Whoo hoo! Congratulations to Sunshine Coast legend “Bad” Karen Skadsheim for living out her dream of creating Townsite Brewing, Powell River BC’s first-ever microbrew!! The brewery is located in the old post office in the historic Townsite neighbourhood, near the mill, the Patricia Theatre and the Old Courthouse Inn.

Townsite Brewing officially tapped their first keg yesterday in a ceremonial parade that involved a bagpiper, two goats, a pedicab, a wedding procession, and a roller derby team. The first beer poured was the Zunga, a golden blonde ale, named after the specific Powell River/Desolation Sound nickname for a rope swing.

Also brewin’ is the Tin Hat, a West Coast IPA, and Pow Town, a porter, and a Blackberry Beer for the Blackberry Festival in the summer (I love a good craft beer label design, and all of these are beautiful). The Zunga is currently available on tap at McKinney’s Pub in the legendary Rodmay Hotel right next door to the brewery.

The beer will soon be available in 650 ml bottles and 2 litre growlers…. and I personally can’t wait to tip back a Zunga while swinging on one this summer in Desolation Sound.

A still from 'The Same River Twice', a counterculturalist movie shot in the Kootenays in 1978

Back in October, I did a fun string of reading dates in Kootenay region of southeastern BC. On that trip I was supposed to do readings in Nelson, Fernie, and Invermere that had to be postponed when it turned out that the fancy gala for Hilary Weston Writers Trust Nonficton Prize thingy conflicted with the readings in those towns. I promised to reschedule.

The make-up dates have been announced for late April and will include stops not only in Nelson, Fernie and Invermere, but also in Kaslo, Fruitvale, and Grand Forks. On the way to the Kootenays I’ll be stopping for an event in Penticton, and on the way home one in Kamloops. I’m very much looking forward to sharing my stories from the book, as well as my updated slides, short film, and a few new stories, at all of these events. You can see the complete list and times here. All events are free.

If you have any suggestions as to what I should do, where I should eat, and where I should stay while in any of these places, please let me know in the comments section below!

Mon Apr 23 – Hooked on Books, Penticton BC, 7pm
Tue Apr 24 – Grand Forks Library, Grand Forks BC, 6:30pm
Wed Apr 25 – Beaver Valley Library, Fruitvale BC, 7:30pm
Thu Apr 26 – Kaslo Library, Kaslo BC, 10am
Thu Apr 26 – Nelson Library, Nelson BC, 7:30pm
Fri Apr 27 – Fernie Library, Fernie BC, 7pm
Sat Apr 28 – Invermere Library, Invermere BC, 1pm
Sun Apr 29 – Bookland, Kamloops BC, 1pm

L-R George, Charlie, Cara, Grant, Lindsay

I just staggered home from a weekend at the third annual Galiano Island Literary Festival. It was most definitely an honour to attend; here’s my top ten highlights of the festival.

1. Galiano Island Book Store Staff. Lee, Jim, Lindsay, Peter, Seonaid, and Nick are all fabulous people, a unique team and an engaged, community-minded staff who work extremely hard to put on this amazing yearly event.

2. George Bowering. Canada’s first poet laureate may also be the “Keith Richards of Can-Lit”*. Astoundingly, he is also the author of 100 books, and at age 76, partied harder and with better humour than any other author in attendance.

3. Dec 21, 2012. Veteran comedian and former CBC star Bob Roberston kicked off the festival with a hilarious keynote/reading from his new book The Mayan Horror, preparing us for the End of Days as the Mayan calendar comes to a close this December.

4. Bruce Springsteen. As all manner of weather whipped around Galiano Island’s community hall on Sunday afternoon, inside we were treated to a reading by Victoria writer Robert Wiersema on his new memoir Walk Like A Man: Coming of Age with the Music of Bruce Springsteen. Between readings, the Cold Cold Hearts entertained us with Boss songs.

5. Galiano Island Inn and Spa. The headquarters of the festival, and what a beautiful place, perfectly capturing the west coast spirit with just the right balance of rustic chique and boutique elegance. Highly recommended for an easy, upscale getaway weekend from Vancouver or Victoria. Every room has an ocean view and a wood burning fireplace! Great restaurant and bar, too. Owner Conny and her husband are extremely kind and attentive.

6. Charles Demers. Charlie conducted a brilliant workshop on comedy writing that was at once insightful, engaging, and totally hilarious. Listen for Charlie on The Debaters, watch for him on a comedy stage near you.

7. The Hummingbird Pub. Getting away from the crowd at the Inn on Saturday afternoon, I zipped over to the island’s famed Pub and was greeted by Deb, who served me up a delicious bison burger while I sat by the fire with a cold bottle of Piper’s Ale and plunked away on another chapter of my new book.

8. Sunset at Montague Harbour. No, that’s not the title of my next book, just me on my lonesome on a beautiful shell covered beach at the deserted Montague Harbour Provincial Park watching the sun set over the winding channels of the Gulf Islands.

9. Timothy Taylor. The acclaimed author of Stanley Park announced the subject of his next book, a non-fiction story of the intertwining lives of refugees from the Iran-Iraq War who both by chance wind up in Vancouver. He went into much more detail and he instantly hooked everyone in the room.

10. Galiano Island Weather. We experienced it all this weekend: rain, wind, fog, snow, hail, sleet, and glorious sunshine, as spring slammed into winter on the West Coast, one season wanting to arrive, the other refusing to leave. Spring temporarily won the battle; we sailed home across the Strait of Georgia under sunny skies and calm seas.

Thanks to everyone at the Festival and on the Island for showing me a great time.

*a late night Robert Wiersema quote.