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.

MOUNTAINS AND MOTHERHOOD

All of us who love the alpine have our own reasons for getting out there. A hiker I once passed in the Kweishun ...

Not every new mom’s to-do list includes summiting 53 peaks over 6000 feet.

Words & featured photo by

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LITTLE VALLEY: FARRAH RUSSELL

When your family moves to Spain for a year, there’s a lot to learn My name is Farrah. I am eight years old ...

Our young residents reflect on the home they’re growing up in

Words by

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Photo by

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BALANCING NATURE AND NEW ENDEAVOURS

Articles in this issue (my first as editor) feel like a love letter to our region. A testament to the vast melting ...

Opening Introduction

Words by

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Photo by

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Respect, Protect, Flourish

Does the phrase “you are a product of your environment” sound familiar? Many cultures have long recognized the ...

HOW TO LIVE WITH THE LAND, NOT JUST ON IT.

Words & Photo By

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Migration of the Grizzlies

Vancouver Island has remote valleys, salmon streams, and mountainsides that, in summer, are ripe with plump ...

AN EXERCISE IN WILDLIFE ECOLOGY SPECULATION.

Words By

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Photos By

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Saying Yes to South East Asia

When I think of innovation, I think of the external: technology and system upgrades that make our lives better. ...

Words & Photos By

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A PRESSING MATTER

Although Cumberland-based Black Cat Skateboards is a relatively new entity, its founder’s love of skateboarding ...

The story of Black Cat skateboards.

Words by

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Photos by

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AN ICONIC TRAIL IN THE MAKING

Terry Lewis sits in his home office, staring at a computer screen displaying a GIS map that’s a spider’s web of ...

It’s time to get The Vancouver Island Trail across the finish line.

Words by

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Featured photo by

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WINE FROM THE SOIL UP

40 Knots Winery is alive with potential energy. I sit in the glassed-in terrace across from Layne Craig, who owns ...

A commitment to sustainable prosperity keeps 40 Knots Winery growing.

Words by

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Photos courtesy of

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WILD GARDENING

I remember the sweet satisfaction of pushing peas into the slowly warming spring soil of my first garden “plot,” a ...

Being a part of the great chain of life, and nourishing it.

Words & Art by

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WHERE YOUR HEART IS

Words by

Allie Jenkinson

Photo by

Sara Kempner

FILM FOR THE FUTURE

Words by

Krista Tupper

Photo by

Dan Peruzzo

FASHION FORWARD

How one small business is making an environmental sea change with thoughtfully crafted swimwear.

Words by

Bevin Clempson

Photos by

Matt Meredith

ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT

With the Federal Government on the verge of legalizing recreational marijuana use, Comox Valley municipalities drag their heels on implementing non-medicinal dispensaries while consumers find out-of-town alternatives.

Words by

Ryan Stuart

Photo by

Ultimate Grow

THE BRIGHTEST PATH

A serendipitous trip to New Zealand provides soothing reprieve from the west coast winter.

Words by

Nora Bingham

Photos by

Meredith Rose

MARKINGS OF THE MIND

A designer and artist utilizes his craft to break down the barriers of schizophrenia.

Words by

Ryan Stuart

Photos by

Ian Mckenzie

STOLEN MOMENTS

Time slows and memories collect and blur together while climbing amongst the Valley’s age-old terrain.

Words by

David Benton

Photo by

Jenn Dykstra

LITTLE VALLEY: ARLO FLEENOR

Our young residents reflect on the home they’re growing up in.

Words by

Arlo Fleenor

One of our community’s most crucial water sources is right under our feet.

Words by

Tim Ennis

Photos by

Jenn Dykstra

FORTUNE FLAVOURS THE BOLD

Add depth and novelty to the summer season by branching out from your standard wine selection.

Words by

Ashley Shelest

Photos by

Yolanda Holderness

GENERATION GAP

Words by

Andrew Findlay

Photos provided by

Cumberland Museum & Archives

WHEREVER HELP IS NEEDED

Celebrating 10 years in the Valley, the Comox Bay Care Society’s mobile Care-A-Van continues to drive forth positive values in our community.

Words by

Mac Newton

Photo by

Sara Kempner

ADAPT OR DIE

Boomer Jerritt’s long history with photography represents the unique combination of skills needed to succeed in a saturated industry.

Words by

Jenn Dykstra

Photos by

Boomer Jerritt

REMARKABLE SOFTNESS

Yarn bombing, the spontaneous act of applying textiles in public spaces, liberates both artist and observer from expectation.

Words by

Leanne Prain

Photos by

Jeff Christenson

AN ISLAND OF SOUND

Now 38 years in, the team behind the Hornby Festival continues to do world-class their own way.

Words by

Dierdre Atkinson

Photo by

Jennifer Armstrong

BENEATH THE HIGH

Microdosing has become popular in places like Silicon Valley to increase productivity and creativity. Can taking a hit expand our thinking, or will it just mess with our minds?

Words by

Mike B.

Photos by

Sareh Puetz

GROWING CONSCIOUSNESS

Whether for our health, our planet, or the simple joy of food, the benefits of plant-based eating have become impossible to ignore.

Words by

Sally Podmore

Photos by

Joanne McElroy

IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK

The economic boom of the early 20th century brought more than coal to the surface. This is the tight-lipped history of the Comox Valley sex trade.

Words by

Christa Petch

Photo by

Jenn Dykstra

IN THE FIELD

HIDDEN RICHES

Long before it became a popular tourist destination, two adventurers stumbled upon the unexpected while exploring the Upana Caves.

Words & Painting

Nick Hutton-Jay

ON A WING AND A PRAYER

The misunderstood sport of speed flying requires practiced skill and careful calibration. It can also take a leap of faith.

Words by

Kyle Hansen

Photos by

Marc Jardine

BREAKING THE SURFACE

Vol. 20 Intro by

Allie Jenkinson

Photo by

Scott Bell

IN SEARCH OF THE SIMPLE LIFE

Through an ever-changing landscape, a visual artist finds direction with a four-month road trip in a customized Chevy school bus.

Words & Photos by

Andrew Talbot

CURIOUS CREATURES

Catch-and-release aquariums provide a unique learning experience, sparking deep appreciation for the natural world.

Words by

Christa Petch

Photos by

Justine Adams

FRIENDLY COMPETITION

As well as a destination trail race, The Cumby is a fundraiser to protect the forest it winds through.

Words by

Cathy Clark

Photos by

Lorenz Jimenez

LITTLE VALLEY: JUSTIN YARETZ

Our young residents reflect on the home they’re growing up in.

Words by

Justin Yaretz

In partnership with School District 71, skilled timber framers are teaching their craft to Comox Valley youth.

Words by

Randy Churchill

Randy Grey

IN HER ELEMENT

Through the push and pull of turbulence and peace, strength and submission, a surfer awakens.

Words & featured photo by

Laurissa Cebryk

Gallery photo by

Mélina Lamoreux

PROTECTING THE BALANCE

Roughly one-sixth of Denman Island residents are a member of the Association for Denman Island Marine Stewards, an organization doing work on the ground for the sake of surrounding waters.

Words by

Mac Newton

Photo by

Keith Clark

THE RETURN OF GIANTS

Following a decline due to the West Coast’s whaling history, the humpback population around Vancouver Island is making a massive comeback.

Words by

Sarah Hauser

Photo by

Brandon Hamilton

CRUMBLING CANNERIES

The profits from a thriving fishing industry dried up, and businesses moved on. Some of the sites left behind are in hazardous decay, polluting our oceans and tarnishing BC’s coast.

Words & Photos by

Oriana Smy

AQUA MAN

The original underwater superhero swims the waters of the Pacific Northwest.

Words by

Mike B.

Photo by

John Kelsey

CURRENT DEMAND

The nutrient-rich waters of Baynes Sound provide the ideal conditions for oyster harvesting, drawing workers to the Valley’s steady industry.

Words by

Dave Flawse

Photo by

Mike LeBlanc

CRUCIAL AND COMPASSIONATE CARE

The Vancouver Island Hospice Society provides assistance for people with terminal illnesses and the families that surround them. One woman takes to the bike to provide support in return.

Words by

Ellissa Prendergast

Photos by

Leah Hull

CONTINENTAL DRIFT

During a kayaking trip to Ecuador, a local photographer’s interests converge with like-minded North American adventurers.

Words & Photos by

Dave Prothero

A LIFE THAT BENEFITS OTHERS

Now a permanent resident of the Valley, A Tibetan Buddhist Monk has turned hardship into a teaching legacy.

Words by

Bevin Clempson

Photo by

Gordon Ross