Explore The Strathcona Collective Magazines
The Strathcona Collective is a partnership between Boleyn Media and ROAM Media Inc. Launched in the Spring of 2020, the Strathcona Collective focuses on the Strathcona region and is a biannual publication that releases on every equinox (mid March and September).
Featured Artist: Kimberly Thompson
Kimberly Thompson moved to Campbell River in 2020 after many years as a resident of Sooke. Born and raised in ...
Wild Kelp Harvesting
My name is Shaelynne and I am in my fourth year of running a wild kelp harvesting operation off the coast of Port ...
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10,000 Volunteer Hours of Urban to Alpine
My phone is set to a special sound just for Search and Rescue calls and, while I have learned over the years to be ...
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Listen to the Whisper
Nestled among the trees on Cortes Island is Hollyhock, gently nurturing the ancient lands of the Klahoose, ...
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Drawn to the Water
My draw to the water started at the age of 17. My stepfather owned a tugboat company just outside Victoria, and he ...
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The Heriot Bay Inn
WORDS BY LOIS TAYLOR, TRACY SINCLAIR, & JUANITA MACLEAN
PHOTOS BY CARLA DUFFEY
Established in 1895 by Mr. ...
Exploring the Roots of Midwifery
There is a mystery that surrounds pregnancy and birth—a real sense of wonder. Cross-culturally, the practice of ...
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Little River: Clementine & Pepper Wiltsie
We used to live in Cumberland when we were little. It was fun! We would walk to our friends' houses to play. One ...
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Discovering Ancient Coastal Migration Patterns
Ancient DNA (aDNA). The term immediately brings to mind visions of dinosaurs, ancient civilizations, megafauna, ...
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The Journey is the Gift
PHOTOS COURTESY OF KATHLEEN O’REILLY & FAMILY
My husband, Michael (Mick) Taylor, was an avid traveller, ...
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BOW HUNTING: A MULTI-GENERATIONAL LIFETIME OF LESSONS
Adam Swift has been bow hunting and fishing on the West Coast since he was a kid growing up in Campbell River. “My ...
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CREATING COMMUNITY BY THE KEG-LOAD
It takes a special kind of person to teach. If you're teaching in the public school system, you're likely signing ...
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UNCOVERING THE MYSTERIES OF TWIN ISLANDS
Twin Islands, tucked against Cortes Island’s southeast shore, has been a haven for a fascinating cast of ...
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THE SEA AS MUSE
Nature, specifically the ocean, has long been the undercurrent of photographer and sailor John Kelsey’s life. It’s ...
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A DECADE OF DUELLING RÉSUMÉS
Seated in one of my college classrooms, I received an email from Canada Olympic Park—a confirmation that I would ...
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CREATING SPACE FOR TRADITIONS, OLD AND NEW
At its root, tradition is the sharing of stories. Perhaps our oldest tradition is exactly that: storytelling. ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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Migration of the Grizzlies
Vancouver Island has remote valleys, salmon streams, and mountainsides that, in summer, are ripe with plump ...
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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. ...
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THE KLAHOOSE WAY
GALLERY PHOTOS BY REGAN HATLEY, DARREN HULL, BEN POWELESS, CHASE TERON, & DESTINATION CANADA
You’re greeted ...
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FROM BEAN TO BAR
It’s a beautiful summer day and, just as I’m arriving home, Jonathan and the kids call me from the backyard. I ...
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ɫokʷimas – You Are Strong
Content warning: this article speaks about suicide prevention, self-harm, addiction, and genocide.
My name is ...
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FROM OCEAN TO EYE LEVEL
As a small collect-and-release aquarium facility, displaying a selection of animals in an ethical and sustainable ...
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THOUSANDS OF GULLS
The ocean is full of creatures. Humpback whales, orcas, barking sea lions, playful dolphins, and curious seals ...
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Featured Artist: DAVID ELLINGSEN
Born in Campbell River, raised on Cortes Island, and now living in Victoria, David Ellingsen is an artist whose ...
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Featured Photographer: Kiley Panziera
Kiley Panziera is the woman behind the lens of Panziera Photography. Her photography journey sprung to life in ...
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A GAME CHANGER FOR FISH FARMING
Meeting the growing demand for sustainable food production is becoming increasingly important for our global ...
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LITTLE RIVER
Hi, my name is Autumn, my mom is Francesca, and we love to go hiking and adventuring together. We have been hiking ...
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WHERE THE WIND TAKES US
Rolling into another year living aboard our 34-foot sailboat, we often reaffirm why we moved from the mountains, ...
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Generations of Sound
It’s just past midnight when I wake to a familiar sound; R Clan is back. Jumping out of bed, I scurry down the ...
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GOLD AT THE END OF THE ROUTE
As I look in the mirror to wash my face, car loaded, kayak on roof, ready to embark on the drive to Gold River, I ...
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A WILD LIFE
GALLERY PHOTOS BY LOUISA GILBERT & KAI WHITE
Wanderlust. We’ve all heard of it, and many of us dream of ...
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Lights. Curtain. Go!
You sit in a softly lit theatre; a buzz throughout the red, velvet draped room. You sip wine, whispering to a ...
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GOATS AND BOATS
The first thing I remember hearing about Maya was that she kept goats. As I got to know her better, and eventually ...
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VENTURE NORTH
On the northeast corner of Campbell River lies Snowden Demonstration Forest. For mountain bikers, the Snowden ...
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PUTTING YOUR VEGETABLE GARDEN TO BED
After our vegetable gardens has pumped out all of the food and flavour it can, one very important job remains: ...
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Campbellton
For decades, the renowned Campbell River surged past the small neighbourhood of Campbellton all but unseen by ...
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Freyja: The Croissant Story
I'm Emese, and my husband Géza and I are the proud owners of Freyja, a new croissant shop in downtown Campbell ...
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Sophie Whittingham
Sophie Whittingham is an illustrator and storyboard artist born and raised on Quadra Island, British Columbia. Her ...
Colin Somers
Colin Somers was born in Powell River and has lived in Campbell River for 50 years. He has spent most of that time ...
Singing for Joy
For more than 35 years, Campbell River Children's Choir (CRCC) has provided children and young adults with the ...
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The Land Beneath Our Feet
The gritty exfoliation of sand between toes, the softness of dewy grass underfoot, the wet flecks of mud that ...
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Building Reconciliation
Canada’s dark history of Indigenous people and government authorities is riddled with violence and mistrust. ...
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Ice Climbing
As I look down at my crampons kicked solidly into the thin ice, I feel the exposure of being hundreds of metres ...
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A Taste of Life on Quadra Island
Flip through the spectacular pages of A Taste of Life on Quadra Island and you'll never guess the heroic efforts ...
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No More Pineapples In December
The Strathcona Food Hub, put simply, is a group of collaborators working on contemporary food issues in the ...
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Little River
I'm entering Grade 10 and I go to Timberline Secondary School. I have lived in Campbell River my whole life. It is ...
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In Stillness
An ice climber hangs from a mountain cliff so remote, so otherworldly, that its location is kept secret. A chef ...
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Foraging for Food
We are blessed to live on an island with so much wild food at our fingertips. An outdoor table is spread before us ...
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A Place of Deep Quiet
Here follows the abridged story of the evolution of the Sayward Valley from as near the beginning as we dare ...
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Composting 101: From and For The Soil
Life on Earth exists from and because of soil, yet many of us go about our lives with little thought about its ...
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Cold Water Diving
Cruising over the turbulent waters of Discovery Passage is a familiar activity to many Campbell Riverites. The ...
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Highway 19 Concerts
In February 2018, Lucas Schuller drove from Campbell River down to Cumberland to see the Lonesome Ace Stringband ...
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The Craft of Barbering
When Chris Goulet was 14 years old, his brother put a set of clippers in his hand and said, "Give me a mohawk." ...
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The Elusive Dream Property
Five years ago we made a quick decision to sell our house on Salt Spring Island and seek out a more peaceful home ...
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Bute Inlet
If a crow flew from Campbell River to Bute Inlet Lodge, he would aim for Mount Doogie Dowler. Doogie resembles a ...
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Special Olympics in Campbell River
For more than half a century, Special Olympics sport training programs and competitions have empowered athletes ...
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Featured Artist: Terri-lynn Papagiannis
Terri-Lynn Papagiannis (TL PAPA) is an artist and art educator, born and raised on Vancouver Island. At a young ...
Featured Words: Neall Calvert
River Love
After yearning for decades
to say I love you and mean it, today
on my practised water’s-edge path
I ...
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Featured Photographer: True Dennison
True Dennison has been in love with photography and film for as long as she can remember. Growing up on the ...
Art, Medicine, and Soap
“I never knew what I wanted to do,” Valerie Lamirande confided to me. She had dabbled in photography, woodwork, ...
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Q̓ʷalayu House
Like the daily ebb and flow of the tides along the shores of Vancouver Island, there is constant movement of ...
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Leña Residency
Nestled amongst the towering forest on Galiano Island and backing onto Bluffs Park, Leña Residency is a retreat ...
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Experience Tahsis
Located on the West Coast of Vancouver Island within the traditional territory of the Mowachaht/Muchalaht First ...
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Inspired by Nature
Island Clayworks would like to acknowledge that we operate our business in the traditional territory of the ...
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It’s In The Details
Building custom homes in Campbell River and the surrounding area is a gift not every craftsman gets to experience. ...
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Healthy Hives
The honeybee, or apis mellifera, is what we call a pollinator. Flying from flower to flower collecting nectar and ...
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Riding Off-Grid
When I moved to Vancouver Island in 2009, finding like-minded “horse folks” to ride with was top priority. I ...
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Little River
My family and I have lived on the northern end of Quadra Island for two years. We moved here from Manitoba, and ...
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The Gardening Movement
THE GARDENING NARRATIVE
HEATHER KELLERHALS–STEWART
Behind every widely held belief there is a narrative—true ...
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Building a Technology Hub
The Campbell River Area Angel Group (CRAAG) was founded in February 2019 when Campbell River Economic Development ...
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Paddling Adventures
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
— Mary Oliver
“Shhh, listen … ...
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Traffic Jam
Oh no! What? Wait for another traffic light? Simultaneous laughter, as our eyes connect, and we realize we have ...
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Small Farm, Big Ideas
In a way, a farm is like the ocean, a fixture of the landscape, yet in constant motion. Every season brings a part ...
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Vertical Madness
When you walk into the cavernous room at Robron Centre in Campbell River—which feels part warehouse, part ...
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Burrell’s Bog
Thanks be to Ron Burrell, a former provincial Forest Service Manager, who, in the early 1990s, took on the job of ...
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In Motion
Stay home, we were told. Travel was not advised. Flooding closed highways. Fires forced road closures and ...
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What is in a Story?
The true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade you do not expect to sit. – Nelson Henderson
This ...
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Kevin Mackenzie
Kevin MacKenzie is a self-taught musician and multimedia artist who learned how to weld at a young age from his ...
Jake Tinkler-Josephi
Jake Tinkler- Josephi is a photographer based in Courtenay, British Columbia (BC). Growing up in the country ...
Tot Farming
It’s 2:45 on Tuesday afternoon, a treasured day for my twoyear-old daughter, Emerson, and me. Just after the ...
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Art+Earth
Beginning in 2019, the Art+Earth Festival has been a series of interactive, public events that provides an ...
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Honouring Medicine and Pagan Traditions
On the territory of The We Wai Kai nation, the original peoples of this land have harvested medicines on Vancouver ...
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Aromatic, Craveable, and Savoury
I love fermented foods. Fermentation is one of the few processes that can make things tastier and healthier at the ...
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Steel Wool Photography
Are you the daredevil type with a fearless personality? Are you unafraid of flames? Does standing in a ring of ...
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Moutcha Bay Resort
When the nights grow cooler and the roads become less lively, the savvy local traveler packs their bags, knowing ...
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Carving a Niche
Working with wood has been a long-standing family tradition that I almost overlooked as a career choice. In fact, ...
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Innovation in Education
I wade into the Campbell River, fly rod in hand. The cold snap of the morning breeze matches the fall temperature. ...
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Cries of the Wild
It’s hard to say when the first beings took an interest in sliding down the slopes around Mount Cain. I’m sure it ...
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Writing a New Narrative
Wildflowers & Co. is an Indigenous business owned by Alissa Assu, who belongs to the Wet’suwet’en First ...
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Little River
My name is Madison Lucas, I am 11 years old, and I am from Huuayaht First Nations. My favourite hobby is soccer, ...
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For the Love of Flying
Bastian, a helicopter pilot at 49 North Helicopters in Campbell River, began paragliding in December of 2019. He ...
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Guardian, Steward, and Watchkeeper
We are standing on the Baikie Island Trail, about one kilometre down river from the Haig-Brown House where ...
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This Ain’t the Mainland
I don’t get island fever. Quite the opposite, actually. There is a feeling of safety that transpires with the last ...
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Pointing the Bow North
Spring brings variable weather and an itch to cast off the mooring lines. Except my itch goes beyond sailing. I ...
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The Future is Digital
When the global pandemic first hit the Strathcona region, the local performing arts community was faced with many ...
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River Magic
Life on Vancouver Island ebbs and flows with the life-cycle of the salmon. In the warmth of the late-September ...
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Falling on Concrete Builds Character
In the late ’90s, while Marshall Toelle and Nate Cherrier were teenagers growing up on Quadra Island, ...
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Hooked on Tyee Dreams
Having been born and raised in Campbell River, Tyee fishing has always been a tradition for me.
On a warm ...
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Colourful Splendour in the Emerald Sea
Coral reefs in Canada? That seems like a contradiction to most people, but under the surface of the Salish sea ...
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Raising Backyard Birds
Growing up we had chickens, the familiar pets that simultaneously bring life to the yard and yield breakfast to ...
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Don’t Look, SEE
Most Campbell Riverites know the iconic blue cottage, nestled by the beach in Willow Point. For Sybil and Walter ...
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Little River
Our names are Annabel and Brynlee. We are nine-year-old identical twins born one minute apart and have lived on ...
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Damn, I Wish I Walked
From construction on some of the region’s most iconic establishments, such as Mount Washington and Painter’s ...
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Focusing My Glass Eye
I was introduced to flameworked glass, in 2004, when I first meet Mook of Mook’s Glass.
After seeing his glass, ...
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The Moods of Myra
I’ve spent many years exploring all over the Island, looking for wild places that make me feel small. While I ...
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Strathcona Park Lodge and Outdoor Education Centre
When you drive west along the winding road that skirts Lower and Upper Campbell Lakes, as it hugs the rock face of ...
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Sea & Field
My Husband, Keith, and I had been working in the Hotel & Resort industry for over 22 years when we attended a ...
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Learning My Truth
The year 2018 was the beginning of something truly special — it was the year I met Evangeline Clifton.
Clifton, ...
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Paddle Away From It All
For 24 years, Spirit of the West Adventures has been offering multi-day kayaking tours in the Johnstone Strait and ...
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Featured Photographer: Vince Kehn
Captain Vince Kehn’s four decades of working in the marine industry on the coast of BC has greatly influenced how ...
Featured Artist: Lukas Mouka
Lukas Mouka is a Czech-Canadian painter currently based in Campbell River. Over his career a unique style has ...
Our Neighbours Without Homes
There are more than 100 people living without shelter on the streets in Campbell River, its regional parks, and ...
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Get on the Loop
As we pedal our bicycles through the rambling, majestic forest of Campbell River’s Beaver Lodge Lands, our minds ...
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In Search Of
Long before they call “Action!” and the cameras roll on a movie shoot, someone has to find the places to film the ...
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Humming Bird Zen
A mind at peace, a mind centred and not focused on harming others, is stronger than any physical force in the ...
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Small Town, Big Music Scene
If you’ve never taken in a concert in a small town (think 400 peoplesmall), you may be interested in exploring the ...
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Haig-Brown Writer in Residence Program
"I would never have expected that house to be so inspiring...I haven’t had that much of a productive writing ...
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Freedom, Flexibility, and Adventure
A passion for exploration made the decision to live in a camper on the back of her Tacoma truck an easy one for ...
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Born Wild
At 18 years old, Matt is fully submerged in wild island living. A ski instructor and fishing guide, Matt also has ...
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Finding Connection, Nourishing Community
Summer in the Amberson-Volk household is a very busy time, full of celebration and good energy. Between wedding ...
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Braving The Storm
Picture a howling January morning in Campbell River. Rain pelts down on snow-covered rocks, the streets are full ...
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Little River
My name is Jonah. I’m 11 years old and I live at Blind Channel on West Thurlow Island. My family has lived at ...
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Small But Mighty
A community builder is someone who brings the community together, who loves to connect people with one another, ...
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From Tater Tots to Full-Fledged Foodie
From the moment my head hits the pillow until first light shines through my bedroom windows, I’m thinking of food. ...
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A Very True Story
Please be advised that the following story contains a graphic description of a grizzly bear attack from the summer ...
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Always A Rock in my Pocket
Convincing a stone to become something else is no small task; it’s noisy, it’s dusty, it’s dirty. It is my labour ...
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Featured Photographer: Moira Le Patourel
Campbell River photographer Moira Le Patourel has spent the last decade working around the world as an expedition ...
Featured Artist: Sonny Assu
Sonny Assu (Ligwiłda’xw of the Kwakwaka’wakw Nations) was raised in North Delta, BC, over 250 km away from his ...
It Began as a Dream
“Never let it be said that to dream is a waste of one’s time, for dreams are our realities in waiting. In dreams, ...
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An Aerial Perspective
I’ve always been engrossed by the viewpoints that higher elevation grants. One of my first childhood memories as a ...
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Exploring West
Twenty-nine and a half pounds. Twenty-four and a half pounds. Thirty-eight and a half pounds. Thirty-seven and a ...
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If Dogs Could Talk
Sleeping soundly, Cole nuzzled into the duvet and Archie was curled in his favourite blanket—you would think ...
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A Hiługwila for Mia
“Everything changes once you have kids.” It’s such a cliche, but one that holds true. After I had my kids I found ...
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Salmon, Fundraising, and Volunteering
Did you hear? Campbell River has one of the highest rates of volunteerism in the country. Therefore, by the ...
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Biking and Learning with Sprockids
My name is Matthew Fox and I am a Sprockids Leader volunteer and overall community enthusiast here in Campbell ...
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It Just Tastes Better
I like to refer to Vancouver Island as my beautiful corner of the world. Having grown up here in Campbell River, I ...
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Global Influence, Local Action
To the uninitiated, cricket might seem the strangest of games. In what other sport could matches last five days ...
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Lost and Found
I live near the estuary, so I walk the Raven Trail and Baikie Island on a regular basis. The estuary is also my ...
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Reach Your Peak
The pounding of heavy footfall, crunching on inclined gravel,
is loudly competing with the sound of your laboured ...
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Little River
Hi, I’m Raegen Collins and I have lived in Campbell River (CR) my whole life. It is an amazing place! I am a ...
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Transforming Campus and Community
North Island College (NIC)’s expanded and renovated Campbell River campus has transformed the look and feel of the ...
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Seed Sowing 101
Each seed is a true miracle of life. One weighing a mere 0.8 micrograms that grows into a beautiful orchid ...
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My Playground
As I sit on the dock of Sonora Resort prepared for a day of fishing, I look north to see Mt. Estero looming 1649 m ...
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Where Community Gathers and Spirit is Celebrated
Big cities often have large central areas where citizens
can congregate. New York has Times Square, London has ...
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Calling the Rains and the Salmon
The sky is alive with distant storm clouds, purple, broken by pockets of sunlight. Looking west across the ...
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Words on the Water
Words on the Water Writers’ Festival is typical Campbell River: unpretentious and accessible, but when experienced ...
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Featured Photographer: Eiko Jones
With a big emphasis on water-based photography, Eiko Jones’s work includes images of mountains, lakes, rivers, and ...
Featured Artist: Cathy Holfeld
Cathy Holfeld is an Irish graphic designer and illustrator. She was born and bred in Ireland until the Canadian ...
Living with Less
When thinking of where we live, I can’t help but conjure up images of lush greenery, diverse ecosystems, and ...
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CHANNELING THE STORM
Rain: we know it well in our part of the world. But beyond the typical “wet coast” reality, water is very top of ...
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LITTLE VALLEY: ARLO FLEENOR
I have lived in the same place my whole life, in a smallish house in deep west Courtenay, near the river, forest, ...
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COMOX MARINA
The Purple Martins swirl and swoop in the air above my head, their bright chirping punctuating the sound of the ...
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PULLING PLASTIC
Desperately clinging to a blob of wall-mounted epoxy plastic can be considered a contrived experience by many rock ...
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BOULDERING AT COMOX LAKE
From skipping stones to devouring ice cream cones, Comox Lake is a fond place for childhood memories. I enjoyed ...
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