Recycling in the Capital Region

The Saanich South Constituency Office has been getting lots of e-mails about recycling this month so we thought a blog post was in order. Please do feel free to share it!

Please know that while it may be a little less convenient for some, there are lots of options for making sure that our plastics, metal, glass and papers stay out of the landfill.

First of all - Blue Box. Not a lot has changed there – it is still a pretty comprehensive resource. And there is some confusion about what is accepted (yes - clam shells are still accepted!). See the full list HERE.

We realize that our good friends (and neighbours!) at the Bottle Depot are no longer accepting any Blue Box items or plastic wraps and bags, stryofoam or flexible plastic packaging, BUT please rest assured that they are still accepting can and bottles that offer refunds. And – at their Glanford and Queens locations they still accept batteries, light bulbs and lighting fixtures, small appliances and electronics. For their full list go HERE.

Hartland Depot still accepts ALL recyclable items for FREE – including the small propane tanks, plastic overwrap and styrofoam. They're open until 2 pm on Saturdays for your convenience (and throughout the week as well. Check out their hours online).

Plastic bags and overwrap, foam packaging, and other flexible plastic packaging can also be returned to London Drugs locations – yeah London Drugs! See all the details HERE

Please know that RecycleBC changes will see that all recyclable items that were accepted – are still accepted – just at different locations. The Victoria area recycling info can be found HERE – with a Return-it Depot on Ellery Street in Esquimalt.

As well, Pacific Mobile is still operating at Reynolds School on the 4^th Saturday of every month – as well as other locations around the CRD. You can find out more info HERE.

Please know that this government is committed to working to not only recycle responsibly – but to reduce waste at all stages of product life. BC is a leader in sustainable environmental management and we understand that effective waste management procedures and solutions contribute a great deal to preserving our environment. This is an ever-changing opportunity – and challenge – and this BC government is working hard to see that we are doing the best we can to manage product and packaging life responsibly.

Find out more here: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/waste-management

I hope this is a helpful resource for you. Don't hesitate to contact our office if you have any questions at all! We're happy to help.

Good Food = Good Health. Seems simple, right?

On a Friday in April, an idea that I have been working on for many years finally came to fruition. It's literally a dream come true for me. 

I was in Pentiction to announce Feed BC, our new initiative that ensures more of the food served to people that are in the care of our government facilities is grown, harvested or processed in B.C. Penticton and the Interior Health seemed like the perfect place to launch this exciting initiative.

Hospitals in Kelowna, Kamloops, Vernon, Penticton, Oliver, Salmon Arm and Williams Lake

photo from Global News

will benefit from this initial launch of the initiative.

By using B.C. ingredients, Interior Health is improving the patient experience while at the same time supporting B.C. growers, producers and processors from all over the province.

We’ve partnered with Interior Health to encourage, inspire, and support a shift to more BC foods in health-care and other government facilities! This is a true game changer – not only does it benefit our agriculture sector, but healthy, great-tasting, and locally-sourced meals can also help people during recovery. 

It’s a win-win scenario, and I'm so excited that this pilot could easily serve as a model that can be implement in other public institutions across the province!

Learn more about the Interior Health launch HERE. We're hoping to make more announcements - closer to home - soon!

This week is all about the Bees!

Our community office is honouring the amazing little creatures – and all the essential pollinators – by helping the community create some nourishment for them.

Bring a garden pot or two* by our office parking lot on Sunday May 26th between 11 am and 1 pm. We’ll fill them with wildflower seeds and local potting soil from our friends at TufTurf so we can co-create some beautiful flower offerings for our local pollinators.

Sunday May 26
11 am - 1 pm
4243 Glanford Ave.

Ever thought of beeing a beekeeper? We'll have Nairn Holloster from the Capital Region Beekeepers Association on hand to answer your questions about all things beekeeping! As well as displays from our friends at the Island Pollinator Initiative.

We're serving up local honey lemonade and have some honey sticks for the kids from Urban Bee.

Bring the whole family – and your pots!

Bee there!

Just can't get enough of this bee thing? After you have your pots filled - head over to see our friends at Swan Lake nature Sanctuary as they celebrate Bee Day on Sunday too - from Noon to 3 pm

You'll learn about how you can encourage bees in your backyards, about Bee songs, they'll have bee crafts and eve some bee spit to taste (really?)

Find out more on their website.

* This is while supplies last. Limit of two reasonable size pots so there's some for everyone. We'll have some small pots to give away as well - perfect for window sills. 

Special Project on children with neuro-diverse special needs. 

Do you have a child or work with children that have Autism or neuro-diverse special needs (e.g.: ASD, FASD, Developmental Delay)?

Your government would like to hear from you on June 3 - or before June 7!

The Select Standing Committee on Children and Youth invites all British Columbians to participate in their special project on assessment and eligibility processes for children and youth with neuro-diverse special needs.

You are invited to share your input, experiences and recommendations by speaking with the Committee at a public hearing or by making a written, audio or video submission. Specifically, they would like to know your thoughts on how assessment and eligibility processes
for children and youth with neuro-diverse special needs can be improved.

The public hearing will be taking place in Victoria on Monday, June 3, 2019 from 9am-4pm at the Parliament Buildings - in the Douglas Fir Committee Room. The Committee is hoping that constituents and organizations in Saanich South may be interested in participating. Spots are still available for this public hearing and teleconference can also be arranged for those unable to attend in person.

Registration to reserve a speaking time is available on the Committee’s website HERE, or by calling the Parliamentary Committees Office 250-356-2933. Speaking times are 15 minutes – 10 minutes for the presentation and 5 minutes for questions from Committee Members.

Interested constituents and organizations can also provide input by making a written, audio or video submission HERE.

The deadline for input is Friday, June 7 at 5:00 p.m.

The Committee will consider all input and make recommendations to the Legislative Assembly in a report which is expected to be released in the early fall.

The Select Standing Committee on Children and Youth is one of ten permanent all-party committees of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The Committee works to foster greater awareness and understanding among legislators and the public of the B.C. child and youth-serving system. The Committee also provides a public forum for discussion of reports by the Representative for Children and Youth.

Further information on the work of the Committee is available on the Committee’s website HERE.

Touring Haliburton Farm.

What a thrill it was to be able to do a farm tour – in my own neighbourhood this weekend!

I'm so proud of the farmers at Haliburton Community Organic Farm and very grateful for the time they took at this busy time of year to show me what's new and what's happening.

Not only is Halliburton a feast for the eyes, it turned out to be an actual feast! I took home some incredible produce, including crispy radish and delicious, sweet arugula picked fresh by farmer Kevin Allen.

I also managed to get a start on my own garden with four beautiful tomato plants from the Hali Plant Sale. So looking forward to eating fresh, organic tomatoes – straight from the vine!

Thank you for taking such great care in feeding our community Haliburton Farm!

Donations at Bottle Depot support Cool Aid for the Entire Month of May

Look for special bins at all three Bottle Depot locations to donate your beverage containers to our friends at Cool Aid this month (including our wonderful neighbours here on Glanford Ave)!