Top Stories Category

by Janice Henshaw – Today’s subject is everything you wanted to know about lighting but were afraid to ask – starting with a Lighting IQ test to determine your level of current lighting knowledge. Following this fun exercise, we will find out about the other side of lighting – what’s important in lighting design – from two local interior designers, Andi Hook and Wendy White. So let’s get started. Turn on your luminaires, grab your recycled paper pencil and let’s see how much you know! 1. LED is an acronymRead More

by Deborah Rogers – Women make up just over half the population, and with changes in education, employment policy and societal norms, are working in more diverse careers than ever. There are some jobs though that are still dominated by men. The facts are that only 21% of RCMP are female; less than 4% of people working in the trades are women; less than 20% of those employed in science, technology and engineering jobs are women; and women are underrepresented in leadership roles: as CEOS, on Boards and in politics.Read More

For our 9th annual Seaside Magazine Woman to Watch contest, we’ve revamped our criteria and judging process, and increased the prize package available to the winner! Inspired by the popularity of CBC’s The Dragon’s Den, and confident in the entrepreneurialism of our business community, we decided to introduce a “Pitch Off” this year. Women were encouraged to nominate themselves, and answered a series of questions to help us assess their business idea, plan and passion. We had a large number of applications and it was no easy task narrowing itRead More

by Alice Bacon, Brentwood Bay Village Empourium – ‘Fashion changes, but style endures.” The words of designer Coco Chanel could be a touchstone for anyone torn between a desire for self-expression through clothing while wanting to do the right thing for the planet and its people. The fashion industry has earned a reputation for being one of the least sustainable industries in the modern world. Among the deadly sins of the clothing industry are: rampant use of chemicals and pesticides; excessive water consumption; pollution in manufacturing and disposal; and all-too-commonRead More

by Jo Barnes – The phrase “leave no stone unturned” aptly describes the effort and persistence of most farmers. But for one local farm it describes this and much more. Kristine Letson, co-owner of Stonefields Farm, has not only left no stone unturned to create a bountiful farm, but her family literally had to turn out many stones from the fields when they began farming; hence the farm name. “Yes, here there has been an unrelenting crop of stones,” laughs Kristine, “but there’s strength in the name. We work veryRead More