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Before achieving fame as North America鈥檚 beloved 鈥淏ard of the North,鈥� the British poet Robert Service spent seven years on Vancouver Island, from 1896 to 1903, working at a variety of jobs from farm hand to road builder to bank clerk.

This is the first in a series of columns that will appear every other Sunday, leading up to the party on Aug. 23 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Victoria鈥檚 Commonwealth Games.

The public areas of the Coast Victoria Harbourside Hotel (126聽Kingston St., 250-360-1211) are richly hung with canvases by Janet Etter, who is for the month of June the artist in residence.

Sandi Shoup is up to her ears in diapers these days, and she couldn鈥檛 be happier. Up until three months ago, the keen environmentalist and parent of seven children, two of them still in diapers, didn鈥檛 think much about using reusable cloth diapers.

鈥楾he Doll Dressmaker Is In鈥� declares a small red-and-white sign that catches your eye as you wander through what local town crier Kenny Podmore calls 鈥淪idney鈥檚 hidden jewel.

Group organized by Saanich Baptist Church builds homes, schools and deep community ties

The tide is forever shifting when it comes to summer music festivals on Vancouver Island, with plenty of schedule alterations, lineup changes and festival inaugurations and cancellations each year.

When we heard a 鈥渄ark night鈥� social event was in the works, we assumed it might be Batman-themed, albeit surely not to celebrate Ben Affleck being anointed as Hollywood鈥檚 next Dark Knight.

Sailors away from their families for stretches of time during deployment at sea have one less worry knowing their loved ones have access to a range of resources to ease the pain of separation. A sailor鈥檚 life is frequently a life at sea.

The recent fine weather of the long weekend, the Victoria Day parade and the welcome sight of tourists once again filling our streets all combine to give our community a sense of celebration at this time of year.