The acronym of GRACE—Generosity, Resilience, Acceptance, Compassion and Engagement—keeps bringing me back to what is important


As thousands of rainbow clad men, women and children marched along Kelowna's waterfront Saturday morning with arm's slung around one another, one point was made abundantly clear—love is love.
"We know there are people who are naysayers or are hateful. But on the bulk people are accepting and they know that love is just love," said Okanagan Pride festival president Sydney Lawson.
"I'm really stubborn and I know hate is not going to win. And I think that's been shown here and all of our events through the week."
The sheer volume of Okanaganites who went out to support varying pride events last week were a testament to Lawson's belief that acceptance of differences is increasingly the norm.
The parade itself brought in an estimated 5,000 people, which is a significant increase from years past. Among the revelers were politicians of varying levels of government.
Mayor Basran issued a pride proclamation, and made a call for greater tolerance within the community. Penticton Mayor Andrew Jakubeit and Peachland Mayor Cindy Fortin were also in attendance.
Kelowna Lake Country MP Stephen Fuhr led the march, and spoke of his government's support of LBGTQ rights.
And, perhaps getting the most fanfare, Premier Christy Clark marched in the parade. Due to time constraints, Lawson said she didn't speak to the crowd.
While Lawson stressed that the event wasn't supposed to be political, the presence of elected officials sets a tone for the community that is increasingly noticeable.
"You know what, the other day I saw a kid 13 or 14 leave the candy store with his friend, and as they walked out the door they held each other's hands," said Lawson. "That touched my heart… To be so young and so confident and feel safe in their community— that is wonderful."
For more pictures as well as video go to the Capital News-Kelowna Facebook page.

Okanagan Pride Festival attracts huge crowd, signals evolving community


The parade itself brought in an estimated 5,000 people, which is a significant increase from years past.


Rob Thomas hopes one day people will not be recognized for being allies to the LGBTQ community, it will be the norm.
In April the Matchbox Twenty front man and solo pop star was the recipient of an Ally Award from the Trevor Project, a nonprofit suicide hotline specifically made for LGBTQ youth.
“It seemed to me like the most absurd thing to be in a world where someone has to point out that there is something special about recognizing other people’s civil liberties and other people’s right to be exactly who they were born to be,” Thomas said.
With many friends in the community, Thomas would play shows and attend events in support, but that’s not where he starts as an ally.
“It probably starts with common sense, and recognizing that you have it,” Thomas said, calling the support being on the “right side of history.”
“Eventually that’s what’s going to happen is everybody that has that backwards ass way of thinking is dying off and people are becoming — I don’t want to call it tolerant. I tolerate my neighbours loud stereo. To say you tolerate something is saying ‘well, I’ll allow it. It’s not right, but I tolerate it.’ I think acceptance is more what we’re talking about.”
While pointing to individual instances of discrimination or bullying can create the illusion of lack of progress, Thomas notes that strides are being made.
“It’s easy to fall back and say we haven’t made any changes,” Thomas said. “But if you also realize that the law of the land now is gay marriage is allowed and it’s legal — which I probably could never have imagined a decade ago — you see this progress being made.”
He likened the fight for LGBTQ rights to racism, the fact that it is still a complex issue with many incidents of cultural relapse can overshadow progress.
“Having a black president does mean we have made a stride in one direction that we are moving towards the right side of history, something better, even if it takes way longer than it should,” Thomas said.
Thomas’ music is not political, focusing more intimately on the ins and outs of relationships between people, but he professes that he is a “news junkie,” likewise with politics. He has made multiple appearances on HBO’s political roundtable Real Time with Bill Maher as a panelist.
“Me in my personal life (I’m) much more outspoken. I don’t usually use my music as a platform to do that, unless somebody asks, it’s not something I shy away from, but also I’m not U2, I’m singing 3AM not Sunday Bloody Sunday,” Thomas said.
The future of Matchbox Twenty
In April, Matchbox Twenty guitarist Kyle Cook announced via his Instagram account that he was leaving the band, focusing on his duo Rivers and Rust.
However, Thomas hopes that there is still a future for Matchbox Twenty, who last put out an album, North, in 2012.
“I heard about it probably a couple hours before everyone else did. Listen, I think what’s happened, I’m hoping, it’s just kind of a knee-jerk reaction to how my schedule has made it where if they wanted to work this summer, they can’t because I’m working,” Thomas said. “I don’t mean to say in any way that they can’t live without me, but they can’t go out and tour Matchbox without me and I think that’s really a bummer.”
Thomas is a man with little downtime. He said he hasn’t had time off in 20 years. Recording, promoting and touring his solo efforts while trying to record and promote albums with Matchbox Twenty simultaneously.
“I think he got to a certain point where (Cook) said ‘I’m just not going to wait around anymore.’ What I’m hoping is next year we get all our ducks back in a row and make a decision to do something together. I just can’t imagine Matchbox without Kyle,” Thomas said.
For him, it was the first time the two worlds have overlapped to this degree.
“This is the first time that it has really kind of conflicted with what everyone wanted to do,” Thomas said.
Matchbox Twenty is always going to be a part of Thomas’ life.
“I don’t feel like I need it, but I hope that I don’t step out from it because it’s still a giant part of my identity. I put all of my youth into that. I wrote and wrote and wrote and some of the best songs I’ve ever written are kind of during that world. So it’s not something I’m ever trying to run away from,” Thomas said. “No matter how long I go solo, or if I stay solo for the rest of my life, if people say ‘Rob from Matchbox Twenty,’ that’s always going to be true.”
Rob Thomas plays the South Okanagan Events Centre on Aug. 31. Tickets are available at the SOEC box office or online at www.valleyfirsttix.com.

Rob Thomas on the right side of history and the future of Matchbox Twenty


The pop star and Matchbox Twenty front man talks being recognized as an LGBTQ ally and the future of the band.


If doctors today are growing ears in Petri dishes, imagine what the future of health and health care could look like.
Technological innovation and advancements in medicine will change the nature of our health care system and our community needs to be prepared.
During the afternoon Kelowna city council meeting on Monday, Aug. 29, Interior Health board chair Erwin Malzer and Interior Health CEO Chris Mazurkewich will present Health Care in 2040 as part of the Imagine Kelowna Speaker Series.
The talk will focus on the opportunities and challenges the Canadian health care system will face due to a growing and aging population, rising cost burdens related to chronic disease and advances in technology.
Malzer has served on the Interior Health Board of Directors since 2007, and was appointed as board chair in January 2015. He has a Bachelor of Commerce and a Master of Business Administration degree, and is a former business consulting partner with IBM.
Mazurkewich was appointed as president and CEO of Interior Health in October 2015. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce, a Master of Administration in Health, and a Chartered Accountant designation.
A live-stream of the discussion starts at 1:30 p.m. on Aug. 29.
This council presentation is part of the Imagine Kelowna Speaker Series, through which topic experts share their knowledge and experience on trends and planning for the future.
To learn more and be part of the city-wide conversation, visit imagine.kelowna.ca.

Future of health care in the Central Okanagan


Health Care in 2040 presented by Imagine Kelowna Speaker Series, 1:30 p.m. on Aug. 29.


The cause of Saturday's wildfire near Predator Ridge has been determined.
Strong winds knocked a power pole down and it came into contact with a tree in the Kokanee Road area.
"Contact with the tree set it off," said Lawrie Skolrood, Vernon deputy fire chief, of electrical sparks.
As of Sunday afternoon, the six-hectare blaze is contained and the evacuation alert for 45 residences in the Sunset Properties subdivision has been rescinded.
There are still some existing hot spots and smoke in the area, and firefighters will continue to monitor the area.
"It's in the mop-up phase," said Skolrood.
"It looks really good. Thankfully we got rain and the wind died down. With hotter temperatures today, there may be hot spots come up but unless we get wind, we pretty much have it licked."
The B.C. Wildfire Service remains on scene as do Vernon firefighters.
"A tip of the hat to the forestry crews and our crew really came through. I am really proud of the work they did," said Skolrood.

Downed power pole sparks fire at Predator Ridge near Kelowna


Strong winds knocked a power pole down and it came into contact with a tree in the Kokanee Road area.


Madeleine Jeanson with a specially-equipped iPad that gives the 90-year-old with macular degeneration greater access to the Okanagan Regional Library’s resources.
A new pilot program at Kelowna branches of the Okanagan Regional Library is bringing a wealth of new materials to members with print disabilities, thanks to funding from the Central Okanagan Foundation.
The iPad Accessibility Project enables those who cannot read traditional print books—either due to a visual disability, an inability to manipulate books manually, or a cognitive disability—to use tablets for their reading pleasure and education.
The project takes advantage of specially-created files designed by the National Network for Equitable Library Service (NNELS) and the Centre for Equitable Library Access that can convert books in text format to audio. Other apps and the iPad’s accessibility settings can also be manipulated to alter the screen in a way that makes print more legible.
“This project harnesses all these great new technologies and puts them together in a way that gets our library collections into the hands of people who otherwise might not be able to use them,” said Kelowna Branch's reference and instruction supervisor, Christine McPhee.
The ORL has long carried large print books and audiobooks for customers who prefer these formats. But even these formats don't work for everyone with print disabilities, and selection can be limited.
"With funding from the COF and the iPads, we can dramatically open up the breadth of materials available for our print-disabled members," McPhee added.
At 90 years of age, Madeleine Jeanson suffers from advanced macular degeneration and doesn’t have a computer at home. She is delighted with the iPad project.
"The service is really great. The staff download great books for me, and it's so easy to use – press a few buttons and go," she said. "I just finished The Grapes of Wrath—what a pleasure to read Steinbeck again!"
Six iPads were funded by a grant from the COF for use at the three library branches in the City of Kelowna in Rutland, Mission and downtown.
Foundation executive director Bruce Davies said: "This was an excellent opportunity for us to make resources truly accessible to people who need them the most. We believe promoting literacy is a key component of being a smart and caring community.”
Currently, only ORL members who qualify as print-disabled are eligible to use the specially-equipped iPads.
"The iPads are already being well-used and we would love to be able to expand the program with more iPads and to other ORL locations, if more funding were available," McPhee said.
For more information, contact the Kelowna Branch reference services desk at 250-762-2800, ext. 2820.

Technology helps the visually impaired at Kelowna library


Specially adapted iPads bring literature back to the reading-impaired.


Mazacote, a west coast latin style dance band will appear at Creekside Theatre Sept. 10, kicking off the theatre's fall season of shows.
Lake Country’s Creekside Theatre will host an eclectic range of shows this fall, ranging from comedy to family, rock and country music.
The theatre launches its fall performance series during ArtWalk with a West Coast Latin Style Dance Band – Mazacote – performing Saturday, September 10th.
View the entire fall series here
Lake Country’s Cultural Development Coordinator, Ryan Donn, has a diverse range of live shows booked for the theatre from September through November with everything from Rock, Country, Folk, Jazz, Blues, Indie and Alternative music, to Comedy and Family shows as well as a Speaker event.
“It’s very exciting to launch our first jam-packed season of events this fall at the Creekside Theatre,” said Donn. “Due to the smaller size of the theatre – 260 seats – we can focus on hosting more intimate events while offering the most cost-effective shows in the valley at an average ticket price of $25.”
Train Wreck Comedy is a special feature with three shows from the Comedy genre in the fall series. The Folk Club is working with Creekside Theatre on the shows in that genre such as Fred Eaglesmith and Jim Byrnes (Blues/Folk); and the Lake Country Art Gallery is collaborating on a multi-disciplinary art, music and dance show on October 27.
Creekside Theatre is a busy community amenity on the George Elliot Secondary School campus across from Lake Country Municipal Hall. The theatre is easily accessible from highway 97 and has lots of free parking.
Tickets are available online at www.creeksidetheatre.com or can be purchased conveniently from the Kelowna Tickets outlet at Orchard Park Mall, at Tourism Kelowna visitor centre, or at the Customer Service counter at Lake Country Municipal Hall.

Lake Country's Creekside Theatre announces fall show series


Diverse range of live shows planned for the 260 seat theatre this fall, from comedey to fock, country folk and family events


The Under the Moon Picnic goes this Saturday, Aug. 20 from 8 p..m. to midnight at the Lake Country Art Gallery.
Melany Nugent’s artwork Moon provides the inspiration and ambiance for an evening picnic that will include a performance by opera singer Eeva-Maria Kopp, accompanied by pianist Graham Vink. Their performance will take place at 9 p.m.
This free event is hosted by the Lake Country Art Gallery and Opera Kelowna.
The Lake Country Art Gallery is at 10356A Bottom Wood Lake Rd. in Lake Country.

Picnic with the Lake Country Art Gallery, Under the Moon


Bring your picnic blankets, refreshments and midnight snacks to enjoy an evening of moonlight and opera with the Lake Country Art Gallery.


There have been some pretty impressive movies based upon comic book characters so far this year including Deadpool, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Captain America: Civil War and X-Men: Apocalypse. However, this summer it is the villains that are getting a chance in the spotlight.
Suicide Squad is a group of imprisoned (mostly by Batman) baddies who are recruited by a secret government agency to execute a dangerous black ops mission against an unknown but powerful threat in exchange for clemency. However, none are actually expected to survive, especially since each are implanted with an explosive device just in case they decide to escape.
The villains include Deadshot (Will Smith), Joker (Jared Leto), Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Boomerang (Jai Courtney), El Diablo (Jay Hernandez), Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), Slipknot (Adam Beach) and Enchantress (Cara Delevingne). The “good guys” are played by Viola Davis, Scott Eastwood and Joel Kinnaman.
As this is the third movie in the DC Extended Universe (after Man of Steel and Batman v Superman), expect a few surprise cameos. Interest in Suicide Squad has been very high ever since it was announced and it is currently expected to surpass $100 million on its opening weekend.
What is also interesting is the questioning of the difference between a hero and villain in recent comic book movies. While the morality debate of heroes trying to do the right thing but with questionable means has been raging in comics for years, the movies like Deadpool and Suicide Squad feature anti-heroes who do good through bad deeds and Batman v Superman and Captain America: Civil War deal with the question of whether or not to let the heroes do their thing unchecked.
Art is imitating life as these storylines seem to reflect our society and its questioning of authority.
Director Barry Sonnenfeld is best known for Get Shorty, the two Addams Family movies and the three Men in Black Movies. With the family comedy Nine Lives, he gets to put a certain billionaire developer into the body of a cat. No, not the one you are probably thinking of, but rather one played by Kevin Spacey.
He is Tom Brand, whose company Firebrand is nearing completion on its greatest achievement to date—the tallest skyscraper in the northern hemisphere. However, his workaholic lifestyle has disconnected him from his family, particularly his wife (Jennifer Garner) and adoring daughter. To make it up to them, he decides to buy his daughter a cat for her 11th birthday, even though he hates cats. However, he leaves it until the last minute and depends on his GPS which directs him to an odd pet store with even odder owner Felix Grant (Christopher Walken, of course). On his way to his daughter’s party, he gets into an accident and when he regains consciousness he finds himself trapped in the body of the cat. Felix tells Tom that he must reconcile with his family within one week or be stuck as a cat forever.


Suicide Squad is a group of imprisoned baddies who are recruited to execute a dangerous black ops mission.


Grace Elinor Robotti (left) and Pier Louis Robotti (right) are facing charges of second degree murder related to the death of Roxanne Louie, a 26-year-old single mother and Osoyoos Indian Band member.
The trial of accused murderers Grace and Piere Robotti will be held in Kelowna after an application to change the venue was granted on Friday.
Race, courthouse security, a recent Supreme Court of Canada decision and the Charter right to freedom of expression were all brought to the table as Justice Dev Dley handed down his decision citing security issues and alleged threats that were made to both defence counsel and Pierre Robotti.
“An accused should not be distracted from his ability to provide proper instructions to counsel, or at the same time be distracted by security issues that could better be managed in a different setting,” Dley said.
The Robottis are both charged with the second degree murder of 26-year-old Roxanne Louie on Jan. 4, 2015. Louie was a member of the Osoyoos Indian Band who grew up in Oliver.
Neither Pierre nor his sister Grace attended the hearing in Penticton Supreme Court on Aug. 20 for the application to move the trial venue to either Kelowna or Vancouver.
Laurie Wilson, who has acted as the Louie family spokesperson since the beginning of the court proceedings last year, said there was a concerted effort by family and friends to allow the justice system to work.
“It is what it is. I think the family has really done a lot of work in the communities. They’ve done a lot of work to remain positive and to exercise a whole lot of restraint in their dealing with this situation,” Wilson said. “They sat back and allowed the justice system to work and the RCMP system to work and this kind of feels like a slap in the face to all that attempt to be positive. The fact that we knew where (Pierre) lived, seen him in the community. There were no comments made to him, no one went to his house, nobody bothered them, either of them.”
She called the behaviour of Louie’s family and friends an indication of the restraint and respect for the community for the justice process.
“Instead, you take one comment out of this whole thing and pretend that it’s a threat. It just is what it is. We’ll continue to go on and keep on in the way the family has wanted us to,” Wilson said, adding that the venue change will cause some hardship for those family members who will need to take time off of their jobs and travel to Kelowna during the trial.
Louie’s uncle, Dan Wilson, has said it before, but reiterated that “justice delayed is justice denied,” finding some solace in the attempt to expedite the trial and advocate for the ability to express a desire for justice.
“I was pleased to hear the judge say that there’s nothing wrong with us wearing our ‘justice for Roxanne’ buttons and the mother of Roxanne having ‘justice for Roxanne’ on her vehicle,” Dan said.
Dan also noted that Kelowna is also part of Okanagan Nation Alliance territory.
“Roxanne is a beautiful Okanagan Nation member and if the defence thinks we’re going to tone down our demonstrations and our cry for justice, they’re mistaken. The fact that the Kelowna court house is bigger, we’re going to be packing it,” Dan said. “Even if it was moved to Vancouver.”
The application to change the trial venue was brought forward jointly by defence counsels Don Skogstad (Pierre) and James Pennington (Grace).
Skogstad brought forward local media coverage which he called “excess publicity,” of the case. In an affidavit filed by the accused Pierre, who has resided in Penticton for 30 years, he deposed “I’ve never seen a case featured so prominently in the media as the case involving myself and my sister.”
“It’s heightened by the fact that the accused are both caucasian and the victim is First Nations — a young First Nations woman. In the context of today, of course, that’s a very live issue,” Skogstad said.
Crown counsel John Swanson said he was “strenuously opposed” to the application to change venues. While he conceded Kelowna has a newer, larger courthouse with better security features, he noted high-profile, high-publicity trials have been held in the Penticton Courthouse before.
He called the media coverage “significant” but “entirely professional” dealing only with the arrest and bail of the two accused with minor coverage of the preliminary inquiry.
Having reviewed the media reports in the affidavit filed by Pierre, Justice Dley noted the publicity of the case alone was not enough of a reason to relocate.
Defence counsels also referenced upwards of 10 demonstrations put on by the local and provincial First Nations organizations as well as family and friends of Louie outside the Penticton Courthouse during multiple procedurals throughout the bail and preliminary inquiry processes.
Skogstad addressed the buttons and signs that state “justice for Roxanne,” which were worn in the court gallery during the preliminary inquiry, one worn by a witness while on the stand.
“It’s understandably a matter of very great interest to First Nations, indeed, but of course First Nations know nothing about the evidence,” he said.
Skogstad relayed a statement deposed by Pierre, alleging while he was at the preliminary inquiry “someone called him a murderer. In this very courtroom, right here.”
“There is nothing wrong with members of the community advocating for justice,” Dley said in his decision, though he noted, “I am concerned about the threats and the tenor of those comments that have been made both to the accused and their counsel.”
Pennington referenced a speech made in the Sept. 21 “Ride for Roxanne,” in which horseback riders made their way from the Penticton Indian Band down Penticton’s Main Street to a rally across from the courthouse. He said a man at the rally stated on stage at the Gyro Park bandshell that “those guys (the Robottis) should be disciplined for what they did to that young lady, but also the dog-gone lawyers that got them off, right?”
Pennington, who two weeks earlier to the day was in provincial court arguing to keep a high-profile kidnapping case in Penticton despite security issues brought forward by local sheriffs, said it is “unfortunate that we even have to consider making an application for you to consider a change of venue, it really is unfortunate.”
In the kidnapping case [Read more: Security issues over Kidnapping inquiry) Pennington said Penticton often gets the “short end of the stick” when it comes to trials moving to the more capable facilities in Kelowna, calling the broader trend a disservice to the public.
Security concerns were raised by Skogstad, citing a lack of secure access to the courthouse which would have the Robottis walking through an open area, where the public gallery, media and judges will also have to enter the courtroom. Skogstad called Penticton Supreme Court “one of the worst courtrooms for security for a jury trial in the province of British Columbia.”
Swanson said if issues of intimidation of witnesses or the jury arise, they could be dealt with at the time, however he noted there was no evidence of either.
“What my friends are saying is well these are potential problems, not real problems yet and because they are potential problems we need to move the trial,” Swanson said. “In my position that simply is the wrong approach.”
Justice Dley queried counsel about the fact the earliest date for trial, should it be scheduled Aug. 19 in Penticton, would have been in the summer of 2017. Dley cited a Supreme Court of Canada decision which addressed the issue of time limits for criminal trials — 18 months for provincial court cases and 30 months for Supreme Court cases.
“In making my decision I must include an additional factor that has not been considered previously, and that is the time to trial,” Dley said.
Defence and Crown counsel will meet Sept. 12 to set a date for a pre-trial conference and a voire dire, both of which will be held in Penticton.

Penticton siblings accused of murder have trial moved to Kelowna


The trial of Grace and Piere Robotti will be held in Kelowna after an application to change the venue was granted on Friday.


This unexploded ordinance was found while crews were mopping up the fire near Predator Ridge.
contributed
Vernon residents are being reminded of the danger of unexploded ordinances (UXOs) in the area after firefighters from Vernon Fire Rescue Services (VFRS) and Wildfire Management Branch made an unexpected discovery while battling the Kokanee Road/Predator Ridge fire this weekend.
Firefighters that were involved in the mop-up stage after the fire was controlled were pulled back to the staging area after a UXO was found by a member of the crew.
Following the discovery of the UXO, RCMP were called to the site to map the coordinates. The Department of National Defense (DND) was also notified, and a UXO recovery team has been assembled.
The area is currently cordoned off and nearby residents have been notified to stay away.
There is the potential for other UXOs surrounding Vernon, including in the Commonage area, on Okanagan Indian Band reserve land, Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park and other rural areas. If discovered, leave the area immediately and call 9-1-1 to report the UXO.
Vernon Morningstar

Vernon firefighters find unexploded object


UXO found during mop-up of recent fire near Predator Ridge and stops work.


To the editor:
The statutory regulation for B.C. members of legislative assembly expense claims is that MLAs claim expenses from their constituency offices to and from Victoria, all expenses while in Victoria, and expenses in regards to travel within the province outside of their elected constituency offices.
These are called allowable expenses.
These allowable expenses become non-allowable expenses when working in their home constituency offices. The reason for this is that all MLAs receive $119,000 per year for the financial management operation of their offices. No expense claims are allowed to them in their home constituency offices.
The NDP MLAs have their expense claims available on line to anyone who is interested to see what expenses are being reimbursed. Some examples of bogus expenses, are NDP MLAs claiming non-allowable expenses while working in their home riding. They include Sue Hammell claiming car mileage; Judy Darcy claiming car mileage and parking; Jane Shin claiming car mileage, breakfast, lunch and dinner meals; Bruce Ralston claiming lunches, Trans Link fares, parking and taxi; Kathy Corrigan claiming car mileage, taxi, breakfast and lunch meals, parking and Trans Link fares; Raj Chouhan claiming Trans Link fares, parking and mileage; Adrian Dix claiming Trans Link fares and parking.
Harry Bains and Mike Farnworth make allowable expense claims on taxi fares during their travels. These taxi fares average $100 per ride. Does this mean that they are avoiding public transit and taking a taxi from the Legislature to the ferry terminal?
My conclusion is that MLA travel expense claims are not being audited by the B.C. Auditor General's department. Also why are the accounting staff in the B.C. Legislature office writing out cheques for these bogus expense claims? No verification whatsoever is being dong.
One big joke! A license to print money on the B.C. taxpayer expense.
Joe Sawchuk, Duncan

Letter: MLA reimbursed for non-allowable travel expenses


MLA travel expense claims are not being audited by the B.C. Auditor General's department.


OTTAWA – Contract talks continue between Canada Post and its largest union, but neither side is hinting as to whether any progress has been made.
A federally appointed mediator has been meeting with the two sides since Friday to try to reach a deal.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers says if there is no deal by midnight, it would begin job action on Monday by having its members refusing to work overtime on a rotating basis, starting in Alberta and the Northwest Territories.
CUPW served 72 hour strike notice Thursday night, accusing Canada Post of forcing a labour disruption by refusing to bargain in good faith.
The two sides have been deadlocked for months on the issues of pay scales for rural letter carriers and proposed changes to pensions for future employees.
A CUPW news release says the initial job action will cause little disruption to Canada Post customers and that its members will still be delivering mail every day.
The Canadian Press

Postal workers union give details of job action if no deal is reached Sunday


Talks continue, with rotating overtime ban set to begin Monday if no agreement by midnight Sunday


Water bombers soar over Okanagan Lake as they tackle a fire near Predator Ridge Saturday.
Progress is being made on a fire burning near Predator Ridge.
As of 8 p.m. Saturday, the fire is about seven to nine hectares in size and is relatively contained at its perimeter.
"It's showing as a rank one and two ground fire with some flames," said Rachel Witt, a fire information officer with the B.C. Wildfire Service.
"Ground crews are still working on the perimeter."
Air support has been grounded for the evening because of darkness but they have been able to place retardant around much of the fire.
"Ground crew will be fighting the fire through the night and provincial wildfire crews will have more ground crew arriving in the morning," said Tanya Laing Gahr, communications officer with the City of Vernon.
The evacuation alert continues for 45 residences in the Sunset Properties subdivision off of Okanagan Landing road.


The evacuation alert continues for 45 residences in the Sunset Properties area


Known infections of chronic wasting disease in deer and other wildlife as of 2014.
Provincial wildlife officials are concerned that a disease killing deer and elk on the prairies could soon spread into B.C.
Chronic wasting disease, a degenerative nervous system condition similar to so-called mad cow disease, has been discovered in an animal 30 kilometres southeast of Edmonton.
That's the furthest west – by about 100 kilometres – that biologists have detected the deadly disease and the discovery intensifies concerns that infected deer may make their way to B.C.
No infected animals have been found yet in B.C. but wildlife health staff are stepping up monitoring efforts in the Peace and Kootenay regions, where deer are most at-risk.
Hunters are being asked to help by donating deer, elk and moose heads for analysis. Drop-off locations are listed at www.stopchronicwastingdisease.ca.
Anyone who encounters a sick or dead deer is urged to report it to B.C.'s wildlife health program by emailing wildlifehealth@gov.bc.ca.
Although chronic wasting disease is similar to bovine spongiform encephalopathy, Alberta's agriculture and forestry ministry says there's no evidence it can infect humans, but notes the World Health Organization advises against allowing any meat source possibly infected by prions into the human food system.
It's thought to be unlikely that the disease could spread to domestic cattle or bison.
Outbreaks on game farms typically result in quarantines and culls.
Transmission is through saliva, urine and feces and is thought to be more likely to occur where elk and deer are crowded or congregate at man-made feed and water stations, according to the Alberta ministry.
Most of the Canadian cases have been in Saskatchewan.

B.C. wary of deadly deer disease in Alberta


Chronic wasting disease is similar to mad cow disease but infects and kills deer, elk and moose


RCMP in Lake Country say vandalism is continuing in the district and remind people to lock their valuables up.
RCMP in Lake Country are noting a spike in theft from motor vehicles and continue to urge owners to lock their vehicles, remove valuables and report suspicious activity to police.
Since August 15th, RCMP in Lake Country have received a staggering 18 reports to police of theft from as many as 22 motor vehicles. The majority of the thefts were committed over night to vehicles parked on the street or in private driveways. The areas most targeted during this time period appear to be Okanagan Centre and the Lakes sub division.
“An alarming 18 vehicles out of the 22 vehicles targeted were left unlocked by their owners,” says Sgt. Jayson Luchash Detachment Commander of the Lake Country RCMP. “Investigators continue to see vehicle owners not only leave their vehicles unlocked, but insecure with valuables left inside which includes purses, wallets, large amounts of cash and personal identification just to name a few items,” he adds.
The RCMP investigation has revealed a possible vehicle of interest, reportedly spotted fleeing from more than one theft scene. The vehicle has been described to police as a dark coloured coupe passenger car, with a loud muffler.
RCMP remind the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity to police.
Anyone with any information, or has been victimized and has not yet reported the incident to police is asked to contact the Lake Country RCMP at 250-766-2288. Remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, leaving a tip online at www.crimestoppers.net or by texting your tip to CRIMES (274637) ktown.

Thieves in Lake Country continue to target unlocked vehicles


RCMP report 18 of 22 break-ins of vehicles were due to unlocked cars


June-blooming blue grama grass looks attractive in a flower bed. It also makes an excellent, tall, lawn grass alternative if left in bloom. It can be mowed once or more a year.
Here are some alternatives to create a lawn-like look without the weekly chores of mowing and edging or the cost of heavy watering needed for a green, conventional lawn.
Before planting, remove all weeds and keep the area weeded while new plantings grow in.
To break up clay and improve drainage in heavy soil, till in a four inch depth of organic matter such as Glenmore Grow or OgoGrow.
For fast-draining, sandy soil, adding organic matter is important to increase nutrients and retain moisture.
All plants need regular watering the first year or until they become established. Plants mentioned in this column are deer-proof.
The first two options below would be good if you need a lawn that is heavily used such as for children to play on.
Enviro-Turf: a lawn seed mix containing four tough fescue grasses and perennial rye grass. Their deep roots make this a low water turf option. Once established, it needs a deep watering only once every 10 days to two weeks to stay green during dry summers. It grows slowly so there is less mowing.
Enviro-Turf has been extensively tested for many years on school grounds in the Christina Lake area. It looks almost identical to Kentucky blue grass.
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium): an Okanagan native perennial that can be used as a very drought tolerant lawn alternative. Fuzzy foliage stays grey-green year round. Plants grow to about 12 inches tall with a white bloom in June, sometimes re-blooming in August. They self-seed readily, helping to fill in to a solid weed-suppressing mass.
Yarrow stands up to foot and animal traffic, however it’s best to mow down flower stems soon after they form, while still soft. Mature stems are tough and pokey, causing discomfort for bare feet and animal paws.
With about three mowings a season, plants can be kept as a short, functional, turf-like ground cover.
Blue grama grass (Bouteloua gracilis): a very fine-textured, water-wise grass native to the short grass prairie grows to 12 to 18 inches tall. If planted six inches apart this clump-forming grass quickly becomes a dense ground cover and can be mowed occasionally to create a lawn. An option would be to just mow paths as needed.
It has very decorative flowers and seed heads that stand up well through winter.
Prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepsis): another short-grass prairie native. This very low maintenance, long-lived plant, forms fine-leaved tussocks that turn burnt orange in fall.
Blue grama and prairie dropseed each respond well to a deep watering once a month during hot, dry weather.
Check www.blue
stem.ca for extensive information on ornamental grasses; how to remove turf; and how to make a low-mow, low-grow, water-wise lawn.
I will be teaching my two-night Introduction to Xeriscape Gardening class Sep. 21, 26, 28 and Oct. 3 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at St Michael and All Angels Cathedral Hall, Kelowna. For details and to register go to: www.okanaganxeriscape.org.


For fast-draining, sandy soil, adding organic matter is important to increase nutrients and retain moisture.


ICBC wants to increase basic auto insurance rates by 4.9 per cent – the fifth straight annual increase – as it continues to grapple with rising numbers of crashes, claims and dramatically increasing costs.
The typical driver will pay $3.50 a month or $42 a year more for basic insurance if the hike is approved.
But the corporation is also raising optional rates by 2.8 per cent so the average customer who buys both basic and optional insurance with ICBC will see their insurance bill rise $5 a month, or $60 a year.
ICBC CEO Mark Blucher said the basic rate hike would have been much worse – 15.5 per cent translating into a $130 annual premium increase – had the province not approved another major transfer of $472 million from the optional to the basic side of operations.
A compounding factor has been the long decline of interest rates, which result in less investment income revenue to ICBC.
"These external pressures have really created a perfect storm and it's a really significant challenge for the organization," Blucher said in an interview Thursday.
ICBC had raised rates 5.5 per cent a year ago, and the province's rate smoothing policy requires the annual change be within 1.5 per cent of the previous year's increase.
The number of crashes has climbed 15 per cent in two years and damage claims are up 11 per cent.
Vehicles are increasingly reliant on technology and expensive materials that have become more costly in recent years as the loonie sagged against the U.S. dollar.
Despite much safer vehicles, injury claims have soared to $2.4 billion, up 60 per cent from $1.5 billion in 2008.
"We've seen no evidence that these strong trends are abating," Blucher said. "In fact, if anything, they're continuing to escalate going forward."
Blucher also noted there are more cars on the road in B.C. today – 3.1 million up from 2.8 million in 2011 – and people are driving more because of cheaper gas, contributing to more accidents, particularly in densifying urban areas.
And he pointed to personal injury lawyers as an aggravating cause of ICBC's spiralling claims costs.
"B.C. is the only province in Canada where you can sue another motorist for even a minor traffic accident," Blucher said, noting an increase in lawyer-represented claims and advertising by injury law firms.
Internal operating costs have been cut by $186 million a year, and ICBC is counting on more savings ahead, through its modernization program, by more aggressively combatting insurance fraud and from a hoped-for drop in distracted driving as motorists respond to stiffer penalties.
But transfers from the optional side to bolster the basic side will likely be needed for the foreseeable future, Blucher said, because basic premiums can't keep up with rising costs.
In a surprise move, the B.C. government will this year forgo extracting its usual $160-million annual dividend from ICBC's optional side into general revenue.
"Forgoing the dividend this particular year is one strategy amongst a litany of others we're employing to get that basic trate increase down," Transportation Minister Todd Stone said.
Stone said the $514 million the province has transferred out of ICBC in dividends since 2012 is small compared to the $1.4 billion over the same period that has been shifted from the competitive optional side to basic to apply downward pressure on basic rates.
The minister would not say if the government would permanently give up the ICBC dividend.
Adrian DIx, the NDP critic for ICBC, said the dividends to government have exceeded $1.2 billion since 2010 and predicted they'll resume after next year's election because the BC Liberals are "addicted" to using ICBC as a "profit centre."
Dix said the reliance on shifting huge amounts of capital from optional to basic raises troubling questions.
"Next year they've got to find that $472 million," Dix said. "What they've done is create a disaster at ICBC and their only hope is to deceive the voters until after the election."
He said ICBC's new move to hire more claims staff underscores problems with completing the computer modernization that was supposed to make operations more efficient.
"The transformation project has taken longer than World War 2 and is not close to finished."
ICBC's basic rates rose 11.2 per cent in 2012 and at least five per cent every year since.
The new rate hike is subject to B.C. Utilities Commission approval.
ICBC Rate Pressure Charts

ICBC seeks 4.9 per cent basic rate hike as crashes, costs climb


$60 a year increase for most drivers once optional auto insurance increase is included


The B.C. government has approved a master development plan for a new year-round ski resort in the Cariboo Mountains west of Valemount.
Valemount Glacier Destination Resort is a $175 million project led by Oberto Oberti, who designed the Kicking Horse Mountain Resort near Golden and the controversial Jumbo Glacier Resort proposal west of Invermere.
The Valemount plan includes lifts and gondolas that would carry skiers and sight-seers to the summits of Mount Pierre Elliott Trudeau and Mount Arthur Meighen. Its vertical drop of 2,050 metres would be higher than Whistler-Blackcomb and the largest in North America.
"There are very few places in the world, and none in North America, where you go and ride a lift to the very top and the glacier is below you," said Jill Bodkin, a director of the company.
Valemount is a remote community of about 1,000 residents near the Alberta border east of Prince George. The region is west of Jasper National Park, which attracts visitors from around the world.
On the project's website, Oberti says people will travel to Switzerland for this kind of mountain resort experience, so a three-hour drive from Prince George isn't an obstacle to success.
Valemount Mayor Jeanette Townsend called the master plan approval "exciting news." She said the community attracts visitors who stay there to avoid the expensive accommodation in Jasper and the resort will take it to the next level.
Chief Nathan Matthew of the Simpcw First Nation said his community has been involved since the beginning, and he sees the project as an important economic development for the northern part of Simpcw's traditional territory.

B.C. approves Valemount glacier resort plan


Designer of Kicking Horse and Jumbo resorts gets approval to proceed with $175 million project east of Prince George


To the editor:
My compliments on the “Our View” editorial: For Fido’s Sake, Leave Your Pet at Home When the Days Are Hot.
Even on what does not seem to be a very hot day, leaving a dog in a parked car can be a death sentence.
Related to this is the practice of people riding bikes or jogging with dogs in hot weather. I’ve seen a woman on a bike humming along on a 30 C+ day when her large dog was just panting away.
Last year, on our day with the worst fire smoke and air advisories, a man was jogging with his small dog.
I don’t care if he hurts his lungs, but why subject a pet to this. People, aren’t you thinking?
I have seen people who apparently think it is so cute to have their dog in their lap whilst driving. Not only is this a distracted driving offense, but also puts the dog’s life in danger. Airbags in North American cars use much more force than their European counterparts, in that the devices here are designed to protect people who don’t use their seatbelts (yes there are still some dummies out there). A small dog will be crushed if the air bag deploys.
Dogs and other pets in vehicles should always be in a safe carrier or other safe place in the vehicle, such as a partitioned area in station wagons. They no more belong in the front seat area than does a small child.
Pets rely on their owners for protection. Please take this seriously.
Bob Sherman, Kelowna


Running your dog, or leaving it in a parked car on a hot day can be a death sentence.


Nature’s Fare Markets co-owners, Alexa Monahan and Claire Volpatti and Trail Ambassadors Laurie Postill and Debbie Clarke are impressed with the length of trail funded by the recent donation matching campaign.
Nature’s Fare Markets and the communities of Vernon and Kelowna raised a whopping $30,000 for Okanagan Rail Trail construction in a two day matching fundraising campaign.
“We are thrilled," said Alexa Monahan co-owner of family run business Nature’s Fare Markets. "This campaign exceeded our expectations. Our customers and visitors were extremely generous, and between the Kelowna and Vernon stores, contributed $15,124.64. Nature’s Fare is happy to join our customers in contributing $10,000 towards this valuable community project."
On the last day of the campaign, when the totals posted outside of the store indicated that the response would exceed Nature’s Fare matching, an anonymous donor volunteered to make up the difference to reach a total of $30,000, according to Nature's Fare.
“The matching campaign has been a great experience for our staff and customers," said Claire Volpatti, Nature’s Fare co-owner. “Nature’s Fare challenges other businesses to come forward as rail trail business partners, and meet or beat our meters. With five or six similar business campaigns, we could fund a kilometre of trail, and this will build as more businesses come forward.”
This amount will fund 187.5m of the rail trail on the discontinued rail corridor between Coldstream and Kelowna.
“The success of this two day event demonstrates the power of donation matching. Supporters who had not yet come forward were motivated by the opportunity to double their donation,” said Heather Stewart, Kelowna Trail Ambassador. “It will be great to see businesses from Kelowna to Vernon stepping up to meet Nature’s Fare challenge and help make the trail happen.”
The rail trail fundraising campaign is community driven with volunteer Trail Ambassadors in Kelowna, Lake Country and Vernon working with campaign partners and business partners to raise awareness and inspire donations. The Community Foundation of North Okanagan and the Central Okanagan Foundation are collecting donations and providing tax receipts. Since the campaign began in May, communities have raised about $870,000, enough to fund nearly 5.5 km of trail construction.
“The response to the Nature’s Fare campaign has been fantastic," said Brad Clements, trail ambassador. “It is important to keep up the momentum in order to be prepared to start trail work next spring. Any businesses who would like to join in the campaign should contact us through the website: www.okanaganrailtrail.ca.”

Nature's Fare in Kelowna and Vernon raises more than $30,000 for Okanagan Rail Trail


Company applauds effort from its customers with matching donation program in two day campaign


An alumnus with a connection to Okanagan College that spans more than five decades has made a gift to inspire the next generation of tradespeople who will follow in his footsteps.
Lambert Schmalz, owner of Lambert & Paul Construction Ltd., pledged $50,000 toward the Bright Horizons campaign in support of the new Trades Training Complex at the college’s Kelowna campus.
The donation was matched by his friend and colleague Gord Wilson.
The new three-storey tower opened to students in April, as part of an overall $33-million, 10,000 sq. metre renovation and expansion project.
“The college and this region are very dear to me,” said Schmalz, who was born in Germany and immigrated to Canada in 1956 after completing his training as a journeyperson carpenter.
“I am proud to support the place where our future tradespeople will train.”
At that time, there were only 9,600 people in Kelowna and very few residential or commercial builders.
He says the opening of the College (then B.C. Vocational School) in 1963, helped spark the growth of the construction industry in the years that followed, and was critical in developing a culture of apprenticeship in the valley.
“Having come up through the European system of apprenticeship which has been going strong for hundreds of years, I was surprised by how little apprenticeship there was in the valley when I arrived,” explained Schmalz.
“I am pleased with the progress that has been made to change that over time, and the college has played a big role in that development.”
Schmalz’s involvement with the college has taken many forms over the years.
As a student, he took business courses in the mid-1960s, adding bookkeeping, drafting, and estimating to the skills he learned as a journeyman Carpenter travelling Europe.
He also served on the program advisory board for the carpentry program for more than a decade beginning in the 1970s.
In 2004, Okanagan University College conferred upon Schmalz an honourary doctorate, in recognition of his long-term involvement.
“Lambert has been a dedicated champion and supporter of the College for many years,” said Okanagan College president Jim Hamilton.
“We deeply appreciate his significant contributions to our institution and his dedication to advancing apprenticeship in the Okanagan.”
In addition to founding multiple contracting companies, Schmalz was also a founding member of the Okanagan chapter of the Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA), a professional organization that promotes affordability and choice in the residential construction industry.
Individuals and businesses from the construction sector have contributed more than $500,000 to the Bright Horizons campaign to date.
Schmalz recently challenged the valley’s builders to reach the $1-million mark.
“These tradespeople are our future work force,” said Schmalz. “If we don’t support them, who will?”
It is a message echoed by Gord Wilson. Wilson, owner of Team Construction, who also donated $50,000 to the campaign.
OC’s Trades Training Complex is now open to students; a grand opening is being planned for September.
The three-year capital construction project rejuvenated existing spaces to match the same sustainability standards of the new tower, which is targeting LEED Platinum, net-zero energy usage, and carbon-neutrality.
The complex will allow the college to train more than 2,700 students per year in Kelowna.
The Okanagan College Foundation is aiming to raise an additional $5 million for capital construction and $2 million for program and student support, to top up the provincial government’s $28 million investment.

Alumnus ante-up for Okanagan College's trades training


Lambert Schmalz and Gord Wilson each pledged $50,000 to Okanagan College's trades training facilities in Kelowna.


By JIM REITH, President Abbotsford Airshow
It is my pleasure to welcome you to the 2016 Abbotsford International Airshow – Heroes of the Skies! Gadgets, special suits, technology and the coolest flying machines… Learn what it takes to be a HERO at the 2016 Abbotsford International Airshow!
From August 12-14, Heroes of the Skies take flight over the Fraser Valley for the 54th annual Abbotsford International Airshow. Watch in awe as we welcome back the world-class Breitling Jet Team from Europe in the second and final year of their North American tour. Explore the McDonald’s Kids Zone and Science World on the Road! Experience Friday’s twilight show and fireworks finale! And, watch in awe as the Screamin’ Sasquatch Jet Waco, Boeing and US Navy Super Hornets, Snowbirds, Skyhawks and others take to the sky!
The Airshow is pleased to welcome the involvement of several key players in the aviation industry, including Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Eurofighter and more. Spectators will see Boeing’s involvement in dramatic fashion – as the aerospace giant will bring two jets to do corporate flying demos with a full array of simulated weapons, a simulation trailer and the test pilot will be available to talk about the exceptional capabilities of the aircraft. Lockheed Martin and Eurofighter are also on-site in various capacities with educational and promotional pieces.
“An aspect of the Airshow’s strategic vision is to strengthen key partnerships with aerospace organizations such as AIAC Pacific who produce an annual Aerospace & Defence trade show in conjunction with our airshow, and the CBAA which will hold its annual convention next year at Abbotsford in conjunction with the airshow as well. Looking to the future, we expect the Abbotsford Airshow will have a major aerospace trade show event occurring in the days prior to the public weekend show in the style of Farnborough and Paris airshows.”
Heroes of the Skies tell the stories of everyday women and men who work hard to make the world a better place, in their own communities and beyond. We are proud to honour them at this year’s Abbotsford International Airshow! Tickets for this action-packed weekend are available at Save-On-Foods or by clicking abbotsfordairshow.com.
Next Generation BC Amateur Photographer of the Year
Finalists for this year’s 4th annual Next Generation BC Amateur Photographer of the Year contest have now been selected. From Vernon to Victoria and from Surrey to Smithers, seventy finalists have been chosen from all corners of BC to move forward and compete in an intense competition at the Abbotsford International Airshow, where they will race against the clock to complete daily photo challenges. Finalists will shoot 10 of their best photographs and/or videos, to be reviewed by a judging panel — one will come out with the title of 2016 Next Generation Amateur Photographer of the Year. Almost 3,000 entries were received from 80 B.C. communities.
Whether you’re a finalist or not, this is a show you won’t want to miss: The Abbotsford International Airshow is world-renowned for its prestigious performers and family-friendly entertainment. The 2016 Airshow on August 12th through 14th will feature two jet teams, (Snowbirds and the European Breitling Jet Teams ) a Friday twilight show with fireworks, the Canadian Forces Skyhawks parachute team, and the US military jet, the Super Hornet to name but a few. More details visit www.abbotsfordairshow.com.
CLICK HERE FOR INTERACTIVE AIRSHOW SPECIAL INCLUDING VIDEO
Photographhs by Ken McAllister - 2015 Next Generation Amateur Photographer of the Year. Photographs featured from the 2015 Abbotsford Airshow.
Congratulations to all of the finalists in the 2016 Next Generation Amateur Photographer of the Year contest, sponsored by London Drugs, the Abbotsford International Airshow, and Black Press. To see photo gallery click here. See you there!


The Abbotsford International Airshow takes place Aug. 12-14 and includes US Navy Super Hornets and the Breitling Jet Team


BC Ferries sailings have been busier this year, thanks in part to strong tourist traffic and no net fare increase.
BC Ferries plans to continue its campaign of price promotions this fall and next spring in an effort to maintain increased passenger and vehicle traffic.
First-quarter results for the Crown corporation show passenger traffic up 2.5 per cent and vehicle loads up 5.1 per cent for the three months ended June 30, compared with the same period in 2015.
Buoyed by a strong tourist year for B.C. and no net fare increase, BC Ferries carried 5.3 million passengers and 2.1 million vehicles in April, May and June. The 1.9 per cent average fare hike was erased by a reduced fuel surcharge due to long-term contracts for cheaper diesel fuel.
Helped by reduced operating costs and higher retail sales from terminals and on-board gift shops, net earnings were $27 million for the quarter, up from $18.8 million in the same period last year. Revenues were up 4.9 per cent to $219 million, while costs for the quarter went up 1.5 per cent to $178.6 million.
BC Ferries CEO Mike Corrigan released the first-quarter results at the corporation's annual meeting in Victoria, where he also announced that unspecified pricing promotions will be offered this fall and next spring. This year BC Ferries has been offering discounts on over-length vehicles pulling boats or travel trailers.
Corrigan also announced he will be stepping down as CEO at the end of the fiscal year next March. He was promoted in 2012 to replace former CEO David Hahn, and presided over a controversial service review that saw sailings reduced on money-losing routes.
Transportation Minister Todd Stone praised Corrigan for reducing operating costs and embracing new technology, including three new medium-sized ferries using liquefied natural gas fuel that have been built in Poland.
LNG retrofits are also scheduled for the Spirit of B.C. and the Spirit of Vancouver Island, the workhorses of the main Tswassen-to-Vancouver Island route.
Corrigan's term also saw the first cable ferry in the BC Ferries fleet, the Baynes Sound Connector to Denman Island. Stone said the cable ferry cut fuel costs by half.

More discounts coming as BC Ferries traffic rises


Vehicle traffic up 5% with no net fare increase and discounts offered for vehicles pulling boats and travel trailers


OTTAWA – The federal labour minister was told earlier this year to give a positive signal to liquefied natural gas companies on the use of temporary foreign workers, but only if Canadians were considered first for jobs.
Labour Minister MaryAnn Mihychuk's officials told her in February that it was inevitable that companies would need temporary foreign workers to proceed with energy projects in Western Canada.
In a Feb. 1 briefing note, Mihychuk's officials write that the federal government can speed up how quickly it processes applications for temporary foreign workers, but couldn't waive requirements for liquefied natural gas projects.
The briefing note, prepared ahead of Mihychuk's meeting with David Keane, president of the BC LNG Alliance, recommends "signal support" for temporary foreign workers "on the condition that Canadians are considered first for available jobs ... and only used as a measure of last resort."
The Canadian Press obtained a copy of the briefing note under the Access to Information Act.
In an interview, Keane said Mihychuk didn't give any indication of how the government would decide on the issue of foreign workers involved in projects. He said the message Mihychuk provided was that the government wanted to review the temporary foreign worker program.
He didn't want to speculate about what the message from department officials may mean for the fate of projects that require federal approval.
Thousands of temporary foreign workers are expected to be needed to work on any of the 20 separate liquefied natural gas projects being reviewed in British Columbia, including the Pacific Northwest LNG project that the federal cabinet has to decide on this fall.
The briefing note says unions are unlikely to speak out publicly about the use of temporary foreign workers because they know the majority of jobs will go to union members and that Canadians will be first in line for jobs.
Keane said the plan is to hire a workforce derived from local aboriginal communities and provincial residents before looking across Canada.
"There will be probably a requirement, and I think everybody recognizes this, for temporary foreign workers to be able to build this industry, but we have a plan in place and are developing the plan and refining the plan to make sure that we look at Canadians first before we bring in temporary foreign workers," Keane said.
Jordan Press, The Canadian Press

Libs looking at foreign workers for liquefied gas projects


Federal labour minister advised to allow temporary foreign workers as a backup to Canadians as B.C. aims to build LNG plants


Okanagan apples
All workers, including those in the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program and those earning piece rate, must earn a minimum of $10.85 per hour. In order to convert piece rates to hourly rates, a timesheet must be kept for all workers, including those paid by piece rates.
The BCFGA had request the wage change take place at a different time of year to avoid the awkward mid-harvest timing, but was turned down.
For hourly workers, it is a requirement that they be paid a minimum additional four per cent vacation pay or given paid vacation leave equivalent to a minimum of four per cent.
For piece rate workers, vacation pay is included in the piece rate, so no additional vacation pay is required for piece rate work.
Also, seasonal farm workers are not required to be paid overtime for hours in excess of eight hours a day, or for hours worked on a Statutory Holiday. Overtime pay is not a requirement in agriculture and it is normal in B.C. and in all other jurisdictions that overtime is not paid in agriculture harvest work.
The minimum wage for liquor servers increases to $9.60 per hour on September 15, up from $9.20 per hour.

B.C.'s minimum wage increases on Sept. 15


The BC Fruit Growers Association is reminding employers that the minimum wage in B.C. increases to $10.85 per hour on Sept. 15.


One of the worst things I can hear from a client is that their hearing aids are in their drawer more often than they are in their ears.
Every time I hear this I am baffled, as I can’t fathom someone paying thousands of dollars for hearing aids only to keep them in their drawer.
As I meet with these people and start to ask questions, I will typically discover why they are not using their hearing aids.
One of three common reasons tend to arise.
Low Motivation: Many people decide to purchase hearing aids at the urging of a family member and are therefore quite reluctant to wear them.
These people have very low motivation and stop wearing hearing aids as soon as any degree of problem occurs.
They are almost looking for reasons to not wear their hearing aids.
Acclimatization: When most people decide to get hearing aids they will have typically been living with hearing loss for approximately seven years.
By the time they get fitted with hearing aids their brain has become accustomed to living in a very quiet world and has become used to a reduced level of stimulation.
After being fit with hearing aids the level of stimulation in the auditory cortex is increased significantly.
When this happens we can have a very unpleasant experience with the hearing aids as most sounds are perceived as being excessively loud. Many people would rather live in silence than to put up with living in a noisy world.
Hearing aids are not set properly: Your hearing aids are only as good as the hearing professional who has set them for you.
There are hearing aids out there that have not been set/programmed properly.
As a result certain sounds will be over-amplified while others will be under-amplified.
The end result is hearing aids that either do not provide sufficient benefit or are far too loud/noisy.
In many instances there is a simple problem that has not yet been addressed adequately with the hearing aids.
Perhaps the hearing aid is too tight, has feedback, or is not staying in the ear properly.
These problems can typically be addressed very easily with a single appointment with your hearing professional.
In other instances, the problem is that the hearing aids are not set properly.
If this is the case you would be wise to return to your hearing aid provider and explain your problems.
They should then take the time and start the fitting process over from the beginning.
The fitting of a new hearing aid involves several appointments over a period of two to three months.
During this period of time the hearing aids are set at a softer ‘beginners’ level and are then gradually turned louder over time.
Many appointments are needed throughout this process where your hearing professional can iron out the inevitable wrinkles that can crop up.
But in the end, never keep hearing aids that are not working properly for you.
All hearing aids come with a return period which typically varies from 60 to 100 days depending on where you get them from.
If you have reached the end of your trial period and are not confident that you have made a good decision with the hearing aids, either request a trial period extension or return them.
Never should you keep a hearing aid that will end up in the drawer.

VanBergen: Keep your hearing aids in your ears, not in the drawer


I can’t fathom someone paying thousands of dollars for hearing aids only to keep them in their drawer.


Modified versions of the 1969 Camaro SS and other popular vehicles will soon be eligible for B.C. collector plates, allowing occasional use for parades and car shows.
The B.C. government is expanding its collector vehicle licence system to include eligible modified cars made between 1958 and 1974, to capture the popular "muscle car" era of the 1960s.
The ICBC collector plate program gives car enthusiasts a lower-cost licence plate that allows occasional use for parades and classic car shows. ICBC plans to take applications starting in 2017 for eligible modified vehicles up to 1974, and replica cars resembling North American production cars from 1942 and earlier.
With strict rules that the cars must be in "collectible condition," changes will take in modified popular cars from the Dodge Duster to the Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang, as well as replicas of the popular Ford "deuce coupe" from the 1930s.
Premier Christy Clark announced a break for older cars this spring, allowing vehicles from 1940 or earlier and their replicas to run without fenders or mud flaps when the highway is dry and paved.
Transportation Minister Todd Stone said the collector car industry is significant for B.C., with registered collector vehicles having doubled to 26,000 in the past 10 years.
"We want to see this specialty vehicle program remain viable, preserve vehicle history and evolve with the times," Stone said. "That's why we are opening up the opportunity to owners of specialty cars within the 'muscle car' era."
Currently, the standard collector plate is available to cars 25 years or older, as well as discontinued or limited production vehicles 15 years or older. It requires a stock engine with no performance enhancements, no rust, dents or "significant wear and tear" of the interior.
Modified vehicles from 1958 or older are currently eligible for collector plates, if they retain the shell of the original body but have parts replaced or modified in the chassis, engine, suspension, steering or brakes.
Owners have to apply for a collector or modified collector plate, with purchase and parts bills, photos and inspection reports.
Applications for collector and modified collector programs are available on ICBC's website, www.icbc.com, and can be dropped off at Autoplan brokers.

Collector program expanding to 'muscle cars'


Collector plates will be available next year for modified as well as stock cars made between 1958 and 1974


An original movie series, Hallmark’s Autumn in the Vineyard, will be filming in Oliver starting Sunday, Aug. 28.
Production started in Vancouver on Aug. 14 and will continue in an Oliver vineyard this Sunday with filming until Aug. 3.
This original movie series will be airing on Saturday nights throughout October, premiering on Saturday, Oct. 15, at 9 p.m. on the Hallmark Channel in the US.
After just finishing filming Hallmark’s Summer Love movie series in mid-July in B.C., Rachael Leigh Cook (Robot Chicken, Perception) is back in B.C. to star in Autumn in the Vineyard.
The story is based on the 2013 book of the same name written by Marina Adair. Autumn in the Vineyard follows Frankie Baudouin, an aspiring winemaker who wants to turn his ranch into an award-winning winery.
Nate DeLuca has the same plans. The two have to put their differences and distrust aside in order to make their dreams come true, and somewhere along the way they begin to fall in love.
Jon Summerland, Okanagan Film Commissioner said in a press release Friday, “The Okanagan is often compared to California’s Napa Valley where the story is set. Once again, our beautiful Okanagan locations are bringing more and more productions to the region.”
For more information on the Okanagan Film Commission and all of the current productions visit okanaganfilm.com

Hallmark set to start filming movie in Oliver on Sunday


Hallmark shoots series, Autumn in the Vineyard, starting Aug. 28. Series airs starting October.


Passing on an appreciation for culture, music and sport is one of the most important things one generation can do for the next.
Here in Kelowna, we are fortunate to have many clubs, societies and organizations that provide opportunities for us and our children to benefit from pursuing cultural, athletic and musical interests.
This month, I and my local MLA colleagues Christy Clark (Westside-Kelowna) and Steve Thomson (Kelowna-Mission), announced 14 organizations offering sport, arts and culture programs in Kelowna have received $335,000 through the government’s community gaming grant program.
Provincewide, these grants benefit more than 5,000 local non-profits every year, providing
$135 million in total funds, and helping enrich the lives of our families by keeping these extracurricular activities affordable.
Whether at home or within the community, being involved in music or sport and having access to cultural activities can have a significant positive impact on us and on our kids.
These pursuits foster an awareness of the broader world in which we live by informing us about those who came before us.
They present us with role models that spark our ambition and teach valuable life lessons in commitment, perseverance and triumph over adversity.
In Kelowna, five long-established musical organizations received grants this year. The Kelowna City Concert Band has been performing here for well over 100 years, while the Kelowna International Choir and the Okanagan Festival Singers have both been delighting audiences for 30 years.
Meanwhile, our residents and children have benefited from the Kelowna Community Music School’s instruction for a full 40 years, while the Early Music Studio has been making music from traditional, period instruments in Kelowna for 20 years.
I’m glad to know our grants will help these fine institutions continue to bring music into our community.
Sport programs are also very important in Kelowna, and six sport organizations benefited from grants this year.
Kelowna’s Springboard Diving Club, Volleyball Club, Youth Soccer Association and Ringette Association, as well as the West Kelowna Minor Hockey Association and the Westside Ringette Association will use these funds to get our community moving and keep our kids progressing in the activities they love.
Finally, the Arts Council of the Central Okanagan, the Central Okanagan Heritage Society and the Kelowna Art Gallery Association will also get grants to continue their good work of giving our community access to local history and art.
I know our community is a better place to live and raise a family because of organizations like these, and I’m proud to see them receiving such important support from the government.
If you know of a non-profit organization that serves our community and could benefit from supplemental funding, feel free to call my office at 250-765-8516 (or toll free at 866-765-8516) to find out more about how to apply for community gaming grants through the Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development.
Norm Letnick is the Liberal MLA for Kelowna-Lake Country and B.C.’s agriculture minister.

Letnick: Arts, culture, sport grants awarded


Being involved in music or sport and having access to cultural activities can have a significant positive impact on us and on our kids.


Who is a 'spouse' under the Wills Estates and Succession Act (WESA)?
Firstly, it is important to take a look at how WESA actually defines a spouse. A spouse includes both married and unmarried spouses who have lived with each other in a marriage-like relationship, including a marriage-like relationship between persons of the same gender, for at least two years.
This two-year requirement for couples living in marriage-like relationships to acquire the status of 'spouse' and be treated on the same basis as legally married persons is consistent with other B.C. Acts that define the term spouse.
Marriage
Previously, a will was automatically revoked if the will-maker married after the will was executed, unless the will expressly states that it was being made “in contemplation of marriage.”
Now a will is no longer automatically revoked by the subsequent marriage of the will-maker.
That being said, it is still strongly recommended that wills be reviewed whenever a major event, such as a marriage or birth of a child, occurs in a person's life. A marriage is certainly an important life event and consideration needs to be given to spousal provisions in your new wills.
Divorce
Under the old law, a person would be automatically disinherited from their spouse's will if they divorced their spouse, their marriage was annulled by the court or if there was a judicial separation. Section 56(2) of WESA, simply states that an “appointment of or gift to the surviving spouse is revoked if the spouses had ceased to be spouse.”
Note the definition of spouse above. Thus, if spouses separate and forget to re-do their wills, any appointments and gifts to the former spouse made thereunder will be revoked.
Again, this is not a reason not to update your wills. If a major life event occurs, such as a separation or divorce, it is very important to have your entire estate plan looked at by a lawyer.

DeDominicis: Marriage or divorce and their effect on your will


Spousal relationships, or the breakdown of those relationships, can have a huge impact on your estate planning


As we continue to move down the road to legalizing cannabis for medicinal and recreational use, we must also continue to research its effects—both the potentially therapeutic and the potentially harmful.
For years there has been a perceived link between marijuana use and the development of psychotic symptoms. Though an association has been seen, there have been limitations in the studies done to date.
We have not been able to determine whether a prior history of regular cannabis use increases an adolescent’s risk of experiencing persistent psychotic symptoms even after drug use has stopped for several months or years.
Also, it has been unclear whether the association between adolescent marijuana use and later psychotic symptoms is actually causal or a function of other factors. Some wonder whether cannabis causes symptoms or whether people already with those symptoms are more likely to attempt to self-medicate with cannabis.
A study published in May examined this relationship in more than 1,000 adolescent boys to determine whether those with regular marijuana use had a systemic increase in psychotic symptoms that persisted even during periods of abstinence from cannabis use.
Results found that regular adolescent marijuana use may significantly increase the likelihood of developing persistent psychotic symptoms.
For each year adolescent boys regularly used marijuana, their expected level of psychotic symptoms rose by 21 per cent, their odds of experiencing paranoia went up 133 per cent, and hallucinations 92 per cent. Further, the effect of marijuana use on psychotic symptoms persisted even when the teens stopped using the drug for a year.
No support was found for the self-medication theory—the subjects were not more likely to use marijuana after their psychotic symptoms increased.
This is a good step forward in our understanding of the relationship between marijuana use and the development of psychotic symptoms and disorders. However, more research is needed. For example, this study examined only boys from one geographic region. Future studies should look at girls as well and a variety of environments.
Future research should also examine how many individuals with psychotic symptoms went on to develop full-blown psychotic disorders in adulthood and whether linkages remain important after accounting for other factors.
What we can see though is that there does seem to be a causal relationship between regular marijuana use during adolescence and the development of psychotic symptoms that can persist even after drug use has stopped. This should be considered when we give young people information about recreational or medicinal use of this product.

Latimer: Marijuana and its effects on adolescents


…there does seem to be a relationship between regular marijuana use during adolescence and psychotic symptoms that can persist.


Letter: Politicians: Get off you bums and fix our gas prices
To the editor:
I am continually amazed that we in the Okanagan Valley are taken advantage of every day.
As I am currently in Ontario for a few weeks, I find gas prices ranged from 90 cents per litre to 94 cents per litre.
What I notice here is the amount of competition among all the different gas stations. Unlike the Okanagan Valley where gas prices are fixed by the distributor and/or fixed by oil company management, the fact is, there seems to be no one with a spine to stop these greedy bastards.
Oil is at an all-time low and we are paying the highest prices in the country by 26 cents per litre. Newfoundland, where everything is brought to the island by ship, is paying $1.15 per litre. Victoria B.C. is paying $1.12 per litre.
When asked why we are getting the big shaft, we are told it is the cost of freight. What bull. Our gas comes from Kamloops, 166 km away. London’s gas comes from Sarnia which is 112 km away.
So, maybe it is time for the people of this valley to start calling their elected officials and tell them in no uncertain terms to get off their ass and start doing something about these inflated fixed gas prices here in the valley taking place right under their noses.
I realize the politicians don’t give a damn as their gas is paid for by us, the taxpayer. Election time is around the corner and it is high time we started asking some serious questions and demanding some serious results from these pigs at the trough we are paying six figure plus incomes to and golden pensions.
Ian MacLean, Kelowna

Letter: Politicians-Get off you bums and fix our gas prices


Newfoundland, where everything is brought to the island by ship, is paying $1.15 per litre.


By type, I mean species.
The genus Hydrangea includes more than 70 species, several of which will grow in Okanagan gardens.
There are actually only three common ones and a fourth if you include Hydrangea petiolaris, the climbing hydrangea, which by the way only needs pruning to control where it’s going for size and shape.
The three main species are H macrophylla big leaf hydrangea, H arborescens smooth hydrangea and H paniculata the panicled hydrangea.
Examples of not so common species are H sargentiana sargents hydrangea and H quercifola oak leafed hydrangea.
Although these two are not so common, they do make desirable specimen plants in Okanagan gardens.
Pruning practices for the different species vary.
Let’s take the H arborescens first; these include the very popular ‘Annabelle’ and newer varieties such as ‘Incrediball’ and ‘Invincibelle.’
All varieties have large ball-shaped blossom heads opening at first with a green colour, usually turning white to cream then drying to bronze as the season comes to an end.
These are best pruned first thing in spring before they leaf out.
They can be pruned hard to six inches from the ground or left a bit higher if they are in a sunny location.
You want to avoid too tall or the plant will be spindly especially in the shade.
Because the bloom heads are so large and dense they become very heavy in wet weather and will droop to the ground if the stems aren’t strong enough to hold them.
The H paniculata sports conical shaped blossoms with several new and exciting varieties available.
Varieties to look for are ‘Unique’ ‘Fire Light’ ‘Pinky Winky’ and ‘Quick Fire’; these are all exciting varieties and all are very hardy and reliable bloomers.
This group can be pruned in spring to about the two-foot level and at the same time very old wood can be removed to promote renewal. All are very good for drying to make beautiful dried arrangements for indoor use.
The type of hydrangea that really put on a rare spectacular showing this year is the H macrophylla with its gorgeous blues and pinks.
I say rare because usually these can be quite sporadic with their performance often due to a cold winter freezing the bloom buds or incorrect pruning techniques.
Prune this group after the current seasons blossoms have finished and beginning to dry up.
Don’t prune hard as they bloom on old wood and you need to preserve the fat looking bloom buds.
If in doubt its best to leave these alone to avoid taking out the blooming wood.
There you have it a short lesson on how to prune you hydrangea.
Just a note on the blue and pink macrophylla: To keep that nice deep colour in the blue varieties apply aluminum sulphate in spring and re-apply in June.
The pinks have no problem staying a deep pink with our alkaline conditions in the Okanagan.

Burnett: Gardening advice on how to prune hydrangeas


So often I am asked how to prune hydrangeas and my answer always begins with what type of hydrangea are we dealing with.


The union representing most workers at Canada Post has issued a 72-hour notice of job action as it tries to bargain a collective agreement with the Crown corporation.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers says the notice spells out what actions it is planning, but stops short of a full-blown walkout.
CUPW national president Mike Palecek says Canada Post forced the labour disruption by refusing to accept a request from the federal labour minister to continue negotiations with the help of a special mediator.
But a spokesman for the agency says that's not the case.
The union's strike mandate was set to expire at midnight.
The two sides have been in negotiations for more than nine months but are far apart on key issues including pay equity for rural carriers and proposed changes to the Canada Post pension plan.
The Canadian Press

Postal union issues strike notice after it says Canada Post refused special mediator


Notice means delivery could be cancelled as early as Monday


Cycling orchard-lined roads, touring between vineyards, cruising the Kettle valley railway, flowing down trails at Smith Creek, or eagerly awaiting completion of the Okanagan rail trail—cycling offers something for everyone in the beautiful Okanagan.
After an injury or surgery, my patients commonly ask: “Do you think I’m ready to get back on my bike?”
More often than not, the answer is yes. The bicycle is such a fantastic tool for rehabilitation and exercise, producing low impact forces on the body, while promoting lower limb range of motion and strength. However, whether your goal is rehabilitation, fitness, competing in the next triathlon, or just plain enjoyment, you should be aware of some common aches and pains that can stem from time on your bike.
Necks, backs and knees are the most common areas of complaint from cyclists.
Sure, cycling is low impact but it can also require long periods of time in sustained postures. When a muscle is in a prolonged contraction its blood flow is limited, its pH level drops becoming more acidic, at which time the muscle will begin to fatigue and complain.
Experiencing muscle fatigue and mild pain is a normal process of getting stronger, however only when balanced with adequate recovery time. Prolonged load beyond your tissues tolerance and inadequate recovery time are the primary reasons for injuries on the bike.
If you’re new to cycling or getting back on the bike after a long hiatus, I would encourage you to adhere to the following three principles.
1. Get your bike properly fitted to you. A well fitted bike creates an efficient posture, significantly reducing unwanted loading on your neck, back and knees. Your local bike store can guide you in this process.
2. Start low and build slow. Gradually increasing the load on your bodies tissues and allowing recovery after a ride will allow your tissues to adapt, becoming more tolerant to prolonged postures on the bike.
3. Develop your core strength. The concept of ‘core strength’ is an over promoted concept but when it comes to cycling, having strong gluts and lower back muscles will help to maintain an efficient posture for producing power through the legs and minimizing strain on your back in the process. Consider consulting a physiotherapist or exercise professional for a few core strengthening exercises that can be performed off the bike two to three times a week.
The benefits of cycling far outweigh any of the potential aches and pains mentioned above. Train smartly by adhering to the above principles and continue to experience the joys of cycling in the Okanagan. Maybe I’ll see you at next year's Apple triathlon?


Three principles to build your strength and enjoyment of bicycle riding.


Wood products exports from Canada to Asia were down 18 per cent in the first six months of 2016, with the biggest decline being softwood lumber from B.C. to China, according to the Seattle-based Wood Resources International.
Lumber sales to China are on pace to drop by 50 per cent this year compared to 2014, as B.C. lumber producers direct their sales to a healthy U.S. lumber market, according to customs data tracked for the Wood Resources Quarterly (www.woodprices.com).
The latest edition notes that by value, 75 per cent of B.C.'s exports to Asia in 2015 and 2016 are in the form of lumber, while 77 per cent of exports from Washington and Oregon are logs.
Asian demand reached a record high in 2013, with China passing Japan as the largest importer of North American wood products in 2011. The B.C. and federal governments promote wood construction in China and Japan, and B.C.'s forest minister is required to conduct an annual trade mission to China, Japan and other Asian countries.
The shift in demand provides extra urgency for talks to renew the Canada-U.S. softwood lumber agreement that expired last year. B.C. sales are booming without the export cap that both Ottawa and Washington have agreed will be required.

Lumber exports shift to U.S. as China sales slump


Asian demand for B.C. wood products peaked in 2013, analyst says China sales on pace for 50 per cent drop


B.C. has 300 seniors' care facilities, and residents and their loved ones are to be surveyed on conditions.
More than 250 volunteers have signed up to compile a survey of seniors in residential care, and B.C.'s Seniors Advocate is looking for more.
The 27,000 seniors living in 300 residential care facilities around the province are being asked about their experience with care home staff, the quality of food, privacy, medications and other conditions.
It's the first comprehensive survey done in B.C., to measure resident satisfaction and provide a "roadmap" for improvements, said Seniors Advocate Isobel Mackenzie.
Interviews will be conducted in person by trained volunteers, and a matching mail-out survey will be sent to each resident's most frequent visitor.
The project is seeking volunteers with a range of professional backgrounds, ages and ethnicities. To apply as a volunteer, visit www.surveybcseniors.org or call the Office of the Seniors Advocate at 1-877-952-3181.


Volunteers to ask seniors about staff, food, privacy, medications and other conditions in residential care


“He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything.”
—Unknown
Not only can spending hours in a wheelchair or bed be uncomfortable, but it also leads to weak muscles, joint and muscle stiffness, weight gain and weakened heart and lungs.
If you’re an individual experiencing a physical disability, you might find yourself caught in vicious cycle of limited mobility and decreased physical activity accompanied by weight gain.
The more weight you gain, the harder it becomes to exercise. The more inactive you become, the more weight you gain. And so the cycle goes, one that can be very frustrating and discouraging.
Being overweight is only one problem. Being overweight also greatly increases the risks for other health issues such as heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, type 2 diabetes, arthritis, cancer and sleep apnea. With this in mind, it’s very significant to find an exercise and healthy eating program that can help with your weight maintenance and/or weight loss.
While moving as much as possible is important for anyone with weak or disabled legs, how do you accomplish this when many exercises involve the use of functioning legs? Often times individuals who have lost functioning in the legs, arms or other parts of the body become discouraged, believe it is pointless or too difficult to exercise with their disabilities.
There are many ways those with physical impairments can still exercise and be more active:
• An arm cycle or arm ergo meter—a great way to get cardiovascular exercise for those in a wheelchair.
• Water exercise—if you have some leg function water aerobics classes will help improve your cardiovascular and strengthen your legs. If you do not have leg function there is still much you can do for cardio and stretching while using a belt, floating on a noodle or having a partner assist you in exercising the upper body and trunk.
• Chair exercises—Performing resistance exercises with an exercise band or light dumbbells will build bone and muscle strength. You can begin by wrapping your resistance band under your bed or chair to perform bicep curls, triceps extensions, front and side shoulder raises, and shoulder press exercises. Wrap a resistance band from around the back of your chair, grab the handles and push away from your chest to perform a chest press. To work the opposing muscle group wrap the band around a pole and pull the handles towards your body to work the back.
• To gain strength—focus on using a thicker resistance band or dumbbells that you can only lift 10 to 12 times .Perform two to three sets per exercise (resting 30 seconds between sets) three times a week with a day between workouts for muscle recovery.
• Workout videos—easy way to get some exercise by just following along with the routine.


With a disability you might find yourself caught in vicious cycle of limited mobility and decreased physical activity.


My last column talked about caregiver burnout resulted in me speaking to several caregivers caring for their spouses, and how it had brought them to a realization of their own inner feelings about their situation.
The purpose of my writing about the symptoms of this place we can arrive at where we want to just escape, to leave, to push away all that is happening was to offer an opportunity to do something differently.
Having been a caregiving personality all my life, I fully understand the conflict that can arise in oneself when attuned continually to giving and the programming that this emanates from.
Especially as we age and continue in life with a particular pattern of behaviour, often our deepest emotions about these situations cause us to revert to a sense of wanting to flee, or to fight or to freeze.
In all of these reactive states, we are in a form of resistance against what is.
How do we counter the conditioning to control our inner experience which leaves us trapped inside a painful mood?
How do we change the cycle of not fully being with what is, embracing the feelings that arise with that acknowledgment so we can come to a greater understanding of what is triggering these emotions and open up a space for acceptance to enter?
I think for many of us, we truly desire a greater connection to peace and grace as we are aging.
We’ve been there and done that so many times, there is a genuine willingness to change.
This authentic intention is very important. For me it came fully into being as I watched my mom struggle at the end of her life to let go as I cared for her through those intense last months.
She would not surrender. She kept fighting and it was painful to watch.
I decided I did not want to replay this in my own life, and it opened up a sincere openness to discover how I might accomplish this.
The answers have come slowly and developing a practice to liberate my consciousness is the pathway to healing that I think so many of us seek.
Freedom comes with a pausing, being with what is and having the courage to realize that our reactions to circumstances do not come from anything outside of us, but from our own perceptions of what we feel we need to do to be loved, feel safe or feel like we belong.
Mindfulness is a practice of being present in the moment with what is.
Instead of pushing our feelings away, we pause and be with them whatever they are.
Often when caregiving for some length of time, the first emotion you may connect with is anger or frustration, a resentment of what you are going through.
If you ask, “What is going on inside me right now?” and then breathe deeply into that and let it be, let it expand, this is mindfulness.
It takes courage to name whatever you feel and accept it.
As you do, you make room for a door to open to what is underneath.
Ask what this is. It may be fear or it may be feelings of guilt or perhaps sadness.
Let each emotion be felt and use your breath to embrace it without judgment.
As we do this, it allows for a shift to occur. One that will take us to being able to act from right action, not from habit, or protection, but from a more compassionate place for ourselves and for those around us.
We are listening, truly listening to a voice within us and in this acceptance we can move to being able to respond, rather that react.
This frees up an amazing amount of energy to move from resistance to acceptance.
Carl Rogers said, “It wasn’t until I accepted myself just as I am, that I was given the freedom to change.”
Engaging with how it is and allowing it, frees it. It moves you from resignation, which is very different from authentic acceptance.
Opening to whatever is can be heartbreaking, but let the heart break.
Let the natural inclination to resist soften, and use the intention to do so as an invitation to receive the support that will allow it to happen, one little step at a time.
A wise man said, “If you let go a little, you find a little peace. If you let go a lot, you find a lot of peace. If you let go absolutely, you find absolute peace and tranquility.”
Danna Faulds in her poem White Dove says it with such wisdom:
“In the shared quiet, an invitation arises like a white dove lifting from a limb and taking flight.
“Come and live in truth.
“Take your place in the flow of grace.
“Draw aside the veil you thought would always separate your heart from love.
“All you ever longed for is before you in this moment if you dare draw in a breath and whisper ‘Yes.’”


I fully understand the conflict that can arise in oneself when attuned continually to giving and the programming that this emanates from.


A beach water quality advisory has been lifted for two beaches in Lake Country.
Beach water test results from last week on Wood Lake have improved and the August 19th swimming and beach water quality advisory has been removed for Beasley Park and Reiswig Park on Wood Lake.
According to Interior Health, lake water is not pristine, and beach water quality can fluctuate due to a number of factors including lake currents, runoff and the outflow of creeks, changing environmental factors and waterfowl and animal waste.
The advisory was put in place on August 19 due to poor water quality but has now been taken down.
Additionally, Water Quality is typically poorer in the summer when the warm weather escalates bacterial growth and swimmers stir up the lake bottom.
A Swimming Advisory is a notice to swimmers that bacterial levels are currently higher than those allowed in the Guidelines for Canadian Recreational Water Quality. The maximum allowable number of E. coli bacteria in recreational water is 200 per 100-millilitre sample. IHA recommends an advisory when the bacterial counts geometric mean is high over a period of multiple samples.
For more information on beach water quality, contact Interior Health at 250 862-4200.

Swiming/beach water quality advisory lifted for Lake Country's Beasley, Reiswig parks


Water test results from last week put the water as safe to swim in