THE SURROUNDING BLUE
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ALL 2019
SALMON AND STEWARDSHIP
the K’ómoks First Nation Guardian Watchmen use the bounty of the sea to help protect the forest.
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WHEN IT RAINS, IT POURS
Winters in the Valley aren’t what they used to be. What does this mean for our water supply?
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CHASING SUNSETS
During a fashion-shoot visit to Fiji, a photographer connects with the beauty of ocean and land.
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THE VANCOUVER ISLAND MOUNTAIN CENTRE AND SPORTS SOCIETY
The Mountain Centre is here, but do you know why?
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LITTLE VALLEY: KELLAN D’AOUST
Our young residents reflect on the home they’re growing up in.
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THE ROOTS OF ALL GOODNESS
Digging deep for the superpowers of root vegetables.
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FEATURED ARTIST: ANOUK HARTWELL
FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER: BRETT KROEKER
THE ELK IN OUR BACKYARD
Cameras in hand, two determined documentarians spend a season in pursuit of the Comox Valley’s elusive Roosevelt elk.
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WINTER’S POEM
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THE PERKS OF PLAYING PRETEND
Roleplaying games open up a world of adventure and exploration… and it’s all in the players’ imaginations.
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THE BIG ONE
In 1946, Forbidden Plateau was the epicentre of the Island’s last big earthquake. The Comox Valley experiences minuscule tremors all the time—are we due for another big one soon?
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BRAVO FOR BUCKET OF BLOOD
This is the first of a series where the book-loving Nora Bingham will recommend books by BC-based authors, often with an Island connection.
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YOU’LL BE GLAD TO HEAR: UNION BAY 2040
A local writer imagines the letter his daughter will write him about her return to Union Bay 20 years from now.
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LIFE BEGINS AT 40
The resort heads into its fifth decade with plans for many more bluebird days ahead.
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A BACKCOUNTRY, MODULAR ROOM OF ONE’S OWN
How one award-winning company is reinventing a classic design for modern adventurers.
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PROFILE OF COMMUNITY IN ACTION SPONSORED BY NORTH ISLAND UROLOGY
Think you’ve lived in the Comox Valley a long time? These women run a farm that’s been in the family since John A. Macdonald was prime minister.
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THE SONSHINE LUNCH CLUB: A LOCAL LIFELINE
Turns out there is such a thing as a free lunch. Five days a week, the Sonshine Lunch Club in Courtenay provides a nutritious meal and a gathering place for people who need a little help.
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THE ORIGINAL SPIN SESSIONS
Black Creek’s spinning community has nothing to do with stationary bikes, and everything to do with the art and craft of wool.
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WAIT ’TIL THE SUN SHINES, NELLIE
The hard work of logging Comox Lake—by hand and raft.
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THE SEASON OF EARTH
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NOW OR NEVER
A family of four pursues vast and vivid collective memories on a 10-month road trip.
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COVERING NEW GROUND
The Stratchcona TrailRider Program, and others like it, strive to make the backcountry truly accessible.
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LITTLE VALLEY: MIA BEATTIE
Our young residents reflect on the home they’re growing up in.
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CREATIVE MOMENTUM
An inventive art show rallies local talent and business for the sake of environmental sea change.
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WITCHES OF THE WOODS
Folklore tells of female forms that dwell in the forest, personifying the power of this dark, natural world to frighten and mystify.
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FEATURED ARTIST: SARAH BERGERON
FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER: VIKTOR DAVARE
RADICAL VULNERABILITY
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CHANNELING THE STORM
In the face of climate change, the City of Courtenay is working on an integrated system to handle a resource that knows no boundaries.
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PERSONAL STYLE
By rethinking what we wear, the slow fashion movement provides support for local artistry and a path to sustainability.
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HELLO GHOST
In anticipation of the Halloween season, we offer a formal introduction to the spirits of the Comox Valley.
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COOL AND COLLECTED
The upcoming Farmers’ Market differs from the summer season, but provides an equally valuable way to fill your fridge and pantry.
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ABOVE AND BEYOND
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REBUILDING A HERITAGE HOME
After a Cumberland home catches fire, local professionals help the owners pay homage to history.
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PROPHETS AND HARBINGERS
While we mostly live in harmony with owls, our fascination with these highly evolved predators is well represented in literature and mythology.
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IN THE FIELD
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STROKE OF MAGIC
Accessing a glacier for a spring paddle board session is leagues above one couple’s regular adventures.
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DIFFICULT TERRAIN
Comox Valley Ground Search and Rescue trains for innumerable circumstances in order to return people to civilization. But some challenges are more than physical.
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WHERE YOUR HEART IS
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THE BRIGHTEST PATH
A serendipitous trip to New Zealand provides soothing reprieve from the west coast winter.
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MARKINGS OF THE MIND
A designer and artist utilizes his craft to break down the barriers of schizophrenia.
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STOLEN MOMENTS
Time slows and memories collect and blur together while climbing amongst the Valley’s age-old terrain.
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LITTLE VALLEY: ARLO FLEENOR
Our young residents reflect on the home they’re growing up in.
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FEATURED ARTIST: AVA LUNA
FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER: DAVE INGRAM
DEEP BLUE
One of our community’s most crucial water sources is right under our feet.
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FORTUNE FLAVOURS THE BOLD
Add depth and novelty to the summer season by branching out from your standard wine selection.
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GENERATION GAP
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WHEREVER HELP IS NEEDED
Celebrating 10 years in the Valley, the Comox Bay Care Society’s mobile Care-A-Van continues to drive forth positive values in our community.
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ADAPT OR DIE
Boomer Jerritt’s long history with photography represents the unique combination of skills needed to succeed in a saturated industry.
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REMARKABLE SOFTNESS
Yarn bombing, the spontaneous act of applying textiles in public spaces, liberates both artist and observer from expectation.
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AN ISLAND OF SOUND
Now 38 years in, the team behind the Hornby Festival continues to do world-class their own way.
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BENEATH THE HIGH
Microdosing has become popular in places like Silicon Valley to increase productivity and creativity. Can taking a hit expand our thinking, or will it just mess with our minds?
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GROWING CONSCIOUSNESS
Whether for our health, our planet, or the simple joy of food, the benefits of plant-based eating have become impossible to ignore.
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IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK
The economic boom of the early 20th century brought more than coal to the surface. This is the tight-lipped history of the Comox Valley sex trade.
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IN THE FIELD
HIDDEN RICHES
Long before it became a popular tourist destination, two adventurers stumbled upon the unexpected while exploring the Upana Caves.
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ON A WING AND A PRAYER
The misunderstood sport of speed flying requires practiced skill and careful calibration. It can also take a leap of faith.
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BREAKING THE SURFACE
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IN SEARCH OF THE SIMPLE LIFE
Through an ever-changing landscape, a visual artist finds direction with a four-month road trip in a customized Chevy school bus.
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CURIOUS CREATURES
Catch-and-release aquariums provide a unique learning experience, sparking deep appreciation for the natural world.
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FRIENDLY COMPETITION
As well as a destination trail race, The Cumby is a fundraiser to protect the forest it winds through.
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LITTLE VALLEY: JUSTIN YARETZ
Our young residents reflect on the home they’re growing up in.
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FEATURED ARTIST: ALEX MAERTZ
FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER: PAIGE OWEN
SUPPORTING THE NEXT GENERATION
In partnership with School District 71, skilled timber framers are teaching their craft to Comox Valley youth.
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IN HER ELEMENT
Through the push and pull of turbulence and peace, strength and submission, a surfer awakens.
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PROTECTING THE BALANCE
Roughly one-sixth of Denman Island residents are a member of the Association for Denman Island Marine Stewards, an organization doing work on the ground for the sake of surrounding waters.
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THE RETURN OF GIANTS
Following a decline due to the West Coast’s whaling history, the humpback population around Vancouver Island is making a massive comeback.
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CRUMBLING CANNERIES
The profits from a thriving fishing industry dried up, and businesses moved on. Some of the sites left behind are in hazardous decay, polluting our oceans and tarnishing BC’s coast.
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AQUA MAN
The original underwater superhero swims the waters of the Pacific Northwest.
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CURRENT DEMAND
The nutrient-rich waters of Baynes Sound provide the ideal conditions for oyster harvesting, drawing workers to the Valley’s steady industry.
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A LIFE THAT BENEFITS OTHERS
Now a permanent resident of the Valley, A Tibetan Buddhist Monk has turned hardship into a teaching legacy.
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ABANDON SHIP
Orphaned by their owners, a number of derelict boats litter the shores of Comox harbour. Due to murky jurisdiction and a lack of accountability, they’ll remain indefinitely.
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IN THE FIELD
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UNLIKELY SHIPMATES
A coast dweller and her dog navigate life's currents aboard a small sailboat.
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HOME BASE
The history of CFB Comox tells of the West Coast’s strategic landscape and Canada’s defence strategies dating back to 1942.
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