Village Vibe
news and views from the heart of Fernwood
www.fernwoodneighbourhood.ca by Lisa Helps
Apartments for Rent!
On November 1st 2006, there'll be four new families in the heart of Fernwood Village. With the homelessness crisis in the city reaching epic proportions, the four market-based affordable housing units couldn't come at a better time. While the units aren't necessarily designed to serve those eligible for housing subsidies, they are geared towards families raising two or three children on a gross annual income of no more than $41,500. The suites have been affectionately named by Executive Director and Project Manager Roberta Martell, the Belfry, The George N', the Gladstone, and the Alleyview. They all have three bedrooms and are large, bright, and spacious. Each overlooks a different aspect of the soon to be bustling village core. Not only concerned with the economic sustainability of Fernwood residents (and resi-
Inside the Vibe:
pg 2 *Gardening on the Internet
The drill wedged behind the Cornerstone building for a week in August caused quite a bit of excitement (and noise) in the ‘hood. But as one neighbour commnted, “Noisy ... but worth it.” dents to be!), Fernwood NRG has also made efforts to ensure that the environmental footprint of the Cornerstone building and its new
*Together for Quality - Neighbourhood Event
september 2006
residents is as small as possible. Thanks, in part, to the help of all the neighbours who came out to see David Suzuki in May and to the David Suzuki Foundation that donated all the proceeds, the building was fitted with a geothermal heating system in mid-August. Over a week long period, Wilf Scheuer and his team from Pro Star Water and Mechanical drilled down 360 feet beneath the earth's surface. Into the two wells they inserted metal casings and a circulation loop through which heat is pumped via water and dispersed into the suites above as well as the commercial suites on the ground floor. Applications for housing are due at the Community Centre at 1240 Gladstone Ave by 4:30p.m. on Friday September 15th. To download an application, head to www.fernwoodneighbourhood.ca or call 381-1552 ext. 22.
pg 3 *Environmentally Conscious Business in Fernwood
*Fernwood Recycling Gets Boost
pg 4 *What’s On: September 2006
Village Vibe
Fernwood Neighbourhood Resource Group (FernwoodNRG) Declaration of Principles and Values
1. WE are committed to creating a socially, environmentally, and economically sustainable neighbourhood; 2. WE are committed to ensuring neighbourhood control or ownership of neighbourhood institutions and assets; 3. WE are committed to using our resources prudently and to becoming financially self-reliant; 4. WE are committed to the creation and support of neighbourhood employment; 5. WE are committed to engaging the dreams, resources, and talents of our neighbours and to fostering new links between them; 6. WE are committed to taking action in response to neighbourhood issues, ideas, and initiatives; 7. WE are committed to governing our organization and serving our neighbourhood democratically with a maximum of openness, inclusivity, and kindness; 8. WE are committed to developing the skills, capacity, selfworth, and excellence of our neighbours and ourselves; 9. WE are committed to focusing on the future while preserving our neighbourhood's heritage and diversity; 10. WE are committed to creating neighbourhood places that are vibrant, beautiful, healthy, and alive; 11. AND, most of all, WE are committed to having fun! To subscribe, contact, submit to or advertise in the Vibe, head to www.villagevibe.ca 2
Together for Quality
Together for Quality is a two-day cultural event to broaden understanding of how arts and mentorship can integrate people living in poverty into the community. Interested in connecting with new and emerging artists and craftspeople, learning about local art as therapy and community service organizations, or just learning more about how community arts can bring people together to address poverty? Come to one (or all) of these exciting activities: On Friday September 29th 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. join in a luncheon with a keynote speaker
and in the evening from 7:00 p.m. 9 p.m. there's an open mic poetry reading. Saturday September 30th from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. a Pandora Arts Collective hosted art show opens in Little Fernwood Gallery. In Fernwood Square, artisans and local service organizations will sell crafts and display their services in a crafts and social services market. Saturday night there is an interactive theatre night from 7:00pm – 9:00pm. All events will be held at 1921 Fernwood Road. For more info call Clive at 383-0936.
Gardening on the Internet
by Margaret Hantiuk
Here are some great gardening websites for the armchair gardener, web adventurer or the plantaholic:
General gardening: Royal Horticultural Society at Wisley, England: www.rhs.org.uk Trouble with Latin names? www.botany.com Bug infestation? www.insects.org Is it a weed? www.weedalert.com Confused about pruning? www.treesaregood.com When/how to water properly? www.crd.bc.ca/water
Love English gardens? Visit Kew: www.rbgkew.org.uk/ or Great Dixter: www.greatdixter.co.uk or the National Botanic Garden of Wales: www.gardenofwales.org.uk Wonderful American gardens? try Longwood Gardens near Philadelphia: www.longwoodgardens.org or the Brooklyn Botanical Garden: www.bbg.org
Love Monet's garden? http://giverny.org/gardens/ Closer to home try UBC's Botanical garden: www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/ Pacific Northwest gardening: Or visit gardens around the world: www.greatplantpicks.org h t t p : / / g a r d e n Into roses? www.ars.org ... rho- gate.prairienet.org/downpath.htm dos? www.rhododendron.org Hydrangeas? www.hydrangeashy- Happy touring! drangeas.com/
Village Vibe
Environmentally Conscious Business Comes to Fernwood
With the rise of green developments and rejuvenation in the Fernwood community, a local business marked its own contribution on August 15, 2006 with the grand opening of a new store in Fernwood. “I applaud the efforts that have already been made to facilitate environmental building work in the Fernwood area,” says owner Bill Finley. “As a resident in the neighbourhood, integrating ‘Shift’ and the type of store that it is, further exemplifies the community’s investment in the environment and support for ethical business practices.”
Shift Natural Fashion in Fernwood is Bill Finley's fifth retail outlet. Finley's stores specialize in selling environmentally sustainable products that are well known for their effective use of land and water resources. Shift is a ‘conscious-youth’ oriented store carrying a variety of animal friendly and environmentally sustainable products made from hemp, bamboo, recycled materials and organic products. Bill’s ‘Hempire’ includes three Hemp & Company outlets and two Shift outlets. Bill and the stores are part of the Values-Based Business Network.
“Bringing this store to the Fernwood community means that people don’t have to travel downtown.” says Jeremy Bezooyen, manager of the new Shift. “We’re making a positive contribution to the health of the community by providing clothing and food products that are made by companies who are really invested in what they’re doing.” Shift is open for business at 1284 Gladstone from 11:00a.m. to 5:30p.m. Monday to Saturday and is also participating in the Tuesday night market in Fernwood Square.
Fernwood Saturday Plastic Recycling Gets Boost
On Saturday August 12, that piled up against the Fernwood NRG's recycling back of the Community team collected an unpreceCentre. dented amount of plastic. Plastic recycling hapWith Oaklands Saturday recypens the second cling recently cancelled, Saturday of every month Fernwood NRG picked up the from 10:00 a.m. to slack. 12:00 p.m. in the parkPeople toted everything ing lot behind the from CD covers to old appliFernwood Community ances to coffee bags to milk Centre (access through and ice cream cartons, and the gates beside the more. As of August, the local Centre at 1240 company that hauls away Fernwood residents divert mountains of plastic Gladstone Ave. Plastics Fernwood’s unwanted plas- from the landfill and raise money for the of all kinds are accepted tics is also accepting Community Centre. by donation and 10% of Styrofoam food trays, which all proceeds goes to the months. Susan's faithful assisFernwood NRG's own recycling Community Centre. Come one, queen, Susan Salvati had been tant Annalee Lepp stood in for her come all and join Susan for recycollecting from people and storing on the 12th and bore witness to cling fun on Saturday September in her basement for some the mounds of non-garbage bags 9th. 3 news and views from the heart of Fernwood
Fernwood What’s On: September 2006
A monthly roundup of neighbourhood shindigs. Head to www.fernwoodneighbourhood.ca/events for more listings or to submit your event. Make Yer Neighbourhood Nicer
Total Plastics Recycling Day: Sat, Sept.9th, Back of FCC 10am - Noon. (Every 2 Sat of Month) Recycle plastics of all kinds (Styr ofoam packing, soft plastics and bags, and ALL hard/rigid plastics) plus old electronics. By donation to cove r transportation. Support this handy neighbourhood service or we might lose it. Spring Ridge Commons Work Parties: Held on select weekends. Sign up to be notified at www.fernwoodneighbourhood.ca/commons nd
Special Events
Fernwood Market: The Fernwood Market re turns to Fernwood Square (corner of Fernwood & Gladstone), featuring food, goods & crafts from local vendors as well as knitting, poetry, and art-making demonstrations and informatio n booths. Ongoing Tuesdays, 5:30pm to 9:30pm, Free! Call Sue Mulholland at 361-3372 or drop by the She Said Gallery at 2000 Fernwood Rd. for more info. Fernwood Autumn Glow Seni ors Open Hou se: Saturday, Sep. 23, 1pm – 3pm, 1240 Gladstone Avenue. Together for Quality, Sep. 29-30: A two day cultural event to hig hlight the potential for arts and mentorship to bring diverse people together to begin to address issues of poverty. Activities include a luncheon with a keynote speaker, poetry night, art show, crafts and social services market, and theatre. At Fernwood Square and 1921 Fernwood Rd. F or more info call Clive at 383-0936.
Green Thumbs
Composting Basics Workshop: Sat, Sep 9, Compost Ed. Centre, 11:00am – 1:00pm, Free! Compost Club Lecture: Plant Propaga tion for Beginners, Sat, Sep 9, Compost Ed. Centre, 2:00pm – 4:00pm, members free, non-members $15. Gardening wi thout Pesticides Workshops: Building a Hoop Bin for Yard Waste Storage, Sat, Sep 30, Compost Ed. Centre, 2:00pm – 4:00pm, members $13.50, non-members $15.
Saturday Plastic Recycling - S e c o n d Saturday of Every M o n t h - Bring all those goods that the Blue Box Folks won’t take to the Community Centre. Small donation required.
Village Vibe
The Fernwood Community Centre is located at 1240 Gladstone Ave. Office hours and public space open: 9am 9pm Monday to Friday.
Kids & Families
Parent & Tot Playgroup: Ongoing Tuesdays & Thursdays. FCC Gym, 9:30am - 11:30am, $1 per family, snacks provided. Mother Goose Circle Time: Songs, rhymes & stories; Select Saturdays (Call 381-1552 t o register and for info) FCC Infant & Toddler Centre, 11:30am 12:30pm, Free! ($2 for songbook) Community Day Parent-Run Family Group: Family directed and facilitated program! Ongoing Mondays, 9:30 – 11:30am, FCC Gy m, Free!
Youth, Adults & Seniors
NEW! Drop-in Badminton – Ages 12 to Adult, everyone welcome. Ongoing Sundays (Starting Sep. 10), 7:00pm to 9:00pm, FCC Gym, $2 per person or $5 for a family of 3! Free Internet and Computer Access: Complete your onetime registration and then get online through the Community Access Program. FCC Community Room, 9:15am to 8:30pm, Monday to Friday, except for 11:00am to 3:00pm on W ednesdays. Free! Drop-in Floorhockey : Co-ed Adult (18+), all equipment provided. Ongoing Tuesdays and Thursdays, FCC Gym, 7:00pm – 9:30pm, $4, or get a punchcard: $40/11 sessions. No wooden sticks. Holistic Health & H ealing: Qi Gong exe rcises and meditatio n; Ongoing Mondays, FCC, 10:00–11:30am, Free! Falun Gong: Peaceful meditation practice. Ongoing Wednesdays, FCC, 5:00pm – 7:00pm, everyone welcome, Free! Fernwood Autumn Glow (55+): Gentle exercise, lunch & activities; Ongoing Fridays, FCC, 11:00am, $5.50 for lunch.
Music, Art, Theatre, and Entertainment
“The Guys” at the Belfry Theatre: Staged reading tribute to firefighters with all be nefi t proceeds to Canadian Fallen Firefighters Foundation. Mon, Sep 11 only, 8:00pm, for tickets call 385-6815 or head to www.belfry.bc.ca. “I am My Ow n W ife” at the Belfry Theatre: True stor y of an East Berlin celebrated antique collector and transvestite who survives and transcends two of the last century’s most brutal regimes. Sep 19 to Oct 15, for tickets call 385-6815 or head to www.belfry.bc.ca. Victoria Bluegrass Assoc. Jam: Ongoing Tuesdays Orange Hall, 7:30 – 10:30pm, $2 to play, free to listen. (Last Tuesday of month is open stage/feature night; cost varies). Live Music at Logan’s: For listings, check out www.loga nspub.com .
A note to our faithful readers:
We are currently revamping the format of the Village Vibe and will resume delivery of the Vibe to all Fernwood homes with November’s issue. If your neighbours are grumbling that they’re not getting the Vibe, assure them that it’s coming, and have them sign up to receive it by email at www.villagevibe.ca. Thanks! news and views from the heart of Fernwood