2025 Comox Valley Collective Market Innovators Spring
When my husband Jim said he wanted to convert a vintage Volkswagen van to electric, I was ecstatic. He was going to combine his award-winning talent for restoring cars with […]
Words by Tina Willard-StepanPhotos by Meredith Rose

CEDAR BARK WEAVER
2024 Comox Valley Collective Winter
At only 18 years old, Mahatta Price has already worked with cedar bark for more than half her life. Her interest started when she was young, and her mom took […]
Words by Jen GroundwaterPhotos by Meredith Rose

A 160-KM SOLO SUP ADVENTURE
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
2022 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
2022 Comox Valley Collective Fall
Related posts: FEEL LIKE A KID AGAIN JUMP SCARES AHEAD MAGIC IN THE DYE POT FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER: JIM WHYTE
Words by Sara KempnerFeatured photo by Meredith Rose

THE RISE OF MODERN GLEANING
2022 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
2022 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
2022 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
2021 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
2021 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
2021 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 2021 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 2021 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 2020 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 2020 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 2020 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 2019 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 2019 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 2018 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 2019 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 2018 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 2017 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 2017 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 2017 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 2017 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 2016 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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