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The trailrider was designed by Schillinger to allow people with disabilities to access hiking trails and backcountry, which they are unable to do in regular wheel-

a

Backcountry becomes possible

Artist makes sports equipment for people with disabilities

By NIKITHA MARTINS
ocal artist Toby Schil-

linger is combining his

knowledge of design and

metalwork to make equip-
ment for people with disabilities to
enjoy outdoor sports.

On Feb. 22, Schillinger spoke to
Langara College's fine arts students
about how they can use their artis-
tic abilities in the workforce.

Schillinger’s company, Toby’s
Cycle Works Inc., makes off-road
wheelchairs - called trailriders -
for hiking and prosthetic arms

for mountain biking. These de-
vices allow people with disabilities
to get access to the backcountry.
The prosthetic arms have attach-
ments that allow users to hold onto
bike handles easier and the trailrid-
ers are sturdier on uneven ground
and can be pulled or pushed from
both ends by hiking companions.
“A friend came to me almost 30
years ago, had a car accident, lost
his arm [and] said, ‘I want to ride
a bike,” Schillinger said. “I figured
something out over the years and
developed [a prosthetic arm]. We
now sell them all around the world.”

Schillinger said it can be diffi-
cult for people to access the type of
equipment he makes.

“Most government and most
insurance agencies won't give peo-
ple things for pleasure,” he said.
“They'll give someone one wheel-
chair to do all their tasks and they
consider anything outside that...to
be extreme and that [they] don't re-
ally need to have it.”

Schillinger's products don't come
cheap - prosthetics and wheelchairs
can sell for $5,000 to $8,000 each.

Steve Milum, the president of
Chair Stuff Sales, a medical sup-

plies company for people with dis-
abilities, agreed that the pricing of
equipment is expensive.

“If we lived in a fully funded
world where the government pays
for accessible products then it will
be accessible to all,” Milum said.
“But because of the cost, it's not.”

Philip Robins, a fine arts instruc-
tor at Langara, said he asked Schil-
linger to speak at the college be-
cause he was able to turn his artistic
talents into a thriving business.

“You can look in the job pages
and youre not going to find an ap-
plication for an artist,” Robins said.

Preference for sprouted breads rising

People ditch
processed bread
for healthier
options

By AGAZY MENGESHA

n old bread making pro-
cess using sprouted grains
is coming back into popu-

larity in Vancouver because of it’s
health advantages over other breads.

Last weekend, Rooted Nutrition,
a Kitsilano-based cooking class

tion have stripped away the nu-
trients from [bread],” Boyle said.
“They produce things in much
larger and cheaper quantities. We're
really used to those cheaper foods.”

Tanya Choy, a renal dietician at
St. Paul’s Hospital, said the sprout-
ing process keeps the nutrients
present in bread because the grains
are not refined or processed.

"Depending on how long the
germination process is...some
studies found the original grain
[in sprouted bread] can have three
times more soluble fiber,” she said.

“Research has shown that more
whole grains may reduce the risk of
conditions such as diabetes, heart
disease and some cancers.”

studio, hosted Mu . Wendy Sin-
Sprouted: The The practices of clair, who at-
New Bread Fron- . * 4s . tended the
tier, during which industrialization class, said she
they taught 20 . was interested
attendees the have stripped away in the sprout-
sprouted bread the nutrients from ing method be-

making process
and explained the
health benefits.

Sprouted bread
contains grains
that have been left to soak in water
before use, allowing the grains to
germinate before being milled into
flour and used in bread.

Ellexis Boyle, the class instructor,
said that sprouted grains have be-
come her preferred choice of bread
because of the health benefits.

“The practices of industrializa-

[bread].”

—ELLEXIS BOYLE, SPROUTED BREAD
WORKSHOP INSTRUCTOR

cause she was
looking for a
more nutritious
option than
white flours.

“T’ve seen a lot of the sprouted
grain flour in the store and never
purchased it because it's so much
more expensive,” Sinclair said. “But
I think the course helped me see
the value in it.”

Sprouted bread is roughly a dol-
lar or two more than a regular loaf
of bread in a grocery store.

Instructor Ellexis Boyle, holds sprouted bread dough that she made, during
her Sprouted: The New Bread Frontier workshop that was held last weekend.
PHOTO BY AGAZY MENGESHA

7

From bitter
cure to
cocktail

Workshop teaches
attendees how to make
their own bitters from
local ingredients

By DESIREE GARCIA

itters have transitioned from
B being a traditional medicine

to a popular cocktail ingre-
dient because of their ability to en-
hance the flavour.

On Feb. 22, the Stanley Park
Ecology Society hosted its first
Brew Your Own Bitters workshop,
where over 15 attendees brewed
their own bitters using plants native
to Stanley Park.

Bitters are made by soaking
plants or spices in a jar filled with
high proof alcohol for anywhere
from a few hours to a few weeks,
depending on desired taste. Work-
shop participants used local shrubs,
chamomile and devil’s club, which
can be found in Stanley Park.

Taylor Dewar, the workshop in-
structor and co-owner of Tailored
Spirits distillery, said he believes
there is a growing interest in mak-
ing homemade bitters because they
are easy to make and tailor to per-
sonal taste.

“T think some-
thing like this
gives people the
opportunity to
do your own and |
make it a little
more custom for
yourself,” Dewar

said. Tricia Lundh
«BREW YOUR OWN
we Smolins BITTERS WORKSHOP
» an award-win- PARTICIPANT

ning mixologist

and head __bar-

tender at Mission Kits restaurant,
said in the 17"-century bitters were
used for their medical properties.
For example, a morning tonic was
used to cure hangovers and in the
evening, it was consumed as a di-
gestive.

Smolinski said in the mid-19th
century bitters became an essential
ingredient for a traditional cocktail.

“A lot of cocktails aren't techni-
cally cocktails because they do not
have bitters in them,” he said. “It’s
the defining aspect now.”

Tricia Lundh, a workshop at-
tendee, said while she used to
purchase store-bought bitters, the
cocktail culture captured her inter-
est in making her own.

Lundh said that making your
own bitters is simple and that she
enjoys using the basic ingredients.

“There’s a certain amount do-it-
yourself and crafting kind of thing

that makes it interesting.”

The word "bitters" is in the
definition of the first printed
usage of the word "cocktail."

Bitters were used by soliders to
ward off malaria.

Bitters make a comeback as
popular cocktail flavourings
because of a classic cocktail
revival.

SOURCE: SMITHSONIAN. COM