There’s quite a coffee house culture in James Bay, and plenty of java joints from which to choose.
If you like books with your beans, try James Bay Coffee & Books (owned by Kim Willoughby). Conveniently located at "Five Corners", it offers a comfy cozy place to plop down, chat with friends over cup of coffee, sweet bun or a sandwich and soup, (and it’s open 7 days a week). You can also peruse the shelves for hand-made greeting cards, previously-enjoyed books, use their Internet cafe, or admire local works of art that adorn the walls. And, if you’re in the mood, you can drop in on Tuesday evening for a hot game of "Scrabble" or listen to some great live performances on Friday nights.
Serious Coffee, (a franchise owned by Tony Lee and Cathy Wolsey-Lee), is one of the new kids on the block located at 103-225 Menzies Street . Open weekdays from 6am-9pm, and Saturdays from 7am-6pm, and Sundays from 8am-6pm. A popular place for those who work James Bay, it offers free wireless internet service to patrons, together with several blends and choices of coffee, cookies, and light fare. And, on special occasions, at the invitation of the owners, local musicians entertain audiences in the early evening. For the green thumb crowd, the owners offer free pails of coffee grounds for the garden!
Cup a Joe, might be known by some as the proverbial "hole in the wall" place (as it’s tucked away on the basement level of Parliament Mews at "Five Corners". A funky sort of place, it offers frugal folks plenty of options for good hot coffee, hearty breakfast and lunch meals (some with some laugh-out-loud names), and all the writing you care to read on the walls of this entertaining establishment.
Starbucks (located in James Bay Square), is a familiar place to many out-of-town visitors, summer cruiseship passengers, local government employees, and those who love their coffee with more than whipped cream and sprinkles on top. If you want a regular cup of coffee, just ask for a "short" one (although you’re not likely to find it on their menu). If you want the ‘bling of beans’, then this is definitely the spot to let your tongue be tantilized.
Travelling Bean Coffee House located at 100-239 Menzies Street, is the latest java joint to open in James Bay. Owned by a couple from the Interior, who now make Victoria their home, this shop caters to standing-room only types and those on a ten-minute break seeking a fine cup of Espresso…all the way from Italy! The friendly service and tidbits to go make this a great place to pick up the boss’s bag of beans for the week!
Moka House Shoal Point, (owned by Lillian Graham), located at 110-19 Dallas Road, adjacent to Fisherman’s Wharf, is a superb spot to meet if you’re looking for a quiet place to meet whether with friends or perhaps an informal business get-together over many choices of beverages and baked goods. Free internet wireless services, a wonderfully warm and inviting fireplace, together with a gallery of great art and photography make it the place to hang out any time of year.
Ogden Point Cafe, (owned by Gail Patterson and Bob Lumley), located at the "Breakwater" across from the cruiseship terminal, offers one of the most picturesque spots to enjoy a sip of sizzling hot coffee, hot chocolate, hot apple cider, or a selection of organic teas. Reminiscent of the "cafeteria-style" eatery, it offers a selection of home-cooked food not to mention huge, freshly baked cinammon buns and cheese scones to die for in the morning. Open seven days a week from dawn to dusk, it also offers free internet wireless services and free musical performances on Friday evenings. Don’t forget to sign their guest book…and read a few of the entries from those who come from far away (to meet the manager of the place…a man of many talents named "Dick Danger".)
The Superior Cafe (owned by Lisa Boehme) located at 106 Superior Street (near Fisherman’s Wharf), offers not only fresh food and great live music six nights a week, but also some great hot beverages which you can enjoy indoors or outside in the patio garden (where you can also commune with nature). What’s not to like about a chair hanging from the ceiling, a funky stuffed animal’s head on the wall, and a friendly smile at the door?
Mile Zero Coffee (located at Niagara Grocery, 579 Niagara Street), is just two blocks away from the Mile Zero marker at the junction of Dallas Road and Douglas Street: the start of the 4,680-mile Trans-Canada Highway that connects Victoria with St. John’s, Newfoundland). It’s a newly refurbished grocery in the neighborhood recently opened by Jennifer McKimmie, (a chef and former food & beverage manager at the venerable Empress Hotel) and Ken Winchester (a winemaker and distiller whose passion for coffee led to the launch of Mile O Roasters). This is the only spot where you’ll find a selection of freshly roasted beans from around the world including Ethiopia, Sumatra, Costa Rica, and Hawaii. And, while you’re there, you can stock your gourmet pantry with all manner of local goodies to whet your appetite!
Image Credit: City of Victoria – Lekwungen Sign on the Lower Causeway, Inner Harbour of Victoria, BC - Carving represents "Four Directions of the Eagle" — eagles are the messengers of the sun (grandfather) and the moon (grandmother) and are far-sighted and strong.
The colonial heritage and landscape of Victoria, British Columbia (and its oldest neighborhood, James Bay), is a well-known image to both residents and visitors alike.
However, thanks to the efforts of the Esquimalt and Songhees First Nations who belong to the broader language group called Coast Salish, who are decendants of the original custodians of the land, the “Lekwungen”), together with local, municipal, provincial, and federal government agencies, Victoria’s underrepresented past is being uncovered and explored for the benefit of today’s generations.
Local historians like Danda Humphreys and John Adams (both of whom reside in James Bay), and others have worked with the Hallmark Society, the Maritime Museum and the First Nations people not only to highlight the European exploration of Vancouver Island in the 18th century, but also to preserve Victoria’s past from the time the Captain James Douglas stepped ashore at Clover Point in 1842.
Today, many cultural researchers and aboriginal artists are working side by side to pay tribute to the rich history of the Lekwungen people who hunted, and gathered here for thousands of years. This area, with its temperate climate, natural harbours and rich resources meant that the land served as not only a trading center for a diversity of First Nations people, but also a colonial trading post for the famed “Hudson Bay Company”.
Editors of “Victoria underfoot – Excavating a City’s Secrets”: Brenda Clark, Nicole Kilburn and Nick Russell point out that all too often Victoria has marketed it’s recent colonial heritage and image as a “little piece of Britain with double-decker buses”, to the exclusion of its ancient past.
With the arrival of European settlers, the land underfoot and lifestyle of the original inhabitants would be forever changed. European settlement brought with it disease, violence, and decimation of the largest non-agricultural population in the world. While symbols of “civilization” such as domesticated cattle drove the camas bulbs underground, the new arrivals replaced them with rhododendrons (planted to remind them of the home that they had left behind and enjoyed today by thousands who visit the “City of Gardens” every year).
It is said that every place bears a unique shape, and that the land itself is inseparable from the lives, customs, art and culture of those who have shared its soil and spirit throughout history. If that is so, then there are many stories both old and new waiting to be told.
For centuries, on the land where Victoria is situated, families of the Lekungwen owned and managed sections of a hill called “Mee-gan” (“warmed by the sun”), known today as the “Beacon Hill Lookout”. At the base of the hill, a small, fortified village was occupied from 1,000 AD until around 300 years ago, affording its residents with an abundance of fish, and the opportunity to harvest other wild food such as the potato-like bulbs of the camas flowers (that covered the land in a deep blue hue each spring).
Victoria’s Inner Harbour is at the heart of Lekwungen territory, and an indelible link to their ancient traditions and way of life. The “Lower Causeway”, (known as “Whu-sei-kum” or “place of mud”), was once a tidal mudflat where one could find some of the best clam beds on the West Coast. It was also the end of a canoe portage (that began at the eastern edge of Ross Bay Cemetery) and used by paddlers to avoid the danger posed by heavy seas at the entrance to the harbour. The lowland area was once a great boon for hunters as evidenced by the arrowheads and other stone tools found in the area. Before the turn of the last century, the mudflats were filled in to build one of the City’s most photographed landmarks, the Empress Hotel, while the lower elevations were left for market gardens and nurseries until after the Second World War when housing development began in earnest.
The Royal BC Museum (at the corner of Government and Belleville Streets) in James Bay is now home to many cultural objects such as the spindle whorl (used traditionally for spinning woll), carvings and artwork belonging to the Lekwungen people. Their art work, for example, (more modest than other coastal nations such as the Haida), is traditionally used on internal house poles and for the decoration of household objects and cloth.
“Laurel Point” in James Bay (which earned its name from early European explorers who mistakenly identified the plentiful plant life as laurel instead of salal), and has become a trendy up-scale residential development area. The Lekwungen people had no traditional name for the area, however small burial shelters and graves with carved objects remained here until the 1850s, and recent City of Victoria engineering excavation along Dallas Road and Montreal Street has revealed the remains of an ancient burial plot.
And, the new interpretive area and the hand-painted Lekwungen art murals on the inner wall of the Ogden Point Breakwater honor the symbols of the land (the cougar, the wolf, the deer, the raven and the eagle) and the sea (the salmon, the harbour seal, and the devil fish-the octopus) that nourished the First Peoples.
While the hills, creeks, and lowlands have shaped the growth of the City of Victoria and its oldest residential neighborhood, James Bay, there are many messages in the landscape that give rise to rich cultural traditions and strong bonds to a place many of us call home.
Darlene Gaits, an artist from the Esquimalt First Nation, conveys the importance of a living landscape and a vibrant sustainable community when she says that “the spirits of our ancestors live on in those of us who try to bring dignity and nobility back to our people through honesty, generosity, and respect.”
It is this profound connection to all living beings and to a sense of place that we all share in common. Yet, each of us finds a unique way to express our experiences of life, our stories of the journey and our connections to the past. By gathering and sharing these untold stories, unforgettable experiences, and valuable lessons about the land and its people, it is hoped that we all find a life truly worth living.
Sources:
Sara Cassidy, Time depth: Victoria’s deeper story, in “Focus” magazine, pp. 42-45, Vol. 21, No. 1, September 2008.
Danda Humphreys, A path to our First Nations’ past, in “Focus” magazine, pp. 40-41, Vol. 21, No. 12, September 2009.
Cultivating community is what makes the James Bay neighborhood in Victoria, British Columbia so special.
And what better way to celebrate the fruits of life…and lives well lived than to honor the harvest traditions of people who have contributed to building and sustaining our communities, not only today but in centuries gone by.
Those who live on islands share similar bonds. It is therefore not surprising to see how the past and present generations find common ground by celebrating important cutural rituals linked to the land and to the lifestyles of the people.
Where did the notion of the "Harvest Festival" originate? Those of Celtish heritage might suggest that this festival was traditionally held in early Ireland. It was originally held to honor the "Great One of the Earth" and Goddess of the Harvest, but later evolved into a great tribal assembly, attended by the High King, where legal agreements were made, political problems discussed, and large sporting contests were held on the scale of an early Olympic Games. It became a special occasion where artists and entertainers displayed their talents, while traders came from far and wide to sell food, farm animals, fine crafts and clothing, amidst much storytelling, music, and high-spirited revelry.
While the "Harvest Fest at Amica" to be held on Thursday, October 1, 2009 from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm is perhaps a tad more reserved than the fall celebrations of the Celts in early Ireland, it nevertheless offers a splendid opportunity to celebrate some of Falls’ favourite activities, tantalizing tastes, splendid sights and some rather fine fun at with those who have made these well-appointed retirement residences their home.
Why not drop in and take a tour of their facilities which include features such as an indoor pool and fitness center, a movie theatre, a salon, a library, dining room, guest suites, and much more. And, while you’re there, perhaps you can sample a sweet something or two not to mention treat yourself to apple tastings and enjoy some entertainment (now the only question is will the trumpets, harps, hollow-throated horns, pipers, timpanists, fiddlers, gleemen, bone-players and bag-pipers all be there to greet you?)
A page from the history of a venerable Victorian neighborhood -
On September 18, 2009, the James Bay New Horizons Society, (representing retired individuals and those wishing to become more actively involved in the life of their community), will be celebrating its 35th anniversary.
According to Walt Frazer, the historian behind “The James Bay New Horizons Story 1973-1984”, the impetus for change began during the recessionary period of the 1970s. Property developers saw an opportunity to access federal government “urban renewal funds” as a way to build high-rise apartments that could accommodate an influx of senior citizens (who were emigrating from the prairies and elsewhere to escape the bitterly cold winter climate). Through this community infrastructure enhancement initiative, many of the dilapidated homes were replaced with affordable rental accommodation in what was once considered a “depressed neighborhood”.
Thanks to the convergence of an increased demand for accommodation as well as increased demands for economic, social and recreational services together with the availability of taxpayer support, the James Bay neighborhood became a petri dish for the development of innovative community health and social service projects as well as the establishment of unique community assets like the James Bay New Horizons Activity Centre.
With financial assistance from the Department of National Health and Welfare to the tune of one million dollars, as well as support from the James Bay United Church and the James Bay Community Association, the newly settled seniors established the “New Horizons” group. This organization took up a number of valuable projects including the writing of the history of the neighborhood, developing a sense of pride in the community through the beautification and clean up projects in the area (including garden clubs and well as indoor/balcony gardens and erecting the City’s first bus shelter), establishing a food and nutrition club, organizing walking and bus tours, publishing a community newsletter, fostering discussion groups and supporting other community organizations, not to mention providing additional recreational activities for retired people such as social gatherings, pot luck dinners and seasonal celebrations.
Clearly, one of the most pressing matters of the day was to search for a new home, as accommodations for meetings were rather scarce during the early years. It wasn’t until 1974 that the City stepped in to offer space in the south corner of Irving Park. However, concerns expressed by green space conservationists and environmentalists about building in the park threatened this novel plan. Meanwhile the New Horizons group a year later found temporary space in the basement at the Cathedral School on Niagara Street.
During this time, the 234 Menzies Street property owner realized that it was an opportune moment to sell his property to they city for $80,000, and the rest they say is history. The City now had a feasible way to offer this small parcel of civic land to the James Bay seniors group, and to support their efforts to construct a new facility. The initial phase of construction included a utility room, storage space, a reception, office and lounge area, a cloak room and washrooms, in addition to an auditorium that could accommodate 150 people.
In the fall of 1980, New Horizons (whose membership had grown to 1,000), approached the City to expand the original facility, through a cost-shared proposal: 60 per cent of the upgrading would financed by the Federal and Provincial governments, while the remaining 30 per cent would raised by the community. In the end, the final phase was completely financed by the New Horizons membership.
Today, the James Bay New Horizons Society (a non-profit organization which received its Certificate of Incorporation on September 18, 1974) has approximately 550 members. Not only is it responsible for managing its own affairs, including volunteers, employees, and operations, but under the leadership of a small Board led by President Helen Ruttan, and Executive Director, Kim Dixon and her staff, this organization currently delivers more than 30 health, recreational, and cultural programs as well as organizing special events and renting out much-needed space to community groups in the James Bay New Horizons Activity Centre. In a vital supportive role, the City of Victoria is responsible for the maintenance of the building and for providing a modest annual grant for the operation of the facility.
So, when you stroll by the James Bay New Horizons Activity Center this week, why not stop by and congratulate the elders of the community on their achievements to date as well as their tireless efforts in building a lasting legacy of this neighborhood. And, perhaps wish them well as they find their bearings in a fast-paced changing environment and learn how to pass the torch to a new generation of “zoomer boomers”! Better yet, volunteer to sit on their board, teach a class, help to plan, participate in, or attend their special events, or raise funds to support the work of this priceless neighborhood gem.
From what began as a simple dream by a group of “chronologically-gifted souls” to find a place to meet and to find ways to enrich their lives, the founders and members of the James Bay New Horizons Society have contributed immensely to the vitality and positive development of Victoria’s oldest neighborhood.
Article Submitted by: An experientially-enhanced, optimistic observationist and ripsnorting resident of James Bay
Reprinted with the kind permission of Danda Humphries (a resident of James Bay and published author about the early history of Victoria) and Focus Magazine (who published this article in its August 2009 Vol. 21 No. 11 issue).
A small park in James Bay once hosted a colourful mansion built for an ambitious steamboat captain.
The jewel of James Bay nestles under tall California redwoods and beech trees at the corner of Menzies and Michigan. This is Irving Park, named after the dashing steamboat captain who built a home there for his family 125 years ago.
John Irving, born in 1854, was the latest in a long line of Scottish adventurers. His father, William, had journeyed from Scotland to the Pacific Northwest and made his money as a steamboat owner and master during the Fraser River gold rush, carrying gold miners up the Lower Fraser from Yale to Hope.
Young John grew up around boats. He developed such a knack for sailing that by the age of 18, he was navigating the Fraser River’s twists and turns with ease. At 20, he was a full captain—the youngest in the province. When his father died, soon afterward, John took over the Irving Pioneer Line and added more ships. From buying, he graduated to building. His fleet included the William Irving and the Elizabeth Irving, named after his parents.
In 1882 Irving became manager of the Canadian Steamship Navigation Company. He was one of Victoria’s most eligible bachelors—until he married Jane Munro in 1883. Jane’s father, Alexander Munro, held an important position with the Hudson’s Bay Company. The Munros had a large home on Michigan Street, where the South Park School playing field is today.
John Irving built a home for himself and his new bride just a few blocks away. At that time, much of the central part of James Bay—covered with pine trees known as Beckley Farm—was still undeveloped. Governor James Douglas’s house stood close to the government buildings known as the Birdcages. Water lapped onto the beach below them until Belleville Street replaced the rough trail that hugged the shoreline. The James Bay Bridge, a fragile looking wooden structure that connected the downtown area with the legislative buildings was perfectly adequate for the light horse-drawn carriages of the day.
James Bay was Victoria’s first residential area, and somewhat exclusive in those days. The grandest home on Menzies Street flanked the Parliament buildings. Close to the Harbour was “Fairview”, built for an American sea captain and destined to be a temporary home for the Dunsmuirs. A few blocks south, “Irving Place” stood at the corner of Menzies and Michigan, its bay-windowed corners and porches guarded by California redwoods that stood, sentry-like, at either end of the crescent-shaped driveway.
The mansion was a sight to behold—not just because of its size, but also because of its colours. The brickwork on the lower sections was painted in four shades of red. The upper portion was a mix of olive and seven other shades of green. The roof copings, mouldings, and ornamental railings were pained a rich brown. From the basement to the roof, imaginative paintwork picked out every out of every cornice and cranny.
In 1881, the Irvings were the talk of the town again with their new phaeton carriage, built to order for the captain’s wife. Jane and her children were much admired as they rode around the town, visited the children’s grandparents a few blocks away, or went to Ogden Point to welcome their father aback from one of his many sojourns at sea.
Running a successful business from behind a desk didn’t appeal to the dashing Captain Irving; he wanted to be in the thick of things. He set up a Victoria-New Westminster steamboat service in direct competition with the Hudson’s Bay Company, eventually buying out the HBC line. Soon, his Canadian Pacific Navigation Company was joined by the Yukon Navigation Company, created to profit from the Yukon Gold Rush, and the Columbia-Kootenay Navigation Company which serviced the Kootenay River and adjoining Interior lakes.
The CP Navigation Company and Interior lake operations, sold to the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1901, were destined to form the basis of the latter’s famous Princess line. The terms of the sale included a lifetime pass on CPR ships for Captain Irving, a privilege much enjoyed by him in later years.
In retirement, Irving started to spend more time in Vancouver, and died there in 1936, aged 82. Jane went to England, and died there in 1950. Daughters Genevieve and Elizabeth survived her. A son, William, had been killed during World War I.
Today, the house is long gone, but Irving Park is much loved by locals who relax on the grass, dine at the picnic tables, or walk the labyrinth. Like the Irving children before them, James Bay youngsters play hide-and-seek among the huge trees that remind us of the father and son who made their fortunes in those early steamboat days.
James Bay is Victoria’s oldest neighborhood, so it’s not surprising that some "very important people" have lived here since the early days. (Note: In the coming months, we’ll be profiling a number of these colorful personalities in the history section of this rather fine place.
In the meantime, we can certainly report that this eclectic and often entertaining community is home some 12,000 souls, a few of whom happen to be female politicians (not to to be confused with their male counterparts often referred to in the vernacular as ’baby-kissers’ ‘grandstanders’, ‘handshakers’, ‘lawmakers’, ‘legislators’, ’office-holders’, ‘orators’, ‘parliamentarians’, ”public servants’, and ‘whistle-stoppers’).
Pam Madoff (a resident of James Bay who is also Councillor for the City of Victoria with a keen interest in heritage preservation).
Gretchen Brewin (former Mayor of Victoria from 1986-1990, and New Democratic Party MLA for the riding of Victoria-Beacon Hill from 1991 to 2001) also resides here.
Pieta VanDyke (International Chair & Board Member of Harbourside Rotary Club, volunteer at "Our Place", and former B.C. government Senior Policy Analyst, Vice-President of the James Bay Neighborhood Association, not to mention leadership roles in James Bay community groups, a women rights and child-care advocate and employment/labour activist).
Other leading lights and orators of the oviparous kind include:
Carole James, the current leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) of British Columbia representing the riding of Victoria-Beacon Hill) whose mother also plays a prominent role in the community as Board Chairperson of the James Bay Community Project.
Denise Savoie, NDP Caucus Member, and first woman elected as Member of Parliament for Victoria, British Columbia in 2006, and re-elected in the October 2008 general election.
As 17th century French author, Francois de la Rochefoudaud once said, "People’s personalities, like buildings, have various facades, some pleasant to view, some not." He also said that "one thing people are most liberal with is their advice".
Well, let me tell you, James Bay folks have opinions about everything under the sun …from who’s the biggest windbag in legislature (right around the corner), where to find the best ghosts in town (most likely at the Gatsby Mansion), or what public art exhibit should be nominated for the "Silliest Sculpture in Victoria" (the upright mattress outside the QV Hotel at the corner of Blanshard and Douglas might just win!)
So, in this section we’ll provide a portrait of people who live, work, play and stay here – what they think makes this place unique, what makes it tick, and what they love about the place (or maybe what gets their goat!)
We hope that their words, images and sounds will engage you and invite you to uncover the hidden talents, tales, and bits of trivia about this fascinating community and the people who have discovered its heart and soul.
The James Bay neighborhood has a rich treasury of talented artisans, artists, crafters, entertainers, musicians, performers, photographers, potters, sculptors, videographers, and writers; (hopefully we’ve covered all the bases!)
Dean Lewis, (Caricature Portraits), P.O. Box 5791, Victoria, BC, V8R 6S8 – Tel: 250.370.7764 (During the summer months he’s down on the Inner Harbour Causeway, and in the fall, he is busy with corporate and special events.)
Donna Eichel, (Visual artist who augments her sculptural paintings with aluminum), 140 Government Street, Victoria, BC – Tel: 250.360.0939.
Elsie Goplen McLeod, (Painter, specializing in oils with varied subjects), #316- 215 Oswego, Victoria, BC – Tel: 250.389.2908
Eugenie Parker, (Visual artist specializing in paintings and collages), 15 South Turner Street, Victoria, BC – Tel: 250.383.2249. Email: eugenie_p[at]hotmail.com
James Lawler, (Self-taught visual artist, wildlife and landscapes), 302-1470 Dallas Road, Victoria, BC – Tel: 250.598.1532. Email: jamesart1924[at]yahoo.ca
Janice Beiles, (Photographer specializing in everyday scenes), 62 Government Street, Victoria, BC – Tel: 250.472.3553
Marnie Miiller, (Painter; studio open by appointment only), 5 – 108 Dallas Road, Victoria, BC – Tel: 250.477.2665 – Email: marnieart[at]shaw.ca
Roberta Pyx Sutherland, (Visual artist specializing in textured paintings with luminous color and gold-leaf), 314 Huntington Place, Victoria, BC – Tel: 250.220.4887. Email: rpyz[at]me.com
Rosalinde Compton, (Visual artist specializing in oil painting, watercolour, pen and ink art cards, prints, matting & framing), 507 Simcoe Street, Victoria, BC – Tel. 250.382.3999. Email: rosalindemaria[at]shaw.ca
AUTHORS
John Adams, local historian, storyteller and author, 634 Battery Street, Victoria, BC V8V 1E5 – Tel: 250.384.6698 Fax: 250.384.2833.
Danda Humphreys, Victoria historian, author, and conference speaker, #1102 – 548 Dallas Road, Victoria, BC V8V 1B3 – Tel: 250.382.8029 – Email: dandaH[at]shaw.ca
Michael Heaney, (Pianist/music for all occasions), Victoria, BC – Tel: 250.384.0235
N. Strand, (UVic B.Mus, 5 years’ teaching experience, performs regularly in the Victoria area. Lessons are held in the James Bay United Church (511 Michigan Street), Victoria, BC – Tel: 778.430.1756 – Email: nstrand[at]gmail.com
PERFORMANCE ARTISTS
COMEDY/IMPERSONATORS
Carolyn Sadowska, ("Laugh With Liz" – Queen Elizabeth Impersonator), 43 South Turner Street, Victoria, BC. Tel: 250.386.2518. Email: carolyn[at]queencomedy.com
Janalee, (Jazz & Blues Vocalist), Victoria, BC – janalee[at]goddessofsong.com (This singer/songwriter not only lives in James Bay, she performs a local haunts such as “Heron Rock Bistro” and Sips Artisan Bistro).
David Elendune, a barista at James Bay Coffee & Books is a British-born director who has also written four plays including his most recent one, "Good Night Uncle Joe" (sponsored by Victoria’s Langham Court Theatre), and performed in Victoria’s 23rd Annual Fringe Festival.
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