Read through previous articles from the CV Collective, or pick up the current issue at one of our distributors or in our online store.
Jen Groundwater
Editor
This Comox-Valley based writer loves telling stories about interesting places, people, and experiences. She’s the author of several works of non-fiction including photography books (other people took the photos), the Western Canada SuperGuide, and Alexander Graham Bell: the Spirit of Innovation. She is currently a travel and lifestyle writer for a number of companies and publications, and also works as an editor, helping other people tell their stories.
Jen was born in Montreal and has been migrating steadily westward ever since. After twenty years living in the Canadian Rockies, she now enjoys life and adventures in the Comox Valley with her unruly family and dog. She isn’t too sendy on a bike and will probably never take up kiteboarding, but loves all the many other outdoor activities the island has to offer.
Connect with Jen
Volume
30
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WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW
Intro by Jen Groundwater
Photo by Jennifer Brazil
When LOVE was suggested as our summer theme, I jumped on it. I planned to write an inspiring intro that would bring the whole valley together in shared...
Volume
29
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GREENING YOUR MONEY
Words by Jen Groundwater
Photo by Jenn Dykstra
Is it possible to invest for retirement—without supporting companies you don’t approve of?
When Kermit the Frog said, “It’s not easy...
Volume
29
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ALWAYS ASKING QUESTIONS
Intro by Jen Groundwater
Photo by Sam Rae Harriss
If you’ve ever spent time with a toddler, you’ll know they ask “Why?” about seven thousand times a day. When my first son was about two or three, my...
Volume
28
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MEET MACK LAING
Words by Jen Groundwater
Get to know Comox’s most famous nature nerd, and the park where he used to live.
There’s a pretty little parcel of land not far from...
Volume
28
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WHERE THERE’S WATER, THERE’S HOPE
Words by Bevin Clempson
& Jen Groundwater
Clearflo Solutions was already working on the global clean water crisis. Then their technology was needed much closer to home.
Imagine...
Volume
27
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EVEN BETTER TOGETHER
Words by Jen Groundwater
The Comox Valley Healthcare Foundation harnesses the power
of collective giving to enhance local healthcare.
Things are changing in the...
Volume
27
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ON THE UPSWING
Opening introduction by Jen Groundwater
Photo by Scott Bell
I’m so glad you’re here. As many readers know, each issue is part of a cycle with four linked themes.
COVID-19 has made the 2021 cycle our most...
Volume
26
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LIFTING THE FOG
Words by Jen Groundwater
Photo by Jarrett Lindal
How a Valley-based program is helping people overcome anxiety and depression.
A few years ago, a fog rolled in on me, gradually placing a...
Volume
26
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RECHARGED AND READY
Opening introduction by Jen Groundwater
Photo by Jenn Dykstra
After so many months of navigating an ever-changing pandemic landscape of worries, warnings, restrictions, and rules, I think it’s safe to say most of us...
Volume
25
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RENEWAL AND COMMUNITY: A COLLECTIVE LOVE LETTER
Opening Introduction by Jen Groundwater
Photo by Jennifer Brazil
Welcome to the 25th volume of our ongoing love letter to the Comox Valley.
In 2014, Ross Bodenmann had the honour of writing the first editor’s...
Volume
24
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CALLED TO THE BAR
Words by Jen Groundwater
Hornby Organic is building an energy-bar empire based on a family recipe.
It began in a small kitchen on a small island, with peanut butter,...
Volume
24
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ARE WE OUT OF THE WOODS YET?
Opening introduction by Jen Groundwater
Photo by Scott Bell
I began to write this letter on a rainy, blustery day in early November—possibly not the best time to reflect on resilience.
With the ongoing news...
Volume
23
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HOW YA GONNA KEEP 'EM DOWN ON THE FARM
Words by Jen Groundwater
Exploring family connections where farm meets sea, at Hornby Island’s Fossil Beach Farm.
On a sunny Saturday afternoon, Fossil Beach Farm...
Volume
23
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MOVING THROUGH CHANGE
Words by Jen Groundwater
Photo by Allan Sawchuck
Early in 2020, our editorial team envisioned the general look and feel of the covers and themes for the year ahead: four issues, four seasons, four...
Volume
23
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FORGED IN TOUGH TIMES
Opening Introduction by Jen Groundwater
Photo by Kyle Hansen
When I wrote the last Editor’s Letter, things were still reasonably normal in the Comox Valley. But some time between our spring issue heading off to print...
Volume
22
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THE ART OF THE ARCHTOP
Words by Jen Groundwater
Photo by Sara Kempner
At the pinnacle of guitar making, you might just find Comox Valley luthier Wyatt Wilkie.
Musical wizardry is something I’ve always...
Apr
22
ONLINE ONLY
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Pivoting with Compassion
Categories Covid-19, Online Only
Comox Valley Schools and Coronavirus
It’s only been a month since BC Minister of Education Rob Fleming announced face-to-face instruction would...
Mar
29
ONLINE ONLY
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Collaborating Against COVID-19
Categories Covid-19, Online Only
Family doctors are busy folk under ordinary circumstances, but with the COVID-19 pandemic about to arrive here, our Comox Valley family physicians are working...
Volume
21
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BREEZING INTO SPRING
Words by Jen Groundwater
Photo by Vince Kehn
Ah, spring. It’s the time when the light begins to spill over our valley again—a little longer every day—and the air is filled with possibility....
Volume
21
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HERITAGE FARMERS: JO SMITH AND HELEN NIXON
Words by Jen Groundwater
Photo by Jenn Dykstra
Think you’ve lived in the Comox Valley a long time? These women run a farm that’s been in the family since John A. Macdonald was prime...
Volume
21
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THE SEASON OF EARTH
Opening Introduction by Jen Groundwater
Photo by Dave Prothero
Almost all the ancient civilizations identified four similar basic elements: earth, air, fire, and water. I believe there’s a part within all of us—even in...
Volume
20
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IN THE FIELD
Words by Jen Groundwater
Photos by Jenn Dykstra
and Alexandra Stephanson
PETER GEE: CONNECTOR
If you recently arrived in the Comox Valley and found a family doctor with little trouble, you can thank Dr. Peter Gee.
As Site...
Volume
19
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IN THE FIELD
Words by Jen Groundwater
Photos by Jenn Dykstra
MO MOSHIRI: EXPLORER
“I’ve been a traveller since I was three,” says Comox-based MC, songwriter, and producer Mo Moshiri. He was born in Iran during...
Volume
18
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IN THE FIELD
Words by Jen Groundwater
Photos by Jenn Dykstra
ERIC RUSH: EXPLORER
To put it mildly, Eric Rush is pretty fond of road biking. A member of Courtenay’s Riverway Dental Racing team, he regularly puts in...
Volume
17
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BEARING WITNESS
Words by Jen Groundwater
Photos by Jenn Dykstra
Just across the Salish Sea, only 70 kilometres from Campbell River as the crow flies, the Xwémalkwu (Homalco) people share the land with dozens of grizzly...