"Send us a text about this episode!" Why You Should Listen to This Episode: Bryan and Sarah Baeumler take us behind the scenes of Home Town Takeover Canada in Port Alberni, from eight local changemakers to a covered gathering space at Harbour Quay, with a detour through a foggy Nova Scotia proposal and a hurricane-rerouted honeymoon. Parksville firefighter Liam Robinson and Craig Bay Food Drive coordinator Penny Rutherford explain who relies on the Salvation Army Food Bank, what it needs on its shelves, and where to find the boots on November 14 and 15. This Episode Features: (29:25) Bryan and Sarah Baeumler have spent nearly two decades on Canadian and American television, from Disaster DIY and House of Bryan to Renovation Island and their Bahamian resort, Caerula Mar Club. This summer they brought HGTV's Home Town Takeover Canada to Port Alberni, the first Canadian town to get the treatment, renovating for eight local changemakers, working alongside the Tseshaht and Hupacasath First Nations and building what Bryan calls the most epic covered gathering space on the West Coast at Harbour Quay. They also tell Peter how Bryan proposed on a fogged-in drive to Canso, Nova Scotia, why their honeymoon ended up in Las Vegas, and the DIY mistake Bryan still sees over and over again. www.citytvplus.ca (06:25) Liam Robinson of the Parksville Volunteer Fire Department and Penny Rutherford, coordinator of the Craig Bay Food Drive, talk with Dave about the growing need at the Salvation Army Food Bank in District 69, which recorded 20,982 service visits last year. Since 1998 the firefighters' Fill the Boot drive has collected roughly 430,000 pounds of food and about $660,000, and Craig Bay's 427 homes have added more than $334,000 and 22,400 pounds of groceries over the past 11 or so years. Firefighters will be out Saturday, November 14 (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and Sunday, November 15 (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.) at Tim Hortons, Thrifty Foods, Quality Foods and the BC Liquor Store at Wembley Mall, plus Canadian Tire and Save-On-Foods on Saturday. www.parksvillesalvationarmy.ca/services/food-bank Episode Quotes: "I don't know where the bigger impact was, whether it was on the town or whether the town had the bigger impact on us." - Bryan Baeumler, Host, Home Town Takeover Canada "The stigma around asking for help needs to fade, because the cost of living has made asking for help unavoidable."- Penny Rutherford, Coordinator, Craig Bay Food Drive The PULSE Community Podcast is a weekly Vancouver Island podcast hosted by Peter McCully and Dave Graham, featuring conversations with musicians, authors, actors, athletes, business leaders and community builders from Vancouver Island, British Columbia and beyond. The PULSE Community Podcast is part of The PULSE Podcast Community. Text us about this episode. Voice message us your thoughts and we may play it on a future episode. You'll find all episodes of The PULSE Podcast on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, TikTok, YouTube and ThePulseCommunity.ca. Click here to learn how to Support the show. Episode Sponsors: Thrifty Foods Parksville, Fireside Books & Ian Lindsay & Associates Check out Skookum Kid's Stories on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio and YouTube. Sign up for our weekly newsletter and stay up to date on the latest podcasts, guests and contests. Check out the Vancouver Island Podcast Directory: Vancouver Island Podcast Directory is a free public resource curated by The PULSE Community, helping listeners discover podcasts produced on Vancouver Island and the surrounding coastal islands. #HomeTownTakeoverCanada #PortAlberni #BryanBaeumler #SarahBaeumler #FillTheBoot #SalvationArmy #FoodBank #ParksvilleQualicum #VancouverIsland #VancouverIslandPodcasts #ThePulseCommunityPodcast Support the show
