TAKE 5 Newsmagazine May

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Letters

Kinsmen thanks We would like to thank everyone who donated food and cash

to the Ladysmith Kinsmen especially Farmer Bens Eggs, Saun-ders Bin Trucking, 49th Parallel Grocery, Dan Hunter Denturist and Sportsman Hotel. Three-quarter tons of food was collected and $1500 in hot dog sales was raised for the Ladysmith Food Bank. - Jim Delcourt

Re: Another Beautiful Day column Please do not romanticize or encourage beach fi res. A beach is

everyone’s beautiful home. It is the environment you so dearly protect. Would you like many people leaving black half burned logs, beer cans, broken glass, and forever scarred and cracked sandstone rocks at your house? Keep your fi re on your own land where you can worry about the trees over head that no one notices, whether fi re trucks can reach the area, and making sure the fi re is out in the middle of the night when the wind picks up and everyone has gone home. Please let me know where you live ‘cause I’m kinda looking forward to some hotdogs and marshmallows. Hope you don’t mind if I cut down some marshmallow sticks and tell all my friends what a great spot you have. PS: I would never leave beer cans or broken glass I’m a good person, and I would never be so stupid as to not put out my fi re. – Jan Thomas

Writer Laurie Gourlay responds:I want to assure you that I share concerns that untended and

irresponsible beach fi res, or fi res of any kind, can be a problem. Disrespect for the environment, local residents and the com-munity can be a problem in any outing - whether it be camping, hiking or occasional evenings by the beach or on a campsite.

In my case I live on a farm, and am fortunate enough to have the space to have a stone and brick fi repit, burning scrap and pruned branches, etc for the occasional long-weekend marsh-mallow roast under the stars. It really is good for the soul, and brings friends together. I suspect, and have heard historians speculate, that humanity began around fi repits, where cooked foods and safety was to be found...leading to shared interests and cooperation, then to community and more formal family, village, arrangements. A fi re can be a good thing if treated right.

Art TourThank you so much for your mention of our Ladysmith Art

Tour this month, it was great of you to include our event in the Take 5. I know it will really help us in getting the word out to ensure the event’s success.

- Dianne Domey, Art tour coordinator

Broke Brides“From the Publisher” in this month’s Take 5 and I just wanted

to drop you a line to say thank you so very much for the men-tion. Being a new business, it’s imperative to get my name out

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there and I want the Broke Brides name to be synonymous with not just recycling, but with Ladysmith., and every little bit of promotion helps. I do a “Tip of the Week” every Monday on my Facebook page and this week it’s about the importance of recycling. Please have a look.

- Rita Potter, Owner, Broke Brides Wedding Consignment

Dragon’s Den Love the article about us being on the Dragons’ Den -- and

TAKE 5.When we fi rst moved to town and experienced the magical

charm of Ladysmith, TAKE 5 refl ected that charm. We used your Vacation Guide to guide us around town our fi rst summer. It is lovely to live here and seeing ourselves in TAKE 5 some-how makes us feel like we’re home.

- Chip Nary & Alexa Grier, Crystalline Vortex Pottery

Vacation Guide the best!I just picked up your 2013 Ladysmith plus Cedar to Che-

mainus Vacation Guide. What an awesome book. You did one helluva job. I’ve been a resident here for over 40 years and and have never seen any publication come close to something that good. Congratulations - Wayne Bertram

Redevelopment of Seaside Mobile Home ParkThank you Ray Bradford for your letter in the March edition

of TAKE 5 It couldn’t be said any better. We are so very thankful that

people like you, Lynne Smith and Sherry Durnford are trying to get some fair justice for the evicted residents.

What happened at Seaside should not happen anywhere. The owners do have the right to evict us, but the residents should be compensated fairly, which means current fair market value. Not just a year’s free rent when we have our whole lives invested in our home.

We owned our home for 18 years. It is now mortgaged until we are 95 because we had too much invested in it to walk away. So we bought a trailer that was a piece of trash in Town and Country Mobile Home Park that went out in two large garbage bins because it was too rotten. A lady had bought it, and the more she got into it, the worse it was. We gave her money back. Hence the garbage bins.

What is happening now is opening up the wounds again. The laws governing mobile home evictions need to be changed at the provincial level. Perhaps a new government will look at this situation. It is a nightmare, and the repercussions will be with us the rest of our lives.

The Ivy Green Trailer Park is another similar situation, but they got help. We didn’t because we were told by Rob Hutchins that we were Saltair and not Ladysmith. Well, yes, we lived in Saltair, but our shopping was done in Ladysmith.

I have no sympathy for the owners;; we lost our shirts on this development. - Joan Auld

Letters to the Editor are welcome but subject to space and editing. Letters do not necessarily refl ect the opinion of TAKE 5. email [email protected], or post at www.take5.ca

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Democracy ... your name here!

I’ve never been one who enjoys dic-tators, benevolent or otherwise. Hence my rationale for spending Saturdays and evening time-off volunteering on the campaign phone this past month, seek-ing out change for the better.

And in deed I have found it, as well as in talk with the folks living here in this beautiful and bountiful mid island region of south Nanaimo and North Cowichan.

Our heritage is as rich as these coastal lands and waters, and memories of days past spring easily to mind with those I often talk with.

This, the 100th anniversary of the coal strikes, brings to mind the impoverished miners who were beaten as they fought for better wages and working conditions - rights we now take for granted. In La-dysmith I hear from families who recall grandparents talking of being shot at by Gatling guns on First Street, manned by loyal government troop’s intent on pro-tecting the interest of notorious industri-alist and coal baron Robert Dunsmuir.

More recently, sometimes from the sons and daughters of the very same families, I’m told about life in the woods, the logging camps, the massive trees and high quality lumber that was to be had here, and that was exported around the world from the many local and family-owned coastal sawmills. The good old days, when sweat and toil and union wages, saw the quality of life rise in many homes hereabouts, and kept towns and family businesses bustling on pay days.

Fishing too brought its riches and bounty to our shores, while keeping

many away for long months on the high seas, navigating rapids and reefs and narrow channels of the Strait of Geor-gia. Salmon runs fi lled freezers, while smoked salmon kept the home fi res burning and local canneries busy and prolifi c. It’s our west coast staple and celebration of life’s mysterious journey, a much sought-after delicacy and feature at dinner tables across the country.

And then there are the folks who fondly recall the small-town commu-nity enjoyed by thick-knuckled farm-ers up and down the Island. There was a sense of belonging I’m told, common daily chores and challenges experienced, lives lived quietly and to the full, known to the neighbours and church goers, and one-room schoolhouses of this relatively isolated Island.

You didn’t go into town often but when you did you took a long list of necessi-ties to the feed and seed merchants, and when you had a little extra maybe head on over to the general store, where they sparingly stocked the high-priced fi ner-ies but you could always fi nd shelves full of woolly socks, plaid shirts and long underwear (in season). You had to know how to pinch a penny, if you were to make ends meet in most farms those days, and these days too I’m told.

Over just a few afternoons and eve-nings on the phone I’m lucky enough to hear many similar stories, snippets of memories and Island lifetimes. And that helps me understand the strong words of support, and the determination that is so evident here on the Island, the wish to see change for the better for families, communities and the common good.

And hearing what so many have worked hard for all their lives, the sacri-fi ces and tales of hardship they’ve faced and worked together to overcome, I am myself re-energised and encouraged, re-warded if truth be told. For this is what democracy is all about. This is why I am here, and why it’s good to give a little of my time and myself volunteering for my community, and my rights.

Hearing the old-timers, more than ever I want to be a part of Vancouver Island’s rich heritage. I want to contribute to the betterment of all, to see everyone benefi t from the bounty and beauty that we are all lucky enough to enjoy. And dictators, old despots or aspiring currency traders whoever they may be, are just going to have to get used to sharing the wealth of this coastal corner of paradise we Island-ers call home.

Laurie Gourlay has worked with envi-ronmental groups for thirty-odd years, farms 20 acres organically with life-partner Jackie Moad, questions author-ity quite regularly, and really doesn’t suffer dictators gladly.

Coal miners. Photo: Ladysmith Archives

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BC’s 40th General ElectionBY ROB JOHNSON

Are you one of those people that com-plain about what the Government is do-ing or not doing, but doesn’t bother to go out and vote? Or are you a citizen that takes the privilege of voting seriously? On May 14th, British Columbians have been given the opportunity help form the make up our next Provincial Govern-ment.

Candidates from all political par-ties and some independents are putting themselves forward. When you vote, it is a serious responsibility. The person you elect will oversee how our tax dol-lars are spent. Each of the political par-ties has their priorities and view as how best to spend our money. Therefore it is imperative that YOU clearly know and understand what the person you are cast-ing your ballot stands for. Do they repre-sent your views? Do they want to spend your money on the same priorities that you have? It may take you some time to

evaluate each of the candidates and be-come familiar with their platform.

How important are the questions of party policies and the leaders of the par-ties to you? Remember you are not vot-ing for the party leaders. You are vot-ing for the individual in this riding. It is that person that will be standing up and speaking on our behalf. It is that person who will be voting on how your tax dol-lars will be spent. It is that person that you will be approaching should you ever have a problem with the Provincial Gov-ernment, and you ask for help from.

Governments do not work in isolation. They work with you, and for you and hopefully in a manner to do the best for us and our community.

In the May 14 election there are 376 candidates representing 19 political par-ties, independents and individuals not af-fi liated with a registered party. Voting is available at district electoral offi ces, by mail, at any advance voting place May 8 – 11, and at any general voting place Tuesday, May 14, 2013.

Here are your Nanaimo- North Co-wichan candidates!

Amanda Jacobson - LiberalAmanda Jacobson, a licensed mort-

gage agent from Ladysmith, has been named today’s BC Liberal candidate in Nanaimo-North Cowichan in the May 14 provincial election. “I’m looking forward to playing my part on Christy Clark’s team, and offering the voters of Nanaimo-North Cowichan a future of sensible, balanced budgets,” said Jacob-son. “I feel that a government supportive of free enterprise is the best way to en-sure that our children continue to have

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access to the services I am grateful for, such as education and healthcare, without being saddled with mountains of debt.” A Vancouver Island native, Jacobson, 32, attended the Univer-sity of Alberta (political science, sociology and art history). She worked with a bankruptcy trustee, in law fi rms, and in the newsroom of The Edmonton Journal as a proof-reader. She re-turned to Vancouver Island in 2008, and in 2011 completed the mortgage-broker licensing program at the UBC Sauder School of Business.

Mayo McDonough - Green Party

Mayo McDonough is a min-er’s daughter born in Kirkland Lake, Northern Ontario. After earning her BSc from the Uni-versity of Guelph and an MBA from McMaster, she worked in marketing for three interna-tional business companies in Toronto. She moved to Vic-toria in 1989, where she ran a communications consulting business, and was an executive director of BC WorkInfoNet and the Better Business Bu-reau. Mayo has an extensive record of service to the com-munity, volunteering for Junior Achievement, Puente Theatre, The Pacifi c Centre Family Services Association, the Commu-nity Council, the Churchill Foundation, the Crohn’s and Coli-tis Foundation, UVic Chronic Pain Self Management Program and the Dispute Resolution Centre. Mayo and her husband Bob Ferguson moved to Ladysmith in 2012 to be closer to Bob’s parents. She enjoys the vibrant community she has found there and the great sailing!

Murray McNab - IndependentMurray McNab has lived in this riding for over 50 years and

takes a keen interest in issues that affect the Central Island area. He has been employed by two different consulting engineering companies as well as a municipality in the Central Island area for the past 20 years and has a good understanding of design, construction and maintenance of local infrastructure. Murray also operates a small business, McNabs Corn Maze, and has been involved with local food production for the last 50 years.

He has served on the Na-naimo Airport Commission, is a member of the Area (H) CVRD Parks commission and a past member of the North Oyster Volunteer Fire Depart-ment and Area (H) CVRD Advisory Planning Commis-sion.


Doug Routley - NDP Doug Routley, born May 9, 1961, in

New Westminster, BC, grew up in Dun-can, BC. Doug is an Island boy who understands the unique challenges and

Prince George, and later moved to Calgary where he joined his brother in building a dynamic real-estate invest-ment fi rm. Today, back on Vancouver Island, John is an executive with Expo-crete, one of Canada’s leading concrete-products manufacturers. John has two daughters with his wife, Hayley, also a long-time Cowichan resident. They cur-rently reside on the border of Chemainus and Saltair.

Anna P. Paddon Independent(photograph and bio not available at

presstime)

We encourage you to check out your local candidates. For more information visit us at take5.ca/elections or facebook

opportunities of life in the region. His di-verse experience gives him a very close and practical grasp of what his constitu-ents care about and how their needs can best be met. Doug comes from a fam-ily of educators and attended the pub-lic schools of the Cowichan Valley. He also attended Camosun College before traveling to Japan, where he lived and worked for one year.

Doug’s work experience is diverse and gives him a very broad understanding of so many of his constituents’ lives and challenges.

John Sherry - ConservativeJohn is a long-time resident of the

Cowichan Valley, where his mother worked as a licensed practical nurse and his father was a machinist in the forestry sector. In his early business career, John worked as a branch manager with a well-known, environmental-services compa-ny. He subsequently transferred to

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Ladysmith Rotary 16th Annual Garden Tour, Show and Sale is back

Gardeners and outdoor enthusiasts get your walking shoes on. It’s the 16th year for the annual garden tour and show and it’s getting better each year.

The show and sale starts Sunday May 26, at ‘Aggie’ Hall, 1st Ave. & Symonds St. Ladysmith. Local, garden-related businesses will offer their products for sale and answer your questions on gar-dening and landscaping at Aggie Hall from 9-2:30pm. Open 9am–2:30 pm.. Continental breakfast available from 9-11:30 am. A slide presentation on “Gardens and Flowers” will run continu-ously at Aggie Hall, and the “Ladysmith Singers” choral group will be perform-ing from 9:45 to 10:15 AM.

Tickets for the Garden Tour are $15 and includes garden pass, program and map and are well worth it. This year’s self-guided tour features eight gardens rangeing from clever in-town gardens that maximize the available space to a beautifully landscaped acreage in Cedar By the Sea.

Art and gardens are a perfect match and this year you can watch an artist at work! Offering even more inspiration are local artists who will be present at each garden to answer your questions about their creations and techniques.

Plan on visiting the Ladysmith Com-

munity Gardens (LCG) located on High St. & 2nd Ave., Ladysmith between 1 and 3 P.M on the day of the tour. The LCG is featuring ‘demonstration’ gar-dens and special poster boards that ex-plain different gardening techniques. Their members will be available to talk with you about composting, greenhous-es, pruning, and other garden issues.

The Rotary Garden Tour is a wonder-ful opportunity for gardeners of all skill levels to visit and admire gardens other-wise unavailable to them. Many visitors will benefi t by fi nding fresh ideas and re-newed enthusiasm for their own gardens. The tour has been carefully constructed so that there is ample time for you to visit all eight gardens. Just follow the directions on the map provided. Don’t forget to bring your camera, water and sunscreen!

All proceeds from tickets sales, raffl e and breakfast go to support Rotary’s many worthy projects.

The old wheelbarrow with its spring bouquet creates a focal point in the garden of Dave and Ann Mack, Yellow Point. (2012 Garden Tour) Photo: Isla Nicholson

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Meet your local Home & Garden experts

NikkiDesigns creates window cover-ings, bedding, slipcovers, table linens and gift packages. They specialize in using natural and organic fabrics. Nikki Mac-Callum start her business because she wanted to be able to provide well-made soft furnishings that won’t harm the envi-ronment and are healthy to have in your home. “I have always enjoyed designing and sewing and love being able to work from my home-based studio in Saltair, while reaching out to people everywhere. My job is different every day as I never know what my next project will be!

The trends in home decor this year are: “Bold, bright colours, like Emer-ald Green, Cobalt Blue, Fuchsia, Bright Yellow and Red. Brass is back! Try it in lamps, candles and vases. Embellished walls – graphic and textured wallpapers add wow factor to a room. Lace – lace motifs are very popular in fabrics. Retro botanicals – leaf and fl oral designs with a 60’s vibe are seen in pillows, bedding and table linens. Chunky, rustic wood furniture. Marble – marble accessories, tiles and walls,” says Nikki. www.nik-kidesigns.ca

Kleijn Nurseries and Garden Centre, lo-cated off the Island Highway, is a home based business. They are open daily.

This year you will fi nd garden décor, along with all your favorite fl owers and

plants. They take pride in their “made here fl ower baskets”, ready for Mother’s day. Kleijn also offers a wide choice in perennials, annuals, shrubs and trees.

“There is a strong need to know where your food comes from. We provide all your needs in creating that garden, from seeds to veggie starter and fruit bearing shrubs and trees,” says Catherine Kleijn.

“We are committed to meeting the challenges and needs of our customers. We strive to provide a high level of ser-vice and satisfaction. Our customers are

the one who inspire us! Your support is what makes us grow. For udates follow them on facebook www.kleijnnurseries.com

Located off the highway by Che-mainus, Van Isle Slate produces many natural slate products such as fl agstone for patios, stepping stone, landscape fea-tures, and many others. Van Isle Slate grew from a love of stone that started with collecting stones as a child. “It took a long time to morph into a business but you should drop by and see our collec-tion now,” says Sylvia Holt.

The stone is locally quarried and hand split. Their newest product is stone ve-neer, natural stone that is cut to 1” thick-ness and used as facing for fi replaces and other masonry projects. Natural stone has exploded in popularity. It is the era of “green products”. It is natural, lasts forever, is maintenance free, and adds huge value to any home or landscape, says Sylia. Photos of all their many products as well as project ideas can be found on the Van Isle Slate website at www.vanisleslate.com

After several years of working for oth-er painting companies and fi nding many different methods to do similar projects Garry MacLeod established Highlander Painting in 2007. “We strive to provide high quality painting at an affordable price. We are willing to take on anything from residential to commercial projects, interior or exterior.” They also offer

Dave Friesen with new T 712 Trencher, Vermeer Wood chipper, Wallenstein Wood Splitter (left: Van Isle Slate, Entry and gates by Demeter Construction.

Kleijn Nurseries offers a large selection of plants and fl owering baskets

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roof washing and moss removal. Recent trends: clients are gravitating more to-wards neutral colours in their interiors. www.highlanderpainting.ca

Demeter Construction is a family owned and operated construction busi-ness located in Saltair. They recently relocated to the area and are excited for the opportunity to serve clients in the lo-cal communities. Their primary focus at this time of year is Landscape Carpentry and enhancing their client’s outdoor liv-ing experience. From naturally beauti-ful cedar decks, arbours and pergolas to custom entryways and gates or specialty structures such as gazebos, pavilions and outdoor rooms can transform your out-door spaces and add functionality, charm and value to any home.

“We have noticed that more and more homeowners are eager to upgrade their exteriors in search of creating their own little piece of paradise,” says Jim Deme-ter. Be it a “staycation” and wanting their own private oasis at home or just having a comfortable and functional ex-tension of their living space people are investing in the spaces right outside their

doors. www.demeterconstruction.caFriesen Rentals & Hardware has been

serving the Cedar, Ladysmith, and Na-naimo area for 20 years. “We focus on exceptional customer service utilizing our experience and knowledge from var-ious backgrounds. Our commitment is to our customers and to our community,” says Dave Friesen. who supports many local fundraising events. Friesen carries a full line of tools and rental equipment for the do it yourselfer and contractors alike. Services include,Gravel Mart, we deliver or you pick up, bobcat and mini excavator rentals, and Cloverdale Paint and Sundries. They also offer key cut-ting, propane exchange and small en-gine repair. “Currently the home and garden trends we have seen in the area include lawn beauitifcation and custom-ers “growing” green. There has been an increase of homebuilding in the area and this has more local homeowners upgrad-ing their homes and gardens.”

www.friesenrentalsandhardware.caHolden Creek Farm Services provides

farm and small acreage services includ-ing hay fi eld and pasture care, fence

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building, riding ring mainte-nance and large garden roto-tilling. Andre Grubac brings his equipment to your farm or acreage and works with you to optimize your acre-age. Born and raised on a working farm in Cedar, he uses that experience to help you keep your rural property maintained and functional. “I have been running our fam-ily farm for the past 30 years and love to share my experi-ence with others and see the rural farms being continued. Today there is increas-ing interest in property owners wanting to make their properties more produc-tive.

Nova Pest Control, based out of Lady-smith offers preventative and remedial structural pest control. They specialize in Integrated Pest Management using what the BC Min. of Environment refers to as “Preferred Pesticide”, low/least toxic pest control products.

“Nineteen years ago, while working in the construction industry, we bought

our fi rst house, only to fi nd ants coming out of the walls and fl oors of our infant daughter’s bedroom that very fi rst spring. It oc-curred to me that the best time to deal with these pests was during construc-tion,” says Rossano Pas-quotti. By applying safe, natural, long lasting prod-ucts during construction many insect pests can be

prevented from infesting a home while still playing their role in the environment.

The trend in the pest control industry is towards Integrated Pest Management. “Carpenter ants and termites are actu-ally benefi cial insects. They’ve been here a long time. Without them our en-vironment might look different. They only become pests when they venture into our structures. The key is to allow the organism its role in the environment and still protect our property.”

Rossano Pasquotti, Nova Pest Management, isn’t bugged by bugs


Ladysmith’s new gatewayBY MARINA SACHT

Ladysmith has a new “gateway” devel-opment.

The Oyster Bay Quay is located at the north entrance to Ladysmith just off the highway by the Ladysmith Home Hard-ware. The building has a great location with lots of traffi c going by for good ex-posure for potential tenants.

Owned by Carol and Norm Wagenaar, Oyster Bay Quay is a two story structure to be built in two phases. The now com-pleted Phase 1 is approximately 14,000 square feet and when added on, Phase 2 will add an additional 17,000 square feet to the completed building. The project is of concrete tilt up construction with structural steel i-joists and q-deck with concrete decking. Green features of the Oyster Bay Quay which includes reten-tion of onsite water, use of indigenous plant species, and low e glass in window systems. In addition, all former build-

ings on the site were either donated or sold locally, rather than being demol-ished and land fi lled. 100% of the con-crete from these former buildings was crushed and recycled on site as back fi ll by Graf Excavating.

The Wagenaars purchased the prop-

erty in 2005 and always envisioned it to have greater potential as the northern gateway to Ladysmith. Its TransCanada exposure to 24,000 vehicles/day make it an ideal location for any type of busi-ness. The development is designed to include a restaurant complete with out-

South end Oyster Bay Quay showcasing upper 400 sq. ft. patio and landscaping

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door seating, ocean views from windows facing east, south and west.

“We are not out of town developers, Ladysmith is our home and we are extremely proud to be part of the beautifi cation and modernization of our community. Oyster Bay Quay is an elegant building that welcomes everyone to the Town of La-dysmith.”

The groundbreaking was in May 2012 and occupancy permit granted in February 2013.

Although the building came up fairly quickly there where some challenges along the way. Construction was delayed by almost a year due to the Ministry of Environment requirement to perform additional and exhaustive soil and water testing to ensure no contamination on the property. This site also had some diffi cult grade changes which had to be incorporated into the design of the building.

“Compliance with MOE was mandatory, and careful plan-ning allowed us to use the grade difference to our benefi t and highlight it as part of our two storey design.”

The Wagenaars are pleased with the end result. “We love the West Coast design utilizing rough-hewn timber accents on the awnings and cultured stone façade. The fl ying roofs with galvalum also give it the modern contemporary feel we were after. The great paint colour was selected by my Dutch born husband…it’s appropriately called Spud!”

Proud to have been a part of this project: Ryan Turner Land Surveying, Graf Excavating, Ahl Island Landscaping


Ladysmith named one of “Canada’s Greenest Employers” for 2013 on Earth Day

For the second year in a row, the Town

of Ladysmith has been named one of “Canada’s Greenest Employers”. The award recognizes the Town’s organiza-tion-wide commitment to reducing its environmental footprint and to sustain-ability in all its current and future opera-tions.

The “Canada’s Greenest Employers” Award is part of the Canada’s Top 100 Employers competition conducted by Mediacorp Canada. The list of Green Employers award-winners was pub-lished today in The Globe and Mail and online.

“Our Town is committed to being green and throughout the organization, the cul-ture of green best practices is growing,” said Mayor Rob Hutchins. “Council, staff and our citizens work together to build a strong and resilient community in terms of overall quality of life, respect for our environment, and creating good jobs for today and tomorrow.”

The Town’s support of the “10% Shift” shop local campaign, recent certifi cation to LEED Gold standard of the new com-munity Services Centre, “Green Team employee committee and growing veg-etables in City Hall fl ower beds for the local Food Bank are just some of the rea-sons Mediacorp gives for choosing the Town of Ladysmith for the award.

“This award celebrates that we are all committed to the community vision of environmental, economic and social sustainability,” said City Manager Ruth Malli. “It’s an award that our employees and Council share with the community.”

Coast Salish explore business partnerships

On April 25 Coast Salish Develop-ment Corporation hosted the second an-nual ‘Power in Numbers’ Gathering to explore and encourage opportunities for partnership and revenue sharing with in-dustry and First Nations.

Coast Salish Development Corpo-ration is the economic development

agency of the Stz’uminus First Nation. “We’re trying to get the right people in the same room to encourage a broad range of opportunities and open the door for industry-First Nations partnerships” stated Ray Gauthier, CEO of Coast Sal-ish Development Corporation.

The event marked a special celebration for Coast Salish Development Corpora-tion, as participants witnessed the sign-ing of a momentous Memorandum of Understanding between the corporation and RCR Mining. This MOU marks the beginning of future plans to partner on a new mining development in Stz’uminus territory. Don Hubbard, operations manager of RCR Mining, has been in-strumental in working alongside Coast Salish Development Corporation and Stz’uminus leadership to move this pro-cess forward.

“We have worked very hard for a long time to get to this point,” said Hubbard, the area has a long history of mining from the 1800’s up until the 1960’s. We have taken much of the history and new research done over the last 30 years and put it together with our own geo-logical work to establish this site. We are pleased that the Stz’uminus people have been willing to go forward with us as potential partners to make this proj-ect a success. The development of the resources on the Sognidoro mineralised deposit has the potential to become a sig-nifi cant economic win for the Coast Sal-ish Corp (Stz’uminus) people our corpo-ration and the region in general through economic spin off. “

Featured speakers at the afternoon’s event were Chief Robert Louie of West-bank First Nation, BC Regional Chief Jody Wilson-Raybould, and Rich-ard Hardy of Pentlatch Seafoods with K’ómoks First Nation. Each speaker shared their experiences of economic de-velopment as a factor for success in their respective communities.

First Nations Land Management was a special focus today with Chief Rob-

ert Louie (Chair) and Regional Chief Jody Wilson-Raybould (Director) of the First Nations Lands Advisory Board. The process of First Nations Land Man-agement provides a platform to launch stronger economic development in First Nations communities and is something Stz’uminus is currently in the process of attaining for their future.

Aquaculture was also an area of at-tention at today’s event, learning from the experiences of Richard Hardy and his work with Pentlatch Seafoods of the K’ómoks First Nation.

Documentary on the Great Vancouver Island Coal Strike

It was 100 years ago this year that the City of Ladysmith was shaken to it is core with an outbreak of violence that re-sulted from the Great Vancouver Island Coal Strike. In September of 1912, the Great Strike broke out, and the miners of Ladysmith joined in. The strike would not end until the start of World War I, and it would leave a history of bitter-ness that is unparalleled in Ladysmith’s rich history. The strike pitted unionists against “scabs”( those that worked while the mines were out on strike). Violence broke out in August 1913 resulting in the militia being called in to quail the riots and bombings of strike beakers homes. This civic unrest resulted in neighbours set against neighbours and brother against brother. As a result of the strike there was heavy property damage; many families moved away to fi nd other em-ployment elsewhere and small business

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were forced into bankruptcy. Fortunately, the memory of these troubles have faded in to the past and are best left to the history books.

Local fi lm producer Michael Razberry of Razmataz Produc-tions is looking for assistance in producing a documentary to commemorate the strike.

Please contact him if you have any stories or photos they would like to share. He is also looking for fi nancial support as fi lms of this magnitude require a lot of resources.

Black Track TourThe Friends of Morden Mine are inviting you to walk back

into Nanaimo and area’s 90 year coal mining history with his-torian and author Tom Paterson on his Sunday, May 26th Black Track Tour.

Tom has a special ability to recreate the spirit of those early days with his extensive knowledge of Vancouver Island coal mining history and his engaging and dynamic delivery. He dis-cusses many aspects of coal mining as it was then: techniques, and equipment in use, safety standards, mining disasters and fatalities, the social life and living conditions of coal miners and their families. How many Vancouver Island communities were founded because coal mining was their economic driver. He also explores the history of some of Nanaimo area’s once used railroad lines. Tom has compiled over 24 books on aspects of Vancouver Island’s history and a contributor to many other newspapers and magazines as well as a dedicated heritage ac-tivist. Tom had much to do with Kinsol’s success and is now assisting Friends of Morden Mine in their attempts at obtaining funding for Morden Colliery’s remediation.

The tour is four hours in length, rated moderate to low in dif-fi culty. Participants assemble at 10:00 a.m. at Morden Colliery Historic Provincial Park. Tickets $30.00; $25 each for two or more. To reserve, please contact [email protected] or phone 250-714-0377.

New manager for chamber of commerceMark Drysdale is joining the Ladysmith

Chamber of Commerce as its new manager.Mark has over two decades of experience

as a senior executive with non-profi t organi-zations. As a former Executive Director of Tourism Nanaimo and various Boys & Girls Clubs Mark has become particularly success-ful at helping organizations create and main-tain effective operational systems, develop sound business plans, and stabilize and im-prove their fi nancial positions.

Mark lives with family on a 5-acre farm in Yellow Point.

Film reader makes research easier for LDHSLadysmith District Historical Society is excited about their

new digital microfi lm reader with laser printer, the only one in the district.

The machine worth over $10,000 will enable members to store documents and newspapers that are deteriorating. “Every time these old newspapers are handled we can see bits of paper on the fl oor,” says president Ian Hardy, pointing to a stack of Chronicles.

Allen McDermid operates the Microfi lm reader at the Ladysmith Archives. The reader will help a major role in preserving local history. Photo: Marina Sacht

So far the society has rolls of fi lm dating from 1902 to 1918. The remaining newspapers up to the present day are either bound or loose-leaf. The cost of the fi lm is signifi cant and they are fundraising in order to buy more rolls.

The Ladysmith Archives is located under Tim Horton’s in La-dysmith. Call 250-245-0100 for an appt. The group also oper-ated the Ladysmith Museum open noon-4pm Tues-Sun. Phone 250-245-0423


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Ladysmith Maritime Society President’s Message

Gorgeous spring weather has arrived! It is time for us all to get down to the Community Ma-

rina with our families and friends and relax in the sun and activities there. Visit the only fl oating Museum in B.C., marvel at the heritage vessels that have been carefully re-stored to their former glory, and meet friends in the spec-tacular new Welcome Centre. Take a picnic lunch and sit on one of the benches or at a picnic table there. Come on down and enjoy your own water front. It is well worth a morning or an afternoon of ‘snooping’. And I guarantee that you will be back to do it again.

This year the Ladysmith Maritime Society brings a new format to the Maritime Festival that has come to be part

of springtime in Ladysmith. Instead of the 2-3 days of non-stop things to do, we have decided to have dif-ferent single-day events focused on different and exciting themes. They are described in the following pages and you will want to put them on your calendars.

We all owe Cliff and Dianna Fish-er a huge vote of thanks for their leadership in making these events happen. So, don’t pass them without giving them a big hug and, above all, enjoy yourselves.

See you on the water front!Barrie McDonaldPresident, Ladysmith Maritime Society


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Ladysmith Maritime Festival Series

Kids Pirate DaySaturday, June 1, 2013

Don your pirate hat, grab your sword and come join Captain Jack and his crew for a day of free fun activities.

• Have a turn or two at the ever popu-lar giant pirate slide and bouncy octo-pus

• Try to catch the big one at the Kins-men Bullhead Derby

• Sing and dance to the music of Rhonda Lou and Fab

• Create cool pirate crafts• Choose your own design at the fan-

tastic face painting tent• Check out the kid friendly petting

farm• Don’t miss the Purple Martin arts

and crafts•Get the Pirate clown to make you a

balloon animal• Sing songs with Farmer Vicki and

Daisy the Cow• Get on board for a family harbour

tour• See what’s beneath the water at the

sea life viewing area• Check out all the boats along the

docks •Visit the heritage fl oating maritime

museum• Have Mom or Dad take your picture

with Captain JackAnd if you get hungry, there will be

kid friendly food for sale throughout the day.

Ladysmith Maritime Heritage DaysSat & Sun June 7-8, 2013

This festival is a must see for all mari-ners and for those who just like to “mess around with boats”.

Friday, June 7 – 7 to 9 pm• Speakers on Nautical themes• Videos and demonstrations

Saturday, June 8 – 10 am to 4 pm• Heritage boats from our own harbour

and from other parts of Vancouver Island• Large display of antique outboard

motors• Harbour tours – learn about our mari-

time history, view the wild life, check out parts of the bay accessible only by boat

• Nautical displays• Speakers, videos and demonstrations• Anne and Laurence Yeadon Jones

who have traveled extensively in their sailboat “Dreamspeaker” and have writ-ten a series of books which are a “must have” for local boaters. Talk with them, ask questions and have a look at their lat-est books.

• Catherine Dook, boater, author (Dar-ling, call the Coast Guard, We’re on Fire Again, Damn the Torpedoes and Off-shore) and radio show host (Dock Dia-ries) will be here to talk about boating adventures with you..

• Musical entertainment• Floating maritime museum displays• Royal Canadian Marine Search and

Rescue on the water demonstrations and dockside display

There will be a concession available throughout the day

One of the heritage boats featured is the 100 year old Tedora. Michael Schae-fer purchased her in July 2004, and did

a complete rebuild. Nine years later, Te-dora is a brand new 100 Year old boat. Schaefer utilized the LMS shop and is grateful to Eric Sandilands, LMS and its members for their advice and sup-port. Also coming is the 52 ‘ Tamarack, built by BC Packers in 1927, owned by Terry and Carroll Neill and Halcyon II, a 38’pilot house cutter built in 1948, de-signed by Ed Monk Sr. and owned by the Cowichan Wooden Boat Society. You’ll enjoy discovering the stories behind the boats such as the Deerleap who parades elegance from her fantail aft deck to the tip of her bow. When you board this beautiful vessel today, it is diffi cult to imagine that during World War II, her exterior brightwork and hull were paint-ed gray and machine guns and cannon were mounted on her decks.

It’s a glimpse into a bygone era.

What’s new at LMSBY MARNIE CRAIG

Heritage and Culture CentreHistory is in the making at the Lady-

smith Maritime Society’s Museum. A whole new venue, the Heritage and Cul-tural Centre, is being created in Unit M (ground fl oor, south end) in the Expo Legacy Building, which also houses the LMS offi ces.

The dynamic Heritage and Cultural Centre will feature historical displays on the industries of Ladysmith Harbour—fi shing, logging, coal, and oysters—with sights and sounds that will take you back in time to the transfer of coal and logs in the harbour, the early oyster industry, and fi shing for both income and plea-sure.

The Porlier Pass troller, for the past seven years housed in the LMS fl oating museum, is about to fi nd a new home on the hard. The troller, whose cabin has been replaced in the LMS Boat Shed with a more typical smaller cabin, is to be outfi tted with poles and fi shing gear, and will sit in front of a replica fi shing shack.

The Heritage and Cultural Centre will also house new displays on radio com-

Tamarack, one of the heritage boats coming to Ladysmith


munication and navigation, and some of the LMS Museum’s current artifacts will be relocated there.

Preparing Unit M for its new role was achieved with the help of many wonder-ful volunteers whose fi rst work was to move out items which had been in stor-age there. The next steps were to repair the fl oor, remove much of the overhead electrical wiring, and spray the ceiling a beautiful deep brown. The walls have been painted, a mural has been com-menced, and the oyster shed display is well underway.

Shirley Blackstaff (250-245-3075), LMS Museum Curator, and Marnie Craig (250-245-4578) thank the dedicated vol-unteers who have worked to ready the new centre for the public. Volunteer efforts are truly appreciated, and those wishing to take part in this ongoing project should phone either Shirley or Marnie.

Food, Food, Glorious Food! The Ladysmith Maritime Society is

providing yet another reason to spend time on the LMS docks—the society is opening a food services operation in the beautiful Welcome Centre. Plans also call for special events, which will take place Friday evenings, twice monthly during the coming summer. The Wel-come Centre is also available for private party rentals. Contact the Wharfi nger Mark Mercer, or Assistant Wharfi nger Paul Notte, both of whom have their of-fi ces in the Welcome Centre.

The Society continues to work towards developing an attractive presence on La-dysmith’s waterfront, restoring historic vessels, preserving maritime history and promoting Ladysmith and its waterfront.

www.ladysmithmaritimesociety.ca/

Sun, sea and sailing

BY GEERY YELLOWLESSSpringtime is an exciting time for sail-

ors. This is true for the Ladysmith Yacht Club. We are a social club and welcome new members and guests to our Pot luck parties, fi lm/presentation nights, special events, cruises and races. You don’t even have to own a boat to be a member.

Our next Potluck is “Mexico Night” on May 3, paying our respects to the Mexi-can day, Cinco De Mayo.

Want to be part of a special event that is an old seafaring custom? Come to our Sailpast on May 5. You can be a guest on one of our boats or you can join in with your own boat. If you would prefer to stay ashore, the ceremony can be enjoyed from the club-house. The clubhouse will be open at 12:30 pm for light refreshments. A piper will lead the proces-sion down to the boats. The LYC and the MT. Brenton Power Squad-ron boats will fi le past the Commodore at the clubhouse and a minister will sprinkle water on the boats with his

blessing. About 4 pm, there will be BBQ hamburgers, cake and refreshments.

Maple Bay Marina was our fi rst cruise of the year on April 19 to 21. The weath-er was mild and sunny. Our next Cruise is to Montague Harbour on May17 to 19. Guests are welcome.

We race for fun, enjoying the challenge and excitement of the unpredictable. For example, aboard the Bon Vivant, TAKE 5’s editor Marina Sacht and I were ap-proaching Transfer Beach, and the wind died. With no wind and therefore no steering, the incoming tide was sweeping us onto the rocks. Marina leaped into ac-tion, turning the key in the ignition. We stared at the broken half of the key in her hand. “OMG”, we can’t start the engine. Happily, SV Nauja came to our rescue.

Race Results March 28, 2013.Rags 1, Stormin Norman 2, Kluhane

3, Zot 4, Blue Tango 6 (DNF), Towick 6 (DNF).

Race Results April 6, 2013.Zot 1, Stormin Norman 2, Two Bits 3,

Rags 4, Kluhane 5, Freya 6, Seaduction 7, Najua 9 (DNF), Bon

Vivant 9 (DNF)These are short races in the Outer

Harbour, off Transfer Beach and the next one is June 1. The races are open to anyone who is interested. On May 10, 11 and 12, there is the Thetis Regatta for long distance racers.

For lots of photos and more informa-tion www.ladysmithyc.bc.ca/ or the La-dysmith Yacht Club facebook page.

Nancy Morgantini caught this dramatic moment of two sailboats racing in Ladysmith Harbour.

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Power of Naut’sa MawtExtracts from Mayor’s Speech - Power in Numbers, Elders Centre, April 25, 2013

It has been quite a year since we last gathered at this ‘Power in Numbers’ event sponsored by the Coast Salish De-velopment Corporation.

It has been a year where both commu-nities have committed considerable time and resources to work together for the betterment of our people.

It has been a year of creating signifi -cant agreements and a year of actually seeing some immediate tangible results. We now have pipes in the ground that connect the SFN’s IR12 properties with Town water and sewer services, which will in turn allow for signifi cant develop-ment on these lands.

It has been a year where a written letter of support from Chief and Council for the Town’s Liquid Waste Management Plan was a key in having the Minister of Environment, Terry Lake, sign off on this critical document in his last week in offi ce, which in turn allows the Town to invest some $16 million on secondary sewage treatment, which is necessary to ensure a thriving aquaculture industry in our harbour and to provide sewage ca-pacity for growth in both our communi-ties.

Perhaps more importantly this has been a year of growing understanding, appreciation, respect, and most impor-tantly friendship.

On May 25 last year, Ladysmith Coun-cil and the Stz’uminus First Nation Council signed a new community ac-cord. The Naut’sa Mawt Accord – that means working together in Coast Sal-ish – is a renewal of the original Accord signed in 2007, but it contains new lan-guage of both commitment and resolve to work together, and we have.

Less than a month after we signed the Naut’sa Mawt Accord, the Chief and I made a joint presentation to the Cham-ber of Commerce about our joint goals and aspirations. Later that month, for the very fi rst time ever, the Chief and Mayor together penned a letter to the editor of the Chronicle in response to misinforma-tion contained in a letter from a reader about our new partnership.

Since then, we have signed a coopera-tion protocol that outlines how we are

going to work together. We established a Naut’sa Mawt Working Group with three representatives from each commu-nity that has met regularly all year. We also signed a far reaching Memorandum of Understanding listing some 16 key community development initiatives that we are going to tackle together, from wa-ter and sewer service agreements to IR 12 and IR 13 to joint ventures on Lady-smith Waterfront and a South Ladysmith Industrial Park.

Much has been accomplished on the work front. In March, Chief and Coun-cil asked us to push the pause button on the paper work and spend some time to-gether learning about one another, what makes us tick, sharing personal and com-

munity aspirations. Our joint Council workshop was truly an exceptional day on all accounts. As a result, we made a commitment to hold a similar workshop this June -- not just for the two Councils this time, but also for fi fty people from each community. It will be a good day and I believe it will be a turning point moment in our communities.

I am both proud and thankful for what we have accomplished together this year. I look forward to the days ahead.

Mayor Rob Hutchins can be reached at [email protected]


RDN - Area ABY ALEC MCPHERSON

The Alternative Approval Process and Its Use By Local Government

In 2008, the City of Nanaimo, on be-half of a developer, attempted to annex 40 hectares or 98.8 acres of Area ‘A’ for use in a so-called Resort development some 13 kilometres distant from their city centre – a clear example of an un-sustainable, auto-dependent project. The City invoked the Alternative Approval Process to extend their boundaries and, in doing so, the residents of Area ‘A’ were denied a vote in the process. A number of City and Area ‘A’ residents – including myself, my wife, Fred Pattje and Beverly Eert - devoted about 6 sum-mer weeks collecting signatures from

City of Nanaimo voters opposing the an-nexation. While we were required to ob-tain some 5,900 signatures, the fi nal tally exceeded 10,000 and the annexation was stopped – a somewhat unusual occur-rence as opposition needs to have well-organized, dedicated people to achieve the 10 per cent threshold of registered voters.

The use of the Alternative Approval Process (AAP) by municipal govern-ment came into effect in 2003 when the B.C. Liberal government introduced it under Part 4, Division 2 of the Commu-nity Charter as part of the reform of the then Municipal Act, RSBC. To be fair, the B. C. government was responding to local government requests to fi nd a timelier, less expensive alternative to the referenda process. While there may be instances where use of the AAP might be appropriate, increasingly, taxpayers view it as a tool being used by politicians to avoid full public scrutiny.

The published narrative accompanying the introduction of the AAP suggested that, when utilizing this tool, the local government should arrange a public con-sultation process to make voters aware of the issue and also make the Elector Re-sponse Forms (ERF) available at librar-ies, recreation centres and other public buildings; however, these transparency features are simply being ignored in fa-vour of the minimum requirements of the

Community Charter. A local government utilizing the AAP must place two notices in local publications describing, in gen-eral terms, the bylaw or other matter; ad-vice that the matter will proceed if fewer than 10 per cent of the registered voters oppose it by completing an Elector Re-sponse Form (ERF) and a deadline date for receipt of those forms. In the case of the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN), the process is made even more inacces-sible for rural voters as they must attend at the Hammond Bay Road offi ces dur-ing regular hours to register their oppo-sition – for many this involves not only a drive of 50 to 70 kilometres each way but also taking of time off work to partici-pate in the process. I strongly believe that the ubiquitous use of the AAP has added to voter alienation with the political pro-cess which is often verbalized as, “Why should I vote? The politicians are going to do what they want anyway.” Failure to complete an ERF for a project you oppose is counted as a vote in favour.

While politicians and other connected to government will argue that the ERF is not a ballot, I would argue otherwise. There is something unsavoury about a voting process in a democratic society that requires the person to not only vote NO but to also supply their name and ad-dress. In implementing the AAP, the se-cret ballot characterizing a true democ-racy has been cast aside.

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Does the referendum process lead to delays? In the past, the practice was to bundle all projects to be decided by a referendum coincident with the municipal elections. With the term of offi ce being extended from 2 years to 3 years, utilizing this practice could result in delays; however, we now live in an electronic age and voting could be simplifi ed. If, for example, the cost of hold-ing a referendum is in the range of $15,000 to $20,000. Based on a cost of $20,000, this would represent less than 1 per cent of any money issue that is greater than $2 million. Having two or more issues on a single ballot would further reduce any fi nancial impact. Judging by the number of AAP notices appearing in local publications throughout the year, there seems to be an adequate supply of issues that could and, perhaps, should be decided by a referendum. Consider asking the candidates for MLA in your region if they would support the use of the AAP being restricted in favour of returning democracy to the electorate.

CVRD - Area H BY MARY MARCOTTEE

Rezoning Application 1-H-13RS and 1-H13 ALR – North Oyster Fire Department:

Since 2006, the local Fire Service Commission, in conjunc-tion with the Cowichan Valley Region District and the Fire De-partment has been attempting to address the challenges regard-ing provision of fi re services for this area. In 2008 an Alternate Approval Process was held on a proposed new fi re hall, and the citizens of this area were successful in rejecting the proposal.

Revamped, the proposal was rejected again at the public ref-erendum in 2011. As a result of the failed referendum, the ar-chitectural fi rms, engineering fi rms and other professionals are no longer needed and are no longer under contract.

However, whether or not there is ever going to be a new hall, and if fi re service is to continue to be provided at the Yellow Point site, a small amount of additional land is required. A signed offer to purchase, with a number of conditions was pre-sented to and accepted by the owner with conditions from his perspective as well. You may have seen a large sign on the front of the fi re hall with information on the particulars of the land purchase. Providing the public with that information is part of the process. The signage indicates that this is a subdivision ap-plication; while this is technically true, what is being proposed is actually a boundary adjustment involving three different par-cels.

CVRD staff is managing the land use process and all the nor-mal requirements and referral processes must followed. This includes Agricultural Land Commission referral and approval, and referrals to other bodies such as Health, Highways, APC, CVRD Committees and Board etc.

The application was considered at the April 16, 2013 Elec-toral Area Services Committee meeting, and it was recom-mended that the Board approve moving the application forward through the process. This will include hosting a public informa-tion meeting to solicit community feedback. After conducting the public meeting and reviewing and considering the public feedback, a public hearing will be held to determine if there is enough support in the community to close the land purchase agreement. I estimate that it could take six months or longer to complete this phase.


CVRD Area GBY MEL DOREY

Easter Egg Hunt Sunny Saltair lived up to its’ name on

Easter Sunday providing perfect weather for the annual Easter Egg Hunt. Fifty fi ve children ran to search the fi eld and trails to fi nd their Easter egg & return it for a prize. The coffee, hot chocolate, juice and muffi ns, served from the kitchen were enjoyed and appreciated by many. There were many long time residents in attendance as well as a pleasing amount of new comers enjoying the community feeling! Special thanks to the organizers of this event who help every year. They were the Key family, the Evans family, the Irving family, the Roe family and the Knelson family.

Celebration At Stocking Creek ParkOn Sunday May 12th at 11 am Sal-

tair will be honouring a former director of Saltair at the north end of Stocking Creek Park at the Finch Place cul-de-sac off the end of Gait Road in Saltair. Come and join the community in a celebration ceremony of our accomplishments with cake and drinks.

In 1988 the BC Provincial Govern-ment approved a grant of a 12.7 acre property for park use by the Cowichan Valley Regional District, initiating the beautiful community park and protecting a corridor along Stocking Creek to Davis Lagoon. Len Platt, who was the CVRD Director for Electoral Area G when this fi rst parcel of land was acquired, realized the special natural qualities of this area and pursued further land acquisitions to expand the park. Len was the leader behind driving the community vision for a park corridor along the creek to the ocean. With seven further acquisitions of land to date, the park has expanded from the original 12.7 acres to 32.2 acres. There are a few more pieces of the puzzle needed to complete the corridor to Davis Lagoon and protect the creek as parkland, but the Saltair Parks Com-mission continues to pursue them. It may take 25 years.

Leonard Victor Platt was “Blackie” to all the people who knew, worked for, or worked with him, and they will all tell you what a great guy he was. He had the ability to analyze a situation, see where

any problem existed, and fi nd a way to resolve it. He was, at the same time, a good team player. The often-used term, “integrity beyond reproach,” was coined with Blackie in mind. He was never known to speak poorly of anyone, and his resume would show that he had a good sense of humour. Early in October 2011, Len passed away at Ladysmith General Hospital.

Len Platt remembered

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Stop mowing and start fl ushing

As the cryptic kung fu guy on TV once said, “Without a problem Grasshopper, there are no solutions.” To which Grass-hopper said, “Hey Dude, how many times do I have to tell you, the name’s not Grasshopper, it’s Bernie.”

To this day no one knows why the kung fu guy gave people insect names, too much smoking up behind the dojo possibly, but his point remains valid. Innovation doesn’t occur without stimu-lation, which means I must be close to a breakthrough discovery, because I’ve been stimulated to hell and back.

Yep, it’s the lawn again. Not the whole lawn, just the dreaded part over the septic fi eld where even a non-gardener could determine something is afoot ag-riculturally. Take the fl owering chest-nut tree that was planted there 20 years ago, it has the trunk of Arnold Schwar-zenegger. Forty feet away, outside the magic fi eld, another chestnut planted at the same time is a waist-high bundle of twigs so scrawny it gets sand kicked in its face on a regular basis

But, it’s the grass that tips you off. It is thick and luxuriant, with

the thread count of Hugh Hefner’s pa-jamas, grass so energetic if you watch carefully, you can actually see it grow, and this without the hallucinogenic the kung fu guy prefers.

The problem is cutting the lawn over the fi eld, especially early in the season

when ample rainfall stimulates growth. It will choke my trusty side discharge, 6 hp Briggs and Stratton in about 10 baby steps. This means, getting down on your hands and knees, lifting up the side of the mover, and clawing out 10 pounds of lawn trimmings every 20 feet.

The lawnmower absolutely hates this. To attract attention to its plight, it emits a heart wrenching choking sound alert-ing passersby that they have witnessed the pre-meditated murder of a perfectly serviceable, loyal to the family, always started in three pulls, internal combus-tion engine. This is how I have become a person of interest to the Society That Prevents Cruelty to Lawnmowers and got dragged down to the Honda shop and asked to explain myself.

Meanwhile, below the surface, the roots reach down and put a full nelson on the drain tiles; and just like the hor-ror classic, The Lawn That Devoured Smithville, travel inside the pipes, un-der the lawn, over to the house, up the wall, into the toilet bowls where they lie in await, extorting, ah, nutrients out of unsuspecting washroom users.

To make things easier for the lawn-mower, I started using the weed eater to chop the lawn down to more manageable proportions before mowing. This only caused the lawnmower to cry foul. It re-fused to start until I raked the weed eater cuttings off, and even then would only run 50 feet between breaks.

By the time I had fi nished, the grass where I had started had grown another six inches and it was time to start again. This caused both the lawnmower and I to break down in tears. But before the neighbours had a chance to call in the grief counselors, the strangest thing hap-pened. Not 20 feet away, a bush spon-taneously burst into fl ames, and just as spontaneously, the kung fu dude ap-peared behind it, and said, “Do not be defeated Cockroach, go with the fl ow, go with the fl ow.”

Cockroach? And Bernie’s whining about grasshopper?

After admonishing him for torch-ing my wife’s rhododendron, I started to think. Go with the fl ow? Go with the fl ow? What the hell was he talking about?

“The fl ow of sewage, oh stupid one,” he said. “Don’t fi ght it, embrace it.”

A wave of enlightenment fl ooded through my veins. Or was that just the post lawn mowing beer kicking in. Why are we planting grass over our septic fi elds? Why are we wasting our most fertile soil on a maintenance problem when we could be planting vegetables instead? Let’s face it, hu-man excrement, will do for your gar-

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den what human growth hormone did for Lance. Get you on Oprah to explain yourself.

I know, all of you not living in rubber tire houses are ques-tioning my judgment, but before you send the authorities out with the butterfl y nets, think about what our vegetables are sub-jected to now.

At last count our vegetable garden was labouring under three fl avours of manure, (horse cow and sheep) with aromatics pro-vided by a mélange of fi sh heads, starfi sh, seaweed, and to kick it up a notch, a seasoning of compost, which is a euphemism for whatever is rotting in your fridge. All of which is just window dressing to make us feel better about ourselves because what’s really making things grow are the grass clippings coming off

the septic fi eld! The grass clippings infused with you know what. Let’s just call it terroir like the French do.

Not only that, but all these ingredients have to be carted in. Your septic fi eld, on the other hand, is ready to go, juicy toma-toes only a fl ush away. So I say why be handcuffed by squea-mishness, give your garden the break it deserves, stop mowing and start fl ushing. And while you’re at it, pick up a bottle of Ribera Del Duero, Milagrosa Milcampos Vinas Viejas (Spain #603656) $17.97. (If you can’t pronounce that, a beer’s nice.)

Delbert is the co-proprietor at Mahle House. Read more at Slightlycorkedandmore.wordpress.com


Stepping back in History

In the wee hours of February 12, 1945, a Royal Canadian Air Force Canso 11007 set off on a routine fl ight until something unexpected happened. Short-ly after take-off one of the engines died and the pilot made an attempt to turn back causing the Canso to lose altitude

and crash.“Did anybody die in the crash?” asks

Ben very concerned.“Remarkably, no one died.” I respond

easing my sons worries. “The 12 men and one woman on board all survived.”

The story was a page from WWII his-tory and I was feeding tidbits of the crash to Ben and Liv as we hiked through the dense coastal forest of the Pacifi c Rim National Park en-route to the site of the crash.

“What did the planes do during WWII?” questioned Liv.

I replied “During WWII Canada feared the Japanese were planning an invasion

so the Canadian military positioned themselves all along the Pacifi c coast. Radar stations and bombers were used to detect possible enemy submarines and paper balloon bombs that would have been sent from Japan.” This tidbit of info was followed with silence. I sus-pect imagining submarines beneath the waters we surf and paper balloon bombs fl oating around Tofi no was enough to fi ll Ben and Liv’s young and curious minds.

Ben investigating the engine that caused the plane to crash Reliving history. Photos:Jill Collins

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The silence did not last long. Hiking through the coastal rainforest quickly turned to trudging through wet sloppy mud. Now the conversation was all about whose boot went deeper into the mud and which way does the trail go? “How did the people on the plane fi nd their way back home through all this in the dark?” exclaimed Ben with boot now fully submerged in mud.

“Well, some of the people on board were injured; a broken nose, sprained ankle, cuts and bruises. Things like that so they did not simply walk out. They spent the night here using the emergency supplies on board and waited for search and rescue who reached them the next morning. Then they would have walked through all this!” I answered with mud oozing out from under me.

Even after almost losing a few boots to the mud we soon found ourselves stand-ing in an open bog.

As I looked around I realized we were almost to the crash site.

“Hey! Ben and Liv. The plane would have fl own right over here before im-pact.” I noted as I swung my arm back and forth into the air. “I bet some of these scrubby trees were topped by the wings!” I said looking out across the bog. “How do you know?” inquires Liv.

“I read the pilots fi rst-hand account of what happened. I guess he went to make a 180 degree turn but lost altitude and man-aged to slow the plane by pulling it into a full stall landing at impact right at the edge of a plateau that led into a hill. Tell me, does this look like a plateau?” I say waving both arms around and point. “And is that a hill?”

Excitement grew just as it had over 68 years ago but today it was because of dis-covery, not fear. During our entire hike I prepared Ben and Liv for what they were about to witness. It is not every day one comes upon a plane wreckage in the middle of the forest. It was important that I share with them the story of why it happened, how it got here and tales of survival. The moment the aircraft came into view can only be described as shock and awe. Embedded 50 feet up the hill with logs and trees every which way was the Canso 11007. The tail of the aircraft loomed above us, completely intact.

“Dad, is it safe to walk under the plane? You always say not to walk under things that are not sturdy.” says Liv, cautiously approaching the hill.

“It’s OK. Thanks for asking and your right. Normally we do not walk under things that look unstable but this plane has been resting here for over 68 years exactly how it did the day it crashed so I would say it is ok.” Dad reassures her. Slowly making our way up the hill beside the aircraft I could clearly see the fuselage and the front wings spread out across the aircraft. Considering its age and crash, the plane was in remarkable shape and much larger than I had imagined it to be.

I mentioned this to Ben and he said “It is other than the large holes on the side and smashed nose.”

“The holes were not entirely due to the crash.” I state. “The smashed nose, yes but apparently a few Air Force personnel came back to the crash site to remove the bombs, radios, and machine guns. Then they blew two holes in the fuselage to destroy the aircraft’s secret radar gear.” That had Ben thinking for a while but soon he was asking more questions.

“What are those round things on the ground beside the plane?” he asked.

“Those are the engines. Maybe if you look closer you can fi gure out which one

had the faulty magneto that caused it to stop working?” I replied with a smirk. With that, Ben set off to explore the en-gines and get a closer look at the hull of the aircraft.

The four of us each took time exam-ining the plane, noting damage from the crash, speculating where everyone was sitting and admired the graffi ti decorat-ing the plane. This adventure gave us a unique glimpse back in history and a better sense of what WWII looked like on the Pacifi c Coast. As we were leaving the crash site I pointed out a perfectly round pond that was a couple hundred feet away from the wreckage.

“Cool, are there any frogs in there?” asks Liv.

“Maybe?” I replied. “Want to know what made this pond?” Ben and Liv both nod. “This is where the four bombs, or depth charges as they called them, were detonated after the crash.”

Again silence until Liv sighs “Poor frogs.”

Follow Jill and her nature loving ad-venture seeking family of four at www.getonthebeatenpath.blogspot.ca


Birds SongsA few weeks ago my birding buddy

and I were walking along a popular trail and from the hidden reeds we heard the unique, almost toilet plunger like call of the American Bittern. If we had not known the sound, we might have mis-taken it for waves hitting the dock (like the couple coming up the trail behind us) and missed what is a rare and precious experience in nature.

Knowledge of birdsongs and calls en-hances the pleasures of birding – in par-ticular it provides one with the ability to know a bit about what is happening around you even though you cannot see

it. For the most part birders use birdcalls and songs to identify species and in some cases habitats. Arriving at an unfamiliar parking lot recently and upon hearing a red-winged blackbird, I knew immediate-ly there was a wetland nearby. The mob-bing calls of robins for instance might be-tray the presence of a well-hidden owl or the admonishing cry of a spotted towhee may point out a prowling cat.

A call is brief simple sound such as a cheep or a squawk while a song is a relatively long series of notes usually as-sociated with courtship or territory and heard most frequently in spring – which is why this a good time of year to start learning or improving one’s skills. There are some wonderful recordings of local bird songs (I really like John Neville’s recordings of BC birds). There are also excellent resources on-line such as xeno-canto.org or the Cornell bird lab site (al-laboutbirds.org).

The richest, fullest songs generally come in the spring when birds are estab-lishing breeding territories and courting. This is correlated with day length and hormone production.

The functions of songs and calls are numerous and vary depending on spe-cies and circumstances. Some common functions are:

1. Establishing and maintaining a ter-ritory: frequently a male arrives in the breeding area earlier than the female and sings to establish a territory. After mat-ing, singing helps defi ne and maintain the territory.

Marsh Wren song serves many purposes. Photo: Jay Rastogi

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2. Attracting a mate: this is true for many species. The more complex songs denote greater fi tness.

3. Stimulating and synchronizing courtship: it can also indicate readiness to breed as well as maintaining a pair bond and indicating a change in domes-tic duties (incubation or feeding).

4. Signaling to others in the fl ock: calls and occasionally songs are used to keep fl ocks together when traveling and foraging.

5. Alarming calls to warn of predators.Calls are generally an inherited feature,

while songs can be a combination of ge-netic and learned traits. There can also be variability in song within a species. Song sparrows for instance have many dialects. Those in the Kootenays sound different than the ones on the coast.

Increasing complexity in songs or having multiple songs denotes a higher fi tness level (greater attractiveness), as does duration of singing. Those males singing earliest in the morning show they still have energy reserves and don’t need to forage immediately and are thus superior to other potential mates.

Some birds mimic the songs of other birds or sounds around them and thus add complexity to their songs. Some, such as Stellar’s Jays, imitate Red-tailed hawks and thus scare other birds from food sources (I’ve seen this happen when a Stellar’s Jay scared a squirrel away from ripe nuts in a hazelnut tree).

Birds may also use other sounds for territoriality or mate attraction. Wood-peckers drum, grouse beat their wings, and hummingbirds make sounds with

their wings or tails during display fl ights.The sound of each species is also re-

lated to the habitat it evolved in. Differ-ences in sound wave length determine how easily they pass by or are absorbed by obstacles. Long length waves tend to pass around objects more easily and travel further than short wave lengths. Forest birds tend to have loud relatively pure tonal songs, while those of grass-lands and forest edge habitats (which are exposed to more wind) have a buzzier quality that sweeps through a range of frequencies. This means communication is possible even if some frequencies are lost in wind turbulence.

Weather too infl uences bird song. Hot temperatures, rain and wind reduce vocalizations. Some individuals even change their song pitches and frequency depending on traffi c noise levels.

The idea of an emotional response of birds to their own song or to other’s songs remains open to question. I do

know that they have an emotional effect on me and the effort required to learn bird songs has enriched my understand-ing of bird behaviour and their habitats.

Jay Rastogi is a naturalist, horticultur-alist and educator living in Yellow Point. [email protected]


Golf anyone?Ladysmith Theatre is hitting the greens

with its latest comedy Foursome.Norm Foster’s cleverly crafted play

takes place on a golf course with nine holes in the fi rst act and nine holes in the second act.

Directed by Bonnie Stebbings, pro-duced by Tricia Barnes, the plot revolves around four men who have come togeth-er for a game after a 15 year college re-union the night before.

All four are possessed of black, come-dic instincts with one-upmanship jokes and posturing about how well their lives have unfolded during the past years.

The story reveals what time does to us all and the way we move from life’s possibilities as the years tumble by, es-sentially a story told with brilliant obser-vations of the reality of the human condi-tion told with subtle but biting humour.

May 9 – May Doors 7:30 p.m. Show 8:00 p.m. www.ladysmiththeatre.com or by telephone (250) 924-0658

YPDG marks 60 yearsTo celebrate its 60th anniversary, Yel-

low Point Drama Group (YPDG) took a walk down memory lane on Saturday, April 20 with a “Cedar Home Compan-ion” dinner show that took a fun look at Cedar through the ages. Taking off from

the variety show format of Garrison Keillor’s popular radio show, Bringing entertaining theatre to the Cedar coun-tryside since 1953

The sold out event was “a big success,” says Kathy Eccles

Yellow Point Drama Group—the sec-ond oldest theatre group in BC—got its start in the early 1950s when former opera singer, leading director of drama, and elocution teacher, Anne Mossman moved to Yellow Point from Vancou-ver. Her enthusiasm for the dramatic arts was contagious and she soon enlisted a nucleus of Cedar and Yellow Point lo-cals to produce YPDG’s fi rst season comprised of three one-act plays: Waltz

Time, Dear Departed, and Which Way is the Way to Boston?. The trio of plays went on to win best acting and best di-rected awards at various Vancouver Is-land drama festivals.

Fresh from its success, the amateur troupe went on to offi cially form Yel-low Point Drama Group in 1953, and in the 60 years since, has marked a number of successful theatrical milestones, win-ning numerous festival awards along the way for the quality of its acting, direc-tion, costumes and set design. For more information, visit www.yellowpointdra-magroup.org.

Sea featured in galleryLadysmith Waterfront Art Gallery is

making a splash in May.From the SEA opens May 4.The sea is a playground for recreation,

a tool for meditation, and holds a world of magical life and lore.

Artists are challenged to incorporate their interpretations.

Art that references the sea is high-lighted this month. Open noon to 4 pm Tues to Sun, 610 Oyster Bay Drive, La-dysmith 250-245-1252

The cast from Foursome, the upcoming play at the Ladysmith Little Theatre. (l-r) Chris Ostaffy (Ted), Dave Ehrismann (Donnie), Mike Cooper, (Rick), and Brett Trimble(Cameron) Photo: Linda Brown

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Yellow Point Point Drama Group’ recently celebrated 60 years of performing in Cedar. Photo from their 1954 production of “Red Queen, White Queen” directed by Ann Mossman. Left to right: Joan Morgan as Katherine Aragon; Shirley Cook as Jane Seymour; Audrey Bourque as Anne Boleyn; and Jean Bourque as Mary Wyatt. Photo submitted


MAY1-14, 8pm, Les Belles Soeurs, Nanaimo Theatre Group, 2373 Rosstown Rd. 250-758-72241-18, Delicious Lies, Chemainus Theatre Festival, 250-246-98201- 31, Silent Auction of Artwork, 4-1275 S. Island Hwy. [email protected] 1, 7pm, North Cedar Improvement District Annual General Meeting, 2100 Yellow Point Rd. 250-722-37111, Men’s Night, Cottonwood Golf Course, 1975 Haslam Rd. 250-245-51572-26, The Foursome, Ladysmith Little Theatre, 4985 Christie Rd. 250-924-06582, 7pm, All Candidates Meeting, Eagles Hall, 921 1st Ave. Ladysmith3, 6pm, Spring Fair, 921 1st Ave. admission by donation for food bank, 250-709-02043, 7:30pm, Acoustic Jam old-fashion song circle, Twisted Sisters Tea Room, 250-246-15413, 8:30pm, The Vault – live entertainment, 250-327-76764, 10am, Spring Fair, 921 1st Ave. admission by donation for food bank, 250-709-02044-31, 12pm, “From the Sea”, Ladysmith Waterfront Art Gallery, 250-245-12524, 1pm, Spring Tea Nanaimo Star Society, Brechin United Church 1998 Estevan, 250-758-28524, 1:30pm, Dementia Caregiver Education Series, Upper Meeting Room, 630 2nd Ave. 250-245-30794, 5:30pm, Twisting the Night Away Dinner Dance & Auction, St. Joseph’s School, 250-246-31914, 7pm, Songwriter’s Open Mic, hosted by Skellig, Willow Street Café, 250-246-24345, 9am, Chemainus Legion Flea Market, Chemainus Legion Hall, 250-924-84826, 11am, Demo Days at Pharmasave, 441 1st Ave. 250-245-31136, 4:45pm, Bingo, Chemainus Senior Drop In Center 9824 Willow St. 250-246-21116, 7pm, Town of Ladysmith Council meeting, 410 Esplanade, 250-245-64007, 1pm, Mt. Brenton Garden Club meeting, Calvary Baptist Church, 3318 River Rd.7, 7pm, Open Badminton, North Cedar Intermediate School, 250-722-22418, Women’s Night, Cottonwood Golf Course, 1975 Haslam Rd. 250-245-51579-26, 6pm, The Foursome, Ladysmith Little Theatre, 250-924-065810, Move for Health Day, Frank Jameson Community Center 250-245-6424

10, 9pm, Skellig, The Sportsman Pub 640 1st Ave. 250-245-803311, National Garage Sale for Shelter, Royal LePage Ladysmith 528 1st Ave. 250-245-225211, 9:30am, Plant Sale, St. John’s Church Hall 314 Buller St.11, 1:30pm, Dementia Caregiver Education Series, Upper Meeting Room, 630 2nd Ave. 250-245-307911, 6:30pm, North Oyster & Area Histroical Society Annual Silent/Live Auction & Dinner, Cedar Community Hall 250-245-395011, 7pm, Dance – The Esquires, Chemainus Senior Drop In Center 9824 Willow St. 250-246-211112, Mothers Day give Mom a Hug!12, 9am, Chemainus Legion Flea Market, Chemainus Legion Hall, 250-924-848212, 10:30am, Mother’s Day Brunch, Cottonwood Golf Course 250-245-515712, Mothers Day Tea and Cake, Hazelwood Herb Farm, 13576 Adshead Rd. 250-245-800713-17, 7:30pm, Theatre BC’s North Island Zone Festival, Bailey Studio 250-758-722413, 4:45pm, Bingo, Chemainus Senior Drop In Center 9824 Willow St. 250-246-211113, 6:30pm, Once Upon A Day in Cowichan, Chemainus Theatre 250-246-982013, 7pm Disaster Resilience information meeting, Aggie Hall 1110 1st Ave, 250-245-923614, 7pm, Open Badminton, North Cedar Intermediate School, 250-722-224115, 7:30am, Ladysmith Downtown Business Association general meeting, 621 First Ave.15, Ladysmith Chamber of Commerce General Meeting15, 11am, Blood Pressure Clinic, Chemainus Senior Drop In Center, 9824 Willow St. 250- 246-211115, 11:30am, Soup & Sandwich, Chemainus Senior Drop In Center, 9824 Willow St. 250- 246-211115, Men’s Night, Cottonwood Golf Course, 1975 Haslam Rd. 250-245-515716, 7pm, Festival of Lights Meeting, FOL Building, 1163 4th Ave. 250-245-588816, 7pm, 5th Mariachi Festival Canada, 125 Front St. 250-754-855017, 6pm, Blues Night, Mount Brenton Golf Course Clubhouse, 250-246-494818, Community Share Day, St. Philip Cedar, 1797 Cedar Rd, 250-722-345518, 7pm, Acoustic Open Mic, Willow Street Café, 250-246-243419, 9am, Chemainus Legion Flea Market, Chemainus Legion Hall, 250-924-848220, 1:30pm, The Nanaimo Hard of Hearing Group, Christ Community Church, Bowen Rd. 250-616-296220, 4:45pm, Bingo, Chemainus Senior Drop In Center, 9824 Willow St. 250-246-211120, 5:15pm, Chronic Pain Support Group, 1111-4th Ave. Rm 101, 250-667-5587 www.chronicpainsupport.ca21, 3pm, Tuesday Night Make It, Bake It, Grow It Market, 1st Ave. Ladysmith, 250-245-2112

21, 7pm, Town of Ladysmith Council meeting, 410 Esplanade, 250-245-640021, 7pm, Open Badminton, North Cedar Intermediate School, 250-722-224122-31, Good Timber, Chemainus Theatre Festival, 250-246-982022, Women’s Night, Cottonwood Golf Course, 1975 Haslam Rd. 250-245-515722, 7pm, Cedar Community Association Annual General Meeting, Cedar Community Hall, 250-245-751622, 7pm, Town Hall Meeting, Chemainus Senior Centre, 250-246-394423, 1pm, National Public Works Week Celebration, Public Works Yard, 330 6th Ave25-26, 9:30am, Paddle Canada Sea Kayaking Level 1 Course, Sealegs Kayaking Eco-Adventure Centre, Transfer Beach, Ladysmith, 250-245-409625, 1:30pm, Dementia Caregiver Education Series, Upper Meeting Room 630, 2nd Ave. 250-245-307925, 2pm, Annual Strawberry Tea, St. Philip Cedar, 1797 Cedar Rd, 250-722-345525, 7pm, Dance –Happy Hans, Chemainus Senior Drop In Center, 9824 Willow St. 250-246-211126, 9am, Chemainus Legion Flea Market, Chemainus Legion Hall, 250-924-848226, 10am, Black Track Tour, Morden Colliery Historic Provincial Park in front of the head frame, 250-714-037726, 10am, Annual Rotary Garden Tour, various locations in Ladysmith26, 10am, Plinkers Day Chemainus Rod & Gun, Chemainus Range, 250-740-149826, 2pm, Chemainus Classical Concerts, St. Michael’s Church26 - 30, South Island Zone Festival, Ladysmith Little Theatre, 250-924-065827, 4:45pm, Bingo, Chemainus Senior Drop In Center, 9824 Willow St. 250-246-211127, 7:30pm, Chemainus Rod & Gun Club meeting, Chemainus Fire Hall28, 5pm, Tuesday Night Make It, Bake It, Grow It Market, 1st Ave. Ladysmith, 250-245-211228, 7pm, Ladysmith Camera Club meeting, Hardwick Hall High St. at 3rd. 250-606-701128, 7pm, Open Badminton, North Cedar Intermediate School, 250-722-224129, Wednesday Farmer’s Market, Waterwheel Park, 250-246-394429, Men’s Night, Cottonwood Golf Course, 1975 Haslam Rd. 250-245-515731, 9am, Seniors Day, Pharmasave 441 1st Ave. 250-245-311331, 7pm, Top of the Town Show, Chemainus Senior Drop In Center, 9824 Willow St. 250- 246-211131, 9pm, Bent Rymn, The Sportsman Pub 640 1st Ave. 250-245-8033

Full calendar at www.take5.ca.events

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CLASSIFIEDS PAINT & SAVE OPTION: Do it yourself, with a little help from a pro together we can make your job more affordable and accomplish a great look. Making the world a brighter place for over 25 years. Call Harvey - 250-245-2174

HOME BUDDIES - PET & HOUSE CARE since 1994. Licensed, Bonded, Insured. Professional, kind-hearted, experienced and reliable care for all pets. Pet First Aid and CPR Certifi ed. Certifi ed Security Professional through Westguard Security. When loving care and security are essential, Peggy Wildsmith- 250-245-0151

“KAREN’S INDUSTRIAL SEWING” IS BACK! Relocated to North Cedar/Akenhead Rd. Open for alterations and repairs, Production work etc… for appt. call 250-323-6322

PROFESSIONAL PET CARE SERVICE: leash ‘em & walk ‘em with Marlena. Insured & bonded. Animal First Aid and CPR. Service for all pets including dog walking, home care visits, overnight with pet in your home and much more. As my love is yours! 250-246-3394

KITTY KORNERS CAT HOTEL - Purrsonalized Quality Kitty Care. Daily health checks experienced with special needs kitties. Reasonable rates. Available 24/7. 2 km north of Nanaimo Airport. Take a virtual tour www.kittykorners.com 250-740-CATS (5287)

HOW IS YOUR CONCRETE DRIVEWAY? Need a facelift? Have your driveway cleaned and sealed to improve the curb appeal of your home. See our website www.sealtechspecialties.com SealTech Specialties, 250-734-2681

SENIOR CARE & FAMILY HELPER with Linda. Mature, experienced, reliable help. Transportation, errands, healthy meals, overnight stays, pet care and light house keeping. Excellent references. Criminal record check, fi rst aid. Linda Stedfi eld 250-797-0796 lstedfi [email protected]

ACCOUNTING SERVICES with 23 years experience, providing full accounting solutions to include payroll T4’s and CRA remittances. [email protected] 250-802-0048

1996 FORD T-BIRD - not running, great for parts or fi x it up. Comes with 2 sets of tires, one nearly new $300 250-245-9165.

AJ”s PLUMBING AND GAS -Licensed-Bonded-Insured. Service-Installations-Renovation -New construction. Quality workmanship. No travel charges. Free estimates. On time every time. 250-802-7123

OFFICE SPACES -Downtown Ladysmith, modern, a/c, renovated, wired, reasonable rent or lease. 250-245-3395

THINKING OF SELLING YOUR HOME? Perhaps ready for a fresher look in your existing home? The affordable design services provided by Rooms n Blooms can help. Call Shar at 250-245-0548 or email [email protected]

QUALITY RENOVATIONS big or small. 25 yrs exp/journeyman, affordable. For free estimate call Lars 250-616-1800

AGILE HOME REPAIR & IMPROVEMENT For all your carpentry and home repair needs. From repairing/replacing siding, decks, fences to interior fi nishing including home ventilation. Fully insured. Call IAN 250-714-8800

MITSUBISHI DUCTLESS HEAT PUMP save 75% on your heating bill and stay cool in the summer. Call Stuart 250-734-2681 for your free estimate

HANDCRAFTED GEMSTONE NECKLACES. Jade, garnet, lapis, aventurine and more! $20 each. See jewelry table at Campers Corner Saturday fl ea market, 8am-3pm. 250-245-3829

THE HAPPY GARDENER. Weeding, Digging, Cutting back (blackberries, etc), Tidying up, Miscellaneous Yard Work. Cheerful and Conscientious. Call David at 250-722-3599

ISAGENIX DISTRIBUTOR - Get Lean & Healthy Fast - Less than $5/ meal. Our protein shakes are amazing! - No Gluten, Wheat, Barley or Trans Fat. www.taketimetoday.com Suzanne Deveau 250-245-8407

WANTED - a kayak or a canoe for young people to enjoy the water. Very reasonably priced or free. It will get loved and used. and you’ll have some more room in the garage! 250-245-9165

LYNN’S SENIORS CARE HOME - High Quality Personalized Care. Warm caring environment, great food AND snacks, family events, couples and pets welcomed, ocean views, gardens. North of Ladysmith. 250-245-3391 www.lynnsseniorcare.com

LEARN A LANGUAGE FOR FUN AND TRAVEL Small groups, conversational approach, excellent teachers, daytime and evening classes. French, Spanish, Italian, German, Japanese, Mandarin and more. Register now for ongoing sessions at WENTWORTH COURT LANGUAGE CENTRE, 517 Wentworth St., Nanaimo 250-716-1603

ISLAND PRUNING - Professional tree care from large scale orchards to budding new trees. I can meet any pruning need. Shrubs, vines and ornamentals. Large and small clean ups. Call Darcy Belcourt 250-245-1260

EXPERIENCED, RELIABLE, BONDABLE, RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL & LIGHT CONSTRUCTION CLEANER has openings in the Ladysmith area. Rates start at $18.00 per hour. Seniors Discount. References available 250-327-9644

BOWEN TECHNIQUE is a gentle soft tissue remedial therapy that resets the body to heal itself. Useful for joint, back and neck pain, frozen shoulder, asthma, chronic fatigue and many other problems. For information and appointments call 250-245-7738. Lilja Hardy FMBAC in practice since 1994. www.bowtech.com

ARE YOU DOWNSIZING, moving, clearing an estate? We are interested in purchasing jewelry, china collectables, small appliances, small furniture, and newer inside/outside home décor. Wendy 250-245-2079, Fern 250-924-4419. [email protected]

OVERCOAT PAINTING - Professional - Reliable - Reasonable. Operating 8 years in Ladysmith. No job to small. Will do minor painting repairs. Special senior rates. Call Heather McIntosh for a free estimate. 250-619-3718

BROKE BRIDES WEDDING CONSIGNMENT is here to help with your wedding/special occasion. Visit www.brokebridesweddingconsignment.vpweb.ca or call Rita @ 250-715-7611 to book your appt. today

SASSA’S HOME AND GARDEN CARE. No job to small, serving Vancouver Island for 10 years. Cleaning, Gardening and Painting, outside and inside your home or business.1-250-218-4735, 1-250-886-8201

\ CINDERELLA’S RESIDENTIAL CLEANING Service, Contact Erin @ 250-924-4475 or Cell 250-741-7916



CANDLES AND ACCESSORIES for your home and garden. Contact Jenn Meuser, 250-619-6520 or [email protected] and ask how you can earn FREE PARTYLITE products when you host a PARTYLITE party

APRTMENT FOR RENT senior block 2 bedroom well maintained 1000 sq. ft. newly upgraded cupboards, new carpet, drapes, repainted W/D – F/S - N/P’s – N/S available April, no elevator free storage & parking $775 mth plus utilities 250-758-5816

ATTENTION MUSICIANS & ARTISTS (ANY MEDIUM). If you have some ‘Art’ or some ‘Beat’, then ArtBeat is your gig. ArtBeat is the immensely popular summertime Friday evening Artwalk & Street Party in Chemainus. To apply for ArtBeat 2013, visit www.ArtBeatChemainus.com for all the details

DOING FAMILY RESEARCH? the Ladysmith Archives, located under Tim Horton’s, have Ladysmith newspapers dating from 1902, some on microfi lm, also B.D. & M. going back many years 250-245-0100 for an appt.

NEED YOUR LAWN MOWED? Experienced local student, friendly & reliable with own mower & weeder, very reasonable rates, satisfaction guaranteed call Ladysmith resident Connor 250-245-5518

WEEKLY COMMERCIAL CLEANING service available for offi ce, shop, or studio. Professional, attention to detail, and reliable. $19/hr. Chemainus, Ladysmith area. Jamie 250-246-4938.

ALLEGRO HAIRDRESSING When the Salon comes to your home. For all your family’s hairdressing needs. Call for your appointment 250-616-3709 (leave message for Debbie)

GARDEN CLUB PLANT SALE: May 11th, United Church Hall, 232 High St., Ladysmith. 9am. until sold out. Great prices on a wide selection of plants & used equipment. Raffl e at door.

EDITING AND PROOFREADING SERVICES, professional, affordable, no job too small. Web content, ad copy, papers, presentations, manuals, novels, correspondence - if it has words, I can help! www.islandeditor.ca 250-751-EDIT (3348) [email protected] RUBBISH REMOVAL, big or small, fast friendly service 250-619-0595

E-STORE featuring locally made Island products now accepting listings - products and gift certifi cates. Free to list. Visit www.take5.ca/estore for details and to view locally made products.

SPECIAL EVENTS PHOTOGRAPHY. Don`t trust just anyone. We have years of experience from weddings, family portraits, to glamour and corporate images. Email for quote and sample images [email protected]

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TAKE 5 Newsmagazine May

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