Village Vibe
news and views from the heart of Fernwood
www.fernwoodneighbourhood.ca
Dragon to Shed Its Skin?
Just last week, there was a fellow poised dangerously in the middle of Fernwood Road. He was peering through a camera, and taking pictures of the side of the George and Dragon on the corner of Fernwood and Gladstone. It seemed to be a shot not worth losing his life over, and our curiosity was piqued. What was he up to? A quick glance down the street provided some potentially relevant information: there was a van, parked in front of the Cornerstone, with a property inspection logo on the side of it. The plot seemed to be thickening! Was someone really buying the George and Dragon?
february 2006
Over the past few years, purchase of the George and potential purchasers have seemed to take on the status of urban legends; a Fernwood myth, if you will. This time, just maybe, the Dragon is ready to shed its outworn skin and be given a new and fiery presence in the core. A few calls strengthened the hunch. That’s all we know. We’ll keep you posted.
2006 Cornerstone Work Parties Begin
It’s time to party! Work party, that is. Yes, after a long early hibernation, work parties are back on at the Cornerstone. The plans were submitted, permits approved, money secured, and now the work begins … again! Saturdays, from 10-5, on January 28th, February 11th, February 18th, and 9-6 on March 4th. No need to come for the whole day - drop by when you can! We have safety glasses, gloves and dust masks, and we ask that folks wear appropriate clothing and solid footwear, preferably steel toed boots if you’ve got ‘em! Lunch is provided. We’re still cleaning out the upstairs, and that means pulling
nails from the old studs so they can be drywalled later on, pulling up the plywood sheets that cover the beautiful old fir hardwood floors so they can be refinished, and pulling down the ceiling so that we can reinsulate and drywall it. So bring hammers, crowbars, and cat’s paws if you have them. On January 28th and February 18th, employees from Coast Capital Savings and Credit Union (CCSCU) are putting their hearts into the Cornerstone project by It’s volunteering for a day. CCSCU’s way of living its credo of corporate social responsibility; staff get paid time off work to volunteer in an important community project! Let’s show them what we
can do Fernwood! We’re prepared to start building the affordable housing units on March 1st, and will be coordinating not only many sub-trades and contractors, but also the involvement of the immensely talented and eager Vic High carpentry, and preapprenticeship students.
Cornerstone Work Parites Saturdays 10-5 January 28 February 11 February 18 Saturday 9-6 March 4
Village Vibe
Fernwood Community Centre Society Declaration of Principles and Values 1. WE are committed to creating a socially, environmentally, and economically sustainable neighbourhood; 2. WE are committed to ensuring neighbourhood control or ownership of neighbourhood institutions and assets; 3. WE are committed to using our resources prudently and to selfbecoming financially reliant; 4. WE are committed to the creation and support of neighbourhood employment; 5. WE are committed to engaging the dreams, resources, and talents of our neighbours and to fostering new links between them; 6. WE are committed to taking action in response to neighbourhood issues, ideas, and initiatives; 7. WE are committed to governing our organization and serving our neighbourhood democratically with a maximum of openness, inclusivity, and kindness; 8. WE are committed to developing the skills, capacity, selfworth, and excellence of our neighbours and ourselves; 9. WE are committed to focusing on the future while preserving our neighbourhood's heritage and diversity; 10. WE are committed to creating neighbourhood places that are vibrant, beautiful, healthy, and alive; 11. AND, most of all, WE are committed to having fun! To subscribe, contact, submit to or advertise in the Vibe, head to www.fernwoodneighbourhood.ca/vibe
2
Centre Renovations?
Did you see Fernwood on the front page of the Times Colonist on December 17? Fernwood Autumn Glow Seniors and long-time residents Jane Sumner and Kay Lewis were enjoying the Christmas concert held by the children of the FCCS Daycare. Further inside the paper, the article depicted the Community Centre at 1240 Gladstone and explained that Fernwood is a high priority community, which is targeted to receive special funds to build new daycare spaces. What does this mean for Fernwood folks, especially those whose dance with daycare is a long forgotten memory, or those without wee ones? It means that you may soon have your very own renovated neighbourhood Community Centre! Recreation renewal Fernwood style! The FCCS (soon to be renamed Fernwood NRG Society), which runs the Community Centre, is applying for the half-million dollar funding to build a new daycare. The funding requires that new spaces be run by a non-profit, and be connected to Fernwood’s community hub. It’s a match made in heaven! However, there’s a significant choice on the table. Should we propose spending that half million to buy a house out of which to run the daycare, or should we propose put-
ting that $500,000 towards building the daycare as a part of overall Centre renovations. We would rather see that money invested in the Centre and benefiting the entire community through facility improvements. Board members and staff have been frequent visitors to City Council meetings where we have asked that Council work with us in an innovative partnership to renovate the city-owned Fernwood Community Centre. We are requesting that the City of Victoria contribute a quarter of the overall renovation costs and that our Society will secure the remaining 75%. We would spearhead the implementation of the renovation plans drawn up by architect Shiv Garyali (commissioned by the City in 2002) by raising 3 of the 4 million dollar price tag; in essence giving the City a new facility for 25 cents on the dollar! This is the same model the Burnside Gorge Community Centre used to fund the building of their new Centre. The City, the Province, the federal government and Burnside each pitched in a million towards the centre. We feel this is tremendous value for both City Council and of value to Fernwood. We are meeting with the Mayor and representatives from the Province on January 24th. Wish us luck!
Recycling volunteer Susan Salvati reports,”We had the best plastic recycling day yesterday (Saturday January 14) since I've begun volunteering, earning over $247. “The goal is about $70 per hour or $140! That's what they average in Fairfield. We were humming and it was satisfying at the end to see so many bags of material diverted.
Twenty percent of our profits go to the centre, so that's not too bad for two hours, plus the service we're providing.” Kudos to Susan and her team and to all those who brought their plastics to the Centre. The next benchmark for recycling? Let’s beat Fairfield’s average. (See ad on back page.)
Recycling Challenge!
Village Vibe
Christmas in Old Fernwood
as seen by Hilda and Bob
The Faerum school of Fine Arts is located on Pembroke Street and is run by Debra SchulerMurray and her daughter, Verity Murray. In mid December, the children of the Faereum School of Fine Arts presented the following: Only small gold lights lit the stage and windows. Sheltered by the dark wood of the steep A-line ceiling of an old Orange Hall with its dark crossbeams, we waited. As an opening all the children assembled on stage. Then in time with their young teacher’s clear and distinct reading of the poem, “Dance of the Earth,” the children danced in slow motion. Following the dance, all the children from the age of two and a half to twelve lined up on the small stage, and passed in turn, carefully, a single low candle in a small pierced cupped gold-colored container. Then in turn, each recipient of the candle sang softly and solemnly and not necessarily tunefully, “This Little Light of Mine” to symbolize the light revered by so many different faiths. Given that the several classes had learned and heard several versions of the song and that the children were encouraged to improvise because it was to be their light, the children symbolized in their rendition the diverse nature of individuals and faiths in a greater world. Other bits of poetry and dance with violin, cello or piano accompaniment, followed.
The children were so pleased with themselves and so was the audience. After that the little people went to sit with their parents. Then, taking their turns, were former pre-school students, older children who take music classes at the Faereum and others who take cello and violin lessons from the teacher, a single parent, who with her mother runs the Faereum out of their shared old house restored in period style by the mother.
After that the young teacher, who was mentored by Pinchas Zukerman while a cello student with his wife Amanda Forsyth, went through the children’s violin and cello pieces and songs while accompanied either by her cello or by a pianist. Young students with
varying instrumental skills did well or very well. One should add that the Faereum got for the use of the students a few years ago some tenth- and sixteenth-size violins from the Pinchas Zukerman Foundation when internationally famous Zukerman, then touring as director with the entire National Arts Centre Orchestra, stopped in Victoria while on a cross Canada fundraising tour undertaken to encourage young musicians. While in Victoria, the tour included not only master classes at the University and Conservatory by Pinchas and Amanda, but also a visit to the Faereum where Pinchas took time to lend handson assistance to the fledgling students. Everybody was smiling, especially Pinchas. His eyes were smiling or something … In the end we all sang “Silent Night” to the accompaniment of piano and cello. We congratulated briefly the mother at the refreshment table as she and Bob wrestled with some cheese wrapping and we headed for home through the brisk air after grabbing a cracker with pate. As Bob said, “Leave the cookies for the children.” Although not parents of young children, we get to these events because we originally helped tackle the overgrown garden as the house renovations of the future Faereum dragged on, as renovations do, and we supply extra children’s books from Friends of the Library book sales.
The Village Vibe welcomes your submissions. Send us neighbourhood news, anecdotes, stories, dreams, hopes, aspirations, or profiles of neigbourhood residents. Share tidbits of Fernwood history. Let us know what your street is up to? Traffic calming? Shared gardening plots? Street parties in the coming spring? Send us your news and views and we’ll print ‘em. news and views from the heart of Fernwood
3
Fernwood What’s On: February 2006
A monthly roundup of neighbourhood shindigs. Head to www.fernwoodneighbourhood.ca/events for more listings or to submit your event. Make Yer Neighbourho od Nicer
Total Plastics Recycling Day: Sat, Feb 12th, Back of FCC 10am - Noon. (Every 2nd Sat of Month) Recycle plastics of all kinds Styrofoam packing, (except egg and food cartons) soft plastics and bags, and ALL hard/rigid plastics) plus old electronics. By donation to cover transportation. Support this handy neighbourhood service. Cornerstone Work Parties: Join your neighbours and the staff of Coast Capital Savings on Sat, Jan. 28 and Feb. 18. 10:00am – 5:00pm as we prepare the bottom spaces for construction. Work parties also from 10:00am – 5:00pm Sat, Feb 11. and Sat, Mar 4 9:00am – 6:00 pm. Sign up to get more info rmation at www.fernwoodneighbourhood.ca/cornerstone or call 381-1552. (We also happily accept on-site drop off of cookies, beverages, and best wishes!) Spring Ridge Commons Work Parties : Held on select Saturdays. Sign up to be notified at www.fernwoodneighbourhood.ca/commons
Special Events
Fernwood Swap n’ Shop: Sat, Feb 4th, FCC Gym, 7:30am – 3:00pm (Vendors se t up at 7:00am). Free to browse! Vendors: $5 for space, $10/1 table, $15/2 tables, no reservations r equired. [Now hel d st regularly on every 1 Sat of Month] Neighbourhood Emergency Preparedness Program Workshops: Basic Search & Rescue / Damage Assessment, Fri, Feb. 10, Fairfiel d Community Assoc. OSC room, 6:30pm – 9:00pm, Free! Disaster First Aid Part I, Mon, Feb. 27, James Bay New Horizons, 6:00pm – 9:00pm, Free! (Part II: Mar. 6) District-Wide Pro-D day: Fernwood kids sleep in Feb. 17.
Kids & Families
George Jay Out of School Ca re is now accepting new enrollments. Fun, convenient, and affordable. For more information call Lisa at 213-6093. Parent & Tot Playgroup: Ongoing Tuesdays & Thursdays. FCC Gym, 9:30am - 11:30am, $1 per family, snacks provided. Mot her Goose Circle Time: Songs, rhymes & stories; Select Saturdays (Call 381-1552 to register and for info) FCC Infant & Toddler Centre, 11:30am 12:30pm, Free! ($2 for songbook) Community Day Parent-Run Family Group: Family directed and facilitated program! Ongoing Mondays, 9:30 – 11:30am, FCC Gym, Free!
Saturday Plastic Recycling Second Saturday of Every Month Bring all those goods that the Blue Box Folks won’t take to the Community Centre. Small donation required.
Village Vibe
Youthlines Magazine - Youth Writing Group: Ages 13-20, Ongo ing Thursdays, FCC Multipurpose Room, 4:00pm – 5 :30pm. Bring your story i deas, and get published! Call for more info: 386-6328 or www.youthlines.ca Drop-in Youth Basketball: Co-ed Ages 13-18, Ongoing Sundays, FCC Gym, 7:00pm – 9:00pm, Refreshments provided. Free!
Adults & Seniors
Free Internet and Computer Access: Complete your one-time registration and then get online through the Community Access Program. FCC Community Room, 9:15am to 8:30pm, Monday to Friday, except for 11:00am to 3:00pm on Wednesdays. Free! Drop-in Floorhockey: Co-ed Adult (18+), all equipment provided. Ongoing Tuesdays and Thursdays, FCC Gym, 6:30pm – 9:30pm, $4, or get a punchcard: $20/6 sessions, $40/11 sessions. Holistic Health & Healing: Qi Gong exercises and meditation; Ongoing Mondays, FCC, 10:00–11:30 am, Free! Falun Gong: Peaceful meditation practice. Ongoing Wednesday s, FCC, 5:00pm – 7:00pm, everyone wel come, Free! Fernwood Autumn Glow (55+): Gentle e xercise, lunch & activities; Ongoing Fridays, FCC, 11:00am, $5 .50 for lunch.
Music, Art, Theatre, and Entertainment
Victoria Bluegrass Assoc. Jam: Ongo ing Tue sdays Orange Hall, 7:30 – 10:30pm, $2 to play, free to listen. (Last Tuesday of month is open stage/feature night; cost varies). Live Music a t Logan’s: For listings, check out www.loganspub.com. “The Love List” at the Belfry Theatre: 1 l onely statistician + 1 womanizing best friend + 1 extremely unconventional dati ng service = smart sassy romantic comedy. Continuing to Feb. 12. Tickets: 385-6815. (Watch for Festival ’06, starting Feb. 28) Wordplay 200 6: “The Trial”: Staged reading about five trapped in Canad a’s security certificate process. Feb. 5, 8:00pm, Belfry Studio “A.” By donation. Wordplay 200 6: “The Striped Leopard”: Staged reading about the contradictions and struggles of modern Africa. Feb. 12, 8:00pm, Belfr y Studio “A.” By donation.
Isabel’s Housekeeping *bondable *flexible schedule *efficient *hospital experience $15/Hour Call 380-0741
news and views from the heart of
Fernwood