The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train is rolling across Canada, bringing light, music, fun and support for local food banks to dozens of communities; and on Monday, December 12^th at 6:30pm, it will be stopping at Lakeside Park in Nelson.

The Holiday Train is a CP freight train decked out with thousands of colourful lights. At each stop Santa and musicians entertain the crowd from a boxcar that converts into a stage. Along for the ride this year are legendary folk singers Valdy and Tracey Brown.

The audience is asked to bring food donations for the Nelson Food Cupboard and the Salvation Army; both organizations will be onsite with trucks to load up.

This year, the Holiday Train began its journey in Beaconsfield, Que. and will make its last stop in Port Moody, BC.

We’re inviting community groups to submit grant
applications for projects that would benefit Nelson
and area. We expect to have about $20,000 to
distribute this year. Application forms and guidelines
are now online at
www.ospreycommunityfoundation.ca.

Application deadline: April 29, 2011.

In addition, BC Festival of the Arts Legacy
grants are available to local artists, preferably
young or emerging artists, to create or perform
a work of art. Each year a different arts
discipline is chosen for this grant. This year
it’s Theatre Arts. Same deadline applies.

Here’s a small sample of what our
2010 community grants accomplished:
•          Supported the Capital Theatre’s summer
youth program - Oliver!
•          Provided a bursary for a child who otherwise
couldn’t afford to attend a wilderness tipi camp
•          Supplied funds to ‘Cyber-seniors’ to help older
folks learn computer skills and stay connected
•          Contributed to a dental fund so that disadvantaged
residents can afford emergency dental treatment
•          Supported dance and other arts groups, animal
welfare programs, social services, recreation,
environmental action… and more

For a full list, see
www.ospreycommunityfoundation.ca/docs/grant_recipients.pdf

DID YOU KNOW?
Through its various channels, the Osprey Community
Foundation will distribute about $200,000 in 2011 to
community groups, charities and good causes.

By the end of 2011 the Osprey Community Foundation
will have distributed, in total, over $3/4 million in grants.

Thanks to our donors who’ve chosen to invest in this community!
www.ospreycommunityfoundation.ca

Vote for KAAP (Kootenay Animal Assistance Program Society), and bring
$25,000 into our community for animal care.

KAAP has been selected by the Pepsi Refresh Canada Project to submit an
idea. Our idea is to ask for $25,000 to reduce pet overpopulation, through
spay/neuter of 150 pets, and provide necessary medical care to another 50
pets from disadvantaged situations. The contest started January 4, and
will be going to the end of February.

Even if you don’t want to vote every day, please vote NOW; it is crucial
that we get the word out and the votes in today. This initiative will
support the other shelters in the area by reducing the number of unwanted
pets and helping to take the load off the already full shelters.

Please go to www.refresheverything.ca/kaapnelson, log in (bottom left
corner), and vote! Leave us a message at the bottom of the page, and share
with your friends on Facebook and Twitter. Details are up on our web site
at www.homes4animals.com. Thank you from all the KAAP volunteers and
animals.

Santa has booked off time in his busy schedule from 12-3 on both Friday and Saturday, December 17 and 18, at the Nelson Adoption Center for photos with pets, kids, and families. Taken by a professional photographer, these photos will include whichever members of the family, four-legged or otherwise, you would like.

“We feel very grateful that Santa has found time in his holiday schedule to stop by the Adoption Center” said Julie Fletcher, the Nelson branch supervisor. “He’s always been an animal lover, so he wasn’t very hard to convince.”

For a $15 donation, the Nelson branch of the SPCA will give all families one complimentary 8 x 10 print, plus the digital files to print more. Further prints can also be ordered through the SPCA.

All friendly dog, cats, and other animals are welcome. The Nelson SPCA is located at 520-C Falls St., above the Savoy Bowling Lanes. For further information, contact them by phone at 250-352-7178.

Beaks is joining Think Recycle, a program which gathers old print cartridges, cell phones and digital camera These items are exchanged for money, which then can be used to care for and rehabilitate injured birds from all over the Kootenays. Greentec, the company behind Think Recycle, collects, processes and recycles the cartridges and cell phones in Canada, diverting the electronic waste from local landfill sites.

“We are just thrilled about this fund-raising program,” says Janice Kelley, a director with Beaks. “Together with our on-going collection of refundable bottles and cans, Beaks protects the environment by reducing the amount of trash going to the dump, and fund-raises at the same time.”

Over 300 million empty print cartridges are generated in North America every year. That’s 900,000,000 pounds of waste that can potentially end up in a landfill. The Think Recycle program has diverted more than one million cartridges from landfills already.

“With our new recycling program, not only do you help Beaks raise money for birdcare, but you directly protect the environment and do a good thing,” says Kelley.

The public can drop off printer cartridges, old cell phones and digital cameras at KelPrint, Curves or Dragonflies and Fairy Dust as well as at Beaks in Castlegar. Valu Office Supplies in Trail is also collecting these items for Beaks.

In addition to giving money for used printer cartridges and cell phones, Greentec also donates one tree to Tree Canada for every 24 qualifying cell phones or cartridges that Beaks returns.

Beaks, the only wild bird rehabilitation centre in the Kootenays, has been operating since 1971. It became a charitable, non-profit organization in 1998 and is recognized for its outstanding work saving the lives of birds and returning them to the wild.

For more information, please contact:

Beaks

250-365-3701

beaks@beaks.ca

In this edition of the EcoSociety E-Update:

EcoSociety Welcomes New Coordinator David Reid

EcoSociety Volunteer Night

Last Downtown Market for 2010

Water on the Table Film and Q&A

Register Now for the 2010 Columbia Basin Symposium

Participate in Research About Eco-Activism

E-Updates Update

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EcoSociety Welcomes New Coordinator David Reid

EcoSociety is pleased to welcome David Reid to the West Kootenay EcoSociety team. David brings many years of experience with non-profit administration, and a keen passion for our work. David recently completed his Masters Degree in Dispute Resolution, with a focus on public engagement and natural resources decision making. For the next few months David  will focus on building organizational capacity through volunteers, members, fundraising, and board development. He will be maintaining office hours from 10am to 4pm Tuesday through Thursday.  Please extend him a warm welcome!

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EcoSociety Volunteer Night

The West Kootenay EcoSociety invites you to put your passion to work! Join like-minded folks every Tuesday night from 6pm to 8pm to help with a variety of tasks. A couple hours of your time can make a big difference to our farmers’ markets, wilderness protection campaigns, and sustainability programs. Call 354 1909 for more information, or just show up at #206 - 507 Baker St between 6 and 8pm.

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Last Downtown Market for 2010

Wednesday September 15 is your last chance to enjoy the market on 400 block of Baker St. for 2010. The market runs from 9:30 to 3:00pm, including live music from 12-2. Come enjoy all our local growers, bakers, and craftspeople have to offer.

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‘Water On The Table’ Film and Q&A

Kaslo: Thursday, September 16, 7pm, Langham Theatre (447 A Avenue)

Nelson: Friday, September 18, 7pm, United Church  (602 Silica Street)

$5 admission; proceeds go to Glacier-Howser Fund

“Is water a commercial good like running shoes or coca-cola? Or, is water a human right like air?” This is the question posed by Liz Marshall, as she tours across Canada with her new film ‘Water on the Table’. This documentary explores Canada’s relationship to freshwater, arguably its most precious natural resource. At stake is humanity’s own right to the liquid that sustains all life – balanced against powerful interests that insist water is just another resource to be bought and sold. The film features Canadian Maude Barlow who is considered an “international water-warrior” for her crusade to have water declared a human right:

”Water must be declared a public trust and a human right that belongs to the people, the ecosystem and the future, and preserved for all time and practice in law. Clean water must be delivered as a public service, not a profitable commodity.”

Cinematic haiku-style images by Canadian Director of Photography Steve Cosens, linger on watersheds, wetlands, rivers, estuaries, waterfalls and lakes, bridging themes and questions and elevating water beyond the political framework the film overtly explores. Water on the Table is nominated for Best Social-Political Documentary at the Geminis.

When Liz and her team were in the West Kootenay filming, they interviewed Lee-Ann Unger of the EcoSociety, Michelle Mungall, MLA, Storm and Mick of Rainbow’s End Ranch, and Neil Murphy of Purcell Green Power on the topic of water and the independent power project proposal on Glacier and Howser Creeks. This footage will premiere at the events.

Following the film there will be short presentations and a Q&A with Michelle Mungall MLA, Raelynn Gibson, West Kootenay EcoSociety, and Liz Marshall, film producer.

For more information see: http://www.wateronthetable.com or contact Raelynn at raelynn@ecosociety.ca

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Register Now for the 2010 Columbia Basin Symposium

Registration is now open for the 2010 Columbia Basin Symposium: Shaping Our Future Together: Take Action, Build Partnerships, Strengthen Communities. Hosted by CBT, the symposium takes place October 22–24, 2010, in Revelstoke at the Revelstoke Community Centre.

Get involved and join in a dialogue about the future of the Columbia Basin. Bring your ideas and unique perspective to address some of the key issues facing communities. This free event is an opportunity to network with one another, and with CBT Board and staff. Share your experiences, celebrate accomplishments and work toward solutions to shared challenges.

If you are interested in attending this free event, you are invited to register online at www.cbt.org/2010symposium, call 1.800.505.8998 or drop into a CBT office as soon as possible, as space is limited.

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Participate in Research on Eco-Activism

Lisa Mortimore is a doctoral student at the University of Victoria doing research on eco-activism and the body. She will be interviewing 6 or 7 rural women and 6 or 7 urban women, 35 years plus who have been actively involved in activism on behalf of the earth for at least 3 years. There are two parts to the research – an individual interview (1 - 1.5 hours) and a focus group where we will use art to create data…no art skills needed!!!

To participate, email lisamort@uvic.ca or call 250.514.4731

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E-Updates Update

It has come to our attention that some people are receiving more than one copy of this email or no longer wish to receive the e-update. We are moving over to a new email management system that will eliminate duplicate emails and make it much easier to sign up or unsubscribe. We ask for your patience while we make these changes to serve you better. Meanwhile, if you would like to be removed from the list, simply send a message to info@ecosociety.ca with the word “remove” in the subject line. Thank you!

Thank you for your support in protecting Glacier and Howser creeks. Your support is critical to the Wild Rivers Campaign, and we are encouraged to be working with a community that is dedicated to protecting and enhancing ecosystem health.

Here is our update on the latest news:

It has been just about one year since the Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) suspended its review of the controversial 100MW Glacier-Howser project. Halfway through the 180 day review period, the EAO stopped the clock on the environmental assessment, citing that the impacts to fish and fish habitats posed a ‘significant challenge’. The project was put on pause and AXOR was given an undefined time period to collect additional information required if the review process was to continue.

From our most recent discussions with the EAO we have learned that AXOR has submitted a draft report with additional information on fish and fish habitats. Whether or not this information is sufficient for the process to move forward is yet to be determined.

We are concerned that this project is back on the table as it was proven to be environmentally unsound. We are anxious to learn what the additional information on fish and fish habitats is, and how AXOR has addressed the project’s tremendously negative impacts on the genetically unique bull-trout species, as well the impacts to the critically endangered caribou, threatened grizzly bears, wolverine and other wildlife in the area.

We will diligently review any new information once it is made public, but the project as it stands still poses an unacceptable threat to the ecosystem and we remain unequivocally opposed to it. The people of the Kootenays have spoken and have made it clear that they do not want this project.

We will continue to monitor the situation, and keep you informed and updated as this process unfolds.

What you can do to help:

Stay connected and get involved by signing up to our Wild Rivers list. E-mail raelynn@ecosociety.ca

Purchase an EcoSociety membership, and help support our efforts to keep rivers wild, and protect against unsustainable and environmentally unsound development. E-mail info@ecosociety for more information on membership and its benefits.

What’s better on a warm summer evening than a lively festival of music, dance and celebration on Baker St, downtown Nelson? Come on down and partake of the celebration this Friday! Marketfest will take place on the 200 and 300 block of Baker St. from 6:00 – 10:00pm.

There are some great bands playing for us: the Baladi Moon Dancers, Joel West, morphreek, Q City, Earplay, and Cattle Annie and the Crooked Corral. You will also find a dazzling display of items from 50 different vendors with products ranging from fantastic food to home grown produce through to hand made jewelry. Last but not least we are delighted to present a Kid’s Tent, which is new this year.

For more information about Market Fests, email: rmleong22@gmail.com or phone Rose Leong 250-825-4034

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Jumbo Wild Hike

Saturday August 21^st

As many of you know, Jumbo Pass (a beautiful area in the Purcell Mountains of British Columbia) has been under the threat of ski resort development for over 20 years. There are strong arguments against the development in this area, from both an environmental as well as economic perspective, and many people are understandably opposed to it. Yet for some reason, this development proposal refuses to die.

Alissa Perry is organizing a hike on Saturday August 21st in support of keeping Jumbo Pass wild. During the hike, she will collect footage in order to produce and online video to raise awareness of the Jumbo Pass issue and inspire further action in opposition of development. This action was inspired by my involvement with the Redfish School of Change 2010, a field school sponsored by GreenLearning Canada, Pearson College, and the University of Victoria Environmental Studies program (more information at schoolofchange.ca).

Take action!

Let your boots do the talking, and join Alissa on August 21st in support of a wild Jumbo! Also, please pass on this email to anyone else you think might be interested. Please contact Alissa for more information at alissa_avens@hotmail.com

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Natural Beekeeping presentations and workshops

Top Bar Hive, Natural Beekeeping Presentation

Nelson Library basement meeting room, 10am to 1pm Saturday 31st July 2010

The first year with a top bar hive, honeybee genetics and the importance of natural

bee behaviours and working with bees in a chemical-free and input-free way.

Cost: $5.00 payable at the door

Natural Beekeeping Class Workshop

Mad Dog Farm, 9am to 12pm Sunday 1st August 2010

v     Benefits of input free bee keeping for both honeybee and humans alike .

v     The life of the hive, bee genetics and natural behaviours, the super organism.

v     Basics of working in a TopBar hive

v     Installing bees, working the hive, harvesting honey.

v     Swarming (collecting swarms and importance of swarming)

v     Processing honey, wax, pollen and propolis with a top bar hive

Location: Mad Dog Farm, 1911 Irving Road, Tarrys, Castlegar

Cost: $25.00 payable at the door

Please register with the office and bring a chair to sit on and refreshments for yourselves.

Claire Anderson (the course leader) started working with honeybees using an organic

and input free approach 3 years ago when she got her first top bar hive.

Since then, in addition to working with her own hives, she spends her time helping

the local community of Boulder, Colorado with their bees through Bee Doctoring,

swarm catching and mentoring people about bee guardianship and working with

honeybees in an organic and chemical free way that supports the honeybees

immune system and natural genetic behaviours. She has traveled throughout

Colorado with Backyard Hive coteaching natural beekeeping classes and recently

attended the Organic Beekeeping Conference in Oracle, Arizona and the Sweet

Spring Sting Symposium in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Claire cares deeply about the importance and vibrancy of the honeybees. Her passion for honeybees has lead her to start Lemon Balm Hives and she is excited to share this natural way of bee guardianship with the Kootenays.

Please contact the Kootenay Local Agricultural Society, 1911 Irving Road, Tarrys, Castlegar, V1N 4N6 Tel: (250) 399 4809 Email: klasociety@shaw.ca Web: www.klasociety.org

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100 Mile Herbs

Wednesday, June 30 at 7:30 pm in the Library basement

You don’t have to travel anywhere close to 100 miles to enjoy five friendly 100-mile herbs that can “improve your health and change your life,” according to Shatoiya de la Tour. The local author will discuss these and other aspects of 100-mile health, including uses, recipes, and herbal anecdotes,  at a special event to share information and raise money for the Nelson Municipal Library on Wednesday, June 30 at 7:30 pm in the Library basement.

De la Tour—educator, lecturer, author, and flower essence practitioner— has spent 35 years steeped in the teachings of the plant world. With her husband Richard she tended the Dry Creek Herb Farm and Learning Centre in Auburn, California before moving north to Nelson. In addition to Earth Mother Herbal, she has authored The Herbalist’s Garden and The Herbalist of Yarrow, a Fairy Tale of Plant Wisdom.

A book sale and signing will follow de la Tour’s talk. For every book sold at the event, five dollars will be donated to the library.

Kootenay Local Agricultural Society, 1911 Irving Road, Tarrys, Castlegar, V1N 4N6

Tel: (250) 399 4809 Email: klasociety@shaw.ca Web: www.klasociety.org

The Nelson Food Cupboard is launching a Christmas in July Campaign to garner donations to supply Food Cupboard customers with fresh local produce throughout the summer. The Food Cupboard is fortunate to partner with local farmer Ruth Fraser for the fourth year in a row to supply the Food Cupboard with fresh vegetables from her farm in Glade.

The Nelson Food Cupboard hopes businesses or individuals will sponsor one box of fresh vegetables for $30 or one week’s worth of boxes for $120 for the entire four months that Ruth will be bringing vegetables to the Food Cupboard. All donations are eligible for charity receipts for income tax purposes.

According to Lauren Steeg, Nelson Food Cupboard Coordinator, “Food banks are busy throughout the year and the Nelson Food Cupboard is no different. This spring we’ve been serving 1,000 to 1,400 customers per month, which is an increase from what we’ve seen in the past. We expect to be as busy throughout the summer, and unfortunately this coincides with the season when donations typically slow down. We hope that this year the community will get behind our Christmas in July Campaign and help by sponsoring fresh produce purchasing”.

“We’re thrilled Ruth is willing to deliver her fresh veggie boxes to us again this year and together with the fresh fruit we receive from our Harvest Rescue Program, we should be able to stock our shelves with almost 100% local produce from now until at least Thanksgiving”, she added.

The Nelson Food Cupboard has offered an emergency food supply for people living in Nelson and the surrounding rural areas since 1999. Service is delivered in a barrier free manner which means people are allowed to access the Food Cupboard as often as necessary and they are not asked why they are in need of free food. Efforts are made to stock the shelves with healthy foods and to accommodate customers’ unique dietary needs.

Donations can be dropped off at the Nelson Food Cupboard (in the basement of the United Church at the corner of Josephine and Silica) during hours of operation: Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 – 12 and Thursdays from 12 – 2 or mailed to 602 Silica Street, Nelson BC, V1L 4N1.

For more information about the Nelson Food Cupboard, please visit www.foodcupboard.org or call 250.354.1633

On Tuesday June 1st the EcoSociety will be hosting an event entitled ‘Saving Kootenays Rivers from a Power Gold Rush’ in partnership with the Wilderness Committee.  Speakers include Rex Wyler, co-founder of Greenpeace and spokesperson from B.C. Citizens for Public Power, Gwen Barlee and Joe Foy from the Western Canada Wilderness Committee, Gary Diers, an organic farmer who lives near Glacier and Howser Creeks, and Raelynn Gibson, the EcoSociety Conservation Coordinator.

Together the speakers will cover the big picture of power and sustainability, the recent history of power development in B.C., including the impacts of the Clean Energy Act which was released in April. There will also be an update on the Glacier and Howser creeks and how residents can respond effectively to projects that put Kootenay rivers at risk.

Each speaker will present for about 10-15 minutes and a question and answer period will follow. For more information contact Raelynn Gibson at 25-354-1909, or via email at Raelynn@ecosocity.ca. Hope to see you there!

Speaker Bios
Rex Weyler, Communications and Research Support, BC Citizens for Public Power
Rex Weyler is a passionate advocate for the protection of B.C.’s wilderness, wildlife, and public power. He is a co-founder of Greenpeace International and author of nine books, including Greenpeace: The Inside Story. In 2005, he received a Social Justice Award from the Urban Environmental Policy Center in Los Angeles recognizing his lifetime achievements.

Gwen Barlee, Policy Director, Wilderness Committee
Gwen Barlee’s diverse education and experience includes social work, film production, and web development, and she is a past executive team member of the Victoria chapter of the Council of Canadians. For the last several years she has focused on protecting B.C.’s rivers from private power development.

Joe Foy, Campaign Director, Wilderness Committee
Joe Foy has been the driving force behind many of the Wilderness Committee’s campaigns to successfully protect spectacular areas, including the Elaho Valley, Boise/Pinecone-Burke, and the Stein, Carmanah and Lower Walbran Valleys. His passion for the wild shines through in his speeches.

Gary Diers, Organic farmer, Argenta
Gary has lived in Argenta for over 30 years. He is an avid hiker and photographer of the spectacular wild areas of the Kootenays. He lives near Glacier and Howser Creeks and has been active in the campaign to protect them since the beginning. He has been active in the environmental movement and is incredibly familiar with the wilderness of the Kootenays.