Makers of miniature worlds will put on a big display Saturday at the Island Classic 2017 Scale Model Contest and Exhibition.
The models, most of them plastic, will range from Formula 1 race cars to Second World War tanks, from First World War-era biplanes and triplanes to the space-craft out of sci-fi movies such as Star Wars.
The exhibit will be held at the Salvation Army Citadel ay 4030 Douglas St., off Mackenzie Avenue near the Pat Bay Highway.
Victoria scale modeller Gord Enquist says creating cars from plastic kits is fun, but becomes extraordinary when that same car model is transformed into something unique, such as an accurate reproduction of a vehicle rusting in a farm field.
Many kits exist depicting Star Wars Imperial Storm Troopers. But it’s so much more fun to transform the same plastic figure into one that looks burned and crumpled after a blaster fight.
“Being creative is one of the biggest drivers for me in putting a good model together,” said Enquist. “There are just so many ways of putting the same model together.”
Island Classic 2017 is presented by Scale Plastic Automobile Modellers and Victoria Scale Modellers.
Doors are open from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Admission is by donation — $2 per person is suggested. Kids under 13 are admitted free.
All entries must be submitted by noon. Entry fees are $5 for up to five models and $1 for every other, up to a maximum of 10.
For more information, look up Island Classic 2017 Scale Model Contest and Exhibition on Facebook.
Saanich Fair’s start highlighted ahead of 150th anniversary
Learn more about the history of the Saanich Fair at a Talk and Tea on Sunday at the Log Cabin Museum in Saanichton.
The monthly event is hosted by the Saanich Pioneer Society, a non-profit group dedicated to the preservation of historical records from the Saanich Peninsula.
Historian Sylvia Van Kirk will discuss highlights of the first century of the popular fair, hosted by the North and South Saanich Agricultural Society, which celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2018.
True to its name, tea and goodies will be served after the talk.
Admission is $5 for members and $7.50 for non-members. The talk starts at 2 p.m., Oct. 15, at the Log Cabin Museum, 7910 Polo Park Cres. in Saanichton (in the park behind Thrifty Foods). For more information, go to saanichpioneersociety.com
Speakers share Island history and foster bonds
Spend an evening listening to speakers sharing true stories from their lives and the history of Vancouver Island at the Living History Speaker Series, Oct. 18 and 25 in the new assembly hall in St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Nanaimo.
The series is co-hosted by the City of Nanaimo and Seniors Connect with funding from the federal government’s New Horizons for Seniors Program. The goal of the program is to foster social connectedness.
“A great thing about this series is we get to learn more about members of our community and the history of this interesting city,” said John Horn, social planner for the City of Nanaimo. “This is a wonderful opportunity for people to come out and enjoy an entertaining evening at no cost.”
Each night features three speakers, who will share true stories from their personal lives or the history of Nanaimo and Vancouver Island.
Light refreshments will be provided and there is parking available at the church after 6 p.m.
The event is free to attend.
It runs 6:30 to 8 p.m. Oct. 18 and 25 in the new assembly hall in St. Paul’s Anglican Church, 100 Chapel St., Nanaimo. The facility is wheelchair-accessible. Another series is planned for February 2018.
For more information, contact Karin Kronstal or John Horn at 250-755-4464 or john.horn@nanaimo.ca.
Celebrate the return of the Bufflehead
Attend a celebration in honour of the return of a punctual duck at the All Buffleheads Day Festival, Friday to Sunday at various venues.
Each year, Bufflehead ducks, the smallest duck species in Canada, return to Victoria on the same day in October — you can set your clock by it.
On the 298th day of the year — Sunday — Buffleheads are expected to arrive at Victoria migratory bird sanctuaries.
To celebrate, Urban Sanctuary Project partners are hosting the festival.
• Friday: A public reception at the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea in Sidney, with presentations of nature photographs, paintings, music and poetry. The highlight of the evening will be the unveiling of a new painting by Robert Bateman.The event runs 7 to 9 p.m. at the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea, 9811 Seaport Pl., Sidney.
• Saturday: The Public Bufflehead Welcoming Ceremony is a gathering to honour the Bufflehead ducks and other migratory birds that spend winters in the region. Activities include a free one-hour Bufflehead sketching session presented by the Robert Bateman Centre at 10:30 a.m. The event runs 9:30 to 11 a.m. under the tents at the Ardwell beach access of Roberts Bay, at the intersection of Ardwell Avenue and Resthaven Drive in Sidney.
• Sunday: Join family Bufflehead Festival programs at the Robert Bateman Centre, with bird bingo around the Inner Harbour, prizes, cake and the unveiling of Bird’s Eye View, the centre’s new travelling exhibit.
Explore the Victoria Harbour Migratory Bird Sanctuary and look for buffleheads while taking part in a NatureSketch outing guided by a local sketch artist (all materials provided). NatureSketch runs twice: 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.
Cake and light refreshments will be served at noon as Robert Bateman’s latest painting — a special tribute to All Buffleheads Day — is unveiled.
Admission is by donation. The family-friendly event runs 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday at the Robert Bateman Centre, 470 Belleville St.
• Sunday: Hear wildlife experts discuss how to ensure the migratory bird sanctuaries of Victoria survive for 100 years, at the Migrations Symposium at the Robert Bateman Centre.
The event runs 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Robert Bateman Centre, 470 Belleville St. Spaces are limited, so please register online.
• Sunday: Boat tour of the Victoria Migratory Bird Sanctuary and the Shoal Harbour Migratory Bird Sanctuary with Eagle Wings Tours. The tour runs from Fisherman’s Wharf to the Victoria Harbour Migratory Bird Sanctuary, then heads north along the east shore of the Saanich Peninsula to Sidney and the Shoal Harbour Migratory Bird Sanctuary before returning to Victoria Harbour.
The tour costs $55. It runs 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Spaces will be booked on a first-come-first-served basis at abdboattour@shaw.ca or 250-896-8080. There are contingency plans in case of poor weather. For more information, go to shoalharbour.com.
The All Buffleheads Day Festival is part of the Urban Sanctuary Project, a community initiative with a special focus on migratory bird sanctuaries.
For more information, go to sanctuaryproject.ca or batemancentre.org.
240 Island artists featured in Sidney
Celebrate art by the sea at the Sidney Fine Art Show, a three-day celebration of arts and culture featuring the works of almost 240 artists from across Vancouver Island, Friday to Sunday at the Mary Winspear Centre.
This is the 15th year for the show, presented by the Community Arts Council of the Saanich Peninsula.
More than 400 pieces have been selected for display at the exhibit, which attracts up to 6,000 art lovers each year.
Many of the artists will be available to discuss their work, inspiration and processes. Artists will be on hand between 6 and 9 p.m. Saturday. Food and a cash bar will also be available.
A single-day admission to the Sidney Fine Art Show is $7, while three-day passes are $12. The show runs 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Mary Winspear Centre, 2243 Beacon Ave. in Sidney. For more information, go to sidneyfineartshow.ca.
Mushrooms make for important lessons
Learn all about the life of fungi at the Mid-Island Mushroom Festival, Sunday at the North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre in Errington.
This is the third year of the festival, co-hosted with the Arrowsmith Naturalists.
See mushroom displays, listen to educational speakers and watch live performances. Speakers and topics include Terry Taylor on the diversity of mushrooms on Vancouver Island, Jessica Wolf on how to grow edible and medicinal mushrooms, and Célia Auclair and Benjamin Patarin talking about commercial wild mushroom harvest and sustainability in B.C.
Vendors will have tables with fungi to buy.
The Salvation Army will provide a shuttle service from a parking lot at 1500 Grafton Rd. to the centre. Visitors are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item for the local food bank.
Suggested donation is $5 for those over 12. The event runs 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Oct. 15, at the North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre, 1240 Leffler Rd. in Errington. For more information, go to niwra.org.