Ken Lavigne In Concert

Poised for his debut at New York's Carnegie Hall in January of 2009, award-winning Vancouver Island tenor Ken Lavigne will present a thrilling evening of gorgeous music and entertaining stories at The Port Theatre, 125 Front Street, Nanaimo, on May 17, 2008. Accompanied by a lush 40-piece orchestra conducted by Simon Capet, Lavigne will feature some of his favourite works that showcase his exciting blend of classical tenor sound and modern style. "I've hand-picked each one of these pieces because I love to sing them - their melodies, their emotions and textures. I know the audience will love them too," says Lavigne. "New York is a big step for me and I want to share that excitement with all those who have supported me before I hit the Big Apple."

Lavigne, who hails from Chemainus, is a versatile performer who commands standing ovations at every concert. He has been wowing crowds ever since he was a teenager when he took the lead in high school musicals. With his appealing voice, dynamic stage presence and matinee idol good looks, Lavigne, who has been described as being Canada's Pavarotti, has developed a solid and adoring local fan base. As The Times Colonist's Adrian Chamberlain said in a review, "Lavigne boasts a naturally beautiful, powerful tenor voice. When he sings a favourite like Granada - sailing up and down a thrilling crescendo - it is just plain exhilarating."

Lavigne started his professional career after studying music at the University of Victoria. Since then, he has earned credits with symphonies and orchestras across Canada and the U.S. from prize-winning performances in Ireland to the special honour of performing for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on her Jubilee. Nanaimo fans will remember him for his highly successful guest solo performance with the Vancouver Island Symphony for Symphony in the Harbour 2005 in Maffeo Sutton Park. Tickets ($42) to hear this outstanding contemporary classical singer at 7:30 pm on Saturday, May 17, 2008, are available at tel. 250-754-8550.

Canadian Baby Harp Seal Slaughter

Michelle Martin of Nanaimo sent me this: The Canadian baby harp-seal slaughter is the largest massacre of marine mammals on the planet. An average of 350,000 baby seals (from two weeks to three months old) are slaughtered on the Canadian ice every March/April. Veterinarians present on the ice during the slaughter have estimated that at least 40 percent of these baby animals are skinned while still alive and conscious. The beautiful harp-seal nursery, which yesterday was a pristine wonder of nature, today has been transformed into a blood-soaked killing field, with the tiny bodies of thousands of freshly-skinned baby seals littering the ice. This is happening in a first world country with that styles itself as a progressive and gentle nation!

The Canadian seal massacre is a commercial slaughter, not a sustenance hunt. It is perpetrated almost exclusively by fishermen during their "off season." There is nothing noble or "cultural" about this barbaric atrocity. Furthermore, the income earned by these baby-seal killers is a tiny fraction of their annual income from fishing. Not only that, this slaughter is subsidized mainly unwittingly and unwillingly by the Canadian taxpayers as it is not "profitable" in its own right. The few million dollars generated by this slaughter pales in comparison to the cost of those government subsidies, as well as the hundreds of millions of dollars of lost revenues from countries boycotting Canadian seafood in protest of this massacre.

A majority of Canadians (as well as international citizens) are strongly opposed to this slaughter. It's about time the government listened...this is, after all, supposed to be a democracy.... "Only the weak are cruel. Gentleness can only be expected from the strong." -- Leo Buscaglia

Malaspina Choir Spring Concert

Celebrate the joy of our Nanaimo spring with rousing choral music featuring the majestic sounds of the Malaspina Choir and the Vancouver Island Symphony. The soaring voices of the choir are being joined by the exquisite musicianship of the symphony in a fabulous spring choral extravaganza which features music by Handel, Mozart and Beethoven and concludes with the majestic, celebratory Lord Nelson Mass by Franz Joseph Haydn.

"It is a full-sounding concert," explains director Wade Noble of the music that will fill every inch of space in the superbly acoustic Port Theatre. "I have wanted to do the Nelson Mass with the Malaspina Choir for some time. We have over 90 members in the choir now. And, it is exciting to be working with the Vancouver Island Symphony."

First on the program is Zadok the Priest by George Frederik Handel. "It is a great way to start the concert - with a splash!" says Noble. "It is one of the four coronation anthems that Handel composed for the coronation of King George II of Great Britain, in 1727, and it has been sung at every British coronation since."

Next is Exultate Jubilate by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. "Our soprano soloist, Nancy Washeim, has a real barn-burner bit of music to sing. Nancy has a wonderful voice and this is a stunning piece. Most people are familiar with the final movement."

Elegischer Gesang by Ludwig van Beethoven follows. History tells us that Beethoven was not an easy man to live with; "But, one landlord welcomed him into their family," explains Noble. "When the landlord's wife died in childbirth Beethoven was deeply moved and wrote this piece for her. It is beautiful and a perfect complement to the Handel and Mozart pieces."

Finally there is the explosive Lord Nelson Mass, like a chocolate that erupts in the mouth and fills you with surprising and delightful flavours. "It is magnificent! It is one of my favourites, full of sparks and fireworks, and such a fun piece to perform!" Concludes Noble, "Doing an afternoon concert like this gives people who do not drive at night, and therefore would not make it to an evening show, a chance to experience the splendour of this music. It is also an opportunity for church-goers to treat themselves to a wonderful lunch followed by a nourishing no-calorie aural dessert."

This passionate program will unfold at The Port Theatre, Nanaimo, on Sunday, May 4, 2008, at 2 pm. For tickerts, call 250-754-8550 ($33 for adults, $28 for seniors, and $17 for students, plus a $1 order fee).

Coming of Age Concert

The Nanaimo Conservatory of Music will be having its 30th Anniversary Showcase Concert, "Coming of Age", at 7:30 pm on Saturday, May 3, 2008, at the Port Theatre. This celebratory concert will entertain all ages with a wonderful variety of music. Enjoy the outstanding talents of many of the Conservatory teachers, students, and alumni. The Nanaimo Youth Concert Choir will delight with their fresh young voices, and the exciting and popular Fiddle Ensemble will have you tapping your feet. For those who arrive early there’s a silent auction and art exhibition at 6:30 pm. Tickets are $25 for adults, $15 for students, plus a $1 order fee, from the Port Theatre box office tel. 250-754-8550.

Morden Black Track Tour

The Friends of Morden Mine is organizing a "Black Track" walking tour of the Morden Colliery Historic Provincial Park at 10 am on Sunday, May 4, 2008, to coincide with South Wellington Day. The tour will be led by historian and newspaper columnist Tom Paterson. The term “Black Track” harks back to the days of the South Wellington coal mining railway whose route became blackened with coal dust over time. The old line from the mine site to the Nanaimo River is now the 1.2-kilometer Morden Colliery Regional Trail.

The Morden Mine operated from 1912 to 1921. The head frame and coal tipple pictured here were built of reinforced concrete in 1913 and are one of the best preserved above-ground relics of the coal mining era on Vancouver Island. Tom Paterson’s tour will also visit nearby South Wellington, where many of the original mining cottages can still be seen. Other sights on the tour include the No. 5 South Wellington Mine’s slack pile, Fiddick’s Junction where two railways crossed, and the South Wellington No. 10 mine site. The tour end at South Wellington Fire Hall where South Wellington Day celebrations will be taking place.

The Morden Mine site is between Nanaimo and Ladysmith off Highway 19 just south of the Duke Point Highway turnoff. At the stoplights turn east onto Morden Road and drive to the end. On May 4 BC Parks will be presenting Friends of Morden Mine with a $4,000 cheque to fund a long-overdue site plan of the park. Admission to the "Black Track" walking tour is $30 single or $50 double. For more information, call 250-714-0377.

Nanaimo STAND for Housing

Homelessness and affordable housing are in crisis in our province. There are more than 10,000 homeless people in our province and at least 56 homeless British Columbians died during 2006 and 2007. Affordable rental housing has disappeared while land prices have soared. There has been no federal social housing program since 1993. Social Assistance rates do not meet basic needs and minimum wage does not pay rent. Instead of continuing to depend on "market forces" to solve housing concerns, all levels of government must take action to build HOMES FOR ALL.

On Saturday, May 3, 2008, activists across British Columbia are planning demonstrations calling for more affordable housing from 1 to 2 pm. In Nanaimo, there will be groups present on the Pearson Bridge, Comox and Terminal avenues downtown, and on Highway 19A beside Canadian Tire in North Nanaimo. Citizens of Nanaimo concerned about housing shortages in our city should come to one of these locations next Saturday afternoon to show their support. Suggested sign slogans for event include HOMES FOR ALL, HOUSE THE HOMELESS NOW, AFFORDABLE MEANS AFFORDABLE TO ALL, and SHAME ON THE FEDS. For more information, call Gord Fuller at (250) 754-6389 or Diane Brennan at (250) 758-3676.

Randy Cormier Drums Workshop

Randy Cormier will be presenting a Drums Workshop titled “How to be a Great Rock Drummer” at the Blues Underground Club, 10 Lois Lane (below the China Steps), Nanaimo, on Saturday, May 3, 2008, at 1:00 pm. The cost is $30 per person and to register you can sign up at the Blues Underground at the Tuesday or Thursday night jams. For more information contact Tom Dodge at 250-751-1516 or Tony Bridge at 250-247-9929 (evenings only).

FCA Art Show in May

The Nanaimo Chapter, Federation of Canadian Artists (FCA), will hold its first show of 2008 in the Nanaimo Art Gallery Downtown, 150 Commercial St., from May 1 to May 28, 2008. The show is sponsored by the Nanaimo Art Gallery. The official opening and awards ceremony is on Thursday, May 1, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

The Nanaimo Chapter has over 100 artist-members from the Central Vancouver Island area, many of whom will be submitting new, original pieces of art for selection to the show, juried by a panel of three jurors, all signature members of the FCA. From the paintings chosen, a number will receive awards of excellence or honorable mention. The jurying process ensures that all of the work in the show is be of very high quality.

Much of the artwork, ranging in style from abstract to representational, and created in different mediums such as watercolour, oil, acrylic, mixed media, and collage, will be exhibited for the first time and all will be available for sale. The awards ceremony is open to the public, and art lovers and collectors are welcome to attend and speak directly with the artists. This show is a unique opportunity to enhance or begin a collection of original artwork and appreciate the talent of established and emerging artists from the Central Island area. For further information, contact the publicity chair Diane Michelin at 250-468-2790.

Nanaimo Anti Sealing Demonstration

The Pacific Biological Station, 3190 Hammond Bay Road, Nanaimo, is marking its centennial with an open house on the weekend of Saturday, April 26, 2008, and the West Coast Anti Sealing Alliance plans to be there. The PBS is operated by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) who manage and subsidize the Canadian Commercial Seal Hunt on the East Coast of Canada.

Although the Nanaimo facility may not have a lot to do with the organized clubbing and skinning of 275,000 baby seals currently underway in the Gulf of St Lawrence, the DFO is a key link in the infrastructure our government is using to subsidize and promote this shameful activity.

The Alliance intends to mount a peaceful demonstration at the main entrance to the PBS on Hammond Bay Road from 10 am to 3 pm on Saturday, April 26, 2008. The Alliance’s goal is to expose the general public to the bitter truth about the Canadian Commercial Seal Hunt in an effort to shut down this horrifically cruel slaughter of baby seals forever. For more information, contact Bruce Foerster at (250) 216-9610 or 721-3600.

Inhumane Seal Hunt Continues

As the inhumane slaughter of 275,000 baby seals continues on the Canadian ice, Dr. Inge Bolin of Nanaimo has compiled this list of reasons why a humane hunt will never be possible:

1. Fisheries Minister Loyola Hearn and other politicians consider the horrendous, bone-chilling slaughter you see in SealsHurt.com and hundreds of other videos and photos, as being humane.

2. It is impossible to observe and control the sealers' inhumane treatment of the animals across the immense regions where the massacre takes place.

3. The seal hunt is extremely expensive as it uses hundreds of boats, ice breakers, helicopters, rescue teams, etc. Since these costs are higher than the money earned from the sale of the seal skins, the sealers kill as many baby seals as they can within the shortest time possible. They do not wait until the seals are dead, but often start to rip off their skins while the babies are still conscious. As the brutal sealers pull their hakapiks through the tender noses of alive babies and throw them into their boats, their mothers look on in horror and so does the entire world.

4. The sealers are as brutal as their "leaders" in government. Loyola Hearn uses abusive language against any one who opposes this commercial massacre. The confiscation of Captain Paul Watson's ship and the mistreatment of its international crew is another case of Mr. Hearn's lawless behaviour. This is not new. The former Canadian Minister of Natural Resources, John Efford, was as ruthless as is Loyola Hearn. Efford addressed the Newfoundland House of Assemby in 1998 with the words: "I would like to see the 6 million seals, or whatever number is out there, killed and sold, or destroyed and burned. I do not care what happens to them. The more they kill the better I will love it". (Hartford Advocate, October 03, 2007).

5. It is extremely sad that Canada has such ruthless and untrustworthy "leaders" who do not respect life in any form. By tormenting helpless little animals, they combine cruelty with cowardice and dishonesty.

To the European Union Commissioner of the Environment, Mr Stavros Dimas: Please understand that due to this unfortunate situation in Canada, a humane hunt will never be possible. For this reason, please call for an EU-wide unconditional ban on all seal-derived products. Please help stop this heart-breaking, brutal and senseless atrocity, a disgrace to Canada and all humanity who stands by in silence. I would like to thank you in the name of all decent and compassionate people and the seals who deserve to be admired by eco-tourists instead of being tortured to death by sadistic sealers. Justice must finally prevail.

Pacific Biological Station Centennial

The Pacific Biological Station, 3190 Hammond Bay Road, Nanaimo, will mark its centennial with an open house on Friday, April 25, 2008, from 3 pm to 9 pm, Saturday, April 26, 2008, from 9 am to 6 pm, and Sunday, April 27, 2008, for 9am to 3 pm. There will be live tank displays, a research vessel for touring, cooking demonstrations, research displays, and many other activities.

The Pacific Biological Station in Nanaimo is Canada’s main fisheries research facility on the west coast. Since it’s founding in 1908, the Station has earned an international reputation for fisheries research. Work conducted at this site has helped shape modern fisheries science, and has contributed to the health and protection of aquatic resources on the west coast of Canada - one of the world's most diverse ecosystems.

Established by Reverend George W. Taylor, the Station was at first a destination for volunteers and academics from across Canada, and eventually from around the world. Today, it’s part of a network of major science facilities across Canada operated by Fisheries and Oceans Canada. The Station employs over 220 research scientists, biologists, technicians, and support staff.

There are more than 22 structures at the Pacific Biological Station site, including laboratories, offices, storage and equipment housing and a library. The residence at the Station, currently used for offices and laboratories, dates from 1928 and is on Nanaimo’s Community Heritage Register. There is a 62-meter wharf used for loading, unloading, and berthage of large research vessels, as well as a small dock for inshore research boats. Fish culture facilities - used for fish health and aquaculture-related research - include supplies of ambient temperature and heated salt- and fresh water.

The Biological Station is operated by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, one of the leading sponsors of the annual harp seal hunt off Newfoundland. Although the Nanaimo facility may not have a lot to do with the organized clubbing and skinning of 275,000 baby seals currently underway in the Gulf of St Lawrence, you might ask the DFO presenters at the Station to explain why our government is subsidizing this shameful activity.

Tatt and the Sly Dawg

On Saturday, April 26, 2008, the Nanaimo Blues Society will be having the third in their series of live recording sessions at the Blues Underground Club, 10 Lois Lane (below the China Steps), Nanaimo, featuring Tatt and the Sly Dawg Blues Band. Doors open at 7:30 pm, the session starts at 8:00 pm, and admission is by donation.

Arts and Culture Week

The week of April 20 to 26, 2008, has been proclaimed Arts and Culture Week in British Columbia, and among the hundreds of events taking place this week, the Nanaimo Arts Council is presenting Stories for All. Since 2004, writers of all ages have been recognized at the Nanaimo Short Fiction Contest Awards. This year the awards will take place on Friday, April 25, during an evening of readings and workshops at the Oliver Woods Community Centre, 6000 Oliver Road (near Nanaimo North Town Centre Mall), beginning at 7:30 pm. This event will recorded for broadcast on Nanaimo’s community radio station CHLY and admission is free.

The opening reception of Nanaimo Arts Council series Waterfront Art Show at the Bistro will be held at the Lighthouse Bistro and Pub, 50 Anchor Way, on Saturday, April 26, from 2 to 4 pm. Admission is $10.00 per person including hors d'oeuvres, wine, coffee/tea. Tickets may be purchased at the Nanaimo Arts Council in Nanaimo North Town Centre Mall or at the Lighthouse Bistro and Pub on the waterfront downtown. For more information call 250-729-3947.

Nanaimo Earth Day 2008

Nanaimo will celebrate Earth Day 2008 at Bowen Park from 10 am to 5 pm on Saturday, April 26, 2008. There will be live entertainment, guest speakers, demonstrations, information booths, craft displays, and food concessions. Many interesting local groups will have tables promoting globally conscious alternative options for our community. Come out and share in this family event overflowing with ideas of action and love of our Earth.