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A Spiritual Connection to Salmon
This summer, the Downtown Williams Lake Business Improvement Association (WLBIA) put a call out to First Nations youth to apprentice in learning about creating murals with Dwayne Davis Arts. Being of Secmepemc descent, I was chosen and given the honour to contribute my art to the community. I began praying for a vision that would […]
Waste Wise | Recycling in the Cariboo: The War on Contamination
By Tera Grady – Throughout the Cariboo, there are various recycling services in place including curbside recycling and recycling depots. With China’s strict policy on recyclables, the war on contamination in recyclable material is very important for recycling in BC. So, how do contamination rates compare through the recycling services in the Cariboo Regional District […]
Omega 3 Fatty Acids
By Dr Katie DeGroot, ND – At some point, you may have heard that fats are bad for you. But have you ever heard of omega 3 fatty acids, a kind of fat that is actually good for you? Omega 3 fatty acids are a type of fat that is critical to optimal health and […]
Ancient Forest Provincial Park: The Universal Boardwalk
By Nowell Senior – The Ancient Forest is in the heart of the Interior Cedar Hemlock (ICH) zone, or Inland Temperate Rainforest, and is a unique and critical ecosystem that provides habitat for a core group of six mammals that signify a high level of wilderness. These mammals are lynx, grey wolf, wolverine, mountain caribou, […]
Fraser Watershed Initiative Watershed Restoration Conference 2018
The Fraser River is the most productive salmon producing watershed on the planet and one of the most biologically diverse in North America. It covers one quarter of British Columbia and has been the unceded, untreatied home to almost 100 Indigenous nations for over 12,000 years. Despite the watershed’s significance to communities, industry, and cultures, […]
Celebrating World Animal Day Close to Home
By LeRae Haynes – Giving animals the best life possible is at the heart of a caring young family in Williams Lake. Kathleen, Sophia, and their four-month-old baby have rescued and opened their home to five cats named Sampson, Rebekah, Ellie, Absence, and Mylo, a dog named Sadie, Aki the orange corn snake, Esther the […]
Reclamation: A Labour of Love
By Venta Rutkauskas – Today, I write to remember August 4, 2014 and the mining disaster that took place in my backyard. I write in honour of the beautiful and sacred Quesnel Lake watershed, its Indigenous peoples, and the community of humans, plants, and animals that call it home. I reflect on the four years […]
Green Business Feature: Barking Spider Mountain Bikes: Hitting the trails on the right set of wheels
By LeRae Haynes – Barking Spider Mountain Bike offers a range of mountain bikes, paddleboards, and skis, along with gear and clothing designed for any adventure. Owner Scott Gordon goes above and beyond with advice, suggestions, encouragement, and inspiration. Every category of mountain biking requires a bike built for specific conditions, and Gordon has been […]
Arts on the Fly 2018 Festival
Tickets are on sale now for Arts on the Fly’s 2018 summer festival, set to erupt July 13-14 in beautiful Horsefly, BC. Get them while they’re hot from www.artsonthefly.com. The lineup this year features BC’s finest in bluegrass, folk, soul, cumbia (that’s right, BC has a cumbia scene), blues, experimental, and more. In the realm […]
Federal government’s purchase of Kinder Morgan pipeline a major misstep for Canada
Project puts Canada’s climate and biodiversity goals, long-term economic prosperity, and Indigenous reconciliation efforts at risk The federal government’s decision today to purchase Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline project for $4.5 billion ignores major risks to the long-term well-being of everyone in Canada. The government announced plans to purchase the existing pipeline infrastructure and build […]
The Canadian Mosaic Project: Uniting Canada one person at a time
By Tim Van Horn – At age five, I had already taken my first photograph and decided I wanted to be a ‘cameraman.’ Growing up and travelling around Canada with my family in the Canadian Air Force, I developed a sense of duty to the people and fell in love with cultural experience in my […]
1001 Recipes for Ashes
By Venta Rutkauskas – Community Arts Council collaborates with poet Sonya Littlejohn on creative workshops focusing on wildfire experiences. Let me tell you a story. Since the wildfires, I have been searching. Pulled by a will to feel centred, to record and understand, I have turned to my notebook, composing to match the visions of […]
“Making Your Writing Fly” with acclaimed writer Betsy Warland: Scholarship for Writers Available
By Julie Fowler, executive and artistic director of Island Mountain Arts and the ArtsWells Festival – Island Mountain Arts (IMA) is pleased to welcome award-winning writer Betsy Warland to Wells this summer to teach and is offering a full scholarship for a central/northern writer to attend. “Making Your Writing Fly,” which runs July 7–10, is […]
No Time Left to Waste: WLACL WORKS
By Oliver Berger – Literally it seems that way lately: we have no time left to waste. With all the plastic pollution confronting our society, our unnecessary packaging, and our one-time-use items, we are beginning to be surrounded by our leftovers. Frankly, it is overwhelming. However, to be honest I have been waiting for this. […]
Waste Wise | Other Flexible Plastic Packaging
By Tera Grady – While China is cracking down on the amount of contamination it receives with recyclables, many parts of North America are finding it harder and harder to market their recyclables. However, Recycle BC is launching a pilot for a new category of packaging to collect. Starting June 1, all Cariboo Regional District […]
Downtown Businesses Say Thank You for Shopping Locally
By Stefanie Hendrickson – Here at Downtown Williams Lake, planning is underway for this year’s Four Directions Festival (formerly Stampede Street Party) that will take place on Saturday, June 30 from noon to 5 p.m. (following the parade). Downtown Williams Lake is a not-for-profit business improvement association that is established through the Community Charter and […]
After Death Communication
By Angela Gutzer – “There is no death. Only a change of worlds.” ~ Chief Seattle Have you grieved the loss of someone and felt you wished you could go back in time and change things with them? Perhaps if you were more available? Made more trips to visit them? Wished you hadn’t done or […]
Science | Skywatch with Bill Irwin
By Bill Irwin – This article covers June, July, and August. It’s about time, astronomy is totally married to it, the positions and motions of the heavenly bodies are the hands of a great cosmic clock. Hence the great seasonal variations. You get a sense of it being out under the stars. The dark times […]
Resident killer whales are in immediate danger of extinction, says Fin Donnelly
By Cameron Thompson – BC’s resident killer whales are in real danger of extinction unless the government takes immediate steps to protect them, says Port-Moody Coquitlam MP Fin Donnelly, who is currently serving as NDP critic for fisheries and oceans. In parliament last week, Donnelly called upon the federal government to issue an emergency order […]
Green Business Feature: Creative Therapy for Kids: A Creative Approach to Pediatric Therapy
Submitted by Creative Therapy for Kids – The last year has been about transition, change, and opportunity, according to paediatric therapist and women’s health practitioner, Melissa LaPointe. For four years, she operated a part-time therapy practice called Strong Beginnings, where she provided occupational therapy services to children and families in Williams Lake. In the last […]
Hotbed of Creativity: Groups seek out creative expressions of wildfire experiences
By Venta Rutkauskas – Birdsong and snowmelt—true signs of spring have sprung. The season carries the energy of renewal and the completion of the dark interval, guiding us to sprout new perspectives based upon our wintry reflections. Under the weight of snow and ash, did you discover something about your wildfire experience that hadn’t had […]
Cool Clear Water – Water for a community, water for life
By LeRae Haynes – Cool Clear Water provides a high quality, healthy product and stellar customer service, helps protect the environment, and builds community connections. Cool Clear Water is 25 years old, and those principles are the business’s cornerstones. “The very first time someone comes in the door, we find out what they need and […]
Waste Wise | China’s National Sword
By Tera Grady – In 2017, China implemented its National Sword initiative, which has drastically reduced the amount of contamination permitted in recyclables sent to China. This change has brought about some impacts on Cariboo Regional District residents that you should know about. These changes have been minor, since all the curbside and the majority […]
Death Cafe: A heart open space where we can talk about death
By Angela Gutzer – It has been close to one year since my mother died (March 18, 2017). Our family has had our first summer at the cabin without her. We had our first Christmas without her. Of course, these milestones were difficult. There are also the day-by-day markers of time where you are suddenly […]
Regional Outdoor Leadership Program Brings Students Together
Submitted by Rivershed Society of BC – Two women who travelled the length of the Fraser River together in 2016 as part of the Sustainable Living Leadership Program (SLLP) have joined forces to design, develop, and deliver a new experiential learning program this year on the Lower Fraser River. Petra Markova and Megan Rempel are […]
5G and Internet of Things: A Trojan horse
By Paul Héroux, Ph.D.,Professor of Electromagnetic Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University – The wireless industry dreams of deploying its new 5G (fifth generation) infrastructure in your neighbourhood soon, as it has begun doing in California. Boxes the size of a PC could be placed every 150 meters or so on utility poles, sometimes with […]
Science | Skywatch with Bill Irwin
By Bill Irwin – I suppose, like your parents waiting up when you’ve been out late, it’s time for us to have that little talk about Mars. As a reader of this column, you’ve probably wondered what it might be like to stand on the surface, however briefly, and with some life support, of course. […]
Williams Lake Hospice Society: Let’s Talk About End-of-Life
By Kathie Vilkas, Executive Director, Williams Lake Hospice Society – How do you envision your end-of-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? […]
Science | Skywatch with Bill Irwin
By Bill Irwin – Well, 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 […]
Remembering Gloria Atamanenko (April 28, 1932 – October 12, 2017)
By Van Andruss – Gloria 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 […]
Muse Flash: Random Acts of Kindness
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 Do you ever ponder that randomness is a mathematical concept? In statistics and probability, a random event means that it cannot be predicted. […]
Green Burial: The natural choice
By Nicola Finch – Do 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 […]
Home Funerals: The Empowering Journey of having a Loved one Home after Death
By Angela Gutzer – I 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. […]
Spring Equinox: Celebrating rebirth and balance
By Jessica Kirby, Senior Editor of TheGreenGazette – 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. In the astronomy world, the Equinoxes (spring and autumn) are the only times in the year when the “solar […]
A Change of Heart to Change a Life
By LeRae Haynes – The 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 […]
Letters: The Importance of Watersheds
Every 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 […]
Hygge: A Scandinavian social phenomenon, with a Canadian twist!
By Sandra K. Klassen – Hygge, pronounced “hoo-gah,” 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 […]
Arts & Culture | Spirit Calling: New show at the Gecko Tree Cafe by Horsefly artist Christina Mary
The wildness of the Northwest coast of British Columbia and a lineage full of prolific artists provided the soil in which the seeds of Christina Mary’s own creativity could sprout. Her childhood was spent roaming beaches and exploring the coast’s inlets, crisscrossing rivers and bay hopping, discovering the texture of the natural world. Her father’s […]
Health Issues | Heads in the Sand, Pies in the Sky: Governments deny the facts of life
By Olga Sheean – When wisely applied and when based on empirical research, science helps keep us safe. Science makes sense of things and helps us understand how things work. It stops us from sticking our fingers in electrical sockets or from thinking we can fly if we jump off a high building, in defiance […]
Come One, Come All to the Williams Lake Medieval Market November 25 and 26
By Melinda Mckinnon – The voice of the Town Crier carries over the assembled crowd, who shuffle their feet trying to dispel the seasonal chill from their bones. As the Crier unfurls his scroll, his voice can be heard announcing, “Hear ye, hear ye… come one, come all… to the now open Medieval Market.” The […]
Green Business Feature | Fair Trade and Sustainable Gift Choices at ECO-tique
By LeRae Haynes – Gift giving takes on a whole new meaning when one-of-a-kind beauty is layered with a piece of culture that means something deep and beautiful. Open for a limited time, November 14 to December 23, at the ECO-tique Pop Up Store in Williams Lake you can find home furnishings and décor, clothing, […]
Raising Amadeus
By Terri Smith – One of the most difficult things about being Amadeus’ surrogate mother is discerning which of his troubles are actually problems and which are just the problem of Amadeus: the goat who was never supposed to be here at all. The next step – figuring out how I can help him – […]
Conservation Conversation: Volunteers make the world go ‘round
By Vanessa Moberg, Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society – Volunteers are important. Really important. Renowned author and political scientist Robert Putnam has suggested that social capital – defined as civic engagement, cooperation, trust amongst citizens, and working towards the common good – is critical to our democracies, economies, and societal health and well-being. It is also […]
Northern Exposure returns to Wells, BC from October 12–15
Northern Exposure returns to Wells, BC from October 12–15. It’s your annual opportunity to learn and share ideas with your peers, as well as experts in the field of rural arts, culture, and festival organizing. Wells is at the core of the Cariboo. It comes alive once again for arts and culture administrators, creative not-for […]
Discover Wellness Health Fair & Market in Williams Lake October 14, 2017
Spiral Health is kicking off the first annual Discover Wellness Health Fair & Market in Williams Lake. It will be held Saturday, October 14, 2017 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. in The Gibraltar Room at the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex. The health fair is about “Inspiring a Healthy You!” It has been a successful […]
Arts & Culture | Arts Truly on the Fly
By Brandon Hoffman, Artistic Director, Arts on the Fly – July 8, the day after the fires first broke out in Williams Lake, the biggest thing on my mind was the fate of Arts on the Fly Festival, slated for the following weekend. I went through the motions like everybody else: putting together my evacuation […]
Waste Wise | Central Cariboo Transfer Station: Share Sheds for the people, by the people
By Tera Grady – If you frequent the Central Cariboo Transfer Station on Frizzi Road in Williams Lake, you will know that the site houses a couple of Share Sheds for residents to drop off and pick up items free of charge. Loved by many, these Share Sheds are a great way to encourage waste […]
Conservation | Where have all the salmon gone?
By Melissa Chaun – It has been eerily quiet on the Lower Fraser River this year. Not a single fishing boat to be seen. At the time of writing this, the commercial salmon fishery had yet to open this season and likely never will. There are simply not enough salmon. Even the Musqueam Indian Band, […]
Stewardship | Rivershed Society of BC: Pledge for watershed conservation, protection, and restoration
By Fin Donnelly – What a summer. The wildfires displaced tens of thousands of people and animals, and disrupted many planned activities, which included forcing the cancellation of the Rivershed Society of BC’s (RSBC) 26-day Sustainable Living Leadership Program, a trip down the entire Fraser River by canoe, raft, shuttle van, and foot. The fires […]
Opinion: Burning creosote and PCP laden rail ties in Williams Lake is an all risk and no benefit scenario
By Becky Bravi – Last year I made an appeal to the Environmental Appeal Board opposing the permit to allow Atlantic Power (AP) to burn up to 50 per cent creosote and PCP soaked rail ties in its fuel mix. As we move to post-evacuation alert status in Williams Lake I realize I am even […]
Conservation | Goat River Watershed: Can a gold rush trail save the salmon?
By Simon Zukowski – The Fraser River is home to perhaps the world’s largest salmon run. Yet fewer salmon have been returning to the Fraser in recent years and the runs have been fluctuating more wildly. The trend is not in salmons’ favour. Fish are sensitive to temperature changes and as the Fraser heats up […]
When human need was recognized, essential service was given unconditionally
Dear Editor, “Love is the only rational answer to the problem of human existence.” – Erich Fromm Is love the only satisfactory answer? Love may not be the absolutely perfect answer, but Kamloops uses its ability to find an appropriate answer. The Sandman “evacuee” Center showed a development of love to a level that really […]
Arts on the Fly 2017 Music Festival July 14 and 15 in Horsefly, BC
Thousands (if not millions) of emails and phone calls later, we are finally ready to announce the lineup of Arts on the Fly’s 2017 summer festival. Not one to shy away from diversity (or exaggeration), this may be the widest assortment of musical styles for an Arts on the Fly to date. Without further ado: […]
Bee Audacious Gathering – Part Two: Where to go from here?
By Diane Dunaway – In Part One of my report about the Bee Audacious gathering held last December in San Marin County, California, I related the experience as part travelogue. Once home, processing the conference was surprisingly challenging. At the best of times expectations can be unrealistic; compound that with words like “audacious” and the […]
The Complexity of Ego: Cultivating a healthy relationship with ourselves
By Ciel Patenaude – Egos have a pretty bad image. Thanks to Freud and his buddies in the therapy realm combined with some intense uber-oneness-focused spirituality amplified in the 1960s (and today), most of us are perplexed by the existence, importance, and meaning of our egos, and are quick to judge them as creations of […]
BC government urged to ban trophy hunting of grizzly bears
HSI/Canada, Pacific Wild, and middle school students unite to protect wildlife in the lead-up to the provincial election. Humane Society International/Canada, Pacific Wild, and middle school students from Glenlyon Norfolk school are calling on the BC government to implement a complete ban on the trophy hunting of grizzly bears in British Columbia, and to implement […]
Forests Forum – Community Speaks Out on Sawmills, Logging
By Peter Atamanenko – On Thursday, March 16, a meeting held at the Central Cariboo Arts Centre in Williams Lake brought in a progressive-minded think tank to share a few different ideas about the future of our public forests. A full house packed the old firehall, with about 70 people. Ben Parfitt, resource analyst with […]
Celebrate Earth Day at Handmade in the Cariboo Event
By LeRae Haynes – A community event celebrating local artisans is coming to Williams Lake on April 22, thanks to the efforts and vision of two young business owners Leslie Mahar and Lacey Tomlinson. Leslie from Paper Airplanes and Lacey from Something Borrowed Weddings and Events are bringing together vendors, shoppers, and families for Handmade […]
In Love with Stuff – Philosophies of Simplicity
By Jennifer Clark – Downsizing and living a simple life is part of many different philosophies, and can be traced back decades, if not centuries. In what is probably one of the first (or at least the best-known) rejections of modern working life, Henry David Thoreau built himself a small home next to Walden Pond […]
Seedlings for Starters
By Jessica Kirby, Senior Editor of TheGreenGazette – Whether to plants seeds or nurse seedlings—that is the question. As a non-commercial home gardener with boxes my husband made and a crapshoot of light and soil quality locations around my property, the gardening season is always an adventure. I try new things each year, along with […]
Plastic, Plastic Everywhere
By Jessica Kirby – Love it or hate it, plastic is everywhere. Since its earliest development nearly 200 years ago, the compound has revolutionized the world but with dire environmental consequences. How Much Plastic? Each year, plastic consumption increases by nine per cent over the previous year. • The world has produced more plastic in […]
Step into Ecstasy this Spring
By Ciel Patenaude – It has been a lengthy, bizarre, and intense winter, rife with viruses that wouldn’t quit, overwhelming political and sociological events both south of the border and within our own boundaries, extreme and levelling blocks of frigid arctic air, and the snow that just kept coming. Hopefully by the time you’re reading […]
First in the Nation: Maryland State Advisory Council on Children’s Health Recommends Reducing Wireless Exposures in The Classroom
By Theodora Scarato, MSW – In December 2016, the Maryland State Children’s Environmental Health and Protection Advisory Council (CEHPAC) voted to issue recommendations advising the Maryland Department of Education to recommend that local school districts reduce classroom wireless radiation exposures to as low as possible by providing wired – rather than wireless – internet connections. […]
Power of the Heart: Awakening Our Hearts’ Intelligence
Submitted by Dina Stephenson – Everybody has a heart and your body can not live without it. But your heart is also more than just an organ pumping blood throughout your body. With the help of HeartMath® techniques you are able to tap into your heart’s intelligence and start healing yourself. HeartMath is a unique […]
Natural Health | What I do When I get Sick
By Dr. Adam McLeod, ND, BSc (Hons) – There are hundreds of natural therapies that can be used to support or stimulate the immune system. It is often challenging to sift through this information to find out what actually works. Everyone you talk to will have a different solution they swear by. In this article, I […]
Arts & Culture | Safety Meeting 2017
By Brandon Hoffman – We kicked off the 2017 Safety Meeting concert series with sold out double-night performances by Kym Gouchie and Marin Patenaude with her band The Follow Through. I am thoroughly stoked with how the whirlwind weekend came together. All the music was outstanding, and on Saturday we managed to sneak an afternoon […]
Arts & Culture | The 1st annual Cariboo-Chilcotin Film Festival
By Casey Bennett – Krista Liebe is a true film buff through and through. There’s an excitement that comes over her as she lights up when discussing obscure, difficult to find films from countries like Estonia and Iran. As a film buff myself, it’s quite contagious, really. Over a three-hour conversation, we spoke about her […]
Activism | Women’s Day: Let’s create a future that belongs to all of us
By Jessica Kirby, Senior Editor of TheGreenGazette – The Unites States under President Donald Trump is currently the most convenient place to look for evidence of a systemic movement to erode women’s rights. In just a few short weeks, President Trump has reinstated the global gag rule or Mexico City Policy, which blocks US federal […]
Arts & Culture | Pharis Romero Sings True: About the year that was and a singing workshop, too
By Venta Ruthkauskas – The Community Arts Council of Williams Lake is excited to present a day-long singing workshop with Pharis Romero on March 11. There’s a little slice of heaven round the corner from here. A river dances through it, and all the birds gather there. A songbird makes her home, builds her nest, […]
Letter to the Editor: A Green Economy in the Cariboo
By John Dressler– Canadian journalist Chris Turner wrote a book about his global search for sustainable practices, calling it The Geography of Hope, a Tour of the World We Need. He does not recount a visit to Williams Lake, but he does describe in detail the way of life he found on the island of […]
NATURAL HEALTH | A Healthy Gut for a Healthy Life
By Kristin Lehar – With Halloween barely behind us and Christmas just around the corner, the sweets and sugary temptations are not easy to escape. It’s hard not to give in to the shiny, embellished displays of seasonal sweets popping out from every corner at the grocery store and at the same time how many times […]
ECOLOGY & WILDLIFE | The Cariboo-Chilcotin Ecosystems Restoration Steering Committee: Serving the Region since 2008
Covering less than one per cent of BC, native grasslands are home to the highest diversity of at-risk plant and animal species. The grassland ecosystems of our province have been negatively impacted by wildfire suppression combined with a continued absence of prescribed fire. The lack of fire leads to the encroachment of trees onto grasslands […]
Opinion: Buying Fair Trade is a Commitment to Think
By Lisa Hilton– Step one: somebody plants the cotton plants. Step two: the plants are tended by field workers until the cotton grows. Step three: the cotton is harvested. Meanwhile, one million cotton workers are hospitalized that year, due to contact with the strong pesticides and insecticides. Step four: the cotton is milled into yarn. […]
COMMUNITY | Becoming a Citizen of Canada
By Sharon Taylor – Canada celebrated Citizenship Week from October 10 to 16 this year, and it was a good time for all Canadians, whether by birth or choice, to reflect on what it means to be a Canadian in today’s complex world. To become a citizen, a person must pay a fee (presently $630), […]
HEALTH ISSUES | Natural Health Products (NHPs) Are Not Drugs
By Reuben Dinsmore, ND – I know I’m preaching to the choir here—if you have been to see a naturopathic doctor, there’s a very high chance you’ve benefitted from the recommendation of certain nutraceutical supplements along your treatment journey. And so I invite you to take a moment to send a message to your […]
SPIRITUALITY | Recalibrating
By Margaret-Anne Enders – I generally tend toward the Luddite end of the technologically savvy scale; however, lately I have developed a new respect for a certain piece of technology: my parents’ GPS. Well, not the GPS exactly, but the woman who lives inside it. Surprisingly, she has surfaced as a new mentor for me. […]
ARTS & CULTURE | Arts on the Fly and Safety Meeting Update
In October, the Arts on the Fly Festival Society had its AGM, and we are incredibly excited to announce that Arts on the Fly Festival 2017 will be going down July 14 and 15 in beautiful Horsefly, BC. After taking a year off, our returning volunteers are feeling refreshed, and we have plenty of new […]
Spacing the Chorus: A small investigation of extemporaneous particulation
By Ron Young – There are times when a dog barks repeatedly and at a sufficient volume and frequency that it raises the attention of his neighbours, who take up the chorus and transmit his message across the night-yards and country paddocks of the region. What may initiate this disturbance is a matter of great curiosity […]
Xatśūll Trail Development
By Miriam Schilling– Our community completed a Trails and Recreation Strategy Plan in March 2015 and constructed the first multi-use trail at Deep Creek during the summer of 2015. Due to the success of our first trail initiative and very strong community support, we started the development of multi-use hiking and biking trails at Soda […]
ARTS & EDUCATION | Give Green: Santa would approve
By Jessica Kirby – There is a story I tell the kids about the existence of Santa—No, I say … the guy in red doesn’t arrive in the night and leave things behind. But the story of his selfless generosity is quite real. When we think about giving to others – really giving, out of […]
RECIPES | Cultured Delights: Fermenting foods for optimal health
By Kristin Lehar – Fermenting foods and making various jars of pickled delights out of the abundance of produce bursting out of the garden at this time of year is probably one of my favourite things to do. The satisfaction of harvesting the fruits (and veggies) of your labour, creating delightful vegetable combinations, stuffing them […]
STEWARDSHIP | In Pursuit of the Perfect Lawn
By Terri Smith – Have you ever paused to consider why so much of our modern world is covered in small swatches of relatively useless greenery? Why we spend so much time, money, and resources growing something that does not provide us with food? In England and France, the original lawns began as large areas […]
COMMUNITY | Restorative Justice: An alternative that works
By LeRae Haynes – Giving people a chance to turn their lives around and connecting them to their communities is at the heart of a growing, successful program in Williams Lake. For nearly 20 years Restorative Justice has taken cases off the court dockets, bringing offenders and victims face to face to discuss impact and […]
LETTERS | Submission to Minister of Environment: Re Railway Ties Burning in Williams Lake
Good Day, My name is Angie Delainey and I was born and raised in Williams Lake and where my family has owned and operated a business in the downtown core for over 45 years. I have two small children ages 2.5 and 6, one of which attends the Nesika Elementary School located in the […]
SPIRITUALITY | Compassion: The heart of the golden rule
By Sharon Taylor – You’ve heard the Golden Rule in many forms throughout your life: treat others the way you’d like to be treated. Don’t treat people in a way you wouldn’t like to be treated. The Buddha said: Treat not others in ways you would yourself find hurtful (Udana Vargas 5.18). The Prophet Mohammed […]
STEWARDSHIP | What the Heck is Worm Composting?
By Jennifer Clark– We’ve probably all put a worm on a hook to catch a fish at some point in our lives—maybe, like me, it was when you were out fishing with your grandfather as a kid. What I never knew until I started to learn about urban gardening and sustainability was that those wiggly […]
COMMUNITY | Taking Refuge
By Sharon Taylor– You wake up in the morning, acrid smoke already making your throat hurt. You glance out the window as you get ready for work. Every time a plane flies over, you look up and calculate how near it is and what direction it is going in. At work, everyone is talking nervously. […]
ACTIVISM | Local March for Food Justice Lends Voice to Millions
By Erin Hitchcock – A couple dozen people marched through Williams Lake last month to raise awareness about pesticides and genetically modified food and how these products may harm our health, environment, and society. While this local March for Food Justice was small, participants joined millions of people across the globe, marching in solidarity during […]
CHILDREN | Home learning: challenges and benefits for families
By LeRae Haynes– Four moms who are homeschooling their children with the support of the Distance Education program through School District #27, said when it comes to their children’s education, this is the best of both worlds. They have home learning kids ranging from kindergarten to grade 7. Kat Sheppard, Carrie Becotte, Treava Marklinger, […]
ARTS & CULTURE | The Station House Gallery: Summer events and historical roots
By Brandon Hoffman– Just heading south from Williams Lake there’s a charming old farm house tucked into the landscape. There aren’t a lot of buildings like this one around the Cariboo these days, so it might stand out a bit. Almost as distinct as the folk-Victorian style of the house is the big red barn […]
Green Business Feature | Welcome to the family at Sta-Well Health Foods
By LeRae Haynes – When Bruce Mattson opened the doors of Sta-Well Health Foods in Williams Lake 38 years ago, people laughed at the health food industry and thought he was out of his mind. “This was a meat-and-potatoes town, and when I borrowed money and set up this store people thought I was crazy,” […]
FARM & GARDEN | Victory Gardens for Bees: A DIY Guide to Saving the Bees
Bees are essential to human life. As pollinators of vital crops, they bring forth approximately 90 per cent of the world’s nutrition. Yet pesticides and other environmental stressors have destroyed more than 10 million hives to date, and populations continue to plummet. Victory Gardens for Bees is both a clarion call for […]
COMMUNITY | Dealing with our Dirty Laundry
By Margaret-Anne Enders – These days I count myself lucky. My family and I just returned from a backpacking trip in Nicaragua. Part of our adventures there included a home stay with a rural Nicaraguan family. Miriam, Samir, and Alina were warm and welcoming and graciously shared their culture, their food, and their small home […]
COMMUNITY | Williams Lake Refugee Sponsorship Group
By Sharon Taylor- “The public support has been remarkable,” says Paola Konge, president of the Williams Lake Refugee Sponsorship Group (WLRSG) Organizing Committee. “So many people are asking how they can get involved.” More than 50 people have joined the newly-formed WLRSG, and are actively preparing for the next steps. Local organizations such as […]
CONSERVATION | World Water Day 2016 and the Future of the Blue Work Force
By Brianna van de Wijngaard – Community Liaison Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society 2016 brings yet another World Water Day (WWD) on March 22. Part of its purpose is to keep water conservation and preservation top of mind at both local and global levels, but also because each WWD theme is part of a strategic […]
RECIPES | STRENGTH IN SUPERFOODS | Warming Winter Recipes
By Devon Chappell — How about a cup of joy, my friend? Through our senses, the changing of the seasons, love, and desire we have constant reminders that we are alive. But if we are not soulfully connected to each aspect of life, we can end up in conflict within ourselves and with our bodies. With […]
THE GREEN COLLECTIVE | Zirnhelt Ranch
Zirnhelt Ranch • Producers of Grassfed & Finished Beef • Pasture Raised Pork • Welcome to the Zirnhelt Ranch, a family owned and operated ranch located in Beaver Valley BC. Beaver Valley is a lush agricultural oasis located in the western foothills of the Cariboo Mountains near the city of Williams Lake. The climate is ideally suited for grazing cattle […]
THE GREEN COLLECTIVE | San Jose Cattle Company
San Jose Cattle Company • Sustainable Agriculture, Raised Naturally/Local Beef, No antibiotics, hormones, chemical fertilizers or herbicides. Phone: 250 296-4592 Clint and Karen Thompson
THE GREEN COLLECTIVE | Dandelion Living
Dandelion Living · Clothing & Home Local, Original, Fair Trade, Hand Made, Organic goodness for baby, home, gifts, and togs for humans and their offspring. Look Good. Feel Good. Be Good. All Dandelion Living products have been sourced from manufacturers that are committed to the environment and being fair with the people that produce their wares. […]
THE GREEN COLLECTIVE | Cleanway Supply Inc. Williams Lake
Cleanway Supply Inc · Williams Lake · Since 1983 our goal at Cleanway Supply Inc. has been to supply solutions to our customer’s problems while at the same time maintaining a level of service, quality and value unmatched in the industry. To achieve this, we are always improving our service and product choices. At Cleanway, we are […]
