The Green Gazette September / October 2015

6/ Global Peace: Can seven billion people stand together? The world began preparing for the International Weekend of Peace nearly 100 days ago with Ban Kimoon‘s declaration that we stand together with those suffering around the world. - by Jessica Kirby 6/ Halloween Traditions It is the time of year when the neighbourhood ghosts and goblins venture out into the early evening hours and wander the streets in search of tricks, treats, and all around good times of the family, friend, and sometimes frightening varieties. - by Jessica Kirby 11/ Celebrating B.C. Rivers Day in light of Mt. Polley Mine Breach Strategically located to provide immediate and ongoing data on the Mt. Polley Mine breach, the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) Quesnel River Research Centre has been a source of important information on the breach for the past year.

- by LeRae Haynes 12/ Horsefly River Salmon Festival 2015 Plans are well underway for the Horsefly River Salmon Festival featuring family-friendly events, information, and entertainment to welcome the majestic Sockeye back home to their spawning grounds at Horsefly River.

- Horsefly River Roundtable 15/ BC Mountain Bike Tourism Symposium in Williams Lake The City of Williams Lake has been chosen to host an upcoming BC Mountain Bike Tourism Symposium October 2 – 4, thanks to the vision and hard work of people like Thomas Schoen and Mark Savard from the Cariboo Mountain Bike Consortium.

- by LeRae Haynes 31/ Better at Home Being able to live comfortably and safely in their own home as long as possible is an enormous benefit for seniors, according to Better at Home co -ordinator Carrie Sundahl. - by LeRae Haynes

Publisher / Editor-in-Chief Lisa Bland lisa@thegreengazette.ca Senior Editor Jessica Kirby Contributors David Suzuki, LeRae Haynes, Margaret-Anne Enders, Donavan Shaw, Brianna van de Wijngaard, Ciel Patenaude, Erin Hitchcock, Lisa Bland, Devon Chappell, Doug Gook, Jenny Noble, Devon Page, Ron Young, Jasmin Schellenberg, Terri Smith, Mike Stamford, Jessica Kirby, Sage Birchwater, Brandon Hoffman, Bill Irwin Adam McLeod, Stephanie Bird Advertising Lisa Bland Creative Directors Lisa Bland / Teena Clipston Ad Design Teena Clipston, Rebecca Patenaude, Leah Selk Published by Earthwild Consulting Printing Black Press Ltd. Cover Photo Copyright: Shannon Heryet Index Photo Research Director and 5Gyres Co-Founder Marcus Eriksen Photo: Sergio Izquierdo

PO Box 164 Horsefly, BC, V0L 1L0 www.thegreengazette.ca info@thegreengazette.ca

TheGreenGazette is published by Earthwild Consulting. To subscribe email info@thegreengazette.ca or visit our website at www.thegreengazette.ca © 2015 all rights reserved. Opinions and perspectives expressed in the magazine are those of authors, and do not necessarily represent the views of the ownership or management. Reproduction in whole or part without the publisher‘s consent is strictly prohibited.

5/ I SEA Change: 5 Gyres Ocean Plastic Research A global team of researchers that blend science, education, and activism in a non-profit group called 5 Gyres are working to stem the tide of single1use plastics and end ocean plastic pollution. - by Lisa Bland

08/ Maintaining Diversity Below the Species Level - by Mike Stamford 08/ Cast Your Vote for Strong Environmental Laws - by Devon Page 09/ Wheatgrass Love - by Devon Chappell 10/ FraserFEST Xat‘sull. - by Jenny Noble 13/ GMO Salmon - by Erin Hitchcock 13/ Salmon Dream - by Jenny Noble 14/ Artists Showing at the Station House Gallery - by Brandon Hoffman 15/ Starwatch with Bill Irwin - by Bill Irwin 16/ Composting - by Cariboo Regional District Waste Wise 17/ Crazy Horse Energy Drink - by Sage Birchwater 18/ Confessions of a Farmer: WWOOFing the World a Smaller Place - by Terri Smith 18/ Raising Amadeus - by Terri Smith 19/ Youth Perspectives - by Donavan Shaw 21/ Recipes: Kimichi & Fermented Veggies, and Zucchini.

22/ Scout Island Connects All Ages to Nature - by Erin Hitchcock 23/ Chickadee Early Childhood and Learning Centre

- by Erin Hitchcock 24/ Love and Discord in the Second Worst City in Canada - by Margaret-Anne Enders 25/ Atlantic Power Seeks 10-year Contract Extension - by Sage Birchwater 26/ The Lifelong Learner - by Ciel Patenaude 27/ One Year Later, Mt. Polley Disaster - by David Suzuki 28/ Extending Local Food Production - by Brianna van de Wijngaard 29/ Ginger Tea for Cancer - by Adam McLeod 29/ The Pharmacy is Just Outside Our Door - by Doug Gook 30/ Alternative Kids Clothing and Accessories - by LeRae Haynes 30/ Water Water Everywhere… but Nary a Drop to Drink - by Ron Young 32/ Scientists call for Protection from Non-ionizing Electromagnetic Field Exposure 33/ Calendar of Events September / October 34 / The Green Collective 35/ Nourishing our Children - by Jasmin Schellenberg

Lisa Bland Publisher/ Editor-in-Chief

A

nyone who has spent time on or near the ocean knows its power and beauty, and has probably been touched by its mystery.

Seeing first hand a whale breaching from the depths, schools of dolphins and swirling silver fish, or discovering tide pools filled with urchins, anemones, and hermit crabs, inspires fascination and wonder.

Time spent on beaches is time merging with the ebb and flow of the tide as the grip of modern living loosens its hold. Yet our oceans increasingly bear the mark of today’s world. It seems the immensity of the sea could swallow all trace of our human impact, but with a closer look, it couldn’t be further from the truth.

When I was a child, we lived near the ocean on the islands of Haida Gwaii and our playground was the seashore. Jellyfish blobs, skeletal bits of white coral, pink crabshells, moonsnails, periwinkles, purple seaweed, and driftwood formed an endless procession of fascinating diversity where the tideline left its mark. Each day the treasures were different and the quest to find a rose agate, sand-dollar, or perfectly whole urchin shell kept us walking miles and miles to see what lay ahead. Interspersed among nature‘s treasures were bits of the modern world—bottle caps, frosted glass, small floats, netting, rope scraps, straws, and Styrofoam pieces. Finding elusive glass balls that washed up from Japanese currents was celebrated and rare. I‘m not sure when I noticed, but over time, plastic became more prevalent on our beaches. Trips to outer islands on the West Coast in direct line with the swells of the open sea revealed beaches littered with debris, high into the forest where the surf pounded with raging southeasterly storms. Plastic became embedded in the soil and the high tide line.

Today, it not only permeates the habits of our consumption on a grand scale, it is also woven into the tiniest micro threads of the fabric of the world we inhabit.

Have you ever tried to live one day without plastic? It is challenging and frustrating. Everywhere we go, in every part of society, plastic goes too. Rejecting plastic goes against the grain, and accepting it without question is often about social graces. It‘s hard to say no to that plastic wrap, extra plastic bag, straw, or to-go container when it‘s handed out with a smile.

Some escape plastic use in daily life by buying in bulk, reducing purchases of packaged items, using re-usable bottles, saying no to bags in the store, or refusing to-go containers when eating out—but the reality is, we‘re awash in the stuff. Waste management practices in the developed world give us options for recycling plastic items so it may not appear that we‘re literally swim-

Above: Pro surfer Mary Osborne on the SEA Change Expedition.

Upper right: Microplastic particles on a beach. Photos courtesy of 5 Gyres ming in it, but all it takes is travelling to a Third World country to see how ineffective we are at handling plastic and keeping it out of our ecosystems. Our oceans have become the final dumping ground, and a trip to any beach across the world tells the story.

So, what do we know, and what can we do about this all pervasive plastic problem?

A global team of researchers who blend science, education, and activism in a nonprofit group called 5 Gyres are working to stem the tide of single-use plastics and end ocean plastic pollution. Through researching aquatic plastic dispersal, they are defining the extent of the problem—and through education and activism, they are working on solutions by promoting changes in product design and policies. Led by co-founders, Anna Cummins and Marcus Eriksen, over the past five years, 5 Gyres has embarked on sea expeditions around the world studying the five main sub-tropical gyres in the Indian Ocean, North Atlantic, North Pacific, South Atlantic, and South Pacific.

Each gyre is a spiralling vortex of current on the surface of the ocean and is generated primarily by the global wind system and rotations of the earth. 5 Gyres discovered that ocean gyres churn up plastic into smaller and smaller pieces like blenders or shredders. Through sunlight and wave action, these tiny bits of petroleum products are broken down, but never completely disappear. They become microplastic particles, expelled from the gyres and carried by sea currents and deposited on beaches throughout the world.

While people may think of islands of plastic floating in the ocean as retrievable garbage patches, it‘s a myth. In a recent article in the magazine, Organic Life, Eriksen says the discovery of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in the late 90screated a lot of media hype and has been both a blessing and a curse. It brought more awareness and funding to deal with plastic pollution, but gave the false impression that plastic is gathered up in large pieces and is easy to remove. Many expensive clean-up projects didn‘t pan out. Despite its enormous size and density, the patch consists mainly of

suspended particles in the upper water column. Eriksen describes this plastic pollution more like an underwater plastic smog. Our sewers, storm drains, and rivers can be likened to ―horizontal smokestacks‖ carrying to the ocean the plastic we throw away.

Much of the plastic sinks to the ocean floor or washes up on beaches, but the remaining floating plastic is carried out to sea, where ocean currents swirl much of it into the gyres.

Using specialized collection instruments or trawls that skim along the surface of the ocean dragging behind the ship, 5 Gyres researchers analyze and collect plastic particles floating on the surface. They have compiled the first estimate of the weight and count of plastic floating worldwide.

Eriksen‘s December 2014 published scientific report estimates a total of 270,000 metric tonnes and 5.25 trillion particles floating in the world‘s oceans, 92 per cent of which are microplastics. To get an idea of the magnitude of this much plastic, if you strung a line of 2L plastic jugs end to end they would reach the moon and back twice.

Most of the plastic found at sea is a combination of polyethylene, found in bags and bottles, and polypropylene, as found in bottle caps, fish nets, and straws. These bits of plastic also pull in and concentrate waterborne contaminants such as pesticides or flame retardants, and can be highly toxic.

Ocean creatures such as fish and shellfish may ingest these particles, which bioaccumulate in the food chain and inevitably get passed back into humans. Plastic harms other marine life such as birds, mammals, and turtles that may become trapped or entangled.

The crux of the problem is us. We currently throw out 90 – 95 per cent of all the plastic we produce. Half of this plastic waste is buried in landfills, and much of it washes out to sea. The disposable plastic products we buy and how we deal with plastic waste is in our control and 5 Gyres is working hard to improve public awareness of the problem, and is lobbying for change at corporate and political levels. Take microbeads, for example. Ever notice the

small blue bits in your toothpaste or skin care products? They‘re a combination of polypropylene and polyethylene plastic about 1/3 mm in size. One tube of facial scrub may contain up to 300,000 particles.

They are completely unnecessary, and these tiny round particles can bypass sewage treatment systems and are showing up in lakes, waterways, and oceans where they settle into ecosystems and the stomachs of the creatures.

5 Gyres advocates for better litter laws, public education, improved waste management, and most importantly, consumer and extended producer responsibility. Innovations in environmentally harmless design is an area in need of vast improvement. Pressure by 5 Gyres and other groups has resulted in various companies replacing or removing microbeads from their products, but there is still a long way to go.

On a recent leg of their expedition from the Bahamas to Bermuda, on the 167-foot schooner The Mystic, 5 Gyres brought in a mix of people from businesses, the media, music, adventure sports, and advocacy organizations to collaborate and spread the message at many levels of society. Singer and plastic awareness advocate, Jack Johnson, was among the group, along with his film crew documenting their journey and research.

5 Gyres is making a difference on our oceans, and along with gathering never before known statistics about plastic pollution, its members are helping to inspire international awareness, educate youth, create microbead legislation, and restore habitat with international beach clean ups.

You can be a part of the change by signing the 5 Gyres micro bead petition, donating to fund ocean research, getting involved by conducting your own citizen science, or taking part in their other volunteer opportunities. To see more about their programs, research, and actions you can take visit www.5gyres.org.

Read up on Jack Johnson‘s top 10 Plastic Tips here: www.allatonce.org/plasticfree-top10.

In your own life, consider if you really need that plastic fork, water bottle, plastic bag, straw, or to-go container. Don‘t use products with microbeads. Buy things for longevity and quality, not convenience. Say no to plastic, even if it means a few strange looks or exasperation from service people.

Look into the great selection of safe reusable containers such as Kleen Kanteen stainless steel water bottles at www.kleankanteen.com.

Saving our world‘s oceans starts with you!

By Jessica Kirby, Senior Editor of TheGreenGazette

T

he world began preparing for the International Weekend of Peace nearly 100 days ago with Ban Ki-moon’s declaration that we stand together with those suffering around the world. Standing together means listening, understanding, and expanding our notions of peace to include others’.

Can seven billion people stand together?

One way to think about peace is the absence of hostility, and the freedom from fear of violence. It extends to conscious actions towards reconciliation and healthy relationships, and delves (sometimes) into deeper, tangible concepts like improved socioeconomic, political, health, and interpersonal conditions.

I say ―sometimes‖ because this is just one way to think about peace. Inherent to this definition is the implied focus on solu-

Kaeden Kirby carries Article 27 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in a Peace Day walk with Discovery Montessori, Nanaimo, BC. Photo credit: Jennifer Borzel tions and root causes, clearly identifying it as the global responsibility it is.

But even the simplicity of this definition can be interpreted differently between cultures and communities – the individualists will say peace relies on justice and fairness, while collectivists will turn to harmony and honour. Capitalists will says economic well-being will smooth the path to peace as the wealth trickles down, while community-focused political theorists will rally for collective equality. Some cultures will abhor violence until attacked; others will live to conquer and denounce pacifists

as dissenters. There are millions of people who look to governments and schools to forward notions of peace and just as many who feel it is a matter of personal reflection and projection.

All things considered, Can seven billion people stand together?

Our flagship organizations work for political and socially just peacefulness with varying levels of struggle and success. The Global Peace Index measures 162 countries by assessing 22 indicators of peace and security focused on the level of safety and security in society, the extent of domestic or international conflict, and the degree of militarization. According to its 2014 index, the world has become less peaceful every year since 2008. Between 2013 and 2014, the decline was driven by conflicts in the Ukraine, Syria, and South Sudan and by increased ―global terror.‖ As of last year, 500 million people live at risk of instability and conflict, and 200 million of those live beneath the poverty line. The cost of containing the violence affecting so many is $9.8 trillion US, or 11.3 per cent of the global GDP. Under these conditions, How will seven billion people stand together?

In 2012, 15-year-old Malala Yousafzai changed the world when she survived a bullet from a Taliban gunman, which entered her head, neck, and shoulder. She was shot on a school bus among her friends, for her outspokenness about education and living conditions imposed by the Taliban in Pakistan. Prior to the attack she‘d been awarded Pakistan‘s first National Youth Peace Prize and nominated by Archbishop Desmond Tutu for the International Children‘s Peace Prize. Malala recovered from her injuries and has become

Halloween Traditions

By Jessica Kirby

I

t is the time of year when the neighbourhood ghosts and goblins venture out into the early evening hours and wander the streets in search of tricks, treats, and all around good times of the family, friend, and sometimes frightening varieties. Halloween is a much-loved tradition for many and like everything important to us, it has its roots in cultural, religious, and practical history.

Starting with the basics, most of the Halloween traditions observed in North America have Celtic roots. The Celts in the UK and Western Europe formed an official society around 800 BCE, and held a celebration near the end of October called Samhain. The Samhain festival marked the end of summer and the time of year when the veil between this world and the after world was thinnest. It was believed that deceased relatives would come back to visit around Halloween by entering the body of an animal, such as a black cat.

To celebrate the harvest, Celts offered food to the Gods, and they acquired the food by going door to door and asking for it. At the same time, they would ask for kindling to contribute to the Samhain bonfire, which took place on the tops of hills for all to see. After the celebration, people would take an ember from the bonfire home to place in their own fires for protection

and luck. Of course, they couldn‘t carry an ember by hand so placed it in a hollowed gourd, and, because they were nervous about wandering after dark on such a spooky evening, they wore costumes to scare away evil spirits.

In current times, different cultures still put their own twists on Halloween. In Ireland, with the claim to Halloween‘s original fame, people scramble off to parties after trick or treating, and there they play ―snapapple‖ where apples are strung up in a doorway and players attempt to bite the hanging apples. Parents sometimes arrange treasure hunts for pastries or candy, and many eat barnbrack—a kind of fruitcake that contains a muslin-wrapped treat that can tell a person‘s future. Children also play ―tricks‖ on the neighbours such as ―knock-a-dolly,‖ the Irish equivalent to North America‘s Nicky Nine Door.

Several European countries have specific Halloween rituals and some avoid the holiday altogether. In Austria, people welcome souls back to earth on Halloween night by leaving bread, water, and a lighted lamp on the table before heading off to bed.

In Belgium, candles are also lit in memory of dead relatives, and Germans hide their knives on Halloween to protect themselves from murderous spirits.

In Czechoslovakia, chairs are placed fireside—one for each living family member and one for each member‘s spirit. In English rural areas, turnip lanterns are

Photo: Jim Frost @ flickr placed on gateposts to protect homes from spirits, and if a pebble thrown into one of these flames is no longer visible by morning, it is said the pebble‘s thrower will not survive the year. France has never really bought into the Halloween tradition, calling it an American holiday and a threat to its culture. Similarly, Britain prefers Guy Fawkes Day (Nov. 5) to Halloween, a day that commemorates the execution of a traitor with bonfires, fireworks, and burning effigies.

Asia is a different story altogether. In Hong Kong, Yue Lan (Festival of the Hungry Ghosts) is characterized by burning

a global leader for peace. One of her most recent campaign urges world leaders to cut military spending for eight days to give all children access to 12 years of free education.

Malala is just one person among thousands who have made strides in peace activism – Nelson Mandela, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Mikhail Gorbechev, Aung San Suu Kyi, Martin Luther King – These people will tell you with certainty, Seven billion people can indeed stand together.

September 21 was declared the International Day of Peace by the United Nations in 1981. Participation in Peace Day observances and celebrations has increased year over year ever since as awareness grows, the arms of conflict reach farther, and education begins at an earlier age.

This year‘s theme is Partnerships for Peace – Dignity for All. This means we have to listen, understand, and expand our notions of peace to include others‘. In other words, we don‘t necessarily have to change our ideas about peace. The individualists can go on in search of justice, and the community-focused economists can carry on equalizing the market place.

The shift has to be in expanding our notions to include others’. Can the nationalist stretch his mind to understand the pacifist?

Can the dissenter open her heart and let the war monger in?

Can seven billion people stand together? We absolutely must.

Ten years ago this Peace Day, I was blessed by a boy-child who brought peace to my mind and true love to my heart.

Happy birthday, Kaeden!

pictures of fruit or money, so these images reach and comfort the spirit world. In Japan, the Obon Festival commemorates dead relatives with candles and lanterns set to sail away on the rivers, and pathways between graves and doorways are swept clean to make way for ancestors returning to the birthplaces for the night. Koreans visit their ancestors‘ tombs with fruits and rice during Chusok, and thank them for the fruits of their labour.

Mexico‘s El Dia de los Muertos (Days of the Dead) celebrations are world renowned and have evolved and changed over the years. Families remember their dead and the continuity of life by creating altars in the home, with the deceased person‘s photos, favourite foods, and drink, and by tidying the gravesites and adorning them with flowers and streamers. An abundance of special foods and drink, parades and street dances, and a generally festive atmosphere honours both life and death.

Just about everything we know and love about Halloween has roots someplace in history. When we step out for a magical evening of costumes and trickery, we seldom think of these, but some of us do take the time to create traditions of our own.

What about you? Do you have a way to honour your family‘s celebration of Halloween?

Your own foods, costumes, rituals, or people to gather with? Halloween, even back to its roots in the harvest, life, and death, has evolved over culture, religion, and time, to become something many look forward to and cherish. Make merry in your own rituals, or consider starting one if you haven‘t already.

Happy Samhain!

By Mike Stamford

I

n his book, Freshwater Fishes of British Columbia, Don McPhail elegantly describes how glaciation events have influenced the diversity and distribution of our freshwater fishes. Upwards of 20 glaciations are thought to have occurred during the two and half million years of the Pleistocene, each separated by a warm interglacial period, similar to our current climate. At the end of each glaciation, fish entered BC in the wake of retreating glaciers.

When glaciers advanced again, fish retreated to at least five different glacial refugia (isolated glacier-free areas). Most of the province was repeatedly swept clean when the glaciers advanced, but survival for tens of thousands of years in isolated refugia promoted diversification of fish species. Lineages associated with these glacial refugia represent the deepest, most ancestral components of diversity below the species level for freshwater fish.

Freshwater fish have diversified more recently as well, forming genetically divergent forms post glacially, or within the last 10,000 years. Species generally appear to have responded to the unpredictable climatic fluctuations by spreading their genetic diversity across many locations. Having populations locally adapted to different chemical, physical, and biotic environments increases the probability of species survival.

Sockeye salmon and their freshwater derivative Kokanee (Oncorhynchus nerka) provide a wonderful illustration of this recent component of genetic diversity. Genetic studies have found Kokanee evolved in parallel; each formed independently in different lakes from their Sockeye salmon ancestors. All Kokanee are phenotypic expressions of the full-time freshwater form of O. nerka, yet genetically there are more similarities with adjacent Sockeye

Blue-listed Nahanni lineage Arctic grayling (Thymallus arcticus) from Muskwa River.

Photo: John Hagen salmon populations than among different Kokanee populations.

Other species such as Bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) and Dolly Varden (S. malma) show less obvious phenotypic differences. To the untrained eye the two species are almost indistinguishable and when they interbreed in the laboratory produce viable young. Authors Zoe Redenbach and Eric Taylor showed in Evolution, however, that hybrids tend not to survive in the wild, probably because each has very different ecologies. John Hagen, who studied interactions between these species for his Master‘s thesis, says Dolly Varden are better insectivores and out compete the Bull trout in small headwater streams. The

Bull trout are pushed downstream into larger habitat where they grow large, forage on fish, and migrate long distances to carry out their life history.

The Bull trout is probably endemic to North America and is blue-listed (species of special concern) in BC due to their vulnerability to human developments (see: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/atrisk/). Consequently, the province of BC is working to identify populations that are key to their long-term survival and monitor their abundance over the long term. Currently, two lineages (interior and coastal) have been identified in BC and studies are needed to better understand traits that characterize their differences. Coastal Bull trout have

few wealthy nations in the world that has not enshrined the right to a healthy environment in our constitution. Many of our so-called environmental laws are actually about limiting the impact environment protections will have on resource extraction—particularly oil and gas.

In December 2011, a lobby group for the Canadian oil and gas industry wrote the federal government asking it to change several laws, gutting environmental protections. The result was the 2012 omnibus budget bill, which dramatically weakened regulatory oversight of major projects like

pipelines and narrowed the public‘s right to participate in environmental decisionmaking. As the CBC reported, ―Within 10 months of the request, the industry had almost everything it wanted.‖ As Canada‘s only national environmental law charity, we spend most of our time talking to judges who interpret the law. While we have won our share of landmark victories over the years, judges must work with the laws and environmental policies already on the books. And Canada‘s environmental laws and policies don‘t get them very far.

In fact, our laws have only gotten worse. Last year, a report released by the Washington-based Center for Global Development ranked Canada‘s environmental protection record dead last among 27 wealthy countries. The Center noted that Canada is the only country whose environmental protections have deteriorated since the index began in 2003.

So, if you believe in the rule of law, and if you believe in environmental sustainability, we need you to talk to the people who write our laws. With a federal election looming, now‘s the time. We have a chance to regain lost ground, and then

By Devon Page Executive Director, Ecojustice

D

o you believe in the rule of law?

If you are reading this, you would likely say you do. You may not know exactly how to put your belief into words, but it might fall along the lines of—everyone, from people to corporations to governments, must act according to laws that protect our fundamental rights.

If you are reading this, you also probably believe in environmental sustainability. Again, you may not know exactly how to describe that, but it probably includes making things better, not leaving the Earth in even worse shape.

Canada‘s environmental laws, however, do not protect our fundamental environmental rights. We have no national laws to fight climate change, now recognized as one of the greatest threats to our health and well-being. We are one of the

closer connections with the ocean environment in the south coast and the interior lineage is adapted to interior watersheds.

These species accounts present contrasting examples of the ways our freshwater fish have diversified in BC: relatively rapid (postglacial) evolution in O. nerka results in obvious physical and behavioural differences; deeper more ancestral genetic differences between species and lineages of Salvelinus result in less apparent differences that require extensive scientific study to discover. Currently, the province recognizes 81 freshwater fish species and subspecies and each has diversified in unique ways to ensure future survival.

Provincial managers recognize that most of the diversity in native freshwater fish remains unknown and have initiated a number of studies to better define our fish species and influence adaptive management. They have initiated a mandate to conserve healthy ecosystems (and thus native fish populations) and provide healthy environments for future generations (see: www.env.gov.bc.ca/wld/ fishhabitats/conserv_protect.html). However, human developments are accelerating and far outpace this growing catalogue of biodiversity in the province.

Consequently, decisions to allow for resource extraction and energy developments should be precautionary and take serious account of and avoid potential impacts on undiscovered diversity. Otherwise what might be perceived as a simple decline in abundance as a result of a development might turn out to be extirpation of unique and irreplaceable components of a species gene pool. Currently, aspects of biodiversity require years of study and rigorous scientific support before they trigger influence on industrial developments.

Mike Stamford is an independent fish biologist with a special interest in conservation of BC native fishes.

some, if we send a collective message: Canadians expect our government to introduce, uphold, and enforce strong environmental laws.

Evidence from around the world proves that strengthening environmental laws, such as enshrining a constitutional right to a healthy environment, leads to better environmental outcomes and a lighter ecological footprint. Even modest law reforms can improve our health, help restore damaged ecosystems, and pave the way for a more sustainable future.

In the lead up to the election, I urge you to research candidates in your riding. Find out where they stand on addressing the environmental issues that matter most to you. Most importantly, get out there on election day and cast your vote for strong environmental laws. See more at: http:// www.ecojustice.ca/cast-your-vote-forstrong-environmental-laws/ #sthash.zTYhoahY.dpuf This article originally appeared on the Ecojustice website. To learn more about how Ecojustice is building a case for a better Earth, visit www.ecojustice.ca

By Devon Chappell

G

rass: it cushions bare feet, the games of children, and sometimes even lovers. We all recognize the external enjoyment we get from that lovely, green, growing carpet, but what can it do for you internally?

Ever wanted to roll around on that freshly cut lawn just to have that lovely scent surround your whole body, but without getting that itchy skin? Have you wondered why those patches of grass have started to sprout behind the glass of every juice and smoothie bar, as well as some health food stores and grocery counters? Ever just wondered what the heck is the big deal about wheatgrass? Well, if you answered, ―yes,‖ to any of these questions, read on. Those alive and seemingly misplaced little patches of lawn are very edible, easy to absorb, and make one heck of a toxin-fighting juice!

In practically every one of our everyday activities we are exposed to pollution. These toxins affect the regular function of our body as a whole. Pollution is in the air, the water, the food we ingest… even with our best efforts, toxins are near impossible to avoid.

Since we can‘t really avoid them, it‘s very important for health and vitality that we keep our bodies strong and our immune systems functioning with a grand flow of red blood cells. On the quest for healthy mind/body/ spirit, wheatgrass may just be the philosopher‘s stone.

According to Ann Wigmore in The Wheatgrass Book, wheatgrass holds a series of protein and amino acids, carbs, minerals, and vitamins including A, B-complex, C, and E. One of the more important active

ingredients in wheatgrass would perhaps be its abundance of enzymes. These include: cytochrome oxidase (antioxidant required for proper cell respiration), lipase (a fatsplitting enzyme), protease (a protein digester), amylase (facilitates starch digestion), catalase (catalyzes the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen in the blood and body tissues), peroxidase (similar action to catalase, on a cellular level), transhydrogenase (aids in keeping the muscle tissue of the heart toned), and this superfood‘s superpower: superoxide dismutase or SOD, says Wigmore. SOD is a compound that is found in all living cells and acts as an anti-inflammatory, an anti-aging enzyme, a protector against impurities, and a fighter of the effects of radiation. It may also prevent cellular damage following heart attacks or exposure to irritants.

Like any active green plant in which photosynthesis plays a role, wheatgrass contains the blood-cleansing and blood-building attributes of chlorophyll. According to Wigmore, about 70 per cent of wheatgrass' solid matter contains chlorophyll. Because wheatgrass helps to build red blood cells, it increases the supply of oxygen throughout your body. Better circulation means more efficient waste removal. This in turn helps detoxify your liver so that it is better able to filter all the toxins we were discussing earlier.

Imagine your life without the action of filtering! It would be like making an espresso and drinking the grounds, or trying to run your vehicle without an oil filter. The liver is vital to our health. So, in today‘s highly polluted world, why not take extra care to strengthen one of the most useful organs of the body? Our bodies are a bit more complex than a vehicle; we can‘t just run down to Canadian Tire and pick up a new filter on sale.

Cooking wheatgrass practically destroys all the nutrients. The best way to get wheatgrass into your diet is to get a juicer or a Vita-mix, or if you‘re feeling brave, start

You don't have to look far when health is right under your nose. Wheat grass starter trays are available at Save On Foods. Photos: Devon Chappell

adding it to salads. Like the plants that surround us, we are all capable of existing in a healthy, growing, alive world.

Recipes Wheatgrass juice is a juice, so just add it to your healthy, natural juice or smoothie, or just take it as a shot; it tastes like a freshlycut lawn. You can also toss some blades onto a salad or into a shake or smoothie, but because we are not cows, it‘s easier to get the most out of it by juicing. And how does one get the wheatgrass to make into juice?

Well, I‘ll tell you: Materials  Organic wheat berries, "hard" or "winter" (find at health food store)  Topsoil and peat moss  2 cookie sheets or cafeteria trays, approximately 10" x 14" in size  Large glass canning jar plus a screen/ cheesecloth for the top  Pre-planting / Planting

Wash one cup of dry wheat berries—this is the amount to cover one cafeteria tray.

Place in jar, fill with water, and let sit overnight or for 12 hours. Drain after soaking, and rinse well. Let the soaked wheat berries sit on a 45 degree angle for another 12 hours, to begin the sprouting process.

Spread a one-inch-deep layer of soil onto a pan/sheet. Spread the sprouted wheat evenly onto the soil with hands. Dampen with water and cover with another tray for two – three days. Uncover on day four, water, and set in indirect sunlight continuing to water daily or every other day to keep moist.

Harvest Boom, easy! Now start the journey towards more vital and glorious health.

What‘s even more fun than trying recipes is growing your own food. Watch those little lovelies grow for six to twelve days or until the grass is about 7 to 10 inches tall. Harvest by cutting with a sharp knife or scissors very close to the roots, use immediately, and enjoy life, my friends!

Devon Chappell is something of an impressionist with therapeutic hands. He holds a focus on what is real when it comes to food.

He has a personal interest in nutrition and art and when he is in his element, Devon brings nature to the kitchen.

By Jenny Noble Scout Island Nature Centre

R

ivershed Society of BC (RSBC) is hosting a familyfriendly celebration at the Xatśūll Heritage Village on September 7 to honour the Fraser River’s history and culture, to raise awareness of issues threatening its health, and to explore solutions for change.

At 3 p.m., there will be a guided tour of Xat‘sull. There will also be a craftmaking session before dinner. Dinner starts at 5 p.m. Contributions of food and/ or money are invited to make this a true community sharing. Please bring your own plate, utensils, and water bottle—after all, this is about sustainability.

Local vocal quartet Synergy (Sharon Hoffman, Harry Jennings, Leo Rankin, and Sandy Aleric) will perform River songs, and Marin Patenaude will offer songs she wrote as part of her Sustainability Living Leadership Program (SLLP) journey in 2013. After dinner, a rousing game of lehal will round out the evening.

Between festivals, RSBC offers two ways to experience the Fraser River. You can raft the Fraser Canyon or paddle the Lower Fraser. Raft trips vary in length from single day trips (e.g. Xat‘sull to Williams Lake) to several day excursions that include remote camping. Details at http://

rivershed.com/fraserfest/raft-the-frasercanyon/. In the Lower Mainland, you can canoe a section of the Lower Fraser River (Fort Langley to North Vancouver) on one or more day trips, with a group of up to 17 friends or co-workers. See http:// rivershed.com/fraserfest/paddle-the-lowerfraser/ for details.

The Rivershed Society of BC and

low water levels, pollution, and poor salmon returns – this is a great time to come together and give the river some love.

The Rivershed Society owes its inception to Fin Donnelly, who twice swam the length of the Fraser to raise awareness of watershed issues before becoming Member of Parliament for New WestminsterCoquitlam. He was inspired to organize the first SLLP expedition in 2002, to draw attention to the environmental impacts on rivers, stimulate critical thought, and promote community stewardship. Each participant designs and implements a community Rafting along the Fraser River. project that will further those goals.

Williams Lake‘s own Potato House Xatśūll Heritage Village are working toSociety was Mary Forbes‘ project, pledged gether with Scout Island Nature Centre, in 2009. The inspiring annual youth expethe Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Socidition follows the 1,400 km salmon migraety, Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Astion route along the Fraser River Basin by sociation, Fraser River Raft Expeditions, canoe, raft, and shuttle van. Fraser Fest New Pathways to Gold, and the Province events are being held in seven communiof BC. ties along that route, from Xatśūll to North Given the alarming state of BC‘s waVancouver. terways – including high temperatures,

By LeRae Haynes

S

trategically located to provide immediate and ongoing data on the Mt. Polley Mine breach, the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) Quesnel River Research Centre has been a source of important information on the breach for the past year. Research scientists at the facility include centre manager Sam Albers, who says the upcoming annual open house on October 3 is a great opportunity for people to ask questions and have discussions about what the centre has done this past year and what is coming up in the near future.

Albers explains he works closely with UNBC faculty members as part of a landscape ecology program associated with the Quesnel Lake area. ―UNBC scientists Phil Owens and Ellen Pettigrew work with Masters and PhD students on projects like salmon, sediment tracing, and the impact of the Mt. Polley Mine breach,‖ he says. ―We also work with people from Canada and from around the world.

They‘ll come to me with research questions on fish, watershed science, and the study of lakes, for example, and if we have the equipment and the facilities to answer the question, we will take it on.‖ Quesnel Lake is a major producer of Sockeye salmon within the Fraser River system and the way the nutrients and sediment move through the system is unique.

The lake was relatively pristine and has the attractiveness of a fairly undeveloped area; but, that changed after the Mt. Polley Mine breach. ―It‘s good that we can serve as a hub of academic research on the breach disaster,‖

UNBC scientific researcher Sam Albers, from the Quesnel River Research Centre, talks about being in the right place at the right time when the Mt. Polley Mine breach occurred last summer. Photo: LeRae Haynes says Albers. ―We‘ve been very active putting together proposals to get funding to expand the research regarding the breach.

We have two students now looking at salmon and the ins and outs of how they return nutrients back to Horsefly River and Horsefly Bay. They‘re looking at the larger impact of that on the whole productivity of the lake.‖

The methods they‘ve used to study the breach are methods they‘ve used before. ―We are only 23 km away from Mt. Polley Mine, and when it happened we were able to take some of our instruments and put them in the water right away,‖ says Albers. ―Thanks to the community of Likely, UNBC, and the province of BC having this facility in operation, we were in

the right place at the right time to help with research on the breach almost immediately.‖ Researchers at the centre used historic in-lake mooring data, newly collected data, and publicly available information from the British Columbia Ministry of the Environment, Environment Canada, and the Mount Polley Mining Corporation to compare prebreach conditions to changes in the lake.

Albers, who has been at the research centre since 2008 and the manager since 2012, notes research since the breach in August, 2014 has been consistent and ongoing. ―The first couple of months were very intense: we were putting in long hours trying to get a handle on it right away,‖ he explains. ―Today, we continue to collect samples on a similar frequency; it‘s more measured but we‘re still going full bore on this.‖ It‘s far too early to tell exactly what will happen. ―The research will evolve over the next few years: it‘s important to update the data base all along,‖ says Albers. ―It‘s the biggest source of information. I hope we learned through all this how to deal with this kind of disaster, and how truly valuable it is to have crucial baseline data immediately available—it‘s the best way to measure the impact.‖ The local community played a big role in re-opening the centre. Formerly a federal facility, it was closed for a while and in a minimal state for a few years. ―In 2003, UNBC took it over, and the community was a big part of that,‖ he says. ―There were lots of letters written—they didn‘t let the place fall to pieces. A lot of people here take a lot of pride in this facility.‖ Staff at the centre is gearing up to welcome the public at the annual open house on October 3 starting at 10 a.m. ―This is a key event for us: a chance for people to see what we‘ve been doing for the past year,‖ says Albers. ―Last year, with the breach, we completely shifted our focus to presenting up-to-date findings, especially in the first two months after it happened. Our future plans include a big grant proposal we submitted in April, and we hope to have an exciting announcement at the open house. ―This is a great opportunity for people to ask questions and have discussions with us as an independent research group speaking to what the scientific data is telling us.‖ B.C. Rivers Day on September 27 generates public awareness about the province‘s waterways, and is a chance to celebrate our rivers and reflect on what we have to lose if we fail to take better care of them.

Albers agrees. ―In light of BC Rivers Day and the breach a year ago, we should celebrate the incredible Quesnel Lake and Quesnel River basin wilderness out here,‖ he says. ―It‘s still an unregulated water system, where every year a whole mass of fish appear out of nowhere. ―With things like climate change and mine breaches you worry that the fish are in for a rough time of it. I hope that when my own daughter is grown she‘ll be able to stand on a river bank and see the shine of red from salmon all across the water—it‘s a beautiful thing to see.‖ LeRae Haynes is a freelance writer, song writer, community co-ordinator for Success by 6, member of Perfect Match dance band, and instigator of lots of music with kids.

September 26 and 27, 2015, Horsefly, BC Submitted by the Horsefly River Roundtable

P

lans are well underway for the Horsefly River Salmon Festival featuring family-friendly events, information, and entertainment to welcome the majestic Sockeye back home to their spawning grounds at Horsefly River.

The festival, hosted by the Horsefly River Roundtable, takes place Saturday, September 26 and Sunday, September 27 across the bridge in downtown Horsefly on T'exelc (Williams Lake Indian Band) and Xatśūll (Soda Creek/ Deep Creek) traditional territory. This free, all-ages celebration will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both days. Activities will include kids' crafts with Maureen Chappell's Creative Hands, painting a salmon for the Stream of Dreams Project, Gyotaku (Japanese fish printing), DFO salmon education booth and demonstrations, salmon dissection, bannock from Cody William, Scout Island‘s kids‘ interactive activities and games about river invertebrates, and, on Saturday only, Horsefly River Riparian Trail interpretive walks.

Mount Polley Mine representatives will also be participating, to provide information and answer questions on the Hazeltine rehabilitation work undertaken since the tailings dam breach a year ago.

Plan to stick around on Saturday night to enjoy musical entertainment at the community hall, held as a fundraiser for Arts on the Fly. Watch for more information on the evening entertainment line up. ―Those who come to visit Horsefly and welcome in the Sockeye salmon September 26 and 27 will get to enjoy a range of fun, family-friendly activities while learning about the important role salmon and local waterways play in our lives and the environment,‖ said Maureen LeBourdais, Fraser Basin Council‘s regional manager in the Cariboo-Chilcotin.

Ernie Gruhs, chair of the Horsefly River Roundtable, adds: ―Attendees will also learn what we can all do to help the Horsefly River Roundtable achieve and maintain healthy community watersheds.‖ From Hell's Gate the Sockeye head up the Fraser River, and then swim past the mouths of both the Thompson and Chilko rivers to the mouth of the Quesnel River.

Left photo: Guy Scharf, community advisor for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, celebrates salmon and other aquatic life by donning this hat during the Horsefly River Salmon Festival last year. Middle photo: Ryder Rochefort, 10, participates in Gyotaku – Japanese fish painting – during the Horsefly River Salmon Festival last year. The festival was held in conjunction with BC Rivers Day, as it will be this year, Sept. 26 and 27. Right photo: Marin Patenaude leads the Gyotaku painting demonstration (completed projects shown in back) during the Horsefly River Salmon Festival on last year. Photos: Erin Hitchcock.

From there, they head up to the mouth of Horsefly River before continuing to their spawning grounds in Horsefly, BC where they lay their eggs to ensure the cycle continues. Averaging about 27 kilometres a day, it takes about 23 days for the Sockeye to make the 620-kilometre trip.

The question on everyone‘s mind is, ―how many will make it this year?‖ It‘s still too early, DFO says, to definitively predict how big the Horsefly Sockeye run will be.

Most reports show the Sockeye are in good condition, but due to the summer‘s hot temperatures, the number of salmon making their way to the spawning grounds in the Quesnel system this year is expected to be lower than originally anticipated. Fraser River temperatures have been at a record high and above average for the entire season, with flows that have been at or tracking record lows.

The Horsefly River Salmon Festival is held in conjunction with BC Rivers Day, September 27. BC Rivers Day events are hosted by recreational clubs, conservation organizations, community groups, schools, and local governments to help generate public awareness about BC‘s waterways. The festival also coincides with Culture Days, held to celebrate creative communities.

This year‘s Horsefly River Salmon Fes-

tival is a collaborative event hosted by the Horsefly River Roundtable with support from Fraser Basin Council, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and the Central Cariboo Arts and Culture Society.

For more information visit http:// horseflyriver.ca/salmonfestival/index.html and the Facebook page at https:// www.facebook.com/horseflyriver.

By Erin Hitchcock

T

hough hundreds of thousands of Sockeye salmon are anticipated to reach the spawning grounds in the Quesnel rivershed this fall, the future of this mighty fish is on the minds of many.

Fish farms, sea lice, over fishing, habitat destruction, climate change, and ocean acidification are some of the concerns expressed among conservation groups that are working to ensure their long-term survival.

But there is also a lesser-discussed issue—genetically modified (GM) salmon that could pose an additional threat in the future.

AquaBounty has created GM Atlantic salmon eggs capable of producing salmon that can grow at twice the rate of normal salmon and contain spliced genes from Chinook and the eel-like pout.

The company intends to send the eggs to Panama for grow-out and sell the grown fish as food for humans. If everything goes according to plan, says a CBC article from 2014, these fish will be sold to countries around the world, including the US, Canada, Argentina, Chile, and China. Once these fish make it to the grocery store shelves here, you can bet they won‘t be labelled as genetically modified, as no other GM foods are.

According to a 2010 draft environmental assessment from the US Food and Drug Administration, these fish and their eggs aren‘t a significant risk to the environment because they are 98.9 per cent sterile, all-female, and confined to secure, inland facilities to prevent accidental escapement. Even wasted fish would be incinerated or buried under layers of lime.

The company also claims that even if they were to escape into the wild, they likely wouldn‘t survive.

However, a number of environmental groups aren‘t so sure, believing there is a potential this new species could negatively affect wild salmon and other aquatic life, should something go wrong.

It‘s that uncertainty that has environmental groups such as the Living Oceans Society and Ecology Action Centre raising the alarm, said Ecojustice, which is helping the groups take the company and Canada to court.

They claim Environment Canada was wrong to approve the company‘s application in 2013 to grow the GM salmon eggs in its Prince Edward Island hatchery and that it failed to obtain and assess all of the information legally required to allow the company to grow the eggs, including testing to show whether the GM salmon could become invasive. The matter is still before the courts.

According to the FDA environmental assessment noted above, characterizing the AquaAdvantage salmon as being sterile is ―potentially misleading.‖ ―Sterility has not been explicitly verified in these fish and up to five per cent of the eggs sold for grow-out may be nontriploid and still within release specifications,‖ the document states. It also says testing results in egg destruction, so it‘s impossible to ensure 100 per cent sterility in eggs sold for grow-out.

If you think 95 or even 98.9 per cent is a small window for error, consider how

Last night I had the strangest dream I ever had before I dreamed the salmon all over the world Were coming home no more And the river no longer ran with red When the aspens turned to gold The children no longer leaned over the bridge A miracle to behold Like the miracle of the mystery Of how the hell do they know How to find their way back to the place they were spawned Their whole lifetime ago Rally to oppose FDA approval of GMO Salmon. Photo: Steve Rhodes many fish could be produced on a commercial scale.

Hypothetically, if AquaBounty were to grow and transport 10 million of them, even with a 99 per cent sterility rate, that remaining one per cent amounts to 100,000 fertile fish.

With this game of Russian roulette, there is no telling if, when, where, or how many fertile GM salmon will escape, but the trigger will be pushed many, many times. And there is no telling how many other companies will follow in Aquabounty‘s footsteps, once that company has laid a path for easier, speedier approvals.

Even with all of the aforementioned safeguards, there is still a risk these GM salmon could one day accidentally – or even intentionally – find their way into the wild.

One only has to look in our backyards to see such an example, as the invasive Smallmouth bass has infested local waterways, with the potential to reach the Fraser River, due to someone thinking it was a bright idea to put it in the Beaver Creek system.

Locally, the Sockeye salmon will swim about 620 kilometres to their spawning grounds in Horsefly to ensure their species‘ survival. While they face many other, possibly more immediate, threats, this one should not go unnoticed as awareness and action need to begin now before irreversible damage is done.

We, as the human race, must take the time to appreciate nature‘s wildness, agility, strength, and beauty while recognizing we hold its undeniable vulnerability and fragility in our hands. We depend on it too, and cannot gamble away the future of life on Earth any longer.

To learn more, including ways to take action, visit http://www.cban.ca/Resources/ Topics/GE-Fish and http:// www.foodandwaterwatch.org/factsheet/ below-the-surface/.

Erin Hitchcock is a stay-at-home mom, journalist, anti-GMO advocate, and local organizer for March Against Monsanto. If you have any comments, column suggestions, or questions for her, email erinhitchcock.cariboo@gmail.com.

Turns out they could smell the water that flowed Over rocks in their spawning ground’s bed And they followed that smell back to where they began In a nest that’s known as a redd Their moms used their powerful side-to-side tails To sweep gravel and stones aside Then they laid down their eggs, and laid down their cares, Let go of their struggles and died The life that flowed out of their bodies that day Leached into the water, then trees Took it up in their roots and grew up to the sky And gave oxygen away on the breeze Then the bears dragged the carcasses into the woods Trailing nutrients into the ground Ocean fed forest and forest fed sky And rain brought the circle around The people that fished here for 10,000 years On the banks of the river they wait With their hands at their sides and their nets in their hands Wond’ring why are the salmon so late?

With smoking wood ready and drying racks hung For protein to see them to spring If the salmon don’t come, hungry songs will be sung & who knows what the winter will bring?

The bears and the eagles stood by the people’s side Patiently watching downstream When no silver flashing came toward them they cried And I woke from my very sad dream Then I sat up in bed, raised my hands to my head And vowed that in all that I do I’ll care for the salmon and the world that they need So my sad dream will never come true.

Go to www.thinksalmon.com And find out how to live your life So the salmon can too And you’ll also benefit trout So remember whenever you’ve salmon in your mouth To give thanks for the miracle food That grows itself in the ocean to the south And delivers itself to the mountains

- by Jenny Noble -

By Brandon Hoffman

W

ith just a couple months left in the 2015 exhibition season, the Station House Gallery is calling on the arts community once again to submit for next year’s slate. I highly encourage artists and arts groups to visit www.stationhousegallery.com/submit and peruse the submission details. We’ve had a fantastic year so far, and there are just a couple exciting shows left to come. The Station House has even featured the work of some regular GreenGazette contributors.

In April we were pleased to present some beautiful pen-and-ink works from Ciel Patenaude in her show ―The Knowing.‖ The collection was ―…created to help people reconnect with their intuition, personal truth, emotional experience, and internal intelligence system: their knowing,‖ Ciel describes. ―[The drawings]… are intended to reframe the relationship we have to nature so as to produce more connection and inner reflection.‖ This series features finely detailed compositions of the animal world, the elements, and the human body.

Another familiar face in TheGreenGazette's pages to be featured at the Station House is Terri Smith. When she isn‘t riffing on her adventures with the Cariboo‘s favorite goat Amadeus, she and collaborator / mother Karen Thompson have been working on their November, 2015 exhibition,

―Murders and Unkindnesses.‖ Kicking off Halloween weekend, ―Murders and Unkindnesses‖ is a fun and imaginative group show set to the theme of crows and ravens. It‘s sure to be an eclectic mix of sculpture, paintings, textiles, and installation, playing with fact, folklore, and silliness. ―Quote the raven, ‗Nevermore!‘‖ The Station House has been proud to host some of the Cariboo‘s strongest voices of progress for over 30 years. We are excited to see what the arts community of the Cariboo and beyond has for us in this upcoming year. We will be taking applications for the 2016 season until September 30. For help with an application or to learn more about the gallery, contact exhibition coordinator Brandon Hoffman (that‘s me), at coordinator@stationhousegallery.com.

On display for the month of September is Christy Richardson and Marilyn Dickson‘s show, ―Cloth and Clay: An Oxidized Collaboration.‖ Cloth artist Marilyn and potter Christy are drawn to the power of nature and the strength of humanity. While some of the pieces in this exhibition are bold and simple, others draw the viewer in with subtle tactile detail. ―Cloth and Clay‖ is on display from September 4 to 26. The artists will be giving free pottery and cloth workshops the afternoon of September 4, 11, 18, and 27. Visit the Station House Gallery on Facebook for more information.

By LeRae Haynes

T

he City of Williams Lake has been chosen to host an upcoming BC Mountain Bike Tourism Symposium October 2 – 4, thanks to the vision and hard work of people like Thomas Schoen and Mark Savard from the Cariboo Mountain Bike Consortium.

The symposium, a gathering of creative minds from across the province with a vested interest in advancing the future of mountain bike tourism in BC, will include topics like land use agreements with perspectives from land managers and tenure holders, regional collaboration that includes Ministries, Regional Districts, local businesses, and government, as well as education, certifications, and industry employment training for the mountain bike industry.

The conference will take place at the Cariboo Memorial Complex, opening with an official welcome reception for delegates and local dignitaries at the Tourism Discovery Centre.

Thomas Schoen is deeply immersed in the mountain biking culture, and is equally passionate about arts, culture, heritage, and local economic development. He is the owner of First Journey Trails, building mountain biking trails all over the province. His is the only business of its kind in the northern and interior regions of BC. The chair of the Cariboo Mountain Bike Consortium, he is also the executive director of the Central Interior Regional Arts Council, one of the original founders of the Xatsull Heritage Village, as well as well as the treasurer of the Central Cariboo Arts and Culture Society.

Schoen says holding the conference in Williams Lake is incredibly exciting. ―It ties everything together that we‘ve worked on for the past three or four years, including increasing the economic impact of mountain biking in our area,‖ he says. ―What we‘ve done here is relatively unique—a regional MB (mountain biking) marketing program. Other groups are watching what we‘ve done and wanting to follow in our footsteps.‖ An economic impact study by the Cariboo Mountain Bike Consortium has shown the annual total contribution of mountain biking in the Cariboo region in 2012 was

F

all stargazing season is coming up. The weather is usually more settled and the nights are earlier and warm enough. At this writing, I'm off to the Mt Kobau star party in Osoyoos, which will be held Aug 8 to 16 this year.

Star parties and most observing of deep sky objects occur at times around new moon when the moon's brightness does not dim the sky. This will be mid-month for the next three months.

Although the season is a busy one and the weather doesn't always co-operate, we

Thomas Schoen on one of the Chief William Climbing Trail's Technical Trail Features. Photo: John Wellburn

First Nations Trail Crew - Williams Lake Indian Band: Sam, Billy-Joe, Ben, Floyd. Photo: John Wellburn $2.17 million—13 per cent higher than the 2010 assessment. ―We formed a group of MB industry insiders to find out what we can do to get new riders to our whole region,‖ says

are happy to show people the stars at our observatory here at Bells Lake.

The observatory has a warm room and there is also a tent cabin with heat and facilities to make coffee adjacent.

On the evening of Sunday, September 27, there will be a total eclipse of the moon.

The moon will rise over the lake here at sunset. Mid eclipse is 7:47 p.m. and the umbral phase is over by 9:47. These are convenient hours if you have to be at work the next morning.

If the weather is good, it will be spectacular. If not, we will fire up the tesla coil for some high voltage fun.

Schoen. ―We put money into signage, maps, trail development, and a great website, but we really wanted a more regional approach to highlight other communities in our area, and that‘s what‘s truly unique about this project.‖

We will be having an open house here at the Belles Lake Retreat and Wellness Center that evening and you are welcome to participate.

I can host small groups at the observatory for observing during the dark times.

If you are thinking about getting into astronomy or getting a telescope, I can help.

Contact me at Bill Irwin, (250) 620-0596 or irwin8sound @gmail.com.

He says the appeal of mountain biking in the Cariboo is partly its history. ―Our trails go back 20 years from when Mark Savard from Red Shreds started developing them in our area,‖ he says. ―It‘s also that our trail network and terrain is so vast and varied. There are trails for people who are rank beginners, all the way to challenging and technical trails for the very advanced rider. Another appeal is easy access because of all our logging roads.‖ He notes the theme of the upcoming conference, First Nations Partnerships, is important because First Nations territories are so close to all the local bike trail networks. ―If we want to expand we need to partner with them, opening more opportunities for economic development,‖ he says. ―Here‘s a prime example: for years we‘ve been trying to find a good campground perfectly located for mountain biking. Chief William Campground is perfect.

It‘s quiet, out of town, and ties in with our trail network. As soon as we opened up the seven-kilometre cross country connector from Chief William Campsite to Fox Mountain, people coming to Williams Lake to go biking started staying at the campground and feedback was very positive from the beginning.‖ The campground will also be tied into the South Lakeside trail network in the future, says Schoen, who adds they couldn‘t ask for anything better. ―We‘ve already had people from Prince George and the Kootenays come to spend some days in our area to stay at the campground and bike our trails.‖ At the conference, they want people to have the time of their lives in the Cariboo. ―It‘s not just about the ride,‖ he says. ―We‘re an industry-based community with more: art, music, and heritage. Our goal is to focus on highlighting the Cariboo in a fun, cool way. There is lots to do and the community is friendly and welcoming to visitors.‖ For more information about the Cariboo Mountain Bike Consortium and for more information about the upcoming symposium go to www.ridethecariboo.ca.

LeRae Haynes is a freelance writer, song writer, community co-ordinator for Success by 6, member of Perfect Match dance band, and instigator of lots of music with kids.

F

all may seem like an odd time to discuss composting, but composting is important year round and shouldn’t be stopped just because the temperature is dropping.

Fall is also an excellent time to start a composter if you don’t already have one. A healthy compost pile will continue to compost well into the fall, and even into the winter. Food waste added to a composter over the winter will pile up, but will quickly drop when it thaws in the spring.

Why should you keep composing through the winter, or start a composter now? Because leaving it in the garbage creates methane gas, increases landfill leachate production, takes up space in the landfill, costs money to transport, and wastes the nutrient content of the food.

In the oxygen deprived environment of the landfill, organics don‘t get a chance to break down into compost or soil; rather, they slowly decompose and release methane gas in the process, which is a greenhouse gas 21 times stronger than carbon dioxide when related to climate change.

All landfills create leachate, but leachate production can be limited by the amount of moisture present in the waste.

Organics contain over 60 per cent moisture (by weight) which turns into leachate as the organics decompose. The leachate travels through the other waste in the landfill and collects contaminants. If the landfill doesn‘t have a leachate collection system these contaminants could move into the land; if the landfill does have a leachate collection system the contaminants must be managed or removed, which is a costly process.

The lifespan of a landfill is measured in volume by how many years of waste will fit into the existing landfill footprint. If we are able to reduce the amount of waste going into each of our landfills, it gives us

more years of use—an excellent reason to divert as much as we can from our landfills.

Organic waste is heavy because of the moisture content, and waste disposed of at transfer stations is hauled to a regional l a nd fi l l, which is paid for by the tonne. This is another good incentive to divert the heavy organics out of our garbage and into our yards.

The nutrients from food waste cannot be harnessed if they are mixed up in landfill leachate, but they can in your compost. Even if you only turn your finished compost out onto your lawn or place it around the base of the trees or shrubs in your yard, the nutrients will be put to good use.

The CRD and its member municipalities want to help you change your food waste disposal habits and if there is enough interest, will be offering subsidized backyard composters and counter top containers again in 2016. Email talktrash@cariboord.ca to get the details or call the CRD at (250-392-3351) or toll-free 1800-665-1636.

Waste wise education is delivered to students in the CRD, but the CRD would like to make waste education available to everyone, as we all have the ability to change our waste handling habits for the better. For more info on Waste Wise call (250) 398-7929 or find details on Waste Wise activities and events at www.ccconserv.org.

Please join us this year to become waste wise and make a difference. For direct access to our monthly topics ―Like‖ us on Facebook at facebook.com/caribooregion, visit us online at cariboord.ca, or look for our articles in your local paper.

By Sage Birchwater

T

all red cans in gasbars and retail outlets across the Cariboo-Chilcotin Coast and throughout the BC Interior promise you a refreshing, energetic pickme-up on a hot day. Crazy Horse energy drink, emblazoned with the words ―Go Wild! Go West!‖ and the image of a horse with a backdrop of mountains, resonates strongly with the Chilcotin.

The energy drink was developed and is owned, marketed, and distributed by Tsi Deldel Development Corporation of Chilanko Forks, BC—a company owned by Tsi Deldel (Alexis Creek) First Nation.

They have had success selling their product locally. Now they want to expend their market into the broader spectrum.

Crazy Horse energy drink was the brainchild and inspiration of Becky Bravi, a biologist and forest ecologist in Williams Lake. One area she specializes in is innovative forest practices including the development of non-timber forest products. The idea of the energy drink was inspired by her research on non-timber products found in the forests of the Cariboo-Chilcotin that could be developed into small to medium sized business ventures.

Bravi came up with a couple of options and proposed the idea of an energy drink to Tsi Deldel First Nation. The community was interested, and took the idea to their elders to find out what berries and ingredients they felt could be derived from their backyard for agro-forestry. They identified rosehips and Saskatoon berries. ―In the Chilcotin, rosehips are ubiquitous to the region,‖ Bravi says. ―Wild prickly rose is something all of our community forests could develop as an industry. It‘s easy to grow, it‘s super sustainable, it‘s an understory crop, and it is one of the first species to come up in clearcuts.‖ Bravi figured rosehips were an ideal product that people could harvest on a sustainable level. They just needed an economic incentive. ―Build it and they will come,‖ she says. ―Members of the Tsilhqot‘in community could become entrepreneurial suppliers of the products needed for the drink.‖ She contacted the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and got the initial financial backing to develop the Crazy Horse energy drink with Tsi Deldel member John Charleyboy. Other funding came later from the Cariboo-Chilcotin Beetle Action Coalition (CCBAC) and Northern Development Initiative Trust (NDIT).

Charleyboy is now the point person in charge of distributing and marketing the energy drink. ―We developed a recipe through the Guelph Food Technology Centre,‖ Charleyboy says. ―We came up with a formula that includes rosehips and Saskatoon berry flavouring. Other ingredients include ginseng extract, citric acid, and vitamins B2, B5, B6, and B12.‖

drink already has quite a following but we want to expand the market base,‖ says Charleyboy. He explains the corporate structure behind the Crazy Horse product line. ―We have a corporation called Tsi Deldel Development Corporation. They kind of own the recipe and the drink and manage it with a board of directors. We‘re in the midst of getting Becky Bravi back on board, and we‘re going to be pushing for marketing to the bigger venues.‖ This summer SaveOn Foods supermarket in Williams Lake started carrying the product. Charleyboy says their next move is to get Crazy Horse into Costco and London Drugs. ―Right now we are kind of growing our market locally, and getting quite a following here,‖ he says.

Charleyboy adds they still have quite a bit of product to move, despite starting John Charleyboy, Becky Bravi, Brenda Taylor and Dale Taylor are wild about Crazy Horse with a small manufacturer in Portland, energy drink. Taylor Made Cakes is one of several retail outlets in the Cariboo Chilcotin Oregon. He says there weren‘t a lot of where the beverage can be purchased. Photo: Sage Birchwater options to produce the product in Western Canada.

Charleyboy says what sets Crazy ―In order to do a small run we had to Horse Energy Drink apart from its comgo south of the border,‖ he says. ―Doing it petitors is its lower caffeine content and in Western Canada would have required us natural ingredients. to do a huge run, which we weren‘t pre―There‘s a lot of vitamin C and we pared to do. Hopefully our next one will have less processed cane sugar instead of be in Canada.‖ regular glucose fructose,‖ he says.

With the exchange rate, a Canadian He adds a lot of non-energy drinkers manufacturer might be more attractive. will try it and not feel the jitters they ―We need to move it by the pallet load, not would normally get from drinking other the case load,‖ Charleyboy says. ―Then we highly caffeinated beverages. can move into a bigger market.‖ ―It‘s definitely not a health drink,‖ he Meanwhile, he says, the community says. ―The market group is 18- to 35-yeartakes pride in Crazy Horse energy drink. olds, and it is not encouraged for anyone ―We have full management of the bevunder 16.‖ erage. It‘s ours. The can‘s attractive, the At the same time, he says, kids are idea is cool.‖ buying it.

Tsi Deldel Chief Percy Guichon holding Crazy It‘s not discouraged in a lot of stores,‖ Horse energy drink. Photo: Sage Birchwater Sage Birchwater moved to the Cariboohe says. ―Moderation is the key. You don‘t Chilcotin in 1973. He spends his time freedrink it like pop or anything.‖ To put it in perspective, Crazy Horse ―With the Crazy Horse idea, we were lancing, authoring books, and with Cabeverage has 103 mg of caffeine, comlooking for an image of the wild west, and terina, hanging out with their dog and cat, pared to 38 mg in a can of Pepsi. A large wild grown products,‖ he says. ―That‘s the gardening, and being part of the rich culStarbucks coffee has 400 mg per serving. concept behind the energy drink and its tural life that is the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast. ―That‘s the equivalent of four Crazy Horse name.‖ energy drinks,‖ says Charleyboy.

He says the theme resonates well in the The sugar content is about the same, rodeo and pow wow circles, and with any*** with a can of Crazy Horse containing 39 one interested in wild products. grams compared to 41 grams in a can of ―In the BC Interior the Crazy Horse Pepsi.

To get started they purchased the rosehip concentrate and natural Saskatoon berry flavour base where they could find it. ―There are not a lot of producers of Saskatoon extract in western Canada,‖ says Charleyboy. ―The price went up, so we have to keep an eye on that. People are starting to realize it‘s a super-berry. I think that‘s where our kick really comes from.‖ With Crazy Horse energy drink, the long-term goal is to get as many ingredients as possible from the Chilcotin forests, either by cultivating them or harvesting what grows naturally.

Charleyboy says the inspiration for the beverage‘s brand name comes from the wild horses the Chilcotin is famous for.

By Terri Smith It was raining and 8:30 before I remembered that I hadn’t yet tucked in the garden for the night. I tried to get Curtis to come with me, but he had already showered. I looked at Amelie, happily dressed in pajamas and checking her email and then at Johanne reading contentedly in one of the lovely dresses she always wears and asked, ―Amelie? Do you want to come close greenhouses with me?‖ She looked sheepishly at me, ―No-oo…‖ I laughed, as Curtis said, ―Ask Johanne.

It’s her last night to close them.‖ I looked back to Johanne who instantly agreed. ―But I will run,‖ she added, because of the rain.

We walked out into the twilight and the rain was not nearly as heavy as it sounded on the tin roof. It was actually fairly warm.

We jogged to the bridge, smiling, and as we slowed to walk over it I turned to her and said what I‘d wanted to say, ―Johanne, I‘m so happy you came here.‖ She looked at me oddly for a second and I laughed and clarified, ―to the farm, not just out to close greenhouses.‖ ―Oh,‖ she said, and then, ―Do you want I should close that one and you can close the other one?‖ I nodded and ran to the second greenhouse wondering and, I‘ll admit, worrying that I shouldn‘t have said anything.

Maybe she hadn‘t had a very good time after all. What a strange place this must seem to her. She lives in a beautiful house in Quebec City and also has the most incredible ski chalet I‘ve ever seen pictures of! I‘m sure even her vehicles must be nice.

Meanwhile, we have a constantly evolving ‗clean-up‘ mess outside the front door, and the usual worn-out Cariboo vehicles (including several that no longer run).

Only yesterday my truck‘s ignition finally decided it was tired of turning and wanted to retire. So, after several YouTube videos from which I learned how to start any number of vehicles without a key, I managed to take apart my dash and remove the

By Terri Smith

E

very time I go to market at least five people ask, ―Where’s Amadeus?‖ It makes me laugh. This silly little goat has no idea what an icon he’s become. He loves his public appearances because he gets lots of petting and even more sunflower seeds. He also really does enjoy riding in the truck. But he also loves his goat life. He is still a bit of a pariah among his own kind. While the rest of the herd do tolerate his presence, he is still not, nor will he ever be, one of them.

Sometimes I feel bad for my odd kid.

The others will head-butt him if he gets too close or just if they‘re feeling ornery.

He doesn‘t really seem to mind; life with the herd has always been like this for him.

But sometimes he stands up to them.

Fun on the farm with our world travellers.

Left to right: Amelie from Germany, Johanne from Quebec, Terri and Curtis from Road's End. Photo: Shelley Fletcher tumbler so that I could start my truck with a pair of pliers. The truck starts again (though it does look like I stole it) and we‘ve ordered a new ignition. I was really proud of myself!

Until that evening when we briefly got stuck in the co-op parking lot when my loose battery connection came undone and I found that my earlier repair job had cost me my ability to open the hood. But then I remembered my new ―key‖ and used the pliers to pull the hood release cable. I was elated! I may have been projecting, but I thought I felt Johanne cringe in the back seat.

I finished closing the greenhouse thinking that I was really glad to have met her and I hoped she‘d had a good time. I felt a moment of sadness wishing I had been a better host, helping her find her way more in such unfamiliar surroundings instead of just letting her figure out how to fit into this odd life. Ah well, I always intend to be a better host, but each week I juggle so many things that I will often seem to neglect those who seem content on their own.

But sometimes he stands up to them.

The other night we watched from the balcony as three of the goats ran to the goat shed to get out of the rain only to find that Amadeus was already inside. Usually when this happens he gets head-butted repeatedly until he finds his way to the door. But this time, somehow, the three goats entered the shed and moments later stampeded out the door again. We wondered why they had vacated the premises so suddenly when Amadeus proudly stuck his head out the door then gave a happy little hop, skip, and jump and ran towards our house. He had kicked the others out of the shed all by himself! It was the act of a real goat. Not that I condone goat violence, but I was proud of my kid for standing up to those bullies!

Sometimes Amadeus even leads the herd. Okay, well, not exactly. But it seems

I hoped she hadn‘t been unhappy here with us.

We met in front of the zucchini. We covered it together and I smiled at her and said, ―That was the fastest we‘ve ever closed the greenhouses.‖ She smiled back and said, ―And I am really happy to have come here!‖ It meant the world to me.

Hosting volunteers every summer is one of the most interesting aspects of farming that frankly hadn‘t occurred to me before I began. Road‘s End is listed on three different websites for travelling volunteers: WWOOF (Worldwide Workers On Organic Farms), HelpX, and Workaway. Interested travellers can view our profile and then contact me if they are interested in coming here. These are wonderful programs; we couldn‘t do what we do here without the help of our volunteers. Yet it is an odd thing, too. Strangers from around the world come and live with us, eat with us, work with us; they become friends and then they go. It is a bittersweet thing at times, but our lives are the richer for it.

And it isn‘t always easy. If the people

who come here are good helpers and easy to live with then it is wonderful, but we have had times where the helpers have been not so helpful nor so easy and sometimes they are downright weird.

Like one helper we had in 2012 who had backpacked across Canada carrying the essentials: a set of kitchen knives and a sledgehammer for pounding in tent pegs!

He was an odd sort of person. The two things he communicated on the drive out here that he thought were important we know about him were: that he knew Kung Fu and was telepathic. The helpers who were here at the time agreed, ―Once we realized he wasn‘t going to murder us in our sleep, we really started to like him!‖ Then there was the Belgian boy who constantly told me how everything was so much better in Belgium: ―In Belgium the counters are always clean.‖ ―In Belgium we never eat so late at night.‖ ―In Belgium the houses are not this dirty.‖ ―In Belgium you would never see a goat in the house.‖ Finally in exasperation I answered, ―Then go back to Belgium!‖ But overall, hosting world travellers has been one of the best things I‘ve ever done. Just last night, Amelie, our helper from Germany who has become such a good friend in the two and half months she‘s been here, helped me nurse a sick goat back to health (no, it wasn‘t Amadeus). We stayed up till after midnight helping the hypothermic kid who had fallen into the irrigation ditch. And in the morning she got up early, made breakfast, and fed the animals so I could write this article.

I never imagined farming would bring so many people from around the world into our lives. My closest friends live in France, Germany, Portugal, and England.

WWOOF makes the world a smaller place.

I am lucky to be a part of such an amazing program.

Terri Smith is an organic vegetable farmer in the Cariboo with Road’s End Vegetable Company. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Literature and a diploma in Art.

like he is their leader sometimes.

It goes like this: Amadeus falls asleep near the herd as they all bask in the sun. Moments later the herd, probably having waited for him to fall asleep, all get up and head out to the meadow.

Hours later, Amadeus wakes and realizes he is alone. Goats hate to be alone. He heads out to the meadow to see where they‘ve gone. By this time, they have eaten enough and are all heading back to the house. When he sees them he turns around and runs ahead of them and now he is leading the herd! It never ceases to please him. And it always makes us laugh.

Terri Smith is an organic vegetable farmer in the Cariboo with Road’s End Vegetable Company.

She has a Bachelor’s degree in Photo: Casey Bennett Literature and a diploma in Art. www.caseybennettphotography.com

By Donavan Shaw

This cartoon is a caustic commentary on the plight of the developing countries of the Asia-Pacific region in relation to climate change. Photo: Norman Isaac

A

s a very involved 17-year-old within the community, I am often asked, ―What are your plans for the future?‖ Most young people (including myself) instinctively jump to what they plan to do after they graduate high school: college or university, their dream jobs, and the kind of person they want to meet and share an agonizingly cute lifetime with.

This is all just dandy, unless you‘re a young person very much like myself, who thinks a little further ahead, about the looming immanent destruction of the world and society we know via climate change and a general apathetic reaction to it.

Now, I know the doom and gloom bit is perhaps slightly off putting, but one must suffer a small amount of it in order to grasp the severity of the topic at hand.

Because Canada has such a diverse climate we are able to see the effects of climate change rather easily, if only we look.

Manitoba is home to the great ice roads that ten years ago were used about 50-60 days of the year, and are now only used 10. Wow. That is a rather aggressive, ―I am a real thing!‖ shout from Mr. Global Warming.

Here in British Columbia, we saw the effects of a few mild winters when the mountain pine beetle population increased and destroyed so many of our beloved pine trees. These pine trees that were killed, indirectly by climate change, also further contributed to climate change, releasing the carbon they stored while living, into the atmosphere to contribute to the greenhouse effect. Incidentally, this also contributes to climate change.

All of these things may seem insignificant or inconsequential by themselves

but together they forecast a mighty doom with a high chance of severe destruction.

The future is a wonderful thought—just peachy. Now, that does sound an awful lot like sarcasm, but it‘s the truth. The future is a wonderful thought.

Despite the doom and gloom thinking about the future, especially concerning climate change, one must always keep a positive mindset. The icecaps are melting but isn‘t a fantastic puzzle to figure out how to make it better? The world is getting hotter—how can we adapt or cool it down?

Thousands of beautiful trees died, but we can use them for logging. There is always a bright side, and if ever it looks as if there is not—make one.

In order to beat the doom and gloom we have to make it zoom and bloom; we have to keep a positive mind so we can keep fighting to live and love on this beautiful Earth. Keep your head up and your smile on.

To all the young people like me thinking about the ruins the world may be in in the future, think instead of the world as a paradise you will happily create and fight for. To the older generations, think not about how we might further destroy the planet, but rather about the good things we can accomplish for the world, because of your example. So as a young person often asked about the future, I think about what I can do to fix it, and why I must never lose faith.

Donavan is a fun loving guy with strong interests in the political systems and a great love for the world and those within it. He is an extreme optimist and encourages you to be one, too.

F

all is here on Slow Train Farm and it is time to ferment. We keep a variety of different fermented pickles for winter and they are all very easy to prepare. They keep for a minimum of six months in our root cellar and they are a much cheaper and healthier alternative to the vinegar-based canning we used to do so much of.

By far our favourite ferment is kimchi, but we make relish, dill pickles, sauerkraut, and other great treats using this or similar fermentation methods. We use three-gallon or five-gallon stoneware crocks or one gallon-glass jars for fermented goods. Here are the ingredients we use in our kimchi and a quick overview of how to prepare this great winter staple. This list is by no means limited; many many vegetables work in this recipe. The measurements vary on your supply. We use great quantities to fill a five-gallon crock. I would recommend about 2 – 3 cloves of garlic and one small onion per quart of kimchi.

Ingredients  any kind of radish  turnip  carrots  savoy or Asian cabbage  ginger  garlic  onion  hot chilies Method Prepare all the vegetables except for the garlic, ginger, onion, and chilies. Coarsely slice the cabbage and slice the radish, turnips, and carrots. Mix a brine of 4 cups of water for every 3 tablespoons of salt, enough to cover all of the vegetables. Use a crock or large glass jar to soak the vegetables in the brine overnight.

Chop the garlic, grate the ginger, and chop the chilies; kimchi can absorb a lot of spice. Mix these spices together.

Drain the brine off the vegetables and keep it aside. If the vegetables taste salty, rinse them.

Mix the vegetables with the spices and pack them tightly into the crock or glass jar. Add the brine until it just covers the

www.shuswapfood.ca

vegetables. The vegetables need to be submerged in the brine. Use a weight such as a plate with a (clean!) heavy stone or a plastic zipper bag full of brine on top.

Ferment in a warm place. After about a week, it will taste ready and you can move it to the refrigerator or cellar. We have kept many jars full of kimchi, sauerkraut, or fermented pickles in the root cellar well into the spring.

Left photo: Vegetables grown at Slow Train Farm.

Right photo: It's never too early to get busy digging on the farm.

Photos: Stephanie Bird

Ingredients  2 1/2 cups zucchini, coarsely grated  1 teaspoon salt, divided  1 large egg  1 large egg yolk  1/2 cup (or more) all purpose flour  1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled  1 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped Garden veggies from Road's End Farm.  1/2 cup green onions or Photo: Casey Bennett www.caseybennettphotography.com chives, chopped  1 1/2 Tbsp fresh dill, basil, or parsley, chopped  1/2 cup (about) olive oil  1/2 cup (about) corn oil  plain Greek yogurt Ingredients  3 cups shredded zucchini (or pattypan) Method  3 eggs, beaten Toss zucchini and 1/2 teaspoon salt in  1/3 cup flour large bowl. Let stand 5 minutes. Transfer  ½ tsp salt to sieve. Press out excess liquid; place zuc 2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated chini in dry bowl. Mix in egg, yolk, 1/2  ½ cup onion, chopped cup flour, cheese, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  ½ cup green pepper, julienned Mix in parsley, onions, and dill. If batter is  1 tsp dried oregano very wet, add more flour by spoonfuls.  ½ tsp dried basil Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 ta 3 Tbsp grated parmesan blespoons corn oil in large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, drop batter Method by rounded tablespoonfuls into skillet. Fry In a bowl, combine zucchini and egg.

Add flour and salt and stir well. Spread patties until golden, 5 minutes per side, over bottom of a 12 inch greased pizza adding more olive oil and corn oil as needed. Transfer to paper towels. Can be pan. made 1 day ahead. Place on baking sheet, Bake at 450 degrees F for 8 minutes.

Remove from oven. Reduce heat to 350 cover, and chill. Rewarm uncovered in 350 degrees F. Sprinkle with mozzarella then degrees F oven 12 minutes. Serve with arrange tomatoes, onion, and peppers over yogurt. top. Sprinkle with oregano, basil, and parmesan. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until onion is tender and cheese is melted. Feed to those who think they don't like zucchini without telling them about the zucchini.

Laugh. Enjoy.

James Sterne, 7 (left,) and Chloe Derbyshire, 7, play a game of bat and insect during one of Scout Island’s nature programs, as summer teacher Sienna Hoffos (right) ensures the children follow the rules of the game. Playing the role of a bat, one child keeps her eyes closed and uses only sound to find the other child, who plays the role of the insect. Photo: Erin Hitchcock

By Erin Hitchcock

―

I found one!‖ calls out one enthusiastic boy to another after discovering a large beetle crawling past a rock. ―I never knew they were so hairy,‖ remarks a girl peering at a caterpillar through the lens of a magnifying glass.

These are common responses from children enrolled in Scout Island‘s programs in Williams Lake.

Children and adults learn about the tiny lives of salamanders and worms and about the larger lives of foxes and bears.

They learn about native plants, trees, lakes, and marshes and the important role they play in all life. They also learn to enjoy, cherish, admire, and respect all of Earth‘s wonders upon which humans and other species depend. ―Our hopes for the future are that children and families and people of all ages continue to connect with nature, understand their role in it and their responsibility to care for it,‖ said biologist, naturalist, and environmentalist Sue Hemphill, who has been an environmental educator at Scout Island Nature Centre for 10 years. ―Nature is not something to just serve us. Our goal is to show people how to be a part of it so we don‘t disrupt that fine balance of nature.‖ Anna Roberts, a founding member of Scout Island Nature Centre, recognized the importance of exploratory learning and children being outdoors.

According to its website, Scout Island offers a range of programs all year long for schools, families, children, and adults.

In some programs, children become naturalists and scientists. Using microscopes and aquariums they develop hands-on skills, as well as curiosity, wonder, appreciation, responsibility, and a commitment to nature and wildlife. Nature talks take place regularly, offering inspiring and educational lectures to adults.

School programs are offered for students in Kindergarten to grade 12, with many classes taking field trips to the dairy fields or river valley.

There are also a number of exploratory and group programs at Scout Island, which is also often used as a nature-fun venue for birthday parties, other celebrations, and even sleepovers.

School programs are designed by Hemphill and other nature educators, but they can be tailored to suit teacher requests. ―We have set programs depending on the season,‖ Hemphill said, adding while the programs include in-class time focusing on owls, raptors, and bats, students also spend a good deal of time outside. ―The goal is two-fold: one is to give the children an outdoor connection to nature but also to model for the teachers to do that on their own because a one-time visit to us is not enough to meet the needs of children to be outdoors.‖ This year the nature centre will fund a half-time outdoor education resource teacher, Frances McCoubrey, through the school district.

Not only will McCoubrey provide programs to children but she will also help teachers learn how to educate outdoors, too, whether it‘s to work on science, literacy, or other subjects. ―Scout Island thinks this is so important to be happening and we would like to have a school district teacher being the leader of this,‖ Hemphill said. ―This is why we‘ve offered the money for this year.‖ Hemphill is passionate about educating outside, as she recognizes the importance of the natural world to everyone. ―Because I have an interest in a healthy environment, I know that it doesn‘t do any good to give people a bunch of facts on how our actions hurt the environment. First people have to connect and feel part of it.

You can do that with adults who haven‘t had a chance to connect, but we shouldn‘t

lose our chance with children,‖ she said.

Hemphill has seen children carry the love of the natural world into adulthood.

She knows a woman who formerly attended Scout Island‘s programs in elementary school and high school and later became part of the centre‘s summer staff.

Now she teaches at Scout Island and her children are also enrolled in its programs.

Scout Island is also the place to go for many to relax and regain their composure, as it offers a natural retreat for people and wildlife alike. ―People use it all hours of the day and night,‖ said Hemphill. ―They feel safe there, and I hear over and over, ‗I have to come here and slow down, to reset myself for the day.‘‖ Being on the migration route, Scout Island is important to birds. ―We are a major flythrough so there is a load of migratory birds that need to stop there,‖ said Hemphill. ―You‘ve got waterfowl going north and south. Everybody loves the pelicans.‖ While the pelicans nest at Puntzi and Stum lakes, they feed at Williams Lake, which is essential to their health.

She recalled a fall morning several years ago when there were thousands of birds at Scout Island. ―There was so much bird noise and I was wondering what was going on and it just so happened so many birds came in

that night. It was a complete cacophony of sounds.‖ Looking after Scout Island takes a lot of volunteer time and effort. Members of the Williams Lake Field Naturalists, a nonprofit group that keeps it going, act as administrators, fundraisers, naturalist experts for the community, and labourers. Williams Lake Field Naturalist members and other community members log 4,000 hours per year in volunteer time to help it thrive.

Volunteers have been working hard on the caretaker‘s house. It has received a new roof and now new insulation, windows, and siding, with financial support for materials from the City and Cariboo Regional District.

The north marsh has a new trail, thanks to a joint effort with the Williams Lake Indian Band, a new bridge to the far island, and boardwalks on the Bull Rush and Willow trails, all thanks to volunteers and the community.

For more information on Scout Island‘s programs and events, as well as ways to offer it support, visit www.scoutislandnaturecentre.ca Erin Hitchcock is a freelance journalist and stay-at-home mom who enjoys vegetarian cooking, gardening, and spending time with her family in nature.

By Erin Hitchcock

I

t feels like one is stepping back in time to a simpler, gentler era when entering the Chickadee Early Childhood and Learning Centre. There are no computers, no modern-day technological devices. It’s difficult, if not impossible, to find anything plastic.

Instead, wooden furniture and toys made from natural fibres such as wood, wool, and stones neatly embrace the space.

A play wooden kitchen stands behind a canopy of cascading silk. Nestled inside wicker baskets are handmade dolls, feathers, and knitted finger puppets. The warm learning environment provides a naturerich, creative space that nurtures and protects, while encouraging children‘s inborn curiosities.

This small initiative is embarking on its second year, but at a new location—St. Andrews United Church in Williams Lake.

Formerly at Miocene, the centre will continue offering Waldorf-inspired education to youngsters in the Cariboo-Chilcotin and will include Parent and Tot, mixed-age Kindergarten, and Homeschool Grades Support programs.

Claire West-Mattson, the teacher who heads up these programs, said the pedagogy and the ensuing curriculum truly focus on the child‘s whole self while recognizing individual and natural developmental stages. ―Waldorf education comes from this deep understanding of human and child development, and that's the foundation for your teaching,‖ said West-Mattson, a BC certified teacher for more than 20 years, who holds a Bachelor of Arts, a Bachelor of Education, and certification as a Waldorf early childhood and grades educator.

According to the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA), more than 900 Waldorf schools in 83 countries dot the globe. Waldorf education provides a curriculum that responds to children‘s developmental phases while cultivating social and emotional intelligence, connecting children to nature, and igniting a passion for lifelong learning.

Waldorf education began nearly a century ago after Austrian scientist and thinker Rudolf Steiner opened a school in 1919, following a request from Waldorf Astoria cigarette factory owner Emil Molt.

Far from an elitist education, the first Waldorf School was created for the children of factory workers.

Steiner‘s philosophies included an understanding that, ―the human being is a threefold being of spirit, soul, and body whose capabilities unfold in three developmental stages on the path to adulthood: early childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence,‖ said AWSNA. West-Mattson said in North America the history of Waldorf Schools has seen many initiatives become private schools that are financially unattainable to many

Above: Jonas Frizzi, 6, gets some physical activity, fresh air, and free play out in the playground at Miocene Hall - Chickadee Early Childhood and Learning Centre's former location this past spring. The centre is now located at St. Andrews United Church in Williams Lake.

Right: Satori Elwick, 6, enjoys playing with some of the handmade dolls at the Chickadee Early Childhood and Learning Centre.

Photos: Erin Hitchcock

families. But a new trend is turning that around, which West-Mattson would love to see continue.

She said Waldorf early childhood education is brought to her students through a rhythm and structure of activities that include movement, singing, art, traditional games, stories, purposeful work, and lots of time for free play.

Inside the classroom, felted flowers and animals and objects from nature decorate a windowsill along with tiny wood and handmade figures ready to be used for detailed, rich stories such as fairy tales, folktales, and nature stories that are enlivened through the art of storytelling. This use of whole language, West-Mattson said, improves vocabulary skills and encourages imagination.

Students in grades 1 to 8 acquire basic literacy and numeracy skills through a curriculum that comes from and encourages imaginative and creative thinking. Specialty subjects, including music, French, handwork, and art are taught from grade 1 up.

A day in grade 1 may include recitation of verses, singing, movement games that teach and reinforce math skills, or learning the alphabet creatively through story and form drawings that are then incorporated into individual main lesson books. ―The main lesson books they create are beautiful,‖ West-Mattson said, adding the children are in effect creating their own textbooks. ―They model what the teacher does at first and develop an understanding of the importance of the beauty of their work. ―In grade 1 you‘re doing math, but first through movement and games. It‘s very exciting because you see how responsive they are to it. You can‘t expect a child that

age to just be sitting at a desk and taking in all of these abstract concepts, so there‘s lots of learning through movement.‖ Waldorf curriculum doesn‘t press reading and writing until a child is older and developmentally ready for abstract concepts (grades 2 and 3). West-Mattson said as with electronics such as computers and TV, early literacy can be taxing, even for a child who successfully writes and reads early. ―It‘s using a different part of them at the expense of other parts that are still developing,‖ she explained. ―Everything we do now with the children affects them in the future so it affects who they become.‖ She said subjects are taught in three- to four-week blocks, rotating through the subjects and looping back to concepts as the year progresses. Numeracy is introduced through games, movement, and images but is practiced daily. In the early grades, science is often taught through nature stories and being outside in nature itself. A more demanding contextual science curriculum is brought to the students as they enter the intermediate level. At the high school level computers are well used.

At snack time, children at Chickadee Early Childhood Centre receive nutritious food, such as homemade soup, as well as buns they may have helped form into shapes. Hands-on experiences of cooking, handwork, painting, building, and gardening are an important part of the curriculum.

At Chickadee the day begins and ends as it began—a circle of friends, singing or saying a verse of greeting of goodbye. As the children wait for parents outside, they enjoy seasonal activities that might include exploring nature, skipping, playing traditional games, or nurturing and admiring a garden all of have planted together.

While this glimpse of Waldorf Education may appear to be a step back into a simpler past, West-Mattson reflects that when she says goodbye to her students, she sees hope for a complex future.

Waldorf philosophies are often not restricted to the school setting.

Crystal Camping, a mother of four, had her two older children attend the Kindergarten program last year. She plans to enroll them again.

Camping said her family has been inspired to look more into Waldorf as not only a way to educate but also as a way to incorporate its philosophies at home. ―My two oldest children who attended the Kindergarten class absolutely loved it,‖ she said. ―The Kindergarten class is such a warm, calming, welcoming environment, and now having Waldorf in our home, my family is much calmer and my children are able to have a childhood instead of being forced to grow up too soon. The more I learn about Waldorf, the more I fall in love with it.‖ For more information on the programs offered, contact Claire West-Mattson at (250) 296-3265 or cegwest@gmail.com.

For more information on Waldorf, visit the AWSNA website at www.whywaldorfworks.com.

Author’s note: My son, 2, attended the Parent and Tot program in the spring and will again this fall, as I have found the experience to be valuable for him and our family.

Erin Hitchcock is a freelance journalist and stay-at-home mom who enjoys vegetarian cooking, gardening, and spending time with her family in nature.

By Margaret-Anne Enders

B

ack in May, Williams Lake was designated by MoneySense magazine as the second worst city in Canada in which to live. This is not the first time Williams Lake has made the list, so it may seem like old news, but I still get riled up about it for a few different reasons.

First, the criteria they use is narrow. The designation is based on the following criteria: ―high unemployment, low average household income, negative population growth rates, a dismal culture industry, and, for the most part, high crime.‖ The beautiful surroundings are not given a mention, nor does it talk about our fantastic, world-class mountain-biking trails. The article doesn‘t mention that there are rivers and lakes and wilderness camping within an hour in all directions. It doesn‘t say that commuting time is 15 minutes maximum from one side of the city to the other and that we don‘t even know the meaning of the words ―rush hour.‖ It doesn‘t mention that you can buy a house in Williams Lake for less than in other urban centres. It certainly doesn‘t mention the number of people who move here just intending to stay for a short while and end up putting down roots because it is a great place to raise children.

Second, how the criteria is evaluated is either erroneous or uninformed. The crime rate is one of the big factors most often quoted—and is most often quoted erroneously by looking at per capita crime, which includes only city residents, instead of the wider region that Williams Lake services. Of course, there is crime and there are victims of crime, but the stats make Williams Lake sound like a very unsafe place to live, and that, for most people, is not the case.

And a dismal culture industry? Williams Lake has a thriving and vibrant culture scene: the Studio Theatre, Performances in the Park, the Art Walk, the Women‘s Spirituality Circle gatherings, and the new and popular Safety Meetings are just some Williams Lake‘s amazing offerings. In the short span of five weeks, Boitanio Park was the setting for the Children‘s Festival, National Aboriginal Day, Small Town Love, and Canada Day, as well as the weekly Farmers‘ Market. There are countless local bands, some of whom are world-famous, and the Youth Fiddle Society has more than 40 members. Sometimes, I don‘t go to events just because there are so many things happening, I need a day to stay at home and relax. However, when I do attend, what stands out for me is the appreciation people feel for having such talent and opportunities in our community.

There is a sense of connection to other people and to this place we call home.

The third reason this list gets my goat is that it doesn‘t even mention one of the biggest issues that actually does matter and is a huge problem for the community of Williams Lake. If the article had said that Williams Lake is an unappealing place to live because of the high level of racism, then I could agree with that. It is a real problem in our city—and indeed our country. Some of us, those with white skin, often don‘t realize that there is such a level of racism, as we don‘t experience it, and we believe we don‘t practise it. We are sadly mistaken. It can take some awareness education and some brave soulsearching to see how we contribute to the stories and structures that keep assumptions alive and inequalities in place.

The final report on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission has been released and many recommendations have been given. These recommendations matter. We, as a people, can urge our governments to act on these recommendations. We can make it an election issue. We, as individuals, can take steps on our own journeys towards reconciliation. In our area, we have some note-worthy guides: Chief Roger William and former chief Marilyn Baptiste, both of the

Xeni Gwet‘in people, internationally recognized and successful in leading their people in legal battles to have the title to their land recognized and upheld; Bev Sellars, former chief of Xat‘sull First Nation, noted researcher, and author of the awardwinning They Called Me Number One; and Chief Ann Louie of T‘exelc - Williams Lake Indian Band and Chief Donna Dixon of Xat‘sull First Nation who continue to keep the pressure on the government regarding the Mt. Polley tailings breach and clean-up.

However, guides can only do so much. People have to learn to listen, to follow, and sit with the discomfort that comes from giving up some control.

There are no easy answers to the complex problems that exist because of the injustices of the past, but having the desire to set things right with an attitude of respect is a good first step. Other ideas include attending Orange Shirt Day activities, going to a pow-wow, learning basic greetings in Secwepemc and Tsilhq‘otin, and learning about the effects of residential schools.

In terms of countering racism in general, we can make our own community welcoming towards newcomers. We can recognize the skills, intelligence, and inherent worth of those who have ended up in Canada, either by choice or by chance. We can challenge our own assumptions about who belongs here and who doesn‘t. We can remember that Canada is home to people of all skin colours and ethnicities.

When communities are reduced to statistics and relegated to a spot on a list, there is so much that gets missed in the gloss. Williams Lake is a place of connection. Connection to nature. Connection to the arts. Connection to each other in community. It is also a place where connection is broken and where hurts and injustices based on race continue to grow.

Right now we are at the cusp of a period of growth and change. What future will our community choose? Where on ―the list‖ do we want to be and how will we work to get there? I, for one, want to live in a city known for its natural beauty, its appreciation of diversity, and for the kindness of its people.

In her work with the Multicultural Program at Cariboo Mental Health Association, as well as in her life as a parent, partner, faithful seeker, left-leaning Christian, paddler and gardener, Margaret-Anne Enders is thrilled to catch glimpses of the Divine in both the ordinary and the extraordinary. To find out more about the Women’s Spirituality Circle, call her at (250) 305-4426 or visit www.womenspiritualitycircle.wordpress.com or on Facebook at Women’s Spirituality Circle in Williams Lake.

By Sage Birchwater

A

tlantic Power Corporation, owner of the biomass-fuelled electricity generation plant in Williams Lake, wants to burn old railway ties to fuel its 66-megawatt facility.

The plant, which can burn up to 600,000 tons of wood fibre per year, has been in operation since 1993 on the strength of a 25 -year energy purchase agreement (EPA) with BC Hydro. This agreement is due to expire in three years, and the company must now convince BC Hydro it has enough potential fuel to justify a 10-year extension of its EPA. The biomass generating facility was established to address a critical air quality problem in Williams Lake. Fly ash from several beehive sawmill burners filled the Williams Lake Valley with a perpetual smoky haze. Particulate emissions were both harmful to people‘s health and detrimental to the quality of life.

When the power plant replaced the beehive burners with a highly efficient, high heat engineered boiler system to consume wood waste, the region saw an immediate improvement in air quality. Particulate emissions were reduced by 90 per cent.

Twenty years ago the annual allowable cut (AAC) for the Williams Lake timber supply area was temporarily increased beyond sustainable levels to harvest forests impacted by an epidemic of mountain pine beetle. Now that these trees have been cut, the region is faced with a drastic reduction in its AAC to compensate for the overcutting. That means less potential mill waste to fuel Atlantic Power‘s electric generation facility.

Other manufacturers like Pinnacle Pellet plant, which began operating in Williams Lake in 2004, compete with Atlantic Power for sawmill wood waste. So the squeeze is on and the clock is ticking for Atlantic Power to come up with enough bio-fuel to convince BC Hydro to extend its EPA. Burning ground up railway ties is part of that strategy.

The question on many people‘s minds is: what is the long-term impact on the health of the community if Williams Lake becomes a destination to shred and burn creosote-laden railway ties from all over western Canada? How will that impact the Williams Lake air shed? Will there be an incremental accumulation of toxicity detrimental to the health and well-being of the citizens who live there?

It‘s a concern to Mayor Walt Cobb. ―We don‘t want any more pollution,‖ he says. ―But on the other hand, if we can‘t get them [Atlantic Power] any more fibre supply it means they will be gone.‖ Cobb is quick to point out what it was like before the biomass-fuelled energy plant started operating. ―Atlantic Power started because of the fly ash,‖ he says. ―So then what do we do with the wood waste? We certainly don‘t want to go back to the old burner system.‖ The mayor admits he‘s not an expert. ―From my point of view I‘m going to have to listen to the scientists. That‘s what

vironmental benefit by reducing the number of rail ties that accumulate along the tracks. Over one million ties are replaced in Western Canada each year.

A potential side benefit of the power plant that has been discussed is to utilize the steam generated by the boilers to heat greenhouses that could be located on nearby land. Presently the steam is an untapped resource sent up into the atmosphere.

On the debit side of the ledger, burning rail ties does create more pollutants such as dioxins and furans in the airshed. According to Terry Shannon, these are miniscule amounts, well below provincial standards.

But questions remain.

What are these provincially acceptable standards? With ongoing burning of rail ties at the energy plant, how cumulative will these very poisonous substances become? How will they affect the long term living space around Williams Lake?

Williams Lake resident, Mike Oswald, expresses his concerns to We are asked to trust the science of the Terry Shannon, environment manager for Atlantic Power, about Williams government regulators. Shouldn‘t we know Lake becoming a destination for burning creosote-laden railway ties from more about these safe levels of noxious Western Canada. Photo: Sage Birchwater substances accumulating in our environment? Is there a threshold point where it is the ministry of environment is all about. safe levels of these highly toxic pollutants no long safe? We need to know these facts.

They‘ll tell us if it‘s good or isn‘t any in our environment?

As part of its study of the Williams good. I don‘t know. I don‘t have a clue.‖ The company stopped burning rail ties Lake Valley airshed, Atlantic Power is conHe says hopefully all the right questions when the City of Williams Lake curtailed ducting tests and monitoring hour by hour are being asked.

CN Rail‘s grinding of the ties out in the throughout the year where emissions go.

This information will become available ―I have to rely on the science. I‘m not open on CN property behind the Station an expert. Whatever we do we‘re creating House Gallery. There was concern about a future public meetings hosted by Atlantic an impact on the environment. We want storage of highly combustible material Power as the company goes through the clean water. I want to be able to breathe close to the city‘s downtown, contamina- permitting process.

For more information, go to clean air. If they can prove to us this works tion of the ground water, and noxious then I guess we‘ll just have to trust our fumes from the creosote. www.atlanticpower.com. Under ―assets‖ at science and hopefully they are doing their Shannon says if the company gets the the top of the page, click on ―projects‖ then job.‖ green light to increase its volume of rail- click on Williams Lake. Go to the bottom On June 17, 2015, Atlantic Power Cor- way ties, shredding of the material will of the page and click on Williams Lake poration held an open meeting in Williams occur in a tightly controlled facility on At- renewal project FAQ (frequently asked Lake to initiate the public consultation lantic Power property. questions). The company is not shy to ask process that will allow them to burn rail―Storage of shredded ties will be mini- the right questions.

Now we need a few more answers. way ties and extend its energy purchase mized in small volumes in order to avoid agreement with BC Hydro. The public con- any possible issues,‖ he says. sultation process will continue this fall.

On the asset side of the ledger Atlantic Sage Birchwater moved to the CaribooUnder its current permit, five per cent Power offers an environmentally sound Chilcotin in 1973. He spends his time freeof the energy plant‘s bio-fuels can be rail- way to dispose of sawmill wood waste. The lancing, authoring books, and with Caway ties. Now Atlantic Power wants to company is also important to the Williams terina, hanging out with their dog and cat, increase that percentage in its bio-fuel mix Lake economy, providing 32 full-time jobs gardening, and being part of the rich culto 15-25 percent annually. It also wants the paying above average salaries, and contrib- tural life that is the Cariboo-Chilcotin Coast. flexibility to burn a 50/50 mix of rail ties uting $1.3 million to the city tax base. and traditional wood fibre on a periodic Having a processing facility to utilize basis. old railway ties will provide a regional enTerry Shannon, Atlantic Power‘s environmental manager, explains how the design of the boiler is the key to high temperature combustion. ―Two seconds at 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit and toxic substances are destroyed to their base elements,‖ he says.

Between 2004 and 2010 three to four per cent of Atlantic Power‘s bio-fuel was railway ties, but since 2010 it ceased to burn any at all.

In 2001, the power plant did a test burn using 100 per cent rail ties, and tests showed that most pollutants were either destroyed by the high burn temperatures or removed using the plant‘s environmental controls. ―The level of pollutants was well within the provincial standard,‖ Shannon says.

This begs the question: what constitutes

By Ciel Patenaude

A

long with the turning leaves and cooler days, September is synonymous with schooling for millions of children in the northern hemisphere. With that feeling we can all likely remember – a confusing combination of anticipation, excitement and dread – kids will be back in the classrooms this month, getting ready for learning to take place over the next ten months.

The practice of ‗going to school‘ has been part of our global culture in some form for millennia, though the specific act of attending a daily, regimented, and publically administered program of learning is relatively new. Only since the Industrial Revolution a couple hundred years ago have all children been required to attend school. Prior to structured learning in classrooms, education took place within more common environments: within apprenticeships, in the home, or (sadly, in the common practice of child labour) in the workplace. Structured education was developed to provide a level of standard in learning, and, according to optimists of the time, to equalize the opportunities and life experience of the underprivileged.

And our school systems have done wonderful things. Literacy and comprehension in today‘s society certainly far surpass that of 19th century England, and schools have become central hubs within our culture, especially for our children and young adults. However, more recent exploration into ‗learning styles‘ – in that all people cannot and do not learn in the same manner – and the reality of our biology in terms of neurological development – we no longer believe, as society did way back when, that learning is only something that occurs in childhood – school systems and practices are being questioned and adapted worldwide. It is no longer considered adequate for education to occur in daily, regimented, tested, and time-bound practices for children, and is no longer considered adequate that adults, too, often see their education as being ‗completed‘ upon graduation of high school or postsecondary. Our society is evolving based

Photo: ddluong @ flickr on greater understanding of what the human mind and body need throughout life, and our schools are doing the same.

One of the most humanity-altering scientific discoveries of the 21st century has been that of neuroplasticity, the awareness that the human brain changes shape and neuronal connectivity throughout life in response to changes in behaviour, thought, experience, environment, and emotions.

Contrary to the previously long-held belief that brains are relatively static organs that don‘t change significantly after childhood, the discovery of neuroplasticity has shifted everything. We now view the personal and psychological development of a human being as an on-going process (or at least we‘re starting to), thus effectively handing over far more of the reins to the owner of each unique brain throughout life, and shifting our ideas of aging, personality, and education away from determinism and pathology and into possibility.

Basically, neuroplasticity suggests that you kinda‘ don‘t have to get ‗old‘ in the brain or stuck in your self-definition if you don‘t want to: all you have to do is keep learning.

However, we still have some archaic

ideas about learning and life lingering in our collective psyche. We still believe, in many ways, that the big learning that is going to happen in an individual‘s lifetime happens in childhood, and that at some point that learning is completed (graduation!) and we take our accumulated wisdom out into the world and start making something of ourselves. We get a job, have a family, save for our pension… and basically stay the same person the whole time. This is the way our societies have worked for many generations, and is not likely something we‘ll release quickly.

We still cling to early psychological models of personal development that say a person‘s way of being is solidified at a particular age in life. The psychologist William James, for example, famously stated in 1890, ―in most of us, by the age of 30, the character has set like plaster, and will never soften again.‖ This belief is supported by empirical data – most people do not change after 30, and can be assumed to be roughly the same person at 80 in terms of character and values – but not by biology. We are built for change and growth, but we‘re often doing neither, because we‘ve been conditioned from childhood to believe that ‗education‘ is limited to the confines of school.

All the same, the idea of being ‗lifelong learners‘ is here, and educational centers, employers, and societies are adjusting to accommodate the idea of adults being just as much in need of stimulation as children, and just as open to understanding new ideas.

Longitudinal studies on what happens to individuals when they engage in learning as adults have offered amazing results: higher employability, greater overall health, better relationships, and, according to author John Field, ―a positive outlook on the future and a sense of one‘s ability to take charge of one‘s life‖ are the consistent outcomes when learning happens outside of conventional educational centers. This is learning through reading, coursework, Internet exploration, and personal reflection, and thus learning that is available to all of us so long as we summon the openness to say that who we are today isn‘t necessarily who we are going to be tomorrow: that we are capable of growth and truly made to be learners for the whole time we‘re here.

Learning keeps us young, open, more compassionate, and more aware of the world around us, not to mention more confident and increasingly fearless, and better able to navigate the chaos that is a given in this earthly life. We become resilient and paradoxically more solid in ourselves yet also more open with every moment we seek to explore and not know.

And so a challenge for you today, and for us all: be a learner. See what it does for your life experience. Read a book, investigate a seminar, explore something you‘ve been curious about. Do something today (and everyday) that will keep both your brain and your heart young, and see how your life changes. Allow yourself to live the reality that is your neurological inheritance: that you can choose how your brain chooses to function by changing your behaviour, and that this continues so long as you continue to engage with it. You have so much more influence than you have been led to believe, and can choose a life of curiosity no matter what your history.

In closing, a beautiful excerpt from author T.H.White for all us learners: “The best thing for being sad,” replied Merlin, beginning to puff and blow, “is to learn something. That's the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honour trampled in the sewers of baser minds.

There is only one thing for it then—to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting. Learning is the only thing for you. Look what a lot of things there are to learn.”

Onwards…

Ciel Patenaude is an integrative health and shamanic practitioner based in Williams Lake, BC. A highly trained and naturally gifted intuitive healer, Ciel holds a BSc in Biology, an MA in Integrative Healing, and is a certified yoga teacher and wellness coach.

Science Matters:

By David Suzuki

I

t was a dramatic image: millions of cubic metres of waste cascading from the Mount Polley mine breach into the Quesnel watershed in BC’s Interior. Besides destroying a nine-kilometre creek and endangering salmon and the neighbouring community of Likely, the catastrophe damaged the mining industry’s reputation. In the months following, fingers pointed, independent panels weighed in, and committees were struck. One year later, the Mount Polley mine is operating again, this time with a conditional permit and no long-term plan to deal with excess tailings.

In British Columbia, after metals are extracted from large mines, the finely ground rock that remains is stored under water behind earth-and-rock dams, which can prevent acid mine drainage. (Acid mine drainage occurs when water flows through exposed acidic minerals and becomes contaminated.) But storing massive

quantities of water in large open pits near towns and waterways is risky.

First Nations, scientists, and the independent review panel investigating the breach point to dry stacking as a safer, proven alternative to century-old wet tailings technology. The review panel encouraged this costlier method, yet all 10 BC mine proposals either approved or waiting for approval are planning to use wet tailings.

Seabridge Gold‘s $5.4-billion KSM copper-gold proposal, already approved by the BC and federal governments, includes a 239-metre-high earth dam, which would be among the world‘s highest, to store 27 times more tailings than were stored at Mount Polley. The company rejected dry stacking, citing costs and concluding it wasn‘t feasible in the wet, mountainous region. The Blackwater gold and silver mine southwest of Prince George, which plans to store four times as many tailings as were stored at Mount Polley, also rejected the safer alternative.

Elsewhere, dry stacking is being used or considered for larger mines. The Greens Creek mine in Alaska was among the first in the world to use it. La Coipa gold-silver mine in Chile, about one-third the size of the proposed Blackwater project, and Hudbay Minerals‘ proposed Rosemont Copper mine in Arizona also plan to use dry stacking.

BC‘s mining industry is growing faster

than ever, raising concerns about pollution, community impacts, and damage to fish and habitat. Fishermen point to threats to their livelihoods.

BC‘s auditor general has questioned whether the government is effectively considering the cumulative impacts of decision -making on natural resource development, including mining. First Nations are challenging industrial activity in their territories in light of the Supreme Court's Tsilhqot'in decision affirming rights to land and resources.

The risk of more mining accidents – and more environmental damage – is real.

The BC First Nations Energy and Mining Council found mining operations threaten more than 230 northern aboriginal and non -aboriginal communities, including drinking water in Prince George, Terrace, and Smithers. The report, ―Uncertainty Upstream: Potential Threats from Tailings Facility Failures in Northern British Columbia,‖ found 35 tailings ponds at 26 mines in 48 watersheds could affect fishbearing waters.

BC‘s government has taken action in the Mount Polley aftermath, but it‘s too early to tell if it will be enough. A provincial mining code review is considering ways to implement recommendations from an independent expert engineering panel, which include using dry stack technology where appropriate and improving safety and regulation at tailings-storage facilities.

But it doesn‘t address the review panel‘s conclusion that reducing dam failures requires reducing the number of dams.

Canada‘s mining industry and government regulators must do a better job of managing risk. At the very least we need stronger environmental assessments, a requirement that adequate financial bonds be posted before mines are approved, and recognition of First Nations‘ rights and title.

British Columbia could learn from Quebec. It requires almost all new mines to undergo a rigorous environmental-impact assessment overseen by an independent review panel. Financial assurances have been increased and at least half must be put up before a mine opens. Municipalities will soon have a say in designating ―no-go zones‖ for mining in sensitive areas.

We‘ll likely get more answers on the Mount Polley breach following investigations by the chief inspector of mines and Conservation Officer Service. But with timelines reduced and environmentalassessment processes streamlined to fasttrack mine approvals, we can expect more events like the one at Mount Polley. We need to take steps now to reduce risks from mining operations.

Written with contributions from David Suzuki Foundation communications specialist Theresa Beer.

Learn more at www.davidsuzuki.org.

An example of how to use low tunnels to protect fall and winter crops. Photo: Mother Earth News. Learn more here: www.motherearthnews/organic-gardening/low-tunnels-quick-

hoops-zmaz09onzraw.aspx

By Brianna van de Wijngaard Food Action Coordinator Williams Lake Food Policy Council

T

his article is largely a how-to on extending your gardening season.

Unfortunately, it’s coming out a wee bit late for 2015, but hopefully you still have a number of crops in the ground or raised garden bed that can be harvested into the winter. And you can put it on the fridge for 2016, because planning for winter and early spring vegetables is key if you want an extra month out of your garden.

There are two primary factors to consider when extending your garden season, either in the fall or spring: day light hours and temperature. More or less of one or the other will determine whether or not fall-planted crops will mature enough to harvest or store over winter, and how fast they will grow once spring hits.

If you live in Williams Lake proper, you are lucky: we have a forgiving growing season that can start as early as March, and thrive into late September or October. What is also beneficial is that we still have a fairly reliable snow cover during the winter, which is actually better for overwintering plants than extreme cold temperatures without snow. But let‘s look at those frosts first.

You‘re an avid gardener and you‘d like to have carrots, for example, right into December. Or start salad mix in the last week of March. Williams Lake is considered a Zone 5b (plant hardiness) with last frost dates (www.plantmaps.com/interactivebritish-columbia-last-frost-date-map.php) somewhere between May 21-31, on average.

But two things are important to remember here: the first is that these frost dates are based on 0 degrees Celsius, or just slightly lower. But many plants can handle – and even improve at – lower temperatures than that. The second is that there are a number of season extension tools you can use to mitigate those lower temperatures when they do occur: low tunnels, row cover, supplemental heat, etc.

There is another threshold that is known as ―killing frost.‖ This is a temperature of around -2.2 degrees Celsius. Using this threshold to determine first and last frost can add weeks to our growing season, if we‘re talking about anything other than tomatoes, squash, beans, or other heat lovers. That leaves a lot of options! Now, of course, if you transplant a four-week-old kale plant in mid-March, uncovered and without hardening off, and there is a slight frost, it might not make it because it hasn‘t been conditioned or developed a sturdy root system.

But in the last weeks of July, you can put out more kale transplants in preparation for fall and winter harvest because it will have enough time to develop enough foliage and root system to handle the cold.

After you‘ve determined which plants are hardy enough for our region, (lots are listed here: www.almanac.com/plants/

hardiness-zone/5) timing all comes down to day length and heat units. In Eliot Coleman‘s Winter Harvest Handbook, he determines from his own farm research that plants stop significant growth if there are fewer than 10 hours of day light. But this doesn‘t mean they‘re dead. Far from it: Coleman also considers winter food production as a shift from planting to harvesting. As long as you‘ve planted your crops with enough time to develop before winter, and added protection, they‘ll keep growing at incrementally slower rates, until the halt of winter, then pick up again in the spring.

If you want to keep those carrots in the ground, for example, and harvest them into the winter, they will actually taste better as the freezing temperatures turn starch into sugar. But if you just leave them in the ground, they will turn to mush, and the reason for this is moisture. Using the aforementioned season-extension tools, such as low tunnels and mulch, those carrots will stay dry and delicious. You need to plant them with enough time to mature, so look at the DTM (days to maturity) of your carrots, and count back from around the last two weeks of September, when temperatures and day length drops. Once they‘re mature, you stop watering, and mulch and/or put up a low tunnel to keep moisture off. Using a pitchfork and waiting for a sunny November day, you should be able to harvest those carrots.

There are so many possibilities with season extension in Williams Lake and the Cariboo, and this only scratches the surface.

But as climate changes occur here, and winters are reportedly much milder than in the past, it is worth experimenting to add to what is already an impressive local food system. With season extension tools and storage infrastructure, we have a lot of potential, both on a small scale in your own garden, or on a larger scale in greenhouses and root cellars on local farms.

The Williams Lake Food Policy Council would love to see more of this. We have almost completed our greenhouse construction at the Memory Garden on Carson St., and hope to experiment more with overwintered crops in the future. But in the meantime, if you‘d like to learn more about season extension, we are facilitating a workshop for the Williams Lake Garden Club ( w w w . f a c e b o o k . c o m / groups/379734715469186/) on October 1, at 7 p.m. in the CCACS building (old fire hall).

There is a $2 fee for drop-ins. We‘ll talk more about timing your fall and winter plantings, and how to get started super early in spring. If you are already a community gardener, or would like a bed at the Memory Garden on Carson, deadline to register is October 31st, 2015. Send us an email for a gardener‘s agreement at: foodpolicycouncil@hotmail.com.

Brianna van de Wijngaard is one of the Williams Lake Food Policy Council’s Food Action Coordinators, assisting in community garden maintenance, education, and expanding local food security.

By Adam McLeod, ND, BSc

By Douglas Gook

I

O

ften when looking for natural therapies patients turn to complicated exotic treatments. By doing this it is easy to forget about some of the more basic treatments that are also effective. A more complicated treatment plan is not necessarily more effective. A simple yet relatively unknown cancer treatment is ginger. There are a number of uses for ginger in an integrative cancer setting.

Ginger has some well documented anticancer effects and it has been shown to reduce side effects from chemotherapy.

When a patient is treated with chemotherapy the goal is to get as much of the drug as possible into the cancer cells. Every cancer cell is metabolically abnormal and it is appropriate to describe cancer cells as being sick cells. Due to this altered metabolism, the cancer cells often have more transporter molecules on their surfaces to remove toxins from within the cell. This presents a problem when these cells are treated with chemotherapy because these cancer cells can eliminate the drug before it has the opportunity to work. These transporter proteins are essential to the survival of multi-drug resistant cancer cells.

Ginger inhibits the function of a key transporter protein known as Pgylcoprotein. As a result, when this is combined with certain chemotherapies it will result in a greater accumulation of chemotherapy inside the cancer cells. This has been consistently observed in the scientific literature especially with the chemotherapy doxorubicin (also known as Adriamycin).The net effect is that it makes the chemotherapy more effective while reducing side effects. There are many other natural therapies that have similar effects on cancer cells including quercetin and bitter melon. Not only does ginger inhibit these critical transporter molecules, it also reduces inflammation. Systemic inflammation is a major concern with cancer patients and it is often helpful to control this inflammation during these aggressive conventional therapies. Ginger suppresses the formation of inflammatory molecules in the body. It also seems to suppress the activity of genes that are directly involved in producing these inflammatory molecules.

A common side effect from chemotherapy is nausea and ginger tea is one of the most effective natural anti-nausea remedies. Ginger inhibits nausea due to its action as a potent 5-HT3 antagonist, which means that it inhibits the activity of serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that also is strongly linked to nausea and vomiting. A strong ginger tea can often make a profound difference in patients that have stopped responding to conventional medications. The ginger does not have to be taken in replacement of conventional antinausea medications. In fact, it works best if

1896 color plate from Kรถhler's Medicinal Plants Photo: Franz Eugen Kรถhler, Kรถhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen taken with conventional medications because then you have multiple pathways being inhibited rather than just one.

I have personally witnessed, on many different occasions, patients having dramatic improvements from chemotherapyinduced nausea when they use ginger tea.

It is easy to make the ginger tea. Just go to your local grocery store and buy some fresh ginger root. Cut the ginger into small pieces until you have a handful of ginger slices, then place the ginger into a pot of boiling water. Let it simmer for 15 minutes with the lid on to keep all the volatile oils contained within the tea. Filter the pieces of ginger out of the tea using a strainer and allow the tea to cool until it is a pleasant, warm tea. Slowly sip at the tea and give it about 30 minutes to work. Some people find the tea more tolerable if honey is added after the ginger pieces have been filtered out.

You must have professional guidance when developing a cancer treatment plan.

A naturopathic doctor can help you to develop a safe and effective treatment plan.

Dr. Adam McLeod is a naturopathic doctor (ND), BSc. (Hon) molecular biology, motivational speaker, and international bestselling author. He currently practices at his clinic in Vancouver, British Columbia where he focuses on integrative oncology. http://www.yaletownnaturopathic.com.

'm propped up in my bivi/sleeping bag cover as I finish off this article. It was dark when I hiked up to this semi-familiar spot where I had camped at previous Robson Valley Music Festivals. When I woke up I had High bush cranberries and thimbleberries within reach. Inonotus obliquus, the medicinal chaga mushroom Across the small creek dip that Photo: Tad Montgomery I'm perched beside, I see a softball sized button of Chaga popping out from the side of a middle aged birch tree Even though the Cariboo has more transithat I had not noticed in previous years. I tion forest types, it remains a great place to see around me many other wild herbs, find Chaga. Further South in BC it is rare. I lichens, and mushrooms that all have spent a whole day searching in beautiful many nutritional and medicinal benefits. birch stands from Revelstoke to Nelson and As a Wildcrafter, whether I'm in any city found none. The Chaga growth often shortor the most untouched wild ecosystem, ens the life of this early seral stage species I've learnt that there is such a cornucopia by converting some of the birch's fiber of plants and fungi medicinals that grow mass into this powerful fungi medicine. all around us. The pharmacy is truly just When you see a birch stand that has trees outside our door. Learning the craft of broken off, this can be an indication of the herbalism and mycology is key to dissolv- presence of the Chaga mycelium. Often the ing the domination of corporate pharma- birch will be broken off at the Chaga ceuticals in our current pill industrial growth. complex.

Chaga only grows on living trees and When my two adult offspring were can get quite large over decades. I leave young, we made a commitment to each softball size growths even though if harother that we would search out some type vested right they will regrow. The largest of wild food/medicinal every day. Learning that I've found was 26 pounds. With drying new characteristics of the plant world all it loses about a eighth of its weight. I chunk around us opened up a very deep apprecia- it into marble sized pieces and then dry it tion of this important healing world. Haw- on stainless steel trays for at least three thorn, burdock, cat tail corn, morels, plan- weeks at room temperature. To end up with tain, and berries of every description are coffee grind sized pieces, I use a grain just a few examples of our wild quests. grinder with its plates set wide. I then strain Over the last eight years I've had a par- it through a dry pea sized colander. This ticularly strong connection to Chaga, makes for a wonderful tea mix for many Inonotus obliquus, a polypore medicinal cups of wild medicine. Just another examthat David Wolfe, the renowned super food ple of the Pharmacy Outside Our Door. activist, calls The King of Medicinal Mushrooms in his 2013 book about Chaga. Douglas Gook is a third generation settler This growth of mycelium is the highest who has lived, gardened and wildcrafted anti-oxidant fungi on the planet. As a daily around the shores of Dragon Lake in Questea, I have found it amazing for keeping nel for all of his 55 years. He is a member my immune system dialled. In a future of the Spirit Dance Cooperative Commuarticle I'll detail some of the other medici- nity and you can find him often at the Wilnal properties of Chaga. liams Lake and Quesnel Farmers Markets.

Chaga grows on living birch trees in Contact at gookmirth60@gmail.com and 250 the Boreal forest regions of the world. 747 3363.

Green Business Feature:

L

isa Buhler and Jennifer Earnshaw at Alternative Kids Clothing and Accessories have six children between them, and know what it’s like to try to find kids’ clothes that are unique and practical, responsible and affordable.

Buhler says they started Alternative Kids Clothing and Accessories last fall because they heard so many people say there are so few options for kids‘ clothing in Williams Lake. ―This store is a reflection of my own kids‘ closets,‖ she says. ―Some of their clothes are passed on from someone else and there are a few selected new items. It‘s what we‘re already doing in our own homes, and this was a natural way to pass it on to other people who may be interested.‖ Used, new, recycled, and up-cycled, their items are one-of-a-kind, Buhler says, and sometimes they take used clothes and creatively refurbish them.

She explains between 70 and 80 per cent of the items are used, or ‗pre-loved‘ and getting a new life. ―We also sell new items, carefully chosen for our store,‖ she says. ―We buy from fair trade companies—the same things we look for when buying clothes for our own kids for the past seven years. ―All our companies use organic cotton, are sweat shop free, socially aware, and responsible. According to the World Health Organization, it is estimated that three million people a year are poisoned by chemicals used in growing cotton.‖

By LeRae Haynes

Buying only organic cotton is one way to help care for the poorest and most vulnerable people in the world, according to Buhler. ―It‘s a great way to start,‖ she says. ―Fair trade is also important when it comes to organic cotton—after all, it‘s workers in their countries who deal directly with those chemicals.‖ She adds that three of the companies they buy from are Canadian – two are in BC – and the other is Egyptian. ―We look for things that are cute, and things people would want to put on their kids,‖ she says. ―We carry as big a range as possible—styles, sizes, and seasons. We have things for infants all the way to young adult.‖ At Alternative Kids Clothing and Accessories you can also find locally-made items like soaps, hair accessories, belts and headbands, blankets, recycled purses, and Declan Earnshaw, Jesse Buhler, Sam Buhler, Shaylee Earnshaw, Tieryn Buhler, and jewellery.

Jon Buhler, the children of Alternative Kids Clothing and Accessories store owners She says another motivation for start- Lisa Buhler and Jenny Earnshaw, are the motivation and inspiration behind the new ing the store was to dispel the myth around small business in Williams Lake. Photo: LeRae Haynes second-hand clothing—that they‘re dirty For more information about Alternative ―We have very reasonable prices,‖ she or unsafe and you always have to buy new says. ―We stay on top of pricing and keep Kids Clothing and Accessories, including clothes. ―Just because you buy a new garit accessible for people. You can clothe store hours, find the store by name on ment doesn‘t mean it‘s safe,‖ she says. your child for less than half of what you Facebook, phone (250) 392-4445, or visit ―Even when kids‘ clothes are made of cotat #65 1st Avenue S in Williams Lake. ton, it‘s recommended that you wash them can do in regular retail.‖ ―We also have a great landlady who is five or six times. Health of our kids should both family and business friendly—she‘s LeRae Haynes is a freelance writer, songbe our primary focus: sometimes second been so flexible to accommodate us. hand can be best.‖ writer, co-producer of “Pursicles,” and ―There are such great options here for the community co-ordinator for Success by Alternative Kids, which opened last gifts—whether up-cycled, recycled, or 6. She is also the instigator of a lot of mufall, is growing and expanding, according new, it‘s unique,‖ says Buhler. ―These are sical shenanigans in Williams Lake includto Buhler, who says future expansion will gifts you feel good about giving—good for ing “Borderband” with kids and is a memreflect the natural demand in the commupeople on the other side of the world and ber of the “Perfect Match” dance band. nity. ―We‘ve had a very positive reon this side, too.‖ sponse—a really busy first fall and winter.

By Ron Young

B

ritish Berkefeld water systems have been around since the 1890s and are commonly used as the water purification system of choice by first responders to disaster areas where clean water and power is unavailable. One of the many advantages of the ―Berkey‖ systems is they work without power because they use gravity to deliver the purified water from the top canister to the bottom canister.

Notice I am saying purified water not just filtered water. There is a very important difference. You can filter water just putting it through a coffee filter, but purified water has a legal definition and must meet very stringent guidelines to use of the term ―purified.‖ Many of the commercially available water filters do little more than remove taste and odour but leave bacteria, cysts, viruses, pesticide residues, heavy metals, and volatile organic compounds behind.

By legal definition, ―The impurity load of dissolved solids in purified water cannot exceed 10 parts per million.‖ Water which meets this threshold is inherently of a higher purity than spring water, tap water, or filtered water.‖ Water treated by reverse osmosis filtration or distilled is purified but aside from the high cost of such systems (both dollars and energy) is the fact that many of the beneficial components of water – the minerals such as potassium, magnesium, and calcium – are removed in the process. Reverse osmosis water becomes mildly acidic (hypotonic) and can actually strip out valuable

minerals from your blood and lymphatic system to get flushed out of your body. Over time your body will begin to rob your organs and bones of these minerals. Reverse osmosis will also not remove pathogenic bacteria like E. coli and giardia.

The Berkey water filter removes the pathogenic bacteria to a log 7 degree and keeps it out of your drinking water. Log 7 equates to a 99.99999% bacteria removal rate.

The cost of producing purified water with a Berkey system is less than 2 cents per gallon versus 35 – 50 cents for distilled and 20 – 65 cents for reverse osmosis.

The bacteria, parasites, inorganic minerals, volatile organic compounds, and heavy metals removed or reduced by up to 98 percent by the Berkey purification elements are too long to list here but we have detailed information at earthRight Products in Williams Lake for you to review. We also have detailed information on our website at: http://solareagle.com/berkefeld1.html or email us at info@solareagle.com. earthRight has sold the Berkey systems since 1999 and have many satisfied users throughout the Cariboo. If you are on a stream, a well, or even on city water you should consider the health benefits of a British Berkefeld water purifier.

There‘s a reason why they say water is life.

Ron Young is a renewable energy professional that designs and sells solar, wind, and microhydro systems. He operates the earthRight store in Williams Lake, BC and can be reached at info@solareagle.com

By LeRae Haynes

B

eing able to live comfortably and safely in their own home as long as possible is an enormous benefit for seniors, according to Better at Home co-ordinator Carrie Sundahl. She says the emotional, mental, and physical well-being of seniors can be greatly enhanced with a mix of practical in-home services and positive relationships with caring volunteers.

Better at Home, funded by the BC government, managed by United Way of the Lower Mainland, and overseen by the Williams Lake Seniors Activity Centre board of directors, provides services for seniors living in Williams Lake, living alone or as a couple with a household age of 65 and older. At present, Better at Home only services the Williams Lake community.

Sundahl, along with office administrator Kimberly Futcher, recruits volunteers for non-medical services for seniors in their homes—light housekeeping, friendly visiting, minor home repairs, light yard work, show shovelling, grocery shopping, and transportation to medical appointments.

The Better at Home office, located at the Williams Lake Seniors Activity Centre, opened November, 2013. The organization's list of 100 active clients continues to grow, as does its need for volunteers.

Sundahl explained the Better at Home experience is incredibly positive for both the clients and the volunteers. ―Many of our clients live alone and don‘t have family to help, and when they look around and see their home clean and repaired and their lawn mown and tidy, it reminds them that someone values them and takes care of them,‖ she says. ―For them to stay in their own homes is really important: it‘s security for them.

They‘re surrounded by memories and things that are comfortable and familiar. If they didn‘t have these services they would be especially isolated and vulnerable.‖ She says one of the things they get a lot of positive feedback about, from both clients and volunteers, is the friendly visiting. ―Any volunteer going into someone‘s home builds a relationship, which can be a true gift. Some of our volunteers have lost parents and grandparents, and say, ‗I wasn‘t able to do this for my own mom: now I can do this for someone who really needs it.‘‖ She adds some of the volunteers are retirees who find out about the group and want to help. ―They have a lifetime of skills and experience and want to give back,‖ says Sundahl. ―Our volunteers come from unexpected places, and range

Left photo: “A compassionate heart, a desire to help, and an appreciation for seniors is what it takes to be a Better at Home volunteer," says Carrie Sundahl, co-ordinator for Better at Home. On left, Diane Bland and right, volunteer, Ste Gooding, who assists in lawn maintenance for seniors in the Better at Home program. Right photo: Ste Gooding, lawn maintenance volunteer for Better at Home program for seniors. Photos: Casey Bennett, www.caseybennettphotography.com in age from 16 to their 70s. We have seen love and affection grow between the seniors and our volunteers.‖ A compassionate heart, a desire to help, and an appreciation for seniors is what it takes to be a Better at Home volunteer, according to Sundahl. ―Our vision is to help them feel good about staying in their own home as long as possible, respect them, and treat them with dignity,‖ she says. ―It‘s not just the services we provide—it‘s more than that. Many seniors feel no one wants to bother with them because they‘re old. They have incredible stories and a lifetime of knowledge and wisdom.‖ She says Better at Home services fills a huge gap in the community, adding they are given limited funds that they apply for every year. ―The seniors pay a fee for all services except for grocery shopping and friendly visiting, but we provide a sliding scale that comes with subsidies,‖ he says.

―We make every effort to accommodate our low-income clients: they pay what they can afford. When people can afford it, the money is put back into the budget to be able to help more clients. We also accept and welcome donations. ―People are so appreciative. One 91year-old client said, ‗I can‘t believe that someone cares that much, to do even such small things for me.‘ Both clients and volunteers say, ‗You have really changed my life.‘‖ She says one of the things they really need, especially going into winter, is volunteer drivers to help with grocery shopping and medical appointments. ―We need volunteers for friendly visiting, too,‖ she continues. ―Sometimes just a phone call means the world to someone who is lonely and needs a connection. That has such a positive impact on their overall well-being. Just having someone consistently visit them at home once a week

means someone is looking after them, someone is keeping an eye on them— someone will come.‖ One of the unique aspects of Better at Home is requests for service come directly from the seniors. ―This is their choice, and their decision. They choose us,‖ she said. ―We‘re here to enhance their lives, encourage and support their independence, and fill in where they need us.‖ For more information about Better at Home, including how to become a volunteer, phone (778) 412-2430, drop by the office at the Williams Lake Seniors Activity Centre at 176 N4th Ave., visit the website at www.betterathome.ca, and follow the group on Facebook.

LeRae Haynes is a freelance writer, song writer, community co-ordinator for Success by 6, member of Perfect Match dance band, and instigator of lots of music with kids.

T

wo hundred and seven International scientists including EMF researchers, university professors, and medical doctors from 40 countries have signed an appeal which calls upon the United Nations (UN), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the UN Member States to address the emerging public health crisis related to cellphones, wireless devices, wireless utility meters, and wireless infrastructure in neighbourhoods. They also urge the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) to initiate an assessment of alternatives to current exposure standards and practices that could substantially lower human exposures to non-ionizing radiation.

We are scientists engaged in the study of biological and health effects of nonionizing electromagnetic fields (EMF).

Based upon peer-reviewed, published research, we have serious concerns regarding the ubiquitous and increasing exposure to EMF generated by electric and wireless devices. These include, but are not limited to, radiofrequency radiation (RFR) emitting devices, such as cellular and cordless phones and their base stations, WiFi, broadcast antennas, smart meters, and baby monitors as well as electric devices and infrastructures used in the delivery of electricity that generate extremely-low frequency electromagnetic field (ELF EMF).

Scientific basis for our common concerns Numerous recent scientific publications have shown that EMF affects living organisms at levels well below most international and national guidelines. Effects include increased cancer risk, cellular stress, increase in harmful free radicals, genetic damages, structural and functional changes of the reproductive system, learning and memory deficits, neurological disorders, and negative impacts on general well-being in humans. Damage goes well beyond the human race, as there is growing evidence of harmful effects to both plant and animal life.

These findings justify our appeal to the

United Nations UN and all member states in the world to encourage WHO to exert strong leadership in fostering the development of more protective EMF guidelines, encouraging precautionary measures, and educating the public about health risks, particularly risk to children and fetal development. By not taking action, the WHO is failing to fulfill its role as the preeminent international public health agency.

Inadequate non-ionizing EMF international guidelines The various agencies setting safety standards have failed to impose sufficient guidelines to protect the general public, particularly children who are more vulnerable to the effects of EMF. In 1998, the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) established the ―Guidelines For Limiting Exposure To Time-Varying Electric, Magnetic, and Electromagnetic Fields (up to 300 GHz).‖ These guidelines are accepted by the WHO and numerous countries around the world. The WHO is calling for all nations to adopt the ICNIRP guidelines to encourage international harmonization of standards. In 2009, the ICNIRP released a statement saying it was reaffirming its 1998 guidelines, as in their opinion, the scientific literature published since that time, ―has provided no evidence of any adverse effects below the basic restrictions and does not necessitate an immediate revision of its guidance on limiting exposure to high frequency electromagnetic fields. ICNIRP continues to make these assertions, in spite of growing scientific evidence to the contrary. It is our opinion that, because the ICNIRP guidelines do not cover long-term exposure and low-intensity effects, they are insufficient to protect public health.

The WHO adopted the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classification of ELF EMF in 2002 and of radiofrequency radiation (RFR) in 2011.

This classification states that EMF is a possible human carcinogen (Group 2B).

Despite both IARC findings, the WHO continues to maintain that there is insuffi-

Introduction to the United Nations EMF Appeal Delivered by Martin Blank, PhD, Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University. Video and transcript of the introduction available at www.emfscientist.org

cient evidence to justify lowering these quantitative exposure limits.

Since there is controversy about a rationale for setting standards to avoid adverse health effects, we recommend that UNEP convene and fund an independent multidisciplinary committee to explore the pros and cons of alternatives to current practices that could substantially lower human exposures to RFR and ELF fields.

The deliberations of this group should be conducted in a transparent and impartial way. Although it is essential that industry be involved and co-operate in this process, industry should not be allowed to bias its processes or conclusions. This group should provide their analysis to the UN and the WHO to guide precautionary action.

Collectively we also request that: 1. children and pregnant women be protected; 2. guidelines and regulatory standards be strengthened; 3. manufacturers be encouraged to develop safer technology; 4. utilities responsible for the generation, transmission, distribution, and monitoring of electricity maintain adequate power quality and ensure proper electri-

cal wiring to minimize harmful ground current; 5. the public be fully informed about the potential health risks from electromagnetic energy and taught harm reduction strategies; 6. medical professionals be educated about the biological effects of electromagnetic energy and be provided training on treatment of patients with electromagnetic sensitivity; 7. governments fund training and research on electromagnetic fields and health that is independent of industry and mandate industry co-operation with researchers; 8. media disclose experts‘ financial relationships with industry when citing their opinions regarding health and safety aspects of EMF-emitting technologies; and, 9. white-zones (radiation-free areas) be established.

All inquiries, including those from qualified scientists who request that their name be added to the Appeal, may be made by contacting Elizabeth Kelley, M.A., Director, EMFscientist.org, at info@EMFscientist.org.

List of Signatories: https:// emfscientist.org/index.php/emf-scientistappeal

September 3–5: Chickadee Early Childhood and Learning Centre open house/ registration 2015—16 programs: Early Childhood (mixed-age Kindergarten, Parent and Tot) and Homeschool Grades Support. Explore the possibility of a Waldorfinspired education for your child. St. Andrews United Church, 1000 Huckvale Place, Williams Lake (new location).11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call (250) 296-3265 for more info.

September 4–October 9: Williams Lake Farmers Market—Fresh baking, arts and crafts, plants, eggs, local fruits, veggies, meats, and live music. Fridays, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call (250) 398-0580 or visit the market‘s Facebook page for more info.

September 7: FraserFEST—A celebration of water, the Fraser River, salmon migration and youthful activism. Guided tours, crafts, dinner (local foods, please contribute to the buffet), entertainment (Synergy and Marin Patenaude), and Lehal game at Xatśūll Heritage Village. 3–7 p.m. Visit www.xatsullheritagevillage.com or call (250) 989-2311 for more info.

September 10: World Suicide Prevention Day—A remembrance gathering sponsored by the Canadian Mental Health Association. Boitanio Park, Williams Lake. Noon to 1 p.m. Call (250) 398-8220 for more info.

September 11–13: Xatśūll Save-theSalmon Traditional Pow-wow. Warm-up, grand entries, Xatśūll Princess and Tiny Tot Princess Pageant, Lehal tournament, concessions, arts and crafts. Horsefly spawning channels. Warm-up 7 p.m. Friday. Grand entries at noon and 7 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. Sunday. Email aboriginalts@gmail.com or call (250) 267-8063 for more info.

September 12: Weekend Permaculture Workshop—Details and cost TBD. Info on permaculture and caring for the land, discussion on soils, earthworking, and climate design. Hands-on activity. Registration required. 100 Mile House. Call (250) 7917284 or (250) 395-3364 or visit www.southcariboosustainability.com.

September 12–13: Williams Lake Harvest Fair—Rodeo events, craft and agricultural displays, children‘s area, entertainment, demonstrations, wagon rides, and more.

Sta mpede Park. Email cindeporter@hotmail.ca, call (250) 398-0809, or visit www.wlharvestfair.ca for more info.

September 12 & 26: How to Meditate— Class on fundamentals of Buddhist meditation, how to begin a daily meditation practice and deal with difficulties that may arise. Beginners and experienced students encouraged. $100 course fee. No one turned away due to lack of funds. Gendun Drubpa Buddhist Centre, Williams Lake.

9:30 a.m. to 4:30 a.m. Register at www.gendundrubpa.org or call (250) 3985681.

September 16–November 4: Intermediate Course, Breaking Through Illusion— Karma, Emptiness & 12 Links of Depend-

ent Origination. Prerequisite: an introductory course in Buddhist philosophy. $85$150 course fee, sliding scale. Gendun Drubpa Buddhist Centre, Williams Lake.

Register at www.gendundrubpa.org or call (250) 398-5681.

September 19: Canadian Mental Health Association‘s Charity Poker—Tickets at CMHA. $75 buy in. Ages 19-plus. Signal Point Event Centre, Williams Lake. Call (250) 392-4118 for more info.

September 19: Royal Bank of Canada‘s charity golf tournament for Boys and Girls Club—$60 per person (or $50 per WL Golf Club Members). Many prizes including a $10,000 hole-in-one prize. Williams Lake Golf and Tennis Club. Noon. Email scott.carter@rbc.com or operations@bgcwilliamslake.com or call (250) 392-5730 (ext. 206) to register.

September 21–Oct. 9: The Baker Creek Enhancement Society‘s Pink Salmon Patrol. Patrol the creek and keep the salmon safe. Baker Creek, Quesnel. Email bces@telus.net or call (250) 992-5833 for more info.

September 21–October 20: 40 days of Transformation—Challenge yourself in body, mind, and spirit to commit to 40 days of practice. Weekly seminars, email support, coaching, and studio pass included. $175 per person. Satya Yoga Studio, Will i a m s L a k e .

E m a i l info@satyayogastudio.ca to register.

Sept 25: Join Big Lake author, Steven Hunter for the release of his second novel Strings at Central Cariboo Arts Centre, 5-7 p.m. Contact Venta at (250) 790-2331 or williamslakearts@gmail.com for info.

September 25: Take Back the Night— Starts at the Williams Lake Save-On-Foods parking lot. 5:30 p.m. Call (250) 392-4118 for more info.

September 25–27: Lake Stewardship Conference—―EcoCousins or Distant Relatives, the Connection Between Lakes and Wetlands.‖ Hallis Lake Lodge, Quesnel. 79 p.m. Friday; 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Email bces@telus.net or call (250) 992-5833 to register/for more info.

September 25–27: Culture Days Weekend.

Join local artists, organizations, and community groups in Williams Lake, Horsefly, and Xat‘sull Heritage Village. Visit www.tinyurl.com/nr253ps for full schedule of events or contact Venta at (250) 7902331 or williamslakearts@gmail.com.

September 26: Seed Saving Workshop— Free workshop in Karen Johnson Puckett‘s backyard. Donations welcome. 100 Mile House. Call (250) 791-7284 or (250) 3953364 or visit www.southcariboosustainability.com.

September 26: Drop-in Spinners and Weavers Guild—Culture Day event. Learn about spinning and weaving at the Cariboo Arts Centre (90 Fourth Ave.), Williams Lake. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Email car-

von@shaw.ca or call (250) 392-3577 for more info.

September 26: Open House at Central Cariboo Arts Centre—Culture Days event.

Artist guild demos, workshops, and events.

11 a.m. to 6 p.m. 90 Fourth Ave., Williams Lake. Email williamslakearts@gmail.com or call (250) 790-2331 for more info.

September 26: Cariboo-Chilcotin Early Years Conference—Williams Lake. Call (250) 392-4118 for registration and more info.

September 26: Dreamcatcher Creation Workshop—Culture Days event. Build a dreamcatcher (materials provided). Xatśūll Heritage Village. Call (250) 989-2311 to pre-register.

September 26 & 27: The Horsefly River Salmon Festival—Culture Days/BC Rivers Day event. Kids‘ crafts and activities, salmon dissection, riparian guided tours, info booths, bannock, and more. Across the bridge in Horsefly. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Live music in the community hall Saturday night to support Arts on the Fly. Email info@horseflyriver.ca, call (250) 6203505, or visit www.horseflyriver.ca for more info.

October 3: Mt. Polley Findings—UNBC and colleagues share findings on Mt. Polley‘s tailings pond breach and other research activities. 6581 Likely Rd. Research presentations at 10 a.m. Refreshments and BBQ at noon. Call (250) 790-2031 for more info.

October 4: The Pink Salmon Festival—A free, family-friendly event to celebrate the pink salmon run. BBQ included. Baker Park, Quesnel. 2-5 p.m. Email bces@telus.net or call (250) 992-5833 for more info.

October 17 & 18: Weekend Retreat with Geshe Thubten Sherab—The Awakened Heart: Inner Peace Through Compassion.

Gendun Drubpa Buddhist Centre, Williams Lake. Visit www.gendundrubpa.org for more info.

October 21 & 22: The Crystal Man show and sale at The Hobbit House, Williams Lake. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 71 Ave. S. Call (250) 392-7599 for more info.

October 22: Community Futures Celebrates 30 Years. Open House Celebration, 266 Oliver St., Williams Lake. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Appetizers and refreshments provided. Call (250) 392-3626 or flo@cfdccariboo.com for more info.

September 27: The Bank of Gratitude— Culture Day event. Spend dedicated quiet time with the river giving gratitude and making commemorative art. Likely/ Quesnel riverbank. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Email avisionofventa@gmail.com or call (250) 790-2331 for more info.

October 22 & 23: Monster Mash Pool Bash—Regular admission applies. Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex, Williams Lake. Tween night Oct. 22, 7-9 p.m. Everyone welcome Oct. 23, 6:30 to 8 p.m. Call (250) 398-7665 for more info.

September 27: Environmental Crafting and Building with Found Objects—Culture Days event. Participate in environmental crafting and building with found objects.

West Fraser Timber Park, Quesnel. 1-3 p.m. Email colleenbrines@shaw.ca or call (250) 747-2207 for more info.

October 24 & 25: Boys and Girls Club annual Haunted House—Entry by monetary donation or donation of non-perishable food items. Intends to scare; leave littlest ones at home. 17 4th Ave. S, Williams Lake. 7-10 p.m. Call (250) 392-5730 (ext.

206) for more info.

September 30 to November 25: Living Self Aware—Eight-week course on how to regain positive parts of our experience in life through practise and wisdom. $360 including materials. Wednesdays 6-9 p.m. (except Nov. 4).

Email info@entelechyheals.com to register.

October 29: Pumpkin Path—Enjoy a safe, fun, and creative Hallowe‘en celebration with your young child or homeschoolers.

Chickadee Early Childhood and Learning Centre, St. Andrews United Church, 1000 Huckvale Place, Williams Lake. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Call (250) 296-3265 for more info.

Your Green Shopping Directory

Distribution Details

Green Locations TheGreenGazette can be found in print at the fine locations below, as well as online at www.thegreengazette.ca or by subscription .

“ Alternative Kids Clothing, 250 392-4445 65 1st Ave. South, Williams Lake Recycled (―pre-loved‖), up-cycled, locally made, fairly traded, and organic cotton products. Clothing for 0-17 yrs., soaps, and accessories for all ages. Small maternity section. See Facebook: Alternative Kids Clothing and Accessories for hrs.

Bean Counter Bistro & Coffee Bar, 250 305-2326 180B 3rd Ave. North, Williams Lake Organic Coffee, Fair Trade, Local Foods Big Bear Ranch, 250 620-3353 Steffi, Florian, and Rainer Krumsiek Grass finished beef and lamb, pasture raised pork, and turkey. Certified organic since 2004. www.bigbearranch.com Canadian Tire, 250 392-3303 1050 South Lakeside Dr., Williams Lake Recycling Initiatives, Renewable Energy Solutions, Organic Cleaning Products: Blue Planet, Green Works, Method, Nature Clean, Seventh Generation Cariboo Growers Coop, 778 412-2667 3rd & Oliver St., Williams Lake. 100% Natural & Organic Foods, Non-Profit Farmer’s Coop Cleanway Supply, 1-800-663-5181 275 South MacKenzie Ave., Williams Lake Organic Cleaning Products Dandelion Living, 778-412-9100 271 Oliver St., Williams Lake Local & Original, Reclaimed & Repurposed, Natural & Organic Products Day Spa Champagne, 250 305-1249 124A North Second Ave., Williams Lake Quiet, relaxing, personalized atmosphere. A Zen experience. Four Types Massage, Reflexology, Manicures/Pedicures & More.

Debbie Irvine B.Sc. (Agr.) RHN Registered Holistic Nutritionist 250-392-9418 or dirvine@thelakebc.ca SPRINGHOUSE GARDENS - Organically grown market garden veggies; Grass fed/finished beef - no hormones, no GMOs. Enquiries welcome. earthRight Solar, 1 877 925-2929 3rd & Borland, Williams Lake Renewable Energy Solutions, Eco-Friendly Products, Composting Toilets Flying Coyote Ranch, 250 296-4755 Ingrid Kallman and Troy Forcier Grass-fed Angus beef No shots, no hormones, organic fertilizer By the quarter or side, hamburger .

The Gecko Tree, 250 398-8983 54 N. MacKenzie Ave. Williams Lake Serving healthy, local foods

.”

Halls Organics, 250 398-2899 107 Falcon Rd. (North Lakeside), Williams Lake Indoor and Outdoor Organic Gardening Products, Alternative Traditional Products, Teas anHerbs, Hemp Body Products The Hobbit House, 250 392-7599 71 First Ave. South, Williams Lake Juice Bar, Natural Products, Essential Oils, Teas, Crystals, Gemstones, and more.

Intuitive readings using Flower Essences, 250 267-7499 Contact Jessica at jessicawalters3631@gmail.com Helping to heal and harmonize body, mind and soul.

Potato House Sustainable Community Society 250 855-8443 or spuds@potatohouseproject.com In an age of apathy and a sense that change is all talk and no action, The Potato House Project is a friendly bastion of doing, sharing, learning and playing. Call us with your ideas and to find out ways to get involved.

San Jose Cattle Company, 250 296-4592 Clint and Karen Thompson Sustainable Agriculture, Raised Naturally/Local Beef, No antibiotics, hormones, chemical fertilizers or herbicides.

Scout Island Nature Centre & Williams Lake Field Naturalists, 250 398-8532 www.scoutislandnaturecentre.ca www.williamslakefieldnaturalists.ca 1305A Borland Rd, Williams Lake Nature on the city’s doorstep. Bird sanctuary, arboretum, trails, Nature House, natural history programs for children and adults.

Smashin’ Smoothies, 778-412-2112 102-41, 7th Ave North, Williams Lake Juice, Smoothies & Expresso Bar Fresh, Organic, Whole Food.

Sta-Well Health Foods, 250 392-7022 79D 3rd Ave. North, Williams Lake Organic Foods, Water Distillers, Natural Medicines, Emergency Freeze Dried Foods.

Williams Lake Food Policy Council, 250-302-5010 GROWING THE SEEDS OF CHANGE! www.facebook.com/WLFPC foodpolicycouncil@hotmail.com. Building a strong local food economy and promoting a healthy and sustainable community Williams Lake Water Factory, 250 398-5201 Pure Bottled Water. Home & Office Delivery.

955 S. Mackenzie Ave, Williams Lake, BC. Come see us on Toonie Tuesday!

Zed-Tech Electric, 250-267-4868 For all your residential and commercial needs.

Joe Zombori zedtechelectric26@gmail.com

Contact us today to list your Green Business - info@thegreengazette.ca or lisa@thegreengazette.ca

100 Mile House Donex Canadian 2 for 1 Pizza Chartreuse Moose Higher Ground Nat. Foods KFC Nuthatch Books One Another Coffee House Safeway Save-On-Foods A&W 108 Mile House 108 Mile Mall 108 Mile Supermarket 150 Mile House 150 Mile Mall Husky Station Marshall‘s 150 Mile Store Alexis Creek Alexis Creek General Store Anahim Lake Anahim Lake Trading Mclean Trading Bella Coola Coast Mountain Lodge Kopas Store Moore‘s Organic Market Valley Inn & Restaurant Big Lake Big Lake General Store Clinton Clinton Coffee House Dog Creek Mount View Handy Mart Red Dog Pub/Liquor Store Hanceville Lee‘s Corner Store Horsefly Clarke‘s General Store Post Office Horsefly Hardware Horsefly Service Station LacLaHache Race Trac Gas Lac La Hache Bakery Red Crow Cafe McLeese Lake Deep Creek Service Station The Oasis Motel Cafe Nimpo Lake Nimpo Lake General Store Prince George Ava Maria Gifts and Health Foods Books and Co. University of Northern BC College of New Caledonia Quesnel The Green Tree Barkerville Brewing Bliss Cafe Booster Juice Carryall Books Holistic Health Care Clinic Karin‘s European Deli Granville‘s Coffee Shop Quesnel Bakery Quiznos Safeway Save On Foods Tourism Info Center Redstone Kinikinik

Williams Lake Adorn Naturally A&W All-ways Travel Amanda Enterprises Barking Spider Mtn. Bikes Bean Counter Bistro Beaver Valley Feeds Body Connection by Joe CanWest Propane Cariboo Growers Coop Cariboo Ski Community Futures Concrete Fitness Conservation Society CJ‘s Restaurant CRD Library Creative Scissor Dairy Queen Dandelion Living Day Spa Champagne earthRight Elaine‘s Natural Foods 4 Sure Bistro Factory Direct Furniture Greyhound Bus Stop Haines Office World Handi-Mart Joey‘s Grill KFC Halls Organics Integrated Elements Wellness Clinic The Hobbit House Husky Restaurant Karamia‘s Donairs Kornak & Hamm Pharmacy The Laughing Loon The Legion Manna Cafe Margetts Meats McDonalds New World Coffee Oliver‘s Bar & Grill Porky‘s Deli Quality Tax Solutions Red Shred‘s Bike & Board Shed Rona Home Centre Safeway Save-on-Foods SBL Liquor Store Scout Island Nature Center Senior Citizens ActivityCenter Shopper‘s Drug Mart Spa Bella Station House Gallery Sta-Well Health Foods Subway Taylor Made Cakes The Gecko Tree The Open Book Tim Hortons Tourism Info Center Trattoria Pasta Shoppe Thompson Rivers Univ.

Tsilhqot'in National Gov`t Walmart Williams Lake Physio WL Veterinary Hospital Williams Lake Water Factory *please note that we are in the process of revamping our distribution process to better serve our clients. If TheGreenGazette is not being displayed at any of the above locations please contact us so that we may rectify the situation.

By Jasmin Schellenberg HEALTHY SNACKS AND WHY Almond Crackers with Garlic & Rosemary  2 cups almond flour/meal  ¾ teaspoon sea salt  ½ teaspoon garlic powder  ½ teaspoon chopped, dried rosemary  1 large egg  1 tablespoon olive oil or butter Preheat oven to 350 degrees C. Grease baking sheet liberally. Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Whisk egg and oil together until frothy. Mix into dry ingredients until well blended. Place 1 tablespoon flattened to 1/16 inch thick, place on greased sheet, and bake for 10 minutes until golden. Enjoy! Great also with soups.

NUTRIENT DENSE MEAL Sauerkraut  3 large heads of cabbage  5 large carrots  3 tablespoons caraway (optional)  3 tablespoons sea salt  12 tablespoons whey Remove outer leaves of cabbage, core them, and slice thinly. Sprinkle salt, caraway, and whey as you go over vegetables.

Slice carrots thinly and mix in. Pound with hands or wooden pounder until vegetables become limp or lots of juice is produced.

Press into gallon jars, cover with a leaf of cabbage, and put weight on it. Place in cool area (slow fermentation produces firmer, crisp vegetables). After a day you should see some brine started. If not, add one liter of water and mix in one tablespoon of sea salt. Allow culture to rest in a cool room for another four days. By now you should see bubbles forming steadily.

Move jars into fridge or cold room.

Enjoy!

MYTHS UNVEILED Supporting sustainable diets Lacto fermentation is an old process involving the brining of vegetables and / or other ingredients. As is true of most ancient processes, there was more than just one reason for the use of the technique.

First of all lacto-fermentation is very useful to naturally extend the shelf life of food. A raw carrot, for example, may keep for a week in the fridge; it will, however, keep for many months once it is fermented.

There are nutritional benefits to fermentation as well: the process uses microorganisms to begin breaking down the vegetable, and the result is higher bioavailability of nutrients and easier digestion. The live microorganisms also assist your body in breaking down other foods and supplement the many processes in your body that require enzymes.

Increased enzymes and probiotics in your diet encourage healthy gut flora, which in turn support positive mental states and proper metabolism of other nutrients. The addition of live probiotics can help in managing yeast overgrowths such as candida by introducing a wider variety of competitive flora. A recent study showed that a tablespoon of lactofermented sauerkraut was multiple times more bio-active than the most high-end, expensive probiotic supplements. And a tablespoon of sauerkraut will only cost you pennies per day.

Edible Alchemy: The increase in bioavailability brought about by fermentation is perhaps the most incredible process that holds great keys to health and economy, making it the most essential piece to understanding how to best nourish your body in a way that is both affordable and sustainable.

Once fermented, nutrients become about nine times more available than in raw vegetables. Therefore, a serving of two tablespoons of live sauerkraut will have the nutritional value of nearly a pound of raw cabbage.

According to most modern nutritional plans we should be consuming large amounts of organic vegetables each day to achieve or maintain health. Every protocol, however, should stand up to the ultimate test: is it sustainable? The answer is no. It is not sustainable to consume large amounts of vegetables simply because it is neither traditional nor is it affordable to the vast majority of the population of the world.

Lacto-fermented vegetables, however, in varied forms, were a part of virtually all traditional diets.

Understanding that a two tablespoons serving is enough to fulfill your dietary needs at any given meal, while also supporting your health through the ingestion of live probiotics can offer huge relief from the financial burden of the cost of good quality vegetables. As well, it offers relief to your body as you will be consuming less volume and lighten the load on your digestive system.

A WALK THROUGH YOUR PANTRY: GET RID OF: Store bought canned vegetables. Not only do they have all kinds of preservatives in them, the metal cans themselves are not healthy.

REPLACE WITH: Start fermenting your vegetables. If you have a few canned vegetables make them yourself and use glass jars.

Brought to you by Jasmin Schellenberg Inspired by and resourced from Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, www.westonaprice.org, and Ethical Kitchen North Vancouver.

For “Nourishing our Children” newsletters of the past www.thegreengazette.ca

visit: