Vibe_Apr2008 v2

villagevibe Photo: Véronique da Silva

April 2008 : News and views from the heart of Fernwood

Vic High goes electric >> Caleigh Inman, Jasmine Johl, Claire Newton, Charlotte Priest, Frieda R aye-Green

A

t Victoria High School, many students are environmentally minded, which allows us to create great groups like our Environment Club. Members of the club are taking the initiative to encourage the use of alternative energy in our community. Our big project this year is to convert a traditional pickup truck into a green, electric vehicle. We are collaborating with our school’s auto-mechanical students to perform the conversion process, and we’re currently fundraising for our efforts to “go electric.” To raise money, twenty students have been working hard through letter writing campaigns, bake sales, and bottle drives.

We are also accepting donations from the public.

We are very excited about our electric truck project and we anticipate that it will set a positive example for the community. Not only will we use our newly converted truck for transporting materials for the auto-tech and leadership classes, but it will also be present in community events like Victoria’s May Day Parade. By presenting our truck to the community, we hope to create further interest in alternative methods of transportation. As a group, we believe the environment should be a priority. Overconsumption and the non-sustainable use of resources is having a profoundly negative impact on our planet. We feel that now is the time to change; now is the time to act.

We hope readers of the Village Vibe and neighbourhood residents share our passion in promoting green choices. If you are interested in donating or have further questions please call Victoria High School at 388-5456 or send your questions to caleighinman@gmail.com. All donations are tax deductible.

Mark Lakeman in Fernwood >> by Roberta Martell and Trish Richards

O

n Saturday, April 5th, Mark Lakeman will make an appearance in Fernwood.

Who is Mark Lakeman? Mark is the visionary co-founder of the City Repair Project in Portland Oregon, which has taken space and made place through resident-driven initiatives including art, traffic calming, guerilla boulevard plantings, and natural building colloquiums.

Sound familiar? Mark and the work of City Repair has definitely been an inspiration for

Coop troop >> by Esther Callo

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raduates of Fernwood’s 2007 Coop de Ville tour recently brought the idea of “Get Crackin” to new heights.

Undaunted by the prospect of rain and in the spirit of sustainability, the self named “coop troop” hoisted a chicken coop onto a bike trailer and hauled it through Fernwood to its new home on Vining Street. They could have used a truck, but why would they when the opportunity to build community, get some exercise and save a few emissions could be had all in one go?

Initially, we had grand ideas: a chicken rescue mission; a parade along Fernwood Rd; balloons; music; a chicken mascot waving at the gathering crowds; perhaps TV cameras and a spot on the evening news. After all, food security is an issue worthy of attention. But busy lives would have the troop’s expedition simplified to a quiet procession through the back streets of Fernwood with occasional passersby giving us quizzical looks. What were they wondering?

“Could it be a shed? A large dog house?”

“Chicken coop,” we explained. “Food security,” we added to give our grunt work a place in the big scheme of things.

– continued on page 6

Fernwood NRG. In May 2005, Fernwood NRG reps Lenore Rankin and Roberta Martell headed to Portland for the annual Village Building Convergence. It was on this trip that Lenore first floated the idea of buying the Cornerstone building. Since then, most of the Fernwood NRG Board and senior staff members have heard Mark present his vision of urban sustainability through neighbourhood scale action and decision-making.

In a way, we feel indebted to Mark and City Repair for the inspiration for what has unfolded in our neighbourhood!

– continued on page 6

in this issue Vic High neighbourhood choir Page 3 Feature: Food security: Alive and growing Page 4 Growing native plants Page 6

editorial :

Human scale

City Council recently passed a motion making the speed limit all along Fernwood Road – from Fort Street to Hillside Avenue – 30km/h.

It is thanks to the collective efforts of Fernwoodians that we will now be able to cross the main thoroughfare of our neighbourhood with less risk of being run down.

In September 2007, after a Fernwood NRG-hosted neighbourhood forum, Fernwood NRG and the FCA wrote a letter to the City asking, among other things, that the speed limit along the entirety of Fernwood Road be reduced. Presto, six months later, we have the guarantee of an on the ground change in our neighbourhood.

What else did we ask the City for? You might remember, as we published the letter right here in the pages of the Village Vibe. The second major concern of Fernwoodians who attended the Neighbourhood Forum

and the Placemaking Workshop was traffic calming at key intersections along Fernwood Road.

We requested that the City take seriously the idea that people who live in a place know that place best and know what’s best for that place.

People who live in a place notice how fast the cars are going as they instruct their children to look both ways before crossing the street, as they push their elderly mothers in wheelchairs, as they stroll slowly, engaged in a conversation with a neighbour. People in Fernwood are aware of the human scale of place.

So we asked the City to be responsive to residentdriven solutions to resident-identified issues. The City heard Fernwood on the speed-limit issue. We hope they will keep their ears open as we approach them with less conventional and more effective ways of calming traffic, and transforming spaces into places for people.

declaration of principles and values We are committed to creating a socially,

the Fernwood buzz FernFest June 20 and 21, 2008 One new art gallery. Two 2007 “Best in Victoria” restaurants. Four families in safe, affordable housing at the Cornerstone. Six more families soon to call Park Place – the new building on Yukon Street – their home. 110 children in secure, quality childcare. 72,400 cups of fairly-traded coffee served at the community-owned Cornerstone Café.

Recognized by both David Suzuki and London’s Financial Times as an award-winning example of grassroots urban revitalization. Fernwood has many reasons to celebrate!

An annual celebration of community, Fern Fest 2008 has a new date in June, a new location in the heart of the neighbourhood, and a renewed energy to engage the entire Fernwood neighbourhood. This year, Fern Fest coincides with both the summer solstice and National Aboriginal Day. Plan to come out and enjoy music, games, food and fun for the entire family.

The 1st annual Fernwood Art Stroll will be held in conjunction with Fern Fest. Well known Fernwood artist, Deryk Houston, and his companions in the studio tour are also working with the City to erect a series of extraordinary banners along Fernwood Rd. from the Vining to Pembroke intersections. The plan is to have the banners flying in the wind in time for the June 21st celebrations.

Want to be part of the excitement? To volunteer, email info@fernwoodneighbourhood.ca or sign up online at www. fernwoodneighbourhood.ca/fernfest.html Fern Fest is a project of Fernwood NRG www.fernwoodneighbourhood.ca

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

Nursing students practicum >> by Candice Caron and Georgia Stevenson What does community mean to you? Is it a place? A group of people? A support system? A personal relationship with the environment in which we live? It may mean something entirely different to each individual within the community.

Georgia and I (Candice) are third year registered nursing students from the University of Victoria who are doing a clinical practicum with the Fernwood Neighbourhood Resource Group. Together we are exploring different meanings of community, family, and health. We feel, from our ten weeks of experience that we are now part of this community.

I (Candice) would describe community as a permeable area of social relationships, support systems in which individuals share a living environment and actively or passively participate in forming a sense of being in the presence of others. I (Georgia) would describe community as a group of individual and families who share common values, beliefs and interests.

Through our work in Fernwood, we have learned that raising a family is a lot work; some families already have their own support systems established. Our role here is to be present with families, to learn from them, and to offer them information and a sense of support, should they need it.

After talking to the parents, we pinpointed needed resources. We found out one thing that many parents weren’t aware of is the range of community resources available to them. We created folders filled with relevant resource information, including email addresses, phone numbers, and program descriptions. Each month we

Page 2 | News and views from the heart of Fernwood | April 2008

Above: Two of the Fernwood Road Banners. Artists Anne Hoban (collage, left) and Amy Houston (glass ‘lampwork’ beads, right)

created a calendar listing parent/toddler activities occurring in the community of Victoria. We also created a board that hangs in the kitchen of the Fernwood Community Centre – where snacks are had during Parent and Tot programs – to introduce parents to available community resources around Victoria and to offer families a calendar of low- and no-cost events and entertainment options.

We have both participated in traditional Stone Soup making, Family Community Day (every Monday), Parent and Tot drop-ins (every Tuesday and Thursday 9:30am –11:30am), and we have walked the streets of Fernwood exploring various resources and unique qualities this community has to offer. Free furniture on the sides of the streets, community health art projects, funky older houses, community gardens, rehab shelters, a community coffee shop, and a general mix of old and new are some of the many unique qualities we admire about this growing community.

Come join in the fun with us at the Fernwood Community Centre, which offers active participation in community for all ages.

VillageVibe

What are your thoughts on Vic High’s electric truck project?

Views photos: Véronique da Silva

views from the street :

Aubrey

Ed

I worked on this project last semester, when it first started up. What an interesting project to be part of ! It is nice to participate in an effort to switch from fuel-driven to eco-friendly electric!

Mike

Former Vic High Autobody Maintenance teacher and now Product Advisor for JB Group: What a great student initiative! Our company will definitely help with the supplies!

Photos: Véronique da Silva

Vic High neighbourhood choir

Collective Works grand opening >> Anne Hoban

Photo: Pete Rockwell

Friday February 15th marked the opening reception for the inaugural exhibition of members’ artwork at the Collective Works Gallery, 1311 Gladstone Ave. It was a resounding success. The gallery wishes to thank everyone for their support and encouragement. The turnout was amazing; the gallery was crowded from the moment the doors opened at 7:00pm. As well as being able to get the occasional glimpse of the artwork of 24 members of the Collective Works Artists Association, the guests at the event were also happily treated to a wonderful selection of appetizers and a generous supply of wine, donated by these and many more of the gallery’s artists and well-wishers.

The Collective Works Gallery will present both solo and group shows, which will change every three weeks. There is also a permanent space for the work of full members at the back of the gallery. The gallery is closed Monday, open 11:00am - 6:00pm Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday and 11:00am - 8:00pm Friday and Saturday. Admission is free.

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Autobody Maintenance teacher: This project was a student-run initiative which came to be after the class was presented two movies, Who killed the Electric Car? and An Inconvenient Truth. As a teacher I try to convey the importance of ecological responsibility. I was impressed by this motivation for this project!

Mark also wanted the focus of the repertoire to be what he calls ‘music of intention’ >> by Laura Skeith One of Fernwood’s best-kept secrets is about to be a secret no longer. Fernwoodians have a neighbourhood choir – the Vic High Neighbourhod Choir to be precise. We meet weekly in the auditorium of – you guessed it – Vic High, to have fun and make beautiful music together.

The brainchild of Mark Hellman, a multitalented musician, actor, and voice teacher, the Choir came into being in 2006. Mark had been volunteering with the high school music program for about a year when the idea of starting a community choir occurred to him.

With the help of a grant from BC Hydro, the choir got off the ground.

Mark’s vision was that Choir would consist of alumni, neighbours, and friends of Vic High. His goal was to make the choir accessible to individuals with diverse musical backgrounds and experience; the choir is therefore not auditioned. Mark also wanted the focus of the repertoire to be what he calls “music of intention” including songs of praise or thanks, lamentations, protest and consciousness raising songs, and so on. Songs are drawn from a variety of musical styles and traditions and can be as unique as Bobby McFerrin’s unconventional and lovely version of the 23rd Psalm.

Every spring the Vic High Neighbourhood Choir performs a concert for the community. In 2006, Louise Rose was our special guest and the choirs “Inspirata” and “the Balkan Babes” also performed as part of our program. Last year we shared the stage with the Vic High Student Choir – singing some joint numbers, while each choir showcased their own songs as well. This year we’re excited to have local singer, songwriter and performer, Colleen Eccleston join us in our upcoming concert.

While every voice in a choir is important, the addition this year of four extra male voices to the choir has enriched our sound and enabled us to have a bona fide bass section. Thus, with a variety of songs in our program, we are relishing the experience of singing together and looking forward to our spring concert.

Check out the May Village Vibe calendar for the concert date, which will be in late May or early June.

In the meantime, if you are intrigued by the idea of a welcoming choir that is focused on the joy of rediscovering music, then come and check us out. The Vic High Neighbourhood Choir meets 7:00-9:00pm every Tuesday evening at Vic High. And you really don’t have to have any ties to the school – just the desire to sing!

For information contact Mark Hellman at 382-7048.

April 2008 | www.fernwoodneighbourhood.ca | Page 3

Food security: Alive and growing in Fernwood feature :

F

ernwood is on the cutting edge once again. There are quite a few places in Canada that are taking food security seriously – growing and eating locally and seizing control of food production. But Fernwood is the only neighbourhood in Canada – as far as we can tell – that has a volunteer run and organized food security enterprise. Highlighted here are just some of the groups that are actively involved in securing food in Fernwood. They are all interconnected by a growing awareness surrounding the importance not only of growing the food that we eat but also of increasing local food production. Eating healthy food does not have to cost so much. Here we point out a need and show that things are indeed happening one garden, one kitchen, and, well, perhaps one chicken at a time …

>> by R ae Abbott and Keith Hoon

Coupe de Ville: Chickens in Fernwood Imagine going for a bike ride with a group of Fernwood friends through the neighbourhood … to go and visit chickens! The infamous Coop de Ville is an educational tour of the various backyard chicken coops in and around Fernwood. In the most recent tour, Billy Metcalfe lead the crew teaching various techniques, rules, and design ideas. Over a dozen Fernwoodians participated. The tour visited seven Fernwood homes with chicken coops in their backyard. And one of the homes visited even had thirteen laying hens.

A City of Victoria by-law states that a single-family dwelling can have up to 99 chickens in the backyard, but no rooster over the age of 6 months is allowed to frolic. The most important thing in taking care of chickens is that you must have a proper sized coop, because happy chickens need their space as well – the happiest will lay up to twice a day!

Another Coop de Ville tour will be held on Saturday, May 3. Please contact foodsecurity@fernwoodneighbourhood.ca for more details.

Fernwood Food Security Group Wow, what a year it’s been! Over 60 people turned out for the inaugural luncheon of Fernwood NRG’s Food Security Group in March 2007.

This group is the nucleus of Fernwood’s sustainable local food system.

Last year the group taught workshops on how to grow a Balcony Garden and created a demonstration garden at the Fernwood Community Centre.

After picking pounds and pounds of fruit from local fruit trees through the Fruit Tree Project, the group held canning classes on how to preserve them. They also taught a Winter Veggie workshop in order to have more Fernwoodians eating kale and other delights from their own gardens in the middle of winter.

The Fernwood Food Security Group also offers monthly workshops on topics ranging from How to Attract Pollinators to your Backyard Garden to Preservation through Pickling (watch the Village Vibe for dates). Also hosted by the Food Security Group and soon to be coming to the Cornerstone Café is a series of food-themed movies and discussion nights.

Upcoming plans include addressing the City of Victoria’s newly-proposed Urban Agriculture Resolution, which supports the concept of urban agriculture as a valuable community resource. Group members have also been talking about creating a Community Certification where the community sets a standard for local food production that everyone agrees to abide by, which is enforced within the community, for the community, and by the community.

Members of the Fernwood Food Security Group have access to all sorts of resources including local organic wholesalers, a community pantry, SPIN Farmers, Fernwood organic growers, food-nerds, historians, radicals, and other alternative resources. If you are interested in local food security and would like to come to a meeting, please come and check it out on second Tuesday of every month at the Fernwood Community Centre, starting at 7pm.

Locavores unite at foodsecurity@fernwoodneighbourhood.ca.

Community Kitchens Are you hungry? Come to a community kitchen.

Fernwood’s community kitchens are the brainchild of Tracey Veldhuis.

They provide a way for random Fernwoodians to gather at the Fernwood Community Centre and create delicious and affordable meals. Participants are encouraged to share their kitchen skills, offer new menu suggestions, and cultivate community. Although she is currently managing the kitchens, Tracy is looking forward to a time when they will run on their own, through collective energy. A sample kitchen includes dishes of curried lentils, various soups, pot pies, chapatis, and salads that will last a week or two. Each participant can easily cook enough food for a week at a cost of less than $20.00 per person.

For more information please contact tveldhuis@gmail.com.

Sharing Gardens Sharing Gardens is a community garden project organized by Fernwoodians Rainey Hopewell, Peggy Fraser, Keith Hoon, and Krizsanta Greco.

The seed of the project was planted by LifeCycles, and has matured into the Sharing Gardens Collective. The principle is this: people who want their backyards transformed into gardens can connect with burgeoning gardeners who do not have space of their own. “The vision,” says Hopewell “is that

Dean Fortin

Victoria City Councillor Working for strong, healthy and sustainable communities.

dfortin@victoria.ca

Page 4 | News and views from the heart of Fernwood | April 2008

VillageVibe

things are indeed happening one garden, one kitchen, and, well, perhaps one chicken at a time ‌ Fernwood and Oaklands will be filled with food-bearing gardens, where now there are just lawns.�

Rainey can remember when she first moved to Calgary in the 1970s and almost everyone had a backyard filled with vegetables; you could peer between the slats of fences while walking down the alleys and see all the vegetables growing. Realizing that that this wasn’t the reality in Fernwood, she spearheaded the Sharing Gardens program as an opportunity for our community to nurture a relationship with the food that we eat. But it goes beyond nurturing relationships.

With the Sharing Gardens program we can consume food that comes from no further than our own backyards ‌ or those of our neighbours.

Currently there are more garden spaces available than gardeners. For more information, to offer help or your backyard space, please contact sharinggardens@ gmail.com.

Spring Ridge Commons Spring Ridge Commons is a public permaculture garden abundant with fruit trees, medicinal herbs, and edible plants. Geoff Johnson began guerilla gardening in what was eight years ago a vacant lot. What started as an anarchist attempt at creating a useful, interactive, living space, continues to thrive as a lively gathering place for the neighbourhood. Most recently LifeCycles has taken over the lease for the land, and now through the drive and determination of the Fernwood Food Security Group, there is a rekindled vigor and an action plan for clean-up and revitalization.

According to Johnson “it just needs a little tinkering,� and a plan has been made to recreate and return to the original dream of a useful, living community

commons. Work parties are currently being formed to beautify and showcase what is already thriving encouraging a healthy, urban ecosystem.

For more information and to offer your support and help, please contact: foodsecurity@fernwoodneighbourhood.ca.

Thursday afternoon Commons work parties begin this month. Dates are: April 10th, April 24th, and May 8th. All run from 5:00 to 7:00pm. Come and explore the Commons and get your hands dirty in Fernwood’s own public food garden!

Gardens to Go Gardens to Go is one final and timely food security initiative of note. In celebration of Earth Day, Fernwood NRG staff members are hosting a container garden building event. Fernwood families are invited to come and plant a small garden for their deck or balcony. Everyone is welcome, no gardening experience is needed and the event is free for everyone. Each participant will take home a tote with seeds and starter plants that will grow into yummy food on your patio, porch, balcony. Gardens to Go will be held at the Fernwood Community Centre, Saturday, April 19th from 10:00am - 1:00pm. Pre-registration required. Call Allison at 381-1079 or drop by the Centre for more information or to register.

Fernwood NRG is delighted to announce that the amazing volunteer efforts of Susi Porter-Bopp, founding Chair of our Food Security Group have been recognized by the Capital Region. Susi was named as a local ‘Food Security Champion’ at the CR Fare Food Matters Annual Forum in March. An award well deserved! We thank and applaud you Susi.

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Denise Savoie Member of Parliament for Victoria

Serving Our Community

constituency office: 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

1020 Hillside Avenue

250 360.2023 rob.fleming.mla@leg.bc.ca

Rob Fleming, MLA Victoria - Hillside

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VillageVibe

April 2008 | www.fernwoodneighbourhood.ca | Page 5

gleanings :

Growing native plants

>> by Margaret Hantiuk

Many people these days are interested in native plants. They are low maintenance, as they are easy to grow and drought tolerant. Using them encourages native birds, bees, butterflies and good bugs into the garden, thereby creating a healthy ecosystem that will eventually take care of itself and eliminate the need for chemicals.

Restoring the native flora will eventually restore the native fauna, including you, who will have time to enjoy your garden and your visitors, as native gardens are relaxed, magical, and lovely.

The first thing is to understand what our native ecosystem is: here in Fernwood we are basically in the Garry Oak Meadow. In your yard, you will have to study the sun/shade areas. Most soils can simply be improved with compost and the annual late fall application of leaf mulch. This is how nature builds soil. If you have a low, wet spot, choose native plants that thrive in bogs. The old

rule applies: the right plant in the right place, then group plants together with like needs for water, soil and sun or shade.

There is a wide choice of native plants that can be grown in our ecosystem, which flourished as the indigenous landscape prior to colonization. Selecting these species helps to restore the Garry Oak ecosystem. This is vitally important as ours is one of the most endangered ecosystems in all of Canada; it exists basically only on this corner of the Island and surrounding area, where unfortunately, urban sprawl is becoming more prevalent.

You are restoring a natural habitat for wildlife when you include native plants.

The original plants of the Garry Oak ecosystem flourished in the dry summer, wet winter, and rocky meadows with a mix of sun and light shade from the high Garry Oaks. We may not have the oaks overhead here in Fernwood, but many of us do have light shade from larger trees and buildings where we can grow shade-loving native species. Many of the native plants here grow and bloom in the early spring sun before the deciduous trees leaf out.

Then these same plants (many are bulbs) go dormant in our dry, warm summers. Shade-loving perennials can be grown with the bulbs under the trees and will take over as they die back. Or if you are planting these bulbs in the open, other sun-loving perennials can be planted over them.

Even if you don’t want to have a completely native garden, you can incorporate many native species into your yard and still reap the benefits of less watering. Some are already popular plants choices here: flowering red currant,

sword fern, licorice fern, kinnickinick, Oregon grape (mahonia), red osier dogwood, salal, saskatoon bush, native stonecrops, camas, yarrow, shooting star, chocolate lily, fawn lily. There are many more lovely native plants. Do your research for each species, or look at the labels to see where they do best.

These can be tucked into your beds or you can try creating a mixed hedge of native shrubs and plants, a rockery of native bulbs and flowers in a sunny spot, or try shade tolerant native groundcovers under your trees and larger shrubs. You will not have to worry about watering these plantings after their first summer or two.

Please do not remove native plants from the wild; not only is this illegal, it is also senseless, as we must protect this vanishing ecosystem. You can purchase native plants at the annual Swan Lake Native Plant Sale coming up on Saturday, April 19th and Sunday, the 20th, from from 10:00am to 3:00pm at Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary, (presentations and displays, admission of $3.00, with all proceeds to the nature sanctuary). Otherwise, many local nurseries now have a native plant section. There are several native plant demonstration gardens in Victoria: at Swan Lake, at the Royal B.C. Museum downtown, Glendale Gardens up the Saanich peninsula, and the Oak Bay Native Plant garden across from the former Oak Bay Beach Hotel. You can also find advice at www.goert.ca, www.npsg.ca, and www.npsbc.org.

Margaret Hantiuk is a garden designer in Fernwood and can be reached at mmhantiuk@shaw.ca

Scuba Sensei holds free session “What happens under the water stays under the water” might be an apt mantra for an ecotourism-conscious scuba diving expert.

When Steve Roper was 16, he wanted to visit Prince Edward Island and his parents said no. One Saturday afternoon, while they went off to do their grocery shopping, he got on his bike and left for Prince Edward

Mark Lakeman

| from page 1

In Fernwood, this inspiration has resulted in resident-driven neighbourhood evolution – building community from the grounds up, including the Cornerstone building, the Cornerstone Café, our new Cornerstone Collective record label, the Placemaking Troupe and Food Security Group, alternative energy initiatives, affordable housing, and increased daycare spaces.

So, we’d like to invite all interested folks to see Mark Lakeman present and share his stories at the Fernwood Community Centre, Saturday April 5th, from 12:00pm - 2:00pm. He’s a fantastic speaker, and we anticipate an amazing afternoon. Admission is free, and children are welcome. Coffee and goodies provided by the Cornerstone Café!

Thanks to Brandy Gallagher at Our EcoVillage for coordinating Mark’s trip to the island. If you can’t

Island with a knapsack on his back, having left a note that read, “Don’t worry. Be back in a few weeks.”

He set up a small tent on Cavendish Beach by the ocean’s edge and watched the tides rise and fall while exploring the Island for three weeks.

For Roper, that was just the beginning of a life-long love affair with the ocean, the life that inhabits it, and the wonderful art of scuba diving.

On Thursday, April 17th, at the Fernwood

see him in Victoria, Mark will also be presenting at three other venues that same weekend. For dates and venue information in Shawnigan Lake, Nanaimo and Ladysmith please email: info@ourecovillage

Mark Lakeman on building community

Community Centre, the “scuba sensei” will hold a free presentation called “Exploring Under the Water,” during which he will tell stories of whale sharks sixty feet long, endangered loggerhead turtles hundreds of years old, playing “catch” with dolphins, underwater “sign language,” and the basics of ecotourism-conscious scuba diving. This is an informative evening for the whole family. The talk starts at 7:00pm and will run until about 9:00pm.

Coop

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Making the ordinary into the extraordinary is sometimes just a matter of perception.

Thanks to Billy Metcalfe, Mark and Sue Gentry, Lisa Pynn and Paloma and Soli Callo for their help.

Thanks to Amy Houston for donating the coop.

This article is dedicated to Edwina the chicken, former owner of the coop.

Come talk ‘Claiming Space and Making Place’ with the co-founder of Portland’s City Repair Project.

Fernwood Community Centre

Sat, April 5th 12:00pm-2:00pm Multimedia presentation and discussion For info contact Fernwood NRG at info@ fernwoodneighbourhood.ca or call 381-1552, Local 22.

Photo: Trish Richards

>> James Kasper

Our own Aaron Ellingsen delivering Village Vibe – hot off the press.

Page 6 | News and views from the heart of Fernwood | April 2008

VillageVibe

Photo: Samantha Gamble

faces : Landmines and diplomacy

>> by Aaron Ellingsen Do you ever wonder about the people you see around the café or the office – who they are, what they’re up to, where they’re going? Cristy McLennan was one of those folks. I work with Cristy, but her life outside the office hadn’t really come up until a colleague put a story together for our office newsletter describing Cristy’s March 2007 practicum – part of her Royal Roads University peace and conflict studies program – working with a women’s and anti-poverty organization called Vision Sisters in Kibera, a slum of almost a million people on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya.

Cristy grew up in Vancouver’s Kitsilano, but from a young age she knew she wanted to get out. After graduating from high school – and in a spirit of adventure – she followed her older brother to the UVic. Victoria wasn’t the adventure she’d been looking for, and after a listless year at the university she headed off to see the world.

With adventuring out of her system and a clearer focus on what she wanted to get out of university, Cristy returned to tackle a degree in political science at UVic. She’d also come back knowing she wanted to work in

fernwood marketplace Needed Looking for some fine, energetic folk who wouldn’t mind helping out with Fernwood’s monthly plastic recycling. The commitment is one four hour shift every two months and the feeling of personal satisfaction is high! Please email tpepsue@shaw.ca with your contact information if you can help out.

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

Carole James, MLA Victoria - Beacon Hill

VillageVibe

international development and humanitarian aid. The subject of landmines and the Mine Ban Treaty caught her attention while she worked for the Red Cross. Cristy tells me she was taken aback by “the crazy and horrific magnitude of the damage these weapons are causing – and how many there are out there.”

She launches into a string of facts: “There are over 80 mine-affected countries around the world, including Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Jordan, Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, India and Pakistan in the Kashmir region. In Africa there’s Angola, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Eritrea and.... The list goes on.

“A person steps on a landmine somewhere in the world every half hour,” she tells me, “and half of those people die, while the other half face life-changing prospects like unemployment, stigma, prostheses and rehabilitation.” She describes the material and psychological impacts of minefields, which curb land

about progress on the ban. Last November the Eighth Meeting of States Party to the Mine Ban Treaty was held in Jordan. A group called the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (www.icbl.org) organizes a youth campaigning event alongside these official meetings.

As a result of her previous level of involvement, Cristy was invited to attend. She described her unease at a demining demonstration during the conference, as she was a little disquieted by a suspicion that the mine they witnessed removed might in fact have been placed especially for their viewing. “Overall, though,” she says, “the conference was a great way to learn about the innuendo of diplomacy at that level.”

Diplomacy, the skill of handling affairs without arousing hostility, is a multi-faceted subject for study.

Cristy tells me of a rising concern on the part of NGOs around an emerging model for UN involvement within a region, in which a single UN body assumes military,

the conference was a great way to learn about the innuendo of diplomacy at that level. use and community development through real or imagined danger – leading to impoverishment, hunger, displacement, and collective psychological trauma. It’s hard to know where you might find a mine until you do find a mine, which means people tend to stay off their land. Over 90 percent of the victims of landmines are civilians.

The list of facts doesn’t stop, and for good reason.

Though introduced to the subject through the Red Cross, Cristy’s taken it farther. In 2006 she was appointed as a community ambassador for Mines Action Canada, a coalition of organizations, which support the ban on landmines (www.minesactioncanada.org). In that role she organized events and workshops and gave high school presentations to raise awareness on the issue.

Each year all of the governments who have signed the Mine Ban Treaty, and some who haven’t, meet to talk

political and humanitarian authority over a region.

NGOs like Oxfam (www.oxfam.ca) and MSF (www.msf. org), who emphatically assert their political neutrality and independence, have concerns that the UN’s claims to humanitarian authority undermine critical NGO autonomy. Cristy is working on a project that examines challenges emerging from this situation.

Whether working with Vision Sisters helping to empower women in Kibera, speaking to groups of Victoria high school students on the far-reaching impacts of landmines or cluster munitions, learning the ropes of international diplomacy through observation and roleplay or applying systems theory to the interaction of UN and NGO resources in a specific conflict area, Cristy is positive, focused, and enthusiastic about study and action to make the world a better place.

Fernwood business network >> by Maia Gibb A new group has started up in Fernwood and while the working name is the Fernwood Business Network, members want to be clear – this is NOT a Chamber of Commerce. The Fernwood Business Network offers an opportunity for business-minded people to meet and share resources and information, but the main focus is on building a progressive, sustainable community that continues to attract and support people who believe in these values.

The group began as the brain child of Roger Colwill who believed deeply that business could be an effective change agent. As the founder of Green Drinks in Victoria, Colwill also wanted to see the start up of community-based business organizations who could use its collective entrepreneurial know-how to spearhead initiatives without relying on government support.

Ryan Rutley offered to keep the vision going after Colwill’s passing by coordinating the first few meetings. Rutley acknowledged that for many people, the word “business” carries some very negative connotations, and the group is thinking of changing the name.

“We don’t want people who would have something great to contribute, but don’t associate themselves as being a business person to be turned off,” says Rutley. “Right now, our definition of business is very broad.”

As the membership is already quite diverse, the most enthusiastic discussions have been about finding entrepreneurial solutions to some of Fernwood’s more pressing issues. New, innovative models for providing affordable housing and creating an energyindependent Fernwood – where clean energy is produced and sold back to BC Hydro.

Anyone who is interested in an entrepreneurial contribution to placemaking in Fernwood is welcome to attend meetings, which are scheduled for the first Tuesday each month at 10:00am at the Fernwood Inn. Feel free to check us out in the Fernwood Business Network Group on the Fernwood Commons at http://thevillagevibe.ning.com/.

For questions, please contact Ryan Rutley of Rutley Ventures at ryan@rutleyventures.ca.

April 2008 | www.fernwoodneighbourhood.ca | Page 7

what’s on in Fernwood April 2008

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Arts, Theatre, and Entertainment Bohemian Open Mic at 8pm hosted

by James Kasper – Cornerstone Concerts at 10pm.

Saturdays. April: “Tribute Month” (Apr 5>BOB DYLAN, Apr 12>LEONARD COHEN, Apr 19>NEIL YOUNG).

Cornerstone Café. 1301 Gladstone Ave. FREE! Bluegrass Wednesdays.

Fernwood NRG and the Fernwood Bluegrass Association present Wednesday night bluegrass jams at the Cornerstone Café. 7:30-10pm. FREE! Collective Works Gallery “Intergalactic Highways” (Jason Grondin). Mar 28-Apr 17. “Illuminations” (group show). Apr 18-May 8. 1311 Gladstone Ave. Live Music at Fernwood Inn. Open Mic Thursdays. 8:30-11:30pm.

1302 Gladstone Ave. FREE! Live Taping of New Fernwood Compilation CD. “Live from the Cornerstone Café.”

Immortalize yourself on tape and cheer on your local artists! Fri, Apr 25. 8-11pm.

FREE!

Kids and Families at the Fernwood Community Centre (FCC) Community Family Day. Family-directed and facilitated programming. Mondays 9:30-11:30am.

FCC Gym. FREE! Parent and Tot Playgroup.

Snacks/Crafts/Circle Time. Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:30-11:30am. FCC Gym. $1 per family.

Youth, Adults and Seniors New!! Hatha Yoga.

With certified instructor Elke. Focus on gentle poses, breathing practice, deep relaxation and meditation. Tuesdays 3 - 4:30pm. FCC Gym. Suggested $5.

Ear Acupuncture.

Treatments 15-20 min. Apr 3 and 17.

2:30-4:30pm. FCC MPR. By donation.

Falun Gong.

Peaceful meditation practice. All welcome! Wednesdays 5-7pm. FCC MPR. FREE!

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Fernwood Autumn Glow.

55+. Gentle exercise, lunch and activities. Monthly special guest speaker. Fridays 11am. FCC MPR. $5.50 for lunch.

Floor Hockey.

Drop-in Co-ed. Adult (18+). Tuesdays and Thursdays 7-9:30pm. Saturdays 2:30-5pm. FCC Gym. $4, or get a punchcard: $40/11 sessions.** Indoor Soccer.

Drop-in Co-ed. Adult (18+). Mondays 8:45-10:45pm. FCC Gym. $3.** Internet and Computer Access.

Register and get online through the Community Access Program. Monday to Friday 9:30am-5pm. FCC Community Room. FREE! Junior Youth Empowerment Program.

Sundays 2-5pm. FCC MPR. For info call 381-1552 ext.25 Nintendo Wii Fridays.

Drop-in Co-ed. Ages 13-16. Fridays 7-9:30pm. FCC Gym. By donation.

Concession open.

Youth Floor Hockey.

Drop-in Co-ed. Ages 9-18 (Group 1/ages 9-13. Group 2/ages 14-18). Sundays 3:30-5pm, FCC Gym. $3.** **We accept Sports Trader Bucks and Canadian Tire Money at face value!

Special Events Fernwood Business Network.

Everyone welcome. Tues, Apr 1. 10am.

Fernwood Inn. For info contact Ryan Rutley at ryan@rutleyventures.ca Fernwood NRG Food Security Collective.

All welcome! Tues, Apr 8. 7-9pm. FCC MPR. For info contact foodsecurity@ fernwoodneighbourhood.ca Green Drinks.

An inclusive gathering of the sustainability-minded for refreshments and conversation. Tues, Apr 8. 5-7pm.

Canoe Brewpub, Marina and Restaurant, 450 Swift St. For info see www. greendrinksvictoria.ca Spring Fever – a Choral Celebration.

The Vic High Choir joins with women’s choirs Inspirata and Super Soul Sisters for a celebration of song – R&B, folk, world music and more. Wed, Apr 9.

7:30pm. Vic High Auditorium. Tix $5 at the door. Partial proceeds to benefit Artemis Place.

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Spring Ridge Commons Workparties!

Come and get your hands dirty in Fernwood’s only public food garden.

Thurs, Apr 10. 5-7pm. Thurs Apr 24. 57pm. Thurs, May 8. 5-7pm. Please bring tools if you’ve got ‘em.

Fernwood’s Outrageous Recycling Day. Bring your CLEAN plastics, styrofoam packing and food trays, electronics and foil-lined coffee bags. Apr 12. 10am1pm. Back of FCC. By donation.

Achieving Effortless Success Workshop with Daniel Scott. Tues, Apr 15. 7-9pm. FCC MPR. $20, $35 for 2 workshops, $50 for bundle of three.

Exploring Under the Water.

Scuba diving workshop with Steve Roper. Thurs, Apr 17. 7-9pm. FCC MPR. FREE! Circuit-board Band Camp Customize noisy toys, reclaim electronic keyboards… Circuit jam recording session with Jeff Morton. Apr 19. 1-5pm.

Basic materials provided; more available at cost. FCC MPR. 381-1552 Ext.25 to register.

Introduction to the Music Business.

With James Kasper and other local music business reps. Ages 16+. Sun, Apr 20. 1-5pm. $20 or 2 for $35. Email james@fernwoodneighbourhood.ca for more info.

Fernwood Placemaking Troupe.

All Welcome! Bring your ideas for the square and the neighbourhood. Mon, Apr 21. 7pm. Cornerstone Café.

Changing Procrastination to Motivation.

Second of three workshops with Daniel Scott. Tues, Apr 22. 7-9pm. FCC MPR. $20.

Persuasive Parenting.

Third of three workshops with Daniel Scott. Tues, Apr 29. 7-9pm. $20.

Cock-A-Doodle-Doo! Urban Chicken Workshop and Fernwood Coop Tour.

Back by popular demand. Sat, May 3.

10am-1pm. FCC. $10. To register contact foodsecurity@fernwoodneighbourhood. ca Inspire-A-Book.

Making your book idea come to life, with Julie Salisbury. Sat, May 3 and 10.

1-5pm. $149 plus $95 for workbook.

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villagevibe Published by Fernwood NRG (Fernwood Neighbourhood Resource Group) 1240 Gladstone Street Victoria, BC V8T 1G6 T 250.381.1552 F 250.381.1509 villagevibe@fernwood neighbourhood.ca www.fernwoodneighbourhood.ca Editor: Lisa Helps Assistant Editors: Aaron Ellingsen, Trish Richards Photographers: Pete Rockwell, Veronique da Silva Contributors: Rae Abbot Esther Callo Candice Caron Maia Gibb Margaret Hantiuk Anne Hoban Keith Hoon Caleigh Inman Jasmine Johl James Kaspar Roberta Martell Claire Newton Charlotte Priest Frieda Raye-Green Laura Skeith Georgia Stevenson The views expressed in the Village Vibe do not necessarily reflect the views of Fernwood NRG.

Fernwood Community Kitchen.

Cook nutritious, creative meals with your neighbours! For info contact Tracey at tveldhuis@gmail.com Fernwood Pocket Market.

Local organic produce and baked goods.

Tuesdays 2-6pm. Cornerstone Café.

Fernwood Sharing Gardens.

Have a garden but no time? Time but no garden? Contact Rainey at 380-5055 or sharinggardens@gmail.com.

Fern Fest ‘08 June 20 and 21. Fernwood Square. Come out and celebrate our wonderfully eclectic and ever-evolving neighbourhood! FREE! VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! Call 381-1552 ext.25.

If you have a workshop or special event idea for the Fernwood Community Centre or the Cornerstone Café email james@ fernwoodneighbourhood.ca

Open For Lunch!

From 11:30 Daily Check out our new Lunch Specials Under new ownership!

Page 8 | News and views from the heart of Fernwood | April 2008

1302 Gladstone

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