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Past Editions in PDF format
Click on the edition date to see the story index and a link to the PDF version
Nov-Dec 2019 Focus.pdf
4 TUG-OF-WAR OVER SCHOOL LANDS
Victoria’s affordable housing crisis puts the bullseye on public land in Fernwood.
Leslie Campbell
12 AN INSURANCE POLICY AGAINST FAILURE OF CLIMATE ACTION PLANS
If history repeats itself, local plans to reduce GHG emissions will come up far short of targets. Shouldn’t there be a Plan B?
David Broadland
18 DENSITY ON TRIAL
Residents take the City of Victoria to court for overriding its Official Community Plan.
Ross Crockford
20 FIRST STOP THE DYING
Experts agree that bold moves are essential to reducing the deaths from opioid use.
Judith Lavoie
24 THE VANISHING ANCIENT FORESTS OF VANCOUVER ISLAND
As they are logged, whole ecosystems disappear forever, along with their superior ability to sequester carbon.
Stephen Hume
30 LET THE HERRING LIVE
West Coast wildlife depends on herring—and there’s a model for bringing them back to the Salish Sea.
Briony Penn
32 DON’T MENTION LNG!
Some elephants in the LNG-room.
Russ Francis
34 DEMAND ANSWERS ABOUT THE DRUGS YOU’RE PRESCRIBED
What’s happening in the world of antipsychotics might keep you awake at night.
Alan Cassels
36 A MAGNET FOR TROUBLE
The Johnson Street Bridge undergoes one safety review after another.
Ross Crockford
38 DEBORAH TILBY, A PAINTER'S PAINTER
The artist’s finely-tuned palette and skillful brushwork capture the mood of a place.
Kate Cino
45 THE LAST PICTURE SHOW: BERT VANDERGUGTEN
The building is for sale; performers and audiences are hoping for an arts-friendly buyer.
Mollie Kaye
50 HERMANN’S MARCHES ONWARD–AND UPSTAIRS—ON VIEW STREET
The building is for sale; performers and audiences are hoping for an arts-friendly buyer.
Mollie Kaye
54 PUENTE THEATRE 30 YEARS ON
Theatre by, for, and about immigrants, based in Victoria and touring the world.
Monica Prendergast
58 OUTSIDE
Victoria society’s “service engine now” light is flashing with bright urgency.
Gene Miller
60 WHY ARE WE IN TROUBLE?
A plea for action on this column’s fourth anniversary.
Maleea Acker
62 CLIMATE CHANGE IS NOW TOP-OF-MIND
But both the new federal government and citizens must dig deeper to face it.
Trudy Duivenvoorden Mitic
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Sept-Oct 2019 Focus.pdf
4 STRONG SANCTIONS NEEDED FOR DESTROYING PUBLIC RECORDS
The “duty to document” may sound like boring bureaucratese, but it’s crucial to a functioning democracy.
Leslie Campbell
12 BEHIND THE EMERGENCY WARD CURTAIN
A plea for a better, more compassionate health care system.
Monika Ullmann
14 Who, me?
Canadians increasingly hate each other over politics. To reverse that trend we need to think beyond our natural tribe.
David Broadland
16 ARE LOCAL VOTERS SHIFTING TO THE GREENS?
Disillusionment with politics-as-usual could signal a new election landscape on Southern Vancouver Island.
Judith Lavoie
20 THE COWICHAN RIVER: LOVING AND LOGGING IT TO DEATH
The logic of a watershed, including development and forestry’s role in its demise, is playing out sadly in the Cowichan Valley.
Stephen Hume
26 IS THERE ANY DEMAND FOR ALBERTA BITUMEN IN ASIA?
A retired physics professor ground-truths the tanker traffic at Burnaby’s Westridge Terminal.
Briony Penn
28 FABRICATING JOBS AND HASTENING CLIMATE CATASTROPHE
Your tax dollars at work: LNG Canada is creating much-needed employment in Zhuhai, China.
Russ Francis
30 ANTIDEPRESSANTS AND THE MYTH OF THE “CHEMICAL IMBALANCE”
Psychiatrist Dr Joanna Moncrieff says “often there are better ways to deal with things” than taking drugs.
Alan Cassels
32 IN VICTORIA, NO ONE IS WATCHING THE WATCHERS
Can the rise of surveillance in our culture and city coexist with a right to privacy?
Barbara Julian
34 HUGGETT’S GREATEST HITS
The new bridge broke down after little more than a year of service. What else did the project’s leadership bequeath future taxpayers?
David Broadland
36 DRAMA, PASSION AND CONTROL AT THE END OF HER FINGERTIPS
Eunmi Conacher strives to communicate the feelings of a place with energetic brushstrokes and saturated colour.
Kate Cino
50 JAMES AND HIS GIANT PEACH ADD SPARKLE TO VICTORIA
Jimbo Insell is grateful for everything, especially his creative life.
Mollie Kaye
54 2019 REPORT CARD
How well do Victoria theatre companies incorporate gender equity and diversity?
Monica Prendergast
58 ECOCIDE COMETH
Mahler, artificial intelligence, and Victoria’s genius for safety.
Gene Miller
60 HARRY DRAGE’S MISSION
Saving forests and removing invasives in Saanich.
Maleea Acker
62 OUR GOVERNMENT NEEDS US TO SHOW RESOLVE
Tired of being used by the corporate world? Revolt by exercising the common-sense muscle.
Trudy Duivenvoorden Mitic
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July-August 2019 Focus.pdf
AN AIRPORT IN OUR MIDST by Leslie Campbell
Victoria boasts one of the busiest water airports in the world—some think it’s too busy.
DID THE MAYORS OBSTRUCT THE ELSNER INVESTIGATION? by David Broadland
Records obtained by FOI leave little doubt that the two mayors hid allegations of sexual harassment raised against Police Chief Elsner.
MORE ENTERTAINMENT, LESS ART by Ross Crockford
The society running the Royal Theatre aims to make it the region’s hub for commercial live performance.
OLD GROWTH IN THE CROSSHAIRS by Judith Lavoie
Why is BC Timber Sales, a government agency, at the centre of so many contentious Vancouver Island logging disputes?
FUN AND LOAFING IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE by Russ Francis
Taxpayer dollars are wasted doing things that are unnecessary or wrong—while important records management tasks are routinely ignored.
IS OUR IMMINENT PERIL VIRTUALLY CERTAIN OR NOT? by Briony Penn
An appeal before the courts should spark debate about whether Trans Mountain is compatible with a stable climate.
NOT YOUR GRANDPA’S WILDFIRES by Stephen Hume
Climate change is exacerbating forest fires, including—perhaps especially—where the wild meets suburbia.
RARE BUT SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS OF “CIPRO” by Alan Cassels
“Floxxed” patients are calling for better consumer drug information.
DYLAN THOMAS AND HIS SACRED GEOMETRY GO SURFING by Kate Cino
This Coast Salish artist combines traditional training with self-directed studies in mathematics, Buddhism and Islamic art.
SUSANNAH ADAMS: JAZZ VOCALIST AND COMPOSER by Mollie Kaye
Pushing towards greater authenticity, Adams is determined to write more of her own songs.
WATER TORTURE by Gene Miller
Parsing the promo material for a new development near the Esquimalt Lagoon.
A PLACE OF REFUGE by Maleea Acker
A deep and abiding love for ȽÁU,WELNEW/John Dean Park is evident in the stewardship work of volunteer Jarrett Teague.
WANTED: REAL TALK IN PIVOTAL TIMES by Trudy Duivenvoorden Mitic
There are lessons we need to learn about the meaning of “consultation.”
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May-June 2019 Focus for web.pdf
4 BEHIND THE CURTAINS AT CITY HALL
The demise of the Humboldt “Innovation Tree” leads a citizen to investigate the City’s decision-making.
Leslie Campbell
12 SHOAL POINT’S TROUBLED WATER
If a BC Supreme Court finding is correct, Victorians need to demand assurances from the City of Victoria about the safety of its water.
David Broadland
14 IS VICTORIA’S NEW BRIDGE TSUNAMI-PROOF?
Probably not, according to a 2013 AECOM study that was available to bridge engineers as they designed the structure’s main pier.
David Broadland
16 UPDATE ON THE MAYORS’ MISSING EMAILS
They’ve been found—all 271 of them.
David Broadland
18 TURNING THE PLASTIC TIDE
Is recycling enough, or should we ban some plastics completely?
Ross Crockford
22 HOUSING SECURITY ELUSIVE FOR VICTORIA RENTERS
Changes are happening, but renters and their advocates are demanding further protection.
Judith Lavoie
24 SUBSIDIZING CLIMATE CHANGE
LNG Canada’s lobbying wins $6-plus billion payout.
Russ Francis
26 A MESSAGE FOR THE MINISTER
A forestry conference invited Forestry Minister Doug Donaldson to give a keynote address. He talked and ran.
Briony Penn
28 GOING BACKWARDS IN COWICHAN BAY
How is a metals manufacturing plant in the midst of a fish-bearing estuary even possible?
Stephen Hume
34 DRUG INSIGHTS FROM A WHISTLEBLOWER
Are broken bones “hiding in plain sight” of heartburn meds?
Alan Cassels
36 HASHIM HANNOON’S “CITY LIFE”
The artist, an immigrant from Iraq, proves the creative spirit can rise above the brutal ugliness of war.
Kate Cino
42 SKETCHING INTO THE WILD
The Bateman Foundation’s new vision comes into focus.
Maleea Acker
50 AARON SCOONES IS HEARING THINGS
A Victoria vocalist brings his stylings to the spotlight at JazzFest.
Mollie Kaye
54 A NEW THEATRE COMPANY IS BORN
Hapax Theatre has ambitions for a long life in Victoria.
Monica Prendergast
58 IN PRAISE OF MODESTY
Do those of us who behave immodestly do so because we resent our mortality?
Gene Miller
60 LEAVING THE SEALS BE
A molting elephant seal on Gonzales Beach offered lessons in nature and an occasion for friendship.
Maleea Acker
62 THIS IS THE SEASON
It is in our gardens that wisdom and humility are nurtured.
Trudy Duivenvoorden Mitic
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March-April 2019 Focus.pdf
4 Leslie Campbell | MONEY STILL SKEWING LOCAL ELECTIONS
Holes in the new local elections financing act give an advantage to incumbents. That’s not necessarily in the public interest.
6 Focus Readers | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
14 David Broadland | ARE LOCAL "CLIMATE CRISIS" DECISION-MAKERS MAKING THINGS BETTER? OR WORSE?
Focus Magazine is undertaking a multi-year project to determine whether initiatives to move passenger cars off the streets are having any effect.
18 Ross Crockford | UNFINISHED BUSINESS
What has Victoria learned in the 10 years since it first discussed replacing the Johnson Street Bridge?
20 Judith Lavoie | GRANDSTANDING? OR GRAND GESTURE?
Victoria takes it up a notch with the push for a class action lawsuit against oil and gas companies.
22 Russ Francis | AT THE LEGISLATIVE TROUGH
Baseball games, $258,000 “retirement” allowances for the unretired, and truckloads of alcohol: How did it come to this?
26 Stephen Hume | THE CASE FOR ENDING THE HERRING FISHERY
The commercial herring roe fishery in the Salish Sea may be the final nail in the coffin of chinook, resident orca and some seabirds.
30 Kate Cino | UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL FLORAL PORTRAITS
Jeanette Sirois’ large-scale works are done with patience and precision in pencil crayon.
34 Leslie Campbell | VICTORIA ARTS COUNCIL CELEBRATES 50 YEARS
A new exhibit of works by Pat Martin Bates is just one of the events planned.
48 Mollie Kaye | STRING TENSION
In Syria, Sari Alesh was a professional violinist. War changed all that.
52 Monica Prendergast | THE POSITIVE FORCE OF THEATRE
Generosity and kindness on stage in selfish times.
54 Pauline Holdstock | ESI EDUYAN TALKS ABOUT WRITING FICTION
If writers write with empathy and authenticity, it allows them and their readers to cross all sorts of barriers.
58 Gene Miller | HEAVEN? PRESS 35
Will new Downtown buildings help our resiliency and community in the face of social upheaval?
60 Maleea Acker | FOR THE LOVE OF BATS
Combining creative work with research, Estraven Lupino-Smith collaborates with HAT to monitor and celebrate bats.
62 Trudy Duivenvoorden Mitic | AS THE TIPPING POINT NEARS
There’s no end of dire news, so seek out the glimmers of progress.
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Jan-Feb 2019 Focus.pdf
4 VICTORIA’S DIMINISHING URBAN FOREST | Leslie Campbell
Residents are mobilizing to protect one of the City’s greatest natural charms, increasingly threatened by development.
14 SEX, LIES, AND TRIPLE-DELETED EMAILS | David Broadland
An email unearthed by an FOI request raises fresh questions about the Elsner investigation. So do all the deleted emails.
18 ALARMED | Ross Crockford
Downtown residents question the $34-million deal for a new fire hall.
20 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT RECONSIDERED | Judith Lavoie
BC’s new Environmental Assessment Act needs teeth and scientific certainty to avoid disasters of the past.
22 CLEANBC PLAN NICE ONSCREEN, BUT HAS SERIOUS PROBLEMS | Russ Francis
The BC government’s concerted efforts at message control nearly overwhelm its new climate plan.
24 LOGGING MADNESS CONTINUES | Briony Penn
Nothing has changed in BC forestry practices under the BC NDP government.
26 SENIORS TARGETED WITH HIGH-DOSE FLU VACCINE | Alan Cassels
The government doesn’t pay for it yet, but the pressure from Big Pharma is on.
28 BRIDGE BUILDER SUES CITY FOR BAD DESIGN | David Broadland
The City has always denied the new bridge has any problems, thus limiting its ability to assert itself in legal fights over the project.
30 LIGHT OF DAY | Aaren Madden
Ray Ward’s landscape paintings celebrate the ever-changing skies and moods of the West Coast.
34 THE ART AND LIFE OF ELIZABETH YEEND DUER | Kate Cino
This Anglo-Japanese artist illustrates the fascinating blend of cultural themes at play in the 1940s in Victoria.
48 SPEAKEASY: HOT JAZZ ON BROAD STREET | Mollie Kaye
Your once-sleepy Tuesday nights may never be the same.
52 ON THE PATH OF AN OIL PIPELINE | Monica Prendergast
Bears is a great example of the resurgence of Indigenous theatre in Canada.
54 PATRICIA ROY’S THE COLLECTORS | Stephen Hume
As this historian shows, the Royal BC Museum has proved a resilient, adaptive and unusually far-sighted institution.
58 DOWNTOWN HAS IT ALL-ISH | Gene Miller
Downtown has 1000s of new units, yet it feels unwelcoming to many.
60 BALANCING PROGRESS AND PARKLAND | Maleea Acker
Julian Anderson and Cuthbert Holmes Park.
62 ENVISIONING A PLASTIC-FREE ZONE FOR THE NEW YEAR | Trudy Duivenvoorden Mitic
Victoria is tackling the bags; now let’s move on to single-use plastics.
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Nov-Dec 2018 Focus.pdf
4 Leslie Campbell | THE HEART AND SOUL OF FOCUS
It’s an understatement to say that a lot has changed in Focus’ 30 years, but there’s been at least one consistent thread.
14 David Broadland | THE MAYORS’ MIlLION-DOLLAR COVER-UP
Did Stan Lowe defame Mayor Helps and Mayor Desjardins? Or did the Police Complaint Commissioner pull his punches?
18 Ross Crockford | GREAT POLITICS VS. GOOD GOVERNANCE
What will close the divisions laid bare by Victoria’s election?
20 Judith Lavoie | TENT CITIES MAKE THE HOMELESS MORE VISIBLE
Anger is often directed at the leaders of tent cities, but they seem to get results.
22 Russ Francis | LNG CANADA—A STRANDED ASSET?
Canada’s biggest-ever white elephant may never produce one gram of LNG—if we’re lucky.
24 Briony Penn | FEDS MOVE TO DIVIDE AND CONQUER LOCAL FIRST NATIONS
Some local First Nations leaders fear the next rounds of “consultation” around the Trans Mountain pipeline may be even worse.
26 Russ Francis | VOTING FOR DEMOCRACY
The horrors of proportional representation? Faster climate action, more women elected, lower debt, increased voter turnout.
28 Stephen Hume | ORCAPOCALYPSE
The perils faced by killer whales forewarn of an uber threat—the unravelling of the ecosystems upon which humans also depend.
34 Kate Cino | CREATING ORDER OUT OF CHAOS
Martina Edmonson begins each new piece with an internal investigation.
48 Mollie Kaye | ROCKIN’ OUT TO ANCIENT MUSIC
Modern day minstrels, the Banquo Folk Ensemble is about to release another CD.
52 Monica Prendergast | HOW HISTORY HAUNTS THE THEATRE
Echos of past performances reverberate through the years in our theatre spaces.
56 Amy Reiswig | MAMASKATCH: A CREE COMING OF AGE
Recently nominated for the Governor General’s Literary Award, Darrel McLeod’s memoir will break hearts in the best possible way.
58 Gene Miller | WHAT, ME WORRY?
To solve homelessness we need to build homes for the marginalized and support them. The only thing holding us back is…
60 Maleea Acker | ROBIN HOOD’S DREAM
In the face of ecological disasters, art and science together can lead to hope and resilience.
62 Trudy Duivenvoorden Mitic | EVERY THING WE DO COUNTS
Until governments get serious about tackling greenhouse gas emissions,citizens must take the lead.
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Sept-Oct 2018 Focus.pdf
4 WILL VICTORIA’S OLD TOWN BECOME A FAÇADE?
Leslie Campbell | Victoria City council will soon be faced with a controversial heritage conversion and demolition project in the heart of Old Town.
18 LANDSLIDE LISA’S RECORD AS MAYOR OF VICTORIA
David Broadland | For this reporter, three key moments defined Mayor Lisa Helps’ controversial first term.
24 JUST BELOW THE SURFACE
Ross Crockford | Will Crystal Pool become an election issue? Candidates say “Yes.”
26 FISH FARM ACTIVISTS COMPLAIN OF INTIMIDATION
Judith Lavoie | The battle of the Broughton continues with surveillance on the seas.
28 A FALSE DICHOTOMY
Russ Francis | As LNG Canada’s Final Investment Decision looms, a fatal error sits stubbornly at the heart of the government’s case for LNG.
30 MEDIA AND MEDICAL INDEPENDENCE
Alan Cassels & Jim Wright | Can we trust health-related media to deliver clean, clear health advice?
32 TAKING BACK CONTROL OF RESOURCE EXTRACTION ON PUBLIC LAND
Briony Penn | Can we undo, or fix, the 17-year-old Professional Reliance Model used to regulate BC’s resource industries?
34 WHAT DOES MY NEIGHBOUR’S CAR MEAN?
David Broadland | The distance travelled in autos each day by CRD residents continues to grow, but there is a surge in the uptake of all-electric cars.
36 UNDER THE BIG SKY
Kate Cino | Brent Lynch aims to capture fleeting moments of special grace.
50 BRINGING MUSICIANS HOME
Mollie Kaye | Performance venues are desperately needed—what about your place?
54 MOVING BEYOND THE (DEAD) WHITE MAN SYNDROME
Monica Prendergast | A gender equity and diversity report card for local theatre companies’ 2018-19 productions.
56 UNPRECEDENTED CRIME
Amy Reiswig | Authors Elizabeth Woodworth and Dr Peter Carter see climate change in terms of a planetary emergency needing global mobilization.
58 FRESH OUT OF DOMANI
Gene Miller | Rome imploded because of a loss of purpose, identity and moral vigour. What are we doing to avoid that?
60 MARION CUMMING’S INDOMITABLE SPIRIT
Maleea Acker | One woman’s commitment to de-colonization.
62 THE PERPLEXING WILLINGNESS TO IGNORE REALITY
Trudy Duivenvoorden Mitic | Floods, fires and Summer Limb Drop are good clues as to what needs to be done. Yet…
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July-August 2018 Focus.pdf
4 LUXURY CONDO DEVELOPERS CAN’T FIX AFFORDABILITY PROBLEM
Leslie Campbell | A lack of balance on a June housing forum provides food for thought as to where the community needs to look for answers.
16 CITY MISLED ABOUT REPAIRS TO NEW BRIDGE
David Broadland | FOIed emails show engineers forgot about a serious flaw until it was too late to fix properly. They then forgot that they had forgotten.
18 WHO ARE THE REAL PIPELINE FANATICS?
Leslie Campbell | The fuzzy thinking of Canada’s mainstream political establishment is driving some good citizens to despair.
22 THE PEOPLE AT THE DIRTY END OF THE PIPELINE
Judith Lavoie | Indigenous communities in the path of the oil sands and its pipelines have been left with no good options.
26 THE 100-YEAR FISHING WAR
Briony Penn | The recent renewal of fish farm tenures is just the latest in a long saga of denial of First Nations’ fishing rights.
28 VANCOUVER’S ROLE IN THE CHINOOK-SEWAGE-ORCA DEATH SPIRAL
David Broadland | Is Fisheries & Oceans Canada ignoring Washington State research on chemical contamination from sewage treatment plants?
30 CELEBRATING LIFE AND COLOUR
Kate Cino | There’s a lot happening in Grant Leier’s bursting-with-colour paintings.
36 SHARING THE WEALTH
Aaren Madden | First Nations artist Calvin Hunt’s first solo exhibition celebrates family, culture and a giving spirit.
48 COMING FULL CIRCUS
Mollie Kaye | Aerialist Kaelyn Schmitt plans to ignite the circus arts scene in Victoria.
52 A SITE-SPECIFIC PLAY WITH STYLE, SUBSTANCE AND SCARES
Monica Prendergast | Theatre SKAM and a cast of young people present the award-winning Concord Floral.
54 WINDOWS INTO THE WEIRD AND WONDERFUL
Amy Reiswig | Writer Eve Joseph stretches herself and her readers’ imagination and intellect in her new prose poetry book Quarrels.
56 SUMMER READING PICKS
Amy Reiswig | Wild Fierce Life: Dangerous Moments on the Outer Coast; Listening to the Bees; Anna, Like Thunder
58 THE PLACE FORMERLY KNOWN AS VICTORIA
Gene Miller | Would amalgamation lead to the creation of a place we care less about?
60 GABE EPSTEIN AND THE GORGE PARK COMMUNITY GARDENS
Maleea Acker | Digging, planting and watering together produces food, strengthens community and helps the bees help us.
62 CONNECTING THE DOTS AT THE COUNTRY FAIR
Trudy Duivenvoorden Mitic | The heavy carbon footprint of most manufacturing processes gives added incentive for re-using material goods.
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May-June 2018 Focus.pdf
10 David Broadland | THE WOUNDED WHITE ELEPHANT
We should call the new bridge what it is.
16 Leslie Campbell | OAK BAY NEIGHBOURS WRESTLE WITH 98-UNIT DEVELOPMENT
Oak Bay United Church’s plan to build affordable housing raises questions about proper consultation and density.
22 Ross Crockford | TWO SORTS OF TRUTH
The debate over density at 1201 Fort is sure to be repeated.
24 Briony Penn | DEAR JUSTIN AND RACHEL
Charged with criminal contempt of court while protesting Trans Mountain, the author writes to these leaders about leadership.
26 Alan Cassels | SPINNING THE WONDER DRUGS
Why hope, hype and headlines should never substitute for clean, clear analysis.
28 Judith Lavoie | THE LNG PIPE DREAM, PART 2
Will methane asphyxiate Green support for the minority NDP government?
30 Ross Crockford | VICTORIA NEEDS…WHO?
Slates are readying candidates for council jobs that few may actually want.
32 Mollie Kaye | GUTHRIE GLOAG SCULPTS THE WILD
A BC biologist and artist wants his work to draw attention to what is here…and what is missing.
48 Mollie Kaye | HIDDEN UPSTAIRS ON HERALD STREET
Local artists’ studios rarely seen by the public offer a glimpse into a disappearing world.
52 Mollie Kaye | CUARTETO CHROMA
Four musicians are Canada’s—and Mexico’s—first graduate-level string quartet.
54 Monica Prendergast | UNO AND OUT
Intrepid Theatre’s May and June theatre festivals liven up the local landscape.
56 Amy Reiswig | SARAH COX: BREACHING THE PEACE
Mythic dam battle at Site C is a showdown between “progress” and those who would preserve the valley.
58 Gene Miller | TICK, TICK, TICK…
Victoria may be stuck in time, but that could be what guarantees its survival.
60 Maleea Acker | STEWARD OF THE OAK MEADOWS
Colleen O’Brien is restoring Playfair Park’s Garry oak meadows—allowing the rest of us a walk back in time.
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Volume 30 Number 4
March-April 2018 Focus.pdf
4 Leslie Campbell | MATH AND ETHICS ARGUE AGAINST TRANS MOUNTAIN
If we’re going to lower emissions, allowing Alberta to increase fossil-fuel-related exports will harm the rest of Canada.
12 Mary-Wynne Ashford | ONE NUCLEAR BOMB IS TOO MANY
Addressing the generational gap in understanding around nuclear disarmament.
14 David Broadland | WHY ARE CITY COUNCILLORS ACCEPTING A WORLD-CLASS BODGE?
The City is refusing to provide records that would show who knew what, and when they knew it.
18 Leslie Campbell | DEVELOPMENT BESIDE GONZALES HILL PARK RAISES ALARM
Is the CRD failing to steward its only regional park in the core of the city?
22 Alan Cassels | “DRUG HOLIDAYS” AND DEPRESCRIBING
The growing movement to wind back excess medication.
24 Briony Penn | DID SAANICH’S EDPA POSE A THREAT TO PROPERTY VALUES?
Was a real battle fought over an invented crisis?
28 Judith Lavoie | SHOULD FARMLAND BE RESERVED FOR FOOD GROWING?
Marijuana greenhouses, wineries and monster houses are eroding BC’s already limited capacity to feed itself.
30 Pamela Roth | ARE THE CITY OF VICTORIA’S MARIJUANA REGULATIONS WORKING?
And what will happen next summer when recreational cannabis becomes legal in Canada?
32 Aaren Madden | FORM AS MEANING(S)
Four First Nations curators bring new perspectives to the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria’s Pacific Northwest prints collection.
45 Mollie Kaye | Dana Statham
Painter circumnavigates Vancouver Island.
48 Mollie Kaye | PLAYS WITH PURPOSE AND MEANING
Zelda Dean sees theatre as a way to break down barriers.
52 Mollie Kaye | ORCHESTRATING A LIFE
Conductor Yariv Aloni lands, learns, and leads in Victoria.
54 Monica Prendergast | NOT IN OUR SPACE
Harassment, bullying and theatre culture.
56 Amy Reiswig | THE STRENGTH IN VULNERABILITY
Claire Sicherman delves into the silent stories of her family’s traumatic past.
58 Gene Miller | AMALGACIDE
Is the call for political amalgamation of CRD municipalities, at its core, motivated by toxic social impulses?
60 Maleea Acker | LOOKING AT THE TINY THINGS
Mary Haig-Brown wants us to see vital connections in the natural world.
62 Trudy Duivenvoorden Mitic | WE DESERVE EVERYTHING WE’RE GOING TO GET
Site C will help power up cannabis hot houses, Bitcoin mining, and LNG!
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Volume 30, Number 3
Jan-Feb 2018 Focus.pdf
IMMIGRANTS LIKE CRISTINA, JOEY AND C.J. ARE MAKING CANADA GREAT
We’re all immigrants, but the newest amongst us make great sacrifices to keep our country strong.
Leslie Campbell
BRIDGE DESIGN FLAW HIDDEN FOR A YEAR, THEN GIVEN QUICK-AND-DIRTY REPAIR
The latest cover-up on the $115-million project raises the question: What needs to change at Victoria City Hall?
David Broadland
ON THE FRONTLINES OF THE OPIOID CRISIS
Leslie McBain advocates for those struggling with addictions and the families who love them.
Leslie Campbell
WILL “SUNSHINE” FINALLY COME TO BC?
Exposing Big Pharma’s dark influence on doctors who diagnose and prescribe.
Alan Cassels
ONE LESS THING TO WORRY ABOUT FOR BC GRIZZLIES
The BC government has killed the grizzly hunt. But will Conservation Officers enforce the ban?
Judith Lavoie
#METOO: WHAT NEXT?
Could a victim-centred approach be a better fit in cases of sexual harassment and assault?
Mollie Kaye
VICTORIA’S NEW POLICY ON SHORT-TERM RENTALS
Unintended consequences of Airbnbs are leading to new measures to deal with the loss of housing stock.
Pamela Roth
IT’S WHAT’S INSIDE THAT COUNTS
Lynn Branson’s reverent connection to her medium brings her wood carvings to life.
Aaren Madden
A DECOLONIZING DANCE
The Dancers of Damelahamid confront us with the richness of Indigenous art, past and present.
Robin J Miller
STEPHEN FEARING: EVERY SOUL’S A SAILOR
One of Canada’s most acclaimed songwriters plays Victoria—his new home.
Mollie Kaye
ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THEATRE AND MEMORY
A Belfry production looks at the grief and panic of losing one’s life partner to Alzheimer’s.
Monica Prendergast
WHALE IN THE DOOR
Author Pauline Le Bel’s personal journey of losses, learning, and hope for Howe Sound.
Amy Reiswig
BLOOD, SWEAT AND TAVISH CAMPBELL
One man’s graphic video evidence spawns new awareness of fish farming dangers—and a government review.
Briony Penn
PANIS ANGELICUS
Could Victoria be a civilizational lifeboat in these crazy, conflict-prone times?
Gene Miller
THE ART OF CONSERVATION: MARY SANSEVERINO
Photography gives this ardent naturalist an excuse to go to the wild places.
Maleea Acker
OLD WAYS FOR NEW DAYS
With a knack for making do, we can make ends meet and reduce our environmental footprint.
Trudy Duivenvoorden Mitic
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Volume 30 Number 2
Nov-Dec 2017 Focus.pdf
4 David Broadland | DID CRD STAFF COMMIT FRAUD AND/OR A BREACH OF PUBLIC TRUST?
A shadowy group has launched complaints with the RCMP and several other public agencies.
12 David Broadland | THE ORCA FAMINE AND PUGET SOUND’S POISONED RIVERS
Recent studies show how resident orca populations are affected by diminishing chinook runs and why the chinook are disappearing.
20 Leslie Campbell | FIRST THINGS FIRST: MAKING EVERY VOTE COUNT
A referendum on electoral reform is coming next year. Terry Dance-Bennink of Fair Vote Canada explains why it’s important.
24 Alan Cassels | THE SWEET SMELL OF TRANSPARENCY
Can a new government remove the stench of Big Pharma’s lobbying at the BC Legislature?
26 Judith Lavoie | WILD SALMON MAY GET RELIEF FROM OPEN-NET FISH FARMS
Science and First Nations are stepping up the pressure to remove fish farms from BC coastal waters.
28 Ross Crockford | EMBRACE THE FIXCENTIVE
We want to repair our assets. Why don’t our governments do the same?
30 Pamela Roth | WOODWYNN FARMS AND THE OPIOID CRISIS
The organization appears to offer addicts a needed route to recovery while preserving farmland. What’s the hold up?
34 Aaren Madden | TRUE TO THE HEART
Bi Yuan Cheng creates internal and external landscapes of truth, feeling, and sense of place.
50 Mollie Kaye | CHRISTOPHER BUTTERFIELD
UVic’s music program turns 50 with one of its first grads at the helm.
52 Monica Prendergast | MURDER IN TWO OPERAS
Pacific Opera brings two completely unique operas about past and current chapters in the Canadian story.
54 Amy Reiswig | THE LARGER CONVERSATION: CONTEMPLATION AND PLACE
In his new book, award-winning writer Tim Lilburn begins the process of “personal decolonization.”
56 Briony Penn | BRUCE HILL: HIPPY EX-LOGGER AND WARRIOR FOR THE KITLOPE
A ceremonial trip into grizzly territory with the Kitlope’s elder watchmen.
58 Gene Miller | CAUTION…HISTORY AHEAD
Can Victoria survive its own bungling and folly?
60 Maleea Acker | FOR THE LOVE OF SALMON
Peter McCully and his volunteer team are passionate about their work with the Goldstream Hatchery.
62 Trudy Duivenvoorden Mitic | ONE MAN’S TRASH: PART 2
We can recycle nearly everything. We still need to buy less stuff.
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Volume 30 Number 1
Sept-Oct 2017 Focus.pdf
4 Leslie Campbell | ARE THE CRD’S CLIMATE CHANGE GOALS PIE-IN-THE-SKY?
One key policy, densification of the core, makes little sense
in the face of the CRD’s impotence in controlling sprawl.
14 David Broadland | DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS ON THE STEEP DESCENT AHEAD
To create a realistic pathway to a low-carbon regional transportation system,
science—not activism—needs to lead the way forward.
20 Leslie Campbell | BC BURNING
A forest and fire ecologist discusses her research on how to reduce
the damage being done to BC’s forests by fires.
24 Briony Penn | NEW GOVERNMENT WILL REVIEW “PROFESSIONAL RELIANCE”
The practice may have played a leading role
in creating some of BC’s most high-profile environmental blunders.
26 Alan Cassels | BETTER PROSPECTS FOR SUSTAINABLE HEALTHCARE?
Our new provincial government faces a litmus test
in how it deals with diabetes-mongering.
28 Judith Lavoie | TREES, AND THE CLIMATE FORECAST FOR VICTORIA
Expect hotter summers and winter deluges. Retaining trees could
reduce the worst impacts, including the cost of mitigation.
30 Briony Penn | BEACONS OF HOPE FOR THE SALISH SEA
Can a swimmer, First Nations and Thomas Berger, QC,
turn the tide on Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline?
32 Aaren Madden | THERE IS TRUTH HERE
First Nations children’s art, created at residential and day schools,
opens pathways for healing and reconciliation.
50 Mollie Kaye | THE BILLS, DECADE THREE
The beloved Victoria-based Canadian roots band
continues to evolve and thrive.
54 Monica Prendergast | HOMEGROWN, CANADIAN THEATRE
Victorians can enjoy a wealth of made-in-Canada works
being staged locally this fall.
56 Amy Reiswig | REFUGIUM: POEMS FOR THE PACIFIC
Victoria poet laureate Yvonne Blomer combines literary forces
to appreciate and protect our large salty neighbour.
58 Gene Miller | EXIT, DREAMING
With David Butterfield’s passing, Victoria has lost
one of its major investors in social capital.
60 Maleea Acker | BRING SUSTAINABILITY HOME
A field trip to Northern Europe is “offset” by
the ripple effect of knowledge gained.
62 Trudy Duivenvoorden Mitic | ONE MAN’S TRASH
Could “garbage” soon become obsolete?
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July-August 2017 Focus.pdf
4 Leslie Campbell | TAKE DOWN A PARKING LOT AND PUT UP A PARADISE Affordable housing—for low- and moderate-income people working Downtown—should be a City of Victoria priority.
14 David Broadland | MAYOR HELPS’ 1.5 PERCENT SOLUTION Local government’s response to reducing transportation emissionsmay be wishful thinking. Or foolish.
18 Judith Lavoie | TRANS MOUNTAIN: DONE DEAL OR DEAD IN THE WATER? The project faces stiff opposition from a new governmentand legal challenges by First Nations and others.
22 Ross Crockford | HOW TO LOSE AT BRIDGE, AND POOL Victoria’s council still needs to learn lessons for its next big project.
24 Alan Cassels | A POX ON THEIR HOUSE Confusion around chicken pox and shinglescould be costly to Victoria consumers.
26 David Broadland | DUMB QUESTIONS AND THEIR (POSSIBLY) PROFOUND CONSEQUENCES To not be misled by experts into making bad decisions, elected officialsneed to ask hard questions. Voters need to elect prosecutors, not patsies.
30 Aaren Madden | NAOMI CAIRNS Painterly techniques and lived experience imbue her marine landscapeswith a sense of place, time and abundance.
44 Mollie Kaye | GETTING NAKED WITH ARTIST NICOLE SLEETH Her paintings put female nudes in the “power position.”
50 Mollie Kaye | RESURRECTING MUSIC THAT GOT BURIED ALIVE Suzanne Snizek wields her flute as a weapon against bigotry and suppression.
52 Monica Prendergast | SHAKESPEARE SEASON “All the world’s a stage,” especially in the summer months.
54 Amy Reiswig | PAULO DA COSTA An out-of-the-box thinker, writer, editor and translator believesin daring to be different for the social good.
56 Bill Currie | DR TED ROSENBERG: GERIATRIC GAME-CHANGER Visiting seniors in their homes, Dr Rosenberg and his teamfocus on their quality of life.
58 Gene Miller | OH, GIVE ME A HOME Providing homes to those in need can be viewed as revolution insurance.
60 Maleea Acker | KIDS LEARNNING ABOUT THEIR LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS Monterey Middle School’s nature-focused programnurtures a sense of place and a caretaking ethic.
62 Trudy Duivenvoorden Mitic | PUTTING OUR SENSES IN ORDER Time spent in nature is time well spent.
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May-June 2017 Focus.pdf
4 Leslie Campbell | CASH-FOR-ACCESS FLOURISHES IN BC POLITICS
Corporate donations and lobbying make meaningful climate action—and democracy—impossible.
14 David Broadland | DAZED AND CONFUSED ON THE JOHNSON STREET BRIDGE
The project seems to be a complete fiasco. But is that just a perception created by something in the air?
20 Ross Crockford | WOW, LOOK AT ALL THE ZEROS
How many big infrastructure projects can the City of Victoria tackle at once?
22 Judith Lavoie | A PERFECT STORM FOR VICTORIA RENTERS
Low supply, increasing demand, higher rents, and “renovictions” —is any relief in sight?
26 Alan Cassels | HEALTH MINISTRY FIRINGS: A STUNNING LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY
The Ombudsperson’s 500-page report delivers condemnation, but leaves us hungry for an answer to “Why?”
28 Briony Penn | AN ORWELLIAN PATH TO FRAUD IN BC’S FORESTS
Management of public forests by the forest industry isn’t in the public interest.
32 Aaren Madden | ALL TOGETHER NOW
Luke Ramsey’s multidisciplinary art practice is all about collaboration —with other artists, and with viewers.
48 Mollie Kaye | EINE KLEINE SUMMER MUSIC 30th ANNIVERSARY
The June concert series celebrates the natural power and intimacy of chamber music.
52 Aaron Stefik | A STORY OF QUEER JUSTICE, VICTORIA 1860
Site-specific theatre brings history to life in Bastion Square.
54 Monica Prendergast | WTF?
Be part of the change. Get off the couch and see live performances.
56 Amy Reiswig | EDEN ROBINSON: SON OF A TRICKSTER
A coming-of-age story invites us to step out of the comfortable.
58 Gene Miller | PLEASE DON’T LEAVE ME, VICTORIA
As waves of newcomers arrive, opportunity and peril loom over our urban identity.
60 Maleea Acker | THE DEVASTATION AND RESTORATION OF TOD INLET
A century ago, Robert Butchart’s cement works used the inlet as a dump; help is finally on the way.
62 Trudy Duivenvoorden Mitic | ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT
Are we hurting ourselves when we oppose mixed housing?
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March-April 2017 Focus.pdf
4 Leslie Campbell | HOW THE REFUGEE CRISIS IS PLAYING OUT IN VICTORIA
America is slamming its door on refugees. Will Canada open its wider?
14 Ross Crockford | A POOL OF MONEY, OLYMPIC-SIZED
The City of Victoria wants to build a $70-million swimming pool but must
first obtain consent from electors to borrow $60 million.
14 Judith Lavoie | SHAWNIGAN WATER FEARS SPILL INTO ELECTION
Environment Minister Polak cancelled South Island Aggregates’ wastewater discharge permit, but will the bad taste left behind impact the provincial election?
16 David Broadland | VICTORIA’S ICONIC, WORLD-CLASS BLUNDER
Project promoters are still claiming the new bridge will be “world-class” and “iconic.” Unfortunately, they may be right.
20 Judith Lavoie | BC’S CLIMATE DEBATE HEATS UP
We analyzed the climate action strategies of BC’s political parties
in the lead-up to May’s election.
24 Alan Cassels | LETTER TO VICTORIA’S SOCCER MOMS
The “selling sickness” model is in full display
in pushing grade 6 boys towards a questionable vaccine.
26 Briony Penn | WHALES OF THE SALISH SEA
Despite all the noise, pollution and overfishing, the orca are still here.
30 Ross Crockford | TALES OF TWO BOOKSELLERS
Mel Bolen and Jim Munro built monuments to the written word.
32 Aaren Madden | FULL CIRCLE
Artist Susan Point has pushed boundaries for women and Coast Salish design.
50 Robin J. Miller | ROBB BERESFORD IS BACK IN TOWN
Former Ballet Victoria star returns to Victoria
with renowned Alonzo King LINES Ballet of San Francisco.
52 Amy Reiswig | SILKY SASS AND SECRET LIVES
The Millies give voice to their daring, fun-loving,
theatrical selves in a benefit for Hospice.
54 Monica Prendergast | ALICE MUNRO, WORD FOR WORD
The Belfry gives us two stories from Canada’s beloved Nobel-winner.
56 Amy Reiswig | SACRED HERB / DEVIL’S WEED
Andrew Struthers takes readers on a long,
strange—and fun—trip through marijuana and human culture.
58 Gene Miller | COMMUNITY IS PERISHABLE
And somebody should definitely do something about this sometime.
60 Maleea Acker | LOUISE GOULET: PLANT SALVAGER AND CONSERVATIONIST
Preserving the flora of the Garry Oak meadow ecosystem in the face of development.
62 Trudy Duivenvoorden Mitic | EULOGY VIRTUES
What makes people truly good?
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Jan-Feb 2017 Focus.pdf
4 David Broadland | HOW IS THE AMERICAN ELECTION LIKE ALBERTA’S OIL SANDS?
North Americans are becoming increasingly innumerate and vulnerable to disinformation.
6 Blaise Salmon | LIBERALS NOT PROTECTING DRINKING WATER
Any quarry can apply for a permit to accept contaminated waste,
regardless of where it is located.
14 David Broadland | ALBERTA’S DEATH GRIP ON CANADA
Trudeau linked approval of Trans Mountain to Alberta’s “cap”
on oil sands emissions. Has that cap already been exceeded?
18 Judith Lavoie | NDP AND LIBERALS WALK A TIGHTROPE ON TRANS MOUNTAIN
The road to election success in BC is paved with pipeline pitfalls.
20 Briony Penn | TRANS MOUNTAIN: WHEN THE BITUMEN HITS THE FAN
British Columbians gear up with court challenges, protest plans,
and voting campaigns to prevent the pipeline.
22 Leslie Campbell | GETTING GROWTH RIGHT
The Capital Region’s population is expected to grow to 442,000
in the next 20 years. Where are we going to put everyone?
28 Alan Cassels | HIGH ON DRUG INDUSTRY DONATIONS?
Policies friendly to the manufacturers of prescription drugs
bear a lot of responsibility for the current opioid crisis.
30 Katherine Palmer Gordon | ON SHAKY GROUND
Our correspondent was in Wellington, New Zealand when a M7.8 earthquake
struck in November. Her experience illustrates what could be in store for Victoria.
34 Aaren Madden | THE FULLNESS OF EMPTINESS
Karel Doruyter’s forest landscapes contemplate
the monumental presence that can be found in places of isolation.
52 Mollie Kaye | DUBINSKY’S DELIGHT
In honour of their 30th anniversary, the Lafayette String Quartet
performs Shostakovich’s complete string quartet cycle.
54 Monica Prendergast | WITHER THE CRITIC?
What role does theatre criticism play in a post-truth world?
56 Amy Reiswig | JAN ZWICKY: THE LONG WALK
What do you really need on the long walk
besides a humble, open mind and the courage to see?
58 Gene Miller | DOUGIE
Douglas Street, once fully invested with life and social purpose, now seems diminished.
60 Maleea Acker | TOWARDS REWILDING A CITY CREEK
Dorothy Field explains her passion for Rock Bay Creek,
which once flowed from Fernwood to the Inner Harbour.
62 Trudy Duivenvoorden Mitic | STEWARDSHIP IS ITS OWN REWARD
Musings on making the transition away from fossil fuels.
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November 2014 Focus.pdf
4 Leslie Campbell | LEVELLING THE PLAYING FIELD
In seeking a fairer election process, for starters, follow the money.
10 Andrew Weaver | ON EMISSIONS, LNG, AND A NEW VISION FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
The shift to reducing emission intensity from absolute reductions is an illusion of action. What’s needed is a shift
in direction to develop clean tech industries.
12 David Broadland | END-OF-TERM REPORT CARD
Key votes at City Hall raise questions about the judgment of some councillors seeking re-election.
14 Judith Lavoie | STEPHEN ANDREW: NO POLITICAL BAGGAGE
Journalist Stephen Andrew’s candidacy was catalyzed by Mayor Fortin’s lack of answers about the Johnson Street Bridge.
16 Katherine Gordon | LISA HELPS: WELCOMING YOUR IDEAS TO CITY HALL
Helps wants the public more directly and meaningfully consulted before decisions are made by City Hall.
18 Judith Lavoie | IDA CHONG: READY TO TAKE CHARGE
An energetic downtown and fiscal restraint are among Ida Chong’s priorities.
20 David Broadland | RICHARD ATWELL: CRITICAL THINKING ON COMMUNITY ISSUES
Mayoral candidate would provide stronger leadership and open up Saanich and the CRD to greater public involvement.
24 Aaren Madden | AS SHE SEES IT
Artist Blythe Scott makes the familiar new again with personal impressions of place.
38 Monica Prendergast | ON THE ART OF WATCHING
Three productions in November illustrate how theatre helps us grow.
40 Amy Reiswig | REFLECTIONS OF CANADA AND DEMOCRACY
Elizabeth May’s new book is a call to take back Canada.
42 Gene Miller | VOTE FOR MAYOR SQUISHY
Who the hell thought up Ida Chong? And other insider tips...
46 Trudy Duivenvoorden Mitic | CREATING RESILIENCE
The surest ways to safeguard our neighbourhoods.
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December 2014 Focus.pdf
4 Leslie Campbell | FROM ONE ELECTION TO ANOTHER…
Why do we spend more than twice as much on prisons as we spend on young children?
10 David Broadland | LISA’S LANDSLIDE AND THE ATWELL ATTACK
Theories on why the region’s two most powerful mayors lost their jobs on November 15.
14 Judith Lavoie | TRANS MOUNTAIN PIPELINE HEATS UP
Critics complain the National Energy Board hearings are a farce; Kinder Morgan plays hardball and arrests begin.
16 Briony Penn | WHEN VOTER SUPPRESSION COMES CALLING
A new documentary and public forum in Victoria in January will shed light on election fraud in Canada.
18 Aaren Madden | NOTHING IS MISSED
A new book provides a glimpse into Godfrey Stephens’ remarkable life and art.
32 Amy Reiswig | GARTH MARTENS: PROLOGUE TO THE AGE OF CONSEQUENCE
A poet explores the oil sands through the eyes of its workers.
34 Roszan Holmen | E&N: MORE RED LIGHTS AHEAD?
Records recently obtained by FOI show that after explicit warnings about the condition of the E&N Railway tracks in 2009, the BC Safety Authority allowed 22 months of further deterioration before passenger service was finally terminated in 2011. Now, with $20 million in public money allocated to upgrade tracks and restart service, critics say the plan is under-funded, won’t provide long-term safety, and therefore isn’t worth pursuing. At the same time, impassioned advocates see rail as a low-carbon solution to the increasingly congested and accident-prone Island Highway—and a potential boon for tourism.
42 Gene Miller | HOW TALL IS GOD?
Belief in a Seven-Days-of-Creation God or any other fabulation bout beginnings is simply post-Paleolithic ooga-booga.
44 Briony Penn | COMMUNITY INTERVENTION FOR LOCAL PARKS NEEDED
Who knew? There are 42 provincial parks, from the southern Gulf Islands to Port Renfrew, that need your help.
46 Trudy Duivenvoorden Mitic | THE SOUL FELT ITS WORTH
Tailoring Christmas celebrations to your own sense of meaning.
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January 2015 Focus.pdf
4 Leslie Campbell | CAN WE TRUST OUR DEMOCRACY?
The use of robocalls and other “voter suppression” tactics suggests we can’t.
10 Sonia Théroux | HOW TO WIN AN ELECTION
Bring disengaged citizens back to the polls.
12 David Broadland | THE CASE AGAINST MCLOUGHLINISM
Will Oak Bay Mayor Nils Jensen and Victoria’s Dwayne Kalynchuk lead the region’s big issue back to a gunfight at McLoughlin Point?
16 Katherine Palmer Gordon | UNCHARTED TERRITORY
Failure to protect First Nations graves on Grace Islet may lead to the first aboriginal title claim on private property in BC.
20 Judith Lavoie | KINDER MORGAN'S FAIRY TALE
The Houston-based pipeline company says it’s a good corporate citizen but its record in Canada doesn’t support that claim.
22 Briony Penn | THE GREAT BEAR: WORTH MORE ALIVE THAN DEAD
Will adventure tourism and forest stewardship trump logging, pipelines and hunting in the Great Bear Rainforest?
24 Aaren Madden THE SUM OF EXPERIENCES
Jeremy Herndl’s landscape paintings push visual representation into a multisensory realm.
36 Monica Prendergast | BEST ON STAGE
The “Spotlight Critics Choice Awards.”
38 Amy Reiswig | OF THE COAST AND ITS CREATURES
Ian McAllister’s latest book immerses readers in the magic of the Great Bear Rainforest, as well as the threats to its health.
44 Gene Miller | THE 90-MINUTE SOLUTION
If we’re going to invest in a pricey new McKenzie Avenue intersection, let’s charge commuters for stop-reduced driving.
46 Trudy Duivenvoorden Mitic | HERE’S TO AN INNOVATIVE NEW YEAR
Lucky for us there are folks taking initiative on some ingenious and beneficial ideas.
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February 2015 Focus.pdf
4 Leslie Campbell | FIGHT? OR PLAY NICE TILL IT’S OVER?
Green candidate Jo-Ann Roberts reflects on why a strong public broadcaster is important to democracy.
10 David Broadland | THE TC’S COVERAGE OF RICHARD ATWELL
In their coverage of two stories, was the local daily concocting a case for an overturn of November’s election in Saanich?
14 Judith Lavoie | PARTY AT THE PUMPS
The low price of oil is raising big questions around pipeline proposals, BC’s carbon tax, emissions, and consumer behavior.
16 Alan Cassels | VACCINATION INSURANCE
A Victoria resident spearheads a national vaccine compensation movement.
18 Katherine Palmer Gordon | PLUNDERING THE CARBON SINK
The extraordinary potential of Vancouver Island forests to sequester carbon is being lost due to government inaction.
22 Derry McDonell | THE EASTSIDE-WESTSIDE SPLIT
Will breaking into two groups create a consensus solution on sewage treatment? Or new unresolvable problems?
26 Aaren Madden | ENERGETIC UNIVERSE
Using the fundamentals of gesture, line and colour, Gillian Redwood paints invisible energies into visible form.
40 Monica Prendergast | ABSENT MOTHERS AND PRESENT SONS
This month the Belfry helps us explore the bonds and tensions between mothers and sons (with both laughs and tears).
42 Amy Reiswig | KNITTING STORIES
In her most recent book, Sylvia Olsen tells stories of knitting relationships as well as wool.
44 Gene Miller | VICKY GOT LUCKY
This City has been managed by stewards, not visionaries…until now.
46 Trudy Duivenvoorden Mitic | ENOUGH WITH THE SELFIE CULTURE
How about a bucket list for the Earth instead?
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March 2016 Focus.pdf
4 Leslie Campbell | THE DEER QUESTION
Living with wildlife can be a community-building project. Oak Bay chose a different path.
14 David Broadland | PENNY-WISE, POUND-FOOLISH
The recommended level of seismic protection for the new bridge was secretly lowered as construction costs escalated.
18 Judith Lavoie | DIVESTMENT COOLS TAR SANDS
Divestment on its own won’t keep fossil fuel reserves in the ground—but it might help.
20 Briony Penn | BC’S EXPENSIVE FISH FARMS
The federal government seems intent on propping up corporate fish farming despite the high costs.
24 David Broadland | McLOUGHLINISM IN RETREAT?
In trying to save the McLoughlin Point plan, CRD staff instead shoot it in the foot.
26 Aaren Madden | COLOURFUL HISTORIES
Nancy Ruhl’s paintings offer vivid homage to domestic architecture while documenting a changing cityscape.
40 Robin J Miller | FROM THE FAVELAS OF BRAZIL
Dance Victoria brings Compagnie Käfig to the Royal Theatre, March 13 and 14.
42 Amy Reiswig | THE ENEMY IS PINK LEGO
Jordan Stratford’s feminist adventure story helps girls reboot their own reality.
44 Gene Miller | WHEN I’M 164
Past cultures were gone in a generational eye-blink. Strap in, brothers and sisters!
46 Trudy Duivenvoorden Mitic | SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL
A small house doesn’t have to be a compromise.
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April 2015 Focus.pdf
4 Leslie Campbell | PEEKING BEHIND CAMPAIGN CURTAINS
Campaign finance reforms are welcome but the Province refuses to restrict donations.
10 Murray Rankin | AN EARTH DAY MESSAGE
Stephen Harper’s indifference to climate change could mean Canada will lose the opportunity for clean energy investment and jobs.
12 Leslie Campbell | AT A GLANCE
The sewage treatment and deer cull issues.
14 David Broadland | THE FOX IS IN THE CHICKEN HOUSE
Victoria City Council has been fooled again on the Johnson Street Bridge project.
18 Katherine Palmer Gordon | SAVING GRACE
At a March longhouse ceremony, a cabinet minister promises change, but First Nations are still wary.
20 Judith Lavoie | PETROSTATE CLAMPDOWN
Critics of proposed “anti-terrorism” legislation see it as part of the Conservative’s push to quell opposition to petroleum-related projects.
22 Derry McDonell | A-WORD CONVERSATION BEGINS
Academics weigh in on the amalgamation question.
26 Aaren Madden | A HAPPY NOTE
Using light and shadow, technique and subject matter, Clement Kwan paints to bring joy to viewers.
40 Monica Prendergast | PORTRAYING RACE ON STAGE
An upcoming production of Madama Butterfly encourages discussion of how to represent race properly in theatre.
42 Amy Reiswig | SUPER UNEQUAL BC
Through statistics and personal stories, Andrew MacLeod delves into the realities and costs of poverty in BC.
44 Gene Miller | VICTORIA: iCAPITAL OF CANADA?
The task of positioning Victoria as a centre for innovation and investment demands, among other things, desire.
46 Trudy Duivenvoorden Mitic | GOOD NEWS FOR PLODDERS
More is not better, and actually, more could be worse, says one cardiologist.
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- 1,706 views
May 2015
By admin, in Past Editions in PDF format,
May 2015 Focus.pdf
4 Leslie Campbell | CAUTIONARY TALES ON THE ROAD TO BOLD AND INNOVATIVE
It’s political will—not ideas—that we’ve been missing in reducing homelessness.
10 Elizabeth May | 2015: the year that must change everything. How we can make up for nine years of lost time?
12 David Broadland | THE WHISTLE BLOWER’S TALE
Did Saanich staff conspire to spy on the newly-elected mayor?
18 Judith Lavoie | SHAWNIGAN LAKE BATTLE ESCALATES
With legal costs already over $1 million, the traumatized community continues its fight against a contaminated soil dump.
20 Briony Penn | LORI AND GOLIATH
A scientific communicator takes on big oil and its so-called regulator.
24 Derry McDonell | A-WORD CONVERSATION CONTINUES
Former BC Premier Mike Harcourt tells a pro-amalgamation crowd that citizens will have to lead the way.
26 Aaren Madden | OYSTERCATCHER GIRL
Anne Hansen paints joyful natural images as antidote to social injustices.
40 Monica Prendergast | PLAYS WITH SOMETHING TO SAY
Social commentary abounds in the upcoming UNO Fest.
42 Amy Reiswig | THE MYSTERY
The complexities of our relations with other animals are explored in a new anthology.
44 Gene Miller | ENRIQUE’S FATAL ERROR
There’s nothing like a crisis—even if it’s someone else’s—to remind us that the true meaning of life is survival itself.
46 Trudy Duivenvoorden Mitic | RATS!
They love the Garden City too.
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- 1,429 views
June 2015 Focus.pdf
4 Leslie Campbell | MEDIA AS WEAPONS OF MASS DISTRACTION
Whistle blowers, citizen activists and persistent journalists are the antidote.
10 David Broadland | THE WHISTLE BLOWER’S TALE: PART 2
The spyware installed on Mayor-elect Richard Atwell’s computer was only one of three IT strategies that targeted him.
14 Judith Lavoie | DRAFTING THE REGION’S FUTURE
While Mike Hicks fears the Regional Sustainability Strategy’s teeth will bite his community, others say they aren’t sharp enough.
16 Katherine Palmer Gordon | MORTON VS DFO
You’d think Fisheries and Oceans Canada would be on the side of wild salmon. Think again.
18 Leslie Campbell | INGMAR’S WORRY
Do articulated tug barges, each carrying millions of gallons of hydrocarbon fuels, pose a threat to our coast?
20 David Broadland | KALYNCHUK’S LEGACY
The CRD is fighting to prevent release of a record that could show how badly they estimated one of the costs of sewage treatment.
22 Ray Grigg | THE FUTURE IS PLASTIC
World Oceans Day on June 8 is a good time to ponder our use and abuse of plastic and how it impacts the environment.
26 Aaren Madden | REVISITING THE SIXTIES SCENE
Legacy’s new exhibition illustrates a formative time in Victoria’s modern art history.
38 Mollie Kaye | IMMERSION IN THE SOUND
Ensemble Laude presents two concerts in June, displaying the power of choral music.
40 Amy Reiswig | A HEALING PLACE
A visual and literary homage to Tod Inlet, its history, nature, and people.
42 Gene Miller | SEDUCTION BY THE TECHNOCRATS
Amalgamation may destroy that which makes this place meaningful.
44 Briony Penn | POETIC JUSTICE
A sense of humour and humility are essential as settlers wade into the rich intertidal zone of decolonization.
46 Trudy Duivenvoorden Mitic | OVERCOMING GODZILLA
Despite federal neglect, local youth are taking meaningful action.
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July-August 2015 Focus.pdf
4 Leslie Campbell | A LIFE-SAVER
Will Victoria take responsibility to provide safe consumption services?
10 Ray Grigg | CANADA’S SHAME
If Vladimir Putin is politically “troublesome,”
Stephan Harper is his environmental equivalent.
12 David Broadland and Daniel Palmer | INVESTIGATIONS into INVESTIGATIONS
News of a secret investigation involving Saanich’s interim CAO Andy Laidlaw may throw the District into more turmoil.
18 Briony Penn | WAR IN THE WOODS II?
Eight planned cutblocks in the Walbran are raising the temperature among those concerned about BC’s old-growth forests.
22 Katherine Palmer Gordon | GETTING ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s final report calls for a massive shift in how Canada conducts itself in relation to Aboriginal people.
26 Aaren Madden | WHERE THE WHALES COME IN
Marika Swan finds personal guidance and artistic inspiration in her people’s spiritual connection to whales.
40 Monica Prendergast | A DELICIOUS SUMMER THEATRE MENU
Shakespeare, queer, the Goose, the Fringe and more.
42 Amy Reiswig | BUILDING A HOUSE TOGETHER
Two books expand the conversation on how, together, indigenous and settler people can create a new story.
44 Gene Miller | AGGRESSIVE RECYCLING BEATS AGGRESSIVE PANHANDLING
Contemporary circumstances, including shrinking governments, demand that we, the human family, be socially innovative.
46 Trudy Duivenvoorden Mitic | THE AGE OF IRRESPONSIBILITY
What’s happening on our roads is a microcosm of what seems to be ailing society in general.
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- 1,444 views
September 2015 Focus.pdf
4 Leslie Campbell | SUMMER’S BOUNTY
Animals, vegetables, and a thought-provoking book.
8 Jo-Ann Roberts | STOP HARPER—AND BEYOND
Victorians who want to stop Harper might also want to elect an MP who is free to speak the truth.
10 David Broadland | THE $130-MILLION QUESTION
The Johnson Street Bridge project director says the new bridge will be “somewhat less robust” than the existing bridge. Why?
14 Judith Lavoie | AT ISSUE: KINDER MORGAN’S TRANS MOUNTAIN PIPELINE
Where do the parties stand on allowing another 890,000 barrels of tar sands bitumen to be shipped past Victoria each day?
16 Briony Penn | SONORA OLD-GROWTH FORESTS TO FEED PENSIONERS?
Owned by government pension plans, TimberWest appears set to ignore a Forest Practices Board finding about its logging on the island.
18 Aaren Madden | THE MIRACLE BEFORE US
By re-presenting landscapes with views both intimate and monumental, Brent Lynch invokes the sanctity of the everyday.
32 Monica Prendergast | GENDER EQUITY IN THEATRE
A recent report suggests not enough has changed for women in theatre.
34 Amy Reiswig | THE FIGHT FOR REAL FOOD
From Madrona Farm in the Blenkinsop Valley, a new book explores a global vision rooted in the earth.
36 Alan Cassels | THE ORTHOPAEDIC WAITING GAME
Vancouver Island’s aging baby boomers, coupled with stretched budgets and operating rooms,have created a perfect storm for timely access to needed joint surgery.
42 Gene Miller | WAR BETWEEN WORLDS
Contemporary circumstances, including shrinking governments, demand that we, the human family, be socially innovative.
44 Maleea Acker | MANY SWALLOWS MAKE A SUMMER
Malcolm Rodin volunteers his time to nurture native (mosquito-eating) songbirds.
46 Trudy Duivenvoorden Mitic | IF I HAD A HAMMER…
Provide a home and the rest follows.
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October 2015 Focus.pdf
4 Leslie Campbell | WHEN SPIN DOCTORS MAKE POLICY
The provincial LNG fiction-writing exercise has some lessons towards October 19.
10 Cheryl Thomas | WHY YOUR VOTE COUNTS
Halting the decay of our democracy isn’t difficult. It starts with valuing your vote.
12 David Broadland | AN ABSENCE OF EVIDENCE
There’s no scientific case for sewage treatment in Victoria, but the community faces a billion-dollar price tag anyway. Where do the candidates stand?
16 Judith Lavoie | MURRAY RANKIN V. CANADA
Rankin acted on behalf of an American mining corporation in its successful bid to sue Canada using NAFTA.
18 Briony Penn | LEGISLATED VOTER SUPRESSION
The Unfair Election Act is coming soon—very soon—to a polling station near you.
20 Liz McArthur | CANNABIS COWBOYS
Why are marijuana dispensaries the growth business in Victoria?
22 Katherine Palmer Gordon | A CHANGE OF FOCUS
As she leaves us, our correspondent reflects on a decade of First Nations treaty negotiations, court rulings and attempts at reconciliation.
24 Aaren Madden | A SERIES OF SMALL ABSTRACTIONS
Rod Charlesworth celebrates both place and paint.
38 John Threlfall | THE VIEW FROM HERE
Geographic and cultural history combine in a bold new play about one of Victoria’s most infamous locations.
40 Amy Reiswig | THE REAL THING
Briony Penn’s new biography of beloved BC conservation hero Ian McTaggart Cowan.
42 Gene Miller | SPARE CHANGE
That $90 extra million on the bridge could have transformed Victoria.
44 Maleea Acker | SALMON RESURGENCE
Thanks in part to volunteers like Dorothy Chambers, coho salmon are thriving in Colquitz River—but for how long?
46 Trudy Duivenvoorden Mitic | THE PROBLEM WITH SITTING ON YOUR BALLOT
Low voter turnout in 2011 allowed a small minority of Canadians to elect a majority government.
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- 1,593 views
November 2015.pdf
4 Leslie Campbell | THE LAST STRATEGIC VOTE
Let’s make sure that next time we can vote our conscience and know it will count.
10 Bill McKibben | EXXON’S CLIMATE LIE
Decades ago the company’s scientists warned about climate change but Exxon executives chose to fund doubt.
12 David Broadland | THE ORIGINS OF SPYYNICH
Was the surveillance software installed on the newly-elected mayor’s computer by Saanich staff a case of tit for tat?
14 David Broadland | BRIDGE EXPENSE MOUNTS
Would the new bridge survive a collision with common sense?
16 Judith Lavoie | HOMELESSNESS INITIATIVE: GLIMMER OF HOPE OR “FART IN THE AIR”?
“Housing First” is easier in theory than in practice, especially given multiple municipalities and lack of senior government support.
18 Briony Penn | CERMAQ V. THE PEOPLE
The rise and fall of fish farming in Ahousaht territory.
20 Alan Cassels | THE SLIPPERY STATS ON FLU VACCINES
Are flu shots 60 percent effective? Or are they 3 percent effective in a good year and 1 percent in a bad year?
22 Aaren Madden | PEN TO PAPER
Amy Frank’s art practice encompasses creative expression, advocacy and powerful coping tools in her struggle with mental illness.
36 Mollie Kaye | MUSIC FROM 1000 YEARS AGO
An early music ensemble from France is expected to perform magic at Alix Goolden Hall this month.
38 Monica Prendergast | SAYING BIG THINGS SMALL
Ronnie Burkett returns to town this month with his puppets and improvisational-style theatre.
40 Amy Reiswig | ON ORIGINS AND ENDINGS
Arleen Paré explores tiny but sometimes momentous moments of intersection, where we connect unexpectedly.
42 Gene Miller | GIMME SHELTER
The homeless on Victoria’s downtown streets offer a full-colour snapshot of response failure.
44 Maleea Acker | MALTBY LAKE'S ECOLOGICAL WONDERS
Carmel and Woody Thomson show how love of place can keep it safe.
46 Trudy Duivenvoorden Mitic | THE MAN WHO FELL FROM THE SKY
The story of a young soldier from Victoria helps us remember why we should strive for peace.
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- 1,678 views
December 2015.pdf
4 Leslie Campbell | EMBRACING DECARBONIZATION
It’s time for Christy Clark to wake up from her LNG dream before it becomes a nightmare for the rest of us.
10 10 Marine Scientists | SCIENTISTS TO CRD: PETITION THE FEDS FOR RECLASSIFICATION
Marine scientists plead for an evidence-based approach to developing sewage treatment for Victoria.
12 David Broadland | THE CHINESE WELDING RUSE
As the cost for a new bridge marches towards $150 million, explanations from City Hall seem designed to distract rather than inform.
14 Judith Lavoie | PUTTING THE GAG WHERE IT BELONGS
Scientists and policy experts on the Harper government’s well-loathed practice of replacing scientific evidence with PR spin.
16 Briony Penn | 100 days OF DESTRUCTION
BC Hydro accused of divide-and-conquer tactics among Peace River Valley First Nations.
18 Rob Wipond | PROVINCE TO REIN IN POLICE CHIEF ASSOCIATIONS?
A surprise government announcement could lead to the resolution of long-standing controversies about police secrecy.
20 Alan Cassels | HEALTH VOICES CO-OPTED
The Ministry of Health’s attempt to privatize the voice of patients does not have a promising prognosis.
22 Liz McArthur | NEW CANADIANS INCOMING
Victoria prepares to help Syrian refugees make a new home.
24 Aaren Madden | SELF PRESERVATION
Joanne Thomson’s new paintings, inspired by her grandparents’ life, transforms the pain of family secrets.
38 Monica Prendergast | SPIT DELANEY’S ISLAND
Jack Hodgins’ novel has been reworked into a new play by Charles Tidler.
40 Amy Reiswig | THE POWER IN YOUR HANDS
45 Years of Fooling Around with A. Banana: a book and an exhibit.
42 Gene Miller | TOMORROWLAND
Let’s make Victoria a model for the new economy.
44 Maleea Acker | JACQUES SIROIS’ BIOSPHERE DREAMS
Nurturing herring would allow other species to rebound in the Salish Sea area.
46 Trudy Duivenvoorden Mitic | SHARING OUR BLESSINGS
This Christmas season, let’s envision our city as an inn that truly has room for everyone.
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- 1,591 views
January 2016 Focus.pdf
4 David Broadland | COMMISSIONER LOWE’S OPEN WINDOW
The Commissioner’s report, by example, challenges other government officials to meet his high standard for transparency.
10 Ken Wu | IN TERMS OF EMISSIONS, LOGGING THE WALBRAN MAKES NO SENSE
If the BC government were serious about addressing climate change, it would protect old-growth forests.
12 David Broadland | ENVIRONMENT CANADA’S BILLION-DOLLAR screw-up
A study by DFO scientists found that secondary sewage treatment will have a negligible effect on environmental conditions in our waters.
16 Leslie Campbell | INTENT CITY
The encampment at the law courts grounds provides evidence of our collective failure to meet the need for housing.
18 Judith Lavoie | SCIENTISTS: SPLIT DFO IN TWO
Is the new government open to hearing scientists’ arguments that DFO cannot protect both industry and fish?
20 Aaren Madden | THE SUM OF ITS PARTS
With his unique medium, sculptor Roland Gatin fuses stone to build connections and explore ideas.
34 Mollie Kaye | LORRAINE MIN COMES HOME
Acclaimed pianist will perform Chopin’s Piano Concerto No.1 on January 23 at the Royal Theatre.
36 Robin J Miller | MAJOR MOTION PICTURE
Out Innerspace Dance Theatre premières its latest creation in Victoria, January 29 & 30.
38 Amy Reiswig | FALLING IN LOVE WITH THE FUTURE
Guy Dauncey’s new novel envisions an urban ecotopia.
40 Gene Miller | THE PLUMBER’S DILEMMA
The delusional desire for amalgamation.
42 Maleea Acker | CARING FOR KWETAL IN MEEGAN
Cheryl Bryce’s Community Tool Shed.
44 Briony Penn | 100 PERCENT PURE WHAT?
Most of New Zealand has been deforested due to agriculture, impacting biodiversity, water quality and the climate.
46 Trudy Duivenvoorden Mitic | UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH ONE TREE
2016: A good year for championing everything local.
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- 1,546 views
February 2016 Focus.pdf
4 Leslie Campbell | OUR FOCUS IS CHANGING
After 28 years as a monthly, we’re going to decarbonize a bit.
12 David Broadland | OPTION 10: OUR best bet to avoid sewercide? Fisheries Act requirements for sewage treatment in Victoria could be met for less than $200 million.
16 Judith Lavoie | STANDOFF AT POLAK SPRINGS
Shawnigan Lake residents dig in for a long fight to protect their water from a controversial contaminated soil landfill.
18 Alan Cassels | WHOSE SECRET INSTRUCTIONS WASTED $100 MILLION?
The likely cost of the unjustified firing of eight Ministry of Health researchers is staggering, yet no one has been held accountable.
20 Briony Penn | TRANS MOUNTAIN OPPONENTS GET BOOST FROM FEDS
How the National Energy Board found itself under attack by everyone in January.
22 Aaren Madden | ILLUMINATING THE EVERYDAY
Barbara Callow uses light to bring life to the painted form.
36 Mollie Kaye | CALLING YOUR INNER GYPSY
Swain on swing: The 5th Annual Victoria Django Festival.
38 Monica Prendergast | THE VALLEY
Issues around policing and mental health lie at the heart of award-winning playwright Joan MacLeod’s work.
40 Amy Reiswig | NATURE IS FORECLOSING
The Climate Nexus calls for a transformative discussion on adapting our life-support systems to climate change.
42 Gene Miller | SEWERCIDE
Local politicians are bumbling toward a multi-billion-dollar sewage treatment plan the community doesn’t need.
44 Maleea Acker | A BIRDING EVANGELIST’S BIG YEAR
Knowing our fellow creatures inspires Ann Nightingale’s passion.
46 Trudy Duivenvoorden Mitic | SNUGGLE UP WITH KOSELIGHET
The yarn that keeps us knitted together, especially through winter.
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- 1,474 views
March-April 2016 Focus.pdf
4 Leslie Campbell | MOVING FROM THEM TO US
A tent city on provincial land has pushed the Province a little closer toward a solution to homelessness in Victoria.
12 Brian Burchill | GIVE US RESPONSIBLE, RATIONAL SEWAGE STEWARDSHIP
Is it time to head to Ottawa to discuss Victoria’s mistaken and expensive risk classification for sewage treatment?
14 David Broadland | CRAP AND CORRUPTION
The sewage and bridge projects are wasting millions in public money, including the cost of hiding those costs.
16 David Broadland | DEVIL’S MOUNTAIN FAULT: FRIGHTENING IMPLICATIONS
Scientists recently confirmed an active seismic fault that could generate a large earthquake lies within 5 kilometres of downtown Victoria.
22 Judith Lavoie | THE HOLY GRAIL OF LNG
The quest of Christy Clark’s government for a BC LNG industry has taken on an increasingly mythical quality.
24 Leslie Campbell | FEAR AND FUNDING IN Las VICTORIA
Mayor Helps’ forceful push to a billion-dollar sewage facility at Rock Bay takes some twists and turns—and ain’t done yet.
28 Lisa Cordasco | BANKRUPT IN BC
New laws meant to protect BC consumers who are drowning in debt may not go far enough.
32 Aaren Madden | IN HIS ELEMENT
Wildlife artist and environmentalist Mark Hobson’s arrival at his beloved, secluded floating studio has been a lifelong journey.
44 Mollie Kaye | PAYING HOMAGE TO THOSE WHO SHAPED JAZZ
Last call for this season’s Sunday afternoon “tribute” concerts at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria.
52 Monica Prendergast | MATTERS OF CLASS
Some upcoming plays are designed to shake us down to our middle class roots.
54 Amy Reiswig | TOWARDS A LIFE OF INTEGRITY
Set in a US community in conflict over civil rights and the Viet Nam war, Tricia Dower’s novel explores the essential fight for self-expression.
56 Gene Miller | PRACTICING HOPE AND BUYING TIME
A meditation while picking litter in the perfected landscape of Beacon Hill Park.
58 Maleea Acker | THE MISKELLYS’ PASSION
Nurturing native species, young farmers and the land.
60 Briony Penn | UNLIKELY ALLIES IN A COMPLEX ECOSYSTEM
Reflections on the Great Bear Rainforest Agreement cannot leave out Chief Qwatsinas.
62 Trudy Duivenvoorden Mitic | THE JOYS OF SOUP
When the world seems crazy, chopping and stewing conserve sanity and the Earth.
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May-June 2016 Focus.pdf
4 Leslie Campbell | OUR LIMITED RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH
BC’s defamation laws are downgrading our democracy.
12 David Broadland | QUASHING THE PUBLIC INTEREST
Mayor Helps and the CRD seem to have lost sight of whom they are serving.
14 Judith Lavoie | THE CHILL IN SHAWNIGAN LAKE
People who have publicly expressed concern about a contaminated soil dump
are being threatened with defamation suits.
18 Roszan Holmen | CRITICAL CROSSROADS FOR RAIL ON THE ISLAND
Island politicians support rail—but not rail management.
20 Briony Penn | FIGHTING FOR THE SALISH SEA
With 18 large port expansion projects around the Salish Sea,
how’s an ecosystem to survive the influx of tanker traffic?
22 David Broadland | WASHINGTON’S PHONY SEWAGE WAR WITH VICTORIA
Puget Sound is a mess of sewage and toxic chemical discharges.
Should Victoria taxpayers have to pay for Seattle’s sins?
30 Aaren Madden | WALKING IN THE GARDEN WITH ROBIN
Robin Hopper’s legacy in ceramics encompasses production,
education, publications, institutions—and a beautiful garden.
42 Robin J. Miller | GIVING VOICE TO A GENERATION LOST TO AIDS
Illustrating resilience, generosity and bravery,
The Missing Generation opens our hearts.
50 Monica Prendergast | IN AND OUTS AT INTREPID THEATRE
Janet Munsil may be departing, but Intrepid is forging ahead.
54 Amy Reiswig | WATER, TRUST AND TRUTH
Andrew Nikiforuk writes about one woman’s battle
to protect her water from fracking and our lives from corporate lies.
58 Gene Miller | SOFTISM
Maintaining Victoria’s soft edges may be worth a hard fight.
60 Maleea Acker | BIG TREES, BIG DREAMS
James Clowater’s urban arboreal vision.
62 Trudy Duivenvoorden Mitic | CHRISTY’S IMPOSSIBLE DREAM
Realities like increased GHGs just get processed in the Premier’s political mix-master.
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- 1,640 views
July-Aug 2016 Focus.pdf
4 Leslie Campbell | SEEKING REASON IN A SEA OF SOUND BITES
Here’s to a summer of books, reason and love.
10 David Broadland | VICTORIA’S SEWAGE FIASCO AND THE POLITICS OF CONTAMINATION
Contamination of local politics by a false pretence and a toxic promise requires primary treatment at the ballot box.
18 Leslie Campbell | SPEAKING UP FOR SENIORS
BC’s Seniors Advocate Isobel Mackenzie makes the case for more government intervention on behalf of seniors.
22 Judith Lavoie | TRANS MOUNTAIN: EVIDENCE GROWS, TRUDEAU SHOULD SAY NO
On the heels of the NEB’s approval of Kinder Morgan’s pipeline proposal, a raft of research points in the other direction.
26 Alan Cassels | MORE NAILS IN THE COFFIN OF THE “CHOLESTEROL HYPOTHESIS”
New studies provide further evidence that cholesterol-lowering statins and other new drugs may be a costly dead end.
28 Briony Penn | NEW CALLS FOR A MORATORIUM ON OLD-GROWTH LOGGING
Business interests, scientists, environmental groups and First Nations call for new policy on the Island’s remaining old growth.
32 Roszan Holmen | E&N: DERAILMENT AHEAD?
A First Nation’s claim to Vancouver Island’s rail corridor could spell the end of the E&N revival.
34 Aaren Madden | DANA’S DANCING TREES
Dana Irving’s background as a mural painter and her love of coastal forests have resulted in a grand, sweeping style.
44 Mollie Kaye | 2016 VICTORIA SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL
Six summer concerts offer a “less fearsome” way to start conversations about classical music.
52 Monica Prendergast | RICH LESSONS IN A YEAR’S WORTH OF GOING TO THE THEATRE
The past year’s theatrical highlights included ghosts, tears, music and silliness.
56 Amy Reiswig | JAMES HOGGAN: I'M RIGHT AND YOU'RE AN IDIOT
James Hoggan’s new book makes us look at our own communication practices, including our critical thinking, compassion and integrity.
58 Gene Miller | TERROR MANAGEMENT
How is a city like an older guy’s memory?
60 Maleea Acker | (UN)SAFE PASSAGE: AMPHIBIANS ON THE MOVE
Habitat Acquisition Trust volunteers help to save local frogs, salamanders and other amphibians.
62 Trudy Duivenvoorden Mitic | IS THERE NO END TO OUR FOOD MYOPIA?
The brave new world of GMO salmon joins other absurdities like flooding the fertile Peace River Valley.
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- 1,532 views
Sept-Oct 2016 Focus.pdf
4 Leslie Campbell | THE QUEST FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING
The gap between incomes and housing costs has grown so wide that bold action is overdue.
14 David Broadland | VICTORIA’S BIG SECRET
The search for a solution to the sewage treatment issue has lost sight of what it should be looking for; here’s a reminder.
20 Judith Lavoie | THE STRUGGLE TO PROTECT WILD SALMON RAGES ON
The salmon farming battle heats up with the Sea Shepherd’s voyage and eviction notices served by First Nations on fish farms.
22 Alan Cassels | THE DIABETES DIAGNOSIS
The war on blood glucose is stupid, costly and bloody.
24 Lisa Cordasco | NEW POT LAWS COULD BUST RURAL BC’S ECONOMY
BC growers worry they will be cut out of the equation as governments move towards legalization.
26 Stanley Tromp | DROP DEAD
The use of fentanyl has exploded and more Victorians have died from overdoses in the first half of 2016 than all of 2015.
28 Briony Penn | PROFESSIONAL RELIANCE EXPERIMENT A REGULATORY FAILURE?
Tourism operators on the coast have been forced to watchdog forestry operations since government introduced self-monitoring.
32 Katherine Palmer Gordon | BURIED PROMISES
The Province’s failure on First Nations burial sites is leading to more Grace Islets and potentially another Gustafsen Lake.
34 Aaren Madden | IN DEFIANCE: INDIGENOUS WOMEN DEFINE THEMSELVES
Lindsay Delaronde’s collaborative photography project uses images to defy the language and attitudes that marginalize indigenous women.
44 Mollie Kaye | RAISING THE ROOF FOR COAST COLLECTIVE
An arts oasis faces challenges without CRD funding—so throws a dance party.
54 Monica Prendergast | NEXT TO NORMAL
Hard-hitting Pulitzer Prize-winning rock musical about mental health and family opens the season at Langham Court Theatre.
56 Amy Reiswig | THE TWO OF US: STORIES OF INTIMACY
Kathy Page’s new collection of short stories explores the transformative power of one-to-one encounters.
58 Gene Miller | ALL ONUS, NO BONUS
What’s creating all that weird energy to our south?
60 Maleea Acker | METCHOSIN BIOBLITZ
Metchosin uses citizens and volunteer scientists to create a low-cost but impressive inventory of species.
62 Trudy Duivenvoorden Mitic | PANDORA’S BOX
Victoria and the Province are blind to the real costs of gambling.
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- 2,156 views
Nov-Dec 2016 Focus.pdf
4 Leslie Campbell | FOCUS ANNOUNCES THE DIANE CARR COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD
A community force for truth, beauty and justice.
12 David Broadland | THE CRD HID MCLOUGHLIN POINT’S FATAL FLAW
The choice of the controversial site over Rock Bay will lead to hundreds of millions in costs that could have been avoided.
18 Judith Lavoie | WILL NO POLITICIANS STAND UP FOR GRIZZLIES?
While most citizens oppose the bear trophy hunt, BC’s politicians seem reluctant to offend hunters.
22 Alan Cassels | TACKLING THE OVERDIAGNOSIS TREND
A local doctor helps wind back the harms of too much medicine.
24 Briony Penn | INGMAR’S “WORRY” NOW A TRAGIC REALITY
On the eve of the Kinder Morgan decision, an oil-carrying vessel tests marine disaster response—and finds it lacking.
26 Katherine Palmer Gordon | UNFINISHED BUSINESS
BC’s treaty process has taken a quarter-century of effort, with only four final agreements to show for it.
28 Rob Wipond | ESCAPE FROM BRITISH COLUMBIA
Some people say that our province’s strong mental health laws save lives. A constitutional court challenge says they lead to discrimination
abuse, fear and the flight of psychiatric refugees.
34 Aaren Madden | HOW THE LIGHT GETS IN
While Blu Smith’s artistic expression has seen shifts both major and subtle, his fascination with light remains constant.
44 Mollie Kaye | TALES OF A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS
Victoria Jazz Society presents the Jerry Granelli Trio and the Victoria Children’s Choir.
52 Monica Prendergast | AH, THE MEMORIES!
Phoenix Theatre at UVic celebrates 50 years of making theatrical waves.
56 Amy Reiswig | NAVIGATING BELONGING
Jennifer Manuel explores the complexity of belonging through the reflections of a nurse in a First Nations community.
58 Gene Miller | DVS IN PARADISE
Meditations on “why” while collecting trash in Beacon Hill Park.
60 Maleea Acker | CONNECTING THROUGH OUR ROOTS
Adolf and Oluna Ceska’s fungi and the coastal ecosystems they nurture.
62 Trudy Duivenvoorden Mitic | THE DARKER SIDE OF FLORA
It’s not all sweetness and light in the garden.
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- 2,011 views
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