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Fully licensed • Take out on Hampshire (Athlone Court) FREE delivery after 4:30pm in Oak Bay Village www.shareorganics.bc.ca 250.595.6729 90 Gorge Rd W • 250-385-5564 250.588.7562 2 May 2013 • FOCUS contents meridian May 2013 VOL. 25 NO. 8 Shiatsu 20 42 24 gentle, deeply effective oriental medicine for neck/shoulder tension, back/hip problems 4 INSPIRING A GIRL TO VOTE editor’s letter 4 migraines, chronic fatigue/pain History lessons do make a difference. insomnia, anxiety/depression Leslie Campbell readers’ views 6 “How relaxing shiatsu is! I now enjoy days free of the pain 8 AT A GLANCE at a glance 10 & stiffness of fibromyalgia and can do many activities I couldn’t • Numbers guy speaks out before. I’m grateful for all you’ve taught me, Sarah. Your • Ministry of Health watch shiatsu has given me a new lease on life.” — Cherie Coppin • Elderly woman still hiding from VIHA talk of the town 14 • Amalgamation, yes? • Give yourself a medal culture talks 28 Sarah Sowelu Rob Wipond, Alan Cassels, Aaren Madden, David Broadland Tokyo Trained & Certified, 1985 the arts in may 30 Meridian Diagnosis & Treatment IS THE LAW CATCHING UP TO BC’S POLICE CHIEFS? 14 Meridian Yoga Workshops The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner and the Registrar of palette 40 Lobbyists are hot on their association’s trail.But a former BC police chief May 5 & June 9 and solicitor general doubts they’ll ever be caught. plus weekly classes coastlines 42 Rob Wipond 778-440-0871 • [email protected] 18 THE POLITICS OF NATURE (PART 2) urbanities 44 The Liberals have fumbled the biodiversity ball; so what are the alternatives offering, and what are they hedging on? finding balance 46 Briony Penn 20 GOING VIRAL A new film is making sure salmon are on the menu of the provincial election. Katherine Palmer Gordon 22 THE MAYOR’S DILEMMA Was the Mayor accurately briefed on the financial state of the City’s largest-ever infrastructure project before the last election? David Broadland 24 HAS CRD UNINTENTIONALLY PUSHED THE RESET BUTTON? Its $17 million purchase of property in a residential neighbourhood as a possible ON THE COVER location for biodigesters has critics of the sewage treatment plan—and at least Photograph of Shutters in the two NDP candidates in the BC election—calling for a rethink of the entire plan. Leslie Campbell and David Broadland Songhees by David Broadland. See Gene’s Miller’s story on this building 28 SHOULD GOVERNMENT FOSTER CREATIVITY? on page 44. Why funding the arts makes sense. • Aromatic flavourful teas Chris Creighton-Kelly • High quality essential oils 40 WORTH THEIR SALT • Top quality herbs and tinctures for This year’s Fired Up! exhibition celebrates history, process, and function in ceramics. your health & well being Aaren Madden • Books, incense and other gift items 42 BOG TENDER EXPERIENCED STAFF Long-slumbering memories are awakened • R.N. • aromatherapists • herbalists and explored in George Szanto’s new book. • consultations available Amy Reiswig 44 CASA BLANCA White and curvaceous, Shutters flaunts Victoria’s unwritten cultural code. Gene Miller Celebrating 37 years 46 GARDENERS BEWARE 1106 Blanshard St. • 383-1913 Keeping the bullies out of your garden helps protect local parks too. best prices • mail order available Trudy Duivenvoorden Mitic May 2013 • www.focusonline.ca 3 editor’s letter THIS IS AN IMPORTANT MOMENT. Inspiring a girl to vote LESLIE CAMPBELL History lessons do make a difference. ack in the 1970s, during the second wave of the women’s move- ment, I often felt angry as the blinders came off, exposing the Binjustices of the patriarchal culture I lived in. But I also recall sweet pleasure in discovering my foremothers. I devoured books and History was made in 2011 when articles about women in history, both Canadian and otherwise. I went to see Judy Chicago’s “Dinner Table.” I even bought and restored Nellie Green Party MP in Canada. She shows us McClung’s house in Winnipeg. Those inspiring history lessons had a what democracy can look like. profound influence on me: I ended up teaching women’s studies, then Change provincial politics forever, vote Green. starting a women’s magazine. And, as you’ve likely noticed, they ignited Help create a culture of governance, not in me a keen interest in politics and democracy. In other words, they politics. Help move democracy to the next made me, if I can be so bold, a good citizen. level and add new voices to the legislature. So I get it that knowing our history and having role models is crucial to both women and the broader society. And I assumed that over the Be an important vote for history, not just for last few decades women would have found their way into the history today but for the generations to come. books so that everyone could benefit from those lessons. There’s certainly More about this important moment: no lack of dramatic stories and interesting characters in women’s history. www.greenparty.bc.ca Yet, Sandy Mayzell, a woman who’s made it her mission to turn Vote young women on to politics, says those history lessons still aren’t happening, at least not in any consistent way. And the result is Authorized by M. Johnston, apathy: “When I go into the classrooms, I’m struck by how oblivious on May 14 778-351-0404 and apathetic most students are about politics, particularly the crucial and challenging role of women in politics.” This is not a good thing for democracy. A disengaged citizenry leads to poor governance. “We need all voices present to get good decision- making,” says Mayzell. According to her research only one in four Canadian politicians are women (we’re tied with Australia at 39th, just behind Mexico, Iraq and Sudan). Mayzell has been working diligently, bringing her considerable enthu- siasm and skill set (past program manager of BC Arts Festival, filmmaker, actor, speaking coach), to bear, free of charge, to turn things around. Her project is called “Dancing with the Octopus: Women and Politics in Canada and Beyond.” It’s multimedia and non-partisan, with a goal “to encourage conversation about women’s involvement in poli- tics—to get our voices heard and our needs reflected in government policy, and to encourage equal partnership with men.” The second goal, she says, “is to address youth apathy; I believe that it’s critical to engage young women and girls to think about leadership and political participation by providing role models and sharing stories.” To these ends, she’s produced numerous short video interviews with Canadian politicians, including Elizabeth May, Carolyn Bennett, Denise Savoie, Leona Aglukkaq, and others. Editor: Leslie Campbell Associate Editor: Rob Wipond Publisher: David Broadland Sales: Bonnie Light, Rosalinde Compton ADVERTISING & SUBSCRIPTIONS: 250-388-7231 Email [email protected] EDITORIAL INQUIRIES and letters to the editor: [email protected] WEBSITE: www.focusonline.ca MAIL: Box 5310, Victoria, V8R 6S4 Subscriptions (tax included): $33.60/year (12 editions); $56/2 years (24 editions) Copyright © 2013. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher. The views expressed herein are not necessarily those of the publisher of Focus Magazine. Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement No. 40051145 4 May 2013 • FOCUS ADVERTISEMENT Focus presents: Iyengar Yoga Centre Focusing on excellence in teaching Most recently she’s been concentrating on one “tentacle” of the Octopus (there are eight): “Dancing Backwards: Let’s Get Canada’s Political Women into History.” She’s already launched the pilot program involving students in four Victoria schools—in grades 5, 8 and 11— where she does lively presentations about the contributions of Canadian historical women. Over ensuing classes, students choose one politically influential woman from Canada’s past, and tell her story using poetry, video, skit, puppet show, graphic story, narrated dance, etc. These are filmed, with the strongest ones posted on the Dancing Backwards website. Mayzell is gathering and creating other materials for teachers to work with. She says teachers are keen to include women in their Canadian history curriculum, but are often overtaxed; so they need easily accessible, good resources Join Ann Kilbertus for the Working Wisely workshop on May 4. at their finger tips—or a nearby online library such as Mayzell is creating. ictoria is fortunate to have a dedicated yoga centre where teachers are Mayzell has now worked with about constantly upgrading their skills and understanding of yoga—and providing 100 students and reports transforma- Va wide range of classes and workshops for the rest of us.