There has been a colourful addition to the Tyee Plaza. The four brightly coloured boxcar-like units are a remembrance of Campbell River’s old logging railroads. They are also part of an innovative project designed to help cottage industries make the transition to brick and mortar stores. The Rail Yard Market, at1235 Shoppers Row, has been open for about 3 months.
Continue reading Campbell River Rail Yard Market: 3 months on
By Kim Paulley, CKTZ News, through an LJI grant from Canada-info.ca
This fall, Mansons Hall opened its doors to Sew Much More, a place to sew and learn, according to organizers.
The idea for Sew Much More had its beginnings at the Cortes Island Free Store, where Marnie Andrews offered up her sewing skills this past summer. The fair weather allowed her to set up in the area just outside the front doors. It was there that she repaired items for the store that were just too good to throw away. She also taught interested patrons DIY sewing skills.
Continue reading Sew Much More: Sewing room opens for Cortes communityEditor’s note: Prior to the colonial era, Coast Salish Peoples used mountain goat wool, dog hair and plant fibres in their woven textiles. Cowichan sweaters were produced after the arrival of sheep and European two-needle and multiple-needle knitting techniques. According to Marianne P. Stopp, The first documented instance of Coast Salish knitting took place at the Sisters of St. Anne Roman Catholic mission in Duncan, in the Tzouhalem district, which opened in 1864.
By Mike Graeme, Indiginews, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The art of knitting Cowichan sweaters has been in Zena Roland’s family for generations.
Her grandmother knit sweaters for the likes of Bing Crosby — and Roland herself has been practicing the craft almost her entire life, for more than 50 years.
But although the Cowichan sweater has become an iconic symbol of the West Coast, cultural appropriation and the exploitation of artisans has made the craft unsustainable for many knitters who need to make a living.
“We weren’t getting a good price for a while and it wasn’t worth doing,” Roland said.
Now, Roland is part of a group of Coast Salish knitters who are reclaiming their work crafting Cowichan sweaters, with a new initiative that pushes back against the unfair wages and design theft that has stifled their practice for decades.
Continue reading After years of exploitation, the iconic Cowichan sweater is being protected with a new fair-trade program
At a time when the average Canadian spends more than $3,000 a year on clothing, many Cortes Island residents are satisying their personal needs and disposing of clothing through the local freestore. Similarly, Creative Deconstruction has supplied materials used in ten new homes on Cortes Island. Mark Vonesch, the Regional Director for Cortes Island, suggests that centres like this may offer a model that needs to be promoted throughout the Comox and Strathcona Regional Districts.
“I’m just getting back from the Comox Strathcona Waste Management Board meeting. This is a board that I sit on as a director, and we provide guidance and leadership to the waste management services in the Comox Valley District and the Strathcona Regional Districts,” he explained.
Continue reading A regional model: free stores and other waste reducing facilities
On Wednesday, July 19, the Cortes Island Museum offered visitors a rare opportunity to see some of the clothing and accessories from its collections.
The event was organized by Lilly Allen, this summer’s intern, who was inspired by the dress that Margaret Smith wore when she married John Manson in the late 1890’s.
Continue reading Peeking into Cortes Island’s past through vintage clothing
