By Janice Breck, Executive Director – Those 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…
Author: thegreengazette
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 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…
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. 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…
By Brianna van de Wijngaard, Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society – The 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…
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 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…
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 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. Love envelopes us and gives us wings, heals illness and creates new life.…
By Pat Teti – Part 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…
By Oliver Berger – Early this year, Rogers Hometown Hockey took over the downtown core with stages, lights, massive tents, semi-trucks, 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…
By LeRae Haynes – Debbie 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.…
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 used. That word, however, has a life-changing 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…
By LeRae Haynes – When 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…
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 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…
By Dr. Mike Pearson – 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’. 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…
By Venta Rutkauskas – Science 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…
By Jessica Kirby, Senior Editor of TheGreenGazette – 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. 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…
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…
By Ryan Elizabeth Cope – There 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…
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 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…
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…