CREATING SPACE FOR TRADITIONS, OLD AND NEW
At its root, tradition is the sharing of stories. Perhaps our oldest tradition is exactly that: storytelling. ...
Intro by
Photo by
ALL Intro
THE NEXT RIGHT THING
My husband and I sometimes travelled with our kids when they were tiny. If we ever stayed in a motel, we would ...
Intro by
Photo by
DISCOVERY
An enlightening interview from our last issue led me down a rewarding rabbit trail. The conversation was an ...
Words by
Photo by
LIVING YOUR ZEST LIFE
Welcome to our ZEST issue, which has nothing to do with citrus fruit and everything to do with gusto, enjoyment, ...
Words by
Photo by
BALANCING NATURE AND NEW ENDEAVOURS
Articles in this issue (my first as editor) feel like a love letter to our region. A testament to the vast melting ...
Words by
Photo by
THE SURROUNDING BLUE
I first sensed how landscape affects us while studying writing at the University of Saskatchewan. The ...
Words by
Photo by
GLOOM AND BEAUTY
INSTRUCTIONS FOR LIVING A LIFE:
PAY ATTENTION.
BE ASTONISHED.
TELL ABOUT IT.
– MARY OLIVER
In the ...
Words by
Photo by
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 ...
Words by
Photo by
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 ...
Words by
Photo by
A LIFE LIVED WITH VOLUME
Everyone remembers the first time they met Thomas Dunn. He was a rare individual who made an impression—mostly ...
Words by
Photo by
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 ...
Words by
Photo by
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 ...
Words by
Photo by
MOVING THROUGH CHANGE
Early in 2020, our editorial team envisioned the general look and feel of the covers and themes for the year ...
Words by
Photo by
FORGED IN TOUGH TIMES
When I wrote the last Editor’s Letter, things were still reasonably normal in the Comox Valley. But some time ...
Words by
Photo by
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 ...
Words by
Photo by
THE SEASON OF EARTH
Almost all the ancient civilizations identified four similar basic elements: earth, air, fire, and water. I ...
Words by
Photo by
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 ...
Words by
Photo by
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
Photo by
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 ...
Words by
Photo by
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 ...
Words by
Photo by
FLOATING ON
I don’t think I truly understood the word “bittersweet” before I became a mother. When I watch my son play with ...
Words by
Photo by
LETTING IN THE LIGHT
Open. It brings to mind not one singular definition but a refusal of its opposites. Stubbornness. Inflexibility. A ...
Words by
Photo by
THE FIRST SNOWFALL
In my 20s I was thrilled by the promise of a blank slate. I moved often, believing each new location was rich with ...
Words by
Photo by
FOOD AT THE HEART OF THE COMMUNITY
We live in an agriculturally rich region where traditions converge to create a sophisticated local food culture. ...
Words by
Photos by
CELEBRATE
We have much to celebrate in the Comox Valley.
Aside from spectacular scenery and a host of ways to amuse ...
Words by
Photo by
JOURNEY
Each issue of this magazine is a journey of its own. It takes its first steps with simple ideas, drifts to making ...
Vol. 11 Intro by
Photo by
GROWTH
This season, rivers and streams swell and grow like open hearts and minds, reminding us what we’ve left behind and ...
Vol. 10 Intro by
Photo by
ELEMENT
As the light dims, we must find ways to fill our hearts, challenge our minds, and keep our bodies healthy. We turn ...
Words by
Photo by
REFLECTIONS FROM WITHIN
I love the way our mysterious and beautiful world works. At a time in my life when I am practicing being evermore ...
Words by
Photo by
STAYING THE COURSE
Many of us fear to take risks. Fear to surrender. Fear the outcome.
Although this life is altogether calm and ...
Words by
Photo by
MAKING CONNECTIONS
To make things happen, we connect. It’s the spark from these connections that makes us feel alive. I came to be ...
Words by
Photo by
THE FIRE INSIDE
Our associations with the notion of inspiration are more fiction than fact, made evident by the familiar image of ...
Words by
Photo by
MOVEMENT
Arguably one of the only constants that exist in our world is the reality that nothing is constant. Change itself ...
Words by
Photo by
POWER
It can be defined as ability, force or potential. Some call it influence or pressure, others relate it to ...
Words by
Photo by
COMING HOME
Some say it’s simply where they grew up, the place they remember most or where they count most familiar. Others ...
Words by
Photo by