 175 homes. New this year, says Wood is a hamper box for homeless people. It will be ﬁlled with items people can use such as canned foods, warm socks, and gloves. You can help by donating cash, non-perishable food items, new toys or you can give the gift of time. Volunteers are always welcomed. December 13 is the last day to register

Celebration of Light

Get ready for Old Time Christmas, on Dec. 7, This is a family friendly community event that is quickly becoming a holiday tradition. The event, sponsored by the Ladysmith Downtown Business Association, features horse and carriage rides by food or cash donation, child minding provided by Oceanview Church, visits with Santa in his house, choirs singing, a candlelight workshop, and the Elf on a Shelf

Want to have a rocking good time and help out? Skellig is back playing at the annual Celebration of Light concert with special guest Terry Boyle. This is a fundraiser for Ladysmith’s Soup Kitchen. The concert starts on December 14 at 7 p.m., at In the Beantime, Tickets are $30 for concert and dinner, or $10 concert only. Come ready to donate to this needy cause.

The giving season While many of us are celebrating with friends and family there are many in our community who are not as fortunate. That’s where the Ladysmith Resources Centre Association (LRCA)steps in with its many programs.

Old Time Christmas 2018

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campaign. Some businesses will be open until 8pm on the following two Fridays, Dec 14 and 21, 2018.

Your Transit Your Say The second phase of public engagement for the South Nanaimo Local Area Transit Plan (LATP) began Nov. 26 with six public events over four days. Input received during phase one in February has helped to inform and develop several options for the LATP, which will outline improvements for existing transit service and infrastructure over the next seven years. Phase two is an opportunity for you to review and comment on those options. Public engagement sessions still available is Dec. 4, Vancouver Island University Building 355, Room 211, 10:00am -1:00pm.

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If you are not able to attend please complete the online survey, at bctransit.com/nanaimo or by visiting https://www.getinvolved.rdn.ca/rdn-transit-south.

Downtown Nanaimo Marina plans completed Design plans have been completed for the Port of Nanaimo’s new downtown boat basin marina that will increase available moorage by 50 per cent, using the same footprint. A request for funding has been provided to the federal government for the $15 million project, and once the funding is in place, construction will follow. The marina will be built in phases over a ﬁve-year period, beginning with the outside northerly ﬂoats.

Christmas Traditions Ed Nicholson steps back in time to share with us what Christmas was like over 100 years ago.

Christmas 1912 The ﬁrst snowfall of the year arrived in Ladysmith, just in time for Christmas. On December 24, 1912. several inches of the drier, powdery-type of snow fell on the city to the delight of children of all ages, more accustomed to the wet, sloppy variety usually experienced at this time of the year. There was also a rapid increase in the town’s population if, as the Chronicle’s editor suggested, “the many snow creatures popping up in lanes and yards around the city were to be included.” Having ﬁnished their own snowman earlier that morning, Euphemia Nicholson and Sandy Strang were now on their way downtown to do some chores and last minute shopping. The exhilaratEarly photo of downtown Ladysmith n winter, Ladysmith Archives 2007-034-924

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ing combination of no school, spending money and falling snow made Christmas 1912 especially exciting for the two close friends. But best of all, Euphemia’s father had promised her that if the snow continued, he would ask his business partner, Sid Weaving, to exchange the wheels on their large delivery wagon for runners, and they would all go for a sleigh ride on Boxing Day. Their first stop on this busy Christmas Eve day was the livery stable behind the Opera House where the horses were kept. Euphemia, or “Phemie” as her friends called her, had two carrots and an apple in her coat pocket to give to the big bay Clydesdales “Ben” and “Prince” when they arrived. If Mr. Weaving agreed, they were going to ask him to use their favourite horse to pull the sleigh. On the way, they passed schoolmates Jamie Bland, David Gourlay and Russell Inkster. The boys were heading for the Opera House to see a special matinee. “What’s playing?” Sandy asked as he ducked away from Russell’s hastily constructed snowball. “Ida’s Christmas,” replied Jamie. “It’s about a poor girl who finds a purse and goes looking for the owner. Are you going sledding tomorrow? We can use High Street in the morning, and they may let us go down Symonds in the afternoon if it keeps snowing.” “I don’t know,” Sandy replied. “Last time it snowed, Mom said I could only go down Donkey Hill by Phemie’s house.” “That’s just because she wants you to marry Phemie,” teased Russell, as he ducked return fire from Sandy, and then ran to catch up with his friends. After successful negotiations with Mr.

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Weaving, Sandy and Phemie headed back up Roberts Street, singing “Jingle Bells” as loudly as possible, until they arrived at Belle Thompson’s Dry Goods for their first purchase of the afternoon. Sandy’s mother had asked the two children to pick out a gift for Dr. Frost and his wife for their baby, who had arrived the week before in the new hospital. They selected a hand-embroidered sleeping gown and left the shop just as Charlotte O’Connell and Vera Bickle were entering. The older girls, who both attended Ladysmith High School, were also doing some last minute shopping. Vera’s father had decided to close his shop early and gave her permission to accompany Charlotte to pick up her dress for the New Year’s party and dance at the new Finn Hall on Roberts. Charlotte had to be home by 6:00 to help her mother and sister finish baking the tourtieres and other holiday dishes for their late night supper. A new priest — the third for St. Mary’s since Father Nicolaye had left in 1910 — was sharing the special meal with them after the Midnight mass. Her mother wanted everything to be “perfect.” Vera and close friend Belle Gourlay would also attend a special Carol service that evening in the Presbyterian Church on High Street, but unlike Charlotte, they would have to wait until Christmas morning to open their gifts. The children made quick stops on First Avenue to pick up some pressed shortbread at the Scotch Bakery and raisins, dates and figs from Morrison’s. Her mother had cautioned her to make certain the Christmas pudding ingredients were weighed accurately, as the dried fruit cost 25 cents a pound! Mr. Morrison also had holly for sale at 50

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cents a pound and a number of bedraggled Douglas fir trees leaned against the storefront, with a sign reading “Christmas Eve special: Your pick for 2 cents a foot.” They were amazed that anyone would actually buy a tree when the town was surrounded by them. Next, it was off to Cavin’s Shoe Store to buy a Christmas present for Phemie’s dad. Her brother and two sisters had decided to pool their money this year, and they had all agreed that a pair of sheepskin slippers would make a perfect gift. Next, they hurried down Gatacre to the “Big Store” to pick out something for Sandy’s mother. It was getting close to supper, and Mr. Leiser was already putting away the two sandwich boards from in front of the building. One sign listed the “daily holiday specials,” while the other reminded customers that the store would be closed for Christmas Day. The paint on the front of the building still showed scorch marks where the terrible fire in March had come perilously close to adding Leiser’s to the list of Gatacre Street businesses that had been destroyed. Inside, the friends considered several gift possibilities: an embroidered silk handkerchief for 25 cents, a tortoiseshell barrette for 75 cents or Lowney’s chocolates. They were his mother’s favourite candy, but cost $1 for a box! Noting the children’s quandary (and anxious to get home for his own dinner), Store Manager Mr. Weaver let them have the chocolates for a “special Christmas price” of 50 cents. The delighted children now crossed the street and entered Ladysmith Pharmacy to buy a stocking gift for each of their siblings. Every year, Mr. Jessup brought in Christmas ribbon candy all the way from England for the Christmas

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season. The children preferred this treat to the peppermint candy canes for sale at both Mr. Thomas’s confectionery and Ed Jones’s grocery. As they made their way to the cash desk with their delicacy, they politely greeted Mrs. Gould and Mrs. Giovando, who were just leaving Jessup’s after purchasing cherry cough syrup for their friend, Mrs. Hutchinson, who was “down with the flu.” Now it was off to the Ladysmith Hardware Store. Sandy’s father had recently purchased a new paraffin stove from Mr. Rollston, but to his wife’s chagrin, had neglected to enter his name in the New Year’s Eve draw. First prize was a choice of either a new McClary range or a Champion washing machine, and Mrs. Strang would be delighted to win either one. They paused to admire the Nativity scene in the window of Thomas & Harris Dry Goods and waved across the street to Mr. Clay, who was clearing the sidewalk in front of his High Street home. Their final stop was Knight’s new bookstore on First Avenue. Mr. Knight always made a special effort to decorate his shop window for the holidays and this year, the display included for the first time a string of the new electric lights that were rapidly replacing the traditional (but very dangerous) candles on the Christmas tree. Inside the shop, a new Edison phonograph played Christmas carols. Special wax cylinders were for sale at 40 cents for two minutes of play or 65 cents for four minutes in the deluxe concert version. After watching Mrs. Knight change cylinders, Phemie and Sandy spent time selecting Christmas gift wrap, ribbon and tags, as well as special greeting cards for their parents.

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It was almost dark now, and the snow was falling heavily. However, the new cement sidewalks on First provided good traction, and in a few minutes, it was time to part. As Sandy began the slippery climb home up Roberts Street, he turned and cried out, “Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!” “I’ll see you after supper at church, silly!” she called back. As Euphemia walked the last two blocks through the snow to her home on the corner of White Street, she imagined the excited faces of her family as they opened their presents Christmas morning. It’s just like Reverend McMillan told us last Sunday, she thought. It is fun opening presents, but it is even more fun giving them. - Ed Nicholson

Christmas Traditions 2018 Fast-forward to today, and you will ﬁnd that compared to 1912, there are many new traditions such as Festival of Lights and Old Time Christmas, while

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Above: Today's Christmas traditions include Festival of Lights. Photo Duck Paterson Opposite page: Building gingerbread houses with grandkids. Photo: Lynne Smith

different, the spirit of Christmas is just as strong. We asked our readers what some of their customs were. Getting the tree Fir trees were used to celebrate winter festivals for thousands of years. “Our family tradition is for us hunting for the perfect tree at Gogo’s Christmas tree farm. The whole family comes up snow, rain, or sun to search for the perfect tree and have hot chocolate and drinks at the tail gate.” – Rosemary & George Bowater Christmas time is a special time for new CVRD Area G Director Lynne Smith and her family. “We started the tradition of making homemade gingerbread houses with our youngest grandchildren. Our Christmas presents must be homemade or bought at a craft fair. When it comes to decorating the Christmas tree it is an all-day event with baking traditional family cookie recipes and lots of Christmas music to dance and sing our hearts out to. Our Christmas tree is a bit of a Charlie Brown tree as it was passed down to me from my Mom and is 30 years old. Bits of duct tape keep it going. I love to put a string of angel lights that my Mom had on the top part of the tree. Many of the decorations on the tree come from earlier times when our children were young and brought home their school crafts to hang on the tree. Other tree decorations come from travels, friends and family. Each item has special meaning. Two years ago we started letting our grandchildren pick an ornament off the tree to take home and put on their own tree.” For Steph Hart, it’s the Christmas Pickle. This is a green ornament shaped like a pickle. Her tradition started in Germany as a young child..“My Opa said the first child who found it on the tree gets an extra little gift. So now, to the first guest who points it out on my tree, I have a box of chocolates or a little something standing by. The Feasting Back in 1912, a typical Christmas dinner would include mincemeat pies dating back to the 12th century, and plum pudding, made weeks in advance. A goose or turkey would be the star of the evening. Today, there are many traditional and non-traditional dishes served up from hamburgers to Auntie Rose’s red gelatin salad. “My mom would always cook a turkey with stuffing on Christmas Eve so that we could have toasted turkey sandwiches on Christmas morning. After my dad passed, I continued the

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tradition in my own home, and now my mom comes to my house for Christmas morning turkey sandwiches.” – Murray Salmon “Family coming together, sharing stories, feasting, presents and then sitting being too full.” – Cindy Damphousse “On New Year’s my father would make this dip. One apple peeled and diced, green onion sliced, picked herring diced and sour cream salt and pepper.” – Juhli Shauer And along with good food and family recipes shared, memories are made. “My Mom including Nana’s risotto dish with the turkey dinner. My father-in-law yelling answers to Trivial Pursuit from the couch. Walking the dogs with my brothers, coming back with red eyes.”- John Haslam Some of Ladysmith’s new Town Councillor Amanda Jacobson’s favourite traditions are attending the Ladysmith Light Up Parade and fireworks, decorating the tree and watching The Polar Express. And no holiday is complete without their favourite Whipped Shortbread cookies. (see recipe take5.ca) “Instead of a traditional turkey dinner on Christmas day, we each choose our favourite things for a special dinner – some years that’s mussels, homemade pizzas, ice cream – really it’s whatever the kids want! We fill the days between Christmas and New Year’s with skating, crafts, visiting with friends and relaxing. Gifts exchanged It wasn’t until the late 1800s that people began to see Christmas Day as a time to give gifts to children and each other. Traditionally the gifts were small, homemade and low-keyed. While much of the presents under our trees in 2018 will be store-bought, home-made is still a part of the holiday charm. “Our tradition is Blatant Santa. We draw names for a $50 present. It’s different from Secret Santa as we know who’s buying your gifts.” – Nels Neilson “Everyone gets a stocking full of small but, cool gifts.” - Leigh Pedley-Thiessen With so many wonderful events such as Festival of Lights, and Old Time Christmas it’s easy to make your own traditions. “Other than having family over for dinner we didn’t have any traditions. I started my own when I grew up. Every year on Christmas Eve, Bill and I watch the original Scrooge with Alastair Sims. I make snacks and we have friends over. It was my dad’s favourite Christmas movie.” – Theresa Picco Pinion “One of my favourite traditions has been reading The Polar Express on Christmas Eve. Each child gets to read one page.” – John de Leeuw Christmas Cheer Regardless of what your traditions are or are not, the best present is the gift of generosity. “Christmas is a time when we gather together special foods to take to the food banks. We have our grandchildren pick out gifts for other children and then we take them to be distributed during the holiday season. For quite a few years we participated in a community Christmas dinner that my Mom organized in her home for all those in her church that did not have a family to spend Christmas Dinner with.” - Lynne Smith. Giving is a joyful event. Make giving a part of your traditions by donating your time or money to a good cause. This will bring a smile to our friends and neighbours. And that feeling of goodwill remains timeless regardless of how many years go by.

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Yellowpoint Christmas Spectacular “It’s hard to believe that it’s that time of year again,” said Yellowpoint Christmas Spectacular show creator, Katy Bowen-Roberts. “Another show has been written. The four spectacular singers are busy learning their music and warming up their voices. The dazzling dancers are stretching their limbs and getting their sparkle on. The marvelous musicians are prepping music, plucking strings, tinkering the keys and rustling the drum skins. The costumes are arriving from around the world and the production workshop is ﬁlling with glitter and sequins. It’s full speed ahead to the 12th annual show.” Katy grew up in Ladysmith and feels privileged to be able to provide professional musical theatre to the Island.

Yellowpoint Christmas Spectacular is back for its 12th season

This year’s singing and dancing extravaganza includes musical tributes to Buddy Holly and Richie Valens, Nat King Cole, Michael Jackson, Edith Piaf, the Rat Pack, a collection of Disney classics, a Motown medley starring the Supremes and Bing Crosby’s clas-

sic “White Christmas,” as well as many classical hits and Christmas favourites. The show returns to Nanaimo for a week of eight performances at the Port Theatre (Dec. 18–23). For tickets and the show, please visit www.yellowpointchristmasspectacular.ca.

Yellow Point Singers Christmas Concert Come celebrate the holiday season with Yellow Point Singers as they present their annual Christmas concert on Sunday, Dec. 9, at Oceanview Community Church in Ladysmith. Yellow Point Singers return with loving hearts for another season of beautiful music and melodies directed by Doug Roszmann and Ainslee Young, with the accompaniment of the talented Sarah Wood. Their special musical guest will be Fiddelium, a small group

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Laughs abound at Scrooge In Rouge. Photo: Mike Dietrich

of young musicians who perform in and around Nanaimo. The music they play is mostly traditional ﬁddle music, with a twist. Their arrangements are created by directors Geoﬀ and Trish Horrocks. This year Yellow Point Singers pay tribute to Douglas Muir and David Carter, two respected and loved members of their choir who sadly, passed away not long ago. The concert begins at 3 p.m. Tickets are $10 with children under 12 free, light refreshments to follow.

Scrooge In Rouge at the Ladysmith Little Theatre Get set for some seasonal hilarity with Scrooge In Rouge, written by Jeﬀerson and Turner and Yvette Hargis and di-

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rected by Mort Paul, this quick-changing, cross-dressing version of the Charles Dickens classic is set in a Victorian music hall. The Royal Music Hall Twenty-Member Variety Players are beset with a widespread case of food poisoning. This leaves only three surviving members to soldier on through a performance of A Christmas Carol. The undaunted trio gamely face missed cues, ill-ﬁtting costumes and solving the problem of having no one to play Tiny Tim! Done in the style of British Music Hall, Scrooge In Rouge abounds in bad puns, bawdy malapropisms, naughty double entendres and witty songs. The show runs at the Ladysmith Little Theatre until Dec. 16. Tickets are $25 and $20 for members and groups of 10 or more. Tickets at ladysmththeatre.com or 250-924-0658

Good reading! Just out in time for Christmas is North Oyster Historical Society’s Pioneer Cookbook. Compiled by Irene Hawthornthwaite and many volunteers, the book features snippets of family history and over 300 recipes from the community. The book sells for $17, with proceeds going back to the society. Another book on local history is Farms and Folks, A History of Cedar, packed with photos and 354 pages. This book sells for $30, with all proceeds to the Cedar Heritage Irene Hawthornthwaite with historic cookbook. Centre. If you have not got a copy yet, you will want to add 85 Grams: The Story of Art Williams - Drug Czar by Daryl Ashby. Just $19.95 at your local bookstore.

Christmas with Sinatra Here’s a great way to celebrate the holiday with music of one of the great legends, Frank Sinatra. This new holiday concert brings to the stage a vibrant mix of beloved ballads, traditional jazz standards, and classic holiday favorites for a truly stunning and colorful evening of music. Under the Creative Direction of London-based Renee James Productions and award-winning producer Anthony James Dane Warren comes the much anticipated new holiday concert Christmas with Sinatra featuring the music of legendary crooner Frank Sinatra. The concert, features outstanding musical arrangements by award-winning record producer Rick Kilburn, elegant staging and lighting by award-winning producer Anthony James, and rich vocals by Dane Warren. Renee James Productions is recognized primarily for creating, producing, and presenting Broadway musicals, ﬁlm, television, stage plays, dance, fashion, literary, spoken word, and concert production. Christmas with Sinatra marks the company’s ﬁrst Canadian west coast presentation. Christmas with Sinatra plays at the Port Theatre Dec. 14, 8 pm. www.porttheatre.com Phone: 250-754-8550

FEATURED ARTIST

Chemainus Festival Theatre’s Little Women Little Women, Louisa May Alcott’s beloved holiday story, is a buoyant musical of romantic escapades, sibling rivalries and Christmas wishes. It is a timeless and enduring classic, featuring the journey of the March Sisters’ transition from childhood to maturity in the time of the American Civil War. With their father oﬀ to ﬁght, the four March sisters have many imagined and real adventures. As they dream of their futures, encounter growing pains of youth and rise with courage to face their destiny, the March girls learn the true value of hope and family. Matinee and evening shows for all ages run until Dec. 30. Tickets at 1-800-565-7738 or chemainustheatre.ca

Ladysmith Public Arts Strategy Come see what the Ladysmith Public Arts Strategy as created at one of several open houses. Dec. 5 at Aggie Hall 4pm7pm, Dec. 6 at the Ladysmith Waterfront Gallery from 4pm7pm, and Dec. 9 at Aggie Hall 9am-12pm. Meet the team behind the arts strategy and get in your last minute thoughts. Everyone is welcome.

Michael Dean at his studio in Ladysmith. Born in Lancashire England Michael Dean started painting in the late 1960’s. He immigrated to Canada in 1972 and continued his passion. Painting professionally for almost 40 years, Michael is still inspired by working vessels and BC’s unique costal scenes. Currently Michael is painting in oils and watercolours and has a good selection of prints available. His studio is open weekdays from 9am to 4pm. Photo: Marina Sacht

RDN Area A Cedar Before I tell you a little about me and my history, I would like to thank everyone who voted in the recent local government elections. I would especially like to thank those in Area A that voted for me, but with continued declines in the number of people voting, everyone who took the time and cast a ballot in all of the elections deserves a big thank you for participating. So, who am I? I am one of the babyboomers who has found that age becomes slightly more than a number when you reach a certain number of years! Born in central Alberta, I grew up on mixed farms and in cities in Alberta and Saskatchewan. I went to the University of Calgary and then worked as reporter for the Thomson newspaper chain when I was done with university. My chosen field of study was animal behaviour — a field with extremely unlikely prospects for work after schooling, but I was young and foolish! My career has led me into the corporate world, the nonprofit world and into working with Indigenous organizations. For the past six years, I have consulted to nonprofits, farming operations and First Nations in the areas of financial management, administration and governance, and marketing on and offline. My interest in politics began a while

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ago when I worked on John Diefenbaker’s last campaign in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, (that was a year or two ago!) Mr. Diefenbaker was a tough taskmaster, but a great teacher and he left me with a greater understanding of the positive (and negative) effects that one person can have on their community. I was an alderman in the City of Airdrie, Alberta, a few decades ago when that community grew from a population of 1,800 to 20,000 in a matter of a few years. We were faced with tough decisions about taxes (zero percent increases for four consecutive years), growth and development and recreation infrastructure for the ever-increasing population. It was trial by fire, but another excellent learning opportunity. I moved my family to the West Coast in 1991 — onto Gabriola Island to purchase a resort property. That deal didn’t close so we opened a Dig This gardening store in Harbour Park Mall in Nanaimo, which we later sold. Currently, I live in Cedar with my wife, Kathleen, and raise purebred registered North Country Cheviot sheep. My reasons for wanting to be the director for Area A centre around creating better communities in our region. My priorities during the campaign were safe communities (petty crime, risks of speeding traffic to families and school

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children and emergency preparedness) and cautious development (protect our rural lifestyle and agricultural landbase, improve infrastructure and create a small-business friendly atmosphere that nurtures local enterprises over bigbox and chain operations). Finally, I committed to involving the community in the process of governing, to being ﬁscally responsible and to reach out and communicate, with people in all parts of Area A on a regular basis. You can watch for a schedule of my visits to your neighbourhood early in 2019. They will be on Saturday mornings and will take the form of an informal drop-in session where you can ask questions and share your views. In closing, I would like to thank Alec McPherson, our former Area A Director for the work that he did on our behalf over the past two terms. I have heard many opinions on the job that Alec did — which surely must mean he was getting things done. While I am still green in this position, I know from past experience how much work needs to be put in, and it’s most often without kudos. Thank you, Alec!

CVRD Area H North Oyster/ Diamond 2018 ELECTIONS The 2018 local government elections

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have concluded, and the elected officials have begun the various orientation session. I am looking forward to serving this community for the next four years. Thank you to those who put their names forward to serve this community. A large thank you to the local community volunteers who arranged the All Candidates Meeting and the election officials who watched over the process. And thank you to all of the candidate’s supporters who installed election signs and removed the signs in an expeditious manner after the polls were closed. The Cowichan Valley Regional District Board members and their alternates have taken the Oath of Office. The selection of the board chair and the vice chair for this coming year has been completed. The board members have been assigned to their seats, and the board chair is now in the process of appointing members to the various committees. I am very grateful for the opportunity to serve you for the next four years, and I look forward to providing assistance to you when ever it is requested. Over the next four years, I anticipate that many new issues will arise that will require action. I will be available whenever possible. UPDATE ON NORTH OYSTER FIREHALL In 1986, the need for a more efficient working environment was identified as a major goal of the department. It has taken a very long time to begin the construction of an addition to the existing firehall, but we move forward with every step. I am sure that you have noticed the activities when you drive past the hall. The construction is actively in progress. I will keep you posted when the hall is ready to be commissioned.

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DEC/JAN 2019

Expansion to the North Oyster Volunteer Fire Department hall will soon be complete. Work is progressing quickly on this long-awaited facility. Photos: Nick Longo

YELLOW POINT PARK As I was doing my morning walk in Yellow Point Park on a bright morning, I noticed a group of local volunteers who were very busy removing broom and other invasive species. I would like to acknowledge and thank this group for the work that they have done. MARY’S WEBSITE In an eﬀort to improve communications within this community, I have engaged very competent help to reinstate and renew my very old website. Although it is going to take time to put it all together, I will keep you posted as we progress.

CVRD Area G Area G Saltair New Beginnings Thank you for your votes and support. You have provided a mandate for

endorsed taxation, prudent spending, responsible budgeting, more transparency, communication, engagement and consultation. This is a signiﬁcant assignment. I will do my utmost to live up to your expectations. Working together, we will have a chance to achieve these goals. During my campaign, I had the opportunity to sit on many Saltair resident’s porches, verandas and at kitchen tables, have engaging conversations about Saltair and other concerns. I often left with some fall produce in my hand that was a treat to eat as I ventured down the road to other homes. Saltair is made up of many kind and thoughtful residents. On Thetis Island, I spent time volunteering at the Thetis Island Recycle Depot and was exposed to how recycling on a small island can be accomplished -- a great place to learn more about recycling and to meet the friendly folks that call Thetis Island home. Saltair taxpayers will need to fund our share of a $6-million water ﬁltration system. Currently there is no evidence of available grant money that will pay

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100 per cent of our water quality upgrades. The CVRD has applied for a $6,030,000 grant in Aug 2018. In 2019, we will find out if it is approved. If it is approved, Saltair taxpayers will need to provide approximately $1.6 million. In 2018, we have had multiple costly breaks involving the Saltair water distribution system. Between these additional costs and the increase in costs for the yearly work on the distribution system upgrades, it is clear as a community we are not moving ahead at a pace we anticipated in 2012, when taxpayers agreed to increase their taxation to work on the aging distribution system. As a community, we will need to revisit the decision that was made in 2012 to ensure prudent use of our taxation funds. While going door-to-door during my campaign, it became clear that about 98 per cent of Saltair residents do not use the Saltair Community Centre. Many of the Saltair residents indicated they now want the centre to operate as community resource funded and to be maintained through private donations, rental income, memberships, non-profit grants and user fees. Forbes Hall, North Oyster Community Hall & the HUB are all examples of community resource funded community centres. Many Saltair residents chose to walk the local trails and are not interested in the use of a community centre as was noted in the earlier CVRD Regional Recreation study. Currently Saltair taxpayers are paying for two community centres: Frank Jameson Community Centre and the Saltair Community Centre. The latest five-year loan that the CVRD Board has placed on the Saltair taxpayers for work on the centre has raised questions as to why Saltair taxpayers are paying approximately $36,000 per year on this loan to provide a building that allows for profit

businesses to make a proﬁt, with none of the rental income the Saltair Community Society is collecting going towards ﬁnancial assistance of this new $137,000 loan. In 2019, the CVRD Asset Management will provide us with a Long Term Financial Plan that includes available funds. As a community, we will need to explore options and solutions with regards to the centre and our taxation funds. A Saltair residents recreation study might be a starting point. The Saltair section of the Cowichan Valley Trail is progressing along, and as a community, we are looking forward to being able to include this trail into our walking, running and cycling routines. In Saltair, trails are a priority, and this new section of the CVT will provide a safe connection to Ladysmith and Chemainus. Currently, the CVRD Electoral Area Directors are working on a new Electoral Area Parks Commissions Bylaw that will see changes to the current Area G Parks Commission Bylaw. The directors are also working on a Parks & Trails Volunteer Policy that will make it possible to allow volunteers to get back to volunteering in our local parks and trails. With the amount of deterioration that has taken place over the past years, it will be a welcome policy for Saltair. The two referendum questions passed, and in 2019, there will be two new taxation’s on our property taxes. Regional Annual Financial Contribution to the Cowichan Housing Association and the Regional Drinking Water & Watershed Protection. I believe a community working together cooperatively is the most powerful force there is for positive change. The best of the season to all.

Show me the money! Now that the dust has settled from the making of the movie Sonic the Hedgehog in Ladysmith this fall, it is time to reflect on the effects it had on our town. The most obvious was the infiltration of dozens and dozens of crew and cast, and the transformation of Ladysmith’s downtown into Green Hills, Montana. The excitement built as we watched trucks and other movie- Sonic the Hedgehog filming in Ladysmith. Photo: Cindy Damphousse making equipment roll into town. Soon the side streets were alive with members of the town watching the transformation of the main street. Many of movie crew, and the High Street Ballpark in Market Square the tourists went into these storefronts looking for hardware became a tent city for crew and cast members. or lights, only to find realty offices or the local computer shop. The week before the actual shooting, painters repainted some First Avenue was disrupted during the business day once, and downtown buildings and put up signage for the fictitious busithe majority of the filming occurred in the early evening or nesses in the movie. Locals and visitors wandered the downovernight. So now that the stars have faded from our eyes, what did our business community and the Town get out of this venture? In speaking with almost all of the business and building owners that were directly affected by the changes, the consensus was that they were well treated and compensated fairly for any negative effects on their business. The movie company made generous donations to both the Ladysmith Food Bank ($6,000) and the Festival of Lights ($4,000). Some residents of the town secured employment as background players and for the use of their cars, if needed. Some of our local merchants piggybacked onto the event and produced specialty items, such the Sonic martini at Zack’s Lounge and hedgehog cinnamon buns at the Old Town Bakery. The municipality worked closely with the production company and provided assistance that sometimes made use of Town staff and equipment, for which the Town was reimbursed at a rate set out by the Town policies. The Town also charged the production company for use of Town properties, such as parking on the main street and other locations ($12,379.46). Sonic Production has been invoiced a total of $32,256.82, plus taxes, by the Town. This bill does not take into account administrative time and related expenses incurred by City Hall staff in reviewing and negotiating with the production company. It is hoped that once the movie is released next November, credit will be given to the Town of Ladysmith and that this will attract visitors to our community and further stimulate our local tourism industry. And let’s encouarge more movie producers to set up shop here. At least, that is as I see it.

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DEC/JAN 2019

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At The Empress This is a tale of courage. Raw courage — not grilled, not fried and certainly not poached — courage we haven’t seen since the mouse put the bell on the cat. I’m talking about the food and beverage manager at the Empress Hotel in Victoria, that brave individual who jacked up the price of Afternoon Tea from $62 to $75, which, when we add taxes plus tip comes exactly to a ... give me a moment here ... a gazillion dollars!!! Just in case you’re wondering, a gazillion dollars is a lot of money to pay for a beverage that tastes like recycled bath water. And as far as making a sandwich out of a cucumber goes — and let’s hope

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it goes — this can only be regarded as an act of culinary desperation. As one of the rabbits on the lawn put it, “They can cut the crusts off all they want, I still ain’t buying.” But as they say at the Empress: “We shall charge them in the dining hall, we shall charge them in the Bengal room, we shall charge them in the Empress lounge, on the streets and beaches, including the front lawn where that stupid rabbit is still digging a hole. And if, after charging so many so much for so little, we’re still short on our tax payment, wait until they get the bill for underground parking.” Despite the cost, the Empress is a grand experience, a fairy-tale property in a fantastic location, with an excellent staff. My only complaint is this bump on my head. That’s not supposed to be there. I suppose it’s my own fault, just me being irresponsible, not doing my homework. This is the exact opposite of my buddy Bill, ex-engineer, ex-military, ex-Boy Scout — a responsible individual — who when checking into a hotel locates all the fire exits and memorizes

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“Whoa, Sailor. Where do you think you’re going in that outfit? Does your wife know you’ve stolen her clothes?” all escape routes. Next, and in broad daylight, when visibility is at a surplus, he locates every light switch, and the accompanying ﬁxture. Only then does he go to the bar, but you probably won’t be interested in joining him, because he insists on extra precautions in the event of ﬁre. That’s him and his wife sitting at the corner table, next to the window, the couple in matching parachutes. If you’re a guy like me, a person to whom “secure the perimeter” means wear a belt, you will do none of these things. Instead, you will hassle your wife, suggesting she get a move on or you’ll miss happy hour at the bar. There, you will learn that the only happy person at the bar is the food and beverage manager, because no one in town gets more for a gin and tonic than he does. Order a double and a mortgage broker suddenly appears at your table, just to say hello and discuss payment options.

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But back to this bump on my head. The problem is that I’m awake much earlier than my wife, who is just not one of the world’s best sleepers. Once she gets to sleep, which is usually about half an hour before I get up, you want to keep her there. It doesn’t help that at 5:30 in the morning, your room, which you haven’t taken the time to familiarize yourself with, is darker than Donald Trump’s heart. You could have checked it over carefully when you came back from dinner, but no, you had to stop at the Empress Lounge where your functioning intelligence was lowered still further by a three-ounce martini. After that, all that mattered was hitting the pillow. You took off your clothes, cast them aside, hopped into bed and fell immediately to sleep, but not before entertaining your wife with “happy camper” toothbrush dance, a sure sign of being overserved. So there, the next morning, wide awake, in total darkness, I set about my task: to find a spot with enough light to read, but not enough to disturb my wife. I stumbled upon, tripped over actually, a comfy arm chair in the corner, far enough away to meet my requirements Even better, behind the chair was a pole lamp. I groped it from top to bottom, but no switch. Using a primitive system of Braille, which involved crawling on my hands and knees and using my forehead, much like a white cane but now bleeding, I started searching for a floor switch, just in case you’re wondering how I got wedged under this bed. And now a public service announcement to all you manufacturers of small appliances. You are not doing anyone a favour by choosing flat black as a colour. This can be very hard on the clock radio, which, in a dark hotel room at 5:45 in the morning, looks exactly like Mr. Coffee, but reacts differently when water is poured in it. Thinking I’d done enough damage to the room, I decided to go out for a coffee. Getting into my clothes wasn’t easy. I made a promise once I got home to detour around the cookie jar. Half way to the lobby, I encountered a baggage relocation technician, formerly known as a bellhop, who said, “Whoa, sailor! Where do you think you’re going in that outfit? Does your wife know you’ve stolen her clothes?” He walked me back to my room. At approximately seven o’clock, my wife woke up. As usual, she’d missed all the action. Wine Advisory Update: A recent tasting of B.C. chardonnays yielded surprising results. In attendance were my wife, myself and our cat Frankie, who is quickly establishing himself as the community’s up and coming palate. Tasted were the $85 Checkmate, the $23 Blue Mountain and, believe it or not, Wine O’clock Chardonnay a 16-litre box wine ($110.00), with festive spigot but no label. This works out to less than $6 per bottle. A $6 wine beat up an $85 wine? We’re still scratching our heads although, with Frankie, it might be fleas. To purchase one of these beauties — and why not, Christmas rapidly approaches — just tell the liquor store staff that Frankie sent you. Hopefully by then, he’s stopped scratching. A smooth, affordable, B.C. red to enjoy when you’re not picking ice off the floor is Hester Creek’s Cabernet Merlot, $17. Follow Delbert at Slightlycorkedandmore.wordpress.com or pick up his book Slightly Corked available at the Mahle House, and CoCo Cafe.

Green Manure You know how nature abhors a vacuum! Better to plant a crop that beneﬁts the soil than leave it susceptible to a Fall Rye weed infestation, which robs the soil of valuable nutrients. After a productive year, garden soil needs revitalizing to replenish lost nutrients. An alternative to animal manure is to sow a crop of green manure, planted speciﬁcally to add organic matter and/or nitrogen

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to the soil. Growing a green manure crop and turning it under in the spring increases soil vitality, which results in healthier plants. Green manure crops can be seeded until late fall. Seeds are inexpensive and easy to grow, and can be purchased from the bulk section of a feed lot store. In fall, a winter-hardy crop, such as fall rye, winter wheat, winter barley or field peas (leguminous) will germinate while the soil is still warm. Over the winter months, the soil will be covered with a low mat of green, and as it warms up in spring, this will flourish. The lush top growth can then be cut (or weed eated) back, and the rest of the plant dug in or tilled under. In three to four weeks, it will have broken down enough to begin spring planting in the enriched soil. This decayed matter provides nitrogen for plants and food for the soil web of life — worms, micro-organisms and other soil-borne organisms — which break down nutrients and make them available to plants. Bare soils are vulnerable to being leached out or eroded by heavy winter rains. By putting down roots that hold soil structure together, green manure plants also prevent soil erosion. By storing valuable plant nutrients in their roots, green manures hold plant food in the soil. Green manures that are legumes, such as field peas and favas, have the additional benefit of having bacteria on their roots that fix nitrogen from the air and add it to the soil. What kind of plants work as green manures? Alfalfa: winter-hardy, deep-rooting perennial, whose foliage contains an excellent range of plant foods. Sow April to July. If grown for a year or more, cut down two to

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three times to encourage new growth. Bell beans: winter-hardy, nitrogen fixers, related to broad beans. Sow September to November. Can be cut down and left to regrow once. Buckwheat: tender annual, related to polygonum, that tolerates poor soils. Sow April to August. Dig under when the first white flowers appear. White clover: vigorous, fast-growing annual that fixes nitrogen. Sow March to August. Prefers sandy soils. Mustards: fast-growing, winter-hardy annuals, with yellow crucifer flowers. Sow March to September. Cut back after six to eight weeks, or any time up to flowering, when mustards get tough quickly. Note: Mustards are susceptible to club root. Phacelia: fast-growing annual. Direct sow March to September. Dig in before the pretty blue flowers open. Phacelia makes a good weed control. Fall rye: winter-hardy annual. Sow September to November. Grows fast in early spring. One of the most effective green manures. Vetch: rapid-growing, winter-hardy annual and a nitrogen-fixer. Sow March to September. Dig in after two to three months in summer, or leave to overwinter. Dig in before flowering. Good for weed control. In spring, before maturity is the best time to dig green manure plants under, definitely before the plants set seed or get old and tough, which means plant matter breaks down less readily and plants become more deep rooted. Cutting down the tops using a weed eater is fastest, but cutting manually with hedge trimmers works just as well. Take a fork and up-end the whole plant, forking it under to speed up breakdown. If you need to break up hard, compacted soil, a rototiller makes this job easier. No more than two passes does the trick, as it’s important to remember that over tilling destroys soil structure. If you are too late for this year, try a spring or summer green manure crop instead. Carolyn Herriot is author of The Zero Mile Diet, A Year Round Guide to Growing Organic Food and The Zero Mile Diet Cookbook, Seasonal Recipes for Delicious Homegrown Food (Harbour Publishing.), available at your local bookstore.

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DECEMBER

3–9

1–2

3, 7pm, Town of Ladysmith Council meeting, City Hall, 410 Esplanade Ave., 250-245-6400

1–21, noon–4pm (Tuesday–Saturday), Garlands and Glitter exhibit, Ladysmith Museum, 721 1st Ave., Ladysmith, 250-245-0423

4-6, 12pm, Garlands & Glitter Exhibit, Ladysmith Museum 721 1st Ave.

1–31, Ladysmith Festival of Lights, downtown 1, 9am–5pm, Artisan Caramels Workshop, Seraphina’s Oven, 250-619-4464 1–2, 10am–4pm, Jonanco Hobby Workshop Christmas Craft Fair, 2745 White Rapids Rd.,

4-6, 5pm, Make Old Fashion Decorations, Ladysmith Museum 721 1st Ave. 5, 7:30pm, 23rd Annual Community Carol Festival, St. Andrew’s United Church, 11 Fitzwilliam St., Nanaimo, 250-753-1924

1–2, 10am–4pm, Nanaimo Art Walk, downtown

6, 7:30pm, “Scrooge in Rouge”, Ladysmith Little Theatre, 4985 Christie Rd., 250-924-0658

1, 11am–1:30pm, Christmas Bazaar and Full Tea, St. Michael and All Angels Anglican, Parish Hall, 2858 Mill St., Chemainus

7, 5pm–7:30pm, Wildflower Holiday Soiree, Wildflower Natural Health, 4-512 1st Ave., Ladysmith

1, 2pm, Live Music, Wheatsheaf Pub 1866 Cedar Rd. 250-722-2240

7, 5pm–8pm, Garlands and Glitter exhibit, make decorations, Ladysmith Museum, 721 1st Ave., Ladysmith, 250-245-0423

1, 2pm, Wine & Wreath Making, Wheatsheaf Pub 1866 Cedar Rd. 250-722-2240 1, 7pm, Saskia & Darrel: The Great Plains, St. Andrew’s Church, Nanaimo, 250-753-1924 1, 7:30pm, Vancouver Island Symphony “Home” with Ken Lavigne, Port Theatre, 250-754-8550 1, 7:30pm, “Scrooge in Rouge”, Ladysmith Little Theatre, 4985 Christie Rd., 250-924-0658 2, 10:30am, White Gift Sunday, Ladysmith First United Church, 232 High St, 250-245-2183 2, 2pm, “Scrooge in Rouge”, Ladysmith Little Theatre, 4985 Christie Rd., 250-924-0658 2, 2pm–4pm, Don Leppard’s Big Band with vocalist Edie Daponte, $20, Pat’s House of Jazz, Osborne Bay Pub, 1534 Joan Ave., Crofton, 250-324-2245 2, 7:30pm, Island Consort Chamber Choir “Sing Hodie: Sing Noël,” St. Andrew’s Presbyterian, 4235 Departure Bay Rd., Nanaimo

7, 5pm–8pm, Old Time Christmas/Candlelight Walk, Downtown Ladysmith 7, 5pm–9pm, First Friday Art Night, Downtown Nanaimo 7, 5pm–9 pm, Handmade for the Holidays Craft Fair, Nanaimo District Secondary School, 7, 7pm, Improv Theatre Group, Ladysmith Little Theatre, 4985 Christy Rd., 250-924-0658 7, 7:30pm, Scrooge in Rouge, Ladysmith Little Theatre, 4985 Christie Rd., 250-924-0658 8, 8am & 10:30am, LaFF’s Breakfast with Santa, Aggie Hall, 1110 1st Ave., Ladysmith 8, 10am–2pm, Cassidy Mobile Home Park Annual Christmas Bazaar, 1572 Seabird Rd., Cassidy, 250-245-2725

8, 1:30pm–4pm, Little Town Christmas with Santa, RC Branch 191 Legion hall, 9775 Chemainus Rd., Chemainus 8, 6pm–8pm, Mount Breton Power & Sail Squadron Christmas Lights Sail past, Transfer Beach, Ladysmith, 250-245-8339 8, 7:30pm, “Scrooge in Rouge”, Ladysmith Little Theatre, 4985 Christie Rd., 250-924-0658 8, 9pm, Live Music, The Sportsman Pub, 640 1st Ave 250-245-8033 9, 11am–dusk, Salvation Army Christmas Cheer Fund: U-Cut Christmas Tree Sale, 11880 Pilon Rd., 250-245-7240 9, 9am–4pm, Flat Breads, Wood-Fired Pizza and Bagels, Seraphina’s Oven, 250-619-4464 9, 11am–dusk, Salvation Army Christmas Cheer Fund: U-Cut Christmas Tree Sale, 11880 Pilon, 250-245-7240 9, 2pm, “Scrooge in Rouge”, Ladysmith Little Theatre, 4985 Christie Rd., 250-924-0658 9, 2pm, Winter Harp, Cowichan Performing Arts Centre, 2687 James St., Duncan, 250-748-7529 9, 2pm–4pm, Saxophonist Ryan Oliver’s Organ Trio with Dr. Tony Genge, $15, Pat’s House of Jazz, Osborne Bay Pub, 1534 Joan Ave., Crofton, 250-324-2245 9. 2:30pm, Brigadoon Dance Academy’s “Lassy Lou Who,” The Port Theatre, 250-754-8550 9, 3pm, Yellow Point Singers Christmas Concert, Oceanview Community Church, Ladysmith

10 – 16 11-13, 12pm-5pm, Garlands & Glitter Exhibit, Ladysmith Museum 721 1st Ave.

8, 10am–4pm, Handmade for the Holidays Craft Fair, Nanaimo District Secondary School

11-13, 12-5pm, Make Old Fashion Decorations, Ladysmith Museum 721 1st Ave.

8, 1pm–5pm, Flat Breads, Wood-Fired Pizza and Bagels, Seraphina’s Oven, 250-619-4464

13, 7:30pm, “Scrooge in Rouge”, Ladysmith Little Theatre, 4985 Christie Rd., 250-924-0658

13, 6pm (dinner 6:30pm), Family Christmas Dinner, Cottonwood Golf Course, Nanaimo 250-245-5157

16, 2pm, Chemainus Classical Concerts: Concenti and Cowichan Valley Youth Choirs, Chemainus United Church, 250-748-8383

14, 10am–9pm, Vancouver Island Market, Nanaimo North Town Centre, 4750 Rutherford Rd., Nanaimo

16, 2pm–4pm, Ladies of Jazz, Maria Manna, Maureen Washington and April Gislason, $20, Pat’s House of Jazz, Osborne Bay Pub, 1534 Joan Ave., Crofton, 250-324-2245

14 and 15, 6pm (doors 5pm), Christmas Dinner, Chemainus 55+ Activity Centre, Chemainus 250-246-2111 14, 7pm (doors 6pm), 10th Celebration Of Light with Skellig, In the Beantime Cafe, Ladysmith 14, 7:30pm, “Scrooge in Rouge”, Ladysmith Little Theatre, 4985 Christie Rd., 250-924-0658 14, 7pm, “The Nutcracker”, Royal City Youth Ballet, Cowichan Performing Arts Centre, 250748-7529

16, 7pm, Carols & Candlelight Concert, Cedar United Church 1644 Cedar Rd. Nanaimo, 250893-3669

17 – 23 17, 7pm, Town of Ladysmith Council meeting, City Hall, 410 Esplanade Ave., 250-245-6400 18-20, 12pm, Garlands & Glitter Exhibit, Ladysmith Museum 721 1st Ave.

14, 8pm, “Christmas with Sinatra”, The Port Theatre, Nanaimo, 250-754-8550

18-20, 5pm, Make Old Fashion Decorations, Ladysmith Museum 721 1st Ave.

14, 9pm, Karaoke, The Sportsman Pub, 640 1st Ave 250-245-8033

18-23, 3pm, or 7pm, Yellowpoint Spectacular, The Port Theatre 125 Front St.Nanaimo, 250754-8550

15, 10am–6pm, Vancouver Island Market, Nanaimo North Town Centre 15, 11am–dusk, Salvation Army Christmas Cheer Fund: U-Cut Christmas Tree Sale, 11880 Pilon Rd. 250-245-7240 15, 1pm, “The Nutcracker”, Royal City Youth Ballet, Cowichan Performing Arts Centre, 250748-7529 15, 7:30pm, “Scrooge in Rouge”, Ladysmith Little Theatre, 4985 Christie Rd., 250-924-0658 15, 8pm, Live Music, Wheatsheaf Pub 1866 Cedar Rd. 250-722-2240 15, 9pm, Live Music, The Sportsman Pub, 640 1st Ave 250-245-8033 16, 10am, Children’s Christmas Pageant, St. Philip Anglican Church 1797 Cedar Rd. 250722-3455 16, 10:30am, Poinsettia Memorial Sunday, Ladysmith First United Church, 232 High St, Ladysmith, 250-245-2183 16, 11am–5pm, Vancouver Island Market, Nanaimo North Town Centre 16, 11am–dusk, Salvation Army Christmas Cheer Fund: U-Cut Christmas Tree Sale, 11880 Pilon Rd. 250-245-7240 16, 2pm, “Scrooge in Rouge”, Ladysmith Little Theatre, 4985 Christie Rd., 250-924-0658

24, 10pm, Christmas Candlelight Worship, St. Philip Anglican Church, Cedar 250-722-3455 25, 10am, Christmas Day Worship, St. Philip Anglican Church 1797 Cedar Rd. 250-722-3455 28, 9pm, Karaoke, The Sportsman Pub, 640 1st Ave 250-245-8033 30, 10am, Ringing in the New Year, St. Philip Anglican Church 1797 Cedar Rd. Nanaimo, 250-722-3455 31, 7pm, New Year’s Dinner Dance, Cottonwood Golf Course, 250-245-5157 31, 6pm, New Years Eve Party, Wheatsheaf Pub 1866 Cedar Rd. 250-722-2240

JANUARY 1–6 1, noon, Polar Bear Swim, Transfer Beach, Ladysmith

20, 6pm (dinner 6:30pm), Family Christmas Dinner, Cottonwood Golf Course, 250-245-5157

3, Weight Loss Educational Seminar, Ladysmith Pharmasave 441 1st Ave. 250-245-3113

20, 10:30am, Christmas Carol Sing-A-Long with Christmas cake, shortbread and hot chocolate, Chemainus 55+ Activity Centre, 250-246-2111

5-6, Ladysmith Fire/Rescue Historical Society Christmas Tree Chipping, Ladysmith Fire Hall on 6th Ave.

20, 8pm, Ugly Sweater Contest, Wheatsheaf Pub 1866 Cedar Rd. 250-722-2240

14 – 20

21, 7pm, Longest Night/Blue Christmas, Ladysmith First United Church, 232 High St, Ladysmith, 250-245-2183

15-31, 12-4pm, BC at War Travelling Exhibit, Ladysmith Museum 721 1st Ave. 250-245-0423

21, 7pm, Improv Theatre Group, Ladysmith Little Theatre, 4985 Christy Rd., 250-924-0658 22, 9pm, Live Music, The Sportsman Pub, 640 1st Ave 250-245-8033 23, 4pm, Ladysmith Fire & Rescue Santa Claus Parade, various stops in Ladysmith 23, 7pm, Paper Bag Pageant, Cedar United Church 1644 Cedar Rd. 250-893-3669

24 – 31 24, 6pm, Christingle Family Worship, St. Philip Anglican Church 1797 Cedar Rd. 250-722-3455 24, 7pm, Christmas Eve Mass, Ladysmith First United Church, 250-245-2183 24, 7pm, Christmas Eve Service, Cedar United Church 1644 Cedar Rd. 250-893-3669

15, 3pm–6pm, From the Basement to the Archives: Getting documents to the public. Free workshop sponsored by Ladysmith & District Historical Society, Refreshments. Ladysmith Archives, behind Tim Horton’s in Ladysmith, 250-245-0100 19, 7:30pm (doors 7pm), The Lonely: Music of Roy Orbison, Cowichan Performing Arts Centre, 2687 James St., Duncan, 250-748-7529

21 – 27 25, 7:30pm, International Guitar Night, Cowichan Performing Arts Centre, 2687 James St., Duncan, 250-748-7529 Ladysmith Festival of Lights, Dec. 1-31 Nutcracker Ballet, Dec. 15 BC at War Exhibit, Jan 15

A Christmas Tail “My goal in life is to be as good a person as my dog already thinks I am” -Author Unknown BY JACKIE MOAD Eyebrows are often raised when I say we have six dogs. No shiatsus or teacup poodles or even the larger hairier shelties...try a bigger version - full-sized Lassies. And here’s the rub: I never had a dog until I was 50 years old, but I’ve certainly made up for lost time. They say if you are lucky enough to live with dogs that you can’t help but have a favourite and that you will undoubtedly have at least one pup who becomes the ultimate ‘million dollar

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DEC/JAN 2019

dog’. Well, that would be my dog Peppy, 12 years old (with a 28 year old liver), having defied all odds of survival in dogdom, he’s actually a scabillion dollar dog. But oh so heart-meltingly adorable. I’ve also come to truly believe that with each and every health issue a dog might endure, they make up for it in ‘wow-factor personality’. And again, such is the case Peppy gets comfortable with Jackie Moad. Photo submitted. with our Peppy boy... in spades! few years back. For Pep’s scheduled The grey-haircheck-up I took him in the colliemosprouting adventures began shortly after bile - our VW van, equipped with a gate his birth - epilepsy, eye surgeries, autoseparating the front seats from the floor immune disorders that would constantly area in the back. I was combining it with flare up, and then total paralysis. Put a brief visit with an old friend stuck in him ‘down’? My response, “no bleeping the hospital. And always the pennyway”. He’ll walk again, and he did. pincher, still having several Christmas Been through a lot with Peppy but cards to mail, I decided to hand-deliver nothing could prepare me for that fateful the remaining 10, decorating each ensnow-blizzard night before Christmas a velop with a festive candy cane. And you know those delicious brandy-filled half moon dark chocolates? Well, I had a package of 40 and thought I’d offer seasoned greetings along with the card delivery. All were in the front passenger’s seat for easy access. You see it coming, don’t you? I swear I was only in the hospital for 20 minutes. Thought I was losing my mind at first - no candy canes on the cards. Then I realized that the box of brandy chocolates was gone too. Slowly I looked around and saw the gate down, Peppy sprawled out, with that box torn

TAKE 5

Peppy as a puppy licking Laurie Gourlay’s face. Photo submitted.

open and only 4 deadly chocolate morsels left. I freaked, I mean REALLY freaked. I could hardly dial home and all that came out of my mouth when Laurie answered was a wail. Calmly he gave me the emergency vet number, with a repeat performance when I phoned them. Bring him in, he’ll join the other three chocolate thieves. Two blocks into my race, furtively peering through the rear-view mirror, I saw that my precious pup was not moving, not breathing? I swerved into a gas station, jumped out & ran around to the sliding side door. As I threw it open in sheer panic all these little chocolate treats came tumbling out littering the fresh blanket of snow. I fell to my knees, weeping uncontrollably and began putting them all back in the box. The gas attendant must have thought I was quite the nutbar. Turns out Peppy had only managed to eat ﬁve before the rest fell into the groove of the sliding door, where not even his contortionistic tongue could reach. His condition? He was just drunk on the brandy! The emergency vet said to take him home and watch him overnight. And have a Merry Christmas. You bet! Ahhh Puppy Love...or is that Peppy Love? Jackie Moad along with her human and doggaly-dog family continue living the dream, surrounded by nature’s nobility and unconditional love …revitalized for community campaigns, organic farming, and the quest for local solutions to global challenges!

take5.ca

DEC/JAN 2019

BEADS BEADS BEADS, ETC.! 9752 Willow St., Chemainus. Best prices on the Island. Follow Facebook@etcinchemainus or call 250-3242227.

2000 SUZUKI 400 DRZ E absolutely mint condition dirt bike $3995 firm. View bike at Mile Zero Motosports Ltd. 250-245-5414.

EXPERIENCED HOUSESITTER booking for Spring 2019. Now offering Senior Companionship and concierge services also! peaceofmindcare. wordpress.com. Kathleen 250-619-0786 kgrcoaching@gmail.com.

2015 3500LBS 4’ X 8’ WELDED ALUMINUM UTILITY TRAILER by Express Custom Manufacturing, Parksville, B.C. Lots of factory options absolutely excellent condition; for more information, 250-245-7500 after 6pm.

ROMAX MASONRY. Chimney repairs and rebuilds. Stonework. Patios. Interlocking pavers. Fireplaces. Slate installs. Minor excavating. Romaxmasonry.com, romax-bc@shaw.ca or 250-516-7597.

FOR RENT

TAKE 5 ADS work! Call TAKE 5 Print and Digital Media today! 250-245-7015.

FOR SALE

SMALL R.V. SITE AVAILABLE in Cedar– Yellowpoint area, suited for quiet single, working person comfortable living in rural environment. Site is very similar to provincial park campsites. Has good access; adequate space to park single vehicle beside trailer. The travel trailer must be less than 5 years old & no longer than 24 ft. overall. No 5th wheels or motor homes. Well behaved pets welcome. $550.00/month includes: excellent filtered well water, fully loaded H.D. Shaw satellite & Wifi, 30 amp. electrical service. B.C. Hydro consumption above $50/month will be an extra charge. Contact wendymr@shaw.ca or 250-245-7500. TAKE 5 ADS WORK. 250-245-7015 WANTED SMALLER TRACTOR 25–35 HP with stick shift transmission and bigger type rear wheels and front bucket. Diesel preferred will pay cash. Also needed housekeeper. 250-716-0001. BUSINESS CONCRETE RESULTS. Contracting, full-service forming and finishing, walls, walks, patios, drives. 35 years experience. Call Gord 250-753-4024.

I CAN EDIT. Copy editing, proofreading, structural editing and more. Fiction or nonfiction, web content and eBook prep. For more information, email editican@gmail.com. EDUCATION MUSIC LESSONS: Experienced, qualified teacher of piano and theory. Two locations: Cedar and Nanaimo’s Old Quarter. Call Anne Dalton, ARCT RMT 250 323-6695. HEALTH & BEAUT Y TAI CHI for mental & physical health. Beginner classes start Sept. & Jan., Mondays, at Cedar Heritage Centre. On-going class Wednesdays at North Oyster Community Centre. Both classes 10am–noon, $60/3 mo., www.taichinanaimo.org. Call Sara 250-245-1466. HOME & YARD DARRELL ESSAR RENOVATIONS. Over 30 years’ experience, certified journeyman carpenter. No Job is too small, from fences, decks, tile work, hardwood flooring, painting, drywall etc. For free estimate, call Darrell 250-714-3823. GARDEN RENOVATION AND LANDSCAPING. Are you thinking of a garden renovation or landscaping project? Excellent quality and knowledge. We are happy to assist you with any landscaping or gardening work you need. Estimates are always free. Give Sandpiper a call! 250-246-2421. KB HANDYMAN AND YARDWORKS SERVICES. Minor carpentry work, decks, fences, gutter cleaning, tree pruning, yard clean up, lawn fertilizing, mowing. Senior’s discount. Contact Karl kbhandymanandyardworks@gmail.com or 250-714-2738.

TAKE 5 SENIORS’ UPGRADES. Railings, grab bars, wheelchair ramps. Interior re/finishing, carpentry, painting, custom shelving/storage, raised garden beds, benches. Stay in the home you love longer. Namaste Home Improvements, 250-245-2751 (see display ad). QUALITY RENOVATIONS. Big or small. 30+ yrs. exp/journeyman, affordable. For free estimate, call Lars 250-616-1800. ARE YOU BUYING OR SELLING A HOME? Curb appeal, re-design or new design, www. islandgardenscapes.ca or 250-802-0461. ISLAND PRUNING. Professional tree care from large scale orchards to budding new trees. I can meet any pruning need. Shrubs, vines and ornamental. Large and small clean ups. Call Darcy Belcourt 250-323-1260. ALL ACRES TREE SERVICE providing all aspects of tree work. Pruning, falling, hedging, dangerous tree removal. Fully insured. Professional work at reasonable rates. Call 250-246-1265. PETS PROFESSIONAL PET CARE SERVICE. Leash ’em & walk ’em with Marlena. Insured and bonded. Animal First Aid and CPR. Service for all pets including dog walking, home care visits, overnight with pet in my home and much more. As my love is yours! Call 250-246-3394. DOG WALKING/Hiking OFF LEASH! 2-hour avg. walk, weekly walks year-round, pick up & drop off included, insured & licensed. Contact Paula Plecas for a complimentary meet & greet! See us Facebook and Instagram for fun in action! Tracks Outdoor Adventures INC at walken@shaw.ca or 250-754-TREC(8732). THE PET NANNY. Let us pamper & love your pets at your home or ours. Ref. avail. Contact Shanon or Bill sburchard@hotmail.ca or 250-924-8809. SENIORS LYNN’S SENIORS CARE HOME. High quality personalized care. Warm caring environment. Great food and snacks. Family events. Couples & pets welcome. Ocean views, gardens. North of Ladysmith. lynnsseniorcare.com. 250-245-3391. GRANNYS ON THE GO COMPANION SERVICES. Are you looking for someone that can help you with an active senior family member? Well look no further than Janet Bowman at janetmb@shaw.ca or 250-924-1515. JANICE’S HOME CARE SERVICES. All care inside and out of the home; home care house work, yard work and transportation. Contact janjamieson101@ gmail.com or call 1-250-701-2909. Great rates!

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