villagevibe February 2010
News and views from the heart of Fernwood
Where the Blood Mixes: The Perfect Blend Award-winning play makes stop in Victoria during national tour
›› St a c e y Cu r t i s In a perfect combination of humour and heartache, Where the Blood Mixes tells the story of a shared past full of painful events and a present of unprocessed grief. It opens with a couple of long-time (since childhood) friends and drinking buddies: Mooch (Ben Cardinal), who continually steals from his wife, June (Margo Kane), to pay his bar tab; and Floyd (Billy Merasty), whose daughter, Christine (Kim Harvey), was taken from him by social workers as a young child. It then adds a dash of bartender, George (Tom McBeath), whose acting is so on point I nearly stood and requested a drink myself. It is not McBeath’s acting alone that is so harmoniously believable. Each cast member holds their place. In true Fernwood style, it is a community of characters on stage, where each member shares the weight equally for producing a well-balanced play. In this cast, there is no weakest link and the male-female energy is equally charged. The play is 90 minutes, sans intermission. The time soars by like a chinook. The action is accompanied by the musical soundings of
Top: Billy Merasty, Tom McBeath, Ben Cardinal, Jason Burnstick; Right: Kim Harvey, Billy Merasty; Left: Kim Harvey, Margo Kane, Ben Cardinal. Photos by David Cooper.
Juno-award nominee and CAMA Award winner Jason Burnstick, who plays the weissenborn and lap slides, which, he claims, “may be his final musical resting place.” The script is simple, with dialogue that is real and relaxed. Within minutes of the play’s beginning the history of relationships between characters is evident. Both the complexity of human beings and the simplicity of small truths are touched upon throughout. These elements weave in and out of one another like the currents of the river, a character all of its own in Where the Blood Mixes, whose importance is reinforced by the play’s flowing stage design. The story’s humour glows in characters whose outward appearance of dysfunction is obvious to them and is yet no match for the love and loyalty that binds them. When Floyd’s long-lost daughter returns, he
dresses in all black to spiff himself up and impress this city girl. “You look like a bum going to a funeral,” Mooch tells him (my paraphrase). In this play, where friends are like family and family—and history—are like sicknesses we cannot release, it is not
Neighbourhood Non-Profit
Feature
Gleanings
Fernwood Art Stroll page 3
Eat lean and local page 4
February gardening page 6
from those around them that the characters try to hide, but from themselves. Through tomfoolery, music, brawls and fishing tales, humour and acceptance triumph over all things dreary. Where the Blood Mixes runs at the Belfry until February 21, 2010.
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villagevibe Published by Fernwood Neighbourhood Resource Group Editor Lee Herrin Founding Editor Lisa Helps Contributors
Stacey Curtis Lee Herrin Johanna Henderson Brian Tucker Margaret Hantiuk Deryk Houston Art
Johanna Henderson Deryk Houston Steve Carey Production
Ellen Rooney 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 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!
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Editorial:
Predictions ›› Le e He r r i n As I write this, I haven’t yet received any correspondence from you related to last month’s editorial “Fernwood is ready.” Perhaps you don’t have any predictions for what the future will bring; or perhaps you’ve given up trying to figure out what will come next in this wide, wild world of ours. Personally, I don’t try to predict specific events—who knew we’d be busy raising funds for Haiti in January 2010? But I do look at long term trends and extrapolate what we’re likely to see more of, and what we’re likely to see less of. Then I try to figure out what we need to do to prepare ourselves. So what do I think we’ll see more of? Unfortunately, I think things are going to get worse before they get better. I think
we’ll see higher prices for food and fuel, higher unemployment, more bankruptcies and business collapses, and an increasing inability of the senior levels of government to stabilize or improve the economy. In short, essentials will cost more, many of us will be less able to afford them, and the political level will talk a good line but ultimately do little to help. In fact, they may do (and are doing, in my opinion) a great deal to make things worse. Oh, and the mainstream media will tell you everything is fine. And what do I think we’ll see less of? There will be less excess money sloshing around the system, that’s for sure. There will be fewer excessively large houses, and fewer excessively large vehicles. In fact, there will probably be fewer vehicles period. There will be less aspirational consumption— fewer vacations, retreats, and less desire for
“luxury” goods or the “latest” technology. In short, we’ll see an increased emphasis on self-reliance and living within one’s means. There will be more shared accommodations and smaller living spaces. There will be more car-sharing, cycling, and walking, and hopefully better fitness as a result. We’ll see an increasing desire for people to be able to meet their needs within a few blocks walk. We’ll need to cooperate more and find better structures to organize ourselves and make decisions about our collective future. We’ll need to educate ourselves in practical skills and find the most productive uses of the resources we do have. All of which sounds like Fernwood to me … OK, so now you know what I think. What do you think? Drop us a line at 2010@fernwoodnrg.ca to let us know what you’re preparing for.
Buzz:
Cornerstone Café events Here are some notes about what’s happening in and around the Cornerstone Café this month: The Cornerstone Café we will be launching a new monthly event: On the first Friday of each month (February 5, and March 5, etc.) you can come down and quench your creative thirst at the “All’s Well” night market and art jam. The event will start at 7:00 p.m. and will be both a venue for local artisans to show and sell their crafts, as well as a music and art jam. Bring an instrument, some paint pens, a bag of old fabric, etc. and together, we will make bucketfuls of fun art. For vendors: tables are FREE, but small. Please keep the size of the space in mind when packing your show. Also continuing on the third Friday of each month is “A Shot in the Dark” open mic night (February 19). The Bumbling Sisters, Sarah and Megan, host a wide variety of local talent who will be rewarded for their bravery with a complimentary coffee. Come in and try out that new number one in one of the friendliest rooms in the city. The second and fourth Fridays (February 12 and 26) continue to bubble with the dubstep and glitch beats of the “Sound Spa”. This night of dub step and glitch hop, hosted by resident DJ Nate and featuring different guests each Spa, is a fun way to kick off the weekend and dance your bass off. For those out there who prefer the spoken word, there’s always “Yarns” on Sunday mornings. Come by around 9:30 a.m. to grab a drink and a seat; stories get started around 10:00 a.m. On the walls this month, the artwork of Logan Ford and Cam Kidd. Come check out the artistic scenery—it changes monthly! A warm welcome to Fiona and Michael who will be joining our team behind the bar and a bon voyage to Hanna, Kayliah, and Kirsty who have left or are leaving to answer the siren-song of wanderlust (they’re going traveling). A fond farewell as well to Maia (Roxy), who is moving on as well.
villagevibe February 2010
Wednesday nights at the Cornerstone feature Bluegrass Jams. See Calendar (page 7) for details.
Don’t forget that nothing says love like a hot...beverage. With a Cornerstone Café gift card, your sweetie will keep coming back for more!! A non-profit society called “Boarders Without Borders” is asking for donations of used skateboard equipment and accessories to be dropped off at the Café. All the goods will make their way to Columbia in July when the co-founders of the society, Steve Garman and Andrew Marchand will head down there to help build a skatepark and run a skatecamp for the locals. Check out www.boarderswithoutborders.org for more info. The Café’s magazine collection is getting stale. If you would like to bring in a FEW issues of some quality magazines for our lobby, they will surely get well read here. Please, no trash. Yes- HOBO, BITCH, AdBusters, Walrus, Utne Reader, Dwell, Architectural
Digest, The Economist, The New Yorker, Scientific American, etc. No- Macleans, Better Homes and Gardens, Cosmo, Microwave Miracles, B.C. Sportsman, etc. How much do you love books? And does your love of Fernwood come close to or equal this love? We are looking for a volunteer librarian to start and maintain a “Sharing Library” at the Café. If you are a Fernwood resident who would be willing to give 1 or 2 hours a week to the up-keep of a constantly changing collection of amazing books right in the living room of Fernwood (the Café), please e-mail cornerstone@fernwoodnrg.ca or, better still come in and ask for Howie. We will also be needing some books to prime this project, but please, don’t be offended if we turn down some donations; our space is limited and will be reserved for books that people will actually want to read.
News and views from the heart of Fernwood
Fernwood from my vantage point: peaking into a borderless community ›› Br i a n Tu c k e r The following was written as a submission for a University of Victoria class titled Urban Social Geography and Planning. The assignment was to conduct an urban participant observation. No direct research contributed to the writing assignment and all observations were made one quiet Thursday afternoon in October. In times gone by, plumes of pollution wafted over the working-class neighbourhood of Fernwood. The factory workers and tradesmen, and their families, thankful enough to have a home of their own, may have thought little of the dirty air and the noise of industry. In times gone by, boarded up homes in the neighborhood housed heroin dealers and users, bohemian starving artists, and young families with few choices. During these times, despite the presence of the Belfry theatre and George and Dragon pub, non-residents often felt unsafe walking the streets alone. As I sit at the corner of Fernwood and Gladstone, a Cornerstone Café Americano by my side, so little of this can still be seen, and heard, and smelled in the air. The black smoke and rough characters of the neighbourhood in its infancy has all but been erased from Fernwood’s collective memory. Well, this may be an exaggeration, but those memories are buried deep beneath the soil of Fernwood’s boulevard gardens and hidden behind the painted exterior of the Fernwood Inn. Growing forth from Fernwood Square appears to be a borderless community, one defined by openness, acceptance, tolerance and inclusion. Fernwood has traversed a similar trajectory to that of many gentrified North American neighbourhoods. What may differentiate it though is that while the streets are cleaner and many of the ruffians have moved on, the working-class communitymindedness and spirit of the starving artist has prevailed and survived. Yes, the gallery
and boutique have moved in, but the gallery continues to sell five dollar beaded bracelets, the boutique specializes in locally made dainty dresses, and they both share a pedestrian-only area with a piercing salon and Caribbean curry shack. These shops, along with a family-run corner store, a dentist’s office, and a humble café (the second on the block) occupy the west side of Fernwood Square, the east side is occupied by the historic Belfry Theatre, and in between exists a covered gazebo, several park benches, numerous official and unofficial bike racks, and a community notice board plastered with posters, work wanted ads, and lost pet postings. The renewed cleanliness of the square (and surrounding streets) has brought in middle-class money yet, as mentioned, the working-class have not abandoned the neighbourhood that was traditionally theirs. Evidence of this has walked by me countless times as I have sat, sipped at my coffee, and carefully observed. I have situated myself just after 2:00 p.m. on a weekday. The square has been relatively quiet, though by no means absent of activity. Visitors to the square and the café in front of which I sit have represented many age groups, several economic classes, and evidently many diverging worldviews and ways of being. Those clad in natu-
rally-ripped denim and heavily tattooed have comfortably co-existed with stroller pushing grandparents and their preschool aged grandchildren, and a shopping-cartpushing transient: as welcome in the square as anyone else. Not only have these representatives from seemingly disparate demographics comfortably coexisted, but I have also witnessed them sharing laughter and conversation. In fact, the utter lack of conflict that I have witnessed has been the phenomenon that has most overwhelmed my experience during my stay. Choosing to define what I am observing as a ‘borderless community’ is meant to pay reference to the presence of those previously mentioned, and to many others as well: to the two preteen girls dressed funky beyond their years busily crossing the street from the square to the café, then with carrot cake in hand, from the café back to the square; to the heavily pierced and not-so-pierced high school kids flowing down Fernwood Road from Vic High; to the dog owners and their dogs, including the café manager whose unleashed dog trails behind his every step, stopping (upon command) at the crosswalk; to the pedestrians, skateboarders, electric and non-electric wheelchair operators, motorists, and most predominantly, the cyclists, none of which appear to be in a hurry to get anywhere fast.
Separating the fertile from the flammable in 20 words or less —
Fernwood
Dead Wood
presence of art boulevard gardens borderless sharing laughter funky beyond their years
aspirational consumption boarded-up buildings insular conflict conforming
The sense of being in a borderless community is about more than just the people. It is about who the people are, what they want to communicate, and how those messages are communicated in the space itself. From my immediate vantage point I see a phone pole with clearly scrawled white painted lettering asking politely: “Please enjoy your smoke elsewhere …ThankYou.” This distinct inclusion of polite yet assertive language contrasts starkly with the exclusionary no-smoking symbol found in so many places elsewhere in our city, a symbol we are all so familiar with. This language perpetuates further the notion that all are welcome here, and that everyone’s experience is valued. A little further in the distance, I see another pole with a brightly painted flower apparently growing out of the concrete in which it stands. This is representative of a neighbourhood project that aims to bring the presence of art and the involvement of children into the neighbourhood. This project was initiated by the community, and while the city has not objected to it, the credit for it belongs to the neighbourhood’s residents for helping to shape their community as they wish it to be. The spirit of a ‘borderless’, or inclusive, community can yet again be seen in the previously-mentioned notice board and gazebo located in the middle of the square. These areas are structures that bring people together and allow for a sharing of life amongst neighbours. I was not here to witness the billowing industrial smoke, nor the boarded-up homes of heroin users, though I have been in Victoria long enough to hear some of the stories. I live in Fernwood now and have done so for most of the last year. Fernwood from my vantage point is ‘real’ space, space created organically over time and communicated through the authentic interactions of people. The experience is not pretentious nor is it striving to be something other than that which it is. And what it is, has proven to be alright by me.
Neighbourhood Non-Profit:
2010 Fernwood Art Stroll The Fernwood Art Stroll is a two-day event that coincides with FernFest, our annual neighbourhood festival, which happens around the summer solstice in late June.
This event attracts people from all across the city The Art Stroll is a self-guided tour presented by participating artists and artisans. We open our studios to show our work and sell it to interested people. We advertise this studio tour all over the city. Many interested Fernwoodians tour our studios and get to know their neighbours and neighbourhood better. This event also attracts people from www.fernwoodnrg.ca
all across the city and even tourists from out of town have come into our studios and enjoyed our community too. Call to artisans: We are now meeting to plan the upcoming 2010 Art Stroll. It is not juried and open to any artists/artisans whose studio is in Fernwood. (We use the larger neighbourhood borders: Cook st., Hillside, Shelbourne and Pandora). Participants must also be willing to work on a committee level as we put this on ourselves. The entry cost this year has been set at $50.00, which is due in January. This will cover the cost of our brochure (with a map of all the participating studios, list of these addresses and thumbnail photo of the artist’s work). As well, this year we have booked the Fernwood Inn for a group
show in the month of June, with an opening booked for Sunday afternoon, June 6th. For more information and for upcom-
ing meetings, please contact: Margaret Hantiuk at mmhantiuk@shaw.ca or 250595-1684.
February 2010
villagevibe page 3
feature:
Eat local and lean! Tips from the David Suzuki Foundation on eating close, staying healthy and saving the world.
O
ur current industrialised food system consumes enormous amounts of fossil fuels, water and topsoil each year, and contributes to many forms of environmental degradation. Impacts range from air and water pollution to the loss of biodiversity and soil. The Union of Concerned Scientists study, which our work is based on, concluded that food is second only to transportation as a source of environmental problems. Our decisions about food have important environmental implications. Food consumption can be broken down into two main classes: meat and poultry; and fruits, vegetables and grains. Each has different and varying impacts on nature.
through the use of arable land for fodder crops. In Canada, livestock numbers have increased over the last five years for cattle (4.4%), pigs (26.4%), chickens (23.4%) and sheep (46%). This astonishing growth in livestock means that the production of cereal crops raised for feed must increase. This only increases the burden on land and water. Erosion is one of the greatest problems facing land resources today. It’s been estimated that only 6 to 8 inches of topsoil separate much of the world from starvation. Erosion disperses toxic chemicals such as heavy metals and pesticides contained in the soil, which further contaminates the air and water that leads to health problems. Globally the demand for meat is growing. This is due to increasing populations but also to the fact that per capita consumption of meat is growing. To satisfy this demand, livestock operations have changed substantially in the last 40 years. Giant livestock feedlots, or “factory farms”, housing hundreds of thousands of pigs, chickens or cows, create huge amounts of manure that must be stored or treated. This is in contrast to the role livestock had in traditional farms where their manure helped build the fertility of the soil. With factory farms, the manure output overwhelms the capacity of local croplands to absorb it.
Choose at least one day a week to eat meat-free meals in your household.
Environmental Impacts Meat and Poultry
Most of the world’s water is used for agriculture. However, production and processing of meat requires a disproportionate amount of water compared to any other form of food production. Industrial-scale feedlots can house hundreds of animals, thereby creating enormous pressure on local water supplies. According to our calculations, water used for meat production and processing accounts for 14% of the environmental impacts the average Canadian household has on aquatic habitat. (See The Science of the Challenge for these calculations.) In arid regions, livestock competes against humans for water. The second greatest impact of meat production is on land. Meat production is the world’s largest user of land, for pastures and page 4
villagevibe February 2010
Improperly stored manure can result in the release of a variety of contaminants leaching into aquifers or running into nearby streams—putting at risk drinking water sources of nearby communities and fish habitat. Contaminants range from nutrients like nitrogen and phosphates to pathogens and veterinary drugs, including antibiotics. Livestock operations contribute a disproportionate share of the pollutants entering the environment from the agricultural sector. For example, producing one pound of red meat results in almost 18% more non-toxic water pollution and 5% more toxic water pollution than producing a pound of pasta. Non-toxic pollutants related to red meat production include phosphates and nitrates that leach into aquifers or run-off into streams from improperly stored manure. The toxic pollution results primarily from chemicals used to produce feed grains. In one analyst’s view, animal production has become so intensive that these feed lots can no longer be considered agriculture but should be treated as meat factories with inputs of raw materials and outputs of animal product and waste. The amount of excess waste produced at these factories can’t be applied to fields in an environmentally safe manner so a common result is runoffs and spills to surrounding
ecosystems. Containing both animal and chemical wastes, contaminated water can become a serious threat to human health, as pathogenic microbes infect people. Fruits,Vegetables and Grains
Growing food crops requires a lot of water. But this is not a reason to stop eating fresh produce. We just need to make better choices about what we buy and eat. Based on findings from ten U.S. studies, the food system accounts for almost 16% of total U.S. energy consumption. While similar studies have yet to be done in Canada, it’s safe to assume that our current system is also a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. Starting in the field, heavy reliance on chemical fertilizers and pesticides contributes to air and water pollution. Crop processing, including packaging, is also energy intensive. In fact, almost 75% of the food you consume has been processed in some way. Once processing and packaging is completed, food is often shipped long distances until it reaches our table. Food transportation accounts for 6 to 12% of every dollar spent on food consumed in the home. It’s estimated that elements of a basic North American meal travel 2,400 km (1500 miles)—to get from the field to table. Another way to look at the modern food system is to count calories—a measure of energy burned. When fossil fuels related to food production and distribution are included in calculations, 10 to 15 calories of energy are expended for every calorie of food energy produced. Locally produced (and less processed) fruit, vegetables and grains have a much smaller environmental impact. A fresh Okanagan peach eaten in Vancouver, for example, is less damaging to the environment than a can of peaches processed and shipped thousands of miles from Georgia. What can we do?
Choose at least one day a week to eat meatfree meals in your household. Canadians are meat lovers. Along with Americans and Australians, Canadians are among the top three meat consumers. We eat more than twice the global average. In 1999, we consumed 101.1 kg of meat per person, which amounts to an average daily consumption of about 276 grams (10 ounces) by the average Canadian or about 5-6 servings per day. This is three times the 80 grams per day recommended by the World Cancer Research Fund. Although conventional meat production and processing leads to several environmental problems, you don’t have to become a vegetarian to make a difference. By designating one day each week to be meat-free, you’ll conserve valuable water, energy and land. Changing your diet to reduce meat, and eating more fruits, vegetables and grains will improve your health and help the environment. When you do eat meat and fish here are some good rules to follow:
News and views from the heart of Fernwood
• Organic meat is best since organic farms are generally smaller and don’t use the antibiotics and hormones conventional livestock operations do. • Don’t eat farmed salmon. Like red meat production, salmon feedlots consume a huge amount of energy in the form of feed while releasing antibiotics into marine environments. Escaped fish from salmon farms can also compete with wild stocks for important habitat. • If you eat seafood, make sure you’re not buying endangered species or fish from areas where harvesting causes other environmental problems. The best source of information is Sea Food Watch: www. mbayaq.org/cr/seafoodwatch.asp
Prepare your meals with food from local farmers and producers for one month this year. The most important environmental criteria for buying food in Canada is to minimize the distance between field and table. It’s best to buy locally grown organic food. But given the choice between imported organic and local produce, buying local is better. Buying local produce helps support Canadian farms located near urban areas and reduces the environmental costs associated with food transport. Buying local produce also helps conserve precious farmlands and wildlife habitats. In Canada, the best agricultural land is located near our largest cities. Keeping this land in production instead of converting it to strip malls and suburban housing will conserve fertile land and preserve biological diversity for the future. The closer consumers are to their food producers, the greater the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants from food transportation. In a recent British study, buying local apples resulted in 87% lower greenhouse gas emissions than buying apples imported from New Zealand. Similarly, by increasing local production and decreasing transportation by only 10%, researchers in Iowa estimated that savings could range from 280 to 346 thousand gallons of fuel and from 6.7 to 7.9 million pounds of CO2 emissions. While these are foreign examples, they would seem to be applicable to Canada. To eat locally grown and seasonal produce, Canadians need to either shop at farmers’ markets or ask grocers to bring
Prepare your meals with food from local farmers and producers for one month this year. in local fruits and vegetables. Buying local generally means the produce is fresher and healthier. The vitamins and minerals in fruits and vegetables start breaking down after they are picked. An additional benefit associated with buying locally includes the increase in local employment. One study estimated that 50,000 new jobs, both in farming and food processing, could be created if households in Ontario ate the same proportions of local food today as they did in the early 1970s. As consumers of local produce, we need to convey our desire to eat healthy food— healthy for us and healthy for the environment—to local farmers. At the same time, provincial and federal agricultural policies should promote and support farmers who are acting as stewards of our land and water resources. The growth in organic farming in Canada should be embraced by consumers and enhanced by government action. A great way to obtain local produce is to grow it yourself in small home gardens. This will reduce your food bill and help you learn more about the connections between food and nature. Healthy Environment = Healthy Canadians
Eat Lean! What is good for the environment can also be good for you. Reducing meat consumption not only saves valuable water, energy and land resources but also reduces the risk of heart disease and strokes. One study showed that in comparison to meat eaters, vegetarians had a 24% reduction in mortality from heart disease even when all other lifestyle factors such as smoking, exercise and socio-economic class were considered. Increasing the amount of vegetables, fruits and whole grains you eat
also improves cardiovascular health and reduces the risk of obesity, diabetes and cancer. According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, eating five or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day could help reduce cancer rates by more than 20%. By reducing meat you’ll also limit your exposure to chemicals and antibiotics. Toxic chemicals found in the environment— called persistent organic pollutants— include DDT, PCBs and dioxin. These toxins accumulate in fat and end up in meat and fish. They can also accumulate to high levels in body areas rich in fat such as breast tissue. Conventional livestock operations also use large quantities of antibiotics to prevent infections among cattle, which contributes to drug-resistant microbes that build up in humans. Eat Locally!
In general, local food is more likely to be fresher and better for you than food shipped long distances. The largest loss of nutrients comes from picking unripe fruit so it can withstand long transit times. Moreover, chemicals that prevent the growth of moulds and fungus during shipping, such as pesticides or methyl bromide, can be harmful to your health. A suspected carcinogen, methyl bromide also contributes to the destruction of the ozone layer. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Agency (FDA), approximately 35% of purchased foods have detectable pesticide residues, with one to eight percent of these with levels above the legal limit.
standards for organic farming vary, the intent of organic farming is to produce grains and other food items in a sustainable manner. In addition to the environmental benefits, there are also health benefits to consuming organic foods. In a recent study which compiled information from 41 studies and almost 1300 samples, it was found that organic crops contained significantly more vitamin C, iron, magnesium and phosphorous than conventional crops. For all these reasons, the researchers of the UCS study concluded that buying organic food is the best environmental choice for U.S. households. But the Canadian situation is different because much of the organic produce available here is imported, so the impact of transportation offsets some of the environmental benefits. In addition, in Canada we believe it is critical to keep valuable farmland in production. As the bonds between urban dwellers and local farmers and producers are strengthened, these producers will be more responsive to consumer demands for more sustainable agricultural practices and healthier foods. When you can, buy local organic foods and tell your grocer why you’ve made the choice and why you’d like to see more. Another benefit to buying local organic food is that you will avoid consuming irradiated or genetically engineered food. Unfortunately, there are presently no labelling laws in Canada indicating that the food you are buying has been irradiated or is the product of genetic engineering. With organic food, you’re safe! Some food imported from developing countries may also be contaminated with restricted pesticides like DDT. The continued use of these chemicals, as well as many others used in developing countries, damages the health of workers, consumers and wildlife. Allowable levels for pesticide use are currently not health-based and may not adequately protect children and the elderly who are much more sensitive to pesticide exposure. The use of these toxic pesticides is potentially very dangerous. Eating local produce will help reduce your risk of exposure to some of these chemicals. Excerpted from The Green Guide to David Suzuki’s Nature Challenge by special permission of the David Suzuki Foundation. To view
Organics
the complete publication, including information
The growth of organic farming is a promising trend in Canadian agriculture. While
on green living and green transportation, visit http://www.davidsuzuki.org.
Come Play with Us!
Please join us for Music, Stories and Fun at our next Parent-Child Mother Goose series. This ten-week program, in partnership with Success by 6 South Vancouver Island, encourages child development through music and attachment parenting. For caregivers and babies up to 24 months old. Mondays, from April 12 - June 21st (no group May 24th, Victoria Day) in the Fernwood NRG Multi-Purpose Room, 10:00 a.m. -11:00 a.m.
www.fernwoodnrg.ca
February 2010
villagevibe page 5
artist’s aside:
Afghanistan and Ultramarine Blue ›› De r yk Ho u s t o n There is an ancient story about how when God made the world he had bits of rubbish and broken parts left over. The jagged pieces would not fit anywhere else and so he just threw those down and that formed Afghanistan. When Alexander the Great led his Greek army into Afghanistan in 320 BC, people had been living there for thousands of years before. When travelers fly over the inhospitable terrain today and look down, they say it is hard to believe that anyone could inhabit such a harsh part of the world, but people manage to dig and scratch out a living for their families somehow. Did you know for example, that all the real ultramarine blue pigments used in Western and Eastern art came from rock mined from the mountains of Afghanistan? It is a semi precious stone called Lapis lazuli. Alexander the Great conquered the area but he never cast his eyes on the actual mines because its source was treasured and protected. The point is that no one ever conquers Afghanistan completely. The gorgeous blue and much soughtafter colour has always been very expensive because it requires so much work to sepa-
Even more beautiful in colour: “Blue Planet” painted by Deryk Houston
rate the pigment from the rock. They say it is like trying to get blood out of a stone. The stone is ground into fine powder and then mixed with resin, wax, gum and linseed oil and kneaded like bread for up to three days. The “dough” is then placed in a bowl of lye and water and kneaded some more. Eventually, the liquid becomes saturated with the blue colour, it is then set aside until the water evaporates, leaving the dry powder pigment. The colour blue is used by artists to create space on the canvas. Things painted in blue recede. In the English language, blue is associated with depression and sadness and
it seems ironic that Afghanistan has always been the prime source of this colour. Like a lot of people, I hold my breath wondering what the following new year will bring for the people of Afghanistan. It seems that they are destined to endure a life of complete misery. Throughout time, other nations have tried to invade the country and take advantage of its geography and its resources. The region is important because it was the ancient focal point of the Silk Road and migration. It has been described as a “roundabout of the ancient world” creating a tangled mosaic of ethnic and lin-
guistic groups. The lay of the land is the crossroads of the East and West, South Asia and central Asia. Whoever controls the land holds the key to enormous power and influence. In more recent times, Russia received a military clobbering when it tried to take the land for itself. After it withdrew, the West thought it could maneuver into position and secure a much sought-after oil pipeline route. They also wanted to build military bases for their instruments of death and secure vital supply lines, allowing them unfettered movement and control over the wider region. Countries, including Canada, benefit by securing lucrative trade deals and influence in return for their support. It is all about horse trading and I wonder why my world operates this way. It is not one country or one leader that chooses to go to war. It is a system of self-interest and voter apathy, among other things that allow it. Meanwhile, the parents of the dead soldiers returning are permitted to stand in the gloom on the tarmac and greet their child’s draped coffin. Some hold a letter from government officials offering condolences for their great loss … but the blue ink, as gorgeous as it is, dissolves in the falling rain just the same.
garden gleanings:
February gardening ›› Ma r g a r e t
Ha n t i u k
We are carrying on with gardening throughout the year, using the 2008 Timber Press Guide to Gardening in the Pacific Northwest, by Carol W. Hall and Norman E. Hall. It has been a warm, ‘el nino’ type January so far, but I am reminded of a comment by a wise, old gardener nearly 30 years ago— she had lived her entire life here: “we’re not out of the woods, as far as winter, until the end of February!” So don’t be tempted to put out any tender plants or seedlings yet, and even new hardy stock shouldn’t be put in until the end of February. Leave protection around tender plants and shrubs. We notice now why we place early flowering shrubs (camellias, rhodos) where early morning sun won’t open their sensitive blooms to damaging morning frosts—in other words, not on an east side.
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Fruit trees should be pruned by now (this is complicated and can impact the health, size and yields of your trees for the rest of your and its life—please read up or take a course if you are new at it). Dormant oil spraying on fruit trees and roses that need it should be finished up this month as well. Those shrubs that are pruned early (generally those that bloom after June ‘on new wood’) should be done before their buds swell. Most others are pruned after they bloom. Don’t prune maples, birches or walnuts this early, though: wait till June to avoid bleeding sap. Damaged, diseased and dead branches should be removed to point of origin or the next growth node facing outwards. To see if a branch is dead and not just dormant, scrape the bark a little to see if the under layer is a healthy green—if not, cut back to ‘green wood’. By the end of the month, it’s safe to
villagevibe February 2010
cut the stalks of perennials, but not into the basal ‘crowns’. Cut back the deciduous ornamental grasses and comb out the evergreen ones, removing the old, dead foliage. Group C clematis (check the label or google the name) should be cut down to two healthy buds on each stem. Tie up the other clematis types and all climbing vines and plants. Check your trellises and supports before foliage covers them. It’s too early to plant outdoors (unless you have a greenhouse or cold frames) but you can start veggies and flowers indoors now. Your winter veggies should be dug up by month’s end, emptying the patch to get ready for spring planting. If your soil is wet and heavy, avoid standing in your beds (unless you have placed stepping stones or boards) as it will compact and take longer to warm and drain.
February Garden Stars to plant and enjoy (all hardy and easy) Small Ornamental Trees: willows
(Salix), spring cherry (Prunus X Subhirtella), cornelian cherry (Cornus Mas), Japanese apricot (Prunus mume) Ornamental Shrubs: flowering quince (Chaenomeles), wintersweet (Chimonanthus praecox), filbert (Corylus), fragrant daphne (Daphne mezereum, odora), witch hazel (Hamamelis X intermedia), early Rhodos Perennials: Arabis (wall cress), Bergenia, Hellebores, Primulas, Violas Bulbs: Anemone blanda, crocus, snowdrops, Iris reticulata (Dutch iris), early Narcissus
News and views from the heart of Fernwood
what’s on in Fernwood: February Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
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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
Community Acupuncture 4:00-8:00pm
Work party 3:00pm @ Springridge Commons.
Legal Information Clinic 6:00-7:00pm at 1923 Fernwood Rd.
Bluegrass Jams 7:30-10:00pm
Laughter Yoga 1:00-2:00pm @ Orange Hall
Seniors’ Exercise, Lunch and Activities 11:00am Fernwood Youth Fridays 7:00-9:30pm
Walking Group 10:00am start @ Fernwood Square
Kundalini Yoga 5:45-7:00pm LifeRing Secular Recovery 7:30-8:45pm Nuu Chah Nulth Drum Group 8:30-10:00pm
Community Acupuncture All’s Well Night Market and Art Jam 4:00-8:00pm 7:30pm Drop-In Co-Ed Hockey 7:00-9:30pm
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.
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Yarns! 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
Community Acupuncture 4:00-8:00pm
Fernwood’s Outrageous Recycling Day 10:00am-1:00pm
Legal Information Clinic 6:00-7:00pm at 1923 Fernwood Rd.
Bluegrass Jams 7:30-10:00pm
Laughter Yoga 1:00-2:00pm @ Orange Hall
Seniors’ Exercise, Lunch and Activities 11:00am Fernwood Youth Fridays 7:00-9:30pm
Work party 3:00pm @ Springridge Commons.
Drop-In Karate 1:00-2:30pm 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 Nulth Drum Group 8:30-10:00pm
Community Acupuncture Sound Spa 4:00-8:00pm 7:00-11:00pm
Food Security Collective Meeting 7:00-9:00pm
Drop-In Co-Ed Hockey 7:00-9:30pm Open Mic 8:30-11:30pm @ the Fernwood Inn.
Drop-In Co-Ed Hockey 7:00-9:30pm Victoria Bluegrass Association Jam 7:30-10:00pm @ Orange Hall
Where’s that event? 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.
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Yarns! 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
Community Acupuncture 4:00-8:00pm
Walking Group 10:00am start @ Fernwood Square
Legal Information Clinic 6:00-7:00pm at 1923 Fernwood Rd.
Bluegrass Jams 7:30-10:00pm
Laughter Yoga 1:00-2:00pm @ Orange Hall
Seniors’ Exercise, Lunch and Activities 11:00am Fernwood Youth Fridays 7:00-9:30pm
Work party 3:00pm @ Springridge Commons.
Drop-In Karate 1:00-2:30pm 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 Nulth Drum Group 8:30-10:00pm
Community Acupuncture Shot in the Dark Open Mic Night 4:00-8:00pm 7:00-11:00pm Drop-In Co-Ed Hockey 7:00-9:30pm
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.
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Yarns! 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
Community Acupuncture 4:00-8:00pm
Work party 3:00pm @ Springridge Commons.
Legal Information Clinic 6:00-7:00pm at 1923 Fernwood Rd.
Bluegrass Jams 7:30-10:00pm
Laughter Yoga 1:00-2:00pm @ Orange Hall
Seniors’ Exercise, Lunch and Activities 11:00am
Drop-In Karate 1:00-2:30pm 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 Nulth Drum Group 8:30-10:00pm
Fernwood Youth Fridays 7:00-9:30pm
Community Acupuncture Sound Spa 4:00-8:00pm 7:00-11:00pm
Drop-In Co-Ed Hockey 7:00-9:30pm
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.
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
Like the work of Fernwood NRG? Go to CanadaHelps.org and make a donation.
Your voice in Ottawa Come in from out of the cold. Join us daily from 11:30 1302 Gladstone
www.fernwoodnrg.ca
412-2001
February 2010
villagevibe page 7
Scene in Fernwood : Puppy Love in Fernwood