Discover Gabriola Island

The Fog...

2012-02-07T10:53:00.001-08:00

When we approached the BC Ferries, Gabriola terminal last night we were greeted by the amazing array of city lights and the moon, shining through the fog. The echoes of the fog horn bellowed through Downtown Nanaimo, as the ferry made it's sailings across. The activity sof the city set against the stillness of the fog, so thick you couldn't see the ferrry approaching, was one of those moments you want to just capture on film...

Winter on Gabriola...

2012-02-06T14:05:00.001-08:00

For some, it may be hard to believe, that this photo was taken today, Feb. 6 on the neighborhood beach of Islands View, Gabriola but for the residents of this area it's just another glorious winter day at the beach. This magical area features two southerly facing waterfront beaches that on most days, you won't see another soul on...

We can help make this walk part of your daily routine! Currently we have 5 GREAT properties listed for sale in this spectacular area ranging from a vacant property Lot 113 Blueback, to a great cottage 2555 Blueback, an amazing family home on acreage 2570 Islands View, or breath taking ocean viewwaterfront home 2605 Islands View or the absolutely stunning custom designed waterfront 2487 Spring Beach!

The Eagles Perched here

2012-01-31T12:53:00.000-08:00

Photo Courtesy: Len & Jackie O'Hara

If you drive around the Island, you'll often notice eagles perched high in the trees along the shoreline or perhaps circling above the ferry as you approach the Island. You may have been lucky enough to have seen an eagle nest, they are truly impressive with the large branches so high up in the trees. If you haven't seen an eagles nest and your near Gabriola, you could go for a drive down South road where you'll see a sign, just before Shaw Rd which has "eagles nest"with an arrow pointing across the road to the eagle nest in the tree. As part of the Islands Trust mandate is to preserve and protect eco-systems, you'll find that they address protecting the habitat for the eagles in our bylaws .

Brickyard Beach From Industry to Nature

2012-01-28T07:21:00.000-08:00

It's amazing to look at this landscape and imagine that there was industry here. The only hint of it left behind is the small portion of red brick that you may stumble upon on while walking along the shore line. It seems as though the earth has reclaimed this space and is once again churning the landscape back into nature. I love looking at this space and trying to imagine what it would have been like when there was a brick factory that produced millions of bricks a year, and to see the transformation over the last century from nature to industry and the path back to nature again. The Gabriola Historical and Museum Society has gathered a lot of photos and information on Brickyard's past.

Paradise Found...

2012-01-26T14:17:00.001-08:00

Well they say a picture is worth a thousand words... Guess who was late for work today, after driving by Degnen Bay to stumble across the Sunrise over Valdez Island??? Of course, I couldn't stop myself from pulling into the Gray Road boat launch to be mesmorized by this amazing January Sunrise. It's hard to beat island living!

Snow Day on Gabriola

2012-01-19T13:17:00.001-08:00

We enjoy a temperate climate on Gabriola, rarely does the thermometer dip below freezing on our rural Island. Occasionally we do get some snow, and I would say that most Islanders welcome the change in landscape that they know will soon disappear. You may wonder how we weather during the time, I'd say quite a few people take the opportunity to stay home if they can as many don't have winter tires. If residents do need to venture out of their driveways they often end up on a road that has already been cleared, we have a great crew that often works around the clock when there is a chance of snow.

Good Morning Gabriola!

2012-01-11T09:11:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of the beautiful sunrise I woke up to this morning before heading to work. We're having an amazing winter on Gabriola this year, some gorgeous days of sunshine. It's so easy to get out for a walk, run or bike ride when the weather is this nice. Enjoy your day, mine sure started off right, I hope yours did too!

submitted by:Tina Lynch

Gabriola Public Art Initiative - Seeking Proposals

2012-01-09T07:27:00.000-08:00

There is so much artistic talent on the West Coast of BC that you can find it by just walking down the street. A small day trip off island took us to Victoria where we found the beautiful sidewalk art done created in chalk. The Gabriola Arts Council is currently seeking proposals from its members for its Public Art Initiative, it looks like Gabriola will have even more art to look at in the near future.

2012 Assessments are Now Online

2012-01-04T08:45:00.000-08:00

While tax assessments will be in the mail in the next couple of weeks, the BC Assessment website with 2012 assessments are now available online.

The BC Assessment’s website provides a listing of property assessments and sales to help property owners understand their property's market value and provide comparable sales information. Go to www.bcassessment.ca and click on the e-valueBC link.

It's important to remember that assessments are the estimate of a property’s market value as of July 1, 2011 and physical condition as of October 31, 2011. This common valuation date ensures there is an equitable property assessment base for property taxation.

Real estate sales determine a property’s value which is reported annually by BC Assessment. Local governments and other taxing authorities are responsible for property taxation and, after determining their own budget needs this spring, will calculate property tax rates based on the assessment roll for their jurisdiction.

Changes in property assessments reflect movement in the local real estate market and can vary greatly from property to property. When estimating a property’s market value, BC Assessment’s professional appraisers analyze current sales in the area, as well as considering other characteristics such as size, age, quality, condition, view and location. If you have questions regarding your assessment or want to appeal it, remember the deadlines and process for filing an appeal notice are non the back of your assessment notice.

BC Assessment’s assessment roll provides the foundation for local and provincial taxing authorities to raise more than $6.2 billion in property taxes each year. This revenue funds the many community services provided by local governments around the province, including the public school system.

Winter Gardening...

2012-01-01T07:15:00.000-08:00

On Gabriola we have a temperate climate which affords us great opportunities when it comes to winter gardening. This year I took the opportunity to plant my first winter garden, and am enjoying the opportunity to harvest amazing vegetables. Fresh out of the garden yesterday was a bunch of beets, kale, brussel sprouts, celery & swiss chard. It's wonderful to be able to harvest from one's own back yard throughout the year, and unlike the challenges (weeds & water) that the summertime garden brings, the winter garden requires very little effort.

West Coast seeds has already delivered their 2012 calendar, and now that Spring is right around the corner, it's not to early to start planning for next years harvest & the new seed varities that are tempting to try....

Happy New Year!

The Ride to Conquer Cancer: 6 Gabriola Islanders in training!

2011-12-30T21:14:00.000-08:00

There are 6 Gabriola residents that are taking an amazing journey. We'll be participating in a two-day major cycling (over 200km) event called The Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer benefiting BC Cancer Foundation. We've joined up with a team from Nanaimo called "Nanaimo Rides Again" and are aiming to raise over $100,000 between now and June 16 2012.
Already the experience has been amazing for me, I'm using this to experience to show my kids that you can make a difference and you can be the change. Many of you may know that my dad is battling terminal cancer, so this will be a very emotional journey, but I feel so supported by my family, friends and the community of Gabriola.

We have people joining us on training rides to keep our motivation up, Lesley Standerwick is helping us train, local businesses are supporting us and people chipping in any way they can.

We are planning a Beer & Burger night for the end of Feb, we're doing a bottle drive on Jan 6 (please let us know if you have any bottles to donate), and we'll be spinning in Nanaimo at Walmart on Jan 29 and at the Maple Sugar Festival on Feb 12. This is just the start of our fundraising activities, the more we raise the more we have to find the cure. Right now 2 out of 5 people will hear the words "you have cancer" in their lifetime, we need to change this for my family and for yours.

Please take a minute and visit our personal pages and if you'd like to donate online to either Tina or her husband Guy Parcher or one of the other riders, please do it today so that you can take advantage of the 100% tax deduction for your 2011 taxes, what a way to finish of the year!

submitted by: Tina Lynch

Happy Holidays

2011-12-23T13:22:00.000-08:00

Ladysmith Christmas Lights Tour

2011-12-10T11:10:00.000-08:00

Here's an opportunity to get in the Festive spirit and a day out with Elly Hallam and Jim Bangle of Chemainus Tours
Tuesday, December 20/2011 1:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Jim will bring the bus over and pick us up at 1:00 PM. We’ll take the 1:50 ferry and drive to Yellow Point where we’ll visit Yellow Point Cranberries Farm & Gift Store. This farm grows cranberries and sells them fresh as well as a variety of preserves.

Next we’ll proceed to Hazelwood Herb Farm for a cup of tea and a scone with samples of their yummy jams and jellies and a chance to see their array of herbal products from culinary to bath, skin, and hair care products, to an arthritis preparation, to pet care.

Next we’re off to Ladysmith to see their over 200,000 Christmas lights and hopefully we’ll have time to wander along Main Street poking into shops.
Now it’s time for dinner at the well-loved Crow & Gate Pub in Yellow Point before we catch the 7:20 ferry home.

Cost for the trip is $67; dinner extra; under 65’s pay passenger ticket on ferry. The coach can hold 24 passengers.

QUESTIONS OR YOU’D LIKE TO BOOK? CALL ELLY AT 250 247 8792.

"Shop Local" 2011 Great Gabriola Gift Ideas

2011-11-28T12:28:00.000-08:00

Living on Gabriola, known as the Island of the Arts there is never any shortage of great local gift giving ideas... With the holiday season approaching so quickly, here are just a few of our favorite picks for 2011...

New Society Publishing.
New Society Publishers, is now a 20 year old company who’s mission is to publish books that contribute in fundamental ways to building an ecologically sustainable and just society. They employ approx. 12 island residents. They offer a wide variety of books & some fabulous green building books & cookbooks – that we have in our personal collection. This is an easy shop with their online catalog http://www.newsociety.com/catweb.pdf there is an extensive list of their offerings – making gift giving easy!

Coffee.
Is there anything better than waking up to a coffee on Christmas morning, well only if it’s Gabriola Island’s Red Roaster coffee. Their beans are organic, fairly traded and ethically sourced. The coffee is roasted here on Gabriola in small batches & delivered locally to your door, or pick up your pre-order here at Coast Realty in the village. As a micro roaster they are able to custom craft blends for you!

North Road Sports
A hit for everyone in the family! Great outdoor clothing, shoes and gear, with exceptional quality.

Personal Training
Gabriola has a variety of fitness classes and personal training. Lesley Standerwick is one of the exceptional trainers we have on the island, consider giving the gift of health this holiday season with a gift certificate & help that someone special start out the New Year right!

Childrens Books Illustrated by Gabriola’s own Diana Bonder
Watch your childs face light up as they turn the pages and walk through the land of fairy tales & whimsy in one of the amazing books illustrated by Diana an award winning bestselling Children's Book – this gift is sure to give hours of enjoyment to both parents & children alike. Diana also does commissions, imagine a painting of your kids in a fairytale - it's a gift that will last a lifetime.

Feedlot Studios
For those with a creative flair. Mariko is an exceptionally talented ceramic artist along with a brilliant teacher. In her creative studio, she is offering a variety of workshops and open studio. Having had the opportunity to spend time in this amazing sutdio – I can attest that anyone receiving a workshop this Christmas morning is in for an amazing treat!
For those who are creatively challenged, Mariko is brilliant at getting you past your own clay inhibitions, but the studio also features a wide array of her work available for sale… I have to put a plug in for her very unique & whimsical mugs.

Pages Resort & Marina
With over two hundred titles, our unique book and marine charts store specializes in local Gabriolian writers and illustrators, Gulf Island publications and a wide selection of cruising guides.

Gabriola Elementary School Craft Fair December 3 @ Gabriola Elementary
This is an exciting opportunity featuring a variety of island artists so you can do your shopping all in one place! In addition to the craft fair the famous cookie walk is a great way to support school activities, while avoiding the Christmas baking – but be early the cookies disappear quickly & the doors open at 10:00 am. There is also the very popular silent auction table with all sorts of some of the best the island has to offer, and because the money is going to such a worthy cause, you can feel good about your Christmas shopping!
If you're there please stop by my Knotty by Nature table to see some of the creations that I've been putting together for the Christmas season.

If you have a GREAT local shopping idea to share, please send us an email to: lynch@discovergabriola.com – we’d love to hear about it.

Happy Holiday Shopping!

Published...

2011-11-24T11:21:00.001-08:00

Ok, another bragging & proud daughter moment...

I was at the newstand yesterday, when I remember that the newest issue of Cloth * Paper * Scissors was out, I was curious as a year ago they had a contest for designing minature mixed media homes which Randi had entered. I immediately opened up the magazine to find the home sweet home feature section, and noticed that after hundreds of entries they narrowed it down to 95 homes that they featured in a 7 page spread - and sure enough mom's house made the cut (page 79 bottom row 2nd one in).
(No surprise to anyone who knows mom, that even in her crafts her love of real estate is evident - as per the home sweet home.)

Congratulations!

12 Days of Christmas

2011-11-22T14:40:00.000-08:00

A collective of 12 artists got together this year to do a Christmas exchange, as a result they have created a very special 12 days of Christmas Package that will be up for Silent Auction at the Craft Fair at the Commons, December 3. The surprise - the 12 gifts are wrapped, they range in items from ornaments, card collections – but that’s all I’m giving up!

This silent auction item will have 12 gifts for you to open, each made by a local artisan. What a great way to lead up to Christmas, as a Christmas gift, or maybe it will complete all the shopping you had to do – all while raising money for PHC. Artists who have contributed to this Christmas Package include; Karen Aaker, Tina Lynch, Julie Sperber, Diana Bonder, Randi Lynch, Brenda Reid, Mariko McCrae, Christy Wilson, Lindsay Godfrey-Stocking, Jane Reddington, Jennifer Lynch, Tammy Hudgeon.
Hope you have as much fun bidding as we all have in creating & sharing!

Community….

2011-11-22T13:20:00.000-08:00

I’m often asked why I think Gabriola is such a special place and I can truly sum it up in one word – community. It’s amazing how strong the sense of community is, and it’s a little bit almost overwhelming the generosity of this special place we call home.

My Dad (aka my hero and best friend) was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer this year, it was a complete shock to the family and to my Dad. We have been overwhelmed by the support for the family in this difficult time, and feel fortunate that we do have the opportunity of time.

My sister wanted to have something positive to focus on during this time, and I’m very proud of her, last week she signed up for the ride to conquer cancer, a 2 day 200km cycling event from Vancouver to Enbridge. Within a couple of days signing up, she was inundated with friends, family & community that wanted to take the ride with her. There are many others that offered their support to help make this long ride a little easier by; running a training program, graphic support, artwork donations, financial donations in benefit of cancer research, and the list goes on…

I’m truly amazed and humbled by all the people of Gabriola and their amazing generosity, we are so grateful for being part of this community.

Please take the time to check out her personal page for the ride, Team Papa.

Creating your landscape with Topographics

2011-11-15T14:23:00.000-08:00

In 2001 we purchased our "older" home on Gabriola, with the awareness that it was going to be a home that would require an addition and substantial upgrades. We've really enjoyed the process of transforming our house, for us it was worth doing the renovations because we could do most of the work ourselves and we loved the neighborhood. For the last 10 years we've spent most of our time, effort and money into creating a suitable living space for a family of four, but we've spent a limited amount of time creating the "landscape". We took down some trees, leveled some areas and did some rock work, but it was a haphazard approach to say the least.
That all changed when we met Cameron and Laura-Jean Kelly a few years ago, and learned that they were landscape architects. After talking with them, my husband I decided that it would be great to have them help us create a plan for how we could develop our property. It seemed to us that it was easier to change a rock wall on a drawing then to move it in reality. Cameron and Laura-Jean worked on drawings, first they marked it out in its current state, then they gave us the drawings to show us how to develop it in stages. The end result will be a property where the outdoor "rooms" flow together. It will likely take us years to create this, but it will help to have a vision and we're looking forward to the process.
The kids were also invited to contribute their ideas to the design, so we're still working in the "deer tea party" section.
If you're looking to develop your property, I would recommend contacting Cameron & Laura-Jean.

Islands Trust | Zoning Bylaws…

2011-11-07T10:49:00.000-08:00

Gabriola land use & official community plan is done through the Islands Trust, a unique form of government, created by the province in 1974 to control unbridled development and “preserve and protect” the islands.

The object of the Trust is to preserve and protect the Trust Area and its unique amenities and environment for the benefit of the residents of the Trust Area and of British Columbia generally, in cooperation with municipalities, regional districts, improvement districts, other persons and organizations and the government of British Columbia.

Land Use planning involves using many different tools to achieve long term stability in the development of the island land base. In the Islands Trust Area, the focus of all long-range planning is the preservation of the environment and community sustainability. The Zoning Bylaw for Gabriola can be located on the Islands Trust website at: http://www.islandstrust.bc.ca/ltc/gb/pdf/gbbylbaselub0177.pdf

Also of interest, in 2008 there was a profile done on the community which can be viewed online at: http://www.islandstrust.bc.ca/ltc/gb/pdf/gbrptcommunityprofile.pdf

Open Studio @ Feedlot- get ready for Christmas

2011-10-26T10:29:00.000-07:00

Open Studios! Now Mondays & Wednesday Evenings at Feedlot Studios

Go and enjoy the warmth of Feedlot Studios (Gabriola) on Monday and Wednesday evenings this fall and winter from 6-9 pm for some good, semi-clean ceramic fun.
They'll get you going on some holiday gift making ideas and lure that Art Star out of you that you always knew you had in you! So start making a list and checking it twice... they can even show you how to make lumps of coal for the not so deserving recipient on your Secret Santa List.
The Fee for Open Studio is still only $10/hour and that includes your materials and firings.
Holy Yuletide! That's a steal of a deal!
We love to go to Feedlot, Mariko finds a way to make it a great experience for everyone (even if your intimidated to try something "artsy"), here's a ceramic pendant that I made in class.

Fall Harvest...

2011-10-17T11:40:00.000-07:00

This year was the perfect gardening season on Gabriola, and the harvest has been impressive... The fruit trees were no exception, and the apples were the best crop I've had yet.

After eating all the apples we could over the past month, it was time to make Apple Sauce to preserve the harvest for the winter season.

With the abundance of apples on the island right now, here's my apple sauce recipe;

Ingredients

18 peeled, cored, and quartered apples, fresh from the tree is best
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tsp cinnamon (to taste)
1/4 cup of dark brown sugar
1/4 cup of white sugar (or more to sweeten)
3 cup of water

Method
1 Put all ingredients into a large pot. Cover. Bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

2 Remove from heat. Mash with potato masher. Add additional sugar or cinnamon to taste.

Ready to serve, either hot or refrigerated, or a good time to process it to preserve it. It also freezes easily, lasts up to one year in a cold freezer.

Enjoy!

Halloween is in the air!

2011-10-12T12:49:00.000-07:00

Everybody enjoys the Halloween holiday whether they are young children looking forward to dressing up as their favourite characters and heading out trick or treating, or as adults getting ready for the big night of festivities. On Gabriola being a smaller community have an amazing Halloween line up for kids of all ages…

FIREWORKS
You may have seen the Gabriola Fire Departments rubber boots on display at various businesses as they collect monies to put on the fireworks display on October 31st 7:30 pm at Twin Beaches. Reminiscing on some of my favourite childhood memories on the island this has to be one of the most spectacular evenings, who can resist – goodies, hot chocolate, fireworks & hot dogs…

Gabriola’s SLEEPY HOLLOW
Halloween night could not be complete without a slow drive down the North Road area referred to islanders as the “tunnel” that comes lit up by the amazing display of carved pumpkins. With the homes on Gabriola being further apart, it’s a great way to display your pumpkin by dropping it off in the tunnel – the spectacular display usually is lit up for a couple of evenings post Halloween.

Trick or Treating
Well, the kids tend to have to put in a little extra effort in trick or treating on the island, with the long driveways and the homes having some distance between them, that said there are some popular areas of the island that kids & parents tend to find a little easier; the Strand, Malaspina Galleries, the Village core, are among some of the popular ghouling areas.

For the ADULTS
The Skol & Silva Bay both have events planned for the Halloween weekend. In addition if you haven’t taken in one of the radio after dark Halloween shows, they are not to be missed and usually tend to sell out quickly!

RADIO AFTER DARK
The Radio After Dark Troupe recreate the classic radio shows of the 1930s and 1940s, capturing the essence of those timeless gems with live sound effects, period costumes, passionate performances and the occasional hilarious blooper

Wednesday & Thursday, October 26 & 27 – Silva Bay Restaurant & Pub, Gabriola 7:30pm
Tix $15- , Gabriola tix available at Artworks,

Radio after Dark's Halloween Show catapults the audience back in time to the golden age of radio, bringing those gripping tales of suspense to bone chilling life. Don't miss this amazing experience!

Happy Haunting!

Flocking to the Gabriola Studio Tour

2011-10-02T12:56:00.001-07:00

Ok, here we go. A new flock of 20 Junk BIrds just flew into the studio in time for the Gabriola Thanksgiving Studio Tour. Come visit studio #22, 2635 Islands View Drive to find the perfect bird for you. Randi has been busy making encaustic cards, Jennifer has been creating jewellery, funky sculptures and hand sewn gifts, and I've got lots of original paintings on display. Submitted by : Tina Lynch

Gabriola STUDIO TOUR . OCT 8-10

2011-09-26T15:31:00.000-07:00

The Gabriola Studio Tour is quickly approaching and will be held over the Thanksgiving weekend, Oct 8, 9, & 10. I love the tour, it's a great time to meet people, check out studios, talk with other artists and there is a great vibe on the Island during the weekend. We've been busy creating pieces all year long and hope that you find the time to pop on by. If you fall in love with the Island while your here, we'd be more than pleased to find you a place to live! Submitted by: Tina Lynch

It's picking time on the Island.

2011-09-19T20:41:00.000-07:00

I was down to take a listing of a beautiful acreage on the weekend and while I was there I couldn't help but notice all the blackberries. The owner said I could come and pick blackberries, so I took my son,my dad and a few empty containers and headed over. The picking was great, there was lots of large berries, it was overcast and there weren't any wasps to speak of. We may have ended up with a few scratches, but nothing compared to the taste of our fresh sweet handpicked berries. I've frozen a few so that we can be reminded of the local summer harvests all year long. You'll find lots of blackberry bushes on the sides of the roads on Gabriola, or if you want your own patch you may just want to take a look at the acreage we just listed. Submitted by: Tina Lynch,

Gabriola Portrait Day!

2011-09-07T10:59:00.000-07:00

Yeosmith Studios is coming to Gabriola this Sunday, Sept. 11, 2011!

Cassandra Yeomans-Smith is a great friend of mine and a truly amazing professional photographer. Recently she came to the Island to do a special photo shoot so that we could have some family shots with my dad and I know these will be family treasures for years to come. She'll be back to the Island this weekend, so you have a chance to have a photo session with her.

At this time there are a few sessions open on Sunday, Session Fee for each session is $49 or you can choose a session package.
If you are interested in a session, it is important to have a consultation either in studio or on the phone. This way Cassandra can get to know you and what you are looking for in your portraits. For all Yeosmith Website, go to www.yeosmith.com.
Please call 250 739 0340 to book a consultation or email Cassandra at yeosmith@shaw.ca .

Submitted by : Tina Lynch

Fishing Thrasher Rock

2011-09-05T07:45:00.000-07:00

We had a few hours yesterday afternoon that we could spend on the boat, so we loaded up the kids and took my dad out to Thrasher Rock, near Silva Bay on Gabriola Island. The water was calm, it was hot and sunny and there were lots of boats of all sizes out on the water. We did some jigging at about 50-60 ft, and landed 3 nice size Ling Cods on the boat. I recently found this website that shows the bites and tides in a visual format, which I think makes it pretty easy for anyone to follow : tides4fishing Submitted by: Tina Lynch

A view of the Island.

2011-09-01T12:13:00.000-07:00

If you'd like to keep an eye on Gabriola, the Island has a few web cams that you may want to check out. One of the web cams has views of the Straight of Georgia, with Entrance Island as the focal point, it gives you a good indication of the current weather, on the website you'll also find videos of community events, Gabriola Georgia Strait Cam. The other website that is very useful when you are trying to determine what the ferry traffic conditions leaving the Island are like is the ferry cam website which has three different vantage points of the line up. Take a minute and enjoy the view from here.

Gabriola Campground- Descanso Bay

2011-08-30T14:16:00.000-07:00

Located just a short distance from the Gabriola ferry terminal, Descanso Bay Regional Park offers 32 camping sites on a beautiful 40-acre oceanfront property. There are three bays, one of which is a designated shellfish-harvesting beach (check for closures). There is also a great picnic/day use area with gorgeous sandstone beaches. Just off the shore is this small "island" that makes the perfect destination for those that would like to do a quick little paddle. To make reservations at the campground located at 595 Taylor Bay Road call 1 250 247-8255.

Cistern rebate on Gabriola Island.

2011-08-21T21:11:00.000-07:00

The Regional District of Nanaimo is currently offering a rebate of $500 for those that install a cistern (minimum of 1,000 gallons) on Gabriola if you meet the criteria. The "Rainwater Harvesting Incentive Program" is in response to the growing population in the area and the increasing demand on water resources. As the population of the Regional District of Nanaimo continues to grow, reducing demand on water resources and water systems will become increasingly important. I think this is a great initiative and one worth looking into quickly as they have a limited number of rebates available, if you go to the RDN website you can get the application form, details and a list of suppliers.

Gabriola - exploring the waters.

2011-08-02T13:35:00.000-07:00

It was a bit windy on the Island on Saturday, so we decided to take the opportunity and go for our first sail aboard our 16 footer. We loaded up the cooler, tent, propane stove and kids and left Degnen Bay and headed towards Blackberry Pt on Valdez. It was a great late afternoon sail, we found a compromise that worked for our family, my husband fished, I sailed and the kids tattooed each other with their special markers. We set up our tent about 15 feet from the sandy beach, started a small camp fire and watched this amazing sunset. It did rain during the night, but our tent didn't let in a drop of rain, and we woke up to another sunny day. Submitted by: Tina Lynch

Launching a sailboat on Gabriola

2011-07-24T07:21:00.000-07:00

It took us almost a month for my husband and I find a few hours together during the day to launch our little sailboat. On Friday that timed up perfectly with slack tide. We had heard that False Narrows would be the right place to launch our Nordica sail boat, so we thought we'd give it a try. The boat launch for False Narrows is located just off of El Verano on Gabriola. The launch couldn't have gone any better, the sandy bottom and the slack made it really easy for us. When we got to the dock we worked on rigging up the mast and the shrouds, not a bad job for our first time, but we'll have our neighbour come and have a look before we set sail. There are a few options for launching a boat on Gabriola, there is a place at the end of Gray Road (Degnen Bay), a small boat launch at Twin Beaches (Gabriola Sands), and you can also arrange it at Silva Bay for a small fee. With all the outer islands in such close proximity, Gabriola is the perfect place to begin your explorations at sea.

Gabriola Families go camping in Lake Cowichan

2011-07-22T07:53:00.000-07:00

On Monday 12 families from Gabriola loaded up their coolers, tents, boats and kids and headed down to the group campsite at the Gordon Bay Provincial Park in Lake Cowichan. With 21 kids with us, we had a lot of activity on the beach and at the campsite. This was our third annual group camping trip. On the first night we usually do a pot-luck dinner, a great feast after the work of setting up camp. The group campsite is perfect, it has a large clearing, a covered area, electricity, hot and cold running water, outhouses and even a wood stove. We managed to get in lots of beach time, a few campfires, visiting with our friends, a bit of kayaking and some windsurfing. I left to come back to work on Gabriola Wednesday morning, and the commute was great. I had packed up and hit the road by 7:15, caught the 8:15 ferry from Nanaimo to Gabriola and was in my door by 9am. Submitted by: Tina Lynch

Changes on Gabriola: Folklife Village

2011-07-16T12:38:00.000-07:00

We've just brought a new service to the Folklife Village, Coast Realty is now supplying Free WIFI @ Folklife Village Mall on Gabriola Island.So now you can shop, sip and surf courtesy of Coast Realty (Gabriola Village) Ltd.
Another new change in the Folklife Village is the Gabriola Theatre Festival has just finished setting up next door to our office and are there to give you information about the upcoming festival : http://www.gabriolatheatrefestival.ca/

"STAMP" Art Show opens THURSDAY June 30

2011-06-28T13:46:00.000-07:00

Join us this thursday at the Artworks annual object show. Each year Artworks gives out 30 "objects" as a starting off point for artists working in various mediums, every year the pieces are vibrant, stunning and diverse. It's amazing to see the way that 30 people view the same object in such unique ways. The show opens at 7pm @ Artworks (on Gabriola) this Thursdsay June 30. The three Lynch gals have all done a piece for this years show "STAMP" and we hope to see you there! Submitted by : Tina Lynch.

LasQuirkus Circus sets the stage on Gabriola

2011-05-28T22:17:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-26T13:29:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-21T08:25:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-17T13:10:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-16T11:16:00.001-07:00

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

2011-05-05T14:07:00.000-07:00

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.

The Gabriola Ambulance Society…

2011-04-29T11:18:00.000-07:00

Being on the Gabriola Volunteer Fire Department, and a member of the First Responder team for several years, I have had the opportunity to see the valuable services provided by the Gabriola Ambulance Society.

It’s comforting to know that when you are in a situation that causes you to place a “911” call that your membership covers benefits such as equipment loans, reimbursement for ambulance user fees & some home assistance, as it’s one less thing to think about.

The annual fee of $35.00 covers up to a family of five for a calendar year, and is available to all permanent resident of Gabriola Island & Mudge as well as season residents who are property owners of this area.

In addition to the three main benefits, the Society also provides a $2,000 scholarship annually to a School District 68 student entering into the medical field.. As well it helps support; local doctors, emergency services and hospitals by donating funds and equipment and provides a 50% subsidy for registration for first aid training offered by the Recreation Commission on Gabriola.

If you haven’t become a member, but are interested, the application form can be found online at: http://www.gabriolaambulancesociety.org/docs/AmbulanceSocietyMembershipForm.pdf . The membership fee must have been paid a minimum of two weeks prior to the use of any service for which a subsequent reimbursement is requested .

We are fortunate on the Island to have such an extremely valuable Society!

Easter on Gabriola Island

2011-04-24T10:55:00.001-07:00

The Easter Bunny has already been around and made his deliveries on Gabriola, the kids have found all the packages of seeds he hid for them and we've just finished dying a batch of hard boiled eggs. Now we have just enough time to visit a friend for lunch before we go to the Commons for the free community Easter egg hunt that starts at 1. Hundreds of kids will come with baskets in hand and will carefully search the grounds for thousands of pieces of candies. The Easter Egg hunt is sponsored by the Gabriola Rod, Gun & Conservation Club.

Coast Realty's Spring Conference

2011-04-16T13:15:00.000-07:00

Every year Coast Realty Group hosts a spring conference that is open for the Real Estate Representatives throughout our 12 offices. We enjoy the day, it usually starts with a market update from each location, and then some information from a mortgage broker and an update from our web site staff. It's a great time to connect with other sales representatives in our company and share information on technology and the market. This year our guest speaker was Stephen Jagger, an informative speaker and the writer of "sociable" a book about online marketing tools. Randi, Tina and I were pleased to be the number 2 team in our whole company (of 250 sales representatives) for 2010, and find ourselves surrounded with a great group of Real Estate Representatives from Ladysmith to Powell River. Of course, we wouldn't have made it to number two without the great network of friends, family and clients that we have. Thank You !

Spring into ART on Gabriola!

2011-03-29T20:14:00.000-07:00

The Gabriola Arts Council is offering a fantastic opportunity to "try out" some art classes during the weekend of April 9 &10th, 2011. There are a variety of classes to choose from, if you want to make fairy wings, learn acrylics, ballroom dance, try out watercolors or acrylics, juggle, make masks or felt with your child. Check the local Sounder for a list of the events and times, then head on up to the Coffee Bar at Artworks to sign up. Many of the courses are offered either for free or at a nominal cost (I didn't see any over $15), and are taught by our local artists. Last year, I signed up for the two day course with Karen Aaker for the introduction to Mosaic, it got me hooked and shortly after I signed up for one of her courses. During the course that I did with her, I made this fish backdrop for my husband and let me tell you, I really learned how much work goes into mosaics and that they are worth every penny they cost.
It's a great way to spend the weekend, one of the keys to happiness is to learn something new, why not give it a go next weekend.

BC Ferries Coast Saver Spring Break Savings

2011-03-03T10:02:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for a Spring Break Activity, consider a trip to come and explore Gabriola Island… During the second week of Spring Break BC Ferries is offering reduced fares from the mainland to Vancouver Island, so there’s no better time.

From March 22nd, 2011 - March 31st, 2011: CoastSaver fares of $39.95 one way for a car and driver will be in effect on all scheduled sailings, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Adult passengers pay just $9.95.

Coast Saver spring break savings fares apply to all passenger vehicles (up to 20' in length) fare types (including motorcycles) and are available on the following routes in both directions:

* Tsawwassen(Vancouver)-Swartz Bay(Victoria)

* Horseshoe Bay(Vancouver)-Departure Bay(Nanaimo)

* Tsawwassen(Vancouver)-Duke Point(Nanaimo)

There’s even more savings when you book a March Break Getaway through BC Ferries Vacation http://www.bcferriesvacations.com/marchbreak.html and receive a FREE room upgrade with a minimum 2-night stay when you travel on a CoastSaver day.

For more information, visit http://www.bcferries.com/ or call 1 888 BC FERRY (1 888 223 3779). Hope to see you on the Island…

Launching Gabriola's Newest Website...

2011-02-17T13:21:00.000-08:00

With over 90% of Buyers starting their home search online, we have made a commitment to provide service to our clients that is beyond expectation, and constantly work to grow & improve our technologies. Complimenting our existing websites, we recognized the need for a buyer-centric dedicated website.

For the past year we’ve been working with web designers & leaders to create a new state of the art website, to make house hunting on Gabriola even easier…

The new site:

This new website compliments our current http://www.discovergabriola.com/ website, as well as our Gabriola Waterfront & Ocean View website: http://www.gabriolaislandwaterfront.ca/ . We would like to thank all of our current and past clientele for their continued support, and look forward to continuing to serve you in the future.

If you have any ideas on ways to make your experience online further enhanced, please email us, as we are constantly looking to enhance the experience…

Federation of Canadian Artists

2011-02-09T11:52:00.000-08:00

The Federation of Canadian Artists offers something for everyone, whether you're an art supporter or an artist interested in developing your skills. There are four types of membership available through the Federation and currently there are over 2000 members. The Federation of Canadian Artists hosts an annual conference on Gabriola Island, this years conference will be held September 12-18 2011 at the beautiful Haven Resort. Here's what they say about the event on their site "It's the perfect combination of inspiration and rejuvenation. The Gabriola Workshop 2011 - the 3nd Annual Artist's Haven is comprised of some of North America's most recognized artists nestled on the picturesque island of Gabriola off Canada's Pacific West Coast."

If you're not a member yet, you may want to look into into it, visit the Federation website for more information. I just received my active status today and I'm looking forward to joining the Nanaimo Chapter soon.

Submitted by: Tina Lynch

Atworks - Just in time for Valentines

2011-02-02T13:22:00.000-08:00

The annual Erotica show opens up this Thursday on Feb 3 at 7pm at Artworks in the Folklife Village on Gabriola. It's always a bit of a risque show with lots of on the edge art and its all about Valentines. You'll see some racy art, lots of skin and may want to partake in the wine tasting going on. It's a good time, they do warn that parental discretion is advised (I"d have to agree). If you get a chance to go, check out my piece "she liked to play dress up", she's the first doll I've made and she's ready for some fun.

Submitted by : Tina Lynch

Gabriola Treasures!

2011-01-19T13:11:00.000-08:00

I love going for walks on the beach anytime, in the rain or sun, although sunshine is preferred. A neighbour and I went down with the kids last week and it was beautiful. Not only did we get some fresh air, the kids got to run free and explore the beach, but I also found this beautiful door. I was so excited, as were the kids with the shells and rocks they found. I took it home to enjoy and just love the worn colours and the anchor, now I'm waiting to decide what to create with it although I may just hang it up as it is, the perfect little beach treasure. Posted by Tina Lynch.

Snow and wind in the Gulf Islands

2011-01-12T21:10:00.001-08:00

We were watching the weather forecast closely yesterday as we braced ourselves for snow. The kids we're delighted when they saw that the schools in School District 68 would not be open today, although they promise me they do love school. My daughter made a snowman with my parents, while my son and I studied the branch that lodged itself half way through our metal gutter- thankfully stopping before the window. I'm about to get some rest, the crashing branches, high winds and dropping wet snow kept me on my toes through the night.

Posted by Tina Lynch

BC Assessment Notices

2011-01-05T11:45:00.000-08:00

BC Assessments are online now for 2011 until 15 March you will be able to search your address as well as those of your neighbors at: http://www.bcassessment.bc.ca/, a hard copy will be following in the mail. Recent sales information is also available.

If you think your assessment does not represent the value of your property as of 1 July 2010 you have until 31 January to file an appeal – more information on the appeals process can be found online at: http://www.bcassessment.bc.ca/public/Fact%20Sheets/Property%20Assessment%20Review%20Process.aspx .

There is also an excellent map available online which shows the estimated increase or decrease in market value (by %) between the 2010 & 2011 Assessment Rolls. This comparison reflects market movement for both residential and business and other property classes, and can be accessed at http://www.bcassessment.bc.ca/Pages/2011CompareAssessmentsOnlineAreaMap.aspx - while it doesn’t break out Gabriola specifically it gives a general idea of Central Vancouver Island.

It’s important to note that the assessments may not always match the market, so while this may act as a guide as to property values, it is still recommended speaking to a REALTOR® to get local up to date information on current market conditions.

Holiday Greetings

2010-12-17T13:50:00.000-08:00

Specialties near by.

2010-12-15T09:30:00.000-08:00

If you crave any of your favourite meals or snacks from abroad, you may want to make the trip to McLean's Specialty Foods on Fitzwilliam Street, downtown Nanaimo. They offer a mouth watering selection of fresh and imported delicacies as well as over 100 cheeses from all corners of the world. It's great to have a taste of your homeland for the holidays, or gather some items and make a basket for that special someone. If you go during the week, you should take the time and have your lunch there, their sandwiches are amazing and just melt in your mouth. The store is in Nanaimo's Old City Quarter and is just a short walk from the Gabriola-Nanaimo ferry terminal.

Gingerbread Cookies

2010-12-13T08:01:00.000-08:00

Growing up on Gabriola, we always thought that my Mom was the best baker… Of course when you come home to the smell of fresh cookies just waiting to greet you, I think she had us won over. One of our all time favourite recipes, that’s a super easy Christmas recipe, is gingerbread. During this festive season, I wanted to share with you one of our all time favorites… and when they come out of the oven fresh give us a call – we’ll be right over!

Easy Gingerbread Recipe…

Ingredients
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Butterscotch Instant Pudding
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. ground ginger
1-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions

BEAT butter, sugar, dry pudding mix and egg in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Mix remaining ingredients. Gradually add to pudding mixture, beating well after each addition. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.

HEAT oven to 350°F. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into gingerbread shapes with 4-inch cookie cutter. Place, 2 inches apart, on greased baking sheets. Use straw to make hole near top of each cutout.

BAKE 10 to 12 min. or until edges are lightly browned. Let stand on baking sheets 3 min. Remove to wire racks; cool completely. Decorate as desired. Insert ribbon through holes to hang cookies on tree.

Teaching Kids the art of giving…

2010-12-10T12:34:00.000-08:00

There are so many great life lessons that can be shared with kids over the holiday season, to help them understand the value of giving.

Kids of all ages can sort through their toys and select a few to donate – GIRO is a great place to bring items where they are quickly re-cycled into someone else’s treasure.

Volunteering is a great way for kids to see first-hand how their good deeds can affect others. On the island there are many amazing organizations that are always looking for a helpful hand, and then there is always those special random acts of kindness we can all bestow on our neighbors whether it be helping to stack firewood, running errands, or bringing a plate of freshly baked cookies over.

It’s a great time to clean out the pantry and have the kids help to box up those goods we’ve collected throughout the year and bring them to the Emergency Food Depot, who is very grateful for these donations.

There’s also an allowance, where kids can raise money to give, and it’s always a nice treat to have some extra hands to help with the day to day household chores. Letting them pick the organization they wish to donate makes them very proud of this special gift they choose to give…

Gabriola Elementary School Christmas Craft Fair

2010-12-03T06:36:00.000-08:00

Tina & I will be heading to display our new creations, with our good friend Jane, at the Gabriola Christmas Craft Fair at the Elementary School this Saturday, December 4th from 10 am – 3 pm. We welcome you to come by for a little visit and see what we’ve been up to in the evenings.

There’s a little something for everyone, from g lam jewellery, a flock of whimsical “party” birds, to the new series of paintings by Tina, auntie Jane's handsewn owls, and tutus for all of islands princesses– there are some great gift giving ideas, for you & yours.

In addition there are over 38 artists who will have a wide variety of offerings everything from honey, pottery, metal works, and so much more.

Also, please stop by the silent auction table in the front, when we’re not at our table we’ll be looking after the Silent Auction. To date we have nearly 100 treasures that will be on display, from gorgeous jewellery, to firewood, gift certificates, excavation services and so much more…

There’s also the cookie walk, which sells out quickly but has a wide array of baked goods to choose from.

It’s a great way to shop local while supporting our local Elementary School.

Christmas Ideas from the comforts of the Island…

2010-12-01T15:54:00.000-08:00

New Society Publishing.

New Society Publishers, is now a 20 year old company who’s mission is to publish books that contribute in fundamental ways to building an ecologically sustainable and just society. They employ approx. 12 island residents, including the two owners. They offer a wide variety of books & some fabulous green building books & cookbooks – that we have in our personal collection. This is an easy shop with their online catalog http://www.newsociety.com/catweb.pdf there is an extensive list of their offerings – making gift giving easy!

Coffee.

Is there anything better than waking up to a coffee on Christmas morning, well only if it’s Gabriola Island’s Red Rooster coffee. Their beans are organic, fairly traded and ethically sourced. The coffee is roasted here on Gabriola in small batches & delivered locally to your door. As a micro roaster they are able to custom craft blends for you!

Childrens Books Illustrated by Gabriola’s own Diana Bonder

Watch your childs face light up as they turn the pages and walk through the land of fairy tales & whimsy in one of the amazing books illustrated by Diana an award winning bestselling Children's Book – this gift is sure to give hours of enjoyment to both parents & children alike.

Pilot Bay Guest House B&B

How about putting a gift certificate for a nights accommodation for your favourite visitors in a stunning waterfront bed & breakfast? Pilot Bay B & B offers a new, luxury, first class accommodations in a informal seaside setting. Don’t be surprised if they choose to extend their stay…

Island of Peace Yoga

How about a gift that helps to reduce stress… At Island of Peace Yoga they cater their classes to all levels and offer workshops. They strive to bring the best that yoga has to offer from the east and the west. We have heard from many clients that a trip to Gabriola is not complete without a session from Island of Peace Yoga.

Feedlot Studios

For those with a creative flair. New to Gabriola, (and very fortunate that they landed on Gabriola), Mariko is an exceptionally talented ceramic artist along with a brilliant teacher. In her creative studio, she is offering a variety of workshops and courses for both adults and children. Having had the opportunity to take a course this fall – I can attest that anyone receiving a workshop this Christmas morning is in for an amazing treat!
For those who are creatively challenged, Mariko is brilliant at getting you past your own clay inhibitions, but the studio also features a wide array of her work available for sale… I have to put a plug in for her very unique & whimsical mugs.

Gabriola Elementary School Craft Fair December 4 @ Gabriola Elementary http://www.gabriolapac.com/projects
This is an exciting opportunity featuring a variety of island artists so you can do your shopping all in one place! In addition to the craft fair the famous cookie walk is a great way to support school activities, while avoiding the Christmas baking – but be early the cookies disappear quickly & the doors open at 10:00 am. There is also the very popular silent auction table with all sorts of some of the best the island has to offer, and because the money is going to such a worthy cause, you can feel good about your Christmas shopping!

If you have a GREAT local shopping idea to share, please send us an email to: lynch@discovergabriola.com – we’d love to hear about it.

Happy Holiday Shopping!

School Closure for Gabriola Nov.25

2010-11-25T07:16:00.000-08:00

Good Morning!

Just got up to see if we needed to start getting ready for school, as fore casted more snow has accumulated over night. I checked the Nanaimo School District 68 home page, and here's their message:

"Thursday, November 25, 2010 - Schools are CLOSED today due to snow and dangerous driving conditions in many parts of the district."

We're going to go and try out Tina's new ice rink, her husband flooded a tarp in their yard this week and it may just be ready for skating ! Enjoy your day and don't drive if you don't need to.

Gabriola Roads in the Winter

2010-11-20T13:55:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wondered what winter road conditions are like on Gabriola when it snows? Well, I'd have to say that I think we measure up pretty well. It seems as though anytime there is a forecast for snow, Emcon (the company that is responsible for maintaining our roads on Gabriola) recruit their drivers and take their machinery on the road. You'll see them set off to clear the main roads first and then they get busy with the smaller roads. Sometimes they work through the night to ensure that our roads are in as good of condition as possible, of course it's always best to stay home but if you have to venture out it is nice to do so on roads that have been cleared.
Wishing you a perfectly wonderful winter day! This is a picture of the snow falling at the Folklife village last night.

Jingle Bell Craft Fair - Beautiful Island Baskets

2010-11-18T11:39:00.000-08:00

Elly Hallam, the new Welcome Wagon rep on Gabriola, is busy making baskets for the Jingle Bell Craft Fair at the Golf Course on Saturday from 10 – 3. She loves working with blackberry vine except for the occasional thorn that lingers and her newest passion is working with kelp. If you love handmade baskets, drop by and have a look. She’s also hoping to meet newcomers and moms with new babies who she can soon bring the Welcome Wagon basket to. If you are new to the island (have moved here within the past 6 months) or have a baby under 4 months, please call Elly at 250 247 8792 to find out more.

Gabriola residents learn how the brain works best!

2010-11-16T11:57:00.000-08:00

If you're looking to find the way that the brain works best, you may want to attend the public presentation at the Gabriola Elementary School on Wed, Nov 17 from 6:30-8:00. The Gabriola PAC and the Gabriola Parent Participation Preschool are sponsoring Gary Anaka to come to the island to present his material on how the brain learns, what can be done to promote brain function and how to maintain a healthy brain into later years (sounds like something for everyone).

Admission is by donation.

Gabriola Island Ferry - Savings

2010-11-15T13:59:00.000-08:00

There are a few ways that you can save money while riding the ferry between Gabriola Island and Nanaimo. Island residents will often purchase a BC Ferries Experience™ Card which is an electronic swipe card that can be loaded with money and used to pay for ferry travel on participating routes. On the Nanaimo-Gabriola route, you pay for a return fare before boarding at the Nanaimo ferry terminal. When you pay for a standard vehicle and driver on the route the fare today would be $30.10, however if you pay using the Experience Card the total fare would be $18.70- that's quite a savings!

Seniors receive free passenger fares Monday to Thursday excluding Statutory Holidays.

If you're traveling for medical appointments you may qualify for the Travel Assistance Program, eligible medical services are outlined on the Ministry of Health Services website.

Also, students travel free between their residence and school, and to attend or participate in school and junior association education and sporting events on the Gabriola -Nanaimo route. As a parent that has kids in weekly swimming lessons in Nanaimo, I find that it makes a difference at the end of the month.

Hope these Savings will help !

Gabriola Winter Art Affair (GWAA)

2010-11-09T12:25:00.000-08:00

Mariko McCrae & Sylvie Milman have been working to gather a group of over 30 artists together to open their studios just before Christmas. It's a great opportunity to pick up any items left on your list and of course to buy a few items for yourself to tuck under the tree. This is bound to be a success and we invite you to come to the Island and visit as many of the studios as you can.

Here's a little more info from the event organizers:

2010 Gabriola Winter Art Affair (GWAA)
Saturday, December 18, 11- 5 p.m.

We are pleased to announce the inaugural launch of the 2010 Gabriola Winter Art Affair (GWAA). This year we will be hosting over 30 local artists working in a variety of mediums such as glass, ceramics, jewelry, woodworking, painting, sculpture and textiles. In addition, some of our studios will be featuring accessories such as homemade soaps and apothecaries. Be it an item big or small we assure you that each is made with the utmost care and craftsmanship making each purchase the perfect gift for the ones you love the most.

Located just 20 minutes by ferry from Downtown Nanaimo, you can pick up a Gabriola Art Affair map at Artworks in the Folklife Village Slice of Life Gallery in the Madrona’s Shopping Centre or any participating artist’s studio. All of the artists’ studios are indicated by a an easy-to-spot Igloo poster!

For more information you may contact Sylvie Milman at jupiterranch@shaw.ca or Mariko McCrae at mariko.feedlotstudios@gmail.com

Enjoy a getaway to the “Isle of the Arts” this holiday season… we hope you enjoy!

Gabriola Women's Institute Christmas Bazzar & Tea

2010-11-04T14:13:00.000-07:00

There are a few great venues for shopping locally for those that are on your Christmas List this year. The Gabriola Women's Institute has a Christmas Bazaar & Tea coming up on Saturday November 6th from 2-4pm, it will be at the Gabriola Community Hall. Stop by and have a cup of tea while you do your holiday shopping.

Fireworks @ the Twin Beaches on Halloween

2010-10-28T12:39:00.000-07:00

The Gabriola Volunteer Fire Department organize a great fireworks display every year on Halloween. It's a great community event, to gather around a large bonfire and sip hot chocolate with lots of ghosts and goblins as you watch a fantastic display of fireworks.

Some good places to trick or treat on Gabriola are: the Strand, Malaspina Drive and on Islands View/Tyee drive.

Have a happy Halloween and hope to see you @ the fireworks!

Gabriola Mushrooms in the Forest

2010-10-27T14:13:00.000-07:00

To get the kids motivated to go for a walk in the Cooper Road/Rowan Way area on Gabriola, I promised them to do a bit of exploring and that we'd hit the forest and see what kinds of animals and bugs we could find.

On the walk we found a huge variety of mushrooms, it was amazing to see all the colors, shapes and sizes so we decided to collect a few to see if we could identify them at home (with the help of Google). On the way home, we bumped into some neighbours that suggested doing some spore prints. We cut the stems off the mushrooms, put them on a piece of paper with their gills down and put a glass over each mushroom.

The spore prints that they left were beautiful and apparently a good way to identify mushrooms. **just be careful picking mushrooms that you don't know- we don't want anyone getting sick.

Medical Mayhem: Dinner with a Difference

2010-10-06T12:12:00.000-07:00

Wouldn’t you like to know what shenanigans are going on behind the scenes at a community event? You can find out who’s dishing the dirt at this fundraiser for the Gabriola Health Care Foundation. On Friday, October 15^th at the Community Hall, you are invited to celebrate the contribution of our health care practitioners, professional and volunteer, at the Gabriola Medical Awards Night, with a special award for the Most Valuable Player in this Year of the Clinic. But hold it — just as the appies are being devoured, the Mounties arrive in the person of Corporal Trevor MacKay, with some terrible news: someone has been found dead in the parking lot. And it’s up to the dinner guests to figure out who did it, with help from a group of nefarious characters who drop hints, spread rumours, and uncover clues relating to the motivations for murder. Tickets at Artworks and the volunteer office of the Gabriola Health Care Foundation. Get your tickets by October 8, as the caterers need to know how many to feed. Black tie optional, Gabriola Gear welcome, for a dinner date you can’t afford to miss.

Please note: doors open at 6:45 p.m.

Gabriola - Thanks for Giving!

2010-10-01T13:05:00.000-07:00

Tina and I would like to welcome you to our stuido (#20) during the upcoming Thanksgiving weekend. We've got a fresh array of new works to share with you, something for your walls, your table, your mantle and you! The studio will be open from 10-4 (Oct 9-11).

Upcoming wellSMART workshop on Gabriola

2010-09-28T12:00:00.000-07:00

Properties on Gabriola Island are serviced by private wells or cisterns and sometimes a combination of both. If you're interested in learning more, you may want to attend the wellSmart workshop that will be offered on Gabriola next week.

Here is the information from the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) has posted on their website:

"Learn how to keep your well in safe running order! wellSMART workshops will provide you with an opportunity to ask questions of local well drillers and pump installers, the Vancouver Island Health Authority, the BC Ministry of Environment, and North Island Labs. North Island labs will be present with sample bottles for residents to take home for testing, and will provide residents with a 10% discount for well water testing.

wellSMART will teach you basics on:
Well protection, maintenance and operation
Your well and your water source
How to get your water tested and interpret results
Water treatment options

Gabriola Island Agricultural Hall6:30pm, Monday, October 4, 2010

265 South Road, Gabriola

Please pre-register through RDN Parks & Recreation REGISTER NOW! or by phone: 250-248-3252 or 1-888-828-2069 "

Make a stop on the tour and visit the studio of Alice Rich

2010-09-27T12:19:00.000-07:00

Alice Rich welcomes you to her studio & gallery to view her original paintings and prints with Contemporary and West Coast themes. Alice paints semi-abstract with impressionistic layers of colour. At the October Thanksgiving Tour it is fun to enjoy a visual conversation and experience.

You'll find her at studio #17, her work is very vibrant and definitely worth making a stop for.

Art Tour: Introducing the work of Simone Bell

2010-09-22T09:57:00.000-07:00

As we get ready for the Studio Tour, we will begin to introduce you to the works of some of the artists opening their studios on Thanksgiving weekend. Today's artist is Simone Bell, I have a few pieces made from her and love them, they range from decorative to functional, and lots of times a mix of both.

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Simone Bell
As a Ceramic Artist I first create my canvass which is either two or three dimensional. I work with 5 types of clay creating porcelain jewelry, raku wall art and high fire functional pieces. Some of the many themes that inspire me are the stunning natural beauty of the West Coast, whimsical creatures (such as mermaids), spirituality and our human emotions. My functional pieces are art you can use and I hope the decorative ones are a unique way to add beauty to your home. Come see for yourself at the Island of Peace Yoga Centre beside the Co-op.

The Artists of Gabriola & the upcoming STUDIO TOUR!

2010-09-22T09:30:00.000-07:00

The 14th annual Thanksgiving Studio Tour is just around the corner and the artists on Gabriola are working away getting their art and studios ready for you. The Gabriola Arts Council helps to facilitate this successful event which will feature the work of at least 39 Island Artists. The Tour is held on October 9-11th 2010 from 10am -4pm, pick up a map/guide at Artworks (in the Village) and see some of the artists work on display.

To kick off this event, we will be featuring a few artists from the tour on our blog during the next two and a half weeks, hope you are tempted !

Can you keep active on Gabriola? I think so.

2010-09-21T13:53:00.000-07:00

If you are considering moving to Gabriola, but you aren't sure if there is enough to do here to keep busy then you might want to take a look at the Fall Programs put out by the Gabriola Recreation office. There are also classes and groups that you can join that aren't on the list, reading groups, choirs, art groups and so much more. I think that you'd find there is more than enough here to keep you active while you enjoy the island lifestyle.

FALL PROGRAMS - 2010

Registration/Info. at Rec. Office, Rollo McClay Park, 1100 McClay Way

250-247-2014; gabrec@telus.net. Please pre-register to ensure classes “go”.

Info. subject to change. Check our website at: www.gabriolarecreation.org.

ADULTS & TEENS

KARATE (Ages 8+) Mondays: 5:00 – 6:30 p.m.; GES Gym; $30/month; $7 drop-in. Learn from certified instructors; gain strength, balance, flexibility, endurance. Progress at your own pace through belt levels.

FENCING (Ages 12+): Mondays, Sept. 13 – Dec. 6 (cancel Oct. 11/Nov. 22, 7:30 – 9:30 p.m; Community Hall; with Spade de Gabriola club, led by instructors Alex McConnell & Imelda Cuthbertson.

Adults: $45; Youth: $25; equipment available. Please wear non-marking runners, long sleeves & pants. Drop-ins: $4 with own equipment; $6 if using club equipment. Beginners welcome.

POWER HOUR: Mon. & Wed., 8:30 – 9:30 a.m., Community Hall. Sept. 20 – Oct. 27 (cancel Oct. 11);

Nov. 1 – Dec. 15 (cancel Nov. 22/24). Up tempo fitness class with instructor Kathryn Sobko aimed at improving cardio, strength and flexibility. $54/session; $50 fitpass; $6 drop-in

BADMINTON (Ages 14+): Tues. Sept. 21 – Dec. 7 (cancel Nov. 23), 7 – 8:30 p.m., Community Hall

For beginners/intermediate with instructor Dave Wong. $48/session; $5 drop-in.

WALK FIT – Jumpstart! Sept. 21 – Oct. 28; Tues. 10 a.m, or Thurs. 5:30 p.m; $25. Meet at Rollo McClay Park GRS office in the portable building. This gentle program with Susan Brooks is for those not currently walking regularly & aimed at getting you started on a routine. Includes warm up/cool down stretches, tips on nutrition, preventing injury & more.

PILATES: Thurs. Sept. 23 – Dec. 9, 3 – 4 p.m; GES; $120/session; $12 drop-in. Learn the basics of mat pilates with instructor Mara Brenner: breathing, joint stabilization, strengthening core & back muscles. Adaptable to all ages, fitness levels

GENEALOGY: Sept. 28 & 30, 10 a.m. – 12; Commons; $50. Everyone has ancestors. Learn how to find yours - where the information is & how to access it. Fill in your own family tree & discover your heritage! Instructors Margaret Mann & Jacquie Jessup are certified by the Nat. Institute for Genealogical Studies.

LEARN TO KNIT: Mon. Oct. 4 – Nov. 8, 1:30 – 3 p.m; W.I.Hall; $54, plus $5 knitting kit. Longtime teacher & artist Leni Balaban will show you how to master the basic skills – knit, purl, cast on & off, do ribbing, joining yarns, & finishing. Participants will complete a stitch sampler & simple project.

Interest Lists (contact GRS office): Emergency First Aid workshop, incl. CPR-C; Introduction to Reiki

KIDS’ STUFF

BALLET with Miss Mara. Fall session: Sept. 21 – Dec. 8; GES Gym.

Mara Brenner is a longtime teacher, trained in Danish Ballet technique and pilates, with considerable experiencein performance, choreography, and theatre. Since moving to Gabriola, her students have performed at numerous special events around the Island. Costume fees extra.

GRADES 1 – 3: Tuesdays, 3 – 4. Barre/centre work; lots of dance exploration with emphasis on fun! $105

GRADES 5 – 7: Tuesdays, 4 – 5:30 p.m. Focus on strong technique, artistry & choreography. $150

GRADES 3 – 5: Wednesdays, 3 – 4:30 p.m. Time at barre & centre with focus on alignment, body awareness; explore lyrical dance, creative choreography, journaling and performance. $150

MORE KIDS’ STUFF

TENNIS: Thurs. Sept. 16 – Oct. 14, Huxley Park (weather permitting); volunteer run; $2 drop-in

(Ages 8 – 12): 3:15 – 4:15 p.m; (Ages 13 – 16): 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. Let us know if you need a racquet.

BADMINTON: Fridays, Sept. 17 – Oct. 29; with instructor Dave Wong. Learn basic strokes, rules of the game, strategy. (Ages 6 – 9): 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.; (Ages 10 – 13): 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.; $25; $4 drop-in. Parent participation with younger kids encouraged.

GYMNASTICS with NCCP level 2 instructor Mia Goodall; Sun. Sept. 19 – Nov. 14; Comm. Hall

Gymnastics improves strength, flexibility & co-ordination while building confidence & self esteem.

Mia incorporates fun, fitness & the fundamentals of the Cangym program into every lesson.

Parent/Tot: 10 – 10:45 ; $56; Ages 5 - 7: 11 – 12; $72; Ages 3 – 4:12 – 1 pm; $72

MELODYMAKERS (Ages 2 – 5): Wed. Oct. 6 – Nov. 10, 1 – 2 p.m; Community Hall; $48

Musical merriment with Tina Jones and Dinah D. from the Kerplunks. Join this entertaining duo with their multi- instruments, songs, stories & musical crafts for some great fun. Parents welcome! * Please pre-reg.*

BABYSITTER TRAINING (Ages 11+): Sun. Nov. 7; 9 a.m. – 3 p.m; $50. Learn child care skills,

1st aid, injury prevention, games & crafts, your rights & responsibilities; with instructor Cindy Cormons.

SOME COMMUNITY PROGRAMS – volunteer based

At the School: (Ages 14+) GES Gym; 6:30 – 8:30 p.m; Sept. 13 – Apr. 29 (cancelled during school closures)

Monday: Volleyball; Thursday: Badminton; drop-ins: $2 - $5 depending on turnout

At the Community Hall: TAI CHI: Mon. 9:45 am; WOMEN’S BADMINTON: Mon. 2 – 4/Thurs. 7 – 9 pm.

SPINNERS & WEAVERS: meet 1^st Mon. of month, downstairs

At the Agi. Hall: TAI CHI: Mon. & Wed.; ph: 247-9901 for current schedule; GARDEN CLUB: 1^st Thurs. of mo. 7 pm; $10/yr.; $2 drop-in; COFFEEHOUSE: last Fri. of month, 7 pm;

BALL HOCKEY: Sun. 2 p.m; Huxley Park, lacrosse box (behind tennis courts); bring your own gear!

PICKLEBALL: Huxley Park, lacrosse box, weather permitting; Tues./Fri./Sun. 9 – 11 a.m.

SOCCER: Sun. 2 p.m.; School Field, weather permitting; drop-in $2

TENNIS: Huxley Pk; in season; see sign on fence for mens/womens/mxd. doubles times; $20 yr.

WALKING GROUP: Wed. 10 a.m; meets at a different location each week; 247-9774

It's starting to feel like fall on Gabriola

2010-09-13T13:31:00.000-07:00

Well the weather has definitely become a bit cooler in the last week and the kids are back in school, so it's beginning to feel like fall. Yesterday, we went to the Fall Fair which was held at the Commons. Despite the weather it was a very well attended event, with lots of local vegetables, music and good food. My daughter is in Miss Mara's dance class, so we went and watched them perform in the rain. Janet from Three Gate Farms had some fleece and was set up so that you could do some felting at her booth, she sells beautiful fleece and may even have a felting course coming up.

Gabriola Arts Council is looking for the kids to help create MAGIC

2010-09-04T11:02:00.001-07:00

The Gabriola Arts Council is looking for students from grades 1 to 6 attending Gabriola Elementary School or Home Schooled on Gabriola to create an image for the“Do you believe in Magic?” contest. They can’t wait to see the submissions dropped off at Coast Realty (Folklife Village) by the upcoming deadline on Wed SEPT 8 at 4pm. Here are a few rules, then it’s up to you to create the magic:

1) 8.5 X 11 inch piece of paper
2) Crayon or paint accepted
3) May incorporate words
4) The theme is “Do you believe in magic?”
4) Must have name, age, grade & phone number on BACK of artwork (**not on front)
5) Drop it off by the deadline

The Gabriola Arts Council is looking forward to seeing white paper magically transformed into works of arts that they can use to design a poster for an upcoming event, and the GRAND PRIZE will be an Ice Cream Party for five friends (and the young artist) at Mad Rona’s. For full information on the contest please see the Sounder.

Happy Birthday…

2010-08-30T12:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the family along with many friends took an adventure to Wonderland as we celebrated my neice & nephews birthday… Alice (Bianca) & the White Rabbit (MicGill) had a great time with their friends going down the “rabbit hole” to play royal croquet, search for the gold key, a tea cup race & a mad hatters tea party. The Queen of Hearts (also known as my sister) played her part perfectly walking around yelling off with your head, to both kids and adults. The Mad Hatter (Guy) was busy running around keeping the kids entertained, and the adults as well - refreshing his lipstick! The kids had so many great ideas, and their birthday party ended up as magical. Happy Birthday Bianca & MicGill – Love Auntie Jennifer

GABRIOLA GETS A BIT OF DRAMA

2010-08-17T15:59:00.000-07:00

On August 20,21,22 the Gabriola Theatre Festival will be in full swing on Gabriola and there is a lot to offer everyone from chuckles to tears. Street Art takes place this weekend- so you can pick up some local art between performances, Lochnivar lane will be closed to vehicle traffic as 50 artists set up there booths and display there stunning works of art. I just bought tickets for two of the plays from the kiosk located right in front of Artworks (which will be open everyday until the festival), and saw that a few of the plays have already sold out. Mara Brenner is busy training up some of Gabriola's youth to do a dance performance on stage during the festival, they will be dancing to the beat of "Broadway Baby" on Saturday at 11:30 and Sunday at 4:15. It'll be a great weekend to celebrate the"drama" of this creative island!

Ice Cream Cones with a cause.

2010-08-10T16:31:00.000-07:00

I saw the following ad and I just love it, it sums up island living perfectly.

“Who is that walking through the Village? Does

she live on the Island

now – or just visiting?” asked a long-time resident of Gabriola.

“Who cares” I replied,

“Where’d she get that

Ice Cream Cone?”

Ice Cream Cones now available at the GHCF Volunteers’ office. Monday to Saturday – 10am to 4pm. (formerly - the Hardware Store) in Folklife Village – run by and to benefit the Gabriola Health Care Auxiliary/Foundation.

Reading Rocks on this Rock.

2010-08-10T15:18:00.000-07:00

If you want to encourage your kids to read this summer, stop by the Gabriola Branch of the Vancouver Island Library in the Folklife Village and sign them up for the Summer reading Club. This year’s theme is “reading rocks”, and they are making it fun for kids to explore and get familiar with the library. My kids went a few weeks ago with a friend and did the “scavenger hunt”, a great way to get them familiar with the library. We're filling up our reading lists and having fun, reading time at the Gabriola branch of the library this summer is on Tuesdays from 3-4pm. The Island Book shoppe is located next door to the library and offers a great variety of new and used books, and a nice selection from local authors & illustrators.

Working Silver

2010-08-06T10:54:00.000-07:00

I love jewellery and I love to make things, so I was thrilled to get the newsletter from workingsilver.com letting me know of some irresistible upcoming classes being offered in Gallery 223 (downtown Nanaimo). I'm definitely a beginner and a little shy of power tools and things that I could possibly get to explode (propane makes me nervous at times), but this is fantastic. There is something for everyone, whether you want to learn how to enamel, make some Christmas presents (in which case, I'd love to be on your list) or learn how to texture metal. You can arrange to have your own private class, which you can even do as a fundraiser, or go to the drop in studio once you have some basics down. Kathy Brandon from Gabriola Island is offering many of the courses and currenlty has pieces on display at Artworks.

Perched above Gabriola Island

2010-08-05T07:11:00.000-07:00

If you drive around Gabriola, it's quite likely that you will spot some of the wildlife here without even leaving the car. Gabriola has a large population of deer, something to watch out for when you're driving and it's common to spot an Eagle or two around as well. If you go down South Road towards Silva Bay from the Village, you will see a large white sign with "Eagle Nest" in red writing just before Shaw Road. Across the road you will see a large tree and near the top is an Eagle Nest. It's amazing to look at the nest and see the large branches. Hornby Island has a web cam in one of the eagle nests, it's worth checking out anytime but especially during nesting season (January - August). Eagle Nests and Perch trees are usually found within 1km of the shoreline, if you see one contact the Ministry of Environment and have it designated as a "Wildlife Tree". If you'd like to learn more about Eagles you might like the information on the GROWLS website and you may also want to take a look at the Wild life tree atlas.

Gulf Island Adventures

2010-08-03T13:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we celebrated out mom's birthday on Saltspring Island. We wanted to create a memorable day. We like to celebrate birthdays with experiences, so we thought this year we would let her join the circus.

Our adventure took us from Gabriola over to Saltspring Island, a southern gulf island that has a ferry leaving from Crofton. We went for a beautiful drive to the amazing Flying Dreams Aerial Studio. Greeted by Victoria the owner and extraordinary teacher, we went into to the beautiful studio called the "Temple", it has 40 foot ceilings, an amazing view and is breathtaking in itself. Victoria gave us enough courage to try some of the basic skills on both the aerial silks and the trapeze. We’re not sure if we did more climbing, upside down manoeuvres or laughing & not sure which caused the soar rib cages today! It was an amazing experience and a “must do” if visiting Saltspring. It's part of the beauty of exploring the islands, there are plenty of unique experiences and adventures to partake in.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Launching into fun from Gabriola

2010-07-24T13:03:00.000-07:00

If you live on an Island, you likely have some love/appreciation/longing of the beautiful waters that surround you. We recently put our dad's boat in the water, and found it easy to launch from the end of Gray Road (Degnen Bay, Gabriola). There is also a place to launch your boat from Narrow’s Road just off of Elverano. The best time to launch is definitely high tide, and there are many places to explore around Gabriola, including Valdez, Ruxton, Mudge and Decourcy. With sun in the forecast everyday during the next 14 day period, you definitely want to consider being close to the beach. I've created a google map to show places on Gabriola to set your boat or kayak, if there are any others that you know of please let me know and I'll add them too.

No FIRES on Gabriola

2010-07-09T14:53:00.000-07:00

The "no fire" signs went up around Gabriola Island Last night (July 9th), I'm not surprised with the hot weather we've been having the past week. I just checked and the current temperature is at 31'c.
A reminder that Gabriola is now in 'Early shift', no fires and a shut down of powered equipment at 1:00 (yes, a good time to hit the beach and a good excuse if you didn't get your lawn mowed).

Boating adventure from Gabriola Island

2010-07-06T15:49:00.001-07:00

We were lucky to have our friends lend us their Zodiac this summer. On Sunday night, we decided to cook dinner over a campfire. My husband, kids and myself loaded up the small Zodiac and headed to Black Berry Point on Valdez Island, it was about a 15 minute boat trip from Degnen Bay on Gabriola. Surrounded by clouds, the shells on this beach glistened in the sun. There was a beautiful fire pit already made, so we brought out the European Hot Dogs and Bannock Batter and had our best summer night yet. Inspired, we've decided to head there again tonight with some new Islanders - hope they like small boats and outdoor cooking.

Gabriola - Island of the Arts

2010-06-29T14:21:00.000-07:00

Gabriola is well known to many as “Isle of the Arts,” with a great Arts Council which supports many artistic adventures. In addition Artworks is a hub for the many artists on Gabriola to exhibit their work, and for tourists and islanders alike to come and gather in this energetic gallery.

Thursday night, Canada Day, from 7 – 9 pm marks the beginning of the summer shows, one that the Lynch’s are very excited to be a part of. “Measure Up” will run from July 1st – 14 featuring mixed media works of 30 artists each given a ruler to transform into a masterpiece. Randi, Jennifer & Tina were thrilled to each be able to contribute a piece to the show and invite you to come check it out!

Thanks again to Kathy R. and her amazing staff at Artworks for all the work they do in making Gabriola such a vibrant community!

Open House | 155 McConvey

2010-06-22T11:39:00.000-07:00

155 McConvey - Open House
Sunday, June 27th

12:00 - 3:00 pm

Come join us this weekend for your opportunity to see this beautiful home situated on south facing waterfront lot overlooking a reef in one of the prime locations on Gabriola. The home is a fabulous master piece built by Chelsom Construction, a well known Gabriola builder. Located on a no thru road it is close to all amenities such as the village shopping, ferry and some of Gabriola's most fantastic beaches, including its own shoreline from where fishing, kayaking or scuba diving can be a daily treat. A long covered sundeck spans the entire length with double doors from the bright and open concept new kitchen, living and dining room. With granite counter tops and wood flooring, the home has an elegant, yet cozy and comfortable feel to it. The great room has a propane fireplace for cozy evenings and the additional room with ensuite could be an ideal bedroom or perhaps a games room. Hot tub on deck & 3 additional bedrooms up (+bonus room), all with ocean views. Double car garage, fenced & landscaped.

If you're unable to make the open house but would like a private viewing appointment, call Randi, Jennifer or Tina LYNCH, Coast Realty Group (Gabriola Village) Ltd. toll free at #1.877.422.8455 250.247.2088 by email at: Lynch@DiscoverGabriola.com or visit us online at: www.DiscoverGabriola.com

Gabriola Home and Garden Tour

2010-06-22T11:20:00.000-07:00

On Sunday June 27th People for a Healthy Community are hosting the 12th Annual Gabriola Home and Garden Tour. This self guided tour of island homes and gardens has been a great success in the past and this year looks to be even better. Ten outstanding homes and gardens are being opened to the public for viewing. The weather has been excellent for gardens and everything is in full bloom. See ideas for decorating, green building and spectacular coastal living.

The tour starts at 10:00 am and goes until 5:00pm. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased on Gabriola at Artworks, Lockwood Garden, Wheelbarrel Nursery and the Wild Rose Garden Centre. Tickets are also available in Nanaimo at Buckerfields at Southgate and Dig This on Metral Drive. Gabriola is one of the Gulf Islands that boasts scenery, views and wildlife. Check ferry schedules at http://www.bcferries.com/ and make a day of it.

Tickets are also available on June 27th at PHC locate on the lower level of the Commons, 675 North Road on Gabriola. Drop by and see our community gardens, displays and information about People for a Healthy Community along with sales of art cards and light snacks.

A blind auction for a beautiful giclee print of “His Garden” by artist Sylvie Milman as well as framed photo by Liz McKnight and a painting by award winning artist Jeff Molloy will be available for viewing at various sights on the tour.

This is a fund raising event to benefit the programs and services offered on Gabriola Island by People for a Healthy Community (PHC). PHC is a non profit organization that provides social services to Gabriolans in need. PHC operates the food bank, soup socials, community gardens, children’s grief programs, housing advocacy, a Christmas bureau, emergency funding and a holiday Spirit Feast.

Daytrip to Newcastle Island

2010-06-12T14:59:00.000-07:00

The Gabriola Elementary School Kindergarten and Grade 1 students headed over to Newcastle Island Marine Provincial Park for one of their year end events. The ferry to Newcastle Island leaves from Maffeo Sutton Park, near the sea wall in Downtown Nanaimo. During the summer the ferry leaves regularly between 9am and 9pm. Newcastle Island is a 10 minute ferry ride from Nanaimo, and is a beautiful park with great walking trails, camp sites, a dance hall, camp store, concession, biking and no cars.
The students went to Brownie Bay where a marine biologist met with them, had them set up a net in the eel grass and discussed the marine life they found in the net. It was a great day trip from Gabriola and all within walking distance to the Gabriola Ferry, a memorable event for the kids and a great day for the parents that were able to attend.

Gabriola's Newest Website...

2010-06-08T13:41:00.000-07:00

We are thrilled to announce that we’ve just launched http://www.gabriolaislandwaterfront.ca/ . Gabriola’s premiere market place for waterfront & ocean view properties offering a fusion of listings, a lifestyle & community blog as well as up to date information to keep your calendar full.

Come Discover… Come Play… Come Live…

Surrounded by sparkling blue waters and sheltered by the neighboring islands, Gabriola is a heavenly place for kayakers, sailors and fishing enthusiasts. With approximately 45 km of rocky & sandy shoreline it offers a great place to explore coves, beach comb or simply relax with a gourmet beach picnic and ocean dip at Olebar Point, this island caters to everyone’s whim.

Have a look around our new site, get to know a bit more about Gabriola, and call us anytime to discover why others have chosen this unparalleled island, as a place to call home!

Septic Systems in Rural Areas

2010-06-05T05:44:00.000-07:00

We often have people moving to Gabriola Island from urban areas, one of the topics that comes up early in conversation is about wells and septic systems. All homes on Gabriola are serviced by a private septic system. A conventional septic system includes a septic tank and soil filter called a drainfield. The tanks come in different sizes (current tanks are larger which allows for higher volume), and can be made from concrete, polyethylene or fiberglass.

If you want to increase the longevity of your septic system here are a few things you can do:
* use natural cleaning products
* have your septic system inspected every 3-5 years (or as per your maintenance plan)
* never drive over the drain field
* do not water the grass over the drainfield or plant trees near it
* avoid using powder of flake dishwasher or laundry detergents.
* minimize water use

The Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) offers SepticSmart Household Information Kits & SepticSmart workshops, visit their website to get a copy of the kit or sign up for the workshop.

Gabriola Student Summertime Employement Opportunities

2010-06-04T12:18:00.001-07:00

With summer holidays being just around the corner for students, a couple of job opportunities have been recently posted by People for a Healthy Community on Gabriola Island.

Job Opportunity PHC - Research Assistant – for the Gabriola Guardian Project (housing): 30 hrs/week for 14 weeks. Please see http://www.phc-gabriola.org/ for details. Must be a student. Application Deadline: 5 PM - June 11, 2010. Please send resume & cover letter to info@phc-gabriola.org

Job Opportunity PHC: Food Bank & Garden Assistant: 30 hrs/week for 8 weeks. Please see http://www.phc-gabriola.org/ for details. Must be a student. Application Deadline: 5 PM - June 21, 2010. Please send resume & cover letter to info@phc-gabriola.org

People for a Healthy community offers valuable services to the island. PHC works to support the health and well being of our community: children, families and individuals; offering a Food Bank, Soup Socials, Employment Counselling, Housing Support, Citizen Advocate Consulting and Community Gardens. In addition to these two exciting opportunities there is also volunteer positions available for the; Food Bank, Soup Kitchen, Gardening projects, dining room revamping, administrative support, research projects and more. If you have some time and are interested in voluteering contact PHC at: info@phc-gabriola.org .

Where is the Gabriola Real Estate Market at?

2010-06-02T22:47:00.000-07:00

If shopping for a home or property on the Gulf Islands is in your future, we thought you may like to have a picture of what the current conditions are like. There are 79 homes listed on Gabriola Island at the moment and 45 vacant properties to choose from. 41 sales have taken place since January 1st this year, Coast Realty Group (Gabriola Village) Ltd. had the listing on 37 of those sales. The average home sales price is just over $300,000 (not including waterfronts & acreages) and the average time on the market ranges 3 – 5 months. If you’ve been considering a home on Gabriola, we can keep you up to date on the new listings as they become available via an email notification matched to your search criteria – send us an email at: lynch@discovergabriola.com – and we’d be glad to provide you this free service.

Ocean Discovery

2010-05-31T19:11:00.000-07:00

Last week, one of my friends and I packed up our kids and headed to Sidney. We went to the Shaw Ocean Discovery Center, which is an amazing new facility with lots to offer. The kids looked through microscopes, saw the jellies, went in a "submarine", and spent plenty of time in the touch pool. It's a great way for them to explore the ocean food web, the displays are stunning and encourage questions and exploration. Next door is Mineral World, a place for the kids to do a little outdoor gold panning, search for semi-precious gemstones and gather some sea shells. It's a great day trip from Gabriola and gives a different view than we see at the beach.

Gabriola Photography Blog

2010-05-30T05:41:00.000-07:00

I recently read a blog that Peter Llewellyn, a photographer on Gabriola, wrote about point and shoot cameras. It's been a year since mine was unfortunately dropped just minutes after receiving it, while it still functioned well for family photos, it didn't do the job for work. I read his article, wrote down the model and headed to Nanaimo for my purchase. I ended up with a similar model, not the same as in the end I realized mine needn't be fast as his, he was photographing Olympic athletes. I'm really enjoying my new camera, it's compact, easy to use, light, has an amazing zoom and takes great photos. I took this shot of the beautiful poppies my mom has growing in her garden with my new Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7. If your interested in photography I would recommend following Peter's blogs and if you have the time take one of his workshops.

Native Plants on the Gulf Islands

2010-05-26T13:37:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow (May 27th), our Coast Realty Office will be closed and all the Realtors ® and staff will head over to the Gabriola Museum give back to the community by caring for the Native Plant garden at the Museum. I thought I would get a head start and do a little web research about a few of the native plants I’ve seen on walks and came across the Chocolate Lily (one of my favourites) on the The Garry Oak Ecosystems Recovery Team (GOERT) website. The website has great information on how to beautify your garden with native plants, remove invasive plants and restore Garry Oak Habitat. It also lists nurseries on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands that supply native plants. If you’re on the island this summer stop by the Museum to view some of Gabriola’s native plant species.

May long weekend on Gabriola

2010-05-22T14:22:00.000-07:00

We’ve seen the Island kick off into summer mode this long weekend, the parking lot around the Folklife Village has been busy. There was a well attended pancake fundraiser for the Gabriola Healthcare Auxillary in the parking lot in the morning and it was also the first day of the 2010 Farmers Market (held at the AGI hall on Saturdays from 10-12). A few stores are now open in the Madrona Marketplace, we had a chance to look at Brent G Studio and A Slice Of Life.

** TRAVEL ADVISORY**
If you are traveling to Gabriola in the next few weeks, please be advised that the MV Quinsam is now back in service but is not keeping up speed. This means that there have been delays to the schedule, please accommodate for this in your plans. We expect to have a new schedule effective May 27 2010.

Gabriola's waterfront parks

2010-05-17T14:22:00.000-07:00

Gabriola is a great Island for many reasons, one of the important ones is the numerous access points that you have to the beach. We've had some great weather in the last week, which led me to one of the waterfront parks in the Whalebone area. These "neighborhood" parks were well thought out, there are 5 located in this area, each have two pathway allowances into the park and have at least 6 homes bordering onto them, I think it was a great way to share the waterfront properties. The waterfront parks, have nice cleared areas, gorgeous north facing views, and some have benches so that you can sit down and enjoy the view.

The fishing is good on Gabriola.

2010-05-15T10:35:00.000-07:00

My husband and a few of his friends took the boat out and hit slack tide last night (it was around 6). It was the perfect afternoon to be fishing, the sun was shining and there was little wind to be found. They hooked up an army truck hootchy to their line and reeled in a 15 & 22lb salmon just off the Old Grande Hotel (Dragons Lane, Gabriola) they kept their gear set between 50 to 100 feet and were about 2 miles off shore. Look for surface bait, a good indication that fish will be there. If you're looking to go fishing check you tide book, usually the best fishing is 1 hour before to an hour after slack tide.