Arrowsmith Star

Community News for Coombs & Errington, BC. Skye's take on Politics, Farming, Music & Faith.

All About Skye

Passions & Interests

  • Music, especially classical vocal, opera, sacred music, oratorio, transcription and the sharing of public domain music.
  • Farming, with an obvious towards fibre animals (sheep & alpacas) and an underlying interest in animal advocacy (though not the way you might think).
  • Arts & Crafty Things, especially (but not limited to) fibre arts (spinning, knitting, dying, felting).
  • Christianity: I’m a Catholic convert and a church musician working in a United Church congregation. I’m also a moderator (channel operator) in Christian chat rooms on Dal.Net.
  • Social media, especially Twitter.
  • Politics, the more local the better, though I don’t claim to be an expert by any means.
  • Travel, Tourism & Cuisine. Growing up in a tourist-town and working front-line customer service in the tourism industry, I can’t help but be interested local businesses, accommodation, restaurants and attractions. I wouldn’t call myself a foodie, but I do love cooking and eating out.

Background

Born in Nanaimo Regional Hospital and raised in Parksville, I attended school in District 69, and I was an active member of a number of community organizations during my youth, including: school sponsored music programs, KSS Student Advisory Committee, Knox United Church, District 69 Youth Choir, Parksville & District Community Choir, Girl Guides of Canada (12+ years), Scouts Canada, Upper Island Music Festival and CGIT. In 1994, I was the recipient of a provincial scholarship that allowed me to spend three months attending high school in Japan to study Japanese language and culture. My family has had a farm on Lasqueti Island since 1948, and growing up, I spent a great deal of time there.

Following high school, I worked locally, attended Malaspina College for a semester, and then moved to the lower mainland to take on a new job at the corporate offices of Intrawest. Living in New Westminster, I later attended Douglas College, served on a strata council, worked at Northwest Music, was a soloist at St. Andrew’s-Wesley United, and even did a show with the Royal City Musical Theatre Society. In 2002, while still living in New Westminster, my husband Randy and I were married at my home church in Parksville.

I returned to the Island in 2004, when my husband and I purchased livestock. We moved to Errington, and in 2008, we purchased a 13-acre farm on Grafton Avenue in “downtown” Errington. Last year, my sister and her family moved in, and we are making attempts to build a real family farm. We currently keep 24 alpacas, 11 sheep, and about 40 chickens.

I have been a vendor at and member of the Errington Farmer’s Market since 2008, where I sell goods from our farm, mostly yarn and rovings (unspun fibre). I have been a member of the Mid-Island Pensioners & Hobbyists Association since moving back to the Island, and I participate in the Thursday Spinners group. For the last two years, I have been a member of the Arrowsmith Agricultural Association, and as a newly-elected member of their Board of Directors, I hope to help them with website redevelopment & social media this year.

I have been the choir director at St. Stephen’s United Church since 2007. I have sung for the Vancouver Island Opera as a chorus member in one of their productions and as a soloist in their recital series. In December, 2011, I sang as a soloist with the Parksville & District Community Chorus for the first time since high school. For the past three years, I have been a member of the Island Consort, a Nanaimo-based chamber choir.

In addition to music and farming, for the past five years, I have worked as a front desk agent at the Travelodge in Parksville. In the past, I have been an office administrator for a Christian mission organization, sold choral sheet music, had a paid position as a section leader and soloist in a church choir, been an office administrator for the IT department of a publically traded company, investigated credit card charge-backs, answered calls at a call-centre, flipped burgers at fast food joints, and even served as a deck-hand on a tug boat.

In the fall of 2011, I ran for the position of Electoral Area Director for Area F (Coombs, Errington, Hilliers, Whiskey Creek and Meadowood) of the Regional District of Nanaimo. I didn’t win (in fact, I came in last!), but the experience was amazing. It made me aware of some under-used gifts that I have – writing and public speaking. After taking a much needed break in December, I’m ready to pick up where I left off, writing and speaking up for our community.

Affiliations

  • Travelodge Parksville (front desk agent)
  • St. Stephen’s United Church (choir director & church musician)
  • Mid-Island Pensioners & Hobbyists Association (member)
  • Arrowsmith Agricultural Association (member & director)
  • Errington Farmer’s Market (member & vendor)
  • Church of the Ascension Parish (member)
  • Island Consort (member & librarian)