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 also affected FraserFEST2017 but fortunately, most of the planned activities managed to go ahead. The Fraser River is the largest salmon-bearing river in the world, and its basin – comprising 34 intricately linked and interdependent riversheds –drains more than a quarter of British Columbia (21…
Author: thegreengazette
By Terri Smith – As I write this article, the smoke still hangs in the air, giving an eerie orange tinge to the day. We have lived for over a month now in this half-light. In the distance, the smoke haze has the look of an approaching snowstorm; we would even welcome snow, but everything is still in summer ripeness and the weird whiteness over the distant forest leaves us feeling unsettled and keeps us indoors more than we’d like. We were lucky here. Incredibly lucky, for one of the fires that began on the 7th of July was only…
By Jeremy Williams – Travelling to the Chilcotin Plateau on July 16, I was devastated to see first hand so much of the forests destroyed by fire in the Tsilhqot’in territory. I have made 18 expeditions to the area over the last five years, documenting the struggle to protect this magical place and the title and rights of the Tsilhqot’in people. I was put in a sense of awe, a sense of sheer vulnerability in the face of such a massive force, as the fires consumed mountainsides before my eyes, sending smoke into the stratosphere… with no end in sight.…
By LeRae Haynes – Turning a creative spark into warmth, beauty, and comfort is at the heart of Cariboo Handwoven, where spinner/weaver Jane Perry takes local wool and colourful, quality, soft cotton from Quebec and weaves luxurious wool blankets, soft cotton blankets of all sizes, hand and bath towels, and classy scarves. She’s also started felting woven pieces to make vests and other things. She says making handwoven cloth for different purposes has intrigued her for over 35 years. “I began weaving on a pirta backstrap loom in Finland as a university exchange student,” she said. “Then I graduated to…
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 more opposed to Atlantic Power burning rail ties in our town. I’m grateful we didn’t have to worry about a yard full of rail ties or a pile of highly flammable and toxic creosote soaked chips catching fire this year. But beyond that, I have…
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 due to climate change the salmon are suddenly finding themselves in hot water. Habitat loss and pollution, whether from agriculture, industrial run-off, or stream diversion are playing a role as well, as are salmon farms, where parasites can multiply quickly in crowded pens and contaminate…
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 matters. I am a BC fire evacuee from Williams Lake. Where human need was recognized, essential social services was, and is, given unconditionally. The challenge was hugely exhausting for responders with capacity to love one’s neighbour. In Kamloops, I witnessed human beings helping: unified with…
By Jenny Howell, Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society – Sitting down to write this, I looked at a list of potential topics based on upcoming fall calendar events. Should I pick National Forest Week to focus on? Or maybe World Animal Day, International Habitat Day, or Endangered Species Day? Close to the bottom of the list was BC Rivers Day There it was: water—my subject. It always comes back to water. This ties all the topics together since rivers are an integral part of forests, provide habitat for so many animals, and sadly, many rivers are now considered endangered. This summer…
By Jesaja Class – 2017 is a year that will not be forgotten for many people who have lost everything—their houses, businesses, and livelihoods. It is a year that marks a deep scar into what we all know as Beautiful British Columbia. Yet a natural process of renewal has already begun. Deep green and lush grass is now growing through the dark ashes, providing nutrients for a new generation of life soon to return. But the dark, sorrowful memories and scars will be visible and remembered for a long time to come. This is a small glimpse into what’s left…
By LeRae Haynes – Wildfires definitely had an impact on local farmers and ranchers, including Lynda Archibald and Charlie Brous from Fraserbench Farm, located halfway between Soda Creek and McAllister. They grow and sell produce and products from their orchard and garden, and are members of the Cariboo Growers Market. Although they have harvested onions, garlic, raspberries, peas, and some potatoes, some things are delayed in ripening and some may not produce at all. “There’s been a real delay in the garden because of the lack of sunlight due to smoke in the air,” said Archibald. “It’s been warm, but…
By Natalie A. Swift – It is often the unremarkable experiences, those encountered in the pursuit of day-to-day activities, that contribute to the charming nature of the central interior region. Like the sound of an American red squirrel sternly admonishing those who wander into one of the areas it has designated for storing its summer harvest. Or listening to the banter of log-truck drivers over the CB radio and the delightful moment when one expresses that customary and congenial code of the Cariboo-Chilcotin: “Ohh yea, yew betcha” as one affirms to the other while they transport their loads of Lodgepole…
By Jeremy Williams – Over ten days in August, I had the honour and pleasure of facilitating a crash course in documentary filmmaking workshop, which helped train four young women 16–28 years old from T’it’q’et, one of the ten St’at’imc communities in Lillooet. During the ten days, the team – Lakota James, Sarah Napoleon, Tabitha Leach, and Marie Scotchman – learned how to use a video camera, edit their footage, and craft a story. They learned from their community leaders and elders about the concerns facing the salmon and the fight to protect them. “We are in the fight for…
Performances in the Park is the place to be on a Thursday night. From July 6 to August 24, the Gwen Ringwood Theatre in Boitanio Park will light up each Thursday evening with awesome musical performances from 6 – 8p.m., along with food vendors, face painting, and children’s activities. Arty the Artwalker and ArtWalk 2017 will be part of the event starting August 10. Busker Fest 2017, organized by the Williams Lake Central Business Improvement Area (WLCBIA) and with the support of the Cariboo Regional District and City of Williams Lake via the Central Cariboo Arts and Culture Society, is…
By Olga Sheean – If we’re living in the fast lane, constantly checking our emails, Tweets, and Facebook messages, we may not realize our growing dependence on electronic gadgets is actually taking us further and further away from what we really want and who we really are. As electromagnetic beings, we resonate and interact with the Earth’s electromagnetic fields, which exert a grounding, healing, and restorative effect on our bodies, minds, and spirits. However, the proliferation of humanmade electromagnetic radiation in our environment is upsetting this delicate balance. Millions of people are being affected by microwave radiation from WiFi, cell…
By Kristin Lehar – The kind of food we eat has an enormous impact on the health of our bodies and minds. This is not news. The classic statement “you are what you eat” has truth to it in the sense that your cells build and renew themselves from the fuel you give them and your cells all together make up your body. Thus, limiting the amount of processed and refined foods while nourishing your cells with a variety of high quality whole foods is vital if supporting vibrant health within the body is a part of how you choose…
By Terri Smith – June has always been my favourite month. When you’re a rural kid in elementary school, June is the best month of the year. Not only is it now light enough to play outside after school, it is no longer dark when it’s time to get up in the morning. In June, teachers seem to have given up on getting much of anything done and there are full days of scheduled outdoor fun. June is also the month when the world turns such a deep and vibrant hue it feels as though you can taste and smell…
By Venta Rutkauskas – In a worldwide web of connectivity, how can listening bring us closer to our environment and ourselves? The human being is both an instrument of sound making and sound receptivity. It’s an integral part of our human design. Now here we are, seven billion strong on our planet, and if one chooses to tune in to what that might sound like, it’s a miracle one can still discover places that are quiet. Note that quiet and silence are two different things. Even within those ‘silent’ places, if one practises deep, contemplative listening, a subtle din emerges.…
By Terri Smith – The ‘real’ world isn’t easy. The things we are supposed to care about above all else don’t always make sense to me. As a farmer, I have not been very financially successful, which by many people’s standards means that I have not been successful at all. Farming, and market gardening in particular, does not look great on paper. My business never lost money, but neither did it really make money. Road’s End Vegetable Company supported itself and helped to provide my household with amazing food and wonderful people. But come winter I still always needed to…
By LeRae Haynes – Editors Note: The grand opening of the 2017 Artwalk Show and Sale takes place September 8 and runs to September 30. After a summer of disruption due to wildfires, with more than 50 participating merchants, the Williams Lake Artwalk Show and Sale is a great opportunity for the community to explore our downtown and celebrate artists in our community while increasing traffic into participating merchants and businesses. One of Williams Lake’s best and brightest events will hit the city’s streets on September 8. Art Walk, a unique partnership between artists and merchants, grows and expands every…