villagevibe Photo: Michael Hewison
Photo: Veronique da Silva
Photos: Adam Warrington
June 2007 : News and views from the heart of Fernwood
Strongback of the neighbourhood >> by Lisa Helps
T
he machine is oiled by the blood of the workers,” Adam Warrington of Fernwood’s own Strongback Labourers says to me, surrounded by his crew in Fernwood Square after a day’s work. “Karl Marx?” I ask. “It’s what the back of our new t-shirts say,” he tells me laughing. Adam and business partner Rick Thomas started Strongback Labourers seven years ago when, as Adam says, they were both in the construction trade and got “tired of being worked 90 hours a week in jobs that were ungratifying.” They run their company in a different kind of way. Each worker is a sub-contractor in his own right and signs up for the jobs he wants on the days he wants. “Adam is the king of flexibility,” one worker joked. From laying interlocking paving stone – at which they are ICPI certified – to stone masonry, to conceptual yard design and landscaping, these guys do it all. And they’re busy. In the last two years they haven’t done any advertising. “One job turns into the next,” Rick says. Adam adds, “People don’t ask us to bid [on jobs] they just ask us to get there.” And, they’ve almost stopped getting calls asking for a couple of strong backs to remove old furniture or TV sets. Michael Peck Senior and his two sons Michael and Jared all work for Strongback. Michael Senior’s done a variety of jobs all over North America from mining to journalism. As I’m talking with him someone pipes up, “He forgets more than most people know.” He’s been working
for Strongback for about a year. I ask when he’ll be off on another work venture. “I’m going to stick with these guys,” he tells me, “I enjoy this kind of work more than any other.” Michael adds that he’s lived in Fernwood for 14 years. “It’s really all about Fernwood,” he says to me. Almost all of the workers live in the neighbourhood. Michael Junior runs Veridian Landscapes and has worked with Strongback for three years. Zak Smith joined the crew when Strongback did his mom’s backyard about a year ago. He needed a job and Adam took him on. Tom Wise is the newest strongback, at it for about a week. Like the rest of them he says he really likes this type of work and, he adds, “Adam treats me so good.” This seems to be the general sentiment in the square. As afternoon sunlight filters through the smoke of post-work cigarettes and the guys joke and jostle, Adam is complementary of everyone. He points out their skills, affirms their talents. And he doesn’t need to micromanage, he says, the guys are totally self-sufficient. They own their own tools, team up to get jobs done on time, and he even pays them for all their time when a project gets done ahead of schedule. Most of the Strongback Labourers are also artists, which comes through in their dedication to and pride in their work. In June Strongback is opening a “yard art” gallery at 2200 Fernwood Road right next to the She Said Gallery. Their stonework, concrete and sandblast sculptures and paving stone work will be showcased. And, the rest of the neighbourhood can take advantage of these artists in residence, as they’ll be taking custom orders for stone yard ornaments, address plaques, planters, and much more.
Cornerstone wins award >> by Trish Richards
C
ongratulations Fernwood! Victoria’s Hallmark Society has acknowledged your volunteer efforts. The Fernwood Neighbourhood Resource Group recently received the Hallmark President’s Award for the ‘Rescue and Adaptive Reuse of the Cornerstone Building in the Heart of Fernwood’. The Hallmark Society has been working to preserve historic buildings in Victoria for some 30 years. Their Annual Awards recognize outstanding achievements in heritage restoration and reclamation. Fernwood NRG was honoured to be among the award recipients at the Society’s 2007 awards night on May 1st. Hallmark Society Administrative Director, Helen Edwards, a Vic High alumnus, nominated the Cornerstone Building for an award. During his presentation of the President’s Award, current Hallmark Society president, Nicholas Russell, applauded Fernwood NRG for its work and acknowledged the importance of the Cornerstone revitalization in bringing new life to the centre of Fernwood. Members of Fernwood NRG
– continued on page 7
in this issue Green lunches launch at the Inn Page 3 Feature: Fernwood’s home-based businesses Page 4 FrequenSea: Eating fish food Page 6
editorial :
Proposing a health care co-operative
Triple bottom line sustainability is all the rage these days – social, economic, and environmental sustainability, a veritable catch phrase. There’s something, however, that might be overlooked by this tripartite solution to the world’s problems: personal health. Now, health is an aspect of the social to be sure, and also the environmental, and yes, even the economic. But this most basic aspect of sustainability – arguably human life itself
this system serve? Does it lead to improved health? Is it sustainable? A group of concerned Victoria residents are proposing an alternative. In early May, traditional and alternative health practitioners and members of relevant non-profit societies held an initial meeting to discuss the formation of a health-care cooperative in Victoria. And, headquarters may even land right here in Fernwood.
and the territories) have such co-ops. Glen Fitzpatrick, Managing Director of Newfoundland-Labrador Federation of Co-operatives, has said that with health co-ops, “we’re talking about a situation where we’re getting people proactively involved in their own situations and their own well-being. This kind of cooperative model, where a health care co-op is owned and controlled by the people who access their services, is the very type of model
In the meantime, right here at Fernwood NRG we’re increasing our health offerings. In addition to Best Babies, Falun Gong, and free yoga, Christina Chan, a student at the Canadian College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, is offering low-cost acupuncture treatments at the Fernwood Community Centre, Tuesdays from 2:004:00pm. For more, watch for September’s ‘Health Issue’ of the Village Vibe.
It can give people back some sense of control – doesn’t get much airtime. Yes there is talk of ‘the health care system’ as a worthy investment of government funds. Yet does
While the health care co-op model is not widespread in Canada, all provinces (with the exception of New Brunswick
declaration of principles and values
Correction In April’s Village Vibe the ‘Fresh in Fernwood’ article failed to that can give people back some sense of control of their community and their lives.” mention Mom’s Market owner’s fifth Sounds like a sustainable model to me. daughter, Colleen.
Summer fun
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
>> compiled by the Creative Writing Class, Central Middle School
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!
Aquariums 1 pkg of blue jelly powder; 1 cup boiling water; 2 cups ice cubes; Coloured gummy fish or sharks. Dissolve jelly powder in boiling water. Add ice cubes, stirring until jelly thickens, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove any unmelted ice. Spoon jelly into clear bowls or clear plastic cups. Poke 5 or 6 gummy fish into each dish of slightly thickened jelly. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or more to set. Salmon in the River Celery stalks; Cream cheese (may be tinted blue or green); Goldfish crackers. Wash celery, and fill with cream cheese. Stick goldfish crackers on top of the cream cheese. A fun yet healthy snack for everyone. A fun treat at class parties. Bugs on a Log Celery stalks; Peanut butter; Chocolate chips or raisins. Fill center of celery with peanut butter. Place chocolate chips or raisins on top of the ‘log’. This also works great with cream cheese for anyone that’s allergic to peanuts.
Make some money What words do parents hear too often during the summer? “I’m bored.” Or, “What can I do?” The usual answer is, “Go clean your room!” But once that is done, what’s next? Well, here are some summer fun ideas that will entertain during the long summer, ensure lots of fresh air and keep everyone amused for hours. The Creative Writing students at Central Middle School put their heads together and came up with so many ideas, that we can only list some of them. Stay tuned to the July issue of the Village Vibe for more summer fun.
Kids can cook Older kids can do this themselves. Younger ones will need some assistance from their parents. Get your friends together and take over the kitchen! Do You Like Pizza? Make your own. All you need are English muffins or hamburger buns. Split them open and add your toppings such as tomato sauce, cheese (cut up), chopped bacon or ham, pineapple, mushrooms or whatever you happen to want on them. Place them on a baking sheet in the over at 350 degrees F. for at least 5 to 8 minutes. Wait a few minutes for it to cool down and it’s time to chow down. People Sandwiches This is a fun lunch when you are having friends over. You can pretend you are cannibals. You will need a gingerbread man cookie cutter for this, as well as: peanut butter or cream cheese, raisins, chocolate chips, M&M’s or whatever you want to use to decorate the people. Using the cookie cutter, press gingerbread men shapes out of the soft part of the bread. Spread on the peanut butter or cream cheese and decorate with raisins, chocolate chips, M&M’s, etc. to make a face and buttons. Shredded coconut makes great “hair”.
Page 2 | News and views from the heart of Fernwood | June 2007
Have A Garage Sale. Got a bunch of toys that you no long play with? Books that you have read? Old board games? Clothes that you’ve outgrown? What a better way to get your room cleared out and make some money too! Get your parents to give you help with the pricing. If you live in an apartment, ask the manager if you can hold it on the front lawn. Always get permission first. If you are not allowed, take all your stuff to a friend’s house and hold it there. A couple of days before your sale, make large signs showing the date and address. Print large, so that people driving by can read the date, time and place. Put the signs up around your neighbourhood on poles. A Lemonade Stand is always a big hit with folks out walking on a hot day. Bake some cookies and sell them too. A lot of people are out walking their dogs, so have a bowl of cool water set out for the dogs. Buy a box of small dog biscuits and sell them for 10 cents each. Who can resist treating their doggy? Dog Walking is a great way to earn money. Offer to walk your neighbour’s dog every day at a specific time, for $5 a week, Monday to Friday. That gives you the weekends free. Make up flyers about your dog walking, and include your phone number. Place them on poles, or hand them out doorto-door by tucking them in mailboxes. Car Washing is best done on weekends when everyone is home. Get a pail, sponges, soap, and dry rags. Knock on doors and ask if people would like their car washed for $5. Once they hook up the hose, you’re in business. Fill the pail with soap and water and sponge the suds all over the car (don’t forget to wash the wheels!). Hose the car down and rinse off all the soap.!
VillageVibe
At the organic plant sale... Tell us about these plants of yours. Views photos: Veronique da Silva
views from the street :
James Hope and Nathalie Dechain
James, Spencer, and Eileen Quayle
Nancy Macgregor
I rent so I don’t have a garden, so I have patio plants that I can watch grow and enjoy through the summer. I enjoy the green and I also enjoy the butterflies and bees the plants attract.
These are veggies for our new veggie garden that we just filled with compost and manure. Our afternoon plan is to plant these. Our garden is waiting for these plants, especially this lovely Bush Pickle.
I bought basil and tomatoes because they are so delicious together. I buy them here because they are both tender plants that need special care in starting and the plants at the sale are good, strong plants and, best of all, organic. I look forward to enjoying them later this summer.
Green lunches launch at the Inn Compost Education Centre organic plant sale >> by Beth Gibson
Yet another good thing has hit Fernwood. This time it is a monthly happening at our very own village pub. Here, passionate and caring individuals converge over a fabulous three-course lunch to chat, debate, mutually support, connect, socialize, and network over issues of the environment, social responsibility, and sustainability. It is called Green Lunches.
I was in. Having rented on Chambers Street for 11 years, I was curious about who else from the ‘hood might be there. So on that sunny Wednesday, no surprise when on my way to this first event that on Gladstone I meet my friend and neighbour also en route. Arriving at the beautiful corner entrance at 11:45 pm we are welcomed by Roger Colwill – the Fernwood Inn’s Community Liaison and Green Drinks and Green Lunches organizer.
I was fascinated to see the depth of conversation Having attended several Green Drinks, (a sister organization that provides a networking opportunity for those passionate about sustainability to gather over drinks every second Tuesday of the month at the Queen Mother Waterside Café, 5pm - 7pm) I received an e-mail invitation to the April 25th inaugural Green Lunch. The invitation included the line: “A Focus on Local: We especially encourage local ‘Fernwoodians’ to attend.”
Milling around pre-lunch, while the buzz increased in the room, my friend and I split up and I easily find some new friendly faces to introduce myself to and we laugh as we get right to the point as to why we find ourselves there. Soon after, I take a seat at the ‘local community issues’ table and I meet a colourfully dressed local author, and my first plain-clothed Raging Granny, who I discover lives just around the corner from my house (I should have guessed from the bumper stickers plastered all over the VW van parked outside). Who knew we would have so much to talk about! Other participants choose tables that centered discussions on such topics as green business, green buildings, sustainable energy, socially responsible investment, sustainable forestry, and community development in the third world. And new topics will be added. The next Green Lunch takes place at the Fernwood Inn on Wednesday June 27th at noon, and every fourth Wednesday of the month thereafter. $20.00 gets you a three-course lunch, including locally grown organic food. There is a no host bar. “Although very similar to Green Drinks in intent,” says Colwill, “with the opportunity to sit down over lunch, I was fascinated to see the additional focused meaningful conversations, the depth of conversation, and the establishment of new relationships. It wasn’t until 4:30 in the afternoon that the last participants left.”
>> by Susan Salvati The green thumbs were out in Fernwood on Saturday, May 12th for the Compost Education Centre’s annual organic plant sale. Wheeling on bikes, pushing carts, and pulling wagons, people were out looking for a new addition to their gardens: tomatoes, chocolate mint, raspberries, or sorrel. So many delicious decisions to make. The Compost Ed centre also hosted tours of the ever-inspiring site, sold seeds and profiled their new composting program, ‘Black Gold.’ All in all, it was a great way to spend a beautiful spring day.
To get yourself onto the Green Lunch e-mail listserve contact r.colwill@shaw.ca.
VillageVibe
June 2007 | www.fernwoodneighbourhood.ca | Page 3
At home to work Fernwood’s home-based businesses feature :
The Fernwood home-based business sampler Meet Veronique da Silva, Photographer; Marianne Unger, Graphic Designer; Jennifer Roberts, Florist; Sandra Ollsin, Funeral Celebrant; Don Ollsin, Herbal Practitioner; Rob (Lucky) Budd, Oral Historian; and Angela Granzberg, Art Therapist. Amidst all of this diversity, there is one common characteristic: each of them is amazingly passionate about their work, their vision, and their business.
Photos: Veronique da Silva
Why home-based?
>> by Trish Richards
B
asing a business at home is nothing new. In fact, there was a time when this was the norm, when most people worked where they lived. In many places in the world this is still the case. As the affluent west has developed, home-based businesses have become less common. In recent years, however, more and more people right here in Fernwood have been taking their businesses home. When I went looking for home-based businesses in the neighbourhood, I found a plethora while only scratching the surface. I talked to Fernwood residents who offer an eclectic range of services. They run the gamut from those who are just starting in their chosen careers to those who have been in business for thirty years. Some have never been conventional nine-to-fivers while others have worked for years in large office situations. I also discovered that they get out sometimes – the Cornerstone Café has become somewhat of a home-based business haven. Many morning regulars are home-based business folks who, armed with their laptops, are hard at work right in the centre of their neighbourhood.
The decision to become home-based reflects a number of needs. An important one is the desire to establish a better balance between work, home, and family. For Veronique and Marianne, both mothers of young children, the ability to be more flexible with their work hours is critical. For Sandra and Don, who run separate businesses from their family home, that flexibility means that they can have more time together. As Sandra pointed out, with their busy schedules and distinctly different work hours, they would otherwise be basically passing each other on the way to and from their offices. Greater control over time is also important for those like Lucky who feels that the work he does in compiling and editing family memoirs is ideally suited to being home based. He can sit at his computer writing until dawn if the inspiration is there. Similarly as Jennifer – who has been known to work through the night finishing floral arrangements for a funeral – says, “the ability to chose my working hours is important to the flow of my work.” On a more fundamental level there is also a sense that some people are suited to working from their homes. Susan termed her home-based choice a ‘calling’. She referred to the inclination to work on her own, for herself. Lucky also spoke of his conscious choice. “I prefer to work on my own. I feel suited to it,” he said. Don, for his part, has always worked for himself. “I’d never choose to do otherwise,” he tells me.
The benefits being home-based? There is a strong sense that being home-based allows for greater creativity and enables people to offer a more personalized service. In comparing her earlier years in a floral shop with the past fifteen working from home, Jennifer says “I am able to put more of myself into my work and provide a more personalized service.” She talked about occasions where she went to the family home to advise on floral arrangements for a funeral and became an integral part of that important process.
Rob (Lucky) Bud
Angela Granzberg
Don Ollsin
Oral Historian Memories to Memoirs Compiling, editing and preserving life stories www.memoriestomemoirs.ca lucky_budd@hotmail.com 686-8008
Registered Art Therapist Offering individual sessions and groups using art as a tool for personal exploration and healing angela.granzberg@gmail.com 516-2829
Registered Herbal Practitioner Pathways to Healing Guide to Herbs, Ayurveda, Dreambody and Shamianism www.herbalhealingpathway.com healing@herbalhealingpathway.com 592-7523
Fernwood Village Night Market (Fernwood @ Gladstone)
Tuesday Evenings 5:30-9:30
Local Organic Produce, Baked Goods, Artisans, and Entertainment
May 29 – September 18
Page 4 | News and views from the heart of Fernwood | June 2007
VillageVibe
Marianne also contrasted her work now with her earlier career in a large design studio. “It’s important to me to conduct business in the way that I’d like to see it done,” she says. Working directly with her clients allows Marianne to establish a closer relationship and attain a clearer exchange of ideas. This, in turn enables her to connect with her client’s vision in a way that sparks her creativity and is essential to good design work. Veronique spoke similarly about her portrait work. Being home-based enables a closer, more personal relationship with her clients, which, she says, allows “me to really see the person I am photographing.” For Sandra, the ability to develop a close personal connection is critical to her work in assisting the recently bereaved. With each client, her intent is to design a unique funeral service that honours both the deceased and their families in a manner that is particularly appropriate to them. Her work demands a very special type of intimacy with her clients. Being home based also allows for a more varied work life. Don is perhaps the best example of that. He teaches a variety of herbal and ayurvedic medicine classes of his own, and also offers them at Camosun College. His latest project is an online store offering edible and medicinal plants and mushrooms. When starting out, being home-based can allow you to get your feet wet slowly. Andrea, who works at a fulltime job to support her dream, talked about how running her art therapy practice is “a great stepping out point” for her career. For Veronique it has enabled transition back into the work force after time out with her daughter. Being home based has allowed her to rebuild her business at pace that works for her.
The challenges of being home-based? Time management can be a major challenge in working from home. Without the structure provided by working for others, or leaving home at the same time every morning for the office or shop, you have to create that structure yourself. It takes a particular type of discipline and a strong self-reliant nature to make it work. Veronique and Marianne both recognize the need to create clear boundaries around their work requirements, so that the demands of home and family do not continually take precedence. Lucky provides a new twist on the time management question. “For me it’s not that I have to take care to make sufficient time for my work,” he lets on. Rather, he has to actively carve out time away from work in order to maintain a balanced life. A second challenge is that home-based business folks have to do it all, from securing clientele, to providing a service, to related administrative tasks. When letter writing and bookkeeping are not your forte, this can be a bit overwhelming. And, simply getting the word out can be a significant challenge in the early days; marketing can be difficult. The relative ease of reaching people through the Internet helps. As does living and working in a community like Fernwood where word of mouth is a big factor. But, as Veronique points out, “you have to be really good at selling yourself when you are building up your business and that in itself can be a challenge.”
Another major challenge are finances. Even in established home businesses, financial concerns remain significant. There is no safety net in the home-based world, unless you create it. Disability provisions and pension plans are not necessarily there to cover off tomorrow. Again, it comes down to the need for selfreliance and the willingness to live with risk. Although Don speaks of the luxury of dental and pension plans, “I wouldn’t trade these for the freedom of working for myself,” he tells me. Finally, there is an element of isolation, both professional and personal. Marianne misses the collegial nature of the office and notices the absence of others with whom to share ideas. Both Sandra and Don noted that working alone all the time can be wearing. They are consciously supportive of each other’s efforts, but acknowledge the need for a larger community at times. For his part, Lucky recognizes that he can get seriously isolated in his work and has taken up going to the gym regularly to offset that tendency.
Why Fernwood? Besides the obvious fact that all of these people live in neighbourhood and so have their home-based business here, is there something about Fernwood that has an impact on their businesses? Fernwood is a community and increasingly operates as such; it is a supportive place to do business. Sandra speaks of Fernwood as a community of interesting and resourceful people who share common values and care about “the big things of life.” As she says, “It’s always been Fernwood for me!” Andrea likewise says Fernwood is “her community.” Lucky sees Fernwood as a great community, filled with likeminded, motivated people, and says it is a stimulating and supportive environment in which to work.
Fernwood Business Network Can Fernwood be more supportive of our home-based business people? Yes! We are delighted to announce the new Fernwood Business Network. By virtue of his interest in the Fernwood Inn and his passion for our community, honourary Fernwoodian, Roger Colwill, is starting a network for businesses in the neighbourhood, home-based and otherwise. Roger’s vision is to create an
Every one of them is amazingly passionate about their work, their vision, and their business. inclusive, respectful forum for brainstorming and problem solving among Fernwood business people on a monthly basis. Along with this networking forum, Roger envisages compiling an inventory of Fernwood businesses detailing products and services in a Fernwood Business Directory and related website. Roger plans to launch the Fernwood Business Network in mid-September. Stay tuned to the Village Vibe or contact Roger at 598-0077 or r.colwill@shaw.ca
Sandra Ollsin
Jennifer Roberts
Marianne Unger
Veronique da Silva
Certified Funeral Celebrant Providing personalized funeral, memorial or celebration-of–life services www.funeral-celebrant.com sandra@funeral-celebrant.com 592-7544
Florist Traditional and Contemporary floral design, Teacher and 3rd Master, Ohara School Ikebana jroberts@shaw.ca 598-7478
Graphic Designer Mud Studio marianne@mudstudio.ca www.mudstudio.ca 813-2338
Photographer Portrait and Lifestyle Photography veronique_dasilva@hotmail.com 514-9544
Denise Savoie, MP A Voice for Victoria in Ottawa 970 Blanshard Street 363-3600 www.denisesavoie.ca
VillageVibe
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
June 2007 | www.fernwoodneighbourhood.ca | Page 5
>> by Margaret Hantiuk Container planting has become quite fashionable in the last few years for various reasons. As the weather finally warms up, we want to spend more time outside in our outdoor living rooms: our decks, patios, and balconies. Potted plants make these places so much more lovely and luxurious. We can create a Mediterranean ambience with large pots and bright geraniums. Front doorways and steps are inviting with potted plants. Pots of various sizes can be placed throughout a garden to create focal points and niches. Larger, glazed pots can be filled with water, aquatic plants and fish, and even a little pump
FrequenSea >> by Bonnie Segger
“The future of nutrition is found in the ocean� – Jacques Cousteau A very unique story is unfolding on our planet, initiated at a sea farm on the east coast of Vancouver Island. A man by the name of Tom Harper took eight years to develop the technology to grow and harvest marine phytoplankton as food for his shellfish, which are, amazingly, growing between four and five times larger than his commercially fed control group. Diagnosed with a rare and terminal form of lung cancer, Mr. Harper decided to partake of the ocean cornucopia and, found that by eating the ‘fish food’, he felt better. Everyone, including the oncologists, was surprised, when a biopsy in Victoria revealed that all 11 tumour sites in his diseased lungs were benign. Not only that, but he was able to quit taking the 88 units of insulin his body had required for years. His daughter, who originally didn’t want him to eat the marine phytoplankton, lost 40 pounds in three months once she started ingesting it. As a result of the discovery, exclusive rights to market the microscopic algae were given to a company from Utah called ForeverGreen. They combined the over 200 species of marine phytoplankton with other plants that have tremendous healing properties – aloe vera, frankincense, astaxanthin, roses, ginger, blueberries, cranberries, nutmeg, rosemary, and others, to create a delicious and powerpacked whole-food tonic called FrequenSea. As news of the discovery spreads throughout the world, testimonies of healing continue to grow. The stories are as diverse as the population that is consuming FrequenSea. Reports of increased and more restful sleep, improved skin, hair and nails, more energy, absence of ‘brain fog’, dissipated depression, lowered insulin requirements, and reduced joint pain are common. FrequenSea users experience enhanced immune systems,
Container planting
to create wonderful water features. I grow tomatoes and herbs in pots on my deck as it’s south facing and because of its elevation, it is warmer and catches more sun. I can nip out quickly while cooking to cut a bit of chives, thyme, rosemary, basil, etc. If you don’t have a yard, but you do have a balcony or small patio, a lush garden can be created in clay pots. I have a friend in Toronto who gardens in pots on her fire escape landing. She has created a little paradise of flowering plants and vines that cover the stairs and walls. She says that all who pass by her building love it and often call up to her as she waters – she is making her community better as she enjoys herself and beautifies her entrance and the views out of her kitchen windows. She feels like a goddess in the city! What kind of containers can be used? Just about anything that holds soil. Metal rusts quickly. Glazed pots are the best. Left outside with soil in them, unglazed pots can crack and break in the winter as they freeze and thaw. Unless you’re working on a water feature, use glazed pots with drain holes and then raise them an inch with little feet, tiles, pieces of wood, etc. Unglazed terracotta pots can be used for geraniums, succulents and herbs (all of which need sharp drainage). They should be moved under shelter, an eave or a porch for our winters so that they don’t fill with water and freeze. Sometimes these plants will last over the winters as long as they’re sheltered, watered occasionally, and have enough light. Other perennials can over winter outside in large glazed pots if raised. While potted plants are a little more vulnerable to sub-zero temperatures, most perennials will do fine as they are usually hardier than annuals.
Photo: Veronique da Silva
garden gleanings :
Buy a good potting soil. It should be sterilized, free of bugs and diseases and mixed for nutrients and porosity. There are various types of potting soil – some are a general mix, some are specific for various kinds of plants. I fill the bottom few inches of my pots with large pebbles to increase drainage. I also leave an inch at the top for watering. Potted plants need to be watered more often than those in the garden. In hot weather and when sitting in the sun all day, they will need to be watered at least daily. I add a fertilizer to the water frequently and top dress with compost every spring. Bonemeal can be added. We can create gorgeous little gardens in large pots if we choose the plants carefully. First we must decide where the pot will sit – in a sunny spot or a shady one. There are lovely plants for either. Try to have a few dramatic plants, a few fillers and a few trailers. You can have a theme: woodsy, English cottage, Mediterranean, cool, hot, edible. Certain shrubs will grow well for years in large pots, too. Try to match the plants to the pot: color, style and scale, as it will be more pleasing to the eye. Enjoy!
She says she feels like a goddess in the city!
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Page 6 | News and views from the heart of Fernwood | June 2007
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VillageVibe
FrequenSea
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stabilized blood pressure, less frequent ‘frequent urination’, and improved eyesight. Food cravings either lessen or disappear altogether. The list goes on as people notice that their bodies seem to come alive once they begin drinking FrequenSea. Even animals such as dogs, cats and horses can to benefit from the tonic. What is causing the improved health? Is FrequenSea really that magic elixir, the much sought after panacea? It is believed people are having such amazing results the full range of nutrients in FrequenSea are 100% water-soluble and instantly available to the body. The plants are broken down without heat or chemicals and are put into a compression chamber and broken down with CO2. The health benefits of the plants are completely retained, impressing even raw-food enthusiasts. The full range of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids and proteins are able to penetrate into virtually every cell of the body. Once the body receives superior nutrition, it immediately goes to work, deconstructing cells that may have been made with inferior material and reconstructing with superior. This rebuilding process allows the cells to produce more energy, which, in turn, allows the body to begin to repair and regenerate. It is both simple and profound. The research into marine phytoplankton has been stepped up as a result of this discovery. A doubleblind study is currently underway involving the phytoplankton and diabetes. Studies in other areas have also been initiated. And… great news for environmentalists! The process used to harvest the marine phytoplankton actually releases more to the ocean than is removed. This supports an amazingly diverse ecosystem near the farm. FrequenSea with marine phytoplankton is unlike any other food source, because of the diversity and bioavailability of the nutrients. To find out more about this extraordinary whole food tonic, please call Bonnie Segger at (250) 384-0067 or go online to www. lovingspoonfulenergetics.com
@
VillageVibe
faces of fernwood :
>> by Susan Salvati Out of functional structures rise whimsical creatures. In Vic West, a playful otter, a starfish, a tree that grows many kinds of fruit. In James Bay a salmon swims among kelp. Stephanie Enevoldsen is an artist, and her medium is cob. Earth cob is a natural building material composed of clay and sand interwoven with straw, which is mixed with water. On the west coast cob building is enjoying a revival. On the coast it is often used for internal walls due to our high rainfall, but in Vic West and James Bay, Stephanie was commissioned to build outdoor benches. This is possible if the structures are covered. Stephanie is attracted to cob for a number of reasons. “It’s really beautiful because you can sculpt it,” she says. She is also inspired by the fact that cob has low embodied energy in comparison to a material like concrete. She explains that although cob can of course be created using machines, a manual method of production is generally preferred amongst those who work in the medium. All materials are put on a tarp. Then, the clay and sand are stepped on to compress the materials while the tarp is simultaneously rocked back and forth.
Terracobba
This method of production is appealing to Stephanie because of its intrinsic human scale and the community that it requires. She explains that cob is “for the people, by the people. People come out and it’s completely different when they help create.” She often gets asked if the sculptures get vandalized and she explains that they don’t because when people help create they take ownership. Stephanie’s journey with cob building has taken her from Alberta to the Gulf Islands and Oregon. In Portland she has been able to observe amazing cob structures as part of a phenomenon known as the City Repair Project. Essentially, the City Repair Project aims to take back public space, such as an intersection, and transform it into a place of encounter and human connectedness. This happens because a beautiful space is created. In Portland, cob building is one element of this repair and can incorporate such structures as a pizza oven on the street corner, a beautiful bench to rest on, or a sculpture of significance to the neighbourhood. For Stephanie, this is all a source of passion. She describes how “you know when you’re in a place that feels good. Villages feel good. I love cob building because it makes me feels like a villager; it is a medium for people to get out and create. I have felt harmonious when working with cob and when in an intersection that’s been repaired. It’s the place to be.” Lucky for us, Stephanie’s goal is to bring more cob building to the city. Extra lucky for us, she lives in Fernwood. Keep your eye out for future projects in the ‘hood. In the meantime, you can take part in an introductory cob workshop on Saturday, June 23rd from 2-4 p.m. at the Victoria Compost Education Centre. Stephanie can also be reached for private consultation at terracobba@hobbithomes.ca or check out her website at www.hobbithomes.ca/terracobba. Ideas for your own backyard cob project abound. Happy cobbing!
Deep ecology: empowering >> by Morgan Obendorfer Our Deep Ecology workshop at Oak and Orca Bioregional School has become a catalyst for transformation in my life and in the lives of the children who participate. Here the children are encouraged to think for themselves, to be conscious, and to live from deep convictions. In recent months we have found ourselves engaged in many heated discussions on topics such as nuclear proliferation, human rights, and global politics. We attended a powerful talk by David Suzuki, one of Canada’s foremost proponents of Deep Ecology. We watched and discussed Al Gore’s climate change film, ‘An Inconvenient Truth.’ We attracted the attention of the Globe and Mail and the Times Colonist, who published feature articles about our workshops. Recently, several children have become ignited with a sense of purpose to take positive action. From publishing letters to the editor to establishing their own organization called S.P.E.A.C. (Students Protecting Every Animal from Cruelty), these children are discovering the great potential within themselves to make a real difference in the world. Recently, our group did an exercise from Joanna Macy’s book, Coming Back to Life: Practices to Reconnect Our Lives, Our World. In this exercise, the children were guided to close their eyes and envision themselves transported thirty years into the future. They were asked to imagine a time when the major crises that threaten life on Earth had been averted, weapons of war had been dismantled, and technologies and institutions that pollute and decimate life had been eliminated. From this vantage point, they were encouraged to look back at our
present time. They were guided to imagine a young girl approaching and asking the following questions: “Is it true what they say about life back then? Were there really millions and millions of sick and hungry people? And bombs that could blow up whole cities? Could that be so? What was it like for you to live in a world like that? Weren’t you sad and scared all the time? Where did you and your friends find the strength to do what you did? How did you keep on going?” Each one of us must find the courage to clearly observe the big picture of what is happening here on Earth and to process the feelings that arise as a result. We are at a tipping point in consciousness, a great turning of the tides. It is up to us what we choose to make of the great crisis/ opportunity facing our world. To ensure a positive future for our children and for all life, we must wake up to the urgency of our situation and find the resolution to act for positive change. This is the essence of Deep Ecology.
Award
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staff and board were present to accept the Award. Outgoing board chair, Lee Herrin, spoke for us all when he expressed his profound appreciation both to the Hallmark Society for honouring Fernwood NRG and the Cornerstone and to the amazing people of our neighbourhood whose wholehearted efforts made the Cornerstone dream into a reality. Once again Fernwood, we applaud you and we thank you!
June 2007 | www.fernwoodneighbourhood.ca | Page 7
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villagevibe
Art, Theatre, and Entertainment
Parent & Tot Playgroup
FREE Yoga
Snacks/Crafts/Circle Time. Ongoing
Tuesdays, 10:30am - 12:00pm.
Live Entertainment at the
Tuesdays & Thursdays. 9:30am -
Fernwood Community Center MPR
Cornerstone Cafe
11:30am, Fernwood Community Center
Room.
Published by Fernwood NRG (Fernwood
Every Friday (rotating Irish nights, poetry
Gym, $1 per family.
Holistic Health & Healing
Neighbourhood Resource Group)
nights, and local/touring performers),
Rhythm Circle Time
Healing meditation based on Chinese
8-10pm.
Drop-in: 10 Weeks per session.
Five Elements: Fire, Earth, Metal, Water,
1240 Gladstone Street
and Saturday (Bohemian Open Mic),
Tuesdays 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm,
Wood, plus discussion of topics
Victoria, BC V8T 1G6
8-11pm. Check in at the Cafe for details.
Fernwood Community Center Multi-
chosen by group. Ongoing Mondays,
T 250.381.1552
1301 Gladstone Ave.
Purpose Room. Free!
10:00-11:30am. Fernwood Community
F 250.381.1509
Art Exhibit: Dominic Fetherston,
Mother Goose
Center MPR Room. Free!
villagevibe@fernwood neighbourhood.ca
Now You See It
Songs, rhymes & stories. Tuesdays.
Falun Gong
www.fernwoodneighbourhood.ca
June 2 to July 4. Fernwood Gallery, 1923
1:00pm - 2:30pm, Fernwood Community
Peaceful meditation practice. Ongoing
Fernwood Road. To see a preview, go
Center Multi-Purpose Room. Pre-
Wednesdays, 5:00pm - 7:00pm.
Editor: Lisa Helps
to: http://www.geocities.com/dominic_
register - 10 weeks per session. Free!
Fernwood Community Center MPR
Photographer: Veronique da Silva
new_art/fernwoodgallery.html
($2 for songbook) Call 381-1552 Ext.22
Room. Everyone welcome, Free!
Call for Submissions from Fernwood
to register and for info.
Fernwood Autumn Glow (55+)
Contributors:
Gentle exercise, lunch & activities.
Central Middle School
on our third Fernwood CD! e-mail:
Youth, Adults & Seniors
Ongoing Fridays, 11:00am. Fernwood
Beth Gibson
james@fernwoodneighbourhood.ca
NEW! YOUTH Sports Drop-in (Floor
Community Center MPR Room. $5.50
Margaret Hantiuk
Victoria Bluegrass Assoc. Jam
Hockey, Soccer, Badminton)
for lunch.
Michael Hewison
Ongoing Tuesdays, 7:30 - 10:30pm.
Ages 6 to 12, Rotating Sports. Ongoing
Orange Hall, Fernwood Road. $2 to play,
Sundays, Noon to 2pm. Fernwood
Special Events
Trish Richards
free to listen. (Last Tuesday of month is
Community Center Gym. $3 per child,
Fern Fest 2007!
Susan Salvati
open stage/feature night; cost varies).
Parent please accompany child, no fee
Labour Day Weekend Outdoor Concert
Bonnie Segger
Live Music at J.K. Do Forno Cafe
for parent,
of the Year! August 31, Sept 1 & 2.
Fernwood Square. Free! Mondays: Bill
NEW! Badminton
Stephenson Park. We are looking for
The views expressed in the Village Vibe
Cino, 6:30 to 9pm. Seeking musicians
Drop-in Co-ed Adult (18+) Ongoing
volunteers & children’s entertainers! Call
do not necessarily reflect the views of
for other days. Call for info: 386-8446.
Sundays, 6:30 - 8:30pm, Fernwood
James @ 381-1552 Ext. 22.
Fernwood NRG.
Live Music at Fernwood Inn
Community Center Gym. $3 per person
Father’s Day Breakfast
5 nights per week, including an open
NEW! Indoor Volleyball
Sunday, June 17th, 9:00am. Fernwood
mike on Thursdays, 8:30-11:30pm. 1302
Drop-in Co-ed Adult (18+) Ongoing
Community Center Gym. Bring Dad out
Gladstone Ave.
Sundays, 8:30 - 10:30pm. Fernwood
and spoil him with breakfast and other
Live Music at Logan’s Pub
Community Center Gym. $3 per person.
nice surprises. Admission by donation to
Village Vibe Meetings
1821 Cook St. For listings, check out
Indoor Soccer
cover costs.
(4th Thursday of every Month)
www.loganspub.com.
Drop-in Co-ed Adult (18+) Ongoing
Fernwood Photographer Veronique
Join us to brainstorm the May Vibe.
Belfry Theatre
Mondays, 8:45 - 10:45pm, Fernwood
da Silva exhibits’ “Primavera”
Thursday, June 21, 7:00 - 9:00pm,
2007-08 Season Announced! For info.
Community Center Gym. $3 per person.
Opens Thursday, June 14th, Paradiso
Cornerstone Cafe.
check: http://www.belfry.bc.ca or call
Drop-in Floorhockey
di Stelle, 10 Bastion Square, Wharf St.
Total Plastics Recycling Day
Belfry Box Office - 385-6815
Drop-in Co-ed Adult (18+), the only
Green Drinks
(2nd Saturday of every Month)
Intrepid Theatre
tri-weekly year-round floor hockey in
An inclusive gathering of the
Saturday, June 9, 10am - Noon, Back of
Presents the 10th Annual Uno Festival
town! all equipment provided. Ongoing
sustainability minded for refreshments
Fernwood Community Center. Recycle
of Solo Performance, May 24 – June 4.
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7:00pm
conversation and inspiration. Tuesday,
plastics of all kinds. Styrofoam packing,
Up to 3 shows nightly. For info. check:
- 9:30pm, and Saturdays, 2 - 4:30pm.
June 12th. Youth event at 3:00pm,
soft plastics and bags, and ALL hard/
http://www.intrepidtheatre.com or call
Fernwood Community Center Gym. $4,
General event 5:00-7:00pm. Queen
rigid plastics plus old electronics. By
383-2663
or get a punchcard; $40/11 sessions.
Mother Waterside Cafe, 407 Swift St.
donation to cover transportation.
No wooden sticks.
Green Lunch
20/20/20 Benefit Concert for
Kids & Families
Free Internet and Computer Access
Green Drinks is now expanding its
Women’s Sexual Assault Centre
Community Family Day
Complete your one-time registration and
program to include regular Green
July 20th, Cornerstone Cafe, 20
Fernwood NRG invites families to get
then get online through the Community
Lunches. Meet, chat and connect
wonderful performers over the course
involved in Community Day family-
Access Program. 9:30am to 5:30pm,
with like-minded people over lunch.
of the day (10am to 8pm), 20 minutes
directed and facilitated programming.
Monday to Friday. Fernwood Community
Wednesday, June 27th. 12 noon-
each. Admission by donation. All
Mondays, 9:30am - 11:30am. Fernwood
Center Community Room. Free!
2:00pm. Fernwood Inn, 1302 Gladstone
donations go to WSAC.
musicians and poets to be featured
Community Center Gym, Free!
Morgan Obendorfer
Ave. Reservations Recommended.
TUESDAYS! Beer and Burger – 100% Ground prime rib burger or nutburger and a Pint $7.95 1302 Gladstone
412-2001
Under new ownership! Page 8 | News and views from the heart of Fernwood | June 2007
VillageVibe