The

September 2016 Flagstone Volume 21 Issue 9 $2.00 Denman’s Village Voice

[Type1 text]Sue Stewart Blackberry Run The Flagstone

2 Index Address: Box 10, Denman Island, BC, V0R 1T0

3 Shelley McKeachie The Big Picture email:[email protected] 4 Laura Busheikin Islands Trust Notebook Advertising call Danni Crenna 5 Suzette Cullen DIRCS Report Riane Da Silva Denman Works! Volunteer Staff 6 Doug Carrick According to Doug Production - Danni Crenna (250)335-0198 7 Guy Marion Phantom Ball Accounting - Helen Mason (250)335-1603 8 Various Writers Letters The Collating Team - Louise Bell, Graham 9 Various Writers Continued Brazier, Mikell Callahan, Jean Cockburn, Danni 10 Various Writers Stories from Readers' & Writers' Crenna, Cindy & David Critchley, Noni Fenwick- 11 Continued Wilson, Sterling Fraser, Karl Goodwin, John 12 Sponsor Don Luckett Arts Denman Page Graham, Jane Guest, Harlene Holm, Helen Mason, Jack Mounce 13 U Bay Credit Union UB Credit Union Article

Kate Janeway Apple Fest The Flagstone is a non-profit newsletter put 14 Satya Bellerose Solar Panel Update together entirely by volunteers. Our revenues Bill Engleson 200 Words or Less do not cover our costs. Please consider making 15 Lori Nawrot HDCHCS News a donation - drop in the Flagstone box at 16 Minding the Gulf Abraxas or mail to the address above. A 17 Max Rogers Agriculture Matters donation of $12 is only $1 per issue - a bargain! 18 Continued 19 Dr Ron Wilson Denman Fitness Update OUR DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS is the Friday 20 Sponsored by ReMax Kids' Page before we go to print; generally the 3rd Friday 21 Graham Brazier This Place of each month. Check this page or the back 22 Meredith McEvoy There's an APP for That page or the Grapevine calendar for that date 23 Ed Hoeppner Composting Toilets each month. The Flagstone is printed monthly Rick Balfour Biochar Talks Invite by the Denman Island Print Shop at a reduced 24 Union Bay Credit Community Announcements rate, for which we are very grateful. Union Sponsor 25 Off - Island Subscriptions: Flagstone issues 26 mailed monthly for one year - Deadline for October's $30.00 Within Canada 27 $40 to US Addresses 28 Flagstone is OR 29 you can now get on-line subscriptions ( a pdf 30 mailed to your email address) for free Friday Donations Welcome 31 32 September 16th 33 34

35

Bruce Jolliffe Director Baynes Sound – Denman/Hornby Islands (Area ‘A’) [email protected] Tel: 250-335-1275 2

THE BIG PICTURE By Shelley McKeachie for ADIMS

Killer Whales → Chinook Salmon → Pacific Sand Lance Recent research conducted by scientists from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and colleagues at the Vancouver Aquarium studied whether killer whales are getting enough to eat. Killer whales eat mainly Chinook salmon and several of the B.C. Chinook runs are endangered. They found that expectant Salish Sea killer whales don't have enough food to keep themselves and their unborn calves at highly functioning levels, contributing to a high miscarriage rate. https://www.eopugetsound.org/magazine/orca-miscarriages Dr. Lance Barrett-Lennard, Senior Scientist and head of Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Research Program, Killer Whale Photogrammetry, stated in a Media Briefing “. . One of the best indicators of health of an ecosystem generally is the presence and abundance of large predators. In this case the predator that we’re primarily focusing on is the killer whale. As impressive as they are, their existence depends on intact marine food chains from plankton on up. Killer whales are highly intelligent, they are as long-lived as humans, they’re fiercely attached to their offspring and their kin, they’re embedded in the lore and culture of First Nations and they’re objects of fascination to locals and visitors to this area alike. This species is really one of our treasures. Sadly, killer whales, in this beautiful corner of the world are struggling.” He goes on to say that the southern resident population, that spends most of its time in southern B.C. and northern Washington State, number only 82. Both southern and northern killer whales are fish eaters that rely primarily on Chinook salmon. Chinook salmon are the largest, but the least abundant of the local salmon species. Dr. John Ford of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, has shown that the mortality of the killer whales is strongly linked to the abundance of Chinook salmon. In poor salmon years, resident killer whales die in greater numbers and their reproduction declines as well. Ecojustice, the David Suzuki Foundation, Dogwood Initiative, Georgia Strait Alliance, Greenpeace, Raincoast Conservation Foundation, Sierra Club of BC, and Wilderness Committee have joined together, calling for immediate action by the federal government to ensure the killer whale’s survival. They call for three changes that would give the action plan teeth. The first is to “ensure an adequate and accessible supply of the whale’s preferred prey — Chinook salmon.” What does the Chinook salmon feed on? Their diet consists of 72% forage fish, of which 50% is Pacific Sand Lance. Forage fish are small to intermediate size marine prey species that are eaten by a huge range of marine predators, including whales, seals, big fish like tuna and cod, salmon, and seabirds. World Wildlife Fund Canada released a report in August, 2016, Food for all: Small fish with a big influence, which assessed the health of the 27 forage fish stocks in Atlantic & Pacific Canada. Of the 8 forage fish stocks assessed in British Columbia, their status is unknown. www.wwf.ca/newsroom/reports/oceans Margaret Siple, University of Washington, states, “We know that forage fish are vitally important to starving predators such as whales and seabirds, as well as critical to the recovery of commercial fisheries. Researchers have only begun to understand how many there are, where they go, and how we can preserve their populations for the future. . . They are some of the most important fish in the Salish Sea food web and are also the most mysterious.” https://www.eopugetsound.org/magazine/secret-forage

Protection of spawning beaches for commercial and non-commercial forage fish is one of the 5 key goals WWF-Canada has identified as essential to ensure healthy forage fish populations. The precautionary principle denotes a duty to prevent harm, when it is within our power to do so, even when all the evidence is not in. This principle has been codified in several international treaties to which Canada is a signatory. Let’s keep our focus on ‘the big picture’, working toward ensuring a healthy marine food web from our iconic killer whales, to our beloved salmon, to the little forage fish with the big impact. 3 3 33

Trustee Notebook By Laura Busheikin [Type text]

What Makes Denman Special?

It’s mid-August as I sit down to write this. Blackberry season. Go-to-the-lake-or-beach season. There are shooting Our ferry – it’s the world's longest marine cable ferry, for stars at night, and from dawn to dusk the sun reminds us better or worse, and the only one on the BC coast. why it has long been considered a deity in many cultures. Usually, I fill this space with news of meetings, bylaws, Herring – Denman Island is at the geographical centre of applications, contentious community discussions, musings the Salish Sea's annual herring spawn in early March. The on democracy, and various other Islands Trust complexities. waters turn turquoise as thousands of herring release eggs But this month I’m going to write about what makes and milt, drawing not just a human fishery but also a host Denman Island special. of sea lions, seals, eagles, gulls, herons and other sea birds It’s not just the hot summer weather that’s prompting and mammals. me to lighten up. In fact, I am still on-task. At the heart of Community Christmas dinners at the Hall, including a visit the Islands Trust, our one-of-a-kind regional and local from Santa with presents for the kids – served free-of- governing structure, is our mandate: to preserve and protect charge to all comers for over 25 years. Usually over 300 this area and its unique amenities and environment. It’s people attend and the whole thing is provided by essential for us to slow down now and then to identify and volunteers. appreciate these ‘unique amenities.’ Pre-contact history – the island was home to the Pentlatch I recently put a call out on Denman’s Facebook bulletin people and was known as 'Inner Island.' There were, boards, asking people what makes Denman special. This fun according to estimates, four Pentlatch villages, including exercise was actually part of a Trust-wide initiative that one on what is now named “Denman Point." European includes visioning, revisiting our policy statement (the settlers visiting in 1862 after the indigenous population closest thing to a manifesto we have), and asking Islanders had been decimated by smallpox described remnants of a what is in their hearts and minds as they consider where settlement that included totem poles and massive cedar they live and how it is governed. house frames.

Here is the question I posed: “Denmanites, do you know More surface water than any other island in the Trust, any fun, quirky, remarkable, noteworthy, eyebrow-raising, including two freshwater lakes. or otherwise interesting facts about Denman? The Islands Trust is creating a “state of the islands” report and wants to The golf course – in a sheep-field, as informal and non- enliven this with fun facts about all the islands.” commercial as golf can get.

And here are some of the results from Facebook denizens, Mama meals – for over 15 years, whenever a baby is born, as well as myself and Trustee David Critchley: community volunteers take turns cooking and delivering dinners every night for several weeks. The Graffiti Fence – for over four decades this fence along Denman Road, originally put up as a safety barrier on top on Apples – a huge number of locally-grown varieties and a an old sandstone quarry, has been used by Islanders to long apple-growing history. advertise events, make political statements, and express their quirkiness, creativity and vision. People also noted our free store, beaches, eagles, vibrant arts and music culture, strong creative feminists, dark The Denman Island Natural Burial Cemetery – opened in skies, two local newspapers, old stone quarry, and plethora October 2015, this is the first exclusively green cemetery in of public spaces. And I feel compelled to pay tribute to the Canada. precious and rare Douglas Fir coastal forest, and the magnificent Salish Sea marine ecosystem. Even though The only known breeding habitat of the Taylor's they are not unique to Denman and thus don’t fit the Checkerspot Butterfly, which was previously thought to be criteria of my original question, they are at the heart of all extirpated in North America until discovered on Denman. that we love on our island. Denman Island Conservancy helped co-ordinate a captive breeding program and the enhancement/protection of It’s been a pleasure to contemplate the things that make habitat. Denman special. Thanks to everyone who took the time to 4 participate. 4

DIRCS Report By Suzette Cullen Since our general meetings have not drawn large crowds I thought we should give a midyear report and a midyear thank Don Johnson 250-338-8822 you to several folks. To date we have worked with the solar www.ableandreadyseptic.ca [email protected] group and we have the first public building to go solar on Denman Island. A huge thanks to that group, you know who you are. As well we thank Stacy Seabrook for his getting our we would like to thanks Paddy O’Connell and Roz Klein for roof ready for the next 25 years! As a board DIRCS encourages their work over the last few years for their time and work. all of us on the island to continue working to solarize our Island Lyndsey Jennings has taken the position and welcome on as much as possible. At the direction of one of our board board. Mitz and Shizu Narusawa donated a cord of fir members, Eli Hason we are pretty much refitted for sound! firewood chopped and ready to go for the fall and winter, Thanks to Eli, Michael Lindsay, and others. Another hall clean many thanks for your generosity. For the upcoming fall, up was organized by Kathy Rieder, and a host of volunteers we plan on continuing the Blackberry Faire, serving pies at contributed labour and food. Bev Hollingsworth held her annual Halloween, and providing Denmanites a place to dance garage sale for the playground and raised approximately 400.00 for New Years eve. We are welcome to new ideas and we dollars, way to go! We had several volunteers help us set up are willing to sponsor most groups to help with their and act as sales people. We consolidated the job of bookkeeper projects when requested. Our next general meeting is and booking agent into one job. We have been neglectful, and September 5, 2016

Denman WORKS! Open House: Marking Five Years and Looking to the Future On Saturday, September 24nd 2016, Denman WORKS! (Denman Economic Enhancement Society) is holding an Open House! We invite any and all Denman residents to drop by and learn more about the Society and its activities over the past five years. More importantly, the Open House is an opportunity to engage in a dialogue to assist us in charting a course for the future. Incorporated on May 19th 2011, Denman WORKS! Economic Enhancement Society is a not-for-profit Society whose mandate is to assist in initiating, developing, and supporting the enhancement of the economic and social health of Denman Island, its residents, and its business and community organizations. Denman WORKS!, does so in conjunction with the Comox Valley Regional District (the folks who collect and distribute our property taxes). The Open House will be held in the Denman Activity Centre, 1111 Northwest Road, from 10am until 3pm. Activities will include the following: *Information about, and a celebration of, past projects supported by Denman WORKS! *Updates about the role and activities of the Denman Visitors Services Committee *Brief presentations by past recipients of Denman WORKS! funding *An informal discussion of the role and goals of Denman WORKS! in relation to residents’ vision of the future of Denman Island *A demonstration of the Grant Connect system (software designed to identify possible avenues for external funding support for island initiatives) Refreshments will be served throughout the day and drop-in child care will be provided between 11am and 2pm. The strength of a Society like Denman WORKS! is based on the input and feedback from the island residents it serves. Please come by and join us. Your insights and experiences are a vital component of making—pun intended—Denman work! For more information about Denman WORKS! and the Open House, please visit our website at denmanworks.wordpress.com. If the telephone is more comfortable , please feel free to call us at 250-335-3170. You can5 send email inquiries to [email protected]. If you’re in the neighbourhood, you can always drop by the Denman WORKS! Resource Centre on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12-4pm. 5

According[Type text] to Doug By Doug Carrick THE CONTROL OF COMMUNICATIONS Alberni Valley Times, the Parksville Qualicum Beach “If you don’t read newspapers, you are News, the Nanaimo Daily News, the Ladysmith Chronicle, uniformed, and if you do read newspapers, you are plus 14 other newspapers on the Island. misinformed.” Mark Twain In addition, Black Press owns another 21 newspapers It has long been known that the ownership of in the Lower Mainland and another 46 newspapers in newspapers should be spread over a great number of the BC Interior - 89 newspapers in total. I didn’t realize companies, thus providing a wide diversity of opinions. we had that many towns in BC. Black press has a By the 1950s, however, it was apparent that the strangle-hold on BC newspapers - and like Postmedia, ownership of newspapers was being concentrated in the uses this strangle-hold to propagate the corporate hands of fewer corporations. In 1970, the Davey Report agenda. verified this was indeed happening and recommended This extreme concentration of the media, in both corrections. In 1981, The Kent Commission found a greater Canada and in BC, has created a new form of dictatorship concentration yet, and made more recommendations. There - where the leaders don’t wear uniforms, but sit in was no action taken on either report. boardrooms in well-tailored suits. Just a year ago, the largest concentration of all occurred But “internet” has come to the rescue. There are when Postmedia bought the Sun Media. This one corporation hundreds of on-line sites pushing for the truth - in sharp now owns the National Post, the Vancouver Sun, the contrast to the mainline media. Both are talking about Province, the Calgary Herald, the Edmonton Journal, the the same world, but you would hardly know it! We now have the basis to make a valid judgment. Ottawa Citizen, the Toronto Sun, the Montreal Gazette and dozens of daily papers in the larger cities across Canada. My favorite source of information is “The Tyee.ca”. It Altogether Postmedia has 21 million readers. (The population consists of five or six new articles a day, well researched, of Canada is 36 million). well written, and not too long - followed by comments of David Olive, columnist for the Toronto Star wrote, readers, some of which are almost as good as the original “Postmedia’s two hundred media outlets, mostly newspapers, article. including some of the biggest dailies in the country, represents a far greater concentration of news media Tai chi classes will return ownership than exists in any other major economy …. and a to the Denman Activity degree of foreign ownership of the free press that would not Centre on Monday be tolerated in the US, France, Japan or Germany …. It is a blight on all the communities it underserves.” September 12 About foreign ownership; the Income Tax Act defines a from 10 to 11 am. Canadian Publisher as one in which 75% of its shares are Brian Miles has been with the Henry Wang owned by Canadians. In the case of Postmedia, one US Tai chi School for over 20 years and will be company, Golden Tree Asset Management, owns 39% of the shares, and another US company, Silver Point Capital, owns leading the classes. Please see Henry's 19% of the shares - a total of 58%. That leaves 42% Canadian website Searchcentertaichi.com. Learn to ownership - hardly the 75% required by law! But not move from your centre. Improve your surprisingly, loopholes have been found to make this mental and physical health. Gain body and American owned company pass off as Canadian.

When Postmedia President and CEO, Paul Godfrey, tells energy awareness. Flow and play with the the editors of all these newspapers to write editorials in energy. For more information please call favour of Harper, they do so. When he believes that oil Brian at 335-0768. pipelines are essential, the editors also believe so. When he thinks climate change should be ignored, the editors comply. All this power (21 million readers) in the hands of one man! The ownership of British Columbia weekly newspapers has an even greater concentration. Black Press, owned by David Black (not Conrad Black), controls 22 newspapers on Vancouver Island, including the Comox Valley Record, the Echo, the Campbell River Mirror, the North Island Gazette, the 6

7 7 Submissions Policy Views[Type expressed text] 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).

Telus Gate Clarity a condition to obtain and retain protection, please help. In hopes of alleviating some of Waterlot 257. Edi Johnston the confusion around the issue of The gate was installed at the the Telus gate (at the community north end (2009) during Regulations and Driving on Island dock), I offer up the following. construction of the dock and when Beaches For brevity sake, I have not it was moved to the south end Driving on the beach is not the included the actual documents recently to ensure protection of the least bit controversial in Parksville, but will supply those to any Telus cable, a small handful of Qualicum, Nanaimo, Ladysmith, or interested parties via email, free residents were opposed to a “gated Saanich, or on any of the southern post at Abraxas or deliver to your community”. This opposition group Gulf Islands. There are a couple of door. Please call Edi at 2689 or formed an alliance with the BC reasons for this; in many places it’s email [email protected] Shellfish Growers Association which simply unthinkable and in most To acquire the dock tenure then lobbied FLNRO and Telus to others, it’s either directly or indirectly (2009) a referral was sent out by have the gate opened. prohibited. the agency in charge of Crown Even though the Telus cable The Municipality of Saanich is land tenuring (then the Ministry might not be in immediate boldest in this regard. It prohibits of Agriculture [MAL] which jeopardy, the natural habitat on the driving on ‘all marine foreshore in the became the Integrated Land beaches south of the dock is. District of Saanich’ (Bylaw No. 7753) Management Branch [ILMB] Driving causes crushing and regardless of who owns it. Other which is now the Ministry for compaction of the substrate, and is authorities restrict their regulations to Forests, Lands and Natural disruptive to numerous forms of beaches which are inside park Resource Operations [FLNRO]). marine inhabitants and shorebirds. boundaries and they pass bylaws Telus responded with the FLNRO is also concerned about the which prohibit driving off designated condition that it's cable needed K'omoks First Nation Archaeological roadways in parks. These are protection from being driven over site DjSe-17 just south of the dock. common and widely respected in (by shellfish workers as identified “ All archaeological sites on Municipalities and Regional Districts in April 27, 2009 email). A Provincial Crown or private land all up and down Vancouver Island. concrete barrier was listed by that predate AD 1846 are Several Regional Districts, including Telus as one of 3 mitigation automatically protected under 1996 the Comox Valley Regional District measures needed. amendments to the Heritage (CVRD), the Nanaimo Regional District FLNRO responded that a Conservation Act (HCA). Certain (NRD) and the Capital Regional District concrete barrier was not sites, including burials and rock art (CRD) which includes the southern acceptable and the barrier must sites, that have historical or Gulf Islands, have extended their be a locking gate which would archaeological value, are protected jurisdiction to include ‘beach accesses’ allow emergency vehicle access. regardless of age.” (or ‘shore accesses’ as they are known As well, FLNRO stated that all Instead of driving through the on Galiano Island). That is, in their bylaws, and regulations be Marine Conservation zone, shellfish bylaws, they include ‘beach accesses’ adhered to. The Denman Island growers can easily use a in their definition of a ‘park’ and Land Use Bylaw does not list wheelbarrow to move gear. A thereby prohibit driving onto a beach vehicles driving in W1 Marine complimentary pick up is always from a ‘beach access’. However, as Conservation zones as an done by the processor by boat for most ‘beach accesses’ (or Rights of “acceptable use”. Therefore, not harvested product. Driving to Way [ROW] as they were known when allowing vehicle access to the tenures is a “want” not a “need” created) were created at the time of Marine Conservation areas and is against the D.I. OCP, LUB and subdivision as a requirement of the through the dock tenure was also quite possibly the HCA and the Land Titles Act and are under the Fisheries Act. Our beaches need our jurisdiction of The Ministry of 8 (Continued on Page 9) LETTERS FROM PAGE 8 Galiano the CRD Bylaw No. 3682 contact our CVRD representative, Bruce which states: “A person must not Jolliffe, to explore the idea of establishing a

Transportation and Infrastructure operate, or permit to be operated, a Parks Commission and to apply for ‘licences of (MOTI) this process requires an occupation’ from MOTI for the management motor vehicle in a regional park and regulation of selected ‘beach accesses on intermediate step on the part of except on public highway or parking Denman Island. This would have the effect of the Regional District. MOTI has no lots” is in effect. bringing the management of all regional and mandate to maintain or improve Presently, on Denman Island no community parks, including beach accesses, beach accesses for public use but ‘licenses of occupation’ have been under local control. will issue a ‘license of occupation’ granted by MOTI for the Graham Brazier to a Regional District which then management and regulation of any becomes responsible for the of our beach accesses; thirty four of Provincial Tree management and regulation of the which were studied extensively by a Some thirty years ago, the Provincial beach access. committee of the Local Trust Government asked the populace to The CVRD has been granted Committee in 1998. The committee nominate the provincial tree. ‘licenses of occupation’ by MOTI concluded that management of the Hundreds of BCers wrote in for 107 beach accesses on beach accesses on Denman Island nominating the Douglas Fir, the Lodge Vancouver Island between should be undertaken 'with pole Pine, Flowering Dogwood, the Saratoga Beach in the north and consultation with the local trustees, Balsam and Yew. Worthy candidates all. Mud Bay in the south. Just across the neighbourhood involved, and Western Red Cedar won by a landslide. the water from us on the western representatives of the Denman An excellent choice. shore of Baynes Sound five Conservancy Association’. Cordially, accesses have been identified and Subsequently, however, the approach Eric Atlee mapped between Buckley Bay and taken by Galiano Island (i.e. the PS Union Bay where CVRD Bylaw 103 establishment of a Parks Commission) has True story - one lonely voice nominated applies and forbids the operation emerged and been adopted by other " The Stump". Prescient. of a vehicle ‘below the natural southern Gulf Islands and seems worthy of considering here. If we were to boundary or high tide mark…’ The investigate the Galiano model further we CVRD takes it one step further in could begin by requesting that DIRA describing theseLetters beach accesses in Cartoon by Karl Goodwin its publication titled; “Beach Access Inventory” where it states: “Due to sensitive foreshore environment and oyster licenses, walking on the beach should not be encouraged in this region.” (my emphasis) Driving on the beach, it seems, is simply unimaginable. On Galiano Island, as well as on a number of other islands in the southern Salish Sea, a Parks Commission, under the wing of the CRD, has been established and been granted ‘licences of occupation’ by MOTI for large numbers of ‘shore accesses’ which it then undertakes to manage. As the Parks Commission (composed of island residents) reports to the CRD through its elected representative, the bylaws regulating park use become the default position and then apply to the ‘shore accesses’. In the case of 9

9 [Type text] up every time the fridge door is opened and plums are ignored once more. Processing Visit Corlan Winery, which was carved out of the forest over the past seven years by Pat and Selwyn Jones. He is 80. They have sheep, dogs, chickens, garden The 2016 Denman Island Readers and Writers Festival and rows and rows of grapes - netted and trained. They included two lively reading sessions from local writers. have a greenhouse, a winery and a barn - all built Audiences were treated to a selection of poetry, memoir themselves in just seven years. Drink wine and feel and fiction. Over the course of the next few months, we inadequate. Resolve to make plum jam as first step in have the great pleasure of sharing those pieces with the new, semi, back-to-land sort-of life. Flagstone readership. Look for jars. Look for lids. Find lids that don’t fit jars.

Look for more lids. Look for pectin. Find long-lost bag of Plum Loco for Homemade Jam By Stephanie Slater potatoes. Oh dear. Find pectin. Heft jars, lids, pectin, One of the joys of life on Denman Island is the ample pot, fruit and massive bag of sugar to car. Go to father’s supply of fresh, local produce – much of it freely bestowed house where processing pot will work on non-induction by gardeners overwrought and overwhelmed by the stovetop. Fill huge processing pot and set on stove to bounty of their land. boil. Return to kitchen minutes later to find flames This led me to wonder why I would pay the exorbitant shooting up the sides of the pot. Discover plastic- sum of $5 for a tiny jar of homemade jam at the farmers’ handled magnetic lid lifter melted to bottom of pot. market when I could so easily make my own. After all, jam Spend half hour cleaning soot and melted plastic off pot is just fruit, sugar and pectin, right? And preparing it and stove and stove element. Start over. Discover truth involves just three simple steps: picking, preparing and to adage: watched pot does not boil. Read jam-making processing, right? Let me help you re-connect to the instructions over and over. Boil fruit for full minute as simple pleasures of home food production by taking you instructed. Turn off heat. Dump in pectin and masses of through these three straightforward steps for making jam. sugar. Discover more instructions. I will use my recent experience with plum jam to enlighten Sugar is to be added gradually to boiling water. Oh you. dear. Watched pot does not boil some more. Picking Both pots eventually boil. Jars are filled and boiled Fruit is free for picking in neighbour’s yard but the only again. Kitchen is cleaned. Gear is loaded back in car. remaining plums are at top of tree. Decide to enlist help of Beautiful jars of jam – four large, one small – are left for tall friend. Friend is napping and is less enthusiastic than requisite sitting time of 24 hours. Final quality of product expected of a fellow islander. Instructs me to start picking is as yet uncertain. Drive home with plum-infused simple his tree while he wakes up. Heft heavy stepladder through syrup – a happy by-product. Make Plum Loco gin gate into garden. Realize tree is not in garden. Heft ladder cocktail* with simple syrup. Calculate that – at minimum out second gate. Slowly pick fruit while trying not to wage - plum jam would cost $9 a jar. Calculation does topple from ladder on uneven ground. Joined by sleepy not include cost of canning kit, jars, lids, replacement lid

friend who picks most of fruit on his and neighbour’s tree. lifter, sugar or friend’s time. Take home two small bags. Realize first garden gate was Drink Plum Loco and silently toast farmers who only left unlatched, leaving garden at risk of being ravaged by charge a modest $5 for a jar of homemade jam. Outside, deer. Phone friend and confess garden gate oversight. the apple tree looms. Drink more Plum Loco. Resolve to make up for plum-related transgressions by *To make plum simple syrup, bring equal parts sugar and bestowing upon friend beautiful jar of jam. water to boil with plums. Strain plums. Plum Loco is a Preparing cocktail devised by my sister, Scenery Slater, and named Ignore plums for two days while dealing with apples from by her husband, Brian Casilio. To make one, mix equal over-laden tree outside kitchen. Two branches have parts of plum simple syrup with fresh lime juice. Add broken due to excessive weight of fruit. Emergency action copious amounts of gin (or vodka) and a splash of soda required. Hours of work with manual apple or tonic water. Drink while appreciatively toasting the corer/peeler/slicer ensue. Hundreds of apples remain. people who grow the food you eat. Try not to think about Waves of fruit flies draw attention back to plums. Slice the amount of sugar you are ingesting. and pit plums, ruefully discarding half dozen that have

rotted beyond redemption. Put plums in fridge. Two days

later,10 put plums in freezer to avoid waves of guilt that well (Continued on Page 11)

10 READERS & WRITERS FROM PAGE 10 The scale goes only Where's Suzuki?"

"Cod Cheeks & Fried Baloney" By Hillel Wright up to 7. "Sasaki!" he cries

A Yankee once fetched up in old Newfoundland Kikuchi, the leader, tells "Can you hear me?" Sasaki & Suzuki "I hear you." Where the beach is grey rock instead of white sand Where rain falls in April and snow falls in May to head out to sea And dories and islanders cover the bay "We must meet the wave head-on," Spring Cleaning the Freezer Where oldtimers cringe at the scent of a phony he tells them. Melting pink shrimp-ice And breakfast is perfumed with frying baloney "It's our only recourse — frozen in the corners * * * * * there's nowhere else to go." with boiling water from the Where fiddlers always play the tune and dancers Half an hour later tea-kettle clog the beat they see the wave reminds me of fish hold And cod cheeks make the gourmet dish and squid a rolling mountain cleaning inks spice the meat on the far horizon years ago when there were The Yankee thought the Newfies crude, but they or rather, obliterating more fish to hold and life said “Well me b’y the horizon altogether. (like this Springtime freezer) “Ye may think that we ‘aves no fun, but eh – work All together they head for the wave. was fresher and, somehow, is our j’y!” "90 degrees," Kikuchi warns them. cleaner. "Make sure to take it head-on — I imagine I’m a Leprechaun Okinawa, Canada, the World 90 degrees." or Lilliputian The Ryukyu people have no church The boats and the wave move the deepfreeze rolling on a Their Sacred Ground is Mother Earth inexorably toward each other leftover sea where roots of trees entwine with stone steadily, no hurry and as I lift out the last of and running water calls us home like two old lovers last Winter’s meeting by chance salmon, smoked Alaska cod, The Salish here on Sla-dai-aich on a lonely city sidewalk and side-stripe prawns would give their dead a special place at dusk. I miss you more than all the A fir tree top would be their home "Keep your eyes on the wave" ocean waves and Eagles then would pick their bones Kikuchi tells them that ever carried me "Head-on, head-on, 90 degrees — homeward in the Fall. Mongoose, terrapin, heron, snake don't be afraid." thru jungle marshes pathways make Head-on, head-on, Kikuchi meets the The Newfie while otter, raven, crab and crow wave A Newfie set sail for Jamaica remind us all of all we know and climbs, the boat last year bends over backward and near ran aground on the These elements of Spirit Power rises like a rocket shoals off Cape Fear - share common ground and common hour to the celestial crest but he made it to Kingston Our creeks and rivers, lakes and seas then - over the top — and filled up his hold Embrace our stones and kiss our trees. and the long slide down with 65 tons of the best the back of this brontosaurus "Trenchtown Gold". 3. Recourse (March 11, 2011) of the sea. He rounded Cape Horn in the March 11, 2011 and three fishermen Out the starboard window wake of the Beagle are out at sea he spots Sasaki and docked in Victoria on the off the northeast coast of Japan. "Good job, Sasaki-san," he spouts day it came legal. Let's call them Kikuchi, Sasaki in the radio mike & Suzuki— common family names Yoku dekimashita! of the region. Well done!" At 1440 hours Out the port side window they hear the earthquake warning he sees the roiling sea. and 15 minutes later "Can you see Suzuki?" he calls. the tsunami warning. Sasaki doesn't answer. They hear the jisshin was 9.2 "Sasaki," he calls again on the Japanese scale "Where's Suzuki" 11 but how can that be? Silence. 11 "Sasaki—can you hear me? [Type text]

12

1313

Sustainable energy – Update on Community Hall Solar Panels By Satya Bellerose

[Type text] The solar panels on the Community Hall began generating Take shorter showers. Use low-flow faucets and electricity on July 6, 2016 when BC Hydro granted the permit. showerheads. Fix leaks.

By August 20, they had generated 2840 kWh! A big thank Do your laundry with cold water. you to all the Denmanites who contributed their time, energy Lower the thermostat on your home in winter. and financial assistance! Because of your donations, the Lower the thermostat on your hot water heater. solar project is completely paid off! A particularly big thank Check walls, doors and windows for drafts and seal them you to Denise MacKean who spearheaded the project and up (up to 40 per cent of heat loss from these) kept it moving forward. Switch to compact fluorescent LED light bulbs. They're 75 Here is the web link if you wish to view the daily and total per cent more efficient. solar production: Replace your windows and appliances for more energy https://enlighten.enphaseenergy.com/public/systems/VWc efficient upgrades. 6943630 Insulate everywhere — the roof, floors, walls, basements. Next project: Electric vehicle charging station? If you are Net-Metering: This involves installing solar panels which willing to work on this project, please e-mail are connected to the BC Hydro power grid. The power [email protected] . generated decreases your costs and any surplus power is It turns out Canadians are far bigger energy hogs than our transferred onto the grid and you are reimbursed for this U.S.A. neighbours and among the worst energy wasters in the energy annually. The Community Hall solar panels are net- industrial world (finding from American Council for an metered. When there is a power outage however, your Energy-Efficient Economy). The average Canadian home uses solar panels cannot power you because you have no 11,879 kwh/yr. Compare this to Germany (with similar cold batteries (BC Hydro is your battery). winters) of 3,512 kwh/yr.! The advantage of net-metering is that it is much cheaper

Here are some suggestions to help you move towards a more and simpler than going off-grid. A 34 solar panel system sustainable and efficient use of energy. will cost about $20,000 in materials, but you can start with Reduce: as few or as many panels as you wish.

Phantom Power: Billions of linked-in electronic devices Off-Grid: If you want to be independent of BC Hydro and worldwide are wasting enough electricity to power 80 per immune to power failures, then off-grid system may be an cent of Canada’s needs according to one report. Appliances option. You will need to invest considerably more money that are “off” or on stand-by increase your electrical bill up to (solar panels, invertors, chargers, batteries) and time

10%. Use a powerbar to switch off these devices when not in (battery maintenance). use (flat screen TV, DVD, coffee maker, Laptop, LCD screen, microbar).

In 200 Words or less By Bill Engleson www.engleson.ca

“It’s true. Hitler was a vegetarian. Just goes to show, vegetarianism, not always a good thing. Can in some extreme cases lead to genocide.” Bill Bailey, stand-up comic and philosopher

It was one of those aimless summer Sunday evenings. Earlier in the day I’d played a couple of hours of Pickle Ball. I was off my game. I usually am. The metaphorical bloodshed on our most inflamed Facebook Bulletin Board was running rancorously red and deep. I was holding my tongue, seriously thinking of biting it. It made it harder to type. I wandered over to Cyber Hornby. Lo and behold if that enchanted Isle wasn’t awash in conflict as well. Hell, or at least, Not Heaven, was breaking loose in every corner of paradise. The RCMP had been thinking globally and acting locally, brazenly issuing free, Taser-grilled hotdogs instead of tickets. Cops as food vendors! Who did they think they were, anti-doughnut activists? Denman has no police. And, now, frankly, no free cop weenies. Life’s so unfair. My flesh-eating brother-in-law was visiting. Spicy meat sausage was on the Barbie. The smell was irresistible. Maybe it was age? Maybe it was my notoriously weak will? “I’ll have one of those,” I whined. The meat wagon had arrived. I bobbled on board. My temporarily traumatized temple of a body held a meat and greet. 14 How far this pitiful pescetarian had fallen! 1414

News SS from the Hornby and Denman Community Health Care Society Submitted by Lori Nawrot

Technology and health at our AGM on September 21 Parent Group help Please join us at our AGM at 2pm on Wednesday, September 21st at New Horizons on Hornby. Along with We are excited to be able to offer a parent group this fall including a group meal and child care! We are seeking a ourids fascinating ppage reports we will have some speakers showing us the opportunities that telehealth has to offer Caterer and Child Care Supervisor for six Tuesday evenings islanders. We would be happy to reimburse ferry fees for starting in October. Please forward your expression of cars coming over with more than two attendees. interest for these positions to [email protected]. Island Better at Home Welcome to Gillian Saxby our new part time coordinator North Island College training on Denman? We require 10 interested candidates in order for North for the Better at Home program on Denman. Find more information in Gillian’s article and come buy some raffle Island College to consider delivering the Health Care Assistant course on our islands. This is the training required tickets from her at the Blackberry Faire. We are raffling a whole pallet of wood briquettes (easy to handle, good in to work in home support. If you have been considering this and haven’t been in touch, please do so now as we need to all wood stoves) at the Faire. Call her at (250) 898-0245 or email [email protected]. respond to them this month. For more information please contact Karen at (250) 898-0243. Wow, we got a car! Thank you to the very generous islander that donated the The following service providers will be on Denman in use of a car to our home care program for the summer! September please call to arrange an appointment: This has made a huge difference for our staff travelling Adult mental health clinician – (250) 331-8524 Comox between islands to deliver home support services. We Valley Transition Society counsellor – (250) 897-0511

are leaving the car parked at the ferry and rather than Foot care nurse – Sheila Cameron (250) 897-2153 waiting in long lines our staff can just walk on. We hope Contact information for HDCHCS to do the same thing next summer so keep us in mind if For general inquiries (250) 335-2885 you can help. Home Support, Home Assist Services or the Equipment Loan Cupboard (250) 898-0243 Hospice meeting Better at Home (250) 335-0245 If you are interested in participating in a new hospice Children, Youth & Family Services (250) 898-0247 Youth group, we are meeting at 2:30pm on Thursday, th Outreach (250) 218-6521 September 29 at the Activity Centre.

Seniors Lunch help To prepare for another season of seniors lunches we are looking for a Coordinator/Cook. This person plans the meal, shops for it and works with our wonderful volunteers to set up, cook, serve and clean up. Lunches are once a month. We also always welcome new volunteers. Thank you to Pat Young, our long time champion of this program! If you are interested please call or email Lori at (250) 335- 2885 or lori@hornbydenmanhealth .com. 15 115

applicable to public health settings, the workplace, the military, Minding the Gulf: Back to School [Type text] faith-based organizations, mass disaster venues, and even the Some great offerings are now available through demands of more commonplace critical events, e.g., dealing with Coursera , one of the education technology companies offering massive open on-line courses (MOOCs). One of the psychological aftermath of accidents, robberies, suicide, the courses offered this summer is Psychological First homicide, or community violence. In addition, the RAPID model

Aid, which is similar to the Mental Health First Aid has been found effective in promoting personal and community many islanders have taken. PFA offers a little more in- resilience. depth knowledge of situations which may seem Participants will increase their abilities to: complex to a lay person. *Discuss key concepts related to PFA From the website *Listen reflectively (www.coursera.org/learn/psychological-first-aid): *Differentiate benign, non-incapacitating psychological/ “Utilizing the RAPID model (Reflective listening, behavioral crisis reactions from more severe, potentially Assessment of needs, Prioritization, Intervention, and incapacitating, crisis reactions Disposition), this specialized course provides *Prioritize (triage)psychological/ behavioral crisis reactions perspectives on injuries and trauma that are beyond *Mitigate acute distress and dysfunction, as appropriate those physical in nature. The RAPID model is readily *Recognize when to facilitate access to further mental health (Continued on Page 18) Islands Better at Home ~ Helping island seniors remain independent ~

The Islands Better at Home program is getting started! This is an exciting new island based program. The program is designed to assist seniors to stay living at home longer by providing help with specific tasks. The program hopes to expand over time as we learn what services are most helpful. We hope to match volunteers who enjoy assisting others with tasks, with seniors who need that type of help. The type of assistance can range from a regular friendly phone call or visit to help with firewood, driving, or seasonal outside tasks such as gutter cleaning and gardening. If you are a senior who would like some assistance, or if you would like to help with the program then please contact the Coordinators: Joan Harris if you live on Hornby and Gillian Saxby if you live on Denman.

We’d love to meet you at the upcoming fall fairs - September 4th on Denman and September 11th on Hornby – where we will be raffling a big pallet of wood briquettes (bioflame.ca) in support of the program! Please contact us by *Leaving a voice message for Joan or Gillian at (250) 898-0245. Please indicate if you live on Denman or Hornby in your message and we will return your call as soon as possible. *HORNBY Island: Joan Harris at [email protected] *DENMAN Island: Gillian Saxby at [email protected]

11-5

16

Agriculture Matters By Max Rogers soil structure but they also provide a home for wire September 2016 worms and cut worms. That and the effort of digging the I think after the long, hot summer, Denman gardeners beds over in the spring puts me off grassy cover crops. I and farmers might want to go on an exotic foreign holiday would rather have lots of kale, chard and lettuce plants to an island in the Pacific. I suggest Hornby for this because overwintering and ready to spring to life and give me a it is quite easy to get to, cheap if you go by motorcycle or garden of greens before anyone can plant their seeds. bicycle and it has a lot to offer culturally. I had a lot of trouble with my poly tunnel last On September 11, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Hornby is summer. I had some lambs loose in my yard and they hosting their Fall Fair. Admission is by donation. This is a decided they wanted to be with me when I went in to really big event and I had quite a lot of fun when I went last water. The plastic tore when one of the lambs put his year to help judge the vegetables with Doctor Scruton. He hoof through the wall. Then they all poured in and found was a bit of a mama’s boy and refused to taste the hot lots of tasty succulent greens. They even ate my pepper peppers, leaving that to me, but was very good company plants. So I got them all out and used fencing panels to and taught me a lot about vegetable judging. This year, he guard the torn wall but the lambs learned what an is organizing their zucchini race. Aladdin’s Cave of treats the poly tunnel really was. The

I went out the morning of the last Fall Fair and grabbed next day, I found they had broken the door down and 3 apples off my tree and entered them in the Fair. There is eaten all the leaves off my persimmon tree that had been no fee to enter produce in the competition. Tim Jeffry was doing so well in the extra heat. The little swine ate the judgin g the fruit and gave me some really good comments. melon plants too. The only crop they left me was the This year, I am going to be more methodical and select my grapes and they pruned what they could of those too. produce for the Fair with more care. I think entering So now I have the winter to build strong screen doors produce in such a Fair is a really essential practice so you so I can keep the doors open in the summer to regulate learn more and are motivated to produce better products. the heat without the danger of lambs breaking them Joan Vinnedge is going to be there to judge flowers so I down. I think I can get another year or two out of my hope some of Denman’s ornamental growers will take plastic cover by taping the hole and covering the entire damaged area with a square of plastic sheeting and advantage of the Fair to learn from Joan. Shonna Janeway taping that on. This sort of work must be done when the and Tim Jeffry will be there judging fruit so I hope every orchardist on Denman puts in some fruit. In fact, I think it plastic is very dry. is odd that Hornby has such an excellent Fall Fair when The moral of the story is, do not have lambs running Denman is so much more the agricultural island. At any around the yard unsupervised. An additional problem rate, it gives us all an excuse to go over and enjoy Hornby. with these lambs is they are half Texel, pronounced Tesel. The Texel is a variety of meat sheep from Holland and I enjoyed the exhibits and the parade and the festive atmosphere. I expect it will be the same this year. The Fair being Dutch the old saying of, “Wooden shoes, wooden is being held at The Farm, 9925 Central Road. I expect head, wooden listen,” certainly applies. most fit people could go on the ferry as foot passengers They are far more pushy than my Frisians and exhibit and then walk the trail to Ford’s Cove and up the street to carnivorous tendencies. I had to take them away from their mothers a bit early due to them cutting the teats of the fairground, thus doing BC Ferries out of their ghastly fee for carrying a car to Hornby. their mama’s. This has never happened to me before. The Fair ends at 3pm, leaving plenty of time for a swim They have also drawn blood on me a few times when I try at the sandy beaches, a tiny shopping trip in the Hobbit- to hand out treats. Who knew lamb teeth were so sharp? themed village or a stroll around Helliwell Park. Just make They are also very sociable and affectionate and if I am sure you are off the island on the six p.m. boat as a ferry working in the yard they cluster around me and insist on crew member once warned me that the alternative was to being petted. drink lots of beer and I think he said something about We have a fine big Frisian ram now and a shepherd sleeping with strangers. friend came over and told us we should put some lambs After the long, hot summer I am looking forward to in his paddock to keep the ram company. So we put a getting the garden really cleaned up. I will weed my beds couple of wether lambs in and they seemed to be getting and add sand to them and cover any not in use with leaves on quite well. I was in the kitchen washing dishes when to keep down the weeds and provide food for the my husband ran up and shouted that the ram was earthworms. (Continued on Page 18) A lot of people like to sow fall rye to cover their garden 17 beds for the winter. The rye roots are long and do enhance

AG[Type MATTERS text] FROM PAGE 17 The Garden Club presents a talk on how to process

sodomizing all the lambs. the harvest and put the garden to bed. Come meet I ran out in my apron with my boot laces flapping and the nicest group on Denman and some of the best saw every last lamb in the pen with the excited ram. They had broken in to the ram’s paddock thinking they were gardeners in the province! Free coffee, tea and missing a treat. I haltered the large and excited ram while treats, garden-centric raffle (tickets 3 for $5). my husband lured the lambs out with some treats. I Membership fees will be due so bring $10 for the inspectedSubmitted all the by lambs Sara butFrench none of them seemed in the year or $3 for drop in. Your Garden Club card gets least upset and there was no sign of injury. you 10% off at local garden stores. Anne Page will be So I asked around and every shepherd I talked to was taking orders for Vessey's bulbs. Meet at the United not in the least surprised and seemed to wonder why I Church hall at 7 pm on Wednesday September 21. thought this was a problem. “Doesn’t it hurt,” I said to one shepherd and he replied, “How would I know?” So this is something lambs will do with each other and something MINDING THE GULF FROM PAGE 16 rams will do with just about anyone. A friend told me that support when she put her bull in with the cows, each cow mounted *Practice self-care him and then so did all the calves. I guess he was just a This 5-week course created by Johns Hopkins University very desirable bull. begins August 22. If you miss the enrollment date, you can So I keep on learning a lot each year. In fact, I wonder at catch up on materials even if you do enroll late in the my temerity in taking up such a huge challenge in the first place. Good thing I had no idea what I was getting in to. program. The course is available for CA$63 with See Theyou at Denmanthe Fall Fair. Store sponsorship for those who cannot afford the fee.

(your community store for over 100 years)

The Denman Store

(your community store for over 100 years)

September special:

Bud Light 6 pack cans $8.99 (50 cents below BC Liquor Stores pricing)

Even better deal: 2 Bud Light 6 pack cans $17.49 (way below BC Liquor Stores pricing)

We are still getting local produce and fruit in. Please check

out our produce cooler for the latest delicious offerings. Mike Lindsay Denman Island Art Wall Artist of the Month:

Phillipa Store telephone: 250 335 2293 Post Office telephone: 250 335 1636 (Just a reminder that the Post Office is closed weekdays from noon - 12:30 pm) Labour Day Monday September 5: Store open: 12 - 6:30 Post Office: Closed Magnificent terrific staff. Boss who was asked if he was enjoying doing the laundry replied: "Loads".

18

By Dr Ron Wilson Challenge 2016

We are now into September and the last 1/3 of 2016. It way to 40,000 Kms so we need to keep working to reach

appears as though the 2016 physical activity challenge our goal. The importance of being physically active alone has been successful in raising awareness of being active. with other good health habits has once again been We have certainly been reaching new challenges in each underscored by a study published in August. The study of the last three years. First we went around BC, about looked at the harms unhealthy behaviours do to a 5500 Kms, then we crossed the TransCanadaTrail, a person's health. They found that 26 per cent of all deaths distance of 17,000 Kms, and this year we have 2 groups in Canada between 2009 and 2010 were attributable to tackling 40,000 Kms which is the distance Rick Hansen smoking, 24 per cent were attributable to inactivity, 12 covered in his round the world Man in Motion tour. The per cent were attributable to a poor diet and 0.4 per cent cyclists have almost made it and the walkers and runners were attributable to unhealthy alcohol consumption. The should get there by the end of the year. So well done and researchers also found that Canadians who were non- keep it up everyone. What could we possibly do next smokers, had healthy diets, were active and did not drink year to challenge us? There are rumours of an excessively had life expectancies that were 17.9 years Astronomical challenge for next year but it will take a greater than those with the unhealthiest behaviours. total Denman Island commitment to all work together to Truly remarkable stats. They have also created an online make this happen. In order to get this off the ground, I calculator to help Canadians estimate their own life am looking for some volunteers to help organize things expectancies based on habits and lifestyle choices. It can for next year. If you are interested in working on this be found at projectbiglife.ca . Try it out and see what you please get in touch with me at [email protected]. think. So all the more reason to at least be active every And of course, please keep those Kms coming to reach day and become part of our activity challenges. our goal. The Walkers and runners are over 5/8 of the

19 19 19

[Type text]

20

to record visually the geography travelled by the expedition, and his sketches and paintings, many of which are reproduced in a variety of art publications, provide a

by Graham Brazier record of the group’s campsites. Camping on Denman Island Camping and summer go together like, dare I say, Unfortunately, Village Point is not among them. He did, corn and butter. And camping on Denman Island has a long however, leave a mark on Denman Island. He reported and pleasing history, creating memories that bring smiles to that on the 19th of August, 1864, he left a cross on which the faces of many families that perpetuate the tradition to he “painted V.I. Ex. Expn. Camped at Village Point, this day. Camping, though, didn’t become formalized here Denman Island — Here there is a deserted village with the until 1954, when George Beadnell sold his estate at remains of large lodges — figure heads on posts &c.and all Filongley to the province for $1. The actual dollar bill is that there is to show it once was inhabited by the living is preserved, and, to this day, you can visit it at the Denman a box or two in the trees of dead Siwash.” It’s hard to Museum. imagine that he didn’t paint what he described so vividly. Perhaps he did, and it has been misplaced, and some Ninety years earlier, however, Robert Brown, 22-year- fortunate researcher will one day stumble upon it. old “botanical collector” trained at the University of

Edinburgh, along with nine members of the Vancouver We do, however, have Robert Brown’s words, which Island Exploring Expedition spent the night of August 19, leave us with a wonderfully colourful description of the

1864, at Village Point — now called Denman Point. Their camp site on that day in August of 1864. He wrote: mission, at a time when little was known about the interior of Vancouver Island, was vaguely understood to be “Judging that we could not make Comous [sic] before scientific in nature — that is, botanical, zoological and dark, we camped on village point of Denman Island, on geological — but discreetly tucked away in the back of the deserted Village of the Comous. It still retained traces many of their minds was the word: “gold.” of its former grandeur — pickets, carved images, &c, & They were a diverse group with a wide range of skills massive hewn cedar frames. These carvings are all much and talents and were described by their leader as of the same nature, some of them very obscene, their “wondrously motley.” Among them was One-armed Tomo. women and children being represented in partis He was born Thomas Ouamtany in 1824 but also known as Naturalibes. Others of their figures refer to their Tomo Antoine as well as “the notorious Iroquois” and was Mythology & the figure of the owl occurs frequently, the the designated guide and hunter for the expedition. That’s bird of Athens among the Indians as among the Greeks right — a one-armed hunter. He was also a linguist, being a bird of superstition….The Village where we cartographer and story-teller and one who was alleged to camped must once have been very extensive but is now be “obstreperous in his cups.” In addition, he had spent a quite deserted & nothing but the frames stand.” month or so in jail the previous year, before being released due to insufficient evidence to convict him of murdering his He then noted a challenge, all too familiar to campers, wife, Jane. when he wrote: “After a long search [we] found water in a wood where none but an Indian could have found it.”

Nevertheless, when the expedition concluded, Brown summed up his contribution with the words: “During all our The following morning, before the expedition left Denman long connection none of us had ever reason to regret the Island and set out for Port Augusta (Comox), Brown noted: day when he joined our party, and to this hour, One-armed “Up at 6 a.m. — cold and chilly with heavy dew on the Tomo, the swarthy vagabond of the western forests, is only ground.” He then added something that many of us have remembered as a hearty fellow — prince of all hunters and come to know:Haircuts “The heavy dews By commence Riane about this doctor of all woodcraft — whose single arm was worth time.” more than most men's two, and without whose help the For further reading$25 see: in John your Hayman, home ed. “Robert Brown map of Vancouver [Island] would have been but a sorry and the Vancouver Island Exploring Expedition,” UBC blank yet. [1868]” Press, 1989. Seniors' Discount

Frederick Whymper, aged 42, on the other hand, was 250-650-6079 the son of a well-known London engraver and was an accomplished painter who had exhibited at the Royal Academy of Art. His task was 21

There's[Type text] an APP for That By Meredith McEvoy, MSW RSW Family Support Worker, Hornby and Denman Community Health Care Society

As a Family Support Worker one of my main Apps Mindshift. Developed by AnxietyBC this app is geared challenges is reaching out to family members who really want support but feel reluctant to come in to talk to towards youth and young adults struggling with anxiety. It is pretty simple to use, divided into sections like Anxiety someone in person. Fortunately we live in an exciting 101, Check yourself, Thinking Right, and Active Steps. You time where mental health professionals, children, youth, parents, and tech experts have come together and can also set up “My Situations” and go through each of the created some attractive and easy-to-use websites and sections for one specific type of anxiety-inducing situation apps to help people help themselves. In this article I’m (i.e. Coping with test anxiety). One of my favourite parts of going to outline a few of my favourites (many of them this app is the Chill Out Tools section, which includes several developed locally in BC!) I urge you to check them out, pre-recorded relaxation exercises, visualizations, and download them, or browse and see what piques your mindfulness strategies. I think it would be great to be able interest! to quickly access one of these recordings and pop in my Websites headphones in an anxiety-inducing situation. Mindcheck (www.mindcheck.ca). Mindcheck is a BoosterBuddy. Designed by Island Health along with young website aimed at youth, but also for friends, family, and people with lived experience, BoosterBuddy feels like a professionals with a ton of easy-to-access information cross between an animated video game and a mental health around mental health issues. This website starts with a app. You get to choose a cute cartoonish character who great cover page, a really cool image with real people acts as your “sidekick” guiding you through “daily quests experiencing mental health challenges. You can hover designed to establish and sustain positive habits”. There’s a over each person and find out what they’re dealing with lot of set up and fine print to get through at first, but once and click to proceed to that section (i.e. Mood & Anxiety, that’s done this app seems to be really helpful, Stress, Alcohol & Other Drugs, Eating & Body Image). personalized, and fun to use. You can also use it to set up

Each section is easy to navigate and includes a quiz, reminders for medication and appointments, and a helpful information, self-care resources, and where to go personalized crisis plan. to get more help. I will be going away on maternity leave starting September 1st so for further information or support please Kelty Mental Health (www.keltymentalhealth.ca). Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre is a massive collection of contact the Child, Youth, and Family Program of the Hornby and Denman Community Health Care Society, (250) 898- articles, videos, recordings, and blog posts about child, youth, and family mental health. There are resources 0247 or [email protected]. It has been a joy to get to know you through my role as a Family Support aimed at youth, parents and caregivers, and professionals on all kinds of diverse topics including eating, cultural Worker this year and I look forward to returning in the fall diversity, gender, and how to navigate the mental health of 2017! system. One of my favourite aspects of this website is that they clearly value and include information from young people and families with lived experience of Studio Tour Thanks by Katarina Meglic mental illness A great many thanks to everyone who came out Aug Mind Your Mind (www.mindyourmind.ca). Mind Your 6 & 7 to support the local artists on the Denman Island Mind is a mental health website designed by and for Studio Tour. Special thanks to the sponsors who youth. This website is chock-a-block full with supported the tour: Denman Island General Store, information, resources, articles, links, interviews and arts- Baynes Sound Insurance, RE/MAX The Islands, Corlan based responses to mental health issues done by youth. I Vineyard, and the Denman Island Craft Shop. found this website somewhat trickier to navigate than the Many of the participating artists donated beautiful first two, but I think that’s in part because this website isn’t really meant for me. One great thing I like about works and cards to be won in a raffle by a local tour- Mind Your Mind is how they integrate across different goer. Congratulations to Edward Kruk and Heather social networks like Tumblr, Instagram and Facebook to Clarry on their win! engage youth wherever they might be online.

22

STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES FOR COMPOSTING TOILETS AND GREYWATER

Submitted by Ed Hoeppner is that they will provide an option in the case of a septic Yes, it’s true! After decades of lobbying by many system that has failed and there is no space to build a new individuals, the B.C. Ministry of Health has created field. By taking the organic loading off of the failed system standards and guidelines to open the water closet door with a composting toilet, it may allow the old system to still for composting toilets. deal with the rest of the wastewater (greywater) flow. After evolving through numerous drafts for Another great benefit will be that a property with an existing stakeholder and ministerial review, the B.C. Manual of composting toilet will be able to be purchased by someone Composting Toilets and Greywater Practice (MCTGP) is requiring a mortgage, assuming that the toilet meets or is

in place for the province of B.C. The manual aligns with upgraded to the new standards. the Sewerage System Regulation and Sewerage System, The use of greywater for seasonal irrigation of non-food

Version 3, Standard Practice Manual (SPM) and crops is also supported in the new manual. Instead of relying on groundwater or collecting rainwater, laundry and provid es standards and guidelines for the design, installation, and maintenance of composting toilets and bathwater will be available for sub-surface irrigation. Mulch basin systems around fruit and nut trees using greywater greywater system options. This manual can be found on the Ministry of Health website: with the option of using diluted urine for fertilizer are also http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/wast now possible. As with existing standard practice for onsite wastewater e-management/sewage/onsite-sewage- systems/sewerage -system-standard-practice-manual. systems, a site and soil assessment will be required by a The new manual of practice is a very Registered Onsite Wastewater Practitioner (ROWP) or comprehensive document that is ahead of the curve in engineer. If the area being irrigated with greywater does not terms of regulatory guidelines seen anywhere else. meet the SPM requirements then a year round dispersal field Considerable research went into it in terms of review of meeting the SPM requirements will still be needed. Even documents around the globe published by various though there may be a redundancy of systems, there will be a organizations wanting to quantify what has worked, water re-use option in the irrigation season. Ideally, the area

what hasn’t worked, and industry practices currently requiring seasonal irrigation will be the same area that has

under development such as lactic acid fermentation to the soil requirements for a year round dispersal field and enhance odor control and stimulate composting. then there would be no redundancy.

Washington and Oregon already have regulations in Watch for notices of an upcoming open-house presentation on the new standards and guidelines. place to allow for composting toilets. The Washington guidelines outline the outcomes required, and Oregon specifies that only “certified” manufactured systems are permitted. There is considerable movement underway Denman Islanders and our neighbours in Oregon from the public to allow for the use of non- Abraxas books has ordered copies of Terra Preta, about how

proprietary, custom built, open source systems that biochar is one magic bullet in battling climate change. Charcoal (not ash) used in soil in proper ways does two things, it can have proven themselves to be effective. The new B.C. MCTGP gives considerable guidance on principles for double food production (when used with compost), and in doing so this sequesters the carbon for tens of thousands of the use of open source systems as well as guidance on achieving and determining when the composting years (it is not taken up by plants but acts as a catalyst). The process is complete. production of char requires robbing a fire of oxygen, a process As with other onsite wastewater systems in B.C. a called pyrolysis, this is the key to the carbon capture. This ancient world wide technique has new science behind it person who undertakes the design and construction of a composting toilet must be certified to do so and file and the book covers this well. As part of the DI Climate Change Task Force and the National Biochar Initiative, I offer to show up documentation with the Environmental Health Office or to supervise and review a homeowner undertaking it for local groups like food producers etc to help in the discussion and how we as a community can take this on both as family independently. Or alternatively if a person should decide to have a non-certified system and build it on projects and perhaps as larger scale biochar production as an

their own, although this is not the intent of the island industry that also would reduce slash burning and carbon going into the atmosphere If any group wants to have an document, they do have standards and guidelines available for reference that go into great detail in informal discussion any time starting in September, please call me. Rick Balfour250 335-0766 design and implementation. This in itself will raise standards, which, idealism aside, often need raising. for Canadian Biochar Initiative and CCTF•DI 23 A couple of the great benefits of the new Standards 23 [Type text] Community Announcements

Sunday September 4th @ 9 am to Thursday Sept 22nd @ midnight 4 pm , Community Hall & Grounds - DCLTA Phantom Ball (page 7)

Blackberry Faire including Race, nd booths, food, games, music, Saturday, Sept 24 @10am to zucchini car race (page 1) 3pm, Denman WORKS! (Denman Friday Oct 21st thru Sunday Economic Enhancement Society) October 23rd, Creative Threads Labour Day Monday September 5: is holding an Open House at their Conspiracy Community Hall Store open: 12 - 6:30 Post Office: office in the Denman Activity (page 12) Closed Center (page 5) Saturday Oct 29th @7:30 pm Monday Sept 5th@ 7 pm. Back Thursday, Sept 29th @ 2:30 pm Locarno 5 Piece Latin Band Hall, DIRCS General Meeting at the Activity Centre - new hospice group meeting (page 15) Front Hall (page 12)

Saturday, Sept 10, 10 - noon.

Trustee Office House, Old School Sunday Oct 2nd @ 7:30pm Front October Flagstone Hall, Lafayette String Quartet Deadline is Friday Sunday Sept 11, from 11 a.m. to 3 Concert (page 12) p.m., Hornby is hosting their Fall September 16th Fair.(page 17) Saturday Oct 8th all day at

Farmers' Market, Community Hall [email protected] Monday Sept 12 from 10 to 11 am. & East Cider Orchard - Apple Fest Tai Chi resumes in the Denman (page 13) Activity Center (page 6)

Monday Sept 12 @ 7:30 PM - 9:3 0 PM Back Hall

DIRA Meeting

Thursday Sept 15th@7:30 pm in the Back Hall, Open Stage (page 12)

Monday Sept 19 @ 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM Back Hall preschool meeting FALL YOGA at the YOGA BARN STUDIO 1795 Swan Road Two six-week sessions: th th Wednesday, Sept 21st @ 2 pm 20 September- 28 October th th HDCHCS AGM at New Horizons on 8 November – 16 December Hornby.(page 15) $60 once a week, $90 twice Regular schedule: a week per session

Tuesday: 9 – 10:30 am; 6 - 7:30 pm Wednesday Sept 21 at 7 pm United Thursday: 9 – 10:30 am; 11 am – 12:30 pm *a slower paced class Church hall - Garden Club meeting Friday: 9 – 10:30 am (page 18)

I teach basic yoga poses in the style of Iyengar Yoga …. come 27 whenever you can. 335-0945 Alison … Iyengar Yoga Certified Teacher 24

25

The following Poster is a gift from our neighbours to the east - the Hornby Water Stewardship group.[Type "text]We are pleased to be able to share this information with folks on Denman who share

much the same issues and challenges with water as we do on Hornby Island." Ellen Leslie

Concert Ad

26 26

Cartoon By Karl Goodwin

Littoral Zones, Zonation, Bio-bands, IBA, EBSA and MPA and You! edi johnston for ADIMS

Confused? Not for long. Let's start with our littoral zone or is an international initiative coordinated by BirdLife foreshore which is a world unto itself and is the critical interface International, a partnership of member-based between terrestrial and marine ecosystems where conservation organizations in over 100 countries seeking to identify and environmental stewardship is essential. and conserve sites important to all bird species Intertidal zonation or bio-bands refers to the tendency of worldwide. Through the protection of birds and plants and animals to form distinct communities between the habitats, they also promote the conservation of the high and low tide lines. Bio-bands are easy to spot. For example, world’s biodiversity. The Baynes Sound IBA is a site of just below the trees there is typically a black-grey band of global significance for 7 species of birds and of encrusting algae and lichens. Also in this area, raccoons, mink, particular importance for overwintering populations. otter and deer forage for a variety of marine life. Fallen trees, Shellfish farming raises concerns and negatively branches and even logs and stumps that wash up onto a beach impacts bird populations. These concerns have creates essential habitat cover. As well, tree debris helps to escalated largely due to exponential expansion of accrete and sort sediments, creating spawning habitat for forage shellfish growing operations. These concerns can be fish; stabilizes banks and shorelines and supports the growth of grouped in two general areas: the reduction of native beach grass. This all works to support the next generation potential foraging habitat for shorebirds and diving of forests and is a source of organic matter and food for aquatic ducks due mainly to the use of anti-predator nets that insects, invertebrates and the organisms that feed on them. This prevent birds from feeding, and the potential area is also considered a riparian area but unfortunately was not disturbance to birds by shellfish workers. included in the provincial RAR initiative. Our fragile salt marshes Next, we have EBSA which stands for Ecologically are an excellent example of a riparian area and are protected by and Biologically Significant Area which, Baynes Sound is DFO and support a multitude of species. as well, having met all the criteria outlined by DFO. DFO Now, onto IBA which stands for Important Bird Area which states that the identification of EBSA's is a tool to call Baynes Sound has been globally recognized as. The IBA program attention to areas that have particularly high ecological 27 (Continued on Page 28) ADIMS FROM PAGE 27 or biologi [Typecal text] significance to allow appropriate management. do know locally, that we have had positives at Henry DFO (in theory) applies Ecosystem-Based Management Bay, Morning Beach, Fillongley, Jack Forsyth's and Millard (EBM) which is aimed at preventing overfishing, protecting beach with a complete list of positives in the works and sensitive species, conserving genetic diversity and structure, promised for August. As the WDFW noted, forage fish are

and maintaining ecosystem structure and habitats to forage spawning in new locations and at new times that had not fish. A 2014 DFO review of the ecological role of forage fish been previously documented. This knowledge illustrates

who “play a critical role in transferring energy from plankton the importance of protecting all forage fish habitat. to large predatory species of fish, mammals and birds” Lastly, an MPA is a Marine Protected Area. ADIMS identifies Eco-Based Management strategies for forage fish. has requested that Baynes Sound and Lambert Channel This would allow non-fisheries benefits of marine be designated a MPA. You will hear more about this ecosystems to be maintained and sustain both ecosystems soon. and yield. Internationally, a number of major initiatives and As you can see our island is an incredible place and workshops have been under-taken to advance an ecosystem has achieved international recognition due to the approach to management and the important role of forage importance of our marine ecosystem which needs us all species to the ecosystem as a whole. We are still waiting to to take an active role in protecting. At ADIMS recent see evidence of these. World Oceans Day Event, Peter Karsten mentioned an Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) African proverb that resonated with him - “You protect (thanks to marine biologist Dr. Pentilla) are aware of the what you love. You love what you know. You importance of forage fish and have been studying them for over 30 yrs. Due to the decline in forage fish populations know what you're taught.” and the recognition of their importance, the WDFW is now

expanding their search for forage fish in areas of Puget Confessions of a..... Sound. A new study has found that pregnant killer whales ...Shellfish fisher, which is the correct term as determined are starving (eopugetsound.org/magazine/orca- by the Cohen Commission for those who work on shellfish miscarriages) and with 75% of Southern Residents' summer tenures. Our shellfish tenure was offered to my father-in diet being chinook and with 72% of the diet of adult chinook law well over 40 yrs. ago when he bought a waterfront lot consisting mainly of sand lance and herring, it's easy to see on Chrisman Rd. The beach was initially a sea of native the importance of forage fish. WDFW teams surveyed more Olympia oyster beds which were, prior to tenure than 1,000 sites on public and private beaches to find documents being finalized, “ripped off” by a well evidence of forage fish spawning activity. The most recent established shellfish processor. We then went about surveys “found forage fish eggs in locations and at times seeding the tenure by taking empty shells (in plastic net where these fish previously hadn’t been documented”, said sleeves) out to Torquart Bay to gather natural spat which Phillip Dionne, WDFW research scientist. was the normal practice. It required a boat which every The WDFW has determined that forage fish populations fisher had and we made a family adventure out of the tend to fluctuate greatly, caused by natural factors, such as process with grandparents, kids and dogs. This necessary changes in environmental conditions and reproductive but labour intensive task was done annually until seeding success. We now know that microplastics are causing DNA tanks were developed at one of the processors nearby. damage and decreased reproduction in all species. Both Empty oyster shells were then placed in the tank and the Pacific Sand Lance and Surf Smelt are on the WDFW thousands of Pacific oyster spat were introduced, fed and “Priority Habitats and Species List” which is intended to nurtured until it was time to put them on the beach. This identify species and habitats of special concern in method produced clumps of oysters which soon became Washington which affords WAC protection. Present redundant when demands for half-shell oysters became regulatory WDFW policy emphasizes the protection of all popular. We soon realized that other tasks such as natural forage fish spawning habitats as there is no known removing starfish did not comply with our environmental mitigation methodology to replace destroyed sand lance values. Moving rocks to clear room and make oyster and surf smelt spawning habitat by artificial means in enclosures also meant critters were crushed, again, not an perpetuity. environmentally friendly practice. When we realized the As we all know, habitat is easier to protect than restore more organized we got, the more harm was being done to which is why we must protect our Denman Island foreshore. marine ecosystems, we realized the shellfish industry was These areas are zoned Marine Conservation which does not far from “green” or “sustainable”. Monoculture practices include vehicle use as being an acceptable use of this area because this use negatively impacts forage fish habitat . We 28 (Contined on Page 32 28

spawner survey in Baynes Sound with the following From Margie Gang To the Denman LTC: objectives: I read that Ramona deGraaf’s “forage fish habitat” 1. to identify sand lance beach spawner sites and timing of maps are now stored in the Dora Drinkwater Library. In spawning in Baynes Sound, this case, the attached map should also be available 2. to document physical characteristics of beach spawner there. This study was done for the BC Ministry of habitat in Baynes Sound and compare these characteristics Sustainable Resources, and has different conclusions. to those documented in Puget Sound by the Washington I’m attaching the name of the study, and some of the State Department of Fish and Wildlife, collected data and conclusions. 3. to use documented sand lance beach spawner data in

DOCUMENTING PACIFIC SAND LANCE (Ammodytes Baynes Sound and Washington State to assess suitability of hexapterus) SPAWNING HABITAT IN BAYNES SOUND these sites for surf smelt spawning, as the physical

AND THE POTENTIAL INTERACTIONS characteristics of spawning habitat for surf smelt are similar WITH INTERTIDAL SHELLFISH AQUACULTURE to sand lance, MARCH 2003 4. to sample existing aquaculture areas, particularly clam “One of the data gaps identified by Emmett (2002) is a tenures, where the use of predator netting or harvesting lack of information on the location and habitat activities have the potential to impact beach spawner characteristics of beach spawning finfish such as the habitat, Pacific sand lance (Ammodytes hexapterus) and surf 5. to sample areas which are identified as possible smelt (Hypomesus pretiosus). Intertidal beach shellfish aquaculture expansion sites under the Baynes spawners are vulnerable to impacts to upper intertidal Sound Coastal Plan for Shellfish Aquaculture, and, habitats from various foreshore activities as they rely 6. to document interactions between aquaculture on ecologically functioning beaches to sustain their activities and beach spawning activity in Baynes Sound. populations. Archipelago Marine Research Ltd. was Information on the timing and location of surf smelt engaged by the B.C. Ministry of Sustainable Resource spawning in British Columbia is sparse (Therriault et al. 2002, Management to conduct a Pacific sand lance beach D. Hay pers. comm.)

Table 4. Location, timing and abundance of eggs found in samples

SAMPLE DATE SITEDESIGNATION SITE Nov 20- 24, Dec 16- 20, Jan 17- 21, Feb 5,

2002 2002 2003 2003 Mapleguard Point 39 >175** >100**

Reference Goose Spit 6 32 5

Fillongley Park 11 n/s*

Deep Bay n/s

Ship Point n/s

South Base Flats n/s

North Base Flats n/s

North of Buckley n/s Aquaculture Bay South Metcalfe n/s Bay

Metcalfe Bay n/s

Denman Point n/s

Henry Bay 2 n/s

Gartley Point n/s Opportunity Comox Harbour n/s

· not sampled · ** egg counts from 5% sub-sample (Continued on Page 30)

29

TO THE LTC FROM PAGE 29 [Type text] "3.1 SPAWNING LOCATIONS AND TIMING aquaculture and opportunity sites sampled.” Fish eggs were found within the upper intertidal "At Henry Bay two eggs were found at the upper zone samples (T1) at four of the 14 sites ; the three transect (T1) in January, 2003. The presence of eggs at reference sites and one aquaculture site in Henry Bay this site, where sediment grain size distribution on north western Denman Island. All eggs were included 17% medium sand content as well as 18% fine confirmed to be Pacific sand lance eggs. No surf smelt sand, appeared to be an anomaly. Given that the or rock sole eggs were found." preferred grain size for sand lance spawn habitat is “Although surf smelt eggs were not found consistent with results in Washington State, it appears throughout the winter sampling period in Baynes that only one of the aquaculture sites has suitable Sound, sediment grain size analysis from Baynes Sound substrate for sand lance spawn deposition." contrasted with results from Puget Sound suggests suitable substrate is not present at all but one of the

30

BIRD NOTES By Patrick Fawkes th July 17 . As I write I can see from my room the entrance to the woodshed where a Barn Swallow is adding large white feathers, from our Muscovy duck, to her mud-cup nest. For the last few days I have seen a pair of swallows flying in and out of the woodshed and have heard their excited chattering to one another – it is hard to write a description of this chattering. The male flies in to the nest, fusses around in it, pecks at pieces of hay in the lining, preens and scratches himself and briefly crouches down in the nest with his long tail feathers raised over the rim of the mud cup; meanwhile the Cheryl Henkleman's Babies April 2016 female perches on a nail in a rafter, female perches on a nail in a rafter, preening, especially preening, especially her light brown her light brown breast feathers where the bare brood- professional people who enter their observations on the breast feathers where the bare brood- patch will develop when she is ready to incubate her “eBird” website which anyone can contribute to patch will develop when she is ready to eggs. incubate her eggs. (Disclosure: I have not added my observations on I have watched this behaviour repeated often I have watched this behaviour “eBird” yet – I have a block about using the computer!) when I walk near the woodshed and hear the now repeated often when I walk near the familiar chattering. Perhaps this is a courtship woodshed and hear the now familiar Previous Bird Notes articles in the Flagstone behaviour, with the male, which usually flies directly to chattering. Perhaps this is a courtship recounted my observations of Violet-green Swallows, in the nest encouraging the female to lay eggs? behaviour, with the male, which usually particular their nesting habits in nest-boxes that we have on various buildings around the property. flies directly to the nestth encouraging the It was May 10 this year when the first Barn This year two Violet-greens were first seen flying female to lay eggs? Swallows arrived. When I went into the woodshed at around the lower orchard on March 25th. They also about 1:00 p.m. two swallows flew out. I thought it was visited a nest-box on the south side of the house above a too late for them to start nesting and that without them bedroom window. Several times one swallow flew up to producing another generation, we would not see the the box, perched briefly at the hole, but didn’t go in, progeny of this family again. Of course I had no idea if then perched on a stick near the box: he/she was the swallows that had returned each year since first twittering excitedly (how do I know what emotions birds building their nest in May 2013, were genetically have?). This was a hopeful sign that the Violet-greens connected. Banding young each year would be an would nest here again. On April 9th Jane saw a swallow interesting biological study to answer this question. entering the nest-box several times. Like many aerial insectivores – birds that feed Although I had not taken notes of their activities solely on flying insects – Barn Swallows are declining in regularly, by May 10th I had the impression that the Canada. The report on “The State of Canada’s Birds female was laying. I saw it occasionally flying around the 2012” shows a steady decline of Barn Swallows, year orchard, so knew it was still interested in the nest-box. after year, from 1970 to 2010, with a total loss of nearly Most birds lay only one egg a day, usually in the 75% of the population. So I think it is important to keep morning, then have nothing much to do except fly notes, whenever we can, on their breeding habitats and around and feed! habits. Barn Swallows spend our winter, their non- “May 24th disaster! Violet-green nest destroyed, breeding time, in the southern U.S. and down through two broken eggs and hay on deck outside bedroom” Mexico, Central and South America. (from my notebook). “Looking into nest-box in p.m., no Much of the data on which these declines are eggs, and feathers strewn around on deck – a real based is provided by “citizen scientists”; - non- destruction by some bird . . . I think it must be a Barn 31

BIRD[Type NOTEStext] FROM PAGE 31 to cause trouble – I will miss their beautiful song.

Swallow?” I had assumed it was Barn Swallows because earlier that day I had seen two on the deck and flying up towards the box. A couple of days later I realized it must have been the work of a House Wren. They are known to destroy nests of nearby competing birds. This was a disappointing discovery for me; I had been excited to hear its song for the first time on our property a few weeks earlier. It was nesting (I thought) in a box on the other side of the house, a box previously occupied by a Chestnut-backed Chickadee which had successfully reared three or four fledglings. I have not looked into this box to see if the House Wrens produced any offspring as it is hard to get to. Today, July 20th, I have checked nests in three nest-boxes from around the property and have them in my Confessions from page 28 room. The nest in the box above the bedroom window is meant more profit but did more environmental made of strands of dry grass with a few feathers and a few damage, more plastic was being required along with dry sticks. It is clean and no eggs in it. The few sticks more substrate modifications. When the deep water indicate that a House Wren had been there by had given tenures came into being and were littering the beaches up on building a nest. with their escaped plastic equipment, we saw the When I opened the box on a post in the lower handwriting on the wall. We were now ashamed to orchard, it was immediately obvious what had happened. admit we had a tenure due to the mass On the bottom two or three inches was a well-built nest of industrialization creating harmful practices and the dry grass but on top of it was a pile of dry Tansy stalks movement away from family run traditional tenures. which were about 3mm. in diameter and up to 10 to 20 DFO was now in charge of compliance and cm. long: it was an unfinished House Wren’s dummy nest! enforcement and were turning a blind eye due to staff Male House Wrens, like male Marsh Wrens, build cuts and direction from the “resource extraction at all several dummy nests before the female arrives, and it is costs” focused federal gov't. When we found out how she who chooses which one to finish with a “cup of much damage was being done from the plastics being grasses, rootlets, hair, feathers, rubbish” according to used (which degrade creating microplastics and are Harrison’s guide to Western Bird’s Nests. ingested by every marine dependent creature), we had I removed the dry stalks and revealed a grisly to pull the plug. We could no longer, with a clear scene: five mummified baby birds, 5 – 6 cm. long, large conscience, be part of the plastic pollution and sell mouths and wing feathers starting to emerge from quills. shellfish that contained toxins that potentially cause They were probably only a couple of weeks old when they DNA and reproductive damage. After offering our were buried. It is particularly tragic that these young tenure (at cost) to the Local Trust Committee for the birds’ lives were snuffed out under a dummy nest that only local intertidal conservation park and a university hadn’t been used. who was looking to developing a “greener” tenure Now the good news! A Violet-green Swallow’s model, we ended up selling (at a loss) to our tenure nest in a box quite close to the last mentioned nest box neighbour with conditions that they would not develop was covered in a thick layer of dried feces indicating that it it further. It would appear that Baynes Sound is being had housed several young birds to fledgling stage. When destroyed by this industry which in turn, sadly, is the young first hatch they produce feces in a small sack destroying itself. Denman Islanders need to be which is removed by the adult bird, keeping the nest proactive and do whatever is necessary to protect clean. what's left of its marine environment. It's easier to The Barn Swallows successfully reared four or five protect habitat than it is to restore it, “When the last fledglings by July 3rd and are now into their second brood. tree is cut down, when all our waters...... ” And I haven’t found a House Wren’s nest that has edi johnston been occupied. So perhaps they won’t be back next year

32

For the Love of Dogs By Slug Blume Dogs are very patient, tolerant and forgiving.

Learning their language can help us develop a better understanding of each other's needs about the worlds and creatures around us. How do we know when a dog wants attention from a human? How do we know when they are the waist], big smile, hold our breath and place our hand on asking to be left alone? the dogs head. Humans often intrude on a dog's personal space. At what point did the dog say “yes please, hello friend”. Both Intruding means you haven't asked permission, or dog and human have ignored the other dog's stressor signs. you are ignoring a dogs 'no' signals. What options are left to a dog feeling threatened? Aquiese? Humans enjoy connecting with and touching walk away? Warn? Attack? what attracts us. A dog does not have to talk to you, or let you pet it. Consider asking yourself if the Dog language will also show when a dog stops feeling contact is your desire, or the dog's? If you don't give comfortable with the attention they are sharing with you. So if them the choice, how do you know? Being able to already engaging with a pooch and they start licking their lips, see when a dog is uncomfortable may one day keep or yawning, if they become really still and stop breathing, then you, a child or another dog/creature safe. stop petting, turn your head, lean away. The dog now has the choice to lean into you again, to move away, or to relax Stress Signs; Lip licking. Yawning. Closed mouth. because you heard them. Averted eyes. Staring, Not blinking, Whites of eyes visible. Head ducking, body low, tucked/stiff tail, Dogs communicate with body signals which humans can moving head/body away. Becomes very still [then often miss and humans approach dogs in ways that make stops breathing]. them uncomfortable. How many times have you reached to These may be presented individually or together. touch the top of a dogs head and the dog ducked away, even They could be saying" I'm nervous", "I'm afraid", "I'm slightly. Pursuing this dog may end in a snarl/nip/bite, if not busy", "I may lash out" or "I'm not interested". for you maybe the next person/child as the dog learns their attempts to say 'no thank you' will be ignored. If a dog is Happy welcoming signs; Wide open mouth, tongue showing any of the mentioned stressors, it is not comfortable visible, soft/blinking eyes, leaning into affection, or doesn't understand your intentions. Try a new approach or stretching, loose limbs, wide swinging/thumping tail. leave the cute creature alone. Dogs can be forced to allow our desire for contact because we have made it clear that the final Humans can mimic what a friendly dog does [and clearest] warnings, a snarl, lunge, snap or bite is when they see those stressor signs; approach at an unacceptable. So let's spread the word about the acceptable angle, blinking soft eyes, relaxed jaw, lean away from warning signs and help more dogs feel better about sharing the other [not into or over them], play the world of humans. bow[squat/crouch down], turning the head/body slightly and back and forth, move away, and letting Dogs are living, breathing, thinking, feeling creatures. the other make the next move. With their own desires, joys, fears. Together humans and Can we learn to wait for the dog to move towards animals can learn/teach tools to enjoy fun, relaxed and safe us? That is the best way to know if a dog wants lives together, fulfilling everyone's needs. attention, to let it make the choice itself. questions/feedback [email protected] Many humans unknowingly replicate the behaviour of a dog who wants to challenge another; approach it Check out the Creative in a straight line/head on, lean over the others body, Threads Conspiracy and stand really still, stare without blinking, tense/tall body and low/slow breathing, then maybe it bares its Website!! Class are starting teeth. Most humans replicate these signals without to fill! knowing it. We see a dog and walk straight up to it, our eyes get wide and focused on the dogs face, our www.creativethreadsconspiracy.com hearts get faster, we lean over the dog [bending at 33

[Type text] Household Cleaners in our Islands’ Waters Submitted By Ellen Leslie Many commercial household cleaning products are not groundwater or septic friendly because they contain toxins including chlorine, ammonia, lye, hydrochloric and sulfuric acids, xylene, formaldehyde, phenol, ethanol, and cresol. Protect yourself, your family, our groundwater and the environment by putting together a safe cleaning kit with inexpensive, effective ingredients. The building blocks for this kit are baking soda, liquid soap, steel wool, vegetable oil, borax, washing soda, white vinegar, lemon juice, cream of tartar, and salt. ALL PURPOSE CLEANER Mix 125 ml pure soap with 4 litres hot water. Add 60 ml strained lemon juice to cut grease or dissolve 60 ml baking soda in 1 litre hot water. Mix equal parts of vinegar and salt for scouring. DISHES Add pure soap flakes to hot water, add vinegar for tough grease. LAUNDRY Borax can replace detergent -125 ml per average laundry load. To enhance, add 80 ml washing soda to the

water as the machine is filling. Put clothes in, add 375 ml of pure soap flakes. For hard water add 60 ml of vinegar during the first rinse. This is also a fabric softener.

When switching from detergent to pure soap, wash items twice with 80 ml of washing soda only to remove residues and reduce yellowing. Use a hydrogen peroxide bleach or 125 ml of washing soda in a load of laundry. And you can add 125 ml of borax for additional cleaning power. BATHROOM CLEANERS AND DISINFECTANTS Clean surfaces regularly with ½ c. borax in approx. 4 litres hot water or

pure soap in hot water. For TUB AND TILE, use a firm bristled brush with plain baking soda or a mixture of 125 ml pure soap in 4 litres hot water with baking soda added. For MOLD AND MILDEW, rub tiles and grout with a cloth moistened with vinegar, then scrub with an old tooth or nail brush. TOILET BOWL CLEANER Use borax or mix borax and lemon juice and let stand, then scrub. For regular cleaning, use pure soap and water. For stubborn calcium stains, put 1000 mg of vitamin C in the bowl, leave overnight, and scrub. DRAIN CLEANER Use a plunger or metal snake and/or pour 125 ml baking soda down drain, followed by 125 ml vinegar. Cover the drain and overflow vent while it fizzes, then follow with hot water. GLASS CLEANER Mix 65 ml vinegar or 15 ml lemon juice in a 1 litre spray bottle filled with warm water. Polish with newspaper.

OVEN CLEANER Wipe grease and spills asap, or line the oven with aluminum foil. If you need to clean, sprinkle baking soda on moist surface and scrub with steel wool. Or add baking soda to 250 ml of pure soap, 120 ml of lemon juice and 4 liters of hot water – wear gloves while scrubbing. SCOURING CLEANER Use borax powder or baking soda or a paste made with pure soap and baking soda. METAL POLISH For copper mix lemon juice or hot vinegar with a little salt and apply with a rag. For chrome, white flour or rubbing alcohol on a dry rag; for brass, equal parts of salt and flour with a little vinegar; for silver a paste of baking soda and water. FURNITURE POLISH Dissolve 5 ml lemon oil in 250 ml vegetable oil and apply with a clean, dry cloth. Use almond oil, olive oil, or a combination of olive oil and lemon juice for unvarnished furniture. FLOOR POLISH Melt 30 ml of paraffin wax in a double boiler, add 1 litre of mineral oil and a few drops of lemon oil. Apply with a cloth, allow to dry and polish.

Hornby Island Water Stewardship adapted this article from the Georgia Strait Alliance publication “What Does Clean Really Mean?” It is available on our web site hornbyislandwater.org along with our Water Conservation Poster which contains more information on how to use water sparingly and return it to the ground without contamination.

They share it here with us as a gesture of fellowship between neighbours. Editor

Summer 2016

34 34

35

[Type text] Community Events Listings

Sponsored by Union Bay Credit Union Tuesday Aug 2 @7:00 PM - Monday Aug 15 @ 12:00 PM- 9:00 PM, Back Hall DIRCS 3:00 PM Back Hall preschool meeting Thursday August 4th @ 7 p.m. at the Denman Arts Centre - Opening of Show Thursday August 18th at 7 "Marsh" by Simon Telegus; p.m. at the Denman Arts The show runs from Friday Centre, Opening of final August 5th to Tuesday August Summer Gallery show which 16th (page 14) runs until Tuesday August 30th. (pages 14-15)

Friday Aug 5 @ 11 am - Friday Aug 19th @ 8:00 PM, 8:00PM, Front Hall Why Front Hall Baird Black and Women Need to Climb White Trio Deadline for September Mountains Televised talk plus Flagstone Friday August 19th memory gathering work plus Sunday August 21st Time & public film showing (page 19) Location TBA DCA Annual email:

Picnic and Mystery Hunt (page [email protected] Saturday Aug 6-Sunday Aug 7, 13) 10 am - 4pm,Studio Tour

(pages 1 & 3) 2:30 pm at the Activity Thursday Aug 25th @10 am - Centre. First meeting of new 12 pm Fri & Sat 10 am to 8 pm Saturday Aug 6th @ 7:00 Hospice group (page 20) Awakening Dance workshop PM - 10:00 PM, Front Hall (page 16) Concert Wednesday, October 12, Sunday August 28th@7:30 2016, AT 7:30 PM , Arts' Awakening Dance Sunday Aug 7th @7:30 Front Center - Arts Denman performance & Sema Hall- El Grupo Cubano (Pg 23) Special General Meeting gathering (page 16) (page 16)

Monday Aug 8th - Sunday st Wednesday, September 21 Aug14th @ 2:00 PM -11:00 HDCHCS AGM on Hornby. PM Front Hall Kia

Barcelona Thursday September 22 @

Midnight Nowhere DCLTA Saturday, August 13: 10:00 – Phantom Ball (page 11) noon , Islands Trustee office hours Old School Thursday, September 29 @

36 36