Grand Summer Fall 2019
Zoom. FaceTime. Facebook Messenger. Skype. If you are like 38 per cent of grandparents surveyed for a new study, you use video chat to communicate and stay in touch with your grandkids. In this issue, you’ll find ways to stay connected with your grandchildren and the importance of kids having their grandparents as allies. Looking for some fun things to do with your grandkids? Look no further: on the following pages you’ll find 7 things to do with your grandkids, how to keep cool in regional parks and activities this summer at Swan Lake.
Zoom. FaceTime. Facebook Messenger. Skype. If you are like 38 per cent of grandparents surveyed for a new study, you use video chat to communicate and stay in touch with your grandkids. In this issue, you’ll find ways to stay connected with your grandchildren and the importance of kids having their grandparents as allies. Looking for some fun things to do with your grandkids? Look no further: on the following pages you’ll find 7 things to do with your grandkids, how to keep cool in regional parks and activities this summer at Swan Lake.
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island<br />
GRAND<br />
parent<br />
<strong>Summer</strong>/<strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2019</strong><br />
Treats to Eat!<br />
Things to<br />
Do and See<br />
with Your<br />
<strong>Grand</strong>kids
Everything you need for back to school!<br />
Making<br />
Meaningful<br />
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IslandParent.ca<br />
<strong>Summer</strong>/<strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2019</strong> 3
<strong>Summer</strong>/<strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2019</strong><br />
TABLEOFCONTENTS<br />
5<br />
Digital <strong>Grand</strong>parenting<br />
The value of video chatting.<br />
SUE FAST<br />
6<br />
7 Things to Do<br />
with Your <strong>Grand</strong>kids<br />
<strong>Summer</strong> fun and a fall fair.<br />
8<br />
Hopscotch in the Dark<br />
An antidote to boredom.<br />
JACQUI GRAHAM<br />
10<br />
Adventures in<br />
Learning Together<br />
Make the library part<br />
of your family story.<br />
11<br />
Kids Kits to Go<br />
Special book kits for kids and family.<br />
12<br />
Sometimes the Sky is Green<br />
The importance of<br />
grandparents as allies.<br />
TIM COLLINS<br />
14<br />
Wet Feet Wet Hands<br />
Intertidal exploration.<br />
TINA KELLY<br />
16<br />
Can Praise Be Detrimental<br />
The power of words.<br />
KELLY CLEEVE<br />
18<br />
My, What Big Expectations<br />
You Have <strong>Grand</strong>ma!<br />
The little things matter.<br />
ELIZABETH OLSON<br />
20<br />
<strong>Summer</strong> Treats<br />
Helping your grandchildren develop<br />
a healthy relationship with food.<br />
STÉPHANE LAHAYE<br />
22<br />
Keeping Cool in Regional Parks<br />
Outdoor fun with your grandkids.<br />
RACHAEL TANCOCK<br />
24<br />
<strong>Summer</strong> at Swan Lake<br />
A sanctuary in the city.<br />
RENEE CENERINI<br />
26<br />
Unicorns, Fairies &<br />
Mermaids, Oh My!<br />
Fantastical summer reads.<br />
CHRISTINA VAN STARKENBURG<br />
28<br />
Let’s Rock…Hunt<br />
The Sooke to Sidney Rock Hunt.<br />
SERENA BECK<br />
30<br />
Family Matters<br />
<strong>Grand</strong>parents in Canada: the stats.<br />
On the<br />
Cover<br />
Noah (2 1 ⁄2), Logan (5),<br />
Cara Stephens &<br />
Ken Stephens<br />
Photo by<br />
Lorraine Stephens<br />
island<br />
GRAND<br />
parent<br />
Treats to Eat!<br />
Things to<br />
Do and See<br />
with Your<br />
<strong>Grand</strong>kids<br />
Jim Schneider Publisher publisher@islandparent.ca<br />
Sue Fast Editor editor@islandparent.ca<br />
Linda Frear Account Manager/Office Manager linda@islandparent.ca<br />
Kristine Wickheim Account Manager kristine@islandparent.ca<br />
Island <strong>Grand</strong>parent, published by Island Parent Group Enterprises Ltd., is a bi-annual publication<br />
that honours and supports grandparents by providing information on resources and businesses for<br />
families, and a forum for the exchange of ideas and opinions. Views expressed are not necessarily<br />
those of the publisher. No material herein may be reproduced without the permission of the Editor.<br />
Island <strong>Grand</strong>parent is distributed free in selected areas. ISSN 0838-5505.<br />
Island Parent Magazine<br />
830–A Pembroke St<br />
Victoria, BC V8T 1H9<br />
250-388-6905<br />
islandparent.ca<br />
4 Island <strong>Grand</strong>parent IslandParent.ca
Digital <strong>Grand</strong>parenting<br />
Skype. FaceTime. Facebook Messenger. Zoom.<br />
When it comes to video chatting, most grandparents, I<br />
would argue, fall into two camps: those who love it and<br />
those who don’t. Those who love it, I’d bet, are the ones who use<br />
it to help bridge the distance between themselves and far-flung<br />
family. Those who don’t are likely the ones who live close to their<br />
grandchildren and who can maintain a close relationship the oldfashioned<br />
way, face-to-face.<br />
If you are like 38 per cent of grandparents<br />
surveyed for a new study by the<br />
American Association of Retired Persons<br />
(AARP), you use video chat to communicate<br />
and stay in touch with your grandkids.<br />
“Forty-five per cent of us sometimes or<br />
often stay in touch by text,” writes Paula<br />
Span in The New York Times. “A third<br />
use email and 27 per cent use Facebook.<br />
We are becoming digital grandparents.”<br />
And that’s a good thing, she maintains.<br />
Video chatting serves a purpose, according to Dr. Dimitri<br />
Christakis, director of the Center for Child Health, Behavior and<br />
Development at Seattle Children’s Hospital. “I’m bullish on video<br />
chatting,” Christakis said in The New York Times. “It can enhance<br />
bonding and recognition.”<br />
Unlike watching TV and using other screens, Christakis says<br />
video chatting “is inherently interactive and doesn’t involve the<br />
same sped-up pace, overstimulation or passivity as, say, watching<br />
cartoons.” And unlike a phone call, it enriches conversation when<br />
our grandchildren are able to see our facial expressions—and us,<br />
theirs.<br />
“Facial expressions are incredibly important,” he adds. “It’s why<br />
we use emojis.”<br />
It goes without saying that video chatting<br />
is no substitution for seeing our<br />
grandchildren face-to-face, and being able<br />
to reach out and give them a hug or a kiss.<br />
But it’ll do in a pinch. And a squeeze.<br />
No matter how you stay connected,<br />
we hope this issue of Island <strong>Grand</strong>parent<br />
helps you enjoy your time with your<br />
grandchildren. You’ll find articles on<br />
everything from the importance of being<br />
your grandchild’s ally, whether or not<br />
praise can be detrimental, and beach exploration,<br />
to a grandparent’s expectations, summer treats, and 7<br />
things to do on the Island with the grandkids.<br />
Just like the time you spend with your grandchildren, we hope<br />
you enjoy every minute—and every page—of Island <strong>Grand</strong>parent.<br />
Creating<br />
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be happy to assist you with an appointment<br />
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Mon – Thurs: 7:30 am – 7:30 pm<br />
Fri: 7:30 am – 5:00 pm<br />
Sat: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm<br />
152 – 2945 Jacklin Road • 250-474-2296 • www.westshoredental.com<br />
IslandParent.ca<br />
<strong>Summer</strong>/<strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2019</strong> 5
7<br />
For<br />
Things to Do With<br />
Your <strong>Grand</strong>kids<br />
more ideas and a fun map of the Island, pick up a copy of the Kids Guide<br />
to Vancouver Island at Tourist Info Centres or at your local recreation centre.<br />
Kids’ Guide<br />
Attractions<br />
Activities<br />
Family Fun<br />
VANCOUVER ISLAND<br />
Sidney Spit<br />
…is a beautiful spot for a summer day trip if you want to see<br />
sandy beaches, tidal flats, salt marshes, rolling meadows, forest<br />
paths and various wildlife. Pack a picnic, your sunscreen,<br />
bathing suits and towels, and take the foot-passenger ferry<br />
from Sidney (at the bottom of Beacon Ave) to Sidney Island.<br />
For a ferry schedule and rates, visit alpinegroup.ca.<br />
Butchart Gardens<br />
…awes visitors every Saturday evening (until August 31) with<br />
a spectacular fireworks display that’ll knock your socks,<br />
er, sandals off. Then there are gardens galore along with a<br />
Children’s Pavillion and Rose Carousel. There’s a Living Fossils<br />
Walk, a Family Walk, a boat tour and Night Illuminations.<br />
You’ll also find 55 acres worth of garden paths, perfect for<br />
exploring and expending some of your grandkids’ endless<br />
energy. butchartgardens.com.<br />
Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea<br />
…is a state-of-the-art aquarium and marine learning centre in<br />
Sidney that focuses on the ecosystem of the Salish Sea. Visit the<br />
touch pools and learn about essential life forms such as algae,<br />
plankton and amazing jellies. Take part in guided tours, scavenger<br />
hunts, Tot Tuesdays, and Sea Shirt Sundays, along with other<br />
kids’ activities. salishseacentre.org.<br />
Chemainus Theatre<br />
…presents its <strong>2019</strong> Kidzplay, The Magician’s Nephew, for<br />
the young and young-at-heart. This prequel to The Chronicles<br />
of Narnia series, the literary classic by C.S. Lewis, is set<br />
in Victorian London, 100 years before The Lion, the Witch<br />
and the Wardrobe. Running Tues–Sun until August 11.<br />
chemainustheatrefestival.ca.<br />
6 Island <strong>Grand</strong>parent IslandParent.ca
Saanich Fair<br />
…is the place to “Bee” Happy on<br />
August 31, Sept 1 and 2. Drop by the<br />
Saanich Fairgrounds, where fun, food<br />
and fantastic meet. There’s a variety<br />
of things to see and do including<br />
5,000 exhibits, dog and horse shows,<br />
concessions, carnival games, live<br />
entertainment and a midway. The Fair<br />
features numerous free attractions<br />
(with entrance). Admission is $13 for<br />
adults, $8 for seniors and youth, kids<br />
6 and under are free. saanichfair.ca.<br />
Parksville<br />
Beach Festival<br />
…draws world class master sand sculptors<br />
who create incredible works of art.<br />
Sculptors have 30 hours over four days to<br />
create their masterpieces from just sand<br />
and water based on the theme “Myths<br />
& Legends.” This year’s competition and<br />
exhibition runs from 9am–9pm daily until<br />
August 16. parksvillebeachfest.ca.<br />
North Island<br />
Wildlife Recovery<br />
& Discovery Centre<br />
…invites you to take a walk on the<br />
wild side. See owls, bears, eagles,<br />
hawks, falcons, turkey vultures,<br />
ravens, a wildlife garden and more.<br />
Stroll the 8-acre park-like setting and<br />
see Vancouver Island wildlife in peaceful<br />
and rustic surroundings. Open daily<br />
for public viewing from 9am–4:30pm.<br />
niwra.org.<br />
IslandParent.ca<br />
<strong>Summer</strong>/<strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2019</strong> 7
Hopscotch<br />
recently read an article presenting the theory that grandparents who are raising<br />
I grandchildren tend to live longer.<br />
I would dispute this. In the two and a half years since my husband and I moved to<br />
the Comox Valley to be near our grandkids, we have aged noticeably.<br />
While we are not responsible for the day-to-day care of these delightful descendants<br />
we are frequently summoned for duty—for instance, when our daughter texts<br />
at 2:25 p.m. to inform us that she is unavoidably detained and could we please pick<br />
the kids up from school at 3:00 p.m., feed them a snack, and amuse them until she<br />
can collect them at 4:30 p.m.?<br />
The responsible and dedicated grandparents immediately abandon their plans for<br />
the afternoon—napping, say, or scrubbing out the recycling bin, or picking aphids off<br />
the rose bushes—to rush to the school and collect the little darlings.<br />
This is not as easy as it sounds.<br />
The first challenge is to survive the drive home. The two youngsters in the backseat<br />
are fighting over whose turn it is to play games on <strong>Grand</strong>ma’s laptop. The young teen<br />
in the front seat is complaining loudly about the “old person” music on the radio,<br />
as she changes it to her favourite pop station. The backseat argument is settled by<br />
<strong>Grand</strong>ma’s decree that today is a “no screens day” and NEITHER of them gets to use<br />
her laptop. The kid riding shotgun is informed that she has 30 seconds to return the<br />
radio to <strong>Grand</strong>ma’s classic rock station. Furthermore, everybody better pipe down or<br />
they can all get out and walk!<br />
This subdues them briefly.<br />
The seven-year-old recovers first, and regales <strong>Grand</strong>ma with a blow-by-blow description<br />
of her school day. Her memory is prodigious. In the five-minute drive home<br />
I learn more than I ever wanted to know about the habits and social interactions of<br />
second graders. Meanwhile, the other two quietly squabble about who gets to play<br />
with the cat.<br />
Snack time is complicated by the fact that the oldest is on a grain-free and dairyfree<br />
diet, the youngest will only eat rice crackers and goat cheese, and we have run<br />
out of Honey Nut Chex for the middle kid.<br />
Once they have been fed and watered, however, peace reigns. The two oldest hunin<br />
the Dark<br />
An antidote to boredom<br />
8 Island <strong>Grand</strong>parent IslandParent.ca
ker down with the cat and our collection of Calvin and Hobbes<br />
cartoon anthologies. I sigh and head for the coffee pot.<br />
Then the youngest says those three little words all grandparents<br />
dread:<br />
“<strong>Grand</strong>ma, I’m bored.”<br />
I offer suggestions: we could draw pictures, or do a jigsaw<br />
puzzle, or read another chapter of Winnie the Pooh, or pick<br />
aphids off the rose bushes…?<br />
She sighs.<br />
None of those things are INTERESTING. Then her face<br />
lights up.<br />
“I know, <strong>Grand</strong>ma! Let’s play Hopscotch in the Dark.”<br />
???<br />
I fear the worst.<br />
“Hopscotch In the Dark,” I remark calmly. “I’m not familiar<br />
with that game.”<br />
“That’s because I just made it up,” she says.<br />
In case you ever want to play Hopscotch in the Dark, here is<br />
how it goes.<br />
First, you need:<br />
• One child (hereafter referred to as Player One)<br />
• One <strong>Grand</strong>ma (hereafter referred to as Player Two)<br />
• Nine hula hoops from <strong>Grand</strong>ma’s Magic Closet (a story for<br />
another day!)<br />
• One flashlight<br />
• Three small projectiles: buttons, bottle caps, or (ideally) the<br />
beanbags <strong>Grand</strong>pa uses for juggling<br />
• A large family room<br />
Game play:<br />
1. Arrange hula hoops on the floor in a random pattern.<br />
2. Turn out the light.<br />
3. Turn on the light. The flashlight doesn’t work, and it’s<br />
scary in the dark.<br />
4. Find batteries for the flashlight.<br />
5. Turn out the light.<br />
6. Turn on the light. There are strange noises in the room.<br />
7. Eject cat from room.<br />
8. Turn out the light.<br />
9. Player One shines the flashlight on the hoops, while Player<br />
Two tosses the three objects into the hoops of her choice.<br />
10. Player Two now hops from hoop to hoop on one foot,<br />
collecting the objects, while Player One helpfully shines the<br />
flashlight into her eyes.<br />
11. Players switch roles.<br />
12. When this gets boring, move on to a variation called<br />
“Follow The Light,” in which the hopper navigates a series<br />
of long jumps, sudden turns, and switchbacks devised by the<br />
fiendish flashlight wielder.<br />
13. Continue playing until someone gets bored, or someone<br />
passes out, or Mommy arrives.<br />
14. Say goodbye to Player One and her siblings.<br />
15. Lie down.<br />
I would like to propose a new theory.<br />
<strong>Grand</strong>parents raising their grandchildren don’t live longer.<br />
It just seems longer.<br />
The Chronicles<br />
of Narnia<br />
by C.S. Lewis<br />
adapted by Melissa Young<br />
JUL 13 - AUG 11<br />
1.800.565.7738<br />
chemainustheatre.ca<br />
From alpacas to miniature goats, tropical birds and<br />
miniature pigs, we have all kinds of fuzzy, furry, feathered<br />
creatures, including a goat petting area and the famous<br />
goat stampedes. The farm is open seasonally. Please call<br />
us for dates and hours. Don’t forget your camera!<br />
Circle Drive, Beacon Hill Park 250-381-2532<br />
beaconhillchildrensfarm.ca bhcfvictoria@gmail.com<br />
Jacqui Graham has six grown kids and eight delightful grandkids age<br />
6 months to 11 years. If she had known how much fun grandkids would be,<br />
she would have had them first!<br />
IslandParent.ca<br />
<strong>Summer</strong>/<strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2019</strong> 9
Adventures in Learning Together<br />
Make the library part of your family story<br />
The Greater Victoria Public Library has put together activities you can undertake with your grandchild to<br />
develop your special bond and help set up the little one in your life for early-learning success. Choose from<br />
interactive activities and prompts for interesting conversations, inspired by favourite storybook characters,<br />
library resources and a thirst for knowledge. Take time to enjoy the magic of learning together.<br />
Around Town and on the Road<br />
Explore new neighbourhoods and visit<br />
Little Free Library boxes dotted around<br />
town (littlefreelibrary.org and victoriaplacemaking.ca/little-free-libraries).<br />
Count the books inside and talk about<br />
what you see including the design of the<br />
box and the reading material.<br />
Pop into a library branch to pick up<br />
some great books, then head to a local<br />
park. Find a bench in a beautiful spot<br />
and read together in the great outdoors.<br />
Attend a Baby Time, Storytime or<br />
other free program at your public library.<br />
Learn songs to sing, rhymes to perform<br />
and stories to enact together.<br />
Make Connections<br />
Set up one of GVPL’s StoryWalk ® kits<br />
in the backyard. Pages from a picture<br />
book are placed around the yard in a<br />
circuit. Kids and adults go from page<br />
to page in sequence, reading the book<br />
and discussing characters, illustrations,<br />
themes and vocabulary.<br />
Share books you remember from your<br />
childhood. Tell your grandchild why you<br />
loved each book, what you remember<br />
about it and why you wanted to share it<br />
with them.<br />
Get Creative<br />
Borrow a cookbook from the library,<br />
and let your grandchild select one of the<br />
desserts. Make the delicacy together; sit;<br />
enjoy; and repeat!<br />
Put on your bookface! Find a book<br />
with a face on the cover, take turns holding<br />
it in front of your faces, and take silly<br />
photos.<br />
Create a new set of illustrations for a<br />
beloved picture book.<br />
Go Digital<br />
Borrow a movie or TV show using<br />
Hoopla, a streaming service for library<br />
users. Get settled with snacks, and enjoy<br />
the show.<br />
Explore Tumblebooks or Biblioenfants:<br />
watch picture books come to life<br />
with animation, sound effects and narration.<br />
Make Believe<br />
Dress up as characters from your<br />
grandchild’s favourite story, then read the<br />
book together in costume.<br />
Have a conversation about which<br />
book characters your grandchild would<br />
like to spend the day with. What would<br />
they do? Where would they go? What<br />
would the characters say?<br />
10 Island <strong>Grand</strong>parent IslandParent.ca
Kids Kits<br />
to Go<br />
GVPL staff put together special kits of books so<br />
kids and families can explore a topic in depth.<br />
• Books to Go • Readers to Go<br />
• Stories to Go • Family Picks to Go<br />
Home Sweet Home<br />
PROFESSIONAL SOCCER LIVES HERE<br />
Books to Go<br />
Is there a Lego lover in your family? How<br />
about a fairy fanatic? An adventurous astronaut?<br />
The Kids Books to Go Bags contain 10 books on<br />
one topic to immerse your child in an engaging<br />
learning experience. From dragons and<br />
dinosaurs to princesses and pirates, the mix of<br />
non-fiction and fiction titles will appeal to kids<br />
ages five to 10 years old.<br />
Readers to Go<br />
Readers to Go provide kids learning to read<br />
in English or French with a variety of books<br />
suited to their reading development. Each bag<br />
contains an assortment of short books with<br />
controlled vocabulary and related illustrations,<br />
plus information on how you can support children<br />
learning to read.<br />
Stories to Go<br />
It’s storytime in a box. GVPL’s Stories to Go<br />
boxes are a resource for families, caregivers and<br />
early childhood educators to use with young children.<br />
These theme boxes have been designed<br />
to meet a variety of interests while helping to<br />
develop early literacy skills. Kits include books,<br />
music CDs, a rhyme booklet and puppets.<br />
Family Picks to Go<br />
With a Family Picks to Go kit, you can dig<br />
deeper into a topic with your grandchild. Choose<br />
a light-hearted kit like camping, coding or<br />
gardening; or one for more serious times, such<br />
as coping with the death of a family member<br />
or learning about truth and reconciliation. Or,<br />
choose something in between like getting ready<br />
for kindergarten or learning about puberty.<br />
These kits are based on requests from library<br />
patrons about what they’d like to see. Each kit<br />
contains seven books, making it easy for a parent<br />
or caregiver to thoroughly explore a topic with<br />
their grandchildren.<br />
For Greater Victoria Public Library’s complete<br />
list of 100 exceptional picture books for babies,<br />
toddlers and preschoolers, visit<br />
gvpl.ca/100books.<br />
Join us and experience the new<br />
Family Zone at Westhills Stadium<br />
Aug 24 - Saturday<br />
3:00 pm vs. Valour FC<br />
*grand opening<br />
Sep 4 - Wednesday<br />
7:00 pm vs. Forge FC<br />
Sep 11 - Wednesday<br />
7:00 pm vs. York9 FC<br />
Sep 14 - Saturday<br />
12:00 pm vs. FC Edmonton<br />
Oct 2 - Wednesday<br />
7:00 pm vs. HFX Wanderers<br />
Oct 19 - Saturday<br />
3:30 pm vs. Valour FC<br />
Get tickets at PacificFC.ca<br />
#ForTheIsle<br />
IslandParent.ca<br />
<strong>Summer</strong>/<strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2019</strong> 11
Send Us<br />
Your Stories!<br />
Island <strong>Grand</strong>parent is looking for<br />
articles for upcoming issues. Some<br />
of our best content comes from<br />
people just like you—Vancouver<br />
Island grandparents who are<br />
passionate about their families<br />
and are dealing with the day-to-day<br />
issues of raising grandchildren<br />
in our community. Share your<br />
experiences, your thoughts on a<br />
particular issue, your ideas on<br />
places to see or projects to do—<br />
anything related to grandparenting.<br />
Check our Writer’s Guidelines<br />
at islandparent.ca for specific<br />
information on submissions.<br />
We’d love to hear from you.<br />
Sometimes the<br />
Sky is Green<br />
I’ve never really thought about my role as a grandfather. It’s been a sort of organic<br />
growth in approach and attitude without a whole lot of planning.<br />
So, the other day when my now precocious granddaughter came upstairs and<br />
asked if she could sing a song for me, I didn’t give it much thought.<br />
I could hear my daughter calling up the stairs telling Randi that Grampa had better<br />
things to do and to stop being a pest.<br />
Pest?<br />
I wondered how anyone could consider the request to be an imposition and,<br />
turning away from my computer, I told her to go ahead.<br />
She belted out a song with the enthusiasm of Ethel Merman and the confidence<br />
of Beyoncé. When she finished she looked at me with a smile and I applauded.<br />
Oh sure, there had been a few pitchy moments in the performance, but she was<br />
happy, gave me a hug, and left.<br />
It left me thinking about what had just happened.<br />
Please email submissions to<br />
editor@islandparent.ca<br />
Randi knew that the performance hadn’t been perfect, but she also knew that<br />
there was no way on earth that I was going to be critical of her efforts.<br />
Now, make no mistake, I don’t hesitate to call my granddaughter on negative<br />
behaviours. If she sulks at her mother or rolls her eyes at the suggestion that she<br />
needs to take her school work more seriously, I will let her know, in no uncertain<br />
terms, that it’s time to shape up. I make sure she cleans up after herself and I’d have<br />
no patience for mean or unkind acts on her part, although those are few and far<br />
between.<br />
And I don’t think she should get trophies for just showing up or that she should<br />
always win. Life’s not like that and I let her know that, too.<br />
But when it comes to that other stuff, the sort of things where you’d expect your<br />
friend to be in your corner, I’m going to be there for her. Always.<br />
My approach has sometimes left my daughter frustrated and critical.<br />
“If Randi said the sky was green, you’d agree with her,” she observed one day.<br />
Randi was listening to this exchange and laughed.<br />
12 Island <strong>Grand</strong>parent
“You probably would Grampa.<br />
You’re on my side!”<br />
Maybe I’d agree that there was probably<br />
some green in the sky at times, I<br />
countered, and that it really is a matter<br />
of perception. I noted that I’d seen the<br />
sky all kinds of colours and that those<br />
colours always shifted.<br />
Sometimes it’s nice to have someone<br />
who’ll appreciate your imagination<br />
and not be judgmental of what you<br />
think, I added.<br />
None of that is a criticism of my<br />
daughter’s parenting. I know that she<br />
does the heavy lifting of raising Randi<br />
and has to deal with everything from<br />
the vagaries of wardrobe and peer<br />
pressure of what the little twerp thinks<br />
she should be wearing, to registering<br />
her for extra-curricular activities and<br />
helping her with schoolwork.<br />
This year’s theme<br />
<strong>2019</strong><br />
Jul 12 - Aug 18<br />
Parksville BC<br />
Competition Jul 12―14 (doors open to public Jul 12 @ 2 pm)<br />
Exhibition Jul 15―Aug 18<br />
Tim Hortons <strong>Summer</strong> Concert Series Jul 19―Aug 17<br />
Fri & Sat 6:30―8:30 pm<br />
Art in the Park Jul 27 & 28<br />
Coast Capital Savings Sculpture Light Up! Aug 16 & 17<br />
Quality Foods Festival of Lights Aug 17<br />
KidFest Aug 18<br />
My role is far easier.<br />
I’m the one person that Randi will<br />
always be able to count on to listen to<br />
her songs and applaud.<br />
Sometimes, I’ll sing along.<br />
I’m the person with whom she can<br />
share stories without fear that I’ll be<br />
critical of what I’ve heard and who,<br />
sometimes, will share stories in return.<br />
And I’m the guy who’ll agree that,<br />
sometimes, the sky is a little green.<br />
Tim Collins is a writer and freelance journalist<br />
living and working in Victoria.<br />
<strong>Summer</strong>/<strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2019</strong> 13
Wet Feet, Wet Hands<br />
Intertidal exploring<br />
Lettuce, cucumber, lemons, peaches, pork, fried egg, and<br />
bread—this may resemble a picnic ingredients shopping<br />
list, but they are in fact local marine species. The Salish<br />
Sea is rich with biodiversity and sea lettuce, sea cucumber, sea<br />
lemon, sea peach, sea pork, fried-egg jelly, and bread crumb<br />
sponge are all out there waiting to be spotted.<br />
As residents of this island paradise we are spoiled for choice<br />
of locations to explore. Along with some pre-planning—proper<br />
clothing, sunscreen, tide checks, and picking a location, there<br />
are things to consider upon arrival at the beach. A colleague in<br />
marine education asks students if they’d head over to a friend’s<br />
house and proceed to overturn cushions, knock over lamps,<br />
tear up stuffed animals, and throw food wrappers on the floor;<br />
their answer is always no. The point of course is to make a parallel<br />
with visiting a beach countless animals call home. These<br />
tips will help you explore while minimizing your impact on the<br />
intertidal environment.<br />
Be prepared. Along with the pre-planning tips noted above,<br />
one essential piece of preparedness is footwear. Sand can suck<br />
off flip flops, exposed toes will lose in a battle against barnacles,<br />
and rocks are often more slippery than they appear.<br />
Take a book, a guide book. Even experts come across surprises<br />
and species they’re not familiar with; a good field guide<br />
will help you identify animals and algae on the spot.<br />
Stay low. How far down are you willing to jump or fall?<br />
Dropping an animal from your standing position is a monumental<br />
distance for most creatures. A quick scuttling shore crab<br />
held in non-confident hands can result a long and dangerous<br />
drop for the animal. Stay squatting near the ground.<br />
14 Island <strong>Grand</strong>parent IslandParent.ca
Stay where you are. Staying where you are with feet firmly<br />
planted in place reduces the risk you’ll slip and fall but also<br />
prevents an animal from tumbling out of your hands. It also<br />
avoids the question, “where did I find it?”, when it’s time to<br />
put the animal back. Find something cool? Call others over to<br />
you instead of moving the animal.<br />
Hands clean and wet. Rinse the palms of your hands clean<br />
of sunscreen and keep them wet for touching or holding animals.<br />
Intertidal creatures without shells or other hard protective<br />
coverings need to remain wet. Some fish have a protective<br />
coating that can be damaged by holding them with dry hands.<br />
Return it. Animals living under a rock are adapted differently<br />
than animals adhering to the top of that same rock; it’s<br />
important to pay notice to where the animal was found and<br />
place it back in the habitat you found it in. When turning rocks<br />
over, choose rocks small and light enough you can roll it gently<br />
towards you and after a good look, carefully roll it back into its<br />
original position while watching out for the creatures and your<br />
fingers.<br />
Be gentle. To withstand wave action and protect themselves<br />
from predators, many rocky shore animals adhere tightly to the<br />
shoreline. If an organism is attached after a gentle touch, leave<br />
them be and simply observe. When holding an animal, the 10<br />
second rule is best; count one thousand one, one thousand two,<br />
and so on until reaching 10 which is your cue to return it.<br />
Patience. Camouflage is one of the best ways to survive in<br />
nature so at first glance you may see little to nothing at all; remain<br />
still and let your eyes adjust to the location. Your incoming<br />
movement and shadow may have sent species scurrying but<br />
as you stay still, a tidepool can start to come alive.<br />
Look up and out. Fascinating beach finds aren’t only at your<br />
feet. Survey the landscape by looking up and out; there is the<br />
chance to see seals, sea lions, whales, birds and more.<br />
Pack it in, pack it out. Remember to take all of your belongings<br />
with you when you leave, including garbage and recycling.<br />
Take 3 for the sea. You’ve learned a few things, snapped<br />
some pictures, returned everything as you found it, and left no<br />
trace, but before you turn on your heals and head home, take<br />
three for the sea. Take three for the sea is a new spin on the<br />
old adage, “leave a place better than you found it.” If we all<br />
picked up three pieces of trash from the sidewalk, park, beach,<br />
or anywhere, we’d make a huge difference on the health of our<br />
environment.<br />
Write a shopping list, make a picnic and head to the beach to<br />
explore. Perhaps you’ll find a sea lemon while sipping lemon water<br />
or spot a sea cucumber after munching a cucumber sandwich.<br />
Tina Kelly is the Director of Learning at the Shaw Centre for the<br />
Salish Sea.<br />
IslandParent.ca<br />
<strong>Summer</strong>/<strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2019</strong> 15
Can Praise Be Detrimental?<br />
How can praise possibly be a bad thing? I asked<br />
myself this question as I began my research into<br />
the nature of praise. As a teacher and a mother, I<br />
am constantly aware of the power of my words and<br />
their impact upon young minds and self-esteem.<br />
I do believe that praise needs to be earned (kids<br />
can tell when it is unwarranted). And I am<br />
quick to provide positive feedback when a<br />
child puts forth great effort or has a creative<br />
idea. However, what I am learning is that the<br />
praise we offer our children can affect how<br />
they feel about their ability to learn.<br />
In my classroom, I would often offer praise<br />
such as, “What a beautiful drawing!” or “You<br />
did a fantastic job on your writing assignment!”<br />
With my own children, I may have said, “What a great<br />
goal that you scored!” or “You are so smart!” The most<br />
common phrase in both my classroom and in my home<br />
was, “I am proud of you.” This all sounds wonderfully<br />
encouraging, doesn’t it? However, I was making a mistake.<br />
Perhaps it is a mistake that many of you are unwittingly<br />
making too.<br />
The praise that I offered was based on a final product,<br />
on a mastered talent or skill. It reinforced the idea that chil-<br />
16 Island <strong>Grand</strong>parent IslandParent.ca
dren are “good” at something, and when<br />
you are good at one thing, inevitably, you<br />
must be “bad” at something else.<br />
When adults praise this way, it gives<br />
the impression that talents are fixed. If a<br />
child struggles with something or experiences<br />
a failure, the implication is that<br />
they must be bad at it. For example, if a<br />
child receives a poor score on an assignment<br />
at school, they may not attribute<br />
this failure to lack of effort or preparation,<br />
but may believe it is because they<br />
are “bad” at that subject. This leaves no<br />
room for motivation to improve or try<br />
again.<br />
What I have learned is that we should<br />
be praising effort and progress. We can<br />
praise a child’s critical thinking or problem<br />
solving strategies. Imagine the impact<br />
of your words if you praised a child’s<br />
persistence and determination in a moment<br />
of struggle. “I admire how you keep<br />
trying different strategies to solve that issue.”<br />
“I notice that you never give up!” If<br />
we praised acts of kindness and empathy,<br />
how would this affect the behaviour of<br />
our children? Perhaps we should shift our<br />
focus to highlighting our children’s character,<br />
rather than their accomplishments.<br />
I no longer offer the statement, “I<br />
am proud of you.” to my students or<br />
my children. This implies that children<br />
should strive to make me proud. It is a<br />
source of external motivation, when what<br />
we are truly seeking is for our grandchildren<br />
to be intrinsically motivated to learn<br />
and improve. Now, I offer the thought,<br />
“You should be proud of yourself.” What<br />
a powerful shift. Children know that<br />
they have the ability to work hard and to<br />
succeed. They are not in comparison to<br />
other children, only to their own progress<br />
and growth. They should not strive to<br />
earn the approval of the adults around<br />
them, but to be the best version of themselves.<br />
So, keep praising your grandchildren,<br />
but perhaps take a moment to be mindful<br />
of what it is you are choosing to reward.<br />
Accomplishments may come and go, but<br />
the character of who our grandchildren<br />
are becoming and their values for effort<br />
and determination will carry them far in<br />
life.<br />
Kelly Cleeve is a passionate educator with<br />
14 years experience. She is a graduate student<br />
at the University of British Columbia, a wife and<br />
a mother of two beautiful boys.<br />
Island Catholic Schools<br />
Committed to educating<br />
the “whole” child in a Christcentered<br />
community of learning.<br />
Island Catholic Schools: with schools located<br />
in Victoria, Duncan and Port Alberni.<br />
For more information call 250-727-6893<br />
or visit www.cisdv.bc.ca<br />
Pick up your copy<br />
of the Island Parent<br />
Kids’ Guide<br />
Attractions,<br />
Activities<br />
&<br />
Family<br />
Fun<br />
on<br />
Vancouver<br />
Island<br />
Kids’ Guide<br />
Attractions<br />
Activities<br />
Family Fun<br />
VANCOUVER ISLAND<br />
IslandParent.ca<br />
<strong>Summer</strong>/<strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2019</strong> 17
My, What Big Expectations<br />
You Have, <strong>Grand</strong>ma!<br />
Another grandchild birthday approaching. I deliberate,<br />
flip-flop, buy the gift, experience buyer’s remorse, wrap<br />
tenderly, write the card (sealed with a lick ’cause a kiss<br />
won’t stick!), close eyes while paying the exorbitant parcel<br />
postage, pocket the tracking information for future reference<br />
and wait with baited breath for an acknowledgement.<br />
Silence.<br />
“Say ta,” I can still hear my own grandmother admonishing<br />
over six decades ago.<br />
In my day, we were sat down, given a blue Air Letter aerogramme,<br />
a pen, and expected to come up with a thank you letter<br />
for <strong>Grand</strong>ma. (Or rather a “merci beaucoup” letter since I<br />
spent my childhood in France!)<br />
No wait, I’m missing a step or two. First we were given a<br />
piece of lined paper and a pencil and pink eraser to practise,<br />
using cursory writing.<br />
Sometimes it could take me hours and many attempts to get<br />
the wording right and a standard of neatness with which both<br />
of my parents would be satisfied. Sometimes meals would be<br />
missed and harsh words would fly across the kitchen table.<br />
Once or twice, I even recall a friendly rap on the knuckles with<br />
the 6-inch wooden ruler. Which is probably the reason I am<br />
able to write a better-than-average letter and email to this day.<br />
No word from them just yet.<br />
I count the business days on the calendar. I check for messages<br />
on my iPhone. Soon I give up waiting and begin pontificating.<br />
Why is acknowledging with grace seemingly such a<br />
lost art these days? Do parents even teach the importance of<br />
saying or writing a simple: “thank you”? Why is saying thank<br />
you a stretch when it should be a strength? After all, “thanks”<br />
doesn’t need to be embellished with adjectives or superlatives<br />
when falling on grateful grandmother ears or eyes.<br />
I remember my dad buying my first grandson an ice cream<br />
cone on the waterfront in Nanaimo. My grandson is 19 now<br />
and I recall the scene like it was yesterday. “He didn’t thank<br />
me!” my dad reprimanded me incredulously. “Sorry Greatgrandpa!,”<br />
my grandson said, having overheard. “I was enjoying<br />
the blackberry flavour so much that I forgot!”<br />
I remember not having the words to express my own appreciation<br />
when the gift was handmade with hundred of hours of<br />
love. Like when my own mother made me a Raggedy Andy or<br />
when both my parents constructed a puppet theatre with handsewn<br />
curtains and paper mache Punch and Judy puppets.<br />
To bring clarity to this quibble of mine, I determined to<br />
18 Island <strong>Grand</strong>parent IslandParent.ca
esearch the threshold for having the<br />
grandchildren utter a simple thanks. It<br />
could even be under their breath. Maybe<br />
I could even imagine it. I certainly wasn’t<br />
holding my breath for anything stamped<br />
and in writing to pop through the mail<br />
slot.<br />
Why is saying thank<br />
“<br />
you a stretch when it<br />
should be a strength?<br />
After all, “thanks” doesn’t<br />
need to be embellished<br />
with adjectives or superlatives<br />
when falling on<br />
grateful grandmother<br />
ears or eyes.<br />
”<br />
If I got my grandsons a 3D printer<br />
would it impress them sufficiently to hear<br />
those two words? They have every electronic<br />
device imaginable. They already fly<br />
drones around the neighbourhood. I can’t<br />
afford to send them on a space trip.<br />
You know what I’ve realized? I’m<br />
through fussing about any of this! It<br />
doesn’t matter. Just as they don’t owe<br />
it to me to care what I did for a living,<br />
where their great-great-great grandparents<br />
lived or even where I went for my<br />
last cruise, it is not their job to thank me<br />
for knitting them a cardigan with sleeves<br />
way too long or getting them a hardcover<br />
they read last year.<br />
But hold on, I spot a lovely thick envelope<br />
in today’s mail. Why, it’s chock full<br />
of darling handwritten printing, crayoned<br />
drawings and inked letters from the entire<br />
family. They’ve all chimed in! A veritable<br />
feast of delicious recognition of gifts<br />
received. What on earth was I thinking.<br />
They love me! We have the best of relationships!<br />
My world is still spinning on<br />
its axis! It’s a bluebird day! I shall brew a<br />
latté and have a healthy biscuit and settle<br />
in for a delicious read. After which I’ll<br />
give them a telephone call to thank them.<br />
Ta for reading!<br />
OUR HOSPITALS ARE VITAL. OUR CAREGIVERS ARE VITAL.<br />
OUR FAMILIES ARE VITAL. OUR DONORS ARE VITAL.<br />
THIS EQUIPMENT IS VITAL.<br />
Our Vancouver Island kids are vital.<br />
Thanks to specialized caregivers and technology,<br />
98% of pediatric cases on Vancouver Island<br />
can be treated at Victoria General Hospital.<br />
Right now, its NICU and PICU are in critical need of<br />
new monitors for life-saving care.<br />
Let’s join together so that our children can continue<br />
to receive exceptional critical care here on the Island.<br />
WWW.VICTORIAHF.CA/VITALKIDS<br />
Elizabeth Olson recently retired from<br />
Galiano Island Books and spends a lot of time<br />
these days in bookstores in Sidney. Her own<br />
grandfather was a pirate who spent his retirement<br />
searching for Inca gold on Cocos Island.<br />
IslandParent.ca<br />
<strong>Summer</strong>/<strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2019</strong> 19
<strong>Summer</strong> Treats<br />
The secret ingredient of grandparent superpower<br />
Healthy Families, Happy Families<br />
Child, Youth<br />
& Family<br />
Public Health<br />
South Island Health Units<br />
Esquimalt 250-519-5311<br />
Gulf Islands 250-539-3099<br />
(toll-free number for office in Saanichton)<br />
Peninsula 250-544-2400<br />
Saanich 250-519-5100<br />
Saltspring Island 250-538-4880<br />
Sooke 250-519-3487<br />
Victoria 250-388-2200<br />
West Shore 250-519-3490<br />
Central Island Health Units<br />
Duncan 250-709-3050<br />
Ladysmith 250-755-3342<br />
Lake Cowichan 250-749-6878<br />
Nanaimo 250-755-3342<br />
Nanaimo 250-739-5845<br />
Princess Royal<br />
Parksville/ 250-947-8242<br />
Qualicum<br />
Port Alberni 250-731-1315<br />
Tofino 250-725-4020<br />
North Island Health Units<br />
Campbell River 250-850-2110<br />
Courtenay 250-331-8520<br />
Kyuquot Health Ctr 250-332-5289<br />
‘Namgis Health Ctr 250-974-5522<br />
Port Hardy 250-902-6071<br />
islandhealth.ca/our-locations/<br />
health-unit-locations<br />
A<br />
little story<br />
I’ll always remember the first<br />
time I tried dark chocolate. Until<br />
that day, I always thought that the only<br />
chocolate worth eating was milk chocolate<br />
and that dark chocolate was only<br />
a pale imitation that grown-ups were<br />
force-fed for health reasons.<br />
This all changed during a summer<br />
vacation at my grandmother’s house<br />
in my native French Alps. On a sunny<br />
afternoon my grandmother, forgetting<br />
that kids don’t usually like dark chocolate,<br />
handed me my first-ever piece of<br />
dark chocolate. I would normally have<br />
rejected the offer without thinking twice<br />
about it, but since I could so vividly feel<br />
the love and joy my grandmother had<br />
by sharing this treat with me, I had no<br />
other choice than giving it a try.<br />
To my biggest surprise, it was delightful,<br />
the intensity of the earthy, woodsy,<br />
and nutty notes took me by surprise,<br />
why did I ever eat milk chocolate before?<br />
This was over 30 years ago and I<br />
have almost never touched milk chocolate<br />
since.<br />
Thanks to my grandmother’s love,<br />
which I could so clearly feel that day,<br />
I learned to go beyond some of my<br />
preconceptions and limitations around<br />
food. My grandmother succeeded where<br />
my parents often struggled; grandparents<br />
have a superpower that parents<br />
don’t always have.<br />
How about using that superpower<br />
to teach your grandchildren lifelong<br />
skills and help them develop a healthy<br />
relationship with food! And when it<br />
comes to a healthy relationship with<br />
food, small actions can go a long way.<br />
For instance, the simple act of eating<br />
together around a table, removing distraction<br />
like TV, slowing down when<br />
eating and offering small portions could<br />
have tremendous and long-lasting health<br />
promoting impacts on your grandkids.<br />
They will cherish and aim to replicate<br />
those memories once adults. The new<br />
Canada’s Food Guide reinforces those<br />
timeless values by encouraging us “to<br />
cook more often, enjoy food, be mindful<br />
of eating habits, and eat meals with others.”<br />
A healthy relationship with food<br />
starts now.<br />
Food bonds us<br />
We forget that our best food memories<br />
are often related to a feeling, such as<br />
20 Island <strong>Grand</strong>parent IslandParent.ca
ing recipe is taken from kristenyarker.com, a local dietitian’s<br />
website. This recipe is nut-free, dairy-free, vegan, gluten-free,<br />
no-sugar-added and protein-packed with lentils and pumpkin<br />
seeds.<br />
Ingredients:<br />
1 ⁄2 cup cooked green lentils (or lentils from a can)<br />
1 ⁄2 cup of puréed pumpkin seeds<br />
1 ⁄3 cup of dry oats<br />
1 ⁄2 tsp ground cinnamon<br />
1 ⁄2 tsp vanilla extract<br />
4 dates<br />
1 ⁄4 cup of chocolate chips (optional)<br />
1 ⁄4 cup of coconut flakes, unsweetened (to roll in)<br />
a sense of peace, safety or love, more than a taste per se. This<br />
may be part of what makes our memories so magical.<br />
This idea that spoiling grandkids has more to do with undivided<br />
attention rather than a given food is very elegantly described<br />
by the ageless Proust’s madeleine, a sponge cake made<br />
of flour, butter, sugar, and eggs. Marcel Proust was a French<br />
writer who became one of the most influential authors of<br />
the 20th century. In his novel In Search of Lost Time, Proust<br />
shared this iconic memory that has since become known in<br />
psychology as a Proustian Memory. As an adult Proust described<br />
how biting into a madeleine, a simple sponge cake,<br />
could bring him back, decades earlier, to his auntie’s kitchen<br />
and how all of the sweet memories flood back in.<br />
What this story tells us is that beyond a sweet treat to spoil<br />
our beloved grandkids, we can also offer our undivided attention.<br />
Great ways to achieve such a goal is to listen louder,<br />
focus on the sharing rather than giving by baking together,<br />
for instance. Food is a fantastic tool to create sweet memories<br />
with grandparents, which is why we want to bond around<br />
food, not with food. This will help your grandkids develop a<br />
healthy relationship with food.<br />
Just like a simple reusable food container may become a<br />
grandchild’s favorite toy over some very fancy, expensive<br />
store-bought substitutes, a simple homemade dish can become<br />
a time-traveling machine that can connect grandchildren to<br />
their beloved grandparents. Who knew?!<br />
This simple act of sharing (making) instead of giving (buying)<br />
can have such a positive and long-lasting effect on your<br />
grandchildren. Cooking and baking together will not only<br />
give you an unprecedented opportunity to bond with your<br />
grandchildren, but as a bonus, you will also teach your grandchildren<br />
lifelong, transferable skills. In a food environment<br />
where take-out and convenience foods have made their way to<br />
the dinner table, learning some basic cooking skills could be<br />
one of the best long-lasting gifts a child can receive from their<br />
grandparents.<br />
Lentil Coconut Energy Bites<br />
The best way to avoid giving treats with a lot of added<br />
sugar and additives, and a great way to create memories with<br />
your grandkids, is to make the treat yourself. The follow-<br />
Instructions:<br />
Cook the lentils in a pot with water for 25–30 minutes on<br />
medium heat.<br />
In the meantime, puree ½ cup of pumpkin seeds in a food<br />
processor until smooth.<br />
Add in fresh dates and continue to purée.<br />
Once you reach a paste-like consistency, add in dry oats,<br />
cinnamon, vanilla extract and cooked lentils.<br />
Transfer into a bowl and add chocolate chips.<br />
Roll into small balls (should make about 9–10).<br />
On some parchment paper, sprinkle 1 ⁄4 cup coconut flakes<br />
and roll in the lentil coconut bites.<br />
Enjoy!<br />
Take home message:<br />
The best way to spoil your grandchildren, beyond the comforting,<br />
holiday or celebration food, is offering them your<br />
undivided attention. This is the secret ingredient that turns a<br />
regular treat into a magical homemade dish worthy of a lifelong<br />
sweet memory. So how about making treats that are a<br />
celebration of health and create bonding with your grandchildren<br />
around food, instead of with food.<br />
Stéphane Lahaye is a Dietetic Intern with Island Health. Born and<br />
raised in France’s countryside, he enjoys sharing his passion for whole<br />
and local food.<br />
IslandParent.ca<br />
<strong>Summer</strong>/<strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2019</strong> 21
Keeping Cool in<br />
Regional Parks<br />
Looking for some outdoor fun with<br />
your grandchildren? With warm<br />
weather and longer daylight, summer<br />
is an excellent time to get outside<br />
with the family and enjoy nature. Spending<br />
time with your grandchildren in<br />
natural areas enhances the whole family’s<br />
connection to nature and improves physical<br />
and mental health while creating lifelong<br />
memories. From beaches to forests,<br />
and swimming to hiking, there are many<br />
wonderful places to stay cool on sunny<br />
and warm days in the Capital Region.<br />
Plan a day with the grandkids in these<br />
spectacular regional parks!<br />
tide—to peek under the rocks. Look for<br />
marine critters, including shore crabs,<br />
hermit crabs, chitons, snails, fish and<br />
many more. Hop in the ocean for a dip<br />
to cool off, but watch out for rocks. Or<br />
you can explore the circle route trail.<br />
Head north down the user-friendly beach<br />
trail and return by way of the inland trail<br />
through the old salt marsh and backdunes,<br />
and end at the picnic area for a<br />
snack.<br />
Francis/King Regional Park<br />
Dense forest shade can also keep you<br />
cool on a hot day. Francis/King Regional<br />
Sunday or holiday Mondays from noon-<br />
4pm to check out the Nature Centre.<br />
Sooke Potholes Regional Park<br />
Sooke Potholes Regional Park is a popular<br />
freshwater swimming destination for<br />
its clear, cool waters and deep “pothole”<br />
pools. Looking for a shallow beach wading<br />
area? There are many beaches along<br />
the Sooke River, including Sand Pebble<br />
Beach, which is a short walk through the<br />
forest from parking Lot 2. This beach is a<br />
wonderful spot for a picnic and dip into<br />
the river to cool off. Feeling active? Ride<br />
the Galloping Goose Regional Trail with<br />
the family directly to the park. Don’t forget<br />
to pack drinking water.<br />
Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park<br />
Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park is a<br />
popular recreational destination area<br />
with opportunities for swimming, picnicking,<br />
walking, hiking, fishing, boating<br />
and, of course, playing! Pack a picnic<br />
and head to Beaver Beach at Beaver Lake<br />
to find a shady spot in the grass under<br />
a tree and play in the shallow water or<br />
playground. You can also check out the<br />
Nature Centre on Saturdays, Sundays<br />
and holiday Mondays from noon-4pm.<br />
Walk along the forest trails looking for<br />
butterflies, dragonflies and other insects.<br />
Hamsterly beach at Elk Lake also offers<br />
shaded areas, a sandy beach and playground.<br />
Both of these beaches are great<br />
spots to launch canoes if you’re looking<br />
to spend time on the water.<br />
Island View Beach Regional Park<br />
Nothing keeps you cool like the ocean<br />
does. Island View Beach Regional Park<br />
offers visitors a beautiful, sandy and<br />
rocky beach overlooking Haro Strait,<br />
the San Juan Islands and Mount Baker.<br />
Spend time playing in soft sand and at<br />
low tide, explore in the intertidal zone—<br />
the area between the high tide and low<br />
Park offers various trail options through<br />
dense forest ecosystems with towering<br />
trees. Enjoy the accessible Elsie/King trail<br />
with its maple trees, ferns and wildflowers.<br />
Head over to Heritage Grove to find<br />
some of the largest and oldest Douglas-fir<br />
trees in the area. Keep your eyes and ears<br />
open for red squirrels, eagles and woodpeckers.<br />
Visit this park on a Saturday,<br />
When spending time outside in warm<br />
and sunny weather, remember to prepare<br />
for sun and water safety. Pack sunscreen,<br />
hats, sunglasses, snacks and plenty of water<br />
for everyone. If you’re spending time<br />
on the water, remember to bring your<br />
beach shoes and water safety equipment,<br />
such as lifejackets and a bailer. It’s always<br />
a good idea to check park conditions<br />
and alerts prior to your visit at www.crd.<br />
bc.ca.<br />
Looking for an activity to join outdoors<br />
with the grandkids? CRD Regional<br />
Parks offers free nature outings and<br />
events for all ages. If you’re looking to<br />
explore and learn about the parks with a<br />
park naturalist, check out the nature outings<br />
and events calendar on the website<br />
at crd.bc.ca/parks-events.<br />
Rachael Tancock is a park naturalist at<br />
CRD Regional Parks.<br />
22 Island <strong>Grand</strong>parent IslandParent.ca
Trans-Canada Hwy<br />
Trans-Canada Hwy<br />
E<br />
E<br />
Cedar Hill Rd<br />
Cedar Hill Rd<br />
À¿<br />
Sooke<br />
Potholes<br />
Regional<br />
Park<br />
Kapoor<br />
Regional<br />
Park<br />
COWICHAN VALLEY<br />
REGIONAL DISTRICT<br />
Greater Victoria<br />
Water Supply Area<br />
(No Public Access)<br />
Sea to Sea<br />
Spring Salmon Regional Park<br />
Place Campground<br />
(KWL-UCHUN)<br />
Ped en<br />
Lake<br />
Sooke Potholes<br />
Provincial Park<br />
Charters<br />
River<br />
Trestle<br />
Kapoor<br />
Regional " 45<br />
Sooke Park River<br />
Regional<br />
Park<br />
Reserve<br />
Otter Point Rd<br />
Grant Rd W<br />
West<br />
" 50 " 55<br />
À¿<br />
Sooke River Rd<br />
IslandParent.ca<br />
Grass<br />
Lake<br />
Old<br />
Wolf<br />
Lake<br />
Jordan River<br />
Inset JUAN DE FUCA<br />
ELECTORAL<br />
AREA Main Map<br />
Todd<br />
Creek<br />
Trestle<br />
Sheilds<br />
Lake<br />
Ayum Creek<br />
Regional Park<br />
Sea to SeaReserve<br />
Spring Salmon Regional Park<br />
Place Campground<br />
(KWL-UCHUN)<br />
Coast Rd<br />
BC Transit Exchange or Park & Ride<br />
Campground<br />
Drinking Fountain<br />
Ferry Terminal<br />
Hospital<br />
Capital ParkingRegional District<br />
Public Toilet<br />
"<br />
Trail / Park Information<br />
Visitor Centre<br />
" Bridge / Trestle on Regional Trail<br />
Lake / Reservoir<br />
Sooke Rd<br />
Mavis<br />
Lake<br />
Crabapple<br />
Lake<br />
Greater Victoria<br />
Sooke Mountain<br />
Water Provincial Supply ParkArea<br />
(No Public Access)<br />
Sea to Sea<br />
Regional Park<br />
JUAN DE FUCA<br />
ELECTORAL" 40<br />
AREA<br />
East Sooke Rd<br />
East Sooke<br />
Regional<br />
Park<br />
Sooke Basin<br />
Jack<br />
Lake<br />
SOOKE<br />
Rd<br />
Gillespie<br />
Regional Park<br />
Regional Park Reserve<br />
Other Park<br />
Department of National Defence<br />
Drinking Water Supply Area<br />
(No Public Access)<br />
First Nation Reserve<br />
Municipal / Electoral Area Boundary<br />
Regional District Boundary<br />
Ferry Route<br />
Road<br />
Highway<br />
Overview Map<br />
E&N Rail Trail - Paved<br />
Galloping Goose - Paved<br />
Lochside Gulf Islands - Paved<br />
Inset<br />
E&N Rail Trail - To Be Completed<br />
Galloping Goose - Gravel<br />
Lochside - Gravel<br />
E&N Rail Trail Shared Route<br />
with Galloping Goose (Paved) " 10 " Galloping Goose Km Marker 5 Lochside Km Marker<br />
*E&N Rail Trail km markers to be installed upon trail completion<br />
"<br />
Regional Parks and Trails Map<br />
À¿<br />
Sooke<br />
Potholes<br />
Regional<br />
Park<br />
Sooke Potholes<br />
Provincial Park<br />
COWICHAN VALLEY<br />
REGIONAL DISTRICT<br />
BC Transit Exchange or Park & Ride<br />
Ferry Terminal<br />
CAPITAL<br />
Hospital REGIONAL DISTRICT<br />
Trail / Park Information Jordan River<br />
Inset<br />
Visitor Centre<br />
" Bridge / Trestle on Regional Trail<br />
Lake / Reservoir<br />
Ped en<br />
Lake<br />
Sooke River Rd<br />
Grass<br />
Lake<br />
Old<br />
Wolf<br />
Lake<br />
Sheilds<br />
Lake<br />
Main Map<br />
Sooke Mountain<br />
Provincial Park<br />
Mavis<br />
Lake<br />
Crabapple<br />
Lake<br />
Sooke Basin<br />
Jack<br />
Lake<br />
" 35<br />
East Sooke Rd<br />
River<br />
Trestle Sea to Sea<br />
Regional Park<br />
" 45<br />
Sooke River<br />
Regional<br />
Park<br />
SOOKE<br />
Reserve<br />
. " 40<br />
0 1 2 À¿ 4 6<br />
Kilometres Ayum Creek<br />
Regional Park<br />
DISCLAIMER Reserve<br />
This map is for general information only and may contain inaccuracies. " 35<br />
RP_Parks_Trails_Brochure.mxd I February 2018<br />
Otter Point Rd<br />
Grant Rd W<br />
West<br />
Coast Rd<br />
Campground<br />
Drinking Fountain<br />
Parking<br />
Overview Map<br />
Public Toilet<br />
" 50 " 55<br />
CAPITAL<br />
REGIONAL DISTRICT<br />
Sooke Rd<br />
Todd<br />
Creek<br />
Trestle<br />
Charters<br />
East Sooke Rd<br />
East Sooke<br />
Regional<br />
Park<br />
Gillespie<br />
Regional Park<br />
Regional Park Reserve<br />
Other Park<br />
Department of National Defence<br />
Drinking Water Supply Area<br />
(No Public Access)<br />
First Nation Reserve<br />
Municipal / Electoral Area Boundary<br />
Regional District Boundary<br />
Ferry Route<br />
Road<br />
Highway<br />
Rd<br />
East Sooke Rd<br />
Gulf Islands<br />
Inset<br />
Roche Cove<br />
Regional Park<br />
Rd<br />
Sooke<br />
Kangaroo Rd<br />
Coal<br />
" 29 Island<br />
Matthews Point<br />
Mount<br />
Gulf Islands Regional Park<br />
NORTH<br />
National Park<br />
Parke<br />
Reserve Reserve<br />
SAANICH<br />
(McDonald<br />
Regional<br />
Campground)<br />
Mill Farm<br />
SALT SPRING<br />
Park<br />
Regional<br />
ISLAND<br />
Galiano<br />
Island<br />
Park Reserve<br />
ELECTORAL<br />
" 25 AREA<br />
Mayne<br />
Salt Spring<br />
SIDNEY<br />
Island<br />
Island<br />
Victoria<br />
Prevost<br />
Salt Spring<br />
International<br />
Island<br />
Island<br />
Airport<br />
Mill Farm<br />
£¤ 17 Regional Park<br />
Coles Bay<br />
Reserve<br />
Mount Tuam<br />
Pender<br />
Regional Ecological Park<br />
Reserve<br />
Tulista Park Portland<br />
Island<br />
Reserve<br />
À¿ !8<br />
Island<br />
Cy Hampson<br />
" 20 Moresby<br />
ParkGulf Islands National Moresby<br />
Island<br />
Park Reserve<br />
Island<br />
(Princess Margaret)<br />
John Dean<br />
Provincial<br />
Park<br />
Satellite Channel<br />
Ecological<br />
Piers<br />
Reserve<br />
Island<br />
Horth Hill<br />
James<br />
Island<br />
Regional Park<br />
À¿<br />
Coal<br />
Island<br />
Centennial<br />
Park<br />
Island View Beach<br />
" 15 Gulf Islands<br />
NORTH<br />
National Park<br />
Reserve<br />
Regional Park<br />
SAANICH<br />
(McDonald<br />
CENTRAL Campground)<br />
Island View Rd Island View<br />
Beach Campground<br />
SAANICH<br />
JUAN DE FUCA<br />
" 25 £¤ 17 ELECTORAL<br />
SIDNEY<br />
Lochside<br />
AREA<br />
Victoria<br />
International Bear Hill<br />
Regional Trail<br />
Airport<br />
Regional Park<br />
Gowlland Tod<br />
Gulf Islands<br />
Provincial<br />
DND<br />
Park Coles Bay<br />
Reserve<br />
Regional Mount Work Park<br />
Tulista Park Fowler Lochside<br />
Park<br />
Regional<br />
Park<br />
À¿ " 10<br />
Park<br />
Elk/Beaver Cy Lake Hampson<br />
Lone Tree Hill<br />
Park<br />
Regional Regional Park<br />
John Dean<br />
Provincial<br />
Park<br />
McMinn<br />
SAANICH<br />
Park James<br />
Island<br />
À¿ À¿<br />
Mount<br />
Rithet's Bog " 5<br />
Centennial<br />
Douglas<br />
Park<br />
Layritz<br />
Conservation<br />
Park<br />
HIGHLANDS<br />
Park<br />
Area<br />
Francis/King<br />
Island View Beach<br />
Thetis Lake Regional Park<br />
Regional Park<br />
£¤ 17 Blenkinsop Regional Park<br />
CENTRAL<br />
Trestle<br />
Island View Rd Island View<br />
Goldstream<br />
Beach Campground<br />
Provincial<br />
SAANICH<br />
Christmas<br />
Park<br />
Hill Nature<br />
Sanctuary<br />
Knockan<br />
Hill Park<br />
JUAN DE FUCA<br />
Swan Lake<br />
LANGFORD ELECTORAL<br />
Brett Swan<br />
" À¿<br />
À¿<br />
10<br />
Trestle<br />
Lochside<br />
AREA<br />
Trestle<br />
Mill Hill<br />
VIEW<br />
Victoria<br />
Bear Hill " Cedar<br />
Mount<br />
Tillicum<br />
Hill<br />
Tolmie<br />
À¿<br />
5<br />
Regional Trail<br />
Regional<br />
ROYAL Regional " 0<br />
Park Switch<br />
Park<br />
Park<br />
Gowlland Tod Park<br />
Bridge<br />
Provincial<br />
DND<br />
Park<br />
À¿<br />
À¿<br />
Mount Wells<br />
Mount Work<br />
À¿<br />
Selkirk Fowler Lochside<br />
Regional Park<br />
Trestle<br />
" 15<br />
Park<br />
Regional<br />
" 10 Park<br />
Park<br />
OAK<br />
Elk/Beaver Lake<br />
BAY<br />
Lone Tree Hill Royal Roads<br />
£¤ À¿<br />
À¿ À¿<br />
University<br />
Regional Park<br />
Fort Rodd Hill<br />
14 Fairgrounds<br />
Luxton<br />
Regional Park<br />
Hatley Park and National Fisgard Historic Lighthouse ESQUIMALT " 0<br />
National Historic Site<br />
Sites<br />
Humpback Rd<br />
Rocky Point Rd<br />
Sooke Rd<br />
Finlayson<br />
Finlayson<br />
Arm<br />
West<br />
Happy Valley Rd<br />
DND<br />
William Head Rd<br />
Langford<br />
Lake<br />
Arm<br />
Shore Pky<br />
Langford<br />
Lake<br />
Glen<br />
Lake<br />
Race Rocks<br />
Ecological<br />
Reserve<br />
Latoria Rd<br />
Saanich<br />
Inlet<br />
Brentwood Bay -<br />
Mill Bay Ferry<br />
Millstream Rd<br />
Florence<br />
Lake<br />
Goldstream Ave<br />
Metchosin Rd<br />
Glen<br />
Lake<br />
Brentwood Bay -<br />
Mill Bay Ferry<br />
Veterans Memorial Pky<br />
Wishart Rd<br />
Duke Rd<br />
Reserve<br />
Satellite Channel<br />
Ecological<br />
Reserve<br />
Ross-Durrance Rd<br />
Saanich<br />
Inlet<br />
Florence<br />
Lake<br />
Treanor Ave<br />
Trans-Canada Hwy<br />
Sooke Rd<br />
Metchosin Rd<br />
Durrance<br />
Lake<br />
Lagoon Rd<br />
Juan de Fuca Strait<br />
Veterans Memorial Pky<br />
DND<br />
West<br />
Lands<br />
Saanich Rd<br />
Durrance<br />
Lake<br />
End Rd<br />
Tatlow<br />
Rd<br />
Birch Rd<br />
West Saanich Rd<br />
Horth Hill<br />
Regional Park<br />
Mt Newton Cross Rd<br />
Wallace Dr<br />
Wain Rd<br />
Benvenuto Ave<br />
McTavish Rd<br />
Wallace Dr<br />
West Saanich Rd<br />
Prospect<br />
Lake<br />
Burnside Rd W<br />
Prospect<br />
Lake<br />
Keating<br />
Mills Rd W<br />
Forest Park Dr<br />
Interurban Rd<br />
Piers<br />
Island<br />
East<br />
Cross Rd<br />
Oldfield Rd<br />
Saanich Rd<br />
West Saanich Rd<br />
East Saanich Rd<br />
Craigflower Rd<br />
Harbour Ferry<br />
Swartz Bay - Fulford Harbour Ferry<br />
Central Saanich Rd<br />
Interurban Rd<br />
Carey Rd<br />
Victoria - Port Angeles Ferry<br />
Victoria - Port Angeles Ferry<br />
Mann Ave<br />
Patricia Bay Highway<br />
!8<br />
Island<br />
Gulf Islands National<br />
Park Reserve<br />
(Princess Margaret)<br />
Glanford Ave<br />
Elk Lake Dr<br />
Swartz Bay - Ot<br />
Water Taxi<br />
(Seasonal)<br />
Swartz Bay - Tsawwassen Ferry<br />
Bay St<br />
Victoria - Seattle Ferry<br />
Kilometres<br />
0 1 2 3<br />
Patricia Bay Highway<br />
Water Taxi<br />
(Seasonal)<br />
Victoria - Seattle Ferry<br />
Blenkinsop Rd<br />
Cook St<br />
Finlayson St<br />
Juan de Fuca Strait<br />
Cook St<br />
Moss St<br />
Moresby<br />
Island<br />
Swartz Bay - Otter Bay Ferry<br />
Cordova Bay Rd<br />
McKenzie Ave<br />
Dallas Rd<br />
Shelbourne St<br />
Majestic Dr<br />
Fort St<br />
Richmond Rd<br />
Ash Rd<br />
Torquay Dr<br />
Foul Bay Rd<br />
Jordan River<br />
Campground Gonzales Hill<br />
Regional Sandcut Park<br />
Beach<br />
Moresby<br />
Island<br />
Sidney - Anacortes Ferry<br />
Gulf Islands<br />
National Park<br />
(Sidney Spit) Saturna<br />
Island<br />
Haro<br />
Strait<br />
San Juan Ave<br />
Sidney<br />
Island<br />
Gulf Islands<br />
National Park<br />
Reserve<br />
(D'Arcy Island)<br />
<strong>Summer</strong>/<strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2019</strong> 23<br />
Beach Dr<br />
Beach Dr<br />
Brooks Point<br />
Regional Park<br />
Sidney - Anacortes Ferry<br />
£¤ 17<br />
National Park<br />
(Sidney Spit)<br />
CVRD<br />
CRD<br />
" 20 Sidney<br />
Island<br />
Sooke Hills<br />
Wilderness<br />
Regional Park<br />
Gulf Islands<br />
National Park<br />
Reserve<br />
(D'Arcy Island)<br />
£¤ 17 University of<br />
Sooke Hills<br />
Wilderness<br />
Regional Park CVRD<br />
Uplands<br />
CRD<br />
Park<br />
Oak Bay Islands<br />
Ecological<br />
Reserve<br />
DND<br />
" 20<br />
Galloping Goose<br />
COLWOOD<br />
E&N Rail Trail -<br />
VICTORIA<br />
Humpback Connector<br />
McMinn<br />
Regional Trail<br />
SAANICH<br />
Beacon Park<br />
Hill Park<br />
METCHOSIN<br />
À¿<br />
Mount<br />
Trial Island<br />
Albert Head Lagoon<br />
Rithet's Bog " 5 Douglas<br />
Layritz<br />
Conservation<br />
Park<br />
Ecological<br />
HIGHLANDS<br />
Gonzales Hill Reserve<br />
Regional Park<br />
Park<br />
Area<br />
Francis/King<br />
Regional Park<br />
Sooke Hills<br />
DND<br />
Thetis Lake Regional Park<br />
£¤ 17 Blenkinsop<br />
Wilderness<br />
Regional Park<br />
Trestle<br />
Regional Park Goldstream<br />
Witty's Lagoon<br />
" 25<br />
Provincial<br />
Christmas<br />
Park<br />
Hill Nature<br />
Sanctuary<br />
Regional Park<br />
Knockan<br />
Hill Park<br />
Matheson Lake<br />
Swan Lake<br />
Regional Park<br />
LANGFORD<br />
Brett Swan<br />
" À¿<br />
À¿<br />
10<br />
Trestle Trestle<br />
University of<br />
Mill Hill<br />
VIEW<br />
Victoria<br />
" Cedar<br />
Mount<br />
Tillicum<br />
Hill<br />
Tolmie<br />
Devonian À¿<br />
5<br />
Regional<br />
ROYAL<br />
" 0<br />
Park Switch<br />
Park<br />
Park<br />
Sooke Hills<br />
Park<br />
Bridge<br />
" 30<br />
Regional Park<br />
DND<br />
Jordan River Inset<br />
Wilderness<br />
À¿<br />
À¿<br />
Regional Park<br />
Mount Wells<br />
À¿<br />
Selkirk<br />
JUAN DE FUCA<br />
Uplands<br />
Regional<br />
DND<br />
Park<br />
Trestle<br />
" 15<br />
Park<br />
ELECTORAL AREA<br />
OAK<br />
BAY<br />
Royal Roads<br />
Juan de Fuca<br />
À¿<br />
Provincial Park<br />
£¤<br />
À¿ À¿ Oak Bay Islands<br />
University<br />
Ecological<br />
Fort Rodd Hill<br />
14 Fairgrounds<br />
Luxton<br />
and National Fisgard Historic Lighthouse<br />
Reserve<br />
Hatley Park<br />
ESQUIMALT<br />
National Historic Site<br />
Sites<br />
DND<br />
DND<br />
Jordan River<br />
" 20<br />
Regional Park<br />
Galloping Goose<br />
COLWOOD<br />
E&N Rail Trail -<br />
VICTORIA<br />
Humpback Connector<br />
Regional Trail<br />
Beacon<br />
Hill Park<br />
METCHOSIN<br />
Roche Cove<br />
Regional Park<br />
Rd<br />
Sooke<br />
Kangaroo Rd<br />
Matheson Lake<br />
Regional Park<br />
" 30<br />
Humpback Rd<br />
Rocky Point Rd<br />
Sooke Rd<br />
Happy Valley Rd<br />
" 25<br />
West<br />
William Head Rd<br />
Shore Pky<br />
Goldstream Ave<br />
Latoria Rd<br />
Metchosin Rd<br />
Devonian<br />
Regional Park<br />
Millstream Rd<br />
Wishart Rd<br />
Duke Rd<br />
Ross-Durrance Rd<br />
Treanor Ave<br />
Sooke Rd<br />
Fulford-Ganges Rd<br />
Trans-Canada Hwy<br />
Metchosin Rd<br />
Lagoon Rd<br />
Witty's Lagoon<br />
Regional Park<br />
West<br />
Lands<br />
Saanich Rd<br />
End Rd<br />
Tatlow<br />
Rd<br />
Birch Rd<br />
West Saanich Rd<br />
Isabella Point Rd<br />
Albert Head Lagoon<br />
Regional Park<br />
Mt Newton Cross Rd<br />
Wallace Dr<br />
Beaver Point Rd<br />
Wain Rd<br />
Benvenuto Ave<br />
McTavish Rd<br />
Wallace Dr<br />
West<br />
Saanich Rd<br />
Burnside Rd W<br />
Keating<br />
Mills Rd W<br />
Forest Park Dr<br />
Cross Rd<br />
Interurban Rd<br />
East Saanich Rd<br />
Oldfield Rd<br />
West Saanich Rd<br />
Beaver Point Rd<br />
East Saanich Rd<br />
Craigflower<br />
" 29 " 15 " 0<br />
Rd<br />
Central Saanich Rd<br />
Interurban Rd<br />
SOUTHERN GULF<br />
ISLANDS<br />
ELECTORAL AREA<br />
Mann Ave<br />
Carey Rd<br />
Glanford Ave<br />
Elk Lake Dr<br />
Bay St<br />
Blenkinsop Rd<br />
Cook St<br />
Finlayson St<br />
Cook St<br />
Moss St<br />
JUAN DE FUCA<br />
ELECTORAL AREA<br />
Cordova Bay Rd<br />
McKenzie Ave<br />
Dallas Rd<br />
Shelbourne St<br />
Majestic Dr<br />
Fort St<br />
Richmond Rd<br />
Ash Rd<br />
Torquay Dr<br />
Foul Bay Rd<br />
Haro<br />
Strait<br />
San Juan Ave<br />
Gulf Islands Inset<br />
Kilometres<br />
0 2 4 6<br />
St. John Point<br />
Regional Park<br />
Reserve<br />
Beach Dr<br />
Beach Dr<br />
Arbutus Rd<br />
Arbutus Rd<br />
Trial Island<br />
Ecological<br />
Reserve<br />
East Point<br />
Regional Park<br />
Brooks Point<br />
Regional Park<br />
West Coast Rd<br />
Tudor Ave<br />
Tudor Ave<br />
Jordan River Inset<br />
t<br />
Juan de Fuca<br />
Provincial Park
<strong>Summer</strong><br />
at<br />
<strong>Summer</strong> time, and the living is easy!<br />
It’s summer, the favorite season of ice cream vendors and pool salespeople.<br />
It’s a time for BBQs, wearing flip flops and sitting on patios. It’s also a<br />
time of easy, or at least easier living, for a lot of our local wildlife. Gone are the<br />
days of winter hardship and of spring scrounging for suitable locations to have<br />
babies! It’s summertime and now is the time of thriving and growth.<br />
For our smaller wildlife, such as insects, food is often plentiful at this time<br />
of year. The ever popular Ladybird beetle (or just plain Ladybug as it is better<br />
known) is busy feeding on juicy aphids that tend to pop up uninvited on my rose<br />
bushes and plum trees. Their bright yellow eggs show up as harbingers of the<br />
tiny aggressive predatory larva that will emerge and tackle my aphid problem.<br />
Many beautiful native butterflies such as Western Swallowtails, Lorquin’s<br />
Admirals and Red Admirals are flitting about, having their last hoorahs. Many<br />
species do not survive as adults past fall, having their larva (aka caterpillars) or<br />
pupa (aka cocoons) go through the tough times of fall and winter.<br />
Wasps, with their tough reputation, are busy drinking nectar and hunting<br />
down other insects while the going is good. As their queen winds down her egg<br />
laying, they have more and more free time on their hands, hence the partying at<br />
our outdoor parties! None will survive past late fall other than a new queen who<br />
will find a safe hiding place for winter and emerge in spring, ready to start a new<br />
colony.<br />
By summer, the ducks of Swan Lake are done with child rearing, most ducklings<br />
have hatched anywhere from February to June, and are happily dabbling<br />
or diving in search of food. Juvenile ducks are looking more like their parents,<br />
having lost their downy feathers and developed proper flight feathers that are not<br />
shed until the following summer.<br />
24 Island <strong>Grand</strong>parent IslandParent.ca
Swan Lake<br />
The small and mighty hummingbirds are also done having babies with the<br />
tiny Rufus hummingbird already preparing for its amazing migration back<br />
to Mexico for the winter. Peak sightings of this little jewel are from June to<br />
August. Anna’s hummingbirds have decided that the living in Victoria is tolerable<br />
given the sheer number of feeders put out by the kind hearted citizens<br />
of our city. They too would migrate back to California but we save them the<br />
trip!<br />
Many mammals of Swan Lake are at their most visible during the long<br />
summer evenings. Muskrat, beaver and especially bats love the dusk as temperatures<br />
are cooler and in the case of bats, bugs (their food supply) are out<br />
at their fullest! Evening programs at Swan Lake showcase some of the amazing<br />
nocturnal adaptations of these and many other nighttime visitors to the<br />
Sanctuary.<br />
And as for us humans, summer is a fabulous time to go outside and enjoy<br />
nature, at any age. I like to follow the animals lead and enjoy walks early in<br />
the morning when it is still cool and the birds are singing, or later evening<br />
when the sun is setting and the heat of the day is finally dissipating. Mid-day<br />
is for sitting on the patio with a cool drink and snacks or naps!<br />
There is no shortage of nature locations in our fair city from ocean<br />
beaches like Gyro Park, Island View beach and Esquimalt Lagoon, cool forests<br />
like at Francis King Park and Mt. Douglas Park, and of course soothing<br />
wetlands such as Elk/Beaver Lake and Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary. Many<br />
Parks and Sanctuaries offer guided walks and programs but simply showing<br />
up and enjoying the location on your own is a great option too. Be sure to<br />
come prepared with sun protection, water for hydration and lots of snacks if<br />
coming with little ones, whether for a guided program or not.<br />
Remember that summer, like all seasons, will come to an end and the easy<br />
living shall pass all too soon. Fortunately though, nature has a rhythm of<br />
decay and renewal that will begin again and those of us who seek time out<br />
in nature are renewed as well. Enjoy.<br />
Renee Cenerini is the Program Manager at Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary.<br />
For a full listing of all the great summer programs at Swan Lake please visit swanlake.bc.ca.<br />
IslandParent.ca<br />
<strong>Summer</strong>/<strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2019</strong> 25
Unicorns, Fairies &<br />
Mermaids, Oh My!<br />
There’s something about unicorns, mermaids and fairies<br />
that captures our collective imagination. I was at a party<br />
recently, and there was a lady there who was painting<br />
the children’s faces. Soon there were unicorns galloping around<br />
everywhere you looked.<br />
So it’s no real surprise that they turn up all the time in our<br />
stories. But what do we really know about unicorns? Children’s<br />
authors Cale Atkinson and Bethanie Deeney Murguia strive<br />
to answer some of our burning questions about these illusive<br />
creatures.<br />
Kate Pugsley and Liz Kessler focus on mermaids and what<br />
we can learn from these mysterious sea creatures about confidence<br />
and self-acceptance. Finally, Sophie Kinsella helps us<br />
learn more about the training fairies go through before they are<br />
allowed to use their magic in our high-tech world.<br />
Regardless of whether your grandchildren are interested<br />
in mermaids, fairies or unicorns, here are a few stories about<br />
finding the fantastical in the mundane that will help add some<br />
magic to their lives this summer.<br />
are looking at a horse in a red hat or a unicorn in disguise. The<br />
narrator is adamant it is in fact a horse. That is, they are convinced<br />
it is a horse until the takes off its hat and things become<br />
much more confusing.<br />
The fun and creative pictures will cause you to second guess<br />
what you see—on every single page. And, like the story’s narrator,<br />
you and your grandkids will wonder if you are looking at a<br />
unicorn or a horse in disguise. For ages 3 to 7.<br />
Do You Believe in Unicorns? by Bethanie Deeney Murguia<br />
(Candlewick, 2018) is a conversation between the narrator and<br />
an unseen and unheard companion about whether or not they<br />
Unicorns are more than just masters of disguise, and many<br />
children will have questions about these gorgeous creatures.<br />
For these questions, look no further that Cale Atkinson’s book<br />
Unicorns 101 (Tundra, <strong>2019</strong>). Atkinson assures his readers that<br />
unicorns are not only “magical,” “majestic,” and “better than<br />
horses,” they are also fantastically fun on camping trips and<br />
“30 to 67 hamsters tall.”<br />
Filled with bold, bright, and glittery images, this scientific<br />
book on unicorns will tell your grandchild everything they<br />
could possibly want to know about these magnificent creatures.<br />
For example, while you will never see one buying something<br />
from a bake sale, you will find out what activities they use their<br />
horns for, how they decorate their houses, and who was the<br />
first unicorn to visit Pluto. For ages 3 to 7.<br />
26 Island <strong>Grand</strong>parent IslandParent.ca
Half-mermaid, half-girl Emily Windsnap is back in her eighth<br />
novel: Emily Windsnap and the Pirate Prince by Liz Kessler<br />
(Candlewick, <strong>2019</strong>). In her latest adventure Emily is heading<br />
home via cruise ship with her mother and boyfriend Aaron,<br />
while her father and best friend Shona took Neptune’s chariot.<br />
The trip has barely begun when they’re boarded by pirates<br />
and Aaron is kidnapped by the pirate king’s oldest son. To save<br />
him, Emily lets herself get kidnapped by the younger son, and<br />
they set off to find Neptune’s treasure. Along the way Emily<br />
learns the importance of being true to herself and not letting<br />
others define her. For ages 8 to 12.<br />
Kate Pugsley’s Mermaid Dreams (Tundra, <strong>2019</strong>) is a new<br />
take on the eternal theme of making friends. Maya and her<br />
family head to the beach for some summer fun, but when they<br />
arrive her mother and father tell her they want to relax instead<br />
of play. After settling into their lounge chairs they tell Maya to<br />
go and play with the other kids.<br />
But, Maya doesn’t know what to say. She watches the kids<br />
from the safety of her turtle floaty as she considers how to approach<br />
them. While she ponders this, she ends up falling asleep<br />
and waking up in the middle of the ocean. Mermaid Maya and<br />
her turtle dive down to the coral reef below. There among the<br />
sea weed and coral, she plays hide-and-seek with another mermaid.<br />
For ages 3 to 7.<br />
Of course, magic isn’t always the best way to solve problems<br />
as Ella discovers in Fairy in Waiting by Sophie Kinsella and illustrated<br />
by Marta Kissi (Puffin, <strong>2019</strong>). Ella’s mother, aunt and<br />
grandmother are fairies. One day Ella will be one too.<br />
Right now, she’s just a fairy in waiting, but that doesn’t stop<br />
her from helping her mother when her mom’s spells go wrong,<br />
or from attempting to do magic herself. These hilarious stories<br />
are interspersed with some delightful pictures that help you see<br />
just how wrong the spells can go sometimes. For ages 7 to 10.<br />
So the next time your grandchildren tell you they are bored,<br />
feel free to send them on an adventure to try and spot unicorns,<br />
make magic, or play with mermaids. No beach or party required.<br />
Christina Van Starkenburg is a freelance writer and mother of<br />
two young boys. You can read about their adventures at thebookandbaby.<br />
com.<br />
IslandParent.ca<br />
<strong>Summer</strong>/<strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2019</strong> 27
A<br />
grandma and her four-year-old granddaughter<br />
are strolling along a trail when the girls bends<br />
to pick something up. She squeals and holds out<br />
her find. She has found her first painted rock. It’s<br />
an amazing work of art, labeled to indicate that it’s<br />
part of the Sooke to Sidney Rock Hunt on Facebook<br />
(SSRH FB).<br />
As part of SSRH FB, participants paint, label,<br />
and seal rocks and then hide them wherever they<br />
choose. It can make discovering a new trail or<br />
beach extra fun. These rocks have also been hidden<br />
outside of hospitals to cheer people up. Some<br />
keep the rocks as good luck charms and then paint<br />
and hide more rocks to replace the rocks they<br />
kept. Others may choose to hang onto a particular<br />
rock for a little while and then re-hide it. We have a<br />
few rocks in our fairy garden in our front yard and<br />
my son has his favourite in a little treasure chest.<br />
You don’t have to be a professional artist to paint and<br />
hide a rock. The skill levels vary and people of all ages paint<br />
and hide rocks. Some people even sell their work or use it<br />
as gifts. The SSRH Facebook group provides product recommendations,<br />
tips for sealing rocks and many photos of<br />
painted rocks. For example, the type of paint pens or sealants<br />
that work best and tips for using them. There are dotting<br />
tools that you can purchase to paint mandala rocks and<br />
there is even a class offered to learn how to paint these types<br />
of rocks.<br />
Let’s Rock…Hunt!<br />
28 Island <strong>Grand</strong>parent IslandParent.ca
Over 6700 members belong to the<br />
SSRH FB group, so it’s a great way<br />
to connect with other people in your<br />
community and meet other members.<br />
In July 2016, Kristi Nelson started the<br />
group. Erin Devine teaches the mandala<br />
class and has helped keep the group going.<br />
They both do admin work for the<br />
group and Susan Nelson is the group<br />
moderator. It’s a fun treasure hunt and<br />
you learn to always be on the lookout<br />
for rocks. It’s neat to see rocks that<br />
might be in a certain shape, which can<br />
influence the drawing chosen for it.<br />
For example, I’ve seen a kitty cat face<br />
shaped rock, a hot dog, a chocolate<br />
coated candy that has a bite looking<br />
chip missing off the rock.<br />
There are a few etiquette rules to follow<br />
such as take only one rock per person<br />
per hunt (so there are lots of rocks<br />
for other to enjoy), and post a picture<br />
of your find on the SSRH FB group.<br />
Rocks need to be sealed, so the paint<br />
doesn’t chip. The rocks that are hidden<br />
need to be accessible and can’t be hidden<br />
in cemeteries.<br />
Recently, monthly rock challenges<br />
were introduced. Each day of the<br />
month you paint a new rock that fits<br />
the daily theme and then post a picture.<br />
There are even prizes. It’s also fun to<br />
paint your own rocks and then post<br />
pictures to the group to reveal where<br />
you hid them. It’s thrilling to see someone<br />
post a picture of a rock that you<br />
painted and hid. We have even found<br />
rocks from other nearby rock hunting<br />
groups such as Tacoma Rocks in<br />
Washington. We have a Kindness Rocks<br />
garden in our neighbourhood too. Our<br />
kids were excited when they found<br />
rocks at their school that were specially<br />
hidden by an artist who said the kids<br />
could keep them.<br />
Rock painting and hunting is a great<br />
way to feel part of the community and<br />
it’s a great activity to introduce your<br />
grandkids to this summer. Once you get<br />
started, you’ll never look at rocks the<br />
same way again. You’ll be visualizing<br />
your painting upon each rock. You’ll be<br />
collecting buckets of rocks with your<br />
grandkids to paint and hide yourselves.<br />
Happy rock hunting.<br />
Serena Beck works full-time as a technical<br />
writer. She loves to write, travel, and swim at the<br />
beach with family and friends.<br />
LEARN THE JOYS OF CREATION<br />
AGES 5 & UP<br />
Classes in Theatre, Film,<br />
Improv, and More!<br />
Professional Teaching<br />
Artists<br />
Small Class Sizes<br />
skam.ca 250-386-7526<br />
<strong>Summer</strong><br />
Fun!<br />
Night Illuminations<br />
Firework Saturdays<br />
Rose Carousel<br />
Boat Tours<br />
Family Discovery<br />
Walk<br />
butchartgardens.com<br />
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Building<br />
future leaders<br />
We are accepting applications for September <strong>2019</strong><br />
for grades K thru 9. Limited space in some grades.<br />
Please check our website: queenofangels.ca for an application form<br />
and/or call our school at 250-746-5919 to arrange a tour.<br />
Queen of Angels – where students learn to love, and love to learn.<br />
2085 Maple Bay Rd, Duncan, BC V9L 5L9 email:qa@cisdv.bc.ca<br />
IslandParent.ca<br />
<strong>Summer</strong>/<strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2019</strong> 29
Famy Ma<br />
<strong>Grand</strong>parents<br />
in Canada<br />
7.5 million (47%) Canadians aged<br />
45 and over are grandparents<br />
47%<br />
21%<br />
of grandparents<br />
were born<br />
outside of Canada<br />
<strong>Grand</strong>mothers outnumber<br />
grandfathers<br />
64 years<br />
in 1995<br />
The average age of<br />
grandparents has risen<br />
68 years<br />
in 2017<br />
4.2 million<br />
56%<br />
3.3 million<br />
44%<br />
The average age for first-time<br />
grandparents was 52 in 2017<br />
The proportion of grandparents aged 85 and over<br />
has more than doubled between 1995 and 2017<br />
<strong>Grand</strong>parents in Canada have an<br />
average of 4 grandchildren<br />
Percentage of <strong>Grand</strong>parents<br />
35<br />
30<br />
25<br />
20<br />
15<br />
10<br />
5<br />
0<br />
19.14<br />
9.28<br />
31.97<br />
29.92<br />
33.72<br />
31.07<br />
Note: Population includes Canadians 45 and over.<br />
Source: General Social Survey (Families) 1995 and 2017.<br />
14.66<br />
19.44<br />
1995<br />
2017<br />
3.16<br />
45-54 55-64 65-74 75-84 85+<br />
Age Cohorts<br />
7.64<br />
5% of grandparents live with<br />
at least one grandchild<br />
At 63 years old,<br />
Indigenous grandparents<br />
are younger than the average<br />
grandparent in Canada<br />
Catalogue number: 11-627-M<br />
ISBN: 978-0-660-28845-1<br />
Statistics<br />
Canada<br />
Statistique<br />
Canada<br />
www.statcan.gc.ca<br />
30 Island <strong>Grand</strong>parent IslandParent.ca
Bleiddyn del Villar Bellis<br />
Bleiddyn Artistic Director del Villar Bellis<br />
Artistic Fellow & Director Examiner CSC-CICB<br />
Fellow Enrico Cecchetti & Examiner Final CSC-CICB Diploma<br />
Enrico Cecchetti Final Diploma<br />
2018/19 <strong>2019</strong>/20<br />
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