Second Annual Crabfest
A limited number of Crabfest tickets are on sale at Cassy’s Coffee House and the Youbou General Store for $35 each and also through Youbou Community Association board members. Last year was the premiere of this adult-only event and it proved to be a post-pandemic sellout. Crabfest is simply a community crab dinner at Youbou Hall, slated for Saturday, July 22. The Youbou Community Association serves every guest a whole Dungeness crab with all the fixings: baked potato, salad, bread, melted butter (of course), and even dessert. Non-alcoholic beverages are included and beer, wine, and cider are available for a charge. 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!
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 browse and enjoy!
More from the Church Bulletin
Youbou Community Church Society (YCCS) would like to thank everyone who has donated empty bottles to its ongoing “Bottle Drive” and also the contributions of the Country Grocer till tapes. The donations have enabled the Society to keep our Heritage church and lower hall open. The Society is still accepting donations of bottles and till tapes. They can be dropped off at the little garage at 10335 Youbou Road.
If you’re looking for space to have a meeting, a wedding, a baby shower, an anniversary, or a family gathering…think about booking our lower hall and church. If you would like further information, contact Karen Dunnigan at 250-745-3586.
The Society is in the process of acquiring a new email address and web site. These will be posted as soon as they are available, so you can contact the Society more easily.
The church is also actively seeking a minister or priest who is willing to hold church services at the Youbou Church.
Should you need to contact a board member for the Youbou Community Church Society, reach out to:
Karen Dunnigan, Chairperson; Deborah Whittingham, Treasurer; Floyd Augustine, Director; Connor McCrory, Director; Patrick Miller, Director; Deborah Perstram, Director; Bud Towle, Director; and Rick Vermiere, Director.
Craft Crawl and Garage Sale
The Craft Crawl and Youbou Garage Sales marked back-to-back spring weekends of sidewalk shopping for collectors and the curious. On April 29, the Craft Crawl offered a round-the-lake home-centric art fair, organized by CLATCH. Six Youbou artists exhibited their creative work for sale and even offered a scavenger hunt.
On May 6, the annual Youbou Community Garage Sale featured 13 homes selling everything from tools to toys. Maps were posted on facebook and offered at Cassy’s and the Youbou General Store and participating homes were marked with iconic purple balloons. Homeowners reported a steady flow of shoppers. Cassy’s Coffee House invited sellers to drop off any unsold wares and the coffee shop reported many items moved quickly the next day.
Youbou Cleaned Up
Over 60 residents in Area I took advantage of our Youbou Community Association free tipping day on May 27, so Youbou is a little cleaner for the summer. Thanks to YCA board members who volunteered to keep track of the totals that day: Sandra McAfee, Debbie Smith, and Pat Miller. We spent less than $1,000 and felt it was a nice way to give back to our community.
Youbou Indoor Market
What started as a small outdoor market behind the pub last year is now officially an indoor market at Youbou Hall once a month, every third Sunday (except July, when it is on 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.
Fun at the Pub
The pub is hosting another Drag Show on the evening of June 16th at 8 pm. You can order tickets on Eventbrite either for the show or for dinner and the show.
Weekly Garbage Pick-Up
Our weekly garbage pick-up starts for the summer on Friday, June 16. Recycling remains on an alternating week schedule, so June 16, then June 30 etc.
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.
Bases Loaded
The Youbou Greens are well into their 2023 season of play, mainly playing their opponents at the Youbou Little League Park. They report they are not going to the World Series, but they are having a lot of fun. Wander down on a beautiful summer night to watch and cheer them on. They play in Youbou on June 2, 4, 5, 15, 21, 28 at 6 pm each night.
From Karen’s Desk
By Karen Deck, CVRD Area I Director
I hope the May long weekend was the beginning of an enjoyable spring and summer in your part of Youbou and Meade Creek!
Weather is expected to become warmer, wilder and wetter in the upcoming years. We can expect more frequent extreme weather events, such as atmospheric rivers, heat domes, floods, and fires, as the climate emergency deepens. Here in the Cowichan Valley, water restrictions may occur sooner than in previous times. Please conserve water as much as you can.
In many areas of BC, forest fire season has already begun. This brings to mind a frightening event in 1944, when our community narrowly missed destruction by a forest fire on Mt. Holmes. Fortunately, the winds changed and the town was saved. We are surrounded by forests: 95% of Area I (Youbou/Meade Creek) is Private Managed Forest Lands, so please be fire smart and vigilant. Residents in Areas F, H, and I must adhere to burning restrictions set in place by the Ministry of Environment Climate Change Strategy.
Staff from the CVRD and the BC government were in Youbou recently to install an air quality monitor. We’ll let you know how you can access the information and use it to make decisions about outdoor recreation and activities.
It’s also tourist season, and Youbou’s flagship species, the Roosevelt Elk, is one of our big area attractions. They are blue listed, at risk, and are protected under the Wildlife Act, but as we all know, they are not tame. So this is a gentle reminder that B.C. policy is: “Keep Wildlife Wild”. When humans provide food to wild animals it changes their “wildness”, no matter what species is being fed. There are justifiable reasons to feed wild animals, such as to attract them for capture, but these situations are rare. The consequences of feeding a wild animal unnatural types and amounts of feed can range from mildly irritating behaviour to catastrophic health issues, so understanding the reasons behind this policy is important.
As always, you can contact me at Karen.Deck@cvrd.bc.ca. or 250 252 6526. Best wishes for a safe and happy summer!
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
June 16: Weekly garbage pick-up starts
June 16: Drag show at the Pub, Pub, 8 pm
June 18: Youbou Indoor Market, Hall, 10 am to 2 pm
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.
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