The Green Gazette - February/March 2018

6/ Critique of Forestry for the New NDP Government Herb Hammond is the premier eco-system based forester in BC and probably the world. He has for years been director of the Silva Forest Foundation (www.Silvafor.org).

- by Van Andruss 7/ A Plan for Health: Take one small step today It‘s that time of year when people vow to make healthier life choices, get outside, quit a bad habit, eat healthier food, and tackle the world of better physical fitness.

- by Jessica Kirby 11/ Riding the Wave of Plastic Pollution Advocacy in Canada If you‘re of the environmental mindset (and you likely are if you‘re perusing this publication), then you might already know where this is headed...across the country, Canadians are waking up to the revolution...

- by Ryan Elizabeth Cope 13/ Our Endangered Salmon: No easy answers The Fraser River Sockeye returns of 2017 were the lowest since recording began 124 years ago. Indeed, over half of Fraser Sockeye stocks – 15 of 24 – were recently listed as species at risk by the scientific body responsible for assessments.

Eight of them were classified Endangered, defined as ‗at imminent risk of extinction‘. - by Dr. Mike Pearson 30/ Let Us Create An EcoRenaissance I can feel this future. I have written a novel about it. I love its colour and vibrancy, its harmony with Nature. But what is its name?

- by Guy Dauncey 32/ On Love and Bodhicitta: The genuine heart cannot be lost Love is everywhere and in so many forms - we love with abandon in romance and in friendship, with our children and parents, when considering our life‘s passions and dreams. - by Jessica Kirby

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, Angela Abrahão, Pat Teti, Jasmin Schellenberg, Ryan Elizabeth Cope, Sandra K. Klassen, Janice Breck, Petra Markova, Brian Englund, Amy Quarry, Kristin Lehar, Kathie Vilkas, Nicola Finch, Dr. Mike Pearson Advertising Lisa Bland Creative Directors Lisa Bland / Rebecca Patenaude Ad Design Jill Schick, Leah Selk, Rebecca Patenaude Published by Earthwild Consulting Printing Black Press Ltd. Cover: Warm spring sunset over glistening waters of Chilko Lake, BC. Copyright: Jesaja Class Photography www.jesajaclass.wixsite.com/photography Index Photo: Crocus flower during the spring.

Copyright: www.123rf.com/profile_ccat82 / 123RF Photo

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.

32/ Spring Equinox: Celebrating rebirth and balance Spring Equinox is almost here. The birth of spring, the rebirth of warmth and brightness—this is the time of year to celebrate love and light and new beginnings.

- by Jessica Kirby

4/ The EcoTrilogy: By Ray Grigg - Reviewed by J. Baker 5/ Publisher‘s Letter: Word Water Day - by Lisa Bland 8/ Science Matters: On Climate, OECD Head Embraces Environmentalism - by David Suzuki 8/ BC Coalition for Forestry Reform 9/ Tourism Meet Ranching, Ranching Meet the Future - by Angela Abrahão 12/ Be Happy: Make art your medicine - by Venta Rutkauskas 13/ Letters: The Importance of Watersheds 14/ Making Cariboo Memories Behind a Team of Horses - by LeRae Haynes 14/ Change of Heart to Change a Life - by LeRae Haynes 15/ Waste Wise: Taxation vs. ―User Pay‖ - by Tera Grady 16/ Green Business Feature: QTax Supports Local Small Business - by LeRae Haynes 17/ Waste Shoots, Recycling Scores! - by Oliver Berger 18/ Bumps, Jumps, and Sugar - by LeRae Haynes 18/ Springing into spring at the Cariboo Memorial Complex - by LeRae Haynes 19/ Conservation Conversation: Family Footprint Challenge - by Brianna van de Wijngaard

21/ Permaculture - by Amy Quarry 22/ Home Funerals - by Angela Gutzer 23/ Green Burial: The natural choice - by Nicola Finch 23/ Let‘s Talk About End-of-Life - by Kathie Vilkas 24/ Elders Circle of Care - by Sage Birchwater 24/ Book Review: Chilcotin Chronicles - by Parker Crook 25/ Remembering Gloria Atamanenko - by Van Andruss 25/ Skywatch with Bill Irwin 26/ Getting Serious about Real Food - by Terri Smith 26/ Raising Amadeus - by Terri Smith 28/ Reflections on a journey down the Fraser River - by Petra Markova 29/ StrongStart & Nature: A perfect fit - by LeRae Haynes 30/ Hygge: A Scandinavian social phenomena, with a Canadian twist - by Sandra K. Klassen 31/ Random Acts of Kindness - by Al-Lisa McKay 31/ Canadian Mental Health Association - Take a Break - by Janice Breck 33/ Survival Bars, my Long-time Travelling Companions - by Pat Teti 33/ Rail Ties Be Wise Update - by Sage Birchwater 35/ Nourishing our Children - by Jasmin Schellenberg

By Lisa Bland Publisher/ Editor-in-Chief

T

he nature of water is flow, and it knows no boundaries. The cycle of water, or hydrological cycle, describes the continuous movement of water above, on, and under the surface of the Earth. Water is a universal solvent and described by scientists as a weird and wonderfully magical molecule with many mind-bending properties.

Water carries particles with it and within it, and often amplifies their effects downstream or into the atmosphere via natural seasonal weather patterns, climate induced change, or changes due to human industrial activity and urbanization. Water can teach us a lot about living wisely on the landscape with an awareness of impermanence. Ideas of boundaries, territorial borders, and even protected areas don‘t make much sense when you study the path of water over time.

With powerful, unrelenting force, water carves into earth and solid rock, creating new geographical forms. As many people living in coastal and rivershed areas know, the constant reshaping of land through erosion and sedimentation, alters our concept of permanence. Houses can be carried down rivers, mudslides can bury valley bottoms, and huge swaths of land can be swallowed up overnight due to flooding, storms, or tidal action.

The water cycle is essential for the maintenance of life and ecosystems on the planet and its importance to living systems can‘t be understated. According to the United Nations (UN), 2.1 billion people live without safe drinking water, with direct consequences on health, education, and livelihood. The UN‘s sustainable development goals include protecting the natural environment and reducing pollution to maintain water quality as well as ensuring people worldwide have access to safe water by 2030.

On March 22,World Water Day, UNWater releases a World Water Development Report focusing on a different theme each

Reviewed by J. Baker

S

olving our environmental problems is proving complicated, not only because we don‘t know what to do, but because our journey to solutions requires that we confront huge technological challenges as well as our individual and collective human character.

This complexity becomes obvious when reading The EcoTrilogy. As a weekly environmental columnist, having written more than 750 pieces over 16 years, Ray Grigg has developed a sense of perspective on a situation that will tax humanity‘s intelligence and resolve.

This challenge is implicitly evident in The EcoTrilogy, partly because of the breadth of subjects he explores – mostly philosophical in Ecologos, mostly psychological in Ecopathy, and mostly biophysical in Ecocide – and partly because he makes almost no recommendations about how we are to solve our environmental problems.

The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) Blue Water Project, launched in 2007, is dedicated to helping protect watersheds and improve access to clean drinking water in towns and cities in Canada through grants, conferences, economic reports, and events that focus on water awareness.

In the spring of 2017, RBC released its 10th annual ―Canadian Water Attitudes Study‖ about how Photo: michaeljung ShutterStock photo ID: 204546046 Canadians think, feel, and act towards our fresh water resources. Reyear. The report‘s goal is to assist decisionsults showed many contradictions between makers in implementing sustainable use of attitudes and actual actions. Canadians claim water resources. The theme of World Water to highly value our lakes and waterways as a Day 2018 is exploring nature-based solusource of national identity, yet also take tions to reduce floods, drought, and water them for granted, with even less action topollution. Learn more about World Water wards conservation than we took a decade Day and ways to get inspired and take acago. tion. www.worldwaterday.org.

As noted in the RBC press release, Canada has one-fifth of the world‘s ―Canadians Remain Conflicted About Our freshwater with thousands of interconnected Most Precious Natural Resource: Fresh Warivers and lakes. Overall findings in a comter, ‖Robert Sandford, EPCOR chair for prehensive national watershed assessment of water security at the United Nations UniverCanada‘s 25 main watersheds completed in sity Institute for Water, Environment, and 2017 by World Wildlife Fund (WWF), show Health, thinks these attitudes come down to Canada does not have an adequate national culture and economy. system for reporting the health of and ―I think we‘re dealing with a degree of threats to its freshwater resources. denial,‖ says Sandford. ―It‘s challenging for WWF‘s easy-to-use and informative us, as Canadians, to reconcile our long-held website (www.watershedreports.wwf.ca) myth of limitless water abundance with the presents, via interactive maps and engaging very real physical threats we‘re hearing visual symbols, data about the health and about and even experiencing. threats facing watersheds and sub―We don‘t pay the real costs of the water watersheds. Threat categories are defined by we use—neither the costs necessary to transmap and region with high and low values for port and treat it, nor the environmental costs individual threats including pollution, habiof wasting it. As a result, we‘ve come to tat loss, habitat fragmentation, overuse, inbelieve that water is cheap. There‘s no invasive species, climate change, and alteracentive to use less of it.‖ tion of flows. The health of each watershed RBC recommends changing Canadians‘ is defined in terms of overall health, water perception through communicating the ecoquality, water flow, fish, and benthic invernomic value of water, governments putting tebrates. more resources into water infrastructure and WWF‘s national watershed assessment supporting technologies, and taking more found a surprising lack of available and acglobal leadership in water stewardship. cessible data, even in some highly develIn BC, we are blessed with incredible oped urban areas, such as the Great Lakes water resources and it‘s clear many British Basin. Where data was available, only three Columbians care deeply about fresh water of Canada's 25 watersheds came out with a and the ways resource extraction and comtop rating for health.

The position he seems to take is that by raising our level of consciousness, we will be able to make the necessary changes in our human character that will then guide the direction of science and technology toward solutions. The EcoTrilogy certainly helps in this regard because two of the three volumes explore the philosophical and psychological aspects of the problem.

But this approach is a little disquieting, perhaps because it shifts responsibility from the writer to the reader. Grigg doesn‘t tell us directly what to do, but he certainly makes it clear that we have work ahead of us, and much of this work is about reaching a deeper understanding of who we are as individuals and as a species, what are our values, and how we consequently behave. The uncomfortable reality is that our environmental problems are essentially an extension of who we are.

This is what we might expect of Grigg, given his seven previous books on Eastern philosophy. These books on Zen and Tao-

ism are essentially about increasing awareness and the benefits that will accrue from this exercise. What we get from life, individually and collectively, is the result of the effort we expend and the awareness we cultivate. The EcoTrilogy certainly gives us lots to think about. It‘s a rich source of information about the inner and outer dynamics operating in these troubling times.

The 64 chapters per book are informative and carefully footnoted for additional reading, but the collective effect is to underscore the complexity of our environmental challenge. In this regard, The EcoTrilogy is a realistic assessment of our situation, neither hopefully optimistic nor ominously pessimistic. The message in the books is implicitly clear—we are racing against time with very little margin for error.

The EcoTrilogy is available from the author at www.raygrigg.com or at bookstores in Campbell River, Comox Valley, and Quadra Island.

munity development occur on the landscape.

The Real Estate Foundation of BC (REFBC) advocates for greater community-driven leadership, governance, and management measures to ensure water safety and sustainability over the long term.

In 2017, REFBC worked with water experts to study water resources and create a framework of desired impacts, impact measures, and conditions. In the resulting report, ―Murky Waters: Taking a Snapshot of Freshwater Sustainability in BC,‖ REFBC found that data about the state of BC‘s freshwater is often incomplete, out of date, or unreliable, and improvements are needed to improve data collection, monitoring, and reporting.

In February 2016, a new Water Sustainability Act was introduced in BC outlining licensing, stream protection, well and groundwater protection, water sustainability, and regulatory enforcement. BC has an opportunity to manage and address its water challenges by turning ideas into action. Protecting watershed areas and fresh water resources comes down to the available resources and means to implement changes.

Groups such as the Freshwater Alliance in British Columbia are key in the engagement process and they believe public involvement and advocacy are the best ways to protect BCs lakes, rivers, streams, and creeks. They represent over 230 non-profit groups and organizations working to protect the waters of BC and include groups that work with restoration, education and children‘s programs, First Nations and indigenous organizations and governments, fishing and freshwater recreation clubs, advocacy groups, and more.

On World Water Day, this March 22, take a moment to appreciate that we live in one of the most blessed places on Earth, in terms of our ability to enjoy an abundance of clean water, and enjoy benefits of an abundant natural heritage that many can only dream of. Consider supporting local advocacy groups protecting a waterway or rivershed near you such as the Rivershed Society of BC, (www.rivershed.com), the Horsefly River Roundtable (www.horseflyriver.ca), The Baker Creek Enhancement Society (www.bakercreek.org), Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society Water Wise Program (www.ccconserv.org).

H

erb Hammond is the premier eco-system based forester in BC and probably the world.

He has for years been director of the Silva Forest Foundation (www.Silvafor.org). In October of 2017, after the new NDP government came into office, Hammond wrote a letter to Premier Horgan; Doug Donaldson, Minister of Forest, Lands and Natural Resources Operations; George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy; Katrine Conroy, Minister of Children and Family Development; and Andrew Weaver, Green Party Leader. With the author‘s permission, I have lightly edited the contents and converted this letter into a sort of essay without sacrificing essentials. ~ Van Andruss Why it is necessary to reform the way forestry is carried out in BC Forests are our most important terrestrial carbon sink. When we log natural, intact old forests, it requires 150 to 250 years to regain the same level of carbon sequestration as before logging. Most of the carbon stored in the trees cut (up to 65%) is back in the atmosphere within five years.

Thus, the ―long-term storage‖ of carbon in wood products is, at best, overstated by the timber industry and many forest professionals. In fact, carbon released from logging in the US has been shown to be greater than all other residential and commercial sources combined (see ―The Great American Stand: US Forests and the Climate Emergency‖ in the link below). Thus, changing the way forestry is done is vital to mitigating the effects of climate change and adapting to conditions associated with climate change.

Forests, particularly old, natural, and intact forests, produce the highest quality water in moderate quantities throughout an annual cycle. As currently done, most logging degrades water quality, quantity, and timing of flow. This degradation contributes significantly to spring flooding and fall droughts. Restoring full hydrological functioning of forests after logging takes at least five to seven decades and more than a century and a half to reach the water conservation of old/old-growth forests. Thus, changing the way forestry is done is vital to conserving water.

We all depend upon biological diversity for our survival. Conventional forestry practices degrade biodiversity to dangerously low levels when compared to intact, natural forests. This not only degrades the ecological services that we depend upon, but also makes forest ecosystems more vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

Industrial forestry corporations neither provide significant levels of employment, nor pay adequate stumpage fees. Significantly less than one job is produced per 1,000 cubic meters of timber cut and milled in industrial forestry and wood products manufacturing. This rate of employment in the BC forest industry has steadily declined since records started being kept in 1944.

However, there are examples in BC of ecologically responsible timber cutting coupled with value-added wood products manufacturing that produce five to seven jobs per 1,000 cubic meters of timber cut.

Starting in 1993 the Vernon Log Sort Yard was run by the Ministry of Forests

Image: Microsoft word clip art

using wood from ecologically sound forest management, produced under the Small Business Enterprise Program. The project operated for a number of years and recovered significantly more stumpage per cubic meter of timber than the standard appraisal system, while practising socially and ecologically responsible forestry.

Challenges to changing the industrial model of forestry in BC A growing reason to change the forestry construct in BC is that we are running out of timber. The models have not worked because of poor data and overly optimistic assumptions that encouraged high cutting rates. Forest professionals have ignored the need to alter timber cutting rates as the oldgrowth was logged and ―fall down‖ resulted, with logging now occurring in the remaining intact natural forests, and in younger and younger forests. The way sustainable cutting rates are propped up is by cutting socially and ecologically sensitive forests, as well as younger and younger trees over larger areas. These are the major reasons logging has steadily crept into socially and ecologically sensitive areas, like domestic watersheds and steep slopes.

Reliance by industry on employment of professional foresters with no government oversight means corporate responsibility is virtually always put ahead of ecological and social responsibility. In this regard, I believe that forest professionals are in violation of their code of ethics, as it relates to protecting the public interest, and certainly not upholding their obligations under the policy of ―Professional Reliance.‖ Forest professionals are complicit with the timber industry and past Liberal government‘s permissive policies by ignoring the obvious need to change the forestry construct to mitigate and adapt to the effects of global warming‘s negative impacts on water and biological diversity. If you consult with the Association of BC Professional Foresters (ABCFP), keep in mind this organization‘s views are largely that of the timber industry, because key positions in the ABCFP are consistently held by forest professionals directly or indirectly employed by industry.

The combination of professional reliance and virtual elimination of the Forest Service, including their responsibilities for planning, approval, and disapproval of industry plans, and establishing clear, publicly accountable standards for forest management have de facto privatized public forest land. If this continues, history will

show that this will produce a sad legacy for future generations, particularly in the face of climate change. However, there are practical, tested solutions for the problems outlined above.

What is the fix?

The Ministry of Forests and BC Forest Service need to be re-established with clear, unfettered authority over forest land use planning and regulation of use of public forests. Staffing levels and budgets need to be at least as large (in today‘s dollars) as when the Ministry of Forests/BC Forest Service were virtually eliminated by the past Liberal government.

Forest management needs to start with landscape level plans that are fully available for public review and incorporation of public needs and values. These landscape level or ―higher level‖ plans would be jointly developed by the Ministry of Forests and Ministry of Environment, and include a participatory, shared decisionmaking process with local communities.

Regional log sort yards need to be established to scale and sell timber from public forests. This change will increase stumpage revenue to the Province and eliminate the basis for the US to continue to charge us with subsidizing the timber industry, which currently has merit, due to the stumpage appraisal system.

Forest professionals need to put maintaining, and where necessary restoring, the ecological integrity of forests ahead of short-term timber interests. The ABCFP needs to stand behind and support professionals who take this stand with their employers.

Responsibility for evaluating and disciplining the practice of forestry needs to be removed from the ABCFP and vested in an independent arms-length body appointed by publicly accountable experts from a range of biological, ecological, climate, and social disciplines in Canadian universities.

Protecting ecological integrity and landscape level plans are particularly necessary due to the climate emergency, and forestry‘s significant contribution to this problem. Let‘s stop giving climate change lip service by suggesting we can plant trees that may be more appropriate to forthcoming climates, and distorting facts to suggest that converting old forests to seedlings is good for carbon sequestration and storage.

We need to come to grips with the fact: You can plant a tree, but you cannot plant a forest. We need to restore the public in

meaningful ways across BC‘s public forest lands. These lands do not belong to industry. But current policies and actions by forest professionals have resulted in active denial of information to the public, exclusion of public needs, like water protection and climate change mitigation from forestry plans, and a level of industrial dominance of public forest lands not heretofore seen in BC. There needs to be a focus on forest protection and restoration of the composition, structure, and function of natural forest ecosystems, not on logging to meet the needs of mills. The time has come for the mills to fit the needs of the forest and the public, not for the forest to fit the needs of the mills. Foresters need to stand up for that need—for Restoration Forestry.

Restoration forestry will re-establish ecological integrity, improve ecological resilience in the face of climate change, and meet timber needs. The timber that results will not be the focus, but rather a byproduct of maintaining natural forest integrity for the full spectrum of society‘s needs.

Meaningful employment from restoration forestry will exceed current levels of ―timber focused‖ employment.

Restoration forestry has the potential to supply adequate, if not higher than current levels, of revenue to the government through secondary and tertiary manufacturing, and better marketing of wood products.

By putting the forest back into forestry, a new forestry will put the forest first, recognizing that the forest sustains us, we do not sustain the forest.

Background Material Briony Penn‘s ―An Orwellian Path to Fraud in BC‘s Forests.‖ www.focusonvictoria.ca/ mayjune2017/an-orwellian-path-to-fraud-in -bcs-forests-r10/.

Anthony Britneff and Martin Watt‘s paper to the Coastal Silviculture Committee, ―Uncertainty Relative to the TSR Process.‖ www.coastalsilviculturecommittee.com/ uploads/4/4/1/8/4418310/ britneff_and_watts_2017.pdf. ―The Great American Stand: US Forests and the Climate Emergency‖ by Bill Moomaw and Danna Smith of Dogwood Alliance. www.dogwoodalliance.org/wp-content/ uploads/2017/03/The-Great-AmericanStand-Report.pdf. ―Oversight at Risk: The State of Government Science in British Columbia.‖ w w w . e v i d e n c e fo r d e m o c r a c y. c a / e n / research/reports/bc. ―Good Jobs Require Healthy Ecosystems and Healthy Communities.‖ www.policyalternatives.ca/sites/default/ files/uploads/publications/ WorkingPaper_HerbHammond_GoodJobsConf.pdf. ―Good Jobs‖ —Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives Slide Presentation. www.dropbox.com/s/7ca3ru6vx2zalqj/ Presentation_HerbHammond_GoodJobsConf.pdf? dl=0

—

By Jessica Kirby, Senior Editor of TheGreenGazette

I

t‘s that time of year when people vow to make healthier life choices, get outside, quit a bad habit, eat healthier food, and tackle the world of better physical fitness. Though we charge forward into a new year ripe with ambition and focus, the best intentions can die on the vine without the right plan in place to keep us moving.

Fitness coach, endurance athlete, and all-around wilderness explorer Sarah Seads is based in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island. Her business, Equilibrium Lifestyle Management (ELM) trains individuals and groups all over the world in fitness and competition, whether pounding the pavement towards that first 5 km or scaling mountains to achieve the ultra running dream.

Seads‘ passion for sport and the wilderness evolved, first through team sports and then through her work as a tree planter, and later, as a wildland fire fighter. ―I just feel most at home in the mountains and forest,‖ she says. ―That is my motivation—a pure love of the wild. It fills me up, reminds me of what is important, and inspires me beyond belief.‖ Although Seads now runs farther than some of us care to drive, she certainly didn‘t lace up for her first major event out of the blue. Like the rest of us, she started small and still experiences the same issues as people just getting started on their fitness journeys: staying motivated, how to plan, and where to begin. ―Low motivation is a universal human experience and one that we will all have to deal with again and again when it comes to our health and fitness,‖ says Seads. ―The trick is building that toolbox and strengthening our mental game.‖ Motivation begins, well, at the beginning. Seads‘ journey has evolved into a lengthily resume of athletic successes because she chooses sport that combines her love for nature (inspired by her father‘s commitment to family time in the wild), strengthening mind games, and feeling the body adapt and grow stronger. ―That is one of the secrets of life-long motivation,‖ she says. ―Choosing activities that fill you up, meet your needs, and bring you joy. We are much more likely to stick with activities that connect to our core and align with our needs.‖ To begin each journey, it‘s essential to create a vision. ―Make a vision board, or write out a list of vision statements so that you have a very clear vision of what you want to accomplish and who you want to be,‖ says Seads.

She also recommends getting to the core of your motivation by asking yourself why you want that vision and why you are willing to commit to a fitness program to achieve it. ―Go deeper,‖ she says, ―asking ‗why‘ each reason is important to you until you get to that core.‖ Finally, recruit support. ―Hire a coach, download a plan, read, learn, and get the

Mountain biking selfie in Seal Bay Nature Park, Courtenay, BC. Photo: Sarah Seads

Seads says the most important advice she can give for anyone looking to start their health and fitness journey is: start today.

She emphasizes how it all begins with small steps: Take one step today that will lead you in the direction of your health vision. Go for a walk. See how many push ups you can do. Then, tomorrow, do one more. Spend 10 minutes stretching during your favourite show tonight. Google your dream events and adventures, then make images into your screen savers. ―What I mean is, just begin any way that you can, today,‖ says Seads. ―Forget about the obstacles that are between you and your vision. Focus solely on the opportunities that you have to take that single step today.‖ What are you waiting for? Today is your day.

Sarah Seads and her team at ELM are there to help you reach your fitness dreams and goals, providing online and in person training, group coaching, motivation, education, and resources including training videos, articles, and training plans to support you on your fitness journey. Visit www.elmhealth.com for more ideas and inspiration.

Top: Running in the sunlight at Seal Bay Nature Park, Courtenay, BC. Photo: Karen McKinnon Bottom: Building strength and balance with a handstand on a rock at Comox Lake, BC. Photo: Mark Matthews @markymath

tools you need to make the best use of your time,‖ she says.

Other tricks to keep you going over the long term include using the buddy system (being accountable to someone else can be huge), music, and signing up for an event (massive motivation can be found in preparing for an event). ―There also endless mental tricks for making hard things seem like easy things and turning obstacles into opportunities,‖ says Seads. ―The key is being open to building that toolbox, trying new things, and continually working on your motivation and mental strength over the long term.‖ And every goal does matter. In fact, if you are meeting the minimum fitness guidelines – in Canada, these are currently

150 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per week; muscle and bone strengthening activities at least two days a week are also recommended – you are well on your way to health. ―That number, 150, is a very powerful threshold for health,‖ says Seads. ―Research now tells us that when we reach this number on a weekly basis, our risk of pretty much everything drops by 20-30 per cent. Heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity—you name it. ―Sure, more will get you additional benefits, but this number packs the biggest return on investment. That‘s five 30minute power walks in a week, or one 60minute and three 30-minute walks. You can do that!‖

Science Matters:

By David Suzuki

A

ngel Gurria sounds like the leader of an environmental or social justice group.

In a recent University of Toronto lecture, ―Climate Action: Time for Implementation,‖ he stressed that climate change is a public health issue ―disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable as well as those least responsible for anthropogenic warming.‖ Gurria is secretary-general of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, a group representing some of the richest, most industrialized nations on Earth.

He said the Toronto lecture was his third climate talk in recent years. In the first, he argued that fossil fuel emissions to the atmosphere must be ―completely eliminated in the second half of this century.‖ I disagree with his support of carbon capture—allowing carbon dioxide pollution to be created but storing it below ground. But his vision of worldwide net-zero emissions

is breathtaking. We associate the words ―completely eliminated‖ with Greenpeace, not the OECD. He‘s certainly no friend of coal-fired power. He argues it‘s ―no longer cheap given rapid advances in renewables and the heavy costs of air pollution.‖ In a report, ―Investing in Climate, Investing in Growth,‖ the OECD laments, ―far too much coal-based power generation capacity is still being built.‖ Given that many member states are economically vested in coal, Gurria‘s stance is admirable. He doesn‘t ignore the fuel‘s harmful effects nor is he afraid to critique his own constituents.

And he understands the situation‘s urgency: ―Countries can no longer credibly argue that better evidence is needed before we take action.‖ He has no patience for those who claim the science is unsettled or that climate remedies can be postponed. It‘s encouraging that someone of his stature believes the question is no longer ―whether‖ but ―how fast?‖ He‘s a great supporter of the Paris climate agreement but believes it doesn‘t go far enough. Rather than adopt a cautious approach – perhaps waiting for nations to meet their current targets before embarking on more stringent ones – he urges greater ambition, arguing there is presently a

―serious shortfall in the aggregate level of pledged emissions reductions.‖ He notes that even if Paris commitments keep temperature rise below 2 degrees C there will be more extreme weather events – including flooding and drought – and food insecurity.

Perhaps most encouraging, he calls for higher carbon prices and a phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies. Carbon prices, he says, ―have been too low so far. Many carbon dioxide emissions are not priced at all, and over 90 per cent are priced at less than EUR 30 per tonne.‖ In recent years, the debate in Canada has been over whether to implement carbon pricing.

For Gurria that question is settled. The issue now is raising the price to levels that will achieve emissionreduction goals. By taking this position, the OECD provides the valuable service of putting opponents of pricing on notice that they are out of step with mainstream economic thought.

Fossil fuel subsidies, Gurria writes, function as ―negative carbon price signals‖ furthering the uptake of oil and gas at the very moment when their use needs to be curtailed. He could have urged the subsidies‘ reduction; instead, he calls for their removal. He reminds us of their staggering global scale—about half a trillion dollars

15

Community Organizations form a Province-wide Coalition to Change Forest Industry Practices.

A new citizen‘s forestry coalition has emerged in BC urging government to make significant changes in the forest industry‘s regulations and practices. This new organization is called the BC Coalition for Forestry Reform and it is growing in membership daily.

For years, we‘ve known that the legislation that governs the Professional Reliance Model needs to be changed. And we‘ve known that the Forestry and Range Practices Act (FRPA) that has managed forestry in our province for the last 15 years is far from acceptable. The FRPA is a mechanism that ignores values other than timber, including air, water, soil, wildlife, tourism, and recreation. The objectives set by the provincial government to protect such life-supporting components of our planet as biodiversity and ecosystems apply only to the extent that they do not ―unduly reduce the supply of timber from British Columbia‘s forests.‖ In an era of climate change, this policy is neither reasonable nor practical.

All around the province there is a growing discontent with logging companies that carry out cutting plans without proper consultation or social approval of people who live in the affected watersheds.

The time has come to give back a significant voice in the planning process to neighbourhoods and communities. It is this shutting out of the public interest that is the most galling fact of the Professional Reliance Model.

Image: Microsoft word clip art

Sit at the table with the logging company that is active in your home place and see how far you get with your concerns.

Registered professional foresters (RPFs), who make final decisions, are expected to follow an ethic that includes protection of the public interest and whatever ecological factors are involved. The sad fact is that they are compelled to work principally in the interest of their timber-focused employers. The result has been a disastrous mismanagement of forest lands.

With the 2017 election of the new provincial government, the Professional Reliance Model has come under review. The public has been encouraged to submit their comments and describe their good and bad experiences of forestry practices in their local scene. By the time this article is published in TheGreenGazette, the deadline for submissions will have passed. Yet, the

game is not over. It is expected that big changes will be called for. Recommendations after the model of the Cohen Commission might be expected, and it will be at this action phase of the review that the public can come forward and make itself heard in support of the recommendations.

We are aware that it is one thing to call for the revoking of the Professional Reliance Model, and another thing to establish a new and appropriate set of regulations and policies. A return to the conditions where we left off before the FRPA was instituted would make a good beginning, including the rebuilding of local forestry offices. But the BC Coalition for Forestry Reform is taking a far broader view.

Our membership is united in support of the following changes in the conduct of BC forestry:

annually. He says they ―disproportionately benefit‖ the well off. Criticizing these subsidies takes guts. It means targeting some of the world‘s largest resource companies.

The only serious flaw is his unquestioning support for economic growth. He believes that can be ―inclusive and climatecompatible‖ but his argument is not wholly convincing. In a recent open letter, some 15,000 scientists raised concerns about ―the role of an economy rooted in growth.‖ At a minimum, Gurria should recognize the work of thinkers such as Canadian economist (and former David Suzuki Foundation board member) Peter Victor, who argue vital societal goals, such as full employment, can be achieved without growth.

The lesson is not that the OECD still embraces some tenets of traditional economics. That‘s a given. The interesting thing is how far elite actors have come in acknowledging key drivers of the climate crisis, and the means to its solution. Skeptics take note: In Gurria we have one of the world‘s most influential economists urging dramatic climate action, including a higher, and rising, price on carbon.

David Suzuki is a scientist, broadcaster, author, and co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation. Written with contributions from David Suzuki Foundation climate change policy analyst Gideon Forman.

Learn more at www.davidsuzuki.org.

1. Forest management according to landscape-level planning, including a mandatory shared decision-making process with local communities.

2. Landscape-level plans to be made available for public review and that incorporate public needs and values.

3. Recognition of timber and non-timber values, including water, wildlife habitat, biodiversity, tourism, and recreation.

4. The restoration of clear government discretionary powers with regard to the approval of harvest plans and practices, including an updated Forest Practices Code with accompanying Guidelines.

5. A mandate to guide forestry planning on the basis of scientific data. Full recognition, for example, of global warming and adjustment of forest policies accordingly.

6. A vigilant monitoring system, well budgeted and independent of corporate control, with attention given to riparian zones.

7. Staffing levels and budgets adequate to support the proposed changes.

The BC Coalition for Forestry Reform invites interested parties, and especially communities and neighbourhood forestry committees, to join in the work of achieving meaningful, legally based participation in local forestry practices. Our new website can be viewed at BCCFR.org and/or contact Van Andruss at vanandruss@gmail.com.

By Angela Abrahão

L

ast spring the Applied Sustainable Ranching Program ventured into the world of tourism.

Program director Gillian Watt explains, ―I was happy to bring together the Faculty of Tourism, with the Faculty of Science, and the Williams Lake Campus to help develop and deliver this course as part of the Applied Sustainable Ranching diploma program.‖ Students have the opportunity to witness how different disciplines come together in complementary ways. Instructor Peter Larose delivers the six-week ASUR 2040 Soft Adventure and Agri-Tourism course with passion and enthusiasm.

Many ranches already incorporate a tourism diversification strategy into their ranching operations. With demand for authentic farm and ranch experiences on the rise, this type of learning can be invaluable to the program and to the economic development of the Cariboo region.

Amy Thacker, CEO of the Cariboo Chilcotin Tourism Association, explains that when tourism dollars come to the region, the likelihood of them coming back depends on their whole experience. If a tourist has a bad experience in one place, those tourist dollars are probably not coming back to the region. You have one opportunity to make a first impression.

Thacker emphasizes, ―When your neighbours do an excellent job, everyone prospers.‖ This makes it more likely the tourist will return.

Students had a chance to tour a local tourism business, Esk‘et Tiny House, where Robert and Betina Johnson hosted students. Esk‘et Tiny House is an indigenous tourism operation in Esk‘etemc, a First Nations community of the Secwepemc Nation. Robert and Betina are inspiring leaders who have taken their passion and needs and designed a thriving business for themselves and who exemplify the idea of excellence in our local tourism experience.

Pushing more linear thinkers to start thinking differently, Larose introduces students to the design principles of empathy that are human centered and focus on creating meaningful experiences. Ranching is a traditional discipline; there is room for innovative ideas while we face unprecedented changes in the world. Ranching life can be hard but ranchers tend to be very empathetic. Care of animals is a rancher‘s primary directive. Showing students a design process that exercises ―empathic expression‖ as they create tourism experiences enables what is truly authentic on a farm or ranch, making memorable experiences that visitors seek and value.

Larose tells us, ―There seemed to be a certain level of maturity and confidence among the students, many of whom had already gathered a fair amount of life experience in the very challenging business context of farming and ranching.‖ He goes on to say, ―I was really pleased to see the alignment of core values around tourism with those of farming/ranching— care for and dedication to the product and

TRU dean of science, Dr. Tom Dickinson, and ranching students tour Scout Island - a rich ecosystem that offers learning in Williams Lake. Photo: Angela Abrahão

the customer, shared strong ideals about how our fields can make the world a better place, and the importance of community.‖ Jokingly he says, ―I was also reminded that ‗wrangler‘ is not just a pair of jeans!‖ Turn Your Love of the Outdoors into a Business ASUR 2040 Soft Adventure and AgriTourism is returning to Thompson Rivers University. This popular course presented such value and garnered such positive feedback it will be offered as a stand-alone course. It is not limited to ranching students. The public is eligible to participate for their own business development.

Course begins April 30, 2018.

To register, contact program director, Gillian Watt at 250-319-2367. For more information visit : http://ranching.sites.tru.ca.

Angela Abrahão lives in Williams Lake and, with her husband, frequents their Brazilian farm and sugar cane co-op, which produces ethanol, sugar, and energy. Angela is an herbalist, writer, and permaculture designer, and is a consultant for digital marketing with a focus on agriculture.

She is a graduate of the Applied Sustainable Ranching program at TRU. You can follow along on Facebook at / AppliedSustainableRanching.

and respect all creatures, in which we earn our livelihoods with purpose and contribute to an economy that has a place for everyone. A world in which everyone has a home to live in and a village to call home, whether in the streets of a city or the rural quietness of forest and farm. A world in which we have put behind us the broken abusive threads of poverty, class, racism, power, sexism, and genderism, and all the miseries they induce.

EcoRenaissance. Feel the promise, bursting within us. Join with your friends, and make it happen.

By Guy Dauncey

I

can feel this future. I have written a novel about it. I love its colour and vibrancy, its harmony with Nature. But what is its name?

One of the realities of the spoken language is that unless a thing has a name, it doesn‘t really exist. When we want to create something, we name it.

The feeling that comes to mind is one of Renaissance—the birth of a new vision, the promise of a new future. The Renaissance that was seeded in the 13th century and blossomed into glory in the 15th and 16th centuries filled people‘s hearts, souls, and minds with art, imagination, and ideas. It took inspiration from the rediscovered science, art, and philosophy of ancient Greece and Rome. It made souls take flight, washing away the dull dogmatism and cruel muddy feudalism of a world where nothing much changed except by disease, disorder, and death.

Our stores and shopping malls are full of goods of every size, colour, and variety (excepting men‘s clothing), but our souls are weighed down with sin—a new kind of sin that comes from knowing that our cellphones and coffee-makers leave behind a weary trail of exhausted and exploited workers, carbon emissions, and environmental grief. We observe the oceans filling up with plastic wastes, the insects disappearing, the bees dying, and the soil drying up or being washed away in torrents of mud.

People of all ages worry about the future, even more so the young, once they understand what it is that we are doing. And with good reason. Rationally, dystopia and collapse are quite reasonable predictions.

When asked about the likely effects of global climate change in the next 50 to 100 years, 41 per cent of climate scientists replied, ―severe or catastrophic.‖ And yet I feel this other future that is already happening today. I see it being lived out in the lives of people who have decided that they want to contribute something positive, who want their lives to be rich and purposeful, who are working to start organic farms, create ecovillages, protect

Photo: songkyu - https://pixabay.com/en/flowers-flower-lotus-2007477/

creeks, form co-operatives, share tools and books, organize festivals, lend money for social impact, run for council, start a social enterprise, start a Nature school.

So, what do we call it, this other future we are creating? The non-catastrophic one?

It feels like a Renaissance, and yet if it is a rebirth of something buried deep within our ancestral memory, of a time when we lived far more co-operatively, when we gave without counting the cost, when we were supported in our time of need, when we remembered and respected our ancestors, and taught our children to understand the ways of the elders.

It was a time when we knew we were part of Nature, flesh and finger, limb and life. The river gave us water, the trees gave us fire, the plants and seeds gave us nourishment, the moose and elk gave us meat, the salmon gave us life, the deep dark caves gave us mystery, and what did we give back? We gave respect.

For hundreds of thousands of years, we lived this way. The habits of shared community are woven deep into the cultural memory of our bones. Memories, too, of belligerence, betrayal, danger, defeat and death, tribal honour and savage reprisal, but all in the larger context of trust and living community.

So, let us name what I feel is emerging, sprouting in souls, reaching towards the light. Let us name it EcoRenaissance—the rebirth of connection with Nature in all its threatened glory, and reconnection with community, our friend and neighbours who care about this beautiful planet, its incredible past, and its yet-to-be-realized future.

What does it feel like, to be part of this EcoRenaissance?

It feels connected. It feels joyful. That comes with gratitude for the beauty and the love that wants so much to find expression through us, in our lives.

It feels supported, by all who share this hope, who want to be part of this rebirth of ancient ways. It embraces the digital world, but when there is a choice between a human hug and an emoji hug, the human hug always wins. When there is a choice between a proper conversation and a ragtag trail of texts and emails, the conversation triumphs.

And it feels purposeful, especially once we have each found our niche, our project, our place of learning and commitment.

It is a world in which we live without waste and consume only what is necessary, where we respect all beings and eat far less meat. A world where we nourish the soil

Guy Dauncey is author of the novel Journey to the Future: A Better World Is Possible.

(Amazing - David Suzuki). See www.journeytothefuture.ca.

By Ryan Elizabeth Cope

T

here is a shift happening in Canada… can you feel it?

If you‘re of the environmental mindset (and you likely are if you‘re perusing this publication), then you might already know where this is headed… across the country, Canadians are waking up to the revolution against single-use plastics, joining the fray, and standing up for better practices in their communities. We are saying no to the plastic bag, despite criticism and debate determined to keep us swirling about in minutiae. We are finally seeing our waste as just that: waste. It is a great time to be alive and 2018 has a lot in store us and this movement.

The global journey towards a zero waste economy is still in its infancy, but as we look around and tune in to the rallying cry of the plastic-free people, it‘s clear that this movement is not just a fad. Over 16 years ago as of this writing, Bangladesh became the first country to ban outright the use of plastic bags, and since then, many countries around the world have followed suit, either with their own bans, or with a fee imposed for using bags. In fact, there are so many countries, cities, towns, and municipalities making an effort at eradicating this flimsy waste item that an entire Wikipedia page (www.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Phase-out_of_lightweight_plastic_bags) has been created to keep up with the times.

In the digital age, this feels significant.

While it is obvious that this sort of thing is quite popular and widespread across the pond, we Canadians can take heart knowing we own a piece of that pie and our piece seems to be getting bigger every year.

All told, eight cities across four provinces now hold some kind of bag ban, with Victoria, BC being the most recent addition to the list. Vancouver could be next, given its proximity to Victoria, and the fact that it is currently undertaking a SingleUse Item Reduction Strategy project, surveying Vancouverites to determine what their usage of specific items of plastic are (beverage cups, take-out containers, and bags both paper and plastic), their habits, and how best to deal with these waste streams (reducing consumption, offering a reuse/deposit program, fees, recycling, or outright bans). The mere fact that a city as large as Vancouver is taking the initiative

Photo: RitaE - https://pixabay.com/en/garbage-waste-container-waste-2729608/

with this strategy is a testament to the changes that are a-foot in this country.

But it doesn‘t stop at bag bans. No, the movement is extending beyond the bag, as many people are waking up to the fact that most of the plastic being recovered during beach cleanups, or during scientific research cruises at sea, is coming from our habit of convenient consumption. Even if we don‘t want to admit it, we love our convenience, and that convenience often comes shrouded in plastic. From packaged sandwiches to cold-pressed juices encased in plastic bottles, plastic is all around us and it‘s often hard to escape. To be fair, many of us are busy and don‘t always have time to plan ahead, DIY, or keep a mug at the ready for an impromptu coffee date. In addition, because we‘ve structured our society around convenience, it‘s almost harder to avoid the stuff and still have tasty -yet-convenient options.

Enter in the concept of zero-waste shopping. There are now entire stores being built around the idea of zero waste. Just as we are starting to see bag bans implemented across the country, so too are lowto-zero-waste grocery stores coming to the forefront. These shops offer everything from coffee beans and produce to household cleaners and self-care essentials, and they are so fun, simple, and, dare I say it, convenient!

In BC alone, there are at least four scattered across the province, including on Salt Spring Island (Green), the Lower Mainland (The Soap Dispensary & Kitchen Staples

and soon-to-open Nada with a mission to ―empower shoppers to decrease food waste and unnecessary packaging‖), and in the Okanagan (Unless Market in Kelowna).

Moving east to Alberta, locals there enjoy frequenting The Apothecary in Inglewood (Calgary) along with Community Natural Foods (multiple locations across Alberta), which allows customers to shop for bulk goods with their own containers and, in some cases, allows customers to remove produce from its plastic packaging before purchasing. All of these places carry a variety of goods, some with food options, and all supporting the local movement.

And that‘s not all, folks. If you find yourself in Ontario, NU Grocery in Ottawa is the place to be, having just opened shop this past summer. After that, you might as well hop on over to Quebec, where MégaVrac in the Rosemont neighbourhood of Montreal also recently opened its doors with over 700 refillable options, from olives to olive oil. And finally, if you live anywhere close to a Bulk Barn, Canada‘s chain of bulk grocery stores found nationwide, you are now welcome to BYOC (Bring Your Own Container) as part of its Reusable Container Program. Great Scott, it just keeps on a‘comin‘!

The good news? This is by no means a comprehensive list. Across the country, coffee shops and restaurants are opting out of things like straws, to-go cups, and extraneous, single-use items that normally get thrown away. Pop-up markets offer temporary low-to-zero waste goods and farmers

markets everywhere are tuning in to the sound of the plastic-free drum. The better news? These grassroots initiatives are fuel for the fire that we need to effectively advocate for similar initiatives in our own communities.

This movement, fighting against plastic pollution, is so important, now more than ever. Recent news tells us that China is no longer accepting our often-contaminated recyclables. While this is proving to be a major point of contention for municipalities already overwhelmed with our trash, perhaps we should take this as an opportunity to ask some hard questions and reevaluate our habits. Let‘s jump on this waste-free bandwagon and grow our presence in the global movement towards a world free of single-use plastics. Given all that is currently happening in Canada, this is an entirely achievable goal, and a good one for 2018. Who‘s next to join the zero waste movement?

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 Venta Rutkauskas

S

cience proves what artists have always known—art is just plain good for you.

In the chaos of crayons, paints, and piles of paper, my five-year-old daughter‘s creative exploration merges expression and colour exquisitely. Each time she returns to the ‗canvas,‘ it is a moment of freedom. Her eyes shine with joy, accomplishment upon completion, the work itself glows with pure energy, and her cup is filled. Does it sound like something you used to do, long ago, when you had the time and the courage to just get creative like that?

The focus here is to persuade you: once you read this, you‘ll dive into the old craft cupboard or head to the art supplies shop because making art is like making magic.

Seriously. What kind of magic, you ask?

The healing, uplifting, soul-filling kind.

Meditators get it, athletes, too—anyone who accesses the beautiful flow state, really. Will you find the flow immediately?

Perhaps not. The thing is making art blends all the wonderful aspects of mindfulness practice into one delectable little package.

Just keep showing up, and you‘ll reap the benefits. A study published in Art Therapy, a journal devoted to the healing benefits of art, titled ―Reduction of Cortisol Levels and Participants‘ Responses Following Art Making,‖ concluded simply: making art is going to chill you out.

Local polymath Ciel Patenaude (polymath: a person of wide-ranging knowledge or learning) is a true champion for the practice of art making. Whether it be for her health and wellness clients or the little people she teaches, Ciel incites a knowing passion for the transformative practice of making art.

On February 12, Ciel is offering a sixweek artist‘s immersion for all skill levels, especially beginners. In The Art of the Draw, participants will develop both the practical skills of drawing alongside the nourishing practices involved in creating.

She brings her own experiences as a lifelong artist into the teaching setting. Ciel‘s own personal exploration has led to numerous breakthroughs and discoveries, while her experience of drawing is now freeing and transcendent. In a recent conversation, she described the satisfaction of truly dropping into a flow state with her artwork.

Flow is a term coined by the positive psychologist, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, who

Ciel Patenaude will guide students through six weeks of creative exploration in The Art of the Draw held at the Central Cariboo Arts Centre in Williams Lake through February and March. Photo: Casey Bennett

says, ―Flow is the secret to happiness…

You are in the zone.‖ While at first you might encounter some discomfort or feel vulnerable about your artwork, Ciel trusts implicitly in the process of creating. ―Art is somatic as an act of immersion,‖ she explains. ―The body is involved and paired with awareness and observation.‖ In terms of mindfulness practice, bringing the body mind together in this way is one aspect of art‘s healing magic. Ciel points out that in our digital age, our attention veers away from our surroundings. ―The act of noticing what is here, right in front of you, is healing in the mundanity of it… Just in the fantastic simplicity of saying, ‗This is here and I‘m going to draw it.‘‖ In the act of art making, we anchor into the present moment, and we enter the tradition that, as author Junot Diaz has said, educates our soul.

In a culture that compares and where we compete for what we earn, it has become commonplace to assume that making art should fall under the same rules. Mark Twain observed, ―Comparison is the death of joy,‖ and current research proves this observation. Our self-esteem is not ameliorated by comparing ourselves to others, though there can be some critical benefit in assessing your skills, for example. We

have convinced ourselves that art is to be bought and sold, or needs to have a point.

Our relationship to these strict boundaries around who can be an artist has diminished our creative freedom. In the process, we have also removed ourselves from pleasure on so many levels. My daughter‘s unencumbered joyful experience of creativity is a brilliant model we can hold in our hearts as we begin to delve into our own personal artistic journey.

Human beings are creative beings. Immersion in the arts can offer a gateway into the subtle dimensions of our lives, whether it is to process emotional realities or confront deeper mysteries. It activates within us ways of knowing that don‘t fit in structured learning models. In fact, one could argue that making art is a practice of selfknowing, building trust and intuition in your daily life.

The act of seeing art also changes the brain, releasing dopamine that is akin to the flare of romantic love. University of London professor Semir Zeki found that the neurotransmitter dopamine increases to this loving level when we are in the presence of art we resonate with, and that even less pleasurable pieces invoked a dopamine response. When you consider that making art adds physical and spiritual dimensions to this response, you begin to understand why Ciel believes, ―Art is really the best medicine.‖ Using techniques from several established teachers, including Dr. Betty Edwards‘ Drawing from the Right Side of the Brain, Ciel‘s intention for the drawing

class is to build technical skill while also freeing the artistic process. These two streams give the two hemispheres of the brain balance, where the left side plans and assesses, but is surrendered to the right side to unleash the free flow of your own unique creativity. Most importantly, Ciel emphasizes releasing attachment to others liking your work. ―Your artistic process should not be attached to whether people will like this,‖ she explains. ―We need to teach people to feel confident in offering what is emanating from them, simply because it is happening through them.‖ We‘ve become so accustomed to avoiding uncomfortable or vulnerable experiences, but this is where the growth magic happens. Tap into your inner child‘s wild abandon, make something, find the flow, and let go. Science says you‘re going to get happy, and quickly at that. I double-dog dare you to find those art supplies.

The Community Art Council (CAC) is providing discounted tuition to youth (1425 yrs.) and seniors. Inquire with Ciel at info@entelechyheals.com or (778) 2672435. The cost is $210 (+tax). Course held Monday evenings from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Arts Center.

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 earn more about CACWL and local artists. williamslakecommunityartscouncil.com

By Dr. Mike Pearson

T

he Fraser River Sockeye returns of 2017 were the lowest since recording began 124 years ago.

Indeed, over half of Fraser Sockeye stocks – 15 of 24 – were recently listed as species at risk by the scientific body responsible for assessments. Eight of them were classified Endangered, defined as ‗at imminent risk of extinction‘.

The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) made the assessments at its November 2017 meeting using a rigorous, peer reviewed assessment process. In accordance with Canada‘s Species at Risk Act (SARA), the committee will now forward its list to the federal government for Cabinet to decide whether to protect them under the Act. If the past is any guide, however, Cabinet will refuse to list any of them under SARA. Of the 62 commercially fished species that have been listed by COSEWIC in the past, only 12 have been legally protected—and they do not include the two Sockeye stocks listed as endangered since 2002; those of Cultus Lake (near Chilliwack) and Sakinaw Lake (Sunshine Coast).

According to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans‘ (DFO), ―In January 2005, a final decision was made by the Government of Canada to not list Cultus Lake Sockeye salmon under the Species at Risk Act (SARA), due to the significant socioeconomic impacts on Sockeye fishers and coastal communities.‖ ( http://www.dfompo.gc.ca/species-especes/profiles-profils/ cultus-sockeyesalmon-saumonsockeyeeng.html).

Listing endangered Sockeye stocks under SARA would indeed have major impacts on commercial, recreational, and Indigenous fisheries. It would immediately become illegal to ―kill, capture or harass‖ fish from listed stocks. The problem is that all those endangered Sockeye are mixed in with fish from healthier stocks at sea and during migration, and there is no way of telling who is who at the time they are caught.

For example, if the large Sockeye run we are all hoping for in 2018 materializes, DFO may decide that 50 per cent of them can be

Cultus Lake Endangered Bowron - ES Endangered Harrison - U/S - L Endangered Quesnel - S Endangered Seton - L Endangered Takla- Trembleur Estuary Endangered Takla-Trembleur Stuart - S Endangered Taseko - ES Endangered North Barriere - ES Threatened Photo: www.pixabay.com/

fished. Loss of that proportion of fish for a big stock may well be sustainable in that there would still be enough reaching the spawning grounds to fill the habitat to capacity. That same percentage removed from an endangered stock, however, would decimate it.

The only way around this is to fish only in the spawning tributaries that support healthy stocks (so-called terminal fisheries) rather than in the ocean or along the migration route, where most of the fishing currently occurs. The impacts on downriver First Nations, the commercial fleet, and recreational anglers, however, would be enormous.

Why does it matter if we lose a few small stocks? Can‘t we just focus on keeping the large ones healthy? The problem here is that each stock is uniquely adapted to its watershed and represents an irreplaceable part of the species‘ genetic diversity. That diversity is what allows species to adapt to environmental change, such as the warmer water temperatures and changes in river flow patterns that have already started. For example, COSEWIC reports that the Cultus Lake Sockeye are irreplaceable because of their unique genetic and biological characteristics. These include, early arrival for spawning, a long adult holding period in the lake, spawning within the lake rather than in tributary rivers, and deep water use by fry.

Some of these traits may well be helpful for the fish in coping with the impacts of global warming. We don‘t know for sure, and if

Letters:

E

very creek, wetland, lake, and swamp is part of the larger whole known as a watershed. Whether you know it or not, we all rely on our watersheds for forestry, fish and wildlife, recreation, and the water itself.

Watersheds are like the arteries and veins of the land base and they support the diversity of life we have today. Without them, the landscape would be very different.

Unfortunately, many of our watersheds are under stress due to the pine beetle epidemic, excess timber harvesting, road building, and of course, last year‘s wildfires.

With some of our watersheds having as much as 70 per cent of the timber supply removed, we end up with run-off patterns upslope that flush excessively during spring alternating with drought conditions that contribute to high water temperatures in the summer months. This can be likened to flushing a toilet rather than a slow, steady

release of water throughout the summer and fall seasons.

Healthy watersheds need enough mature timber to retain rain water and snow melt, and to release water slowly, more like a sponge than a storm sewer.

If you notice creeks that used to run all season long that now only have water in them seasonally, you have serious problems in your watershed.

Yearly patterns of spring floods and landslides and drought conditions that follow can be an indicator of a watershed that is compromised.

Even clearcut harvesting in small sections of a watershed can have serious consequences. Logging upslope of lakes can cause excess surface run-off carrying nutrients into the waterbody below, leading to fish die-offs, as has happened in the Thompson-Okanagan region.

The situation in California the past year is an extreme example of what can happen when wildfires remove all the vegetation from the landscape.

they are driven to extinction, we never will.

Canada has a constitutional obligation to Indigenous peoples to uphold their right to fish. Surely that includes managing fisheries in a way that ensures there are fish to catch.

DFO can issue permits under SARA for activities that do not threaten the survival or recovery of an endangered or threatened stock. Perhaps this could be used to permit openings for Indigenous food and cultural needs.

Nor is this situation a one-off.

COSEWIC is about to complete an emergency assessment on interior Steelhead, which is also likely to produce another endangered designation, and a new quandary for Cabinet. Many of these Steelhead are dying after being caught as by-catch in the Chum salmon fishery.

The upshot is there are no easy solutions but one thing is certain. Fisheries management needs to be far more precautionary than it has been. We are on the cusp of losing much of the genetic and life history diversity that exists in Sockeye and other salmonids in the Fraser watershed. Without that diversity, they lose their ability to withstand the stresses of warmer waters, new diseases, and whatever other challenges our rapidly changing environment presents.

Widgeon (river type) Threatened Kamloops - ES Special Concern Lillooet-Harrison - L Special Concern Nahatlatch - ES Special Concern Francois-Fraser Special Concern Harrison - D/S - L Not at Risk Nadina Francois - ES Not at Risk Chilliwack - ES Not at Risk Shushwap complex - L Not at Risk (includes Adams) Shushwap - ES Not at Risk Anderson-Seton - ES Not at Risk Pitt-ES Not at Risk Harrison River (river type) Not at Risk Chilko - ES Not at Risk Chilko - S Not at Risk

For a more detailed version of COSEWIC Wildlife Species Assessments visit: https://www.canada.ca/en/environmentclimate-change/services/committee-statusendangered-wildlife/assessments/detailedversion-november-2017.html

Dr. Mike Pearson is a biologist based in Agassiz, BC. His consulting firm, Pearson Ecological, specializes in aquatic species at risk, habitat restoration, and ecological monitoring.

When timber harvesting is done at an accelerated pace, as has been the case over the last decade and a half, it leads to watershed issues. This has been ongoing province wide, and watersheds are paying the price.

In our modern world, no one player, interest, government, agency, or landowner gets to call all the shots in the watershed.

Today, we recognize that people must compromise, and that watershed alterations add up. Cumulative effects are not necessarily mitigated over the years—not all cutblocks regrow as planned. Not all roads are ―deactivated‖. Dump sites become exposed and continue to leach. Even worse, competing users can create impacts much larger than isolated, individual impacts. There are many examples—logging, ranching, eroding banks, flood plain development, river training and road washouts, loss of habitat, temperature increases 1,000 km away, and salmon population crashes. Modern watershed management must be collaborative and multi-disciplinary.

If you are concerned about what you see going on in your watershed call your MLA, phone your local resource office, or call the licensees to let them know your concerns.

The Horsefly River was nominated a fisheries sensitive watershed six years ago and the provincial government continues to drag its feet on this issue. It appears that they may delay action until the watershed is completely harvested of timber before implementing any recommendations.

The Horsefly River Roundtable (HRR) has been in existence since 2007 and its goals are to achieve and maintain the health of the Horsefly community watershed through co-ordinated management of resources, respect for all concerns, and cooperative positive action. Operating with a handful of volunteers, the HRR has initiated several restoration projects in the watershed including work on Woodjam Creek, Patenaude Creek, Sucker Creek, Wilmot Creek, and Tisdale Creek, and removal of an old dumpsite on the ban of the Horsefly River.

HRR is planning the Horsefly Salmon Festival on September 15 and 16, 2018.

To volunteer or for more info about the Horsefly River Roundtable, call Bruce Macleod at (250) 620-0012, or see www.horseflyriver.ca.

Brian Englund, Horsefly, BC

By LeRae Haynes

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hen it comes to enjoying a unique, fun, unforgettable family experience in the Cariboo, what could be better than a wagon or sleigh ride behind a beautiful team of horses in the spectacular countryside?

Countless locals, as well as visitors from places like France, Australia, Texas, and Japan, have made memories for a lifetime thanks to Cariboo Carriage, owned and run by Kim and Karen Sepkowski and their daughter Deena Sepkowski. ―When they come to visit, their families think of something they might like to do—what‘s more Cariboo than this?‖ said Karen, who added that she developed Cariboo Carriage when she was with the Cariboo Draft Horse Club.

They are hired out for events like weddings, graduations, birthday parties, anniversaries, seniors‘ activities, and family reunions, and are sometimes booked a year in advance.

This is unique Cariboo fun year-round. ―We have a cutter for couples, a chuck wagon for larger groups, and a wedding carriage,‖ said Karen. ―We‘ve been in the Santa parade, the Stampede parade and the Grad parade, done horse rides for children, and did fundraising ride for a family burned out in the fires.‖

Karen Sepkowski at Cariboo Carriage with her team of Suffolk Punch horses.

Photo: Cary Olson Photography

The well-trained team at Cariboo Carriage is made up of Hope and Grace, a mother-daughter Suffolk Punch pair. ―The breed is critically endangered; there are fewer than 2,500 in the world,‖ she said.―We‘re so lucky to have them. ―We‘ve had them about five years.

When one of the geldings in the previous team died suddenly, a Suffolk breeder in

By LeRae Haynes

T

he word heart is used in so many songs, expressions, and sentiments, and leading up to Valentine‘s Day, it‘s even more common to hear the word. With my whole heart, heartfelt, healing heart, two hearts as one, heartening, and I give you my heart, are just a few ways it is used.

That word, however, has a lifechanging and powerful meaning for Williams Lake resident Michelle LaPlace, who waits moment to moment to hear that a heart is available that will save her life.

Laplace‘s heart muscle is scarred as a result of a genetic condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. This is the same condition that claimed her older brother‘s life at a team swim at the pool in Williams Lake when he was 15 years old. It also cost her father his life when he was 51 years old. ―The only cure for the scarred and degenerated heart I have is a heart transplant, and for the past 18 months we have been preparing ourselves as best we can,‖ the 48 -year-old explained.―I have made several trips to St. Paul‘s Hospital to see the team of doctors specialized in cardiac care and transplant, undergone several more tests, and while evacuated during the wildfires this past summer, I became actively listed for transplant.‖ This meant that the next available donor match could be her new heart. At the end of August this year, LaPlace and her husband Jamie received the call that there was a donor match, but after travelling to Vancouver, the surgeon determined that the donor heart was not strong enough to transplant.

Jamie and Michelle LaPlace - waiting for a heart. Photo submitted by Jamie LaPlace

―Today we continue to wait for the next call, and I return to Vancouver every six weeks to be monitored by the team,‖ she stated.

A long-time local resident, she is known as one of the many talented beauty professionals in Williams Lake, and is an avid community supporter and volunteer.

And now the tables have turned: the community is stepping forward to support her.

A Change of Heart, a fundraising event spearheaded by Cindy Nadeau and organized by Lawni Langstaff and Heather and Randy Pokeda, will take place on February 10 at Thompson Rivers University.

Lewis Creek, BC made us a wonderful offer—she would trade Hope and Grace for our remaining gelding. ―An interview with CBC resulted, and messages poured in: such a beautiful story.‖ She said when they got them, Grace was three years old, Hope was 10, and they were both halter-broke. ―We sent them to Roy and Gwen Mulvahill, who have been breeding, selling, and training draft horses for generations, and who trained my previous team,‖ she stated.―He took this new pair on for me, had them for three or four months, and they came back perfect: trained and ready.‖ The pair‘s first public event was the annual Williams Lake Harvest Fair, and they did well.

Karen said Cariboo Carriage is a wonderful adventure. ―I love meeting people from Canada, from the US, and from around the world,‖ she explained.―We had a couple here from Japan, visiting family for Christmas, and he proposed to her here.‖ People also enjoy the connection with horses. ―Our team is very personable, and people can pet them and talk to them.

Some people are just happy to be here: to be near horses. We often get seniors on the rides who grew up with horses, maybe went to school on a team and wagon, and they miss the horses,‖ she added.

―This is a great hobby: fulfilling, enriching, touching lives, and doing what we enjoy.‖ Cariboo Carriage has welcomed people from newborn to nearly 100 years old: families, elders, teens, toddlers, and couples. The farm is fun place to visit, with miniature goats, cows, and donkeys.

Kim said they‘ve always had a passion for horses. ―We liked wagon rides ourselves originally, and said, ‗Let‘s do this for other people.‘ It‘s fun to watch people cuddling up under a moose or buffalo hide, and some people sing. ―You know they‘re enjoying it—we always have a bonfire and hot chocolate, and there is a fire pit and picnic tables set up in the back yard, as well as a cute outhouse,‖ he continued.―It‘s perfect for a family outing.‖ Karen said when people come for a Cariboo Carriage adventure she wants them to go home having done something completely new. ―People have told us this was the best Christmas ever,‖ she said, ―and that their visiting family felt at home.‖ Cariboo Carriage looks forward to booking you for wagon events through spring, summer and fall! To book rides with Cariboo Carriage, phone (250) 3927537.

There will be live music, an auction, cocktails, and appetizers. ―This fundraiser means the world to me, and I‘m really looking forward to it—a gathering of people I know,‖ said LaPlace. ―I have amazing support from local musicians, giving their time and their talent, as well as the wonderful donations for the silent auction. ―This is overwhelming, in a good way, and very humbling. It will be a good party to remind us all of how precious life really is. You never know: I could die waiting for a heart. That‘s what we‘re looking at.

Every day is a gift.‖ She said some of the most revealing lessons for her and Jamie have been the cost of medications, and that BC Ambulance does not transport transplant patients. ―That expense falls solely on the shoulders of the family affected, and the expenses of recovery are ours as well. ―What‘s so devastating about this is, if I were to legally separate from my husband, most of these costs would be covered—travel, accommodations, and so on.

The government would pick up the tab if I were a single woman,‖ she said. ―I will advocate to change this.‖ After her heart transplant, LaPlace will be required to live in Vancouver in a suitable environment for up to a year. BC medical does not cover these costs, and they have been saving as much as they can in anticipation of the next ‗call.‘ ―I have not worked in almost two years, and we have been supported by many friends already—something that makes me feel so grateful,‖ she continued. ―I never truly understood how much even a small amount of support could make such a huge difference, but it does. ―All money raised at this upcoming event will help us so much, by alleviating

the burden Jamie is trying to shoulder alone. It will allow us to focus on recovery without worry. ―We do not know what tomorrow holds, and to have the love and support of friends and the community provides me with the most incredible strength and courage,‖ she added. ―So many want to help, and this is a way for them. What a great thing to do: have a party.‖ She said the most important thing is that she‘s so blessed to be so strong in faith. ―I stand in the glory of God every single day. I‘m living my life, and I‘m not going down without a fight,‖ she said. ―We‘ve got this. This will lead me to the goal in my life to share and to help others.‖ Tickets, available through Michelle at (250) 392-0884 and at Bob‘s Shoes in Williams Lake, are $25 and are limited. There are no minors at the event, and silent auction items can be donated by contacting Randy or Heather Pokeda at (250) 3985265.

Update: On January 26, Michelle LaPlace received a new heart and is doing well, thanks to the skill of her medical team, the life-changing generosity of the donor and family, and the outpouring of support and love from her husband, family, and friends.

At press time, she is up and around, has tackled stairs and chairs, and is being moved from the ICU to a regular hospital room soon. She says, "I‘ve got this! Thank you for your love and prayers and thank you to my donor for this miracle of a gift. I will remain eternally grateful!"

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

By Tera Grady

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ariboo Regional District (CRD) residents pay for garbage and recycling costs primarily through taxation, not ―user pay‖ as in most other jurisdictions in British Columbia. The CRD is one of only a few regional districts that does not charge residential tipping fees on household waste. In the CRD, solid waste residential tax rates for 2018 will be about $56 per $100,000 of assessed property value.

On first thought, many residents are likely happy with this system as it makes garbage drop-off quick and easy at refuse sites.

However, upon further investigation, many residents might change their minds. So, let‘s break it down.

Say you are a family of two and you recycle your packaging and printed paper items, compost your green waste at home, and recycle stewardship items (tires, electronics, light bulbs, paint, used oil, etc). Under these assumptions, it is reasonable to estimate that your household would only produce two large bags of garbage a month—or 24 for the year. With your property assessed at $300,000 for 2018, you will pay $168 for your solid waste costs in a year—that works out to $7 per bag.

Compare that with your neighbour whose property is valued at $150,000 and has a family of five. They don‘t recycle or compost and they produce two large bags

of garbage per week or 104 bags per year.

Annually, they will only pay $84 for their solid waste costs, which will work out to less than a dollar per bag. This scenario seems less than fair and provides no incentive for residents to recycle, compost, or reduce their waste.

In a user pay system, it is generally free to drop off recyclables and each load has a minimum fee, or per tonne tipping fee, that is charged the same to everyone. There are also many challenges associated with user pay, especially when some refuse sites are remote and/or noncontrolled like they are in the Cariboo Regional District.

User pay will be a topic of discussion in the CRD‘s next Solid Waste Management p la nni ng pr o cess, which will start in 2021. Your input will be needed to shape the next ten year Solid Waste Management Plan (2023-2033).

Please give some thought to the taxation and user pay funding models and make sure to have your say when the time comes.

For comparison, a list of residential tipping fees (―user pay‖ systems) in other Regional Districts is listed below.

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.

Regional District

Residential Municipal Solid Waste Tipping Fees

Cariboo Regional District

* Rural sites & small loads at regional sites – no fees * Large loads at regional sites – $25 to $60/Tonne

Thompson-Nicola Regional District Columbia Shuswap Regional District Regional District of Fraser Fort George Squamish Lillooet Regional District Regional District of Nanaimo Regional District of Central Kootenay Regional District of Kootenay Boundary Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen

$80/Tonne $80/Tonne $82/Tonne $82 to $150/Tonne $125/Tonne $85 to $100/Tonne $110/Tonne $110/Tonne

By LeRae Haynes

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ebbie Seland and her staff at QTax bring years of knowledge, experience, and wisdom to every client, supporting small businesses as they start, and as they continue to grow. The most important timely tip for small businesses right now, according to Seland, is the Red Cross money available for revenue lost during the 2017 fire season. ―You can receive up to $18,500,‖ she said, adding that she knows first-hand how easy it is to apply, and has helped several of her clients collect. ―I understand how the form works, and can help my clients,‖ she explained. ―I started filling out the form online, but kept getting interrupted and kicked off, so I ended up printing off a hard copy, filling it out, and faxing it in.‖ She said when comparing July and August to the previous year, her business showed a loss. ―Red Cross pays 60% of what you lost; they sent me a cheque for $14,095. This is definitely worth applying for,‖ she said, adding the deadline is April 18.

Any and all small businesses can apply, as long as it‘s your primary income, according to Seland. Anyone from selfemployed roofers, hair dressers, and daycare providers to house cleaners, bookkeepers, and dog groomers: if you have a small business, you can apply. ―The application questions are fairly straightforward. If you need help, I will help you fill out the paper work free of charge and get it sent in,‖ she continued.

One of the things easily overlooked when people who work from home do their taxes is claiming home and vehicle expenses. ―You can claim things like utilities, mortgage interest, home maintenance, cellphone, and internet,‖ she stated. ―For your vehicle, you can claim fuel, repairs, and even the car wash. ―You need to keep a log of kilometres you drive for your business. Keeping track of your mileage is a big thing. Maybe you‘re going to get groceries for home, but you also grab paper products, cleaning supplies, or shop or office items. Circle those items on your receipts and keep track of the mileage.‖ She said when someone is starting out as a small business, the first thing she hands them is a sheet of paper listing the

Debbie Seland from QTax in Williams Lake helps clients with small businesses get ahead.

Photo: LeRae Haynes

income and expenses they can claim. What surprises a lot of people is their cell phone.

Another surprise for people is that, for income tax purposes, the kind of insurance coverage you have on your home or vehicle is not relevant.

One of the most rewarding parts of her career is helping people grow their small business. ―One client purchased a small business and faced some struggles. The first year, you have a loss; the second year you might make some money, but you have to pay both current taxes and taxes ahead. You might see four years before you see income,‖ she explained. ―Now this client is at the point where he‘s paid up, paid ahead and he will make money this year. ―It‘s the best thing to see clients put their heart and soul into their business, and I love giving them ideas,‖ she continued. ―I think small business shows initiative, that BC shows independence by having so much small business, and that shopping local is getting better.‖ As a bookkeeper for small businesses, she helps the owner stay on top of the bottom line. ―I have one client who operates equipment in the bush. I would say to him, you‘re missing this, and you need that. Get a shoe box, I said, and keep it on the passenger seat, and throw everything in there.

You may not need it, but you won‘t be missing things,‖ she said.

―He showed up with a shoebox, which he said cost him $287. Now he‘s never missing any paper work. It was just a matter of finding the right way to get him on track.‖ She added that some clients want to learn the bookkeeping themselves, which can be great. ―Some have the patience to do it and like to know it all first hand,‖ said Seland. ―Some, though, hate it and procrastinate and it gets out of hand,‖ she stated. ―That‘s where I come in.‖ The difference between an accountant and a tax pro bookkeeper is that an accountant does things like corporate taxes, audits and reviews, business analyses, and projections, and a bookkeeper does the day -to-day entries, payroll, and GST reports.

At QTax they are tax pros and bookkeepers, and they‘re all about small business.

Seland started her own small business eight years ago, experiencing the first few lean years, as well as the five-year mark where things turned around. ―I learned about things like pre-paid GST, parking for staff, and hidden costs,‖ she said. ―And when it turned, I saw my vision of what I wanted come to pass. ―When you‘re starting a new business, it‘s critical to do some research about the kind of business you want to start. You need to talk to other small business owners and start building a network. ―I‘ll be your sounding board,‖ she offered.―I‘ve seen a lot of small businesses start from an idea—from a vision. I‘ve watched them grow, offering support, encouragement, and ideas, at no charge.‖ Last year, a QTax staff member said to Seland, ―I totally get your vision. It‘s not about the money. It‘s about the whole package—helping people with it all. Your vision is the whole person and their life.‖ ―Money factors in, but it‘s not the main factor,‖ said Seland. ―My staff and clients are people, and it really isn‘t about the money: it‘s about working together.‖ For more information about QTax, including applying for Red Cross funds for your small business, preparing your income tax, and getting your business on the best possible footing, phone (250) 3926502, visit at 118 – 1 Ave N, or find them at QTAX Williams Lake on Facebook.

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

The Wildfire Recovery Support Program for small business is being offered through Community Futures. Ambassadors are available for one on one support throughout the entire Cariboo Chilcotin Region including Quesnel, Williams Lake, 100 Mile House, Ashcroft, Bella Coola, and all area in between.

They are able to help with paperwork and program referrals. We encourage businesses that have not applied for Red Cross Phase II funding (up to $18,500 is available) to call for assistance at (250)392-3626. The RED CROSS Phase II program will be available until April 6, 2018.

The waste-wise crew holds a strong defensive line against garbage at #hometownhockey.

Photo: Oliver Berger

By Oliver Berger

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arly this year, Rogers Hometown Hockey took over the downtown core with stages, lights, massive tents, semitrucks, broadcast booths, cameras; there was action everywhere. Sounds like a great time, right? Makes a guy like me wonder what sort of waste is going to be left behind when it is all over, after all the people have come through, enjoyed, then left.

It also makes me listen to that voice inside, the voice that makes you want to use your personal skills to the fullest potential and help out. To put on your game face and gear up. I stepped up to the challenge with our wonderful team at the Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society for a once in a bluer (aka. blue moon) event, right here in downtown Williams Lake.

Gracefully as always, Mary Forbes set up a couple of recycling stations around the center core of the event, equipped for all avenues of undesirable material. I found some old hockey tape, rigged up a garbage picker to my hockey stick, and the Hockey -Stick-Picker was born. Misty, Niki, and Melissa were armed with fishnets for sorting, defending the main station and working the streets with gleeful waste-sorting finesse. Together, they helped us coach locals like Willy and Verena Berger, pictured above, and kept folks up to date on all the latest recycling developments. We even had our Skates for All program set up, giving away free skates to kids or adults who needed them, thanks to donations from the community.

We fostered a great relationship with all of the organizers of Rogers Hometown Hockey, who in return epically assisted us with all our waste diversion goals. Most of these folks travelling along with the event crew were from Eastern Canada and had seen a lot of the country already. It was great to chat and learn about the different waste management systems they had seen along their travels.

Many of the staff complimented on the presence of our dedicated crew of waste experts present throughout the entire event, enthusiastically coaching and engaging with the public about managing the waste stream.

A guy from the Giuseppi pizza truck told us we were the first town to offer him a compost bin inside their truck for the event weekend. Haha, awesome, right?

We can all pat ourselves on the back, actually. I witnessed good waste-wise teamwork with all local players that attended the event, children and adults alike.

Contamination levels were fairly low compared to previous local events.

A major contender to deal with at events like these is all the to-go packaging that our to-go food or drinks are served in.

Most is recyclable, some are compostable, and the rest is landfill. We just have to make sure they end up in the right zone.

Along with that, the many boxes everything arrives in can pile up. Events create so much cardboard; cardboard gets its very own bin.

My visual analysis came out with these waste statistics:  Recycling - 34% paper plates, plastic containers, coffee cups, lids  Landfill - 25% garbage bags, foil lined packages, broken event props, unsortables  Cardboard - 35% little boxes  Compostables - 6% coffee grinds, food, napkins, soiled paper plates One noteworthy takeback is that out of all the collected recyclables, to-go coffee cups and lids made up about 83% of the recycling bin. Coffee cups outnumbered other recyclable items about 5 to 1. If you do the math on the whole calculation, it is conclusive to say to-go coffee cups sum up to almost 30 per cent of the entire waste stream. Not bringing your refillable mug might just be a game misconduct.

Let us continue to ensure that we know that these disposable cups are recyclable.

There were quite a few people I spoke with who thought these cups were garbage. I am thankful we have a great program in our community that allows us to find better solutions. I am thankful for our communities‘ teamwork in celebrating our town together. Good game folks, good game!

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.

By LeRae Haynes

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iden and Garrett Cochrane and their parents Suzanne and Carl love to pile in the family vehicle and hit the slopes for some skiing. Regulars at Mt. Timothy Ski Hill, they grab every opportunity to enjoy winter in the beautiful Cariboo outdoors.

Aiden, six years old, and Garrett, 13, have both been skiing since they were about four years old. ―I like doing my favourite runs that have the bumps and the jumps,‖ says Aiden, ―and powder snow is the best—I call it sugar!‖ ―Having kids outside in the winter is great,‖ Suzanne says with a laugh.―It‘s not contained energy in the house.‖ She explains that skiing is something they all do together. ―With the ski swaps, buy and sell sites, and knowing other people, you create an equipment network.

Some gear gets passed down from Garrett to Aiden, and Caribou Ski has great deals in town for when kids grow out of equipment,‖ she continues.

Garrett got his start cross-country skiing at Bull Mountain, then took downhill lessons at Mt Timothy, where he learned how to snow plow and do turns. He got some skills under his belt and enjoyed it more and more.

He adds that it‘s fun to hang out with friends, enjoy a speed-induced adrenalin rush, and ski through the trees in the deep snow.

Garrett and Aiden Cochrane enjoy a family ski day with their dad, Karl Fischer.

Photo: Suzanne Cochrane

Other things Garrett enjoys outdoors in the Cariboo are sledding, snowmobiling, and some skating.

Aiden says he likes snowball fights.

Garrett explains that he always looks forward to snow. ―You get through winter, and you‘re just like, when‘s summer? Need summer. Want summer,‖ he adds.―Then you get through summer and it‘s, when‘s snow? Want snow. I absolutely need snow.‖ Aiden notes that after a day of skiing, you need a nap.

Suzanne says she‘s seen big skill advancement in the boys—especially Aiden who was born trying to keep up with his older brother. ―It‘s my dad!‖ Aiden says. ―I really zoom to keep up with him!‖

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By LeRae Haynes

Ellery Hengstler, four years old, Lea Hengstler, Henry Hengstler, two years old, and Dallas Hengstler enjoy a family swim in the new pool.

T

here is huge range of exciting programs and events for families and individuals through the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex, with even more coming up this spring. Everything from bees and trees to knees and cheese, from the Lazy River to climbing the walls, there‘s something for everyone and something to delight every family.

One new program running through February 21 is Piyo for moms and babies.

It‘s a fun way to enjoy hands-on fitness with your baby on board, strengthening your core, increasing flexibility, and working on overall strength training.

Another innovative program that will blast you from winter blues to spring is the first Tri-Aqua-Thon, an indoor fitness challenge for all ages that includes swimming, biking, and running. An opportunity for co-workers, friends, and family members to have fun and challenge each other, the event‘s fun finish line is March 15.

And then there‘s the new pool and fitness centre. ―We have so many families coming in to use the new pool areas,‖ said Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex recreation co-ordinator Denise Skarra. ―It‘s great entertainment. The kids can hit the leisure pool, and mom, dad, grandma, and grandpa can go down the Lazy River. It‘s the best family entertainment. ―People of all ages and abilities can take part: everyone loves the leisure pool.

―This is something we‘ve chosen to do as a family,‖ Suzanne continues.―One of the scariest things for me now is I need to invest in lessons for myself, so I can do bumps and jumps with these guys, to keep up to them. Because that‘s where they are,‖ she says. ―Both Bull Mountain and Mt. Timothy are great for family fun. It‘s quality time, and it‘s what we‘re going to remember, rather than presents gotten on birthdays, and so on.‖ She explains that it‘s all about different sports in different seasons. ―Diversity is so positive, and physical literacy is important,‖ she says.―Learning different skills gives kids confidence to try new things.‖

Photo: LeRae Haynes

It‘s four degrees warmer, and is nice for all. ―This facility is second to none. Every morning I wake up and can‘t quite believe I get to come to work here. Sundays are smokin‘ busy now and there are line-ups for the pool. It‘s amazing.‖ A great family event coming up at the Complex is the 28th annual Nutrition Run on April 8. A celebration of healthy eating and active living, it‘s a wonderful reason to enjoy the beginning of spring with your family, according to Skarra, who said people walk, run, ride bikes, push strollers, and bring their dogs. ―You name it, you‘re there,‖ she continued. ―People love it – it‘s the beginning of spring. You don‘t have to register; you just show up. One of our fitness leaders does a warm up with everyone to kick off the

event. The 5-km route is always the same; sometimes we have 400 people show up.‖ She said to keep your eyes open for the new Active Living Guide coming out in April. ―We‘ll have double the adult programs as last year—a huge range,‖ she said.

For more information about the exciting programs available through the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex, visit its Facebook page, watch for the upcoming Active Living Guide, or phone (250) 3987665.

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.

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By Brianna van de Wijngaard, Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society

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he Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society is excited to announce its newest project for 2018, and we think it‘s quite fitting for the first GreenGazette issue of the year: if you‘re an aspiring greenie with New Year‘s resolutions yet to fill, this may be for you. We call it the Family Footprint Project. Here‘s how it works: We wanted to launch a project that is both super engaging and fun, and that also rewards community members for making the effort to incorporate more Water and Waste Wise changes into their daily lives.

Making lifestyle changes that are more water and waste-conscious is not often easy, especially in the beginning: they can take more time, effort, and even money to do at first, and it can take time before you see the benefits. But those benefits can absolutely translate into healthier living and money saved, and we wanted to find a way to highlight the rewards and challenges that come with a cleaner lifestyle, and how to make them successful.

Some of you may remember when we were lucky enough to host two Vancouverbased filmmakers and screen their latest

production back in 2014, called Just Eat It. This film was written and produced by Grant Baldwin and Jenny Rustemeyer, and explored the issue of food waste from the farm to our fridge. But before Just Eat It, Grant and Jenny wrote, produced, and starred in another documentary called The Clean Bin Project. This documentary followed Grant and Jenny for an entire year of waste reduction, right down to the last twist tie. They challenged each other to reduce their waste production, with amazing insight into how much waste we produce, where it comes from, and the challenges that come with trying to find alternatives.

And it was also hilarious!

We thought it would be interesting to do the same here in Williams Lake. Every community is different. They all have dif-

ferent waste streams and management systems, water resources, and options for cleaner living available to them. We wondered what would it be like for a family to try to do something similar here in Williams Lake. What kinds of challenges and successes would they encounter, and how could we help them to adopt some of those changes, and make it as easy as possible?

So, we came up with the Family Footprint Project, and we are now looking for a keen family up for the challenge. The idea behind the project is similar: we will conduct water and waste audits at the beginning and end of the project, and for the three months in between the project family will implement a list of Water and Waste Wise challenges in their home. We will follow their progress throughout the three

months by doing bi-weekly five-minute video interviews on each of the water and waste challenges we have given them, to see how things are going. We will then post each five-minute video interview on our Youtube channel.

The best part? Amazing perks! The chosen family will receive a number of tools they get to keep beyond the project to help them reduce their water and waste consumption, including a low-flow faucet, low-flow shower head, a clothesline, a set of recycling bins, a compost bucket, and a household water metre. All valued at over $1400.

Our main goal with this project is to highlight how easy it can be to make some of these changes in our households, by discussing the challenges along the way and finding solutions … and making it super fun! If you and your family are interested in being our awesome, proactive sustainability guinea pigs, all you have to do is submit a five-minute video entry telling us why you think you should improve your family footprint. Give us a call or an email to find out the best way to get your video to us, and stay tuned to our Facebook page for more details!

Brianna van de Wijngaard is the community liaison for the Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society in Williams Lake, BC, working on various Water and Waste Wiserelated projects and events in the community. Visit https://www.ccconserv.org to learn more about our education programs or community projects.

By Amy Quarry, Co-Owner of Long Table Grocery

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hroughout this past year I have become fascinated by the concept of permaculture. The permaculture principles are most commonly applied to gardening and my family finds my interest in this subject very entertaining since my thumbs tend to be more black than green. Many a carrot has failed to live up to its potential under my care, something I am not sure even a lifetime of studying permaculture will rectify, despite my best efforts.

Where I feel permaculture really gets interesting, though, is when we apply the Design Principles to other kinds of systems including our communities, our businesses, and our personal lives. The Design Principles are truths that many of our cultures Above: Jenny Moroni and Amy Quarry at Jenny's family's ranch, Long Table Cattle Co. Photo: Amanda Kirsch Photography

have carried with us for generations in proverbs, teachings, legend, and story.

Permaculture and the application of its principles helps us access this collective knowledge from the past in a way that transcends culture, religion, and social systems. When we actively apply these principles to our lives, businesses, and social structures, we are then able to create systems that are sustainable and lifesupporting for all.

At the heart of permaculture are three ethics: care for the Earth, care for people, and fair share. These ethics form the foundation of the Permaculture Principles.

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12 Permaculture Principles (as described

by David Holmgren, co-f——ounder of the permaculture movement): 1. Observe and Interact – ―Beauty is in the mind of the beholder.‖ By taking the time to engage with nature we can

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design solutions that suit our particular situation.

Catch and Store Energy – ―Make hay while the sun shines.‖ By developing systems that collect resources when they are abundant, we can use them in times of need.

Obtain a Yield – ―You can‘t work on an empty stomach.‖ Ensure that you are getting truly useful rewards as part of the work you are doing.

Apply Self-regulation and Accept Feedback – ―The sins of the fathers are visited on the children of the seventh generation.‖ We need to discourage inappropriate activity to ensure that systems can continue to function well.

Negative feedback is often slow to emerge.

Use and Value Renewable Resources and Services – ―Let nature take its course.‖ Make the best use of nature‘s

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abundance to reduce our consumptive behaviour and dependence on nonrenewable resources.

Produce No Waste – ―Waste not, want not.‖ By valuing and making use of all the resources that are available to us, nothing goes to waste.

Design from Patterns to Details – ―Can‘t see the forest for the trees.‖ By stepping back, we can observe patterns in nature and society. These can form the backbone of our designs, with the details filled in as we go.

Integrate Rather Than Segregate – ―Many hands make light work.‖ By putting the right things in the right place, relationships develop between those things and they work together to support each other.

Use Small and Slow Solutions – ―The bigger they are, the harder they fall.‖ Small and slow systems are easier to

maintain than big ones, making better use of local resources and produce more sustainable outcomes.

10. Use and Value Diversity – ―Don‘t put all your eggs in one basket.‖ Diversity reduces vulnerability to a variety of threats and takes advantage of the unique nature of the environment in which it resides.

11. Use Edges and Value the Marginal – ―Don‘t think you are on the right track just because it‘s a well-beaten path.‖ The interface between things is where the most interesting events take place.

These are often the most valuable, diverse, and productive elements in the system.

12. Creatively Use and Respond to Change – ―Vision is not seeing things as they are but as they will be.‖ We can have a positive impact on inevitable change by carefully observing and then intervening at the right time.

I have really enjoyed connecting these principles to my work and everyday life as they have provided natural and commonsense solutions to physical and interpersonal puzzles. It is my hope that you enjoy working with these principles as much as I have and that you find solutions that support and guide you in your everyday life.

Amy Quarry & Jenny Moroni, co-owners of Long Table Grocery, are using the permaculture principles as the foundation and soul of their business model. Their vision is to support their community and build capacity in the local economy while also making it easier for people to choose local, organic and Fair Trade products. See www.LongTableGrocery.com for more info. * This article reprinted with permission and originally published in Discover Wellness magazine, Issue 43 - October 2017, www.discoverwellnessbc.ca/magazine/

By Angela Gutzer

offered was to inspire me to seek knowledge through the death doula course.

Through her death I seek to create community around death. Through her death it is a reminder to live life to the fullest. It is a reminder of how important we all are. No matter what our race, religion, sex, financial status, or views are, we will all die.

And although we can not change this fact, we can choose how we will die. With our advanced directives, our wills, and our special people we place in charge of our wishes, we can alter the way we die. Perhaps we can also linger at home in the arms of loved ones.

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am sure many of you reading this article have experienced a loved one‘s death and/or funeral service. Depending on your background, the funeral may have consisted of a graveside memorial, a viewing, or a church service, with many variations on the theme of saying goodbye and memorialization of the individual. What most of these services have in common is that the remains of your loved one are held until that event is scheduled. This article will focus on the beauty and love that can be shared with a community by having your loved one near as you prepare to say goodbye to their earthy remains for their final destination.

Before the 20thcentury, families would care for their loved ones at home both prior to and after death. Often a clergy member and/or midwife would be in attendance. A family member or friend would build a coffin; another would dig the grave.

Around the time of the US civil war, embalming became a way the deceased could be preserved to transport them home. The Second World War made embalming even more popular. Because embalming required the use of specialized tools and techniques, only trained individuals could perform the task. As time went on and cities grew larger the traditional ways were lost. The funeral industry grew as more people could afford to embalm and saw the process as a status symbol.

Fast track to today. Death is a taboo topic—one we are uncomfortable talking about. We are given one to two hours with the deceased before they are whisked away to be held in a morgue. We make funeral arrangements in a messy mixture of emotions including shock and utter despair. For some families, the price of a funeral and burial can be too expensive, leaving only the option of cremation with no viewing options. Regardless of the choice made, the loved one has been taken.

Home funerals are the way we can take back our loved ones. We can sit with them for hours and grieve among family members and friends. We can hold their hand and stroke their hair. We can make those arrangements for whatever we feel or know the deceased wanted for their final destination. We can play music they loved, or watch a memorial video they or some-

Useful sites: cindea.ca and Finalpassages.org Cariboo Communit y Deat hcaring (Facebook)

Image: _Alicja_ : www.pixabay.com

one made. We can eat and drink as a community with loving memories. We can get a clergy member or family member to speak, or say prayers. We can place flowers and plants around the loved one. After two to four days, your loved one can be transported to their ultimate destination.

They can be placed in a casket the family has built and decorated. They can be wrapped in a beautiful shroud and carried.

It is a time of recognition and love.

Enter back into the scene I left you within in the last article. My mother has just passed away in the palliative care ward in Saskatoon. The immediate family is all there. Each of us touching her, kissing her in turns, and crying. We are told we have as much time as we need; yet, we know they need the bed. Yet, we know the funeral home should be alerted. We wander around the bed in shock making the necessary arrangements. The nurses clean her remains without us in the room. The funeral home comes and moves her into a bag without us in the room. She is on a stretcher. We walk her into the basement, and down hallways to the back exit where we depart for the final time. We all dissemble to different cars in shock.

Doing research on funeral options prior to my mother‘s death (and through the death doula course), I came across the

CINDEA (Canadian Integrative Network for Death Education and Alternatives) site describing home funerals. I briefly did more research and asked a friend who was a funeral director. She had never heard of it and questioned how we could physically transport her remains home. I spoke with my sister about it. We were running on low engines. How would we get a permit to transport? How would we bathe her?

Where would we put her? How long would we keep her? Where would we get ice?

With all these unknowns and with our depleted energy we promptly decided to let go of the idea.

The last weekend of my death doula course revolved around home funerals and Green burials. Watching videos of people‘s experiences brought me to tears of deep grief I had within me. If I could have held my mother‘s hand for longer. If I could have sat beside her crying and talking. If I could have thanked her more profoundly. I cried in the class and quietly apologized to her for not taking care of her the way I felt she should have been. I recognized that this was something I could offer to my community so others could share in the special ritual of saying goodbye.

As I sit here crying and writing beside a lit candle, I know she is with me. Death brings us many gifts. One of the gifts she

Angela’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 circle has been created in the hopes that the community finds a place to address any of their needs in regards to the dying.

By Nicola Finch

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o you want to be buried or cremated?

In our death phobic society, that‘s one of the more acceptable questions when broaching death as a topic of conversation. Frankly, I think we need more and simpler choices—burial options that cause no harm to people or the environment. We understand the necessity to quit using plastic bags and drinking straws; surely, it‘s time to stop polluting the planet with our final farewell.

To be kind to those we leave behind, it behooves us to decide what we want done with our bodies once we‘re dead. You might say ―It doesn‘t matter,‖ or ―They can do whatever they like with me,‖ but if you have not made your wishes known, someone who loves you will have to make those decisions in the hours after your death. And it will matter to them. They will want to do right by you. The dying time of a loved one is challenging when everything is in place.

When death is unexpected, and no one knows what we wanted, we make it unnecessarily hard on grieving family and friends.

In British Columbia, we currently have two legal choices for the disposition of our bodies: cremation or burial.

Cremation is the number one choice for more than 80 per cent of British Columbians, the highest percentage of any province or state in North America. There are many reasons why we are choosing cremation; some of them personal, some financial, and some societal. Cremation, while it has adverse effects on the environment (the release of mercury into the air and the use of fossil fuels), is decidedly more eco-friendly than traditional in-ground burial. Direct cremation is also considerably less expensive than traditional burial. In BC, costs can range from about $1,000 for direct crema-

By Kathie Vilkas, Executive Director, Williams Lake Hospice Society

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ow do you envision your endof-life? In a hospital? In your home? Have you thought about what you would like your end-of-life journey to look like? Have you discussed your wishes with the important people in your life? Have you done your Advanced Care Plan? What is hospice palliative care? Imagine you are diagnosed with a life-limiting illness. How do you even begin to make such difficult life decisions?

What is Hospice Palliative Care?

Firstly, hospice palliative care is not just for the final days or months of life. Hospice palliative care is not a place; it is a model of care—a wholistic approach to healthcare, including physical, emotional, spiritual, and social support of the whole person and support for their loved ones. Palliative care includes pain and symptom management, caregiver support and respite, as well as spiritual care from a palliative care team.

Hospice palliative care is about approaching end-of-life with dignity, increased quality of life, compassionate support, comfort, and courage.

Photo: Nicola Finch

tion to $25,000 for a burial lot in Vancouver. Our rural cemeteries are not nearly so expensive, but they tell the same sad story underground.

Traditional cemeteries: those tidy rows of markers and headstones on manicured lawns are often beautiful havens for birds and wildlife in otherwise built-up urban areas. Families find comfort there, and graveyards are endlessly fascinating for tadophiles and genealogists like me. Unfortunately, for the last few hundred years we‘ve been filling these cemeteries with concrete and fiberglass and toxic embalming fluids, as well as a forest of hardwood caskets. We are running out of space in our cemeteries. We‘ve outgrown them in more ways than one.

Green burial, thankfully, is making a comeback. Green burial returns our bodies gently to the Earth allowing natural decomposition and benefitting the environment.

Since chemicals are not permitted, there is no embalming. Your loved one could be wrapped in a shroud, or placed in a biode-

Williams Lake Hospice Society (WLHS) is improving the quality of life of those individuals and their families facing life-limiting illness, death, or bereavement, through compassionate support, education, and advocacy.

gradable casket, which can be as simple as a sturdy cardboard receptacle (decorated by family and friends) or made of natural and sustainable materials such as wicker or local bug-killed pine.

The Green Burial Council of North America specifies three types of Green cemeteries: hybrid burial grounds, natural burial grounds, and conservation burial grounds.

Again, BC is way ahead of the game.

The Denman Island Natural Burial Cemetery, which opened in the fall of 2015, is the first contemporary all-natural conservation burial ground in Canada. The Woodlands at Royal Oak Burial Park in Victoria, which opened in 2008, was Canada‘s first urban Green burial park.

Municipal cemeteries in BC, as they upgrade or expand, are getting on board with hybrid Green burial sections, and while not ideal, it‘s a start. Personally, it means if I die this year I could request a Green burial in the cemetery in my old hometown instead of opting for cremation. I

ply be a comforting, supportive presence. The most valuable skill a hospice volunteer can provide is simply listening. If you are interested in making a difference in someone‘s end-of -life journey, please contact our office. We are always looking for volunteers to join Community Resource Hospice referrals are made by our amazing team. Individuals healthcare professionals, friends, must complete End-of-Life family, or self-referrals. WLHS Support training to develop the has two palliative suites, including skills necessary to be a suppora furnished family room at Deni tive presence to the client and House. We offer anticipatory grief their family. Communication and bereavement support and reskills, spiritual needs, grief and sources, and medical grade sheepbereavement, and self-care for Image: skins and other equipment to our the volunteer are just a few of clients and their families. We also www.pixabay.com the components covered in this have a library full of resources invaluable training. Volunteers available to our clients, their families, and are often asked, ―Why do you volunteer for the public. Stop by the office, relax on our hospice‖? followed by, ―I could never do comfy couch, and have a confidential chat what you do‖. The response is always the with one of our staff. Hospice is a safe same: ―It is a privilege and a gift to be welspace to share your story. comed into someone‘s life at such a vulnerable time‖.

You can volunteer at our Annual MemVolunteers are the Heart of Hospice WLHS volunteers provide support, ory Tree Celebration and Hike for Hospice comfort, and empathetic listening to the events (no training required). Just give us a individual and support to their loved ones. call.

Volunteers encourage the client to share their story, listen to concerns, act as an ad- Grief Recovery Support Group vocate, provide caregiver respite, and simJourney Through Grief is a six-week

like the idea of being buried close to the bones of my ancestors.

Len Robson, public works manager at the City of Penticton, confirmed they have included a Green burial section in their most recent expansion of Lakeview Cemetery. Robson says they hope to have all the bylaw changes in place and have it open to the public early this year.

The Village of Cache Creek‘s website states that its municipal cemetery includes an environmentally conscious Green burial section. A simpler version of Green burial is also available at the Powell River Regional Cemetery.

Although it may be 10 years away, the Williams Lake area should expect to see Green burials available when the city opens its new cemetery. If the demand is there, (that means we have to ask!) perhaps it will happen sooner.

I‘m committed to advocating for natural burial grounds and Greener funeral practices throughout BC as well as natural woodland places of remembrance for cremated remains. I see great potential in rural BC for the development of Green woodland burial grounds in every community.

Natural burial allows us to die as we lived, with as light a footprint as possible.

See more at: www.greenburialbc.ca/, w w w . g r e e n b u ri a l c o u n c i l .o r g , a n d www.greenburialcanada.ca.

Nicola Finch lives off-grid in a remote area west of Williams Lake. She and her husband are co-owners of Touch Wood Rings. They offer custom handcrafted wooden rings including wooden memorial rings inlaid with the ashes of a loved one. Nicola's passion is holistic end-of-life care, from death doulas to Green burials. Learn more about their Cariboo Community Deathcaring group. Contact nicola@greenburialbc.ca or find her on Facebook @greenburialbc @touchwoodrings @memorialrings.

peer-support recovery group, offering a support system to help you move through your grief journey. Companionship and understanding from others in the group living their own grief story is often helpful in the grief recovery process. In a society that avoids talking about death and has difficulty dealing with grief, it is an opportunity to share your story, listen to other‘s stories, discuss coping on a day-to-day basis, and manage on the most difficult days.

Throughout the six weeks you do the ‗grief work‘ and work towards recovery.

Our next group is April 4, 11, 18, 25 & May 2, 9 (Wednesday evenings) from 6–8 p.m. at the WLHS office. Please call for more information and to register.

What‘s Happening @ WLHS? We have lots going on the next few months. End-of-Life Support training, Grief Recovery Support Group (April 4, 11, 18, 25 & May 2, 9), 2nd Annual Hike for Hospice (Sunday May 6th), Hospice Palliative Care Awareness Week (May 6–12), May is Hospice Palliative Care Awareness Month in Williams Lake, and much more.

We are still working on dates and details so stay tuned for further information. Visit us on Facebook or the WLHS website www.williamslakehospice.com, or give us a call at (250) 392-5430 or stop by the office from 9 a.m. to noon Monday to Friday.

By Sage Birchwater

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ost people in Williams Lake are probably unaware of the wide range of services provided by the Cariboo Friendship Society.

Executive director Rosanna McGregor and social programs supervisor Tamara Garreau describe some of the work they do. ―Our primary function is to provide support services for urban Aboriginal people,‖ says McGregor. These services, staffed by 80 employees, are packaged into more than a dozen programs that include a transition house for women and children, addictions and mental health outreach, pregnancy outreach, shelter services, early childhood development, Aboriginal supported child development, Aboriginal infant development, cultural based preschool, Aboriginal child and youth mental health services, family ties visitation services, and last but not least, an Elders Circle of Care program.

Garreau offers a tour of the main Friendship Centre building at the corner of Yorston Street and South Third Avenue.

Upstairs above the Hearth Restaurant and the Native Arts and Crafts Store are 17 rental housing units and 30 emergency shelter beds. ―We are full to capacity most nights,‖ she says, describing how homeless men are sheltered on one floor and the women and children on another.

Staff strive to maintain a high standard of cleanliness. Rooms are completely stripped, disinfected, and steam cleaned once a week, and a thorough janitorial cleaning occurs daily. Clients are given three meals a day and offered laundry services.

Heather Burnett, shelter co-ordinator for 20 years, says the emergency shelter policy is ―minimal barrier.‖ That means clients who have been drinking or are high

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t‘s a history that has been passed from generation to generation through spoken word.

But, after years of research and transcribing, Sage Birchwater transferred that oral history of the Central Interior into the written word in his 2017 book, Chilcotin Chronicles: Stories of Adventure and Intrigue from British Columbia’s Central Interior.

Since the book was launched in April 2017, Birchwater has held a number of book signing and slide show presentations throughout the province, from Vanderhoof to Vancouver Island and the Okanagan to Bella Coola. ―A lot of history that was told of British Columbia excluded the Indigenous people, so I made a point of including First Nations stories in the narrative,‖ Birchwater said.

The Island-born author was drawn to the region that lied beyond the mountains, separating the coast from the Interior. As a young man in 1973, Birchwater uprooted and headed to Williams Lake in the heart of what the locals refer to as the CaribooChilcotin-Coast, where he has remained for more than four decades.

In the Cariboo-Chilcotin, Birchwater picked up the pen full-time and became a

Wendy Fontaine, Elders Circle of Care co-ordinator, Cora Fraleigh, Aboriginal wellness coordinator, Eagle’s Nest resident Elvis Baptiste, and Tamara Garreau, social programs supervisor, work as a team to improve the quality of life for urban elders in Williams Lake.

Photo: Sage Birchwater

on drugs are still given accommodation, but drug and alcohol use on the premises is strictly forbidden. There is also zero tolerance for violence or aggression.

Further down the street at 228 Third Avenue South stands the four-storey stateof-the-art housing facility known as the Eagle‘s Nest. Built in 2010, it has 33 apartments mostly occupied by seniors. On the main floor next to the front entrance, a door opens to a small activity room. Inside, Gary Stieman, Richard Jules, Al Downey, Edward Baptiste, and Elvis Baptiste sit around a table drinking coffee.

They are joined by Aboriginal wellness co-ordinator Cora Fraleigh and elders‘ circle of care program co-ordinator Wendy Fontaine.

The atmosphere in the room is relaxed and friendly. Fontaine works on a puzzle on the dining room table as the men sip their coffee. Gary, Richard, Edward, and Elvis are Eagle‘s Nest residents, while Al Downey lives elsewhere in town and has

stopped by for a visit.

Fontaine says the activity room is a busy place. ―We have coffee every morning and it‘s a place for people to connect,‖ she says. ―We have a lot of elders in the building and most come every day. A lot of elders in the community stop by to see how everyone is doing.‖ Elvis Baptiste, who hails from TsiDeldel (Redstone), is a huge Montreal Canadiens fan. Carey Price is his favourite.

You rarely see him without his Habs cap and #31 jersey. ―This is where Elvis starts his day,‖ says Fontaine.

She describes her program as building essential relations with elders. ―We bridge the gaps in the urban setting for the elders.

They are our cultural teachers.‖ Elders are taken on outings to the countryside to gather plants and make medicines. Youth come to the Elders‘ Circle to learn arts and crafts and listen to stories.

freelance writer and reporter with Black Press. And it‘s a newspaper-bred style that has carried over to his book writing work. ―I apply the journalistic principle of telling a balanced story,‖ Birchwater said. ―Each of my stories might have taken a month to research.‖ After a brief introduction from Birchwater, Chilcotin Chronicles begins with the roots of the province‘s first European contact and the Royal Proclamation of 1763.

Then it stops off at turning points in the region‘s formation – such as the Cariboo gold rush and Chilcotin War – while focusing on the lives and stories of influential Cariboo-Chilcotin-Coast residents like Domas Squinas, James Lee (Jim) Holt, and Louisa (One-Eye) Turner. ―What was fascinating for me was connecting some of the ancient people to the people of today,‖ Birchwater said. ―The Chilcotin is such a small community—a big area, but small community.‖ Now semi-retired from his role as a journalist, Birchwater continues to write historical and human interest columns for a couple of William‘s Lake newspapers, allowing him to connect with a larger audience and learn more about the history of his beloved region.

―One of the interesting things about doing a piece in the paper is people read it and give feedback,‖ Birchwater said, adding that readers often will provide him with leads and information on historical figures and events.

From going over archived reports and records, to interviewing local elders and transcribing their stories, it‘s a process Birchwater loves. ―It‘s a lot of fun to be able to put it down and go back to them and say, ‗Is this the story you told me?‘‖ Birchwater laughed, noting how details of a story change each time an oral history is told.

With nearly a dozen books and hundreds of newspaper articles under his belt, Birchwater is proud to share Chilcotin Chronicles. ―It‘s a history told from the perspective of the people in the Interior,‖ Birchwater said. ―I really worked hard to portray an accurate account.‖ Chilcotin Chronicles has been wellreceived both locally in the CaribooChilcotin and further afield throughout the province. The book received notoriety being named third on the BC Bestsellers list for 2017.

It is available locally at the Station House Gallery, the Open Book, Save On

Twice a week Fontaine cooks up a hearty mid-day meal, which the elders and community members look forward to.

A couple of Gary Stieman‘s drums hang from a centre post in the elders‘ amenity room. In recent years, he has found his voice as a traditional singer, and often leads prayers and blessings with his drum. Connecting with the Elders Circle is a vital part of his daily routine. It‘s an important opportunity for fellowship, he says.

Cora Fraleigh says the Elders Circle provides a safe place for women to gather.

She says the Grandmother Circle gives the opportunity to practise crafts and beading. ―It‘s a way to get all the women together,‖ he says.

The Elders Circle program has worked with the Cariboo Chilcotin Partners for Literacy to record and publish the stories shared by the elders. A small booklet, Reaching into the Past, was published in 2015 and contains a collection of these stories.

Tamara Garreau says one of the priorities of the Elders Circle of Care program is to keep the elders from being isolated. ―The amenities room provides a gathering place for elders, where staff do more than just offer a space. Support workers do home visits and drive elders to appointments. Foot care practitioners do all the feet of the elders, which is particularly important for those with diabetes.‖ Rosanna McGregor says financial literacy is another key area of learning her programs are addressing. ―Social isolation and loneliness are health risks and we strive to help our urban elders be as healthy and happy as possible.‖ 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.

Domas Squinas, pictured here in Bella Coola where he held his summer camp beside the Atnarko River, was chief of the Ulkatcho community for many years.

Squinas is featured in Sage Birchwater’s Chilcotin Chronicles. (Harlan Smith photo)

Foods, the Tourism Discovery Centre, and from the author.

With files from Parker Crook, Vernon Morning Star, Originally published Dec 3, 2017.

Chilcotin Chronicles was number 3 on the BC Best Sellers list in 2017.

By Van Andruss

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loria Atamanenko, a dear friend and a greatly valued contributor to Lived Experience, died this year at Deni House in Williams Lake, BC. By her side was George Atamanenko, her husband of 60 years, and her devoted son, Peter.

Gloria Katherine Chomiak was the first born of six children on a farm near Fort Vermilion, Alberta (see LE7, ―Two Autobiographical Sketches‖). She left the farm at age 15, summoned to Wilmington, Delaware, to care for her uncle. Graduating from high school, she continued her education in Wilmington at Swarthmore College and afterwards began a career as a social worker in Williams Lake.

She married George in Vancouver, in August of 1957. Following the birth of their first son, Boris, the young couple moved here and there, to Vancouver and Edmonton, and in 1963 to Victoria. Their son, Peter, was born in Victoria in 1965 and the family remained in the capital city until 1994, then returned to the Cariboo to take up ranching at 150 Mile House.

Gloria suffered a stroke in 2006, a misfortune that left her partially paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair, but she carried on with life energetically, as was her nature, and with dignity.

It was Sage Birchwater who introduced my partner Eleanor and me to Gloria and George at their home near 150 Mile House on the road to Horsefly. That must have been about 10 years ago. We were immediately drawn to each other. Personal affinities are mysterious, but the attraction was very definite, and whenever Eleanor and I were in the area, we would drop by for a visit, which usually meant a sumptuous lunch or dinner in the dinette beside the kitchen. Gloria sat in her chair at the head of the table and retained full command of George‘s activity in the kitchen. The food was delicious. Always there was pie or cookies, sometimes even ice cream. I would look out the bay window at the bird feeder and small yard on the knoll that

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ell, did Santa leave a long slender package hiding a telescope under the tree?

Or maybe a short stubby one with some new binoculars or a moon globe or something?

I‘m afraid some of you might have gotten yard lights for Christmas. Maybe one of those intense blue LED ones that prey on your blue sensitive, dark adapted, night vision. Your eyes much prefer the warm red glow of Rudolph‘s nose, I suspect.

A typical yard light is considerably brighter at a 1 km distance than the brightest celestial objects like Jupiter or even Venus. Night lighting is often necessary, but why do we have to look at the bulb, which is usually way brighter than what it is trying to illuminate?

The LED lighting revolution is a bit of a mixed bag. Yes, they are more efficient in their use of power, but that can lead to the use of more and brighter ones. The colour is also an issue.

Gloria Atamanenko. Photos: Family collection

overlooked a sizable pond, a typical, changeable feature of the Cariboo Country.

I remember once taking a walk with Eleanor on the road running parallel to the pond. It was spring and the mosquitoes were awful. I‘ve an image of myself walking along with a fir branch and repeatedly swiping my face to shake the devils off.

There was a coffee table in the living room stacked with the latest interesting books on politics and other social issues. Sensitive and acutely conscious of what was currently happening in the world, this was a committed NDP household.

There was a small piano in the living room, which I heartily tinkled at least once.

These are small memories. I see now, recalling them, that our relationship was primarily domestic. We were not doing politics together, though we inevitably dipped into that baffling topic; we simply enjoyed each other‘s company, which was sufficient.

Gloria‘s heritage was Ukrainian and it mattered to her. Once she loaned me a book she had translated from the Russian

Good old incandescent bulbs produce their light from a glowing filament, which, by its nature, produces a continuous spread of colours like in a rainbow. Maybe a bit weak on the violet end. Gas discharge, fluorescent, and LED lights have bright and dark portions in their spectra, so some colours are favoured.

Since LED lights are here to stay, manufacturers have been working on the colour rendering index or CRI to get them to behave more like the incandescents we grew up with. Whether I actually grew up is another question that can‘t be debated here. Maybe out under the stars.

So, I always buy the 2700 K colour temp bulbs, especially for after-dark use when our eye sensitivity naturally shifts to the blue and we need more red. I even saw a new breed of dimmable bulbs that actually shift their colour more toward the red as they are turned down, just like an incandescent. So, there is hope.

called Fourteen Months on Franz Joseph Land. The book was written by a friend‘s uncle, the Ukrainian geomorphologist Mykhailo Mikolajovich Ivanychuk, who was sent out with a research party in the winter of 1932-33 to a Soviet weather station at Ostrov Gukera (Hooker Island), with the directive, besides weather research, to explore and survey the eastern islands of the Franz Joseph Land archipelago. Fourteen Months was originally published in Russian in 1934. I found the book absorbing and will always associate Gloria with this man of courage. Mykhailo, because he was Ukrainian, was later unjustly persecuted by the Bolsheviks, as were all Ukrainians.

Gloria had a literary talent that compelled her to write. She applied her gift to recollecting events, some of which found their way into Lived Experience. Below is a list of stories and essays by Gloria, published in the magazine: LE7 ―Two Autobiographical Sketches‖ and ―My First Political Experience‖ appeared more recently in the excellent Williams Lake publication, TheGreenGazette.

A lot of the problems of yard lighting and so called light trespass can be solved with proper shading, so the light is directed where you want it and not glaring in your eyes or casting light above the horizontal where it is entirely wasted, lighting up all the dust in the atmosphere.

On the way out of Kamloops, BC is a retirement village called Tobiano. When driving by after dark, I could see all the streets perfectly but couldn‘t see any light bulbs. When I investigated, I saw they used deep recessed fixtures with some kind of fairly ordinary bulbs. It was very effective.

Venus will become prominent in the evening sky as we roll on towards spring. as Jupiter and Mars will dominate the southeastern predawn sky. It‘s a big year for Mars as we head towards its close opposition in July. Close oppositions are low in the sky, so observing will be hampered by the atmosphere and its turbulence. Sometimes, too, these perihelic oppositions (closer to the sun) can give rise to dust storms on Mars that obscure the fine detail.

That makes seeing Mars all the more fascinating and challenging. Even though it is

LE8 ―Aging on the Gold Rush Trail‖. I can‘t help recording that this is my favourite of all Gloria‘s stories. Here you read of Gloria‘s work as a social worker in touch with old prospectors.

LE9 ―Tobacco Pudding‖. A marvelous essay on her family‘s immigration to Fort Vermilion from Western Ukraine after WWI. A classic portrayal of a Canadian pioneering experience.

LE10 ―Breaking with Convention in the New World‖.

So unique a woman leaves an empty space in our world that no one else could occupy.

I am one of those, among many, who will always think of Gloria with loving affection.

There will be a Celebration of Gloria‘s Life on May 5, 2018 at Williams Lake.

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. LEs are available at the Open Book and The Station House Gallery in Williams Lake.

very small and surface details are blotchy, even with superb optics, those moments when the i ma g e settles and you connect with the reality of the s o l i d surface of another world, give an aesthetic experience that can‘t be had any other way. There is also the infinitesimally small, but non-zero chance you might pick up some poorly shielded yard lights on the surface.

I know it‘s the cold season, but our observatory does have a heated warm room. You are welcome to join us. Orion and the bright stars of winter will be around for a little while yet and then there‘s that big reverse question mark of Leo the lion rising in the east, a sure sign of spring.

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 Terri Smith

I

t seems a lot of people have been really sick this winter. I was, and for way too long, and for me, this was a wake-up call. In my own life, I have noticed illness is often brought on by a combination of physical, mental, and emotional reasons. I found this winter‘s illness perplexing because I had thought I was healthy, happy, and eating well. In reality, I had let some things slide.

First of all: I don‘t know what I‘m doing with my life. I‘m not a farmer, not really. I also don‘t actually want to be a farmer. But, what I realized this winter is that I really don‘t want to work for anyone else either. I need a sense of purpose to feel fulfilled. I have been trying to figure out what direction I want my new life to take, but I have no cohesive plan. We have a lot of fun here, but Gardener/Artist/ Writer/Burlesque Dancer isn‘t quite a career path (and the dental plan is terrible).

(Note: I‘ve never really sought a career, but I do want to have a plan, a purpose, and a moderate income... and possibly dental).

Second, food: So much of how our bodies fight infection has to do with nutrition. The biggest issue I am having with food at the moment is not new. I feel this every winter. I don‘t trust conventional food anymore, and in winter I buy more food from the grocery store. This is sad. I remember drinking milk fresh from a cow and feeling good; my body loved milk.

Now, there isn‘t all that much left in milk, or any of our food, really. So much of it is pasteurized and irradiated for our protection, and then vitamins and minerals are added back in.

We think we know so much when we start playing with our food, but nature always knows more than we do. Food is

By Terri Smith

I

n my last article, I mentioned that I was ruining my own immune system worrying about that of Amadeus. I was mostly joking, but it turns out it was much truer than I imagined.

I was ridiculously sick for all of December. I had three different illnesses during Christmas month (and I am rarely really sick) beginning with a weird combination of things that the doctor explained as, ―Your immune system has just pretty much shut down for some reason.‖ It was terrible and I found myself puzzling over what the heck was wrong with me since I thought I was pretty healthy, eating well, and getting lots of sleep.

I know there are many factors that led to all this illness. I was not actually eating as well as I thought I was, and let‘s face it: it‘s been a stressful year overall for most people around here, but I think one of the biggest reasons I was so run down was worry over Amadeus.

As you may remember, I had been doing a ton of research on how to help Amadeus build up his immune system. I read

Posing with potatoes in Mom's root cellar.

Photo: Karen Thompson

more than a sum of its parts. We do not really understand it enough to change it so much. I don‘t know what the problem is. I keep looking for answers, but it‘s hard to know what to trust online. There are as many sites claiming wheat is sprayed with glyphosate prior to harvest and that is why it makes you sick as there are claiming the doctor who says glyphosate hurts you is a hack. Personally, I am tired of the debate.

What I see is that food used to be nourishing, but when agriculture turned into agribusiness, it lost something somewhere and our health and the health of our planet are suffering for it.

So, what to do? I like to refer to Michael Pollan‘s book, An Eater’s Manifesto, which comes down to: ―Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.‖ This seems self-

articles, joined goat forums, and talked to my veterinarian friends, my holistic health friends, and my ranching friends. I received a lot of advice. Tons of it. Much of it conflicting. I don‘t know how mothers of human kids manage. I can barely deal with not knowing what to do to help a goat, never mind how I would feel about a child.

No matter what I decide to do to help Amadeus, someone will be sure that I should have done something else. And the worst part is, I agree with all of them! Everyone who means well has sound reasoning and caring advice. How to decide what to do!?

Ironically, it was my own illness, caused by Amadeus-stress, that has helped me to help him. After receiving a diagnosis of: ―your immune system has just pretty much shut down for some reason,‖ I started researching the most important vitamins for a healthy immune system. There are many, of course, but the vitamins I repeatedly found listed as the top three to supplement were: beta-carotene (vitamin A), vitamin C, and vitamin E. This was wonderful news. Among Amadeus‘ favourite foods are carrots (vitamin A), rosehips (vitamin C), and sunflower seeds and

evident, until you break it down. So much of our food isn‘t actually food anymore.

He devotes chapters to explaining what it means to ―eat food.‖ A few examples being: ―Don‘t eat anything your greatgrandmother wouldn‘t recognize as food,‖ and, ―Don‘t eat anything that doesn‘t rot.‖ But how? How can we be sure our food is really food in this age of obfuscation, I mean, information. You do whatever you like; here is a summary of what I am doing: Grow it myself: If I grow it, I know what went into it, and the scientists and doctors and health magazines and myth debunkers and bloggers can yell back and forth all they want about whether herbicides and pesticides and GMOs are safe or unhealthy or absurd or purple or blue or whatever. I will just be over here, quietly tending my cabbages.

Get it locally (or as locally as I can): I trust people I know. I tend to trust small business more than big business.

Buy as unprocessed as I can: Processed or refined food often has nothing much in it as far as food value goes. White flour, white sugar, and white rice are three main examples of refined foods that don‘t do good things for your body.

For three seasons of the year in Canada, however, it can be difficult to figure out how to get enough vegetables. Here is my plan: Get serious (and realistic) about storage vegetables. I will grow as much as we need of what grows well here. I will buy what doesn‘t grow well here in quantity from another local farmer. I canned way more this year than I did the year before, but next year I will do even more. A chest

freezer is also a wonderful thing. Frozen broccoli and cauliflower make excellent soups; frozen pestos make great meals almost instantly. Frozen Swiss chard makes a great colourful accent in the freezer and then adds a lovely boost of nitrogen to the compost next spring (so far, I haven‘t managed to use much Swiss chard in winter). Kale chips really are a fun TV snack food, as well as a good way to feel good about all that kale you didn‘t really want to eat but felt obligated to pretend that you love. Kale chips take large amounts of kale and turn them into tiny, bite-sized, crunchy, flavour-delivery systems (I like mine with nutritional yeast and Bragg‘s). I also dug out my sprouter from storage. I couldn‘t find it last winter, but now it‘s back. Sprouts are easy and quick and fresh greens in winter are better than candy.

So now the days are getting longer, and my immune system and myself are back on track. I must grow food. I cannot not grow food. I love real food. I love eating it, growing it, sharing it, and talking about it.

Sadly, I couldn‘t make a living selling it, but that doesn‘t mean I‘m going to shut up about it or in any way stop advocating for it. The benefits to eating well are myriad.

Eat good food and you help yourself, help local/small farmers and local economies, and help the planet.

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.

Mark took great care of me and Amadeus while I was sick.

Photo: Terri Smith

flax meal (vitamin E). He now gets a bowl of all of these every morning for breakfast, and he has an even lovelier coat, shining eyes, and a playfulness he‘d been missing for awhile.

I was also advised so often that both of us would benefit from kelp that I went to the health food store and bought a bag of kelp powder. It turns out that we both hate kelp powder. We‘re trying. For him, I can hollow out a few rosehips and funnel the

powder into them and he will eat them most of the time. But so far, I have not been able to fool myself in the same way!

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 Petra Markova

I

t feels like yesterday our canoe landed at its final destination: the Jericho Sailing Centre in the Lower Mainland, for which we had set off 25 days earlier from Tête-Jaune Cache in BC‘s north.

It feels like yesterday I was first meeting the eight other participants and four facilitators who would become like my family, even after our journey ended.

It feels like yesterday the Fraser River was my home.

My journey down the Fraser took place thanks to the Sustainable Living Leadership Program (SLLP), a 27-day trip put on annually by the Rivershed Society of BC. Nine of us were selected to canoe and raft down the river, starting from Mount Robson near the Alberta border, and ending in Vancouver, all while connecting with nature and each other.

The SLLP gave us the opportunity to shift our perspective to that of a river, and to develop new relationships with each other and with the larger world. We learned about the issues affecting the Fraser River, how they connect to the larger ecosystem and the world, and discussed solutions. We also attended community events, took part in leadership activities, and meditated in nature. By the end of the trip, we were a floating family, with deep bonds that would hold strong after the journey.

A significant part of the SLLP is the development of an environmentally-focused project to implement in participants‘ com-

Petra Markova at Yellowhead Lake in the Fraser River headwaters region. Photo: Megan Rempel.

munities upon returning from the trip. I am very passionate about education and my project involved visiting environmental science classrooms as a guest speaker, to share what I learned about the Fraser and about how students can get more involved in their communities. The positive feedback I received from the professors and students has shown me just how significant of an impact a single lecture can have, and has reaffirmed my career goal of becoming a professor in this field, which will allow me to educate young people about issues such as those taking place on the Fraser, and what can be done about them.

In addition to this ongoing project, I have teamed up with Megan Rempel, a fellow alumna from my SLLP year, to create a condensed version of the program. The shortened, three-day Rivers Clinic for Environmental Leaders will take place this summer along the banks of the Lower Fraser, featuring many of the same aspects as the full-length SLLP. Our goal is to create an opportunity similar to the SLLP that is accessible to everyone, and allows people to connect with nature and one another. The hope is that people will become inspired to take action, just like we were, and that this will have a ripple effect.

Looking back, the SLLP experience was a catalyst for helping me realize where my passions lie, as well as allowing me to discover what I need for a balanced life. The silence of the forest reminded me that it is important to take time for myself, doing something I enjoy away from the daily rush of the city. The constant flow of the river made me realize that life constantly changes, and to appreciate the beauty in each moment. And the stories shared by every member of my river family encouraged me to become a change-maker.

Although this was easy to do initially upon returning from the trip, as time has gone on, it has become more difficult to hold onto these values. Life gets busy, and sometimes things don‘t go the way I want them to. Fortunately, I have my river family to inspire me. These people went on the same journey as me and discovered similar values—I can see in them a reflection of myself and of who I aspire to be.

Overall, the SLLP has truly been a lifechanging experience. Not only did the trip allow me to meet some amazing people and to learn about pressing environmental issues in our province, it also ignited my passion for teaching and inspired me to become a change-maker. I would highly recommend this experience to anybody interested in protecting the environment and making a difference in their community.

For more information on the Sustainable Living Leadership Program, hosted annually by the Rivershed Society of BC, visit www.rivershed.com.

By LeRae Haynes

T

here are wonderful changes afoot with StrongStart in the Williams Lake area, with more nature emphasis and wilderness immersion. More children have more opportunities to love and enjoy the outdoors, expanding their horizons and enriching their lives.

StrongStart, a free, play-based drop-in program for parents and little ones, is held in elementary schools throughout the school district. It gives parents and youngsters the opportunity to become familiar and comfortable in a school setting, enjoying stories, games, and crafts with an early childhood educator (ECE). And now, it has an increased emphasis on learning in nature.

Naomi Weil has been running StrongStart as an early childhood educator (ECE) at Mountview Elementary School for eight years, and is now moving to Marie Sharpe.

Former Marie Sharpe StrongStart coordinator Tanya Johnson is moving to Scout Island as the nature kindergarten teacher. ―I love the outdoor piece; Marie Sharpe has the Wild School BC program, and outdoor learning and play space learning work really well together,‖ says Weil.

She also worked at Scout Island Nature Kindergarten as a noon supervisor and loves the hands-on outdoor education experience.

The move to Marie Sharpe is a natural one for Weil, who will get to enjoy interaction with the nature kindergarten class when they come to Marie Sharpe once a week to use the gym and library, and enjoy some buddy reading, using the StrongStart classroom as their home base. ―The outdoor focus in education is getting stronger and stronger,‖ she explains, adding that Forest Fridays go very well at Mountview Elementary School, and are also taking place at Cataline Elementary School.

A goal is for StrongStarts to connect as groups, and visit places like the River Valley Trail. ―Being outdoors has such a positive impact on families,‖ says Weil. ―People are busier, and kids have more organized events. We‘re seeing the benefits of how easy and inexpensive it is to be outside – the physical and cognitive aspects – and building relationships between adults and children. There‘s a great deal of research

Storytime in the Mountview Forest with Naomi Weil, StrongStart Educator. Photo: Joan Lozier

on the overall health aspect of it.‖ ―Kids are naturally curious and love to explore and try new things, and outdoors they really learn to work together. It‘s great for their social skills and there is lots of team work—so natural when kids are outdoors.‖ She is excited about the outdoor classroom at Marie Sharpe that Tanya Johnson put together. ―We‘ll continue with the Fresh Air Friday program—Tanya planted the seed and I get to grow with it,‖ she adds. ―Moving to Marie Sharpe is a wonderful adventure for me: we‘ll have some returning kids and families, and some new ones. The outdoor classroom is also used by other teachers at Marie Sharpe, and Strong Start will use it more as time goes on; Fresh Air Friday is just a start!‖ She explained that StrongStart is playbased, and follows the children‘s lead: what they‘re curious about and what they want to learn.

It offers a high quality early learning opportunity to families with young children that encourages problem-solving skills, self-esteem building practices, and the social skills that will help them successfully manage in school and lay a foundation for life-long learning.

This program recognizes that the parent is the first and most important teacher in a child‘s life. Increased involvement in their child‘s education contributes to success and teaches family literacy and the importance of a family-involved education.

The StrongStart Early Learning Centres are funded and supported by the Ministry of Education and School District No. 27.

They are available at Cataline, Marie Sharpe, Mountview, 150 Mile, Horsefly, and Big Lake Elementary Schools, and at 100 Mile, Forest Grove, Horse Lake, Lac La Hache, and Mile 108 Elementary Schools, and Kindergym.

She said it‘s so positive for kids in StrongStart to become familiar with a school. ―We all work to create a comfortable environment for parents and kids alike,‖ says Weil. ―They discover that school isn‘t daunting. We want children and parents to all feel good about being at

school, and to have fun. It‘s a real confidence booster.‖ ―The kids are the leaders,‖ Weil continues.―There‘s so much available for them in nature: climbing, walking on moss, and looking for holes or looking for sticks.

When you revisit the forest each week you build on it. One day we saw two deer, and the next time it went to, ‗Will they be here today? Where are they? Can we find some tracks?‘‖ Weil began with StrongStart as a sub at Cataline, when it was the only one in town. ―I really embrace the whole idea of working with families, and it‘s amazing how many great people you meet. They‘re the best part—the kids. ―I love being part of their very first school experience‖ she says. ―That‘s pretty awesome. The parents are the reason for the program‘s success. I‘m just a facilitator providing the space and opportunity—the parents are the greatest influence for the kids. It‘s all them. ―I see so many face-to-face moments between parents and children that are inspiring and beautiful. That‘s the reason I‘m here. Add nature to the equation and it‘s even better. Who wouldn‘t like that?‖ For more information about StrongStart throughout School District #27, visit www.sd27.bc.ca/programs/early-learningprograms/strongstart/ LeRae Haynes is a freelance writer, song writer, community co-ordinator for Success by 6, member of Perfect Match dance band, and instigator of lots of music with kids.

By Sandra K. Klassen

H

ygge, pronounced ―hoogah,‖ is a Scandinavian social phenomenon that seems to be finding its ground in Canada. Or, at least it is a term Canadians can now attach to a winter coziness many of us have experienced for a lifetime. But for so long we just couldn‘t quite put our finger on what it was or how to describe it. Now, thanks to a Norwegian word that roughly translates to ―wellness,‖ we Canadians can tag our more memorable winter experiences as being hyggelig, a cozy experience anywhere, with anyone, at anytime: and even better in winter.

The Canadian sensibility of hygge seems to be taking off as meaning embracing winter, looking it in the eye, welcoming it with open arms. The next step is to have a wintery experience and then find yourself a cozy spot with someone you like (even yourself!) and top it off with a robust glass of wine, a steaming mug of tea, a bowl of homemade soup, or a good book.

If you do it right, you should feel soporific and that all is just right in the world.

Without doing it intentionally, my husband and I achieved this state of wintry wellness when we hosted a Lumberjackthemed Christmas party for a dozen family and friends. It didn‘t hurt that there was a campfire, heaps of good food, free-flowing red wine and Barkerville brews, and numerous outdoor events, which is how we

started the evening. The campfire was crackling as we gathered ‗round, dressed head to toe in lumberjack attire. The teams were chosen: The Strongs, and The Burlies. The games began.

The (modified) axe-throwing competition was turning out to be an event everyone seemed good at, until my husband decided to whistle the axe overhand and knocked out the Christmas lights on the target, a hulahoop hung between two trees.

Next came the firewood relay where each team member had to ―lumber‖ to pick up a piece of firewood then lumber back to the start and, in the end, create a Martha Stewart-like stack of firewood. We then tossed pinecones, which was much harder than it looked, into a huge bear‘s mouth out of cardboard. This event took some of the swagger out of the competitors.

It was surprising that the RCMP weren‘t called during the timber hollering competition. Guests, with one leg resting on a large stump, gripping a serious looking axe, tilted their heads back and hollered ―timber‖ until their vocal chords threatened to snap. To finish off the outdoor events, guests had been asked to bring woodsy items and Christmas décor to add to a Christmas planter making competition. The results were breathtaking planters and names were drawn to determine the winners of the planters. Even though I lost a good string of lights (I lazily left them out in the garage and someone figured they were fair game) and most of a box of decorations I had gathered over the years, the

team efforts resulted in a very ―hyggelig‖ time.

After spending almost three hours outside, the party moved indoors to share a potluck meal and karaoke, indoor games, and so on. But, due to the hyggelig effect we had created, all of us ended up gathered around in the living room, sampling the desserts and downing more Christmas spirits, and a gentle hygge type of visiting commenced. Not a carol was sung, not a round of CatchPhrase was played.

At this point, everyone had shed their outer layers and a dizzying sea of lumberjack plaid shirts blended in with the Christmas lights and candles. Guests began nodding off. It was nearly 11 p.m.! We had achieved a heightened sense of hygge throughout the evening and now participants, afraid of falling fast asleep and drooling, were putting their Carhartt jackets back on and warming up vehicles for the drive home.

To us, this party was our hygge experience. And it quite possibly depicts the Canadian interpretation of this phenomena.

And I love our Canadian twist here. Keep it simple, because if you delve into a closer look at the Scandinavian idea of hygge you can get into a lot of discussion about egalitarian societal norms, avoiding controversial topics, encouraging positive social interactions. I am pretty sure there was some stealing going on between teams during the Christmas planter competition and I know for a fact that one lumberjack carried two pieces of firewood at one time

by tucking one piece underneath his jacket.

But I never said a word because he was on my team, The Burlies, and everyone knew he was doing it and it was falling-down funny.

So, why not spend some time over the next month or so, especially if you are one of those who proclaims to hate winter, and see if you can either plan a hygge experience, or have a cozy winter experience that results in wellness and recognize it, when you look back on the experience, as being hyggelig. Here is a template to help build your hygge experience: I am going to: _______________________ (the experience), with: ______________________________ (who you will sharing hygge with), at: ________________________________ (where).

Hygge makes me feel: __________________________________!

By the way, Hometown Hockey on the first weekend of January 2018 in Williams Lake was a pretty hyggelig experience. I think I saw you there. You looked like you were having a hyggelig time!

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 great locals and the beautiful landscape that surrounds us.

By Al-Lisa McKay ―Goodness is about character, integrity, honesty, kindness, generosity, moral courage, and the like. More than anything else, it is about how we treat other people.‖ ~ Dennis Prager

D

o you ever ponder that randomness is a mathematical concept? In statistics and probability, a random event means that it cannot be predicted. To act is to take action and do something. Kindness is the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. Put them all together and what do you get? Random Acts of Kindness Day, of course.

This day is celebrated in New Zealand on September 1, on November 3 in Western Alberta, and on February 17 in the US and Canada.

After searching for the roots of how the day came into being, I found a few different sources, and could not figure out which one was the actual origin root of the celebrated day. So, I decided that where it all began was far less important than just getting the information out there that Random Acts of Kindness Day exists and we can all be a part of its flowering into a growing success, movement, and global goal.

But then, how about taking it a step further and just making every day a random act of kindness day? This has my vote.

Kindness makes you a happier, healthier person and it makes others happier and healthier, as well. The great news is that there is proof. So, let‘s hop on the kindness train together and raise this roof!

If you have ever travelled to another country, especially a country where the people do not have a lot of money and excess consumer items, you probably noticed and felt the exceptional warmth and vitality of the people‘s connection with each other and with you. I noticed immediately when I travelled through South America, that once

I got out of the cities and into the smaller villages, the people would smile as our paths crossed followed by Buenos dias or Buenos noches and a tip of their hat. It made me feel so safe and welcomed and, better yet, seen. Joy and acceptance seemed to abound in the streets and neighbourhoods. It was truly lovely to witness and be a part of. I learned a lot and made it my own personal mission to acknowledge all people who crossed my path upon returning to Canada. All those tipped hats towards me during my time travelling still warm my heart today. The effects of those kind gestures have never left me and, I am proud to say, have become a part of me.

According to Alex Dixon, from a study published in the Journal of Social Psychology, researchers in Great Britain had participants take a survey measuring life satisfaction and they assigned all 86 participants to one of three groups. One group was in-

structed to perform a daily act of kindness for the next 10 days. Another group was told to do something new each day also over those 10 days. A third group was not instructed to do anything differently.

After the 10 days, the researchers asked the participants to complete the life satisfaction survey again. The groups that practised kindness and engaged in kind and new acts both experienced a significant and approximate equal boost in happiness; the third group didn‘t get any happier.

Here are a few examples of the benefits o f k i n d n e s s f r o m www.randomactsofkindness.org/the-science -of-kindness:  Christine Carter, author of Raising Happiness: In Pursuit of Joyful Kids and Happier Parents, says people who volunteer tend to experience fewer aches and pains. Giving help to others protects overall health twice as much as Aspirin

By Janice Breck, Executive Director

maintain and improve mental health and community integration, build resilience, and support recovery from mental illness.

or acquiring income, health and housing supports, or services on their own.

Jubilee Place is a 33 person supportive housing facility for persons who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

Support services include housing, life skills training, rehabilitative social and recreational opportunities, and access to job skills training and educational upgrading.

Employment Program provides employment counselling and support for individuals with permanent mental and/or physical disabilities that create barriers to employment.

Jubilee House is an eight-bed residential care facility for persons living with persistent mental illness.

Crisis & Counselling Program offers short-term supportive counselling to individuals, couples, or families experiencing difficulties. The Interior Crisis Line, Crisis Line Worker training, and Community Education are also a part of this program.

Family Solutions Program provides parents and families with individual, family, and group support. This program also offers the Connect Parenting Group, which is an attachment-based program

T

hose who are parents know all too well the importance of taking a break, although it is much easier said than done.

CMHA-CCB offers a peer support group called Take a Break through the Family Solutions Program.

Take a Break is open to parents and caregivers of children or youth up to age 25 who are experiencing mental health and/or substance misuse issues. This group assists families to practice and better understand the value of self-care, as well as empowering them to look at what they are able to take control of in their lives. Topics may include stress management, community and provincial resources, self-harm/suicidal ideation/suicide, harm reduction, fentanyl/ drug awareness, crisis management supports/collaborative problem solving/ICM, the impact on siblings and relationships, empathy, and mindfulness. If you are interested in attending this group, please call Dana Hamblin at (250) 305-4487.

CMHA-CCB is a non-profit organization that believes in the importance of offering access to the resources people require to

Photo: Christopher Michel www.flickr.com

We offer different programs to achieve this:  Community-Based Victim Services provides justice related services to assist adult, female, male, and child victims of violence. Individuals may choose not to be involved with the criminal justice system.  Homeless Outreach Program provides support and advocacy to homeless individuals by facilitating access to income assistance benefits, accommodations, and other essential supports.  Multiculturalism Program strives to build inclusive community and reduce racism by reaching out to all demographics, school children to elders, and outlying communities.  Advocacy Outreach Support provides community-based support and advocacy services to individuals who have been recently housed after being homeless or who are at serious risk of being homeless. These individuals may be experiencing significant mental health issues and will have serious barriers to seeking

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protects against heart disease. People 55 and older who volunteer for two or more organizations have an impressive 44% lower likelihood of dying early, and that‘s after sifting out other contributing factors, including physical health, exercise, gender, habits like smoking, marital status, and many more.  Witnessing acts of kindness produces oxytocin, occasionally referred to as the love hormone, which aids in lowering blood pressure and improving our overall heart health. Oxytocin also increases our self-esteem and optimism, which is extra helpful when we‘re anxious or shy in a social situation.  According to research from Emory University, when you are kind to another person, your brain‘s pleasure and reward centres light up, as if you were the recipient of the good deed—not the giver. This phenomenon is called the ―helper‘s high.‖  Kindness stimulates the production of serotonin. This feel-good chemical heals your wounds, calms you down, and makes you happy.

So, remember folks:         

Help your neighbours.

Make eye contact and smile.

Compliment a friend.

Compliment a stranger.

Leave an anonymous note for your coworker.

Help someone carry their groceries.

Speak with elders.

And if you have one on, tip that hat.

Kindness matters.

Al-Lisa McKay operates Miss White Spider Arts in Williams Lake, BC—a fine arts business offering workshops, travelling theater, paintings, portraits, puppets, dolls, music, dance, sculpture, installation art, murals, and other fine arts. Find her on Facebook or website : www.misswhitespider.com

assisting parents and caregivers of preteens and teens to understand adolescent development and respond to difficult behaviours.

The programs and services offered by CMHA-CCB are made possible by funding from the following sources: Ministry of Children and Family Development, Interior Health Authority, BC Housing Society, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Housing and Social Development through Horton Ventures, Gaming Policy & Enforcement Licensing & Grants Division, and community donations.

The importance of taking care of our mental health cannot be understated. Canadian Mental Health Association – Cariboo Chilcotin Branch encourages you to ―Be Mind Full‖ and take care of your mental health.

By Jessica Kirby, Senior Editor of TheGreenGazette

―There comes a time when the bubble of ego is popped and you can‘t get the ground back for an extended period of time. Those times, when you absolutely cannot get it back together, are the most rich and powerful times in our lives.‖ ~ Pema Chodron, Buddhist and spiritual teacher

L

ove is everywhere and in so many forms—we love with abandon in romance and in friendship, with our children and parents, when considering our life‘s passions and dreams. Love envelopes us and gives us wings, heals illness and creates new life. It inspires us to reach further and work harder than we ever thought we could, and it affects our brains and bodies with the most powerful natural chemicals that exist. Love inspires us to cross miles, overcome the impossible, and fight to the death. And when we lose it, love tears us down, takes us apart, and puts us together as someone new. It leaves us empty and hollow, open and vulnerable, completely lost. We think we will never recover.

Except, we do recover. We may not be the same or feel the same or look the same, but that is because we no longer are the same. We can‘t erase or shed experiences or their effects, but we can decide to revel in who we become after we have loved and lost.

The Elephant Journal featured an excerpt from Buddhist and spiritual teacher Pema Chodron‘s book, When Things Fall Apart. In it, Pema Chodron says, ―In the

Photo: By ViblyPhoto Image 458752945 www.shutterstock.com

midst of loneliness, in the midst of fear. In the middle of feeling misunderstood and rejected is the heartbeat of all things… the genuine heart of sadness.”

She compares our genuine heart to a jewel, buried in the Earth for a million years where it will lie in perfect form, not discoloured or harmed, waiting to be brought back to light and glow brilliantly, unaffected by the various ways we express our fear and sadness. ―No matter how committed we are to unkindness, selfishness, or greed, the genuine heart of bodhicitta, or wakeful human nature, cannot be lost,‖ she says. ―It is here in all that lives, never marred, and completely whole.‖ Her words encourage us to embrace suffering as part of our whole experience and to reject the misinformed notion that hiding from the pain constitutes kindness or self-care. ―The truth is we only become more fearful, more hardened, and more alienated,‖ she says. ―We experience

By Jessica Kirby

S

pring Equinox is almost here.

The birth of spring, the rebirth of warmth and brightness—this is the time of year to celebrate love and light and new beginnings.

In the astronomy world, the Equinoxes (spring and autumn) are the only times in the year when the ―solar terminator‖ or the ‗edge‘ between night and day, is perpendicular to the equator, meaning the north and south hemispheres are equally illuminated.

The word Equinox means ―equal night,‖ referring to the sun being exactly overhead at a point on the equatorial line.

This magical moment indicates a kind of natural balance where the length of the day and the length of the night are more or less equal, everywhere on Earth. There is solace and unity in the thought that even though most of us may not notice, every person on Earth shares something beautiful on the Equinox. At that time and in that moment, we collectively share an experience unlike any other the year round.

Photo by sunflair - www.pixabay.com

The cultural significance of Spring Equinox varies—it is the beginning of the spring season in most northern hemisphere communities, and the New Year in the Persian and Iranian calendars. In fact, be-

ourselves as being separate from the whole. This separateness becomes like a prison for us—a prison that restricts us to our personal hopes and fears, and to caring only for the people nearest to us.‖ She encourages us instead to relate to and stay close with the entire experience of loneliness and a broken heart: ―When we don‘t close off, when we let our hearts break, we discover our kinship with all beings,‖ she says.

Pema Chodron relays the wisdom of the His Holiness The Dalai Lama who differentiates between unwise selfish people who only think of themselves, causing confusion and pain, and wise selfish people know that the best thing they can do for themselves is to be there for others.

Rather than turn away from pain and suffering – our own or that of others – we must face it, hold close the feelings we experience, and feel pride, not shame, in our grief and in the love it inspires in us. ―Someone needs to encourage us: that this soft spot in us could be awakened, and

tween the 12th century and the mid-1700s, the England and Ireland also observed New Years on the Equinox. The Equinox also marks the beginning of the astrological year with the moon moving into the first sign of the Zodiac, Aries, the Ram. According to School of the Seasons, the Spring Equinox is one of the four great solar festivals of the year, and there is great significance to the poise and balance of day and night, ready to tip over into the side of light. ―The spring equinox is sacred to dawn, youth, the morning star, and the east,‖ says School of the Seasons author Waverly Fitzgerald. ―The Saxon goddess, Eostre (from whose name we get the direction East and the holiday Easter) is a dawn goddess, like Aurora and Eos. Just as the dawn is the time of new light, so the vernal equinox is the time of new life.‖ In the mythology realm, the month of March hosts holidays honouring many great mother goddesses including the Virgin Mary, Isis, Aphrodite, Cybele, and Astarte. Parallels between the goddess en-

that to do this would change our lives,‖ she says.

The practice of tonglen is a journey towards taking in pain and putting out love and pleasure, effectively reversing our detrimental habit of doing the opposite. ―Tonglen is a practice of creating space,‖ says Pema Chodron. ―Ventilating the atmosphere of our lives, so that people can breathe freely and relax. Whenever we encounter suffering in any form, the tonglen instruction is to breathe it in with the wish that everyone could be free of pain.

Whenever we encounter happiness in any form, the instruction is to breathe it out, send it out with the wish that everyone could feel joy.‖ Above all else, tonglen allows people to feel less burdened and less cramped, and to love without conditions—no matter the kind of love we experience.

In the spirit of Valentine‘s Day, a day that began to honour the purest and most passionate of loves, make a commitment to embrace the tonglen principles, and to take inventory of just how may loves there are to enjoy, embrace, and mourn freely when the time is right.

Video:Pema Chödrön – When Things Fall Apart www.zenmoment s.org/pemachodron-when-things-fall-apart/ Pema Chödrön: Tonglen Meditation - YouT u b e w w w . yo u t u b e . c o m / w a t c h ? v=QwqlurCvXuM Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo: How to Love Genuinely - YouTube www.youtube.com/ watch?v=8ZDZoesL6as The Dalai Lama: An Open Heart: Practicing Compassion in Everyday Life Goodreads - www.goodreads.com/book/ show/261069.An_Open_Heart

ergy and the Earth‘s blossoming, birth of new animals, and sprouting gardens are not lost during this yearly time of growth and new life.

To relish in the beauty of the Spring Equinox consider a small but meaningful ritual to help welcome spring. If your climate allows, consider a picnic outdoors, or at least get outside for a walk or a tea on the porch, wrapped in a blanket. A warm, meditative bath in which you envision yourself being renewed by the ocean is a wonderful way to enter the season anew.

Plan a light, fresh meal with loved ones (don‘t forget chocolate to honour the goddess spirit) and dress your table in birch branches, spring flowers, and some crystals—yellow citrine and yellow beryl are springtime talismans. Creativity abounds during the Spring Equinox—journal, paint, sculpt, or collect and arrange natural elements. This is the time for birth of new and beautiful things from within.

If nothing else, step outside and breathe deeply nature‘s offering of rebirth and light, and notice gentle signs of new life all around us. Happy spring!

By Pat Teti

P

art of the excitement of travel is the opportunity to sample new food, whether it‘s a real Neapolitan pizza or a badly needed freeze-dried dinner at the end of the day in the backcountry. However, travel also puts us into our vehicles and on airplanes for many hours at a time where good and healthy food can be scarce or expensive.

Even in Italy where you‘d think they would have all meals covered, you‘re pretty much out of luck for a healthy breakfast unless you provide your own. My solution to these challenges is something most people might call energy bars, but which I call by the more robust name, ―Survival Bars.‖ They are not a treat to be served after dinner but rather little meals to be packed for serious snacking or a meal replacement while away from home.

My tradition of making travel bars began long ago in the kitchen of my friends in Kitsilano where we lived at the time. They invited me to join them on a trip to look at property in the Chilcotin and the subject of road food came up—something convenient, filling, and healthy. As a willing experimental cook, I volunteered to concoct something using what I could find in their pantry and refrigerator. One of the factors for selecting ingredients was, ―what will spoil while we‘re away if we don‘t use it up?‖ Overripe bananas, rolled oats, eggs, and milk were involved but my memory of the unrecorded recipe has receded with the intervening years, of which there have been approximately 40. I dubbed the results Chilcotin bars after our destination. Since then, I have taken variations of this travel food on dozens of trips ranging from backpacking in the Rainbow Range to picking olives while living with an Italian family.

When I look at the energy bars on grocery shelves, I wonder how much money I‘ve saved and how much sugar I haven‘t consumed by making my own bars. So, for this article, I thought it would be interesting to compare my bars with a commercial product. I‘m using Clif Bars for comparison because they‘re popular and have been

By Sage Birchwater

A

group of Williams Lake residents is continuing the fight to prevent Atlantic Power Corporation from burning railway ties in its 600,000-tonne capacity biomassfuelled energy plant in Williams Lake.

Since the Boston-based Atlantic Power Corporation announced its intention in June 2015 to seek permission from the British Columbia government for a ten-fold increase in the volume of railway ties it is allowed to burn in its Williams Lake power plant, this proposal has been met by a groundswell of outrage from the local population.

Despite keeping a low profile in the past several months, the ad hoc group Rail Ties Be Wise (RTBW), which formed to fight the rail tie burning application, has been meeting steadily.

The group organized several community meetings, circulated petitions, and enlisted the legal support of West Coast Environ-

around for a long time. My bars are not an attempt to replicate any commercial energy bars and, based on the teasing I‘ve received over the years, I‘ve been successful.

I vary this recipe every time I make it but the version described here is a simple one using ingredients that are available all year. I often use fresh fruit or vegetables depending on what‘s in season, on sale, or in the fridge. Variations are described after the recipe, but first, here are the results of my comparison.

Survival Bars versus Clif Bars For this article, I priced Clif Bars and ingredients for my bars from the bulk bins at Save On Foods. I‘m using regular prices for comparison, even though Clif Bars and some of the raw ingredients were on sale on the day I shopped. Prices can vary widely depending on where you shop, whether you catch sales, and whether you buy in bulk.

However, the price comparisons are what matter. Clif Bars are labelled as having ―70% organic ingredients.‖ I priced both regular and organic ingredients for my bars so I could calculate their price per unit weight in both regular (not organic) and 100 per cent organic versions.

The regular price of a 68 gram Clif Bar was $2.93. By weighing all ingredients and my finished bars, I calculated that my regular bars cost precisely 20% (one-fifth) as much as Clif Bars by weight and my organic bars cost 33% (one-third) as much.

The difference in sugar content is even bigger. Clif Bars contain more than eight times the sugar in my bars (34% versus 4% by weight). The first three listed ingredients in Clif bars are oats, brown rice syrup, and dried brown rice syrup while the first three ingredients of my bars are oats, flour, and vegetable oil. As a subjective reality check, Clif Bars taste a lot sweeter than my bars. I would say at least three or four times as sweet. They are too sweet for my taste.

Recipe for basic Survival Bars Yields 24 squares, 60 grams each Ingredients 6 cups rolled oats

mental Law. At last count 1,450 residents of the area have signed petitions registering their opposition to the rail tie burning plan.

When the provincial government approved Atlantic Power Corporation‘s permit to burn 50 per cent of its biofuels as rail ties in late 2016, several Williams Lake residents filed formal appeals over this decision within the 30-day time frame. The appeal will be heard later this year. ―We don‘t want to become the rail tie burning capital of western Canada,‖ says RTBW vice-chair Angie Delainey. ―We‘re trying to inform the community that burning rail ties is not in the community‘s best interest.‖ RTBW chair Frances McCoubrey says members of her group are unified in their opposition to burning railway ties. ―There are too many unanswered questions around importing, processing, and burning millions of rail ties per year,‖ she says. ―There is fear that burning rail ties will devalue and harm the health and quality of life in our community.‖

Bright and holding a Survival Bar. Photos: Pat Teti

2 cup unbleached flour 1 cup chopped walnuts 2 cups raisins ½ cup sugar 2 tablespoons cinnamon no salt unless wanted for taste or electrolyte replacement ¾ cup vegetable oil 1 egg 2 cups water Method Combine dry ingredients thoroughly, then add wet ingredients, mixing until uniform.

Add up to ½ cup additional water if needed to facilitate mixing.

Turn out onto a large (11x17) rimmed cookie sheet using a heavy duty spoon to distribute. Press the mixture to an even thickness right up to the rim using the back of a fork. Lay a sheet of waxed paper or plastic wrap on top and press the mixture into a uniform thickness with your hands.

Discard the waxed paper.

Bake at 250 to 300 degrees F for 1.5 hours. Cut into bar shapes, lift with a metal spatula, and turn the bars over. Return to oven and bake at 200 to 250 degrees F for about 2 hours or until fully dry. Low moisture content is what allows them to keep a long time. Seal in plastic bags. They keep for weeks at room temperature and many months if frozen.

Despite Atlantic Power‘s assurance that negative effects from burning rail ties in its state-of-the-art facility will be minimal, McCoubrey says there is no way to guarantee no harm will come from burning rail ties until it is too late.

RTBW member Jenny Noble says the 2017 summer of wildfires was a wakeup call. ―Wildfires that caused the evacuation of Williams Lake in July came within a few kilometres of the energy plant,‖ she says.―If there were piles of railway ties stored onsite to fuel the power plant, it would have been a catastrophic emergency if those ties caught fire.‖ Community members not part of the RTBW steering group are also opposed to burning rail ties.

Marcel Therrien and Phil Theriault, who work in the lumber industry for the jointventure logging company Tsi Deldel Enterprises, say burning railway ties in the Atlantic Power energy plant is completely unnecessary.

Variations  Instead of raisins, use any combination of soft, dried fruit such as prunes or dates.  Add 2 cups of shredded apple, carrots, or zucchini. Add ½ c flour to balance the texture.  Substitute any combination of seeds or nuts for walnuts.  For more protein, add up to a cup of dry milk powder, use milk instead of water, or add one or two more eggs.  Press sesame seeds into the dough before baking.  Experiment with different amounts and types of ingredients. It‘s a forgiving recipe.

Survive on less sugar If my bars are an acquired taste, the main reason would be that they contain less sugar than commercial bars. If you‘re used to the sweetness of commercially prepared foods, a way to reduce your sugar intake would be to cut out the commercial products and make your own, gradually reducing the sugar over time.

In 2017, I took my bars to several places in North America, South America, and Europe. I didn‘t just survive—I thrived.

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

Therrien says Atlantic Power Corporation‘s argument to burn rail ties is no longer valid. ―Atlantic Power said they had to burn rail ties because there was insufficient biomass fibre in Williams Lake to support their facility,‖ he says. ―After the wildfires of 2017 there is lots of fibre close to town. The excuse to burn rail ties is now off the table.‖ RTBW member Rodger Hamilton is one of the appellants opposing the rail tie burning proposal. He says rail ties are treated with toxic preservatives which, when burned, would emit respiratory irritants like sulphur dioxide and hydrogen chloride into our airshed. ―Atlantic Power Corporation‘s health risk contractor predicted that the respiratory irritants mixture will exceed health guidelines near the plant during poor venting conditions,‖ says Hamilton.

For the latest updates on Rail Ties Be Wise, visit the railtiesbewise.ca website or look for Rail Ties – Be Wise on Facebook.

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

“ 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

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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.

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By Jasmin Schellenberg HEALTHY SNACKS AND WHY Kefir-oat cookies Ingredients ¼ cup coconut oil, melted ¼ cup honey, melted 2 tablespoons cocoa powder 1 ¾ cups rolled oats ¼ cup each of kefir ¼ cup peanut or almond butter pinch of sea salt Method Combine all ingredients. Scoop with a small spoon onto parchment paper and cool in the fridge for a few minutes. Keeps well in the fridge in a sealed container for a week.

This is a great way to get some cultured food and high-quality oils into kids‘ diets.

NUTRIENT DENSE MEAL Bulgogi (Korean stir-fry) Serves 2-3 Ingredients ¼ cup soy sauce 2 tablespoons sesame oil 2 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons mirin (Japanese cooking wine) or sherry 2 tablespoons Korean red pepper flakes 1 tablespoon sea salt 6 cloves garlic, chopped 1 bunch green onions, cut in one-inch pieces 1 ponds round steak (top, bottom or eye), thinly sliced 1 tablespoons lard Method Mix all ingredients except lard. Let marinate for 30 minutes or overnight.

Bring to room temperature. Stir-fry in lard over medium heat. Stir-fry in batches, one minute each. Serve with sticky rice and kimchi.

If children are intolerant to spicy food lessen amount of red pepper flakes Enjoy!

MYTHS UNVEILED The key to our overall wellness starts in the gut.

We need to get back to traditional foods that are in their most natural state, unadulterated and unrefined. It is these real, whole, nourishing foods enjoyed for generations that provide the cells of our bodies with the necessary fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients needed for vibrant health. This state of well-being is characterized by a quiet and strong digestive system, superior brain function, blissful sleep, sturdy bones, calm mind, and an immune function that readily copes with infection and disease.

By taking the right steps, the process of transitioning yourself and your family to a more nourishing way of life can be easier than you imagine.

As societies have moved away from their traditional food fare, our health and happiness have suffered greatly.

Cells make up our tissues, tissues make organs, or-

gans make us—our brains, bones, and joints. It‘s very simple: food either feeds or poisons us.

Genetically modified organisms (GMO) are a modern way to produce food These herbicide-tolerant varieties have their DNA inserted with bacterial genes that allow the crops to survive otherwise deadly doses of herbicides.

Glyphosate, the active ingredient in the pervasive herbicide Roundup, is found responsible to the leaky gut syndrome so much talked about these days and linked to a massive amount of illnesses such as brain fog, Alzheimer‘s, depression, anxiety, bipolar, ADD, ADHD, autoimmune disease, and many more.

Glyphosate inhibits the none-GMO plant from up-taking certain minerals and thus these plants die quickly due to an impaired immune system. GMO plants are trained to survive without these certain minerals and therefore they lack these minerals, making our food incomplete and loaded with herbicides, which in turn leads to a leaky gut.

The true cost of pesticides in our children‘s food makes conventional food very, very expensive. How do you measure the cost of products that can give people a lifetime of poor health compared to those that will help them avoid problems? Is it worth it to buy cheap?

Health is a choice; make it your decision today.

Read all ingredients. Start avoiding anything corn, including corn starch, high fructose corn syrup, and corn oil.

Then start avoiding anything soy. Then avoid sugar. Sugar beets are 95 per cent GMO. Then start eating organically produced food.

A WALK THROUGH YOUR PANTRY: GET RID OF: All GMO foods such that contain corn, soy, white sugar, and canola.

They are packed with toxins and have low food value.

REPLACE WITH: Organic food. There is no GMO allowed in organic food production.

Brought to you by Jasmin Schellenberg Inspired by and resourced from www.westonaprice.org and their podcasts For “Nourishing our Children” newsletters of the past visit www.thegreengazette.ca.