Walk the Labyrinth Together

The Irving Park Labyrinth is a meditative jewel hidden in plain sight in James Bay. Our plan is to enjoy the calming and rejuvenating activity of walking the labyrinth in company on the 2nd Thursday and Last Tuesday of June, July and August -Irving Park 10 am

Thursday June 11 Tuesday June 30

Thursday July 9 Tuesday July 28

Thursday August 13 Tuesday August 25

Monday June 15 For Senior’s Week come Celebrate BC History with us at the Legislature

• 11:30 to 1 Enjoy a group Lunch at the Legislative dining room. (Price varies according to your order) Reservations are required so you MUST RSVP so we can make a group reservation passporttojoyandconnection@gmail.com.

• Meet us at 1 pm (approx) to enjoy an historically based performance of the Legislative Parliamentary Players (Free) (about 20 min long)

• 1:30 (approx) Free. Ever wonder about all those statues that adorn the Legislature. Passport’s Program Director has done his research and he will lead you on a sunny tour of the good and the dark deeds of the figures memorialized on the roofs and walls of the legislature.

Thursday June 25 Visit the Native Plant Garden at the Royal British Columbia Museum with Passport (free)

The RBCM is offering a Thursday free walking tour of its native plant garden at 11 am. Featuring more than 400 native BC plants the tour takes about half an hour and is lead by one of RBCM’s knowledgeable educators.

You can meet us at James Bay New Horizons at 10:30 am and we can walk to the museum together or at 11 am you can meet us in the museum at the bottom of the escalator in the main lobby. After the tour we will walk over to the Good Host Coffee House in Capital park plaza for coffee and conversation (optional)

Monday Summer in the Park

This July and August come to Beacon Hill Park with us. From 12 to 1 pm we will take a short awareness and photo walk (you need to be aware, you don’t need to take photos 😊). Bring a bag lunch if you’d like. Then enjoy the Monday concert at the Cameron Band Shell at 1:30. Passport subscribers will enjoy a free coffee, tea and Ice Cream treat.

Monday 6 July Monday 13 July Monday 20 July Monday 27 July

Monday August 10 Monday 17 August Monday 24 August

Friday July 10, 10:30 am China Town Tour and Photo Walk. Meet at the mural beside QV Cafe, Fisgard and Government.

Passport and JBNH’s Photography for Everyone invite you to a China Town tour and photo walk (you don’t have to take photos). We’ll visit the Tam Kung Temple, learn a bit about the Gate of Harmonious Interest and Fan Tan alley (including the Fan Tan Alley Ghost Story) and visit the Chinese Canadian Museum.

There may well be a couple more events in the works that we have yet to finalize, so stay tuned

Passport to Joy and Connection is a program of the Creating Community Wellness Society in Victoria, British Columbia

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As a way to bridge the gap between the generations and as a way to start the conversation we asked them to pretend to be radio reporters or podcast hosts. The seniors, of course, grew up listening to radio reporters. The youth understand and listen to podcast hosts. The roles are very similar but the way the media works has changed over time.

The opening topic was “A school Day, then and now” as a conversation starter. However, Students and Seniors were encouraged to to ask any other questions that they could think of.

For a detailed rundown of how we planned and put together this program you can visit our Substack internet site at passporttojoyandconnection.substack.com and look for the article named “Bridging the Gap”.

Privacy concerns, especially for the youth, mean that only first names are used. The senior youth pairs were seated at tables in the main hall of the James Bay New Horizons Centre.

After three rounds of questions and answers the students and seniors were treated to a sandwich lunch where the seniors and the youth could talk and meet informally. I must share the observation that the cookie tray emptied faster than the fruit tray.

This program would not have been possible without the support and active participation of Central Middle School and Principal Tina Pierik and James Bay New Horizon’s Executive Director Kim Dixon. Central Middle School and their teacher Julie took care of all the details when it came to organizing the youth. Kim and Sherri Dixon and the volunteers at JBNH took care of ordering and serving coffee, tea, juice and the lunch details. Community makes us strong and makes things happen.

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Passport to Joy and Connection is a program of the Creating Community Wellness Society in Victoria, British Columbia

The Musical theme today was “Feelin Good” by Kevin MacLeod of incompetech.com used under the Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 licence

As the Canadian Navy’s Naden Band welcomes the Republic of Korea Navy Band.

The concert is in support of Wounded Warriors Canada. This is your unique opportunity to hear professional musicians from the allied nations of Korea and Canada joining forces to perform classical and pop songs from Canadian and Korean cultures, from Gordon Lightfoot and John Estacio to BTS and Arirang folk melodies. The ROKN Band will also spotlight their beatboxing and breakdancing skills. And this is your rare opportunity to hear the Taepyeongso, a traditional Korean double-reed instrument

We have reserved a limited number of $15 tickets for this performance

Email passporttojoyandconnection@gmail.com

Tickets are also available by contacting the Royal and McPherson box office rmts.bc.ca

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Today’s podcast features part one of a two part conversation Passport’s program manager and media creator Kirk Schwartz has with Marty Wall

Marty had a long and distinguished career at the University of Toronto and has taught at the University of Victoria.

He is an executive board member, program coordinator and volunteer with James Bay New Horizons in Victoria.

He also pours tea and plays “O Canada” on the piano for JBNH events

Kirk sat down for a candid conversation with Marty. They talk about Marty’s involvement at JBNH and how he realized that first impressions are not always the right impressions

In Part two of the podcast Kirk and Marty talk about Marty’s beginnings in Montreal and early years in Souther California, about his path from Mathematics to Psychology, his joy in teaching and about the ups and downs he, like all of us, experienced along the way.

Stay Tuned

Passport to Joy and Connection is a program of the Creating Community Wellness Society in cooperation with James Bay New Horizons in Victoria British Columbia. Passport is supported finically by a grant from the Mirroir Foundation of Canada, a charity that invests in initiatives that bring joy and social connections to older adults and alleviate loneliness.

Today’s musical theme is “Trio for Piano Violin and Viola” by Kevin MacLeod of (incompetech.com) and was Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

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Passport to Joy and Connection would like to invite you to walk the Irving Park Labyrinth on the 2nd Thursday and Last Tuesday of June, July and August at 10 AM

Tuesday May 26

Thursday June 11. Tuesday June 30.

Thursday July 9 Tuesday July 28

Thursday Aug 13 Tuesday August 27

The slow, contemplative walking of a labyrinth gives us many gifts.

As you enter the labyrinth you leave the cares, turmoils and distractions of the world behind. As you breath deeply and walk slowly body and mind come together to accept the now, to accept their nature and to understand your unity even as you travel a path that twists and turns.

As you approach and reach the centre you approach your centre, accepting yourself and your circumstances. You give yourself permission to receive whatever insight, wisdom or comfort you may feel.

As you slowly walk back towards the outside world you take with you the acceptance, insights, wisdoms you have encountered along with you to use as your tools for navigating the world as it is.

When we practice together, be it labyrinth walking, meditation or just quite contemplation, we come to understand that, though every individual experience is different, we can walk in community.

Everyone is welcome. Bring yourself. Bring a friend. Tell a neighbour.

Irving park is located at the intersection of Menzies and Michigan streets in James Bay

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Created by seniors for seniors, Passport to Joy and Connection is a program of active companionship for seniors to share adventures, knowledge and joy

Passport for Joy and Connection is a program of the Creative Community Wellness Society and James Bay New Horizons with the financial support of the Mirror Foundation.

If you are planning to attend an event please confirm the date and time

Note: Victoria City Vibe the Victoria City Vibe magazine/pdf is generally published in Late May or Early June. It is a comprehensive list of city sponsored events in Downtown Victoria, Centennial Square, Ship Point and Beacon Hill Park. https://www.victoria.ca/community-culture/arts-culture/festivals-events

May 2026

Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. Thursday 5 to 9 pm Free Gallery admission https://aggv.ca/

Native Plant Garden Tour Royal BC Museum 11-11:30 Thusdays Free. Join one of the RBCM’s educators on a guided walking tour of our Native Plant Garden! May May 14, May 21, May 28, https://rbcm.ca/

Esquimalt Buccaneer Days (Free) (May 7–10)
A community festival featuring a midway, parade, and “pirate” themed activities.
buccaneerdays.ca

Royal BC Museum Japanese Tea Ceremony (Free) May 9. 11:30 - 12 and 1:30 to 2 Visitors are invited to observe the ceremony taking place on the main floor of the museum in the Conference Hall. https://rbcm.ca/

Victoria Highland Games & Celtic Festival (gate admission) (May 9–17)
Celebrating Scottish culture with bagpipes, Highland dance, and heavy lifting competitions at Craigflower Manor. victoriahighlandgames.com

Luxton Spring Fair (Langford) (gate admission): May 14–17. A traditional community carnival with midway rides and local displays. https://luxtonspringfair.ca/

Royal BC Museum Music at the Museum: Podium 2026 May 15,16. 10 am to 6 pm A series of pop up choral performances as part of the Canada’s national bilingual choral conference and festival. https://rbcm.ca/

Gordy Dodd’s One World Cultural Festival (free) May 16 11 am to 6 pm Legislature Grounds, Bellville Street, A showcase of culture, creativity and community.

126th Victoria Day Parade (free) (May 18)
The city’s largest parade, celebrating Victoria’s namesake with marching bands and floats. gvfs.ca (Greater Victoria Festival Society)

Parliamentary Traveling Plays May 18 to 31 (Free) Monday to Friday Various Times, BC Legislature - Two uniques historically inspired shows by young actors. https://www.leg.bc.ca/visit/programs-and-events/parliamentary-plays

Awakening Chinatown Festival (Free) (May 31)
Kickstarting the season with traditional lion dances, Chinese opera, and arts to celebrate Asian Heritage Month. https://victoriachinatownmuseum.com/event/awakening-chinatown-2026/ victoriachinatownmuseum.com

June 2026

Parliamentary Traveling Plays June 1 to 30 (Free) Monday to Friday Various Times, BC Legislature - Two uniques historically inspired shows by young actors. https://www.leg.bc.ca/visit/programs-and-events/parliamentary-plays

Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. Thursday 5 to 9 pm Free Gallery admission https://aggv.ca/

Native Plant Garden Tour Royal BC Museum 11-11:30 Thusdays Free. Join one of the RBCM’s educators on a guided walking tour of our Native Plant Garden! Jun. 4, Jun. 11, Jun. 18, Jun. 25 , https://rbcm.ca/

AfriCa Fest 2026. June 4 6pm - 7 9pm. (Free) Centennial Square. Food, Culture, Market. https://www.issambacentre.ca/

Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. Saturday June 6th. 10 am to 5 pm Free Gallery admission aggv.ca

Cook Street Village Block Party (free) June 7 10 am to 6 pm. A celebration of one of Victoria’s most popular neighbourhoods with local vendors, food, and live music.

Oak Bay Tea Party (free - amusement rides by ticket) (June 5–7)
A classic community fair at Willows Park with a parade, bathtub races, and amusement rides. oakbayteaparty.com

Japan Fest 2026 (free) Saturday 13 June 2 to 5 pm. Broadmead Village Shopping Centre, Fudo courtyard. Liver Performance and food

Victoria Dragon Boat Festival (Free) (June 19–20)
Highlighting Chinese heritage through the ancient tradition of dragon boat racing, alongside cultural performances. victoriadragonboatfestival.com

TD Victoria International JazzFest (some free public events) (June 19–28)
Ten days of jazz, blues, and world music featuring international headliners at various venues. jazzvictoria.ca

Indigenous Peoples Day (June 21) (free - various venues - AGGV, Royal BC Museum, Inner Harbour. Celebrating the heritage of the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations with traditional drumming, singing, and storytelling. songheesnation.ca

Victoria Ska & Reggae Festival (gate admission) (June 24–28)
The longest-running festival of its kind in North America, centred at Ship Point. victoriaskafest.ca

Victoria Italian Day Festival (Free). Sunday June 28, 12 - 5pm Italian culture, live music, food. Free, family friendly. Leonardo da Vinci Centre, 195 Bay Street (West Vic) https://www.davincicentre.ca/new-page-2

July 2026

Parliamentary Traveling Plays July1 to 31 (Free) Thursday to Monday. Various Times, BC Legislature - Two uniques historically inspired shows by young actors. https://www.leg.bc.ca/visit/programs-and-events/parliamentary-plays

Canada Day Victoria (Free) (July 1)
Live music and family festivities at the Inner Harbour, culminating in a drone or fireworks show. canadadayvictoria.ca

Gorge Canada Day Picnic (Free). July 1, 8:30 am to 4 pm. A family oriented Canda Day Celebration with a focus on the arts and family friendly events. Starts with a pancake breakfast at 8:30 to 11. https://www.gorgecanadaday.ca/

Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. Thursday 5 to 9 pm Free Gallery admission https://aggv.ca/

Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. Saturday July 4th. 10 am to 5 pm Free Gallery admission https://aggv.ca/

Royal BC Museum. Helmcken House Open House. (Free) 12-2 pm Daily, July 1 to 31 Helmcken House was built by Dr. John Sebastian Helmcken, a surgeon with the Hudson’s Bay Company. It is one of the oldest houses in British Columbia still on its original site. https://rbcm.ca/event/helmcken-house-open-house/

Victoria Pride Week (Free) (July 1–12)
A celebration of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, ending with the iconic Pride Parade and Festival. https://victoriapridesociety.org/pride-2026/

Native Plant Garden Tour Royal BC Museum 11-11:30 Thusdays Free. Join one of the RBCM’s educators on a guided walking tour of our Native Plant Garden! Jul. 9, Jul. 16, Jul. 23, https://rbcm.ca/

Eventide Music Series (Free) (Wednesdays, July – August) Centennial Square
A free outdoor concert series featuring an eclectic mix of local and touring world music artists. https://eventidevictoria.com/

Victoria International Buskers Festival (July 10–19)
Performers from across the globe bring street theatre, acrobatics, and music to the square. victoriabuskers.com

19th Annual Festival Mexicano (Free), July 12-13 11am to 6 pm Ship Point (inner harbour) Live music, traditional dance, local vendors and authentic food. https://www.facebook.com/p/Festival-Mexicano-Victoria-100094184531874/

AGGV Art Gallery Paint-in 2026. (Free) Saturday July 18, 11am – 4pm | Artists, activities and food on Moss Street. https://aggv.ca/art-gallery-paint-in-2026/

Symphony in the Summer Festival (admission) (July 30 – August 9)
A series of open-air concerts by the Victoria Symphony in beautiful local parks and gardens. https://victoriasymphony.ca/symphony-in-the-summer-festival/

August & September 2026

Parliamentary Traveling Plays Aug 1 to 31 (Free) Thursday to Monday. Various Times, BC Legislature - Two uniques historically inspired shows by young actors. https://www.leg.bc.ca/visit/programs-and-events/parliamentary-plays

Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. Thursday 5 to 9 pm Free Gallery admission https://aggv.ca/

Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. Saturday 10 am to 5 pm Free Gallery admission https://aggv.ca/

Royal BC Museum. Helmcken House Open House. (Free) 12-2 pm Aug 1 to 31 Helmcken House was built by Dr. John Sebastian Helmcken, a surgeon with the Hudson’s Bay Company. It is one of the oldest houses in British Columbia still on its original site. https://rbcm.ca/event/helmcken-house-open-house/

Native Plant Garden Tour Royal BC Museum 11-11:30 Thusdays Free. Join one of the RBCM’s educators on a guided walking tour of our Native Plant Garden! Aug. 13, Aug. 20, Aug. 27, Sep. 3, https://rbcm.ca/

Soul of Vietnam Festival (Free) Sunday August 16, 11 Am - 8 PM Ship Point (Inner Harbour) Cultural Performances, Traditional Cuisine and fashion shows https://soulofvietnam.ca/

26th Annual Japanese Cultural Fair, (Free) Saturday August 29 9:45 to 4. Esquimalut Gorge Park and Pavillion 1070 Tillicum Road. Presented by the Victoria Nikkei Cultural Society http://vncs.ca/2026-vncs-japanese-cultural-fair-saturday-august-29th/

Victoria Fringe Festival (admission) Various Locations August 26 – September 6 Indie theatre from around the world taking over downtown Victoria for nearly two weeks.https://intrepidtheatre.com/festivals/fringe-festival/

Victoria Classic Boat Festival (by Donation at dock) (September 4–6)
Over 100 heritage vessels gather in the Inner Harbour for the Labor Day weekend.
https://mmbc.bc.ca/classic-boat-festival/event-information/

Esquimalt Ribfest (free admission, purchase food and beverage) (September 11–13)
Professional ribbers, local craft beer, and free live music in Bullen Park.
esquimaltribfest.com

Saanich Fair: (gate admission) September 5–7. Western Canada’s oldest agricultural fair, held over the Labor Day weekend in Saanichton. https://saanichfair.ca/saanich-fair/

Luxton Fall Fair (Langford) (gate admission): October 2–4. A final harvest celebration with agricultural displays and carnival rides to close out the season.

South Island Powwow, (Free admission) 30 Sept. Royal Athletic Park Gates open at 10 am. Grand Entry at 12 noon. https://www.songheesnation.ca/south-island-powwow email sipowwow@songheenation.com

Victoria Greek Fest 4648 Elk Lake Drive, Victoria, (Free) August 22 to 24 and August 29 to September 1 Held at the Greek Community Centre; features authentic food, traditional dancing, and heritage tours.greekfest.ca

Enjoy your summer

Passport for Joy and Connection is a program of the Creative Community Wellness Society and James Bay New Horizons with the financial support of the Mirror Foundation. Created by seniors for seniors, Passport to Joy and Connection is a program of active companionship for seniors to share adventures, knowledge and joy

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JBNH executive director Kim Dixon leads us through the program, its value and its upcoming challenges. Kim has been the E.D. at James Bay New Horizons for the past 30 year. She is a recipient of City of Victoria Honorary Citizen Award and the King Charles the Third Coronation Medal in recognition to her significant contributions to connecting and supporting seniors

James Bay New Horizons is a registered Canadian charity. If you would like to support this or any other seniors program provided at JBNH you can email executive@jbnewhorizons.ca, visit the web site, or, by postal mail 234 Menzies Street, Victoria BC. V8V 2G7

Passport to Joy and Connection is a program of the Creating Community Wellness Society in Cooperation with James Bay New Horizons. For more information email passporttojoyandconnection@gmail.com

The music heard in today’s video , titled “Lobby Time” was Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 from Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com

Passport for Joy and Connection is a program of the Creative Community Wellness Society and James Bay New Horizons with the financial support of the Mirror Foundation. Created by seniors for seniors, Passport to Joy and Connection is a program of active companionship for seniors to share adventures, knowledge and joy

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JBNH executive director Kim Dixon leads us through the program, its value and its upcoming challenges. Kim has been the E.D. at James Bay New Horizons for the past 30 years

. She is a recipient of City of Victoria Honorary Citizen Award and the King Charles the Third Coronation Medal in recognition to her significant contributions to connecting and supporting seniors

James Bay New Horizons is a registered Canadian charity. If you would like to support this or any other seniors program provided at JBNH you can email executive@jbnewhorizons.ca, visit the web site, or, by postal mail 234 Menzies Street, Victoria BC. V8V 2G7

Passport to Joy and Connection is a program of the Creating Community Wellness Society in Cooperation with James Bay New Horizons. For more information email passporttojoyandconnection@gmail.com

The music heard in today’s video , titled “Lobby Time” was Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 from Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com

Passport for Joy and Connection is a program of the Creative Community Wellness Society and James Bay New Horizons with the financial support of the Mirror Foundation. Created by seniors for seniors, Passport to Joy and Connection is a program of active companionship for seniors to share adventures, knowledge and joy

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We want to see the Photos you take of a celebration or cultural event you attend between now and June 15. July 31

Contest Rules

You must be a subscriber to the Passport to Joy and Connection on Substack. If you are new to the Passport program you can subscribe on our site or email passporttojoyandconnection@gmail with “Subscribe” in the subject bar.

You can use any camera or phone. Photos should be 2840 pixels (4k) or 12 megabytes. Minimum of 1920 pixels on the long size. (Size note: most current phones take 12 megapixel photos which are also 4K.. 1920 pixels are the dimensions of an HD TV.)

Photo dimensions should be 4x3 or 8x10, verical or horizontal (4x3 is the default on most cameras and phones)

Email your Submissions to passporttojoyandconnection@gmail.com or pfe.jbnh@gmail.com

To submit using a usb thumb drive or ssd card you must make arrangements by emailing one of the above for a time and date for transfer.

Photos may be of food, people, floats - anything that means something to you. Surprise us with your originality.

Prizes:

• 1st Prize $50 Thrifty’s Smile card

• 2nd Prize $30 Thrifty’s Smile card

• 3rd Prize $20 Thrifty’s Smile card.

Winning photos will be printed and displayed on the PfE photo board and on the James Bay New Horizons, the Creating Community Wellness Society and Passport to Joy and Connection internets sites

By submitting you grant permission to James Bay New Horizons, the Creating Community Wellness Society, and Passport to Joy and Connection to print, display and circulate your photos, for non profit promotional purposes and that you will receive no further compensation for such use.

You retain your full copyright for all other purposes.

Award winners will be announced Friday August 14th

Some Interesting possibilities for your photo journeys

• Khalsa Day Parade and Celebration, 10 am to 2 pm, Sunday April 26. https://vicnews.com/2026/04/20/vancouver-islands-largest-vaisakhi-celebration-returns-to-victoria-on-sunday/

• James Bay Jane’s Walk May 1 to 3. Various times.

  https://janeswalkjamesbayvictoria.ca/

• Esquimault Buccaneer Days May 8 to Sunday May 11. https://www.esquimaltbuccaneerdays.ca/schedule

• Victoria Highland Games May 9 to 17th. https://victoriahighlandgames.com/

• Gordy Dodd’s One World Cultural Festival. May 16, 10 am to 6 pm https://www.tourismvictoria.com/events/gordy-dodds-one-world-cultural-festival

• Victoria Spring Witches Market (Metchosin Community Hall) May 16 and 17. 10 am to 4 PM https://www.tourismvictoria.com/events/metchosin-spring-witches-market

• Victoria Day Parade May 18, 9 am https://gvfs.ca/event/thrifty-foods-125th-victoria-day-parade/

• Luxton Spring Fair, May 14, 15, 16, 17. https://luxtonspringfair.ca/

• Awakening China Town May 31, 11 am to 4 pm https://victoriachinatownmuseum.com/event/awakening-chinatown-2026/

• The Village Block Party Cook Street Village. Sunday June 7, 10 am to 6 pm. https://www.thevillageblockparty.com/

• Oak Bay Tea Party June 5 to 7 at Willows Beach https://oakbayteaparty.com/

And any other adventures you may discover - we love photo surprises

A collaboration between the JBNH Photography for Everyone program and Passport to Joy and Connection.

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Passport for Joy and Connection is a program of the Creative Community Wellness Society and James Bay New Horizons with the financial support of the Mirror Foundation. Created by seniors for seniors, Passport to Joy and Connection is a program of active companionship for seniors to share adventures, knowledge and joy

Here at Passport HQ (ok, really just my home office desk) we knew we wanted to find a way to connect seniors with young people. There are many stereo types to fight and dispel, on both sides. of the generational divide.

In early February we found out that Central Middle School were looking for partners for projects that their grade 8’s could be part of. They had a date and time already set. It had to be on Friday April 10th between 9:30 and noon. Five short weeks away.

That was the first challenge. There were more. When dealing with what the government considers “vulnerable populations” there are a number of things you have to take into account Both seniors and youth fall into that category. So if you work or volunteer with either seniors or youth your first step is usually to have a Crim Check. A Crim Check is a criminal records check that sometimes can take upwards of several months. Seniors working with youth are not absolved from that requirement.

The “out” for that requirement is when the event or the interaction will be supervised by a number of people who have had recent criminal record checks. Teachers have them. Youth workers have them. People like me, who both volunteer and work with vulnerable populations also have them. A project here at the James Bay New Horizons Centre in cooperation with a school would provide the necessary supervision. So a collaboration with Central Middle School was perfect for fulfilling that requirement.

The collaboration with Central Middle School also helped us clear another hurdle. People under 18 cannot sign waivers for recording. The school was in charge of getting the necessary permissions. The result, which you will notice when you look at the photos in this essay and when you listen to the upcoming podcast, is that none of the photos can show the identity of the youth (significantly, no faces) and that only first names are used on the audio recording.

Though simply bringing youth and seniors together for communication and a better understanding of each other was a significant goal of the project, the final goal was to produce a podcast as well. Being outgoing, articulate and youth friendly influenced the seniors we asked to participate for the interactions. Fortunately, at James Bay New Horizon’s there is no shortage of interesting articulate seniors. That made our search challenge more about bringing our list of participants into agreement with the number of expected students than with finding enough candidates.

With that in mind, I put together the following proposal and, after consulting with Kim Dixon, the executive director of James Bay New Horizons, I sent it to the principal at Central.

Project:

• Students and Seniors will be asked to play “radio reporters/Podcast hosts” and interview each other.

Project Purpose:

• To illustrate the differences between then (seniors) and now (students) for a podcast and photojournalism article to be published on the Passport substack site and YouTube page (stills to be used in the YouTube version

• To create intergenerational understanding, awareness and friendship through a personal meeting and a media legacy

Practicalities

• Central Middle School must ensure parential/gardian photo and audio permissions for selected students.

• (Student photo releases would be preferred, but are not necessary for the completion of the project - audio will use first names only).

• JBNH seniors will be asked to sign an photo/audio release

• 10 to 12 students matched 1 to 1 with a senior

• 3 pairs to a table 5 tables

• Water and glasses should be on each table. All participants will have paper and pens/pencils for note taking or drawing as a memory aid.

Topic - Once upon a time at school

• Seniors and students will discuss a typical day at school (15 min)

• After a short break a Microphone will travel from table to table and…

• Students will interview (3 questions) their senior about what a typical day at school was like

• Seniors will interview their student (3 questions) about what a typical day was like for their student,

• The microphone will feed into the PA system and the reports will be recorded.

Outcomes:

• Recorded stories will form the basis for a photo journal report and a podcast.

Schedule:

• 9:30 to 10 am Gather and seating. Coffee, tea, juice, goodies (cookies/cake/???? ) available.

• 10 am to 10:15 Host introductions and explanations - reminder to get drink and goodies, What Passport is, What JBNH is, What Central Middle School is., quick interview example

• 10:15 to 10:35 Student Senior interactions, story telling

• Each participant will write down 3 questions to ask their interviewee on mic

• 10:35 to 10:45 Refreshment break

• 10:45 (approx) Host/MC to start table to table story telling process. Ask for volunteer table to go first or just pick the closest or furthest to start. 3 min for each interview (which should be lots!) - 20 to 24 interviews time 3 min —- 60 to 90 min

• 12:00. Sandwich Lunch served (If interviews are still ongoing participants will be encouraged to “help themselves”)

• 12:30 End

We selected the Topic, “Once Upon a Time at School” as it was the basis of common ground of interest between the seniors and the youth. Since this was a question and answer forum, it was expected that once we got going there would be a wide range of questions that might go well beyond the starting topic. It was a good way to get going. The difference between “then and now” is always a fascinating way to launch an intergenerational conversation,

Tina Pierik, the principal at Central Middle School, replied with enthusiasm. Then, it was as they say, “off to the races”. In this case the races were slightly less than four weeks away so there was little time to spare.

Fortunately, JBNH has a large central gathering place. Unfortunately, we had to bump a regular Friday morning program called “Friday Forum”. Friday Forum is a topical information and discussion forum for JBNH members, so our project wasn’t completely out of character for the time slot. We anticipated a small audience as part of our project. It was with the grace that so many seniors embody that Elvira, the organizer of Friday Forum accepted the usurpation of her regular program and for that I must express my gratitude.

Then came the details. We had promised to provide lunch. Fortunately, there is a Thrifty’s Foods supermarket half a block away from JBNH. JBNH’s relations with that local supermarket are very good and Kim called upon them to created a sandwich lunch for twenty-five including a fruit tray for the day of the event.

Not every senior I approached was available. The responses I received put to bed any belief I had in retirement full of unscheduled time. The seniors who become involved in centres like JBNH or involved with non profits like CCWS are busy people, with commitments to family, friends, charitable organizations and to their personal health routines. Still, even with the short notice and constrained timeline we had, we were able to put together a group of seniors with diverse school and life experiences.

We wanted to create some type of memorabilia from the event which both seniors and students could take home. As well, we wanted to give the seniors and the students paper and pen with which to jot down details that they learned about each other as well as questions for each other.

With that in mind I created small notebooks modelled on our Passport information folder. On the front was the Passport logo, our program name and “Central Middle School” along with the Passport email and Substack URL. On the inside front cover was a space for the participants name and the name of the person they were to ask questions of. The very last page had some question suggestions (which did not need to be followed!) and the inside back cover had some Passport to Joy and Connection information along with a thank you to the students and their school. Finally, on the very back cover was a short mission statement and the logos of CCWS, JBNH and the Miroir Foundation, our sponsor.n Also included in the package were print versions of four of the articles from our Substack web page, complete with colour pictures.

The need to make a clear and understandable podcast from the proceedings added a couple of extra complications. With twenty participants seated at five different round tables we needed to use the JBNH Public Address (PA) system. Unfortunately, there is no easy way to take an additional audio feed from the PA system and patch it into an audio recorder.

Those of you not technically inclined can skip the next paragraph, —- but for those of you who are interested the solution we found was to use gaffer’s tape to attach the lavaliere mic from a wireless Sennheiser transmitter unit to the wireless PA mic. (Gaffer’s tape, BTW, is a special, somewhat expensive type of adhesive tape used in studios and on movie sets. It does not leave a sticky residue behind). The receiver end of the Sennheiser unit was plugged into the microphone input of a Tascam DR 60D portable audio recorder. As we had previously planned that I would be going from table to table handling the mic for the senior/student pairs the wire from the lav mic to the transmitter unit in my pocket was not a difficulty.

On the morning of the event I rearranged the tables and chairs a bit, set out the note taking and information packages and waited for the participants to arrive. There were chairs for a small audience and the JBNH canteen volunteer had coffee, tea and juice ready well before starting time.

Almost all the seniors arrived early and the students and their teacher arrived promptly at 9:30. That allowed us to start the get to know you part of the session a little early. As MC, I got the audio recorder recording and got the question and response session underway at 10 am. This was a bit of luck as the question and answer rounds took a bit longer than anticipated.

The plan was to do two rounds of the tables of back and forth questions and then take a short break for water or bathrooms. Round one worked very well with enthusiastic participation and studied attention.

One of the students even noticed that there was a ninety plus year age difference between herself and her one hundred and four year old senior partner.

School days, technologies and activities were talked about through the lens of the difference between now and up to ninety years ago, though it should be noted that more common gap was fifty or sixty years. Still, there have been such a lot of changes in that time!

By round two, because of the time needed to go from student/senior duo to duo, things were starting to drag a bit and I could sense a bit of restlessness.

When we took our break I took the opportunity to consult with the Julie, the student’s teacher. We thought that changing partners might enliven the conversation but when we floated that idea the participants were unenthusiastic. However, a trio of smart young women students suggested that we needed more conversation between all the people at each table. And with that brilliant suggestion round three commenced. One or two questions from the people at the table were put to the people at that table. The conversation perked back up and the engagement level rose.

And so it was that at the end of round three, at about fifteen minutes to noon, the scheduled part of the morning was complete. The students and seniors moved into another room where the lunch was all set up, thanks to the efforts of Kim and Sheri Dixon and some of the other, very efficient, JBNH senior volunteers.

That everything ended on time and perhaps even a few minutes early was a great relief to the JBNH Bridge players who had the main room booked for their weekly Bridge session. The round tables quickly disappeared, the card tables went up, students and seniors conversed and chatted over sandwiches, cookies and fruit.

At 12:30 the students and teacher left to catch a bus back to central middle school. Only one back pack was left behind and we managed to reconnect it with it’s owner before he boarded the bus.

Now you are asking, “how did the discussion go?”. For that answer you will have to wait till early May (only two or three weeks away) to hear the podcast and experience the voices of the youth and seniors as they interact.

Stay Tuned…….

Special thanks to JBNH Executive Director Kim Dixon, Sheri Dixon, CCWS Executive Director Kim Duffus and especially the dedicated volunteers at JBNH, without whom this event could not have taken place.

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Passport for Joy and Connection is a program of the Creative Community Wellness Society and James Bay New Horizons with the financial support of the Mirror Foundation. Created by seniors for seniors, Passport to Joy and Connection is a program of active companionship for seniors to share adventures, knowledge and joy

As a member of the James Bay New Horizons community Joan participates in the Writers Group and the Photography for Everyone group. She is a contributor to the Passport to Joy and Connection program and is committed to fighting agism and to exploring her untapped potentials

Todays music was composed and performed by Kevin MacLeod of incompetech.com. and is licensed under a creative commons 4.0 Attribution licence

Passport is a program of active companionship for seniors to share adventures, knowledge and joy

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Passport to Joy and connection will have an information table at the bazaar and we would like to invite you to come by to say hello and to enter our draw for a Thrifty’s grocery card.

Passport for Joy and Connection is a program of the Creative Community Wellness Society and James Bay New Horizons with the financial support of the Mirror Foundation.

Created by seniors for seniors, passport is a program of active companionship for seniors to share adventures, knowledge and joy.

See you at the Bazaar

Christoph Willibald Gluck based this opera on the tragic Greek Myth of Orpheus and Eurydice.

The Greek myth is a tale of love lost, heroic quest through the terrors of the Underworld, love regained and lost again with only the beauty of music uniting with love to endure through all time.

But instead of tragedy in this opera Orpheus and his love Eurydice are reunited. In the final scene, Gluck leaves us thrilled by the soaring aria “Che Faro Sense Euridice”. The god of love embodied, Amor, is so charmed and moved by Orpheus’ grief and the beauty of his art, she reunites Orpheus with his love, Eurydice.

Whether you have never experienced the Grandeur of Opera or you are an opera lover whose pockets are not as deep as the underworld, this is your chance to experience the glory of the Opera stage and the transcended beauty of operatic music with a group of your senior peers.

Passport and JBNH will have a limited number of tickets available for $15 released through Pacific Opera’s Community Access Partner program (and we do not yet know how many!)

Email passporttojoyandconnection@gmail.com or executive@jbnewhorizons.ca for your ticket. We will respond on a first come, first serve basis and confirm your ticket as soon as we can.

Let us know as soon as you can.

We must caution you that last minute decisions often result in disappointment.

Passport to Joy and Connection is a program of active companionship for seniors to share adventures, knowledge and joy.

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You can hear the longer podcast version at

Anne says that several years ago she was asked if she could bring someone into the group “who was in need of socializing”.

She says “for the first few years she kept her head down as she crocheted” but, Anne says “ now she is a fully conversant member of the group and it’s just lovely to see how she has come out and it’s our group that’s done it!”

The James Bay New Horizons Handicraft Group is a drop in group of about 25 people who meet on Tuesday afternoons. The group is open to James Bay New Horizons members. Members can come and go as they wish. Tim says that the nice thing about the handicraft group is that it gives the members a chance to get together with like minded people who enjoy knitting and crafting, either as a pastime or as their sole hobby.

Tim says that at the Tuesday get togethers they can “talk like you wouldn’t believe and the volume in the room can just escalate, and then at another moment it could be so quiet you could hear a pin drop”. Somedays the talk, chatter and laughter get so intense they hardly get any work done.

But don’t let that fool you. Most of the fruits of their labour goes to support the James Bay New Horizons centre (JBNH). They create and donate a lot of handicrafts to support the centre and it’s activities. Last year alone the group raised over nine thousand dollars through their handicraft fair and sales.

This fundraising effort goes to support the activities of JBNH. Things like a Sunday Supper program, food security programs and even a food delivery program for seniors isolated in their homes by illness or frailty. The fundraising supports socializing programs that help seniors combat feelings of loneliness and isolation. Programs like the Bridge Players group, the Ukulele group, a Current Affairs discussion group, and even a Wisdom Circle sharing advice, life experiences and emotional support and many more.

Knowing all this gives the handicraft group a sense of purpose that goes hand in hand with the activity that keeps them busy throughout the year.

Anne says she has been knitting for eighty-three years. It keeps her mind and her hands busy and she often creates her own patterns. Tim hasn’t been knitting for anywhere near as long but he says it fills his need to stay busy and allows him to contribute meaningfully to the aid and support of seniors.

Anne says you need to feel useful even if you are in your 80’s. “You still want to be useful and needed”. She thinks that thought motivates many of the members of the handicraft group - along with the fun and socializing.

She believes that most people in the group feel it’s nice to know that they are needed and that knowing “what they are doing serves a good purpose as it helps keep the programs going” is fulfilling and motivating.

Both Anne and Tim say they they like making socks just for the relaxation it brings them. Anne says Tim makes beautiful shawls along with other creative sculptural pieces like animals and creative objects and they both love the challenge that comes with having to use up the leftovers from their regular projects. Anne even knitted an entire Nativity Scene, baby Jesus and all, for the Christmas Craft Sale.

Most of the yarn that the handicraft group uses is donated. Sometimes it’s bits and ends from member’s projects and sometimes a member even donates a completed work. Tim posts regularly in a Facebook knitting group and he says they have had yarn donations from as far away as Maine in the US. They often get donations from seniors downsizing or moving into care homes. They even have a contact in a downtown yarn store the “Beehive” who lists them on their community page. Tim says one of the clerks there sometimes calls him with the simple message “Hey Tim, we have something for you. Would you like to come and get it?”.

The Handicrafts Group meets on Tuesday afternoons at the James Bay New Horizons Centre, 234 Menzies St here in Victoria.

Their Spring Craft Sale is coming up not the 27th and 28th of March.

Prices are always reasonable and the Handicrafts are all made with companionship, care and joy knitted into the very fabric of every piece.

Passport to Joy and Connection is a program of the Creative Community Wellness Society and James Bay New Horizons with the financial support of the Mirror Foundation. Created by seniors for seniors, passport is a program of active companionship for seniors to share adventures, knowledge and joy.

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In this conversation you will enjoy a glimpse into the joy, purpose and connection that the craft group brings to seniors at James Bay New Horizons. Join us for part 2 when Tim and Anne talk about the upcoming craft fair and sale on March 27th and 28th.

James Bay New Horizons 234 Menzies St, Victoria BC

Passport for Joy and Connection is a program of the Creative Community Wellness Society and James Bay New Horizons with the financial support of the Mirror Foundation. Created by seniors for seniors, Passport to Joy and Connection is a program of active companionship for seniors to share adventures, knowledge and joy

Do you know why the newly elected speaker of the legislature is escorted to the speaker’s Chair?

In 14th Century Britain the Speaker’s role included telling the monarch things they didn’t want to hear. Unhappy Kings sometimes imprisoned or even executed the Speaker. No wonder the speaker has to be nabbed by the Premier and the leader of the opposition and forced into the chair.

Join us as we head off (pun intended) to the BC Legislative Library for an educated and non lethal education on the History and Role of the modern speaker. Imprisonment and execution seem to be things of the past, but unpopularity may still be part of the job.

March 13, 2:00 pm: The Role of the Speaker

The tricorn hat and black robe are iconic, but what else? Learn the history and traditions behind this parliamentary position.

We will gather at James Bay New Horizons and walk to the legislature at 1:30 pm on Feb 13, March 13 and April 10. Or you can simply meet us there.

You need to arrive at the Legislature entrance at least 10 minutes early to clear security.

This is a unique opportunity to be inside the BC legislative library and get a look at some of the valuable and fragile items stored in the vault. As you pass through the marbled arch and iron gates of the Library you may still hear the ghostly footsteps of the Library’s distinguished designer, Sir Francis Rattenbury.

You MUST register online - leg.bc.ca/visit/programs-and-events/special-programs

if you need help email passporttojoyandconnection@gmail.com) and we will help you register. We do not have a group booking! Seating is limited So register early

Next up in the Legislative Library Series

April 10, 2:00 pm: Explorers and Expeditions - From the South Pole to Vancouver Island, discover daring voyages and their connections to the Legislative Library.

Passport to Joy and Connection is a program of active companionship for seniors to share adventures, knowledge and joy.

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Our Substack now has 10 articles: ranging from information about how we operate to profiles and even a personal story of artistically stepping out of your comfort zone.

Passport to Joy and Connection

A program of Active Companionship for Seniors to share adventures, activities, knowledge and joy

By Passport To Joy and Connection

In case you missed it

Passport Personal - Learnings from the Goose by Joan McHardy - Joan’s story of discovering talents she did not think she had! https://passporttojoyandconnection.substack.com/p/passport-personal-learnings-from

A Passport Expedition - Realized - Treasures from the Legislative Library, Philosophy of Politics and Power (the first of three)Rare books and the philosophy of Machiavelli, Hobbes and Smith presented by Reference Librarian Iona Reid and the Player Program Coordinator Nicholas Guerreiro - https://passporttojoyandconnection.substack.com/p/a-passport-expedition-realized-106

Passport Portrait: Senior Artis Val Hostetler by Shirley Winter - Senior artist Val Hostetler was one of our hosts on our recent Passport Expedition to the Victoria Arts Council’s Artist Showcase and Workshop. JBNH writers group member Shirley Winter sat down with Val to produce this portrait-https://passporttojoyandconnection.substack.com/p/a-passport-senior-portrait-valerie

Coming Soon

Friday March 13th -2 pm - Treasures from the Legislative Library (2) - The Roll of the Speaker & April 10th - 2 pm Treasures from the Legislative Library (3) Explorers and Expeditions - You can meet us at James Bay New Horizons or at the Legislature. We will leave JBNH at 1:30 to walk to the Legislature. You must arrive at the Legislature at least 10 min early to clear security. You must book your in person attendance in advance at https://www.leg.bc.ca/visit/programs-and-events/special-programs

March 26 2 pm Monkey C “Artcade” 706 Fort Street. Interactive and experimental electronic art. Watch for an upcoming Passport post with more details about our seniors group visit

Friday March 27 and Saturday March 28th The Spring craft Sale at James Bay New Horizons. Hundreds of handmade items. Decorative, sculptural, useful and practical. Great for your home or for your favourite someone.

Monday April 20 - Preview: Orpheus and Eurydice ($15) - A limited number of tickets to the preview of the opera Orpheus and Eurydice from Pacific Opera of Victoria will be available. Tickets for this classic story of love lost, regained and lost again will be available through JBNH starting around March 20th. You will need to sign up early so Kim can reserve your seat. If you have never experienced Opera this is an affordable way to experience the grandeur of the stage. If you already like opera come along with this group of like minded seniors. passporttojoyandconnection@gmail.com

In the Works

Passport Spring (June) Fair of senior friendly events and experiences at JBNH and around Victoria. As part of BC Senior’s week we are planning an fair of senior friendly experiences, organizations and activities around Victoria. More information coming soon. If you know of an organization, activity or event that might be interested in participating please let us know at passporttojoyandconnection@gmail.com

A Passport video documentary -the James Bay New Horizons Sunday Supper program.

A Passport Audio podcast - Knitting and Craft group

A Passport Audio podcast Senior Profile - Marty Wall and the Wisdom Circle

And Passport profile posts featuring interesting seniors and events. plus more Passport Expeditions including plans to go to the Naval Museum at CFB Esquimalt and ChinaTown

Stay Tuned!

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I had no math and no science, but I did have home economics where I learned to make an apron and embroider my initials on the pocket in red thread.

I did have one art class. In that class, I remember that I loved playing with clay and making sculptures. The teacher said I had talent but at that time there was no mentor or opportunity to sculpt for a young woman programmed to be a secretary and then a wife and mother. I have no memory of ever doing water colours.

Sandra wanted to go to an art class at the local rec centre. She had been to art school and wanted the discipline of a class to do something creative. For a class time that suited us, we had a choice between calligraphy and water colours. I told Sandra I couldn’t do calligraphy because I was left-handed and would smudge all the carefully crafted letters. We decided that painting would be the better class for us.

I like water colour paintings. Maybe I could do some clouds drifting over the Salish Sea like Tony Onley or the long black lines of the prairie by Tanabe. It didn’t look that hard to do.

Sandra had all the supplies. I just had to show up. There were eight of us in the class. We all looked a little insecure.

The teacher was an older woman with her flowing grey hair and colourful patchwork quilt jacket who looked like an artist. She showed us some of her work, mainly pretty flowers. Then she said, in a cheery voice, “let’s get to work”.

She gave each of us the same picture. It was a picture of a goose. Draw the goose in your sketchpad, she said.

I looked at the goose and the goose looked back. I don’t remember drawing anything since I was a child. How do you even start to draw a goose.

Sandra, to my left, had started and my neighbour to right was using her ruler to figure out the dimensions of the goose. I decided to just go for it.

I started with the head and then the body and then the tail. I erased some lines and tried again. It was looking better. I looked carefully at the picture of the goose and I saw how to improve my goose.

Now for the feet. They were an awkward shape and hard to draw. Those feet had to fit on the page.

I was finished. I looked at my goose. It looked back. It was a good-looking goose! How did I do that? I had drawn a goose.

The next step was to decide on a colour for the background, and I decided on purple and yellow. I know now that was not a very good choice. More pastel would have worked better. But I was going for it, and I am not a pastel person.

I wet my brush and painted the background purple and yellow. Then we had to paint the orange beak and feet. Sandra had already mixed the orange. That was good. I had forgotten how to get orange from two colours.

The next step was to find a pale blue/grey colour to contour the body and neck. This made shadows on the goose so it looked rounded, as rounded as a goose ready to cook for dinner. My goose was no longer the stark white colour of the paper.

I was shocked again by how good my goose was! “How did I do that?” I asked myself again.

I had expected to make a few artist strokes of white and grey and blue for the Tony Onley clouds and ended up drawing a goose and colouring it. I had created a pretty damn good picture!

For my first efforts at painting in water colours, it is, in fact, an amazing picture.

By looking me in the eye, that goose taught me a few lessons.

The primary lesson is that I should not underestimate my abilities. If I had known I had to draw a goose for the class, I would have said, “Oh, I can’t draw.” I probably would not have gone to the class.

I am now looking forward to attending the next class. It is so easy to say, “Oh, I am not an artist.” Or “I can’t do that.” Or “Why should I even try?” We miss so many opportunities by saying “No.”

Inspired by the goose, I googled to see if left-handed people can do calligraphy. The answer is “Yes!” There are special brushes and pens for left-handed people and even fast drying ink. My school teachers would have been so happy to see my work smudge-free because of fast drying ink!

Geese are noisy and particularly vicious creatures when angry, but one goose taught me many lessons for which I am very thankful.

Joan McHardy is an adventurous aspiring artist and writer living in Victoria, BC. She is a member of the James Bay New Horizons Writers Group, a member of the Photography for Everyone group and a contributor to the Passport to Joy and Connection program.

Passport is a program of active companionship for seniors to share adventures, knowledge and joy

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The VAC Artist Store and Showcase was Val’s idea and was brought to reality in an empty store front on the lower floor of the Bay Centre Mall. This venue was supported with enthusiasm by other members of the Victoria Arts Council. A group of nine artists joined her and set up their work spaces atelier style. Each, hard at work, brings to life their unique vision.

Val, now a senior, reminisced a bit about her early decisions.

In high school she loved both science and art. She struggled to decide which path to take. Her father was a scientist, so that seemed a good fit, she thought but, was drawn equally to art. So being the smart person that she is, decided to give a year to each and then make her decision.

First, came the year of science. Removing art from that year, hit her hard. She missed the visual articulation of her practice. “That year of science was painful,” she said.

The next year, in art school, the science was not missed.

Decision made!

Her BFA has grounded her in this chosen field. She is still just as enthusiastic and happy about this decision - to embrace art. It enriched her life and others through her teaching. She is articulate, analytical and impactive in her verbal and visual style.

A special program called ‘Artist in the Community’ was offered at Queens University and Valerie carried on with her education. She added to her credentials a B Ed. The approach of “Community”, broadened the scope of venue to bring her teaching beyond school into a larger arena.

In Central Alberta, Val was involved with seven large clay tile mural projects produced by hundreds of children. She taught after school programs, adult art clubs, designed logos and graphics for sports clubs, and taught college fashion design students. She was an art specialist at an elementary school for twelve years.

Retirement and the Covid pandemic ended her teaching career. “Moving to Victoria meant I needed to figure out new ways to gain an art community and find my groove,” she acknowledged.

In a quiet corner of her pop-up venue, she shared with me, “When there are commitments that constrained my time to paint, I miss it in a visceral way, and don’t feel connected to myself. My art practice gives me focus. It’s not a form of therapy, it’s a form of communication that connects me to my world.”

Val uses sturdy cradled wood panels for her acrylic work. Her materials include high flow acrylic paints, glazes, collage and linoleum block printing. The paper she uses for collage application is conservation acid-free paper used by librarians.

Val chooses a limited palette of colours. In her past practice she worked on large water colour paintings. This has influenced her present work. She uses the high translucency of her paints on a gesso ground as you would the white of the paper in water colour application rendering a crispness to her work.

Her subject matter is organic, with nuances of the land. Her marks are gestural, loose and dynamic. Her preferred powerful large scale pieces demand attention. They emit light, and natural beauty.

“When I paint a landscape, I am not trying to produce a photographic representation. Rather, I seek to achieve a composition where brush strokes and colour create an expression that unifies time, place and emotion,” she explains.”

It’s not hard to see why people are drawn to both her and her work.

Meeting her was a pleasure that drew me to her web site, valhostetler.com

Text by Shirley Winter

Photos by Kirk Schwartz

The Victoria Arts Council Artist Show and Workshop continues until February 22 in the lower level of the Bay Centre, 1150 Douglas St., Victoria, BC

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Our Hosts were the Legislative Library’s Reference Librarian Iona Reid and Nicholas Guerreiro, the Player Program Coordinator for the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia.

Nicholas led the presentation with a very well researched and comprehensive, but still brief, introduction to the three featured political theorists. He laid out the reasons why they had such an impact on our parliamentary system.

Nicholas did, however, point out that our politicians seldom used quotes from these giants of political thought in complementary ways. Hansard, the legislative record of parliamentary debate mostly included references to “Machiavellian” tactics, the famous Hobbes reference to “nasty, brutish and short” lives and the heartless “invisible hand” of Adam Smith’s theories.

Supported by a visual presentation on the large screen TV, he did his best to assure us that these references, used in the negative, were not representative of the breadth or depth of the political thought of these theoretical giants.

Following Nicolas’ presentation Reference Librarian Iona Reid tied the philosophical threads together with some book treasures from the Legislative Vault.

First up, a rare copy of “IL PRINCIPE” (The Prince) by Machiavelli. But not just a copy of “The Prince” but a copy with commentary by Amelot De La Houssaye.

De La Houssaye’s commentary utilized “The Prince” to criticize the politicians and government of his time and introduced the idea that we should read “The Prince” not as an instruction manual in tyranny but as a satire that criticized the Medici Rulers of the Republic of Florence.

Next up was a first edition of “Leviathan” (1651) by Thomas Hobbes. Though Hobbes is most remembered for saying that life without government was “nasty, brutish and short” and a “war of all against all”, Hobbes was a seminal philosopher in the realm of “social contract theory” which states we voluntarily give up some freedom for the protection offered by government and the rule of law.

After an explanation about how to tell an actual first edition of “Leviathan”, printed in England but then banned, from the copies later printed in continental Europe, Reid brought the legacy of philosophy home to British Columbia with a copy of Adam Smith’s “The Wealth of Nations” which was owned and annotated by Amor De Cosmos, the second premier of British Columbia.

We were then invited to examine these, and other, Treasures From the Vault of the Legislative Library of British Columbia.

A quick look around and then it was back out to public areas of the legislature.

Passport Expeditions looks forward in anticipation to the next instalment of Treasures of the Legislative Library on Friday March 13th, which will examine and explain the role and traditions of the Speaker Of the House.

photos and text by Kirk Schwartz

Passport is a program of active companionship for seniors to share adventures, knowledge and joy.

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