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
Comox Valley Collective 2015 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
Comox Valley Collective 2019 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
Comox Valley Collective 2018 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
Comox Valley Collective 2018 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
Comox Valley Collective 2018 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
Comox Valley Collective 2017 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
Comox Valley Collective 2017 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
Comox Valley Collective 2023 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
Comox Valley Collective 2016 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
Comox Valley Collective 2016 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
Comox Valley Collective 2016 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
Comox Valley Collective 2016 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
Comox Valley Collective 2016 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
Comox Valley Collective 2015 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
Comox Valley Collective 2015 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
Comox Valley Collective 2015 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
Comox Valley Collective 2015 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
Comox Valley Collective 2015 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
Comox Valley Collective 2015 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
Comox Valley Collective 2015 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
Comox Valley Collective 2015 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
Comox Valley Collective 2015 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
Comox Valley Collective 2015 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
Comox Valley Collective 2015 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
Comox Valley Collective 2015 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
Comox Valley Collective 2014 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
Comox Valley Collective 2014 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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