June 2021 Village Vibe

June 2021

villagevibe News and views from the heart of Fernwood

Fernwood Mural Festival Saturday, June 26, explore the neighbourhood & visit over 10 new murals

›› Mila Czemerys

F

ernwood NRG and FernFest bring you the new Fernwood Mural Festival. We are creating largescale murals that transform public space and celebrate art and community. We are organizing over 10 murals throughout Fernwood, North Park, Oaklands, and South Jubilee in partnership with South Jubilee Neighbourhood Association and North Park Neighbourhood Association.

We believe public art creates a tangible sense of place and identity while adding life and character to public space and creating a visual legacy. Murals bring artistic richness to our streets.

We’ve adapted and—instead of our traditional FernFest—we’re bringing you this shared celebration of art and community! Join your neighbours on Saturday, June 26th to explore our streets on foot or by bike and take our self-guided tour of murals. You’ll see murals, some artists painting live, and you may even be able to help paint a mural or two.

We’re very excited to host so many talented local artists. Learn more about these artists and find up to date mural locations at fernwoodnrg.ca/fernwoodmural-fest.

A huge thank you to our amazing volunteers—this event wouldn’t be possible without you—and our fantastic sponsors and funders: the City of Victoria, Castle Building Centre, Opus Art Supplies, Samms Painting, Sunbelt Rentals, and Garside Signs. We acknowledge the financial assistance of the Province of British Columbia.

If you would like to help support this festival and see more public art in our community, please consider donating at fernwoodnrg.ca/donate.

Check out pages 4 & 5 for more info and a map of mural locations.

in this issue Indigenous Voices

Community Eats

Op Ed

Is diversity enough? page 3

Fernwood’s resident winegrower page 6

Housing insecurity in Fernwood page 7

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

guest editorial:

villagevibe Published by Fernwood Neighbourhood Resource Group Editorial Committee

Chantille Viaud Brett Gaylor

Mila Czemerys Shonna Bell Founding Editor Lisa Helps Contributors

Mila Czemerys Lizz Brooks Fernwood NRG Board of Directors Brontë Elphick-Miner Shae Zamardi Andrew Kerr Stacie Swain James Davis Alieda Blandford Kayla Siefried Lauren Gaultier Grace Lore, MLA Sarah Murray Art

Mila Czemerys Shae Zamardi Pete Rockwell Kayla Siefried Mike Rathjen Sarah Murray Aly Sibley Photography Axel Production Mila Czemerys Contact us

1240 Gladstone Ave, Victoria, BC V8T 1G6 T 250.381.1552 F 250.381.1509 info@fernwoodnrg.ca | villagevibe.ca To advertise, contact ads@fernwoodnrg.ca The views expressed in the Village Vibe do not necessarily reflect the views of Fernwood NRG.

We gratefully acknowledge that Fernwood, our community where we live, work and play resides on the territory of the Lekwungen peoples, the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations.

declaration of principles & values ››

We are committed to creating a socially, environmentally,

A new chapter for 1310 Gladstone & a sad goodbye to the Yoga Den ›› Fernwood NRG Board of Directors

In 2013, Fernwood NRG purchased a small white house and lot at 1310 Gladstone Avenue. We dreamed of adding more affordable residential space and local employment in the heart of Fernwood.

Our goal was to build a new mixed-use building with ground floor commercial space and rental apartments above.

This purchase started us on a journey filled with conversations with neighbours, presentations to City Council, construction contract negotiations, and the leasing of four new apartments. Along the way, we also welcomed the Fernwood Yoga Den into the family of social enterprises that support the Fernwood NRG’s charitable work and opened the doors of the Yoga Den’s new studio space at 1310 Gladstone.

The brick building that now stands at 1310 Gladstone realized our dream and is part of the growing heart of Fernwood Village.

Now, nine years after we set out on our journey—and after an unprecedented pandemic—it’s with a heavy heart that we will be closing the Yoga Den and putting the building at 1310 Gladstone up for sale.

This past year and the COVID-19

pandemic have been challenging in so many ways for the neighbours and businesses in Fernwood. Fernwood NRG has felt these impacts too. Our staff and organization have worked tirelessly to keep essential services like childcare, family programs, and the Good Food Box operating. Every day we see how Fernwoodians need our services and support now more than ever.

And, like many other Fernwood businesses, Fernwood NRG’s social enterprises (Fernwood Yoga Den, Studio 1313, and the Good Food Box) have felt the impacts of the pandemic. The Yoga Den, in particular, has been stretched thin in its role as a community gathering space (which has been closed and reopened multiple times) and as the main commercial tenant of 1310 Gladstone.

We’re sad to say goodbye to the Yoga Den and Maya Health—they’ve helped grow a mindful and inclusive community in the heart of Fernwood. Thank you to the community, practitioners, and teachers for their support and for working with us over the years.

The Yoga Den will operate as normal until July 4th, 2021. All booking systems and accounts will be closed on July 5th, 2021. Kids Yoga Camps and Maya Health Clinic will run as scheduled until August

2021.

The decision to close the Yoga Den and sell 1310 Gladstone was not an easy one, but ultimately necessary to help Fernwood NRG focus on our core programs and resources during this trying time. There are exciting things happening in Fernwood (like the Vic High Neighbourhood Learning Centre and CRD Caledonia Housing project) and refocusing our resources now will help ready Fernwood NRG to expand our childcare and community programs into these new spaces.

We’ll keep dreaming big and collaborating with our neighbours to make Fernwood a vibrant, inclusive neighbourhood.

Fernwood NRG will continue to operate the Cornerstone Building and Park Place apartments and our other social enterprises, Studio 1313 and the Good Food Box. We’re proud of the building at 1310 Gladstone and excited for its next chapter.

1310 Gladstone was put up for sale in May 2021. The main and basement floors of the building will be listed for lease as part of the sale process. The residential tenants at 1310 Gladstone will continue their leases regardless of the building sale.

Thanks for your ongoing support, Fernwood—stay funky!

and economically sustainable neighbourhood;

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mark your calendar:

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

Want to get your hands

and to becoming financially self-reliant;

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June garden workparty - June 17 in the dirt and give

We are committed to the creation and support of neighbourhood

a little love to some

employment;

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We are committed to engaging the dreams, resources, and talents of our neighbours and

deserving gardens?

›› BrontË Elphick-Miner

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

Fernwood NRG will be hosting a garden workparty on Thursday, June 17th between 1pm and 4pm. The workparty tasks will focus on giving the community

orchard a post winter rejuvenation. Tasks will include: weeding, sheet mulching, and refreshing garden paths. On top of having a great opportunity to learn about permaculture and to help build the food security networks in your community, we will be serving up snacks as a thank you to our wonderful volunteers.

We will be obser ving Covid-19 protocols at the workparty, so we ask that anyone hoping to get involved bring their own gloves, mask, and water bottle (refills

will be available). We will have some tools available as well as a sanitizing station; however, we would love for people to bring their own tools, if possible, so that we can limit the number of high contact surfaces that people will be exposed to.

If you are interested in forming new connections within your community and your food system please contact bronte@ fernwoodnrg.ca to express your interest in registering for our June garden workparty!

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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villagevibe

June 2021

News and views from the heart of Fernwood

indigenous voices:

Is diversity enough? ››

Lizz Brooks & Shae Zamardi

We are in a time when diversity and inclusion are showcased as the golden standard for a healthy work environment. But is that enough? Does having representation within our media and organizations have an impact if there is little room for cultural safety behind the scenes? In short, yes, but it may not always be positive.

Some of the most inclusive spaces I have seen have regularly provided opportunities for discussion, and an understanding of microaggressions and the various levels of privilege and power dynamics. Because of this, even when I’m in an environment vastly different from my own identity or values, there is a sense of understanding and I can relax. I do not feel the need to explain myself or my own people’s history to feel seen. If I have a concern to address to educate my team on inclusivity and cultural

sensitivity, I am confident that they will listen. For cultural safety, the work needs to be done whether or not those identified individuals are on the team.

Inclusion involves reflecting on how we operate. Maybe policies are updated to encourage individuals to practice their teachings within their work. Perhaps current structures or boundaries need to be deconstructed and altered or removed altogether. It is easy to want to focus on increasing the diversity within our teams first, but we cannot do so without first looking at our practice. Diversity is not about looking at who is included but rather who is missing. Cultural Safety is how we create change for both present and future individuals so our teams can better reflect the diversity within our society.

Interested in learning more about Cultural Intelligence and Indigenous Perspectives?

You can register for Indigenous Perspectives Society’s upcoming Cultural Perspectives Training on July 7th at ipsociety.ca.

7 staff from Indigenous Perspectives Society outdoors posing with hand drums as they prepare for Indigenous People’s Day. Photo: Shae Zamardi

buzz:

A transition, but not an end Stadacona Neighbour Support Network update

››

A n d r e w K e r r, S t a c i e Swain, James Davis, and Alieda Blandford

Stadacona Park has seen a lot of changes over the last month. For one, you’ll likely notice less tents. Some unhoused neighbours have moved into temporary shelters while others, because of the lack of adequate housing options and reinstatement of bylaws, are made to pack up at 7:00am. One neighbour, who may be familiar from April’s Village Vibe, has gained housing. Ron Beland says “thank you” to everyone who he shared a friendly word or Frisbee toss with, and to all those who provided support.

Since first writing about our informal group of Fernwood residents, the Stadacona Neighbour Support Network

(SNSN), much has been accomplished.

In partnership with Fernwood NRG, we hosted two Legal Observer trainings. Legal Observers are third-party witnesses who document the conduct of police, bylaw, and public officials to foster accountability and more respectful interactions. Alongside this, the addition of weekly BBQs has arguably been the most impactful upon both SNSN members and Stadacona residents.

We learned the importance of mutual aid, as opposed to charity, through the BBQs. Our neighbours didn’t want handouts, they wanted to contribute and feel like part of a community. Neighbours, housed and unhoused, came together to provide condiments, veggies, and meat for grilling.

One week, we celebrated four birthdays (with homemade cupcakes). Some BBQs would be quieter, while others saw us sit and talk for hours. The most important part was that we were there and all were welcome.

One of the SNSN weekly BBQs at Stadacona Park on a Friday afternoon. Photo: Pete Rockwell

While the park may look different, some things have changed and others haven’t.

SNSN members have learned much from new relationships of care, reciprocity, and solidarity. Although temporary shelters will transition some people into perma-

nent housing, they often lack a rights-based approach and don’t address the affordability crisis. The SNSN plans to maintain our new relationships, advocate for safe and dignified housing, and continue cultivating a compassionate neighborhood.

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June 2021

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feature:

Fernwood Mural Festival - June 26, 2021

F

ind out more about all our mural artists at fernwoodnrg.ca/fernwoodmural-fest.

We are hosting a virtual silent auction in support of the festival. Interested in donating an item for our auction? Email mila@fernwoodnrg.ca.

While out enjoying the art, please remember to help keep our community safe by maintaining a safe physical distance from other art viewers and follow safety protocols.

We gratefully acknowledge that Fernwood, our community where we live, work, play, and our murals are created on, resides on the territory of the Lekwungen We are an inclusive festival intended for all classes, cultures, genders, ages, disabilities, and beyond.

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villagevibe

June 2021

News and views from the heart of Fernwood

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June 2021

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garden gleanings:

The first pea ›› Kayla Siefried There is nothing more incredible then harvesting the first pea pod from your garden in the early days of summer. It’s crisp shell, sheltering the luscious peas dwelling within, a burst of moisture, flavour, and green when you first bite in.

There is honestly little else in the garden that gets me quite so excited then the first harvest of summer time snap peas. It seems too miraculous to be happening—a small seed placed in the garden bursting forth unfolding a web of roots, and tender stems of growth, on it’s long voyage toward producing edible delectable parts.

It somehow seems impossible. And yet, one day in June you’ll be wandering your garden, and spot it—a mature pea pod, ready to be tasted, right then and there!

Peas happen to be one of the easiest things to grow. They require little from the soil aside from a beneficial soil microbe that helps their roots release nitrogen after they decompose, (that naturally exists in the soil), they yield an abundance of pods and are well loved by kiddos and adults alike. If you are a gardener that is looking for the easiest veggies to grow, I’d start with a crop of peas and beans, potatoes, lettuce, and other leafy greens. All of these have a

Zoe-Blue Coates enjoying the first fresh peas from the garden at the Compost Education Centre. Photo: Kayla Siefried

relatively high yield, the seeds are quick to germinate, and they don’t require an immense amount of nutrients from the soil, nor do they have any major pests or diseases that attack them.

As you enjoy your first June pea harvest, don’t forget that June is the first time you’ll

need to begin to plan your winter garden!

If you’d like to have veggies to harvest all winter long, June is when you’ll sow seeds for your winter cabbages, brussels sprout, cauliflower, sprouting broccoli, and winter parsnips. And, if you miss that window, don’t fear, there are many local grow-

ers who will be present at the Compost Education Centre’s August 7th Plant Sale, and all will have plant starts available for the wintertime garden harvest. Until then, happy pea picking!

For more info and gardening facetsheets, check out our website, compost.bc.ca.

community eats:

Fernwood’s resident winegrower Mike Rathjen of Rathjen Cellars answers some questions about his connection to Fernwood and his winemaking

›› Lauren Gaultier Mike Rathjen of Rathjen Cellars has called Fernwood home for a decade; we caught up with him to learn more about why he chose Fernwood to call home and how he got started in winemaking.

What made you choose Fernwood to call home?

We moved to Victoria in 2011 from Vancouver after my wife landed a job here. We didn’t know much about the neighbourhoods, but stumbled across Fernwood Square and it looked like a cute little village in Europe. We loved that it was a short walk downtown and had all the history, culture, and community vibes we were looking for.

Mike Rathjen in his basement nicknamed the “Wine Bunker” on Grant Street were he got his start making wine on Vancouver Island. He now grows

Tell us a bit about your wine journey in Fernwood?

Was there anything about Fernwood that inspired you to start your winery?

I had been winemaking for a few years before moving to Victoria, but really started to narrow in on my winemaking skills in the unfinished basement of our house

The neighbourhood has an Old-World sensibility when it comes to the integration of community, culture, and food which I found inspiring. As I tinkered away in

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villagevibe

June 2021

and makes wine at his farm-based winery in Saanich. Photos courtesy of Rathjen.

on Grant Street using Vancouver Island grapes I sourced from local vineyards.

My little basement production area got named the “Wine Bunker” and I would host release parties to share my experiments with friends and family.

the Wine Bunker I formulated a business plan for a winery that would simply make local wine for local restaurants, shops, and citizens.

From a culinary perspective, what more would you like to see in Fernwood?

More of the good things that are already happening! In the last 10 years things have only gotten better. I’m hoping the streetside patio space on Gladstone is here to stay.

Where are some nearby places that we can find your products?

Our wines have frequented the list at Stage, as well as Agrius, Part & Parcel, and Saveur to name a few. Vessel Liquor Store, on the corner of Fort and Oak Bay, has been a huge supporter and carries almost all our products.

Rathjen Cellars tasting room is now open at 334 Walton Place in Saanich, or you can visit them online at rathjencellars.com or through social media @rathjencellars to learn more about where to taste, try, and buy.

News and views from the heart of Fernwood

op ed:

buzz:

Housing insecurity in Spring in North Park our neighbourhood ›› Grace Lore, MLA Almost every time I speak with people in our neighbourhood, the issue of housing affordability comes up. The dream of home ownership slips further out of reach every day, and many people fear rising rental costs will displace them from our neighbourhoods where we live, work, and have built our communities. That includes right here in Fernwood.

After years of historic under-investment, work to support families and communities in BC is needed across the housing spectrum. Three years ago, our government made the single largest investment in housing in B.C.’s history through our “Homes for BC” Plan. Since then, more than 26,000 homes have been built or are currently in progress. Addressing housing insecurity and unaffordability is a top priority for me and our government. This means another $2 billion towards the HousingHub—recently announced—which will provide more low-interest loans to developers to build affordable homes for middle-income families. Just last month, construction finished

www.fernwoodnrg.ca

on Johnson Street for 135 units of affordable housing for middleincome families in Victoria.

In our city, the housing crisis has left more and more people behind, evident in the number of people camping in community parks. Everyone deserves a safe place to sleep inside. That’s why we added short-term shelter spaces in Vic West and downtown, and a unique collaboration also resulted in 30 tiny homes in North Park, featuring a beautiful public art piece by local artists Lydia Beauregard, Kay Gallivan, and Caitlin McDonagh. In the medium term, we’ll see 190 units of supportive housing at four sites across Victoria.

After many years of neglect, the challenges before us remain large and the housing crisis facing our city cannot be solved overnight. But our communities and our neighbours need us to keep investing in solutions across the housing spectrum. I want to hear from you as we tackle the crisis and work to support those facing housing insecurity and homelessness; you can connect with my office at Grace.Lore.

MLA@leg.bc.ca, or call 250-952-4211.

The baskeball courts at Central Park are full of acticity these days. Photo: Sarah Murray

›› Sarah Murray With spring in full swing, the North Park neighbourhood is feeling more alive and vibrant than ever! We love to see the playgrounds, sport courts, and fields at Central Park and Franklin Green being enjoyed by the community. We are so grateful for these amazing green spaces that provide much needed access to open space for recreation, socializing, and relaxing.

Just like last year, the NPNA is working with the City to be able to offer free, all ages programming to the community at Royal Athletic Park! Details are still being fine tuned, but watch out for free, all ages art workshops, picnic nights, and fitness classes at Royal Athletic Park! As always, we’d love to see you at the North Park Food & Farmers Market on Sunday, June 20th from 10:30am-1:30pm. While you’re in the area for the market, stop by North Park Bike Shop where the Bikery (Victoria’s only kosher bakery) will be making a guest appearance!

In mid May, the community welcomed thirty new residents to the neighbourhood at the Caledonia Tiny Home Village. We are looking forward to getting to know our new neighbours and supporting

them on their path to permanent housing.

The Community Advisory Committee had their first meeting on May 25th at 6pm. The goal of the CAC is to support a successful integration into the community, provide the community with updates from the Tiny Homes Village, and address issues or concerns as they arise. Meeting agendas and minutes from the CAC can be found on the npna website here: npna. ca/about/docs.

The NPNA has some exciting long term projects on the horizon. We are working with a group of UVic researchers on a needs assessment. We look forward to consulting with the community on what is working and what is missing in the North Park neighbourhood. This needs assessment will influence future grant applications, program development, and program offerings. We are also excited to be working with the City of Victoria on a placemaking project on Vancouver Street between Caledonia and Green Street. Do you have ideas for this corridor? Let us know!

To learn more about what’s going on in North Park and to sign up for our newsletter please visit our website, npna.ca, or find us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook at @wearenorthpark.

June 2021

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Scene in Fernwood : Get Growing Victoria!

Photos: Aly Sibley Photography

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