****March 2011 Focus - Focus Magazine

FOCUS
Victoria’s monthly magazine of people, ideas and culture MARCH 2011
PM 40051145

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Celebrating 31 years in Victoria
2 March 2011 • FOCUS

contents
March 2011 VOL. 23 NO. 6
STERLING & GASCOIGNE
Certified General Accountants
10 28 36
4 THE OTHER EMILY
Political cartoonist, singer, mandolin player and...social butterfly
Leslie Campbell
10 CAN WI-FI HARM KIDS
Hearings on Wi-Fi in classrooms discover large differences
in the level of trust of information about health impacts.
Rob Wipond
12DON’T WORRY, BE HAPPY
The City wants its citizens to believe all is well at City Hall.
Just don’t scratch below the yellow paint.
David Broadland
14 ELKA NOWICKA’S PERFUMED MEMORIES
How a Polish construction engineer
transformed herself into a Victoria painter.
Linda Rogers
28 TARA JUNEAU’S JOURNEY
She’s disciplined and ambitious, fiercely individualistic, and burns her
“unsuccessful” paintings on a beach she named after herself.
Christine Clark
32 CREATIVITY AND CONTROL
Book writers and sellers discuss the self-publishing trend.
Amy Reiswig
36 THE COMING REVOLUTION
The energy-efficient home could well be the radical seed
that develops into a green city.
Aaren Madden
38 DEFENDING THE “PREMIUM”
Oak Bay doesn’t allow secondary suites, but there’s pressure
to change that. Would anything be lost
Gene Miller
40 TIME MARCHES ON
A clock hangs as a reminder of conflict between citizens
and City council around downtown development.
Danda Humphreys
42 THE WHALES, THE MINISTER, AND MACDUFFEE
With feds like these, who needs enemies
Briony Penn
44 “THEY PUT ME IN THIS DARK LITTLE ROOM”
Métissage creates a stirring view of our shared oppression.
Rob Wipond
46 OVERCOMING THE FEAR OF COMPOSTING
With the Hartland Landfill so overburdened, food waste is the next frontier.
Trudy Duivenvoorden Mitic
March 2011 • www.focusonline.ca
Editor’s Letter 4
Letters 8
Talk of the Town 10
Conversations 14
The Arts in March 18
Show & Tell 28
Coastlines 32
My Dream City 36
Urbanities 38
Rearview Mirror 40
Natural Relations 42
In Context 44
Finding Balance 46
ON THE COVER: “Perfumed Garden
(In Red)” by Elka Nowicka, 48 x 36
inches, acrylic and mixed media on
canvas. See story on page 14.
Kim Sterling, FCGA, and Alison Gascoigne, CGA
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3

editor’s letter
The other Emily
LESLIE CAMPBELL
Political cartoonist, singer, mandolin player and...social butterfly
PHOTO: COURTESY ROYAL BC MUSEUM, BC ARCHIVES. I-60891
I’ve always found it gratifying that Victoria’s
most famous person is an artist—a female
artist whose passion for this place and the
natural world lit her art aglow. But like many
present-day artists, Emily Carr had to struggle
to practice her art—and be patient for recognition.
She was 56 when she “emerged” on the
Emily Carr wearing cape and tam, ca 1899-1902.
national arts scene. Perhaps that helps explain
the common perception of Carr as a rather
lonely old eccentric who preferred pets to people.
When I expressed an interest in “The Other
Emily,” an exhibit starting in March at the
Royal BC Museum, I was invited to the museum’s
“vaults” where I was treated to a fascinating
“Bear Totem, Massett” Emily Carr, oil on canvas.
show-and-tell—a modest preview of what is
being billed as “the first-ever exploration of
the artist’s life before she became famous.”
There was drama aplenty in Carr’s young
life: One of six siblings, she lost her mother
at age 15, her dad a couple of years later and
her only brother in her 20s. She attended art
IMAGE: COURTESY ROYAL BC MUSEUM, BC ARCHIVES. PDP586
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Manon Elder (l) and Kathryn Bridge.
schools in San Francisco and England (where she also suffered a breakdown).
She took numerous painting trips up this coast recording scenes
from First Nations villages. She experienced financial hardship and
illness. She also sang in performances and played mandolin and guitar;
taught art classes; and worked as a political cartoonist for The Week,
a Victoria newspaper.
In the museum’s vault I learned from curator Kathryn Bridge that
each of the displays in the new exhibit will be rooted by an archival
photo. Some are simple portraits of Emily as a girl or young woman;
another shows her at painting class in England; others show her at work
or play out in the great outdoors she loved so much.
The photos, with blown-up details, are combined with interpretive
text, some of Carr’s letters and sketches during that time period, artefacts
depicted in the photo, and one of Emily Carr’s own works. Two of
the 20 Carr paintings on display have never been seen by the public before.
But the aspect that makes it a truly unique museum exhibit is the
inclusion of newly-created artworks by local artist Manon Elder. Bridge
credits Elder as the catalyst for this exhibit.
Known for her portraits of prominent Canadian women, Elder had
started painting the young Emily Carr, using a photo of her as a guide,
in 2001. Elder says she worked on it every year right through to 2010—
it kept evolving with her own growth and understanding of Emily. “I
kept adding and changing—for example, the mauves in her collar and
the background were only added recently. It’s like a diary,” explained
Elder. The now completed painting portrays a beautiful, pensive young
woman, one who looks a little shy.
When she contacted curator Kathryn Bridge a couple of years ago,
Elder had already created a few paintings of young Emily. She was on
a quest to understand the young artist. Bridge was intrigued: “It seemed
like a really good way to give Carr back her youth.” And she was also
drawn to working with an artist on the project, though she admitted:
“It’s not the sort of exhibit we’ve done before, so it’s kind of scary.”
Elder agreed to complete 18 paintings in total, each based on
different archival photos, but interpreted, expanded, and made
colourful by her brushwork.
PHOTO: TONY BOUNSALL
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March 2011 • www.focusonline.ca
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“The Pearl” Manon Elder, 60 x 40 inches, oil on canvas.
Elder told me she painted furiously, sometimes for 12 hours at a
stretch. A kindred spirit of Carr, she made it her own personal journey
through the history of art, experimenting with different colour palettes
and styles. One looks like a Renoir, another like Warhol, yet another
like Picasso. Others employ a number of styles—Elder pointed out
Lawren Harris’ mountains in the curtains in a large painting of Emily
at art school in Cornwall, England.
In a four-by-eight-foot painting based on a photo of Emily and
two friends at Haida Gwai, backed by the forest and a totem, Elder
relies on a bright Manet-like palette. As we looked at this painting in
the vault, she explained that a lot of painting is done with vertical
strokes, but Emily used many horizontal lines (think of her wavy tree
branches). Elder found herself trying them out and enjoying the sensation:
“It’s so different. I felt like I was painting with the energy of things,
the flow...” Even so, that painting took nine months to complete.
Editor: Leslie Campbell Publisher: David Broadland
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EDITORIAL INQUIRIES and letters to the editor: focusedit@shaw.ca
WEBSITE: www.focusonline.ca MAIL: Box 5310, Victoria, V8R 6S4
Copyright © 2011. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, without written
permission of the publishers. The views expressed herein are not necessarily those of the publishers of Focus Magazine.
Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement No. 40051145.
6 March 2011 • FOCUS

Focus on aging
ADVERTISEMENT
As Elder whipped her large paintings out
of their slots in the vault, I could see she’s been
a woman possessed—which no doubt helped
in getting all her work done in time for the
show. Elder herself finds it hard to fathom
how she completed the paintings. “It must be
the call of Emily!” she said with a shrug.
While Elder was painting up a storm, curator
Bridge scoured the museum’s considerable
documents, paintings and other Carr-related
treasures. The Royal BC Museum has 1200
works of Carr’s art alone (that includes sketchbook
pages, with about 100 actual paintings),
and the archives house reams of letters, notebooks
and diaries.
Kathryn Bridge, a serious academic and a
woman who knows her Emily down to any
date you wish to explore. She also curated
Royal BC Museum’s 2001-2002 exhibition,
Emily Carr: Artist, Author, Eccentric and
Genius, and is the author of a number of books
on pioneering women. For this new exhibit,
Bridge dug deep into Emily’s correspondence
to figure out the story behind the photo, trying
to understand each phase of Carr’s journey as
an artist and human being. Her painstaking
research led her to realize that some photos
had heretofore been dated incorrectly.
Down in the vault, Bridge and Elder were
clearly excited about what they described as
their amazing journey of discovery.
Like many, I am familiar with the Emily
Carr who, in order to keep body and soul
together, ran a boarding house and rather
reluctantly made clay pots for tourists—and
who took up writing in her 60s. While I greatly
admire the old Emily, I am looking forward
to learning about The Other Emily, the one
Bridge predicts will “make you reassess who
she is.” The letters and diary pages in the exhibit
reflect Carr’s extensive relations with people,
providing many intimate glimpses into her
personal life. What comes through loud and
clear to Bridge is that Carr “was a person
grounded in family and friends, and from that
strong backing she was able to set forth.”
In other words, it takes a community to raise
such a spirited artist and personality.
Editor Leslie Campbell thinks
Emily would like this edition
with its celebration of female
visual artists and writers.
Happy International Women’s
Day, March 8. And read more
about “The Other Emily” at
www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca.
The average age of Victoria’s population is everincreasing;thousands
of seniors have migrated
here from the East to enjoy the Island’s mild
climate in their retirement,and thousands more have
lived here all their lives.All are facing important
My advice to seniors is to start this process of
“
making your next best move before there is a crisis.
If there is an accident, or a sudden change in health,
you won’t have the same choices, and a choice
will be made for you—which is what most people
definitely want to avoid. —Bridget Ittah
”
decisions about what constitutes the best choice for
a place to call “home”—the family residence A
condo A senior’s residence An assisted-living apartment—as
their age, infirmities, or both advance.
It’s not really enough to talk to a real estate agent
about “downsizing,” and the people who arrange inhome
care or manage seniors’ residences have
their own agendas.Well-meaning adult children
are usually eager to give their opinions about the
“right choice,” but this often creates tension and difficulty
in families as debates and arguments arise.
Ideally, there would be a neutral, professional consultant
to provide both expertise in real estate—to ensure
the best possible financial outcome—and unbiased
expertise in seniors’ health needs, including
extensive knowledge of all possible housing and care
options, ranging from in-home support to retirement
communities and everything in between.
Bridget Ittah is that professional consultant,providing
our seniors’ community with an incredible depth of
firsthand knowledge to help them make these important
decisions. Unique in Victoria, she is licensed as
both a real estate agent and a Registered Nurse,
with over 30 years of experience in hospitals and care
homes,specializing in urology and gerontology.Because
her only agenda is to help her clients enjoy their lives
to the fullest, she provides honest, reliable, authentic
information so they can choose the move that will bring
the most ease, enjoyment and comfort to their lives.
Jessie Mantle,who,before retirement,was the Clinical
Nurse Specialist in gerontology and aging at the former
Juan de Fuca Hospitals and professor at the University
of Victoria,is delighted that Bridget Ittah is offering the
seniors of Victoria this unique service.“She’s filling a
gap,”says Mantle.“There aren’t other people out there
with both experience in nursing seniors and real estate
expertise.She’s able to listen very carefully and understand
what people want,and she’s very knowledgeable
about the health care field and what is available in
assisted living, condo living, and the pros and cons of
that.She doesn’t say,‘Here’s what you should do;’ she
Helping seniors make their best move
by Mollie Kaye
Photo:Tony Bounsall
Bridget Ittah
says,‘Here are the possibilities for you.’ That’s critical
to older people; they want choice.”
“Once someone decides that they want to make a
move,for whatever reason,”says Bridget,“they contract
with me to be their real estate agent,and I handle the
listing and sale of the current home.That’s the first
step. But carefully considering the next best move a
person can make is probably the biggest part of my
work with seniors, to offer choices.” It all depends
on what the current and foreseeable health issues are,
and what a person’s needs are around support and
community, Bridget says. “Community can be very
important as we age,and condo living can be isolating
at times, especially without family in town.There are
important decisions to make about what is affordable
too; some options are less costly than others.”
Many seniors, she says, stay longer in the family
home than is ideal for them, and there are trade-offs
with what some see as “independence,”she advises.
“If you stay in the home and you are not able to keep
up with the daily tasks, you may suddenly find yourself
in a crisis,” Bridget admonishes. “My advice to
seniors is to start this process of making your next
best move before there is a crisis. If there is an accident,
or a sudden change in health, you won’t have
the same choices,and a choice will be made for you—
which is what most people definitely want to avoid.”
Bridget Ittah, RN, BScN
REALTOR®/Nurse
First Choice for Senior’s Real Estate Needs
Pemberton Holmes
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www.BridgetIttah.com
www.focusonline.ca • March 2011
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Re: Sprawl momentum builds in
Central Saanich, February 2011
The article states that, while Vantreight’s
consultants suggest the development would
require 2.5 litres of water per second from
wells to be dug on the property in question,
research from the provincial government indicates
that the median supply from existing
wells in the area is only .25 litres per second,
or only one-tenth the requirement. It then
goes on to say that, “If the province’s research
is correct and the new subdivision does dry
out the aquifer under the Vantreight subdivision,
the municipal water main will have to
be extended to service these houses....”
My question here is: why In the ongoing
debacle we call the leaky condo scandal, caveat
emptor clearly applies as the condo owners
have been forced to cough up an average of
$50,000 for repairs that should never have
had to be done in the first place. So why wouldn’t
caveat emptor apply here as well In addition,
should the subdivision be approved, it would
be approved at least in part from a faulty assessment
of available water supply. That in itself
should be enough to put someone in jail for
fraud and misrepresentation.
But municipal water should not be held out
as a convenient lifeline.
Richard Weatherill
Re: Wham, BAM, thank you TAM,
February 2011
The solution is obvious: who owns these
corporations Investors and pensioners—in
other words, you!
So, let’s all cash in all our stocks and bonds,
and instead, buy the land in your community.
That’s what I did. I might not have any
retirement income, but I have fresh air, clean
water, and I can grow almost all the food that
I need. That’s worth all the stocks and bonds
in the world.
Can’t afford to do that by selling your investments
Well, co-op together with others to do
it, then. That’s all a company is, right You
might as well own stock in something closer
to home, something you’ll still have if the
market tanks...again.
Jan Steinman
Thanks to Briony Penn and Focus, it
appears that foreign ownership and/or
control are a forest policy issue of concern
to British Columbians.
What other BC forest companies does TAM
have under its influence Is it legal for a foreign,
non-forest company effectively to control
forest licences in BC, albeit one or more corporations
removed from the forest company
holding the forest licence
Certainly, foreign ownership and control
is another forestry and environment issue
among many that we must have the BC Liberal
and New Democrat leadership hopefuls address.
Anthony Britneff
Re: One-third of our garbage is food,
February 2011
It was great to see this article pointing out
the excess waste that both consumers and
producers create. Our company, reFUSE was
named and founded on this very principle, to
push people to not create waste in the first
place, instead of justifying their excess just
because it can be recycled.
The CRD is in a tough predicament facing
reduced tipping fee revenues at the landfill.
Fortunately, our region’s progressive residents,
businesses and institutions are not
waiting until food waste is banned from
Hartland before trying to beneficially-recycle
it themselves, or with established local service
providers. As in other jurisdictions, our elected
officials and municipal staff should enact
policy to reduce liability for businesses that
have to trash a lot of perfectly good, edible
food that could be redistributed to food banks
and other agencies.
Jason Adams
We are Canadians: Where are our stories
Last night, I was working on a collage—a
collage that I would carry in a memorial march
for missing and murdered indigenous women
in Victoria. We realized that while indigenous
women are regularly in newspapers and on
the news, we are not in magazines. We looked
in 50 magazines and we couldn’t find any
photos to use on our collage. We are not in
any magazines that celebrate life, that showcase
fashion and describe our strengths and
our abilities. We were not able to find any
photos or articles about indigenous women
to use for our collage.
We would like to be heard—we would like
to be visual. People see us as heavy drinkers
and drug addicts and people on welfare. People
cross the street when they see us; they are
either afraid or they don’t know what to say.
People rarely say hello to me on the street.
We are ignored by the crowds. People act like
we don’t exist because they don’t know us,
they don’t want to know us. In fact, we are
8 March 2011 • FOCUS

Focus on your home
ADVERTISEMENT
parents, we are grandmothers and sisters. We
love our families—we have strong relationships.
We are beautiful.
We want to come forward as people who
are equally strong, intelligent and worthy.
Magazines have an opportunity to give us a
voice. Magazines must represent us through
articles and photos, the opinions and stories
of indigenous women and their families. When
our stories are told, people will not be afraid.
When we are represented in Canadian magazines
with women of many other cultures and
backgrounds, Canadians will walk on the same
side of the street as us.
Karen Brown
Regionalization—only good for Victoria
Regionalization is not what it is cracked up
to be. In other jurisdictions of Canada, many
see now that it really hasn’t worked well.
Here in the Capital Regional District we
hear this concept bantered as a good thing.
Not surprisingly the supporters are those
whose jurisdictions are in trouble. Case-inpoint
is Victoria where cost overruns have
created shortfalls, and bad planning and inflated
expectations may just be a little too high to
afford. Still that doesn’t prevent Council from
“dreaming big,” nor prevent the Chief of Police
to ask for a budget increase in excess of $2
million dollars.
For the local CRD municipalities, regionalization
would not be a good move. Why
Because all but one of the municipalities are
succeeding. In fact they are doing a pretty
good job. Victoria is really the only municipality
that would benefit by regionalization
and the associated amalgamation of services.
A relocation of governing would punish
communities such as Saanich which has low
taxes, and provides residents with access to
quality services, especially policing. The risk
is that the other CRD residents would then
potentially be at the mercy of Victoria’s agenda—
as we see with the ongoing melodrama which
is the Johnson Street Bridge.
William Perry
LETTERS
Send letters to: focusedit@shaw.ca.
Letters that directly address articles
published in Focus
will be given preference.
March 2011 • www.focusonline.ca
Custom cabinets made with heart and soul
by Mollie Kaye
When Shirley Woods and her
husband decided to overhaul
their kitchen,the decision was
driven not by style,but by function.“It was
25 years old,a very poorly designed,galley
kitchen...just—ugh,”says Woods with a
shudder.“I wanted a kitchen to function
properly for how I wanted to use it...we’re
all about practicality and functionality.”
It was also important to Woods to have
a good personal fit with the craftsman
who would create their custom cabinets,and as soon
as she met Adam Henkel of Henkel Custom Cabinetry,
she knew she’d found a gem. “Working with Adam,
we thoroughly enjoyed the process.We were able to
achieve the function and practicality I wanted, and a
beautiful-looking result as well.”
“My team and I really put our heart and soul into
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presence exudes warmth and a compassionate spirit.
It’s clear that his special ability to listen, understand,
and connect personally with his clients is what sets
him apart.That,and his stunning craftsmanship,unparalleled
on Vancouver Island. “He’s a good, clear
communicator; he’s flexible,” says Woods. “He’s the
sort of person who really listens to what someone
wants, rather than telling them how it ‘should’ be. He
was good about providing suggestions, and clearly
has a lot of experience—he strikes a good balance
between making his own ideas and expertise available
while remembering whose kitchen it is.”
Woods was impressed not only with Henkel’s open
and engaging presence,but his technical ability to harvest
every little bit of useable cabinet space in her kitchen,
especially where her plans called for deeper-than-standard
storage.“Custom cabinets maximize the use of
the space;when someone builds them for you the way
you want them built—not cookie-cutter boxes that get
filled in with decorative dead space you can’t use—you
get to use every inch. It’s definitely worth it.”
Custom cabinets created by
Adam Henkel for Shirley Woods’ kitchen.
Adam Henkel
Renovations can be very stressful;
overwhelmed homeowners sometimes
need some grounding, perspective and
reassurance,and Henkel is simply a natural
at providing this, says Woods.“We found
Adam just a pleasure to deal with. He’s
just so easy-going and seems to have a
very good temperament to deal with
people who are having their house turned
upside down. He’s very much a ‘people
person’—very down-to-earth.”
“When I say I enjoyed the process,” she adds, “I
can’t believe I’m saying that, but it’s true. Usually
the reno process is hell!”Henkel laughs.“It starts with
connection and listening,” he says.“If there is a true
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home,and what is important to them,I can help them
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the experience along the way. Business is inherently
personal when what you are doing will affect someone’s
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Woods is grateful that Henkel is just as qualityobsessed,“particular
and detail-oriented”as she and
her husband,and says,“Our project manager seemed
equally pleased with Adam’s work and his timeliness.
From the first meeting with Adam,we talked with him;
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of the installation himself.It’s that start-to-finish familiarity
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Henkel, she says, would be a great fit for anyone who
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Photo: Jesse deGeest
Henkel Custom Cabinetry Ltd.
Adam Henkel • 250-658-6556
www.henkelcustomcabinetry.com
9
Photo: Jesse deGeest

talk
of the
town
Rob Wipond 10 David Broadland 12
It’s not often CBC radio host Gregor Craigie’s
soothing voice puts someone on the defensive.
But Craigie said he’d heard from many
people complaining about the Greater Victoria
School District’s (GVSD) decision to appease
protesters by holding hearings about the health
dangers of Wi-Fi. Since all the science shows
Wi-Fi is safe, Craigie posed to school board
chair Tom Ferris, “They wonder why [such
hearings] would even be considered.”
Eventually, the elected official gave up
portraying GVSD’s “investigation” as much
more than political flak-catching. “The thinking
is that if people don’t have an opportunity to
air their views and get some sort of response,”
Ferris answered, “then it’s something that may
go on and continue to worry parents.”
Maybe that suspect commitment to truly
investigating the issues explains the uncomfortable
atmosphere later that same day in the
GVSD boardroom as a 14-person Wi-Fi
Committee commences a series of meetings.
The committee includes teachers, parents,
principals and several elected trustees, along
with GVSD secretary-treasurer George Ambeault
and technology director Ted Pennell; there
are no health experts or scientists. Ambeault
facilitates with grim terseness. Most committee
members rarely if ever ask questions of the
presenters, while teacher-member Michael
Dodd, who’s already announced he’s wary of
Wi-Fi, is perpetually lobbing softball questions
at the anti-Wi-Fi presenters like, “Could you
explain that further”—to the obvious irritation
of Ambeault and others.
Over consecutive Mondays in January and
February, we learn from a few presenters like
David Bratzer of the new group “Scientific
Victoria” (advocating for “the consideration
of science in local government decision making”)
that the World Health Organization, Health
Canada, and BC’s Medical Health Officer
have declared Wi-Fi “safe.”
Conversely, a parade of presenters list the
many dangers our health authorities failed to
warn us about until it was too late, like asbestos,
thalidomide, tobacco and DDT. They point
to exponentially more stringent electromagnetic
field (EMF) safety standards in other
Can Wi-Fi harm kids
ROB WIPOND
Hearings on Wi-Fi in classrooms discover large differences in the level of trust of information about health impacts.
Are kids in classrooms served by Wi-Fi part of a “massive uncontrolled experiment”
countries, and describe expanding Wi-Fi in
our schools as “a massive uncontrolled experiment”
that’s “short-sighted and dangerous.”
(They prefer wired internet.) In verbal submissions
accompanied by reams of documentation,
they list innumerable studies which they claim
demonstrate the possibility of impacts like
leakage in the blood-brain barrier, DNA and
cell damage, endocrine system disruption,
chronic pain, neurological diseases, cancer,
impaired memory and sleep disorders. “Electropollution,”
says one presenter, “is the greatest
medical threat of our time.”
Citizens for Safe Technology director Karen
Weiss’ voice trembles describing her son’s
agonizing pains due to his electromagnetic
hypersensitivity (EHS). “I would love to see
someone from Health Canada look my son
in the eye and tell him their guidelines are safe,
and then see their reaction when he can tell
them they just got a message on their cell phone
that’s in their pocket on silent mode.”
Weiss notes she is often asked permission
for her son to go on field trips, “Yet I have not
been asked for my informed consent to subject
my child to low-level long-term exposure to
microwave radiation.”
“I’m really struggling,” pleads school trustee
Dave Pitre, “because there seems to be so much
conflict on both sides.” He points to one massive
report that appears scientifically solid, but
which others “debunk.” “What am I supposed
to do with that”
It seems obvious that independent scientific
analysts would be needed to help conduct
this investigation reasonably. Instead, however,
Pennell attacks presenter Tammy Keske’s exposure
ratings using numbers he vaguely recalls
he “heard” coming from an unnamed “health
protection agency.” Keske admits hers came
from a television show. And when electrician
Walt McGinnis warns about high EMF levels,
Pennell expresses skepticism by citing an article
from the Medicine Hat News.
Bratzer suggests we all place less weight on
“pseudoscience” and “poorly designed research”
and instead emphasize “quality, peer-reviewed
science.” He then criticizes one famous, peerreviewed
study that claimed to detect heart rates
accelerating in response to EMFs. Bratzer argues
the researcher erroneously used a heart monitor
that itself dramatically reacts to EMF interference.
The citation he provides for this attack
A blog written by two engineers.
10
March 2011 • FOCUS

PENNELL ATTACKS PRESENTER Tammy Keske’s exposure ratings using
numbers he vaguely recalls he “heard” coming from an unnamed “health
protection agency.” Keske admits hers came from a television show.
Seventeen-year-old Jordan Weiss privately
tells me about his headaches, burning eyes, poor
concentration, and sleep disruption when he’s
close to strong EMFs. His mother is right—it’s
hard to look Jordan in the eye and suggest he’s
merely imagining things. “It’s kind of awkward
to tell people at school that I have something
like an ‘allergy’ to their cell phone,” he concedes,
“because they’re so attached to them.”
Presenter-parent Robert Jeske finally digs
to the root of the differences: lack of hard
evidence on any side.
Jeske describes the fragile nervous systems
and brain tissue of growing children and states,
“There have been zero pre- or post-marketing
safety studies on chronic exposure of Wi-Fi
radiation specifically in children...You can’t
say it’s safe and you can’t say it’s unsafe; there
are no studies.”
He cites the World Health Organization’s
2010 “Agenda for Radiofrequency Fields.” It
identifies a number of “high priority” areas
for research, like “behavioural and neurological
disorders and cancer” in kids, because
“little research has been conducted in children
and adolescents.”
Bratzer believes the WHO is responding
more to public worries than scientific ones.
And, in fact, that same paper suggests
researching communications efforts, too,
because, “The public often appears to demonstrate
considerable misunderstanding of
scientific evidence, especially when there is
a lack of conclusive evidence about potential
health hazards, as is the case with RF
EMF exposure.”
That statement seems an apt explanation
for why these debates keep coming down
not to particular studies or evidence, so
much as to differing levels of trust in media
reports, government regulators, established
health authorities, and mainstream science
as a whole.
And there are certainly good reasons for
increasing distrust. Most government regulators
are former and future wireless industry
insiders. Most studies of possible negative
side effects are industry-funded. And many
are being published in the same journals that
have been struggling for years to overcome
the epidemic of conflicts of interest in
health and medical research. Meanwhile,
a staggeringly vast profit-making machinery
is building Wi-Fi infrastructures everywhere.
High-powered “mini-towers” are poised to
replace cell phone towers and spread ubiquitously
on streetlights and hydro poles; the
popularity of wireless devices looks like an
advancing armada.
Notably, some of us really are feeling it,
too. Research consistently shows a subset
of the population can indeed reliably detect
the presence of EMFs. Exactly how isn’t
known, any more than we understand how
migrating birds and fish orient by detecting
Earth’s magnetic poles. But this intriguing
and unsettling reality is often downplayed
amongst mainstream EMF researchers.
They instead highlight two connected findings:
Many of the people who can reliably
detect EMFs don’t suffer from EHS. And
many EHS-sufferers cannot reliably detect
EMFs. Emphasizing these latter facts helps
paint EHS-sufferers as hypochondriacs,
and helps diminish most people’s concerns
about EMFs.
The cultural pervasiveness of this tendency
to belittle the protesters makes me wonder,
regardless of what the truth proves to be in
the end, how many people will even care
After all, we’ve long known urban air pollution
kills thousands of people annually. So if
we ultimately discover that EMFs do actually
torture 1 percent, 2 percent, or 5 percent of
the population, will that stop cell phones, iPads
and Blackberries Why or why not Ultimately,
that may be the most important Wi-Fi question
we could be collectively exploring.
Rob Wipond has posted
some links and references
online—for what it’s
worth.
www.focusonline.ca • March 2011
11

talk of the town
Don’t worry, be happy
DAVID BROADLAND
The City wants its citizens to believe all is well at City Hall. Just don’t scratch below the yellow paint.
The awesome power of public relations
as a tool for making civic governance
work better for the governors than the
governed was on full display last month in this
city. On February 17 the City of Victoria’s
Director of Communications Katie Josephson
sent out a press release announcing reassuring
news for city residents. Under the headline
“City Wins Canadian Award for Financial
Reporting for Sixth Year in a Row,” Josephson
stated, “The Canadian Award for Financial
Reporting has been awarded to the City of
Victoria for its 2009 Annual Report by the
Government Finance Officers Association of
the United States and Canada (GFOA). This
is the sixth consecutive year the City has
won the prestigious award.”
Josephson’s press release included this
comment from Mayor Dean Fortin: “I am
pleased to offer congratulations on behalf of
Mayor and Council to staff for producing such
a fantastic, multi-award winning annual
report...The City of Victoria is committed
to pursuing operational excellence, and it is
important to recognize the people who work
so hard every day to achieve it.”
According to Josephson, “Submissions
are judged by impartial members of the
GFOA’s Canadian Review Committee on
their ability to meet the high standards of
the program, and demonstrate a constructive
‘spirit of full disclosure’ to clearly
communicate a municipality’s financial story
and to motivate potential users and other
groups to read the report.”
Josephson’s release went on to say, “The
award represents a significant accomplishment
by a government and its management.”
The press release was subsequently published
broadly on the web. And no wonder; it sounded
like Victoria had just won the equivalent of
the Oscar for “Best Government.”
Curious about whether the press release
itself was a demonstration of the City’s “spirit
of full disclosure,” we asked GFOA spokesperson
Jim Phillips how many Canadian cities had
competed for the 2009 award and if there were
any other winners. Phillips told us “43 Canadian
government entities participated”—and 42
had won the award. The one non-winner was
“under review” and “may receive the award.”
Last year, the most recent period for which
a full list of the “winners” has been made available,
“the award” was also won by Saanich,
Salmon Arm, Surrey and Saskatoon. And that’s
just the places that start with “S”.
One requirement of the GFOA award
process is that applicants have an audited
annual report. British Columbia’s Community
Charter, which sets the rules for how municipal
governments operate, requires that every
municipality in the province produce an
audited annual report. What else, we wondered,
is required to “win” the award
Josephson provided Focus with the City’s
award application. On the basis of that it would
appear the two main requirements for winning
the award are: 1. To fill out a simple threepage
entry form, and 2. To send GFOA a
cheque for $500 US. Focus estimates the time
to fill out the form to be four minutes for
someone reasonably familiar with the City of
Victoria’s contact information. The $500 US
is a reduced price offered to those with GFOA
membership, for which the City pays an additional
$595 each year.
Asked if she could agree the press release
seemed to imply the City was the only winner
of the award, Josephson said the release “does
not intend to suggest that [the City] is the only
recipient.” When asked if she would release
a correction or clarification, Josephson simply
said “We won’t be issuing a correction.”
The mayor, for his claim that the City’s
annual report is “multi-award winning,” ought
to be given the Canadian Award for
Distinguished Puffery.
WHETHER “the spirit of full disclosure”
resides at City Hall in any significant measure
is a matter this magazine has been weighing
for some months. We’ve been trying to look
beyond the smiley faces Josephson’s department
has been spinning over City Hall in
the hope of finding out what’s really going on.
This is an election year and questions about
the choices the current City council and
staff have made about how money is spent,
and on what, ought to be raised.
For example, two years after Delcan’s engineers
told the City to fix or replace the Johnson
Street Bridge within two years, not one recommendation
they made to improve the bridge’s
safety or reliability has been undertaken. Before
November’s referendum on borrowing to
replace the bridge, the City claimed the bridge
would have to be closed in 2012 if nothing
was done. Closed. So where’s the plan to get
through the next four years while a new bridge
is being built What will it cost to make the
existing highway bridge safe and reliable during
that time Since the railway bridge is to be
demolished early on, what’s going to be done
about bicyclists and pedestrians losing most
of their safe access over the bridge for four
years And how much is that going to cost
(We’ve asked. So far no response.)
Then there’s the question of the millions of
dollars the City has already spent in its effort
to avoid fixing the heritage bridge, including
the cost of the long public relations campaign
through 2009 and 2010 to support replacement,
the cost of the City’s “Yes” campaign,
and the cost of the referendum itself.
12 March 2011 • FOCUS

From where I stand it seems clear the City
is investing more heavily in perception
control through public relations than it is
in honest disclosure and transparency.
In order to obtain hard numbers on these
costs, immediately following the City’s referendum
on borrowing for a new Johnson Street
Bridge, Focus filed four requests for information
under provisions of the Freedom of
Information and Protection of Privacy Act. We
believe that information, along with the
supporting documents, ought to be available
to the folks who are paying the bills, and
would be if the City was truly committed to
“full disclosure.”
Three months after filing those requests,
we’re still waiting for full disclosure. The
City assessed Focus a fee of $1024.50 for
providing this information and we paid the
required deposit. While we waited, we filed
an FOI request for the record of all the fees
assessed by the City for FOI requests in
the last two years. That recently-obtained
record reveals the City has apparently changed
its policy regarding assessing fees for requests
for information by media outlets, at least
if they’re filed by Focus. In the nearly two
years previous to our asking for the bridge
cost information, the City waived the assessed
fee for all but one media request, no matter
how hot or cool the subject.
While the City waived their fee for a Times
Colonist request on the bridge that included
92 pages of information, the City charged
Focus $233.75 for 10 invoices documenting
the cost of studies done on the bridge in the
first half of 2010.
Rob Woodland, the City’s director of
legislative and regulatory services, explained
to Focus in a recent letter that the City will
not waive their fees on bridge-related FOI
requests because “there is not a sufficient
‘public interest’ rationale.”
Whether that’s true or not, one thing is
certain: making information more costly is
sure to lower demand. From where I stand it
seems clear the City is investing more heavily
in perception control through public relations
than it is in honest disclosure and
transparency. The City is saying one thing out
of one side of its smiley face and another thing
out of the other side.
David Broadland is the fantastic multi-awardwinning
publisher of Focus Magazine.
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www.focusonline.ca • March 2011
13

Creative
Coast conversations 14 the arts in march 18 show & tell 30 coastlines 34
Elka Nowicka’s perfumed memories
LINDA ROGERS
How a Polish construction engineer transformed herself into a Victoria painter.
PHOTO: TONY BOUNSALL
Slowly, during an extended conversation
in her recently renovated house
with a view not only of the Chinese
cemetery but, on a fine day, all the way to
China, Elka Nowicka reveals the title for her
show at the West End Gallery. But not yet.
English is not her first language and she
chooses her words carefully; “I loved to read
when I was a child.”
Nowicka was the daughter of hard times,
and that has shaped the woman she’s become.
Growing up in Wroclaw in the southwest,
largely German area of Poland meant living
with post-war deprivations. Her father died
when she was 11 and Elka’s mother worked
as a dressmaker to support Elka and her siblings.
Gifted in math and physics, the girl who was
also inspired by art and music and breathed
in the beauty of her mother’s creations, was
directed to a practical profession. She became
a construction engineer. It was a matter of
survival and her profession did eventually
open the door to the possible.
There were many shadows in her young
life, not the least of which was civil unrest as
the Solidarity Party collided head on with the
Soviet regime in Poland. Elka, who had married
a fellow engineer, was walking her infant child
in a park one day when violence, including
gunfire, broke out. Elka grabbed her son from
his carriage and ran. Not long afterward, when
the Chernobyl disaster exacerbated their grief,
she and her husband, along with a group of
friends, made the decision to emigrate.
“I grew up with grief, and that was not
the legacy I wanted to hand to my son,”
states Nowicka.
The young couple was easily approved for
landed immigrant status. After studying a map
of North America, they chose Winnipeg,
because it was “right in the middle.” Determined
to free herself from her guaranteed but unrelentingly
grey meal ticket of a career, Elka set
up as a dress designer, which led to costume
design for the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. Once
Left: Elka Nowicka in her studio. Above right:
“Scent of a Garden” 48 x 48 inches, acrylic and
mixed media on canvas.
14 March 2011 • FOCUS

Gifted in math and she’d found her inner rainbow, there was
no turning back. When her marriage ended,
physics, the girl who the resilient immigrant drove from East
to West assessing the best place in Canada
was also inspired by art
to raise her son and work as an artist. That
and music and breathed was Victoria.
“I have only one regret and that is that
in the beauty of her my son didn’t have access to the cultural
stimulation that I had as a child,” says
mother’s creations, was Nowicka. Victoria schools lacked the
enrichment she had experienced even in
directed to a practical
a country brought to its knees by war. It
profession. She became is remarkable that in countries like Poland
and Cuba where, even though there is
a construction engineer. hardly enough food to put on the table,
children are given the best possible education
with access to the arts, a fundamental for creative thinking.
Nowicka began her working life in Victoria by hand-painting silk,
leather and linens for Hughes Wearable Art and taking on increasing
responsibility at Chintz and Company, a temple of domestic beauty.
While becoming acquainted with Victoria’s cultural workers, she
met Jimmy Wright, the artist entrepreneur who gave back to our young
people by funding the school strings program when it was cut. “He
taught me to work with my strengths,” she says.
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March 2011 • www.focusonline.ca
15

Now, art for art’s sake is her only foreground,
yet it also works in terms of the bottom line,
as Nowicka has pieced together the life that
she could only have dreamed of in Poland.
The fruition of her studies and talents is
visible in her new house, which she shares with
her partner Paul. Beautifully designed and
constructed to maximize the interaction of
light in its living spaces, light is also used to
illuminate its details. Jewel-like paintings hang
from walls bathed in natural light. Describing
herself as a “broad-stroke workaholic,” her
work—both in paintings and in her house—
can only be described as passionate. Intense
colour and rich impasto speak of feelings that
reach down to the centre of her being.
“I work best in the morning to earlier afternoon,
when the sun is not too bright and I still
have fresh in my head all the ideas that came
Left: “How Far Did I Travel” 48 x 48 inches. Below:
“Bouquet of Joy” 36 x 48 inches. Both paintings are
acrylic and mixed media on canvas by Elka Nowicka.
16 March 2011 • FOCUS

Focus on families
ADVERTISEMENT
overnight. I often start right with my coffee
in my hand and in my bathrobe, since I’m
anxious to do what’s on my mind. If the work
develops well, I crank up the music [opera,
Lady Gaga]—it makes me ‘high’ and energetic.”
She snacks and paints till Paul comes
home for wine and dinner.
It is as if Nowicka, who works her canvases
in acrylic, is squeezing the tubes with every bit
of the maternal energy that fed her desire to
make a better life for her child. There is no
visible evidence of darkness or bitterness in
her paintings of lilies, women in red dresses,
yellow parrots or brilliant prairie landscapes.
Beauty suffuses everything from her dress to
her rooms to her canvases, as she holds back
the subtext with determined mother’s hands.
Towards the end of our long conversation,
Nowicka finally tells me the name of her show:
“Perfumed Memories.” She hardly needs to
explain that the gestalt of pain needs to be
suppressed in order to move forward into the
light. Like the unwashed courtiers at Versailles
who used perfume, “the French bath,” to cover
the stench of corruption, her subjects smell of
happiness. It is not surprising that the strongly
feminine casa blanca lily is her favourite.
Many of Nowicka’s still life paintings have
calligraphy incorporated in the colourful
surfaces. It is as if the real poetry of her ancient
culture is surfacing through layers of impediment
and asserting itself as the exuberant
Polish temperament.
A large unfinished canvas stands on the easel
in her studio. Words emerge from the underpainting
of the still life with roses. The unpainted
blooms are plaster and acrylic relief and
they are reminiscent of Michelangelo’s unfinished
prophets struggling to emerge from
stone. Stone roses. That could be the painter,
struggling to endure. This is the moment of
revelation. “Leave it,” a voice from nowhere
implores. “I might,” she answers.
Perfumed Memories runs from March 19-
31 at the West End Gallery, with an opening
reception with the artist March 19, 1-4pm.
1203 Broad Street, www.westendgalleryltd.com,
250-388-0009.
Linda Rogers, Victoria’s Poet
Laureate, is collecting wedding
poems and paintings from
Victoria schoolchildren to
send to the Royal Couple.
A peaceful oasis for children of divorcing parents
by Mollie Kaye
There is a time in nearly every divorce or separation
where civility goes right out the window.
That person toward whom you were once so
loving has now become your enemy. It’s one kind of
hell for you, the adult—but it’s another kind of misery
for your children, haplessly caught in the middle of
a war zone of name-calling and poisonous glances.
Teh Stratton, a seasoned counsellor with years of
training and experience in resolving family conflicts,
has created a beautiful, bright, kid-friendly, and calm
oasis of neutrality—a designated space for children
who need a safe, caring place to transition between
households without witnessing face-to-face conflicts
between parents.
I believe every family can move into a place of
“
collaboration. My goal is to help families establish
common goals and work collaboratively during
life changes. —Teh Stratton
”
Teh
Anyone who has been through a relationship’s end
and found it difficult or impossible to face the other
parent knows that Stratton’s concept fills a very important
need in the community.“We help families avoid
unnecessary conflict while adjusting to new family
structures,” explains Stratton. Roslyn, who went
through an extremely volatile period with her ex and
is now a remarried mother of four, says that during
the most difficult part of her family’s transition,Stratton
supervised her children for a short while each time
their father picked them up. “I didn’t have to have
any contact with the dad, which made it a lot less
stressful for me and my children,” Roslyn explains.
Kids sense even unspoken parental conflict and
internalize it. “Whenever I had to deal with the dad
at that time,” says Roslyn, “we were fighting, and I
was always loud, rude and stressed out.” Being able
to hand her son off to Stratton—an experienced,
warm professional counsellor—and have Dad pick
him up once Roslyn had left, “I knew that my child
was safe, and it was an easier transition for the
child when Teh was there to support us all.”
“It’s meant to be a short-term solution,not a longterm
plan,”says Stratton,who says her role is to provide
not only neutral, peaceful transitions for the child
between households,but to provide resources for separating
parents to help them find a place of civil cooperation
for the sake of themselves and the child. “I believe
every family can move into a place of collaboration.
My goal is to help families establish common goals
and work collaboratively during life changes,” she
adds. Roslyn concurs. “All children should have the
right to a loving connection with both parents.Children
don’t need parents fighting,they need love and support.”
Brad,a veteran of a break-up where there was a lot
Photo:Tony Bounsall
Teh Stratton (l) and team member Janessa Bate.
of animosity, says of Stratton’s support with his son
and his son’s mother,“I think the primary thing is that
the kids don’t have that sense of combativeness between
their parents;the neutral ground alleviates that tension.”
As bad as it is for parents,he says,“it’s ten times worse
for the kids”during tension-filled hand offs.“You get
the sarcastic tone to your voice, even when you’re
trying not to argue, but kids pick up on that.You’re
thinking you’re doing them a favour,but it can be even
worse when it’s subtle.”Of Stratton’s peaceful transition
space and constructive counselling, he says,“It
helped a lot.There’s definitely a demand for it,there’s
no question about that.”
Stratton,who has worked in various capacities with
families in the Greater Victoria region for the past 18
years, also helps grandparents re-establish or maintain
connection to their grandchildren, which can be
a challenge when the child’s parents are in transition.
She also specializes in “supervised access” visits.
“Things do settle down eventually,”says Stratton,“but
in most cases, that period of enormous stress can be
shortened with the right kind of support and insight.
Why not get that support Everyone—especially the
child— benefits from a more harmonious situation.”
Stratton
TS Consulting, Inc.
250-590-4114
www.transitionsupport.net
www.focusonline.ca • March 2011
17

the arts in march
March 2-13
INFLUENCE
Metro Theatre
I ARRIVE JUST AS THE LUNCHTIME open
rehearsal is wrapping up at Intrepid Theatre’s
Fisgard Avenue space. Clayton Jevne, acting
as a public ambassador to director Janet
Munsil’s production of her own
work, Influence, chats with folks
who came to peek in on the play
as it progresses in its preparations
for a two-week March run.
I sit down with Munsil among
the convincing-looking “stone”
statues which dot the space, all
representations of the iconic Elgin
Marbles—a bone of contention
between cultures and continents
for nearly two centuries—to
discuss Intrepid Theatre’s production
of Influence.
“I think that when I started playwriting, I
felt I had to focus on being a playwright or
a director, and I kind of went with playwriting,”
says Munsil when I ask her about directing
her own work. “I was always really excited
by how an outside director could find things
in my plays that I didn’t even know were there.
I got hooked on that experience,
but it’s been really
great to direct Influence.”
One thing that’s up for
debate is the genre of the
piece. “It has elements of
science fiction—I hate to
call it that, but it’s always
coming up in our
rehearsal—it definitely does
have that, the interaction
of men and the supernatural.”
The first time the
piece was staged in
Vancouver, she says, “We
were looking at the literary
aspect, but this time it’s
more of a fantasy genre,
and that’s been fun.”
The play’s cast consists of three gods and
two mortals, says Munsil, and takes place in
the British Museum in 1817, the year the artefacts
were put on public display. The museum
hall serves as a backdrop for the interactions
between man and deity, mentor and mentee,
natural and supernatural. “Athena’s temple
was the Parthenon,” Munsil explains. “Athena
arrives to reclaim the statues, and she just
happens to arrive while John Keats, the poet,
is seeing them for the first time.”
Janet Munsil
Karen Lee Pickett as Athena
“The play is partly about the relationship
between Keats and his friend Benjamin
Hayden, Keats’ mentor,” she continues. “Keats
wrote a lot about mythology. I thought that
was really interesting to incorporate
into the play, since there
is this influence of the Greek
gods, and the influence of a
mentor on a young artist as well.”
Of the enduring controversy
between Greece and Britain over
the Elgin Marbles, Munsil says,
“It’s fascinating, this issue of
who owns ancient art. It was just
as controversial 200 years ago
as it is today.”
Controversy also surrounds
draconian cuts to BC’s arts
budget, and Intrepid Theatre, says Munsil,
“is reinventing itself based on what’s needed
most in the arts community. What can
we provide for local theatre artists to do
their work It’s hard enough as it is, so I
think this production is just one more thing
we can do—to provide employment opportunities
for local actors.
So far it’s been great,
really exciting.”
When they got the
funding cut and cancelled
their festival season last year,
she says, “We had time to
plan. We said, ‘Why aren’t
we producing our own
work’ We’ve developed
all these resources for the
rest of the theatre community
here. It’s one of those
things that took that little
bit of space to make us see
that. This is the 25th year
for Intrepid and the Fringe.
The reason the company
has been successful is because
we’ve kept looking for new opportunities, but
stayed true to our mandate.”
Influence, written and directed by Janet
Munsil, will be staged at Metro Theatre
(Quadra at Johnson). Open dress rehearsal
March 2, free to the public. March 4-5 &
March 9-12, 8pm. Sunday matinees and talkback:
March 6 +13, 2pm. Tickets, $25:
www.intrepidtheatre.com or 250-590-6291.
—Mollie Kaye
18 March 2011 • FOCUS

continuing to March 5
TWELFTH NIGHT
Phoenix Theatre, UVic
A psychedelic 1970’s spin on Shakespeare’s classic. $18-
$22, previews $6. 250-721-8000.
continuing to March 10
TEXTILE ART
Martin Batchelor Gallery
This exhibit is a preview of textile art to be sold at a Gala
Dinner and Auction with Stephen Lewis (who will speak),
March 12 at the Victoria Conference Centre. All proceeds to
the Stephen Lewis Foundation. 250-532-9038.
March 2
ART LECTURE
UVic’s Visual Arts Building
Jonathan Shaughnessy, the Assistant Curator of Contemporary
Art at the National Gallery of Canada and professor at University
of Ottawa, speaks about contemporary art. 8pm, free,
room A162.
March 2-19
THE LADY IN THE VAN
Langham Court Theatre
For 15 years, cantakerous Mary Shepherd lived in a festering,
broken-down van in the playwright’s front garden. This story
of their years together is a comic diary that reflects on social
relationships and responsibility. $18/$16, 805 Langham Crt.
250-384-2412, www.langhamcourttheatre.bc.ca.
March 2-19
A VISUAL DIALOGUE
Langham Court Theatre
Calligraphy, collage and artist’s books by Trisha Klus.
Opening Mar 6, 1-4pm, 805 Langham Crt. 250-384-2142.
March 2-October 10
THE OTHER EMILY
Royal BC Museum
This new exhibit shakes off the stubborn stereotypes that
have come to characterize this iconic artist. See story page 4
and www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca.
March 3-29
THE NEIGHBOURHOOD SERIES
Dales Gallery
Works of painter Coral Barclay. Opening Mar 3, 7-9pm.
537 Fisgard St, www.dalesgallery.ca.
March 4
A FIGURE
University Centre Farquhar Auditorium
Ajtony Csaba conducts the UVic Orchestra. 8pm, $17/$13.50.
250-721-8634, www.finearts.uvic.ca/music.
March 4
JOE TRIO IN CONCERT
Alix Goolden Hall
Part of the Victoria Conservatory of Music Concert Series.
7:30pm, 18.50+, 907 Pandora Ave. 250-386-6121,
www.rmts.bc.ca.
March 4-30
WANDERINGS
Goward House
Art show and sale by Mary and Laura Brackenbury. Opening
March 6, 1:30-3:30pm, 2495 Arbutus Rd. 250-477-4401.
www.focusonline.ca • March 2011
19

the arts in march
▲ ”PINK COTTAGE” ROBERT RANDALL, 5.5 X 10.75 INCHES, ACRYLIC ON RECLAIMED WOOD
Continuing to March 12
COLD COMFORT
View Art Gallery
Robert Randall’s paintings frequently incorporate visual elements associated with history,
culture, advertising and mass media. A major theme in his work is the dialogue between the
man-made and the natural world in the form of paintings depicting ordinary elements such as
buildings, homes and landscapes conveying an ambiguous narrative. His latest body of
work consists of an ongoing series of small paintings of middle-class suburban houses culled
from real estate advertising. 104-860 View St. 250-213-1162, www.viewartgallery.ca.
“THE JOYS OF LIFE” KEVIN JENNE, 18 X 35 INCHES, ACRYLIC▲
Throughout March
KEVIN JENNE
Dominguez Art Gallery
This new fine art gallery in Sooke, is proud to present works by the internationally recognized
contemporary artist Kevin Jenne, who specializes in portraying the joy of human interaction.
Each work is like a beautiful story of friends and families who enjoy their lives at jazz festivals
or holidays surrounded by historical buildings and fun beaches. Jenne’s colourful yet subtle
strokes of light transport viewers to a happy and simple world of love. 2075 Otter Point Rd,
Sooke. 250-664-7045, www.travelingart.ca.
“BIRD OF PARADISE SUSPENSION HOOK” KAUA GITA, 53 X 15 INCHES, WOOD, PIGMENTS, FIBRE, DYES, SHELLS
Continuing to March 18
AILANS TRAVELLED
Alcheringa Gallery
The gallery will be celebrating the return to Canada of several works created for “Hailans
to Ailans,” the first major international exhibition of contemporary Papua New Guinean and
Canadian Northwest Coast art. These works were exhibited to great acclaim during 2010 in
the UK at London, Kirkcaldy and St Andrews. “Ailans Travelled” will also feature new work by
Iatmul carver Claytus Yambon completed during his recent residency at Alcheringa Gallery.
March 24-April 12: GALLERY ARTISTS, featuring new works by Isabel Rorick, John Wilson
and Rod Smith. Online catalogues at www.alcheringa-gallery.com. 665 Fort St, 250-383-8224.
▲
“SHERRY JUG WITH TWO CUPS” MEIRA MATHISON
March 25-27
10TH ANNUAL CLAYWORKS
Mary Winspear Centre, Sidney
The Peninsula Clay Artists’ Society stages this premier ceramic event featuring innovative
design and high quality workmanship. All nine of the core members of Clayworks are wellestablished
artists, each working in a unique area of the craft ranging from high-fired porcelain
or stoneware, to low-fired decorative and sculptural forms. Clayworks members are Meira
Mathison, Ester Galac, Lorraine Kupfer, Debbie Elkins, Sandra Dolph, Andre Gogol, Betty
Burroughs, Tony Mochizuki and Linda Vigliotti. Guest artists this year are Victoria’s Fern Walker
and Beth McMillin and Saltspring’s Sonja Barnard.
▲
20 March 2011 • FOCUS

“Forest Mosaic”John Lennard,30 x 36 inches,oil on canvas
“Summer Field” Karna Bonwick, 16 x 16 inches, oil on canvas
Spring Celebration
Group Exhibition
March 1 – 28
606 View Street • 250.380.4660 • www.madronagallery.com
INTRODUCING KARNA BONWICK
2184 OAK BAY AVENUE VICTORIA
www.theavenuegallery.com 250-598-2184
“Wireless”Wendy Skog, 41 x 57 inches, acrylic on canvas
WENDY SKOG
“Simple Acts of Colour”
February 28 - April 16
Artist Reception - Thursday, March 3, 7 - 9pm
eclectic
2170 Oak Bay Avenue • 250.590.8095 • www.eclecticgallery.ca
MORRIS GALLERY
Original local artwork
11th Anniversary Show
All artists in attendance March 11, 7 — 9 pm
Show runs March 1 — 31
On Alpha Street at 428 Burnside Road E.
250-388-6652 • www.morrisgallery.ca
“Beacon Hill Cherries” Linda Skalenda, 30 x 40 inches, acrylic on canvas
March 2011 • www.focusonline.ca
21

the arts in march
March 5
SINFONIA NEW YORK: THE CHACONNE
Alix Goolden Hall
The chaconne was considered so lascivious
that it was often banned, but it inspired
the highest art of the baroque, including works
by Bach and Purcell. New York’s leading period
instrument orchestra and two baroque dancers
explore the sexy to the sublime. 8pm, 907
Pandora Ave. 250-386-6121, www.rmts.bc.ca.
March 5
FACULTY CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES
Phillip T. Young Recital Hall, UVic
The UVic School of Music faculty presents
a celebratory concert honouring Lanny Pollet.
8pm, $17.50/$13.50. www.finearts.uvic.ca/music.
March 6
I CHORISTI
St Elizabeth’s Church
The Linden Singers present a journey through
well-known operas. 2:30pm, 10030 Third St,
Sidney. $18/$15 at In Touch Cards & Gifts,
Tanners Books or www.lindensingers.ca.
March 6
ALEXANDER DUNN &
GUESTS GUITAR RECITAL
Alix Goolden Hall
Part of the Victoria Conservatory of Music
Faculty Recital Series. 2:30pm, $7.50-17.50,
907 Pandora Ave. 250-386-6121,
www.rmts.bc.ca.
March 7-20
SPARK FESTIVAL
Belfry Theatre
5 new plays, 7 new free miniplays,
2 free readings, 3 workshops, a panel
discussion and one heck of a party. See
www.sparkfestival.ca.
March 10-12
OLIVER
McPherson Playhouse
Presented by St. Michael’s Middle School.
7pm, $15.50-$22.50. 250-386-6121,
www.rmts.bc.ca.
March 10-12
CIRQUE DE LA SYMPHONIE
Royal Theatre
Aerial flyers, contortionists, dancers, and
jugglers; each artist’s performance is choreographed
to classical masterpieces and popular
contemporary music performed by Vic Symphony.
250-386-6121, www.rmts.bc.ca.
March 10-23
FIBRE ART SHOW
Community Arts Council Gallery
Members of the Embroiderers’ Guild of
Victoria who are members of Rapt Threads
display their work. 250-652-6555.
March 10 & 28
HIGH TENSION CONTEMPORARY
STRING SERIES
Open Space
Mar 10: Quatuor Bozzini. Mar 28: Julie-
Anne Derome. 8pm, $15/$10, 510 Fort St.
250-383-8833, www.openspace.ca.
March 10-13
14TH ANNUAL FRENCH FEST
Various locations
Program includes a comedy night, live
performances, traditional francophone food,
visual arts, and more. wwwfrancocentre.com,
250-388-7350.
March 11-June 26
THE IMMORTAL GARDEN
Art Gallery of Greater Victoria
The Immortal Garden explores the ways
in which artists and craftsmen have translated
the beauty of the garden into objects to delight
the eye of the collector winter and summer,
generation after generation. 1040 Moss St.
250-384-4101, www.aggv.ca.
March 12
CIPHER
Martin Batchelor Gallery
Collaborative works of calligraphy and
painting by Georgia Angelopoulos and
Miles Lowry, 7-9pm, 712 Cormorant St.
250-385-7919.
March 12
LABYRINTHS, MAZES
& SACRED GEOMETRY
Overleaf Café-Bookshop
A workshop with writer Aryana Rayne. 2-
4pm, 1105 Pandora Ave, $20. 250-888-7326.
March 13
FACULTY RECITAL
Phillip T. Young Recital Hall, UVic
UVic’s Bruce Vogt performs Liszt.
$17.50/$13.50. 2:30pm, pre-concert talk 2pm.
250-721-8634, www.finearts.uvic.ca/music.
March 13
AFRICAN SANCTUS
Farquhar Auditorium, UVic
The Victoria Choral Society performs, with
songs, chants, and more. 2:30pm, $32/$20.
250-721-8480, www.auditorium.uvic.ca.
March 13
CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS
Royal Theatre
A Victoria Symphony “Concert for Kids”
with guest conductor John Morris Russell.
2:30pm with activities in lobby at 1:30. 250-
386-6121, www.rmts.bc.ca.
March 15
AT THE MIKE: PEOPLE ON THE PAGE
Fort Cafe
Writers Adam Lewis Schroeder, Robert W.
Mackay, and Rosemary Neering examine
history’s truths and lies, and how to put it all
convincingly on paper. 7pm, 742 Fort St.
250-360-0829.
March 15
GUITAR SPIRITS
First Metropolitian United Church
Inspired by the music of Sri Chinmnoy and
featuring Shanbhu and Panchajanya. 7pm.
250-592-6211, www.songsofthesoul.com.
22 March 2011 • FOCUS

Focus on health
ADVERTISEMENT
March 16, 23, 30
LENTEN CONCERT SERIES
Church of St Mary the Virgin
Mar 16: Ensemble Laude Women’s Choir
conducted by Elizabeth MacIsaac. Mar 23:
Emmanuel Ortega, Cello and Timothy Chow,
Piano. Mar 30: Winifred Scott Wood, Piano.
12:10-12:50pm, by donation, 1701 Elgin Rd.
250-598-2212.
March 17-26
INSIDE
UVic’s Phoenix Theatre
World premier: Written by acclaimed playwright
Daniel MacIvor and directed by the
renowned David Ferry, this modern tragicomedy
plays host to a cross-section of
Canadian experiences. 250-721-8000,
www.finearts.uvic.ca/theatre.
March 18
SNATAM KAUR
SACRED CHANT CONCERT
Alix Goolden Hall
Eastern inspired chant music with Snatam
Kaur as lead vocalist accompanied by Guru
Ganesha Singh on guitar, and Ramesh Kannan’s
master percussion rhythms. 7:30pm; tix
$35 at Full Circle Studio Arts, 1800 Store St or
www.SpiritVoyage.com. Children’s yoga
program with Kaur, 3:30-4:30pm, $10. Both
at 907 Pandora Ave.
March 18
FACULTY RECITAL
Phillip T. Young Recital Hall, UVic
Michelle Mares performs Bach. 8pm,
$17.50/$13.50. www.finearts.uvic.ca/music,
250-721-8634.
March 18 & 19
THE LAST 15 SECONDS
Metro Studio
You have 15 seconds left before the explosion.
What would you say to the suicide bomber
By MT Space, a theatre company that brings
together culturally diverse artists. 8pm both
days, 2pm on Mar 20. 250-590-6291,
www.intrepidtheatre.com.
March 18-20
CARMEN
McPherson Playhouse
Ballet Victoria presents the tragedy of an
untamed gypsy and her lover. 250-386-6121,
www.rmts.bc.ca.
March 19
PERSIAN NEW YEAR/SPRING
EQUINOX CELEBRATION
Centennial Square
Live music by local bands, dance performances,
audio/visual culture show, kid’s play
zone, ethnic food in celebration of the rebirth
of the earth and community.11am-3pm. 250-
388-7336.
March 19
ONE WORLD
Royal Theatre
Each year the international students of
UWC Pearson College in Victoria share
the music and dance of their homelands
through their performance of the One World
Concert. $15-23, 2 & 8pm. 250-386-6121,
www.rmts.bc.ca.
March 2011 • www.focusonline.ca
March 19
JAZZ RECITAL
Phillip T. Young Recital Hall, UVic
The UVic Jazz Orchestra performs. 8pm,
$15/$10. www.finearts.uvic.ca/music,
250-721-8634.
March 20
WORLD STORYTELLING DAY
Intrepid Theatre
Afternoon concert for children and families
from 2-3pm, by donation. Evening concert
for adults (and older children), 7-9pm, $10/$5,
1609 Blanshard St. 250-590-6291.
March 21
VICTORIA STORYTELLER’S GUILD
1831 Fern Street
Monthly meeting. 7:15pm, $5/$3. 250-
477-7044, www.victoriastorytellers.org.
MARCH 22
MORE WORLD STORYTELLING
Oak Bay Library
With Victoria Storytelling Guild members
Shoshana Litman, Nejama Ferstman and Cat
Thom and Juan de Fuca Library Branch Head,
Andrea Brimmel. 10:30am, free. 1442 Monterey.
March 22-27
VICTORIA SKETCH CLUB
ANNUAL ART SHOW
Glenlyon Norfolk School
View the works of sketch artists at this
102nd annual event. Opening Mar 22, 7-
9pm, 1701 Beach Dr. www.victoriasketchclub.ca.
March 22 & 23
ALVIN AILEY
Royal Theatre
Dance Victoria presents Alvin Ailey American
Dance Theater renowned for performing with
an incomparable sense of joy, freedom and
spirit that the dancers and audiences share.
7:30pm. 250-386-6121. www.rmts.bc.ca.
March 24 & 26
HATS OFF TO BROADWAY
Metro Studio
An evening of Broadway favourites.
www.varietyfare.ca.
March 25-27
CLAYWORKS POTTERY SHOW
AND SALE
Mary Winspear Centre
Annual Show of the Peninsula Clay
Artists’ Society. Opening Mar 25, 5-9pm,
free. 250-658-4523.
March 26
IL GIARDINO D’AMORE
Alix Goolden Hall
Love requited, love unrequited are the
subjects of the great Italian cantata literature.
The Early Music Society of the Islands
presents Musica Pacifica with recorder, violin,
cello and harpsichord and Ellen Hargis, the
doyen of American sopranos. Handel,
Alessandro Scarlatti, Steffani and Vivaldi are
the featured composers. 8pm, 907 Pandora.
250-386-6121. www.rmts.bc.ca.
Thirsty Turn on the tap,and draw yourself a cup of clean water.But before you
take a sip,take a moment to think about how lucky we are to live where fresh,
clean water is so readily available. In cities around the world, clean water is
in scarce supply.
“Drinking plenty of pure, healthy water is the foundation of good health, benefiting
everything from your skin to your brain,” says Diane Regan, owner of Triangle
Healing Products.“March 22nd is World Water Day, and here at Triangle Healing,
we’re celebrating the event with a diverse line-up of products that help ensure the
water you drink is as pure as possible.”
One of Diane’s most convenient waterboosters
is the Quantum Age Water
Stirwand, small enough to take along
wherever you go.With just a quick stir, the
Quantum wand is said to transform ordinary
water into a super-hydrating drink to
improve blood-oxygen levels and flush
toxins from your body.
Diane also carries the Alkal-Life 7000-
SL Water Ionizer (now available for
lease-to-own,interest free!),which comes
equipped with an activated carbon fibre
filter for great tasting water.After all, the
better your water tastes, the easier it is to
stay properly hydrated.A water ionizer is an
investment,but rest assured that Diane has
done the market research for you and offers
only “the best water purifier in existence!”
“Don’t forget that a good portion of
your daily water intake comes from food,”
says Diane.Not only are fruits and vegetables
an important secondary source of water,
they are also packed with vitamins,minerals
and cancer-fighting antioxidants.Appliances
like the Blendtec Blender and deluxe juicers
make it easy to boost your daily servings
of fruits and veggies.Whip up a smoothie,
concoct your own delicious juices,or puree
Celebrating World Water Day!
by Adrienne Dyer
Clockwise from top:Akail-Life 7000-
SL Water Ionizer; Blendtec Blender;
Takeya glass water bottles.
soups and sauces with the touch of a button, and you’ll soon be exceeding the
recommended daily intake of the most powerful foods on the planet!
On the go No problem! Diane has an eye-catching new selection of Japanesemade
Takeya glass water bottles so that you can take your beverages with you.
Equipped with protective silicon covers and available in a variety of colours and
sizes, these chic drinking bottles allow you to enjoy fresh water without the aftertaste
of metal or toxic chemicals from plastic.
Clean water is equally important in the bath or shower, since, as Diane explains,
“your body will absorb more toxins from showering or bathing than you could ever
consume through drinking.”But don’t fret.Diane also carries bath and shower filters,
like the Ion Shower Head, that removes chlorine and never needs replacing.
Diane urges you to visit her store this month to share a drink of water in celebration
of World Water Day. Bottoms up!
Triangle Healing Products
770 Spruce Avenue,Victoria, BC
250-370-1818 • www.trianglehealing.com
Triangle Healing Products, its owner, its employees do not provide medical advice or treatment.They provide information and
products that you may choose after evaluating your health needs and in consultation with health professionals of your choosing.
23

the arts in march
▲“STILL EVENING” KAREL DORUYTER, 30 X 40 INCHES, ACRYLIC ON CANVAS
March 1-28
SPRING CELEBRATION: GROUP EXHIBITION
Madrona Gallery
New arrivals from Karel Doruyter, Linda Jones, Graham Forsythe, John Lennard, Corrinne
Wolcoski and Nicholas Bott. This exhibition will embrace a wide range of subject matter with
common inspiration of the changing seasons. Shown here is a work by Karel Doruyter FCA, an
artist always drawn to isolated places: “In the past these were physical geographical parts of
the world I have experienced. Now I find myself going inward, areas of spiritual and emotional
isolation that I find disturbing and fascinating.” 606 View St, 250-380-4660, www.madronagallery.com.
“GEORGIAN BAY” ANNE SAVAGE, 1933, 16 X 18 INCHES, OIL ON BOARD ▲
Ongoing
COLLECTOR’S CORNER
Avenue Gallery
The Avenue Gallery’s newly created Collector’s Corner will feature paintings by well known
historical artists such as Emily Carr, Anne Savage, Marian Scott, J E H MacDonald, and Jean-
Paul Riopelle. New works arrive weekly (call for consignment info). The painting by Anne Savage
shown here was painted in the company of her good friend A.Y Jackson—and has a bonus
painting on its back. In 1933 she was one of the founding members of the Canadian Group
of Painters. 2184 Oak Bay Ave. 250-598-2184, www.theavenuegallery.com.
“WILD BLUE YONDER” ARLENE NESBITT, 33 X 27 INCHES, MIXED MEDIA
March 11-30
OUT OF PLACE AND BEYOND REASON
Collective Works Gallery
This exhibit by Arlene Nesbitt is a visual discussion about the idea of “fitting in”—
with the digital age, the art scene, and the planet. Different media are combined to express
the tension created by nonconformity and the freedom of imagination. Watercolour paintings,
pencil crayon, and charcoal are layered with digital print pieces; photographs are
montaged with other photos or with drawings. Opening Mar 11, 7pm, 1311 Gladstone Ave.
250-590-1345, www.collectiveworks.ca.
▲
“OPEN COUNTRY” WENDY SKOG, 38 X 49 INCHES, ACRYLIC ON CANVAS
Throughout March
WENDY SKOG: SIMPLE ACTS OF COLOUR
Eclectic Gallery
Wendy Skog makes contemporary art incorporating the classical techniques of chiaroscuro,
proportion, and the dramatic use of dark and light; this allows her to creatively invade the
deepest corners of emotion and to discover her own abstract language. She describes her work
as “a kind of wordless meditation transforming mind into matter, making paint communicate
soul and song. It is something that can be enjoyed for its own sake without a reason.” Reception
March 3, 7-9pm. Continues to April 16. 2170 Oak Bay Avenue, 250-590-8095, www.eclecticgallery.ca.
▲
24 March 2011 • FOCUS

“Icy Silence” Elka Nowicka, 48 x 48 inches, mixed media on canvas
WEST END GALLERY
ELKA NOWICKA
“Perfumed Memories”
An Exhibition of Paintings: March 19 - 31, 2011
Gallery Hours: Tues - Fri 10 - 5:30 & Sat 10 - 5
1203 Broad Street • 250-388-0009 • www.westendgalleryltd.com
NATHALIE PROVENCHER
LOUISE MARION
KEVIN JENNE
LISE DESROSIERS
MICHEL MAILHOT
RICHARD PEPIN
CAROLINA ECHEVERRIA MARIE-FRANCE ROULEAU MARTIN BEAUPRE
Dominguez Art Gallery
2075 OTTER POINT RD. SOOKE www.travelingart.ca 250-664-7045
March 2011 • www.focusonline.ca
25

The Ecclestons: (from left) Kelt, Colleen and Greg.
March 17
THE ECCLESTONS: FULL CONTACT FOLK
Six Mile Pub
THE BROTHER/SISTER CELTIC DUO of Kelt and Colleen Eccleston
became a trio with the addition of close friend and now “adopted
brother” Greg Madill in 2000. Hailing from Newfoundland, Kelt and
Colleen took their impressions of East Coast Celtic music and blended
them with what Greg had to offer, creating a uniquely West Coast
Celtic sound. They have a loyal following of fans across Canada and
the US, with four CDs to their credit. Tom Coxworth of CKUA Radio
raves that “The Ecclestons are one of the first families of Canadian
Folk Roots music.”
Not that they’ve let fame go to their heads. As a group, they’re down
to earth, and full of fun. Their live shows burst with vitality, humour,
playful stage antics, and, of course, accomplished instrumentals and
tight vocal harmonies that leave audiences begging for more.
All three members write music and contribute to the band’s original
material. But, as Kelt admits, each writer has something different to
offer. Lyrics written by Colleen or Greg, for instance, are often introspective
and filled with stunning images from nature. The song “Simple
Things,” written by Colleen after the death of her beloved dog,
Xena, abounds with images such as “the clover in the long light of
the moon,” as the scene changes from seas, mountains, storms, and
fragrant cedar forests.
Kelt’s writing is more concrete, and is influenced by his study of
works by playwright Bertolt Brecht. For Kelt, Brecht’s most intriguing
feature is his use of musical irony, frequently pairing bleak and hopeless
lyrics with seemingly incongruous uplifting music. Says Kelt, “That
stuck with me throughout the rest of my life, because I thought that
it was a very good way of approaching a topic…because if [the music
is] so bleak and the lyrics are bleak, then it’s really hard to take, but if
it’s uplifting musically, then it kind of opens the mind to accept the
message…It’s a good vehicle, because you can use it to talk about things
that otherwise are too big to talk about.”
This happens in his song, “Life Goes On,” where a stream of consciousness
presentation of ideas like heartache, corrupt politicians, natural
disasters, and war are coupled with a delightful, upbeat chorus, replete
with tension-free, luscious vocal harmonies, catchy instrumentals, and
a smiling presentation. It’s all tongue in cheek, and even more hilarious
after you watch the video. After all, according to Kelt, life does go
on because things “can’t be so devastating that life stops!”
The Ecclestons perform on St Paddy’s Day, March 17, at The Six Mile
Pub, 494 Old Island Hwy, 250-478-3121. www.theecclestons.com.
—Lisa Szeker-Madden
26 March 2011 • FOCUS

the arts in march
March 26 & 27
TAM PLAYS TCHAIKOVSKY
Royal Theatre
Violinist Terence Tam’s virtuosity will dazzle you in Tchaikovsky’s
beloved concerto and Beethoven’s inventive and massive
“Eroica” Symphony. Presented by Vic Symphony with Alain
Trudel, conductor. 250-386-6121. www.rmts.bc.ca.
March 27
RUMPELSTILTSKIN
McPherson Playhouse
Kaleidoscope Theatre presents a hilarious adaptation of
Rumpelstiltskin. 2pm. 250-386-6121. www.rmts.bc.ca.
March 27
MOTHER MOTHER
Alix Goolden Hall
Canadian avant-pop quintet originating from Quadra Island
is set to release their third studio album and embark on a
Canadian tour, offering up eccentric, hook laden pop-meetsrock
songs housed in creative arrangements with clever lyrics
and intricate harmonies. An all ages show. 8pm. $32.75, 907
Pandora Ave. 250-386-6121, www.rmts.bc.ca.
March 28-April 2
ART IN BLOOM
Art Gallery of Greater Victoria
A week-long celebration of fine art and all things botanical.
The bi-annual fundraiser highlights the talents of local and
international artists, writers, floral designers and garden experts.
20 leading professionals in the field of floral design have chosen
works from the Gallery’s permanent collection to reinterpret
them in a botanical extravaganza. Lectures with Carolyn Herriot,
Michael Ableman, Tomas De Bruyne, Des Kennedy, Linda
Rogers, Byron Cook, etc. A red carpet gala will be held in the
new Atrium Building on Apr 2. 250-384-4101, www.aggv.ca.
throughout March
11TH ANNIVERSARY SHOW
Morris Gallery
Featuring works by all gallery artists, including Keith Hiscock,
Deborah Czernecky, David Goatley, D.F. Gray, Tara Juneau (see
story, page 28), Jim McFarland, Bob McPartlin, Marie Nagel,
Pauline Olesen, Myfanwy Pavelic, Linda Skalenda, Donna M.
Southwood, Joanne Thomson, Ron Wilson. Reception March
11, 7-9pm. Alpha St at 428 Burnside Rd E. 250-388-6652,
www.morrisgallery.ca.
Sundays in March
FOLK MUSIC
Norway House
Mar 6: Debbie Ryan and Jack Brygidyr. Mar 13: Rick van
Krugel and Bruce Brackney. Mar 20: Clover Point Drifters. Mar
27: Chattering Class. Performances follow open stage. 7:30pm,
$5, 1110 Hillside Ave. 250-475-1355, www.victoriafolkmusic.ca.
Focus on your home
When I had Rooster Interlocking Brick work
their wizardry on my hodgepodge of
sod and crumbling concrete last summer,
I made more than just an investment in the value of
my property—I transformed our whole experience of
living here. It may sound a bit far-fetched, the idea
that refurbishing the driveway and paths could make
such a big difference, but every day we are enjoying
optimal use of our Fairfield plot. Not only did Rooster’s
elegant brickwork create an incredibly charming effect,
it functions better—hazardous steps were removed,
and a larger portion of our property is now smooth,
lovely, and low-maintenance.
At one point during the process (and an impressive
process it is,excavators and crew expertly coordinating
the removal of the old material and the installation of
the new), I talked to Dallas Ruud, owner of Rooster
Interlocking Brick, about whether to install an additional
brick path to replace an arc of sod in our front
yard.We didn’t enjoy maintaining this grass, the
kids were tearing it up with their bikes—but would
another expanse of brick be aesthetically pleasing
Dallas answered by designed a stunning layout that
widened our existing flower beds to meet the new
brick path,creating a graceful interplay of garden and
pavers. Now our yard is even more beautiful than
before, and certainly more functional for us.
I’d put in a concrete driveway and walk in my
last home, at great expense, and not even a week
after it was poured, there was already a chip out of
it, and the cracks came soon after. Interlocking brick
pavers, says Dallas, are “three to four times stronger
than poured concrete because of the smaller surface
area of each brick.With so many joints, the loadbearing
capacity of the entire surface is exponentially
greater.” If anything does cause trauma to a brick,
it can be popped out individually and easily replaced—
no hideous patches! The joints between the pavers
also promote drainage, a practical bonus of interlocking
brick—during downpours this fall, I was
amazed at how efficiently the driveway handled a
deluge of water, channelling gallons to the street and
soaking in the rest.And the beautiful array of shapes,
patterns, and colours that Rooster offers are all made
in Abbotsford, BC using earth-friendly materials.
Geoff and Sheila Richards had Dallas and his Rooster
crew transform their Oak Bay property last spring,and
ADVERTISEMENT
Brick pavers enhance your home’s value, appearance and function
by Mollie Kaye
Interlocking brick pavers are three to four times
“
stronger than poured concrete because of the
smaller surface area of each brick.With so many
joints, the load-bearing capacity of the entire surface
is exponentially greater. —Dallas Ruud
”
Photo:Tony Bounsall
Dallas Ruud with the Richards’ new interlocking brick driveway.
they share my brick-inspired elation. “We had that
awful asphalt on the driveway,and ugly concrete here
on the patio.I’m so glad we had it all done in the brick.
It’s so tidy, and it actually looks larger now!” Sheila
gestures to the mosaic effect of the bricks underneath
the outdoor furniture.“Charming beyond charming,”
she says. “The back garden, the outdoor grill, the
bricks—it’s like a little courtyard. It was just what I
needed for this area to make it more inviting. Now
we want to be out here all the time!”
Like me, Sheila was initially concerned that interlocking
brick would be “out of reach,”but then again,
concrete and asphalt aren’t cheap—and then there’s
the cost of inevitable repair and replacement to add
in as well.We agreed that when sitting down to
compare all the options,interlocking brick pavers were
clearly the best value, since they last a lifetime and
are so darned pretty to boot.“The bill was just what
he said,there were no extras,”Sheila confirms about
the estimate Dallas gave for their project.“And whatever
we’ve put into the brick pavers has increased the
value and our enjoyment of the house.We’re just
thrilled;it’s the best sort of gift we could give ourselves.
Why not get it done”
Rooster Interlocking Brick
Dallas Ruud, owner
250-889-6655
www.roosterbrick.com
www.focusonline.ca • March 2011
27

show & tell
Tara Juneau’s journey
CHRISTINE CLARK
She’s disciplined and ambitious, fiercely individualistic, and burns her “unsuccessful” paintings on a beach she named after herself.
s we sit at her kitchen table together,
with a bag of salt and vinegar chips
Abetween us (snacks she bought in case
I was hungry), Tara Juneau answers all of my
questions about the validity of realism in
painting with a steadiness of purpose and eye
quite disconcerting and totally in discord with
her age, her big hair and the domestic chaos
of her kitchen.
She is surprisingly young for such an accomplished
painter, one who has won many awards
at local art shows. The youngest painter ever
represented by Morris Gallery, she’ll be participating
in its 11th Anniversary Show in March.
Juneau has a seven-year-old, a husband, and
a nervous little dog named Princess. The pregnancy
was unexpected; she was very young by
today’s standards to start a family, and she experienced
a profound depression over the loss of
her youth, but also the loss of her self-vision—
that of a vagabond artist, moving from place
to place: working, living, experiencing.
That perceived threat
of loss drove her to Juneau says that she
study and to perfect always knew what
her considerable abilities
as a draftsman and she wanted to do.
a painter, first under
She believes that
Dutch artist Johannes
Landman, then with she is on this planet
world-renowned artist
to paint. She feels
and author Anthony
Ryder in Santa Fe, as in colour; she loves
well as Jeremy Lipking
in California. beauty; she loves
Juneau says that she to recreate the
always knew what she
wanted to do. She beauty she sees.
believes that she is on
this planet to paint. She feels in colour; she
loves beauty; she loves to recreate the beauty
she sees. In response to my suggestion that
realism is considered by some to be an outdated
form of expression, she says she doesn’t give
a fuck what other people think. OK.
In her studio, she’s different. More like
a girl, a beautiful slender girl with the most
amazing and infectious laugh. The seriousness
of the kitchen falls away; the stories
about people at life drawing who have
scorned her skill, who have dismissed
her work and her dedication because it’s
“boring,” are forgotten, and instead I see
an artist in full possession of her knowledge
and her talent.
Left: photo of Tara Juneau by Tara Juneau.
28 March 2011 • FOCUS

Rescue your glow
Two of Glow Rescue’s most popular skin care products are the Intensive
Super Serum and Nutrio Advanced Recovery Complex. The serum
contains a potent blend of active peptides and antioxidants, which
boost collagen production and inhibit and reduce wrinkles (it also can
extend the life of botox injections).
Above: “Behind the Veil” 24 x 20 inches, oil on board. Below: “The Broken
Window” 12 x 9 inches, oil on board (plein air). Both by Tara Juneau.
The Nutrio Advanced Recovery Complex is a luxurious moisturizer
containing the most active and clinically proven anti-aging ingredients
science has to offer. This fully absorbent creme hydrates your skin,
leaving it silky smooth and glowing with health.
Combined, these two products offer you a secret weapon against the
aging process!
Shelley Rollick-Collins, owner of Glow
Rescue, developed these and other
products after studying scientific breakthroughs
in cosmeceutical ingredients,
aiming at both results and safety for
you and the environment. All products
are free of irritants and potentially
harmful additives and fillers such as
alcohol, paraben, phthalates, and
artificial fragrance.
Shelley also offers effective, non-invasive treatments to address premature
aging, facial veins and other skin conditions. Check the website for monthly
specials on these and Glow Rescue products. And schedule a professional
consultation with Shelley to learn how best to customize a regime to
“rescue your glow.”
Glow Rescue Skin Solutions
907 Gordon Street
(off Broughton)
250.385.7546
www.glowrescue.ca
March 2011 • www.focusonline.ca
29

She explains in meticulous and serene detail
the process behind her in-progress still life,
which features one of those little wooden boats
that kids can make at the Cowichan Bay Marine
Centre, along with a white tack, a blue ball,
a length of white string, and a dried red rose.
She shows me the brush she uses—a great
huge brush for such delicate work! And she
describes the secret behind her paint additive,
which she magics herself using fire,
amber and a dead bee. She shows me her
latest self-portrait, called Andromeda and the
Blue Sky, which is an almost-life-sized nude
in an impossible pose. In the image, she is
seen crouching, with her hands across her
chest, and with her head and neck twisted
away from the picture plane. It was painted
with the use of mirrors and a colour sketch
(a beautiful little painting in its own right). I
suddenly realize that what I am seeing is not
at all vanity—which some believe to be the
motive behind both realism and self-portraiture—it
is instead blazing ambition and
discipline, and I am truly impressed.
Juneau is such a perfectionist that she burns
what she describes as her “unsuccessful paintings”
in a remote
location in Cowichan
Bay at a place she
calls Tara Beach.
Artists are generally
encouraged, and
many of us are probably
just naturally
hardwired, to save
(or at least to document)
every scrap of
work, right down to
the crumpled life
drawing sketches
from first-year art
class. But Juneau says,
“Burning them is a
very spiritual act for
me. I am releasing them, detaching myself
from all the time and energy put into them.
I paint my feelings and experiences, so it is
also like releasing those as well. I think people
become too attached to their own ideas and
preconceptions of what and how things are
and it stops them from growing. Striving to
get better at my craft is a constant struggle,
but [it applies] in my walk as a person and in
my relationship to God too.”
When I learned that she drags her unwanted
paintings down to the ocean and burns them
under all that sky, I immediately thought of
poetry. She calls these events her “Burns,”
and so of course I thought of the Scottish bard,
Robbie, but even more intriguing was the
vision of fire in the night and the legendary
story of Percy Shelley, who died by drowning
and was cremated by his friends on the beach.
Shelley was a Romantic, and Tara Juneau is
too, although this is not a comparison of style
but of spirit. Like Shelley, Tara is a fiercely
individualistic artist, and this is not always
easy because the world of Art (yes, with a
capital A) can be a very critical community
and too often ruled by the superficiality of
Left: “Andromeda and the Blue Sky” Tara Juneau,
39 x 24 inches, oil on board.
30 March 2011 • FOCUS

Focus on the mind
ADVERTISEMENT
A right-hemisphere approach to healing emotional pain
by Mollie Kaye
Most of what troubles our minds as human
beings—anxiety, depression, grief, bodyimage
issues, low self-esteem—is pretty
hard to talk our way out of.We try, of course. Many of
us have spent time in a therapist’s chair, telling our
story, but we find that even after we’ve “gotten it all
out there” in words, the pain still plagues our hearts.
The way we get wired is during the early interactions
between mother and child—these are
“
non-verbal,implicit processes—and the emotional
issues have to be repaired in the same emotional,
non-verbal realm. —Patricia Gering
”
“Mike” Tara Juneau, 20 x 16 inches, oil on board.
fashion. Contemporary art does not gladly
recognize realism, especially in paint, as a relevant
genre. There are just too many years of
Expressionism and Pop Art and Minimalism
between us and the Old Masters; there are
too many clichés.
We tend to forget that all serious art, no
matter the genre, is the end result of commitment
and discipline.
And Tara Juneau is a serious artist; she
is not a follower; she does not kow-tow to
the trendiness of popular art culture; she
is committed to her own journey, her own
ideals and her work. She writes, “The process
of creating needs to stay fresh and exciting
for me. That is why I prefer to paint on
location and from life. You have to do all
the interpreting first hand; [you have to]
deal with moving subjects and changing
light. It is the thrill of the hunt in a way and
you get plenty of opportunities to face your
weaknesses and to grow.”
The 11th Anniversary Show at Morris Gallery
opens on March 11, from 7-9 pm, 428 Burnside
Rd. East, at Alpha, 250-388-6652. See
www.morrisgallery.ca and www.tarajuneau.com.
Christine Clark writes for www.ArtinVictoria.com;
she is the creator and curator of the Balcony Gallery
@ Xchanges, and is showing her own work, a
year’s worth of beer cans, this month at the Ministry
of Casual Living.
“The current research about mental health issues
is that anything related to early attachment relationships—which
includes much of what we struggle
with—is based in the right hemisphere,” explains
Patricia Gering, certified in Art Therapy. “Effective
therapy to address those attachment issues must be
right-hemisphere based.” Integrated Art Therapy is
a solidly right-brain approach, and offers an expedient
and effective route to insight and healing, she
says. Listening to Gering, I suddenly realize that
language, the basis of all cognitive, talk-based therapy,
is centred in the left hemisphere of the brain—perhaps
that’s why it’s not always the best route to release
emotional pain.
“The way we get wired,” Gering continues, “is
during the early interactions between mother and
child—these are non-verbal,implicit processes—and
the emotional issues have to be repaired in the
same emotional,non-verbal realm.Art therapy is visual;
it’s about conveying multiple meanings all at once in
one image, revealing ourselves to ourselves in ways
we didn’t before understand, and providing tangible
artefacts of our journey.Working this way, the shifts
are profound, and relief can be quite dramatic.”
You needn’t be an artist to participate in art therapy,
however.Says Gering,“The expressive modalities have
always been included in ancient cultures to deal with
all aspects of life—trauma, despair, loss, distress—
it’s an essential part of how man copes with the human
experience.Only recently have we separated ourselves
from that,but Integrated Art Therapy is an intentional
way to bring this form of healing to modern society.”
One participant in a body-image workshop Gering
offered says,“I loved not talking during the art-making—
it really allowed me to be one with my mind and body.
But I did like to share at the end—it was so helpful—
I learned things about myself from others in the group.”
Integrated Art Therapy often leads people to their
keenest insights, says Gering. “I had an individual
session with a person where the image that came up
absolutely startled her in its encapsulation of a very
Photo:Tony Bounsall
Patricia Gering
prolonged problem she’d had.She’d painted,unaware,
and when we put it up on the wall, she immediately
exclaimed,‘Oh my God! That’s my issue!’ That which
was sort of brewing and brooding, unnamed—once
it’s visual, now we have access to it.”
Another of Gering’s clients says that Integrated Art
Therapy “exceeded my expectations. I didn’t expect
to find out so much about myself. I’ve never done
anything like it; I made lots of breakthroughs. I can’t
believe just art and talking can do so much. I made
connections I wouldn’t have made otherwise—I can
honestly say it’s the best form of therapy I’ve ever had,
and I’ve had lots—cognitive, verbal—but this really,
actually helped.It goes a lot deeper.You really nurture
yourself by creating things.”
Gering offers both one-on-one sessions and workshops,
and says clients benefit from both the group
and individual process. She is offering workshops in
March and April; check her website for details about
her offerings,all of which are designed to “bring people
to a place of connection to their true Self.When safety
and emotional connection are present,”says Gering,
“the healing work is, actually, very simple.”
HEARTWORK
Integrated Art Therapy Services
Patricia Gering,BA, SW, Dip.ATh.
214-2187 Oak Bay Avenue
250-413-7185 • pgering@shaw.ca
www.heartworkarttherapy.com
www.focusonline.ca • March 2011
31

coastlines
Creativity and control
AMY REISWIG
Book writers and sellers discuss the self-publishing trend.
With ads promising to “Print Your
Book in 2 Days” and websites
pointing to Mark Twain as a
successful self-publisher, many writers are
turning to self-publishing as a vehicle for both
self-expression and potential income. Even
more encouragement arrived recently with
CBC’s Canada Reads Contest: Terry Fallis’
book Best Laid Plans won. Originally selfpublished,
it also won the Stephen Leacock
Award for Humour, before it was picked up
by McLelland & Stewart.
Both Twain and now Fallis are good examples
of the bootstrapping nature of self-publishing
culture. Successful self-published authors—
those who make some money from their
books—tend to be entrepreneurial spirits. They
are wily, tough, and maybe a little iconoclastic.
VICTORIA’S JANET ROGERS is one selfpublisher
who perfectly fits that bill. Rogers,
a Mohawk writer from the Six Nations territory
in southern Ontario, recently self-published
Red Erotic, a book of erotic poetry. She has
self-published previously and has also published
Janet Rogers
with traditional publishers (including Splitting
the Heart with Ekstasis in 2007 and a new
book with Leaf Press later this year). But during
the recent economic downturn, Rogers was
having trouble getting response from publishers.
Then she realized, “Maybe I can make a place
for it myself. And it’s been the best thing. My
God, this has taken on a life of its own!” she
laughs over coffee in Esquimalt, noting that
she’ll be taking Red Erotic to festivals in
Vancouver, New Mexico and all the way to
New Zealand.
Rogers, also a visual and spoken-word artist,
says she is “a hands-on artist used to starting
things up. That’s just who I am as a person.”
The self-publishing of her own book was partly
an excuse, Rogers says, for starting Ojistah
Publishing, which she hopes will become a
venue for other aboriginal writers. “I didn’t
set this up just to publish me. It was the way to
get the press going. I’m not getting any younger,”
she laughs. “You can make anything out of thin
air. We as artists do that. This press is going to
prove it.” That means writing not just poetry
but grant applications. Lots of them.
For Rogers, self-publishing is ultimately
about honouring the art first and foremost—
the voices, the stories—and not being bound
by industry restrictions or money. “Is a lack
of funding going to stop me Hell no. If I have
to make books out of folded paper from my
printer, I will.”
Even an energetic self-starter like Rogers,
though, realizes the difficulty of not just writing
and printing but then marketing and distributing
your work. She recounts some interesting
adventures—and looks—from trying to get Red
Erotic into local bookstores, for instance. But
she also notes how it builds community. “If you
have connections, you use them. You need to
tap into your networks,” she explains. She feels
the time and trouble are worth it. “If any of this
inspires any one, mission accomplished.”
THIS ATTITUDE—of the benefits overshadowing
the pains of self-publishing—is shared
by Lyn Hancock, author (with Marion Dowler)
of The Ring: Memories of a Metis Grandmother.
Hancock, formerly of Victoria, is no stranger
to traditional trade publishing. She has 19
books on her publishing record, including
the well-known There’s a Seal in My Sleeping
Bag, There’s a Racoon in my Parka and Love
Affair with a Cougar.
However, The Ring is a very personal project
involving Dowler’s family history, and so Hancock
took on the self-publishing process in order to
Lyn Hancock
make the book she felt needed to be made. Like
Rogers, she wanted above all to honour the
story rather than follow industry direction.
Hancock, who prefers the term “independent
author” to “self-publisher,” didn’t self-publish
The Ring because she couldn’t find a publisher
but because interested publishers kept making
demands. Reached by phone from her home
in Lantzville, Hancock explains: “I wanted to
finish the book when the book was finished. I
wanted the book to tell me that, not some
outside influence. I wanted to do it my way.”
Hancock also agrees that it becomes a more
community-oriented venture by using networks
to get advice, readings, reviews, promotion,
and sales. The length of the acknowledgements
in The Ring is testament to that
community. But it’s a bit of a double-edged
sword as well, since Hancock is still learning
how to connect with her readership for this
book. As she writes on her blog, “The work
has only begun. Now we have to tell people
about the book. A new world of websites,
facebooks, on-line radio interviews, flickers,
twitters and tweets.”
32 March 2011 • FOCUS

“
IS A LACK OF FUNDING GOING TO STOP ME
DESIGN
Hell no. If I have to make books out of folded paper from
my printer, I will.” —Janet Rogers
SOURCE
While changes in technology have allowed self-publishing to flourish,
it can be overwhelming for authors used to toiling alone over a keyboard
to then stand up and become not just authors but marketers, distributors,
promoters.
WHILE HANCOCK finds the world of technology slightly alienating,
Rebecca Kennel, self-published first-time author of the guidebook
Victoria—Bench by Bench, finds it exciting. “There are so many
opportunities that we as individuals can take advantage of,” she tells
me. “Some of it is technology that wasn’t even available a few years
ago.” Envisioning an
update to her creative
local guidebook to
incorporate QR codes
(a more complicated
version of bar codes)
linking to video or
archival photos of
various places, for
example, she likes not
having to wait for a
publisher’s approval
to print a second
edition. “I wanted to
have control. It
seemed like a waste
of my time to shop a
manuscript around
and send queries to
publishers,” she says.
Instead of waiting
Rebecca Kennel
months for acceptance
then a year or
more for publication, it took Kennel just over seven months from
idea to opening the boxes and inhaling that new book smell.
And the book has been well-received. Kennel is being invited to speak
at self-publishing workshops, but her community involvement began
when she co-organized last December’s Inspiring Authors Celebration
of Local Authors event, which showcased 16 local authors who
either self-published or published with a small press. Such gatherings
allow local independent authors to share their wisdom and talents, and
build each other’s confidence.
Warehouse
HOME AND GARDEN
DESPITE THAT BLOSSOMING confidence, self-published authors
still, to varying degrees, face a bias against them from media and
retail outlets.
That’s because some of the companies set up to serve self-publishers
are not much more than photocopy services. Without the editorial eyes
of a publishing company, there’s nothing to stop anyone from selfpublishing
whatever they want. It’s “democratic,” but raises concerns
around content and quality. Established book publishers have built up
553 Hillside Ave
(between Bridge and Rock Bay)
10 am - 5 pm Tues - Sat
250.721.5530
www.designsourcewarehouse.com
March 2011 • www.focusonline.ca
33

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trust on those fronts among bookstore managers,
but a self-published book must be read in order
to be evaluated. Since booksellers can’t possibly
read all the self-published books they receive,
and therefore can’t ensure the books are
free from offensive material (racism, hate
speech, child porn)—or poor English—they
avoid them. (One self-publishing website
promises to “offer advise” [sic], not exactly
reassuring on the quality front.)
Ruth Linka, the publisher at Brindle & Glass,
sees trade publishers as both “serving the market
and leading it, to a certain extent—leading
it to expect quality.” She notes that genre also
plays a role. “As a buyer,” she says, “if I’m
looking for a book on canoeing I’d probably
consider a self-published and published book
equally. But if I want a novel, I’d be very leery
of buying something self-published. Publishers
are still gatekeepers.”
So are people like buyers Rob Wiersema at
Bolen Books and Dave Hill at Munro’s. “We
treat self-published books like we would any
other book coming from a publisher,” Wiersema
says, “with one caveat: We have to see it.” The
standards, he says, vary widely, and any book
they carry must meet certain minimum criteria.
Other questions Wiersema raises are: “Is the
price point right Many self-published books
are priced too high. Will it interest customers
Will it sell” Ultimately, only a tiny fraction of
the self-published books they receive are
accepted to be sold on consignment.
Downtown at Munro’s, Dave Hill notes
there is no shortage of books vying for space
in the retail stores. He says decisions on what
to stock pose a challenge when you are a
community-based store. “We can make decisions
based on what will interest our community,
our market, but we’ve got our own [retail
trade] industry we’re dealing with, and that’s
tough enough,” he laments, explaining that
the self-publishing explosion means sellers
simply can no longer offer blanket support
for local authors, as much as they would like
to. He does point out, though, that there have
been some self-publishing success stories, but
“the ones that work for us are the exceptions.”
Colleen Stewart, head of Collections Services
at the Greater Victoria Public Library, likewise
says that “there has been a huge increase in
self-published writers coming to us, and it’s
becoming hard to manage.” Like bookstores,
the public library buys books for its collection
(in addition to accepting donations). However,
Stewart says many independent authors seem
to be under the impression that the library is
a repository for any and all written work in
the community. In reality, the public library
must implement selection criteria that apply
to all books considered for the collection. “We
want to support local authors, not throw up
barriers,” Stewart says, but the fact remains
that the library operates under budgetary and
space constraints, and so they must choose
books that will be in demand (books not checked
out after a few years are discarded) and that
adhere to certain standards. As guardians of
literacy, one also can’t fault the library for not
wanting to carry books full of grammar and
spelling errors.
Self-publishers do have at least one bookstore
in Victoria that welcomes them with
open arms. Barbara Julian, who runs Overleaf
Café-Bookshop (and has also self-published),
makes a point of stocking self-published books,
trying to fill the niche of a non-traditional
retail market for non-traditional authors.
Unlike people at the other bookstores I spoke
with, Julian isn’t concerned with vetting the
material. “I want to get a book from every
author in Victoria,” she says.
If regular retail can’t serve independent
authors well, then small businesses like Overleaf
and the authors themselves will have to work
through word of mouth, networking, workshops,
and the web to build awareness and
sales. Revenue potential is there in self-publishing,
but writers can’t expect to make lots of money.
In fact, breaking even is usually the target.
Kennel and Rogers both say they are “in the
process” of making money from their books—
whether through selling them in stores or at
events they participate in or organize themselves—and
view the process as a long-term
investment that will continue to bring them
money slowly over time.
Notwithstanding Twain and Fallis, selfpublished
writers can’t expect to get rich, but
then neither can most other writers these
days. Love’s labours are hard work, but
Victoria’s independent authors seem up for
the challenge.
Inspired by all the selfpublishers
and DIY artists
in Victoria, writer and sidelined
Hansard editor Amy
Reiswig thinks that while
waiting for the Legislative
Assembly to get back to
work, it may be time to
dust off that shoebox of
creative project ideas.
34 March 2011 • FOCUS

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Chilewich mats, runners, and placemats now in stock for
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Tab Imports Inc.
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35

this
place
my dream city 36 urbanities 38 rearview mirror 40 natural relations 42 in context 44 finding balance 46
The energy-efficient home could well be the radical seed that develops into a green city.
Some houses have enough air leaks
that, added together, would equal
the diameter of a basketball. But
if you seal them all without reworking
your ventilation, you can end up with
nasty mould, even sick- building
syndrome. A house has to breathe.
The process by which it is made to
breathe in an optimal fashion is what
Peter Sundberg, executive director of
City Green Solutions, calls building
science. “It’s actually just the systems
approach. When you change one thing
in a home, it impacts something else,”
Sundberg explains. He assures me that
often the solution can be as simple as
the right bathroom fan.
Sundberg thinks a lot about filling
the gaps—literal and figurative—in
creating energy efficiency. He believes
that individual homes and buildings
are a crucial part of the larger
system required to become the city
we could be. That includes fulfilling
the provincial greenhouse gas emissions
reduction target of 33 percent
below 2007 levels by 2020.
City Green Solutions, known as
an enterprising non-profit, is based in
Victoria and employs about two dozen
people. Its mission is “to excite, inspire
and lead British Columbians in finding innovative home and building
energy efficiency solutions.” Known for its popular home “energy
audits,” assistance with rebate programs, and advice about the most
cost-effective, energy-efficient renovations, it also provides efficiency
modelling for new homes, manages some low-income initiatives
and helps municipalities, churches, schools and developers.
Says Sundberg, “What we do is educate the homeowner or builder
as to what all the options are,” all the while constantly seeking creative
ways to broaden the scope of energy efficiency. Doing so has garnered
City Green a heap of awards, including the District of Saanich 2010
Business Environmental Award, 2010 Greater Victoria Chamber of
Commerce Business of the Year and Innovation awards, and the Premiers
Innovation and Excellence Award for the one-stop website for information
on energy efficiency for BC residents: www.saveenergynow.ca.
While studying at Simon Fraser University, Sundberg worked with
his father in fishing and logging on northern Vancouver Island,
where his emerging awareness of depleting resources shadowed the
beauty of his surroundings. Sundberg also worked with his dad in
PHOTO: TONY BOUNSALL
The coming revolution
AAREN MADDEN
Peter Sundberg
carpentry and home construction,
which he says “was a good foundational
primer for getting into energy
efficiency because I started learning
about homes, about how they are built,
whether they are built well or not,
what the opportunities are,” he recalls.
His calling coalesced during four
years he spent in Nicaragua working
on a reintegration training program
for war veterans who had lost limbs
to land mines. The vets learned about
building and installing renewable
energy projects at the community level.
Eleven years later, the program has
left a legacy of successful, self-sustaining
businesses and nonprofits. (Sundberg
now sits on the board of directors of
Mines Action Canada.)
Sundberg returned to Canada with
a new perspective. An understanding
of our inevitable impact on our environment
no matter where we live met
with an eye trained to mitigate that
impact. “While it’s very interesting
and rewarding to work in Nicaragua
and that was a formative time in my
life, when I came back here, I started
to think, ok, how are our houses built
Look at our existing building stock;
most of it is incredibly inefficient,” he
notes. “The potential to increase the energy efficiency in all types of
our buildings is huge.”
And it’s not just a matter of sealing those drafts. “BC is slowly addressing
some of its building stock, but if we are really going to have a massive
awareness, we need some trigger points that are code-driven or mandated
as information available at point of sale.” A low energy rating affecting
a home’s resale value can make a seller realize they “should probably
do something rather than just slap some paint on.” New insulation, air
source heat pumps, or solar hot water heaters should be as prominent
selling features as, say, hardwood floors, believes Sundberg.
City Green’s pilot projects educating realtors about home energy
labelling, which is now just voluntary, could become part of “a conscious
government effort towards understanding that improving the energy
efficiency of the existing building stock is one of the key stepping stones
for us getting to a dream city.” Noting Victoria’s many heritage and
traditionally constructed buildings, Sundberg feels that it is perfectly
possible to both protect the beauty of the city and achieve energy
efficiency at the same time.
36
March 2011 • FOCUS

Focus on smart driving
ADVERTISEMENT
Why Larry Joe loves smart
by Mollie Kaye
“
LOOK AT OUR EXISTING BUILDING STOCK; most
of it is incredibly inefficient...The potential to increase
the energy efficiency in all types of our buildings is huge.”
—Peter Sundberg
Then there’s new construction, the clean slate where the potential
is wide open. Sundberg lauds the new, greener building code coming
out next year, but urges “pushing the building code further by asking
how this city is going to be, say, 50 years from now. If we are building
a home just to code today,” he argues, “that home is already obsolete
in terms of energy efficiency.”
Sundberg asks, “How are we designing for the future” It’s a question
that applies to each structure that exists and those yet to be built,
but as is true within those structures, how we do it affects larger systems;
building science extends to the city scale.
Ideally, the care we take in individual buildings compounds into an
intrinsically green economy. In Victoria, Sundberg says, the “opportunities
are boundless for entrepreneurs of all ages.” He lists, just within
his own growing sector, “Government workers who create the policies,
legislation, building codes and regulations that advance the industry;
developers who plan and finance green building; architects, designers
and consultants who work on the planning side; certified energy advisors
who provide the energy modelling; carpenters specializing in
advanced framing utilizing sustainable wood products.” Builders,
plumbers, electricians, realtors and others can all play important roles
on the path to energy efficiency.
Going green on the home energy consumption front also has a rather
contagious, spill-over effect on other aspects of living. “Once a home
is renovated or newly constructed to a high level of energy efficiency,”
Sundberg continues, “the residents living within it provide a market
for a wide range of other green collar workers who can grow, transport,
sell or cook sustainably produced local food. Getting to and from
work and around town provides another significant opportunity for
the local green economy—be it the companies designing or constructing
light rail, expanding bike paths, or selling and maintaining fuel efficient
and electric cars, bicycles and other self-propelled vehicles.”
More of the available jobs will be of the “green collar” variety.
Says Sundberg, “If people can find more meaningful work, I think that’s
pretty intrinsic, like having a home. Together these things define who
we are, and so [dictate] how we can reduce our impact on the environment…Having
a sustainable home and a sustainable place of work is
a key foundation to helping Victoria be a better, more beautiful city.”
You could call it a whole city that can breathe.
Aaren Madden vows to change the fact that every
time the wind blows, she can feel it right through
her front door. She’ll start by finding grants for door
replacement at www.citygreen.ca.
Larry Joe purchased his first smart car in 2007.
To say Larry Joe is enthusiastic about Smart cars is an understatement.The
Victoria businessman,who commutes daily between James Bay and Broadmead,
purchased his first “smart car,” a 2006 Diesel Passion Coupe CDI at Three
Point Motors on Sept 1,2007.Besides the exact date of the purchase,he also recalls
that it “had a 799 cc displacement, was rated at 40 hp and was 98.4 inches long.”
Since then Larry has purchased two more smart cars, both gasoline models built
to the high quality standards of Mercedes-Benz. Larry’s latest model is equipped
with a 70hp, three-cylinder engine with a top speed of 140 km/hr. He’s thrilled that
the latest model has the option of an integrated 6.5” touch-screen GPS/Bluetooth
to cell phone/sd-usb-mp3-ipod-ipad media player and six-speaker surround sound.
“It’s so nice to have the GPS and Bluetooth integrated now. Phone calls automatically
mute the music and change the screen display with large enough text that I
can read! My entire address book loaded in without problem (500 entries!).”
While smart cars are different in many ways from “normal” vehicles, Larry and
many others have learned they don’t sacrifice anything in safety, winter driving,
seating room for two, fuel economy, and environmental efficiency.
Besides the impressive structural safety, Larry points out how the smart’s low
weight makes it easy to manoeuvre and to stop; eight air bags are another safety
feature. During this winter’s snow, with two to three inches of fresh snow on the
roads and new snow tires, he discovered some more advantages:“Ahead of me, I
saw a few cars,including a taxi,slipping and sliding a bit when cornering.I am happy
to say that none of that happened to me. My big test was to climb a steep hill
back home which I passed without problem.”
As for fuel efficiency,he simply contrasts his old gas bill of $75/week to his current
one of $15.
Larry also raves that “The customer service experience at Three Point Motors is
second to none. My car is always cleaned and washed after every service appointment.The
knowledgeable staff is courteous and professional.”
Most of all though, it’s the car itself that keeps him happy:“Each time I get into
the smart car, it is a very positive experience.Whether it is the comfort of the seats,
the roominess of the interior, the view out the windows or moon roof, the impressive
sound system, or just the fact that you are saving fuel and helping the
environment…It makes the ride all the more fun.”
Three Point Motors
2546 Government Street
1-888-598-6972 • www.threepointmotors.com/smart
March 2011 • www.focusonline.ca
37

urbanities
Defending the “premium”
GENE MILLER
Oak Bay doesn’t allow secondary suites, but there’s pressure to change that. Would anything be lost
Irecently woke up wondering: what passes
for tectonics in Oak Bay these days And
there in the February 4th Times Colonist
was the heaven-sent answer.
Reported under the headline “Secondary
suite meetings plan sparks residents’ concerns,”
were remarks from John Foxgord, lifetime
Oak Bay resident and spokesman for the newly
formed Friends of Oak Bay Neighbourhoods
(FOBN). While he was not intentionally opening
himself to parody from cheap-shot artists
(fortunately, none such writes for this magazine),
his remarks did carry just a whiff of Oak
Bay “let them eat Tim Hortons.” Still, I understand
this was not his intention.
But I get ahead of myself. Foxgord is quoted
remarking: “Council has done a good job
seeking input but they haven’t explored
the impacts…The group is opposed to any
huge change to the flavour of the community
without well-reasoned and widely
supported requirements.”
And: “Oak Bay isn’t necessarily a community
of rich people but the people who move
here pay a premium to live here. They want
the simple quiet civility of a single family neighbourhood.
To have such a broad and sweeping
change disrespects that premium.”
I have only a tiny quibble with Mr Foxgord
when he suggests that the folks living in Oak
Bay aren’t necessarily rich but do pay a premium
to live there. What are they, unnecessarily rich
Look, we are talking about a municipality whose
constabulary in days of yore could be summoned
on the phone by a concerned hausfrau to pick
up her confused husband who had wandered
downtown of a Sunday morning to breakfast
at Scott’s Diner on Yates Street, dressed in his
bathrobe and pyjamas. And pick him up and
drive him home they did. Respectfully.
Talk about premiums!
I understand, by the way, that the underworked
police may still be available for such
services. But honestly, in light of the revelation
that, in spite of the prohibition against
secondary suites, an estimated 800 homeowners
have these illegal suites, couldn’t the
Oak Bay police be kept very busy busting them
It could be great theatre and resemble that
scene in the movie version of Ray Bradbury’s
Fahrenheit 451 when “firemen” acting on tips
burn hidden caches of books, and police arrest
the owners. It might make a great reality tv
show, something like: When Good Single-
Family Homeowners Go Rogue. Or Suitebusters.
FOBN states that its mandate is “to protect
and enhance the quality of life within Oak Bay
neighbourhoods.” (Not the quantity of life.)
Cleverly legalistic and circumspect in its public
statements (these kinds of community utterances
are always rich in code), FOBN challenges
the municipality to define the objectives of its
(currently non-existent) secondary suite policy,
and acknowledge that secondary suites may
just be one of a suite of appropriate responses
in a housing strategy:
“A vital concern of the FOBN is that our
research indicates it may not be possible for
the municipality to require a home with a
secondary suite to be owner-occupied.
Legalization would mean that single-family
homes throughout Oak Bay would be granted
the option to effectively operate as duplexes.
This would be an extraordinary departure
from the Official Community Plan which states
its primary objective as the maintenance of
Oak Bay’s single family character.”
Next thing you know, all the Uplands
mansions will be boarding houses.
Were I the suggestively named Mr Oxgored,
I mean Mr Foxgord, I would have had the balls
to say:
We hate renters. We hate what they represent:
transience, instability, chaos, and the end
of civilization as we know it. We hate when
they show up with their U-Haul trailers filled
with lava lamps, folding card tables, mismatched
china, tasteless “Hang In There!” posters in
plastic frames, and other crap. We hate their
4x4s with the monster truck wheels and the
“Gas, Grass or Ass—Nobody Rides For Free”
bumper stickers and their beater Camaros
parked on the street with the gold chain-link
license plate holders and the “PRN KNG” vanity
plates. We hate their socioeconomics. We hate
the late-night pizza delivery. We hate how they
remind us that but for the grace of God….
“Gene, stop that! This is Your Conscience
speaking. You know perfectly well that Mr
Foxgord means no such thing and has no such
values. He makes perfectly reasonable points
and besides, you’re no one to talk, you hypocrite.
When someone camps in Beacon Hill Park
anywhere near your place, you get twitchy
and go all shoot-to-kill.”
38 March 2011 • FOCUS

“
…the people who move here pay a premium to live
here. They want the simple quiet civility of a single
family neighbourhood.”
—John Foxgord
Okay, okay, I admit everything. But look, if Oak Bay estimates that
there are 800 illegal suites already, you may safely double the number
to get at the true math, since there is a universal condition of “Don’t
Ask, Don’t Tell” concerning illegal secondary suites. Everyone
knows it’s rampant; everyone pretends it doesn’t exist. Neighbours
don’t rat on neighbours either because they imagine their turn requiring
a mortgage-helper may come some day, or because they don’t want to
come home to find their corgies poisoned.
Now, the prevalence of extra-legal secondary suites raises some interesting
questions about the Big Three: Noise. Parking. Ambience. Let’s
take them in order. There’s the open-ended issue of noise—specifically,
what noise might someone living in a secondary suite make that someone
living in a single-family house wouldn’t make Do they slurp their
vichyssoise Laugh too fulsomely whilst reading Thackeray I want to
keep an open mind here, but I just don’t get it, unless it’s that secondary
suites represent a threat to absolute silence, or to some mystical hum
or emanation produced only by single-family neighbourhoods.
Regarding parking, it seems to me that once you leave the absolute
jungle frenzy of Oak Bay Village where cars chivvy about like rhinos at
the watering hole, and where on occasion I have seen people race for
parking spots in front of Athlone Court at the unconscionable speed of
nine km/hr, things become quite manageable on Oak Bay’s side streets.
But in the interests of disclosure I acknowledge that when someone parks
in “my parking space” at the curb in front of my building, I have to handcuff
myself to the radiator so I don’t leave a spluttering note on the
transgressor’s windshield. So I’m prepared to give a little on this one.
But ambience…that’s the biggie. Atmospherics covers a lot of territory,
and I would wager that this is what all the fuss is about. As Alan
Foxgord notes above: “…the people who move here pay a premium to
live here. They want the simple quiet civility of a single family neighbourhood.
To have such a broad and sweeping change disrespects that premium.”
Honestly, Mr Foxgord is defending a vision of invested-in propriety.
He’s defending civility. He and the other knights of FOBN are pledged
to defend “the premium.”
The holy premium—a noble quest.
Who amongst us can claim that he or she is immune to the charms
of Oak Bay, or the mysteries of a perfected life that it promises Side
street after side street of beautiful, well-tended homes. Landscaping
taken to the level of manicure. The sheer good manners of these entire
neighbourhoods. The sense that all is well with the world or, at least,
that Chaos and Ruin have been fought to a draw at the borders…kept
at bay outside Oak Bay.
Let he who is free from Alan Foxgord cast the application for the
first (legal) secondary suite.
Gene Miller is the founder of Open
Space Arts Centre, Monday Magazine,
and the Gaining Ground Sustainable
Urban Development Summit.
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earview mirror
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Time marches on
DANDA HUMPHREYS
A clock hangs as a reminder of conflict between citizens
and City council around downtown development.
On March 13, clocks spring forward again as we rush headlong
toward summer. In downtown Victoria we have several public
clocks, including some that show the time on all four sides.
The most titillating of these timepieces—suspended from the ceiling
of our major downtown shopping mall—“comes of age” this year.
Before personal wristwatches and pocket watches were commonplace,
public clocks were the most reliable way to tell the time. Many
downtown businesses featured them in their façades. Others stood on
sidewalks. The magnificent clock hanging above the entrance to C.
E. Redfern, Jewellers, which operated on the 1000 block of Government
Street in the late 1800s, is clearly visible in archival photos of that thoroughfare.
Two original cast iron-based sidewalk clocks stand to this
day, one at the Government Street entrance to Bastion Square, the other
beside the Broughton Street premises of Francis Jewellers.
Charles Redfern, who arrived in Victoria in 1862, became our 15th
mayor in 1883. Over the next 16 years of re-election and defeat, he
served our city well, helping to create good roads, a more adequate water
supply, and better sewerage. Concerned that our new City Hall
(1878) lacked a visible timepiece, and that no local clock-makers had
the necessary expertise, Redfern arranged for one to be made-to-measure
in England. It took a while, but the clock mechanism and four 2.5-metre
dials, made by Gillett & Johnson of Croydon, Surrey, and a 2170-pound
bell were finally installed in the City Hall clock tower in 1891.
Redfern died in 1929, a good half-century before a proposed major
development just north of his Government Street store created a controversy
the likes of which Victorians had never seen. At its centre was
Toronto-based building giant Cadillac Fairview, which planned to create
a major shopping mall similar to its 1970s Toronto and Vancouver
properties in partnership with the T.E. Eaton Co.
The developers presented a proposal that purported to solve all
our downtown business woes, then sat back and waited for permission
to proceed. But they had not reckoned with Victoria’s heritage
groups and concerned citizens, who countered with a spirited “Thanks,
but no thanks!”
It wasn’t the shopping mall they were concerned about; it was the
11 heritage structures dating from the 1880s through 1920s that would
be demolished to make way for its creation. “Our heritage is not for
sale!” declared the Hallmark Society, calling upon the mayor and council
to designate the façades of the registered buildings, and urging citizens
to write to the president of Eaton’s in Toronto.
In the face of increasing pressure, Cadillac Fairview agreed to reconstruct
the façades of the buildings concerned. These included
David Spencer’s Arcade Building as well as the Kresge Building,
Victoria Theatre, Driard Hotel, R. Lettice Painters, Goodman and
Jordan Piano Makers, Winch Building, and the Times Building. By
Christmas 1986, the City had given its blessing to the $1 million
development, and the aforementioned buildings disappeared in a
huge pile of rubble. When it was cleared, the new structure reigned
supreme. However, promises to reconstruct façades using original
materials were not fulfilled, because the old bricks did not meet newer
40 March 2011 • FOCUS

Focus presents: Victoria Hospice
ADVERTISEMENT
Pooling together for Victoria Hospice
by Shari Bakker
The Bay Centre’s clock.
building code standards. Instead frontages were replicated with new
brick façades. “Faux history” was here to stay.
The new Eaton Centre could be accessed from Government and
Douglas streets, and via the former Broad Street pedestrian mall that
once connected Fort and View streets. Officially opened in 1990, the
structure included 300,000 bricks, 15,000 bolts, 18,000 light bulbs,
198 kilometres of electrical wire, 2.1 million pieces of ceramic tile, 10
elevators, 16 escalators, and—suspended from the ceiling near the mall
entrance to the Eaton’s store—a handsome four-sided timepiece.
On two sides, large clock faces displayed local “Victoria time” and
the words, “Victoria Eaton Centre Grand Opening 1990.” Smaller
clock faces on the other two sides displayed the time in other world
cities and centres, above the strangely Imperial-sounding slogan
“Westward the course of Empire goes forth.”
Eaton’s may have won the battle but they definitely lost the war.
Seven years after opening Victoria’s downtown mall, the company
declared bankruptcy. Soon, the signs outside were changed to read The
Bay Centre, a reflection of its new ownership and a seemingly suitable
reminder that the complex stands across from the location of the original
Hudson’s Bay Company fort.
Time marches on. Inside the building today, most shoppers don’t
even see the clock, its chimes nothing more than a temporary fleeting
distraction from their purchasing pursuits. But for many of us, the clock
is a symbol—a reminder of a time when, just as they do to this day,
concerned citizens threw their collective efforts into trying to save part
of our precious heritage.
Danda Humphreys has written several books about
Victoria’s earlier days. www.dandahumphreys.com
Valerie Weeks’ nieces Claire Honda (left) and Cassandra Florio (centre) and
their friend Kiko Nakata (right).
The annual BMO Swimathon for Victoria Hospice is more than a fundraiser.
Beyond the fun activities in the pool and the pledges collected, the event is
also a way for families and friends to connect, remember loved ones and
express their gratitude for the care they received from Victoria Hospice.
Valerie Weeks has been participating in Swimathon for over 10 years as a member
of her family team “Charlies’ Angelfish” and confirms this:
“Our family was very fortunate and grateful that our mother, Sonia
Weeks, was cared for in her final weeks at Victoria Hospice in 2001.We
had just lost our father, one month prior to our mother’s death, and we
were all feeling vulnerable and lost.The hospice became a wonderful home
for our family and friends. Most of all, it provided our mother with a
place of calm, care and support—in every way—as she tried to come to
terms with her terminal illness and her husband’s recent death.At Victoria
Hospice we could be together as a family—without the anxiety of care
issues.We had meaningful and positive interactions with all the staff
and volunteers.We were truly moved by the gentle and compassionate
care we all received. Our mother’s final peaceful days were a true gift to
our whole family.
“Following my mother’s death, we wanted to give back to Victoria
Hospice, and found the Swimathon event to be the perfect fit for us. Since
2001, May has become a special month for us as we plan for the trip over
and our day at the pool.We live in Vancouver,so joining in Swimathon has
allowed us to be a part of the Victoria community and the hospice group
in a way that a simple monetary donation could never do.We have enjoyed
the tremendous volunteer presence, the community business sponsors,
and the family-friendly pool—it is a wonderful partnership. Our friends
and colleagues willingly pledge their support every year—knowing that
they are helping us ensure other patients and their families receive compassionate
care at the end of life.We look forward to joining Victoria Hospice
for Swimathon again this May!”
Last year,165 Swimathon participants on 22 teams raised $116,500 for Victoria
Hospice.This entertaining event attracts swimmers and team-mates,volunteers and
spectators ranging in age from 1 to 70 from all walks of life. All funds raised are
used to help Victoria Hospice provide specialized end-of-life care programs.
This year’s BMO Swimathon for Victoria Hospice takes place on
Saturday, May 21 at Commonwealth Pool. If you would like to register
a team or pledge your support, please call or go online.
Photo:Tracy Harpr, It’s You Photography
Victoria Hospice • 250-952-5720
Give online at www.VictoriaHospice.org
March 2011 • www.focusonline.ca
41

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The whales, the minister, and MacDuffee
Southern resident orcas are set to swim
back into Canadian and US courts this
spring with the hopes of jumping two
major legal hoops that could finally protect
the marinescape for these endangered species.
The Canadian courts are reconvening after
the federal fisheries minister launched an
appeal against Justice James Russell’s historic
ruling in December 2010. That ruling said it
was unlawful for the minister to exercise
discretionary powers regarding the protection
of critical habitat under the Species At
Risk Act (SARA).
Meanwhile, across the border, the US
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) has begun holding hearings into
safety precautions around captive orcas,
following last year’s
death of trainer Dawn
Brancheau. Brancheau
was dragged into the
water by Tilikum, the
same whale who killed
Kelsie Burns at Sealand
here in Victoria in
1992. An October 2010 investigation found
the marine park of SeaWorld Orlando had
wilfully exposed employees to life-threatening
hazards when interacting with orcas.
The spring hearings may well impact the future
viability of orcas in aquariums, and thereby
have consequences for the multi-billion dollar
industry that keeps them there. They may also
improve Orca Lab’s bid to retire L Pod’s
“Lolita” back to her home in the Salish Sea,
after 40 years of jumping hoops in small tanks.
Two Victoria women are helping to lead the
charge and raise awareness around each of
these historic appeals.
Taking on the federal fisheries minister
in the Canadian courts with Ecojustice lawyer
Margaret Venton, and backed by eight other
ENGOs, is applicant Misty MacDuffee of
Raincoast Conservation Foundation
(www.raincoast.org).
MacDuffee, a long-time campaigner and
researcher on salmon, bears and whales, has
been blogging about the case from the original
court hearings last summer to the appeal
this spring. MacDuffee states: “We were
arguing—as did the scientists who made the
BRIONY PENN
With feds like these, who needs enemies
THE WHALES ARE EVIDENTLY
up against meddling at the highest
political level, with politicians
who ignore their own scientists’
definitions and recommendations.
natural relations
recommendations to government—that the
threats to habitat need to be addressed if we
are to put the whales on the road to recovery.
We also argued that the federal Species at Risk
Act obliged the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans
to do this.”
When Justice Russell ruled in their favour,
MacDuffee says that they felt vindicated in
their persistence to get the minister to follow
the letter of his own law. The December ruling
stated that “the minister of fisheries and oceans
erred in law in determining that the critical
habitat of the resident killer whales was already
legally protected by existing laws of Canada.”
He also ruled that it was unlawful of the minister
to have excluded other elements of the definition
of “critical habitat” from the scope of
the Protection Order.
“Critical habitat” had
been defined by the
minister’s own scientists
as not only the
geographical location,
but the availability and
quality of their food
and acoustic environment, yet the minister
had not encouraged his staff to implement the
act correctly.
As MacDuffee wrote in her blog, “They [the
minister and his office] first attempted to
remove and dismiss the key elements of critical
habitat in the recovery strategy. When that
ultimately failed, they then interpreted their
legal responsibility to protect habitat by stating
that voluntary guidelines and non-binding or
discretionary laws and policies were good
enough. When that too was challenged, they
issued an ‘order’ to protect habitat. But the
order fails to address the declining food supply,
the water quality, and the noise pollution that
are causing the problem.”
As soon as Justice Russell’s ruling was out on
these two counts, the minister appealed the first
decision, i.e., that it is unlawful to use discretion
in implementing the Species at Risk Act.
MacDuffee points out two potential implications
should the minister win the appeal.
“First…it will set a dangerous precedent of a
political appointee being able to decide whether
or not they want to protect not just the orcas,
but any endangered species.” The second
42 March 2011 • FOCUS

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by Mollie Kaye
worrying element, she says, is the degree of
ongoing political interference in all aspects of
enforcing this act. MacDuffee notes, “As the
key arguments were put forward, we all wondered,
including the judge as indicated in his comments,
what on Earth we were all doing here The law
is very clear. In Section 58(5) of the Species
At Risk Act it states that legal protection of critical
habitat for aquatic species is mandatory.
Why did we have to bring the minister to a
courtroom to get him to do his job”
Justice Russell’s 127-page ruling bears
reading in full for its critique of the minister
for ostensibly wasting court time and public
resources. “[161] Given the level of agreement
on the merits of the Protection Order
Application, the Court cannot help but wonder,
why it has been resisted on technical grounds,
and why the Respondents do not think the
courts should deal with it. Had the Respondents
clarified their agreement on the definition of
critical habitat and corrected the relevant
public documentation, where a different interpretation
is evident, or at least possible, the
Protection Order Application need never have
come before the court.”
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans
were contacted with two simple questions:
Why is the Minister appealing And what is
his response to the comment made by Justice
Russell that the case need never have come
before the court Finally, after a week, a statement
was released that since the appeal is
before the courts, it would be inappropriate
to comment.
The whales are evidently up against meddling
at the highest political level, with politicians
who ignore their own scientists’ definitions
and recommendations.
In an upcoming month, I’ll report on the
results of the minister’s appeal, the US hearings
around captive whales and the Victoria
woman who is an advocate in that campaign.
www.focusonline.ca • March 2011
Writer and artist Briony
Penn is working with the
nonprofit sector on making
a carbon economy work
for the conservation of
nature.
When it comes to landscaping,
the approach that leads to the
healthiest plants, the lowest
maintenance costs,and the most beautiful
results is the simplest one:create a balanced
ecosystem, breaking the cycle of dependence
on chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
Of course,this approach requires extensive
knowledge of soil, micro-organisms, and
horticulture—and just like naturopaths,
who are shifting our paradigm away from taking a
longer and longer list of pills to cure our ills, educated
landscaping professionals are blazing the trail to simple,
radiant health for our plants and our planet.
“When I began my landscaping career,”says Colin
Eaton,owner of SouthIsland Landscaping,“the available
method to feed flower beds,lawns,and trees was
to use different formulas of fertilizer for different plants
and seasons. I had bags and bags of nitrogen, phosphorus
and potassium—mixing it all up, I felt more
like a chemist then a horticulturalist,” he admits. “I
was not getting the healthy results I wanted,and there
was a seemingly endless cycle of tackling major recurring
problems rather than providing easy, periodic
maintenance of a healthy, thriving landscape.”
An opportunity to educate himself in organic
gardening and landscaping practices transformed his
approach and brought him the outcomes he was
looking for. “Through those teachings, I now have
knowledge that has led to results which have been
amazing on many levels,”Colin enthuses.“Instead of
focusing on feeding the plants,my focus is now on the
life of the soil, the ecosystem within it, and the steps
necessary to support that life.That ‘soil food web’ is
what supports a healthy plant.Knowing this changed
our practices instantly.”
“Out went the synthetic fertilizers, and in went
proper landscaping practices,” Colin continues. “By
inspecting the soil and learning what it lacks,whether
that be sand, silt, clay or organic materials, we can
Jean and Barry Anderson’s newly-landscaped garden.
Colin Eaton
correct the underlying problem that causes
poor plant health.We no longer spread
toxic chemicals that will find their way into
our waterways, and I no longer have to
worry about exposing my crew,my clients,
or their pets to toxic chemicals.Best of all,
these simple,holistic practices have resulted
in healthier plants and flower beds that
require far less manual intrusion,meaning
less cost to the client.”
Colin and his crew transformed Jean and Barry
Anderson’s waterfront property. “We had an ugly,
1950s yard,” Jean says of the plight of their plot
before SouthIsland Landscaping came in to work
their magic, creating an oasis-like jewel for them to
enjoy.“Colin is very conscientious; it was all done to
perfection.The soil was tested and replenished with
everything required for things to grow.” Jean says
that having the proper foundation of conditioned soil
and optimal plant layout has created a thriving system
that requires less maintenance, resulting in lower
costs. “Now it’s not that much work to look after,”
she says, “and everyone in the neighbourhood is
always commenting on how nice it is.”
Certified in both Ecological Landscape Design and
designated as an Organic Land Care Professional through
the Society of Organic Urban Land Care, Colin has
the expertise to guarantee the best possible results for
your property.“When things are properly balanced,the
organisms in the soil will supply the plants with the
nutrients they need.Nature takes care of it,”he explains.
“Healthy plants mean a healthy client,”he adds,emphasizing
our vital relationship to the natural world.“The
energy that radiates from a healthy plant is just amazing.
I want all of my clients to enjoy more of that.”
Photo:Tony Bounsall
Colin Eaton
SouthIsland Landscaping
250-590-5808
www.southislandlandscaping.com
43

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“They put me in this dark little room”
It was a very unusual way of discussing power
and discrimination. And it left me thinking
we should be doing it more.
After lunch in a lounge for about a hundred
people during the University of Victoria’s
recent Diversity Conference, we prepared to
hear actors recount true experiences of an
anonymous UVic female custodian, Aboriginal
technical worker, black office worker and
student, and female sessional instructor.
During introductory remarks, the co-directors,
theatre PhD candidate Will Weigler and
educational psychology instructor Catherine
Etmanski, explained that the project had
hatched out of a growing awareness that
UVic’s own challenges in achieving a healthy,
diverse workplace for its non-faculty staff
are rarely openly discussed.
“Their experiences of what happens is, as
they say, where the rubber meets the road,”
Weigler observed. “So we thought, how can
we create an opportunity for their voices to
be heard”
They decided upon “métissage.” This
experimental communication form, literally
meaning “mixed-blood” from the same
Latin root as Métis, gathers personal stories
to help draw linkages between different
cultures, identities, races and genders.
Weigler and Etmanski added a formal twist
by having the actors interrupt each other
often, to create even more juxtapositions
that might reveal connections and parallels
between the stories.
It sounded esoteric—until we watched how,
in mean-spirited janitorial conflicts, stodgy
faculty meetings, affirmative action arguments,
and awkward classes, similar feelings of humiliating
disempowerment kept arising:
“Two men, I didn’t have any idea who they
were, proceeded to scold me as if I were a child,
about how if the building was not kept clean,
it would start to look like a dog’s breakfast.”
“It was the same group of usual suspects in
the meeting, all men—a sea of suited men
with greying hair. All senior members of the
faculty, all convinced that they didn’t need
any opinions from me.”
And we heard repeatedly about the unsettling
experience of being displayed as different,
or ignored as different:
ROB WIPOND
Métissage creates a stirring view of our shared oppression.
in context
“I am a member of Designated Group:
‘Aboriginal Peoples: 04: Semi-Professionals
and Technicians’... I am helping to fill a deficit
of Aboriginal staff.”
“Everyone in the class would quietly stare
at me waiting for [my perspectives] as the only
visible minority there.”
Trivial acts like calling someone “dear,”
using insider terminology, or chatting about
golf started to look like stark symbols of power
and exclusion when we spotted them popping
up in countless social situations like secret
handshakes. Forms of oppression emerged
again and again, like a three-dimensional picture
becoming visible within an apparently chaotic
matrix of coloured dots.
Meanwhile, the unaffected, openly vulnerable
manner in which the actors spoke served
as a model for the audience discussion that
followed, which revealed similar commonalities
in people’s stories.
A Latina woman described how she’d struggled
in class until the professor had loudly
insisted she stop apologizing for her accent
because “it’s part of who you are.”
A Philippine immigrant described her children’s
long process of overcoming their cultural
displacement to build friendships.
An Aboriginal elder then stood and told of
one day long ago in a Cowichan community
centre steam room when a man had said,
“Something smells really bad in here...” and
then had prompted everyone to look at him.
“It scared me to death,” the elder said. His
feelings had gone reeling into memories. “It
brought me back to this young boy, six years
old, taken away to a residential school.” He’d
cried so much, so often, he said, “They put
me in this dark little room all by myself. And
I was so petrified, when I wanted to go to the
bathroom, I peed myself.” Being stared at by
everyone in the steam room as if he smelled,
he said, “took me back to that place.”
After years of reconnecting with his culture,
he’d healed that boy, he said. He then took up
his drum and asked us to listen for the “powerful
echoes” of the words we’d all been sharing.
After his story and song, which lasted over ten
minutes, the room was silent for a long time.
Then a black man who worked at UVic and
had lived in South Africa under apartheid spoke.
44 March 2011 • FOCUS

classifieds
THIS EXPERIMENTAL communication
form, literally meaning
“mixed-blood” from the same Latin
root as Métis, gathers personal
stories to help draw linkages between
different cultures, identities, races
and genders.
“I’m just so touched inside me... I realize
that somehow there must be some kind of a
safe place here. It might not be even the room,
it might be that this event and this presentation
created this feeling and this realization
that we can be safe and talk about what really
matters to us.”
As he described his own observations of
our underlying commonalities of experience,
I noticed how discrimination was taking
on cross-cultural, even archetypal dimensions.
Feelings of elemental fear, vulnerability,
or anger at being treated like a powerless
child or animal recurred regardless of whether
the discrimination involved gender, sexuality,
class, race or disability.
I also pondered how differently this was
unfolding compared to what normally
happens during audience discussions after
a play, film or presentation, when even brief,
personal digressions are generally regarded
as mere annoyances.
In discussion with me later, Weigler
pointed out that’s the very goal of métissage—to
nurture stronger respect for how
the thread of each person’s story adds something
vital to the fabric of collective
understanding. And politically speaking,
he argued, its ability to help display our
essential interconnections, regardless of
the differences in our separate experiences,
makes métissage “a wonderful tool for
building allies.”
After that experience, it was easy to agree.
Rob Wipond is becoming
increasingly interested in
hearing about creative ways
of communicating. He can
be communicated with at
rob@robwipond.com.
To advertise in the classifieds call 250-388-7231 or email focusclassifieds@shaw.ca
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art: portraits, instruction, studio tours
EVA CAMPBELL, VISUAL ARTIST. Paintings, portraits,
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psychics & readings
CHRISTINA ANGUS PSYCHIC MEDIUM as seen on
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Call 250-388-7231 for info on advertising.
www.focusonline.ca • March 2011
45

finding balance
This past month, each person
in the Greater Victoria area
has, on average, walked
just under 10 kilograms of food
waste to the curb. That’s the equivalent
of every person having put
two 10-pound bags of potatoes
in the garbage. Or to put it yet
another way, every day another
140 tonnes of residential food
waste is trucked to the Hartland
Landfill. According to my middle
school math, that translates into
almost 31,000 bags of potatoes.
Now picture all those heavy
garbage trucks delivering all those
spuds to the landfill. Every day.
And imagine also that for every
truckload of potatoes through
the Hartland gates, two trucks of
other residential garbage also
come by to dump a load. No
wonder our landfill is forecast to
be full in 24 years.
That’s a big headache for the
CRD, which intends to ban kitchen
organics from Hartland by the end
of 2013. Right now it looks as if
the most likely fix is a curbside
pickup exclusively for kitchen
waste. It won’t be cheap, given that a fleet of trucks will have to be bought
or retooled for that purpose, and the organics will have to go to some
yet-to-be-built facility for composting. There’ll be resistance for other
reasons as well: The perceived inconvenience, the dogged concerns
about odours and rodents (even though food waste in a tightly covered
compost bin is at least as protected as food waste in the garbage can),
and the fact that—let’s be honest—we’re a little grossed out by food
gone bad and would rather not see it again after we throw it out.
But food waste is not garbage and our particular circumstances here
on the island require that we begin seeing it as a valuable resource for
our own gardens. With spring in the air, now would be a good time
to think about diverting at least some of the kitchen scraps to the backyard
(or balcony) garden, which is perpetually thirsting for more
nutrition. You don’t need any fancy gear or compost bins, you can easily
avoid attracting vermin, and on a day-to-day basis it won’t take longer
than it would to put your food waste in the garbage pail.
The first thing you need is an easy-to-clean collecting bucket with
a good lid for under the kitchen sink. Start small, with food waste that
won’t quickly go to stink—orange peels, apple cores and veggie scraps.
Don’t forget coffee grinds and tea bags—tea bags will actually absorb
some of the odour.
Overcoming the fear of composting
TRUDY DUIVENVOORDEN MITIC
With the Hartland Landfill so overburdened, food waste is the next frontier.
When your bucket is full there
are a number of ways you can
proceed. For years we just dug deep
holes in the vegetable garden, threw
in the scraps and covered them
over. The beauty of this little system
is that the food waste and odours
are instantly gone, and the rotting
compost leaches into the soil and
perks up the plants whenever we
water the garden. The scraps rot
amazingly quickly and because the
holes are almost a foot deep, we’ve
not had issues with rats.
Perennial beds love food scraps
too, but it’s hard to dig holes without
damaging well-established root
systems. To feed them I moved a
few plants out of the way, dug a
hole, and half submerged an empty
five-gallon pot made of pliable
plastic, the kind that hold nursery
shrubs and most people recycle,
so watch for them at the curb in
the spring. I repacked the soil around
the pot, which will hold the compost.
The “lid” is a shallow planter that
fits inside and hangs from the rim—
old hanging baskets work well. It’s
filled with soil and planted with
lettuce or easy-care annuals. The end result is raccoon and rodent proof,
emits no odour and looks unobtrusive in the garden. We have about
half a dozen now and just keep feeding them scraps. The system works
well: We water the shallow planter, which waters the compost beneath,
which accelerates decomposition and sends the nourishing leacheate
out to the surrounding perennials. Last year I started adding fish bones
and was amazed at how quickly they decomposed without a whiff.
The Victoria Compost Centre can help you get started and offers practical
information on their website www.compost.bc.ca. Apartment dwellers
can explore countertop systems. If you like the idea but can’t do the
composting, there are innovative local companies ready to help.
Check out their websites at www.refuse.ca and www.communitycomposting.ca.
Every pound of food diverted from the landfill is a small victory for
our island. We’re part of the solution, and that’s no small potatoes.
ILLUSTRATION: APRIL CAVERHILL
Trudy Duivenvoorden Mitic has spent the last three
months hunkered down over a rewrite of one of her
earlier books, Pier 21: The Gateway that Changed Canada.
It will be released by Nimbus Publishing later this year.
46
March 2011 • FOCUS

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info@memoryclinic.ca
250-881-1145
www.memoryclinic.ca
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March 2011 • www.focusonline.ca 47