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When it comes to supporting people, the Comox Valley community is second to none in the heart department. We have always deeply loved and admired the soul of this place and the willingness of people to step up and lend a hand or make moments truly memorable.
So, when Shelley and Kevin at Mad Chef Cafe told me that Comox Valley Bakehouse owners Sonya and David Thomson had some very bad news, we knew that our community would rally around them and hold them tight in their time of need.
This past February at the age of 24, David was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor and their world changed forever. He and Sonya have spent the last six months in and out of hospital for treatment all while working harder than ever to keep their growing business going.
David is starting back on treatment soon and before he does Mad Chef wants to show that community love by hosting the first Mad Chef Masterpieces showcase event and fundraiser as part of the Comox Valley 30-Day Local Food Challenge this Sunday, July 24.
Mad Chef owners Kevin and Shelley are set to show off their mad skills in the food department with appetizers and drink specials all day while folks can drop in and create an artistic masterpiece made from food dyes. Proceeds from the day will go to support David and Sonya.
“David was diagnosed with brain cancer earlier this year and is undergoing extensive treatments, all while he and Sonya continue to run their business,” said Mad Chef’s Shelley Bouchard. “As fellow business owners, we understand the challenges of keeping a shop running and deeply admire their spirit as they go through such a difficult time in their lives.”
The event will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 24 and tickets are a minimum $15 donation. Many folks have already jumped in to help, with servers and other staff donating their time, local businesses donating items to help the Thompsons out and more.
You can reserve a spot for the day here at www.eatlocalcomoxvalley.com or purchase tickets directly from Mad Chef Café.
The heart of the community is so great. Let’s show David and Sonya how much they mean to us.
Category : Blog
There is nothing like spending a great evening with your partner. If you are craving that chance to cash in the grandma babysitting card, looking for a great evening to share and spend some time holding hands in the hallway with your partner The Comox Valley 30-Day Local Food Challenge has a weekend of date night goodness all set up for you.
It’s a food festival, ya know. So, expect some local loveliness. Here’s what’s happening:
- Everything kicks off Thursday night as Atlas Cafe in downtown Courtenay hosts an evening of wine and pasta. Jeff and Susan from Beaufort Winery will be pouring a white wine flight and Sarah from Prontissima Pasta will be providing the delicious mains as Chef Jonathan creates a spectacular menu. Seating is open and no reservations are required for this Food Challenge event that runs from 5 to 7 p.m. Be sure to bring your Food Challenge passports (or get them there) for a 15% discount on the evening’s food.
- Saturday night brings the Comox Valley Beach Party at the The Westerly’s Flying Canoe West Coast Pub. Plan ahead for a great evening of seafood and other great eats, with drink specials throughout the night beginning at 7 p.m. Then hit the dance floor with the Luke Guthrie Band starting at 9 p.m. Tickets are $25 and you can pick them up at The Westerly.
Now, for the closer.
- Wrap up a great weekend with the first Local Libations cocktail competition at the Old House Restaurant in Courtenay. This great event brings together bartenders from around the area to see who can create the best cocktail from local ingredients. Taste test, sample delicious appetizers and enjoy the atmosphere of this friendly competition. 4 to 6 p.m. Tickets are $15 per person and available for purchase at the restaurant. Make sure you pick them up in advance.
So, bust out that sexy black dress, tuck the kids in and hit the town. It’s date night weekend in the Comox Valley.
Category : Blog
Editor’s Note: Food is the cornerstone to a healthy community. The City of Courtenay believes that planning, sustainability and a strong local food system go hand in hand. Planner Nancy Hofer takes a moment to share her thoughts with us. Thank you to the City of Courtenay Green Team for their sponsorship with the 2011 Food Challenge:
By Nancy Hofer, Environmental Planner, City of Courtenay
There’s a food-related trend afoot, and those who have the wisdom of time on their side will say that we are going back to the future on how we approach our food. The movement is characterized by adjectives like local, organic, small-scale, diverse, community-supported and fair, and applied to many food systems worldwide until relatively recently. In the past, these characteristics described a method of producing food that was sustainable by necessity.
Going back to the future in how we approach our food systems means finding a way to grow and distribute food using less fossil energy. It means providing food in a way that respects the dynamic, biological context of the systems in which it is grown. Studies are showing that local, organic, small-scale and diverse agricultural systems have the potential to be more productive and adaptable to changes over time and thus present opportunities to contribute to sustainability.
What do sustainable food systems have to do with land use planning and local governments? For one, the planning profession province-wide is experiencing a parallel trend of interest in sustainable food systems. At a recent annual conference of B.C. Planners, food was a popular topic: access to food, distribution networks, support for small scale farmers, and the land and water from which it grows. This is not entirely novel or particular to the present; the protection of agricultural lands throughout the province has been governed by the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) framework for decades.
Community planning is a blend of science and art. Technical tools, such as the ALR, and analytical approaches are essential to good land use planning, and to ensuring a sufficient, appropriate variety of food is available to us. What stood out amongst the speakers at the conference was an acknowledgement of the art of planning in highlighting the ‘deeper soulful roots of place’ as a means to distinguish one’s community in a homogenizing world. The agricultural sector is an industry well positioned to exemplify local traditions and culture, rooted in local ecologies.
While there remains debate on the particulars of changing climatic conditions and diminishing energy supplies, few argue that these trends will alter how we live in and provide for our communities. The trend of globalization is expected to reverse to favor again more local economies, with food as the foundation. Planners, who are tasked with figuring out future trends, are looking back to consider how we might prepare for this future.
Supporting sustainable local food systems can be more than an exercise in land use. Local food systems, when celebrated and made accessible, can also provide a tangible activity through which individuals physically connect to the systems that sustain us. As the saying goes, “In the end we will conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand. We will understand only what we are taught.” One might wonder then what a relationship to the earth and community through growing our own food teach us?
Category : Blog
Good Morning. As these first days of summer break set in and the kids are looking for something fun to do we have the perfect solution for kiddos of all ages – come out to the Lake Trail Community Garden every Monday in July starting today and hang out with the crew.
The Comox Valley 30-Day Local Food Challenge NeighbourWood Eats youth program kicks off at 2 p.m. this afternoon (Monday, July 4) with a fun day of exploring the garden with Sensational Senses. Kids (recommended for preschoolers through 8-years old) can come out and test their senses creating their own perfume from plants in the garden, taste testing herbs and flowers, using their human camera and digging in the garden to plant berries and seeds.
This garden play/work party from 2 to 4 p.m. kicks off the first summer that the new community gardens is open. It is the vision of the Lake Trail Neighbourhood Connections – a collection of neighbours and community stakeholders working together to create a deeper sense of community in the Lake Trail Neighbourhood through projects that promote sustainability, education, safety, community gathering places and so much more.
Mondays at the garden will be full of fun, educational and community-building goodness this whole month with some seriously great times including:
July 11: 10 a.m. to Noon: Take an interpretive walk down to Morrison Creek and learn about the traditional uses of food and plant resources
July 18: 10 a.m. to Noon: Cultural connection through rhythm and food. Join us in the garden for a traditional African drumming circle and food from different cultures made with a local twist.
July 25: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Meet bestselling author Tina Powell as she presents her new book, Picnic in Pisticci, and then entertains the kids with her popular children’s book Samantha’s Silly-icious Sandwiches. Kids and families can then show off their sandwich making skills at Lake Trail Neighbourhood Gardens as Tina hosts our Silliest Sandwich Making Competition!
All events are free of charge and open to everyone at Lake Trail Secondary on the corner of Willemar and Lake Trail Road in Courtenay. So, plan for some great times for the next few Mondays and join us all out at Lake Trail.
Category : Blog
Good Afternoon. We had a great opening day of the Food Challenge as more than 400 people made their way out to Shelter Point Distillery for a peek at the West Coast’s only single-malt distillery.
That was the first of so many great events to come. But, as with anything when you pull so many people and places together, there are a few hiccups. One big one is that the phone number for Fanny Bay Oysters was printed incorrectly in our passports and the folks out at the Fanny Bay Inn (whose number was there) are a bit overwhelmed with people calling for tours. The correct number is (250) 335-0125.
Indeed there is a fantastic tour of one of the most noted shellfish growers in Canada this Wednesday, July 6. The morning tour begins at 10 a.m. and the afternoon tour is at 2 p.m.
Your best bet for making sure you have a space on those tours is to register online.
The link for the 10 a.m. tour registration is HERE.
The link for the 2 p.m. tour registration is HERE.
So, get yourselves signed up and make the short, gorgeous drive down to Fanny Bay for a wonderful day of shellfish, learning and fun.
Category : Blog
