After the turmoil of the past year or so I’m sure we all have stories and happenings that we will always remember.
I set up island Woman 2012 because I knew many talented women on the Island who loved to write. They produced beautiful articles and poems etc. but had no means of easily sharing or publishing them. Since then so many Island women have posted incredible articles that were as varied and interesting as they are. To maintain and continue the range and scope that is Island Woman magazine I would like to reach out and encourage others to post items with us. These articles can be a one off or you may post them on an ongoing basis. The choice of subject matter and size is totally up to you. We will...
Read MoreI am delighted to introduce Teresa Schapansky, an accomplished published author.
Teresa will be posting regular articles and excerpts from her books. Thank you Teresa for joining us at Island Woman Magazine, Trish Summerhayes. Publisher, Island Woman Magazine ************************************* In June of 2016, I received a message from a cherished high school friend. Polite folk that we are, he and I exchanged our usual pleasantries before he got down to business. His dad had been hoping to have his story written for quite some time, and he asked if I might be interested in taking on a project such as this. Would I ever. Since then, I have met with Jamal 45...
Read MoreProject Rise: New employability program launches bringing hope to ICCS clients
Project Rise offers training and work placements for people who have experienced homelessness – breaking down barriers to employment and community connection, and building confidence for the future. The program launched on Monday, April 4th with its first cohort of 6 client participants. Project Rise is a new program of Island Crisis Care Society (ICCS) aimed to deliver pre- employment and employment skills training and work placement opportunities to people who have experienced homelessness, but are now ready to re-integrate fully into independence and community life. Many ICCS clients...
Read MoreFish en Paupiette
This is a great dinner for both family and friends. It looks impressive and the clean-up is a snap! Serves 4 Preheat the oven to 400°F. 4 firm white fish fillets (snapper, halibut, etc.) 1 inch thick if possible 4 medium waxy potatoes, unpeeled and cut into thin slices 12 thin lemon slices 1 large bulb of fennel, trimmed and sliced thinly 2 carrots, thinly sliced on the bias 1 small red pepper, julienned Salt and pepper to taste 4 rounds of parchment paper Cut the parchment paper into circles large enough to hold the fish and the veggies and place them on a working...
Read MoreA 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 MoreA few days ago I was taking a walk on a beautiful sunny afternoon when I met a lady pruning a potted plant by the sidewalk
We had a lovely conversation and I learnt that she was Julia Sage that had just opened a massage therapy practice right here in Chemainus I was very impressed by her gentle manner and her reassuring approach to her profession. Welcome to Chemainus Julia. Best regards, Trish Summerhayes. Publisher Island Woman Magazine.. ********************************************* I graduated from the Canadian College of Massage and Hydrotherapy in 1990, and have since studied numerous assessment and hands-on techniques, many of which I’ve integrated into my...
Read MoreThe Fours Secrets of Successful Soil Building
This year many of us went back to our gardens to grow more food in the face of an uncertain future. Since plants constantly remove nutrients from the soil, if these nutrients are not replenished, plant health in your future crops will be jeopardized. Your garden will never be as good as it was the year before. So here are my four secrets of successful soil building. Secret Number One: Compost is the gardeners’ version of humus, but it is produced much more quickly. The quality of compost as an organic soil additive depends on the residues from which it is made, as well as the extent to...
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...
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