Straight Outta Gabriola . . ."it's island time"

A look at the folks and challenges of farming and food security on Gabriola. Special thanks to: Graham Bradley, Stephen Levesque, Talyn Martin * Support and check out Gabriola's Agricultural Co-operative Music credit and thanks: “Let it Rain” by the fabulous Sarah Osborne from her 2021 Seasons EP Series Volume One - Heat . See Sarah Osborne Music  Selection included with express permission for this podcast episode only.

It's Saturday at the island's recycling depot. Music Credits in order: Accidental background: “Do Ya Think I'm sexy” by Rod Stewart – MP3 track being played by others in an open air recording. Don't sue! Excerpt: “Arctic Orchestral Cue” by Graham Makes Courtesy: creativecommons.org   Excerpt: “Indigo” by Vincent Augustus from the album Nightlife for Morning People Courtesy: creativecommons.org

On this episode we're going deep into the island's geology with Nick Doe.   Nick is one of Gabriola's go-to sources for the island's geological history. For almost two decades he wrote and edited Shale, a journal of all things historical for the Gabriola Museum. Naturally with a slight editorial tilt towards articles about rocks.  On this episode Nick reveals the island's rock history, including unlocking the mystery of the Malaspina Galleries formation and fate. ​Music Credits: Used with thanks and express permission for this episode. All rights reserved: "River Stones" by Mikey Swallow off his debut CD Fortune is the Smile. Support local music and proceeds from the sale of the CD go to the Westcoast rainforest conservation charity, Pacific Wild. See more about Mike and buy and download songs from his album on the website BandCamp

On this episode, I’m in conversation with Gabriola artist Tammy Hudgeon talking about what she’s learned about creativity, and how she got out of the box of what she thought her life would be. See Tammy Hudgeon Art Link to her new bookTender Brave Spirit See Gabriola Artists Studios Guide   Thanks & Music Credits Used with express permission for this episode. All rights reserved: --> Twice, written and performed by Tina Jones from her album “Quickening” Visit Tina Jones Music (support Canadian talent and purchase some music today) --> Brave1 composed and performed by Ode Howard This episode is dedicated to my sister, Babe Gurr, another enduring creative spirit. - Ken  

In Chapter 2, Bert shares stories of incredible bird life, his thoughts on what alone means, the philosophy of why, and what truly defines extraordinary. You can retrace his journey and read all of his blog entries and see photos at https://www.the5capes.com/ Music credits and thanks in order heard: "Rain" by Meydan, from the album Havor. Creative Commons Licensed. "Prelude" by Gabriola's Leah Hokanson from the album Facets. (Leah is featured in the "Voice" episode of Straight Outta Gabriola)

Gabriolan Bert terHart sailed around the world solo, non-stop, using only celestial navigation: the first North American to do so. He made it home in July 2020 after nine months not touching land or a dock. Recorded after being back home on the island for four months, Bert reflects on the why's and the what's of his Epic Voyage in the southern oceans going past the five great capes. You can retrace his journey and read all of his blog entries and see photos at https://www.the5capes.com/  

There are so many clubs and people clubbing on Gabriola. Music credits and thanks, in order played: Beats from August 29th live event, part 1 of 2 --  NBD Events (Esmi Villa, Tim Gambrill, Luke Kyd) – See their Facebook page “Pushing Forward” by Segue, from the album Pacifica (SSCD13). Thank you to Silent Season Records for permission to use. Support local electronic musicians! Stream and purchase at Silent Season (headquartered in the Comox Valley.)  Prohibition Speakeasy Music – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zo7RXqnCzrQ&ab_channel=An-Magi   Additional Special Thanks to: The Commodore and Vice-Commodore – Gabriola Waterski Club Anonymous @ Bad Girls Book Club

In this episode, I’m in conversation with Jen Demler-Lindsay and Becky Furnell who were born and raised here. We talk all about life growing up, the island culture, some of their favourite childhood and teen-hood memories, and now today as young women who’ve moved back here and all the challenges of buying and setting up their own homes ,with crazy busy lives, running their locavore catering company Ground Up, and investing in another business opportunity with their life partners to really dig their roots back into this community. Thanks to Jen and Becky! And to additional guests Nicholas Read and Nancy Heatherington-Peirce. Music courtesy of the fabulous Tina Jones. Find out more about the Gabriola Housing Society Ground Up Facebook Page

Perhaps one of Gabriola’s more renowned workshops is Georgi Georgiev's. Why? Well, in this unassuming workshop it just so happened that Georgi designed and built the world’s fastest human powered vehicles (HPVs) -- aka fairing cloaked bicycles -- that dominated world contests in several categories for years. Some of those records from the 1990s and 2000s still hold. Georgi's company is Varna Research & Innovation.

Is Gabriolan Kerry Unger the leader of the next infamous cult?

An interview and featured songs with islander Gary Fjellgaard, a Canadian icon of country-roots music with 15 albums and over 30 hit songs. As a songwriter and performer, he’s received a mitt-full of awards from the Canadian Country Music Association, plus a Juno Award for Best Country Male Vocalist and in 2005 was inducted into Canada’s Country Music Hall of Fame. CDs and more at Gary Fjellgaard's webpage Youtube Concert  footage at the fabulous Winspear Centre in Edmonton. Thank you for subscribing to Straight Outta Gabriola.  

Judith Plant, together with her late partner Kip, was the longtime publisher of New Society Publishers. Headquartered here on Gabriola for three decades now, NSP is a leader in publishing books about social change. (Episode 6 (“Groundswell”) of this podcast series featured Gabriolan, Fay Weller – a New Society author.) Physically distanced by the Rocky Mountains, I caught up with Judith and we reflected on these pandemic times. Judith’s presentation “Gathering the Threads” is on Youtube, telling the NSP story over the decades. And this email from Judith, re: books to recommend now . . . I found myself selecting titles that aren't in print anymore, like Colonialism on Trial, by Don Monet and Arydthe Wilson, and Clayoquot Mass Trials, and others...mostly because I have fond memories of putting them together. But really, when I look at the list, I like so many of them. So I decided to give you the five NSP books on our coffee table: “The Year Round Hoophouse”  “Soil Science” “Elegant Simplicity”  “Clean Money Revolution”  "Culture Gap"    Also mentioned were: “Our Ecological Footprint”  And books by author, Joanna Macy. https://newsociety.ca/books/c/coming-back-to-life

As a volunteer weatherman, Eric has been keeping daily records of our island's weather for the federal government for over 50 years. I dropped by the Boulton Farm to have a coffee with Eric and his wife Sue; and we talked about the weather, and Eric’s weather-keeping, and farming, and even a little politics. Basically the holy trinity of farmer conversations all over the world. Check out our show's website for photos of Eric and his stack of weather logs.

In Part Two, we look back at the grow shows days during the apex of the island’s black market economy, and now, with legalization in place. And with such a deep resource of growing knowledge on Gabriola, we also get some growing and prepping tips for the four cannabis plants you are legally allowed to grow in Canada.   With special thanks to: Allen Darling Dorothy Engst – visit Nature Spirit Earth Market https://www.naturespiritearthmarket.com/ Naomi Beth Wakan Shaun The folks at Gabriola Players – Lesley Hazeldine & Joe Dicara And those who willingly gave their time and insights on condition of anonymity   Music Credits: Segue -- “Sunrise over Malaspina” from the album The Island on the Silent Season Canada music label. Used with permission. Stream and purchase and support local music at http://silentseason.com/ Other music excerpts from Free Music Archive/Creative Commons/Open Licensed: Vale of Atholl Junior Pipe-band. On the streets of Pitlochry in October 2008 Orchestral Movement of 1932 -- “Holding Twilight”

In this episode we talk with islanders who have encountered big beasts roaming Gabriola's forests. How is it possible? Surely these people are spinning yarns! But when you think that this island is about the size of New York’s Manhattan Island – and all the people and goings on that can exist in the concrete jungle, why couldn’t some mysterious critters carve out a life here and largely avoid detection? Thank you to BC Wildlife Conservation Officer Dan Eichstadter, Allana Dawson Thorne, Mitch Burns, Melinda Wilde, Ben Finn, Kathy Gurr, Nelson Thorne, Hinterland Who's Who and Sir David Attenborough. Music Credit:  Excerpts from: Scapes 8, 10 and 11 from the CD “Lullabies for Big Eyes” by Gabriola’s The Kerplunks. Used with permission. To purchase and download your copy of the album or selected tunes, please go to https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/thekerplunks5 For tips on keeping wildlife safe and alive: https://wildsafebc.com/

From a June 2015 recording. The late Antony Holland (March 28, 1920 - July 29, 2015) -- beloved actor, teacher, long-time Gabriolan, Order of Canada recipient -- recalls his time in Egypt during the Second World War.  

We take an end-of-summer tour of the facilities at Camp Miriam and talk with camp leaders Marina, Kaela, Josh and Benji about programs and activities and the perfect moments of their times there. And, maybe somehow, we manage to pull together a phone convo with a certain famous alum from years gone by?! Check out our show's blog page @ Straight Outta Gabriola & follow us on FB @Straightouttagabriola

On a hot afternoon at Folklife Village Mall, we share beers out back with "Gabriola George", B.S.ing and solving problems. The illustration on the label of Steamworks' Pilsner tall-cans starts us off. There are always some stories and great insights with George. Cheers! On our show's website and Facebook page, the Portrait of George is by dear Lesley Harris, who recently passed away. We miss her!

Listen to music selections and insights from Leah Hokanson ‑ Gabriola musician, singer, conductor, teacher and vocal soundings explorer.   CD tracks and improvisational voice recordings used with express permission by Leah for this podcast episode. (All songs copyright Leah Hokanson.) More information about Leah’s workshops and music is at https://leahokanson.com/ CDs or separate tracks are available for purchase and download on her website. Or, if you are on the island, “Diamond Chants Volume One: The Heart” featuring Gabriola's Song Keepers Women’s Choir is available at Nature Spirit Earth Market or The Gabe Shop with sales proceeds supporting the Gabriola Health Care Foundation Auxiliary.

Cannabis is deeply woven into the cultural fabric and lifestyle on Gabriola. It’s here and on other B.C. Gulf Islands where the hippies and draft dodgers settled in and carved out a beautiful life close to the land, and weed. Here are just a few of the stories.   Music credit: Paul Gellman “On This Island” (Used with express permission for this podcast episode.) Check out . . . https://www.paulgellman.com/   Show notes, credits and photos at: https://www.crowdof100.com/straightouttagabriola

I snuck into a rehearsal of the talented cast of Gabriola’s Twilight Radio Theatre: Kathy McIntyre, Chris Jans, David Botten and Adam Kerby, along with guest cast member Jocelyn Hallett. Musicians and voice actors extraordinaire, Twilight Radio Theatre shows are a fabulous trip back to the radio play soundstage of the 1940s and 50s – mystery, murder, comedy, heartwarming tales . . . long before podcasts like “Serial” and “Spines” came along. Check out our podcast's web page for in-rehearsal and show-time photos of the gang . . . https://www.crowdof100.com/straightouttagabriola

It’s a beautiful May day, the robins and song sparrows are singing, and I take a tour of “Just Another Weed Patch” farm with Jeff Reitkerk. We bomb around in his converted golf buggy, and take a deep dive into the gardening world of mulching, manuring, permaculture techniques and chicken care. If you're thinking about getting serious with the idea of becoming a grower/gardener/farmer, Jeff’s got some great insights here. He’s done a fair amount of deep thinking on it all: the life of an island farmer, and his place to care for the land, and the beautiful connection with the land and his family.  -- And closing the episode, the lovely tune: “Rain on the Roof” by the Kerplunks. (Used with express permission.) Available on their CD Lullabies for Big Eyes. To download the CD or order it by mail: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/thekerplunks5 Or download from iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/lullabies-for-big-eyes/1440997362

The antidote to fear and despair is hope and action. With all the pressures on society and the climate, I talk with Gabriola-changemaker, Fay Weller about the rays of hope she sees in the grassroots of community activism. We dive into the work of Sustainable Gabriola and pull out the common threads of what makes this island so good at environmental and social activism. We also talk about the book Fay and Mary Wilson teamed up to write, “Changemakers – Embracing Hope, Taking Action and Transforming the World”. It’s a guidebook for ordinary people who want to create a new society now. Published by New Society Publishers https://www.newsociety.com/Books/C/Changemakers  (Find more about Fay and Mary at the link above.) Featured song credit, used with express permission: “The Last of Amanda”—by Gabriola-singer songwriter, Victor Anthony (written by Wirt Courtney). Album: Mystery Loves Company. Purchase at: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/victoranthony

On a sunny and slightly gusty early-spring afternoon, I joined islanders Thomas Harding and Elizabeth Beale for a shellfish harvest at Brickyard Beach.

Islander, Enid Halldorson turns 100 years old in May 2019. The kindergarten class of Gabriola Elementary School had Enid as a special guest and they peppered her with questions. Inquiring minds want to know!   Special thanks to:  Lynette Jackson (Enid’s daughter) Kathy Gurr, Kindergarten Teacher All the students of the K class of 2018-19   Song credits (public domain). Courtesy freemusicarchive.org:  “It Had to Be You” Isham Jones Orchestra featuring Marion Harris Brunswick Records (1924)   “April Showers” Gene Rodemich's Orchestra Brunswick Records (1921)

Recommended for sleepy time with your headphones on! Inspired by Laurie Brown’s Pondercast series, you take a meditative walk alone on Namaste Beach, sit still, and be present for the moment the tide turns. Recorded in real time. ASMR, ambient beach sounds.  Music credit and thanks: “Story” by Meydän, from the album Havor.  Copyright attribution: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Meydan/Havor/

How is life on a beautiful island that also happens to be Shangri La for rodents? We head out and talk with several islanders to get their stories.

In this premiere episode, we visit Dinah D., long-time islander and leader/co-founder of the multi-award winning children’s entertainment group, The Kerplunks. We drop by her studio, play some new tunes, and chat about the music industry, Dinah’s creative origins, and The Kerplunks’ new, masterful, all ages’ opus for sleeping and meditation: “Lullabies for Big Eyes”. Released December 2018. Under the express permission for this episode only -- © The Kerplunks  -- two selections from the new album are played in this podcast: “The Well” at approx. 15 mins in, and “Daydream” at approx. 45 minutes. To download the CD or order it by mail: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/thekerplunks5 Or download from iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/lullabies-for-big-eyes/1440997362 Stay in touch with The Kerplunks at https://www.facebook.com/thekerplunks/  Thanks very much for listening to Straight Outta Gabriola. And please subscribe! (New episodes come out every 3 - 4 weeks.)

Podcast series launched January 2019.