The Flagstone

Denman’s Village Voice

February 2016 Volume 21 Issue 2

$2.00

The “Baynes Sound Connector” started full service this month. It is the world’s longest cable ferry, the only one on the west coast of the Americas, and Canada‘s only salt water ferry. No other BC Ferries route is suitable for twinning it. BCF wants to promote it as a tourist attraction. If this brings people to spend money on Denman, it would somewhat compensate for losing the large salaries of masters, mates, and engineers in our economy. Could an information centre be staffed by Denman residents?

Tourists might want to know it was designed and built due to cost saving pressure by government. It has only three crew (deckhands), crosses faster, and uses less fuel with one of its two engines than the current Quinitsa, which it replaces. With new terminals, the project was originally priced at $80 million. Though costs have undoubtedly exceeded that, BCF says the new ferry will still save money over its 40-year lifespan. More info at www.allograph.ca /ends

Photo by Graham Hayman

Our new tourist attraction By Graham Hayman

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The Flagstone Address: Box 10, Denman Island, BC, V0R 1T0

email:denmanflagstone@gmail.com Advertising call Danni Crenna

Volunteer Staff

Production - Danni Crenna (250)335-0198 Accounting - Helen Mason (250)335-1603 The Collating Team - Louise Bell, Graham

Brazier, Mikell Callahan, Jean Cockburn, Danni Crenna, Cindy & David Critchley, Noni Fenwick-

Wilson, Sterling Fraser, Karl Goodwin, John Graham, Jane Guest, Harlene Holm, Helen Mason, Jack Mounce, Marjo Van Tooren

The Flagstone is a non-profit newsletter put together entirely by volunteers. Our revenues do not cover our costs. Please consider making a donation - drop in the Flagstone box at Abraxas or mail to the address above. A donation of $12 is only $1 per issue - a bargain! OUR DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS is the Friday before we go to print; generally the 3rd Friday of each month. Check this page or the back page or the Grapevine calendar for that date each month. The Flagstone is printed monthly by the Denman Island Print Shop at a reduced rate, for which we are very grateful. Off - Island Subscriptions: Flagstone issues mailed monthly for one year -

$30.00 Within Canada $40 to US Addresses

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mailed to your email address) for free Donations Welcome

Deadline for March's Flagstone

is Friday February 19th

1 Graham Hayman BS Con Sails

2 Index

3 Ken Madsen Solar Auction

4 Laura Busheikin Islands Trust Notebook

5 Ansa Matthews Kate Janeway Karl Goodwin

DIRCS Report Seniors' Drop-in Cartoon

6 Pat Young Harlene Holm

Winners DCLTA Update

7 Danni Crenna Profile

8 Various Writers Letters

9 Annette Reinhart Readers' & Writers'

10 Continued

11 Continued

12 Sponsor Don Luckett Arts Denman Page

13 Robert Newton Dawn Stofer

Baroque Denman Mr. Stofer Cartoon

14 Edi Johnston Lyme's Disease

15 Edi Johnston Seaweed

16 Max Rogers Agriculture Matters

17 Lori Nawrot Cont'd / Anxiety

18 Patrick Fawkes Bird Notes

19 Cont'd

20 Sponsor ReMax Kids' Page

21 Lori Nawrot HDCHCS News/ Profile Cont'd

22 John Millen This Place

23 Dr Ron Wilson Walking Group Update

24 UB Credit Union Sponsor

CommunityAnnouncements

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Community Hall Solar Project Auction Event By Ken Madsen

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Please join us at the Front Hall on Saturday, February 20th. for an auction that will raise funds for the installation of solar panels on the roof of the Community Hall. I want to start this blurb with a huge thank you to the artists and artisans on Denman Island. They are always the first people to be asked whenever there is a fund-raiser and they always rise to the occasion. For the solar panel event we also asked islanders to donate other goods and services. The rest of us have the easy part . . . all we need to do is come out to an enjoyable event that will also support making our great community hall a more sustainable place. We have more than 70 items on the auction block, an eclectic mix of island-made arts and crafts as well as services. Choose between sailing adventures, kayaking trips or home catered meals. What about pottery, woodworking, visual art, and textiles? There will be things for your house, your garden or your family. Indulge yourself or think about your visitors who will descend on our island paradise later in the year. Many of the items will be arrayed in a silent-auction, but Alan Stoddart has volunteered to be our “live auctioneer” for part of the evening. Alan is well suited for a live auction — he is as lively as you can get and comes equipped with a quirky sense of humour. We suggest that you dine lightly and early on February 20th. The hall doors open at 6:30 pm. There will be no cover charge, but since this is a fund-raiser, we will charge for food and drinks. The Carmen Mirandas will serve savory snacks and sweet desserts. Who or what are the Carmen Mirandas you ask? If you don't already know, come and find out. You will be able to sip wine, beer or hot apple juice while listening to background music from local musicians. This promises to be a full evening, so please come early. You won't want to miss our speaker extraordinaire Des Kennedy. Des is planning a talk that is well-suited to an evening that will celebrate energy sustainability. “Early Adventures Off the Grid” will feature some energy foolishness from Denman days of yore. Ken Madsen (that's me) will show slides from his travels in the the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and his long collaboration with the Gwich'in (caribou people from the Arctic) to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from oil and gas development. These two presentations will highlight two important things we need to do for our future survival — keep the fossil fuels in the ground where they belong, and build green energy alternatives. If you would like to preview the auction items, the front hall will be open between 2:30 and 4:30 on the Saturday afternoon of the event. If for some reason you

won't be able to join us for the actual event, this is your chance to bid on the items you fancy. Now for an update on the project to mount solar panels on our Community Hall. You have probably already heard about this initiative, but if not, here are some details. We hope to raise funds through the generosity of islanders and through grants. We aim to install at least thirty solar panels on the south-facing roof of the hall, which according to one expert, is perfect for solar electricity generation. This is estimated to produce a total of 8 kilowatts/hour of electricity for an average of 3 hours per day. The system will use “net metering” to feed electricity back to the grid for which BC Hydro will reimburse the hall. This will help ensure the long-term sustainability of the Community Hall – and will assist Denman Island on its path to energy self-sufficiency. We already have donations that equal 12 solar panels; thanks go out the volunteers and donors who have made this possible. If you would like to help or need more information, please contact one of the following: Satya Bellerose (satya@mettawaves.com), Wendy Boothroyd (wboothroyd@yahoo.ca) or Danni Crenna (dannicrenna07@gmail.com)

Beardsley Pottery - photo by Fireweed

Pruning by Tim Jeffrey - photo by Wendy Boothroyd

Chimney cleaning by Herman de Vries - Photo by Harold Birkland

Shirley Phillips pottery

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Trustee Notebook By Laura Busheikin

Tell Us How to Spend your Tax Dollars

The Islands Trust, your local land-use authority mandated with preserving and protecting the islands of the Salish Sea, is inviting public input into its 2016/2017 budget. As a Local Trustee, I hear a lot of comments about the Trust, ranging from angry complaints to innovative suggestions to heartfelt wishes to constructive criticism. I do my best to listen to all of it, but I’m just one person. Here’s a chance to connect to a much bigger audience of decision-makers (26 trustees) with a focused message that will give your voice more power. The Trust is reaching out through various media to islanders from all 13 local trust areas, from Saturna and the Penders in the south to Hornby and Denman in the north, offering a variety of ways to share your thoughts on the budget, as well as on the Islands Trust generally. I’m writing this to encourage you to take part. It doesn’t have to be time-consuming or complicated, and in fact it might be fun. The Trust has some of your property tax dollars, and can spend them in a variety of ways – protecting the natural environment; advocating for coastal shorelines and marine areas; reducing community ecological footprints; enhancing community character, socio-economic diversity and economic sustainability; strengthening relationships with First Nations; making the Islands Trust more cost-effective and resilient as an organization, and more (there’s a list of objectives in the budget consultation package; see below for more info). Like most organizations or individuals making a budget, Trust Council (the decision-making body for the whole Trust area) can’t do everything it wants to. Resources are limited. Hard choices have to be made. How do we prioritize? Which goals and activities best reflect our community’s current values and needs? We welcome public input into these questions. How to participate The Trust is offering a consultation process that we hope is accessible and engaging. Here are your options: Visit the Islands Trust website (Islandstrust.bc.ca/budget) to find… • highlights of the budget proposal • projects proposed on your island • ways to get involved and give feedback on the proposed budget • a link to a short, anonymous survey Send an email to budget@islandstrust.bc.ca Not on the Internet? Call the Victoria office (250-405-5151)

to get printed copies of the budget consultation package and/or send a letter to The Islands Trust, 200-1627 Fort St, Victoria, BC, V8R 1H8. In a hurry? Just go straight to the short, anonymous on-line survey at islandstrust.bc.ca/budget. And feel free to talk to myself and/or Local Trustee David Critchley about the proposed budget (or anything else Trust-related). Deadline for comments is Wednesday, February 17, 2016. Trust Council will consider your views during budget deliberations before finalizing the budget at its quarterly meeting March 22-24, 2016, on Hornby Island.

Update on Local Projects On a similar note, last month I described several possible projects the Denman Island Local Trust Committee (DILTC) could choose to focus on in 2016. As I mention above, we can’t do everything, at least not all at once, and so we need to prioritize. I’m pleased to report that the DILTC chose Farm Plan Implementation as its next project. The Farm Plan was created by a volunteer steering committee, based on research, a series of community discussions, input from agrologists and other professionals, and consultation with other agencies (such as the Agricultural Land Commission and the Regional District). The Plan contains lots of information about farms, farming, and food security initiatives and issues on Denman, and it also contains lists of recommendations. Now that the DILTC has taken this on as a project, we will be considering the recommendations aimed at the DILTC. There will certainly be opportunities for public involvement in this discussion. Stay tuned! The Farm Plan is available in the Trust office at the Old School (drop by during Trustee Office House, the 2nd Saturday of each month, 10:00 a.m. to noon), in the Denman library, and on the Trust website (visit islandstrust.bc.ca, click on Denman Island on the map, then scroll down to Denman Island Local Trust Committee Projects and click on Implementation of Denman Island Farm Plan). Local Trustee contact info: Laura Busheikin, lbusheikin@islandstrust.bc.ca, 250-218-3216 David Critchley, dcritchley@islandstrust.bc.ca, 250-335-3244

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Cartoon by

Karl Goodwin

DIRCS Report by Ansa Matthews

We hope everyone enjoyed the New Years Bash starring BlackBerry Wood & Dj Eliazar who played on the first installment of the new Sound System. Thank you to Roxanne from DIRCS and Robert from Concerts Denman for co-organizing the band and the night. Thank you to all the musical performers, and those backstage making it happen. Thank you the midnight snack makers, and the bar tenders, the child minders, and to all the volunteers for putting on the show. A Big Thank You goes out to the Denman Readers & Writers Festival who this month have donated a theater screen to the Front Hall for movies, and presentations. DIRCS Next Annual General Meeting will be held on Monday March 7th 2016, 7pm, Back Hall. Correction on previous information: the 3 months registration requirement was only for those who wish to run for board positions. If you wish to vote at the next AGM you may comp complete your membership registration at the meeting. You can find membership forms at Abraxas Books, or any GM meeting.

Don Johnson 250-338-8822 www.ableandreadyseptic.ca ableandreadyseptic@shaw.ca

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Seniors Drop in Continues By Kate Janeway Our seniors drop in program continues to run on Tuesday afternoons from 3pm-5pm. Make sure you stop by the multi-purpose room at the Community School for a cup of tea or a game of cards in the next few weeks! We also regularly schedule special events, guest speakers and activities. Coming up on February 2nd is our Movie Afternoon in the school library. On February 9th we’ll have special gardening guest Emily to lead an afternoon in the Community School Garden starting at 2:30pm. Everyone, including students and parents are invited to participate. Bring your own gardening gloves & see you there!

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Three lucky winners! submitted by Nettie Pasieczka and Pat Young for Hornby & Denman Community Health Care Society

Moonlight Madness marked the drawing for the 3 prizes in the Hornby & Denman Commmunity Health Care Society’s 2015 Christmas Raffle. The proceeds from the Raffle go towards the Society’s Emergency Home Assist Programme, and both ticket buyers and especially our local artists and businesses continue to amaze us with their generosity. Each year, these people donate willingly and generously, aware as they are of the worthiness of the cause. We believe this stems from the knowledge that islanders in dire straits benefit from the Fund, and an awareness that they, themselves, or someone they love, might someday need this help. This year, we had three beautiful baskets, containing assorted handcrafts, services and gift certificates. The first prize went to: Reta from Vancouver (full name withheld by request) The second prize winner was: Jennifer Ellenton and The third prize was won by: Suzette Cullen, Denman Island We would like to thank the following donors for their generous gifts:

Abraxas, Bill Engleson, Bob & Sara French, Bruce Holden, Concerts Denman, CorLan Vineyards, Denman Island General Store, Denman Island Hardware Emporium, Dennis Forsyth, Down to Earth Pottery - Marjo Van Tooren, East Cider Orchard, Edible Island - Courtenay, Fanny Bay Seafood - Buckley Bay, Flowing Art Studio - Dante Ambriel, Flowing Art Studio - Tashi Draper, Jeannie Ferry, John Harned Glass Art Studio, LeBaron Studio – Bentley LeBaron, Lee Andra Jacobs, Lilac Sun Pottery - Shirley Phillips, Marilyn Jensen, Mary Hicks, Patti Willis, Paul Fernandez, Peter Karsten, Rose Pedals Jewellery, Roxanna Mandryk, Sandstone Farms- Fern & Dave Niedermoser, Sheep Thrills - Cedar Wallace, Sherry Stevens, Studio Angelika, Tartan Lady – c/o CorLan Vineyards, Turtle Woman - Asherah Woodburn, Village Yarn Shoppe - Comox, and Weinburg Groceries - Buckley Bay. Also, special thanks go to LeeAndra and the staff of The Craft Shop, Grumpy, the volunteers who sold tickets, and those who staffed our booth at the Christmas Faire. We send happy holiday wishes and wishes for great good fortune in the New Year to all of you wonderful island people!

DCLTA February Updates Submitted by Harlene Holm

* Denman Community Land Trust Association's red file needs to move. The Abraxas Free Post "D" slot is full; the "A" —for affordable— slot is full. Thus, DCLTA's red file has relocated to the “Z” slot: zeal, zest, and affordable housing. If you use the Free Post to drop off donations and memberships ($5.00), remember to look under Z-affordable housing. The red file contains envelopes printed with the info we need as a registered charity. * November 24, 2015, DCLTA received a CMHC Seed Funding grant. Using a portion of this funding, DCLTA engaged Stephanie Slater (MBA) to formalize a Business Plan and conduct a Preliminary Analysis of Financial Viability. Thanks to a 2014 CVRD Grant-In-Aid, DCLTA already has an analysis of need and demand for the proposed project. *December 11, 2015, DCLTA applied to the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) to exclude the four acre parcel from the Agricultural Land Reserve, a necessary step before half of the land can be rezoned for seniors affordable housing. The ALC will make a decision on the exclusion application, once our Local Trust Committee has the opportunity to consider it and provide recommendations, which should happen at the March 15, 2016 LTC meeting. * December 21, 2015, the association initiated Project 2's Wastewater Site Evaluation. Kudos to H2O Environmental Ltd's Steve Carballeira who met with a DCLTA volunteer Christmas Eve day to flag the grid for digging perc holes. Volunteers dug 9 perc holes December 26 and 27—a great way to work off seasonal excesses. Please visit DCLTA's website denmanaffordablehousing.org

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This page sponsored by Union Bay Credit Union

Sam was born in Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk England and spent his first two years there with his British father and Australian mother and older sister. The family then moved to Western Australia to be near his mother's relatives. His father taught at a private school in Perth . Sam remembers the Perth hills as covered with lovely hardwood forest, only 50 km from the ocean. His mother's family were farmers in the wheat belt south of Perth and are still farming. They spent three years in Australia and then flew back to Britain. Sam remembers his mother saying that the drizzling December day they arrived at Heathrow was the "worst day of her life". She had originally gone to Europe as a backpacker and married a Brit - much as Sam did, in his turn, only in Canada instead with a Canadian. Back in Britain, Sam's father returned as a teacher to a school he had once attended as a student, and they lived in a small village called Great Finborough, population 400. (Little Finborough, across the fields, is much smaller). Sam grew up in pastoral countryside, the last generation, in his view, which were allowed to head out after breakfast and roam at will as long as they were home by dinnertime. He played at a friend's gone-to-seed fruit farm, building "dens" (forts) and driving around through the fields at the age of ten, in a couple of ancient Austin Metros. At the age of 16 he finished high school and opted for Arboriculture at the local Agricultural College, but after a couple of weeks, was persuaded by one of his teachers that he would be better off to complete his "A Levels" and attend Aberdeen University in Scotland to study forestry there. This he did after first taking a year off to travel. He went to Australia where he planted trees for a cousin, then road-tripped to central Australia where he worked for about four months on a cattle & camel ranch near Alice Springs, then travelled to Tasmania & New Zealand where he wwoofed extensively, working on dairy farms and fruit-picking. * Hint for hitchhikers in NZ - Your sign should advertize the treats you carry and will share- eg. " Have Jelly Beans" rather than where you're headed ! He returned home to Great Britain and did his degree at Aberdeen, but with one year as an exchange student at UBC in Vancouver. This he termed a "blast" and there is still a large community of grads he is in touch with from this time. His last year was spent at Aberdeen again, where he was then hired after graduation to do research for a Finnish logging company. He then worked for about a year and a half for a Scottish timber harvesting co-op as Harvesting

Manager before he was hired by the Scottish government to promote renewable energy(mostly wood) in rural Scotland. Ancient icy stone homes were heated mostly by oil... This job ended in a year when the grant ran out and he was headed back to New Zealand, when he stopped on his way , in Vancouver, for a friend's wedding. He had some extra time so rode his bike down to San Francisco, then "dirtbagged"(live rough and not wash much) for 6 weeks in Squamish climbing and tenting. He bumped into a friend at Mountain Equipment in Vancouver who invited him to a potluck, where he met Emily. Apparently, some friends had decided that she needed a "summer fling" and he was considered good fling material. This was 6 and a half years ago. They married in 2012. With an Australian passport Sam was able to get a 2 year work permit and renewal options without trouble so he looked for work in the area. The only forestry job was in Port MacNeil so he applied for a position with a telecom company installing cell phone towers. Only criterion for the job - ability to climb. He worked all over BC and also Alberta and Saskatchewan, although most of the work has been in the Lower Mainland. He still does this work on & off. After 4 years of being based in Vancouver, working out of Delta, the city honeymoon was over and they were both ready to head for the country. Sam had always harboured the dream of having a farm so they both apprenticed at Root Down Organics in Pemberton, learning about organic

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Profile of the Month – Sam Croome By Danni Crenna

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Submissions Policy Views expressed in the Flagstone may not represent those of the Flagstone team. We reserve the right to refuse to publish potentially libelous material and profanity. Please write with respect for your fellow citizens. The purpose of the Flagstone is community- building. If your piece is not deemed a contribution to community- building it may not be published. We require your full name and phone number (phone number will not be printed unless requested).

Taxation 101 The average Canadian income is around $35,000 per annum, not $49,000. $45,000 to $90,000 doesn't define the Liberal's vaunted Middle Class? Their gift to the $45,000 plus tax bracket, from 22% to 20.5%, is for the upper middle class. Although cosmetic, with great fanfare it helped get Trudeau elected. The prime beneficiaries are the wealthy, who pay 1.5% less taxes, or $675, over that $45,000 span. As for the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS), no help for the poor. The wealthy are ineligible for GIS because they maxed out their CPP contributions, and accumulated 18% of 35 years of yearly income (up to $24,930) in RRSPs to dodge taxes. (Indexed upwards in lockstep with the generous income of Dept. of Finance managers, who recommend tax policy.) However, with fat portfolios, they get nailed on their withdrawals, which include gross, rather than adjusted capital gains and dividends. Pensioners are punished once they're no longer bagged as Middle Class. Beneficiaries are financial institutions with their ubiquitous usurious user fees, and the fiscal regime that draws you into their tax trap. RRSP's only make sense when they accumulate interest, which at

LETTERS 1% is redundant. For most, they are a bad idea. Ideally, a rollover from an RRSP or RLIF to a RESP should be allowed without affecting the GIS. Fat chance. If you have a RLIF, one strategy is to roll over up to 50% of it's value into an RRSP without affecting the GIS, if your income is under $29,000. Registered plan transfers are normally tax neutral. As RRSP withdrawals are optional, untouched, they won't affect GIS. Ideally, move what you can to your RRSP, and cash out before you're 64. Otherwise, leave what's left to your estate. And send Mr. Trudeau a letter of thanks. Currency Conversion : Pensioners don't stop being middle class at age 65. Faced with devious tax policies, protect your savings. You lose 2.5% on a conversion of Canadian or U.S. $'s with a bank teller, or via credit cards. Multiplied by 365 days, it adds up to 912.5%. Usury legislation caps interest at 60%. Calling it a service charge conveniently dodges this illegality. Open a free Direct Investing account with an on-line broker associated with any Canadian bank. Homeowners, students, and travellers can legally exchange currencies with this technique. At Royal Bank an on-line trade costs $9.95. A liquid stock such as Bell Canada has a 1 cent differential between bid and ask. Buying 1,000 shares at “ask” on the TSE costs $55,000 Canadian. To avoid risk,

immediately sell the shares on Wall Street at “bid”. Because markets are efficient with widely traded shares, you get the equivalent amount in U.S. $'s, net of commissions. Since you lose 1 cent one way, 1,000 shares @ 1 cent is $10.00. Add the $9.95 fee. Going both ways, fees total $39.90. Compare that to 2.5% x $55,000 = $1,375 commission that is the bank profit. $1,375 - $39.90 = $1,335.10 stays in your pocket. The breakeven point is around 15 shares. Or less if you trade in bank shares, which have a higher price. Hersh Chernovsky

APRIL 1st TALENT SHOW

GLAD (Grannies Linking Africa and Denman) are presenting their third annual talent show, coming soon. Start now planning and rehearsing your acts. Any questions? Call Ann Vessey at 335-1398 or Jude Kirk at 335-0546.

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Letters

Readers & Writers Festival 2016 Denman Island, get ready to host another group of extraordinary Canadian authors in 2016 during our annual summer festival. Expect top quality writing and information on hard-hitting topics of historical importance, political activism and contemporary urgency. Also expect imaginative fiction, creative expression – plus an accordion! Diverse voices, genres and perspectives will mix and mingle to entertain, inspire as well as challenge us all. The celebrated author Miriam Toews was born into a free-thinking family within a strict Mennonite community in Steinbach, Manitoba. She has written six insightful, critical, and wickedly-funny novels, many of which describe aspects of that traditional life as she experienced it. A Complicated Kindness (2004), a coming-of-age story of a rebellious Mennonite teenager, was highly acclaimed internationally and won her the Governor General’s Award for Fiction. Toews’ recent book, All My Puny Sorrows (2014), comes from the tragic story of her real-life sister Marjorie’s violent suicide in 2010. This book manages the extraordinary feat of braiding humour and compassion into the retelling of a devastating family tragedy. The book has appeared on numerous “best book” lists and was shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize and won the Rogers Writers Trust Fiction Prize. As Miriam Toews states in an interview, there is a very contemporary and contentious issue touched on in this story, “It’s so complex the idea of assisted suicide. All I can remember is the suffering of my sister, and I think, ‘Couldn’t there be a way she didn’t have to die so violently and alone?’” www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/miriam-toews/ Victoria resident Terry Glavin is an author and journalist currently writing on the crisis in the Middle East and Syria for the Ottawa Citizen and the National Post. He has also been a sessional instructor in the Writing Department of the Fine Arts Faculty at UVic and an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Creative Writing at UBC. His writing covers a wide range of regional and global topics from natural history to politics, most recently publishing Come from the Shadows: The Long and Lonely Struggle for Peace in Afghanistan (2011). In 2009, Glavin was awarded the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Literary Excellence and the Hubert

Evans Prize for Non-Fiction. He has a long list of journalistic awards including several National Magazine Awards. Read some of his reports: http://news.nationalpost.com/author/tglavinnp Comedian-author Charles Demers is often heard on CBC Radio’s The Debaters. As a stand-up comic, he has performed for national television and radio audiences and at the Just For Laughs Festival. He is also on faculty at UBC in the Creative Writing Program and has published a collection of humorous essays, Vancouver Special (2009), and a novel, The Prescription Errors (2009). In 2015, he published an alphabet book called The Horrors: An A to Z of Funny Thoughts on Awful Things in which he writes, humorously of course, on an alphabetical list of his own fears or challenges - all of which add up to a very funny and candid self-portrait. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Demers Bev Sellars was chief of the Xat’sull (Soda Creek) First Nation in Williams Lake. B.C. She, as well as her mother and grandmother, were forced to attend St. Joseph’s Mission Residential School (1891-1981) during childhood. Her most recent book/memoir, They Called Me Number One, draws its title from the fact that all the students were identified by number instead of name, and she was labeled Number One. This book was a finalist for the 2014 Burt Award for First Nations, Metis and Inuit Literature and was used by the recent Canadian Truth and Reconciliation Commission for their archive. Bev Sellars uses her own personal experience along with her skills as an historian and lawyer, to bear witness to the cruelty and inhumanity of the residential school system that was imposed on indigenous children in Canada. Bev Sellars is interviewed on the Sunday edition at http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2388708600 John Vaillant is returning to our Denman festival, this time with a book of fiction, The Jaguar’s Children, his first novel after a successful pair of non-fiction books that won so much attention and so many prizes: The Golden Spruce (2005), The Tiger (2010). This new novel is about the terrible dangers of illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, and the lives of some of the desperate Mexicans who have been forced to try it. The story could be a reflection of newspaper headlines any day of the week in the southern USA, but becomes dramatized by Vaillant’s technique of using one of the migrant’s urgent text messaging to frame his story. John Vaillant has written articles in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, National Geographic and he has received numerous prizes for his work including a

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Governor General’s Award for Non-Fiction. www.thetigerbook.com/ Vancouver-based author and independent journalist J.B. MacKinnon is well known for co-authoring The 100-Mile Diet with his partner, Alisa Smith. He has won six national magazine awards and the 2006 Charles Taylor prize for best work of Literary Non-Fiction. He has been working on interactive documentaries and has written four books of non-fiction - The Once and Future World, an exploration of the concept of re-wilding, is his latest. He argues that it is still possible to restore nature if we can re-imagine what the natural world once was. “Each generation grows up believing what it started with is normal rather than one step in a long story of human impact.” MacKinnon argues that we need to remember an unaltered wilderness to understand how to reconnect with that nature and re-wild our earth. “Nature may not be what it was, no, but it isn’t simply gone,” he writes. “It’s waiting.” www.Jbmackinnon.com Cecily Nicholson is the winner of the 2015 Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize for her book of poetry From The Poplars published by Talonbooks. This work investigates the historical use and ownership of Poplar Island in the Fraser River in her city of New Westminster. She is a serious poet and activist interested in looking at “…histories of settlement, migration and brutal erasure resulting from colonialism.” She is also interested in the idea of re-sensitizing people who struggle in an urban environment to feel the environmental urgencies and the implicit pleasures in our natural world. Nicholson also works in Vancouver’s downtown eastside as the financial administrator of Gallery Gachet, an outsider art space that works with disenfranchised/displaced women who create art. Her work as a poet is often in collaboration with artists; she is a compelling literary voice who manages to connect the written word with the lives of people. www.talonbooks.com/authors/cecily-nicholson Michael Christie was a professional skateboarder and a mental health worker on Vancouver’s downtown eastside before turning his considerable talents to writing. His debut novel, If I Fall, If I Die, was partly inspired by his own upbringing in a loving, artful but confined household with an agoraphobic mother who was terrified to go outside. As in his novel, it was a magical world for just the two of them. This book was longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize and follows Christie’s award-winning short story collection, The Beggar’s Garden (2011), which explored similar themes of marginal existences and different ways of becoming educated. http://michaelchristie.net/ Barbara Adler is a Vancouver-based poet, spoken word artist, songwriter and musician (plays accordion!). She has

produced and performed in many events including the Extravagant Signals series (2013) that brought together dance, visual art, spoken poetry and music in a seven day festival. She was a founding member of the Vancouver Youth Poetry Slam and these days, curates and co-produces the annual Accordion Noir Festival in the city. She recently finished her MFA in Interdisciplinary Studies at SFU and describes herself as “…obsessed with the music of the performed word – whether sung or spoken, whispered to the private ear or spontaneously bantered, lushly harmonized or brashly shout-rocked.” www.tenthousandwolves.com Canadian singer, songwriter and activist Bruce Cockburn - yes THE Bruce Cockburn - is well known to most of us for his hugely successful career and passionate songs about human rights, environmental issues, politics and spirituality. In his long career in the music business, he has written more than 300 songs and sold nearly one million albums in Canada alone. In 2014, Cockburn finished writing a memoir, Rumours of Glory, in which he describes his 40 years of engaging with music and progressive causes on a national and international level. As a Christian, spiritual principles have governed his life and often found a way into his music; he has visited various trouble spots in the world out of humanitarian concern and often found inspiration there for songwriting. Cockburn became a Member of the Order of Canada in 1982 and an Officer in 2002 as well as receiving the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement, Canada’s highest honour in the performing arts. He has also received thirteen Juno Awards and been inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. http://brucecockburn.com/ Steven Price will return this year to conduct The Writing Week (formerly known as the Writer-In-Residence program) for the third time. He is back by popular demand, having sold out the workshop very early last year and likely will do so again this time. In addition to publishing award-winning books of poetry and fiction (Anatomy of Keys, Into That Darkness, Omens in the Year of the Ox), he continues to do sessional teaching at the University of Victoria in the Creative Writing Department. His much anticipated new novel set in 19th century London, By Gaslight, will be coming out in 2016 and has already had its rights sold internationally. http://finearts.uvic.ca/writing/faculty/price/ Additional information is available on the weblinks provided above and in our media. Please visit our website www.denmanislandwritersfestival.com frequently for updates, author profiles, schedules and blogs….and if you are on Facebook, find us there!

READERS' & WRITERS' FROM PAGE 9

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READERS' & WRITERS' FROM PAGE 10

J.B. MacKinnon is an independent magazine journalist and writer. He co-authored The 100-Mile Diet with his partner Alisa Smith in 2007 which was one catalyst of the local foods movement. His writing has spanned a wide range of literary genres and topics, and he is also involved in writing for interactive documentary projects. His new book, The Once and Future World (2014) is based on the concept of re-wilding or restoring wilderness by first realizing what the earth once really looked like and was capable of. “When it comes to nature, ours is a failure of the imagination; we can’t conceive of what we’ve lost, even as it disappears before our eyes.” – The Globe and Mail Book Review by Cindy Critchley of The Once and Future World – Nature As It Was, As It Is, As It Could Be J. B. Mackinnon demonstrates that almost all of what we think of as “nature” is really an ecosystem changed by man. He describes a world that once existed, brimming with flora and fauna that vanished or were much reduced in number as the number of humans increased. Through many fascinating examples, MacKinnon reminds us of that world and the interdependence of all species. He takes us to Macquarie Island, located between New Zealand and Antarctica, once the home of a unique brightly-coloured, flightless parakeet. Man introduced cats (who eat parakeets) and weka (a NZ game bird that eats almost anything including parakeets). Then man introduced rabbits and their predictable population explosion fuelled a population explosion of cats and wekas, and they ate the last poor parakeet. Rabbits threatened to eat the last bit of vegetation, so man introduced fleas to spread a lethal virus. Then hungry cats and wekas were shot when they threatened the nesting seabird population. Unfortunately, it turned out that the virus wasn’t enough to control the rabbit population without the cats and wekas. It is not easy to undo the changes man has wrought! MacKinnon describes how humans adapt to changed surroundings and tend to forget that it was ever different. He reminds us of the marvels of nature and encourages us to seek more nature in our lives. “To live in a wilder world, we’ll have to find a way to weave nature into our identities, until guarding against harms to the natural world is as innate as watching out for ourselves, our families or our communities.”

WAYNE GRADY AND EMANCIPATION DAY Submitted by Stewart Goodings Nationally acclaimed author Wayne Grady will be on Denman Island February 28 in the Back Hall to read from his intriguing novel, “Emancipation Day” which was a best seller in 2013 and won the Amazon.ca First Novel Award. He will also read excerpts from his yet to be published new novel and answer questions about both fiction and non-fiction writing. Grady is this year's Haig-Brown Writer in Residence at the Campbell River Museum, and his visit to Denman is one of several appearances in the Comox Valley in the coming weeks. Living in Kingston with his wife, the writer Merilyn Simonds, Grady is also the author of many non-fiction books, some of whose titles show the range of his interests: “Bring Back the Dodo: Lessons in Natural and Unnatural History”; “Tree: A Life Story”, written in partnership with David Suzuki; “The Quiet Limit of the World: A Journey to the North Pole to Investigate Global Warming”; “Vultures: Nature's Ghastly Gourmets”; and “The Nature of Coyotes”. He's also an accomplished translator of books by French-speaking Quebec and New Brunswick authors, and won the Governor-General's Award for Translation for Antonine Maillet's “On the Eighth Day.” His most recent memorable translation was of Louis Hamelin's “October 1970” about the October crisis. Wayne describes “Emancipation Day” as 'a novel of denial and identity'. It's a story of family secrets, racism and post-WW2 society set in St. John's, Newfoundland and Windsor, Ontario during and shortly after the Second World War. It features a protagonist who discovers as an adult that his heritage is African Canadian. This is what Grady says about his novel: “The novel is inspired by the experiences of my parents: 15 years ago, I discovered that my father was black and had passed for white when he was 18, and never told anyone, including my mother and myself. I began writing this as non-fiction, but the story gradually expanded beyond memoir into a novel.” The Readers and Writers Festival is pleased to bring this award-winning and engaging writer to Denman as a mid-winter treat for readers of both fiction and non-fiction. He'll be introduced by Des Kennedy who will briefly trace the historic dots connecting the legacy of Roderick and Ann Haig-Brown, Harrowsmith Magazine (which Grady previously edited) and the 32 Denman Islanders arrested fo civil disobedience in Strathcona Provincial Park. As with solo sessions at the July RWF, there will be a $5 entrance fee.

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In the second week of May 2017, Andrew Fyson and I intend to present a music workshop/festival on Denman Island called “Baroque Denman”. It will be organized under the umbrella of Arts Denman, drawing on the experience I have had presenting Concerts Denman events, and also drawing on our experience attending similar workshops in the Czech Republic and Poland. The workshop will be directed by three outstanding baroque music professionals from Italy and Spain. Marco is a harpsichordist and continuo player. Enrique is a baroque violinist. And Romeo specializes in wind instruments. Participants will select instrumentalists and singers based on capabilities They will tutor accomplished amateurs in a core work, possibly an English opera or oratorio by George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) and in other smaller scale works including those of Henry Purcell and Handel. During the week the tutors will offer public lectures on baroque music, and they themselves will perform, exhibiting some of the splendors in baroque repertoire. Other professional musicians may be brought to Denman for performances and tutoring. At the end of the week there will be public performances by the ensemble of participants. The ensemble will consist of string instrumentalists, a percussionist, wind and brass players, an harpsichordist, and choral / solo singers. Also, we hope to include a component of baroque dance. The heart and soul of this project is community participation. Andrew and I are passionate about baroque music. As much as possible, we want to share the experience of performing it with our friends and neighbours here on Denman Island. It's an unusual project to be sure, but one that we believe will draw people together for a truly uplifting experience. Let me explain what motivates us. Participating in

art changes lives, especially young lives. I had a few

violin lessons when I was 9 years old. I didn't learn

much but somehow that initiated a life-long passion

for art and music. Before Andrew's voice broke, he

was a soprano in an English boys choir. Imagine a

school where boys performed Mozart's opera, The

Marriage of Figaro! And imagine Andrew in the role

of Suzanna! Last year Andrew joined me to

participate as a basso singer in music workshops

“Baroque Denman” by Robert Newton

abroad. As a result performing baroque music has become his passion, equal to his mission to save the planet. Music has a funny way of doing that to people, regardless of the genre. For this event, we are expecting to attract participants, both local and from elsewhere in BC, Canada, US, and Europe. This will give people an opportunity to participate in wonderful music-making with talented musicians. Visitors will also experience the local culture of Denman Island and contribute to the economy. As this project develops, please consider your support in whatever way you think appropriate. Off-island participants will need to be billeted. They may need to be shuttled to rehearsal spaces. Caterers will need to be found to feed the participants. Funds need to be raised. A website needs to be built, and promotional materials will need to be designed. I'm confident that this extraordinary community can pull it off. Stay tuned for “Baroque Denman”!

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Did You Know? By edi johnston One of the reasons for coming to Denman Island was that it appeared to be a safe place to raise children- no major predators (2 legged as well as 4). I neglected to take into account those with 6 and 8 legs which can inflict life changing consequences and even kill. With the increase in incidents of diagnosed cases of Lyme disease, I thought I would pass on some interesting information. Deer ticks are the main cause but you do not have to be bitten to contract Lyme. You can also contract this devastating disease and others by coming into contact with the blood, urine, feces etc. of an infected animal through a break in your skin. The following information is from the American Veterinary Medical Assoc. website: Hunters need to wear heavy rubber, nitrile or latex gloves when butchering (as well as anyone moving a dead or injured wild animal). Hunters are also warned not to eat, drink or smoke while “processing” their kill and to minimize contact with the brain or spinal tissues. Also, avoid consuming the tongue, eyes, spleen, tonsils and lymph nodes found in connective tissue and fat. Apparently, freezing the flesh does not necessarily protect you from animal transmitted diseases so make sure you thoroughly cook the meat. Removal of the antlers should

be done with a hand saw rather than a power saw and always wear safety glasses. Washing hands and disinfecting surfaces and tools after butchering is a must. Your dog is also at risk if allowed to lick the blood or other secretions from an infected animal. This is yet another good reason to constantly supervise your dog when outside and always keep your dog on a leash when out for a walk. There is also a mention that only healthy animals should be consumed which means watching the animal for a while to see if there is any odd behavior or movements. This brings into question whether or not it is actually safe to harvest road kill? What assurance do you have that the animal was healthy before being hit? Also, if intestinal contents come into contact with the meat, it should be considered contaminated and discarded. Again, do not feed it to your dog or they may become infected. Lyme is a horrible disease, hard to diagnose (especially in your dog) and treat but there are other diseases out there to be wary of as well. Some insidious diseases are even transmitted by those with 6 legs ….mosquitoes....then there are the spiders.....but let's not go there!

A story you might enjoy regarding Rainera Perez Marin Manzanilla La Guita Sherry. This Sherry is popular in Seville Spain at festival time (especially Easter). The makers of this sherry play upon the fact that the Spanish slang word for cash is guita as well as mean string (guita also means guitar in Spanish). So each bottle of this sherry has a string attached to it. This Sherry is best kept in the fridge and served cold. This sherry is available at the Denman Island General Store. Thanks to Andrew Fyson for this insight!!!!

Mike Lindsay Denman Island Art Wall Artist of the Month for February: Slug Family Day Holiday (Monday February 8) Store &

Post Office Hours: Noon - 4pm.

Store telephone: 250 335 2293 Post Office : 250 336 1636

Delightful hard working friendly staff. Boss who used to work at a

blanket factory but it folded (Thanks to Ian and Naomi Elliot for that

one).

The Denman Store

(your community store for over 100 years)

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The Dilemma over Seaweed by Edi Johnston for the Assoc. for DI. Marine Stewards

Seaweed contains plant growth hormones such as gibberillins which helps seeds to germinate and cytokinins which increase plant sugar levels. Also, mannitol and alginic acid help increase the acidity in soils which enable plants to absorb nutrients like iodine and selenium. It's no wonder that gardeners flock to the beach to gather what appears to be a plentiful and redundant vegetation. However, seaweed does even more for the marine environment than it does for your garden. Washed up seaweed (wrack) is essential for the survival of many invertebrates that require it as food who are then eaten by fish who also use it for laying their eggs on as well as protection of spawn left on beaches to hatch. Therein lies the dilemma- use it in your garden or leave it on the beach? Now, what about if there were alternatives for the various components of seaweed, what then? For a source of gibberillins you could substitute ferns, spinach and onion bulbs, for mannitol- fungi, algae and lichens, for cytokinins- anise, for iodine- barley and strawberries, for alginic acid- brown algae (pond scum), for potassium- poultry manure, for slenium, manganese and calcium- red clover and for betains- beets. For other minerals essential to a great garden, try a mixture of comfrey, yarrow, dandelion and nettle. Grow a special bed of them or just tuck them in waste space,

harvest the leaves, macerate and make tea. Marine plants concentrate the nutrients more so you will need more of the land plants. Something to also think about are the unwanted components of seaweed which will be released as they decompose, such as arsenic, lead, cadmium and other heavy metals which are carcinogens and can bioaccumulate. Combined with a lack of tidal flow due to the impediment created by the Comox Bar and having had a vibrant coal port at Union Bay, Baynes Sound is rich in all these toxins. As well, Cumberland's malfunctioning sewer system has meant that “poorly treated” effluent is entering Baynes Sound from the Trent River. Seaweed draws its nutrients from its environment, tends to absorb any pollution or heavy metals in the water around it, from agricultural run-off and even chemicals used to treat waste water. Be mindful that he CVRD is still pushing to have a major wastewater outlet between Sandy Island and Vancouver Isl. Another unknown is, what effect the cables (from the ferry constantly scouring the bottom) will have on the toxins that until now, were trapped in the substrate. Elsewhere in the world, the planting of seaweeds are being looked at as filters to remove toxins that accumulate from fish farms etc. Again, the dilemma- put it in your garden or leave it where it lies- you decide!

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Agriculture Matters By Max Rogers

Responsible Wood Burning I talked to Sue Scanlon about her experience with Mistral Gris chickens last season. These are a 4-way hybrid that results in a large, meaty but normal chicken. This is what Sue had to say. “The Mistral Gris were successful. In 12 weeks our birds dressed out to 4 to 7.5 lbs and the meat was exceptional. The dark meat was darker than any other chicken and very tasty. We will do it again,” said Sue. Sue explained the Mistral Gris birds are normal in that they can and do run around, forage for bugs and plant food and take an interest in the world. They eat less per day than the horrific white Frankenchickens commercial producers rear for meat. The Frankenbirds are ready in 8 weeks but they eat the same amount of commercial feed the Mistral Gris would eat in 12 weeks. The Gris do other things than just laying around and pecking at pellets. The Mistral Gris that Sue reared were very sound birds and they lost 2 chicks the first day due to travel stress but did not lose any other birds. One year, we tried raising Frankenbirds here. My husband is a very careful poultry man but he lost many of his Frankenbirds due to what appeared to be heart attacks just as the birds were coming up to slaughter weight. This is a very common occurrence with the Frankenbirds. The Frankenbirds could not be tempted to eat any greens, even turning their beaks up at chopped spinach. When we dressed the birds out, I think I found out why. Their gizzards were unnaturally small and so fragile that some broke inside the birds when I was trying to clean them. A normal chicken gizzard is as strong as a hockey puck. I think the Frankenchickens simply could not eat anything other than pellets because they are deformed. If a chicken cannot eat greens, its meat will not be nutritious. The Mistral Gris are Canadian birds and can be ordered from True North Farms. They have a very informative web site. I am planning to order some chicks from them because my Buff Orpington roosters make but a skinny roast. I may keep a Mistral Gris rooster for breeding to my flock to see if I can improve their conformation. All this talk of chickens leads me into the related topic of pressure canning. I make a huge stock pot of soup from our poultry and then I can it in the pressure canner. Our pressure canner does 7 quarts at a time so for very little trouble, I can make 10 or 11 quarts of soup and can 7 quarts and eat a few and have a one or two quarts to put in the freezer.

Why can soup when I could freeze it? Two reasons: 1) the convenience of having an excellent meal that just needs heating up and 2) power outages. Having soup, meat and vegetables pressure canned makes them shelf - stable and there is less risk of losing a winter’s supply of food over a few days of the power being out. Another reason to learn pressure canning is that you can then produce lots of Patricia Piercy’s condensed tomato soup. A commercial can of tomato soup is just red and possibly salty. I made a dozen pints of Patricia’s tomato soup and am now kicking myself for not having made many more. This soup tastes of the summer sun and really fresh tomatoes. There is nothing even remotely as good to be had commercially. Learning to pressure can is an excellent skill to have in the country. There are cold winter days when a supper in a jar can just about save your life. Because it is cold out these days, we heat our small house exclusively with fire wood. So it was with great interest that I read Shaun White’s articles on Denman’s carbon emissions. I had no idea that firewood put so much carbon into the atmosphere. I still like the idea of heating with a renewable resource but I can see Shaun’s point about getting our emissions under control and I have a few ideas about this. My first idea was to compare the emissions from burning firewood, to make the house warm and give that wonderful golden light which makes me happy to stay at home in the dark months, to the carbon emissions caused by two people flying to Mexico for a holiday. I suspect the wood stove will be less than the flight. My second idea was to keep heating the house with firewood but to reduce the amount of firewood we burn. My husband likes to keep the house at a clothing optional temperature and I think less could be more here. For the last Winter Solstice, we gave each other a delightful present: sheepskin slippers. They are so warm and fluffy and comfortable that they bring us joy. I also bought some lovely wool socks from Fern Niedermoser and her socks are a good price and the very best quality. Having warm feet means we can get away with using less fire wood. I am also a devotee of wool sweaters (Free Store) and I am considering getting wool long johns. It was not long ago when wool long johns were a standard part of the Canadian winter wardrobe. With the right foundation garments under one’s house wear plus sheepskin slippers and a nice wool sweater, heating the house can be done in a much less carbon intensive way and save a lot of time and effort in the cutting, splitting, stacking and bringing in of firewood.

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Synthetic fleece long johns are an option for people, misguided souls, who don’t like wool. Spring is just around the corner. Now is the time to plant celery, celeriac and leek seeds. I have grown many different kinds of leeks but the ones I like the best are Bandit winter leeks from West Coast seeds. This leek gets huge and stands really well in the garden over the winter. Leeks can be chopped and washed and put into hot broth at the last moment for an excellent fresh-tasting soup in the depths of the winter. I have tried a few varieties of celery but they all taste the same to me, that is, ten times as tasty as the insipid stuff you buy as celery in the grocers. Everyone I have persuaded to try growing celery would now not be without it. It is hardy, tasty and free or bug problems. I hope more people will try it this year.

Ag Matters From PAGE 16 The Garden Club is hosting a talk on growing medicinal plants. This is next level stuff so be sure to come to the United Church Hall at 1:30 on February 17. We will have free treats, coffee, tea and a garden-centric raffle. Tickets are 3 for $5. Membership is $10 for the year or $3 for a drop in. Our experienced gardeners can answer almost any garden-related question!

Managing Anxiety Submitted by Lori Nawrot

It's interesting to note how easy it is to stigmatize anxious people. We often hear about the drama queen or how high maintenance, high strung or stuck up some people can be. Certainly some personalities are easier to cope with than others in a friend, family member or partner, but people who suffer from anxiety often live in a state of distress that is hard to imagine if you haven't experience it yourself. Anxiety isn't simply a question of worrying, the same way depression isn't just a bout of sadness. Everyone's personal experience and expression of anxiety will be unique to them because the root causes differ greatly. Anxiety can be the result of childhood trauma or a single trauma incident with enduring effects. This is commonly known as post-traumatic stress disorder, which is an anxiety condition. Anxiety can also result from chronic pain or a disease diagnosis like cancer. It can also result from persistent social factors such as being a long-term caregiver for a family member, living in a compromised housing situation, or dealing with an abusive partner, co-worker, or employer. Economic stress can trigger anxiety, as well. Some of the emotional signs of anxiety include irritability, social reclusivity, difficulty concentrating, restlessness, and hyper-vigilance, just to name a few. Physical symptoms can be tremors, stomach ache, headaches, insomnia, and fatigue. If you live with someone suffering from anxiety, or suffer from it yourself, you will know that this condition can affect every aspect of life from socializing to personal interests. Fortunately, anxiety is recognized as one of the most treatable mental health conditions. In most of the literature dealing with this topic the first suggestions are to get regular

exercise, to refrain from drinking caffeinated drinks, and to eat a balanced diet. Just going for a daily fifteen-minute walk can make a difference. If you are supporting someone with an anxiety condition, the best thing you can do is listen non-judgmentally, and offer to be there for a walk, a conversation, or if needed, a person they can call when they feel peak distress. One important fact to remember is that panic attacks are acute anxiety episodes that may resemble a heart attack. Never assume you are having a panic attack when you experience shortness of breath or chest pain. This is a 911 emergency. If it does turn out to be a panic attack, no harm is done in calling the First Responders. The same may not be so for a heart attack. Go to http://www.anxietybc.com/adults/complete-home-toolkit for a comprehensive list of ways to manage anxiety. We also maintain a Facebook page with mental health awareness posts at Minding the Gulf: Mental Health Awareness on Hornby and Denman Islands.

Haircuts By Riane $25 in your home Seniors' Discount

250-650-6079

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Submitted by Sara French

Bird Notes By Patrick Fawkes

Searching for Trumpeters Snow was on the ground and a dark cloud hung over the Courtenay estuary when I went looking for Trumpeter Swans. From the observation deck on Comox Dyke Road, on the east side of the estuary, I could see hundreds, perhaps thousands of Trumpeter Swans still swimming on their night roost out in the water near the Airpark, a kilometer away across the estuary. In a slough near the observation deck I watched the swans for a while. Trumpeters are the largest waterfowl in North America, weighing up to 13 kg. (30 Lbs.), with a wingspan of 2.3 to 2.4 m. (7-1/2 – 8 ft.) They use a lot of energy to get airborne. With wings flapping and their large feet slapping the water, they paddle along the water for three to four meters (ten to thirteen feet) until they lift off from the water and stow their black legs and feet under their tails – like an airliner retracting its undercarriage. Then with long necks stretched out and wings flapping seemingly effortlessly they become graceful white wonders. The tide had started to ebb. This was when the swans began to leave their night roost on salt water, safe from land-based predators, and fly north to feed in the fields of Comox Bay Farm. For fifteen minutes while I watched from the observation deck at least twenty flocks of ten to thirty swans took off and headed north. I had planned to watch the Trumpeters feeding in the fields, observing their behaviours and social interactions and family groupings, but the first snow of the season dampened my enthusiasm. I had other commitments also. Returning to the estuary several days later, I started at the Airpark where I had seen those large flocks of Trumpeters on my first visit. The tide was exceptionally high (5.2 m., 17.2 ft.) and several hundred ducks, mostly wigeon, were scattered on the calm water. No Trumpeters! “Not always so” said the Buddhist teacher Suzuki Roshi. Small groups of swans were on the water further south, others continued to fly northwards in small flocks. Two swans close by were enjoying an energetic bath. They dipped their heads and necks deep into the water, swished water over their backs with wings partly open, then rose upright in the water, their wings flapping vigorously several times. Continuing my search for more Trumpeters, I

drove north towards the farmers’ fields. I turned off Dyke Road and parked at the bottom of a short, steep farm track. Looking back at the road, I realized that the ground I was on was about 5 meters (17 feet) below the top of the dyke: all this agricultural land is protected against flooding during high tides. A large sign, with a Ducks Unlimited logo announced “Creekside Farm, Agriculture and Wildlife Working Together”. It also had a list of partners, some Canadian and one from the U.S. It was reassuring, but paradoxical, to know that these fields are recognized continentally for the protection of ducks, geese and swans, although it’s OK to shoot ducks and geese, but not the swans. “No Trespassing”, “Private Property” said another sign as I walked down a farm track lined with tall trees on both sides. I climbed over a gate and a short distance further on came to an open field and saw about twenty swans on the far side, but no way to get closer without disturbing them. Let’s go north to Comox Bay Farm, the site of the old Farquharson farm. At the entrance to the farm just off the Comox Road were more signs. One said “Winter Crop Cover, Comox Valley Waterfowl Management Program, Brought to You by Local Farms”. There were no swans to be seen. Several years ago I went up Back Road on the east side of the fields to record the calls of Trumpeters as they came in to land on the frozen ground. So off to Back Road. High up now, I could see the whole farming area, from Dyke Road on the southwest round to the Superstore in the north. The fields were bare or flooded. Below me I noticed a house amid farm buildings and a track leading down to the fields beyond. I asked the farmer if I could go through his property; he suggested I drive down. I had been recording my observations and comments on a small hand-held microcassette recorder. When I listened to it at this point, my voice was suddenly hushed as I sat in the car at the edge of the field. Right in front of me five beautiful white adults stood, with necks erect, in a puddle about seventy feet away. Without getting out of the car for fear of frightening them away, I watched the swans through binoculars. It was an exciting moment. I had never been so close to Trumpeters before. Three of the swans had settled down on the puddle, just floating about and preening. The other two stood in the water with head and neck straight up

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keeping an eye on the little red car I was in. They relaxed and started feeding in the muddy water. I was fascinated with the shape of their long necks: from their body the neck curved upwards and backwards, then curved sharply down with the rest of the neck extended straight down, the head then turned almost horizontally with its bill just under water. (I needed a photo of this to show the posture clearly.) I don’t know what the swans feed on when their bills are shovelling in muddy water. I have read that the tip of the bill in ducks, geese and shorebirds (and probably swans also) have multiple microscopic sensory nerve endings that connect to the brain. Together with the touch receptors in the bill and tongue, the birds can strain food items from the mud, retaining what is edible and rejecting the mud, gravel and water. I have seen swans burrowing, at the base of grasses and corn stubble, presumably eating tuberous roots. They like potatoes and carrots left in the ground after harvesting. Most of the swans I have watched were grazing on grasses on unflooded higher ground. Although I haven’t seen it, they also forage deep into the water, often upending to feed on the muddy bottom. The swans in front of me are bobbing their heads now, and within seconds they are off across the water, flying with long necks extended towards the mountains to the west. Two have joined a flock just beyond a line of tall alders and cottonwoods running across the end of the field. I start walking along the farm track towards this

flock of about 40 Trumpeters half a kilometer (1600 feet) away. They haven’t seen me yet. To keep the trees between me and the swans I move onto the field of corn stubble. I am stopped by a deep ditch of fast flowing water about 100 meters (300 feet) from the swans. From here I watch them with binoculars through the trees. Not much is happening – it’s the quiet time of day for birds. Some waddle about, slowly swaying from side to side on their jet black legs, others preen and some eat grass growing on higher ground. Through the trees I count 35 adults and 5 dark gray juveniles – there might be more juveniles amongst other adults in the flock. The latest count by the Comox Valley Naturalists was 1314 adults with 405 juveniles, or 23% of the swans were juveniles, a typical ratio for the Comox Valley counts. The ratio of juveniles in the flock I was watching wasn’t a good sample of the valley-wide population. After watching the swans for a while I decided to retreat and leave them feeding and socializing. As I walk back across the field towards the little red car I feel satisfied with my quest to find Trumpeters and to have watched them for a while. I realized that although they didn’t seem to be doing much – from a busy human perspective ! – that this is a time of waiting for the season to change . When the ice on the lakes and swamps further north starts to melt, they will fly to their breeding grounds which stretch from northern BC all the way to northern Alaska. There they will raise more swans and maintain their species gene pool.

BIRD NOTES FROM PAGE 18

Photo BY Dennis Forsyth

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In partnership with the Ministry of Health and the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Ministers for Seniors Working Group, our organization helped to arrange a senior’s idea exchange event in the Comox Valley on December 10th. Guest speaker Nora Keating shared interesting research on the risk factors and effects of social isolation on health and longevity, and it was a great opportunity to connect with a variety of movers and shakers to focus their attention on local issues around this topic. There was interest from the group to continue the discussion which we hope to do in a collective impact model. Thank you! Thank you for the warm and generous support for the raffle draws and Home for the Holidays campaign over the holidays! We are very fortunate to have the Home Assist Emergency Fund replenished and ready to offer assistance to those that require it. Our Home Care Supervisor Karen Etheridge can be reached at (250) 898-0243, if you know of someone that requires this help. Compassionate Care Benefits increased The Government of Canada has made changes to the Employment Insurance Compassionate Care Benefits allowing claimants to collect up to 26 weeks of benefits, up from the previous 6 weeks. They have also expanded the period during which the benefits can be taken. Compassionate care benefits provide

gardening. (where they met Erica Bland and Sean David). Emily was then ready to do her PHD field work so they went together to Costa Rica for four months. There she researched the effects on small dairies when they joined the global market. Sam, meanwhile, volunteered at a coffee research station, where he" learned a lot about compost". They went on to Mexico with more work with small farmers, then back to Pemberton for a year at an organic farm "Plenty Wild" for Sam while Emily started the writing stage of her thesis. They moved to Denman after they visited Emily's aunt and uncle who have a part-time residence on Denman. They were looking for a parcel of land big enough to farm in the Comox Valley initially, and found

ten acres which needed a fair bit of rebuilding on the house and clearing of the land but shows promise already. They call it "Two Roads" Farm after a line from a Robert Frost poem and are located just down from the Community Hall. This has been a very busy year for Sam and Emily - building, farming, establishing a market, finishing a degree and adding a third member to their family - 8 month old baby Wilf! They are endeavouring to fill what they see as a gap in the Farmers' market here - protein production- and are raising heritage breeds of pigs. They are planning to grow "Large Blacks", a heritage variety of British pig and also plan to have pasture- raised chickens for sale next year. In addition they are expanding their greenhouses and hope to help fill the off-season greens needs of the island. Their website is: www.tworoadsfarm.ca

PROFILE FROM PAGE 7

News from the Hornby and Denman Community Health Care Society Submitted by Lori Nawrot temporary income support to eligible individuals

who must be away from work to provide care for a gravely ill family member at risk of death. More information is available on the Service Canada website, sorry no phone number: www.servicecanada.gc.ca/ei/types/compassionate_care.shtml. Seniors Lunch on February 8th Seniors are welcome to join us at 12:30pm on Monday, February 8th for the next Seniors Lunch at the Activity Centre. Magdalena Anna and our dedicated volunteers will be serving up a warm lunch and good conversation for $6 per person. For more information please contact Pat Young at (250) 335-2704. Parent Group and Family Support Worker One of the clear messages we heard from parents during our program survey was that they would like parent support/education groups, preferably with some meals and child care included. We are exploring funding opportunities for this and hope to have something to present soon. Also, as we submit this information for publication, we are in the process of posting/hiring a part-time Family Support Worker. Please contact us for further details at lori@hornbydenmanhealth.com.

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The following service providers will be on Denman in February please call to arrange an appointment: Adult mental health clinician – Jayme Wyton (250) 331-8524 Comox Valley Transition Society counsellor – (250) 897-0511 Foot care nurse – Sheila Cameron (250) 897-2153 Contact information for HDCHCS For general inquiries (250) 335-2885 Home Support, Home Assist Services or the Equipment Loan Cupboard (250) 898-0243 Children, Youth & Family Services (250) 898-0247 Youth Outreach (250) 218-6521

This Place - History Washing Away

by John Millen

Coastal erosion has been quite noticeable around the Island these past few winters. One site I have been watching is on the northern-most coast of the Island. It is located at the base of the spit leading to Longbeak Point across the neck of land at the northwest end of Henry Bay. Here successive storms have been eating away at a midden. This ancient pile of debris, mostly clam shells, was deposited by generations of First Nations people living here. This particular deposit, now exposed, measures up to ten feet thick. At other places around that shore a relatively thin layer of black soil laced with white shells is also being eroded. In his Journal, Captain G.H. Richards recorded the scene in Henry Bay in April 1860 when his ship H.M.S. Plumper was anchored there in the course of surveying the coasts of Denman and Vancouver Island. “April 16, Monday …The Indians from the Various Villages are collecting at this point – and bringing the moveable parts of the Villages with them. We have had an accession of about 40 today and now number about 80 here. They appear to shift from one village to another according to the season. In Summer they generally encamp at the sheltered head of some bay – for convenience of gathering berries where they remain till Spring. Then as at this time they shift to the Island bays and sea coast for fish and clams.” “April 19, Thursday. Cold SE wind - unable to move today as I had intended; the bad weather of yesterday preventing our completing some soundings and getting satisfactory observations for lat and time. Landed this morning for them. Succeeded but partially. At 9 am a canoe was seen approaching from the Southd. with 3 flaunting banners of bright yellow. The natives recognised them as the priests and on a volley being fired from the Canoe a commotion ensued at the Village now numbering from 100 to 150 Indians. They have almost ousted me from my observation spot by erecting their houses right over it. The holy fathers landed on the beach at 9.30 the greater part of the Indians being ready to receive them. … They harangued the multitude for a few minutes and then the yellow banners were removed to a convenient spot on shore where the natives immediately commenced a house of planks and mats either for a church or temporal residence for the shepherds. I was glad to see the tabernacle erected some 300 yards from me for the sake of my observations. …The Village has increased wonderfully, now nearly 300 people with 61 considerable large

canoes and the point covered with their houses. Got star latitudes this evening.” In the 1860s, and for countless generations before that, intensive use was being made of Henry Bay and the adjacent spit by both Pentlatch and Comox people. The archaeological evidence of long and continuous use of that area was described by C. E. Borden in 1956 as shell middens originally covering an area of 10 hectares, running parallel to the shore for nearly a mile and up to 15 feet deep. The midden comprised mainly clam shells with bones of deer, seals and whales also present. Borden concluded from the midden’s size that it must have been a village site although “evidence of habitation was no longer discernable”. By the time of his visit much of the midden had been destroyed by a commercial shell extraction operation that had operated there for the North West Clamshell Plant of New Westminster beginning in 1945 and winding up in the early 1950’s. In 1949 a total of 3000 tons of shell was shipped. An archaeological survey of Denman Island in 1975 identified 33 sites around the Island judged to be worth recording. Further reading: The Private Journal of Captain G.H. Richards – The Vancouver Island Survey (1860 – 1862) Ronsdale Press 2011

HDCHCS NEWS FROM PAGE 21

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The Challenge is ON! By Dr Ron Wilson

Yes, with the New Year upon us, the physical Activity Challenge is on! And yes, it will not die out after a few times to the gym as most New Year's resolutions to be more active often do. This challenge will go on all year and hopefully will keep you active in a regular way. The Challenge is between cyclists and walkers/runners on Denman Island. As long as you have a Denman address you can participate. The goal is to collectively accumulate 40,000 Kms which is the distance covered by Rick Hansen on his around the world Man in Motion tour in 1987. The cyclists are well on their way and have already covered about 2,000 Kms and they plan to pick up their pace as the weather improves. What will it take for the walkers and runners to keep pace. It will take a large number of participants to keep up. That means YOU need to help us out. Did you know that even if you only walk 1 - 1.5 Kms per day that over a year you can contribute between 350 and 500 kms. Yes, that still means we need upward of 60-80 people contributing to make the goal of 40,000 Kms. No doubt we will have some very keen walkers or runners who may be doing 20-30 Kms/week so we may get by without 80 people but this is to encourage as many walkers/runners as possible to contribute. The good news is that you can count Kms no matter where you do them, whether on Denman or off. Just keep track and report them to me at rawilson33@gmail.com Updates will occur regularly on our website denmanislandwalkinggroup.com There will also be a chart at the medical clinic showing progress by the two groups as they add to the totals. I do have some pedometers available so if you need one, check at the medical clinic. So let's get moving! Snowshoe event. One way to add to your distance is to join in on a snowshoe event on Feb. 9 on Mount Washington. There will be two options to join in on. Carol Hunter has agreed to lead a group around Battleship and

McKenzie lakes which is about 8 Kms. This will be for those who are fit and ready to do a 3 hr. snowshoe. I will be taking the shorter trails within the Mt. Washington area. There will a mountain charge of $8 to walk on their trails but these will be easier to walk on. If anyone is in need of snowshoes they can be rented on the mountain for $24 which includes the $8 fee. The plan would be to travel up together taking the8:40 a.m. ferry. It should be a lot of fun and a good dose of physical activity. If you are interested in joining in please contact me by email (rawilson33@gmail.com) or phone me at 250-335-0299. Hope you can join us.

"GLAD will be selling amazing

decorated cookies and roses

for Valentine's Day on Saturday

February 13th outside the

General Store. Don't miss this

annual treat."

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Community Events Listings Sponsored by Union Bay Credit Union

Flagstone

Deadline for

March's Paper is

Friday February

19th

every Tuesday from 3-5pm at the Community School - Senior’s Drop in: Monday, February 1st @ 7:00-9:00 Front hall DIRCS Meeting Tuesday, February 2nd is our Movie Afternoon in the school library. (page 5) Family Day Holiday (Monday February 8) Store & Post Office Hours: Noon - 4pm. starting Thursday, Feb 4th at the Community School- Let’s Draw: Creative Expressions with Tachi Barker starting Saturday, Feb 6th at the Community School - Learning to Read Music with Ram Sudama Monday, February 8th at 12:30pm Seniors Lunch at the Activity Centre.(page 21) Monday, February 8th @7:30-9:30 Back hall DIRA meeting

Tuesday February 9th special gardening guest Emily to lead an afternoon in the Community School Garden starting at 2:30pm.(page 5) Thursday, Feb 11th at the Community School - Winter Gardening Workshop with Emily & Dylan Saturday February 13th outside the General Store - GLAD will be selling amazing decorated cookies and roses for Valentine's Day (page 23) Saturday February 13th @ Trust Office, Old School Center from 9:30 - 12:30 -Trustee Office Hours Sunday, February

14th @ 12:00-3:00, Backhall - Soup kitchen

Monday, February 15th from 12:00-3:00 Back Hall Preschool Meeting Wednesday, February 17,@ United Church Hall at 1:30The Garden Club is hosting a talk on growing medicinal plants (page 17) Wednesday, February 17, Deadline for comments i on Islands Trust Budget (page 4) Thursday February 18th from 7:00-11:00 Back Hall Open Stage - DAAC Saturday, February 20th doors open at 6:30 for 7 pm start . - Front Hall - Solar Panel Silent auction (page 3) Sunday, February 28 from 1 - 6 pm , Back Hall - Wayne Grady to read from his novel, “Emancipation Day”(page 11) Monday February 29th @ 7 pm Back hall Conservancy AGM Friday, March 4th at 7:30 p.m. in the Community Hall - The Bergmann Piano Duo (page 12) Monday March 7th, 7pm, Back Hall. DIRCS Next Annual General Meeting (page 5)

APRIL 1st TALENT SHOW sponsored

by GLAD (page 5)

second week of May 2017, music workshop/festival on Denman Island called “Baroque Denman” (page 13)

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Spartina Day

Pics & Map

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international leaders in using

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the Spartina Tillers - so important to not lose if pulling/digging out

Guesthouse Bistro @ Earth Club Factory would like to thank everybody for all the support over the past sixteen years of business. We have a great bunch of staff with lots of talents and enjoy working to make your day enjoyable. Earth Club Factory has the solar panels sales, new gift ideas for Christmas, teas, coffee, bulk foods for sale. The Bistro is now open 7am to 5pm daily, we stay open later on the performance days. We are serving the Eggs Benny on the weekend and on show nights we are serving dinners, drinks and desserts. Season's greetings and live, love. laugh and travel.

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Bird Notes by Patrick Fawkes On a rare sunny, cold afternoon in early November, Joan Scruton and I went to the north end of Denman to count waterbirds as part of the monthly counts made by many observers around the B.C. coast. Walking along the beach of Henry Bay on my way to Longbeak Point I heard the characteristic squeaky ek-ek-ek calls of female Harlequin Ducks perched on a large rock near the high-tide line. The ten females were dark brown, with light patches on their heads. Two males stood in their striking

collections of broken bluish shells mostly higher up the beach. One of the white piles felt quite glutinous when I

picked it up to put into a doggie-bag for further examination. I also scooped up some of the larger bluish shells; these samples are on my desk as I write. My assumption that gulls had produced the white piles was confirmed when I found two small barnacles beside one pile; I know that gulls usually hang out at low tide on the large areas of barnacles on the sand bars leading towards Tree Island.

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Concert Ad

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length than the Greater; head shape is more pointy in the Lesser and, when seen in bright light, the sheen on the back of the head is purplish in the Lesser versus greenish in the Greater! We listed Greater, which are the more common species here. Small groups of Common Goldeneye totalling 12 birds and several groups of Buffleheads up to a total of 45, mingled on the water between the Point and Tree Island; and 57 Red-breasted Mergansers were spread out closer to Tree Island. A long, compact line of White-winged Scoters were hurriedly swimming together in one direction. “I’ll

heads emerged, then a burp or bark, and they rolled back under water – must have been feeding on the same fish as the scoters. I am often asked why I count birds every month, and whether I have noticed any change in populations or species present. Good questions. I like being outdoors (funny expression!), looking and listening to what is happening in the world, or just to sniff the fresh air. It might sound trite to say I like being out in nature; it’s calming, restorative, invigorating and often exciting. In answer to the second question: doing the

BIRD NOTES FROM PAGE 28

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Denman Park Committee 2015/16 Winter Update By Laura Pope

Denman Island Provincial Park: There is positive news and negative news for our largest park. On the negative front, sadly, someone or some ones have been vandalizing the Provincial Park signs placed at the entrances to various areas. These signs were placed at the request of the D.I. Parks Committee as a guide to park users. They are intended to help park users firstly, to know they are in the park, and secondly, to indicate the use criteria for that area. The north end of Denman Park is primarily multi-use, while the south end (including Boyle Pt. and the protected area) is primarily hiking only. The types of use for these two distinct areas was established by public consultation and based on the types of trails and overlap of land use: it was not arbitrary, nor was it the decision of the Parks Committee. Several signs at both the south end and the north end have been pushed over with vehicles, some have been pulled out and thrown in the bushes and have had anti-government graffiti written on them. The second act of a sadly petty nature is the continued removal of flagging tape used by the parks and trails volunteers to mark trails that are to be re-habilitated, marked for work bees, or are to have clearing

done. The parks and trails committee volunteers work exceptionally hard to maintain and rehab, and in some cases construct the many trails in the provincial and CVRD parks so that hikers, bikers and equestrians continue to have a safe experience in the park. Islanders are working for Islanders, and the people of the province in the most egalitarian spirit possible. It is very discouraging to have certain individuals undermining this work, especially as they must also be using the very trails they are vandalizing! It is estimated that 60% of all physical work done in parks across Canada is done by volunteers; on Denman Island, it is more like 98%. Vandalism in Provincial Parks is an offense under the Provincial Parks Act and should a person be caught there is a first offense fine of $288.00. This is just to point out that there could be legal consequences if caught; this is not the direction we want to go. I would like to think that those people who have been vandalizing the park will decide on their own that they are better people than that, and they will have a serious second thought before creating more work for their fellow islanders. PARKS REPORT FROM PAGE 29

I would like to ask all park users and the public in general to please be vigilant, and if you see anyone vandalizing the park to call Crimestoppers if you wish to remain anonymous; call Derek Moore or myself if you are comfortable reporting personally. On the hugely positive side the provincial park is attracting many happy users as we all become more familiar with the area it encompasses and the various trails we can all access. It is so great to see all ages being able to hike, ride their horses, and bike the various areas and to be out enjoying the natural beauty of Denman. Many Islanders have

steep slopes (approved by the Islands Trust), spiral pruning, plus removal of a few large, top-heavy firs at the top of the bank. We have agreed with the CVRD that in high wind or heavy rain events the stairs will be closed to the public as a safety measure. This has become a very popular beach access, but we ask that for your own safety you respect the closures. We had a series of meetings with CVRD to work out the protocols for continued use of Morning Beach (which included the tree removals and periodic closures) and we continue to monitor it on a regular basis to keep this lovely little park open for the public.

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Bio-Energy Healing: Getting into the Flow! By Shari Dunnet & Richard Menard Certified Bio-Energy Healing Practitioners

Being in the flow is a joyful and health-rich place to be. We experience mental clarity, feel connected to our intuition and we feel physically vibrant, resilient and strong. In the flow, connections happen spontaneously linking us to people, places and events in what can seem at times like a truly magical way. Life is flowing and we are flowing with it. Life is happening! When we’re out of the flow we can feel stuck, unconnected, and unsupported. It can seem like we’re

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Denman Sings for Children, Syria and for Denman Bono of U2 fame once said that "Music can change the world because it can change people". Here on Denman we are very lucky to have SO many talented singers on this island and we are also fortunate that many of them are lending their voices to help others out. During the Craft Faire weekend Bethany Ireland has organized a group of talented singers to sing carols on the Porch of the General Store. They will be singing on Saturday December 5 and Sunday December 6. They will be taking donations for the Blackberry Lane Children's Centre. During Moonlight Madness the Denman Island United Church Choir under the direction of Carol Ralston will be singing Christmas carols from 5 pm until it gets too cold. They will be taking donations for the Syrian refugees as well as the Denman Island Food Bank (food bank donations can be cash or a non-perishable item). If you are downtown while these musical events are on please take some time out, relax and listen to Denman singing for the world.

Community Events Listings Sponsored by Union Bay Credit Union

Wednesday Dec 2nd. Deadline for public input re Pesticide application for Islands' foreshores (page 19)

Saturday Dec 5th and Sunday Dec 6th @10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Community Hall and Denman

“Olde Tyme” Christmas Party (page 11) Wednesday 16 December. at 1:30, United Church, The Garden Club is having a gift exchange and pot luck (page 14)

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NB January

Flagstone

Deadline

is Monday

December 14th

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