October 2014 Village Vibe

October 2014

villagevibe News and views from the heart of Fernwood

Building Fernwood Village Village Development Project taking shape

›› Kelsey Singbeil

L

ast October, the Fernwood Neighbourhood Resource Group (Fernwood NRG) announced its plans to purchase four properties in the heart of Fernwood Village. It was a bold idea that embodied our principle of ensuring neighbourhood control and ownership of neighbourhood assets. These buildings represent an opportunity to achieve these goals—we’re walking the talk of a sustainable urban neighbourhood.

Our goals for these properties are to add more affordable housing to our neighbourhood and to support local employment through providing more commercial space.

Since we first learned the properties were for sale, Fernwood NRG’s staff and board have asked ourselves a lot of tough questions. What is the right mix of commercial and residential space in Fernwood Village?

How do you fund affordable housing (meaning rented at below market rates) without government grants? What does great small-space urban living look like?

Some answers have come from high level policy statements like the City of Victoria Official Community Plan or from technical specifications and requirements in the BC Building Code. For others, we’ve listened to the community to provide feedback around parking and building exteriors. The 1310 Gladstone proposal now features two parking spaces to ease congestion on Gladstone Avenue.

Fernwood NRG is pursuing these projects because they align with our principles and values. But as a charitable organization with limited financial capacity we must proceed in a creative yet prudent manner.

Proposed village development plans for 1310 Gladstone Avenue, 2013 Fernwood Road, and 2017 Fernwood Road. Image: Christine Lintott Architect

You may have noticed a development sign outside the 1310 Gladstone (next door to Aubergine Specialty Foods). This is the culmination of twelve months of planning, architectural drawings, community discussions, and conversations with City Hall. We have proposed a three-storey (two at street level) mixed-use building that will see street level commercial and second-floor residential and/or office space added to the village core.

2009 Fernwood Road is commercial space leased to M’Akola Housing Society for the near future. Looking ahead, this property will continue to be used as commercial space.

Just a bit further north of the village lie 2013 and 2017 Fernwood Road.

Here, we see an opportunity to provide affordable family housing just a block away from the Fernwood Community Centre.

Like our previous housing projects in the Cornerstone Building and at Park Place on Yukon Street, we are proposing to build three-bedroom apartments for families

with young children. With hidden storage spaces and ample natural light, we think the designs are an example of what great small space living looks like.

As to how we can fund affordable housing without government grants— well, you get creative. We’re proposing to develop a three-storey building at 2017 Fernwood Road that will house six threebedroom affordable housing units. At 2013 Fernwood Road, we’re aiming to build four townhouses that we will sell to fund the affordable housing project next door. We’d love to see all 10 units developed as affordable housing, but without government funding or outside support, it’s just not financially feasible.

Community members can chat with Fernwood NRG board staff and board members (to provide input on the properties, as well as through attending an upcoming Community Association Land Use Committee meeting on November 5, 2014 (7:00p.m. at 1923 Fernwood Road).

Mark Your Calendar

Feature

Buzz

Fernwood University is back page 2

Why not vote for a change? page 4

Meet Ed, caretaker of Spring Ridge page 5

So, where are things at?

Over the past year we’ve heard from residents as we’ve transitioned into the ‘we’re actually going for this!’ phase. We now own two of the four properties—1310 Gladstone Avenue and 2009 Fernwood Road.

So far, we’ve heard about how these developments will impact neighbours’ privacy, parking, and local traffic. We’ve also heard support for increased urban family housing near the village and community centre.

Over the coming months, we’ll continue to have neighbourhood discussions about how to balance these ideas in support of a thriving Fernwood.

Sharing updates and ideas

If you’re interested in learning more about any or all of these projects, please be in touch! We’ll be presenting on these projects at 7:30p.m. on October 15, 2014 at the Fernwood Community Centre.

We’ll also be providing updates and info on upcoming events in the Village Vibe and online (fernwoodnrg.ca/neighbourhood/ villagedevelopment/ ). You are also welcome to drop by our development office at 1310 Gladstone Avenue. We welcome public input and ideas on how to make these developments add to the Fernwood neighbourhood.

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

editorial:

villagevibe

4,000 mile journey

Published by Fernwood Neighbourhood Resource Group Editorial Committee

Lee Herrin Hayley Evans

Matt Takach Mila Czemerys Founding Editor Lisa Helps

›› Phyllis Ferguson, Steve Miller, & Linda Passeri

Contributors

Kelsey Singbeil Jeremy Caradonna Alysha Punnett Lee Herrin Mila Czemerys Ben Clark

Phyllis Ferguson Bamsey Franks Bill McKechnie Shannon K. Auringer Kate Wallace Margaret Hantiuk

Art

Christine Lintott Axel Bamsey Franks Mike Large Shannon K. Auringer Juniper English 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 ››

a socially, environmentally,

neighbourhood;

neighbourhood control or

We are committed to using our resources prudently and to becoming financially self-reliant; We are committed to the creation and support of neighbourhood employment;

››

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

››

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

››

Sustainability: A History Fernwood University returns with a free at the Belfry Theatre,

We are committed to ensuring

institutions and assets;

››

mark your calendar:

November 21, 7p.m.

ownership of neighbourhood

››

the spirit of unity and love of community that is embedded in Fernwood through this effort. The poles are much bigger than the initiative—they are a record of your neighborhood’s history and commentaries on life. They are memorials and declarations

lecture on sustainability

We are committed to creating

and economically sustainable

››

Why did we make a 4,000 mile journey from Springfield, Missouri USA to Fernwood? We came because your soul pole project is the biggest that we found anywhere in the world. We wanted to learn how to put one on properly and do it in our own community on October 18th, 2014.

We read about it, watched videos, and looked at lots of pictures of your painted poles. They are beautiful, exciting, and fun. Missouri is ‘The Show-Me State’ so we wanted to see it firsthand.

As we visited with Beth, Emily, Mila, and Lee and then walked the streets of Fernwood.

We sensed that there is something much greater here than paint on poles. We felt

of love. They are commitment to a place and snapshots of time. They are the dreams and heartbeat of your neighbourhood.

The pole that we painted is our tribute to the people of Fernwood; those who make it the special place where we were warmly welcomed and felt at home. It is Steampunk, yes. But, it is more than gears and cogs painted on a pole. It is a symbol of how we work together and the energy from that work is manifested through stronger community. The bridge at the bottom represents the connection between Fernwood and Moon City Creative District.

Thank you to those who stopped by while we painted and especially to the Fernwood neighborhood for showing us how a public art project is so much more than paint on poles.

We are committed to governing

›› Jeremy Caradonna Sustainability. The term has become ubiquitous: at the grocery store, we shop for “sustainable foods” produced from “sustainable agriculture”; cities, federal governments, and international organizations tout “sustainable development” as a strategy for local and global stability; communities across North America compost and recycle, aspiring to a “sustainable lifestyle.” Once a peripheral abstraction, sustainability has moved to the very centre, to the point that it now dominates discussion involving everything from renewable energy to urban development to the local food movement.

Suddenly, “sustainability” seems to be everywhere and mean everything.

Fernwood University aims to provide quality discussions on topics that align with Fernwood NRG’s Declaration of Principles and Values. They will always be free. Photo: Mila Czemerys

In this engaging lecture, Professor Jeremy L. Caradonna explains the origins and development of the sustainability movement, from its roots in the early modern period, to its many manifestations in the present day. The lecture also connects these broad cultural changes to local sustainability efforts in Victoria and around the island.

Caradonna is an associate professor of history at the University of Alberta, an adjunct professor of environmental studies at UVic, and the owner of Victoria’s own Share Organics. He’s also active in the local biodiesel community. Caradonna thus has

extensive experience with both the theory and practice of sustainability. He spends most of the year in Fernwood, where he and his wife and two children own a home. The lecture draws on material from his new book, Sustainability: A History (Oxford University Press, 2014). The book costs $25 and will be available for purchase at the event.

Please join us for this free event on November 21st at 7p.m. at the Belfry Theatre, 1291 Gladstone Avenue. A big thank you to the Belfry Theatre for helping us to put on this event. Learn more at fernwoodnrg.ca/ fernwood-university/.

our organization and serving our neighbourhood democratically with a maximum of openness, inclusivity and kindness;

››

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

››

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;

››

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

page 2

villagevibe

October 2014

News and views from the heart of Fernwood

buzz:

buzz:

Story Booth Project

Boulevard gardening goes mainstream ›› Alysha Punnett

The Story Booth Project was created by artist Aubrey Burke. It is a Ministry of Casual Living satellite gallery located at 1060 North Park Street. Photo: Bamsey Franks

›› Bamsey Franks

How did you first get involved with the MOCL?

Aubrey Burke, when & how did you first come up with the idea for the Story Booth Project?

During my undergrad, I met Ross Macaulay and Marlaina Buch, who were coministers at the time. They amazed me with their ability to coordinate and represent the DIY art culture in our city. I got involved because I was inspired by how artists were able to jump in and influence the art scene, using the MOCL as a springboard.

I came up the idea because I was a bit discouraged by contemporary art and inaccessibility. The idea of having a pop-up shop that was ground level, with 24 access via window front viewing, appealed to me.

With the support of the Ministry of Casual Living artist-run centre, I moved into the storefront in May and renovated the space to revive it as community hub. For the Story Booth Project we had an open call out to the public to record their oral histories. I was interested in documenting local, non-dominant histories, community folklore, marginalized pasts, and contemporary mythologies.

What interests you about oral history?

Everyone has legends and amazing stories that they hold but it’s seldom that we get to share them because we’re all so busy. The idea was to convert these stories in an accessible format where people could easily access and interpret their content through the art form.

Can you tell us about the Ministry of Casual Living (MOCL)?

How can people participate in the Story Booth Project?

We have a blog at storyboothproject.info

The Ministry of Casual Living has constantly tried to break down barriers in the art world and create social space that goes beyond just being a gallery. This project invited the public in to share their stories and use these stores as a catalyst for art making.

and are continually posting events online.

We are also crowd funding the project using an Indiegogo campaign, which is accessible through our website. Over the next two weeks the stories will be accessible for viewing from the street at dusk and into the night.

“Isn’t it illegal? I heard you’ll get fined. We would love to grow food on our boulevard, but won’t the City remove it?” Does this sound familiar?

I smile as Mike Large pedals his bike up to the Compost Education Centre’s gate.

Here is the unassuming, hard-working lawyer who has taken boulevard gardening out of a gray area and into the realm of acceptable and encouraged. It all started in 2012 when Mike biked past the Haultain Common boulevard garden and was inspired by the bottom-up change he saw.

Here was tangible, community-level action towards reducing fossil fuel use and growing food in the city. Mike started volunteering with Haultain Common founders, Margot and Rainey, and eventually developed two more boulevard gardens: the Haultain Annex and one near Mike’s home, dubbed Fair Field.

Mike was working in Fair Field one day when Councillor Ben Isitt biked past and inquired about the garden. Isitt suggested Mike put together a document that the City might use in its efforts to meet Official Community Plan goals, such as innovative approaches to urban food security, food education, and adaptive climate change management. Numerous coffee dates with City councillors, community groups, and other stakeholders, eight revisions, and six months later, the Interim Boulevard Gardening Guidelines (IBGG) were approved and published on the City of Victoria’s website on September 3, 2014.

One of the main concerns brought up in the consultation process was about abandoned boulevard gardens.

The Compost Education Centre will be playing the role of “match-maker”: pairing

Sheet mulching at Fair Field, last October, on a boulevard along Fairfield Rd. Photo: Mike Large

boulevard gardens that need help with plot-less gardeners. If you are a boulevard garden owner who needs help or to pass your garden on to new hands, or if you are looking for a gardening space, write to us at vicboulevardgardens@gmail.com.

Include your name, contact information, and location.

Just as important as providing valuable information for beginner and experienced gardeners alike, the IBGG also clarify the City’s position on boulevard gardening.

The answer to “Isn’t it illegal?” is now an enthusiastic “No—in fact, it’s encouraged!” and the “City of Gardens” is on its way to using public green spaces to produce food, increase biodiversity, create habitat, and reduce fossil fuel use.

If you are considering installing a boulevard garden, please see the guidelines for “know before you grow” info: victoria. ca/EN/main/departments/parks-recculture/parks/boulevards-program/ interim-boulevard-gardening-guidelines.html.

buzz:

Fernwood Urban Village rezoning approved A profound (Fernwood) evening at City Hall

›› Bill McKechnie A report on a business meeting at Victoria City Hall might sound a bit dull, but a recent public hearing was, in the words of Councillor Shellie Gudgeon, “a profound evening.”

Fernwood Urban Village, a group of passionate individuals, was asking for rezoning on a site in Fernwood to build the first cohousing community in Victoria.

The City was challenged on all fronts; the matter felt a little like a choice between old ideas and ways of doing business, and

www.fernwoodnrg.ca

newer, more progressive ones.

The members of the cohousing group range in age from 16 months to 88 years.

Among those who addressed the Mayor and Council was 10-year-old Dana Ingebrand, who said that if her mother was too busy to help her with her homework, other residents in the cohousing group would say yes. After the laughter died down, Mayor Fortin asked the full-capacity crowd, “Okay, who wants to follow that?”

The best way to portray the essence of the evening is with direct quotes from the City Councillors.

First to speak was Councillor Lisa Helps: “We always have a chance to create a better way of life. Kudos for all involved to find the collaborative place. It is the embodiment of

the vision in our neighbourhood plan— relevant to not just our generation, but for generations to come.”

Councillor Marianne Alto said, “We have witnessed this project for three years. The city put forward so many requirements. I think it is remarkable and laudable to stick it out so long! The goals you set out pushed me to consider how flexible our land use policies can be. You pushed our boundaries but will create a model of community and the chance to create a better way to live. An extraordinary piece of work. Congratulations!”

The final words came from Mayor Dean Fortin, who commented that the proposal was reflective of the spirit of Fernwood; he felt sure it would be embraced

by the community. He called the project “an amazing development presented by amazing people,” and finished by directing his remarks to young Miss Ingebrand, telling her, “They can help you with your homework, but they can’t do it for you!”

The rezoning to allow Fernwood Urban Village Cohousing’s density increase was approved in a 7-1 landslide vote. Once recorded, the large crowd, with the permission of the Mayor, broke into cheers and applause.

They expect completion of their homes is sometime in 2016. The cohousing website is fernwoodurbanvillage.ca. The Fernwood Urban Village will be located at 1850 Chambers Street at the corner of Chambers Street and North Park Street.

October 2014

villagevibe

page 3

feature:

Hey Fernwood—why not vote for a change?

Did you know?

There’s another municipal election coming on Saturday, November 15th, 2014

›› Lee Herrin

Still, even with this dramatic increase, we trail the city’s more politically-oriented, southern neighbourhoods in turnout.

While Fairfield-Gonzales and James Bay produce a turnout rate of over 40% municipally, Fernwood is just over 20%.

We still have a long way to go in order to flex our political muscle in this town.

So why vote anyway?

H

istorically, voter turnout in municipal elections in Victoria is dismal—in the last election in 2011 it was 26.3%, up a whole percentage point from 2008 when it was 25.3%. Out of 65,612 citizens of this fair city who were eligible to vote, only 17,080 managed to make it to a neighbourhood polling station between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. on the third Saturday in November.

It strikes me as odd that in the last federal election in 2011, turnout in Victoria was approximately 67%. In the provincial election in 2013, turnout in Victoria was approximately 58%. No doubt, there is a lot more buzz when there is an election to the big leagues. But on a day to day basis, the level of government that has the most influence on the quality of your life is the civic/regional level of government.

It’s our City government that decided to

Table 1: Voter turnout by neighbourhood, and the change from 2008 to 2011 Neighbourhood

2008

2011

Change

Change %

Advanced polling

1,180

1,519

339

28.7%

Fernwood

1,230

1,391

161

13.1%

973

1,071

98

10.1%

1,141

1,228

87

7.6%

572

594

22

3.8%

Victoria West

1,115

1,138

23

2.1%

Oaklands

1,700

1,720

20

1.2%

Hillside-Quadra

1,026

1038

12

1.2%

Fairfield + Gonzales

5,199

4,834

-365

-7.0%

James Bay

2,944

2,716

-228

-7.7%

17,080

17,249

169

1.0%

Jubilee Downtown Burnside-Gorge

TOTAL

But here’s the good news, Fernwood: turnout in our neighbourhood was up over 13%, the biggest election over election increase of any neighbourhood in the city.

In fact, of the whole increase city-wide, we were responsible for almost all of it. I’d like to think it was my article in this space three years ago urging you to get out and vote that did it, but I won’t kid myself. I know you did it because you care about this neighbourhood and its place in the city as a whole.

spend what will inevitably be over $100 million on a bridge, when we could have had a more modest and yet fully functional bridge for less than half of that. Fifty million dollars is a lot of money, and it would have gone a long way to satisfy other priorities.

Admittedly, it was more than 10 years ago now, but in 2002 there were plans drawn up with much input from the neighbourhood to upgrade the Fernwood Community Centre so that it would have more program and multi-purpose space,

Table 2: Councillor Terms of Office Councillor (Mayor)

Term on Council

Geoff Young

24 years (1983 to 1996, 2005 to 2014)

Pamela Madoff

21 years

Chris Coleman

15 years

Dean Fortin (Mayor)

12 years (2002 to 2008 Council, Mayor 2008-2014)

Charlayne Thornton-Joe

12 years

Marianne Alto

4 years (by-election)

Shellie Gudgeon

3 years

Ben Isitt

3 years

Lisa Helps

3 years (running for Mayor in 2014)

as well as making the building seismically safe. These improvements, had they been made 10 years ago, would have made the Fernwood Community Centre much more valuable to the neighbourhood and to the City as a whole. However, those plans were cancelled at the time because they were too expensive, and in fact, the City recommended closing the Community Centre in 2005. That’s right, substantially upgrading our community centre could have been completed in 2005 for less than $2 million, but then, that was too much. And now, 10 years later, there are no funds to upgrade community centres, or our pool, or our library or other civic amenities because we have spent the dough on a “signature” bridge. And don’t forget, as a region we’re still trying to figure out sewage treatment too. That project will dwarf the bridge in terms of the magnitude of the expense.

This municipal election will be different and much more exciting than previous ones in that not all of the incumbents are running, and we actually have a sitting Councillor—Lisa Helps, former Chair of Fernwood NRG’s Board of Directors during the renovation of the Cornerstone Building—challenging for the Mayor’s position. Last time, in 2011, all of the incumbents ran again for office and three were unseated. That was unusual, because in municipal politics, incumbency is a huge advantage (see Table 2, above)—usually

those who have been around the longest tend to stick around even longer. We’ll have to wait until November 16th to know the outcome, but this election campaign season will be interesting to watch.

The accumulated decisions and priorities of Council through the years help to make the City what it is, as well as shape what it will become. You can bet that those who have been on Council the longest have had support from neighbourhoods with heavy turnout. If you’re happy with the way things are in the City and in Fernwood, and you’re pleased with the status quo, then there’s really no need to vote at all. You can trust the good folks in Fairfield, James Bay, Gonzales, and Rockland to decide for you who should govern our city. But if you think that Fernwood would be an even better neighbourhood with greater investment and respect from City Hall, then you know what you have to do.

General Voting Day

November 15, 2014, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., at Victoria High School (NOT at George Jay Elementary School due to seismic upgrading). See victoria.ca/ EN/main/departments/legislativeservices/2014-municipal-electionNovember-15.html for advanced

voting options and locations of other polling stations.

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page 4

villagevibe

October 2014

News and views from the heart of Fernwood

buzz:

Meet Ed, caretaker of Spring Ridge ›› Shannon K. Auringer He was hard at work shoveling, yet another pile of garden waste, as I wandered up the Chambers Street sidewalk. I was suited up in my rain coat and knee boots, as it was in true Victoria style, raining. Proving that nothing stopped him, Ed persevered forward in his jacket and shorts because face it; if the rain stops you, you’re living in the wrong city.

What started out as a plea for help from surrounding neighbors, to rescue Fernwood’s beloved edible garden, has quickly bloomed into a labour of love for Ed Horel of North Park Street. Most days of the week from morning till sunset, you can find Ed in the Commons resuscitating and rejuvenating the medicinal plants, fruit trees, and adding colourful new additions of perennials. With the rain dripping off the brim of his black Dodge cap, Ed took me on a tour of the garden and wowed me with his vast expertise in horticulture.

I learned that one can make tea from rose hips, mugwort is for women’s issues, and fennel grows like a weed if there’s too much of it.

He stood proudly, marveling at all the work that has taken place in the last month by himself and other volunteers. He talked about how today was day twenty, since beginning this transformation. At first he spent his days disposing of syringes and garbage. He now weeds and prunes, as families walk through Spring Ridge, city workers eat their lunch, and children play.

When complimented on what an amazing feat he has accomplished, he humbly nods and is quick to point out that there is still so much more to be done. He welcomes any and all to come

www.fernwoodnrg.ca

“The only way to get rid of weeds, ya gotta pull the buggers out. Any other way is just bein’ lazy.” says Ed Horel (above). Photo: Shannon K. Auringer

help. Ed would like to see residents add their own personal flare with painted rocks and homemade bird feeders. While he understands that not everyone is a gardener, he states that anyone can help with a donation of a plant; just bring it on over any day of the week.

Off to the side of Chambers by the book nook, Ed points out a hidden monument that fell prey to its overgrown state for far too long. A homemade headstone for Cake the cat. He chuckled at the discovery, for its randomness, but expressed how amazing it was that someone took the time to make this space for their beloved pet.

So next time you’re walking by or walking through Spring Ridge Commons, don’t be shy, give Ed a wave or shout hello. “Tell all the neighbors to come on by!” he says.

October 2014

villagevibe

page 5

mark your calendar:

oaklands news:

Bonfire on All Hallows’ Eve

New Executive Director

October 31, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Stevenson Park, behind the Fernwood Community Centre

It was a summer of

›› Mila Czemerys This Halloween, join in the fun at the annual Fernwood Halloween Bonfire at William Stevenson Park behind the Fernwood Community Centre. Everyone is invited to this family-friendly event.

Drop by and warm up on your trick-ortreat route. Bring the whole family. Wear your costumes, spooky or cute; we would love to see them.

There will be activities happening from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in the Fernwood Community Centre gym including games, a bouncy castle, and balloon twister for all to enjoy.

Our youth groups will be selling tasty hot apple cider as a fundraiser for their programs. All the proceeds raised will be

growth at Oaklands Community Centre

›› Ben Clark You are invted to join us for our annual Halloween Bonfire. After sunset, stroll over to William Stevenson Park to join in the family-friendly fun. Photo: Fernwood NRG

used to allow the youth groups to go on a fun outing of their choice.

If you are interested in volunteering to help with this event, please contact shonna@fernwoodnrg. ca— costumes highly encouraged. We are also looking for donations of firewood and jack-o-lanterns.

Join your fellow Fernwoodians on the spookiest night of the year. We put on this event to provide families, children, and neighbours a safe place to spend this evening. When we come together as a community, we scare away the ghosts and goblins. Happy Halloween!

george jay:

Change & Challenge ›› Kate Wallace On a recent walk past George Jay School, I was thrilled to see our seismic improvements had begun, giving the century-plus building a much-needed facelift. Hooray! Not only will this improve the building’s safety, but the interior and exterior modernization and beautification will bring a sense of pride to all our school families.

This upgrade comes with the risk of losing community spirit, however, as our children will be bussed to Richmond Elementary School for the year. This will certainly impact parent/teacher/ family relationships and the community connections that have been made over the past few years. (It’s worth noting that

George Jay’s new big playground and field will be open before and after school for playtime.) As a result, one of the PAC’s top priorities will be to ensure that school community spirit remains strong.

To this end, we have rented Fernwood NRG’s gym for our annual Halloween dance to ensure families can easily participate instead of having to drive or bus to Richmond. We have also begun sourcing local community groups interested in hosting our popular school Movie Nights.

And we’ll continue our mid-December Holiday Emporium tradition, where kids can buy gifts for their families at a minimal cost.

One of our other challenges was finding new daycare providers for before and after school care. Fortunately, Fernwood

NRG has created a program for schoolage children, so if you need affordable and trustworthy care, look no further than our own community.

This will also be George Jay’s first year in the French Immersion program.

Our school already hosts a multitude of students from around the world and the introduction of French programming is expected to enhance our school’s already existing “community of the world” spirit.

Thanks to the new French programming, our school enrollment has already gone up and will continue to grow by one class a year: more families mean more community connections, which is always beneficial to everyone.

The kids and I are so glad to be back at school!

It was a summer of growth at Oaklands Community Centre. In June, we welcomed a new Executive Director, Traci FontanaWegelin, to our organization. Traci came to us after spending several years with North Island Community Services Society, and we are very fortunate to have her with us.

We also saw growth with the expansion of our Farmers’ Markets. Due to the popularity of the six markets that we held in 2013, this program grew to a weekly event including 16 markets between June and September. The unique combination of all our great vendors, local bands playing live music, and Hoyne Brewing Co. and Sea Cider supplying our beverage garden brought a fun and lively atmosphere to the neighbourhood.

With the markets coming to an end and school back in session, we are looking forward to many events this fall, including an Oktoberfest Celebration on October 4th and the West Coast Winter Market on November 29th.

We will soon be finalizing a new fiveyear strategic plan for the organization.

This plan takes a triple bottom line approach and represents more than a year of working with the board, staff, and public to identify our priorities and where we can best help build our community. The plan will set the stage for many opportunities to volunteer and get involved in specific projects and special events. More information about the strategic plan, along with ticket information for the fall events described above can be found at oaklandscommunitycentre.com.

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Email: mmhantiuk@shaw.ca Phone: 250.595.1684 Cell: 250.882.1929

page 6

villagevibe

October 2014

News and views from the heart of Fernwood

garden gleanings:

Feed the soil; not just the plant When life gives you leaves, make leaf mold. When life gives you food scraps and garden clippings, make compost.

›› Margaret Hantiuk Recently I attended an interesting course on soil science at our Compost Education Centre. I was reminded how important autumn is to gardening here in Victoria.

We have the opportunity to build up our garden soil with all the leaves from our trees and shrubs, to pile it up or use a chicken wire basket to make a wonderful soil enhancer: leaf mold. Try running your lawn mower over the leaves a couple of times first to break them down and speed up the decomposition. Left over the winter and added to the garden in the following season, leaf mulch not only adds nutrition, but also smothers weeds if applied as a deep layer of least 3 inches. In addition, it keeps the soil soft, moist, and cool around plants and provides a habitat for good worms and the microorganisms needed to help plant roots take up micronutrients. It improves soil structure as it breaks down. A layer of compost will do the same thing.

If you are food gardening, do not add pet feces or leaves from the public streets to your compost or leaf mold. As well, for the health of your plants, do not add diseased foliage (unless your compost is very active, heating up to the point of being too hot when putting your hand in)! The last precaution is to not put in weeds that are near the seeding stage or any part of invasive plants (morning glory, ivy, buttercup, and goutweed come to mind). Your compost should have an earthy smell when done, and not smell rank. Unfinished compost— as with wood chips, which are fine on paths, but not as a mulch around plant roots—actually robs the soil of nitrogen

as it decomposes, instead of adding to it.

Inoculate your compost with topsoil or finished compost from your garden.

Healthy soil consists of 45% minerals, 25% water, 25% air, and 5% organic matter. This means that your soil should not completely dry out—watering deeply and less frequently is best—and mulches really do make a difference.

Try to not stand in your beds, especially when the soil is wet, as in the spring. Build beds that are within an arm’s reach, with paths, stepping stones, or even boards arranged for you to stand on if you must go into a bed. Or, try raised beds.

As we learn more about soil, we realize that turning soil over inverts the natural soil profile. Try forking the soil, or hoe delicately (watch for roots, which spread out quite a ways around a plant). To make new beds, try sheet mulching with layers of newspapers and compost (weed first!). The fall is a great time to do this, and in spring it should be ready for planting. Mulching will soften and improve clay soils and add humus to sandy soils. You can have your soil tested at Integrity Sales on Keating Cross Road. They can then recommend any amendments that you may need beyond mulching. You can have your soil tested for heavy metals or contamination as well, if you are food gardening and have any concerns.

Lastly, remember that your soil is an ecosystem. Adding natural amendments allows the soil to improve and the microorganisms to flourish. Sea Soil may not be as good a product as Tuff Turf (a locally-made marine mulch), because Sea Soil may have marine material from fish farms. They use additives which you may not want in your soil to keep their fish stock free of disease. A free source of leaf mulch is available in the late fall from municipalities, but it is from the curbside leaf pick-up and so is probably not suitable for food gardening. Lastly, do not use peat moss, which is from endangered bio-systems (and it dries out too much in our summer droughts).

Enjoy your fall harvests and remember to put your garden to bed.

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

October 2014

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