RJ went from songwriter and recording artist to the catering business in Vancouver to a three-year adventure as co-owner of a bar in Prague shortly after the Velvet Revolution. Since moving to the Comox Valley in the late ’90s, he has written for a number of grass roots publications including BC Musician Magazine. He formed a band with a redhead known as Meaghan Cursons and proceeded to play and volunteer at festivals, eventually helping to form a team of co-producers to present the Elevate the Arts festival in downtown Courtenay. As Vice President of the CV Community Arts Council, he works to help support, promote, and elevate the arts in the Valley. He is currently working on a plan to incorporate his young daughter into his latest music project.
May 31, 2021: “Hey, Meaghan, we’re thinking if some restrictions lift this summer we might try to book some shows for early July. It’s all dependent on health orders, but if things are looking up would you consider some sort of outdoor concert? Even a backyard private thing with a 50ish capacity. No pressure. Totally […]
For British Columbians, whether or not we are directly involved in the industry, forest products are us. When I first read The Golden Spruce*, I thought, “How have I lived in this province practically my entire life and never read about the history of something that’s woven so intricately into our history, cultural identity, politics, […]
You pretty much can’t have a conversation anywhere in the world today without one of our global crises popping up and confounding us with its complexity. On the surface, housing people appears to be a relatively basic and solvable problem. We know how to clear land and build buildings, and here in Canada, as in […]
In Cumberland, the community and forest are inexorably linked. Whether we explore the woods as athletes or artists, educators or explorers, we all find shelter in the shade of her trees, coolness in the lush green ravines, and peace in her silent places. These varied forest experiences are expressed in the unique forest protection efforts […]
American sociologist Matthew Desmond said that housing is absolutely essential to human flourishing. These days, homelessness and affordable housing are very much front and centre as the most challenging social issue we face. You’d be hard pressed to find someone who isn’t affected or connected to a person who struggles in some way with this […]
We live in an agriculturally rich region where traditions converge to create a sophisticated local food culture. One simply has to wander through the Farmers’ Market to experience the smells, tastes, and textures of our valley’s abundance. We’re always greeted with enthusiasm when we deal with our local food producers, and to help ensure that […]
As You Like It Products & Catering epitomizes the farm-to-table approach to food production and service. Chef, caterer, and food producer Laura Agnew believes you can’t get too much of a good thing. After sampling some of her tremendously tasty appies at an event, I have to concur. The duck, which came from her own […]
Merville Organics is a food grower cooperative made up of several Comox Valley farms including Amara Farm, Ripple Farm, and Kloverdalen Farm. Their focus is producing and distributing deliciously fresh, organic, and transitional produce. Farming challenges brought food activist and organic food advocate Arzeena Hamir together with grower Moss Dance to collaborate, and they eventually […]