The Flagstone

Denman’s Village Voice

March 2017 Volume 22 Issue 3

$2.00

Community School Garden Plant Sale By Kate Janeway

The Community School is pairing up with the Home and Garden Tour this year for our fundraising Plant Sale! This sale extravaganza will be jointly organized by the school and Conservancy volunteers and will take place on the weekend of the tour. This is a request to gardeners across Denman to split, pot up, and donate plants of all shapes, sizes, and varieties to this worthy event! (Details on where/when to drop off plants to follow.) Last month, there was very little evidence that the gardens which make our island so famous even exist, so blanketed were we beneath several feet of snow. However, Taylor’s Encyclopedia of Gardening calls snow “the poor man’s fertilizer”: as it falls through the atmosphere, nitrogen and sulfur attach to the flakes, and are released into the soil upon melting. So, since the Denman Island Conservancy Home and Garden Tour June 10-11, is only months away, we shall count ourselves blessed with an abundance of "poor man's fertilizer" to help prepare our garden beds to be their best.

Garden Tour Update By Katarina Meglic

This year's gardens will be particularly interesting to anyone interested in permaculture, food security, and ornamental edibles. Corlan Vineyard, East Cider Orchard, and Two Roads Farm show us the beauty in contemporary family farms. Bloom lovers will not be disappointed, either, as roses and lilies and a whole host of other ornamentals will be found in abundance. Other highlights include beautiful and diverse examples of island architecture: a tiny home, a house built from reclaimed railroad timbers, a Victorian hideaway, and an elegant 1920's beach house

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The Flagstone Address: Box 10, Denman Island, BC, V0R 1T0

email:denmanflagstone@gmail.com Advertising call Danni Crenna

Volunteer Staff

Production - Danni Crenna (250)335-0198 Accounting - Helen Mason (250)335-1603

The Collating Team - Louise Bell, Graham Brazier, Mikell Callahan, Jean Cockburn, Danni Crenna, Cindy & David Critchley, Noni Fenwick-Wilson, Sterling Fraser, Karl Goodwin, John Graham, Jane Guest, Harlene Holm, Helen Mason, Jack Mounce, J Thornton The Flagstone is a non-profit newsletter put together entirely by volunteers. Our revenues do not cover our costs. Please consider making a donation - drop in the Flagstone box at Abraxas or mail to the address above. A donation of $12 is only $1 per issue - a bargain! OUR DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS is the Friday before we go to print; generally the 3rd Friday of each month. Check this page or the back page or the Grapevine calendar for that date each month. The Flagstone is printed monthly by the Denman Island Print Shop at a reduced rate, for which we are very grateful. Off - Island Subscriptions: Flagstone issues mailed monthly for one year -

$30.00 Within Canada $40 to US Addresses

OR you can now get on-line subscriptions ( a pdf

mailed to your email address) for free Donations Welcome

Deadline for April's Flagstone is Friday

March 17th

1 Kate Janeway Katarina Meglic

Garden Tour Plant Sale Garden Tour Update

2 Index

3 Sally Campbell

Tour Continued New Play on Hornby

4 Laura Busheikin Islands Trust Notebook

5 Kate Janeway Food safe & First aid Courses

6 Doug Carrick Taina Uitto

According to Doug The Pulse on Plastic

7 Erika Bland Michael Rapati

Settlement Lands Arts Denman

8 Various Writers Karl Goodwin

Letters Cartoon by Karl

9 Danni Crenna Veronica Timmons

R & W Book Review GPA Update

10 Jane Guest Veronica Timmons

Table Tennis Tournament Bedding Plants

11 Eli Hason Lori Nawrot

Dance on Denman Minding the Gulf

12 Sponsor Don Luckett Arts Denman Page

13 UB Credit Union Bill Engleson

Student Bursaries from UB CU 200 words

14 Sheldon Rempel Guest House in March

15 Patrick Fawkes Bird Notes

16 " Continued

17 Max Rogers Agriculture Matters

18 " "/ Garden Club

19 John Millen Dr Ron Wilson

This Place Shoot for the Moon Update

20 Sponsored by ReMax Kids' Page

21 Max Rogers Chronic Fatigue Coping Skills

22 Edi Johnston Jayne Anne O'Reilly

Rising Oceans & Fish BC Paramedics Need Help

23 S Dunnet & R Menard BioEnergy

24 UB Credit Union Sponsor

Community Announcements

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Tickets make wonderful, non-toxic and fully biodegradable gifts that will fit any garden or conservation enthusiast. Most importantly, the proceeds from the Denman Island Home and Garden Tour benefit the Denman Island Conservancy, preserving and protecting rare ecosystems on the Island since 1991. Early bird tickets are $18, and can be purchased online at http://www.denman-conservancy.org/home-and-garden-tour/. You can also find us (and Like us) on Facebook: www.facebook.com/DenmanIslandHomeAndGardenTour . Please help us spread the word about this great event. A plant sale is also part of this fundraising event – if you are dividing or seeding in these early days of spring, please consider saving some plants for the sale. We are also looking for parties interested in hosting the luncheon in the Community Hall during the Tour - June 10th and 11th. Last Tour 700-750 people were served. First choice will go to non-profit groups, but if none apply, it will be open to individuals. Anyone interested or with questions should contact Emily Guinane before March 15th, emily.guinane@live.se.1-250-539-8339. If you have questions about the plant sale you can be directed to DICES at denman@uniserve.com or 250-335-2058.

GARDEN TOUR FROM PAGE 1

TOPICAL NEW PLAY COMES TO HORNBY By Sally Campbell

HITS (Hornby Island Theatre Society) is proud to present Arthur Milner’s new play, Getting to Room Temperature, Friday, March 10th , 7:00pm at the Hall. This play is a “hard-hitting, sentimental, funny one-person show about dying. Based mostly on a true story.” * HITS is sponsoring this one-act play in partnership with many local groups – Heron Rocks Friendship Centre, Hornby Island Education Society, Hornby Denman Health Care Society, Hornby Island Arts Council, New Horizons and Hornby Death Café. Getting to Room Temperature was the hit of Ottawa’s undercurrents festival in 2016, and is being performed in five other communities and towns on this BC tour. It stars professional actor Robert Bockstael, whose performance has been described as: “dynamic, funny and generous”. In this play, Arthur Milner tackles the very difficult subject of his 93 year-old mother’s seeking assistance to die. Never one to shy away from challenging topics, Milner tells a highly personal family story this time. As the Ottawa Citizen’s Patrick Langston writes: “The provocative one-man show…targets our sense of right and wrong. Milner, through the accessible voice of Bockstael, wraps his questions in warm anecdotes about his family, sprinkles the show with humour, and lovingly depicts his vital, opinionated mother.” As dying is one of the many things we all have in common, this play has relevance for everyone. HIES will provide refreshments before and after the play, which will be followed by a talk-back with Milner and Bockstael. HITS is pleased to be offering a day of free workshops on Saturday, March 11th at the Hornby Community Hall: *10am-noon Acting Workshop with seasoned actor Robert Bockstael. Limited space and preregistration a must for this workshop. *12:30-2:30 Roundtable with Arthur Milner on Theatre, The Arts & Social Justice *3:00-5:00 Advanced Health Care Directives with Dr. Hillary Quinn *5:30-7:30 Hornby Island Death Cafe. A death positive, casual and respectful death-centric discussion facilitated by Sylvia Pearlman A light lunch and refreshments will be offered during the day. Donations to support this event greatly appreciated. Play tickets $20 at Abraxis Books and the Hornby Gas Bar. *For more about the play, see www.roomtemperaturecollective.com To register for the Theatre workshops, call 250-335-2272. Submitted by Sally Campbell

Let's Celebrate our birthday with another Wearable Art Show By Carole

Vosburgh It's Canada's 150th birthday - and a happy sesquicentennial to us all. What better way to celebrate than to have another Denman Island Wearable Art show! So we are! October 21st, 2017 will see another show offering amazing, beautiful and occasionally hilarious forms of art that are worn, carried, pushed or ridden (sadly Miss Swiffer has passed away. Must have been the conk on the head when she fell out of the B.S. Con). At this stage, I only need indications from people who are interested in entering a piece in order to prepare a budget, plan lineups, etc. Even if you are not sure but think it might be fun (does anyone remember seeing a beautiful flower being pollinated onstage by an outrageous bee?), give me a call. I'll keep track of folks who apply and then keep in touch to see whether or not you are going ahead. If you feel creative but are too shy to model your work, don't worry, models can be found. To enter a piece in the 2017, Celebrate with a Wearable Art show, please call Carole Vosburgh at 250 335 0314.

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Trustee Notebook By Laura Busheikin

Maps at Your Fingertips “Maps codify the miracle of existence.” – Nicholas Crane, Mercator: The Man Who Who Mapped the Planet Put a map in front of someone and they are immediately engaged. Usually, the first thing they want to do is find themselves – to put their finger, literally, on where they live. There’s something so satisfying about saying, “This is my place in the world.” Maps are not just fun ways to help us locate ourselves in space. They also hold valuable information to help us understand the physical realities of our world. And as we seek to live in harmony with those realities, maps help us make wise choices. The Islands Trust creates and maintains a range of maps. These are available online, in the Denman library, and at the Islands Trust office at the Old School (check community calendars for office hours). You can also order maps from the Islands Trust Gabriola office (250-247-2063/ northinfo@islandstrust.bc.ca) Here’s a guide to what’s available: MapIT software: one portal takes you to an interactive map world covering the whole Islands Trust Area. You can zoom in and out, and find your property by clicking on it or typing in the address. You can toggle between an orthophoto (aerial photograph), zoning/land use designation map, cadastral map (showing property lines), contour map, and more. Where? Islands Trust website, www.islandstrust.bc.ca; bottom right corner. Sensitive Ecosystem Maps: the Islands Trust Area is home to a disproportionate amount of land within sensitive ecosystems. Our maps are a good place to start learning about these special places. Where? The Denman Island page of the Islands Trust website; click on “Resources” on the right. Nearshore Ecosystem Maps: The health of the ocean surrounding our island depends to a large degree on the health of unglamorous but heroic species such as sand lance, smelt and eelgrass. We have maps showing where these are, and along with them, information for anyone wondering just why this is important enough to warrant the outlay of money and energy needed to create maps. Where? The Denman Island page of the Islands Trust website; click on “Resources” on the right. Maps to download, print or consult in a PDF version: We have maps showing aerial images, land use designations and zoning, property boundaries, terrain (contours), and parks and protected areas in versions that you can download and print. Where? Islands Trust website; click on “Maps” on the

top horizontal menu. Denman Island Official Community Plan maps: Beach Rights-of-Way, a Parks and Greenways Vision, and Development Permit Areas (which include wetlands, streams and lakes) are mapped as part of our OCP. Where? The Denman Island page of the Islands Trust website; click on “Bylaws,” on the right. More maps: a density/subdivision map which shows the total possible number of properties on the island; a protected areas map; maps associated with Denman’s Farm Plan – types of crops, pasture, forage and livestock, and soils. Where? The Denman Island page of the Islands Trust website; click on “Resources” on the right.

Get Involved! A Volunteer Opportunity Do you want to learn more about land use decisions on Denman? Could you provide useful input about bylaws, zoning, etc, especially if you had a chance to read up on issues and discuss specific questions with others? If so, please consider becoming a member of the Denman Island Advisory Planning Commission (APC). The APC advises the Denman Island Local Trust Committee on applications, proposed bylaw changes, policy development and more. No prior experience needed (you’ll receive an orientation) but you will be expected to do some reading and thinking, and show up for meetings anywhere from zero to about six times a year. Why join the APC? From personal experience I can say that being an APC member is a great way to learn about local government and community issues. I liked the challenge of articulating my ideas and seeing how they compared to others’ ideas in a small group format. And I appreciated having input into local decisions. The APC is not a great venue to promote a single issue or niche point of view, but rather is an opportunity to consider what is best for the whole island.

To apply, send an expression of interest (generally including a cover letter and resume) to: Denman Island Local Trust Committee, c/o Islands Trust Northern Office, 700 North Road, Gabriola Island, BC V0R 1X3, or email: northinfo@islandstrust.bc.ca.

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First Aid and Food SAFE courses come to Denman Island Submitted By Kate Janeway Denman Community Programs will be offering Emergency First Aid and CPR-C and Food SAFE level 1 at the Community School this spring. Emergency First-Aid with CPR "C" + AED is an interactive, 8-hour course that trains people how to react and improvise during time priority, life threatening emergencies. This course covers initial assessment, disease prevention, secondary survey, airway obstruction, adult/child/infant CPR, and the use of an Automated External Defibrillator. This course also includes recognition and first-aid treatment for head and spine injuries, shock, burns, bleeds, seizures, broken bones, anaphylactic shock, heart attacks and strokes. Participants spend the majority of the course doing hands on first-aid training. By practicing with scenarios students gain confidence and learn to react and improvise in emergency situations. This course meets Adult and Child Licensing Guidelines. Certification is valid for 3 years. This course will be offered on Saturday March 25th from 9:00am-5:00pm, the cost is $75.00 and includes the course manual. Registration deadline is Friday, March 10th at noon. FOODSAFE Level 1 is a food handling, sanitation and work safety course designed for front line food service workers such as cooks, servers, bussers, dishwashers, and deli workers. The course covers important food safety and worker safety information including foodborne illness, receiving and storing food, preparing food, serving food, cleaning and sanitizing. The BC Health Act: Food Premises Regulation states that every operator of a food service establishment, and at least one employee on every shift, must hold a FOODSAFE Level 1 certificate. The course will be held on Sunday April 2nd from 9:00am-5:00pm, the course will be offered on a sliding scale of payment $70-$90 and includes the course manual. If you can afford to pay the full course cost, please consider doing so. Registration deadline is Friday, March 24th at noon. If you are interested in either of these courses you please call to register at least 2 weeks in advance. For those with

Don Johnson 250-338-8822 www.ableandreadyseptic.ca ableandreadyseptic@shaw.ca

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financial need there will be a certain amount of funding available for bursaries. Please inquire at the Community Programs office, at 335-2058, for more information.

Bruce Jolliffe

Director

Baynes Sound – Denman/Hornby Islands (Area ‘A’)

bjolliffe@comoxvalleyrd.ca

Tel: 250-335-1275

ARTS DENMAN Public Notice Annual General Meeting 7:00 pm, Tuesday, April 11, 2017 At the Arts Centre 1016 Northwest Road Changes to the society's bylaws will be ratified at this meeting. These changes will update the society as part of the required transition to the new Societies Act Hot Chocolate and Treats will be served

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The Pulse on Plastic Submitted By Taina Uitto Snowdrops and Daffodils are beginning to push up through bare patches as the snow recedes and Seedy Saturdays are happening up and down the coast. This inspired us to plot alternatives for plastic seedling pots. Because have you ever looked under the Old School stairs?!? The great plastic pot caterpillars live there.. We set up a table at Denman’s Seedy Saturday so we could share what we came up with. Newspaper pots. It’s clear that there’s an appetite out there by many to pitch the plastic pot and embrace a more earth friendly option. We offered up two types: the square origami which, in order to master it, takes some inclination and a bit of commitment. The second round version, however, is so easy you could likely teach the family pet how to make them! Certainly a pig anyway. The idea is that you don’t need to buy anything new this spring. Sure, reuse the caterpillar segments, but they too will eventually end up as microplastics in your oysters we’re sure. Apparently the newspaper pots stand up to watering and can also be planted. As opposed to expensive coconut cups say, this material is free at your local recycling centre. And hey! Why not host a social night with friends to make pots. Pot and pot? Just an idea. For those of you who didn’t get a chance to visit us, just Youtube: ‘Origami Newspaper Seedling Pots’ and ‘Round Newspaper Seedling Pots’. The videos will walk you through. We will post the links on our Facebook page.

Happy paper potting and planting! Plastic Free Denman

Love your island, love your earth Look for us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Plasticfreedenman/

According to Doug By Doug Carrick

JUSTIN TRUDEAU’S BLUNDER Justine Trudeau has made a terrible blunder in approving the expansion of the Kinder Morgan pipeline, along with increased tanker traffic through the most sensitive parts of BC waters. From the head of Burrard Inlet, 400 tankers a year will be working their way through 12 kilometers of freighters, tug boats, ferries, cruise ships and seaplane landings until reaching the Lions Gate bridge. They will continue around Stanley Park, past numerous beaches, past Point Grey, across the mouth of the Fraser River, through the Gulf Islands and on to the open Pacific. Having such a mild climate, Vancouverites are keen on the outdoors - tennis, soccer, and hiking. The waterfront is used for swimming, picnicking and boating in summer and in all seasons, for walking, jogging and cycling. Twenty-eight kilometers of continuous waterfront paths have been built to accommodate these activities. The numerous islands at the mouth of the Fraser River have walks along the dykes, used largely by birdwatchers and photographers. These islands are a wintering area for a great diversity of birds, including bald eagles, snowy owls, and blue herons. This area is also an important stop-over for migrating birds on the Pacific flyway. The Fraser River itself was long-ago protected for its amazing runs of salmon. All five species of Pacific salmon swim miles up the Fraser to spawn - the most famous being the Adams River sockeye run. Because of the salmon congregating at the mouth of the Fraser, the famous Orca whales are resident among the nearby Gulf Islands. It was here that “Moby Doll” survived a harpooning in 1964. At that time, two other orcas swam under Moby Doll, lifting “her” to prevent drowning. And so began the love affair with orcas. These are now the most studied whales anywhere. Every one of them has a name. Recently J-34 (Double Stuf) was found dead and then J-2 (Granny) at age 105. They were among the 7 that died in 2016 - bringing their total down to 78 - on the endangered list. These orcas have influenced so many others, including Paul Watson who secretly swam with orcas in his youth. He later became an early member of Greenpeace, champion of whales and champion of the environment. David Suzuki, our great environmentalist, is another product of nature-loving Vancouver. We have allies in the First Nations people who have lived in harmony with the environment for 8,000 years. We now call this whole area the “Salish Sea” in honour of the Coast Salish people, who treated this area with such respect. And the “Gulf Islands” in the Salish Sea are also considered something special. In 1974, the government of BC placed them under the “Islands Trust” …. to “preserve and protect” the islands. The people here consider our whole

area a precious inheritance, a special Trust. We have worked long and hard to protect our surroundings and find it repulsive that Trudeau, at a wave of the hand, writes off our way of life - in favour of the tar sands, their miles of toxic tailings ponds, and the climate-changing gasses that will harm the whole world. To suggest that the Kinder Morgan pipeline is “best for Canada” is an insult to intelligent people everywhere. It is a terrible decision for Canada, for us in British Columbia, and for the whole world. The promotion of alternative energy would be far better. It has proven to provide far more jobs than the fossil fuel industry. Other countries are doing it. Why aren’t we?

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Management Planning for The Settlement Lands By Erika Bland, for Denman Conservancy Assoc

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For the past few months, DCA has been drafting the Management Plan for the Settlement Lands. This conservation area is 157 acres located on Central Road, which approximately bisects the property. The Islands Trust Fund Board has agreed to hold a conservation covenant, currently in the drafting stage, on this land. The Settlement Lands is an important parcel within a network of nearby and adjacent protected areas including Denman Island Provincial Park and Protected Area (BC Ministry of Environment land, managed by BC Parks), Inner Island Nature Reserve (owned by Islands Trust Fund) and Winter Wren Wood (owned by DCA). This network of protected areas provides expanses of wildlife habitat and ensures the maintenance of ecological connectivity across a significant area of northern Denman Island. The Settlement Lands has two significant wetland areas. Homestead Marsh, on the land adjacent to the Swale Farm, is wholly within the conservation area, as is part of the headwaters of Pickles Marsh. Both of these wetlands are maintained by beaver. Without the dams built and maintained by the beaver both of these wetlands would dry up. Note that this applies to the part of the wetland under the Pickles Road Bridge, where the Fire Department has a stand pipe to pump water for firefighting. Consequently one of the priorities of the Management Plan is providing the maximum protection of the beaver population. Provision for a Butterfly Garden has been included in

the Plan as an adjunct to the Checkerspot Reserve area. The idea is to fence a small area, to keep out deer, and grow native plants that are attractive to all of our various butterflies, as well as to Checkerspots. The garden will be located close to the road to make for easy public access as well as quick access for the gardeners! Scotch broom removal continues (in-between snowfalls) in the Butterfly Reserve and adjacent areas of high traffic and concentration, such as along trails and Central Road. The new Butterfly Information Kiosk will have maps and information about this 3.62 hectare Reserve. An outstanding question to be resolved is where to locate trails for public access. Members of the DCA Board have been hiking around the proposed routes, mostly following skid roads that were used in the logging operations on the land in about 2001. The proposed trail network is designed and will be managed to buffer sensitive wetland and Checkerspot Reserve areas from disturbance, while providing opportunities for visitors to enjoy walking in the varied ecological communities within the area. Please send us your thoughts on the draft Settlement Lands Management Plan, which will be available for viewing on the DCA website www.denmanconservancy.org until early March. A printed copy could also be made available at the Dora Drinkwater library, if needed. Contact Erika Bland 250-702-7773 to request a copy. Email feedback to info@denmanconservancy.org.

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Arts Denman does a lot of wonderful things. Under the organizational umbrella of Arts Denman we have; Concerts Denman, Readers & Writers Festival, Denman Audio Arts Collective (Open Stage), Creative Threads Conspiracy, Summer Art Gallery, Denman Early Music Festival and Special Events like last year’s ARockalyps There are two things that make Arts Denman work. Firstly it’s the thousands of volunteer hours provided by enthusiastic crew who envision these Committees and follow through to make each event a resounding success. Secondly Arts Denman is successful because of its members. By investing $10 for an Arts Denman Membership you show that our Community supports our endeavours. A larger membership shows various levels of Government that grant money awarded to Arts Denman is money well spent. Arts Denman would not be able to exist without Grants and we would not get grants without your Membership. Your membership shows that the community is vested in Arts Denman and supports the work we do. Over the years we have had more than 100 and fewer than 200 memberships. I would like to see everyone on island having a membership but that is probably dreaming. I do think we can do better than 200 memberships this year. You can get your $10 Membership at Abraxas or on line at http://www.artsdenman.org/membership and encourage your friends to join as well. Your $10 investment returns over $60 of tax money through the grants we get back to Denman Island. With these memberships Arts Denman is able to do some spectacular things. Michael Rapati President, Arts Denman

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Remove Your Trees Please When winds, snow or just gravity brings down trees or branches onto a neighbours property, the owner of the trees feels a responsibility to clean it up and repair any damage done. Yet, if the tree falls onto the road, I wonder why it is that we think it is the job of the road crew. If the road is blocked, it means emergency vehicles can't get by. Yes, the fire dept. may have a chainsaw but the ambulance and RCMP do not carry such equipment and will be seriously delayed. Unless there are hydro lines involved, I would like to propose that property owners assume the responsibility of clearing a path much like those in more civilized regions clear their

sidewalks of snow and ice. I would also like to remind folks that most emergency vehicles are large and need extra height and width to reach your home, so please trim back the trees and branches along your driveway. A roomy turn around is also extremely helpful. As well, having your address clearly displayed is a time saver in a life threatening emergency. Stay safe and be well. edi johnston Home Care Heroes The last week or so of snow and cold weather has been challenging and frightening for those of us who have been trapped in our homes by impassable roads, lack of power, lack of heat. This has been downright

terrifying for those who are hampered by age or illness. And so many members of this community have helped neighbours and friends ... it's just the Denman way. But some people's lights have shone even a little brighter; the home care workers who have trudged through deep snow to care for their clients. And out of this selfless group, two individuals have gone above and beyond. Holly Walker and Dusty have spent their days, from 6 in the morning until the last shut-in was left warm and fed in the evening, these two have plowed through the impassable. Day after day. Simple thanks don't seem enough - downright Admiration seems appropriate. Carole Vosburgh

Editorial Policy Views expressed in the Flagstone do not necessarily represent those of the editors. Letters and all other material submitted for publication may be edited for length, style, obvious factual errors and bad taste. Please write with respect for your fellow citizens. We reserve the right to refuse to publish potentially libelous material. Each writer is requested to edit his/her own work for brevity, so that we can include as many submissions as possible. Please include your full name and phone number (phone number will not be printed unless requested).

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Cartoon by Karl Goodwin

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Letters

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God in Pink by Hasan Namir Book Review by Danni Crenna The story takes place in modern Baghdad but could be in many times and places. There is an agreed -upon religion, an attitude to those who are different, and no other way is possible... Might even be US in a few years if the new Trump regime takes hold. We see the story through the eyes of a young gay man who is trying to please his older brother and his religious leaders but knows he would not be true to himself if he does. We see his dreams and fantasies and also his reality. But we also see the story through the eyes of a religious leader who struggles to help while he struggles with his own demons. It is an interesting dilemma in today's world. We pride ourselves on our open-mindedness in Canada but we also have our bigots and hate-crimes. It will be interesting to hear Namir's own story when he comes to the Readers' & Writers' Festival in July. Hasan Namir was born in Iraq in 1987 and came to Canada at a young age. He graduated from Simon Fraser University with a BA in English. His debut novel God in Pink won the Lambda Literary Award for gay fiction in 2016 and is the conflicted story of a gay, moslem man living in Baghdad during the Iraq War. It was published by Arsenal Pulp Press in 2015 and was chosen as one of the Globe’s 100 Best Books of the Year. Hasan is currently working on his second novel, Son of Sodom and he lives with his husband Tarnpal Singh Khare in Vancouver. “If reading from the context of queer lit, what's most revolutionary about God in Pink is its insistence on faith ... God in Pink gives voice to the often voiceless, offers the outside world a window into their lives, and provides a glimmer of hope for change.” —The Globe and Mail

DI Growers & Producers Alliance (GPA) What We Did in 2016 By Veronica Timmons The DI Growers & Producers Alliance, known as the GPA, was formed in 2010 to promote sustainable island agriculture. Our motto is Denman Feeding Denman. We were kept busy in 2016 with equipment rentals, fundraising, fixing the Store cooler, and some exciting new projects and programs. Our Equipment Rental Program enables members to rent: a chicken plucker, juice press, seeder, tiller, dehydrator and pipe bender. A nutcracking machine will arrive spring 2017. Email Veronica at vtimmons@telus.net if you want to join us (membership is $10pa or get a list of equipment/rental fees or look in the Abraxas envelope under D (DIGPA). Last summer we took over the organization and management of the Farmers Market. Lorraine Martinuik was hired as the Market Coordinator and she did a great job. The number of vendors almost doubled and it was a very successful season. 2017 will see more vendors and more variety. Our Scholarship Program gives out two $300 scholarships to islanders who are attending a workshop/course about agriculture. Education is part of our mandate. We sponsor workshops each year on farming, orcharding and other agriculturally-related subjects through DICES. A new program, the Off-Island Farmers Market Program was not as successful as hoped with a few members selling their produce at the Campbell river Market on Sundays. We are not offering this program in 2017 but may consider it again if more vendors/growers are interested. In 2016 the Store Suppliers Program was very successful with more growers selling their produce through the cooler purchased by us in 2013. We are currently looking to purchase a new cooler as the current one is on its last legs.

Haircuts By Riane $25 in your home Seniors' Discount

250-650-6079

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Delicious food will be ready for players and spectators in the lounge, as well as coffee, tea and apple juice, starting at 8:00 a.m. This year DCLTA (Denman Community Land Trust Association, whose aim is to provide affordable housing for long term Denman Island renters with low incomes) will be providing the food on the buffet tables on both Saturday and Sunday. There will be soup, chili, quiches, all kinds of elegant salads, hot dogs for the kids, and a dessert table, if you can tear yourself away from the action in the gym for a break. We are asking our friends from among the many amazing cooks on Denman Island to cook or make something, and we hope there will be no leftovers. Finally, there will be a 50/50 draw. Tickets will be sold on both days, and the draw will take place at the prize-giving ceremony on Sunday afternoon. Some keen gardeners may be desperate to get going in their gardens as soon as the snow has all gone, but we hope everybody will spare a few minutes over the weekend to attend this thrilling annual event and cheer for their friends and neighbours and kids who will be playing.

Table Tennis Tournament By Jane Guest

Is the winter beginning to get you down? Longing for some excitement followed by a gourmet meal? Sigh no more, the Denman Island Table Tennis Tournament is coming up on Saturday, March 11 and Sunday, March 12 at the Activity Centre (formerly known as the Seniors’ Hall). This will be fast championship table tennis played by our own stars plus competitors from off the island. They will play in six categories, novice open singles, women’s singles, recreational open singles, competitive open singles, recreational open doubles and competitive open doubles. This provides opportunities for all levels, beginning with kids and novices and ending with the most exciting match, competitive open singles. If you are interested in competing please call Peter Marshall at 250-335-0489 for further details. Gold, silver and bronze medals will be won; the top prize going to the winner of the competitive open singles final match which will take place around midday on Sunday. The winner of the recreational category, whether child or adult, automatically advances to the competitive category in next year’s tournament.

GPA UPDATE FROM PAGE 9

The Annual Food Directory went on-line in 2016 thanks to the work of Kate Janeway and funding from Denman Works! Through our website www.islandagriculture.wordpress.com and the bi-annual GPA Bulletins members are kept abreast of our progress. Our Events-Fundraising Program went well, islanders really enjoy our annual Applefest which promotes island apples and allows them to get their apples pressed and the annual Oyster Burger booth at the August Wide Open Stage where GPA President and master chef Doug Wright serves up delicious burgers (see photo). You can also find us at the Blackberry Fair and the Christmas Craft Faire. We have a very keen and dedicated Board in 2017: Emily Anderson, Erika Bland, Sam Croome, Naomi Elliot, Dylan Gale, Kate Janeway, Pat Jones, Max Rogers, Veronica Timmons and Doug Wright. Please contact any board member if you have any agriculturally-related suggestions and ideas. Like many Denman Boards we appreciate the support of Denman Works!

Homegrown Bedding Plants Veronica Timmons

This spring you will be able to purchase island grown vegetable and herb bedding plants from several suppliers: Veronica Timmons (Alveroni Gardens) and Danni Crenna ( Arcadia Gardens ) will be offering most vegetable starts including a variety of tomatoes and Meghan-Rose Babb will be offering a variety of herbs and heritage tomatoes. Our plants are grown without chemicals or pesticides and in weed/seed-free soils. They will be available in early spring at the Farmers Market site before it officially opens. If you want a list of the plants available please email

Veronica at vtimmons@telus.net or Danni at dannicrenna07@gmail.com There are advantages to buying local plants. First, you know that the starts are grown with love by growers who use organic practices and are adaptable to our climate. Many seeds are collected from last year’s plants. Buying locally helps the island economy and can support local jobs. They are also cheaper than if you buy in Courtenay where you don’t know anything about how they were grown and you have to spend money to get there! This year the growers are looking to reduce their use of plastic, especially plastic pots. To reduce the use of plastic we are making origami plant pots. When you come to buy at the early markets, bringing cardboard trays or milk cartons with the end stapled and one side cut out?? will help get your plants safely home. These origami pots can go right into the ground with the seedling so the roots don't get disturbed when transplanting.

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Adham Shaikh, Eliazar, and Co-Captain in the Front Hall March 31st By Eli Hason

Time to boogie Denman. We have a great dance set up for you with Adham Shaik coming to get us all in for a boogie at the front hall. Here is a bio Adham Shaikh is a composer, record producer and sound designer living near Nelson, British Columbia. Shaikh's interest in music began by exploring synthesizers in the early 1980s. In the early 1990s, he found the electronic music scene full of innovative and explorative sounds. This environment created an opportunity for him to present his compositions to an audience already embracing electronic music. Shaikh furthered his electro acoustic composition at Queen's University and has continued making music resulting in his present diverse discography. Shaikh's music is a blend of many different styles and techniques. It is a world groove blend of fusion, dub, world beat, tech house, ambient, and jazz. From growing up listening to Indian ragas and Western classical music, he developed an ear for a fusion of sounds from around the world. This musical blend of styles and traditions inspire his compositions. The 21st-century rituals of dance and chill-out have drawn Shaikh to explore the trance phenomenon that these different expressions of music create and allow.

Over the years, Shaikh has had the pleasure to work with many talented musicians playing musical instruments from India; Bali, Indonesia; Africa; Scandinavia; Turkey; the United States; and Canada. Shaikh was nominated for a 2006 Juno award in the category of World Music Album of the Year. Adham is my favourite DJ/Producers in Canada to dance to, bringing all manner of world and electronic music together weaving a great story to enjoy. It is also the first time I am taking the plunge to bring a big artist to the front hall so please come out and bring some friends from all over for the dance, as if it works out, I will be able to bring more electronic artists to the island to make use of our new sound system. Local favourites Co-Captain and Eliazar will be there to take part in the night. There will also be a bar so it is 19+, sorry kiddos. The night begins at 8pm, and tickets are $20 in advance. Tickets can be bought online at http://www.ticketor.com/speakeasy/upcomingevents?pageid=46108 or from Abraxas. Hope to see you on the dance floor to celebrate the coming of spring, as we need to shake those winter blues away. Minding the Gulf: Science, Psychiatry and

Social Justice By Lori Nawrot

Of the precious few integrated resources available about mental health, one truly broad look at the state of the field can be found at Mad in America at madinamerica.com, whose mission statement is: "to serve as a catalyst for rethinking psychiatric care in the United States (and abroad). We believe that the current drug-based paradigm of care has failed our society, and that scientific research, as well as the lived experience of those who have been diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder, calls for profound change." Based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, MIA president Robert Whitaker was director of publications at Harvard Medical School during the 90s and has written a number of books on the history of psychiatry that include: Mad in America (2002), Anatomy of an Epidemic (2010), and Psychiatry Under the Influence (2015). One of MIA's board members, Kermit Cole, has a background in film-making, and master's degrees in psychology from Harvard. MIA operations manager is Christopher Page, whose "interest in psychology is borne out of his own suffering, which he understands as both an intrinsic aspect of the human condition, and also the result of adverse life experience." Similarly, managing editor, Emmeline Mead, is an activist, artist and "psychiatric survivor whose experiences

with psychiatry started as a foster child." The 19-member MIA staff represent a broad blend of lived experience and academic expertise who collectively produce an alternative view of mental health in the 21st century. Mad in America hosts a comprehensive webzine at madinamerica.com with daily publications of peer-reviewed findings in mental health that address alternative treatment, research into the harmful effects of some psychiatric medications, and new findings in social and economic indicators for mental health issues. The site also hosts an educational component offering free video lectures on topics as varied as understanding the nature of audio hallucinations, recovery-oriented approach to early episode psychosis, or anti-depressants and pregnancy. You can also sign up for a weekly newsletter and other periodic updates by email. The site content is free with the opportunity to donate if you can.

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In 200 words or less By Bill Engleson www.engleson.ca

“John McCain said that Sarah Palin is still a force in the Republican Party. Then he got in his car and backed over his mailbox.” David Letterman or “Nothing echoes like an empty mailbox.” Charles M. Schultz It was the first snow of the season. A light dusting, as we occasionally say, a few of us even performing contortions to avoid invoking the ominous heavy dusting, whatever that might be. Nothing to write home about, I thought. As it transpired, it was one of the last light dustings of the deep-freeze season. I scraped the car windows and headed out to a meeting. I pulled alongside our new row of mail boxes. Impressive little containers. Folks had whined when we heard we had to give up the green ones. Not me. The old ones looked like military issue, good only for storing ordnance. I have no ordnance. I was also surprised to see my box was no longer halfway to Hells Gate, but rather, eye-level. That was the good news. The bad news: entry was thwarted. For some reason, our aberrantly nippy winter, which continued into February, seized up these new-fangled boxes. Mind you, this is southern BC. Most of the rest of Canada has longer spells of viciously colder weather. Surely these state-of-the-art containers were field-tested in the glacial north, or Toronto, or someplace insufferably cold? Fiery breath, perseverance, and hot damn cursing--eventually, it opened.

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Bird Notes By Patrick Fawkes Note: This article was written for the February Flagstone, but missed the deadline!”

Migrations It’s a “town day” in November. As I walk across Thrifty’s parking lot, I am stopped by the distant calls of geese flying high towards the Courtenay estuary. Without binoculars I quickly estimate 150 to 200 grey-brown birds – probably Greater Whitefronted Geese – in a straggly, wavy flock that continuously changes shape, without an obvious leader; occasionally a small group forms into a “V” that quickly dissolves into the larger flock. There is much excitement in the flock with high-pitched calls intensifying as the birds veer towards old Farquharson’s Farm, many birds gliding, and sideslipping now, as they disappear below the trees. I try to imagine being in that flock having already flown many kilometers that morning, or perhaps through the night, and now am relieved to find open fields on which to rest and feed. Two different worlds, both looking for food: the geese flapping to keep themselves airborne; humans in the parking lot hurrying to get their list of chores done. I was happy to have been briefly reminded of that other world of wild birds. I always look forward to the fall migrations of flocks of swans, geese or ducks, and thought I’d missed them this year; I need to be outside more often to see and hear these spectacles. So I was happy to hear and see a flock of 23 Sandhill Cranes flying south over Baynes Sound a few days later. That is, I think they were Sandhills. Once again I didn’t have binoculars with me, nor a recorder to check the calls when I got home. I heard the calls before I saw the birds, and the calls didn’t sound quite like those of cranes. In my notebook I wrote: “heard cry/call like a child imitating a bird call – a ragged line, flapping with deep wing-beats not like most geese . . . some white showing as flying, backs and tops of wings greyish . . . not GWFG (Greater White-fronted Geese), they have white under tail.” Anyway I was excited to see what I thought were Sandhill Cranes, a bird that Peter Matthessen

says . . . “is the earliest of all modern species on the fossil record . . . it is the oldest living birds species on earth.” Why do some bird species migrate long distances while others remain in or close to their breeding areas? Adrian Forsyth says birds migrate to take advantage of changing ecological conditions, they do it to avoid harsh climatic conditions and to go where there is abundant food. But there are hazards to migration, and many birds don’t survive, particularly the small ones. However, Sandhill Cranes have one of the highest annual survival rates – 85% to 90% - based on the number of birds that leave their breeding areas and return the next year. Survival rates don’t measure how many survive migrations, but with such overall high annual rates, cranes must do well on migration. They are reported to live as long as 21 years, which means surviving 42 migrations in a lifetime. Tar sands tailing-ponds in Alberta are a major hazard for ducks as they fly south in the fall, and especially flying northwards in the spring when they are in a hurry to return to their breeding grounds in northern Canada. There have been many reports of ducks killed on these toxic ponds. One of the worst catastrophic events occurred in April 2008 when 1,600 ducks died on a Syncrude pond. After a two year investigation the company agreed to pay a $3,000,000 penalty. However, in October 2010, 230 ducks died on one of these ponds and also ponds belonging to Shell and Suncore: no penalties were imposed! Greenpeace has for years maintained that industry should stop using these toxic pools that pose an ongoing threat, not just for bird populations, but animals and downstream communities adjacent to the Athabasca River *******************************************

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BIRD NOTES FROM PAGE 15

“Slime, Shorebirds and a Scientific Mystery”, an article in the Hakai magazine, intrigued me. It is a long and interesting article about shorebirds feeding on the mudflats at the south part of the Fraser River estuary near the Roberts Bank terminal. Here’s a brief summary. Bob Elner, a research scientist at Environment and Climate Change Canada, has been studying shorebirds as part of the environmental assessment process for the proposed expansion of the Roberts Bank container terminal. Elner’s team has spent hundreds of hours watching shorebirds on the mudflats. As the tide goes out, some shorebirds keep following the retreating tide to feed. Western Sandpipers usually go some 300 meters out, and stop. To find out what these sandpipers are eating, Elner sent several sandpiper heads (yes we still kill for science!) to professor of marine biology Peter Beninger’s lab in France, where he has a powerful scanning electronic microscope. At 1,000 times magnification he noticed that unlike many shorebirds that feed exclusively by probing tidal flats for small crustaceans and mollusks with their beaks, Western

Sandpipers have feathery tongues whose edges and tips are covered with keratinous bristles, and embedded in the bristles were tiny single-cell algae called diatoms. Diatoms use sunlight to make their own food, such as carbohydrates and omega 3 fatty acids that secrete mucous slime that binds them together and to the mud. The Western Sandpipers use their bristly tongues to slurp up the silvery gunk on the surface of the tidal flats – a substance scientists call biofilm; it occurs on intertidal mudflats worldwide. A Japanese researcher Tomohiro Kuwae had also been studying shorebirds feeding on mudflats in Tokyo Bay, Japan. He and assistants meticulously collected biofilm samples from the sandpipers’ feathery tongues collected on Roberts Bank. Analysis showed that the biofilm accounted for as much as 59% of the birds’ diet. It was critically important to the migrating sandpipers for storing enough energy to travel the next 500 or 1,000 km. leg of their journey up the Pacific Flyway to their breeding grounds in northern Alaska. ***************************************** I have just heard this morning (January 19) a Song Sparrow practising his notes: can spring be far away?

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Agriculture Matters By Max Rogers

Patty Rose

In February, the Pesticide-Free Committee gave a talk for the Garden Club and it was excellent. My personal favorite was the talk Patty Rose gave. She had some unbelievable things to say including a magical recipe for deer fencing. Let me explain who Patty Rose is. Patty started off life on her Mennonite family’s raspberry and strawberry farm. She has always worked in horticulture, landscaping and was, for many years, in charge of the Compost Education Centre for the city of Courtenay. So, Patty has a lot of background and is a charming and practical woman and a font of knowledge. One trick she talked about was finding out what the critters are that are eating your plants. She puts a piece of stiff yellow card, smeared with Vaseline by the plant for a few days and then checks it with a magnifying glass to see what the creatures are. Linda Gilkeson has an excellent book out for the identification of garden creatures. It is called West Coast Gardening: Natural Insect, Weed and Disease Control. So, once you find the creatures on the card and examine them with a magnifying glass, Linda has many practical methods of dealing with them. Both Linda Gilkeson and Patty Rose advise planting the garden on the May long weekend. It saves a lot of trouble if we let the soil warm up before planting. In fact, Patty gave me a list of temperatures to plant by. At 4 Celsius we can plant arugula, fava beans, kale, lettuce, bok choi, parsnips, peas, radish and spinach. When the soil warms to 10 Celsius we can plant Chinese cabbage, leeks, onions, Swiss chard and turnips. At 16 Celsius, we can plant beans, beets, broccoli, Brussel’s sprouts, cabbage, carrots and cauliflower. At 21 Celsius we can plant tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, cucumbers, squash, corn and melons. I plan to get a soil thermometer and start using it. Patty explained that sick plants attract unwanted attention from bugs. She said to water the garden deeply but only twice a week. I used to water nearly every day in the summer but Patty says this makes the plants sickly so I was doing more work for a poorer result. Patty uses an interesting bait for night crawling insects. They seem attracted to a saucer of half soy sauce and half water with a little slick of cooking oil on top. The soy sauce seems to do for them. Patty says to not worry about wasps because they are the gardeners friend and eat lots of soft-bodied insects. If they become troublesome, she diverts them away from where she wants to work by putting out a sugar-water

drink for them away from where she wants to be. I had a number of those European paper wasps in my greenhouse because they were attracted to the large saucer of water I keep in there to accommodate my grass snakes who enjoy the extra heat. Patty asked me if I had any spider mites in my greenhouse and I said no. She said that was due to the wasps patrolling. So even the wasps are a help. She asked us if we have a rat problem and we said that yes, we did. The Norway rats mostly stay down but the black rats are tree climbers and eat birds’ eggs and nestlings and eat the fruit out of the trees. Patty has an excellent recipe to kill rats without endangering other animals. She said to blend up equal quantities of cement with either cat food, dog food or even flour. Put a saucer of this out where the cats and dogs cannot get at it and the rats will eat it and it will kill those rats. Patty saved her best tip for the last. She had some friends who were growing marijuana in the mountains and they could not keep the deer out of their crops. Deer do like to de-stress at times. The marijuana farmers tried many things to keep the deer out and hit upon a brilliant solution of stringing clear fishing line at deer neck, shoulder and ankle heights. This really should not work but the deer cannot seem to see the transparent lines and it upsets them to walk into something they cannot see. I told Patty that if this method works, she could be up for sainthood. I plan to try a patch of something tasty like kale and see if my deer are dissuaded by the fishing line. I caution people to remember, even if the deer cannot get in, the raccoons can and they are buggers for digging up beds of plants they have no intention of eating just to eat the worms in the soil. Raccoons have a sweet tooth and will happily eat any soft fruit such as strawberries. We get huge crops of fruit every year because our fruit garden is behind electric fencing and raccoons cannot bear to have their noses zapped. There really is no good reason to use dangerous chemical pesticides. Everything in the farm, garden and fancy lawn can be managed just as well and more cheaply with safe methods. Pesticides, herbicides and fungicides are damn dangerous because they combine into new and more deadly compounds when they meet and they persist for we do not know how long. I just read that tiny shrimp in the Marianas Trench (possibly the deepest place in the oceans) are full of high levels of DDT and PCBs which have

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Submitted by Sara French

The Denman Store

(your community store for over 100 years)

We are part of the Fernie Brewery's beer of the month approved suppliers. Every month we will be getting a new tall bottle of beer to sell. These limited edition brews are only brewed once a month and then they are retired. We are looking for produce for the produce cooler. If you have produce to sell please contact Veronica Timmons of the Growers & Producers Association at 250 335 1828 for more details.

Mike Lindsay Denman Art Wall Artist of the

Month: Alan Stoddart

First class amazing staff. Boss who thinks whenever there is an earthquake geologists are quick to find fault. Store Phone: 250 335 2293 Post Office Phone: 250 335 1636

AG MATTERS FROM PAGE 17 been banned for a very long time and they are still out there in the remotest parts of the world making creatures sick. So, I hope everyone on Denman will take up the challenge to make Denman a pesticide-free zone. We can make our gardens prettier and attract beneficial insects by planting my favorite flowers: sweet alyssum, dill, cilantro, asters also called Michaelmas daisies, cheerful calendulas, mints, thyme, sage, rosemary, lavender and leaving some kale, leeks and onions to bloom in their second year. Parsley also flowers all season in its second year and will give you a good crop of parsley from the seeds that fall from it. Spring is a busy time with many jobs to accomplish in the garden. Do your back a favour by changing jobs and positions every half hour. Double digging 100 square feet of garden your first day out will probably lead to some terrible back strain. A paramedic friend who worked on Salt Spring told me about Spring call outs that consisted on finding gardeners on their knees and unable to stand after going at too much hard labour the first sunny day. That means the gardeners in question would have been unable to do any work for weeks or months afterwards. Be careful out there!

The Denman Island Garden Club is moving to Spring hours. We will be meeting at the United Church Hall at 7 pm Wednesday 15 March for a talk on Soil Development and for our Seedy Wednesday event. Bring seeds to trade and be prepared to be amazed at the sheer variety of vegetable, herb and flower seeds we have to offer and they are all organically produced! We also have a raffle of garden prizes and tickets are 3 for $5. Free coffee, tea and treats.

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Denman is a Growing Community by John Millen Denman Island population grew faster over the last five years than it has since the early 1990’s. The population figures from the 2016 census, released in February, show that Denman’s resident population has increased by 14% over the last five years to 1165. This is a change from the previous fifteen years which saw essentially no increase. [Census 1996 population: 1020, and Census 2011 population: 1022]. The number of occupied private dwellings in 2016 was 592. Hornby Island has not had a similar population increase. Their 2016 population count is 1016, an increase of 6.1% over five years. Some other Gulf Islands have had decreases in their populations: Gabriola Island -0.3%; Galiano Island -8.3%; and Lasqueti Island -6.3%. More detailed results from the census will be released by Statistics Canada later, when we will learn more about our demographics by age groups etc. and more about housing such as the percentage of houses rented versus those occupied by the owner. Denman Island does not aspire to endless growth. The Official Community Plan (OCP) aims to maintain the rural character of the Island and has terms to address this. One of the Guiding Principles of that Plan is “To understand that uncontrolled population growth would constitute an unacceptable threat to the very limited space and resources of the Island; and to recognize that this understanding implies a continued need for a limit on development.” In the part of the OCP dealing with Housing the plan’s objectives include “To ensure housing options preserve human diversity in the community” and “To set the maximum for the overall residential density of the Island as the residential density possible with the zoning regulations in place at the time of adoption of this Plan (2008) while providing flexibility for a range of dwelling types”. This last objective places a restriction on further subdivisions on the Island. Assuming the average number of persons per household doesn’t change, this restriction on further subdivision limits the Island population to just over 2000 persons. Currently the average household size on Denman is very close to (a smidgeon under) two persons. OK, I know you are just lusting after one more figure: if the recent rate of growth is maintained, Denman Island will reach a full house population of 2000 persons by 2036.

Shoot For The Moon report By Dr Ron Wilson

Well, the weather has certainly been against us the last part of January and early February. Difficult to manage those snowy and icy roads and trails. There is one place to be active and stay dry and immune to the weather and that is the wonderful gym at the Activity Centre. A membership is as cheap as it comes ($10/month) with unlimited access. I must admit that having a treadmill at home makes a big difference for me to be able to be active on a regular basis without straying too far from home. As I write this piece (middle of February) our distance tracking sheet has just under 60 people having logged in their distances and the total distance is under 8,000 Kms. My preliminary calculations estimated that with 350 people averaging 3 Km per day it will get us to the moon by the end of the year. So our current data shows we will not make it this year. Now I am not about to throw in the towel for this year yet as with a strong push on everyone's part, I believe we can still do it. But we definitely need a lot more people on board and logging in their distances. Now I am sure there are still lots of you out there who do walk on a regular basis but who do not log your distance on the website. Instructions for logging on: go to denmanactivitycentre.com and click on Activity Challenge 2017 found on the bar at the top of the page. Click on that and then click on Log Your Distance and a page will come up about tracking distances. Near the bottom of the page is a link to the Distance Tracking Sheet where you can add your name and distances. Each column is one month. You can back date all the way to the beginning of January. Remember, estimates are fine and you can count each and every step you take. If you need a pedometer to get an estimate of your daily steps, we still have some at the medical clinic. So it is not difficult to do. If you aren't able to access the website you can always send me an email at rawilson33@gmail.com and I will enter them for you. So join in the fun. Stay tuned to the Grapevine for updates and reports on events. They also are reported on our Group events page. We regularly hold a group walk on the 4th Tuesday of the month on one of the Island trails. Also on April 23rd we will be having our 4th Annual Spring Walk, Run or Cycle event. Finally, why are we doing this challenge at all. The point is really to become regularly Physically Active for all the physical and mental health benefits it gives us. It goes a long way towards preventing a lot of diseases such as Heart and Stroke, lung, diabetes and even some cancers. But perhaps more important are the benefits to our health now. We will feel more energetic. Our mood will improve. We will gain confidence in our abilities to do and accomplish things. If we do it with others, it will improve our social network. And

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finally, if you are at all like me, I often am able to think well while I am walking and it provides time to be reflective and issues often become clear as I am out in nature. So don't be hesitant, come along and join in our space adventure this year. Dr. Ron

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

and Energy Banking By Max Rogers

I assume we all know how budgeting works. A person has certain fixed expenses, some unpredictable expenses and an income. Successful budgeting happens when the income exceeds expenditure. This is also the case with Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia (and probably many other chronic illnesses) but with energy taking the place of money. I was talking with one of our wonderful Physicians here on Denman and he said the problem with people who have CFS and, or, Fibromyalgia is that they do not manage their energy well. That is indeed the case but managing a financial budget would be very difficult if the bank assured you that you had $20,000 so you spend $500 of it only to have the bank tell you later that day that they really meant you were overdrawn by $20,000. That is how CFS and Fibromyalgia work. I can wake up feeling fine and go do a little work or exercise only to crash horribly in energy deficit and be wracked with pain and have layers of dense fog settle on my brain. This sort of thing still happens to me but not so severely as when I was first ill. Now I know my body tells lies about its energy reserves and I do not trust it. I find that a good way to plan around not knowing how much energy I really have is to take stock of how I am feeling and then do only half of what I feel capable of. This is really hard for me to do on those rare but wonderful days when I wake up as the young Napoleon Bonaparte. There is so much to do on our little farm and so many things I want to paint or study, so many walks I want to go on that my desires outstrip my resources. There may be a reason that these illnesses always afflict terrier-type people. We have more enthusiasm for life than is strictly helpful. I imagine relaxed people are exposed to the conditions or infections that cause CFS and Fibromyalgia all the time but they never push themselves so the condition never gets a foothold. So perhaps relaxing and not pushing ourselves is the first step. Better health and higher function are great prizes so I hope we can all overcome the habits of a lifetime and become better energy managers.

The Denman Island Garden Club is hosting a Master Composter Course in April. Patty Rose of the CVRD Compost Education Centre will teach the workshop which will run 4 to 6 hours. Each participant will receive a manual and a Master Composter certificate. We need at least 6 students to run this course and the cost is $50 per person. Bring a lunch and I will provide the tea and cake. Contact Max Rogers at 335-1088 to register for the course. The Growers and Producers has a bursary program for anyone attending an agricultural course. Contact Veronica Timmons at 335-1828 to apply for the bursary.

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Rising Sea Levels- Another Threat to Fish! By edi johnston

If you regularly walk the beach you will have noticed increasing sea levels and the erosion to the adjoining upland. Naturally, property owners wanting to protect their property, would consider using concrete walls, rip rap or other “hard armouring” materials. Unfortunately, using these materials can bury the upper intertidal zone and may also damage spawning habitat by causing increased erosion and interruption of sediment transport. “Where the upward extent of beach migration is limited by shoreline armoring (Griggs and others, 1994; Griggs, 2005), loss of spawning habitat might be exacerbated (Thom and others, 1994).” We are privileged here on Denman to have both pacific sand lance and surf smelt spawning in the upper regions of our beaches, other gulf islands aren't as lucky. Both sand lance and surf smelt, described by DFO as “a key link in the food chains of Canada's marine ecosystems, transferring energy from lower levels to higher levels of the food chain”are protected (along with their spawning areas) under the The federal Fisheries Act and local government's zoning bylaws. Little is known about these fishes but recently a U. of Washington study found that sand lance often bury themselves in the sand for up to 6 months coming out only to feed and deposit eggs. U of W. also found that surf smelt stay close to

home with only a few moving as far as about 1.2 miles away, so habitat protection is crucial for the survival of these two species that spawn year round. “Maintaining abundant surf smelt and sand lance is a conservation imperative and impacts to a small part of the upper beach might result in a large loss of eggs because surf smelt eggs are most abundant at high beach elevations”. To mitigate the harm done by hard armouring, the BC Min. of the Environment suggests using a ‘soft shore’ approach. Good information is available from the Washington Dept. of Ecology Shoreline Management website and specifically at -http://greenshoresforhomes.org/ . We do know that because the eggs are left to incubate in the upper regions for weeks, they are vulnerable to other harmful practices. The BC Min. of the Environment notes that “walking on the beach does not damage the eggs, vehicles and ATVs can harm the spawning deposits.” We also know that compaction from vehicle use on the foreshore renders the substrate inhospitable to depositing the eggs. With 15 salmon bearing rivers and streams in Baynes Sound, taking care of Denman Isl. forage fish beaches is crucial and something we can do locally that potentially has far reaching consequences.

BC Ambulance Attendants (ie Paramedics) and Dispatchers are seeking our assistance. In 2010 the BC government included ambulance attendants and dispatchers with the Facilities Bargaining assoc which is hospital support staff rather than with other first responders like fire fighters and police. In the government's opinion the ambulance is an emergency vehicle but the attendants are not considered emergency personnel. Being included in the Fire and Police Services Bargaining Act would give ambulance attendants & dispatchers more clout at the bargaining table. They would like to see more ambulances and trained operators brought into service throughout the province to ease the demand on the existing service thereby shortening overtime shifts and reducing wait times for ambulances. Having an ambulance, fire & police services bargaining unit would also keep paramedics and dispatchers as essential service employees and prevent them from being in a strike or locked out position which could happen if they were to remain in the hospital support staff bargaining unit. An Initiative to Amend the Fire & Police Bargaining Act was launched by the BC Paramedics and Dispatchers on January 9th 2017, giving them 90 days to collect signatures of at least 10% of registered BC voters. Jayne Anne O'Reilly and Gloria Michin have registered with elections BC on behalf of this Initiative as volunteer canvassers to collect signatures in our electoral area. Rather than the daunting job of going door-to-door on Denman, we are going to set up a table with the required petitions at the Recycling Center on March 18th 9 am to noon. and the porch of the General Store on Saturday March 25 from 10 to noon and Sunday March 12 at the Table Tennis Tournament from 10 to 1 pm to collect signatures. You may submit your signature on the petition at those times or call one of us to make an alternate arrangement. Having a group of people in one place at one time would be really convenient.

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BC Paramedics Need Our Help By Jayne Anne O'Reilly

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Health and Wellness Matters: Powerful Energy Tune-up and Histamine Support By Shari Dunnet & Richard Menard Certified Healing Practitioners

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Our focus this month is Spring! As the days grow longer and (hopefully!) warmer, many of us are inspired to spring into action in our lives – brush off the rust of winter and get going on projects we’ve been musing about over the past few months. Or just getting out in the garden and being more active. Spring with all its marvelous renewal is the perfect time for that saying, “out with the old and in with the new”. As our homes can use some spring clearing, so too can our bodies. On an energetic level, it’s good to do the same – clearing out old stagnant energy and welcoming in new life force or chi. Stagnated energy can result in our systems no longer communicating well which can lead to low energy, pain, even debilitating conditions and diseases. It can also manifest as confusion, brain fog, depression, feeling stuck, lack of motivation and indecision. Clearing out your energy field helps restore communication resulting in greater vitality, mental sharpness and an overall feeling of wellbeing. An energetic “cleaning house” of our body and energy field helps us create better health and wellbeing on all levels – mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. The premise is simple: our bodies are amazing and our power for self-healing is truly phenomenal. Our body’s systems are all communicating within a web of intricate relationships. The essential art of Bio-Energy Healing is to restore this communication by removing blocked, stagnant energy so the body’s ability to heal itself is supported and restored. We are offering a Spring Bio-Energy Healing Tune-up Special for the month of March – a $15 savings! One hour session will be $60 for all of March. Histamine Support: Many folks suffer from seasonal allergies which can really take away from the enjoyment of spring. We are now happy to offer a wonderful product from a small, heart-centered company based in California called Bioray. Using Traditional Chinese medicine and Western science, their formulas use organic and wild-crafted ingredients that are highly effective. This product, “Loving Energy” is a restorative and calming tonic that relieves stress and exhaustion, supports the lungs, kidneys and adrenal system, which in turn balances the body’s histamine response. It is beneficial for those who experience seasonal

allergies and sniffles. It also restores creative energy, improves mental focus and promotes a feeling of wellbeing. Receive 10% off when you purchase “Loving Energy” from Bioray with our discount code: LIGHTBODY. Give us a call or visit our website @ www.lightbodyhealingworks.com. Or purchase directly online @ www.bioray.com/loving-energy. Tea wisdom: Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished – Lao Tzu To your health and well-being! Happy Spring! Shari & Richard are certified Level 3 practitioners. Bio-Energy Healing is a safe, non-invasive and remarkably effective health system that uses a series of techniques to release congestion, stagnation and blocks in energy flow re-establishing the free flow of energy – and health and wellbeing on all levels. For more information: call 335-

1877 or visit: www.lightbodyhealingworks.com

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Community Events Listings Sponsored by Union Bay Credit Union

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Wednesday March 1 @1:30 PM, Back Hall Choir Practice Thursday March 2nd at the Guest House Bistro Art Opening (page 14) Friday March 3rd @ 7 pm at the Guest House Bistro, Comedy & Music Night (page 14)

Sunday March 5 @12 noon Back Hall Community Scoop Tuesday March 7, 9:30 a.m. at the Activity Centre, DI L TC Regular Business Meeting, Wednesday March 8 @ 1:30 Back Hall Choir Practice Wednesday March 8th @700pm, DIRCS general meeting, back hall Friday, March 10th , 7:00pm at the Hornby Hall Getting to Room Temperature - a Play ** Specially Timed so Denman can attend! (page 3) Saturday March 11, 10 - noon, at the Old School, Islands Trustee office hours Saturday, March 11 and Sunday, March 12 at the Seniors / Denman Activity Center, Table Tennis Tournament (page 10) Sunday, March 12 from 10- 1pm at the Table Tennis Tournament - Signatures for BC Paramedics(page 22) Monday March 13 @7:30 PM, Back Hall DIRA

Deadline for April's

Flagstone is Friday

March 17th

denmanflagstone@gmail.com

Wednesday March 15 @1:30, Back Hall Choir Practice Wednesday 15 March at 7 pm at the United Church Hall, Denman

Island Garden Club - talk on Soil Development and Seedy Wednesday event. (page 18) Thursday March 16 @ 7:00 PM , Back Hall Open Stage Friday March 17th at the Guest House Bistro St Patrick's Day Celebration (page 14) Saturday March 18th 9 am to noon at the Recycling Depot - Signatures for BC Paramedics(page 22) Sunday March 19 @ 12 noon?, Back Hall Community Scoop Wednesday March 22 @ 1:30 PM Back Hall Choir Practice Saturday March 25th from 9:00am-5:00pm, at the Community School, Emergency First Aid Course (page 5) Saturday March 25 from 10 to noon at the Denman General Store Porch - Signatures for BC Paramedics(page 22) Saturday March 25th at the Guest House Bistro, Strings (page 14) Wednesday March 29 @ 1:30 Back Hall Choir Practice Friday March 31st@ 8 pm in the Front Hall, DJ & Live Music Dance (page 11) Friday March 31st Deadline For UB Credit Union Student Bursaries (page 13 & page 21) Sometime in April Denman Island Garden Club is hosting a

Master Composter Course (page 21) Preregistration necessary Sunday April 2nd from 9:00am-5:00pm, at the Community School, Food Safe Level 1 Course (page 5) Tuesday, April 11, 7:00 pm, Arts Centre - ARTS DENMAN Annual General Meeting (page 5) Saturday June 10th & Sunday June 11th , Home & Garden Tour including Community School Plant Sale (page 1 & 3) Saturday October 21st, 2017 Wearable Art Show (page 3)

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Community Events Listings Sponsored by Union Bay Credit Union

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For the Love of Dogs By Slug Blume

Dogs are very patient, tolerant and forgiving. Learning their language can help us develop a better understanding of each other's needs about the worlds and creatures around us. How do we know when a dog wants attention from a human? How do we know when they are asking to be left alone? Humans often intrude on a dog's personal space. Intruding means you haven't asked permission, or you are ignoring a dogs 'no' signals. Humans enjoy connecting with and touching what attracts us. A dog does not have to talk to you, or let you pet it. Consider asking yourself if the contact is your desire, or the dog's? If you don't give them the choice, how do you know? Being able to see when a dog is uncomfortable may one day keep you, a child or another dog/creature safe. Stress Signs; Lip licking. Yawning. Closed mouth. Averted eyes. Staring, Not blinking, Whites of eyes visible. Head ducking, body low, tucked/stiff tail, moving head/body away. Becomes very still [then stops breathing]. These may be presented individually or together. They could be saying" I'm nervous", "I'm afraid", "I'm busy", "I may lash out" or "I'm not interested". Happy welcoming signs; Wide open mouth, tongue visible, soft/blinking eyes, leaning into affection, stretching, loose limbs, wide swinging/thumping tail. Humans can mimic what a friendly dog does when they see those stressor signs; approach at an angle, blinking soft eyes, relaxed jaw, lean away from the other [not into or over them], play bow[squat/crouch down], turning the head/body slightly and back and forth, move away, and letting the other make the next move. Can we learn to wait for the dog to move towards us? That is the best way to know if a dog wants attention, to let it make the choice itself. Many humans unknowingly replicate the behaviour of a dog who wants to challenge another; approach it in a straight line/head on, lean over the others body, and stand really still, stare without blinking, tense/tall body and low/slow breathing, then maybe it bares its teeth. Most humans replicate these signals without knowing it. We see a dog and walk straight up to it, our eyes get wide and focused on the dogs face, our hearts get faster, we lean over the dog [bending at

the waist], big smile, hold our breath and place our hand on the dogs head. At what point did the dog say “yes please, hello friend”. Both dog and human have ignored the other dog's stressor signs. What options are left to a dog feeling threatened? Aquiese? walk away? Warn? Attack? Dog language will also show when a dog stops feeling comfortable with the attention they are sharing with you. So if already engaging with a pooch and they start licking their lips, or yawning, if they become really still and stop breathing, then stop petting, turn your head, lean away. The dog now has the choice to lean into you again, to move away, or to relax because you heard them. Dogs communicate with body signals which humans can often miss and humans approach dogs in ways that make them uncomfortable. How many times have you reached to touch the top of a dogs head and the dog ducked away, even slightly. Pursuing this dog may end in a snarl/nip/bite, if not for you maybe the next person/child as the dog learns their attempts to say 'no thank you' will be ignored. If a dog is showing any of the mentioned stressors, it is not comfortable or doesn't understand your intentions. Try a new approach or leave the cute creature alone. Dogs can be forced to allow our desire for contact because we have made it clear that the final [and clearest] warnings, a snarl, lunge, snap or bite is unacceptable. So let's spread the word about the acceptable warning signs and help more dogs feel better about sharing the world of humans.

Dogs are living, breathing, thinking, feeling creatures. With their own desires, joys, fears. Together humans and animals can learn/teach tools to enjoy fun, relaxed and safe lives together, fulfilling everyone's needs.

questions/feedback brokenstapledwings@gmail.com

Check out the Creative

Threads Conspiracy

Website!! Class are starting

to fill!

www.creativethreadsconspiracy.com

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Household Cleaners in our Islands’ Waters Submitted By Ellen Leslie Many commercial household cleaning products are not groundwater or septic friendly because they contain toxins including chlorine, ammonia, lye, hydrochloric and sulfuric acids, xylene, formaldehyde, phenol, ethanol, and cresol. Protect yourself, your family, our groundwater and the environment by putting together a safe cleaning kit with inexpensive, effective ingredients. The building blocks for this kit are baking soda, liquid soap, steel wool, vegetable oil, borax, washing soda, white vinegar, lemon juice, cream of tartar, and salt. ALL PURPOSE CLEANER Mix 125 ml pure soap with 4 litres hot water. Add 60 ml strained lemon juice to cut grease or dissolve 60 ml baking soda in 1 litre hot water. Mix equal parts of vinegar and salt for scouring. DISHES Add pure soap flakes to hot water, add vinegar for tough grease. LAUNDRY Borax can replace detergent -125 ml per average laundry load. To enhance, add 80 ml washing soda to the water as the machine is filling. Put clothes in, add 375 ml of pure soap flakes. For hard water add 60 ml of vinegar during the first rinse. This is also a fabric softener. When switching from detergent to pure soap, wash items twice with 80 ml of washing soda only to remove residues and reduce yellowing. Use a hydrogen peroxide bleach or 125 ml of washing soda in a load of laundry. And you can add 125 ml of borax for additional cleaning power. BATHROOM CLEANERS AND DISINFECTANTS Clean surfaces regularly with ½ c. borax in approx. 4 litres hot water or pure soap in hot water. For TUB AND TILE, use a firm bristled brush with plain baking soda or a mixture of 125 ml pure soap in 4 litres hot water with baking soda added. For MOLD AND MILDEW, rub tiles and grout with a cloth moistened with vinegar, then scrub with an old tooth or nail brush. TOILET BOWL CLEANER Use borax or mix borax and lemon juice and let stand, then scrub. For regular cleaning, use pure soap and water. For stubborn calcium stains, put 1000 mg of vitamin C in the bowl, leave overnight, and scrub. DRAIN CLEANER Use a plunger or metal snake and/or pour 125 ml baking soda down drain, followed by 125 ml vinegar. Cover the drain and overflow vent while it fizzes, then follow with hot water. GLASS CLEANER Mix 65 ml vinegar or 15 ml lemon juice in a 1 litre spray bottle filled with warm water. Polish with newspaper. OVEN CLEANER Wipe grease and spills asap, or line the oven with aluminum foil. If you need to clean, sprinkle baking soda on moist surface and scrub with steel wool. Or add baking soda to 250 ml of pure soap, 120 ml of lemon juice and 4 liters of hot water – wear gloves while scrubbing. SCOURING CLEANER Use borax powder or baking soda or a paste made with pure soap and baking soda. METAL POLISH For copper mix lemon juice or hot vinegar with a little salt and apply with a rag. For chrome, white flour or rubbing alcohol on a dry rag; for brass, equal parts of salt and flour with a little vinegar; for silver a paste of baking soda and water. FURNITURE POLISH Dissolve 5 ml lemon oil in 250 ml vegetable oil and apply with a clean, dry cloth. Use almond oil, olive oil, or a combination of olive oil and lemon juice for unvarnished furniture. FLOOR POLISH Melt 30 ml of paraffin wax in a double boiler, add 1 litre of mineral oil and a few drops of lemon oil.

Apply with a cloth, allow to dry and polish.

Hornby Island Water Stewardship adapted this article from the Georgia Strait Alliance publication “What Does Clean

Really Mean?” It is available on our web site hornbyislandwater.org along with our Water Conservation Poster

which contains more information on how to use water sparingly and return it to the ground without contamination.

They share it here with us as a gesture of fellowship between neighbours. Editor

Summer 2016

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Community Events Listings Sponsored by Union Bay Credit Union

Tuesday Aug 2 @7:00 PM - 9:00 PM, Back Hall DIRCS Thursday August 4th @ 7 p.m. at the Denman Arts Centre - Opening of Show "Marsh" by Simon Telegus; The show runs from Friday August 5th to Tuesday August 16th (page 14) Friday Aug 5 @ 11 am - 8:00PM, Front Hall Why Women Need to Climb Mountains Televised talk plus memory gathering work plus public film showing (page 19) Saturday Aug 6-Sunday Aug 7, 10 am - 4pm,Studio Tour (pages 1 & 3) Saturday Aug 6th @ 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM, Front Hall Concert Sunday Aug 7th @7:30 Front Hall- El Grupo Cubano (Pg 23) Monday Aug 8th - Sunday Aug14th @ 2:00 PM -11:00 PM Front Hall Kia Barcelona Saturday, August 13: 10:00 – noon , Islands Trustee office hours Old School

Monday Aug 15 @ 12:00 PM- 3:00 PM Back Hall preschool meeting Thursday August 18th at 7 p.m. at the Denman Arts Centre, Opening of final Summer Gallery show which runs until Tuesday August 30th. (pages 14-15)

Friday Aug 19th @ 8:00 PM, Front Hall Baird Black and White Trio Sunday August 21st Time & Location TBA DCA Annual Picnic and Mystery Hunt (page 13) Thursday Aug 25th @10 am - 12 pm Fri & Sat 10 am to 8 pm Awakening Dance workshop (page 16) Sunday August 28th@7:30 Awakening Dance performance & Sema gathering (page 16) Wednesday, September 21st HDCHCS AGM on Hornby. Thursday September 22 @ Midnight Nowhere DCLTA Phantom Ball (page 11) Thursday, September 29 @

Deadline for September

Flagstone Friday August 19th

email:

denmanflagstone@gmail.com

2:30 pm at the Activity Centre. First meeting of new Hospice group (page 20)

Wednesday, October 12, 2016, AT 7:30 PM , Arts' Center - Arts Denman Special General Meeting (page 16)

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