THE ELEVENTH HOUR FOR OLD GROWTH
After decades of clearcutting, can a fundamental shift protect what’s left of BC’s ancient trees?
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ALL 2021
BUSINESS IS BLOOMING
Farm-to-table flowers are a growing movement in the Comox Valley.
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TUNING IN TO NEW OPPORTUNITIES
Invented for music festivals, silent disco headphones find new life during COVID-19.
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FEATURED ARTIST: SHELLEY VANDERBYL
FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER: ANIUEMILIA
LIVING LARGE
Five can fit fine inside a tiny home.
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VIDEOGRAPHERS AND FILMMAKERS
The Comox Valley is home to a diverse group of visual artists who use video to tell compelling stories about nature, humanity, and community.
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IT’S A WET COLD
Winter camping in Strathcona Provincial Park.
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LITTLE VALLEY: AVA THOMAS
Our young residents reflect on the home they’re growing up in.
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THE BLUE BUZZ
Wild swimmers are only ever one swim away from a good mood.
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THE GIFT OF MOTION
A new non-profit wants all queer athletes to have role models and cheerleaders.
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RETHINKING ONIGIRI
A Hornby Island entrepreneur takes a beloved Japanese seafood snack to the next level.
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DROP INTO A DEEP READ
Photographer Duncan Hague creates space to tell mountain biking’s unsung stories.
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IT TAKES A VILLAGE
Meet the organization that aims to help all Comox Valley children reach their full potential.
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BREWMOX VALLEY 2.0
Not even a pandemic has stopped our growing love for local craft beer.
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WHERE THERE’S WATER, THERE’S HOPE
Clearflo Solutions was already working on the global clean water crisis. Then their technology was needed much closer to home.
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KNIT LIKE A NORWEGIAN
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MUSIC WAS OUR CONTRABAND
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LET THE RIVERS RUN
Streamkeepers keep a watchful eye on the Valley’s precious waterways.
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THE DUBIOUS PLEASURES OF WINTER BIRDING
Join the hardy, determined, somewhat anti-social ranks of winter birders.
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BLOOM WHERE YOU’RE PLANTED
From Cumberland to the Caribbean, Chicago, and back: a local couple comes full circle.
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A LIFE LIVED WITH VOLUME
We dedicate this volume of the CVC to Thomas Dunn, who inspired family, friends, and entire communities to experience everything in a big way. He will be missed.
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COME TO THE DARK SIDE
Heighten your senses with a walk in the forest after dark.
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BULBS OF GLORY
Oh, how we love you, beautiful, smelly, powerful garlic.
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FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER: CURTIS BLACKBURN
THE COHOUSING CONCEPT
Courtenay’s sustainable, social cohousing community creates a village of neighbours.
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FEATURED ARTIST: SHARON LALONDE
THE NORTHEAST WOODS
Comox’s favourite forest playground has many stories to tell.
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The Origins of the Comox Valley Writers Society
Word-lovers unite
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PUBLISHED IN A PANDEMIC
Recent and recommended – books by local authors.
LITTLE VALLEY: RORY KEHLER
Our young residents reflect on the home they’re growing up in.
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SHELTER IN A NEW LAND
For decades, private sponsors have been helping refugees find safe haven in the Comox Valley.
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THE VILLAGE TINKER
Forging ahead in uncertain times.
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EVEN BETTER TOGETHER
The Comox Valley Healthcare Foundation harnesses the power of collective giving to enhance local healthcare.
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PUTTING DOWN THE SAWS
Sy Pederson’s short film Tree Killer tells a story of rebellious loggers and advocates for change in BC’s forestry industry.
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FROM SECRET KNOWLEDGE TO SELF-IMPROVEMENT
A brief history of freemasonry.
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SHOW US YOUR WORDS
Comox Valley Arts and the selection committee were thrilled with the response to our 2021 Elevate Summer Poetry Contest. Thanks to everyone who submitted entries, and congratulations to our winners, whose work is published here.
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FEATURED WORDS: GENIUS LOCI
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FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER: FRANCOISE GERVAIS
FEATURED ARTIST: BRIAN JESSOP
RAFTING THE ALSEK
A remote journey in search of scenery and self.
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ON A HUMBLE SCALE
An ordinary stormwater retention pond turns out to be remarkable, indeed.
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COMOX VALLEY STARGAZING
How to explore space from your own backyard.
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PROTECTING PERSEVERANCE
Racing against time to protect a vital piece of nature.
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BRINGING BACK THE BYGONE
By restoring vintage furniture, we pay homage to the craftsperson, and to the forest which provided the raw material.
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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 earth naturally.
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THE EVOLUTION OF BANNOCK
This delicious, iconic food is both a staple of life and a symbol of Indigenous persistence.
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ROCK BEATS WATER
For climbers, the attraction of Comox Lake has always been the cliffs.
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ON THE UPSWING
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THE MCLOUGHLIN GARDENS
A summer cottage becomes a place to dream and create.
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LITTLE VALLEY: TOWNES BLUE
Our young residents reflect on the home they’re growing up in.
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TOWARD A MORE LIVABLE VALLEY
Comox Valley Coalition to End Homelessness combines compassion and action.
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Kevin Mackenzie
Jake Tinkler-Josephi
AN AFTERNOON AT HOLLY HILL FARM
Tot farming
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Art+Earth
Moving Forward, Exploring Relationships, And Facing Challenges Together.
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Honouring Medicine and Pagan Traditions
Introducing the Family and Animals of Standing Spruce Farm & Apothecary
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Aromatic, Craveable, and Savoury
Fermentation Adds Value to Our Community.
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Steel Wool Photography
How to Create Eye-catching Creative Photos
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Moutcha Bay Resort
A Natural Haven for the Savvy Local Traveler
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Carving a Niche
Chris Zumkeller’s Journey as a Craftsman
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Innovation in Education
The Magic of the Carihi Fly Fishing Program.
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Cries of the Wild
Revisiting the History of Mount Cain’s Glissade Culture
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Writing a New Narrative
Wildflowers & Co. Founder Alissa Assu Inspires the Future of Indigenous Women In Business
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LITTLE RIVER: MADISON LUCAS
Reflections from a younger resident
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For the Love of Flying
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Guardian, Steward, and Watchkeeper
Restoring the Balance of Physical and Cultural Sustenance for Future Generations
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This Ain’t the Mainland
Island Kids Have Tougher Feet
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Pointing the Bow North
A Coastal Sailing And Snowboarding Adventure
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The Future is Digital
Adversity Sparks Creative Innovation At Campbell River’s Tidemark Theatre
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River Magic
The Watery Highway Of Life On The North Island
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REIMAGINING REGIONAL RECREATION
Four local governments working together for better parks and recreation management? It could be a reality very soon.
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LEARNING LANGUAGE; BUILDING COMMUNITY
NIC’s Indigenous language courses help students bring Kwak’wala into their day-to-day lives.
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LIFTING THE FOG
How a Valley-based program is helping people overcome anxiety and depression.
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FREE THE LAWNS!
The front lines of food production, coming to a neighbourhood near you.
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IT’S NOT ABOUT THE MONEY
At SOS Gear, every sale helps save lives.
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GETTING HIGH ON VANCOUVER ISLAND
Singing the praises of our unique alpine environment.
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SAILING FORTH
A thirst for adventure, a boat of her own, and the Salish Sea as her playground.
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WELCOME TO HISTORIC CUMBERLAND
The newly renovated Cumberland Museum offers more stories and more points of view.
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GET AWAY TO GOLD RIVER
Sure, it’s the gateway to Nootka Sound. But for outdoor lovers, Gold River is a treasure in its own right.
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SOMEWHERE DOWN THE LAZY RIVER
Floating down the Puntledge is the ultimate summer vibe.
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BEYOND FARMING FOOD
How one local’s getting creative with her land.
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CUMBERLAND, A TINY-TOAD SUPERHIGHWAY
Small but mighty western toads have places to go, and we need to help them get there.
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THE FUTURE LOOKS TASTY
Deep Bay’s new Centre For Seafood Innovation connects local seafood producers with greater markets.
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RECHARGED AND READY
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SCENES FROM CVAG, 2020
An invitation to enter the Comox Valley Art Gallery, where art and community intersect.
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LEAVING OLD ENMITIES BEHIND
Sifting through his family’s hatred for Japan, Mac Newton finds room for empathy.
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SMASHING BARRIERS WITH SIP
Local organization aims to empower wheelchair users with the wonder of whitewater.
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ART AND MENTORSHIP IN THE 21ST CENTURY
With family guidance, a young Indigenous artist expands her practice.
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FEATURED WORDS: KUS-KUS-SUM
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FEATURED ARTIST: MIKE SAVAGE
FEATURED PHOTOGTAPHER: SHANNON KAY
THE POOP ON CUMBERLAND’S AMBITIOUS NEW WETLANDS PROJECT
…And three other fantastic sewage lagoons to see before you die.
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LITTLE VALLEY: OLIVIA KLASSEN
Our young residents reflect on the home they’re growing up in.
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PEDDLERS OF DELICIOUSNESS
Local food trucks do more than serve quick and tasty food. They help connect the community.
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SECOND CHANCES
Hunting nearly emptied the Salish Sea of whales. Many species are returning—but they’re still at risk.
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FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT
Comox Valley Head Injury Society helps people with acquired brain injury walk the path toward recovery.
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SUPERSONIC MEMORIES
Tour the Comox Air Force Museum with a former Canadian Forces fighter pilot.
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THE RISE OF GRIND
Gravel bikes are bringing rhythm and cadence off the road and back into the wilderness.
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PERCEPTIONS, PREJUDICE, AND PRIDE
A small-town boy reflects on coming out in the Comox Valley.
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THE SEASONS OF BEES
The art and science of beekeeping.
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THE NATURE CURE
The Comox Valley isn’t just a pretty place—it can heal what ails you.
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PLANTING FARMERS
Land-matching program nurtures the next generation.
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RENEWAL AND COMMUNITY: A COLLECTIVE LOVE LETTER
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Falling on Concrete Builds Character
A generation of skateboarding culture on Quadra Island
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Hooked on Tyee Dreams
Embarking on my maiden voyage
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Colourful Splendour in the Emerald Sea
Seeing the forest and the trees without leaving the ground.
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Raising Backyard Birds
A wonderful, rustic addition to backyards of all sizes
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Don’t Look, SEE
Responding to the legacy of Sybil Andrews
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LITTLE RIVER: ANNABEL AND BRYNLEE LUDWIG
Our young residents reflect on the home they’re growing up in
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Damn, I Wish I Walked
A life on foot with Chris Barner
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Focusing My Glass Eye
Gibson James teaches glassblowing.
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The Moods of Myra
Exploring the falls in all her seasons
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Strathcona Park Lodge and Outdoor Education Centre
A truly Canadian story
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Sea & Field
Home is a small bistro nestled amongst the mountains
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Learning My Truth
Indigenous tourism as the gateway for reconciliation
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Paddle Away From It All
A kayaker’s retreat in Blackfish Sound
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Featured Photographer: Vince Kehn
Featured Artist: Lukas Mouka
Our Neighbours Without Homes
The reality of living without shelter
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THE GREENWAYS LOOP
Encircling and connecting the community of Campbell River’s beloved green spaces
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In Search Of
A scout’s hunt for film locations on Vancouver Island
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Humming Bird Zen
A local family’s amazing interaction with their feathered friends
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