Eagle Bay Comm. Assoc

Eagle Bay Garden Group Springs into Action

By Cathy Wolf, Carol Newton and Tracy Lemieux

There is much activity on properties throughout Eagle Bay. The roads are busy and spring has brought us outdoors to work on our yards and begin to think about what to plant in our gardens - a perennial issue for those of us who wish to add to the natural beauty of the area. Once again, the Eagle Bay Garden Group is getting ready for a busy year and hopes others will be joining as well.

The Eagle Bay Garden Group was officially launched in May of 2017 with the purpose of sharing gardening wisdom in the Shuswap, learning from others, exchanging and sharing plants, touring local gardens, and generally enjoying ourselves. We also wanted to bring experts to our community and have them teach and guide our gardening practices.

Sallyanne Calver headed up the group with 22 novice and avid gardeners. There were lists of interests and topics everyone wanted to attend to. We wanted to see what others were planting and propagating in our local gardens, what fertilizers worked well, what were best practices for pruning our trees and shrubs, how to compost, and the list went on. Trips to local greenhouses, and farms were organized. Plant and seed exchanges were planned. Experts were identified for workshops in such areas as mushroom gathering, pruning, foraging, composting, growing orchids and herbs, and organic gardening. A community beautification group was struck to attend to gardens and outdoor areas at the Firehall and the Community Hall. We carried on into the winter with workshops on Christmas swags and how to winterize our plants and gardens.

What became apparent is that we have a wealth of gardening knowledge in this community, as well as many who want to learn more. As Carol Newton and Tracy Lemieux have taken up the leadership role for the group, we continue to expand our gardening discussion to connect with the Blind Bay Garden Club as well as master gardeners in the area. Our areas of interest and curiosity have expanded as well and our list of “what’s next” grows.

In preparation for this year, the Eagle Bay Garden Group meeting has been tentatively set for May 6th. Membership in the Garden Group only requires that you are a member of the Eagle Bay Community Association. It is open to all ages and expertise. BC COVID-19 protocols must be followed. The meeting will be held outdoors, with a limit of 10 persons, all maintaining social distancing, wearing masks. Hand sanitizer will be available. Also, any further announcements from the BC COVID 19 Health Authority regarding public groups will take precedence and this meeting may be cancelled.

Watch for more news soon. For more information, please contact Carol Newton (250) 675-2125 or Tracy Lemieux (604) 910-3288. Happy Gardening!

Sorrento & Area Community Health Centre Society 7th Annual General Meeting

Wednesday, May 12, 2021 4:30 pm

This meeting will be held virtually using Microsoft Teams meeting software. All are welcome but must register in order to participate on an electronic device by advising President Barry Stokes by email of their wish to participate. Barry’s email address is stokesbarry54@gmail.com

By Anna-Marie Eckhart

Hello and a Happy Spring Day to you from the Natter! The Notch Hill Town Hall has been preparing the hall and its Heritage Rentals for the re-opening of its 2021 rental season.

The hall and Heritage Rentals have been temporarily closed for 13 months. With a Covid -19 safety plan in place and social gathering restrictions being slowly lifted, we are now able to offer small gathering rentals of our church and hall.

The Notch Hill Town Hall Association would like to introduce and welcome our local Notch Hill resident Amy Berry as our newly appointed commission-based recruiter for our Notch Hill Heritage Rentals. Amy will be working along with Rental Chairperson Marianne Romyn. Amy will contribute to our Purpose Statement of preserving, promoting and of hosting community events. Our Notch Hill Heritage Rental season is from April 1 to October 31, 2021. For all rental/ event enquiries you can call either Amy Berry at 250 803-1806 or Marianne Romyn at 250 835- 4721. All Notch Hill Heritage Rental cancellation fees will be waived for the 2021 rental season, due to uncertainty of Covid 19 gathering restrictions. Find and LIKE our Facebook page at Notch Hill Community Hall.

The Hall Association would like to also welcome our new members Laurence and Merrilee Trask. We look forward to meeting and volunteering with you. If you would like to become a member and give a little bit of your time back to your Community, please email President Anna-Marie Eckhart at: notchhilltownhall1910@gmail.com or message at 250 804-3374. Yearly membership is $10 per person. Your membership will give you a seat and a voice at our general meetings, a sense of community belonging, new friendships, and rewarding volunteerism.

The Notch Hill Entertainment Committee unfortunately has to cancel this year’s Mothers Day picnic breakfast planned for May 9, due to seating and gathering restrictions. We will offer this unique event again next year.

Traditionally the Hall holds its annual AGM in April. Last year the AGM was held in July. This year the NHTHA is again postponing the AGM date to May 31, 2021.

A very special birthday this year to the Notch Hill School house. The brown two-level school house was built in 1921, making it 100 years old! We will be celebrating the special event during the Notch Hill Heritage Day, tentatively planned for Saturday June 26. 11am to 2pm. Birthday cake cutting at 11:30 am. Come take a self guided tour of our Heritage buildings situated on our community park grounds. Admission by donation. Costume Heritage wear encouraged.

Unfortunately, the Notch Hill Town Hall Association was not awarded funding for the Notch Hill School House Unique Heritage Infrastructure Grant. The plan was to renovate and open the school house again as a community school of cultural arts. CSRD Electoral Areas received significantly less funding on a per capita basis than our neighbouring municipalities.

Sadly, I have to report some vandalizing was done at the Notch Hill Community Park over the winter. A quad and a truck on different occasions recklessly

drove around the grassy area of Museum. If inthe little white Church causing 10 terested in taking feet of the decorative cement re- on this preservataining blocks to collapse. The in- tion, please email cident was reported to the CSRD President Anand a Police file was opened. File na-Marie Eckhart # 2021- 730 at notchhilltownGladly accepting any help hall1910@gmail. with rebuilding. com or message On a more positive note, the 250 804-3374. Notch Hill Town Hall Association The Notch would like to thank the CSRD Hill Town Hall for their community Grant in Aid has renewed in the amount of $1,740 to help its membership with the NHTHA Hydro costs. with the South Our Community sponsors have Shuswap Chamkept us afloat during this ongoing ber of Commerce. global pandemic. We are looking Recently the Notch Hill Town forward to workHall Association was given back ing together supthree of its original paperback porting, promoting and preserving our beautiful South Shuswap books containing the Minutes, Community. Memberships, and Financials There are a few more exciting events planned for the starting from 1936. These price- NHTH later this year. Lets cross our fingers and hope all is well

Notch Hill Town Hall Secretary Pat Lepp. Photo by Anna-Marie Eckhart less books are full of our local history but are now deteriorating. We are looking for a volunteer who and we can all come together again. July 3- Outdoor Market and Fundraising Garage sale September 5- Show’n Shine would like to transcribe these books to preserve our Notch Hill September 25- Rough Cut and area history. After transcribing, the books will be kept in an Find us at: Notch Hill Town Hall, 1639 Notch Hill Road, acid free climate-controlled vault at the RJ Haney Heritage and Sorrento, BC V0E 2X3

Blind Bay Hall Volunteers Working Behind the Scenes

By Barbra Fairclough

Agnes Nykiforuk of the Blind Bay Hall says the board is focused on opening the hall up for programs and events. It has been a bit of a stretch with watching the pandemic unfold and keeping abreast of distancing and gathering guidelines from BC Health authorities.

The board has called for expressions of interest from artists and artisans who have been part of the Reedman Arts and Gift event previously. Gauging interest of the vendors will help guide next steps to developing plans. The show usually runs Thursday to Sunday, July 1st to end of August. It includes a variety of art and crafts made by local artists and artisans. Those attending the event can speak directly with the producer and learn about the artistic process. Creative works of all kinds are available for purchase.

The hall has heard from a portion of the vendors and is waiting to hear from the rest of them prior to decisions on whether to go ahead with this popular summer event.

Plans for any event would include managing the appropriate numbers of attendees at a time and entrance and exits identified with all the pandemic protocols in place.

Agnes says that once the pandemic protocols are a bit more accommodating for gathering, the hall is interested in holding its twice yearly Bingo. This is a popular event and as the summer unfolds the ability to hold this event will present itself.

The Blind Bay Hall is available to rent for groups that follow pandemic protocols. If you have a small group and need to connect via zoom to include those who cannot attend in person due to the pandemic, then Blind Bay Hall can support this type of hybrid gathering with its internet access and large Screen. Enquire with the hall for details. blindbayhall@gmail.com.

Press Release included an assessment of each of the

Splatsin, Regional Dis- properties by a professional agrologist, trict of North Okanagan, and letters and open house consultations, Columbia Shuswap Regional feedback through the Agricultural District ownership partners Land Commission, and on-site visits. received formal decision from A plan has been developed by the the Agricultural Land Commis- rail trail owners to respond to concerns sion (ALC) allowing a change that might affect adjacent agricultural of use for the former CP Rail activities. Some of the concerns inCorridor to public greenway clude: trespass and vandalism, mantrail. It is another important agement of invasive weeds, fencing, milestone in the development ensuring farm equipment is able to of the Shuswap North Okana- cross between fields, and policies for gan Rail Trail corridor between trail users with dogs. Sicamous and Armstrong The rail trail owners have comwithin Splatsin territory of the mitted to address potential issues Secwépemc Nation. CP Rail Corridor. Photo Credit: The Shuswap Trail Alliance by developing a trail-user code of

In the recent statement, the etiquette in agricultural areas, installing Agricultural Land Commission stated they were, “satisfied with signage and advisory notices, creating site specific instructions the measures proposed in the Application to mitigate agricultur- during peak harvesting periods, maintaining buffers along the al/Trail conflicts that could negatively impact adjacent agricul- corridor, implementing a dogs-on-leash policy, and conducting tural operations.” The statement goes on to affirm the adaptive annual management of invasive species. Once built, monitoring approach being taken by the rail trail owners, noting the panel’s and feedback from local farms will allow further solutions to be appreciation of their efforts to consult with adjacent landowners. developed where a concern or conflict is identified.

The rail trail between Sicamous and Armstrong passes “It has been a particularly rewarding opportunity to meet next to 46 agricultural properties. The rail trail review process with so many of the region’s agricultural community,” said Phil McIntyre-Paul with the Shuswap Trail Alliance, who assisted the rail trail owners in coordinating the agricultural consultation and planning process. “The rail trail presents a very unique opportunity to strengthen awareness and support of our local farming families, and connect people more closely to the importance of local food production.” The Rail Trail owners are now ready to establish formal crossing agreements with adjacent property owners who cross over the rail trail property with farm vehicles or have waterlines that run underneath it. Anyone with a road or utility crossing should contact Sharen Berger at sberger@csrd.bc.ca or phone (250) 832-8194 ex 6013. A copy of the ALC Decision can be viewed on the ACL Application Portal website (application 60525) Individuals and corporate donors are invited to become partners of the unfolding rail trail story. Follow the links on the Rail Trail website at www.ShuswapNorthOkanaganRailTrail.ca. All contributions are tax-deductible. For more information visit www.ShuswapNorthOkanaganRailTrail.ca.