BC Shellfish Festival

BC Shellfish Festival: June 17-18

When you live on an Island, days are defined by the ebb and flow of the tides.  Not to mention the catch of the day.  And during two days in June, the community of Comox not only revels in the daily catch, but boasts an all-out party to celebrate sustainably-harvested food from the sea.

The largest of its kind in the province, the BC Shellfish Festival will lure the seafood set June 18 with a full day of cooking demos by the region’s cutting-edge chefs, live beats and local entertainment, and select sea-worthy competitions.  Vying for hard-earned hardware and some cool cash, competitors will wield the blades for the BC Oyster Shucking Championships and stir it up during Comox Valley’s Best Chowder competition.

And we can’t forget about the annual Chef’s Dinner—a perennial crowd-pleaser—sure to draw the masses to the shores of Baynes Sound at the historic Filberg Lodge & Park.  Here, an entourage of up-and-comers and culinary pros, including Robert Clark of Vancouver’s iconic C Restaurant will create an impressive six-course shellfish spread for eager guests.  For more information visit bcshellfishfestival.ca

Comox Cup: June 17-19

The Comox Cup Adult Road Hockey Tournament is back, with a twist.  This year the event is being held on Comox Avenue.  There will be three rinks and three divisions of hard-hitting action, a beer garden and prizes galore.  New this year is  a mini rink for the kids so they can sign up for a free shooting clinic and mini games, bounce castle and much more.  Don’t miss out on your chance to be a part of history  If you love hockey, you’ll love the Comox Cup!  For more information visit comoxrecreation.com

National Aboriginal Day & Summer Solstice Celebration: June 21

Share in the Celebration!  Canadians from all walks of life are invited to participate in the many National Aboriginal Day events that will be taking place from coast to coast.

Celebrate the summer solstice along the beautiful shores of the Courtenay Estuary.  National Aboriginal Day is a fun-filled day for the whole family to enjoy together and share in the celebration.

Experience the stories, songs and traditional dances from the Komoks First Nation and the Kumugwe Dancers.  The Kumugwe Dancers take great pride in preserving ancient traditions of their ancestors.

Drop in and meet guest artist George Littlechild in the I-Hos Gallery.  Enjoy local delicacies on the barbeque, as well as Pentlatch Seafood Chowder from Tria Culinary Studio.  Try the tasty local food like our famous traditional sockeye salmon cooked on cedar sticks on an open fire.  There will also be clam chowder, buffalo stew and bannock.  The performances and concert are free and the food concession has affordable and delicious dinner options.  Everyone is welcome to be part of this day and to learn, share and celebrate National Aboriginal Day and the Summer Solstice.

Then sit back and enjoy the music by Vancouver Island MusicFest on an outdoor stage from 6-8 pm.  Bring a blanket or lawn chair for the live music.  Keep in mind the cool winds off the ocean and bring along a nice warm sweater!   For more information check out the I-Hos Gallery page on Facebook.

Vancouver Island MusicFest: July 8-10

The 17th annual Vancouver Island MusicFest is shaping up to be a memorable one at the beautiful Comox Valley Exhibition Grounds!  Performers gracing the stages this summer include David Crosby, Randy Newman, Holly Cole, Arrested Development, John Jorgenson and Albert Lee, Corey Harris, Jon Anderson (the voice of Yes), MarchFourth Marching Band, Red Horse, Dick Gaughan,The Lee Boys, The Travelin’ McCourys and over 60 other acts from across the big blue world!

Organizers have also added a special concert event on Thursday July 7th with 26 time Grammy Award Winner Alison Krauss and Union Station.  Tickets to this concert event are only $50 with the purchase of a weekend pass or $65 for the Thursday concert only.

If you’ve never been to Vancouver Island MusicFest before make this summer the one where you discover a world class music festival in your own backyard!  Camp out for the weekend and enjoy a ‘staycation’ with friends and family that includes river swimming, hands-on workshops, roving performers, magicians, food and crafts, art projects, interactive kidzzone and 6 stages of truly incredible music!  Early Bird Festival Passes (day passes or weekend passes) on sale now till June 30th. islandmusicfest.com

Market Day: July 16 & Local Colours Festival: July 15-16

It’s 41 years now for this annual Downtown Courtenay Market Days celebration.  From 9am to 7 pm, the downtown streets of Courtenay will be filled with wonderful things to do during this all day event.  You’ll find handmade, one-of-a-kind products along with some of the best deals from favourite downtown shops.  The streets will be full to the brim with more than 90 vendors—some of the Comox Valley’s very best!  Visitors will find face painitng, goodies to eat, roaming entertainment, clowns, and a bouncerama.  Market Day is a perfect outing for the entire family.  There’s something for everyone and it’s free!

Come out and join us on the streets of Downtown Courtenay to celebrate the 6th annual Local Colours Festival.  Local Colours combines the talents of local artists working in a variety of media, creating works from July 15, 11-4 pm and July 16, 9-5 pm.  On July 16, the artists will join the downtown merchants during Market Day, along with a variety of street performances by local musicians, singers, dancers and drummers.  A vendor fair of local craftspeople, artisans and home-based businesses will integrate with the merchants of downtown to create a unique shopping experience.

On July 16 from 9 am to 7 pm, the main stage at the corner of Fifth Street and England Avenue will feature a variety of performances by local musicians, singers, dancers and more, celebrating our community and showcasing the extraordinary talent the Comox Valley has to offer.

For more information visit downtowncourtenay.com

Filberg Festival: July 29-August 1

Enjoy arts, crafts, food, music and fun at the 29th annual Filberg Festival July 29 to August 1 in Comox. The Filberg Festival has established a world-wide reputation for the excellence in all forms of arts and crafts, and to assist in the promotion and sales of quality work. Immerse yourself amongst the 130 artisans and makers of fine art in a variety of media ranging from metalwork, pottery, toys, woodcrafts, jewellery, mosaics and specialty foods.

This year’s Guest Artist is Coral May Barclay, a Northwest coast landscape painter, who will be showcasing her oil paintings of light and colour in the Filberg Heritage Lodge during the festival.

The weekend’s entertainment line up includes: Blackie & The Rodeo Kings, Eric Bibb, James Kellaghan, Lunch at Allen’s, Michael Kaeshammer, Stacey Earle & Mark Stuart.

New for 2011 is the “Sip & Bid”.  Enjoy hand-crafted wines and beer from local Vancouver Island wineries and breweries while having an opportunity to bid on original paintings by MONK, Marion Webber and Brett Varney, Mary Fox pottery, a $1,000 travel voucher from Transat Holidays and a return trip for two from Harbour Air Seaplanes/West Coast Air with overnight accommodation at the Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel.

The Filberg Festival is the major fundraiser to support, repair and maintain the Filberg Heritage Lodge and Park. For more information visit filbergfestival.com.

Comox Nautical Days: July 30-August 1

Captain Cracker hopes you’ll join him at Comox Marina Park to celebrate Nautical Days 53rd annual festival celebration!  The action kicks off Saturday morning with the 25th Annual Bullhead Derby, the largest catch-and-release fishing derby in the Pacific Northwest.  Last year’s derby drew nearly 500 young and young-at-heart participants angling for top honors in categories ranging from largest fish to strangest catch.

On the same morning kids of all ages, whether anglers or not, will enjoy Captain Cracker’s Kids Festival.  This is always a blast for the young’uns, with games, races, crafts, clowns, pet parade, face painting, rides and more smiles than a grade school yearbook.  Saturday afternoon, Canoe Jousting is back.  Remember King Arthur’s Court?  Two person teams—a paddler and a ‘jouster’—combine agility, balance, teamwork, speed and striking power to stay afloat.

The much-anticipated Dragon Boat Races will be held on Sunday.  Watch the impressive boats glide through the waves while the deep beat of the drums keep time for the paddlers.  Teams from across Vancouver Island and the lower mainland will be competing, so come and cheer for your favorites!  The Build, Bail & Sail will take centre stage on Monday.  More than a dozen two-man teams will try to craft any sort of sea-faring vessel with the meagre materials and hand tools at their disposal, and then race them around the Comox Marina entrance.  The hilarity is always intense in this competition where simply staying afloat often wins the race.

The weekend concludes Monday night with the cadets and staff of HMCS Quadra presenting the Sunset Ceremony of the Flags and Quality Foods Spectacular Festival of Lights, the biggest fireworks display on Vancouver Island.  Also returning will be King—or at least the next best thing.  Elvis is in the house!  Elvis impersonator Steve Elliott performs the ‘Gospel of Elvis Sunday afternoon, Elvis’s Family Show Monday afternoon and ‘Viva Las Vegas’ Monday evening as part of the Nautical Days finale.

If you need more excuses to check out this year’s Nautical Days celebration, here are several: a car show, bistro-style beer gardens each day, the longest-running foot race in BC, more than 100 artisan and craft booths, and enough food booths to keep your tank topped off throughout the weekend.  Nautical Days festival-goers can start each day with a pancake breakfast, enjoy upbeat stage entertainment every afternoon and groove the night away at Captain Cracker’s Family Dance.  For more information visit comoxnauticaldays.ca

The Big Time Out: August 12-13

The Big Time Out is returning August 12 & 13 to Cumberland Village Park and it has renewed its mission to prove that little villages really can do big things.

Juno Award-winning trio Bedouin Soundclash will headline the Friday night’s festivities with their reggae-tinged pop. Saturday’s sounds will range from the orchestral pop of Vancouver’s Brasstronaut to the dance floor-friendly music of international acts like OKA and Beats Antique.

The Big Time Out stands apart from other festivals. A cross section of generations and musical styles attracts an eclectic mix of people, all united in their love of really great music. Beyond the music, dancers, acrobats and circus performers appear out of nowhere and help set one of the coolest festival vibes anywhere.  See videos, check out the performers and buy tickets online at thebigtimeout.com or facebook.com/cumberlandvillageworks

“Audiences can feel the love between us,” says fiddle player Jack Roland (left), at an impromptu performance on the streets of Cumberland with bandmates Jenn Forsland and Luke Blu Guthrie.

Photo by Boomer Jerritt

I met with Guthrie, a songwriter, singer and guitar-player, in the cozily hip Cumberland hangout Tarbells. We were joined by his band members Jenn Forsland (back-up vocals and auxiliary percussion) and Jack Roland (fiddle) for an unhurried conversation about their new CD, their musical influences and ambitions, and why they think the Comox Valley is a great place to be a musician.

In person, Guthrie has an unassuming charm and a friendly, laid back manner. He leans back comfortably in his chair, pauses before speaking, and answers questions simply, with occasional flashes of a mischievous humour. Forsland, on the other hand, speaks quickly and with impressive eloquence. I’m not surprised to hear she is a teacher (music at Courtenay Elementary); I have no problem imagining her commanding a classroom with her articulate energy. Roland seems to be the quiet one, which may be because he has a heaping plate of delicious Tarbell’s food in front of him. He speaks up when there’s a good story to tell or a funny line to add.

Guthrie says much of what he does is influenced by his home. He grew up at The Hermitage, a unique collaborative back-to-the-land project in Merville, which provided him with what he calls “a simple, rural lifestyle surrounded by a cast of eccentric and colorful characters.” This upbringing has influenced both his music and his personal journey in multiple ways.

“I feel very connected to a simple rural existence. I like to keep things pretty simple and honest. This kind of naturally feeds into my interest in roots music,” he says.

That doesn’t mean that his musical horizons are narrow, however. On the contrary, his influences range widely through place and time. He describes his style as a “fusion of folk, funk, dark country, rock ‘n’ roll, soul, blues and swing.” His interest in many of these genres dates back to his childhood.

“Lucky for me, I was exposed to lots of eclectic and old music when I was a kid, like folk and jazz tunes, a lot of old spirituals, prison songs, things like that going right back to the 20s and 30s. And I remember discovering Bob Marley when I was about seven. I wore that old tape to the bone.” And then there was the other Bob—Dylan—who has been a life-long influence.

“Also, my name comes from a family of slaves in Ohio and looking into my own roots led me to get really interested in the music and of the Southern States. And since then I’ve been introduced to many other styles that I love but still, what moves me most is the raw emotions of those early songs,” he says.

When I ask Guthrie about his training, his answer is all about place—literally, the streets of his hometown: “I learned a lot of what I know from busking. I’ve spent quite a bit of time out on 5th Street. There’s really no substitute for busking. When you’re out there, it’s a great opportunity to develop the skill to draw someone in,” he says, and adds with a laugh, “… and convince them to fork over their cash.”

Apparently the “school of street’ has worked well. Guthrie, now 26, has been performing solo and with other musicians for about 10 years, and since forming his band about seven months ago, his star has been steadily rising, as evidenced by their busy schedule.

“We just got back from Victoria, we’re on the Sunshine Coast next week, Gabriola soon, Nanaimo, and locally we’ve got a gig coming up at Joe’s Garage. We’re playing at the opening Farmers’ Market and then there’s going to be a CD launch in May at the Waverly,” he says. “As well, we do pretty regular bar gigs at places like the Griffin and the Mex.”

Part of what’s energizing Guthrie these days is his band. Although he is the songwriter and front-man, Guthrie says the group works in a truly collaborative way, bringing together diverse backgrounds into a creative partnership that is personally fun and creatively fertile for all three.
Forsland agrees: “In a relatively short period these lovely people have endeared themselves to me,” she says. “We have developed a really deep and genuine respect and trust. The vibe we feel together is just great. And this really comes across on stage.

“One of the most gratifying things when we play on stage is the audience’s response,” Forsland adds. People come up to us afterwards and say, ‘The energy you share is very unique and very special; it’s almost tangible.’ “

Roland succinctly adds his take on this: “They can feel that we’re having lots of fun; they can feel the love between us.”

Forsland is a seasoned musician, but playing with Guthrie is a marked departure from anything she’s done before. Her training was very classical in focus, very much about music theory and reading notes, she says. She has a degree in music and education from the University of Victoria.
“I was introduced to jazz in high school and it blew my mind totally, taking me 180 degrees from where I’d been,” says Forsland.

For the past 15 years, Forsland has been performing in classical and jazz genres, and currently fronts the Jenn Forsland Group, a six-member band that performs jazz and light pop.

“I love working with Luke because this is totally new for me. I’d hardly ever listened to roots, blues, old country or bluegrass, so this is really stretching me as a vocalist. I love learning how to morph my voice to match what Luke envisions. And it’s also a whole new situation to not be the leader. I’m used to standing in front of choirs and being the one with the artistic vision. Now I’m surrendering to Luke and Jack. I love it!”
Roland’s background is equally steeped in music, but in a completely different way. He grew up moving back and forth between Salt Spring Island and the Comox Valley. “These are two pretty amazing places. I’ve been pretty lucky,” he says.

Roland comes from a musical family. He can’t even remember when he first started playing an instrument, but he does remember joining his first band.

“My dad played in a bluegrass band and a kind of R&B band. One day my dad said his band needed a fiddle player. I said I’d play,” he explains. He was eight years old.

Roland has spent his life immersed in music. This included classical training for six years and a summer with CYMC, which he loved. He’s also done a lot traveling—in Europe, North Africa, and the United Kingdom—which opened up some really fun musical doors for him.

“I hooked up with musicians everywhere I went. I jammed, I toured and I played with a lot of strange ensembles,” he says with a big grin. And like Guthrie, he did a lot of busking, not just for fun but as a means of survival.

“I’d wake up on the street, early in the morning,” he recounts with a happy grin. “It would be early morning; there was no one out there, but I’d start playing anyway because I was hungry. A shopkeeper might come out and throw me a piece of bread.

“Busking is one of the best ways to meet people,” he says. “One of my favorite experiences was one day I was busking in Spain and I met this guy who didn’t speak any English. But he taught me a song. Somehow we worked it out with nods and grunts and eyebrow flicks.”

Forsland nods enthusiastically. “Yes! Because music is a universal language. It can connect all of us.”

The connection between these three musicians has given birth to their CD, simply entitled Luke Blu Guthrie (available at Bop City in Courtenay and Seeds Market in Cumberland). The 10 tunes here showcase the trio’s wide range, with a rootsy vibe, funky beats and soulful melodies wrapped around Guthrie’s thoughtful, sometimes humorous lyrics.

“I like to think the CD shows how a real variety of influences and sounds can amalgamate into something really interesting,” says Guthrie.
The CD was made in 30 hours, which gives it the sound of a live session. It includes contributions from Jim Guthrie (no relation to Luke) on stand-up bass and Anela Kahiamoe on electric bass.

“We’re after a certain feel with the CD,” says Guthrie. “It’s cut live so there’s a certain vibe, a certain roughness, an in-the-moment feeling to it. We wanted to deliver something that is indicative of what we offer in a live show.”

Guthrie hopes that the CD will help his band connect with more listeners and get more exposure. Like most musicians, he would like to get bigger gigs and develop a larger following. But at the same time, he is content with where he is now.

“In some ways, my dreams have come true already,” he says. “I’m playing music with some great people and making some money at it. We’re writing some new tunes, and I know we’ll just keep growing. And we got a great camaraderie. That’s super important. Fun is number one ’cause if it ain’t fun, I don’t want to do it.”

Much of Guthrie’s contentment comes from his appreciation of the Comox Valley. He spent some time in Vancouver, lured by the elusive promises of the big city, but he fairly soon realized that the Valley was where he really wanted to be.

“I like the rural life,” he says. “People here seem to recognize that quality of life comes first. And growing up as I did at the Hermitage, I really became aware of the value of community. After living in Vancouver, that’s what brought me back. This is a place where you can know your neighbors, you know where your meat comes from, you stay connected to nature. That’s better than feeling cool ‘cause you live in the big city,” he says with a laugh.

“Plus there’s a vibrant music scene—so many great people to play with, and so many great people that just enjoy getting out to see live music. Every gig we’ve played, people have come out to see us.”

Forsland agrees: “The Valley is so rich in talent, and the community really supports live music and all the arts. Anyway, these days you don’t have to migrate to an urban centre to follow a music career. Everything can be done from here via computer.”

Clearly, Guthrie thrives by staying close to his roots. With a childhood spent tramping the forests and fields of Merville, school years spent at Courtenay Elementary and Vanier, and a craft honed on the not-so-mean streets of Downtown Courtenay, he’s very much a product of the Valley. I’d employ the word “terroir” to describe his musical flavor if only I knew how to use it in a sentence. Instead, I’ll suggest you get out to a local venue to see some truly local music.

For more information on Luke Blu Guthrie, including a list of upcoming gigs, go to: www.lukebluguthrie.com.

“I know that after some films the audience feels that they’ve been on a shared journey,” says Sara Turner, in the theatre at Reel Films in Cumberland. “That’s the feeling I want to engender.”

Photo by Boomer Jerritt

The main street in Cumberland has changed somewhat since the inception of the town in the late 1800s, when thousands of miners uprooted themselves, from Britain primarily, to follow King Coal to the land of opportunity, Canada. Back then Cumberland was a boomtown and Courtenay’s population was dwarfed by that of the instant, industrial domain of Robert Dunsmuir—a miner who became a millionaire.

One feature of the Cumberland landscape that time hasn’t changed is the front of Frelone’s Grocery Store on Dunsmuir Avenue. It still retains the carved name in the stone lintel above the door, although the exotic turquoise paint is a recent innovation.

Frelone’s Grocery is now the home of Reel Films, the brainchild of Sara Turner, a 28-year-old entrepreneur who has launched into a new field of endeavor. Turner was looking for a new way to make a living after giving birth to her son, Cohen, now a year and a half. “I’d been working as a cook in tree-planting camps—which isn’t a lifestyle particularly conducive to parenting—for about seven years, and cooking had palled for me. I was actually studying traditional Chinese acupuncture just before Cohen’s birth, which I thoroughly enjoyed, but it’s also very intense. I wanted something that would allow me to parent Cohen in a more relaxed fashion.”

Turner’s brown eyes sparkle with enthusiasm and her elfin face lights up as she continues her tale. “I was sitting with my older sister, Jessie, last Christmas, throwing around business ideas, and that’s when the seed of a cinema first planted itself. I was mulling over my options, having moved from Victoria to Cumberland, and looking after Cohen most of the time. His dad, Mike, also works in a tree planting camp, so is gone for long periods of time.”

The history of Frelone’s Grocery seems to be an integral part of the building. “So many people come in to watch a movie and tell me, “Oh, I used to come here to listen to jazz, or they’ll say, ‘I had my first Chinese acupuncture treatment in here.’ It’s a fascinating part of running Reel Films. In fact, an elderly woman came in the other week and told me she used to buy candy here as a child.”

The original grocery store was built in 1935 by Louis Frelone, whose family ran the modest shop for many years. The next owners, Leo and Barbara LeBlanc, continued it as a grocery store until 1981. After that, Frelone’s Grocery had a variety of incarnations, including a motorcycle shop and a health food store. In the more recent past, it has been a weekend entertainment venue and an accountant’s office.

Interestingly enough, Frelone’s has come full circle in that once more it is a venue for movie watching. At another time it was also home to a film projector. Turner has been told that there used to be a large, hand cranked metal wheel projector that the cellulose film would run round. “Apparently the equipment had to be shut down in the middle of a film to stop it going up in flames caused by the friction of the cellulose film,” Turner says, laughing. “A fan had to be employed to cool everything down! At least I don’t have that worry—the current equipment is all digital!”

Turner confesses to not knowing anything about running a movie house at the time she had the initial idea. “I just thought the Comox Valley would support another movie venue, The Rialto being the lone movie house now, when there used to be three cinemas. It also seemed to me it would be a creative and satisfying thing to do.
“I wanted to show films that would be thought-provoking and stimulate discussion of ideas, rather than just fill people’s heads with mindless images of destruction and mayhem, which is much of the fare on offer from Hollywood these days. I also thought it would be fun!”

What followed was a huge learning curve for Turner, as well as lots of ‘sweat equity’. She took advantage of a program offered by Community Futures, which provides a three week business course for those eligible under the Employment Insurance umbrella. Participants have to present their business proposal, which if accepted, leads to basic living expenses being paid for 10 months. During this time, the business has to become self-supporting. Not an easy task, as statistics show that most businesses take a five year period to show a profit.

Turner is extremely grateful for the business courses. “I learned so much,” she says. “Things I didn’t have a clue about—advertising, accounting, internet use. It was hugely valuable, and now I run my business, and they deposit money into my account every month. I’m so grateful to live in a country that provides us with that kind of support. I like to see the money citizens pay to government being made available for our own uses.”

Turner’s aunt, who lives in New York, was also able to offer the fledgling movie mogul some sage advice. “My aunt had been involved in running film festivals, editing film and presenting tributes to actors no longer in the prime of their youth, so she had a wealth of experience. I wasn’t shy about phoning her to ask, ‘OK, what about this aspect’ or ‘how do I go about doing this?’”

With the idea and plan in plan, Turner set to with a will. She bought a huge piece of canvas and experimented painting it with strips of shades from white to dark grey, then showing film on top of it. She discovered the light grey shade brought out the color and contrast of the DVDs to their best. “I laid the canvas down on the floor and ran around with bare feet and a long roller and put about seven coats of paint down. It was quite the project!” That canvas was then pinned to the front wall of Frelone’s, in front of the bay window, where it takes up the whole wall. DVDs can be formatted to fit onto the canvas, which is actually slightly bigger than a typical film screen.

“The technical side was mind boggling, actually,” Turner says. “I didn’t realize I’d have to learn so much about it all. Fortunately, I was able to hire a friend who taught me the ropes.”

The next task was finding seats for the theatre—35 of them. “I felt a bit daunted to begin with. New theatre seats costs a fortune, and likewise old re-vamped seats. I had a limited amount of savings to spend, and was in a bit of a quandary. Then I thought of the wonderful old Palace Theatre, which was closed for renovations a couple of years ago, and the roof was set on fire accidentally. The water damage was such that the owners decided to demolish the whole place.

“I tracked down the man who had done the work, and asked him about the seats. ‘What happened to them,’ I asked. ‘They’re in my barn, waiting for you to buy them!’ he joked. I went out to see them and they were in a huge higgledy-piggledy pile in this hay barn, with cats sleeping on them. Some of them had been broken during removal and I had to sort through them to find the best. Once I got them bolted into the new, raised floor at Frelone’s then came the back-breaking job of cleaning them all.”

She laughs, remembering how hot it was at the time. “It was the beginning of the heat wave we had this summer. I had to steam clean them numerous times and there was as much water dripping off my face as coming out the machine. It was worth it though—after days and days of cleaning them and emptying out gallons of filthy, sooty water, they finally came up a rich crimson—it was thrilling. They give the air of elegance I wanted to create.”

That old time elegance is an important part of her vision for Reel Films. “People have used movies as a means of escape since their inception,” she says. “During the Depression, in the ’30s, movies were never more popular. Of course, it was a new technology then, plus there wasn’t the option of sitting in the seclusion of one’s own home to watch a movie.

“That feeling of being a part of a larger humanity is what I want to re-create. There’s a sense of having shared an experience with other people when the movie is on a big screen and in public. The difference between laughing at something on a home video, alone, or laughing with other people, is a subtle one, but I think it engenders a sense of sharing and belonging.”

Turner pauses before adding, “That’s part of my objective—to create a sense of community, to bring home the truth that we share this planet with others who are, basically, just like us. We might have different outward appearances, varying opinions and views, but those differences are superficial. I think what connects us as humans is deeper than what appears to separate us.”

Turner believes film can help a person come to terms with their own reality, and often put one’s life in a different perspective, bringing a sense of gratitude and clarity. “For many Canadians, it’s an eye opener to recognize that we have a highly privileged lifestyle here,” she says. “Some of us may not have much money, but we have tremendous everyday things, like clean water and air, which is often taken completely for granted. Film can take us into another person’s life and that gives us cause to reflect on our own.”

Choosing the films to be presented is the fun part of Turner’s job. “I watch a lot of movies,” she says with a smile. “I only present second-run movies, which means that they’ve already been round the circuit, like to The Rialto, and the other movie houses that are tied into a distributor. With a set up like mine, I actually choose which movies I want to present. One of the most popular up to now is Tootsie. That one drew a larger audience than others.”

Turner has a suggestion box for patrons to use. “I don’t want to only show movies I like,” she explains. “It’s an interesting part of running Reel Films—sharing ideas and suggestions with other small specialist movie house owners, and movie fans in general. Most of this dialogue happens over the internet, and there are sites that deal with alternative movies as well. When I’ve been in contact with someone who shares the pleasure I have had with a particular film, then I can pick their brains about others they’ve enjoyed, with the knowledge that I may like them too. Of course, I don’t have to like all the movies I show, either.”

She pauses. “It’s such a curious thing—a person of whom one is really fond and share a multitude of common likes and dislikes can recommend a movie, yet when you watch it, you don’t like it one bit—which again, doesn’t mean I won’t show it. Art is such a subjective, slippery preference.”

Her criteria for choosing films is broad. “It may be that a movie has a fabulous soundtrack, perhaps it has become a cult movie, and I want people to have the opportunity to explore what made it a cult movie. On Thursday nights I only show documentaries, and Sunday afternoons are for family films, so they’re more general.”

Recognizing that often hard-hitting documentaries can leave viewers feeling doomed, Turner consciously mixes lighter subject matter in the menu of film fare. “I recently screened Baraka, which is a highly watchable film that shows many aspects of humanity as well as the natural world, with images cleverly juxtaposed. Without using any dialogue, the film says a lot with its use of images and sound. I know that after some films the audience feels that they’ve been on a shared journey. That’s the feeling I want to engender.”

At the time Turner was applying for funding she took part in the annual World Community Film Festival, whose goals are similar to Turner’s. They want to educate and inspire people to become more politically active, in whatever way they chose. “At the time, I was still slightly unsure if I was doing the right thing,” says Turner. “I like to do things I’m good at, and this was uncharted territory, but being there, seeing those films that would never be available in Courtenay without a group to research alternative films, have the contacts with other communities that have already been presenting Film Festivals, and then obtain those films that are definitely not in the mainstream, really inspired me. Sensing how important it was to other people to share those experiences, have that new information about an event or an occurrence that otherwise we wouldn’t have had knowledge of, convinced me.

“It really solidified my intuitive feeling that when a group of people come together to share something, like watching a film, we’re subconsciously bound together in our experience,” adds Turner. “To begin with, all the people with their talents and skill who came together to create the movie in the first place, and then all the viewers watching it together, sharing that information combined with the visual experience. It feels really special and unifying, kind of sacred. It connects us to our human-ness. The more of that feeling that I can promote in my own way, the better I feel about what I’m doing, and the outcome of my efforts.”

Turner sees a huge difference between films and television. “I think most of what’s shown on TV is garbage,” she says bluntly. While she recognizes that many films are churned out to a target audience and follow a predictable format like many TV programs, she does think films are usually made with more intent. “And I don’t show run-of-the-mill dross at Reel Films,” she says. “There has to be something interesting or curious—some aspect that makes a film worth watching to begin with.”

When Reel Films had its very first showing, BC was sweltering in an unusual heat wave. “I opened at the end of July,” Turner says. “Everyone stared at me in amazement when I told them I was opening a cinema then. ‘Really? Who’s going to come? It’s belting hot, people want to be by the river or the ocean,’ my friends said. And it was hot! On the day of opening, the heat was so intense in Frelone’s, with the heavy curtains over the doors and windows and the high temperatures, I rushed off into town to try and get an air conditioner.”

Turner rolls her eyes and pulls a face at the memory, and adds, “Of course, I used it once and now it sits there taking up space!” Despite the heat, the opening of Reel Films was well supported by Turner’s friends, family and movie fans who turned out to watch Cinema Paradiso, an aptly chosen first film, as its subject is a boy whose dad runs a movie house.

A business entrepreneur with principles, Turner was recently put in an awkward position. “A family wanted to hire Frelone’s for a teenage birthday party, and show a teen movie. I cringed at the idea of showing this particular movie as it perpetuates a lot of unpleasant stereotypes, as far as I’m concerned. Particularly as to how young men and women need to be in order to be popular and fit in; the males are judged by their cars and the females by their bodies. I suggested that the girls might like to watch something else—with some trepidation I add, as I could have done with the money—but I just didn’t want to be part of perpetuating values I don’t hold. The girls were very curious as to why I didn’t like the movie, and more than interested to know what other movies were available. We had quite a long chat and they chose another movie which they thoroughly enjoyed, and I felt good about what I was doing.”

Turner is hoping more families and groups will be interested in renting Frelone’s space. “There’s someone who wants to screen Jazz on a Summer’s Day, which is a film from the ‘70s, in black and white, about the Newport Jazz Festival, and invite jazz fans; another idea is a live Stevie Wonder gig that his fans and admirers would enjoy. I really want the community to use this space.”

Despite the headaches of maintaining an old building—“The electrics are most unusual and needed some looking at”—plus the new reality of going from being a highly-paid seasonal worker to running a cinema that sometimes has five people, sometimes a full house, Turner is relishing her new endeavor.

She has developed her own recipe for home-popped popcorn and makes cookies and other treats for movie-goers. So delicious is her popcorn that many locals call in only for that! One Cumberland resident came into Frelone’s and said that he’d already seen the current film and his pregnant wife had asked him to come for Turner’s popcorn, which she was craving.

Delicious home-made goodies and movies chosen with intent sounds like a winning combination for Frelone’s latest makeover.

To find out what’s showing, log on to reelfilmsatfrelones.com or phone 250-336-0190.

Documentaries show on Thursday, general films Friday and Saturday and family movies on Sunday afternoons.

A scene from ‘Garbage Dreams’, showing at this year’s Festival in February.

The World Community Film Festival has been bringing films from around the globe to Courtenay for the past 18 years. February 5 and 6, 2010 sees the 19th annual festival launch yet another exciting weekend of documentary films showing in five venues in Downtown Courtenay.

“It seems that there’s an organic process that happens,” explains Wayne Bradley, one of the four committee members who chooses the films. “The films we receive for selection seem to reflect the issues we hear people talking about in our own community—how to live sustainably, global warming, healthcare, the economy, farming and finding common ground. Issues such as resource extraction, whether from the Canadian tar sands or Latin America, whether it’s for minerals, oil or exporting water, these are big issues that affect people all round the globe.”

It’s issues like this that many Valley residents and people from as far as Victoria come to find out about. They want to be informed and independent movie making is an excellent source for information. People also want to know about solutions to many problems we experience in our own towns. The festival is a showcase of stories of everyday heroes who have stepped forward to take action, responding to the challenges they see in their world. Those solutions can come from as far afield as Bogata, Columbia.

“To many of us, Columbia is a country filled with drug-running gangsters, and we don’t know of the huge strides being made in its capital city,” Bradley says. “The film, Bogotá: Building a Sustainable City, shows how the mayor of Bogata had a vision for his city. In Bogotá they have an enviable transportation system with bikes and walking being an integral part of it; parks and green spaces are proliferating—it’s marvellous. These people are creating a sustainable city, it’s an inspiration.”

The Film Festival is a vital conduit for information from unusual and alternative sources. Solutions to common problems are being found around the planet and their films share the information and knowledge with us.

Choosing the films is a long process that begins months before opening night. Films make the rounds of the four committee members—Bradley, Janet Fairbanks, Heather Wilkinson and Gordon Darby. Each participant rates their opinion on the cover before sending it on. All the films are chosen by concensus. This is a time-consuming labour of love with the potential to be overwhelming—there are films on many topics most of us don’t want to know about. The committee has to do a fine juggling act between information that is helpful or that they think ought to be more widely known, yet not have the viewers leave with a feeling of helplessness and that the world is a vile place.

“The aims are to unite people and let us see we are facing the same problems, and that there is power in protest, raising one’s voice, getting involved politically, whether it’s writing letters or running for office.

“We’ve never had such a huge choice before,” Bradley says. “With the recent strides in affordable technology, anyone can make a film now. One of our selections comes from Burma and was made by Burmese people with cell phone cameras, or little cameras held at waist-height, during the recent uprisings there. Brave people—and it’s totally riveting!”
Another film entitled Garbage Dreams, was filmed over four years and has won multiple international awards, including being short listed for an Academy Award. Garbage Dreams follows three teenage boys born into the trash trade in the world’s largest garbage village, a ghetto on the outskirts of Cairo and the decisions they are forced to make when globalization threatens their livelihood.

“In these times of wars, financial collapse, and environmental devastation, people everywhere are wondering, is change possible? When you find out what people are doing around the world to help make a positive change, it’s inspiring. Gandhi called it ‘soul force,’ and Martin Luther King called it ‘love in action’—it’s discovering the fierce light of compassionate activism, which awakens the human heart while simultaneously transforming the world.”

Tickets for the festival will be available at the Sid Williams Theatre mid-December, just in time for Christmas. $28/weekend pass and $18 Saturday only. Low-income tickets $12 for the weekend and $8 Saturday; youth under 20 can attend for $3. When not viewing films, festival-goers can browse through the Bazaar, held Saturday in the Upper Florence Filberg Centre, to find info about community groups and have a snack. For a list of films see the program guide at worldcommunity.ca

“Everybody dances in Colombia,” she says, throwing back her head and shaking out her long hair as she raises her dancer’s hands upwards. “People dance in the local shops, in the streets —it’s everywhere.”

People in Colombia dance all the time, “because you can always hear music playing, ” adds Ruby’s daughter, Milena. “Because it’s hot, people don’t shut their doors over there, so music comes out the houses, sometimes people are playing it on the street, it’s in all the stores.”

“Dancing is my passion,” says Ruby Restan-McNiff (left), who has passed her love of dance on to her daughter Milena, performing here at Courtenay’s La Cabana De Marcos Mexican restaurant.

Photo by Boomer Jerritt

In 1991, while teaching dance in university in Monteria, Colombia, Ruby met Canadian Brian McNiff, also a teacher. A graduate herself, Ruby at that time was teaching traditional Colombian dancing as part of the curriculum.

The family agrees life is lived much more in public in Colombia than Canada, as in many countries with a hotter climate. “If a family is having a party, they put out the table on the street and all the neighbors and passers-by are welcome to join it. And there’s always music and dancing,” Ruby says.

Milena gives a cheery smile and continues, enthusiastically, “Children play outside all the time too—no one is in their houses. There are soccer games, skipping, running about—all sorts of things going on, including dancing. Here, kids are mostly in their houses, playing on computer games.”

Not surprisingly, Milena is also a dancer. She dances with the Ballet Folkloric—Esta Es Colombia, a troupe of dancers from within the Latin-American community in the Comox Valley that Ruby, along with dance partner Javier Guavina, established. Ballet Folklorico is steadily expanding their repertoire by learning new dances. Meanwhile, Milena also performs solo, dancing and singing.

Although only 12 years old, Milena has the physical appearance and poise of a much older girl. With the recent information coming to light of the benefits of ‘brain gym’ exercises—movement that is shown to integrate information and co-ordination in the brain—this is no surprise. Dancing is full of ‘brain gym’ moves: opposing limbs touching, lifting, twirling, legs and feet criss-crossing, the body making figures of eight—all moves that bring young (and old) bodies into harmonious working.

Milena has recently started singing with ‘Luzna’, a Latin-based band, with her debut being the Canada Day celebrations in Courtenay this year. The band is a regular at La Cabaña de Marcos, a local restaurant specializing in authentic Mexican food, music and dance. Ruby works there as a sometimes-manager and server. When she’s not leading the diners in a spicy salsa dance or meringue, that is.

“Sometimes I’ve been in the restaurant since 8 o’clock in the morning, getting things set up, bringing food to the tables, and I feel so tired,” Ruby says. “Then the band starts and I don’t feel tired anymore and want to dance!”

Ruby’s occupation has changed many times in the 18 years she’s been married to Brian. Shortly after they had their two children, Miller, in 1982, then Milena, in 1987, they moved from Monteria to Panama. There, Brian worked as a diving instructor and Ruby looked after their young children. Upon their return to Colombia, the family settled in Santa Marta, on the coast. Ruby, with her degree in business and marketing, ran a diving school as an affiliate of an international agency, Padi. Brian was the instructor and had a 36 foot boat that could sleep up to 11 prospective diving teachers, who came from all round the world. Depending on the certification they were seeking, the dive boat would be out in a huge protected parkland of the ocean from between three days to a month. This body of water is home to 15 or 20 reefs that the divers use.

While in Santa Marta, Ruby was also teaching dancing and a young Milena would go along with her. As Brian was in many bands, drumming, the house was filled with music and dance. The traditional dancing from the coast is hot and steamy, reflecting the climate. Ruby has a photo taken just before she met Brian, in 1990, and she’s clad in the exotic, scant outfits well known in the Caribbean and Cuba—glittering sequined bra-tops and bikini-style bottoms, with diaphanous ‘wings’ that the dancers hold aloft and swirl around. Feathered headdresses augment the carnival style outfits, giving the girls an extremely sexy look—and they always dance with great amounts of gusto.

Ruby’s dancing partner Javier sports the more modestly dressed styles from the interior. “Each region has its own style of dancing,” Ruby says. “Within a few miles along the coast, there are many differing styles. The same is true of the interior, where there is an even greater number of dance styles.” There are still the more generic Latin dances of salsa, marimba, tango and the others already well known in the west.

Since Ruby left Colombia, there has been a huge shift in political will and ideology. For the first time in Colombian history, a president has been elected for a second term. Albero Uribe has halted the outrageous corruption that was rife in government, when local and central government officials routinely pocketed the lion’s share of taxes and income (as well as the many bribes that go hand-and-hand with corruption). Roads were left to deteriorate and garbage left to rot on the streets, while social issues of homelessness, education and health were ignored.

Ruby’s mother is a keen political activist and keeps Ruby posted of the improvements since Uribe’s more stable and socialist government has had the clout. Milena nods her head emphatically. “There’s far fewer people living on the streets, the roads and pathways are cleaner. It’s much better now.” Ruby agrees: “Oh yes, much better. He made lots of parks for children; things that are expected in other countries.”

When Miller and Milena went to school in Santa Marta, it cost about $25 a year—a seemingly modest cost by Canadian standards, but far beyond the reach of many Colombians. Education is now free for all Colombian children.

It was, in fact, education that drew Ruby to make the decision to relocate in Canada. “Brian would encourage the children to speak English at home, but they would cry and say, “Oh, we don’t want to speak English, we want to speak Spanish.” I think it’s a huge benefit to be bilingual these days, and I was happy to come and live here. I like Canada a lot.

“Of course, I miss my family and I love my own country, but here, it’s tranquil, it’s safe. People are friendly. In Colombia, the cost of sending children to a private school is enormous and public schools don’t turn out English-speaking pupils. They can say a few words, or phrases, but that’s about it.”

Since her arrival in Courtenay, Ruby and Javier have been offering dance classes at the Women’s Centre on McPhee Avenue in Courtenay. Classes are on Monday nights from 7:30 – 8:30 and as word is getting out on the street about how much fun it is, they are slowly filling up. “Not so many men though,” Ruby says, rolling her eyes. “The Canadian men are shy about dancing.”

Miller would agree with that. No mean shoe-shuffler himself, when he was in Colombia Miller was actually paid to dance in a local store. Since coming to Courtenay to live, he’s much more reticent to show off his talents though. “People here don’t dance like we do—especially guys,” he says with a quick grin.

Reminders of their home country are prominent in the Restan-McNiff household. Their ranch-style home has a brick fireplace that is decorated with a poncho depicting a Latin vaquero (cowboy) with their distinctive chaps, hats, boots and spurs. A variety of beautifully woven wide-brim hats add color, along with pictures and Columbian paper money in a frame. Ruby plucks a pair of earrings with tiny dangling sombreros from the wall and offers them to me as a gift, urging me to put them on.

Matriarchal roots being strong in most countries, particularly Latin America, Ruby’s mother recently paid a six month visit to the family. A photograph of Ruby’s grandmother hangs on the wall, to commemorate her death—she died at age l04.

Ruby sees her contribution to her new community as an exponent of Latin culture as well as a dancer. “I would like to introduce elementary children to dance, so they grow up with it,” she says. As Milena is a student at Courtenay Elementary, Ruby is planning to approach them to see if they are interested in dance classes.

Ruby was also instrumental in helping to bring Latin festival to Courtenay this summer. “We held it in the parking lot of La Cabaña de Marcos and all the Latin dancing teachers were involved—anyone who wanted to show off a style of dancing, or take the crowd through the steps. A band from Victoria and one from Mexico played, along with Luzna and other local Latin-based bands.” The festival also featured stalls with ethnic food and crafts. Ruby and the rest of the organizing team hope it will become an annual event. “Victoria and Vancouver have huge Latin festivals,” Ruby says. “Of course, they have a bigger Latin community, but that’s OK. We can start with a small one.”

Given the energy and enthusiasm Ruby has put into her dancing, supported by her compatriots and Latin enthusiasts, there’s little doubt local residents may well be stepping and strutting a lot more often to those irresistible Latin beats. It’s already happening at the Women’s Centre and anyone interested can drop by Monday nights. Dancing at La Cabaña de Marcos is a weekly event, with a live band usually playing Friday and Saturday nights.

Past CYMC students take a break from performing to relax and enjoy the Valley scenery. Catch CYMC student and faculty performances throughout July, including Jazz on the Promenade, an outdoor concert at the Comox Marina.

Photo by Boomer Jerritt

Just as members of the Comox Valley arts community were beginning to whisper epitaphs to the storied non-profit organization, however, CYMC has once again rebounded for 2009 with new leadership, a revitalized classical program and an extensive line-up of performances that is poised to become one of the highlights of this summer’s local entertainment.

Entering its 43rd season, CYMC is essentially a triumvirate of summer music camps, offering instruction in jazz, classical and musical theatre. Students, generally between the ages of 14 and 25, come to the Comox Valley from throughout the province, across the country and, until recently, around the globe to study alongside CYMC’s faculty of professional musicians. Students are also given the opportunity to perform at CYMC’s annual Festival of Summer Sounds, a series of public performances held at various venues throughout the Comox Valley.

With the 2009 season quickly approaching, most of the buzz so far has centred on the revival of CYMC’s classical program. The recently resuscitated program will be directed by CYMC alumnus Dr. John van Deursen, associate conductor of the UBC Symphony Orchestra and director of Orchestra Armonia, a Vancouver-based string ensemble. Van Deursen, whose impressive resume also includes a 10-year stint as principal guest conductor for the Taipei Philharmonic Orchestra, adds an element of celebrity to the CYMC faculty, or at least as close to celebrity as you can get within Canadian classical music circles.

Expanding on the “star power” theme, CYMC staff announced last month that legendary Dutch maestro Arthur Arnold will also join the classical program this year as guest conductor. Arnold debuted with the Moscow Symphony Orchestra in 2001 and co-founded the Symphony Orchestra Academy of the Pacific, in Powell River, in 2003. Between stints on the West Coast, he conducts orchestras throughout Europe, Asia and North America.

“The faculty is pretty outstanding,” acknowledges Bob Wells, who was named CYMC president in April. “The calibre of people that we’ve been able to bring in as educators is incredible. And it’s not just educating, it’s also working in almost a pure relationship, because the faculty are also performing during the summer camp. The faculty are performing, the students are performing and the faculty and students are performing together. The mentorship is built right in to the education, and for our students it’s an amazing experience.”

If CYMC has a reputation for attracting world class faculty, which it does, it is equally renowned for the talented and well-known musicians that count themselves among the organization’s extensive alumni. Musicians who have used a CYMC summer camp as a stepping stone toward a professional music career include legendary drummer/composer Dave Robbins and contemporary jazz icon Diana Krall. According to CYMC’s website, former CYMC students can also be found in every symphony orchestra across Canada, as well as in major international orchestras such as the Boston, London and Berlin Philharmonics.

“We’re very proud of the work we do and the programs we run,” says Wells. “One of the roles that CYMC plays is providing a summer camp where students can come and really hone their craft in terms of jazz, classical music and musical theatre, but in a venue where they’re immersed in the music and working with a lot of very talented people who are in the industry themselves.

“CYMC offers a great showcase for students to come together and learn from each other and from the faculty,” he continues. “It’s a unique way to get students passionate about music and to help them get to that next level.”
Rounding out CYMC’s 2009 season will be its musical theatre program and Pacific Jazz Workshop. The Pacific Jazz Workshop, led by returning director and award-winning music educator Dave Proznick, will feature at least six performances throughout July, including the ever-popular Jazz on the Promenade, an outdoor concert at the Comox Marina. On the musical theatre front, this year’s batch of young actors will give six performances of the edgy, Tony Award-winning Broadway musical RENT at Courtenay’s Sid Williams Theatre July 15 through 19.

In addition to a full slate of music camps and performances, CYMC organizers have several other reasons to be excited about the upcoming season. The Comox Valley School District has offered them the use of Mark Isfeld School, giving CYMC’s jazz and classical programs a venue for instruction, performances and even student housing (musical theatre students will be housed at Cumberland’s Riding Fool Hostel). WestJet has also thrown its weight behind the organization, donating two tickets anywhere they fly for CYMC’s annual fundraising raffle, and, perhaps buoyed by the general sense of optimism, interest has been renewed in CYMC’s long-time goal of establishing a permanent conservatory of music in the Comox Valley.

“It’s certainly an exciting time for CYMC,” says Wells, who also served as the organization’s president during the 2005/06 season and as treasurer a year earlier. “CYMC has a long tradition of being a leader in musical education, and we’ve got a reputation that goes well beyond the Comox Valley. The changes we’ve made this year, I think they’ll go a long way to maintaining that reputation.”

Comox Valley Shellfish Festival

Photo by Boomer Jerritt

Comox Valley Shellfish Festival: June 20-21

The 3rd annual Comox Valley Shellfish Festival is being presented by the BC Shellfish Growers Association (BCSGA) in partnership with the K’omoks First Nation and includes a variety of events for all to enjoy.

The festival is the perfect opportunity for Vancouver Islanders and visitors of all ages to learn how shellfish such as clams, mussels, oysters, and scallops grow locally and travel to their table. It is through interaction with farmers, sight, touch and taste that attendees will experience this Sea to Table story.

The Comox Valley Shellfish Festival gala on June 20 will feature a tapas-style tasting dinner with eight of the Valley’s best chefs creating eight different dishes. The event is held on the lawn of the Filberg Lodge, starting at 5pm. There will be a wine flight featuring Beaufort Wines, beer from Surgenor Brewery, and a raw scallop bar. Live music will feature Chilean guitarist Rodrigo Romero. Tickets are available at 250-890-7561.

The Festival Main Event takes place Sunday June 21 at Comox Marina Park from 11-5pm, with opportunities to taste shellfish and other local fare, learn the “Sea to Table” at the Demo Stage, forage the Land of Plenty, Sea of Plenty Market, and learn about shellfish farming. Surgenor Brewery will host a beer tent and there will be a shuttle service to connect with the Aboriginal Day celebrations also taking place at the K’omox First Nations.

For more information visit comoxvalleyshellfishfestival.ca

Trombone Shorty

Vancouver Island MusicFest: July 10-12

If you love really good music and the idea of escaping to a relaxed, eclectic, natural environment this summer, look no further than your own backyard and Vancouver Island MusicFest, scheduled for July 10-12 in the beautiful Comox Valley.

With six stages and three days and nights of top notch roots and world music from across the globe, Vancouver Island MusicFest offers an eclectic festival experience that will remind you about the roots—and the heart—of good music. Celebrating its 15th anniversary this summer, Vancouver Island MusicFest has played host to an incredible list of performers over the years, and 2009 is no exception.

Performers confirmed include classic American folkster Arlo Guthrie, songbird Jennifer Warnes, Queen of the Blues Koko Taylor, funk-jazz masters Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue, Celtic rockers Enter the Haggis, bluegrass kings The Del Mc Coury Band, blues men Eric Bibb and Jim Byrnes, jazz great Jane Bunnett and acoustic superheroes Jerry Douglas, Edgar Meyer and Russ Barenberg.

Add to that list Canadian legend Steven Page of Barenaked Ladies fame, multi-instrumentalist David Lindley, reggae dive Etana with the Legendary Abyssinians and song spinners James Keelaghan, Dick Gaughan and Martyn Joseph and you have the makings of a magical musical weekend!

The Vancouver Island MusicFest venue is situated on a pastoral acreage on the banks of the Tsolum River where festival goers can enjoy on-site riverside camping, an interactive kidzzone, workshops, delicious food and funky crafts. The festival involves over 1,000 volunteers as well as interactive art and eco-education projects and exciting environmental initiatives, making it one of Canada’s greenest festivals.

For tickets: islandmusicfest.com or call 1-866-898-8499.

Juno Award Winning Sam Roberts Band in Cumberland this August

The Big Time Out: August 15

The Big Time Out is a one day musical jammed with end-to-end music from 11am ‘till midnight right in the heart of Cumberland, at Cumberland Village Park. This year’s headliner is Montreal rocker Sam Roberts and his band. Sam just won Juno awards for Artist of the Year and Rock Album of the Year. He’s gearing up to rock the socks off all the people, young and old.

Indie-darlings Mother Mother are back by popular demand, bringing their sweet, cynical and incredibly tight vocals to the stage. Rounding out the line-up are Delhi2Dublin, with their irresistible Celtic-Punjabi beats, along with acoustic soul singer Mihirangi, the hot horns of the March Fourth Marching Band, plus Sex with Strangers and LAL.

The Big Time Out stands apart from other festivals. A cross section of generations and musical styles attracts an eclectic mix of people, all united in their love of really great music. Beyond the music, dancers, acrobats and circus performers appear out of nowhere and help set one of the coolest festival vibes anywhere.

Get your tickets now at: thebigtimeout.com/festival

10th Anniversary of Beerfest happens on July 10th

Mount Washington Summer Festivals

Festival season is set to kick into high gear at Mount Washington Alpine Resort this summer, starting with the 10th annual Beerfest on July 10. Head on up for the ultimate Brouhaha this summer at the Raven Lodge. Beerfest includes unlimited samplings, souvenir glass and awesome music. Tickets only $30!

Next up is the 11th annual Alpine Wine Festival, August 7. Delicious wines and all-around good times can be had at this year’s Alpine Wine Festival. Held at the beautiful Raven Lodge, The Wine Festival will feature a wide selection of wines and ciders from Vancouver Island, BC, and beyond. Tasty appetizers, live music and stunning views of Strathcona Park will be available for all in attendance. Wine Festival tickets are $30.

To get you Beerfest and the Wine Festival safely, a free shuttle bus is available to and from the Driftwood Mall in Courtenay. The bus departs at 4:45pm from the mall on both event days and will return you there safely after the event.

If you just want to get away and relax, don’t miss the Mount Washington Wellness Weekend, August 28-30. This weekend centres on nurturing the mind, body and soul. Take a break from the every day, escape to the alpine and enjoy two days of beautiful meals and wellness classes that promote health and relaxation. Local experts will pamper your senses with guided walks, health and nutrition seminars and yoga classes.

And in September, be sure to check out the 2nd annual Alpine Food Festival, September 4-6 for a taste of the Island’s local cuisine Special accommodation packages are available for all events. For more information visit mountwashington.ca

Crowds at The Filberg Festival

Filberg Festival: July 31-August 3

Immerse yourself in arts, crafts, food, music and fun at the 27th annual Filberg Festival July 31 to August 3 in Comox. The Festival has earned its reputation for excellence of juried artisans year after year. Come immerse yourself among the 140-plus artisans and makers of fine art in a variety of media ranging from metalwork, pottery and toys to woodcrafts, jewelry, mosaics and specialty foods made especially for you.

This year’s Guest Artists are Nixie Barton and Grant Leier, who will be showcasing their array of creative art in the Filberg Heritage Lodge during the festival.

On stage in 2009 will be David Gogo, Chic Gamine, Shari Ulrich, Fred Eaglesmith, Michael Kaeshammer, the Irish Descendents, Lunch at Allen’s and Sue Medley, to name just a few! Also, back by popular demand is a Festival favorite—The Great Canadian Songs Concert, featuring a special secret guest.

Also not to be missed is our extensive children’s area where kids and adults alike will be enchanted and entertained each day by the likes of the One Woman Circus and Paul Hann, plus children’s yoga classes, a Lego tent, face painting, arts and crafts and a Circus Workshop.

The Filberg Festival is the major fundraiser to support, repair and maintain the Filberg Park. Advance tickets will be available in July at all Thrifty Foods locations and online at sidwilliamstheatre.com. Three-day passes are also available. For more information visit filbergfestival.com

Heather Flint (left) and Evelyn Nixon teach the historic moves of Scottish country dancing every Monday evening at the Comox United Church. The dance form has been around since the mid-18th century.

Photo by Boomer Jerritt

First you must dispel all your mythologies about what Scottish country dancing is all about. It doesn’t have anything to do with the Highlands, the famous Sword Dance, or even kilts and pipers, although the latter two elements can be present.

Second, and most importantly, you must be prepared to have fun and get out and meet some agreeable people of all ages, delighting in a dance form that has been around since the mid-18th Century.  Indeed, coinciding virtually with the birth of Scottish ‘Bard’ Robbie Burns, whose 250th birthday is being marked, with much ado, this year.

Finally, even if you had previously been oblivious to its existence, Scottish Country Dancing is ‘big’ in the Comox Valley. The Comox Valley Scottish Country Dancers have been around for about 35 years and the current membership is 60, says dance instructor, Evelyn Nixon.

As an instructor, she is joined by fellow instructor Heather Flint every Monday at 7:30 p.m. at Comox United Church, each year from September through April.

Despite the fact that the dance genre is Scottish in origin, Nixon is quick to point out that she is not Scottish and it’s not necessary to have a north of Hadrian’s Wall heritage to be involved.  Indeed, she observes that the dance form is extremely popular in Japan.

“You don’t need a kilt; you don’t need a partner; and you don’t need to be a Scot,” says Nixon. “You just need to like to dance and want to come out and meet people.  It’s wonderful exercise and a lot of fun.”

In her case she found it kind of a social lifesaver when she first took up dancing in Victoria in 1978.

“I had been recently widowed and I had a cousin who had taken up Scottish country dancing,” she says.  “I was invited to come out. I went and I just loved it.  I still remember the first dance I learned that night.  It changed my life.  My social group expanded and I began to enjoy life again.”

When she moved to the Comox Valley nine years ago, Nixon got involved in dance right away.  She joined and became a teacher.  The rest for her is, as they say, history, but she assures her enthusiasm has never waned but has become more profound as the years have gone by.

“Anybody who likes to dance will love it,” she says. “The music is emotional, but it’s also uplifting.  It’s the mixing of people that I like the most.  While Highland dancing is predominantly solo dancing, this is a group endeavour.  It’s really a great place to meet people and I’ve made some wonderful friends over the years.

Cowboy Action Shooting is a family affair: From left Adam, Phil and Kandice “Itchy Finger” Peterson at home on the range.

Photo by Boomer Jerritt

As soon as he mutters the words, “Why do these guys always show up at mealtime,” you can tell there’s gonna be a heap o’ trouble.

Real quick-like, the cowboy jumps up from his chair. Spurs a’jangling, he grabs for his shotgun and starts pumping—smoke rises as shells begin to fly. Those yellow-bellied, lily-livered, low-down skunks are surely on the run.

Next, he lunges for his rifle and lets ’er rip, hitting his targets at will. Grabbing for his revolvers, he struts along the tree-lined path and squeezes off a few rounds just to make sure he leaves no doubt as to who is the boss of this here town.

With the sound of gunshots still ringing in the air, a voice calls out, “51.5 seconds and no faults!”

I says, “Pardon, pardner?”

And then I remember that I still have my ear protection on.

No, it’s not a scene out of the television Western series Deadwood; it is actually a glimpse into the sport of Cowboy Action Shooting that takes place in a range set in the hills behind the Courtenay and District Fish and Game Club on Comox Lake.

Cowboy Action Shooting (CAS) is a form of competitive shooting that has been around for about 25 years. Participants are armed with firearms typical of those used during the taming of the West. Part target shooting and part re-enactment, the competition is staged in a Western style with scenarios that are based on famous historical incidents or movie scenes. The shooters, dressed for the part, race against the clock as they fire single-action weapons at steel and cardboard targets.

Phil Peterson is president of Valley Regulators, the local CAS group at Courtenay and Fish and Game. He explains that the weapons and the costumes are what make this activity unique among the various forms of sports shooting.

“We shoot single-action firearms that were used in the 1890s—of course, they are not all old firearms, because the companies are making reproductions. Single-action means they only shoot one bullet at a time and then you have to re-cock it every time you fire. And the rifles we use are lever action not the hunting calibers like we have today. Also, the rifles back in the 1890s use the same cartridges that the pistols did,” explains Peterson.

For the unversed, lever-action rifles are the ones they used in the old John Wayne action movies. They have the loop underneath the trigger that gets pushed forward to eject the old cartridge and put a new one in, as opposed to most of the hunting rifles these days that have what is called a bolt action on the top of the weapon.

During a competition, the participants will use a rifle, which fires a single projectile, a shotgun, which fires a bunch of little pellets, as well as a couple of pistols (handguns), such as a Colt .45.

“There will be an assortment of targets to shoot at and you are told which targets to shoot in which order… some will be shot with the handguns, some with a rifle and some with the shotgun. So you compete with all those firearms, one right after the other, with a range officer timing you to see how long it takes you to complete the event,” says Peterson.

In terms of costuming, participants are encouraged to assume a look that is suitable for a character or profession from the late nineteenth century, a Hollywood western star or a character from fiction. According to Peterson, many of the people who join the sport get more of a kick out of dressing the part than the actual shooting, and it tends to add to the friendly mood surrounding the competition.

Along with dressing up, competitors are expected to choose an alias for themselves that is period-appropriate and representative of the character they have assumed. The name can be from an actual historical figure; however, when in competition there can’t be any duplication of names so as to avoid confusion with other participants. And after all, there was only one Wyatt Earp and Calamity Jane.

Another important facet of CAS is safety. Cowboy Action Shooting matches incorporate rules and procedures that promote safety, and range officers keep a close eye on things.

“We have officers that oversee the loading of the participant’s weapons prior to the match, and then once the shooter has gone they go to another area to show that they have shot all their ammunition and the firearms are empty,” explains Peterson.

There are also marshals with flags who ensure that people are kept an appropriate distance from the shooter. Additionally, everyone is required to wear ear and eye protection while matches are underway.

“We all work really hard at keeping things as safe as possible, both for competitors and spectators. It really is a very safe sport.”

Interested local residents will have a great opportunity to be spectators this summer as the Valley Regulators will be hosting the Single Action Shooters Society (SASS) Canadian Regional Championships.

Called “Bust-up at Boomtown,” the four-day event will take place August 28 to 31. About 80 shooters, their families and friends as well as scores of spectators are expected during the course of the event.