Cumberland Food Event Highlights a Community Already Committed to Supporting Local

Cumberland will be hosting a day of local food as a part of the Comox Valley 30 Day Local Food Challenge.  On July 14^th visitors will have an opportunity to sample some great local food, tour the newly revitalized Elementary School Community Garden, and use their pass books from the event to get great discounts.  Events include:

• Local food sampling, local food puzzles for the kids, and a 10% discount for Food Challenge passport-holders all day at Seeds Food Market (on the corner of Dunsmuir and 3^rd Street)
• Mediterranean food at Tarbell’s (2705 Dunsmuir) featuring local growers, along with free samples of the best hummus in the Valley
• Freshly made chocolate samples featuring local berries at Dark Side Chocolates (2720 Dunsmuir), as well as specials on other products made with local ingredients
• Tour of the Cumberland Community Schools Society Environment Club Garden (2644 Ulverston Ave. – behind the Elementary School)

The Comox Valley 30-Day Local Food Challenge is a community experience each July that connects people from around the Comox Valley to the agricultural traditions and potential of this region.  Each year, local residents are challenged to spend 30 days experiencing local food through farm and food producer tours, restaurant events, educational activities and demonstrations that showcase the work and bounty of the nearly 500 farms, food producers and food-related organizations in the Comox Valley.

“Seeds Food Market fits in with the Eat Local Food Challenge in many ways”, says Seeds owner Tina Willard-Stepan.  “Our commitment year-round is to sell products from local farms and food producers as much as possible. This event is a great chance to highlight some of these products, and let people know about this commitment.”

Cumberland Community Schools Society is also excited about showcasing their newly revitalized, long-dormant community garden at the Elementary School in Cumberland.  “It was really cool to grow our own vegetables and learn where some of our food comes from”, says one student participant.  CCSS Coordinator Jeremy Grasby adds, “This is the kind of thing that Community Schools focuses on – community businesses, and participants coming together to strengthen our community through knowledge-sharing activities.”

Cumberland events will happen between 1:00 and 4:00 on Wednesday, July 14th.  For more information about other events that are a part of the Comox Valley 30 Day Eat Local Food Challenge, visit www.ourbigearth.com

The adventure will include participants in teams of two racing around the Comox Valley completing tasks, much like those found on the popular Emmy Award winning Television program. Teams must consist of at least one individual in a wheelchair or with a simulated disability.

To compete a requirement of at least $100 in donations is necessary along with their online registration. The event is set to raise funds to help those affected by spinal cord injuries and other disabilities.

The event takes place on Saturday June 19 from 2 to 4pm.

For more information contact Jim Milina at 250-339-2304 of visit www.ComoxValleyWheelsinMotion.com.

We were going to post a bunch of tips and advice to help you out should you encounter one of these hungry animals, but a couple other sites have done such a great job, we will just give you a couple links to read up.

• Our Big Earth: A Spring Primer on Cougar & Bear Safety. Published on May 30, 2010
• Comox Valley MTP: Cougars and Mountain Bikers – Not a Great Mix. Published on May 12, 2010

If you have a surplus of waste such as solvents, pesticides, gasoline, cleaners and batteries now  your chance to get rid of it once and for all.

Items that can be diverted to other locations will not be accepted at the hazardous waste clean up event.

• Residents can return paint in its original container to the Comox Return Centre – Paint Exchange at 678 Anderton Road, Comox or to the Campbell River Bottle Depot at 1580F Willow Street.  However, paint that is not deemed acceptable by these facilities will be accepted at the clean up events.
• Electronics can be returned to the Courtenay Return Centre on 1255 McPhee Avenue, and also to  the Campbell River Bottle Depot
• Oil and oil containers can be returned to locations that are listed on www.usedoilrecycling.com or follow these links for Comox Valley and Campbell River

For more information on recycling other material and to find the closest recycling location to you call the Recycling Hotline at 1-800-667-4321.

For more information be sure to visit the CVRD’s Website here:

On Saturday, June 19th, 2010, 200 guests will be treated to a nine-course gourmet seafood supper served outside along the lapping shores of Comox Harbour. For the first time, the festival is extremely excited to have two renowned chefs from famed Vancouver restaurants, Rick Bowman from Monk McQueens Restaurant & Patio and Scott Practico from Joe Fortes Seafood and Chop House join us.

Also volunteering their time and culinary mastery are:

• Nigel McMeans, executive chef at the Blackfin Pub at the Marina, Comox
• Jonathan Frazier, executive chef, Atlas Café, Courtenay
• Troy Fogarty, executive chef, Kingfisher Spa & Resort, Courtenay
• Ronald St-Pierre, executive chef, Locals Restaurant, Courtenay
• Aaron Rail, executive chef, Avenue Bistro, Comox
• Mark Duncan, executive chef, Union Street Grill & Grotto, Courtenay
• Matt MacDonald, executive chef, Berwick, Comox

“I have never been to the festival, but when the organizers approached me to participate; I was honored and jumped at the chance. It’s every chef’s duty to get out and meet the farmers who grow and harvest the food that they serve on a regular basis. At the same time, it will also be great to meet and share ideas with farmers, festival guests and other chefs from around the province. I am really looking forward to the culinary experience that the festival will bring. ” said Rick Bowman, executive chef at Monk McQueens.

Each chef will create their own unique dish according to the seafood option they have chosen. Preparing and cooking each dish and the timing involved serving nine courses to 200 people is not only extremely challenging, but a feat in itself that should not be missed. Chef coordinator Matt MacDonald will certainly have his hands full, but judging by past events, he seems up and ready for another challenge.

For tickets or More information please visit the festival website at www.comoxvalleyshellfishfestival.ca,

(or at the Comox Valley Guide site under Entertainment >> Comox Valley Shellfish Festival).

The Comox Valley Shellfish Festival is gearing up for a bigger and even better event this year in BC’s shellfish capital, the Comox Valley. The festival opens June 19th with the Gala Evening Dinner. 200 guests will be treated to a gourmet nine-course seafood supper served along the banks of Comox Harbour, outdoors underneath tents at the historic Filberg Lodge. Along with locally grown seafood, local vintners Beaufort Winery as well as Surgenor Breweries will be providing the wine and ale infusions throughout the evening. This year we are holding a silent auction to raise funds for local charity Y.A.N.A. Tickets are limited and going quickly.

The party continues on Sunday, June 20th at Comox Marina Park with tasting booths featuring shellfish delicacies as well as desert treats, live entertainment, a beer garden and the much anticipated Oyster Shucking Contest.

Visitors coming in from out of town can take advantage of a festival hotel rate being offered at the Kingfisher Oceanside Resort & Spa or discounts being provided for travelers from Vancouver to Comox on WestCoast Air.

Come meet growers, chefs and shellfish aficionados as you savour a truly west coast experience in scenic Comox Valley.
For tickets or More information please visit the festival website at www.comoxvalleyshellfishfestival.ca,

(or at the Comox Valley Guide site under Entertainment >> Comox Valley Shellfish Festival).

The Terry Fox Run, a charity event held in memory of Canadian athlete and cancer activist Terry Fox’s legendary ‘Marathon of Hope’ in 1980, will be held on September 13th starting at the Florence Filberg Centre on Anderton Road in Courtenay.Organized by the Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD), City of Courtenay and Town of Comox, the charity run raises funds to support cancer research.

“This is a chance for people of all ages and abilities to participate in a leisure activity and fundraise for a worthwhile cause,” said Jennifer Dickins, manager of recreation programs for the CVRD. “Many of our lives have been touched in some way by this disease and holding this event honors the memory of Terry Fox and continues his fight against cancer.”

The runs also emphasize the importance of exercise and living a healthy lifestyle. Recent studies at the University of Iowa have shown that there is evidence that increasing physical activity is associated with lower rates of certain cancers, and, particularly, that high levels of physical activity can work to prevent colon, breast, prostate, lung and uterine cancer.

Registration will begin at 9:00 am on race day. There is no fee to participate; however, donations are greatly appreciated. The run of two, five and 10 kilometers can be covered by running, cycling, rollerblading or any other non-motorized way you can come up with. Route maps will be available and since this is not a race, everybody is a winner.

The first Terry Fox Run in 1981 attracted 300,000 participants across Canada and raised $3.5 million. To date, more than $400 million has been raised worldwide for cancer research in Terry’s name through the annual Terry Fox Run, held across Canada and around the world.

The Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) is a partnership of three electoral areas and three municipalities providing nearly 60,000 residents with 85 services — from parks to full-service sports facilities to a solid waste system that serves both the CVRD and the Strathcona Regional District

Comox Valley Watering Restrictions

If you live in Courtenay or Comox, (or receive your water from the regional district) you are now under Stage 1 water restrictions. You restrictions are as follows:

• Watering on even numbered days for even numbered houses (odd houses on odd days). Watering can be done only between 7pm and 7am the following day.
• Hand water at any time.

Cumberland Watering Restrictions

As of June 22, Cumberland will be bumped up to stage 2 water restrictions due to the water level at the Stevens Lake Dam being 3 feet lower than it was at this time in 2008. Stage 2 restrictions for Cumberland resident’s means:

• Lawn and garden watering between 4am and 10am and 7am and 10pm on Wednesdays for even addresses and Thursdays for odd addresses.
• Washing of sidewalks, driveways, parking lots, exterior windows, and building surfaces are prohibited
• Hand watering of gardens and lawns permitted any time if a shutoff nozzle is used. New plants and gardens can be watered anytime within 24 hours of planting.
• Micro-irrigation and drip systems can be used at any time.
• Car washing is permitted if you use a shutoff nozzle