villagevibeNews and views from the heart of Fernwood

April 2013

The Fruit HuntersA fi lm about fruit-

inspired lust,

obsession and

adventure

in this issueTo get the Vibe digitally, sign up at fernwoodnrg.ca

Buzz

CaVa Bistro Moderne

page 3

Feature

Th e Bacon Life

page 4

Mark Your Calendar

Fernwood Pole Painting Project

page 7

›› Eye Steel Film

You can find them deep in the

jungles of Borneo, in the hills of

Umbria and perhaps even in your

own backyard. Th ey are fruit hunters, the

subjects of the new fi lm from acclaimed

Canadian director Yung Chang (Up the

Yangtze, China Heavyweight).

The Fruit Hunters travels across

culture, history and geography to

show how intertwined we are with the

fruits we eat. Our guides are devoted

fruit fanatics. Movie star Bill Pullman’s

obsession leads him on a crusade to create

a community orchard in the Hollywood

Hills. Adventurers Noris Ledesma and

Richard Campbell scour the jungle for rare

mangos, hoping to intervene before the

plants are steamrolled by industrialization.

Pioneering scientist Juan Aguilar races to

breed bananas resistant to a deadly fungus

that threatens the worldwide crop. And

fruit detectives including Isabella Dalla

Ragione investigate Renaissance-era

paintings for clues, hoping to rediscover

lost fruits. And, of course, there are the

fruits themselves, presented in all their

mouthwatering glory: cherimoyas, ice

cream beans, durians and more.

A cinematic odyssey through nature

and commerce, The Fruit Hunters will

change not only the way we look at

what we eat but how we view our

relationship to the natural world.

›› Mila Czemerys

Fernwood NRG is bringing the

premiere screening of this film,

The Fruit Hunters, to town. The

screening will be in

the Belfry Th eatre’s

Studio A on April

11th at 7:30pm.

A l l p r o c e e d s

from this screening

wi l l go towards

the c rea t ion o f

Fernwood’s very

own community

o r c h a r d w h i c h

will be located beside the Fernwood

Community Centre.

The orchard is part of a new City of

Victoria urban food production pilot

project. This orchard will demonstrate

new ways of growing food in the City of

Victoria in visible, public places.

Th e orchard will include many varieties

of plums, pears, apples and figs. There

will be approximately 20 dwarf fruit

trees in the orchard; each chosen for its

uniqueness, suitability for our climate,

disease resistance, harvest timing and—of

course—deliciousness! All the fruit grown

in the orchard will be free for anyone to

pick and enjoy.

O n c e t h e

orchard is planted,

Fernwood NRG

will host annual

pruning, grafting

and process ing

workshops.

Director Yung

Chang and the

team at Eye Steel

Film shared, "...we're all so happy that our

fi lm can be inspiration for your community

orchard!"

Tickets for the screening are $10 and

are available online at www.belfry.bc.ca/

tickets, at the box office or by phone

at 250-385-6815. Special thanks to the

Belfry Th eatre for providing space for this

event.

(Top) Director Yung Chang with a "proto-fruit" prop during one of the in-studio re-creation shoots.

(Bottom) Actor Bill Pullman at his childhood orchard in upstate New York. Photos: Eye Steel Film

We're all so happy that our fi lm can be inspiration for your community orchard!

- Director Yung Chang

page 2 villagevibe April 2013 News and views from the heart of Fernwood

BC’s general election is

May 14th, 2013

›› Lee Herrin

If you’re not a Canadian citizen or you’re

less than 18 years old, or if you’ve lived in

BC less than six months, you can ignore

this article. Or, if you’ve been convicted

of vote buying, intimidating voters to vote

in a certain way or to refrain from voting,

or voting twice, or voting when you are

not eligible to do so, then you too, can

ignore this article. Last but not least, if you

happen to be the Chief Electoral Offi cer or

a Deputy Chief Electoral Offi cer, you can

ignore this article.

If you’re not mentioned above, then this

article is for you. You’re probably already

aware that BC is having a Provincial General

Election on May 14, 2013. Unfortunately,

awareness doesn’t necessarily lead to

action—48% of eligible Fernwoodians did

not vote in the 2009 Provincial General

Election, though this was on par with the

turnout rate province-wide.

It has never been easier to register to

vote in BC—you can do it online at http://

www.elections.bc.ca/ovr/ or by calling

Elections BC at 1-800-661-8683. You can

even do it at the polls on voting day—

instructions are available on Elections BC’s

website. So, the fact that you missed voter

registration is not a reason not to vote. Nor,

in my opinion, is a lack of convenience or

unavailability on Election Day. Elections

BC has advance poll options, absentee

voting options, and even mail-in ballot

options for people who cannot attend the

polls on voting day. Please see http://www.

elections.bc.ca/index.php/voting/ for all

the details on how to vote over the next

six weeks.

Assuming things unfold this May

as the polls predict, Fernwood will be

served by two MLAs who will be part of

the government for the first time since

2005 (when we said goodbye to Jeff Bray

and Sheila Orr). And, it’s not even too

much to hope for that both will be in

Cabinet, as both Carole James and Rob

Fleming have prominent roles in Adrian

Dix’s shadow cabinet. Th is will give us a

level of representation in the corridors of

power that we’ve not had for a generation

or more.

Regardless of whom you might vote

for, I urge you get out and vote on May

14th. Ultimately, governments listen most

closely to those who vote. Let’s ensure that

whoever is in government on May 15th will

be listening to Fernwood.

declarationof principles

& values

villagevibePublished by Fernwood

Neighbourhood Resource Group

›› We are committed to creating

a socially, environmentally,

and economically sustainable

neighbourhood;

›› We are committed to ensuring

neighbourhood control or

ownership of neighbourhood

institutions and assets;

›› We are committed to using

our resources prudently

and to becoming fi nancially

self-reliant;

›› We are committed to the creation

and support of neighbourhood

employment;

›› We are committed to engaging

the dreams, resources,

and talents of our neighbours

and to fostering new links

between them;

›› We are committed to taking

action in response to

neighbourhood issues, ideas,

and initiatives;

›› We are committed to governing

our organization and serving our

neighbourhood democratically

with a maximum of openness,

inclusivity and kindness;

›› We are committed to developing

the skills, capacity, self-worth,

and excellence of our

neighbours and ourselves;

›› We are committed to focusing

on the future while preserving

our neighbourhood’s heritage

and diversity;

›› We are committed to creating

neighbourhood places that

are vibrant, beautiful, healthy,

and alive;

›› and, most of all,

We are committed to having fun!

Editorial Committee

Lee Herrin Mila Czemerys

Azelia Serjeantson Matt Takach

Founding Editor Lisa Helps

Contributors

Eye Steel Film Mila Czemerys

Lee Herrin Jack Derricourt

Kelsey Singbeil Ruben Anderson

Josh Wagler Louis Bockner

Margaret Hantiuk

Art

Eye Steel Film Mila Czemerys

Ruben Anderson Louis Bockner

Axel Liz Rubincam

Alexandra Stephanson

Production Mila Czemerys

Contact us

1313 Gladstone Avenue

Victoria, BC V8R 1R9

T 778.410.2497 F 250.381.1509

vibe@fernwoodnrg.ca

www.villagevibe.ca

To enquire about advertising in the Village

Vibe, please contact ads@fernwoodnrg.ca

The views expressed in the Village Vibe

do not necessarily refl ect the views of

Fernwood NRG.

editorial:

Get out and vote for a change

buzz:

History Bites›› Jack Derricourt

Delighted faces fl ocked to the Cornerstone

Cafe Tuesday March 5th for the first

installment of Fernwood University. Th is

year’s free lectures focused on the issue

of food security, something that should

intrigue many community members.

Victoria has always been a volatile

community when it comes to food, and

Dr. Robert Griffi n’s lecture at the cafe made

that perfectly clear. Griffi n is the co-author

of Feeding the Family: 100 Years of Food &

Drink in Victoria, a book that demonstrates

the chaotic, and import heavy, world of

food in our provincial capital.

Victoria was visited by a series of diverse

fortune seekers following the Cariboo

Gold Rush of the 1860s, all of whom were

excited by the prospects of profi t. Suppli-

ers in Victoria provided goods to towns in

the interior as well as their base of opera-

tions. But the amount and variety of food

required to supply Victoria’s growing com-

munity was not always reliably available

from commision merchants and their

storehouses. Individuals and institutions

turned to their own private gardens to fi ll

their tables. Today’s urban gardeners and

local food enthusiasts are participating in a

time-honoured tradition.

“In a sense, it’s going back to what it

was in those days (the late nineteenth cen-

tury),” says Dr. Griffi n, “Because most peo-

ple had gardens, often had chickens, often

had that kind of animal around, and what

was imported were more exotic items.”

It is encouraging to hear that community

gardens, not big chain supermarkets, have

plowed deeper into the historical ground.

Dr. Griffi n also discussed the revolution in

local brewing methods: Victoria’s recent

shift towards craft brewing refl ects the city’s

rich history of specialized beer production.

Th ese are tasty bites of history that should

bolster the community’s move towards

more sustainable and locally-focussed

products.

If you missed the lecture but would like

to learn more about the history of food

in Victoria, feel free to pick up a copy

of Feeding the Family at the Royal BC

Museum or at the library.

Dr. Robert Griffi n speaking at Fernwood University about the many small-scale local grocers who

used to line the streets of Victoria. Photo: Mila Czemerys

www.fernwoodnrg.ca April 2013 villagevibe page 3

Duck confi t and dark

chocolate souffl é grace

the menu of Fernwod’s

newest restaurant,

CaVa Bistro Moderne

›› Kelsey Singbeil

The French bistro is tempered with

an Australian influence, resulting in a

welcoming, laid back room and delicious

dishes.

Chef and owner, Fauna Martin, is a

longtime Fernwood local. She grew up

in a house just behind her new restaurant

and graduated from Vic High and the

University of Victoria. After returning to

Victoria from honing her chef skills in

Australia, Martin set her sights on opening

a restaurant in her former ‘hood.

Diners looking for a middle ground

between the casual Fernwood Inn and

fi ne dining at Stage will appreciate CaVa

in Fernwood Sqaure. Th e room, formerly

home to Kulu, is simple, but comfortable,

with hardwood fl oors and the menu lettered

on the chalkboard wall. The full plate

dishes feature local ingredients and with

Martin’s French training and Australian

experience feature a unique interpretation

of ‘westcoast style’.

In March, I ducked in with a friend to

try Fauna’s recommended dark chocolate

souffl é for a post-Belfry treat. CaVa was

the perfect spot to spend the rest of the

evening. Th eir brunch is now on my to-try

list and I’m curious to taste their creamy

goat cheese polenta or salmon crackling for

dinner sometime soon.

“I needed to challenge myself,” says

Martin about opening CaVa. “I needed to

be moving forward.”

Now, Martin is looking forward to

spring and summer – prime patio months

filled with fresh, local produce. CaVa

will be adding patio seating in Fernwood

Square, adding to the 32 seats inside the

restaurant. She’ll also be adding new dishes

to the menu featuring spring vegetables

and local halibut. Yum!

CaVa is open for lunch and dinner Tues-

day through Saturday, and weekend brunch.

Th e restaurant is closed Mondays.

Here are some local Fernwood homes that will be listed and available for purchase with

the RealEstateDynamics.ca Team this spring. For your free home evalua on or to view your next home today, please visit RealEstateDynamics.ca or call 250.294.6363.

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buzz:

CaVa opens in Fernwood Square

(Right) Chef Fauna Martin in front of her new

restaurant, CaVa Bistro Moderne. Photo:

Alexandra Stephanson

Chef and owner, Fauna Martin, is a longtime Fernwood local

page 4 villagevibe April 2013 News and views from the heart of Fernwood

feature:

A Small & Delicious Life in FernwoodThe Bacon Life

›› Ruben Anderson

We moved back to Victoria in

2011. Being closer to family

was part of it, but we also

sought a more richly meaningful life.

We wanted to stop being a part of what

Nicholas Georgescu-Roegen called, “the

Circumdrome of the Shaving Machine,

which is to shave oneself faster so as to

have more time to work on a machine

that shaves faster so as to have more time

to work on a machine that shaves still

faster, and so on…”

Now we spend a lot of our time—right

here in Fernwood—growing, raising,

making, curing, canning, drying, pickling,

fermenting and eating our own food,

and working on other parts of what we

call Th e Small and Delicious Life. Today I

want to share Th e Bacon Life. (Read the

full article, with links and side notes, at

smallanddeliciouslife.com).

We recently had a spontaneous bacon

smackdown between our home-cured

and smoked Vancouver Island pork, and

the most expensive bacon at the grocery

store—and we are ruined for industrial

bacon. Th e fl avour was uninspiring and the

texture unpleasant—kind of like chewing

on a burnt cereal box.

We buy our pork belly from Th e Village

Butcher in Oak Bay, where they put some

work into fi nding meat from animals that

lived relatively happy lives. One belly is

actually just one half of a pig’s belly, and

our last one was three and a half kilos.

After making a couple of batches I started

requesting bellies that are more meat and

less fat—I think this last belly came from

a Tamworth pig, which is leaner than a

Berkshire. For now, ask the butcher to cut

the skin off .

We follow a recipe from Charcuterie,

by Michael Ruhlman—and crosscheck

with our other meat-curing bible, Home

Production of Quality Meats and Sausages, by

Stanley and Adam Marianski. Charcuterie

is more of a recipe and coff ee-table book—

better for dabblers—while the Marianski

book gives comprehensive principles for

the home meatsmith to safely make their

own recipes.

Bacon is simple. At the most basic you

need only salt, and liquid smoke for fl avour.

However, the classic ‘cured-meat fl avour’

and the pinkness of bacon is partly from

curing with sodium nitrite. If the meat will

age for a long time, like salami, sodium

nitrate is used; the nitrate is converted to

nitrite during aging. Both chemicals come

mixed approximately 20:1 with salt for

easier measurement and are sold under

several names—Pink Salt, Prague Powder,

Curing Salt, et c. Nitrite is Cure #1 and

nitrate is Cure #2.

We try to avoid chemical agriculture so I

did a lot of research on nitrites and nitrates.

Some places use things like celery juice

to cure bacon ‘naturally’—and apparently

celery juice contains enormous amounts

of naturally occurring sodium nitrate. So,

I use the curing salts.

Buy Ruhlman’s book to get the variations

on his recipes, but fi rst he would have you

mix up a 'Basic Dry Cure' (use a good

scale):

450 grams/ 1lb kosher salt

225 grams/ 8 oz sugar

50 grams/ 2 oz pink salt (cure #1,

nitrite—available at the Homesteader’s

Emporium in Vancouver for $7/lb)

Then cut your belly into pieces that

will fi t into a large ziploc bag—this belly

needed three bags. As long as the piece

of meat weighs between three and five

pounds, just sprinkle ¼ cup of the basic

dry cure on each piece (both sides, and rub

it around to coat evenly).

Now seal the bags and refrigerate for

7-10 days. Flip the bags over every two days

to redistribute the salty liquid that forms.

Th e meat is cured when it feels fi rm, not

soft. Poke it when you put it in the fridge

and try to remember how soft it felt, then

compare a week later.

When the belly is fi rm, rinse the cure off

and let the meat dry on a rack in the fridge

for a day. Th is allows a tacky surface called

a pellicle to form, which will help your

smoke stick to it.

My first smoking was done in a

cardboard box. Stalk your neighbourhood

on recycling day and fi nd a nice crisp box,

about 18 inches square and two feet tall. I

found a hotplate at the thrift shop for ten

bucks, which goes inside the box. Put an

aluminum pie plate (recycling day) with a

cup of dry hickory chips (Canadian Tire,

six bucks) on the hot plate.

Fold a little tent out of foil to cover the

hotplate and pie plate—you don’t want

any hot fat dripping on a hotplate inside a

cardboard box, now do you?

Maybe this is a good time to say, do this

outside? With a fi re extinguisher handy?

But remember paper burns at 451°F, so

don’t panic.

Hang your meat (reinforce the box with

duct tape and dowels as needed), crank the

hotplate to high and use packing tape (not

masking) to close the box. It should take

about 30 minutes for smoke to start leaking

out, after which you smoke for three hours.

When the smoke tapers off , cut your box

open and add more chips—three cups

should do you for three hours. Don’t get

too fussy at this stage—your first batch

may not be perfect, but it will probably be

the best bacon you have ever had.

After three hours take the bacon out and

test the internal temperature. It needs to be

65°C/150°F. If it is not, put it in the oven

and bring it up to that temp.

Let it cool, then freeze it. Th en thaw it a

little bit—when the bacon is still a little fro-

zen the fat is easier to cut.Use a very sharp

and slender knife, or an electric carving

knife (thrift shop, ten bucks) to slice the

bacon into rashers. Portion enough for a

family breakfast out on sheets of wax paper

before freezing again. Keep all the uneven

bits for pea soup or rainy days.

Enjoy the Small and Delicious Life!

Ruben's homemade bacon smoking machine built with a cardboard box, hotplate, aluminum pie

plate, tin foil and dry hickory chips. Photo: Ruben Anderson

www.fernwoodnrg.ca April 2013 villagevibe page 5

commons corner:

Friends of Spring Ridge Commons›› Josh Wagler

As I once heard from one of my favourite

eight year olds, it was a day that looked

like a big wool sock had been pulled

over the sky. Nonetheless, spring is fast

approaching, and by the time of print, it

will have already sprung. As I write, the

Damson Plum is in full blossom. Th e bees

are not quite buzzing yet, and while the

early bird may get the worm, in this case,

the patient buds get the pollinators. Before

long I am greeted by Sean Newton, Linda

Chan and Brent Howard. Th ese Sunday

regulars have been faithfully visiting the

Commons for the last 8 months. They

come bearing hot water, tea cups and a

few extra pairs of work gloves to share. As

friendly discussion and tea-preparation

continues; Sean comes to the frightful

realization that he has forgotten the tea at

home. Fortunately, we are only steps away

from the freshest tea one could ever hope

for. After a few moments of foraging, Sean

returns with a bounty of freshly picked

herbs, and in beautiful clay pot he brews

up a soul-warming blend. As we discuss

what we would like to co-create at the

Commons, passersby meander through

the park. Some join us for tea, others

politely decline, and a wonderful weekly

tradition is revealed to me. This weekly

event is known as ‘Bee in The Garden’,

and takes place every Sunday at 1:30pm-

3:30pm. All members of the community

are encouraged to bring their garden tools,

favourite instruments and help out and

celebrate in the garden. It’s a great way to

have fun, meet new friends, and receive

hands-on experience at one of Canada’s

most established urban food forests!

Th e rhythm of the seasons is a gift we

often take for granted in this part of the

world. The seasonal variation provides

beautiful expressions, and each transition

offers unique gifts from the Earth. The

fruit tree blossoms entice the senses and

hint of harvests to come, and new life is

breathed into our bodies after months of

winter weather. Th ere is nothing quite as

nourishing as new life. Here at Spring Ridge

Commons, Mother Nature is providing us

with a wonderful opportunity to nourish

our bodies as well.

Harvestable Delights:Th e tea we are sipping today is a blend of Stinging Nettles and Rosemary. Th e hardy

Rosemary plants have weathered the winter and off er more nutritional benefi ts than could

ever be listed in this article. Stinging Nettles are just emerging from the earth now and

will continue to fl ourish through the summer. Stinging Nettles are herbaceous perennials.

Th ey have been used as a cleansing tonic for thousands of years. Harvesters beware the

stinging, hair-like spines on the underside of the leaves and stems!

Plant of the Month: Miner’s Lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata)

Miner’s Lettuce is one of the only salad greens native to

North America, though many view this wondrous plant as

a weed. According to a study in the Journal of the American

Dietetic Association, 100 grams of miner’s lettuce—about

the size of a decent salad—contains a third of your daily

requirement of Vitamin C, 22 percent of Vitamin A, and

10 percent of iron. Miner’s Lettuce is delicious added to

salads, or eaten on its own. While most of our “weeds” are

of European origin, Miner’s Lettuce is one of the few plants

that has returned the favour and moved to Europe!

We’re asking you:What would you like to see at Spring Ridge Commons? Do you have an awesome idea

for a community art project? What would improve your experience of the Commons?

If you are have an answer to these questions or would like to fi nd out more about how

you can help, please email springridgecommons@gmail. com. Find out more about

the Friends of Spring Ridge Commons at springridgecommons.ca & facebook.com /

springridge.commons. Look for this new column ‘Commons Corner’ in the next issue.

page 6 villagevibe April 2013 News and views from the heart of Fernwood

Holiday closures on May 20, July 1 & August 5

(Reg) Registration Required (DI) Drop In

MAY - AUGUST 2013

FERNWOOD NRG

For more in format ion &

to reg is ter contact :

MONDAYParent and Baby Play Group (DI) Ongoing 9:30am - 11:30amLifeRing Secular Recovery (DI) Ongoing 6:45pm - 8:00pm

SUMMER PROGRAMS

Intro to Mushroom Cultivation w/ Radical Mycology - April 26Easy & Cheap Mushroom Cultivation Workshop - April 27 & 28Food Forest Gardening w/ Richard Walker - May 25 & 26Fernwood Pole Painting Project - May 25Ursa Fair - June 8FernFest 2013 - June 21 & 224th Annual Fernwood Bites - June 23

WORKSHOPS / SPECIAL EVENTS

THURSDAYParent & Tot Play Group (DI) Ongoing 9:30am - 11:30amBest Babies (Reg) Ongoing 12:00pm - 3:00pm

Victoria Sport & Social Club (Reg) May 2 - Aug 29 7:00pm - 9:30pm Spring Forest Qigong (DI/Reg) May 2 - Aug 29 5:30pm - 6:30pm

WEDNESDAYBest Babies (Reg) Ongoing 12:00pm - 3:00pmGood Food Box Pick Up Every other week 1:00pm - 5:30pm

Homospun (DI) Every 2nd & 4th Wed 7:30pm - 9:30pm Nuu Chah Nulth Drumming (Closed) Ongoing 7:00pm - 10:00pmDancing Lotus Hatha Yoga (DI/Reg) May 8 - Aug 28 5:45pm - 7:15pm

FRIDAYAutumn Glow Senior’s Lunch (DI) Ongoing 12:00pm - 2:30pmYouth Drop-in (9-13yrs) (DI) Ongoing 7:00pm - 9:00pmVictoria Meet-up Group (Closed) Every other week 7:00pm - 9:00pm

TUESDAYParent and Tot Play Group (DI) Ongoing 9:30am - 11:30am

Iyengar Yoga (DI/Reg) May 7 - Aug 27 5:30pm - 6:30pmDancing Lotus Hatha Yoga (DI/Reg) May 7 - Aug 27 7:00pm - 8:30pm

Kids Capoeira (Reg) May 7 - June 18 4:00pm - 5:00pm

The Transformative SitCom (Reg) May 7 - Jun 25 7:00pm - 9:00pmYouth Drop-in (14-17yrs) (DI) Ongoing 7:00pm - 9:00pm

f e rnwoodnrg .ca / fe rnwood-n rg-p rograms/ rec rea t ion /

SUNDAYVolleyball (Closed) Ongoing 11:00am - 12:00pmIntro to Kyudo (+16yrs) (Reg) May 5 - May 26 1:00pm - 3:00pmIntro to Kyudo (+16yrs) (Reg) July 7 - Aug 25 1:00pm - 3:00pm

Fernwood Community Centre1240 Gladstone Avenue, Victoria, BCT 250.381.1552 F 250.381.1509info@fernwoodnrg.ca

›› Louis Bockner

“Sorry man,” I say into my phone as I walk

towards Fernwood’s Cornerstone Cafe. “I

can’t go to the bar. I’m going to story time.”

Silence.

A year or two ago I would have thought

story time was for kids. I was concerned

with becoming an adult. But now this child-

ishness was exactly what appealed to me.

“Th ere’s an innocence involved... When

a group of adults essentially enters their

inner child together,” says Coco Kimmitt, a

Victoria based storyteller and sound healer.

Kimmitt, a.k.a. Kami Wing—as she is

known when performing her stories—

believes that with society’s technological

surge, enter ta inment has become

unnecessarily complicated.

“Storytelling is so authentically raw

and simple. What it brings to this day

and age is a remembering of the potency

of metaphorical self-reflection through

experiential listening. I relate it, in a way,

to how we interpret dreams.”

Although storytelling has been a part

of human evolution since the birth of

language, in the last century it has become

increasingly hard to fi nd. When asked if she

knew of any other practising storytellers,

Kimmitt was stumped.

“I don’t know of anyone doing it the way

I do where I create the original soundtrack

ahead of time and then tell the story live

to [the music], that’s a unique piece to

myself.”

Th is blend of story, instrumentation and

sound eff ects takes the closed-eyed listeners

on a gentle, sensory journey through their

own imaginations. The sound effects

are created by a unique collection of

instruments from across the globe that

Kimmitt has assembled over the last decade.

“I ended up with this continuously

growing, elaborate collection of sound tools

that are the most ecstatic little family of

sounds that I could imagine,” says Kimmitt.

By layering them upon each other through

the use of a loop pedal she can “create every

kind of atmosphere imaginable.”

Some of her favourites in the family

include the Jaw Harp, which has a

“ mischievous travelers energy” and the

Wind Ocarina, a traditional Mexican

instrument that effectively duplicates

diff erent types of wind. Th is sound often

facilitates or foreshadows a shift in the

story, bringing literal meaning to the phrase

“winds of change.”

Despite her place atop the non-exis-

tent storytelling totem, Kimmitt would

welcome community and competition and

hopes that in the future storytelling regains

it’s popularity of the past.

“I think that by doing it, it’s kind of like

being the change I want to see, because I’d

really love to see and feel and a hear more

stories being told.”

Although Kimmitt has no future

story times marked on the calendar her

first volume of stories can be heard at

sacredstorytelling.bandcamp.com.

She can also be found at facebook.com/

cocokami.wing. She hopes to have a

second volume out by the beginning of

summer.

artist aside:

Return to Innocence — Reawakening the art of storytelling

(Right) Coco Kimmitt performs 'The Cloak of Love' at the story time edition of Thursday Night Sound-

scapes. (Left) Owen Smith listens with closed eyes to the Moroccan fairytale. Photos: Louis Bockner

Registered Professional CounsellorCTA, MPCP

www.tomburtoncounselling.com

1921 Fernwood Rd, Near the Cornerstone Cafe

250 889 5638

Tom Burton

Storytelling is so authentically raw and simple.

www.fernwoodnrg.ca April 2013 villagevibe page 7

mark your calendar:

Pole Painting Project

You may have a fresh start any moment you choose.

- Mary Pickford

Organic Aromatherapy Spa & Eco Beauty Boutique in the heart of Fernwood Village.

facebook.com/TonicSpa

garden gleanings:

Linda Gilkeson’s Gardening Tips

Carole James, MLAVICTORIA–BEACON HILL

Honoured to serve you in our community1084 Fort Street Victoria, BC V8V 3K4250-952-4211Carole.James.MLA@leg.bc.cawww.CaroleJamesMLA.ca

Looking for local artisans, crafters, farmers, artists, made-by-hand

goods makers, vintage collectors, radical recyclers, and ethical

producers interested in vending at the FernFest Artisan Market.

$30/table space

Saturday, June 22, 10am - 3pm fernfest@fernwoodnrg.ca

Spring cleaning! Our

telephone poles need a

new coat of paint

›› Mila Czemerys

Come pick-up your free 'Pole Painting

Kit' at 1313 Gladstone Avenue, during

the week of May 20th to 24th between

9:00am and 5:00pm. Th e kit will include

instructions, paint, signage, and more.

Th ere will only be 100 available so come

early so you don’t miss out. You are invited

to go out on Saturday, May 25th and paint

on ' Fernwood Pole Painting Day'.

How to paint your pole:

Step 1. Find a pole in Fernwood – Look

for a pole that has not been painted or a

pole that needs to be refreshed. Try and

fi nd a pole near your house. Please consult

the neighbours before you begin.

Step 2. Put down your drop cloth – You

can use old newspaper or a tarp to protect

the ground from splatters and splashes.

Step 3. Prime your pole – Use a dark,

neutral colour. Paint your pole with this

base colour; you might need 2 coats. Th is

is important because it will give you a clean

canvas and will make your colours pop.

Wait until it is dry!

Step 4. Paint your pole – Be creative,

have fun and remember to keep your paint

afterwards for touch ups. Bold, graphics

designs look great. Walk the streets of

Fernwood and check out people's pole

designs from past years for inspiration.

Step 5. Clean up – You are responsible

for cleaning up ALL your supplies. Take

everything with you and dispose of it

responsibly.

We are looking for people to touch up

poles that have already been painted. Email

polepainting@fernwoodnrg.ca if you are

interested.

In the words of pole painter extraor-

dinaire, Beth Threlfall, “This project

brings great depth and soul to our

neighbourhood.”

Pole Painting Kits will be available during the week on May 20th - 24th at 1313 Gladstone Avenue for

all the painters out there. Photo: Liz Rubincam

›› Margaret Hantiuk

Linda Gilkeson is a local treasure house

of information for organic gardeners. As

an entomologist and year round food

gardener living on Saltspring Island, she

has written some popular books that are

excellent resources: West Coast Gardening:

Natural Insect, Weed and Disease Control

(just revised and updated), Backyard

Bounty: Th e Complete Guide to Year-Round

Organic Gardening in the Pacifi c Northwest,

and Y ear-Round Harvest: Winter Gardening

on the Coast. Her website lindagilkeson. ca

is informative (e.g. pictures that will help

you identify pests and diseases). Gardeners

may register to get on her free year-round

gardening tips by email.

Gilkeson was awarded the Queen’s

Jubilee Medal in 2003 for her outstanding

work in government and industry to

turn our pesticide laws and policies

toward organic best practices. She teaches

(e.g. Master Gardener programs at the

Horticulture Center of the Pacifi c), writes,

lectures and consults. Recently, Linda was a

guest speaker for the Victoria Horticultural

Society.

Here are some of her tips regarding the

‘bad bugs’:

• Using bug mesh (a new product,

Russell’s Nursery carries it) solves

problems with bugs that spoil our fruit

and berries. It can be thrown over the

bush, or wrapped around the branch

ends or fruit clusters, but must be

secured snugly at the opening.

• New invasive bugs and some old ones

are diffi cult to eradicate as there are

too many ‘alternate’ hosts (wild species

of plants or abandoned or neglected

varieties). To kill bad bugs (e.g. tent

nests of caterpillars) drop them in a

bucket of soapy water for a while—

plant material can then be composted.

• Stroll around your garden in early

morning or in evening with a fl ash-

light and inspect plants for damage.

Cutworms are at work at this time and

many leaf-eating bugs. Toss them in

the soapy water. Sometimes just a few

are doing a lot of damage. Look under

shrubs, under leaves, inside damaged

leaves, on bark.

• Learn to identify the bad bugs so that

you are not destroying the benefi cial

bugs that will arrive to consume or

destroy them (the ‘control’)

• Btk is a live organism that is sprayed as

a biological control but must be used

at a critical time (the target at the right

stage) to be eff ective (2 week window)

• Pest invasions are often cyclical: if

pesticides are not present, the natural

controls will arrive to feed on the pest.

Keep your plants healthy to survive the

worst of it.

• Best slug bait is Safer Brand: spread

around the outside periphery of your

garden, NOT around plants, as it

attracts slugs and slowly kills them.

Here are Linda’s tips for year-round

food gardening:

• Get cultivars that grow in the winter;

diff erent than summer varieties.

• Time of seeding is critical; give enough

time for each crop to establish roots

before winter.

• Mulch around plants to protect in

winter: thick, fluffy, un-chopped

leaves, straw, spent plant stalks, conifer

boughs, etc.

• Using black plastic on the ground in

the spring warms up soil for seeding.

• Raised beds allow earlier seeding as soil

drains and warms faster in spring.

• Summer seeding requires newspapers

over seedbeds to keep soil cool and

moist.

• Don’t pull out frost-damaged winter

greens. Th ey come back from roots.

• Have tarps and old blankets on hand

in winter and cover beds if it goes

below -5°C.

• Winter veggies in beds are like an

outdoor living fridge; cut, harvest and

eat fresh.

• Use protected south facing spots for

winter beds where low winter sun

reaches.

Scene in Fernwood : Business Profi les Too

(Clockwise from top left) Ivan Habel - Belfry Theatre; Graham Meckling - Stage;

Steve Ashton - Freedom Kilts; Brittney Johnstone & Sarah Wilson - VARCS;

Yolande Johnston - Who Dyd Your Hair; Rachel Sadava - Fernwood Yoga Den.

Photos: Alexandra Stephanson