The Green Gazette - April/May 2018 by TheGreenGazette

5/ Publisher’s Letter: Endangered Species Need Our Voices Endangered Species Day is coming up on May 18, and it's an opportunity to understand the importance of protecting endangered species and various actions we can take to help protect them. - by Lisa Bland 6/ Home Renos: Don't Go Big, Go Green Renovating for Green reasons falls into great moral and economic categories because it encompasses the functional components of home improvement... - by Jessica Kirby 7/ Canada’s National Wildlife Week - Conserve the wonder Canada‘s National Wildlife Week has a terrific theme this year: Get Re-acquainted with the Awe #conservethewonder. - by Jessica Kirby 9/ Muse Flash: Growing herbs for health Herbal medicine is an ancient medical system that has provided the world‘s population with safe, effective, and affordable medicines for at least 60,000 years. - by Al-Lisa McKay 10/ Zirnhelt Timber Frames: Healing My Spirit Lodge Buildings of the future, today This was the first building in a northern climate and the first in an Indigenous community to receive a Net Zero Energy Ready (NZER) label administered by the Canadian Home Builders Association. - by Zirnhelt Timber Frames 21/ How to Practice the 3Rs… with Chickens Get a chicken. Chickens help us slow down, and they walk with us along our path towards waste-conscious living. - by Ryan Elizabeth Cope 28/ Mountain Biking and First Nations Youth: Helping to build communities This project involves communities affected by wildfires: all First Nations communities around Williams Lake, 100 Mile House, Quesnel, and the Chilcotin. - by LeRae Haynes

Publisher / Editor-in-Chief Lisa Bland Senior Editor Jessica Kirby Contributors David Suzuki, LeRae Haynes, Jessica Kirby, Terri Smith, Lisa Bland, Guy Dauncey, Bill Irwin, Oliver Berger, Venta Rutkauskas, Sage Birchwater, Brianna van de Wijngaard, Van Andruss, Tera Grady, Al-Lisa McKay, Angela Gutzer, Jasmin Schellenberg, Ryan Elizabeth Cope, Sandra K. Klassen, Bettina Johnson, Bernie Littlejohn, Cameron Thompson, Paul Héroux, Kaitlyn Berry, Sara Fulton, Toby Mueller, Eva Navrot, Adam Mcleod, Advertising Lisa Bland Creative Directors Lisa Bland / Rebecca Patenaude Ad Design Jill Schick, Rebecca Patenaude Published by Earthwild Consulting Printing Black Press Ltd. Cover Photo: A young, male Grizzly Bear (Ursus horribilis) feeds on sedge in the Khutzeymateen. Copyright: Michael Bednar Photography www.michaelbednar.com/index Index Photo: Peyal Francis Laceese holds his Eagle Medicine Staff high on Parliament Hill. Copyright: Jeremy Williams

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 © 2018 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.

8/ Tsilhqot’in War Chiefs Exonerated History was made on March 26, 2018 in the House of Commons in Ottawa when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau exonerated six Tŝilhqot‘in war chiefs who were hung in 1864 and 1865 - by Sage Birchwater

5/ Generations of Esk‘etemc: A youth film project - by Bettina Johnson 8/ Cancer: The emotional disease - by Adam McLeod, ND 11/ Creative Therapy for Kids: A creative approach to pediatric therapy - by Creative Therapy for Kids 12/ Green Business Feature: Bliss, the Ultimate Grill - by Terri Smith 13/ Confessions of an (Occasional) Farmer: Not just a farmer - by Terri Smith 13/ Resident killer whales are in immediate danger of extinction, says Fin Donnelly - by Cameron Thompson 14/ Williams Lake Garden Club - by LeRae Haynes 14/ A Chance at a Better Season - by Kaitlyn Berry 15/ Waste Wise: China‘s National Sword - by Tera Grady 16/ No Time Left to Waste: China - Another Great Wall? - by Oliver Berger 18/ Calling for a Re-birth of the Social Imagination - by Van Andruss 18/ Skywatch with Bill Irwin 19/ Death Café - by Angela Gutzer 22/ Xeriscapes - by Brianna van de Wijngaard 23/ Children‘s Festival: Celebrating children in the park - by LeRae Haynes

23/ Agents of Discovery at Scout Island and River Valley - by LeRae Haynes 24/ Lawn Perfection or Lawn Perception? - by Sara Fulton 24/ Raising Amadeus - by Terri Smith 25/ Mushroom Lecturer and Researcher Paul Stamets Visits Lillooet, BC - by Toby Mueller 25/ Scientists expose ‗political populations‘ of large carnivores 26/ Are You a Gorilla or a Hunter-Gatherer? - by Guy Dauncey 26/ BC Hydro Greenlights Energy Purchase Agreement for Tŝilhqot‘in Solar Farm 27/ Ukulele: Oh, the places it will take you - by Sandra K. Klassen 29/ Regional Outdoor Leadership Program Brings Students Together - by Rivershed Society of BC 30/ We are all Diamonds - by Eva Navrot 31/ Cool Clear Water: Water for a community, water for life by LeRae Haynes 31/ Gravity batteries - by Bernie Littlejohn 32/ Science Matters: Drowning in Seas of Plastic - by David Suzuki 32/ Hotbed of Creativity - by Venta Rutkauskas 33/ 5G and Internet of Things: A Trojan horse - by Paul Héroux, Ph.D. 35/ Nourishing our Children - by Jasmin Schellenberg

By Lisa Bland Publisher/ Editor-in-Chief

ow that the long winter is over (we hope), the natural world comes alive and is interacting with us, full speed ahead. It‘s beautiful to witness nature carrying on with the cycle of rebirth—birds and animals having their young and the busy interactions of all species moving forward with their lives into the season of abundance. In spring, especially, we witness the extent to which we share our habitat with other life. And while there are many forces that guide us to think all is well in the world beyond human concerns, the reality is we are losing our companions. Endangered Species Day is coming up on May 18, and it's an opportunity to understand the importance of protecting endangered species and various actions we can take to help. How many species are we losing? According to the World Wildlife Fund, this is a difficult question to answer because, despite all our tools for measuring and methods for counting, we still don‘t know the extent of what‘s out there and new species continue to be discovered. Scientists do know that we‘re well on our way into the sixth mass extinction, and unlike the past five known extinction waves across the planet, when more than 76–96 per cent of species disappeared due to events like asteroids, volcanoes, and natural climate shifts, the current crisis is mostly caused by humans.

Red-listed, endangered mountain caribou in Kootenay Pass, BC. Photo: BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, flickr.com

According to the Centre for Biological Diversity, although extinction is natural and occurs at a ―background‖ rate of about one to five species per year, scientists estimate we‘re now losing species at 1,000 to 10,000 times that rate, at dozens per day. As many as 30 to 50 per cent of all species may be extinct by mid-century. Most human-related threats species face are habitat loss, introduction of exotic species, and climate change. Human development, industrial activity, agricultural expansion, hunting, poaching, pollution, and disease have accelerated the disappearance of species. A cascade effect is also in play as the survival of many species are interlinked in a complex web, leading to accelerations of species loss when ecosystems are irrevocably altered. Species diversity and genetic diversity protect species from being wiped out when ecosystems change rapidly around them. We often think of endangered species as globally exotic species such as the critically

endangered Amur leopard, Black rhino, Malayan tiger, Sumatran elephant, Mountain gorilla, Orangutan, or Vaquita porpoise, but we don‘t have to go further than our own backyards to see severe species loss and endangerment. An inventory of Species at risk in BC can be found at www.speciesatriskbc.ca/ and BC Conservation Data Centre (www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/ plants-animals-ecosystems/conservationdata-centre). At present there are 754 Redlisted species (extirpated, endangered, and threatened) and 757 Blue-listed species (special concern). Unfortunately, federal laws protecting species in BC have only been around since 2004 and only preside over aquatic species and those on federal lands, and BC has no legislation with teeth for endangered species. According to the Western Canada Wilderness Committee, polls show that over 85 per cent of British Columbians want strong legislation that will protect wildlife, yet our governments remain immobilized as species disappear. In a recent article by Emma Gilchrist of Desmog Canada, ―How Canada is Driving Its Endangered Species to the Brink of Extinction,‖ she describes how BC has some of the worst species protection laws due to the majority of species protection being left up to the province, which is also responsible for resource development. In the US, the Federal Endangered Species Act, enacted over 40 years ago, has been much more successful and legally binding to support long-term protection of species along with industrial development. Gilchrist describes how most recently in BC, efforts to protect BC Southern mountain caribou took 13 years after they were

By Bettina Johnson

e recently wrapped up a two-week youth film documentary project, a mentoring program led by filmmaker Jeremy Williams of River Voices Productions. This project was to engage our youth in the arts through film-making and help equip the next generation to grow in telling important Indigenous stories, of which there are so many. Esk‘etemc, like all Indigenous communities, is a community full of stories, those that are traditional and ancestral (―stseptekwll‖ in Secwepemctsin) and passed on through oral history. Then there are those that are lived experiences (―slexéy̓em‖). They are passed on as generational words of wisdom. As the respected Esk‘etemc elder Arthur Dick noted: ―People ask me a question, I can tell them the answer. Or I can tell them a story.‖ Through Jeremy Williams‘ recent work in our community with the upcoming Esk‘etemc documentary film on Esk‘etemc Declaration of Title, we were able to witness his dedicated commitment to honouring and reflecting Indigenous perspectives. After reading in TheGreenGazette fall 2017 issue about his work with the Stat‘imc youth, I decided to reach out and bring this film mentoring program to Esk‘et. We applied for a grant to the First People‘s Cultural Council - Aboriginal Arts Develop-

Kelly Paul applying his newly learned camera skills. Photo: Jeremy Williams

ment Awards and were happy to receive their generous grant approval for our proposal under the program, Aboriginal Youth Engaged in the Arts. Four inspiring Esk‘etemc youth, Desirae Paul, Leona Belleau, Kelly Paul, and Annmarie Johnson, took part in the program, based on their dedicated interest in storytelling, film, and creative arts. Each of them is passionate about artistic expression, preserving Esk‘etemc culture, and exploring creative ways of sharing. They each added their personalities, strengths, and unique ideas to the project, engaging in the process. We were impressed with how much they learned, how well they worked together, and how they created their short film, entitled Generations of Esk’etemc. The group dedicated their short film to Jamie Johnson, who was set to be a partici-

pant in this program, before moving to heaven just weeks before. Jamie was a beautiful person and is greatly missed. His artistic skills were incredible, and his story idea for this project was around an art piece: the raven plucking out the bad feathers and teaching his little raven to let go of the past and the pain and move forward into healing. The youth honoured his idea and included the birds in the beginning and end shots, and the tone of generational wisdom throughout their short film. It was an intense and challenging crash course for the group. Jeremy taught them the foundations and basic technical skills of documentary film-making, including styles of story, camera functions, interview skills, and storyboarding. They learned hands-on how to draft their vision, craft their story, organize, and edit their audio and footage,

listed federally and included litigation against the federal government by environmental lawyers to enact their legally binding recovery strategy, with the result that the federal government deferred responsibility back to the province. Similarly, BC‘s Northern and Southern orca populations, also listed as threatened and endangered, respectively, ended up with Ecojustice lawyers taking the federal government to court to uphold its own recovery strategy legislation, and to this day it is still not enacted. After an Emergency Assessment in January of this year, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) confirmed only 58 Chilcotin River Steelhead trout remain and recommended an Emergency Order under the Species at Risk Act. Given the 81 per cent population decline, on March 20, the Tŝilhqot‘in National Government closed all fishing, forgoing their collective Aboriginal right to fish Steelhead for food, social, and ceremonial purposes. The major causes of decline were listed as ocean conditions and by-catch from commercial fisheries. A ban on grizzly bear hunting went into effect in BC on April 1, an example where public consultation and pressure led to action by the government to protect a species. However, it still does not address underlying issues of habitat loss and degradation. There is no doubt unsustainable human activity is driving the era of mass extinctions around the globe. The only way we can hope to save our furred and feathered friends is to push our elected governments into legislating protection and to support all efforts underway. Please get involved, starting with your local elected representatives, and speak for the future of all creatures. The time to act is now.

along with how to explore further opportunities in film. Esk‘etemc member Sherisse Mousseau led a workshop on landscape photography, while Casey Bennett was our photography mentor for a day of portrait photography. Our three amazing mentors shared their technical knowledge and couldn‘t help but share their passion for film and photography, and were an inspiration to our group of young film-makers. The youth showed their five-minute short film during a community film showing. Feedback received included: ―When will you do more films?‖ and ―What about this story (examples of story topic)‖. There is a wealth of stories waiting to be told, and the youth carry incredible creativity to explore new ways of sharing them. You can see the short film Generations of Esk’etemc at the Cariboo-Chilcotin Film Fest, May 3 & 4 at the Gibraltar Room. Follow Jeremy Williams online at https://www.facebook.com/ RiverVoicesProductions/ or visit his website at http://RiverVoices.ca. Bettina Johnson lives and works at Esk’et, developing employment, creative, and economic opportunities for Esk’etemc, a community respected for its leadership in addictions recovery and healing, and with rich cultural history and strong connections to the land. Together with her husband Robert, she operates Esk’et Tiny House B&B, inviting visitors to this inspiring community.

ommendations and a good sense of where to begin. NRCanEnerGuide Audits: http:// www. nrcan. gc. ca/ener gy/ effic ienc y/ housing/home-improvements/5005?attr=4 We actually had a home energy audit back in 2009, and wouldn‘t you know it: our 42-year-old, dated home, with window upgrades and some attic insulation in the 90s, scored near-perfect for insulation value, air penetration, and the home‘s structural heating efficiency. Whoever built this house did so with efficiency and the environment in mind, and though it may not be the architectural wonder it was in the 70s, it has stood the test of time and the busy-ness of our family life.

By Jessica Kirby, Senior Editor of TheGreenGazette

e have an old house, on an old street. Our quiet cul de sac was constructed in 1972 and our house completed in 1975. By our neighbours‘ standards, we are spring chickens, having resided here only since 2009, and our half -acre lots backing onto the forest are vast, wild spaces compared with the new developments surrounding our street. When we purchased our old house, we had high hopes of renovating, turning our stuccoed, south-west style rancher into some kind of trendy, rustic-themed sprawl of a home our friends would admire and through which our hearts would feel a deep sense of accomplishment. And then we had kids and jobs and bills and kids and schedules and a dog and camping and sports and kids and travelling and kids. And we had to reconsider our expectations. Kate Wagner, viral blogger and architecture student, asks people in our shoes – home owners with dated homes and big ideas – to consider the most radical of all renovation ideas: there is nothing wrong with your house. In her article, ―Are Home Renovations Necessary,‖ she asks home owners to look at their structural, practical, and functional needs and ignore the pressure we place on ourselves to renovate for social reasons, thanks in part to home renovation TV shows that encourage New! Fresh! Modern! Do it now! projects that only meet aesthetic whims. ―While older media, like early issues of House Beautiful, discusses the process as mastering the careful art of interior design, newer media is more neurotic and self-loathing, describing houses in need of renovation with words like ‗dated,‘ ‗immature,‘ or ‗wrong‘,‖ says Wagner. ―Whether presented as a self-improvement project (update your house lest you be judged for owning a dated one) or a form of self-care (renovate because it will make you feel better), the home remodel is presented as both remedy and requirement.‖ Renovating for Green reasons falls into great moral and economic categories be-

Photo Copyright:: Sean Prior www.123rf.com/profile_vectorfusionart

cause it encompasses the functional components of home improvement, with positive aesthetic consequences and without unnecessary flourish. Most medium threshold financial investments into environmentally friendly upgrades have a three- to five -year payback period, increase the resale value of the home, and look streamlined and fresh. If you‘re going to renovate, set your budget and plans by a Green compass, and try the following simple upgrades to get started: Replace fixtures with low-flow: A simply, but cost-effective renovation, switching to low-flow fixtures can save you a quarter on your water bill, and a low-flow toilet uses half the water of a standard unit. Low-flow items cost 10-25 per cent more up front, a cost that is usually paid back through water savings within three years. Invest in a new furnace or tankless water heater: If your furnace is more than 15 years old, there is no question a new, Energy Star model will save you money. Depending on how much you want to invest, savings can amount to 25-45 per cent each year. Rather than storing water and keeping it hot and ready for use, tankless water heaters do the job on demand, saving water use and electricity. New windows: Energy Star windows can save you $125-465 each year on energy costs over single pane windows. Choose low or no VOC paint: Paint is an excellent and cost-efficient way to re-

fresh a room. Chose low- or no-VOC varieties for better air quality. Draft-proof the home: People who like to make small, meaningful steps to an ultimate goal with a big pay-off will love this one. Weather stripping on doors, draft insulators on exterior wall switches and plugs, caulking on baseboards—these seemingly minor steps can save you 10-28 per cent each year on your heating bill. Choose local materials: The closer to home you buy the materials, the less fossil fuel usage to get it to your building site, and the more likely your purchase will support your local economy. Check around for repurposing businesses to get your hands on used materials, as well. Repurpose materials: Most building materials can be recycled for a price and at the right location. Do your research in advance to find out where to take drywall, insulation, flooring, and other building materials. For new materials, check out this list of durable, Earth-friendly materials that last: https://greenbuildingcanada.ca/ green-building-guide/green-buildingmaterials/ Get a home energy audit: For a $150 investment, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) will come to your house and evaluate your home‘s energy consumption rating based on its draftiness, insulation levels, roofing assembly, basement configuration, windows, and a number of other factors. It will leave you with a list of rec-

Further reading: Green Renovation Pyramid lists costefficient home renos that maximize your dollar and environmental impact: http:// www.ecohome.net/news/latest/green-home -improvements-pyramid-scheme-actuallyworks BC Real Estate Association lists incentive, rebate, and funding programs for BC residents looking to Green up their homes and properties: www.bcrea.bc.ca/greentool-kit-for-realtors/incentives-of-a-greenhome CaGBC‘s Report on Canada‘s Green Building Trends highlights the business and environmental case for green buildings: www.cagbc.org/cagbcdocs/resources/ CaGBC%20McGraw%20Hill%20Cdn% 20Market%20Study.pdf

Green up the old, out with the new The built environment represents an essential component of every community‘s economic infrastructure, but here’s the thing: new developments with no eye on the environmental implications:  disrupt water ways  pollute water sheds  destroy critical animal and plant habitats  send an unfathomable amount of chemical waste into the air and into our waste management system Buildings represent 12 per cent of GHG emissions in Canada, but with the correct renovations and Green upgrades, this number could be dramatically reduced.

Consider, too, the Architecture 2030 Challenge, which sets 2030 as the year all new buildings, developments, and major renovations should be carbon neutral. Because of this and other initiatives, renovation will represent 60 per cent of the construction economy over the next decade.

By Jessica Kirby

anada‘s National Wildlife Week has a terrific theme this year: Get Re-acquainted with the Awe #conservethewonder. Awe, of course, means ―a feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder,‖ and ―reverential‖ means ―deep respect or worship‖. In a recent article about humans‘ relationship with nature, David Suzuki says he can‘t help but feel like conversations about the ―awe‖ one experiences in the face of nature‘s limitless beauty should also include words like ―humility‖ and ―gratitude‖. In a global context, Canada has an admirable relationship with its natural wildlife. Because of its wide-open spaces, incredible species diversity, and the general hardiness of its citizens, wildlife and nature are parts of Canada‘s global identity. We identify with images of animals and trees, lakes and rivers, rustic living and outdoor activities. Most Canadian stereotypes involve some elements of nature (superfluous beavers, raging elk, living in igloos, fashionable element-proof toques and beards) and because we protect what we love, we protect and revere our identity as a people having a strong relationship with nature. Just this morning, I read the last male white rhinoceros has died in Kenya. There are two surviving females, neither of which can produce naturally, so the species is looking at almost-certain extinction, barring a reproductive miracle involving white rhino eggs, frozen white rhino sperm, and a surrogate of another species. Would this have happened on Canada‘s watch? Would we have had the determination, the ferocity, the awe required to force resources in the direction of preserving one of our iconic species? Maybe. A 2017 study by the World Wildlife Fund says as much as half of the wildlife in Canada could be dying off at alarming rates because of habitat loss, climate change, pollution, and overfishing. A total of 451 species in decline – roughly half of the total mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians studied as part of the World Wildlife Fund Canada‘s Living Index – saw their population decline by an average of 83 per cent between 1970 and 2014. On our watch, wolves are culled, and cougars are shot with no discretion to pre-

A young killer whale breaches in the Strait of Georgia near Vancouver, BC. Photo: Monika Wieland Shields www.shutterstock.com

serve human settlements. Bears can no longer be shot in BC, but there are still a huge number of people who think the ban is a bad idea because of the negative effect it has for tourism and tour guiding. Others call the ban a token gesture, noting nothing has been done to address other bear population threats like pollution and habitat destruction. The Kinder Morgan pipeline promises substantial economic revenue but potential harm to thousands and thousands of bird, fish, and animals in the event of a spill or even by way of increased tanker traffic. Where is the awe in these scenarios? The ever-pressing, absolutely essential task of reconciling natural resource use and natural preservation is as much at the heart of Canada‘s identity as the maple leaf, and the answers aren‘t yet clear, but might live in the laid-back, compromising attitude that also forms our national identity. This is where humility and gratitude enter the equation. It is we who need nature, and not the other way around. If humanity were to die

off, nature would overtake our humanmade world and return to its natural state; if bees die off, humanity is doomed. The psychological benefits of interacting with nature are proven and profound. Doing so relieves stress, clears the mind, promotes feelings of empathy and well-being, and combats fatigue while increasing energy levels. People with an emotional connection with nature have lower rates of heart disease, diabetes, depression, and chronic fatigue, and have healthier, more product ive working and family relationships. Canadians are, as a culture, more connected to nature through circumstance and national identity, but taking this for granted spells disaster. Can we find productive, economically sound ways to interact with nature and wildlife and make genuine our relationship with the natural world? Canada has 170,000 tourism businesses contributing $84 billion or two per cent to the national GDP. Over 2,300 over these businesses are certified with Green Tourism Canada, which means they take mean-

ingful action towards environmentally friendly and sustainable tourism activities and make business decisions that lower their carbon footprint. Bluewater Adventures in North Vancouver, for instance, has been carbon neutral since 2007, donates one per cent of its trip fees to environmental non-profits, and runs LEDs on its watercraft, among other initiatives. Hundreds more are making these decisions without certification. Companies like Canadian Photography Adventures represent a new brand of wildlife tourism where participants hunt and shoot animals with their cameras, ensuring wildlife sustainability with a hefty return for the guide company. The solutions are out there, but until we practise humility and gratitude and do more than re-acquaint with awe – ignite it, consume it, shout it from the treetops – progress will evade us. National Wildlife Week 2018 runs April 8–14. It is a time to get outside, get dirty, get wild, and invigorate your sense of awe in our natural world. It is time to remember our deep connection with wildlife and the awesome responsibility we must preserve this relationship forever. Pause for Thought: Should BC's Biodiversity Grant it a Louder Voice? According to the Province of British Columbia, BC occupies 95 million hectares, with a diverse physiography, climate, flora, and fauna. It is home to one of the richest wildlife resources in North America. Three-quarters of Canada's mammal species are found in BC–24 of those species are exclusive to our province. There are 1,140 native species of vertebrates in BC, including 488 species of birds (360 of which breed in the province and 162 of which breed exclusively in BC), 480 species of fish, 136 species of mammals, 20 species of amphibians, and 16 species of reptiles. Invertebrate species probably number between 50,000 and 70,000, including 35,000 species of insects. Should BC have a louder voice concerning legislation regarding wildlife governance? Perhaps with proportional representation for wildlife, the areas most affected would be better represented. Or, would BC‘s high proportion of individuals relying on natural resource extraction drown the voices working in favour of wildlife? Email your thoughts to jesskkirby@gmail.com.

By Sage Birchwater

istory was made on March 26, 2018 in the House of Commons in Ottawa when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau exonerated six Tŝilhqot‘in war chiefs who were hung in 1864 and 1865. It was a long time coming. Nearly 154 years ago British Columbia colonial forces freewheeled into the Chilcotin and tricked Tŝilhqot‘in War Chief LhaTŝ‘aŝʔin and seven of his followers into putting down their weapons to end the bloody conflict known as the Chilcotin War. Instead of promised peace talks, the colonial militia, led by William Cox and Chartres Brew, arrested Chief LhaTŝ‘aŝʔin and his party at gun point and brought them to Quesnel for trial. There they were found guilty of murder by Judge Matthew Baillie Begbie and on October 26, 1864, Chiefs LhaTŝ‘aŝʔin, Biyil, Tellot, Tahpitt, and Chayses were hung beside the Fraser River. A sixth chief, Ahan, was hung a year later in New Westminster. ―We meant war, not murder‖ is the oftrepeated phrase attributed to Chief LhaTŝ‘aŝʔin. In April 1864 he led an uprising that lasted three months and resulted in the deaths of 20 road builders, settlers, and horse packers on the Chilcotin Plateau. His pleas of innocence fell on deaf ears as the crown colony of British Columbia flexed its muscles to claim dominion over the region that had been occupied for centuries by the most diverse Indigenous population in North America. This claim of ownership contradicted the colony‘s own rule of law established a century earlier by King George III. Known as the Royal Proclamation of 1763, this

By Adam McLeod, ND

veryone experiences and processes stressful situations differently. Some people tend to internalize these emotions and make a consistent effort to conceal them from the outside world. Others are very expressive and make it clear to everyone around them how they are feeling. Not only do people express their feelings differently, everyone tends to store these emotions in different parts of their body. At first this may seem like an odd and unscientific statement, that people store emotions in different parts of their body. It is true that it is challenging to quantify and study this concept. However, anyone who has experience working with patients on the emotional level knows this to be true. Stop and think about it for a second. When you get very emotional and upset, where do you feel this in your body? Some people tend to get headaches; others feel tension in their throat or abdomen. Others have symptoms physically manifest as

The Tŝilhqot’in delegation celebrates in front of the Peace Tower in Ottawa after receiving the long-awaited exoneration from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Photo: Jeremy Williams

law stated that Indigenous people rightfully owned the land they occupied until it was willingly relinquished by treaty to the British Crown. Blame this neglect of protocol on gold fever. When gold was discovered on the gravel bars of the Fraser River in 1858, a flood of gold miners, fortune hunters, and land speculators poured into the country. In their haste they never bothered to establish treaties. As early as 1859 Tŝilhqot‘in chiefs stepped forward to oppose this invasion into their territory but were talked out of it by their Secwepemc and Dakelh counterparts. Five years later it was a threat of smallpox that sparked the Chilcotin War. When road builders made their initial incursions into Tŝilhqot‘in territory in 1861, the Indigenous inhabitants held the balance of power. The smallpox epidemic

of 1862 changed all that. Three quarters of the people died. After that the colonial powers figured they could do as they pleased with the people and the land. It was the threat of spreading more smallpox made by the captain of a ship bringing road builders to Bute Inlet in April 1864 that triggered LhaTŝ‘aŝʔin’s bloody rebellion. In simple terms, he was defending his territory the best way he knew how. For three months the colonial militia attempted to track down the Tŝilhqot‘in warriors without success. In the process they wreaked havoc on innocent families gathering food to sustain themselves for the long Chilcotin winter. Finally, in good faith, LhaTŝ‘aŝʔin accepted a sacred tobacco peace offering from William Cox to discuss an end to the conflict. Instead of a council of peace he was captured and hung like a criminal.

constipation, diarrhea, muscle cramps, extreme fatigue, or joint pain. What is remarkable about these symptoms is the consistency with which a patient will feel them when they get stressed. There are different ways to look at this, but the common thread is always that emotional health powerfully impacts patients in a very physical way. This connection simply cannot be ignored. When it comes to a serious disease such as cancer, it is easy to focus exclusively on the physical aspects of the disease. Of course, the physical aspect of this disease is important, but to optimize healing physically we must also address the emotional aspects of the disease, which are in many cases the root cause of the disease. It is not unusual for patients to feel a connection between past emotional traumas and the formation of their cancer. In recent years the mainstream scientific community has started to seriously research this connection. It turns out that these patients are indeed correct and there are large studies to support this connection. Childhood abuse, for instance, increases the risk of developing cancer in adulthood. A recent study in the journal Cancer demonstrated that adults who reported physical abuse as children were 47% more likely to develop cancer. There are many well-documented physiological changes that occur with this type of abuse. More

patients need to recognize that there are clear psychological and physical changes that occur from abuse, and these make a person more likely to develop cancer. This is not an imaginary connection; it is a very real connection that is supported by large scale studies. The immune system is constantly patrolling the body looking for any abnormal cells and it engages them before they manifest into a clinical disease. During periods of acute stress, the immune system is significantly weaker. The immune system will therefore be less likely to recolonise these cancerous cells and it will be less effective at preventing the development of cancer. The stress from childhood abuse continues well after the abuse has stopped. Many patients are permanently emotionally scarred, and these emotional stressors will continue to weaken the immune system. Many people develop post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following childhood abuse. Abuse victims often remain silent about their experience and as a result have no outlet to deal with the PTSD. Many of these patients feel it is in their best interest to never bring it up and move on with their lives as if nothing happened. What they do not know is that these past traumas are affecting them in a very physical way. In some patients, one could argue that the true root cause of their cancer was the abuse they endured as a child. Stress and emotions can certainly be catalysts for the formation of cancer, but emotions can also be harnessed to promote

On October 23, 2014, Premier Christie Clark rose in the British Columbia Legislature to exonerate the six war chiefs. She said they were not outlaws or criminals but were justly defending their lands and people. The Prime Minister‘s heartfelt acknowledgement on Canada‘s highest political stage came nearly four years later. Witnessing the speeches from all sides of the House on the floor of Parliament were the chiefs of the six Tŝilhqot‘in communities: Joe Alphonse (Tl‘etinqox), Otis Guichon Sr (TsiDeldel), Roy Stump (ʔEsdilagh), Francis Laceese (T’lesqox), Russell Myers Ross (Yunisit‘in), and Jimmy Lulua (XeniGwet‘in). Justin Trudeau stated his intent to visit the Tŝilhqot‘in title lands this summer. So, the work begins. The exoneration is not the end of the process, just the beginning. The difference now is that the Indigenous owners of the land are full partners in the process to move forward to reconstruct a just Canadian society. As Chief Joe Alphonse stated in Ottawa, there is no blueprint for this process anywhere else in the world. Guided by principles of fairness and inclusiveness, success is furthered. That is the hope as we move forward together. All my relations. 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.

the healing process. When an active effort is made to channel this emotional energy, it becomes possible to remove the emotional burden holding you back, and it is possible to improve the effectiveness of your immune system. At my workshops I show patients how to channel this emotional energy. There are two group healings offering the opportunity to work with this energy. Some of the most profound healings I have witnessed resulted from a powerful shift in the patient‘s emotional energy. Sometimes a simple acupuncture treatment or a counselling session can bring these deeply rooted emotions to the surface. To optimize the patient‘s immune system and promote healing, it is critical that the emotional root cause of the problem is addressed. At the end of the day we want to look at every possible factor impacting the patient. The emotional components of healing cannot be ignored, and they can make a big difference when battling something serious such as cancer. A naturopathic doctor can help you to develop a safe and effective treatment plan to battle cancer on the physical and emotional levels. Dr. Adam McLeod is a naturopathic doctor (ND), BSc. (Hon) molecular biology, motivational speaker, and international bestselling author. He currently practises in Vancouver, British Columbia where he focuses on integrative cancer care. http:// www.yaletownnaturopathic.com

By Al-Lisa McKay

“

Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” Hippocrates

erbal medicine is an ancient medical system that has provided the world‘s population with safe, effective, and affordable medicines for at least 60,000 years. Even today, the population of developing countries worldwide continues to rely heavily on plant medicines for their healthcare needs. Globally, there is now a general recognition that the medicines once described as primitive could be humankind‘s saving grace and so within the past two decades, the views of herbs as medicines moved from ―witches brew‖ to major medicine. Herbs are used for the treatment of chronic and acute conditions and various ailments, including major health concerns like cardiovascular disease, prostate problems, depression, inflammation, and a weakened immune system. Herbs are used around the world to treat conditions and diseases, and many studies prove their efficacy. In fact, of the 177 drugs approved worldwide for the treatment of cancer, more than 70 percent are based on natural products or chemical imitations of natural products. Having experienced first hand the selfempowerment that comes from knowing the healing potential of plants, I have made it my personal path to finding, disseminating, and growing medicinal herbs when and where I can. Here are some growing tips and the main things you will need to get your plants started. Start your plants or seeds in clean potting soil; or, if you‘re reusing old soil, remove any dead roots and mix in some compost or fertilizer. Then give things a little boost as needed throughout the season. You can use water-soluble natural fertilizers about every two weeks, like organic coffee grounds, seaweed, or ―liquid fish.‖ Why? If you want your plants to keep producing throughout the summer, it‘s important that the soil they‘re growing in is aerated enough to let oxygen through and provides enough nutrients. When you‘re watering small containers frequently, you end up flushing out the nutrients in the potting soil. Once you have planted your herb garden, make sure it gets two inches of water

(Above): One of Al-Lisa's medicinal herb gardens. (Right top) : Chamomile harvesting in Al-Lisa's garden. (Right bottom): St. John's Wort in Al-Lisa's garden. Photos: Al-Lisa McKay

every week. Also, make sure to harvest your herbs frequently. Many times, when a new gardener is starting an herb garden, they are afraid that harvesting the herbs frequently will hurt them. Actually, the opposite is true. Frequent harvesting of herbs will result in the herb plant producing more and more foliage, which increases the amount you are able to harvest. At the end of the season, you can also dry or freeze your herb harvest, so you can enjoy homegrown herbs all year round. Taking the time to plant an herb garden is very satisfying and easy. By starting an herb garden and growing herbs, you can add beauty to your garden, flavour to your kitchen, and health to your bodies. A good starter base herbal kit you could grow would be of these varieties: (I have provided just a little tidbit of information about each herb listed. There could be small novels written about each and, of course, each herb you plant should be researched for its benefits and cautions.)  Chamomile: Use the flower heads and foliage of this medicinal herb for infusions and salves to relieve indigestion and colic, anxiety and tension, and skin inflammations and irritations.  Basil: This medicinal herb can help with flatulence, lack of appetite, cuts, and scrapes. Harvest the young leaves of this annual plant as needed.  Echinacea: If you suffer from a cold or the flu, try this medicinal herb to ease the

severity of your symptoms. It also helps provide relief to your immune system.  Feverfew: Use the leaves and flowers of this medicinal herb for teas; chew leaves to ease headache pain (including migraines). It‘s also provided relief from arthritis and skin conditions.  Johnny Jump Up: With antiinflammatory properties, this medicinal herb is good for eczema and skin blemishes and to help loosen phlegm.  Lavender: Even smelling this medicinal herb calms and relaxes. It also eases pain, and when applied to cuts and bruises functions as an antiseptic.  Lemon Balm: A relative of mint, lemon balm is a versatile medicinal herb that helps relieve anxiety, insomnia, wounds, herpes, insect bites, flatulence, and an upset stomach. It also speeds the healing of cold sores.  Marigold: Good for sunburn, acne, and blemishes, this medicinal herb also soothes ulcers and digestive problems.  Parsley: Don't think of it as decorative on your plate; this medicinal herb is loaded with nutrients as well as healing powers to help with flatulence and bad breath.  Peppermint: If you have digestion or gas, sipping tea made from this medicinal herb might provide relief. It‘s also been shown to help soothe headaches.  Rosemary: This medicinal herb helps memory and concentration, improves mood, and sweetens breath.

the name, Salvia, means ―to heal,‖ reflecting its early use as a medicinal, not culinary, herb. It can help provide relief for mouth and throat inflammations.  Thyme: The active principle in thyme, thymol, is a strong antiseptic. If you suffer from coughs, congestion, indigestion, or gas, consider using this medicinal herb.  St, John’s Wort: Talk to your doctor if you suffer from mild to moderate depression; they may suggest St. John‘s Wort. The glossy leaves and yellow flowers are this medicinal herb‘s active parts. Wishing you a glorious healthy relationship with a garden of your desire and design and always remember to choose to nurture and grow kindness.  Sage:

“Kind hearts are the gardens, kind thoughts are the roots, kind words are the flowers, kind deeds are the fruits, take care of your garden and keep out the weeds, fill it with sunshine, kind words, and kind deeds." ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Al-Lisa McKay is a chartered herbalist and avid wild crafter. She is also the founder of Miss White Spider Arts, a Williams Lakebased fine arts business offering workshops, travelling theatre, paintings, portraits, puppets, dolls, music, dance, sculpture, installation art, murals, and other fine arts. Find her on Facebook at Miss White Spider Arts or visit her website misswhitespider.com.

Submitted by Zirnhelt Timber Frames

e recently had the privilege of working with Esk‘etemc First Nation to design and build the Letwilc ten Semec, or ―Healing My Spirit‖ Lodge. The lodge is part of the larger provincial effort to address addictions and an extension of the leadership Esk‘etemc First Nation has demonstrated in this area for many decades. This project expresses many of the core values of our company. This was the first building in a northern climate and the first in an Indigenous community to receive a Net Zero Energy Ready (NZER) label administered by the Canadian Home Builders Association. In short, NZER means if solar panels are installed on the south-facing roof, the building will generate as much energy as it consumes. We started our company with a vision of developing sustainable or ―green‖ building systems. Over the last 20 years the available body of building science knowledge has expanded rapidly as have other key elements of producing better buildings including design software, tools, trades skills, and materials (e.g. air and vapour membranes, insulation, doors and windows, mechanical systems, and lighting). Building green means different things to different people and the standards and targets are evolving quickly. For some having a home built from natural products is paramount. For others energy efficiency is the most critical criteria.

(Left) Esk’etemc First Nation, Alkali Lake Health & Wellness Centre, which received a Net Zero Energy Ready label from the Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA). (Right) Cathedral ceiling in main entry of building. Photos submitted by Sam Zirnhelt

At Zirnhelt Timber Frames (ZTF) our criteria for green or sustainable building include: 1. energy efficiency – reducing our carbon footprint and operating costs 2. durability – the buildings must last for many generations 3. occupant health – often more natural materials are favoured to achieve this element 4. affordability – there‘s no point in designing a ―perfect‖ building if people can‘t afford to build them. And, once the above are met, buildings should also be beautiful and culturally appropriate, fit with the local environment, and add value to the community they join. In reality, there is some degree of trade-off

between the level of energy efficiency and use of natural materials with affordability. The challenge we enjoy is to hit the right mix or ―sweet spot‖ for each situation and move each project as far as is practical along the sustainability continuum. By 2032 it is expected that the BC Building Code will require all new builds to be net zero energy ready. When designing and building homes and public or commercial buildings we should start meeting this standard now. To maximize value to the communities we work with we need to collaborate from the design phase through to completion. Our goal is to incorporate as much local employment and capacity building as possible in each project. Ideally, we work with

communities on a range of projects (e.g. daycares, elder and youth centres, administration buildings, housing, and other economic development priorities). This helps design training and schedule projects for consistent employment. In some cases, we also include sawmill training, something we‘ve been doing for 25 years. We thank the leadership and community of Esk'etemc for the assistance and forward thinking vision they provided which was pivotal to the success of this project. For more info please contact Sam Zirnhelt at (250)296-3499 or email info@ZTFrames.com. To learn more about the project, see: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?time_continue=5&v=EJuwvmz85yo

Submitted by Creative Therapy for Kids

he last year has been about transition, change, and opportunity, according to paediatric therapist and women‘s health practitioner, Melissa LaPointe. For four years, she operated a part-time therapy practice called Strong Beginnings, where she provided occupational therapy services to children and families in Williams Lake. In the last two years, she‘s also been growing a virtual business. Using primarily a laptop, iPhone, and online technology, LaPointe offers consulting and coaching services to other occupational therapists and business owners with an interest in family wellness. It was through online work she was able to successfully pivot her business when the wildfires hit last summer. ―When the evacuation order hit, I was already out of town for a family vacation,‖ she said. ―We ended up being away for 63 days altogether, which really impacted my brick and mortar business and my day-to-day operations. During this time, I turned a lot of my attention to my online business. ―So many therapists are moving towards a cash-based therapy practice in women‘s health, especially in the US. I‘m now working with many clients online, coaching them through mindset challenges, teaching about online technology in healthcare, and providing guidance with professional development.‖ But as much as LaPointe loves her online work, she‘s also very attached to being a pediatric OT in the Cariboo. ―It‘s been almost 13 years that I‘ve worked in Williams Lake,‖ she explains.―There are kids on my caseload that I‘ve known for years that hold a very special place in my heart. I‘m not ready to give that up, but in September 2017, I had to admit I was spreading myself way too thin. I had tried to recruit a part-time OT from another community but managing the overhead on my own was still a challenge. I needed more support.‖ And that‘s when the magic happened. Creative Therapy Consultants (CTC) is an established private practice based out of Penticton, providing adult-focused rehabilitation services throughout the Interior Region. LaPointe heard through the grapevine that CTC was interested in expanding into pediatrics. She reached out to the owner,

The team at Creative Therapy for Kids includes office manager, Raylene Dieck (left), paediatric occupational therapist, Danelle Fuller (middle), and team leader, Melissa LaPointe (right). Photo: Marc LaPointe

Dave McInerney, and expressed interest in a collaborative partnership where together they could build a stronger pediatric team. ―I‘ve actually done contract work for CTC in the past, as have two of my friends,‖ said LaPointe. ―They‘re leaders in the private sector and they have a great reputation for being team-oriented with a focus on professional development and client satisfaction. After doing more research, it was definitely a company I wanted to collaborate with.‖ In October, LaPointe and McInerney came to an agreement and Creative Therapy for Kids was born. LaPointe is now in the position of team leader and Raylene Dieck will continue as office manager. They‘ve welcomed a new full-time paediatric occupational therapist to the team, Danelle Fuller. Fuller has been with Creative Therapy Consultants for over 18 months. Originally from Kelowna, she was interested in relocating to Williams Lake to practice in pediatrics. Her husband, Reilly Fuller, has connections to the Williams Lake community as well, as he attended middle and high school at Williams Lake Secondary and played hockey and baseball in the area for many years. LaPointe mentors Fuller in addition to working with her to develop programs and client resources. ―She‘s the perfect addition to our team,‖ said LaPointe. ―Our strengths really complement one another and it‘s been so great having another therapist to collaborate with.‖

Creative Therapy for Kids is located downtown on Oliver Street, above Woodland Jewellers. The group works with children and families in the Cariboo-Chilcotin region, including Quesnel, Williams Lake, and 100 Mile House. ―Some of our clients have a diagnosis of autism; some have a diagnosis of a learning disability, anxiety or AD(H)D,‖ said LaPointe. ―We try not to focus too much on a child‘s diagnosis and instead we take a very individualized approach to our families.

―During our initial consultation, we spend some time on getting a better snapshot of what‘s going well and where there are some challenges. Our focus might be on things related to school, like attention, time -management, organization, and handwriting. Maybe the focus will be on socialemotional development, making friends, and getting more involved in the community. Or sometimes we focus on stress management, where we‘re working with the family on setting health goals around more movement-based activity, more outdoor time, and less screen time. After our initial consultation, we then work together to build a roadmap for our families to not only survive but thrive. ―Our services are considered cash-based and are meant to complement what‘s being offered through the publicly funded healthcare system,‖ LaPointe explains. ―There are options: some families pay out of pocket, several of our clients have access to provincial autism funding, and some families access our services through their homeschooling organizations, especially if their children have designated special needs. ―We place a high value on education and caregiver coaching for the parents and grandparents that take part in our programs, she explains.―It‘s our goal to give them the resources, tools, education, and support to help themselves and their families.‖ If you think your family would benefit from working with Creative Therapy for Kids, the group is currently offering new families a free 20-minute phone consultation. Please phone the office at (778) 4129661 or email kids@creativerehab.ca.

By Terri Smith

eing a sustainable or ‗green‘ business is about more than just recycling. To borrow from the biodynamic agriculture ideal, true sustainability should be threefold. That is, you cannot consider yourself to be truly successful as a sustainable business unless you are economically, ecologically, and socially sustainable. Jas Sabbarwal of Bliss in Quesnel, manages to be all three. Sabbarwal worked in the forest industry for years, but when he was laid off in 2009, he saw it as an opportunity to realize the dream he had always had of opening a restaurant. He had no previous experience in the food industry, but he did have a good business background and, as he says, with the other parts of the business you can learn as you go, and learn from your mistakes, but, ―you have to have that business savvy.‖ But it wasn‘t just business savvy he had to have; he needed the blessing of his family. Sabbarwal‘s family is his top priority, so before starting Bliss, he sat down with his wife and their three daughters to ask them what they thought of the idea. His daughters thought it was pretty cool, but he laughingly tells me, ―I told them, no, not cool. There might be days I‘m not in a good mood because it will be stressful sometimes. I could be grumpy...‖ He promised his family they would have a vote every six months for the first few years, and if the vote was not unani-

Jas Sabbarwal, owner of Bliss in Quesnel, BC. Photo: Terri Smith

mously in favour of the restaurant, he would shut down the business. He explains, ―Family/work balance is important, and we worked it out.‖ It wasn‘t easy for the first few years getting started, but his family continued to vote in favour, and after five or six years Bliss had become an established business able to support a family. It doesn‘t just support Sabbarwal and his family either. In the nine years since it opened, Bliss has become an integral part of the community. As I talk with Sabbarwal, one of his employees finishes her shift

and heads home, and moments later when a man and his daughter come in to order a couple of chai lattes, Sabbarwal excuses himself to go serve them. He greets them with a sincere smile and asks the daughter, ―How‘s your dog?‖ She laughs and answers happily, and the three of them talk like old friends who have just bumped into each other while going about their day. This is the reason Bliss is such a great place to be. Not only is the food wonderful and affordable, the atmosphere is like coming home. I always feel happy as soon as I walk into this funky little café, and it is one of my favourite places to eat. I‘m definitely not alone in this feeling, either. A few weeks ago, a friend of mine drove all the way up from Williams Lake after work one evening just for the butter chicken poutine and a visit with Sabbarwal and friends! Sabbarwal is a compassionate person by nature, and he loves what he does. He tells me, ―I‘m grateful to live in a small community because the community gives us so much and we like to give back.‖ And do they ever! There is always some sort of fundraiser or community-building event being supported with the help of Bliss. On this particular day, there are signs on the tables saying, ―Buy a cupcake or brownie and support your local SPCA.‖ With all the proceeds going to the fundraiser, this isn‘t even something that makes money for his business. Sabbarwal just likes to help. If more companies followed his philosophy the world could truly be a sustainable place. He tells me, ―we want to build a

great community, because the community is us.‖ He continues, ―the community is where you live; if you want to make it good for yourself, you have to make it good for other people.‖ He offers me a second chai latte (Bliss is my favourite place to go for chai), and I ask about the upcoming, Purple Days fundraiser for epilepsy on March 16 where people can buy a $10 mystery ―bowl of bliss‖ with 40 per cent of sales going towards the fundraiser. Every time I come in here there is something new happening and I have also found that the windows of Bliss are a great place to find out about interesting events coming up in the community because they feature the most interesting and up-to-date event posters in town. Sabbarwal also buys tickets to most of the local events and often donates to many large and small initiatives in this community. With compostable cups and in-store recycling, Sabbarwal and his staff try to create as little waste as possible, but their true sustainability is in being a part of creating a vibrant, local community. When he began, Sabbarwal had a 10-year plan; now 10 years has almost passed and it will be interesting to see where Bliss and the community that loves it will go from here. Terri Smith is a non-certified organic vegetable farmer in the Cariboo. She is passionate about writing, art, goats, and feeding good food to good people. She believes in following your heart, living your dreams, and taking care of the planet.

By Terri Smith

have spent nearly two years trying to figure out the direction my new life here in Quesnel is to take. In the meantime, while waiting to figure it out, I have been building a lovely life for myself without even noticing. I have continued to write this column, rather guiltily these two years, as I‘m not actually a farmer any more. But neither can I let go of being a farmer; growing food is one of my passions. When I moved back to Williams Lake in 2008, we threw ourselves into volunteering for all kinds of local food initiatives so that we could get to know our community, get involved in the local food movement, and find our market. But we lived so far out of town that we spent tons of time and money driving around to volunteer. I think volunteering is a wonderful thing, and I have learned a lot and enjoyed it so much. But the reality is that one does need to make enough money to survive. We burnt out. It‘s a common story. So, when I moved to Quesnel, I resolved to not get involved in much of anything until I figured out what I was doing. And then one day, a few months after I had moved, I was sitting in the wonderful coffee shop/bookstore on Reid Street, drinking a latte and reading a book, when I couldn‘t help but overhear the women talking at the table behind me. I was trying not to eavesdrop, but they kept saying words like ―CSA‖ and ―market gardening,‖ ―local food,‖ and ―box-a-week.‖ I struggled with myself for a while, but when their conversation turned to other things, I went over and introduced myself. I felt shy, but excited. ―I‘m sorry,‖ I started, ever the Canadian. ―I couldn‘t help but overhear you guys and, well... the words I keep hearing are also my words and I just needed to know you...‖ It was a rather awkward introduction on my part, but they invited me to sit down. They were, of course, the lovely sisters, Amy and Jenny of Long Table Grocery, which hadn‘t quite opened yet. I told them about myself and that I didn‘t know how or when I could be involved, but that I very much wanted to know the people here involved in local

By Cameron Thompson

C‘s resident killer whales are in real danger of extinction unless the government takes immediate steps to protect them, says Port-Moody Coquitlam MP Fin Donnelly, who is currently serving as NDP critic for fisheries and oceans. In parliament last week, Donnelly called upon the federal government to issue an emergency order for the protection of the killer whales. ―With 76 southern resident killer whales remaining, people are worried they‘ll be extinct unless this government takes immediate action,‖ Donnelly told parliament. Only 20 of those 76 resident whales are female, and the entire population is at fur-

Part of the Long Table crew: Jenny, Amy, Garret, and Terri. Photo: Mark Rupp

know the people here involved in local food. They asked me if I wanted to grow for them, and I laughed and said, ―no?‖I

meant no, I didn‘t want to go right back to market gardening. My body couldn‘t take it, and neither could my bank account, but neither did I know how to stop. I had a farming addiction. And so, for my own good, I stayed away from them for two years. I followed the progress of Long Table from a distance, but I didn‘t even go into the store or to any of the events. I was always happy to see what was happening at a distance, and,

truthfully, I was a bit jealous, but I just couldn‘t get involved until I knew what I was doing. Sometime in February, Amy posted on the Facebook page that they were looking for people interested in teaching workshops on art or food or farming, and a friend of mine tagged me in it with the comment that maybe I could teach how to do a needle-felting project. Her comment made me laugh because my first real connection to local food here would be needlefelted fairy houses, whereas in Williams Lake I was known as ―that intense vegetable girl.‖ I replied that I have taught actual gardening workshops, too, and then I forgot about it. That evening Amy messaged me to ask if I might be interested in teaching a few workshops. We agreed to meet the following week, and thus began a wonderful new friendship and a turning point in my life and outlook on what I am doing. I taught my first workshop in March of this year and while I had a single moment of fear as 18 faces turned to me, trusting that I could teach them to felt a fairy mushroom house in two hours, I just jumped in and we all had a great time and everyone went home happy with their project. I have one more of those workshops coming up in April, but not only that, I also have workshops coming up on Seed Starting, Compost Building, Season Extending, and Bio-

ther risk from declining food sources – such as Chinook salmon – in local waters. Federal government has plan in place Fisheries minister Dominic LeBlanc told Donnelly the federal government‘s oceans protection plan recognizes the vital role Chinook play in the food chain, and it will encourage the development of a strategy to protect the species. ―This is an iconic species for all Canadians; that‘s why our government announced an ambitious 1.5-billion-dollar oceans protections plan,‖ Blanc said, adding the plan has partnered with Indigenous communities to advise on how to protect the species and help it recover. Action not happening fast enough In a recent interview with The Voice,

dynamic Gardening. Once again, I am doing the thing I am most passionate about— teaching people about growing food, and this time I‘m not losing money or wearing myself out to do it. I have made an interesting niche (or niches) for myself. Meeting with Amy also led to my ―volunteering‖ at Long Table every second week, but for my ―volunteer‖ time they send me home with an amazing and huge box of organic food items. The only place I ever really bought new clothes, ―My Own Collection,‖ owned by my friend, Felice, an importer of interesting clothing and other goods from India, is now where I work part time and where I get clothing and art supplies. I still work at the Station House Gallery in Williams Lake each month to help set up for openings, and I also display and sell my various art works in the gallery shop. TheGreenGazette provides a much-needed outlet for writing—sort of like going to confession every two months, only instead of confiding privately to a priest, I just confess all my hopes and fears and failures and happy moments to the Cariboo at large (and then I‘m surprised when the general public seems to know such intimate details about my life). Now that I will be teaching about gardening again, I have the incentive to revive the practices I let slide once I arrived here. I can‘t wait to dig my hands into the soil once more and build a beautiful biodynamic compost. I‘m excited to teach others about using the planting calendar and I can‘t wait to start seedlings with my next class. I have found a haphazard way of pursuing all my passions and having them provide me with what I need, not only to survive, but to thrive. As soon as I stopped worrying about what I was going to do, I found that I was already doing it. When I stopped worrying about money, money arrived. My life is filled with love and laughter, good food, and great people. I am no longer a farmer; I am also a farmer. Terri Smith is a non-certified organic vegetable farmer in the Cariboo. She is passionate about writing, art, goats, and feeding good food to good people. She believes in following your heart, living your

preservation of the southern killer whale population. Dawe said the government‘s current strategy will not be effective in recovering the Chinook salmon the whales feed on and agrees with Donnelly‘s call for an emergency order for protection. ―Now is the time to use the law in the favour of the killer whales,‖ Dawe said. ―I think if we wait any longer we might not have any killer whales to recover.‖ Donnelly said that while research was important, the government‘s plan will not act quickly enough to protect the whales, since their food source is a pressing issue. Charlotte Dawe, conservation and policy campaigner for the Wilderness Committee, said there is no time left to act on

* This article reprinted with permission from the Langara Voice. https:// www. l angaravoi ce. ca/ mp - cal l s-f oremergency-action-on-b-c-s-endangeredwhales/

By LeRae Haynes

ou don‘t have to be an astonishingly accomplished gardener to join the Williams Lake Garden Club, but with all the sharing of ideas, resources, inspiration, and expertise, you may turn into one. The group encourages and supports the horticultural interests of local residents through educational sessions that appeal to both experienced and new gardeners. The monthly meetings include keynote speakers, networking, and contests and they collaborate with like-minded groups in the area to enhance their gardening knowledge. Chris Coates has been with the Williams Lake Garden Club for several years, serving on the executive and recently taking on the program director position. She is a lifelong gardener. ―I love being in gardens–my parents and everyone I know had gardens,‖ she said. ―My mom grew flowers and my dad had a vegetable garden. ―I always enjoyed being around living, growing things, and I love the outdoors in general. Having beautiful things in your yard is so satisfying, and it encourages bees and birds,‖ she continued, adding that she really likes visiting nurseries. The Williams Lake Garden Club is easy to join. You just come to a meeting, either paying a $2 drop-in fee or a $10 membership fee for a year. ―We had more than 40 people at our February meeting,‖ said Coates. ―Our guest speaker, a master gardener from Prince George, talked to us about growing fruit in your backyard.‖ She said that some nurseries will give discounts to garden club members. On Saturday, May 26, the Station House Gallery is hosting a Williams Lake Lilac Festival in honour of the City‘s official

The Williams Lake Garden Club will feature the garden tour on July 7. Photo: Sheila Wyse

flower/shrub. One of the events that day will be a Best Designed Cake competition. ―Also in May, instead of holding our monthly meeting indoors, we‘re carpooling out to Horsefly to see a beautiful alpine garden,‖ said Coates. ―The owner will show us around the garden and tell us how he grows it. And in September we‘re touring a xeriscape garden as one of our club activities. ―That gardener told us that when she came home last summer after the wildfires, her xeriscape garden was fine.‖ The much-enjoyed and highly anticipated garden tour is back this year. Held every two years, the event features 8-10 different gardens with a wide range of themes, décor, and foliage.

Coates said people are looking forward to the garden tour on July 7 this summer, especially after the wildfire events last summer. ―It‘s truly a celebration that the tour is on that date–a year from the beginning of last year‘s fires,‖ she said. ―The garden tour is a wonderful, inspiring, calming experience. Having a garden yourself is very therapeutic, and getting to visit other people‘s is just as good.‖ Garden tour organizer Gerry Gebert explained that the self-guided event has beautiful, unique characteristics. ―The layout, the views – trees, shrubs, flowers, perennials, and veggies – I love the variety and learn something every time,‖ she said. She started the garden tour in Williams Lake because when she lived in Kelowna,

By Kaitlyn Berry, WLFPC Food Action Coordinator ―And the Spring arose on the garden fair, like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere; And each flower and herb on Earth‘s dark breast Rose from the dreams of its wintry rest.‖ ―The Sensitive Plant‖ ~ by Percy Bysshe Shelley

pring is such a welcome season after the prolonged northern winter and the hibernation that accompanies it. As the seasonal cycle turns toward warmth, melt, and growth, we are roused into activity, and begin anew the projects stalled by winter‘s hand. Our energies having been renewed, we are not easily taxed by the duties of early spring but seem to fly at them incautiously (to our body‘s dismay days after the fact). Spring gives us a kind of youthfulness that carries us through these full days. It is no accident that rejuvenation (literally, to make young again) is a word used in connection with the season. Rejuvenation is an especially important concept this year, given the wildfires of last. Many of us had to leave our homes and gardens behind last summer, and most of us did not get the kind of harvest we were expecting. For this reason, this spring is a chance at a better growing season for all. Although there is little

Spring: A season of renewal and rejuvenation. Photo: LeRae Haynes

we can do to prevent the fires from starting again, we can act in the possibility that they will not and defy the fear that threatens to dampen our rejuvenation and renewal. Around us, in our forests, rejuvenation is already underway. Though we most typically connect wildfires with destruction (for good reason) their regenerative attributes should not be forgotten. Once a wildfire has been through an area, the possibilities for an open seedbed, new habitats, and diverse and healthy ecosystems are generally increased. With the underbrush gone, the seedbed is open to vegetation that didn‘t stand a

chance before. Invasive species are largely wiped out, giving native species an opportunity to move back in and gain the advantage. Diseases and destructive insects established in the area are eliminated. Wildflowers (especially fireweed, which makes incredible honey) populate the area, attracting the all-important honey bee, the butterflies, and other integral species. Suffice it to say, spring deserves heightened recognition this year, and the Williams Lake Food Policy Council (WLFPC) intends to deliver. The WLFPC celebrates spring with Seedy Saturday, the first local

the garden tour was enormously popular. ―It was a great outing for people to have a nice lunch and tour beautiful gardens.‖ The response to the tour in Williams Lake has been appreciative and enthusiastic. ―In my own garden I have perennial flowers, shrubs, and trees,‖ she continued, ―and I‘m getting better at veggies.‖ The garden tour is a stunning combination of nature and art: a partnership between gardeners and painters, potters, spinners, weavers, quilters, and musicians. Visitors on the tour will be surrounded by beauty – lovely hand-crafted local quilts, pottery, and water paintings decorating the gardens, with spinners and weavers set up with a loom or a wheel and live music on some of the locations. Gebert explained that only 200 tickets are sold for the tour, adding that they start selling them in June in places like the Open Book. Posters go up all over town, and ticket locations will be announced closer to the event. ―I love planting a garden with my hands in the soil,‖ she continued. ―I like to see growth and beauty and eat veggies fresh from my garden - you just go to the garden to get your supper. ―Spring is so exciting: seeing what survived the winter,‖ she said. ―Every year we don‘t know, and there‘s such anticipation in the spring. ―We all love just being in the garden.‖ For more information about the Williams Lake Garden Club, including the tour, follow them on Facebook, and watch for posters. 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.

food event of the season, and this year we intend to do so with a special focus on the potential for rebirth in store for the season in our forests, our gardens, and ourselves. This year also marks Seedy Saturday‘s 10th anniversary. Everyone is welcome to join us in celebrating spring and the WLFPC this year on May 5, in Boitanio Park from 10-2. There will be vendors, food, and kids‘ activities. To contact us, visit our Facebook page (Williams Lake Food Policy Council) or contact us by email at foodpolicycouncil@hotmail.com. Watch our page or local media for upcoming workshops, meetings, work-bees, programs, and new developments. The goals of the WLFPC are to promote opportunities for skill development and increased self-sufficiency around food; increase production, consumption, and access to locally grown and produced foods; encourage practices and policies that promote healthy eating, active lifestyle, and sustainable communities; and grow a viable local food economy. The goals of the WLFPC are furthered through relationships with The City of Williams Lake, the Cariboo Regional District, the First Nations Health Authority, Interior Health, School District #27, the Child Development Centre under whose board we operate, the First Nations communities with whom we are in partnership, Cariboo Growers, local producers, and all previous and current volunteers and members of the community garden.

By Tera Grady

n 2017, China implemented its National Sword initiative, which has drastically reduced the amount of contamination permitted in recyclables sent to China. This change has brought about some impacts on Cariboo Regional District residents that you should know about. These changes have been minor, since all the curbside and the majority of the depot recycling services available in the Cariboo Regional District (CRD) are funded by Recycle BC. However, many other jurisdictions in BC are not partnered with Recycle BC and are struggling to find markets for their recyclables because of the initiative. T he N a t io na l Sword initiative has affected Recycle BC‘s mixed paper – including paper, boxboard, newspaper, and cardboard recyclables – as these items have historically been sent to China. All Recycle BC‘s plastic, metal, and glass is recycled domestically in British Columbia, Canada, or North America. Cartons are recycled in South Korea and foam packaging is recycled in BC and other international markets. To date, Recycle BC‘s mixed paper recyclables are still being accepted by China, but there are some adjustments that need to be made to the list of acceptable materials for this to continue. Recycle BC has just announced that paper bags lined with plastic or containing plastic windows will no longer be accepted in curbside or depot collection services. These items include some dog food bags, tortilla chip bags, bread bags, etc. Please discontinue recycling these items so that the rest of the fiber materials can continue to be accepted for recycling. The number one item of contamination in the fiber-recycling stream is plastic bags. Do not dispose of plastic bags in your curbside recycling. If you are in the habit of shredding paper and containing it

in a plastic bag before it goes into your curbside tote, you can continue to do this, but please consider using a paper bag or cardboard box to contain the shredded paper instead. Curbside collected recyclables are separated into different material types in the Lower Mainland, and there are a number of things that make this separation difficult. The first is plastic bags. If other recyclables are tied up inside plastic bags, they cannot be separated into different types. Loose plastic bags wrap around the gears and belts in the sorting facility and cause down time to remove them. Paper and paper fiber recyclables are often separated from other recyclables with blasts of air. Plastic bags are also captured by these blasts of air, causing them to contaminate the fiber stream. The second thing that makes separation difficult is when recyclables are bundled together. If you jam a tin can inside a plastic container and then stuff them into a cardboard box, none of the items can be separated at the sorting facility, especially after they have been compacted in the collection truck, and then bailed at a processing facility. Please place your recyclables loose in the curbside totes. A third item is glass containers. Glass can be recycled at a depot, but never in your curbside totes. Glass breaks apart and the shards imbed in the other types of recyclables, which means it cannot be separated from the other items, especially the fibers. Glass is also dangerous for workers at the processing and sorting facilities. Learn more by following us on Facebook at facebook.com/caribooregion, visiting us online at cariboord.ca, or looking for our Waste Wise articles in your local paper. For more information on the Waste Wise Program, call (250) 398-7929. You can also find more details on Waste Wise activities and events at ccconserv.org.

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By Oliver Berger

hina has experienced a huge increase in coal-burning for power and industry in the last 50 years. The result from burning coal has made China into an unhealthy, hazy space for humans and animals to reside. China is responsible for 30 per cent of all globally emitted greenhouse gases. However, in recent years there has been a rise in low-carbon energy, and emission rates have actually started to decrease. They must want to breathe a little easier. China has also been exporting products to the rest of the world for decades. Cargo ships span the Earth‘s waters to bring us our stuff. What do they go home with? One option for the empty backhauls is to fill the ships with high-quality scrap for reuse back in China. This was a great opportunity for the booming manufacturing country to obtain raw materials. This was also advantageous for other countries looking for avenues to dispose of their waste. It became the norm. So normal in fact, China now receives approximately 60% per cent of the world‘s paper, plastic, and metal leftovers. Somewhere along the line things have gotten messy. Scrap is great when you get the type of material you actually requested. It is not good when it comes mixed with all sorts of ‗who knows what‘. Contamination is a serious issue. Making quality products for market can be painstaking and very costly when your raw product is unreliable. Processing requirements, facility standards, and environmental regulations are also different in China. Dealing with so much foreign waste has become a challenge and a health hazard. Much unwanted, unusable, or unsortable material has ended up there—among the people, in the land, and in the seas. While doing my research for this article, I came across the term ‗world‘s dumpsite‘ used to refer to China‘s situation. Not a cool nickname. What is cool, though, is this: I had the pleasure of travelling to China for three weeks with my dad in 2005. We were taken aback with the constant activity around us. Thousands of people would function in their everyday routines without much quarrel. Where we would use machines to do our work, the Chinese used people power. Moving mountains with

Shanghai, China: Aerial shot of a waste sorting facility. Photo: Shutterstock.com

shovels, they work together as a strong team. China is currently making headlines in the waste sector with what they are calling, The National Sword. Out of concern for the environment and public health, China is now restricting the import of certain categories of solid waste and significantly lowering the allowable contamination percentages on incoming scrap. They set the bar very low, to a 0.5% -1% contamination rate. Any bit of it and they will refuse the shipment. Current contamination rates vary all over North America. In our province, they can range anywhere from 3.6 to 12.9 per cent, so far. Collection facilities all over North America and Europe are now having a tough time selling their bales of recyclables since the implementation of the National Sword early this year. Because there are not many processing facilities located locally, the parking lots are piling up with big bricks of scrap and nowhere to go. Some cities are considering removing their recycling programs for the time being until they can sort this out. Having relied on China to deal with the waste for so many decades, for the first time in a long time, we are faced with our leftovers head on. There really is no ―away,‖ is there? China has done this before. In 2013 they erected a ‗green fence‘ putting stricter regulations on the recycling commodity imports from around the world. This little push brought on some revamping of the recycling in our province, and Recycle BC was born.

Recycle BC created congruence across the province regarding the types of materials we can and cannot recycle—at very little cost to the taxpayer, I might add. The Recycling Council of British Columbia has also been a great asset in answering BC‘s recycling questions and created a recycling app (Recyclepedia) to make life even easier. These and other successful education programs across our province have given us an upper hand in this situation… currently, anyways. We are still in the early stages. Here in the waste sector world we are bracing ourselves for what will become of these new regulations and how we will adapt. The

public will have to be even better with their contamination rates. We will have to begin processing more recyclables locally. We will have to buy less garbage. I find it amazing when major populations, like China, make such bold leaps and bounds to make positive change happen. In my view, if a country wants to make a stand against the import of another country‘s waste, I respect that. Looking towards the future we must take more personal responsibility of the waste we generate. It is not right to dump it onto someone else‘s doorstep. In the developed world, Canada leads in the production of garbage per capita. It is true; look it up! I get asked why Canadians seem to fall behind in the garbage management side of things in comparison to other developed countries. Besides our biggest hurdle, which is the vast space we live in, we have not been faced with enough real dilemma to have to push for real change, just yet. Maybe this could be the start? As an English proverb says… ―Necessity is the mother of invention‖. Oliver has a 35-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.

These Cariboo locations are cutting down on their waste by composting or donating their food scraps:

These locations and business are helping the strawless campaign in the Cariboo by only serving straws upon request:

Contact the Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society to jump on board. Who are we missing? Give us a call and show us how your business is helping tackle the worldwide waste problem. Or â&#x20AC;Śtell us how you would like to learn how to help. Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society ccentre@ccconserv.org 250-398-7929 (Tues/Wed) @rattailtrails

By Van Andruss

ike so many others of my generation, half-asleep in a commercially-induced fog, the awakening of my social imagination took place in the 60s. There was a mixture of influences, political and economic, that might explain how the awakening happened, but that‘s not my interest here. My purpose is to call for another such uprising to pull ourselves out of this current social morass. It would not be the same sort of movement as before. We‘re 50 years beyond the 60s and things have changed radically. Yet similarities will persist. If such a movement takes place, deserting conventional careers in favour of alternative ways of living, it will likely happen among young people, for the older generation is commonly sunk in long-standing habits and a demanding array of obligations. I must believe that young people continue nowadays to search for the good life, a way of being that is comfortable, interesting, healthy, and, especially, of benefit to others and to the planet. Unburdened with debt and heavy commitments, many are in a position to do something different. The alternative to convention that my friends and I sought in BC in the 70s through the 90s took the form of a back-tothe-land movement. We fled the urban centers to locate ourselves in a natural setting, hungry for the wild, and BC, bless her, was the perfect place to carry out our impulse. The back-to-the-land movement largely took the form of sharing acreage with others. These were pockets of cooperation known as communes. They differed widely as to their ideals and the boldness of their effort to integrate varied personalities. But the belief was widespread among us that we were going to make a difference to contemporary society. As idealists, we truly believed we were going to change the world, that our actions would provide a model for social transformation.

suppose, like your parents waiting up when you‘ve been out late, it‘s time for us to have that little talk about Mars. As a reader of this column, you‘ve probably wondered what it might be like to stand on the surface, however briefly, and with some life support, of course. There would be a sky, because Mars still retains some atmosphere, but things would be stark and lifeless, like some remote desert on Earth. Mars has only one tenth the mass of Earth, so it hasn‘t been able to retain the atmosphere it once had. The sun would have about 70 per cent of the diameter it has here. It might feel like the warmth of a hazy day when the sun is very low in mid-January. Since the air would be very thin, a thousandth of Earth, there wouldn‘t be much wind chill. You would need twice the solar panels (so I would get more work.) Since the gravity is only 38 per cent of Earth, you would be an Olympic athlete at running and jumping or javelin throwing, things taking longer to fall back to ground.

Mandala of the Salmon Circle embracing Turtle Island. Illustration: Allison Evergreen

Such was the atmosphere in which we laid our plans. I would mention here that after the back-to-the land and communal period was well established, there emerged an interesting ―alternative‖ in Northern California called bioregionalism. Some people may remember this movement. It was more adapted to a democratic mix of people than the shared-property, communal sort of arrangement, and for the first time in our hippy days we discovered a public movement with political overtones that we could join with enthusiasm. We had dropped out of the mainstream, but through this new idea we could find our way back into the wider world from which we had distanced ourselves. Our commune was so taken with the idea, we co-published a book on the topic: Home: A Bioregional Reader (still available from New Society Publishers). Although bioregionalism has passed its heyday, its ideas are alive and dispersed in the contemporary social medium, as, for instance, permaculture, an all-species ethic,

eco-feminism, strong support of Indigenous peoples, a belief in community, and settling into specific place, what we called, as non-natives, ―re-inhabitation.‖ These remain positive responses to the current business-dominated civilization. What I wish to leave the reader with is the call for further exploration of alternative social relations. Let us not succumb to the corporate model aggrandizing the One Percent. If the communal movement and the bioregional ideals did not fully develop a conscious call for a new culture, they were at least headed in that direction. And it is precisely a new culture, a more integrated, more community-minded, settled, and joyous culture that we need at this historic moment. Such an ideal would have to be experimental. There is no textbook to inform us how to organize a humanly satisfying shift in our cultural bearings. We can only reach this goal by trying out different ways of living, different lifestyles, feeling our way as we go to find what is fitting to the ex-

If you ran headlong into something, however, the impact would be the same, since your inertial mass is unchanged. So, don‘t try it. A boxing match would be very interesting. It takes Mars about 1.8 Earth years to go around the sun, so fewer birthdays, a boon if you have a large family. She probably wouldn‘t appreciate those rare Martian meteorite earrings as much up there. The day is nearly the same length, however. To be there for any length of time would be hazardous. Mars does not have a molten iron core like Earth does, the differential rotation of which generates the Earth‘s magnetic field and protects us from solar and deep space radiation. You would have to spend most of your time in underground or heavily shielded bunkers and watch the sun‘s weather closely, to be able to hide from radiation storms. The low gravity, while fun at first, would cause your muscle and bone mass to atrophy. You wouldn‘t like it. I don‘t know if you can still sign up for Mars One; I‘m going to pass on it.

This is a year when Mars comes close, the Earth catching up to it in its orbit. Opposition is on July 27 and Mars will be at its best for a month or more on either side of that date. There is a 17-year cycle of close and more distant oppositions, since the orbit of Mars is eccentric. This year will be a close one, with the planet subtending twice the diameter of a distant opposition. That means four times the surface area to look at, so more detail can be seen. Offsetting that, is the fact that close oppositions are low in the sky, this year in Capricorn. The turbulence of Earth‘s atmosphere takes a heavy toll on objects that low in the sky. It can be like trying to look at something through a candle flame. Fortunately, there are moments when the air settles and you can make that connection with the solid surface of another world. The reality of that observation is what it is all about for us backyard observers. The less than dark skies around summer Solstice are not a hindrance to planetary observing. There was a Mars hoax that came up around the time of the very close opposition in 2003, which may still be circulating on the internet. It said Mars would appear as large as the full moon in the sky. There

perimenters involved. The experiments I am proposing will not be like ours in an earlier generation. They will be diverse in their organization and character. The beginnings will be made by circles of friends who have seen through the futility of subjecting themselves to a standardized world. They will have realized there must be a better way. Once the social imagination is freed up from its market-centered enchantment, novel alternatives will spring up. What I envision is small, local, integrated societies – with an emphasis on small – capable of a certain independence. I think of these units as watershed societies, similar to extended families, consisting of people who understand the necessity of caring for each other and the land. They may well come from city circumstances where they have met and have picked up on the idea of creating community. It will have become obvious to them that pooling their resources and their talents can open up new possibilities, new powers, which, as isolated individuals or couples, they could not even have imagined. Their dreams will likely take shape in a rural setting where it is possible to grow food and provide the necessary focus for making a new start. And most likely such experiments will emerge on the West Coast of this continent, just as they did before in the last century. It seems we have heard all we need to of global concerns. The time has come to turn our attention to the health of our local places and our domestic arrangements. After a long term of uprooting, let us set about re-constructing wholesome familiar worlds. Let‘s settle down, re-create community, and make ourselves at home again. 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 and can be reached at vanandruss@gmail.com. is some information missing there, however. The statement originally said Mars would be as large as t h e full mo o n to the naked eye, when viewed thru a telescope at 60x magnification, which is true. Practically speaking, the moon is much brighter than a magnified Mars, so I would typically use 250-300x to get that much detail. That is pretty demanding, optically. Fortunately, the equipment here at the observatory is up to the task. I certainly welcome my readers to come and see for yourself. There is no charge. Amateur astronomy is, for the most part, a freely given look into something that is your heritage. We have a campsite and a creature comforts heated tent/cabin adjacent to the observatory if you want to spend the night. As usual, you can come right down to the arena here at the Bells Lake Observatory. Contact me at (250) 620-0596 or irwin8sound@gmail.com.

By Angela Gutzer

t has been close to one year since my mother died (March 18, 2017). Our family has had our first summer at the cabin without her. We had our first Christmas without her. Of course, these milestones were difficult. There are also the day-by-day markers of time where you are suddenly aware that your mother is gone forever. For me, it was just a few days ago in Prince Rupert walking on a warm and surprisingly sunny day. Spring was in the air and teenagers were playing basketball in a cul de sac as I lived in and played basketball in at that age. Bam! A sudden wave of nostalgia and loss came over me. Unexpected tears ran down my face whereas moments before I was smiling and enjoying the warm ocean breeze. I have experienced mixed reactions talking to others about my mother. From discomfort, shared sadness, or even a change in the subject. Because of this I keep my grieving journey safe by not talking about it to many people so that I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;t make them uncomfortable. I do not judge these people. It is a reflection of our society. It is a reflection of the fear we have of death. It is a motivator for writing these articles. It is a motivator behind creating space for others who want to talk about death.

Chilcotin Bones / Bison Skull. Photo: Nicola Finch

The Death Cafe was developed by Jon Underwood and his mother, Sue Barsky Reid. They were inspired by the ideas of Bernard Crettaz. Jon and Sue had their first Death Cafe in 2011 in the UK and since then the movement has spread around Europe, North America, and Australasia. The basic format of the Death Cafe is to provide a space in which people can talk freely about death while sipping tea and eating cake. The objective is to increase

awareness of death with a view of helping people make the most of their (finite) lives. The Death Cafe is a not-for-profit group that offers a confidential, respectful, and positive environment. It is not a counselling session but more of a group-centred open format where people can share stories or thoughts about their loved ones or death in general. The Cariboo Community Deathcaring Network will be hosting a Death Cafe

Wednesday, April 25 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at the Hobbit House. The Hobbit House has generously donated the space and staff to make this event possible. Coffee and tea will be provided by donation. Snacks are free. If you feel called to, please bring a small keepsake for the shrine we will be co-creating. Please RSVP a spot at nicola@rememberme.ca as there is limited space. We hope to continue the Death Cafe movement in Williams Lake if there is enough interest in the community. We look forward to seeing you there. Much love, Angela If you are interested in joining the Cariboo Community Deathcaring Network or want to RSVP to the event please write to nicola@rememberme.ca or find us on Facebook as Cariboo Community Deathcaring Network. For more information about Death Cafes, please visit deathcafe.com. Angelaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s focus in the next year will be to transition from the veterinary world into the death doula services she hopes to provide. A special interest to her is home funerals, and Green burials with respect to both animals and people. The Cariboo Community Deathcaring Network has been created in the hopes that the community finds a place to address any of their needs in regards to the dying.

By Ryan Elizabeth Cope

hen you begin to declutter and move towards a wastefree lifestyle, you automatically begin walking a different path, and it is life-altering. It is in the choices you make every day. It‘s something we can all be involved in, especially with Earth Day just around the bend on April 22 (if you‘re reading this, though, you‘re likely living with awareness of your impact every day). Just as graphic designers are cursed with knowing and then seeing bad fonts and kerning everywhere, so too are eco-warriors cursed (or perhaps blessed?) with becoming aware of how much plastic is really out there, how over-consumptive our societies are, and how badly we are trashing this big, beautiful blue planet. The question often asked is this: how have we strayed so far from our 3Rs? Why are we still having the same conversation, again and again, as if it were somehow novel and why have we not devolved back to a way of being our ancestors considered normal? The concepts of reducing and reusing have been around since the dawn of time, of course, but only in the relatively recent past have they been given distinction in our waste management systems. Back in the day, eons ago it seems, nobody had a word for reducing and reusing because that was just the way of life: something was used and repurposed, again and again, and then it was reused for something else, again and again. Humans reduced their consumption out of necessity: resources were either scarce, or they were being saved for the future. Once global markets began to take over and World Wars were becoming a distant memory, societies relaxed, we got carried away, and we welcomed the 3Rs to combat the whole mess. Looking at the state of our world today, however, it seems we‘ve gotten a bit lax on our relationship with those Rs. Although there are, in fact, three full concepts within that system, we only really talk about one: recycling. Taken singularly, this concept fits into our over-packaged, debt-filled culture. It is the solution to our need for stuff. Reducing and reusing are seemingly the antithesis of the consumer culture: they tell us to slow down, appreciate what we have, and make as good a use of something as we possibly can. How do we come to terms with this disparity?

(Left) - The Goon Squad is here to help you meet your sustainability goals. (Above) - A word to the wise: what you feed your chickens comes back to you in their eggs, so feed them things you would also eat. Photos: Ryan Elizabeth Cope

My advice? Get a chicken. Chickens help us slow down, and they walk with us along our path towards waste-conscious living. Being in the presence of animals is not only soothing to our nerves and brain, but it also allows us to step outside of ourselves for a moment. When we bring animals under our own care, we have a reason besides ourselves to keep this place standing. Readers of this paper who are parents know exactly what this feels like and it remains one of the ultimate ways to move humanity towards more conscious living. Not only that, but our problems become a bit trivial when we hang out with a flock of happy hens on a sunny afternoon. If ever you are losing your cool at your boss, a romantic partner, or your finances, all it takes is some time sitting with chickens to gain a perspective shift and realize that maybe those mountains really are just mole hills, easily overcome after a breath of fresh air. But besides the mental benefits, chickens are also the ultimate accomplices to the zero-waste lifestyle: they are inherently a full-circle kind of organism. Think about it: chickens will eat just about anything, including most (but not all!) fruit and vegetable scraps. If harvesting abundance from your backyard garden, you can rest easy

knowing both you and your flock will be eating well that night. Not only will chickens happily eat up seeds, peels, and slightly wilted greens, but they turn all those bits into black gold. Their manure, once mixed with other organic waste, results in rich, nutrient-filled compost, perfect for keeping that backyard garden abundant and thriving. The bonus is that those same chickens will also lay delicious, nutrient-filled eggs for your enjoyment. Looking to reduce your grocery bill? Again, get some chickens. They will help you eat your groceries, meaning your food waste should be minimal to zero. Plus, when laying regularly, they will virtually eliminate your need to buy eggs from the store. Most egg companies now package their eggs in paper containers, but if you are still buying eggs in Styrofoam, the time is now to get some chickens. To be fair, you will have to buy or make chicken feed, and this does cost some money but at $18 for a 25lb bag of feed, plus all the savings you‘ll earn from your chickens composting leftovers, this ends up working out in your favour. Truly, what is better than walking into your backyard to pluck a freshly-laid egg out of a nest-box? Not much, and it is infinitely more satisfying than buying eggs from who -knows-where (that are who-knows-how-

old). Of course, if you have already found a source for happy-hen eggs, then you are already winning at this reducing/reusing game. As we begin to fully bring the 3Rs back into existence, we become more in touch with our food, our environment, and ourselves. Chickens help in all those areas. They put us in closer proximity to our food source, whether it be for eggs or meat. They make us more mindful creatures. They also bring us closer to nature in a very tangible way. We sometimes think of concepts such as plastic pollution happening far away, to larger-than-life seabirds (such as albatross) not realizing that any animal can be affected by errant plastic garbage. The reality is, plastic pollution must begin somewhere, and most of the time it starts in the places where chickens like to hang out: inland. So, this year, to celebrate Earth Day, consider what chickens can do for the planet, and our collective sanity. Might it be worth keeping a feathered flock around to help in our reducing and reusing goals? Ryan Elizabeth Cope is a Kelowna, BCbased advocate for plastic-less, healthful living. She has lived and worked in several places on the coasts of both the Atlantic and the Pacific, from Hawaii to Maine. She blogs at Seven in the Ocean (https:// sevenintheocean.com/) where she marries her love of food with her disdain for plastic -wrapped garbage. When not ranting ad nauseum about plastic, she can be found playing with her chickens or concocting fresh juices in her kitchen.

By Brianna van de Wijngaard, Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society Lawns are funny: they are highmaintenance, water-intensive, and not all that great to look at, really. But the pursuit persists, and we spend a lot of time and resources on this landscape because it is not actually suitable for our climate at all. Let‘s look at the upkeep requirements of an average lawn. Let‘s assume it‘s 3,000 square feet. It takes approximately 2.36 litres to water one square foot of turf, one inch deep. Kentucky bluegrass (one of the most common lawn grass varieties in North America) is not drought-resistant. It requires at least two inches of water per week during the dry season to survive. This means approximately 4.72 litres for every square foot, totalling 14,160 litres for a 3,000-square-foot lawn every week during the dry months. In the Cariboo, that is the month of August at minimum. Almost 60,000 litres of water. Now let‘s add the maintenance. We want our lawns green, but not unruly, and this means mowing. The more we water, the more we have to mow. At an average of 40 minutes to mow a 3,000-square-foot lawn means 2.7 hours each month when irrigating or with spring rains and increased growth, because you‘ll have to mow every week. This doesn‘t include any maintenance for weed suppression, fertilizing, etc. A much more suitable and lowmaintenance option for our yard spaces are xeriscaped gardens. At first, it can seem daunting to do because, yes, it does take some planning. But after you have designed, executed, and established a xeriscape garden, it will mostly take care of itself, and be absolutely beautiful to look at. And it doesn‘t mean getting rid of your lawn completely: turf can be a part of xeriscaping, but it will be much lower maintenance than an all-turf landscape because the xeriscape design chooses appropriate varieties and helps to conserve moisture. This is what xeriscaping is all about: not only will it beautify your landscape; it will also require a fraction of the irrigation of a conventional lawn while remaining lush and healthy.

Committing to a xeriscape garden takes some time and financial investment, but the outcome will be absolutely worth it. Photo: flickr.com by keepingtime_ca

A designed xeriscape garden can also increase the value of your home significantly: 5.5-12.7 per cent more, on average, compared to a home with no landscaping. Unlike other interior improvements that can either go out of style or break down over time, landscaping increases in value as plants mature and beautify your home more every year. You will save water and get to enjoy your beautiful garden, and it will pay off if you ever decide to sell. Xeriscape can be broken down into two parts: ‗xeros‘ meaning dry and ‗scape‘ as in landscape, and it consists of seven principles to be kept in mind when you are developing your garden: 1. Planning & design 2. Soil improvement 3. Vegetation 4. Turf areas 5. Irrigation 6. Mulch 7. Maintenance The first step is planning and design. One could certainly invest a lot of time in this process, but it can also be relatively simple. At minimum, however, there needs to be a plan. Start by making a list of plants you would like to incorporate that are drought-hardy or resistant. The Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society has a handy brochure you can use to easily pick your plant list. Our Water Wise Plant Guide (available for free on our website: https:// www.ccconserv.org/water-wise) lists over 130 plants suitable for our climate, broken

down into trees, shrubs, ground covers, grasses, perennials, and annuals. We have also broken down each plant‘s water needs, so you can easily plan the maintenance requirements and irrigation system for your garden. But keeping it simple will be much less overwhelming. Consider planting more of a few varieties rather than the other way around, to keep your plant list a little shorter. Lastly, our regional nurseries can help you break down your list even further into plants they have available, and they are a great resource in deciding what to plant, when, and where. Next, you will need to measure out the lawn area you are converting, sketch it to scale, and plot out which plants will go

where. For this, you will need to know the growth habits of the plants you have chosen: how big will a purple coneflower or staghorn sumac get, for example? Ensure they have enough space from each other and are arranged according to their mature size. This can be a fun and creative process. The design process will incorporate the other six steps, and once that‘s done, you can start the transformation. It is true that committing to a xeriscape garden will take some time and financial investment, but the outcome will be absolutely worth it. If you need help figuring out where to start, or advice along the way in your xeriscape planning process, give us a shout. We will help you as much as we can in converting your lawn to a Water Wise oasis! 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 commun i t y . V i s i t C C C S a t h t t p s :/ / www.ccconserv.org to learn more about our education programs or community projects.

By LeRae Haynes Clinton W. Grey, pictured here with his son Dylan, is looking forward to performing at the Children's Festival in Boitanio Park this May.

hen it comes to celebrating children in a beautiful green space, no one does it better than Women‘s Contact Society at the Children‘s Festival in Boitanio Park. For more than 20 years the event, known first as the Teddy Bear Picnic, continues to attract and delight youngsters and families, with more than 1,000 people attending the event. Over 30 vendors are on site with information about services available to children and families. This event brings service providers, business owners, and community clubs together showcasing their organizations and engaging children and families with exciting activities throughout the park. The event is open to everyone and anyone can sign up to have a booth as long as they provide an activity for children and are not selling anything (excluding food vendors), as this is s free event. Renowned magician and popular performer Clinton. W. Grey is coming to the Children‘s Fest, with a lively, interactive show guaranteed to thoroughly delight and entertain the crowd. With family ties to the community, he has done the Children‘s Fest on and off since he was a teen in the late 1980s. He has returned to Williams Lake many times to do venues for both adults and kids, and last summer he did the Children‘s Fest in Boitanio Park six weeks before the wildfires broke out. He said when doing magic for kids, he wants to surprise and fool them—not just play with them. ―Kids are far more honest than an adult audience,‖ he explained. ―Even if adults know how you did a trick, they‘ll applaud and enjoy.

Photo submitted by Clinton W. Grey

―A kid will holler right out and call you on it, and you can play off that. If I want them to see me sneak something out, I want them to catch me,‖ he continued. ―Then I can make a continuing routine, and when I do pull the rug out from underneath them, it‘s that much stronger.‖ He got his start in comedy, performing at around 12 years of age. ―I worked a comedy club in Williams Lake doing five to eight minutes of prop comedy every Friday and Saturday on stage, opening or pros coming to town,‖ he noted. ―At one point I opened for a comedy magician, which turned things around for me, and I switched over,‖ he said. ―That turned into putting snippets in a row, and now you have a show.‖ His own son, Dylan, is five years old, and has grown up in a household knowing how magic works. Dylan plays with the kids of other magicians and has been backstage at many, many shows. ―These kids don‘t see magic like other kids do,‖ said Grey. ―Dylan likes

By LeRae Haynes

n innovative blend of nature and technology has arrived in the form of an app on your phone, and it is here because of the hard work and vision of Scout Island nature educator Sue Hemphill and Suzanne Cochrane, recreation programmer for the City of Williams Lake. ―The idea behind bringing Agents of Discovery here is to get people outside enjoying nature, learning as they go, throwing in the element of technology that enhances the experience,‖ Cochrane explained. The Agents of Discovery mobile app game is downloaded free from the App Store or Google Play, and then played at participating locations where missions have been set up. For both local missions, one at River Valley Trail and one at Scout Island, there are approximately 15 fun challenges. The challenges are puzzles or questions about the area where you‘re playing the game. ―You listen to a sound and match it to the right bird, for example,‖ Cochrane continued. ―You might get to collect some garbage, and decide whether it goes to recycling, garbage or compost. Sometimes you fill in the blanks. The puzzles might have to do with ecosystems, trees, water, bushes, or bird habitat.‖ City Recreation and Scout Island partnered to set up missions for the project at

Garrett Fischer tries out the Agents of Discovery nature app at River Valley Trail. Photo: Suzanne Cochrane

Scout Island, and Cochrane programmed the one for River Valley Trail with the help of some notes from Hemphill, and information from Stepping Into Nature, a book by Odell Steen and Anna Roberts. ―Discovery Agents is a Canadiandeveloped company,‖ Cochrane noted. ―It‘s been used a lot at places like the Edmonton and Calgary zoos and Edmonton Science World. It‘s a geo sensing locator for your GPS and is very popular in US recreation

to watch my show, and sometimes he‘s been set up as a random kid in the crowd— set up or a great trick. ―He still likes the entertainment value of a magic act.‖ One young family really looking forward to the green space glory of the Children‘s Festival is Michelle Iverson and her two young daughters, Ella and Paige. Ella is four years old, and this will be her fourth time at the festival. Paige, who was born just before the wildfires broke out last summer, will enjoy the event for the very first time. ―My very favourite thing is seeing everybody else – friends and the community – enjoying the free space,‖ said Iverson. ―It‘s a great social event for moms; I love seeing the other moms. ―The kids can run up and down the hills and roll in the grass: it‘s so relaxing.‖ Having the festival in nature is a huge plus. ―My kids love being outdoors; we‘re really looking forward to playing in the park,‖ she explained.

areas. This is where kids are, and this is a way to reach them.‖ Hemphill said when you get to Scout Island you look at the first map and it will show you where all the challenges are. ―There are some on each trail here,‖ she explained. ―You choose the trail you want to do and put your phone away. You want to make sure you look around you: you might see something interesting while you wait for your phone to buzz in your pocket. When it does, there will be a challenge related to the exact spot where you‘re standing.‖ ―When you stop and take out your buzzing phone for a challenge, you get prechallenge information first, then the challenge, and some follow up information afterwards.‖ The game is informative, interesting, fun, and local, and the questions are aimed at intermediate aged students and older. It‘s the same as putting up information signs all over the place, said Hemphill.―Only this way, we don‘t clutter up the trails with a lot of signs and take on a big expense. We can also change up the challenges to match the season.‖ Download the app on your phone, and then download the two games: one for Scout Island and one for the River Valley Trail. This is a bridge between nature and technology. Hemphill said she certainly had

―Last summer was very restrictive for us, with the fires and smoke. We spent a good part of the summer in Edmonton, and the smoke was bad there too. We were inside too much. I had a toddler who loves to be outdoors and a brand-new baby. We finally came home, knowing we were facing more inside time because of the smoke. ―We decided to take a week‘s vacation in Bella Bella, which is on the ocean. The smoke was much better.‖ They managed to get a permit to drive through the Chilcotin heading out, but on the way home, the fires had moved. There was an evacuation order, and no children were allowed to travel the roads. Stuck in Nimpo Lake, they rented a float plane and Iverson and her two little ones were flown to Punzti Lake, which was abandoned because of the fires. Her firefighter husband could drive the Chilcotin with a permit, and drove to Puntzi Lake, found his little family waiting on a dock, and they all came home together. ―Looking back, it wasn‘t as bad as it felt at the time,‖ Iverson added. ―It was a hard adjustment telling Ella she couldn‘t go outside to play. ―We did it, though; we made it and we‘re stronger for it. We‘re very much looking forward to the Children‘s Festival,‖ she said. ―Be outside, play, and enjoy seeing everyone else doing the same.‖ The Children‘s Festival will take place on Sunday, May 27 in Boitanio Park from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 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.

reservations about it—wanting people to get ‗off screen‘ and into nature. ―I recognized, though, that people are going to be on screens anyway, and tried to set this up so that they put the phones away between challenges, and really look at what‘s around them. You have to be open minded,‖ she continued. She said this doesn‘t replace getting to go for a walk with a real naturalist, by any means. ―That‘s the best thing in the world. Have you ever gone for a walk with Anna Roberts? We went mountain climbing in Chile once, looking at plants when she was in her 70s. I‘m a plant nut, but she sees everything,‖ said Hemphill. ―At one point we were walking over a bit of water, and she said, ‗Look: those ants are rafting across the water!‘ And sure enough, they had little pieces of wood and were riding on them across the water. ―That‘s how I try to train kids‘ eyes and ears—so they notice things. I‘m going along with this to try and pull things in that direction.‖ Once you complete one of the two games, you come to the Nature House at Scout Island or the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Centre, show that you‘ve completed it on your phone, and your name is entered in a draw for a free swim pass. Feedback from participants is warmly welcomed. For more information phone Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex at (250) 398-7665.

By Sara Fulton, Certified Organic Master Gardener

The soil food web is the community of organisms living all or part of their lives in the soil. It describes a complex living system in the soil and how it interacts with the environment.

luscious, green, weed-free lawn. Perfection in the eyes of the modern-day home owner. However, how much environmental impact has occurred to get your grass so green, full, and weed-free, and why do you have to repeatedly fertilize it over the course of a growing season? What is a ―weed‖? It is a plant, just like any other, that is growing in that spot for a reason. Either the soil is lacking in nutrients and the weed is trying to balance it naturally, or the surrounding plants are not healthy and it is taking the opportunity to grow alongside and create a diverse ecosystem. Weeds are a ―modern‖ human perception going back to the early English manicured gardens enjoyed by the higher class and royalty. That ―weed‖ is not robbing the accompanying plants of nutrients; it is actually sharing nutrients and trying to replenish the nutrient depleted soil. Grasses are actually the most invasive plants on Earth and if we offer them the proper growing environment and provide them with the balanced nutrients needed, they should thrive. Conventional human-made fertilizers only supply our plants with three basic nutrients: nitrogen (N), phosphate (P), and potassium (potash) (K). Can you imagine the human body surviving on only three basic nutrients? It wouldn‘t, and we can‘t expect our plants to survive, let alone thrive, on them either. Mother Nature, left to her own devices, supplies a broad spectrum of balanced nutrients that are tailored to just what that specific ecosystem needs through the decomposition process. Have you ever looked, I mean really looked, at a beautiful untouched forest or grassland? Everything has its place and is serving a purpose. Any unwanted plant material drops to the ground and is decomposed by small animals, bugs, and insects then fungi, bacteria, and protozoa to create nutrient-

Photo: Studio BKK, shutterstock. com

dense organic matter. There are many diverse plant species and levels of growing successions that help the soil become able to support a fully functioning ecosystem. Large trees, small trees, bushes, small perennials and ground cover, and sun- and shade-loving plants all have their places and provide different nutrients and benefits. Why have we gotten so far away from Mother Nature‘s wondrous, nutrientsupplying, natural lifecycle? She is truly a beautiful system who knows what she needs, when she needs it, and we really need to get back to supporting her rather than ordering her. Did you know that a fertilizer, by Canadian standards, that lists as 10-10-10 contains, by weight, 30 per cent NPK—what is the other 70% per cent? Astoundingly, it can be anything from ground limestone (which can cause severe nutrient imbal-

ances) to industrial waste fillers. In actuality, the plants don‘t even soak up the fertilizer in its applied form. Nitrogen in the form of nitrate (NO3-) is the preferred form for grasses and crop uptake but to get to nitrate it needs to be broken down in a three-step process of consumption. First, by larger organisms, ie. bugs and small animals, (to produce ammonium through their excrement) then again by plants, fungi, and nitrifying bacteria (to produce nitrite), which is further consumed by other bacteria to produce the nitrate. Quite the process. In a natural, balanced ecosystem, the nitrate becomes available from the bacteria just when the plant needs it, not when we tell it that it is time to feed and overload the soil with unbalanced nutrients. And what happens to the synthetic fertilizers and fillers that are not broken down and processed by the plants? The nutrients that

Tumble averted, good thing this snow bank was here! Photo: Terri Smith

seeds). Right now, as I write in midMarch, with such deep snow, we can only walk up and down the driveway, but it‘s a lovely little walk all the same. The paths I‘ve shovelled to his house are only just wide enough for him. The banks of these paths are as tall as he is, and, actually, this is one of the benefits of winter for Amadeus. As I think I may have mentioned, repeatedly (probably in every article, in fact), Amadeus does not walk very well. He‘s a bit bumbling, and it seems like he just doesn‘t pay attention and so ends up tripping or leaning too far to one side and falling over. With these narrow paths and high snow banks, however, he may wobble and lean, but he just bounces off the sides of the path and keeps going. Spring and the lack of snow banks may end up being a bit of a nasty shock to him as he has become used to being caught when he starts to fall. Once we get out onto the driveway, he does have problems at times. He tends to be a bit of a sideways walker, and he‘ll amble along behind me at a 45-degree angle until, inevitably, he‘ll start to trip on the unplowed snow at the side of the road

By Terri Smith

madeus is very excited about the coming spring and the disappearance of all this snow.

Amadeus doesn‘t get around very well in the snow. When it snows he just stays in his house until I shovel a path out to him. Even with shoveled paths, he would probably end up with atrophied limbs if left to his own devices since he seems to think hibernating till spring would be a fine thing to do. But his weakness for sunflower seeds keeps him going. Every day we go for a walk. Some days he doesn‘t want to leave his house – which I completely sympathize with – but if I wave a handful of sunflower seeds in front of his nose, suddenly he can‘t wait to get his daily exercise. While he doesn‘t voluntarily go for walks on his own, he is excited to follow me wherever I want to go (I pretend it‘s love, but it‘s probably just sunflower

are not being used right away will be washed off of the particle they are attached to and leach into our groundwater and waterways poisoning our environment and causing major pollution and health problems for our planet. So, what should you use instead of harmful synthetic chemicals? Your best options would be organic compost, or a full spectrum fertilizer derived from the sea (fish meal, fish emulsion, fish hydrolysate, kelp, or seaweed) or rock dust (glacial rock dust, basalt dust, granite dust, or volcanic rock dust), from natural deposits, of course. Any of these, along with an effective microorganism application to help increase biodiversity and breakdown all the nutrients into a plant preferred uptake form. An organic fertilizer may have lower numbers of NPK compared to conventional synthetic fertilizers, but it does in fact contain a broader spectrum of minerals and vitamins as well as other great substances like enzymes and acids, which all have a natural role in feeding the ecosystem. Once your yard is transformed to a selfsustaining organic ecosystem, the only ―food‖ it will need is its own clippings or unwanted matter left to decay where they lay for the microbes to decompose into nutrients. Also, a benefit with leaving the clippings where they lay is you are increasing the organic matter in the soil, increasing the water holding capacity, so you will not have to water as often, either. In the long run the organic system is truly cheaper and much less work for humans when left to Mother Nature‘s natural biological process. Sara Fulton is a certified organic master gardener and lives in Williams Lake. If you would like more info or are interested in transforming your yard into a beautiful, all natural, organic, self sustaining ecosystem, contact her at (250) 302-1981 or sara.fulton@hotmail.com.

and then face plant into the bank. He doesn‘t like getting snow on his face, but I brush him off and offer him a handful of sunflower seeds and suddenly all is right in his world again. We have a fairly large hill we walk up every day, and, while he trudges up it rather grudgingly, on the way home he likes to run. Watching Amadeus run is always one of the silliest, happiest moments of my day. He‘s terrible at it! But he doesn‘t fall. There is such a gleeful abandon to his run. His legs fly out in every direction, his head bobs around all over the place, and he sticks out his row of bottom teeth in a goofy goat smile. His gait is bouncy and flailing and full of joy, and I laugh happily every time I watch this glorious and ridiculous creature come bounding after me beneath the snowy trees. Simple pleasures do make life worth living! Terri Smith is a non-certified organic vegetable farmer in the Cariboo. She is passionate about writing, art, goats, and feeding good food to good people. She believes in following your heart, living your dreams, and taking care of the planet.

By Toby Mueller

n February 27, renowned mycologist Paul Stamets gave a presentation to a full hall at the P'egp'íg'lha Center, in the T‘ít‘q‘et Community, Lillooet. Over 160 people came from all over St‘át‘imc Territory and beyond. Amlec, T‘ít‘q‘et ‗s food security project, and Lillooet Food Matters, a local grass roots group, coorganized the event. As the crowd gathered, feelings of curiosity and excitement were building. St‘át‘imc drummers and singers brought our attention into focus and welcomed Paul to the Territory. T‘ít‘q‘et Tribal Chief Shelly Leech offered a prayer and spoke about the importance of understanding the land and our shared responsibility to protect this place. Organizer Candice Jack made a brief introduction and Paul got up on stage. He presented our hosts with three unique hats. Artists in Transylvania make these amazing hats from birch polypore fungus. The process is a dying art practised by only a few families now. They are a beautiful example of the amazing versatility of mushrooms. Paul offered thanks for being invited to share his knowledge, and then he launched into a fascinating presentation. He began by describing some basic facts about mushrooms. Fungi are a huge family of organisms. The mushrooms we see are a tiny part of the whole thing. Mushrooms are only the reproductive organs of the fungi. A whole fungus is made up of huge networks of mycelia. We tend to think of them as roots, but in fact, fungi are more related to animals than to plants. Even more amazing is that animals evolved from fungi. Like us, fungi also use oxygen and release carbon dioxide. Being ―related‖ is part of why fungi make such effective medicines for animals. Paul is passionate about mycelia. These amazing networks connect the fungus to its environment. They transmit all sorts of chemicals, and thus move energy and information throughout the organism. Mycelia

By The Raincoast Conservation Foundation

―

We have a record number of grizzly bears in the province, a huge and growing population …‖ Christy Clark, then Premier of British Columbia, asserted in 2015, defending her government‘s management of a controversial trophy hunt. This authoritative and optimistic statement, which lacked supporting evidence, inspired an international group of conservation scientists to investigate the potential for political interference in setting wildlife policy more broadly. Reporting in an open access paper in the journal, Conservation Biology, a team led by researchers from the Raincoast Conservation Foundation, the University of Victoria, and Simon Fraser University reviewed the scientific literature for cases in which independent scientists scrutinized government reporting of wildlife population sizes, trends, and associated policy.

Left: Paul Stamets holding an Agarikon mushroom over his head, showing the crowd. Right: Paul Stamets presenting Tribal Chief of T'ít'q'et, Shelley Leech, and Candice Jack with Amadou hats from birch polypore fungus. Photos: Mischa Chandler

are beautiful. Paul had a vivid visual show to go along with his talk. He showed us pictures of mycelial networks, the pattern of our brain cells, how dark matter is spread through the universe, and, finally, the geometry of the Internet. They all look the same—nodes connected by strings in dense clusters stretching onward. One couldn‘t help feeling wonder at these reoccurring patterns. At this point Paul took us on a fun tangent. First, he tried to give us a basic science lesson and explain the difference between a theory and a hypothesis. A theory is an idea that someone thinks is true. A hypothesis is a theory that someone tested and made proof that it is true. He then told us that one theory is that Homo sapiens evolved and grew such giant brains because our ancient ancestors ate magic mushrooms. The crowd had a big chuckle as Paul joked; ―It‘s a theory, not proved, yet!‘ Paul then introduced us to some of his favorite species of fungus. Many of these were familiar to people in the audience. As he spoke he told us about the properties he and his colleagues have discovered about them. Turkey tails are bracket fungus, which grow all over the world. They em-

power our immune system. The beautiful and delicious Lion‘s Mane is calming and helps our brain and nerve cells repair and regenerate. The ugly and rare Chaga is a potent anti-oxidant. The extremely rare Agarikon can only survive in old growth forests. It has anti-cancer and anti-viral properties. Anti-viral compounds are obviously very valuable. Consider the many viruses that cause cancer, or the human toll from the flu. At this point Paul took us on a very sobering, but fascinating sidetrack about bees. He assured us, ―this is way more serious than climate change‖. In all parts of the world honeybees are dying. This matters because our food crops depend on them. Viral diseases are a big part of the problem. Paul has pondered this situation, and one day a random memory lead to an experiment. Paul remembered seeing honey bees come and gobble up some edible mushroom mycelia that was in his garden. Then years and years later, he thought, ―If bees like mushrooms, maybe they will try the anti-viral ones‖. Preliminary studies conducted with scientists at Washington State University show great promise. The bees did eat them, and some of the fungal com-

binations they tried have been very effective. Paul said there is more work to do, but he is very hopeful. Paul Stamets believes mushrooms will help heal the world. His excitement and positive outlook were inspiring. He said so much more than can be related here. He has produced a lot of books, articles, and spoken material: if you are curious it is easy to find out more at your local library or on the Internet. After Paul concluded his talk, organizer Candice Jack got up to thank him. She spoke eloquently about the importance of working together, thanking her fellow organizers and the hosts. She urged us to keep caring for the land and the ancient forests that are the home of the fungus. Door prizes were drawn; people enjoyed the sxúsum juice and snacks and chatted. As we all went home full of new information, it was easy to envision these strange, amazing, and miraculous ideas spreading throughout the BC Interior, just like a mycelia.

Case studies from around the world revealed patterns of governments justifying politically preferred policies by exaggerating – without empirical justification – the size or resilience of carnivore populations. Such a process creates what the authors term, ‗political populations‘—those with attributes constructed to serve political interests. One case was close to home. The Province of British Columbia had long maintained a scientific basis for, and sustainability of, the trophy hunt of grizzly bears. But after a BC Supreme Court decision compelled that government to release hunting data to Raincoast scientists, that optimistic view was challenged. Using the data on hunter kills, peer-reviewed research by Raincoast and collaborators detected persistent failure by provincial managers to keep grizzly kills below government-set thresholds. After publicly dismissing the concerns, the previous government then announced an expansion of the hunt in some areas and continued to emphasize the province‘s ―huge and growing population‖.

Although this debate persisted for another couple of years, grizzly hunting is now banned in British Columbia. The researchers also identified political populations of wolves – perhaps the most politically charged of all wildlife – in the US and Europe. In Sweden, where a strong hunting lobby exists, the country‘s Environmental Protection Agency contracted academics to model the consequences of wolf hunting to inform harvest decisions. The agency subsequently removed sections of the report that had suggested the wolf population might be smaller than previously thought, maintaining an official population estimate that was known to be potentially inflated. The authors conclude their survey with an eye to the future. ―In a post-truth world, qualified scientists at arm‘s length now have the opportunity and responsibility to scrutinize government wildlife policies and the data underlying them,‖ says Chris Darimont, associate professor at the University of Victoria and Science Director at Raincoast, adding, ―Such scrutiny could support

transparent, adaptive, and ultimately trustworthy policy that could be generated and defended by governments.‖ Paul Paquet, co -author and senior scientist at Raincoast, identifies options to address when governments ignore scholarly criticism, saying, ―Scientists concerned for the future of large carnivores can also exercise their rights to speak directly to the public about potential government malfeasance, which often deceptively shapes public opinions about predators like wolves and bears.‖ Kyle Artelle, postdoctoral scholar at UVic and Raincoast Biologist who also coauthored added, ―If we accept that governments might often invoke science in defending preferred policy options, oversight by scientists would allow for a clearer line between where the science begins and ends in policy formation. This remains important here in BC where other controversial management, such as wolf culling, is still defended as ‗science-based‘ despite uncertain science, and without proponents fully disclosing other factors beyond science likely at play.‖

Toby Mueller is a community librarian, naturalist, gardener, and writer from Lillooet.

mists have built their models around the assumption that we are all rational and selfinterested. Homo economicus, they call us. What they ignore is that this represents only a small part of our make-up. As well as being homo economicus, we are homo aggressivus when we engage in trickery, deceit, tax-evasion, slavery, and war; we are homo stupidus when we believe that an investment can guarantee a 20% annual return; we are homo ignoramus in most of our interactions with Nature; and we are homo amicus when we strive to be kind and co-operative. As we face so many tragedies and crises, we must do again what our huntergatherer ancestors did: we must overthrow that alpha male selfishness, with its sexism, racism, corporate bullying, and tax-evasion, and rebuild our economies on the basis of co-operation and kindness.

By Guy Dauncey

ur deep history is so astonishing that we rarely pause to think of it. We may be curious about our immediate ancestors – did they come from Italy? Russia? – but beyond that we mostly draw a veil. We have to make dinner. We have relatives coming on the weekend. How often do we pause to acknowledge that for hundreds of thousands of years our ancestors were hunter-gatherers? And that further back, we share a common ancestor with chimpanzees and gorillas? These thoughts have recently become important for me, as I am in the midst of the research for my next book, provisionally titled The Economics of Kindness: The Birth of a New Cooperative Economy. As homework, I am steadily plowing my way through 250 books on economics and economic history. At the core of conventional economic thought are the twin assumptions that humans are rational and self-interested, and that this is good because free competition in the marketplace forces prices to find ‗equilibrium‘—the best price for bananas, the best price for puppies, the best price for an hour‘s labour. As long as the government doesn‘t interfere, the argument goes, this equilibrium will supposedly bring the most beneficial outcome for everyone. Thus a business should think only of maximizing its profit: anything else disturbs the natural equilibrium that economists seek. This was Adam Smith‘s assumption in 1776; it was the economist Alfred Marshall‘s assumption when he wrote his Principles of Economics in 1890; and it is still the central assumption in university microeconomics courses all around the world. The tragedy is that it‘s not true. Sometimes we are rational and self-interested, but the evidence shows that most people prefer to live by values of kindness and cooperation. Game theory shows that 25% of

Photo: Inspired Images, www.pixabay.com

us are primarily self-interested, 25% of us are altruists, and 50% of us are conditional altruists, co-operating for the benefit of the larger group provided that others do so, too. Meanwhile, our pursuit of self-interest lies behind the destruction of the rainforests, the denial of a $15 minimum wage, the lower wages that women receive, the growing inequality, and our continued use of fossil fuels instead of clean energy, casting the dark shadow of climate chaos over our future. Hunter-gatherers all over the world, anthropologists have discovered, are highly co-operative and egalitarian, and they really dislike alpha male despotism. So, when we prefer to be kind and cooperative, this is where we get it from. But here‘s the fascinating thing. Huntergatherers know that people can behave selfishly, and they go out of their way to suppress it. This is a direct comment by a Ju‘hoansi bushman from the Kalahari desert in Namibia: ―When a young man kills much meat, he comes to think of himself as a chief or big man, and he thinks of the rest of us as his servants or inferiors. We can‘t accept this … so we always speak of his meat as worthless. This way we cool his heart and make him gentle.‖ The constant teasing that is common among First Nations doubtless has the same origins—to prevent a man from becoming self-important and thinking that he can lord it over the others.

But where does the chest-puffing and self-importance come from? We‘ve all seen it. Sometimes we submit to it, choosing to become followers of a trumped-up alpha male. But mostly I think we react against it. Women in particular know far too much about men who act like jerks, especially when they‘re in the company of other men. So where does it come from? It‘s obvious once you think about it. It comes from our primate ancestors. Among chimpanzees and gorillas, with whom we share a common ancestor, the alpha males are superaggressive, using violence, threats and bullying to get a corner on the females and drive competing males away. It was likely this behaviour that triggered the first political revolutions, when the non-alphas ganged up on oppressive alpha males, establishing with vehement insistence that they wanted to live together as political equals, without oppression. Above all, they wanted autonomy, which meant not being pushed around by a bossy, thuggish, self-appointed leader. But 12,000 to 7,000 years ago in the Tigris-Euphrates delta, as the easy game was hunted to extinction, the long era of hunter-gathering came to an end. And with settlements and agriculture came grain storage, land ownership, hierarchies, kings, warriors, priests, debt, and the return of the despotic impulse. Now let me turn back to economics. Over the last two hundred years, econo-

Further reading: Hierarchy in the Forest: The Evolution of Egalitarian Behaviour, by Christopher Boehm Affluence without Abundance: The Disappearing World of the Bushmen, by James Suzman Against the Grain: A Deep History of the Earliest States, by James Scott Guy Dauncey is author of the novel Journey to the Future: A Better World Is Possible. www.journeytothefuture.ca. He lives near Ladysmith, on Vancouver Island.

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he Tŝi l h q o t ‘ i n National Government (TNG) applauds BC Hydro for its recent plan to pursue power purchase agreement negotiations with the Tŝilhqot‘in Solar Farm (TSF). Located within the Tŝilhqot‘in territory, once completed, the TSF will be the first large-scale solar power plant owned and operated by a First Nation in Western Canada. While producing power for BC, this 1.25 MWdc solar photovoltaic farm will help to enrich the local economy. There are numerous expected outcomes of the TSF. These include generation of

clean energy, redevelopment of a closed sawmill and adjacent brownfield site, support to local communities, and creation of employment and business opportunities. Through the purchase of power generated from the TSF, the electricity purchase agreement (EPA) will ensure the success of the TSF through the final implementation stage and future years while in operation. The Nation would like to thank the hard work and dedication of Chief Russell Myers Ross along with his community of Yunesit‘in in pursuing and leading this project. The Nation would also like to thank EcoSmart for its many contributions to this endeavor. ―I have been fortunate to participate on this initiative for the past four years with a dedicated team, and I am looking forward

to the construction date this summer,‖ said Chief Russell Myers Ross, vice-chair, Tŝilhqot‘in National Government. ―The solar farm is a chance to build infrastructure that will benefit the region by strengthening the hydro line and providing revenue to the Tŝilhqot‘in communities. ―There has been a lot of work put into this project over the past four years, from feasibility to design, financing and working with BC Hydro towards implementation. The solar farm is significant as it will be owned and operated by the Tŝilhqot‘in Nation and will become own-source-revenue to support the communities‘ economic aspirations in the future.‖ Chief Joe Alphonse, tribal chairman, Tŝilhqot‘in National Government, said, ―Since having our Aboriginal title recog-

nized we have been looking for diverse opportunities within our territory. The development and operation of this solar farm is not only useful for the area, but also brings employment and training to our Nation. ―As a Nation we have always said that to do business with us you need to come through our doors and sit at the table in a meaningful way,‖ said Alphonse.―The solar farm is a great example of that.‖ Michel de Spot, president and CEO of EcoSmart said solar energy is the fastest growing and most promising technology in the world. ―Building the largest solar photovoltaic system in BC makes the Tŝilhqot‘in Nation de facto leaders in cleantech development,‖ said de Spot.

By Sandra K. Klassen

e often associate the ukulele with Hawaiian culture and we are right to do so. An early version of the ukulele was introduced to the gentle Hawaiian Islands by Portuguese immigrants who came to work the sugar cane fields in the late 1800s. The Hawaiian‘s soon developed a fondness for this small, versatile instrument and it became the preferred instrument for the gentle Hawaiian musical vibe that many of us are familiar with today. Over time, the fondness for this soothing, rhythmical instrument spilled over to mainland North America and beyond. When I tell people I have taken up the ukulele in recent months I quickly add, ―and don‘t laugh‖. I say this because those of my generation may associate the ukulele as more of a comedic prop, along the likes of the musician Tiny Tim and the song ―Tiptoe Through the Tulips‖. But some may be surprised at the breadth of the ukulele, from the range of well-known musicians who play it to the musical genres to which it lends itself. The ukulele‘s broad range of music genres include, but are not limited to, Hawaiian country, pop, and blues. The list of famous people who play ukulele includes musicians Eddie Veder, Pearl Jam‘s main man, The Beatles, Taylor Swift, Steven Tyler, Willie Nelson, and Taj Mahal, and the likes of people we wouldn‘t

normally identify as musicians. This group includes Dwayne Johnson ―The Rock,‖ Barack Obama, and Ryan Gosling. Although musically the ukulele may keep a low-profile, it is increasingly well-loved in North America and beyond. Locally, as in many other communities in British Columbia, ukulele has become quite the sensation over the past few years. Ukulele groups are springing up more and

more as people, from children to seniors, are picking up this easy-to-play instrument and enjoying the social aspects of playing in a group. As easy it is to play the ukulele at a beginner level, the ukulele will take you as far as you want to go, musically. Like many instruments, you can play it around a campfire, go to a strum-along session, take individual or group lessons, or you might find yourself advanced enough to fit in with one of the local bands. There are many in the Cariboo who are finding joy in playing the ukulele. Some started to play several years ago. Presently, the multi-talented LeRae Haynes is spearheading the ukulele movement with her ukulele lessons in a variety of settings, from private to school groups. She can also be heard at various venues in the area playing ukulele and other instruments in several musical groups. Occasionally, she offers workshops—most recently, a picking-style workshop. Other community contacts for ukulele include Sheila Wyse and Sharon Hoffman, eager participants and organizers of the ukulele group Gadzukes. This group, accompanied by a harmonica and accordion, performed Stompin‘ Tom Connors‘ famous ―The Hockey Song‖ at the recent Hometown Hockey event. Gad-

zukes has regular sessions Wednesday‘s at 10 am at the Senior‘s Centre. To find out more about lessons and sessions contact LeRae Haynes, Sheila Wyse, or Sharon Hoffman on Facebook. Purchasing a ukulele is as easy as walking into the Guitar Seller in downtown Williams Lake. The knowledgeable staff will guide you through selecting a ukulele size: (from smallest to biggest) soprano, concert, tenor, or baritone. And wood matters: lower end ukuleles will likely be made of spruce, mid -range ukes from mahogany, and high-end ukes are often made of koa, a wood from Hawaii. It is best to buy a mid-range ukulele if you are hoping to have some success with this beautiful instrument. You can expect to pay from $80 to $ 400. The Guitar Seller also stocks many uke accessories and will happily order a ukulele in for you to try, if necessary. Sandra, a Laker, wishes she was smarter, better looking, and that she had become a private investigator. She has many interests and loves to write about them. Overall, she is high on life in the Cariboo and credits that to the locals and the beautiful landscape that surrounds us.

By LeRae Haynes

aking a very successful wilderness program even better in the CaribooChilcotin is on the table, thanks to the creative insight of Patrick Lucas and Thomas Schoen. The focus is kids, mountain bikes, loving the wilderness, and supporting communities impacted by last summer‘s wildfires. The Trails to Recovery and Resilience Training and Capacity Building program has been in place for about four years, and it is now poised to take on an even more meaningful vision. Thomas Schoen, trail builder and entrepreneurial tourism advisor, is a native of Germany. He immigrated to BC in 1993 and assisted in establishing the award winning Xat‘sull First Nation Heritage Village as one of the province‘s premier Indigenous tourism sites. He has successfully operated numerous tourism businesses including two in the Barkerville historic site: The St. George Hotel and McMahon‘s Confectionery. In May 2007, Thomas‘ life changed when he bought his first downhill mountain bike. He started building mountain bike-specific trails with an emphasis on large wooden technical trail features. He sold his businesses and started building trails full-time in 2009. As a director for the Aboriginal Youth Mountain Bike Program, Schoen has successfully trained numerous Indigenous youth trail crews that have built numerous high-quality nature trails all over the province. Patrick Lucas is an award-winning registered professional planner, a settler, and an aspiring ally to Indigenous communities. He is passionately committed to fostering and supporting authentic reconciliation and the unsettling of Turtle Island. Over the past 15 years Lucas has had the honour of working alongside Indigenous mentors and teachers learning the pathways to build relationships between First Nations and non-First Nations based on trust and respect. As the founder and director of the Aboriginal Youth Mountain Bike Program, Lucas has assisted numerous communities to develop trails, recreation, and tourism plans leading to enduring social and economic development. Schoen said while working as a consultant and planner for First Nations communities, he started seeing the need to engage First Nations youth in outdoors and sports activities.

Soda Creek trail crew completed the region’s new 17-km cross-country trail: Deep Blue Soda. Photo submitted by Thomas Schoen

―We work within the mountain bike industry and we thought this would be fitting,‖ Schoen explained. ―It combines trail building, basic bike repair skills, and basic mountain biking skills.‖ The response has been absolutely amazing. ―We work with dozens and dozens of First Nations communities all over the province and are swamped with requests from Vancouver Island to the Fraser and including places like Terrace and Smithers,‖ he said. ―It‘s a huge need; both the programs and the funding are growing, and we‘re pulling more and more people in to work with us.‖ He said they‘ve pooled resources and received grants and corporate sponsorships. ―This year we‘re going to take it to the next level, and our big proposed project this year is in partnership with the Red Cross.‖ This project involves communities affected by wildfires: all First Nations communities around Williams Lake, 100 Mile House, Quesnel, and the Chilcotin. ―It‘ll be the same thing we‘ve done in the past: riding with the kids, and doing trail building clinics, bike repair, and community barbeques,‖ said Schoen. ―This has a very positive social aspect to it, too, and not just for the youth, but for everyone on reserve,‖ he added. ―They see a couple of non-native dudes there to offer a service to their youth and everyone‘s so welcoming and friendly.‖ He added that there‘s a strong cultural component. ―We really try to have a bit of

exchange going on—they‘re not the only ones learning. The elders come out and teach us a bit about their culture and traditions, maybe do a sweat lodge,‖ he continued. ―So many doors open up: we might build on some of their traditional trails. It‘s truly an exchange.‖ He said it‘s about building relationships. ―We believe it‘s part of reconciliation in our province,‖ he added. ―An interesting aspect is that suddenly these areas are open to the public and people are enjoying the wilderness together.‖ For many years working as a First Nations consultant, Schoen has tried to achieve these same goals through tourism.

He said that can be a bit of a tough sell sometimes. ―In this case, though, it just opened doors easily—opened hearts in the community with the kids and the youth with a non-threatening approach.‖ This could grow, he said, from these clinics to economic development for these communities. They present a range of clinics, from a day to a week. ―We may plan a big event at the end of the wildlife recovery bike program: maybe bring all the kids together on a larger scale this year,‖ he said, adding that if they can get the funding in place, they can get this program going in June or July. ―Holding these clinics in the areas where the wildfires happened is the best way to invest in my community, the best way to spend my volunteer time in the area where I live,‖ he explained. ―It‘s instant gratification, kids smiling all day long, and the joy you bring to a community: it‘s amazing.‖ He said so much was taken away during the wildfires last summer—the resources around these communities. ―Trails are such a good way to get into the wilderness and invest in your surroundings,‖ said Schoen. ―It‘s a step toward rebuilding and it‘s investing in something that was destroyed and will grow again.‖ 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.

Exploring the delta of The Might Fraser River near Coquitlam on the SLLP (2016) . Photo: Oliver Berger

Submitted by Rivershed Society of BC

wo women who travelled the length of the Fraser River together in 2016 as part of the Sustainable Living Leadership Program (SLLP) have joined forces to design, develop, and deliver a new experiential learning program this year on the Lower Fraser River. Petra Markova and Megan Rempel are from Port Coquitlam, BC and are passionate about sustainability in their community. While paddling on the river, they had an idea that a similar but more accessible trip should be held to engage more people in outdoor education. Little did they know, the Rivershed Society of BC has aspired towards expansion in its programming and now Markova and Rempel are bringing that dream to life. The goal of the Rivers Clinic for Environmental Leaders (RCEL) is to provide a short, regional educational program that targets the needs of specific areas along the Fraser River Watershed. Participants will be given opportunities to build strong bonds with one another and the bio-region they call home. The RCEL takes place June 1 – 3 this year and will engage 20 students from various institutions in the Lower Mainland. A clinic style approach is used to inspire and strengthen relationships between participants by providing space for team building, positive discussion, and planning time in nature. Participants will paddle along the Fraser River from Kwantlen to Musquem Territory in 34-foot voyager style canoes. Summarized Itinerary Day 1 – Introductions Participants arrive at Glen Valley Regional Park and learn about each other, the

RSBC, and the Rivers Clinic. Orientation to program and camping systems. First meeting with the Fraser on a river walk and nature sit-stay. End of night share-out circle and discussion about student initiatives. Day 2 – Strategize and Networking Facilitated leadership styles and strategies discussion with activities. Paddle from Glen Valley to the Kwikwetlem First Nation territory. Free time to network or explore the land. Participate in a community dinner. Guided bat tour at Colony Farm Regional Park. Day 3 – Inspiration and Commitment Paddle from Kwikwetlem to Musquem, with a break in New Westminster. Guest speakers share their stories and the importance of working with others. Participants brainstorm and make a commitment to a solution. Final closing circle and trip highlight. Over the 15 years the Rivershed Society of BC has been running the SLLP, it has developed into a solid and influential program for all its participants. Spending a month in the outdoors is part of what makes the SLLP so influential, but the time commitment is a struggle for many individuals. The regional program aims to include key aspects of the SLLP while reducing the length of the trip to make it more available as well as narrowing the target audience. Post-secondary students were chosen for the first year because there is a lack of collaboration between institutions in the Lower Mainland. The RCEL has a workable framework that can be used to create similar programs in every other region of the Fraser River Watershed. The ultimate vision is to have multiple programs running annually in various areas that cater to multiple community groups. It‘s an exciting opportunity that will build a powerful change-making network in our communities. To learn more, please visit our webpage at www.rivershed.com/RCEL.

By Eva Navrot Women’s Counsellor, Women’s Contact Society, Williams Lake

iamonds—wow, who doesn‘t love diamonds? There are so many sayings around diamonds, but my all-time favorite is, ―some days are diamonds and some days are rocks.‖

Do you wonder why diamonds are so bright and shiny? I have wondered this myself. Actually, diamonds don‘t shine; they reflect. You take a diamond outside when it‘s sunny and it will light up the whole street, but once you take it inside it‘s as dark as ever. The diamond was actually reflecting off the sun. Like many of us, when we are surrounded by light we reflect our beauty and strength. When women live with violence and abuse they often lose their shine and

brightness from being worn and ground down. My job as a women‘s counsellor is to bring back the brightness and shine. Much like rough diamonds that are cut and polished, women need special care and support through the roughest of times. In this time of #me too and #times up, action is key in restoring self-esteem in women that have been through the worst types of violence and abuse. In Williams Lake we have many services to help woman get back on their feet and find their brightness again. We can reflect the beauty we see when she cannot see it for herself. I feel honoured to work with all the women that come through my door. I see such strength, resilience, and character through some very difficult situations. These women are as strong as rocks and shiny as diamonds.

By LeRae Haynes

ool Clear Water provides a high quality, healthy product and stellar customer service, helps protect the environment, and builds community connections. Cool Clear Water is 25 years old, and those principles are the business‘s cornerstones. ―The very first time someone comes in the door, we find out what they need and show them what we‘ve got,‖ said store manager Cathy Rosner, adding that in the end, Cool Clear Water owner Bob Kjelsrud‘s big goal is to 100 per cent build a relationship with that person. Rosner has been Cool Clear Water‘s store manager for nearly five years and has worked for 30 years in retail management. ―Our customers are amazing,‖ she added. ―We make true and wonderful connections.‖ One of the unique things about Cool Clear Water is a business expansion that featured the purchase of a state-of-the-art bottling machine from San Antonio, Texas. It‘s the only one in town and can process and fill 250 bottles an hour. It circulates 12 bottles at a time, cleaning, sanitizing, and filling. ―We have a lot of mills and mines as clients,‖ said Rosner. ―They trust us with their water supply and appreciate our customer service. We deliver once a week to both local mines; our delivery guys take 100-200 bottles a week and deliver them to 17 different locations at Mt. Polley and 30 at Gibraltar.‖ Quality is a main focus at Cool Clear Water. All the bottles are date coded, and bottles from the mines are kept separate from residential bottles for quality control. Ozone, particle, and taste tests are done daily.

By Bernie Littlejohn

ife continues to become more complex in our search to stop destroying our planet. Despite the few focused totally on profit regardless of environmental damage, most us focus on ways of saving the planet and our descendants. Some have already moved to alternative energy, regardless of the cost and complications. But the rest of us keep waiting for something more effective and affordable. We need a better way of storing energy, on small and large scales. And global multi-billionaire Bill Gates believes gravity batteries are a major component of that solution. If you have ever seriously considered using alternative energy, you probably thought of solar panels first, if for no other reason than they appear simple. You can put as many panels as you can afford on the roof, or, if you have the space on your property, on a sloping frame on the ground facing south. It looks reasonably simple at first, doesn‘t it? Then you learn you need a number of wet batteries to save the energy and reclaim it later, and these become an expensive portion of your system. And if you know anything about wet batteries, you know they will probably need some main-

The friendly staff at Cool Clear Water in Williams Lake. Photo: Lisa Bland

―I was a customer for 20 years before I started working here,‖ she said. ―I believe in this water. ―People love the taste of our water, and it leaves behind no residue in appliances and coffee makers and comes in BPA-free bottles.‖ In response to what customers want, Cool Clear Water started providing alkaline water. ―Some people feel cancer can‘t live in an alkaline environment, so they prefer it,‖ Rosner explained. ―We‘re the only ones carrying it. A lot of our new clients have moved up from the coast, and they request it.‖

Cool Clear Water also helps with recycling projects, providing unusable water bottles for people who use them to grow tomatoes. They also save them for ranchers to use them for watering horses and cows. Rosner said a lot of people are switching to buying their own reusable individual serving size bottles and refilling them. ―They‘re getting away from buying those big flats of bottled water—being more environmentally friendly. It‘s affordable, easy, and ‗green. Want to get away from plastic bottles? There are options and we can help.‖ Building relationships with individuals and with the community is what Kjelsrud is

tenance as an electrochemical device, just like your car battery. But what if there were a simpler energy storage device that has been around for more than a hundred years? You have probably seen one, without recognizing it is a gravity battery. We call it a cuckoo clock; there are some grandfather clocks powered the same way. They are powered by a weight on a chain that turns the clock mechanism as it descends under gravity. And when the weight gets to the bottom of its travel you rewind it by pulling down on the other end of the chain, until the weight is up as high as it will go again. This weight not only drives the clock, but also drives the cuckoo in and out of his hole at appropriate times. Now although this machine does not store a lot of energy, it is just a matter of design to increase its capacity. Imagine if, instead of using a one-pound weight, we used a one-ton weight on a chain running over a cogwheel on a chain. How much more energy would be stored? Then imagine the chain and cogwheel it drove were 50 feet or higher. That could drive some rather large, loud-mouthed cuckoo. Or maybe instead, we could drive an electric generator. Now all we need to do is use the alternative energy (solar, wind, or water) to

raise the weight, and we have saved it until we want to use it. Gravitricity is one company working on it. There is little doubt many companies will be looking to such systems to use in their own operations. I have not yet seen a DIY plan for an average home system, but I would be surprised if there are not people working on a design here and there. As a retired engineer, I could see a design that used a piece of sloping property rather than vertical holes like Gravitricity is proposing. For instance: Take a retired pickup truck, put it at the bottom of a hill attached to a winch at the top of the hill. Drive the winch at the top of the hill with your chosen alternative energy source, winching the truck up the hill and thereby storing as much energy as the truck and whatever it is loaded with can store. If you have a yearning to get some ideas on what it takes to store energy, consider this. If you lift 550 pounds up for one foot, in one second, you will have saved 746 watts. Allowing for a bit of loss due to friction, etc. it could generate almost as much energy while it is lowered under gravity. The fact is, we can ignore Bill Gates as he proceeds to his intention to save megawatts of power for large public systems. We can perhaps form a local group, or

all about. ―He is everybody‘s friend and he loves to support the community,‖ said Rosner. ―He‘s been here his whole life, wants events and fundraisers to succeed, and wants his community to thrive.‖ The store takes on students every year, offering support, training, and skill enhancement that can transfer to everyday life and help students achieve their goals. The company supports countless local fundraisers, events, and organizations. It is a huge supporter of the SPCA, hospice, and countless more. ―We‘re the biggest animal lovers around here,‖ Rosner added. ―Liz, the manager at the SPCA shelter, recommends our pet food, which has absolutely taken off. Lots of issues are solved for pets, just by the food they eat. People brings their dogs here for a visit, or for the treats and the water.‖ Customer service is incredibly important at Cool Clear Water. The company offered a product and service that people want and need, in a professional and personable manner. ―Here we take it further: the funny signs in our parking lot, for example,‖ she continued. ―People drive by just to see what our signs say and take pictures.‖ Cool Clear Water supplies water for all non-profit events who ask, including the Station House Gallery, the museum, and Dry Grad every year, as well as countless hockey tournaments. ―Your events are our events: we supply water and a cooler, and nobody gets turned down,‖ Rosner said. ―We‘re here to help.‖ For more information, visit Cool Clear Water on Facebook, phone (250) 398-2665, or drop by 298 Mackenzie Ave South. LeRae Haynes is a freelance writer, song writer, community co-ordinator for Success by 6, member of Perfect Match dance band, and instigator of music with kids.

groups, designing and building our own gravity batteries. I suggest we consider building 12-volt, direct current gravity battery systems on any available hillsides. By using 12 volts DC we would have a host of new and used truck parts at our disposal, including winches. I have been contemplating such a project on my hillside property in Chimney Valley outside Williams Lake. For the do-it-yourselfer, a hillside has the advantage of not needing to holes bored. Although everything is out in the open and would require covering from snow in the winter, this set-up offers the advantage of accessibility during construction. And using 12 volts DC would not require the approval of the local electrical inspector. So, who is up for this? I would be prepared to act as an initial communication centre to get it going, or not. Contact me at littlejo@wlake.com/ Gravitricity: https://www.gravitricity.com/ Bernie Littlejohn was born and grew up in London, UK. He attended the Borough Polytechnic Institute to earn a national certificate in mechanical engineering during the WWII blitz years. He served in the Royal Air Force, emigrated to Canada in 1954 to work in the paper industry, and later retired in Williams Lake.

Science Matters: By David Suzuki

he fossil fuel era must end, or it will spell humanity‘s end. The threat isn‘t just from pollution and accelerating climate change. Rapid, wasteful exploitation of these valuable resources has also led to a world choked in plastic. Almost all plastics are made from fossil fuels, often by the same companies that produce oil and gas. Our profligate use of plastics has created swirling masses in ocean gyres. It‘s worse than once thought. New research concludes that the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is 16 times larger than previously estimated, with 79,000 tonnes of plastic churning through 1.6 million square kilometres of the North Pacific. That‘s larger than the area of Quebec—and it continues to grow. Researchers say if we don‘t clean up our act, the oceans will have more plastics by weight than fish by 2050. The Ocean Cleanup Foundation commissioned the study, published in Nature, based on a 2015 expedition using 30 vessels and a C-130 Hercules airplane to look at the eastern part of the patch. According to a CBC article, researchers estimate that the patch holds 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic, much of it broken down into microplastics less than half a centime-

By Venta Rutkauskas

irdsong and snowmelt—true signs of spring have sprung. The season carries the energy of renewal and the completion of the dark interval, guiding us to sprout new perspectives based upon our wintry reflections. Under the weight of snow and ash, did you discover something about your wildfire experience that hadn‘t had the time to develop in the heat of the moment? Each of us has a story to tell and countless approaches for telling it. When we gather together with family or friends, stories might spill out in their company, perhaps you journal or draw, quietly recording a memory. Our stories are as diverse as fingerprints and yet they bind us together like threads in the human tapestry. Collective experiences like wildfires provide a unifying field, in that we each engaged with a specific set of circumstances as a community. Then, our unique filters cast these experiences in varying shades and contexts. This shady area excites artists and those who desire to explore arts as a means of building community, cohesion, and things of beauty. While the process of creative documentation aids in emotional and psychological mending, building a legacy project for the community can add an empathic dimension that creates connectivity. Musings about these ideas have brought the Community Arts Council of Williams Lake (CACWL) to develop a partnership

tre in diameter. They also found ―plastic bottles, containers, packaging straps, lids, ropes, and fishing nets,‖ some dating from the late 1970s and into the 80s and 90s, and large amount of debris from the 2011 tsunami in Fukushima, Japan. When plastics break down into smaller pieces, they‘re more difficult to clean up, and marine animals often ingest the pieces, which is killing them in ever-increasing numbers. Larger pieces can entangle marine animals, and bigger animals often ingest those, too. The North Pacific patch isn‘t unique. Debris accumulates wherever wind and ocean conditions and Earth‘s rotation create ocean gyres, including the North Pacific, North Atlantic, South Pacific, South Atlantic, and Indian Ocean. There‘s also one in the Arctic Ocean, although it isn‘t a gyre, but an ―accumulation zone,‖ where water from warmer areas sinks as it cools. As the 5 Gyres organization points out, plastics are everywhere, not just in the gyres. It says the idea of a floating island of garbage is a misconception: ―In the ocean, plastic is less like an island, and more like smog.‖ Although some of the plastic comes from ships, most is washed from land into the seas via runoff, rivers, and wind. Scientists are conducting research into ways of cleaning up some ocean plastic but say the only way to adequately address the problem is to stop it at its source. Marcus Eriksen, 5 Gyres co-founder and research director, told CBC that governments need to implement policies to get manufacturers to clean up their acts, ―and make smarter prod-

ucts and think of the full lifecycle; stop making something that, when it becomes waste, becomes a nightmare for everyone.‖ Fossil fuels and the products derived from them have made life easier, but at what cost? We‘ve only been using plastics since the 1950s, and our excessive fossil fuel use is also a relatively recent phenomenon. Putting plastics in the recycling bin isn‘t the only answer, either. Low fossil fuel prices and lack of profitable markets for recycled materials means a lot of plastic doesn‘t get recycled, and it doesn‘t biodegrade. We don‘t have to stop using fossil fuels and producing fossil-fuel-derived plastics overnight, but we can‘t continue to regard the industry as the backbone of our economies and ways of life, and we must stop being so wasteful. As individuals, we can help reduce the amounts of plastic waste in the oceans and on land by eschewing single-use items like

plastic bags, drink containers, straws, and excessively packaged items; by avoiding clothing made with plastic microfibers and products containing microbeads; and by choosing reusable containers or disposables made from other materials, such as aluminum, that are more likely to be recycled. Be wary of compostable plastics. Although made from plant materials, they require large industrial facilities to break them down. The real solution is to buy less stuff in the first place, reduce waste, conserve energy, and shift to cleaner, renewable power sources and product materials. It‘s past time to take pollution, climate change, and waste seriously.

with poet and spoken word performer, Sonya Littlejohn. Littlejohn‘s body of work has focused on inter-cultural relations and anti-oppression themes. She is a gifted teacher and works with Vancouver Poetry House by leading performances and writing intensives for youth. For Littlejohn, the idea of a legacy project that weaves together people‘s experiences answers a call many have felt in the undercurrent of the community. ―It feels like a collection of people‘s experiences and fire stories would galvanize the community spirit that awoke during the wildfire season,‖ Littlejohn explains. ―Having a book helps unify us and connects us to each other in a tangible way.‖ The vision for this project is in development. Look forward to writing and multimedia arts workshops facilitated by Littlejohn later this spring. In these workshops, we‘ll be developing the content for the publication and would love to see multi -media projects emerge, as well. For the Station House Gallery, the open call to artists, ―How I spent my Summer Evacuation,‖ grew out of popular request. ―People just asked us to do this,‖ says Diane Toop, Station House Gallery‘s manager. It‘s not physical fire that is at the centre of the call to artists; rather, they hope to receive a more personal response to the process of evacuation, smoke, packing up your loved ones and belongings… What did your unique multitude of cells and emotions do to cope with these experiences, and what colour can you add to the greater

picture of our Cariboo wildfires? How might you express that though art? The gallery will be accepting proposals until August 20, so get in contact for more info. Delving deeply into a stressful encounter like wildfires requires a determination and skill to keep oneself safe. Trauma is a delicate web of threads, and one is never sure what might set off a stress response. If you do find yourself in a precarious state, there are community resources you can call on. To access mental health and wellness services, and for referrals for specific needs and supports, call the following numbers. All are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. o BC Crisis Line 1-888-353-2273 o 1-800 (SUICIDE) (1-800-784-2433) o 310-6789 (310Mental Health Support) At the root of exploration, and these creative responses to our environment, is a web that intersects with multiple levels of our lives. The expressive arts offer practices for storytelling, bringing us together in a meaningful way. We may broaden our horizons, or that is the hope. In a recent report to Sublevel magazine titled,― Recommendations for Us Right Now for a Future,‖ author and activist Adrienne Maree Brown offers devastatingly honest tasks needed in response to our global context. She brings into focus community and belonging: Even if we don‘t have a clear sense of the exact solutions to fix the future, we should have a clear sense of how we want to feel in ourselves, in our relationships with each other, in community, and in rela-

tionship to the planet. Those feelings aren‘t for the far-off future; they are guidance to what we must be seeding and practising now, right now. If we believe in community, we must get curious about the ways we need to grow and communicate to truly be a part of community—not just one community, but the multitude of communities with which we intersect. When we take a risk and share our inner experiences, especially through the lens of creative expression, we have an opportunity to deepen into a dialogue with truth and beauty. Our community arts institutions are offering some guidance and growth opportunities in honing your story, forging it in the collective fire. We hope you‘ll join usat the CACWL workshops or consider submitting to the Station House Gallery. We‘ll witness a spark grow into a flame. Curious about the Community Arts Council of Williams Lake and all that we do? We‘re busy planning a free knitting workshop on Saturday, April 14; showcasing the theatrical muse, Miss White Spider, in June; and we are always seeking new board members and volunteers. Visit our website or drop us a line at williamslakearts@gmail.com.

(Left) 2017 Art contest winner, Frida S., grade 8, Texas. (Right) Microplastics. Photos: NOAA Marine Debris Program

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.

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

By Paul Héroux, Ph.D., Professor of Electromagnetic Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University

5G has no real strategic value. You can‘t use a smartphone to design a commercial airplane. A more useful investment would be to connect the optical fibre network directly to users. Everyone could enjoy a communication speed ultimately 10,000 times faster than wireless, less vulnerable to hacking and harmless to the health of humans and other species. In 1776, Adam Smith, the first theorist of capitalism, warned us in The Wealth of Nations not to trust merchants when it comes to making regulations. He saw them as the cause of many future tragedies, because of their narrow-mindedness when it came to profit. Our governments should be wise enough and willing to establish serious guidelines for the upcoming data revolution.

he wireless industry dreams of deploying its new 5G (fifth generation) infrastructure in your neighbourhood soon, as it has begun doing in California. Boxes the size of a PC could be placed every 150 meters or so on utility poles, sometimes with small-refrigerator-sized boxes on the ground. 5G technology uses pulsed, millimeter-sized microwaves that are easily blocked by obstacles such as leaves, hence the need to install millions of cell signal boosters near homes. The telecoms say this is the most efficient way to ease the digital congestion caused by audio-video streaming, whose global traffic, according to American giant Cisco, will be 11 times higher in 2018 than in 2014. Data would move through fibre optic cables, but rather than bringing these cables to your home, the last leg of the data‘s journey would generally be wireless. As markets work, personal mobile phone subscriptions are more profitable than the higher speed fibre optic connections linked to desktops through your own router. The 5G network would also support the huge increase in wireless communications created by the Internet of Things (IoT). Since most people already own a cellphone, industry wants to expand its market by embedding a cellular microchip into most manufactured goods. Therefore, items purchased in the future would generate data to be collected by companies and, ultimately, by governments. 5G-IoT is promoted by the promise of ―smart‖ cities, leading to a more comfortable, convenient, and efficient life. But besides a relentless expansion of sales, 5G-IoT will strengthen mobile phones as a platform for publicity and population control. Further, 5G-IoT deployment carries significant health risks. An inconvenient truth denied by industry On September 13, 2017, 180 scientists and physicians from 35 countries signed a call to action demanding a moratorium on 5G deployment until its radiation levels are proven safe, particularly for children and pregnant women. Indeed, all these interconnected objects would significantly increase radiation from electromagnetic fields (EMF) in our environment. And yet, aware of the enormous potential of this market, engineers managed to have these radiations characterized harmless, through 50 years of sustained efforts, by infiltrating and monopolizing standardization committees. Don‘t worry, they say, if the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a branch of the World Health Organization, classified low- and highfrequency electromagnetic fields as ―possibly carcinogenic to humans‖ in 2001 and 2011, respectively. Don‘t worry that a study funded by the US National Toxicology Program confirmed the causal link between brain cancer and cellphone use. Ignore, they say, thousands of scientific publications documenting since the 1960s the harmful effects of chronic, low level exposure to microwave radiation, including

Internet of Things in the city. Photo: www.123rf.com/profile_Elnur

more recent studies included in the 2007 and 2012 BioInitiative Reports. Forget also that these radiations have been linked to diabetes, lower human fertility, cardiac disturbances, several neurological diseases, and genetic changes. And forget about people suffering from electrohypersensitivity, forced to relocate to isolated regions because they suffer from ―microwave illness,‖ a term coined by the Soviet military in the 1950s. Electromagnetic intolerance is an occupational disease whose symptoms disappear in nonelectrical environments, concluded the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2000. EMF health risks were even highlighted in the March 2016 issue of IEEE Power Electronics, the magazine of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Constantly denied by the wireless industry, these facts constitute an inconvenient truth, as Al Gore would say. Regulators prohibit any public health debate The telecommunication industry‘s hold on federal governments is such that deployment of 5G-IoT networks is imposed and violates the rights of other jurisdictions, as well as individuals. Any debate about health risks caused by EMFs is forbidden during public hearings on cell tower sittings. You will be inevitably exposed to this radiation and even more so by goods fitted with transmitting chips. It is to prevent such abuse that California Governor Jerry Brown recently vetoed Bill 649, which would have prevented the State‘s cities and counties from deciding on 5G antenna sitting. In 1942, renowned biochemist and futurist Isaac Asimov coined the Three Laws of Robotics, at a time when the influence of robotization was barely beginning. The first law was: ―A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.‖ As we enter the 5G-IoT revolution, should we not consider similar guidelines? Technology should not injure human beings, especially when alternatives such as optical fibre are available. Living organisms have tolerance to natural electrophysiological activity, but not to any of the artificial EMFs created since the 19th century. Nature cannot protect itself from pulsed and modulated microwave radiation with carriers oscillating billions of times per second.

Individual freedom requires that any IoT transmitter be activated by its owner, and that the default position should be not to transmit any information or radiation. This will safeguard privacy, and peoples‘ right to protection from unwanted microwave exposure. In 1984, George Orwell‘s novel, society becomes a supposedly benevolent state offering comfort, practicability, and efficiency. But everyone is spied upon and monitored by a sophisticated communications system that constantly reminds people that Big Brother is watching. This book illustrates the abuse of power and the erosion of civil liberties caused by mass surveillance. Without limits, technology may supersede humanity, and that process is already underway. As Marshall McLuhan put it, ―the medium is the message‖; unlimited deployment of new technology often creates disastrous and unpredictable consequences, and 5G-IoT networks and products are very likely to do so. In 2018, the Orwellian prophecy comes true, 34 years later than predicted in the book 1984, which was published in 1948. Any type of automation reduces human autonomy and the powerful often abuse their privileges. The US Federal Communications Commission‘s recent decision to repeal the rules that regulated Net neutrality, allowing companies to reduce the transmission speed of some data compared to others, illustrates this point. In the book 1984, the government monopolized information while now, with 5G-IoT, corporations wedge themselves in information control. Failing a revolution, it is often difficult to recover any rights and freedoms abandoned in the past. The cellphone has proven useful as a communication tool, but there is no need to expand it beyond its capacity to transmit short voice and text messages. The industry would like us to download 3D movies on the move, so justifying a 5G network. But this is going in the wrong direction. To prevent a public health crisis, the density of microwave signals must, on the contrary, be reduced by 10,000 times if not more. Optical fibre is safer, healthier, and faster 5G intends to turn smartphones into mobile entertainment and visual stimulation centres purely for commercial reasons.

Review of 878 Russian studies performed between 1960 and 1997: www.kompetenzinit iative.net/KIT/wpcontent/uploads/2016/07/KI_Brochure6_K_Hecht_web.pdf Further reading: Re-Inventing Wires: The Future of Landlines and Networks www.whatis5g.info ―Scientists warn of potential serious health effects of 5G‖ www.dr ive. google.co m/file/ d/0B14R6QNkmaXuelFrNWRQcThNV0U /view Casual link between brain cancer and cellphone use. www.ehtrust.org/cancer-researcher-states2 5- ni h - st ud y- co nf ir ms - c e l l- p ho ne radiation-can-cause-cancer/ Harmful effects of low-level exposure to microwave radiation. www.emf-portal.org/en BioInitiative Reports www.bioinitiative.org/ IEEE Power Electronics, March 2016 issue. www.ieeexplore.ieee.org/ document/7425396/?reload=true California Governor Jerry Brown vetoes Bill 649. www.scientists4wiredtech.com/2017/10/sb -649-vetoed-by-gov-brown/ Note: This article republished with permission from the author and originally published at: www.maisonsaine.ca/ english/5g-and-iot-a-trojan-horse.html Paul Héroux is a PhD in physics, and a scientist with 15 years of experience in physics and engineering, and more than 30 years in the health sciences. He began his research career at the Hydro-Québec Research Institute in Varennes. After taking additional training in biology and medicine, he became professor of toxicology and the effects of electromagnetism on health at the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University, where he directs the Health Program. He leads the InVitro Plus Laboratory of the Department of Surgery at the McGill University Health Center, where he made an important discovery on the effects of electromagnetic fields on cancer cells. He devoted a chapter on this topic in the 2012 edition of the BioInitiative Report, an important synthesis on the health effects of electrosmog.

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“ 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 fed & grass finished beef and lamb, pasture raised heritage pork. Animal Welfare Approved. 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 Chilcotin Conservation Society, (250) 398-7929 Unit 102-197 2nd Ave. North, Williams Lake ccentre@ccconserv.org, www.ccconserv.org Working within the community to promote a healthy environment as the basis of a strong economy and vibrant society. Programs include Water Wise, Waste Wise, Sustainable Living, and Watershed Health. Cariboo Growers Coop, (778) 412-2667 3rd & Oliver St., Williams Lake. 100% Natural & Organic Foods, Non-Profit Farmer’s Coop 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 The Hobbit House, (250) 392-7599 71 First Ave. South, Williams Lake Juice Bar, Natural Products, Essential Oils, Teas, Crystals, Gemstones, and more. KiNiKiNiK Restaurant, Gift shop, Store & Accommodations (250) 394-6000 Redstone BC. kinikinik@pasturetoplate.ca Serving all organic meals with Demeter certified organic Pasture to Plate meats. New Paradigm Teas (250) 267-3468 newparadigmteas@gmail.com Four Nourishing blends of locally, organically grown and wildcrafted herbal teas. Potato House Sustainable Community Society (250) 855-8443 grow@potatohouseproject.com The Potato House Project is a friendly bastion of doing, sharing, learning and playing. Call and find out ways to get involved. Scout Island Nature Centre & Williams Lake Field Naturalists, (250) 398-8532 www.scoutislandnaturecentre.ca www.williamslakefieldnaturalists.ca Nature on the city’s doorstep. Bird sanctuary, trails, Nature House, natural history programs for kids.. Smashin’ Smoothies, (778) 412-2112 102-41, 7th Ave North, Williams Lake Juice, Smoothies & Espresso Bar Fresh, Organic, Whole Food. Sta-Well Health Foods, (250) 392-7022 79D 3rd Ave. North, Williams Lake Organic Foods, Water Distillers, Natural Medicines, Emergency Freeze Dried Foods. Williams Lake Food Policy Council, (250) 302-5010 GROWING THE SEEDS OF CHANGE! www.facebook.com/WLFPC foodpolicycouncil@hotmail.com. Building a strong local food economy and promoting a healthy and sustainable community. Windy Creek Farm, (250) 296-3256 Miocene, BC Grass Fed Beef. No hormones, antibiotics or vaccines. www.grassfedbeefbc.ca

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

A&W All-ways Travel Amanda Enterprises Barking Spider Mtn. Bikes Bean Counter Bistro Beaver Valley Feeds Blocks R Us Body Connection by Joe CanWest Propane Cariboo Growers Co-op Cariboo Ski Community Futures Concrete Fitness Conservation Society CJ‘s Restaurant CRD Library Creative Scissor Dairy Queen Dog & Suds earthRight 4 Sure Bistro Friendship Centre Greyhound Bus Stop Handi-Mart Joey‘s Grill KFC Halls Organics Integrated Elements Clinic The Hobbit House Husky Restaurant Karamia‘s Donairs Kornak & Hamm Pharmacy The Laughing Loon The Legion Margetts Meats McDonalds Mt. Timothy Ski Area New World Coffee Oliver‘s Bar & Grill South 2nd Deli Red Shred‘s Bike & Board Shed Rona Home Centre Safeway Save-on-Foods SBL Liquor Store Scout Island Nature Center Senior Citizens Center Shopper‘s Drug Mart Spa Bella Station House Gallery Sta-Well Health Foods Subway Taylor Made Cakes The Gecko Tree The Open Book Tim Hortons Tourism Info Center Trattoria Pasta Shoppe Thompson Rivers Univ. Tsilhqot'in National Gov`t Walmart WL Acupuncture Clinic Williams Lake Physio WL Seniors Village WL Veterinary Hospital Williams Lake Water Factory *please note that we are in the process of revamping our distribution process to better serve our clients. If TheGreenGazette is not being displayed at any of the above locations please contact us so that we may rectify the situation.

By Jasmin Schellenberg HEALTHY SNACKS AND WHY Polenta bars with bacon and cheese Ingredients 4 Tablespoons lard 4 gloves garlic, finely chopped 1 medium onion, finely chopped 4 cups broth 2 cups organic corn grits (from Bob‘s Red Mill, no GMO) 2 teaspoon sea salt ½ teaspoon black pepper ¼ teaspoon nutmeg ½ cup parmesan or grated cheese ½ cup bacon, sliced and diced 2 eggs Olive oil for brushing Method Fry garlic and onions in a pan with lard until soft. Add broth, bacon, and spices, and heat up to a simmer. In a thin stream, whisk in the grains, constantly stirring. Lower heat and stir frequently for the next 30 minutes. Let cool down for a bit before stirring in the eggs and cheese. Pour on a cookie sheet and flatten with a spatula dipped in hot water to ½ inch thick. Refrigerate one hour, then cut into bars or squares, brush on olive oil, and grill them in a preheated oven (on high heat) for eight minutes or until golden. Great hot or cold. This tasty treat is a highly nutrient-dense food. Enjoy! NUTRIENT DENSE MEAL Brisket (serves 8) Ingredients 3lbs grass-fed brisket 1 Tablespoon bacon fat or fat of your choice 1 onion, sliced thin ½ cup red wine 1 cup marinara sauce 1 cup broth (chicken or beef) 8 carrots, peeled and cut into two-inch pieces 5 small Yukon gold potatoes 1 teaspoon oregano 1 teaspoon thyme ½ a green cabbage, chopped into twoinch pieces salt and pepper to taste parsley for garnish

Method Cut the brisket into four pieces and sprinkle with salt. Set the Instant Pot to sauté and add the bacon fat or fat of choice. Working in batches, brown the brisket on both sides, set aside. Add the onion slices and sauté for a few minutes until soft. Deglaze the pot with the wine, scraping up the browned bits. Add the marinara sauce and stir well. Place the brisket over the onion mixture. Add the broth, carrots, potatoes, oregano, and thyme. Sprinkle a little more salt and a few twists of pepper over the dish. Seal the Instant Pot, then set it to manual for 50 minutes. When done, release the pressure. Add the cabbage and set to manual for another eight minutes. Release the pressure again and remove all the items to a tray. Slice the brisket. Add salt and pepper to taste and garnish with chopped parsley. Can also be cooked in a slow cooker for 10 hours; add vegetables in the last hour. Enjoy! MYTHS UNVEILED Can we truly feed the world? Imagine we can! What do we need to do to make that happen? I believe we have to teach our children how to grow food. We need to teach them how vegetables are grown. This is much easier than one thinks, even if you live in an apartment. It would be nice to start in a garden but it‘s not a must. There are other options out there such as straw bale growing and growing in containers. I highly recommend starting with some snap peas. Children love to harvest them all summer long. Also, tomatoes are relatively easy to grow and potatoes for fall harvest. For fruits strawberries are quite fast growers and use little space. Garden centers sell patio containers with instructions how to grow potatoes. Some are great for tomatoes and others are smaller for peas and strawberries. They also sell the seed. Go for the organic seeds as they won‘t be genetically modified. Not using chemical inputs is highly recommended. Chemicals such as pesticides and

herbicides along with genetic modification of DNA is untested, unproven, and unnecessary. Growing vegetables, fruits, and crops naturally is most important as you want to teach your children how to feed the soil by using natural inputs such as compost or compost tea. We do a lot of biodynamic preparations and also use the Korean natural farming practices, which can all be downloaded from the Internet. We also like to use the Maria Thun or Stalla Natura calendar as we grow our garden in sync with the zodiac to the various crops. How will this feed the world? Children and you learn about growing food and being responsible for watering and weeding plants. You also feel a great deal of satisfaction once harvest is happening. Also, children will start to understand how much hard work goes into gardening and that it is ok to eat something with a blemish on it, which probably will no longer get discarded. If we no longer discard as much, it surely can feed many more of us. Did you know that over 50 per cent of food produced is lost or ends up in the garbage? In our industry we have to date everything and even though it‘s still perfectly okay to eat on and sometimes past the best before date, people get scared and discard instead of judging for themselves when food is no longer good to eat. Did you know: Statistics Canada study found last year that the average age of Canadian farmers had reached 55 after rising for decades, and 92 per cent of farms had no written plan for who will take over when the operator retires? It also found there were more farmers over age 70 than under 35as of July 16, 2017.

That is scary! Who will grow our food in the future? Commercial industrialized agriculture? Mono cultures? Maybe by planting a seed in our children‘s minds, we will grow young farmers of the future who appreciate the value of real food. Farmers are the foundation of the ultimate healthcare system. Farmers can do more to keep people healthy than all the doctors and hospitals combined. They have the capacity to prevent people from becoming ill. The true cost of pesticides in our children‘s food makes conventional food too expensive. How do you measure the costs of products that can give people a lifetime of poor health compared to those that will help them avoid these problems? Food is much more than a method of filling our stomachs. The quality of our food has a profound effect on our health, nourishment, and quality of life. Here‘s to our future young farmers! Check out your local garden centers or Westcoast Seeds www.westcoastseeds.com This website has many great growing tips. For questions write to me: jasmin@pasturetoplate.ca. A WALK THROUGH YOUR PANTRY: GET RID OF: Conventional seeds (most of them are GMO or have a chemical fertilizer coating). REPLACE WITH: Organic seeds. Brought to you by Jasmin Schellenberg For “Nourishing our Children” newsletters of the past visit www.thegreengazette.ca.