Strathcona Collective 2023 Spring/Summer
As I look in the mirror to wash my face, car loaded, kayak on roof, ready to embark on the drive to Gold River, I think back on some of […]
Words & Photo By Dave Prothero
GET AWAY TO GOLD RIVER
Comox Valley Collective Summer
For over a year, we’ve all been dreaming of getting away, and perhaps Island adventures will once again be possible in the summer of 2021. If so, put the village […]
Words by Anita LawrenceFeatured photo by Dave Prothero
SMASHING BARRIERS WITH SIP
Comox Valley Collective Spring
Behind every non-profit there’s at least one driven, talented founder willing to make sacrifices to chase their vision. For Society of Inclusion and Participation (SiP) Global Adventures, that guy is […]
Words by Haeley DewhirstPhotos by Dave Prothero
EASY, BREEZY E-BIKES
Comox Valley Collective Spring
How many times have you thought about how nice it would be to drive less? Maybe you want to reduce your carbon footprint, or you don’t want to sit in […]
Words & photo by Dave Prothero
THE SEASON OF EARTH
Comox Valley Collective Intro Winter
Almost all the ancient civilizations identified four similar basic elements: earth, air, fire, and water. I believe there’s a part within all of us—even in our modern times, where many […]
Words by Jen GroundwaterPhoto by Dave Prothero
CONTINENTAL DRIFT
Comox Valley Collective Winter
I’d heard of Ecuador for years: stories of great rivers, easy transportation, and friendly people. Now was the time to experience it for myself. Rivers with names like Quijos, Oyacachi, […]
Words & Photos by Dave Prothero
ON A SWELL AND A PRAYER
Comox Valley Collective Winter
What a difference a year makes. I’m watching a small train of two-foot waves roll through a pack of paddlers at the start line of the 2017 MOMAR. One of these […]
Words by Ryan StuartPhoto by Dave Prothero
FLY TYING 101
Comox Valley Collective Summer
1 Start with a stainless steel saltwater hook, in sizes 4 to 8. Pinch the barb with pliers to produce a smooth bump–this is required by law for all salmon […]
Words by Lydia JacksonPhotos by Dave Prothero
OUTRIGGER CANOEING IN THE COMOX VALLEY
Comox Valley Collective Spring
What is that? A question often posed by onlookers as Comox Valley Canoe Racing Club (CVCRC) members cart a 44ft, 300lb, six-person outrigger canoe down the Courtenay marina ramp for […]
Words by Laurel ArcherPhoto by Dave Prothero
LET IT RAIN
Comox Valley Collective Winter
The rain patters the roof. Again. It feels like every morning for the last week started this way. Me lying in bed, my senses slowly coming into focus: warmth, darkness, […]
Words by Ryan StuartPhoto by Dave Prothero
NOT JUST FOR KIDS
Comox Valley Collective Summer
The leap of faith challenges just about anyone. Standing at the top of a telephone pole, at the Tribune Bay Outdoor Education Centre, you literally leap into space. Jump far […]
Words by Ryan StuartPhotos by Dave Prothero
A RETURN TO LIFE
Comox Valley Collective Spring
There’s a simple metric for the health of a river—can fish live in it? The Tsolum River meanders lazily through farm country north of Courtenay, giant cedars and fir overhanging […]
Words by Andrew FindlayPhotos by Dave Prothero
MOVEMENT
Comox Valley Collective Fall Intro
Arguably one of the only constants that exist in our world is the reality that nothing is constant. Change itself is one of the few things we can be sure […]
Words by Ross BodenmannPhoto by Dave Prothero
A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT
Comox Valley Collective Spring
On a summer afternoon with life jacket-less tubers bobbing by, teenagers jumping off cliffs and dogs fetching sticks, it’s hard to believe the Puntledge River is famous among whitewater paddlers. […]
Words by Ryan StuartPhotos by Dave Prothero
CUMBERLANDIA
Comox Valley Collective Summer
It’s go time. I have to drop off my Delica at the shop to get a skylight leak fixed. I was planning to sell it, but Cumberland council is about […]
Words by Andrew FindlayPhotos by Dave Prothero
RIDING IS AWESOME
Comox Valley Collective Winter
Old school, new school, ski school no school. Freestyle, freeride, slopestyle, no style. Front side, back side, new lines. Singles lines, family days, winter break, Friday nights. Hiking boot pack, […]
Words by Eugene ChungOpening photo by Jenn Dykstra
CONCERNING ISLANDERS
Comox Valley Collective Winter
A few months ago I traveled all the way from Norway to visit Vancouver Island for the first time. My Islander friend Ross and his American, but still legitimate wife […]
Words by Ole Kristian ÅrdalPhoto by Dave Prothero
COMING HOME
Comox Valley Collective Intro Winter
Some say it’s simply where they grew up, the place they remember most or where they count most familiar. Others say it’s ‘where the heart is’ whatever that may mean. […]
Words by Ross BodenmannPhoto by Dave Prothero