North of 50 LOCAL LATITUDE, GLOBAL ATTITUDE
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October 2010 Vol. 8, Issue 10
BOUNTIFUL HARVEST:
OKANAGAN GLEANERS FEED THE WORLD
I AM WOMAN: IS THE FEMINIST MOVEMENT STILL
RELEVANT TODAY? Publications Mail Agreement 41188516 ISSN# 1710-4750
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Support Your Local Farmers
the okanagan region is famous world-wide as the ‘fruit capital of Canada.’ During the summer months, Askew’s is thrilled to showcase a mouthwatering array of local tree fruits including peaches, pears, plums, apricots, cherries, nectarines and a variety of apples grown by fruit farmers from around the thompson-okanagan, Shuswap, and Similkameen Valleys.
At Askew’s we are proud of the bounty of the land and grateful for the hard work of the farmers who grow our food. One person that stands out is Salmon Arm orchardist Ronnie Turner. Ronnie’s father, Robert Turner, emigrated to Canada in 1888 and after working for the CPR saved enough money to buy 70 acres of land in Salmon Arm. By 1906, the land was a thriving orchard growing Red Astrachans, Duchess Kings, Golden Russets, Northern Spys, and Seek-No-Further apples. Ronnie and brother Eddie grew up helping out in their father’s orchard and packing-house. After the big freeze up of 1949 that destroyed many orchards in Salmon Arm, brother Eddie continued to work the Turner orchards while Ronnie left to earn a living elsewhere, returning in his retirement to his mother’s house where he continues at age 97 to maintain the small orchard and large garden surrounding it.
Store HourS Salmon Arm 832-2064 8am to 7pm daily 8am to 9pm Thurs. & Fri. Armstrong 546-3039 8am to 7pm daily 8am to 9pm Thurs. & Fri. Sicamous 836-4899 8am to 9pm 7 days a week
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CONTENTS
October 2010 Vol. 8, Issue 10
Since 1966, the Okanagan Gleaners have been turning vegetables, that would have normally been wasted, into soup mixes. Run completely on volunteer power, they have produced nearly 40 million meals for people in 55 countries. Story & Photos by Lisa Harrison
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FEATURES
DEPARTMENTS
COLUMNS
12 ’TIS THE SEASON TO BE SCARED Ghosts and Hauntings of the Thompson Okanagan By Christine Pilgrim
28 STAYCATIONS Take a Wild Ride on 97, the continuing story. By Jim Couper
5 FROM THE EDITOR
22 I AM WOMAN: Is the anthem or the feminist movement it reflected still relevant today? By Dawn Renaud
32 AWAY FROM HOME Irrepressible Bangkok. By Philip Cornwal-Smith 36 HEALTH MATTERS Reducing Ovarian Cancer Deaths by 50 Percent.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING
40 ARTS HAPPENING
from the staff at North of 50°
43 OCTOBER ACTIVITIES
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41 COMING EVENTS
44 COMMUNITY EVENTS
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6 YOUR LETTERS 11 LISE SIMPSON Wine Tasting with Chad 16 REGIONAL ATTITUDE An interview with Tammie Watson 18 CALVIN WHITE 26 DON SAWYER Fair Comment: Connecting the Dots 37 BOB HARRINGTON It’s Your World: The Value of our Forests
FROM OUR EDITOR If you’ve been keeping up with my travel blog, you know that Dean and I are somewhere out to sea. I’m writing this editorial from a lounge chair on the Lido Deck, poolside, Latitude 34°N, heading south. By the time you read this we will have travelled down the west coast of Mexico, past Guatemala, Nicaragua and Costa Rica, and on through the Panama Canal. If you’ve picked up your October copy of North of 50° a little later in the month, I may have already been to Aruba, Curacao and Grand Cayman. I cannot possibly come to know each of these places in any meaningful way, considering my short visit, but I appreciate the opportunity to see and learn what I can. With today’s technology one does not have to travel very far to learn about distant places. Books and the internet offer a lot of information, thought that can sometimes be outdated or downright misleading, and actually going places does enhance the experience. To that end, the ship provides information on ports of call and other topics of interest, in the library and in the showroom which occasionally transforms into a lecture hall. Today, I took a seat in the showroom where an American professor was giving a lecture titled, “Canada, Our Sister to the North.” The promotional literature for the lecture said “Canada is the most similar country to the US in the Western Hemisphere and its closest neighbor, yet many [Americans] do not know very much about this important country.” The majority of passengers who chose to attend this lecture on Canada, were Canadians. The professor said Canadian and American governments are good friends. He went on to say that when a dispute arises, the US Secretary of State phones up the Canadian Foreign Minister; they have a little chat and work it out in everybody’s best interest. An over-simplified explanation, but still, I got his point. The audience didn’t agree with the professor’s assessment of the Canadian electoral system, which he considered far superior to the US, mainly because “Canadian politicians do not promise the moon just to get elected.” Canadians trust their elected officials, he claimed, because Canadian politicians actually do what they say they are going to do on the campaign trail. But things started to go awry when he reported that Canada had 9 provinces and 3 territories, the Canadian dollar is worth about 65 cents US and we have a population of 44 million. Canadians are heavy smokers and drinkers, too. (He was not joking) The audience was quick to point out to the speaker the error of his ways. Any notions he may have had about polite Canadians went out the window. A Brit in the audience was offended that the lecturer said Canada was the US’s biggest ally in the fight against terrorism, when that title so clearly belonged to Great Britain. Perhaps the professor got his information from an out-dated internet site. I could have been offended, but in fairness, I probably don’t know as much as I think I do about the United States. I feel confident I could list all fifty states, but I doubt I could fill in the blanks on a map. Ironically, what the professor inadvertently managed to do was prove his own point – that we really do not know much about each other.
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YOUR LETTERS Dear Editor, I would like to address some of the issues mentioned by the doctors in the article concerning medical cannabis. Unfortunately, I am limited by space, so I would encourage readers to check out http:// www.medicalcannabis.com/ for more information and details. Yes, there are some conflicting studies in the literature, but this is true of all topics in science. This is how science works. Over time, however, the bigger picture emerges. The bigger picture for cannabis is that it is objectively safer than most commonly prescribed medications, it is extremely well-tolerated by most individuals, and there are very few (and relatively minor) negative side-effects. In fact, in 1999 the Institute of Medicine’s report concluded that, “The side effects of cannabinoid drugs are within the acceptable risks associated with approved medications”. That cannabis is a safe and effective medicine for a variety of health conditions is fact, not opinion. The doctor claims that THC is incredibly dangerous. This is false. Science and thousands of years of human use say otherwise. In fact, Dronabinol, a synthetic THC pill, is nearly 100% THC and it is approved for use in many countries for a variety of ailments, and it went through rigorous clinical trials. However, many do not tolerate these pills well, precisely because they lack the other active components in raw cannabis, some of which help to counter the “undesirable” effects of THC. For instance, cannabidiol (CBD) has proven anti-psychotic, anti-convulsion, anti-anxiety, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammation properties. The doctor also claims that he suspects more problems would be created than resolved if cannabis were fully allowed as medicine. What problems are those? What does he base that belief on? Not the evidence. The day is coming when cannabis will be fully recognized for its medical value because the evidence is overwhelmingly in its favour. Perhaps more importantly, after decades of research, no causal connection between even heavy chronic cannabis smoking and cancer has been established. That being said, smoke can be avoided through the use of a vaporizer or by ingesting cannabis. Finally, the vast majority of medical cannabis users are adults. Denying responsible adults access to medical cannabis because of an unfounded fear that adolescents will somehow increase their use or that a very small proportion will develop schizophrenia is irrational and inhumane. Moreover, a causal connection between cannabis use and schizophrenia has not been established, despite what the doctor claims. In fact, it is a very complex issue, with some strong research suggesting some benefits for people with schizophrenia, especially if CBD is included. For a good layperson’s article about the complexity of the relationship between cannabis and schizophrenia, see http://www.time.com/ time/health/article/0,8599,2005559,00.html I hope this information helps some readers. Sincerely, Rob Callaway
OUR CONTRIBUTORS Lisa Harrison has written on a diverse range of topics for magazines, newspapers and businesses for nearly two decades. She is a member of the Professional Writers Association of Canada. With no shortage of fascinating people and places and events to discover, Lisa stays busy in Kelowna.
Christine Pilgrim likes to lawn bowl when she’s not writing or performing in her one-woman shows (She and fellow Vernon Lawn Bowling Club member, Don Whitnack, won the BC Interior Novices Mixed Doubles Championship this season). Unfortunately October marks the end of lawn bowling for 2010, so she’s taking up short mat bowling at the Vernon Club to keep in practice. (Details at www.vernonlawnbowlingclub.com and www.christinepilgrim.com)
DAWN RENAUD realized she needed an
excuse for ignoring her chores and sinking into the alternate reality of a good book. Today she channels her creative imagination and affinity for words into more lucrative pursuits, writing for businesses and magazines and helping other writers hone their craft. Dawn lives in a tiny house in Penticton.
Jim Couper is addicted to travel. His dependence on changing scenery has taken him (and co-dependent Lian) to the ends of the world’s most southerly and most northerly roads. He has visited 80 countries and written two books: Discovering the Okanagan and The Long and Winding Road (Highway 97). Travel writing pays for his habit.
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Okanagan Gleaners Story & photos by Lisa Harrison
Above: Full-time plant manager, Eugene Unruh (top left) donates his time to the Okanagan Gleaners. Thirteen year old Benjamin Vander Kooi (top right) is a 4th year Gleaners participant!
“It’s a hungry world—you feel like you’re doing something very necessary here,” says Joel Vander Kooi, one of the 65 volunteers at the Okanagan Gleaners in Oliver, B.C. this morning. He is part of a group from Calgary who have come for a week to prepare vegetables for soup mix that will feed people around the globe. In the evenings, Joel, his family, and dozens of other volunteers sleep beneath the plum trees in the orchard. “In one week, we’ve been told we’ll make nearly 200,000 8
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meals,” Joel continues. “On the map in the break room, you see photos of some of the people who have received the food – smiling faces from people in the Philippines, Indonesia, Pakistan, Haiti and other places. We’re waiting for a truckload of soup Left: Esther and Juerg mix to get into Haiti but customs Salzgeber (forefront), officials want bribe money. It’s with Engilina Vanlaar crazy. Anyway, you just keep (background) on keeping on and it gets there eventually.” Not even corruption can dampen his buoyant spirit as he continues peeling piles of onions. Young children help by delivering pails of fresh water to the worktables. For four hours, cheerful conversation never distracts the group from their task. Since 1996, when the Okanagan Gleaners completed their first batches of soup mix and dried fruit, they have produced nearly 40 million meals for people in 55 countries. Last year was their most productive to date: 7.2 million servings. The
in the summer heat; the barn lacks space for refrigerators. Working from 8:30 a.m. to approximately 12:30 p.m. with a short break, volunteers typically process enough to fill the dryers to maximum capacity. So far, the Gleaners have never run short of food. Eugene Unruh, the plant manager, smiles at the irony of the operation. He nods in the direction of the barn, which houses the dryers, barrels, kitchen and washrooms. “This is a 1920s tobacco barn that used to produce something that kills people and now it’s put to use to save lives.” He also points out that the entire operation exists because of consumers’ food preferences. Gleaners’ achievement is all the more remarkable because it is accomplished entirely with donated produce, equipment and labour. Even the full time plant manager with a young family is a volunteer. Bob Ellis, one of the founders of the Gleaners, reveals that the operation was, and continues to be, a leap of faith. “There were 10 of us who started the Gleaners because we saw how much food was wasted in the fields while there are starving people in the world.” In 1994, the group asked for help and an orchardist offered the use of a portion of his land including an old barn. “At that time, we didn’t even know if it was going to work but we needed $4,000 to put a roof on the barn. People responded with donations.”
“About 40 to 50 percent of what is grown gets thrown out. Nutrition has really nothing to do with it—it’s all appearance. Cherries are a perfect example. When it rains, water sits in the top of the cherry and, if they’re ripe, it splits the top leaving a brown mark. All those cherries get thrown out but they are some of the sweetest cherries, if you ask me.” The Gleaners receive apples with blemishes, carrots that are too short, misshapen potatoes and other ‘defective’ produce. Eugene picks up one of the onions from the table. “These come from Walla Walla, Washington. The sorting plant throws out about 200,000 pounds daily because they are too big or too small.”
With the new roof in place, they extensively renovated the barn and built a covered outdoor work area. Once food processing began, they discovered that their original plan to dry food in the open air was impractical. Soon, one of the founders produced a donation of industrial dryers from a fruit processor in Okanagan Falls.
The Gleaners also receive more than 1,000 bins of produce per year from Lucerne Foods (a Safeway supplier) including 45,000 kilograms (100,000 pounds) of yellow beans that arrived this August. Smaller, regular contributions arrive from local farmers. Every two years, a church group in Saskatchewan buys and sends the Gleaners 26,000 kg (58,000 lb) of protein-rich yellow peas.
In February of this year, Cookson Motors contributed a 2001 Freightliner truck. Currently, two refrigeration trucks parked on the property keep bins of vegetables from rotting
Once all the produce is dried in January or February, the Gleaners begin mixing and packaging the soup. The final recipe depends on the previous year’s harvest, but typically, northof50.com
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it contains Brussels sprouts, onions, tomatoes, carrots, peppers, beans, broccoli, cauliflower, beets, turnips, potatoes, peas, lentils and pot barley. There are 15 cups of mix in each bag. The recipients add 100 cups of water (or 50 cups to make stew), let it soak then heat it. “Most of the food is distributed by Christian organizations like World Vision and New Beginnings Ministries, but of course it doesn’t have to end up feeding Christians. We help everyone regardless of their beliefs,” says Eugene. Individuals can also join the humanitarian effort. “If somebody is going to Mexico to help at an orphanage and they want to take two suitcases of soup mix with them, they can apply.” The Gleaners frequently give excess produce to local soup kitchens, food banks and street ministries. The desire to ease the suffering of more than two billion undernourished people on the planet is compelling. On a return trip to volunteer, I join teens and adults in scrapping dried tomatoes from Teflon sheets then clean fresh peppers. My tablemate owns the bussing company that brought a youth group. The pace is fast but the work and company are very pleasant. As the first operation of its kind in Canada, the Okanagan Gleaners inspired the establishment of four others in Abbotsford, B.C., Coldstream, B.C., Medicine Hat, Alta., and Cambridge, Ont. Bob and Eugene have gladly shared their knowledge with these groups to help them sort out logistical, zoning and other challenges. Through the dedication of these gleaners six days a week for 14 years, an untold number of lives have been saved. Okanagan Gleaners Society, Oliver, B.C., 250-498-8859 www.okanagangleaners.ca North Okanagan Valley Gleaner’s Society, Coldstream, B.C., 250-545-1672 - www.novgleaners.org
Rae McClure and Jamison Plett Fraser Valley Gleaners Society, Abbotsford, B.C., 1-866-7727070 - www.fvgleaners.org Prairie Gleaners Society, Medicine Hat, Alta., 403-529-9673 www.prairiegleaners.com Ontario Christian Gleaners, Cambridge, Ont., 519-624-8245 www.ontariogleaners.org
WINE TASTING WITH CHAD By Lise Simpson
on this outing might have been a better idea. Chad raises his glass to the light and peers ponderously into the glass, “assessing the hue and clarity” of the wine. Dutifully, we mimic him, and assess hue and clarity. When Chad asks us to describe what we see, we fall silent, and an embarrassed hush settles over us. “I see a nearly empty wine glass,” my husband quietly states. Chad prompts us with words like “delicate rosy hue” and “nearly opaque in its clarity” and we agree enthusiastically. The convivial mood is restored. Now Chad explains that we must swirl the wine in our glasses so that we may assess the legs, or tears, of the wine. I see my husband check his watch.
It is October 8th 2009. Chad finishes giving us the tour of the winery and leads us to the tasting room. At last, we come to the real reason we are here – free samples. Chad begins with a Pinot Noir. He pours miniature, infinitesimal amounts into our glasses, and out of the corner of my eye I see my husband peering down into his almost empty glass with a bemused expression. I elbow him discreetly. Chad stylishly sloshes his wine around his glass, “to release the bouquet”, he explains. The five or six of us gathered around him copy his technique. “No fear of spilling any” my husband mutters quietly. I ignore him. Chad asks us to describe what we can smell. “Umm....blackberries?” one lady offers tentatively. “Excellent!” exclaims Chad, beaming at her as one might beam at a child who has successfully performed a difficult task. My husband rolls his eyes. The others in our group eagerly jump on board the Pleasing Chad Express. Apparently, between us, we smell blackberries, peaches, chocolate, pepper, and dirt. Although our responses are widely varied and somewhat improbable, none of them are dismissed by Chad. He nods thoughtfully and agrees with each one. The mood of the group rises sharply, and everyone holds their wine glasses like Chad does and smiles at each other. ‘I smell pretentiousness” my husband whispers, and it occurs to me that perhaps asking a couple of girlfriends to come with me
At last, we are ready to actually taste the wine. We all raise our glasses expectantly. We look to our leader. Chad explains that while it is actually proper wine sampling protocol to spit out the sample and not swallow it (my husband groans), the winery has found that to be a rather messy tradition, and therefore we are asked to swallow. We chuckle and nod. My husband downs his sample in one swallow and looks around in amusement as the rest of us copy Chad and swish the wine around our mouths. We keep glancing at each other and continue swishing, wishing that Chad would just hurry up and swallow. At last, he does, and so do we. By this time I have been holding my breath for so long I am more concerned about passing out than I am about the taste of the wine. My husband is chuckling at me as I quietly gasp for breath. The group then unleashes a flurry of descriptive phrases, each of us attempting to outdo the other in an exuberance of flowery praise. “The wine is rich, mellow, and finishes beautifully” states one man, receiving an approving smile from his wife. “The wine is gone” states my husband, holding out his glass hoping for another sample. “The wine is young, it is impertinent, but has great promise. It must lie in the bottle for another year or two” declares a woman knowingly. My husband smacks his hand to his forehead and quietly advises me he will be waiting in the car. The 2010 Fall Okanagan Wine Festival runs from September 30th to October 10th. We will not be attending, but I encourage you to.
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‘Tis the Season to be Scared... By Christine Pilgrim
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Okanagan Science Centre volunteers Dana Mcdonald and Mitch Nystrom (pictured left), and Don Cherbo (right) painted up for the Science Centre’s Haunted House on October 23,24 and 27-31. Photos by Sandi Dixon. This tingling sensation is a result of our instinctive hormonal response to any threat or crisis. The so-called adrenaline rush increases our mental and physical capacity. It heightens our senses and intuition. And we like it. We can get this ‘rush’ by defending ourselves against a lion in the jungle but it’s more fun and much safer to attend Caravan Farm Theatre’s “Walk of Terror”or O’Keefe Ranch’s “Haunted October” where we can escape to normality whenever we choose... ... just as we can escape during the Ghost Tours of Vernon, led by Mr. Gabriel David Sumegi Newman the 2nd, a selfappointed Paranormal Expert. His tantalized followers visit the Powerhouse Theatre where the spirit of a former wardrobe mistress bangs doors and sits noisily in the stalls by the stage, the Towne Theatre where the present owner had a close encounter with the spectre of a former projectionist nicknamed “Lloyd” by theatre staff, and Beairsto Elementary School, named after its former principal who is said to haunt the cupola where the school library is currently housed.
Most families, if they dig hard enough, can find some skeleton in a closet. Most communities can boast some snippet of ghoulish gossip. And Halloween, once known as All Hallows Eve, is the ideal season to share such skeletons and snippets. Indeed, it offers a perfect excuse to celebrate anything that might go bump in the night. According to local psychologist Dr Ralph Maddess, the attraction of Halloween, horror movies, scary stories, ghosts - all that is termed paranormal resonates with the mysterious inner realities passed on from ancient times. “They reside deep in the level of the unconscious mind, just waiting for the opportunity to raise the hairs and make us tingle all over,” he says.
Many locations are apparently haunted by children who have met untimely ends. Some are quite mischievous. In one house, if the presence of the ghost of a little boy was denied, unfortunate minor accidents befell the owner. In another, a phantom boy played with the young girl who lived there ... but only when her mother was out of sight. The boy’s existence could be explained as a figment of the girl’s imagination until his footsteps pitter-pattered up and down stairs long after she and her siblings were asleep. Then there’s the house where a child’s cries could often be heard from what was once her bedroom. She had died as a result of blood poisoning after the extraction of five teeth. Ironically, the house has since been converted to a dental surgery! This October, live children are invited to Vernon’s Caetani House where the Caetani Cultural Centre hosts a Lantern Festival, while children of the 1960s remember the superb Halloween candies once dispensed by watercolour artist Sveva Caetani and the long, leaf-strewn, shadowy driveway that led their trembling footsteps to her bleak back door. The house is filled with the dark secrets of her noble Italian family whose lineage dates back to the 13th Century. One northof50.com 13
The Roadhouse at Hat Creek Ranch is one of the most haunted sites in B.C. Photo contributed. ancestor, Pope Boniface VIII, is quoted in history text books and Dante’s Divine Comedy for his evil malpractices. No one knows whether it is his spirit or that of Sveva or her mother Ofelia that turns electrical appliances on and off, douses lights and locks doors, or whether these uninvited and unexpected events occur naturally. Meanwhile, Hat Creek Ranch just north of Cache Creek enjoys the reputation of being one of the most haunted historic sites in British Columbia. During the filming of an episode of the television series, Ancestors in the Attic, cameras stopped rolling in the roadhouse when the program host thought he felt a brush with one of those ‘ancestors’ namely, a girl purported to have been murdered there. Soon everyone was convinced of the presence of other apparitions. Fight-or-flight syndrome set in with a vengeance when the full moon rose, heralding the time when the ghosts of the Wild McLean Gang were said to ride the Cariboo Waggon Road which passes by the roadhouse. (The Wild McLeans were four young rabble-rousers who were hung for the murder of the Deputy Sherrif of Kamloops back in the 1870s. The youngest of the gang, Archie McLean, who was born on the ranch, was only 16 at the time. His is the dubious honour of being the youngest person ever to be hung in B.C.) But being frightened is only one aspect of Halloween. Many 14 northof50.com
of us enjoy frightening others. Psychologists explain this as another normal primitive pleasure that derives from territorial rivalries, viz., the showmanship involved in fighting, from masks and warpaint to the modern display of weaponry. The late Patrick Mackie was a master at fear-mongering. He would point out the coffin-shaped box in his attic to local Grade 3 students as they toured his splendid Arts and Crafts style house in Coldstream. Then he would slowly open the lid of the box, silently step back ... and .... SCREEEAM! The youngsters rarely noticed the harmless dummy that lay within; they were too busy screaming themselves. Some remained genuinely frightened but most emerged animated and eager to tell of their experience, as well as the historical tidbits Mr. Mackie had imparted along the way. It seems visitors will always flock to see, hear, touch or smell the ‘unearthly phenomena’ presented at Halloween sites like the Okanagan Science Centre’s Haunted House, now upgraded to include mechatronic models equipped with infrared sensors to tease and terrify. According to the psychologists, our terror connects us, to a small degree, with our forebears who had to overcome nature’s savagery in order to survive. Like them, we feel victorious and triumphant after being tested. “It’s cathartic,” says my friend, as she dangles a furry toy spider down my back. After I regain my equilibrium, I agree. Here’s to a cathartic, horrific but safe Halloween!
RAILWAY TALES “RUNAWAY FREIGHT!”
By Jack Godwin
Here’s your situation. You’re in the cab of a locomotive just emerging from a tunnel and starting down a long mountain grade. It’s high in the mountains east of Revelstoke and a snowstorm howls outside. As you reach your safe engine speed the engineer touches the brakes and… nothing happens! He “hits the air” harder but it has no effect. You’re picking up speed rapidly as the freight cars behind start pushing you ever faster down the slope. The emergency brake is applied, sparks fly from the wheels but the train continues out of control down the mountain. The engineer turns to you and says, “She’s a runaway boys, what do you want to do?” This was the dilemma faced by the cab crew of a CPR train in November of 1977. The trainmen really only had two options: risk injury jumping off or stay aboard and accept whatever fate awaited them in the series of sharp turns near the bottom of the mountain. The “jump option” was problematic because on one side of the cab was a rough rock face and far below on the other was the Illecillewaet River valley. Engineer Tim Hamm led the way by saying, “Make your choice boys but I’m ridin’ her out.” Hamm’s confidence affected his fellow crewmen because they all chose to stay aboard. Imagine what would be going through their minds during the minutes that followed as they rocketed down the mountainside! Fortunately, this story has a happy ending. As they roared into the first sharp turn a steel pin snapped that connected the first cars to the eighty seven coal cars behind. The coal cars shot over the cliff and down into the river but with only four cars now behind him, Engineer Hamm was able to bring his train under control. It took eight days and $6,000,000 to clean up the wreck and the subsequent inquiry sought to place blame. Was it human error because of the train going to fast for the conditions? The company thought so. However, the union tried to show that the brake shoes being used tended to freeze up and fail. The inquiry results were never made public, no one was fired and the CPR (without fanfare) replaced the brake shoes. The truth remains a mystery. The song “The Flat Creek Wreck” by The Kettle Valley Brakemen is available on the CD “Climb Aboard!” For more about the group including concert schedules, other CDs and bookings please visit www.kvbrakemen.com
Steve Campbell
Century 21 Executives Realty Ltd. With offices in Vernon and Enderby I’m here to help you buy or sell Real Estate in the North Okanagan (Vernon, Armstrong, Enderby, Falkland, Lumby and Salmon Arm)
Cell: 250-550-4321
Store Hours: Mon - Fri: 9 am - 5 pm Sat: 10 am - 4 pm 5103 - 25th St. Vernon, 250.260.1042
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KING OF FLOORS is your local, family owned and operated flooring store. We specialize in all types of flooring, from hardwood to laminate, carpet, tile, cork and vinyl. Our goal is to provide a welcome environment to everyone who comes into our store. Serving you as best as possible is what we always strive to do.
October 1960 -
50 Years Ago This Month 01: Nigeria gains independence from the United Kingdom. 03: The Andy Griffith Show debuts. 07:“Route 66” premieres. 12: Nikita Khrushchev pounds his shoe on a table at a General Assembly of the United Nations meeting to protest discussion of Soviet Union policy toward Eastern Europe 14: U.S. presidential candidate John F. Kennedy first suggests the idea for the Peace Corps. 19: Mauretania gains independence from France. 24: An R-16 ballistic missile explodes on the launch pad at the Soviet Union’s Baikonur Cosmodrome space facility, killing 165. Among the dead is Field Marshall Mitrofan Nedelin, whose death is reported to have occurred in a plane crash. 27: Singer Ben E King records “Spanish Harlem” & “Stand By Me” 29: In Louisville, Kentucky, Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) wins his first professional fight. 30: Michael Woodruff performs the first successful kidney transplant in the United Kingdom at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. northof50.com 15
At elite auto centre, we pride ourselves in customer satisfaction, and our commitment to you starts here. Whether it’s purchasing a new pre-owned vehicle or servicing the ones you currently own, or experienced sales and service staff can take care of all your automotive needs. Come see why we are elite....welcome.
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REGIONAL
ATTITUDE Tammie Watson has been the Community Development Coordinator for Canadian Blood Services since 2006. Since joining she successfully opened a new clinic in Westbank, added additional days to the Kelowna clinic, exceeded the annual collection target by 3%, increased the youth donor rate by 9%, and created a significant presence within the high school, college / university sectors, as well as city hall, the regional districts, IHA / KGH & BCCA
Please tell North of 50° readers a bit about your organization and how it serves the community. Canadian Blood Services is a not-for-profit, charitable organization whose sole mission is to manage the blood and blood products supply for Canadians. How does a person go about giving blood? i.e. What is the process for donating blood at the Kelowna clinic? Before each donation it’s extremely important to drink plenty of fluids and ensure you eat well at least 2 hours before hand. The process for a whole blood donation takes about one hour. If you are not eligible to donate blood (due to certain medical conditions) a Canadian Blood Services employee will explain that a temporary or permanent deferral is necessary and the process will end. Here’s how the process works:
Step 1 Welcome and Registration: •You are registered as a donor (ID is required) •Your haemoglobin (iron) is tested •You are asked to read a pamphlet on blood donation •You then complete an eligibility questionnaire Step 2 Screening: •In a private and confidential setting, a nurse asks a number of questions to determine your eligibility •Your blood pressure, pulse and temperature are measured •If you pass all the above criteria, you are on your way to the bed to donate… Step 3 Blood Donation: Your blood donation takes approximately 5 to 20 minutes After the donation, you rest for 5 minutes. Step 4 Hospitality and Refreshments: You are served cookies and beverages. Volunteers are on hand to inform you of our blood system, news and answer questions about ongoing programs. You are thanked for saving lives, and asked to come back again. Step 5 Return of Investment.. You smile now, knowing that you have just saved or improved 3 lives, and get great satisfaction in knowing that your platelets will be used within 5 days! You go tell your friends and family members how they to can save lives, and donate blood with you the next time you come – in 56 days!
blood, but also how easy and safe it is.
Are there any side-effects, risks in donating blood? There are no risks involved in donating blood, however, you may feel a little more tired than usual on the evening of your donation, and there is a possibility of feeling light headed if you do not ensure you’ve eaten lots of food and are well hydrated before each donation..
Last year, the clinic was open on Thanksgiving. Will you be open on the holiday this year? This year, the Kelowna clinic will be open again during Thanksgiving, however, we’ve decided to change the hours of operation and will be open earlier in the day (from 9:30 am - 4:00 pm) in the hopes that we can get people to come in and donate blood before they sit down to enjoy a meal with their loved ones. Our target for that day will be 75 units (or 75 people)
Is there any reason a person might not be accepted as a blood donor? Prospective blood donors may be unable to donate for reasons that could either compromise their own health, or the safety of the blood supply. Common reasons why people may be temporarily deferred can include low iron (haemoglobin) readings, a recent trip to a malarial risk region, a recent piercing or tattoo, or because of recent dental work, or vaccinations. And, unfortunately, some people may not be able to donate at all. Serious health problems, possible exposure to infectious disease(s), or participation in high-risk activities can defer some prospective donors, indefinitely. If you have any questions whatsoever regarding donor eligibility, please contact one of our trained health professionals at 1 888 2 DONATE (1 888 236-6283). What do you believe is the main reason people don’t give blood? Well, I think one of the biggest reasons people don’t donate blood is out of fear of needles - outside of needles, I think one of the main reasons people don’t donate blood is because of lack of information on not only the importance of donating
How much blood is collected here annually, or how many people donate at this clinic, annually? The Okanagan has one permanent clinic; Kelowna, as well as three mobile clinics; Westbank, Penticton & Vernon. The collection target for 2010/2011 for this area is 14,270 units of blood (1 unit = 1 donor). Every year the collection target goes up, and last year we collected 103% of our overall target. We have a lot of fantastic donors in the Okanagan. What happens to blood after it is collected here? Every unit of blood is tested, every single time. After your donation your blood bag will be transported to Vancouver for processing, at the same time as your blood samples (taken while you donated) gets transported to Calgary for testing. Before any blood is issued to hospitals for use in transfusion, it is tested for infectious diseases such as: Syphilis, Hepatitis B and C, HIV 1 and 2 (the viruses that cause AIDS) and Human T-Cell lymphotropic virus, HTLV-I and II (the viruses that can cause a rare form of leukemia in adults and chronic nervous system disease), as well as West Nile Virus (WNV), and the Chagas Disease ( Trypanosoma Cruzi). Blood groups and antibody screening will also occur to determine the donors ABO and Rh type, blood group.
Can you explain what the autologous program is, and if it is available here in the Okanagan? Autologous donations is the process whereby a patient’s own blood is collected and stored until transfusion is needed for surgery. An evaluation by the patient’s own physician/ surgeon is required before hand (this is a completely different type of donation and you cannot walk into the clinic without a Doctor’s referral, and ask to donate for yourself). Autologous donations are also subject to provincial health policies, so please ensure you speak with your family physician first We can’t predict when an accident or a diagnosis will occur, and the only way we can maintain a sufficient supply of blood for our hospital patients is to donate it. To make an appointment to donate blood, please call 1 888 2 DONATE (1-888-236-6283). It’s in you to give! northof50.com 17
Coming to the Vernon Performing Arts Center Sunday, October 24th @ 7:00 pm
with Interior Provincial Exhibition Host Jack Jackson A MUSICAL TRIBUTE TO THE PIONEERS AND LEGENDS OF THE COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME Tickets on sale at VPAC Ticket Seller Box Office 3800 - 33rd Street, Vernon, BC
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WHITE
CALVIN
Part of the Green
This whole area is desert. Though at first glance, there is enough greenery to give a different impression. That greenery all comes from various canal schemes which draw water from the amazing Amu Darya, the river that moves from far in the Pamir mountains all the way to the dying Aral Sea. If ever there was a mother river, the Amu Darya is it. Canals the size of rivers themselves, syphon off water and branch again and again into smaller waterways which crisscross the land and sustain it. This western region of Uzbekistan is literally on the other side of the planet from B.C., a full 12 time zones ahead. And it’s a neglected and undervalued region, home to the Karakalpak people, an ancient tribal society that to the casual eye would seem fully modern, albeit not affluent. Nukus is the regional capital and holds 300,000 people spread out in low housing, (the apartment buildings as all other buildings with the exception of one are never more than 6 stories high), and connected by wide streets or bumpy lanes. Away from town, neighborhoods and, farther
away still, villages dot the flat, barren landscape. It is in these where the grass roots of the region live, those who eke out a living anyway they can, often depending on various pensions from the dictatorship government. Homes are dried bricks of mud covered by more mud. Stark squares or rectangles, sometimes with water and/ or electricity, sometimes not. In the winter, cold. In the summer, hot. This is life close to the earth and not so far from what it was hundreds of years before. And in this region tuberculosis runs a course every bit as determinedly as the Amu Darya. One of my counselors in an outlying village got a phone call from 21 year old Achmed. He had been struggling to take his daily regimin of the toxic drugs that are the only way to save his life. He was thinking of dying, wondering if he should just speed up the disease. So, we paid him a visit. After bumping along roads in the middle of nowhere, we came to a large green area of splendid corn. Our vehicle parked, we opened, the rough wooden pole gate and walked through a small potato field and through some corn to get to Achmed’s square mud house. He was happy to see us. All around the house were small plots of either vegetables or corn. Above, the sky was bright blue. Three shining black turkeys strutted across the yard and into the corn. Silence. Idyllic and silent. Achmed grinned at us, and we sat to talk. He explained that it was a mistake to leave the hospital during the hot summer season. To get to the small clinic and his drugs each day, he had to walk 11 kilometres. And then back again while the nauseous, painful side effects set in. This he had to do six days a week unless a nurse brought him out the drugs. He had already been in hospital for 4 months and now home for another 3 months. He had twenty more months to go of all those pills six days every week. It was too much. Achmed has dimples when he smiles. His eyes squeeze to a squint. His round face and close cropped curly hair, a smooth brown, are the epitome of universal youth. Of course, he doesn’t want to die. Right now he is strong, muscular. In just three weeks if the disease awakens, he can begin the decimation that will not stop. He knows that. But what to do? We try to reach into him, to grab a hold of his young spirit and breathe our own life into it, make the coals glow and flicker into flame again. He opens up and agrees to keep going. At least for a while longer. He promises to call out for help if he needs it. Before we leave, we walk together into the high green of the corn field, away from the yard. We stand there in silence just looking into each other’s eyes.
Being part of the vibrant corn. Part of the green. Breathing. Smiling. Being alive. The message without words is to indeed, keep living. Achmed walked us back to our vehicle. I mentioned how beautiful it was here, how I would like to live where he does, the good energy I could feel. He laughed and said why? He pointed to the ground where we stood and all around the green plots of his home. “Look at the soil here. It’s all contaminated with salt.” I could see the white caking once he had drawn my attention to it. “And there are wolves out here. They come to our place and kill the cows sometimes. Desert wolves. They kill the cow and only eat its liver. Sometimes the lungs too. The wolf leaves all the rest.” As we drove away I looked back to see Achmed waving. Calvin White is a retired high school counsellor who lives in the North Okanagan. He has over 70 essays published in various Canadian daily newspapers, including the Globe and Mail, the Ottawa Citizen, Toronto Star, Vancouver Sun and Province. If you have any comments on this column, you can write to Calvin White at calvinwhite@northof50.com or to Calvin White c/o North of 50, Box 100, Armstrong, BC V0E 1B0 Calvin White is currently working with Doctors Without Borders in Uzbekistan, a landlocked former part of the Soviet Union. He will be there for about a year, working with victims of drug resistant tuberculosis and training counsellors to do the same. He continues to submit his columns to North of 50 from there.
Christmas Gift Guide The November & December issues of
Christmas Gift Guide North of 50 ° will feature a
This is a great opportunity to showcase your products and business. Call 1.877.667.8450 for details or see our media kit on-line at
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northof50.com 19
The Beauty of Fa
As the leaves change colour and the air gets crisper, autumn in th bounty of activities. Visit the Fall Fairs, Wine Festivals or t
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I Am Woman
Is the anthem—or the feminist movement it reflected—still relevant today? By Dawn Renaud
It was the ’70s. The women’s liberation movement was gaining legs. Helen Reddy’s “I Am Woman” was sure to draw comment in our household. “What does she want,” my mother muttered, tossing another piece of wood into the kitchen stove before heading out to milk the cow, “a medal?” With five kids to raise on a shoestring out in the middle of nowhere, Mom had neither the time nor the inclination to join protests. At about that same time, an Alberta woman had gone to court expecting that after 25 years of working the family ranch alongside her ex-husband, she was entitled to her fair share. The court said Mrs. Murdoch had merely fulfilled her wifely duties; under existing law, no property for her. Not surprisingly, women thought the law should be changed.
“If I have to, I can do anything.” Fists pounding the kitchen table, the men-folk “discussed” this women’s lib thing. Ridiculous. Women taking jobs away from men, expecting equal pay when obviously they simply weren’t competent. Why, the girl they’d hired at the local filling station had left my uncle’s fuel cap off— unheard of when only males pumped gas. Rumour had it women could even be allowed to anchor the evening news! My stepfather said if that ever happened, he’d switch to another network. I wondered if he was kidding. “I am strong. I am invincible.” I wasn’t yet a woman, but I figured Reddy had it right. In the early ’80s my then-husband, home from a long hard week in the bush, told me a woman had joined one of the logging crews. “How’s that going over?” I wondered. He shrugged. As long as she wasn’t slowing down production, nobody seemed to care. With and without affirmative action, women were making their way into all corners of the workplace; meanwhile, men with an inclination toward nurturing were finding it easier to take on the role of Mr. Mom. Couples were finding less gender-restrictive ways to put food on the family table. On the flip side, as double incomes became increasingly common those women who actually enjoyed “homemaking” were under increasing pressure to also work outside the home. By the ’90s my children were asking why we needed “rules” about hiring women and visible minorities. When I told them networks worried if women read the news their audience would change the channel, Elected mayor of Kelowna in 2005, Sharon Shepherd (right) is the first woman to fill the seat. Dorothy Tinning (left) was the first woman elected mayor in Penticton, serving from 1986 to 1990.
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they wondered if I was kidding. Many of my generation visualized those who still called themselves “feminists” as a handful of staunch women, (possibly braless, probably hairy) still angrily protesting our victimization while we stubbornly refused to acknowledge our victim-hood; my children’s generation wasn’t even aware what changes these tough cookies had wrought. A decade later, my youngest daughter was accepted for grade 10 work experience with the local fire department. The crew encouraged her to go for it, but she wasn’t sure she could pack an unconscious adult down a ladder. Today, my daughters’ career decisions aren’t influenced by societal perceptions; they can pursue work in the field of their choice, and they expect to be paid the same rate as those they’re working alongside, regardless of gender. So, has the battle for equality been won? Googling “women’s issues in Canada” pulls up a mixed bag of headlines. “Women professionals and athletes continue to be under-represented in news coverage, and are often stereotypically portrayed when they are included.” (We may have come a long way, baby, but it looks like we’re not there yet.) The blurb for a Government of Canada site proclaims “Canada is a world leader in the promotion and protection of women’s rights and gender equality,” but it’s contradicted by the next entry: “Canada won’t be winning many medals next month when the United Nations takes stock of women’s equality around the world.” I click on this one, and I’m taken to a story on The Star’s site, describing “a new report that charts ‘systematic erosion’ in the status of Canadian women since 2004.” That’s the year the federal government stopped funding women’s groups whose purpose included lobbying, general research and advocacy in favour of those with results-oriented projects. These ongoing funding cuts were a significant blow to organizations like the Kamloops Women’s Resource Group Society, forcing them to drop some of their programs and scale back the services they offered through their women’s centre. (They continue to be an excellent community referral resource.) Federal funds are still available through Status of Women Canada for projects which “work to promote equality and the full participation of women in the economic, social and democratic life of Canada.” A recent funding announcement claims that support for community projects “has nearly doubled since 2006–2007, growing from $10.8M to $19M, its highest level ever.” Projects to receive funding in August included some aimed at ending violence against women in rural and immigrant communities, and others working to
promote women’s leadership skills. While significant inroads have been made in the career department, women are still underrepresented in politics. Does this matter? Kelowna mayor Sharon Shepherd’s political journey began with a stint on a resident’s association and included three terms on council, where she found it difficult to get a voice—not because she’s soft spoken, but because as a woman she was expected to gravitate toward the “soft” side of community politics (heritage, arts, social planning). Although she loved the work she did with those committees, she was frustrated in wanting to take on “tougher” areas, like economic development. She says senior management and other council members were never rude, but she faced plenty of resistance. “That gets a little discouraging, and it’s hard to fight.” She considered retiring, but her daughter encouraged her to run for mayor. While in office Shepherd has been pleased to see more women join council. She strives for balance in her approach to everything; perhaps that has been an area of particular strength for women. Although she now has more of a voice, in the mayor’s chair she can’t speak as freely about issues. And when she does speak, she’s aware that women who speak passionately can be labelled (men may be considered “busy” and “businesslike” where women are “bitchy”). Until elected, she hadn’t given much thought to her wardrobe; men can show up in the same business suit day after day, but now that Shepherd’s in the media spotlight people feel free to judge her attire. For the most part, though, these are minor irritants; she just focuses on staying approachable, weighing all the relevant issues, and getting the job done. Member-driven women’s organizations also encourage women to take on leadership roles and help address issues within the community and world-wide. Barb Ezart says that during the 23 years she has been a member of Business and Professional Women International, the issues haven’t changed much. Dishearteningly, violence against women continues to be a huge problem, with “new” variations making headlines—human trafficking for sex slavery, for example. “We think it’s only happening in other countries,” she says. Honour killings and other forms of domestic violence are still far too common in Canada. Our daughters are warned never to leave drinks unattended in the age of date rape drugs. And sadly, far too many of our girls still selfvictimize, framing their identities not around who they want to be, but by “how to make guys like me.” Women’s organizations are still relevant. Despite our advances, Ezart’s words echo Reddy’s. “We still have a long, long way to go.” northof50.com 23
OKANAGAN Special Advertising Supplement
Women Entrepreneurs
Personality and Character good for business. Gail Giese‘s passion for people and her desire to provide them with a most enjoyable recreational lifestyle, has given this highly personable entrepreneur a reputation as ‘Boaters and RVers best friend’. Her character has helped build one of Western Canada’s leading Marine & RV dealerships with outlets in Saskatchewan (Prince Albert), Alberta (Calgary), and their B.C. (Kelowna) location serving the Okanagan and Shuswap. TRU*NORTHWEST Marine & RV 2330 Highway 97 North, Kelowna Tel: (250) 763-8669 Toll Free: 1-866-703-8669 Email: gail@trunorth.ca www.trunorth.ca
If you could solve one financial issue for yourself, what would that be? Janet Fish and her partners have a sincere interest in educating and coaching their clients through the often difficult process of making the right financial decisions. They care about improving each individual and corporate clients’ financial well-being. Janet’s clients experience financial security through informed decision making. She- is passionate about helping people reach their goals and dreams. Email Janet at jefish@equuis.ca to receive a free article about how to choose a financial planner that’s right for you. Equuis Wealth Management 3301 Coldstream Ave., Vernon 250.260.1104 www.equuis.ca
Thinking Outside the Banker’s Box The women at Scotiabank work with entrepreneurs who are facing the many different challenges in today’s market. They are accredited professionals who know they need to understand your business goals to help you turn those goals into reality. They’ve learned to think “outside the box” to find solutions for the banking needs of entrepreneurs and business people. And they do it without making you run in circles or jump through hoops! The ladies at Scotiabank invite you to meet with them today to get your business growing. The Scotiabank website had lots of good information, too. www.scotiabank.com or www.getgrowingforbusiness.com Business Banking Advisors - Left to right front row: Shelley Harborne, Kelowna, Sandi Burch, Vernon. Left to right back row: Sue Peterson, Penticton, Darla Aitken, Kelowna, Debbie Macdonald, Rutland, Sandra Trowsse, Kelowna. Missing: Colleen Ingram, Salmon Arm
Osoyoos • Oliver • Penticton • Summerland • Peachland • Westbank • Kelowna • Lake 24 northof50.com
You can have it all! Lerae Gidyk is a world renown coach who has been creating positive change in the world for over eleven years. Lerae believes that all desires are simply realities waiting to happen. Turning your desires into reality often requires taking the road less traveled, making difficult decisions and stretching out of your comfort zone. Whether it is developing the next level of success in your business or deciding to leave the security of your job to follow a dream; contacting Lerae can be your first step to success. You have everything you need to make it real. 250.833.6767 www.souldesigns.ca lerae@souldesigns.ca “Your Pleasure is Our Business” Certified travel counsellor (CTC), Karen Copp has been a travel agent in Kelowna for 35 years; the last 25 as owner/manager at Sun Country Travel Ltd. Their affiliation with Advantage Travel gives Sun Country the buying power of over 200 Canadian owned travel agencies. In September Sun Country Travel celebrated its 25th anniversary and continues to work with so many happy travellers who have been booking with them from the day one. Karen recognizes the company wouldn’t be where it is today without a hard working dedicated staff. She invites travellers to come in and see Mona Jansen; Colleen Schellenberg,CTC; Lorraine Zarowny CTC and Heather Gordon-Swallow. Jeanette Bosch is a certified tour escort and takes several small groups to exotic places every year, as does Penny Venables. Sun Country Travel & Cruise Centre, 2009D Enterprise Way, Kelowna 250.861.4575 or 1.888.209.7661 karen@suncountrytravel.com www.suncountrytravel.com
Teamwork Teamwork is the key to outstanding service and that’s exactly what the team at Davidson Lawyers delivers. From inside the office to out in the community, the staff at Davidson Lawyers work together to achieve optimal results in everything they do. With a solid foundation and over 90 years of providing exceptional service in the Okanagan, they look forward to assisting you with your legal needs. Carol Cash (Lawyer), Angela McCreary (Administrator), Melissa Sim (Anticipated Call Date Dec2010), Rosemarie Muto (Lawyer)
250.545.5344 thefirm@davidsonlaw.com DavidsonLaw.com
Country • Oyama • Vernon • Armstrong • Enderby • Salmon Arm • Sorrento • Sicamous northof50.com 25
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DON
When I was a kid, I was fascinated by “connect the dots” puzzles. Remember those? You started with a page full of seemingly random dots, each numbered, and then drew lines between them in sequence. Almost magically a giraffe or tugboat would begin to take shape on the page. Since I always had trouble drawing straight lines, sometimes my grizzly bear looked a little over weight or my llama had a distinct curvature of the spine, but still, the general outline was clear. Lately, I’ve been doing the same sort of thing with the cuts our provincial government is making to services across BC. The first dots I encountered were pretty random and disconnected: as a convenor for the Salmon Arm Fair, I discovered that our entire provincial contribution – and provincial support for all 42 fairs – had been eliminated.
Then a friend who manages the local art gallery revealed that her operating grant had been eliminated. A little later I received a letter from the editor of BC BookWorld, one of the most respected trade magazines in the country. Their grant had been eliminated over night. A friend who was the regional coordinator for adult literacy mentioned that these critical positions, which served thousands of adults across the province struggling with basic literacy skills, had simply been eradicated. Then I became involved in a local struggle to save endangered wetlands, only to find out that the Ministry of the Environment, already hampered by reduced mandate and shrunken staff, will have its budget further reduced by 11%. Never having seen a windmill not worth tilting at, I took up the cause of Creighton Valley residents in their struggle to stop logging they fear is affecting their water shed. Huh. The Ministry of Forests’ budget, again already cut to the bone, will be slashed by 12% this year, meaning the loss of another 230 people. (No wonder they are depending on the logging companies to look after things. There’s no one minding the store.) I called the Vernon office of the MOT to find out why more and more billboards were popping up along highways. Their staff, I was told, has been cut so drastically they don’t have the capacity to enforce regulations. It’s sad but true: an issue is not a crisis until it affects us personally. So it is with budget cuts. We are like blind men and the elephant: our understanding of the pachyderm is limited by our personal contact with it. So maybe, I thought, maybe my dots were peculiar to me and my associations. Maybe that outline of a slavering beast intent on gobbling up fall fairs and eviscerating whole ministries was my own creation. So I decided to do a little research and see what else was going on out there. •School boards across the province are faced with enormous budget reductions. To attempt to meet the provincial requirement to operate in the black, Kamloops is considering closing 11 schools. •All types of student aid funding -- $16m worth -- is being cut, including support for students on permanent disabilities. •Despite the hoopla about post-Olympic funding, sports groups across BC have seen their provincial support drop by $14m. •The more than 240 public libraries in BC lost over $3m in
provincial funding. •The Liberals have cut funding for the “Books for Babies” program, closed literacy centres in 18 remote communities, as well as canned the 16 literacy coordinators already mentioned. •School parent advisory council support has been slashed by $6.7m. •$110m has been cut from school’s facility grants to upgrade and maintain buildings. •While the importance of protecting our scarce farmland increases, the government cut the Agriculture and Lands operating budget by 25%. •Next year, counselling services for women and children exposed to violence, as well as support for transition houses, will be cut by $1.2m. •Tourism BC has been scrapped and funding for tourism overall has been cut by 44%. •Public transit expansion has been scaled back, including a 60% reduction in Kamloops. •While ramping up gambling opportunities, the government has cut gambling addiction service support by 25%. I could go on, believe me, but I think we’ve got enough dots here to form a pretty clear picture. When I take my pencil and connect them, no matter how wiggly my lines are, a pretty nasty animal begins to emerge: A government bent on abrogating responsibility for its two primary functions: protection and empowerment. A government who pretends it’s business as usual while handing oversight of key sectors to private corporations. A government that underwrites a billion dollar Olympics while eliminating a few thousand dollars to support adult literacy. You may not have as many dots on your personal page as others, particularly those who are struggling financially and socially or who are involved in environmental protection, but have a closer look. Tie some of those dots together. Somehow I don’t think you’re going like what you see either. Don Sawyer is a writer, educator and former director of Okanagan College’s International Development Centre. He lives with his wife in Salmon Arm. You can contact Don Sawyer by email at donsawyer@telus.net or by mail at Don Sawyer c/o North of 50, Box 100, Armstrong, BC V0E 1B0. For more information on Don’s writing and development work, visit his web site at www.northerned.com. northof50.com 27
STAYCATIONS
53° 53’ N
A staycation is a bit like being a tourist in your own town. Instead of travelling afar for a vacation, you stay home and relax, taking day trips close to home. Living in the Thompson Okanagan is a bonus for staycationers, considering all there is to do here. Plan your staycation just like you would a regular vacation. Set a time and date for your ‘departure’. Buy a local guidebook. Go on a winery tour. Spend a day at the beach. Have dinner out. Visit a museum or art gallery. Tee off one of the more than 50 golf courses in the Thompson Okanagan. Experience live theatre. Attend a musical festival or sports event. Find a new hiking trail. The trick to enjoying a staycation is to make sure you do what you would do if you were on vacation: relax and explore!
Take a Wild Ride on 97 Story & Photos by Jim Couper
28 northof50.com
Caribou, Fort Nelson.
Last month, travel writer, Jim Couper, started us on a journey to the north end of Hwy 97. This month, the story continues … At nearly 150 years of age the mountain town of Barkerville has an incredible history that includes being burned to the ground and then rebuilt, and having various revivals and desertions. After gold was found in 1862 the population ballooned and it became one of the biggest cities west of Chicago and north of San Francisco. Barkerville had enormous political power because of its gold and was vital to the creation of Canada. The east wanted the gold and B.C. wanted the benefits of joining the growing country so in return for a rail connection B.C. signed into the Dominion in 1871.
visitors forward in their seats with mouths agape. This fertile area contains most of British Columbia’s farmland. Fields yellow with canola spread to the horizon. An unremarkable steel bridge crosses a turbulent river, but a side road to the east passes over Kiskatinaw Bridge, the only Alaska Highway original still standing, and the only curved wooden bridge in Canada, so it is claimed. The best of the journey comes last. In addition to abundant wildlife Muncho Lake (don’t miss Toad River Lodge’s biggest baseball cap collection) provides the best scenery plus Summit Pass (1300 metres) the highest elevation on all the Alaska Highway. The museum at Fort Nelson, the town’s only attraction, highlights white-bearded, old-timer Marl Brown explaining century-old cars, plus tours of a Hudson Bay house and acres of machinery of unknown origins. It’s a $4 bargain.
The section of Highway 97 that has been under your wheels since Cache Creek was once the Cariboo Wagon Road, built solely to serve Barkerville. Today the town may not have many gold miners, but a cast of old-time characters roam the streets putting on spontaneous performances, directing tours of the dozens of restored business and answering questions in the guise of a resident from the era of oro.
Just when you think you’ve experienced everything a highway can offer, the most unexpected pleasure of the north pops up before the Yukon border: Liard hot springs. A bubbling brook plus a placid pool where water ranges from a skin-scalding 53 C to a refreshing 15 C invite a soaking. One can stroll among ferns and hanging gardens and nearby are leg-stretchers to Smith Falls and Whirlpool Canyon.
Despite being slightly north of the lower third of the province, in terms of highway distance, Prince George serves as the gateway to the north. Its rambling railway museum has a tiny train for tours that complements the little steam train that chugs around Fort George Park, plus it houses a modern art gallery, library, museum and other cultural attributes that may surprise many.
NORTH OF 50° SOUTH TO PANAMA
Things get interestingly quirky at Chetwynd where artisans have wielded chainsaws to create carvings that dot the landscape: the info centre provides maps for self-guided tours. Dawson Creek, just 100 km. along the road (due east almost to Alberta) owes much of its existence to the creation of the Alaska Highway. The famous military road was pushed through from here to Fairbanks, Alaska, in eight months in 1942 to protect the northern U.S. from a Japanese invasion. Both a cairn and Milepost 0 mark the starting point and a highway museum and rail museum explain how Dawson Creek served as a staging spot for the start of the road. From here to the Yukon the highway signs say 97, but most call it the Alaska Highway. Before Fort St. John the vast Peace River Valley opens unexpectedly and the incredible vista thrusts first-time
North of 50°’s Editor, TJ is reporting daily from her cruise ship 09°10’N The harrowing chronicles of vacation preparation and a gruelling 3 weeks on a cruise ship. Check it out: http://northof50travel. blogspot.com/ or www.northof50.com
u o Y Wish re We ! e r e H northof50.com 29
The end of Highway 97 presents choices. Option one: continue to Whitehorse and Dawson City in the Yukon: highly recommended. Option two: U-turn, head home and catch some of the attractions such as art galleries, canyons and waterfalls that were missed. This could include a slightly different route that takes in Hudson’s Hope and the dinosaur remains that were unearthed when building dams for hydro-electric plants, but misses Dawson Creek.
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Option three: continue to Watson Lake in the Yukon, put up a sign in the signpost forest, and return via the Cassiar Highway (#37, 16). Option one was my choice with a loop through Tok, Alaska, and a return via the Cassiar Highway, which I had never driven. This plan was thwarted by Mother Nature when she washed out the road to Tok and then set a forest ablaze so the Cassiar was also closed. No problem, Highway 97 is such a joy that a return along it doubles the pleasure. Total trip distance to the northern end of 97 and return is a totally enjoyable 3,800 km. Allow six months to see everything; otherwise two to four weeks should suffice.
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Liard Hot Springs.
Pioneers and Legends: The History of
Country Music comes to Vernon October 24th Acuff, the congenial host of the Grand Old Opry for more than 50 years. He pays tributes to Bob Wills, the Father of Western Swing music, and Bill Monroe, the Father of Bluegrass music. Who doesn’t remember Gene Autry,the singing cowboy, who appeared in 90 movies during the 30’s and 40s and who had over 200 hit singles like “Here Comes Santa Clause” and “Frosty the Snow Man?” During the second half of the show, Jackson and his band look at the changing face of country music from acoustic styled music of the 20, 30s, and 40s, to the electrified music of Hank Williams and his honky-tonk sound. Jackson hasn’t forgotten legends like Johnny Cash and his rockabilly influence, Ray Price and his 4/4 shuffle music that spawned a new North American dance craze, the two step. Audiences will enjoy strains of George Jones, Patsy Cline, Marty Robbins, Jim Reeves,and Chet Atkins, all of whom had a tremendous influence in the American and Canadian music history.
Jack Jackson The original Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum opened its doors on Music Row in Nashville, Tennessee on April 1,1967. Over the years the public literally walked the floors out of the original location. A brand new museum was built in the heart of the city.
Filled with historical, educational and entertainment value, Pioneers and Legends is a must see. Contact 250.549.SHOW (7469) for ticket information. Like the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville Tennessee, Jackson’s goal is to keep alive the sounds and heritage of Country Music.
Jack Jackson, known locally for his regular appearance as M/C and entertainer at the IPE’s Dodge Truck Stage, was fortunate enough to take a film crew into the old Hall of Fame before it closed its doors in December 2001. Jackson owns the very last video footage shot in the original Country Music Hall of Fame and he shares that historic film with audiences in his musical and film tribute to Country music greats, Pioneers and Legends. The nostalgic, toe-tappng show comes to the Vernon Performing Arts Centre in October. It chronicles the musical contribution of inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The first half of Jackson’s 90 minute presentation honors pioneers such as Jimmy Rodgers, known both as the Singing Brakeman and the Father of Country Music, as well as Roy northof50.com 31
AWAY FROM HOME
13° 45’ 0” N
Irrepressible Bangkok:
Why Bangkok is such a Great City By Philip Cornwal-Smith 32 northof50.com
Bangkok is full of surprises. With the recent political confrontations prompting vigorous debate about Thailand’s reputation as the ‘Land of Smiles,’ that sounds like an understatement. But one of its greatest attractions is a non-stop capacity to amaze. The pulsating urban energy comes from Thai culture’s ability to absorb dramatic change and outside influence while keeping its vital essence. Throughout a roller-coaster history, Bangkok has survived many harrowing turns — not least the Asian economic crash of 1997 — and rebounded not just fast, but with flair. This time, as soon as the Red Shirt rally ended in late May, the city sprang back up on its feet, dusted itself down and applied its irrepressibly positive, practical spirit. Within days, Bangkok began to recoup the zesty character that has made it one of the most visited, awarded and fondly regarded world cities. To the millions who have visited or lived here, Bangkok appeared unfamiliar as the protests escalated. That’s true of any city during a spasm of political unrest. Yet most of Bangkok stayed untouched throughout. In the aftermath, most of the Ratchaprasong and Siam Square shopping districts remain intact and operating as before. Returning visitors will recognise the city they remember. Shopping mall operators and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration have provided space for displaced shop-owners to maintain their businesses. Residents have already splurged on the discounted wares. Now tourists can expect a lot more sales, promotions and festive markets, reinforcing Bangkok’s reputation for value. STREET LIFE Much of Bangkok’s appeal derives from the vibrant street life. Entrepreneurs turn any occasion into a market infused with sanuk — the easy-going Thai sense of fun. Roving vendors bring food, goods and local colour to daily life. Now this culture of flexible improvisation ensures continuity through the city’s recovery. Bangkok’s most authentic retail experience remains the market, whether for shopping, looking for souvenirs or simply browsing. Dozens of bazaars span the capital, from herb-scented wet markets and the textiles hub of Pratunam to the specialist lanes of Chinatown and the old wooden markets revived at the city’s edge. None integrates more with metropolitan life than the vast Chatuchak Weekend Market. Every segment of society heads there to seek serendipity, inspiration, regional foods and a laid-back social scene. MORE MALLS THAN BEFORE Thais also take their market culture indoors. Bangkok boasts several of Asia’s biggest malls, brimming with international brands and emergent Thai labels. On the
mile-long ‘Ratchaprasong Shopping Street’ between Central Chidlom and Siam Square, all the malls bar two now trade as normal. CentralWorld will reopen in stages and the BMA has pledged to upgrade the area’s public spaces. As Bangkok develops, its affluent suburbs gain destination attractions. During Ratchaprasong’s temporary closure, the spotlight moved to chic new malls beyond downtown. At the end of March, the semi-outdoors K Village lifestyle mall opened where Sukhumvit Soi 26 meets Rama IV Road. Near Suvarnabhumi Airport, the former Seri Centre on Srinakharin Road emerged in April from total transformation into the luxury mall Paradise Park. The recently launched Crystal Design Centre on the EkamaiRamindra Road also came into its own as Asia’s biggest integrated design complex. In a measure of Thai retail verve, Bangkok ironically emerged from the protest period with even more shopping options. CREATIVITY DRAWS ON TRADITION The local products now marketed in Bangkok boutiques and abroad reveal a key progression in Thai society, from rural produce to urban wares, from crafts to creativity, from artefacts to art. Aspects of high culture and folk wisdom persist in authentic settings, notably food, herbalism, textiles and artisanship. Now a new generation parlays those strengths into gourmet cuisine, spas, catwalk fashions, contemporary art and stylish products infused with indigenous materials and a sense of Thainess. Innovative institutes like Thailand Creative and Design Centre (TCDC) and Bangkok Art & Culture Centre (BACC) nurture and showcase this resourceful artistry. YOUTH CULTURE Much of Bangkok’s momentum derives from its expressive youth and indy subculture. The informal economy enables entrepreneurs to experiment with their ideas in thousands of tiny shoplets and stalls, before founding their own brands. Siam Square, buzzing with students, designers and indie creatives, drives the pulse of Thai pop culture and fuels new industries. A score of galleries hold publicly accessible exhibition openings for the region’s liveliest art scene, which has generated many internationally collected artists. Just as the rally ended, one of Thailand’s new wave film directors, Apichatphong Weerasetthakul, became the first Southeast Asian to win cinema’s highest honour, the Palme d’Or at Cannes. That same week, the country’s foremost dancer, Pichet Klunchun, premiered a touring production at Singapore Art Festival, translating Thai tradition to a global audience. Bangkok designers, too, continue to win plaudits abroad for their fashion and furniture. These young achievers are all the fruit of Bangkok’s fertile creative seedbed. northof50.com 33
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PARTY PLACE For decades, Bangkok has revelled as a hub of nightlife tourism, which covers the merry spectrum from quirky to saucy to chic. Recent trends have seen contrasting booms in nightlife, such as clubs with dramatic design, raves with international DJs, Bohemian retro bars, and exuberant theme nights by outfits like Dudesweet and Trasher. Plentiful live music draws fans and aficionados, whether indy rock, boisterous pop, rap, jazz or blues. Asia’s biggest and most diverse gay scene plays magnet to affluent regulars flying in from regional capitals to party, dine and shop. New venues opened even during the protests, with the art-bar WTF Bar & Gallery immediately becoming a “refuge pub,” typifying the city’s resilient morale. FOOD CAPITAL Whatever kind of sanuk, Thais never socialise without a constant stream of food — very good food. Bangkok dining has entered an exciting phase. Some of this buzz comes from spectacular settings, whether chic eateries like Long Table or al fresco restaurants atop skyscrapers. Expatriate chefs contribute to one of the world’s broadest ranges of ethnic dining options, joined by visiting famous names during the many epicurean festivals. Thai food, long a global favourite, is also receiving haute cuisine attention, while retaining its integrity. Bo.lan restaurant and the upcoming Nahm, a branch of the only Thai restaurant with a Michelin star, typify a nascent Thai slow food movement. Both draw inspiration from Bangkok’s non-stop pavement buffet of street food, and from the old family restaurants in the historic parts of town. CULTURAL DIVERSITY For all its globalized advances, Bangkok remains rare among modern metropolises by maintaining communities in its old centre as an authentic living heritage. Markets abut museums, shophouses flank palaces, temples hold folkish festivals, and ancient neighbourhoods retain their signatures, from apothecaries and amulets to arcane crafts. Increasingly, developers restore not replace old buildings. These express architectural history despite new uses as hotels or bars, restaurants or spas. In Chinatown or riverside quarters, nostalgics can still find traces of old Asia and a precious sense of place. HYBRID HERITAGE An international trading gateway for centuries, Bangkok acquired its patchwork appearance by constantly adding to its architecture rather than bulldozing all the past. The same fusion is as true of traditional dance, costume, music and decorative arts as it is of prevailing pop fads. This hybrid culture reveals traits from across Asia and the West, somehow blended in a way that’s distinctively Thai. The
city has always harboured communities of diverse ethnicity. Confident in its cultural core, Bangkok embraces foreign influence and modernity, which accounts for its openness to visitors and whatever is in vogue. EXPANDING TRANSPORT Access to Bangkok’s attractions has improved vastly over the past decade. Right now the mass transport network is expanding in several directions. The MRT Subway and BTS SkyTrain — recently extended across the river to Thonburi — were joined just after the protest by the new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). It links the BTS with Yannawa and Khlong San using comfy high-speed buses. Set to be fully launched in August, the Airport Link brings Suvarnabhumi and several train stations within a quick, cheap glide from a downtown terminal and links to the BTS and MRT. The canal expressboat service along Klong Saen Saeb will also this year extend to Minburi in Bangkok’s semi-rural northeast, where the old wooden market is being revived. CALM SANCTUARIES The klong (canals) in this formerly waterborne city also provide a contrasting amenity: tranquillity. Bangkok epitomises the busy, relentless metropolis, but its pockets of quiet replenish the soul. The remaining klong feed the Chao Phraya River, which churns with activity and every kind of boat imaginable, yet soothes as it slides relentlessly by. Parks and plantations provide recreational green space, while temples, spas and massage offer sanctuaries for mind and body. Bangkok has its share of friction, but also hands that heal. EMBRACING CHANGE The energy of the city buzzes around a heart of calm. Buddhism brings to Bangkok a detachment that allows dramas to unfold, contradictions to flourish, diverse cultures to coexist, and every day to bring a surprise. After all, they are mere moments amid constant change. Regardless of what happens, Thais have a remarkable capacity to greet the next moment, irrepressible, graceful, cheery. They treat life as a series of cycles. So as the wheel of karma turns, Bangkok comes back up. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Philip Cornwel-Smith is the author of Very Thai: Everyday Popular Culture, and writer-editor of the Time Out Bangkok guidebook. Born in England and based in Bangkok since 1994, he was founding editor of Bangkok Metro Magazine, contributes to international publications and is currently writing Very Bangkok, a book about the city’s neighbourhoods, networks and social scenes.
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HEALTH MATTERS Ovarian cancer researchers request practice changes to protect against ovarian cancer:
Deaths could be reduced 50 percent over 20 years
Gynecologic oncologists with the Ovarian Cancer Research Program at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) and the BC Cancer Agency have begun an important campaign that will reduce deaths from ovarian cancer. They are asking all BC gynecologists to change surgical practice to fully remove the fallopian tube when performing hysterectomy or tubal ligation. Current practice leaves the fallopian tube in place for many types of hysterectomy and tubal ligation. This is a matter of convention, not need. The request stems from new research by the Ovarian Cancer Research Program at VGH and BC Cancer Agency. The BC research team and others have recently discovered that the majority of high grade serous tumours, the most deadly form of ovarian cancer, actually arise in the fallopian tube, not the ovary. The British Columbia data was published in 2009 in the International Journal of Gynecological Cancer. The importance of the discovery was furthered by information contained in the Cheryl Brown Ovarian Cancer Outcome Unit, at VGH and BC Cancer Agency. The data demonstrated that 18 percent of women who had developed ovarian cancer had a prior hysterectomy. “This was a eureka moment for us,” says Dr. Dianne Miller, gynecologic oncologist with the Ovarian Cancer Research Program; chair, Gynecology Tumour Group, BC Cancer Agency; and associate professor, University of British Columbia, Faculty of Medicine. “This told us we can have an immediate impact on saving lives by removing the fallopian tube during these routine surgeries.” The research team, which is made up of surgeons, oncologists, and pathologists also made another important related discovery. They found one in five serous cancer tumours occur because of a germline BRCA genetic mutation. “What this means is that in 20 per cent of cases, we are discovering the index case,” says Dr. Blake Gilks, 36 northof50.com
pathologist, Ovarian Cancer Research Program, and professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia. “A woman may have no prior history of ovarian cancer in her family, but we now know that her children and their children could be at risk, and we have the ability to screen them genetically and act proactively.” The research team is translating their findings to benefit patient care. With a donation from a private donor to VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation, they developed and produced an educational DVD, which has been delivered to all gynecologists within BC. The message is two-fold: remove the fallopian tube during surgery, and refer ovarian cancer patients who have a serous tumour to the Hereditary Cancer Program at the BC Cancer Agency. The education outreach program is led by Dr. Sarah Finlayson, gynecologic oncologist, Ovarian Cancer Research Program, and asst. professor, University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine. “A vital component of health research is the uptake of the findings. We hope that by reaching out to both the clinicians and the public, we will be able to translate our work into important changes in patient care,” says Finlayson. “We estimate these measures can reduce deaths from high grade serous cancer, the most lethal of all ovarian tumours, by 30 per cent through fallopian tube removal at hysterectomy and tubal ligation and an additional 20 per cent through proactively following families who have the BRCA gene mutation.” In Canada, Ovarian cancer affects 1 in 70 women and there are approximately 2500 new cases annually. High grade serous carcinoma is the most common form of ovarian cancer, accounting for 70 per cent of diagnosis and 90 per cent of advanced stage ovarian cancer. “After decades of making very little progress in the prevention and treatment of ovarian cancer, it is thrilling to have this breakthrough,” says Virginia Greene, president and CEO of the Business Council of British Columbia and ovarian cancer patient. “This discovery and the initiative put forward by the Ovarian Cancer Research Program of BC will positively impact the lives of many women in our province and beyond, and help prevent this deadly disease.” “British Columbians should be extremely proud of our province’s leadership in the area of health research,” says Kevin Falcon, B.C. Minister of Health Services. “This is a 100 per cent B.C. led initiative that will have a significant positive impact on the health of woman across our province, the country, and globally as well.”
IT’S YOUR WORLD True Value of our Forests By Bob Harrington
Canada could profit from Franklin Roosevelt’s insight that forests are more than a resource and are an essential, integral part of the community of life. Roosevelt described himself in Who’s Who as a tree-grower. He took particular delight in reforesting the eroded wastes of his acreage at Hyde Park, New York. Aware of their importance, he planted as many as 50,000 trees a year. He stated that “the forests are the lungs of the land, purifying our air and giving fresh strength to our people.” Groping to solve U.S. employment problems, he established the Civilian Conservation Corps. By 1935 a half million young men served in semi-military conditions in CCC camps. They planted 2 billion trees on logged-over land, built small dams for erosion control, thinned four million acres of trees, built trails, stocked millions of fish and built more than 30,000 wildlife shelters. A buddy of mine, during our military life, commented that he got his first pair of shoes in the CCC. Today’s stricken economy could be vastly relieved by an Earth Restoration program (a new CCC) that could employ many individuals and pay for itself. This could help us to realize that our health stems from the health of our planet. Here are facts that will help substantiate a planet restoration effort in Canada. No matter how we dodge the fact that all wealth is Earth wealth and in spite of colossal human ego, we are individually and collectively Earthlings. Economists have published information about forests that we should know. It has been stated that a tree that lives fifty years provides free, $196,250 worth of ecological benefits. For example, a single 50-year-old tree has produced $31,250 worth of oxygen, $62,500 in air pollution control, $31,250 in soil fertility and erosion control, $37,500 in recycling water and controlling humidity, $31,250 in shelter for wildlife, and $2,500 worth of protein. Left uncut, many species will produce natural services of increasing value for centuries. Roughly this means that a single tree averages $4,000 worth of benefits every year of its life. As dead wood it will produce revenue that is only .3 percent of its value if left as a live standing tree. (G. Tyler Miller Jr.: Living in the Environment p. 178.)
The Pembina Institute in Canada, using Munich Re’s (one of the world’s largest re-insurance companies) carbon value estimates, places the value of the current total carbon stored in Canada’s boreal “carbon bank account”(forests and peatlands) at $3.7 trillion. A special fund, based on this wealth, could be utilized for land restoration- particularly reforestation, which if you think a moment would be paid back as the trees matured. Procrastination about massive replanting is ignorance that evades our moral responsibility to repair planetary health sadly abused by deforestation. Large standing trees are major carbon storage entities, and we sorely need them as such. Forest restoration should be a prime ecological and economic goal. In Canada we could aim at restoring the headwaters of many major rivers. In the US the entire watershed of the Mississippi River including such tributaries as the Missouri and Ohio Rivers and their own watersheds could be reforested. Yes, this would be a massive effort but would eventually stop the devasting floods which are continual problems. This is exactly the sort of action we must take if we expect the planet to tolerate our continuation as a species. Since everything in nature is connected, our falling water supplies are also related to deforestation. “During rainfalls, bare soil may take in some 5,500 gallons of water, per acre per hour. Ground covered with growth such as bushes or grasses can absorb some 25,000 gallons per acre per hour. Forests however act like sponges and can absorb more than 100,000 gallons per acre. If rainfall does not exceed .4 inches per hour, good forest land will continue to absorb and store up to up to 17 inches of rain – more then 400,000 gallons per acre.” (See: Water: Miracle of Nature by Thompson King.) Forest industries, abetting corporate confusion of the public, deliberately subvert this truth. They contend that cutting forest increases water supply. They fail to mention that this increase occurs in the spring when snow melt is uncontrolled by vegetation. It might be well to ponder Robert Ingersoll’s observation that “In nature there are neither rewards nor punishments – there are consequences.” Check out Bob’s latest book, Testimony for Earth: A Worldview to Save the Planet and Ourselves $23. PP. 1 250 369 2281
northof50.com 37
container headed for Ghana. On Oct. 16, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. a bike collection takes place at St. Charles Garnier Parish, 3645 Benvoulin Rd. By removing pedals and seat and turning the handlebars, the group packs 400 bikes into a large shipping container. Bicycles in reasonable working order (soft tires, worn seat or rusty chain are not problems) can be dropped off at the church where donors can enjoy food and refreshments. It costs $35 per bike for trans-oceanic shipping so monetary donations are also appreciated and tax certificates can be provided. Bicycles for Humanity started in Kelowna in 2005 and has now expanded to United States, Netherlands and Australia. It has no staff, no funding, no office and no overhead so every penny raised goes towards shipping bicycles. This year 20 containers of bikes will be sent to countries such as Namibia, Ghana, Kenya and Uganda.
Kelowna Bikes Help Ghanans to Pedal from Povery
On November 13 at 7 p.m. a Bicycles for Humanity dinner takes place at St. Charles Garnier church with live music and information about Ghana and the shipping of bicycles. The group is raising money to send a local representative to Ghana to follow the distribution of contributed bicycles, take photos and write stories about them. Tickets are $30 or $50 for two. Call Keith Germaine at 250-764-2942.
By Jim Couper The purpose of a bike ride in the Okanagan is usually recreation and fresh air, however in much of Africa the bicycle provides a year-round method of getting to work and transporting materials.
LOCAL LATITUDE, GLOBAL ATTITUDE
A bike stored in a local basement or garage, that has soft tires and a rusty chain, hasn’t seen much use over the summer. That could mean the time has come to say goodbye to it. Bikes that clutter basements and garages have a place and it isn’t the landfill. It’s in impoverished African countries where a bike can be more useful than an automobile and ownership of a two-wheeler makes the difference between being able to earn a living and living in poverty. Kelowna’s chapter of Bicycles for Humanity has sent several shipping containers of bikes to African countries to help locals pedal from poverty. Last month a fully loaded 38 northof50.com
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A modest proposal to solve the Canada Goose conundrum By Eva Durance
Canada’s national bird is getting a bad rap these days. Municipal officials and urban residents decry the birds’ audacity in feeding, resting, and, yes, defecating, on park lawns, golf courses, and sandy beaches that are clearly for human use only. Short of wholesale slaughter, which has been suggested, but appears, surprisingly, to be unpopular with some short-sighted tree-huggers, the geese and their leavings, like the poor, will continue to be with us. What to do, what to do??? A discussion with like-minded friends recently brought a ‘Eureka’ moment. There IS a solution to the goose poop conundrum, Virginia, that is environmentally A1, won’t harm the geese (thereby satisfying bleeding-heart liberals), and could put BC ahead in Canada’s greenhouse gas emission control effort. The most significant part of this scheme, though, is that it will put dollars in the pockets of cash-strapped municipalities and GREEN their image like nothing else. The scheme is very simple: turn all that (conveniently already green) goose poop into a fuel that can be used to power a vehicle specially designed to burn it. Let’s for the moment call this product Brantafuel TM (from the scientific name, Branta canadensis) and with reference to its source, let’s call the vehicle the FartCar TM, or for those with delicate sensibilities, the F***Car. The possibilities, financial and otherwise, are endless. Small, super-efficient processing plants could be built in a municipality with feeder lines radiating to the source: the parks and beaches. It would be nice to think that geese could be persuaded, like cats, to let go in nice tidy collection zones, but I fear they are too independent, and frequent, in their off-loadings for that to work. A machine (or, if absolutely necessary, people) will have to do this job, but after that, the thing’s a snap.
(FartCarts TM) could fill up and putt-putt their way around the greens properly fertilized with man-made materials. The technology could be franchised, like MacDonald’s and traded on the stock exchange. And then there’s the merchandising possibilities: think 2010! Battery-operated toy geese equipped with the necessary leavings are a nobrainer, but what about sweatshirts and T-shirts proudly displaying the geese at work for humanity’s and the planet’s betterment? A line of Honkers TM (suitably decorated) underwear and lingerie, sheets, towels, baby clothes should be a hot seller. And so on and so forth; I’m sure that brighter, more consumer-savvy minds than mine will conjure up lots more ‘must-have’ stuff Of course, there’s also the export market demand to satisfy. A DVD on “How YOU TOO can solve your goose problem” should be a hot seller across the continent and in the UK and Europe, translated of course. Goose farms would soon be needed to supply with a product source those unfortunate places bereft of geese. Undoubtedly, some large corporation would try to engineer and patent a goose that produces even more of the stuff than usual and find themselves fighting purists campaigning against ‘inhumane treatment of geese’. Product demand would only climb. But the really big payoffs for those companies and municipalities that jump into this scheme early are the carbon tax credits that would flow in and the virtuous feeling that comes from getting ahead of everyone else with a new, lucrative product. The Canada Goose would become the trademark GREEN critter synonymous with environmental rectitude and Canadian know-how; undoubtedly Audubon would then move to rename it Branta americana, yet another rubbing point with our best friends to the south. Brantafuel and FartCars are ideas the world has been waiting for, with bated breath.
To fill up, a FartCar TM needing fuel would need only pull up to one of these processing plants, or special Brantafuel TM stations (the name ‘Signs of the Goose’ comes to mind) featuring pumps of an appropriate green shade. If the processing plants were miniaturized, golf courses could have individual ones at which the carts northof50.com 39
october
KAG kelownaartgallery.com
SAGA sagapublicartgallery.ca
October 9 to December 12, CONSTRUCTIONS OF IDENTITY. Opening Reception: Friday, October 8, 7-9 pm. Our main fall exhibition features works of contemporary art that have been added to the Gallery’s permanent collection in the last two years, many thanks to the financial support of the Canada Council for the Arts Acquisition Assistance Program. Seven of the eight artists included are local residents. The works selected may all be grouped loosely under the theme of the formation of a person’s identity, whether it be that of the artist, him or herself, or that of the subject being portrayed. In some cases, this notion becomes highly abstract, in other works, it is presented in a very straightforward manner. Works included range in medium and style from drawing on paper to painting on canvas, and from installation art to printmaking.
October 1 to 30, “AUTUMN” by Ed Painters.
GALLERY VERTIGO galleryvertigo.com.com
ARTS HAPPENING
VPAG vernonpublicartgallery.com
EXHIBITIONS
Now to October 23 - Angela Broad. Visions from the landscape, the cosmos and the body join with impressions of neurons, microbes, and other natural systems, creating a complexity of visual forms that navigate the paradox of inner and outer realities; of self and other. COATCHECK GALLERY - VERNON PERFORMING ARTS ticketseller.ca
Now to November 16, MELANGE. The Okanagan Artists of Canada present their latest exhibition and art sale Melange at the Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre’s Coatcheck Gallery showing now through November 16th 2010.
October 7 & 21, THURSDAY NIGHT JAZZ - 7 - 9 pm. Admission by donation (suggested minimum $5. First and Third Thursday Night Jazz hosted by Sandy Cameron and Brian PrattJohnson.
Now to November 3, SCOTT BERTRAM: UNFIXED at the Caroline Gailbraith Gallery. This exhibition will feature a body of abstract paintings focused on the possibilities of the transmission of meaning in a non-objective pictorial representation.
November 6 to 26, “Salish Pictograph” paintings by David Wilson. Sponsored by the Shuswap District Arts Council.
PERFORMANCES CREEKSIDE THEATRE www.creeksidetheatre.com
VERNON PERFORMING ARTS ticketseller.ca
October 8 & 9, 7:30 pm CSI “Okanagan”. This touring comedy show is jammed packed with hilarious sketches, improv comedy, and a title parody sketch featuring Roman impersonating David Caruso cracking a case that could only happen in “Your Town”. Roman’s sketch called “The David Caruso School of Acting” is closing in on 200,000 hits on youtube.
October 11, 7:30 pm STUART MCLEAN and the Vinyl Cafe. Stuart McLean is one of Canada’s most beloved storytellers and a bestselling author. His hit CBC radio show, The Vinyl Cafe, premiered in 1994, and each week over 1 million listeners tune in to hear stories about Dave, owner of the second hand record store where the motto is: “We May Not Be Big, But We’re Small”.
COMING EVENTS October 4 - The Naden Band of Maritime Forces Pacific Penticton performance of the Canadian Naval Centennial Musical Roadshow, “Sailors and Songs” - A Tribute to 100 Years of Naval Service to Canada - 7:30 pm Venue: Penticton Delta Lakeside Inn Cost: $10 per person. Contact: Paul Gillis, Penticton Naval Veterans Assoc. at: 250-487-7612 email:pag76@shaw.ca October 5 - The Naden Band of Maritime Forces Pacific Kelowna performance of the Canadian Naval Centennial Musical Roadshow, “Sailors and Songs” - A Tribute to 100 Years of Naval Service to Canada - 7:00 pm Venue: Kelowna Community Theatre Cost: $10 per person. Contact: Teresa Boehmer, Okanagan Military Museum Society at: 250-7639292 email:ommsociety@yahoo.ca. October 7. JOHN CRAIG “JOURNEYS TO THE EDGE” PRESENTATION, at Rotary Centre for the Arts. He will be presenting a collection of global theories around the Mayan Calendar predictions for the year 2012. For more background about John Craig a.k.a. Echan Dervay go to http://japanthropologist.com/. Advance tickets $27.00+HST Tickets available at the box office 250.717.5304 or online:www.selectyourtickets.com. October 7 to 16. “Arts Visions 2010” at Rotary Centre for the Arts. www.artvisions.ca, a juried show of up to 85 original pictures assembled from submissions received from Federation of Canadain Artists country wide. Opening ceremonies, award presentations on October 7. Runs concurrently with the Okanagan Fall Wine Festival. 250.717.5304 October 7 to 31. Harvey, written by Mary Chase, at the Kelowna Actors Guild. A new look at this Pulitzer Prizewinning play, made famous by Jimmy Stewart’s portrayal of the loveable Elwood Dowd in the 1950 film. Celebrate the Halloween Season with Harvey, an invisible rabbit. This classic fantasy/comedy has become one of the most successful and popular Pulitzer prize winning plays ever written. When the eccentric Elwood P. Dowd starts to introduce his imaginary friend, Harvey, a six-and-a-halffoot rabbit, to guests at a society party, his sister has seen as much of his eccentric behavior as she can tolerate. She reluctantly decides to have him committed to a mental hospital, where a wondrously funny turn of events occurs.
october The question is, does the world need another “normal” chap, or more Harvey’s? 250.862.2867 www.kelownaactorsstudio. com October 10, Cinderella at the Vernon & District Performing Arts Centre, 2 & 4 pm. What could be better than a fairy tale told in song? This opera is full of lively tunes, fast-paced fun, comical characters and a few added surprises. Ticketmaster.ca October 15 to 17. The Shuswap Association of Writers annual Books ‘n Bread Sale will be held at the Mall at Piccadilly, to benefit the 2011 Writers Festival. All donations of books and baked goods will be gratefully accepted. To arrange to have books picked up, call Ineke at 250.833.5634. Baking may be dropped off at the mall on Friday afternoon at 3pm, Saturday morning at 9am, and Sunday morning at 11am. October 16 & 17 Family Pumpkin Festival at Davison Orchards in Vernon. Our biggest festival of the year with a special kids’ event. Johnny Popper rides to the Pumpkin Patch, children’s entertainment, scarecrow-making workshop and pumpkin treats galore. Try pumpkin cake, pumpkin fudge, pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice latte’s and much, much MORE! 250.549.3266 October 23. The BC Orchard Industry Museum’s 22nd Annual Apple Fair. Sample over two dozen locally grown apple varieties. Live entertainment and free children’s activities. 250.763.2417 ext 22 for the latest updates on the Apple Fair! October 23. Lorne Elliott at Creekside Theatre, 7:30 pm. 250.766.5669 or 250.766.9309 October 23 & 24 - Halloween Spooktacular at RJ Haney Heritage Village & Museum. Two nights of spook trails, the scary maze, fortune teller, spook stories, story land trail and displays is sure to delight the kids and send the parents running. This popular event has been a crowd pleaser for years and always brings something new. What a way to end the season at the village. For info call 250.832.5243. October 29 to November 6, 10th Annual Contenders Tour. Valdy & Gary Fjellgaard in concert throughout the Okanagan/Interior on the following dates: Friday, Oct. 29 northof50.com 41
– Zion United Church Hall, Armstrong, 8 pm. Tickets at The Brown Derby Restaurant, Armstrong, 250.546.8221. Saturday, Oct. 30 – The Red Barn, Sicamous, 8 pm. Tickets at The Eagle Valley Pharmacy, 250.836.2963. Sunday, Oct. 31 – Lorenzo’s Café, Ashton Creek, Dinner, 6 pm. Show, 8 pm. Reservations 250.838.6700. Tuesday, Nov. 2 – Sagebrush Theatre, Kamloops, 8 pm. Tickets at Kamloops LIVE Box Office, 250.374.5483. Wednesday, Nov. 3 – The Barking Parrot, Penticton, Dinner, 6 p.m. Show, 8 pm. Tickets at The Dragon’s Den, 250.492.3011 & Penticton Lakeside Resort, 250.493.8221. Thursday, Nov. 4 – Centre Stage Theatre, Summerland, 8 pm. Tickets at Martin’s Flowers(next to Nester’s) 250.494.5432. Friday, Nov. 5 – Carlin Hall, Tappen, 8 pm. Tickets at Acorn Music, Salmon Arm, 250.832.8669. Saturday, Nov. 6 – Vernon Kal Lake Campus Theatre, 8 pm. Tickets at The BookNook, Vernon, 250.558.0668.
KELOWNA CHAPTER OSTEOPOROSIS CANADA
MOBILE & AVAILABLE
Mother Daughter Bone China Tea - Sunday, November 7, 2:00p.m. (doors open 1:00 p.m.). Coast Capri Ballroom, $25.00. Guest Speakers, Cheryll Gillespie & daughter Samantha, M.C. Doris Janssen, CHBC News, Celebrity Tea Pourers, Entertainment, Rachel Pavlakovic. Quality Door Prizes, 50/50 draw $2.00 each, 3 for $5.00 & Raffle tickets.
VERNON SQUARE MALL
National Dance Company Takes Flight with Cross Canada Tour Virsky, National Dance Company of Ukraine brings their critically acclaimed show to Kelowna on October 8 at the Kelowna Community Theatre. Renowned for their artistic approach to choreographed dance and lavish costumes is a visually stunning performance that is rich in culture. A brilliant display of showmanship from acrobatic leaps reaching six feet high, to sword dancing and graceful displays of ballet technique is a cast of 55 professional dancers that tells a story through lyrical dance. Virsky opens at the Kelowna Community Theatre on Friday, October 8 at 7.30 pm. Tickets are now on sale and are available at ticketmaster.ca or call 250.860.1470
TEKAMAR
MORTGAGES LTD
www.chrisheidt.net CHRIS HEIDT Registered Mortgage Broker 20 years experience
Tel: 250.546.6698 Cell: 550-MTGS (6847)
Fax: 250.546.3398 Email: cheidt@sunlite.ca
250.558.3961
EDGY! FUNKY! TRENDY!
creative hairstyling that works for you and your lifestyle!
sharon johnston
L’Oreal Professional, Colorist, Stylist & Jewelry Designer (40 years and still loving it!) Make an appointment now!
250-549-2060
#2, 27th Street, Vernon, BC
Convenient IN TOWN Location • Delivery Available • FREE Onsite Loading
Windshield Repair & Replacement lWindow & Door Renovations lRollshutters & Rollscreens lCustom & Standard Shower Doors lGlass/Mirrors lSealed Units lScreens/Plexi Glass l
4709-29th Street, Vernon, BC
42 northof50.com
Family Owned & Operated since 1963
250.542.7727 morgansglass@shaw.ca
Your tax-deductible gift to Vernon Jubilee Hospital Foundation will support health care needs for residents living in the North Okanagan, Columbia/Shuswap. For more information call (250) 558-1362 or visit www.vjhfoundation.org
Authorized Dealer 250-542-8191
• Topsoil • Compost • Sand & Gravel • Bark Mulches • Decorative Rock •Flagstone •Landscaping Supplies • Concrete Pavers
4620-23rd Street
www.vernonlandscape.com • Behind ICBC Offices, off Silver Star Rd.
OCTOBER ACTIVITIES HALLOWEEN BAT BLACK BLOOD BOB BONES BOO BROOM CALDRON CAT COSTUME DARK DEAD DRACULA END FALL FLY FOUL FRIGHT GHOST GHOUL
CROSSWORD
ACROSS 1 Dame 5 Tax agency 8 sphere 12 Off-Broadway award 13 orange pekoe 14 Bide 15 Bonito 16 spritz 18 baby carrier 20 Canoe propeller 21 Shade tree 22 vignette 25 ___ carte 27 ______ Dinwoodie 28 Present time 32 Confection 34 Ice cream spoons 35 Jewish scripture 36 Lube 37 tank 38 Vault (2 wds.) 41 Lode yield 44 Caviar
GOBLIN GOO GRAVE HAG HALLOWEEN HAUNTED HOUSE HOWL JACKOLANTERN KNOCK MAKEUP MOAN MONSTER MOON MUMMY NIGHT OWL PUMPKIN RAT RIP
SCARY SCREAM SKELETON SPIDER SPOOKY SPY TOMB TREAT TRICK VAMPIRE WEB WEREWOLF WITCH YARD ZOMBIE
19 Southern African Desert 23 Caress 24 Also 25 Colony insect 26 Lavatory 29 precedes December 30 Certified public accountant 31 Eastern Standard Time 33 Chitchat 34 Bro.’s sibling 36 ______ Ranch(Vernon) DOWN 39 Taboos 1 Oodles 40 Large meal 2 Adjoin 41 probability 3 ancient reptiles 42 Harvest 4 Hanker 43 Decorative needle case 5 __ A Small World... 46 Tub spread 6 Lie at rest 7 __ Lee (pie brand name) 47 Highest quality 49 ____d,e,f 8 Hold 50 And so forth 9 Glance over 10 Duck “beak” 11 Plant trunk 17 sure thing 45 Demobilize 48 Prisoner 51 Competent 52 spot 53 Often poetically 54 Perceives with eye 55 __ and span (very clean) 56 Part of a min. 57 Horse’s gait
northof50.com 43
Community Events ARMSTRONG Knitting Circle. A relaxing evening of sharing, learning & meeting new friends. Bring a project, needles & yarn or just yourself. Beginners always welcome. Now accepting yarn donations for local charitable projects. Judy at 250.546.9475 or Marlene at 250.546.6325. www.knittingcircle.ca Armstrong Toastmasters. All ages welcome! The best communication & leadership training you can get in a friendly, supportive atmosphere. Every Tuesday, 7:20pm to 9:30pm. Coffee, tea & snacks. Armstrong Spall Chamber of Commerce, 3550 Bridge Street. 250.546.3276 or 250.558.8110 or visit www.freewebs.com/armstrongtoastmasters/ ENDERBY Enderby and District Wheels to Meals Society Luncheon held every Wednesday at the Seniors Complex. 1101 George St. Come for a home cooked meal & visit with friends. Meals $6. You must be 65 or older. The Good Food Box - Must be paid by the 2nd Wednesday of the month at Baron Insurance or Century 21. Pick-up on the 3rd Thursday of the month from 12-3:45pm at the Anglican Hall on Knight Street. For info call 250.838.6298. Enderby Cliff Quilters meet at Enderby Evangelical Chapel, 1st & 3rd Mondays of each month, 1pm to 5pm. Call Sonia at 250.838.0685 or June at 250.903.1799. KELOWNA The Kelowna Newcomers Club meetings 7pm, 3rd Wednesday of each month at the Seniors’ Centre on Water Street. Interesting and informative speakers. Many activities available. Coffee & goodies served 250.764.9686. Seniors Skate (Kelowna Recreation & Cultural Services) every Tuesday at Rutland Arena, 9 to 10 a.m. and every Thursday at downtown Memorial Arena, 1:15 to 2:30 p.m. $2.25 per sesson. (Begins Oct. 5). Kelowna Singles Club Upcoming Dances at Rutland Centennial Hall - 180A Rutland Rd. N. Doors Open - 7:00 pm Dancing 8:00 pm - 12 am Bar & Refreshments Available. Contact 250.763.1355 or 250.763.1867. August 7th Music by Sierra Western Theme, August 21st Music by Glory Days. Ballroom dancing every Sunday evening. 7:30 to 10:30 pm at the Water Street Senior Centre, 1360 Water Street Dress code: no jeans, runners, or sandals. Dance lessons 1/2 hour before the dance. Cost $6.00 Tea, coffee and cookies included. Raging Grannies; a group of concerned ladies who express their 44 northof50.com
concerns with satirical songs & other activities. Meet 2nd & 4th Mondays, 11 am, Kelowna Legion, 1380 Bertam. 250.860.1576. The Alzheimer Society of BC holds a support group for people in the early stage of Alzheimer Disease & related dementia on Tuesday mornings at 865 Bernard Ave. 250.860.0305 or mwasylyshen@alzheimerbc.org. Also a support group for caregivers of people with Alzheimer Disease & related dementia on the 2nd Tuesday of the month in the evenings. The Rug Hooking Circle meets every second Monday at 1pm in Room 204, Rotary Centre for the Arts. Practice a traditional Canadian art form in a group setting. Angela at 250.767.0206 www.rughookingteacher.ca Westside Jam. Open mike jam every 1st and 3rd Friday, 6:30 to 9pm. C & W, blues, bluegrass; old-time, gospel, etc. Meets at Westside Seniors Hall in Westbank. Carl 250.707.1030 or Gerry 250.768.4421 Kelowna Garden Club Monthly Meeting, Wednesday, October 13th. Speaker Mike Roberts - This icon of Okanagan television will share with us his stories of weather as he has experienced it in the Okanagan. Every gardener should know as much as he or she can about the weather. Mike is just the man to fill us in on what has happened in the past what may happen in the future and why. For info call 250.764.0620 or www.kelownagardenclub.ca. LUMBY Lumby Legion. Thursday, darts, Friday, pool, Saturday meat draws. 250.547.2338. PENTICTON The Penticton Seniors Computer Club drop-in days at the Leisure Centre, 439 Winnipeg Street, are: Monday 1 to 3pm, Wednesday 1 to 2pm, Friday 1 to 3pm. Mac Computer Support Monday 10 am to 11 am. Members and visitors welcome. 250.492.7373. The Penticton Concert Band rehearses under the leadership of Gerald Nadeau on Tuesdays from 7 to 8:30pm at the SeventhDay Adventist Church Hall in preparation for upcoming concerts. Intermediate to advanced players www.pentictonconcertband.ca or 250.809.2087 Penticton South Okanagan Seniors Wellness Society 696 Main St. Programs for the community. Volunteer Development, Friendly Visitor Program, Health Education, Elders Leading & Adopt-AGrandparent. 250.487.7455. Royal Canadian Legion. Monday Night is Miser Monday with chicken wings & baron/beef $3 each, bar specials. Entertainment 5 to 9:00pm every Monday. Friday is membership appreciation
night. 5:30 to 6:30pm full course meal & entertainment, 6:30 to 10:30pm. Wednesday is Bingo Day, 1:00pm & 6:30 pm Bingo. Meat Draw every Saturday & Sunday; 250.493.0870 The Franco 50+ group meets Thursdays to socialize in French, from 1:30 to 3:30pm. Lina at 250.492.2549
250.549.4201. Oil Painting. Drop-in Fridays 1 to 4 pm at the Vernon Community Arts Centre. Fee is $3 for members, $4 for non-members.
RUTLAND Dance with live music every Saturday night at the Rutland Activity Centre. 7:30 pm. For those 50+. $4 members, $6 non-members.
First Tuesday of every month the Vernon Placer Miner Club (gold panning club) meets at 7 pm, bsmt of Peace Lutheran Church at 1204-30 Ave. Guests welcome. Memberships for family, $20/ yr. Donna Smith 250.545.3832 or mrspumpkin36@hotmail.com or Jerry Stainer 250.549.4395.
SALMON ARM Salmon Arm Duplicate Bridge club meets at 6:45pm every Tuesday at the downtown Activity Centre & every Sunday at 12:45 pm at Branch 109. 250.832.7454 or 250.832.7323.
Sunshine Seniors meet 2nd & 4th Friday of the month, downstairs at the Peace Lutheran Church, 1204-30th Ave. 1:30 pm. All 55+ invited to fellowship, devotions, games & always excellent treats & coffee. Annual membership is $3.
Fletcher Park Seniors Resource Centre 320A 2nd Ave., N.E. Meals on Wheels, Lunch With Friends, Monday Morning Market, Shop & Drop, Income Tax Service, Advocacy, Foot Care, Volunteer Drivers for medically related appointments, up. 250.832.7000.
Vernon Horseshoe Club - practices at 6:30PM Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Clubhouse on Alexis Park Drive. No charge to come out and try pitching horseshoes. For more information call 250-503-1639.
SICAMOUS Senior Citizen’s Meals (Wheels to Meals) at the Eagle Valley Haven in the C o m m o n R o o m . Phone ahead, 250.836.2437 or 250.836.4718 or 250.836.4302 or 250.836.2031.
Elk’s Lodge -3103 - 30th Street (across from Bus Depot) Vernon’s most popular and affordable dinner. Every Friday Nite -supper at 6:00pm. Cost $7.50 for a Home cooked meal & Mini Meat Draw, 50/50 after dinner. Everyone welcome -Members & NonMembers.
Sicamous Family Market at the Seniors Activity Centre, Saturdays 8:30am to 2pm. 250.836.2587. SUMMERLAND Come one, come all - Summerland NeighbourLink sponsors a Lunch Social on the 2nd Tuesday of every month. It is held between 12:00pm - 1:30pm at the Summerland Senior’s Drop-In Centre at 9710 Brown Street in Summerland. The Lunch Social is a time to connect with neighbours, enjoy a free lunch, and listen to some local talent in a relaxed atmosphere. No need to book ahead unless you require transportation...For a ride, please call 24 hours in advance 250.404.4673 TAPPEN Carlin Hall, Bluegrass/Slowpitch Jam. Tuesday nights 7 to 9pm. Bluegrass instruments only. 250.835.2322. VERNON The Vernon Seniors Choir under the direction of Lyn Taron rehearses each Wednesday from 12:30 to 2:30 pm at the Halina Complex in the Vernon Rec Centre. Our motto is “ Music is our contribution.” 250.545.3119 or 250.542.2264
WINFIELD Cribbage Tournament at the Seniors Activity Center 9832-Bottomwood Lake Rd. Each 3rd Sunday of the month. Entree fee $12. Excellent lunch included. Games start at 10am. Play partners & meet new friends. John 250.766.3026
List your community event by calling toll free 1-877-667-8450 or email details to info@northof50.com. Wordsearch Solution: Have A Super Spooky Halloween Crossword Solution:
ELKS MEGA MEAT DRAW - Third Sunday of each month at Elks Hall - 3103 - 30th Street. Doors open at 1:00 pm Mega Meat Draw - Meat Basket - 50/50 draw and concessions available. Bar open at 1:00 pm Draws start at 2:00 pm . Everyone welcome. All monies raised go to children and charities in Vernon. Fun Time Seniors 50+ Thursdays at the Schubert Centre from 10 to 11:30am. Free event including games, entertainment, talks & videos. 250.545.5984 or northof50.com 45
Classified & Directory Snowboard boots, mens size 8, $40. Records variety 115 (Elvis Gold Vinyl), $2-$25. Collectible dolls from $15-$50. Round marble table, $100 o.b.o. Chesterfield & chair, excellent condition, oak trim, $225. Phone 250.765.6240. 2 rototillers, 2 leaf/branch shredders & Weedeater gas leafblowers, bargain prices on all. Phone 250.492.8501 any time. Professional Magic Props plus magic video tapes, dvd’s and books. Good for beginner ahe 9 or advanced. Selling for health reasons. Value $2000, asking $800 cash. Phone 250.770.2042. 8” Schmitt Cassigrain Telescope, Original Orange Tube, Driveable Mount, full selection of eye pieces. Custom built Packing Trunk $800 obo. Phone 250.763.8316. Sealy adjustable bed, used 1 year. Remote control raises head or foot; vibrates either. 80”x53”. $3,500 new, asking $2,500. Salmon Arm, 250.832.4831. sallys1@telus.net.
stack lat bar, curl bar, low row/calf raise attachment, leg press attachment (sled) – Commerical grade - very good condition - $450. Bowflex half-cage cable gym – commercial grade – in ‘as-new’ condition - $400. Aerobic Rider – digital readout – as-new condition - $50. Phone 250.851.6363. Xctry skis Waxable Bonna 195 cm $15, plus boots size 39 cm (7.5 to 8 Ladies) $15. Iridology Flashlight and iris scanner, $10. Phone 250.549.2714.
Wanted: Print advertising
salesperson for the Kelowna / Penticton region
North of 50° is looking for a dynamic, results driven salesperson. Above average remuneration for the right person. Flexible hours. Supportive environment. Send a resume and cover letter detailing how your skills fit this position to: sales@northof50.com
FOR SALE
MITA DC-3060 Photocopier. 30 copies per minute, three on-line paper sources, 500 copy management account code usage, reduction, enlargement & zoom magnification. $500. Phone 250.546.8910.
Hammond Organ with bench, floor model, Leslie speakers, different instruments and beats, $100 obo. Phone 250.979.4315. Bedroom set, Victorian 6-piece circa 1930’s, dark brown/ red. Includes 2 nightstands; 5 drawer chest of drawers, 4 drawer dresser w/mirror; double bed with one headboard, one footboard, 2 side rails and 5 slats. Good condition. $875.00 Nearly new box spring and mattress also available at additional charge. Penticton 250.490.0948. House for sale in Salmon Arm, 3 bedroom, 1 and 1/2 bath, 1900 square feet, cathedral entrance, workshop, carport, and covered patio, $300,000. Phone 250.832.4572.
FUNERAL SERVICES
Full Funeral Services •Pre-Arrangements Cremation • Memorial Markers Independently owned & operated Serving Enderby, Armstrong & Vernon
2980 Smith Drive, Armstrong Tel. 546-7237 Fax. 546-8237 email:pafsarmstrong@telus.net www.personalalternative.com
Armstrong Wine and Brew
1996 - 2010
FOR SALE – Exercise & Fitness Equipent. Tunturi F520 ECB semi-recumbent cycle (exercise bike). Commercial grade. Magnetic resistance, digital readout – excellent condition - $275. Northern Lights Flex Gym – 200 lb. weight Free Classified Ad Policy We’ll place your ad, up to 25 words FREE, as long as the value of the item you are selling is under $1000. This offer is available to individuals only and is not available to businesses or commercial enterprises. One ad per household, space permitting. The rate for business / commercial ads or for items valued over $1,000 is $14 plus tax up to 25 words then 25 cents for each additional word. Email your ad details, along with your phone number and address to: classifieds@ northof50.com or fax to: 250.546.8914 46 northof50.com
Lisa, Owner/Operator
Monthly Specials
Box 339, 2545 Patterson Ave. Armstrong, BC V0E 1B0, 250-546-6954 www.armstrongwineandbrew.com
Valley Monuments Keith or Evelyn Franklin
Memorials of Distinction 4316 29th Street, Vernon, BC V1T 5B8 Phone/Fax: 250.542.6411 Toll Free: 1.877.511.8585
Braun Denture Clinic Doug Braun, R.D. Erika Braun, R.D. DENTURISTS
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