A Better World

Is

Possible

History:

The Aboriginal Cogeneration Corporation received a BC Ministry of Environment air emissions permit for its incinerator pilot project to burn CP Rail’s creosote ties in Kamloops, a city of 85,000 people situated beside an important salmon river. It made no sense to allow a company with no track record to pilot-test a toxic waste burning facility in our community, so Ruth Madsen of the Thompson Institute for Environmental Studies ap-pealed the permit.

Update:

The Environmental Appeal Board has granted her mo-tion for an indefinite adjournment. This means that the appeal will only go ahead if ACC went ahead with its plans to build the incinerator.

Meanwhile:

Ruth has incurred significant personal costs in engaging the services of a lawyer and has been fundraising on her own to recoup these costs.

The citizens of Kamloops came together to prevent the construction of this incinerator and now need to come together again for two important reasons: First, of course, we need to help Ruth retire her debt and there are a few ways we can do that: • by calling Ruth Madsen at 250-828-1984 or deposit your donation directly: HSBC #460-265-806-080. • Drop off your donation at the Smorgasbord Deli

225-7th Ave. • Come to the Burn the Permit, Not the Ties Dance

on November 27th at St. John Vianney Parish Hall- 2826 Bank Rd. in Westside

Secondly, we still do not have an air/watershed advisory committee in Kamloops and this is something we should be pressuring City Hall, the TNRD, KIB and all the communities in our air and watersheds to imple-ment. We were informed last year by Dr. Paul Connett that the City of Vancouver had one in place in the space of 3 months, so why the delay here? The reason that ACC was able to get a permit without anyone being aware that it was even in the works was that we do not have such a watchdog organization in our city. We have no way of assessing the cumulative ef-fects of the pollution burden in our air so each addi-tional industry and its output is judged merely on its own merits. As anyone can see, this is not an acceptable way of managing our air quality. We do not want to wait until there is another crisis and then hope that someone like Ruth will be there to lead the charge, so we need to demand to have systems in place prevent these crises from happening in the first place.

A Toxic Waste Incinerator in Kamloops?

It’s Not Over Yet

Ruth Madsen raising funds and awareness

at the Kamloops Farmers’ Market.

Peace, Environment &

Social Justice - can there

be on without the others?

At left, winner of a CoC

Book Award 2009.

Active in our Community

The Council of Canadians is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year-25 years of working for a better environment, stronger democracy, by promoting pro-gressive policies on fair trade, clean water, energy secu-rity, public health care, and other issues of social and economic concern to Canadians. The Council of Canadians is Canada’s largest citi-zens’ organization, with members and chapters across the country. Over 70 volunteer chapters network to or-ganize speaking tours, days of action, conferences and demonstrations. They also produce research reports, cre-ate popular materials, and work with individuals and organizations across the country and around the world. All of this is done to ensure that governments know the kind of Canada that Canadians want. The Council does not accept money from corpora-tions or governments, and is sustained entirely by the volunteer energy and financial assistance of its mem-bers. Our local chapter is, of course, a group of these volunteers and has worked hard since our inception to further this same agenda. Our first job was to tackle the MAI which along with like-minded groups around the world, we succeeded in doing. We joined with other groups in working against Bank mergers and for our public water treatment plant - Kamloops’ pride.

Peace Walk News Conference, 2010.

Yearly events we plan, coordinate or take part in include the annual Peace Walk, World Water Day, 10,000 Villages Fair Trade Craft Sale and Canada Day festivities at the Farmers’ Market. We arrange for film screenings and speakers on a variety of current topics as well as hosting the monthly Philosophers’ Café . We provide an annual bursary to a TRU Canadian Studies student and at election times we host all-candidates fora. We would like all progressive-thinking people to get involved and support whatever social group you feel comfortable in. We would, of course love for you to join us - we meet at the Smorgasbord Deli - 225-7th Ave on the second Wednesday of every month. No pre-vious rabble-rousing experience necessary. For more information about the Council’s activi-ties or to get involved, check out the following web-sites: canadians.org kamloopscanadians.ca lookkamloops.ca alternativegifts.ca

Anti Creosote-burning rally, 2010.

Kamloops Sexual Assault Counselling Centre Phone: 250-372-0179 Website: www.ksacc.ca

We provide:

Community Victim Services Counselling Services Children & Youth Groups Information and Resources

Our services are confidential.

We encourage “Acts of Resistance” by victims of violence! We honour the strength it takes to survive violent situations and remember the women and children who were killed through violence in Kamloops and around the world.

Did you know? Violence Against Women costs the tax payers of B.C. approximately $385 million dollars each year not including emergency medical care costs, housing and legal costs. Education, prevention, and early interven-tion offer the best hope of reducing these costs! KSACC provides counselling and support ser-vices to victims of violence and abuse (girls, boys, teens, and adults between the ages of 2 and 82 years of age). Each year, we see approximately 1000 kids and adults for counselling and offer prevention and information programs for about 3000 more!

We can all work together

to make the World a safer

place!

�

“In Canada, nearly 53,400 children and youth were the victims of a police-reported assault in 2007, with about 3 in 10 incidents of assaults against children and youth perpetrated by a family member. Also, nearly 40,200 incidents of spousal violence (i.e., violence against legally married, common-law, separated and divorced partners) were reported to police.” (Department of Justice)

Internationally, rape against women continues to be used as tactics of war virtually by ALL NATIONS!

The Kamloops Sexual Assault Counselling Centre is committed to providing effective, effi-cient, and confidential support services to all

persons who have experienced sexualized vio-lence, battering, or criminal harassment. These services are provided to clients and their signifi-cant others in a manner which respects individ-ual rights, safety and human dignity regardless of economic status, gender, age, race, political or spiritual beliefs, cultural or ethnic origins,

physical or mental ability, or sexual orientation. The Centre is dedicated to promoting the safety and social well-being of our community through the creation of services and actions

that address social, historical, political, psycho-logical, and cultural oppression and violence.

Food – everyone needs it: but in our society how many of us are truly food secure? A food secure society is defined as “when all people, at all times, have physi-cal, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food which meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life” (Food for Thought, Aug 2010). Sharon Astyk, author of Inde-pendence Days, recommends that we should all have minimum three months food storage. Given these criteria how many of us can raise our hands and say

that we are food secure?

For most of us, we buy our food at the supermar-ket or sometimes the big box stores, which rely greatly on imports. “Approximately 45 percent of BC’s food is imported from other regions of Canada or from other nations,” (Food for Thought, Aug 2010). By relying on food produced at distance from us, we have less control over our food and therefore our food security. “It weak-ens the local agricultural economy, reduces support for the local food production and distribution sectors and potentially exposes British Columbians to disruptions in the global food system,” (Food for Thought, Aug 2010). In contrast, by decreasing the distance which food travels from earth to table, it “benefits local land-scapes, farmers and rural regions of BC. Short and lo-cal food chains, as opposed to long and import-based chains, would reduce dependence on foreign sources and increase control over food safety and production

standards,” (Food for Thought, Aug 2010).

So what are the alternatives for getting food to

your table? For some it will be gardening, but many will not yet have the skills or time to garden or access to suitable landscape. The next most direct route is to pur-chase the ingredients from someone else growing them in your area: a local farmer. But how do you find local farmers? Farmers’ markets are an excellent way for peo-ple to get to know the farmers in an area and to find lo-

cal foods to incorporate into their daily meals.

But buying your food at farmers' markets does more than just help farmers and consumers. It changes the way we look at food. One thing that becomes ap-parent at farmers’ markets is that food is seasonal. For example when the markets open in April you will not find corn, as it is a late summer or fall crop. Thinking of seasonal aspect of foods leads to thinking about food preservation and storage, and back to Sharon Astyk’s recommendation. If I want to eat locally grown pota-toes through the winter and into spring I need to ask myself: How many pounds of potatoes do I need? And

how can I store them?

By engaging with farmers at the market we ensure that we, as a society, will have the capacity to produce the food we need to survive, and be food secure. Participating in our local farmers’ market also strengthens our communities in another way. There are many community groups who come to the market to share their issues and ideas with market patrons. By being a place for discussion and democracy, it makes

our community a stronger and more vibrant one.

The Kamloops Regional Farmers’ Market Society thanks all of it vendors (agricultural, prepared food, crafters and home based busi-nesses), partnership agencies, like the Kamloops Central Business Improvement Association, Kamloops Heritage Society, and the many community groups, for joining us in creating a more vibrant community. The markets occur on both Wednesdays and Saturdays, and run from middle of April until the last Saturday in October each year. To find out more about what is happening at the Kamloops Regional Farmers’ Markets check out www.kamloopsfarmersmarket.com. Join us in making

the world a better place.

Farmers’ Markets Help Make a Better World

From fresh apples to a winning pie.

Executive director Louise Richards checks out the Community Closet, which provides free clothing for low

income women.

When you need a helping hand

The world has changed since a woman named Elizabeth Fry advocated for reform in British prisons in the early 1800s. But today, a network of Canadian or-ganizations bearing her name carries on in the spirit of

her tradition.

In Kamloops, the Elizabeth Fry Society provides a wide range of services providing pragmatic aid, advocacy, education and support to individuals who are, have been, or are at risk of being in conflict with the

law.

This includes legal aid intake services, legal advo-cacy, information, referral and assistance with legal aid applications and legal research. They also offer group and one-on-one support for women living in poverty or facing a time of crisis. The Sky Program gives youth involved with the youth court system a place to live, schooling, recreation and life skills, as well as drug and

alcohol treatment based on their needs.

The society also operates three affordable housing buildings subsidized by B.C. Housing, and offers assis-tance and referrals for people seeking low-cost housing. Other programs, such as community kitchens, offer

options for people living in poverty.

One of the organization’s new initiatives is a drive to develop some type of transitional housing in Kam-

loops, says executive director Louise Richards.

While Kamloops has emergency shelters and is developing more low-cost housing, the city lacks what they call second stage housing — accommodation with built-in support and programming to help people transi-

tion into independent living.

“We would like to provide people with options so they don’t go through the justice system, or if they have been, give them an opportunity to move past it. It would be an open, non-judgmental place — not condoning people’s past actions, but not judging them because they have made a bad decision or just did what they had to

do to survive at a certain time.”

Working with a devoted network of volunteers and staff, Elizabeth Fry supports their operations with a combination of government contracts, grants, and indi-

vidual and corporate donations.

For more information, contact the Kamloops & District Elizabeth Fry & Elizabeth Fry Housing Society website: kamloopsefry.com, call 250-374-2119 or visit the office at 827 Seymour Street, Kamloops B.C. V2C

2H6.

Kamloops and District Elizabeth Fry Society Kamloops Elizabeth Fry Housing

Louise Richards at Peace Walk, 2009.

Men and women around the world have a simple dream – to earn an honest living, to provide for their children and to be gainfully employed in a job that brings dignity and joy. Ten Thousand Villages partners with thousands of talented artisans in healthy business

relationships.

Often referred to as 'Fair Trade,' our philosophy of helping to build a sustainable future is based on the principle that trade should have a conscience. Through Fair Trade Artisans receive the respect, dignity and hope that comes from working hard and earning fair

value for their work.

presents

The 14th Annual 10,000 Villages

Fair Trade Craft Sale at the

Kamloops United Church 421 St. Paul Street

Friday Nov. 19 Noon- 6 p.m.

Saturday Nov. 20 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Huge selection of fairly traded giftware,

edible treats, musical instruments, Christmas decorations, etc.

Over three billion of our global neighbours live on less than $2.50 a day. At least 80% of humanity lives on less than $10 a day. The poorest 40 percent of the world’s population accounts for 5 percent of global income, the richest 20 percent accounts for

three-quarters of world income.

Often one feels powerless when faced with these startling numbers and is left questioning what they can do to make a difference. The reality is that buy supporting Fair Trade you are supporting a sys-

tem which creates positive change in individual lives.

Be the change you wish to see in your world

and support Fair Trade in your community!

Why Fair Trade?

PolicyNote.ca is a current affairs blog by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, delivering timely and lively

commentary on issues that affect British Columbians

Disappointing Premier’s announcement won’t help the BC economy By Iglika Ivanova British Columbians who expected to see any meaningful action on the economy were greatly disappointed by Premier Campbell’s recent televised address. He attempted to set the record straight on HST and claimed to be concerned about the economy and families struggling to get ahead, but had little to show on all three counts. The new tax cut he announced is bad news for BC. Not only is it inequitable, it won’t do much to stimulate our stalling economy nor will it help the families who are working harder and harder but still living paycheck to paycheck. Here is why.

…Read the rest of this article at www.PolicyNote.ca…

Perverse outcomes of the Basi-Virk case By Shannon Daub I — along with a whole lot of other British Columbians — have been stewing away about the abrupt end to the BC Rail trial, and the deci-sion to let David Basi and Bob Virk completely off the hook for $6 million in legal fees. Politics aside, what really gets me is the appalling contrast between this largess and the government’s denial of access to justice to so many other British Columbians. Take for example the single-mindedness with which the province pursues welfare “overpayments.” The Ministry of Housing and Social Development routinely takes welfare recipients to court in an attempt to recover benefits paid in error or through alleged fraud.

…Read the rest of this article at www.PolicyNote.ca…

The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives is an independent, non-partisan research institute. We produce original, hard-hitting research about key economic, social and environmental issues, and we offer solutions that build on Canadians’ core values.

We invite you to check out our work – published free on our website – at: www.policyalternatives.ca

So what do these translate to in the real world?

UUs work to:

• improve the circumstances of less fortunate people • raise awareness of societal issues in the community • foster a deep respect for the environment • teach our children the importance of helping others. • remind the congregation of the importance of

getting involved.

Are you looking for a way to get involved in improving your com-munity without having to adhere to a strict set of religious beliefs? Are you looking for like-minded people who are committed to action on social jus-tice? Are you looking for a new spiritual home, but want to fol-low your own path? Perhaps you should

get to know us!

Why are they organizing rallies in support of re-ducing greenhouse gas emissions? Why did they con-vince their members to make reductions in their home water consumption to the tune of half a million litres annually? And why on earth is a religious community celebrating the legacy of Charles Darwin, the father of

the theory of evolution?

Unitarian Universalists (UU’s) are a diverse fel-lowship of progressive, liberal-minded free-thinkers who are united by common principles rather than com-mon beliefs. In this congregation, questions are as

welcome as answers and deeds are valued over creeds.

Here you’ll find an open, justice-seeking commu-

nity which truly welcomes diversity.

The search for social and environmental justice are interwoven into the fabric of Unitarian Universalism life. Our mission statement says that we care for each other and the world at large. We believe in the inherent worth of each person, we celebrate the interconnected web of life all around us, and we strive to help create a world in which each person has the opportunity to flour-ish. Unitarian Universalism is deeply rooted in social

justice actions as a direct expression of our faith.

The UU team helps fill hampers at the Kamloops Food Bank.

Psst…Do you know what a UU is?

So, what’s a UU? Come find out by dropping by one of our weekly gatherings, held every Sunday at 10 am in the Valleyview Community Hall. Or check out our website at www.uukam.bc.ca . Maybe you’re already

a UU, and you just don’t know it yet!

The water fairy visits the fellowship to

extol the virtues of water conservation.

The Kamloops Health Coalition is committed to a strong, public health care system. We listen to the con-cerns of citizens, seniors, health care workers, and pro-fessionals, and respond to the actions of government and administration on matters that affect the delivery of good, quality public health care in Kamloops and area. We believe that the best model for delivery of good quality health care is the not-for-profit public health

care system.

We began organizing more than two years ago when the Premier began his Conversation on Health Care in Kamloops. We hosted our own public forum to allow concerned citizens, doctors, nurses, and other health care workers, many of whom had not been in-vited to attend the Conversation, to express their point

of view publicly on matters of health care.

Since that time we have either put together or par-ticipated in many forums, rallies, and symposiums, cir-culated petitions, printed leaflets, bookmarks and other literature, and demonstrated our interest on a wide range of public health care issues. These include the privatiz-ing of security at RIH, the dirty surgical instruments scandal, the freezing to death of a senior at Pine Grove in Kamloops, the closing of long term care at Ponderosa Lodge, the privatizing of long term care in Kamloops, the proposal to burn creosote soaked railway ties in our town, the Ombudsman‘s report, the charging of conva-

lescent fees in hospitals and many others.

Amidst so many issues we have chosen to main-tain our focus on seniors’ care in particular. Seniors make up about one sixth of our population and we are

deeply concerned that their needs are often not met, even neglected. Our long term priorities include a pub-licly funded independent seniors’ advocate, improving staffing ratios, and providing at least five thousand new

publicly owned beds.

Chronic and continual underfunding of much of health care and an ideology favoring privatization are often the root causes of many health care problems in BC. Many innovations that have worked elsewhere could be employed to provide public health care in a timelier, efficient manner that is satisfactory to us all.

Our system is sustainable.

For more info contact Rick Turner at 250-579-8541 or

email riturner@shaw.ca.

Enjoy the abundance of healthy local food, made from scratch

at the Smorgasbord Deli

Rick Turner with Health Coalition at Peace Walk 2010.

225-7th Avenue, Kamloops Ph: 250-377-0055 Fax: 250-377-0058

Since its official incorporation in 1975, Western Canada Theatre has been producing excellence in pro-fessional live theatre for the Kamloops region. WCT has an average attendance of approximately 5% of the com-munity with over 10% percent of the audience coming from the region. They serve a unique role within the province as the largest professional theatre company outside of the lower mainland. They are known for fos-tering artistic excellence, strengthening community en-gagement, supporting the unique role of Aboriginal art-ists and communities, and enhancing financial and other services. These objectives are reflected in their mandate, the heart of which is to “…entertain, educate, enrich, and interact with the cultural mosaic of its community.” Their season, running from September to April, includes a five-play mainstage series and a two-play second stage series. They have a broad-based approach to programming with a strong commitment to the pro-

duction and development of new Canadian work.

Western Canada Theatre manages and maintains both the Pavilion and Sagebrush Theatres; and manages and operates The Kamloops Live Box Office. They were instrumental in the construction of both theatres, including the installation of new seats in the Sagebrush in 2003, undertook the restoration of the heritage Sheep

Breeders Building, and were responsible for the addi-tion of the box office facility to the Pavilion Theatre, even upgrading their services with online sales software last season. In short, they provide and maintain the in-frastructure and expertise for the majority of performing

arts in this region.

WCT provides mentorship in all aspects of pro-duction to the emerging artists involved in alternative theatre companies, including BC Living Arts Society, Saucy Fops and Project X Theatre Productions, as well as to other emerging artists who return to the commu-nity. They continue their connection to the local and regional education system through matinee perform-ances, the Stage One Theatre School, guest lectures by both their staff and visiting artists, and reduced season

passes for Thompson Rivers University students.

Western Canada Theatre realizes that they are here at the will of this extraordinary Kamloops commu-nity. As such, they feel the responsibility to demonstrate their artistic excellence at every opportunity, engage with their community on a daily basis, and provide sup-port to local performing arts groups. They have achieved all of these objectives by producing excellence on stage, showcasing a wide variety of British Colum-

bian artists.

Now that is something to be proud of.

Nicola Cavendish in WCTC’s production of Shirley Valentine

Cast in WCTC’s production of Seussical.

By Laura Kalina, Co-chair, Kamloops Food Policy Council and community nutritionist, Interior Health

Food is a popular topic in the media these days. Movies such as Supersize Me and books such as Fast Food Nation and The 100 Mile Diet all speak to con-cerns about how our food is grown, processed, pack-aged, distributed and purchased. But how can we take the issues raised in these movies and books and ad-dress them in our own communities? The answer for many people is food councils. Food councils are “cropping up” – pun intended – and are beginning to make some impact. Kamloops Food Policy, estab-lished in 1995 was one of the first Food Policy Coun-

cil in Canada.

Members of food councils include farmers, gar-deners, food suppliers, chefs, teachers, nutritionists, city staff and interested people in the community. They come from different backgrounds and areas of expertise but have one thing in common - they are dedicated to improving local food systems. A food system includes how our food is grown, processed, distributed, packaged, accessed and purchased and includes policies that affect these areas as well. Exam-ples of projects that food councils may work on in-clude, starting or helping to start community gardens and kitchens, building awareness in the community about food systems, teaching food skills and working with local government to create policies and bylaws that support local agriculture. In Kamloops, we have partnered with other organizations to create food ac-tion projects such as Community Gardens & Kitchens ( Interior Community Services), Gardengate Training Centre ( Open Door Group), Kamloops FoodShare ( Kamloops Food Bank) and the development of food policy within the City of Kamloops Sustainable Plan ( www.kamloops.ca) . We are excited about food pol-icy because it supports a local food economy which it

turn ensures a healthy food system. Healthy food leads

to a healthier community.

The KFPC is excited about the expansion of the Community Garden program. With the recent addition of the River Street Community Garden Kamloops has al-most reached its goal of doubling individual gardening plots form 134 to 268 by 2011. A big focus is urban agriculture and fostering more edible landscape within the city. Our partnership with the Master Gardner program has been terrific! We hope to work with developers and strata councils to create more community gardens and

edible landscape.

Food councils are not exclusive! KFPC is always looking for people who are passionate about food, peo-ple and local food systems. They meet every couple months at the Kamloops Food Bank/Action Centre to network and support food action work in Kamloops. For more information about the Kamloops Food Policy

Council email Laura Kalina

laurakalina@interiorhealth.ca

Community Garden in Kamloops

Kamloops Food Policy Council

Leading food security in our Community

Check out our Daily Made-From -Scratch Specials

Eat in or Take Out

Open Daily from 7:30-5:30 and Saturdays 7:30-5:00

Retail and manufacturing that could mean the most to you

422 Victoria St. Kamloops, BC Ph: 250-372-5969

Look up when you are walking

Greet people

Sit on your porch

Plant flowers

Use your library

Play together

Buy from local merchants

Share what you have

Help a lo

st dog

Take children to the park

Garden together

Support neighbourhood sch

ools

How to Build Community

Pick up litter

Turn off your TV

Leave your home

Know your neighbours

Read stories aloud

Dance in the street

Talk to the m

ail carrier Listen to the b

irds

Put up a swing

Help carry something heavy

Barter for your go

ods

Start a tradition

Ask a question

Hire young people for odd jobs

Organize a

block p

arty

Bake extra and share

Ask for help when you need it

Open your sha

des

Sing togeth

er

Share your

skills

Take back the night

Turn up the music

Listen before you react to anger

Mediate a conflict

Seek to understand

Learn from new and uncom

fortable angles

Know that no one is silent though many are not heard - work to change this

Honour elders

Have pot lucks

Fix it even if you didn’t break it

Turn down the m

usic

-Ghandi

Invest in

weapons o

f

Mass

Instruction

When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will

know peace Jimi Hendrix

Whatever you do may seem to be insignificant, but it is most important

that you do it. Ghandi

Resistance

is not futile

#7

Teach Peace

Why is there always Money for War But not for Education?

Ignore Your Rights & They’ll Go Away

Well behaved Women Seldom

Make History

The best things in life

aren’t Things

The arts are

not a

luxury