August 2014
villagevibe News and views from the heart of Fernwood
Building community; one pole at a time Soul of Fernwood expressed through painted poles
›› Shannon K. Auringer
I
t may seem interesting or coincidental to those who simply pass through Fernwood: what’s with all the painted poles? Some people traveling on foot stop to inspect the art, finding the one that intrigues them the most. Fingers big and small reach out, touching the smudges created by each deliberate brushstroke. Keen eyes inspect the texture and imagine the intent behind the images. Others simply smile because it made them happy just to see it. Imaginations take flight with ideas of who the artists might be and what inspired them to paint that story. With a quick jaunt around each of the skyscraper-like canvases, new doodles can be seen. Some are not so obvious and are a fun treat when discovered. I have heard the whispers of tourists—a term I use affectionately when referring to nonFernwoodians—who discuss how fun and funky our neighborhood is, with its urban art splashed from border to border. They are right: Fernwood is funky. But is that all that the artwork means? For me, I see our painted poles as more. They are community-building. One day a year our community gets out there and beauties up an otherwise stale piece of necessary hardware. It’s amazing to see people sitting around the poles alone or in groups, putting their creativity out for the world to see. It’s a social day and provides plenty of reason to spark conversation and get to know one’s neighbors. I see our painted poles as screaming out Fernwood’s identity—we are a vibrant community full of colour and difference. We are an “every person” community, tolerant and accepting of our neighbours.
Painted pole at the corner of Fernwood Road and Walnut Street lovingly painted over three days last March. Photo: Mila Czemerys
Our poles include family paintings, dog portraits, political statements, and memorial paintings, showing our diversity. We have a varied range of talent as well, from amateur and children’s art right down to professional art. Our true colours are splashed all over our village, and we are trendsetters, as well. Other communities are catching on to our idea, as its value is apparent. A handful of painted poles have been noticed in Fairfield and even a few in James Bay. Our community art project is of course not just confined to one day a year. Late this past March on the corner of Fernwood and Walnut an artist worked diligently on her painting for about three days. Later in the day chairs in the yard beside the pole would fill up and a private little
pole painting party would begin. Friends sat around laughing, having drinks, and sharing good times. Also, back in October there was a local resident retouching the colours on their Princess Avenue pole. Passer-byers would stop and chat up the artist with small talk, all the while strengthening community bonds. Creation and art appear to be the lifeblood of our little nook here in Victoria. Each painted pole speaks to an aspect of Fernwood life, while hundreds of naked poles still await their turn. The effort and care that goes into each of these poles—not just to initially paint them, but to upkeep them, as well—not only points to our uniqueness and creative drive, but also to how we each care about our community and each other.
Editorial
Feature
Mark Your Calendar
Tragedy of the Common(s) page 2
How do you get around Fernwood? page 4 & 5
Vining Street Party on the Plaza page 6
You are invited to join the Fernwood Pole Painting Project When: Saturday, September 20 from 10am to 2pm Where: Fernwood Square & beyond Free pole painting kits available between September 15 & 19 at 1310 Gladstone Avenue More info available at: fernwoodnrg.ca/events-directory/ fernwood-pole-painting-project/
in this issue To get the Vibe digitally, sign up at fernwoodnrg.ca
editorial:
villagevibe
The Tragedy of the Common(s)
Published by Fernwood Neighbourhood Resource Group Editorial Committee
Lee Herrin Hayley Evans
Matt Takach Mila Czemerys Founding Editor Lisa Helps Contributors
Lee Herrin Mila Czemerys Michael Shamata Laurie Rubin Kimberly Dean
Shannon K. Auringer Kathryn Juricic Kelsey Singbeil Shonna Bell
Art
Mila Czemerys Belfry Theatre Shoshana Frost Mary Jane Crawley Sara Hambree Morgan Leik Images Breeze Photography Production Mila Czemerys Contact us
1310 Gladstone Avenue Victoria, BC V8R 1S1 T 778.410.2497 F 250.381.1509 vibe@fernwoodnrg.ca www.villagevibe.ca To enquire about advertising in the Village Vibe, please contact ads@fernwoodnrg.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 ownership of neighbourhood institutions and assets;
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We are committed to using
›› Lee Herrin This past month, Spring Ridge Common(s), the “garden” at the corner of Chambers Street and Gladstone Avenue in Fernwood failed in its ambition to be an “edible urban oasis.” There is no doubt that edible plants abound at the site. However, these past few months it became more of an oasis for drug dealers, petty criminals and unfortunate addicts and the homeless than it was for neighbourhood residents. Fernwood is a tolerant and welcoming neighbourhood. Most of the immediate neighbours of the Common(s) do not object to people hanging out and relaxing with their friends and neighbours. What they do object to is drug dealers selling hard drugs and intimidating passersby, and others setting up permanent campsites, using the grounds as a toilet, and discarding used needles and rubbish across the site. The neighbours acted in mid-July. Weary of calling the police yet again, and waiting for volunteer crews to maintain the site, they took matters into their own hands and cut it back significantly. Much of the vegetation was removed or cut back to ground level, and the larger trees were pruned up to a height so that everyone— including the neighbours walking through and the police driving by—could see right through the site. According to some immediate neighbours, this has already greatly reduced the undesirable activity on the site, while others object to the rough handling of the “forest.” Spring Ridge Common(s) is owned by the Greater Victoria School District (SD61)
Common or Commons? If you look closely, you can see the wood filler in this 2012 photo. If you go by today, the wood filler has been scraped out. Photo: Mila Czemerys
and is currently leased by Fernwood NRG, but that lease expires September 30th, 2014. When Fernwood NRG agreed to take over the lease in 2010, we agreed in principle with the previous leaseholder “to maintain the site as a permaculture garden” which was to be maintained by volunteers from other organizations. Now, it is apparent that those volunteers have drifted away and cannot be counted on to ensure the site is secure and healthy. It is clear that the status quo is unacceptable and that a change is needed in order to have a safe and healthy place for neighbourhood residents as well as people passing through the site. Fernwood NRG will hold a public meeting in September. The purpose of the meeting will be to seek a broad consensus for necessary changes to the physical structure and ongoing maintenance regime of the Common(s) and a clear mandate from the immediate neighbours for Fernwood NRG to lead that work in consultation with the neighbourhood.
Fernwood NRG is a neighbourhood organization. We know we cannot please all of our neighbours all of the time. However, we cannot be put in a situation where we end up pleasing none of our neighbours all of the time. In the end, if as neighbours we cannot agree on a realistic, functional and feasible future direction for the site, Fernwood NRG will have to let the lease lapse and the School District will be forced to manage it themselves, or find yet another leaseholder, likely from outside the neighbourhood—and that would be a tragedy. Fernwood NRG will host a public meeting at 7pm, Wednesday, September 24th at the Fernwood Community Centre (1240 Gladstone Avenue) for all those who are interested in the future of the Common(s). We will include as many stakeholders as possible and will leaflet immediate neighbours to ensure they are aware of the meeting.
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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our organization and serving our
with a maximum of openness, inclusivity and kindness;
this year. There are so to thank for helping to make the weekend
skills, capacity, self-worth,
›› Mila Czemerys & Kathryn Juricic
We are committed to focusing on the future while preserving our neighbourhood’s heritage and diversity; We are committed to creating neighbourhood places that are vibrant, beautiful, healthy, and alive;
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FernFest were great
We are committed to developing the
and ourselves;
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Fernwood Bites &
fantastic!
and excellence of our neighbours
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Thank you Fernwood many people we’d like
We are committed to governing
neighbourhood democratically
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buzz:
and, most of all, We are committed to having fun!
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This year, Fernwood NRG teamed up with Cook Culture and EAT Magazine to put on the 5th Annual Fernwood Bites. It was wonderful working with their amazing team who added so much to our event. This intimate local food and drink tasting event pleases all who join with its amazing variety of local cuisine, wine, beer, and drink providers. Our gratitude is extended to: 10 Acres
August 2014
Bistro + Farm, Aubergine Specialty Foods, Be Love, Bon Macaron, Bona Vini Wines Co., Cascadia Bakery, Charelli’s Cheese Shop and Delicatessen, Choux Choux Charcuterie, Cook Culture, Discovery Coffee and Yonni’s Doughnuts, Eat Magazine, Hot & Cold Café, Hoyne Brewing Company, Lonetree Cider, Olive the Senses, Origin Bakery, Padella Italian Bistro, Phillips Brewing Company, Renaissance Wine Merchants, Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse, Silk Road Tea, Spinnaker’s Brewpub, Stage Wine Bar, Storied Wine & Spirits, The Fernwood Inn, Wildfire Bakery, and Yates Street Taphouse. Plus, thanks to Garside Signs, Clare Day Flowers, CTV, Kool FM, and CFAX. The 19th Annual FernFest was an incredible expression of Fernwood’s spirit. From the talented performers, creative artisans, Field of Dreamers, and all the Fernwoodians and beyond who came to enjoy the scene, it was a truly magical weekend. Fernwood NRG is appreciative of all the time and energy everyone gives
to make FernFest a unique, free, and celebratory occasion. These events could not happen without all the awesome folks who come out to support their community. Once again, our volunteers went above and beyond to make it happen. We cannot express enough gratitude for all the help. Thank you! FernFest is supported by many in our small neighbourhood here in Fernwood. Special thanks to our event sponsors: Friendly Giant Window & Gutter Cleaning, Ocean Grown Medicinal Society, SOMA Active Health, Larsen Music, Aaronson’s Pharmacy, Aubergine Specialty Foods, STS RX Pharmacy Services, Discovery Coffee, Phillips Brewing Co., Belfry Theatre, Victoria Car Share Co-op, Coast Environmental, The Fernwood Inn, Garside Signs, Lonetree Cider, Paladin Security, Par-T-Perfect, Thrifty Foods, ViVi Therapy (raised $411 for Fernwood NRG at their massage tent!). A big thank you to our media sponsors CTV, Kool FM, and CFAX.
News and views from the heart of Fernwood
buzz:
Belfry Theatre 2014-2015 Season ›› Michael Shamata Seven wild Rez Sisters, two estranged Best Brothers, Vanya and Sonia and Masha (his sisters) and Spike (Masha’s boy toy), one theatre director and one Greek goddess. Plus one Greek god, one Bollywood dancer, one lesson in lighting design and 14 musical theatre triple threats. That’s the Belfry Theatre’s 2014-2015 Season in a nutshell. As you can see, it’s a season about brothers and sisters. And Greek gods, apparently! It is also a season filled with more funny plays than we have seen at the Belfry in a long, long time. These are great plays from Canadian and American writers: Daniel MacIvor, Christopher Durang, Anita Majumdar, Duncan Sheik, David Ives and the great Tomson Highway—award- winners all, on both sides of the border—lots of Tony Awards, Dora Awards, and Chalmers Awards. Some of Canada’s most talented artists will be burning up the stage this season— Tantoo Cardinal (Dances with Wolves), R.H. Thomson, Hawksley Workman, Deborah Williams, Vincent Gale, Celine Stubel (a born and raised Fernwoodian), Amanda Lisman, Brenda Robins—and
Tantoo Cardinal who will star in The Rez Sisters in September 2014. Photo courtesy of Belfry Theatre
more and more and more. Putting a season of plays together is an awful lot like alchemy. There is no real recipe—I try a lot of different ingredients and continually refine the mixture. But it really comes down to magic—when it’s right, it’s right. I feel it in my guts. This season has lots of cool ideas to take away and think about after experiencing the plays. It also offers—my favourite—ways of viewing the world from a different perspective, allowing you to leave the theatre with
a new understanding of certain people and certain situations. But it is all presented within the envelope of comedy. There will be people literally falling in to the aisles with laughter. I guarantee it! And finally—I am going to type it in black and white—this season has sex. Hot and kinky sex in Venus in Fur, budding sexuality in Spring Awakening, and sex embodied in one irresistible young man who can’t seem to keep his clothes on in Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. And that’s especially funny!
buzz:
SOMA Active Health
SOMA Active Health has been providing healthcare in Fernwood since 2010. Photo: Shoshana Frost
Quality healthcare from caring practitioners
›› Kathryn Juricic SOMA Active Health, on Gladstone Avenue and Stanley Street, has been offering health care, treatment, and support for nearly four years. Their services include Registered Massage Therapy, Registered Acupuncture, Physiotherapy, Jin Shin Do, Bodymind Acupressure, and private Pilate’s sessions. SOMA believes a patient benefits most from a holistic approach from talented therapists working together to improve someone’s wellbeing and health. Nicola Campbell and Kelly Ayre, owners and operators who have been in practice for over a decade, have created a comfortable, welcoming, and community based clinic for Fernwoodians and beyond. The ladies at the clinic work hard to bring quality care
www.fernwoodnrg.ca
for you and your neighbourhood. Grateful for the eclectic and welcoming vibe of Fernwood, SOMA strives to reciprocate and embed the spirit of the neighbourhood. At SOMA, you will find a group of supportive therapists who work together to create a cohesive atmosphere in their multi-disciplinary space, nurturing the energy that builds community. Nicola Campbell, co-owner and RMT, notes her favourite part of her job is working with the amazing people who surround her, including patients and the SOMA team. She enjoys the trust and commitment that flows from everyone around her and in turn creates an environment where practitioners are respected and appreciated and patients are welcomed and cared for. SOMA Active Health offers high quality and current health care that is committed to the neighbourhood. More information and online bookings are available at somavictoria.ca.
August 2014
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feature:
How do you get around Fernwood? ›› Kelsey Singbeil
W
hether you’re walking, cycling, skateboarding, bussing, or driving, Fernwood has most of your daily essentials (coffee, food, beer, childcare, haircuts, yoga, tattoos) within easy reach. I ride my bike or walk to the square to meet friends at the Inn, pick up groceries at Aubergine, and check out plays at the Belfry. The village square is an easy jaunt from most areas and the compactness of the neighbourhood is one of its great appeals. It’s easy to leave the car at home. But there’s more to transportation in Fernwood than just walking to the Cornerstone to get your daily cup of joe. Cyclists pass through the square on their way to work, buses deliver students to Victoria High School on Fernwood Road, and restaurant-goers madly try to find a parking space at 7:30pm on Gladstone Avenue. The neighbourhood is home to Fernwoodians, but also a destination or stop along the way home for residents across Victoria. How people move through and around Fernwood impacts its residents and visitors for the better—and sometimes for the worse. For example, the village square is the preferred pass-through for many cyclists and walkers, but their intermingling can cause some awkward moments at sidewalk bottlenecks and crosswalks. And, when residents have to search for a parking spot along a street filled with ticketed cars in residential parking only spaces, it can put a damper on the neighbourhood spirit. But, in general, Fernwoodians have a pretty easy time getting around. The neighborhood is more or less in the middle of Victoria, which means to head downtown, to the beach, or up to the University, it’s likely only a 10 to 15 minute bike ride, 30 minute walk, or short drive. And, if we respect those on foot and on bikes and look for the free parking lots and open parking spaces, getting around Fernwood will only become that much better. To that end, your choice of transportation and route are critical. By car you can find yourself stymied by Fernwood’s many “no through” streets, while cyclists may end up playing hopscotch with busses along Fernwood Road or Haultain Avenue. Here are a few ideas and tips on when to strap on your bike helmet or pick up the car keys to navigate our fair streets and sidewalks.
(Dockyard): The 10 is a community
•
bus, which means it’s small and not that frequent (every 20 or 30 minutes). But it keeps to the main through-roads and the full route takes less than a half hour. 14 VGH – UVic: The 14 is another crossVictoria route with a double-decker bus that shuttles students up to UVic on a regular basis throughout the day. You’ll need to walk over to Richmond or up to Fort Street to catch this bus.
2. Bussing Best choice for: When you don’t want
F R O M H E R E TO T H E R E :
1. Walking
Here are some examples of standard walking times to different locations around Fernwood: • Shelbourne Street and Bay Street to Fernwood Square – 15 minutes • Fernwood Square to Douglas Street and Pandora Avenue – 30 minutes • Haultain Corners to Fernwood Square – 15 minutes • Fernwood Square to Quadra Village (Hillside and Quadra) – 25 minutes
Best choice for: A slow, leisurely journey
TA K E A TO U R O F T H E PA S T (A N D P R E S E N T ):
when you have time to stop and smell the flowers and check out the free piles. Fernwood is relatively flat, so time, not energy, is the key factor here.
The Fernwood Community Association features a heritage walking tour of Fernwood at fernwoodvic.ca/tours.htm.
to pay for parking downtown, at Victoria General Hospital (VGH), or at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Esquimalt. “ N E X T S TO P, P L E A S E ”:
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22 Hillside – VGH: The 22 is a crossVictoria transit journey that hits two malls (Hillside and Tillicum) and four schools (Victoria High, Central, Colquitz, and Spectrum) before delivering you to VGH.
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27 Majestic – Downtown or 28 Gordon Head – Downtown: The 27 and
28 are straight shooters for getting downtown or up to Mackenzie Avenue fairly fast. If you’re near Shelbourne or Pandora, you can catch one of these busses every 10 minutes or so throughout the day. •
10 – Royal Jubilee – CFB Esquimalt
3. Driving Best choice for: Getting out of town and
heading to the lake! Or, helping a friend move, then picking up a yard or two of manure for the veggie patch. If you’re just hanging out in the neighbourhood or heading to the village square, you’re better off walking or biking.
PRIVATE PILATES ACUPUNCTURE PHYSIOTHERAPY MASSAGE THERAPY
ONLINE BOOKING AVAILABLE! 1358 GLADSTONE AVE / 250 590 6612 / SOMAVICTORIA.CA
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villagevibe
August 2014
News and views from the heart of Fernwood
“ I S W E A R T H I S R OA D W E N T T H R O U G H B E F O R E ”:
BIKE L ANE OR A QUIET S T R E E T ?:
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, traffic calming efforts saw a number of streets closed to traffic in Fernwood: • Chambers Street does not run through from Pandora Avenue to Bay Street – you’ll have to turn east at Queens Avenue. • Pembroke Street does not run through across Fernwood Road and features speed bumps from Fernwood Road to Shelbourne Street. • Denman Street runs straight through from Fernwood Road to Shelbourne Street.
Most of Fernwood’s major roads (Shelbourne Street, Pandora Avenue, Bay Street) now sport at least a couple hundred metres of white bike lanes, but you will need to share the road with buses and often-heavy traffic. Fernwood’s quiet back roads offer more enjoyable, if slower, cycling routes. Pembroke Street between Cook Street and Shelbourne Street avoids the hills, while Gladstone Avenue – Chambers Street – Caledonia Avenue is a well-used cycle route to downtown by many Fernwoodians. You can also use Grant Street to cut through to North Park Village on Cook Street behind Victoria High School. Haultain Street is a great east-west connector and delivers you to cycling routes that lead up to the University of Victoria.
CA N I PA R K H E R E?:
Public parking is available in the Victoria High School parking lots on Gladstone Avenue west of Fernwood Road after school hours. “Residential Parking Only” signs mean just that—residents only. The parking patrol knows where you live, so if it’s not on that street, keep driving! Most streets in Fernwood have a range of public parking spaces.
5. Skateboarding 4. Cycling Best choice for: When there isn’t enough
time to walk and arrive on time for dinner at a friend’s house, or you need to head downtown and don’t have change for parking. Also, during every single day in the summer, nothing beats summertime cycling.
Best choice for: When cycling just seems too complicated and walking is too boring. Most of Fernwood’s streets are well enough paved to make for a smooth(ish) ride.
COURT TI M E:
Most summer evenings the basketball court at the Fernwood Community Centre is home to an impromptu, hand-made skate park.
Carole James, MLA VICTORIA–BEACON HILL
Honoured to serve you in our community 1084 Fort Street Victoria, BC V8V 3K4 250-952-4211 Carole.James.MLA@leg.bc.ca www.CaroleJamesMLA.ca
www.fernwoodnrg.ca
August 2014
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mark your calendar:
Vining Street Party on the Plaza Celebrate Community Sunday, September 7, 2014 – 2pm until 9pm Victoria High School Plaza
›› Laurie Rubin Get ready to party! It is the Vining Street Party On the Plaza (VS POP, formerly known as the Vining Street Block Party). Join with the residents of Vining Street as we host the family oriented party for a 7th year. Celebrate our vibrant Fernwoodian Community and raise funds for community projects. VS POP 2014 activities include a giant silent auction, a delicious BBQ, live stage performances, magicians, clowns, stilt-walking, face painting, bumper balls (inflatable soccer) for children 10+ years old, hamster balls for those 10 years and under, hoola hoops, and more. Also, for the first time ever, you are invited to display your products at a unique green and sustainable showcase market. To sponsor, donate, perform, or volunteer, and for more information,
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The Vining Street Party on the Plaza will raise funds for the Learning Disabilities Association of BC’s South Vancouver Island Chapter to support their work with vulnerable children through their reading and writing programs. Photo: Mary Jane Crawley
please contact VS POP Coordinator Laurie Rubin, 250-995-2696, lrubin@shaw.ca. Donated items may be emailed, mailed, or dropped off at #3-1318 Vining Street, Victoria, V8R 1P6. Please note that VS POP is volunteer-driven, receives no outside or government funding, and thrives specifically due to your generosity.
August 2014
Staging the event costs approximately $6,000. Last year’s VS POP raised $16,000. $6,000 of those funds was distributed to the Community Micro Lending Society, Pandora Arts Collective, Fernwood NRG’s food security programs, and Vic High School’s programs for vulnerable students. $4,000 was held in reserve for VS POP 2014. Net proceeds from VS POP 2014 will go to the
Learning Disabilities Association of BC’s South Vancouver Island Chapter to support their work with vulnerable children through their reading and writing programs. Check them out at ldasvi.bc.ca. Please join us to make this year’s 7th Annual VS POP yet another resounding success! You can locate us at facebook. com/Vining.Street.Block.Party.
News and views from the heart of Fernwood
george jay:
Out of School Care for Fernwood kids Starting in September 2014, Fernwood NRG will be providing an Out of School Care program for children from George Jay at the Fernwood Community Centre
›› Shonna Bell Fernwood NRG currently serves families with children from birth to five years old and we are happy to be able to support families further by offering programs for school-aged children. The Fernwood Neighbourhood Out of School Care program will align with our developed child care philosophies which are: Nurture, Respect, and Grow. We believe that the hours after school are a sensitive time for children and a time which is often undervalued. Children have had a long day and need to feel supported. We also understand that parents have had a long day and they need to pick up children who are nurtured.
We believe that children benefit from time spent outdoors and will try to provide opportunities for this each day. We also believe that children need the time and space for imaginative free play, for art, and for physical sports activities. We believe giving children a choice of activities will help them to feel satisfied with what they are doing. We also believe that taking part in community projects, such as our Community Orchard, Fernwood Pole Painting Project, and others will give children a sense of agency. Most importantly, we will provide a space that is safe and inclusive. We will adhere to the safety and policy standards set by the Vancouver Island Health Authority. Our programs have always demonstrated a commitment to inclusion. Children and families with diverse backgrounds and needs have always been welcome. Children requiring extra support participate fully in the daycare program, and have their needs met within the regular group activities and routines through accommodations, modifications, and extra support where necessary. The daily programs will be run by Carina Foran, who moved to Victoria from Montreal just this year. For those parents and children needing support with the
artists aside:
Shonna Bell (above), Fernwood Neighbourhood Out of School Care program coordinator, is looking forward to working with this new group of children. Photo: Mila Czemerys
new French immersion program, you are in luck. Carina founded a registered nonprofit dedicated to youth empowerment in Montreal called Rock Camp for Girls and has also been in three all-girl cover bands. The program will be directed by myself, Shonna Bell. I’ve been the Family Programs Coordinator at Fernwood NRG for 4 years. I have experience in Out of School
Care programs specific to George Jay. The families in this community are as important to me as my own family. We believe that this program will create an important link between families with school-aged children and the community those children will continue to grow up in—a community they can make their own.
buzz:
Body-Mind-Creativity A glance at Pigeonhole ›› Kathryn Juricic
Kimberly and Julian at Templed Mind Studio’s back courtyard. Photo: Sara Hembree, ‘The Grit of It’
Templed Mind is your playground. Come explore, learn, and connect!
›› Kimberly Dean Templed Mind Studio is a community hub which offers quality facilitation for alternative, exploratory, engaging content with a focus on body, mind, and creative expression. Simply put, we like to host opportunities for people to thrive by bringing selfawareness and balance into their own lives. We are celebrating our first year in Fernwood! On Sunday, August 31 (12:00p.m. to 5:00p.m.) we will be hosting
www.fernwoodnrg.ca
an anniversary party with live music by Michael Waters. This event is free and will be the perfect opportunity to get to know our studio facilitators and members of our community. With tremendous support from the Fernwood community, we have upgraded our studio to now offer monthly memberships! This means, all of your favourite classes available for even better prices. Monthly memberships available starting at $90. Subscribe to our newsletter online to receive event updates at templedmind.com or by joining our facebook community at facebook.com/templedmind. Don’t miss out on your opportunity to amplify your life with new discoveries! What’s the balance you’re looking for?
Resting on the outskirts of Fernwood is a new neighbourhood boutique home store, Pigeonhole. Holding ground at Stanley Avenue and Begbie Street, Pigeonhole offers beautiful items and furniture for your home. I spoke with Carey Salvador, shop owner, about her offerings and opening the doors to the community. The grand opening was July 18, 2014 but Carey, her husband, and some close friends have been renovating the space since December, 2013. A lot of hard work has gone into the shop, and it shows. From the reclaimed hardwood floors to all the beautiful pieces inside, this shop is drawing the attention of many. Pigeonhole has a balanced and eclectic mix of new, vintage, and reclaimed items. From woven baskets, Edison inspired light fixtures, sewing goods, handcrafted candles and all types of furniture, there are plenty of items that are sure to catch your eye. Salvador orders direct from all over the world, including England and New York and finds inspiration from Australian designers. Their vintage finds, however, are sourced from Antique Malls and thrift shops on road trips with the family. Their sourcing might range but their vision and inspiration is evident; classic industrial chic pieces that can make any space beautiful. Carey is grateful to be a part of the
Photo: Mila Czemerys
Fernwood community and Pigeonhole fits perfectly into the funky vibrant atmosphere. Her family has recently moved from Vancouver but previous to that she spent ten years living in various places throughout the neighbourhood. She has seen a lot of changes since she first moved but mentioned that “coming back feels like home.” It makes sense for them to feel at home in Fernwood as their pieces will in turn be dispersed throughout the many households in the area. The name Pigeonhole was chosen because it is Salvador’s favourite type of furniture, a multi-shelved compartment. However, it also represents a nesting place. We hope the Salvador’s do just that in their lovely new space in Fernwood. Visit them at 1606 Stanley Avenue. Find out more at pigeonholehomestore.com.
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Scene in Fernwood : FernFest