July 2009 Village Vibe

villagevibe

Photo: Phil Rouget Photo: Pete Rockwell

Fantastic Fernfestivities >> by Chris howard (Howie)

I

Seniors lunch and more

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Photo: Pete Rockwell

Photo: Pete Rockwell

Photo: Pete Rockwell

Photo: Phil Rouget

Photo: Pete Rockwell

July 2009 : News and views from the heart of Fernwood

t’s the morning of Fern Fest, 8 am, and I’m helping get the boys at the Fernwood Inn ready to dole out pancakes. Jimmy (the head cook) is psyched. It’s like he’s getting ready to fly to Brazil or something. This happy, hyper vibe is exactly what I need right now, as my energy level dips after a week of plan-o-mania. Sure enough, that set the tone: everyone had a rockin’ good time.

One of the best things about Fernwood is the loyalty residents so proudly display. This was manifest in many ways on the big day, but none so much as all the willing volunteers that stepped forward to give their time and energy to this year’s event. A HUGE and heartfelt thank-you goes out to the folks who made a contribution: you know who you are!

The stage was alive with entertainment, from the uncompromising undulations of the Cerise Fantasy Belly Dancers to the classic Celtic chords of Cookeilidh. Other artists included Steve Hignett, Los Gringos Locos, Great White Shark, Harris Gilmore and the Mojos and many others!

As always, the hub of the party by late afternoon was the beer garden. A big thanks goes out to Simon and the guys at Phillip’s Brewing Co. for quenching thirsts and generously sponsoring our event. Wow, you guys make a good brew.

The stuff happening that day could fill this paper, but if you didn’t get to be there, reading about it is almost unfair. You’ll just have to come out next year and see what all the fuss is about.

ernwood NRG and Joanne Gilmour Kyne host a magnificent group of 12-20 seniors every Friday for lunch, entertainment and exercise! Joanne, host and a Red Seal cook, enjoys the group immensely, and the seniors love her food just as much! Beyond the seniors group, Joanne’s a busy mom to her three children – Eva, age 11, basketball soccer girl; Wilson, age 13, musician; and Jack, age 9, baseball player.

Joanne’s helper, Tasha, also loves to bake, and regularly donates goodies to the seniors lunch. The group appreciates her generosity and relishes her baking. Thank you, Tasha!

The Fernwood Seniors (age 55+) meet Fridays at 11am for exercise, tea, lunch and activities, and also host a monthly guest speaker. Lunch is in the Fernwood Community Centre Multi-Purpose Room, and the fee is $2.

in this issue The Oneness Heart Park Page 3 Feature: Adieu, Roberta Martell Page 4 Gardening with SOUL Page 8

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editorial : Be well, my friends I’m writing this from the Chan Centre at UBC in Vancouver. The request to write this editorial came today and – given the pace of NRG – of course it’s due today. I’m here to pay tribute to a man who was formative to everything I know and have become: the late great Jim Fulton.

Jim was my Executive Director when I was but a sprout at the David Suzuki Foundation. His boldness and charisma were exceeded only by his quick witted brilliance and deeply generous spirit. I was blessed to learn at the knee of this master at DSF. As I reflect on my tenure at the helm of NRG, I can only hope I’ve done my Jimbo proud.

Together, we’ve created a fundamentally transformative shift in Fernwood, the neighbourhood we love. Together, we’ve brought out each other’s greatest gifts and built one another’s capacity not only to dream

impossible dreams, but to realize them with tenacity and grace. Together, we can celebrate the quiet victories that belong to the passionate and battleweary because we stepped up to the challenges before us, and together we knocked them outta the park!

Fernwood’s transformation has attracted international attention as folks want to learn more about our resident driven urban evolution. I’m honoured to have spent the past five and a half years working side by side with staff, board and residents on programs, services and urban sustainability initiatives.

The final missive from my overworked blackberry is this – I may be leaving but I’ll be checking back. I’m certain there’s even more social innovation to come from Fernwood. As you move forward, take care of yourselves, each other and the earth. Be well, my friends.

Neighbours for Change >> by Sarah Colwill

CanadaHelps.org and donate to Fernwood NRG.

declaration of principles and values We are committed to creating a socially, environmentally, and economically sustainable neighbourhood; We are committed to ensuring neighbourhood control or ownership of neighbourhood institutions and assets; 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; We are committed to governing 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;

Greetings Fernwood!

I’m Philippe Lucas, your City Council representative for Fernwood, and it’s a real pleasure to have this opportunity to introduce myself. With the incredible creativity and energy currently flowing out of Fernwood Square and beyond, I’m very excited to be your rep during this time of progressive change in the community.

My background includes childcare and education, and I’m currently a Graduate Research Fellow with the Centre for Addictions Research of B.C. and a Master’s Candidate in UVic’s Studies in Policies and Practice program. Much of my work and research focuses on substance use, drug policy and addiction, and medical marijuana, and my volunteer time is directed towards ending homelessness and poverty, and increasing food security and local agriculture.

When I’m at home (which is all too rarely these days!) you can usually find my wife Mary and me enjoying the company of our 8 month old daughter Sophie, cooking, or tending to our ever-expanding edible and ornamental garden.

The next few years will potentially see some interesting new initiatives in Fernwood, including the possibility of a new all-weather field at Vic High, a new bus corridor on Bay St., and increased bike parking around Fernwood Square.

Although these changes will benefit many neighbourhood residents, I’m aware that they also have the potential to negatively affect others, so I’m committed to ensuring that the city does its best to minimize the downside of any of these initiatives. With that in mind, please feel free to contact me at plucas@victoria.ca so that we can discuss your vision for a vibrant Fernwood.

Now back to the garden!

Photo: Keri Coles Photography

Like the work of Fernwood NRG? Go to

The Dovetail Foundation and the Fernwood Inn invite you to join them in the Street on July 19th for a day of neighbourhood celebration in support of the Roger Colwill Fund for the Environment.

In light of Roger Colwill’s involvement with the Royal Roads University (RRU) Foundation in their campaign to build the Robert Bateman Art and Environmental Education Centre, the Foundation did two things: They invited Sarah Colwill (part owner of Fernwood Inn) to volunteer on the Legacy Campaign Board as head of the Youth Engagement Committee. This committee is now named the Dovetail Project.

They created the Roger Colwill Fund for the Environment, which fuels Green Drinks – now in the Belfry Lobby, second Tuesday of every month (save July, when it is out at RRU) – as well as the Legacy Campaign.

The Colwill family is aiming to raise sufficient funds to name a prominent space in the future Bateman Centre after their Dad. Neighbours for Change is the first of three event fundraisers by The Dovetail Project. (Shop for Change and Rock for Change are planned for future dates.)

Gladstone St. in front of the Fernwood Inn will be closed off for tents and tables where local produce/crafts will be sold and to allow room for facepainting and sidewalk chalk – perhaps even a dunk tank!

Sales from burgers hot off the BBQ and cold beer on the patio will go toward the Roger Colwill Fund – as will money raised from the auction in the art room, with lot items such as a fishing trip for four and original local art.

Live music will be provided on the patio by Mike Hann and Tyler Harvey and others.

Walk or bike to this community-oriented, family friendly event in the true spirit of Roger, who loved nothing more than a great street party where neighbours got to know each other!

Anyone wishing to donate artwork or lot items for the auction, or vendors wishing to sell local produce or crafts, can contact Sarah at the Fernwood Inn. 250.412.2001 ext. 3

Philippe Lucas

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

Page 2 | News and views from the heart of Fernwood | July 2009

Acknowledgments Anna Rasmussen would like to acknowledge www.bc4h.bc.ca for providing much of the information reported in “4H Club in Fernwood” in the June Vibe.

VillageVibe

Melodious Mural

The Oneness Heart Park

>> by Emily Grav

>> by Fernwood R abbit

Calling all creative minds! Emily Grav, the owner of The Paint Box School of Art in the Fernwood Square, is designing a mural for the wall bordering Gladstone Ave., next to the Belfry Theatre. The purpose of the mural is to inspire creativity, to deter “taggers” from continually marking the wall with their slogans, and to brighten the square with some art and colour.

To make the mural a community project, she would like everyone’s creative input, from professional artists to children. A visual reproduction of the wall will be on display at the Cornerstone Café with pens and pencil crayons available for people to add their ideas to the mural. Those ideas will be incorporated into the final design to create a group design.

The deadline for design contributions is July 15th, so stop by the Cornerstone or The Paint Box today and add your idea! Once the mural application is approved, students attending Summer Art Camps at the Paint Box will start work on painting the mural in August.

I first saw this garden while hopping down Princess Street with my little bunnies. We were on our way to play at the playground when we came across this magical spot which seemed to appear from nowhere on the side of the street. We felt a bit like Hansel and Gretel when they saw the old witch’s colourful, abundant and enchanted house arising from the dark forest. Who could have made this wondrous collage of colour and texture?

On our way back from the playground, we met the creator. The sun was slanting at that perfect angle before sunset when all is sheathed in golden rays, and he invited us to talk with him awhile beside the garden. He sat on the bench and told us all about bees and debated the merits of their portrayal in The Bee Movie with the kids.

As we bantered back and forth, I realized that this was truly one of those precious moments that make living

@ the Cornerstone :

Song and Dance >> Interview by Aaron Ellingsen You might have seen the Bumbling Sisters on a Friday night at the Cornerstone, or at the family open stage during Fern Fest 2009. If not, you might just want to get down to the Cornerstone for A Shot in the Dark, their open stage/variety show, the third Friday of every month.

Village Vibe Who are the Bumbling Sisters? Why

bumbling?

Bumbling Sisters “The Bumbling Sisters are local

sisters, Sarah and Meghan Brady. Sarah is currently taking a break from social work while she waits to enter grad school this fall at Uvic, while Meghan works and plays in the Victoria area. We both love music – performing, listening and composing – and wanted to create a supportive fun environment for others to do the same.

“While we have lots of enthusiasm, our talent is somewhat lacking. We joke that we often start the night off with one of our numbers to help set the bar low, so that anyone thinking they won’t be good enough will go: ‘Hey, if they can do it so can we.’ Anyone with a desire to perform should check out our open mic, even if they’re not yet ready for the big stage. After all, we’re often our own worst critics.

“We wondered about calling ourselves the ‘Savage Sisters,’ but when we Googled the Savage Sisters, we realized that name had been used in a 1970’s B movie about guns and barely clothed ladies. We considered the ‘Sassy Sisters,’ but Sassy just didn’t seem to fit. We decided that with our long history of klutzy humour and our ability to laugh at those all too embarrassing moments, Bumbling Sisters fit.

VillageVibe

“We’ve been playing together for years under a range names, but decided to make it more official for the open mic. Hence, the Bumbling Sisters were born.”

VV How is what you're doing different from some of the

variety shows that might jump into peoples minds – the Gong Show, Smothers Brothers, Muppet Show, etc.?

BS “While we have a range of influences, like the Muppet Show and Monty Python, we were actually more influenced by years of attending coffee houses in our home town of Hazelton, BC. We definitely are not a Gong Show. Far from it. The only thing performers will hear at our open mic is applause, laughter and support.

“At first we had some pretty big ideas – theme nights, audience participation, kids entertainment, improv theatre, and burlesques – but since it’s still new in the community, we are simply letting our show progress at its own pace, providing a space in which performers and audience dictate the tone of the night. For example, some nights you’re hulahooping in the streets, some you’re laughing out loud, and others you sip tea while listening to poets. It’s the night of a thousand surprises.

“Many open mics in Victoria are more geared towards a particular genre – poetry, bluegrass, music, comedy, etc.

We provide a space where a broad range of local artists can come together and showcase their talents. We like a range of performances, and our thought was that other would enjoy the variety too.

“We’re always looking for local artists to feature at upcoming open mics. Readers interested in information on feature opportunities at A Shot in the Dark can contact Sarah at bumblingsisters@yahoo.com.”

in Fernwood special. After it started to get cold and we began to prepare to go on our way, he looked long and deeply at us and then he went to get something.

A few moments later, he reappeared at the door with a telescope, which he presented as a gift to my children.

They were thrilled, and they have gotten a great deal of education and entertainment from it since then! As we walked away, he called to us that we were welcome any time to go and sit on that bench and enjoy the garden.

The Oneness Heart Park hosts over 70 species of plants. The creator has planned to make it the “most intensely beautiful place in the world for its size”. And I think that he’s already accomplished it! For the past two months, it had a beautiful heart-shaped planting of clear pink primroses, and currently, it features an uproarious planting of yellow daffodils. His next plan is to build up the soil using granite slabs to hold the soil in. He assures me that the best show is yet to come in mid summer.

I walked there tonight, taking him up on his invitation to just come and sit. I sat upon the appropriately wabi sabi bench, next to a gargantuan pot of daffodils shining brilliantly golden in the setting sun, contemplating the garden. It was beautiful and peaceful.

The creator of this garden has created a landscape of peace and harmony within a cacophony of colours, shapes and textures, and he has carved all of this out of what used to be (according to his neighbour) “nothing, bare, not even grass — just bare dirt.”

It really is heartening.

Music Festival, an amazing festival where we’ve performed in a range of capacities with our father, which takes place the last weekend of July.

“For comedic, you name it, we probably like it. We love to laugh and love making others laugh, even if that means making fools of ourselves.”

VV Where did you come from, and what brought you to

the Cornerstone?

BS “We grew up in Kispiox Valley, near Hazelton in northern BC., an area of the country with a cornucopia of performing talents, festivals and theatre. While we’re not Fernwood residents, we love the neighborhood. We have many Fernwood friends, and our dentist – who was our original dentist in our hometown – now even works in Fernwood!

“We fell in love with the Cornerstone after attending a one-time open mic put on by local activist group Transaction back in November 2008. We thought the space was great. A few months back we approached Howie, the Cornerstone’s manager, about hosting an open mic.

The rest is history.”

VV Who are your musical/comedic influences?

BS “For music, first and foremost we would have to

say our father. Our family is quite musical in general and has been for as long we have been alive. Our father plays in numerous bands, on drums, tenor guitar, mandolin, banjo, or singing. Our mother plays piano and sings, though she resists performing in public.

Our parents are large supporters of live music and are some of the founders of the Kispiox Valley

July 2009 | www.fernwoodneighbourhood.ca | Page 3

feature :

Farewell, Martell: Roberta’s Reflections

Roberta Martell, the dynamic woman who has led Fernwood NRG and the revitalization of our neighbourhood for the past six years is leaving. We caught Roberta on her way out the door and asked her to share her reflections on her time in Fernwood.

VV: Why did you come to Fernwood?

“I was living on Mudge Island at the time and doing my Masters’ Degree in Leadership and Training. I had driven through this part of Victoria and it looked like it was falling apart a bit. That was the visual of the sense I had.

There were fences that were blown over and houses that had great bones but looked like they weren’t being revitalized. There were buildings that were boarded up and the thought stuck in my head like a fork: What’s not going on here and why? Those were just two simple questions.”

“I didn’t know it was Fernwood. I actually thought it was Fairfield, so I thought this Fairfield place was just a mess! As a student who’d been unemployed by choice for two years, I was running out of cash. I got on Charity Village and I saw the Fernwood Community Centre was looking for an Executive Director and I thought, ‘Ah, I’ve got to go to Fernwood.’

So it was that weird and that’s what drew me to Fernwood.”

VV: What do you consider to be some of your greatest achievements since you’ve been here?

“One of the biggest things that was pretty amazing was the work that we did with everybody to come together and fight the Recreation Renewal

proposal that the city had put forward. The 2002-2003 Recreation Renewal Plan proposed the centralization of recreation and de-mobilization of neighbourhood Recreation Centres, including the Fernwood Community Centre.”

“I think it was maybe 2-3 weeks into my time here...so to walk right into that! I think we turned it from a really crappy plan into an amazing opportunity to bring all the community centres together and mobilize them and bring that up at a city-wide level. As they say, ‘a crisis is a terrible thing to waste,’ and we didn’t. We utilized it — not only city-wide in terms of slamming Rec Renewal, but we also used it to raise awareness of how city staff was proceeding in terms of how they dealt with neighbourhoods.”

“I think that we really used this challenge to raise awareness of the need for a community centre in Fernwood and to get people involved in that, so we used it as a bit of a leverage point to change the place.”

VV: What about the Cornerstone?

“I just think that the courage of the Board of Fernwood NRG was amazing because we jumped and moved really quickly. Nobody starts [fundraising] with their thermometer with no red in it. Well, that’s what we did: ‘Hey, we don’t have a clue, we’ve got no red in the thermometer and we’ve got to get to $700,00 tomorrow!’ But what we’d done is we’d tightened up the ship [at the Fernwood Community Centre] and we’d begun to animate this place. And so we just scrimped and saved and we were working 16-18 hour days for a year and a half.”

“The community was amazing. Everybody came out and did what they could, or brought what they could and if they couldn’t work they’d bring watermelon or play accordion and it was just a phenomenal opportunity to do not building by planning or building community by committee or building community by presentation. It was building community by building community.”

“It’s really been an honour to win the 2008 CMHC Best Practices in Affordable Housing Award for it and to be able to go across Canada and tell people the story of the Cornerstone. We need to get to the transferable lessons in the Cornerstone experience, which is that Canadian communities by their very design are resilient, if and when the people in them take control of their neighbourhoods and make them what they want them to be.”

“In Fernwood, we’ve pointed our direction. We want to talk about urban sustainability, food security, urban land use, community economic development, alternate energy, alternate transportation, family programs, family support, childcare, urban sustainability...this is what we’re looking at.

That’s the story of the Cornerstone to me. It’s about residents claiming their own neighbourhood, being really smart and identifying the real problem, not the identified problem.”

“The real issue here was about neighbourhood engagement, because the structures didn’t support neighbourhood engagement. It was disinvitational and the buildings also supported neighbourhood disengagement. So how do we clean up little things like that so that people can become engaged and bring their best selves to the neighbourhood and bring the gifts that they have?”

“What we’ve done is we’ve been able to double-bounce this neighbourhood

Celebrate the Sunshine!

The Patio at the Inn Now open for Summer.

Join us daily from 11:30 1302 Gladstone

Page 4 | News and views from the heart of Fernwood | July 2009

412-2001

VillageVibe

from folks who have their little pockets of engagement, to saying we have a neighbourhood living room [the Cornerstone Café], we have a neighbourhood press [the Village Vibe], we have a place where you can come and say this is what I want to do and here are my ideas because we’ve got a tonne of great ideas.”

(We at the Village Vibe think Roberta’s being modest about her accomplishments during her time with us; she was also involved in the construction of Park Place and the Infant & Toddler Daycare, not to mention bringing David Suzuki out to see us!)

VV: Was there anything that you really wanted to do while you were here that you didn’t get done?

“I wanted to do a Fernwood Light-Up, which you know is ridiculous, but I thought just in terms of cheer, spirit, lights. Or a Fernwood Fence Project.

Because like I said, I got here and these fences were drooping, falling. It was the ‘broken window’ thing. [But] we realized those weren’t the things that needed doing, the large systemic stuff was the stuff that needed doing. As Joanna Massey says ‘not everyone can build a bridge, but someone has to build it so everyone can walk across it.’ And so we had the bridge to build and everyone could walk across it. They could fix up their own house, they could do their own light-up, they could do their own fences and that’s ultimately what happened with the Cornerstone and taking that on and revitalizing it and also addressing other things like community governance.

I think we were able to identify what the true tipping points or leverage points were and resolve those.”

VV: What’s left to be done?

“I ‘d love to see the Vicipedia site [a current Fernwood NRG project for collaborative online neighbourhood planning and governance].”

“We are the neighbourhood. We’re not the hired guns who work at the building that’s downtown. We are the neighbourhood and we’re not just planning but doing, because there are limits to plans. And so we move in a principals-based manner and it’s much more responsive to and adaptive to

the needs of the neighbourhood. At a neighbourhood level, I don’t like that model of the yea or nay, the binary of what exists. I like this emergence that people have something to give. So let’s allow for this emergence. So that’s the Vicipedia site. I’d love to be at the cutting edge of that one.”

“And to continue on with the work around urban sustainability. Let’s say ‘what are the values that we want to see in this neighbourhood?’ How can we move forward with urban sustainability, especially where it comes to alternate energy. When we look at the sunset industries or fossil fuel — it’s going away — ­ we do have to re-power and I think that Fernwood could totally be at the leading edge of that. I would love to see Fernwood buck the trend in sewage treatment in Victoria and move to humanure and composting toilets.”

“Beyond that, I don’t know. More affordable housing, a little bit more urban densification, more neighbour gardens, mason bee houses. I’d like to see more boulevard gardening, to continue on with the work that Margot and Rainey started with their courageous boulevard gardening. “ VV: Where to from here for you?

“I’ll be kind of lost. Because it’s been not only my full time job but my full time vocation or avocation for the last 6 years. I’m going to have to find something to do, take up crocheting or knitting, learn to cook? No. I’m actually going to go to my little house and read and write and I’m looking at trying to capture and disseminate some of the models that are transferable.

I want to take this stuff and put it into an eco-modeled language so that we can disseminate this, using the language of sustainability.”

“So that’s what I’m hoping to do. Capture some of this write, disseminate.

But mostly miss you guys!”

As we will miss you, Roberta! We have had some great times and some challenging times. Overall, it has been an amazing ride. From the Village VIBE & all of Fernwood NRG, our heartfelt thanks, our love and all our best for your next adventure!

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 VillageVibe

July 2009 | www.fernwoodneighbourhood.ca | Page 5

Turf Wars Photo: Margaret Hantiuk

gleanings :

>> by Margaret Hantiuk In January of this year, the municipality of Victoria enacted the first law to regulate pesticide use in the CRD. Pesticides were commonly used to kill insects, weeds, fungi and other undesirables. They can be properly identified by the ‘Pest Control Product’ number (‘Reg. No.’) near the list of ingredients. This law applies to all residential properties, except where an extremely invasive plant is threatening a sensitive ecosystem. Farms, forestry, commercial, industrial, institutional sites, transportation corridors and insides of buildings and hardscaping are exempt. For a gardener to use a pesticide in their yard, a permit must be applied for and may not be granted without good cause. Those using pesticides without a permit could be fined.

So how can we grow a good-looking lawn without pesticides? It’s not that difficult once you understand the basics. Don’t try to grow a lawn in shade. Some light shade for a couple of hours is fine, but too much will invite weeds and moss. I like the moss that grows in shady spots of my yard because it’s a lovely green. Try a ground cover that is shade tolerant for these areas if you don’t like moss, or selectively prune back shrubs and delimb some of your trees to increase sunlight.

Water properly: less often and more deeply is the trick. It’s okay for lawns to yellow out a bit in our dry summers: they go dormant waiting for the fall rain. If you don’t water your lawn at all throughout our summer droughts, you risk it actually dying at the root level.

When mowing, leave the clippings on as a light and fertile mulch. If you haven’t cut your lawn for a while and it’s very long, it’s better to cut it back a couple of

times in close succession, slowly lowering the mower blades. Lawns should never be cut less than one inch high – three inches is better.

Here, with our acidic soils, it’s wise to lime your lawn at least once a year in spring or fall, as lawns prefer a ‘sweeter’ (more basic, less acidic) soil. A new product made from eggshells has less of a carbon footprint than dolomitic lime and is said to be more easily absorbed.

De-thatching is generally considered unnecessary (if not harmful) but some people swear by aerating their lawns once a year. If you do, fill in the holes with sand. This is also important if you are pulling out big weeds in your lawn (dandelions, thistles) or have any holes and bare spots. They should be filled and covered with topsoil mixed with grass seed, or weeds will find the spot.

Some gardeners like to spread a finely sifted compost (or sea soil) over their lawns in the spring as a topdressing fertilizer. Any needed overseeding can be done at this time as well.

Be careful with chemical fertilizers as they are powerful and can burn plants – they’re like putting your lawn on steroids. Chemical fertilizers are polluting our streambeds and oceans as the runoff promotes algae blooms due to excessive fertility. If you must use a fertilizer, consider Gaia’s Green Turf and Lawn, with organic ingredients or a slow-release type (12-4-8). For best results, separate the fertilizing and liming by 3 weeks.

It pays to be vigilant with weeds: prevention is key.

One dandelion or buttercup is easily removed, but once it’s gone to seed or colonized into a patch you’ve got much more of a job getting rid of it. There are all kinds of weed pulling and cutting tools available now to make the job easier and more effective by removing weed roots.

Following these few guidelines should keep your lawn beautifully healthy for years without toxic chemicals that kill not only weeds and pests but as well birds, butterflies, beneficial insects and microbial soil life, not to mention harming your pets and children.

Page 6 | News and views from the heart of Fernwood | July 2009

Mind over/ with Matter >> By Deryk Houston I was sitting having a coffee at the Cornerstone Café, watching people walk by with their dogs, and it struck me how true the old adage is that dogs often match their owners.

It should come as no surprise then that the same can be said for artists and their work. Certainly this is the case with local artist Arlene Nesbitt.

Her imagery and ideas emerge slowly. If you have ever woken up in the early light of a summers day in a strange land, quietly soaking up the first sounds and scents of your new surroundings, then

Her artwork is dreamy, thoughtful, with purpose you have some idea of what it is like to experience Arlene’s creations. Her artwork is dreamy, thoughtful and with a purpose. It is therapeutic and spiritual.

She understands the healing power of art and the importance of connections between people in our community. Like most artists, she uses images instead of words to explain her world. It has filled her life and her family for seventy three years now.

Her exhibition, “Mind over/with Matter” at the Collective Works Galley opens July 3rd and runs until the 17th . This body of work shows trails of thought running through objects, translucent layers of time and space. Think about that. You might need another sip of your coffee to wrap your brain around the idea.

“Trails of thought running through objects.”

But it’s true. Let yourself go and enjoy that idea.

The atoms and everything, including thoughts, are somehow all connected. She explains it as “ideas in the process of manifestation.” Perhaps it is a complicated or abstract thought in some ways, but when you try to explain it words are often limited.

That’s why we have art. That’s why we value Arlene: she takes this bit of a mind twister and allows you to enter a new world. That’s the power of her work, and it comes out beautifully in this exhibition.

Her work gives us wings.

VillageVibe

what’s on in Fernwood Arts, Theatre and Entertainment

Victoria Folk Music Society.

Fernwood Seniors.

Fernwood’s Outrageous

Second Annual SOUL Organic

Sundays. 7:30pm Open Stage. 9pm

55+. Gentle exercise, lunch and

Recycling Day.

Garden Tour.

Belfry Theatre presents:

Feature Performer. (July 5>WITHOUT

activities. Monthly special guest

Bring your CLEAN plastics, styrofoam

Saturday, July 25, 2009. Various

WINGFIELD LOST AND FOUND.

A NET. July 12>THE CAST. July

speaker. Fridays, 11am Fernwood

packing and food trays, electronics

urban gardens in Oak Bay and

Written by Dan Needles. Directed

19>THE CHLOE HALL TRIO. July

Community Centre MPR. $2 for

and foil-lined coffee/chip bags.

Fernwood. Tickets ($20; $10 for

by Doug Beattie, and starring Rod

26>ROMNEY GETTY AND CRAIG

lunch.

Sat, July 11 (second Sat monthly).

SOUL members) available at Dig

Beattie. July 21 until August 15. See

SMITH. Aug 2>closed) Norway

Floor Hockey.

10am-1pm. Across from Fernwood

This in Oak Bay and Market Square

website or call for showtimes or

House. 1110 Hillside Ave. $5 feature

Drop-in Co-ed. Adult (18+). Tuesdays

Community Centre. By donation.

and The Greater Victoria Compost

additional info. 1291 Gladstone Ave.

performer nights/$3 all open stage

and Thursdays, 7-9:30pm. Fernwood

Fernwood’s Outrageous Recycling

Education Centre. For more info:

Info: 250.385.6815 or www.belfry.

night. www.victoriafolkmusic.ca

Community Centre Gym. $4, or get a

Day seeks volunteers! Come help us

Tamara Schwartzentruber. tel. 250-

punchcard: $40/11 sessions.**

make it all happen! For info

381-3773. sunsonghealing@yahoo.

Flow Yoga.

contact villagevibe@

ca or www.organiclandcare.org (see

With certified instructor Jay. Adult.

fernwoodneighbourhood.ca

story p. 8)

Bluegrass Association present

Kids and Families at the Fernwood Community Centre

Fridays 5:30-7pm. $5. Fernwood

Community Wellness Clinic.

Fernwood Community Kitchen.

Wednesday night bluegrass jams at

Parent and Babe Playgroup.

Community Centre Gym.

Victoria Community Health

Cook nutritious, creative meals

the Cornerstone Café. 7:30-10pm.

For caregivers with children under

Hatha Yoga.

Co-operative. Experience

with your neighbours! Info:

FREE!

36 months. Fernwood’s Parent and

With certified instructor Elke. Gentle

complementary modalities to

fernwoodkitchens@gmail.com

Collective Works Gallery.

Babe group is a comfortable and

poses, breathing practice, deep

support your wellbeing. Clinics by

Spring Ridge Commons

MIND OVER/WITH MATTER. Works

relaxed setting where parents and

relaxation and meditation. Tuesdays,

members for members. Sunday,

Workparties!

by Arlene Nesbitt. Reception 7pm

caregivers can nurture their babies

3:30-5pm. Fernwood Community

July 19 (third Sun monthly), 10am-

Come get your hands dirty in

July 3. Show runs until July 17.

through parent discussion, music

Centre Gym. $5.

4pm, Alembic Healing Arts Centre,

Fernwood’s only public food garden.

UNDER THE UNDERGARMENTS.

and storytelling. Wednesdays 9:30-

Karate.

Market Square, Suite #235, 560

Saturdays, 10-12pm at the Commons.

Works by Marnie Müller. Reception:

11:30am. Fernwood Community

Drop in. Adult Co-ed. Instructor

Johnson St. Book appointments at

Please bring tools if you’ve got ‘em.

7pm, July 31. Show runs until Aug 14.

Centre Gym. Coffee, juice and snacks

Lucas Trottier. Sundays, 1-2:30pm.

250.483.5503. More info at www.

Village Sustainability Workshops.

Also at Collective Works: Life drawing

provided. FREE!

Fernwood Community Centre Gym.

victoriahealthcooperative.ca

Ongoing workshops at the Oak

sessions. Facilitators Marnie Müller

Parent and Tot Playgroup.

$3.**

Fernwood Place Making Troupe.

and Fern Centre. Contact Rainey

and PJ Kelly. First and last Sunday

Snacks/Crafts/Circle Time. Tuesdays

Kundalini Yoga.

Being eternal optimists, the Place

and Margot for information at

of the month, 7:30 to 9:30pm. $10

and Thursdays 9:30-11:30am.

Mondays, 7-8:30pm. $5 drop-in.

Making Troupe is adjourning to enjoy

250.383.9171 or hope_of_rain@

drop-in. Gallery hours>11am-6pm

Fernwood Community Centre Gym.

Fernwood Community Centre.

the summer sunshine! Watch for our

islandnet.com

Tues to Thurs; 11am-8pm Fri+Sat;

$1 per family.

Tai Chi.

return in the fall, and plan to join your

The Fernwood Commons:

Thursdays. 4:30-5:30pm. Fernwood

neighbours on Monday, September

A Fernwood Community

Community Centre. 1240 Gladstone.

21, 7pm at the Cornerstone Cafe

Communication Forum.

collectiveworks.ca

Youth, Adults and Seniors

$5 drop-in.

for our usual inspiring and convivial

For info on Fernwood comings

Live at the Cornerstone – 1301

NEW!! Fernwoodian 4H Club.

Women’s Soccer.

evening. All Welcome!

and goings and neighbourhood

Gladstone (at Fernwood Ave).

Want to learn new stuff and make

Drop-in. Sundays 5-6:30pm,

Neighbours for Change: Block

news and views, check out The

Ongoing Friday events at the

new friends? 4H has lots of great

Fernwood Community Centre Gym.

Party for the Roger Colwill Fund.

Fernwood Commons online: http://

Cornerstone, Fernwood’s living room:

projects like bicycles, foods, wool

$3.**

Sunday, July 19. 2 to 5pm. Gladstone

thevillagevibe.ning.com/

> Third Friday (July 19). “A Shot in the

craft and small engines! Families

Dark” open mic night with hosts the

interested in starting a local 4H club

**We accept Sports Trader Bucks and

us for an afternoon of community

If you have a workshop or special

Bumbling Sisters. Bring your poetry,

please contact Anna or Bailey at

Canadian Tire Money at face value!

celebration and music as we take

event idea for the Fernwood

music, hulahoops, jokes, stories, etc.

250.380.1724 or hhhh.rasmussen@

to the street in Fernwood. Featuring

Community Centre or the

Thank you for supporting local

gmail.com. Start-up meetings will be

Special Events

music by Mike Hann and Tyler

Cornerstone Café email villagevibe@

musicians and your neighbourhood!

Monday nights at 6:30pm.)

Fernwood Community Market.

Harvey, a local market, sidewalk art,

fernwoodneighbourhood.ca

Live Music at Fernwood Inn.

Ear Acupuncture.

Bringing the goods to the ‘hood –

and a 50/50 draw. (see story, p. 2)

Open Mic Thursdays. 8:30-11:30pm.

Back for Summer! Thursdays 2:30

Fernwood’s very own Pocket Market.

Fernwood NRG Food Security

If you have a Fernwood event you

1302 Gladstone Ave. FREE!

to 4:30pm. Fernwood Community

Tuesdays. 2-6:30pm. Fernwood

Collective.

would like listed in the Village

Live Music at Logan’s Pub.

Centre MPR. Everyone welcome. By

Square.

All welcome! Tues, July 21

Vibe calendar please send

1821 Cook St. www.loganspub.com

donation.

Victoria Green Drinks.

(third Tues monthly). 7-9pm.

an email with the subject line

Ministry of Casual Living.

Fairuza Fridays.

An inclusive gathering of the

Fernwood Community

“vibe calendar” to villagevibe@

1442 Haultain St. Info: www.

Drop-in Co-ed. Ages 10-14.

sustainability-minded for

Centre MPR. foodsecurity@

fernwoodneighbourhood.ca

ministryofcasualliving.ca

Nintendo Wii, big screen movies,

refreshments and conversation.

fernwoodneighbourhood.ca

Victoria Bluegrass Association

basketball, floor hockey, roller

Tues, July 14 (second Tues monthly).

Jam.

skating, music. Fridays, 7-9:30pm.

5-6:45pm. Royal Roads University.

Tuesdays 7:30-10pm. Orange Hall.

Fernwood Community Centre. Info:

For info www.greendrinksvictoria.ca

1620 Fernwood Rd. $2 to play ($3/

250.381.1552 ext.25 FREE!

non-members). Listen by donation.

Falun Gong.

Info: www.victoriabluegrass.ca

Peaceful meditation practice. All

bc.ca Bluegrass Wednesdays.

Fernwood NRG and the Fernwood

11am-6pm Sun; closed Mon. 1311 Gladstone Ave. 250.590.1345. www.

in front of the Fernwood Inn. Join

welcome! Wednesdays, 5-7pm.

Fernwood Community Centre MPR. FREE!

Experience God

at St. Barnabas Anglican Church Sung Mass at 10:30 a.m. every Sunday.

Low Mass at 9 a.m. on weekdays; 7 p.m. on Wednesday 1525 Begbie Street, Victoria Church Office: 250-595-4324 www3.telus.net/stbarnabas/

VillageVibe

Tuesday Evening Markets in the Square are back!

Fernwood’s Tuesday Evening Market in the Square is currently accepting applications for summer vendors.

Markets are held Tuesdays from May 26–Sept 15, 5:30–8:30pm in Fernwood Square (Fernwood & Gladstone).

Vendor applications are available at the She Said Gallery.

July 2009 | www.fernwoodneighbourhood.ca | Page 7

faces :

A Year of Living Draftily

>> by Roberta Martell Just over a year ago, I bumped into Lisa Matthaus at the Cornerstone Café. She told me she was heading to India for a while. I thought she meant a month. In fact, she meant a year!

Head snap! What? A year in India? How? As she’s just returned, we met at her Fernwood home to learn more about this amazing woman and her journeys – not only out in the world, but also toward herself.

An experienced traveler, Lisa had backpacked extensively in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. She’s been to over 40 countries and had gone to India for the first time for a couple of months in 2006. Despite the initial culture shock, she fell in love with India and after returning to Victoria, spent the next 2 years focused on getting back.

During this time, she was working at the Sierra Club, and began assessing how to optimize the length of any possible trip, as she described it, “to make it worthwhile for someone to replace me at work – long enough for someone to housesit my house. I put it out to the universe for long enough that the universe finally agreed. A year in India was in order.”

So, in March of 2008 Lisa moved her bedroom furniture into storage, found a replacement for herself at work, turned the keys to her house over to friends and headed into the unknown. The one thing she knew

Gardening with SOUL was that she was going to keep a blog. “Because I was alone, I asked myself, ‘How will I capture this? How can I explain these experiences and share them with friends?’ My blog helped me manage my photos and process my experiences.” Her blog, My year of living draftily – Opening all the doors and windows in my life, is a wonderfully emergent collection of thoughts and photos that is well worth a look: www.livingdraftily. typepad.com Check the August Vibe for in depth coverage of Lisa’s continued adventures – through India and ongoing ...

To Be or Not to Be… Garbage >> by Sonya Bird One sunny Sunday morning, while you’re puttering around the house, take a moment to peek into your garbage bin: what do you see? A few torn pieces of saran wrap and a polystyrene plate from last night’s steak, along with the bottle of bbq sauce you used to spice it up; the last little bits of rice that burnt onto the pot by accident when your mom called and you forgot what you were doing in the kitchen; a little wooden stick from the Fudgsicle you ate when you got home from work the other day; the milk carton and a few plastic bags from the bulk isle at Wellburn’s; oh, and then the coffee cup – you usually have your travel mug but one morning last week you had a hot chocolate and didn’t get around to washing it out; and finally a few cigarette butts from when Aunt Carol popped in.

Now, head to the basement: what else is there waiting to be thrown out? The bottle from when you changed the oil a couple of months ago, a few flower pots, left-over bits and pieces of PVC pipe from redoing the plumbing, and three or four bottles of laundry detergent that you keep meaning to run up to the Soap Exchange and get them refilled…

villagevibe

Okay, now make a couple of lists, using your handydandy guide from Pacific Mobile Depot, outlining what all can be recycled at Fernwood’s Outrageous Recycling Day (second Saturday of every month; see www.pacificmobiledepots.com for details): Recycling: Saran wrap, Polystyrene plate, Bbq sauce bottle, Milk carton, Plastic bags, Coffee cup, Oil bottle Flower pots, PVC pipe Compost: rice remnants, Fudgsicle stick Garbage: 3 cigarette butts Wow, where did all the garbage go? At this rate garbage trucks will soon be out of business, and the Hartland landfill will become a nature reserve! YEAH! Okay, so recycling your saran wrap might require giving a rinse first. And you may need some extra storage space to sort your garbage. Trust me, once you’re in the habit of doing this, it’s easy as a walk in the park. And you’ll never be able to look at garbage the same way again…

Fernwood’s Outrageous Recycling Day needs YOU! If we can provide 8-10 volunteers once a month for 3 hours, we – via the FNRG – get 20% of the profit made. That’s no small potatoes! Think about it, and contact www.fernwoodneighbourhood.ca/recyclingday-volunteer-inquiry for more information.

July 25 Second Annual SOUL Organic Garden Tour: Edible, Flower, and Permaculture Gardens

This summer, the Society for Organic Urban Landcare invites you to celebrate summer with us, as we explore Edible, Flower, and Permaculture Gardens in the Victoria area. This year’s second annual Organic Garden Tour features six home-scale gardens, all within cycling distance in Oak Bay and Fernwood. The widely varied gardens on the tour will range from gentle order to controlled chaos, showing the fruitlessness of any attempt to pigeon-hole this rapidly growing movement.

As well as viewing the gardens, tour participants will have the chance to enjoy live demonstrations of a variety of organic gardening techniques, ranging from traditional favourites such as composting and vermiculture (worm bins), through sustainable, wholegarden design systems (permaculture), to cutting edge approaches including bokashi and effective microorganisms, aerated compost tea, and didgeridoo sound healing. The tour will also feature a raffle for participants, with a bonus prize for cyclists.

How did SOUL choose this year’s theme? It seems as though food security is the phrase on everyone’s lips these days, so when we thought about the directions urban gardening is taking, featuring some great food gardens seemed like a valuable and natural way to go.

Many organic food gardeners are increasingly looking at permaculture – a design system for sustainable human settlement that imitates nature to create beautiful, highly productive living environments sometimes described as “food forests” – as a way to grow more food in an urban environment with less ongoing management and work. As international environmental advocate David Suzuki says, “what permaculturists are doing is the most important activity that any group is doing on the planet.” And flowers? Well, who doesn’t love flowers?

Date Saturday, July 25, 2009 Location urban gardens in Oak Bay and Fernwood Tickets $20, $10 for SOUL members

Available at Dig This in Oak Bay and Market Square The Greater Victoria Compost Education Centre More info Tamara Schwartzentruber 250-381-3773 sunsonghealing@yahoo.ca, www.organiclandcare.org

Published by Fernwood NRG (Fernwood Neighbourhood Resource Group)

1240 Gladstone Street Victoria, BC V8T 1G6 T 250.381.1552 F 250.381.1509 villagevibe@fernwoodneighbourhood.ca www.villagevibe.ca

Founding Editor: Lisa Helps Editors: Aaron Ellingsen Trish Richards, Johanna Henderson

Contributors: Sonya Bird Emily Grav Margaret Hantiuk Deryk Houston

Chris Howard Philippe Lucas Roberta Martell Fernwood Rabbit Lenore Rankin Jo Roueche

The views expressed in the Village Vibe do not necessarily reflect the views of Fernwood NRG.