The Green Gazette February/March 2017

6/ The Coupé Against Technology: Taking back control of our devices Technology‘s draw is undeniably changing the way we live, love, work, interact, and hunker down in privacy. Social media, apps, and various devices have their own language, rules, and etiquette, and their ubiquitous use demands change in our homes, workplaces, and personal lives. - by Jessica Kirby 10/ Featured Green Business: Educo Adventure School Transforming Lives Cariboo wilderness offgrid glory takes on a whole new meaning, transforming the lives of young people, thanks to Educo Adventure School. - by LeRae Haynes 11/ Women’s Day: Let's create a future that belongs to all of us The United States under President Donald Trump is currently the most convenient place to look for evidence of a systemic movement to erode women‘s rights. - by Jessica Kirby

12/ Three Decades of Conservation in the West Chilcotin and Tatlayoko Conservation work in the West Chilcotin and Tatlayoko has protected significant areas of habitat for a wide array of species. It took years of work, lots of compromise, and countless volunteer hours to accomplish this. - by Peter Shaughnessy 19/ Where Does Money Come From? Where does money come from? It‘s a simple question that creates a lot of confusion. - by Guy Dauncey 21/ Agriculture: The long view, and a new Green Revolution Many pastoralists and conservation farmers in the US voted for Donald Trump—by a strong majority, according to my reading. So maybe farming is a tribal activity and the resettler tribes of the land operate with a worldview that in part says we humans are a chosen race, destined by a higher power to dominate/ steward the earth in our image, no matter what. - by David Zirnhelt

Publisher / Editor-in-Chief Lisa Bland Senior Editor Jessica Kirby Contributors David Suzuki, LeRae Haynes, Margaret-Anne Enders, Jasmin Schellenberg, Terri Smith, Jessica Kirby, Guy Dauncey, Bill Irwin, Jennifer Clark, Casey Bennett, Brandon Hoffman, Dr. Adam McLeod, Pat Teti, Ciel Patenaude, Sharon Taylor, Van Andruss, Patti Wood, Diane Dunaway, Kim Judd, Dina Stephenson, Lisa Bland, Venta Ruthkauskas, David Zirnhelt, Peter Shaughnessy Advertising Lisa Bland Creative Directors Lisa Bland / Casey Bennett Ad Design Jill Schick, Rebecca Patenaude, Leah Selk Published by Earthwild Consulting Printing Black Press Ltd. Index: Tomato-rosemary loaf at The Bread Peddler Photo: Lynn Stevens/See What I See Photography www.seewhateyesee.ca Cover: Tatlayoko has an ethereal and spiritual quality giving pause for reflection.

Photo: Peter Shaughnessy

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 © 2017 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.

28-29/ Featured Cariboo Bakeries: Taylor Made Cakes, Lac La Hache Bakery, and The Bread Peddler There are very few out there not tempted by the scent of fresh baked bread. The staple, made mainly from flour, water, and yeast spores harvested from the air, is central to diets in the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and the Americas, and marks the birth of agriculture with its popularity. - by Jessica Kirby

4/ Publisher‘s Letter: Love or Fear -- The Case for Revolution - by Lisa Bland 7/ Sustainability Change-makers Wanted for Fraser River Adventure - by LeRae Haynes 08/ Resolve to be Waste Wise 13/ The 1st Annual Cariboo Chilcotin Film Festival - by Casey Bennett 14/ Pharis Romero Sings True - by Venta Ruthkauskas 15/ In Love with Stuff: Dealing with Heirlooms - by Jennifer Clark 15/ Safety Meeting 2017 - by Brandon Hoffman 16/ Science Matters: Indigenous People are Fighting for Us All - by David Suzuki 16/ What I Do When I get Sick - by Dr. Adam McLeod 17/ A Wood-fired Pizza Oven for the Masses - by Pat Teti 18/ Blessing the World: Random Acts of Kindness Day 2017 - by Ciel Pantenaude 18/ Lessons from Lady - by Margaret-Anne Enders 22/ Creating a Better World Together - by Sharon Taylor 23/ Public Participation and Forestry Planning - by Van Andruss

23/ Skywatch - by Bill Irwin 24/ Power of the Heart - by Dina Stephenson 25/ Back to Eden Garden Method - by Kim Judd 25/ Citizens Unite Against Rail Tie Burning 26/ Raising Amadeus - by Terri Smith 26/ Williams Lake SPCA: Finding Animals the Best Homes - by LeRae Haynes 27/ Confessions of a Farmer: Looking Towards Spring - by Terri Smith 30/ Green Business Feature: 52° North: Wild and locally sourced birch water - by LeRae Haynes 31/ WL Garden Club set to Bloom in 2017 31/ What You Need to Know about Wireless Radiation and Your Baby - by Patti Wood 32/ Education and Action are Key to Successful Beekeeping - by Diane Dunaway 33/Department of Justice admits CO2 levels place nation on ―costly, insecure, and environmentally dangerous path‖ 33/ Calendar of Events: February-March 2017 35/ Nourishing our Children - by Jasmin Schellenberg

Lisa Bland Publisher/Editorin-Chief

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e live in a vastly different political reality since TheGreenGazette last went to press on November 8. For many Canadians, the Liberal victory during the last federal election brought relief from fears of our own national identity being dismantled, and hope that a new day was dawning. While that new day isn’t as rosy at it seemed in terms of bringing in a system of change addressing climate change and averting ecological crisis, many feel it is still better than moving forward under a Conservative government. The status quo has generally not been disrupted, and, at least, we still get to be nice. But that might be a problem, too.

If world history is any indicator, relative comfort does not precede change.

For many of our neighbours to the south, the politically unthinkable has happened and continues to happen. No longer perched on the precipice between status quo and radical change, the US has taken the plunge. America and the global community are spinning with the impacts and implications of the Trump presidency. The unspeakable is being spoken, loudly, and without reservation or regard for intrinsic kindness, tolerance, and justice. It‘s as though the shadow has finally been allowed out of the closet, and fear has taken over. The chain of effects brought on by such extreme measures is anyone‘s guess.

But when fear comes calling, love rises, too.

Given the past weeks since Trump‘s inauguration, it‘s hard not to wonder whether things truly need to get much worse before they can start getting better, and before they can truly evolve. History tells us that most change is hard earned and takes time. In other cases, change happens quickly, as a collective threshold or breaking point is reached and a shift occurs.

Although it may seem far away in a distant past from our modern vantage point of comfort, our collective history of the last three centuries of modern capitalism is defined by wars and revolutions.

In The Meaning of Marxism, by Paul D'Amato, ―revolution‖ is defined as a pe-

Photo: Love Revolution. Alice: This is impossible! Mad Hatter: Only if you believe it is.

Photo: www.flikr.com /Ilias Bartolini

riod when the gradual accumulation of mass bitterness and anger of the exploited and oppressed coalesces and bursts forth into a mass movement to overturn existing social relations and replaces them with new ones. A few days of revolutionary upheaval may bring more change than decades of ―normal‖ development and rulers and systems that seemed invincible are suddenly toppled. According to Karl Marx, revolution is the ―midwife of history‖ and creates a new basis for development. Revolution is not a deviant path in an otherwise smoothly running society, but the necessary means by which society moves forward.

Marx said people enter into a set of social relations that correspond with a given level of production. At a certain point, those relations block the development of the productive forces of society. A revolution is necessary to burst through and create a new basis for development.

Under capitalism, if an economic crisis occurs where people are unable to work or put food on the table, and the system produces wealth for some and misery for others, workers will eventually revolt and overturn capitalism, rebuilding society on the basis of collective, socialized production and distribution.

With rising disillusionment in the US since the economic crash of 2008, the stage has been set for a revolution. In November‘s US election, enough people rejected

the status quo democratic option and, for better or worse, voted for radical change— not into left field, but into the right. Many revolted against perceived oppression by the liberal status quo, and were desperate for change. One now wonders if Trump voters feel they got what they bargained for.

An equal wave of revolt arising from love and indignation also catalyzed worldwide in mirror reflection of the discrimination, sexism, and hate presented by the incoming president. A global petition by Avaaz against the actions promoted by President Trump was circulated following his executive order to instate a Muslim ban from seven countries, and within days reached five million signatures. Expressions of kindness and tolerance unified people across the world at the same time hate and violence emerged from hiding.

The Women‘s March on January 21, immediately after the presidential inauguration, was the largest single-day demonstration in US history, with an estimated five million people participating worldwide. The mobilization was a testament to global values surrounding human rights, women‘s rights, immigration, healthcare, the environment, LGBTQ rights, racial equality, freedom of religion, and justice.

In his book, Altruism: The Power of Compassion to Change Yourself & the World, Matthieu Ricard is convinced that love and compassion – the two faces of

altruism – are key qualities of human existence and at the heart of the spiritual path.

Ricard discusses The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined by Steven Pinker, which says scientific studies show societal violence has diminished over time. Ricard suggests that regardless of the violence and conflict emphasized by the media, human nature is not motivated entirely by selfishness. Everyday existence is usually filled with co-operation, friendship, affection, and care. Loving-kindness is the wish that all beings experience happiness, while compassion focuses on eradicating their suffering.

In these times, it‘s difficult to determine what changes are within or out of our hands and what personal and collective actions actually make a difference in creating the world we envision for the future.

Within the polarization of left and right there are many shades of gray, and the truth of a situation is often deeper than the rhetoric. At the heart of things is our choice about how we go about promoting our values. Whenever we shame, belittle, shun, or devalue something, we run the risk of feeding the shadow of hate.

In his recent article, ―The Problem with Hating Our Enemies,‖ Charles Eisenstein suggests that how we treat our enemy ends up reflected back at us. The refusal to hate humanizes our opponent and by doing so, he says, we betray hate itself and the ―story of the world‖ that pits good against evil.

It can also be argued that we don‘t truly live in a time of peaceful development as the wars we participate in are hidden from view and played out in countries with resources we desire, or via corporations upon the living planet that bears the rising cost of our peace and comfort. So discomfort is actually a sign of the costs we‘ve avoided being deferred back to us, and a truer representation of reality.

Beyond a revolution arising from love and equality or fear and division in human terms, there is also the question of our collective survival on the planet, and our evolution that‘s at stake. Our collective future is potentially the greatest unifying principle, and survival is an issue to us all.

Whether it‘s possible to engage in a revolution incorporating the living planet as a basis for future change and progressive ideologies or whether the entire capitalist reality must come to a crashing halt where chaos and destruction reign, remains to be seen.

By Jessica Kirby, Senior Editor of TheGreenGazette

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echnology’s draw is undeniably changing the way we live, love, work, interact, and hunker down in privacy. Social media, apps, and various devices have their own language, rules, and etiquette, and their ubiquitous use demands change in our homes, workplaces, and personal lives. We create space and time for things meant to grant us more time and space, and our thoughts, feelings, and brain chemistry are adapting to the fast-moving, instant gratification they provide. The last remaining hold-outs are laughed at and called Luddites (after someone googles Luddites and argues for 15 minutes on Facebook with a guy on another continent about whether ―Neo-Luddite‖ or ―subhuman‖ is a better term) and it is arguably worse to be someone who has a cellphone but only uses it for making actual phone calls—the horror.

But whether we shun, use, or obsess over technology, there is no doubt technology is here to stay. The responsible use pendulum has swung from total abstinence to complete immersion and is beginning to settle somewhere in the middle, at a place where people are not willing to give up their devices, but also beginning to question the efficacy of obsession and look for ways to live comfortably with technology, without the drain on brain power and compulsion.

Tristan Harris is co-founder of Time Well Spent—a Silicon Valley advocacy group that aims to empower technology users and convince technology companies to help users disengage more freely from their devices, the addictive nature of which the group says is a serious design flaw.

Like with any addiction, will power is the key to unlocking the compulsion that drives users to look at their devices up to 150 times a day; however, Harris points to the way apps and websites are designed to tap into the part of the brain vulnerable to addiction. The ―itch,‖ he says, is the result of a thousand people on the other side of our screens engineering apps that will get us scrolling, reading, and clicking our way to keeping developers in business. Harris calls this contest for our attention a ―race to the bottom of the brain stem,‖ and says technology is better designed to control us than we are at controlling it.

Time Well Spent is advocating for a Hippocratic oath for software companies that would eliminate the exposure or exploitation of psychological vulnerabilities in app development and restore control to users. Though Harris‘ organization isn‘t the first to study the science and publically declare the need for such change, it is the first to quantify the social and psychological cost and suggest a tangible solution—a new design standard not based on exploiting addictive qualities.

Harris‘ ethical code of conduct for developers would look something like this:

Illustration: www.clipartfest.com

its first and foremost objective would be respect for the application user. Designers would have to re-envision their metrics for success to include a socially responsible and respectful approach to engagement.

Rather than adhere to the science of hooking the brain, ethical apps would allow, teach, and encourage us to have boundaries around our technology use.

The current dogma governing communication, social media, and lifestyle apps capitalizes on a fool-proof ―gamification‖ model that is infiltrating everything from restaurant apps to adult education courses.

A successful app, that is, one that capitalizes on the ―attention economy,‖ is typically made up of challenging but achievable ―levels,‖ constant feedback, recognizable and relatable sounds and objects to stimulate the senses, and an infinite amount of possibility for further achievement. Every time we hear a tone, feel a buzz, win another virtual trophy, or gain approval from a like or share, the tiny thrill releases dopamine in the brain, which feeds our addiction centres.

Think about it: Facebook demands immediate feedback and a sense of social reciprocity by rewarding users with likes and comments, and deepens psychological engagement with features like allowing users to see when someone has read their message. SnapChat takes this feature a step further, informing users when someone they‘ve messaged starts writing a reply, hanging an anti-social cloud over anyone who doesn‘t finish a message they started.

Harris‘ vision suggests time, attention, and effort regulation that doesn‘t succumb to this cycle, such as the ability to set a daily limit for checking email, and the ability to budget and monitor one‘s time in cyberspace. In fact, any application should help us see how we use our time—imagine a phone that keeps track of how many times we‘ve ―woken it up‖ in the last six hours.

Since focus is such an important part of how we use technology – it can take up to 25 minutes to recover our focus after a three-second distraction – such a code suggests the ability for inboxes to hold back incoming mail for a specific amount of time, or a similar function on messenger apps.

If Time Well Spent takes off, developers could work towards a ―rating‖ or certification of the same name that would let the world know it was created with the

user‘s health, productivity, and sense of autonomy in mind.

Until Harris and others like him drum up enough support to take the app development market past the tipping point and into the realm of respecting users, there are a few ways to self-administer technology moderation. The most logical place to start is to turn off notifications when in certain situations—at a restaurant, during family time, during meetings. When circumstances don‘t allow a complete blackout, says Time Well Spent‘s website, consider setting custom vibrations for things like text messages so you can ―feel‖ when it is a human calling and answer if necessary.

Think about how you order the apps on your smartphone. Simply viewing an icon or logo can trigger a whole series of specific thoughts and feelings, so keeping the main screen for single function programs like your GPS app or a calculator reduces habitual behaviour.

Harris recommends burying time sucking apps like Facebook and SnapChat into folders on your phone‘s second home screen or further. He also launches these apps using the search function rather than by icon, reducing the impulsive tapping habit and leaving time to pause for thought.

Buy a real alarm clock and charge phones outside the bedroom to reduce or eliminate time spent on the phone before you even roll out of bed. In fact, charging your phone in an out of the way place can further reduce distraction as you are not using it while it charges.

However you choose to reclaim your time and attention, the moment to revisit the art of conversation, take back the right to eye contact, and experience life beyond the screen is now. Technology has brought a great deal of convenience to our lives, not to mention mobility (as a selfemployed freelance writer and mother of two outdoorsy and athletic kids, ask me how I know this) so it is only logical that we find a way to capitalize on the benefits and take back our lives. Eventually the Luddites (Neo- and otherwise) may join us, as will our children and their children— let‘s hope we have a solid, moderate example to share with them when the time comes.

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ould you like to spend 25 days exploring the Mighty Fraser this summer? The Rivershed Society of BC is hosting its 14th annual Sustainable Living Leadership Program (SLLP) from July 19–August 13, 2017, and is seeking sustainability leaders who dream of starting, or who may already be working on, sustainability initiatives to apply for this once in a lifetime trip.

The educational program takes participants from the headwaters of the Fraser River near Mount Robson, to the shores of Vancouver, 1,400 kilometers downstream.

You will travel by canoe, raft, shuttle van, and on foot, and will explore ‗off-thebeaten-track‘ parts of BC, and learn about the geography, biology, and history of the landscape from skilled facilitators and guides.

Candice Ford, a 2016 SLLP participant living in Tatlayoko Lake who grew-up canoeing, hiking, cross-country skiing, and biking throughout the Fraser Basin, is working on a community sustainability project to help protect the Fraser Canyon Corridor and assist in the delivery of future RSBC leadership programs. ―Last summer‘s SLLP Fraser River trip reignited my passion to help conserve and protect this lifeline of our province,‖ said Ford, who received a $1000 grant from RSBC for her SLLP project. ―This generous contribution will help with the research, assessment, and mapping required to understand current land use and conser-

The SLLP canoeing the Upper Fraser River. Photo: Doug Radies

vation patterns in the mid-section of the Fraser Canyon.‖ Ford will be talking with a diverse cross-section of the community about their visions and concerns, exploring how both the conservation and economic values of the mid-section of the canyon can be sustained into the future.

Ford was part of a group of nine who took the SLLP trip in 2016. Other partici-

pants are working on projects that include eco-tourism, health care, tackling cigarette butt litter, watershed health and protection, recycling, compost, gardening, rainwater collection, and waste management education.

Team building, conflict resolution, communication, and critical thinking are important parts of the SLLP program.

Throughout the journey, participants dis-

The 1,400 km SLLP journey down the Fraser River by canoe, raft, shuttle van, and on foot, starts in the headwaters in Mount Robson and ends in Vancouver 25 days later.

Map: www.rivershed.com

cuss sustainability issues, identify and build upon their own talents, and develop a formal plan for their sustainability projects.

To qualify, participants must be 19 years of age or older and physically fit.

Community volunteer experience is an asset. The application deadline is April 30.

Get more information and register at http://rivershed.com.

By Tera Grady

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ith the beginning of a new year, many of us make resolutions to exercise more, live healthier, spend less money, reduce our environmental footprint, spend more time with loved ones, or simply make life less hectic.

Resolving to become waste wise can help you accomplish all of these things.

Increase your exercise by wising up on composting.

Start by aerating or turning your backyard compost at least once a week during non-winter months. In the fall, rake your leaves, stockpile them in bins or bags, and add the leaves to your compost each week as carbon.

This keeps your compost at an optimum level of 50 per cent carbon and 50 per cent nitrogen (food waste). When your compost is finished, spread it out on your lawn or around your trees, or mix it with your garden soil. Composting is great exercise and all fitness levels can benefit from this activity.

Live healthier by evaluating your plastic consumption. Get informed on the health risks from exposure to chemicals found in many plastics and body care products. This knowledge will steer you away from many single use plastics and products that pollute our landfills and waterways.

Not only will your health benefit, but also the amount of waste you produce will decrease.

Save money by analyzing how much food your household wastes each week. In order to reduce your food waste, make sure to shop with a list so you only purchase what you need. Stop buying or consider buying less of the food products you consistently throw away. Freeze leftovers and perishables before they go bad. Experiment with new recipes for baked goods, soups, stews, or smoothies as a way to use vegetables or fruit that are over-ripe, frozen, or cosmetically undesirable when fresh.

These changes to your habits will save you money and reduce your waste.

Reduce your environmental impact by getting serious about recycling. Learn where to recycle batteries, paint, electronics, tires, used oil, cellphones, lightbulbs, and appliances. Use your curbside recycling or nearest recycling depot to recycle your household packaging and printed paper. Keeping all these recyclable items out of our landfills conserves resources, conserves landfill air space, reduces landfill leachate generation, reduces methane gas production, and reduces the impact on our environment.

Spend time with your family by jumping into waste wise projects. Build a backyard composter out of old pallets with your family this year. You will bond with your loved ones and teach them to take responsibility for the waste they produce. Why not create a family challenge to see who can produce the least amount of garbage? Recycling waste is better than disposal, but not creating the waste in the first place is even better. These are just a few ideas of how waste wise activities can bring your family together.

Lastly, make 2017 less stressful by reconsidering gifts. Find out what activities your family can participate in together so that you can create memories, rather than garbage, over the next year and during holidays. Activity gifts help reduce the hectic feeling that often accompanies the holiday season and provide your family with memories that will last a lifetime.

Join the Cariboo Regional District in 2017 by resolving to become waste wise and make a difference.

Learn more by following us on Facebook at facebook.com/caribooregion, visiting us online at cariboord.ca, or looking for our waste wise articles in your local paper.

For more information on the Waste Wise Program, call (250) 398-7929. More details on Waste Wise activities and events can also be found at ccconserv.org.

Submitted by Educo Adventure School

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ariboo wilderness off-grid glory takes on a whole new meaning, transforming the lives of young people, thanks to Educo Adventure School. In the midst of beautiful lakes, mountains, and forests, kids gain resilience and confidence, and discover inherent inner strength and peace to thrive in an increasingly complex and fast-changing world.

Students of all ages are invited to rethink their assumptions and perspectives of themselves, their peers, and the world.

Rock-climbing, hiking, backpacking, team building, canoeing, and high ropes challenges are the ‗outer‘ activities, and the real exploration is the inner world of their mental and emotional framework. ―There is no more exciting and rewarding a journey than the journey to know oneself, and realizing that regardless of what is happening in the outside world, there is place at our core where we can find calm, strength, and resilience,‖ says Ron Skene, the returning executive director at Educo. "Our programs foster inner awareness, helping people to choose how to view situations, other people, cultures, and the ―

self, and in this moment to moment choosing, create the lens through which they experience the world.‖ ―Fun and exciting wilderness adventure activities are not just an end in themselves; they are a powerful metaphor or classroom in which to explore the magnificent terrain within,‖ said Skene. ―The adventure / challenge activities are bal-

anced with thoughts for the day, the stress emergency kit, mindfulness reflection, journaling, in-depth group conversations, and fun innovative games, all with the focus on uncovering and expressing inner strength and true character. ―These are unique gifts that only you can bring to the world. None of this happens by chance; it requires specific inner education.‖ Educo partners with school districts throughout BC and with families to enhance the social and emotional learning (SEL) that is now mandated by the Ministry of Education. ―At Educo, we‘ve been reinforcing and enhancing SEL work for almost 50 years, and are able to support what the school system has incorporated as part of its core curriculum.‖ Educo is a nondenominational, nonreligious program accredited by the BC Camping Association, a provincial accrediting organization ensuring camps provide safe and high-quality camp experiences.

Educo Adventure School started in 100 Mile House, BC in 1969 and is the mother school of the Educo International Alliance, which includes schools in Colorado, USA, South Africa, Germany, Bulgaria, and the international JUMP! Foundation. The Educo Board is a team of passionate, committed volunteers and committed people (mostly parents of Educo students) who provide organizational leadership and oversight for Educo‘s activities. Their dedication comes from the life changing experiences their children and now their grandchildren have experienced through Educo.

For many students, Educo becomes a second home. ―I was talking with a past student just yesterday, who has been coming to Educo for the last 13 years.‖ said Skene. ―She came first as a student, then as staff, and she wanted to make sure I knew she couldn‘t make it for the whole season, but to make sure she could be included in at least one course. ―This kind of love for Educo, the people, and what we stand for is experienced

Cariboo Range, Central BC. Photo submitted by Educo Adventure School

in the international Educo programs as well. We have had many students and staff from BC take part in or lead programs all over the world. It is a fabulous network of like-minded souls and deep, life-long friendships.‖ Several of Educo‘s past students have started similar outdoor programs, established successful businesses partnerships together, or have gone on to careers that incorporate or exemplify the Educo philosophy. It is not about just enjoying wilderness experiences together. It goes deeper than that, to a basic core human need of being seen, heard, and appreciated, and making a contribution. Many students comment that the gifts they have received from Educo are lifelong friendships, the ability to access inner peace, and a greater sense of life‘s purpose.

Another of the unique programs offered at Educo is Wonders of Women—a weekend to explore the wilds of the Cariboo and the wilds within. Participants‘ physical selves are awakened with hikes, high ropes course challenges, canoeing, and more. It‘s an opportunity to find new perspectives of themselves, each other, and their roles in community through circle conversations, storytelling, quiet time, and solos. In between the challenges and adventures, guests are pampered with delicious meals,

snacks, and treats catered to dietary requirements.

Family Camp is a wonderful opportunity for families to spend Labour Day weekend at Educo. The program brings families and friends together in a different setting with out-of-the-ordinary activities to rekindle connection and allow new bonding to emerge.

Entire families are welcome: aunts, uncles, grandparents, children, cousins, and friends. The Educo cook plans and makes meals that will satisfy the needs of everyone attending, including special dietary restrictions. Families can enjoy the fun and beauty of evenings by the campfire, adventures on the lake, and life without electronic distractions.

Adult family members are encouraged to bring out their inner child to participate with the kids, and everyone has the choice of activities like high ropes, rock-climbing, canoeing, swimming, sauna, crafts, and more. There are opportunities for excitement and fun, as well as reflective moments and deep enquiry to examine the state of your inner world.

For more information about Educo Adventure School, phone (250) 395-3388, email info@educo.ca, visit www.educo.ca, and follow Educo on Facebook.

By Jessica Kirby, Senior Editor of TheGreenGazette

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he Unites States under President Donald Trump is currently the most convenient place to look for evidence of a systemic movement to erode women’s rights. In just a few short weeks, President Trump has reinstated the global gag rule or Mexico City Policy, which blocks US federal international funding for NGOs providing abortion counselling or referrals, or who advocate for or work to expand abortion services internationally.

The US has not funded abortion services itself, internationally or domestically, since the Helm‘s Amendment was imple-

On January 21, 2017, thousands of women and men marched to demonstrate the unity, beauty, and diversity needed to address and conquer issues affecting women around the world.

Above and upper right photos: Hillel Steinberg , www.flickr.com

mented in 1973, but every Republican president since Regan has reinstated the Mexico City Policy assuming Helm‘s wasn‘t quite enough insurance of the federal government‘s control over women‘s reproductive rights. The Mexico City Policy will decimate funding to organizations that also provide HIV/AIDs services, planned parenthood, sexual health information, maternal health services, and malaria programming since they often overlap. The consequences of criminalizing abortions include

high mortality rates due to unsafe abortions, disproportionately lower sexual health rates in women and girls living in poverty, and thousands of women jailed for being accused of having an abortion.

President Trump‘s presidential budget is scheduled to exclude funding to 25 grant programs enacted in 1994 by the Violence Against Women Act to support women who are survivors of domestic violence.

The funds are distributed by states to aide violence prevention programs against sexual assault, domestic violence, and stalking, and to subsidize emergency housing and legal assistance. There may have been more people protesting injustice towards women the day after the inauguration than there were people who attended the inauguration, but these issues persist in an unapologetic and blatant way, and it isn‘t just local—consider Trump‘s actions come on the heels of the far-right in Russia pressuring President Putin to decriminalize domestic violence, and that is only one example.

It is easy to look to these current events and point to Trump, especially considering while on the campaign trail he encouraged sexual assault, demoralized women, denied allegations of sexual assault by stating the women accusing him were not attractive enough for his attention, and settled a rape case out of court, according to some reports, with intimidation.

Given its status as the world‘s most powerful country, the US has a far reach in terms of influence and example, which means, most importantly, acts like these fuel the on-going and systemic discrimination and gender inequality affecting women around the world. As long as seven men can stand together in a room in front of millions of media viewers and make decisions about women‘s reproductive autonomy, the message persists that women are the lesser gender. As long as governments restrict women‘s ability to control her own physical, emotional, and reproductive health under the guise of religious freedom, the sometimes-subversive but always pervasive idea that women‘s rights are secondary carries on.

And now, the tricky part—creating real change. Women have come a long way down the road to equality, and although it is easy to do, demonizing one leader has never furthered that progress. If Trump had invented discrimination against women in an otherwise gender utopia, he wouldn‘t be able to do the things he is doing with millions cheering him on. If we continue to look only at Trump, we take our eyes away from the deeper, root cause of gender inequality. Every minute we spend in the circus of reality TV politics, is a moment distracted from working towards meaningful change.

There are many political opinions in the world and each encompasses an intelligent, meaningful, and moderate argument. When we close the door on discussion and discourse, when we put all opinions different from ours into the same box, we deprive ourselves the opportunity to learn, grow, and connect. We trade coexistence and peace for anger and political xenophobia.

There is a strong argument that the democrats lost this past election for exactly that reason—the right was tired of being demonized and tired of having its intellectuals, theorists, professionals, and families labelled fundamentalists and decided crazy right was better than being shut out completely.

This theory speaks to important decisions we can make in favour of equality moving forward. Violence against women and gender inequality are global problems, social problems, political problems, and both men‘s and women‘s problems. We must come together as social, political, and gender neutral allies in a global context and refuse to accept anything less than meaningful change. We need everyone‘s engagement and action and most importantly, we need to listen. We need to open up and understand where these opinions and actions come from and meet there, in that uncomfortable and vulnerable place, where we can start to rebuild.

Can we admit that both ends of the political spectrum have moderate and extremist views? If we can‘t agree on the issues, can we agree on autonomy? If we can‘t clearly define oppression can we respect the right to choose? If we can‘t support gender roles, can we support personal freedom and flexibility?

This Women‘s Day, March 8, women, men, and children need to step forward together and look along the political spectrum for common ground, a place where we can see a future that belongs to all of us. We must keep marching, get stronger, build more alliances, sing louder, be prouder of our human family, and we have to expand our vision of equality to include all visions of harmony—it is the only way forward.

By Peter Shaughnessy

C

onservation work in the West Chilcotin and Tatlayoko has protected significant areas of habitat for a wide array of species. It took years of work, lots of compromise, and countless volunteer hours to accomplish this. The initial goal was to slow the headlong rush to extract natural resources, particularly timber, thus giving time for long-term planning that included all other values. What follows is a summation of the work done over the past three decades.

There is a consensus among stakeholders in the Chilcotin that access to resources is critical to everyone but that this must not thereby destroy other values. In particular, those values that do not have a direct economic benefit require representation. The willingness of Chilcotin stakeholders with diverse perspectives to acknowledge this was the foundation of compromise that brought us to a common point.

For the purposes of this article, the area considered is an 800,000-hectare subset of the 2.2 to 3.2 million hectares (depending on how it‘s defined) of sparsely developed land called the Chilcotin Plateau. This subset was identified by the Tatla Resource Association as their Area of Interest and includes the communities of Kleena Kleene, West Branch, Tatlayoko, Eagle Lake, Tatla Lake, Puntzi, and Chilko River.

The Chilcotin is served by a single arterial road, Hwy 20, starting in Williams Lake and terminating at saltwater in Bella Coola. Along the way there are a few small communities (pop. ~3500 people) and mile after mile of wilderness. Situated on the Chilcotin‘s south-central edge is its heart, the Tatlayoko Valley (pop. ~65).

The area has been occupied by First Nations for centuries. In fact, Tatlayoko is an anglicized version of Talhiqox Biny, a First Nations word purported to reference the strong winds the lake is known for.

There is a rough-edged and raw wilderness flavour here and the area remains much as it has been for many hundreds of years.

The combination of wild spaces, few people, not too close to urban centers but not too far, and the appealing climate has attracted a unique mix of residents, including

(Above Left) Winter storm freshening on Talhiqox Biny. (Above Right) The unspoiled wilderness beauty of Tatlayoko Lake. (Above middle) Looking southwest at the first fall dusting of snow on the Niut Range. Photos: Peter Shaughnessy

a high proportion of conservation― minded folks. People here are selfreliant and live ‗in the edge‘ of wilderness rather than ‗on the edge‘.

Much of our province is rich in natural values. So why is this area so important to conserve? There is a unique mix of species and habitats.

Some of the more notable are the only nesting population of White pelicans in British Columbia, the second largest Sockeye run in BC, healthy populations of large predators and fisher, and the largest herd of woodland caribou in BC. The area is also a confluence of seven biogeoclimatic zones and has tremendous vertical diversity. Scientists believe the Homathko and Klinaklini Rivers provide an important corridor between the coast and the interior, particularly for grizzlies.

They surmise that not only are these corridors important for movement of species, but also for their continued survival in the face of climate change.

Despite being only 180 (straight line) miles from Vancouver, the natural systems that have sustained the area for millennia are still essentially whole. This makes the area a natural candidate for pre-emptive conservation. In other words, conserve functioning ecosystems before they are compromised or destroyed. Conserve enough space with enough connectivity to

allow species to live and adapt as required and also to protect the natural values that bring people here.

There are threats to the natural systems here including mining, increased human settlement, invasive plants, climate change, and intensive road building/ access. But the focus of conservation effort has been, and is necessarily still, industrial timber harvest impacts.

The area has attracted substantial conservation interest from government, private conservation organizations, First Nations, and residents, including buy-in from industry. A mosaic of conservation areas has been created since significant work began in the early 1990s. Progress has been iterative and cumulative, each piece contributing to the whole.

Beginning in 1990, Fritz Mueller and a few other residents of Tatlayoko submitted the Niut Wilderness Proposal for consideration by government. They proposed that the Niut Range be officially protected as a wilderness area. Their efforts were not successful. Nevertheless, Mueller‘s work began the conversation about the threats to Chilcotin wilderness values and the importance of conserving them.

In 1994, after five years of negotiations between the province, First Nations, and other stakeholders, T‘sylos Park was estab-

lished. It protected 233,000 hectares of high quality wilderness.

From 1992 to 1996 the provincial government held the Commission on Resources and the Environment (CORE).

This plan mapped special management zones through consensus negotiations with stakeholders. The result was land use designations that provided guidance to subsequent planning processes. Lack of political will resulted in inaction, and land use objectives outside of protected areas were not made legal. Fortunately, the plan did legislate the Homathko Protected Area. It contained 17,500 hectares of diverse landscape, incorporating low elevation coastal rainforests, wetlands, and the western shore of Tatlayoko Lake.

In the mid 1990s, an Integrated Resource Management Plan was undertaken for West Branch. The focus was mitigation of timber harvest impacts on non-timber values. After six years the product was rolled into a subsequent planning process.

According to West Branch resident Deborah Kannegeiser, ―Our work essentially held off timber harvest until such time that government could catch up with their planning process‖.

In the late 1990s, stakeholders at Anahim Lake met for five years to negotiate the Anahim Round Table, which was approved by government in 2001. It covered an area from the boundary of Tweedsmuir Park to Kleena Kleene. Again, the focus was primarily industrial timber harvesting, where to do it, and how to protect non-timber values.

The province‘s Cariboo-Chilcotin Land Use Plan was designed to provide a strategic framework for land use. For detailed operational planning, the area was to be broken into manageable subunits called Sub Regional Management Plans (SRMP).

SRMPs were completed for 100 Mile House and Quesnel in 1996 with the Chilcotin Plan being reserved for last.

In 1999, the Tatla Resource Association (TRA) was formed by residents of the Tatlayoko area in response to large scale timber harvesting proposals. After identifying their area of interest, the group successfully lobbied the government for a logging moratorium until the plan could be completed. Over the next five years the Tatla Community Plan was crafted. It brought 85 diverse individuals together in consensus on where logging should and should not occur and identified areas of special interest to the community. The Continued on pg. 13

Continued from pg. 12 guiding principle of the TRA was sustainable resource extraction that respected all values.

In 2000, the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) recognized the conservation significance of Tatlayoko and the West Chilcotin. Their work here began with the purchase of Tatlayoko Lake Ranch. Fifteen years later they have conserved over 4,000 acres of private land in Tatlayoko and along the upper Klinaklini River. During those 15 years, NCC conducted and sponsored a significant body of scientific research in Tatlayoko. NCC is no longer a proponent of research, although they encourage third-party research on their properties. Today, their role is simply to steward their existing lands.

In 2003, the West Chilcotin Demonstration Project brought together a partnership between the TRA, Alexis Creek First Nation (ACFN), Tsi Del Del Enterprises, the West Chilcotin Tourism Association, and the province. This group looked for a way to meet government timber targets while protecting non-timber values. The group overlaid the Tatla Community Plan with a similar plan from ACFN to identify areas of common interest. The amazing result was a consensus plan provided to government for inclusion in the Chilcotin SRMP (see following map).

The relationships and the trust established between ACFN and the TRA was formalized in the TatlaTsi Del Del Agreement signed by all in 2005 and blessed by the Minister of Forests. This agreement

Map: Tatla Resource Assoc. area of interest.

eventually led to creation of the Eniyud Community Forest (see map above).

The Chilcotin SRMP covered 2.2 million hectares and among other things identified no harvest zones and special management zones. Special management zones allowed 70 per cent of the land base for timber harvest and 30 per cent for nontimber values and uses. With the Tatla Tsi Del Del Agreement as a guide, the various stakeholders negotiated to lump the 30 per cent into high value conservation areas.

The result is that the plateau is available for industrial timber harvest, an intermediate zone closer to the mountains was desig-

nated partial harvest, and the remainder was designated no harvest.

The Chilcotin Ark is an initiative conceived by Ric Careless of BC Spaces for Nature. The Ark is a sweep of land that follows the inside of the Coast Range from Ootsa Lake to the Fraser River just north of Lillooet. It encompasses a broad spectrum of ecosystems including 10 of the 16 biogeoclimatic zones that exist in BC. Work on this initiative continues today.

Eniyud Community Forest is a 50/50 incorporated partnership between the TRA and ACFN. While it is clearly a timber harvesting licensee, it has a basis in conservation and is guided by the TatlaTsi Del Del Agreement. After six years of operation the company is well established and has a bright future. Timber harvest decisions are made jointly and profits are retained within both communities. Sustainable harvest and local employment are major objectives.

What is the current state of conservation in the West Chilcotin? Plans provide essential guidance for managers but they have their limitations. Without periodic reviews and updates they soon become either irrelevant or forgotten. For much of the planning work above it‘s time for revision and renewal.

The Xeni Gwet‘in Title Case has been a game changer for the Chilcotin and British Columbia. How the band decides to manage its Title Lands over the next few decades will set the tone of conservation for a big piece of the Chilcotin.

By Casey Bennett

K

rista Liebe is a true film buff through and through. There’s an excitement that comes over her as she lights up when discussing obscure, difficult to find films from countries like Estonia and Iran. As a film buff myself, it’s quite contagious, really. Over a three-hour conversation, we spoke about her background in radio, running a successful publication, and more recently, her new endeavour— starting a film festival right here in the Lake City.

A native of Northern Germany, she came to Canada seeking adventure, first arriving in Edmonton to study at the University of Alberta and then bouncing from small community to small community.

Eventually settling in Edmonton, Krista took it upon herself to start up the first Translation Agency in Northern Alberta.

From there, Krista was asked if she would like to be a radio host for a German program on CKER (now World FM). The job was initially to be a temporary position, but ended up lasting 15 years. She loved it.

She admits she had no idea what she could talk about, but from Monday to Friday, she managed to find inspiration and content for her listeners. A huge perk of the job was her ability to obtain media credentials for the Edmonton Film Festival.

Fourteen years ago, Krista and her husband found themselves in Williams Lake, a place neither of them had even heard of.

The Cariboo-Chilcotin was as foreign as anything they‘d ever experienced, but the rural life was welcoming. Her husband,

A still from Helen Haig-Brown’s film My Legacy, which was screened at last years festival . Photo: Helen Haig-Brown

Tihol, a school psychologist, had a new job with school district 27 and Krista was eager to bring what she had loved so much to her new home: films.

One year later, Krista would begin the Williams Lake Film Club, holding screenings at the Gibraltar Room. Having had made some connections with festivals while in Edmonton, she would hand select through a catalog and do what she could to bring the world to the community through film, exposing locals to the beauties and intricacies of foreign culture and at the same time, enjoying the company of others with interests beyond what comes out of Hollywood. Still, she saw a bigger picture for the community. ―Even then, I was thinking of a local event,‖ she says. ―However, I lacked the necessary network to get one off of the

ground and I was also quite busy with the German newspaper I was running monthly.‖ Then, what started as a casual conversation with filmmaker Trevor Mack about showing his newest short film, Clouds of Autumn, at the Gibraltar Room, it sparked an idea in Krista and she saw her opportunity to get other filmmakers involved. It all came together in a couple of weeks and the first improvised Cariboo-Chilcotin Film Fest was held in 2016 on January 8. She compiled a small but great list of films from a variety of local filmmakers and showed three shorts by Oliver Berger and Morgan Day, Colin Labelle, and Trevor Mack, and one feature film directed by Helen Haig Brown. ―This was very, very well received last year—we sold out all 400 seats at the Gibraltar Room.‖

Some of the objectives of the Chilcotin SRMP are legislated while others are considered advice only and as such are open to change or alternate interpretation.

Climate change and carbon sequestration are the new buzz words. Climate change is a reality and its effects are clearly being felt. It remains to be seen whether carbon sequestration will play a role for conservation in the Chilcotin but it is being looked at.

Recently, a group of young and motivated Tatlayoko residents have formed a new group. The Chilcotin Ark Society is a non-profit whose mandate is to support traditional and scientific research on ecology and climate change, experiential nature-based learning and personal development, and sustainable community development in the Chilcotin.

I am optimistic about the future of conservation here but I know vigilance is required. I hope people will look back a century from now to see the results of our efforts. Fritz Mueller put it to me this way, ―A lot of good conservation work has been done but a tremendous amount remains.

Many of our gains are still vulnerable.

Many conservation proponents are getting older and the younger generation must become involved‖.

Peter Shaughnessy is a resident of Tatlayoko since 1988, artist, construction contractor, director of the TRA, director of the Eniyud Community Forest, and former employee of Nature Conservancy of Canada..

Now she is working on the first official Annual Cariboo-Chilcotin Film Fest to be held on March 10, 2017. She has been diligently seeking out filmmakers and films to show at the festival. ―We are very pleased to be screening Giants Among Us, the new feature length documentary film by Robert Moberg, who made the wonderful Bighorns at the Junction. Giants will be closing the festival. Trevor is also going to be presenting a new short film he‘s been working on, and we are very excited for that. ―I encourage filmmakers, actors, writers and artists from the Cariboo-Chilcotin to be actively involved in the years to come,‖ she says. ―I am looking to showcase local works exclusively, although that does not mean you have to live here. My hope is that this festival really unites the community, both First Nations and white people. I want them to come together and share their works with each other. I feel it‘s really important that this becomes the main focal point of the festival.‖ If anyone would like to know more or volunteer, you can contact Krista at (250) 398-9149 or find them on Facebook. Proceeds of the Williams lake Film Club and Festival help to support the LDA, Williams Lake Chapter, the Association for Students with Learning Disabilities Casey Bennett is a Williams Lake-based photographer, freelance graphic designer, film buff, and professional beard grower.

His photographs have been exhibited in Williams Lake, Victoria,, Portland, and Dusseldorf.

By Venta Ruthkauskas

T

he Community Arts Council of Williams Lake is excited to present a day-long singing workshop with Pharis Romero on March 11.

There‘s a little slice of heaven round the corner from here. A river dances through it, and all the birds gather there. A songbird makes her home, builds her nest, in the middle of it all. Voice smooth and bright, its gossamer tones wave in the wind, her calling card.

That little slice of heaven is really all about the music. It is the home of J. Romero Banjo Company, for one—the site of countless lawn or kitchen jams, and the birthplace of so many beloved tunes by Pharis and Jason Romero. The couple, and the large musical community they‘re a part of, have infused it with a sweet sound and harmony.

So goes the sound, around and through generations, too. Observing her three-yearold daughter singsong her way through the day, Pharis realized she‘s been doing the same thing since she was a girl. ―Singing is just a part of my normal everyday life,‖ she affirms. For Pharis, to sing is a soulful magic that gets in touch with the deepest part of self. ―You have no instrument to hide behind. It‘s all up to you.‖ Pharis grew up in a household full of music and began her vocal training when she was four years old. Her formal ‗classical‘ training coincided with the daily life of her family practising and performing country music. The contrast offered her insight to the lighter side of performing and collaborating with a group, while building technique and discipline through the conservatory style—with an ex-nun-opera singer, no less! The classical training was thorough and rigorous, and eventually, in her late teens, Pharis moved away from it due to its competitive nature. ―It was so competitive, a much tenser environment to be in,‖ she adds.

By this time, Pharis had moved to Victoria for university. While she pursued her biology major, she discovered song-writing courses she could take for credit, and became the ―chick singer‖ in a number of cover bands doing Neil Young or Bob Dylan. ―It was a lot of fun,‖ Pharis remembers, and it propelled her further into musical spheres around Victoria. Something really clicked into place with Outlaw Social, a rootsy five-piece band that saw

Pharis dive into song-writing headlong. ―The band gave me the confidence that I could move forward and bring music in to my life as a regular practice,‖ she recalls.

A decade later, and the Romeros have had an epic 2016. It brought the birth of their son, critical acclaim and the coveted Juno Award for ―A Wanderer I‘ll Stay‖ (their third release as a duo), and construction of their new home. Then, on an unforgettable summer night, The J. Romero Banjo Co. shop burned to the ground, taking with it all of their beloved instruments and so many more possessions stored inside, awaiting the house build. The heartbreak combined with a gratitude that all were safe, but no one is prepared to watch their livelihood go up in smoke. ―I‘d never wish what we went through on anyone,‖ Pharis reflects, ―however, I would wish for people to feel how a community at large can have your back.‖ Support for the Romeros came from all over, through physical labourers and childcare, fundraisers, and digital album sales. ―We‘re so lucky to live in such an incredible community,‖ Pharis adds, feeling grateful and lucky to receive all the help and attention they‘ve had. The family is now in their new home, the banjo building back on track, and Pharis is hitting her stride on a song-writing streak. She still draws from the well of the old-time folk tradition, perhaps a little less intensely than during the early years of her song-writing. ―It‘s the majority of what we listen to, but it was all-consuming when I was learning how to write my own songs in that style,‖ Pharis explains.

Juno or no Juno, Pharis approaches song-writing the same way she did a decade ago. ―I‘m more practiced at it now,‖ she says, ―and I like more of the songs I‘m writing.‖ She finds inspiration in the outdoors quite often, discovering rhythms and lyric patterns through her movement.

For Pharis, singing is more than just an occupation; it is a way of life. She discovers ways to use it as a tool for personal expression, processing emotions, and deep relaxation. She describes the way her practice alerts her to all that she‘s holding onto at any given moment, and helps her tune into the stuff that‘s preventing her from finding her open voice. ―All of the aspects of your life can really affect your singing,‖ she says, ―so I‘ve learned ways to relax and let go when I hear or feel that tension.‖

Pharis and Jason Romero. Photo: Ciel Patenaude

Pharis promises to draw from a reservoir of techniques for her March 11 workshop with the CACWL Soundscapes Project at the Central Cariboo Arts Centre. ―Everything from formal training to sitting in the kitchen singing,‖ she laughs. ―I love teaching singing, and sharing the joy in the art of singing.‖ She notes that for her, music is done best with others. Her workshop will guide participants towards finding freedom in their voices, breath-work, projection, and range, while also developing the ability to sing well with others. Iinterested parties should contact Sharon Hoffman at 250-392-5671, or email william-

slakearts@gmail.com to register, as space is limited. Cost TBA. May 2017 be oh-so-good to you, dear Romeros, so you keep weaving that magic we love so much.

Venta Rutkauskas is the co-ordinator for the Community Arts Council of Williams Lake (CACWL). She is an advocate and lover of the arts, and has taught drama and written plays for young children. She is also passionate about the healing arts. Visit www.williamslakecommunityartscouncil.com to learn more about CACWL and local artists.

By Jennifer Clark

P

icture a dimly-lit urban parking garage. Two people are standing by a car. One opens the back hatch and removes a slim wooden box, then hands it to the other person, who opens it, checks the contents, and puts it into their own car…

No, this was not a drug transaction. It was my brother and I deciding which of my family‘s heirloom silverware sets he should take (of the two that had been riding around in the back of my car for more than a month.) While it‘s probably unusual for a family heirloom to be passed on in this particular way, I had been given two sets by my mother during my last visit— one, my grandmother‘s and the other, my great-grandparents‘, both from my father‘s side.

Why were these still in my car? Well, in short, because, like most people my age, my lifestyle doesn‘t really lend itself to the use of antique silverware, so I had never brought the boxes into my house. Despite its beauty and family history, my brother didn‘t know what to do with it either, but I wasn‘t leaving that day without handing off a set.

We‘re lucky in that, so far, the items we‘ve inherited are relatively small— silverware, a painting by an ancestor, a chair. Nevertheless, when I downsized my life to move into my tiny travel-trailer home, I still couldn‘t fit these things in there. I don‘t feel right getting rid of them, though. They are remnants of my family‘s past, and as I get older, I value our history more—but I also value things less. As a result, I now have a small storage unit that contains not just the studio equipment I intended it for, but also a couple family chairs, some art, a dresser, and the silverware. This begs the question: in a world of

By Brandon Hoffman

W

e kicked off the 2017 Safety Meeting concert series with sold out double -night performances by Kym Gouchie and Marin Patenaude with her band The Follow Through. I am thoroughly stoked with how the whirlwind weekend came together. All the music was outstanding, and on Saturday we managed to sneak an afternoon workshop in with Kym and a dozen lucky participants.

So here we go again, head first into another Safety Meeting season!

For the second episode, we will dial the energy up a few notches with Kelowna's Andrew Judah. I had a phone interview with Andrew to talk about his sound, inspiration, and live set-up. In his words, the two-piece band plays ―progressive indie pop rock,‖ sort of reminiscent of Radiohead or Arcade Fire, with hints of Sufjan Stevens. It‘s quite hard to wrap your head around how such a huge sound can come from just two people. ―We have a lot of electronics on stage, but we also try and keep a lot of traditional

ever-increasing housing prices and eversmaller condominiums, of tiny houses and minimalism, what on earth do we do with family heirlooms?

In a TedX video I found recently on the Films for Action website (a great resource for short, informative, films) titled ―Why Are We So Attached to Our Things?‖ by Christian Jarrett (a British cognitive scientist and science writer) he explained the Endowment Effect: that people value items much more highly as soon as they own them. We quickly establish a connection between a new possession and our sense of self. From early childhood right into adulthood we also tend to think that our things are infused with a special ―essence‖. This ―magical thinking‖ is revealed by the significant value given to things once owned by celebrities and sports heroes, and in our reluctance to part with family heirlooms, which help us feel connected to our family history.

What surprised me about the Endowment Effect was that researchers have found it isn‘t present in egalitarian cultures that have been isolated from modern consumerism. This is a learned behaviour. We pick this up nearly from the moment we are born, from watching the actions of everyone around us, and it strengthens as we mature. I wonder, if we learn this behaviour, can we unlearn it? How wired are we to react this way?

A recent documentary, The Minimalists followed the journey of two best friends, Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, as they travel North America to sell a book they wrote after undertaking a radical downsize of their lives in an effort to be happier. This is a worthwhile watch (and it‘s currently available on Netflix). The Minimalists, as they call themselves, also have a website that is an excellent resource with dozens of podcasts and essays dis-

band elements,‖ says Judah.―So there are guitars and drums, but everything gets run through effects processors and loopers, and we try and make as much of it live as possible. So there‘s percussion, there‘s vocal effects, there‘s all kinds of manipulation happening. It‘s a lot of fun, and a lot can go wrong,‖ he laughs.

Andrew Judah absolutely tore the roof of ArtsWells this summer, so I‘m very excited to have them on the line-up January 27. Opening the night is one of my all time favorite Cariboo singer-songwriters, Rowan Dolighan. We started chatting about having him open a Safety Meeting a few months ago, and since then we have put together a sweet back-up band including Lyndon Froese, Molly Lamb, Brent Morton, and yours truly.

Episode three of the series on February 10 features one of my favorite new East Van super groups, The Staggers and Jaggs. I had them up over the summer for our Sunday Biscuits series at the Bean Counter. They play music that sounds like it should be coming from a smokey backalley speakeasy, or a gypsy caravan. Beautiful original songs, with great harmonies,

cussing the various challenges and methods that they and others have encountered while downsizing their lives. In a recent podcast (―No. 51, Moving‖) they discussed, among other things, the challenge of family heirlooms, and offered some thoughts about dealing with them. In their view, downsizing is about not letting ―stuff‖ control you—it enables you to regain control of your life by reducing your debt, and the time, space, energy, and money it takes to acquire and maintain your things. They suggest that if you are given an heirloom you really don‘t want, before you get rid of it, give the person who gave it to you the opportunity to take it back. It can be hard to explain to a relative why you may not want an heirloom because our culture places such significance on them, but you can try explaining why you don‘t value it the same way (for example, ―Having this item adds to the stress in my life because…‖) Downsizing heirlooms is just not an easy thing. Even though my mother, who gave my brother and I the silverware, actually does understand that modern life doesn‘t lend itself to the use of these things, and has said we can sell it if we want, somehow we both feel obligated by family history to keep it. It has survived, against all odds, for four or five generations, and somehow landed with us—who are we to eliminate it from the family just because the current trend doesn‘t favour its use?

The other aspect of family heirlooms that I‘ve been pondering lately is that these items could be a great opportunity to ―reuse‖. Maybe instead of that new set of cutlery, I should have just started using my 100-year-old family silverware? Maybe it‘s time to value these things again for their usefulness, as well as their history and beauty.

and an eclectic mix of instrumentation.

Opening that show is the pride of Robson Valley, Samson’s Delilah. The band will be playing a more minimal version of medieval shred-folk, playing as a three-piece (vocals, guitar, and violin).

Next up to bat are Cariboo favorites Wooden Horsemen, with Malcolm Jack (singer of Dada Plan) opening the night.

This will be the only other double-nighter

Silverware Handle Photo: Monica Baechler, pixabay.com Jennifer Clark grew up on her family’s horse and cattle ranch in the East Kootenays. She has studied sustainability issues and urban planning at Selkirk College in Castlegar, BC and at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.

She is a wildland firefighter, a fanatical gardener, and has worked and taught urban gardening at garden nurseries in Metro Vancouver. Jennifer is also an experienced potter, who occasionally teaches classes. On a nice day, she can be found outside, gardening, hiking, skiing, or if she’s lucky, kayaking in a borrowed kayak.

of the series this year, on March 3 and 4.

The Horsemen have been taking their highly accessible, highly danceable bluesrock sound in a sweet new direction.

Check out their Facebook page to see a summer‘s worth of nostalgia-soaked music videos for their new material. It‘s been really cool to see this band (headed by Steve Beddall) shift and morph in the few years it has existed. This new direction keeps the high-energy dance-inducing rhythms going, but with a warmer, fuzzier feel.

Malcolm Jack was the psychedelic VHS shaman at the helm of Dada Plan when they closed down last year‘s Safety Meeting concert series. He‘ll be back for March 3 and 4 with a collection of tunes from an extremely different repertoire.

This guy is a phenomenal songwriter and lyricist.

More info to come. In the mean time make sure you join our Facebook group to stay up to date with the series at f a c e b o o k . c o m / g r o u p s / safetymeetingwilliamslake.

Science Matters:

By David Suzuki

I

n the 1990s, the David Suzuki Foundation embarked on a program to develop community economic projects with coastal First Nations. Between 1998 and 2003, my wife and foundation co-founder, Tara Cullis, established relationships with 11 coastal communities from the tip of Vancouver Island to Haida Gwaii and Alaska, visiting each several times.

She encountered unemployment and a desperate need for jobs and economic development in every community. Then came pressure for pipeline projects and courtmandated consultation with First Nations.

Federal and provincial governments began offering huge financial incentives for pipeline approvals. But opposition remained strong because some things are more important than money.

By 2012, people along the BC coast were alarmed at the prospect of oil tankers plying their waters if the Northern Gateway pipeline were to be built. When the National Energy Board scheduled a meeting with the Heiltsuk people of Bella Bella, community members greeted them on arrival, drumming, singing, and protesting peacefully.

Rather than hear concerns from those with the most at stake, frightened board members cancelled the meeting.

By Dr. Adam McLeod, ND, BSc (Hons)

T

here are hundreds of natural therapies that can be used to support or stimulate the immune system. It is often challenging to sift through this information to find out what actually works. Everyone you talk to will have a different solution they swear by. In this article, I will describe some approaches I personally use to fight off a common cold. Some of these ideas discussed are from my experience as a naturopathic Doctor; others are simply approaches I have found to be personally helpful.

Immune stimulating tinctures There are countless botanicals that have been shown to support the immune system.

The mixture I have personally found helpful is equal parts of astragalus, echinacea, andrographis, and panax ginseng. There is significant research to show each of these herbs can stimulate the immune system. If it is an infection in the throat, I also use echinacea throat spray to directly attack the infection. Obviously if your immune system is stronger it will be more effective at com-

Fossil fuel industry executives, chamber of commerce members, and politicians promote pipelines for their supposed economic benefits. I often hear that one CEO or another is a good man who goes to church, takes his family camping, and loves nature.

Many are. But the economic system they operate in places no value on anything ―sacred.‖ Nothing is more sacred than that which provides life and health: clean air, safe water, healthy soil, photosynthesis. Yet damaging natural systems on which those conditions depend is seen as irrelevant, external to economic considerations. Thoughtful, sensitive corporate executives can‘t let their love of children or nature affect their decisions because consequences like pollution and habitat degradation are simply the ―costs of doing business.‖ Canada‘s prime minister and environment minister are parents. They must understand what scientists are saying about climate change, so they know their children‘s future could hold climate chaos and catastrophe. Indigenous people speak of the responsibility to remember and honour lessons from ancestors and consider what we will leave for children and future generations. It‘s something every politician should heed, but political reality leads to different priorities and actions.

In 2013, Mi‘kmaq activists built a camp near Elsipogtog, New Brunswick, to oppose fracking as a threat to water, which it has proven to be. Authorities responded with shocking levels of force.

For years, farmers and Indigenous people have opposed the Peace River Site C dam, saying it‘s unnecessary for BC energy

needs, which could be better met with conservation, geothermal, and other renewable energy. They argue the dam would desecrate sacred First Nations sites and flood priceless farmland. Although the BC government rejected the dam decades earlier, its proponents never gave up, and the government eventually resurrected the plan, without considering what many regard as sacred.

Many First Nations oppose open-net salmon farms on the BC coast as threats to wild salmon that have fed them and shaped their culture for millennia. Rather than demanding improved aquaculture methods, politicians choose to ignore the pleas of First Nations, abrogating their responsibility to protect wild marine species in order to accept the profit imperative of transnational corporations.

A fundamental problem is that governments represent people, so ministers of forests, fisheries, oceans or the environment don‘t act on behalf of forests, fish, oceans or the environment. They put human use of those resources first, seemingly blind to the bigger picture.

The Occupy and Idle No More movements were about values and world views.

Now, dedicated Sioux people have galvanized tens of thousands of supporters worldwide with their defence of water against the US Dakota Access pipeline project. It‘s ironic that after a history of facing genocidal policies, North America‘s original peoples are leading a struggle on behalf of us all. They‘re objecting to economic and political agendas that fail to elevate the sacred as one of our most important values so our constructs and institutions (economy,

bating any infection whether it is viral or bacterial in nature. This potent tincture tastes awful but I notice almost immediate relief when I use it. I usually take 5mL a minimum of three times a day until 24 hours after all symptoms cease.

Increase water intake to a minimum of 2L per day While fighting an infection, it is important to stay well hydrated. This is something I personally find I forget to do when I am not feeling well. Sometimes I need to be reminded that I am not drinking enough water. There are some helpful apps on the iPhone that can be good reminders to drink water. The one I use is called Waterminder and this gives me frequent reminders to drink water when I feel ill.

Hot bath I have always found a hot bath to be helpful when I am not feeling well. There are a number of reasons why this may be effective, but essentially it is a way of inducing an artificial fever, which will result in the immune system being more active. I usually do this for as long as I can tolerate it and I combine this with meditation. While doing this, it is important to stay well hydrated.

Exercise Even though when you are feeling sick you will obviously not be feeling energetic, exercise is still important. I force myself to exercise at the first sign of symptoms. Usually this will involve just 5–10 minutes on a stationary bike or push-ups and squats. Essentially, I work out just enough to get the

blood flowing and to feel slightly out of breath. There are several reasons why this can be helpful and it will certainly make it easier for you to get a good night‘s sleep right when you will need it the most.

Meditation I have found meditation and visualizations to be two of the most powerful tools to focus my immune system. These techniques help to support your immune system by reducing stress and giving your immune system the opportunity to focus on healing.

Where ever the infection is, I visualize drawing white blood cells to the area of concern. I see all of these cells moving around looking for a potential problem and eliminating it before it becomes an issue.

The immune system is incredibly powerful and effective once it recognizes what the problem is. Visualizations and meditation utilize the mind-body connection to direct your cells‘ awareness to the area of concern.

I firmly believe it is healthy and normal to get sick once or twice per year. These periods of illness are an opportunity for your immune system to get fired up. Your immune system is like a muscle; it needs to get a work out once in a while if it is expected to be strong. Not only does this give your immune system a chance to be stronger, it gives it the opportunity to recognize good and bad cells. An immune system that never becomes activated may struggle to differentiate between good and bad cells. This can lead to a whole new set of problems.

In my practice, when I hear from patients that they never get sick I consider this

Protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline. Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Pax Ahimsa Gethen

market, and corporations) respect the natural systems we depend on.

We must enshrine nature as the source of our lives, livelihoods, and happiness.

Recent protests are about securing and protecting the most elemental needs of all people. Many Indigenous peoples are on the front lines, for everyone. I support them, with gratitude.

David Suzuki is a scientist, broadcaster, author, and co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation.Learn more at www.davidsuzuki.org.

a bit of a red flag. If you have not gotten sick in 20 years, your immune system simply is not engaging infections effectively.

Many of these patients will have lower white blood cell or neutrophil counts. These values do not have to be out of range but they can be on the lower end of acceptable values. Those bacteria and viruses are there no matter what you do, but often it is your immune system response that makes you feel ill—not the infection itself.

Of course, there is a balance with this argument. If someone is frequently getting sick, that is a problem and this is obviously not a sign of a strong immune system. Some infections are critical to avoid and I am not suggesting that patients should deliberately make an effort to get sick. I simply believe it is normal and healthy to occasionally get sick and there are many biochemical reasons to support this logic.

If you are interested in developing a natural strategy to help combat flu season this year, contact a naturopathic physician to design a plan that is right for you. It is necessary to have professional guidance to develop a plan that is both safe and effective.

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

By Pat Teti

Based on my experience, there's very little difference between pizza baked this way and one baked in a real wood oven.

The very high temperature results in similarly charred edges and distinctive flavour.

In theory, you might expect a proper wood -fired pizza oven to bake the bottom crust better because the dough is in contact with preheated stone. However, I‘ve found that the intense heat from the coals bakes the dough on the bottom quite well.

You can‘t beat an outdoor wood oven as a focal point of gatherings but if you already have a suitable wood heating stove, all you need to create wood oven pizza is a device to safely hold a pizza pan over the coals. All the parts that are exposed to high temperature should be steel and a wooden handle obviously mustn‘t be too close to the fire. I made the ―hot end‖ of my pizza pan holder out of 1/8-inch x ¾-inch steel, ¾-inch plumber‘s strapping, some nuts and bolts, and baling wire.

I

’ve had the pleasure of using an outdoor pizza oven a couple of times and they are a joy, producing a thin char on dough and cheese that’s not possible in a domestic oven at 500 degrees F. A little bit of open flame can also impart a wonderful smoky flavour. However, they’re expensive in time and/or money, take up a lot of space, and burn a lot of firewood. A typical scenario would be to start a large fire at 3:00 p.m. to pre-heat its large mass and then bake several pizzas starting at 6:00 or 7:00 p.m., followed by a couple loaves of bread or a roast.

Lacking an outdoor wood oven but possessing a perfectly good fire pit, I started re-heating leftover pizza over a campfire several years ago. This is an absolutely heavenly way to heat pizza and other flatbreads because it can produce the high temperature char and impart a smoky wood flavour. Even if you stop reading here, the rest of your gastronomic life could already be changed. Take leftover pizza to your next campfire!

My first method for heating leftover pizza on a campfire was to use a lightweight griddle with a handle that I had extended by several feet. If you can cook over an open fire on the end of a long stick, you‘re on your way to being able to bake pizza from scratch in a wood heating stove.

The only real difference between this method and baking pizza in a wood-fired pizza oven is that you don‘t place the pizza on the floor of the stove. You bake it while holding it inside the stove on the end of a stick with the door open. It‘s important to note that an open campfire is not suitable for the initial baking of a pizza because the top won‘t get hot enough. However, the inside of a wood stove provides very high baking temperature from the top as well as the bottom. A thin pizza will bake in a couple minutes.

What you need is a front-opening wood heating stove, a chimney that draws well so you don‘t smoke up your house, an uncoated stainless steel pizza pan, and a way to safely hold the pizza pan in the stove above the coals. My first pizza pan holder was a lightweight campfire griddle with a home-made extension handle. Now I use a thing that I made from thin steel hardware and a fir pole.

Getting a wood heating stove ready to bake is a lot simpler than preparing an out-

(Top) Baking pizza in a wood stove.

(Middle) Wood stove pizza with corn, chopped beet tops, fresh mozzarella balls, and Parmigiano Reggiano.

(Right) The latest version of my pizza pan holder. Stainless steel pizza pan not shown.

Photos: Pat Teti

door wood oven. All you have to do is let a load a firewood burn until the flames are nearly gone and you have a good bed of hot coals. This can take less than an hour depending on your firewood and your stove should be good for baking several pizzas.

When you‘re ready to bake, sprinkle some cornmeal on the pizza pan, place the dough on it, and add the toppings. Place the pan on your pizza pan holder, open the stove door, and hold the pizza a few inches over the hot coals. Take the pizza out every half minute or so to check. The back of the stove will likely be hotter than the front

and you might need to rotate the pan. Bake it until the crust and topping start to scorch.

Just like a real wood-fired pizza oven, one of the characteristics of pizza baked this way is that the scorching will be a little uneven. It‘s a lot easier to know when pizza is done than when a loaf of bread is done. It‘s done as soon as it looks done!

Although the stove door has to be left open while baking, a thin pizza should take no more than 2 or 3 minutes.

If you‘re making more than one pizza, be sure to close the stove door while getting the next one ready. I‘ve made six 10inch pizzas on one load of coals.

Tips for baking pizza in a wood heating stove: • Spread the coals out evenly before baking.

• Don't use a pizza pan with a non-stick coating. Your pizza pan will be subjected to temperatures above 1,000 degrees F, far above the maximum temperature of a domestic oven. Non-stick coatings will burn, giving off unhealthy chemicals.

• Don’t use an aluminum pizza pan. Aluminum softens at these temperatures and is not desirable in contact with food anyway.

• Avoid hitting your stove’s firebrick liner.

• For faster and easier baking, keep the crust thin and don‘t load up on toppings.

• Use common sense and be safe.

This method can be used for baking any kind of thin bread or other types of grilling. However, do not try to bake or grill anything that could drip or splatter liquids. This could create a fire hazard or damage the firebrick in your stove.

If you would like a more detailed description of my pizza pan holder, contact me at pteti@shaw.ca.

Pat Teti was a research scientist with the BC government for 18 years and has always enjoyed making things.

By Ciel Patenaude

We truly desired to offer something to another. But once we realized that we could get attention for giving and/or that attention might not be offered to us if we came up short when compared to another, kindness became a complicated thing.

We are often told it is the easiest thing in the world to be kind. Admonished by Facebook memes to ‗Throw kindness around like confetti,‘ or ‗Just do it! Just be kind!‘ one might assume kindness – real, honest, no-expectations kindness – is a straightforward and natural way of being, available to everyone at any moment. And sure, it is. It‘s just that we have to do the work of healing our neurotic egos in order to achieve that state, and that‘s not generally easy. We have to get back to early childhood, in a sense, so we can remember what it is like to give without fearing not getting or not being noticed.

H

ow often do you deliberately – and randomly –engage in an act of goodwill or kindness? I’m not speaking about doing something nice for someone you know or a returned favour for goodness offered to you, but a true extension of kindness to someone or something that likely will not ever repay you, nor may they even know it was you who offered such consideration.

Such acts are the focus of Random Acts of Kindness Day, observed this year on February 17 (within the Random Acts of Kindness Week from February 12–18). A generous tradition that began in New Zealand, the week is now celebrated throughout the world, encouraging individuals and organizations to offer expressions of goodness to those around them without conditions or expectation.

The organizing body behind the day – The Random Acts of Kindness non-profit – states on its website that they believe kindness and acts of kindness can change the world. I would absolutely agree, but it‘s beneficial to look at what kind of relationships we generally form with kindness and with giving in general, so it‘s fully understood what such an act looks and feels like.

Kindness or Selfishness?

According to therapist David Richo, author of How to Be an Adult in Love and other marvelous books, most people give ‗kindness‘ and extend what they think of as ‗love‘ but they do so with conditions. We offer goodness to others but it generally comes with a subconscious or conscious contract, meaning we are expecting a return of the favour in some form, or at least an acknowledgment of what we have done.

According to Richo, such ways of being

www.flickr.com, elycefeliz

cannot actually be called love or kindness, for the ultimate desire of the person doing them (even if they are acting with no awareness of their unconscious motives) is to serve the needs of their own ego—to make themselves feel better, not to truly benefit the other.

Ego gets in the way of kindness.

Whether it‘s through reducing our desire to be kind because of our sense of competition with others, or through the co-opting of our kindness so our motives are less about the other person and far more about ourselves, our egos often prevent straightforward kindness from being a possibility.

When we were children, prior to the development of our solid ego self, it was much easier to be kind. We did it because we wanted to (and only when we wanted to).

By Margaret-Anne Enders

I

think my dog is out to get me.

Okay, perhaps that’s a bit much.

More accurately, I think she’s trying to train me. Both evoke similar emotions of resistance and frustration. You see, Lady’s a free spirit. She loves to be outside, racing as fast as she can, sniffing, exploring, bounding through the snow. It is a joy to watch her.

I can feel my heart physically lift as she scurries and prances, and clearly just cannot get enough of the opportunities placed in front of her. The problem is that this exuberance leads her to exploring too far away and not coming back when she’s called. Hence the frustration.

It‘s quite amazing the range of thoughts and emotions this behaviour arouses in me: powerlessness that I can‘t make her behave, inadequacy that I am obviously not the Alpha, fear that she‘ll get lost and I‘ll never see her again, anger that she‘s done it again, guilt that she is holding up whomever I am with as we stop to wait and call.

The list goes on. Who would ever think that an adorable 10 lb bundle of white fluff could inspire such conflict?

Our snow-bounding, life-loving little flufferoo. Photo: Margarett-Anne Enders

Just before Christmas, we were skiing in the Cariboo on a trail up at Esler. It was beautiful out. The deep hue of the evergreens dusted with white and the quiet that descends with the blanket of snow. To be out in nature, surrounded by the energy of the forest, watching Lady and her dog friends frolic and roll in the snow—it was so peaceful. Until Lady took off and the peace was broken by my increasingly frustrated calls and demands that she come back. It took a long time. I was not happy.

When she finally did return, bounding up, happy as a clam, I put her on the leash and continued to ski. The leash was a bit an-

Learning to be Kind In Buddhism, it is considered one of the highest paths of the Vajrayana school to commit to becoming a Boddhisatva, a person of ultimate love and compassion, a spiritual warrior.

In this work, the focus is on becoming loving to all beings – even and especially those we don‘t like – and offering kindness – called Boddhichitta – without ego involvement. When our intent is just to be kind, to be loving, the idea is that we are able to dissolve the imaginary boundaries between ourselves and the rest of existence and free ourselves from the binds of the ego. It is through loving and seeking honest kindness that we come to a state of inter -being and non-duality, seeing clearly that if there are any who suffer, we suffer too, and so it follows that kindness is always the best path.

To do this work requires great dedication. To release the ego and live from our

noying; however, Lady took it in stride.

She still scampered out in front, stopped to sniff repeatedly, and rolled around in the snow any chance she got. But me? I fumed. I recounted all the times in the recent past that she had done this. I complained about her to my companions. I went to dark places in my thoughts and lost awareness of my beautiful surroundings.

At some point, I looked down at Lady, prancing just ahead of me, head held high one minute, sniffing the ground the next. I was annoyed that she didn‘t seem sorry at all. She was not letting this leash spoil her party.

Enter my moment of epiphany. I was frustrated and angry when she was running away. Now she was here and I was still frustrated and angry. Even when her moment of disobedience had passed, I held tightly to it. I realized that I had a choice. I was giving too much control to negative thoughts. I could hold on to them and be annoyed while Lady had a good time or I could let go and be present to the new reality. So right then, I chose. And once again, I noticed the freshness of the air, the snow carved cleanly into ribbons of ski tracks, the grandfather‘s beard hanging from the trees. All these moments, slices of beauty that I was missing during the negative replay in my head.

hearts is the work of a lifetime, and especially so when our culture is so often oriented towards fearful, separatist mythologies: the realm of the neurotic ego. There are many practices in Buddhism that assist in the cultivation of kindness and of reducing the influence of ego on our choices and state of being, including but not limited to meditation, yoga, Tonglen, and raising Lungta, a practice to cultivate the bravery needed to face and override our fearful selves.

All of these practices take dedication and bravery to learn, along with an initial willingness to honestly take stock of our own acts of kindness and ask ourselves if we are truly being kind. Unless you are already an awakened Buddha, is not likely to be the case. Your ego will be involved.

However, if we want to start on the path to ego freedom right now, a random act of kindness might be just the ticket, so long as you truly make it random. What that looks like is you offering goodness in some form to someone you don‘t know – you may not even know who it is on the receiving end – and, most importantly, that you don‘t tell anyone you did it. The moment we feel the need to post on Facebook about our kindness or even congratulate ourselves quietly for the greatness of our altruism, we have lost the plot, for it is no longer about our giving, and has become about us.

Ciel Patenaude is an Integrative Health & 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 & wellness coach.

Lady‘s wild wanderings are actually getting worse. She‘s obviously in love with winter and it seems the lure of snow covered paths and hidden treasures is more compelling than my calls to return. I still don‘t know what to do, as the safety issues still worry me, and it is better for her in the long run, not to be the Alpha. However, until such time that she becomes an obedient little fur ball, I will strive to see her escapades as just moments in time, and leave the grab-bag of judgments and emotions on the side of the trail as soon as I see her bounding back to join me.

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 Guy Dauncey

W

here does money come from? It’s a simple question that creates a lot of confusion.

It‘s important since, depending on the answer, Canada can either create its own money without needing to borrow it, or it can‘t; and, a future Public Bank of British Columbia could offer zero-interest loans to students and farmers in Williams Lake or Cranbrook—or it couldn‘t.

I am writing a new book titled The Economics of Kindness—The End of Capitalism and the Birth of a New Cooperative Economy, and as part of my research I am digging into the various theories of money to try to fathom the answer.

You would think it would be easy. After all, economics claims to be a science, and how can a science not agree on the origin of its most fundamental substance?

That would be like physicists not agreeing on what an atom is.

Only three per cent of the money we use is coins and bank notes; the rest is electronic money, which we pass around using cheques, credit cards, debit cards, and etransfers. Some people think there‘s a store of gold that backs the money, but not any more: Canada has only 77 ounces of official gold reserves. For a period during the 19th century money was backed by gold, but as an economy grows it needs more money, and that‘s not easy with a physical thing like gold.

Others will tell you that a bank keeps a reserve of money on which it bases it lending, known as a fractional reserve. Globally, banks are required by the Bank of International Settlements to keep 4.6 per cent of the loans on their books in reserves—but that doesn‘t explain where the other 95 per cent comes from.

In 1975, the economist Keynes wrote, ―The process by which banks create money is so simple that the mind is repelled.‖ If you go to the bank to borrow some money, they‘ll check your financial assets and your credit rating, and if you‘re good to go they‘ll give you a line of credit. They simply click the mouse and create it, which you can then use to buy an electric car, a solar system, or a house, paying interest for the privilege. They don‘t need to have it before they lend it. They just create it, out of thin air.

If it‘s that easy, why doesn‘t everyone do it? And why can‘t the government do the same, instead of having to borrow at market rates? The problem is, if anyone could create money, Williams Lake would soon be awash with it, and prices would quickly rise. In 1923, when Germany‘s Third Reich attempted to buy its way out of a massive financial hole following the disaster of the World War by printing money, the value of the German mark fell so rapidly that people needed more than a trillion marks to buy a dollar. That put a lot of economists off trusting governments to create money, and led to today‘s widely

accepted neo-liberal assumption that money-creation is best trusted to the private sector, not the government.

To prevent inflation, the supply of new money needs to grow at the same rate as the economy: no faster, no slower. But where does the new money really come from?

―

Where it comes from, I have realized, is simple trust. It goes back to the time when our ancestors lived in clans of hunter -gatherers, when trust was the second most important social asset they possessed, after nature‘s ecological wealth. When individuals acted selfishly it disrupted the social trust, weakening their strength as a group.

The glue of a clan‘s existence was the gift, and gifts needed to be reciprocated to retain trust and balance.

The origin of money lies with the understanding that if I receive a gift of 10 fat salmon from my friend, I need to find a way to repay it. If I was to scratch that understanding on a piece of bark, signifying, ―I owe you the equivalent of 10 fat salmon,‖ and give the bark to my friend, we‘d have the world‘s first bank-note. New money is not created out of ‗thin air‘ as many monetary reformers claim—it is created as a measure of trust.

Fast-forward to 2008, and the nearcollapse of the global economy because of rash and greedy money-creation by the big banks to lend for extremely risky mortgages, and collateralized debt obligations (CDOs) so complex that Anthony Haldane, executive director of financial stability at the Bank of England, said that to fully understand one you‘d need to read and understand more than a billion pages of information. Obviously, no-one did, and many investors got hurt when their CDOs turned

out to be toxic. Clearly, trust was not on the bankers‘ minds when they created the new money.

So what stopped the total collapse of the economy when the bankers abused our trust?

Our governments, who hastily created sufficient money to bail them out. The central banks of Britain, Canada, the US, and Europe did not need to have the money: they just invented it, knowing they needed to prevent a collapse, and trusting it would all work out for the good.

In other words, when the banks abused their private monopoly on creating money, the public sector bailed them out.

Guy Dauncey’s most recent book, Journey to Which leads to the question: if the Future: A Better World is Possible. See the central banks can create more at www.journeytothefuture.ca new money to bail out the banks, why can‘t they do the same to tackle the housing crisis, or to finance the transition to 100 per cent renewable en- Guy Dauncey’s most recent book, Journey to the Future: A Better World is Possible. See more at ergy to tackle the climate crisis? www.journeytothefuture.ca The simple answer is: they can—or they could, if they were not dominated by advice from neo-liberal creating money and instead (without coneconomists who insist that, no, only the sulting the government) embrace a moneprivate sector can be allowed to create tarist approach, borrowing all money from money, even if the government (through its the private sector. Canada‘s debt has since central bank) has to be there to pick up the grown to $634 billion, much of which is pieces when the banks‘ lending causes a accumulated interest payments. crash.

So here‘s the moral of the story. We The Bank of Canada is already owned need new money to be created as Canada‘s by the people of Canada, and between economy grows. The Bank of Canada has 1938 and 1974 it created some of the the legal right to create at least some of the money needed to fight the war and build new money to spend on affordable housthe St. Lawrence Seaway and the Tran- ing, renewable energy, and whatever else sCanada Highway, as well as various is deemed important. In this way, the schools and hospitals—and there was no money would enter working people‘s outbreak of inflation. Ever since 1974, pockets directly, instead of causing house however, when private banks have been in price inflation, and that would have to be charge of money-creation, we have seen good for everyone. inflation, most recently in the price of For further reading, I recommend Debt housing, which is where much of their new or Democracy by Mary Mellor (Pluto money is flowing, to the distress of those Press, 2016) and Beyond Banksters: Resistwho live on the wrong side of the housing ing the New Feudalism, by Joyce Nelson crisis.

(Watershed Sentinel Books, 2016).

So what happened? Why does Canada‘s government now have to borrow Guy Dauncey is author of Journey to the money and pay interest on it to the private future: A Better World is Possible, and sector? In 1974, the Bank of International other titles. He lives near Ladysmith, on Settlements persuaded the Bank of Can- Vancouver Island. ada‘s governor, Gerald Bouey, to cease

By David Zirnhelt

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any pastoralists and conservation farmers in the US voted for Donald Trump—by a strong majority, according to my reading. So maybe farming is a tribal activity and the resettler tribes of the land operate with a worldview that in part says we humans are a chosen race, destined by a higher power to dominate/ steward the earth in our image, no matter what.

Farming cultures resettled much of the world, and some kind of farming has made it possible for societies to survive times of famine.

It has been argued that the psyche of current civilization is stuck at a human age of about four. The ―want-want, my way‖ attitude of a four-year-old that wants nothing much more than to get enough to eat and have comforts to survive is what drives much of human activity.

Survival, after all, is what the human species has been too darn good at. So, our population abounds.

Now how are we going to feed all that survive, hopefully without savage collateral destruction of ―enemies‖ and many of

our own diseased or displaced in the name of a higher order? If we are ―right‖ then we just might get our reward in a ―heaven‖.

That justifies horrendous behaviour toward other tribes and ―races‖.

Our historical need to survive, and maybe thrive, led us to develop large complex societies in which farmers had a particular place to produce a lot of food. This food could be stored for the bad times, for war to expand our boundaries so that in a competitive world it would be our group that survived.

I would submit for the sake of argument that the pastoralists who voted for Trump felt government, liberal thinkers, and progressive believers had badly constrained the production of food.

Farming operations by regulation and a different worldview meant the very constitution of the United States (at least the spirit and intent of the Founding Fathers) was breached. ―Get them out of the way,‖ is their rallying cry.

I want society to honour the best of what a healthy farming worldview has to offer. The problem is, for so long many farmers in the industrial age see no limits to growth and production.

The collateral damage to the substrate of the earth that supports food production

David with two of his saddle horses. Photo: Pati Moreno

is treated as an externality to the economics of food production, that is, it is not accounted for. This is what is catching up to us as we industrialize agriculture more and more.

So, really, what am I getting at?

Modern farmers‘ desires to produce more, produce quicker, meet the market demand, and make a decent living long ago started to have a negative impact on the very basis of food production: the soils of our farms and the larger ecology of the grasslands, savannahs, forests, and oceans.

Some have made a virtual religion of this farming.

Farming gets blamed for a huge footprint on the earth. Much of this blame is deserved, but those same food production activities hold a promise of making a rapid change from gross emitter of carbon dioxide to net fixer of carbon back in the earth, so has said the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and many others. ―Sustainable practices‖ would be the watchwords of this approach. Farmers, gardeners, and even the cowboys of the western range can, in the space of several years, turn agriculture from a net emitter of carbon to a net ―sequesterer‖ of carbon the world over.

To accomplish this would be nothing short of a new Green Revolution in farming.

We may remember that the muchvaunted and now failed Green Revolution sought to industrialize farming in the Third World, essentially by wanton application of fertilizers and pesticides to radically enhance production, thus using up valuable organic matter in the soil.

Too much too fast, and without the long view of sustainable practices, has got us into a cycle of dependency that holds destruction as a possible outcome, so serious is the need for the new Green Revolution in agriculture.

This is my view of the problem. The second part of this article in the April/May issue of TheGreenGazette will address possible solutions.

David and his family ranch in the Beaver Valley where their boys have a small sawmill that supplies their Zirnhelt Timber Frame construction business at the 150 Mile House. David served in government as an elected representative for 11 years, two of them serving as Minister of Agriculture in BC. He also chairs the Industry Advisory Committee to the Thompson Rivers University Applied Sustainable Ranching Program.

By Sharon Taylor

T

he refrain from a childhood song says, ―In this world of darkness, we must shine. You in your small corner, and I in mine.‖ It reminds me that our personal actions, no matter how small, have consequences. But does having a shorter shower or commuting by bike really make a difference to the huge environmental, economic, and systemic issues the world is facing?

Can we have an impact on the world from our own small corner?

The UN has addressed these overwhelming issues in a series of discussions and agreements over many decades. At the Rio Conference on Environment and Development in 1992, Canadian Severn CullenSuzuki, then only 12 years old, galvanized the world with her plea, ―If you don't know how to fix it, please stop breaking it.‖ In 2000, the global community agreed to the eight Millennium Development Goals to be achieved by 2015: to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; to achieve universal primary education; to promote gender equality and empower women; to reduce child mortality; to improve maternal health; to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases; to ensure environmental sustainability; and, to develop a global partnership for development. Some progress was made, particularly in health outcomes, but it was uneven. Some goals were so broad they were hard to measure; others were achieved in some countries but not others. Economic and environmental emergencies derailed many efforts through the 2000s.

End extreme poverty. Fight inequality and injustice. Fix climate change. Image courtesy of www.sustainabledevelopment.un.org/

In 2015, the United Nations adopted the 2030 Development Agenda, Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The 17 goals therein are ambitious and far-reaching: Supporting People: No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Good Health and Well-being, Quality Education, Gender Equality (Goals 1-5) Supporting Communities: Clean Water and Sanitation, Affordable and Clean Energy, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, Reduced Inequalities, Sustainable Cities and Communities (Goals 6-12) Supporting the Environment: Responsible Consumption and Production, Climate Action, Life Below Water, Life on Land (Goals 13-15) Overarching Goals: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, Partnerships for the Goals (Goals 16-17)

The Goals are not meant to be a step-bystep checklist of accomplishments. One goal cannot be met without addressing others: for example, an international forum this summer will explore the theme, Eradicating poverty and promoting prosperity in a changing world. To end poverty in all its forms everywhere (Goal 1), address food security and sustainable agriculture (Goal 2). To achieve sustainable agriculture, consider life on land and under sea (Goals 14 and 15). Studies show that when women and girls have equal access to education and opportunities (Goals 4 and 5), their health improves (Goal 3), and their communities‘ prosperity and infrastructure improves (Goals 9, 10, 11); therefore, poverty is lessened. Each small achievement has an effect on other goals—sometimes planned, sometimes unintended.

Lots of people feel these goals are unattainable—there will always be poverty; we will never be free of fossil fuels. Canadian astronaut Colonel Chris Hadfield disagrees.

In December 2016, he published a list of good news, including the following: world hunger has reached its lowest point in 25 years; fossil fuel emissions have not increased in 2016, and China has banned new coal mines.

We can‘t fix everything from our living rooms or our computer screens, but we do have a role in creating a better world.

The first thing is to be informed: read over the goals and see where your personal priorities fit in.

Then look to your local community: who else is focused on that priority? If you are concerned about gender equity, look for volunteer opportunities with Big Brothers and Big Sisters, the Women‘s Contact Society, or Boys and Girls Club. If you are concerned about the availability of healthy,

local food, check out the Cariboo Growers Coop, the Potato House, and Community Gardens. Think long term: while food banks feed hungry people today, they do not solve the systemic problem of families not being able to afford food throughout the month.

Next, you might get involved in organizations that work in broader dimensions.

The BC Council for International Cooperation has been working with local groups across the province to align their work with the Sustainable Development Goals. There are over 2,200 groups in BC listed on a searchable map available through the BCCIC website at bccic.ca. The BCCIC and its member groups will be promoting discussion of the goals before and during the upcoming BC elections so that we elect politicians willing to further the goals with government policies For more ideas, check out The Lazy Person‘s Guide to Saving the World: http:// www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/ takeaction/ In the end, while we shine our light in our own small corners, we must actively support others‘ light in whatever ways we can. Otherwise, the world faces a very dark future.

Sharon Taylor has lived in Williams Lake with her husband Rob for most of the past 35 years. Together they have raised four loving and compassionate children, taught hundreds of students in elementary school and at the university, and have been leaders in the Anglican church here and in Vancouver. Sharon now works with the Immigrant and Multicultural Services Society to help newcomers to Canada settle in the Cariboo.

By Van Andruss

I

seem to be one of those people who lag behind the times. For instance, I assume that BC’s Crown land is owned by its citizens, both native and non-native. Certainly logging companies do not own our land; neither does government. Besides this, I believe in the responsibility of the Ministry of Environment (now Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks) to guard the values of the land, its forests, air, water, and animal life, while the Ministry of Forests (now Forests, Land and Natural Resource Operations) must stand vigilant to oversee the day-to-day conduct of all who make use of forests.

On this old-fashioned basis, I feel entirely warranted to assert my opinion on land-use issues in the province, especially if they impact my community and watershed.

As for my community, public participation in forestry issues is nothing new. The Yalakom Valley has found its place at every possible table and conference since the early 80s of the last century.

Of these many events, the two most outstanding happened in the ―Turnaround Decade‖ of the 90s when the Environmental Movement was at its height. Both tables, the Yalakom Local Resource Use Plan (YLRUP) and the Lillooet Land and Resources Management Plan (LLRMP), occurred when Ainsworth logging company was active in our timber supply area (TSA).

The territory under examination in the YLRUP was small. Maps in the possession of the local forestry office were out-of-date and empty of relevant detail. Thanks to one of our members who had tramped around in the watershed on foot and horseback, and really knew what he was talking about, we offered useful information.

I can't but laugh when I remember how uncomfortable the Forestry Branch Manager was with our questions, our knowledge, our opinions. We approached the topic with a landscape-scale perspective inspired by BC‘s premier forester, Herb Hammond. We boldly spoke our vocabulary, spouting words like ―biodiversity,‖ ―fragmentation,‖ and ―ecology.‖

H

ave you seen Venus in the southwest after sunset? It’s very bright and can even cast a shadow if you are in a dark place. Mars, above and to the left, is far dimmer, but still has that tell-tale ruddy hue.

Venus was at greatest eastern elongation on January 12. That is the farthest it gets away from the sun in the evening sky.

Because its orbit is inside the Earth‘s, it can never appear opposite to the sun in the sky, like the outer planets. From there it will swing around in front of the sun, being in inferior conjunction on March 25 and then reappear as the morning star reaching greatest western elongation on June 3.

These motions are quite noticeable over a relatively short time and can give you a

The Yalakom Valley: the revered motive of our participation in land use planning.

Photo: Van Andruss

―Ecology!‖ growled the district manager. ―What‘s ecology?!‖ The man was astonished when one of our members blandly asked, ―Do you really know what you are doing?‖ We were treated like school kids.

Sometimes I got so bored, I resorted to a book under the table. Years were absorbed establishing Terms of Reference. It wasn‘t until 1998 that our ―advisory‖ plan was finally signed off by the district manager.

Meanwhile, roading and clearcut logging rolled on as per usual.

By this form of participation, we may not have changed forest policy but we did become well educated to bureaucratic forms and to the land features of our watershed.

In 1995, along came the LLRMP. We plunged into that morass as well. While the YLRUP had been small in scale, here we faced an expansive TSA-wide analysis that downplayed or minimized our fine-grained investigations.

The Lillooet LRMP was a big deal. It included four representatives from our community and over 40 other parties: Fisheries, the Community Resource Board, the Ministries of Forest and Environment, the Guide Outfitters, the Rod and Gun Club, and of course, the ever-vigilant Ainsworth

sense that things are moving up there. The earth-moon system would be an amazing sight from Venus when it is at inferior conjunction, its closest approach to Earth.

Meanwhile, Jupiterrises in the east before midnight, followed by Saturn, low in the southeast. If you haven‘t seen the four moons of Jupiter, the ones that Galileo saw, it is an easy observation to make.

High powered binoculars or a spotting scope is all you need. And they move nightly, changing positions. It‘s a simple thing that becomes more fascinating the more you look into it.

There are so many things that distract us from the night sky, it becomes a challenge to develop the habit of looking up. I guarantee you take some of that starlight to bed with you. Maybe you are hungry and

Ltd., keenly sensitive to any agreement that would affect their sacred revenue.

By 2001, after a thousand hours of painstaking deliberation, the table submitted two plans to the government. The slightly more ecology-minded one was selected. This caused a furor in Lillooet.

Soon thereafter, the NDP government was voted out of office, and neither plan was ratified.

Coming up to the present, 2017, the local branch of the Ministry of Forests is gone, Ainsworth is gone, replaced by another company, and government policy is radically different.

At the beginning of the new millennium, our forestlands came under a new regime called Results-based Forestry, directed by what is called ―professional reliance.‖ Results-based Forestry follows a checklist of very general (that is, vague) regulations – by no means ecology-based in the Herb Hammond style – carried out by ―professionals,‖ such as registered professional foresters (RPFs), who are expected to represent the standards and ethics of their governing associations.

The rub here is that the RPFs are in fact employees of logging companies and would lose their jobs if, from lack of discretion, they became unduly diligent. Be-

the moon will look like cheese in your dreams, or there‘re maidens on Venus to consider. Not a likely prospect, however, with an atmosphere several hundred degrees C and sulfuric acid rain. There have been suggestions that a space colony could float in Venus‘ atmosphere. You might look forward to the next Skywatch if you were stuck there. News from home.

Well, the large thing this year is the total eclipse on August 21. The path of totality, which is around 80 km wide, sweeps in from the Pacific, crosses Oregon and Idaho, and points further east. The total phase only lasts about two minutes.

Already campgrounds are full. I'm not yet certain where I will be observing it from.

It‘s the chance of a lifetime and the probability of good weather is high in those locations at that time of year. Wherever you choose to view it from, I would get

sides, they seldom live where they are passing their judgments and therefore lack the cautionary approach you would expect of local residents.

Worst of all, in the face of logging, the Ministry of Forests has been disempowered. This means the public no longer has anywhere to appeal when obvious malpractices are taking place in the woods. The Ministry‘s Compliance and Enforcement Program and the Forest Practices Board remain, but it‘s unclear whether they possess any effective powers.

It would not be going too far to say the indispensable office of Public Participation in Forestry Planning has been shut down.

For the local resident discovering new logging blocks in the neighbourhood, ―consultation‖ with the logging company is possible; slight concessions are not unheard of. But in most cases involving public input, site plans are already made, permits are issued, and one is simply ―informed‖ of the operations to be carried out.

At the same time, in the absence of governmental authority, it falls to local residents to defend their forest from harm.

Such is the world we live in, and it is a deep question what is to be done. Obviously we need to press for better regulation of forest practices. This has always been the case. But who will do the pressing?

Here‘s my answer in brief: it is still possible for concerned people to form committees in their home regions to deal with forest practices and policies. Let us form Coalitions of Committees, and by the strength of social organization, make renewed demands on the current system.

It is true that people all along have tried and mostly failed to influence obdurate forest policy. But then, what‘s the alternative? Life is not over with yet. We are still obliged to deal with what is destructive or unjust in our familiar worlds.

I say onward, then. Make Coalitions!

Organize! Up with Public Participation in Forestry Planning!

Van Andruss is editor of the magazine Lived Experience, available at The Open Book and The Station House Gallery in Williams Lake. He enjoys the bioregional life and community in historic Moha outside of Lillooet, B.C there early to avoid probable traffic congestion.

More on this later; for now, back to winter …

The Bells Lake Observatory near Horsefly will be having observing nights every last Friday of the month from February until May. If you are interested or have any questions I can be reached at (250) 620 -0596 or irwin8sound@gmail.com.

E

verybody has a heart and your body can not live without it.

But your heart is also more than just an organ pumping blood throughout your body.

With the help of HeartMath® techniques you are able to tap into your heart‘s intelligence and start healing yourself.

HeartMath is a unique system based on rigorous scientific research, with validated techniques and advanced technologies. It is highly effective for people interested in personal development and improved emotional, mental, and physical health. The HeartMath Institute (HMI) researches heart -brain communication and its relationship to managing stress, increasing coherence, and deepening one‘s connection to self and others. HMI‘s scientists also explore the electrophysiology of intuition and how all things are interconnected.

Neurocardiology - The Brain in the Heart Researchers at HeartMath found that the heart has a complex neural network that is sufficiently extensive to be characterized as a brain in the heart. The heartbrain, as it is commonly called, or intrinsic cardiac nervous system, is an intricate network of complex ganglia, neurotransmitters, proteins, and support cells, the same as those of the brain in the head. The heart contains cells that produce and release norepinephrine and dopamine, neurotransmitters once thought to be produced only by the brain and ganglia outside the heart.

Even more remarkable is the discovery that the heart produces oxytocin – the ―love hormone‖– in concentrations that are as high as those in the brain.

Heart-Brain Communication Traditionally, the study of communication pathways between the head and heart has been approached from a rather onesided perspective, with scientists focusing primarily on the heart‘s responses to the brain‘s commands. HeartMath learned that communication between the heart and brain is a dynamic, ongoing, two-way dialogue, with each organ continuously influencing the other‘s function. Research has shown that the heart communicates to the brain in four major ways: neurologically (through the transmission of nerve impulses), biochemically (via hormones and neurotransmitters), biophysically (through pressure waves), and energetically (through electromagnetic field interactions). Communication along all these conduits significantly affects the brain‘s activ-

ity. Moreover, the research shows that messages the heart sends to the brain also can affect performance.

Resilience a nd E motional Self Regulation Our emotions infuse life with a rich texture and transform our conscious experience into a meaningful living experience. Emotions determine what we care about and what motivates us. They connect us to others and give us the courage to do what needs to be done, to appreciate our successes, to protect and support the people we love, and to have compassion and kindness for those who are in need of our help. Emotions also allow us to experience the pain and grief of loss. Without emotions, life would lack meaning and purpose.

Emotions and resilience are closely related because emotions are the primary drivers of many key physiological processes involved in energy regulation. HeartMath defines resilience as the capacity to prepare for, recover from, and adapt in the face of stress, adversity, trauma, or challenge. Therefore, it follows that a key to sustaining good health, optimal function, and resilience is the ability to manage one‘s emotions.

By learning self-regulation techniques that allow us to shift our physiology into a more coherent state, the increased physiological efficiency and alignment of the mental and emotional systems accumulates resilience (energy) across all four energetic domains. Having a high level of resilience is important not only for bouncing back from challenging situations, but also for preventing unnecessary stress reactions (frustration, impatience, anxiety), which often lead to further energy and time waste and deplete our physical and psychological resources. Most people would agree it is the ability to adjust and self-regulate one‘s responses and behaviour that is most important in building and maintaining supportive, loving relationships and effectively meeting life‘s demands with composure, consistency, and integrity.

Health Improvement An estimated 60 to 80 per cent of primary-care doctor visits are related to stress.

HeartMath‘s mental and emotional selfregulation techniques and practices can provide an effective strategy for stress reduction in many clinical contexts. HeartMath techniques allow people to quickly self-induce a physiological shift to a more coherent state that takes advantage of the concurrent change in afferent neuronal input to the brain, which is associated with

increased self-regulatory capacity and thus, ability to more successfully handle the demands and challenges of life with more ease and composure.

HeartMath interventions have helped people manage their stress, especially for those with stress-related conditions: Hypertension Arrhythmias Autoimmune disorders Environmental sensitivity Sleep disorders Drug and alcohol addiction Anger Heart failure Chronic pain Fibromyalgia Chronic fatigue Anxiety disorders Depression Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Attention Deficit Disorder / Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ ADHD) Eating disorders ―Since emotional processes can work faster than the mind, it takes a power stronger than the mind to bend perception, override emotional circuitry, and provide

us with intuitive feeling instead,‖ said Doc Childre, HeartMath Institute founder. ―It takes the power of the heart.‖ HeartMath is a registered trademark of Quantum Intech, Inc. Source material – the HeartMath Institute, www.heartmath.org Further reading: To learn about neurocardiology and the heart-brain connection, please visit www.heartmath.org/research/science-ofthe-heart/heart-brain-communication/ To learn about resilience and selfregulation, please visit (www.heartmath.org/research/science-ofthe-heart/resilience-stress-and-emotions/).

Learn about chronic health and stressinduced conditions at www.heartmath.org/ research/science -of-the-heart/healthoutcome-studies/.

Submitted by Dina Stephenson, certified HeartMath mentor, with excerpts from the HeartMath® Institute.

By Kim Judd

N

o weeding, no watering, no pests, no till, no dig. No way!

It’s all about ground cover and building healthy soil.

Sceptical? Well, no doubt. But ask yourself this: is my soil truly alive? How can healthy and nutritious fruits and vegetables grow to their ultimate potential otherwise? What are some recognizable characteristics of healthy soil? The answer to this question will lead us to the answer of how you can start building a garden or flower bed that looks after itself. All you will require once it’s established is a rake and seeds. This method comes full circle again to building compost, which is essential to give back nutrients that plants are using each year.

It all begins and ends with ground cover, free local resources that you can collect throughout the year. Mulching can be done with straw, leaves, grass clippings, chop and drop, cardboard, newspaper, and wood chips. To be specific, the type of wood chips we are talking about here are ramial, which means small branches and leaves are also included in the mix.

If creating a garden, sounds like too much work, you are working too hard in your garden. Believe it or not, building soil begins in the fall. Consider this as an approach. All summer long trees are pulling up nutrients and storing them in their leaves. Fall arrives, cool weather greets us, and leaves fall to the ground. In the forest, they stay where they lay and begin to break

Submitted by citizens’ group, Rail Ties Be Wise

A

nyone who lived in Williams Lake before 1993 can remember finding their car covered in fly ash from the beehive burners that used to dispose of wood waste from the local sawmills. Air quality has improved considerably since the power plant currently owned by Atlantic Power Corp. (AP) began using that wood waste to generate electricity for sale to BC Hydro.

Since then, the local forest industry has suffered a number of blows, notably the Mountain Pine Beetle infestation. As a result, much less biomass is available to fuel the plant‘s boiler.

AP proposes to burn creosote-treated railroad ties to supplement wood waste from the remaining sawmills. The Province issued permit amendments allowing up to four million ties to be burned annually, and approving increased emissions of known toxins.

This is a controversial prospect to say the least, especially since abundant nonmerchantable timber could be utilized instead, which would create more employment without toxic emissions.

Our concerns relate to numerous aspects of AP‘s application.

• We are not confident that air quality can be maintained, especially during the frequent weather inversions that hold emissions in our valley bowl. As seniors, chil-

down with help thanks to bacteria, fungi, insects, and vermiculture, feeding the tree for spring to start the process all over again.

Here are the steps to building a garden without breaking your back or your wallet.

Let‘s say you want to build a brand new garden in a space previously lawn. In the fall, lay down cardboard. This will choke out the grasses growing there. You‘ll want to leave the roots, as this will be used to aerate the soil and begin the break down as food in this microbial environment. You can then lay with compost, leaves, coffee ground, crushed egg shells, and finally approximately four inches of wood chips.

Allow this the settle and break down over winter. Once spring arrives and the weather has warmed enough to plant seeds, rake back the wood chips and sow the seeds. Water to germinate. Once plants have germinated, then rake back the wood chips. Voila, garden. Eventually the wood chips will break down to help build your soil. Yearly maintenance includes building compost from your yard waste and occasionally laying more wood chips as they break down. This process can be started in the spring; it will just require you to be sourcing compost and wood chips before you begin, and allowing it to condition.

Let‘s trouble shoot. In the scenario you build a Back to Eden garden and you begin to see weeds growing through the mulch, there is an easy solution. Rake back the wood chips and lay newspaper or cardboard and cover with wood chips again.

Or, cover with thicker wood chips. Many

dren, and those with respiratory diseases are especially vulnerable, the health of our community could significantly decline.

• We are especially concerned about the fact that AP is not required to post any clean-up funds in case of accident. In fact, if they default on cleanup in such an incident, then it seems likely that the City and/ or BC taxpayers would have to foot the bill.

• Ash from burning treated wood like railroad ties is not the same as that from ordinary wood waste. The permit recognizes the potential for hazardous chemicals in the ash, yet allows AP to add it to the pile above Frizzi Road, very close to the river valley escarpment, which consists mainly of silt and sloughs frequently. The potential for contaminated ash to fall into the creek (and eventually the Fraser River) is extremely worrisome. Also, the ash pile has no liner beneath it and there is no reliable way to manage or measure contaminants that may leach from it.

• Who would want to move to a place where rail ties are burned right in town?

We already have a shortage of professionals such as doctors, and we need to attract new families and business for our town to thrive.

• There is no social license in the community for making Williams Lake the railroad tie burning capital of Western Canada.

• Thirteen local stakeholders submitted formal legal appeals, voicing these concerns and pointing out weaknesses in the science underlying the approvals.

Mulched herb garden. Photo: Whitney Claire/Flickr.com/icandyartstudio

gardeners have had layered wood chips up to 16 inches.

No watering. If it‘s an extremely dry year, you may find yourself watering. But really let‘s ask, what are you growing that requires constant watering? Is it sustainable in the area or designed to be growing in a different climate? There are a lot of wild edibles that are native to this area and no one is out in the forest with a watering can.

No pests. If you find your garden is being overrun with pests, ask yourself, is my garden planted in such a monoculture way that pests are attracted to this area because it just row upon row of the same plant? If so, mix it up a bit and build a food forest. Another consideration is, are the plants in distress? A number of things will cause stress in plants: being transplanted, temperature, disease, and poor soil.

Essentially, a healthy soil is the most beneficial way to can protect your plants as pests are attracted to plants that are suffering—an attack on the weak mentality. You

know the saying, ―happy wife, happy life‖?

Well, the same applies to your garden: ―Healthy soil, healthy plants.‖ No till, no dig. How many times have I heard someone tell me a story of rototilling their garden and within days and weeks the crack grass, thistles, mustard, and milk weeds are right back up again choking out anything that managed to germinate. These weeds love it when you rototill, bringing weed seeds to the surface, breaking up grass and weed rhizomes underground.

And so till again, again, and again, until eventually it doesn‘t seem worth it. Well, it‘s not, really. Actually tilling your garden breaks up all the beneficial organisms growing there. If you want that fluffy light soil that doesn‘t compact when you step on it, consider adding soil amendments such as compost. Then protect it with mulch.

It‘s essential that you leave the roots of the plants in the ground that fall. Just cut the stalks and compost them; the roots will assist in building healthy soil. Allow nature to do the work for you. Building a rich healthy soil doesn‘t happen overnight, but keep nurturing it and you will be rewarded.

In recognition of YouTube videos by Paul Gouchi of Back to Eden Garden, Starry Hilder of Off Grid Homestead, Dan of Plant Abundance, and Patrick of One Yard Revolution.

At the age of three, Kim moved to Williams Lake from Ottawa, Ontario. She has lived here the majority of her life. Since early childhood, Kim attributes her love of gardening, art, and movement from her parents.

A view of the Williams Lake airshed. Photo: Brandon Hoffman

In September 2016, the citizens group, Rail Ties Be Wise was born to support those appeals and raise public awareness.

Environmental lawyer Erin Gray of Devlin Galius Westaway is working with us to ensure those appeals make a strong legal case. Grants from West Coast Environmental Law are partially covering lawyers‘ fees. Our fundraising team is working hard to raise the balance and to hire expert consultants to testify at a hearing before the Environmental Appeal Board (EAB).

We expect such hearings would take place sometime in the summer of 2017.

The Province has disputed our eligibility to be heard at the EAB and called our concerns irrelevant. They applied to strike Williams Lake residents‘ appeals on the grounds that the appellants are ―busy bodies‖ who will not be materially affected. At present, the EAB is allowing us to rebut.

If this news troubles you, we would love to hear from you. Join our Facebook

p age and email list (wlrailtieinfo@gmail.com) for updates, and keep your eye on our website: www.railtiesbewise.ca. You can send a letter from there to the entire Council of the City of Williams Lake expressing your concerns, and letting them know you‘re worried about what this project could mean for you as a taxpayer if you reside in the City.

You can also support our efforts in several ways: • Sign a petition at one of several supporting businesses • Donate to help with legal expenses at https://www.gofundme.com/2q7qdu4 or at the Williams Lake Credit Union.

• Watch for our Spring FUNraiser, now in the planning stages, or better yet volunteer to help the organizers Just because no one asked us if we want this to happen, that doesn‘t mean we have to take it lying down.

By Terri Smith

D

ear Reader,

I hope you have even just one small corner of your own to retreat to when the world becomes overwhelming or life is wearing you down, or just because you would like a quiet moment to relax. I suppose, technically, the space I think of as my quiet corner is supposed to be both Amadeus‘ and his sister-dog, Kasha‘s quiet space, but they are nice enough to share.

You‘ve got to admit, anxieties are high and things are tough all over just now. It seems the world is becoming more difficult by the day: wars, poverty, climate change, food security, property tax increases, a giant toddler running the country next door, etc., etc. Maybe it really is ‗business as usual,‘ but it‘s everywhere you look now, thanks to the miracles of technology and social media. Maybe that‘s why my quiet space is a goat shed. There isn‘t even cell reception out here.

I come out here with my coffee in the morning or a cup of tea and my headlamp at night. I dress warm, and bring a book or my journal. I bring treats for my animal companions and try to let any tensions drain away. Some days it works, other days it turns into a slap-stick routine, but either way, I‘m grateful for the little things, like a dog and goat who make me laugh and a shed made of old pallets.

I‘m in a hurry; we‘re on our way to town. I grab the water bucket and pet Amadeus on the nose as I head back to the house to refill it. He nuzzles at my hand but miscalculates his trajectory and his head moves too far forward for his body. He looks at the ground, trying to remember what he should do next. Half a second too late he realizes he should step forward. His leg moves, but he‘s already going down and all he manages to accomplish is to bump his nose on his knee as he topples.

He‘s accustomed to falling, though, so it doesn‘t bother him. I hurry back to the house, scoop up a cup of oats, refill the water bucket, and grab my shopping bags to throw into the truck. I pick up my travel mug by its lid and struggle out the door.

My hands are too full though and just as I get the truck door open my coffee cup slips out of my hand and spills coffee all over the seats. In my panic to upright it I dump the entire cup of oats over the steaming puddles of coffee. I look up as Mark comes out the door and almost trips over Amadeus. Apparently, I didn‘t manage to close the gate and Amadeus has wobbled his way over to the entryway. Mark yells theatrically and flaps his arms at Amadeus. He doesn‘t like him in the porch area as he says he always poops at least twice every time he visits. I have to laugh as Amadeus backs up, looking very affronted at not being welcomed into the house, and poops as he backs up, then turns around very awk-

A Goat Shed of One's Own. Photo: Mark Rupp

wardly, poops again, and totters towards the yard. I leave the mess I‘m ineffectively trying to clean, still laughing at Mark‘s pretended anger at the goat, and herd Amadeus back to the shed.

I don‘t have much time this morning, but I feed the two animals, then I sit down on my willow chair, take a drink of what‘s left of my coffee, upright the tilting goat, pet Kasha so she doesn‘t get jealous, close my eyes and sigh in contentment. This spot

By LeRae Haynes

F

inding the best home for every animal is the goal of the Williams Lake SPCA. Not all adoptable animals find local homes, but thanks to a BCSPCA program called Drive for Lives, thousands of homeless animals are transferred every year to other shelters where they can find their forever homes.

According to Williams Lake shelter manager Liz Dighton, that program has been a big benefit for the local branch. ―Last year 597 animals from Williams Lake were sent to the coast for adoption,‖ she explained. ―Generally they‘re adopted in less than a week: that‘s one of the reasons we do so many transfers. We know the animals will be adopted quickly, making room for new ones that need us.‖ It works both ways. ―We sometimes bring in animals from northern shelters in places like Fort St. John or Dawson Creek if we have a lot of empty spaces,‖ she said. ―Sometimes they get sent, along with animals from here, to the coast; it all depends on what happens here the following week. ―I try to have space available so when strays come in here we have room for them; we have to make sure we‘re here to help the local community that supports us.‖ She said that when animals are shipped to the coast from Williams Lake, the local shelter staff checks on them. ―We all have our favourites,‖ she said. ―We‘re confident that our favourites go to good homes—our training is all matching pets and people for the best benefit.‖ Quick animal adoptions on the coast are partly due to the sheer population; there are

The caring staff at the Williams Lake SPCA shelter provide loving care for a wide range of animals, including helping them find a perfect forever home. Photo: LeRae Haynes

far fewer unwanted litters of puppies and kittens down there, said Dighton.

She explained there are three ways animals come in to the shelter: animals brought in as strays, owner surrenders, and animals from cruelty investigation cases.

Strays are often brought in by caring members of the public, including community nurses and RCMP members from outlying areas. ―They are wonderful: they see a dog in need and they step in to help,‖ she said.―There‘s quite a network of people who all care enough about the animals to bring them to us no matter how far. ―Someone driving to Bella Coola found some puppies on the side of the road at Halfway Ranch, picked them up, brought them to us, then turned around and contin-

ued on their way. People go over and above—that‘s the cool thing.‖ There are people who drive up from the coast to adopt a pet in Williams Lake. ―They‘ll fall in love with a puppy on the website,‖ she said. ―Some of them have been searching for months and months— maybe a year. ―They‘ll drive up the night before and come to the shelter to spend a couple of hours to make sure it‘s the right decision. ―We get updates—sometimes on the year anniversary saying how much they love the animal and how they fit perfectly into their new family,‖ she said.

One of her favourite success stories is one that hits close to home. ―We had a small mixed breed come in – Shih Tzu,

is cozy, my animals are happy, and all is right in my world.

Terri Smith is a non-certified organic vegetable farmer in the Cariboo. She is passionate about writing, art, goats, and feeding good food to good people. She believes in following your heart, living your dreams and taking care of the planet.

Cairn terrier, and something else – a shaggy older dog. No one claimed him. He had a growth the size of a Mandarin orange on his jowl. Once Buddy was the SPCA‘s dog we had the growth removed, and while waiting for surgery I took care of him in my own home: I love the small ‗foo foo‘ dogs,‖ she laughed.

Buddy loved Dighton‘s year-old granddaughter Keanna, following her around, rolling on his back for belly rubs, and never leaving her side. ―He came to work with me, and one day a gruff old cowboy came in for a dog,‖ Dighton continued. ―He pointed at Buddy and said he‘d be OK to adopt. ―I was unsure about his suitability to adopt, but as we sat outside and talked, tears started running down his face as he told me his story. He said that his wife had just passed away after a lengthy illness and he couldn‘t go home—the house was too quiet and there were too many memories,‖ she said. ―I was a softie and let him take Buddy home before the operation to see if they were compatible, and after the successful surgery, he adopted Buddy. He came back many times to visit over the summer with Buddy,‖ she said. ―This is what they both needed: they love each other.‖ She said the whole goal is to make sure it‘s the best home for the animal. ―We ask a lot of questions and that‘s why,‖ she added. ―It‘s all about the animal and making sure it‘s the best possible home.‖ 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.

By Terri Smith

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ven though it’s still the dead of winter as I write this and we are once again in the middle of a super-cold snap, the days are getting longer, and all that wonderfully fluffy white stuff some of us love and others of us despise is helping prepare the ground for spring and planting time.

Snow is good for a garden because it covers and protects the ground and all those beneficial microbes living in the soil.

The cold is also good because it helps kill off some of the pests that may otherwise be a problem in the spring. These two things seem to contradict each other and I can‘t really explain away the contradiction. In fact, it is something I‘ve always wondered about. I will have to look into that, but right now I have an article to write.

The first seed catalogue arrived yesterday, but of course it wasn‘t addressed to me. It was a Richters catalogue. I haven‘t ever spent much time perusing the Richters catalogue as most of my seeds have come from West Coast Seeds and William Dam. I had a moment of excitement when I opened the mail, ―Yay, seed catalogues are here, and this one‘s new!‖ Followed by a moment of, ―Hey, wait a minute, why is there only one?‖ and, ―Why this one?‖ and, ―Oh, this isn‘t for me.‖And then came the horrifying realization, ―Oh no, I didn‘t change my address! I‘m not going to get any seed catalogues!‖ Panic set in.

But it‘s okay, really it is. It's only January. And the Richters catalogue that has now taken up residence in our bathroom is serving to whet my appetite for catalogues yet to be seen once I contact my favourite seed companies and request an address change. So far I have chosen four varieties of cilantro, but really I‘m only saying I‘ve chosen four when in reality I have chosen seven and am just hoping to narrow it down to four before I order seeds.

Last year I didn‘t order seeds. After market gardening for the last seven years I had a lot of leftover seeds. I knew I‘d be moving in April and so wouldn‘t be starting anything of my own. Instead of buying new seeds, I did germination tests on the seeds I had leftover from previous years and then bought a few packets of things I had run out of or didn‘t have luck germinating. I was happy to discover that Beaver Valley Feeds in Williams Lake now carry West Coast Seed packets in the spring. I

Decorating a snowman with marigold petals and seeds: a different approach to seeding.

Photo: Sina Basler

also bought tomato seedlings from trusted friends at the farmers‘ market. I did plant onion sets because after the move it was way too late in the year to start anything but green onions from seed.

Now, let me explain all of that for those of you who may not know what I‘m talking about because you don‘t happen to be market gardeners.

Germination tests: these can be performed in a number of ways and are a good idea if you have seeds from previous years and want to know if they are still viable. I use the sprouter that I use to grow sprouts in the kitchen all winter (which reminds me, where is my sprouter? I haven‘t seen it since I moved). If you have a sprouter, you know what to do. Place the seeds you want to test on the tray, fill with water, allow it to drain, repeat daily and wait. But I should add that you might not want to eat the sprouts resulting from your germination test. If you know the seeds are organic and are an edible green, then go for it, but if you have seeds that may be treated or are from a variety of inedible plant, then compost them once you have done the germination test (or pot them if you‘re like me and have trouble killing a plant once it‘s started to grow). You are also just testing a

small amount of each variety of seed, but you want to be sure you can tell the difference between them once they sprout. My sprouter has four levels, and over the course of last winter I tested about 20 types of seed. If you don‘t have a sprouter or want to test a lot of varieties all at once, I recommend the paper towel method. Layer a few seeds (2-3 for large seeds like squash, a pinch for tiny seeds like basil) between two moist paper towels on a plate and place somewhere warm covered with a kitchen towel. Most seeds need warmth and moisture to sprout but not light. Keep the paper towels moist but not too wet. The tea towel will help slow evaporation, but you don‘t really want to drown the seeds either. Check your seeds daily and be patient with some. Some varieties germinate overnight; others can take a few weeks.

By LeRae Haynes

A

nother exciting new program is coming soon to Women’s Contact Society, benefitting children and families. Kids Closet will provide gently used clothing to children from newborn to school age, donated by members of the community.

It‘s a great way to offload your children‘s outgrown clothing for a great cause: recycling at its very finest.

This new program came about because of the incredible success of Women‘s Closet, which provides free clothing for women looking for an outfit to wear to a job interview, or just to feel pretty, and includes maternity clothes and more. ―People love the Women‘s Closet and we know it will be the same for kids,‖ said Rachel Taylor from the Women‘s Contact Society. ―Having a new outfit can be such a boost to self-confidence, and being able to get kids clothing in great condition will make a huge difference for both moms and kids.‖

Seedlings: It is fine to buy seedlings; not all of us have the time to start our plants ourselves and it‘s great to start supporting your local growers early in the year. In fact, seedlings are like any baby creature: they are needy. They need the right temperature, the right amount of water, the right amount of light… they are not easy. So yes, by all means, when the time comes, buy your seedlings, but do know the person you buy from, if possible. You can end up importing pests and diseases you didn‘t have before if you are not careful about where your seedlings are coming from. That said, we have wonderful local producers who grow healthy, pest-free seedlings and I trust them. I have only had a bad experience once when I inadvertently imported aphids to my greenhouse after a friend gave me a few new varieties of tomato plants that neither of us noticed were infected. Be sure to buy plants that look healthy and do inspect them for hidden pests.

Onion sets: these are the little onion bulbs you buy and plant rather than starting the onions from seed in February or March. The one issue is that they can come with onion root maggot, and that little guy is nasty. Rotting, maggoty onions are one of the grossest and most disappointing things I‘ve come across in the garden. But since you are probably not growing thousands of onions, it‘s probably not really such a problem, and again, the benefits for most people far outweigh the risks.

So while the snow continues to fall and the mercury continues to drop, start thinking about your garden dreams for the coming season, but don‘t panic—that corner spring is just around is still stuck in a blizzard.

Terri Smith is a non-certified organic vegetable farmer in the Cariboo. She is passionate about writing, art, goats, and feeding good food to good people. She believes in following your heart, living your dreams and taking care of the planet.

The location and the hours make it easy and convenient to access Kids Closet. Located at 51 4th Avenue S, Women‘s Contact Society is open Monday to Friday 9:00a.m. to 4:00p.m. Monday to Friday.

Donations of clothing for children of all ages are warmly welcome. ―This is a no-shame service,‖ said Taylor. ―Kids‘ clothes are expensive and they grow out of them so fast: this is huge. It‘s great—now these clothes can be worn and loved by other children. ―This change is due to requests and suggestions by our clients and we feel it‘s a needed service in the community. When clients asked where they could go to find clothes for their children, we thought, ‗Let‘s make it here.‘‖ For more information about Kids Closet and other programs at Women‘s Contact Society, visit www.womenscontact.org, phone (250) 392 -4118 or follow the group on Facebook.

(Above) Bread on the rack shows Holey Hannah (pain au levain, a French-style sourdough), and Grainy Day (multigrain sourdough).

Photo: Lynn Stevens/See What I See Photography www.seewhateyesee.ca

(Above) Owners, Kate Sulis and Tim Hathaway at the Bread Peddler in front of their handbuilt wood-fired oven. (Bottom right): Whole-grain flour coming out of the mill.

Photos: Lynn Stevens/See What I See Photography. www.seewhateyesee.ca

By LeRae Haynes

By Jessica Kirby

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here are very few out there not tempted by the scent of fresh baked bread. The staple, made mainly from flour, water, and yeast spores harvested from the air, is central to diets in the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and the Americas, and marks the birth of agriculture with its popularity.

Bread comes in all shapes in sizes, thanks to a wide range of ingredients, flour types, and added bits like grains, nuts, and fruit. Though most often leavened and baked, bread is also fried and fired and as a result of all these variables, presents in textures, shapes, colours, and flavours to tempt the senses and typify different regions in the world.

But bread isn‘t just about having a snack or making a sandwich wonderful—the food has a rich chronological history and social and emotional significance across time.

There is 30,000-year-old evidence of starch residue on some rocks used to pound plants.

Researchers suggest starch may have been extracted from the roots of plants, spread on a flat rock, and fired to create some of the first flatbread.

Fast-forward to the Neolithic Age 10,000 BC when agriculture was in full swing, and grains became the heart of bread -making. Since yeast spores live in abundance on the surface of cereal grains and in the air, dough left to leaven or ―rise‖ will

eventually do so, and presto—delicious, fresh bread dough ready for baking.

Bread‘s place in the social realm is widely known across cultures. Religious rituals and secular culture feature bread symbolically as an offering, as a gesture of peace, and as a symbol of philanthropy. We find clues to bread‘s ingrained significance in language with expressions (―Let‘s break bread together‖), in prayer (―Give us this day our daily bread‖), and in the origin of words like companion (Latin: com ―with‖ + panis ―bread‖).

In the 60s, the advent of commercial, mechanical dough mixing reduced the fermentation time and allowed for the use of lower-protein grains. This factory method, which lowers bread‘s nutritional value, but means high volumes of bread can be made in record time, is used around the world now. Luckily, the art of making fresh, handworked or slow-worked dough, baked to perfection with love and intention, carries on in small bakeries, which for decades have been places of meeting and community for societies around the world.

The next time you are in the mood for fresh, delicious bread, wander into one of the amazing community bakeries the Cariboo-Chilcotin has to offer. Once you‘ve indulged in the warm, welcoming taste and texture of freshly bread, you will never go back. Enjoy!

K

ate Sulis and Tim Hathaway at the Bread Peddler in Wells bake bread that is good from the inside out and delicious from crust to crumb. It’s substantial, meaningful, beautiful food baked from the heart.

They create organic sourdough breads from freshly-milled whole grains, baked in a hand-built wood-fired oven with simple ingredients—basically flour, salt, and water with no preservatives or additives. ―Everything from the freshly milled grains goes into the bread,‖ they explained.

In summer they bring scones to Quesnel farmers‘ market, along with granola, spiced hot chocolate mix, and whole grain pancake mix. They also sell weekly at Green Tea Health and Wellness in Quesnel on Reid Street, and sell hot bread in Wells right out of the oven on Tuesday evenings.

Kate and Tim have owned the Bread Peddler for over two years. ―I built myself an outdoor cobb oven about nine years ago on a whim, based on books I had,‖ Kate explained. ―And from the fun and success of using that oven I thought one day I‘d like to have a proper brick oven connected to a building so I could use it year round. ―Tim and I met in Saskatchewan cycling across Canada, while both doing solo trips.

By the time it became clear that he was going to move to Wells, the idea started to form. He can build almost anything, and it went from there.‖ Tim said they were floored by the success. ―We used to do pizza once a week and had to drop it: we just got too busy. It‘s been successful beyond our dreams,‖ he explained.

Kate added there‘s a real hole in the market for good bread. ―We‘re baking preindustrial-age bread and it‘s amazing how people respond to the flavour,‖ she said.

People are more aware today about what they put in their bodies and are looking more into real foods, said Tim, adding it‘s a very positive development.

He also said it‘s incredible to hear people‘s response the first time they taste bread from the Bread Peddler. ―They say things like ‗Wow! I‘ve never tasted bread like this before,‘‖ he said. ―Sometimes people come to Wells to buy bread on a Tuesday and it‘s gone before they drive home to Quesnel.‖

People always mention the crust, Kate noted. ―It‘s very crispy, delicious, and different,‖ she said. ―We had a woman who came in and bought a loaf, borrowed a knife, cut off the crusts and ate them on the spot, before taking the rest home for hubby.‖ She explained that the meat of the loaf is called the crumb. ―Our bread is firm, springy, and airy, with dents and air pockets,‖ she said. ―Whole grain can be heavy and dry, but ours is moist and full of flavour.‖ Tim explained that people keep mentioning expansion, but they prefer to run a small business by themselves with one staff person on baking days. ―Larger companies lose intimacy and sometimes quality control,‖ he said. ―We do some experimenting once in a while,‖ Tim said. ―Generally the way we produce bread now is the way we want it to be.‖ For more information about the Bread Peddler, phone (250) 994-3498, follow the company on Facebook, or visit www.thebreadpeddler.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.

Brenda thoroughly enjoys the creative and artistic aspect of making customized cakes. ―I made a 3-D white pumpkin cake with all the crevices and textures, with painted butter frosting and green vines— that was fun. I also did a huge 3-D guitar cake that we put on a piece of plywood to carry out, and a monster truck cake.‖ She also does skate board cakes and Barbie cakes, or cakes from other Disney

characters—traditional and recent. She said it‘s a great way to release her inner artist. ―She‘s a cake sculptor; she bakes a slab of cake, gets out her knives, and starts carving,‖ said Dale. ―Kind of like the Timber Kings; they take raw product, carve it up, and make you something. ―It‘s so cool that people come in here and they have a good time and leave laughing; they carry out a treasure in a box. The look on people‘s faces when they see the custom cake Brenda created is priceless.‖ He added that sometimes people have said they accidently ate all the baked goods they bought before they reached home.

Brenda and Dale are staunch supporters of the community; it matters because they‘re supporting the community, too. A huge range of events and organizations have benefitted from their community-minded generosity. Day-old breads and cupcakes are gathered up for St Vincent de Paul for its charitable food program They have many repeat customers, both locals and visitors, and their bread is shared with regular customers in places like Langley and Kamloops.

Taylor Made is truly a community bake shop. ―Either you know the people or you get to know them,‖ Dale said, ―no matter where they‘re from.‖ Taylor Made Cakes and Sweets is located at 635 Oliver Street and you can reach the store at (778) 412-2979 and follow on Facebook.

cially on the rye bread, you can pronounce a all the ingredients: rye, yeast, sourdough, water, and salt.‖ Another thing important to Lac La Hache Bakery is supporting the local community. ―We have so many loyal customers and we love to pay it back,‖ she said. ―So many businesses here contribute so much.

It‘s amazing.‖ Looking to the future, Betz said they‘re working on the development of a retail store in Lac La Hache, as well as investigating new products.

She said they will continue making bread in the old-fashioned way—all handrolled by a baker. ―We want to hear back about our bread,‖ she added. ―We love it when someone says it tastes just like home.‖ For more information about Lac La Hache Bakery phone (250) 706-7440, visit www.lac-la-hache-bakery.sfobc.com/, or follow the bakery on Facebook.

The friendly and bright storefront of Lac La Hache Bakery in Lac La Hache.

Photo submitted by Yvette Betz

By LeRae Haynes

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aylor Made Cakes and Sweets has been baking up a storm in the community and beyond for nearly five years. Brenda and Dale Taylor and their children Abbi and Benn have worked hard to make the delightful bake shop a true gem in downtown Williams Lake for residents and travellers alike.

Taylor Made creates cakes, cookies, cupcakes, Nanaimo bars, bread, sandwiches, muffins, cinnamon buns, cheesecake, and more—all made from scratch, by hand, and on site.

Baker Brenda Taylor said they‘ve seen changes in the years the bake shop‘s been open. ―We‘ve seen a great increase in dietary restrictions—mainly gluten-free,‖ she explained. ―We‘ve added low-sugar items and use organic flour and sugar in some things: we do our best to accommodate our customers.‖ The community bake shop helps people celebrate things like weddings, anniversaries, Valentine‘s Day, Easter, birthdays, and other special events by creating beautiful customized cakes and cupcakes. They also do dessert buffets for parties and workplace meetings, and are a presence at community events, such as Performances in the Park.

Dale‘s been in Williams Lake well over 30 years and Brenda was raised in the Cariboo-Chilcotin and has been here over 25

E

uropean rye bread, a delicacy from Lac La Hache Bakery, delights customers with its fresh taste and simple wholesome ingredients.

Lac La Hache Bakery has been around for over 20 years, with Yvette and Frank Betz at the helm for the past six years. The busy bakery, with 11 on staff, ships to Williams Lake, 100 Mile House, Prince George, Kamloops, and Vancouver.

The bakery‘s specialty is European-style rye bread; the Betzs‘ also bake sandwich breads and deliver things like fresh buns to local restaurants.

Frank and Yvette were newcomers to the bakery business when they took over. ―We knew and loved both the bread and the area, and ended up purchasing a business with a great product,‖ Yvette Betz explained.

Before moving to the Cariboo, Yvette worked in a European deli in Surrey. ―I got

Dale, Brenda, and Abbi Taylor at Taylor Made Cakes and Sweets. Photo: Casey Bennett

years. They have long-term ties to the community and are tirelessly supportive of local causes. ―One thing that sets us apart as a bakery is that we mix it here and we bake it here,‖ said Dale. ―I bring in bags and bags of flour in one door and it goes out the other door as cakes, bread, and buns. It‘s not frozen and shipped across the country, baked here, and called fresh. It‘s truly made from scratch.‖

to know both the bread and the baker from the bakery in Lac La Hache,‖ she said. ‗They had a big following down there. This is the bread that many Europeans know, and there are many of them here. Growing up we had this kind of bread.‖ In their sourdough bread they use wild yeast culture from Germany—healthy and natural. ―We nurture it, baby it, and keep it alive,‖ she said.―It‘s a true taste of home.

And when people taste our pretzels they say they‘re the best this side of Bavaria.‖ She said they regularly hear from people that they can‘t eat other breads, but do really well with bread from Lac La Hache Bakery. ―It seems that the sourdough helps break down the gluten in the bread, and we also use a slow process,‖ she said. ―Our 100 per cent rye bread contains no wheat, and along with the very low gluten, the sourdough, and the slow process, it‘s easier to digest. ―I‘m very proud that on our labels, espe-

°

By LeRae Haynes

F

rom the beautiful pristine wilderness of Horsefly, BC come natural, refreshing beverages with enormous health benefits, thanks to 52° North, a small, insightful company with vision and commitment providing a health drink with detoxifying and revitalizing properties.

52° North co-owner Sarah Wall said birch sap, or birch water, is the first project they‘ve launched. ―There is one unflavoured version and raspberry and mint flavoured,‖ she explained. ―We‘re currently working on another exciting product to be launched soon.‖ The other two owners are Gerry Mitzel and Ron Kindrik.

Mitzel, who is from Horsefly, taps the birch trees for 52° North. His wife grew up drinking birch water in Russia—it has been consumed for centuries in northern Europe. ―He tapped it for her here, and began looking around for someone to help him commercialize it,‖ said Wall. ―Some people told him he was crazy.

He came in here and I guess we‘re a little crazy, too. We loved the taste and research showed great opportunity for health benefits.‖ Birch water is not industry or trenddriven, said Wall, but a traditional, historical, natural product.

The sap is harvested in the spring in its purest form; at the end of winter the Canadian birch trees are gently tapped to produce naturally organic, refreshing sap.

With trace minerals, which include potassium, zinc, and magnesium, and naturally occurring electrolytes, the non-GMO birch water is perfect for fitness training or simply casual refreshment. In addition, birch water contains natural antioxidants and phyto-chemicals like saponin, which is known to help reduce cholesterol and boost the immune system.

The name came because the birch water is harvested at 52° degrees north. ―Our product is 2 grams of naturallyoccurring sugar in a serving,‖ said

Revitalizing, natural birch water from 52° North comes in eco-friendly, convenient pouches (Top Right) Your body and soul will love the boost from birch water (Lower Right) The pristine wilderness of Horsefly B.C. is the source of 52° North’s birch water beverages

Wall.―Each pouch contains some protein, trace minerals, anti-oxidants, and plant chemicals. These vital chemicals are very exciting in terms of health benefits.‖ She added that this drink is night and day different from energy drinks or sports drinks. ―Their intention is to give a burst of energy and maybe rehydrate. Birch water is a holistic approach, offering true health benefits. It‘s not a quick fix or a quick burst of energy,‖ she said. ―It offers hydration and natural electrolytes.‖ 52° North supplies a range of pro sports teams with birch water as a hydrator. ―There‘s a huge coconut water industry, but no coconuts growing here,‖ she said. ―Coconut water isn‘t environmentally sustainable. We have a responsibility and an opportunity to see what grows in our

T

he Williams Lake Garden Club is getting set for another informative, interesting, and enlightening series of meetings for the 2017 season.

The first meeting of 2017 will be held at The Central Cariboo Arts and Cultural Centre (old fire hall) on Thursday, March 2 at 7 p.m. Subsequent meetings will be held on the first Thursday of each month until October.

The purpose of the Williams Lake Garden Club is to promote, encourage, and support the horticultural interests of local residents. We do this through educational sessions that appeal to both experienced and new gardeners. Our monthly meetings include keynote speakers, networking, as well as the sharing of ideas, expertise, and resources.

At our first meeting on March 2, Rob Borsato from Makin Creek Farms will share some of his extensive knowledge about creating productive garden soil.

Sweet pea splendour. Photo: Deb Radolla

own back yard. There have to be products here that meet our needs, rather than going halfway across the world. We need to ask how we can support our communities, and have sustainable practices here in BC that include keeping our forests upright.‖ The feedback has been great, both here and in Asia, said Wall. ―Asian consumers are passionate about products that offer health benefits. I think it‘s fantastic! I use it as a beverage and also apply it as a toner under my moisturizer. A lot of cosmetic companies are moving toward it as a health and beauty benefit,‖ she added. ―In addition, we offer the pristine beauty of the BC wilderness being protected.‖ For more informatio n, visit www.52north.ca, or contact the company

on Instagram and Twitter @tapinto52north. You can order 52° North birch water beverages from the company‘s website, or find 52° North products in Williams Lake at Concrete Fitness, Bean Counter Bistro, Super Save gas station, Best Buy Propane, Handi- Mart, Sta-Well Health Foods, Smashin Smoothies, Cariboo Growers Co-op. In Horsefly it can be found at Clarks General Store, Horsefly Hardware, and Horsefly Gas Station and in 100 Mile House at Chartreuse Moose, Higher Ground, and the 108 Mile Super market.

For our April meeting, we have a representative from Highlands Irrigation discussing drip and micro-sprinkler irrigation systems. Carrie Zowty from Lake City Landscapes will also be doing a short presentation on yard machine maintenance.

On May 4, Barb Scharf from Hill Farm Nursery will be sharing her expertise on Perennial Bed Planning and Maintenance.

Our June 1 meeting will highlight Anne Carter from Beelicious Honey who will be discussing bees and other beneficial garden insects.

Wanetta Fehr, head gardener from the City of Williams Lake, will be taking us on a walking tour of the well-maintained city gardens on July 6.

For August 3, we have scheduled a mini tour of some spectacular gardens along the West Fraser Road belonging to Gerry Gebert and Maureen Byman. In addition, we will visit Judy Alsager‘s Echinacea farm.

We are still finalizing speakers for September and October.

We are also in the process of organizing a Saturday tour of Richbar Nursery for early April, an early spring garden tour sometime between mid April and early May, and a pruning workshop sometime in March.

Those who are interested in more information on the Williams Lake Garden Club are invited to contact Deb or Pat Radolla at (250) 392-2769.

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.

By Patti Wood

T

he beautiful and awe-inspiring process by which a few cells develop into a new life is truly miraculous. Through intricate and complex steps, the creation of a new life unfolds, forming delicate organs and vital systems, making billions of important connections in the brain alone.

Scientists and medical professionals around the world are working hard to understand how a developing human life is affected by environmental exposures in the food we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the surroundings in which we live and work.

One focus of current research is wireless radiation, also referred to as microwave radiation or radio frequency radiation (RFR), emitted by the myriad wireless devices we encounter every day. It was once thought to be relatively harmless. Decades ago, when exposure thresholds were established, the thermal or heating effects on human tissue were the main concern.

However, we now know wireless radiation can cause non-thermal biological effects as well, including damage to cells and DNA, even at low levels. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organization (WHO) has classified wireless radiation as possibly carcinogenic to humans, and numerous animal studies have shown neurological effects, including behavioural disorders, that may lead to long-term health consequences.

Radio frequency waves have been used for more than a hundred years to carry signals from transmitting towers to distant receivers. However, the technology offered today puts powerful transmitters as well as receivers much closer to users of all ages than ever before. This two-way communication, and the increased radiation needed to support it, is the reason for concern.

Consumer demand for connectivity everywhere, however, has resulted in hundreds of thousands of rooftop, polemounted, and tower transmitters (antennas) being installed in close proximity to private homes, apartments, schools, office buildings, and retail and recreation areas. Free WiFi is commonly advertised to attract customers at bars, restaurants, hotels, and coffee shops. These wireless routers in public spaces are powerful because they are designed to connect with many devices simultaneously.

About the Science A recent study (Aldad, et al, 2012) conducted at Yale University found that pregnant laboratory mice exposed to ordinary cellphone radiation produced offspring that were more hyperactive and had poorer memories compared to a control group that was not exposed.

Dr. Hugh Taylor, chair of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at Yale University School of Medicine, and his team of researchers followed a steady progression of scientific studies that demonstrated health and behavioural effects from wireless radiation. They concluded that cellphone radiation had damaged neurons in the prefrontal cortex of the brain.

A review of the scientific literature on radiofrequency/microwave radiation con-

ducted by the US Air Force Materiel Command (Bolen, 1994) concluded, ―behaviour may be the most sensitive biological component to RF/microwave radiation.‖ Scientists at the University of Washington demonstrated DNA breaks in brain cells of rats resulting from exposure to microwave radiation (Lai, et al, 1995).

Over the next decade, numerous studies were conducted regarding the safety of RF radiation with varying results. Of particular importance was the work of researchers at the University of Kentucky who showed how exposure to wireless radiation could damage or even destroy brain cells (Zhao, et al, 2007). Researchers in Samsun, Turkey published findings that rats prenatally exposed to cellphone radiation developed impaired learning and experienced damage to those parts of the brain involved in memory and learning (Inkinci, et al, 2013). In yet another study, rats prenatally exposed to wireless radiation had damaged spinal cords (Odaci, et al, 2013).

Regarding human impacts of wireless radiation, UCLA researchers (Divan, et al, 2008) studied 13,000 mothers and children and found that prenatal exposure to cellphones was associated with a higher risk for behavioural problems and hyperactivity in children.

Every stage of your baby‘s development will be affected by the choices you make and the environments in which you live. Despite the ubiquity of the evergrowing wireless world, you can still make some personal choices to reduce your exposure. This includes keeping a safe distance from transmitters or antennas, keeping your personal wireless devices away from your body, and reducing the amount of time you spend using wireless devices. Remember: exposure adds up over time.

While we wait for the scientific process to provide us with a deeper understanding of this issue and for government agencies to adopt more protective exposure thresholds, a precautionary approach, especially during pregnancy, seems warranted.

Manufacturers of wireless devices warn consumers to keep their phones, tablets, baby monitors, and other devices away from their bodies. Unfortunately, such warnings are often buried in the fine print of product manuals, which few consumers ever read.

Please visit BabySafeProject.org for other scientific studies on wireless radiation and its biological effects, a current list of medical doctors, researchers, and health advocates who have signed the Joint Statement on Pregnancy and Wireless Radiation, a list of government agencies, professional

“Most pregnant women understand that they should stay away from cigarette smoke, avoid alcohol, and be careful about eating potentially contaminated foods of any kind. The weight of evidence clearly supports the need to protect pregnant women from wireless radiation exposures, as well.” Dr. Devra Davis, University of California at Berkeley Photo: www.maxpixel.freegreatpicture.com, CC0 Public Domain “Current FCC standards do not account for the unique vulnerability and use patterns specific to pregnant women and children. It is essential that any new standards for cellphones and other wireless devices be based on protecting the youngest and most vulnerable population to ensure they are safeguarded throughout their lifetimes.”

American Academy of Pediatrics 2013 Photo: www.maxpixel.freegreatpict ure.com, CC0 Public Domain

societies, and public health organizations around the world calling for further research, and tips on how to reduce exposure to fetuses and babies.

The BabySafe Project is a joint initiative of Grassroots Environmental Education and Environmental Health Trust.

Patricia (Patti) Wood is founder and executive director of Grassroots Environmental Education, a not-for-profit environm e nt al h e al th o rg a ni za ti on at www.grassrootsinfo.org. The organization uses science-driven arguments for clean air, clean water, and a safe food supply, and advocates for stricter regulation of non

-ionizing radiation and chemical toxins. A Visiting Scholar at Adelphi University, Ms. Wood lectures on the environment and related health issues in the College of Nursing and Public Health. Ms. Wood is the coproducer of the documentary film Our Children at Risk, which explores the latest scientific research linking environmental toxins to children's health problems. She is also the author of The ChildSafe School, a program which promotes and provides a framework for a comprehensive approach to reducing environmental toxins in schools, and Helping to Heal, a book for parents of children with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.

By Diane Dunaway

H

oney bees are the poster children for environmental responsibility and vulnerability. They truly are the canaries in the coal mine. They create awareness for other natural pollinators that are under pressure from habitat loss, pesticide overuse, monoculture, and so on.

Ideally, our relationship with them is one of awe, respect, and responsible husbandry. It‘s a symbiotic dance that beekeepers grow to know and love.

In recent years there‘s been a rush to undertake beekeeping as a way to help save the bees. Lovely as this sentiment is, the drop out rate is high. Novice beekeepers often fail in the first few years. Their colonies decline, and bees are burdened with diseases and pests that spread to other nearby apiaries.

Local education and bee club membership is highly recommended to learn best about how to keep bees in one‘s microclimate. In the Cariboo-Chilcotin we have excellent access to certified instructors.

There‘s also a free provincial webinar that starts in February—distance learning for those who live far out of town.

The Central Cariboo Beekeepers club co-ordinates the purchase of honey bees from hardy BC stock that‘s best adapted to our climate. Ideally bees should have natural resistance to pests and diseases, which means they don't require antibiotics or harsh miticides. As part of Best Management Practices, we monitor for parasites and diseases such as Varroa mites and American Foulbrood. We intervene if levels reach a threshold that threatens the life of the colony. Besides conventional means, organic treatments are available and are highly effective.

Honey bees pollinate a tremendous amount of food we eat; every third bite we take can be attributed to bee pollination. If almonds or blueberries are in your diet,

Four Saturday mornings: February 11, 18, 25, and March 4 with provincial apiculturist Paul van Westendorp. No charge, advance registration required. (Participants should have high-speed Internet access).

This covers a full range of topics related to beekeeping management, disease diagnosis, and controls. Prior to each session, registrants will receive an email with suggested reading materials and references.

There is no lab session or field day offered in this course. If you wish to be notified when course details and registration become available, please send an email to Paul van Westendorp at paul.vanwestendorp@gov.bc.ca to be added to the list. For further details, go to www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/ agriculture-seafood/animals-and-crops/ animalproduction/bees/bee-courses.

chances are honey bees were contracted to pollinate them.

If you feel compelled to learn more about bees, perhaps a more hands-on experience might be in store? There are many beekeepers in the Cariboo, including those in our club in Williams Lake. We have veteran members as excellent resource people who practise respectful beekeeping.

Our field days are open to the general public. For just $10 you can join our club and support bees in the community whether you choose to keep them or not. Find out more at Central Cariboo Beekeepers Association. See our Facebook page, or contact our president, John Hoyrup, at (250) 2963588 or hilltop4@telus.net.

In the next issue of TheGreenGazette I look forward to sharing outcomes from an invitational conference I attended in California this winter. A group of 100 concerned researchers, pollinator experts, beekeepers, extension educators, and developmental aid workers from seven countries gathered. We worked towards solutions for the environment, our bees, and indigenous pollinators. Feel free to check out Bee Audacious at http://beeaudacious.com.

A Central Cariboo Beekeepers Association field day in Soda Creek with John Gates.

Education is key to saving the bees. Photos: Diane Dunaway

Diane Dunaway has kept bees for 20 consecutive seasons. An apiary inspector since 2015 and Master Beekeeper since 2001, she’s run up to 100 colonies from her Bee Happy Honey farm in the Soda Creek.

Diane was editor of BeesCene, the BC Honey Producers Association (BCHPA) quarterly journal, for five years. In 2013 she became a BCHPA certified instructor.

Diane was co-ordinating book editor on A History of Beekeeping in British Columbia from 1950 to 2000. When she’s not chasing swarms around the countryside, Diane can be found at home with Dave, her husband of 25 years, and their menagerie of rescue animals.

One-day course. February 18 in Williams Lake, February 25 in Kamloops.

Instructors: Ian Farber & Diane Dunaway.

Email diane@dunawayranch.com or call (250) 297-6399. $95 (+GST) per person or $170 buddy discount for two if handouts shared. Tea & coffee provided; lunch is on your own.

Weekend course for experienced beekeepers. June 9 (evening), 10, and 11 in Tappen. $300 (+GST). Instructors: John Gates & Bill Stagg. Call (250) 803-5201.

Visit Bill‘s website: http:// www.sweetacreapiaries.ca/.

Weekend courses March 24, 25, and 26 (one evening & two days) in Quesnel.

March 31, April 1, and 2 (one evening & two days) in Williams Lake.

Instructor: Diane Dunaway. Email diane@dunawayranch.com or call (250) 297-6399. $200 (+GST) per person or $350 (+GST) buddy discount for two if books are shared. Includes two textbooks.

Hands-on field days in addition to club offerings. Tea & coffee provided; lunch is on your own.

Ongoing seasonal classes in Williams Lake. Seven sessions over the full beekeeping season, usually involving bees each session. Times determined by the students.

Instructor: Ann Carter. Email anncarter@shaw.ca or call (250) 392-0270. $200 includes two textbooks. Hands-on field days in addition to club offerings.

Top: honeybee worker on apricot blossom.

Bottom: bumblebee on apricot blossom.

Photos: Diane Dunaway

O

n January 13, the United States filed its answer to youth plaintiffs’ complaint in Juliana v. United States. In their answer, the federal defendants make several admissions to their long-standing knowledge of climate change danger and to today’s knowledge on the severity of those impacts. ―The Department of Justice and the Federal Defendants have now admitted many of the central facts underpinning our youth plaintiffs‘ constitutional claims against the United States,‖ said Julia Olson, counsel for plaintiffs and executive director of Our Children‘s Trust. ―This answer moves us even closer to proving our case at trial this year. ―One important and lasting legacy of the Obama Administration is its commitment to scientific research and disclosing the full dangers of climate change to the American people and the world. This answer, made in his final days in office, reflects the stark contrast between the truth of the climate dangers we face and the destructive lies being perpetuated by the incoming Trump Administration. At trial, truth will prevail.‖ Pursuant to defendants‘ answer, the following allegations were admitted: That the use of fossil fuels is a major source of CO2 emissions, ―placing our nation on an increasingly costly, insecure, and environmentally dangerous path.‖ ―[T]hat for over 50 years some officials and persons employed by the federal government have been aware of a growing body of scientific research concerning the effects of fossil fuel emissions on atmospheric concentrations of CO2— including that increased concentrations of atmospheric CO2 could cause measurable long-lasting changes to the global climate, resulting in an array of severe deleterious effects to human beings, which will worsen over time.‖ ―[T]hat from 1850 to 2012, CO2 emissions from sources within the United States (including from land use) comprised more than 25 per cent of cumulative global CO2 emissions.‖

February 3 – 25: Station House Gallery Coastal Expressions by Nuxalk artist, TL‘PA/Tony Speers (Main Gallery). 1 MacKenzie Ave N, Williams Lake. (250) 392-6113 February 10: Safety Meeting The Staggers & Jaggs w/ Samson’s Delilah. Cariboo Arts Centre. 90 4th Ave, Williams Lake. Doors open 7:30 p.m., show at 8 p.m.

February 15: Women with Heart award nomination deadline. For more info contact Women's Contact Society, Williams Lake.

(250) 392-4118.

February 18: Great Backyard Bird Count at Scout Island Nature Centre, Williams Lake. 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Free family event.

Space limited, register at (250) 398-8532.

February 18: Intermediate Beekeeping and Refresher, Williams Lake, with Ian Farber

Photos (left and right): Earthguardians.org

―Federal Defendants admit that they permit, authorize, and subsidize fossil fuel extraction, development, consumption, and exportation. Federal Defendants admit that fossil fuel extraction, development, and consumption produce CO2 emissions and that past emissions of CO2 from such activities have increased the atmospheric concentration of CO2.‖ That current CO2, methane and nitrous oxide levels are at ―unprecedentedly high levels compared to the past 800,000 years of historical data and pose risks to human health and welfare.‖ [C]urrent and projected concentrations of six well-mixed greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, including CO2, threaten the public health and welfare of current and future generations.‖ ―Federal Defendants admit that scientific evidence shows elevated CO2 concentrations have caused ocean acidification and ocean warming‖ and ―caused adverse effects to coral reefs and wildlife.‖ ―[S]tabilizing atmospheric CO2 concentrations will require deep reductions in CO2 emissions.‖ ―The United States has supported fossil fuel development through overseas public financing, primarily through the Export-Import Bank of the United States...‖ and the Export-Import Bank ―provided $14.8 billion in commitments for 78 transactions or projects in the petroleum sector, including… six in Russia/FSU… The Export-Import Bank of the United States also supported numerous coal and gas power plants.‖

& Diane Dunaway.

Email diane@dunawayranch.com or call (250) 297-6399.$95 (+GST) ea. or $170 for two if handouts shared. Tea & coffee, bring own lunch.

February 22: Jean Oke, Travelogue Evening, two trips to Peru. Desserts by donation. St. Andrews United Church, 1000 Huckvale Place, Williams Lake. Doors open 6:30 p.m., slides at 7 p.m.

February 25: Health & Wellness Fair. Free admission. Ramada Convention Centre, Williams Lake.10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

March 2: Williams Lake Garden Club Meeting. Rob Borsato from Makin Creek on creating productive garden soil. 7 p.m, Cariboo Arts Centre. Contact Deb or Pat Radolla (250) 392-2769.

In some cases, the federal defendants even argued that the youth plaintiffs‘ allegations were understating the evidence against them. For example, plaintiffs alleged the atmospheric CO2 concentration exceeded 400 ppm in 2013 for the first time in recorded history, but the federal defendants admitted it was ―for the first time in millions of years.‖ In another example, plaintiffs alleged that since 1993, sea levels have been rising at an average rate of 3.2 millimeters per year. The federal defendants rebutted that sea levels have actually been rising at a rate of 3.4 millimeters per year.

In yet another example, youth alleged that fossil fuel production in the United States was 65.244 quadrillion Btus in 2014, but federal defendants insist that year‘s production was 69.653 quadrillion Btus.

Read through all admissions made by the federal defendants in their answer here: www.ourchildrenstrust.org/s/Doc-98-FedsAnswer.pdf The court will hold another case management conference on February 7, 2017 to finalize proposed schedules for discovery and put the case on a schedule for trial in mid-late 2017.

Among the facts to be determined at trial are whether the federal government actions, which it now concedes in its answer, are responsible for creating or enhancing climate change and have violated, and continue to violate, the constitutional rights of the youth plaintiffs and future generations.

This federal case is one of many related legal actions brought by youth in several states and countries, all supported by Our Children‘s Trust, seeking the adoption of science-based prescriptions to stabilize the climate system. Counsel for Plaintiffs include Philip L. Gregory, Esq. of Cotchett, Pitre& McCarthy of Burlingame, CA, Daniel M. Galpern, Esq. of Eugene, OR, and Julia Olson, Esq., also of Eugene, OR.

March 3-25: Station House Gallery show.

Main Gallery: Potato House Gallery, Art of the Frame. Upper Gallery: Helena Wadsley, Arctic Undergarments – Mixed Media. 1 MacKenzie Ave N., Williams Lake. (250) 392-6113.

March 15: Travelogue Evening with Deb and Pat Radolla to Cuba. Desserts by donation. St. Andrews United Church, 1000 Huckvale Place, Williams Lake. Doors open 6:30 p.m., slides at 7 p.m.

March 3 & 4: Safety Meeting: Wooden Horsemen w/ Malcolm Jack. Cariboo Arts Centre, 90 4th Ave., Williams Lake. Doors open 7:30 p.m, show at 8 p.m.

March 8: Women‘s Contact Society Women with Heart award dinner. 6:30 p.m., Cariboo Art's Centre. 90 4th Ave., Williams Lake. Open to public. Suggested donation $6 - $10. For more info contact Women's Contact Society (250) 392-4118.

March 10: 1st Annual Cariboo-Chilcotin Film Fest, Cariboo Memorial Complex, Gibraltar Room, 7 p.m. Admission $10, children under 12 free.

Our Children's Trust is a non-profit organization, elevating the voice of youth, those with most to lose, to secure the legal right to a healthy atmosphere and stable climate on behalf of present and future generations. We lead a co-ordinated global human rights and environmental justice campaign to implement enforceable science -based Climate Recovery Plans that will return atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration to below 350 ppm by the year 2100. www.ourchildrenstrust.org/.

Earth Guardians is a Colorado-based nonprofit organization with youth chapters on five continents, and multiple groups in the United States with thousands of members working together to protect the Earth, the water, the air, and the atmosphere, creating healthy sustainable communities globally. We inspire and empower young leaders, families, schools, organizations, cities, and government officials to make positive change locally, nationally, and globally to address the critical state of the Earth www.earthguardians.org.

March 17: Safety Meeting Jasper Sloan Yip w/ Frontal Lobotomy. Cariboo Arts Centre, 90 4th Ave. Doors open 7:30 p.m, show at 8 p.m.

March 24, 25, 26: Intro to Beekeeping & Refresher in Quesnel with Diane Dunaway.

Email diane@dunawayranch.com or call (250) 297-6399. $200 (+GST) ea. or $350 (+GST) for two if books are shared. Tea & coffee provided, bring your own lunch.

March 31 & April 1, 2: Intro to Beekeeping & Refresher in Williams Lake with Diane Dunaway.

Email diane@dunawayranch.com or call (250) 297-6399. $200 (+GST) ea. or $350 (+GST) for two if books are shared. Tea & coffee provided, bring your own lunch.

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 .

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Bean Counter Bistro & Coffee Bar, (250) 305-2326 180B 3rd Ave. North, Williams Lake Organic Coffee, Fair Trade, Local Foods

The Hobbit House, (250) 392-7599 71 First Ave. South, Williams Lake Juice Bar, Natural Products, Essential Oils, Teas, Crystals, Gemstones, and more.

Big Bear Ranch, (250) 620-3353 Steffi, Florian, and Rainer Krumsiek Grass fed & grass finished beef and lamb, pasture raised heritage pork. Animal Welfare Approved.

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 and find out ways to get involved.

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 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 springhousedebbie@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

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 Windy Creek Farm, (250) 296-3256 Miocene, BC Grass Fed Beef. No hormones, antibiotics or vaccines. www.grassfedbeefbc.ca

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 New Paradigm Teas (250) 267-3468 newparadigmteas@gmail.com Four Nourishing blends of locally, organically grown and wildcrafted herbal teas.

100 Mile House Donex Visitors Centre Chartreuse Moose Higher Ground Nat. Foods KFC Nuthatch Books Rise & Grind 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 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

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

Williams Lake Adorn Naturally A&W All-ways Travel Amanda Enterprises Barking Spider Mtn. Bikes Bean Counter Bistro Beaver Valley Feeds Blocks R Us Body Connection by Joe CanWest Propane Cariboo Growers Co-op Cariboo Ski Community Futures Concrete Fitness Conservation Society CJ‘s Restaurant CRD Library Creative Scissor Dairy Queen earthRight 4 Sure Bistro Greyhound Bus Stop Handi-Mart Joey‘s Grill KFC Halls Organics Integrated Elements Clinic The Hobbit House Husky Restaurant Karamia‘s Donairs Kornak & Hamm Pharmacy The Laughing Loon The Legion Margetts Meats McDonalds Mt. Timothy Ski Area New World Coffee Oliver‘s Bar & Grill South 2nd 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 WL Acupuncture Clinic 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

MYTHS UNVEILED

HEALTHY SNACKS AND WHY

Hippocrates once said, ―all disease begins in the gut,‖ and the more we learn, the more accurate that statement becomes.

Your immune system, mood, emotions, allergies, anxiety, and most diseases start from within yourselves (the gut) and only you can control what you eat or what you feed your children.

Helping you convert your gut flora could be as easy as drinking 1–2 teaspoons of raw, organic apple-cider vinegar (good quality like Bragg) in a glass of water three times a day before meals. Apple-cider vinegar is known for it‘s powerful cleansing and healing properties. It balances PH levels, helps to reduce blood sugar spikes in diabetes, relieves joint and muscle pain, assists in weight loss and better digestion, boosts the immune system, contributes to heart health, and much more.

Apple-cider vinegar has antimicrobial properties that kill harmful bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella, and is high in antioxidant helping to fight free radicals. Acetic acid in vinegar combats blood sugar levels in diabetes, is high in polyphenols, and may help prevent cardiovascular disease. Apple-cider vinegar can relieve heartburn and increases the body‘s ability to absorb important food minerals. It contains potassium and enzymes banishing fatigue and boosting your energy.

Only raw organic apple-cider vinegar has natural enzymes, minerals, and nutrients that would otherwise be destroyed if distilled.

Other uses of apple-cider vinegar are sore throat, sinus congestion, skin irritation, facial toner, deodorant, hair rinse, and natural house cleaning agent.

Naturally, all other fermented foods are highly recommended to restore a better gut flora such as sauerkraut (see previous articles of mine for recipes); also, kefir and yogurt will help as well as kombucha and water kefir.

Red Lentil Dosas 3/4 cup long-grain rice, such as jasmine or basmati 1/4 cup red lentils 1 cup warm water 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro lard for frying and butter for drizzling Place rice, lentils, and water in a bowl.

Cover and allow mixture to soak for 8-12 hours at room temperature. Drain, reserving the soaking water. Place rice and lentils in food processor; blend until smooth. Add reserved soaking water and blend. Place the puree into a Tupperware container, cover, and lock lid. Allow batter to ferment for 12 hours at room temperature. Stir in salt, turmeric, pepper, and cilantro. Heat a cast iron tortilla flat pan and brush on a thick layer of lard. When water bounces across the surface, you‘re ready to cook dosas. With a 1/4-cup ladle, spoon dosa batter onto hot pan, using the back of the ladle to spread a 6-inch diameter. Cook for 30-60 seconds. Carefully turn and cook another minute. Drizzle the top with melted butter. Keep warm in a low oven over simmering water, while cooking the remainder of the dosas.

Tip: Multiply the recipe. The batter keeps well over two weeks in the fridge.

NUTRIENT DENSE MEAL Split Pea Soup (serves 6) 2 cups/340 grams split green peas 1.250 kg hocks (bone in) preferably smoked 8 cups/2 litres bone broth or water 1 small onion, finely chopped 1 cup/150 grams carrots, chopped 1 cup/150 grams celery, chopped ½ cup/75 grams potatoes salt and pepper, to taste 1 bay leaf ½ teaspoon marjoram ½ teaspoon basil zest ¼ lemon rind Soak peas in water. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar.

Leave over night, then rinse. Cover hocks with bone broth or water and cook for 2 hours with spices. Then cut meat into morsels. Add peas and lemon zest and cook another ½ hour. Add sautéed onions, carrots, celery, and potatoes, and cook until vegetables are tender—about 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

A WALK THROUGH YOUR PANTRY GET RID OF: White distilled artificial vinegar.

REPLACE WITH: Good quality raw, organic apple-cider vinegar. It‘s normal to have sediments; in fact, if it doesn‘t, it‘s not raw.

Brought to you by Jasmin Schellenberg Inspired by and resourced from ―Nourishing Traditions‖ by Sally Fallon, www.westonaprice.org, and www.mercola.com.

For ―Nourishing our Children‖ newsletters of the past visit www.thegreengazette.ca