villagevibe

– continued on page 6

North Park News>> by Alex Kerr Chair, North Park

Neighbourhood Association

North Park Neighbourhood Association held

its AGM on October 21, 2008 at North

Park Manor. Th ere were 28 members in

attendance. Th ere were 10 board members elected.

A special thanks to the following members who

have given so much over the years and did not run

for another term: Kristin Atwood, Stacey Ness, and

Th omas Guerrero. Th eir expertise will be missed.

Guest speakers included David Speed, General

Manager of Parks, City of Victoria, Ayrie Cunliff e who

spoke on urban park design, and Allison Ashcroft of

Vivo Inc. who gave a talk about sustainable energy in

housing design.

Th anks to Serious Coff ee for the coff ee and cookies,

and to Little Th ai Place, Larsen Music and Fernwood

Coff ee for the door prizes.

Other happenings in North Park include: Th e

winter temporary shelter has opened at St. John the

Divine Church and will operate until March 30 at

the latest. Th e shelter was requested by B.C. Housing

to help the homeless over the winter and is being

operated by Cool Aid. Check out the Native Plant

Garden project which is well underway on the

in this issueArtist Jo Roueche’s Comic Strip Page 3

Feature: Love letter from the Road Page 4

New Green Neighbourhood Initiatives Page 7

>> by Susan Salvati

In a season easily overtaken by commercialism, there’s

a special event that reminds all who partake what the

holidays are truly about. On Christmas Day, at Glad

Tidings Church, 1800 Quadra Street, 1,000 people will

enjoy a festive meal in a setting magically transformed for

the occasion.

Th e Christmas Spirit Community Dinner was

initiated 17 years ago by Christina Parkhurst. At the

time, Christina was working at the George and Dragon

(the present day Fernwood Inn). She was taking a

year-long women’s business course that encouraged

participants’ awareness of community.

Christina went to the owners of the George and

Dragon to see if they might be interested in putting on a

holiday feast for community members who would benefi t

from a hot meal. Aft er a little persuasion, the owners

agreed. Soon there was much racing around trying to

fi gure out how to “build this thing.” Christina explains

that “it was a comedy of errors, but in the end we fed

about 75 guests a beautiful meal in a wonderfully festive

and cozy atmosphere.”

In 2007 aft er years of service, volunteers established

the Christmas Spirit Community Dinner Society for the

sole purpose of providing a joyful holiday experience for

citizens of Greater Victoria and surrounding areas who

may, for economic and other reasons, be in need during

the holiday season. Th e Society is non-denominational

and welcomes all guests without discrimination. Th ere

are three sittings, two for families and one for adults only.

Th e Dinner has moved to larger venues a few times

since 1991 as word got out. Th e Society’s third stop

(about 11 years ago) was Glad Tidings Church, which

Holiday Spirit Community Dinner

off ered its enormous facility, capable of handling the

numbers of guests that had started to arrive each year.

Last year the Christmas Spirit Community Dinner

served over 950 people including volunteers in the three

sittings. Over 250 children received a new gift from Santa.

Christina says “it is an absolute miracle that everything

gets pulled together. Th at is thanks to the generosity of the

community.”

Volunteers transform the hall at Glad Tidings with

decorations, white linens, and china. Th e dinner itself

is highly nutritious, and even desserts include only the

freshest whole foods available. Some desserts come from

some of Victoria’s top bakeries, while “Karmell the cookie

queen takes care of the rest of the home baking.” As

Christina explains, her goal is to make it as though she is

inviting “a whole bunch of people over for dinner, and to

have the same quality of food and love that I’d have in my

own home.”

Th ere are two special guests at the dinner: Santa, of

course, as well as Inca the llama who “gets mauled by all

the kids.” Each registered child receives a new gift via a

“Secret Santa” program. Each adult receives a small gift

such as a coff ee or grocery gift card. Th ere is always live

music, and this year the Getting Higher Choir will be

performing. Th ere is a craft corner for kids, as well as a

gingerbread decorating station. Left over food, gift s and

decorations are distributed to various shelters throughout

the city.

Christina explains her commitment to this beautiful

event: “I consider it soul food.” She says the event is

“literally transformed into something magical.” And don’t

we all need a little bit of magic in the dark of winter?

Volunteers are needed. To sponsor a child’s gift, help

find donations, or to take part contact Christina at

xmasdins@telus.net

December 2008 : News and views from the heart of Fernwood

I consider it soul food.

We are committed to creating a socially, environmentally, and economically sustainable neighbourhood;

We are committed to ensuring neighbourhood control or ownership of neighbourhood institutions and assets;

We are committed to using our resources prudently and to becoming fi nancially self-reliant;

We are committed to the creation and support of neighbourhood employment;

We are committed to engaging the dreams, resources, and talents of our neighbours and to fostering new links between them;

We are committed to taking action in response to neighbourhood issues, ideas, and initiatives;

We are committed to governing our organization and serving our neighbourhood democratically with a maximum of openness, inclusivity and kindness;

We are committed to developing the skills, capacity, self-worth, and excellence of our neighbours and ourselves;

We are committed to focusing on the future while preserving our neighbourhood’s heritage and diversity;

We are committed to creating neighbourhood places that are vibrant, beautiful, healthy, and alive;

and, most of all,

We are committed to having fun!

declaration of principles and values

Imagine my surprise. Flying home from

Montreal a few weeks ago I opened Air Canada’s enRoute

magazine and – as someone who loves food – fl ipped

to an article on Canada’s Best New Restaurants. Th ere

I found featured Fernwood’s very own Stage restaurant

run by Fernwoodians George and Linda Szasz in the

Cornerstone Building at 1307 Gladstone.

“Proprietors George and Linda Szasz,” the magazine

proclaims, “stick close to the script while adding

something new to the repertoire … Cooking this honest

and authentic deserves a standing ovation.” What enRoute

did not mention is that George and Linda do their best

to use local and seasonal ingredients. And that Linda also

tends to a garden at her home down the block producing

about as-local-as-it-gets greens for the restaurant.

We congratulate George and Linda for making it

as one of Canada’s new best places to eat. But more

importantly, we applaud them for their commitment to

production and sustainability at the neighbourhood level.

We applaud them for modelling a sustainable way of doing

business in this current historical moment of economic

possibility when we must all, of necessity, make signifi cant

shift s in the way we live.

It is these signifi cant shift s that Fernwood as a

neighbourhood, with residents like George and Linda and

many, many others is well-poised to make. A neighbour-

hood-owned one-stop sustainability co-op where you

could purchase (or trade for) everything from chicken feed

to tomato seeds to solar panels for your roof ? A central

neighbourhood tool shed where you could contribute/

fi nd everything you have/need for do-it-yourself building

projects? Boulevards fi lled with food? Th ese are the

possibilities of the so-called economic crisis. Modelled in

part by George and Linda. Waiting for us all.

editorial : Stage enRoute to Future

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

On Halloween night Fernwoodians

who ventured to the pumpkin yard on Fernwood

Rd. north of Haultain witnessed a number of

magical spectacles. Aft er ooing and aahing over

the tremendously and artistically carved pumpkins

which lined the driveway, trick-or-treaters

encountered a sign that explained the origins of

Halloween. Th e tradition comes from the ancient

Celtic festival known as Samhain, the hand-drawn

sign proclaimed. Th e festival of Samhain is a

celebration of the end of the harvest season in Gaelic

culture, and is sometimes regarded as the “Celtic

New Year”. It is a time for taking stock, for renewal

and rebirth.

Th e backyard had been turned into a graveyard

with slanted tombstones and more pumpkins in

every place imaginable. Pumpkins even nestled high

above costumed children’s heads in the branches of

trees.

A big thank you goes out to pumpkin magic

coordinator, Sheryl Shermak whose property

every year becomes a kind of Samhain Halloween

commons.

the Fernwood buzz

Like the work of Fernwood NRG? Go to

CanadaHelps.org and donate

to Fernwood NRG.

Starting next month the Village Vibe will no longer

be delivered by Canada Post directly to your doorstep.

Instead, the Village Vibe volunteer team is initiating a

neighbourhood-based distribution system. Here are some

plans and photos to help you build your very own Vibe Box.

Email us at villagevibe@fernwoodneighbourhood.ca and

let us know where your box is. We’ll place it on our Vibe

Box map to be posted at the Cornerstone Café and make

sure it’s fi lled with papers. Want to receive the Village Vibe

digitally? Sign up at www.villagevibe.ca. All back issues can

also be found at this site.

A Vibe Box Near You

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VillageVibe December 2008 | www.fernwoodneighbourhood.ca | Page 3

>> by Hon Chow

October 18 was an incredible night for

Cornerstone Collective Records’ OCTOFEST 2008!

It was an electrifi ed, bona fi de jam party reminiscent

of the ‘60s and ‘70s that never ended! Filled with

pure arcade lighting and the sounds of sweet music,

the artists from Fernwood’s neighbourhood record

label gave it everything they had and more, while the

audience cheered and roared in pure delight!

Some may ask who and what is the CCR? Well, the

Cornerstone Collective Records is a non-profi t record

label made up of a group of independent artists/bands

who come together to help each other with their careers

and goals in music. Th ey are proudly sponsored by

Fernwood NRG.

Th e CCR features an ensemble of artists/bands

ranging from the high-octane James Kasper (Yes, the

hardest working man in local music and one heck of a

harmonica playa!) to the sassy, seductive poetry and

cowboy fusion folk-rock from theatre-inspired Gail

Harris and the Low Riders. Other bands such as Gord

Phillips and the Assimilators delivered stunningly crisp

vocals, west coast grooves, and soul-stretching lyrics

that wowed the audience.

Th e Dreamwave Project took the audience on a

nitrous oxide magic carpet ride as they rocked the house

with poetry and original razor-riffi ng sculptures. Char

and the Broadleaf Killers fi red the crowd further with a

frenzied encore! Powerful performances on the night,

included the lovely Pauline Edwards and her band, the

stunning Caroline Spence and Crimson Star, Th omas

Radcliff e, the Adam Basterfi eld Trio, and Aidan Logins.

Th ey were all simply amazing! Last but not least, there

was the CCR Über Band which nearly brought the

house down, the crowd cheering and roaring: “More!

More! Encore!”

Th is concert celebrated the record label’s fi rst year

anniversary, and while the show was a complete sell-

out that night, huge lineups still waited patiently for

hours to get in! CCR members intend to make their

next event even larger in order to accommodate all

those who missed the concert this time. Stay tuned for

more CCR sightings and more upcoming shows from

the CCR line up!

For info: www.cornerstonecollectiverecords.com

Octofest: 8 Artists to Hold You

>> by Deryk Houston

The Collective

Works gallery in the

heart of Fernwood

survived its fi rst year,

and the Collective

has signed a new

three-year lease with

Fernwood NRG for

the gallery space. To

celebrate, they are

holding a special show

which will unite all

their artists in one

exciting event.

Master potter

Harumi Ota has

agreed to throw

twenty large bowls,

and each Collective

Works Gallery

member will paint one of the bowls. Each artist will also

hang a painting on the wall, and they invite the public to

see the show and guess which artist created which bowl.

Th ose who guess correctly will have their names entered

into a draw for a chance to win one of the bowls, valued at

approximately $200.00

Each bowl can also be bid on in the silent auction

between November 21 and December 5. A Gala aff air will

be held on December 5, 7-10pm, to announce the winners.

Th e Collective Works Gallery is a non-profi t gallery space

that allows artists to explore new ideas and advance their art

without the fi nancial obligations demanded by a commercial

gallery. Members view Collective Works as a place to be part

of a community of artists. Th e Collective helps new artists

break out and fi nds a way to support them. Th e gallery

generates excitement and enthusiasm between artists, and

it helps them grow in every way. It is a place to experiment

and try new things and to share these experiments with the

community.

For the most part Collective Works members operate

the Gallery through their own fi nancial resources and their

own energy. For example, they worked together on the

renovations, creating a nice space for the artwork. Countless

hours have been donated to help make this gallery a

success. Members are also most grateful for all the help that

Fernwood NRG has given them to date.

Please come in and take part in this and future shows.

Have fun. Enjoy the beauty of the work. Th ank you for

helping support our eff orts.

>> by Gerry Gauthier

The Ministry of Casual Living, at 1442

Haultain St., has intrigued passers-by with its ever

changing window installations for over six years. With

very little information off ered about the artists, and even

less about the gallery itself, viewers are oft en left with

more questions than answers.

Th e MoCL is a non-profi t artist-run gallery. Th e

gallery’s window exhibitions are curated by a practicing

visual artist who also organizes events and fundraisers

for the space. Th is position rotates annually, shift ing

the space’s mandate and feel. Current curator Gerry

Gauthier, from Vancouver, BC, recently moved to

Victoria to continue his art practice. As curator he seeks

out artists who engage the public and who can use the

window space in a way that is innovative.

Artist-run centres have been prominent in British

Columbia’s art scene for over 35 years, working on the

premise that artists can control cultural ecology by

founding spaces in which full creative control remains

connected to artistic practice. Th e Ministry is a relatively

young artist-run centre (est. in March 2002), and a

member of the Pacifi c Association of Artist Run Centres

(PAARC).

Recent exhibitions at the MoCL have included

work from local and national artists. In September,

Vancouver artist Kevin Murphy hung an air mattress as

a canvas for his landscape painting based on a calendar

image: March 2008: the continuous ebb and fl ow of the

Pacifi c Ocean near Tofi no. Th e mattress was connected

to an air pump connected to a motion sensor outside

the gallery’s window. Th e presence of a viewer caused the

mattress to infl ate, calling attention to our role within

both the art world and the natural world. In October,

the Neighbouring Pages book project invited people to

donate paperback novels for use in the creation of new

reassembled books which were then off ered by donation

as a fundraiser at the project’s closing party. Coming

up in December, local artist Nicholas Robins will create

an immersive sculptural installation exploring the

fracturing and refl ection of light. Th is exhibition will

run through the holiday season.

Th is year, the MoCL also launched an Art-mail

Membership for $10/year. Th e MoCL mails out a

new piece of art to its members every three months.

Th is project is aimed toward increasing the availability

and distribution of art, but also at creating a new way

of accessing art. Additionally, on December 20th,

the MoCL will be hosting a $20 Art Sale. Aimed at

showcasing a wide range of artists’ work at an aff ordable

price for people who feel they can’t aff ord to buy art.

Contact the curator at ministryofcasualliving@gmail.com

or see www.ministryofcasualliving.ca for more info.

Collective WorksBowled Over

Art on the Street

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

Dear Fernwood...

I am so glad to come home to

you. As many of you may not know, I work a ‘day job’

in Fernwood, but I am also a singer-songwriter. Every

year – in an attempt to put a tiny dent in my musical

obscurity – I take two weeks off from my job and I go

on tour across a chunk of the vast Canadian landscape.

Th is year, I only went as far as Winnipeg, but the trip

still provided me with a plethora of tour journals to

bring home to you. I have decided to bestow upon you

primarily the off -stage, behind the scenes tales, as tour

stories are most oft en interesting when they revolve

around what happens when the microphones are off .

Part one: got milk?On the way from here to Kelowna, we stopped off in

Sardis (near Chilliwack). I went in to the Shell station

to grab a snack, and as I was walking past a staff person

– an older gentleman stocking the milk cooler – he

randomly announced to me: “Th e milk’s nice and

fresh!” I was a little taken aback but responded with

the obligatory polite “Oh is it? Th anks.” But in my

head I was thinking I needed to get out of there fast

before he decided he needed to demonstrate to me just

how fresh his milk was...

Onto the show at Th e Minstrel Cafe in Kelowna:

First of all, I have no idea why this place is called a café

– it’s a posh restaurant, and I’m not certain they even

sell coff ee. During my show, I bantered with a table

of three – a young man and two young ladies who, I

discovered, were each from an entirely diff erent part of

the world – one from France, one from Texas, and one

from Nova Scotia. I asked them if they all met on the

internet. Th ey laughed.

Part two: got juice?No second show to report on yet but let’s face it, you

want the juicy stuff in between the shows, the road

stories, the colour, the zip, the zest, the scandal, the

debauchery ... you want some meat to chew on ... you

don’t want to hear my set list.

So, back to the road stories... Th ere was a layover in

Calgary...

Midnight at the Calgary bus terminal:

Th e land that time forgot ... people curled up sleeping

on hard benches, in awkward positions, like square

fetuses trying to fi t into round wombs ... people

walking around in a daze like patrons of a giant late-

night Tim Hortons, only without the luxury of coff ee

... and, best of all, people who look like death ... Who

am I kidding. At that moment, I was one of THEM ...

And, curiously, everyone who works at the Calgary bus

terminal bears an eerie resemblance to Eugene Levy.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Better than

looking like death, I suppose.

Part three: got foam?On the way from Saskatoon to Brandon, we passed

through a place called Foam Lake. Th e sign read:

“Welcome to Foam Lake – Best Place in the World

to Live.” Wow. Really? Not even the best place in

Saskatchewan. Not the best place in Canada or even

North America. Th e World, folks. I mean, who am I to

refute such a statement? I’m just sayin’ that’s a pretty

loft y claim from a town I’ve never heard of whose very

name suggests the strong possibility of severe water

contamination.

When I was a kid, our verbal checklist before a trip to

the lake (Kennedy Lake, in my case) would include

something like “Do we have our beach towels?” I can

only imagine the checklist for Foam Like families

might include an item like “Are the kids all securely

wrapped in waterproof plastic?”

So, in short (growth-stunting pun intended), Foam

Lake: Best Place in the World to Live? Questionable.

Best Place to send Erin Brokovich or AquaMan: Likely.

Part four: got time?Show at Lady of the Lake in Brandon, Manitoba: fi rst

of all, let me say – wow, what a beautiful venue. And

apparently Hugh Hefner does the hiring of the servers

here – my gawd, leave some beautiful people for the

rest of the country ... It was a dinner crowd, so certainly

not nearly as attentive as the Saskatoon house concert,

but generally polite. I’ve been selling a few CDs at

every show, but here, the one CD I sold was to a man

who left halfway through my second song. Somehow,

six minutes of listening to me was enough for him …

but it was also enough to convince him to shell out

for my disc, while my entire show wasn’t enough to

convince the other 34 people to take the risk.

feature : Foam Lake to Fernwood:

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contamination.

Hiding out behind the Cornerstone Cafe before the tour.

VillageVibe December 2008 | www.fernwoodneighbourhood.ca | Page 5

Part fi ve: got sparkles?It was cool to see my doppelganger, funnyman radio

guru James Ball on the two-hour layover in Edmonton.

I call him my doppelganger because – besides having

the same name – we were born in the same hospital

(the now-defunct St.Joseph’s in Victoria) on the same

day, only hours apart, just down the hall from each

other, we both have warped senses of humour and a

passion for radio and writing, and we’re both freakishly

tall … but we didn’t meet until we were 35 … So,

anyway, back to the story … In Edmonton, we ate wings

at a nearby pub and watched “Old Sparkly” (an elderly

crooner in a very sparkly jacket) sing “May the Circle

Be Unbroken.” And then on our way out of the pub, we

proceeded to have a conversation about the semantics

of unbroken circles and the diff erence between circles

being in an unbroken state and circles remaining in an

unbroken state. Fascinating stuff , really.

Part six: got headlights?It was an interesting bus ride from Kamloops to

Vancouver ... a 20-something couple sitting in front of

me decided to put their seats back as far as they would

go so that (in addition to crushing my freakishly long

limbs), they could engage in their deep throat tonsil

hockey in my lap. I can’t even begin to tell you how hot

that little scene was. So hot that I nearly hurled into

the little white baggy provided to me by “Greyhound

luxury coach liner.” Th en, get this: the freakin’ bus

driver gets pulled over for speeding. He was in the last

few minutes of his shift – apparently he was a little

over-anxious to get home to his greyhound wife and

greyhound children.

Th en, shortly aft er the new driver took over (keep in

mind it was dark out by this time), the headlights blow

out on the bus. Th e driver announces: “well, folks,

we’ve lost our headlights. I’m going to pull over and

see if I can fi x them. If I can’t ... we’re going to have a

bit of a problem.” He gets out. Five minutes go by. He

gets back in, and we see lights at the front of the bus.

A bunch of people on the bus applaud. A few rowdy

young guys in the back were yelling “YEAH, Driver!”

at the top of their lungs, as if the driver had just lift ed

the bus above his head to unpin a small trapped baby.

But something tells me that, judging by the primate

zeal of these young gentleman, the driver could have

put out cigarettes in their foreheads and they still

would have yelled “YEAH, Driver!” Th e driver came

on the loudspeaker – wait, let me re-phrase that – he

announced over the Luxurious Greyhound Public

Address System: “I don’t know how happy the other

drivers are going to be about our high-beams, but we’re

on the road again.” I took comfort in the inadvertent

Willie Nelson reference in this time of crisis.

And to top it all off , somewhere between Calgary and

Nelson, Greyhound lost my guitar. We’re still trying to

track it down. No jokes. But I’m not going to freak out

about it. It’s just a piece of wood and some metal strings

and knobs...

Part seven: got baggage? Th e fi nal show of the tour was at a cozy, artsy little

venue in Nanaimo. Very cool place with fun staff ,

but apparently no one knows the place exists. Th e

cab driver who took me there hadn’t even heard of it.

When the cab drivers don’t know where your business

is, you’ve failed to implement that whole “location,

location, location” business mantra.

But the day, other than that, was very good – I woke

up earlier that morning to a phone message from the

Nelson BC bus depot informing me that they had my

guitar. Th ey said they were confused as to whether

it was baggage or freight. Th en they said they had

to send the guitar to me COLLECT. I said “You’re

making me pay for delivering it when you lost my

guitar for ten days?” I mean, my freakin’ name and

phone number are on the tag on the guitar – it took

them ten days to call me.

Th anks to the wonderful people who off ered to lend

me their guitars during this temporary setback – very

kind and generous of you.

In between the phone message and the Nanaimo gig,

I went on a fi rst date, which was absolutely lovely. So,

overall, it was an eventful day to end the tour and to

end the ten days of waiting for my guitar to show up ...

I’m thinking about writing a song called “Th e Ten Days

I Lost You.”

Part eight: got home?I hope the tour journals of an obscure Canadian

singer-songwriter have provided some semblance of

entertainment for y’all. Now I fi nd solace back in the

arms of the Fernwood village, as I put my nose back

to the grindstone. Aft er all, like the Zen proverb says,

“Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water …

Aft er enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.” But

thankfully not the water of Foam Lake.

Love & rockets,

Kasper (james@fernwoodnrg.ca)

Love letter from the road >> by James Kasper

“I’ve seen most of the country

From the side of the road

I’m getting from here to nowhere in no time

And I don’t believe I’ll ever make it home”

– from “Most of the Country” – Trooper

constituency office:970 Blanshard StreetVictoria, BC V8W 2H3

telephone: 363-3600e-mail: Savoie.d@parl.gc.caon the web: www.denisesavoie.ca

Denise SavoieMember of Parliament for Victoria

Your voice in OttawaYour voice in Ottawa

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Edmonton Bus station at midnight.

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

>> by Margaret Hantiuk

Sunscaping is a new buzzword in gardening

circles these days. It may seem like a silly thing to think

about when the sun is fading and we are putting our

gardens to bed, but this is the time to assess how our

gardens have done in the past year and to plan changes

that will improve it. As well, we have time to think not

just about renovating existing beds but also about adding

new ones. And it always pays to plan before purchasing

plants so that your investments will thrive.

Th e axiom for successful gardening is “the right

plant in the right place.” As we observe our garden

(and the ever-changing conditions as trees grow and

shade increases or decreases if a tree is removed) we may

discover some plants are not thriving. Th ere are some key

investigations that should supply the answers as to why:

Is the plant getting the correct amount of watering?

(We do have droughts in our summers here.) Is the

plant in the correct type of soil? (Adding thick compost

mulches yearly can remedy most cases.)

Th e last point is the one most important to this

discussion: Is the plant getting the correct amount of

sun and shade? By correct we mean that the plant is in

a situation close to its native habitat. It should be noted

that some plants are more tolerant of a wider range of

conditions than others. When purchasing or acquiring

plants, shrubs and trees, it is crucial to read labels, to

consult other avid gardeners in your neighbourhood, or

to do ample research in books, online or at your local

nurseries, public gardens and garden clubs.

Sunscaping is a simple exercise to map sun and shade

in your garden. Th e results may surprise you: in one bed,

there may be extremes within a few feet of total shade

to total sun. Aft er mapping these, the gardener is able to

accurately site each plant. If watered and mulched, plants

should fl ourish, becoming more resistant to disease and

pest infestation.

To accurately create a sunscape of your garden, use

graph paper and make large maps of your beds. Keep

the ratio generous (1/2”:1’) so that there is ample room

for use later, as copies of these maps can be part of your

future planting plans. You may need several sheets if

you are doing your whole yard. As you work on an area,

note the boundaries, the cardinal directions, existing

service lines for gas, power, sewer, etc, large buildings,

trees and shrubs, and hardscape such as sidewalks, fences,

sheds, play structures, rocks, slopes, water features and

irrigation, etc. Draw everything from above, as a “birds’

eye view”. A large sheet with only one bed on it allows for

ample notes and a legend.

Ideally, you should create several sunscape

measurement maps. One can be done in early spring,

before the deciduous trees leaf out, so that spring

fl owering bulbs can be planted where they will bask in

the spring sunlight coming through the bare branches.

Th e crucial sunscapes are made at the zenith of summer

sun – in July. It is a good idea to make a few tracings

of the sun in a day: morning, noon, and aft ernoon at a

minimum, as several plants thrive in partial shade, or

with shade from the hottest noonday sun. When tracing

the sun, colour in carefully where the sun falls on your

map. You can either use diff erent coloured pens for the

diff erent times of day or make copies of each map and

colour each one. Th en layer them to discover your range

of deep shade to deep sun. Gardeners who winter garden

may want to include a winter sunscape as well. Remember

to identify each map well as to the time of day/year of

each tracing. (Colour coding and dotted lines can work

if the same map is used.) Th e densest colour is where

the strongest sun is, and the lightest is where the dense

shade is. Th ese plans may need to be updated as years past,

renovations are made or conditions change.

garden gleanings : Sunscaping

Draw everything from above, as a “birds’ eye view”

North Park | fr om page 1

Green, Greening, Greener Hirkala, Dec 18>> by Rainey Hopewell and Gerry Gaydos

Anybody who’s seen “An Inconvenient

Truth” knows this is a pivotal Earth time. Many of us

want to respond to the compelling challenges of this era,

but what should we do aft er changing our light bulbs to

fl uorescents? Where do we even fi nd out what else we

can do? And why do we feel isolated from each other

in a time of crisis even greater than the crises we faced

together during last century’s World Wars?

Introducing three new neighbourhood initiatives

to help us all step up. Change happens. Why not make

it fun?

1) Oak and Fern Centre@ 1420 Haultain St. will be

off ering winter discussion circles using Canadian Earth

Institute study guides (www.canadianearthinstitute.org).

In small circles of fi ve-ten neighbours, meeting for

90 minutes six-eight times, satisfy your curiosity and

explore your concerns in a nonjudgmental environment.

Find your own right-enough answers for the challenges

which face us. Winter Circles will be “Changing

Course” (our carbon footprint), “Menu for the Future”

(food security) “Choices for Sustainable Living”

(lifestyle issues) and “Voluntary Simplicity” (less stuff ,

more happiness) Circle fee is $20/person (cost of your

study manual). To sign up for a Discussion Circle in

Fernwood or Oaklands, call Rainey or Margot @ 250-

380-5055. Haven’t seen “An Inconvenient Truth” yet

or would like to see it again in a group setting? Want to

join a support group with neighbours making lifestyle

changes? Give us a call!

2) “One Th ousand Sensible Rooft ops: making

sunshine stick to the roof of your house” off ers an

opportunity for Fernwoodians and Oaklanders to go

solar in a group installation of household solar panels,

at tremendous fi nancial savings per household because

of volume purchasing. Look for our fl yers with dates for

information meetings this winter. Already intending to

go solar, or want to help contact neighbours? Call Gerry

@ 250-598-3100 or Rainey @ 250-380-5055.

3) Funkymoto™ Electrifying Cars! What does your

sustainable lifestyle look like? Imagine a house energized

by the sun. Imagine that house can refuel your car.

Now imagine that car can power your house! No need

to imagine; it’s all possible now. Your neighbours at

Funkymoto convert existing cars into fun, planet-

hugging, electric driving machines with enough power

on board to run your fridge and stove. Now, driving

enthusiasts can lead the global shift to sustainable living.

Combine this with home-based solar and wind power,

and presto-changeo: welcome to the new normal.

Intrigued? Call Gerry @ 250-598-3100.

boulevard at Pembroke and Vancouver. Th is will make

a great addition to community green space and will also

provide a good reference point for plant identifi cation.

Th e Bulletin Board Square in North Park Village

at the corner of Cook and North Park has come into

being as a joint project of NPNA, Do It Centre, and

Cubbin Apartments. It will contain a bulletin board,

two benches and a native plant fl ower bed. Work on the

project will be starting in the next month.

Remember that North Park is a neighbourhood that

includes everyone from homeless residents to people

living in million dollar condos. We therefore have some

unique and interesting challenges, so stay involved and

informed.

To keep abreast of all the happenings check out

www.npna.ca.

Have a Happy Holiday Season.

>> by James Kasper

Singer-songwriter and Fernwood resident

Deb Hirkala went to both a hypnotist and a spiritual

coach in an attempt to overcome stage fright. Today she

is not only comfortable in her own stage skin, her resume

boasts a roster of collaborators including such Canadian

roots staples as Samantha Parton and Mark Beatty of Th e

Be Good Tanyas, Jesse Zubot of Zubot & Dawson, and

Paul Rigby of Neko Case’s band.

“Music is the most important thing in my life,”

Hirkala explains, “but I’m quite shy.”

She says her spiritual coach, who moonlights as a

yoga teacher, has helped her tremendously to break out

of her shell. She sums up advice from her coach in one

gem: “If you didn’t need to do this, you would have given

up a long time ago. Th is is the work you need to do.”

Hirkala considers the benefi ts of the hypnosis to be

less obvious, but she suspects it has been subliminally

eff ective.

“You want a certain amount of butterfl ies,” she adds.

Hirkala – who cites Lucinda Williams, Gillian

Welch, and Neil Young as infl uences – also credits the

group “Girls with Guitars,” of which she was a member,

for kick-starting her career.

Ph

oto

: S

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Kar

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– continued on page 7

VillageVibe December 2008 | www.fernwoodneighbourhood.ca | Page 7

>> by Aaron Ellingsen

[For the fi rst part of Ken’s story see the

September Village Vibe www.villagevibe.ca]

The Second World War was over, but Ken’s

tribulations continued when his twin brother Ron was

killed in a cycling accident. At ends for what to do, Ken

signed on for national military service on graduating

from Acton Tech. He was almost 18.

National Service had been 18 months, but soon aft er

he signed up, the service term was bumped to two years.

Ken did basic training, then successfully applied to be

an offi cer.

Aft er graduating, Ken received a short term National

Service Commission, then transferred into a tough

parachute training school, where he qualifi ed for his

wings by eight day-time jumps and two-night time jumps.

Shortly aft er Ken completed training, the Kenya

emergency started. Kenyan Kikuyu tribesmen – the “Mau

Mau” – began killing farmers. “Several years and two

wounds later we arrested Jomo Kenyatta. He was shoved

into an English prison, and I was demobilized.”

Ken got a job at the BBC, changing tape reels of

German-language news. “But,” he tells me, “I was only

there a few months before I was recalled in to the army.

Nasser had sunk all the ships in the Suez Canal, and

England declared war on Egypt. My regiment needed

people with Middle East experience. I was a National

Service Reserve Captain, and I was immediately recalled.”

“I went to work on a Wednesday morning. By

Wednesday evening I was in Cypress. We jumped into

the El Gamin airport in Suez, and held the area until the

British marines came ashore. America intervened, and

the war came to an end. Instead of being the advanced

paratroopers – invaders – we became the UN advanced

party. Th ey issued us with blue berets. Th e Paras always

wear maroon berets, so we cut up our UN-issue berets to

make blue epaulets. Lester Pearson brokered peace, and

we all came home. Aft er six years service, I fi nally got out

of the army.”

Ken took advantage of a military education fund to

attend technical school in Munich. “I went to Munich

on grant. In those days the army grant was 5₤10 a week.

For a single guy living in Munich, where my money

expanded three times, that was pretty good. I went nuts

and lived the teenage years I’d never had.” Ken completed

his degree in nucleonic engineering and cinematography

– under multiple-Oscar-award-winning cinematographer

James Wong Howe, who was in Germany aft er falling

afoul of McCarthy’s House Un-American Activities

Commission.

Aft er returning to the BBC, Ken began to pester

the brass with memos requesting a transfer to television.

“Every month I would write to the chief engineer at the

faces : Ken Lambert – Getting Behind the Camera

Ken completed his degree... under multiple-Oscar-award-winning cinematographer James Wong Howe

EXPERIENCE GOD during Advent and Christmas

At Saint Barnabas Anglican ChurchNovember 30: Advent Carol Service – 7.00 p.m.

December 14: Star Sunday: Christmas Crafting for Families – 3.00-5.00 p.m.December 21: Sung Mass and Christmas Pageant – 10.30 a.m.

December 24: Family Christmas Service – 3.30 p.m.Carols – 10.30 p.m.

Solemn High Mass – 11.00 p.m.December 25: High Mass – 10.30 a.m.

(at the corner of Belmont and Begbienear the Oak Bay junction)www3.telus.net/stbarnabas/

BBC. One Friday morning I came in to be told I was

up for a board on Monday.” He was off ered a job as fi rst

assistant cameraman for the BBC, though the panel

claimed the transfer was because they were sick and

tired of receiving and processing his memos.

Commercial TV came to England in the late ‘50s,

so some 20-odd stations were suddenly seeking staff .

Ken got a job for ABC television when it fi rst opened,

and quickly worked up to A camera operator.

ABC got the show The Avengers, and Ken shot it.

When The Avengers went off -air, he took a position as

director of photography at Southampton. In 1962 ABC

Television took up The Avengers again. Several original

cast-members returned as producers, and they sought

out crew members they’d worked with. Ken returned as

a senior director of photography.

Everything was going along well, but then his

wife was killed in an accident. “It was terrible. I just

had to get away,” he tells me. Aft er stints in Germany

and Britain again, Ken was off ered a job for CTV in

Toronto.

Although the original off er fell through, the trip

resulted in a second off er. “I was taken on as senior

director of photography, shooting for W5. For the

next two-and-a-half years I travelled all over the world.

I was at the north pole, in China, Japan, Australia –

everywhere. Th e network show became very successful,

and it’s still going today.

“My contract with CTV ran out, and I’d had my

fi ll of documentaries. Ivan Reitman – of Meatballs,

Ghostbusters, all those fi lms – came to Toronto looking

for a director of photography. Th at’s when I shot Foxy

Lady, my fi rst feature-length fi lm.” Ken followed

Reitman back to the U.S. “I did two projects for him in

Hollywood and then I got taken up by Disney, where I

stayed for many years.”

Aft er retiring from Disney, he set up his own

studio, producing “quick and dirty” dramas and TV

comercials. When he was 70 it was time to step out. He

sold his entire studio setup to a competitor and moved

here to Fernwood – Hollywood North? – to be closer

to his wife Isabel’s elderly parents. Several years on Ken

keeps busy teaching conversational German, editing

documents for his wife, building furniture, renovating

their home, travelling, working on small fi lm projects

and refl ecting on a lifetime fully and well spent.

As far as a “day job,” she has been in the tree-planting

business for twenty-odd years, fi rst as a planter and in the

past few years as a foreman. She is taking off part of the

season to get a math degree, which she is about a year-

and-a-half into.

On living in Fernwood, she says, “I love the hub of

Fernwood with the square, the little stores, the pub, and

the café. It’s so charming and old-worldly feeling. I am

also in love with my apartment in Fernwood in an old

heritage house. I am defi nitely a bit of a homebody.”

Hirkala’s CD Somebody Somewhere is hot off

the press and will be available for the fi rst time at a “pre-

release” show 8pm on Th ursday, December 18 at the

Cornerstone Café. You can hear a preview of her music

at: www.myspace.com/debhirkala

Info: James Kasper, 381-1552 Ext.25

Page 8 | News and views from the heart of Fernwood | December 2008 VillageVibe

what’s on in FernwoodArts, Theatre and EntertainmentBelfry Theatre.

BRILLIANT! THE BLINDING ENLIGHTENMENT

OF NIKOLA TESLA. presented by Electric

Company Theatre. Nov 11-Dec 14. 1291

Gladstone Ave. Info: 250.385.6815 or www.

belfry.bc.ca

Bluegrass Wednesdays.

Fernwood NRG and the Fernwood Bluegrass

Association present Wednesday night

bluegrass jams at the Cornerstone Café. 7:30-

10pm. FREE!

Collective Works Gallery.

“Bowled Over” Members show and

fundraising event. Nov 21-Dec 5. Bowled Over

Silent Auction: Fri, Dec 5. 7pm. Artists choice

show. Dec 6-Dec 27. Show opening: Dec 6,

7-9pm. Gallery hours>11am-6pm Tues-Thurs;

11am-8pm Fri+Sat; 11am-6pm Sun; closed

Mon. 1311 Gladstone Ave. 250.590.1345. www.

collectiveworks.ca

Live Music at the Cornerstone Café.

Dec 5>Toronto’s David Hein (www.davidhein.

net)

Dec 12>Victoria’s Pauline Edwards (www.

paulineedwards.com)

Dec 16>Victoria’s Deb Hirkala (www.myspace.

com/debhirkala).

All shows 8pm start. Admission by donation.

Thank you for supporting independent touring

and local musicians!

Live Music at Fernwood Inn.

Open Mic Thursdays. 8:30-11:30pm. 1302

Gladstone Ave. FREE!

Live Music at Logan’s Pub.

1821 Cook St. www.loganspub.com

Ministry of Casual Living.

“Sesame Street Economics.” Richard Ibghy

and Marilou Lemmens. Dec 3-17. “All Day

Light All Night Light” Nicholas Robins.

Dec 22-Jan7. 1442 Haultain St. Info: www.

ministryofcasualliving.ca

Victoria Bluegrass Association Jam.

Tuesdays 7:30-10pm. CHRISTMAS BAND

SCRAMBLE DEC 16, NO JAMS DEC 23

AND 30. Orange Hall. 1620 Fernwood Rd (at

Balmoral). $2 to play ($3/non-members).

Listen by donation. www.victoriabluegrass.ca

Victoria Folk Music Society.

Sundays. 7:30pm Open Stage. 9pm

Feature Performer. (Dec 7>KC KELLY. Dec

14>PREVEDOROS, GOLDEN, AND JOY. Dec

21>VALDY. Dec 28>RIG-A-JIG NEW YEARS

DANCE). Norway House. 1110 Hillside Ave.

$5 feature performer nights/$3 all open stage

night. www.victoriafolkmusic.ca

Kids and Families at the Fernwood Community CentreFamily Community Day.

Family Fun directed and facilitated by the

participants. Snacks, crafts, play equipment

and varied themes. Mondays 9:30-11:30am.

Fernwood Community Centre Gym. FREE!

Mother Goose Circle Time, in partnership

with Success by 6 S Vancouver Island.

10-week program to encourage attachment

parenting. Wednesdays, Oct 15-Dec 17. 10:30-

11:30am. Fernwood Community Centre MPR.

FREE! Info: 250.381.1552 ext.132 or email

shelley@fernwoodnrg.ca.

Parent and Tot Playgroup.

Snacks/Crafts/Circle Time. Tuesdays

and Thursdays 9:30-11:30am. Fernwood

Community Centre Gym. $1 per family.

Youth, Adults and SeniorsNew!! Financial Literacy with Casey from

Investor’s Group.

Learn to manage your money effectively.

Wednesdays, 7:30-8:30pm. Drop-in.

Fernwood Community Centre. FREE!

New!! Kundalini Yoga. (Starts Jan ’09)

Mondays, 7-8:30pm. $5 drop-in. Fernwood

Community Centre.

Falun Gong.

Peaceful meditation practice. All welcome!

Wednesdays, 5-7pm. Fernwood Community

Centre MPR. FREE!

Fernwood Seniors.

55+. Gentle exercise, lunch and activities.

Monthly special guest speaker. Fridays, 11am

Fernwood Community Centre MPR. $2 for

lunch.

Fairuza Fridays.

Drop-in Co-ed. Ages 10-14. Nintendo Wii, big

screen movies, basketball, fl oor hockey, roller

skating, music. Fridays, 7-9:30pm. Fernwood

Community Centre. Info: 250.381.1552 ext.25

FREE!

Floor Hockey.

Drop-in Co-ed. Adult (18+). Tuesdays and

Thursdays, 7-9:30pm. Fernwood Community

Centre Gym. $4, or get a punchcard: $40/11

sessions.**

Hatha Yoga.

With certifi ed instructor Elke. Gentle poses,

breathing practice, deep relaxation and

meditation. Tuesdays, 3:30-5pm. Fernwood

Community Centre Gym. $5.

Improvisational Dance with Lori Hamar.

6 week course. Nov 10-Dec 15, 7-8:30pm.

Fernwood Community Centre MPR. $7 per

session. 250.381.1552 ext.25 to register.

Karate.

Drop in. Adult Co-ed. Instructor Lucas Trottier.

Sundays, 1-2:30pm. Fernwood Community

Centre Gym. $3.**

Photography Club.

Saturdays, 3-5pm. Fernwood Community

Centre. Come out and meet other

photographers, work on projects, exchange

ideas, and have a coffee. FREE!

Flow Yoga with certifi ed instructor Jay.

Adult. Fridays 5:30-7pm. $5. Fernwood

Community Centre Gym.

Refl exology with Marianne McLauchlin.

Feel like a new person. Drop in. Tuesdays,

1:30-4pm. Fernwood Community Centre MPR.

By donation.

Modern Day Wizard classes for January.

> Wizard School - Two classes starting Tues,

Jan 13 and Wed, Jan14.

> Intuitive Development - starts Monday,

Jan 12.

For more info please visit moderndaywizard.

com/classes.htm

Women’s Soccer.

Drop-in. Sundays 5-6:30pm, Fernwood

Community Centre Gym. $3.**

**We accept Sports Trader Bucks and

Canadian Tire Money at face value!

Special EventsFernwood Business Network.

Everyone welcome. Tues, Dec 2 (fi rst Tues

monthly). 10am. Fernwood Inn. For info

contact Ryan Rutley at ryan@rutleyventures.ca

Cornerstone Café Events:

>Touchwood Editions Literary Night.

Featuring various local authors. Dec 2 7-9pm

6:30-9:30pm.

Victoria Green Drinks.

An inclusive gathering of the sustainability-

minded for refreshments and conversation.

Tues, Dec 9 (second Tues monthly). 5-7pm.

Canoe Brew Pub, Marina and Restaurant

405 Swift Street. For info see www.

greendrinksvictoria.ca

Fernwood’s Outrageous Recycling Day.

Bring your CLEAN plastics, styrofoam packing

and food trays, electronics and foil-lined

coffee/chip bags. Sat, Dec 13 (second Sat

monthly). 10am-1pm. Across from Fernwood

Community Centre. By donation. Fernwood’s

Outrageous Recycling Day seeks volunteers!

Come help us make it all happen! For info

contact villagevibe@fernwoodneighbourhood.

ca

Star Sunday – Children’s Christmas

Crafting.

An afternoon for families. Make your own

Christmas presents, ornaments, cards, etc.

Activities include embroidery and sewing,

baking, painting, making candles and much

more! Sunday, Dec 14. 3-5pm. St. Barnabas

Anglican Church, Corner of Belmont and

Begbie.

Fernwood Place Making Troupe.

All Welcome! Bring your ideas for the square

and the neighbourhood. Mon, Dec 15 (third

Mon monthly). 7pm. Cornerstone Café.

Fernwood NRG Food Security Collective.

All welcome! Tues, Dec 16 (third

Tues monthly). 7-9pm. Fernwood

Community Centre MPR. foodsecurity@

fernwoodneighbourhood.ca

Christmas events at Saint Barnabas

Anglican Church.

Dec 21> Sung Mass and Christmas Pageant –

10:30am

Dec 24> Family Christmas Service – 3:30pm.

Carols – 10:30pm. Solemn High Mass – 11pm.

Dec 25> High Mass – 10:30am.

Corner of Belmont and Begbie. See www3.

telus.net/stbarnabas for info.

Published by Fernwood NRG (Fernwood Neighbourhood Resource Group)

1240 Gladstone StreetVictoria, BC V8T 1G6T 250.381.1552 F 250.381.1509villagevibe@fernwoodneighbourhood.cawww.villagevibe.ca

Editor: Lisa HelpsAssistant Editors: Aaron Ellingsen, Trish Richards

Contributors:James BallFairen BerchardHon ChowElaine FreedmanGerry GauthierGerry GaydosMargaret HantiukRainey HopewellDeryk HoustonJames KasperAlex KerrJo RouecheSusan Salvati

The views expressed in the Village Vibe do not necessarily refl ect the views of Fernwood NRG.

villagevibe

Fernwood Community Kitchen.

Cook nutritious, creative meals with your

neighbours! Info: fernwoodkitchens@gmail.com

Spring Ridge Commons Workparties!

Come get your hands dirty in Fernwood’s only

public food garden. Thursdays, 5-7pm. Please

bring tools if you’ve got ‘em.

The Fernwood Commons: A Fernwood

Community Communication Forum.

For info on Fernwood comings and goings

and neighbourhood news and views, check

out The Fernwood Commons online: http://

thevillagevibe.ning.com/

If you have a workshop or special event

idea for the Fernwood Community Centre

or the Cornerstone Café email james@

fernwoodneighbourhood.ca

If you have a Fernwood event you would like

listed in the Village Vibe calendar please send

an email with the subject line “vibe calendar” to

villagevibe@fernwoodneighbourhood.ca

Come on in out of the cold, where neighbours gather!

Open daily from 11:301302 Gladstone 412-2001