Fall/Winter 2023 Strathcona Collective
It takes a special kind of person to teach. If you’re teaching in the public school system, you’re likely signing up for hours of unpaid overtime in homework reviews and […]
Words by Ross BodenmannPhotos by Amanda Rentiers
![DISCOVERY](https://thecollectivemags.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/CVC_Vol2_1-Intro.jpg)
DISCOVERY
Comox Valley Collective 2023 Intro Spring
An enlightening interview from our last issue led me down a rewarding rabbit trail. The conversation was an enthusiastically shared perspective, the topic being the value of process in pursuit […]
Words by Ross BodenmannPhoto by Dan Owen
![CREATIVE MOMENTUM](https://thecollectivemags.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/CVC_Vol20_15-PacificBoard_Header.jpg)
CREATIVE MOMENTUM
Comox Valley Collective Fall
Board riding culture and the visual arts have always held a natural alliance, sharing a rejection of norms to facilitate invention and reinvention, with an innate resourcefulness in order to […]
Words by Ross BodenmannPhotos by Gordon Ross
![IN THE FIELD](https://thecollectivemags.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/CVC_Vol17_6-InTheField.jpg)
IN THE FIELD
Comox Valley Collective Winter
NAZANEEN DIZAI: CONNECTOR Nazaneen Dizai brings ideas and people together. Whether in the corporate heart of Toronto or small-town British Columbia, she makes things happen with resourcefulness and determination. Her […]
Words & Photos Ross Bodenmann
![A PLACE UPSTREAM](https://thecollectivemags.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/CVC_Vol17_1-Intro.jpg)
A PLACE UPSTREAM
Comox Valley Collective Intro Winter
The rivers of the Comox Valley are made in the winter. All season long, drop by drop, the rain falls and they swell and boom around us. They are most […]
Words by Allie JenkinsonPhoto by Ross Bodenmann
![HOME VIDEO](https://thecollectivemags.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/CVC_Vol14_7-HomeVideo.jpg)
HOME VIDEO
Comox Valley Collective Spring
We’re familiar with boom and bust on the west coast, with the effect of a fluctuating economy challenging us all. The film industry is no different. The game can change […]
Words & Photos by Ross Bodenmann
![GOING PUBLIC](https://thecollectivemags.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/CVC_Vol13_8-NickHJ_Header.jpg)
GOING PUBLIC
Comox Valley Collective Winter
Armed with a limited budget, dedicated volunteers, and a substantial amount of exuberance, the Downtown Courtenay Business Improvement Association (DCBIA) was looking for viable artists to create a painting for […]
Words & photos by Ross Bodenmann
![CREATING FUN & GAMES](https://thecollectivemags.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/CVC_Vol12_12-JasonKapalka.jpg)
CREATING FUN & GAMES
Comox Valley Collective Fall Who
There’s a new sign up at the Harbour Centre building in Comox that maybe doesn’t quite fit with the other businesses near the water. I caught up with Jason Kapalka, […]
Interview by Tom KeenoyPhoto by Ross Bodenmann
![NATURALLY AWARE](https://thecollectivemags.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/CVC_Vol10_13-AprilB.jpg)
NATURALLY AWARE
Comox Valley Collective Spring Who
With stunning visuals and captivating words April Bencze is reconnecting humans with the natural world. Her portfolio, Instagram following, and contributions to networks like National Geographic, the BBC, or local […]
Interview & photo by Ross Bodenmann
![A LIFE’S WORK, IN PROGRESS](https://thecollectivemags.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/CVC_Vol9_11-Kevin.jpg)
A LIFE’S WORK, IN PROGRESS
Comox Valley Collective Who Winter
Whether it’s hanging out with High Lamas in the Himalayas, studying palaeontology in Drumheller, hosting poetry slams, or picking his girls up from ballet, the uncompromisingly creative Kevin Flesher would […]
Interview & Photo by Ross Bodenmann
![HAPPY TO GROW](https://thecollectivemags.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/CVC_Vol7_2-Hops.jpg)
HAPPY TO GROW
Comox Valley Collective Summer
With an abundance of arable land, an increasingly motivated farm to table food scene, and an array of seasoned culinary creatives, the Comox Valley has long since made its mark […]
Words by Ross BodenmannPhoto by Daryl Granger
![CEYLON CUISINE & SPICES](https://thecollectivemags.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CVC_Vol6_23-Ceylon.jpg)
CEYLON CUISINE & SPICES
Comox Valley Collective Market Innovators Spring
From the coasts of the Indian Ocean to our north Pacific paradise, Ceylon Cuisine brings the warmth of their dynamic flavour blends, delicious curries and a culturally rich culinary experience. […]
Words by Ross BodenmannPhoto by Hans Peter Meyer
![BUILDING ON NATURE](https://thecollectivemags.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CVC_Vol6_20-Furniture.jpg)
BUILDING ON NATURE
Comox Valley Collective Spring
The process and eventual outcome of furniture craft provides a necessary staple around which some of the most basic human needs revolve. Eating, drinking, and socializing. Enjoying these fundamental privileges […]
Words by Ross BodenmannOpening photo by Sparrow and Me Photography
![BUILDING A LEGACY](https://thecollectivemags.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CVC_Vol6_11-Firehall.jpg)
BUILDING A LEGACY
Comox Valley Collective Spring Who
Memories line a wall of Gord Schreiner’s humble office; the decorated history of one man’s relationship with his comrades, his industry, and the primal element that has shaped his life […]
Interview by Ross BodenmannPhotos by Comox Fire Department
![ABUELO’S CORN TORTILLAS](https://thecollectivemags.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CVC_Vol5_21-Abuelo.jpg)
ABUELO’S CORN TORTILLAS
Comox Valley Collective Market Innovators Winter
Handmade, gluten free and using 100 per cent certified-organic ingredients, Abuelo’s tortillas are a delicious, authentically Mexican product. This family-run business takes pride in a high standard. They use white […]
Words & Photos by Ross Bodenmann
![MATERIALIZING THE SOUL](https://thecollectivemags.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CVC_Vol5_9-Jewellery.jpg)
MATERIALIZING THE SOUL
Comox Valley Collective Winter
The wearable art of jewellery has been a form of self-expression for millennia. These adornments have been seen as sacred spiritual defenses with magical properties, religious talismans, or wearable reminders […]
Words & Photos by
![CLEVER CROW](https://thecollectivemags.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CVC_Vol4_19-Farm.jpg)
CLEVER CROW
Comox Valley Collective Fall Market Innovators
Lia Cormick launched Clever Crow about three years ago at the Comox Valley Farmers’ Market selling herbs, spices and sea salts. The market has served her well as a business […]
Words & Photos by Ross Bodenmann
![BEER TASTING 101](https://thecollectivemags.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CVC_Vol4_18-Beer.jpg)
BEER TASTING 101
Comox Valley Collective Fall
Four ingredients: water, malt (usually barley), yeast, and hops. Beer. A simple recipe but such a complex substance. The craft beer revolution has ignited the dangerous notion that beer actually […]
Words by Brad HarrisPhotos by Ross Bodenmann
![GHOST CATS](https://thecollectivemags.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CVC_Vol4_10-GhostCat.jpg)
GHOST CATS
Comox Valley Collective Fall
The cats were intensely focused, only glancing at me before returning their focus to my dog Taz, a large German Shepherd cross who, until that very moment I had thought […]
Words by Roanne EnglishIllustration by Ross Bodenmann
![NECESSARY BALANCE](https://thecollectivemags.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CVC_Vol4_8-Pantuso.jpg)
NECESSARY BALANCE
Comox Valley Collective Fall Who
The intrepid leader of the Pantuso Dance Studio is a professional dancer, singer and performer in his own right. As he balances growth and success with personal peace and a […]
Interview by Ross BodenmannPhoto by Karen McKinnon
![PEDAL POWER](https://thecollectivemags.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CVC_Vol4_6-Biking.jpg)
PEDAL POWER
Comox Valley Collective Fall
The Comox Valley enjoys a reputation for clean living, and rightly so. With inviting beaches meandering along vast stretches of coastline, epic mountains looming large over the land, and wilderness […]
Words by Kerry HalePhotos by Ross Bodenmann
![MOVEMENT](https://thecollectivemags.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/CVC_Vol4_Intro.jpg)
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
![POWER](https://thecollectivemags.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/CVC_Vol3_1-Intro.jpg)
POWER
Comox Valley Collective Intro Summer
It can be defined as ability, force or potential. Some call it influence or pressure, others relate it to mechanics, something calculable; for still more it’s something unseen or mystical […]
Words by Photo by
![SUSPENDED OVER ELK FALLS](https://thecollectivemags.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CVC_Vol3_17-ElkFalls.jpg)
SUSPENDED OVER ELK FALLS
Comox Valley Collective Summer
It is almost unfair to attempt to capture the extraordinary beauty of Elk Falls in photos or film. Neither come close to the actual experience. And it is an experience, […]
Words by Mary Ruth SnyderPhotos by Ross Bodenmann
![UNVEILING STORIES](https://thecollectivemags.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CVC_Vol3_8-Who.jpg)
UNVEILING STORIES
Comox Valley Collective Summer Who
Daniel Kooman is a local filmmaker and a partner of Unveil Studios, an independent studio finding its roots in Red Deer Alberta. A transplant from over the Rockies, Daniel has […]
Interview & photo by Ross Bodenmann
![THE COMPETITOR’S PERSPECTIVE](https://thecollectivemags.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CVC_Vol2_6-Who.jpg)
THE COMPETITOR’S PERSPECTIVE
Comox Valley Collective Spring Who
With a spirit of excellence and determination Darcy Lange has overcome serious illness and found legendary status in the North American motocross scene. At 32 Darcy’s already lived a lifetime […]
Interview & photos by Ross Bodenmann
![Drac’s Castle](https://thecollectivemags.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CVC_Vol1_8-Where.jpg)
Drac’s Castle
Comox Valley Collective 2016 Where Winter
If you’re rattling down the back roads of Merville on your way to Mount Washington or searching the Tsolum River for a good swimming spot, you might stumble upon an […]
Words & Photos by Ross Bodenmann
![COMING HOME](https://thecollectivemags.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/CVC_Vol1_1-Intro.jpg)
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
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