December 2015
villagevibe News and views from the heart of Fernwood
The Gift of Good Food Healthy food for families who need it
›› Kathryn Juricic
& Mila Czemerys
H
olidays can be a tough time as we struggle to make ends meet but for many, these struggles are year-round. Fernwood NRG is creatively responding to our community’s need for support by focusing on a year-round campaign to provide fresh fruits and vegetables to families who need it. The Gift of Good Food is back for its fifth year and needs your help. We want to extend a profound thank you to you for going above and beyond last year’s call to action to support Fernwood families, it was so inspiring. Together, we raised $11,000 to support 24 families. Based on this success and community need, Fernwood NRG has partnered with eight other community centres in order to help families that they serve as well. With your support and our growing team, our goal is to raise $50,000 to support 100 families from Sooke to Sidney. In organizing for this campaign, we had the chance to connect with families who received the Gift of Good Food in the past. For details on the impact this has had for the past year, please read one mother’s testimonial on page 4. This fundraiser focuses on supporting families who are in transition, have low incomes, single parents or families who need support in meeting their nutritional needs. All funds go directly towards providing a yearly supply of fruits and vegetables to families who may not otherwise have access to fresh, local produce.
The Gift of Good Food helps families who need it access fresh produce. Check out our video about the fundraiser at thegiftofgoodfood.ca/donate. Photos: Trevor Dixon Bennett, Kingtide Films
two weeks for all of 2016. This gift keeps giving the whole year. 3. Families who receive Good Food Boxes will pick-up their food with all other Good Food Box customers. They will not feel singled out or face stigma when collecting their gift. We are hoping businesses, individuals and community groups will join the campaign and take on the challenge of helping to raise $500 to provide one family with Good Food Boxes for all of 2016. Every donation, big or small, helps make a difference. For example, a $20 donation provides one family with a large Good Food Box. According to Victoria Vital Signs, poverty is on the rise and the cost of food
is increasing at double the rate of inflation. Further, one in ten households in Greater Victoria reported they were food insecure in 2014. In the face of these statistics, it is empowering to know that as a community we do have the power to affect meaningful change. The Good Food Box was started 18 years ago by single moms and lower income families who wanted to bring local and organic produce to their community at reduced cost by bulk purchasing. The program grew from 12 boxes a month to 250 boxes a month and is now accessed throughout the Greater Victoria area. Fernwood NRG assumed responsibility for the operations of the Good Food Box program in 2012 and continues to provide affordable access to local and regional fruits and veggies.
Buzz
Feature
Artist’s Aside
A Christmas Carol page 3
The impact of good food page 4
Jeremy Herndl page 6
Why is this fundraiser different than other food hamper programs?
1. The Gift of Good Food offers fresh fruits and vegetables opposed to non-perishable items. Our goal is to add nutritious produce to the equation. 2. Instead of a one-time food hamper, it provides Good Food Boxes every
If you want to get involved, there are 4 ways to donate:
1. Online, with a simple click you can contribute directly to this fundraiser at thegiftofgoodfood.ca/donate 2. In-person, at the Fernwood Community Centre at 1240 Gladstone Avenue until December 22nd 3. By phone 250-381-1552 4. By signing-up a fundraising team, email info@fernwoodnrg.ca Individual donations of $20 and over will receive a charitable donation receipt. Fernwood NRG is raising funds until December 31st and families will be chosen in January 2016. For more info and to make a donation, please visit thegiftofgoodfood.ca/donate.
in this issue To get the Vibe digitally, sign up at fernwoodnrg.ca
editorial:
villagevibe Published by Fernwood Neighbourhood Resource Group Editorial Committee
Lee Herrin Kathryn Juricic
Matt Takach Mila Czemerys Founding Editor Lisa Helps Contributors
Kathryn Juricic Mila Czemerys Kate VanGiesen Jillian Player Ben Clark
Lee Herrin Mark Dusseault Britt Swoveland Margaret Hantiuk Beth Threlfall
Art
Axel
Trevor Bennett David Cooper Katherine Penfol Jeremy Herndl Margaret Hantiuk Kate Wallace Special thanks to Instagram contributors Production Mila Czemerys Contact us
1310 Gladstone Avenue Victoria, BC V8R 1S1 T 778.410.2497 F 250.381.1509 vibe@fernwoodnrg.ca www.villagevibe.ca To enquire about advertising in the Village Vibe, please contact ads@fernwoodnrg.ca The views expressed in the Village Vibe do not necessarily reflect the views of Fernwood NRG.
declaration of principles & values ››
›› Lee Herrin People in Fernwood are connected to Spring Ridge Common in myriad ways: some are neighbours, others love the permaculture angle, some just enjoy a quiet space to relax with a friend, and some, like last issue’s contributor, remember the site when it was a wooden school building. Spring Ridge Common isn’t going anywhere. Having said that, it does belong to the School District, and long term, they may determine a use for it. Nonetheless, it has been a community garden for a very long time, and it will remain an open community garden for the foreseeable future. An open community garden, though, presents a challenge in its own right. Over the years, the biggest challenge has been ensuring timely and effective maintenance of the site. Fernwood NRG currently holds a lease for the Common with the School District of Greater Victoria. Fernwood NRG is not the first—there have been a number
a socially, environmentally,
neighbourhood; We are committed to ensuring neighbourhood control or
››
institutions and assets;
our resources prudently
Owl Designer Fair
self-reliant;
When: Friday, December 4 th from
We are committed to the creation
6-10pm & Saturday, December 5th from 10am-6pm Where: Fernwood Community Centre, 1240 Gladstone Avenue
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;
››
Mila Czemerys
We are committed to using
and to becoming financially
››
means Fernwood NRG has received funds to support an honorarium for a volunteer coordinator for Spring Ridge Common. And so, we are announcing through this article (and will be posting on our website, and circulating through various lists) that we are holding an open request for proposals from prospective Spring Ridge Common Stewards. Candidates for the job must have a Permaculture Design Certificate or other horticultural training. They must have at least two years of experience working directly in a horticultural or agricultural setting. They must have experience working in a community based setting, preferably including previous experience coordinating volunteers. There are other things our ideal candidate will possess, so if you are interested, and you meet the minimum qualifications stated above, please see www.fernwoodnrg.ca/springridge-common-request-for-proposals. We hope to announce the successful candidate in the February edition of the Village Vibe.
Owl Designer Fair & Karma Yoga
ownership of neighbourhood
››
of previous organizations who held the lease and were the nominal stewards of the Common. However, each preceding organization ended up passing the lease and the mantle of stewardship to another organization for reasons to do with cost and risk. Costs arise from water use, hauling refuse, dealing with pests, paying for insurance, etc.; risk arises when neighbours complain, or city bylaw officers are called, or the police respond, and no one is able to be accountable. Fernwood NRG is willing (and has been willing) to bear the costs and the risks for the past five years. We are also willing to continue doing so, but some things have to change. One thing that is driving the process of change is that the City of Victoria has recognized that Community Gardens reliant on volunteers for maintenance require some resources to coordinate volunteers. For this reason, they made a (very) small grant available on a direct award basis to neighbourhoods with community gardens. Practically, this
mark your calendar:
We are committed to creating
and economically sustainable
››
Spring Ridge Common—the next chapter
We are committed to governing our organization and serving our
Victoria’s finest holiday fair is returning to Fernwood! All items are handmade or upcycled by local artists and designers. There will be live music by local musicians, food trucks and free craft workshops by The MakeHouse. Unique gifts make this show a must for anyone
looking for some style in their Christmas shopping. This fair is stroller and wheelchair accessible. There really is something for everyone at the Owl Designer Fair. You will find handmade soaps and perfumes, skateboards, woodworking, local fashion designers, wood toys, upcycled vintage creations, leather goods, handmade jewelry and much more!
Karma Yoga Class When: Thursdays from 7-8pm, starting January 14th, 2016 Where: Fernwood Community Centre, 1240 Gladstone Avenue Cost: Suggested $5 donation, yoga mats available for a $2 rental fee
The Fernwood Yoga Den is hosting a Karma Yoga class at the Fernwood Community Centre starting in January 2016. Karma yoga classes are affordable classes where all the money raised goes towards a specific cause. All donations from this class will go towards family programs run by Fernwood NRG. This flow yoga class is suitable for beginners and all levels. Flow through a creative sequences of postures to tone your muscles and stretch your deeper tissues. A strong focus on breath and alignment will allow students of all levels to deepen their yoga practice. Bring yourself, comfy clothes and an open mind. What a great way to support your community while creating it too!
neighbourhood democratically with a maximum of openness, inclusivity and kindness;
››
We are committed to developing the
and excellence of our neighbours and ourselves;
››
Wishing you a joyous holiday season!
skills, capacity, self-worth,
We are committed to focusing on the future while preserving our
Please join me at my
Holiday Open House Thursday, December 10, 4–6 pm at my Community Office
neighbourhood’s heritage and
Everyone welcome. Light refreshments.
diversity;
››
Non-perishable food and sock donations will be gratefully accepted for Anawim House.
We are committed to creating neighbourhood places that are vibrant, beautiful, healthy, and alive;
››
We are committed to having fun!
villagevibe
MLA Victoria – Beacon Hill
Here to serve you at my Community Office
and, most of all,
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Carole James
December 2015
1084 Fort Street, Victoria BC V8V 3K4 Phone: 250-952-4211 Fax: 250-952-4586 carole.james.mla@leg.bc.ca www.carolejamesmla.ca
News and views from the heart of Fernwood
buzz:
buzz:
The Belfry’s acclaimed Picot Collective production of A Christmas Carol returns ›› A creative addition
to Fernwoood Village showcases local artisans
Kate VanGiesen
›› Mark Dusseault It is one of the greatest stories ever told. Even today, 172 years later, it is still profound and optimistic, reminding us that it’s never too late to change and to love again. Written in 1843 in response to the social ills of Victorian England, A Christmas Carol changed western culture, reinvigorating the notion of Christmas and adding the now fundamental idea of charity at this time of year. This December the Belfry is remounting its acclaimed 2012 production of A Christmas Carol with the hugely talented Tom McBeath reprising his role as the “tight-fisted old sinner” Ebenezer Scrooge. Joining Tom are Gerry Mackay, Geoffrey Ewert, Brian Linds, Anton Lipovetsky, Amanda Lisman, Celine Stubel, Jan Wood, John Han and Jessica Hickman. Playing the Cratchit children are 16-year-old Lauren Alberico (from Claremont Secondary) as Martha, 17-yearold Ajay Parikh-Friese (from St. Michael’s) as Peter, 11-year-old Abby Baker (from Central Middle) as Belinda, and 7-yearold Kyle Atlas Stahl (from George Jay Elementary) as Tiny Tim.
Brian Linds (Mr. Fezziwig) and Jan Wood (Mrs. Fezziwig) in A Christmas Carol. Photo: David Cooper
A Christmas Carol is the perfect story of redemption, reminding us to reach out to our fellow man, now and all year long, and is a wonderful start to holiday season. Tickets are available at the Belfry (come visit us), at 250-385-6815 or at belfry.bc.ca.
Picot Collective is a charming artisan shop in the four corners of Fernwood Village. It was opened in August 2015 by Britt Buntain who saw a “niche for tangible art.” Britt named the store after her grandmother and her new-found passion for weaving wall hangings and custom pieces. This shop was purposed to showcase Britt’s own work as well as “the creative work of others” that reflected similarities to her own style and craftsmanship. Who should shop at Picot Collective? Anyone who can “appreciate handmade goods...and understand the value of creative work.” All items carried by Picot Collective are handmade by more than twenty artists, the majority of them local to Victoria and British Columbia. The residents of Greater Victoria will find that this beautiful store truly defines what it means to shop local. There are lovely handcrafted bags, notebooks, household items, potted plants, and skincare products. Picot Collective reflects the vibrant heart of the Fernwood community. Britt’s passion is to build a business that reflects who she is. Her happiness comes from creating work that reflects her values and contributes to the creativity of
Britt Buntain opened Picot Collective in Fernwood Square in August 2015. Photo: Katherine Penfol
others. Her goal is to support other artists and at the same time give her customers something that they will love to share. Picot Collective brings a new creative vibe to Fernwood. You enter the shop and immediately want to slow down and take everything in. Artisan shops are to be enjoyed, and this one will simply add to the existing charm on the corner of Gladstone and Fernwood. Picot Collective’s artisan items can also be found at www.picotcollective.com.
Holiday Emporium 2015
1118 Princess Avenue, at Cook & Bay
MARGARET HANTIUK GARDEN SERVICE SUSTAINABLE GARDENING Pruning. Bedwork. Designs. Consults. Senior-friendly
Email: mmhantiuk@shaw.ca Phone: 250.595.1684 Cell: 250.882.1929
www.fernwoodnrg.ca
December 2015
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feature:
The impact of good food on one family’s life An interview with a mother who received
would actually have vegetables in the house to eat for a whole year.
The Gift of Good Food in
I’m interested to hear how your kids have taken to the Good Food Box?
2015
When we get the Good Food Box, the first thing my little one does is she’ll see if there is a cucumber. The first time we got one, she wanted some cucumber. The cucumbers are wrapped in that cellophane. One of the things my mom used to do is she would snap it in half to break the plastic and then she would unpeel the plastic and cut it up from there. The first time my daughter, my little one, saw me do that she was like, “Oh my god, you’re like a super hero!” Because I could break it in half and then I taught her that she could do it. And now every time [we] get the Good Food Box, the first thing she does is look for the cucumber. She can snap it in half and just rip the plastic off and eat it like that. She doesn’t chop it, she just wants to eat it right away. My older one, of course, she just loves having something that she can eat quickly
›› Mila Czemerys
& Kathryn Juricic
What does good food mean to you?
It means something healthy for my kids to eat. I can go down to the dollar store and buy a chocolate bar for my kid for 99 cents. Or, I can go in the fridge and get the cucumber that came in the Good Food Box and give my kid a few slices of that and she loves it! The peppers, if she could eat them like an apple, she would because she loves them so much. I love the fact that I can give my kids healthy snacks rather than junk food. How has having the Good Food Box changed things for you?
We eat a lot healthier. My older daughter was concerned because her doctor told her she was obese—but she wasn’t. She’s so excited because she’s been eating healthier. She’s actually lost weight and she feels really good about herself. So you know, it’s all about the health… getting healthier. We ate a lot of bad bad stuff—the processed stuff—because it was the cheapest so when we got the Good Food Box is was just awesome! How did you feel when your family was selected to receive The Gift of Good Food?
Stoked! It was awesome. When [I found out] I was like, “Oh my gosh really? That is so cool!” Because when I go to the grocery store and I look at the prices of vegetables, I’m just like, “Ahhh! That will last maybe three days and then it goes bad.” That will go bad in three days. Or I could go buy that. Okay, it’s not as healthy but it will last 3 weeks.” So vegetables go by the wayside a lot. But when [I was] told that [this was paid for] for a year I was just stunned. I was stunned and so excited... that my kids
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My kids were eating junk. In the last year, they’ve eaten healthier than they have in their entire lives. Kids need that. but isn’t going to make her feel like she just ate something that will put ten pounds on her, you know. Not to say her whole life is her weight but it makes her feel better that she can eat something healthy instead of something junky. Why should people make a donation?
Oh my gosh, first of all, to all the people that have already donated, thank you so much! Without programs like this, there are so many wonderful things that families
December 2015
like mine go without. My kids were eating junk. In the last year, they’ve eaten healthier than they have in their entire lives. Kids need that. It’s so easy to access quick food that is so bad for you and the world is just making it easier and easier to get the bad stuff. So when you have programs like this where it makes the good stuff easy to access, it’s just awesome. And I love it, I love this program. I’m so glad you guys do this. Do you have any final thoughts?
Me and my two girls get the Good Food Box every two weeks. I get that Good Food Box and I see healthy eating for my children. For my older one, she sees tasty food that isn’t going to put tons of pounds on her. [For] my little one, it’s like Christmas. She will go through it and see what tasty things she can find in there and she’ll ask, “Mommy, can I eat it now?” Basically it’s a gift. It’s like a little Christmas gift every two weeks for my family. And we love it.
News and views from the heart of Fernwood
from the archive:
Family forgoes Christmas gifts; donates to support Fernwood family
Hey Fernwood Artists & Artisans, If you are interested in opening your studio to the public, to show and sell your work, please contact: Margaret Hantiuk, 778-265-9004, mmhantiuk@shaw.ca. We will be meeting soon to organize the 2016 Fernwood Art Stroll (usually the third week of June). www.fernwoodartstroll.ca
The Swoveland Family, (left to right) Britt, Jon, their son Markus, and in-laws Cindy and Cary, decided to forgo Christmas presents last year in favour of donating to The Gift of Good Food. Their donation provided a Good Food Box every two weeks for a family for all of 2015.
›› Britt Swoveland While joining our in-laws for Sunday dinner the talk turned to Christmas and plans for the big day. We tend to do as many people; enjoy good food, share gifts, and have a fun day with family. Our family is very fortunate. We are blessed with good health, friends, loving family and happy homes. All the things that really matter. But we realize for some, the holiday season can be a challenging time. Not everyone has the support they need. Not everyone has presents under the tree. Not everyone has healthy food to eat. So, this Christmas, our family decided to count our blessings and give in a different way—a way that has greater meaning. Rather than heading out and shopping for items we like, but don’t really need, we collectively decided to give some funds to a local charity to support those in greater need. The whole family embraced the
www.fernwoodnrg.ca
idea instantly and started to mull-over the variety of options available for giving. In doing our research, the Good Food Box appealed to us in many ways. By combining our donation with our in-laws, we have a wonderful opportunity to provide healthy fruits and vegetables to a local family for an entire year! We all really like the idea of giving locally, and the Good Food Box is run in such a manner (with mostly volunteers) to allow the donation to go directly to the cost of supplying food to those in need. It’s heartwarming to know, that every two weeks a local family is picking up a bag of wholesome food that they otherwise would not have without the support of the Good Food Box. This year, Christmas for our family will be about sharing with others, and we encourage those that can, to do the same and embrace the true spirit of the season. “For it is in giving that we receive.” - Francis of Assisi
December 2015
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artist’s aside:
oaklands news:
Jeremy Herndl: Day to Night
Does Oaklands need a community garden?
›› Jillian Player Jeremy Herndl likes to remind himself of a quote by drawing master William Kentridge: “Resist the attempt to construct an argument.” Looking at Herndl’s work, one can see why this quote would be important. His large paintings, busy with thick strokes of oil paint, capture the fleeting moments of humanity and light as time passes. He paints plein air in areas where the landscape has been disturbed by human intervention. Some paintings capture the transition of the sun-cycle from morning to night, giving the viewer a broader experience of the landscape. There are scenes of Mason Street farm, Pacific Recycling, Trial Island, and many others around Victoria. Jeremy and his family have traveled the world, following their roots and opportunities, to finally arrive on the west coast. Jeremy, originally from Vancouver, always dreamed of moving back to the west coast of BC. They now live in the heart of Fernwood. While being a busy parent and painting instructor at the Vancouver Island School of Art, Jeremy has recently spent three months in Gotland, Sweden. He was the recipient of the 2015 Brucebo Scholarship for fine arts which provides Canadian artists residencies in northern Europe on the island of Gotlan, in the Baltic Sea. With the island rich in history, dating back to the Vikings, Jeremy was
›› Ben Clark
Camp View, oil on canvas, 62” x 72”, 2014. Artist: Jeremy Herndl
like a kid at a playground with places to paint and uninterrupted time. Jeremy is always interested in painting places with a deep sense of history, agency and collective memory. One Gotland painting in particular speaks to this. It shows the scene from looking out onto the landscape from inside a cave entrance. In this cave, archeologists found evidence of humans dating back six thousand years. He painted
the same view the ancient’s once saw. Now that he is back from his residency in Europe, he is focusing his attention close to home: this neighbourhood and its incidental (and accidental) stories. Jeremy says, “I am interested in things that happen on the margins, where people aren’t expected to look and where things happen unintentionally.” See Jeremy Herndl’s work at www.jeremyherndl.com.
garden gleanings:
Winterizing the garden
›› Margaret Hantiuk This fall, don’t be so quick to rake your leaves up and give them away to the municipality to compost. Save them for your own leaf mold, one of the best soil enhancers, for free. I now rake leaves off of my lawn, sidewalks and patio straight onto my garden beds! I am not just a lazy gardener. The leaves provide protection from frost and eventually they break down to mulch that is so necessary during our dry summers. Exceptions are Black Walnut leaves which have a growth deterrent and shouldn’t be spread over other beds. Leaves collected off the streets can be used in flowerbeds but are not for growing food because of possible contaminants from vehicles. If you
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have plants with serious bug infestations or disease (‘black spot’ in roses for one) it is best to remove their leaves, bag them and dispose of them. It is important to not bury ‘crowns’ of perennials and tree/shrub trunks. Let them breathe. It’s like putting the plants to bed, and not covering their heads! Many gardeners like a tidy look, so it is a huge shift to think of their garden as an ecosystem and themselves as its steward. Saving and using your own leaves and making your own compost (open piles for non-food materials such as garden waste and compost cones or the new rotating barrels for food scraps) gives you an ongoing source of mulch that deters weeds and cuts down your summer water bill. Another vital aspect of the garden as an ecosystem is wildlife habitat. Don’t cut back all the stalks of your perennials as the seeds provide food for birds. An exception would be any plant that is an invasive seeder. Try leaving some fruit for birds. Now is the time to move tender plants indoors. Truly tender plants can be cut back and placed indoors in sunny windows. Marginally tender plants can be cut back and placed in south facing porches and
December 2015
greenhouses. I have hardy potted succulents that I take off of my deck and place on the south side of my house under the eaves, as they can take our cool winter weather, but not the rain. All containers should be lifted so that they drain in the rain. Any pots without drain holes should be kept out of the rain entirely as they can freeze and break. Those of you lucky enough to have sunny, protected spots where you grow winter veggies should be ready to cover them if tempatures get too low (no arctic outflow winter fronts are predicted yet). Now is also the time to consider the design of your garden: what to move (in early spring), trees and shrubs that will need pruning next year (easier to see with leaves off), where you might like to grow something for winter window viewing delight (plants with fall colour, winter blooms, berries, interesting bark) and where conifers or broadleaved evergreen shrubs might be nice (maybe as screens for privacy or to hide something). You can also start planning your next veggie garden, flowering beds, pots or new hardscape, perhaps on a patio where you can enjoy the outdoors?
While boulevard gardens are a common thing in and around Oaklands, there is currently no community garden in the neighbourhood. A survey was done recently to ask residents if they support the Oaklands Community Association working toward building a community garden, and what type of garden they would like to see. Gardens in parks and other shared spaces have many benefits. They are a way for people that live in apartment buildings to have a space to grow their own food, a place for neighbours to come together and work on something that doesn’t require a whole lot of skill or tools, and a great way to increase the amount of food we eat coming from close to home. Other neighbourhoods have a variety of different types of gardens: allotment gardens where people have their own plot of land, communal gardens where the whole garden is a shared space, community orchards with fruit trees, and native plant gardens. These are all examples of the different forms that these spaces can take while adding vitality to an area. Community gardens can also be partnerships with local businesses and restaurants and provide them with some of the herbs and produce they use in their daily menus, providing a link between local businesses and the neighbourhoods of the people that support them. Another function that a garden can take is a space for supplies and tools for people working on their own gardens. Something that has been talked about lately at City Hall is that residents could use a distributed network of garden and landscaping support centres that have mulch, cardboard, compost, and other gardening tools available for use. There is an inspiring and growing amount of food gardening happening here in the Garden City, and community centres can play an active and supporting role. Speaking of community centres, Saturday December 12th is a big day for all ages at Oaklands Community Centre. In the morning there’s the annual Breakfast with Santa, and in the evening is the Seniors’ Dinner. For more information on those events, and to see the results of the community garden survey, slide over to www.oaklandscommunitycentre.com.
News and views from the heart of Fernwood
george jay:
Fernwood Elementary School seeks household goods donations Holiday Emporium allows students to shop for affordable gifts for their family members
›› Beth Threlfall Many organizations are looking for d onations at this time of year, but the difference with the annual L’Ecole George Jay Elementary School Holiday Emporium is that we’re seeking household goods, not cash. George Jay’s Holiday Emporium offers a low-cost way for children to contribute to their family celebrations by “shopping” for gifts—for just $1 each. The Holiday Emporium has been going on for over 10 years now and each year we see it make a real difference in the lives of George Jay families, many of whom simply can’t afford to shop during the holidays. We are asking community members to donate new or lightly used good quality items to the school. Examples of donations include candles, toys, ties, jewelry, picture
frames, CDs, DVDs, books, puzzles, purses, wallets, scarves, tools, household goods, bath and beauty items—and we always need dad stuff. We do stress that although items are sold inexpensively, goods should be clean and not broken; remember, our kids are “shopping” for their families. This year, we are also seeking donations of wrapping materials, ribbons, small boxes, bubble wrap, tape and tissue paper. Wrapping presents is part of our parent volunteer service, so the kids’ families really do get a surprise! (But please, no Christmas-style decorations.) Parents will transform the school gym into a big holiday emporium—all the children have to do is start “shopping” for family and friends. Students can buy up to four presents for $1 each, with all proceeds going directly back to the school to help sponsor for field trips and cultural events. If there are any items that clearly should be sold at a higher price, we open our doors at the end of the school day to parents so they can also come and shop for their families.
Students are able to browse the items donated to the Holiday Emporium at George Jay Elementary School and buy gifts for their family. Photo: Kate Wallace
Starting December 1st, donations can be dropped off directly at the school at 1118 Princess Avenue (near Cook and Bay) right through to December 16 th. Holiday Emporium Day itself runs 9:00am to 4:30pm Thursday, December
17 th at L’Ecole George Jay Elementary School. The Holiday Emporium is truly one of the highlights of our school year. With the community’s help, we can make it one of our best ever!
The Local General Store 1440 Haultain Street (Haultain Corners) | 778-265-6225 9:30am – 6:00pm Monday to Saturday
ORGANIC PRODUCE, GENERAL GROCERIES & HOUSEHOLD GOODS, LOCALLY-MADE CLOTHING & FAIR TRADE GIFTS YOUR ONE-STOP SUSTAINABLE SHOP
thelocalgeneralstore.ca
Looking for space
for an upcoming event?
Check out The Fernwood Community Center Great for private functions; events; anniversaries; birthdays; holiday celebrations; fundraisers; workshops; group meetings; sports; craft and other fairs; exercise, music, or art classes Gym: 167 person capacity Studio: 25 person capacity Multi-purpose Room: 30 person capacity Contact us for availability and pricing! ph: 381-1552 // email: info@fernwoodnrg.ca
www.fernwoodnrg.ca
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