seaside times - august 2009

WEST COAST CULTUREAUGUST 2009

Jumping in to Help!Pages 10-11

The First Word .............................4

Business Profiles ...........8, 24

Island Dish .....................................14

Footprints .........................................16

What’s Happening ..........22

Sudoku ................................................27

Walkabout ....................................30

Zais Astrology .........................32

The Last Word ........................38* Cover by Rachel Krueger

CO N T E N TSAUGUST 2009Established in 2005

The Regulars5 Peninsula Country Market – Spriggs Honey

6 Of Whales and Plastic

13 Juan de Fuca – The Story Behind the Name

18 Some Enchanted Morning

23 Bonnie McKechnie: Local Champion

28 Summertime Bucket List

29 Pop Goes the Weasel

31 Facelift For Saanichton Corner

34 Which Nut are You on the Family Tree?

36 Failed Communications, Part IV

Seaside Times • PO Box 2173 • Sidney, B.C. V8L 3S6Publisher, Advertising: Tim Flater • 250-686-1144 • [email protected] • [email protected]

Editor-in-Chief: Allison Smith • 250-544-4022 • [email protected] • [email protected]: Tige Johnson • Mosaic Internet Designs • [email protected] Printed by: International Web Express – Island Office 888-364-2500

63030 14

SEASIDE TIMES www.seasidetimes.ca4

PublisherTim Flater

Neil Laing – 250-656-2919 Jim Laing – 250-652-2923

A family owned and operated community business with more than 40 years of service

Specializing in:• Residential, Commercial, Strata & Condo Security• ABLOY high security locks & keys• Bell lock postal lock upgrade keys

Although we may think that here on beautiful southern Vancouver Island we have largely missed the current economic recession and remain relatively unscathed, we have all seen signs and symptoms and some local businesses have closed their doors.

Recently the U.S. Gift and Home Indus-try launched an action plan called The 3/50 Project.

It goes like this: Pick three independ-ent retailers in your community that you would miss if they closed, visit them and spend $50 in each one.

Based on U.S. stats, if even one half of the population spent $50 per month at those three stores, it would gener-

ate $42.6 billion in sales.

Obviously Canadian stats would reduce that fi gure proportionally for our population, but you get the point.

For every $100 spent in locally owned stores, $68 returns to the com-munity in taxes, payroll and other expenditures that support other local businesses and their employees. Spend at a national chain store and that figure drops down to $42.

Community involvement works both ways. Many retailers believe being involved and giving back to their communities is the right thing to do, and cheerfully donate to a wide variety of local causes.

When busi-nesses “give

back,” the people in the surrounding neighbourhoods

appreciate the sup-port and respond.

Businesses rely on their neighbours, and it’s up to all of us to make our towns and communities special and to continually cele-brate the good fortune we enjoy by living in this gorgeous area.

The 3/50 Project may be a baby step in weathering recession-ary economic times, but it’s a step in the right direction.

Invest in the businesses in your own community and build the economy through local employ-ment. Shop locally when you can and develop relationships with the business owners and employees.

We’re all in this togeth-er, and we’ll all come through it together if everybody does their part.

Enjoy the issue!

Baby StepsBaby Steps

AUGUST 2009www.seasidetimes.ca 5

www.panoramarecreation.ca 1885 Forest Park Dr. North Saanich 250.656.7271

Donations support the elevator installation alongside Panorama’s new waterslide. This will assist in funding what will be the first waterslide in North America that will allow people with mobility challenges to share in the enjoyment of a waterslide ride. All donations can be dropped off at Panorama Recreation Centre and will be eligible for a tax receipt.

*Enjoy the first ride down the waterslide with you and 20 of your family and friends for a 1 hour pool party. Swim Party to occur between Oct. 2 - 5, 2009. Date and time to be arranged with the Aquatic Coordinator, Dustin Ray-Wilks. Draw will take place on Oct 1st, 2009.

With every $25 donation towards the Aquatic Centre Elevator Fund Raising, you

will be entered to win aFirst Down the Slide

Pool Party*.

Bill Spriggs and Cicely Meek have been vendors at the Saanich Pen-insula Country Market since 1993 and their black and yellow “Spriggs Honey“ banner has been the con-stant indicator of their presence.

There have been big changes since they fi rst arrived at the Saanich Fair-grounds site, but its pleasant rural ambiance, the friendliness of the other vendors, the fresh produce, the coff ee, the goodies, the crafts and the music have been the reasons for their loyalty to the market. Spriggs Honey is regularly located between “The Bread Lady,“ a stall run by the Harper family, and the “Sock Makers,“ run by Marjorie and Ron Date.

For many years Bill and Cicely took their four beehives up to the fi reweed country in July to take advantage of the huge expanse of these fl owers which grew up follow-ing the logging of forest land in the Chemainus Valley and in the Boyd’s

Road area to the West of Sooke.

Now however, their bees stay at home at their property on Edgelow Street in Gordon Head and produce a delicious honey that comes from the

nearby arbutus trees and the vines of the wild blackberries. Of course the residents in their neighbourhood also benefi t from having the fruit trees pol-linated by his diligent insect army.

Beekeeping is more expensive and not easy nowadays due to the contin-ual presence of the Varroa mites and an adult bee disease called Nosema.

Successful beekeepers must be con-stantly vigilant to keep their bees healthy and their colonies alive.

Bill was born in a little community on the Island of Montreal called Baie d’Urfe. He came to Victoria in 1955 where he worked with the B.C. Parks Branch until he retired in 1988.

Bill looks after the observation bee-hives at the Swan Lake, Francis-King and the Elk-Beaver Lake Nature Cen-tres. Bill has two girls; Alison and Noel.

Cicely was born in Esquimalt and at 20 she left to seek her fortune in England. Her travels took her to France, Germany, Scotland, Malta, and eventually back to Victoria where she worked for many years at the UVIC library. Cicely has four chil-dren; Tony, Tanya, Sue and Sarah.

Bill and Cicely spend much of their time gardening, beekeeping and keeping in touch with neigh-bours and family.

Peninsula Country Market – Spriggs Honey

SEASIDE TIMES www.seasidetimes.ca 6

I had spent the entire day hiking solo around Trutch Island on B.C.’s central coast looking for the feces of canis lupus for Raincoast Conserva-tion Foundation’s wolf research pro-ject. Trutch doesn’t have a lot of distinguishing features and the land-scape became somewhat uniform in the stupefaction caused by 10 hours of bush whacking.

I tried several routes, but was unable to locate the designated

pick-up spot on shore. Sundown was approaching. My colleagues called me on the handheld asking where the heck I was. I spotted a familiar peak across the water on Campania Island and told them I was scram-bling down to shore opposite from that landmark.

The sky began turning spectacular shades of gold, purple and pink as we headed back to where our moth-ership was anchored. Marveling at

the multi-hued sunset, we suddenly encountered an enormous fi n whale, with calf, in close proximity to our little aluminum skiff . We lingered as long as we could with the fi n whales before returning to the boat in the last rays of sunlight, savouring one of the greatest whale experiences we’d ever had.

When the IUCN released its annual 2008 list of threatened species of cetaceans (whales, dolphins and por-

Of Whales and Plasticby Chris Genovali, Executive Director, Raincoast Conservation Foundation

Plastics impact the health of our oceans and wildlife.

Plastic bag litter has a lethal effect on

countless numbers of seabirds, turtles, whales

and seals annually.

On behalf of our marine ecosystems and future

generations, we commend Thrifty Foods

for their leadership in eliminating plastic bags

from distribution.

www.seachangelife.net

www.PeninsulaStreams.org

www.raincoast.org

www.galianoconservancy.ca

Saanich Inlet Protection Society

phot

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poises), it was encouraging to see that humpback whale populations in the Atlantic may now be approaching pre-whaling levels.

Until a few decades ago, commercial whaling severe-ly depleted many of the fi n, blue, sei and humpback whales that inhabited B.C.’s waters. Over the last 25 years, the global moratorium on whaling has given these species an opportunity to recover, but for reasons not fully understood, their populations have been slow to rebound in the North Pacifi c.

Because a census of many of B.C.’s marine mammals has not been done, Raincoast recently completed six years of systematic surveys from Vancouver Island to the Alaskan border. Aboard our research vessel, Achiever,

a team of scientists recorded observa-tions of all marine mammals, seabirds and garbage.

To date, Raincoast has surveyed over 14,000 kilometres of ocean and logged over 1,100 sight-ings of whales and dolphins. For every two sightings of cet-aceans, we had one sighting of garbage. When the fi nal cal-

culations of density are complete, garbage may be the most abundant “species.” We are working in conjunc-tion with Duke University to complete our analysis of animal abundance and distribution. Later this year we will release our fi nal report on marine mammals, sea-birds…and garbage.

#150 - 805 Cloverdale Avenue, Victoria, BC, V8X 2S9

Realtor, Victoria, BC

Did You Know?Did You Know?Countless plastic bags end up in our

ocean, causing harm to marine wild-life. Researchers calculate there is six times more plastic than plankton in the Pacifi c Ocean. Many marine animals and birds mis-

takenly ingest plastic or become entan-gled and choke on plastic bags that are afl oat. Surface-feeding species of birds, such as albatrosses, shearwaters, pet-rels and gulls are the most susceptible to eating plastic debris. Even whales have been found washed

ashore with stomachs full of plastic bags. It is estimated 100,000 marine mammals and one million marine birds die each year because of plastic litter in the world’s oceans.

s…a d ga bage.

Research Vessel “Achiever” – Doug Brown

photo courtesy Chris Darim

ont


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Comfort…in every way!

The Chair Gallery is Coming Soon!

There’s no gas at this corner sta-tion but it’s worth stopping by to fi ll up anyway.

As hungry locals know, the Roost Farm Centre at the corner of McTavish and East Saanich Roads is the place to go for a “Roost Riser” breakfast and organic coff ee, and for homemade soup and a mile-high sandwich on fresh-baked bread at lunch-time.

Now you can eat dinner at the Roost too. The wood-fi red oven menu is available from 1 to 9 p.m., Thursday through Saturday. Owner Hamish Crawford and his son-in-law, Dallas Bohl, met the challenge of building a wood-fi red oven and hav-ing it ready for this summer.

“Our fi rst two pizzas were inciner-ated,” Dallas confi ded. “We’ve got it worked out now though.”

Pizza patrons agree. “Local Ducky,

by Arlene Antonik

Th e Roost Farm Centre – Corner Charm!You’re the One” has proven to be the most popular choice of the four pizzas off ered. It features Cowichan Valley roasted duck, caramelized onions, gorgonzola and roasted pear with walnuts fi nished with a balsamic glaze. The dinner menu also includes appetizers, salads and desserts such as Blueberry Cobbler; the latest cre-ation by Chef Christian Collins using the farm’s own blueberries.

“We off er farm-fresh produce at the Roost,” Hamish noted. “We grow most of our own fruits and vege-tables and have four acres in Hard Red Spring Wheat.

“We mill the grain right here and use the fi nished fl our in our bakery to make up to 10 diff erent varieties of bread and lots of baked goods every day.”

Hamish was born in Scotland, came to Canada in 1965, and settled there for awhile. In 1989, he bought the 10-acre site in North Saanich which was a bare fi eld at the time


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Family Tour (1.5 hr.) adult $43, senior/youth $33, child $23Pampered Tour (2 hr.) adult $69, senior/youth $59, child $49

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Keep this ad as your Season’s Pass.

and built his home, Highland House Farm.

Over the years he has developed the property in an environmentally-friendly way to provide locally grown food to the commun-ity. The bakery and garden centre opened in 2002 and are man-aged by Hamish’s daughter Sarah and her husband, Dallas.

The barnyard is a noisy place with Nobby the turkey, chickens, sheep, rab-bits and white doves all vying for attention. The golden pheasant struts around look-ing magnifi cent in his plumage of red, gold-en-orange and blue.

The farm allows Hamish to pursue his many hobbies which include the growing of pumpkins. He built a greenhouse where two gigantic specimens with luxuriant foliage increase their girth by up to 35 pounds a day. Their roots suck up the farm’s well water at the rate of 20 gallons daily. Hamish is aiming to win fi rst prize at the Saanich Fair on Labour Day Weekend and believes he is well on his way to success as these pumpkins are each expected to weigh over 300 pounds by the end of August.

What to do with them after the Fair? “Well, the sheep like to eat smashed pumpkin,” Hamish advised sheepishly.

Community involvement is a big part of what the Roost Farm Centre is all about. The farm participates in many local events, such as the Flavour Tour hosted by North Saanich each August.

When touring the farm, watch out for the rubber chicken cannon. With a roaring blast, it shoots a rubber

chicken in an arc further than the eye can see and would certainly startle anyone at the landing site. Asked the purpose of this, Hamish responded with a shrug and a

twinkle in his eye.

The farm’s next initiative is to open its own winery in the summer of 2010. Two acres of grape-vines already grow Siegerrebe and Mar-shall Foch grapes which are expected to produce about 5,000 bottles of white and red wine. The idea is to have people sit outside under the trees enjoying wood-fi red pizza with a glass of the farm’s own vintage.

Fresh local food and drink in a charm-

ing country setting; who could resist? Cheers!

Photo caption: Hamish Crawford and Dallas Bohl trying out The Roost’s new wood-fi red oven.

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I always say that this is a beautiful hotel in one of the most fantastic spots in the world but the thing that I am most proud of is our amazing team. They are hard-working professionals; many of whom also volunteer, both globally and within their community. So I decided to profi le one of these great people, Café Georgia bar-ista Chelsea Maier. Chelsea just returned from Africa and I wanted to tell you about this exceptional young woman and what she has accomplished.

In 2004, the society For the Love of Africa was formed by a group of volunteers who went to Tanza-nia to build a preschool. Chelsea’s mother was one of those involved. She took Chelsea back to Dodoma in 2006 to continue work on the project. Chelsea said that she had a hard time; witnessing first hand so much poverty, starvation, disease and AIDS orphans. Yet they were the most beautiful and loving people, andshe fell in love with the country and knew she had to go back some day.

Two years later Chelsea took a year off after high school to raise money to fund a new project – build-ing a centre for over 150 HIV/AIDS orphans. Fortunat-

ely, Chelsea came to The Pier in search of work and she has been a bright and beautiful face behind the counter every day. She remembers our guests and what they like, provides exceptional service and makes a mean latte!

Chelsea put on a fundraising event at The Pier in Nov-ember of 2008 and it got her off to a great start. After considerable time and energy, her team raised $21,000! In May Chelsea and six others boarded a plane to Africa.

Pier Profi le! Chelsea Maierby Lisa Makar, General Manager,

Th e Sidney Pier Hotel & Spa

LOCATED AT

2538 Beacon Avenue, Sidney 250-655-9700www.sidneypier.com/haros

Mondays Wild BC Salmon, Quinoa Cakes & Grilled Vegetables

Sundays Roast ¼ Cowichan Valley Chicken, Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes, Summer Vegetables

Tuesdays Chef’s Pasta & Garlic Bread

Wednesdays Mixed Grill, Basmati Rice & Summer Vegetables

Thursdays Pork Schnitzel, Chive Mashed Potatoes, Rhubarb Compote

5:00 - 6:00 pmSunday through Thursday

Haro’s Early Bird Dinner Specials

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They started from the ground up – literally! There was just raw land and they had to do everything from digging up roots to laying out building measurements. They hand mixed cement and fi lled the foundation bucket by bucket because there was no electricity. They built the walls by moving 50-pound bricks by hand. On top of all of their hard work, they found time to visit homes with vital gifts of shoes, food and soap. According to Chelsea they heard enough sad stories, saw enough hope and learned enough life lessons and values to humble them for the rest of their lives.

What Chelsea did is truly inspiring! Come by the café some time to meet Chelsea and hear about her amaz-ing journey.

Local Woman Raises Money For Wells of Hope

Star Toole, a Saanichton woman, recently spent 10 days in remote areas of Guatemala with the organization Wells of Hope, which drills for water for villages that are in desperate need of a clean source.

Star soon realized that the drill being used was unable to drill hundreds of feet through rock to reach water anymore and new equipment was desperately need-ed. Wanting to help, she decided to raise funds to put towards the purchase of a new drill and set a fundraising goal of $10,000.

On July 25 Star jumped tandem from 10 thousand feet with an experienced skydiver to raise funds. She sold raffl e tickets and picked the winner after landing safely.

In addition to this event, Star has set up an account at the Sidney Bottle Depot for anyone who wants to donate their returnables to Wells of Hope.

Star plans to return to Guatemala next year, and hopes to get a group of 10 people together to join her. If you’re interested, or wish to donate money towards purchas-ing a new drill, please contact Star at 250-483-5306 or email [email protected]. For more informa-tion on Wells of Hope, visit www.wellsofshope.com.

7120 West Saanich RoadBrentwood Bay, B.C.

250-652-5044

View our current seasonal menu at:www.bistrocache.com

formerly Piccolo Restaurant

Clean fl avours, great ingredients and simple, properly executed cooking without all the “pretentious fuss.”

Call for a reservation today


Sidney’s Pet Centre & Aquatics

www.sidneypetcentre.com

PROFESSIONAL DOG & CAT GROOMING AVAILABLE


A couple of months back, the magazine’s name change, and Alli-son’s question – “What’s in a name?” – got me thinking about a histor-ical character whose name change leaves a lasting mark on this coast.

Born around 1525 to a Greek Orthodox family on the Greek island of Cephalonia, Ionnis Phokas fl ed in 1538 as Sulieman’s Ottoman armies overran the island and rounded up 13,000 of its children. The young man deck-handed his way to Italy and – who knows why – took the name Apostolos Valarianos, mean-ing “Valiant Messenger.”

He spent most of his working life as a mariner and a pilot in the service of the Spanish, and this explains his second name change – King Philip insisted his sailors convert to “the true faith” and many took Spanish names as well.

Now Juan de Fuca, the former Valarianos may have been the Juan Griego (Juan the Greek) captured by Sir Francis Drake off Valparaiso, Chile, in 1578, and whom Drake took with him as he sailed north, up the West Coast, looking to found Nova Albion for his Queen and fi ll her coff ers with Spanish booty.

Whoever he was, he apparently piloted Drake’s Golden Hind as it coasted north, possibly as far as modern day Oregon, maybe British Columbia and perhaps even Alaska. Either he brought prior knowledge

by Martin BlakesleyJuan de Fuca – Th e Story Behind the Name

of the northern reaches of this coast with him, or he acquired it en route.

In 1587, returning from the Phil-ippines on board the Santa Ana, de Fuca was (again?) captured by the English, relieved of cargo worth 60,000 ducats (apparently his retire-ment fund), and deposited at then-not-so-fun Cabo St. Lucas.

Three years later found him sail-ing north (again?), perhaps, like Drake, in pursuit of the fabled Strait of Anian, the much-sought water-way believed to lie diagonally across The Americas, running northeast to southwest. By the mid-1570s, eff orts to fi nd its entrance had swung around, away from the ice-ridden north Atlantic to the Pacifi c, where it was believed the entrance would be easier to locate and negotiate.

Juan de Fuca’s claim to have discov-ered the Strait, his descriptions of its gold- and silver-laden interior shores and his claim that he passed all the way through and back were not taken seriously by the Spanish. Nonethe-less, he accurately located the western entrance to a broad passage, sweep-ing inland and leading into “a very much broader sea” between the 47th

and 48th parallels; he described “an exceedingly high pinnacle or spired rock like a pillar” uncannily similar to the 150-foot formation located near Cape Flattery, off Tatooche Island and now known as “de Fuca’s Pillar;” and he spoke of “diverse islands,” possibly The San Juan and Gulf Islands.

These are things, it’s argued, that Juan de Fuca couldn’t have described unless he had actually been there to see them, or had learned about them from someone who had been there before.

Having never recovered from the loss of his fortune in 1587, and hav-ing received neither recognition nor reward for his alleged discovery, he returned to Cephalonia, where he died, ‘ancient’ and disillusioned, in 1602. He was initially buried as Juan de Fuca, in disgrace because of his conversion to Catholicism. Only recently was he re-interred in a Greek Orthodox cemetery, beneath a marker identifying him as, once again, Ionnis Phokas.

Was this “valiant messenger” the fi rst European to cast eyes on our shores and speak of its promise? We may never know.


There is a hallmark, cringe-worthy scene in the movie The Great Outdoors where our beloved John Candy orders the “ole 96-ounce prime aged beef steak.” If he fi nishes he gets a T-shirt, bragging rights that he licked his plate clean and hopefully a complimentary gastric bypass. As he sweats profusely through the ordeal, his kids cheering him on, his fork shaking as he brings the last morsel of meat to his quivering lips, I couldn’t help but think that less is more.

There are many styles of dining, but one of the most appealing to me and one that has made a tremendous impression on the western palate is “Tapas.” Hailing from Spanish roots, tapas is small, bite-size morsels and sharing plates which are grazed on over the course of an evening and on into the night, eating in stages if you will. This way of eating and sharing is conducive to con-versation, wine and taking time to enjoy the experience.

Tapas and small plate recipes are as varied as the num-ber of people who eat them. There are no rules and no limitations as to what you can make and so here I will share with you three dishes that I love sharing with friends over a glass of wine and some beautiful summer sunshine. Try this for your next evening gathering and I am certain you will reap the benefi ts of its welcome departure from steak and potatoes.

Roasted Red Pepper Crab CakesWith Curry Aioli

2 Red Peppers – roasted, seeded and peeled

1 jalapeno, fi nely diced

1 cup mayo

2 tbsp. lime juice

1 tbsp. curry powder

2 cans crabmeat (mostly leg meat)

2 cups fi ne breadcrumbs

Finely dice one of the peppers and set aside

(Aioli) – In a food processor combine mayo, 1 red pepper, lime juice and 3/4 of the curry powder. Blend until smooth

Set aside 1/2 of mayo for sauce to accompany crab cakes.

In a large bowl combine crabmeat, jalapeno, diced red pepper and a few spoonfuls of the sauce.

Add some of the breadcrumbs, check if mix binds

Summer Tapas Timeby Jennifer Bowles


The most trusted name in home health care

Home health care you can trust

together into cakes. If not, adjust breadcrumbs and sauce until the desired consistency is achieved.

Form into cakes about 1.5 inches across and 3/4-inch thick.

Place cakes in the breadcrumbs and pat into the cakes.

Fry over medium heat in a bit of oil and butter until the outside develops a nice golden crust and cakes are warmed through.

Mussels & Chorizo in Spicy Tomato Broth

½ pound fresh local mussels

2 chorizo sausage links sliced

2 cloves garlic

1 small can diced tomato

½ cup good white wine

1 tsp. dried chilli fl akes

Heat a teaspoon of olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pot (with a lid) and brown chorizo. Add the garlic and chilli fl akes and cook for two minutes.

Add wine and tomatoes, bring to a simmer and then add the mussels. Cover the pot and cook until the mus-sels open – about 4-5 minutes. Be sure to throw out any mussels that don’t open.

Remove from heat and serve in a large bowl with some torn fresh basil and French bread to soak up the glorious broth.

Mediterranean Chicken Salsa3 boneless skinless chicken breastsseasoned, baked and diced

2 fresh SunWing tomatoes

seeded and diced

½ small red onion – diced

3 sprigs chopped fresh oregano

Juice and zest from 1 lemon

2-3 pita breads – lightly oiled,rubbed with fresh garlic & grilled

Combine the fi rst fi ve ingredients in a bowl and sea-son with a really good pinch of salt and pepper. Let the fl avours combine in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Prepare the grilled pita and use a cookie cutter to cut it in to bite-sized rounds or just tear into pieces for a more rustic presentation.

Spoon the chicken on to the pita and serve.

ENJOY!!!

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Rithet’s Bog and the upscale residential area located off Royal Oak Drive are remnants of Robert Paterson Rithet’s 1,200-acre Broad-mead Farm.

R.P. Rithet, as he was known, was a wealthy Victoria businessman with

many enterprises to his credit. In 1871, he established R.P. Rithet and Company, a fi rm of importers and commission merchants for groceries and liquor coming into the province.

In political life, Rithet served one year as mayor of Victoria in 1884 and sat as a member of the Legislature

from 1894 to 1898.

While he and his family lived in a luxurious home in Victoria (Holly-bank on Humbolt street), Rithet also owned farmland in Delta and Saan-ich. The latter property was pur-chased in 1893 and was originally a wild cranberry swamp. Rithet had

Broadmead and the Bog: R.P. Rithet’s Legacyby Carole Pearson

www.seasidetimes.ca 17AUGUST 2009SEASIDE TIMES

part of the land drained and cleared for farming. George McMorran, whose descendants are well known in the Cordova Bay area, was hired to oversee this work and, during his nine years of employment, more than 300 acres were cleared.

Part of the farm was for growing grain and raising chick-ens but Rithet mostly used it to indulge in his real passion – breeding thoroughbred race horses. His Broadmead (or Broadmede) Farm was named after a prize stallion he owned and Rithet even purchased additional land from his neighbour, Harry Heal, to build a race track for his horses, property now occupied by Royal Oak Burial Park.

Harry’s father, John Heal, was one of the fi rst settlers in the area, having bought 50 acres of land 30 years prior to Rithet’s arrival. Harry purchased adjoining property while his brothers, Fred and Charlie, bought land on West Saanich Road, part of which later became Heal’s Rifl e Range. The original Heal home on Royal Wood Place served as the fi rst post offi ce in the Broadmead-Royal Oak area. This was torn down in 1914.

In 1948, some of the remaining Heal property was sold to the Veteran’s Land Association which built houses to accommodate returning soldiers following the Second World War. As a tribute to the war veterans, the streets in the development, like Falaise Drive, were named after wartime battles.

As for Rithet, he is remembered locally with Rithet Street in Victoria and the bog that was part of his land holdings. Local seniors remember childhood days of ice skating on the frozen bog. They describe groves of Garry Oaks and Douglas fi r trees and riding trails where stores, parking lots and houses now stand. To the west were hayfi elds that stretched off into the distance, crossing where the Pat Bay Highway runs today.

Ireland’s Guinness family, owners of the Guinness Brewing Company, later bought Rithet’s property and developed the area for residential and commercial use but kept its original name of Broadmead Farm.

Photo caption: Saanich Archives 1980-020-004 – McMorran and R. May-nard’s son preparing a stump for blasting on Rithet’s Broadmead Farm.

Mark says I amstill the one

©

Art…no longer just for walls

West Coast Wood Designs9851 Seaport Place, Sidneywestcoastwooddesigns.com

www.seasidetimes.ca 18 SEASIDE TIMES AUGUST 2009

Your One Stop Eco Shop!

It had to be either Bucky or me. One of us had to blink if I was going to continue my dawn bike ride down the spine of this small South-ern Gulf Island. I’d already met Bucky’s twin freckled fawns. Tiny, unsteady and unworldly, the fawns wobbled to the side of the road when I approached, led by their fl eet-footed mum. But Bucky stood his ground, which happened to be smack in the middle of the road through the Enchanted Forest. He gave no indication if he would leap right, left or straight onto me.

I considered my options and their consequences and decided a short walk with my bike past Bucky would stretch my legs and ensure bikus intactus.

Meeting up with Bucky is but one of the joys of early morning bike rides. At dawn the few vehicles this bike rider encounters are heading to the early ferry and most give wide berth and a wave with a curi-ous glance as they whiz past. Other-wise it’s just me on my sturdy bike in the early light of the day, wheeling in the direction of the Enchanted Forest. This is the time of day when the air is heady with the perfume of honeysuckle, nascent blackberries, tinder dry grass and aptly named skunk cabbage.

Usually the Enchanted Forest beckons for a practical reason; the road through the forest is long and fl at. This gives me time to catch my breath and rally my courage

to assault THE GREAT HILL rising up and curving around the cliff over the harbour at the end of the forest. I fi gure I’m saving our health care sys-tem thousands of dollars by having a free cardiac stress test every morning when I crest THE HILL without chest pain or a wheezing spell. My true motivation, however, is twofold: it’s harder to push my big old bike up THE HILL than it is to ride up the darn thing and boy is it fun to roar down the other side, wind whistling by. I have also learned, however, after ingesting my share of bugs, that clamped lips are prudent during the descent.

The Enchanted Forest has a magical side, too. One morning, after pausing to check out the commotion in the farmer’s fi eld near the forest, what I had thought was a big white rock in the distance turned out to be a ewe giving birth to one lamb, and then to another.

As I respectfully peddled away, approaching the Enchanted Forest, I heard the unmistakable sweet notes of Early One Morning wafting on the still, cool air. An unseen fl autist was wandering the hidden trails and bogs of the forest, out for an early practice. It made me want to draw up the big rocking chair and wait for the Friendly Giant to appear, but I biked on.

When the road fi nally meets the sea, the reward for the crack o’ dawn start is a sunrise of bruised pink and orange, a snow-covered Mt. Baker glistening at the horizon. There’s time for a stretch and a guzzle of water before heading back home. What might await in the Enchanted Forest this time?

Some Enchanted MorningSome Enchanted Morningby Wendy Hackingby Wendy Hacking

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what’s happening | august 2009... brings you

Thursdays until August 27Royal Victoria Marathon Sign-UpRaincoast Conservation Foundation Tent, Sidney Market250-655-1229, [email protected] Raincoast’s Marathon team, an offi cial charity of the 30th annual Royal Victoria Marathon held October 11th, 2009. Run or Walk the Full or Half Marathon, 8K Road Race or the Kid’s Run all in support of Raincoast Kids!

Sundays until September 6Peninsula Celebrations SocietySummer of Rockin’ Sounds ConcertsSidney Beacon Pavilion, Beacon Park, 2 - 4 p.m.250-656-2229, [email protected] afternoon concerts featuring bands such as Paul Wainwright, Fat Hat Cat, Kumbia and The Naden Band.

August 3 - 7August 10 - 14Mr. Organic’s Summer Camps for Kids Vantreight Farms,250-655-9156, www.friendlyorganics.caAn organic summer camp for kids designed to help educate children on the importance of local agriculture and organic methods of growing food! Pre-registration is necessary; cost is $90 per week.

August 7 - 152’s and 3’s Art Exhibition Artspring, Salt Spring Island, 3 - 7 p.m. daily250-537-1322, sculptor@stonefi shstudio.comA free exhibition of two- and three-dimensional art by island artists Julia Lucich (a painter and illustrator) and Allan Crane (sculptor).

August 8Free Community ConcertSidney Beacon Pavilion, Beacon Park, 3 - 7 p.m.www.westcoastacoustic.caNine acts and three hours of live music from the musicians of the Feed the Soul CD. Bring a blanket and enjoy some great music from talented local artists!

August 14 & 15Island Comedy Festival –Stand Up For Mental HealthMary Winspear CentreFriday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 1 and 8 p.m. 250-656-0275, www.marywinspear.caLegendary comedian Mike MacDonald (Just For Laughs, Comedy Central, Letterman, Showtime etc.), David Granirer and the comics of SMH. All festival pro-ceeds go to SMH Island programs, the CFB Esquimalt

Military Family Resource Centre and Island Rotary Projects. Tickets $45 each.

August 15B.C. Aviation Museum Hangar Dance 1910 Norseman Road, 8 - 11 p.m.250-655-3300, www.bcam.netDance to the swingin’ tunes of the Bob Morrison Orches-tra. Buffet and cash bar. Tickets $20 per person. Call the

museum between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to book now!

August 20Between the TidesIsland View Beach Regional Park (Central Saanich) 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.250-478-3344, www.crd.bc.ca/parksMeet at the picnic area off Homathko Rd., off Island View Rd.During a low tide at Island View Beach it doesn’t seem like too many animals could live here. You’ll be surprised what we can fi nd. Join CRD Regional Parks as we explore for the creatures that make Island View Beach their home. Be

prepared to get your feet wet! All ages welcome.

August 22Heather McLeod Trio Muse Winery & Bistro, 11195 Chalet Rd., North SaanichWine tasting, 6 p.m, music 7:30 - 10 p.m.250-656-2552, www.musewinery.caCome for an enchanting evening of jazz-blues with the Heather McLeod Trio, an all-female band consisting of piano, vocals, trumpet and Saxophone. Appys will be served during intermission at 8:30, and are included in the ticket price. Come and enjoy this magical event with us and feel free to bring your dancing shoes. Tickets $30.

August 23 Afternoon PicnicSaanichton Green, Saanichton, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.250-544-0636, www.saanichtonvillage.caThe Saanichton Village Association will host this picnic which will feature games, music, hopefully great weather and good things to eat! It will be a mixer for the associa-tion’s members and a celebration of the SVA’s second an-niversary. Come and meet your Saanichton neighbours!

August 30Jennifer Louise Taylor with Good CompanyButchart Gardens, 7:30 p.m.250-652-4422, www.butchartgardens.comJennifer Louise Taylor has toured Canada and the US, and been a guest studio musician for CBC national radio. From the acoustic roots tradition, her songs weave a tapestry, both fun and meaningful. Adults $28, youth $14, children $3, and yearly passes are valid. Music samples can be found at www.myspace.com/jenniferlouisetaylor.


Not all of you may know her name, but local Bonnie Mckechnie’s star is defi nitely on the rise. She is a national level Figure champion and will be competing in the 2009 CBBF Canadian National Figure & Fitness Championships at the Massey Theatre in New Westminster on August 15th.

Bonnie has been competing since 2004. The first step was a regional show in Vancouver and she was soon hooked, winning the Sandra Wickham Fall Clas-sic. Wanting to see if she could do well at a Provincial Level competition, Bonnie worked really hard to bring

her physique up to par with the other women compet-ing at that level.

She won the Provincial Level and there was only one more step – the Can-adian Nationals. Bonnie won her class and since then has been competing to get her pro card, so she can compete at a pro level in the U.S.

Bonnie’s success is due in large part to the support she receives from various businesses that have been beind her since 2004. They

include Stone Trends, Travelodge, Weedman Can-ada, Poskitt Roofing, Cole’s Roofing, The Body Barn, Rodco Designs, LifeFlight International, Hypersport, Salon J and Esso. Without their sponsorship, she says, her goals would have been unattainable as it’s very expensive for the travel, hotels, suits and lifestyle of an athlete.

Another huge support system has been Bonnie’s friends and family, including her fiancé and Trainer Christian Gregory, Dietician Nadia Nardi, mother-in-law and son.

“Ever since I was little,” Bonnie says, “I looked at maga-zines such as Muscle Mag, Oxygen and Fitness RX and thought to myself ‘wow, that is something that I would like to strive for, being in shape and healthy.’ I just didn’t know how to get there.”

With the help of a large network of sponsors, family and friends, Bonnie’s dream became reality, and she thanks everyone for believing in her.

Bonnie Mckechnie can be contacted at [email protected]. For more information or to buy tickets for the 2009 CBBF Canadian National Figure & Fitness Championships, visit www.masseytheatre.com.

Bonnie McKechnie: Local Champion


“Food comes from God and God sends it to Thrifty’s.”This was the response of a child to the question

“Where does our food come from?” Many of us, espe-cially the younger generation, are getting further and further away from the land which grows our food.

Those of us who live on the Saanich Peninsula are luckier than most. We travel through the countryside and beside farmers’ fi elds on our way to our daily des-tinations, often to the city for our work or entertain-ment. How much thought do we give to what is going on in those fi elds that surround us?

At Vantreight Farms on Central Saanich Road changes are underway. Last year, Ryan Vantreight, 32, the fi fth generation of his family to work the farm, became general manager. He is transforming Vantreight from a wholesale operation growing daf-fodils, cabbage, caulifl ower and lettuce into a retail food operation as well.

“We want to reach out to the community with naturally-grown, local produce,” he said. “People

want to know where their food is coming from and we want to connect consumers to our farm.”

Vantreight Farms has 750 acres in production on the Saanich Peninsula – approximately 400 acres are owned and 350 acres are leased. Over 25 diff erent fruits and vegetables such as raspberries, pumpkins, Brussels sprouts, and Jerusalem artichokes as well as daff odils, tulips, and gladiola are grown in the fi elds.

Inside the 165,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art green-houses, another 30 or so varieties of fruits and vege-tables including strawberries, rad-ishes, beets, bok choi and even purple carrots are grown under the supervision of Head Grower Eric Doubli-er, who joined the farm in August 2008. He is assisted by 15-20 full-time staff and up to 600 seasonal workers. At the peak of the daff odil harvest, there can be 200 workers on the farm at one time.

“The green-houses allow us to start production in the winter,” Ryan noted. “Produce is ready earlier than it would be in the fi elds and we have three crop rotations in a sea-son rather than one.”

Transformers: Reinventing Vantreight Farmsby Arlene Antonik

GRAB SOMETHING TO GO!Don’t have time to stop?

OpenDaily‘til 10 pm

General Manager Ryan Vantreight


Ryan has started several “direct from the farm” initiatives. There is an on-farm mar-ket open between 9:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday, and Vantreight Farm stands can be found at the Sidney Sum-mer Market, the Mayfair Market and the Peninsula Country Market at the Saanich Fairgrounds.

A Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Box Program is available on a week-ly or bi-weekly basis. The boxes are fi lled with 10 varieties of produce that change with the seasons and are available in three sizes.

For now, customers pick up the boxes at the warehouse at the farm but as the program grows, more pick-up locations will be designated throughout the com-munity.

Produce from the farm is also being sold to local restaurants. “People want to eat home-grown produce,” Ryan pointed out. “Restaurants are reacting to that by includ-ing more locally-grown food in their menu items.”

For the fi rst time, Vantreight Farms is hosting summer day camps for school-aged children under the tutelage of “Mr. Organic,” a.k.a. Dave Friend. Campers earn a “Diploma of Dirt” by learning about such things as good bugs vs. bad bugs, irrigation, composting and companion planting.

The farm also off ers a six-month intern program where aspiring farmers are rotat-ed through the various aspects of the busi-ness from test crops to marketing.

With all these changes taking place, what does Ryan see for the future of the farm?

“People are recognizing the importance of becoming more self-sustaining on this Island with regards to food production. Our farm plans to be part of that by provid-ing nutritious and healthy food in an eco-nomically and ecologically sustainable way for many years to come.”

Ryan has a keen interest in viticulture. “I’ve already picked out the slope on Mt. Newton where the grapevines would grow,” he divulged with a laugh. “It’s in my 10-year plan.”

However, fi nances and a large mortgage are an ever-present concern. Ryan’s father

and farm owner, Ian Vantreight, has been working hard to gar-ner community sup-port for the “Hill Pro-ject” which would see 32 acres of non-arable, non-Agricul-tural Land Reserve property next to the North Saanich bor-der developed into 89 mixed-housing units, green space and walking trails. This revised plan (an earlier one was deemed to be too high-density) is cur-rently under con-sideration by Central Saanich Council.

“The bank has the farm at the moment,” Ryan acknowledged.

“We need to develop this non-farmable land so we can keep working the farmable land. We’ve tried hard to make it clear to the public that this is what we need to do so the farm can remain as it is and not be sold off in parcels which is the only other option we have.”

Vantreight Farms has existed for 125 years through fi ve gen-erations of the family. Ryan’s son Cassius has just turned

two. Will he carry on the legacy as the sixth generation to work the farm? Only time will tell.

In the meantime, Ian and Ryan Vantreight continue to trans-form their farm into a modern-day operation with close con-nections to its customers.

In the child’s mind who was asked where food comes from, food comes from God. If so, He depends on the strong backs, market savvy and persever-ance of our farmers.

Kirsten Neilson at the Vantreight Farm Market.

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Keep Your Brain HealthyThe Alzheimer’s Association recommends doing puzzles like Sudoku to strengthen brain cells and the connections between them.

InstructionsEach Sudoku has a unique solution that can be reached logically without guessing. Enter digits from 1 to 9 into the blank spaces. Every row must contain one of each digit. So must every column, as must every 3x3 square.

* Sudoku Solutions can be found on page 35.

Easy BreezySudoku PuzzlesAugust 2009

Middle of the Road

Hardly Simple

348

2

41

3

5

2938

7

796

71

23

469

2

7651

8

4

21

1

496

26

7

376

145

13

1

8

9

89

14

4

6

1

91

32

9

532

2

64

96

2

4

74

5

1

9

8

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3

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29

Quiz: B.C. Day Trivia1. Which is the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies?

2. B.C. has what for most of its eastern border?

3. What are the 150 islands off the northwest coast of B.C. called?

4. What B.C. city’s name also means “fi sh appendage?”

5. What river enters the sea at Vancouver?

6. What legendary creature is rumoured to live in Lake Okanagan?

* anwers at bottom of page

1. Mt. Robson 2. The Rocky Mountains 3. The Queen Charlottes

4. Salmon Arm 5. The Fraser River 6. The Ogopogo


by Sandy McElroy

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don’t do near enough of; thank-ing people who have provided excellent customer service.

You know the people I mean: the checkout person at Thrifty Foods who actually looks at you and makes the brief interlude while you are paying for your groceries a time that brightens your day, or the person at Cor-nish Cards who helps you to find the perfect bereavement card when your eyes are close to spilling the tears that you have been trying mightily to hold back. I hope to keep this pledge all year.

I also plan to make time to relax on a sunny afternoon with a good book. Books are often a winter evening refuge for me and in the summer I always seem to go, go, go. This year I plan to settle down with a good book on at least one sunny afternoon in the back yard.

Perhaps most importantly, I want to make someone near feel special. I don’t know how or when but if I pay attention I’ll know when the opportunity pre-sents itself. The challenge will be to grasp the moment and have the wisdom to act.

Already the days are getting shorter and my calendar is begin-ning to book up for the fall. I am going to tape this to the front of the fridge and get working on my Bucket List – it’s time to enjoy this all-too-brief Peninsula summer!

Sandy McElroy can be con-tacted at [email protected].

Summertime Bucket List

“Summertime and the living is easy” goes the song. But if it’s so easy, how come it goes by so fast? Already the back-to-school ads foreshadow the increased demands that fall brings. Each autumn I seem to sing the blues as I lament all the things that I did not make time for during the summer.

This year I have created a “Bucket List” of things I want to do before Labour Day comes.

Each week I will visit a new farmers’ market. With so much wonderful produce grown here on the Peninsula I plan to feast on local fruits and vegetables for the rest of the summer. I’ll also be keeping my eyes open for local crafts and artwork that I can set aside for holiday gifts.

Making berry jam is also on my to do list. In our family this task is shared. My wife makes the blackberry jam and I make the raspberry jam. She does the hard work by picking her berries while I take the easy path and buy mine.

I have made a promise to go for a swim in a local lake. I have never been a big water

baby so this promise will be a surprise to both friends and family.

An easy item for the list will be a picnic with family and friends. My backpack is beside the back door waiting for to be fi lled with treats, snacks and beverages. The pack will help us get beyond the crowds who limit their mobil-ity by carrying heavy coolers or overloaded picnic baskets.

There is something that I


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Weasels have an image problem. These animals are much more common locally than you’d think, but they are so secretive that they’re not often observed. Wheth-er you know them as weasels or ermine, their reputation is tarnished by largely undeserved disreputable slurs.

A “weasel-faced” person is somebody with thin, sharp and unattractive features. People who are “weaselly” are sneaky and treacherous and to “weasel out” means to

evade an obligation or responsibility. All those negative infer-ences have made some people dislike weasels without ever having seen one.

Weasels are the smallest North Amer-ican carnivores. There are three species, but only one, the ermine,

occurs on Vancouver Island. The other two species are the least weasel and the long-tailed weasel.

It is not too diffi cult to imagine how members of the wea-sel family might get a blemished reputation. It is true that they sneak around, mainly at night. They are very secretive, stealthy and go to great pains to remain concealed.

Ermine are white in winter and mainly chocolate brown in summer (when they are often called stoats). They are exceedingly active, and vigorously poke and prod into every nook and cranny looking for food. They are so agile they can easily squeeze into the tightest of places. As well, they are accomplished climbers. There is almost nowhere they can’t go, except water; they hate to swim.

Ermine are not considered an important pest species on Vancouver Island, although they sometimes raid chicken coops. Occasionally, they fi nd their way into private homes, mainly seeking mice. They are strict carnivores and eat mainly small rodents, and in that regard, they are quite benefi cial. They’re solitary animals, active year-round. Sci-entists confi rm they are very productive and produce lit-ters of up to 13 young. Diseases and other factors tend to keep their numbers in check though.

Look for ermine along the sea coasts and along creeks and other waterways. Some individuals are quite daring and curious, and don’t be surprised if one approaches; a result of its inquisitive nature. Historically, ermine pelts were used to decorate the ceremonial robes of kings and clergy. These days, they are still trapped for their fur and about 10,000 are taken in British Columbia each year by trappers. Recently, ermine numbers on Vancouver Island have been dropping and researchers currently consider the animal to be “at risk.”

eoteswh

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Pop Goes the Weaselby Robert Alison


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Getting Lost in Maltaby Linda M. Langwith

Being a native Vancouver Islander, I am naturally attracted to rocky outcroppings in the middle of the sea, so it was perfectly natural to visit Malta. This quirky country in the Mediterranean has some rough edges, but perhaps that’s part of its charm. Aging cars spouting noxious fumes, pot-holed roads and confus-

ing signage are a challenge.

Vacant lots full of rubbish, rubble and cacti contrast with urban excava-tions of giant and mysterious lime-stone bowls, brightly painted boats on turquoise bays and enough history to read like a blockbuster movie.

September is a great time to visit

Malta. Just before the autumn rains, the sun is not so scorching and there are fewer tourists thus better deals to be had on accom-modation and car rentals. The lat-ter are cheap enough, if you don’t mind a ‘beater,’ but beware of the Maltese who treat the roads like a Formula One race track.

While there are plenty of self-catering options, we stayed at the Intercontinental in St. Julian’s for a little resort-style pampering.

When we sallied forth in our ‘rent a wreck’ we fi rst headed for Valetta, a compact little capital city rich in history and full of Old World charm and streets that ride like a roller coaster down to the sea. Designed by the Order of the Knights of St. John in the 16th and 17th centuries, Valetta was declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco.

We checked out some of the sights, including St. John’s Co-Cathedral, built for the Knights as their place of worship and burial, as well as the Grand Master’s Pal-ace, now the seat of Parliament.

Malta isn’t all about knights though. The National War Museum documents the strug-gle against German bombard-ment during the Second World War. Malta’s entire population


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was awarded the George Cross medal in 1942 for their bravery and steadfastness, which just goes to prove that islanders are a special breed.

On other days we went further afi eld, taking in a Phoe-nician glass factory where one of our party had the rare opportunity to make a vase from start to fi nish, while the other tourists just got to watch.

A trip to Marascala, a typical fishing village where colourful blue and yellow boats bob up and down on a lapis lazuli sea, led to a lunch of local fish soup on the quay followed by shopping for Maltese lace, olive oil and wine.

A visit to Hagar Qim pre-historic temples that predate the pyramids by 500 years was well worth the appalling roads and hopeless directions. High on a seaside cliff , with the

sparkling Mediterranean stretched out to a hazy hor-izon, Hagar Qim, like many other prehistoric remains on Malta, could really benefi t from proper signage and an interpretive centre, but unlike Stonehenge, one can still touch the stones and feel their power.

Our brief time on Malta reaffi rmed those qualities of self-reliance and resourcefulness – so much a part of island living. We learned to bring our own toilet paper rather than rely on the two squares handed out by the old women who run the washrooms, and we discovered that getting lost isn’t so scary after all.

Facelift For Saanichton CornerThe Saanichton Vil-

lage Association is proud to announce a partnership with Cen-tral Saanich Public works department.

Working together, the corner of Patter-son Road and East Saanich Road been cleaned up and plant-ed. This corner is now an attractive entrance to Saanichton Village. Mitchell Excavating donated 14 yards of topsoil and 2.75 hours of trucking.

The corner; before (above) and after (below).

Zais AstrologyAugust 2009by Heather Zais ([email protected])

Aries march 21 - april 19

The sun shines on fun and

e n t e r t a i n m e n t for you this month,

including all ages. Take time to enjoy

or develop yourself or creative talents. Others

will be interested in what you have to show them. It’s important to

review your direction and see which path you want to take. Relaxation will allow a bit of insight to show you the way. Draw a line in the sand. You go or others do.

Taurus april 20 - may 20The full moon lunar eclipse on the fi fth will focus on your status or professional aspirations. Circumstances will cause you to review these one way or the other. Any decision is better than waffl ing as certain actions are expected of you. A stall in fi nancial matters can be to your advantage later, so don’t sweat it. Expand your interests or investments later in the month. Time will work for you now.

Gemini may 21 - june 20Your ruling planet Mercury catches up to Saturn this month. Their combined energies can slow or stabilize communications of all types – work with it. Look through boxes or fi les to locate information you will need in the near future. Talks will lead to choices regarding home or base of operations for you or those close to you. Daydreaming can be a catalyst for you to consider other locations or occupations.

Cancer june 21 - july 22The full moon lunar eclipse highlights your fi nances this month. Lay out a budget if it will make things easier for you or those you deal with. Clarity is important now for all involved. Make payments where necessary, so credit won’t become an issue. There is opportunity for monetary increase, gifts or a bonus. With the planed Venus in your sign be charming and negotiable. You are ready for positive change.

Leo july 23 - august 22Mate or partnership matters are in focus under the full moon lunar eclipse this month. There is added support from the combined energies of Jupiter and Neptune creating idylic circumstances. Travel could end up with expenses paid and be like a holiday or ‘honeymoon,’ even if it did not start out that way. You can expand and get others to work with you equally. Lay out legal and fi nancial data. A time to sell.

Virgo august 23 - september 22Your steady attention to the job and important details will be noticed by those who count. Your kind manner can influence others to be more productive as well. In turn, they

will step aside when you want to advance. Your intuition is increasing as your confidence grows. You go through some soul-searching. This helps you focus on your goals and plan of action to get there. You are needed.

Libra september 23 - october 22Your romantic ideals cause you to daydream or speculate. Make sure there is something to back it up before you disturb the status quo. Reality checks can be a hard landing. It’s fun to fantasize in any case. You will have some luck this month, so small gambles are okay. Entertainment can be unusual or moving. There is a message there for you. Your needs and desires undergo change with the lunar eclipse.

Scorpio october 23 - november 21Home and property matters need decision or revision. That shifting feeling won’t be permanent as it could be just the waves against the boat. It’s a great time to take a cruise and contemplate your future. Doors open for you with buying and selling – you have the midas touch right now, for yourself and others. Important events relate to family. Small weddings or celebrations in a home setting are favoured. Your popularity rises.

Sagittarius november 22 - december 21Keep moving forward, even if it seems the brakes are on. Matters over distance need extra time to gel or complete, so relax. Your imagination is strong and you will come up with new or better ways to handle circumstances. Some will see you as a genius or ‘psychic’ when it all turns out just fi ne. This is a good time to seek information or get further education. You will do well.

Capricorn december 22 - january 19Your fi nances get a boost or income is received from a diff erent source. Do any required paperwork to make it all run smoothly. Revise spending habits or credit arrangements where necessary. You can feel like a winner when all is said and done. Pay attention to anything associated with government, taxes or the law; others want their say. You feel a sense of power, but you need to use it wisely.

Aquarius january 20 - february 18Strong feelings of love can seem like a dream or déja vu. Relationships can lead to marriage or other serious commitment. Circumstances can be ideal or like a wish come true. Timing is always the key to everything. You can see how your past has led up to where you are today; it’s not so bad. The infl uence of the lunar eclipse, Jupiter and Neptune in your sign can be magical.

Pisces february 19 - march 20 Pay extra attention to health and work matters of yourself or others. Some changes need to be made. Get an offi cial assessment if additional ‘clout’ is needed. Proper rest will be important to avoid burnout. Visit shut-ins or those with mobility problems. Dreams can give you important information about events or the future; make notes. Unexpected or unusual experiences are likely. Break old patterns to become more effi cient, leading to success.

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Thousands of Canadians and millions of researchers globally are immersing them-selves in their family history.

Why? What’s so fascinating about ancestors who’ve been dead a long time? You’re alive and well and living in Sid-ney, and Great Uncle Harry expired in 1900. What’s exciting or relevant about that? Let’s take a look.

Genealogy is comforting. It’s the antidote to Future Shock, clones and test tube babies. Genealogists like feeling connected to people who have contributed to who they are now.

It’s disconcerting to discover that you’ve inherited your great-grandmother’s double chins, but gratifying to find that your artistic talent stems from a great uncle who painted miniatures in the 1800s.

Some people do genealogy to see if

they’ve inherited genes that predispose them to heart disease or Alzheimer’s or cancer…so they can take preventive measures

where possible. Others hope to fi nd themselves related to all the Royal Houses in Europe; but what grabs most of us is the human interest.

The Smiths decided to com-pile a family history, a leg-acy for their children and grandchildren. They hired

an author to write their story, but wanted to gloss over the fact

that Great Uncle George had left this world via the Electric Chair.

The author told them he’d handle it.

“Great Uncle George,” he wrote, “occupied a chair of applied electronics at an important gov-

ernment institution, was attached to his position by the strongest of ties, and his death came as

a great shock.”

Gillian Mead, family history expert who lives in Sidney, has been doing genealogy

Which Nut are You on the Family Tree?by Pene Beavan Horton


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for the past 30-plus years. She warns, “Genealogy starts out as a minor hobby and almost always ends up as a major obsession!”

Researching your roots has never been easier; inter-net technology has given genealogical research a major boost. How to get started? Visit The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Family History Centre at 701 Mann Avenue in Victoria which is open to the general public Monday, Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12.30 p.m., Tuesday and Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. On Saturday afternoons, the Centre provides classes on family history research.

The Church off ers free use of computers with free access to many databases, including www.familysearch.org, a comprehensive Web site that helps you start from scratch or do in-depth research.

Send for a free Tracing Our Ancestors in Canada brochure from the National Archives, 395 Wellington Street, Ottawa, Ontario, KIA 0N3. Find information on census records, births, deaths, marriages, land ownership and military rec-ords at www.archives.ca. Search www.ancestry.com and www.ancestry.ca for ships’ passenger records, vital statis-tics, census records and many other useful topics.

In Saanich, a genealogy group meets on the third Thursday of every month at the Presbyterian Church on the corner of East Saanich Road and Canora Way-Airport Road. A member of the group, Judi Warrington, kindly off ers free advice and help at 250-656-8741 or email her at [email protected].

This brings us back to why a lot of ancestors who’ve been dead a long time are so fascinating; it’s simple. Lit-tle by intriguing little you’ll discover why it’s delightful and engrossing to fi nd out exactly where you fi t on your family tree, nutty or not. In the end, it’s not your ances-tors you’re searching for, it’s yourself.

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As Ian refl ected on his branch’s hist-ory, and his role in it, he turned on his computer and started to go through his emails. He expected nothing out of the very humdrum reportage he got day in and day out, and today was surely no exception. That was when he caught a curious statement from Virginia Lee, an FC branch woman in the fi eld in Afghanistan. She was writ-ing about an encounter she had with what she called “a very odd clan of people, who don’t appear to belong to a tribe,” and their powerful, infl u-ential collective psyche.

In that part of the world, Ian knew that everyone belonged to a tribe or large clan; no one was exempt. He knew full well that, as Aristotle remarked, “a man without a city is either a god or a beast of the fi elds.” It was quite impossible to survive very long in many parts of the world with-out one’s being in such a relationship. It wasn’t a matter of choice; it was a

matter of life or death. In Afghanistan and many other nations one’s very identity and entire life was deter-mined by the clan and all its ramifi ca-tions, for good, bad, or indiff erent.

Lee’s comments went on to explain that the clan shared abnor-mally high psychic abilities, so much so that its members were suspect as soon as the clan was mentioned.

As she put it: “Think Gypsy fortune-

teller and you pretty well have it, except this clan is very small indeed.”

Posted to a Canadian regiment as an interpreter, which she certainly was, of course, being fl uent in seven languages, she was also assigned to “Failed Communications” branch, and secretly sent it far more than transcripts of intelligence gathering.

In this clan she felt she had found her lifetime “gold strike;” more than enough to keep her going after she left the Service and wrote about what she had learned.

“These people tell me that for the West to blame Osama bin Laden for its September 11th attacks is more than wrong, it is self-blindingly fool-ish, and shows the rest of the world that the Western devils care more for their public image than helping their people to understand what has really happened. According to them, their clan frequently dreams collectively. It

Failed Communications – Part IVby Joseph Fasciani


PENINSULA

RIBFES

T2009

is their long-time practice in the morning after waking to share within each family what they dreamt of during the night. After their supper, the elder from each family would gather with his or her counterpart from all the other fam-ilies, and they would again share these dreams. As there were only seven families in the clan, say 45 members all together, this can be reasonably done on a daily basis.

“One day about eight years ago, the elders shared strikingly similar stories of how the Islamic people of the faith had been living for more than a century under the domination of the West, doing little more than simply enduring. People did not know which was the greater evil: their selfi sh, corrupt rulers who kept them in ignorance or the Western traders and merchants who kept them in poverty. One day a snake appeared, but not like any snake anyone had ever seen before! This one was immense, many leagues long, and wider than a great mosque. It was black from beginning to end, and slithered through many nations every day, from the Caspian Sea to the Arabian Gulf to the Straits of Hormuz. Daily it made a great circle route, and returned to where it had started, ready to begin again the next day.

“The snake did not kill people directly, but as it made its way from place to place it crushed villages and toppled sacred sites, uncaring because it was unknowing. Yet at every nation’s capital city, it would go to the palace or government house and pause for a moment. There it shortly coughed and spat up gold bars, then slithered forward to more chaos and destruction. Thus the people died from want, although the snake did not mean to harm them.

“After nearly three hours of excited discussion and debate, the elders fi nally agreed on an interpretation. The snake was oil; the immense wealth it had brought to a few hundred families in the Islamic world community was the source of so much misery for the all-too-many.”

Virginia Lee went on to write that “while these are very far from the Afghani resistance, they made sure in every way they could that what they were about was not easily known to the Taliban supporters who surrounded them.

For even the smallest detail could be – and all too often was – misinterpreted by the freedom fi ghters, and a child’s innocent remark could be devastating to a village.

If a puzzle has a thousand pieces, thought Ian, how many have to be connected or in place before the whole is revealed? This latest communication from Virginia Lee now struck him as having connections with other bits and pieces he could recall.

To be continued…

“If a puzzle has a thousand pieces, how many have to be connected or in place before the whole is revealed?”

www.seasidetimes.ca 38 SEASIDE TIMES AUGUST 2009

THE LAST WORD

By Appointment Only

I was reminded yesterday, once again, of how happy I am to be back home on the Island and how lucky I am to be living in what must be one of the most beautiful places on earth.

I was invited to go whale watching and a group of us set off with Jeff Wonnenberg of Emerald Sea Adven-tures. Part of me, I admit, was a little bit hesitant at fi rst. I hate the idea of “disturbing” the whales (or other sea life) in their natural habitat, but at the same time I under-stand that perhaps if we’re able to actually see the amaz-ing marine mammals and seabirds that live in in this area we’ll be more likely to want to protect them.

As you may have read in Chris Genovali’s article in this issue, surveys done by Raincoast Conservation over the last six years recorded that for every two sightings of cet-aceans, the foundation had one sighting of garbage. Luck-ily, we didn’t see any garbage on our ecotour yesterday, but we did see lots of Orca! What incredible animals they are. I’m sure everyone on the boat left with a stronger sense of responsibility for the marine environment; I know I did!

As for “disturbing” the whales, our guide was extremely careful to follow the rules for whale watching vessels. We had to stay a certain distance from the Orca, even to the extent of backing up if they seemed to be heading our way.

The Orca we saw were the Resident J pod, led by almost 100-year-old matriarch “Granny.” Following closely behind her was her son, “Ruffl es.” Jeff mentioned that wherever one is, the other is sure to be close behind; Orca have very close ties with their family.

This is also the case in the First Nations culture. Orca represent the voyager and are rarely seen alone. They symbolize family and are one of the most powerful sym-bols in the underwater world.

After my adventure yesterday, I am left with a renewed sense of how fragile and amazing our world is, and how it needs our protection more than ever.

Editor-in-Chief

Traditional and Contemporary

Arts & CraftsThrough August 30th • 10 am - 4 pm daily • Free Admission!

New Location!Community Arts Centre,

Tulista Park, Sidney9565 5th St. (at Weiler)

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The CACSP gratefully acknowledges the fi nancial assistance of the Town of Sidney, the District of North Saanich, the Municipality of Central Saanich and the BC Gaming Commission.

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