By Lisa Bland — The season of giving is upon us, and as we transition into winter mode, it can be a busy time of preparation on many fronts. The winter may bring a welcome respite from our relentless pace—a time to spend enjoying the treasures of community and connection to friends and family. Here in the Cariboo region, it’s not hard to see how much caring exists in our communities. From coffee shops, to community groups, from services, to local businesses and recreation and leisure activities, the opportunity for personal connection is everywhere. Living in communities where we know,…
Author: thegreengazette
It’s Christmas craft fair season and the Medieval Market will return to Williams Lake on November 21 and 22.The Market will continue to offer unique handcrafted gifts from artisans from around British Columbia, as well as fresh produce from local growers. There will be live entertainers all day and a full concession to make it a family-friendly community event. Now happily relocated to the Williams Lake Campus of Lake City Secondary on Carson Drive, and with over 90 vendors, the Market will expand into more of the many interesting spaces in the school. There will be three well-marked entrances to the…
By Brandon Hoffman — Working at the Arts Centre a couple weeks ago, I was visited by Louis Helbig, Kristin Reimer, and their son Oscar. They were looking for a venue on extremely short notice to host a discussion about Louis’ new book Beautiful Destruction. I thought the title seemed familiar and, after hearing their description of their book, I was quite curious to see it for myself. Beautiful Destruction is a stunning collection of aerial photos of the Alberta tar/oil sands, accompanied by 16 essays by prominent individuals with very different ideas. Helbig somehow managed to get contributions from extremely…
By Devon Page — Executive Director Ecojustice Do you believe in the rule of law? If you are reading this, you would likely say you do. You may not know exactly how to put your belief into words, but it might fall along the lines of—everyone, from people to corporations to governments, must act according to laws that protect our fundamental rights. If you are reading this, you also probably believe in environmental sustainability. Again, you may not know exactly how to describe that, but it probably includes making things better, not leaving the Earth in even worse shape.…
By Sage Birchwater — Tall red cans in gasbars and retail outlets across the Cariboo-Chilcotin Coast and throughout the BC Interior promise you a refreshing, energetic pick-me-up on a hot day. Crazy Horse energy drink, emblazoned with the words “Go Wild! Go West!” and the image of a horse with a backdrop of mountains, resonates strongly with the Chilcotin. The energy drink was developed and is owned, marketed, and distributed by Tsi Deldel Development Corporation of Chilanko Forks, BC—a company owned by Tsi Deldel (Alexis Creek) First Nation. They have had success selling their product locally. Now they want to…
By Brianna van de Wijngaard — Food Action Coordinator Williams Lake Food Policy Council This article is largely a how-to on extending your gardening season. Unfortunately, it’s coming out a wee bit late for 2015, but hopefully you still have a number of crops in the ground or raised garden bed that can be harvested into the winter. And you can put it on the fridge for 2016, because planning for winter and early spring vegetables is key if you want an extra month out of your garden. There are two primary factors to consider when extending your garden season,…
By Jessica Kirby — It is the time of year when the neighbourhood ghosts and goblins venture out into the early evening hours and wander the streets in search of tricks, treats, and all around good times of the family, friend, and sometimes frightening varieties. Halloween is a much-loved tradition for many and like everything important to us, it has its roots in cultural, religious, and practical history. Starting with the basics, most of the Halloween traditions observed in North America have Celtic roots. The Celts in the UK and Western Europe formed an official society around 800 BCE, and held…
From Slow Train Farm — Fall is here on Slow Train Farm and it is time to ferment. We keep a variety of different fermented pickles for winter and they are all very easy to prepare. They keep for a minimum of six months in our root cellar and they are a much cheaper and healthier alternative to the vinegar-based canning we used to do so much of. By far our favourite ferment is kimchi, but we make relish, dill pickles, sauerkraut, and other great treats using this or similar fermentation methods. We use three-gallon or five-gallon stoneware crocks or…
By Adam McLeod, ND, BSc — Often when looking for natural therapies patients turn to complicated exotic treatments. By doing this it is easy to forget about some of the more basic treatments that are also effective. A more complicated treatment plan is not necessarily more effective. A simple yet relatively unknown cancer treatment is ginger. There are a number of uses for ginger in an integrative cancer setting. Ginger has some well documented anti-cancer effects and it has been shown to reduce side effects from chemotherapy. When a patient is treated with chemotherapy the goal is to get as…
Two hundred and seven International scientists including EMF researchers, university professors, and medical doctors from 40 countries have signed an appeal which calls upon the United Nations (UN), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the UN Member States to address the emerging public health crisis related to cellphones, wireless devices, wireless utility meters, and wireless infrastructure in neighbourhoods. They also urge the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) to initiate an assessment of alternatives to current exposure standards and practices that could substantially lower human exposures to non-ionizing radiation. We are scientists engaged in the study of biological and health effects…
By Margaret-Anne Enders — Back in May, Williams Lake was designated by MoneySense magazine as the second worst city in Canada in which to live. This is not the first time Williams Lake has made the list, so it may seem like old news, but I still get riled up about it for a few different reasons. First, the criteria they use is narrow. The designation is based on the following criteria: “high unemployment, low average household income, negative population growth rates, a dismal culture industry, and, for the most part, high crime.” The beautiful surroundings are not given a mention,…
By Mike Stamford — In his book, Freshwater Fishes of British Columbia, Don McPhail elegantly describes how glaciation events have influenced the diversity and distribution of our freshwater fishes. Upwards of 20 glaciations are thought to have occurred during the two and half million years of the Pleistocene, each separated by a warm interglacial period, similar to our current climate. At the end of each glaciation, fish entered BC in the wake of retreating glaciers. When glaciers advanced again, fish retreated to at least five different glacial refugia (isolated glacier-free areas). Most of the province was repeatedly swept clean when the…
Salmon Dream Last night I had the strangest dream I ever had before I dreamed the salmon all over the world Were coming home no more And the river no longer ran with red When the aspens turned to gold The children no longer leaned over the bridge A miracle to behold Like the miracle of the mystery Of how the hell do they know How to find their way back to the place they were spawned Their whole lifetime ago Turns out they could smell the water that flowed Over rocks in their spawning ground’s bed And they followed that smell back to where they began In a…
By Devon Chappell Grass: it cushions bare feet, the games of children, and sometimes even lovers. We all recognize the external enjoyment we get from that lovely, green, growing carpet, but what can it do for you internally? Ever wanted to roll around on that freshly cut lawn just to have that lovely scent surround your whole body, but without getting that itchy skin? Have you wondered why those patches of grass have started to sprout behind the glass of every juice and smoothie bar, as well as some health food stores and grocery counters? Ever just wondered what the heck…
By Ciel Patenaude — Along with the turning leaves and cooler days, September is synonymous with schooling for millions of children in the northern hemisphere. With that feeling we can all likely remember – a confusing combination of anticipation, excitement and dread – kids will be back in the classrooms this month, getting ready for learning to take place over the next ten months. The practice of ‘going to school’ has been part of our global culture in some form for millennia, though the specific act of attending a daily, regimented, and publicly administered program of learning is relatively new. Only…
By Donavan Shaw — As a very involved 17-year-old within the community, I am often asked, “What are your plans for the future?” Most young people (including myself) instinctively jump to what they plan to do after they graduate high school: college or university, their dream jobs, and the kind of person they want to meet and share an agonizingly cute lifetime with. This is all just dandy, unless you’re a young person very much like myself, who thinks a little further ahead, about the looming immanent destruction of the world and society we know via climate change and a general…
By Douglas Gook — I’m propped up in my bivi/sleeping bag cover as I finish off this article. It was dark when I hiked up to this semi-familiar spot where I had camped at previous Robson Valley Music Festivals. When I woke up I had High bush cranberries and thimbleberries within reach. Across the small creek dip that I’m perched beside, I see a softball sized button of Chaga popping out from the side of a middle aged birch tree that I had not noticed in previous years. I see around me many other wild herbs, lichens, and mushrooms that…
By Jasmin Schellenberg — HEALTHY SNACKS AND WHY Almond Crackers with Garlic & Rosemary 2 cups almond flour/meal ¾ teaspoon sea salt ½ teaspoon garlic powder ½ teaspoon chopped, dried rosemary 1 large egg 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter Preheat oven to 350 degrees C. Grease baking sheet liberally. Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Whisk egg and oil together until frothy. Mix into dry ingredients until well blended. Place 1 tablespoon flattened to 1/16 inch thick, place on greased sheet, and bake for 10 minutes until golden. Enjoy! Great also with soups. NUTRIENT DENSE MEAL Sauerkraut 3…
Zucchini Crust Pizza Ingredients 3 cups shredded zucchini (or pattypan) 3 eggs, beaten 1/3 cup flour ½ tsp salt 2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated ½ cup onion, chopped ½ cup green pepper, julienned 1 tsp dried oregano ½ tsp dried basil 3 Tbsp grated parmesan Method In a bowl, combine zucchini and egg. Add flour and salt and stir well. Spread over bottom of a 12 inch greased pizza pan. Bake at 450 degrees F for 8 minutes. Remove from oven. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F. Sprinkle with mozzarella then arrange tomatoes, onion, and peppers over top. Sprinkle…