The Escapists

Murray Siple is an artist of many mediums. Art has been a part of his life since he can remember. His interest in creating has lead him to work in film, drawing, painting, sculpting. As his career in film was blossoming, a high speed car accident left him a person with quadriplegia. Despite this setback, he reconnected with old passions and new artistic mediums and has continued to express his own experience of the world through film, paint, and more. He has an admirable ability and drive to connect with those on the fringe and tell their stories, and to find beauty in subjects that may be otherwise overlooked.

After spending years in publishing and events, Alina Cerminara felt called to produce a project that could tell the unique stories of the Canadian West Coast. Through a few serendipitous encounters and a lot of hard planning, FOLKLIFE was born. FOLKLIFE is a beautiful semi-annual lifestyle print publication that gifts us with the untold stories of island dwellers and their unique cadence. It’s clean, fresh design and gorgeous photography make this luxury item something you want to collect and read again and again. In this interview, Alina gives us the perspective of a founder, publisher, editor, writer, and more. And shares her desire to talk to strangers dressed like pirates.

At the height of the pandemic, Chefs Gracie and Henry found themselves displaced from their home in New York, living on a small island and staring at an unplanned stretch of unemployment. With the blades of their knives and the edges of their creativity itching, they got back in the kitchen with pent up ingenuity and tasty ingredients. What was born was Nellies, their subscription based, made to order gourmet food service, which has become a community favourite with a dedicated following. Be prepared for wise insights and salivary dish descriptions.

After years of sitting at a desk without a view, it became clear to Patrick Powers that he needed a change up. So naturally, he said goodbye to all he’d built and dove headfirst into the world of project management in a completely new industry. A few decades later, he now brings his love of immersing oneself in nature inside the home for his clients with his business Powers Construction. This cheerful and enthusiastic boss-man stays grounded through family, time spent skimming the waters of the Pacific seas, and serving excellent shaken margaritas. Listen to how Patrick still broaches the divide between rural and urban on a weekly basis, mostly by becoming a frequent flyer on local seaplanes.

Sometimes when life presents you with a global pandemic, you present the world with an amazing Mexican tortillería. Sharing culture through food is something Chef Deb has been doing her whole life, and with her wife and business partner Miranda, she is able to bring her street-food inspired menu to her community with Dos Amores Tortilleria. They lead with respect, kindness, and heart, standing for quality ingredients, highly valued staff, and uncompromising taste.

Starting in the summer of 2020, Pender Island residents Stef and Chris of Lovin' Off The Land committed to a 365 day challenge to only eat what they could Catch, Grow, Harvest, or Raise. With little to no experience, they raised their own animals, fished, gardened, foraged and learned on the go to keep themselves sustained. They shared their experiences in weekly youtube videos that detailed all the successes and misadventures. They’ve got some wild stories.

We're back! And we have a new host! We warmly welcome Emily Williams to The Escapists. She is what we call a returnist. She grew up on Salt Spring Island and returned from the city for those West Coast island vibes. Her heart will forever be in two places, yearning for the energy of a city, of a crowd, and finding the most peace on forested mountain peaks and ocean shores. Connecting with people and learning their stories is one of her favourite ways to spend her time. When she’s not hunting down our next guest, she can be found writing, chasing her young children, or cooking nourishing food for friends & family.

In our Season 2 finale we visit with Molly and Clare, our favourite anti-capitalists on the block and members of the all female natural building 'Mudgirl Collective', to discuss the wider implications of COVID. Go to mudgirls.ca to see examples of their amazing natural structures.

In this week's episode, our friends Meghan and Peter of Francis Bread explain that some Escapists are actually Returnists. Join us for a heartwarming tale of teenage delinquency, music industry burn-out, and salvation through sourdough.

This week’s Escapist is the biggest purchaser of vodka in Canada. He’s also teetotal, practises transcendental meditation, and joins us in a big valley to ponder the meaning of death. Meet Jerin!