Sara is a freelance photographer based out of Cumberland. Born and raised in the Comox Valley, she developed an early appreciation for the outdoors, which has heavily influenced her photography and lifestyle. Sara’s passion for travel has taken her all over the world, but Vancouver Island will always be her favourite place. While her first love was landscape and nature photography, Sara’s passion for capturing memories for people as they do what they love has evolved her business into active lifestyle, event, and sport photography as well. When not working, you can find Sara out mountain biking, snowboarding, or just wandering the forest, camera in hand.
A curtain flutters through broken glass as fiery flakes litter the snow-covered ground. Despite the cold, onlookers feel the heat while they watch, helplessly, as the roof gives way. The […]
Seated in one of my college classrooms, I received an email from Canada Olympic Park—a confirmation that I would be joining the team as a snowboard instructor for the season. […]
Although Cumberland-based Black Cat Skateboards is a relatively new entity, its founder’s love of skateboarding began long ago in the parking lots of his hometown of Norwich, England. Ian Bowles’ […]
Many people might be surprised to learn that one of the most successful astronomy news sites on the Internet is published from right here in the Comox Valley. Depending on […]
Words by Ryan StuartFeatured photo by Sara Kempner
Curling saved my life. Sounds like an outrageous statement to make, but in 1999, the year I first threw a curling stone, I was in my thirties and a dozen […]
It’s a lazy Sunday afternoon as I make my way through Alex Blais’ yard, following the sound of laughter toward an outbuilding at the back of the property. Stepping inside, […]
The very first time I dipped my paddle into the Salish Sea, wedged awkwardly in the belly of a dragon boat, I was smitten. Whether it was the friendly seals, […]
It’s a lazy Sunday afternoon as I make my way through Alex Blais’ yard, following the sound of laughter toward an outbuilding at the back of the property. Stepping inside, […]
Like most woodworking spaces, Sandpiper Studio is an organized-but-dusty collection of equipment designed for the exacting manipulation of wood. Surrounding these machines are a myriad of hand tools and neat […]
Hi, my name is Darragh Tormey, and this is my love essay. Love can mean a million things, and it means different things to different people. To me, love means […]
Life on Earth exists from and because of soil, yet many of us go about our lives with little thought about its importance. Turn your mind for a minute to […]
“Expect mountain bikes, hikers, runners, dogs, children, and elders on these trails.” —excerpt from the Interim Trail Management Strategy for the Cumberland Community Forest Park, May 2021 It’s nine o’clock […]
I respectfully acknowledge that we are on the unceded traditional territories of the K’ómoks First Nation, and I thank them for the privilege of living on the land and the […]
When I wrote The New Brewmox Valley for the inaugural issue of this magazine in 2014, I told a hopeful and optimistic story of three very different new and local […]
Fighting the urge to crawl back into my warm bed, I force myself to grab my camera bag and head into the chilly night air. Arriving on location, I turn […]
Watching John Waters scramble up a rock face is like watching a monkey climb a tree. A moment ago, he stepped off the ledge at the bottom of Devil’s Ladder, […]
Words by Ryan StuartFeatured photo by Sara Kempner
The true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade you do not expect to sit. – Nelson Henderson This is why we tell stories. To remember. To preserve […]
Imagine three siblings—Cumberland, Courtenay, and Comox—who tolerate each other, but aren’t exactly brimming with mutual affection. Add in a cousin—the Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD)—who has come to live in […]
Urban agriculture can mean a number of things depending on who you ask and where in the world it’s occurring. To me, it’s simply the practice of growing food in […]
Words by James McKerricherFeatured photo by Jenn Dykstra
A few years ago, there was a local kerfuffle because a new sign on the Inland Island Highway proclaimed: “Welcome to Legendary Cumberland.” That’s the difference between old Cumberland and […]
At the end of a dirt road, minutes from the sea, sits an idyllic farm. Youthful alder, fir, hemlock, and pines stand tall, running shades of green across the property. […]
The Comox Valley has long been home to an impressive array of local restaurants that have made highly valuable contributions to our community. Places like Atlas and Locals, to name […]
Editor’s note: Rick Zyvitski, now retired, used to fly fighter jets out of Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Comox. We invited him to share some of his experiences in the air […]
It is no secret that the Comox Valley offers us a unique opportunity to work, play, and revel in the natural world. Vancouver Island is truly a magical place to […]
When you first look at a Waterman surfboard, you wouldn’t expect it had been crafted by a guy who grew up on the prairies. But every Waterman surfboard is handmade […]
Musical wizardry is something I’ve always admired, and after meeting Comox Valley luthier (guitar maker) Wyatt Wilkie, I now understand that the magic of music begins long before any musician […]
It’s a Tuesday, and when the doors of St. George’s United Church hall open at 11:30am, Gail, who is 70, comes in with about 100 other people for the Sonshine […]
“I discovered mountain rivers late, for I was a prairie child… All I knew was that it was pure delight to be where the land lifted in peaks and plunged […]
For two decades it traveled and camped with couples and families, as most RVs do, but for the past 10 years the big Ecoline 350 has been fitted out as […]
At one time she was probably a sporty trimaran, moored inside Comox Harbour. Then, during a fall wind storm her buoy lines broke. She ghosted across the water and ran […]
Driving on Comox Road along the Courtenay River estuary and through the K’ómoks Nation’s Number 1 reserve, it’s hard not to be struck by the stunning new Band administration building […]
The A-frame is an architectural style that needs little explanation, aptly named for its high peak and steep angles. A-frame popularity can be attributed to a convergence of factors. The […]
Long known as “the cultural heart of Courtenay,” the Native Sons Hall is the most historical and iconic building in the Comox Valley. A prominent landmark that has stood tall […]
My first impressions of Peru came on a domestic flight between Lima and Cusco. Bleary eyed after 20 hours of travel from Vancouver Island, I sat on the plane with […]
At the tender young age of eight, while attending Quadra Elementary School, Cody LaFrance (Beaver) was assigned a school art project using wood. Absent of suggestions from his parents or […]
Navigation is integral to our daily lives. It’s not just for seafarers, mountaineers or explorers, but a learned skill that is used by most of us every day. Whether it’s […]
My earliest memory of holding a fly rod was on the Cowichan River, at the age of seven, in April, with a lively 2-pound trout dancing at the other end. […]
For those of us fortunate to live in the Comox Valley, we find ourselves encompassed by mountains, lakes, ocean, and rivers on a daily basis. We live, work, and play in […]
Being outside is one of the most important parts of my life; it’s the only way my body works. I’d crack if I couldn’t just hop on my bike, snowboard, […]
When the dismissal bell rings at Cumberland Community School, the day is far from over. Students gather for mountain bike club, soccer and art programs, or head over to the […]
Walking along the old Wellington Railway trail where alder, hard hack and osier dogwood create a bower of beautiful for wildlife, I smell the coal dust still blowing from the […]
The Comox Lake watershed is beautiful. The bird’s eye view is truly epic. Crystal clear icy water flows down from the Comox Glacier and craggy snow topped mountains, over rolling […]
Words by Meaghan CursonsFeatured photo by Sara Kempner
https://instagram.com/van_isle_girl/
fab fa-instagram