Vibe_Feb2008 v3

Page 1

villagevibe Photos: Pete Rockwell

Photo: Véronique da Silva

February 2008 : News and views from the heart of Fernwood

Fernwood NRG breaks New fun ground at Park Place at Franklin Green Park >> by Aaron Ellingsen

One day, a vacant lot. The next, a hole and a new beginning.

A

ffordable housing is on the rise in Fernwood. On January 2nd, Fernwood NRG broke ground at 1222 Yukon Street, commencing construction of Park Place, the Society’s six-unit market-based affordable rental housing project overlooking Haegert Park. Fernwood NRG Executive Director Roberta Martell, explained how the groundbreaking played a role in determining the process to follow. “We didn’t know what to expect when we dug down,” she said. “They said we might hit bedrock and have to blast. They said we might hit loose sand and have to do a bunch of tamping or trucking material in. No blasting was required, and the removed fill was so clean that other area building projects took what we would otherwise have had to pay to landfill … Only in Fernwood,” Martell pointed out, “would we find a way to recycle fill.” Contractor Garde Collins says what they did find was compact and well-drained glacial sand. He’s pleased, adding that they might also

have encountered clay, which could have made for beginning the project in slurry of collected rainwater. NRG Board of Directors Vice-Chair Trish Richards, described her feelings as she watched the excavator break ground. “We’ve been talking and planning for so long – to actually see the excavator made it so real. And the operator was an artist!” Richards compared this beginning to that of Fernwood NRG’s Cornerstone project during the summer of 2005. “The speed of activity with Park Place is amazing,” she noted. “By the end of the day you could see where the building was going in. The Cornerstone reconstruction was an incredible experience, working every Saturday for months as a team of neighbours. And at the same time, of necessity, change came relatively slowly. To be able to watch the transformation in one day this time, it was mind-boggling.” She adds with a twinkle in her eye, “You should have seen Roberta dance!” At press time, with a little help from a Vic High trades student, the framing crew from the Queen Charlotte Islands was putting the finishing touches on forms for footings and foundation walls. If all goes well, the entire foundation should be poured on Friday, January 18th and the walls will be going up by the beginning of February. Collins says things are looking good for project completion on schedule toward the end of June. Park Place’s six three-bedroom marketbased affordable housing units will be available for families with children. Prospective tenants for the building’s six suites, including one wheelchair-accessible unit, should check at the Fernwood Community Centre or online at www. fernwoodneighbourhood.ca for information on the application process and submission deadlines.

>> by Tania Wegwitz

T

hanks to the work of North Park Neighbourhood Association (NPNA) volunteers and folks at the City, Fernwood kids now have another rejuvenated space to play. The new Franklin Green playground opened in midDecember. Since then it has been attracting an increasing stream of young fans despite the unpredictable winter weather. The park (also known as Mason Street Park) is located on Mason Street near the corner of Cook Street. Most Fernwoodians know it as the green space behind Wellburn’s Market. NPNA Chair Kristin Atwood says that it’s understandable if some people didn’t realize that this space is a park. “It almost felt more like an urban space or empty lot. Now it’s more recognizable as a park, as a place that’s part of a community where families live and where people are growing memories.”

– continued on page 6

in this issue Fire hits Fernwood home Page 3 Feature: Collective Creativity: Fernwood artists Page 4 Fernwood’s zigloo domestique Page 7

The board and senior staff of Fernwood NRG recently spent the weekend in a strategic planning session. We do this every year: gather, regroup, bring new board members into the loop, reflect, celebrate, and plan for Fernwood’s continuing neighbourhood evolution. Yet, what is a neighbourhood (r)evolution? Can it be planned? What does it take to bring about change? One board member described having grown up in a small place: “The smaller the size of the community the more obvious the differences between people are … but the differences come to matter less, a type of social responsibility grows. You have to be aware that people can see what you’re doing. My desire is to bring together people who inhabit different worlds; this fosters creativity, growth.” Making place-based change requires connections between people, an optimal number of connections wherein there is both a degree of freedom and a degree of support for everyone.

declaration of principles and values

Another board member talked about emergence: “The principles of emergence capture what I know to be true, that 1+1+1=8.” Emergence happens when the outcome can’t be predicted by looking at the constituent parts. It refers to the ways in which complex systems arise – and the ways in which great change can be brought about – by a multiplicity of simple interactions. A hello to a neighbour, cooking together at a community kitchen, sharing gardens, gathering in the Cornerstone Café for a night of placemaking are all simple actions that create immense change. Finally, a board member talked about her time as an alternative health practitioner: “I worked with people’s individual energy and now I realize it’s possible to shift the energy on a community basis. There is an ownership, a pride in community … People are Fernwoodians now.” Seems we’re ready for another great year.

Trees as neighbours >> Billy Metcalfe

We are committed to creating a socially, environmentally, and economically sustainable neighbourhood; We are committed to ensuring neighbourhood control or ownership of neighbourhood institutions and assets; We are committed to using our resources prudently and to becoming financially self-reliant; We are committed to the creation and support of neighbourhood employment; We are committed to engaging the dreams, resources, and talents of our neighbours and to fostering new links between them; We are committed to taking action in response to neighbourhood issues, ideas, and initiatives; We are committed to governing our organization and serving our neighbourhood democratically with a maximum of openness, inclusivity and kindness; We are committed to developing the skills, capacity, self-worth, and excellence of our neighbours and ourselves; We are committed to focusing on the future while preserving our neighbourhood’s heritage and diversity; We are committed to creating neighbourhood places that are vibrant, beautiful, healthy, and alive; and, most of all, We are committed to having fun!

Fernwood was twice an orchard. Fruit- and nut-bearing trees and people have been helping each other prosper here for thousands of years, and remnants of both the managed oak forest and the recent newcomers still offer us food. Oaks spread their pollen on the wind. But a crucial part of taking care of fruit trees is understanding their ancient and profound interdependence with their pollinators. A blossom will not turn into a cherry or an apple or anything else you can eat unless something delivers to it pollen of the same species. So a fruit tree needs to attract flying creatures that prefer its species so that they will be carrying the right pollen. With a lack of suitable insects or birds, many urban fruit trees bear no fruit at all. The pollinators, be they bees, beetles, hummingbirds, moths, flies, wasps, or butterflies, are rewarded with sweet nectar. But unless a particular species of pollinator is precisely in tune with a particular tree, they will need other nectar sources before and after bloom time, and the tree will need other pollinators. The most resilient situation is to have species diversity in both insects and plants. European honeybees have adapted themselves to huge mechanized monocultures; as a result, as a species they have become a monoculture. By ranging far and wide, and being driven around the continent in trucks, they have a long collection season from short windows of simultaneous blossom. They don’t pollinate as well as locally adapted species, and they deplete those species, by “high-grading” the richest energy sources. So that when they falter, as they are faltering now, there is less to fall back on. Another constraint on fertility is that many modern fruit trees are hybrids, which need to breed with a different hybrid or else an open-pollinated throwback (such as the medlar “urapple” tree in Spring Ridge Commons). What you can do to create the ultimate pollination environment for your fruit and nut trees and to enhance Fernwood’s food security: > Place nesting boxes for a range of native pollinators – mason bees, bumblebees, leafcutter bees, hummingbirds, butterflies > Plant stopgap nectar sources, such as Piers Japonica > Plant complementary-fertile fruit species > Map what you plant in order to see if the necessary elements coincide in space and time Contact foodsecurity@fernwoodneighbourhood.ca, to help make these things happen! Watch for a mason bee workshop early in 2008!

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

the Fernwood buzz Fernwoodians gathered at the Cornerstone Café to “make place” again on Wednesday, January 16th. It was an evening of review with a twist as the group considered a Mind Map of all of their previous inspirations. Created by Fernwoodian Don Olison, the map allowed placemakers to more clearly view the wide range of possible actions and to more easily prioritize those that were both doable and would make a significant contribution to the revitalization of Fernwood’s Village core. The meeting generated so much excitement around the possibility of a Mandala event for the Fernwood-Gladstone intersection that a Mandala group was constituted to meet the following week. A second group took on the task of keeping the neighbourhood informed about Placemaking activities through the creation of the Action Alcove at the Cornerstone. Ian Dakers, founder of The Fernwood Commons, unveiled this new online forum to all present. The Forum could become a great way to promote neighbourhood-wide discussion of ideas for transforming Fernwood’s public spaces into places. At the moment it contains a video of Portland Oregon’s Intersection Repair Project and the beginnings of a discussion on potential activity at the Fernwood-Gladstone intersection. Check it out and add your thoughts at www. fernwoodcommons.ca. The Space to Place troupe meets regularly the third Monday of each month at 7:00 pm in the Cornerstone Café. Please join us on Monday, February 18th as we continue our inspirational and hugely fun Mind Mapping exploration.

Photo: Pete Rockwell

What it takes

Fruit tree pruning >> Amy Crook

Photo: Susi Porter-Bopp

editorial :

Ever wondered when and how to prune your fruit trees? Have your trees been producing less fruit lately? What’s the best way to control common pests and ensure a healthy long life for your fruit trees? All of these questions and lots more will be answered in a Fruit Tree Pruning workshop presented by Michael Cowan of Edibella Organics and hosted by the LifeCycles Fruit Tree Project on Saturday, February 9th 9:30-11:30am at the Blanchard Community Centre, 901 Kings Road, cost $15.

– continued on page 4

VillageVibe

What do you think of this initiative and the quality of art? Views photos: Véronique da Silva

The art that is now showing at Cornerstone Café has been produced by Vic High students.

Views photos: Véronique da Silva

views from the street :

Matt

Robert

Yemima

What a great initiative! I’m sure it definitely gives the students a sense of belonging to the community! It is great that they get the chance to showcase their work in a space outside of school!

Students are definitely a part of the life at the Cornerstone, and so it is great that they get the chance to show their works of art in this space. The quality of the pieces is a clear indication of the talent of the next generation of artists. It is also coming at a great time: just as the Fernwood Artists’ Studio Tour is about to begin, and the Arts Collective is about to open.

The art looks great! They are definitely very talented and I am happy that they are able to show their pieces here!

>> Bill McKechnie In October’s Village Vibe we ran a story on Bill McKechnie’s plans to create co-housing in Fernwood (see October page 3). On Saturday, November 17th, fire swept through Bill’s 1802 Chambers St. heritage property, dashing his hopes of co-housing … for now. Bill describes that evening: I smelled smoke

and thought it was an illegal trash fire. Then I saw it streaming from the eaves of my home and my mind went onto autopilot –I dialed 911: “MY HOUSE IS ON FIRE!” I could hear the crackling of the fire, glass breaking, loud pops and the bang of a door slamming in a draft. In the basement I saw huge sparks falling on the concrete floor. The front hall and stairway were an inferno. Then I realized: where was my cat, Caper? Minutes before, I’d been in the shower getting ready to go to a concert. I was to pick up Joanne at 6pm. Now I was fumbling around the smoky yard looking for my cat. The last memory I had of Caper was of her curled up on a sweater on my bed. I don’t recall sirens, but I remember flashes of reflected red light and realizing a crowd had gathered. Among them, firemen laid out hoses. I watched as flames melted the lead in the beautiful Edwardian stained glass over the stairwell. A mass of flames curled up to the roof. A woman approached and asked if there were any people upstairs. “No, just my cat is missing.” Dark smoke billowed from the top floor windows like the smokestack of a steam train. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and Robert directed me back to the Emergency Management Agency van. “My cat is inside,” I said again. Amazingly, he reassured me that a firefighter had gone in to find Caper. Hoses poured water through the second floor windows as smoke billowed out. I was losing hope. All of a sudden I remembered Joanne! I found my cell and rang through. She answered. “My place is on

VillageVibe

fire!” “What?” “My place is on fire!” A short pause and she said, “I’ll be right there.” “Would you like a blanket?” Robert explained that people burned out of their homes often get chilled from shock. “Not me,” I said to myself. “I’m not in shock.” Joanne arrived ... big tight hug. “Caper may be inside,” I said. We watched the house and the firemen on ladders. It was unreal. Robert returned to say the fire was under control. Just then we heard someone call: “They got the cat!” I saw a yellow-suited fireman cradling my smoky and frightened ginger cat. Taking charge, Robert placed Caper in a carrier in the back of the van. “She can stay here quietly for a while. Are you sure you don’t want a blanket?” I began to appreciate the value of this emergency service. Things calmed a bit. People offered reassurance. The orange glow in the windows faded. I began to feel chilled and somewhat sheepishly asked Robert for a blanket. “Tea?” he asked. “Yes,” I said, “That would be nice.”

Photos: Pete Rockwell

Fire hits Fernwood home

Bill is living in a B&B and seeking an apartment in Fernwood. Epilogue: Fire inspectors found the fire started at

either a faulty space heater or one of the fans being used to dry the main hall floor after a water leak. The building is undergoing evaluation for structural damage, and has been cleaned and stripped of all the charred furniture and debris. Cost studies for repairs and renovation are underway. Bill is living in a B&B and seeking an apartment in Fernwood. He hopes to continue with plans to develop a co-housing project on the property.

Fernwood’s Autumn Glow Society gathers every Friday at the Fernwood Community Centre at 1240 Gladstone for a home-cooked lunch, gentle exercise, and a monthly guest speaker. All Fernwoodians 55 years and older are welcome. Gathering begins at 11:00am and the cost is $5.50 for lunch. The fun is free.

February 2008 | www.fernwoodneighbourhood.ca | Page 3

feature :

Collective creativity: Artists

T

here’s something more brewing in the Cornerstone Building; change is afoot again. Recently, signs have gone up in one of the suites announcing the opening of a new gallery, Collective Works. It began not long ago when Fernwood artist Deryk Houston put up a flyer at the Cornerstone Café seeking like-minded artists to organize a Fernwood studio tour (watch for it in the spring). Interest grew, and a group came together to promote the tour. In anticipation of the tour, the idea emerged to have a preview show, which took place at the end of September at the Fernwood Inn as well as at the Cornerstone Café. As Anne Hoban, one of the founding members of Collective Works says, as they prepared for the preview show, some artists “looked at 1311 Gladstone

In addition, they will fulfill a service requirement to the gallery, whereby they will help in its operation. The gallery will also have 50 associate members (there are only 14 spots left!) who will pay a fee of $100 per year for the privilege of participating in five group shows. Associate Members will be entitled to submit between one to five pieces for each group show, and a curator will decide which pieces will work best for the show. “We have a lot of artists from Fernwood,” says Anne. There are also several artists from Vancouver who want to bring a presence to the island as well as lend their support to the newly formed group. The Collective Work artists work in a variety of media; there are painters, photographers, print makers, animators, mixed media artists, videographers,

In this way, the collective will be able to experiment with more alternative art forms, such as video art... thinking it would be a great place for a gallery.” Soon, the wheels were turning, and these same artists took the leap and formed a new non-profit society. The Collective Works Artists’ Association was born. Collective Works operates with a board of directors of five. Founding members are also the Board of Directors: Sean Newton, Al Williams, Pete Rockwell, Miriam Mulhall, and Anne Hoban. The Collective offers a variety of different membership types. Full members, of whom there are twelve, pay $100 a month. These members will have solo as well as group shows. These core members will also have a portion of the gallery where they can take up a permanent presence.

collage artists, stone carvers, model makers, and manga anime artists. Unlike other galleries, which might rely somewhat on the marketability of the art, Collective Works will be self-sustaining, based on its memberships. In this way, the collective will be able to experiment with more alternative art forms, such as video art, which can not be purchased and put on display in the conventional way. Shows will be themed with the hope that they “hang as an entity,” says Anne. She explains that the intention is that the theme will provide “a thread to pull the whole show together and draw people in,” while giving the public

by harvesting and redistributing fruit throughout the community. The project also seeks to educate fruit tree owners about the importance of local food production, Michael Cowan is an ISA Certified Arborist and as well as techniques for increasing fruit yields from their owns and operates Edibella Organic Landscapes www. trees. Each year the harvest is divided between volunteers edibella.com a local business that focuses on edible landscaping and strives to bring citywide gardens to their and homeowners, and food banks, community kitchens fullest potential. Michael will talk about the fundamentals and other organizations. The Fernwood NRG Food Security Collective of caring for fruit trees, how to maximize production, started Fernwood’s own neighbourhood branch of the dormant pruning, and proper pruning tools and their Fruit Tree Project last year and, together with LifeCycles maintenance. FTP, harvested 4000 lbs of fruit in the Fernwood The Fruit Tree Project, a project of LifeCycles, neighbourhood. harvests fruit from private trees that would otherwise go to waste. Established in 1998, the educational project Contact fruittree@lifecyclesproject.ca or 721-1184. works with fruit tree owners to minimize wasted fruit

Pruning

| from page 2

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

VillageVibe

>> by Susan Salvati

Photos: Pete Rockwell

come together in Fernwood

a chance to interpret the art. Anne speaks to the question of whether it is constraining to give the artist a theme. She says that the artists that have been consulted say it can be helpful, the seed of an idea. As we discuss the theme of the first show to open the gallery in February, the artist’s questioning mind is revealed. The show is entitled “Stilled” and will be open to all members. The idea for the show emerged out of a discussion of still life as subject matter, of the traditional variety of, say, a bowl of pears, and what constitutes a contemporary still life. Is a soup can by Andy Warhol a still life? From there, the discussion moved to the idea of “still” as in something stopped, and then to “memento mori,” that which is not still, and the transience of life. Interesting subject matter, and a sign of the way the gallery’s audience can expect to be challenged. The show will run for three weeks from February 15th to March 7th. One of the objectives of Collective Works is to make the arts as inclusive and accessible as possible for the community. With that in mind, the gallery will offer workshops to the public. Plans are in the making for workshops on puppetry, printmaking and collage, with the intention to keep classes as affordable as possible. The gallery also hopes to feature spoken word, film and video art, as well as artists’ talks and demonstrations. There are also plans to host events that are free or by donation and open to the public. In addition to full members and associate members, Collective Works has a third category of membership for supporting members. This group includes anybody who wants to support the collective, either as a patron, or an artist who does not wish to show. With their $100 per year membership, supporting members will receive a quarterly newsletter and discounts for workshops presented by Collective Works.

Our Office is Open to Serve You 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

As one of its first projects, in January, members of Collective Works formed a connection with Vic High students. This led to an exhibit of student works of portraiture at the Cornerstone Café with a second exhibit to follow in June. Anne explains that it was important for Collective Works to support the Vic High students. After all, the mission statement of Collective Works, she says, is to “support and challenge artists, both new and maturing.” The response to this new connection from art teacher Sonia Olsen and participating students has been positive. Frieda-Raye Green and Jillian Kendrick-Cook said that having the student shows at the café contributes to a sense of belonging in the community. For the Vic High students and teachers, showing students’ work makes sense and allows the community, the café, and the school to play off of each other, especially considering the strong arts orientation of Vic High. This is a positive for Fernwood NRG too, as it is a goal of the organization, and a particular objective Fernwood NRG has for the café, to increase community connections. Collective Works artists also hope to develop a mentoring program for Vic High students whereby they can gain valuable experience as interns at the gallery, learn

Make the arts as inclusive and accessible as possible to act as attendants, learn to hang a show, observe portfolio evaluations and address work. Essentially students will have an opportunity to be in the milieu of art, with artists. Collective Works promises to bring a new nexus of connection to our neighbourhood, both in terms of ideas and of people.

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

February 2008 | www.fernwoodneighbourhood.ca | Page 5

gleanings : Ferns for Fernwood: like jewels >> by Margaret Hantiuk

New fun

| from page 1

According to Atwood, a spruce up of Franklin Green has been part of the NPNA’s wish list for quite some time. The process began to move closer to reality when City of Victoria Parks staff held a community consultation in May 2007 to learn about the neighbourhood’s desires for the park. To further bring attention to the space and allow for public input on the revitalized park plans, the NPNA held their community festival in Franklin Green last summer. The revitalized Franklin Green features a new playground with a rubberized play surface similar to that used on the Stevenson Park playground. Swings are available for tots and older kids and the playground itself has slides, monkey bars, and other climbing areas geared to different ages and skill levels. The original bench swing – which Atwood says area residents were keen to keep – and the community mosaic still remain. Other improvements include a levelled grass surface, a sprinkler system, benches, and pathway. New lights (similar to those in Haegert and Central Parks) are on their way. A new power box installed at the neighbourhood’s request provides for even more exciting possibilities. “We wanted the power box so that we can now have a sound system for neighbourhood performances and events,� says Atwood. A sound system might soon get a lot of use. Beside the annual North Park community festival this summer, word has it that the NPNA is also exploring the idea of hosting a series of concerts in the park featuring local musicians.

If you are looking at native plants for your garden, ferns are a good choice; they must have been growing here when the colonists settled ‘Fernwood’! Using ferns in your garden helps to create that lovely ‘woodsy’ look that is relaxed and beautifully natural. Ferns are a primitive plant form that don’t flower but have wonderful leaves (fronds). While some are deciduous, many are evergreen in our climate. We think of them as only green, but they actually range extensively in colour. Sometimes it is the fronds that are a lovely burnished bronze or amber yellow, some have black or red stems, and yet others have a painted or silvery look. Some ferns colour more in the spring when their amazing new fronds uncurl, and others colour up in the fall. There are an amazing variety of frond shapes and colors if you look at them closely in the nursery or in nature. There is also a wide range in size of ferns: from small types that are good in the rockery or pots and baskets, to larger ones that add to the border. Then there are the bold, dazzling ones that can be focal points. Try planting a few in a cluster or nestling them into little nooks here and there. Some varieties have glossy fronds that reflect light – all seem to be luminescent in low light and so are superb for darker corners, north sides and under trees. If you are planting them under conifers or dense deciduous trees, they do best placed in between the canopies or at the drip line where they can get some moisture. When planted and sited well, ferns are easy to grow. Their requirements are for shade from at least the midday sun and shelter from harsh winds. Most prefer a rich and well-drained soil. They will tolerate clay soil because it stays moist longer. Most love moist soil but moisture requirements do vary, so do your research, read the tag at

the nursery carefully or talk to someone who knows, as there are some varieties that will even survive dry shade. (The sword fern is a good example.) Adding compost or sea soil while planting and then as a mulch is recommended. Watering well for the first couple of summers and during droughts is a must, otherwise it depends on your soil, the weather and the particular variety. To avoid rot it’s best to water the roots, not the crown, when hand-watering. It is also important to make sure that you give them enough room (read your books or tags for mature size) so that their delicate fronds are not always torn and tattered by passing traffic. Ferns are well behaved and colonize slowly. They have few pests and are long lived when in the right spot. The only pruning needed is for the old fronds to be cut back just before the new ones emerge in late winter. They look wonderful when grown with other woodsy plants having similar requirements: cyclamen, trillium, Erythronium (dog’s tooth violet), woodland lilies (the toad and Martagon), snowdrops and, where there is enough room, hellebores and hostas. In damper spots they can be planted with primulas and gunnera, and in sunnier spots they can be planted with lewisia and saxifrages. They work well with shade tolerant woodsy perennials (cranesbills for example) and ornamental grasses as well. With their wonderfully fine texture, ferns look great planted amongst ‘stumpery’ (large branches and stumps). They are like jewels beside rocks, bricks and pavers, as well as in pots and baskets. Creating textures in your garden can be as visually exciting as flowering plants. These exquisite plants can be used in so many difficult places in your yard to add some magic and beauty. They are durable and hardy with few demands. What a truly suitable plant to have our neighbourhood named after!

72?<:2

=2.0<08 , ĂŠ -/ / ĂŠ*," - - "

9OUR FRIEND IN THE BUSINESS 4 DIRECT &OR THE BEST IN CLIENT SERVICE AND REAL ESTATE MARKETING

A part of a community where families live and where people are growing memories The months ahead will bring even more amenities for young and old alike. Deborah Bate, Landscape Technician for the City’s Parks Department, says that phase two of the Franklin Green rejuvenation is planned for the spring. This will bring a picnic table, an additional path to explore the park, and a bocce ball space. There’ll also be a pickleball court. “I hadn’t heard of pickleball myself,� said Bate, “but one of the neighbourhood residents were really keen on it and it’s supposed to be a lot of fun.� Whether as part of a pickleball or bocce ball showdown or as a space for kids to run around in on the way home from town or the grocery store, the new face of Franklin Green Park is a welcome one. Many thanks to all of the neighbourhood volunteers and City staff who made it happen.

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

+INGS &ERNWOOD OFFERED AT "UILT &IN SQFT "D "A &0 ĂŠ`iViÂŤĂŒÂˆĂ›iĂŠ`Ă€ÂˆĂ›i‡LĂž]ĂŠĂŒÂ…ÂˆĂƒĂŠv>“ˆÂ?ĂžĂŠÂ…ÂœÂ“iĂŠÂ…>ĂƒĂŠÂœÂŤiÂ˜ĂƒĂŠÂˆÂ˜ĂŒÂœĂŠ>ĂŠÂ?ÂœĂ›iÂ?ÞÊÂ?>Ă€}iĂŠÂœÂŤi˜‡Vœ˜ViÂŤĂŒĂŠ Â?ÂˆĂ›ÂˆÂ˜}ĂŠĂ€ÂœÂœÂ“ĂŠ>˜`ĂŠ`ˆ˜ˆ˜}ĂŠĂ€ÂœÂœÂ“]ĂŠĂœÂˆĂŒÂ…ĂŠÂ…Ă•}iĂŠÂŽÂˆĂŒVÂ…i˜°ĂŠ iĂœĂŠÂ…>Ă€`ĂœÂœÂœ`ĂŠvÂ?ÂœÂœĂ€Ăƒ°ĂŠ ÂœĂ€}iÂœĂ•ĂƒĂŠ L>ĂŒÂ…Ă€ÂœÂœÂ“ĂŠEĂŠÂ˜iĂœĂŠiÂ˜ĂƒĂ•ÂˆĂŒiĂŠL>ĂŒÂ…Ă€ÂœÂœÂ“ĂŠÂˆÂ˜ĂŠĂŒÂ…iʓ>ĂƒĂŒiÀÊLi`Ă€ÂœÂœÂ“]ĂŠĂœÂˆĂŒÂ…ĂŠ>`Â?œˆ˜ˆ˜}ĂŠL>LÞÊ ÂœĂ€ĂŠ`Ă€iĂƒĂƒÂˆÂ˜}ĂŠĂ€ÂœÂœÂ“°ĂŠ ĂŠÂŤĂ€ÂˆĂ›>ĂŒiĂŠ`iVÂŽĂŠÂœĂ›iÀÊÂ?ÂœÂœÂŽĂƒĂŠĂŒÂ…iĂŠĂƒiÂŤ>Ă€>ĂŒiÂ?ĂžĂŠĂœÂˆĂ€i`ĂŠ7", - "*°ĂŠ

ÂœĂ•Â?`ĂŠLiĂŠ>ĂŠ}Ă€i>ĂŒĂŠ`>ĂžV>Ă€iĂŠĂƒÂŤ>VitĂŠ >Â?Â?ĂŠvÂœĂ€ĂŠÂ“ÂœĂ€iĂŠ`iĂŒ>ˆÂ?Ăƒt

3EE *EROME S 'REAT (OMES AT WWW *EROME0EACOCK COM /iĂƒĂŒÂˆÂ“ÂœÂ˜Âˆ>Â?Ăƒ\ĂŠĂœÂ…>ĂŒĂŠVÂ?ˆiÂ˜ĂŒĂƒĂŠĂƒ>Ăž°°° ĂŠĂœÂœĂ•Â?`ĂŠViĂ€ĂŒ>ˆ˜Â?ÞÊÀiVœ““i˜`ĂŠ iĂ€ÂœÂ“iĂŠ*i>VÂœVÂŽĂŠĂŒÂœĂŠ>Â˜ĂžÂœÂ˜iĂŠĂœÂ…ÂœĂŠÂˆĂƒĂŠiÂˆĂŒÂ…iÀÊ LĂ•ĂžÂˆÂ˜}ĂŠÂœĂ€ĂŠĂƒiÂ?Â?ˆ˜}ĂŠ>ĂŠÂŤĂ€ÂœÂŤiĂ€ĂŒĂž°ĂŠ ĂŠvÂœĂ•Â˜`ĂŠÂ…ÂˆÂ“ĂŠĂŒÂœĂŠLiĂŠÂ…ÂœÂ˜iĂƒĂŒĂŠ>˜`ĂŠĂŒĂ€Ă•ĂƒĂŒĂœÂœĂ€ĂŒÂ…ĂžĂŠ>˜`ĂŠ>ĂŠ Ă€i>Â?ĂŠÂŤÂ?i>ĂƒĂ•Ă€iĂŠĂŒÂœĂŠĂœÂœĂ€ÂŽĂŠĂœÂˆĂŒÂ…°ĂŠ iĂ€ÂœÂ“iʓ>˜>}iĂƒĂŠĂŒÂœĂŠ>VVÂœÂ“ÂŤÂ?ÂˆĂƒÂ…ĂŠ>ĂŠ}Ă€i>ĂŒĂŠ`i>Â?ĂŠvÂœĂ€ĂŠ Â…ÂˆĂƒĂŠVÂ?ˆiÂ˜ĂŒĂƒĂŠĂœÂˆĂŒÂ…ÂœĂ•ĂŒĂŠĂŒÂ…iĂŠÂŤĂ•ĂƒÂ…ĂžĂŠĂƒ>Â?iĂƒĂŠÂŤÂˆĂŒVÂ…°ĂŠp-Ă•i iĂ€ÂœÂ“iĂŠĂœ>ĂƒĂŠ>ĂŒĂŒiÂ˜ĂŒÂˆĂ›iĂŠĂŒÂœĂŠÂœĂ•Ă€ĂŠÂ˜ii`ĂƒĂŠ>˜`ĂŠĂœÂœĂ€ÂŽi`ĂŠĂ›iÀÞʅ>Ă€`ĂŠ>ĂƒĂŠÂœĂ•Ă€ĂŠ>}iÂ˜ĂŒ°ĂŠ p >VÂŽĂŠ>˜`ĂŠ-Ă•ĂƒÂˆi 7iĂŠĂœiĂ€iĂŠĂ›iÀÞʍÂ?i>Ăƒi`ĂŠĂœÂˆĂŒÂ…ĂŠ iĂ€ÂœÂ“iĂŠ>˜`ĂŠÂ…ÂˆĂƒĂŠÂ…ÂœÂ˜iĂƒĂŒ]ĂŠĂƒĂŒĂ€>ˆ}Â…ĂŒvÂœĂ€Ăœ>Ă€`ĂŠĂƒĂŒĂžÂ?i°ĂŠ p ÀÕViĂŠ>˜`ĂŠ Â?iVˆ>

6>˜VÂœĂ•Ă›iÀÊ ĂƒÂ?>˜`½ĂƒĂŠ >Ă€}iĂƒĂŒĂŠ Ă€ÂœÂŽiĂ€>}i°ĂŠ ÂœĂ€ĂŠ œœ`ĂŠ,i>ĂƒÂœÂ˜° ÂŁxä‡näxĂŠ Â?ÂœĂ›iĂ€`>Â?i°ĂŠ6ˆVĂŒÂœĂ€Âˆ>ĂŠUĂŠ* \ĂŠĂ“xä‡În{‡nÂŁĂ“{

VillageVibe

faces : Fernwood’s zigloo domestique Shipping containers, though, are only part of his story. Keith completed three years at Ryerson’s architectural school in Toronto before his growing interests in aesthetics and form and function took him to the Ontario College of Art and Design, where he completed a four-year design program. “The two programs,” he explains, “allowed me to get a really well-grounded education – one that had a lot of practical engineering skills and provided a very good understanding of aesthetics and the functionality of space.” It was a pioneering instinct that brought Keith out from Toronto to Victoria to begin his design career in 1994, and he says it was a leap of faith that brought him from Fairfield into Fernwood. In November of 2006 Keith, with his wife, their daughter and their cockatoo, moved into the Zigloo during a snowstorm. Working on his home, Keith found himself part of a buzz of activity in the neighbourhood. “Seeing all the work going on here – it’s just so inspiring. I’m now seeing lots >> by Aaron Ellingsen of amazing interest going on in the Square…. It’s such a What the heck is a Zigloo Domestique? Before great family neighbourhood,” he says, “There are characters all over the place, and it certainly is a neighbourly part we sat down to chat over tea, Fernwood resident and architectural designer Keith Dewey showed me around his of town.” Although he misses Fairfield’s proximity to the beach, Dewey is pleased with their new home. unique Zigloo home. It turns out a Zigloo is a conceptual take-off from that archetypal Canadian home, the igloo. Built out of seven re-purposed shipping containers – that’s seven of the six million decommissioned globally every year!! – the Zigloo is tucked teasingly off of both Fernwood Road and Pembroke Street – I’ve been watching The Zigloo Domestique is a luxuriously finished 2,000 ft2 his project develop for a while, so I was excited to speak modern open-concept home built on a usable lot space of with Keith and have a close-up look. I asked about his fascination for “cargotecture,” a term approximately 40 feet square. The building incorporates for designing and building with re-used industrial shipping seven 40-foot shipping containers as well as such green containers. “It sort of came out of the blue for me,” he says. design touches as dual-flush toilets, low-voltage lighting, infloor heat, energy efficient appliances, bamboo flooring and “It was an Australian design magazine I picked up one summer, and right on the cover there was a picture of a 20- cabinetry and a by-demand hot water system. “What I think we’ve been able to prove here,” he says, foot container sitting in the outback. It was a freestanding, off-the-grid system that could be picked up and moved from “is that for the approx $150/ft2 cost of the kind of specthe docklands of Queensland into the outback. It was very appointed development housing that’s going up out in Langford and beyond we can take a panhandle/infill lot, inspiring. It didn’t take much looking beyond that to run into things like Container City and other container ideas.” with all the challenges that surround that, and build a really

nice designer-quality space.” While the Zigloo Domestique has come in a little over budget, at around $175/ft2, Keith points out that unexpected costs resulted from engineering that need not be repeated. He’s confident he can provide luxury-appointed designer urban living for roughly the same cost as a new suburban home. Keith has also recently started working with Edmonton’s A-just Housing Corporation who, he says, “are combining the expertise of engineers, plastic mold fabricators, painters, designers and container companies in an effort to design a fully self-contained 319 ft2 singlecontainer modular home at a base cost – including property to place it on – of $50,000.” Base units and upgrades would be interchangeable and mass-produced to keep costs down – “kind of a ‘plug-andplay’ idea, like in computers,” he suggests. At that price level, such housing could be radically affordable, but project success rests on the effective application of technology and creative design to resolve space limitation issues. From his vantage point in the Zigloo Domestique, Keith sees bright and varied possibilities for building with containers, but he also sees a major hurdle in overcoming the stigma associating containers with the dockyards, the

A Zigloo is a conceptual take-off from that archetypal Canadian home, the igloo.

local poets : Mirror Lake

Poems for lakes Mirror Lake frozen still

shipping industry and backyard junk collecting. Where Keith has found Victoria open to his designs, some other jurisdictions are not. Colwood, for one, has banned containers on residential lots. I look forward to chatting with Keith again – perhaps over fish and chips at Victoria’s new waterfront containerbased restaurant Red Fish, Blue Fish – to hear about life, progress and all things container-based. For information on Keith Dewey’s designs and projects, and a link to A-just Housing Corp., please check out www.zigloo.ca

by lisa helps

Poem for a Lake in the North

and drift covered, light lingers towards solstice today

it’s the shores that reflect the shadows.

You hold me gently

still three weeks away

Sped ahead of German tourists

As the late August sun

9pm orange tinges the cloud bottoms

I’ve stolen and moment and sit

fades into nothingness, to night

and green fades to grey

sandwich munching, reveling,

Loon bellies glide and ripple your smooth surface skin

Fresh fallen snow

They call

Mirror Lake trek at avalanche break

outlines mirror perfect

And I splash amidst the echoes

beyond Lake Louise.

the still bare trees.

grateful relief from the heat of day from the trailer hot kitchen

“There’s been some bear activity in the area,” warns the woman at the welcome centre

Turn back now don’t venture

where I work to renew the forests

as she makes highlighter circles on my map.

where avalanche awaits and quietly

Your freshwater body different than home

“Watch for fresh,” she says

too quietly for there

the salty pacific

coding their shit politely.

on the trail ahead is a bear.

briny beast, blesséd friend

Warned of bears and avalanches I proceed

Instinct make noise.

wondering whether and what if

I pull out C harmonica

We meet here

bears circled maps and said,

and blow the shrillest note I can muster.

You and I

“There’s been some human activity in the area,”

The bear, as it were, begins to grin,

Skin to skin borderland

their maps would be covered in squiggles.

so I move down the octave

You wash over me

to a lower throaty register

Inside me

and draw out a mournful tune

And I remember in these moments

she swoons, then dances

To hold myself

swaying as I play both unafraid. I look up and she’s gone instead a burned out stump that imagination wild and circles on a map might conjure to life.

VillageVibe

February 2008 | www.fernwoodneighbourhood.ca | Page 7

what’s on in Fernwood Feb 2008

F

S

S

M

T

W Th

F

S

S

M

1

2

3

4

5

6

8

9

10

11 12

Arts, Theatre, and Entertainment Bohemian Open Mic and Spotlight at the Cornerstone Café. Saturdays. Open Mic: 8pm. Spotlight: 10pm (Feb 2> JOHN DISCOVERY. Feb 9> CHELSEA RICH. Looking ahead: Mar 15> Edmonton’s JAMES MURDOCH). 1301 Gladstone Ave. Hosted by James Kasper. Everyone welcome! FREE! Belfry Theatre. THE TURN OF THE SCREW by Henry James, adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher. Jan 15-Feb 17. 1291 Gladstone Ave. For info contact Belfry Box Office at 385-6815 or www.belfry.bc.ca Bluegrass Wednesdays. Wednesdays. 7:30-10pm. Cornerstone Café. 1301 Gladstone Ave. FREE! Call for Fernwood Artists. Seeking Artists with studios in Fernwood for the 1st annual FERNWOOD ART STUDIO TOUR. (planning for June 2008). For info contact Deryk Houston dhouston@coastnet.com or Anne Hoban ahoban@shaw.ca. Intrepid Theatre at the Metro Studio. MY DAD, MY DOG by Boca del Lupo. Feb 13-16. 8pm. 1411 Quadra St. For info www.intrepidtheatre.com Live Music at Fernwood Inn. Open Mic Thursdays. 8:30-11:30pm. 1302 Gladstone Ave. FREE! Live Music at Logan’s Pub. 1821 Cook St. For listings: www. loganspub.com Victoria Bluegrass Association Jam. Tuesdays. 7:30-10:30pm. Orange Hall. 1620 Fernwood Rd. $2 to play. FREE to listen. For info see victoriabluegrass.ca Victoria Folk Music Society. Sundays. 7:30pm Open Stage. 9pm Feature Performer. 1110 Hillside Ave. $5 feature performer nights/$3 all open stage night. For info see www. victoriafolkmusic.ca

Kids and Families Community Family Day. Family-directed and facilitated programming. Mondays 9:30-11:30am. Fernwood Community Centre Gym. FREE! Parent and Tot Playgroup. Snacks/Crafts/Circle Time. Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:30-11:30am. Fernwood Community Centre Gym. $1 per family. Rhythm Circle Time. Tuesdays 3-4pm. Fernwood Community Centre MPR. Drop in. FREE!

7

T

W

Th

S

S

M

T

W

Th

F

S

S

M

T

W

Th

F

13

14 15 16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

Mother Goose. Songs, rhymes and stories. Tuesdays 1-2:30pm, Fernwood Community Centre MPR. 10 weeks per session. To register call 381-1552 ext 22. FREE! ($2 for songbook).

Youth, Adults and Seniors NEW! Youth Floor Hockey. Drop-in Co-ed. Ages 9-18 (Group 1/ages 9-13. Group 2/ages 14-18). Sundays 3:30-5pm, Fernwood Community Centre Gym. $3.** NEW! Volleyball. Drop-in Co-ed. Adult (18+). Saturdays 1-2:30pm. Fernwood Community Centre Gym. $3.** NEW! Youth Video Gaming Night. Drop-in Co-ed. Fridays 7-9:30pm. Fernwood Community Centre Gym. By donation. Concession open. NEW! Cornerstone Records Presents: Musicians Networking, Promotion, Workshops and Song Circle. Sunday afternoons (times change weekly). FREE! Email james@ fernwoodneighbourhood.ca for info. Ear Acupuncture. Treatments 15-20 min. Feb 7 and 21. 2:30-4:30pm. Fernwood Community Centre MPR. By donation. Falun Gong. Peaceful meditation practice. All welcome! Wednesdays 5-7pm. Fernwood Community Centre MPR. FREE! Fernwood Autumn Glow. 55+. Gentle exercise, lunch and activities. Monthly special guest speaker. Fridays 11am. Fernwood Community Centre MPR. $5.50 for lunch. Floor Hockey. Drop-in Co-ed. Adult (18+). Tuesdays and Thursdays 7-9:30pm. Saturdays 2-4:30pm. Fernwood Community Centre Gym. $4, or get a punchcard: $40/11 sessions.** Indoor Soccer. Drop-in Co-ed. Adult (18+). Mondays 8:45-10:45pm. Fernwood Community Centre Gym. $3.** Internet and Computer Access. Complete your one-time registration and then get online through the Community Access Program. Monday to Friday 9:30am-5pm. Fernwood Community Centre Community Room. FREE!

F

Seniors Wanted! Seeking three or four seniors (55+) interested in exploring rhythm, drum and voice on Wednesdays. For info call Gillian in Fernwood: 592-2848. **We accept Sports Trader Bucks and Canadian Tire Money at face value!

villagevibe Published by Fernwood NRG (Fernwood Neighbourhood Resource Group) 1240 Gladstone Street Victoria, BC V8T 1G6

Special Events

T 250.381.1552

Spring Ridge Commons Workparty. Come and get your hands dirty at the Spring Ridge Commons! Chambers and Gladstone. Sat, Feb 2. 11am-3pm. Fernwood Business Network. Inaugural meeting! Mon, Feb 4. 10amnoon. Please rsvp Bruce and Ryan Rutley at ryan@rutleyventures.ca Fernwood’s Outrageous Recycling Day. Bring your CLEAN plastics, styrofoam packing and food trays, electronics and foil-lined coffee bags. Feb 9 (2nd Sat every month). 10am-1pm. Back of Fernwood Community Centre. By donation. Fernwood NRG Food Security Collective. All welcome! Tues, Feb 12. 7-9pm Fernwood Community Centre MPR. Green Drinks. An inclusive gathering of the sustainability minded for refreshments and conversation. Wed, Feb 12. 57pm. The Canoe Brewpub, Marina and Restaurant, 450 Swift St. For info see www.greendrinksvictoria.ca North Park Neighbourhood Association Placemaking Workshop. Free event and great way to participate in building your community. Anyone with an interest in the neighbourhood or urban planning welcome. Bring your walking shoes. Sat, Feb 16. 10am4pm (lunch provided). St. Andrew’s Elementary School Gymnasium. 1002 Pandora. Contact Thomas Guerrero at 382-7959 or at npna@npna.ca Fernwood NRG Spaces to Place. All Welcome! Now the third Monday of every month! Bring your placemaking ideas for Fernwood square and the neighbourhood. Mon, Feb 18. 7:00pm. Cornerstone Café. Seed Starting Workshop. Sat, Feb 23. foodsecurity@ fernwoodneighbourhood.ca to register. Calling all Oak and Fern Healing Practitioners. Healing practitioners living or working in Fernwood or Oaklands who would

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: Amy Crook Margaret Hantiuk Bill McKechnie Billy Metcalfe Susan Salvati Tania Wegwitz The views expressed in the Village Vibe do not necessarily reflect the views of the Fernwood NRG.

like to meet village colleagues or be in an Oak and Fern Healing Practitioners Directory, please drop in: Feb 24. 4-6pm. KOFFI (1441 Haultain St. between Asquith St. and Belmont Ave.). For info contact Rainey Hopewell at 380-5055. Fernwood Community Kitchen. Cook nutritious, creative meals with your neighbours! For info contact Tracy 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. 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 | February 2008

1302 Gladstone

412-2001

VillageVibe

Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.