The Craig family and Unicycle Creative wish you the happiest of holidays, with a video link to our recently recorded song, The Village, set to a slideshow of some of our 2022 moments.

Craig Family Holiday Letter 2022

From the icy bobsled track at Whistler to the August heat on Lillooet Lake, from the woodland melodies of Vancouver Island Music Fest to a prairie sunrise outside Hines Creek in northern Alberta, 2022 was a year of contrasts for the Craig clan.

January started with some of the biggest snow we have ever seen at our cabin – literally three feet of the stuff coated everything like a giant marshmallow dip. Our neighbours, Ronees and David, built a sled track worthy of a winter Olympics, and the pow was so deep, Lorne was even able to ski down the common lot to the water’s edge.

As springtime finally arrived, Lorne, Sharon and Jaxon worked on finishing the deck addition on the cabin’s east side, raising wooden beams, staining lumber and and planking an eight foot by 24-foot extension to wrap completely around the house. The team also re-stained the outside of the cabin, battling mosquitoes and Athena – a local cat who likes to scale ladders.

April saw us investing in a VW camper van, which we took on its maiden voyage to play music with friends Andy & Rita (and Shelley Stevens) in Squamish. The musical adventures continued with a trip to Comox for the first post-pandemic Vancouver Island Music Fest. It was a soul-enriching five days, with inspiring daytime performances and late-night jamming in a circle of motorhomes.

On the work front, Unicycle Creative continued project-based assignments with long time clients and friends, for clients like London Drugs, Allwest Insurance (with Don Bull Creative) Mono County in California and Hemlock Printers. Lorne and Sharon attended the Vancouver Comic Arts Festival at the Yaletown Roundhouse, promoting Unitoons cartoons and Lorne’s Old Growth book, featuring a cast of forest characters working to protect their home. The Craigs also produced the See You on Granville Island Puzzle and launched it (with Sharon) at the Granville Island Canada Day celebration July 1.

As summer’s heat hit and lake floating season began in earnest, we were able to get a few more friends up to enjoy some lake time. Unfortunately, Covid hit us on the August long weekend, and while the infection was thankfully mild, it did force us to postpone our backyard cabin concert to the September long weekend instead.

Back in the city, Sharon, Lorne and Barb Metcalfe (known as Three in the Glove Box) did manage to get some Kits Beach rehearsal time in and we were even invited to play a house party in East Vancouver. Lorne and Sharon continued working on some original tunes and spent a day in the White Rock studio of Victor Smith, recording ‘The Village’ (as heard on our slide show video).

Jaxon added to his Outdoor Recreation Management certificate with an Occupational First Aid certification, enabling him to move from track maintenance to Medical Responder at the Whistler Sliding Centre. He is now also enrolled in training for driving the two-man Bobsleigh and has made a number of high speed runs down the fastest track in the world. (Good training for the Whistler local lifestyle he is living this winter season)

In September, the Craigs hit the road with Lorne’s Mom, Franki. This was a road trip to see some of her good friends, who have migrated from Calgary to Red Deer to way north of Grand Prairie. Fred & Elli DeMaris and Leanne and Johnny Gretland in Hines Creek hosted us in some of Northern Alberta’s most glorious farm country.

We stopped for a hello to Sharon’s brother and sister-in-law and the whole McMurchy clan in Edmonton, to see Lyle and Gloria Kennedy in Red Deer, stopped for dinners with cousin Gail Whiteford and Pam and Neil Vincent in Calgary. On our way back through BC we stayed at the amazing hotel and ghost town at Three Valley Gap near Revelstoke. It’s like Westworld meets The Shining, without the blood and robots.

Upon return to Vancouver, Lorne took a contract at Wasserman advertising, working 3+ days a week to fill in as a Senior Art Director. (The funny thing is, Alvin Wasserman gave Lorne his first agency job, and President Cam Landell was a Big House partner for a few years. So being there is really, more like old home week)

Sharon put a ton of time into planning and executing Lorne’s 60th birthday party, where a great group of friends gathered at the Kitsilano Neighbourhood Hall to play music, reminisce and help tend bar. Sharon’s sister Debbie even made it out from Manitoba (on her second 2022 trip to Vancouver) and joined us on the stage. It was really a magical night – so blessed to know so many great people for so long.

Now, as winter’s longest night approaches, and our tree glows with its festive lights once again, we count our blessings with all of these villagers, as well as Lorne’s Mom Franki, and brother Joel, and hope for another year of music, friendship, laughter and joy.

And we know, whatever 2023 brings, we’ll face it together with open eyes and glowing hearts.

Cheers.

The Craigs

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