Wheels for Wellness, a local non-profit that provides patients with free transport to out-of-town medical appointments, received a much-needed boost this week with a $1,000 “no strings attached” donation from Comox District Co-op.

Wheels for Wellness executive director Don Buchner (middle) accepts a $1,000 donation from Comox District Co-op director Grant Machin (L) and manager Richard Kerton (R).

“That’s a significant donation,” says Wheels for Wellness executive Director Don Buchner. “We don’t get donations of that size very often, especially without restrictions on how the money can be used.”

Founded by Buchner is 1997, Wheels for Wellness transports more than 10,000 patients every year to non-emergency appointments across Vancouver Island and, in exceptional cases, the Lower Mainland. In addition to Buchner, the society relies on 26 volunteers and two employed dispatchers, who Buchner acknowledges “don’t get paid half of what they’re worth.”

Though Wheels for Wellness receives some funding through the Vancouver Island Health Authority, it depends on private donations for most of its roughly $1.1 million operating budget.

We felt it was important to support an initiative that was born in the Comox Valley and that provides such a needed service, says Richard Kerton, manager of Comox District Co-op. “It’s no secret that the price of gas has increased over the last several years, and we wanted to help offset that cost.”

The Co-op’s donation will likely be used to put gas in tanks, although Buchner  notes the cost to maintain a fleet of 15 vans, which need to be replaced at least every year, is also a significant expense.

Consistent with its mandate of “moving ahead by giving back,” Comox District Co-op supports several local non-profits each year and is highly involved in the local community.

“Our directors have a lot of history here in the Valley and they’ve been involved with a lot of local organizations,” says Kerton. “They’re very supportive of initiatives that are important to people in the Comox Valley and that have a local impact, and Wheels for Wellness certainly fits those criteria.

“Sometimes people think ‘moving ahead by giving back’ just applies to the cash allocation that Co-op members get back each year, but it also applies to the community as a whole,” he adds. “We’re owned by the community, we’re part of the community and we’re proud to support community initiatives.”

To learn more about Wheels for Wellness, or to make a tax-deductible donation, visit www.wheelsforwellness.com or call 250-338-0196. Comox District Co-op can be found online at www.comoxvalleycoop.ca.

Seventy-five lucky guests were treated to an evening of fine wine and gourmet food on Monday at The Wine Cottage’s annual Limited Edition Wine and Food Pairing event, hosted at the Bridge Lounge.

Guests enjoy an evening of great food and wine at The Wine Cottage's annual Limited Edition Wine and Food Pairing Event, held Monday evening at the Bridge Lounge.

The sold-out event featured five commercial wines that best represent a suite of Limited Edition wine kits that will be released throughout the winter and spring, expertly paired with gourmet dishes based on recipes by Food Network chef Anthony Sedlak.

Amidst a festive atmosphere backed by the jazz stylings of local musician Jeff Drummond, guests learned exactly which wine to serve with grilled flank steak garnished with gorgonzola butter (a Washington Meritage), and what to pour if you happen to be serving pan-seared local scallops topped with yam purée and salsa verde (South African Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon).

“A lot of people told us they didn’t realize the degree to which wine complements food and vice-versa,” said Lyle Brodie, who owns The Wine Cottage with his wife Pamela. “Guests were thrilled to learn more about how to make sophisticated pairing choices and increase their enjoyment of both food and wine.”

“You really experienced the way both the wine and the food tasted better,” echoed Yvonne Lachman, who attended the event. “The wines were phenomenal, the combination was great and the whole event was so much fun.”

The evening kicked off with a video that took viewers to the five vineyards where the wines originate and explained the key principles of wine pairing, featuring some tantalizing food to whet viewers’ appetites. That video is now available for loan at The Wine Cottage.

While the main purpose of the evening was to have fun and delight the senses, the annual event also showcases the selection of exceptional quality, Limited Edition wine kits that The Wine Cottage’s supplier, Winexpert, releases each year. These kits are sourced up to two years in advance and can be made either at home or in-store with the help of The Wine Cottage’s knowledgeable staff.

These wines are always the cream of the crop,” says Lyle. “They’re released over a four-month period from January through April and consistently win awards at the Wine Maker International Wine Competition. They’re so popular that unless you pre-order by early December, you’re generally out of luck.”

In addition to the Washington Meritage and the South African Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon, other Limited Edition wines now available for pre-order include a California Petite Sirah Zinfandel, a German Traminer Spatlese and a Spanish Matador Trio Red.  To pre-order, visit The Wine Cottage at 312-130 Centennial Drive, near the corner of Back Road and Ryan Road, or call 250-338-2686.

The Wine Cottage’s Limited Edition Wine and Food Pairing event raised $160 for the Comox Valley SPCA, thanks in part to 50/50 winner Annie Culmer, who donated her winnings back to the cause.

The Wine Cottage can be found online at www.thewinecottage.ca.

Lifetime Comox resident and local business leader Dave Procter has announced his candidacy for Comox council with a simple question for the people of Comox: “How can I serve you?”

“My promise is to always be 100 per cent accountable,” he says. “Fiscal responsibility is my top priority. To that end, and with your support, I’d like to start introducing some creative ideas for supporting business and the arts in our community.

“I’ve watched Comox grow and, until recently, I’ve been happy with the progress we’ve made. But now I feel it’s time for some fresh thinking on council. We’re in the midst of a global economic downturn; if we want to retain our quality of life while keeping our services intact, we need to start thinking outside the box.”

Though Procter has never before run for office, he has a wealth of business experience and a tenacious commitment to his home town.

“I may be a rookie in politics, but I’m used to hard work and I’m not afraid to go to bat for something I believe in. My work over the last 33 years has given me plenty of experience with council meetings, public hearings, bylaws and zoning issues.”

Procter largely credits his father, a dedicated military man who proudly served as a navigator on the Argus, for instilling in him a strong sense of ethics, responsibility and community pride.

In 2007, Procter cycled Coast to Coast for Cancer, raising $40,000 for breast cancer research assisted by his wife, Leah, and their kids.

He participates every year in the Boomer’s Legacy Ride, he fundraises for the Children’s Miracle Network and he created an ongoing bursary with his partner Jim Gordon that helps one student every year pursue higher education at North Island College.

Additionally, his office sponsors minor hockey and baseball teams in the Valley and donated $6,400 to Y.A.N.A. in 2010 alone.

“Participating in these worthwhile initiatives continues to be life-changing for me and my wife Leah,” says Procter. “But I’ve still got a lot of time and energy to give to this community.

“My question for the people of Comox is ‘How can I serve you?’ On November 18, I’d like your vote to allow me to work for you.”

Wednesday, October 5 at Games & Grounds Coffee House

Since opening less than two months ago, Games & Grounds Coffee House has become known for its great food and games, accepting atmosphere and community mindedness.

Next Tuesday, for one night only, the innovative coffee house will showcase its community spirit by transforming from a gaming café into a full-fledged bistro to celebrate diversity at work.

The public is invited to drop by the Diversity at Work Project anytime between 3:00 and 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 5 to enjoy some great food and drinks and to find out about employment opportunities that exist for people with developmental disabilities.

“I like the idea of letting other businesses know there are plenty of jobs out there for people of all diverse abilities,” says Alex Greenwood, owner of Games & Grounds. “This event is about showcasing their abilities and breaking some of the stereotypes that are out there.”

Wait and kitchen staff for the event will be provided by Vancouver Island Community Connections (VICC), an organization that helps adults with developmental disabilities find meaningful employment in the Comox Valley. The Self-Advocate Liaisons, who will be hosting a ‘Gab Night’ in conjunction with the Diversity at Work Project to celebrate Community Living Awareness month, are also involved with the event.

Filipe Andrade, a community support worker with VICC, who’s organizing the event, is excited about what the evening may hold.

“This will be a great opportunity for youth of diverse abilities to put their training to use and discover what café work is all about,” he says. “It’s also an opportunity for people in the community to get together and find out more about some of the programs that are available.”

Shelley Marinus, an advisor with the Self-Advocate Liaisons, will speak about available resources for people of diverse abilities; Cory Fisher, a public speaker, will speak about some of the challenges of finding work in the Comox Valley.

Andrade says he hopes the event will raise awareness of the need for, and the importance of, meaningful employment for people of all abilities.

“It’s truly amazing how having a job can make a difference in a person’s life, as well as provide opportunities to gain valuable life skills in their process of self-discovery,” he says. “By working with forward-thinking local businesses, these young adults discover their strengths while gaining confidence and life experience.

“Equal-opportunity employers like Games & Grounds are vital to the success of employment programs for people of diverse abilities,” he adds. “This evening is also a celebration of their commitment to inclusive hiring, and to the tangible difference these businesses make in the community.”

Games & Grounds Coffee House is located at 4-239 Puntledge Road in Courtenay.  For more information about Gab Night, or to learn more about the benefits of hiring employees of diverse abilities, please contact Vancouver Island Community Connections at 250-338-7201 or vanislcc@yahoo.ca.

January 27, 2011

When Bill Torry started his home-based plumbing and heating business in Courtenay back in February 1981, he couldn’t have known that it would grow to become one of the largest mechanical contractors on Vancouver Island.

Owners Scott Torry (L) and Brian Farnham are celebrating the 30th anniversary of Torry and Sons Plumbing and Heating, one of Vancouver Island’s largest mechanical contractors.

Thirty years later, Torry and Sons Plumbing & Heating has more than 135 employees stationed in three cities across Vancouver Island, and the company continues to grow. While its management team plans the company’s pearl anniversary celebrations, its owners took a rare moment to reflect on three decades of service on Vancouver Island.

“One thing we’ll never take for granted are the people we have working for us,” said Scott Torry, who took over his father’s company six years ago with partner Brian Farnham. “Without them, we’d be nothing.”

In addition to being one of Vancouver Island’s largest mechanical contractors, Torry and Sons has also proven to be a generous corporate citizen.  The company sponsors several minor sports teams, contributes regularly to the St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation in Courtenay and supports initiatives such as the Relay For Life and the Salvation Army’s Adopt-a-Family program.

“What we’re really proud of is the role we’ve been able to play in the communities we serve,” said Farnham. “People want to know that you’re a responsible company and an ethical employer.”

Torry and Sons’ transformation from one-man business to industry juggernaut largely occurred after Torry and Farnham took the company’s reins in 2004.  Torry and Sons opened its Nanaimo Division soon thereafter, and in six short years the company had grown more than 300 per cent, from about 40 employees to 135.

“Other than the incredibly talented people we have working for us,” said Torry, “our biggest strength is our partnership. Brian and I have known each other a long time, and I don’t think there’s been a single day we haven’t gotten along.”

“The big thing,” adds Farnham, “is that we’re all able to work together.  Staff, management and our customers – we’re all in this together, and each part of the equation makes the other parts stronger.”

With the opening of a satellite office in Victoria just last fall, Torry and Sons may be on the cusp of its next growth explosion.  Yet when asked about what the next 30 years may hold for the company, Torry and Farnham are more concerned about preserving the Torry and Sons family tradition while continuing to recognize the importance of their customers.

Torry’s son Jesse, who plans to study mechanical technology at BCIT, has just gotten involved with the company, and Farnham says his daughter Ashley may someday like to take a more prominent role in the family business.

“We see Torry and Sons still going strong 30 years from now,” said Farnham. “Hopefully we’ll still be able to contribute in a meaningful way to the communities we serve. That’s the kind of legacy we want to leave.”

Torry and Sons will host a customer appreciation event later this year, the details of which are expected to be announced soon.

The Comox Valley Farmers’ Institute is proud to profile Comox Valley farmers and showcase the value of local agriculture. This is the fourth in a series of such profiles.

Tammy Woroniak (L) and her mother Deanna, of Freedom Farm, are local favourites at the Farmers’ Market.

When it comes to produce, beauty is more than skin deep: vibrant colours, well-formed leaves and a natural shine tell us that our veggies are bursting with flavour and are fresh, nutritious and healthy.

That’s why Calvin Woroniak, the “papa” of the multi-generational family that operates Freedom Farm near Merville, is pleased that the most frequent comment he hears from customers is, “Wow, your produce is so beautiful!”

The key to this beauty is the Woroniak family’s passionate commitment to nurturing what was traditionally the most essential element of any farm: the soil.

“The goal of our farm is to produce the healthiest and most nutritious food possible, and the only way to do that is to have living soil,” says Woroniak.

Scientific studies are increasingly revealing the potential nutritional shortcomings of food grown in artificial media rather than in living soil, he says.

“A recent study from a Canadian university looked at the fact that, when soil is alive, it has moulds, fungi and bacteria living within it,” he explains. “The plants growing in that soil therefore need to develop immunities in order to survive, and they pass those immunities on to us. That doesn’t happen in hydroponic environments. Lots of people are suggesting that this may be one factor contributing to allergies, immune deficiencies, asthma and other conditions.”

Additionally, he says, scientists have found that hydroponically grown produce has fewer carotenoids, plant compounds such as beta-carotene and lutein, that benefit human health.

At Freedom Farm, all the plants have their roots firmly planted in soil – and not just any old soil. The Woroniaks combine old-fashioned traditions and contemporary technology to power up the soil in their fields and greenhouses. They enrich it with fish fertilizer, kelp and compost, they practice crop rotation and they rest fields under nourishing cover crops. They also employ regular soil testing to monitor micronutrients, amending as needed to create the optimal balance

The Woroniaks also use biodynamic methods pioneered by Rudolf Steiner, better known as the originator of Waldorf education, that align the farming schedule with the rhythms of nature by dictating that planting and harvesting be done according to the cycles of the moon.

The results speak for themselves. Now in its third year of operation, Freedom Farm supplies some of the Comox Valley’s best restaurants, is a popular booth at both the Courtenay and Campbell River Farmers’ Markets and hosts a steady stream of visitors to its farm-gate outlet.

Customers are drawn to Freedom Farm’s produce because it’s fresh, organically grown, delicious and – yes – beautiful. They can be sure that when they sit down to eat it, they’re getting healthy goodness drawn directly from genuine, living, well-cared-for Comox Valley soil.

Freedom Farm is located at 2099 Coleman Road. For more information, call 250-898-8413.

The glorious summer sun, a local hero-in-training and an uplifting dose of Comox Valley community spirit were all in effect at Comox District Co-op’s annual Tour de Rock fundraising event last weekend.

Tour de Rock riders James Matsuda and Steve Trevor (red shirts) pose with Jet FM’s Robin Nicholson and Comox Co-op manager Richard Kerton at the Co-op’s Tour de Rock fundraiser last Saturday.

The event, which consisted of a car wash and barbecue at the Co-op’s Aspen Road location, raised nearly $1,600, eclipsing its goal of $1,000. All money raised goes to the Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock, an annual 1,000-km. bike ride throughout Vancouver Island that raises funds to fight pediatric cancer.

“The support of the community made this easy,” says Richard Kerton, manager of Comox District Co-op. “No one needed to be pushed – people came out in droves.

“One Co-op member paid $100 for a hot dog,” he says. “Another brought in a big bag of coins he’d collected throughout the year. We had the Glacier Kings hockey team out washing windshields at the pump, which brought in some generous tips. James Matsuda, one of the Comox Valley’s two riders in the Tour, was helping out. The entire atmosphere was festive and a whole lot of fun!”

Comox District Co-op is part of an Island-wide network of Co-ops that is aiming to raise $70,000 for this year’s Tour de Rock. Each Co-op independently organizes its own event, from pancake breakfasts to carnivals, in its home community.

“It’s great for staff morale,” says Kerton of the Comox Co-op’s annual fundraiser. “Everyone – our staff and our members – wants to feel they belong to an organization that is truly a part of the community and contributing to goals that we all share.

“Collectively, it adds up to a lot,” he adds. “It’s not always easy to raise money for the big issues, like cancer. But by working together in a combined effort we can make a significant positive impact. That’s what the Co-op is all about. We serve the community, we’re owned by the community and we support initiatives that benefit the community.”

The partnership between Vancouver Island Co-op and Cops for Cancer began five years ago and has been beneficial for both parties, says Kerton.

“The Tour de Rock fits perfectly with our philosophy of giving back to our communities,” he says. “It supports a cause everyone can relate to. Everyone’s life has been touched by cancer in one way or another. We’ve all experienced this disease, either personally or through a friend or relative.”

Since its inception in 1998, the Tour de Rock has raised more than $15 million for research into pediatric cancer and for programs for child cancer patients and survivors.

This year’s ride starts in Port Alice on September 24. When the 22 riders, all from law enforcement supplemented by a few media members, pass through the Comox Valley on September 28, they plan to make an appearance at Comox Co-op, a place where supporting the community comes naturally.

The Comox Valley Transition Society (CVTS) is ready to undertake some much-needed improvements to its downtown office space, thanks to the generous support of several community partners.

Comox District Co-op director Kay Kennedy (centre) presents Heather Ney (left) and Anne Davis (right), of the Comox Valley Transition Society, with a cheque for $750 and items to support the society’s drop-in lunch program.

On Thursday, Comox District Co-op presented CVTS with a $750 gift, the most recent contribution toward the project.

“It’s significant,” says Heather Ney, executive director of CVTS. “Those kind of donations are huge for us. They all add up and enable us to serve our clients better and longer.”

The renovation project will consist of upgrades to the society’s main meeting space and adjacent kitchen, which is used for a weekly women’s drop-in as well as other group events.

“The drop-in is intended for women who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, who are living in deep poverty with all their money going toward rent and nothing left over for food or other necessities,” explains Ney.

“We have this ratty old kitchen that we serve 50 or so lunches out of every week, so we’re going to fix that up and finally expand our group space.”

Though the project is being funded largely through revenues from the society’s thrift store and proceeds from the Thrifty Foods Smile Card Fundraising Program, donations have also been made by Soroptomist International of Courtenay, the Comox Valley Newcomers Club and, of course, Comox District Co-op.

“Our directors have a lot of history here in the Valley and they’ve been involved with a lot of local organizations,” says Richard Kerton, manager of Comox District Co-op. “They’re very supportive of initiatives that are important to people of the Comox Valley and that have a local impact.

“The Transition Society definitely fits the Co-op’s values of community, education and co-operation,” he adds. “We’re all in this together, so why not help each other out when we can?”

Although work will commence within the next couple of weeks, that doesn’t mean additional funding is not needed or appreciated, says Ney. The scope of what they’re able to accomplish, she says, will depend on what other funding CVTS can secure.

“We’d like to allow women access to things like a private computer and telephone, for example,” she says. “Anything that will further our mandate of making a positive contribution to the lives of women in our community.”

The Comox Valley Transition Society helps local women and children escape abusive relationships and advocates against violence against women. For more information, visit www.cvts.ca.