Intro Archives - The Collective Magazines

I first sensed how landscape affects us while studying writing at the University of Saskatchewan. The ...

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Paige Owen

GLOOM AND BEAUTY

CV Collective, Intro

INSTRUCTIONS FOR LIVING A LIFE: PAY ATTENTION. BE ASTONISHED. TELL ABOUT IT. – MARY OLIVER In the ...

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Ron Pogue

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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Jennifer Brazil

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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Sam Rae Harriss

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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Nik Dunn

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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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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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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Allan Sawchuck

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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Kyle Hansen

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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Vince Kehn

THE SEASON OF EARTH

Almost all the ancient civilizations identified four similar basic elements: earth, air, fire, and water. I ...

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Dave Prothero

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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Sara Kempner

BREAKING THE SURFACE

Storytelling originates underground. It’s the job of a writer to drag little known stories to the surface. ...

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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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Ross Bodenmann

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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Jenn Dykstra

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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Kyle Hansen

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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Kareen Sanderson

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 ...

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Collective Efforts, CV Collective, Intro

FOOD AT THE HEART OF THE COMMUNITY

We live in an agriculturally rich region where traditions converge to create a sophisticated local food culture. ...

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RJ Herron

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Amy Shaw

CELEBRATE

We have much to celebrate in the Comox Valley. Aside from spectacular scenery and a host of ways to amuse ...

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Julie Sabey

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JOURNEY