A Message from Lana Popham, Minister of Agriculture and Food.
One of the many lessons we learnt the hard way from the chaos created by the wild fires and flooding of last fall was how critical our food supply chain security is. As soon as the main highways were blocked supplies of all sorts were cut off and that created empty shelves in shops throughout the Island almost instantly. It seems we only have about 3 days’ worth of food on the Island at any one time. This highlighted a critical change as to how much of our food is actually grown here on the Island. In the ‘50’s about 85% of the food consumed on the Island was grown here; this supply has...
Read MoreAn hour in the life of a Horticultural Therapist
A regular HT program I run involves caring for our feathered friends in the garden. The goal is to provide age appropriate programming for older adults who live in a long term care residence, which will increase social interaction for the participants and stimulate lost memories. For many older adults watching bird life in the garden can be calming, joyful and uplifting, just to mention a few of the benefits. It can be done from the comfort of your home and for those with mobility challenges it’s a great way to maintain a connection to nature. To set the scene: I have cleaning materials...
Read More5 fantastic daily habits to help you achieve permanent weight loss after 40.
Trying to lose weight after 40 can feel like torture even for the healthiest person. You may feel you’re doing all the right things, yet you can’t figure out why the weight keeps piling on. It can be confusing and frustrating trying every trick you see online only to be disappointed. But there is something you may not be taking into consideration. It is the things you are doing every day that potentially contribute to your weight gain. It could be as simple as making small changes for a considerable impact. Imagine it’s as easy as making minor adjustments to your routine...
Read MoreA cry for help
I received an Email to Seniors 101 with a cry for help regarding the scenario below which is a variant on the desperate need for housing and understanding for far too many people in BC. ————————————————————————- “My friend is in the hospital in Duncan with a broken leg. Until her accident, she rented a room in a house, but she can’t return there because of the stairs. The task of finding new housing is challenging and she is getting anxious as her...
Read MoreA purrfect ending: Kabul cat and NATO officer reunite in Vancouver
Abandoned, tear gassed, airlifted and very much loved: a cat rescued from Afghanistan finds a new home. But Tay Tay, a three-year-old grey tabby, was much more than a number to Gary Ash, 59, a NATO officer stationed in Kabul. Ash worked in occupational safety at Resolute Support Mission (RSM) in Kabul, Afghanistan, located next to the American Embassy. She was a friend. (Tay Tay beside Gary Ash on a cold night at Camp Resolute Support in Kabul. PHOTO BY GARY ASH /PNG) So when an international mission organized an airlift to Vancouver to liberate Tay Tay and 300 other dogs and cats stranded...
Read MoreMy journey as a registered Horticultural Therapist.
I grew up on a farm in England and on leaving school trained as a registered nurse (RN). Having worked as an RN for many years in both England and Canada, I realized I needed a new career direction. On a busy surgical unit there just wasn’t enough time for me to work in accordance with my values. The vocation of nursing seemed to have changed. I wanted to reconnect with people and ultimately re-establish my connection to the land. After moving from Edmonton to Nanaimo ten years ago I began my search for a new career. I soon discovered Horticultural Therapy (HT), a formal practice that...
Read MoreWomen’s Enterprise Centre
Supporting every stage of your small business journey. January 2022. Women’s Enterprise Centre Newsletter.
Read MoreSupport Island Farmers
During 2021 we witnessed floods and fire of biblical proportions and a world plagued by Covid. One of many issues it exposed, yet again, is how fragile our food and power supply is. The most current figures I could find regarding how much of the food we consume is actually produced here on the Island can be found on the Food ECO District Victoria on their web site – https://www.get-fed.ca They stated (March 3rd 2019) “Up until the 1950s, 85 percent of our food supply was grown locally here on the island (1). Today in 2019, our local food supply has dwindled to roughly 10...
Read MoreBeef Wellington with Au jus
This is the perfect dish for entertaining as almost everything can be done in advance leaving the host/ess relaxed and ready to enjoy their company Beef Wellington with Au jus . To get this meal to the table all at the same time: Prepare the mushroom duxelle up to a day in advance Prep the beef up to a day in advance. Refrigerate until ready to go into the oven. Assemble the beef wellington earlier in the day and then held refrigerated until ready to bake. Pull it out of the refrigerator about 1 hour before placing in the oven. The beans can be cooked and refreshed up to a day in advance....
Read MoreDespite internal turmoil, Green Party is needed in Canada.
A commentary by the former leader of the Green Party, originally published in the Toronto Star. The nature of leadership is at the core of how democracies function when they function well — or when they function badly. With Greens, leadership is markedly different from other parties. It is deep in the bones of Greens around the world. Leaders of parties are necessary to compete in the world of politics, but our wiring is anti-hierarchical. Until the recent experience with Annamie Paul, the leader had no power. No party staff reported to him or her. The leader could not set policy, but...
Read MoreDownsizing
“I am not my stuff: we are more than our possessions. Our memories are within us, not within our things. Holding onto stuff imprisons us; letting go is freeing.” Joshua Fields Millburn In our North American Culture we tend to collect value and put a lot of emphasis on material things, the “stuff” in our lives. This really came to the fore front for me when I made frequent visits to Africa. I saw how simply the people in our village lived and though life was challenging there was a joy for life and a deep connectivity with each other that was not the norm in my...
Read MoreIn praise of the Women’s Institute (W.I.}
I want to remind us, as we struggle to stay relevant in today’s fast paced world, where we have come from. I started to read the 2013 ‘Eat B.C. cook book published by the South Island membership and I found the following mission statement and the Eat B.C. introduction very thought provoking. Trish Summerhayes. A member of the Cedar W.I. ************************************ British Columbia Women’s Institute Mission Statement: British Columbia Women’s Institute is an organization that focuses on agricultural awareness and education, community action, the family and personal...
Read MoreThis is a great way to entertain especially when you are not sure what all of your guests like to eat or how they like things cooked.
This is also perfect to share on a bright sunny day on chairs in your backyard or on your deck. Mini Beef Skewers ½ pound sirloin steak cut into bite size pieces 1 clove garlic crushed 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon olive oil Mix all of the ingredients together well and marinate overnight, refrigerated. Remove the beef from the refrigerator and skewer one eight of the meat onto each of 8 skewers. Discard the marinade and allow the meat to sit at room temperature for 1 hour before grilling. Lamb Kebobs ½ pound lamb chops, meat removed from the bone and cut into bite size...
Read MoreMarinated steaks, sauté of mushrooms, Caesar salad, garlic bread,
ice cream sundaes with summer fruit coulee Marinated steaks 1 kg sirloin steak Remove any moisture from the steak using a paper towel and place the steak in a non reactive bowl just large enough to hold the steak. (You can also marinate the steak in a sealable zip lock bag.) 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 tablespoon Kikkoman reduced salt soy sauce ½ tsp hot sauce or more if you like 1 tablespoon olive oil Combine the above together well and pour over the steak. Let the steak sit in the marinade, refrigerated for a minimum of 4 hours or up to 24 hours....
Read MoreBack to Eden
For years I have been pondering the scenario of what would happen to seed supplies if the whole world suddenly became food insecure and people all around the globe started to grow food. I could not imagine what would cause such an unlikelihood, yet today here we are seeing an unprecedented reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic, causing a return to the land and expansion of food gardening not seen since the Victory Gardens of World War 2. This has caused sweeping demands in seed sales and food starts as folk who have never grown food plant food gardens, and others switch their gardens to grow...
Read MoreExciting News
Haley Healy’s second book following the success of her first “On their own terms” is now available Once again she features some of the amazing women that help to create the Vancouver Island that we now enjoy and cherish. Thank you Haley for portraying these women such a graphic way for us to enjoy. Trish Summerhayes. Publisher Island Woman Magazine. ***************************************** Flourishing and Free: More Stories of Trailblazing Women of Vancouver Island is an inspiring and eye-opening collection of true stories about sixteen women who blazed their own trails in...
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