Ian Lindsay & Associates: Ian Lindsay of Lindsay and Associates has played an active role in the local community since 1979. He has been with RE/MAX Vancouver Island's most advanced real estate business network since 1996. Marketing and selling residential, rural, strata, recreational, investment, and project development real estate, you'll find true real estate professionals at ianlindsay.ca.

Rockin' Rhonda: Here comes Peter. Here comes Dave. Oh, listen. Bringing stories, making waves. No missing, spinning tales in the hot podcast cave. So laughs and insights everywhere. What a treat.

Peter McCully: This is The Pulse Community Podcast. Welcome back. I'm Peter McCully, and here on mid-Vancouver Island, we're down to the final stretch before the Labour Day long weekend. We have the kids getting set to return to classes, but still no shortage of things to do in these remaining days of summer.

Dave Graham: And I'm Dave Graham. I'd like to open with an announcement. As of now, The Pulse Community Podcast is officially a tariff-free zone. No matter what's happening elsewhere, you can be safe in the knowledge that this program comes to you without extra charges.

Peter McCully: Well, that's very generous of you, Dave. Since when do you set trade policy?

Dave Graham: Since this morning, when my neighbour told me he's going to start charging a toll for a ladder I borrowed. I told him that isn't how borrowing works, and he reminded me that I've had his ladder for a couple of years now. He may have a point. I'm thinking of sending a delegation next door to initiate talks, or maybe I'll just give him his ladder back.

Peter McCully: Sometimes the simplest answer is the best. The annual Tour de Rock Ride works on the simple formula of riding bikes and picking up checks. Darren Karn, an RCMP officer with the Port Alberni detachment, will be on the team that pedals 1,200 kilometers across Vancouver Island, raising funds for pediatric cancer research.

Darren Karn: We start out up in Port Hardy. We go down the island. We take a right at Parksville to go out to Ucluelet and Tofino, and then back down to Nanaimo through to Victoria. And we just don't cover the same part of the road twice. So once we get through Port Alberni and into Ucluelet and Tofino, we'll hop on a bus to come back, join up on the highway at Nanaimo where we turned off, make our way to Victoria.

Dave Graham: Bonnie Brown of the SOS dives into their newest initiative, social prescribing. It's a free program connecting low-income and isolated seniors in District 69 with community supports, wellness plans, and resources.

Bonnie Brown: The gap is between what the medical and healthcare services can provide and the social, emotional, and practical needs of the people in our community. So you've got the healthcare practitioners on one side, and then everything else, all the rest of the social activities that we do in our lives that help keep us grounded and connected. In more clinical terms, social prescribing connects older adults to community-based services, activities, and supports that address the social determinants of health. So that's a big sort of government health phrase, but it includes connection, housing, transportation, the basic needs that we have as human beings, financial security, and access to culturally safe spaces.

Dave Graham: This is one of those things that makes you wonder why it hasn't been done before now. We're talking life-changing support services here. Wonderful news.

Peter McCully: On an upcoming podcast, Paul Black, a blues singer-songwriter from Victoria, will be playing the Mid-Island area in September. He'll be bringing us some music and his story to The Pulse Community.

Dave Graham: Also coming to the program, Hunter Dryden, the grandson of Hall of Fame goaltender Ken Dryden. He'll stop by to talk about the upcoming season with the Victoria Grizzlies.

Peter McCully: And Marnie Grimes will also join us to talk about the Port Alberni Toy Run. The fundraiser attracts well over 1,000 motorcycle riders each year.

Chantell Ronkainen: Hello?

Peter McCully: Hi. Is this Chantelle Ronkainen?

Chantell Ronkainen: Yes, it is. Hey,

Peter McCully: Chantelle. Peter McCauley calling from the Pulse Community Podcast.

Chantell Ronkainen: Oh, hi. How are you?

Peter McCully: Pretty good. You're gonna be even better when I tell you that you just won our Roy Henry Vickers giveaway package.

Chantell Ronkainen: No way.

Peter McCully: Yeah. All four books. The Best of Roy Henry Vickers. We've got a Roy Henry Vickers colouring book, Voices From the Skeena, and Storyteller, which is the art of Roy Henry Vickers. It's a huge coffee table book.

Chantell Ronkainen: That is amazing. I'm so thrilled that my name was drawn. I'm incredibly honoured to receive a prize like this, 'cause he's such an inspiration, and I absolutely just love his work.

Peter McCully: Have you had a chance to be able to visit the gallery in Tofino?

Chantell Ronkainen: Oh, of course, several times in my life. Yeah, I live here in Qualicum, so when I get a chance to go out to Tofino, I always stop by there. It just amazes me. It's unbelievable. He's such a fantastic artist.

Peter McCully: He certainly is, and he's a inspiration to a lot of folks. Any youngsters around the house?

Chantell Ronkainen: I do not, but I do have nieces and nephews.

Peter McCully: Well, they will love the Roy Henry Vickers colouring book.

Chantell Ronkainen: Of course they would.

Peter McCully: We have one here at the house, actually, and we've been taking turns colouring in it. The website matches up with the book so that you can go to the website, go to a page in the book and see how it was originally done, and then take your turn at it.

Chantell Ronkainen: Well, you know what, Peter, I'm an artist myself, so I love colouring and painting and doing art, so I'll appreciate the book even myself. Thank you so much. That's wonderful. Have a great day.

Fireside Books: There's exciting news for book lovers. Fireside Books in Parksville now has a second location in Port Alberni, The Book Worm. Used books are just $5 or less. The Book Worm, on the corner of Redford and Anderson, open seven days a week from 10:00 to 5:00. Building your personal library for less. Fireside Books, at 464 Island Highway East in Parksville, is a book dragon's dream come true. Browse their extensive collections seven days a week. Both locations make growing your personal library easier than ever. New and used books and so much more. Order online at firesidebooks.ca and pick up at either location. Details available online. Ask about returning books for a book credit. Fireside Books and The Book Worm, two locations, one amazing adventure in browsing.

Peter McCully: Consider this an open invitation for you to get in touch with us anytime you like. Maybe you have a comment to make or information to add or a story idea in mind. We make it easy for you to leave us a voice message or a text message by clicking on the contact link on our website, thepulsecommunity.ca.

Dave Graham: While you're there, please sign up for our weekly newsletter. It'll keep you posted on the latest podcasts, guests, and contests. And we have a guest ready to go right now. Here's Marilyn.

Marilyn: Darren Karn is an RCMP officer with the Port Alberni detachment, trading his uniform for cycling gear this fall as one of this year's Tour de Rock riders. Over two weeks, he'll pedal across Vancouver Island, raising funds for pediatric cancer research and support through the Canadian Cancer Society's Cops for Cancer program.

Peter McCully: Welcome to the podcast today, Darren.

Darren Karn: Thank you for having me.

Peter McCully: How long have you been an RCMP officer, and what first drew you to policing?

Darren Karn: My earliest memories as a child was wanting to be a police officer, so that's what drew me to it, and I've been an RCMP member now for two years.

Peter McCully: Just two years?

Darren Karn: That's correct.

Peter McCully: Were you stationed somewhere else before being stationed in Port Alberni?

Darren Karn: This is my first posting.

Peter McCully: Do you have a moment from your two-year career so far on the job that's really stuck with you as an RCMP officer?

Darren Karn: I think just the bonds that you make with your other members of the RCMP. They're basically family outside of my family. We spend an awful lot of time together here.

Peter McCully: Let's talk about the Tour de Rock. When did that first land on your radar?

Darren Karn: In my previous life, I was a member of the Canadian Forces, and I was posted out here to the island, and it came across my radar then, and I thought, "What an excellent thing to do." But at that time, that's not something I could support. When I was hired by the RCMP and they told me this is where I was getting posted, that's immediately what I thought, and I was excited to get here and do it.

Peter McCully: What did you do at the Armed Forces?

Darren Karn: I was a military policeman.

Peter McCully: So you've traded being a member of the military police for being a member of the RCMP.

Darren Karn: That's correct.

Peter McCully: What made this the year, Darren, that you decided to put your name forward for Tour de Rock?

Darren Karn: Like I say, when I was a member with the military police, it was not something that I had the support to be able to do. But my first year here, it was just getting through my probationary period and getting adjusted. So year two, when that was all said and done and the nominations came out for interested members, that's when I threw my hat in and said, "Yep, absolutely." And luckily, the management here at this detachment supported me 100%, and here we are.

Peter McCully: Is there a personal story behind why cancer is the cause you're riding for?

Darren Karn: My sister passed at a very young age. She wasn't a child. She was an adult, but she was still a very young adult when she passed from cancer.

Peter McCully: An emotional part of the ride for participants is to be paired with a junior rider. Tell us about that.

Darren Karn: Yes. So junior riders from the communities that we are from that have an experience with childhood cancer, they get paired up with us, and we ride for them, and they usually come out for different events that we have. My young guy's name is Ryker, and his sister passed away at a young age with cancer, so he is coming out to be our junior rider to support her and her memory.

Peter McCully: Cops for Cancer, Darren, has decades of history on the island, as I'm sure you're aware. What does it feel like being a part of all of that?

Darren Karn: It's overwhelming. I want to make sure I'm putting best foot forward in my support and endeavor because it does have a rich history. When you bring it up, the Tour de Rock to people you meet on the street, you can see it in their eyes. They immediately know exactly what you're talking about, and that it means a lot. So it means a lot to me.

Peter McCully: Talking about the history of the Tour de Rock, Darren, when did it start, and do we know how much it's raised so far?

Darren Karn: Yeah, it started in 1994 with just one police officer, and it has grown to what it is now, and it has raised $58 million.

Peter McCully: It's about 1,200 kilometers, the Tour de Rock, sometimes up to 150 kilometers a day. You must be in fantastic shape.

Darren Karn: The trainers from the Tour de Rock, which are past riders, they come back again to support the new riders. They put us through a training regimen that starts in March. They do an excellent job to make sure that we are ready for it.

Peter McCully: So are you ready for it?

Darren Karn: I think I am. I guess the proof will be in the pudding.

Peter McCully: So what's your training look like, Darren? Once you found out that you made the team, I imagine you were training right away.

Darren Karn: They did. So they started in March in earnest. We'd meet on Sundays for rides, and then they stepped up in May when the official tour training team was announced. Do three rides a week, Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, doing different things on each of those days, whether it be hills or speeds or speed or distance, and that is what gets you used to what you're gonna be experiencing and expected to do on the ride, and it gets you used to riding with other members, like in a pack.

Peter McCully: Were any of those rides in Port Alberni, or did you have to go elsewhere for those?

Darren Karn: I'm the only member here, so I've been travelling to Nanaimo, Comox, and Campbell River for the rides, and then there's a few that happen down in Victoria. The Tour de Rock team is split up between North Island and South Island right now just because of where people are located, so sometimes we get together in the Victoria area to do the whole team at once.

Peter McCully: What's the toughest part of getting your body ready for that kind of a ride?

Darren Karn: I've been a cyclist for a while, so I didn't find that part too hard. It would be just finding the time in your work-life balance to get out and make the most of these rides and to show up for as many as you can. That was the part that I had trouble with. That's the part that I found challenging.

Peter McCully: I was just going to ask you how you fit the training in and around shift work and family life.

Darren Karn: Luckily, I have great support from my family in getting through this, and then it's just with the way my schedule goes, got a four-block where I'm working, and then I got four days off, so whatever training fits in those four off days, I try my hardest to get out to.

Peter McCully: Can you tell us about the actual bike that you're riding? I've known a few Tour de Rock riders over the years, and these are a pretty special bicycle.

Darren Karn: It's a road bike, much like you would see, say, in the Tour de France. They've been supplied by Trek. So we get fitted for them, they loan them to us for the ride, and they give us what we need to be able to complete.

Peter McCully: Are these a special carbon alloy material, light as a feather kind of bike?

Darren Karn: They're pretty light. They're aluminum, carbon fork. They're nice. They're more than enough to get the job done.

Peter McCully: Any stretch that you're either dreading or really looking forward to?

Darren Karn: Day two up on the North Island is the 140Ks. We're gonna be into the breach really quick, and then after that, I guess just the hump and the Malahat.

Peter McCully: And what is the route?

Darren Karn: We start out up in Port Hardy. We go down the island. We take a right at Parksville to go out to Ucluelet and Tofino, and then back down to Nanaimo through to Victoria. And we just don't cover the same part of the road twice. So once we get through Port Alberni and into Ucluelet and Tofino, we'll hop on a bus to come back, join up on the highway in Nanaimo where we turned off, make our way to Victoria.

Peter McCully: You mentioned that you've got lots of support. Who's been in your corner through all of this so far?

Darren Karn: Outside of the family, at my detachment here in Port Alberni, we have a former rider that has been excellent with helping me with fundraising. She has done a lot with getting out into the community to find some fundraising opportunities and to engage with people for providing prizes and whatnot that we have for these fundraiser. We have silent auctions, and we have a golf tournament coming up, and she's been, with other people here at the detachment, integral both with time and donations.

Peter McCully: For those who might not be aware, the Tour de Rock raises funds for Camp Goodtimes. Were you able to secure a tour of Camp Goodtimes?

Darren Karn: I wasn't able to fit it in my schedule this year, but the other tour riders that went couldn't talk enough about it. And basically, it's a camp for kids with cancer to go. It's medically supported so that they have what they need there and if they need it, and they can just go and be kids.

Peter McCully: Darren, what's your fundraising goal, and how close are you to it?

Darren Karn: I'm halfway there. The goal is $5,000. I'm halfway point now, but we have auctions that are on the go, tickets that have been bought for fundraisers coming up the next month that haven't been accounted for money-wise. So I'm sure I'm way over the halfway mark.

Peter McCully: Were there any particular fundraisers you wanted to talk about?

Darren Karn: September 10th, we have a beer and burger night at Alberni Brewing. The tickets are $38. That includes your beer and burger, and donations fit into that amount. It'll go back to me. I just wanna thank the support we've had from the community, whether it be Alberni Brewing, Alberni Valley Golf Country Club, or the Port Alberni Shelter Society that has been very generous with their donations to help us out.

Peter McCully: And what's the easiest way for somebody to support your ride, Darren?

Darren Karn: copsforcancer.ca. They have the website with all the different team members on it. Team Darren Karn. You can donate directly through there.

Peter McCully: When the Tour de Rock is over for 2026, when the tour wraps up, what do you think you'll remember the most?

Darren Karn: I think the people we meet along the way, whether it be the kids or just the other people that are in support of the kids.

Dave Graham: Darren Karn trading the uniform for cycling gear and pedaling the length and breadth of Vancouver Island for pediatric cancer research. That is a level of dedication most of us couldn't manage on a stationary bike in an air-conditioned gym. You'll find a link to support Darren's ride in our story notes.

Peter McCully: 1,200 kilometers and some significant changes in elevation. That's the kind of commitment worth cheering on from the side of the road.

Dave Graham: We have Vancouver Island webcam links on our website, and we have added podcast links, so now you can find other Vancouver Island podcasts. There's quite a selection. Check them out at thepulsecommunity.ca.

Peter McCully: A reminder for you that you can also find us on Apple, Amazon, iHeart, Spotify, TikTok, and YouTube. We're also on Facebook and Instagram.

Thrifty Foods Parksville: At Thrifty Foods, we love to help nonprofits, charities, and schools. Our Thrifty Foods Smile Card bulk program allows organizations to immediately save up to six percent on the purchase of Smile Cards in bulk, allowing you to keep more money in your organization's pockets. Ask for details at Thrifty Foods in Parksville.

Ian Lindsay: Ian Lindsay of Lindsay & Associates has played an active role in the local community since 1979. He has been with RE/MAX, Vancouver Island's most advanced real estate business network, since 1996, marketing and selling residential, rural, strata, recreational, investment, and project development real estate. You'll find true real estate professionals at ianlindsay.ca.

Peter McCully: Dave, I can't help but notice that you haven't mentioned your appliances lately. Everything going okay at home?

Dave Graham: They're listening, Peter. They're always listening. No, things are fine. Great. I wanna take this opportunity to say hi to my smart speaker. It now insists on being called Headmaster, but that's normal, right?

Peter McCully: Yeah, sure. Moving along, it's time for our next guest. Here's Marilyn.

Marilyn: Today, we're joined by Bonnie Brown, SOS Administration and Client Services Manager, who oversees a wide range of SOS programs from Meals on Wheels to emergency assistance. We're diving into SOS's newest initiative, Social Prescribing, a free program connecting low-income and isolated seniors in District 69 with community supports, wellness plans, and resources. The program also provides a seniors gathering place that launched in early August.

Dave Graham: Bonnie, thank you for joining the podcast. It is nice to see you again.

Bonnie Brown: Oh, thank you, Dave. It's great to be here, and it's great to see you again, too.

Dave Graham: You have been around here, this being the SOS, for four and a half years, it says before me, and I'm wondering what was that initial attraction and what has kept you going here?

Bonnie Brown: I didn't start my career out in this field, but over time I realized that supporting and contributing to the community where I live is deeply important to me. I find meaningful purpose and joy in working in the nonprofit sector, and that's what drew me into working in this role in SOS. I stay here and in this sector because despite the challenges and difficult situations that we encounter every day, I'm also fortunate to see the positive differences that we make in the lives of our fellow community members. I am inspired and energized by the dedication and compassion of the team around me.

Dave Graham: You are administration and client services manager overseeing a huge range of programs, just to mention a couple, counseling referrals, income tax, advocacy assistance. I'm curious to know how you keep all those balls in the air, how you keep your focus and perspective.

Bonnie Brown: How do I keep all the balls in the air? I have a great tennis racket, I tell you. I do have to say that it is quite a cliche to say that we are all here to help people, but we are here to help people, and that's what we do. Our programs here at SOS are diverse. You've mentioned just three out of many that we run, but they're all connected by the same purpose. And for nearly 60 years, we have been committed to serving those who are struggling or facing barriers in their lives. We do that today by creating an inclusive environment, offering programs and services that District 69 residents have somewhere to turn to when they need support. So I bear that in mind when I am actually juggling all those balls in the air and trying to keep it all together.

Dave Graham: The SOS's latest initiative, social prescribing, points to what I'm assuming is you saw as a gap in care and services for seniors. What was that?

Bonnie Brown: So the gap is between what the medical and healthcare services can provide and the social, emotional, and practical needs of the people in our community. So you've got the healthcare practitioners on one side, and then everything else, all the rest of the social activities that we do in our lives that help keep us grounded and connected. In more clinical terms, social prescribing connects older adults to community-based services, activities, and supports that address the social determinants of health. So that's a big sort of government health phrase, but it includes connection, housing, transportation, the basic needs that we have as human beings, financial security, and access to culturally safe spaces.

Dave Graham: Prior to this conversation, I'll have to admit, the phrase social prescribing was not one I was familiar with. Can you describe it in plain language?

Bonnie Brown: So as plain as I can think about it, it is a holistic approach where health practitioners connect patients with non-medical community-based supports to improve overall well-being. The program provides a link between the health practitioners and those supports. So instead of treating only symptoms with medication, social prescribing addresses root social needs like loneliness, food security, isolation, and a lot of other things.

Dave Graham: I think you just mentioned some factors that lead to the next question in terms of signs that might indicate someone in need of connecting with this new program.

Bonnie Brown: Oh, absolutely. You could see a range of signs that may help a senior, a senior's caregiver, or even you if you're listening to this podcast. You or they may be expressing feeling lonely, isolated, stressed, anxious, depressed, or tired all the time, or maybe they're feeling all of those things. They may also be, or you may also be facing multiple health concerns or barriers such as mobility challenges, or you may be from a culturally diverse background. You or they may have recently lost a loved one, or you're new to the community and need to establish community connections.

Dave Graham: So let's talk a little bit about the process perhaps. If someone is introduced or somehow finds about or refers themselves to this program, what happens next?

Bonnie Brown: We have a wonderful new coordinator here. Her name is Maryanne, and she is our community connector. So she will meet with a new person who's been referred or drops into our program and goes through an intake process with a series of questions to find out their personal circumstances, their fit for the program, and what they are hoping to improve in their life. Together, Maryanne and the senior will identify priorities and what is really important to that person.

Dave Graham: Is this addressing the next thing I wanted to chat about? You mentioned in the brochure personalized wellness plans. I guess that's part of the big picture.

Bonnie Brown: It is definitely personalized, individualized. The senior and Maryanne, the community connector, work together to figure out what community resources they need to access to maybe improve their connection, get them moving a bit more. Maybe it's a sewing group or a walking group. We have 300 items on our list of resources that we can send seniors to, and opportunities to meet their needs and priorities. So through discussion, Maryanne and the senior will come up with a prescription for those connections to relevant community programs and supports, and then also the information on how to connect, where, when, et cetera.

Dave Graham: Who is eligible for this?

Bonnie Brown: Low to modest income seniors who live in District 69, who are feeling socially isolated or lonely, or are facing barriers and challenges to accessing services or community connections are eligible to explore social prescribing.

Dave Graham: Okay. Tell us about the new Seniors Gathering Place. What can someone expect when they drop into that?

Bonnie Brown: The Seniors Gathering Place is a new initiative where seniors can drop in to meet other seniors, learn about services and programs in the community, enjoy a coffee and a cookie. The gatherings are free to eligible seniors and are open Tuesday afternoons from 2:00 to 4:00 and Friday mornings from 9:30 to 11:30, right here at the SOS Community Services Centre in Parksville.

Dave Graham: Social prescribing is delivered in partnership with United Way BC. I'm curious to know how that partnership came together, and what does United Way bring to the table?

Bonnie Brown: SOS first established a relationship with United Way BC when we started the Oceanside Better at Home program in 2013. Given our history and success with the Better at Home program, we were encouraged to apply for social prescribing to fill a much-needed gap in our community for this program. United Way BC provides funding, foundational guides and training, and ongoing support, and they are amazing to work with.

Dave Graham: Do you have a story, a success story you can share?

Bonnie Brown: So our program is so brand new we don't have an end result yet, but we do have a client, and let's just call him John Smith. He is a 67-year-old man who saw his doctor with signs of cardiovascular issues and depression. He has been lonely since his brother and father recently passed, and his housing is precarious. The doctor recommended that he connect with us here at SOS through the social prescribing program to work on the underlying issues related to his health condition while the doctor then worked on his cardiovascular system. John met with Maryann, our community connector, and they discussed his situation and what really matters to him most. Together, he and Maryann developed his wellness plan. They agreed he would join a social men's group to feel connected and an easy walking group to get out and move more. Maryann also referred John to our seniors advocacy services to review his housing situation and pension benefits and discuss housing support options. And she also referred him to our counseling referral service to support his mental health by talking through his grief and depression. John agreed to join the groups and to meet with these referrals. We haven't heard yet, but Maryann is scheduled to check in with him in about a month to see how he's doing with his new programs.

Dave Graham: Sounds to me like there's life-changing potential throughout that.

Bonnie Brown: Absolutely. It just gives me goosebumps. You can see them on my arm right now. It's, yeah, there's so much impact this program will have.

Dave Graham: Have you faced any challenges or resistance getting this program off the ground?

Bonnie Brown: We haven't faced any resistance. I think everyone that we've spoken to has been very excited about the program. I think it's been needed for many years. The biggest challenge has been, we call it asset mapping, and the assets are all of the resources in the community that we can refer the clients to. We are very fortunate here that our community is rich with agencies and groups and organizations that can provide all sorts of services. The challenge is collecting them, collating them, and putting it all together in a format that we can use successfully, and that will be ongoing work. So far, that has been the biggest challenge.

Dave Graham: For any healthcare providers or community agencies listening, how can they connect their own services or clients with this program?

Bonnie Brown: So, since this program helps bring people and organizations together by identifying local strengths, building relationships, and encouraging collaboration across community health and social services, we certainly want to hear from you. Particularly if your organization or group provides free or low-cost services, community supports, or activities that can improve seniors' health and well-being. Contact Mary Ann, our community connector, who's always looking for new resources to add to her asset map.

Dave Graham: Anything else about the SOS you want to mention while we're here?

Bonnie Brown: Dave, after four and a half years, I could sit here and talk to you for an hour, but I will say that SOS provides more than 20 programs for all ages, from age zero to age a hundred and beyond, I must say, including the few I already mentioned, and of course, our income tax and Christmas programs, which are very popular. I would like to highlight, and keeping in the theme of supporting seniors in District 69, that I'd love our community to know more about the Oceanside Better at Home program, which offers subsidized light housekeeping or yard work and free volunteer visits, transportation to appointments, and trips on our grocery bus.

Peter McCully: Bonnie Brown and the team at SOS are closing the gap between healthcare and everyday support that people need to stay connected. The new seniors gathering place sounds exactly like the kind of resource the community needs. You'll find details in our story notes at thepulsecommunity.ca.

Dave Graham: That's the kind of story that makes you want to go check in on your neighbours, except maybe the ones who want to charge for borrowing stuff.

Peter McCully: Our Skookum Kids stories feature Captain Dave and the crew of the Mellow Submarine and Peter and Gracie, the Eskimo dog. And our kids stories now offer colouring pages to go along with each new episode. In this week's episode of the Mellow Submarine, the crew conducts a rescue at Lasqueti Island.

Dave Graham: For those who enjoy colouring and other artistic pursuits, you might want to check out our contest. It's for a kids' art package. The winner gets their choice of art supplies courtesy of Parks West. Details on our website.

Peter McCully: Our Radio Archaeology classic radio series features original episodes of Dragnet, featuring Sergeant Joe Friday and Marshal Matt Dillon in Gunsmoke.

Dave Graham: As part of our Pulse Community Podcast, we encourage you to join Cindy Thompson of Parksville for a resilience project.

Peter McCully: This week on Too Old or Movie Gold, what happens when you bring back the firefighters for round two? This time, against a 135-story fire from 1974. It's the Nanoose Bay firefighter panel returning for a second helping of Hollywood fire as they return to the battle of the towering inferno.

Dave Graham: You'll find these podcasts and more at thepulsecommunity.ca.

Peter McCully: And that's a wrap on another episode of the Pulse Community Podcast. Thanks for spending some time with us.

Dave Graham: We'll be back next week, and tariff-free as always.

Peter McCully: Dave, I'm not sure you understand how tariffs work.

Dave Graham: I'm not the only one. Okay, folks, thanks for listening.

Rockin' Rhonda & The Uptown Blues Band: Here comes Peter, here comes Dave, oh listen. Bringing stories, making waves, no missing. Spinning tales in the podcast cave, so to speak. Laughs and insights everywhere --- what a treat. Peter and Dave, they're on the mics. All right, join the ride. It's gonna feel just right.