comox valley echo - april 7, 2015

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HUNT FOR HISTORY

11.Valley Kiwanis clubs have given decades of service.

ARTS

16.Take a walk with our new Poet Laureate

TAX-FREESAVINGS ACCOUNT 1.75%*

*Rate subject to change without notice. WestEarner® TFSA Account only. Interest is calculated daily, paid monthly. Available in-branch only. See branch for full details.

Courtenay Branch470 Puntledge RoadPh: (250) 334-8888cwbank.com

P R I C E : 5 7 C E N T S P L U S G S T V O L . 2 1 , N O . 2 8

ISLAND COUNCILSHEADING TO CITYFRIDAY.03ANNUAL CONVENTION WILL ALSO INCLUDE ‘THANK YOU’ RALLY FOR STAND ON BC FERRIES RATE INCREASES.

04.GETTING THE WORD OUT ON ADVANCE CARE PLANNING

Tuesday, April 7, 2015Tuesday, April 7, 2015

www.comoxvalleyecho.com

COURTENAY, BRITISH COLUMBIA • Tuesday, April 7, 2015

www.comoxvalleyecho.comTUES DAY .COURTENAY,BC. APRIL 7, 2015 2

For the latest Comox Valley Weather visit: www.comoxvalleyecho.com

Comox Valley Weather

Tuesday

Mainly sunny. High 13°C.

Wednesday

Sunny.Low 4°C. High 15°C.

Thursday

Sunny.Low 4°C. High 14°C.

FridayRain.

Low 5°C. High 12°C.

Saturday

A mix of sun and cloud.Low 6°C. High 12°C.

NEWSEC

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CD release and Spring Concert

566 - 5th Street Courtenay, (across from St John's Anglican)

Tickets $15/Person Available at Courtenay Alano Club at (543-6 Street) 250 338-0041

Canadian Music with FolkCeltic & Bluegrass Flavors

The Great Plains

Denture Clinic

250.334.4732 331B 6th St. Courtenay

New Patients Welcome

THE POPULAR ‘DINING FOR AFRICA’ FUND-RAISERin support of the Grandmothers Campaign of the Stephen Lewis Foundation (SLF) is now SOLD OUT. The Merville Grand Mothers, above, will be cooking a delicious three-course meal on Sunday, April 12 while Glacier Grannies provide behind-the-scenes

organization. All profi ts go to the Campaign and are then sent to carefully evaluated grass-roots projects in Sub-Saharan Africa. African grandmothers are un-sung heroes as they fi ght the stigma of HIV/AIDS and raise awareness about the virus, while caring for their orphaned grandchildren.

Guess the Comox Valley has lost interest in the an-nual ‘Earth Hour’ promo-tion where you turn off all your lights, computers, etc. for one hour. Courte-nay and Comox were tied with Fort Nelson as hav-ing the lowest reduction in electricity load in the province - a measly .01 per cent. The champ was Whistler at 7.2 per cent according to fi gures com-piled by BC Hydro. Earth Hour is an annual global event hosted by the WWF. People around the world are encouraged to turn off unnecessary lights and electronics for one hour. It started as a one-city initia-tive in Sydney, Australia in 2007.

COMOX VALLEY FARMERS’ MARKET MOVES OUTSIDE NEXT SATURDAY: Spring is here and the veggies are back - so the Comox Valley Farmers Market is mov-ing outside for the sum-mer season. Starting April 11th they’ll be back on the Headquarters Road fi eld every Saturday 9-12 with 50+ of your favourite food

and farm vendors. Come see why they were voted ‘Market of the Year’ by the BC Association of Farm-ers Markets last year. FMI www.cvfm.ca or [email protected].

THE COMOX VALLEY CHAM-BER OF COMMERCE’S 96th Annual General Meeting will be held on Thursday, April 16th from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at The White Whale. Both Chamber members and the general public are welcome to at-tend, however you must register in advance.

WINE WEDNESDAY MUSIC SERIES: 40 Knots Estate

Winery says it’s thrilled to launch an exciting music series, on Wine Wednes-days. Held approximately two evenings a month, you’ll be able to hear a variety of music, while enjoying fabulous food and wine, on the Vineyard Terrace. Starting on May 20th, each evening will have a specifi c theme. A few of the fabulous music styles you can expect are: jazz, blues, a cappella, or-chestral, fl amenco, and a music comedy night. Watch the website, Face-book page, or sign up for their email newsletter, for information on Wine Wednesday upcoming events, and how to get

tickets. A portion of ticket sales will go to the Co-mox Valley Marine Rescue Society. Email infoat40-KnotsWinery@gmai l .com, for more info.

MUSICFEST LAUNCHES “CAP-TURING THE SPIRIT” WEB GAL-LERY: There’s an exciting new addition to the Van-couver Island MusicFest website.

The “Capturing The Spirit Gallery” is an on line showcase of selected works created by local artists during the 2013/14 Festivals at:

www.islandmusicfest.com/spirit/

(Continued on page 3)

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Traffic AdvisoryDue to the road race there

could be traffic delays between10:00 am and 1:00 pm.Route: Merville Road,Tsolum River Road &Headquarters Road.

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Thank you for your understanding!

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His commitment to top-notch customer

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www.comoxvalleyecho.comTUES DAY.APRIL 7, 2015 3

(Continued from page 2)

Originally started in 2009 the “Capturing The Spirit” initiative invites lo-cal Comox Valley artists to attend MusicFest and to use their creative talents to capture the spirit of the Festival.

In partnership with the Comox Valley Airport (YQQ), selected works from VIMF “Capturing The Spirit” collection will be displayed in designated areas of the terminal build-ing. The exhibition will be part of YQQ’s public art program, which showcas-es Vancouver Island art-ists and aims to enhance the passenger experience by displaying art depicting the people, places, events and environment of north-ern Vancouver Island.

The YQQ showcase be-gins May 15, 2015 and runs through to November 1st.

IN THE ‘TOO MUCH NEWS, NOT ENOUGH PAPER’ DEPARTMENT:

Read these stories and more at www.comoxvall-eyecho.com

Be sure to check the various categories out: Local Entertainment, Lo-cal Business, Community, Special Events, Sports, Lifestyles, and more.

• Reporter Drew A. Penner has a chat with Shred Kelly, performing Thursday in Cumberland.

• City of Courtenay settles on its strategic priorities for the coming months.

• Courtenay working on ‘cutting edge’ analysis tool with Comox Valley Eco-nomic Development Soci-ety.

• Reporter Drew A. Penner visited a cutting edge texile show recently.

• Cumberland going ahead with sidewalk cafes, but cutting the costs.

• A look at ‘underground art’ in the Valley.

• Comox council gets into debate on ‘right to healthy enviroment.’

BY MICHAEL BRIONESEcho Staff

A home owner has raised serious concerns about stray golf balls raining on his house on 273 Church Street in Comox.

Dr. James Ingrey has turned to Comox council for help after failing to get a response from the Comox Golf Club.

He told council, when they bought the prop-erty they were aware of the peril of living near a golf course. But what they were not prepared for was the severity of the threat.

Ingrey’s property, which is currently rented right now, is located alongside the 7th tee.

He said, when they fi rst cleared their front yard, they unearthed 93 golf balls.

“Our tenants reveal that on average 12 golf balls enter the front yard each week,” said Ingrey. “While some bounce down Church Street, they recall several entering the yard on the fl y at signifi cant speed.”

Ingrey said because of the fear of getting

struck by one of the balls, his tenants, who have a three-year-old daughter, no longer use the front door. They enter through the back door and also park their vehicle at the rear of the property.

Adjacent property owners that he talked to, Ingrey said, share his concern as they’ve seen damage to vehicles and broken house win-dows.

“They have previously expressed their con-cerns and submitted a petition to the golf course but the issue remains,” said Ingrey. “They said for a time things improved with the fi r trees that line the fairway - these do not screen our home. This benefi t was short lived as Telus required the trees to be cut back to keep their lines clear.”

Ingrey said he has nothing against the golf club. As a keen golfer, he uses the course. What he would like to see is for the club to position a higher net or fence - 20 to 30 feet tall and running for 50 feet down from the 7th tee - to reduce the risk to people and property

completely. “As in many circumstances such as this,

what would ensure change and greater pro-tection would be an actual case of signifi cantpersonal injury or motor vehicle accident,both of which are a real possibility on ChurchStreet,” said Ingrey. “My hope is for it not tocome to this.”

Ingrey said he is aware of the sensitive na-ture of the area in terms of preserving its lookand feel.

“In this instance, however, safety and pub-lic protection need to be the fi rst concern,” hesaid.

Ingrey said they are hoping to move back tothe property in April.

“My fi rst responsibility will be to make itsafe for my children,” he said. “It is not safepresently.”

Council has directed staff to write a letterto Comox Golf Club to express Ingrey’s con-cerns. Following that, staff will create a reportto present to council.

Homeowner wants golf balls to stop raining on his property

Courtenay to host AVICC conventionBY MICHAEL BRIONESEcho Staff

The City of Courtenay will be hosting the annual Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Com-munities Convention later this week from April 10-12.

The three-day conven-tion is packed with ac-tivities, discussions and debates on a variety of issues that aff ect com-munities on the island. It offi cially starts at around 1:45 p.m. on Friday at the Florence Filberg Centre.

One of the main topics that has been a major con-cern to every municipality on the island is the future

of BC Ferries.There is a large rally

planned to take place in front of the Filberg Centre prior to the opening of the convention at 1 p.m. How-ever, it is not going to be a negative demonstration.

“People from all over up and down the island, Cen-tral Coast and Sunshine Coast will be coming to thank the local govern-ment for taking a stance they have taken against the actions regarding BC Ferry,” said Jim Abram, chair of the Strathcona Regional District and also director for Discovery Is-lands-Mainland Inlets.

“The local government, the AVICC and the Union

of BC Municipalities did the socio-economic impact study on Sept. 23rd last year that was presented at UBCM. It was basically the work that the province should have done but local government did it.”

The report highlighted the impact of the high cost of ferry fares to the economy on the island. It showed that the province lost $2.3 billion over the last 10 years because of fare increases annually.

“It’s way beyond the in-fl ation level,” said Abram. “The report stated federal, provincial and local taxes had suff ered by $600 mil-lion per year because of stubbornness on the part

of the provincial govern-ment. We the people of BC feel it’s important to thank the people at the AVICC that put that through unanimously at the Union of BC Municipalities.”

Abram doesn’t know how many people would show up but he believes as much as a hundred from Quadra Island would be there. He also expects a lot of people from the Co-mox Valley to come out to join the rally.

The convention will fea-ture keynote speakers that include leader of the BC offi cial opposition John Horgan and UBCM presi-dent, Sav Dahliwal.

A thank you rally being planned Friday at Florence Filberg Centre

Jim Abram, chair of the Strathcona Regional District

The Plog

Cinema #4: “Vermeer and Music: The Art of Love and Leisure”

Great Art on Screen, from the National Gallery, London

Saturday, April 4, 10:00 am (ends 11:35 am). Doors open at 9:30. Approx. 1 hour, 35 minutes

Cinema #1: “Furious 7” 14A: Frequent violence. Pass restricted until April 17th

Nightly: 6:30 (9:00) & 9:30 (12:00). Daily Matinees: 12:25 (2:55) & 3:25 (5:55)

Cinema #2: “Cinderella” G: No Advisory

Nightly: 6:40 (8:40) & 9:25 (11:25). Daily Matinees: 12:35 (2:35) & 3:15 (5:15)

Cinema #1: “Home 3D” G: : No Advisory, Friday to Tuesday nights: 6:30 (8:45) & 9:25 (11:40)

Wednesday night: 9:25 (11:40) - NO EVENING SHOWS THURSDAY

Saturday to Thursday Matinees: 12:30 (2:45) & 3:20 (5:35)

Cinema #3: “Divergent: The Insurgent 3D” PG: Violence.

Nightly: 6:50 (9:00) & 9:35 (11:45). Daily Matinees: 3D 12:40 (2:50) & 2D 3:30 (5:40)

Cinema #4: “Home 3D” G: No advisory. Pass restricted until April 10th

Nightly: 7:00 (8:45) & 9:20 (11:05). Daily Matinees: 3D 12:50 (2:35) & 2D 3:40 (5:25)

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BY DREW A. PENNEREcho Staff

A number of voices

from across the Comox Valley are coming togeth-er to inspire community members to tackle diffi -cult conversations about end-of-life care.

The Comox Valley Hos-pice Society is off ering two introductory workshops on advance care planning April 16, which has been designated National Ad-vance Care Planning Day. Organizers hope this will provide an important tool to spur Valley residents towards contemplating something that can be dif-fi cult to talk about. Their aim is to help make the big fi nal chapter of life as special and stress-free as possible for people.

Advance care planning is the process of explicitly detailing how you want to be cared for in the event you can’t speak for your-self.

It’s something everyone needs to do, according to Audrey Craig, president of the Comox Valley Hos-pice Society.

“There’s just so much stress when someone’s sick,” she said. “It just makes it easier.”

While she has had to deal with the loss of both her parents over the past fi ve years, Craig says she’s glad there was no uncer-tainty around how they hoped to be cared for in their last days.

“We knew what their fi -nal wishes were,” she said. “It’s all about having the conversation.”

Unlike a will, there is no cost associated with pre-paring an advance care plan. It’s not viewed as a static decree, but instead as a living document that can evolve over time. While it might take some thinking and soul search-ing to put together, health care offi cials say it doesn’t have to be a diffi cult exer-

Push on to get valley talking about end-of-life careAdvance Care Planning a gift to loved ones as death is knocking

her advance care plan witha more involved sensibil-ity. She admits she’s notquite fi nished and pointsout death isn’t the easi-est subject to think about.But as with anything else,getting started is half thebattle.

“I think the biggest fi rststep is sitting down andtalking about the ‘WhatIfs,’” she said, “It’s aboutwhat’s important to you.”

Hospital challengesEvery day hospital em-

ployees face the challengeof discerning the wishes ofthose who are incapable ofcommunicating eff ectivelyas they near the end oftheir life.

Jane Murphy, presidentand CEO of St. Joseph’sGeneral Hospital, says ad-vance care planning addsclarity to an often frustrat-ing and murky time.

“I’ve personally seenmany instances where thewishes of the patient werenot known,” she said. “Thelack of mutual understand-ing created divisions forfamilies and loved ones.”

She understands end-of-life issues can be toughto bring up, particularly inour modern world.


Having conversations about end-of-life care can alleviate stress as loved ones reach the end of their lives. The Craigs recently got started on the advance care planning process.

Comox Valley MLA Don McRae hopes people of all ages across the Comox Valley embrace ad-vance care planning.

cise by any stretch of the imagination.

People are encouraged to approach the advance care planning process in whatever way makes sense to them, Craig said.

For example, Ray, her husband of 18 years, took a more pragmatic approach to creating his plan. He dispassionately sat down to explore the options, think about his beliefs and health care preferences and put everything to-gether in document form quite rapidly.

Audrey, on the other hand, enjoys considering



“I think culturally for many people it’s very dif-fi cult to talk about death,” she said. “We’re a youth oriented society. The fo-cus is on living and not dying.”

An advance care plan is a relatively simple tool that can prevent a situa-tion fraught with despair or angst from arising, providing more peace and serenity instead, she ex-plained.

“I think it’s a real gift for your family and loved ones to do this,” she said, adding, “even though it may be hard.”

Promoters of advance care planning believe if the Valley takes action,

our community can serve as a beacon of light for the whole country, she said, adding, this is already un-derway.

“I think the Comox Val-ley has been progressive in starting to talk about it and provide supports,” she said. “It’s exciting to think that as a community we could show the way.”

Taking guess work outComox Valley MLA Don

McRae is just as fi red up about the idea.

“We want people to be aware of the supports that are out there,” he said, ex-plaining he’s happy he’s had the chance to engage with his own family mem-bers about end-of-life is-sues. “It takes the guess-

ing out of your health care planning.”

ICU nurse Joyce Kuhn remembers when her sis-ter-in-law, who lived with a number of health condi-tions, went to the hospi-tal in pain. Because she had clearly articulated her

end-of-life wishes to both her doctor and her loved ones ahead of time - and even arrived with a Do Not Resuscitate order in hand - when things took a turn for the worse there was no confusion.

“One nurse came run-

ning with an IV tray; you could hear the crash cart on its way,” the Courtenay resident explained.

“And her niece who was with her was able to say, ‘She doesn’t want that, and she has a DNR.’”

Kuhn, who also vol-unteers with the Comox Valley Hospice Society, had told her sister-in-law about the importance of advance care planning.

“She had had the con-versation with her niece, plus she had the paper-work that she needed,” she said.

“She had a peaceful, dignifi ed death in a hospi-tal emergency department with her loved one holding her hand and stroking her face - instead of probably having CPR, defi brillation and who knows what.

“That’s the diff erence advanced care planning

can make.”

To fi nd more informa-tion about advance care planning visit:

http://advancecareplan-ningcv.ca

Mark your calendars for the upcoming event to be held Thursday April 16th, 2015:

-2:00pm - 4:00pm - Pre-sentation - Part 1, Intro-duction to Advance Care Planning

6:30pm - 8:30pm - En-core Presentation - Part 1, Introduction to Advance Care Planning

(Part 2, Working on Your Advance Care Plan” will be hosted at a later date to be confi rmed with participants.)

To register or to fi nd out more information please call 250-339-5533 or e-mail [email protected]

ICU nurse Joyce Kuhn, witnessed the benefi ts of advanced care plan-ning when her sister-in-law died.

Advance care planning

Residents welcome mosquito abatement planBY MICHAEL BRIONESEcho Staff

Residents in the Lazo, Kye Bay and Wireless road ar-eas are pleased that there is a plan to address the pesky mosquitoes that left a sting-ing mark on the quality of their summer last year.

Around 40 concerned people attended a public meeting at the Comox Com-munity Centre recently that was jointly organized by the Town of Comox, Comox Valley Regional District and Current Environmental Ltd, the company commissioned to fi nd the breeding grounds and problem areas.

Comox councillor Hugh MacKinnon, who attended the event, felt the reaction from the public was positive.

“My sense of it was, people were quite impressed and thankful that the regional district and the Town of Co-mox were taking the bull by the horns, so to speak, with attempts to solve the prob-lem and involve the public,” said MacKinnon.

Comox parks superinten-dent, Al Fraser, and Vince

Van Tongeren, engineer-ing analyst for the CVRD, co-hosted the event.

At the meeting, they spoke on several issues that included problems they face as a local gov-ernment in terms of regu-latory requirements.

Fraser said the goal of the meeting was to also alleviate fears and temper some of the immediate reactions to what are be-ing construed as eff ective and immediate counter measures like cracking open berms and intertidal fl ushing to and fro.

The type of mosquito that emerged and infest-ed that area is known as Aedes Dorsalis, the most

annoying mosquito pest specie in Western Canada. Although it’s very aggres-sive, Fraser said, they do not pose any health risk.

“It’s a nuisance mosqui-to and people are genu-inely being aff ected by it down there,” said Fraser. “The slough is in our ju-risdiction and it is in ter-rible shape. It is full of woody debris from storm surge over the years and very diffi cult place to get in and out of both by foot and to access by machin-ery. It’s large and front-ing a number of homes. There’s some interesting dynamics about what can and cannot be done down there.”

Fraser said there is anurgent need to take actionbecause it won’t be longfor the little but terribleinsects to emerge as theweather heats up.

“The degree of the areasaff ected and the numberof water bodies that we’veidentifi ed that have larvaein them is very, very alarm-ing,” said Fraser. “There’sa lot of work ahead of us.”

Current Environmen-tal is currently identify-ing all the problem areasand is hoping to map it allout soon as well as deter-mine how to best use theresources from both thetown and the CVRD tomitigate the problem.

Last year, residents inthe area endured severeswarms of mosquitoesthat had kept them most-ly indoors and preventedthem from enjoying sit-ting out in their yards andporches.

It was a complete dis-ruption to their lives andthey’re hoping the localgovernments will swatthem out soon just in timefor the summer months.

BY DREW A. PENNEREcho Staff

A 32-year-old Courtenay man charged with a number of fi rearms off ences is heading to trial. De-fence lawyer Eric Chesterley agreed to the consent committal of Bryce McDonald in front of judge Pe-ter Doherty at a preliminary hearing in Courtenay Provincial Court March 31.

McDonald elected, through counsel, to be tried by judge alone in BC Supreme Court.

In November 2013, the Combined Forces Spe-cial Enforcement Unit British Columbia (CFSEU-BC) began an investigation into McDonald, a man they believed had links to at least one Vancouver Island organized crime group, was actively selling drugs and in possession of fi rearms contrary to gun laws.

He was arrested December 19 near his home on Flicker Place.

Police said they seized 19 fi rearms, six grams of crack cocaine, a machete, and equipment believed to be used for the sale of drugs.

McDonald was charged with 13 criminal off ences, including careless storage of a fi rearm, possession of a restricted fi rearm and eight counts of posses-sion of a fi rearm in an unauthorized place.

The Crown is not pursuing traffi cking charges and did not seek McDonald’s detention.

A preliminary hearing is held to determine if there is enough evidence to trigger a trial.

McDonald is scheduled to go to trial in May.

Man to face Supreme Court judge for fi rearms

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My scooter has been sitting all winter. Should I have it serviced?

Paula GrangerOwner

Yes, it is important to have some key areas checked over before venturing out on your scooter. Your specialty gel cell batteries may need to be replaced if your scooter hasn't been plugged in and charging while not in use. Tires should be checked and replaced if they are not holding air or are showing excessive wear. Your safety is important, so make sure you have a safety flag installed, as well as a mirror so you can see what's behind you. You also might want to consider installing a canopy to protect you from the sun and rain. In addition, some extended medical plans may help cover the cost. Drop by The Home Medical Shop® and pick up your complimentary copy of our common sense tips for scooter drivers, “Safety on Wheels”, and re-familiarize yourself with your machine.

It appears I have seasonal

allergies, what can I do?

Seasonal allergies vary in intensity and most commonly manifest themselves as allergic rhinitis. They usually occur only at particular times of the year although they can last from March through October. Symptoms usually include runny itchy nose, conges-tion, post-nasal drip, cough and itchy watery eyes. These symptoms can vary widely in intensity. There is a vast array of treatments available. They can be taken alone or in combination. Eye drops have a local effect while oral antihistamines have a more global effect. Starting treatment before exposure is most effective. Most remedies are available over the counter but some must be prescribed by a physician. A pharma-cist can help you choose the product that best suits your needs. Another option is desensitization which must be done by a physician.

Brush your dentures daily using a soft bristled toothbrush or a denture brush. Brushing should be done using a mild, soft soap. Toothpaste is not recommended for dentures as it has an abrasive quality that will wear down denture surfaces over time. This abrasive quality can leave very fine scratches on your denture ultimately leaving it more susceptible to staining. Brushing is best done over a towel or over a partially water filled sink; if your denture slips out of your hand during brushing you could prevent fracturing it by providing a soft landing.

When it comes to soaking your dentures I recommend using straight white vinegar twice a week, half an hour each time. It helps prevent staining and tartar/calculus build-up, it’s also affordable and easy to find. After soaking them brush or rinse your dentures thoroughly. When you are not wearing your dentures they should be kept in water.

How do I care formy dentures?

I POWER RAKED LAST YEAR, BUT THE MOSS IN MY LAWN IS WORSE THAN EVER, WHAT CAN I DO?

Controlling moss in the lawn is the most asked question we get each spring. You need to kill your moss first, otherwise power raking or de-thatching just spreads tiny bits of live moss all over your lawn, and you will likely have a bigger problem the next year. Moss is an ongoing issue here on the coast, and milder winters along with wet springs encourage more moss. Spring is a good time to kill moss with either a granular or liquid moss killer. If it has been applied correctly, after a few warm sunny days it will turn black. This is the time to power rake. Over-seed bare patches where moss has been removed with new grass seed and add lime to sweeten the soil. For more information, pick up a Spring Lawn Renovation and Moss Control pamphlet next time you visit us.

DEN

TIST

RY

Dr. Colleen Clancy & Dr. Ann Lu

Dentists

Dr. Colleen Clancy and Associates#98-1742 Cliffe Avenue, Courtenay, BC V9N 2K8Phone: 250-338-2599Web: www.drcolleenclancy.com

Should I get a manualor electric toothbrush?

Manual toothbrushes come in a variety of bristle shapes, softness, and sizes. Soft is best. You can keep your smile healthy and clean just as well with a manual brush as you can with an electric brush, but to do the same job as an electric, you need to be a little more diligent to be sure you have reached into those hard-to-get-at areas, all the while keeping your brushing technique soft and gentle. It is easy to travel with a manual brush and they are free when you visit the dentist to have your teeth cleaned!Electric toothbrushes are great to clean all hard to reach places (like wisdom teeth or teeth that are angled). It is a little easier to position the toothbrush and allow it to vibrate or rotate the plaque gently off the teeth. There is a higher cost to change the brush head, and you have to make sure to keep them charged.

A: Either!

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Repositioning Cruise is when the cruise ships have finished their Mexico and Caribbean routes and are cruising up to Vancouver for the summer Alaska runs; usually in late April and early May. Repositioning Cruises are generally shorter – 2/3 days, depending on the itinerary and there are no ports of call. You get on the ship – usually in L.A. – and off the ship in Vancouver. The complete itinerary – cruising AND land package is usually 5 – 7 nights. One of the biggest sellers is the Cruise and Anaheim package. You would fly to L.A., spend a few days at Disneyland and then cruise home. Packages like this costs as little as $599 but keep in mind that Disney passes are extra.

What is a repositioning cruise?

My Family live in another province and cannot attend the Memorial Service. What can I do? Eric Toneff

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Toneff Funeral Services is the only local certified Funeral Home with Alive Streaming. Our working relationship with Alive Streaming allows us to broad-cast your service through our website so that those who are not able to attend can still view the funeral or memorial service. If family and friends are not be able to view the service live, due to personal circumstances, we will keep the service on our website for up to 60 days to give everyone an opportunity to watch the service at their convenience. For more information about this service or other services that we offer, call Toneff Funeral Services to speak with Eric or Emma.

TUESDAY. APRIL 7, 2015 www.comoxvalleyecho.com6

7

My mortgage is up for renewal. Does it make financial sense to switch to a new lender?

There are several factors to consider, but in many cases switching at renewal can save a lot of money. We see dozens of clients every year who receive renewal letters from their current lender with significantly higher rates than the client deserves. The lender hopes the clients will simply sign to renew without researching other options. What many people don’t realize is that a small difference in interest rate can actually mean thousands of dollars in interest costs: for example, on a $250,000 mortgage (5 yr term, 25 yr am), signing at a rate of 2.99% instead of 2.69% will cost you an extra $3,391 in interest. The rates don’t seem very different, but the end result is significant!

Whenever your mortgage is up for renewal, take 5 minutes to call an independent mortgage professional to check your options. We can provide you with a free, no obligation cost/benefit scenario so you’ll have peace of mind knowing you made the best financial decision.

Q: Sometimes my hearing aids cut in and out, especially during warm or humid weather. How can I remedy this? Jennifer Frey,

Registered Audiologist

A: Hearing aid components can be susceptible to moisture in the ear or from the atmosphere and can respond by functioning intermittently. Hearing aids exposed to these environments should be stored nightly in a tightly sealed jar filled with a desiccant to keep the working parts dry. Hearing aid dispensaries have these drying kits for sale. In addition, electric dryers with ultraviolet lights are available for purchase when significant moisture problems are not alleviated by the simple drying kits. Call me today if you have any questions on how to properly maintain your hearing aids.

1.888.850.9979

Why do we get dilating eye drops during an eye examination? I hate that.

Pupil dilation is a memorable part of a routine eye examination. In short, the eye doctor uses a pharma-ceutical eyedrop to relax the pupil-constricting muscles in the iris. This way, the interior of the eye can be inspected fully- this is an excellent way to examine for cataracts, floaters, and problems in the retina. Have you ever noticed red pupils in a flash photograph? The doctor's examining equipment lights up the interior of the eye in the same way, using magnification and focus. Pupil dilation is a small nuisance as it creates sensitivity to light and some focusing difficulty for the patient - wearing sunglasses after the examination is recommended for this reason. You should feel comfortable bringing up any concerns about pupil dilation with your eye doctor.

Send your questions for any of these professionals to us by mail, email or fax

Professional:

Question:

COMOX VALLEY ECHO407 - E Fifth Street, Courtenay, BC V8N 1J7or send your question to Keith Currie at [email protected] or by fax to 250-334-3172

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Got that annoying yellow light on your dash that says Check Engine? That is your check engine light. Better get it checked out!

The Check Engine Light (or Malfunction Indicator Light) comes on when one of your vehicle’s many electronic sensors picks up a fault. This could be as simple as leaving your fuel cap off or something terribly wrong going on inside your vehicles engine. While the vehicle may still run fine, it is not running to its optimum potential. In the short term, this is mostly harmless, but if it is left long enough, you could potentially cause damage to major engine components. If the light is flashing however, this is an indication of something serious. Pull your vehicle over as soon as possible and call a towing company to get your vehicle towed to your preferred repair facility. While some may recommend the old ”Disconnect the battery to clear the light” trick, this makes it harder for repair shops to diagnose, as they can’t diagnose what isn’t currently there.

Call your local repair facility as soon as your able to get your vehicle’s condition diagnosed!

Courtenay Toyota now offers state of the art tools, equipment and software that can check this light on ALL MAKES and MODEL, come see us today!

Glasses make me look smarter. Can I wear them even if I don't need them?

I'm not sure I believe that glasses make a person look smarter. We are all individu-als, original in every way. If you worry about looking "smarter", maybe you should take a closer look at yourself and be more accepting of who you are.

There is no such thing as a maintenance free garden, but you can reduce the workload with some careful planning. Here are some useful tips. Plant shrub beds instead of perennial beds as shrubs will need minimum care, perhaps pruning once a year whereas perennials will need to be divided every 3 years or so and cut down every fall. If planting perennials, choose plants that don't self seed to minimize weeding. If planting annuals, choose plants that don't require deadheading. A gravel garden is a great option for a low maintenance garden so long as landscape fabric is laid out before placing the gravel. Install permanent edging solutions such as brick. This will reduce the need for hand edging. Adding bark mulch at a depth of 3 inches after weeding the garden will minimize any future weeding. If weeds are a serious problem, lay down several layers of newspa-per before mulching. Plant the right size plant in the right place. It will help you avoid constant pruning.

Do you have anytips for a lowmaintenance garden?

Feel free to visit our Facebook page photosto see some of the projects we have done. Happy Spring everyone!

www.comoxvalleyecho.com TUESDAY. APRIL 7, 2015


s

Now is the time tohave your say andshape your province.

WEBSITE:

www.bc-ebc.ca

EMAIL:

[email protected]

PHONE:

1-800-661-8683

BRITISH COLUMBIA ELECTORAL BOUNDARIES COMMISSION

In a Preliminary Report to the Legislative Assembly,the British Columbia Electoral Boundaries Commission is proposingchanges to the area, boundaries and names of electoral districts in B.C.

Read the Preliminary Report at www.bc-ebc.ca/reports.

Tell the commission your views on the Preliminary Report online atwww.bc-ebc.ca, at a public hearing during April and May,or by email at [email protected].

All submissions and presentations to the commission mustbe made before 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, May 26, 2015.

For a schedule of public hearing locations and dates,and more information, visit www.bc-ebc.ca

Tell us your views on ourPreliminary Report beforeMay 26, 2015.

ing the ride to Victoria, it one came out and the rest is history.”

Packard’s son untan-gled the bird and attempt-ed to free it. But it didn’t fl y away. They attempted to feed it but it refused to eat.

Following solicited ad-vice from neighbours and bird experts, Packard took the helpless fowl to the SPCA’s Wild Animal Rehabilitation Centre in Metochsin. Staff there

Hummingbird stuck to Easter bouquet doing wellBY MICHAEL BRIONESEcho Staff

An Easter fl oral bouquet with all the trimmings is certainly a nice gift. But when you add a hum-mingbird to the package, now that surely would be a big surprise.

It sounds cuckoo but this happened over the weekend.

A small hummingbird was discovered stuck on the tape of the cellophane package and it had mi-raculously survived quite an ordeal as the bouquet of fl owers traveled quite a long distance from Cour-tenay to a resident in Vic-toria.

Nancy Packard got quite a surprise when she received the Easter present from her sis-ter, Louise Gage-Cole in Courtenay. She heard a buzzing sound and at fi rst she thought it was a

bee. When she opened it, she was shocked to fi nd a hummingbird.

The owner of Courte-nay 5th Street Florist, the shop that did the packag-ing and delivery, had no clue a miniature winged-creature was inside the bouquet.

“I was pretty shocked when I found out because usually we don’t have any wildlife going out with our [shipment],” said Steven Meier, the owner of the

shop.Meier said anyone could

easily miss it because the nest was so small and hardly visible at all.

“Our salal picker is 85 years old and his eyes aren’t so great,” Meier quipped. “He didn’t no-tice it and it got mixed with everything else. It went to our back cooler and apparently, that’s what saved its life. When they’re in a cooler, they go dormant and I guess dur-

nursed and fed, round the clock, the bird, which ap-parently is still a baby.

The bird, identifi ed as Anna’s hummingbird, a specie common on Van-couver Island, is on the road to recovery. It is now feeding on its own. It is be-ing monitored closely and before it can be released, staff needs to be certain it is able to survive back in the wild

“It’s doing well at this point,” said Wild ARC as-

sistant manager Heather Schmitt. “For this little hummingbird, we have to make sure she is eating in-dependently and has the ability to fl y well and she can avoid predators. When she reaches that point and when she is conditioned to living outside again then she’ll be released.”

Meier said the bird is a survivalist. They aim to be a little bit more vigilant when they do their bou-quets.

Local fl orist shocked to fi nd out a little bird was included in package

Baby Anna’s Hummingbird doing well at SPCA rescue centre in Metchosin (Photo courtesy Times Colonist)


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Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue (RC-MSAR) Unit 60 Comox said a fi nal good-bye to the Bruce Brown II on 2 April 2015.

This vessel was pur-chased by the Comox Val-ley Marine Rescue Society in 1997 thanks to the gen-erosity of the people of the Comox Valley.

The Bruce Brown II was among the fi rst purpose built vessels dedicated to marine search and rescue on the coast which is fi t-ting since the Comox Val-ley Marine Rescue Soci-ety was amongst the fi rst organizations to conduct marine search and rescue in BC.

Prior to the arrival of the Bruce Brown II the unit used a repurposed hydro-graphic vessel.

You might be wondering about the recurrence of the naming of the vessels.

This was done to honour the second Unit Leader Bruce Brown who served in that position from around 1981 until around 1985. His son Garry is still an active member of the unit and has served slightly longer than the Bruce Brown II.

In the almost 20 years that Bruce Brown II pro-vided safety on the wa-ters of the Comox Valley (middle of Baynes Sound to Oyster River, offi cially) the Bruce Brown II has been involved in all of the Snow-to-Surf races carry-

ing an untold number of canoes and canoeists to safety; searched for many overdue boaters/kayak-ers and unfortunately some teens in trouble; and towed a great many boat-ers having a bad day.

Although Bruce Brown II has moved on to light-er duties as a trainer and electronics test bed at RCMSAR headquarters in Sooke, Unit 60 Comox continues to respond to around 40 calls for assis-tance every year.

Those duties will pri-marily be carried out by

the Lazo, newly purchasedwith the aid of the peopleof the Comox Valley aswell as BC Gaming.

The Unit conducts onecrew course per year be-ginning in the Fall for any-one interested in joiningthis organization.

You can fi nd out moreabout us at http://www.unit60comox.ca/index.htm or on Facebook atBruce Brown II or Royal-Canadian-Marine-Search-and-Rescue-Station-60-Comox.

End of an era for local marine rescue unit

Bruce Brown II handing over responsibility for safety on the water to the Lazo.

The Bruce Brown II replaced by the new Lazo


LETTERS

An independently owned and operated

newspaper published by Echo Publications at

407-E Fifth Street, Courtenay, B.C. V9N 1J7

Phone 250-334-4722

Fax 250-334-3172

Classifi eds 250- 334-4215

Circulation 250-334-4734

E-mail: [email protected]

Publisher Dave MacDonald

Editor Debra Martin

Advertising Manager Keith Currie

Offi ce Administrator Deb Fowler

Circulation Manager Hedi MacDonald

Production Manager Ryan Getz

All material herein is protected by copyright.Reproduction in whole or in part is not permitted without written authorization from the publisher.

Canadian Publications Mail Agreement Number #0661538

COMOX VALLEY ECHO

OPINIONSEC

HO

NON-VOTERS TO BLAME

TIME FOR A PLACARD

South sewer:Go with the fl ow

During the ongoing CVRD consultation pro-cess, it was clear that Baynes Sound was the fa-vored recipient of treated effl uent from not only Roy-ston and Union Bay, but Cumberland as well (in-cluding any future mega-developments). Much to the CVRD’s chagrin, the advisory committee rec-ommended that Cape Lazo was the #1 (pun in-tended) option over the #2 choice- Baynes Sound, due to environmental and com-mercial (shellfi sh industry) concerns. At the 11th hour, the CVRD had one more card to play to turn the tide and ensure the #2 (Baynes Sound) option would be-come the #1- more fi ltra-tion. Unfortunately for the CVRD, the committee was not convinced that Baynes Sound would not be nega-tively impacted by the fol-lowing:

1. Baynes Sound does not have the fl ow (aka “fl ush-ing rate”, as was noted in the consultants original documents) necessary to eff ectively and effi ciently transport treated sewage away, as is required. With-out an adequate fl ow to re-move the effl uent quickly, all shellfi sh tenures in Baynes Sound are at risk for contamination from micro-toxins.

2. NO fi ltration system can eff ectively remove all pharmaceuticals excreted by humans allowing them to bio-accumulate and mix with other chemicals producing unknown short term and long term eff ects on the marine environment in the immediate area and elsewhere.

3. NO fi ltration system can eff ectively remove all the tiny particles of plas-tic that come from wash-ing your clothes and us-ing personal care products such as toothpaste and fa-cial scrubs. Baynes Sound has already been identifi ed as a “hot spot” for micro-plastic contamination.

4. According to Fisheries and Oceans Canada, sew-age outfalls are big con-tributors to acidifi cation as is upwelling, oxygen depletion and increased temperatures all of which will be present at the out-fall. Acidifi cation prohib-its mollusks from forming shells and is destroying the shellfi sh industry and marine ecosystems world-wide.

5. Baynes Sound is an es-tuary with many sources of fresh water fl owing into it already, but to add the vol-ume of fresh water coming from three rapidly expand-ing communities’ effl uent would drastically change

the salinity and alter the marine environment.

6. Existing Federal, Pro-vincial, Regional Health, Importing and Exporting regulations do not address all micro-contaminants that will be present in the discharge into Baynes Sound and will be taken up by the fi lter feeders such as clams and oysters that are consumed by humans. Health Canada guide-lines currently limits the amount of regularly con-sumed shellfi sh due to the toxic heavy metals pres-ent. When the “regulators” decide to do thorough tox-icology testing, the pres-ence of contaminants make this food source less likely to be deemed suitable for human consumption.

Baynes Sound is not the appropriate place for a sewage outfall location due to its inadequate fl ushing rate which could cause ir-reversible damage to ma-rine ecosystems, including the shellfi sh industry.

So, go with the fl ow and the status quo and insist on Cape Lazo!

Edina Johnston Denman Island

This angry letter is to the 38% of the population who chose to not vote in the last federal election in 2011.

Only 24% of the eligible voters gave the current Conservative government a majority mandate: allow-ing Canada’s US-inspired

involvement in an unclear long term expensive mili-tary aggression against ISIS in Iraq, and now Syr-ia. Also fi ghting against ISIS in Syria are: President of Syria Bashar al Assad’s National Army; a myriad of Assad’s local paramili-tary militia; Iranian forces; the Lebanese-based Hez-bollah; and miscellaneous Palestinian groups (all supplied and fi nanced by Russia.) Fighting against Assad in the Syrian civil war are: ISIS, Al Queda; the Free Syrian Army; the Islamic Front; Sunni Isla-mists; and various Kurdish forces (variably fi nanced and supplied by Saudi Ara-bia, Qatar, Turkey, USA, Europe).

Not to be ignored are the Popular Protection Units, including Kurds and Chris-tian Syriac Military Coun-cil. Wow, it is complicated, and confusing. The com-mon enemy may be ISIS, but who are our bedfellows in this non-UN non-NATO sanctioned military action, are we now pro-Assad? I thought we were for the Kurds, yet they appear to be against Assad?

Why are we participating in violence related to the over 1000-year old Shia-Sunni split? The undoubt-able consequence of our involvement, on any side can only be for Canada to make new enemies in the Middle East.

So, for you 38% who chose not to vote, by your inaction, you are responsi-

ble for allowing Canada to be embroiled in this Syrian civil war.

Georgina Price Black Creek

I am a retired Police Of-fi cer and can hardly be described as a placard tot-ing radical. The thought of “civil disobedience”, in my opinion is still breaking the law.

That said, I attended a forum at the Florence Fil-berg Centre on Thursday evening, March 26th where a discussion pertaining to Trade Agreements and Treaties was presented by Alice de Wolff , the local Chairperson for the Coun-cil of Canadians, Brenda Sayers of the Hupacasath First Nations and fi nally Ellen Gould of the Centre of Policy Alternatives.

At the end of the pre-sentations, I was left with a profound sense that our sovereignty as a nation is at risk and that the eff ec-tiveness of our high Courts to intervene in disputes be-tween corporations, gov-ernments (at all levels) and nations could very well be superseded by tribunals.

These are not agree-ments where “I buy your corn and you buy my wheat” but rather these agreements enshrine in-vestor rights and Corpora-tions as if they were per-sons.

The proposed agree-ments involving European nations on one hand and

Pacifi c rim nations on the other will aff ect our way of life and our children’s abil-ity to earn a living in the future and yet our Federal government moves ahead on these treaties in secrecy with only minimal informa-tion being released prior to ratifi cation.

To the naysayers, Ms. De Wolff , Ms. Sayers and Ms. Gould point to the Province of Newfound-land where taxpayers were forced to pay AbitibiBo-water $130 million in such a dispute over water and timber rights. For those involved in the soft wood forestry industry, how has NAFTA worked for you?

I say again that these treaties will potentially aff ect our municipal gov-ernments and provincial government’s ability to enter into contracts and also unions and local busi-nesses may well fi nd them-selves competing against foreign corporations for jobs here at home.

So I am left with the question...”why were there no MP, MLA, City Council Members or Rural Direc-tors, Unions or businesses in attendance at this most important information meeting? Where are your voices in all of this?” Once our Federal government ratifi es these agreements, it will be too late as Ms. Sayers has witnessed.

Perhaps it is time to pick up a placard!

Warren McDonaldCourtenay


HUNT FOR HISTORY WITH JUDY HAGEN

The Kiwanis “family” began 100 years ago as a men’s service organi-zation that would over the last century grow to include “the Builders”, for elementary school stu-dents, “Key Club” at High Schools and “Circle K” at colleges and Universities. Moving with the times, they have asked women to join their local units.

In August 1949, it was advertised that any men interested in forming a branch of the “Kiwanian” club to meet at Sunnydale Golf Club. That night they elected their inau-gural Board. The Charter Members would be the Who’s Who of the valley with Lawyers, Accoun-tants and local Politi-cians.

The Charter for the Courtenay Kiwanis Club was presented on 26th October with Kiwanians from Nanaimo in atten-dance. The Argus news-paper reported that this would be the fi rst Kiwanis Club north of Nanaimo. In time the Courtenay Club would sponsor new groups in Powell River, Campbell River, Comox and a second group in Courtenay who were known as the Forbidden Plateau Breakfast Club.

In 1984, after 35 years serving the commu-nity, the list of activities for that year included: forming the Key Club at Vanier, working their Salmon Enhancement rearing pond on Mor-rison Creek, funds sent to the Cowichan Easter Seal Camp, serving at the Citizenship Ceremony for New Canadians, manning Salvation Army Kettles at Christmas, operating a hamburger stand, sup-plying transportation to track and fi eld events for handicapped athletes as well as helping at their two-day Victoria Track Shoes Event.

They funded a bursary for a High School gradu-ate, supported minor hockey and baseball and held their annual “Whee-lies Race” on July 1st.(Free Press 31 October)

The motto of Kiwanis is “Supporting the Chil-dren of the World”. The “scrapbooks” recording the activities of the past 65 years have been lost; so now the early his-tory of their activities is not known. Relying on the memories of current members it is recalled that one fund raiser

was cutting trees from a Christmas Tree Farm, another was clearing a wood lot where they chopped down the Alder trees and sold each cord of wood for $35 DELIV-ERED. They were not “loggers” and may not have followed safety requirements, but it was always a wonderful day of fellowship.

The Comox Kiwanis Club spearheaded the refurbishing of the “little white church” on Mission Hill. This became a com-munity project with the help of church members, as well as interested vol-unteers from the public who stripped, cleaned and varnished wood walls and pews to bring St Andrew’s Anglican church back “up to snuff ”, includ-ing the restoration of the original stained glass window.

The Key Club at Vanier ran a school store, held donut sales, volunteered to help at therapeutic riding and visited the seniors at Laurel Lodge. Members attended Conferences at Tacoma, Spokane, and Portland.

The “Builders” at elementary schools held clean up days around their school and helped to plant the “mile of fl ow-ers”. None of the students were ever children of

Kiwanis members. Many of the Key Club members would continue their ser-vice at the Circle K clubs in colleges.

Probably the best known project is Kiwanis Village in Courtenay.

On 18 May 1960, the Courtenay and District Free Press headline read “Kiwanians Plan Hous-ing Campaign.” They had to raise $3,000 as their portion towards the low cost rental housing for pensioners. The plan was to build 6 homes, 4 would be rented to couples and 2 for single seniors. A “mail-out” would contact 3,500 people and if more than $3.000 was raised, then more units could be built.

Over the next six months, more details would be in the newspa-per about the “low rental housing project” which was kicked off with a Gar-den Party to introduce the plans to the Old Age Pensioners. By the end of June, $2,170 had been raised towards the total cost of $30,000. Once the initial 10% was raised the Provincial Government would provide a grant of $10,000 and the Federal Government the remain-ing $17,000.

“Eventually the club expects to have housing worth $225,000 because

it will be a continuing project. We shall always be in the middle of a new phase of the proj-ect until the last stage is completed.”(Free Press 28 June 1961).

The sod turning was held on November 9th. When the fi rst units were rented couples in a 4-plex, paid $12 per month and the single units cost $8. Renters had to pay phone and hydro, but one couple said, “Now we can buy groceries”.

When the fi rst units were completed in 1962, the club members were put on a roster to main-tain the grounds and the buildings. Eventually there were 5 phases completed which currently provides housing for 45 residents and in the newest low cost housing across the road are 21 residents.

In recent years, like many clubs in the val-ley, the Kiwanis groups found that it was diffi cult to recruit new members. The three groups joined, meeting in Courtenay. Women were invited and

although some men were disgruntled about it, they found that women had good ideas about how to raise money. A popular event now, is the “Down-ton Abbey Tea” held at the Therapeutic Gardens.

While gaming mon-ies are a steady funding source, for many years, the Junktique Sales have provided funds.

Recognizing new needs within the community Ki-wanis helps fund the Son-shine Lunch Program at St. George’s Church, the Good Samaritan program at the Foursquare Church and the Food Bank. For many years they have built ramps for wheel chair accessibility for families under stress after an ill-ness or an accident.

To celebrate their 65th Anniversary, the 100th an-niversary of the Kiwanis International and the Cen-tennial for Courtenay, the Courtenay Kiwanis Club will host a block party for all the residents of Ki-wanis Village, Abbeyfi eld House and the Recovery Centre.

The usual crowd of bargain hunters waiting for the doors to open at another successful Kiwanis Club of Courtenay Junktique held recently.

65 years of faithful service by local Kiwanians

NORTH ISLAND RHODODENDRON SOCIETY • For their monthly meet-ing Tuesday, April 14, members of the North Island Rhododendron Society (NIRS) will journey “down under” with Garth Wedemire and

his wife, Sue, to view images of re-markable gardens in both the north and south islands of New Zealand. NIRS holds its meetings at the Comox United Church, 250 Beach Avenue on the second Tuesday of each month. Doors open at 7 pm followed by a business meeting and the presentation at 7:30pm.

COMOX VALLEY GENEALOGY CLUB • Will hold their next meeting on Tuesday, April 14, 2015 from 7-9 pm at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints - 1901 20th St Courtenay. Please enter from the rear of the building. Our speaker, April Shopland will give a presen-tation on””K’omox First Nation Re-

search through Family Stories and Photo’s” . Everyone welcome. For more info..Marlene 250-334-3080Comox Valley Senior Peer Coun-selling Society AGMCV SENIOR PEER COUNSELLING SOCIETY • AGM is on Tue. April 14 at Comox Rec Centre from 12.00 to 1.30pm.

family and friends, most welcome. Hope to see you there! FMI call Glenda 250 338 7792.THE COMOX VALLEY MS SELF HELP GROUP • (aka The Day Trip-pers) will be having their monthly meeting on Thursday, April 9th at the Whitespot meeting room, 11:30-1:00. This month our presenter is Kazimea Sokil, a Registered Clinical Counsellor and Creative Arts Therapist from Resonance Arts, Courtenay. This a perfect spring topic. Hope you can join us. Please contact Jan Elman 250-339-3053 or Cherie Kamenz 250-890-3439 if you are able to attend.

CYCLING • Come join us on our Friday rides. We are a road cy-cling group of active adults and members of the Cross Canada Cycle Tour Society (CCCTS) www.cccts.org. At 10am (except in the months July and August when the start time changes to 9AM because of the heat). We meet at the Filberg Centre’s lower parking lot, 411 An-derton Courtenay, before setting off on a bike ride. See www.cccts.org under tabs Day Rides/Comox Valley for the schedule or email [email protected] LEGION • Meat draws every Friday, 5-7 pm.COMOX LEGION • Meat draws every Friday, 3 p.m. Open to all Legion members and signed in guests. Friday is still drop in darts night 7.30 pm toe line, $2.25 per person.

MARS ANNUAL OPEN HOUSE • Saturday April 11th 11 am to 4 pm at the Wildlife Centre 6817 Head-quarters Rd. “Meet the Ambassa-dors” Live Birds of Prey. Phoenix the MARS Mascot, refreshments, Tour the facilities. Join the 20th anniversary Celebration and sup-port us to “Spread our Wings” Meet volunteers and board mem-bers. Conservation displays, gift items & raffl e tickets on sale now. Call us to contribute to our Book and Plant sale 250-337-2021. FMI www.wingtips.orgCOMOX VALLEY FARMERS MAR-KET • 9-12 every Saturday at the Headquarters Road fair grounds, Cliffe Avenue, Courtenay. Come for the freshness, stay for the fun! FMI: Mkt. Mgr. Vickey 250.218-0321 or or www.comoxvalleyfarm-ersmarket.com & keep in touch on Facebook.COURTENAY LEGION • Meat draws every Saturday 2-5 p.m. in the lounge. Dancing to Gord Kruger and friends.COMOX LEGION • Meat draws are held every Saturday 3 p.m. plus Ace of Spades draw.

CRIBBAGE • Every Monday night, 7:00, at the Royston Hall, corner of Old Island Highway and Royston Road. No need to bring a partner. FMI: 250-334-1883.LADIES AUXILIARY DROP-IN BIN-GO • Comox Legion Ladies Aux-iliary Drop-in Bingo, upper hall. Doors open 6 pm, bingo 7 p.m. All money goes to charities. Free cof-fee and tea.

PEARL ELLIS GALLERY IN COMOX • PRESENTS: “LANDSCAPES AND OTHER THINGS” - A SHOW & SALE by “DAVID NETTERVILLE & JOCK MacNEIL” From March 31st - April 19th. Open Tues - Sat from 10 am - 4 pm, Sun 1 - 4 pm, Closed Monday. Free Admission. Located at 1729 Comox Avenue. FMI and to see a virtual gallery of the current show go to www.pearl-ellisgallery.comROYAL PURPLE DROP-IN BINGO • Every Tuesday night, 7 p.m., at the Elks Home on Sixth St.COMOX VALLEY WOOD CARVERS • If you are interested in any type of wood carving please join us at the Royston Community Hall every Tuesday from 9:30 AM to 3 PM for a day of carving and learning about carving. No experience necessary. FMI call Al at 250-331-0156 or Jim at 250-339-5350.DUPLICATE BRIDGE • Every Tues-day at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 1 p.m., Comox Seniors Centre.

“LAUGHTER WELLNESS” SESSION FOR APRIL 8 IS CANCELLED • Due to logistics issues, the presenters of “Laughter Wellness” cancelled their session for Evergreen Club’s Life-long Learners scheduled for April 8, 1:00-3:00 PM at the Rotary Hall of Filberg Centre. The next meeting of the Lifelong Learners is scheduled for April 22, when Ara-bella Benson and Fraser McAllan facilitate fun, interactive discus-sion and science-based exercises on “Moving Makes You Smarter” and “Brain Gym”. PLAY BRIDGE • Every Wednesday at 7:00 pm at the Royston Hall, 3902 Old Island Hwy and Royston Road. FMI: 250-334-1883 or roy-stonhall.com and on Facebook at Royston Community ClubCOMOX VALLEY NEEDLEARTS GUILD • Meets at Berwick Comox Valley Retirement Residence, 1700 Comox Avenue, 7:00-9:00pm, ev-ery Wednesday. New members are welcome; we do crossstitch, canvas-work, Hardanger, Huck embroidery, etc., bring your stitch-ery! Call FMI 250-334-0935.FUN DARTS • 1 p.m. on Wednes-days at the Courtenay Legion. More players (Legion members and their signed-in guests) always welcome.COMOX LEGION • Wednesday is Beer and Burger night, $10.00 per person 5.00 pm until 6.30 pm.

CV HARD OF HEARING SUPPORT GROUP • The April meeting of the ‘CHHA’ will be held Thursday, April 9, at the Tsolum Building (behind Lewis Center Ctny near tennis court). There will be a short busi-ness meeting fi rst, than the team from the “Costco Hearing Aid Center” will give a presentation on their Center and Services offered. Following the presentation there will be time to ask questions. Meet-ing starts at 10 am. New members,


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8 WEDNESDAYJenn Forsland returns to the jazz club this Thursday

GEORGIA STRAIGHT JAZZ SOCIETY

After last week’s interna-tional jazz musicians from the US, Canada and UK, when Tunnel Six wowed a packed house with excit-ing modern jazz, we return to arguably the most pop-ular local performer from this part of the world.

It’s been almost a year since The Jenn Forsland Group graced our stage.

Now, by popular demand, she returns to charm, and fl irt with her audience. As many of you know, Jenn, in addition to being a su-perb jazz songstress, is a wonderful entertainer and accomplished pianist who laces her material with an-ecdotes and a stage pres-ence second to none.

In today’s telephone interview, Jenn told me, “Each time I contem-plate a show for Georgia Straight Jazz Society, I always try to plan some-thing new - even at the risk of leaving my com-fort zone; the audience is always discerning and attentive, and that adds to the challenge which in turn drives up the calibre of out preformance.

“Well, this time my show will feature familiar

melodies and well-known standards, with a focus on the Great American Song-book. For me, it is like go-ing full circle, back to my early performance days, but doing so in a much more critical context. This is no longer playing music in the background with an indiff erent audience.

“Today people really concentrate on the quality of performance, and that’s great.

“Off ering an evening of classic songs may come as a surprise to those folk who know my work and have seen it develop over the past seven years, but this show will focus on technical excellence be-tween a group of musi-cians who are well versed in playing together as they return to tried, true jazz numbers.

“Of course, I will include one or two of my peren-nial favourites, including ‘Love for Sale’ and ‘Nature Boy’ but you can expect an evening fi lled with fa-miliar romantic tunes dat-ing from the 30s through to the turn of the millen-nium.”


A favourite local jazz singer returnsThursday nightwith her group

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Baybrook, Orchard Park Dr. Rt. 2121 – Anderton, Robb, Sable, Holly,

NoelP.M.Q’s – C.F.B. ComoxRt. 2142 – Murrelet, Plover CourtRt. 2112A – Arbour Village - 680 Murrelet

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250-338-1221 • www.sunwestvw.ca • 401 Ryan Road, Courtenay • [email protected]


In addition to Jenn, vo-cals and keyboard, you will experience some of the Valley’s fi nest instru-mentalists: Rick Husband, guitar; Tom Tinsley, per-cussion; Graeme Edwards, bass, and Tony Morrison, Tenor Sax.

These musicians are both well known, and well versed in creating the smooth accompani-ment to Jenn’s style, with years of refi ning a blend of sounds which is enviable.

As Jenn added, “These guys are so talented, and we always have so much fun - whether we’re re-hearsing or on stage. They’re the best!”

Jenn’s shows are always popular and well attended, so plan on arriving a bit earlier than usual if you’re expecting to meet and sit with friends. Dinner spe-cials will be available as usual.

For more information about the Jazz Society and its forthcoming events, please visit our web site at www.georgiastraightjazz.com of fi nd us on Face-book.

- Submitted by Malcolm Holt

Forsland at jazz clubPoetry blossoms as Laureate leads walk

The Comox Valley’s newly minted Poet Laure-ate is wasting no time in stirring up interest in the art form, with an event of “fresh air, fresh ideas and fresh rhymes.”

Kevin Flesher plans to lead a nature walk Satur-day afternoon from Cum-berland’s Chinatown to Japanese town, featuring 12 stops along the way for 12 poems about nature. Poem topics will include slugs, eagles, worms, bea-vers, lichen, inter-perme-ation and coal.

“It’s a new and unique way to interface with na-ture,” Flesher says. “There will be a variety of poetry styles and some special guests and surprises.”

The walk will end in Japanese town among the blossoms at the memorial cherry grove, where all present will be invited to write and perform some haiku poetry.

Flesher says the event will end with a fl aming pi-nata full of poetry.

“Bring sake and sushi!” Flesher says.

“This is poetry pot luck.”

Punctuated by poems, stroll ends with Japanese town haikus

The walk begins at 2 p.m. at Jumbo’s Cabin on Comox Lake Road, in the Coal Creek Historic Park in Cumberland.

Flesher, who last month won the Comox Valley Arts Council’s Poet Laureate Search, is working on sev-

eral other project ideas to bring forth poetry among the masses, including:

· Poems about islands and ferries, in which poets will meet, read and listen at every ferry station on the way to Denman and Hornby Islands and back.

· Poems by and inspired by Shel Silverstein, read by the ‘Laureate Cohort’ (Flesher and other fi nalist poets from the Search) at a library or café.

· Mountain-top poetry, featuring poetry at the top of Mount Washington.

“Everyone is welcome to all these events,” said Flesher.

“I am stoked to begin a legacy of events and ex-periments that will pro-voke a poetical response. I hope folks of all ages and experience show up.”

Poet Laureate Kevin Flesher

comox valley echo - april 7, 2015

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