Read Full Story - South Cowichan Echo News

MAY 2016
South Cowichan, British Columbia, Canada
VOLUME 2, NUMBER 6
Tourism
has a new
strategy
Paintball players Jennafer Burke
(left), Amber-Lea Glendale and
Beth Sherlock (bottom) had a
blast enjoying their tag-based
sport May 15 at Whippletree
Junction’s Raptor Warrior
Games. See story on Page 13.
(Photo by Peter W. Rusland)
COWICHAN VALLEY – A new economic
engine called the Tourism Cowichan Society
has been primed by regional directors to help
pull visitors to our lovely Warm Land.
The business based society was recently
fueled with $120,000 a year and a five-year
contract, from Cowichan Valley Regional
District taxpayers.
The society aims to plump that purse by
leveraging funds from tourist groups outside
the Valley.
In fact, Destination B.C. has already
added $138,000 to the energetic touristtouting machine, society president Janet
Docherty reports.
The society also aims to develop a hotel
tax, through the Province, to be used for
promoting the Valley and driving tourists
here — thereby growing Cowichan jobs, and
its tax base.
“We’ve been trying to do this (marketing
model) for over a decade,” added Docherty,
clearly excited about the new strategy that
will give stakeholders a strong voice in how
tourism is marketed.
Town hall meetings are booked May 25
to June 1 to explain the society’s plans. Call
250-510-5586.
• See story on Page 26
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South Cowichan Echo
MAY 2016
South Cowichan Chamber facing hard times
Cowichan Bay financial guru Dave
Shortill hasn’t been sleeping well
recently.
It’s not that he’s worried about money
matters, particularly. The stock market
seems to be ticking along nicely. The local
real estate market is hot and the madness
preceding the income tax filing deadline
has passed.
And Dave, unlike many of his
colleagues in the financial industry who
would have us believe we’re all destined
for a retirement on the streets, foraging
through trash bins or eating no-name cat
food since the Canada Pension Plan is
doomed, doesn’t see it that way.
In fact, if you read his column on
page 24 of this issue, Dave is upbeat on
the future of this well-managed retirement
fund that provides a measure of security
for Canadians who have contributed to it
over their working years. It isn’t going
anywhere.
But what has Dave tossing and
turning these days is the state of the local
business community and the future of the
South Cowichan Chamber of Commerce.
Clearly there are mixed signals but
Dave sees some bad signs in the Valley.
“There have been a number of
business closures and some exciting
things that were planned for Bamberton
aren’t going to happen,” Shortill notes.
As well, a number of Shawnigan
businesses that had
been fixtures in
town for a few years
have now disappeared.
In other areas of
South Cowichan,
things appear to be a
little
brighter.
Anyone who tries to park in the Valley
View Shopping Centre will tell you
spaces are often at a premium. Similarly,
the Mill Bay Shopping Centre appears to
be bustling with activity. There are quality
businesses in both shopping centres and
locals seem to be supporting them.
Speaking of parking, down the road
in Cowichan Bay, the famous Yogi Berra
quote comes to mind. The New York
Yankee catcher had this to say about a
popular Gotham City eatery: “No one
goes there nowadays, it’s too crowded.”
That says it all about Cowichan Bay.
And while people wish it was a little
easier to find a place in front of the Rock
Cod Café or True Grain or The Udder
Guys, it is what it is. Folks don’t seem to
mind walking a little ways, knowing that
it’s worth the extra time and the exercise
isn’t a bad thing.
However, Shortill
is president of the
South
Cowichan
Chamber
of
Commerce and he’s
frustrated by the state
of that important
business organization.
The Chamber has just under 100
members, most of whom don’t get very
involved once they’ve paid their dues.
“It’s been really difficult to get them
to do anything. They’re not coming to our
events,” says Shortill, who has announced
he is stepping down.
The recent annual general meeting
was a flop with not enough attendees to
form a quorum. Illness and some last
minute travel arrangements played a role
in the failure of the AGM, but it was
disappointing.
Many Chambers struggle these days.
Locally, the Duncan Cowichan Chamber
of Commerce is on a roll with an engaged,
growing membership well-served by a
skilled staff. They may be an exception.
In Chemainus, the membership
numbers remain low and the organization
continues to find its purpose.
Business owners often wonder why
it’s important to join a chamber, often
deciding they’re got better places to invest
their couple hundred dollars or less.
There’s a long list of reasons,
including the opportunity to enroll your
business in an excellent group insurance
program. That alone makes chamber
membership attractive.
But it’s the chance to participate in an
organization that provides a voice for
small business that makes membership a
good idea. The three levels of government
regularly hear from unions, non-profit
community organizations and special
interest groups as they ponder important
issues.
It’s vital that the voice of small
business be heard.
Let’s hope South Cowichan business
folks step up to the plate before it’s too
late.
publisher@southcowichanecho.com
MAY 2016
South Cowichan Echo
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South Cowichan Echo
Mill Bay firefighter Nolan Baker helps Lola Warbeck, 6, soak firefighter Alex
Power during the May 14 Children & Apple Pie Day fundraiser for Evergreen
Independent School.
(Photo by Peter W. Rusland)
Kids, apple pie an unbeatable
combo for Evergreen fundraiser
Cobble Hill’s annual Children & Apple Pie Day always delights families,
performers and exhibitors — and May 14 was no exception.
The great day of eating, singing, face-painting, blacksmithing, animal watching,
castle-bouncing, dunk-tanking and more was savoured by hundreds of local folks and
Valley visitors.
They were serenaded and entertained by acts spanning Brentwood College
guitarists to songwriter Kelly Roxanne Girvan, and many others.
Proceeds (total pending) help Evergreen Independent School’s programs, and its
project in progress — a unique, timber frame pavilion (and multi-use space) covering
its outdoor playing surface.
The Echo was awaiting word of who bought the apple pie holding a voucher for
a diamond.
Valley songwriter Kelly Roxanne Girvan entertains at the Children & Apple Pie
Day stage that featured a wide variety of performances. (Photo by Peter Rusland)
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South Cowichan Echo
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South Cowichan Echo
MAY 2016
Cobble Hill Homesteading Fair a
chance to share local knowledge
By Matteus Clement
For The Echo
COBBLE HILL – Do you have
chickens, make jam, or garden? Then the
homesteading fair is looking for you!
The first ever Vancouver Island
Homesteading Fair is taking place July
16 and 17 at the Cobble Hill Farmers Hall
grounds. The fair is a collaboration
between the Cobble Hill Events Society
and the Cobble Hill Farmers Institute. The
event is free and open to the public.
Organizers are currently looking for
speakers to come present their areas of
interest. It’s a casual workshop format
where people will be able to present up to
45 minutes with a small discussion afterwards.
They aren’t looking to bring in the
foremost experts on topics but rather build
the farming/homesteading community
here in the Cowichan Valley with local
knowledge. If you are interested in
presenting your passion, please email
cobblehilleventsociety@gmail.com.
If you are presenting, you may also
be a vendor at the market for free.
Some of the workshops already
booked are: draft horses, homeschooling,
beekeeping, veggie gardens, composting,
preserving fruit, East Indian cooking, irrigation, and solar power.
Why a homesteading fair when we
already have an island Agricultural show
and the Cobble Hill Fair?
Folks felt there needed to be a place
for the casual green thumb and the small
scale farmer to connect and learn. This
inclusive style of workshops was inspired
by the Northwest Homesteading Fair in
Lyle, Washington where the community
uses a small school and a legion hall to
teach how to become more self sufficient
as well as connect farmers, vendors and
services.
Whether you are looking to have a
couple raised beds to grow veggies OR to
start a small farm, you’re welcome to
come to the Vancouver Island Homesteading Fair.
Homesteaders in the Cowichan Valley needed a wide range of skills in order to survive in the early days. Some of those skills will be on display in mid-July.
MAY 2016
South Cowichan Echo
Folks remembering the
Good Old Daze in Mill Bay
MILL BAY – The Mill Bay/Malahat Historical Society hosts a free event in Mill Bay
every July that we think people will find fascinating.
In partnership with over 50 businesses and community groups we hold the Good
Old Daze Event, which features over 100 handcrafted life-size mannequins that offer
a hilarious look at history and memories of the
past detailed on attached signs.
Groups come from all parts of the Cowichan
Valley and all areas of the Island on day trips to
see these figures displayed around the Mill Bay
Mall, vote for their favourite figures and win
prizes.
Think wedding traditions are romantic?
Well, history says differently and our funny
figures will prove it. We’ll have glimpses of
the 1800s, 1920s, 1960s and the war years.
Famous inventions such as Coca-cola,
sandwiches, roller skates, basketball and
many more will be on display.
There are things we take for granted but
that shape our lifestyle today. Where did
they come from?
Bring the whole family and follow the map
provided by participating Mill Bay businesses to see all 80 figures. Vote
for your favourite figures and win prizes
Good Old Daze runs from Monday, July 11 to Friday, July 21, between 9:30 a.m.
and 5:30 p.m. in the Mill Bay Centre and surrounding area.
On Friday, July 21, there will be entertainment and the awards celebration from
4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
This is a glimpse of the past we guarantee you have never seen before.
To view some of last year’s figures go to our website www.MillBayMalahatHistory.com. For more info on this event call Maureen Alexander at 250-743-9196 or
the museum at 250-743-0144.
Mill Bay Garden Club show on May 28
The venerable Mill Bay Garden
Club’s 69th-annual show and sale takes
root May 28 at Cobble Hill Hall.
The 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. event for all ages
offers six prize-money design slots – on a
Gardening For Mind, Body & Soul theme
– for creative displays of fruits and vegetables: Tapestry, Little Treasures, Twist MeTurn Me, Thoughts Of yesterday, In The
Mood, plus the kids’ theme Anything
Goes.
Entries cost 50¢ each, and are
accepted May 27, noon to 7 p.m. at the hall.
Hall action also includes cut flowers,
potted plants, vegetables, herbs and
seedlings — plus the South Cowichan
Health Care Auxiliary’s Strawberry Tea
(and sweets).
Outside, vendors and club mastergardeners give advice and sell pots of
many varieties.
Admission is $2; kids free.
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South Cowichan Echo
MAY 2016
OP /ED
inion
itorial
New tourism Society
a timely initiative
One of Cowichan’s biggest, yet sadly wilting,
economic development titans is our tourism potential.
If only local bureaucrats, commerce groups and
politicians knew how to attract tourists –and their
wallets – here to enjoy everything the Warm Land
offers.
Lakes, river tubing, wineries, the arts, kayaking,
shopping, farmers’ markets, golfing, food festivals,
archery, music – the list is endless.
So are excuses about why Cowichan’s drowsy
tourism sector stays asleep, despite tons of our money
tossed at it through well-meaning efforts such as
Tourism Cowichan.
But there’s new hope to grow tourism, and its job
and tax-base potential, as our canny business leaders
take a crack at unravelling our visitor-draw enigma
through the Tourism Cowichan Society.
Bankrolled annually with $120,000 of local
taxpayers’ money, the fledgling society led by Janet
Docherty, has a five-year mandate to yank visitors off
the Island Highway, and off the Mainland, and over to
our verdant Valley.
The Merridale Ciderworks’ co-owner is no slouch
when it comes to business acumen: she and husband
Rick Pipes have made Merridale a fearsome force in
the shark-infested agribusiness industry.
Now our regional board has granted Janet’s longawaited wish about helping helm Cowichan’s floundering tourism sector.
We’re optimistic her fresh ideas, coupled with
those of other business brains, produces measureable
results – not more bureaucratic talk and studies – in a
fairly timely manner.
There’s hope: the society has already leveraged
$138,000 from Destination B.C. Great start!
Advertising Cowichan nationally, trumpeting all
our vacation and lifestyle pluses is perhaps a next step.
Let’s stop being one of Canada’s best-kept secrets,
and start profitably sharing Cowichan’s natural joys.
Chair undermining CVRD directors
A few years back, Christy
Clark shouted all across B.C.
that LNG will set us free and
make us rich.
Many were comforted by
the sparkly Ms. Clark and her
upbeat messaging that contrasted the NDP's dull, hesitant
Adrian Dix, rejected after being
encouraged to do so by the ever
so helpful corporate media.
Well, now the LNG
nightmare is being promoted
right here in the Saanich Inlet.
The Steelhead LNG crew,
who along with discredited
former Malahat Nation Chief
Michael Harry, apparently
locked in the Malahat Nation to
an agreement to develop a
massive floating LNG operation
on Bamberton Lands.
Most of the band members,
and all the other First Nations
throughout
the
Saanich
Peninsula were kept in the dark.
The other bands may have
protection against such madness
through the Douglas Treaty
rights that are entrenched and
recognized. A treaty is a contract
after all.
The idea being promoted is
to pump the deadly product
through a pipeline from Washington State through to
Bamberton where it would be
processed and then loaded onto
huge LNG super tankers that
make our BC Ferries look like
rowboats.
Who will stand up to protect
the Saanich Inlet and Gulf
Islands from the devastating
impact of the processing, which
requires massive volumes of
water that in turn would be
returned to the fjord as hot and
ecologically damaging to the
sensitive inlet?
Not the BC NDP, that is
clear by their deafening silence.
Leader John Horgan is an LNG
keener, not about to stand and
speak against the negative
impacts of such a proposal.
Only nuanced processes
differentiate the NDP and BC
Liberals when it comes to LNG.
The CVRD elected officials
control land use through zoning
and their OCP but have been coopted by the Chairman Jon
Lefebure,
CAO
Brian
Carruthers and Planning GM
Ross Blackwell.
Cowichan Bay Director
Lori
Iannidinardo
had
forwarded a resolution clearly
opposed to allowing such an
operation at Bamberton or
anywhere else in the CVRD.
The motion was enthusias-
tically received, verbally
supported, and unanimously
passed by the 15 CVRD
Directors, back in February.
Mere days later, the Chair
and senior staff broke their
silence and set out to discredit
the
motion
as
legally
threatening to the CVRD and
the Directors.
That self-serving ploy must
be seen in the light of private
meetings that had been held
with Steelhead LNG frontmen
and senior CVRD staff.
The Directors have been
warned that they must remain
neutral and not speak against a
pending application.
This is contrary to the
responsibilities elected officials
have to speak up on such
matters.
The caution is that they
must keep an open mind to new
information once, and if, an
application is filed.
In spite of Chair Lefebure’s
campaign along with senior
staff to shun Lori Iannidinardo
for her temerity in bringing such
a motion forward, it remains
standing as CVRD Board
policy.
I smell a rat!
Richard Hughes is a
Cowichan Valley based freelance
writer
MAY 2016
Setting the record
straight on gluten
I’m afraid that Bruce Stewart’s
column in the April South Cowichan
Echo about gluten’s impact on health
was less than accurate.
First, I’d like to point out that lactose is
a complex sugar, not a protein. Its components are galactose and glucose, both sugars.
Second, while it is true that those with
celiac disease cannot fully digest gluten,
neither can any other human. By contrast,
ruminants can convert protein to energy
and
vitamins
through
their
microbial/enzyme digestive systems. That
is, they host microbes in their digestive
tracts which can act in concert with their
digestive enzymes, that we humans do not
make, to reduce gluten proteins to amino
acids and small peptides that can then
nourish and protect the ruminant's cells.
While it is true that undigested
proteins are leaking through the intestinal
wall, this can be due to one or more of a
variety of factors that cause increased
zonulin production. Production of this
messenger protein is increased by allergic
reactions, a bad burn, a bout of flu, some
spices, and, in celiac patients and those
with gluten sensitivity, gluten grains.
Two or more of the above may have a
multiplying effect on zonulin production.
The story of the discovery of this protein in
1999, at the University of Maryland, is a
fascinating tale where the investigators were
seeking effective treatment strategies for
cholera.
Their insightful shift to trying to understand the action and origins of zonulin has
provided huge potential for benefits to a
wide range of patients who suffer from
illnesses other than celiac disease.
Third, the Canadian Celiac Association (CCA), early in its existence,
claimed an incidence of this disease of
between one in 12,000 people and one
in 25,000 people. By the 1980s, the CCA
was citing rates of one per 2,500 people.
Shortly after the turn of the century,
they adopted the American rate as their
own, one in 133.
Although I applaud this adoption, I
strongly suspect that it underestimates the
rate of celiac disease in Canada, both
because of our higher latitude, our wheat
contains more gluten that grown in the
USA and in much of Europe. But, again,
that is a story for another time.
Fourth, you claim that the 1:133 rate of
celiac disease has been relatively consistent
over the last 50 years, yet that claim contradicts the published incidence rates throughout the history of the CCA, it also contradicts
research that shows higher serum antibodies
associated with celiac disease when
compared with serum taken from U.S.
service personnel during the Korean War.
There are many well established
connections between gluten and health
issues beyond celiac disease. These
include an array of neurological
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South Cowichan Echo
conditions of unknown origin, 56 per cent
of which were shown to either have celiac
disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, as
indicated by IgG class antibodies against
gliadin, a major protein component of
gluten. These antibodies are found in
about 12 per cent of the general population
in the United Kingdom and about 11 per
cent of the USA population.
Another form of non-celiac gluten
sensitivity due to interactions with the innate
immune system requires a clinical diagnosis.
This afflicts about six per cent of the general
population. A sub-group of patients with
schizophrenia have also been shown to react
to gluten, with symptom remission on a
gluten free, dairy free diet. While these
patients show antibodies against gluten, they
are not the same antibody or immune
reaction as is seen in celiac disease.
Although you seem to suggest that
wheat has not changed much, Nobel
Laureate, Norman Borlaug was
considered by many to have staved off an
enormous famine with his development
of multiple strains of disease resistant,
high yield, semi-dwarf wheat. Borlaug
was given many awards in recognition of
his work which was thought to have saved
millions from starvation.
I also look forward to reading about
your ideas on the breeding of modern
wheat and the consequent changes in the
“protein make-up of the plant.”
I do hope that you will revisit your
closing remarks about whether it is more
likely that wheat changed or growing and
processing methods. We know that both
have changed, but your rhetorical
question suggests otherwise.
Ron Hoggan, Ed. D.
Cowichan Valley
Water and fire answers on May 26
We already know that climate
change will increase the frequency and
intensity of droughts and floods, alter
snowpack levels and cause other
impacts to water quantity.
Jurisdictions that protect their
watersheds as healthy, intact systems
will have more stability in a changing
climate.
What actions and protection is being
offered to residents in Cowichan Bay –
Area D?
On Thursday, May 26 at 7 p.m. in
the public room at Bench Elementary,
I’m hosting a community meeting to
discuss water and the issues many of
you raised during the recent Community
Conversations.
You’ve told me that water is your
number one concern – water usage,
water rates, quantity and quality.
In some areas of Area D, many
people buy their drinking water because
the public systems aren’t providing
enough or the right kind of services
needed. And costs are mounting in these
areas.
There are problems with the quality
and, during high use seasons, problems
with quantity.
Information on water/drought issues
is online from various organizations and
government sources.
The latest Snow Survey and Water
Supply Bulletin of May 1, 2016, put out
by the River Forecast Centre of the
Ministry of Forests, Land and Natural
Resources provides us with some
current conditions for the island. This
includes:
• On Vancouver Island and other
areas in B.C., snow packs are low (6075 per cent).
• May 1 snow conditions are
more typical of those observed in a
normal June 1 period, indicating that
snow melt this season is three to four
weeks ahead of normal.
• In rivers with limited snow melt
contribution to stream flow, such as
Vancouver Island, the early melt and dry
spring has led to below normal stream
flow as of early-May.
In a new report, B.C. water-law
experts warn the province’s policy
makers to learn from the cautionary
lessons of California, now in the fourth
year of a historic severe drought.
Hand in hand with water, is the high
risk of fire on Southern Vancouver
Island.
We’ll also be talking about actions
to take in the event of a fire in our area.
What would be the effect on our
drinking water supplies with water
resources being needed to combat a
major fire in our area? Are you prepared
at home – with supplies of drinking
water, a pack and go bag, and
knowledge of an exit strategy?
I have invited a number of individuals from different agencies to speak on
water issues and emergency preparedness at our meeting on the 26th. I look
forward to seeing you.
Call me at 250-510-3504 or email me at
Liannidinardo@cvrd.bc.ca for
more information.
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MAY 2016
THEY’RE OFF!
A group of Grade 3 boys, including some front-runners from Bench elementary, takes off at the starting line for a one-kilometre run during the annual District
(Photo by Andrew Leong)
School Cross Country Run at Evans Park on Somenos Road.
MAY 2016
South Cowichan Echo
Agreeing to disagree
Last month I wrote my first column
dedicated to increasing awareness of
food-related issues.
The topic was gluten, and I briefly
described celiac disease. I received a lot
of feedback on the article and was interested to sit down with Ron Hoggan, Ed.
D., a local resident with celiac disease
who is a passionate advocate for glutenfree living.
Ron provided me with an opportunity to discuss an opposing viewpoint.
As a result of that meeting, there are
two points I would like to clarify from
my previous article.
I wrote “the incidence of celiac
disease has been consistent over the past
50 years” and I also suggested that
humans have not changed, but rather the
wheat has.
There is evidence that the incidence
of celiac disease has, in fact, increased
and that there is evidence of changes in
blood antibodies in certain classes of
people since the 1950s.
I apologize for the misinformation.
I do stand by the data on the Canadian
Celiac association website that estimates
the disease affects only one in 133 people
in North America.
Ron and I had a great debate. He is
of the opinion that people whose health
is actually affected by gluten grains is
close to 20 per cent of the general population and that 80 per cent of the population may develop a problem with
gluten.
I am of the opinion that the number
is closer to one per cent.
My perspective is framed by experience with highly wheat sensitive (non
celiac) individuals who are able to
tolerate bread made with (gluten containing) ancient grains such as Emmer,
Einkorn, Khorasan and even heritage
wheat varieties such as Red Fife.
My perspective and Ron’s, each
framed by our own experiences, are
vastly different. We agreed to disagree.
I suggest the overall population
number affected is less relevant to the
individual than finding out what works
for YOU. What really matters is finding
a solution for YOU.
Then, if there are symptoms from
eating bread, finding out whether a
particular symptom one experiences is
related to gluten per se, or a host of other
factors that are common in most bread.
These can include glysophate
sprayed on wheat fields, modern wheat
breeding, yeast, bleaching agents, conditioning agents, protein enhancers, preservatives, and others.
My discussion with Ron reminded
me that these health issues are complex,
real, and still not widely understood.
What I suggest is doing your
research. Talk to your physician, and
experiment within your comfort level.
If you suffer from non-celiac gluten
sensitivity you might still be able to
enjoy great bread grown by an organic
B.C. grain farmer.
I know because I meet these
customers often.
More than once I have been thanked
with a bear hug and a hearty, “You’ve
changed my life!”
Next month we will explore the
differences between modern wheat
varieties and some of the ancient and
heritage grains.
Bruce Stewart is the co-owner of
True Grain Bread in Cowichan Bay.
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MAY 2016
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South Cowichan Echo
Paintballers gunning for action
By Peter W. Rusland
Of The Echo
COWICHAN BAY – Getting shot is just part of
paintball’s non-lethal family fun that’s attracting folks
to Raptor Warrior Games at Whippletree Junction.
“The appeal is that this is an action-packed game that
gets the adrenaline going, and gives you a chance to work
on teamwork,” co-owner Adrian Clarkson said of his
acre-size field.
It opened about a month ago for players ranging from
youths to adults.
Raptor’s range is dotted with plywood buildings and
stacks of rubber tires where teams square off for paintbased tag matches.
Once you’re seen by the referee as hit, you’re out for
that game.
“There are different scenarios, but most are one team
against the other,” said Clarkson.
“Basically, it’s like a game of long-range tag where
you have your markers (guns) — air guns like a short
rifle.”
Cherry-size, plastic-shell paintballs are loaded into
the rifle’s chamber, and fired by a compressed-air tank.
Expensive guns tend to be more accurate.
Most balls fly at about 270 feet per second, but
Raptor plans a game for youths using smaller paintballs
moving at 60 to 80 feet per second.
Those pellets hold water-based paint that doesn’t
wipe off easily, but rinses out well in the wash.
Admission is $10 per person, if you own your gear.
And for $25, players rent compulsory, protective gear
— helmets, face masks and more under strictly enforced
paintball-industry regulations — including a rifle with
200 paintballs.
Ammo is extra if you run out ($25 for 500 balls), but
admission permits paintballers to play all day.
“It’s full head gear, a face mask, and whatever you
feel comfortable in; there’s a balancing act between heat
and personal preference,” explained Clarkson.
An insurance waiver must also be signed by all players,
who can be bruised after being tagged by a paintball.
“You definitely feel it the next day, because it hurts
when you get shot; your muscles are sore, too,” Jennafer
Burke of Nanaimo said, after playing a game with about
six players aside.
“It goes to the last man standing; capture-the-flag is
fun too,” she said.
Games depend on various scenarios but are “usually
five minutes or less” — other games could see teams play
all day, Clarkson noted.
Burke said Raptor is “very well-priced; that’s why
we come back.”
Amber-Lea Glendale cited “the adrenaline” as why
she likes paintballing.
Beth Sherlock said she enjoys Raptor “because this
is a smaller field, so games are fast-paced.”
“I like the management. They’re just friendlier, and
they play with us too (and) you strategize with people.”
The three women applauded Raptor’s safety regulations too — without safety gear, visitors are banned from
the field surrounded by black netting to contain stray
shots.
“You could lose an eye,” vigilant ref Jameel Albosoff
warned of wandering, without face protection, into the
playing area.
Still, player Ryan Lavallee takes his lumps.
“You get some welts, but no more than playing other
games.
“Some people play football, baseball, or go to the
bar — it’s a matter of practice and getting used to how it
works,” he said.
“It’s a good team sport, and quite a nice field here
that’s well-maintained — and the price is better too.
“It’s just a lot of fun, and definitely does release
stress.”
Co-owner Jay Martens, a two-time Canadian
paintball champ, said Raptor aims to add second-storey
floors and stairs to its field buildings, and join them with
catwalks.
“We’ve got lots of work ahead of us; we try and make
it a positive experience.”
A tournament field, and a bush field, are also in the
Steve Glendale with his paintball rifle — hooded by a
barrel sleeve — and other protective gear at safetyconscious Raptor Warrior Games in Whippletree
(Photo by Peter Rusland)
Junction.
works, depending on business and how much land Raptor
can rent from Whippletree owners, the Hung family.
Martens said peak days are during drop-in play
Saturdays and Sundays.
Some folks also come to Cowichan on vacation to
play at Raptor paintball.
“Whippletree is its own tourist attraction, and an
exciting game of paintball is part of their vacation,”
Clarkson said, noting customer service and competitive
prices are Raptor’s goal.
Meanwhile, he loves playing games “every chance
I get.”
For more info, contact Raptor Warrior Games at 250746-0096.
Careful planning makes the trip fun and inexpensive
With our winter hibernation behind
us we can celebrate what I feel is one of
the easiest seasons to spend less, summer.
Swimming, hiking and tubing are
among the many activities to choose from
with almost no cost at all. Parks, beaches
and lush forests are all around us and still
not charging admission.
More and more Canadians are
embarking on ‘staycations’ these days
with tight budgets, the dollar tanking and
the high costs of flights.
Yes, there is a big world out there to
explore but why not start with our own
province or even just the beautiful island
that we live on. I have lived here for over
35 years and still I haven’t seen it all.
Make a list of places you haven't
been and start crossing them off. Decide
where you would like to visit and
research what’s happening there this
summer. Plan to go when there is a
festival or town celebration of some sort.
For instance, if someone was to
travel to the Cowichan Valley I might
suggest doing it during the Spot Prawn
festival or Duncan Days
where no or low cost fun
abounds. That being said,
if you don’t like crowds
make sure you plan your
trip when there isn’t a big
to-do happening.
Research roadside
attractions and natural
sites, usually free or very
low cost and great places to explore.
A road trip can be fairly inexpensive
if planned out well. Plan your route ahead
of time and find out where the cheapest
campsites or hotels are. Do your research.
Pack a cooler with beverages and snacks
so you don’t have to buy much as you
travel.
Find out where and when farmers’
markets are and see if you can make a
stop en route, so that you can add fresh
food and local flavour to your meals
along the way.
Once in a
new town, hit
up the locals for
directions to the
best
beach
around. They
may even be
willing to share
that
secret
fishing
or
swimming spot knowing that you are just
passing through.
Ask them where the best restaurants
are so that when you do eat out you are
getting a great meal for your money.
Make sure your vehicle is tuned up
and running well as you don’t want the
expense of breaking down out of town,
or traveling in 30 degree weather with no
air conditioning.
To get the best gas mileage keep your
tires inflated at the suggested level, your
gas tank around half full and use cruise
control when you can.
Last year we made it all the way to
Tahsis where the fishing was great. We
spotted a cougar with her two babies
which was breathtaking (from the truck!).
Not sure yet where our travels will
take us this year but I better get to
planning soon so we can get the most of
our trip for the least amount of dollars.
Happy trails to you my friends, until
we meet again.
Brenna (The Frugal Rooster)
Gerow has called South Cowichan
home for more than 35 years. She
shares her life with husband Jeff in the
house they have made into a cozy home
utilizing a very small budget. She
shares her tips, projects and stories
with her neighbours and friends.
14
South Cowichan Echo
Firefighters
had little
chance of
saving Cow
Bay home
By Peter W. Rusland
Of The Echo
COWICHAN BAY – The cause of an
April 28, home-destroying fire along
Cowichan Bay’s Khenipsen Road is still
under investigation, after one of the Bay’s
worst residential blazes in years.
Fire chief Scott Henning of North
Cowichan’s southend hall says the owners
of the vacation home, under renovations
at 988 Khenipsen Rd., were at home when
the fire started at around 3:30 p.m.
No one was injured during the intense
fire that claimed the 35-year-old wooden
abode comprising “sheer fuel load.”
It scorched the house next door at 996,
Henning said of the insured residences —
sitting down Khenipsen Rd.’s string of
narrow, paved roads where a hydrant was
not nearby.
North Cowichan’s building and
compliance manager, Michael Mark, was
unavailable for comment by deadline.
“It’s heavily damaged but not a
complete write-off,” chief Henning said
of 996.
“We were able to contain that fire to
one side of the structure, but 988 was
pretty much gone before we even got on
scene.”
That leveled three-story place was
also attacked by crews from Duncan and
Cowichan Bay halls who brought water
tenders to the dramatic scene.
“We had two front-line pumpers with
800 gallons each,” Henning said of initial
water strikes to 988.
The back-up tankers carried about
3,500 gallons each.
Even if hydrants were nearby, 988
was “so far gone” when firefighters
arrived.
Also the narrow driveways didn’t
allow easy access to the homes, Henning
said of the residence fronting the ocean.
Hose blasts from firefighting boats, if
available in the bay, may not have reached
the homes either, the chief indicated.
Still, he explained home fires on
Khenipsen Road have been historically
“few and far between.”
A firefighter battles the inferno that claimed a Cowichan Bay home being renovated
at 988 Khenipsen Road. Nearby resident Roger Sparkes says he and his neighbours
believe the blaze proves the need for hydrants along Khenipsen, where homeowners
(Photo by Andrew Leong)
were “lucky” winds didn’t carry the fire farther.
MAY 2016
MAY 2016
South Cowichan Echo
15
16
South Cowichan Echo
Former Shawnigan Lake
teacher awaiting verdict
By Peter Rusland
Of The Echo
DUNCAN – The trial of former
Shawnigan Lake School teacher, Andrew
Olson, who’s facing six charges of sexual
crimes involving a youth concluded May
9 in Duncan Court.
Andrew Olson is facing six charges
including sexual exploitation.
(Photo by Peter Rusland)
A decision in Olson’s case is expected
May 25 in Duncan Court, registry staff
said.
Judge Carmen Rogers has ordered a
ban on publication of evidence that would
identify the female student involved.
Olson, dressed in a light-blue suit, sat
quietly during May 9 testimony surrounding his alleged sexual exploitation and
alleged assault causing bodily harm.
The court heard Crown counsel Leah
Fontaine complete her evidence about
how Olson allegedly used his trusted
position at the private South Cowichan
high school to take advantage of a
troubled, teenage, female student and had
sexual relations with her after protracted
2014-15 conversations via Facebook
messaging.
Defense lawyer Geof Simair
answered Crown’s assertions, arguing
Olson, then 33, was never the student’s
teacher, and never would have been —
basically submitting the student pursued
Olson, and was not exploited nor lured by
him.
Olson was dismissed by the school
following the criminal allegations and
investigation by police.
MAY 2016
MAY 2016
South Cowichan Echo
My other racket
After reading my articles for the past year, you probably think that all I am
involved with is Community Policing and Rotary. Not true!
I love to play tennis and joined the Mill Bay Tennis Club about eight years ago.
It was definitely one of the best things I could have done.
The Mill Bay Community League's two tennis courts are located on Wilkinson
Road (off Shawnigan-Mill Bay Road) behind the Kerry Park Arena. The Mill Bay
Tennis Club welcomes players of all levels and offers weekly women, men and
mixed league play.
Social tennis and tournaments for all
levels are held during the summer months.
Time is also available if you just wish to
play with a club member for the joy of the
game.
The website http://millbaytennis.com
will show you the executive members and
how each can be reached.
The club was founded in 1991 by a
small group of local enthusiasts who made an agreement with the Mill Bay
Community League to use the courts behind Kerry Park Arena in exchange for
maintenance and management.
This agreement, in a modified form, continues to this day. Over the past 18
years the club has steadily grown from about 20 members to over 70 today. Many
of those original members still take an active part in the club.
The founders of the club emphasized a friendly atmosphere for social and
competitive play open to all members of the Mill Bay community and our neighbours. That philosophy remains today.
Check out the website and perhaps you, too, will be interested in joining one
of these activities.
Women’s Doubles is open to players Level 2.5 and above and is played Monday,
Wednesday and Friday mornings between 8 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Men’s Doubles is open to Level 2.5 and above and is played Tuesday and
Thursday mornings between 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.
The Mixed Doubles League is open to NTRP level 3 and above and is played
Monday and Wednesday evenings from 6- 8 p.m.
Social Tennis League is open to Level 2.5 and above and is played Tuesday
and Thursday evenings between 6- 8 p.m.
The club recently passed a motion to resurface the courts. This will be undertaken near the end of May. Fundraising efforts are currently being organized to
help defray the cost of this project.
Club members are very excited about the resurfacing project and anticipate a
great season of fun tennis events. The club welcomes any and all new members
who wish to join.
Shirley Walker is a longtime Mill Bay resident and volunteer.
17
18
South Cowichan Echo
MAY 2016
Shawnigan simply Super
By Don Bodger
Of The Echo
SHAWNIGAN LAKE – Shawnigan
Lake School senior boys settled the score
with sparkling play in spectacular
sunshine on Super Saturday.
The conclusion to five games of rugby
at Shawnigan Lake School May 7 saw the
hosts overpower Earl Marriott 57-8 after
only leading 17-3 at halftime.
“We try to explain to the kids teams
don’t just roll over and hand you
victories,” said Shawnigan coach Tim
Murdy. “It takes a while to wear down the
opposition and create opportunities.”
Earl Marriott showed plenty of determination in the first half.
“This is Shawnigan,” one player on
the field could be heard saying after Earl
Marriott gave up a try. “If we win, it’s
history.”
Those hopes were dashed quickly,
however, as Shawnigan came out blazing
in the second half to score a succession of
tries. Murdy has seen that happen before.
“They get rejuvenated and get some
fresh energy after the break,” he
explained.
Murdy saw some players wanting to
put on a show for the home fans and
sometimes missed great opportunities to
move the ball into open spaces for tries.
He understands how players get caught up
in the moment.
“We try to emphasize it doesn’t matter
who scores on our team as long as the
person scoring has a Shawnigan jersey
on,” Murdy indicated.
Rockridge defeated Brentwood
College in one of the earlier games, a
battle between Double-A powerhouses.
Shawnigan is the defending B.C.
Triple-A champion, but gunning for a title
Carson O'Sullivan crashes through an Earl Marriott crowd.
in the new Quad-A format this year.
Shawnigan and Oak Bay are
confirmed as two of the four finalists for
the provincials in Abbotsford. The Lower
Mainland representation will either come
from St. George’s or Carson Graham
while Earl Marriott and Yale were battling
for the Fraser Valley berth.
There will only be a semifinal and
(Photo by Don Bodger)
final this year, as well as a third-place
game for the first-round losers. Shawnigan
certainly appears primed to become the
first Quad-A champs.
“It’s a good team again,” Murdy said.
“It has its own makeup – its own strengths
and weaknesses. This year’s team is
progressing nicely and hopefully they’ll
be able to keep getting better.”
Junior volleyball feeder system set for Brentwood
Developing sports programs
designed to produce consistent results
in high schools is a tricky proposition.
There’s obviously a regular
turnover in personnel and sometimes
you just have to play the cards you’re
dealt if the talent level isn’t there.
Certain schools and programs
naturally work very hard regardless of
the circumstances to reach the highest
level of performance and efficiency.
Last month in the debut issue of the
Duncan Free Press, I wrote about the
Duncan Christian School basketball
program and how the small school has
made the most of its coaching, facilities
and athleticism to build a winner.
At Brentwood College, girls’
volleyball has long been a prominent
sport, mainly due to the presence of Jill
Fougner as coach of the senior team. No
one puts more into her craft year after
year than Jill.
But there’s also a building process
that goes on before the players get to
Jill. I had done a report on the junior
girls’ team for the South Cowichan
Echo, but it was lost in the shuffle
during the paper’s
revision and my own
personal transition
from freelancing to a
full-time position
again.
The Brentwood
juniors did extremely
well under the
direction of coach Neil Robinson, qualifying for the provincials for the first
time in many years.
Brentwood nabbed the sixth and
final Island berth during playoffs on its
home court and managed to secure 23rd
place at the bottom of the consolation
group in the 32-team provincial tournament hosted by Seaquam, North Delta
and South Delta. That’s no small feat in
a highly competitive field.
“Honestly, if I had another four or
five weeks, I think in terms of strategy
we were there with those teams,”
reasoned Robinson.
“I get my girls in early September.
I have to bring my team together fairly
quickly and get
them on the same
page.”
That’s never
easy to do in a
short time, but
these girls found a
common ground.
If they stick
together, it’ll be interesting to see what
happens at the senior level.
Brentwood found itself in a tough
pool at the provincials, but won one
match over MacNeill from the Lower
Mainland 30-28, 25-12 and gave M.E.I.
a tussle in the first set of a 19-25, 12-25
setback.
“We nearly beat them (M.E.I.) and
they made the finals,” noted
Robinson.
Island champion Belmont also won
the provincial title, with M.E.I. second,
so Brentwood knows what it takes to be
competitive with the top teams.
“We couldn’t put it together consistently,” said Robinson as a factor in the
final analysis. “Just a bit of mental
toughness and staying positive,” he
added would be helpful.
There are no single-A, double-A,
triple-A or quad-A designations in
junior volleyball so all schools of
different sizes are lumped together.
“Some of the teams we played
against have been playing together four
to five years,” observed Robinson.
The key is getting a group to play
together and stay together.
Nairee Paulus and Alex Toporowski
were both towers of strength for
Brentwood throughout the tournament
in a leadership role. Paulus was a
dynamic hitter and Toporowski a
dominant passer and hitter.
“As they go, we go emotionally and
physically,” pointed out Robinson.
The future of the volleyball
program at Brentwood looks bright,
with numerous other players
continually fine-tuning their skills.
MAY 2016
South Cowichan Echo
19
Choppy waters make the going rough
for Brentwood College’s Junior B
Women’s 8+ crew of cox Thea Hogendoorn, stroke Amaya Varma, Mitilda
Lee, Megan Adams, Antara Patel, Amy
Christenson, Zara Pachiorka, Amber
Gaskill and Kendra Thompson just
before racing was suspended temporarily due to the conditions.
(Photo by Andrew Leong)
Regatta makes up for lost time on schedule
By Don Bodger
Of The Echo
MILL BAY – The population of Mill Bay
always swells considerably for three days
during the Brentwood College International Rowing Regatta.
The town was bursting at the seams
again for the 46th annual event and especially around the campus and on the water
outside the college, as thousands of rowers
and spectators packed the site for a
glimpse of the incredible action.
Brentwood’s organizational machine
has done this a few times so no detail is
ever overlooked. The only thing they don’t
have any control over is the weather and
the corresponding water conditions, but
Mother Nature was mostly cooperative
this time.
“It was actually really good,” said
Debbie Sage, who does double duty as
Brentwood’s Head of Rowing and Regatta
Coordinator.
“Friday the wind got to be too much
for us for about two hours.”
That led to a temporary shutdown
of racing, “but we had enough wiggle
room to catch up on Saturday,” noted
Sage.
The weather was particularly incredible during Saturday’s full schedule of
racing from dawn to dusk and the grand
finale Sunday, with the last race at 11:30
a.m.
“The boats were very fast this year,”
Sage indicated.
Thirty-five different clubs from B.C.,
Washington state and Oregon were represented, including 12 high schools. An
incredible 1,641 athletes participated.
Most of the clubs are regular visitors
to Brentwood. Seattle Prep made its
appearance at the regatta for the first
time.
“We had a great response – very
positive,” Sage pointed out. “People that
come here love the community atmosphere.”
Sammamish Rowing Association
topped the overall standings. The Pocock
Rowing Center of Seattle won the boys’
event while Vic City Rowing Club was the
girls’ leader.
Host Brentwood crews did very well,
finishing sixth overall in the team
standings and first among the competing
high schools.
Brentwood won gold medals in the
school boys’ eight and the lightweight four
boys. The school eight girls captured a
silver medal and the senior quad girls took
bronze.
Two new boat dedications were made
during the weekend, named after Sarah
Ogilvie from the Class of ’77 and Claire
Vannelli of the Class of 2009. Ogilvie
staked her claim as an Olympian after
leaving Brentwood and Vannelli made the
junior national team for Canada and went
on to a stellar four-year career at Duke
University.
The boys’ four and girls’ quad from
Brentwood qualified for opening day in
Seattle the following weekend and a full
complement of crews then headed to the
Shawnigan Lake School Regatta.
The Canadian High School Championships are coming up in St. Catharines,
Ont. in early June.
“We’re still making final decisions on
that,” said Sage. “It looks like we’ll have
a group of 40 kids going.”
20
South Cowichan Echo
MAY 2016
Horses gallop to rec title
By Don Bodger
Of The Echo
MILL BAY – The Horses were on their
high horse.
The Horses won both the Mill Bay
Rec Hockey League’s regular season
and playoff titles for the second year in
a row.
The remarkable thing is the Horses
have only been in the league for two
seasons.
“This has never been done before in
the 40 years of the league that a new
team could win in its first year, never
mind two years,” noted league president
Al Johnson.
The Horses topped the regular season
standings with 31 points followed by the
Chiefs (26), Bruins (25), Hawks (20) and
Bandits (11).
Jeremy Achtzner of the Bruins won
the scoring title with 36 goals and 22
assists for 58 points. Teammate Connor
Stevens racked up 55 points, A.J.
Dzhevelekyan of the Hawks had 48, Jake
Newman of the Chiefs 44, Chiefs’ Cole
Peterson 41 and Kyle Peterson 40.
The Horses scored by committee, led
by Jon Hollett. He was the top scoring
defenceman with 33 points; Matt Osmond
of the Bandits had 21 and Bandits’ Jordan
Stringer collected 20.
Marissa Morris battles for possession of the ball during the Frances Kelsey
Breakers’ game against Brooks of Powell River during the Island junior girls
(Photo by Don Bodger)
soccer tournament at the Kelsey fields.
Kelsey girls left snake-bitten
in Island soccer tournament
By Don Bodger
Of The Echo
MILL BAY – The Frances Kelsey
Breakers just couldn’t find the finishing
touch.
Goals proved elusive for Kelsey in
the Island junior girls high school championships on its home turf. The Breakers
managed only one goal in four games,
but it was at least enough to avoid the
cellar in the eight-team event.
“We played well in every game,”
said coach Brian Johnston. “They were
aggressive.”
The Breakers simply didn’t get any
breaks to finish off their scoring chances
despite some decent territorial advantages.
“Other than the first game, Oak Bay,
each team just had a bit more offensive
firepower,” Johnston noted.
Reynolds beat Oak Bay 2-1 in the
championship game. The teams went in
as the respective No. 1 and 2 teams from
the South Island and maintained that
order of finish for the Island.
Nanaimo District Secondary School
beat Shawnigan Lake School for third,
Brooks of Powell River topped Dover
Bay for fifth and Kelsey snuck into
seventh after a 1-0 victory over Ballenas.
Kelsey opened with a 2-0 loss
against Oak Bay and then fell 4-0 to
Brooks despite controlling at least an
equal amount of the possession.
“I don’t think it was a 4-0 game,”
reasoned Johnston. “The teams that we
played just had a few more opportunities
than we had.”
A similar story unfolded in a 2-0 loss
to Nanaimo District and a goal by RickiAnne Keen finally produced the win
against Ballenas. Keen and Robyn
Zinkan also hit the crossbar in that game.
Mackenna Henderson was a
standout for Kelsey throughout the tournament. Emerald White and Zinkan both
made their presence felt.
In the playoffs, the Chiefs extended
the Horses to a fifth game in the best-offive. The final game went to double
overtime and Cole Whitelaw scored the
winner on an assist from Aaron Spotts.
The other series also went to five
games, with the Hawks hanging on to beat
the Bruins in the finale 3-2.
The Horses took the final best-of-five
series in three straight games over the
Hawks.
The playoff scoring champ was
Tanner Wiersma of the Hawks with 14
goals and 13 assists for 27 points.
Teammate Dzhevelekyan had 26, Jake
Newman and Achtzner 21 each, and Tyler
Matheson of the Horses and Cole Peterson
20 each.
In other news, Johnson indicated the
league is sending a team to Burnaby next
year for the first time to compete in B.C.
Hockey’s recreational regional championship.
A team made up mainly of Mill Bay
players will be competing in the Senior
Double-A Championship. Last year, Coy
Cup exhibition games produced a good
showing with a win and a loss to the North
Island.
The team will have to get past Powell
River next year in order to qualify for the
B.C. Championship.
MAY 2016
21
South Cowichan Echo
Triathlon weekend hectic
SHAWNIGAN LAKE – Every weekend
is an eventful one in Shawnigan Lake
during the spring and summer.
Next up is the Subaru Shawnigan
Lake Triathlon taking place Sunday, May
29.
Speedy Spencer McLaughlin of Frances Kelsey is double-teamed by Ishmeal
Ngaiye and Caleb Pounds of NDSS in Mill Bay. Frances Kelsey won 36-10.
(Photo by Andrew Leong)
Kelsey advances to provincials
By Don Bodger
Of The Echo
MILL BAY – The heat was on, but the
Frances Kelsey boys kept their cool.
The Breakers faced a pressure-packed
game Tuesday at UVic against Edward
Milne of Sooke, with a place in the provincial AA high school rugby finals on the
line, and came through with a 25-5 win.
After racing out to a 20-0 lead in the
first 10 minutes, “we made it difficult on
ourselves, and then just played really,
really scrappy,” said Jake Teufel, co-coach
of the Kelsey team along with Craig
Schmidt.
Karl Mattison and Conner McGeary
scored two tries each for the winners, who
leave next Tuesday for the provincials in
Abbotsford. Captain Chad Garriock added
the other try.
Liam Fowler was the man of the
match.
“He just ran hard all day long,”
observed Teufel.
Getting to the provincials was the first
part of the battle.
“Now we’ve got to do the rest,” said
Teufel, hopeful the team will win some
games there.
Games last week resulted in a 36-10
drubbing of Nanaimo District Secondary
and a loss by an equally one-sided margin
to Brentwood College. The Brentwood
game determined the top seeding in the
North Island.
Kelsey finally had a full complement
of spares available against Brentwood and
will have most players free from injury for
the provincial tournament.
Mattison has played a huge role in the
outcomes of Kelsey’s games this season.
“He’s been really putting the team on his
shoulders in a lot of games,” noted Teufel.
“We’ve got a lot of guys this year
who’ve never played rugby. We’re definitely exceeding expectations.”
There are three divisions: standard,
sprint and high school sprint. On-line
registration closes next Wednesday, May
25. There are all sorts of other events
taking place around the community on
triathlon weekend.
22
South Cowichan Echo
MAY 2016
Girls’ rugby machine churns out convincing win
By Don Bodger
Of The Echo
SHAWNIGAN LAKE – It was an absolutely incredible
display of rugby from start to finish.
The Shawnigan Lake School senior girls played a
near-perfect game, running with reckless abandon and
distributing the ball extremely well to overpower
Brentwood College 77-0 in the Island AA high school
final Saturday at Shawnigan.
It was 48-0 at halftime, as Shawnigan ran through,
over and around would-be tacklers to score a succession
of tries. To Brentwood’s credit, the girls never gave up
and fought hard to the end while maintaining a high
degree of sportsmanship and integrity under difficult
circumstances.
“I think Brentwood is pretty banged up, in fairness
to them,” said Shawnigan Lake coach Mark Hall.
“We’ve got some very strong running kids. This
group has more talent than I’ve seen over the years, for
sure.”
Alexie Pusch, Maggie Banks and Linnea Hokanson
were among the leading try-scorers for Shawnigan, but
all the girls got their hands on the ball and made things
happen.
Brentwood definitely suffered from the absence of
speedy Denise Roy, but there’s hope she’ll be back in
time for the provincials.
Brentwood coach Steve Cowie conceded to Hall after
the game he couldn’t see anyone beating Shawnigan at
the upcoming B.C. finals in Kamloops. There are a couple
of contenders on the Lower Mainland that may give
Shawnigan a tussle.
“It’s taken a lot of work to get to this stage,” offered
Shawnigan’s captain and tight end prop Holly Henderson,
a Grade 12 student from Tsawwassen.
There is a good mix of outstanding local players, like
Maria Murray, and outsiders in the Shawnigan Lake
lineup. The team is also relatively young, with Grade 8
and 9 players already showing their proficiency at this
stage.
“It’s been a very good season so far,” conceded
Henderson. “Last year, Brentwood had a good team and
they were able to beat us.”
Hair-raising experience ensues for Emma Scragg and her Brentwood College teammates trying to stop the
(Photo by Don Bodger)
likes of Shawnigan Lake School’s Maggie Banks from making another dash for a try.
The girls are excited about the prospects of bringing
home a provincial title, but don’t want to get too far ahead
of themselves.
“We’ve played a few people on the Mainland,” said
Henderson. “We sort of know what our competition is
going to be like.”
National team member Laura Russell, who works as
a coach with the Shawnigan team, could only marvel at
their level of play as well.
“I thought that game was phenomenal,” she
indicated. “They’ve put in a lot of work. Everything’s
come together.
“They’re really young, too. They’re working hard
and they’re peaking at the right time.”
The depth has certainly been evident, as it doesn’t
seem to matter who’s on the field.
“The whole bench has really come a long way,”
Russell pointed out. “It’s a seamless transition.”
“There are no real gaps on the team,” added Hall.
“That’s unusual.
“The forwards, that’s the best rucking we’ve had this
year.”
But he does worry about whether some complacency
could set in.
“There’s no opposition,” Hall stated. “That’s not
good for us.”
MAY 2016
South Cowichan Echo
Girls in the Shawnigan Jr. B quad include: Genevieve Whitehead, Amelia
(Photo by Stephen Lane)
Macintosh, Penny Crothers and Jaden Bomans.
Four Shawnigan crews golden
By Don Bodger
Of The Echo
SHAWNIGAN LAKE – There’s no
place like home for Shawnigan Lake
School rowers.
“All of our rowers compete in this
one,” head of rowing Tim Coy said of
the Shawnigan contingent for the 55th
annual Shawnigan Regatta.
“The future’s looking strong for us.
A lot of our younger kids did really well.”
Shawnigan claimed four gold medals
during the weekend, with the younger
levels leading the way. The Junior C quad
boys and girls were both victorious, as
well as the Junior C girls double and the
Junior B J.V. coxed four.
The regatta featured 700 athletes
representing a total of 21 different clubs
and schools.
Mother Nature threw the regatta a
curve ball when the wind kicked up
Saturday afternoon, but organizers still
hit it out of the park. The schedule was
made up with a little creativity to get all
the events completed Sunday.
“We got all of Saturday’s racing in
till the time trials,” explained Coy.
The time trials were scheduled to
begin at 5 p.m., but it was decided to
hold off. The winds on the lake frequently start out stronger earlier in the day
before dying down, but not this time.
The entire weekend included 108
races plus the time trials.
Pair races are rare in regattas these
days, but remain a big part of the agenda
at Shawnigan. “To me, it’s an important
race,” said Coy.
Vic City won both the men’s and
women’s Junior A pair races. Vic City
won a lot of other races as well.
The next order of business for
Shawnigan rowing is to get ready for the
Canadian High School Championships
in St. Catharines, Ont. June 3-5. Thirtyeight Shawnigan athletes will be taking
part in the event, flying out on May 31.
The Shawnigan trailer loaded with
boats is heading out next Wednesday.
“We take boats from other schools
and clubs as well,” pointed out Coy.
It will take two drivers alternating at
the wheel four days to reach the regatta site.
23
24
MAY 2016
South Cowichan Echo
Can you count on CPP for your retirement?
Knocking the Canada Pension
Plan has become a national pasttime.
Ask average Canadians if they
are counting on the national nestegg for retirement income and
you’ll probably get a resounding
“no”.
That’s odd because the Chief
Actuary of Canada consistently
reports the plan to be sound for
decades to come – provided it can
grow an average of at least four per
cent annually.
That figure is based on
complex actuarial charts that factor
in shifting demographics as
younger Canadians are left with the
burden of supporting baby
boomers, and life expectancy
increases.
Four per cent is a realistic goal,
even in this low interest rate environment. If it falls short, the plan
has the weight of the government
to force larger contribution
amounts from employees and/or
employers, which it has done on
several occasions in the past.
The Canada Pension Plan has
another ace up its sleeve. The $283
billion fund – among the 10 largest
retirement funds in the world – is
managed by a crown corporation
called the CPP Investment Board
(CPPIB), which invests a portion
of the fund in long term holdings
such as real estate and infrastruc-
ture around the globe.
The CPPIB has posted an
average rate of return of eight per
cent since 2000.
The pessimism over the future
of
CPP,
however,
is
understandable. Aside from scant
mandatory reports, the CPPIB
operates under a cloak of secrecy
that makes mutual funds look like
an open book.
A report this week from the
Fraser Institute began by acknowledging the confusion over CPP
investments and CPP benefits,
which have no direct relationship.
To help shed some light on
what you can expect from your CPP
contributions, think of the plan as
a defined benefit pension where
contributions and gains are pooled.
Payouts are based on how much
you contribute to the plan during
your working years.
To receive the maximum
benefit at 65 years old you must
contribute the maximum amount to
the plan for at least 40 years.
The maximum amount is
CLASSIFIED RATES
Minimum charge $5
for up to 20 words.
25¢ each additional word
778-356-3246
currently about $13,000 a year and
is adjusted to inflation.
CPP is intended to account for
25 per cent of retirement income.
This means it is actually a retirement supplement and not a retirement plan in itself.
However, it can be considered
a crucial part of your retirement
plan.
Plan members have the option
of taking a lower amount starting
at 60 years old or a higher amount
starting at 70.
The CPP also provides disability pensions to eligible workers
who become disabled in a severe
and prolonged fashion, and benefits
to survivors of workers who die
before they begin receiving retirement benefits.
You can find out how much you
qualify for through the Canada
Pension Plan web site at
http://www.esdc.gc.ca/en/cpp/post_
retirement/index.page
Nothing in life is certain, but
CPP looks to be in good shape for
those of us that have contributed
over our working years.
Get your free financial
planning kit at www.riskdoctor.ca
Dave Shortill is an independent
financial advisor and lives
with his wife Heather in beautiful
Cowichan Bay.
Watch for Arbutus
magazine in your
mail box!
CLASSIFIEDS
COMING EVENTS
MISC. FOR SALE
MISC. FOR SALE
Saturday, May 28 – Mill
Bay
Garden
Club’s
Community Flower &
Garden Show, 9 a.m. to 2
p.m., the South Cowichan
Healthcare Auxiliary will be
offering bunwiches, strawberry treats, brownies and
refreshments all priced individually, proceeds of fod
sales to charitable causes,
Cobble Hill Hall. Call Sandy
(250-743-3158) for more
information.
BOOK COLLECTION
Canadiana, B.C. related, etc.
Signed and first editions.
250-416-0543.
Colonial tri-light lamp,
original shade. $45. Call 250748-7874.
2 Vintage Hobnail Milk
Glass Hurricane Lantern
Lamps $40 each. 2 wooden
ironing boards $45 each.
Vintage rocking chair $175.
Dome-top chest. Fair
condition $30. White wooden
chair $15. Call 250-7487874.
PIANO TUNING Services
by Allan Eskelson. Tuning,
repair, regulation. Serving
South Cowichan, Chemainus
and beyond. 250-416-0607.
Dm-al@shaw.ca
DID YOU KNOW South
Cowichan Echo classifieds
reach 10,000 households in Mill
Bay, Cowichan Bay, Shawnigan
Lake and Cobble Hill?
Refinished 5' Green Cast
Iron Clawfoot Tub, original
taps, excellent condition.
$1,300. Call 250-748-7874.
PIANO TUNING
FOR RENT
3 bedrm, 2 bathrm, 5 appliances, heat pump, quiet
location 3 1/2 klm south of
Chemainus.. No pets, No
smokers, references please.
$1,200 a month. available
after April 15. 250 246 7503.
HELP WANTED
STUDENT
SUMMER
EMPLOYMENT
Telegraph Harbour
Marina & Store
Is looking for full time and
part-time crew for the
marina store Accommodations Available
Contact Tara or Ron at
250-246-9511
or
sunny@telegraphharbour.com
VOLUNTEERS
LOVE HORSES?
Cowichan Therapeutic Riding
Association needs dedicated
volunteers in lots of different
areas. info@ctra.ca call 250746-1028 or www.ctra.ca
Traditional
Martial Arts
Karate
Kobudo
Tai Chi
250-889-2246
NATURE TOURS
MAY 2016
South Cowichan Echo
25
Mike’s garden and other tales
Mike sat on the porch overlooking his saying his wife heard loud screeching
“Hi Hugh, how come your plants are
vegetable garden. If it weren’t for his about midnight and figured there was a so big in the spring?”
neighbours, he would have given up. big cat fight behind my house.
“Well I start my seeds very early
Truth was, he struggled with gardening.
Mike went out to check the trap, he Mike, in fact Boxing Day you’ll find me
The weeds and vermin were relentless.
lifted the burlap off the cage and sure in the greenhouse.
“You bet Hugh, and more than half
Mike’s latest disaster was his lawn. enough there was a really pissed off giant
“This gives my snow peas, for
came up!”
He was told to kill all the weeds first and cat inside, and it looked familiar.
example, a big start with strong roots. And
“Only half”, said Hugh surprised, did
then add earth and re-seed, so he blasted
Mike decided to get it out of the cage I saved my seeds, these peas are from plants
you soak them overnight as I told you?”
it with Roundup creating a moonscape.
pronto; it was making loud angry noises. I grew 25 years ago, the French call them
Mike looked sheepish, “Oh, I forgot
When he tried to re-seed, the birds He opened the cage and retreated, the ‘mange-tout’ which translates to “eat all.”
that”.
followed close behind, pecking
“Oh dear, well don’t worry
them all up.
Mike there’s always next year
Then he paid a fortune to
and you can forage at my farm
have it re-sodded and later that
stand this year. Perhaps you
summer let it go dormant as
could help me with this damn
required by the water board,
outboard motor Mike, it’s been
which resulted in a big dead
giving me no end of trouble”.
patch. Perhaps, he thought, patio
The next day Mike was
stones would fit there quite
planting the peas Hugh had
nicely.
given him when George came
Mike’s neighbour ,George,
around the fence.
was an avid gardener and never
“How’s it going Mike, by
had any trouble with his grass.
the way you owe me five
George also had numerous raised
bucks.”
beds of tasty vegetables, half a
“I know. I find the whole
dozen fruit trees and was always
U.S. election thing bizarre.
willing to help Mike.
Terrible about the Fort
Unfortunately, in spite of
McMurray fire and by the way,
detailed instruction on subjects
I donated your five bucks to the
like grafting and pruning he was
Red Cross along with my
only partially successful.
donation.”
He referred to it as
“Good, they can use the
“mysteries of the garden”,
help. My wife’s quilting group
formerly this was “mysteries of
and the guys at the Legion gave
the sea” when he and his wife
to the Red Cross, too. You know
Dorothy had spent their time
Mike, we might have our own
sailing the coast.
worries with forest fires if we
When Dorothy passed away,
don’t get some rain.”
the gardening had fallen to Mike
Mike’s garden struggles with drought, vermin and the owner’s steep learning curve.
“I know and last year was dry
and while he could tie a bowline,
as demonstrated by my dead grass.”
reef a sail, maintain equipment
“Look Mike, why don’t we tackle that
or navigate, plants were a different world. monster gave him a really dirty look, and
Mike was overwhelmed by how
patch of dead grass you have there, we’ll
“Hi Mike,” said George. “How about if it were any bigger Mike felt it certainly much Hugh knew about plants. And Hugh
get it growing, but this time you’ll have to
that Donald Trump, eh?”
would have attacked him.
also knew about the weather and climate,
give it some more water until it settles in.”
“He’s just a big blow-hard,” said
He emailed George: “I never trapped the lengthening growing season and lower
“Great George, and I’ll catch that
Mike. “He’ll never make it as the Repub- anything bigger than a mouse in the city, rainfall in the summer.
damn cherry thief and give it a nice new
lican candidate.”
perhaps I should rethink this.”
“We had half our average annual
home far away.”
“Want a bet, say we put $5 on it, I say
Mike made a nice raised bed rainfall in the first three months of this
Ken Olive is a Cowichan Bay
he’ll win it.”
following the advice in an excellent book year. But how’s the garden coming, did
freelance writer
“Hate to take your money George but called Square Foot Gardening. He was you plant the pole beans I gave you?”
you’re on. By the way have you seen the amazed at how much organic produce
raccoon? I saw it the other day and thought could be grown in a small space.
it was a small bear it was so big. And it’s
But last year he lost most of his
eating my flowers and making deposits at vegetables, especially the garlic, to a
the back door.
horrible wireworm infestation, and every
“It will go after our cherry trees so I’m expert’s suggestion hadn’t worked to get
getting a live trap.”
rid of them.
“Good hunting Mike, at my last house
He struggled on and the spring crops
they wiped out my entire cherry tree in one were doing well anyway as the damn
night.”
worms didn’t rise up until warmer
Mike picked up a trap big enough for weather.
a raccoon the next day, baited it with some
Mike’s friend, Hugh, lived close by
left over crab bait pellets, figuring crabs and had been a farmer before coming to
and raccoons both like smelly fish, and Canada and had a large vegetable garden,
put it under his cherry tree.
strawberry patch and fruit trees galore. He
The next morning, checking his grew all his vegetables from seed and was
emails first thing, he got one from George a source of vital information for Mike.
26
South Cowichan Echo
MAY 2016
New tourism model lauded
By Peter W. Rusland
Of The Echo
COWICHAN VALLEY – Marketing the
Warm Land far and wide is now the duty
of a business-based society recently given
a five-year contract by Cowichan’s
regional board.
The Tourism Cowichan Society will
use a $120,000 annual marketing purse
from Cowichan Valley Regional District
taxpayers, who previously touted
Cowichan through a contractor.
The board now expects more bang for
taxpayers’ bucks by luring tourists here
— while growing our job pool and tax
base, suggests society president and
Merridale Ciderworks’ co-owner, Janet
Docherty.
The agreement also allows the society
to chase implementation of a Municipal
Regional District Tax, otherwise known
as a hotel tax.
“Because the hotel tax has to adhere
to provincial legislation, it must go to destination marketing,” Docherty stressed.
Tourism Cowichan’s 2015 budget was
also $120,000.
“We’ve been trying to do this
(marketing model) for over a decade,” she
told The Echo, chuffed about the $600,000
total contract.
It’s already helped leverage about
$138,000 this year from Destination B.C.
to help trumpet Cowichan, she noted.
“Now it’s an industry-led stakeholder
association, but hasn’t been until now.
We’re about to sign the service agreement
with the CVRD to get the sole right to do
destination marketing for the Cowichan
Valley.”
That model will see input from
Cowichan’s many tourism-based businesses — from B&B’s, wineries and bistros, to
kayak companies, marinas and arts groups.
“A year ago, (tourism marketing) was
led by the CVRD, staff and an independent
contractor, but there was no control by
industry,” Docherty said.
Basically, the goal now is economic
results through boosting tourism.
“There was no skin in the game
before, but businesses driven to reach their
bottom line will want to be very involved.
“My business needs to work with all
tourism businesses in the valley to drive
business to us … so I’m motivated to make
that happen.”
More visitor dollars coming here “will
Yash Gupta of Averill Creek Vineyard serves Brittany Sanddar during the winery's
May 15 launch of six new vinos. Business-based Tourism Cowichan Society aims
to increase valley visitor numbers to wineries and elsewhere during the next five
(Photo by Peter W. Rusland)
years.
benefit everyone in the Valley. This has a Sonja Furstenau (Shawnigan Lake).
trickle-down effect,” Docherty explained.
“It’ll be a different model; we’ve been
“If done properly, it’s a green type of struggling with (tourism marketing),”
activity.”
Iannidinardo said.
The society is also co-operating with
“I’m hoping they help us by bringing
Tourism Vancouver Island, Tourism more business to the bay.”
Victoria “to leverage with their reach”,
Furstenau agreed.
while also shooting for society
“We haven’t had a (contract) with this
transparency and shunning “little agendas.” group before, and I’m hopeful it will prove
It all sounds good to CVRD director to be very effective.”
Lori Iannidinardo (Cowichan Bay), and
Legal battle continues for Shawnigan Lake Residents Association
By Peter W. Rusland
Of The Echo
SHAWNIGAN LAKE – South Cowichanians and the
regional board vow to continue fighting legal toxic-soil
dumping near Shawnigan Lake after B.C.’s appeal court
ruled the permit holder could continue operations.
“We’re still hopeful Justice (Robert) Sewell puts an
end to all this madness,” said Calvin Cook, Shawnigan
Residents Association president.
He was upset by the appeal court’s May 13 ruling
from Justice Pamela Kirkpatrick, while awaiting
Sewell’s decision on the SRA’s separate case.
It demands a dumping halt plus a judicial review of
the Province’s permit to South Island Aggregates and its
associated firms.
“We hope (Sewell) comes up with a decision that
favours the citizens of Shawnigan Lake.
“Our goal is to see the permit overturned, the site
remediated and all that contaminated soil removed. That
will be heard in CVRD’s (soil removal) appeal in
August.”
The appeal court dismissed the CVRD’s application
to discharge or vary the order of Justice Kirkpatrick,
allowing SIA and company to continue operations to
complete certain contracts until the August appeal-court
hearing.
On March 21, B.C. Supreme Court under Justice
Brian McKenzie declared SIA’s contaminated soil
landfill to be a non-permitted use on the property
under the CVRD’s (forestry) zoning bylaw.
McKenzie’s order to stop dumping was overturned on appeal.
SIA firm lawyers indicated they’ll haul about
20,000 tonnes (of new material) to their pit between
now and the August hearing date, Cook said.
Tipping fees vary between $40 and $120 a tonne,
Cook said SIA lawyers indicated.
On April 20, the environment ministry told The
Echo a total of 44,722 tonnes of soil was discharged
to the pit’s permanent encapsulation area in 2015,
versus an annual limit of 100,000 tonnes.
SIA’s permit allows five million tonnes over 50
years.
An inventory of 5,544 tonnes of soil remained
in SIA’s soil management area at 2015’s end.
The ministry did not answer who is contracting
treatment in SIA’s pit, nor where that soil comes
from.
“The permittee is required to keep records
related to soil received at the site, and the ministry
can view those records at any time,” ministry staff
said.
But pit watchdog Shelagh Bell-Irving says she has
visited Esquimalt’s Department of National Defence
base, and reports a dozen trucks on rotation are hauling
about 50 to 80 soil loads to SIA’s pit daily.
Bell-Irving said she follows those rigs from
Esquimalt to the pit.
“The DND wants to dredge to build a larger pier.
No one else will take it,” she said, fearing “horrible
stuff” is in those loads.
“The ministry’s on board. The dirt has to be
moved and Shawnigan’s a cheap alternative.”
Save Shawnigan Water Community Action
Group plans a May 31 rally at 10 a.m. in front of the
DND, along Esquimalt Road.
MAY 2016
South Cowichan Echo
27
Photography clicks with Brentwood College student Auton
By Peter W. Rusland
Of The Echo
MILL BAY – Making moods with photos
appears to be the focus of Brentwood
College student Sophia Auton.
Her three pictures are among about
100 headed to a photo show called ‘Click’
in Just Jake’s bistro, starting May 22.
Click’s May 25 grand opening, from
4 to 6 p.m., will be backed by music and
song from Brentwood students.
Manchester-born Auton, 17, was
amped about showing her shots, snapped
in Mill Bay with her Canon Rebel —
among images from Grade 11 and 12
Brentonians.
“The subjects are really broad; landscapes, nature, still life — loads of people
are doing tons of things, but not very many
portraits.”
The Grade 12er said she has basically
shunned photographing people, though
may in the future.
Still, she was sure Jakes’ patrons will
enjoy the suite of black-and-white and
colour shots, captured in film (she cheered
Beth Bertozzi’s photo of David Bowie for
Click’s poster) and digital technology.
One of hers depicts faded flowers, a
subject Auton enjoys on canvas.
“I like still-life paintings and I try to
create that in a picture.”
Her shot of maple leaves was a
challenge.
“We recently learned how to turn an
image to black-and-white, then colour
over it,” she said, citing instructor, Paul
Fletcher, a veteran shooter himself.
Her other image captures a dock “with
the sky that’s blue — kind of like you’re
on holiday.”
A sense of satisfaction seeps through
Auton’s voice while explaining feelings
about displaying her work.
Brentwood College photographer Joe
Krysl's picture Sisimiut, depicting a
Greenland landscape, hangs in a prestigious London gallery. It's also among
100 photos headed to Brentwood's
annual photo show Click, opening
May 22 at Just Jake's.
“It feels cool; it’s crazy at the same
time because some people feel they’re
being criticized, but it’s a really positive
experience.”
That upbeat vibe includes pupils
learning to stage, hang and promote their
show.
“Jake’s has red-brick walls. It’ll be a
good space. I like how anyone can go to
the event and see the images.”
Another shot she likes is classmate
Joe Krysl’s image of a Greenland slope,
featuring black-and-white hills and
colourful homes. Fletcher noted talented
Krysl has hung that work in the Saatchi
Gallery in London.
Auton praised Fletcher’s firm encouragement.
“In Grade 10, I found it hard starting
with film photography, but he helped me
work up to the perfect picture,” she said,
adding “he’s quite a hard marker.”
Grades cover studio work, and how
to do lights.
“Mr. Fletcher’s shown us (his and
others’) pictures.
“It’s nice to see how he works with
people. It’s been a really great experience.”
Auton would like to continue learning
about lenses after leaving Brentwood.
“I’d like to carry on in university and
take pictures, and maybe go into a club or
journalism.”
“I’d also like to do more people
pictures, work with different types of light
— and learn how light brings different
features out on people’s faces.”
She advised all photographers to
simply “just give it a go.”
“Take an image you think is creative.
“It’s cool editing pictures, playing
with different effects, and being open to
trying new ideas and suggestions of what
people think.”
The hardest thing about photography,
she said, is finding or creating the right
lighting.
“I’m worried I’ll love a picture, but
someone else doesn’t, so just keeping
going no matter what people say.”
Click closes June 11.
28
South Cowichan Echo
Brentwood College students get tuned up during the
Children and Apple Pie Day in Cobble Hill.
(Photo by Peter W. Rusland)
Concert beneficial
for special needs
By Peter W. Rusland
Of The Echo
MILL BAY – Special needs students across Cowichan
will be helped during a Concert for a Summer’s Eve,
tuned for June 9 and 10 in Brentwood College’s T. Gil
Bunch Theatre.
That’s where about 100 stage students of instructors
Phil Newns, Scott McGill and Tristan Clausen will
perform songs, jazz, rock, instrumentals and band
numbers, helping fund the Choirs In Concert Society.
The annual fundraiser helps educational bursaries
for special-needs graduate from four Cowichan high
schools. The bursary is now known as the Lori Carroll
Bursary for Special-Needs Graduates.
Choirs In Concert Society also helps fund the
Monday Morning Music therapy program for the
Valley’s special-needs children and adults.
It’s led by Lynn Smith every Monday at the Duncan
Community Hall (formerly the Moose Lodge) on
Moose Road, off Lakes Road.
“We usually raise $1,000 to $1,500,” said pianist
Newns.
“It’s a great thing we do. You just have
to go there on Monday mornings to see the
joy they’re experiencing through that
program.”
The Choirs In Concert Society was
launched in 1994 by Newns, the late Lori
Carroll, and the late Bev Medford.
During those two decades, the society
has raised more than $85,000 toward
assisting Cowichan’s special-needs folks.
The tuneful Summer’s Eve show will
hear the Concert Choir singing He Ain’t
Heavy, He’s My Brother; the Women’s
Choir performing When I’m Gone; the Jazz
Band jumping on Better Get It In Your Soul;
Almost A Cappella crooning Can’t Help
Falling In Love; the Wind Ensemble waging
Star Wars; the Guitar Ensemble picking Free
Fallin’; Vivian Fang performing
Beethoven’s Opus 2, No. 1; the House Band
backing Jaclyn Childs on Rich Girl;
guitarists Liam Stevens and Antonio Caraza
picking Tico Tico, and much more.
Show time nightly is 7:30 p.m. Tickets
are $10; festival seating.
Visit theatre.brentwood.bc.ca
MAY 2016
MAY 2016
29
South Cowichan Echo
Community mourns the losses of Shaw and McIntosh
Cowichanians are mourning the loss
of former Excellent Frameworks coowner Michael Shaw who died May 14
after a protracted illness, long-time friend
Janet Martinez explains.
“Michael left us as he lived, with
quiet dignity. He fought cancer for more
than five years, and he was just not strong
enough to fight the complications.
“Gratefully, we had a lovely day in
Victoria on Friday, we had no idea his
cosmic tribe was making plans for his final
appearance on Earth. He will be missed.”
A celebration for Michael is being
planned, she noted.
Cowichanians are also mourning this
year’s loss of Glen (Glenno) McIntosh
(Nov. 5, 1964 to Jan. 4, 2016). Glenno
was a soundboard fixture for years at
Longevity John Falkner’s former
Duncan Garage Showroom before
heading on the road, and into the studio
(and photo darkroom) for acclaimed
Bombay bluesman Harry Manx.
“Cancer takes another one,” said
Long John. “Glenno will always be
honoured here in the Valley. That was a
hard one — that’s why I grew the
(memorial) beard.”
Visit rememberingglen.com.
•••
Meanwhile, Shawnigan’s Black
Swan Pub hosts Vancouver’s Celtic band
Blackthorne May 21 at 9 p.m., and
Montgomery County, May 27, 9 p.m.,
plus
music
bingo
every
Thursday at 8
p.m.,
and
karaoke every
Saturday at 9
p.m.
•••
Also,
Valley songstress Beverley McKeen and
guitar sideman Ray Harvey play
originals and favourites at the Cowichan
Bay Pub June 10, 7 to 11 p.m.
•••
Great seeing a raft of entertainers and
families at the May 14 Children & Apple
Pie Day at Cobble Hill Hall where money
was raised for projects and programs at
Evergreen Independent School. Folks
attending included music students from
Brentwood College, singer Kelly Girvan,
music teacher Jennie Stevens, entertainment organizer Jake Teufel, blacksmith
Mika Verdun, principal Alex Gallacher,
Brentwood music teacher Phil Newns,
singer Beverley McKeen, and many
others.
•••
The Shawnigan Players are reprising
their acclaimed drama August: Osage
County, at 7:30 p.m. on
May 23 and 24 at the
Duncan
Showroom.
Proceeds from director
Alex Gallacher’s insightful work will help fund the
Players’ visit to the midisland theatre festival this
spring. Tickets are $20.
Limited seating. Call 250-748-7246.
•••
Brentwood College photography
student Joe Krysl is displaying his work
Sisimiut at the Saatchi Gallery in
London, England. “My piece was one of
20 finalists in a competition sponsored
by the art gallery and Deutsche Bank.”
There were 22,000 entries from
some 54 countries judged. The top 20 are
still on display in London. “My work
Sisimiut, a photograph taken in
Greenland, is a piece that was hand
coloured on the computer.”
A second, smaller version of the
piece will be displayed at Brentwood’s
fine-art photography show, Click, in
Duncan at Just Jake’s.
•••
Cowichan violin virtuoso Nate
Bomans has just returned from his
second year at the Jacobs School of
Music, at Indiana University where he is
studying Violin Performance.
Nate will show his skills by performing works by Bartok, Adaskin and
Barber in the Shawnigan Lake School
Chapel on May 29 at 3 p.m. Admission
is by donation.
Studying at Jacobs has offered Nate
many wonderful opportunities such as
playing in a faculty/student performance
of Mendelssohn’s Octet, travelling to
Seoul, Korea with the IU Chamber
Orchestra, and playing in a master class
for Midori. He is also the first violinist of
the Delphi String Quartet coached by
members of the Pacifica Quartet. This
summer, Nate was accepted to the prestigious Aspen Music Festival, however,
he has decided to return to the National
Youth Orchestra as they head to Lisbon,
Portugal as invited guests of the Lisbon
Music Fest.
peter@askewcreek.com
30
South Cowichan Echo
Shawnigan Lake School
Headmaster
David
Robertson rides into the
Centennial ceremony in a
Packard, founder C.W.
Lonsdale’s vehicle of
choice and then cuts the
ribbon with Lt.-Gov.
Judith Guichon.
(Photos by Abigail Saxton)
Shawnigan celebrates in style
By Don Bodger
Of The Echo
SHAWNIGAN LAKE – The first 100 years of Shawnigan Lake School is in the books.
The official Centennial ceremony April 30 went very well, according to Phil Jarvis,
the director of the Shawnigan Centennial who’s been implementing the planning and
fundraising for the last five years.
The official opening commenced with a chapel service and several dignitaries
were present for the ceremony, including Lt.-Gov. Judith Guichon, and former Westminster School Headmaster Dr. Stephen Spurr, Shawnigan founder C.W. Lonsdale’s
alma mater.
Guichon said she’s never experienced a greeting quite like the one she received
upon her arrival at Shawnigan.
Spurr spoke about the similarities between Shawnigan and Westminster. He shared
his admiration for Lonsdale’s treasured Packard convertible. A nice touch was bringing
one in from Nevada for the occasion.
Following lunch, Guichon cut the ribbon on Shawnigan’s Learning Commons
that will form a focal point for the beginning of the new century of education at the
school.
Assembled guests received a sample of Shawnigan in Action during the afternoon.
The ice arena and observatory, among the school’s newest facilities, were open for
viewing while student displays focused on science and nature, athletics and fine arts.
The Shawnigan Centennial commemoration is far from finished and the public is
invited to a Rugby Festival Saturday, June 11 that will feature a Rugby Canada Development side taking on the Shawnigan Selects. Rugby legend, Sir Gareth Edwards, is
a special guest for the day.
MAY 2016
Live Theatre
p.m., gardening workshops, silent auction,
garden vendors, strawberry tea, plant sales,
master gardeners, Cobble Hill Hall. Call 250743-2756 for details..
Live Music & Concerts
Friday, May 27 – Monthly community market
in Cobble Hill, more than 40 vendors, 6 p.m.,
located at the new barn behind the Cobble Hill
Fairgrounds. 250-743-1986.
Friday, May 6 – Saturday, May 28 – Harvey, a
dramatic comedy, Chemainus Theatre Festival,
Chemainustheatre.ca 250-246-9820.
Malahat Legion Music Jam – First and third
Friday of the month, Malahat Legion, 1625
Shawnigan-Mill Bay Road (next to Shawnigan
Lake Fire Hall), 6 p.m. to midnight, dinner from
5 to 7 p.m., For more information, contact Chris
Abbott at 250-732-4490.
Saturday, May 21 – Medford Singers: 25th
anniversary concert, Reflections, 2 p.m., St.
Christopher’s Church, Lake Cowichan.
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South Cowichan Echo
MAY 2016
Sports
Friday, May 20 through Sunday, May 22 – B.C.
Hockey U18 Girls’ Invitational Selection Camp,
spectators welcome, game times are Friday and
Saturday at 4:30 and 7 p.m. and Sunday at 8 and
Rugby Canada Development team vs.
Shawnigan Selects, Shawnigan Lake School First
XV boys and girls vs. Select XVs from independent schools, special guest Sir Gareth Edwards,
Shawnigan Lake School.
Sunday, June 12 - Victoria and District Cricket
Association: Cowichan vs. Islanders, noon,
Shawnigan Lake (Elford Road Grounds).
It Happens Every Week
Love horses? Cowichan Therapeutic Riding
Association needs dedicated volunteers in lots
of different areas. Help our special needs riders
to reach their potential in the ring. There is no
experience necessary. Training provided.
Saturday, May 21 – Blackthorne plays the Black
Swan Pub, 9 p.m.
Monday, May 23 and Tuesday, May 24 –
Shawnigan Players reprise their acclaimed
drama August: Osage County, tickets $20, limited
seating, 7:30 p.m, Duncan Showroom..
Tuesdays
Cobble Hill Badminton Club: plays badminton
every Tuesday night at Frances Kelsey School
from 8 to 9:30 p.m. All skill levels are welcome
as long as you are 13 or older. Badminton birds
are provided but you will need your own racquet.
The drop-in fee is $5 per night. For more information, call Dianna at 250-743-3487.
Family Drop-in (crawling to age five): noon to
12:45 p.m., Duncan Dynamics Gymnastics, 2687
James St. (Duncan). For more information, call
250-746-0193.
Friday, June 10 – Concert For A Summer’s Eve,
all proceeds go to Choirs in Concert for the
Children (a music program for special needs
youth in the Cowichan Valley), festival seating
$10, 7:30 p.m., T. Gil Bunch Theatre (Brentwood
College), theatre.brentwood.bc.ca
Thursdays
Brent Hutchinson and Terry Wicks: host a jam
at Jac’s on Queens in Duncan, 7 to 9 p.m.
Music bingo – 8 p.m., Black Swan Pub
(Shawnigan Lake).
Friday, June 10 – Beverley McKeen and guitar
sideman Ray Harvey play originals and
favourites at the Cowichan Bay Pub, 7 to 11 p.m.
Fridays
Malahat Legion Music Jam – First and third
Friday of the month, Malahat Legion, 1625
Shawnigan-Mill Bay Rd. (next to Shawnigan
Lake Fire Hall), 6 p.m. to midnight, dinner from
5 to 7 p.m., For more information, contact Chris
Abbott at 250-732-4490.
Just For Fun
April 11- June 6 – Mother Goose for ages 0-4.
A playful time of rhymes, songs and storytelling
for babies and toddlers with a caregiver, South
Cowichan Library (Mill Bay Centre).
Saturday, May 28 – Mill Bay Garden Club’s
Community Flower & Garden Show, 9 a.m. to 2
Homeschoolers Drop-In Playtime: 2:15 to 3:15
p.m., Duncan Dynamics Gymnastics, 2687 James
St. (Duncan). For more information, call 250746-0193.
Cowichan Consort Choir: 7:30 p.m., Sylvan
United Church, 985 Shawnigan-Mill Bay Rd., Mill
Bay. Call 250-743-7445 for more information.
Sunday, May 29 – Nate Bomans shows his skills
by performing works by Bartok, Adaskin and
Barber in the Shawnigan Lake School Chapel,
admission by donation, 3 p.m.
Thursday, May 26 – Author Appreciation Event,
local authors will share readings from their
work, Joanna Weston will be launching a new
collection of poetry entitled Bedroom of Searchlights, also featuring: Manuel Erickson, Peg Cox,
Jane Shapley and more, free, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.,
South Cowichan Library (Mill Bay Centre). 250743-5436.
Cowichan Consort Orchestra: 7:30 p.m., Sylvan
United Church, 985 Shawnigan-Mill Bay Rd., Mill
Bay. Call 250-748-8982 for more information.
Wednesdays
Cowichan Toastmaster Club 950: meets 7 to 9
p.m. at the Island Savings Centre (Boardroom)
in Duncan. Guests are welcome for free.
Friday, May 27 – Montgomery County plays the
Black Swan Pub, 9 p.m.
Community
Instruction given. No partners needed. First
night free. Fun recreational bargain. Call Kate
at 250-743-5068 for more information.
10:15 a.m., Cowichan Lake Sports Arena (Lake
Cowichan) .
Sunday, May 29 – Subaru Shawnigan Lake
Triathlon: divisions for standard, sprint and high
school sprint, West Shawnigan Lake Park.
Sunday, June 5 - Victoria and District Cricket
Association: Cowichan vs. Oak Bay, noon,
Shawnigan Lake (Elford Road Grounds).
Saturday, June 11 – Centennial Rugby Festival:
info@ctra.ca.
www.ctra.ca.
Call
250-746-1028
or
Mondays
April 11- June 6 – Mother Goose for ages 0-4.
A playful time of rhymes, songs and storytelling
for babies and toddlers with a caregiver, South
Cowichan Library (Mill Bay Centre).
Cowichan Valley International Folk Dance Club:
7:30 p.m., Mill Bay Community League Hall, 1035
Shawnigan-Mill Bay Rd. Beginners welcome.
Family Drop-in (crawling to age five): noon to
12:45 p.m., Duncan Dynamics Gymnastics, 2687
James St. (Duncan). For more information, call
250-746-0193.
Saturdays
Karaoke – 9 p.m., Black Swan Pub (Shawnigan
Lake).
Sundays
Sunday Jazz Jam Session: 4 to 5 p.m., Crofton
Hotel, 1534 Joan Ave., Crofton. Call 250-3242245.
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South Cowichan Echo
MAY 2016