LasQuirkus Circus sets the stage on Gabriola

Well, my night definitely didn't go as planned. I set off for a quick jog after work and came across neighbours that we're all driving past headed for the Circus. I felt a little guilty about not taking the kids, so when I got back to my house at seven, i said to my husband should i take them to the c-i-r-c-u-s, the circus my daughter yelled and off we went. We arrived to a packed house and tonnes of entertainment, the troop consisted of stilters, clowns, ballerina's, giant puppets, jugglers, magicians, a fantastic band. They we're so engaging, hilarious and just tonnes of fun. I love attending these events and try to as often as I can, I think we're pretty lucky to have such great entertainment here and just want to support it any time I can. Submitted by: Tina Lynch

7th Annual Tour de Gabriola Bike Ride

Be A Part of History... The seventh Tour de Gabriola Bike Ride will be held on Sunday, May 29th.

We have had the opportunity to particpate in this great & very worthwhile event, & the organizers do a fantastic job. It's a great day for a family ride; we braved the entire island with my neice & nephew who were only 2&4 at the time. I was greatful for having the double bike with Bianca, my niece who peddled the whole way around the island (making my cruising very easy).

The clinic benefits all generations and participation in the Tour de Gabriola should reflect that. The Twin Beaches to Orlebar Point circuit is ideal for families with young and old riders and those who might wish to walk or run. The traditional ride around the island is a little more of a challenge, but we know kids as young as 8 years old who have accomplished this. But, you don’t need to ride, you may sponsor a rider, make a donation or ride a horse -- use your imagination. In years to come, when you look at the clinic, you will know that you were part of history.

On Saturday, June 4th, the groundbreaking ceremony for Gabriola’s permanent clinic will be held. All Gabriolans can be considered owners of this facility; it has been a community facility from the beginning. This proud effort has been fueled by various fundraising events, it has not increased taxes and receives more benefits from our tax dollars because of VIHA participation. Knowing that you don’t need to take the ferry immediately in an emergency helps ease the stress and prepares the way for appropriate action. In many cases, Gabriolans now receive much of their health care without leaving the island.

Gabriola - Enjoying the Waterfront

It was a gorgeous day on the Island yesterday. I started my day by watching the calm water in front of parents home in the Twin Beach area on Gabriola Island. This is a great spot to go in the evenings, with the smooth sandstone shoreline set against the vibrant sunsets. I only got to look at the view for a few minutes before my day got busy with work, but it was enough just enough time to soak in the beautiful surroundings and get recharged, and a great day to show waterfront homes. Wouldn't you like to live here ?

Submitted by: Tina Lynch.

Animal Magnetism- Gabriola ART Fundraiser for GROWLS

There are so many amazing groups and organizations on this Island that really create the community that we all love and want to be part of. One of the groups that I find amazing is GROWLS (Gabriola Rescue of Wildlife Society), take them and team them up with Feedlot Studios and Sylvie Milman and you have a powerhouse team on your hands. I've been watching them as they energetically gather artists and create a fundraiser called "Animal Magnetism", it's a salon style show to help them raise awareness for GROWLS. The show will run from June 11-30 at Feedlot Studios, 800 Valli place. GROWLS is a registered non-profit society whose mandate is the rescue of ill, injured or otherwise disabled wildlife and the preservation of natural wildlife habitat on Gabriola. British Columbia. Their main role is to rescue and transport injured or sick animals to a veterinarian or one of the wildlife recovery facilities on Vancouver Island and Salt Spring Island. They also visit the schools and educate to the youth about the wildlife on Gabriola and ways that they can help, even the worms after a rainfall.

Come check out the art at the opening on Saturday June 11th from 1-5 @ Feedlot Studios.

Peter and the Wolf on Gabriola

We are so pleased to have Mara Brenner on Gabriola, she's a fantastic dance teacher and great Pilate's instructor. Currently she's lining up all the dancers (I think about 45 of them) for an upcoming performance of Peter and the Wolf.

She's been busy with the costumes, props, set and teaching them all the steps. We are lucky enough that she is willing to put on two performances this Saturday, May 21 at the Pheonix Auditorium at the Haven, one at 1pm and the other at 5pm.

All the kids are so proud to try on their outfits and are anticipating their moment to shine on stage. The performance is 40 minutes long, the perfect length for those with even the shortest attention span. Entrance is by donation to the PHC.

Sailing the seas around Gabriola Island

As someone that spent their time growing up on the Island, I've always had a strong connection to the ocean. Although, I've mainly enjoyed it from the shorelines, we would often use dinghy's, kayaks and boats to go "exploring". With a husband that is a fisherman, we then got into power boating and have done lots of fishing and prawning in the local waters.

My dad recently bought a 16 foot Nordica sailboat from a friend, which I thought would be great in the summer, the only problem is that I didn't have the slightest knowledge about "sailing". 4 girlfriends and myself decided we should find out more, so we hired a sailing instructor from Gabriola. We’re busy working our way through the reading material (Basic Cruising Skills) and set out for a day at sea this past Sunday. We left Degnen Bay at about 12 and sailed into the Nanaimo Harbour at about 4:30, under the direction of our patient instructor Oliver. Tonight it's a bit of theory work, then we have another 4 days of afloat sailing instruction.