April 2010 Village Vibe by Fernwood NRG

villagevibe April 2010

News and views from the heart of Fernwood

Haultain Corners: Fernwood’s Hidden Gem South African treats, hot and cold eats, videos, art and more await at F e r n w o o d ’s ‘ o t h e r ’ commercial core

›› Stacey Curtis For those who live a hop, skip and jump from “the square”—the place where hustlers and bustlers congregate Fernwood style— it’s easy to forget about the other centre of things: Haultain Corners, an intersection with its own brand of charm. The highlights of Haultain Corners, where Haultain Street meets Belmont Avenue, are Koffi and Fireside Video, kitty corner and down a store front from one another. “The area is densely populated with young couples,” says Koffi’s managing partner Michael Manhas. When searching for the right location for their business two years back, Manhas and partner Alan Pang concluded that Fernwood was the last neighbourhood remaining for development. “We had a look at the [now] Cornerstone building… this had more of a neighbourhood feel. For Manhas and Pang, giving life to the neighbourhood “made sense”; so much so that, to open, the pair hauled 3500 kg of metal out the former laundromat’s doors. An inflow of customers over my 30 minutes in the shop’s sleek and clean-cut interior proves they were doors well worth opening. Koffi offers the usual modern array of delectable hot and cold beverages and, of note for the approaching summer months, smoothies at a reasonable $4.25. Add a ham and egg sandwich on an English muffin for full-morning energy. As evening approaches and cuddling with your sweetie and a movie creeps onto the agenda, a trip to Fireside Video provides for you. New movies are $4.00 and old movies are a steal at 3 for $3.00 for 3 days. Fireside’s video collection is viewable online (www.firesidevideo.ca)—what a way to avoid those long and lingering movie-store

Clockwise from top left: A sign on the door of the The Ministry of Casual Living alludes to the gallery’s unconventional operating procedures; Haultain Grocery’s classic sign still stands the test of time; cherry trees bloom outside Adams’ Food Fair; a sweater warms a tree trunk outside Koffi.

fights—and the staff does a stand-up job of recommending. Dip into the Fireside freezer for an assortment of intriguing South African foods: Boerewors; Chilli Bites; and Koeksisters, or browse the shelves for Cape Geno Fig Jam, Guava Halves, ancient issues of National Geographic, novels and other

bits and bobs that make this shop eclectic. Stop in at Koffi for pre-movie excitement on a second/last Friday of the month for an open mic or keep tuned to their website (koffihouse.com) for special events. Other Haultain Corners stores include The Ministry of Casual Living, Haultain

Neighbourhood Non-Profit

Feature

Gleanings

Earthfest page 3

How Safe is Fernwood? page 4

April Gardening page 6

Grocery, ALT International, the Leisure Recreation Group, UOMO Modern Barber, Adam’s Food Fair and Haultain Consignments. Whatever your visit to Haultian Corners brings, be sure to add Fireside’s movie-style popcorn in a bucket to the mix.

in this issue To get the Vibe digitally, sign up at fernwoodnrg.ca

villagevibe Published by Fernwood Neighbourhood Resource Group Editor Lee Herrin Founding Editor Lisa Helps Contributors

Lee Herrin Gagan Leekha Amy Cousins Stacey Curtis

Phoebe Ramsay Deryk Houston Margaret Hantiuk

Art

Gagan Leekha Steve Carey Margaret Hantiuk Claire Hutton

Lisa Matthaus Jan Johnson Johanna Henderson

Production

Johanna Henderson Contact us

1240 Gladstone Street Victoria, BC V8T 1G6 T 250.381.1552 F 250.381.1509 vibe@fernwoodnrg.ca www.villagevibe.ca The views expressed in the Village Vibe do not necessarily reflect the views of Fernwood NRG.

declaration of principles & values ›› We are committed to creating a socially, environmentally,

and economically sustainable neighbourhood;

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We are committed to ensuring neighbourhood control or

Editorial:

Citizen engagement ›› Lee Herrin Lately, the City has been going out of its way to promote the idea of citizen engagement and to do consultation with community. In fact, it seems like there has been more public consultation in the past six months than I’ve seen the City do in the past six years. There was a Public Ideas Forum last October, and an online “Ideascale” forum in November, a workbook entitled “Creating an effective public engagement strategy: a workbook to support small group discussions,” and even a Facebook page. The City’s website indicates a Strategy will be coming soon. They’ve also extended a Request for Proposal for a “Public Engagement Strategy Consultant.” Once that person or firm is hired, you can probably expect to be “engaged” a lot more. Another stream of activity down at City Hall is the consultation around Official Community Planning. Again, from the City’s website: “The City of Victoria is updating its Official Community Plan (OCP) to create a powerful vision and detailed plan to ensure that Victoria’s growth and change over the next 30 years is sustainable. The plan sets direction for the city’s growth, urban form, transportation, housing, services and infrastructure.” The process for this, to-date, has been no less elaborate. There were random

surveys on the street in February along with electronic kiosks at gathering places (including the Cornerstone Cafe) where citizens could complete a survey, another community forum on a Saturday in late March, another workbook for groups of citizens to complete, and a further forum in the works for June. Are you exhausted yet from all this participation? If not, the Mayor has asked neighbourhoods to organize a forum for him to attend so that he can talk to citizens and hear about their concerns and ideas. (A meeting has been scheduled for May by the FCA—watch the May Village Vibe for a notice with the time and place). Be sure to attend! All in all, I’m impressed with the effort the City is making to engage and consult with citizens. They have obviously learned

their lesson from experiences like Recreation Renewal (or more recently, the Blue Bridge fiasco), where a failure to be transparent and to broadly consult before jumping to solutions led to an embarrassing climb down for the Council. I’m waiting, though for the other shoe to drop. Citizens, in aggregate, will often want more (services and infrastructure) for less (taxes and fees). All governments are bumping up against the limits of their resources. It might be a good move to get us all involved as governments begin to ask citizens to do more for themselves. Let us know what you think. Did you attend or participate in any of these events? How would you like to be engaged in what’s going on in Fernwood? Drop us a line at engagement@ fernwoodnrg.ca.

Separating the fertile from the flammable in 10 words or less —

Fernwood

Dead Wood

intriguing colour vibrancy belonging safety

dull monochrome quiet isolation emptiness

ownership of neighbourhood institutions and assets;

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We are committed to using our resources prudently and to becoming financially self-reliant;

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We are committed to the creation and support of neighbourhood employment;

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We are committed to engaging the dreams, resources, and talents of our neighbours and to fostering new links between them;

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We are committed to taking action in response to neighbourhood issues, ideas, and initiatives;

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We are committed to governing our organization and serving our neighbourhood democratically with a maximum of openness, inclusivity and kindness;

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We are committed to developing the skills, capacity, self‑worth, and excellence of our neighbours and ourselves;

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We are committed to focusing on the future while preserving our neighbourhood’s heritage and diversity;

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We are committed to creating neighbourhood places that are vibrant, beautiful, healthy, and alive;

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and, most of all, We are committed to having fun!

page 2

Buzz:

Holi Fernwood! ›› Gagan Leehka An overcast sky a few Saturdays ago wasn’t enough keep Holi away from Fernwood. Holi is known as the festival of colors or spring and is celebrated in India by “playing colors” in the streets. Simply put, it’s a giant paint fight that everyone, by default, participates in: whether you are a friend, neighbor or innocent bystander, if you are outside—game on. A group of about 25 Fernwoodians had a blast as bright colors flew and laughter filled the basketball court behind the Community Centre. Everyone, regardless of age, ran around screaming like kids and fully immersed themselves in the freedom that comes with smearing and squirting paint on each other’s clothing, faces and heads rather than the paper or canvas and we are normally confined to. “My experience of Holi in India was bright dyes flying, music and drumming, dancing in the streets, and license to play like a 10-year-old again,” says Lisa Matthaus, one of the Holi Fernwood organizers. “It was such fun there, I had to say yes when Gagan said we should do it here!”

villagevibe April 2010

Paint-covered Holi participants pose for a photo in the aftermath of the celebration in Stevenson Park. Photo: Gagan Leekha.

Although Holi has roots in mythological legends, they have little to do with how it is celebrated today. Holi is a day when everyone is considered equal—regardless of class, age, religion, and especially skin colour—because by the end of the day everyone is looking like some variation of Rainbow Bright. It’s celebrated on the last full moon of winter to welcome the onset of spring and all that comes with it—light, colour, and new beginnings. Traditionally, it was celebrated with natural plant dyes that had medicinal properties that would

protect people from getting sick during the season change. Even though Fernwood didn’t have the clear skies and warmth of the sun that our friends in the East would have had, everyone is already looking forward to next year with anticipation of more people, more sun and hopefully live music and dancing! For more photos from Lisa’s Holi experience in India, visit: http://livingdraftily.typepad.com/ photos/holi_in_hampi/index.html

News and views from the heart of Fernwood

Neighbourhood Non-Profit:

EarthFest 2010 ›› Amy Cousins

The Sierra Club BC presents EarthFest! in partnership with the Victoria Immigrant and Refuge Centre (VIRCS), the Dogwood Initiative, and Fernwood NRG. EarthFest! will be happening Sunday April 25th, in Stevenson Park (behind the Community Centre) from 12-4 p.m., in celebration of Earth Week. EarthFest! is a multicultural community event open to everyone and anyone who would like to come celebrate the Earth, Nature and an Environmental Spirit with music, dancing, food and more! The focus of this event is one of celebration, community, and positive outlook. There are some great bands lined up to play groovy tunes throughout the after-

noon. We’ve got Tambura Rasa coming over from Vancouver, with their electrifying Flamenco, Balkan and Sharqi beats border bashing dance show, and No-Issues, a local band with sweet New Caledonian/ reggae fusion stylings! The rest of the main stage line-up will be filled with great local bands from various cultural styles and dancing rhythms. Tambura Rasa will also be playing at Earthtones, Saturday evening at Sunset Room. Earthtones is a magical organical phantasmical monthly celebration of art and dance! Find them on Facebook for lineups and additional information.

Earth Week Events in Victoria Westshore Earth Day (April 17): Westshore Town Centre, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Hosted

by Climate Action Westshore. Compost Open House for Earth Day (April 22): Beacon Hill Park Maintenance

Yard (at the end of the nursery road), 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Hosted by the city of Victoria, Compost Education Centre and Lifecycles. For more info, visit victoria.ca and click on “What’s New?” Earth Walk (April 24): Starts at the Legislature at 12 p.m. and finishes at Centennial

Square with info tables and music at 4 p.m. Earthtones (April 24): Sunset Room (401 Herald Street), 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. EarthFest (April 25): Stevenson Park in Fernwood 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Hosted by the

If you have any questions, or would like to get involved, please contact Amy Cousins at

Sierra Club BC, VIRCS, Dogwood Initiative and Fernwood NRG.

amyjeancousins@care2.com

A neighbourhood together A personal reflection on Fernwood in the wake of a murder

›› Phoebe Ramsay It was around midnight on Tuesday, March 2nd, when I heard the first gun shot. Of course, I didn’t know it was a gun shot at first. In fact, the thought didn’t even cross my mind—a car backfiring, perhaps, or maybe the bookcase fell over in the apartment downstairs. By then, I was used to hearing late night noise outside my window. But then another loud bang, this time rattling my windows and shaking my bed. Loud voices outside—too loud. I opened my front door and stepped out onto the third floor balcony to see a woman on her cellphone, yelling with panic in her voice, and my downstairs neighbour on his knees, screaming. Someone had kicked in the door of Les Hankel’s first floor apartment and shot him in the face with a rifle. Police. Bright lights. Crime scene tape. Radio static. Confusion. Since that night, a suspect—a teenager—has been apprehended and charged. The police are not releasing information about exactly what occurred or a possible motive, but to me, at least, these details are less important than the simple fact that it happened at all.

www.fernwoodnrg.ca

I could not possibly begin to speak to what Les’s death has meant for his family, his friends and those who knew him, except to wish them strength and express sorrow and empathy as they pick up the pieces and deal with the hole left in their lives. I wish I could talk personally about Les himself, about who he was—and he was, by all accounts, a warm hearted, quiet person, who kept to himself—but I didn’t know Les. I saw him around the neighbourhood from time to time, and exchanged the odd ‘hello’ when we ran into each other in our comings and goings from our apartments. Perhaps you knew him this way too, one of those familiar faces you passed on the street every so often, a small piece of your life seemingly insignificant at the time but now suddenly missing. What I can speak to however, is the way his death has affected me, and the many questions it has raised for me personally; in particular how it has forced me to look critically at how I value and perceive a sense of community. I moved into Fernwood last October, specifically because I wanted to be surrounded by the vibrancy and life I saw here. I was overjoyed when I found the big, sunny apartment at 1260 Pembroke Street just a stone’s throw from Fernwood Square. I was excited to have my very own place, with no roommates, to call my own for the first time in my adult life. I have adored living here for the past six months, and have come to feel a real sense of belonging in

this neighbourhood. I love that I recognize many of the people I pass on the street, if not by name then at least by sight; I love my part time job in the Square, overhearing the local gossip; and I love sitting in the Cornerstone working on papers for school and feeling the happiness radiating from all corners. Les’s killing changed that. My safe and beautiful home which before was my sanctuary now feels violated. Every time I walk past the door to Les’s apartment, a knot grows in my stomach and a feeling of profound sadness settles on my shoulders. My mother’s reaction, when I told her what had happened, was to inform me in no uncertain terms that I should immediately move; preferably back home but a nice quiet street in Fairfield would suffice. However, I do not want to live on a nice, quiet, street in Fairfield. I chose Fernwood as my neighbourhood and I do not want to give up on it because of this one terrible event that was beyond anyone’s control. Deaths, murders, and other uncountable tragedies can happen—and indeed do happen—anywhere and everywhere, and although Fernwood has certainly seen more than its fair share of crime in past years it has become a much safer and healthier place recently. Today, with the crime scene tape wrapped up and police long gone, Les’s apartment is being renovated in readiness for a new tenant and the story has disappeared from the news. The spring flowers are

blooming, new turf has been laid in front of the building, and it is easy to imagine the events of that evening never happened. This bothers me, to think that a life can be cleaned up and swept aside in a few weeks with a fresh coat of paint and a new headline to occupy our minds. It bothers me too, that I was the only person to lay flowers at Les’s door, 5 days after his death. I have, reluctantly, decided to begin again the impossible search for a new and affordable place to live in Fernwood; mainly because my home now feels somehow tainted, but also because I do not want to continue giving my rent cheque to a landlord who to my knowledge, made no gesture, phone calls, or even so much as posted a note after the violent death of one of his tenants. I suppose it is this that bothers me most of all. Although crimes can happen anywhere, Les’s death didn’t happen just anywhere. It happened here, in Fernwood, to one of our own. Les had lived here a long time, was a regular at the Fernwood Inn and a fixture in the neighbourhood. I would like to think that what happened to Les has some significance in the community. I suppose this article is my way of marking his life. There are many people, from so many different walks of life, professions, and ages who live within the neighbourhood we call Fernwood. Most are people just trying to quietly get on with their lives, as Les did; they are our neighbours, the faces we see in the grocery store and on the bus, our tenants, our acquaintances, our friends. We are all part of this community, and we all make up the fabric of this neighbourhood. As Fernwood becomes a more popular destination, as more people move in, and as new much needed businesses open up, I hope that it continues to be the inclusive community which I thought it was, and does not lose the ethic of caring for each other simply because we are neighbours. No matter how well we know one another, how active we may be in the community, whether or not we agree on politics local or global, whether we have just moved in or have been here for years, we are all part of this neighbourhood together. And so was Les.

April 2010

villagevibe page 3

feature:

Is Fernwood safe? ››

Lee Herrin

Is Fernwood safe?

March 9th was not a great day for Fernwood, in terms of public perception. There were two articles in the Times Colonist that day mentioning Fernwood, both reporting on serious crimes that had occurred in the past week. The first article, “Victoria teen arrested in shooting appears in court on murder charge,” discussed the first appearance in court of Andrew Belcourt, 19, accused of murdering Leslie Hankel in an apparent break and enter with the intent to commit robbery at 1260 Pembroke on March 3rd. The second article, “Two girls injured, dozens involved in Fernwood brawl,” described the events of the previous Saturday early morning where a brawl involving nearly 30 teens sent two teenage girls to hospital with head injuries from having been kicked in the head. These are extremely serious crimes— and when the apparent motive behind the crimes is considered, in the first case a small amount of drugs, and in the second, a stolen cell phone—it is very distressing to consider that there are some in our community who value human life so cheaply. It’s also distressing to those of us who have laboured so mightily to repair the fabric of the neighbourhood and to improve its reputation, to consider that in one horrible week much of that effort could be undone. What’s in a name?

The neighbourhood has had a bad name more than once in the past. The Fernwood Neighbourhood Plan from 1994 explored the question of the most universally acceptable name for the neighbourhood. “[The name ‘Fernwood’] continued through the first 60 years of this century, until the area got a ‘bad name’ in the 1960s and 1970s. In the 1974 Neighbourhoods Report, the title of Spring Ridge was suggested…[but the results of the survey] clearly showed that Fernwood was still the name of choice for the large majority of residents.” And, of course, who could forget Monday Magazine’s helpful branding of the neighbourhood as “Funky Junkie Fernwood” in a 2003 article describing the challenges with intravenous drug use that resulted

from a policy at the time of expelling drug offenders from downtown. By August 2004, Monday had changed its tune to “Neighbourhood on the Ridge: Is Fernwood on the verge of something big?” but the damage was done. The neighbourhood continued to deteriorate for another year, until Fernwood NRG bought the Cornerstone building, the George & Dragon sold, and things began to turnaround.

as to make foot patrol useless;…other neighbourhoods are so serene as to make foot patrol unnecessary. The key is to identify neighbourhoods at the tipping point— where the public order is deteriorating but not unreclaimable, where the streets are used frequently but by apprehensive people,

centre was closed (it wasn’t safe behind the community centre on a Friday night). We were working with the City, BC Tel, BC Hydro, Canada Post and the School District to ensure that tagging on public property was painted over as quickly as possible, to minimize the appearance of disorder. But

What makes a safe neighbourhood?

“At the community level, disorder and crime are usually inextricably linked….if a window in a building is broken and is left unrepaired, all the rest of the windows will soon be broken.” So said an article entitled “Broken Windows” in the Atlantic Monthly in March 1982, by Wilson and Kelling. I remember having discussions nearly 10 years ago at board meetings of the Fernwood Community Centre Society (before our name change to Fernwood NRG) and with the Fernwood Healthy Communities Coalition (a coalition of service providers from mental health, addictions, social services, the schools and neighbourhood organizations, etc.) debating what to do about the increase in tagging. We tried a number of responses—we raised funds, donations and contributed our own resources to opening a “youth centre” in a portable building we had sited for the purpose behind the Community Centre itself. We installed a “graffiti wall” behind the Centre, as did Victoria High School on the bleachers behind stadium. We held graffiti and hip hop competitions at the Centre, and punk rock shows in the evenings. Although most of these amenities were well-used, and the events well-attended, the perception was that disorder in the neighbourhood was increasing and was getting more serious. Vandalism increased. Drug dealing became more open. Car break-ins were commonplace. And when the former landowner of 1301 Gladstone raised the rents beyond what was economically viable in a declining neighbourhood, the commercial tenants left as their leases came due and the building slowly emptied. At the end of their article, Wilson and Kelling identified what they saw at the time as the solution—enhanced police presence, especially, foot patrols: “Some neighbourhoods are so demoralized and crime-ridden

Above: Fernwood Square sits empty on a sunny day last summer. Below: the apartment building where Leslie Hankel died on March 3rd.

where a window is likely to be broken at any time, and must quickly be fixed if all are not to be shattered.” But by the time Fernwood residents began actively lobbying the Victoria Police Department for more patrols and an enhanced police presence, it was too late. By that time, the Fernwood Healthy Community Coalition had changed tactics. We were no longer promoting “graffiti walls.” We took the graffiti wall down. The youth

things continued to slide. I remember meeting with the Mayor along with numerous others from the core of the neighbourhood. We argued for higher service levels from the City—we wanted our branches and leaves to be picked up first, not left for last creating bare spots on our boulevards and a mess in the streets; we wanted streetlights that were “cycling” on and off to be replaced; we wanted abandoned furniture and other property collected from the

Denise Savoie

Member of Parliament for Victoria

 : 970 Blanshard Street Victoria, BC V8W 2H3 telephone: 363-3600 e-mail: Savoie.d@parl.gc.ca on the web: www.denisesavoie.ca

Your voice in Ottawa page 4

villagevibe April 2010

News and views from the heart of Fernwood

Eyes on the street

A completely different formulation for ensuring safety in neighbourhoods comes from Jane Jacobs’ classic The Death and Life of Great American Cities, in 1961. She said that “A well used city street is apt to be a safe street. A deserted street is apt to be unsafe.” Later in the same passage, she says “There must be eyes upon the street….The buildings on a street…must be oriented to the street. They cannot turn their backs or blank sides on it and leave it blind.” The core of Fernwood is wonderfully built in that regard—our buildings do face the street with windows that (in good times, at least) help provide the kind of casual surveillance that is so important to safety. A notable exception is the poorly designed Community Centre itself (at 1240 Gladstone Avenue) which presents blank windows to the street and a blank wall to Stevenson Park, detracting from the safety of the neighbourhood. Also, the fact that Victoria High School is a vast expanse of dark, unused space at night does not enhance safety. And further, the road blockages and the pocket parks (Haegert and Gower) which have so defined the neighbourhood, reduce through-traffic at night and provide places for people to gather with little chance of being observed. In 2003 through the summer of 2005, the lack of eyes on the street in Fernwood became a self-reinforcing cycle. As safety declined, fewer people felt safe coming into the neighbourhood. With fewer and fewer customers, the remaining businesses either closed or reduced their hours, ensuring fewer people still had reason to come to the neighbourhood. And in the absence of residents going about their business, the square became a haven for drug deals, complete with shakedowns and assaults. It was this challenge that we responded to when we at Fernwood NRG (then the

Community Centre Society) quietly negotiated with the former landowner to purchase the Cornerstone Building (1301 Gladstone). With the news of that deal, in August 2005, interest rose in the George & Dragon, and when it changed hands soon after, both buildings suddenly were under construction. And with all of the new activity in the core of the neighbourhood, there were suddenly many more people around, and things started to get better. Over the course of the two years, the Fernwood Inn was fully renovated and re-opened, the housing above the Fernwood Inn was upgraded, the upstairs suites of the Cornerstone Building were upgraded into affordable units for families, and the Cornerstone Cafe, Stage and Collective Works opened their doors. Now, from early morning through late at night, the streets are full of life. Has safety improved?

Table 1: 911 calls by call type, 2004 through 2009

Ta b l e 1 : 9 1 1 c a l l s f r o m F e r n w o o d b y c a l l t y p e , 2 0 0 4 t h r o u g h 2 0 0 9

Call Type

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

Decline over the period

Theft Of Vehicle

-74%

Robbery

-71%

Motor Vehicle Incident

250

256

122

-68%

Shots Fired/Heard

-67%

Drugs

107

-64%

Theft

615

572

379

279

249

-60%

Break And Enter

245

209

182

149

190

108

-56%

Drunk In Public

130

134

130

-55%

Threats

-51%

Property

168

129

116

117

-51%

Prowler

-50%

prior to that time are harder to come by. the13part year statistics for 2004 Weapon 14 24 10 But even 13 7 -50% Assault incl. (as Sexual Assault by 99the civic 100 boundaries, 95 67see map) 70 -45% Fernwood defined was54placing over 13 calls Mischief 179 129 115 111 112 99 -45% 911 for over 4,800 for the year. However, that number has steadily declined for th Fight 71 53 44 34 43 41 -42% years to just over 8 calls per day or less than 3,000 in 2009 (see table 1). This rep Impaired Driver 57 51 41 26 31 35 -39% fewer 911 calls from Fernwood. By comparison, 911 calls peaked city-wide in 20 Suspicious Circumstances 375 345 213 216 208 231 -38% only declined 16% since that time (12% since 2004). In short, Fernwood has gott Disturbance 339 268 233 236 237 250 -26% All Other Calls 1,973 2,003 1,678 1,486 1,715 1,534 -22% than other neighbourhoods. Total Calls

4,827

4,513

3,530

3,005

3,268

2,944

-39%

So enough impressions—let’s talk about Figure 1: 911 calls—Fernwood vs. Victoria, 2004-2009 the numbers. The Victoria Police Depart- F i g u r e 1 : 9 1 1 c a l l s f r o m F e r n w o o d v s . V i c t o r i a , 2 0 0 4 t h r o u g h 2 0 0 9 ment changed its tracking system for To be sure, some of these declines are not statistically signiﬁcant (that is to say, they recording 911 calls routed to the police may be more dueFernwood placing fewer 911incalls since 2004 to chance than to any lasting change the environment), but in the in 2004, so statistics prior to that time are overall120 context of safety, all of these declines are meaningful to neighbourhood harder to come by. But even the part year residents. 100 statistics for 2004 show that Fernwood (as It is safe to say that our neighbourhood is safer now than at any point in the past six defined by the civic boundaries) was placing years. However, events in the last month remind us that we must never take our 88 safety 80 over 13 calls per day to 911 for over 4,800 for granted. calls for the year. However, that number has 61 60 ideas on how we can work together as a neighbourhood to improve safety, If you have steadily declined for the past six years to just please drop us a line at safety@fernwoodnrg.ca. A future article will explore further over 8 calls per day or less than 3,000 in 2009 data from 40the Victoria Police Department as it becomes available (Fernwood NRG has a Fernwood (see Table 1). This represents 39% fewer 911 request in the queue), including the data from police reports themselves. 20 calls from Fernwood. By comparison, 911 Victoria/Esquimalt calls peaked city-wide in 2006 and have only 0 declined 16% since that time (12% since 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2004). In short, Fernwood has gotten safer Year faster than other neighbourhoods. And, perhaps more importantly, the decides not to investigate) that a report is any lasting change in the environment), but nature of the calls has changed. The Victoria filed by a police officer indicating whether, in the overall context of safety, all of these declines neighbourhood Police Department’s PRIME (Police Records And, in theperhaps opinion ofmore the offiimportantly, cer, a crime has been the nature of are themeaningful calls has to changed. The Victoria residents. Information Management Environment) Department’s committed. Or, more importantly, what the PRIME (Police Records Information Management Environment) dat is safe to sayatthat neighbourhood database tracks over 100 call types and all over outcome was. For instance, shots heard call callsItare 100 call types anda all incoming coded theour time they are received incoming calls are coded at the time they might turn out to have been a car backfiring. is safer now than at any point in the past an indication of what the person calling may have said and the operator respondi Fernwood six years. However, events in the last month are received. This gives us an indication of Or it might have been a homicide. interpreted. But it also gives an indication as to how the police may have respond never take our safety what the person calling may have said and However, if the number of calls is remind us that we must Victoria/Esquimalt Clearly, a bylaw complaint (noise) would receive a different priority response than the operator responding may have inter- declining, we can judge a certain amount for granted. orrelative a “fight” However, these call statistics don’t tell us anything about preted it. It also gives an indication as to how heard” about the level call. of safety in the neighbecause only after an officer and decides not you have ideas on investigates how we can work(or together the police may have responded to the call. itself, bourhood. Table it1, is showing the decline in Ifresponds investigate) that a report is filed by a police officer indicating whether in the opinio Clearly, a bylaw complaint (noise) would the call rate for the types of calls that are as a neighbourhood to improve safety, please a crime has been committed. more importantly, what the outcome was drop us a line at safety@fernwoodnrg.ca. A future receive a different priority response than officer either most threatening or annoying, speaks Or, willhave explore furtheradata the VictoriaOr it mig a “shots heard” or a “fight” call. However, instance, out to been carfrom backfiring. for itself. a shots heard call might turn article these call statistics don’t tell us anything a homicide. To be sure, some of these declines are Police Department as it becomes available (Fernabout the crime rate itself, because it is only not statistically significant (that is to say, wood NRG has a request in the queue), including if the of calls is declining, judge certain amount abou fromcan police reportsathemselves. after an officer responds and investigates (or However, they may be morenumber due to chance than to the datawe level of safety in the neighbourhood. The following table, showing the decline in t the types of calls that are either most threatening or annoying, speaks for itself. Index (2004=100)

boulevards; we wanted the unsafe playground in Stevenson Park replaced and the park improved and properly maintained; we wanted the streets swept and potholes filled. We organized ourselves to be able to check public spaces for needles and other drug trade garbage and dispose of it safely. But it was all to no avail. Eventually, in 2004, the windows in 1301 Gladstone were broken. Plywood went up. And Fernwood was lost.

Celebrate the sunshine with us! Join us daily from 11:30 1302 Gladstone www.fernwoodnrg.ca

412-2001 April 2010

villagevibe page 5

Artist’s Aside:

Avatars of Vishnu ›› Deryk Houston At the back of Jan Johnson’s s art studio in Sooke, dark shadows and warm bursts of sunlight compete for equal space on the gentle forest floor. Like most artists, Mr. Johnson tries to find meaning and understanding in a world that often seems at odds with humanity. He talks emotionally about having a guardian angel. The forest and his house are a tangled artistic expression of that search, there are mannequins and dolls and shrines all through the back forest. Some of the dolls have broken or missing limbs. Most have been moved and altered by time, by weather and even by animals. There is a fascinating beauty in the cathartic, macabre expressions, which at first glance makes one feel like you have landed on the set for the movie, “Apocalypse Now.” Jan created his first sculpture when he came out on a short leave from his military duty in Vietnam in the late sixties. In ancient times when the mountains and the earth shook and tore apart without explanation, people often sought meaning through the creation of legends and gods. It is no surprise that Jan Johnson sought peace and material for his art in the Hindu legends such as the god Vishnu, known for forgiveness and compassion. Vishnu is also known as the preserver and protector of creation. Vishnu is the

“Churning the Sea of Milk”. Sculpture and photo by Jan Johnson.

avatar and embodiment of mercy and goodness and I feel that might also be a way to describe Jan as well. His studio is jam packed with metal sculptures full of narrative and myths. He takes discarded objects, sometimes found on hillsides near abandoned mines and some things are dropped off at his studio by friends. He then uses these discarded objects in a disjointed way to form a practical, functioning base or sometimes it is used in the very heart of each piece. A steel, rusted shovel might become a mask and a rust encrusted chain becomes the hair. Jan often uses old machine parts such as cogs and chains, further embracing the idea of Vishnu’s cosmic order. Sometimes the broken machines are turned into new and perhaps more whimsical “art” machines. It is interesting to hand crank

the welded, steel figures, which rotate in a smooth, repetitive, predictable motion around a circular chain system. Jan’s sculpture, “Churning the Sea of Milk,” depicts the Hindu myth where the gods and demons have been churning the sea of milk in an effort to produce an elixir that would make them immortal and incorruptible. Their efforts are exhausting and it gets them nowhere until the gods ask Vishnu for help. They are instructed to work together and keep churning. Eventually their efforts are rewarded in more ways than they ever expected. The story has many interpretations, including being a metaphor for creation of matter and the cosmos out of the primordial sea of energy. Jan’s work can be interpreted in many ways and on many levels. It is a real pleasure to watch both children and adults interact

Garden Gleanings:

Stars in the April Garden

April Gardening ›› Margaret Hantiuk April is when we really get busy. Weeds have had a head start this year with the warm weather; it pays to get the heavy invaders early before they seed and spread. (Beekeepers do remind us that a few dandelions here and there are wonderful forage, as most hybridized flower cultivars do not have pollen. Do remember to plant some native and heritage flower species and shrubs for our friendly bees). In the veggie garden, cover crops like fall rye should be dug in, wait 2 weeks, then dug again to avoid a crop. Lime parts of your veggie garden: NOT blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, potatoes, and tomatoes. (These benefit from acidic leaf mulch). Lime your lawn if you haven’t already, and start cutting it regularly, not too short and leaving the clippings as mulch. If you

have bare spots in your lawn, overseed now on a bed of fine compost. Fine compost can be sprinkled on your lawn as fertilizer too. It’s time to get the hoses, sprinklers and irrigation systems ready, in case dry weather comes up. Check all trellises and supports, and begin staking the peonies and such perennials before it is difficult. Hedges can be sheared, heathers as well—but not into old wood or the old stems (though laurels can be cut into old wood and still ‘break out’ anywhere.) Continue pruning roses, and late blooming (from June on) shrubs. Prune back spring blooming shrubs after blossom drop: take out old wood to the ground if rejuvenation is needed, or just cut back the flowering wood. Dead, diseased and damaged wood can be cut back anytime. It’s still too early for tender veggies (corn, tomatoes, squash, peppers, eggplant, cukes and beans, except broad) and tender

with his work which encourages touch and interaction. Many artists and patrons have been deeply affected by Jan Johnson’s back woods project and steel sculptures. Painters, print makers and photographers discover new meaning in their creativity as they churn their personal histories into the shadows and light. Marnie Miiler is one such artist, and her photographs have been capturing ghost like images that she discovered hiding among the twisted roots, branches and wet moss. Miriam Mulhall is another thoughtful photographer who has been capturing images of Jan’s work over a long period of time and she will be presenting her work with several pieces of Jan’s work at an upcoming spring exhibition at the Collective Works Gallery in Fernwood.

Ornamental Trees: maples, arbutus,

redbud (cercis), crabapple (malus), prunus serrulata (flowering cherry), flowering pear (pyrus), magnolias flowers (most annuals except sweet peas, nasturtiums). They can be started indoors or in coldframes and greenhouses. All other veggies can be planted into the garden now. If you are using transplants from a greenhouse, remember to ‘harden’ them off by putting them out in the daytime, and bringing them in at night for a few days, then planting them out. It’s time to spread your compost, old manure, coffee grounds, leaf mulch or organic fertilizers about, but don’t smother the crown of plants or build a ‘volcano’ around your trees’ trunks. Rather build a ‘well’ as the drip line (the edge of the above canopy where the shrub/tree’s feeder roots are active) is where mulch and watering is most useful. Avoid digging and hoeing around these roots and don’t place heavy objects or paving stones over the root zone.

Ornamental Shrubs: chokecherry

(aronia), aucuba, berberis, camellia, fothergilla, kerria, leucothoe, osmanthus delavayi, shrubby cinquefoil (potentilla), rhodos, skimmia, spirea ‘arguta’ and thunbergii, viburnum carlesii. v.davidii, v. tinus. agnolias (M. stellata, M. Kobus, M. x loebneri); flowering plums (Prunus cerasifera, P. x blireana); flowering cherries (Prunus pendula, P. sargentii, P. X subhirtella, P. x yedoensis) P e re n n i a l s : ajuga, br unnera,

lily-of-the-valley, bleeding heart, epimedium, erigon, wallflowers), euphorbia, candytuft, lithadora, phlox, potentilla, primula, saxifrage, tierrella. Bulbs: anemone, camas, erythro-

nium, fritillaria, bluebells, early Dutch Iris, late daffodils, renunculus, trilliums, tulips. Groundcovers: ajuga, kinnikinnick,

sweet woodruff, sedum, spurge, flowering strawberry Vines: Clematis (alpina and macrop-

etala varieties)

page 6

villagevibe April 2010

News and views from the heart of Fernwood

What’s on in Fernwood: April Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday Storytime 9:30am

LOL@Laughterama 10:00-11:00am @ Orange Hall

Parent & Tot Playgroup 9:30-11:30am

Parent & Babe Playgroup 9:30-11:30am

Hatha Yoga 3:30-5:00pm

Bluegrass Jams 7:30-10:00pm

LOL@Laughterama 10:00-11:00am @ Orange Hall

Seniors’ Exercise, Lunch and Activities 11:00am-2:00pm

Walking Group 10:00am start @ Fernwood Square

Parent & Tot Playgroup 9:30-11:30am

Fernwood Youth Fridays 7:00-9:30pm

Work party 3:00pm @ Springridge Commons.

Drop-In Karate 1:00-2:30pm Drop-In Hatha Yoga 3:00-4:30pm Drop-In Soccer 5:00-6:30pm Victoria Folk Music Society Open Stage 7:00pm @ Norway House

Kundalini Yoga 5:45-7:00pm LifeRing Secular Recovery 7:30-8:45pm Nuu-Chah-Nuth Drum Group 8:30-10:30pm

Drop-In Co-Ed Hockey 7:00-9:30pm

Food Security Collective Meeting 7:00-9:00pm

Open Mic 8:30-11:30pm @ the Fernwood Inn.

Victoria Bluegrass Association Jam 7:30-10:00pm @ Orange Hall

Sunday Storytime 9:30am

LOL@Laughterama 10:00-11:00am @ Orange Hall

Parent & Tot Playgroup 9:30-11:30am

Parent & Babe Playgroup 9:30-11:30am

Hatha Yoga 3:30-5:00pm

Bluegrass Jams 7:30-10:00pm

LOL@Laughterama 10:00-11:00am @ Orange Hall

Seniors’ Exercise, Lunch and Activities 11:00am-2:00pm

Work party 3:00pm @ Springridge Commons.

Parent & Tot Playgroup 9:30-11:30am

Fernwood Youth Fridays 7:00-9:30pm

Drop-In Karate 1:00-2:30pm Drop-In Hatha Yoga 3:00-4:30pm Drop-In Soccer 5:00-6:30pm Victoria Folk Music Society Open Stage 7:00pm @ Norway House

Kundalini Yoga 5:45-7:00pm LifeRing Secular Recovery 7:30-8:45pm Nuu-Chah-Nuth Drum Group 8:30-10:30pm

Drop-In Co-Ed Hockey 7:00-9:30pm

Victoria Bluegrass Association Jam 7:30-10:00pm @ Orange Hall

Where’s that event?

Open Mic 8:30-11:30pm @ the Fernwood Inn.

Fernwood NRG 1240 Gladstone Ave.

Fernwood Inn 1302 Gladstone Ave.

Cornerstone Cafe 1301 Gladstone Ave.

Orange Hall 1620 Fernwood Rd.

Belfry Theatre 1291 Gladstone Ave.

Norway House 1110 Hillside Ave.

1 May

Sunday Storytime 9:30am

LOL@Laughterama 10:00-11:00am @ Orange Hall

Parent & Tot Playgroup 9:30-11:30am

Parent & Babe Playgroup 9:30-11:30am

Hatha Yoga 3:30-5:00pm

Bluegrass Jams 7:30-10:00pm

LOL@Laughterama 10:00-11:00am @ Orange Hall

Seniors’ Exercise, Lunch and Activities 11:00am-2:00pm

Walking Group 10:00am start @ Fernwood Square

Parent & Tot Playgroup 9:30-11:30am

Fernwood Youth Fridays 7:00-9:30pm

Work party 3:00pm @ Springridge Commons.

Drop-In Karate 1:00-2:30pm Drop-In Hatha Yoga 3:00-4:30pm Drop-In Soccer 5:00-6:30pm Victoria Folk Music Society Open Stage 7:00pm @ Norway House

Kundalini Yoga 5:45-7:00pm LifeRing Secular Recovery 7:30-8:45pm Nuu-Chah-Nuth Drum Group 8:30-10:30pm

Drop-In Co-Ed Hockey 7:00-9:30pm

Victoria Bluegrass Association Jam 7:30-10:00pm @ Orange Hall

Open Mic 8:30-11:30pm @ the Fernwood Inn.

Sunday Storytime 9:30am

Laughter Yoga 10:00-11:00am @ Orange Hall

Parent & Tot Playgroup 9:30-11:30am

Parent & Babe Playgroup 9:30-11:30am

Parent & Tot Playgroup 9:30-11:30am

Hatha Yoga 3:30-5:00pm

Bluegrass Jams 7:30-10:00pm

Drop-In Co-Ed Hockey 7:00-9:30pm

Seniors’ Exercise, Lunch and Activities 11:00am-2:00pm

Work party 3:00pm @ Springridge Commons.

Drop-In Karate 1:00-2:30pm Drop-In Hatha Yoga 3:00-4:30pm Drop-In Soccer 5:00-6:30pm Victoria Folk Music Society Open Stage 7:00pm @ Norway House

Kundalini Yoga 5:45-7:00pm LifeRing Secular Recovery 7:30-8:45pm Nuu-Chah-Nuth Drum Group 8:30-10:30pm

Drop-In Co-Ed Hockey 7:00-9:30pm Victoria Bluegrass Association Jam 7:30-10:00pm @ Orange Hall

Open Mic 8:30-11:30pm @ the Fernwood Inn.

Fernwood Youth Fridays 7:00-9:30pm All’s Well 7:00-9:00pm

Like the work of Fernwood NRG? Go to CanadaHelps.org and make a donation.

www.fernwoodnrg.ca

April 2010

villagevibe page 7

Scene in Fernwood : Holi