October 2010 Village Vibe

villagevibe October 2010

News and views from the heart of Fernwood

New grocery opens in Fernwood ›› Lee Herrin

I

n the November 2009 edition of the Village Vibe, we breathlessly announced the exciting news that a new grocery called Aubergine was going in at 1308 Gladstone Avenue. Then, we waited. And waited. And waited. But if you were away for the summer, you’ve come back to a radically transformed storefront and a great addition to the neighbourhood. At long last, we have groceries in the core of the neighbourhood. The Village Vibe caught up with Leon Zetler a few days after opening to the public.

VV. First of all, we all need to know: what

took you so long to open?

LZ . Well, things took a little longer

than planned. A few variances had to be approved which had to go to public hearing. Also, the building was in a shocking state which required a partial demolition permit. Lastly, the renovation was much bigger than planned (we gutted the building down to bare studs).

VV. What is the concept of your store?

LZ. My concept is to be a small neighbourhood-based store that meets the needs of the community. I always try to keep pricing as reasonable as possible. Essentially, I want to stock everything you need to make dinner after a day at work. I hope to be the kind of place a person will stop every day on their way home and spend a few dollars.

VV. So what does that look like on the

shelf?

LZ. I’ve got the basic convenience items

such as bread, milk, cheese, meat, soda, juices. I’ve got a full produce section including a lot of local produce from ­Saanich and BC fruit from the Okanagan. Most of my grocery items are organic, and there is a gluten free section. I will be bringing in fresh seafood every week on Thursday from Cowichan Bay. I am making some in-house appetizers (spreads, dips, tapenade, salads). I would like to add some flowers for sale too.

VV. Do you carry newspapers?

Customers flock to Aubergine Specialty Foods on a sunny afternoon in Fernwood. Photo: Jessica Herbert.

LZ. I carry the Times-Colonist right now. I

want to add the Globe & Mail and maybe even the Sunday New York Times.

VV. What about specialty items?

LZ. I have a small kosher foods section

now, and a small British grocery section coming in—popular brands that ex-pats love. I have a South African grocery sec-

tion. Being from South Africa myself, my previous store in Cadboro Bay was a hub for South Africans in Victoria.

VV. Is there anything else you could like the neighbourhood to know?

Fernwood Road). And, I’m open to suggestions—already I’ve had feedback that I need to stock a few of the essential toiletry items. I want to stock what you need so if you don’t see it, tell me.

LZ. I have three stalls of free customer

Aubergine is open:

parking at the back of the shop for customers (enter through the Fernwood Inn lot of

Monday to Saturday: 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Sunday: 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

in this issue Buzz

Feature

Mark your calendar

Hallowe’en will be spooky page 3

Reflections on an inspiring transformation page 4

Festival spotlight on healing page 7

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

villagevibe Published by Fernwood Neighbourhood Resource Group Editorial Committee

Lee Herrin Matt Takach

Stacey Curtis

Founding Editor Lisa Helps Contributors

Lee Herrin Christina Chan Susie Pendleton Stacey Curtis Tony Nelson

Margaret Hantiuk Derek Houston Andrea Zonnis Barbara Julian

Art

Jessica Herbert Lisa Matthaus “Doc” Crawford Rosalie Matchett Elizabeth Rhett Woods 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 To enquire about advertising in the Village Vibe, please contact ads@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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neighbourhood control or institutions and assets; 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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It takes a village to support a business ›› Lee Herrin

When I first moved to Fernwood (c. 1991), there were at least four small grocers in the neighbourhood (at the corners of Bay & Fernwood, Stanley & Gladstone, and Stanley & Begbie, and Chambers & Princess) as well as Wellburn’s and Stadacona Centre. In 2001, Thrifty Foods opened their Hillside Mall location, effectively surrounding the neighbourhood with options.

The pressure on the small grocers in the neighbourhood began to grow, and as the neighbourhood faced its own struggles over the next several years, they began to sell off or go out of business. This left us with grocery options only on the periphery of the neighbourhood, and a long walk with heavy bags for those without cars.

In the last several years, there have been a couple of attempts to re-start a grocery in the core of the neighbourhood, but these efforts soon failed mostly due to a limited amount of inventory or a lack of space.

Unlike other villages such as Cook Street (with Oxford Foods), James Bay (Thrifty Foods) or Quadra (Fairway Market), Fernwood lacks a commercial site large enough to attract a major player in the grocery business. And of course, we also lack a site that could accommodate significant ground level parking. This is both a blessing and a curse.

Food is the very basis of life itself, and a neighbourhood without a grocer is a chal-

lenging place to live (at least without regular access to a vehicle). However, Fernwood has also managed to avoid attracting the standard chain establishments that detract from local character and present a dreary sameness from neighbourhood to neighbourhood, where coffee=Starbucks and sandwich=Subway. To the extent we have a collection of increasingly neighbourhoodfocused businesses, regularly patronized by local people traveling to and from them on foot or by bike, we are collectively creating something that is unique in the city.

I say collectively, because whether you are a shopkeeper or a customer, you are part of what makes it work. A business needs customers in order to succeed. And it needs many customers in order to thrive.

Through our daily purchasing decisions, we signal to business owners what we want more of and what we want less of. When

we choose one product over another (say organic or local produce over imported conventional produce—can anyone please tell me why there is even a single New Zealand apple for sale at Thrifty Foods in September!?!), we give information to the shopkeeper as to what we prefer. And when we choose to shop in a neighbourhood store we can walk to over a distant one we can only drive to, we help keep the small business going and maybe encourage other small businesses to set up shop too.

Leon Zetler of Aubergine Specialty Foods (see cover story) has taken a large risk and has made a significant investment in Fernwood. He believes that we—that is, we Fernwood people—will prefer to shop at a small store we can walk to. I think he’s right, and I hope you do to. And if you do, be sure to start changing your habits to include a stop at Aubergine on your way home.

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

Fernwood

Dead Wood

village reasonably priced celebration inspiring trees

metropolis overpriced repressed unchanging pavement

We are committed to ensuring ownership of neighbourhood

››

editorial:

We are committed to developing the skills, capacity, self‑worth,

buzz:

Acupuncturist moves downtown ›› Christina Chan Remember that age old saying, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”?

What exactly does that mean? Whoever said it, they must have been a healer….

In the daily grind of our busy lives, we get so caught up in all the details we often about forget ourselves. Maybe you’re dealing with an old injury from a car accident or problems with your digestion. Maybe you suffer from allergies or you’ve developed repetitive strain from work. Maybe you’re just under a lot of stress and in need of a break from the pressure. Sometimes, it seems as if we take for granted what our bodies do for us, carrying us through life, day in, day out.

Once in a while, we all need a momentary change of pace—perhaps a chance to pause and thank our body for all of its strength and patience. We know that we

feel much better and enjoy life more when we take care of ourselves, but what’s stopping us? Why have we forgotten how to value our health?

One of the keys to prevention is affordable and accessible therapies that not only address the symptoms, but the root causes, assisting the body to remember what to do and shifting back into health. And even if there’s nothing immediately wrong, it is always beneficial to receive periodic treatments to support wellness and to keep problems at bay.

At the Fernwood Community Centre, this was the message for the past four years in a small, drop-in acupuncture clinic. It offered ear acupuncture to any individual that needed stress relief, a recharge and was curious about the benefits of acupuncture.

It was a simple start that was a sign of good things to come.

The message of self-care and wellness has since grown into the Heart and Hands Health Centre, located at #6-2020 Douglas Street (½ block north of Douglas & Discovery), just a stone’s throw from Fernwood. It is a holistic clinic offering group acupuncture, reiki, shiatsu, therapeutic yoga, Feldenkrais, meditation and more.

We are excited to offer our services to you!

Our affordable, sliding scale rates make it possible to get better and stay better. Prevention is for everyone: healthy people for a healthy community!

Remember to rest and make space for healing. Your body will thank you!

The Heart and Hands Health Centre will be opening the week of October 4th for community acupuncture and shiatsu. We will also be having an open house October 22nd and 23rd, hope to see you there!

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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For assistance turning life's challenges into truimphs

Zoë Eakle, RPC Registered Professional Counsellor

Fernwood, B.C.

250 370 0980 www.openskycounselling.com

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

page 2

villagevibe October 2010

News and views from the heart of Fernwood

buzz:

Get your pens out!

The Village Vibe launches a Literary Arts section with a short story contest

›› Stacey Curtis The Village Vibe is pleased to announce that we will be adding a Literary Arts section, hosted by Stacey Curtis. This new section will appear as a four-page insert in the December edition of the Village Vibe.

We are kicking off the section with a short-fiction contest, open to all. Here are the details: Spooky sights at the 2009 Stevenson Park H a l l o w e ’ e n B o n f i re .

Photos: “Doc” Crawford.

Subject: the story can be about any

subject of your choice, in any fiction genre. But, it must touch upon Fernwood (Victoria, none of the other Fernwood’s, though cross-referencing is welcome).

Contest entry: not restricted to Fern-

wood residents, but enough familiarity to inspire a good story is important.

Word count: 1,500 word maximum.

Format: typed, double spaced in 12 pt.

entries will be recycled, so please do not send your only copy. You may mail or drop off your copy at 1240 Gladstone Avenue, Attention: Stacey Curtis, accompanied by a cheque for $8, made payable to Fernwood NRG. Stories must be submitted by 5 p.m. November 12th, 2010.

The Winner and First Runner-up will be published in the Literary Arts section of the Village Vibe’s December edition.

Contest Prize: First Prize: $100; Second Prize: $50; 2 honourable mentions

Published stories will be eligible for illustration by local artists.

So get your pens out and start writing—we look forward to reading your stories about the ’hood. And, stay tuned for information about upcoming creative non-fiction and poetry contests in future editions.

Times New Roman.

Stacey Curtis works as a freelance writer

Entry fee: $8/person. One entry/person

and editor. She teaches writing courses out

only.

of Fernwood’s Red Gate Healing Studio and

Submission: Paper copies only. All

resident.

is going into her second year as a Fernwood

Now Open buzz:

Hallowe’en will be spooky ›› Susie Pendleton

able for purchase. The evening will end by 10 p.m.

Please join us this Hallowe’en for a great This year’s Halloween celebrations will community event, sure to be fun for all ages! be set up by the Fernwood Teen Group For the first time in many moons Fern- which meets Friday nights at Fernwood wood NRG is hosting a Spooky Haunted NRG’s Community Centre (at 1240 GladHouse, followed by the annual Stevenson stone Avenue). The Fernwood Teens will Park Hallowe’en Bonfire! Promising to be a be designing and organizing the evening, great evening, this event will be packed full hosting the games and activities and will be of scares, smores, and smiles for everyone. transforming the community centre into a Starting at 7 p.m. the games will begin. spooky haunted house.

If you are feeling brave you can take a walk If you would like to volunteer to help through the Fernwood Haunted House. out during our Hallowe’en celebrations And make sure that you come dressed up please stop by the Community Centre to in your Halloween costume and take part register. You can also join our Teen Group in the costume contest. Also plan to join if you are between the ages 8-14, or take the bonfire sing along—bring an instru- part in a Hallowe’en Mask/Lantern makment and your singing voice, and take part ing workshop on October 28th.

This exciting celebration is sure to in the music.

Fernwood NRG will provide free hot become another neighbourhood annual chocolate and cider for all participants, event. Please participate and make this a there will also be other concessions avail- great Hallowe’en! www.fernwoodnrg.ca

At Aubergine, we promise to tempt your tastebuds with our selection of local produce, meats and cheeses, artisan salads, fresh daily sandwiches, South African and Kosher foods, British candies, freshly roasted coffee and a unique collection of global products all of which we hope will inspire your table tonight.

n

Spend $30 and receive a

FREE Natural Spice Grinder.

Go ahead and choose from over 18 flavours and spice things up a little.

Purchase any artisan salad and receive a second

Artisan Salad FREE. Tell your friends you made it, we don’t mind.

Aubergine Offers expire November 30th, 2010.

Specialty Foods

1308 Gladstone Avenue Victoria, British Columbia. 250.590.1031 Email: aubergine@shaw.ca Web: auberginefoods.ca Shop: Mon. - Sat. 9:30am-6pm. Sunday10am-5:30pm.

October 2010

villagevibe page 3

feature:

Reflections on an inspiring transformation A Fernwood NRG Board Member reflects on his youth growing up in Fernwood

›› Tony Nelson

I

grew up in Fernwood. And by grew up, I mean I went to George Jay Elementary from Kindergarten through Grade 7 and then on to Central Junior High (as it was known then) from Grades 8 through 10. I moved out of the neighbourhood when I was 14 but still felt a connection to the area and its people. This

next John McEnroe, witnessing a couple of escapes where the side door would fly open, one or two kids would come flying out and run like heck to get away from there. The resulting police presence always made for an intriguing afternoon.

I remember when the Fernwood Community Centre broke ground. Before that, Stevenson Park was literally a concrete hole in the ground. The only green space to

they used to hold at what is now Tillicum Mall but then was a Drive-In Theater that played movies from dusk-til-dawn.

The Fernwood Community Centre had its fair share of bands play there as well. The biggest and most well-known of them were Doug and the Slugs as well as Uncle Wiggly’s Hot Shoes Blues Band playing the odd New Year’s Eve bash. What was the Administration office was the General Lounge. A few

Obviously, Fernwood has changed a lot since I was a kid… However, the constants of the neighborhood have been the energy of the people, the creative force that seems to permeate from every nook and cranny, and the willingness of the inhabitants to get involved in community celebrations. past July 25th marks the one-year anniversary of my wife and I moving back into the ’Wood. Thus, I thought it would be a fun little endeavor to look back at what the area looked like growing up and what it has evolved into now through this man’s eyes.

My very first foster home was at 1153 Pembroke Street. I arrived there at the age of 4 from Ladysmith. That house is located right beside the old location for the Victoria Juvenile Detention Centre. I can vividly remember the kids incarcerated in there pounding on the Plexiglas windows hoping to get someone, anyone really, to pay attention to them. This would happen all night long and the screams of frustration and loneliness emanating from their cells still haunt me to this day. I remember even, while hitting a tennis ball against the courtyard wall and envisioning I was the

be had was where the swings are located presently—there was a Jungle Gym, sand and these great Laurel trees that bordered the residential properties that made for great games of hide-n-seek as well as War! The ground level was the same throughout the park where the daycare and basketball court (which were not there) are now. The Northeast corner of the park had concrete stairs exactly like the ones by the daycare. Now this area did not go without its uses—it was the prime area for after-school fights since it was far enough away from the school that no nosy teacher or Principal would disturb the Darwinian world of childhood rites and initiations. Adults had a use for the area as well. Sundays, the area—along with the gymnasium—used to host a flea market. It was the one of the biggest in the city, second only to the one

New Year’s Eves, I was conscripted to be child-minder (very much against my rebellious pre-teen will). There was a big-screen television with a state of the art VCR for movie watching and even a popcorn maker was brought in so we could indulge while watching kids’ movies like Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T. and The Empire Strikes Back!

A gravel parking lot used to adorn where the Spring Ridge Commons is presently located. I’m not sure how long it sat vacant like that but what is there now is definitely an improvement. The parking lot also had its uses—it was a great resource to collect rocks for epic rock battles with kids from other neighborhoods. My best friend at the time, Terry St. Cyr, would usually be the voice of reason and spirit us away before the adults showed up. Spring Ridge Commons was also a common gathering place

Join us for brunch on Saturdays and Sundays!

Daily from 11:30 a.m.

1302 Gladstone

page 4

villagevibe October 2010

412-2001

News and views from the heart of Fernwood

for more nefarious dealings—drug deals were the norm for that little piece of real estate.

I learned how to play basketball on the courts at George Jay, which led to me landing a scholarship to play in college which helped pay for my education. I learned how to play baseball in the little park on the corner of Caledonia Avenue and Chambers Street. There was a group of us that would get together almost every day in the summer using the trees as natural bases (there was also two horseshoe pits situated right in the middle of the park which we used for home plate and the pitcher’s mound).

A friend of mine at the time, Wayne Davis, hit the very first home run to “win the World Series”. However, in doing so, he broke his kitchen window and was scared to go home. Apparently, this was a wellfounded fear since he couldn’t sit properly for a week after!

The Belfry Theatre used to house both a Youth Hostel and a dental clinic. I remember the Square being an unsavory place to be anytime after the sun went down. The Hostel was also a regular stop for the Victoria City Police as trouble was never far away— there was even a murder a two that happened there. Where the Fernwood Inn

now sits and way before it was the George and Dragon, there was a Laundromat— ostensibly to cater to the Hostel clientele one would assume.

The Prancing Pony was located where the Collective Works Art Gallery is now— although I must now confess that I never knew what the Prancing Pony was or what its function was meant to be. The Victoria Native Friendship Centre (VNFC) was the

occupant of the Rennie & Taylor Building and took up quite a bit of space. So much space, in fact, that what is now Lucy’s, Who Dyd Your Hair, She Said Gallery, the Dental clinic, the record store and the tattoo parlor was all the domain of the VNFC. It was there that I learned how to play a mean game of billiards (maybe not such a good thing) and to really identify with my Aboriginal heritage (definitely a good thing).

Obviously, Fernwood has changed a lot since I was a kid. And as is extremely evident, the changes have been profound and not without some controversy. However, the constants of the neighborhood have been the energy of the people, the creative force that seems to permeate from every nook and cranny, and the willingness of the inhabitants to get involved in community celebrations (there was no Fern Fest, Gladstone Street or Vining Street Block Parties, Holi Fernwood, Fernwood Bites or Art Strolls when I was a kid).

In the December 2009 issue of the Village Vibe, there was a feature article written about the gentrification of Fernwood and whether or not that was a detriment.

Part of the article espoused that the four main factors that affect the quality of life in any given neighbourhood were place attachment, involvement in neighbourhood activities, social support and getting out into the neighbourhood. Having been away from the ’Wood for 26 years, I find that these qualities were always present but now the people and inhabitants have more occasions to demonstrate these characteristics. Fernwood has become a destination neighbourhood and for that we all benefit.

“one of Canada’s best new restaurants” – enroute magazine

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Call Zamian today and start packing www.ZamianSellsFernwood.com Open 7 nights 5pm | midnight Tues ~ Sat 5pm | 10pm Sun ~ Mon

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www.fernwoodnrg.ca

October 2010

villagevibe

page 5

artist’s aside:

The Beauty of Falling ›› Derek Houston It sometimes feels that conflict in our world is inevitable. The recent threat to burn the Qur’an is an example where millions of people felt they were under attack. Many were worried that everything could slip over the edge into darkness. These kinds of struggles about ideas spark passionate debate, and preserving peace can be put to the test.

I’ve always been fascinated by how artists use their love to create, to help find answers. One such artist is Rosalie Matchett, and for several years now she has been expressing her thoughts by working in a wax process called encaustic. She handles this challenging medium with dexterity and freedom and her work can always be viewed at Collective Works Gallery in Fernwood where she provides a calm and steady hand to the membership.

Rosalie, like everyone else, has been through her own struggles trying to figure out how best to obtain a voice for her family and her community. Her art was one of the few things that made sense to her, even though her time at art school left a feeling of disillusionment. Life back then was more black and white but she wasn’t

too happy about how art was being represented there. She demanded more than “party tricks” and the pretentious art scene was lost on her.

When you meet Rosalie you can sense that she is genuine. She is an avid reader and it is not a surprise to learn that she likes beekeeping, writing and music. Her art weaves all those interests into the layers of her wax images in her recent show, “The Beauty of Falling”.

She likes the idea that it is necessary to keep stumbling before one can achieve success. Sometimes her work features images of wrestlers. Two people locked in embrace, with one figure losing balance. The second figure, in one of her images, looks like one person struggling with their own demons.

Other figures float down through the layers of wax, while memories of an unborn fetus come to mind. There has to be a connection between these ideas and her work titled, “Longing”, which shows a young figure embracing a canoe. The artist states that the intention was to create a feeling of loss for something that you want to regain.

Rosalie is very much interested in the world and makes comments about things that interest her, but she also finds that if she becomes too political in her work she

Eternal Wrestlers by Rosalie Matchett. Encaustic with Oil Pigment on Canvas. Photo: Rosalie Matchett.

feels more depressed. This is a common problem that can happen to anyone who tackles difficult issues. (The beauty of art seems to be its healing power, allowing one to still observe the madness.)

Through her work, she has been able to create a community and focus on things in her life that are meaningful to her. Her decision to create images by mixing wax with her paints seems to be a good match for her ideas. There is a sense of softness and peace

in the layers of the wax glazes and drips.

There is a continuity in her work even when she drifts and views things off from the side. I think this is her way of finding balance in a complicated world. Preparing for an exhibition can help an artist focus and find new paths. This has certainly happened for Rosalie over the past year.

Her show runs October 8th to 21st at Collective Works Gallery and images can be viewed at www.rosaliematchett.com.

throughout winter. That being said, there are some that should be cut back every fall: those that become soft and sloppy with frost, invasives which self-seed too easily, and those that are diseased. This is also a prime time to divide perennials that are congested and no longer blooming well.

Usually the new outside roots are most viable with the older, inner part thrown out, although with others the root is simply cut or pulled apart, with the most damaged discarded. Still others resent disturbance— do not divide peonies, poppies, aconitum, bleeding hearts, and gypsophilia.

To extend the growing season in the veggie patch, use remay cloth or even plastic to cover your crops when frost is expected.

Continue harvesting and making room for winter veggies, garlic or fall rye, planted to anchor the soil and fix nitrogen. Store your harvest in a clean, dry and cool place. If

you have too much fruit or cannot pick it yourself, call Lifecycles’ Fruit Tree Project Hotline at 250-507-3810. They will provide pickers and take the surplus fruit and distribute it.

Now is the time to plant spring blooming bulbs. Most need good drainage and a sunny spot. Try planting them in pots, in gravel along walks, or under deciduous trees (which will not be out when they bloom). Plant them in drifts with a dash of bone meal and gritty gravel at the bottom of the hole. Tender bulbs should be lifted in the fall (gladiolas, dahlias, begonias) and placed with a little soil in a cool, dark, and dry spot. Keep an eye on them: they should not dry out completely.

Finally, this is an excellent time to put in new lawn, or restore your old one. And remember to spread dolomitic lime lightly over your lawn before the fall rains.

garden gleanings:

Fall in the Garden ›› Margaret Hantiuk This is a good time to plant trees and shrubs, as the fall rains will give them a good start, and the soil is still warm. Remember to dig a big enough hole, to tease out the roots, to place the shrub at the exact same soil level, to tamp in the soil gently, and then to mulch with compost, sea soil or leaf mould. Water it well in dry times through its first two years of growth. Do a little research and find shrubs and trees that suit the spot you have in mind, as far as sun/ shade, hardiness, and space are concerned: don’t plant too near a path, walk, drive, house or power pole. Pay careful attention to the final size—height and spread, so that you will not be fighting its size, moving it later, or even removing it later!

Generally, keep weeding, and water only as needed—especially under large tree can-

opies, foundation plantings under eaves, or in a prolonged dry spell—until the temperatures drop below freezing. Spread compost about as the beds die back, but do not cover crowns of perennials or pile it up against tree trunks. Tender perennials do benefit from a covering of lighter plant material (bracken ferns, conifer boughs, or burlap bags.) When bringing in very tender potted plants, remove diseased or damaged parts and wash them off with an insecticidal soap. Many succulents are hardy enough to survive outdoors but don’t like soggy roots, so try potting some up in a gritty soil mix and placing them under the eaves of your house, on the sunny side.

Perennials can be cut back or not. I like to leave some seed stalks on for the birds, and tender plants are protected with their stalks left intact. Some perennials have decorative seed heads, providing beauty

Committed to Supporting Community Associations Community Office

1084 Fort Street Victoria P: (250) 952-4211 F: (250) 952-4214 carole.james.mla@leg.bc.ca www.opposition.bc.ca

Stay up with us.

The Cornerstone Cafe is open until 10 p.m.

Monday through Saturday and 8 p.m. on Sunday

page 6

Carole James, MLA Victoria • Beacon Hill

villagevibe October 2010

News and views from the heart of Fernwood

mark your calendar:

Festival Spotlight on Healing ›› Andrea Zonnis On October 16 th and 17 th the second annual Intuitive Arts Festival will be back at the Fernwood Community Centre (1240 Gladstone Avenue) from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., putting a spotlight on holistic health and metaphysics. Forty exhibitors from across Vancouver Island will be joining together to offer mini healing sessions, psychic readings, and valuable information. Workshops and seminars (all included in the $10 admission) will happen throughout the festival. Some features include chakra bellydancing, intuition classes, meditation, sound healing, reiki, and much more.

Fernwood is the heart of Victoria and brimming over with talent of every kind: music, art, drama, and also the healing/ intuitive arts. The neighbourhood is a spiritual mecca hosting a plethora of healing spaces, wellness clinics and home offices.

Here are just a few Fernwood faces that you can expect see at the Festival:

Photo: Elizabeth Rhett Woods

mark your calendar:

Trees of Harris Green

›› Barbara Julian

Taiya Curle is one of the Fernwood practitioners exhibiting at this month’s Intuitive Arts Festival.

Randy Zonnis Certified Emotion Code and Quantum Touch Practitioner Red Gate Healing Studio, 2033 Belmont Avenue www.redgatehealingstudio.com

Randy has a background of over 35 years’ experience in social work; he started practicing energy work at the request of his friends.

He has a strong desire to promote peace, love and wellness on the planet and believes in the power of the individual’s ability to heal him or herself. My clients will gain an understanding of how they create their own state of disease or wellness, and learn techniques, strategies and behaviours to achieve a much higher state of wellness.

My goal with every client is that they will utilize my services for a period of time and become empowered to be motivated and capable of creating their own wellness without further assistance from me.

Randy was born in the United States and moved to Canada in 1970, and completed a BA from Simon Fraser University. Participating in his first Energy Healing training in 1985 he furthered his knowledge by studying with a Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine. He has his Level One Educational Kinesiology Certificate, and is an Emotion Code Certified Practitioner. He meditates daily, does yoga regularly and participates in energy healing seminars.

A group of tree-lovers met with Chris HydeLay of the Victoria Parks Department early this summer to take a “tree-identification walk” down Harris Green and Pandora Green (Chambers Street west to Vancouver Street). Chris is a mine of information about our beloved urban forest, and several experienced photographers took shots of the trees for a display to be presented October 21st to November 26th at Overleaf Cafe-Bookshop (1105 Pandora Avenue, in the Medical Arts Building).

Many of us speed by this lovely sweep of chestnuts, London plane trees, elms, English oaks and cherry trees on a daily or weekly basis, without fully appreciating what these trees do for us: cleansing the air of pollution, shading the streets, exhaling oxygen for the health of the atmosphere, and above all providing visual beauty on the edge of the downtown core where, in a dense and paved environment, we need it most.

Ideally, said arborist Chris Hyde-Lay, tree canopy should cover 40% of a city. Down-

town we have only 3-7% coverage. In the Municipality of Victoria the Rockland area does best, nearly hitting the 40% mark. That it will continue to do so depends upon protecting both private and public gardens, parks and boulevard trees, and controlling property subdivision and infilling. The City owns about 40,000 trees, while about 200,000 live on private property. Do existing zoning bylaws protect them? No. If they are “non-native, or smaller than 80 cm diameter,” any property owner can destroy them.

People interested in trees and/or ­photography are invited to view the pictures at Overleaf Cafe Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. until Novermber 26th. Saturday October 30th there will be a chance to meet the photographers, hear more about municipal policy and share some tree-talk in prose and in poetry (1 p.m. to 4 p.m.).

Fernwoodians with their own favourite trees or tree stories are invited to send pictures and writings to the Tree Watch Victoria website: www. treewatchvictoria.blogspot.com

Taiya Curle Chakra Bellydance, Intuitive Massage, Reiki www.taiya.ca

Taiya started practicing healing arts after using a variety of alternative medicine modalities that helped in her recovery from brain tumour induced epilepsy. “My personal healing journey has left me more whole and in touch with the powers of an integrated body, mind and soul. It is a great joy and satisfaction to share with others the fruits of my experience, working with the Universal Life Force (Divine Love).”

Offering chakra bellydance lessons, body work and reiki attunements, Taiya has studied Jin shin Do Acupressure, relaxation massage, chair massage, crystal healing, sound therapy and movement therapy. She believes, “When you are ready to heal you will allow that miracle to happen for you!”

Kimmie Leslie Energy Healing Practitioner www.fullcircleenergyhealing.com

Kimmie is passionate about helping others to connect with their highest potential to be happy, loving, healthy people. From a very early age, she has understood that there is more happening in life than what can be physically seen. She has been expanding this understanding of energy for the last 10 years, completing the Energy Healing Practitioner Program at Langara College along with other certifications, including: Advanced PSYCH-K Facilitator, Holoenergetics Healing Facilitator and Radical Forgiveness Coaching.

Her work is a combination of energetic healing, and life-vision coaching. “I can assist you to move toward living the life you want, through clearing limiting inner patterns that block you from knowing a positive, healthy life experience.” Kimmie lives a balanced life of loved ones, meditation, five rhythms dance, yoga and chanting. www.fernwoodnrg.ca

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

Denise Savoie

Member of Parliament for Victoria

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

Your voice in Ottawa October 2010

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Scene in Fernwood : The Boys of Fernwood