Go Nanaimo Blog

Frank Moher, artistic director of Nanaimo’s Western Edge Theatre, has launched a series of public video letters to Parksville-Qualicum MLA Ron Cantelon, of which this is the first. The provincial government’s arts cuts are doing severe damage to British Columbia’s cultural community. Says Moher: “I think the provincial government hopes this issue has gone away. But BC’s artists, and the audiences who enjoy their work, aren’t going to let it go away.”

It’s summertime, and on Sunday afternoon, August 8, 2010, the entertainment will be easy. Just drop by the Nanaimo Art Gallery downtown for Summer Serenade with talented pianist and composer Sarah M. Wood. She will be joined by local musicians Marty Shepard (trumpet), Mauro Azzaro (guitar), Tamara Lea (vocals), Carolyn Den Hertog (vocals), and Sarah Sorgiovanni (vocals).

This is a debut performance of songs from Sarah’s new Broadway-style musical Take off or Take the Fall, along with the instrumental soundtrack for a short film, Sailing from Schooner Cove, premiering February 2, 2011 at the Port Theatre.

Classically trained and influenced by everything from Sondheim to Satie, Wood’s musical career began at the tender age of 10 when she composed her first piece of music on her mother’s piano. Since then, Sarah has written over 250 pieces of music on both piano and guitar. Her musical style ranges from classical to jazz, theatrical to sacred and her live performances have included everything from intimate solos to accompaniment for three-choir ensembles.

Commenting on Wood’s CD Ocean Tapestry, Mary Ann Moore of More Living Magazine wrote that she could “…hear the ocean in Sarah`s music. Her compositions are a hint of Broadway meeting Pacific-Northwest ocean and rainforest, with a connection to the divine.”

Summer Serenade promises to be a sophisticated afternoon of art and music with some of Nanaimo’s finest musical talent. The show takes place on Sunday, August 8, 2010, from 3 to 5 pm at the Nanaimo Art Gallery downtown, 150 Commercial Street. Admission is by donation and refreshments will be available during intermission. For more information call the Nanaimo Art Gallery at 250-754-1750.

Stream in DL 33 by Gary Murdock

The BC provincial government wants to allow logging on a last remnant of what was once one of the province’s most productive ecosystems. District Lot 33 is a 64-hectare block of low elevation Coastal Douglas Fir (CDF) forest at Nanoose. In 2005 the Forest Practices Board issued the first of a series of warnings that this tract of Crown Land represented an ecosystem at “high risk for extinction”. Since then, the Arrowsmith Parks and Land-Use Council (APLUC) has struggled to save DL 33 from the chainsaws.

Unfortunately, BC Forests Minister Pat Bell seems determined to have this rare piece of mature CDF forest cut down whatever the cost to our province’s biodiversity. Bell is now attempting to manipulate the Douglas Treaties of the 1850’s to provide an excuse for allowing Snaw-Naw-As Forestry, a group from the Nanoose First Nation, to log the land under a woodlot licence.

“Do they want to meet with us in good faith to save the CDF ecosystem, or are they setting the scene to scapegoat First Nations on this issue?” said Berni Pearce of APLUC. “Having failed for its entire term of office to manage our Vancouver Island forests in a manner which is sustainable for both jobs and the environment, perhaps the government thinks it can pass the buck to First Nations – that’s just not fair,” said Pearce.

The APLUC will meet with forestry officials in August in the hope of convincing the government that DL 33 should not be logged. In the meantime, they are continuing to gather biological data. Earlier this week, birders from the Arrowsmith Naturalists found 41 bird species at the site in one morning visit, including the rare, red-listed Purple Martin. DL 33 is especially rich in bird and other life because of its protective canopy, extensive wetland, exceptional diversity, and abundance of insect food – very important for Purple Martin survival.

The Western Canada Wilderness Committee is conducting free weekly guided walks at DL 33 during July and August, 2010. The public is invited to meet prior to each tour at the Nanoose Petro-Canada Service Station, corner of Island Highway 19 and NW Bay Road, at 11 am on Saturdays. For more information call Berni Pearce at 1-250-248-8464.

Clearview at Regency Vista is a new multi-family development located at 6728 Dickinson Road on a hilltop in Nanaimo’s prestigious north end. Clearview offers all the modern luxuries of a detached home, with none of the maintenance or upkeep. Clearview is the definition of laid-back island living, close to all modern amenities and nestled amongst nature.

Clearivew an intimate, four-storey building with a variety of customized and livable floor plans. The units range in size from 1,062 to 1,775 square feet. Each unit features top-quality materials and high-end design details such as heated ceramic tile flooring in the spa-style washrooms, granite countertops in the gourmet kitchen, hardwood floors, and top-of-the-line appliances. These features and many more are standard, no upgrades required.

Ten of the 42 homes are penthouses and the majority of the homes have an ocean view of the Georgia Straight, the Winchelsea Islands, and the Coast Mountains. The two bedroom, two bathroom homes have parking and storage space included, and low monthly strata fees. Homes range from $262,000 to $365,000 and penthouses range from $459,000 to $649,000.

Clearview’s developer is Nanaimo-based Mike Woodsworth, the award-winning architect is Mark Garrett who has worked on many Vancouver Island projects, and the building was constructed by Dueck Contracting. Clearview is available for immediate occupancy and just over 50 per cent of the units have been sold. For more information call 250-933-5452.

On Saturday, August 7, 2010, at 6 pm the Vancouver Island Symphony will present its tenth anniversary performance of Symphony in the Harbour in the band shell at Maffeo Sutton Park in downtown Nanaimo. Come rain or shine, the musicians of the VI Symphony traverse land and sea to perform sensational pops music that’s great for the whole family and perfect for a relaxing summer’s eve. And what a setting: green lawns, manicured flower beds, trees for shade, a play area for the kids, seawall walk, no worries, and a gentle ocean breeze.

Early birds, besides saving their spot on the grass with blankets, lawn chairs, and picnics, take in the rehearsal as Maestro Pierre Simard puts the musicians through their final paces ready for the evening’s concert. Starting at 3:30 pm, kids join Aunti Bobbi in the Tim Horton’s Go Green Symphony Zone to make instruments out of recycled materials (ready for a guest appearance during the concert as the Go Green Symphony), and have a puff on a horn or two in the Musical Instrument Zoo. There’s food, fun, and the Nanaimo Museum’s Chowder Fest which runs from 3:30 to 5:30 pm.

Symphony in the Harbour is all about being by the sea, the outdoors, and of course – the music! Simard has masterfully put together a program that everyone has heard somewhere before either at concerts, on the TV, in movies, cartoons (like Popeye and Bugs Bunny), commercials, and even YouTube hip-hop dance videos. And for those who haven’t experienced the VI Symphony yet, Simard has sprinkled in tasters of concerts that are coming up in their next season – Music to Inspire – like offering a sip from a glass of delectable wine before presenting the whole bottle. Pure genius! Says Simard, “We hope our music will inspire you, that you will be transported to new realms of sounds and emotions.”

For openers there’s Handel’s Water Music composed in 1717 for King George 1 to float down the Thames River near the sea while listening to 50 musicians on a barge beside the royal flotilla – playing it over and over again! It’s very regal, stirring, and recognizable. The Poet and Peasant Overture by Franz von Suppe is gentle on the breeze and leads into the extra-special performance by the Go Green Symphony as kids play their hand-made instruments, backed by the VI Symphony, for Saint-Saens Marche Militaire Francaise. The rhythmic Hungarian Dance by Brahms is followed by the all-time favourite Londonderry Air (Danny Boy) and rousing Spanish flare with segments of Carmen by Bizet.

Soprano Nadya Blanchette returns to Nanaimo to perform The Diva Dance, a spine-tingling song by Donizetti, made famous by the movie Fifth Element that starred Bruce Willis. From waltzing on the grass with Wine, Women, and Song by Strauss Jr. to the mysterious Seafarer, a Nautical Rhapsody by Haydn Wood, and the delightful, light and airy Folk Songs from Somerset by Ralph Vaughan Williams the concert comes to a rousing close with the ever popular and explosive 1812 Overture by Tchaikovsky.

It’s summer in downtown Nanaimo by the sea! No worries! Just great family fun and terrific music. For those who don’t want to bring their own chairs, the VI Symphony can reserve one (for $20) by calling Margot Holmes at 250-754-0177. Otherwise, admission is by donation.

Ghost Fish V by Margaret Haydon

The Nanaimo Art Gallery at 900 Fifth Street, Building 330, is presenting an exhibition of the works of ceramic artist, Margaret Haydon, Vancouver Island University’s first visiting artist in residence. Using the VIU’s International Centre for Sturgeon Studies as inspiration, Haydon has turned her interest in sturgeon into the unique ceramic art being featured during the run of this exhibit.

Haydon states: “My recent body of work depicts iconic images of an ancient and odd-looking fish, the sturgeon. Stylistically the work is muscular, blending abstract and representative elements to convey both the beauty and the strangeness of this animal. I also include elements that suggest specific aspects of the life, history, and current environmental predicament of the sturgeon. Sturgeon are important creatures historically, genetically, socially, and now environmentally. There are twenty-six species left, and many of them are threatened because of dams, pollution and over-fishing. This is a fish so perfectly designed that it has existed in the same form on this earth for two hundred million years. They have become for me, a symbol of change and transformation. Sturgeon are an indicator species. They speak to the natural worlds’ diminishing capacity to survive in the face of human impact.”

A portion of the rare sturgeon art collection of Gordon Edmondson, a director of the International Sturgeon Research Centre will also be part of this unique presentation. For over 200 million years, sturgeon have been swimming the waters of the world. They outlived the dinosaurs, yet in less than one sturgeon’s lifetime, humans have brought this prehistoric fish to the brink of extinction. Almost all species and populations worldwide are in trouble. The Sturgeon Exhibition runs from July 23 to August 21, 2010, with an opening reception on Friday, July 23, 2010, from 5 to 7 pm. For more information call 250-740-6350.

This raw footage of the savage 2010 Canadian commercial seal hunt on the ice flows off Newfoundland was filmed from a helicopter chartered by the Humane Society of the United States. This cruel hunt is heavily subsidized with our tax dollars by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) and other branches of the Government of Canada. It’s a disgrace how our money is being used to support this horrendous crime and truly shocking that both members of parliament from Nanaimo – Jean Crowder and James Lunney – act as apologists for the hunt. They should be ashamed of themselves.

If you love South Pacific culture, dance, and music, prepare to be captivated by Polynesian superstars Te Vaka performing live on Thursday, July 29, 2010, in Victoria, British Columbia. Te Vaka’s performances combine traditional language and dance, powerful drumming, and infectious melodies to create an evening you will remember. Recipients of the Best Pacific Group award at the 2010 Pacific Music Awards, Te Vaka is touring across North America with the support of Creative New Zealand.

Te Vaka performs on Thursday, July 29, 2010, at the Victoria Events Centre, 1415 Broad St. Tickets are $20 for adults or $15 for students/seniors and are available in Victoria from the Pacific Peoples Partnership, 407-620 View Street, at the Alcheringa Gallery, 665 Fort Street, at Lyles’ Place, 770 Yates Street, or online at www.1415broad.ca.

Te Vaka is also offering dance and performance workshops on July 27 and 28, 2010, from 6:30 to 8 pm in room 2 of the Mary Winspear Centre, 2243 Beacon Avenue, Sidney. Accompanied by live log drums and guitars, Te Vaka dancers will teach Polynesian dance. Registration form ($25 registration fee) and a workshop poster can be found on www.pacificpeoplespartnership.org. For more information call 1-250-381-4131.

Red Man Descending by George Littlechild

The Nanaimo Art Gallery, downtown location, 150 Commercial Street, is excited to present two summer exhibitions which started on Tuesday, June 29, 2010. The first exhibition features a small showcase of newly acquired works being added to the permanent collection, including works by George Littlechild, Chris Woods, Samantha Dickie, and EJ Hughes, among others.

The second exhibition is a showcase of new small works by local talented artists who are part of the gallery’s art rental and sales program. A large range of works and media will be on display and for sale. Some of the artists exhibiting are Helen Webster, Rob Elphinstone, Rod Corraini, Rosemary Gall, Carmen Mongeau, and Bev Koski. A full list is posted on www.nanaimoartgallery.com. For more information call 250-754-1750.

Every year, Real Estate Webmasters runs a conference in Nanaimo, BC, called the REW Summit. During this event, customers and webmasters from all around North America come to learn, share ideas, and take in the beautiful scenery that British Columbia, Canada, has to offer (we don’t just have great olympic winter weather – our summer and fall seasons are amazing as well).

This year the event will be held on September 16 and 17, 2010, at the Vancouver Island Conference Center. Instructors include senior REW developer Anthony Hatzopoulos teaching website speed optimization for better customer satisfaction and search engine rankings and REW CEO Morgan Carey talking about search engine optimization and link building in 2010. Beginners will learn how to do their own search engine optimization, while more advanced customers will brush up on current techniques, share ideas, and discuss the future of SEO in the real estate space. Re/Max Technologist and owner of Ericonsearch Eric Blackwell will be presenting “Build your authority on 30 minutes a day.” Learn how to build your authority / pagerank and online reputation when time is limited (as it is for every realtor).

REW is excited about the four classes being presented and feel they will be a huge asset to anyone attending. However, not to be outdone are the two other features of this year’s summit, the client collaboration session and the “improving the lead manager” session. Client collaboration is something the members of the year-one summit asked for. Basically participants will break out into like minded groups and share their best tips, custom mods, and techniques for SEO / lead conversion. Most folks will tell you this networking session is one of the best features of the REW Summit.

The summit section of the REW website links to the various items needed by attendees (credit card authorization form, hotels with discounts, bios of authors, the schedule, etc) and threads discussing this event are on the REW Summit forum. If you’d care to test your swing while in the area, Nanaimo Golf Courses outlines the opportunities. Additional information about Nanaimo is on Go Nanaimo.