YCA Annual General Meeting
The YCA will be hosting its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Sunday, January 19, at Youbou Hall. We’ll be electing board members for 2025 and giving our year-end report, as well as sharing some of our plans for 2025. If you’re interested in serving on the board, contact julia@raedwulf.org. We hope to see you there!
Area I & F Budget Open House
There will be a CVRD 2025 Budget Open House for Areas I and F and the town of Lake Cowichan on Wednesday January 8 from 4:00 to 7:00 PM. The meeting will take place in the lower hall of Centennial Hall in Lake Cowichan. Finance staff will be there to provide information and answer your questions.
Church Society Meeting
The next meeting for the Youbou Community Church Society (YCCS) is Saturday, January 11 at 10:00 am in the lower floor for the Youbou Church. All are welcome!
The YCCS would like to thank everyone who has donated to our ongoing bottle drives, the Country Grocer till-tape program, and all the cash donations received this year. These funds have helped us maintain the building, which is owned by the community.
TOPS Is Tops
If shedding a few kilos after too many holiday sugar plums is on your New Year’s resolution list, try TOPS at the Youbou Church. You can find positive support and company at the TOPs meeting every Tuesday at 10:30 am. TOPS stands for Take Off Pounds Sensibly.
Sew What?
Crafters, creators, and quilters: join the thread of conversation as you stitch up your passion. Your friends at the Youbou Church are starting Sew Days in the lower hall. The first Sew Day will be Wednesday, January 8, 2025 from 10 am to 4 pm. Sew Days will continue on the second Wednesday of each month. The church will supply coffee and tea, iron, ironing board, cutting mats, tables, and friendship. You should bring:
1)Your sewing machine and crafting supplies for your project.
2) Your lunch
3) An extension cord and power bar.
4) A suggested cost of $5.00 per day.
Youbou Arts Centre: Shaping Up
The Youbou Arts Centre next to Arise Café is starting 2025 with a fresh new look, featuring artwork from our local artist collective. Starting on Wednesday, January 15th, you can check out the revamped space. The Centre is open from Wednesday through Sunday, 10 am to 2 pm. Visit 10375 Youbou Road and experience the creativity and inspiration of our community.
Workshops scheduled at the art centre for January and February are:
Painting with a Palette Knife (Acrylic) with Loretta Puckrin: January 29 and February 5, 12, and 19
Get Creative with Loretta Puckrin: February 16
Intro to Song with Meaghan Devauld: February 23 (evening)
To register and find more information, go to www.cowichanlakeartsandculture.org
Fling at the Pub
Tighten your tartans and polish your pipes to celebrate the bard of Scotland. The Youbou Bar & Grill is hosting a Robbie Burns-inspired buffet on January 25th (yes, there WILL be Haggis!). Meagan Maria will be offering up some favourite highland ballads to go along with your wee dram.
Cozy In at Arise Café
The café will be closed from New Year’s Day through January 7th, but will open for winter hours: Wednesday through Sunday from 9 am to 2 pm. Stop in for a cup of coffee, breakfast, lunch and peruse the offerings of local Youbou merchandise and clothing available for sale.
Pickleball and Bowling
Pickleball is game on at Youbou Hall, Monday, Tuesday, and Fridays from 9:30 to 11:30 am, with a special welcome for beginners on Tuesdays. The drop-in fee is $4.00.
Drop-in bowling is open on Friday and Saturday nights at the Youbou Community Bowling Alley, 8550 Hemlock Street. Men’s night is Tuesday, starting at 7 pm; women’s night is Thursday at 7 pm, and mixed adult bowling happens on Sundays at 7 pm. Youbou Lanes is a 4-lane hand-set facility (no machines, we have people setting the pins). The historic alley opened in 1951, with much of the facility being unchanged.
For Family Day on Monday, February 17, Cowichan Lake Recreation is offering free bowling and open gym from noon to 3 pm at Youbou Hall, which includes admission and bowling shoe rental. The Cowichan Lake Sports Arena is also offering a free Try-Curling day and Public Skate that day, with free skate rentals to boot!
Christmas Craft Fair Success
Thanks go to all who made the Christmas Craft Fair such a success at Youbou Hall on Saturday, November 30. Kudos to the exhibitors who shared their winning creations, the YCA for the tasty concession offerings, the Cowichan Lake Recreation for organizing the event, and, most of all, to the shoppers, without whom there would be no fair.
New Year’s Eve Aglow
2025 started off in perfect harmony with The Joints aka Eagle Eyes playing for another sell-out crowd at Youbou Hall on New Year’s Eve. Garlands of lights bedecked the hall, giving the evening a celebratory glow. Between dances, party-goers dressed up to mark the occasion in the balloon-festooned photo booth. The 50/50 draw, netted a record $1,175, with Sheila Thomas taking home $587 cash. The Youbou Community Association board worked for months to plan this event and appreciates everyone coming out to celebrate with us. Our thanks to those who made the event a success:
YCA Board members:
Julia Martinusen: food; printing; clean-up; shuttle, band, and volunteer coordinator
Steve Watt: treasurer, insurance, gaming license, alcohol purchase, liquor license, ticket sales coordinator, clean-up, CVRD contact
Randall Wilson: balloon drop, clean-up, drink ticket sales
Sandra McAfee: drink ticket sales, decorating
Cheryl Morgan: shuttle arrangements, ticket sales, front door
Joelle Belanger: bar set-up and service
Debbie Smith: ticket sales, decorating, 50/50
Adam Khomsi: poster design
Community volunteers:
In addition to the above board members, generous community members volunteered their time at the party: Teresa Gustafson (front door), Eva Fearon (50/50 sales, food, ticket sales), Garry Fearon (parking lot), Diane Lemke (50/50), Bee Greenway (50/50, decorating), Karen Dunnigan (bar, decorating), Patrick Miller (bar), Pat Orr (food), Nora Hayworth (cleaning), Margie Miller (tables, decorating).
Thumbs up also to extra decorating volunteers: Pibbs (Leslie) Greenway, Karen Dunnigan, Mark Miller, Tom Girardin, Sandy, Dave DePape, Spencer Day
And three cheers to additional volunteers who stayed into the wee hours: Jean Atkinson and Lyle Kuchmak.
And special thanks to all the Youbou businesses who supported the event by selling tickets and making this a sell-out: Arise Coffee, Youbou General Store, Daly’s Auto Centre, and Youbou Bar & Grill, plus Ed’s Coffeehouse in Lake Cowichan. We couldn’t have done it without you!
From Karen’s Desk
By Karen Deck, Area I Director
In my last newsletter article, I talked about a series of community conversations. CVRD staff will be presenting the budget to residents in each of the four quadrants of the CVRD early in 2025, but the dates have not been announced yet. So as not to overburden you with meetings, I’ll adjust my meeting accordingly and give you plenty of notice.
In these difficult times, it often feels the challenges we face will overwhelm us. Most we share, such as the price of food, shelter, the state of the country, and the world. Some people are experiencing personal difficulties that leave them feeling afraid, alone, and desperate. Too many are just trying to survive from day to day.
Although I left my youthful idealism behind long ago, I remain hopeful that, together, we can make the world a better place. In the words of Maude Barlow, from the Council of Canadians, “We have a moral obligation to hope.” To me, that means that if we give up hope, we give up the will to work with others to make much needed changes.
Yesterday, I attended the last meeting of the Cowichan Stewardship Round Table for the year. Co-chaired by Genevieve Singleton and Parker Jefferson, this group has been meeting for over 20 years with a focus on the health of the natural world in our valley. Members include representatives from the Cowichan Watershed Board, Cowichan Tribes, the CVRD, BC Parks, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, citizen scientists, as well as many others who have a passion for the preservation of life from the watersheds to the ocean. Are members of the Round Table changing the world? Absolutely….one species, watershed, river, marsh, and estuary at a time! Over a potluck meal, I was very fortunate to chat with Ken Elliott, a Cowichan Tribes member who owns a native species nursery. He spoke about his love of teaching young children and about the wonders of nature through storytelling, who then communicate their newfound knowledge and passion to their parents. Is Ken making the world a better place? You bet he is…one child at a time!
Meals on the Ground is a group of dedicated people who provide meals to people experiencing food insecurity. As a new member, I am in awe of the generosity of the men and women who fill hearts as well as stomachs. The gratitude and smiles the teams receive at the end of the meal is priceless. Are these folks changing the world? You can be sure of it…one meal at a time!
In the days since the Bomb Cyclone hit, I have thought about the many people who are without power, as well as those who have experienced damage to homes and property. I applaud those who are reaching out to help others in need at this time. Please take some time to look at the CVRD Emergency Management Cowichan website for information that might be valuable at this moment or in the future.
Looking ahead to 2025 and beyond, there are some great opportunities for community members to provide advice and input into the issues that will be coming before the CVRD board:
- The Area I Parks Commission meets at the Youbou Hall to provide CVRD staff with advice regarding Parks and Trails in Youbou/Meade Creek/ Bald Mountain Peninsula. At their last meeting, the group heard from Brian Farqhuar, Manager of Parks and Trails regarding the proposed budget and provided some ideas for projects when funding becomes available. More members means more ideas! Please consider joining. Let me know if you’re interested!
- The Area I Planning Advisory Commission receives requests from the CVRD board to comment on development applications that come before us. We really need a few more members in order to have a quorum. This commission provides the board with a perspective that we take into account when decisions are made. If you would like to have your voice heard about the future of Area I, please let me know.
- Finally, I hope to have a series of community conversations. We will be meeting at the Youbou Church, which is a special place for many community members. I like the warm and friendly atmosphere. I provide a personal donation for the use of the meeting room to support the ongoing efforts for repairs and upkeep. As budget time is in full swing, I imagine many of you will want to discuss this topic, but any other areas of interest can be discussed as well. Please check out the Finance service on the CVRD website for information about the budget. It will provide you with great information. Coffee/tea/juice and snacks will be provided. I’ll have signs, email and Facebook notices when I’ve got the first date nailed down.
In the meantime, my wish for you, your family, your friends in 2025 is to have hope and to take whatever opportunity comes your way to turn that hope into action. Can it change your world? Yes…. it’s the only thing that can!
If you have any questions/concerns regarding the CVRD or our area, please contact me at Karen.Deck@cvrd.bc.ca or 250-252-6526.
Mosaic Update
By Pam Jorgensen, RPF | Manager, Community Initiatives and Certifications
Mosaic Forest Management is pleased to provide its neighbours in Youbou with a 2024 end-of-year update.
Recent Activity: This past spring, Mosaic completed its first harvest in the vicinity
of Youbou since 2017, when we offered detailed outreach with the community about harvest activity. We are pleased to report the work in Blocks A and B has been successfully completed, and planting activities will take place in early 2025.
Upcoming Activity: We anticipate road building to commence in Block C (far west edge of Youbou) in early 2025. Minor blasting work may occur during road building, and flaggers will manage road access on the North Shore Road as required. Activity start is subject to crew availability and weather conditions. Please note that the carbon commitments for areas of the Youbou hillside have not changed, and upcoming harvest is outside the Big Coast carbon project.
Firewood: In mid-April, firewood material from harvesting in Blocks A and B was made available to the community at the local firehall, and we thank them for receiving the material and supporting distribution in the community. Loads of firewood were also delivered to the Ts’uubaa-asatx Nation.
Recreation near Youbou: We were pleased to support an ATVBC Jamboree that was based out of Laketown Ranch in September 2024. Members of ATV clubs from across BC attended for the weekend event, and riding took place throughout the region.
Christopher Rock Broom Bust: Mosaic Area Forester, Chelsey Toth, supported the Youbou Community Association and Cowichan Lake Trail Blazers Society at their Earth Day broom-busting event on April 20, 2024, which took place on the trails to Christopher Rock. It was a fun event and we look forward to similar initiatives in the years to come!
As always, please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions via my email at Pam.Jorgenson@MosaicForests.com
Looking for New Board Members
Our busy Youbou Community Association board is looking for a three new board members. The board meets once a month to plan community activities throughout the year, and board members volunteer at events as schedules allow. Our Annual General Meeting is planned for Sunday, January 19 at 2 pm, so it’s a great time to get involved.
Are You a YCA Member?
The Youbou Community Association is involved in helping community activities happen, such as the monthly newsletter, crab fest, New Year’s Eve, and other events throughout the year. While we love our facebook friends, an official family lifetime membership in the organization is just $10 and involves filling out a form. It is a key to knowing what’s going on around Youbou as well as giving you a vote at our annual meetings. We’ll email you our colourful community newsletter every month. To join, reach out to cherylmtutor@gmail.com
Got News?
If you’d like to contribute news for the newsletter about a public event happening (or not happening) in or around Youbou and Area I, please send particulars about date, time and place to julia@raedwulf.org, by the 20th of the month, please. You can also check our web site at youbouyca.com and our Youbou Community Association facebook page for the latest information.
Dates
January 1: Burger and Caesar Special, Pub
January 5: Mixed Bowling starts, 7 pm Youbou Lanes
January 7: Men’s Bowling starts, 7 pm, Youbou Lanes
January 8: Sew Day, Youbou Church, 10 am to 4 pm
January 9: Women’s Bowling starts, 7 pm, Youbou Lanes
January 10: Toonie night, 6:30 pm, Youbou Lanes
January 11: Church Society meeting, 10 am, Church
January 15: Youbou Art Centre opening, 10 am to 2 pm
January 18: Toonie night, 7:30 pm, Youbou Lanes
January 19: YCA AGM, 2 pm, Youbou Hall
January 25: Burns Night Buffet, Pub
January 29: Painting with Palette Knife, Art Centre
February TBD: Area I Town Hall, TBD, Church,
February 16: Get Creative, Art Centre
February 23: Intro to Song, Art Centre
Tuesdays: TOPS: 10:30 am, Church
Mon., Tues., Fri.: Pickleball, 9:30 am, Youbou Hall
Sundays: Brunch, Pub, 11 am to 2 pm
Fridays: Drop-in Bowling and Open Gym, 6:30 pm, Youbou Hall
Saturdays: Drop-in Bowling, 7:30, Youbou Lanes
Your YCA Board
Chair: Julia Martinusen
Vice Chair: Sandra McAfee
Secretary: Randall Wilson
Treasurer: Steve Watt
Membership: Cheryl Morgan
At large:
Joelle Belanger
Adam Khomsi
Debbie Smith