Shop spoils your four-legged friends

Yvonne Kourchenko believes in the healthiness of her dog snacks so much she feeds them to her kids. She and her husband Philip Headen have just opened Bark, Bath and Beyond on Oak Bay Avenue in a space vacated by Finn and Izzy. (Finn and Izzy moved east to the former Charmaine's storefront at 2259 Oak Bay Avenue). Geared toward providing dog grooming services, the shop will sell organic dog gear, as well as dog food and snacks.

"Everything we have (as food for pets), humans could eat," Kourchenko said. Opening a new shop in economically troubled times isn't a concern for the couple, which expects to see 10-15 dogs per day come to the shop for grooming.

"So many people (who have) dogs treat them like their own kids," she said. "And no matter how bad the economy, the dog has to be groomed."

Bark, Bath and Beyond Pet Boutique, 2041 Oak Bay Avenue, 250-590-2822.

Holistic health has home on the Avenue

Jin Tripp finds Oak Bay is a much quieter place to do business from downtown Victoria. Tripp moved her Chinese health services shop from the city to the Village in May. Tripp and her husband Vincent Han provide acupuncture, herbology and Tui-na massage services at their shop in Athlone Court.

"Another reason is that, for the Oak Bay area, they need a holistic health care centre," Tripp said.

Jin Tripp Health Services, #113, 2187 Oak Bay Avenue, 250-388-3669.

Exhibit offers look into creative process

Nicola Prinsen has exhibited her bronze sculptures before at The Avenue Gallery. But she's never shown the preliminary sketches she does in preparation for the sculptures.

"They are simply to let her explore and then take from that to do the bronzes," said Gallery owner Heather Wheeler.

Prinsen is a Salt Spring Island artist who lives in a 1926 dairy barn overlooking Ganges harbour. Despite the name of her new exhibit, Prinsen's sketches include sheep and cows as well as crows.

As the Crow Flies opened Nov. 2 and runs through Nov. 15.

The Avenue Gallery, 2184 Oak Bay Avenue, 250-598-2184.

vmoreau@saanichnews.com