Crabfest
Fresh-from-the-pot crabs are the star at the Saturday, August 16 Crabfest. Tickets for the Youbou Community Association’s 4th annual Crabfest will go on sale in early July at the Youbou General Store, Daly’s Service Centre, and Arise Café for $40 each. As usual, the YCA will be serving each guest a whole Dungeness crab with all the fixings: baked potato, salad, bread, melted butter (of course), and even dessert, starting at 5 pm. Non-alcoholic beverages are included. Beer, wine, and cider are available for a charge.
Youbou Regatta
Plans are well underway for our annual Youbou regatta, slated for Saturday, August 9. The tentative schedule reflects favourite regatta activities! Pancake breakfast at the fire hall is set for 8 am, with heartfelt thanks to our amazing crew of volunteer firefighters. The world’s shortest parade starts marshalling at Youbou Hall at 10:15 am, judging is at 10:30, with prizes awarded at 10:45, so the parade can roll at 11 am. The parade is free and open to anyone who wants to join in, especially kids with decorated bikes, pets, or costumed-themed groups.
Following the parade is an afternoon of activities at Arbutus Park: the Clarence Whittingham Memorial Quarter Mile Swim, sprint swimming races, cannon ball and belly flop contests, chalk art competition, and watermelon eating. Returning this year is a bean-bag toss competition, among other games. Live music is scheduled for most of the afternoon. Offering refreshment after the pancakes wear off is the Youbou Community Association. YCA volunteers will be offering burgers, hot-dogs, pop, and snacks from 11:30 to 2:30 or until sold out.
Life’s a Beach
Pozitive Rebellion set the don’t-worry-be-happy vibe with reggae rhythm at our Life’s a Beach party on May 3. Meagan and Hayden from Arise Café and their bandmates had the crowd up and dancing to welcome summer’s return to Youbou. Jesse and pals from The Rowdy Boys opened the evening. Youbou Community Association volunteers brought in a little island magic to Youbou Hall by decorating with tropical shirts, sunhats, flip-flops, seashells, and other beach props. They also provided the volunteer corps to support the very local music event.
Out with the Old…
Our annual rite of purging our homes and yards started as usual with the community-wide Youbou Garage Sale on May 24, orchestrated by YCA board member Adam Khomsi. Over 20 homes participated in the sale this year, pinning their sales on a web-based map for easy downloading. Those who didn’t have enough stuff for the garage sale carted it to the church for selling. The following week, it was time to pitch any unsold or unloved items and other unwanted debris at the YCA Annual Meade Creek Spring Clean event. Thanks to the YCA volunteers who helped residents dispose of their garbage for free that day. The annual clean-up is funded by your Youbou Community Association. And now, June brings a whole new CVRD strategy for getting rid of waste…
Three-Stream Curbside Collection
Friday, June 6 is the first day of the new curbside collection process.
On Friday, June 6, set out:
Blue recycling tote: to be collected every other week, on an alternating schedule with garbage.
New bear-safe green bin for food scraps and yard waste: to be collected every week year round. (Use your new green bucket with blue lid for food scraps, then carry out when full.)
New yellow bin: for glass jars and bottles, without lids. Glass will be collected once a month.
On Friday, June 13, set out: The green bin and your traditional black garbage tote (This will be collected as usual every other week, alternating with the blue recycle bin, with the usual kind of garbage, except no food waste.)
On Friday, June 21, set out the recycling tote and green bin.
On Friday, June 27, set out the garbage tote and green bin.
And so on…
Pub Grub
Youbou Bar & Grill was the scene of yet another suspicious death, this one shrouded in the mystique of the Orient. The sold-out murder mystery event on May 24 had would-be detectives (or suspects) facing the heat of Arabian nights to solve the who-done-it. (Clue: It wasn’t the butler.)
Take note that on the last Saturday of each month this summer, the pub will feature live music: June 28, July 26, and August 23.
Arise Café Notes
Arise Café is now open daily from 8 am until 2 pm. Mark your calendar for Saturday, June 14, and a night of eclectic world and Latin music with the trio “The Mystiques” from Salt Spring Island from 5 to 8 pm.
Hall Meeting with Area I Director
Find out the latest from Area I Director Karen Deck at a CVRD update meeting on Monday, June 2, from 7 to 8:30 pm at Youbou Hall. Email her at Karen.Deck@cvrd.bc.ca with any questions or topics you’d like her to address.
Area I Official Community Plan (OCP)
The CVRD is moving toward finalizing all Local Area Plans, including Area I. The OCP sets forth a vision for the electoral areas over the next twenty years. The OCP is nearing completion except for developing the Local Area Plans.Draft Schedules were presented to the Electoral Area Services Committee on March 19th and to the community on May 27. You have the opportunity to read the draft of the Area I Plan and comment through this survey link through June 6: click here. Complete the survey and be entered to win a coffee card prize.
Church Bulletin
Q: Do you know what the Youbou Community Church Society does?
A: The YCCS mandate is that the organization shall be responsible to restore and maintain the Youbou Community Church and make it available for community use. The Heritage Church is owned by the community and is available to the community for church services, weddings, meetings, celebrations of life, classes, or anything else.
A former anonymous resident of Youbou believes in that mandate and made a very generous donation, for which the society is extremely grateful. This donation will help with the maintenance and upkeep of our heritage church and lower hall for a long time. A big thank you to John & Shelly Neuendorf for helping with this. We would also like to thank the following for their generous donations to the building maintenance fund: Grant and Teresa Daley, Bee Greenway, Gary and Eva Fearon, TOPS, and Barb Janzen.
The Society AGM was held on May 10, 2025, with elections of the following board members:
Chairperson: Karen Dunnigan
Vice Chair: Joelle Belanger
Secretary: Kim Smycniuk
Treasurer: Deborah Whittingham
Director of Maintenance: Conor McCrory
Director: Deborah Perestam
Director: Rick Vermiere
Director: John Neuendorf
The members of the society are volunteers maintaining the building. Funds raised through cash donations, the Country Grocer till tape program, and ongoing bottle drives cover maintenance costs and utilities. To help, you can drop off your Lake Cowichan Country Grocer grocery till tapes and clean empties (liquor bottles, beer cans, pop cans) at the garage at 10335 Youbou Road. Thank you!
Smart Boating
Remember, as you’re bringing your boat (power boat, canoe, kayak, stand-up paddle board) to the lake from another body of water, please be sure the hull is completely clean before launching it on the lake. Invasive species can cling to boats and may threaten the delicate eco-system of our lake.
Art Classes & More
The Cowichan Lake Arts Centre in downtown Youbou features a wonderful gift shop filled with treasures crafted by local artisans. Whether you’re shopping for a unique gift for someone special or a treasured piece of art, swing by 10375 Youbou Road and browse for local pottery, exquisite jewelry, diverse 2D art, framed photography, wooden crafts, art cards, and more. Its conveniently located next door to Arise Café where you can get a delicious breakfast or lunch. The gallery and shop is open from Wednesdays to Sundays, 10 am to 2 pm.
You can also check out these fabulous workshops at the Arts Centre:
June 7, 14, 21, 28: Popular series of watercolour classes for beginners to advanced.
June 6, 13, 20, 27: Series on Eco Art Therapy with Hannah. Explore your thoughts, emotions and lived experiences through therapeutic art-making, the healing power of nature, and heartfelt conversation. Must be 18+ to register.
June 18: Wicker Chair Workshop: Make your own bent wicker chair with Andrew in a day. These workshops have sold out in the past, so sign up soon.
Check out our workshops for July and August on our website. For more information or to register go to: https://www.cowichanlakeartsandculture.org/upcoming-workshops Also on the web site, you can sign up for the free newsletter and become a member to help support this growing initiative. The Arts Centre is looking for volunteers to help with: sales-desk staffing, event help, teaching classes, and board service. If you’d like to volunteer, drop a line to admin@cowichanlakeartsandculture.org.
Seventh Inning Stretch
What better way to spend a summery Friday night that strolling down to Little League Park to support our local Youbou Greens softball team? Games start at 6 pm.
Swimming at Arbutus Park
Every summer, Cowichan Lake Recreation offers swimming lessons at Arbutus Park in Youbou. Certified swim instructors help children refine their skills in a truly nostalgic setting. For children, swimming lessons run from June 30 through August 21, Monday through Thursday. Sign-ups for swim lessons are now open. When signing up specify:
🦀Preschool Swim| Ages 3 thru 5
🐠 Swimmer | Ages 5+
🐬 Swim Patrol | Ages 8 thru 15
For teens (over 15) and adults, swim lessons are in two sessions:
Saturdays | July 5 - 26 | 11:30 am - 12:30 pm | 4/$48 | Code: 93541
Saturdays | Aug 2 - 23 | 11:30 am - 12:30 pm | 3/$36 | Code: 93542
Youbou Swim and Sports Day Camp
Youbou is activity central for day camp this summer. Youngsters start the day at the Youbou Community Hall, enjoying classic camp activities and playing different sports such as bowling, basketball, and floorball. Each day, campers head to Arbutus Beach for swimming and swim lessons. Sign-ups are open now.
Ages 8 - 14
Monday - Friday | June 30 - Aug 29 | 8:30 am - 3:30 pm
5-day week/$200 | 4-day week/$160 | Code: 91669
Bowling at the Alley
Through June, drop-in bowling is open on Friday (6:30 pm) and Saturday nights (7:30 pm) at the Youbou Community Bowling Alley. Toonie nights ($2 a game) are the first Friday and third Saturday of the month, unless it falls on a statuary holiday. Lane reservations are available for Friday and Saturday nights at a cost of $6.25 per lane.
This summer, July and August bowling will expand. Saturday night Rock ’n’ Glow bowling will continue as always from 7:30 to 10:30 pm. New to the mix is Friday Family Fun bowling from 7:30 to 10:30 pm. Visitors can either bowl regular games or try out fun bowling challenges, such as Snakes ’n’ Ladders, BINGO, Crazy Bowling Tasks, and others.
Pickleball
Pickleball at Youbou Hall is on summer break and will resume in October.
Broom Busting
After the big kick-off bust on April 12, the broom busting has continued in Youbou. A hearty band of lopper-wielding volunteers continued to tackle broom in bloom on several Tuesday nights, making a dent in the sea of yellow. Thank you!
Firesmarty Party
Find out how to make your home more fire-proof at a friendly neighbourhood gathering on Tuesday, June 17 at 5 pm. Bee and Dave are inviting folks for a light bite and conversation to hear about Firesmart from the expert. Todd Carnaghan of Emergency Management Cowichan will give a short chat about how to make your home more resistant to fire, how you can get up to $4,000 in rebates for making recommended improvements, and how neighbourhoods or entire towns can apply. He’ll then lead a short walk around Bee’s and Dave’s place, pointing out what they are doing right and what needs improvement. A fire-safe cookout will follow. To get the address, please RSVP to Bee by June 15 at beeumz@hotmail.com.
Are You a YCA Member?
The Youbou Community Association is involved in helping community activities happen, such as the monthly newsletter, Crabfest, 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 2: Area I Update, Youbou Hall, 7 pm
June 6: Three-Stream Waste Collection Starts
June 6: Last day for Area I Plan online survey
June 6: Eco Art Class, Art Center, 10:30 am
June 6: Toonie Night, Bowling Alley, 6:30 pm
June 14: Mystiques music, Arise Café, 5 pm
June 21: Toonie Night, Bowling Alley, 7:30 pm
June 28: Live music at the pub
June 30: Swimming lessons start, Arbutus Park
June 30: Youbou Day Camp starts
July 4: Toonie Night, Bowling Alley, 6:30 pm
July 19: Toonie Night, Bowling Alley, 7:30 pm
July 26: Live music at the pub
August 1: Toonie Night, Bowling Alley, 6:30 pm
August 9: Youbou Regatta, all day
August 16: Crabfest, Youbou Hall, 5 pm
August 16: Toonie Night, Bowling Alley, 7:30 pm
August 23: Live music at the pub
Ongoing
Tuesdays: TOPS, Church, 10:30 am
Fridays: Drop-in Bowling and Open Gym, 6:30 pm
Saturdays: Drop-in Bowling, Youbou Lanes, 7:30 pm
Sundays: Brunch, Pub, 11 am to 2 pm
Your YCA Board
Julia Martinusen, Chair
Steve Watt, Treasurer
Randall Wilson, Secretary
Adam Khomsi, Web Master
Cheryl Morgan, Membership
Carmen Bruce
Dave DePape
Allison Peacock Giles
Bee Greenway
Debbie Smith