ALL Spring
MOUNTAINS AND MOTHERHOOD

MOUNTAINS AND MOTHERHOOD

All of us who love the alpine have our own reasons for getting out there. A hiker I once passed in the Kweishun ...

Words & featured photo by

Eryn Tombu Haigh

WILD GARDENING

WILD GARDENING

I remember the sweet satisfaction of pushing peas into the slowly warming spring soil of my first garden “plot,” a ...

Words & Art by

Sally Podmore

IN SEARCH OF OUR INDIGENEITY

IN SEARCH OF OUR INDIGENEITY

We live by stories. By stories we understand the world, and ourselves. Each culture has its cosmology: an ...

Words by

Kester Reid

Photo by

Amy Shaw

ADVENTURES IN PADDLING

ADVENTURES IN PADDLING

As we rounded the northern tip of Nootka Island, we were struck with sizable swell, wind, and refracting waves ...

Words & Photos by

Erica Keen

THE ELEVENTH HOUR FOR OLD GROWTH

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 ...

Words & Featured Photo by

Andrew Findlay

Gallery photo by

Chris Istace

BUSINESS IS BLOOMING

BUSINESS IS BLOOMING

Have you ever noticed that the flowers you see in local gardens—maybe even in your own yard—are rarely available ...

Words & photos by

Lydia Jackson

THE SNOWLINE

THE SNOWLINE

In 2021, I decided to travel across British Columbia with my bike and my skis—or, more accurately—with my skis on ...

Words & Photos by

Damien Jannet

FEATURED ARTIST: CHRISTIAN GEISSLER

FEATURED ARTIST: CHRISTIAN GEISSLER

Born and raised on British Columbia’s West Coast, Christian grew up with a deep appreciation for nature, thanks to ...
FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER: MORGAN NORTH

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER: MORGAN NORTH

Eighteen-year-old Morgan, a Comox Valley resident, started taking photos with a smart phone when he was 12 and ...
TUNED TO THE COMMUNITY’S FREQUENCY

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 ...

Words by

Dave Flawse

Photo by

Jenn Dykstra

THE THRILL OF THRIFTING

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 ...
BURNING QUESTIONS

BURNING QUESTIONS

When we invite young people to visit the engineered landfill at the Comox Valley Waste Management Centre, we ask ...

Words & photos by

Tina Willard-Stepan

SEAWEED, SVP

SEAWEED, SVP

Seaweed is a food resource long celebrated by traditional coastal peoples across the globe, including throughout ...

Words & Photo by

Angela Willard

ART AND MENTORSHIP IN THE 21ST CENTURY

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 ...

Words by

Keisha Everson

Featured photo by

Zac Whyte

FEATURED ARTIST: MIKE SAVAGE

FEATURED ARTIST: MIKE SAVAGE

Michael was born in Campbell River and currently resides in Fanny Bay with his partner Anna and cat Sophie Bean. ...
THE POOP ON CUMBERLAND’S AMBITIOUS NEW WETLANDS PROJECT

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 ...
FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT

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 ...

Photo by

Jenn Dykstra

PERCEPTIONS, PREJUDICE, AND PRIDE

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 ...

Words by

Sam Peterson

Photo by

Jenn Dykstra

EASY, BREEZY E-BIKES

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 ...

Words & photo by

Dave Prothero

THIS PLACE IS FOR THE BIRDS

THIS PLACE IS FOR THE BIRDS

Soft whitecaps glisten atop cresting waves, tall green grasses dance in the wind, an eagle swoops low across ...

Words & photo by

Sophie Vigneau

IN SEARCH OF THE SIMPLE LIFE

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. ...

Words & Photos by

Andrew Talbot

FEATURED ARTIST: ALEX MAERTZ

FEATURED ARTIST: ALEX MAERTZ

Alex Maertz is an illustrator based on the west coast. Born a stone’s throw from the woods, she instinctively ...
CRUMBLING CANNERIES

CRUMBLING CANNERIES

It was the 1880s and “The Great Salmon Industry” was in its golden years on the British Columbia coast. Entire ...

Words & Photos by

Oriana Smy

UNLIKELY SHIPMATES

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 ...

Words & Photo by

April Bencze

INTO THE GREAT WHITE OPEN

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 ...

Words & Photos by

Gordon Ross

GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE

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, ...

Words by

Mike B

Photos by

Lucy Laucht

BAR CART BOUNTY

BAR CART BOUNTY

For many, spring means decadent chocolate Easter eggs and sunny daffodils. For others it’s the first taste of our ...
DEATH OF A WORKER’S FRIEND

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 ...

Words by

Dawn Copeman

HOME VIDEO

HOME VIDEO

We’re familiar with boom and bust on the west coast, with the effect of a fluctuating economy challenging us all. ...

Words & Photos by

Ross Bodenmann

BRIDGING THE GAP

BRIDGING THE GAP

American sociologist Matthew Desmond said that housing is absolutely essential to human flourishing. These days, ...

Words & Photo by

RJ Herron

THE DIRTY AND THE DEDICATED

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 ...

Words by

Ryan Parton

Image supplied by

DODGE CITY

FEATURED ARTIST: JULIE SABEY

FEATURED ARTIST: JULIE SABEY

Julie Sabey's creative work has, until recently, only been viewed on screens. Her writing and directing career has ...
RAINWATER HARVESTING 101

RAINWATER HARVESTING 101

The principals of rainwater harvesting have remained the same for centuries: collect and contain clean ...

Words by

Mark Miard

Illustration by

Ian Adams

FIELD NOTES

FIELD NOTES

The idea of market farming became a possibility for us after visiting the Comox Valley and falling in love with ...

Words & photos

Sarah Kehler

PAINTING WITH FIRE AND SODA

PAINTING WITH FIRE AND SODA

The kiln has been firing for six hours. Brilliant orange light is emanating from every crack in the brickwork. The ...

Words & Photo by

Jeff Brett

NATURALLY AWARE

NATURALLY AWARE

With stunning visuals and captivating words April Bencze is reconnecting humans with the natural world. Her ...

Interview & photo by

Ross Bodenmann

FOREST TO FAUCET: LIFE IN THE ERA OF HUMANS

FOREST TO FAUCET: LIFE IN THE ERA OF HUMANS

“Man must make himself small and humble to live in [nature] rather than a ruthless giant to conquer it” – ...

Words & photos by

Tim Ennis

TASTING ROOM ETIQUETTE

TASTING ROOM ETIQUETTE

We’re spoiled for choice when it comes to high-quality food and beverage producers in the Comox Valley. ...

Words by

Katie Phelan

MAGIC IN THE MOUNTAINS

MAGIC IN THE MOUNTAINS

An endless coastline, mild climate, and constant ocean breeze are all part of life on Vancouver Island. Most ...

Words & Photos by

Sarah Seads

HENS 101

HENS 101

While the idea of collecting fresh eggs at home sounds idyllic, don’t think you can wing it. Like most things ...

Words & Photos by

Rebekah Kenway

FLOATING BELOW

FLOATING BELOW

Floating lazily in the glassy, calm waters of Shearwater Passage, our boat tied off to the mooring buoy, we get ...

Words & Photos by

Eiko Jones

GARDENING 101

GARDENING 101

1. CHOOSING YOUR SEEDS A blend of Mesclun mix, oriental greens, or lettuce mix for raised beds or container ...

Words & Photos by

Rowan Helliwell

MARKET INNOVATORS: HEALING BLISS BOTANICALS

MARKET INNOVATORS: HEALING BLISS BOTANICALS

Healing Bliss Botanicals inspires people to nurture their bodies and restore themselves and the planet through the ...
ALPINE TO OCEAN

ALPINE TO OCEAN

It’s go time. I know the big day has arrived when I see canoes in the parking lot of Mount Washington Ski Resort. ...

Words by

Sarah Seads

Illustration by

Ian Adams

THE COMPETITOR’S PERSPECTIVE

THE COMPETITOR’S PERSPECTIVE

With a spirit of excellence and determination Darcy Lange has overcome serious illness and found legendary status ...

Interview & photos by

Ross Bodenmann

AUDIBLE INSPIRATION

AUDIBLE INSPIRATION

The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness. – John Muir Silent Season is a music label ...
LAST STAND IN THE  LAND OF PLENTY

LAST STAND IN THE LAND OF PLENTY

It was a hot day in May. My first spring as a resident of the Comox Valley and it felt as though summer was ...

Words by

Tim Ennis