STOCKING THE WORLD
The Comox Valley is known for its abundance of fresh seafood and farm produce. At the right time of year, shoppers ...
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ALL CV Collective
INSPIRING RECOVERY
In 2017, I attended a Soldier On ski camp at Mount Washington that changed (and maybe even saved) my life.
It ...
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LITTLE VALLEY: MAX WARD
Hi there, I’m Max and I was not born in St Joseph's Hospital. I was, however, born in Addenbrooke's Hospital, ...
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IN SEARCH OF OUR INDIGENEITY
We live by stories. By stories we understand the world, and ourselves. Each culture has its cosmology: an ...
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FERMENTATION 101
I am willing to hazard that you enjoy the results of fermentation in some way, shape, or form. What I'm not going ...
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BLACK AND RURAL
As a Canadian living in Hong Kong in the late 1970s, I was regarded as a gweilo, a “white devil.” Even though I ...
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ALL HAIL THE MAY QUEEN
The merry month of May is highly anticipated in the Village of Cumberland. Since 1888, Villagers have gathered on ...
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FRASER CAIN’S UNIVERSE
Many people might be surprised to learn that one of the most successful astronomy news sites on the Internet is ...
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THE NIGHT RIDE
Night riding can be eerie, there’s no question about that. Casting shadows as I pedal through the forest ...
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THE SURROUNDING BLUE
I first sensed how landscape affects us while studying writing at the University of Saskatchewan. The ...
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ADVENTURES IN PADDLING
As we rounded the northern tip of Nootka Island, we were struck with sizable swell, wind, and refracting waves ...
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MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE
Strolling through Macdonald Wood Park, with its giant trees and verdant flora within town boundaries, is one of ...
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GLOOM AND BEAUTY
INSTRUCTIONS FOR LIVING A LIFE:
PAY ATTENTION.
BE ASTONISHED.
TELL ABOUT IT.
– MARY OLIVER
In the ...
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THE ELEVENTH HOUR FOR OLD GROWTH
The Beaufort Range sits temptingly in our backyard. If you’re a backcountry skier, then you’ve probably gazed at ...
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BUSINESS IS BLOOMING
Have you ever noticed that the flowers you see in local gardens—maybe even in your own yard—are rarely available ...
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TUNING IN TO NEW OPPORTUNITIES
I first heard of silent disco headphones while working in Toronto’s music industry several years ago. When the ...
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ALWAYS HERE FOR US
No vegetable family is as diverse and versatile as the brassicas. While you may not know the word, you’re ...
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THE COOL OF CURLING
Curling saved my life. Sounds like an outrageous statement to make, but in 1999, the year I first threw a curling ...
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FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER: LUC ANTAYA
Luc is a transplant from the prairies who made his way to the Comox Valley seven years ago in search of the ...
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FEATURED ARTIST: SHANNON FORD
Shannon Ford is inspired by the magic of discovering beauty in chaos: “Walking up to a huge, empty canvas is pure ...
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ELDER VALLEY: REFRAMING REST
In the natural world, winter is usually considered a season of rest as many plants and animals become dormant once ...
LITTLE VALLEY: THE QUIETNESS OF THE SEASON
The dictionary says rest is “to cease work or movement in order to relax, refresh oneself, or recover strength.” ...
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A BENEFIT FOR ALL
Except for Indigenous people, Canadians are settlers—immigrants themselves, or the descendants of immigrants. ...
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A TALE OF TWO WOODLOTS
There are two basic ways to look at a forest you manage—as a tree farm or an ecosystem.
To see the difference, ...
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STEPS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
Homelessness can happen in many ways: job loss, injuries and accidents, mental health issues, and substance use. ...
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A THEATRICAL FORCE FOR GOOD
Music and theatre provide an environment where, through collaboration, we are encouraged to celebrate diversity, ...
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THE GIFT OF LIFE
In the early morning hours of the winter solstice, December 21, 2021, my life and health changed forever. I was ...
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FAREWELL TO THE DENTAL BUS
Things are often done a little differently on the Gulf Islands. Partly by necessity, partly by inclination, these ...
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THE FLYING DUTCHMAN
The legend of the Flying Dutchman, a ghost ship doomed to never enter port, has been told and retold since the ...
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GOOD AS GOLD
I first became drawn to mead because of my Scandinavian heritage: mead plays an important role in many of the ...
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BY DESIGN
While some of us were out celebrating Valentine’s Day this past February, Eugen Sushko was feverishly drawing at ...
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BETTER BULLETINS
Colin Garritty has an enviable job. Four days a week, all winter long, he gets paid to ski and snowmobile the ...
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FORAGING FOR FLAVOUR
When we think about hunting and gathering, the season we usually think of is fall. For many of us, there’s nothing ...
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CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE
My husband and I moved to the Comox Valley four years ago. From the start, we’ve enjoyed navigating our way around ...
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GIVE IT A REST
When I was a kid growing up in the ’70s and ’80s in Montreal, stores were closed on Sundays. Every single store. ...
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FEATURED ARTIST: LAURIE MARTZ
Laurie is a “late in life” painter who moved to the Comox Valley after retiring in 2015 from a busy career as a ...
FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER: JIM WHYTE
Jim is a fifth-generation Comox Valley resident, born and raised here. His interest in photography began in junior ...
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FOLLOW THE MOUNTAIN HOME
It is usually late May when I embark on the first mountain trip of the season. In this particular year I was ...
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THE COAL BENEATH OUR FEET
Starting in 1888, a vast labyrinth of extraction tunnels was carved beneath the village of Cumberland, the old ...
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DINNER IS SERVED
Eating local is a popular concept in the Comox Valley, with its long growing season and wealth of farms producing ...
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MAGIC IN THE DYE POT
When I was a kid growing up in the northern boreal forest, my mother took me and my siblings out foraging for ...
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EVERYTHING WE KNOW IS WRONG
Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.
– Søren Kierkegaard, 1843
I don’t ...
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WERE IT NOT FOR THE BIKE
This past January, I received an email from the organizer of the BC Epic thanking me for my registration.
Which ...
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ELDER VALLEY: RETIREMENT REDEFINED
I spent most of my career trying to demystify things. Working as a civil servant in both Ottawa and Victoria, my ...
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LITTLE VALLEY: DAKOTA BLOMGREN
Hi, my name is Dakota Blomgren. I was born in the Comox Valley and I am nine years old. I am a proud member of the ...
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THE DAY THE PRINCE CAME TO TOWN
Over a century ago, on a Monday in late September, crowds of young and old thronged Vancouver’s sidewalks. Mothers ...
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ALTERED LANDSCAPE
My first home in Cumberland was on Camp Road, in a row of rough cabins that were built in 1888 when the coal mine ...
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FEEL LIKE A KID AGAIN
What an ugly night. It’s dark, pouring rain, and there are still remnants of slushy snow melting in the driveway, ...
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WHALE BREATH AND ANGEL WINGS
You don’t need to be an oyster farmer or sport fisherman for the daily ebb and flow of the ocean to impact your ...
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JUMP SCARES AHEAD
Decades ago, I was sitting in a cinema seat in Toronto, gripping the armrests as the tension heightened, and ...
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A DOORWAY TO HOPE
When David and Angela Mackenzie open the door to their new home, they will bring with them an unwavering ...
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SUNSET AT SMITH LAKE FARM
As I pull through the gates of Smith Lake Farm, I’m greeted by the sounds of chickens clucking and disc golfers ...
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MISADVENTURES IN BAKING
Back in 2013, I started shopping around for healthy nutrition options to supplement my gym goals. I’d never given ...
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THE SCIENCE OF SASQUATCH
Do you laugh when you hear the word sasquatch? Do you believe that sasquatches exist? Do you think that a ...
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VIVA LA TRASH PANDA
I’ve occasionally yearned to wear a Davy Crockett-inspired coonskin hat. The reason I don’t isn’t that I fear I’d ...
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CHEERS TO THE LAZO BARREL COLLECTIVE
It’s a lazy Sunday afternoon as I make my way through Alex Blais’ yard, following the sound of laughter toward an ...
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THE WOMAN IN THE FLORAL DRESS
Our new Cumberland home came with a view of the crisp Beaufort Range mountains, Mount Apps standing tallest above ...
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RIDING DRAGONS ON THE SALISH SEA
The very first time I dipped my paddle into the Salish Sea, wedged awkwardly in the belly of a dragon boat, I was ...
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ALL IN THE SAME BOAT
On Friday, May 13, 2022, a group of paddlers from many backgrounds made their way, in two interconnected voyageur ...
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CHEERS TO THE LAZO BARREL COLLECTIVE
It’s a lazy Sunday afternoon as I make my way through Alex Blais’ yard, following the sound of laughter toward an ...
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BRANCHING OUT
Like most woodworking spaces, Sandpiper Studio is an organized-but-dusty collection of equipment designed for the ...
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GET THEE TO A GALLERY
I-HOS GALLERY
K'ÓMOKS FIRST NATION
Owned and operated by the K’ómoks First Nation, I-Hos Gallery showcases a ...
LITTLE VALLEY: DARRAGH TORMEY
Hi, my name is Darragh Tormey, and this is my love essay.
Love can mean a million things, and it means ...
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CREATING A CANOE
K’ómoks First Nation (KFN) members Sean Frank and Trevor Hardy, assisted by master carver Joe Martin of ...
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SUPER TROUPERS
The Comox Valley in the 1960s was remote, beautiful, and serene. It was also secluded, with no major highway ...
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THE RISE OF MODERN GLEANING
Glean (v.): Gather (ears of grain, etc.) after the harvest.
I recently attended an inspiring symposium hosted ...
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WILD SPACES BELONG TO EVERYONE
Some of my dearest early memories involve water. My dad would tie a rope on my sister’s and my life jackets as we ...
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FEATURED ARTIST: MARIANNE ENHÖRNING
Marianne Enhörning is a West Coast Canadian artist. Born in Sweden, she split her work life for many years between ...
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FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER: NICK THORNTON
As an adventure, wildlife, and sports photographer based in the Comox Valley, Nick chases the thrill of unique ...
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ELDER VALLEY: A WHOLE LOTTA LOVE
Every day, we hear and say, “I love this.”
And this. And this. And this. And oh, that over there, too.
We toss ...
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T’AAM LAAN, STEERSMAN OF THE CANOE
In 2008, novice paddleboarder Norm Hann hatched a plan to travel by stand-up paddleboard (SUP), with boat support, ...
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SAVING PLACE
We’ve all done it. Bragged about how we used to go somewhere when it was still cool and undiscovered, before the ...
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TRUE FACTS ABOUT FAKE BIRDS
Deep in the heart of Utah Mormon country, in a place called Temple Square, sits an unusual statue known as the ...
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A COMMUNITY’S HEART IS IN ITS FORESTS
The ferns have their fresh, feathery leaves and everything in sight is electric green. This is Vancouver Island in ...
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FRIENDS OF FELINES
Two “very pregnant” cats. That was the delivery at the door of the Kitty Cat P.A.L. (Prevent-A-Litter) Society at ...
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A PASSION FOR CLAY
In 1992, an eclectic group of local artisans joined together to form The Potters Place Gallery. “There was already ...
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DENMAN ISLAND READERS AND WRITERS FESTIVAL IS BACK
There is a natural intimacy to be found at the Denman Island Readers and Writers Festival. Readers, writers, ...
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SHARING THE LAND
Land is on my mind a lot these days, as a dad and freelance journalist. I recently interviewed an old Findlay ...
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FROM CLEARCUTS TO COMMUNITIES
If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably driven past the community halls north of Courtenay along Highway 19A ...
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THE POWER OF GROWING THINGS
My dearest Yarden, It wasn’t just one of your plants that snared me. Nor did my love for you hit all of a sudden. ...
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THE NOSE KNOWS
Bark! Bark! Bark! We are an hour and a half into our wilderness validation search; Rudy has already found two ...
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WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW
When LOVE was suggested as our summer theme, I jumped on it. I planned to write an inspiring intro that would ...
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CHANGING TIDES
One of the most iconic locations in the Comox Valley is Goose Spit, a long finger of land that shields Comox ...
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THE SNOWLINE
In 2021, I decided to travel across British Columbia with my bike and my skis—or, more accurately—with my skis on ...
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A LOVE LETTER TO WATER
“Restoring land without restoring relationship is an empty exercise.”
– Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, ...
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FEATURED ARTIST: CHRISTIAN GEISSLER
Born and raised on British Columbia’s West Coast, Christian grew up with a deep appreciation for nature, thanks to ...
NOSY NEIGHBOURS WELCOME
We meet in the shadows and plan our route for the late afternoon, prowling the alleys, neighbourhood by ...
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FEATURED WORDS: I’M LEARNING
Wi'yugwa̱mala dłuwa̱n, - Baby with me,
Łax̱wa̱lanukwa̱n tłus. - I love you.
Mu'la̱n gax̱a'aḵus. - I’m ...
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FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER: MORGAN NORTH
Eighteen-year-old Morgan, a Comox Valley resident, started taking photos with a smart phone when he was 12 and ...
COMMUNITY, CARE, AND QUILTING
One of my earliest memories is playing under my grandmother’s quilt frame while she and her friends sewed a quilt ...
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LITTLE VALLEY: MYLA BEHZAD
I’m 11 years old and I’ve lived in Cumberland my whole life. I LOVE art. It’s one of my favourite things to do. I ...
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TUNED TO THE COMMUNITY’S FREQUENCY
A lone modular office building with blue vinyl siding rests at the end of a gravel driveway on the edge of Homalco ...
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THE THRILL OF THRIFTING
Last year a friend messaged to let me know there was a promotional Walking Dead backpack at one of the thrift ...
MIND YOUR SKIN, NATURALLY
Most of us gain confidence when our skin looks and feels good, and this sometimes reflects how we hold ourselves ...
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THE SEA IS RISING
If you stand on Saratoga Beach and look out at the water on a calm day, the Salish Sea appears silent, steady, and ...
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STYLE AND SUNSTAINABILITY
JIPSI TREE
It all began when JoAnne McElroy simultaneously left both her teaching and tree-planting ...
A GARDEN FOR EVERYONE
When you enter the Gardens on Anderton, you are greeted by a volunteer host who offers a smile, an orientation, a ...
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BURNING QUESTIONS
When we invite young people to visit the engineered landfill at the Comox Valley Waste Management Centre, we ask ...
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GREENING YOUR MONEY
When Kermit the Frog said, “It’s not easy being green,” he wasn’t talking about investing, but he might as well ...
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WHY WE RISK
I don’t remember the summit of Mount Colonel Foster.
I know I stood on it with my friends, Chris and Sean. I ...
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NEITHER SEEN NOR HEARD
Not long after I moved to Cumberland, when it was easier to get lost in the forest, I was riding my dirt bike down ...
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FELLOWSHIP OF THE FOREST
“Expect mountain bikes, hikers, runners, dogs, children, and elders on these trails.”
—excerpt from the Interim ...
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SEAWEED, SVP
Seaweed is a food resource long celebrated by traditional coastal peoples across the globe, including throughout ...
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THE TEACHING THAT NATURE PROVIDES
In a field next to the ruddy red barn of the Black Creek farm owned by Margaret Douglas and Fred Hinz, a group of ...
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ALWAYS ASKING QUESTIONS
If you’ve ever spent time with a toddler, you’ll know they ask “Why?” about seven thousand times a day. When my ...
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FEATURED ARTIST: SHELLEY VANDERBYL
Born in Hay River, NWT, Shelley has lived in Edmonton, Switzerland, and five Canadian provinces.
Her work, both ...
FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER: ANIUEMILIA
Originally from Poland, Ania of AniuEmilia Photography has lived on beautiful Vancouver Island for 30 ...
LIVING LARGE
Most people are shocked when they learn our family of five lives in a tiny home. “How many square feet?” they ask ...
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VIDEOGRAPHERS AND FILMMAKERS
SCOTT BELL
Scott Bell is an outdoor adventure filmmaker who has a commitment to capturing the beauty of the ...
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WANTED: DEATH COMPANIONS
The beginning of winter, with its transition from warmth to cold and from growth to decay, is a reminder of the ...
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MEET THE BOOT FITTER
Not many people know this about me, but I’ve got a real penchant for fine, stiff Italian boots. This confession ...
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IT’S A WET COLD
Like many Vancouver Island folk, I’ve made plenty of happy memories in Strathcona Provincial Park. In the summer ...
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LITTLE VALLEY: AVA THOMAS
My name is Ava, and I am ten years old. I was born in Vancouver and moved to Cumberland with my mom and dad when I ...
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THE BLUE BUZZ
If there is one truth the pandemic has disclosed, it’s that, as humans, we yearn for connection to the elements. ...
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THE GIFT OF MOTION
Growing up in the Comox Valley, Mal Irvine, who uses they/them pronouns, often felt uncomfortable. They were ...
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RETHINKING ONIGIRI
Hornby Island local Jake Berman first encountered onigiri while visiting his sister in Japan in 2006. This ...
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GETTING THE DRIFT
Every poem tells a kind of story, but poems are not short stories. They are a unique medium which is concerned ...
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DROP INTO A DEEP READ
In 2015, on his way to Whistler, Duncan Hague flew over the Rocky Mountains and peered out the plane’s little oval ...
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IT TAKES A VILLAGE
We’ve all heard the adage “It takes a village to raise a child.”
Now imagine we’re talking about your child. ...
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MUD, MESS, AND MAGIC
I respectfully acknowledge that we are on the unceded traditional territories of the K’ómoks First Nation, and I ...
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SALMON AND STEWARDSHIP
The late autumn sun lazily streams through dwindling golden leaves. Live music drifts across the smiling, ...
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BREWMOX VALLEY 2.0
When I wrote The New Brewmox Valley for the inaugural issue of this magazine in 2014, I told a hopeful and ...
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WHERE THERE’S WATER, THERE’S HOPE
Imagine noticing smoke in the distance, then, less than ten minutes later, your property is fully consumed by ...
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WHEN IT RAINS, IT POURS
I grew up on Vancouver Island, the fourth of five generations of my family to have done so. I have had the great ...
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KNIT LIKE A NORWEGIAN
I pull up to Kelsey Epp’s Merville farm, and, before my feet hit the ground, the silence of the long, verdant ...
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MUSIC WAS OUR CONTRABAND
May 31, 2021: “Hey, Meaghan, we’re thinking if some restrictions lift this summer we might try to book some shows ...
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LET THE RIVERS RUN
In case you haven’t noticed, the Comox Valley has been experiencing a population boom of late. Newcomers choose ...
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THE DUBIOUS PLEASURES OF WINTER BIRDING
The first time Tom (not his real name) had someone call the cops on him was in the winter. He was several blocks ...
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BLOOM WHERE YOU’RE PLANTED
This is a tale of resilience. A tale of how, if your resolve is true, you can make it to your destination.
Even ...
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A LIFE LIVED WITH VOLUME
Everyone remembers the first time they met Thomas Dunn. He was a rare individual who made an impression—mostly ...
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COME TO THE DARK SIDE
Does the thought of walking in the forest at night make you feel uneasy? Does it sound strange? And if you were to ...
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BULBS OF GLORY
The ashen moon hung low that brisk October night. Despite the obscuring fog, I could see my breath. The chill cut ...
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FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER: CURTIS BLACKBURN
Curtis was born and raised in the Comox Valley, where he pursues a number of hobbies and seasonal interests, ...
THE COHOUSING CONCEPT
t’s 7:30 a.m. and my 11-year-old daughter skips out to join our 74-year-old neighbour for a sprightly walk around ...
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FEATURED ARTIST: SHARON LALONDE
Sharon Lalonde has been creating all her life, using all forms of artistic expression.
The medium she chooses ...
THE NORTHEAST WOODS
Etched into the fabric of Comox life, the Northeast Woods are considered by many locals, especially newcomers, to ...
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WORD LOVERS UNITE
For over 5,000 years, the written word has carried knowledge and information to readers, supporting the ...
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PUBLISHED IN A PANDEMIC
MY DELIGHTFULLY DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY
AUTHOR: LORAINE HARTLE
GENRE: MEMOIR
A fascinating and engaging story ...
LITTLE VALLEY: RORY KEHLER
I am age nine and go to Miracle Beach Elementary. I have a younger brother who’s eight named Callum, and we have ...
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SHELTER IN A NEW LAND
On a sunny summer evening, Janeth Recinos served up delicious pupusas filled with shredded pork and fresh salsa ...
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THE VILLAGE TINKER
After the year that was 2020, we’re starting to see light at the end of the tunnel—a return to the way life was ...
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EVEN BETTER TOGETHER
Things are changing in the Comox Valley: our population is growing as more people move here in appreciation of the ...
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PUTTING DOWN THE SAWS
For British Columbians, whether or not we are directly involved in the industry, forest products are us.
When I ...
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FROM SECRET KNOWLEDGE TO SELF-IMPROVEMENT
If you take a moment to reflect upon the immense amount of organization, dedication, and perseverance required to ...
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SHOW US YOUR WORDS
BECAUSE I AM QUEEN
I wear a crown of many eyes
that sees right through your bullshit lies.
My ...
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FEATURED WORDS: GENIUS LOCI
for S’ólh Téméxw (the traditional territories of the Stó:lo-)
out in the valley
plump drupelets fall into ...
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FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER: FRANCOISE GERVAIS
Born and raised in Quebec, Françoise is a self-taught wildlife/landscape photographer. Her first career was as a ...
FEATURED ARTIST: BRIAN JESSOP
A member of the Taku River First Nation by birth, Brian was adopted as an infant by Linda and Perry Jessop and ...
RAFTING THE ALSEK
In August 2020, I travelled to a magical corner of the world where there are more glaciers than anywhere outside ...
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ON A HUMBLE SCALE
In 1845, Henry David Thoreau went into the woods of Massachusetts and built a simple cabin beside Walden Pond. For ...
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COMOX VALLEY STARGAZING
Fighting the urge to crawl back into my warm bed, I force myself to grab my camera bag and head into the chilly ...
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PROTECTING PERSEVERANCE
March 4, 2021: “This is not good. I’ve just gone to look at the area. The flagging starts about 50 meters beyond ...
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BRINGING BACK THE BYGONE
My parents were notorious collectors. On any given Saturday, they would pack up our silver E150 Ford Econoline van ...
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A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO GREEN BURIAL
It’s better to burn out than to fade away? Not always. New alternatives to cremation allow bodies to return to the ...
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THE EVOLUTION OF BANNOCK
Bannock: a simple quick bread made with a few ingredients most people will have on hand. But bannock, for all its ...
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ROCK BEATS WATER
Watching John Waters scramble up a rock face is like watching a monkey climb a tree. A moment ago, he stepped off ...
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ON THE UPSWING
I’m so glad you’re here. As many readers know, each issue is part of a cycle with four linked themes.
COVID-19 ...
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THE MCLOUGHLIN GARDENS
When Sarah McLoughlin passed away on February 10, 2021, at Mount Saint Joseph Hospital in Vancouver—her husband ...
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LITTLE VALLEY: TOWNES BLUE
We moved to the Comox Valley a little over three years ago. I spent most of my childhood living in Nelson, BC, ...
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TOWARD A MORE LIVABLE VALLEY
You pretty much can’t have a conversation anywhere in the world today without one of our global crises popping up ...
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REIMAGINING REGIONAL RECREATION
Imagine three siblings—Cumberland, Courtenay, and Comox—who tolerate each other, but aren’t exactly brimming with ...
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LEARNING LANGUAGE; BUILDING COMMUNITY
North Island College’s (NIC)’s Indigenous language courses are bringing together students and building a community ...
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LIFTING THE FOG
A few years ago, a fog rolled in on me, gradually placing a dim, grey mist over my view in all directions. I ...
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FREE THE LAWNS!
Urban agriculture can mean a number of things depending on who you ask and where in the world it’s occurring. To ...
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IT’S NOT ABOUT THE MONEY
What separates SOS Gear from other outdoor stores is not what it carries, but what it doesn’t.
Like most gear ...
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GETTING HIGH ON VANCOUVER ISLAND
The secret’s out regarding Vancouver Island and its amazing mountains. While all alpine environments are ...
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SAILING FORTH
There’s no real place to start this story of sailing. I never would have predicted that I would be writing this ...
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WELCOME TO HISTORIC CUMBERLAND
A few years ago, there was a local kerfuffle because a new sign on the Inland Island Highway proclaimed: “Welcome ...
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GET AWAY TO GOLD RIVER
For over a year, we’ve all been dreaming of getting away, and perhaps Island adventures will once again be ...
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SOMEWHERE DOWN THE LAZY RIVER
One of the most iconic summer activities in the Comox Valley is tubing down the Puntledge River.
There’s no ...
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BEYOND FARMING FOOD
At the end of a dirt road, minutes from the sea, sits an idyllic farm.
Youthful alder, fir, hemlock, and pines ...
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CUMBERLAND, A TINY-TOAD SUPERHIGHWAY
I remember well the pitter-patter of tiny toad feet on my lawn when I was a child growing up across from the swamp ...
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THE FUTURE LOOKS TASTY
At the end of a meandering gravel driveway tucked among lush cedars stands the Deep Bay Marine Field Station, a ...
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RECHARGED AND READY
After so many months of navigating an ever-changing pandemic landscape of worries, warnings, restrictions, and ...
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SCENES FROM CVAG, 2020
THE TIME OF THINGS
A masked woman reaches toward the fabric hanging on the art gallery wall.
“Don’t!” ...
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LEAVING OLD ENMITIES BEHIND
I enjoy the practice of traditional karate for many reasons, including what it teaches me about Japanese and ...
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SMASHING BARRIERS WITH SIP
Behind every non-profit there’s at least one driven, talented founder willing to make sacrifices to chase their ...
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ART AND MENTORSHIP IN THE 21ST CENTURY
Haida art is internationally recognized as part of the Indigenous artistic tradition of the peoples of the Pacific ...
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FEATURED WORDS: KUS-KUS-SUM
1. Field’s sawmill
A burial site with ghost bodies
on platforms in trees
retaining walls at the river’s ...
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FEATURED ARTIST: MIKE SAVAGE
Michael was born in Campbell River and currently resides in Fanny Bay with his partner Anna and cat Sophie Bean. ...
FEATURED PHOTOGTAPHER: SHANNON KAY
Living on a Gulf Island is a dream come true to Shannon. Slowing down her lifestyle has allowed her the time to ...
THE POOP ON CUMBERLAND’S AMBITIOUS NEW WETLANDS PROJECT
Your recent travel plans may have gone down the toilet, but was there ever a better time to start planning another ...
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LITTLE VALLEY: OLIVIA KLASSEN
My name is Olivia. I am nine years old and I adore art. It is one of my favourite things to do. All of my family ...
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PEDDLERS OF DELICIOUSNESS
The Comox Valley has long been home to an impressive array of local restaurants that have made highly valuable ...
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SECOND CHANCES
“We so rarely get second chances,” says whale researcher Jackie Hildering, the co-founder of Port McNeill-based ...
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FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT
Often in an instant, an acquired head injury can change everything. How do you make sense of so much loss? Where ...
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SUPERSONIC MEMORIES
Editor’s note: Rick Zyvitski, now retired, used to fly fighter jets out of Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Comox. We ...
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THE RISE OF GRIND
There are many ways to spin a wheel. Even within each discipline of cycling—BMX, mountain and road, to name a ...
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PERCEPTIONS, PREJUDICE, AND PRIDE
“Hi, I’m Sam. I’m trans.” I start quite a number of conversations this way, and although it’s an unfortunate ...
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THE SEASONS OF BEES
There’s money in honey (sometimes), and for several beekeepers in the Comox Valley, keeping bees is a full-time ...
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THE NATURE CURE
It is no secret that the Comox Valley offers us a unique opportunity to work, play, and revel in the natural ...
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PLANTING FARMERS
Sarah Wilson always loved her veggies, even as a kid. She attributes the craving to growing up in Rivers Inlet, a ...
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RENEWAL AND COMMUNITY: A COLLECTIVE LOVE LETTER
Welcome to the 25th volume of our ongoing love letter to the Comox Valley.
In 2014, Ross Bodenmann had the ...
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DEMYSTIFYING MUSHROOMS
My mom used to make stuffed mushroom caps at the drop of a hat. “We’ve been invited to so-and-so’s for dinner. ...
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THE THREADS OF RECOVERY
My adventures used to involve adrenaline. Like the time I hitchhiked from Kamloops to climb Mt Forbes in Banff ...
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SPEAKING FOR THE TREES
Devin Burton grew up in the Comox Valley but only recently discovered the Bevan trails, a network of paths winding ...
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FEATURED WORDS: LONGEST NIGHT
On the longest night
Tuck tiny love notes
Written with winter berries
Into the dark earth
Whisper them ...
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FEATURED ARTIST: ZOEY MAYENBURG
Originally from Comox, Zoey currently lives in Victoria. Her work is inspired by nature, the seasons, the cycles ...
FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER: JARRETT LINDAL
Jarrett Lindal is a Vancouver Island-based outdoor adventure and wildlife photographer who grew up in the Comox ...
HEALING DIRT
One day, the Itatsoo Lake Trail will connect the community of Hitacu, near Ucluelet, to the lake hidden in the ...
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LITTLE VALLEY: ZOË HENDERSON
My name is Zoë, and I am nine years old. I have lived in Cumberland my whole life and I really love winter in the ...
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COASTAL COLLABORATION
It was late August in the Great Bear Rainforest and the salmon were starting to return to their nascent streams ...
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THE VINYL REVIVAL
In the last few years, you may have noticed the resurgence of vinyl records and local record shops. What is it ...
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TAKING THE PLUNGE
On January 1, 2019, a large group of adventurous Cumberland residents gathered on the shores of Comox Lake. ...
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RAISING WOMEN
Famed feminist leader Gloria Steinem is quoted as saying: “Revolutions that last don’t happen from the top down. ...
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CALLED TO THE BAR
It began in a small kitchen on a small island, with peanut butter, honey, and oats.
It was 1993 when Trish ...
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STORM, SPIRITS, AND ISOLATION: LIFE ON THE LIGHTS
Few manmade structures have the universal allure of the lighthouse. We are drawn to them, as much for their ...
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RAKING THE COALS
I never know what to expect during our visits. Often, she is not home; her tiny body is present in a mobile chair ...
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TAKING THE TEMPERATURE ON GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS
I’ve been intimately involved in the ground-source heat pump (GSHP) industry for 20 years. I began with mud up to ...
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UNHINDERED GOOD TIMES ON FORBIDDEN PLATEAU
Katherine Kirk suspected the roof of Forbidden Plateau’s day lodge was going to collapse. “One day, a woman in the ...
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ARE WE OUT OF THE WOODS YET?
I began to write this letter on a rainy, blustery day in early November—possibly not the best time to reflect on ...
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THE MYSTERIOUS FAROE ISLANDS
The rising sun cast a pink glow on the cliffs as we prepared for landing on a crisp November morning. Just five ...
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GOING DEEP
When I'm under the water, I feel at home. As soon as my head goes below the surface, an almost instant calm comes ...
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LITTLE VALLEY: ZOLA FINDLAY
Why travel makes us love home.
The very first thing she told us was that the monkey didn’t like kids. Of course, ...
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with help from her sister
HOW YA GONNA KEEP ‘EM DOWN ON THE FARM
On a sunny Saturday afternoon, Fossil Beach Farm is a-bustle with activity. People are sitting at long picnic ...
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GLOBAL BUSINESS, LOCAL IMPACTS
One of the many big questions of 2020 is how we adapt and evolve as consumers, locally and globally. Whether we ...
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BEAVERS, WIDE OPEN!
I used to write science fiction (which means I know little about science, but I liked playing with ideas). In one ...
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THE ONLY WAY OUT IS THROUGH
Full disclosure: I am a Traci Skuce fangirl, but because one of the things I love so much about the way she writes ...
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FROM FENCE BOARDS TO SURFBOARDS
When you first look at a Waterman surfboard, you wouldn’t expect it had been crafted by a guy who grew up on the ...
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GREY TURNED GREEN
The last in our series imagining how the Comox Valley’s communities could look 20 years from now.
It’s hard ...
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MORE THAN KUS-KUS-SUM
The famous French oceanographer Jacques Cousteau once said, “We forget that the water cycle and the life cycle are ...
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&
THROUGH THE VENEER
“Now gently let your breath out and slip beneath the surface. I’ll go under first and be ready for you to join ...
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EAT YOUR MEDICINE
One of my twins’ favourite meals is tacos. They are easy to prepare and a great way to incorporate all the colours ...
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MOVING THROUGH CHANGE
Early in 2020, our editorial team envisioned the general look and feel of the covers and themes for the year ...
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ON SMOKING AND PICKLING
There’s something that connects me to a greater world when I fire up the smoker. I can’t put my finger on it. ...
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INFLUENZA’S DEADLY TRAIL
By all accounts, Johnny Bannerman is a very nice young man. He’s a member of the Cumberland Volunteer Fire ...
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THE BEAUTY OF THE BURN
Oh my god, this hurts so bad... Why does this hurt so bad?? Ohmygodohmygodohmygod. Uggggggghhhhhh, this burns so ...
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THE SUSPENSE WON’T KILL US
Running a tourism business, especially in an area as remote as Kyuquot Sound, is challenging at the best of ...
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ALL FIRED UP
“I take a lot of my inspiration from the natural world around me,” says Gordon Hutchens, Denman Island’s ...
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FEATURED ARTIST: RICHARD MRAVIK
Richard Mravik was born in 1973 in the city of Nove Zamky, Slovakia. Of Hungarian descent, he was noted from a ...
FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER: GLYNNIS GREY
Glynnis was raised on a hobby farm on Vancouver Island by parents who were "hippies" of the day. Their ...
FEATURED WORDS: DISTANCE
The fire that forged the earth
holds the space between us
ancient atoms
in our blood and bones
pulled to the ...
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PLAYING WITH FIRE
“All along the way, where the deep green forest used to stand, lies a waste of mangled trunks and branches, enough ...
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COURTENAY AFTER COVID
The third in our series imagining how the Comox Valley’s communities could look 20 years from now. ...
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DRAWN TO THE FLAMES
Earth, air, water, fire. In the extreme, these elemental forces can be either ineffectual or catastrophic. They ...
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ART, A HARVEST, AND A BLESSING
Burning sage, summer heat, and the vegetal scent of the plants in the traditional Indigenous tea garden of the ...
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SWEAT IT OUT
True story: my first-ever sauna experience included pitchers of gin Caesars and a waterslide—a really steep one. ...
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VERACITY OF THE VESPIDS
Before the headlines were screaming “Murder Hornets!!!” (officially known as Vespa mandarinia, aka “Baskin bees” ...
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PUTTING THE SUN TO WORK
From the expansive windows of Courtenay resident Tom Grimmer’s dining room, the Comox Valley is laid out below ...
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FORGED IN TOUGH TIMES
When I wrote the last Editor’s Letter, things were still reasonably normal in the Comox Valley. But some time ...
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NATION OF STAIRS
My quads burned. I stared up the seemingly endless, brutally steep stairs, then I glanced back down the valley and ...
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THE EGG EQUATION
I’ve always loved eggs. Hard-boiled. Scrambled. Sunny-side up. Anything but poached—well, unless they’re smothered ...
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EASY, BREEZY E-BIKES
How many times have you thought about how nice it would be to drive less? Maybe you want to reduce your carbon ...
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LITTLE VALLEY: SAM GOLDBY
My name is Sam and I am 11 years old. I love to go fishing, play basketball and ride bikes, but my very favourite ...
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FED UP NO MORE
We got together in the living rooms of cabins, converted barns, half-finished homemade houses. We ate date ...
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FEATURED ARTIST: JO PAYNE
Jo is a Comox-based artist with a passion for exploring colour, texture, and light. Using primarily acrylics, ...
FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER: MATT NEWFIELD
Nature has always been a key part of Matt’s life. Growing up on Vancouver Island has given him countless mountains ...
BELTANE
Curled against you under the night sky
your touch reminds me
that my flesh is made
from the spark and dust
of ...
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ON THE SHARP EDGE
A rare beam of sunshine reflects off a long steel blade, catching the eyes of a pair of observers who press their ...
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AIMING FOR ZERO
One of nature’s fundamentals is the way matter flows in loops, supporting life as it transforms from one state to ...
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THE CURVE OF TIME
I grew up in a house where bookshelves reached the ceilings, with cascading spider plants tucked in among the ...
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TURNING DOWN THE TEMPERATURE
The second in our series imagining how the Comox Valley’s communities could look 20 years from ...
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THIS PLACE IS FOR THE BIRDS
Soft whitecaps glisten atop cresting waves, tall green grasses dance in the wind, an eagle swoops low across ...
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THE ART OF THE ARCHTOP
Musical wizardry is something I’ve always admired, and after meeting Comox Valley luthier (guitar maker) Wyatt ...
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NO FEAR OF FALLING
Throughout history, humans have been fascinated–even obsessed–with the art of flight. From Leonardo da Vinci and ...
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LEARNING TO FLY
As the sun breaks through in a brief respite on a day of steady rain, the 11 acres of the MARS Wildlife Rescue ...
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HOME IN THE HILLS
I'm inching along the narrow ridge leading to 5040 Peak, a ski on either side of the crest, mushy spring snow in ...
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IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL LAND
When my kids were younger, I logged long hours at the Rotary Skypark, going half-dizzy as they performed endless ...
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DOWN IN THE PIT
Air. When it’s good, we often don’t notice it. Think of a spring hike through Paradise Meadows: we may be aware of ...
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BLANKETED IN HOPE
History was made recently at Kumugwe, the K’ómoks Bighouse. On October 16, 2019, a ceremony was held marking the ...
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BREEZING INTO SPRING
Ah, spring. It’s the time when the light begins to spill over our valley again—a little longer every day—and the ...
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CHASING SUNSETS
Bula! Pronounced “boo-la,” this is Fiji’s version of “aloha,” an all-purpose word that makes you feel instantly ...
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THE MOUNTAIN CENTRE IS HERE. BUT DO YOU KNOW WHY?
Have you ever parked at Mount Washington’s Raven Lodge and wondered about the impressive, yet solitary, building ...
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LITTLE VALLEY: KELLAN D’AOUST
My name is Kellan and I am 8. I was born here at the old hospital in Comox and have lived here my whole life. I ...
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THE ROOTS OF ALL GOODNESS
Q: What do beets, parsnips, turnips, rutabagas, carrots, yuca (cassava), kohlrabi, onions, garlic, celery root (or ...
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FEATURED ARTIST: ANOUK HARTWELL
A former dog sled and kayak guide, Anouk’s paintings amplify her love for the outdoors. If she could, she would ...
FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER: BRETT KROEKER
Brett Kroeker is a photographer based in the Comox Valley. His deep love for outdoor adventure is perfectly paired ...
THE ELK IN OUR BACKYARD
“What was that?” says Scott. His head swivels in the direction of the sound.
I raise my hand above my head and ...
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WINTER’S POEM
Even in the darkest winter
under the frost-hardened earth
the roots are deep in discussion
through mycelium ...
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THE PERKS OF PLAYING PRETEND
You have been stuck on the glacier for three days and whatever has been stalking you is closing in. Night is ...
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and
THE BIG ONE
The stopwatch on the computer screen read four minutes and counting until the Great British Columbia ShakeOut. ...
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BRAVO FOR BUCKET OF BLOOD
It’s two in the morning. I just turned the last page of Kim Bannerman’s book, Bucket of Blood.
I flip through ...
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YOU’LL BE GLAD TO HEAR: UNION BAY 2040
This year, we’ll be exploring possible futures for the communities of the Comox Valley based on current community ...
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LIFE BEGINS AT 40
A quick Google search on turning 40 will tell you everything from “You’re on the brink of a mid-life crisis” to ...
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A BACKCOUNTRY, MODULAR ROOM OF ONE’S OWN
Gaining popularity in the mid-1950s, the modest A-frame, with its inherently simple aesthetic, defined a way of ...
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PROFILE OF COMMUNITY IN ACTION SPONSORED BY NORTH ISLAND UROLOGY
The first thing you need to know about Glen Alwin Farm is that nobody involved is named Glen. Or Alwin. The people ...
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THE SONSHINE LUNCH CLUB: A LOCAL LIFELINE
It’s a Tuesday, and when the doors of St. George’s United Church hall open at 11:30am, Gail, who is 70, comes in ...
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THE ORIGINAL SPIN SESSIONS
Driving north out of Courtenay on an October day, one really notices the changing seasons. The wet leaves and ...
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WAIT ’TIL THE SUN SHINES, NELLIE
While looking at a 1931 photo of a crew of men seated on a logging raft, long-time Cumberland resident Karl ...
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THE SEASON OF EARTH
Almost all the ancient civilizations identified four similar basic elements: earth, air, fire, and water. I ...
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NOW OR NEVER
Last summer my family and I embarked on an epic journey. 10 months, 10 provinces, 25 US states, 17 Mexican states, ...
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COVERING NEW GROUND
Despite the perpetual spotlight that the world of technology enjoys for “changing the world”, few technical ...
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LITTLE VALLEY: MIA BEATTIE
I have lived in Cumberland my whole life. I was born in October, even though I wasn’t supposed to come until ...
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CREATIVE MOMENTUM
Board riding culture and the visual arts have always held a natural alliance, sharing a rejection of norms to ...
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LITTLE VALLEY: ARYO BEHZAD
I’m a social guy. I love people. I love interacting with kids, adults, animals—most anybody really. If you’ve met ...
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A NATURAL TEACHER
Local hunter, fisher, conservationist, and author Ralph Shaw once said, "The role of the successful fisherman and ...
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WITCHES OF THE WOODS
Fall gives way to a darkness, where fairytales operate best. As the days grow shorter and the sun slips behind the ...
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FEATURED ARTIST: SARAH BERGERON
Sarah is a Comox Valley-based artist primarily working in oil painting. At the core of her practice is an ...
FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER: VIKTOR DAVARE
Viktor came to Canada from Switzerland in 1978, eventually immigrating here. He spent 13 years in Calgary before ...
RADICAL VULNERABILITY
“Every child, every person, needs to know that they are a source of joy; every child, every person, needs to be ...
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DARK SCIENCE
[On Judgement Day] …men will cast away their idols of silver and gold—the idols they made to worship—to the moles ...
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PERSONAL STYLE
As concern for our environment spreads, we’re becoming more conscious of the ripple effects of our lifestyle. Fast ...
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THE FOREST AS OUR WITNESS
The idea that the dead remain with us in spirit is ancient. Cultures the world over document the presence of ...
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HELLO GHOST
Would you be less frightened of a ghost if you were able to greet it by name?
The Comox Valley contains many ...
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COOL AND COLLECTED
It’s a long and lazy Saturday. The kids are sleeping off another busy week of school. Looking out the window, you ...
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ABOVE AND BEYOND
If you know what to look for, the signs of the Comox District Mountaineering Club (CDMC) are everywhere. A new log ...
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REBUILDING CHARACTER
Our heritage house was built in 1895 with the proceeds of a hip-length gold chain carried over the Chilkoot Pass. ...
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PROPHETS AND HARBINGERS
Owls are a fascinating subject rife with symbolism, mythology, and contentious conservationism. No Halloween would ...
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IN THE FIELD
PETER GEE: CONNECTOR
If you recently arrived in the Comox Valley and found a family doctor with little trouble, ...
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STROKE OF MAGIC
My boyfriend, Curtis Blackburn, and I love to be in the mountains. Although we spend most of our time in ...
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DIFFICULT TERRAIN
As I roll over a small bump in the slope, a voice calls out to move out further to the edge of the run on skier’s ...
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WHERE YOUR HEART IS
“I discovered mountain rivers late, for I was a prairie child… All I knew was that it was pure delight to be where ...
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FILM FOR THE FUTURE
It was a warm summer afternoon when I first met Comox Valley Art Gallery (CVAG) Executive Director Sharon Karsten ...
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FASHION FORWARD
Nearly invisible, a fishing net drifts within the dark waters off the western shores of Vancouver Island. As a ...
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ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT
Jessica likes to eat her pot. Preferably in a gummy. But it could be years before she can buy them legally at a ...
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THE BRIGHTEST PATH
Escape. Run away. Get lost. Get free.
Last winter, when the long stretch of darkness was at its most ...
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MARKINGS OF THE MIND
Ian McKenzie sees things.
These hallucinations started when he was a kid. He would hear voices while sitting ...
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STOLEN MOMENTS
Desperately pinching limestone tufas and underclinging stalactites, I tried hard, like full-body core-strength ...
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FEATURED ARTIST: AVA LUNA
Ava Luna is a professional henna and visual artist born and raised on Vancouver Island and new to the Comox ...
FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER: DAVE INGRAM
Dave Ingram is a photographer and naturalist based on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. He currently works as a ...
DEEP BLUE
It is amazing to stand on the shores of Comox Lake and consider the vast amount of water it contains. With a ...
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FORTUNE FLAVOURS THE BOLD
Many people living in the Comox Valley develop a sense of adventure. We are blessed by forests, beaches, ...
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GENERATION GAP
In 1927, it was a day like any other for Peter Bardesonno as he clocked in alongside his father Jossepi for ...
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WHEREVER HELP IS NEEDED
For two decades it traveled and camped with couples and families, as most RVs do, but for the past 10 years the ...
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ADAPT OR DIE
The world of photography is broad and has no boundaries. Perhaps this is why so many people are drawn to it. But ...
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REMARKABLE SOFTNESS
What is yarn bombing? Some people call it art. Others call it craft. Some call it a nuisance and a waste of ...
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AN ISLAND OF SOUND
Standing in the golden hayfields that roll down to the ocean’s edge, I look over the sparkling water to the ...
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BENEATH THE HIGH
When it comes to doing drugs, Adam isn’t interested in getting high. “I’m a busy man,” the 49 year-old creative ...
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GROWING CONSCIOUSNESS
No one wants to be told what to eat. Food sharing is at the core of culture, group identity, and pleasure. Just ...
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IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK
During the late 1800s and early 1900s, thriving mining, logging, and fishing industries in the Comox Valley led to ...
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IN THE FIELD
MO MOSHIRI: EXPLORER
“I’ve been a traveller since I was three,” says Comox-based MC, songwriter, and producer ...
HIDDEN RICHES
We descended into a magical underworld. Giant, spider-like cave crickets filled the vast corridors of karst ...
Words & Painting
ON A WING AND A PRAYER
My heart races and my hands shake as I check my lines for the third time. My speedwing is neatly laid out on the ...
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BREAKING THE SURFACE
Storytelling originates underground. It’s the job of a writer to drag little known stories to the surface. ...
Vol. 20 Intro by
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IN SEARCH OF THE SIMPLE LIFE
No matter where I’ve ended up on this journey, the coast has always called me back and the surf has kept me sane. ...
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CURIOUS CREATURES
Once upon a time, my grade seven teacher took our class on a road trip from our interior town of Kamloops to the ...
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FRIENDLY COMPETITION
The 2014 annual general meeting of the Comox Valley Road Runners (CVRR) was winding down when something ...
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LITTLE VALLEY: JUSTIN YARETZ
My name is Justin, and I am a very active boy who loves the outdoors. My favourite summer sports are BMX racing ...
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FEATURED ARTIST: ALEX MAERTZ
Alex Maertz is an illustrator based on the west coast. Born a stone’s throw from the woods, she instinctively ...
FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER: PAIGE OWEN
Paige Owen is a photographer and graphic designer based in the Comox Valley. She takes inspiration from her ...
SUPPORTING THE NEXT GENERATION
We live in an incredible rainforest. Part of the wonder of our local geography is the amazing old-growth trees ...
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&
IN HER ELEMENT
Take a moment and listen to your breath. Inside it is the cadence of the ocean, the push and pull of an endless ...
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PROTECTING THE BALANCE
The Baynes Sound herring spawn in March is a spectacle, and the largest of its kind. About 38% of all the herring ...
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THE RETURN OF GIANTS
For the past 15 years, I’ve spent summers working as a kayak guide leading multi-day trips, mostly in the waters ...
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CRUMBLING CANNERIES
It was the 1880s and “The Great Salmon Industry” was in its golden years on the British Columbia coast. Entire ...
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AQUA MAN
His name is Kumugwe (pronounced “koo-moo-gwee”). He lives in a mansion made of precious metals, is revered as a ...
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CURRENT DEMAND
The red embers of cigarettes glow through a thick fog. It’s 6am and workers outside the processing plant at Mac’s ...
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CRUCIAL AND COMPASSIONATE CARE
Since 2011, Victoria Hospice Society has been organizing the Cycle of Life Tour, in which people from all over ...
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CONTINENTAL DRIFT
I’d heard of Ecuador for years: stories of great rivers, easy transportation, and friendly people. Now was the ...
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A LIFE THAT BENEFITS OTHERS
The life of a Tibetan Buddhist monk is often assumed to take place in a remote monastery with complete detachment ...
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THE WATERS WITHIN
Every person is made up of water. The Comox Valley Art Gallery Youth Media Project is nine folks coming together ...
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ABANDON SHIP
At one time she was probably a sporty trimaran, moored inside Comox Harbour. Then, during a fall wind storm her ...
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IN THE FIELD
ERIC RUSH: EXPLORER
To put it mildly, Eric Rush is pretty fond of road biking. A member of Courtenay’s Riverway ...
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UNLIKELY SHIPMATES
I’m tied to the dock as a gale grows outside the protection of the bay. Snow is piling up on the sailboat, but ...
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HOME BASE
Under the steady gaze of the Comox Glacier, looking east to the Strait of Georgia, the airfield at Canadian Forces ...
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PLAYING THE LONG GAME
Walk into any garage in Canada and you’re likely to find a hockey stick or two, tucked in a corner or shoved ...
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BEARING WITNESS
On a late October day, a pale sun shines through sparse golden leaves, making sparkles on the Orford River. I know ...
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LITTLE VALLEY: CADENCE HERRON
When my Mom asked me what I wanted to write about for the CV Collective, I said climate change! It’s a big problem ...
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FEATURED ARTIST: JENNIFER EATON
I am a mother bear, yoga instructor and acrylic artist living in the village of Cumberland. I spend as much time ...
FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER: SHERYL HANULA
Living in the rugged, rain-soaked wilds of rural British Columbia, Sheryl finds ample inspiration in her own ...
GROUND RULES
When people in the community fear getting sued for speaking freely about a controversial land development ...
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WHAT TIME LEAVES BEHIND
Have you ever wondered about parked cars at the side of Highway 19, near the bridge about three kilometres south ...
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WINTER FUN FOR EVERYONE
I can safely say that mountain snow sports are for pretty much everyone. Think about it. With downhill skiing and ...
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SMOOTH MOVES
Around 11am on a sunny Monday, Dan Espeseth, Sean Manara, and Chris Hancock show up for work. Instead of riding to ...
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A CUSHY ARRANGEMENT
If you live close to a ski hill, the couch surfer is a species you’re intimately familiar with. Much print space ...
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A CHILLING TURN
Despite living on the water in the Valley, you have few options for surfing and it helps to get creative. I met ...
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IN THE FIELD
NAZANEEN DIZAI: CONNECTOR
Nazaneen Dizai brings ideas and people together. Whether in the corporate heart of ...
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WHAT MOVES US
We are made of the place we came from. If you eat locally and don’t drink bottled water, your body becomes a ...
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LONG MAY YOU RUN
Jane Wilde and Monika Terfloth are waiting for me at a patio on 5th Street. Not far from here, Terfloth once ...
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AN ELEGANT STRUGGLE
It’s a crisp November morning and the autumn sun has just breached the Beaufort mountains, casting gold and pink ...
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UNIVERSAL LOCAL
Dance has always been a significant part of Cathy Stoyko’s life. Her mother was a ballroom dance teacher, and with ...
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A PLACE UPSTREAM
The rivers of the Comox Valley are made in the winter. All season long, drop by drop, the rain falls and they ...
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WITH CHILDLIKE WONDER
Our trip to South Africa was twelve years in the making. In 2006, my mother returned to her native homeland to be ...
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THE GEM OF ISLAND MOUNTAINEERING
Mt Colonel Foster is among the most impressive peaks on Vancouver Island. Its east face rises over 1000 metres and ...
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STANDING TALL
Driving on Comox Road along the Courtenay River estuary and through the K’ómoks Nation’s Number 1 reserve, it’s ...
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CREATIVE CONTROL
Corwin Fox is very hard to get a hold of.
If you’ve emailed him recently, you’ve received an automatic reply ...
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ON THE RISE
The dough stretches and resists my hands as I roll it on the floured surface. As I work, the aroma of yeast ...
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VOTING FOR VITALITY
If there was ever a time to exercise your democratic right to vote, it's now. Across the globe, research has shown ...
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THINKING BEYOND BUSINESS
I enjoy a good local holiday, and one of the best things about living on Vancouver Island is the abundance of ...
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GATHERING WELLNESS
Growing up in the Comox Valley I have always been passionate about nature and the outdoors. Camping, hiking, ...
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ON ANY GIVEN THURSDAY
I came across a photo box recently containing pictures of a summer my family spent in a rented cottage at Penn ...
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THE CLARITY OF GLASS
I was sitting in a ceramics class attempting to blow into a hand-built vessel when the spark for glass blowing ...
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PREPARING FOR THE PRESENT
On a sunny afternoon six years ago while riding my motorcycle home from Campbell River on the Old Island Highway, ...
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SHUT IT DOWN
I am a true introvert, my husband a true extrovert. Which means we spend a lot of time telling each other how ...
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SPINNING GOLD
I feel most at home in vast wilderness landscapes. Here, the bears and wildflowers alike are my equals, and the ...
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THE GREAT INDOORS
If you live on Vancouver Island, you are blessed with an abundance of places to experience the raw and rugged ...
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LITTLE VALLEY: NAOMI CHARETTE
Hi, my name is Naomi and I’m currently a student at Cumberland Community School. I've lived in Cumberland for ...
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GIRL ON FIRE
“You know what I’ve been doing,” says Sarah Neufeld exuberantly, on the phone from the back of a Toronto taxi. ...
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OPPRESSION AND RESILIENCE
134 years ago, the Canadian Government introduced legislation to ban the P'a_sa, or Potlach, in an attempt to ...
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SMOOTHING A DIFFICULT PATH
When you think about your high school experience, what comes to mind? The friendships, sports, or parties? Maybe ...
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PIONEERS AND BROKEN DREAMS
Drive northwest past the ferry line-ups, strip malls, and highways choked with RVs. Carry on until you’re out of ...
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CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE
Let’s face it, cycling is less of a chore when you have a growler of local craft beer, fresh herbs, and a few ...
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GROWING CALM
Fresh water flows through the Kingfisher Oceanside Resort and Spa’s new Serenity Garden. The soothing sound of ...
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A SELFLESS PROTECTOR OF ALL THINGS WILD
If you could divide people into two categories, there would be those who spend their lives taking from the planet, ...
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FAMILY FRAMEWORK
The A-frame is an architectural style that needs little explanation, aptly named for its high peak and steep ...
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THE DIRECTION OF DISCOMFORT
If you dare to live a life of infinite possibility and opportunity, it is essential to understand how comfort can ...
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RACING THE LIGHT
In December 2016, discussions in my house revolved around setting goals to keep active. Friends had completed the ...
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THE PLACES WE MAKE
In Cumberland, the community and forest are inexorably linked. Whether we explore the woods as athletes or ...
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FLOATING ON
I don’t think I truly understood the word “bittersweet” before I became a mother. When I watch my son play with ...
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INTO THE GREAT WHITE OPEN
Antarctica is the coldest, driest, and windiest of earth’s continents. Though it’s a region of extremes, it’s much ...
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TREE OF LIFE
Every second week, a group of adults varying in age and background meets at the beautiful Abbey Studio, a ...
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GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE
Eric Greene’s mornings are different from most people’s. The New York city-based 36 year-old wakes before dawn, ...
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BAR CART BOUNTY
For many, spring means decadent chocolate Easter eggs and sunny daffodils. For others it’s the first taste of our ...
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SPIN IT TO WIN IT
When the days grow short and the nights grow long, the foggy village of Cumberland starts to slow down. But in a ...
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DEATH OF A WORKER’S FRIEND
Near the end of July 1918, the blackberries were just starting to ripen, a welcome development for the hungry ...
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GRAVITATIONAL PULL
Though the Comox Valley leaves little to be desired for the Island’s mountain biking community, our excitement ...
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LITTLE VALLEY: TAYLOR GRINDE
At 11 years old and growing up in the Comox Valley, I am lucky to be exposed to a lot of culture and experiences. ...
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THE PEACOCK BEAN PARADOX
Both of my parents emigrated from Europe to Canada soon after WW2. People of the Netherlands, like other ...
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THE TROUBLE WITH WOLVES
A herd of Roosevelt Elk browses willows in a bog near the Mount Cain turnoff. Nearby, a pack of wolves lie hunched ...
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FINDING YOUR SPARK
Blissful, haunting, enchanting, and tranquil are just words on this flat piece of paper in black and white. ...
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HOME VIDEO
We’re familiar with boom and bust on the west coast, with the effect of a fluctuating economy challenging us all. ...
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THE STAY-AT-HOME DEFENCEMAN
In the small coastal towns of BC, long-time locals are often suspicious of newcomers. Yet when former professional ...
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BRIDGING THE GAP
American sociologist Matthew Desmond said that housing is absolutely essential to human flourishing. These days, ...
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A WILDERNESS RETREAT, REIMAGINED
High on the verdant slope of Forbidden Plateau rests a craftsman lodge overlooking the Salish Sea. Though the area ...
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THE NATIVE SONS HALL
Long known as “the cultural heart of Courtenay,” the Native Sons Hall is the most historical and iconic building ...
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TUNING THE VIBRATIONS OF WELLNESS
Bowen Technique involves a gentle yet dynamic system of muscle and connective tissue moves, which balance the body ...
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STRAIGHT AND TO THE POINT
A barefoot walk in the soft moss, slowly and with intent, senses heightened, just to witness the scampering of a ...
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THE DIRTY AND THE DEDICATED
To some, it’s the Village in the Forest, to others simply “Cumby.”
But to those of us who crave the mud ...
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CHOSEN ROADS
Do I love my mountain bike or dirt bike more?
When I was four years old, I saw a dirt bike in a book and became ...
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LETTING IN THE LIGHT
Open. It brings to mind not one singular definition but a refusal of its opposites. Stubbornness. Inflexibility. A ...
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ANCHORED IN ICELAND
In the late seventies, Sandra Dykstra skied into Skoki Lodge, an historical backcountry destination in the ...
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A COMMUNITY EMERGES
Nala'atsi is a word in the Kwak'wala language with more than one meaning, but one in particular conveys what we’re ...
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LITTLE VALLEY: INDI NEUFELD
My favourite things about living in Black Creek are that my house is close to my school, which is nice, and also ...
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EVERYDAY INDULGENCES
Hallucinations. Feelings of bliss or excitement. A turbo-charged memory. Chocolate and cheese, those classic ...
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READY AND ABEL
“Nature abhors a vacuum.” This is what Jeff Jones, the secretary of Mount Cain’s board, used to say. And then ...
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ON A SWELL AND A PRAYER
What a difference a year makes. I’m watching a small train of two-foot waves roll through a pack of paddlers at ...
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