“Behind the scenes of the Oceanside Classical Concerts Society” The concept for a classical concert series in Parksville-Qualicum originated with David Douglas and his mentor George Zukerman. Championed by then-President of the Oceanside Community Arts Council, Joe Straka, and a small group of people, the concept morphed into a series of classical music concerts. The…
Debra Hagen, our May speaker, creates and teaches mosaic art classes in her home-based studio in Nanoose Bay. Debra brought her practical knowledge of mosaic art forms directly to us. As you can see in some of the photos above, she displayed numerous samples which included mosaics created with an array of materials. Historically,…
Our speaker at the General meeting on April 14 was Hans deVisser. Hans has worked in the forest industry in BC for more that 40 years both with the BC Ministry of Forests and principally with the private sector. Hans is currently the CEO of Coastland Wood Industries in Nanaimo. Coastal employs 300 people and…
On March 3, 2023, Michael Lowry, Senior Communications Manager for the Western Canada Marine Response Corporation (WCMRC), spoke about his company’s role in responding to and remediating oil spills along the 27,000 km coastline of British Columbia. Michael’s commitment to protecting the environment was clear. Since 1995, WCMRC has been the only independent organization…
Our February speaker was Justin McGrail, an art-history professor at Vancouver Island University. And what a fascinating, spell-binding journey, he took us on! Justin, who has a Ph.D. in art-history, obviously loves his job. He doesn’t just inform, he beguiles. Over the space of an hour, we learned the difference between copies, fakes, forgeries, and…
Presentation on the Joint Rescue Coordination Center by Major Kevin Howe, January 6, 2023 There are people out there we seldom think about. They work quietly in the background, unseen, 24/7, no matter the weather. They are there to save lives: the lives of passengers in crashed or missing aircraft; persons on floundering marine vessels;…
Due to adverse weather and winter road conditions, our December 2 meeting has been switched to ZOOM only. We regret that we will not be meeting in person, however safety comes first. Our special treats will be held over to the January meeting. Our 2022 PROBUS Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held via ZOOM…
Our November speaker, Kiri Dixon (the General Manager of Red Gap Cascadia Liquors) opened her presentation by describing her deep interest in boutique, locally-produced wines. Kiri believes Cowichan Valley is evolving as one of finest wine producing regions in British Columbia. To provide insight into the reason why, Kiri introduced us to a twenty-year veteran…
Peppermint Twist Northwest Bay Probus Club December 7nd, 2022 “Peppermint Twist”? For a Christmas party? Yes, it is unique and unusual and, no, you won’t have to get up and do your version of the 60’s dance craze that put your back out then that you’re still paying for now. It’s a party with a peppermint twist.…
An Autumn Cranberry Farm Tour What do you get when you cross (1) a family-run cranberry farm that canceled its farm tours for three years due to COVID and (2) the inquiring minds of members of the NW Bay Probus Club? The answer: Thirteen eager Probus members at the farm’s doors on a sunny Tuesday…
The Great Canadian Exploration On October 7 we had the pleasure of hearing David Rose, founder, owner and operator of Mile Zero Tours talk about the birth and growth of his boutique travel company. It was just eight years ago that he started up his Victoria-based company, one that drew heavily on insights he garnered…
