Canada Day at the Church
Youbou Community Church Society and TOPS are hosting a July 1 celebration from 10 am to 2 pm at the Youbou Church. There will be a quilt show, bake sale, while elephant table, plus free patriotic cake and ice cream for all!
The quilt display will include some historic quilts, newer quilts, and quilts for all ages. If you’d like to display your quilt as part of the Canada Day event, please contact Deborah Whittingham at 250-732-5840. The bake sale offers a sweet taste of homemade without all the work, from some of the finest bakers in Youbou. And new treasures await you at the “White Elephant” tables, featuring gently used items. Come, eat, browse, and enjoy!
Second Annual Crabfest
Crabfest tickets are almost at sellout, thanks to the brisk sales at the Youbou General Store and Cassy’s Coffeehouse. The community crab dinner at Youbou Hall on July 22 is served by the Youbou Community Association. Last year, attendees really enjoyed the chance to sit down and visit with neighbours while they cracked claws and savoured every buttery morsel. Hope to see you there!
Youbou Indoor Market
The indoor market at Youbou Hall will be on Sunday, July 23. The market is in full swing from 10 am to 2 pm, offering the artiest crafts and tastiest homemade treats from locals. If you’re interested in renting a table to sell your wares or simply want more information, email marketyoubou@gmail.com.
Swimming at Arbutus Park
The CVRD is once again offering swim lessons this summer. Register now for the session the children in your life might want to attend: A (July 4 to 13), B (July 17 to 27), C (July 31 to August 10), and/or D (August 14 to 24). To register, call 250-749-6742. Lifeguards are planned to be on duty at the park from July 4 through August 27 from 10 am through 5 pm Monday to Friday, and from noon to 5 pm on Saturday and Sunday.
Summer Bowling
Good news for summer dwellers, Youbou’s historic bowling alley is open for fun. Rock ’n Glow is on Saturday nights from 6:30 to 9:30. Family Funday Matinees are on July 8 and August 26 from 1 to 3 pm.
Elk Statue Donations
As you’ve probably heard, the plan to create a carved wooden elk statue to decorate our town has not succeeded. The main roadblock was in getting permission from either the Cowichan Valley Regional District or the Ministry of Transport for the top-choice public lands. The elk statue committee wishes to thank everyone who supported the project by donating money toward the construction. Efforts are being made to return the donations to everyone. If you donated money and have not received a refund, please contact BobtheElkFund@gmail.com to turn in your receipt. Any funds not claimed go to another worthy community project.
Health Survey Coming Soon
Our Health, Our Community in a landmark public health survey that will be going live across the Cowichan Valley soon. The online poll will be providing data for planning health services for the future for each community in the valley. For that reason, it’s important for Area I residents, whether year-round or part-time, to respond to the call for participants. All surveys will remain anonymous.
Christopher Rock Signs
The Cowichan Lake Trail Blazer Society volunteers have finished posting signs on Christopher Rock and Eric’s Bluff. The trailhead sign offers a complete trail map with background overview. Signposts provide a wealth of information: trail name and number, length of trail, description, directionals, usage guidance, and a QR code linking to the Cowichan Lake Trail Blazer Society web site and the latest map version online. Each post also has a number that pinpoints location in case of emergency. And, as you hike, you’ll see numbered triangles posted that correspond to the number of the trail (for example, Christopher Rock is numeral 1; Eric’s Bluff is numeral 4, etc.) For safety reasons, please remember this is a hiking trail only. Plans are underway for a community celebration to mark the rebirth of this favourite Youbou trail. We'll let you know when we have a date.
Highway 4 Detour
Traffic flowed through Youbou the last three weeks of June due to the forest fire at Cameron Lake and the closing of Highway 4. Convoys of dust-covered vehicles of all shapes and sizes motored through our community—some going a little too fast, some going a little too slow, and some going just the right speed. It was a trying time, but hopefully this was an event that was short-lived and one that will not be repeated soon. Through it all, drivers who were forced to make the long, arduous detour were mostly grateful for the byway and came to appreciate what we love about Youbou. We received the following note from one of them:
“This message is to the people of Youbou. I have owned a business in Port Alberni for 30 years. I drove through your community yesterday and it is beautiful. I saw some stunning elk. I have since learned people are not respecting your community. I want to say thank you for tolerating the traffic during the shutdown of Highway 4. I’m sorry for the idiots out there. I will be back as a tourist later in the year. Beautiful community!
—Jason
Horseshoe for Luck
Jerry Melissa has done it again! The 82-year-old Youbou resident won his division in Abbotsford at the British Columbia Horseshoe Pitchers International Tournament on May 20 and 21, building on his success last year and the years before. In 2016, Jerry was inducted into the B.C. Horseshoe Association Hall of Fame, the governing body’s highest honour. Jerry practices his pitching often at the Youbou Little League Park and belongs to the Victoria Horseshoe Club.
Are You a YCA Member?
The Youbou Community Association is involved in helping community activities happen, such as the monthly newsletter, crabfest, garage sales, clean-up, Oktobeerfest, 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
July 1: Canada Day Celebration, Church, 10 am to 2 pm
July 4: Swim lessons begin at Arbutus Park
July 22: Crabfest, Youbou Hall, 5 pm
July 22: Monty and the Pythons, Pub, 7 pm
July 23: Youbou Indoor Market, 10 am to 2 pm
Saturdays: Bowling from 6:30 to 9:30 pm
August 12: Youbou Regatta
Your YCA Board
Chair: Julia Martinusen
Secretary: Randall Wilson
Treasurer: Steve Watt
Membership: Cheryl Morgan
At large:
Monica Ash
Joelle Belanger
Sandra McAfee
Pat Miller
Debbie Smith
Joe Tatham