Explore Collective Magazine Articles By Topic

Browse our growing collection of articles from current and previous issues of both the Comox Valley Collective and Strathcona Collective magazines by topic.

Building or renovating a waterfront property is a tricky business. But it can be done.

Vancouver Island is a wonderful place to live, and coastal properties here offer a special connection to the ...

A complicated dream

Words by

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Mystery Mountain: A historic first ascent and its modern-day re-creation

The year was 1925. Don and Phyllis Munday, a young couple from Vancouver who were amateur mountaineers, came up ...

The Undiscovered Mountain

Words by

Photos by Greg Gransden &

Emily Thiessen blends beauty and resistance in her community-based art

On a June afternoon outside a Comox Valley bank, artist Emily Thiessen and a group of people crouch over a chalk ...

The possibility of change

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From internal revelations to far-flung travels

As a child, curiosity drew me to all kinds of unexpected discoveries. My sister and I marvelled at the textures of ...

An Introduction to Vol. 12

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A conversation with John Vaillant

When I sat down to interview Canadian author John Vaillant ahead of his appearance at the 2025 Denman Island ...

From Fire Weather to a festival

Words by

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Healing through art

In August 2009, just a year after my twins were born, I was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of breast ...

A story of loss and reclaiming beauty.

Words by

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The Cumberland Forest

From ancestral Pentlatch lands through decades of industry, the Cumberland Forest lives on through community ...

The threshold between a village and the great beyond

Words by

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Ayla Roberts: Music that will make you stop and think

EMERGING ARTIST: A PROFILE OF A YOUNG ARTIST Have you ever felt like you’ve found your reason for living? ...

Music that will make you stop and think

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Moon Dance

A banana slug's journey under the full moon becomes an intimate portrait of survival and connection in our coastal ...

High above the forest floor, small creatures find bliss

Words by

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Original music blooms within a cozy circle of songwriters

A look inside the Comox Valley Songwriters Circle, a monthly gathering where local songwriters share their ...

Wisdom sung from the heart

Words by

Photos by

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VIVA LA TRASH PANDA

It’s been around for 19 million years. So can the raccoon get a little grudging respect?

Words by

Neil Borecky

Photo by

Jenn Dykstra

THE WOMAN IN THE FLORAL DRESS

Élise Turgeon’s creative, generous spirit has brought a neighbourhood together.

Words by

Heather Gray

Photos by

Kareen Sanderson

RIDING DRAGONS ON THE SALISH SEA

Hope Afloat marks 20 years in the fight against cancer. Paddles up!

Words by

Anne Arseneau

Photos by

Sara Kempner

ALL IN THE SAME BOAT

Connected by water—reflections after an afternoon on Comox Lake.

Words by

Jim Whyte

Photos by

Jenn Dykstra

CHEERS TO THE LAZO BARREL COLLECTIVE

Three self-proclaimed beer geeks are crafting unique, tasty brews.

Words & Photos by

Sara Kempner

BRANCHING OUT

As a planner, Pieter Rutgers helped shape Vancouver’s parks. Now in semi-retirement, he shapes wood into beautiful furniture.

Words by

Mike B.

Photo by

Sara Kempner

GET THEE TO A GALLERY

Each of these galleries features a wide selection of locally made artwork at a variety of price points. You’ll find no pressure to buy, just creativity and brilliance aplenty to admire, and a warm welcome from people who love to talk about art.

LITTLE VALLEY: DARRAGH TORMEY

Reflections from a younger resident.

Photo by

Sara Kempner

CREATING A CANOE

K’ómoks First Nation members combine ancient methods and modern tools to bring a new vessel to life.

Words by

K’ómoks First Nation

Freyja: The Croissant Story

Entrepreneurial immigration to a new continent, with pastry.

Words by

Emese Tóth-Harasztos

Photos by

Shayla Attfield

Campbell River Children's Choir makes music around the world.

Words by

Jennifer Abbott

Photos by

Kiley Panziera

The Land Beneath Our Feet

The art of connecting through earthing.

Words by

Camilla Sampson

Photo by

Jenn Dykstra

Building Reconciliation

Three community members in Mowachaht/Muchalaht territories build trust.

Words by

Alison Bell

Words by

Kaitlyn Nohr

Ice Climbing

Words by
Photo by
Liam Gilchrist

A Taste of Life on Quadra Island

The story of a cookbook and a recipe for community.

Words by

Dionne Lapointe-Bakota

Photos by

Vince Kehn

No More Pineapples In December

Strathcona community food hub works to improve food security.

Words by

Madison Stewart

Photo by

Jenn Dykstra

LITTLE RIVER: PEYTON FITZGERALD

Reflections from a younger resident

Words by

Peyton Fitzgerald

Photo by

Hayley Zumkeller

In Stillness

Opening Introduction by

Trevor McMonagle

Photo by

Alex Brennan

Foraging for Food

Going on a treasure hunt and building memories.

Words & Photos by

Jade Berg

Photos by

Jesse Bone

THE ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF SAYWARD

A place of deep quiet

Words by

Mary Ruth Snyder

Photo by

Composting 101: From and For The Soil

What you take out, you must put back in.

Words by

Susan Antler

Photo by

Sara Kempner

Cold Water Diving

A visual feast in green local waters may include iconic Wolf Eel.

Words & Photo by

Eiko Jones

Highway 19 Concerts

Lucas Schuller brings music to Campbell River.

Words by

Keith Barker

Photos by

Sarmad Al Mouallem

The Craft of Barbering

An homage to the tradition of Dogwood Strip.

Words by

Trevor McMonagle

Photos by

Jake Tinkler-Josephi

The Elusive Dream Property

A family's peaceful life on Cortes Island.

Words by

Sarah Carty

Words and Photos by

Dwayne Roberge

Bute Inlet

A soul-restoring destination for active dreamers.

Words by

Kelly McQuillan

Photos courtesy of

Bute Inlet Lodge

Special Olympics in Campbell River

Opening doors that are unimaginable.

Words by

Kevin Yee

Words by

Lynne Macara

SUPER TROUPERS

After five decades and counting, the show goes on for the Comox Valley Youth Music Centre.

Words by

Christine Baxter

Photos courtesy of

comox valley youth music centre

THE RISE OF MODERN GLEANING

This ancient practice may be getting a rebrand, but it’s still about using our food resources wisely.

Words by

James McKerricher

Photos by

Meredith Rose

WILD SPACES BELONG TO EVERYONE

Recreation in the great outdoors hasn’t always been an option for people of colour in Canada. Erica Keen reflects on her family's history and the importance of nature.

Words & featured photo by
Erica Keen

Reflections from an older resident.

Words by

Bette Kosmolak

Photo by

Jenn Dykstra

T’AAM LAAN, STEERSMAN OF THE CANOE

A SUP adventurer’s trajectory through the mist.

Words by

Ryan Stuart

Photos by

Bruce Kirkby

SAVING PLACE

Managing gentrification to protect the communities we love.

Words by

Cleo Corbett

Photos by

Luc Antaya

TRUE FACTS ABOUT FAKE BIRDS

They’re among our most plentiful bird species, but seagulls don’t actually exist.

Words by

Neil Borecky

Photo by

Nick Thornton

A COMMUNITY’S HEART IS IN ITS FORESTS

The importance of knowing what you’ve got—before it’s gone.

Words & Photo by

Jennifer Jellett

FRIENDS OF FELINES

The Kitty Cat P.A.L. Society cares for the Comox Valley’s under-loved cats.

Words by

Mac Newton

Photos by

Jenn Dykstra

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Explore Collective Magazine Articles By Topic

A complicated dream

The Undiscovered Mountain

The possibility of change

An Introduction to Vol. 12

From Fire Weather to a festival

A story of loss and reclaiming beauty.

The threshold between a village and the great beyond

Music that will make you stop and think

High above the forest floor, small creatures find bliss

Wisdom sung from the heart

It’s been around for 19 million years. So can the raccoon get a little grudging respect?

Élise Turgeon’s creative, generous spirit has brought a neighbourhood together.

Hope Afloat marks 20 years in the fight against cancer. Paddles up!

Connected by water—reflections after an afternoon on Comox Lake.

Three self-proclaimed beer geeks are crafting unique, tasty brews.

As a planner, Pieter Rutgers helped shape Vancouver’s parks. Now in semi-retirement, he shapes wood into beautiful furniture.

Each of these galleries features a wide selection of locally made artwork at a variety of price points. You’ll find no pressure to buy, just creativity and brilliance aplenty to admire, and a warm welcome from people who love to talk about art.

Reflections from a younger resident.

K’ómoks First Nation members combine ancient methods and modern tools to bring a new vessel to life.

Entrepreneurial immigration to a new continent, with pastry.

Campbell River Children's Choir makes music around the world.

The art of connecting through earthing.

Three community members in Mowachaht/Muchalaht territories build trust.

Words byPhoto byLiam Gilchrist

The story of a cookbook and a recipe for community.

Reflections from a younger resident

Going on a treasure hunt and building memories.

A place of deep quiet

What you take out, you must put back in.

A visual feast in green local waters may include iconic Wolf Eel.

Lucas Schuller brings music to Campbell River.

An homage to the tradition of Dogwood Strip.

A family's peaceful life on Cortes Island.

A soul-restoring destination for active dreamers.

Opening doors that are unimaginable.

After five decades and counting, the show goes on for the Comox Valley Youth Music Centre.

This ancient practice may be getting a rebrand, but it’s still about using our food resources wisely.

Recreation in the great outdoors hasn’t always been an option for people of colour in Canada. Erica Keen reflects on her family's history and the importance of nature.

Words & featured photo byErica Keen

Reflections from an older resident.

A SUP adventurer’s trajectory through the mist.

Managing gentrification to protect the communities we love.

They’re among our most plentiful bird species, but seagulls don’t actually exist.

The importance of knowing what you’ve got—before it’s gone.

The Kitty Cat P.A.L. Society cares for the Comox Valley’s under-loved cats.

Words by
Photo by
Liam Gilchrist

Words & featured photo by
Erica Keen