TAKE 5 April 2017

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Letters Marijuana dispensaries & Water Filtration I agree with Rob Johnson’s article in the TAKE 5/APRIL 2017. Eventually, the government may deem them legal, and it would be good if the Town had a plan in place for controlling number of and areas of use.

Unfortunately, I too, don’t know all aspects of the issue, but I would be interested to know if stats have shown that consumption would increase with legalization and with dispensaries “more visible” (as now with liquor stores). He mentions use in public places and concerns regarding children. I echo same.

Does Council know that concentrations of marijuana smoke can cause “reciprocal highs,” especially in children? I would be worried about large numbers of people smoking it in public parks, but also in closed areas with small children present. I have also read that the smoke from cannabis is more damaging to the lungs than tobacco smoke. Would children be permitted to enter such places: places of sale, places where product is being smoked in high concentrations? Pubs?

How could the police control and monitor infractions? Would persons then be allowed to smoke in or near hospital environments and clinics because it is for “medical use” even though it would “pollute” others’ lungs?

On the other hand, would users then be assured of a more pure product and better control of “dosages”? Would government then profit from the sales rather than “street drug dealers” profiting from the sales? Would kids find it “less” enticing because it is not so hidden and forbidden? re: Water Filtration Plant I would vote “yes” if it will definitely get rid of the nasty chemical taste in Ladysmith water (at least at my end of town).

In the late 80s, when I moved here, we had the best tasting water on the Island — sans chlorine! Since they chlorinated, it tastes and smells awful at times! Also, would this water filtration affect the chlorine levels in the swimming pool? I have drastically cut down on my use of the pool at FJC because of the acidic nature of the water due to “high” chemical levels.

Hope these comments add a little more insight to two tough problems. Perhaps you’d like to tackle the problem of the atrocious condition of our local roads next?

- Joy Sheldon, B. Ed.

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Let Love Fly I acknowledge your commitment to our community. Thank you for helping me bring community together for Family Day 2017! On behalf of Let Love Fly, I would love to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of you at TAKE 5 Publications.

For a first-time event, Let Love Fly was a great success! Not only did the sun shine for us, but many families in the community came to celebrate Family Day. It was a beautiful day for kite flying. Thank you again for all your support in advertising this fun family event and the YouTube coverage! I would not have been able to achieve such success without your help. Thanks for spreading the word. - Cheri Talyor

March TAKE 5 Cover I am disgusted and offended at your cover page (March 2017/TAKE 5) of that woman holding a cross bow. Obviously, a cross bow is for killing animals.

What’s wrong with you guys? You can’t find something pretty in Ladysmith to put on the cover?

Oh, I forgot, just drive down the streets and you will see boarded and papered up windows, black stuff on the awnings and running down the side of the buildings, and all the “for sale” and “for lease” signs everywhere. I guess you were hard pressed to find a better picture. But a woman in camouflage holding an animal killing weapon. . . come on!

I am going to through this rag out the next time it shows up in my mailbox.

Shame on you.

- Lorraine Howatt

Explore Guide Thanks so much for dropping off the box of 2017 Explore Ladysmith Cedar Saltair Chemainus Guides. I brought one home to read through and think it is a great publication. I especially liked the maps of all the communities. Those will be very helpful when talking to visitors about these areas. We will no doubt go through these quickly, so you will most likely get another request in a few months.

- Joy Brownsword, Mill Bay Visitor Centre

Saltair taxpayers unhappy Saltair taxpayers are shaking their heads after the March 8 CVRD Board

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Accommodations needed for tourism in Ladysmith...

meeting where the board directors voted to approve the allocation of $10,000 to a non-profit society and, it appears, have now left the Saltair taxpayers, Saltair Recreation CVRD account 456, and Recreation Reserve accounts with insufficient funds to cover expenditures in the case of emergencies and unforeseen costs involving the former Mt. Brenton School in Saltair. The CVRD Staff Report did not include a financial consideration analysis to guarantee enough funds would be available in the Saltair Recreation account to cover emergencies.

Many Saltair residents wrote the CVRD directors prior to the meeting to ask the directors to not approve the allocations of the $10,000.

The CVRD signed a lease with the Saltair Community Society in February 2017, for the former school building, but the lease did not include the gym.

As most Saltair residents know, the gym ceiling tiles are falling down and big concentrations of airborne spores are present in the gym. With a daycare operating in the building, this is a concern as the CVRD did not have the air quality testing done until summer of 2016, mold spores do not grow overnight and the CVRD has owned the building since August 2014. The SRF 456 account is responsible for the now locked off gym.

As the CVRD has not done a conditional assessment on the gym, they would not know if the gym roof was on the verge of falling in or not! If this is supposed to be a community centre, then why is a “for profit business,” using the majority of the rooms in the building and leaving approximately three or four out of approximately 11 rooms to then be used for the community programs?

The Saltair Community Society has access to funds from membership fees, donations, grants for only nonprofit societies and fundraising. Saltair taxpayers taxation is the only funding source for the Saltair Recreation account and Reserve. Saltair taxpayers are currently paying approximately 80 per cent out of the account to cover the loan for the CVRD Board 2014 purchase of the building and footprint.

Saltair taxpayers already pay into the Ladysmith Frank Jameson Community Centre, and with the new upcoming Library in Chemainus, which includes multipurpose rooms, is this not enough places to meet and do hobbies?

Does the CVRD Board no longer have a duty to the taxpayers and taxpayers dollars in CVRD areas? “When the roof falls in” how does the CVRD Board expect Saltair taxpayers to pay when the board has approved funding of $10,000 to a society and has not ensured there are funds in the SRF 456 to cover emergencies?

It is time Mr. Dorey explained to Saltair taxpayers why a financial conditional report was not done by the CVRD staff to prove unforeseen expenditures can or can’t be covered from this account. If the report is CAN’T, then the $10,000 should never have been removed from the Saltair Recreation account. It would be most helpful if a meeting was held for Saltair residents to ask questions and get some answers. - Ian and Islay Brand Letters to editor are an open forum for the community to express their views. editor@take5.ca, PO Box 59, Ladysmith, BC V9G 1A1

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Earth Day Events & News Invasive plant pull

BY GAIL PASALUKO The Town of Ladysmith Invasive Species Advisory Committee (ISAC) and Broom Busters will be hosting an invasive plant removal party on April 22, from 1:50 p.m. to 4:50 p.m., at Transfer Beach upper Arbutus Trail. Everyone is welcome to join us in celebrating Earth Day and Canada 150 together this year.

Our goal is to remove 150 pieces of broom and free 150 trees from English Ivy during this event.

If you can help, come on out April 22. Some gloves and cutting tools will be available, but if you have your own please bring them along. Volunteers will be on-site to demonstrate the techniques for successful plant removal, as well as answer questions on invasive plant management.

The new committee provides advice to Ladysmith Council and, as requested, the Parks, Recreation & Culture Advisory Committee, regarding the establishment and implementation of control of invasive plant species and re-establishing native plant species in Ladysmith.

So what is all the fuss about, what are invasive plants and why should we be concerned?

In 1998, the World Conservation Union declared invasive species as the second highest threat to biodiversity worldwide, second to habitat loss. Invasive species includes a range of plants, animals, amphibians, insects and viral species. Invasive plants are brought to Canada, either accidentally or intentionally, and include species such as Japanese knotweed, English ivy, Giant hogweed and Scotch broom. These plants have the ability to establish quickly and are highly competitive, form dense patches, have no natural predators and, therefore, displace our native plants.

The first task of our committee is to complete an inventory to identify which invasive plants are the priority species important for management in our community.

We know we have well-established infestations of English ivy, Himalayan

blackberry, English holly, Scotch broom and Daphne laurel, throughout parks and residences in the community. We hope to identify the priority areas and, through shared education, promote the best practices for successful removal and restoration with native plants.

Invasive plants, like Giant hogweed and Japanese knotweed, will have a different approach taken due to the direct health impacts on the public (irritation or burns) and the ability, like knotweed, to destroy infrastructure. These plants will require special management and disposal. At this time our inventory is beginning to look and record where these plants are located in the community.

Another issue is dumping of plant material in park boundaries. Residents may not realize that a very common way for invasive species plants to spread is by the dumping of garden waste.

Earth Day in the forest MJ Vermette and Dean Richards of Sacred Fire Music are organizing a Meditation & Singing Circle in the Forest on Saturday, April 22, from 11 a.m. to noon.

The public is invited to this free event.

“We will start our gathering with a short meditation, expanding our awareness by connecting to the sounds of the forest. We will then sing together, with the intention of connecting to our true nature and expressing our gratitude to the land,” says organizer Vermette.

Frame drums welcome. Bring a chair or towel to sit on.

Please register by email at sacredfire@ sacredfiremusic.com or by phone (604848-9543). For more information visit www.sacredfiremusic.com/events.

VIU Joins the Green Chemistry Commitment Chemistry education at Vancouver Island University (VIU) is about to undergo a green transformation, of a kind, that only one other university in Canada has done so far.

VIU recently joined the Green Chemistry Commitment (GCC), a consortium launched by the non-profit Beyond Benign, to design and develop innovative, efficient and environmentally sound chemical products and processes, and to prepare world-class chemists with 21stcentury skills. The second institution in Canada – the first being the University

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of Toronto – to sign on to the GCC, VIU joins about three dozen universities and colleges in the United States that are part of the consortium.

“This is a big step forward for VIU’s commitment to sustainability,” says Dr. Alexandra Weissfloch, a Chemistry Professor who spearheaded the university’s application to join the GCC.

Peddle power: eBikes One of the easiest changes you can make to help the environment will also save you money, improve your health and bring more joy, says Kelly Demoline of CitrusCycles.ca. It is a simple decision – ride an eBike instead of driving After moving to Ladysmith, Demoline quickly realized that the only way to encourage cycling was with the assistance of an eBike. CitrusCycles.ca is his way of helping people experience the joy of cycling by offering free eBike demos, rentals, tours and sales.

Pedal assist electric bikes are ideal for commuting, trail riding, running errands, mountain biking, cruising and exploring. eBikes are available for all ages and riding interests. There are urban and commuting bikes, mountain bikes, cargo bikes, cruiser bikes for ultimate comfort and even fat bikes for riding on the beach or in the snow.

You can ride your eBike anywhere you can ride a bicycle and you do not need to register or license it. You can take advantage of the motor to help on the hills and enjoy all the stunning scenery our Island has to offer. It only costs a few cents to charge the battery, you get same health benefits you get from riding a regular bike – but now you have the freedom to ride further.

As a substitute for a second vehicle you’ll save money on gas, maintenance and insurance. Plus, you don’t have to

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pay for parking and you can park right by the entrance.

Harvest of the sea: Canadian Pacific Algae’s marine phytoplankton Based in Cedar, Canadian Pacific Algae® is a local company and international supplier of marine phytoplankton products.

Operations manager Arturo Ramirez says their patented technology allow them to produce marine phytoplankton (microalgae) year round. Canadian Pacific Algae’s takes its environmental responsibility seriously. Once the ocean water is brought in to the facility, every step of the process is utilized to manufacture numerous 100% pure all natural products such as marine phytoplankton, sea salt and soil enhancers.

The marine phytoplankton is a powerful, potent, multi-species blend of wild marine phytoplankton and is licenced by Health Canada. The products containing a unique balance of nutrients, essential amino acids, antioxidants, EPA, and fatty acids including omega 3 and 6 that can only be produced from the nutrient abundant waters from the Strait of Georgia.

Nestled between Nanaimo and the Gulf Islands, these pristine waters are among the most biologically productive marine ecosystems

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in the world for phytoplankton, fish, marine plants and mammals.

Canadian Pacific Algae’s marine phytoplankton is a wild, multi-species whole food ingredient with a full complement of essential nutrients. Phytoplankton have been called the most nutritionally dense food on the planet and they supply nutrients that are lacking in most of our diets. Our marine phytoplankton is ideal for health supplements, cosmetic face and body creams, aquaculture, and agriculture applications.

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The Blob: Can we change its heart before it destroys us?

BY GUY DAUNCEY Sometimes it seems as if those who care about Nature stand on guard around the edge of a huge circular Blob known as “The Economy,” which keeps growing and encroaching onto Nature. We organize to prevent its advance against creeks, rivers, forests and wetlands. We try to stop it from shooting out new pipelines, digging new coalmines, pouring more carbon into the atmosphere and introducing new chemicals into our food.

Sometimes we are successful and The Blob backs off, which happened with the proposed Raven coalmine near Courtenay.

But just as often, we are not, as the ecological wreckage of the private forest lands on the Island shows, and when The Blob assaults Nature in a distant country, such as Indonesia, destroying native hardwood forests, home for millions of years to families of orangutans and other creatures, and replacing them with palm oil trees for the global biofuel market.

Will we ever win if we continue to deal with The Blob’s attacks in this defensive way? And what is this Blob that behaves like an alien creature, consuming Nature wherever it goes?

Does it have a brain? An inner purpose? A directive DNA that guides its actions?

Askew Creek Wilderness Park. Photo: Nick Longo

To understand its origins, I have dug into history and the huge efforts our ancestors made to drag themselves out of the feudal age when life for most people in Europe was poverty, misery, sickness and frequent hunger.

One possible date for the birth of The Blob is 1851, when the Great Exhibition in London’s Crystal Gardens attracted millions, who came by foot and horse, to admire all the new technologies, offering the hope of material advance in place of dark, remorseless poverty. People became enchanted by The Blob’s magic spell of Progress, and the exhibition was followed by an incredible expansion of railways, steam engines, the telegraph, electric current, motor vehicles, a house in the suburbs, a kitchen full of labour-saving devices and a cellphone in every pocket, soon to be followed by robots and personal deliveries by drone.

Does The Blob have DNA? Yes. One important piece of coding is the assumption that humans (especially the white European variety) are the most important species and, due to our genius the world is at our disposal, entitling us to cut down the forests, net all the fish and extract all the fossil fuels. There’s no easy remedy to this belief — we have to work at it every day and hope to instill our children with beliefs that are more Nature-sensitive.

The second piece of DNA dates back to the capture of native lands by conquering invaders, who divided the land among their supporters. Private ownership of land, property and capital became the norm, and one of the strongest driving forces within The Blob today is the desire by those who have capital to make it grow, often by investing in a further assault on Nature. The solution is to switch investments out of fossil fuels and other destructive forms and into clean, green companies. Check out the Responsible Investment Association of Canada to find a local ethical funds manager (www.riacanada.ca).

The third piece of DNA arose when The Blob acquired a coconspirator in the shape of academic economists. The early economists admired the success of eighteenth-century physics, and they wanted economics to be equally scientific. The problem that humans don’t behave in predictable ways, like atoms or molecules, was brushed aside, and the assumption was made that all humans are rational and self-interested. This enabled

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classical economists to state that, given such behaviour, the market in which The Blob operated would tend to perfect equilibrium as long as governments did not interfere, which was very convenient for the business owners inside The Blob since the fewer the tariffs, regulations and trade barriers, the more successful they could be. Unfortunately, it is this very weakness of regulation that enables The Blob’s assault on Nature.

A fourth characteristic of The Blob is pervasive ecological ignorance. It might have been understandable in the 1800s, but it’s totally unacceptable today that many of the government, business and corporate leaders who are driving The Blob forward still don’t know what the carbon cycle is and couldn’t explain the role of herring in the marine food chain.

Can we reconfigure The Blob’s DNA so that it ceases behaving like an Earth-monster and begins instead to work in partnership with Nature?

As a first step, we could set a goal that a thousand restaurants, offices and retail stores on Vancouver Island receive Vancouver Island Green Business Certification, joining the hundred that have already been certified on a checklist of around fifty items, covering everything from water and energy use to building operations, transportation, and social goals. See www.vigbc.ca.

As a second step, we could set a goal that a hundred businesses on the Island change their legal structures to become Benefit Corporations, joining over two thousand businesses around the world that have done so. The essence of a B Corp is a changed legal and fiduciary mandate, so that instead of the primary goal being to make private profit, the company will also work to produce a social and environmental benefit, with third-party

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certification to provide assurance that this is so. So far, there are seven Benefit Corporations on the Island: New Society Publishers (on Gabriola), Animikii Indigenous Technology, Enrolment Resources, Synergy Enterprises (founders of VI Green Business Certification), Tartan (a global communications group), DeeBee’s SpecialTea Foods and Brooke Associates Consulting, which helps organizations and communities become more resilient. To learn about becoming a B Corporation, see www. bcorporation.net.

And thirdly, UVic, Camosun College, Royal Roads, VIU and North Island College could work together to tackle the problem of ecological ignorance by declaring that, starting in 2020, they will not accept any students or hire any staff who have not completed a foundation course in Ecology 101. The schools will have to scramble, but there are many people on the Island with the skills to teach it — and wouldn’t it be a feather in our cap if Vancouver Island became the first region in the world to make ecological literacy a fundamental requirement for all students and college professors?

We can’t solve all the world’s problems, but we can make a start here where we live. We need to get inside The Blob and change its DNA, transforming it from an Earth-hating to an Earth-loving force, and change its magic spell of Material Progress to something more appropriate for our time before it destroys us all.

Guy Dauncey is an author, speaker and visionary. His most recent book is the novel “Journey to the Future: A Better World is Possible.” He lives in Yellow Point (journeytothefuture.ca).

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Celebrate Canada 150 A local group is making plans to celebrate Canada’s anniversary.

Co-chairs of the Stz’uminus First Nation and Ladysmith Canada 150 Committee Roxanne Harris and Duck Paterson and were delighted with the news that their grant application had been approved. “I have a big smile on my face,” said Harris about finding out about the $46,000 grant. The committee had asked for $50,000.

“We found out on March 22 that we got a good portion of what we were asking for but unfortunately we are will be a little bit short,” says Paterson.

Harris is excited about being able to go forward with the committe plans.

The main project is a 20 foot canoe to be carved by Elmer Sampson and other

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master carvers. When completed the canoe will be mounted in Ladysmith and pointed towards Shell Beach symbolizing the two communities partnership and friendship. “Our communities are not separated by the harbour but joined.

This isn’t political, it’s neighbours,” says Paterson.

Starting in May, red and white lights will light up downtown Ladysmith from Buller Street to Roberts Street and down Roberts to the highway. Other projects and events include a video celebrating our history, and a quilt project. Ladysmith Celebrations and Festival of Lights will be adding the Canada 150 theme to their events and Committee members encourage community groups and organizations to create a Canada 150 project. The Aboriginal Day Celebration on June 21 is going to be much bigger this year. “Volunteers will play a key role in the celebration and will be integral to our success,”says Harris.

If you would like to volunteer, or create a Canada 150 project contact Duck Paterson at 250-245-2263 or email Anita McLeod at amcleod@ladysmith.ca.

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Students build a nature trail There’s a lovely trail behind St. Joesph’s School in Chemainus. Tall trees form a green canopy overhead as you walk St. Francis Way named for the Saint who loved nature. What is so special about this walk is that it was built by the students themselves. Ten interpretive signs incorporating photography, writing and illustrations by the students give insight into the workings of nature.

Bern Muller, the principal of St. Joseph’s says the trail was constructed by the students and help from the teachers.

The project took about a year and a half.

“The purpose of this project was to help the children recognize indigenous and invasive species,” says Muller.

“Students observed what was in the forest, they researched, drew pictures, and wrote.”

Mark and Terry Edly combined the students’ work to create beautiful interpretive signs posted throughout St. Francis Way. “The birds of prey is my favourite sign,” says student Isaac Muller. Ryan Gronlund agrees.

“I don’t really have a favourite,” says Ana Muller. “I just really like them all.”

“The project evolved as children start asking questions about some of the stuff they saw on the trail, and started asking what’s the difference between the indigenous and invasive plants, so it’s been a really good learning experience for them,” says Muller. The lessons included learning about medicinal plants from elders.

The trail is on private part property but people are welcome to walk the path and enjoy the playground after, says Muller.

Some highlights of the walk is an ant hill, and a spot that overlooks the valley and often birds of prey can be spotted.

The children are proud of the path and the work they have put into it. The results of their lessons is now a beautiful gift to the community.

Islands’ Celtic Festival (April 28 and 29, 2017) Ladysmith The ICF is returning to Ladysmith on the April 28 and 29. The workshops will be conducted in the Eagles Hall, with the concert venue in the Aggie Hall.

On Friday night there will be the Big Session, from 6 p.m. to 11p.m., in the

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St. Joseph’s School students Isaac Muller, Matthew Gronlund, Ana Muller, Ryan Gronlund, and school principal Bern Muller on the St. Francis Way path. Photo: Marina Sacht

Eagles Hall. The workshop leaders will be solicited during the session. All day Saturday, in the Eagles’ Hall, workshops will be offered, starting at 10 a.m., with an informal concert at noon, during the lunch break. On Saturday night, a concert will be held in the Aggie Hall, from 7 p.m. to midnight. Adult tickets are $20; and students, $10 and available at the door at 6 p.m., or in advance at Salamander Books. They are planning to have six acts in the concert (Irish band, Scottish Band, Celtic Harpist, Gaelic Singing Group, Irish/Scottish solo singers and

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some other combination of Celtic musicians). Celtic dancers will give a performance after the concert and before the Ceilidh dance-for-all!

Terry Boyle, Sandy Jasper, Alison Vardy, Gareth Harwood, Good Island Celtic Festival is April 28,29.

Pollock, Gary and Nora Burman, Phillip and Ruth and Kari-Ann and Dancers will all be performing in the concert and leading the workshops.

Come out to the Big Session on Friday night, the workshops on Saturday (both in the Eagles Hall) and the concert and Ceilidh on Saturday night at theAggie Hall.

All-Candidates Forum The four candidates for the Nanaimo–North Cowichan provincial riding will square off at an all candidates meeting in Chemainus and Ladysmith. The candidates are Alana DeLong (Liberal), Anna Paddon (Independent), Doug Routley (NDP) and Lia Versaevel (Green Party).

The first event will be on April 3, at the Chemainus Secondary School, co-sponsored by the Chemainus Residents’ Association and the Chemainus and District Chamber of Commerce,

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the meeting will feature questions drawn randomly from the audience. Candidates will have tables where they can meet and greet folks, starting at 6:00 p.m., with the questioning commencing at 6:30 p.m. For more information, contact Bernie Jones at bjislander@shaw.ca.

The second All Candidates Meeting will be held in Ladysmith at the Aggie Hall on April 26 at 6:30 pm - 8:30 p.m and is sponsored by the Ladysmith Chamber of Commerce. For details contact them at 250-245-2112

5-km Run/Walk Walk or run for a good time and a good cause at the Second Annual LPD Elemental five-kilometer Run/Walk on May 7, at 10 a.m., at the Ladysmith primary School and Holland Creek trail. Ladysmith Primary School is organizing the five-kilometer fun run/walk to raise money for the primary school. This is the second annual fun run/walk event that celebrates our community, our primary school and healthy good times. Register $30 at www.viendurance.net/ladysmith-elemental-5km/.

Ladysmith ambassadors crowned The Ladysmith Ambassadors will be handing over their crowns and titles to the new Ambassadors on Saturday, April 29 at the Frank Jameson Community Centre. The program starts at 6:30 pm and the selection and crowning of the 2017 - 2018 Ladysmith Ambassadors will be done after each candidate gives their speech and answers questions from the judges. The outgoing Ambassadors and eight candidates will be performing a “salute to Canada 150” as part of the evening’s program. Tickets can be purchased at LCU Insurance, Chamber of Commerce, Salamander Books, from the candidates or phone Lynn at 250245-3817 or Cindy at 250-924-8800.

“Historic” Garage Sale Ladysmith Museum, Archives and Industrial Heritage Preservation Committee volunteers are planning a Community Garage Sale fundraiser at the Aggie Hall on April 8, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. If you have items to donate, or you’d like to book a table, call 250-245-0100.

Saltair Water Advisory Committee Update The CVRD Engineering Department has advised the Saltair Water Advisory Committee of the following 2017 Distribution Upgrade Projects: “The proposed works for 2017 are: replacing the water main on South Oyster School Road from Seavista to Bazan, upgrading the water main on Chemoy and extending the main down from the easement to connect into Chemoy Road.

If the budget allows, we will also replace the water main on Dogwood Road, but this will remain as optional until the other two sections are completed.”

A Saltair Community Water Meeting will be held in April or early May. Some of the topics will be: upgrades, costs of upgrades, grants, gas tax funds, CVRD Utility Review and filtration. Please keep an eye out at your mailbox for a blue poster with further details on the meeting date, time and location. We look forward to bringing the Saltair Community residents upto-date on our past years’ investigations and the Saltair Water System. For information email saltairwater@gmail.com.

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A new face at Robson O’Connor A warm welcome to Martin Sanderson. who joins the Robson O’Connor Law Offices team.

Sanderson attended the University of British Columbia where he obtained a B.A. in psychology and philosophy. In 2014 he received his J.D. and Health Law and Policy certificate from the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University.

After working as a research assistant with Dalhousie’s Health Law Institute in the summer of 2015, in 2016 Martin joined the in-house legal team at Canada’s largest mental health and addiction teaching hospital, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, as a student-at-law. In February 2017, he was called to the Bar in B.C. after returning to the west coast to join the Robson O’Connor family.

Martin’s practice is currently focused on wills and estates, incapacity planning, and family law.

David O’Connor with Martin Sanderson. Photo submitted.

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New Book on Early Music in Ladysmith In Ladysmith the hills are alive with music. And a new book, available in mid-April, proves it.

“Early Music in Ladysmith British Columbia 1902–1912” explores the earliest days of music in Ladysmith just as the town was born, fresh from the forest, building its houses, businesses, roads, railroad lines and wharves.

Ladysmith was a thriving music centre, with international performers and theatres, including an opera house. The book by local author, Dr. Brian D. Bornhold, summarizes the creation of a busy city band, with musicians from all over Europe and parts of the U.S., and the development of all kinds of musical groups — from small bands to large choirs,

Early Music in Ladysmith B.C. 1902–1912 author Dr. Brian Bornhold.

starting in about 1904. These early years saw large numbers of visiting singers and musicians from Norway, Scotland, England, Hungary, Southeastern U.S., California, Colorado and other parts of Canada.

Various national groups, from the Finns to the Welsh, established many of the local musical groups at the time,

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including great bands and superb choirs, which led to the growth of a truly wonderful international new town with roots deep in music.

Music, before radio and television, was important well beyond the concerts themselves. It brought together a wide variety of new residents from many parts of the world to play in musical groups, talk to one another and help create, from the start, an amazing, solid fresh community.

The author, Dr. Brian Bornhold, was a marine geologist, but also participated in a broad range of music, including playing trombone and occasionally singing as a member of the Dogwood Jazz Band, Bayside Big Band and Bryden Street Dixieland Band in Victoria and Nanaimo. As well, he was a member of choirs in Victoria and France, ending with the famed Linden Singers.

Published by the Ladysmith and District Historical Society and produced by TAKE 5 Publications, the book will sell for $20 and will be available at Salamander Books and through the Ladysmith Archives and Museum. All proceeds go towards the Ladysmith & District Historical Society and their work in preserving and promoting our heritage. For more information call 250-245-0100.

Yellow Point Drama Group presents a Farce YPDG offers its 2017 Spring Play “Touch and Go,” a British bedroom farce in two acts, written by Derek Benfield and directed by Wendy Wearne and Joanne Rowland. This is modern British farce at its hilarious best and a sure guarantee of a delightful evening in the theatre.

Preview night is Thursday, April 6, with shows also Friday, April 7, 14, 21, and Saturday, April 8, 15, 22, 2017 all at 7:30 p.m. (doors open at 7:00). There will also be one matinee, Saturday, April 22 at 2:00 p.m. (doors open at 1:30). The show is playing at the Cedar Hall, 2388 Cedar Road, and tickets are $20 ($15 for Preview and Youth) at the door.

Celebrate Canada’s Birthday with the Yellow Point Singers In honour of Canada’s 150 celebrations, the Yellow Point Singers will present an “all-Canadian” program at their

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upcoming concert. The songs will representing the East Coast to the West Coast and northern regions. Guest performers are Sharyn Andruski-Collins and David Duncan, a piano and flute duo who will present selections by Ravel and Debussy, and Jeremy Roszmann, a (baritone/bass) soloist who will include songs from his repertoire.

The choir, which numbers about 35 singers, is directed by Doug Roszmann and Ainslee Young. New members are always welcome; just contact one of the choir members for further information. The concert is Sunday May 7, 2017, at Oceanview Community Church (381 Davis Rd., Ladysmith) at 3:00 p.m.

Tickets are $10 for adults (children under 14 are free) and available from choir members or at the door.

Kaese to receive Culture awards On April 6 Jacqui Kaese, who owns and operates Spotlight Academy at the Port Theatre, will receive the City of Nanaimo’s “Excellence in Culture” Award. The “Excellence in Culture” Award is presented to an organization or individual that has achieved regional and/or national recognition in the field of arts and culture. With over 30 years’ experience in the entertainment industry both in Canada and the UK, Jacqui is an accomplished actress, acting coach, agent, entertainment manager and casting director (www.spotlightacademy.com; spotlight@ shaw.ca).

Gerda Hofman will receive the “Honour in Culture” Award.

The Awards will be held at the Port Theatre, April 6 at 7 p.m.

Shows at the Ladysmith Waterfront Gallery With the news of that Ladysmith has been awarded a grant to celebrate Canada’s 150, the Ladysmith Arts Council is kicking off the community’s festivities March 31 to April 12, 2017, with a Student Show at the Ladysmith Waterfront Gallery. Students from Stz’uminus First Nation, Vancouver Island University, Ladysmith Secondary art students, youth print making workshop, children’s classes, those of different abilities and adult art classes will take centre stage. Promising artists will be hanging their work under the direction of Curator Leona Petrak.

Gala opening is April 1 at 7 p.m. The evening begins with First Nation students performing a welcoming prayer song, “ti wi’eth cun ce,” followed by First Nation story teller, Thomas Seymour. The evening is open to the public.

On April 15-30 is the “Current Threads 2017” showcase presented by a group of Vancouver Island surface design artists April 15 to 30, 2017. www.ladysmithwaterfrontgallery.com).

Punk Pop Ukrainian Folk Band An award-winning Ukrainian quartet, DakhaBrakha, mixes punk and pop with traditional Ukrainian folk songs to create a world of unexpected new music. DakhaBrakha’s bright, unique trans-national sound is inspired by Indian, Arabic, African, Russian and Australian music, and of course, the very texture of their Ukrainian culture.

The quartet beautifully meshes the contemporary and the traditional, reshaping rural folk songs to create a transcendent sound that is truly unexpected and inspiring.

The concert is April 19, 2017, 7:30 p.m. at the Port Theatre.

For more information, call 250-754-8550 or visit porttheatre. com/spotlight.

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Post Traumatic Kitchen Renovation Disorder Here’s a fast review of my worst winter in 50 years experience. Start with the longest winter ever, add the worst flu I’ve ever experienced, smother with the depressing “Trump” effect, and toss in a full kitchen renovation, and you get the idea? Gratefully the sun has just reappeared, spring is just around the corner, and we are almost coming to the end of the kitchen renovation, an experience nobody could have forewarned me about!

I met up with a kitchen designer, employed by a cabinet store, in November, and in no time, he provided a plan and a shopping list. He was going to oversee the project, and I was on my way.

I should have listened to his warnings about how challenging it can be to redesign your home while you are living in it, but I was swooning at the thought of my brand new state-of-the-art modern kitchen — granite island and countertops, a new gas range and lots of lovely new cabinets. Everything a passionate

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cook dreams about.

Let the project begin! Well, who knew, we are in the height of a building boom, and all the trades are screamingly busy?

Contractor number one bowed out at the last minute, and contractor number two had his arm twisted to take on the job.

Let the tear down begin! On January 24, a team of young bucks came in to rip out the existing space and prepare it for the new kitchen. Lots of dust and drop sheets!

Let the snow arrive! Total disruption as we experience the worst winter in 50 years! The road is a secondary one, and it’s not the first to get cleared, but somehow we manage to keep it all shovelled and accessible. The ball is rolling — the cabinets arrive and the installer spends three days putting them together.

Lots of cutting and dust! The electrician comes to cut out holes and lay wiring everywhere — the power is OFF and my phone has not worked to this day! The flooring guys arrive and take five days to install the flooring. Lots more cutting and dust! The dry waller arrives the next day and spreads fine white powder ev-

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erywhere to smooth out the edges and then sands it all down, coating the new floor and all the cabinets with a thick layer of fine white dust! Forget the drop sheets now — it’s getting through to the whole house — everything is now coated! My stress level sky rockets!

Finally the day arrives when the countertops get installed with the new sink and tap. We have water again. The appliances are on their way. We wait for the hook ups, looking forward to having our kitchen back again after seven weeks.

The novelty of eating out has worn off, and we have tried every quick meal in town. The time of upheaval and living in a dust bath is starting to wear on us.

Two out of four appliances that have been delivered do not work, like has my phone for the past eight weeks. We still have no power in the kitchen, and the new wood floor is covered in scratches. Then the flu hits, and we are bedridden for ten days, energy zapped! The trades people have evaporated. We still need a painter, a tiler, a plumber, an electrician and a gas fitter. Everyone is SO busy, another two weeks goes by without a kitchen.

So here we are today, still waiting for the gas range and fridge to work and a tiler. By now, I have lost it, and the stress of the whole thing has left me drained and exhausted. So a recommendation for anyone considering a kitchen renovation : Go on holiday for three months and avoid the whole nerve-wracking experience (and don’t follow CNN’s coverage of Trump politics while you are doing it!).

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Get Down to Earth with Garden Club

BY CAROL HENDERSON As Earth Day approaches, we are reminded of the delicate balances in nature and the lessons we must learn to save this blue planet. In a sincere effort to keep the balance and do no harm, many gardeners strive to understand changes in climate and the implications to best practice. Gardeners watch weather patterns closely and mark a gardening year by how their labours bore fruit. It could be the fabulous vegetable harvest or the tomato blight that is recalled. Most would agree that unpredictable weather is the new normal, and in order to adapt to highly variable conditions, we require knowledge and a range of strategies.

By understanding the interplay of nutrients, heat, light and moisture in plant development, we can acknowledge that dramatic changes in any of these components will also affect the number of pests and diseases that can have devastating impact on crops and ornamentals.

Outdated methods of pest management often ignored the fact that the poisons also kill beneficial insects and that the remaining residues filter through the food chain and natural systems. The ideal solution includes employing organic methods, possessing a knowledge of entomology and understanding local conditions.

Fortunately, we have a nearby authority. Renowned author and teacher Linda Gilkeson is coming to the Ladysmith Saltair Garden Club as a guest speaker on Thursday, April 20. Learn how to design resilient food and ornamental gardens, choose suitable varieties, survive ‘weird weather,’ and get other management tips. Linda will have copies of her books for sale at the meeting. Entry is $5 for non-members.

The venue will be confirmed mid April via https://ladysmithsaltairgardenclub. wordpress.com/.

Mark your calendar in May for the Annual Garden Club Plant Sale on Saturday May 6, at Aggie Hall, Ladysmith, from 9:00 a.m. until sold out. A wide variety of plants and used equipment will be sold. Raffle at door. Master Gardeners will be on-site.

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RDN Area A (Cedar Cassidy, S. Wellington) Elections BC Voter Registration Notices and a Cautionary Note for Local Government Elections At the deadline for a submission to the March 2017 issue of Take 5, I found myself suffering from the first cold or flu symptom I’ve experienced in a 10-year period. It progressed to a case of pneumonia that was further complicated by an adverse reaction to a prescribed medication. I’m now back to good health.

Hopefully, others who have experienced a similar bout of this season’s nasty flu bug will also be on the mend.

With the provincial election wheels in motion, registered voters should have

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received their Voter Registration Notice in mid-February. I was surprised to note that my residential address is shown as “South Wellington” whereas the correct postal address is “Nanaimo.” I immediately phoned to the 1-800-661-8683 contact number to report the discrepancy. That was an experience in itself as, like the Census workers, the people on the other end of the line are temporary workers. After leaving a message, I received a call back some three hours later. I almost didn’t pick up the phone as the Caller ID did not show either a telephone number or caller identity; rather, the display read “Incoming Call.” The individual who answered, while pleasant, was only able to advise me that my call would be referred to the Boundary staff or the Geography staff within Elec-

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tions BC. Fast forward to March 14 and I received an e-mail reply, apologizing for the delay and advising that the matter had been referred to their Geography team. I’m now advised that the “South Wellington” designation is based on a standard address identifier – apparently only used by Elections BC. Further, I’m advised that when I receive my personalized “Where to Vote” card it will show “Nanaimo” for both the residential and mailing address, and “Nanaimo” will be listed in the voting book. Elections BC also advised that they would review their voter records for others in my immediate area and make adjustments as appropriate. Since the same Elections BC lists are used in local government elections, I’m not finding much comfort in the information received to date.

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When I first put forward my name to run in the local government elections in 2011, I received a print out of the Voter’s Registration Listing – close to 200 legal size pages, containing some 5,800 names. In perusing them, I noted that in the first 10 pages that the location identifiers were incorrect in a full 29 per cent of the cases. People living at the same address, for example, may have one shown as resident in Cedar whilst another shown as residing in Yellowpoint, South Wellington or Ladysmith. These designations become very important in local elections where a referendum for a tax service bylaw is on the ballot. This was the case in the 2008 local government elections where a change in the Cranberry VFD relative to the Cassidy location was up for consideration. I have, on several occasions, brought these discrepancies to the attention of staff at the RDN and been advised that they do not have the authority to alter the Elections BC lists. Unable to affect any change, I was very surprised to have Elections BC advise the following: “When Elections BC provides lists for local governments to use as their register of resident electors, we include a note that these lists can only be produced at the provincial ‘voting area’ level of precision. A voting area includes 400-700 registered voters and may not align with local government jurisdictional boundaries. Elections BC advises local governments to review the voter records to ensure that records from another jurisdiction are not included in the lists used to administer the election.”

Placing the onus on local government does not, in my opinion, appear to be a reasonable remedy, as not only is the size of the project daunting, regional staff do not have the intimate

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mapping knowledge necessary to make changes; nor do they have the monies necessary to fund such a project. While there are no area specific referendums currently identified for the October 2018 municipal elections in the RDN, I would urge everyone to review their Voter Registration Notice for any discrepancies and immediately notify Elections BC to have the identifier information corrected accordingly. - alecmcpherson@shaw.ca

CVRD Area H (North Oyster, Diamond) 2017 – North Oyster/Diamond Celebrates Two significant events are scheduled to happen in North Oyster/Diamond during 2017.

The first event is all about Canada’s 150th Birthday. In order to celebrate this momentous occasion, the North Oyster and Area Historical Society is in the process of planning a variety of activities that every age group will enjoy. The events will take place at the North Oyster Community Centre on July 1. Everyone is invited to the party.

The North Oyster and Area Historical Society has a large barbecue, which members will utilize to the fullest by supplying and cooking hot dogs and hamburgers at no cost to you. The barbecue will be starting at 11:00 a.m. and goes into the afternoon. There will be a grassy area with picnic tables for your use.

To follow up the free food, there will be different activities happening throughout the day. Although the planning for this event is well underway, not all of the activities have been finalized at this time. Here is a preview of some of the activities that the society is putting together for you and your families. I will keep you posted as the events fall into place.

A variety of old farm, logging and mining equipment will be on display along with other memorabilia from bygone days. Pioneer crafts, such as carding, spinning, weaving, knitting, quilting and candle making, will be highlighted. There will also be a display of butter churning and ice-cream making.

Other activities will include a colouring table for children, with a contest for bicycle decorating, decorating paper bonnets and a pioneer costume contest.

This is an excellent opportunity to touch base with community members and celebrate our country’s birthday together with friends and family.

If you would like more information, please give Irene Hawthornthwaite a call at 250-245-2559.

The second event is centred around the North Oyster Fire and Rescue Department’s Silver Jubilee. In 1957, community members began to explore the need for a local fire department.

After five months of consultation, it was determined that there was indeed a need for a local department. The North Oyster Volunteer Fire Department was incorporated under the Society Act on September 18, 1957. Community involvement was very evident from the beginning and is still an integral part of the success 60 years later. The members dedicate many hours and risk their lives to keep ourselves and our properties safe.

Together, let’s celebrate sixty years of Fire Protection Service.

It’s time to acknowledge and thank the fire department members for providing an essential service to this community. The event is at the beginning stages of planning for the event. I will keep you posted on the details of the celebration as they become available.

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CVRD Area G (Saltair) Easter Celebration The annual Easter Egg Hunt will be held at the Saltair Centennial Park on Easter Sunday. Join us for coffee and a muffin, donated by the 49th Parallel Grocery and served by the Evans family. Coffee will be on by 10 a.m. Let’s hope the weather cooperates again this year, so your children can play in the field. Bring a football, frisbie or outdoor games your family likes to play. We will have a bouncy castle onsite. Hunt starts 11a.m. so don’t be late.

Trans Canada Trail Grant Award The CVRD just received news that they would get $500,000 to complete the Saltair section of the Trans Canada Trail from Dogwood Road to Stocking Creek Park along the Island Corridor rail line. In October the CVRD made an application to the BC Rural Dividend Program for this project. The engineering and surveying work has mostly been done on the project

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so the work can start in the fall of 2017.

With foresight the planning had been done by CVRD parks department so the project was shovel ready which the granting agencies love. But most of the work will be done in the early part of 2018.

That will leave a short span of 800 metres from Cook Street to Dogwood Road to be completed by North Cowichan.

A local group of Saltair residents, calling themselves, “Saltair in Motion,” was instrumental in gaining publicity for the Saltair section of the Trans Canada Trail and did a demonstration bike ride with a video. The group was composed of members Jackie Rieck, Debbie Neil, Lynne Smith, Jason Wilson, Tim Godau and Grace Predy.

Saltair District Ratepayers Meeting The Saltair District Ratepayers Association will be hosting a town hall meeting, following their annual business meeting, Thursday April 20 at 7 p.m., at the Saltair Community Centre. The topics that

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will be discussed at the town hall portion are the following: A) Saltair Parks commission report; B) CVRD Regional Recreation initiative and potential tax implications; C) a report from the Saltair Community Society regarding their activities; and D) the building assessment results of the Saltair Community Centre if the report is completed by then. Remember Thursday, April 20, 7:00 p.m.

Saltair Water Studies There will be a meeting in Saltair, sometime in the spring or early summer, to talk about the Saltair Water System and the Stocking Lake water supply. The CVRD water department will report on several studies that have been done, and their plans for the future. Recent studies

by Innova, for the whole regional district, and Opus, for Saltair water treatment, are available on the CVRD website.

There are also studies about looking for ground water going on at the present time.

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Roadside attractions My plan to put Nanaimo on the map by burning $100 bills rather than spend $83 million on a Sportsplex raised a few eyebrows. “Boy, that Delbert is one smart cookie” was heard more than once. True, there was some tittering that one time at the bar, but that could have been my mismatched socks.

The plan, in a nut shell, which is a good home for it, was to attract tourists from all four corners of the world, at least those corners where psychiatry is practised by lighting the fuse on our waterfront cannon with flaming $100 bills.

Crunching the numbers reveals the plan’s brilliance. At $100 a pop, it would only cost us $36,500 to light the cannon

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for a whole year. With a budget of $83 million, we could go for 2274 years before running out of money. By that time, I should be able to come up with an even better idea.

Hockey games you can watch anywhere, even in your own living room if you can figure out what remote to use. (“Oh … It was the one I threw through the living room window. The one the dog’s chewing on, that remote.”) But where else can you watch a certifiable idiot in mismatching socks torch a freshly minted Robert Borden (a C note’s resident longhair) every day at noon?

It gets even better. If you do the due diligence (which as far as I can determine is the warning someone gives before they do something really stupid), the plan would be self-supporting.

Here’s how it works: Maintaining an $83 million Sportsplex costs bucks, big bucks. By not building it, we’ll be saving that maintenance cost, which would be much more than the measly $36,500 each year that it would cost to light the cannon. At this juncture, I can’t see how we can afford not to do it. Not since Bernie Madoff came to town has economics

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made as much sense.

Even if we have to fudge a bit, cut back to $50 bills on the slow days, I’m sure none of the psychiatrists dispatched to investigate the phenomenon (known in medical journals as Mayweather Syndrome after wealthy American boxer, Floyd Mayweather, pioneer of the flaming C note) would mind.

But hey, I understand, not everyone is up to this level of economic sophistication. Many of you would prefer we stick with more time-honoured methods of attracting tourists. That means one thing.

Roadside attractions. We all have fond memories of summer holidaying with the folks: you and your sister, crammed in the back of a VW Beetle; parents, up front chain smoking; windows, closed because it’s 124F in the shade; you and the sis, praying fervently that someone would hurry up and invent air conditioning; your dad, 400 miles off course because someone told him just up ahead was the world’s largest fiberglass gall bladder and, even better, just down the road from that, the world’s largest corndog. After taking in those Route 13 marvels, it was up to Kelowna, where one

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could buy a hot dog on the beach from (still there) what at the time was the world’s third largest fiberglass orange.

Simply put, nothing beats the drawing power of a roadside attraction, especially one with a “world’s largest” prefix. If my old man would drive 400 miles out of his way to see the world’s largest gall bladder, think of how far people would come to see something they could relate to, say a pink flamingo or a … sound the drums, release the balloons … the WORLD’S LARGEST GUINNESS-SANCTIONED GARDEN GNOME. And here’s the good news, I just happen to know where we can get our hands on one real cheap. It’s located in Nanoose, down in a gulley, next to an abandoned go-cart track where you can’t see it. There it sits forlornly, weeds around the base, in need of paint, poorly lit. Believe me, this is no way to treat the acknowledged king of garden gnomes.

But whatever you do, don’t tell the mayor. He’ll just get excited, rush up there and cut them a cheque for $80 million or so.

You see, that’s the difference between the public sector and the private sector. The private sector tries to do things on the cheap, spending as little as possible; with the public sector, the exact opposite is true, cost is no object.

For example, the mayor wants a WHA team, he plunks down $83 million; the private sector would proceed much more cautiously. First by getting a feel for the market. Rather than building an expensive ice surface, we’d use existing resources. All you need for hockey is a large, flat surface and a little cold water.

Make a deal with Costco to flood their parking lot after hours.

They’ll bite, especially if you let them run the concession.

Then when it comes time to purchase the gnome, employ a little private sector ingenuity, also known as subterfuge. Hire a couple of actors, have them dress up as UN Garden Gnome inspectors. White lab coats, clipboards and (most important) pocket protectors, bristling with pens, pencils, slide rules and a shiny new rectal thermometer. Have the bogus inspectors brace the gnome’s owner. Get tough with him. Tell him he’s being indicted with reckless endangerment of a garden gnome, and unless he hands over the gnome peacefully, you’ll send in the B-52’s.

Now I know that’s a lot to ask of the actors, which is why it’s important to hire the best available. Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, if you can get them. It’s only for a couple of hours; it can’t cost that much. As the saying goes, it takes money to make money.

Once we have the gnome in our possession, we paint him up and then display him to best advantage. I say we plunk him down right in the middle of the busiest intersection in town, kind of like a traffic circle, right where everyone can see him and give thanks we’re finally on the map.

Three months later, a tourist couple drives through town, looking for an excellent Italian red, Pasqua’s Passione Mento, $13.99.

Harold from Phoenix: Yikes! What was that damn statue doing on the road?

Harold from Phoenix’s wife: Isn’t this the town that burns $100 bills?

Harold: Ah. Delbert Horrocks is a co-proprietor at Mahle House Restaurant.

Follow him at Slightlycorkedandmore.wordpress.com

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Falling in Love with the wild Morel To the uninitiated, they don’t resemble anything suggestively edible, let alone anything considered to be one of the most delectable of fungi. Morels range in colour, from grey to black or various shades of yellow and brown, and the caps are pitted with holes. Unlike some of the other mushroom we love to eat, such as chanterelles or pines, fresh morels give no hint of the wonderful experience in store for the consumer. When cooked, they release a wonderful scent, and their complex flavour and texture is most prized – even more so for dried mushrooms (again unlike most other edible mushrooms, which are best fresh).

Our region is home to a wide variety of mushrooms; the vast majority of which fruit in the fall. So it is a welcome delight that this species bucks the trend and fruits in the spring.

Distinguishing between morel species can be a challenge even for mycologists because morphologically they are very similar. What I am call-

A tasty morel mushroom.

Photos: H. Masata

ing the morel is actually a number of species. It is now believed that there are more species of morels found in North America than anywhere else, suggesting that this is the centre of origin for the genus. If one’s interest is edibility, it isn’t necessary to delve into the mess of morel taxonomy, so long as what you harvest is in the morel (Morchella) genus. As far as we

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know, the entire genus is edible and delicious.

There are a few unrelated species, which on a superficial level look similar, but these are easily learned with the aid of a good guide book. False morels, such as members of the genus Gyromitra and Verpa, are interesting in their own way, and while some people do consume them, this is not particularly advisable due to the chemicals that they contain.

One chemical is monomethylhydrazine (aka rocket fuel). Predictably this isn’t a healthy food choice. Some brave or perhaps foolish souls cook them and eat them, nonetheless, since most of the monomethyl hydrazine volatizes as a result of the cooking. I have heard a story of a cook who succumbed to the vapours from standing over and breathing them in from the pot, while those who partook of the meal remained unaffected.

The onset of symptoms can take two to 24 hours, which would explain why the meal was consumed by everyone. (The few who make a habit of eating false morels dry them prior to consumption.)

I don’t know where the truth lies in these stories – my suspicion is that this is a cautionary tale. Why take a chance with a risky species when there are so many good ones? As a side note, most experts suggest that all mushrooms should be cooked since this enhances their digestibility, and in many cases, breaks down toxins and enhances the flavour. In addition a person could be allergic to some species of mushrooms (just like you could be allergic to strawberries, but not

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apples), so the first time you consume a new species, exercise restraint.

The subject of mushroom toxicity is a fascinating subject, but the incidence of it happening are very rare. In looking for information on the subject, it quickly became apparent that this issue doesn’t occupy much time for the poison control centres. One should also be aware that, to the experts, poisoning means an adverse reaction and not death. Death by mushroom poisoning only accounts for one or two deaths per year in North America.

Caution should certainly be exercised, and a good identification book should be used to identify your mushroom. With care, one can enjoy mushrooms very safely.

Most morels found in stores are associated with fires. Commercial pickers study the location of large summer fires and flock to them in the following year. These so-called fire morels can fruit in great abundance. Because most large fires happen away from areas of human habitation (such as the boreal forest), there are few of us there to take advantage of the massive fruiting. On the island, we find morels fruiting due to disturbance such as fires, erosion or on newly exposed soil.

We also have some patches that fruit with some regularity without disturbance. This might mean we are dealing with distinct species, or perhaps morels are mycorrhizal in some circumstances and saprophytic in other. Around here, one commonly finds them on old homesteads often associated with mature apple orchards. They are a species that surprises, as they can pop up almost anywhere.

On a personal note, the spring following the year I dug up a new patch of garden was when I had my biggest find. That April, out of the newly exposed soil, emerged morels eight-inches high. But my favourite morel experience was on a camping trip in the Canadian Rockies.

We arrived at our campsite after a long day of hiking. It wasn’t until after the busyness of tent set up that we realized small black morels were abundant in the area. They were hiding in plain sight!

You see one, then another and another.

And the hunt is on!

Jay Rastogi is a naturalist, horticulturist and educator living in Yellow Point. ecoforestry@gmail.com

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Real Estate News Van Isle Real Estate Team Invests in Ladysmith Big changes to the real estate picture in Ladysmith! The Van Isle Real Estate Team has taken over management of the Ladysmith office, bought the building and brought on a new buyer’s agent!

Denise Tutte and Gerry Beltgens, partners in the Van Isle Real Estate Team, decided to solidify their investment in Ladysmith.

It was only two ago years that Gerry and Denise convinced Pemberton Holmes to open a branch office in Ladysmith. They chose to lease the space previously occupied by Lee’s Goldsmith due to its great location in the downtown core and its proximity to the Old Town Bakery.

Pemberton Holmes did an extensive renovation of the ground floor, and the location has proved to be excellent for walk in traffic. The board room has also become a regular meeting spot for the various community projects that both

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Denise and Gerry are involved in.

In the short time since opening, they have become a successful and established presence in town and late last year decided to consolidate and secure the location. Denise and Gerry negotiated a management agreement with Mike Holmes of Pemberton Holmes, and then Denise purchased the building in January.

The team sees the Ladysmith office as a boutique location for Pemberton Holmes. It is focused on relationships and personal service rather than building a large office with lots of realtors.

With that in mind, they recently brought Shannon Norris on board. She is a new licensed Realtor, but not new to Ladysmith, having lived here most of her life.

She will be working mostly as a buyer’s agent, that is a realtor who works with buyers helping them find homes rather than working with sellers. A buyer’s agent has a fiduciary responsibility to the buyer rather than to the seller. This is an important distinction when you are looking for a home. There is no cost to

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the buyer as the agent is paid by the listing company out of the proceeds of the sale.

Future plans include adding a local property manager and possibly one more licensed realtor. The inclusion of a buyer’s agent in the office is in part due to the changes coming to the real estate industry this spring. The Van Isle Real Estate Team will no longer be offering dual agency in response to the incoming changes.

APRIL 1 – 8 1–9, 7pm, Ladysmith Little Theatre presents “Absolutely! (perhaps)” by Luigi Pirandello; www. ladysmithlittletheatre.com (4895 Christie Rd.; 250-924-0658) 1–12, Waterfront Gallery’s “Student Show,” art from students, guest speaker story teller, Billy Thomas Seymour (610 Oyster Bay Dr., Ladysmith; www.ladysmithwaterfrontgallery.com)

2–8 3, 6 to 9pm, Chemainus all-candidates meeting at the Chemainus Seniors Drop-In Centre (9824 Willow St., Chemainus) 3, 4:45pm, Bingo Mondays, Chemainus Seniors Drop-In Centre (9824 Willow St., Chemainus; chemainusseniors.org) 3, 7pm, Cribbage Night, RC Legion Branch 171 Ladysmith, (621 First Ave., www.rcl171.ca) 4, 7:30 to 9am, Marketing, Sales & Customer Service seminar, Waterfront Art Gallery (610 Oyster Bay Rd.; 250-245-2112) 4, 6pm, Ideal Protein Seminar, Ladysmith Pharmasave (441 1st Ave.), 250-245-3113 5, 9:30 to 11am, Muffin mornings, Chemainus Seniors Drop-In Centre (9824 Willow St., Chemainus; chemainusseniors.org) 5, 5:30 to 7:30pm, Ladysmith Chamber of Commerce AGM, Cottonwood Golf Course (Cotton Club), guest speaker Dr. Ralph Andrew Nilson, President and Vice-Chancellor of VIU 5, 7pm, Darts, RC Legion Branch 171 Ladysmith, (621 First Ave., www.rcl171.ca) 6–8, 7pm, “Touch & Go,” Yellow Point Drama Group, Cedar Hall (2388 Cedar Rd.); tickets $20; www.yellowpointdramagroup.org 6, 7pm, Trivia Night with Par 4, Ladysmith Legion #171, (621 First Ave., www.rcl171.ca.) Bring your team and challenge the Legion Team in the lounge. All Welcome.

6–May 14, “2 Pianos 4 Hands,” Chemainus Festival Theatre, www.chemainusfestival.ca 7, 9:30 to 11am, Muffin mornings, Chemainus Seniors Drop-In Centre (9824 Willow St., Chemainus; chemainusseniors.org) 7, 4 to 6pm, Meat Draws, Friday in the lounge, Ladysmith Legion #171, (621 First Ave., www. rcl171.ca)

8, 9am to 2pm, Community Garage Sale, Aggie Hall (1110 1st Ave., Ladysmith; 250-924-8809) 8, 9 to 10:30am, Pancake Breakfast $5, Chemainus Seniors Drop-In Centre (9824 Willow St., Chemainus; chemainusseniors.org) 8, 10am to 5pm, Pacific Brant Carving & Art Show, Parksville Community Centre (132 Jensen Ave.) 8, 3 to 5pm, Meat Draws, Saturday in the lounge, Ladysmith Legion #171, (621 First Ave., www. rcl171.ca) 8, 7 to 10pm, Easter Dance at St. Andrews United Church (311 Fitzwilliam, Nanaimo), featuring the Doctors of Rock ’n’ Roll; food, refreshments and silent auction; tickets $20; info call 250-753-1924

9 – 15 9, 9am to noon, Pancake Breakfast in the Hall, Ladysmith Legion #171 (621 First Ave.); $7 a place, $5 for a small serving; all welcome including children 9, 10am to 4pm, Pacific Brant Carving & Art Show, Parksville Community Centre (132 Jensen Ave.) 9, 10am, Palm Sunday, Liturgy of the Palms and Confirmation at St. Philip Cedar Anglican Church (1797 Cedar Rd., Cedar; 250-722-3455; www. stphilipcedar.ca) 9, “Sunset” service at the Cenotaph Ladysmith for Vimy Ridge; all Legion members in uniform please (if possible) and all community welcome to attend 9, 2pm, Chemainus Classical Concerts, “Persian Spring,” ensemble Daryâ, St Michael’s Church, Chemainus; $20/$5 adv. (250-748-8383; www.

ChemainusClassicalConcerts.ca) 9–15, “2 Pianos 4 Hands,” Chemainus Festival Theatre, www.chemainusfestival.ca 10, 4:45pm, Bingo Mondays, Chemainus Seniors Drop-In Centre (9824 Willow St., Chemainus; chemainusseniors.org) 10, 7pm, Cribbage Night, RC Legion Branch 171 Ladysmith, (621 First Ave., www.rcl171.ca.)

11, 6pm, Ideal Protein Seminar, Ladysmith Pharmasave (441 1st Ave.), 250-245-3113 12, 9:30am, Chemainus Sketch Group, meeting at Fuller Lake Arena, guest artist is Josslyn Meyeres

12, 9:30 to 11am, Muffin mornings, Chemainus Seniors Drop-In Centre (9824 Willow St., Chemainus; chemainusseniors.org) 12, 6:30 to 9pm, Ambassador Program Speech & Talent presentation, 250-245-2112 12, 7pm, Darts, RC Legion Branch 171 Ladysmith, (621 First Ave., www.rcl171.ca) 12, 7pm, Legion Ladies Auxiliary Meeting Legion Hall, 621 First Ave.; visitors are welcome 13, 11:30am, Soup and Sandwich in the lounge, Ladysmith Legion #171 (621 First Ave.).

13, 7pm, Maundy Thursday, The Last Supper with Jesus and Foot Washing, at St. Philip Cedar Anglican Church (1797 Cedar Rd., Cedar; 250722-3455; www.stphilipcedar.ca) 13, 7pm, Trivia Night with Par 4, Ladysmith Legion #171 (621 First Ave.; www.rcl171.ca).

Bring your team. All Welcome.

14, 10am, Good Friday Solemn Good Friday service at St. Philip Cedar Anglican Church (1797 Cedar Rd., Cedar; 250-722-3455; www. stphilipcedar.ca) 14, 4 to 6pm, Meat Draws, Friday in the lounge, Ladysmith Legion #171, (621 First Ave., www. rcl171.ca) 14 & 15, 7pm, “Touch & Go,” Yellow Point Drama Group, Cedar Hall (2388 Cedar Rd.); tickets $20; www.yellowpointdramagroup.org 15–30, “Current threads 2017,” featuring the Vancouver Island Surface Design Assoc. at the Waterfront Gallery (610 Oyster Bay Dr., Ladysmith; www.ladysmithwaterfrontgallery.com) 15, 10:30am, The Annual Easter Egg Hunt hosted by the Ladysmith Lions Club, Transfer Beach 15, 3 to 5pm, Meat Draws, Saturday in the lounge, Ladysmith Legion #171, (621 First Ave., www.rcl171.ca) 15, 5 to 8pm, Birthday Party potluck dinner, bar and entertainment, Chemainus Seniors Drop-In Centre (9824 Willow St., Chemainus; chemainusseniors.org)

16 – 22 16, 7:30am, St. Philip Cedar Anglican Church Easter Sunrise service at Blue Heron Park (Westby Rd., Cedar; www.stphilipcedar.ca) 16–22, “2 Pianos 4 Hands,” Chemainus Festival Theatre, www.chemainusfestival.ca

TAKE 5

16, 10am, Holy Eucharist of Easter and Dressing of the Flower Cross at St. Philip Cedar Anglican Church (1797 Cedar Rd., Cedar; 250-722-3455; www.stphilipcedar.ca) 17, 4:45pm, Bingo Mondays, Chemainus Seniors Drop-In Centre (9824 Willow St., Chemainus; chemainusseniors.org) 17, 7pm, Cribbage Night, RC Legion Branch 171 Ladysmith, (621 First Ave., www.rcl171.ca) 18, 6pm, Ideal Protein Seminar, Ladysmith Pharmasave (441 1st Ave.), 250-245-3113 18, 7pm, The Ladysmith & District Historical Society’s AGM at the Diamond Hall (4968 Christie Rd.); info at 250-245-0100 18–24, Ladysmith Spring Clean Up Week 19, 9:30 to 11am, Blood Pressure Clinic, Chemainus Seniors Drop-In Centre (9824 Willow St., Chemainus; chemainusseniors.org) 19, 7:30pm, DakhaBrakha, punk pop Ukrainian folk band at the The Port Theatre in Nanaimo 19, 11:30am to 1pm, Soup and Sandwich with entertainment $6, Chemainus Seniors Drop-In Centre (9824 Willow St., Chemainus; chemainusseniors.org) 19, 7pm, Darts, RC Legion Branch 171 Ladysmith, (621 First Ave., www.rcl171.ca) 20, 7pm, Trivia Night with Par 4, Ladysmith Legion #171 (621 First Ave.; www.rcl171.ca).

Bring your team and challenge the Legion Team in the lounge. All Welcome.

20, 7pm, Ladysmith Saltair Garden Club monthly meeting, in the lower room, Frank Jameson Community Centre (810 6th Ave., Ladysmith) 21–22, 7:30pm, God is a Scottish Drag Queen, presented by Theatre One (900 5th St., Nanaimo), 250-754-7587 21, 9:30 to 11am, Muffin mornings, Chemainus Seniors Drop-In Centre, (9824 Willow St., Chemainus; chemainusseniors.org) 21, 4 to 6pm, Meat Draws, Friday in the lounge, Ladysmith Legion #171, (621 First Ave., www. rcl171.ca) 21 & 22, 7pm, “Touch & Go,” Yellow Point Drama Group, Cedar Hall (2388 Cedar Rd.); tickets $20; www.yellowpointdramagroup.org

take5.ca

22, 9am to 1pm, The Ladysmith Sportsman Club Watershed and Area Debris Cleanup, Bush Creek Hatchery, 250-713-7737 22, 11am to 2pm, Ladysmith Legion Spring Tea & Bazaar, lunch only $8.00, in the Legion Hall (621 First Ave.) 22, 11am to noon, Earth Day Meditation & Singing in the Forest, Stocking Lake Trail, Ladysmith, 604-848-9543 22, 1:30pm, “Touch & Go,” Yellow Point Drama Group, Cedar Hall (2388 Cedar Rd.); tickets $20; www.yellowpointdramagroup.org 22, 10am to 1pm, The Cowichan Valley Garden Club’s Annual Plant Sale at St. John’s Anglican Church (486 Jubilee Street, Duncan. cowichanvalleygardenclub.com/2015-springplant-sale 22, 3 to 5pm, Meat Draws, Saturday in the lounge, Ladysmith Legion #171, (621 First Ave., www.rcl171.ca)

19 – 25

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26, 6:30 to 8:30pm, Ladysmith all candidates meeting at Aggie Hall (1110 1st Ave., Ladysmith) 26, 6:30pm, AGM North Cedar Improvement District, North Cedar Fire Hall (2100 Yellow Point Rd.) 27, 11:30am, Soup and Sandwich in the lounge, Ladysmith Legion #171 (621 First Ave).

27, 7pm, Trivia Night with Par 4, Ladysmith Legion #171 (621 First Ave., www.rcl171.ca). B 27, 7pm, “The Lonely – Celebrating The Music of Roy Orbison,” Cowichan Performing Arts Centre; tickets $42.50 (250-748-7529; www. cowichanpac.ca) 28, 7pm to midnight, Island’s Celtic Festival; jigs, slip jigs, slides, hornpipes, reels and aires; Ladysmith Eagles Hall; info Bryan Henderson 250-245-5080 29, 10am to 4pm, Island’s Celtic Festival – Free workshops – Lunchtime impromptu entertainment – Ladysmith Eagles Hall; info Bryan Henderson 250-245-5080

23, 9am, Breakfast in the Hall, Ladysmith Legion #171 (621 First Ave.); $7.00 a place $5 for a small serving; all welcome including children

29, 7pm, Johnny Vallis “man of any voices,” at the Ladysmith Legion #171 (621 First Ave).

Tickets $20 advanced in the lounge. At the Door $25. Show at 8pm. All welcome (www.rcl171.ca).

23, 2:30pm, Nanaimo Concert Band 145th Anniversary Concert at the Port Theatre; tickets $16; call 250-754-8550 to order your tickets or go online www.porttheatre.com

29, 7pm, Island’s Celtic Festival – Concert and Ceili; Ladysmith Aggie Hall; $20 adult & $10 student; info Bryan Henderson 250-245-5080

23–29, “2 Pianos 4 Hands,” Chemainus Festival Theatre, www.chemainusfestival.ca 25,10am, ANZAC Day Commemoration, Ladysmith Legion #171 (621 First Ave., www. rcl171.ca); in the lounge; all welcome 25, 6pm, Ideal Protein Seminar, Ladysmith Pharmasave (441 1st Ave.), 250-245-3113 25, 6pm, AGM Cranberry Fire Protection District, Cranberry Community Hall (1555 Morden Rd., Nanaimo) 25, 7pm, Ladysmith Camera Club, “Contemplative Photography,” with Ron Brandner, Hardwick Hall (High Street at 3rd Ave., Ladysmith; www.LadysmithCameraClub.com) 26, 5 to 7pm, Ready Set Learn event, St. Joseph’s School (9735 Elm St., Chemainus; 250-246-3191)

30 30, “2 Pianos 4 Hands,” Chemainus Festival Theatre, www.chemainusfestival.ca 30, 9am to noon, Island’s Celtic Festival informal sessions; Ladysmith Eagles Hall; info Bryan Henderson 250-245-5080 30, 9am to noon, Pancake Breakfast in the Hall, Ladysmith Legion #171 (621 First Ave.); 30, 2pm, Ladysmith Golf Course AGM, Clubhouse (380 Davis Rd.; 250-245-7313)

1-9, Ladysmith Little Theatre presents “Absolutely! (perhaps) 19, DakhaBrakha, Port Theatre 26, All candidates meeting

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take5.ca

APRIL 2017

FOR SALE

HOME & YARD

BAYVIEW FRAMING & ART. A profitable picture framing business in its 17th year, with continued strong growth. Purchase price includes training.

Contact Wanda or Bruce at 250-245-0011.

NEW LIFE YARDWORK and PAINTING. Lawn mowing, weeding, power washing, rubbish removal, gutter cleaning. Prompt, courteous, reliable service for your home or business. Contact Terry at newlifeyardwork@gmail.com or call 250668-8383.

HOUSE FOR SALE in Ladysmith. $320,000.

House contents also for sale. Please call to view 250-245-8950.

FOR RENT 50 ACRE FARM for rent at S. Wellington, 25 acre hay & pasture, tansy thistle always controlled, two barns available, no house incl., year-round creek and year-round monitoring must cover A.L.R. 250-716-0001.

WANTED VOLUNTEER AND HELP SAVE LIVES. Canadian Blood Services is looking for volunteers in both Ladysmith and Nanaimo. Visit www.blood.ca or contact kate.zealand@blood.ca or 250-418-5086 for details.

BUSINESS MID-ISLAND HOME SUPPORT since 2009.

Personal assistance and house cleaning available. Bondable, licensed, certified and insured for your safety and ours. For the best rates, around, please call 250-924-2273 (CARE).

I CAN EDIT. Copy editing, proofreading, structural editing and more. Web content, books, resumes, documents, prepare eBooks. Fiction or nonfiction.

For more information, email editican@gmail.com.

BARNACLE BILL’S CHARTERS. Fishing, and sightseeing. Call 250-210-0787 or 250-245-4185.

CONCRETE RESULTS. Contracting, full-service forming and finishing, walls, walks, patios, drives.

35 years experience. Call Gord 250-753-4024.

TAKE 5 ads work! 250-245-7015

BEADS BEADS BEADS ETC.! 9752 Willow St., Chemainus. Best prices on the Island. Follow Facebook@etcinchemainus or call 250-324-2227.

EXPERIENCED HOUSE SITTER available for Spring / Summer 2017. References avail.

Prefer long stay. www.peaceofmindhousesitting. wordpress.com. Call Kathleen 250-619-0786.

VIDEO PRODUCTION services, from script to screen, edited and ready to post on YouTube, Facebook or your website. Promotion, training, corporate history. Affordable rates start at $100 set up, $50/hr. editor@take5.ca.

HEALTH & BEAUTY JACLYNN COTTRELL REGISTERED MASSAGE THERAPY. Clinical focus on women’s health. $100 for one hour. $60 for 30 minutes. Available evenings. Located across from Friesen’s on York Rd in Cedar. 778-971-0444.

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 to noon $25/mo. www.nanaimotaichi.org.

Call Sara 250-245-1466.

EASY DOES IT FITNESS.CA. For Beginners and Beyond. Hundreds of exercises at hand.

100% Professionally Supervised. Drop in anytime between 11am and 5pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays for free orientation.

HEARTMATH. The fastest, easiest way to reduce stress! Contact me at www.energyhealingwithjan. com. I would love to be of help.

NEED HELP WITH MARKETING? Give Take 5 a call at 250-245-7015. We publish print and online magazines and books as well as produce short videos for YouTube. We can help you get the attention you deserve.

QUALITY RENOVATIONS. Big or small. 25 yrs exp/journeyman, affordable. For free estimate, call Lars 250-616-1800.

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.

KEEP IT CLEAN SOLUTIONS. Top to bottom service. General, event, windows, we’ll even make your bed! Great for families, seniors, single parents, office cleaning, flexible service to fit your schedule. Email aliciajohnson@telus.net or call Alicia 1-250-709-1364.

TAKE 5 ads work! 250-245-7015 THE HAPPY GARDENER. Weeding, digging, raking, cutting back, etc. I also do odd jobs.

Cheerful and conscientious. Call David 250-6189217.

ISLAND GARDEN SCAPES.CA for all your garden needs, booking now for fall clean up. Call/text/ email islandgardenscapes@gmail.com or 250802-0461.

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.

KB HANDYMAN AND YARDWORKS SERVICES. Minor carpentry work, decks, fences, gutter cleaning, tree pruning, yard clean up, lawn fertilizing, mowing. Senior’s discount. Call Karl at 250-714-2738.

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.

RAISED GARDEN BEDS, railings, wheelchair ramps, decks, benches, woodsheds, greenhouses, painting, carpentry, custom shelving. Enhance your enjoyment of the home and yard you love.

Namaste Home Improvements, 250-245-2751 (see display ad).

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.

TOO CRAZY BIRDY HOTEL. Now three locations: Victoria, Cedar, and Comox Valley. Travel with peace of mind, parrot boarding in loving settings.

Budgies to macaws. $7, $14, $18 for sml, md, lrg. www.toocrazybirdyhotel.com. Diana and Kip 250722-2201.

THE PET NANNY. Let us pamper and love your pets at your home or ours. Experience and references are available. Shanon or Bill at 250924-8809, Ladysmith.

ANIMAL COMMUNICATOR. I provide services to help with behaviour issues, lost animals, messages your animal wants you to hear and much more. Contact me at www.talktotheanimals. ca or 250-246-3394.

SENIORS LYNN’S SENIORS CARE HOME. High quality personalized care. Warm caring environment. Great food and snacks. Family events. Couples and pets welcomed. Ocean views, gardens. North of Ladysmith. www.lynnsseniorcare.com. Call 250-245-3391.

LEAVE A LEGACY. Memoirs, family cookbooks, personal histories, we can help get your project ready to press. Available in print and eBook format.

Professional publishing services for corporate or individuals. editor@take5.ca or phone 250-245-7015.

ATTN: CEDAR & AREA RESIDENTS. We are looking for family histories, photographs, and movies regarding the Cedar and Area communities for a book project celebrating our rural roots as part of Canada 150. Contact editor@take5.ca or 250-245-7015 to book an interview.

VIDEO PRODUCTION services, from script to screen, edited and ready to post on YouTube, Facebook or your website. editor@take5.ca.

TAKE 5

take5.ca

She sells seashells down by the seashore.

The shells she sells are surely seashells.

So if she sells shells on the seashore, I’m sure she sells seashore shells.

— Terry Sullivan

Salish Sea Trust As some of you will be aware, I have had my head down for six months or so, trying to get the Salish Sea recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Just the Canadian waters that is, so it’s only 60 per cent as difficult as getting the whole inland sea on the drawing board.

Though some might say it’s going to be a herculean task to get the U.S. waters onboard in the foreseeable future, so long as certain presidents’ and nonbelievers in the public’s interest remain in office.

Here, though, we believe the Salish Sea deserves recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. And by April 30, we’re expecting to have about 10,000 people agree with us, signing onto our petition, writing letters to MPs and MLAs, and of course, letting their local government’s know what’s good for Canadians and Salish Sea residents.

It would seem that a lot of people — rich, poor, famous and maybe a few infamous souls as well — all agree that the Salish Sea is an ecological, cultural and economic region with global significance. And that it embodies an iconic Canadian identity that embraces respect for diversity amongst people and nature, communities and cultures. It’s just plain common knowledge, right?

And since World Heritage Sites are exceptional places around the world that help protect the common heritage of humankind, then also recognizing the outstanding universal value of the Salish Sea is a good thing. Voila!

Some radicals, who have been writing to us, even believe that it is increasingly evident that our species, humans, need to

be thinking beyond the present and that keeping the ocean healthy, before it spirals down beyond the point of no return, makes sense. I try not to argue with them.

Instead, I talk about a culture that is 10,000 years old. There’s an obligation, I say, as people with conscience, with ethics and values, to recognize and respect a civilization that found a balance with nature — that practiced sustainability millennia before we Europeans discovered the concept. Coast Salish, and the first people of the Salish Sea, have a lot of traditional wisdom we can learn from.

Even the radicals believe that traditional practices and knowledge are a good thing.

And most of the nonbelievers, too. Everyone pretty much concedes that a Salish Sea World Heritage Site would help make our oceans healthy again.

And so I put it to them that we’re on a mission for Canada, for the world, to keep the Salish Sea beautiful and bountiful, to respect the heritage of the First Peoples, to keep our marine areas biodiverse and productive — and to create a future we all share.

Then, by hook or crook, I get them to stand by the seashore. Sometimes I’ll even try to sell them a seashell. Whatever it takes, y’know.

Take a deep breath of the salty sea air!

Look across the waters, past the fishing boats and islands, and take a good look at the mountains, ringing the Salish Sea. Remember the last time you were out on a boat or a ferry, felt the swell and splash

45

of the waves, maybe saw an orca, eagle, maybe a humpback whale?

And here we all are now, and what are we going to do? First off, let’s keep it a paradise and thank our lucky stars we’re here.

This is a pivotal time: our legacy moment, our chance to be heroes, to give a little of ourselves, to make a difference for all humankind, for all time.

And then I slip my business card into their coat pocket and tell them to check out our amazing website, and the website our partners, SeaLegacy, have put

together, y’know the National Geographic photojournalists who travel the world and live just up the road.

Sometimes people just need a little time down by the seashore to remember why they’re here.

For more information email salishseatrust@shaw.ca or visit salishseatrust.ca Laurie Gourlay and Jackie Moad sell Salish seashells down by the Salish Seashore, twisting their tongues and minds in delight over the bestest ways of seeking local solutions to global challenges!