Fireworks @ the Twin Beaches on Halloween

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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.