Deborah Else will soon be hanging up her hat and retiring after 32 years running Whippletree Furniture.
The store in Whippletree Junction, which carries a wide variety of unique product lines of top grain leather, upholstered, and wooden furniture, has been in the same location since it opened in 1986.
Else said she plans to close the shop sometimes near the end of July.
Until then, all inventory will be selling for between 30 and 40 per cent off.
Else said two-thirds of the stock has already been sold.
She said she’s grateful for all the support and appreciation she has received from her customers and the community over the decades in business.
“I plan to retire, spend time with my loved ones and have lots of fun,” Else said.
“I will always have lots of memories of a lot of lovely and amazing customers over the years.”
Listen to music, enjoy pizza, cider and more at Merridale this summer
Back by popular demand, Merridale Cidery & Distillery’s Sunday Pizza Nights return for the season.
Kicking off on June 17 and running each week through Sept. 23, visitors to the farm in Cobble Hill can enjoy brick oven pizza from the orchard cookhouse, live music, and of course, cider and cocktails.
“We are thrilled to present another season of Sunday Pizza Nights here at Merridale,” said Janet Docherty, co-owner and president of Merridale.
“We had really positive feedback last summer. It’s an amazing opportunity for us to showcase local performers and bring our community together for a weekly celebration of the arts, paired with delicious pizza and our very own craft cider and spirits.”
The musical lineup includes performers such as Impulse Response, Kristina Helene, Arf the Dog, and Dylan Stone.
Chef Ben Brown will be hand-throwing pizza dough to order, with six pizzas offered throughout the summer and one “special” every week.
The eatery opens at 5 p.m. for dinner, and live music runs from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
New real estate rules will impact buyers, sellers and agents
New real estate rules imposed by the Office of the Superintendent of Real Estate will significantly change the way realtors and clients work together, said the president of the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board.
The new rules, which took effect on June 15, prohibit the practice of dual agency and require real estate licensees in B.C. to provide additional compensation information to their clients.
Dual agency occurs when a realtors represents more than one party in a real estate transaction, such as a buyer and seller, two or more buyers, or a landlord and tenant.
The Real Estate Council of B.C. recommended the dual-agency ban in 2016, following the release of the Independent Advisory Group’s report on conduct and practices in the real estate industry.
Don McClintock, 2018 VIREB president and a realtor with Re/Max of Duncan, said VIREB welcomes measures that protect consumers, but has concerns about how the ban will affect clients on Vancouver Island and throughout the Gulf Islands.
“Prohibiting dual agency will impact consumers in our communities, many of which have only one or two licensees who possess the necessary knowledge and experience to help clients make informed decisions,” said McClintock.
“Under the new rules, you may end up working with someone who is unfamiliar with the area and doesn’t understand its unique characteristics.”
Ecovillage hosting workshop with author/activist Stephen Jenkinson
Shawnigan Lake’s O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE is inviting people to come and spend the day with author/activist Stephen Jenkinson on June 30.
Jenkinson is a Harvard-educated theologian and founder of The Orphan Wisdom School.
He is the author of Money and the Soul’s Desires, How It All Could Be: A Workbook for Dying People and Those Who Love Them, and the award-winning Die Wise: A Manifesto For Sanity and Soul.
Jenkinson is also the subject of a National Film Board of Canada feature length film documentary.
The event at O.U.R. ECOVILLAGE includes a book reading and talk by Jenkinson from his newest book, Come of Age: The Case for Elderhood in a Time of Trouble.
The day begins at 10 a.m. and runs until 4 p.m.
Tickets are $99 each.
For more information, go to ourecovillage.org.