If the thought of enduring the lineups at the big box stores or online shopping (thankfully) isn’t your thing, here’s an idea for shopping locally this year.
“The elves at the Cowichan Regional Visitor Centre are ready to build custom gift baskets filled with local, Cowichan inspired gifts and treasures,” the folks at the Centre tell me.
“These are great options for client and colleague appreciation gifts and family gifts! Looking for a little inspiration? We can create themed baskets including Culinary Cowichan, Cowichan Body Care, Gifts for Guys and Gifts for Gals.”
Here’s how it works; you set the budget and they’ll build your custom gift basket. You’re also welcome to bring a bottle of your favourite local wine, beer, cider or spirits to be included. The elves take care of the gift wrapping. Basket building fees are $5 to $15 depending on size.
Some of the local products include items from: Backwoods Soap & Candle Co., Westholme Tea Farm, Westcoastees, St. Jean’s Cannery & Smokehouse, Botanical Bliss Herb Farm, organicfair, and A Memorable Gift.
You can come by the Cowichan Regional Visitor Centre to help select your items or you can make your request by email or phone. They’ll take care of it for you and let you know when it’s ready to be picked up.
Contact Head Elf Kirsty at 250-746-4636 or email her at visitorinfo@duncancc.bc.ca.
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Cowichan Valley Preschool has been presented with the Child Care Legacy Award. The preschool was established in 1977 as a parent cooperative preschool and has provided 40 years of outstanding child care services.
This is a great honour for this little preschool and the amazing teachers who are so dedicated and passionate about starting little humans on a happy and bright path.
The Cowichan Valley Preschool is a non-profit society operated by a volunteer board of directors and is located on Wharncliffe Road in Duncan.
The award is presented by the provincial government’s Ministry of Children and Family Development.
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Three Cowichan businesses have been honoured with 2018 EcoStar Awards.
Hosted by the Synergy Sustainability Institute, the EcoStar Awards recognize excellence in environmental achievement and leadership of Island business, organizations and individuals. This year the three Cowichan groups that received awards at the EcoStar Gala, which took place in Victoria last week are: Cowichan Green Community (Social Impact Award), Cowichan Bio-Diesel Co-op (Transportation Mode-Shift Award) and Pizzeria Prima Strada (Green Restaurant Award).
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You’re going to want to check out the winter edition of Arbutus magazine, coming off the press in a few days.
The cover story is a feature on downtown Duncan, how this special area of the Cowichan Valley manages to thrive in a shopping era that is increasingly dominated by big box stores and online shopping.
It’s quite remarkable, actually, that our downtown has developed into such an attractive, eclectic area despite all the competition.
Pick up a copy of Arbutus and find out how that happened.
If you’ve got an item you’d like to see included in Business Notes, please email Warren Goulding at: warren.goulding@blackpress.ca