villagevibeMay 2008 : News and views from the heart of Fernwood

Fernwood NRG’s long-time staff member,

Cornerstone Collective Records founder,

and Cornerstone Café music coordinator,

James Kasper, was recently awarded Monday Magazine’s prestigious M Award for the “Hardest

Working Person in Local Music.”

Congratulations James! To see more and

hear his music head to www.geocities.com/

kasper1970.

Bike lab gets wheels>> by Caitlin Croteau

First thing in the morning at Vic High and most

students are hunched over their books. Not the

kids in Technology 10, Bike Mechanics. Th ey’ve

taken over the tennis courts and are out playing a rousing

game of bike polo. It’s similar to the sport enjoyed by

Prince Charles, except one rides a two-wheeled contraption

rather than rides a four-legged one! Cheering on the

students is their teacher, Mike Drew, as well as members of

Victoria’s Bike Lab Society.

Th e Bike Lab Society is the non-profi t sector of

Recyclistas Used Bike Collective. Th eir goal is to promote

bike culture in young people by teaching them how to

build, fi x, and have fun with bikes. Students in Technology

10 strip bikes down and rebuild them again, learning all the

names and functions of parts as they go. Th ey also take part

in fun activities like scavenger races and obstacle courses, as

well as learning how to make bike art. As a bonus, they get

to keep the bikes they’ve been working on once the class is

fi nished. Kori Doty, one of the Bike Lab members, points

out a student-built bike: tiny and coloured bright pink, its

in this issueBanners rise in the neighbourhood Page 3

Feature: Fernwood: A Place to Be Page 4

Intrepid at the fringe of Fernwood Page 7

– continued on page 6

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>> by Trish Richards

On the evening of Tuesday, April 1st

2001Fernwood Rd was overfl owing

with an excited crowd of some 130

people who had come to celebrate the opening of

Strongback’s Pick and Shovel Gallery.

Long a dream of Strongback partners Adam

Warrington and Rick Th omas, the gallery will

provide an outlet for what Adam terms their “under-

marketed friends who are such great artists.” As Adam

says, “I’ve been encouraging anyone with skills and

talent to build for outside. Th e work Strongback

does is too nice to be decorated with plastic resins

and lawn gnomes.” Th e Gallery’s opening exhibit

featured works by Strongback regulars Ben Nolin,

Robert Ives, Cecil Planedin, Delayne Corbet, and

Jason Balaam and by Strongback friends Mike Butler,

Birgit Piskor, and Kyla Hubbard. Th e eclectic exhibit

ranged from a series of etched oil canvases, to recycled

metal sculptures, to funky stained glass, to concrete

birdbaths and exquisitely carved black slate tabletops.

As Adam tells it: “We are focusing on but not

limited to stone/metal/wood and concrete. Robert is

displaying his paintings in the Pick and Shovel gallery

at this time – we also will be showing and stocking

hand-cut wood block prints on shirts or anything

else, all work by Cecil Planedin.” Much of the art

is of recycled material. “All our black slate pieces,

by Cecil, are taken from unwanted pool tables. Th e

metal fi gures are the way Mike Butler relaxes on the

weekend (he works as a welder full time).”

Personally, what caught my eye was an exquisite

heron, imaginatively craft ed from recycled metal

pieces that perched in the corner quietly observing

the festivities. I admit I was sorely tempted to hijack

it from the lucky Fernwoodian who I met on his

way home to hang it from his raft ers a few days aft er

the opening. Okay, if I can’t have it, maybe we can

arrange for something similar to grace Fernwood

Square as part of the square revitalization initiative.

Strongback’s fi nal words on the opening: “We’d

like to thank everyone who came out to show

support. Special thanks to Gerald Hogrefe who

Pick and shovel gallery

Fernwood’s own gets M award

– continued on page 6

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We are committed to creating a socially,

environmentally, and economically

sustainable neighbourhood;

We are committed to ensuring

neighbourhood control or ownership of

neighbourhood institutions and assets;

We are committed to using our

resources prudently and to becoming

fi nancially self-reliant;

We are committed to the creation and

support of neighbourhood employment;

We are committed to engaging the

dreams, resources, and talents of our

neighbours and to fostering new links

between them;

We are committed to taking action in

response to neighbourhood issues,

ideas, and initiatives;

We are committed to governing

our organization and serving our

neighbourhood democratically with a

maximum of openness, inclusivity and

kindness;

We are committed to developing

the skills, capacity, self-worth, and

excellence of our neighbours and

ourselves;

We are committed to focusing on

the future while preserving our

neighbourhood’s heritage and diversity;

We are committed to creating

neighbourhood places that are vibrant,

beautiful, healthy, and alive;

and, most of all,

We are committed to having fun!

declaration of principles and values

I’ve recently been reading French theorist

Michel Foucault. And I’ve been thinking about Foucault

in the context of Mark Lakeman’s talk in Fernwood

last month (see pgs 4-5). Foucault says there are four

techniques that humans use to organize life: techniques

of production (to make things); techniques of signs and

symbols (to make words); techniques of domination/

power (to infl uence conduct); and techniques of the self

(to make ourselves into subjects, into selves).

Foucault spent most of his life writing about

techniques of domination, which are used, for example in

the prison, the school, the asylum. Here power is at work

and is meant to shape the conduct of people. In prison a

bread and water diet produces a prisoner’s docile body.

How is this related to Mark Lakeman and to neigh-

bours coming together to do things that matter to them?

Later in life, Foucault grappled with what he calls

the other side of the techniques of domination, that is,

the techniques of the self. Here he asks how we can make

ourselves into ethical beings. And he doesn’t mean ethical

as in moral or as in conforming to some pre-determined

or imposed-from-outside law or government. Rather he

means, how do we use what we learn from living as beings

in relation, to create rules for ourselves to live better

more ethical lives. He calls this a “logos bioethikos” – an

equipment of helpful discourses that one can use in action

in every day life.

While Lakeman was talking I thought about

the imposition of the western grid as a technique of

domination/power that shapes our conduct: straight

lines that produce missed opportunities for connection,

streets that produce drivers. But then there’s the other side

of that, a logos bioethikos, a collective logos bioethikos

craft ed in relation. As Lakeman said, “deep connections

transcend the need for government.”

editorial : Logos bioethikos

June 20 and 21, 2008

>> by Wendy Magahay

What’s a Fern Fest? Think Fern: Natural, green

plant magically repeating the same fractal patterns forever.

Now think FEST: fair, festive, festival. Put these together in

Fernwood and you have a unique community celebration of

music, community, fun, and creative possibilities repeating

again and again through the weekend.

Fernwood Neighbourhood Resource Group (Fernwood

NRG) is excited to present the 13th Annual Fern Fest. In

2008, Fern Fest is bigger than ever. It is moving to the heart

of the neighbourhood and is in Fernwood Square and the

Vic High sports fi eld. Fern Fest 2008 off ers something for

everyone.

For kids, there’s face-painting, Painting the Sun, the

ever popular bouncy castle, and a Fernwood favourite, Terry

the Bubble Artist. For bigger kids, appreciate the work of

local artists by taking in the 1st annual Fernwood Art Stroll

and the Vic High Student Art Show at the Cornerstone

Café, enjoy the best music Fernwood has to off er, and sit

with friends for a cold beer. For everyone, enjoy the food

(BBQ dogs and a Saturday morning pancake breakfast),

laugh under the sun (there will be sun!), join in the Mandala

project, and come out to meet your neighbours. Special this

year are sneak preview tours of the Fernwood NRG’s newest

community housing initiative, Park Place on Yukon Street.

Fern Fest is free and open to everyone! Th is year, Fern

Fest coincides with both the summer solstice and National

Aboriginal Day. Watch for the complete two-day Fern Fest

schedule in the next issue of the Village Vibe.

Fern Fest needs your energy and your ideas. To be a Fern

Fest volunteer and be part of the excitement, call 381-1552,

ext 25, email fernfest@fernwoodneighbourhood.ca, sign

up online at www.fernwoodneighbourhood.ca/fernfest.

htm or fi ll out the volunteer form and drop it off at the

Cornerstone Café. Fern Fest is a Fernwood NRG project.

fernwoodneighbourhood.ca

Page 2 | News and views from the heart of Fernwood | May 2008 VillageVibe

The market is coming. The market is coming.

Fernwood Square’s own market returns for its fourth year.

Th e market opens Tuesday May 27th from 5:30pm – 8:30pm

and will run until September 16th. Th e organizers are actively

seeking vendors. Application forms are available at the She

Said Gallery on the corner of Fernwood and Gladstone. All

are welcome to apply.

Th ere is a ‘Strongback Blend’ coff ee being sold out of

the Parsonage. Th rough to the end of May the Parsonage is

donating $1.00 from each pound of coff ee sold to support

Vic High’s electric truck project. (See page 1 of April’s Village Vibe.) Strongback will be matching anything raised by the

coff ee sales.

Wishing a happy, happy one year in Fernwood to the

folks at the Fernwood Inn and Tracy’s clan at Mom’s Market.

We hope your fi rst year here has been as good for you as it

has for many Fernwood residents. I’m sure many of us have

enjoyed stopping in to chat with “mom” over a quart of milk,

a jar of salsa, or the Sunday paper, or downing a beer and

burger on Tuesdays, enjoying the sunny aft ernoon patio, or

catching some great live music at the Inn.

the Fernwood buzz

Fern Fest is coming!

Top: Fernwood Inn (left to right): Michael Colwill (owner), “Danny”, Sarah Colwill (part owner), James Wolfe (head chef)

Bottom: Mom’s Market (from left to right): Colleen, Carolyn, Tony (dad), Mom, Corrine, Carmel, Katie, Cullen (6 years old), Hailey (grandaughter - 3 years old)

Be a Fern Fest Volunteer

Help make Fern Fest 2008 fabulous! Your name

Your email addredss

Your phone number

How would you like to help participate at Fern Fest?

Help with event set up or take down

Be a part of the food / beverage team

Help supervise / organize the children’s events

Help supervise / organize the main stage events

Do you have some time to help volunteer to make this year’s

Fern Fest a success? Let us know using the form below.

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VillageVibe May 2008 | www.fernwoodneighbourhood.ca | Page 3

views from the street : What are you looking forward to the most at this year’s Fern Fest?

I am looking forward to a mix of individuals and

experiences. It’s great – you get to come out and meet

individuals you wouldn’t normally see!

I am looking forward to painting the Mandala!(Fern Fest organizer): I’d like nice sunny weather on

Friday and Saturday (in keeping with our theme of the

sun) so that people can enjoy the festival to the fullest!

I would also like to see total community participation

in the festival.

Neighbourhood initiatives

Azul Salvaje Garry McLaughlin Sue Gentry

neighbours in conversation and libations to select the

Fernwood Mandala on Monday, May 12th, 7pm at the

Cornerstone Café.

When he was in Fernwood on April 5th, Mark

Lakeman of Portland’s City Repair Project (see pgs. 4-5),

talked about what gave meaning – a sense of cohesion and

belonging – to a community. Painting a symbol that tells

the story of our community at the main intersection of our

neighbourhood is an opportunity for Fernwood to inspire

itself and to join in the intersection reclamation movement

that is becoming a worldwide phenomenon.

We would love your participation in defi ning the

Mandala’s features. What is the heart of the story about

Fernwood that resonates with you? What Mandala design

best represents it? Please join us at the Cornerstone Café on

May 12th to share your story and your visions.

Earth Awake

Th e fi rst annual Earth Awake event, a celebration of

communities and the emergence of community leaders –

complete with music, art, games, poetry and raw chocolate

– is happening on Friday May 9th, in the gymnasium of the

Fernwood Community Centre.

Funds raised through this event will help cover some

of the costs for people going to the Village Building

Convergence in Portland, Oregon – a ten day series

of hands-on workshops in permaculture design and

construction, ecological building using recycled and natural

materials, and creating shared places through public art.

“What I want to help do through Earth Awake,” says

event coordinator, Jeremy Kirouac, “is to raise funds for the

training of community leaders who will then have the skills

to bring people together for the creation of sustainable,

healthy and joyful communities.”

Essentially, I’m hoping that people will come back

from the Village Building Convergence with inspiration

and skills which can then be funneled into community

revitalization projects, such as Fernwood’s placemaking

initiatives.”

People who are interested in coming to Earth Awake

can purchase advance tickets by contacting earthawake@

gmail.com, or at the door for $10. Th e event starts at

7:00pm sharp and ends at 11:00pm.

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The Occasional Movie SeriesHosted by Fernwood NRG’s Food Security Group>> by R ae Abbott

Showings Th e premier event is on Tuesday, May

13th, 7pm. Upcoming shows will take place on

occasional Tuesdays thereaft er. See Village Vibe calendar

for dates.

Where In our own living room, at the Cornerstone.

Th e Café will be open for 30 minutes prior to the start of

the fi lm. All fi lms begin at 7pm. Bring your own pillow

and blanket.

What Movies, documentaries, fi lm series,

autobiographies … of food industries, revolutionaries,

activists, communities, and inspirationists. Visions to get

the community excited and aware of food issues which

aff ect us all and to create awareness out of

a basic necessity.

Who Fernwood residents, the Cornerstone staff ,

and Fernwood NRG’s Food Security Group.

Why Food Security and the rising awareness around

where our food comes from, how it is transported to

this island, and how the future of our oil-dependent

culture could potentially be aff ecting our food supply

are important issues that we as a community have an

opportunity to embrace. By showing various docu-

mentaries and movies on this subject, we are creating

an opportunity for dialogue around this issue.

Fernwood’s Mandala Party>> by Sue Gentry

Th e creative minds of Fernwood have come forward

with their visions. Th ey have captured an image that

will symbolize what is at the heart of our community.

Th is image will be made manifest at the intersection of

Fernwood and Gladstone during Fern Fest on June 21st. Now it is your opportunity to support the Mandala that

you feel represents our story.

Th e Mandala Group of Fernwood NRG’s Place-

making Troupe has been collecting Mandala images over

the past month and will be hanging them for display

at the Cornerstone Café beginning May 1st. You are

invited to come view the Mandalas and then join your

Banners Rise in Neighbourhood

On Saturday, April 12th neighbours

gathered to celebrate the raising of banners along

the Cook St business corridor. Th is is the beginning

of initiatives by the North Park Neighbourhood

Association to revitalize Cook St and surrounds as

North Park Village. Well done NPNA!

Beautiful banners are now flying high

along Fernwood and Gladstone Rds courtesy of

neighbourhood artists involved in the 1st annual

Fernwood Art Stroll which will be held in conjunction

with Fernfest, June 21 and 22nd. Our thanks for the

amazing ‘local colour’!

Look waaay up!

Above: Two of the Fernwood Road Banners. Artists Deryk Houston (multi media, left) and Anne Hoban (collage, right).

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Page 4 | News and views from the heart of Fernwood | May 2008 VillageVibe

>> by Gregory Smythe (www.earthlyambitions.com)

On Saturday April 5th, the Fernwood Neighbourhood Resource

Group (Fernwood NRG) hosted Mark Lakeman, a visionary

storyteller, community activist, co-founder of Portland’s City

Repair Project and Principal of Communitecture in Portland. Th e Fernwood

Community Centre gymnasium was fi lled to capacity to hear the sincere and

inspirational words of a true commune-ity orator.

When Mark Lakeman takes the stage, the room goes quiet in a cozy village

kind of way. He doesn’t take the microphone immediately – he’s not there

to speak to an audience but to share stories of possibility and vision for

community. His calm quiet voice draws those listening nearer, hearts yearning

to hear with the same humble intent with which he speaks.

Th ere is, ultimately, only One Story and One Vision being shared through-

out Mark’s presentation and worldview: the Human story of our collective

history and co-creative possibility, a story about our ways of relating to

One-An-Other.

He presents several examples to remind us that we have a relationship with

those around us as co-architects/co-authors of this common space, and if we

choose, we can transform our spaces into people loving places. Mark reminds

us that we’ve a choice to make daily about our world, and that choice is simple:

“To be or not to be. To have place or no place?”

Th ere are plenty of problems we could dwell on, but Mark encourages us to

spend more time refl ecting on the positive ways that things could be diff erent.

He emphasizes that there is an “infi nite spectrum of possibility” and it’s the

“moments spent refl ecting on the positive that will compel us to move towards

it.” He urges us to aim for the impossible, trusting that the means to make it

happen will arrive as we proceed.

So how do we want to begin? How do we want to be? How would we like

to write our world here in Fernwood? Th ere’s nothing stopping us. Nothing.

Our inherent villager nature off ers us the motivation and authority we need

in order to proceed. And proceed we have in many ways. But before we keep

moving forward here in Fernwood, let’s look back. Let’s review a little history.

In 1996, Mark and several friends decided they wanted to change the world.

Following an extended stay in a remote Mayan village, Mark returned to

Portland and experienced intense culture shock. Th e people he lived with

in the Yucatan possessed a profound connection to one another that was

nurtured through the organically organized places in which they lived. But this

was missing in Portland and Mark quickly realized that the urban communities

of North America have been historically designed in a top down fashion, to

protect profi ts and to secure land by creating neighbourhoods that used grids

(blocks) as a simplifi ed urban planning technique. Th is is a technique we

inherited from the Romans, who used it to dominate conquered villages.

Th e problem with “Th e Grid” is that it’s super-imposed in a cookie-cutter

style, and serves only to create dominated spaces rather than to encourage

community meeting places, which support socializing, collaborative

enterprise, and creativity. Th e Grid literally divides and conquers, by

imposing an unsustainable, pre-fabricated pattern upon the communities

which it’s supposed to support. Th is pattern attempts to contain the ways in

which people live their lives, the relationships they develop, and even their

perceptions and beliefs of what is possible.

As a result of this cookie cutter style urban planning, intersections – those

spaces most common to us all, where all possibilities, and all directions can

been seen and from which all possible actions emanate – have become places

of collision rather than creativity. Just like Portland, Fernwood has way too

much creativity to be stuck in a box! Enter Intersection Repair.

feature : Fernwood: A Place to Be with a Spectrum of Possibilities

Dean FortinVictoria City Councillor

Working for strong, healthy and sustainable

communities.

dfortin@victoria.ca

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Denise SavoieMember of Parliament for Victoria

Your voice in OttawaYour voice in Ottawa

VillageVibe May 2008 | www.fernwoodneighbourhood.ca | Page 5

Within every

perceived problem

lies an opportunity for empowerment.

Mark and friends knew this back in 1996. Th ey also knew that westernized

big-boxy grid-like society is headed for the brick wall of unsustainability,

and so, they asked themselves a fundamentally simple but essential question:

“Where are all the circles?”

If traditional villages are designed organically by those living in them,

how can we create a more fl owing, community-orientated, and naturally

organized neighbourhood when all these lines are constraining our creative

empowerment and limiting the ways we relate to one another? What if we

replace some of the boxy gridy-ness with smooth, fl owing designs that nurture

more open and friendly places for people? What if ?

Th ere were no more “What Ifs” for the Sellwood Neighbourhood in Portland.

According to Lakeman, they knew that “if they pushed the boundary and

conceptual barrier in peoples minds then the entire city would shift to fi ll

the void they created.” So, at the corner of 9th and Sherrett, as Portland’s fi rst

Intersection Repair, they created a canvas out of concrete and painted their

own community story. Th rough the co-creative collaboration of planning

and painting, in their own image, the neighbours of Sellwood removed the

physical and psychological barriers that divided them to create a beautiful,

friendly, open and inviting place for community. In fact, it’s now such a

popular place that more than one wedding has occurred on those very streets,

known locally as the Share-It Square.

Th e city of Portland didn’t go for the idea at fi rst. Th e Sellwood neighbours

proceeded illegally with the paint-in party aft er they were told by city offi cials

that they couldn’t use “public space.” Regardless, feedback

from a survey illustrated incredible village transformation

including greater socializing amongst neighbours,

fewer traffi c problems, and overall reduction of crime.

Recognizing these goals as their own, the City announced

a Portland wide Intersection Repair Ordinance to support

future projects! Portland is now known as a sustainability

mecca for community offi cials and activists around the

world. All of this because people came together to create a

common place to story board a shared vision of their own

creative volition. Last year alone, over 25 separate community

initiatives (community gardens, intersection repairs, giant

murals, cob benches, community kiosks, tea houses etc.) erupted

throughout Portland during City Repairs seventh annual Village

Builder’s Convergence (VBC).

Oh VBC! What a wonderful, wonderful thing. Imagine the hands-on

opportunity to learn practical skills in permaculture design, natural building

(cob), intersection repair, and creative community development, while

working to strengthen a neighbourhood. Imagine all the wonderful knowledge

you could bring back to our village by visiting Portland this May for VBC8!

Check out the VBC website at: www.cityrepair.org. But wait! Before we all

leave town, let’s return to Fernwood and our own intersections.

Th rough our Place Making discussions that have been going on between

neighbours this past winter, we’re well on our way to creatively defi ning more

people places. By the time you read this, Fernwood NRG will have hosted our

Charrette intended to capture a neighbourhood inspired vision for Fernwood

village that we can share with the City. (Watch the Village Vibe for more

information as this dialogue unfolds.)

Fernwood’s Mandala project will also be well in hand. We are collecting

submissions for our Mandala intersection design process and will choose, as

a community, a design that most vividly represents our shared story. Come

Fern Fest ( June 21st) we’ll be ready and organized to host an open community

paint-in party! (See “Mandala Party” on pg. 3).

So, let’s do it! As Fernwoodians, as our own authorities, let’s step into the

centre of our own community being. Let’s meet together in the middle of our

own intersections as the source of transformation, to paint a picture with a

“spectrum of possibilities.” Let’s write our chapter in the grand Human Story,

sharing our square, sharing our streets, sharing our dreams, sharing space to

make place while we create community and, therefore, create Fernwood as an

even more amazing Place to Be. Aft er all, our space is intimately bound to the

perceptions we hold of ourselves on the inside. If we transform our spaces to

places, we transform ourselves and the relationships we have with one another.

Th ank you for allowing me the place to write with you.

Rob Fleming, MLAVictoria - Hillside

1020 Hillside Avenue

250 360.2023 rob.fleming.mla@leg.bc.ca

Serving Our Community

and so, they asked

themselves a fundamentally

simple but

essential question:

“Where are all the

circles?”

Just like Portland, Fernwood has way too much creativity to be stuck in a box! Enter Intersection Repair.

Please come for coff ee with me and

Rob Fleming, MLA (Victoria Hillside)

at the Black Stilt Coff ee House,

103, 1633 Hillside Avenue (across from

Hillside Mall) Wednesday, May 21, 2:00

to 4:00 p.m. We want to hear from you.

Page 6 | News and views from the heart of Fernwood | May 2008 VillageVibe

>> by Margaret Hantiuk

It’s that time of year again when we all

want to get outside – everywhere everything is coming

alive again. It’s time to play outdoors! Whether you have

a yard, patio or balcony, as long as there’s a little bit of

bare earth, the miracle of growing your own food is yours

to enjoy. Th ere’s nothing like getting down and dirty at

this time of year.

To be a successful food grower, you need a spot with

at least six hours of preferably midday sunshine. Your

soil will make a diff erence too. To grow the best veggies,

a well draining deep loam can’t be beat. If your soil is too

sandy (drains too quickly, needs constant watering in

the summer, and doesn’t have much loft ) or if it has too

much clay (doesn’t drain well at all, is heavy and slow

to warm up in the spring), adding a good thick layer

of compost every spring or fall is the remedy. (Sea soil,

which is organic, can be substituted if you don’t have any

compost.) Some people like to work in a little dolomitic

lime before planting, as our soils here tend to be on the

acidic side.

Th is has been a cool, wet spring. Wet soil compacts

when walked on, and so it pays to avoid getting out

too early in your veggie patch. If your soil is heavy clay,

or you like to get out in the early spring and plant the

cool weather veggies (peas, spinach, radishes, lettuce,

and green onions) consider building raised beds. Th ey

drain the early spring rains faster and the soil will be

warm sooner. Th ese should be built so that there is access

from paths between the beds, the gardener reaching

into them from both sides without standing on the

beds. Raised beds are easier to take care of: they require

less digging, watering, and even less space, as the paths

are not included in the growing area. Th is is a kind of

‘intensive’ gardening that many prefer. If you decide to

make permanent raised beds, use non-toxic lumber or

bricks/pavers. Th e compost or any amendments and soil

for your food garden should be chemical free also.

Th is year, try successive crops of your favorites.

Planting part of a bed or a row every two weeks for a

while should yield fresh veggies throughout the summer.

Generally, the ‘warm weather veggies’ (beans, potatoes,

cukes, squashes, corn) cannot be planted until the soil

really warms up and the nights too (mid-May). ‘Hot

weather’ veggies (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant) need a

warm, protected spot, a little ‘cloche’ (French for hat), or

even a cold frame to do well here with our cool summers.

Th ey should be seeded indoors or bought as wee plants,

and not put out until June. (Cold frames are easily made

from old windows. Th ey should be propped open in

the day to catch rain and for adequate air movement, to

prevent moulds and fungus from developing.)

When buying seed, I recommend buying from local

garden stores that carry varieties that thrive in our cool

coastal climate (such as West Coast Seeds, formerly

Territorial, which has a wonderful growing guide

available as well). Th ere are many places to buy veggie

plants that have already been started (see below).

Aft er planting, visit your veggie patch oft en. Weed it

carefully and eat the thinnings, which are the weaker

culls. Water with a gentle spray when the beds are dry.

I usually put a light cover of chicken wire over my beds

at fi rst to prevent cats from digging in them. Inspect

your new little plants, picking off any bugs that seem

to be eating them. Sing to them.

Th ere is lots of information on organic gardening

and how to avoid using pesticides. Our own Compost

Education Centre at North Park and Chambers off ers

free aft ernoon workshops on all aspects of organic

gardening for a $20.00 yearly membership fee.

(386-9676, www.compost.bc.ca) Th eir spring plant sale

is Saturday, May 10th from 10:00 to 1:00.

Some other helpful websites are: City Green

(www.citygreen.ca), LifeCycles Project Society

(www.lifecyclesproject.ca), Canadians Against

Pesticides (http://caps.20m.com), City Farmer-Urban

Agriculture Notes (http://cityfarmer.org)

gleanings : Growing your own

On March 28th and 29th, Victoria’s third

wisdom council was held in Fernwood. Fernwood residents

selected to participate generated the following statement:

We resolve to reduce our footprint and strengthen our

handshake.

As members of our community, we acknowledge

the good work already being done and call for stronger

connections within our community.

Th oughtfully United to Reweave, Nurture and Inspire

People to Sustainability. (TURNIPS)

Th oughtfully – mindfulness, free expression, comfort,

acceptance, safety, respect for one another.

United – committed to action, discovering common

issues, universally applicable, inclusive.

Reweave – community, connection, communication,

liberating action, connecting existing resources. (e.g.,

directory of what’s available in the community)

Nurture – education, compassion, ecology, boulevard/

community gardens, health, take time, feed your soul/spirit.

(e.g., peace, refl ection, rest, time-out, holiday, quiet time)

Inspire – empowerment, courage, hand-up versus

hand-out, celebration through art, music, dance and

spoken word.

People – accountability, personal responsibility,

inclusivity, reaching out.

Sustainability – ecology, empowerment, education,

preparation, protection, support, accountability, bridging

the generations with knowledge-transfer, food security,

lifelong engagement.

Why the turnip? We used to eat fresh food grown

close to home. Now we can eat food from across the world.

But at what cost? Back to the future – turnips in winter!

We discussed the concept of preparedness and

remembered the blizzard of ‘96. What happened? People

slowed down, began to interact, neighbours helped

neighbours. We could hear the sounds of nature. Strong

communities help us to be prepared both in emergencies

and every day.

Having shared our thoughts, concerns and insights, we

asked ourselves, “How do we proceed on a personal basis?”

Some of us have committed to replacing our lawns with

gardens, giving up our cars, restoring relationships, greeting

people on the street, reaching out in other ways, etc.

We invite you to join us. How else do we work

together to strengthen and enrich our community?

For more information, contact Philip Symons, philmar@islandnet.com or 592-6484

Fernwood Wisdom Council Team Turn-Up

helped out before the opening and then had to

split. Th anks to those who didn’t leave us with any

extra beer, wine, or food!”

Th e Pick and Shovel Gallery is a welcome

addition to Fernwood’s village. Congratulations

on making your dream a reality that we all can

enjoy.

Bike lab | fr om page 1Gallery | fr om page 1

owner was so enthusiastic she painted her nails

to match!

Th e program, which started at Vic High in January

and runs through to the end of the school year, is going so

well they hope to expand it to a full year course starting

next September. “Th e kids are so great and receptive,” says

Bike Lab’s Triane Tambay. Not only are they learning a

valuable skill, they’re also having a blast! “It’s unlike any

other class,” says grade-nine student Ashley Lutz.

Th e Bike Lab Society is a group of committed

volunteers, some of whom spend every weekday morning

at Vic High. Th ey only receive a small amount of funding

for their tools and get all the bikes and parts by donation.

Got an old bike in the garage? Old parts lying around?

To donate them, contact bikelabsociety@gmail.com. For

more information go to www.recyclistas.ca

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>> by Aaron Ellingsen

Meeting Celine

Stubel over a drink at

Stage was slightly strange.

I’d seen her act at the Belfry

in Unless and My Chernobyl. I wondered if those roles – world-weary and heartsick

daughter; cooky Belarusian wannabe bride – would bear

much resemblance to the person.

Celine grew up in Victoria, fourth of fi ve children.

Both her parents were teachers who encouraged their

children’s involvement in the arts. Ballet and music fi gured

large in the home, activities Celine says were “designed

to keep the kids out of trouble – not that we were ever in

trouble.”

She says she’s never been a drama queen. Th eatre

wasn’t so much an early passion as something she’s grown

into, more of a vocation. She was never involved in theatre

while at Lambrick Park Secondary. So perhaps surprisingly,

when it came time to go to university, she followed her two

sisters’ path to theatre at UVic.

In 2002, UVic instructor Sandra Guerreiro pointed

out a job posting for box offi ce staff at the Belfry. Celine

wasn’t thrilled to apply for an off -stage job, but practicality

won out. It was a good move. “I worked there through

the summer and got my fi rst acting job in the fall in a play

called Garage Sale directed by Nicola Cavendish – a great

fi rst experience.” Since then she’s appeared at the Belfry in

Unless, Th e Qualities of Zero and My Chernobyl. Outside the Belfry, three years ago Celine began work

with friends and collaborators at Atomic Vaudeville on a

play for Victoria’s Fringe Festival. Legoland, by Victoria

playwright Jacob Richmond, directed/produced by Britt

Small, quickly picked up momentum that continues to this

day. Th ey’ve taken the show from Victoria to Saltspring

Island, Toronto, New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, and

Bellingham. Aft er an initial foray to Toronto’s juried

SummerWorks Festival, the group took the play back for

the Toronto Fringe the following year. Celine describes

their voyage:

“Our SummerWorks venue was an old building called

‘Th e Icebox.’ It was so cold you could see your breath.

Barely any people came out to see our show, which was a

bit hard, but we were lucky because we got good press, and

the people that did see it liked it. Word of mouth was so

positive that we decided to take it back to the Fringe the

next year, which went much better – we were much more a

part of the festival hubbub.”

Th e story has a happy postscript. Celine and company

return to Toronto with Legoland this fall, where they’re

booked for a three-week run at Th eatre Passe Muraille. “It’s

kind of a dream come true,” she says, “for a Fringe show to

get a theatre run.”

Celine talks a lot about luck. From picking up her fi rst

professional role at the Belfry to the creative collaborations

she enjoys with Atomic Vaudeville and Th eatre SKAM, to

the support she’s felt from outgoing Belfry artistic director

Roy Surette and her interactions with more established

actors like Nicola Cavendish and Allan Morgan, her

experiences have been positive; her praise for colleagues’

support and mentorship is eff usive.

She’s considered a career-driven move away from

Victoria, but it’s not something she’s rushing headlong

towards. Friends and classmates in theatre made the move

to larger centres, and she’s not sure it worked to their

advantage. Many have ended up disillusioned with theatre

and drift ing into other fi elds out of necessity.

Celine’s loved her work at the Belfry; she’s proud of

the successes she’s enjoyed. She’s excited about her June

foray over to the HIVE festival in Vancouver with Th eatre

SKAM, she can’t wait to stage Chekhov’s Th ree Sisters at

the Metro this October – her fi rst chance to work on a

project with her two sisters – and the opportunity to take

Legoland to UVic Phoenix Th eatre’s Spotlight on alumni

in October or November.

Th ere’s bound to be some travel in her future – she’s

rapidly making a ton of connections abroad. She’s keeping

her eye out for an agent, and would like to give TV or fi lm

acting a try. She’s not opposed to going away, but arriving

back in Fernwood is always coming home. “I think it’s safe

to say I’m deeply, deeply rooted in Victoria,” she says.

Outside the theatre – literally – Celine loves Fernwood.

She loves Stage, the Fernwood Inn and the Cornerstone.

She loves that she can’t go a block without running into

someone she knows, and that there are great places to stop

and chat with the folks she runs into. She loves watching

Vic High’s senior rugby team beat Oak Bay, and the

roundabout sort of connection she feels to the players.

Luck or no, success in the theatre depends on being

the kind of person people want to work with. Success

seems to be seeking her out. It’s a bit early to describe

Celine as a fi xture or mainstay on the Victoria stage, but

at the rate she’s picking up projects, she may have some

trouble avoiding that fate.

> http://atomicvaudeville.com

> www.skam.ca

> www.belfry.ca

Committed to Supporting

Community Associations

Carole James,

MLA

Victoria - Beacon

Hill

Community Office1084 Fort Street,VictoriaP: (250) 952-4211F: (250) 952-4214carole.james.mla@leg.bc.cawww.opposition.bc.ca

Apartment neededQuiet, newly-retired woman looking for a long-term rental in

Fernwood, effective May 15th or June 1st. My maximum is

$750, including utilities. I am community-minded, friendly and

reliable, and have excellent references. Please contact me,

Karen, at 472-1273, or by email, karen.mcivor@gmail.com

fernwood marketplace

VillageVibe May 2008 | www.fernwoodneighbourhood.ca | Page 7

faces : Centre stage in Fernwood

She can’t wait to stage Chekhov’s Three Sisters at the Metro this October

>> by Trish

Richards

Intrepid Theatre is now perched on the

fringe of Fernwood! Intrepid’s new space at 1609

Blanshard includes a new 50-seat theatre, the Intrepid

Th eatre Club.

Intrepid Th eatre has successfully championed

alternative theatre in Victoria for over 25 years. Intrepid

brings us the annual Fringe and Uno Festivals, sponsors

singular shows and runs the Metro Th eatre.

Th e Metro, transformed from the old gymnasium

of the Metropolitan United Church (now home to

the Victoria Conservatory of Music) opened in 2006.

Th e 150 + seat Metro provides a much needed venue

for productions that are not large enough for the Alix

Goolden.

Intrepid Producer Janet Munsil says that the

Metro met a major need. “It surprised us. Our idea

was to provide space to facilitate the growth of the

arts community. We thought it would take about

fi ve years for it to become established.” In fact, the

Metro is already solidly booked. Th e arts community

was waiting in the wings for a mid-sized venue. Janet

expects things to move more slowly with the Th eatre

Club. It will provide what Janet terms “fl exible space”:

everything from conventional riser seating to Th eatre in

the Round. Th e new venue is “ideal for more intimate

acts that would be dwarfed in the Metro.”

Because of the Th eatre Club, Intrepid has expanded

the upcoming Uno Fest to 20 shows. Th ey’ve also

added more local performers to the festival line-up.

Uno Fest is a festival of solo performances, many of

which are ideal for the smaller, more intimate space.

Like the Fringe, Uno Fest is a delicious smorgasbord

for fans of alternative theatre. Uno Fest runs from May 21st to June 1st at four venues. See http://www.

intrepidtheatre.com.

Both Janet and Intrepid General Manager Ian Case

agree that the new Th eatre Club “will help expand

Victoria’s theatre horizons both by widening the breath

of Intrepid’s imports and by enabling local theatre

companies to grow into their potential. Th at is what

we have always aimed to do and will just keep working

away at.”

As any theatre fan will agree, Intrepid does it like

none other! Congratulations on your new space and

welcome to the fringe of Fernwood.

Intrepid at the fringe of Fernwood

Ph

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Page 8 | News and views from the heart of Fernwood | May 2008 VillageVibe

what’s on in FernwoodArts, Theatre, and EntertainmentBelfry Theatre.

THE VIOLET HOUR by Richard Greenberg.

Apr 15-May 18. Tues-Sat 8pm; Sat 4pm; Sun

2pm. 1291 Gladstone Ave. For info contact

Belfry Box Offi ce at 385-6815 or www.belfry.

bc.ca

Bluegrass Wednesdays.

Fernwood NRG and the Fernwood Bluegrass

Association present Wednesday night

bluegrass jams at the Cornerstone Café. 7:30-

10pm. FREE!

Bohemian Open Mic at 8pm hosted by

James Kasper – Cornerstone Concerts

at 10pm.

Saturdays. (May 3>Athena Holmes of The

Southern Chakras). Cornerstone Café. 1301

Gladstone Ave. For concert booking info

contact: 381-1552 ext.25. FREE!

Collective Works Gallery.

“Illuminations” (group show). Apr 18-May 8.

“Fernwood & Around” (Al Williams). May 9-

May 29. Gallery hours>11am-6pm Tues-Thurs;

11am-8pm Fri+Sat; 11am-6pm Sun. 1311

Gladstone Ave. www.collectiveworks.ca

Intrepid Theatre Presents – Uno Fest

A 100% Canadian lineup of the country’s

fi nest shows and brightest solo stars! May

21-June 1 at four venues near you. www.

intrepidtheatre.com

Live Music at Fernwood Inn.

Open Mic Thursdays. 8:30-11:30pm. 1302

Gladstone Ave. FREE!

Live Taping of New Fernwood

Compilation CD.

“Live from the Cornerstone Café.” Immortalize

yourself on tape and cheer on your local

artists! Fri, May 9. 7-11pm. FREE!

Live Music at Logan’s Pub.

1821 Cook St. www.loganspub.com

Victoria Bluegrass Association Jam.

Tuesdays 7:30-10:30pm. Orange Hall. 1620

Fernwood Rd. $2 to play. FREE to listen. www.

victoriabluegrass.ca

Victoria Folk Music Society

Sundays. 7:30pm Open Stage. 9pm Feature

Performer. (May 4>THE HUMAN STATUES,

May 11>MAMA’S KITCHEN, May 25>NORAH

RENDELL AND BRIAN MILLER). Norway

House. 1110 Hillside Ave. $5 feature performer

nights/$3 all open stage night. www.

victoriafolkmusic.ca

Kids and Families at the Fernwood Community Centre (FCC)Community Family Day.

Family-directed and facilitated programming.

Mondays 9:30-11:30am. FCC Gym. FREE!

Parent and Tot Playgroup.

Snacks/Crafts/Circle Time. Tuesdays and

Thursdays 9:30-11:30am. FCC Gym. $1 per

family.

Youth, Adults and SeniorsEar Acupuncture.

Treatments 15-20 min. Thursdays 2:30-

4:30pm. FCC MPR. By donation.

Falun Gong.

Peaceful meditation practice. All welcome!

Wednesdays 5-7pm. FCC MPR. FREE!

Family Floor Hockey.

Sundays 3:30-5pm, FCC Gym. $5 per family.**

Fernwood Autumn Glow.

55+. Gentle exercise, lunch and activities.

Monthly special guest speaker. Fridays 11am.

FCC MPR. $5.50 for lunch.

Floor Hockey.

Drop-in Co-ed. Adult (18+). Tuesdays and

Thursdays 7-9:30pm. Saturdays 2:30-5pm.

FCC Gym. $4, or get a punchcard: $40/11

sessions.**

Hatha Yoga.

With certifi ed instructor Elke. Focus on gentle

poses, breathing practice, deep relaxation and

meditation. Tuesdays 3-4:30pm. FCC Gym.

Suggested donation $5.

Indoor Soccer.

Drop-in Co-ed. Adult (18+). Mondays 8:45-

10:45pm. FCC Gym. $3.**

Internet and Computer Access.

Register and get online through the

Community Access Program. Monday to

Friday 9:30am-5pm. FCC Community Room.

FREE!

Junior Youth Empowerment Program.

Sundays 2-5pm. FCC MPR. For info call 381-

1552 ext.25

Nintendo Wii Fridays.

Drop-in Co-ed. Ages 13-16. Fridays 7-9:30pm.

FCC Gym. By donation. Concession open.

NEW!! Scrabble Saturdays.

Ages 13-adult. Saturdays 2-5pm. FCC. Drop in

and meet fellow Scrabbleheads. FREE!

NEW!! Tot Soccer.

Ages 3 to 5. Instructor Bobby Kenny. Sundays

11am-noon. Rain or shine. Learn the basics

and have fun. Whether you call it soccer or

football, this game is great for one and all.

Please bring a kickable ball. In the fi eld behind

FCC. By donation.

**We accept Sports Trader Bucks and

Canadian Tire Money at face value!

Special EventsCock-A-Doodle-Doo! Urban Chicken

Workshop and Fernwood Coop Tour.

Back by popular demand. Sat, May 3.

10am-1pm. FCC. $10. To register contact

foodsecurity@fernwoodneighbourhood.ca

Earth Awake.

Fri, May 9. 7-11pm. FCC Gym. $10. For info:

earthawake@gmail.com

Fifth Annual Compost Education Centre

Spring Plant Sale

Sat, May 10. 10am-1pm. North Park and

Chambers. www.compost.bc.ca

Inspire-A-Book.

Making your book idea come to life, with Julie

Salisbury. Sat, May 3 and 10. 1-5pm. $149

plus $95 for workbook.

Fernwood Business Network.

Everyone welcome. Tues, May 6. 10am.

(second Tuesday monthly!) Fernwood Inn.

For info contact Ryan Rutley at ryan@

rutleyventures.ca

Fernwood’s Outrageous Recycling Day.

Bring your CLEAN plastics, styrofoam packing

and food trays, electronics and foil-lined

coffee bags. Sat, May 10. 10am-1pm. Back of

FCC. By donation.

Fernwood Square Mandala Selection

Soirée.

Come out and contribute your voice! Help

choose the Mandala that most speaks of

Fernwood, the design that will be painted in

the Fernwood/Gladstone intersection. Mon,

May 12, 7pm Cornerstone Café. All welcome!

Info at: http://thevillagevibe.ning.com/group/

mandelagroup

NEW!! Food Film Discussion Series.

“The Power of Community: How Cuba

Survived Peak Oil.” Tues, May 13. 7-9pm,

Cornerstone Café. Hosted by the Fernwood

NRG Food Security Collective. FREE! Watch

for future dates.

Green Drinks.

An inclusive gathering of the sustainability-

minded for refreshments and conversation.

Tues, May 13. 5-7pm. Canoe Brewpub, Marina

and Restaurant, 450 Swift St. For info see

www.greendrinksvictoria.ca

Fernwood Placemaking Troupe.

All Welcome! Bring your ideas for the square

and the neighbourhood. Mon, May 19. 7pm.

Cornerstone Café.

Fernwood NRG Food Security Collective

– Monthly Meeting.

All welcome! Tues, May 20. 7-9pm. FCC MPR.

foodsecurity@fernwoodneighbourhood.ca

Introduction to the Music Business.

Presented by Cornerstone Collective Records.

Ages 16+. Sat, May 24. 2-5pm. $20 or 2 for

$35. Email james@fernwoodneighbourhood.

ca for more info.

Fernwood Community Kitchen.

Cook nutritious, creative meals with your

neighbours! For info contact Tracey at

tveldhuis@gmail.com

Fernwood Pocket Market.

Local organic produce and baked goods.

Tuesdays 2-6pm. Cornerstone Café.

Fernwood Sharing Gardens.

Have a garden but no time? Time but no

garden? Contact Rainey at 380-5055 or

sharinggardens@gmail.com.

Spring Ridge Commons Workparties!

Come and get your hands dirty in Fernwood’s

only public food garden. Every Thursday from

5-7PM. Please bring tools if you’ve got ‘em.

Published by Fernwood NRG (Fernwood Neighbourhood Resource Group)

1240 Gladstone StreetVictoria, BC V8T 1G6T 250.381.1552 F 250.381.1509villagevibe@fernwood neighbourhood.cawww.fernwoodneighbourhood.ca

Editor: Lisa HelpsAssistant Editors: Aaron Ellingsen,Trish RichardsPhotographers: Pete Rockwell, Veronique da Silva

Contributors:Rae AbbottCaitlin CroteauSue GentryMargaret HantiukWendy MagahayGregory Smythe

The views expressed in the Village Vibe do not necessarily refl ect the views of Fernwood NRG.

villagevibe

Under new ownership!

Open For Lunch!

From 11:30 Daily

Check out our new

Lunch Specials

1302 Gladstone 412-2001

Coming EventsThe Vic High Neighbourhood Choir.

Presents its 3rd annual spring concert “With

One Voice”, featuring guest soloist COLLEEN

ECCLESTON (lead singer of Victoria’s favourite

Celtic trio “The Ecclestons”), in an evening

celebrating all things a capella! Fri, June 6,

8pm; Victoria High School Auditorium. Tix: $5 at

the door. Info: 382-7048

Fern Fest ‘08.

June 20 and 21. Fernwood Square. Music, Arts,

Food and Games! Come out and celebrate

our wonderfully eclectic and ever-evolving

neighbourhood! FREE! VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

To get involved call 381-1552 ext.25 or sign up

at: www.fernwoodneighbourhood.ca.

The Fernwood Commons: A Fernwood

Community Communication Forum.

For info on Fernwood comings and goings

and neighbourhood news and views, check

out The Fernwood Commons on line: http://

thevillagevibe.ning.com/

If you have a workshop or special event idea for

the FCC or the Cornerstone Café email james@

fernwoodneighbourhood.ca

If you have a Fernwood event you would like

listed in the Village Vibe calendar please send

an email with the subject line “vibe calendar” to

villagevibe@fernwoodneighbourhood.ca