Stormin` Norman - arbutus magazine

arbutus
REDISCOVER COWICHAN
Stormin’
Norman
There’s More to Jackson than Golf
Road Warriors
Bikes aren’t Just for Boys
Raw Beauty
Lore’s Life on the Edge
Coffee Chat
With Coun. Maeve Maguire
IN THIS ISSUE: MEET BOON COLLINS BERNICE RAMSDIN-FIRTH GOLDIE LEX
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1 JULY 2015
arbutus 1
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arbutus
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arbutus
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Issue 1, Volume 1, July 2015
A Publication of
Askew Creek Publishing Ltd.
Publisher & Editor: Warren Goulding
Associate Publisher: Connie Manning
Designers: Kelly Gagne, Connie Manning
Sales: Heather Andrews,
Marilyn Cringan, Jex Trithart
Contributing Writers: Don Bodger,
Peter W. Rusland, Tom Masters,
Eliza Faulkner
Photographer: Andrew Leong
Mailing Address:
PO Box 222 Chemainus, BC V0R 1K0
General Inquiries: 250-246-1448
news@chemainusvalleycourier.ca
To Advertise: 250-246-1448
news@chemainusvalleycourier.ca
4 arbutus
81
nspired by the beautiful and distinctive trees that thrive on Vancouver
Island, Arbutus Magazine captures the
lifestyle, personality and durability of the
Cowichan Valley.
Like the people of the Valley, the
Arbutus tree adapts to its environment,
shedding its bark and constantly re-inventing itself, growing stronger in the
process. Twisting and turning, Arbutus
inspires and offers comfort, as it has for
Coast Salish people for centuries.
Arbutus Magazine has been designed
to reflect the beauty of the Cowichan
Valley, with insightful and entertaining
articles and outstanding photography.
Feature stories will introduce readers to
the personalities and places that make the
southeast coast of Vancouver Island such
a desirable place to live, work and play.
Arbutus Magazine is delivered to select
homes in the Cowichan Valley – from
Shawnigan Lake to Chemainus and is
available at restaurants, retail outlets and
other strategic locations.
Arbutus: Original and charismatic!
in this issue
July 2015
The Valley
is home.
the stories
6
10
14
You can see
why people don’t
leave here
18
Coffee Chat
Norm Jackson
30
Weekend Plans
32
Out & About
37
Seet & Do
38
Parting Shot
At Home with History
Tour the stunning character home
owned by heritage contractor and
design builder, David Coulson
24
Saved by the Bell
Explore the creative mind of local
fantasy author and artist, Bernice
Ramsdin-Firth
26
Road Warriors
Goldie on Wheels
34
Life on the Edge
A Bunny Tale
Young Roller Derby athlete Lexi Corby
prepares for the Junior World Cup
20 Get to know Cowichan’s favourite golf 36
Stormin’ off the Course
pro . . . off the course
the features
A movie-maker reflects on the one year anniversary
of a life-saving phone call
Cowichan’s female-run, custom bike shop focuses on
the unique and original
Gnarly materials are used to create
the unique art by Live Edge Designs
Valley of the Arts
The Cowichan Valley is replete
with creative people
Eliza Faulkner sits down with
Coun. Maeve Maguire
Peter Rusland catches up
with locals to uncover their
favourite free time activities
A snapshot of people
and life in the Valley
Have the best summer ever
with our guide to local events
Life as captured through the lens
of award-winning photographer
Andrew Leong
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arbutus 5
At
Home
with
History
STORY Peter W. Rusland
PHOTOS Andrew Leong
6 arbutus
Priceless Chez Coulson Broke the Bank
A
s Ulla and David Coulson
pose for pictures with their
historic Miller Road home
perched on the highest
point around Eagle Heights,
they share the history and pleasure of
their beautiful property.
“We used to refer to our home as
Ravens’ Hill,” Ulla says, noting roosts of
the intelligent, mythical birds in the firs
ringing their two-acre spread.
That raven title is reflected in a flock
of artwork inside their lovingly restored,
yet unpretentious, place that was built
in 1913.
Aside from its functional grandeur
and well-tended gardens, the couple — both age 61— is perhaps most
proud of preserving the original home
of Cowichan’s Hillcrest Lumber tycoon,
Carlton Stone.
“Carlton was the business pillar of
the valley. I was honoured to take it
over,” Dave said. “I felt like a steward
taking over the family estate — and the
Stone family (was pleased) knowing it
would be restored.
“It’s a unique craftsman-style with
signature carpentry details, much like
a (architect Samuel) Maclure (home),”
he says of the imposing stone-and-wood
houses found largely on Vancouver Island.
“Ours has some unique characteristics I haven’t found (elsewhere), not
even in Victoria. From clover leaves
on the upstairs railings, and the clinker-brick chimney, to bird’s mouth details on the ends of all the barge boards
and lookout beams.”
Details like those — and sweat-equity they’ve invested since buying their
Continued on page 8
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Continued from page 7
pad in 1989 — are why the noted
heritage contractor and design builder
explained that chez Coulson is basically
priceless.
“It took us 10 years to finish all the
renovations; we broke the bank on it,”
admits Dave.
Their biggest efforts included a
book-lined kitchen, leafy sunroom
and recreational basement inside their
2,700-square-foot, two-storey manor.
“Every room is done except the upstairs bathroom.”
The “ex-hippies” who’d moved to Maple Bay from Nelson (where Dave was
a heritage renovator), realized the old
home’s potential while viewing it with a
realtor who didn’t believe the Coulsons
had the cash to buy it.
The couple had a budget of about
$80,000 and the price was around
$135,000.
“But it was my house. I knew it,” said
Denmark-born Ulla. “So I ran up and
down the stairs because that’s ownership
to me.”
“I said ‘Sold’,” remembered Dave. “It
was scary though.”
They bought their forest oasis from
Art Bellis’ estate for $120,000, then
8 arbutus
rolled up their sleeves to pay for it —
and renovate and landscape it while
raising daughters Erin and Lindsay there.
Kitchen upgrades included yanking
six layers of “tar-backed pre-lino” to
reveal lovely fir floorboards, noted Dave
who is originally from Windsor, Ontario.
“I’m most proud of the landscaping.
Seasonally, it changes every day. The
house is just bricks and mortar.”
Rock-terraced, park-like grounds
sport gravel paths winding among
sculptures and collectibles, Dave’s custom-built office building, plus a mix of
tree and shrub species spanning an atlas
cedar, acacia and camellia, to bamboo,
golden-chain laburnum and Virginia
creeper.
There’s even a pirate-ship tree-fort
for grandson Ronan, whom Dave calls “a
precocious six-year-old.”
Cutting trees anywhere is a hideous
thought to the Coulsons, but when a
huge fir fell during a recent windstorm,
Dave planted a “living wall” of plants
among the root mass.
He and resident father-in-law, Hardy,
also salvaged mature Garry oaks — cut
by hydro crews near St. Peter’s-Quamichan Anglican Church — and made
antique-type living-room furniture for
Coulson House.
Ulla enjoys her grounds’ great outdoors, and peaceful front-porch parlour,
but her hobby is tending her collection of
cookbooks — among thousands of other
titles comprising the couple’s small,
private library.
“I ran a bookstore (Ulla’s in downtown Duncan) so I know how to organize. It’s all alphabetical,” she said. “I
hate Kindle.”
The Coulsons loved a visit by the late
Norman Stone.
Stone strolled around, reminiscing
about where he and his five siblings
were reared before dad Carlton built his
beloved (now-demolished) Stonehaven
in 1927 near what is now Cowichan
District Hospital.
“He said ‘That’s where the bitch
slept,’” Dave said of Norman’s unflattering comment about his former nanny’s
room.
He also remembered breaking four
ribs by falling on the Stones’ deep clawfoot tub.
The home’s preserved provenance
has the Coulsons ready to seek heritage
status for it.
“Our place is pretty hard to improve
on,” Dave says.
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arbutus 9
STORY Peter W. Rusland
PHOTOS Andrew Leong
10 arbutus
A Bunny
Tale
Bunny tells tall tales . . .
I
t’s a moniker that fits Chemainus
author and artist Bernice Ramsdin-Firth like a pair of comfortable
slippers.
To friends and family, she’s ‘Bunny’ a
woman with a gentle nature, quick wit,
and intuitive views on life. They’re qualities that provide Bunny with the balance
she craves in her creative burrow in a
quiet Chemainus neighbourhood.
“We’re just a curious ape,” Bunny says
of mankind, her silver sea-horse earrings
swinging in her sunlight-dappled garden
dotted by her clay and stone sculptures.
Curiosity about the human condition,
and proof of her active imagination,
surfaced in Bunny’s self-published, fourbook series The Other Side of Magic.
“I had a riot writing them,” she says of
the illustrated fantasy tales that trace the
exploits of siblings Lynn and Lyle who
Continued on page 13
arbutus 11
“I believe
in faeries
and witches
but I’m a
realist too.”
Bunny Ramsdin-Firth
12 arbutus
Continued from page 11
are launched on their adventures after
“finding faerie in their room one night.”
The Night Visitors ushered book two,
Return To Lolibran, then, Out Of The
Frying Pan, and the finale, Into The Fire.
Lynn and Lyle’s exploits are populated by kindly Mr. Peter, friend Rob, and
helpful Lady Orlata. Evil lurks in old
Mrs. Bagge, and in Solvieg, a cannibalistic witch.
“The kids go through the rainbow and
back to their homeland,” the Chemainiac
says.
Just as other youth stories — spanning
Peter Pan to Harry Potter — deliver philosophical messages for all ages, so does
Bunny’s Magic book series, whose plot
bridges 1952 to present day.
She simply employs fantasy to “tell the
story of how to survive with integrity
intact.”
“It’s about friendship, caring for one
another, and sacrifice for friends.”
Magic’s story line, concerning a tiny
faerie trapped in a room, emerged
through a plot idea Bunny got from CBC
radio personality Bill Richardson.
Bunny’s fertile imagination is nourished by friends in the Chemainus
Writers group.
“I write what comes to me,” she says of
her habit of snaring ideas on her laptop
while she’s in bed.
It helps that Bunny is a natural storyteller who inherited a mighty muse from
her yarn-spinning dad, and her theatrically musical mom.
“I believe in faeries and witches from
one side of my brain, but I’m a realist
too. Creative people are happiest when
we’re finding some way to look at the
world in funny ways, or delving into
deeper meanings of life.”
Take Solveig, Ramsdin-Firth’s man-eating sorceress. She could represent nasty
dictators or perhaps criminals seen on
the nightly news.
“They say a witch has a hollow back
because they’ve lost their soul,” Bunny
says of Solvieg, who can morph into a
snake or a dog.
Imagery in the Magic books — penned
between 2002 and 2014 — is illustrated
in colour paintings, plus black-and-white
drawings and symbols, by Bunny, and
daughter, Poppy.
“I wanted to do my own illustrations
(with Poppy), and wanted to maintain
control of the story’s direction,” she
explains.
Now she’s harnessing a collection of a
dozen “silly” Grandpa Bill stories told to
Bunny and her sister by her father.
“We learned them, and my (five) kids
learned them, so I had to write them
down.”
Her dad’s fanciful fables — also being
illustrated — include Sammy Snail, The
False-Teeth Caper, Joe Cat, and Heidi
The Hot Dog.
Bunny’s funny lilt includes her previously staged musical pantomime The
Tinderbox.
But the laughing stops with her
dramatic play The Naming Of Charlie
Salmon.
“Charlie is a drunk, and his residential
school heritage comes back to him,” she
says of the serious, as-yet unstaged, story
honouring the ordeal of seven generations of First Nations people.
Words complement Bunny’s many
Bunny’s Bio
Age: 80
Born: Toronto
Nickname: From her mom, Jessie Firth
Education: Art, literature, philosophy
and writing at Douglas College
Partner: Gord Skrepnek
Biggest Regret: “Not being able
to play the piano as I’d like to.”
Currently Reading: Colin Wilson’s
The Star Seekers
Wider Interests: Ecology,
global warming, science and astronomy
Murals: Maple Ridge and Duncan
Memberships: B.C. Nature,
Chemainus Writers
Favourite Big Trees: Askew Park,
Chemainus
sculptures, paintings and murals in her
career’s compact cosmos.
“All forms of art expand one’s ability
to see the problems and joys among all
aspects of possibility,” she says.
Deliciously different, comfortingly local.
www.justjakes.ca
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arbutus 13
Goldie on
Wheels
14 arbutus
STORY & PHOTOS
Don Bodger
Dressed to thrill are
Lexi Corby (centre) with
Amanda Gould (left) and
Kelly Corby (right) during the
CarnEvil roller derby outing
against NWO roller derby
teams from Chilliwack in
early May at the Island
Savings Centre
in Duncan.
No fooling . . . Goldie’s the real thing
T
he story of Goldie Lex isn’t a
fairy tale. But dreams are coming true in this yarn that’s developing like a feel-good, factbased Disney movie and sure to spawn
several sequels. One happy ending after
another.
Lexi Corby, who goes by the derby
name of Goldie Lex, is the rising star of
this show based on her performances in
the rollicking sport of roller derby.
The gifted athlete was presented with
an ideal opportunity on her 15th birthday last Oct. 21 when she attended Team
Canada tryouts in Chilliwack. A one-time
resident of Crofton, now living in The
Properties near Duncan and enrolled
in Grade 10 at Gulf Islands Secondary
School, Corby was kept on pins and
needles until Nov. 21 when she found
out she made the team as one of the core
players for the first-ever Junior World
Cup.
That co-ed tournament takes place in
nearby Kent, Washington on July 8 and 9.
As you can imagine, coaches, friends,
Candy Crushers teammates, other derby
players and Corby herself were thrilled
about the selection.
“She was at school still,” said mom and
co-coach Kelly (Pain Killher) Corby when
the announcement was made. “We were
so excited, we just called her there.”
Coach Amanda (MissbHaven) Gould
also couldn’t wait to deliver the news.
“I was so confused, I got this big long
message from Amanda and then she
called me,” recalled Lexi.
Friend Alicia Shourounis was with Corby at the time.
“My friend was holding my phone –
she looks up at me and she said, ‘you
made Team Canada.’ I was like freaking
out and I started crying. I don’t think it’s
real yet till I go. I don’t think about it
anymore. It shocks me still to this day.”
It seems no one close to the derby
scene is surprised about Corby’s selection, even though she’s among the
youngest players in the category that
goes up to age 18.
“I’ve never been so nervous in my life,”
she said. “I didn’t think I was going to
make it.”
But those who know her best realize
she’s a special talent.
“It has been a great thing for her, too,
because these kids do look up to her,”
said Gould. “She’s also bringing that to
the team, too. Her level of play has gone
up tremendously in the last year, too.”
Gould relies heavily on Corby as a
go-between with the players.
“She’s a great teacher,” Gould pointed out. “The great thing about her is
sometimes when I’m trying to explain
something I over-analyze it because I’m
an adult.
“Now that she’s been skating for a
few years, she understands the strategy
behind it. That’s one of the things that’s
hard to get through to the kids. It’s nice
for me as a coach to get that feedback
from her.”
“She also worked really hard when
she was getting ready for Team Canada,’’
observed mom Kelly.
Continued on page 16
arbutus 15
“It keeps
me out of
trouble.”
Lexi Corby
Continued from page 15
16 arbutus
People in their 50s and 60s will remember roller derby from the days when it
became a novelty sport on television. It’s
undergone a huge resurgence in recent
years, especially among young people,
and the formation of the Candy Crushers
and a B team known as the Sugar Bombs
in Duncan is a product of that popularity.
Lexi has received plenty of exposure
to the game from her mom, Gould and
other adult players in the region. She first
started playing just a few short years ago
at age 11 in Cumberland and Val Wright
was her first teacher.
Corby performed magic on her own as
well.
“I just kind of self-learned,” she said. “I
was literally jumping over broomsticks in
my garage.”
Her game evolved from there with the
formation of the Candy Crushers and
through Gould’s expertise.
“Amanda has sure taught me a lot,”
said Corby. “I wouldn’t be where I am
today without her.”
Versatility on the track makes Corby
a valuable commodity, something of a
coach’s dream.
“From a coaching perspective, I can
throw her in as anything,” said Gould. “I
can throw her in as a jammer, a pivot and
a blocker.”
“I like blocking more than jamming,”
said Corby. “For Team Canada, I’m really
trying to jam more.”
She’s a keen student of the game,
soaking up all the knowledge she can by
studying Youtube videos and other roller
derby material on the Internet.
“Every single day when I go home from
school, I would watch them until it was
time for bed. I’m so much better at roller
derby and keeping things in my head
than I am at school.”
Corby attended a Rollercon conference
in Las Vegas two years ago that really set
her wheels in motion.
She’s just like any other teenage girl
away from the rink. But when she dons
her gear, a transformation takes place.
Even though roller skates don’t have
edges like hockey skates, Corby possesses
a definite edge to her game.
“I love when people who are better than
me are going against me,” she said. “I love
people being hard on me. When I play on
the adult’s team, they think they can’t hit
me sometimes, but I want them to.”
With flailing arms and legs, roller derby
competitors race around the tight track
at high speed and injuries are inevitable.
Bruises that cover her arms are common
after games but Corby likes to play hard
and always strives to be the best.
“I’m really hard on myself,” she said.
“I’ve had a couple of breakdowns. But
people really motivate me and try to
help. I don’t see what other people see. I
don’t think I’m that good.”
Uniforms take a beating in the physical
game that’s prompted a switch in apparel
from Corby.
“When I was 11, I would wear fishnets
and booty shorts,” she said. “I’m more
athletic-wearing now to be comfortable
instead of dressy. I don’t have any tights
at all. They all have big holes in them.”
Corby is obviously loving derby life.
She’s also played on the Vancouver Island
all-stars, Harbour City Rollers and Brass
Knuckles Derby Dames adult teams this
season besides Team Canada and the
Candy Crushers.
Being so busy, there are sacrifices in
time management.
“Sometimes I want to hang out with my
friends,” she said. “That’s where I sometimes get stressed. (But) I wouldn’t really
be doing it if it wasn’t fun. I’ve never
taken a break. I wish I could make a job
out of this. I’m in this forever. It keeps me
out of trouble.”
As Goldie Lex prepares to bear down
for the Junior World Cup, her fan base is
growing and will make its presence felt
in Kent to see her hit the big time on the
biggest stage in junior roller derby.
“Being it’s nice and close, it makes it
so her family can come and watch,” said
Kelly. “There’s going to be a good cheering section out there.”
arbutus 17
Coffee Chat with
Maeve Maguire
STORY Eliza Faulkner
PHOTO Warren Goulding
M
aeve Maguire is a councillor
for North Cowichan. She’s
also a mother of three and
part-time technical writer
and communications professional. Born
and raised in Grand Prairie, Alberta,
Maeve lived in London, England before
settling here in the Cowichan Valley with
her husband and three daughters.
This month we sat down with the
councillor, mom, and part-time writer to
discuss what she loves about living in the
Valley, why she became a councillor and
how a surprise gift from a neighbour has
kept her here for good.
How long have you lived in
the Cowichan Valley?
Seven years.
18 arbutus
What brought you to the area?
I was living in London, England and my
husband and I wanted to move back to
Canada but Alberta was too cold. After
we attended a wedding in Sooke we
decided the Island was the place for us.
What keeps you here?
The community and the people.
What made you run for council
at this stage in your life?
Barb Lines asked me to run last year.
She felt strongly about having more
women at the table and I also believe
that’s important. I said no at first but
after exploring the idea and speaking
with other councillors, I realized it was
something I could do.
What’s the greatest challenge about
being a councillor?
Having to make a decision when there’s
no good answer! I’ll often synthesize
the answers to things in my dreams. It
sounds so hokey but I’ll often wake up
with the answers.
What is a misconception about
being a councillor?
That it totally takes over your life,
because it doesn’t have to. Also that we
have all the answers, because we don’t!
We have access to more information than
most people but we don’t always have
the answer. We read everything that
comes our way and do our best.
What’s the most rewarding part
about what you do?
One of the most rewarding parts is meeting
and working with the staff at North
Cowichan and the (Valley) residents. They’re
all really impressive people.
What has most surprised you about
working in politics?
How much I really like it! I’m passionate
about learning all of these new things.
If you weren’t doing this, what would
you be doing?
I probably would have done a Masters, I
really wanted to expand my brain a bit and
try something new. This is pointing me now,
and I’m enjoying it a lot.
What is something you feel could be
improved in the Cowichan Valley?
I think it’s awesome! I don’t think we say
that enough. We live in one of the most
amazing places in the world. We also
have amazing options for education and
recreation all the way from kindergarten and
up, and I don’t think we’re saying enough
about that.
Why ACT?
About Act Hearing & Audiology
About
What do you do in your spare time?
It’s all about the kids right now. I try to
exercise when I can and I spend a lot of time
with the kids.
Leslie Peterson,
M.A., Aud (C), RAUD,
Registered Audiologist
LESLIE
Why ACT?
ACT NOW!
Owner and operator of
Act Hearing
& Audiology , Leslie Peterson is an
Current Passion?
Right now I’m learning all about local
About LESLIE
government finances and processes. It
feels
Owner and operator of
Act Hearing
like I’m doing an applied masters degree!
& Audiology , Leslie Peterson is an
About
Leslie Peterson,
M.A., Aud (C), RAUD,
Registered Audiologist
About Act Hearing & Audiology
LESLIE
Leslie Peterson
M.A. Aud (C), RAUD
Registered Audiologist
Leslie Peterson
M.A. Aud (C), RAUD
Owner and operator of
Act Hearing
Audiologist
& Audiology , Leslie PetersonRegistered
is an
What’s your favourite memory
of living here?
When I was pregnant with baby number
three, our neighbours secretly bought us a
freezer and filled it with food for us. I told
my husband we couldn’t leave after that.
Bucket List?
I don’t have any time for one right now!
Being here and being with the family is
what it’s about right now.
CALL NOW
WHY CHOOSE ACT?
to book your free hearing
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Audiologist - You are seen at every visit
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company and can choose the best product
to suit your needs from the World’s18/01/2012
Leading AM
arbutus11:19:0519
Manufacturers.
C 100
M 55
Y0
K 55
11000
Concept:
Communicatio n >Design Inc.
1111_Act_rack_card_4x9.indd 1
C 100
M 55
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C 100
M 55
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11000
Act Hearing
Concept:
Final Logo - Gradient CMYK
Proof:
Final
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BLACK
Communication > Design Inc.
August 19, 2011
e. ken@holycowcom.com
C 40
M0
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K6
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Act Hearing
Concept:
Final Logo - Gradient CMYK
Proof:
Final
Send to:
lesandpete@shaw.ca
e. ken@holycowcom.com
C 40
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August 19, 2011
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Send to:
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18/01/2012 11:19:05 AM
August 19, 2011
18/01/2012 11:19:46 AM
Stormin’
. . . off the Course
It seems everyone knows Stormin’ Norman,
but you should know there’s more to Jackson than golf
I
t seems that wherever he goes,
everybody knows Stormin’
Norman.
That’s because Cowichan Golf
and Country Club’s longtime pro
Norm Jackson is one of those guys
everybody loves. When he walks into
a room, you expect to hear joyous
shouts of “Storm”, reminiscent of those
rousing “Norm” chants his namesake
received upon entering the Cheers bar.
But clearly, Jackson, who turns a
youthful 65 in August, is no barfly and
not a guy who is content to swig beer
and philosophize about the challenges
of life without really accomplishing
much. Jackson marked 25 years at
Cowichan on January 1, just a bit
longer than he initially planned on
staying. He has been here so long many
20 arbutus
people think of him as a native son.
“It’s still a shock to be in one place
for that long – especially in today’s
industry,” Jackson says. “It’s just not
happening.’”
And while he’s become a household
name around the Valley, it’s also true
that Jackson has staked notoriety
around the globe.
“Norm’s great to travel with. He’s a
lot of fun,” says Cowichan club member
and longtime friend Peter Leckie. “It
doesn’t matter where you go in the
world, Norm knows somebody.”
Leckie witnessed one such incident
while on a social European golf tour
with Jackson a few years ago. They were
on a fairway when Jackson recognized a
fellow walking his dog 200 yards in the
distance and hollered out to him.
“Next thing you know this guy and
his dog are walking the next four holes
with us at North Berwick Golf Course in
Scotland,” marvels Leckie.
Another time, they were at Augusta
National in Georgia during the practice
rounds for the Masters. Jackson spotted
the trailer for TaylorMade golf clubs
where some of the Professional Golfers
Association players were hanging out.
“He knocks on it and goes inside, he
comes out and has free tickets for the
first day of the Masters tournament,”
raves Leckie. “He’s a world ambassador
for Canadian golf and the Cowichan
Valley. He’s a real treasure to have.
“Norm’s been all over. He’s played the
best and he is the best. It’s been a real
privilege to enjoy these trips with him.”
Continued on page 22
STORY Don Bodger
PHOTOS Andrew Leong
arbutus 21
Continued from page 21
• MENS • LADIES • KIDS •
Clothing & Accessories
MARTIN’S
33 Station St.
Downtown Duncan
22 arbutus
Running the venerable Cowichan Golf
& Country Club – the beautiful course
just south of Duncan is almost 100 years
old – devoting countless hours to his
many community involvements and
indulging in various sports activities
doesn’t leave a lot of time for leisure and
travel but Jackson does manage to find
some time for himself away from the
Cowichan Valley.
“I do get to escape a couple of times a
year and one of those trips is golf-related
and it is to a bucket-list course like
Pebble Beach or St. Andrews or to the
Phoenix area for golf and sun,” Jackson
explains. He also makes sure to slip away
to a warm and sunny place in Mexico
with partner Barb Failler.
Most of the time Jackson keeps his
nose to the grindstone conducting golf
business. He still averages 10-11-hour
days, but the time flies by because he
enjoys it so much.
“There’s not many boring hours, that’s
for sure, Jackson says. “It’s a great career.
The fun thing is it’s about the people. It’s
not so much about money. I get to be out
in the community.”
You might say Jackson was practically
born into the golf business. He started in
the industry in 1962 as a club cleaner in
Kamloops, at a little nine-hole golf course.
Born in Edmonton, Jackson went full
circle to the Edmonton Country Club
after spending time at Penticton, Royal
Colwood and Nanaimo golf courses. He
was the assistant pro at the Edmonton
Club from 1980 to 1990 before moving
to the Island.
“The rest is history,” Jackson grins.
“The Valley is home. You can see why
people don’t leave here. I’ve had other
opportunities. (But) every time you look
at it, I like what I do, I like where I am.”
Unbeknownst to many, Jackson
actually has an extensive background
in hockey as well, having played for the
Penticton Broncos of the B.C. Junior
Hockey League in 1966 as a 16-year-old.
His dad Bob (Bush) Jackson played pro
hockey for the 1950 Vancouver Canucks
in the old Pacific Coast Hockey League.
Living in Edmonton during the Oilers’
heyday, Jackson formed a bond with
many of the National Hockey League
players there. He developed relationships
with former Oilers that continue to this
day. Both Kelly Buchberger and Grant
Fuhr have played in the Cowichan Open
due to their ties to Jackson. Interestingly,
after hockey, Fuhr immersed himself in
golf and he is currently the director of
golf at Desert Dunes Golf Club in Palm
Springs, California.
The charisma of Norm Jackson has
helped put the Cowichan Club on the
map. His presence created a boom time
with the hosting of a Canadian tour
event, the Canadian Mid-amateur, the
B.C. Amateur, the B.C. Seniors and so
much more, but he’s quick to credit
many people behind the scenes on the
board of directors and members for their
prominent involvement.
“It’s like the old style golf club
where people still volunteer to do
things,” Jackson says with pride. “The
demographics have changed a bit – new
people have come in. You never want to
lose that sense of tradition and they’ve
kept it here.”
As a golf professional and general
manager, Jackson has witnessed many
changes to the job over the years. The
golf businesses has undergone radical
changes in North America and around
the world in the last couple of decades
and Cowichan Golf & Country Club
hasn’t been immune from the challenges
that come with competition and the
rising operating costs.
“The business isn’t as lucrative as it
used to be,” he says. “People are doing
more than one job at the club here.”
But there’s always a sense of continuity
between himself and other long-time
employees like Dave Purslow and Sandy
Ball. Jackson also cites Rudy Tobler and
John Horgan as two club presidents who
were instrumental in “putting things into
our policies that kept those traditions alive.”
Appropriate recognitions of Jackson’s
efforts have included being named
PING Golf’s fitter of the year in British
Columbia for an impressive 15 years
running – as well as twice nationally –
plus being named golf shop of the year
twice and professional of the year twice
by the PGA of B.C.
“This
community
has been
so good
to me.”
Norm Jackson
Jackson and his two sisters learned
from their mom at an early age about
volunteering. “It was very important to
her that we all learned to read and speak,”
says Jackson. “Also, how important it is to
be a part of your community. It’s kind of
morphed from there.”
Having the gift of the gab and public
speaking prowess has put Jackson front
and centre at many community events
including the Cowichan District Hospital
Foundation gala, Golfers Against Cancer
and the North Cowichan-Duncan Sports
Wall of Fame.
“Obviously, his commitment to the
community is huge,” says Leckie.
Jackson’s mom died from the effects
of Alzheimer’s disease five years ago and
that prompted him to get involved with
the charity. He was the honoree of the
Walk for Memories in Penticton in 2012
and for the Cowichan Valley in 2013.
“For me, this community has been so
good to me it’s easy to give back,” he
reasons. “People, they’re so kind here.
You really start to realize how lucky we
are and when people are in need, people
step forward and help out.”
Obviously fit and healthy, Jackson
concedes that his youthful physique isn’t
just related to his penchant for knocking
golf balls around on some of the world’s
best courses. He’s a self-proclaimed “gym
junkie” who works out four or five days
a week at the Island Savings Centre and
still plays oldtimers hockey.
He also started cycling the last few
years as an easier form of cardio exercise
on the body.
“It’s great for Barb and I to enjoy
the outdoors on the trails around the
Valley,” raves Jackson. “Will (Arnold)
at Experience Cycling has been an
inspiration and help.”
The word retirement hasn’t entered his
vocabulary.
“It’s still fun,” Jackson says. “You have
to be able to come every day and hear
the people tell their golf stories on a daily
basis. “That’s the most positive thing
about the job, it is social. You get to visit
every day.”
By the way, his famous rhyming
nickname was acquired in Nanaimo.
“One day, they just started calling me
Stormin’ and it never changed.”
121-2720 Mill Bay Rd, Mill Bay
(250) 743-8131
www.specialtylingerie.ca
arbutus 23
Saved
by the
Bell
STORY & PHOTOS
Peter W. Rusland
B
oon Collins was literally saved
by the bell. The phone call that
saved his life from liver disease
came at around 3:30 p.m. on
July 7, 2014, just as the local movie
maker and environmental watchdog was
leaving Cowichan District Hospital to die
in peace at home in Cowichan Bay.
“Synchronicity” finally found the fading Collins a liver, donated by a 32-yearold Vancouver man of the same height
and blood type.
But time was vital. The liver-transplant window is just 12 hours.
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24 arbutus
“Before that call on my flip phone, I
felt I was done; that was it, I won’t get
better,” he said of the cancerous tumour,
diagnosed in 2013, that filled his lungs
with liquid last December.
“I looked like an AIDS victim — then
the cell-phone rang in my room.”
He and his wife, Carol, learned a team
of doctors and staff awaited him in
Vancouver General Hospital’s transplant
ward to swap the failing organ behind
his right rib cage.
“They said ‘We’ll be there in a halfhour with a helicopter’ and 40 minutes
later I was being wheeled in to the OR at
VGH.
“It was surreal.”
Reality returned after seven hours of
surgery by “one of the best transplant
teams in the world,” Collins said of the
22-member squad led by Dr. Eric Yoshida.
Carol paced the lobby as Collins’ new
blood-filtering organ replaced his diseased one, leaving him numb with pain
and facing months of recovery.
“You lose all your inhibitions. It’s
like being reborn,” he said, praising his
saviours.
“The doctors and nurses were unbelievable. You have so much respect for
the Canadian medical system.”
But he reserved top accolades for
Carol, who was his loving caregiver and
healing angel.
“It’s like
winning the
lottery.”
Boon Collins,
on receiving a
liver transplant
Boondocks:
Age: 68 Born: Edmonton, Alberta
Children: Darcy, 22, and Amelia, 25
Transplant fact: about 70 livers are transplanted per year in B.C.
Most Enjoyable Job: Playboy Club busboy, London, 1967
Best Friends: Rob Schneider (Deuce Bigalow); Dan Haggerty (Life and Times of
Grizzly Adams); Scott Wilson (In Cold Blood)
Movie Credits: Sleepover Nightmare, Spirit of the Eagle, Abducted,
Night Warning, The Chosen One
Current Film Project: Producer, writer of Tick Ticks, a $10-million humour-horror flick
directed by special-effects whiz Mark Dippe (Spawn), shot in China and on Vancouver Island
Favourite Movie: Lawrence Of Arabia
Environmental Work: Director, Cowichan Estuary Restoration & Conservation Association
To Become an Organ Donor in BC, visit: https://register.transplant.bc.ca/
“You can’t do (liver transplant) alone.
If you don’t have anyone to help you, you
can’t get a new liver. Carol was everything to me.”
Love was their guiding light.
“My biggest challenge was seeing someone who was so vital slowly fading away,
and losing his life force,” she said, bent
on “soldiering on” during the costly crisis.
Movie star pal Rob Schneider helped
stage a Vancouver comedy-benefit for Collins’ medical bills, while Carol rented an
apartment near VGH to help her husband
through four months of recovery.
Friends and family prayed, too.
“You almost feel people’s prayers,”
noted Collins.
For starters, he was terribly weak and
his weight shrunk to 125 pounds from
195. He now weighs about 170 lbs.
“You have no muscle. Your ass looks
like two empty wallets. You’re mush.”
Thanks to drugs, rehab staff and Carol,
he slowly rebounded from his surreal
ordeal. “They rebuild you,” Collins said.
Reconstruction includes a mental makeover.
“Boon went through a period of madness,” Carol said of the post-op trauma.
“It was like being tied to the bed at first,”
Collins said. “I thought it was a conspiracy to keep me in the hospital. Your mind
has to heal too.”
He went from a wheelchair to a walker,
to walking sticks by last October. Then he
was transferred to a sort of transplant-patient ‘half-way house’ near VGH.
The pain gradually lifted like fog.
“One day, you’re pain-free.”
Collins returned home to his family’s
pastoral, two-acre ‘Boondom’ for Christmas. He was a new man, who thanks his
donor, his family, humour, prayers, patience, anti-rejection drugs, and medical
staff for saving him.
Son Darcy, a stand-up comic, quipped,
“I’m happy to have my father back, but I
sure could have used that inheritance!”
Kidding aside, Collins said “gratitude is
the common denominator among transplant people. It’s like winning the lottery.”
Odds of recovery rise if folks donate
organs by signing provincial release
forms. That’s why Collins wanted to lend
“a face” to the donor drive.
“Become a donor. You can save someone’s life for sure.”
As his life gained new meaning, trivial
stuff now takes a hike.
“I came away with my soul intact. I’ve
lived an adventurous life that I’m proud
of. I don’t have any ghosts.”
35,000 rounds of golf are played each year
at the Cowichan Golf & Country Club.
The splendid clubhouse and grounds, eighteen lovely golf holes beckoning, and
the intimacy of an island golfing community make this a special place.
COWICHAN GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB
1.877.744.5333 • www.cowichangolfclub.ca
arbutus 25
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26 arbutus
Road
Warriors
STORY Peter W. Rusland
PHOTOS Andrew Leong
“I find a
woman’s
perspective
has been
overlooked”
Albert Alexander
U
na Simul Incutere,
Simul Nos Succedant.
Together we inspire, together we
succeed.
That wisdom in Latin is the business motto
of the women who run Shawnigan Lake’s busy
Road Warriors custom paint, graphics and
parts-decorating shop catering to drivers and
riders of all genders and persuasions.
“If you ride or drive, you’re welcome here,”
promises principal owner Beth Stewart.
That goes for lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender customers too.
“There are lots of custom shops that intimidate women, but we want to focus on woman
and LGBT.”
Warriors’ paint-guru Albert Alexander agreed.
“Whatever their sexual preferences are,
they’re still enthusiasts,” he said.
“I find a women’s perspective on this (customizing) stuff has been overlooked for a long time.”
In fact, Warriors’ main drive is to lend women
a voice about their rides and their lives — denoting the inspirational part of the Latin motto
gracing rocker panels on the Warriors’ bike
vests or ‘cuts.’
“I haven’t heard of another female-run
custom shop on the island,” said Stewart. “We
want to provide a shop where women are welcome — even to just come and hang out — and
get (paint jobs, ride customizing) they want,
Continued on page 28
arbutus 27
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28 arbutus
Continued from page 27
not be told what they want.”
Road Warriors differs from other professional auto-body businesses by targeting
speed and ‘X-treme’ custom enthusiasts.
“We specialize in doing one-off colours,”
she said, citing paint work spanning the
“candies and pearls.”
“We mix the colours here as we go.”
But rides for comfort, not just speed, aren’t
curbed at Warriors.
“We can do cars too, and have a tractor
(job) coming up.”
A venerable ‘49 Cadillac and a 1977 Corvette are also set for painting and customizing.
So is Stewart’s Yamaha V-Star Silverado.
Her pretty, purple 650cc bike was recently
scuffed pretty good during a minor accident
that left her sore, but, luckily, OK.
Still, healing time gives Stewart, and
business shareholder/director April Bower,
time to fine tune their business that became
a community-controlled corporation after
being bought from Alexander last March.
He ran Black Moon Racing as Total Hardcore Custom for four years, and the business
appealed to his friend Stewart, the primary
shareholder in the shop the fledgling corporation bought and renamed.
“It’s a complete change from what I have
been doing,” said Stewart, 47, a sommelier
most fond of 10-year-old Spanish anciano
tempranillo red wine.
Now she and the Warriors are uncorking
originality for rides of all sizes and shapes.
“People are looking for originality and being different; people want to stand out and
show who they are. It’s just an extension of
their personality.”
Bower was stoked about seeing Warriors
help customers realize their dream ride.
“It’s exciting being around the cars and bikes,
and seeing all the different paint jobs. I’m a
real sports enthusiast when it comes to cars.”
Stewart also sketched her female-friendly
shop’s vision of a Malahat-based speed track
for average riders and drivers. Warriors will
also be a stepping stone to a 10-acre track
complex — envisioned as the first of its kind
across Canada — she and the Warriors aim
for a Malahat sea-view acreage.
They’re raising capital for the track where
speedsters can try drift (sliding), fast street
skills and more techniques on street and
quarter-mile stretches.
“Our idea is to make it affordable for
the average Joe to come and have fun. We
want to bring racing off the street and into
somewhere safe,” Stewart said of the facility that could also attract mountain bikers
and, potentially, online betting.
Meanwhile, Stewart is touting her shop
that can complete work on some 70 vehicles a year.
“We can work on a couple of cars, and
a couple of bikes at the same time. If you
bring it in, we can do it.”
Her crew recently took on a customizing
project for a Mazda B2200 truck that will
sport chassis ‘bouncing’ abilities, and hot
artwork.
“The whole truck will be black, with
candy-apple red flames throughout, plus
24-carat gold-leaf skulls on the hood,
and maybe a mural of (movie drug lord
Scarface) Tony Montana on the tonal (box)
cover,” raved Alexander.
“We don’t do normal,” states Stewart.
“Albert has a vivid imagination.”
Paint jobs fetch base prices of about Serving the Island since 1975
Serving the Island since 1975
$5,000, plus costs for unique graphics.
The Warriors roster also boasts project
manager Pat Jean, plus shop manager and
custom soundman Geoff Radford.
“We go for sound quality, not just the
thump,” Radford said of rides with monster-stereos.
Stewart and Bower are the shop’s main
investors at present. Shares are $1,000
each and investors are welcome.
“It’s like a co-op. Everyone who buys
in as a member will get a piece of the pie
when we start making money,” said Stewart.
She, Bower, Radford and Jean are the
corporate directors. Their enterprise has
connections to Mill Bay’s West Coast Roar
Motorcycling that’s also geared toward
female riders.
Amidst it all, Stewart revealed that her
deceased son, Jake Ryan, inspired her to
take a new journey by buying Road Warriors.
“How he dealt with his (cancer) illness
taught me life is about getting out of it
what you put into it.
“Jake faced everything head-on, and with
a smile,” she said.
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arbutus 29
Plans for the
Weekend?
Cowichan Valley folks are active, curious and
constantly in search of new adventures. Arbutus writer
Peter Rusland asked three residents of the Valley what
they like to do for recreation or for a special evening out.
Here’s what they had to say:
Michael Harry
SunFest
is the event
of the year
Chief, Malahat First Nation
For me the ideal recreation in the
Cowichan Valley is walking along Mill Bay Road
or hiking Mount Tzouhalem.
In the Cowichan Valley, I enjoy eating at
Bridgeman’s Bistro at the Mill Bay Marina. It’s a great
place to relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery. I also
enjoy the Malahat Chalet restaurant.
SunFest is the event of the year that I like to go to. The
music is great and seems to get better every year.
I really enjoy the Valley on various scales as it is filled
with the beautiful Saanich Inlet. Mill Bay Road is
amazing piece of property to walk. The Cowichan River
is beautiful all year ‘round. Hiking Mount Tzouhalem is
the same . . . beautiful all year.
Randy Huber
Managing Director, Chemainus Theatre Festival
Because Bec and I count ourselves incredibly fortunate to live in
Cowichan, drenched in natural beauty, simply exploring the region
ranks as our favourite activity. Now that we’ve added our baby boy,
Matthias, to our hiking party, forays into the great outdoors are a
little less adventurous.
My favourite hiking destinations include Kinsol Trestle
and the top of Mount Tzhouhalem. My other favourite
weekend activities include not cutting my lawn and not
weeding my flower beds.
My favourite restaurants include the Quamichan Inn,
The Royal Dar, Willow Street Café, Odika and, of course,
the Playbill Dining Room at the Chemainus Theatre. We
really appreciate the diversity of dining options in the
Cowichan region and we like mixing it up.
Exploring
the region
ranks as our
favourite
activity
Our aforementioned newborn son has certainly curbed
our entertainment options and a big outing now entails
a trip to the grocery store. But I do know a certain theatre in
Chemainus where I make sure to see everything that hits the stage.
30 arbutus
Kathy Robertson
General Manager,
Community Futures Cowichan
My favourite weekend activity starts every
Saturday at 6:30 a.m. For 15 years I’ve
been part of the same group that runs
the back roads and trails of the Cowichan
Valley. Nothing beats the sight of the sun
rising when there is only the sound of
shoes and birds. Every
run ends in some amazing coffee shop
in the Valley. My favourites are the
Tin Cup and the Drum Roaster.
When it comes time to eat, it’s always a
toss-up. Sometimes the best spot is your
own place, cooking with the fresh foods
that come right from the Valley. It’s always
a great dinner when my dad is just back
from a day of fishing and he arrives
with fresh salmon and crab! When
I’m going out it’s always good
times with friends at the
Cow Bay Pub.
Nothing
beats the
sight of the
sun rising
The summer is the time of
outdoor concerts! I’ll be going
again to SunFest this year. As
someone who works in economic
development, I’m as much
interested in the economic impacts
and local benefits as I am in the music.
Mill Bay Marina
Photo by
Warren Goulding
arbutus 31
Out & About
32 arbutus
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arbutus 33
Designs
with an
Edge
STORY & PHOTOS
Don Bodger
K
notty is nice for John Lore’s
business.
Lore, 52, and his staff of some
26 employees at Live Edge
Design in Duncan have carved a niche
in the specialty furniture market, taking
knotty and otherwise scrap wood and
turning it into works of art.
Lore’s efforts were recognized with
an Art In Business award during this
year’s Duncan-Cowichan Chamber of
Commerce Black Tie Awards. He was
quick to share the laurels about that.
“I imagine it was good for business,
but the real cool thing is to see the
vibrant community we live in,” Lore said.
Tables of all shapes and styles are the
main focus at Live Edge, but no type
of furniture item is exempt from the
creative team.
“We do a lot of countertops,” said Lore.
“We’ve built virtually every other piece of
furniture you could imagine. One of our
best gigs is we do most of the conference
34 arbutus
tables for Hilton Hotels.”
The Wickaninnish Inn
near Tofino and the Capilano
Suspension Bridge in North
Vancouver are among Live Edge’s
other high-profile clients. Forty
chairs and 10 tables – rustic pieces
built out of cedar bows and limbs – were
just sent to Capilano to replace outdoor
furniture that had weathered.
The lumber market tends toward
straight and smooth pieces of wood, but
the material Live Edge uses is completely
the opposite.
“The big gnarly ones with lots of knots
is what we like,” said Lore noting their
strategy for utilizing otherwise unusable
material has helped the business thrive
during difficult economic times.
“Any kind of manufacturing has been
beaten up,” explains Lore. “We were
lucky enough to be taking a different
direction.”
Live Edge caters to people who may
have the remnants of an old tree in their
yard, one that needed to be removed due
to disease or weather. The furniture they
make from the tree becomes a recycling
project and allows a homeowner to
maintain ties with a favourite tree.
People can either select their wood at
the Live Edge plant or have their own
pieces taken through the process from
raw form to kiln drying to finishing.
“Basically we’re doing it all which
makes it a very complicated business,”
Lore pointed out. “Typically, I’d say eight
to 10 months before it’s photographed
and ready to make something of. It’s
about a year by the time we get a tree
and the first piece of furniture is made
out of it.”
But customers have discovered that it is
worth the wait and the extra expense to have
something truly unique.
“The quality is way better,” said Lore.
“It’s solid wood and you can refinish it 100
times.”
Lore grew up in the Calgary area and
developed a love for furniture design while
living in Edmonton and working with a
group of industrial designers.
When his wife Dorothy took a job on
Vancouver Island in 1993 Lore decided to
venture into the furniture manufacturing
business. Thus, Pickle Ridge Rustic Carpentry
started at Whippletree Junction where Lore
became known for his must-have, one-of-akind pieces.
A fire damaged his shop at Whippletree
in 2005, prompting Lore to rent space in
the current building on Mearns Road that
previously housed Sandler Fine Furniture.
Within a year, the businesses merged and
Lore eventually bought out Sandler in 2010.
“My original plan wasn’t to hire anyone. I
had a business plan I was going to make one
chair every day,” he recalls of the early days.
But like all good plans, changes needed to
be made, especially as the demand for Lore’s
products grew and he couldn’t keep pace on
his own.
The increase in workload has been even
more substantial than Lore ever thought.
“It’s been pretty much going steadily,” he said.
Lore estimates about 100 trees were used
in his production process last year.
One of his favourite stories, told at the
Black Tie Awards, involved a large old Garry
Oak tree that he was unable to acquire. And
he was glad about that. Lore begrudgingly
said he would utilize a tree being removed
during construction of the new Evans Park
field facility in Duncan. But it was saved
after Hilary Huntley climbed part way up
and refused to leave.
“It’s a fantastic tree. It really adds
something to the place,” Lore says of the one
that got away.
In other circumstances, Lore is happy
customers can preserve an important
connection with trees through his products.
“It’s nice to have a table with history and
a story, but it’s even more meaningful if it’s
your story,” he said.
Vinoteca
AT ZANATTA WINERY
Offering food that is in season and locally sourced
whenever possible: a true taste of the Cowichan Valley.
5039 Marshall Rd, Duncan (250) 709-2279 zanatta.ca/vinoteca
Dinner by Reservation Only
Andrew Leong
PHOTOGRAPHY
M AT E R N I T Y
WEDDINGS
CHILDREN
GLAMOUR
call 250.748.9969
arbutus 35
Valley of the Arts
P
36 arbutus
STORY BY Tom Masters
eople come to the Cowichan
a war artist and continued for the next
region from all parts of the world
seven decades at his studio in Duncan.
and for many reasons. One is the
Robert Bateman is one of Canada’s forebeauty of the place, another is peace and
most spokesmen for the conservation of
quiet. But another attraction, one with
wildlife, celebrated in his paintings and
even stronger appeal to the human spirbooks. Sue Coleman’s fusion of contemit, is the notion that here one can pursue
porary and native coastal themes and
at least some of one’s dreams.
images has burgeoned into a veritable
Here is the opportunity to write, to
one-woman industry of original works,
draw, to paint, to sculpt, to work in
prints and books.
clay. Here are opportunities to meet
Sharon Jackson is a city councillor in
like-minded individuals in fields as diDuncan and suggests the economic benverse as film, video, music, theatre and
efits from various arts pursuits should
to learn and practice all the varied skills
not be overlooked.
that those fields require.
“The arts are a huge contributor to the
Chemainus potter Jane Wolters came
economy of the area,” she suggests.
from England and for the past 30 years
She is supportive of a recent proposal
she has worked in stoneware
by the regional government to enable
and porcelain.
stable funding for the arts.
“The arts
“A rural setting is conAccording to Kirsten Schrader,
are a huge
ducive to my work,” she
manager of the Arts and Culture
contributor to Division of the Cowichan Valexplains.
There seems no limit
the economy of ley Regional District, “the new
to the range of indiinitiative will provide support for
the area.”
vidual enterprise, wine
existing
arts councils and enable
Sharon Jackson
making, coffee roasting,
the establishment of new associlocavore cuisine, cheese
ations where they do not presently
making, even the experimental growing
exist, development a regional culture
of tea. First Nations carvers and the creplan, liaison with arts organizations and
ators of the famous Cowichan sweater
participation in cultural activities on an
live and work in the region and much of
even wider basis.”
their work may be found at the Quw’utJane Wolters cites the presence of
sun’ Cultural Centre in Duncan.
organizations like the Cowichan Valley
Vancouver Island University offers a
Arts Council as extremely important.
wide range of formal study in the arts as
“Through these associations artists
does School District 79 in its secondary
have better access to galleries, opportuschools in Chemainus, Duncan and Mill
nities to participate in shows, and meet
Bay. Private schools such as Brentwood,
others with similar interests.”
Queen Margaret’s, Shawnigan Lake, all
Tourism is a major industry in the
place heavy emphasis on the creative arts.
Cowichan region and for many visitors
Chemainus is home to the Chemainus
it is local artists, musicians, performers
Theatre Festival, the largest professional
as well as the award winning wines
theatre company on Vancouver Island.
and restaurants featuring local fare that
This one institution alone provides
draw them to the area.
employment to hundreds of individuals
Behind all this are the artists whose
during the course of a year. Communiinteresting and unusual perspectives
ty theatre, too, thrives throughout the
and unique world views find expresregion. Popular bands, singers, dancers,
sion in countless ways here among the
comedians are found in every town and
forests and mountains and along the
village.
margins of the sea. People come here
Local artists have achieved internafrom many places and for many reasons,
tional reputations. Notable among these
among them the freedom to pursue their
are the late E.J. Hughes who began as
dreams.
See & Do
arbutus 37
Parting Shot
PHOTO BY Andrew Leong
Morning is breaking on Mt. Tzouhalem
38 arbutus