Regulars Category

by Sue Hodgson – Hello 2021, goodbye 2020! We are so glad you’re here! It’s been over a decade since I bought Seaside, right in the middle of a recession. Ten years of building up our business, and then COVID hit. I was so excited for 2020 with new ideas and thoughts for our team and before I knew it, everything got squashed. That’s when we had to roll up our sleeves, start thinking positively and figure out how to keep Seaside going. I can’t begin to explain what itRead More

by Anne Miller | photo by Amanda Cribdon Photography – Stats. Graphs. Demographics. Daily, we learn how COVID-19 is threatening our world and remains a clear and present danger. The numbers don’t touch our hearts, though, like images and stories. The November 30th broadcast of CBC’s The Moment revealed the image of a doctor embracing an elderly COVID-19 patient crying for his wife. The photo encapsulates the widespread anguish of so many. So does storytelling. I recently talked with Jane Dolan, a recreation therapist at the Saanich Peninsula extended-care facility. SheRead More

by Sheila Henn, CPA, CA – Paterson Henn CPA – As the past year showed us, we cannot control everything that is happening around us. But we can mitigate risks, follow guidelines and we can try to take advantage of the situation. The now commonplace phrase “Be Kind, Be Calm and Be Safe” can be applied to all aspects of your life, including your finances. Be Kind. Listen to others and their advice, but remember that each person’s or business’ situations are different. A small amount of taxes for some mayRead More

by Sherrin Griffin, VP, Operations, Sidney SeniorCare – Having just arrived at my 55th birthday last month, I’ve been privy to a sea of cheeky remarks and quips about turning pre-senior, or a senior “tweenie,” as I like to call it. “Now you can start getting those senior discounts,” friends and family have jokingly said. To be honest, I hadn’t really thought about getting any breaks, since I wasn’t 65 yet, an “official” senior. Curious to see what was available though, I decided there was no harm in checking outRead More

by Karen Elgersma | photo by Janis Jean Photography – PACE FC is a non-profit that has been providing affordable, quality soccer training on the Peninsula since 2018. Adam Addlestone, one of the founders of PACE FC, started playing soccer when he was old enough to walk, and his passion for the sport keeps him involved as a coach, parent, player and advocate. Adam and co-founder Harj Nandhra hope this club will inspire more families – kids and adults – to experience the joy of the most popular sport inRead More