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This Episode Features:

(28:42) Sylvia Campbell, co-founder of North Island Wildlife Recovery Center in Errington, shares the incredible 40-year journey that began on Christmas Day 1983 with rescuing a great horned owl. The Vancouver Island Wildlife Rehabilitation Center now helps 700 animals annually with 100 volunteers, addressing the reality that 90% of wildlife injuries result from human interaction. Campbell emphasizes their crucial educational mission for Vancouver Island communities.

(11:14) Connor LaCouvee, professional goaltender from Qualicum Beach, discusses his impressive career spanning junior hockey, college, AHL, ECHL, and European leagues. The Vancouver Island native shares invaluable advice for hockey parents, emphasizing that supporting young athletes without pressure protects family relationships while fostering genuine athletic development. LaCouvee operates his own goaltending school across multiple locations.

Episode Highlights & Quotes

"Your kid will ultimately end up where they should be. Guidance is great, but no amount of pressure or telling your kid is gonna help them. They need to do this on their own... That's a hundred times more important than your kid's hockey career." - Connor LaCouvee, Professional Goaltender

"I want people just to go away from here and be really aware that they are part of wildlife. And that we need to be stewards of it." - Sylvia Campbell, North Island Wildlife Recovery Center

Community Stories That Inspire

Both featured stories highlight how Vancouver Island residents can create extraordinary impact through dedication and community support. Whether through wildlife rehabilitation or youth sports mentorship, these examples demonstrate the power of passionate individuals making lasting differences in their communities.

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This PULSE podcast episode celebrates Vancouver Island's incredible artistic talent. Featuring blues musician Brandon Isaac ("Yukon Slim") discussing his latest album "Walking with the Blues" after 37 years of touring, plus Qualicum First Nation artist Jesse Recalma sharing insights into traditional Coast Salish art and his stunning Qualicum Beach waterfront totem pole installation.

(09:26) Vancouver Island blues music takes center stage as Brandon Isaac discusses his latest album "Walking with the Blues" and reflects on 37 years of touring including 13 European tours and performances across China. The Juno-nominated artist shares insights about maintaining traditional blues authenticity while connecting with modern audiences, emphasizing why he considers blues music a celebration of life rather than depression.

(32:58) Indigenous Coast Salish art comes alive through Jesse Recalma's passionate discussion of traditional carving techniques and contemporary applications. The self-taught artist reveals the philosophy behind his work, including his spectacular metal totem pole installation at Qualicum Beach waterfront and his upcoming paddle carving demonstration at the Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere's 10 Amazing Places Project.

Episode Highlights

"'Walking with the Blues' is just really about my journey of music... For the last 37 years, I've been walking this journey with the blues. Not saying I've been depressed for 37 years—some people think the blues is a depressing thing. It's not. It's a celebration of life." - Brandon Isaac

"I was told before that a tree's been sitting there for 500, 600 years, has had a lot of time to think about what it wants to be. So you're just helping it now." - Jesse Recalma

Upcoming Vancouver Island Arts Events

Brandon Isaac Performance: Parksville Museum concert series, Thursday, July 24th. Jesse Recalma Live Carving: Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere's 10 Amazing Places Project at McMillan Art Center, weekend of July 19th. Beach Fest Rocks: August 8-10, Parksville Community Park. Village Sidewalk Music: Qualicum Beach, Saturdays.

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(10:39) Clinton Nellist, local podcaster and graduate of Qualicum Secondary School, discusses his TELUS StoryHive-funded project "Branches Between Generations." This innovative Vancouver Island podcasting initiative pairs students with seniors at Berwick Parksville to create intergenerational dialogue content, addressing the gap in family-friendly programming that speaks to multiple generations simultaneously.

(29:54) Margot Holmes, CEO of Vancouver Island Symphony, explains how their Summer Sizzle Festival brings classical music directly to Vancouver Island communities through backyard concerts and winery performances. Holmes discusses how these intimate Vancouver Island Symphony concerts attract first-time classical music audiences by creating casual, approachable experiences just feet away from world-class musicians.

Throughout the episode, discover upcoming Mid Vancouver Island events including Parksville Beach Festival, Coombs Fair, and Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region art exhibitions, highlighting the vibrant cultural landscape connecting Parksville, Qualicum Beach, and surrounding communities.

Episode Highlights & Quotes

"What they'll get is an opportunity to meet musicians up close. Musicians talk about the music, they talk about themselves... it's not something stuffy in any way. We're not even serious in any way." - Margot Holmes, Vancouver Island Symphony CEO

"The biggest piece—and I know it sounds cheesy—I want people to call their grandma after this. I want people to pick up the phone and have a conversation with either their own relatives or people in their own network." - Clinton Nellist

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Episode Sponsors: Tablet Pharmacy, Oceanside Cweed, Windsor Plywood French Creek, Ian Lindsay & Associates & Parksville Beachfest.

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This PULSE podcast episode explores Vancouver Island private healthcare innovation and supernatural folklore. Jordan Schley of Care2Talk discusses expanding private medical clinics across Vancouver Island, including ambitious MRI machine plans for Central Island. Plus, author Shanon Sinn shares eyewitness accounts from the island's most haunted locations.

This Episode Features:

(08:36) Jordan Schley founder of Care2Talk, provides updates on recently opened private healthcare clinics in Qualicum Beach and Oak Bay. Schley outlines ambitious plans to bring an MRI machine to Central Vancouver Island, potentially reducing wait times from six months to one month. He discusses the ongoing private versus public healthcare debate in British Columbia.

(21:59 ) Shanon Sinn, author of "The Haunting of Vancouver Island: Supernatural Encounters with the Other Side," shares spine-chilling stories from three prominent Vancouver Island haunted locations. Featuring detailed eyewitness accounts from the former Qualicum Heritage Inn, the Schooner Restaurant in Tofino, and the Heriot Bay Inn on Quadra Island, including floating dishes, mysterious apparitions, and unexplained supernatural phenomena.

Episode Highlights

"We want to start doing more brick-and-mortar, but in small towns where towns don't actually get maybe the notice they get... go in these towns where just no one really has a voice." - Jordan Schley, Care2Talk Founder

"The accounts are wild—like multiple people seeing full apparitions sitting at a table beside them. There's two people I interviewed who both saw at the same time a crate of dishes hovering several feet and then dropping and smashing." - Shanon Sinn, Author

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Episode Sponsors: Ian Lindsay & Associates, Windsor Plywood French Creek, Oceanside CWeed & Parksville Beachfest.

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This special summer solstice PULSE podcast episode captures the essence of Parksville summer activities through authentic community voices. Recorded live at the Parksville Food Truck Festival, hosts Dave Graham and Peter McCully gather local insights on the best Vancouver Island summer experiences, from Rathtrevor Beach camping to Sooke Potholes swimming.

This Episode Features:

Live interviews from the Parksville Food Truck Festival showcase authentic summer memories from locals aged 18 to 67. Community members share everything from Burton Cummings concert memories at Black Mountain Boogie in 1978 to modern-day paddle boarding adventures and family beach experiences.

The episode features music spanning from classic Beach Boys summer anthems to contemporary Morgan Wallen tracks. Local residents connect specific songs to Vancouver Island summer experiences, creating a soundtrack that captures the region's laid-back coastal lifestyle.

Episode Highlights & Quotes

"We live in the most beautiful place in the world, and I think if you don't have a boat, find somebody with a boat and drop a line." - Clinton

"You know, the area has so much to offer... the ocean, the mountains, nature, and honestly, it's just tranquil. Like you don't have all the hustle and bustle of the mainland. So it's real serenity." - Tammy

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Episode Sponsors: Windsor Plywood French Creek, Ian Lindsay & Associates, Thrifty Foods Parksville, Oceanside CWeed, & Parksville Beachfest.

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Song Credits

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This PULSE podcast episode features remarkable teen democracy advocate Janelle van Dongen and Parksville City Councillor Sean Wood discussing critical healthcare infrastructure needs at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital.

This Episode Features:

(15:42) Teen Democracy Champion Janelle van Dongen shares her extraordinary journey from interviewing MPs in grade 3 to representing British Columbia at the Forum for Young Canadians. Janelle discusses founding "100 Kids for Change" and working as a deputy returning officer, proving that Vancouver Island youth are leading civic engagement despite not being old enough to vote.

(28:15) Sean Wood, Parksville City Councillor and Nanaimo Regional Hospital District Board member, explains how heart attack patients north of the Malahat face life-threatening delays without a cardiac catheterization lab, while the promised $1.8 billion Nanaimo hospital project disappeared from provincial budget despite 2024 election promises.

Episode Highlights & Quotes

"Democracy is only as good as the people who choose to participate in it... we cannot have a government, we cannot have a democracy without the people participating in it." - Janelle van Dongen, Teen Democracy Advocate

"The BC NDP, BC United, BC Conservatives made public promises during 2024 election to move forward with the patient tower and the cath lab in Nanaimo... March came and the project was nowhere to be found on the provincial budget." - Sean Wood.

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This PULSE Community Podcast episode celebrates two remarkable Vancouver Island stories. Featuring renowned 95-year-old artist and naturalist Robert Bateman discussing his current exhibition "Mid-Century Bateman" at the Cowichan Valley Museum. Plus, Ken Schley of Qualicum Beach shares the incredible story of owning the authentic SS Minnow from Gilligan's Island and transforming it into a fundraising powerhouse for Vancouver Island charities.

This Episode Features:

(10:37) Legendary Artist Robert Bateman, the celebrated 95-year-old artist and naturalist, shares stories from his current exhibition "Mid-Century Bateman" running until August 31st at the Cowichan Valley Museum. Bateman reflects on his early painting trips to Vancouver Island, his conservation philosophy, and offers his unique perspective on balancing screen time with outdoor experiences. His lifelong connection to Vancouver Island's natural beauty continues to inspire his work and environmental advocacy.

(29:28) The Real SS Minnow's Vancouver Island Mission, Ken Schley of Qualicum Beach reveals how he acquired the authentic SS Minnow from the classic TV show Gilligan's Island and is keeping this piece of television history alive on Vancouver Island. Schley explains how he transformed the boat into a dedicated fundraising vessel that has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for local charities. He shares stories about Dawn Wells (Mary Ann) visiting the community and the incredible public response to this beloved piece of pop culture.

Episode Highlights & Quotes

"I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe grown men crying - on their knees. You'd have to see it to believe it." - Ken Schley describing Dawn Wells' visit

"I started to call what we're doing to the planet was turning it into an instant pudding world in which Joe Blow & Associates made your world for you." - Robert Bateman

The episode also includes community announcements about the ParticipACTION Community Challenge with free fitness classes throughout June, plus upcoming summer events across the Parksville-Qualicum region.

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This PULSE podcast episode celebrates Vancouver Island community spirit through the legendary Father's Day Car Show Qualicum Beach. Featuring Jim Moroz of Seaside Cruisers discussing the 32nd annual charity event, plus Great Big Sea co-founder Sean McCann sharing his inspiring 10,000-kilometer Canadian unity tour across the nation.

This Episode Features:

(10:39) Jim Moroz, Seaside Cruisers organizer, shares the incredible impact of the Father's Day Car Show Qualicum Beach, which attracts over 500 classic cars and 20,000 visitors annually. Moroz explains how this beloved Vancouver Island community event has raised more than $38,000 for local charities, showcasing the generous spirit that makes Qualicum Beach special for families and car enthusiasts alike.

(23:26) Sean McCann, Great Big Sea co-founder, discusses his ambitious "Great Big Canadian Road Trip" - a solo acoustic tour covering 10,000 kilometers across Canada. McCann shares his passion for uniting Canadians through music during challenging times, emphasizing how communities from Vancouver Island to Newfoundland can come together despite differences to celebrate shared Canadian values. He appears on Vancouver Island including Parksville.

(01:30) Dave Graham’s fitness journey provides comic relief as the co-host attempts his three-week summer fitness transformation with questionable smoothie ingredients and sporadic workout routines, proving that Vancouver Island lifestyle includes both outdoor adventures and chocolate genetics.

Episode Highlights & Quotes

"What I can do is get in my car, drive 10,000 kilometers and sing 10,000 songs with my fellow Canadians. And the point of it all would be to remember that that's who we are, and that we're not the same, we're different, but we are united under one flag." - Sean McCann

"The joy on the people's faces as they walk through our show and view the cars and you can see them reminding each other that their parents or their relatives had one of those in the old days." - Jim Moroz, Seaside Cruizers

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