Tag Archives: Gabriola Island

Flashback Friday: 50 years of Brick Making on Gabriola Island

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If you stand on Brickyard Beach on Gabriola Island and look straight ahead you can see Mudge Island or if you look down you can see the remains of millions of old bricks. Did someone dismantle an old brick house? How did so many bricks wind up on this beach?

Gabriola Island Museum is featuring an exhibit called More Than Just Clay and Mortar: The story of the Gabriola Brickyard which opens on May 19, 2012.

Blue and brown shale suitable for bricks were dug from the hillside just above Brickyard Beach. The quarry itself was about 125 feet long and 35 feet high. The shale was crushed and ground to a fine powder, then water was added before being passed through a chute to a hand operated press.  After the bricks were formed they were dried in a drying kiln before being loaded into a firing kiln. There was no electricity on Gabriola Island, so all the machinery was hand operated and the kilns were coal fired.

Brick making was a labour intensive process and it was the main industry on Gabriola from 1900 to 1950.

Source of information: Gabriola’s Industrial Past: The Brickyard by Jenni Gehlbach

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Island Grown Argicultural Survey

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Do you know where your food comes from and if it is grown here on Vancouver Island?

You are encouraged to take a survey about your locally grown food on Growing Our Future www.growingourfuture.ca. The online survey is open until June 11, 2012.

The Regional District of Nanaimo has a ‘Agricultural Area Plan’ that is intended to celebrate and expand local food production and identifying barriers and opportunities for growth in the local agriculture industry.  You can find out more about what’s being done to secure local food sources. Also, background reports and information are also available on the site.

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Gabriola Island Pole Painting

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Gabriola is considering painting its poles. Earlier this year, the Gabriola Arts Council was approached by BC Hydro, asking if they would consider painting some of the hydro poles on the island. BC Hydro told them they will not approve designs, just locations. They also suggested that the Arts Council let the public know what images are proposed, how many poles it intends to paint in total, and that it has a pole paint maintenance budget.  Apparently, this discussion about painting power poles has polarized Gabriola, with some people for and others against the idea.

Elsewhere, other communities, such as Burnside Gorge in Victoria, are seeing pole painting as a way to deal with graffiti.

 

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Poets wanted in Nanaimo & Poetry Festival on Gabriola Island

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The mid island is turning to poetry!  The City of Nanaimo is looking for a poet laureate to serve a three year term. A minimum of one original poem is to be produced per year. The deadline to apply is January 31, 2012. For more information email Bob Kuhn at The City of Nanaimo,  bob.kunh(at)nanaimo.ca.

On Gabriola Island, they are kicking off 2012 in a big way – with the 8th Annual Poetry Gabriola Festival! This year’s celebration of literature, spoken word, and music runs from  February 16th to 19th 2012, at the Dragon’s Lodge on Gabriola Island.

The four evening mainstage performances feature artists from across Canada, including six British Columbia poets commissioned to create new works.  This year’s commissioned poets are Susan Musgrave, Gregory Scofield, Barbara Adler, C.R. Avery, Jordan Scott and Tim Lander.

As well as four feature evening presentations, 2012 will offer afternoon events, salons, workshops, school shows, cameo performances, and the return of the hit event, “Knock-Knock, Who’s There?”

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CKGI Gabriola Island Radio making waves

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A belated congratulations to CKGI – Gabriola Co-op Radio 98.7 FM for getting a broadcasting licence to operate an English-language community FM radio station on Gabriola Island.

It took 11 years from concept to getting permission to proceed, but Gabriola Radio Society (GRS) got the green light from the CRTC to start a community radio station on Gabriola.

If you would like to support Gabriola Radio you can check out their fundraiser event coming up this January 7, 2012. This event called, “You turn me on – I’m a radio” fundraiser will kick off a year in which the Gabriola Radio Society aims to raise $320,000 to establish a tower, studio, and offices on Gabriola Island.

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Call for submissions: Vancouver Island Short Film Festival

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Calling all film artists, the deadline to enter your short film is February 1, 2012.

It is year number 6 for The Vancouver Island Short Film Festival!

This film festival is extra special because it specifically features short filmmakers from   Vancouver Island. The length of film is maximum 12 minutes including credits.

The Vancouver Island Short Film Festival creates opportunities for local filmmakers to screen their films, network with other film professionals and inspire.

For more information visit the Vancouver Island Short Film Festival website.

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