2024 Comox Valley Collective Summer
Woman on the water It was July 2023 and my 61st birthday was a month away. I had been dreaming of stand-up paddleboarding (SUPing) around Cape Scott ever since I […]
Words by Mary WakefieldPhotos by Meredith Rose
EVERYONE CAN (AND SHOULD) MEDITATE
2024 Comox Valley Collective Spring
Cultivating stillness We experience so much in our lives. Sometimes life’s momentum is so fast that we miss the joy in the present moment. We’re living in an unsettling time. […]
Words by Dennyse HarrisPhotos by Meredith Rose
BUILDING COMMUNITY WITH LITTLE FREE LIBRARIES
2024 Comox Valley Collective Spring
A steady stream of people stops in front of a typical home in Courtenay’s Old Orchard neighbourhood. They come by bicycle, mobility scooter, car, or on foot. Some are pushing […]
Words by Joline MartinPhotos by Meredith Rose
COMOX VALLEY TRANSITION SOCIETY
2023 Community Organization Showcase Comox Valley Collective Winter
Comox Valley Transition Society (CVTS) was founded in 1987 by a group of caring community members concerned that women in abusive relationships had nowhere to go. Until 1992, it operated […]
Photos by Meredith Rose
THE ART OF DRYING FLOWERS
Comox Valley Collective 2023 Fall
The practice of pressing and drying flowers and herbs dates back centuries and is part of many Indigenous cultures and traditions around the world. What was once a practical method […]
Words by Karen BezairePhotos by Meredith Rose
RECOMMITTING TO FILM
Comox Valley Collective 2023 Summer
When I phone Dave Hall to chat about his Comox Valley-based camera repair business, we struggle through a minute or two of trying to communicate over a bad cell connection […]
Words by Nora BinghamPhotos by Meredith Rose
COME AS YOU ARE
Comox Valley Collective 2023 Summer
“Energy moves in waves. Waves move in patterns. Patterns move in rhythms. A human being is just that energy, waves, patterns, rhythms. Nothing more.” —Gabrielle Roth We’ve been dancing for […]
Words by Bevin ClempsonPhotos by Meredith Rose
WE CAN DANCE IF WE WANT TO
Comox Valley Collective 2023 Summer
Dance is a language that transcends borders, barriers, and abilities. We use it to share stories, communicate ideas, and connect with one another. Through dance, we bring our inner world […]
Words by Jen GroundwaterPhoto by Meredith Rose
CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE
Comox Valley Collective Winter
My husband and I moved to the Comox Valley four years ago. From the start, we’ve enjoyed navigating our way around and discovering our must-go places. We now feel truly […]
Words by Susan BarrattPhotos by Meredith Rose
SUNSET AT SMITH LAKE FARM
Comox Valley Collective Fall
Related posts: FEEL LIKE A KID AGAIN MAGIC IN THE DYE POT PUTTING DOWN THE SAWS ART, A HARVEST, AND A BLESSING
Words by Sara KempnerFeatured photo by Meredith Rose
THE RISE OF MODERN GLEANING
Comox Valley Collective Summer
Glean (v.): Gather (ears of grain, etc.) after the harvest. I recently attended an inspiring symposium hosted by the Association of Gleaning Organizations in Seattle. Along with representatives from all […]
Words by James McKerricherPhotos by Meredith Rose
THE POWER OF GROWING THINGS
Comox Valley Collective Summer
My dearest Yarden, It wasn’t just one of your plants that snared me. Nor did my love for you hit all of a sudden. No, falling in love with you […]
Words by Tyler JohnsPhotos by Meredith Rose
COMMUNITY, CARE, AND QUILTING
Comox Valley Collective Spring
One of my earliest memories is playing under my grandmother’s quilt frame while she and her friends sewed a quilt for a member of their congregation. I could see the […]
Words by Joline MartinPhoto by Meredith Rose
THE GIFT OF MOTION
Comox Valley Collective Winter
Growing up in the Comox Valley, Mal Irvine, who uses they/them pronouns, often felt uncomfortable. They were assigned female at birth and curtsied to “societal pressure to just fit in […]
Words by Ryan StuartPhotos by Meredith Rose
LET THE RIVERS RUN
Comox Valley Collective Winter
In case you haven’t noticed, the Comox Valley has been experiencing a population boom of late. Newcomers choose the Valley for all kinds of reasons like being closer to nature, […]
Words by Tanis GowerPhotos by Meredith Rose
THE COHOUSING CONCEPT
Comox Valley Collective Fall
t’s 7:30 a.m. and my 11-year-old daughter skips out to join our 74-year-old neighbour for a sprightly walk around the neighbourhood. The morning walks are a year-round ritual here at […]
Words by John GowerPhotos by Meredith Rose
PROTECTING PERSEVERANCE
Comox Valley Collective Summer
March 4, 2021: “This is not good. I’ve just gone to look at the area. The flagging starts about 50 meters beyond the Perseverance Creek bridge and runs west to […]
Words by Meaghan CursonsFeatured photo by Meredith Rose
BRINGING BACK THE BYGONE
Comox Valley Collective Summer
My parents were notorious collectors. On any given Saturday, they would pack up our silver E150 Ford Econoline van with a cooler full of Country Time lemonade and Flakes of […]
Words by Dave NowakPhotos by Meredith Rose
FEATURED WORDS: LONGEST NIGHT
Comox Valley Collective Featured Words Winter
On the longest night Tuck tiny love notes Written with winter berries Into the dark earth Whisper them lullabies With your warm breath Gently cover them With the dying leaves […]
Words by Meaghan CursonsPhoto by Meredith Rose
THE VINYL REVIVAL
Comox Valley Collective Winter
In the last few years, you may have noticed the resurgence of vinyl records and local record shops. What is it that people love about vinyl? And why is it […]
Words by Jamie McCuePhotos by Meredith Rose
EAT YOUR MEDICINE
Comox Valley Collective Fall
One of my twins’ favourite meals is tacos. They are easy to prepare and a great way to incorporate all the colours of the rainbow into a fun family meal. […]
Words by Shannon SimpsonPhotos by Meredith Rose
THE ORIGINAL SPIN SESSIONS
Comox Valley Collective Winter
Driving north out of Courtenay on an October day, one really notices the changing seasons. The wet leaves and grasses mingle with the mist hanging in the air, creating a […]
Words by Meagan RobergePhoto by Meredith Rose
PERSONAL STYLE
Comox Valley Collective Fall
As concern for our environment spreads, we’re becoming more conscious of the ripple effects of our lifestyle. Fast Fashion—the unsustainable model of clothing manufacturing and marketing—has become the global norm. […]
Words by Nicole BertramPhotos by Meredith Rose
FASHION FORWARD
Comox Valley Collective Summer
Nearly invisible, a fishing net drifts within the dark waters off the western shores of Vancouver Island. As a Pacific gray whale powers through the water chasing swarms of krill, […]
Words by Bevin ClempsonPhotos by Matt Meredith
THE BRIGHTEST PATH
Comox Valley Collective Summer
Escape. Run away. Get lost. Get free. Last winter, when the long stretch of darkness was at its most oppressive, a perfect storm of opportunity provided the light I needed. […]
Words by Nora BinghamPhotos by Meredith Rose
TREE OF LIFE
Comox Valley Collective Spring
Every second week, a group of adults varying in age and background meets at the beautiful Abbey Studio, a converted church on Cumberland’s Penrith Ave. They gather to practice the […]
Words by Jonathan Cooper& Zoë Cooper
EVERYDAY INDULGENCES
Comox Valley Collective Winter
Hallucinations. Feelings of bliss or excitement. A turbo-charged memory. Chocolate and cheese, those classic postprandial treats, can pack a neurological punch that goes above and beyond their wider known health […]
Words by Elisabeth LeePhoto by Meredith Rose
PRE-LOVED
Comox Valley Collective Fall
I have always loved reading, but fell hard for books when I was eight. We were living in an amateur’s converted barn with questionable heat and electricity, and no TV. […]
Words by Nora BinghamPhotos by Nora Bingham
MATERIAL CREATIVE
Comox Valley Collective Summer
When I arrived at Material Creative’s studio in Cumberland, an unseasonable rain was falling and the air was cool. Lush gardens led to a building reminiscent of all the hippie […]
Words by Nora BinghamPhotos by Meredith Rose
HEIRLOOM SEEDS
Comox Valley Collective Spring
The first time I ate an heirloom tomato I had my doubts. I was never a tomato lover. I’d seen too many sandwiches go down in the rough seas of […]
Words by Nora BinghamPhotos by Meredith Rose
NATURE’S NUTRITION
Comox Valley Collective Winter
The opportunities we have, the choices we make, and the decisions we face each day determine how our life will unfold. These can be at once beautiful and ugly, easy […]
Words by Zaaven ForestPhotos by Meredith Rose
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