The Green Gazette - February / March 2016

5/ Publisher’s Letter: International Women’s Day: The long road to parity International Women‘s Day, acknowledged globally on March 8, arose out of a political response to suffrage (the right to vote) and other conditions for women at the turn of the century. - By Lisa Bland 6/ The Dark Side of Chocolate The three major chocolate producers are responsible for 35 per cent of global chocolate production and rely heavily on GMO ingredients, rainforest depletion, and unfair human rights and labour practices. The cocoa industry has a terrible track record for slavery, child labour, and worker exploitation. - by Jessica Kirby 11/ An Affordable High-performance Home: The inner workings A year ago in TheGreenGazette we discussed the basic design and construction of our low-budget, highperformance home, and here we will talk about the active solar and water features we installed. - by Paul Hearsey 13/ New Racism Awareness Campaign Launching in February One of the biggest challenges our community faces is racism. Racism does damage to individuals. It shapes identities and creates trauma.

- by Margaret-Anne Enders 19/ Mt. Timothy — Winter Fun on the Mountain in our Backyard New focus and direction is on the menu at Mt. Timothy Ski Hill, with new general manager Caroline Sherrer and staff working hard to make it a stellar family destination. - by LeRae Haynes 27/ Choose Organic for Kids and Lower their Exposure to Pesticides As a mot her of a two-and-a-half -year-old, with another child on the way this spring, I‘ve been thinking a lot lately about the number of pesticides to which our kids are exposed.

- by Erin Hitchcock

Publisher / Editor-in-Chief Lisa Bland lisa@thegreengazette.ca Senior Editor Jessica Kirby Contributors David Suzuki, LeRae Haynes, Margaret-Anne Enders, Pat Teti, Brianna van de Wijngaard, Ciel Patenaude, Erin Hitchcock, Lisa Bland, Devon Chappell, Sharon Taylor, Kate McDonough, Ron Young, Van Andruss,Venta Rutkauskas, Jasmin Schellenberg, Terri Smith, Oliver Berger, Jessica Kirby, Sage Birchwater, Brandon Hoffman, Bill Irwin, Paul Hearsey, Adam McLeod, Lisa Hilton 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. Cover Photo Image ID: Image ID:247528681 Copyright: SunKids Index Photo Image ID: Image ID:364553831 Copyright: CPM PHOTO

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

TheGreenGazette is published by Earthwild Consulting. To subscribe email info@thegreengazette.ca or visit our website at www.thegreengazette.ca © 2016 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.

23/ Love Is ... We love love. As human beings we are seemingly unable to resist the drive and desire for love, the want for connection that transcends and enlightens our everyday experiences and takes us, hopefully, into the realm of the sublime: the world of myths and gods and Disney, of soul mates and never-ending romances.

07/ Let Them Eat Dirt: Kids in the Garden - by LeRae Haynes 08/ Dire Straits for Electricity in BC - by Ron Young 09/ Strength in Superfoods: A New Year of Healthy Food Choices - by Devon Chappell 10/ Diabetes and a Five-point Buck - by LeRae Haynes 12/ Confessions of a Farmer: Resolve to Keep Doing What Feels Good - by Terri Smith 12/ Raising Amadeus - by Terri Smith 13/ Skywatch with Bill Irwin 14/ No Time to Waste: No More Butts - by Oliver Berger 15/ Recycling Council of British Columbia Hotline and Recyclepedia 17/ Williams Lake Refugee Sponsorship Group - by Sharon Taylor 17/ Cariboo-Chilcotin Shoreline Awareness Initiative: Living Shorelines – The Ribbon of Life 17/ Potato House 2016: Check Out Our New Digs 18/ Talking Seeds - by Terri Smith 18/ Opinion: Think Globally, Act Locally : Principles of Addressing Climate Change - by Sage Birchwater 21/ Travelling Out of the Box - by Pat Teti

23/ A World for My Daughter - by Van Andruss 24/ Morning Meditation - by Kate McDonough 25/ Sustainable Development Goals Offer a Path to Prosperity - by David Suzuki 25/ Detoxification and Cancer - by Adam McLeod 26/ Opinion: Star Wars and Fair Trade vs Free Trade - by Lisa Hilton 28/ Nature Kindergarten Coming to the Cariboo - by LeRae Haynes 29/ Tibetan Buddhist Centre Enters Fifth Year in Williams Lake 30/ From the Unseen to the Canvas: The Art of Simone Benjamin - by Venta Rutkauskas 31/ World Water Day 2016 and the Future of the Blue Work Force - by Brianna van de Wijngaard 31/ Northern Shuswap Tribal Council Press Release 32/ The Station House Gallery Events/Community Notices 33/ Calendar of Events February / March 2016 35/ Courts asked to Rule on BC‘s Controversial Wolf Cull: Local and international groups rally in support 35/ Nourishing our Children - by Jasmin Schellenberg

Lisa Bland Publisher/ Editor-in-Chief

I

nternational Women‟s Day, acknowledged globally on March 8, arose out of a political response to suffrage (the right to vote) and other conditions for women at the turn of the century. In modern times and in more gender balanced nations, recognition of this day includes respect, appreciation, and love towards women and recognizing their economic, political, and social achievements. In some regions, a political and human rights theme designated by the United Nations aims to create political and social awareness of the struggles of women worldwide. In some countries, such as Afghanistan, China (for women only), Russia, Cuba, Ukraine, Nepal (for women only), and Vietnam, the day is an official holiday.

Although much work is being done in our culture to promote peace and balance between genders, and many men actively engage in respectful and supportive attitudes towards women, it is difficult to view anything clearly without stepping outside of one's reference point, especially if one occupies a position of power and privilege.

In my personal life I don‘t feel I‘ve experienced substantial limitations due to gender, and feel I experienced gender equality in the home, but when I look closer and on more subtle levels, I see often it was because I competed adequately on a playing field dominated by masculine qualities in the workplace and compensated with other behaviours in order to not be discounted as a female. The reality is that qualities traditionally assigned to females – empathy, sensitivity, gentleness, nurturing, caring, and emotion – are not given equal relevance in our society in comparison to forceful, active, decisive, analytical, competitive, and ambition oriented male traits.

From Jian Ghomeshi‘s sexist behaviour and abuse towards women, hidden for years to protect star power and network ratings, to comedian Bill Cosby for decades downplaying and shaming claims of sexual abuse; from the lack of mobilization on an inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women across Canada, to statistics on abuse against women nationally and globally and salary inequities in the workplace—the issue is intrinsic to the fabric of our society. Even at the most superficial level we find bias—an analysis of Disney movies in the past few years shows male actors‘ screen minutes outnumbered females in starring roles by a two to one ratio, with women speaking a minority of the dialogue compared to male characters.

Historical cross-cultural gender analysis has shown that equality across genders is rare, and patriarchy is nearly universally prevalent. According to anthropological evidence, most prehistoric hunter-gatherer societies were egalitarian or relatively equal in social status and gender equity until approximately 6000 years ago (4000 BCE). Various anthropological theories

Photos: International Women's Day 2015 - Stepping it up on the streets of New York City. Waving signs and holding banners bearing the slogan ―Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality and Women’s Rights,‖ thousands snaked through midtown Manhattan on March 8, 2015 in a collective show of solidarity for the global women’s movement. Thousands sang, chanted, and rallied for gender equality during a march to mark International Women’s Day. Left Photo: UN Women/Ryan Brown. Right Photo: UN Women/J Carrier

attempt to explain why patriarchal societies developed, and whether the differences are biological or social in origin. Theories include social and technological advancements like agriculture and animal domestication allowing men to dominate the food source while females focused on childrearing, greater physical strength leading to dominance in males, and males having more time for the development of theories related to religion and war while travelling for warring purposes.

In The Creation of Patriarchy, Gerda Lerner notes while there are a few exceptions, male domination and female subordination are predominant in virtually all societies, regardless of race, ethnicity, class, or religion. Most patriarchal societies have adopted characteristics associated with male domination, notably aggression and power, as well as their consequences— war and destruction.

Although the historical significance of gender inequity can‘t be understated, in the past century some progress in closing the gender gap has occurred in some regions.

The changes brought about by mobilization of women in the past 100 + years and the creation of a day to celebrate women has brought us to a place where we are engaged in a global discussion.

The formalization of women‘s rights and creation of International Women‘s Day began in Europe and America, as movements advocating women‘s rights gained momentum at the turn of the century. In 1908 amidst a political climate of unrest and debate, women became vocal against conditions of oppression and inequality. In 1908 in New York City, 15,000 women marched through the streets demanding shorter hours, better pay, and voting rights.

Political momentum in Europe, predominantly the German Social Democratic Party, led to the creation of an annual International Woman‘s Day in 1910 at a women‘s conference with delegates of over 100 women from 17 countries to advocate for women‘s suffrage and employment rights. In 1911, International Women‘s Day was first celebrated and recognized by over a million people in Europe. IWD rallies campaigned for women‘s rights to work, hold public office, vote, be trained, and address discrimination.

In 1975, International Women‘s Day was celebrated for the first time by the

~ Gloria Steinem United Nations, and in 1996 the UN proposed a theme for each year. Since then themes such as, Women at the Peace Table, Women and Human Rights, World Free of Violence Against Women, Empower Rural Women, End Poverty & Hunger, and in 2013, A Promise is a Promise Time for Action to End Violence Against Women have been promoted.

In 2016, International Women‘s Day marks a call to action for gender parity.

According to the site, www.internationalwomensday.com, despite the achievements of women, progress has slowed in many places worldwide. In 2015 the World Economic Forum predicted it would take until 2133 to achieve global gender parity.

Women are still not paid equally to their male co-workers, women are not present in equal numbers in business or politics, and globally women‘s education, health, and the violence against them is worse than that of men.

According to Statistics Canada, 70 per cent of the victims of family violence are girls or women. According to the World Health Organization, approximately 120 million girls worldwide (1 in 10) have experienced forced intercourse or other forced sexual acts at some point in their lives. The most common perpetrators of sexual violence against girls are current or former husbands, partners, or boyfriends.

The BC group, Battered Women‘s Support Services (BWSS) (www.bwss.org) is a feminist voice against violence and oppression offering support and advocacy programs and services for girls and women experiencing violence/abuse. The website states that to understand the statistics on

violence against women, you have to be willing to recognize that each statistic represents a woman, child, or family – a life – torn apart by violence and abuse. The organization suggests violence against women, while punishable in society, is often covered up or silently condoned.

Rather than being a private issue, it‘s a public health issue and a community concern for all. To create a more equitable society, it‘s up to every individual to take immediate action to support and empower women by joining and advocating for the anti-violence movement, and to use our voices and power to advocate for change so our mothers, sisters, aunts, nieces, daughters, and partners are valued, safe, and empowered. For statistics and facts on violence against women worldwide, across Canada, and in BC, visit: www.bwss.org/ resources/information-on-abuse/numbersare-people-too/.

At the recent Progress Towards Parity panel during the World Economic Forum‘s meeting this year in Switzerland, Justin Trudeau touched on men‘s role in supporting women, stating we shouldn‘t be afraid of the word feminist. ―Men have to be part of the conversation,‖ he said, ―My wife, Sofie, said it‘s great that you‘re engaged with empowering your daughter, but you need to talk to your sons about how they'll support women. Don‘t be afraid of the word feminist and in supporting equality and demanding a shift.‖ World renowned feminist, and political activist Gloria Steinem states, ―The story of women‘s struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights.‖ Celebrate International Women‘s Day this March 8 by pledging to help achieve gender parity more quickly—whether to help women and girls access greater choices in fulfilling their goals, pushing for gender-balanced leadership, respecting and valuing feminine qualities in the world, and personally taking action against workplace bias.

Happy International Women‘s Day! Celebrate the beautiful and amazing women in your life on March 8 and every day.

By Jessica Kirby, Senior Editor of TheGreenGazette

S

weet, health decadent, and fulfilling—the stuff dreams, fantasies, love songs, and fairy tales are made of. The love of one‟s life or the bane of another‟s existence it has many names-—passion, guilty pleasure, aphrodisiac, stimulant, worst enemy, relaxant, and gift from the universe.

Chocolate. We eat it, drink it, trade it, crave it, mend broken hearts with it, and curse the day we discovered it, but most people agree chocolate is one of the world‟s loveliest inventions.

Born in Mesoamerica where Theobroma cacao beans can be traced back to Mokaya and other pre-Olmec people, chocolate has roots in 1900 BC. The Aztecs considered cacao seeds a gift from Quetzalcoatl, God of Wisdom, and used the highly valuable seeds as currency. In its earliest form it was consumed as a warm drink—bitter and frothy and mixed with spices, wine, or corn puree. It arrived in Europe around the 16th century and sugar was added, engraving its place in contemporary history. By the 20th century it was considered staple and was even included as essential components in soldiers‘ rations.

The sweet news about chocolate is, aside from eating enough of it to cause obesity or give yourself nausea, it is hard to hurt yourself with it. There isn‘t any clear, proven scientific evidence that eating chocolate causes acne, constitutes an addiction, or harms the body‘s functioning— in fact, some studies support the short-term lowering of blood pressure by consuming cocoa products. The upsides are many including feelings of happiness and contentment and all around joy from eating it, not to mention chemicals like flavonoids and theobromine. Since the majority of calories come from ingredients like milk, butter, and sugar, sticking with chocolate with 70 percent cacao or higher is the best choice, health-wise.

On the other side of the world from North America, it is a different story. The three major chocolate producers are responsible for 35 per cent of global chocolate production and rely heavily on GMO ingredients, rainforest depletion, and unfair human rights and labour practices. The cocoa industry has a terrible track record for slavery, child labour, and worker exploitation, especially in Western African countries like Ghana and Ivory Coast where nearly 70 per cent of the world‘s supply is produced.

Tales from the Ivory Coast about slave farms, children being moved hundreds of miles from home to work in detrimental conditions for little or no pay or education are chilling and continue today despite the authorities‘ meagre efforts. Samlanchith Chanthavong, author of ―Chocolate and Slavery: Child Labor in Cote d‘Ivoire,‖ says children and adults are forced to work

Equal Exchange fairly traded chocolate.

Photo: Flickr, aolin.

in hot, humid conditions with improper nutrition, inadequate tools, and no protection from harmful chemicals used in the process.

Workers are often beaten and tied up, or locked away and locked in at night.

Some farms claim children and exploited workers are free to come and go but they don‘t leave because they are hundreds of miles from home with no money and plenty of fear. According to Chanthavong, the only way farm workers get out alive is when the Ivorian authorities find the farm, prove slavery is occurring, and worth together with local, national, and global authorities to have these workers released.

Community advocacy against unethical cocoa is well-developed and active, especially campaigns against giants like Hershey‘s, Nestle, and Mars, but as a $60 billion industry it is a tough case to crack.

The case comes down to economics and encompasses the typical capitalist cycle of maintaining a particular profit margin to appease stakeholders, and the matter is further complicated by the lack of regulation on reporting clearly where ingredients are sourced.

Global Exchange has a widespread, ongoing campaign with schools and church groups pressuring World‘s Finest Chocolate – producers of fundraising chocolate products – to purchase a percentage of its cocoa from Fair Trade co-operatives. Besides bringing awareness to Fair Trade and its elements, the project brings the issues to the forefront of conversations with children, who of course will rule the future.

Food Empowerment Project is a nonprofit advocacy group with a mission to create a more just and sustainable world by recognizing the power of one‘s food choices. According to FEP, the chocolate industry is being called upon to develop and financially support programs that support children who have been exploited in chocolate slavery. Despite strong advocacy efforts the largest companies do little to address the issues and many refuse to reveal their cocoa sources.

Consumer choice is by far the most powerful force in creating change in the chocolate industry. Because it is a luxury rather than an essential, chocolate is subject to selection and producers can, if enough people choose together, feel the effects of boycotting.

Unfortunately, consumers can‘t rely solely on labels like ―organic‖ or ―Fair Trade‖ to get the skinny on ethical chocolate. According to Clay Gordon, creator of the chocoholics‘ website The Chocolate Life and recognized expert on all things cocoa, true sustainability is threefold and addresses environmental, economic, and social principles. Organic labels attest to environmental regulation and health components but say nothing of economics or

Above: Fair trade raw cacao from local growers before processing. Bogota (Colombia): Robinson Rendon, Chief of Production for Casa Luker, a Bogota-based international chocolate company, shows a batch of dried cocoa beans ready to be processed. Casa Luker gets about 10 percent of all of its raw cacao from Chocolate Colombia, a USAID-supported growers’ collective helping around 1,500 families throughout Colombia’s conflict torn region of Caucasia grow better cacao and get a fair price for their crop.

Photo: Thomas Cristofoletti, USAID U.S. Agency for International Development.

Bottom Left: Cocoa may contain traces of slavery. Photo: Flickr, Pleuntje Bottom Right: Orley cuts cacao pods from the tree, Isla de la Amargura, Caceres, Antioquia (Colombia): Orley Blanquiceth, 37 years old, harvests cocoa in the family farm. Orley is from a small Colombian island only reachable by motorboat. When home in this community of just 300 residents, he helps his father Jose grow bananas and cacao in a small plot alongside Jose’s home. Orley, like many young men of his generation- has limited job options. USAID helps provide growers in Colombia’s coca belt with more stable and viable options to earn a living, such as growing cacao. The cacao project is one of many USAID-supported activities that work in areas long strained by civil conflict, rebuilding social connections and fomenting trust in governmental and other formal institutions. Photo: Thomas Cristofoletti, USAID U.S. Agency for International Development.

social sustainability. ―Fair Trade‖ addresses a number of important issues like fair wages, community co-ops, and fair labour practices, but the label costs farmers thousands of dollars that could have otherwise gone to their employees, lands, or communities.

Some companies, such as Newman‘s Own Organics, which is both certified organic and Rainforest Alliance labelled, attain more than one label to boost their credibility. Newman‘s Own has also gifted $400 million to charity, making it an attractive choice for savvy shoppers.

Watch for chocolate products with more than one label, who disclose their cocoa source as outside of West Africa, and who have the shortest possible supply chain. The price will be higher, but the experience and product will be superior.

FEP has produced a list of vegan chocolate it does and does not recommend based on investigations into where producers source their cacao. Please visit www.foodispower.org/chocolate-list/ for more information.

Slave Free Chocolate offers a great list of products that meet several criteria, but it

is still important to check individual brands in case cir cumst ances change. www.slavefreechocolat e.org/et hicalchocolate-companies/ The CNN Freedom Project is a mainstream, in-depth look at the issues involving child slaves and the cocoa industry.

Although presented in the typical ―panel of expert‖ format, it is a valuable resource for looking at all the angles including economics, globalization, and the weight consumers and corporate interests hold. Visit www.thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com /category/chocolates-child-slaves/ for more information and to watch several videos including ―Cocoa-nomics‖ a look at the money end of child slavery in the cocoa industry.

By LeRae Haynes

E

ating dirt is good for kids. Especially when they’re playing in a garden, according to Michelle Iverson, food action coordinator for the Williams Lake Food Policy Council.

Having her own daughter, reminds Iverson of the benefits for children of gardening. ―Ella loves the dirt and loves being in the garden,‖ she says. ―For her first birthday I made her a cake; she had never had sugar before and refused to touch it.

She walked over to ‗her‘ greenhouse, pulled a tomato off the vine and ate it instead. That really surprised me. ―Ella‘s favourite foods right now are Swiss chard and mushrooms; before she could crawl she loved to sit in the garden,‖ she said. ―I let her get dirty – the dirtier the better – it all comes off with water. Let her explore: that‘s how they learn.‖ The Food Policy Council (FPC) is under the umbrella of the Child Development Centre and is supported by the United Way of Thompson Nicola Cariboo and Interior Health, as well as local businesses and industry over the years, she continued. ―We support the City‘s official community plan for local food and agriculture,‖ says Iverson. ―We‘re working toward helping them accomplish some of those goals.

We also work with the Cariboo Regional District (CRD) and First Nations communities; the big picture is a regional food system with a lot of little projects along the way.‖

Ella Iverson eating a radish, continues to flourish with nature as her playground.

Photo: Michelle Iverson

She adds their priority is community gardens: the Memory Garden at the bottom of Carson Drive and one at Cariboo Lodge under development.

A main focus for the community garden is the Lil Sprouts Learning Garden.

With a strong background in early childhood education and years working with young children, Iverson has hands-on experience seeing children benefit from gardening experiences. ―Kids are so drawn to anything in nature! They love to dig in dirt, splash in puddles, and eat what they grow,‖

she says. ―Lil Sprouts gave me the chance to incorporate my passion and vision for kids and gardening. ―When we started the Lil Sprouts program we put out a general invitation to all daycares in the area. Exploring the Puddle Early Learning Centre got hold of me— they took it and ran with it and are amazing to work with. They have two garden beds and one greenhouse bed; they have done building and art projects in the classroom to bring to the garden.‖ The kids have their own garden beds at Exploring the Puddle, but still garden with Lil Sprouts to be part of the community garden, she noted. ―They bring their own seedlings and some seeds and plant their own beds. They water and weed them and harvest and eat the food they grow.‖ The Child Development Centre youth programs also have a couple of garden beds.

Iverson, who has a Bachelor‘s degree in Education with a specialty in early childhood, taught in inner city schools where it was not safe for kids to play outdoors, and where they developed inside gardens where the kids got to play in the dirt. ―Kids who would never touch a vegetable loved their garden,‖ she says. They would just walk by, pick a lettuce leaf, and eat it. It gives kids incredible pride and accomplishment: getting to show and share what they grow.‖ She said having her own child has certainly brought this close to home for her. ―I like seeing Ella so confident—she‘s so

content in the garden picking and eating plants. She doesn‘t need to be entertained and doesn‘t need toys: she just is. ―Ella‘s like that anywhere in nature.

She‘d rather play with sticks and eat dirt than play with the plastic toys people have given her. We‘re so fortunate to live where we do, where she can freely explore and be safe. It‘s OK if she gets dirty: I know where that dirt came from.‖ Gardening with kids is a way of teaching them veggies are delicious and setting them on a path of healthy eating, but Iverson says it‘s more than that. ―Bigger for me is a sense that they can do something for themselves, take something as small as a seed and through their care, feed their friends and family,‖ she said.―That‘s the bigger picture.‖ For more information about the Williams Lake Food Policy Council, including reserving garden and greenhouse beds, bringing a kids‘ group to do a garden project, or making a donation, visit www.facebook.com/WLFPC, email foodpolicycouncil@hotmail.com, or phone (250) 302-5010.

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 Ron Young

Y

ou play the programs on the solar T.V… That ain‟t workin‟ that‟s the way you do it!

With apologies to Dire Straits for paraphrasing their 1985 hit, ―Money for Nothing,‖ I write this article to answer the question most frequently asked of me in my business: ―How the #@^¿ do I get rid of BC Hydro?‖ With continually rising costs of electricity and the anticipation of future increases many people naturally look for a way to get out from under the weight of obese electricity bills.

Many are led to believe the simple answer to their burgeoning power bills is to simply put up some solar panels and suddenly the problem is solved; you can tell the power company to go away.

Sales professionals are taught to ―sell the sizzle not the steak‖ meaning a sales person should tell the customer what the product will do, not what it is; or as the sales guru for a major drill company put it— ‗we‘re selling holes, not drills.‘ The mainstream media does a great job of selling the sizzle of solar because stories about solar are exciting and hopeful and make us feel good about the future. But when we get down to the steak of the matter, i.e. the cost, then the excitement may quicklydie.

It‘s an ironic sort of twist for me to be talking about this because I‘ve been involved with solar power systems long enough to remember the days, not so long ago, when I had to spend most of my time convincing people that solar actually worked.

Now I spend a lot of time convincing people, ‗yeah, solar works great but it may not be for you if all you‘re thinking of is economics.‘ That leads me to the second most frequently asked question I have in my business: ―what‘s the payback time?‖ or in other words,―how long before I‘ve paid it all off and get free electricity?‖ Or wait… maybe the second most asked question is, ―are there any government subsidies?‖ So here‘s the bottom line: for the average household, to put enough solar in your yard or on your roof to eliminate your electricity bill in British Columbia today, you will have to spend probably a minimum $25,000. It may take you 15 – 20 years to pay that off with the savings from not getting an electricity bill and there are no government subsidies. The reason the answers are not more exact is we don‘t know how much BC Hydro is going to increase rates in the future and also because each person has different uses for electricity—there is no average.

Sadly, there is no ―Money for Nothing.‖ You can‘t replace your electricity bill with cheap solar panels subsidized by government and sail off into the sunset. But the good news is, at present, BC has the second lowest electricity rate in North America.

After you finish yelling at the paper (or computer depending on where you are reading this) about why your electricity bill so high, you should run to the nearest mirror and have a long hard look.

It‘s no different than if you‘re lumbering down the road in a jacked up pick-up truck with oversize wheels and a 500 hp V10 engine and trying to figure out why your gas consumption is so high. You have to make some personal lifestyle changes to reduce your electricity consumption and lucky for us, there are many ways to do that in the early days of the 21st century …and it‘s only going to get better.

Most people ‗spill‘ way more electricity than they should through careless practices so here are some ideas:  Change your light bulbs to LEDs. You can save $400 - $500/year in energy cost.  Buy energy efficient refrigerators and freezers and don‘t just rely on the salesman to tell you

Photo: Maria Godfrida/Pixabay





what is energy efficient (remember their job is to sell the sizzle). Do your own research. The Natural Resources Canada website has an excellent up -to-date listing of the most efficient appliances and when you‘re shopping, demand to see the Energuide label on appliances so you can understand the best choices.

Seal up the leaky spaces around doors and windows, insulate your walls and ceilings, and make sure you have at least dual pane windows. Insulate your hot water tank and hot water pipes; remember your hot water tank is the biggest energy pig in your house. Better yet, consider an alternative such as the Heatworks Model 1 hot water heater (we sell them). The Heatworks is an innovative new product that delivers hot water on demand at the point of use instead of keeping 40to 60 gallons of hot water heated 24 hours all day every day.

Switch off unused appliances and in some cases you have to unplug them because some coffee makers and most television sets have sneaky always-on circuits that quietly suck energy $ out of your wallet—even when they are turned off!

These are just a few of the ways you can get a grip on your energy consumption and lower your electricity cost because even though our rates are low in BC they won‘t stay that way. What‘s worse, we are subsidizing our low rates with our children‘s future by building massive hydro projects like the Site C dam. Encourage your governments at all levels to kick-start the solar revolution by providing incentives and subsidies like they have in countries throughout Europe and Asia.

“You play the programs on the solar T.V. That ain’t workin’… that’s the way you do it Money for nothin’ and electricity for free!”

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

Copyright Ron Young 2015

By Devon Chappell

H

ello, good morning, and welcome to another sparkling era of new opportunity to establish good health for the coming year, assuming you are the type who sees the new year as a grand opportunity to start again.

As you prepare to begin your new health regime, take time to reflect on the cliché of ―resolutions‖ and rather than just resolving to do something, try to really understand one must breathe, build, and honour each day. Rather than making some stupid promise to ourselves that this year will be better, we can try to achieve that personal goal one day at a time. How did those resolutions from 2015… 2014…

2013… work out for you? Did you gain that healthy lifestyle? Lose weight? Actually manage to be happier or more respectful to your mother, finish that book? Are you seeing a pattern here? Don‘t be too hard on yourself; it‘s only reality and we all make mistakes.

Often what I write is a reflection of my own challenges along with accomplishments on my personal journey from the depths of what I consider was a lifestyle of unhealthy filth to my new lifestyle as a human with vibrant, shiny eyes. How else would I be able to advise and encourage a sense of harmony-for-health?

It‘s astonishing what doing a small thing for oneself each day can do for a person, whether it be through exercise, food, yoga, communication, writing or reading, music, or dancing. But one thing that can have one of the deepest impacts on one‘s ability to do any of these things is food! Good food strengthens all other systems in our bodies allowing us to respond well to all situations.

Usually I base this article on some specific ―superfood‖ along with information on that food‘s nutritional facts, usages, and effects on the body. Some, if not most, of the foods I have written about you may not have heard of and that can make them hard to find as you shop. But perhaps there‘s

something easier you could be doing every day…

First a few words on superfoods.

Wikipedia states the term, ―superfood,‖ is a marketing term used to describe foods with supposed health benefits. The Macmillan Dictionary defines them as foods considered good for your health and that may even help with some medical conditions. The Oxford Dictionary says they are a nutrient-rich food considered to be especially beneficial for health and well-being.

What do I say? All food is superb! Some of them, of course, are more potent than others, denser in nutrients, but what about those things on your day-to-day grocery list? Taking into consideration the things you buy daily really matters when it is your health at stake. Our eyes and taste buds have sometimes been mislead into thinking some things that look or taste great are nourishing, when in fact they are potentially doing a lot of harm. Food that is naturally brilliant in colour, fresh, and full of life, be it from the ground, the sea, or the sunshine is spectacular for those very senses that advertising has sometimes been able to mislead. For instance, the eyes require vitamin A, so if you find things like sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach, or kale, beautiful! You‘re on the right track!

People are often misinformed when it comes to nutrition and diet. In fact, many are actually afraid of the often-misused word, ―diet.‖ But diet is just a term used to describe one‘s personal selection of foods.

Food choices can improve one‘s health and physical condition, help with weight loss, or simply better one‘s day-to-day operation; or they can do the opposite. Don‘t be put off by the word diet; instead, embrace it as a personal choice. Some people‘s diets do consist of chips, soda, steaks, smokes, and sweets. To me that is insane and would slowly and literally shut down one‘s system, but again, that is a personal choice. So drop the idea of ―diet‖ as a strict regime one must follow and embrace personal choice that helps your body feel good every day.

One of the easiest and quickest ways to include a beautiful array of foods in one‘s diet is in a salad! Add whatever leafy greens, veggies, nuts, seeds, and fruits into a bowl and love life. The best part is adding a healthy dressing. Mmmm. Here‘s one I‘ve created and kept secret until now. It‘s become a bit of a staple in many of my dishes. Feel free to add or remove any in-

When life lets you down, have a salad. Photo: Devon Chappell

gredients, and I‘m not going to give you any measurements, being as I‘ve only ever gone by taste, so have fun! (Don't be afraid to sprinkle some spirulina on top for an added health kick!)

Devon’s Secret Dressing Ingredients Raw, organic, apple cider vinegar Oil (olive, safflower, avocado, grape seed, sesame, or coconut) Bragg‘s all-purpose soy Organic pesto Organic mustard (dijon or stone ground) Hemp hearts Cracked pepper Method Place all ingredients into a glass jar and shake it all up! Serve over whatever you fancy. This is a very versatile dressing for many dishes including rice bowls and fish.

(PS: Raw, organic, apple cider vinegar is incredible for everything! Try a splash in hot water with some organic honey everyday.)

In conclusion, ―superfoods‖ can be relatively expensive and have possible side effects not so desired for some individuals.

I do believe in consuming these foods that are highly concentrated in nutritional value, but I do understand they are not for everyone. Of course, I advocate incorporating these foods into a diet that already includes plenty of fruit, vegetables, water, nuts, grains, and healthy choices to back it up. If you do decide these select superfoods such as spirulina, chlorella, maca root, goji berries, raw cacao, and many others are a good part of your chosen path, do keep in mind that health is also about the everyday foods you can find at the grocery store (or local food co-op) that are sometimes easily ignored but will keep you s u p e r !

Devon Chappell is something of an impressionist with therapeutic hands. He holds a focus on what is real when it comes to food. He has a personal interest in nutrition and art and when he is in his element, Devon brings nature to the kitchen.

By LeRae Haynes

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have been chased by a pugnacious five-point buck during rutting season. I have encountered snarling dogs who looked at me like I was a dish of pate, and been pelted by ice, rain, sleet, and hammering wind.

I know I look like an eccentric walkingstick-flailing nut job galloping down local streets and rural roads at warp speed all seasons, all year round, pounding along with incredible intent as if pursued by the hounds of hell. I look like I‘m windmillrunning for my life. And in a way, I am.

A year and a half ago I went to the doctor after a stretch of time not feeling well at all—dizzy, not sleeping, constantly sweaty, persistent weight gain over 10 years, bloating, and facial numbness, to name a few.

And this was after a lifetime of healthy eating and exercise.

This new doc marched me right off to the hospital for blood work and said the clinic would call if there was anything to talk about. Days went by, two weeks went by, and no call. I felt worse and worse and finally stomped back in with severe headringing and facial paralysis.

I was faced with yet another new doc. I started over, explaining my history and current symptoms. He was looking at my chart on his computer screen as I talked, and suddenly became very still. ―Nobody called you, did they?‖ he asked. ―No,‖ I answered, with my heart in my throat. ―I‘m sorry: I have very bad news for you,‖ he said. ―You are severely diabetic and are going on needles or going in the hospital today.‖

I fought to breathe, fought to hear. He continued, ―And your cholesterol and blood pressure are incredibly high—you are at risk of a heart attack or stroke right now.‖ I almost fell off the table. He went on to explain that all my numbers were sky high: normal blood sugar is 4 – 6 and mine was 29. A huge risk of organ failure, loss of hearing, loss of eyesight.

He put me on pills and gave me a week to get my sugar numbers down before putting me on insulin. I staggered over to Kornak and Hamm‘s, got tag-teamed by some wonderfully helpful women with all kinds of info, and went home armed, terrified, and determined to stay alive.

You see, this is what killed my dad 23 years ago when he was exactly my age. Far too young—a huge, enormous loss to all of us. That was not going to be me.

I tweaked my diet (already vegetarian, sugar-free, organic, natural, non-processed, and low-sodium) and doubled my exercise.

I made my health a part-time job and became my own advocate. I researched even more natural treatments. I power-walked three hours a day with walking sticks—half with a walking buddy and another session alone later in the day. Within a week my sugar numbers were 15 instead of 29 and in another week they were 11 and they kept going down. For the past year they have been in the normal range.

In three months I lost 50 lbs. A year and a half later my numbers are still good. I still have a fairly tweaked and monitored diet and walk every day. Because of an interface between standard medicine and natural medicine I maintain good results.

Running for your life doesn't just mean when it's easy - it's year round in all kinds of weather! Photo: Maureen Welke

It‘s been humbling, to say the least. For me, it‘s apparently not enough to live extremely healthy, eat like an organic Earth Mother, and exercise. For me, it‘s not enough to just take standard medication and follow my doctor‘s orders. I need both. I need to be my own advocate and I need to research absolutely everything. I can‘t believe everything I hear about herbs, the miracle of okra, cottonwood bark tea, and cinnamon capsules, and I can‘t believe everything I hear about big pharmaceutical cholesterol and high blood pressure meds. I can certainly not believe everything I hear from the Canadian Diabetes Association.

It‘s extremely challenging to eat out in restaurants, at potlucks, or at other people‘s houses, but I do it. I bring my own food,

figure out extreme menu variations, or eat ahead of time. I take my own food everywhere. And, just so you know, even though I don‘t eat potatoes, carrots, beets, peas, corn, fish, chicken, seafood, meat, bread, pasta, pastries, desserts, most grains, or fruit, I eat like a king.

OK, maybe not like a king: maybe a cheerful, falafel-gnawing, lettuce-scarfing court jester. Being chased down the road by a deer.

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.

(Left) Paul brushes hoarfrost from the evacuated tubes. Photo: Sandy McNie (Right) Sandy loves her new wood cookstove. Photo: Paul Hearsey

By Paul Hearsey

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year ago I wrote in TheGreen Gazette about our housebuilding project here in Horsefly, a project we have spent about six years on. This was meant to take one year, but I‟m sure many readers can relate to the fact that day-to-day life can often get in the way of best intentions. We discussed the basic design and construction of this low-budget, high-performance home, so here we will talk about the active solar and water features we installed.

First, just to remind readers, our home is an off-grid passive solar design: that is, very heavy insulation and triple glazed windows allow the sun to contribute to the space heating. A wood cookstove is our sole source of heat beyond the solar component. We reluctantly replaced the beautiful antique we had recently restored with a modern airtight from Italy: a La Nordica Suprema ordered online through Obadiah's Woodstoves in Montana. This new cookstove is incredibly efficient, using perhaps one third the wood our old stove did.

Small, modern, airtight cookstoves for small homes are difficult to find, so we had to look to Europe.

On the south-facing roof are three solar water heating panels, each holding 20 evacuated tubes, which collect the sun‘s heat. We run non-toxic propylene glycol in the system so it can operate in sub-zero conditions. The glycol transfers heat to a stainless steel heat exchanger, which transfers heat to the water in our twin 60-gallon water tanks. The tanks are just large enough to carry us through a few cloudy days, and are heated in sequence. Three panels are a lot, where only one would ordinarily do, but we built heated floors in the bathroom and mudroom and they can use a lot of hot water. Everything is housed in a little closet-sized space we jokingly call the boiler room. None of this was terribly expensive: the solar panels from Seabird Solar in Agassiz costing about $800 each. Affordable heat exchangers, pumps, and miscellaneous hardware were purchased online from all over North America and Asia. We also installed a stainless steel

and Asia. We also installed a stainless steel water heating loop in our wood cookstove.

So far, our setup has been working very well. It has been running for five months and produces a great deal of hot water. Of course, to produce adequate hot water in the winter we produce too much in the summer, so an automatic valve diverts hot glycol to a forced-air heat dump when necessary, dumping hot air outside. I plan eventually to build motorized covers over the panels, so we can reduce hot water production simply by shading them. We continue to make significant quantities of hot water at minus 12-15 degrees C (amazing!), and are still experimenting to find at what temperature this system can no longer function. Again, so far so good.

We‘re very pleased.

The house is wired for 120/240 VAC, plus 24VDC in some key areas. In the late winter we will be setting up our twelve 230 -watt Canadian Solar photovoltaic panels on a fixed (non-tracking) ground mount we built some time ago. This will give us 2.75 kilowatts, enough to run our home fairly comfortably. The low voltage outlets are for reading lights and a few essential boiler room components, which means that at night the Magnum four-kilowatt inverter can go into sleep mode, conserving power.

A Tri-metric panel and Magnum panel on the living room wall will allow us to monitor the electrical system remotely. And finally, we have a six-kilowatt Kubota diesel generator in a nearby outbuilding; we don‘t expect it to get much use. We bought a SunDanzer super-insulated chest freezer from Earthright Solar, which will run directly from our battery bank, again allowing the inverter to sleep. Because solar is getting to be so affordable we bought the most efficient all-fridge we could find at the Williams Lake Sears store, rather than buy a very expensive off-grid fridge. It is twice as efficient as our old fridge in the cabin and our solar is sized to run it quite easily.

Managing electrical consumption is important in an off-grid home. We originally outfitted the house with compact fluorescent lamps. Then the price of LED lamps began to fall. We removed our CF

lamps and installed LEDs throughout the house. My wife, Sandy, likes to be able to control lighting levels so I put dimmable LED lamps in a few places, like over the dining room table. I began this lighting project by importing lamps directly from a Chinese manufacturer, but prices continued to fall. My favourite LED lamp supplier now: Canadian Tire. Both Rona and Home Hardware have a decent selection, too.

One interesting feature of this home is an ultra-high efficiency Hennessy and Hinchcliffe toilet from Central Builders Supply (Home Hardware). The Proficiency is a well-secret, it seems, because no one we know has ever heard of it. This is a very good Canadian product that uses only three liters per flush. No big flush, little flush buttons. It was the first three-liter flush toilet in the world when it was first released to the market in 2009. We bought a prototype to try in our cabin back then, and can‘t recommend it highly enough. I checked just recently and it retails locally for $293. By the way, there are now seven models to choose from, some taller, some more stylish. Our well water has a good deal of iron with a touch of arsenic (very common in the Cariboo) so we run it through a treatment system. This means our water has a cost attached to it, so anything we can do to reduce consumption is a no-brainer. The new toilet was a big help.

We looked at ways we could reduce our water usage further. Rainwater was an obvious choice, so we placed a ground gutter around the house to collect water off the roof. This is a gravel-filled trench, a very wide footing drain of sorts, which guides rain and meltwater away from the foundation, then pipes it to a 3200-liter underground tank. This runs the toilet.

Once the tank runs dry, in January we expect, the toilet can be switched over temporarily to well water until the spring melt.

Since we will not be using rainwater for anything else, we don‘t need to sanitize it with an ultraviolet sterilizer—just a simple run through a sediment filter to protect the small Shurflo RV-type pump. You might wonder if gutters and downpipes wouldn‘t have been easier than a labour-intensive underground collection system, but I‘ve

seen what heavy snow can do to gutters.

We decided to go with something far more rugged and permanent.

Everything we built was done with limited funds. Overall, I think we did well.

But I can think of a few things I might do differently if I could go back. It would have been smarter to dig a partial basement under the bathroom, where a much larger single hot water tank could have been set up. With enough volume and insulation we could have stored hot water to last a week or more. The solar hot water panels could have been installed vertically, either on a ground mount close by or on the southfacing wall of the house, under the overhang. That would have kept snow off the tubes, and decreased summer overproduction. One more thought: if solar photovoltaic panels fall in price far enough it will become more economical one day to heat water with solar-generated electricity.

In the meantime, we may add another 1.2kW of photovoltaic panels, for a total of four kilowatts, within a year or two. The prices are attractive and more power generated makes us that much more independent.

Paul Hearsey and Sandy McNie live in beautiful, snowy Horsefly. Their interests range from farming and gardening to building design and all things solar. This year they hope to find time to work on their 'new' 1951 Massey Harris combine harvester, all the way from Alvena, Saskatchewan (pop.55). They welcome feedback, questions, and visits. Email them at parsleybed@netbistro.com

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By Terri Smith

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anuary is the time of New Year‟s resolutions. These often take the form of some sort of decision to eat better, exercise more, and generally get in better shape. The resolve usually begins to waver around the end of February or March and by April most people try to forget they ever resolved to join that gym or take that class they signed up for and then missed most of anyway.

I never really bother with resolutions. I know I can‘t keep them so why feel bad about myself when I stop? Besides that, as a farmer, I like to tell myself that I get enough exercise in my daily life. This is really only true for part of the year, and even at the height of farming season it‘s not as if sitting in the garden weeding for eight hours is really all that vigorous of a task. And in winter I have had a tendency to hibernate. I usually try to go cross-country skiing every day and as weird as some of my farm neighbours find the practice, I also walk my dogs every day when there isn‘t enough snow to take them for a ski.

However, I do find that each year when spring arrives and I must begin the more rigorous tasks that farming presents like compost shovelling, bed building, and hauling around miles of hoses, my body takes about two weeks to come to terms with my new demands. A little over a year ago, as fall rolled around I started thinking about how ridiculous it was that by the end of each season my body feels good, strong, and healthy but that by January I‘m tired and sluggish and always have to get back in shape with a farming form of boot camp when the season begins. I have tried New Years‘ resolutions a few times over the years. Most years while I was in university, January would arrive all smug and new and full of opportunity and I would grudgingly start swimming daily or walking or sign up for a pole-dancing class (okay, I did finish

By Terri Smith

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ike most celebrities, Amadeus has other things he would rather be doing than signing autographs. He does love his public, but only as long as the sunflower seeds hold out. As I trimmed his hooves and brushed him in preparation for his Christmas appearance during the Winter Lights Festival, I realized it was going to take more sunflower seeds than he could safely eat to have him personally autograph his Christmas cards. He only really appreciates his personal groomer if said groomer gives him copious amounts of sunflower seeds. I decided that like most busy, famous people he would probably have to have someone sign his cards for him. So while I trimmed his hooves I used a stamp pad and pieces of cardstock and took prints of all his hooves. Only one print really worked so I transferred the image onto a block of lino and carved out a stamp of his hoof. So, if you bought an Amadeus card in December, I have a confession to make: the cards Amadeus “autographed” are representative of his actual hoof print, but he himself did not actually, personally stamp every one.

Terri Smith executing a wrist locking throw. Photo: Johanne Lanseigne that class and it was great exercise and incredibly amusing!) but eventually I would get bored and busy and drop my resolve.

My new solution had nothing to do with New Year‘s resolutions, however, and this is one of the reasons I think I may have stayed with it as long as I have. In October of last year, Curtis, who I happen to cohabitate with, began teaching Aikido again after a four-year hiatus. He has been a teacher of Aikido, a Japanese martial art that originated with the samurai, for over 20 years.

He took a break for awhile to focus on other, more lucrative pursuits, but finally decided enough time had passed and it was time to get back into it.

He began with a test class of eight friends and we all began meeting twice a week at the Judo club on Mackenzie Avenue. I have never managed to commit to anything this long. I am one of those people who sign up for something, grudgingly drag myself out to class for a few weeks, and then find some sort of excuse to quit. Usually my excuse is something along the lines

It has been a little known fact about Amadeus: he‘s a bit of a brat, actually. He is your typical, spoiled celebrity. Sure, he loves children and during his public appearances he usually behaves beautifully with them. But at home he‘s a bit of a diva.

He is demanding and unappreciative, and those ―kisses‖ he gives that are so very cute are really just his way of demanding food. He will even head-butt me, his surrogate mother and personal slave, if he suspects me of withholding sunflower seeds.

Yet, dress him up in a smart hat and fancy collar and load him into the front of the truck (never the back) and suddenly he shines. This year in particular he was amazing during his public appearance. He did take a few bites from more than one Christmas wreath, and also pulled over one Christmas tree that was for sale outside the Co-op as he tried to eat it, but that all happened ―behind the scenes.‖ Thanks to Laureen Caruthers‘ magic with photography, Amadeus‘ Christmas pictures with children were the best they‘ve ever been. He has never ―kissed‖ so many children. The pictures are gorgeous. He really does like other kids. I think he sees them as being completely non-threatening and a great

of: ―my goat needs me at home more,‖ or, ―my pajamas aren‘t going to fit properly if I lose any more weight.‖ I live almost an hour out of town and I‘m really not much of a joiner. I don‘t like organized anything. I started Aikido to support Curtis and since our other two roommates also joined we all carpooled together and it seemed like an easy and cheap way to get out of the house in winter.

Over a year in now, I‘m not doing it to support Curtis anymore. I‘m doing it because last spring when farming season began my body didn‘t object. I‘m doing it because at the end of 2013 I had so much pain in my knees, shoulder, and back that I thought I might have to quit farming and now I don‘t hurt anymore. And I‘m doing it because it kind of seems like magic and I want that kind of power. As a smallish person, even though I am strong, I am not exactly physically powerful. Aikido, however, has nothing to do with size. In explaining Aikido, Curtis uses the analogy of that feeling you get when you try to open a door and

someone opens it from the other side just as you grasp the handle. Your own momentum propels you through the door before you have a chance to catch yourself. So in this martial art, size and strength have nothing whatsoever to do with a person‘s ability to take down an opponent. Not that I‘m expecting opponents, but not that I‘m not either. But it is also about balance, core training, stamina, and does great things for one‘s joints as well. Once you get past the first few weeks, anyway.

All that said, though, I am still not exactly a model student. What is it about resolve that‘s so hard, anyway? A few classes ago, Sensai asked me to lead the warm-up stretches. Each week he has been asking different members of the class to lead and it was my turn. He told me each stretch should last about the time it takes for six deep breaths. So, here I am at the start of class, feeling nervous, but determined not to mess it up. First stretch, right side: breathe in, breathe out: one. Breathe in… oh look, a tiny, silver moth circling that light, I wonder how it got in? Oh, oops, breathe out: two… breathe in… I wonder if I should pick up more toilet paper after class… breathe out: three? I think I got toilet paper after last class, or was that paper towel?

Hmm… oh, right, breathe in…out: five?

Oh, I don‘t know, next stretch… Breathe in… breathe out… This isn‘t as easy as it seems. How hard can it be to count to six!?!

Um, five? No, four. Left side: One…two… three…hey, this isn‘t so hard, I‘m getting this! Oh, wait, I lost it…

So now that the New Year is upon us, my resolve is to quit resolving and just keep doing what feels good, and if I mess it up, I‘ll just try again.

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

Amadeus loves his public. Photo: Laureen Carruthers

food source. Adults are another story. He did head-butt two adults, but only because he wanted more food. Children don‘t bother him though. They are smaller and generally sweeter, and they are usually unafraid. It sounds silly, but Amadeus can sense fear. Other people‘s fear makes him nervous and how does a goat deal with feeling nervous? With his head, obviously.

Something feeling uncomfortable? Just hit

it with your head. That doesn‘t work?

Keep hitting it until something makes you stop or you feel better. If only human stress were so easy to alleviate. Or maybe not…

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

By Margaret-Anne Enders

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heard the news and my heart sank.

A group of Syrian refugees was pepper sprayed as they attended a welcome event in Vancouver. The shooting recently in our own community provoked similar feelings of sadness and loss. Looking for some wisdom, I turned to one of my go-to books for theology and ethics, The Moral Core of Judaism and Christianity by Daniel Maguire. In it I found a simple, provocative statement: “Liberation, not creation, was God‟s identifying act.” Yes, liberation. But how and from what?

Liberation is a central motif in many world religions. Sometimes it is liberation from an external power, such as in Judaism, the Israelites being delivered from slavery in Egypt and the Sikh Guru Hargobind being released from prison with 52 other princes. Often it is liberation from internal struggles as in understanding one‘s own suffering in Buddhism and the forgiveness of sin in Christianity. The mythical and historical narratives from sacred texts have wisdom in their own right and also call into focus teachings for the here and now. It seems each day and age has its own shackles that yearn for and even demand liberation.

What do these teachings call into question in our day and age? What holds Williams Lake and the Cariboo in its tight grip?

One of the biggest challenges our community faces is racism. Racism does damage to individuals. It shapes identities and creates trauma. The mix of trauma and lowered self-esteem and self-worth affects every part of life: interpersonal relationships, performance at school, employment, parenting, and the ability to cope with stress. On a community basis, racism affects the movement and connection of people: who we sit beside at a hockey game, who speaks first and most often, who feels respected shopping in stores, who feels safe walking the streets. Systemic racism affects medical care, education, and employment.

Racism is an issue that affects everyone in the community. Until everyone feels safe and valued, none of us can experience the fullness of life that healthy communities can offer.

In the coming months, the Multiculturalism Program at the Canadian Mental Health Association, together with our community partners in the Racism Awareness Network,

I

f you‟re up before sunrise, before the sky is too bright, you can still catch Venus, bright in the southeast sky. Since the orbit of Venus is inside the Earth‟s, it can‟t rise in the east as the Sun is setting in the west like the outer planets. It appears as a morning star or an evening star and is never more than 50 degrees from the Sun. Currently, it is headed for a ―superior‖ conjunction with the Sun in June, where it will pass behind the Sun and reappear in the evening sky later in summer. The human race has had a lot of time to watch these apparently complex planetary motions. When Galileo first observed Venus with his telescope, he saw it had phases like the Moon. Observations like this heralded

will be launching a campaign to bring awareness about the incidences and experiences of racism in our community. We want to listen to the voices of those whom our society has made more vulnerable through discrimination, prejudice, and abuse. To many of us who identify as white, racism is invisible because it doesn‘t happen to us.

We know it happens, but it is too easily forgotten because it doesn‘t affect our daily lives.

Our hope is this campaign will make the racism experienced by people in our community more visible. We hope people will be more aware of the impact of their own and others‘ racist actions. We hope it will challenge assumptions and generate conversation.

This last hope is tenuous, as we know these may not be easy conversations. Racism is a delicate and thorny issue and as such the conversations may be uncomfortable. Stepping into unfamiliar territory can feel unsettling and even a bit unsafe, for a variety of reasons.

First, words have such power—to break down and to build up, to heal and to destroy. With delicate issues, people often keep their mouths closed because they are afraid of the power of their words. They don‘t want to rock the boat or say the wrong thing. Other times, people don‘t trust they will be heard. One of the damaging things about racism is that white voices are heard first, more often, and louder than other voices. How can we shift that power differential?

Second, language is tricky. Sometimes I find that when I when I try to formulate the ―right‖ words and phrases, I can get stuck.

What words do I use to identify people? Do I say white or Caucasian or settler society?

Does it matter? Does the political correctness of Caucasian or settler actually turn people off of a discussion? What do I call those who are not white? Even identifying someone as ―not-white‖ carries a sense that white is the norm, the standard by which we measure. Do I say people of colour? Visible minorities?

Third, experience is varied. There is no blanket experience of racism. So many variables affect one‘s life experiences: gender, socio-economic status, personal resilience.

It is impossible to paint just one picture of what racism looks like, so therein lies the invitation to seek out and notice other pictures and then see how those fit into an even bigger picture. It is easy to assume both the

the end of the idea that the Earth was in the centre of the solar system.

Although it‘s now old news, there is no replacement for making this observation yourself. The perspective that comes with watching the planet‘s motions, observing the layout of the Milky Way galaxy and the various objects in it and finally seeing galaxies external to our own (and how faint some of them are), can only be appreciated by being out under the night sky. You will then be in a position to put those television documentaries, magazine photos, and Hubble deep fields into a universe you can feel.

The transit of Mercury across the face of the Sun will be a significant event on May 9 this year. You will need special equipment to view it and there will likely

Members of a newly-formed Anti-Racism Committee met recently at Canadian Mental Health Association Cariboo-Chilcotin branch in Williams Lake. Photo: LeRae Haynes

events and the effects of racism, but those assumptions may further rob someone of their own story. Take the time to listen.

Additionally, some white people would say they, too, have experienced racism. It is easy to brush off such experiences in a society where the balance of power is held by white people. However if our goal is to open up the conversations, everyone needs to be heard and through that experience of sharing, compassion for the other can be discovered and nurtured. White people, especially those of us whose inclination is to talk just to fill the silence, have to remember how important listening is, and that our brief experiences of racism are not the same as those who live with prejudice and discrimination daily in a world of white privilege.

Lastly, it feels uncomfortable that those who are subject to the most racism are also asked to be teachers to those of us who want to be allies. It feels like a further burden to request of others that they help their oppressors learn about humility, compassion, and justice.

My suggestion is to see this time of learning, discomfort, and uncertainty as a doorway to liberation, both personally and for our community. Enter a conversation with an open heart and an open mind. If

be people set up to show you when the time comes. More about it in the future.

Now is a good time to make plans for the total solar eclipse in August 2017. It is the chance of a lifetime unless you are willing to travel around the globe. The path of totality is on the order of 40-60 km wide and will cross into the US in Oregon, heading east through Utah. The event only lasts for something around two minutes in each location. This is going to be a good one and there are some locations along the path where the probability of clear skies is high.

The night sky is often hazy or cloudy this time of year and of course it is cold.

This is offset by the brilliance of the winter stars and also by the fact that the Bells Lake Observatory has a heated warm room adjacent to the deck the telescopes are on.

someone corrects you on your language, just say thank you. If you are confused, ask for an explanation. If someone uses a term that is considered offensive, perhaps they are unaware. Give the benefit of the doubt and gently offer a more suitable term. It is so easy for conversations to get derailed by people taking offense. We can see this as a learning and growing experience for all.

Let‘s set our intention for liberation of all of us.

In the coming weeks watch for our campaign on FB (Women’s Spirituality Circle in Williams Lake; Canadian Mental Health Association Cariboo-Chilcotin Branch), Twitter, the media, and posters. If you would like to receive updates, please call me at (250) 305-4426.

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 Spiritual ity Circle, visit www.womenspiritualitycircle.wordpress.co m or on Facebook at Women’s Spirituality Circle in Williams Lake.

We also have a heated tent / cabin next to the observatory where you can have tea or coffee. Observing sessions at the Bells Lake Observatory near Horsefly, BC are on short notice due to the weather, so if it looks like it‘s going to be a clear night you can give me a call at (250) 620-0596 or contact me at irwin8sound@gmail.com.

By Oliver Berger

T

his is going to be a tough article to write. There is a small battle I have been struggling with for some time. For those of you who don‟t know, I am one of those casual smokers, and have been for over a decade. It is a tough thing to admit, however, a reality of having a partially addictive personality, I suppose. There are so many reasons not to smoke: obvious health issues, which I seem to completely ignore and somehow figure they will not happen to me, and even knowing friends who have suffered to the end of their lives, partially because of unhealthy lifestyle choices like smoking. The inhalation of ingredients like cyanide, arsenic, tar, ammonia, and nicotine should easily make a person who enjoys the intake of otherwise healthy ingredients cringe. The smell... oh the smell, especially if you‟re packing your butts around looking for the next garbage can. None of this seems to be stimulating enough for me to kick my habit.

So, I have decided to approach this from a (hopefully) more viable angle, by using a subject that has more leverage on my thought process. One of those subjects would most definitely be waste management and the protection of our environment, which I am sure you readers have most likely picked up on by now. I began paying more attention to the environmental

door areas. Cigarette butts are the #1 most littered item in the world. It is the most commonly found item on the ground in our cities, parks, roadways, waterways, oceans, and natural surroundings.

After searching many sources, I am going to say approximately five trillion butts are thrown into our worldwide backyard every year.

Contrary to what some people believe, these butts are not compostable. Cigarette filters are made from cellulose acetate, a plastic product that can break down into smaller pieces of itself, however, will never biodegrade or disappear. Sorry, Earth.

The Ocean Conservancy conducts the International Coastal These little butts are the #1 littered item in the world.

Cleanup® annually, Photo: Morgan Day where volunteers sift side effects that cigarette smokers cause on through millions of pieces of ocean debris, counting and documenting what they find our planet.

One cannot help but notice the massive item-by-item, location-by-location. The amount of butts on the ground all over the number one item they find every year is place, even in some of the purest of out- cigarette butts – by a long shot – followed by food wrappers and containers, plastic bottles, and plastic bags.

Many butts end up in the trash. Still, what is the direct effect these small pieces of toxic litter have on the ground or the water? Many chemicals are concentrated in the butt, as well as in the remaining tobacco. Research shows these chemicals are actually toxic. Basically, smokers are nonchalantly tossing toxic waste into the environment everyday.

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency's 1996 paper, ―Ecological Effects Test Guidelines: Aquatic invertebrate acute toxicity test for freshwater daphnids,‖ water fleas were introduced to petri dishes filled with dilution water and the test solution. In aquatic ecosystems, water fleas occupy a critical position as they transfer energy and organic matter from primary producers (algae) to higher consumers such as fishes.

Experiments showed the chemicals in cigarette butts are acutely toxic to water fleas (meaning at least 50 percent of the daphnids population died) at concentrations higher than 0.125 cigarette butts per liter of water. This translates to one cigarette butt per eight liters, or approximately one butt per two gallons of water. The leachate from the remnant tobacco portion of a cigarette butt is deadlier at smaller concentrations than are the chemicals that leach out of the filter portion of a butt" To read more from this and other studies about cigarette butt waste, please visit http://www.cigarettelitter.org/index.asp? pagename=un.

Children and animals also mistakenly ingest these yummy butts causing similar internal toxic adversities, similar to those in the water flea test. Forest fires are started every year because of butts, and people lose homes and lives. I don‘t like the sound of any of those things.

Now Terracycle Canada has implemented a program that tackles these intensely littered items by recycling them.

They accept the butts, filters, papers, and even the packaging. The paper and tobacco are composted, the ash is used in fertilizers, and the plastics (filters) are recycled into industrial products like plastic pallets or park benches. Terracycle‘s geographical availability for recycling butts is limited; however, they have managed to divert 360,000 butts per year so far in a pilot project happening in the City of Vancouver.

It‘s a start.

Unfortunately, cigarette butt waste seems to be the last socially acceptable form of littering in our increasingly environmentally-conscious world. It‘s time to change that. For us in the Cariboo, the best thing we can do is make sure all our butts end up in the trash, or better yet, just do not bother lighting up at all. Did I just convince myself there? Happy 2016.

Oliver Berger has a 34-year degree in life, starting out in the Spokin Lake area, spending adolescence in Williams Lake, and then venturing throughout the world on a quest of always learning new things.

His priorities include dedication to and education about waste management.

R

ecylepedia? Not a word you will find in the dictionary but, it is used to describe a service that will answer all your recycling questions. The Recycling Council of British Columbia (RCBC) provides this service in combination with its call-in hotline. Every Regional District in the province pays RCBC about three cents per person, per year to support the recycling information services. RCBC maintains the most extensive and up-to-date waste and recycling database in Canada.

All you have to do is ask for the information.

The RCBC website describes itself as ―…a multi-sectoral, non-profit, membership-driven organization that facilitates the exchange of ideas and knowledge that enable efficient solutions to eliminate waste. Established in 1974, we are Canada‘s longest-serving recycling council. We have led BC‘s progressive policy of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs and other initiatives to find innovative ways to eliminate waste and decrease British Columbia's environmental footprint.‖ You may ask yourself what Extended Producer Responsibility is. EPR is British Columbia‘s method of providing recycling, also called ―product stewardship.‖ The product stewardship model is comprised of several key players – manufacturers, retailers, governments, and consumers – working together with the ultimate goal of diverting products from landfills and ensuring they are responsibly recycled at their end-of-life. RCBC has helped shape these programs and provide EPR information to the public. ―The intention of EPR strategy is to promote the integration of environmental costs associated with goods throughout their life cycles into the market price of the products, thereby motivating producers to make and sell products that are more dura-

ble, contain fewer toxins, and never become waste at the end of their life,‖ said Craig Wisehart, chair, Stewardship Agencies of British Columbia (SABC).

What can you do to make sure EPR programs succeed at diverting products from landfills? It‘s really quite simple: don‘t throw away EPR products. Not sure if an item is covered by an EPR program?

Not sure where your local EPR drop off location is? Call the RCBC hotline at 1800-667-4321, visit the recycepedia at rcbc.ca, or download the Mobile Recyclepedia App and have the info at your fingertips.

It doesn‘t matter if you are in Horsefly, Nimpo Lake, 108 Mile Ranch, Williams Lake, or Wells, the RCBC service will let you know where the closest location is to drop off your recyclable waste.

To date there are over 15 industry stewardship programs in the province including pharmaceuticals, outdoor power equipment, appliances, pesticides, electronics, antifreeze, thermostats, and cellphones to name a few.

Did you know… there are over 300 power tools and small appliances included in EPR programs, from angle saws to heat guns and grease guns to planers; sewing machines to clothing irons, fans to bathroom scales, blenders to coffee grinders, and the list goes on and on. Call RCBC to find out where your closest end of life power tool drop off location is.

Waste Wise education is delivered to students within the CRD, but the Regional District would like to make waste education available to everyone, and help change our waste handling habits for the better.

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

By Sharon Taylor

“

The public support has been remarkable,” says Paola Konge, president of the Williams Lake Refugee Sponsorship Group (WLRSG) Organizing Committee. “So many people are asking how they can get involved.”

More than 50 people have joined the newly-formed WLRSG, and are actively preparing for the next steps. Local organizations such as the CMHA – CaribooChilcotin Branch Multiculturalism Program, the Women‘s Contact Society, the Central Interior Community Services Coop, Immigrant and Multicultural Services Society, and St Peter‘s Anglican Church are providing practical support to the WLRSG, which has made some processes easier.

The WLRSG operates as a Constituent Group of the Diocese of Kootenay, a Sponsorship Agreement Holder with the federal government. Constituent Groups sponsor refugees through the Blended Visa Office Referral Program, which means the government provides up to six months of financial support. The local group is responsible for the remaining financial support, as well as emotional, social, and community support for the first 12 months of the refugees‘ time in Canada. The WLRSG has so far received more than $22,000 in donations, with additional pledges to come in the coming year. ―There are several more stages to go through before any refugees arrive in Williams Lake,‖ says Sharon Taylor, settlement practitioner with the Williams Lake Branch of Immigrant and Multicultural Services Society of Prince George. ―With all the changes coming into effect with a new government, there‘s a lot of confusion. ―Every time I explain the next step in the process, the process changes,‖ she says.

W

hat does the term „living shorelines‟ mean to you?

Living shorelines refers to a unique part of the ecosystem that is a Ribbon of Life. And what is not alive is providing for life in some other way. Whether it provides shelter, shade, or protection, a diverse array of features (plants, logs, trees, stumps, and rocks) play a vital role in a maintaining a healthy “living” shoreline.

A living shoreline provides valuable erosion control through plant root systems that penetrate deep into the ground, holding the soil in place. Those same roots that provide bank stability will also filter sediment and nutrients from runoff that would be harmful if it entered into lakes, rivers, creeks, wetlands, and ultimately, the ocean.

Without a vegetated shoreline, runoff (melted snow or rain) runs overtop of the ground and goes directly into the water.

Oftentimes, runoff contains harmful pollutants such as fertilizers, pesticides, sediment, pet feces, road salt, and motor oil.

The plants along a shoreline slow down runoff and collect sediment before it enters a body of water—potentially destroying spawning grounds for fish or clogging their gills.

Members of St. Peter’s Anglican Church and the Williams Lake Refugee Sponsorship Group opening an account at the Bank of Montreal for donations to sponsor a refugee to the Williams Lake area. Photo submitted by Williams Lake Refugee Sponsorship Group

―So now I try to focus on a few things.

One: we will be sponsoring as many people as we can provide support for. Two: we would be thrilled if we could support four to six people, probably in one family.

Three: we requested refugees in great need, which may or may not mean Syrian or Iraqi families will be coming here.‖ The Syrian crisis has been in the news for the past few months, with nearly four million Syrians fleeing to nearby countries such as Lebanon, Turkey, and Jordan, and then on to Europe. More than seven million have been displaced within the country, abandoning bombed out cities, constantly moving to places that may be safer for only a few months as the conflict evolves.

World-wide conflicts have led to the greatest number of forcibly displaced refugees in recorded history. According to a UNHCR report, ―In the past five years, at least 15 conflicts have erupted or reignited: eight in Africa (Côte d'Ivoire, Central African Republic, Libya, Mali, northeastern

When runoff has been slowed down, it allows water to percolate into the soil, filtering pollutants and excessive nutrients before they enter into the water. Excessive nutrients entering into a waterbody will accelerate algae growth, leading to harmful effects for the lake and fish. When algae blooms die, they deplete water of oxygen and can cause large numbers of fish to die from a lack of oxygen.

The plants along a shoreline provide erosion control as well as pollution and nutrient filtration; they also are crucial habitat for birds, frogs, snakes, waterfowl, rabbits, squirrels, foxes, slugs, and beetles just to name a few.

Features like fallen logs, rocks, and stumps will attract wildlife to your yard by providing a spot for them to nest, feed, hibernate, store food, and escape from predators. A healthy shoreline will flourish with many forms of life in many different stages of life. Keeping your shoreline natural is the easiest and most cost effective way to live by water. Let‘s shape the future of our Cariboo-Chilcotin shorelines together by maintaining living shorelines— the Ribbon of Life!

Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, and this year in Burundi); three in the Middle East (Syria, Iraq, and Yemen); one in Europe (Ukraine) and three in Asia (Kyrgyzstan, and in several areas of Myanmar and Pakistan).‖ As a result, 59.5 million people are presently on the move. Half of those are children.

Increased awareness of the crisis has led to more constituent groups across Canada forming to sponsor and support refugees: more than 25 groups in Victoria alone, including the Jewish synagogue; an Armenian Orthodox Church in Richmond sponsoring 30 young families; Kamloops RAFT preparing for 100 people, and small communities like Williams Lake, 100 Mile House, Castlegar, Vernon, and others considering what kind of support they can offer.

The next step for the Williams Lake Refugee Sponsorship Group, according to the Organizing Committee, is to secure

storage space for donations of furniture, clothing, and household items. ―Until we know who is coming, we can‘t be too specific about housing needs, etc. although we will be asking for support with that eventually,‖ says Konge. ―But we already have people wanting to donate things, and at the moment we are having to ask them to hold on to them. If someone has an unused space they could loan us for a few months, that would be great.‖ Financial donations continue to be accepted, as there will be some ongoing costs for the refugees. Charitable donation tax receipts for 2016 can be issued if contact information, including mailing address, phone number, and email (if possible), is included.

Cheques can be made out to St Peter‘s Anglican Church (write Refugee Support Fund on the memo line) and mailed to: Williams Lake Refugee Sponsorship Group, PO Box 4346, Williams Lake, BC V2G 2V4.

To stay up to date on WL Refugee Sponsorship Group meetings, news, and events, please check the Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/wlrsg or contact Sharon Taylor at sharont@imss.ca or (778) 412-2999.

Sharon Taylor is the settlement practitioner for the Immigrant and Multicultural Service Society in Williams Lake, helping people navigate the often cloudy waters of government forms and processes. She works with local groups such as the Social Planning Council, the Women’s Spirituality Circle, the Violence is Preventable workgroup, and the WL Refugee Sponsorship Group to help make Williams Lake a more welcoming and just community. She taught at Thompson Rivers University for several years, and has been involved in many arts and culture groups in the Williams Lake area.

Western toad, Anaxyrus boreas, a species of concern within the Cariboo Regional District.

Habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation due to urban and agricultural development are the largest threats to this amphibian in settled areas. Photo:www.speciesatrisk.bc.ca

This article is part of the Cariboo Chilcotin Shorelines Initiative that is taking place in 2015-2017. This initiative is collaborating with appropriate groups, agencies, and other stakeholders to focus on riparian residents to reduce the amount of riparian habitat being impacted by uninformed decisions by landowners.

If your organization has any upcoming events, special occasions, or unique opportunities that could dove-tail with the Cariboo-Chilcotin Shorelines Initiative we would love to partner with you. Please contact Amanda Dreager, shoreline coordinator, at bces@telus.net or call (250) 992-5833.

The Potato House awaits the spring for exciting new renovations. Photo: Laureen Carruthers

O

ver 2016 you will see a lot of action at the Potato House as we renovate to create a mini Community Hall. With funding from Northern Development Initiative Trust and crowdsource funding from the National Trust for Canada, we will be able to build a washroom on the first floor with a pull cord toilet, clawfoot tub, and hot and cold water, all keeping with the style of 1941, the year the house was built.

Renovations will also include a new, insulated roof, refurbished floors, freshly painted walls, and historically accurate light fixtures. Once completed, this space, with a 30-person capacity, can be rented for events such as small weddings, board meetings, retreats, family reunions, photo shoots, and the list goes on. These rentals will create ongoing income and will help financially sustain the organization. This will also allow for a comfortable space for Potato House events, meetings, and functions.

The Potato House Society will continue fundraising efforts in order to renovate the second floor into offices for the Society and the basement into long-term rental offices or a daycare.

Under the direction of new executive director, Mary Forbes, the Society will continue to grow annual events like the Zombie Walk and Photos with Santa, as well as maintain the gardens in an area that may also be a construction zone for a good portion of the year. The composting site will not be disturbed during these renovations and we encourage you to continue to use this service. This site has processed approximately 648 tonnes of compost since its inception, saving the City of Williams Lake and tax payers $64,000 in hauling fees based on a taxable weight cost of $100 per tonne. We encourage businesses and the public to use this easy-to-access composting system on a weekly basis to help our community become more sustainable and continue to lower hauling fees and waste in our landfill. The Potato House Project is the only drive up compost at a heritage site and we are working hard to create a landmark not a landfill.

For more information about the Potato House Project check out our website www.potatohouseproject.com or email us at grow@potatohouseproject.com.

By Terri Smith

I

t‟s that time of year again. What time of year is that? I‟m glad you asked, because it never feels believable when it arrives, but it is time to order seeds! As I write this I look out my window at the snow-covered trees and the foot or more of that fluffy, white stuff, and planting seeds seems like both a distant memory and a task so far in the future it seems absurd right now.

I know not everyone starts their own seeds. Many of you may just buy seedlings, or, like most people living in the Cariboo, plant everything on the May long weekend, and that is just fine, too. However, if you are interested in growing your own seedlings or want onions that will definitely not contain root maggot, might I suggest ordering now? Another thing that can happen if you wait too long is some seed companies may run out of your favourite varieties. I have had this happen to me countless times as, even though I‘m telling you it‘s time to order seeds, I‘m never that organized, and I often wait until mid-February to order. Gasp. I can‘t believe I just admitted that. I used to start my onions and leeks in February, but I have found that with my ultra-short season I can‘t put them into the ground until midend of April anyway, and the extra growth they get from me babying them for an ex-

tra month really only gives me a harvest that is a week or two earlier, if that.

But the seed catalogues have arrived and I am eagerly poring over them. I know there are many great seed companies out there. We all find the companies that suit us best. Over the seven years of farming at Road‘s End we have ordered from quite a few different companies, but I have now settled into my three favourites.

My first go-to seed company is West Coast Seeds. They have the largest selection of organic, open-pollinated, and heritage varieties I have found yet, nothing in the catalogue is GMO, and the company is as local as I can get. A note about organic seed: why pay more for the same seed grown organically? Because even though a non-organic seed can produce a perfectly reasonable organic plant, the organic varieties will be hardier if you are growing organically. These seeds have come from plants that haven‘t had the help of pesticides and still thrived!They will outperform their conventional counterparts, and if you are like me and believe we should be dumping fewer pesticides into our groundwater, well, it‘s also good to support organic.

My next favourite catalogue is William Dam out of Ontario, and I do get a lot of my larger quantity seeds, like carrots, from this company. It is a bigger company and does have lower prices.

By Sage Birchwater

C

limate change touches all of us in different ways.

When I came to the Cariboo-Chilcotin in 1973, we had “real” winters. Temperatures would drop to forty or fifty below for days or weeks at a time, and this was considered normal.

Two decades later these extended periods of extreme cold happened less and less frequently. Today if the mercury drops to minus 25 degrees Celsius for a day or two, we call that a cold snap.

I‘m not complaining, mind you, just observing how things have changed. Milder winters mean lower heating costs and less burning of carbon-dioxide-emitting fossil fuels to stay warm, but we must remember how everything is connected.

The mountain pine beetle epidemic that devastated millions of hectares of forest in British Columbia and Alberta is linked to these milder winters. So is the northward march of the spruce budworm that has impacted thousands of hectares of interior Douglas fir forests.

You don‘t have to be an environmental scientist to realize we have to start taking better care of our planet. It‘s only common sense.

Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Sir Isaac Newton said that a century before Alexander Mackenzie made his historic crossing of Canada. We have to treat our ecosystems as if they matter.

One of the fundamental problems in Canada is the illusion that our broad and expansive landscape is limitless and indestructible. Somehow, in the myopia of small thinking, we can trick ourselves into believing we are separate from the rest of

Photo: Mike Young/Flickr

the world and can do damn well as we please in our own backyard.

Climate change and melting arctic ice is a reminder that we have to look at the bigger picture.

Global warming is playing a hand in social upheavals around the world. Syria is a good example, where higher temperatures have led to drought, which is tied directly to the political turmoil. Droughts have displaced 1.5 million agricultural workers in Syria, and conditions there will continue to worsen as temperatures rise.

It‘s a big slice for countries like Canada to make room for displaced people around the world. It is a challenge to protect what we value in our society and at the same time remain fluid enough to act responsibly to the needs of others.

We have our own domestic poverty and hardship, but making room for $25,000

Spring seedling. ―Before, a joy proposed, behind, a dream.‖ Shakespeare.

Photo: Terri Smith

My last catalogue is Johnny‘s, an American company, and I usually only order a few very specific seeds from this store. Johnny‘s is an employee-owned company and I like that. It also has a great selection of garden tools that until recently we couldn‘t find in Canada. I order my storage cabbage seed from Johnny‘s as well as that amazing, spicy salad green called, ―Scarlet Frills.‖ So that‘s my list of companies, now what about my favourite seeds? My number one, surprising, all-time favourite cultivar is called, ―Hakurai,‖ and it is that delicious, succulent, white, salad turnip from the WCS catalogue. My favourite early

carrots are, ―Mokum,‖ my favourite midseason carrots are, ―Scarlet Nantes,‖ and my favourite storage carrots are, ―Bolero.‖ My favourite lettuce is called, ―Esmeralda,‖ and the best zucchini ever is the Italian, Heritage variety called, ―Romanesco.‖ I could go on indefinitely here, but I have seeds to order! Feel free to email me at roads.end.csa@gmail.com if you have any questions or just want to talk seeds.

Syrian refugees is just a drop in the bucket compared to what may lie ahead.

Despite its political and economic boundaries, the Earth is still a single living organism. We mustn‘t lose sight of that.

So what tools do we have to act locally and think globally?

We need political policy that will enhance the intelligence of our citizens, not efforts to dumb down the public with secrecy and misinformation.

Locally the Cariboo has its own environmental frontlines. Over-harvesting forests without proper oversight by government is resulting in such things as trashed out ecosystems, deteriorating domestic water quality, and diminished forest diversity and sustainability. The province‘s results-based forest policy places the public at arm‘s length when it comes to meaningful input into managing forests and protecting public interests.

Lack of government oversight played a hand in the 2014 Mount Polley Mine disaster, too. While the breach of the mine‘s tailings storage facility was a big embarrassment to the company and the mining industry as a whole, it was a questionable lack of government foresight that allowed the mine to go into production without an end-plan about where it would discharge mine-contaminated water into the receiving environment. The build-up of water led to the breach.

As citizens not versed in the intricacies of environmental science, we need openness and transparency from government to keep us informed so we can be confident the environment is being properly managed.

With the City of Williams Lake entertaining an application by Atlantic Power

Corporation to burn creosote-laden railway ties in its bio-fuel electrical generation facility, the environmental impact cards need to be laid out on the table before the project is given the green light.

The public interest is paramount and the citizens need to be informed.

The company says contaminants in the smoke created by burning the ties will be within provincial government guidelines.

Questions remain: what are these guidelines; and what toxic accumulations will occur over time in an airshed frequently subject to temperature inversions?

Transparency is required if we are to have confidence in the trustworthiness of regulators.

These are exciting times.

We have to foster the qualities that make us uniquely Canadian: generosity, inclusiveness, fairness, and openness, to move forward in a responsible manner to deal with the challenges of a changing world.

What we do locally impacts everyone else globally.

We owe it to ourselves and future generations on our shrinking planet to do it right.

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

Sage Birchwater moved to the CaribooChilcotin in 1973. He spends his time freelancing, authoring books, and with Caterina, hanging out with their dog and cat, gardening, and being part of the rich cultural life that is the Cariboo-Chilcotin Coast.

View from the top of Tower 3 overlooking the base area at Mount Timothy. Photo: Morgan Day

By LeRae Haynes

N

ew focus and direction is on the menu at Mt. Timothy Ski Hill, with new general manager Caroline Sherrer and staff working hard to make it a stellar family destination. Besides making delectable changes in the ski lodge restaurant, they are increasing the business‟s recycling program, planning for structure and equipment upgrades, and working on a tube park on the ski hill.

Sherrer took on the general manager job in November, and said her first season had a great start with copious amounts of really good snow.

Morgan Day, mountain operations manager, agreed. ―This year was one of the best openings I‘ve seen in 12 years working here: below zero temps and consistent snow is awesome,‖ he explained, adding that the holiday season on the hill was also one of the best he‘s seen. ―One of the unique things about Mt. Timothy is you can access all the runs from one lift. For a small hill we have a good, diverse terrain. Whether you‘re a total beginner or an advanced rider, there‘s something there for everyone,‖ he said.

Oliver Berger, maintenance supervisor on the mountain, said it‘s a great environment, very friendly, with lots of interaction between the ski hill family and the public.

―Another unique thing is that it‘s north-facing, making for better snow conditions for lo nger , ‖ sa id B er g er . ―Timothy has endless tree lines and endless adventures.‖ With Sherrer as general manager, a strong focus for Mt. Timothy is to support local businesses and food sources. This is a philosophy shared by the new face in the restaurant, Mike Sonier.

There is a fresh, healthy, beautiful menu on the hill thanks to Sonier, who founded Edible Coast Bistro Morgan Day and Oliver Berger out doing some run quality assessment at Mt. Timothy. Photo: Oliver Berger and brought it to Mt. Timothy. Highly skilled and highly trained, Sonier opened a new restaurant in the summer to get the runs in shape, and do Whistler last year and is also a successful some log restoration on the lodge this sumcaterer and a sought-after consultant in the mer. restaurant industry, according to Berger.

Even though Mt. Timothy is remote Sonier‘s ingredients are locally and trucking recycling out is a significant sourced, unprocessed, and as organic as cost, they still recycle. ―We separate out possible, Berger explained, adding that the recyclable bottles and are completely on menu changes all the time with fresh new board with the CRD‘s new cardboard byideas and his presentation is great. ―It‘s not law—we separate it all and truck it out,‖ your average ski hill food. First thing he said Berger. did was ditch the deep fryer. He makes He added they‘re fortunate to have cerroast potatoes in the oven—a different flatified welder Jeremy Oostingon staff now, vour every day. He makes homemade because it means their recycling efforts can soups and flatbreads and his partner Sierra expand. ―We‘re looking forward to being is a fantastic baker,‖ said Berger. able to use some scraps from our boneyard Day said besides stocking healthy bevto create new features for our terrain park,‖ erages in the cooler, Sonier carries a great he said. selection of BC craft beer: the best selecSherrer said the excellent snow this tion of any small ski hill in BC or Alberta. season is only part of their success; she Mt. Timothy definitely measures up to feels fortunate to have such great staff, other ski hills, according to Day and Berdescribing Berger and Day as the backbone ger, who know what they‘re talking about of the hill. from personal experience. For the past two ―I also really appreciate the public‘s years the avid skier and snow boarder have support of Mt. Timothy,‖ she said, adding travelled to more than 70 small ski hills in it‘s part of her motivation to support local BC and Alberta making promotional vidsuppliers and businesses. ―The community eos. supports us and we want to support the ―I love the smaller hills,‖ said Berger. community.‖ ―People talk to you. They‘re friendly and For more information about Mt. Timoyou‘re part of their family for a day.‖ thy Ski Hill, visit www.skitimothy.com, Another positive aspect of Mt. Timolike Mt. Timothy Ski Hill on Facebook, or thy, said Sherrer, is there is no CEO and no phone (250) 396-4095. shareholders making money from it. ―It all goes back into the hill,‖ she said. ―I‘ve LeRae Haynes is a freelance writer, song lived places where there aren‘t opportuniwriter, community co-ordinator for Sucties like Mt. Timothy; this is so great to cess by 6, member of Perfect Match dance have in our back yard.‖ band, and instigator of lots of music with With this great season under their belt, kids. they‘re hoping to purchase a mulcher for

By Pat Teti

I

f you buy locally produced meat or vegetables, you are probably connected to a worldwide network of travellers who help grow those meats and veggies. Their idea of a holiday is to live and work on a small farm or ranch far from their home for weeks at a time in return for room and board. These helpers are critical to some of our local producers because they‟re compensated with room and board—not cash. Helpers also receive the bonuses of memorable experiences and friendships.

Unlike tourists, these helpers are motivated by the desire to experience the inner workings of a small piece of a faraway culture and geography rather than the desire to relax or play. They‘re also willing to spend extended periods away from cities, dirty their hands in repetitive outdoor work, and accept accommodation that can be basic. Having an adventure at minimal cost is another benefit to those so-inclined because while staying with a host, a helper‘s expenses are virtually zero.

It‘s not all work and no play for helpers. Hosts generally ask for around 25 hours per week with weekends off. These and other details, such as eating and sleeping arrangements, are shared on specialized social networks operated by several organizations. Anyone can browse these websites to get an idea of where hosts are and what kinds of help they want but helpers must purchase a membership in

(Left) Pat Teti making bread in southern Spain. (Right) Expatriate English hosts and Pat Teti having lunch in southern Spain with visiting friends, family, and another helper. Photos submitted by Pat Teti

order to see the full host descriptions and to contact them. Included in the host descriptions are reviews by previous helpers—one of the most useful bits of information in the listings.

A helper wrote this in her review of one of our Cariboo producers and it gives you an idea of how positive these relationships can be. I changed the names to make it anonymous.

Joe and Moe are absolutely the best host parents ever - such lovely and fun people! I couldn't have asked for a better place to stay during almost two months. ...

I had the farm experience of my life and I am so thankful that I was able to join important moments in their life. ... I had so much fun and we all laughed a lot - it felt like my second home… my second family. I could definitely recommend this place! (from www.workaway.info) Most helpers I‘ve met in the Cariboo have been young and European but helping isn‘t just for youngsters. A local farmer had a helper from Quebec with grown kids and she seemed to be having a blast when I met her at the Williams Lake Farmer‘s Market. I speak from experience when I say helping isn‘t just for young people. I think it‘s for anyone who is healthy, intrigued by the unpredictable, and able to travel for at least a few weeks. When I lost my job at age 60, I started going on annual six- to eight-week ―helper‖ holidays. The ideal duration for a gig is at least a week but this can be arranged with the host in advance. In my experience, an equally important requirement is the time spent researching and contacting hosts before a trip. Although it‘s possible to make arrangements with hosts on short notice while travelling, that‘s not reliable. I start looking for and contacting hosts at least a month before I leave home in order to have hosts arranged for the first few weeks of my trip.

I‘ve had six helper gigs with hosts in three different countries, each from one to three weeks long. All of them have been rewarding and a few have also been challenging. My first helper gig was in a tiny farming village six hours by train from Sophia, Bulgaria. Buying a train ticket, getting on the right train, and getting off the train at the right stop were unexpected challenges due to my total lack of familiarity with the language or even the Cyrillic alphabet.

On another trip, I had an intense experience as a helper with a Catalan family near Barcelona. During my two-week stay, they

involved me in every work project and social event of their extended family, encompassing different households, farm plots, mountainsides, towns, parties, and feasts for up to 14 people with all conversation in Catalan. With my poor grasp of Spanish and no Catalan, doing simple things with friends I‘d just met kept me out of my comfort zone much of the time. Although it was a wonderful experience, it‘s better to be prepared with at least a basic understanding of the host‘s language. After that gig, I helped tend a beautiful flower garden for an English couple in southern Spain. It was so low-stress it felt like I was staying at a B&B. Such experiences really make one appreciate the ability to communicate!

If you‘re curious about being a helper, you can browse one of these organization‘s websites for basic information at no cost.

Full access requires a membership. If you have property and would like help with gardening or other simple tasks, you might also consider joining as a host. Helpers, don‘t forget your travel insurance!

Helpful links: World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms www.wwoof.ca, Help Exchange www.helpx.net, Workaway www.workaway.info. A two-year membership for one person ranges from $25 with Workaway to $60 with WWOOF Canada.

WWOOF membership includes accident and liability insurance.

Pat Teti was a research scientist with the BC government for 18 years and has always enjoyed making things. He blogs about travel and bread baking at www.iberianpixels.blogspot.ca

By Ciel Patenaude

By Van Andruss

Life is the flower for which love is the honey,” wrote the besotted French poet Victor Hugo in the late 1800s. ―Where there is love there is life,‖ said the social activist Ghandi, apparently no less moved by the power of love in the 20th century.

And even our recently departed brilliant prince of the wonderfully weird, David Bowie, vocalized his beliefs on the big L more recently, singing ―The greatest thing you will ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return.‖ We love love. As human beings we are seemingly unable to resist the drive and desire for love, the want for connection that transcends and enlightens our everyday experiences and takes us, hopefully, into the realm of the sublime: the world of myths and gods and Disney, of soul mates and never-ending romances.

But while our natural affinity for love and to love is undeniable, it would appear (from statistical evidence reflecting the state of relationships, individual emotional instability, and divorce rates in our culture) that we are not particularly ‗good‘ at love, as harsh as that might sound. Is it, perhaps, our desire for Disney princess perfection or the sublime of the soul mate connection that is causing this, resulting in our inability to experience love as anything less than ideal?

Brene Brown, a social researcher and professor at the University of Huston, suggests the root of our inability to live well with love may actually stem from one specific core emotion: shame.

And what is shame, exactly? Shame is the core sense that something about us is unlovable and flawed. It is the cutting off, discrediting, and devaluing of pieces of ourselves, forcing us to try to become someone we are not, who we believe will be more appealing to others. Shame corrodes our confidence, and causes us to hide and shrink from the world or to consume ourselves with overworking and overcompensation so as to go beyond those parts of ourselves that are supposedly unlovable.

We all have shame, but of varying levels and kinds. We can have ‗healthy‘ shame, which is a good thing – that which is expressed when we do something ridiculous and reflect on our poor judgment after – but we can also have ‗toxic‘ shame. Toxic shame is said to stem from our childhood experiences (the complexities and occurrences of which are far too grand in scope to go into here) and, according to psychologist Sylvan Tomkins, developed in moments when we sought positive reinforcement for something we did or were doing but received anger, judgement, or a lack of attention entirely instead, causing us to think that something about us was basically wrong and unlovable. …That time when we were three and drew fantastic art on the wall, but got far less than congratulations for our work, for example ...

From a place of shame we attempt to ‗create‘ our lives as something we think will be approved of just as we create our self image, and this includes our relationships. We seek a partner, sadly, that fills the holes in our sense of self—someone who allows us, however temporarily, to not see or feel those places of pain and self doubt,

lejandro Frid and his family have long been friends of this household, well before his daughter, Twyla Bella, was born, to whom this book is addressed. Alejandro is a man of heroic proportions, a family man, gentle, considerate, easily moved to smiles and laughter. He is at the same time vigorous and athletic, an experienced field biologist who knows his way around in wilderness places—man of science who climbs mountains to observe Dall‟s sheep in the Yukon or dives to ocean depths to explore the condition of rockfish in southeastern Haida Gwaii. So what you get when you follow Alejandro‟s writing is both wilderness adventure and ecological insight; also, a good deal of pertinent social commentary related to indigenous people who employ him to carry out research.

The man‘s principal concern in A World for my Daughter is the rapid deterioration of natural habitat, of land once flourishing, now seriously degraded, along with people who depend upon the land‘s abundance.

Perhaps we think we know this story.

We‘ve heard it so often before, why hear it again? But this is where the tale of Alejandro‘s adventures come in. Following Alejandro, you leave behind armchair speculation and plunge into lands remaining wild and uncivilized. If there is a principal message to civilization coming out of these journeys, it involves the inconvenient issue of global warming. But don‘t be scared away. As I say, the experience out of which the message emerges will carry you along.

The book‘s purpose overall is clearly stated

“

A

One Bleeding Heart. Photo: Flickr, Matt

either by their supposed perfection or how perfect our lives seem in that moment with them. On paper surely we can all see how futile this practice is, and yet in a society that is so heavily focused on external images and living up to standards of the moment, and so often lacking in support for self awareness and practices of wholeperson healing, our habits reoccur: we want something or someone to help us with this pain inside, left, as we are, without understanding how to deal with it.

But shame can be attended to and moved beyond, and in the space that occurs in the absence of all that self judgement we allow ourselves to be seen and vulnerable, and this (according to Brown) is the place where real love exists.

None of us are perfect; we are all wounded. And yet, perhaps it is this very woundedness where love begins, and where we are truly able to connect to another person beyond the expectations of our egos or the increasingly insane demands of our society. Perhaps all the beauty and possibility of love lays in the vulnerability of exposing our shame, of naming the pains we carry and showing the cracks in our self image to those around us, freeing them to do the same. As Leonard Cohen once wrote, perhaps we must ―forget [our] perfect offering.

There is a crack in everything; that‘s how the light gets in.‖ In the flight of Cupid‘s arrow this February 14, may we think of love this way: as the path of increasing vulnerability and courage in the face of the shame we each carry, and the willingness to let ourselves be seen, just as we are, and trust that we are all the more loveable for the wounds we carry.

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.

by the subtitle: An Ecologist’s Search for Optimism.

The problem all thoughtful people come up against, of getting angry at politicians, at industry, of blaming and getting depressed by prospects of the future—this condition is cleverly explored in letters to Twyla Bella, a child destined to face the consequences of human folly long after we fathers and mothers have departed. Samples of Alejandro‘s works are to be found in Lived Experience 12, 13, and 14.

Van Andruss is editor of Lived Experience, an annual anthology of poetry, essays, and stories from BC and beyond. Van is a bioregionalist who lives a simple life in community in the Yalakom Valley, BC.

By Kate McDonough

I

‟m awake, no doubt about it, and it‟s cold, snapping cold in here. At least minus forty, I guess. This is the Chilcotin, after all, far away from the nearest town, Williams Lake, British Columbia. I can see my breath above the wool-stuffed comforter, a fog halo lingering above our heads. Jumbled thoughts revolve like prayer wheels, slowly, but soon crystallizing like the frost I see sparkling in the poplar trees outside our window. Then the images melt, turning into the face of a Jersey cow, fog rising from her nostrils and from her frosty back, and all too soon I see a steaming udder, tight and throbbing, hot despite the bitter cold. Not hot enough, I tell myself, her teats are probably freezing, right this very minute. Time to get up and milk.

A familiar resentment niggles my determination, but I move faster now as my skin recognizes the cold air. My bare feet sting as they hit the floor. Socks, more socks, wool long-johns, wool pants, wool sweaters over wool sweaters. No thoughts now, just action. Crumple the paper into the cookstove woodbox, arrange the kindling, light the match. On to the next fire, which is nearly out, but has enough glowing coals to require only small wood to get it going again, once I blow it up a bit.

I worry that the milk from yesterday has frozen, stored on the pantry floor in glass gallon jars. It has. The water bucket is solid ice. Put it on the stove to melt, no harm done. Feed the pigs the frozen milk. It‘s not as if we don‘t have enough of it. I make butter, yogurt, and cheeses all week, in addition to supplying some of our neighbours with fresh milk.

Fires stoked and crackling, I‘m practically sitting on the cookstove edge, my favorite place to warm my backside, waiting for the water to boil for coffee and for scalding the milk pail. More wood, more wood. Tidy uparound the house just to keep warm, moving. I hear Buttercup now, protesting, see her at the barnyard gate, staring intently at our cabin, where smoke is surely beginning to rise from the stovepipe chimney. Or is it that she can really hear me stomping around, muttering? I believe so.

She may even be telepathic.

Satisfied at last that the fires will go, that our log cabin will soon be warm enough for the rest of the family to get up and start the day, I put on the tattered brown canvas jacket I use for milking, and

my old red wool toque. These are both essential attire, at least from the cow‘s point of view.She won‘t allow me to milk her without them. Grabbing the now-boiling kettle, I scald the milk pail and a clean rag, stuff my hands into moose-hide mittens, open the door and step out into a frozen, silent, crystal palace. Hoar frost covers all the trees and bushes, as though they had been dipped in sugar. The contrast between the rimed branches and the intensely blue sky stuns me for a moment and I almost stagger at the beauty of this timeless world.

I make my way carefully, crunching along the icy path towards the barn and the cow. Sliding sideways through the gate, I receive another indignant ―mooooo,‖ a toss of her terrible horns, and I flip the latch on the barn door (the only one on the place she can‘t open) and let her into the barn. Dairy ration measured into the feed bucket, I lock the stanchion around her neck with a clang.

Crunch, munch. She is one happy cow.

Soon, when finished eating, she will flip the bucket upside down with one horn, press her nose against the bucket bottom, and breathe deeply, sighing, while I milk her.

I love this cow, despite her cantankerous ways. I love her rich milk, her glorious Jersey cream, her grassy smell, and her heat. Simple pleasures amidst a trying life.

Also, I am a Taurus. I think I should probably love cows, and therefore I do. I find them quite entertaining, actually. Slow to come to decisions, most are remarkably easy to read, once you understand general cow behaviour. Mind you, never underestimate the speed with which a slow, dumblooking bovine can take action, including hooking you with those horns, kicking you, or batting you with a tail. They can sometimes fool you if you fail to notice what kind of a mood they are in. Generally speaking, though, cows are humorous, direct, and I believe they use their tails to signal their frame of mind. A cow in a good mood will lazily flick her tail, but regular, methodical slams to alternate sides indicate irritation. Tail straight out means she is panic stricken, scared shitless, literally, so watch out. Right now, Buttercup is snuffling the bottom of her grain bucket and moaning with pleasure. I think I have been forgiven. I notice her tail half-heartedly twitching.

I gently wash her teats with the clean rag I‘ve brought with me, and just as gently, grasp two of them. Her milk flows easily. Pull and squeeze, pull and squeeze. The

Original artwork by Cat Fink stream of milk makes a drilling sound as it hits the stainless steel bucket. A fragrant sweet steam rises from the foamy milk, from our breath, from her back, on which the frost is starting to thaw. I relax with the rhythm, leaning forward, my head against her warm flank. There‘s a hollowed out place there, just made for this leaning.

Breathing in unison, we are one, thoughtlessly dreaming.

I must be careful now. If my attention wavers, she knows immediately, and the spell will be broken. I am absolutely certain of this. I have been hit in the face by a smelly, frozen, shit-covered tail often enough to know. She could lift her back foot quickly, step right into the pail and ruin the milk, or just kick it over so I have to start again.

I concentrate harder. I relax even more.

Her teats are sensuous, softer now that her bag is no longer filled to bursting. I‘m really into the rhythm now, pulling and squeezing, switching teats, in the ―flow,‖ as they say, forgetting to keep track of time or of the amount of milk in the pail, just focusing on this moment and the pure joy of it.

The bucket is soon nearly full. I strip the teats, one by one, thumb and forefinger

pressing hard to get the last drops. Carefully, cautiously, remove the pail out of reach of those sometimes mischievous, sometimes spiteful hooves. We‘ve made it through without a hitch. I come back to reality and forty below. Milk splatters are frozen on my coat and pants, my hands are starting to burn with the cold. I fumble back into my mittens. Releasing the stanchion latch, I jump out of the way as Buttercup ceremoniously backs out of the stall and strides out the door. My daily morning routine with this cow is once more blessed.

I am not frozen. I have a full bucket of warm frothy milk, pick it up and tromp back to the cabin through the crunchy snow to make breakfast.

Now a resident of Williams Lake, Kate and her husband moved to the CaribooChilcotin in 1968. Starting in Anahim Lake working on a ranch, they gradually moved into the Kleena Kleene Valley, where they lived with their two children for eighteen years. Kate has been writing since childhood, and her work has been published in several magazines in years gone by: Interior Woman, North of Fifty, Mother Earth News, in the recent anthology Voices from the Valleys, as well as in local newspapers.

Science Matters:

By David Suzuki

M

y grandparents came here from Japan at the beginning of the 20th century.

Although it would be a one-way trip, the perilous journey across the Pacific was worth the risk. They left behind extreme poverty for a wealth of opportunity.

But Canada was different then, a racist country built on policies of colonization, assimilation, and extermination of the land‘s original peoples. My grandparents and Canadian-born parents, like Indigenous people and others of ―colour,‖ couldn‘t vote, buy property in many places, or enter most professions. During the Second World War, my parents, sisters, and I were deprived of rights and property and incarcerated in the BC Interior, even though Canada was the only home we‘d ever known.

A lot has changed since my grandparents arrived, and since I was born in 1936.

Women were not considered ―persons‖

By Adam McLeod, ND, BSc

O

n a regular basis, I have cancer patients come to my clinic who, when diagnosed, immediately started a self-prescribed detox protocol to rid their body of the toxins from cancer. Intuitively, it makes sense to remove toxins from a body fighting cancer. The cancer is stressful on the body and as a consequence there is cellular debris and toxins that your body must eliminate. There are also many people who believe these toxins are the root cause of the cancer in the first place. Although this make sense on an intuitive level, in the complicated clinical context of cancer this is usually not a good treatment plan to pursue.

Cancer and the conventional therapies used to treat cancer are toxic to the body, but aggressively trying to remove these toxins is not helpful during conventional treatment. One major safety concern that many self-prescribed plans neglect to consider is that these detox plans can alter how your body metabolizes treatment drugs.

When a dose of chemotherapy is given to a patient, the dose is calculated based on

with democratic rights until 1918. People of African or Asian descent, including those born and raised here, couldn‘t vote until 1948, and Indigenous people didn‘t get to vote until 1960. Homosexuality was illegal until 1969!

In 1960, John Diefenbaker‘s Progressive Conservative government enacted Canada‘s Bill of Rights, and in 1982, Pierre Trudeau‘s Liberals brought us the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, with equality rights strengthened in 1985.

We should celebrate those hard-won rights. I‘m happy to have witnessed much of the progress my country has made. But there‘s room for improvement. And in some ways Canada has gone backward.

When I was a boy, we drank water from lakes and streams without a thought. I never imagined that one day we would buy water in bottles for more than we pay for gasoline. Canada has more fresh water per capita than any nation, but many Indigenous communities don‘t have access to clean drinking water.

When I was growing up in Vancouver, Dad would take me fishing for halibut off Spanish Banks, sturgeon on the Fraser River, and salmon in English Bay. Today I can‘t take my grandchildren fishing in those places because the fish are gone.

As a boy, I never heard of asthma. Today, childhood asthma is as common as red hair. And half of all Canadians live in places with unacceptable air pollution.

I also remember when all food was organic. I never thought we‘d have to pay more not to have chemicals in our food.

Today we can‘t avoid the toxic consequences of our industrial and agricultural activities. We all have dozens of toxic pollutants incorporated into our bodies.

We may think the highest rate of deforestation is in the Amazon but in 2014 Canada became the world leader in loss of pristine forests.

Surely, in a nation with so much natural wealth, we should expect better appreciation, treatment, and protection of the air, water, soil, and rich biological diversity that our health, prosperity, and happiness depend on.

The right to live in a healthy environment is recognized by more than 110 nations—but not Canada. That inspired the David Suzuki Foundation and Ecojustice to launch the Blue Dot movement a little over a year ago.

It‘s exceeded our expectations, with more than 100 municipalities passing environmental rights declarations and a number of provinces considering or committing to the idea. The next step is to take it to the federal level, by calling for an environmental bill of rights and, ultimately, an amendment to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The environmental rights campaign is also about human rights and social justice—something recognized by the United

Nations, which has appointed a special rapporteur on human rights and the environment. A country and its values are measured not by the number of extremely wealthy people but by the state of its poorest and most vulnerable. Many environmental problems are tied to societal inequities – hunger and poverty, chronic unemployment, absence of social services, inadequate public transit, and often conflicting priorities of corporations and the public interest – as people at the lower end of the socioeconomic scale are disproportionately affected by environmental hazards and toxic pollution.

Canada has come a long way, but we can‘t be complacent. We must work to maintain and strengthen the rights of all Canadians, to build an even better Canada.

That means giving all Canadians the right to a healthy environment.

how quickly the body breaks down and eliminates the drug. If your body breaks down the drug faster, then it will be eliminated before it has the chance to have its therapeutic effect. Just because a drug is considered ―toxic‖ doesn‘t mean we have to get rid of it as soon as possible. In fact, often we want that drug to remain present for a specific amount of time so that it can have an optimal therapeutic effect.

The whole purpose of any detox plan is to mobilize toxins and eliminate them from the body. This process is inherently stressful on the body and can actually increase inflammation throughout the body. This is why patients will often experience joint pain upon initiating a detox protocol.

When the body is already in such a stressed and inflamed state from cancer, it is not wise to add any additional stress to the system. After chemotherapy or radiation is complete, then there could be an argument for a detox but even then it must be done at the right time, with the proper guidance.

The challenge when developing an effective integrative cancer treatment plan there are so many different therapies that show promise. There is a lot of misinformation on the Internet and not all cancers are the same. Just because you read that a therapy was helpful for someone fighting cancer, this does not mean it would be relevant to a different form of cancer. We have to prioritize the treatment plan and keep it targeted on the common goal of supporting the immune system while controlling in-

flammation. There are many natural ways to do this but in order for them to be used safely they have to be used in the right clinical context.

The bottom line is, if you are trying to support your body through any cancer therapy, you need professional guidance. Do not develop a plan on your own as not all natural therapies are safe or indicated in specific circumstances. A significant portion of my job as a naturopathic physician who focuses on integrative oncology is just making sure patients are not taking supplements that are dangerous. On an almost daily basis I see patients who have selfprescribed a supplement that is contraindicated or ineffective for their cancer and

they never told their oncologist because they were afraid of how they would react.

After a naturopathic physician develops a safe and effective plan they can then communicate with the oncologist so everyone is on the same page. This creates a better collaborative healing environment for the patient and allows for the development of a more effect ive t reat ment plan.

David Suzuki is a scientist, broadcaster, author, and co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation. Written with contributions from David Suzuki Foundation senior editor Ian Hanington. Learn more at www.davidsuzuki.org.

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 Lisa Hilton

E

ach of us has a light side and a dark side. This is part of why Star Wars holds an appeal for us... we can relate. I am reminded of this on a daily basis, by each of my three children. No matter how hard I try to teach them to be fair, to share with each other, to be kind to each other, it seems each of their little dark sides manages to rear its ugly head on a daily, if not hourly, basis. And then at other times, their little light sides amaze me with their random acts of kindness and compassion, and their spontaneous “I love yous.”

Adults, though more subtle with their greed, selfishness, and self-centredness, have just as much a propensity for the dark and the light as their smaller selves.

One example of hidden adult inclinations masked by terminology and rationalization is the term ―Free Trade.‖ Sounds like a good thing, doesn't it? Both the Liberal and the Conservative parties ran a platform during the last election promoting Canada‘s involvement in the Trans-Pacific Partnership. So, if Canada‘s two most popular political parties are for it, who could be against it? Once we understand what we‘re actually talking about, we begin to see how each and every purchasing decision we make essentially moves us in one direction or the other—towards the light of just and fair international business relations, and the hope of a peaceful and sustainable future for our children, or towards an oppressive, self-serving regime (dare I say, an ―empire‖) controlled by massive and greedy corporations, their owners, and the governments they pay for.

Free Trade essentially means ―freedom from regulation.‖ If a market has no tariffs, duties, quotas, or restrictions of any kind, it is considered ―free.‖ There exists no truly ―free‖ market anywhere in the world today, and there is a very good reason for this any good parent, teacher, or responsible citizen understands: safety and protection. Before all of the economists of the world scream ―protectionism‖ and refuse to read on, let us consider just one more important concept. Perhaps, just perhaps, there are some things, and beings, more valuable than money and profit.

Nobody wants unnecessary rules and regulations that get in the way of purchasing what we want, when we want (or selling what we want, when we want), but when there are rules in place to protect the environment, workers‘ rights, or a country‘s ability to provide a livable minimum wage for its people, taking these protections away looks more like slavery than freedom, especially for the workers at the bottom of the Free Trade heap.

When huge corporations hire people whose main job description it is to get prices even lower, at factories that are known fire-traps, with no fireextinguishers in the places they‘re said to be, sometimes even with chains on the doors or bars in the windows, in countries with no livable minimum wage, it is mind boggling that this can be described as Free Trade. Ignoring the rules and regulations that protect workers, and inhibiting the formation of protectionist laws and unions in countries where they are so desperately

Two local Ninja-Jedis. Photo: Terry Buhler

needed, is the name and game of Free Trade—despite the philanthropic sentiments that are written so eloquently into their agreements.

When questioned about what they are doing to protect workers‘ rights, many companies will reference Voluntary Codes of Conduct.

An honest analyst, who has actually researched these Codes of Conduct and their impact on the real world, will inform you they aren‘t worth the paper they‘re written on. When something is an ―option‖ and not an enforceable law, it‘s pretty difficult for it to impact anyone. All of this so we can candy-coat the obscenely low prices we‘ve gotten used to. Another problem with insisting on getting prices lower and lower, is we end up with massive excess and a glutted system.

Currently, around 600,000 tonnes of clothing/textiles are entering Canadian landfills every year, 95 percent of which could easily be re-used or recycled. At our little local clothing store, there are items regularly coming in with the tags still on, that obviously have never been worn. This is where my family story begins.

About 100 years ago, my greatgrandmother decided she needed a new dress for the local yearly barn dance, where she was fated to meet my greatgrandfather. She decided to go out and get a job. She worked at that job for at least two or three months before she had enough money to buy a pair of shoes and the material for that new dress. Then she asked the local dressmaker to sew it together for her, and in return, she worked a month or two for her. Within three or four months she had her new dress.

How long does it take us to acquire a new piece of clothing nowadays, and how long does it take us to pay for it? Maybe one or two hours at minimum wage? And $20 might even be considered expensive in

our current marketplace, especially in the children‘s clothing world. In 1927, it cost between $7 and $12 to buy a ready-made party gown, and a simple everyday frock was $5 to $10. Then, just a couple of years ago, H&M came out with a party gown that costs $5 for an item shipped around the world, and not t ailored locally.

Whatever happened to the concept of ―inflation‖? Isn‘t the cost of living supposed to be going up, not down?

For our store, it costs $7 to ship one clothing item from Montreal to Williams Lake. How are clothing items going through multiple levels of production, multiple pairs of hands, and multiple countries, and cost less than this? How is it possible to pay anyone fairly, at any of those levels for less than it costs to ship one item across our own country?

Who is driving the system? The workers? The corporations? Who is it that wants us to buy more and more of this unnecessary stuff? And who is willing to buy it?

The answer is surprisingly clear and empowering: it is us, the consumer, who ultimately drives the system. Without some-

body buying their stuff, companies simply cease to exist. And consumers have spoken loud and clear: we like it new, and we like it cheap.

In the early 90s, North America was still making around 50 percent of its own clothing. Now North America manufactures only three percent of its clothing.

Most companies like to deal with countries compelled by Free Trade agreements to keep their labour and environmental laws to a minimum, so products can be made cheaply and in massive quantities. Why are these the products most consumers choose to buy? What does this say about our values and the side we choose to be on?

Fair Trade is an attempt to say there is something wrong with this system. There is something wrong with a building collapsing on and killing over a thousand workers in a garment factory that was illegally built, and is producing even more cheap clothing that will end up in the landfill in a year‘s time.

Fair Trade is an attempt to say workers‘ rights and the environment are worth more than the right to get the cheapest prices humanly possible, while filling the pockets of the world‘s wealthiest CEOs. Fair Trade is an attempt to say we choose the light side over the dark, and we choose to pass a world full of light, rather than of darkness, on to our children.

No human being, just like no corporation, is perfect. Fair Trade is an acknowledgment of that fact, and an attempt to do better.

Just like the Jedi needed to train intensely, so do we need to educate ourselves intensely to know which side we are truly on. And with Anakin as our example, even when someone has spent a whole lot of their life on the dark side, it is never too late. The empire can be resisted at any age or stage of life, and the more of us willing to support and educate each other, the better.

Though the empire is strong, the force is stronger, and the sooner we all join the light, the better we‘ll be.

Born a Williams Laker, Lisa managed two seasonal Ten Thousand Villages stores, and currently co-owns and operates Alternative Kids Clothing in Williams Lake.

By Erin Hitchcock

A

s a mother of a two-and-a-halfyear-old, with another child on the way this spring, I‟ve been thinking a lot lately about the number of pesticides to which our kids are exposed.

Parenting can be hard work and doing things the right way all of the time can feel impossible, especially when a lack of time and energy get in the way. But I feel it‘s critical we at least prevent our kids from consuming chemicals that could have negative, life-altering effects.

All too often I have seen families guzzling litres of soda to wash down their fastfood combos. I have seen children as young as one chowing down fast food fries or drinking brightly coloured slushies. The idea of providing my children with these so -called foods is so far from what I believe in, I can‘t help but plead with parents, at least through this forum, to go organic.

Admittedly, not everything my son eats is organic, but I am increasingly trying harder to ensure it is. It‘s not just the sugar or fat content or even the lack of nutrients that concerns me; it‘s the pesticides, the chemicals that linger in our bodies, and may cause all sorts of diseases and disorders, from autism to cancer.

Glyphosate, a chemical the World Health Organization announced last year as being a ―probable carcinogen,‖ is used as herbicide throughout the world on crops such as soy, corn, wheat, and others, many of which have been genetically modified to resist this chemical created to kill surrounding plants.

While we parents can do our best at home to ensure our children eat well, it can be more difficult keeping them away from non-organic foods when away from home, including at school. But it‘s not all doom and gloom. Depending on which school your child attends, various meal programs that promote organic foods are available in School District 27 and may at least help reduce pesticide exposure.

Sandra Davis, health promoting school co-ordinator for the district, said through the Farm2School program in which Horsefly Elementary Junior Secondary, Mountview Elementary, and 108 Mile Elementary participate, the local farming community is supported while students have better access to fresh, local, and nutritious food.

Though organic food is not mandatory, it is encouraged, she noted.

(Left) Neufeld Grade 3 student Max Masun digs up some potatoes at Lac La Hache Elementary’s school garden. (Right) Grade 3 student Jack Copley shows off one of the carrots he picked at Lac La Hache Elementary’s school garden. Photos: Cynthia Neufeld

Mountview principal Rick Miller said the main goal of the program is to procure foods from as close to home as possible.

Though some of the food does comes from sources with unknown food policies (and therefore may contain pesticides), some of it is organic or close to it, he said.

Some schools, such as Lac La Hache Elementary, have school gardens. Principal Cynthia Neufeld said veggies from the Lac La Hache garden are used for a community harvest dinner, weekly soup lunch, and a Christmas dinner. She said though the vegetables aren‘t certified organic, they are not sprayed with pesticides or synthetic fertilizers.

It‘s great to see these initiatives undertaken in the district, and I think all of us need to continue supporting these programs so they can grow stronger and include more schools and more organic food opportunities for our children. With enough support, I think we could eventually eliminate all foods with pesticides in our schools.

On another bright note, neither the district nor the City of Williams Lake use herbicides in parks. However, Roundup is used occasionally in ―low-traffic areas‖ such as flower beds in the city, according to Gary Muraca, director of municipal services for the City of Williams Lake. Its use, no matter how minute, still concerns me, especially since this chemical likely makes its way into water systems and since studies have suggested glyphosate could be harmful to pollinators, such as bees (see a future column for more on this).

Dr. Stephanie Seneff, a senior scientist from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), believes there is a direct link between glyphosate, contained in Monsanto‘s Roundup, and an exponential increase in autism. In various presentations, she says when glyphosate was introduced into the food chain in 1975 one in 5,000 (.02 per cent) children had autism.

By 2032, she expects 50 per cent of children to be diagnosed with it.

To learn more about Seneff‘s research, visit http://people.csail.mit.edu/seneff/, which includes video links to some of her presentations.

According to a December 3, 2015 LA Times article about a study published recently in Thorax, an international peerreviewed journal dealing with respiratory issues and medicine, chronic exposure to pesticides can be as harmful to children as second-hand cigarette smoke.

The study, according to the article, highlights how the lung function of farmworker children in the Salinas Valley decreased due to chronic pesticide exposure.

Researchers found that by the time the children were seven, there was a significant correlation between lower exhalation rates (about eight per cent less air) and higher levels of organophosphates— chemicals contained in many insecticides, herbicides, and nerve agents.

Pregnant and nursing mothers should also take measures to ensure their babies aren‘t exposed. If pregnant or nursing, avoid foods that may have pesticides. As

noted in my last column, Moms Across America and Sustainable Pulse recently released results of a study looking at glyphosate levels in breastmilk in American women. The results showed high levels in 30 per cent of the samples tested, suggesting glyphosate levels build up in one‘s body over time. Infant formulas aren‘t necessarily chemical free either—according to the Environmental Working Group, most contain glyphosate as well.

On May 21, I hope to see you at the March for Food Justice in Williams Lake to raise awareness about the issues and to put pressure on our governments, grocery stores, restaurants, and other companies and retailers to take a stand with us in order to protect our children and their future.

Details of this event will be released at a later date. Visit and like http:// w w w . f a c e b o o k . c o m / marchagainstmonsantowilliamsake for updates.

And, at the very least, on Family Day this February take some time to consider and evaluate the food choices you are making for your family and identify areas that could be improved so you can work toward choosing and preparing only organic meals whether they are enjoyed at home, in the car, at school, or at the park.

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

By LeRae Haynes

K

indergarten kids in School District 27 have the opportunity for a fresh new classroom environment in September, 2016 when the unique Scout Island Nature Kindergarten opens its doors.

Joan Lozier, early years co-ordinator for School District 27, said with the environment as co-teacher, youngsters will partake in an emergent and play-based curriculum, and the teacher will encourage kids to be curious, providing tools, ideas, and resources for kids to come up with answers to their own questions. ―Kids are so naturally curious outdoors, they can direct their own learning and are so much more engaged: it‘s so much more meaningful,‖ she said. ―I really like that this is a holistic approach that incorporates all aspects of a child‘s development: emotional, cognitive, physical, and social. For instance, there are opportunities for kids to build things together, which develops co-operation, creativity, communication, and leadership skills. They learn to resolve conflict.‖ The three partners in the project are School District 27, the Williams Lake Field Naturalists, and the Scout Island Nature Centre staff. The district will provide a kindergarten teacher and a part-time early childhood educator (ECE) and the Scout Island staff will help with the programming.

She said it all started when Scout Island approached the District offering the use of their preschool space. ―A nature kindergarten advisory group was formed last fall, consisting of two kindergarten teachers, a Scout Island environmental educator, a School District outdoor education resource teacher, an elementary school principal, and me,‖ she said.

One great source of inspiration and information for the nature kindergarten was Dr. Enid Elliot, who helped create the nature kindergarten in the Sooke School District. She is currently on faculty at Camosun College and is adjunct at University of Victoria. She was a keynote speaker and workshop facilitator at the third annual Cariboo-Chilcotin Early Years conference this past October at Thompson Rivers University in Williams Lake.

Her keynote speech was about the nature kindergarten in Sooke, which she helped develop in 2012, and the positive impact it has had on children and families.

She said she thoroughly enjoyed her time

Children at Scout Island explore the impact of fall and winter on tree needles, in an environment where their curiosity guides their learning and where nature is a co-teacher. Photo: Joan Lozier

at the Williams Lake workshop. ―I was impressed with the thinking participants did and the questions they asked,‖ said Dr. Elliot. ―It is great when a community of educators come together to share ideas and thoughts. The educators I met seem to care about the community and its children and families.‖ Dr. Elliot also said she was very excited to hear School District 27 supported the development of a nature kindergarten. ―I know Joan worked really hard to get it all organized,‖ she said.―She knew from her experience with her own program it would be a powerful experience for children. The children will get to know and care about the land, the lake, the weather, and the creatures of Williams Lake. Young children are curious, active, and engaged learners and being on Scout Island they will investigate and explore, learning how it changes in seasons, understanding how the weather impacts the terrain, finding out who else lives there. What a magnificent opportunity for those children, as well as those families who will gain insights from the children.‖ Lozier said it was incredibly informative and helpful to visit two different nature Kindergartens from two different school districts—one in Victoria and one in Sooke.

―We got to spend some time in the Victoria Coastal Kindergarten on the beach,‖ she said.―It was so exciting! We got a great deal of support and encouragement from both schools; they shared so much information about things like how to get started, registration, and risk management,‖ she said.

They also got to see kids solving problems on their own and being resilient. ―Something as simple as eating their snack on a log—we saw kids helping each other and being concerned for each other‘s safety. ―They have a rule that if you‘re on a ledge by the ocean you have to stay on your belly,‖ she said. ―We saw that when one little guy stood up; all the rest of the kids told him to get down on his tummy to be safe. ―There was another child who was very upset about something, and I noticed it was so much easier for a child to manage strong emotions when they‘re outdoors— it‘s so calming.‖ She said developing grit and resilience is enormously important for people. ―It starts here, where your mittens are wet on a walk and you learn that you might feel uncomfortable right now, but you know you‘ll be okay until you get back indoors. ―I really caught a vision of why this works and why we want it here.‖

There are obstacles – the local climate for one thing – but she said it‘s certainly not insurmountable. ―We just have to be better prepared, and during some months we won‘t be outside as much as at other times,‖ she said. ―At Scout Island there are outdoor observation blinds that are out of the elements, and parents will have to be committed to have their kids dressed for the weather.‖ Nature kindergarten may not be for everyone. At a recent registration information session, parents were asked to answer questions about their children and questions about themselves, to identify suitability for the program.

Lozier explained that part of the vision for the nature kindergarten, which will follow the BC curriculum, is to create a community of compassion, and an environment for caring and eager learners— c h i ld r e n a nd e du c at o r s a l ik e. ―Outdoors is a natural place for kids to be,‖ she said. ―It can be as simple as sitting under a tree on a windy fall tree counting the leaves as they fall. They learn to love the environment and care about it—a great start for the rest of their lives.‖ For info visit www.sd27.bc.ca/naturekindergarten/ or call (250) 398-3839.

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.

G

endun Drubpa Buddhist Centre, the Cariboo‟s only Buddhist Centre, located at 212 S 3rd Avenue, is entering its fifth year of service to the community of Williams Lake. It is a recognized and wellutilized organization, adding to the rich spiritual diversity in our area with a broad range of offerings including but not limited to advanced Tibetan Buddhist Philosophy classes, introductory Buddhist classes, guided meditation on Monday evenings, and Sunday morning group meditation and discussion. Visiting teachers give workshops two or three times a year to round out and deepen our understanding of all that we have learned.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama has said Buddhism is a Science of the Mind. The motto of our Buddhist Centre, ―Purifying the Mind, Creating a Good Heart,‖ is timeless and yet relevant to modern day-to-day life. Sentient beings have always been plagued with the universal issues of conflict, anger, violence, and pain. Buddhist teachings help us understand and identify the cause of our suffering and how to alleviate that suffering. We are given tools enabling us to live with more contentment and happiness, and to relate to one another with compassion and loving kindness.

Applying the tools of contemplation, reflection, and meditation to the teachings over time, we learn to change the way our minds work. We become more mindful and alert, better able to concentrate and make decisions. These tools help us develop a peaceful, clear, calm mind and better enable us to use the Buddha‘s teachings to create a more meaningful life. They cultivate peace within ourselves, our immediate circle, and the world.

Gendun Drubpa has been extremely fortunate to have had two resident Buddhist nuns live in and offer service to our community. Venerable Patricia (Ani-la), who was with us for four years, was integral in organizing and directing the building of our Stupa (reliquary) at Spokin Lake as well as providing the inspiration in establishing our downtown Centre. Venerable Tenzin Chogkyi, a highly regarded teacher throughout the Buddhist world, and our resident teacher for three years, taught us weekly over the course of her time with us. She was very involved in the community at large, offering meditation classes at Elder College, being a founding member of the

(Left) The Stupa for World Peace and Environmental Harmony at Spokin Lake. (Right) Weekend seminar with visiting teacher Geshe Thubten Sherab. Photos: Dianne Noort

Women‘s Spirituality Circle, and leading many deep and thought provoking discussions on Buddhist tools for daily life at our centre. Each of these amazing women brought unique gifts: their vision, immense energy, and especially their passion and skill in imparting the Dharma and being an ambassador for Buddhism. They reached out, making strong connections and endearing themselves to many in the area. Venerable Tenzin has recently relocated to Vajrapani Centre in California and we are actively searching for a new teacher to bring his or her enthusiasm for the Dharma to our centre.

Since Venerable Tenzin‘s departure we find ourselves in a time of transition while we wait for a new teacher; however, we continue to offer a full range of courses, facilitated by the senior students.

On Sunday mornings from January 10 to February 14, 10 – 11:30 a.m. we are offering a guided discussion group following Desmond Tutu‘s book, The Book of Forgiving, learning about the tools of forgiveness.

Buddhism in a Nutshell, an introductory Buddhist philosophy course, will run Sunday mornings from February 21 to April 3, from 10 a.m. – noon.

Monday evening drop-in meditation sessions are again being offered (after our winter break) from 7 to 7:45 p.m. These sessions are guided and accessible to all with basic instructions given. We may offer a six-week course of basic meditation instruction if there is sufficient interest.

Starting with the new year, we will be offering monthly pujas and everyone is welcome to attend. A puja is a ceremony in which meditational prayers are offered to the Buddhas and holy beings such as Medicine Buddha or Tara, to request their blessings or help. Pujas are performed for general success in all activities, for the sick and dying, and for the deceased. A puja may be performed by request.

On February 8 we will be offering a Lama Chopa puja with Tsog, (this practice consists of making offerings to and requesting inspiration from our Spiritual Masters) on the occasion of the Tibetan New Year and the anniversary of the death of our founder Lama Thubten Yeshe. This ceremony will be followed by Tibetan Tug-pa (soup) and khapse (dumplings). Everyone is welcome. Check our website for details and exact times.

The Centre has an extensive library of materials relevant to anyone interested in the Buddhist path. The public is welcome to come visit our space and explore the books, watch a video teaching, or enjoy a movie with a Buddhist theme. Membership allows students to borrow books, videos, or movies to enjoy at home.

Please check out our website for more information about Gendun Drubpa Buddhist Centre and follow the links provided to learn more about Lama Yeshe and the parent organization, The Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition.

You can check on course offerings, find out when the next weekend seminar will be, and find valuable resource material for your exploration of Tibetan Buddhism at Gendundrubpa.org. If you‘d like to check out the centre or have questions, please call (778) 412-7780.

Mark your calendar for our second annual fundraising Indian dinner on April 30 at the Elks Hall in Williams Lake. More details will be posted on our website. Come and support the Buddhist Centre and enjoy delicious authentic Indian food, auction, music, dancing, and a fun night out!

By Venta Rutkauskas

D

riving through the autumn fog, I am on my way to meet painter Simone Benjamin. In the fog, the lines of reality are blurred, and it has been said the veils between worlds are lifted. It would seem that artists of all media understand the notion that ideas and inspiration are often not of their own making. The artist opens, receives, and transmits in the act of creation, and what remains is a unique impression of the world around them. For the fine-artist, the style in which the impression comes through is akin to a fingerprint: to each, his or her own.

Simone welcomes me in from the cool fog, into the log-home sanctuary she and her husband built a few years ago. The Benjamins live out in the fields and forest of the Cariboo, providing for the painter spaciousness and silence within which to work.

The interior walls display a series of canvases the artist painted a few short months ago. They are deceptively simple: circular figures surrounded by textured and natural space, evoking the underground.

The tones are neutral – at times dark – and there is nothing of realism here. Instead, colour and shape interact and create a composition that is not representative of the world as we see it.

The artist leans towards the school of abstract expressionism, a movement that came of age in New York City in the 1940s.The movement is defined by the spontaneity, the automatic and subconscious actions of the painter, where, due in large part to Jackson Pollock‘s groundbreaking works, the action of the painter, in the process and journey of painting, becomes the focal point. The piece of art produced is a testament to that moment in time where the artist meets their own inner reality. Abstract expressionism emerged as a spiritual statement, and furthered the emphasis on the subjective reality of the artist, in lieu of the realistic depiction of the world.

For Simone, the abstract style is the highest form. ―It is the most courageous in its form,‖ she said, and demands that the artist strip away technique and abandon perfectionism. ―You let go of preconceptions and perfectionist ways of doing things.‖ Simone describes the painting process as highly personal, a time when she is engaged and present with her own inner process, working through ideas and issues that come up in her life.

Her artistic influences from this style are found in Joan Mitchell, Sam Francis, and Cy Twombly, to name a few. In the meantime, on her way towards abstract expressionism, the artist‘s painting style is described by some in her circle as an edgier version of Georgia O‘Keeffe, whose depictions of flowers, landscapes, and abstractions do echo a style Simone is capturing.

As we climb the stairs to the studio, I witness a progression of styles and mediums along the staircase. In contrast to the dark and neutral pieces displayed in the living area, the paintings here are brightly coloured, and are more lyrical and figura-

Floral, 12 x 10‖, watercolor. Photo: Simone Benjamin

tive. Many are watercolours, a medium that Simone has used since she was 13 years of age. The paintings are over a decade old, and speak to the artist‘s evolution in style. Though they are not realistic, they centre on recognizable imagery from nature, where again a link to O‘Keeffe can be made.

Since the creation of these works, Simone has surrendered the figurative style and embraced the abstract.

The desire to paint has been with the artist since her teens. As she began to explore painting through high school art classes, she recalls the drive to practise and improve on her technique. She analyzed her work and her process, and to this day she is mostly self-taught. ―Life didn‘t provide a lot of options for training or instruction,‖ notes Simone, so she learned to work things out on her own.

Born in Germany, she spent several years of her young life in Nigeria, returning to Germany as a young teen. She then immigrated to Canada in 1997.In Germany, Simone trained as a graphic designer, which saw her strengthen her skills in drawing, colour, illustration, lifedrawing, and 3D. After graduating, she was employed by a large multi-national publishing firm to design book covers and promotional material for new releases. ―It was a science-based audience, so nothing too exciting in terms of design,‖ says Simone. More recently she was asked to design two covers for local author Steven Hunter‘s novels.

Over the years, painting has come and gone, more recently due to the demands of building a home and having a working

farm. Then, two years ago, she attended a workshop at Island Mountain Arts in Wells, and the desire to paint as a vocation started to bubble up inside of her.

With this new commitment to her artistic life, Simone is building mo me nt u m.

Through her engagement with galleries and learning opportunities, such as the Tony Onley Artist Project in Wells, it is not so much skill that Simone has honed, but the courage to step into her identity as an artist. The canvases I see in her studio, the newest ones, come alive in a more meaningful way as I explore the inspiration and impulse of this thoughtful creator. She interprets her experience in these paintings through the relationships between the colours, the curving lines that connect and separate, and the layers of specific moments and actions in her life as the paint hits the canvas.

As with so many artists, the friction that arises from marketing one‘s own work causes some discomfort. Nevertheless, Simone is currently working on a website for her paintings, approaching galleries, and fine-tuning the language she uses to communicate to the public about her art.

Cultivating courage and confidence is essential for her process, for presenting this deeply personal work to the world and developing her fearless artistic style. (See more paintings by Simone on her website: www.coldsnap-studio.ca/.

Simone Benjamin is discovering the beauty of less is more through her devotion to abstract painting. Her dedication to her craft is seen in the way she continues to evaluate her work, its composition, the

(Top) Organism I, 4 x 5’, acrylics.

(Bottom ) Organism I in progress on easel.

Photos: Simone Benjamin edges, and the technique it takes to achieve some satisfaction. As I return to the mist of the day, perceptions have shifted as I consider Simone‘s expressionism. Her new images bear no attachment to the visual world as we know it, compelling the viewer to feel, to absorb, the energy of the shapes and colour. I have become more curious about this artist, about her journey, and await the visual outcome of her pursuits.

During the month of March, Simone Benjamin and Mo Hamilton collaborate on the full-gallery show, Repose and Awakening at the Station House Gallery in Williams Lake. With a vast array of styles and aesthetics they raw in the observer to experience how expressive the abstract world can be.

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, helped co -create a gathering called Pollination, written down her dreams, and grown a baby and a garden.

Visit www.williamslakecommunityartscouncil.co m for more info on CACWL and her articles on local artists.

By Brianna van de Wijngaard Community Liaison Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society

2

016 brings yet another World Water Day (WWD) on March 22.

Part of its purpose is to keep water conservation and preservation top of mind at both local and global levels, but also because each WWD theme is part of a strategic sustainability initiative established by the UN Water department.

This year‟s theme is Water and Jobs, meant to “highlight the two-way relationship between water and the decent work agenda in the quest for sustainable development” (Stockholm International Water Institute).

So, of course, this makes us curious: what kinds of green (or blue) jobs currently exist in the water management sector? And what might they look like in the near future for a more sustainably managed water sector?

As of 2013, Canada had an estimated 83,500 professionals working directly in core water quality jobs. There are 4,600 members in the BC Water and Waste Association alone, which represents water professionals such as facility operators, utility managers, engineers, consultants, and government policy and regulatory staff. But most industries have some level of demand for water quality practitioners, the top three being government, consulting firms, and water utilities, according to ECO Canada. BC also has the highest percentage of labourers in the water quality workforce –16% out of all the provinces – and in Williams Lake, we have 10 fulltime staff working directly on the maintenance and quality of the City‘s water system. This doesn‘t include other contributory positions in local labs, private engineering firms, development, or other government agencies such as Interior Health or Environment.

ECO Canada also surveyed water quality professionals who indicated that jobs

directly related to water quality and conservation will either increase, and/or drastically change due primarily to effects of climate change. In the Cariboo-Chilcotin, for example, precipitation levels are expected to increase in future years, which could mean changes in water quality and quantity would have to be mitigated through new water resource engineering strategies.

In addition to these projected changes, a new Water Sustainability Act (WSA) is in effect in BC as of this year, which could also impact the number of core water quality jobs. The new WSA was approved on May 29, 2014 after four years of public engagement and policy development, and is to take effect in early 2016. According to the BC Government, ―The Water Sustainability Act will provide new tools to help ensure that water stays healthy and secure for future generations of British Columbians. It will allow government to manage surface water and groundwater as one resource, provide water users with greater certainty regarding their water rights, and establish clear rules about managing water during times of scarcity.‖ The new Act is significantly more complex than the last, and phases 1-3 are already complete. Phase 4 includes new fee, rental, and licensing regulations, while phase 5 will cover water sustainability plans, measuring and reporting, license reviews, etc. All in all, it is clear that the public water management

sector is changing in BC and this will no doubt require a greater or more varied workforce: public administration already contains 20% of Canada‘s water quality staff.

The ECO Canada report cited earlier concluded in 2013 that the demand for water quality professionals will increase, particularly in the green building sector.

Job vacancies have increased, standards are changing, current water quality professionals are retiring, and the cost of water is rising. Hopefully, all equitably and for the better. You can have a look at the new fees and rentals schedule for 2016, on the Government of BC‘s website, under the Water Sustainability Act files.

But, of course a UN observance like World Water Day is about more than ideas and strategies and research. It‘s about awareness and action on issues outside our own backyard. On March 22, for example, there will be communities around the globe accessing water that is either miles from their homes, or unfit for consumption. Or both. We may have a great water source here in Canada – some of the best – but we still have inequitable access issues that we need to deal with, such as the 138+ drinking water advisories in First Nation communities across the country (Health Canada, September, 2015), and continually high levels of consumption by global standards. The small act of donating is an easy, yet impactful, place to start. Here‘s a good

list of water charities to start with: http:// www.goodnet.org/articles/1000, (check out charity: Water‘s Story. So great!) It is encouraging to note that most BC residents that contributed to the BC government‘s engagement process on a new WSA indicated they would favour increased rates for water usage, as long as they were allocated fairly.

So we will keep an eye on developments, and remain optimistic. In the meantime, CCCS always loves to celebrate our natural resources and thank the community for supporting our work. We are sponsoring a free swim at the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex this World Water Day: Tuesday, March 22, from 6:30 p.m. 8 p.m.. Join us for a free spring splash in the pool! We‘ll also have a display on site, with some prizes and fun facts and tips on water conservation.

Happy World Water Day, ya‘ll!

the ‗Implementation‘ (Stage Six) can begin. Agreement-in-Principle referendum results will be available after 10 a.m. on February 12, 2016.

Bands) – Rosie Seymour Gymnasium, and Dog Creek Community Centre

The Northern Shuswap Tribal Council and its affiliated NStQ Treaty Society is holding the Agreement-in-Principle (AiP) referendum on Thursday February 11, with community polling stations open from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m.

NStQ band members 18 years of age and older are eligible to vote at their own bands‘ polling station only. The ballot question asks: ―Do you support the recommendation of the NStQ Leadership Council

to proceed to Final Agreement Negotiations?‖ Referendum results will be available after 10 a.m. on February 12, 2016.

NStQ is an acronym for Northern Secwepemc teQelmucw (meaning ―the Shuswap People of the North‖). Its Treaty Society represents four member Shuswap First Nation Bands in British Columbia‘s Central-Interior. It is important to note that this referendum is not a vote on the NStQ Treaty itself. It is a vote that will decide whether the NStQ membership wishes to continue into the Final Negotiations Stage (Stage Five) of the six-stage made-in-BC Treaty Process. Stage Five can take anywhere from three to five years to complete.

Once a ‗final agreement‘ is negotiated, the NStQ membership will be holding a final vote whether to accept the treaty, before

Field workers surveying wetland habitat. Photo: Francisco Martins/Flickr

The five polling stations are as follows: Canim Lake Indian Band (Tsq’escen’) – Canim Lake Band Administration Building Williams Lake Indian Band (T’exelc) – Elizabeth Grouse Gymnasium Soda Creek Indian Band (Xats’ūll) – Soda Creek Health Station Stswecem’c/Xgat’tem First Nation (Canoe Creek / Dog Creek Indian

Brianna van de Wijngaard is the Community Liaison for the Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society, in Williams Lake, BC, working on various Water and Waste Wiserelated projects and events in the community. She has a BA in Global Studies and Geography from Vancouver Island University, and enjoys making anything that involves dirt or an apron. Contact CCCS at (250) 398-7929 or waterwise@ccconserv.org.

For information regarding Referendum results please contact: Marg Casey (NStQ Referendum Officer) (250) 392-7361 ext. 208 For information regarding the NStQ Treaty Process please contact: Donna Dixon (Chairperson - Northern Shuswap Tribal Council Board of Directors / Soda Creek Band Chief) (250) 267-6761 d.dixon@xatsull.com http://nstqtreaty.ca/

By Brandon Hoffman

W

e’re all ready to embark upon another season at the Station House Gallery. I am quite thrilled with the lineup we were able to put together for our 35th year. We received a huge pile of fantastic applications and it was a daunting task narrowing it down.

Our season kicks off in February, with exhibitions from Coral Keehn and Rick Blacklaws.

Coral‘s show in the Main Gallery is comprised of the original illustrations from her children‘s book Wynken, Blynken, and Nod, out on Friesen Press. Coral brings a fanciful and creative interpretation of the 19th-century lullaby by Eugene Fieldabout the wistful place between sleep and dreams.

Beautiful and imaginative watercolours light a starlit path through the night sky of a wonder-filled dreamscape in this enchanting installation of sweet slumber and adventure.

On display in the Upper Gallery for the month of February is Rick Blacklaw‘s photography collection, Along the NuxalkCarrier Grease Trail. This collection is meant to illustrate the change that has taken place in the past decades along the Blackwater River west of Quesnel. These photos were first captured on black and white film 40 years ago, and have been hand colourtinted. The result is a hauntingly nostalgic blend of old and new media. These photographs are contained in the new book, On the Footsteps of Alexander Mackenzie: Archeology and the Nuxalk-Carrier Grease Trail, by Carol Blacklaws.

For the month of March, Simone Benjamin and Mo Hamilton collaborate on the full-gallery show, Repose and Awakening.

The two painters explore nature‘s polar states through abstract expression. The state of repose is revealed through a reduced palette of shapes and colour to convey a feeling

of underground stillness, while awakening is represented through an explosion and overabundance of colour and shapes. The two artists bring a wealth of styles and aesthetics to the abstract world.

On April 8, we are extremely excited to host The Station House Express: a fundraising gala in benefit of the Station House Studio and Gallery Society. This all-night event will feature live music, auctions, wine and cheese tastings, a photo booth, and opening receptions for two fantastic exhibitions. Get into the era and party like it‘s 1929 (err, maybe before the market crashed). We‘ll have prizes for the sharpest attire. The Upper Gallery will showcase Absent Reverie: a series of surreal illustrations by Kootenay artist Rhandi Sandford. In the Main Gallery we will open the doors to All Aboard: a group show dedicated to the people, culture, and landscape surrounding the Station House Gallery.

Speaking of which, we are now taking submissions to All Aboard, which will be on display for the month of April. A tad selfindulgent maybe, but we are excited to host a multi-media show that‘s all about us.

Originally built in 1920, the Station House Gallery has been a focal point of Cariboo arts and culture since it was converted from a retired BCR train station in 1981. We are calling on artists to contribute for All Aboard pieces inspired by the Station House Gallery and the community that keeps us going. Feel encouraged to interpret the theme and take it in your own direction. If you are interested in contributing to the show, email me (Brandon) at coordinator@stationhousegallery.com.

To view the whole 2016 schedule, visit www.stationhousegallery.com or follow us on Facebook. Don‘t miss out on another show—become a member of the gallery.

Members receive personal invitations to our monthly opening receptions, and other perks like special deals in the gallery shop.

The SCSS is once again hosting a winter film series to entertain everyone interested in sustainable community living—especially Cariboo style. We try to keep the films interesting and entertaining and throw in some light preaching about our Sustainability goals— nothing too heavy, promise!!

Films will be shown at the Community Employment Centre, Horton Ventures, 808 Alpine Ave., 100 Mile House on the 4th Thursday of the month at 7:00 p.m. Admission by donation. Information: www.southcariboosustainability.com, facebook or call (250) 791-7284.

Thursday, February 25th, A Symphony of Soil. With a captivating combination of music, image and science the film explores the complexity and mystery of soil.

Thursday, March 24th, Journey of the Universe. From the Big Bang to the present day, the film asks ―Where do we come from?‖ and ―Why are we here?‖ while discussing the evolution of homo sapiens and its impact on the earth and what future paths we might choose.

It‘s almost time to start planting and yet there is still so much available at the Co-op! How? You‘re right... it‘s not an easy task planning, growing, harvesting, and storing local food for wintertime meals but we keep doing it, and doing it very well. I want to take this opportunity to thank all the farmers, ranchers, customers, and supporters of Cariboo Growers. Without your support, we would not be around.

So what can you expect at the Co-op this time of year? Find carrots, apples, potatoes, beets, onions, squash, dried garlic, dried fruit, frozen fruit, juice, tea, honey, preserves, nuts, bread, cheese, and local meats including chicken, pork, beef, lamb, salmon, and turkey. All of the food at the Co-op has been grown without the use of chemical herbicides or pesticides, and meat is raised naturally without any additional hormones or antibiotics. This means you can feel good about everything you eat from the Co-op. We encourage you to stop by this winter (visit www.cariboogrowers.ca for our current hours).

See you at the Co-op!

The Williams Lake Garden Club is waking up from its winter slumber and looking forward to a great new gardening season. Its first meeting of 2016 will be held at the Central Cariboo Arts and Cultural Centre (the old fire hall) on Thursday, March 3, at 7 p.m. Further meetings are scheduled for first Thursday of every 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, and contests as well as sharing of ideas, expertise, and resources. The Williams Lake Gardening Club collaborates with like-minded groups in the area to enhance our gardening knowledge.

The very timely topic of our first meeting will be Starting Plants From Seeds. Topics for the remainder of the season will include Xeriscaping, Plant Nutrition, Potato House and Downtown Vegetable Gardens Tour, and Small Plot Intensive Agriculture.

We continue to work on completing the speakers‘ schedule.

The Williams Lake Garden Club invites anyone interested in gardening to join.

New as well as potential gardeners will be warmly welcomed. A yearly membership to the club costs $10. If you just feel like dropping in to a particular meeting, the cost is $2.If you would like more information about the Williams Lake Garden Club, contact Deb or Pat Radolla at (250) 392-2769.

What Should You Know About Your Health And Burning Railroad Ties?

Atlantic Power has submitted an application to burn creosote rail ties in its co-gen power plant located in Williams Lake City's industrial park. The company has permission to burn five per cent, but wants to increase it to 50 per cent. What impact could the stockpiling of these ties, the releasing of additional chemicals, and the disposing of the waste ash have on the health of our residents?

To find out more, come to an information session on Thursday, February 25 at 6 p.m. in the TRU cafeteria. There will be speakers, a moderator, and time for your questions.

Sponsored by a group of community-minded citizens. Contact: bettemcl@gmail.com for more info.

February – The Station House Gallery presents Main Gallery: Coral Keehn,―Wynken, Blynken, & Nod.‖ Coral‘s watercolour illustrations of a timeless lullaby. Upper Gallery: Rick Blacklaws, ―Along the Naxalk-Carrier Grease Trail.‖ A collection of photography illustrating change along the Blackwater River in the past 30 years. 1 MacKenzie Ave N, Williams Lake, BC. Contact (250) 392-6113 or www.stationhousegallery.com for info.

Williams Lake). Email foodpolicycouncil@hotmail.com for more info.

February 3 until May 11 – Gad-z-Ukes ukulele strum along. Drop in and play and sing along with the Gad-z-ukes ukulele orchestra. All skill levels welcome. 10 a.m. to noon Wednesdays, Central Cariboo Arts Centre at 90 Fourth Ave. N., Williams Lake.

February 14 – Get your Heart on with Foxxie Follies featuring Bottoms Up Baring Burlesque. $30 advance tickets (cash only) at Smashin‘ Smoothies or $35 at the door.

Includes light appetizers. Cash bar. Chocolate-covered strawberries, $2.50 each.

Doors 6:30 p.m. Show 7:30 p.m. Blue Spoon Catering at 1527 Highway 97 S., Williams Lake.

February 4 – Improv theatre classes, presented by Elder College and Thompson Rivers University. 9 – 11 a.m., Central Cariboo Arts Centre at 90 Fourth Ave. N., Willi am s L ake .

Vi sit www.wleldercollege.com for info.

February 4 until July 28 – Cariboo Art Society gathering. Regular sessions held at the Central Cariboo Arts Centre at 90 Fourth Ave. N., Williams Lake. Thursday afternoons, 2 – 4 p.m. and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to noon; Thursday evenings 6 – 8 p.m. at the Senior‘s Village in the Country Kitchen craft and activity room; business meetings the first Saturday of the month, 9 – 10 a.m. New members welcome. Contact Cat at (250) 296-3670, Adele at (250) 3980300, or Yvette at (250) 989-4241 for more info.

February 5 – The Cariboo District Farmers Market Association‘s Annual General Meeting. Interested potential vendors encouraged to join. 10 a.m. Alley Katz Bistro at 525 Borland St, Williams Lake. Call (250 ) 398 -0580 o r e mail lin dae33@hotmail.com for more info.

February 5 – Travelogue Evenings. ―Following the Yellow Arrows: Two bikers‘ journey on the el Camino de Santiago‖ with Naomi Miller and Sara Goddard. Admission by donation. Doors 6:30 p.m., presentations at 7 p.m. Presented by St. Andrew‘s United Church, 1000 Huckvale Place, Williams Lake.

Contact Ross McCoubrey at (250) 2964285 for more info.

February 6 – Women‘s Contact Society Hold ‗Em for Poker for Kidcare: a Texas Hold ‗Em charity poker tournament. $60 buy-in. Tickets at 51A Fourth Ave. S., Williams Lake. Contact Ashlee, (250) 3924118, for more info.

February 12 – Safety Meeting presents Black Spruce Log with Kym Gouchie.

Tickets are suggested $20 and available at Red Shred‘s. Show at Central Cariboo Arts Centre at 90 Fourth Ave. N., Williams Lake. Visit www.centralcaribooarts.com/ events/ for more info.

February 13 to March 12 – Williams Lake‘s first early-season Seed Swap, by the Williams Lake Food Policy Council. Give or take seeds from the swap table in the small greenhouse at Cariboo Growers Coop (corner of Third Avenue and Oliver Street,

February 13 – Funspiel Curling Tournament. Canadian Mental Health Association and Community Living Williams Lake.

Gather a team of four, collect pledges, or pay a $60 registration fee per team. Great prizes. 9 a.m. – 7 p.m., Williams Lake Curling Club. Contact Ashlee, (250) 392-4118, for more info and forms.

February 15 – Thompson Rivers University Bachelor of Arts information night includes info on university preparation and applied business technology programs. 7 - 9 p.m. at TRU, Williams Lake.

February 19 – Safety Meeting presents Marin Patenaude and Flatland Peaks. Tickets suggested $15. Show at Central Cariboo Arts Centre at 90 Fourth Ave. N., Williams Lake. Visit www.centralcaribooarts.com/ events/ for more info.

February 24 – Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Invasive Plant Committee 2016 Annual Regional Strategic Planning Session to prioritize invasive plant species in the Cariboo -Chilcotin and Coast region. Lunch provided. RSVP by Feb. 15 to info@cccipc.ca or call (250) 855-WEED (9333). Open to the public. All interested parties encouraged to attend. 9:30 a.m., Cariboo Regional District Office, Williams Lake. Visit www.cccipc.ca for more info.

February 24 – Travelogue Evenings. ―Backpacking to Mt. Edziza‖ with Frances McCoubrey. Admission by donation. Doors 6:30 p.m., presentations 7 p.m. Presented by St. Andrew‘s United Church, 1000 Huckvale Place, Williams Lake. Contact Ross McCoubrey at (250) 296-4285 for more info.

February 25 – What Should You Know About Your Health And Burning Railroad Ties? Atlantic Power has submitted an application to burn creosote rail ties in their Co-Gen power plant located in the City's industrial park. Info session by concerned citizens at 6 p.m. in the Thompson Rivers University cafeteria, Williams Lake, BC. February 29 – Social Planning Council‘s monthly meeting. Lunch provided by donation. Presentation on the new local FETCH website and the GP for Me initiative. Open to the public. 11:30 a.m. (location TBA).

Visit socialplanningcouncil.blogspot.ca for more info.

March – The Station House Gallery presents: Mo Hamilton and Simone Benjamin, ―Repose & Awakening.‖ Two artists explore these polarized states in nature through abstract expression. 1 MacKenzie Ave N, Williams Lake, BC. Contact (250) 392-6113 or www.stationhousegallery.com.

March 3 – Williams Lake Garden Club meeting at Central Cariboo Arts and Cultural Centre (the old fire hall) at 7 p.m. Everyone welcome. Yearly membership $10.

Drop ins $2. For more info contact Deb or Pat Radolla at (250) 392-2769. Meetings held first Thurs. of every month until Oct. March 4 – Safety Meeting presents Wooden Horsemen with Bush Party. Tickets suggested $15. Show at the Central Cariboo Arts Centre at 90 Fourth Ave. N., Will i a m s L a k e .

V i s i t www.centralcaribooarts.com/events/ for more info.

March 5 & 6 – Discover Wellness Health Fair & Market. Interactive booths, food and fitness demonstrations, and presentations.

Keynote speaker Jason Watkin. $5 adults, $8 adults (two-day pass), children 12 and under free. Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Quesnel Senior Centre (461 Carson Ave., Quesnel). Visit www.spiralhealth.ca for more info.

March 8 – Growers Cooperative of the Cariboo Chilcotin‘s 2016 Annual General Meeting. 1 to 3 p.m., Central Cariboo Arts C e n t re , Wi l l i a ms L a ke . E m ai l admin@cariboogrowers.ca for more info.

Mid-March to Mid-April – A Water Wise Art Exhibit, care of the Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society and local Water Wise students, will be on display at the Cariboo Regional District Library, Williams Lake branch. Specific dates TBA. Call (250) 3987929 or email waterwise@ccconserv.org for more info.

March 18 – Safety Meeting presents Colin Easthope with Sam Tudor and Wallgrin.

Tickets suggested $15. Show at Central Cariboo Arts Centre.

Visit www.centralcaribooarts.com/events/ for more info.

March 22 – World Water Day 2016. Free swim sponsored by the Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society. 6:30 to 8 p.m., Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex, Williams Lake.

Email waterwise@ccconserv.org for more info.

March 23 – Travelogue Evenings. ―Scandinavia & the Midlands of England‖ with Ross McCoubrey. Admission by donation. Doors 6:30 p.m., presentations 7 p.m.Presented by St. Andrew‘s United Church,1000 Huckvale Place, Williams Lake. Contact Ross McCoubrey at (250) 296-4285 for more info.

March 25 – Safety Meeting presents CR Avery: outlaw, hip-hop harmonica player, beatbox poet, punk piano player, string quartet raconteur, rock and roll matador, and playwright. Tickets suggested $15.

Show at the Central Cariboo Arts Centre at 90 Fourth Ave. N., Williams Lake. Visit www.centralcaribooarts.com/events/ for more info.

March 26 – Expressive Freedom Workshop. The Central Cariboo Arts and Culture Society presents a workshop for actors, musicians, and all artists looking to remove physical or mental blocks to increase their creativity, connection, and presence in their art. $45 per person. 10 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.

Central Cariboo Arts Centre, Williams Lake. Call (778) 412-9044 or email artscentre@centralcaribooarts.com to register and for more info.

March 28 – Social Planning Council‘s monthly meeting in Williams Lake. 11:30 a.m. (location and presentation TBA). Visit http://socialplanningcouncil.blogspot.ca for more info.

April 2 – Diamonds & Denim, TRU Gala 2016. Join TRU Grit for an evening to help support Thompson Rivers University Williams Lake scholarships and awards. Music

by Ken McCoy Band. Live and silent auction raffle. $120 per person or $960 for table of eight. Cocktails 6 p.m., dinner 7 p.m., dance 9 p.m. TRU Williams Lake Auditorium. Contact Kerry Cook at (250) 2671946 or kcook@tru.ca for more info. For ticket info, contact Janet Robertson at (250) 828-5264.

Williams Lake Wanderers To join this group, come about 9:45 a.m. to the Cariboo Memorial Complex on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. We begin outings from there, so you can fill out a membership form and pay the $10 annual fee. We leave at 10 a.m. Once you‘re a member, you will receive emails with schedule and schedule changes. Schedules and updates are also on Facebook.

February Schedule This month we will be doing a mix of walking/hiking, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing so some people have an opportunity to come to different activities.

Often, come prepared to do either/or, as we adjust to weather conditions. Check your schedule daily.

Tuesday, February 2 Friesen Road snowshoe (Fox Mtn.) Wednesday, February 3 Scout Island walk Thursday, February 4 Moon Road walk (off Hwy. 20) Tuesday, February 9 Bull Mountain ski/snowshoe* costs $5 or $10 if not a member Wednesday, February 10 Twizzler Trail snowshoe (shuttle required from Gun-a-noot Rd.) Thursday, February 11/12 overnight at 108 Hills to snowshoe/ski (more info to come) Tuesday, February 16 River Valley walk Wednesday, February 17 Mount Timothy ski (cross-country or downhill)/snowshoe Thursday, February 18 Old Cabin snowshoe (off Esler) Tuesday, February 23 Skiing out at Smith's (Rose Lake) Wednesday, February 24 Anderson Road snowshoe / ski Thursday, February 25 Signal Point walk All of these activities are subject to change according to weather conditions, so keep an eye on your email/Facebook.

Your Green Shopping Directory

Distribution Details

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

“ Alternative Kids Clothing, 250 392-4445 65 1st Ave. South, Williams Lake Recycled (―pre-loved‖), up-cycled, locally made, fairly traded, and organic cotton products.

Clothing for 0-17 yrs., soaps, and accessories for all ages. Small maternity section. See Facebook: Alternative Kids Clothing and Accessories for hrs.

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

Debbie Irvine B.Sc. (Agr.) RHN Registered Holistic Nutritionist 250-392-9418 or 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

.”

Flying Coyote Ranch, 250 296-4755 Ingrid Kallman and Troy Forcier Grass-fed Angus beef No shots, no hormones, organic fertilizer By the quarter or side, hamburger .

The Gecko Tree, 250 398-8983 54 N. MacKenzie Ave. Williams Lake Serving healthy, local foods Halls Organics, 250 398-2899 107 Falcon Rd. (North Lakeside), Williams Lake Indoor and Outdoor Organic Gardening Products, Alternative Traditional Products, Teas anHerbs, Hemp Body Products The Hobbit House, 250 392-7599 71 First Ave. South, Williams Lake Juice Bar, Natural Products, Essential Oils, Teas, Crystals, Gemstones, and more.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

P

acific Wild and Valhalla Wilderness Society are challenging the legality of the government of British Columbia‟s controversial wolf cull program.

In January 2015, despite considerable opposition, the BC government launched a multi-year wolf kill program in the South Peace and South Selkirk regions. Government contractors are paid to radio-collar wolves in the spring so snipers in helicopters can track and kill entire packs throughout the winter.

Ministry officials estimate the program will kill nearly 500 wolves and cost taxpayers approximately $2.2 million. According to M. Hume‘s Globe and Mail article, ―B.C.‘s controversial wolf cull program to save caribou will continue,‖ officials have admitted they are skeptical it will save the endangered mountain caribou the cull purports to be recovering.

Ministry of Environment briefing notes (brought to light last fall by a freedom of information request filed by Wilderness Committee) suggest the government was prompted by a forest industry opposed to

By Jasmin Schellenberg Anytime Cookies (makes 12) Sweetened by dried fruit, these cookies make a great start to your kids‘ day.

Ingredients ¼ cup coconut flour ½ cup almond butter 6 pitted dates (soaked in warm water for 15 min) ¾ cup shredded unsweetened coconut ½ cup unsweetened apple sauce 2 eggs 1 ½ tsp cinnamon 1 tsp vanilla extract ¼ tsp sea salt ½ tsp baking soda 2 Tbsp dried cherries 2 Tbsp chopped walnuts 3 Tbsp currants Method Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine coconut flour, almond butter, and dates in a food processor (or blender) for one minute until dates are well broken down. Add the rest of ingredients except the last three. Process for 30 seconds then add the remaining ingredients. Only pulse twice.

Using a large tablespoon, drop the dough in heaping spoonfuls onto the baking sheet.

Dip a fork in water and press down each ball gently. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden on top and slightly brown on the edges. Serve warm or cold.

NUTRIENT DENSE MEAL Pot Roast with Apples, Sweet Potatoes, and Prunes (serves 6-8) Ingredients 2 tsp sea salt 1 tsp ground black pepper ½ tsp ground allspice ½ tsp coriander ¼ tsp ground cloves

giving up more land to habitat protection. ―To date, the province has neglected to protect and restore sufficient habitat for endangered caribou,‖ said Ian McAllister, executive director of Pacific Wild. ―We are asking the court to review whether, in the absence of sufficient, enforced habitat protection, culling wolves constitutes ‗proper wildlife management‘.‖ Anticipating that a new permit for the cull in the South Selkirk region will be issued in the coming weeks, Pacific Wild and Valhalla Wilderness Society have filed an application for a judicial review to determine whether the provincial government‘s decision to cull wolves reasonably constitutes proper management of wolves if what they are actually doing is killing wolves to avoid protecting critical mountain caribou habitat necessary for their survival and recovery so industry can continue unchecked.

The two groups are pursing the action with the backing of several conservation groups including the Association for the Protection of Fur-Bearing Animals, the Wilderness Committee, Humane Society International/Canada, and various others who

4 lb round roast beef or pork 3 Tbsp tallow 1 onion, quartered 3 apples, peeled, cored, and quartered 3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces 2 cups pitted prunes 4 cups beef broth 2 cups hard or sweet apple cider Method Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Combine all spices. Rinse meat and pat dry.

Rub spices into all sides of meat.

Melt tallow in large Dutch oven over medium heat. Sear meat for 3 minutes on each side. Arrange onions, apples, sweet potatoes, and prunes around the meat, then pour in the broth and apple cider. Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and transfer the pot into the oven for 4 hours until the meat becomes tender.

You can also use a crock pot on low setting for 8-10 hours.

Enjoy!

MYTHS UNVEILED The spin from trans fats to free radicals.

Chemists discovered in the 1940s that if they heat vegetable oil (such as corn, safflower, soybeans, and cottonseeds) to over 180 degrees C and added hydrogen gas molecules resulting in hydrogenated oils, which also are called trans fats, these oils would not go bad. But now the oil has little nutritional value and is dead. Researchers warned these hydrogenated oils would become a health hazard and we know now they can cause heart disease and cancer since they are alien to our bodies.

These fats are hidden in margarine and processed foods including breakfast cereals. Kids are an easy target and have a hard time avoiding these foods making them prone to attract any of the new diseases at an early age.

Be aware of fat-free or guilt-free proclamations. That usually means Olestra is in them (that flat-out stops ab-

Photo: Ivan Kislov/500px

have been advocating for effective caribou habitat protections and, likewise, opposing the wolf cull as unreasonable, unnecessary, and scientifically unfounded. ―The BC government is pandering to industrial interests, endangering the few remaining mountain caribou, and sacrificing wolves in the process,‖ said Gabriel Wildgen, campaign manager at Humane Society International/Canada. ―We hope the

court will rule in favour of BC‘s wildlife and, in doing so, encourage the province to enact and enforce the habitat protections the caribou really need.‖ The initial phase of this legal action has been funded by a grant from West Coast Environmental Law‘s Environmental Dispute Resolution Fund and funds from a crowd funding campaign Pacific Wild led in early 2015.

sorption of crucial high blood pressurepreventing and cancer-preventing antioxidants like Vitamins A, E, D, K, betacarotene, and CoQ10).

Trans-fats become free radicals.

What are free radicals? They are highly unstable molecules that interact quickly and aggressively with other molecules in our bodies to create abnormal cells. Free radicals destroy cellular membranes, enzymes, and DNA. Free radicals are unstable because they have unpaired electrons in their molecular structure. This causes them to react almost instantly with any substance in their vicinity. Oxygen-or oxyl free radicals are especially dangerous. They accelerate aging and are linked to over 60 diseases, including cancer, heart disease, Parkinson‘s, and Alzheimer‘s. The major sources of dietary free radicals are chemically altered fats from commercial vegetable oils, vegetable shortening, and all oils heated to very high temperatures.

This is where antioxidants come in. Antioxidants are nature‘s way of providing your cells with adequate defense against attack by reactive oxygen species (free radicals). As long as you have these important micronutrients, your body will be able to resist aging caused by your everyday exposure to pollutants.

Your main antioxidants are vitamins A (best source is cod-liver oil), E (cold pressed, unrefined nut and olive oil), and C

(green leafy vegetables and fruits), betacarotene, glutathione, bioflavonoids, selenium, zinc, CoQ10, green tea, and some herbs like milk thistle, ginko, turmeric, and curry are good place to start.

Remember when buying certified organic products you are avoiding all the chemical inputs commodity food can offer you.

A WALK THROUGH YOUR PANTRY: GET RID OF: Hydrogenated oils most commonly hidden in processed foods like cereals, salad dressings, dips, margarines, breads, chips, crackers, cookies, donuts, TV dinners, etc.

REPLACE WITH: Coconut oil, beef tallow, or pork lard for cooking (these can stand high temperatures), and extra virgin olive oil for salad dressings. Use fresh, organic, whole ingredients for cooking your meals to make sure no trans-fats or olestra, fertilizers, pesticides, or growth hormones are added.

Brought to you by Jasmin Schellenberg Inspired by and resourced from ―Nourishing Traditions‖ by Sally Fallon; and: www.westonaprice.org article by S. Byrnes ―Staying on Top of Oxidative Stress‖ and ―The High Blood Pressure Hoax‖ by Sherry Rogers MD. For ―Nourishing our Children‖ past newsletters see www.thegreengazette.ca.