NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING – AREA A REGIONAL PARKS Please join us on Monday, October 28, 2019 to discuss the future of Crawford Bay Regional Park.
Crawford Bay Regional Park is composed of approximately 70 hectares that were acquired in October 2018. The acquisition involved strategically located properties which are integral to the ongoing public use of the Crawford Bay beach, wetland and trail network.
The purpose of the meeting is for Area A Director, Garry Jackman and Regional District staff to provide a community update which will consider the property acquisition, operation, planning and future opportunities for the park.
Date: Monday, October 28, 2019
Time: 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Location: Crawford Bay Hall (Address: 16230 Wadds Road, Crawford Bay)
For further information, please contact: Mark Crowe, Regional Parks Planner. Phone: (250) 352-8172. Email: mcrowe@rdck.bc.ca Web: www.rdck.ca
STARBELLY JAM AGM: Starbelly Jam Music Society invites you to attend our AGM to review 2019, elect directors, and discuss the future of Starbelly. Saturday October 26th. Saturday October 26 at the Gray Creek Hall @ 4 pm. Please attend this important event. Starbelly needs your input and participation.
ABOUT DIEMM PERFORMANCE
On October 26, the folk harpist phenom, Diemm, will be in town to play Gray Creek Hall in support of her recent album “Ten Thousand Miracles”.
Created in a tiny tree house in the interior British Columbian forest, her new album is imbued with mysticism, surrender and trust. It consists of fourteen tracks that draw inspiration from her home and of the natural landscape. Produced by Diemm and Adham Shaikh (Buckman Coe / Monkey Dragon) – the album is a magical voyage full of twists and turns. The music she has brought into being is a unique Chamber Folk sound focused on the harp, double bass, and tasty percussion featuring the udu. Plus, as the ultimate lyricist, her poems have been compared to the likes of Pablo Neruda, Leonard Cohen, and Rumi.
This September finds Diemm hitting the road for an in-depth tour to celebrate the launch of the record. “I’ve chosen beautiful churches and halls with great acoustics, to present this music,” she says, “I’m curious to see where else the songs will take me.”
Please be on the lookout for Jackson Wilkinson. He went missing from the Riondel area sometime in the night of October 11th or the morning of October 12th. The family is desperate to locate him and appreciates any help.
Jackson’s disappearance coincides with a troubling Facebook post in which he talks about his past and trouble he’s faced. The family is asking for everyone to be watching for signs of Jackson who may have left the area by hitchhiking.
A family member wrote in a Facebook post: BOLO To all my friend in East and West Kootenays and the Calgary area please keep an eye out for this young man his name is Jackson Wilkinson. Please share far and near so we can get him to safety. Please contact Lana Wilkinson at 250-432-9800. HE NEEDS TO KNOW HE ISN’T ALONE IN THIS WORLD AND PEOPLE LOVE HIM. He went missing from Riondel, BC and could be heading anywhere by walking or hitchhiking.
submitted by Catherine White/Shannon Mulhall for Focus on Health
Every month starting in October through to April,
Focus on Health invites local experts and professionals, to speak on health
topics that are important to our community.
On October 10th,
Kim Young will be presenting Fall Prevention and Re-gaining Balance and Stability. Kim is a Director with the East Shore
Kootenay Lake Community Health Society, a Precision Nutrition certified
Holistic Health and Wellness Coach, Functional Aging Specialist and Reiki
Master who lives in Kootenay Bay with her husband Jim and their dog Jax.
Recently, I had
the opportunity to speak with Kim about Functional Aging and its important role
in helping those that are 50+ maintain their independence and enhance their
quality of life using strength training and functional movement exercises.
As we age, it is
normal to lose bone mass and some muscle strength. These two factors can contribute to falls and
potentially serious injury requiring hospitalization. About one third of the senior population over
the age of 65 falls each year, but since many incidents go unreported by
seniors, and unrecognized by family members or caregivers – this estimate is
most likely quite low.
While many falls
do not result in injuries, 47% of non-injured seniors who fall cannot get up without
assistance. For seniors who fall and are
unable to get up on their own, the period of time spent immobile often affects
their health outcomes. Muscle cell
breakdown starts to occur within 30-60 minutes of compression due to
falling. Dehydration, pressure sores,
hypothermia, and pneumonia are other complications that may result.
Falls with or without
injury, also carry a heavy quality of life impact. A growing number of older adults fear falling
and as a result, limit their activities and social engagements. This can result in further physical decline,
depression, social isolation, and feelings of helplessness. The most profound effect of falling is the
loss of independent living.
We’ve all heard
the saying, “use it or lose it.”
Luckily, our bodies have the amazing ability to regain a majority of our
previous fitness level, thanks to muscle memory. By practicing functional balance and
flexibility exercises, the body and mind are strengthened. Day to day activities rely on our body and
mind to communicate and work as a team.
When faced with a
loss of balance, someone who has maintained a level of functional strength and
mobility, experiences a more intuitive response. The body and mind work together in correcting
the imbalance and react appropriately to prevent the fall. However, should a fall be unavoidable,
getting up independently afterward reduces the potential for serious injury and
extended medical attention.
Join Us! So grab your neighbour and join us on October 10th at the Crawford Bay Hall. Please wear comfortable clothing as this presentation includes practicing balance and stability exercises. All mobility levels are welcome.!
Admission is $5 and includes soup served at 12 noon, followed by a presentation from 12:30 to 1:30. For more information or to volunteer with soup making, please contact Cathy White at calywh@telus.net or (403)304-2622. Complimentary blood pressure monitoring is provided by Sharon Webster, Community Paramedic Riondel.
Transportation is also available through Better at Home. Please contact Rebecca Fuzzen at (250)505-6717 to book your ride.
On another health note: please be advised that there will be no lab hours at the East Shore Health Centre on Weds, Oct 9. Sorry for any inconvenience.
Kootenay Lake ferry issues are drawing community members together from all sides of the lake for a Unity Sailing highlighting Our Ferry Matters on Friday, October 4 starting at 3:00 pm at the Kootenay Lake Ferry Landing.
Plans call for a peaceful gathering to draw attention to the importance of the ferry to the Kootenay region. SCHEDULE (Pending ferry availability) 3:00 pm: East Shore people meet at Kootenay Bay Ferry Landing 3:40 pm: Group rides the ferry with signs and songs 4:00 pm: West Shore people meet at Balfour Ferry Landing 4:30 pm: Group rides the ferry back to Kootenay Bay, joined by returning students and workers 5:20 pm: West Shore people return home on ferry
“We are coming together to take a stand for a safe, reliable, sustainable ferry service over the long-term,” says Megan Rokeby-Thomas of Kootenay Bay – one of the key organizers. “All our lake communities’ economies are linked and any disruption to our ferry affects small business and employment on both sides of Kootenay Lake. Lives, jobs and educations are at risk!”
The organizing group is collecting personal stories of hardship caused by the current unpredictability of ferry schedules.
They are calling for: *People to participate on Friday as a show of unity and determination.
*Sharing of stories, writing letters, connecting on the Our Ferry Matters website.
*Action by the provincial government to end the uncertainty that the labour relations are causing.
“We expect a big crowd! This is about coming together in unity for the good of all our communities and our futures. This is not about terminal location debates or dredging — this is about advocating for a sustainable ferry service that we all need and want,” says Gauri Taylor-Topp of Yasodhara Ashram. “The lake is all about connections,” agrees Janet Wallace of Crawford Bay.
Please Help with this Important Issue That Affects Us All! ourferrymatters.ca
For more information contact: Megan Rokeby-Thomas, Ladybug Coffee, Kootenay Bay 250-354-3753 Gauri Taylor-Topp, Yasodhara Ashram 250-505-9635 Toll free: 1-800-661-8711 Janet Wallace, Artisans of Crawford Bay 250-227-9655 Toll free: 1-866-931-8464 Supported by the Kootenay Lake Chamber of Commerce
WE ARE PROTESTING THE FERRY STRIKE AND SERVICE AND THE DISASTROUS DREDGING THAT WILL BE GOING ON IN KOOTENAY LAKE. LET OUR VOICES BE HEARD – LET EVERYONE KNOW!
SIGNS HAVE BEEN MADE (available for pick up at the Ladybug Cafe, Gray Creek Store, or Info Booth) BUT BRING YOUR OWN IF YOU CAN!
SATURDAY, Sept 28th at 9 AM AT THE FERRY LANDING IN KOOTENAY BAY.
Job Action/Overtime Ban/Essential Sailings Priority Boarding Information
red stamp on white background
from the Mainstreet news desk
Sept 23/19 – East Shore Kootenay Lake: Readers can still go to ferries.bcgeu.ca for info about the current and next day’s sailing plan. Mainstreet also had a discussion with Bryan Coe, Marine Superintendent with Western Pacific Marine to talk about the priority boarding concerns during essential-sailing-only times (such as Tuesday, Sept 24/19, where there will only be sailing at 6:30am/8:10am and 4:30am from Balfour, with return trips from Kootenay Bay).
Coe says he has been and will be down at the landing during these restricted sailing times, sometimes along with the picket captain from the BCGEU, identifying travellers and answering questions. At this point, no one is being turned away when the boat is sailing, but Coe says that will likely come.
He stated, “People shouldn’t avoid travel right now for fear of not getting on… YET…” He said that it will happen later if true strike action comes back into play. Right now, with job action (the overtime ban) and essential sailings occurring, he encourages health professionals, teachers and students to carry their ID’s to be sure of travel, but it hasn’t been necessary to provide that information yet. He also stated that later, in a true strike situation with essential service runs going on, he might okay a traveller to board, but be overruled by the picket captain, so asks for people to carry whatever ID they can to prove their priority for travel.
In the meantime, Coe is happy to answer questions. You can email him at bryanklf@shawbiz.ca or call him at 250.354.7658 or the main office at 250.229.5650. Coe cautioned that we can likely expect to see this kind of scheduling for the rest of the week and beyond.
Click on the pdf above to look at the Essential Service Agreement Order for Kootenay Lake, submitted by Jocelyn Wagner, Communications Officer for the BCGEU.
Sept 21/19 – East Shore, Kootenay Lake: The “Overtime Ban” that is now effective for BCGEU employees on the Kootenay Lake Ferry was decided upon on September 16.
The first implementation of this ban is on Sept 21/19, resulting in the last ferry for the day leaving Kootenay Bay at 2pm and no further ferries sailing until the first ferry on Sunday, Sept 22/19. The union states on their Save Our Service website (ferries.bcgeu.ca), “due to staffing shortages, we are unable to meet safe sailing requirements” during this time and would be discontinuing service for the final six sailing of the day.
Mainstreet, in discussion with West Kootenay Area Office BCGEU representative, Mike Fenton, and lower mainland BCGEU Communications Officer, Jocelyn Wagner, learned that the website listed above will have the latest ferry status posted regularly and that they “aim to update this daily about the next day’s sailings and give as much notice as we can to the community.”
Regarding public confusion about the language in prior notices and posts, Fenton clarified as follows: “The overtime restriction is in place now and until further notice. We will only use overtime when it is necessary to perform those three mandatory sailings (from Balfour at 6:30am, 8:10am and 4:30pm). Anytime we can staff the vessel without overtime, it will be in full operation.” This seems to imply that the MV Osprey will run as usual, and, if overtime is necessary, where normally they simply wouldn’t run at all in an overtime ban, they are going to still operate three sailings daily as per the essential service order by the Labour Relations Board.
Mainstreet has asked for early and regular notices about those restricted service days and hopes that the union will deliver on getting the word out to assist East Shore residents in planning around travel.
UPDATE: As of 1pm on Saturday, Sept 21/10: PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE WILL BE NO RETURN FERRY TO THE EAST SHORE AFTER THE 1:10 FERRY FROM BALFOUR SATURDAY AFTERNOON, AND SUNDAY AFTERNOON.
The 2pm ferry on both Saturday and Sunday, Sept 21/22, 2019 will be the final sailing from Kootenay Bay. Monday’s (Sept 23) service is yet unknown.
