Ladysmith Community Gardens Society and The Ladysmith Library co-hosted a ‘Library Talk’ Feb. 11 with Rose McCully speaking on Orchard Mason Bees. McCully spoke to a packed house and gave a lively talk, according to a press release.  The talk was the second in The Community Garden’s Edible Gardening Series. All talks are generously supported by community venues and by local businesses and the Ladysmith and District Credit Union. Visit http://ladysmithcommunitygardensociety.weebly.com for details and for the growing list of sponsors.

Ladysmith Community Gardens Society and The Ladysmith Library co-hosted a ‘Library Talk’ Feb. 11 with Rose McCully speaking on Orchard Mason Bees. McCully spoke to a packed house and gave a lively talk, according to a press release. The talk was the second in The Community Garden’s Edible Gardening Series. All talks are generously supported by community venues and by local businesses and the Ladysmith and District Credit Union. Visit http://ladysmithcommunitygardensociety.weebly.com for details and for the growing list of sponsors.

Heard around town…

Bits of news from in and around Ladysmith and Chemainus. Submit your news to editor@ladysmithchronicle.com.

• If you missed seeing Ladysmith musicians Skellig, David Bitonti, and Kendall Patrick and the Headless Bettys perform at the Dinghy Dock Pub in December, you have a second chance this weekend!

Ladysmith On The Dock Part 2 — an acoustic concert series featuring Skellig, David Bitonti and, Kendall Patrick and the Headless Bettys presented by Got Pop? — will take place Saturday, March 22 at 7 p.m. at the Dinghy Dock Pub at 8 Pirates Lane on Protection Island. Tickets are $20 and include round-trip ferry fare and the show. Tickets are available from the artists, at the Dinghy Dock Pub and online.

For a ferry schedule, click here.

• The Chemainus and District Chamber of Commerce is holding its Annual General Meeting Tuesday, March 25 at 5:30 p.m. at the Seniors Drop-in Centre on Willow Street.

The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. for networking, then there will be a welcome and introductions at 6 p.m. Guest speaker Bob Cringan from the Chambers Groups Insurance Plan, will speak about extended health benefits options for business owners and their staff, plus new group RRSPs, from 6:15-7 p.m., and the business meeting will begin at 7 p.m.

Snacks, coffee and tea will be provided.

This year, the Chamber is looking for some new directors who are interested in making the business community prosper — at least two, but three would be welcome, according to Chamber co-ordinator Jeanne Ross.

“We are especially looking for business people outside the core of Chemainus, as we want to serve our entire area from Saltair to Crofton, but anyone with an interest in moving our area forward is welcome,” she says.

For more information, contact Ross at 250-246-3944 or chamber@chemainus.bc.ca.

• Ladysmith and District Credit Union (LDCU) recently opened its newest subsidiary, LDCU Financial Management Ltd. Nick Symons, who grew up in Ladysmith, is the new Investment Specialist. You can meet Nick at 320B First Ave.

• The Ladysmith Chamber of Commerce, Ladysmith Downtown Business Association, Global Vocational Services and Dynamic HR Solutions present their next employment seminar Wednesday, April 16 from 7-9 p.m. at the Royal Canadian Legion at 621 First Ave. The topic for the evening will be Employee Retention and Attraction.

RSVP to Jassica@dynamichrsolutions.com and put “Ladysmith employer forum” in the subject line, or call 250-597-1901.

• The Ladysmith Museum will be opening soon! The museum at 721 First Ave. will be open as of Saturday, April 19 from noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday. The museum, which is now fully wheelchair-accessible, will be open Mondays on long weekends only.

• Vancouver Island University (VIU) is becoming the second post-secondary institution in B.C. to offer a Bachelor of Arts Major in Visual Arts.

This is the only degree of its kind on Vancouver Island, according to a press release from VIU.

Professor Pamela Speight, co-chair of VIU’s Visual Art department, says the Visual Art Minor has been very popular at VIU, and many students in recent years have been asking for a BA Major in the discipline. Visual Art programs have been offered at VIU for more than 35 years, she adds.

The BA Major in Visual Art, offered at the Nanaimo campus, offers students the opportunity to complement their degree with courses in other disciplines including Business, Marketing, Theatre, Biology, History, Psychology, Anthropology, Education, Science, Media Studies and Creative Writing, to name a few.

“With the BA Major in Visual Art, students are required to take a few more electives, and they can take them in courses that would expand their visual art career,” says Speight.

Students pursuing the new Major will also find three new courses added to the Visual Art curriculum: Art Careers/Curatorial Practices; Advanced Studio: Multi-Disciplinary; and, offered in the second year of implementation, Art of West Coast First Nations.

• The Ladysmith Marina will be hosting a garage sale to support Ladysmith Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue Unit 29 Saturday, June 7 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

There is a $5 seller fee per table/space, and sellers are asked to bring their own table or tarp. All sale items must be marine-related, and no hazardous materials will be accepted. All unsold items must be removed at the end of the sale.

There will be hot dogs, chips, pop and coffee, and all proceeds will be donated to the marine search and rescue volunteers.

Sign up at the Marina Office or call 250-245-4521.

Ladysmith Chronicle