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| Gravestone at the Jewish Cemetery on Cedar Hill Road |
Saturday, December 17th, 2011
Join the Greater Victoria Cycling Coalition on a new night route, viewing colourful Christmas lights displays in the Saanich area. The ride begins and ends at the Victoria First Church of the Nazarene (4277 Quadra Street near Chatterton Way) with free refreshments and door prizes following the ride!
Registration begins at 6:00 p.m. The ride is approximately 20 kilometres and starts at 6:30 p.m. and returns to the Church Hall at about 8:30 p.m. Decorating your bicycle is encouraged.
The ride is free with donations encouraged (suggested donation $5).
All participating bikes must have front and rear lights.
Letter To the Editor,
The ownership of Babe’s Honey Farm has finally changed. The community of rural Saanich feels the loss of a once iconic working bee farm. Just a glimpse of this now wasteland brings sadness to many of us. Many of our Saanich community members and beyond, knew the first owners of Babe’s Honey, Charlie and Babe Warren. They have gone down in our history books as Saanich’s honey farmers. The second owner of Babes Honey farm has gone down in infamy for destroying our beloved farm in Saanich.
The demise of Babe’s honey farm leaves most of us questioning the outcome. We are in disbelief that this turn of events could not have been stopped. Many community members believe that this outcome came due to a failure at every level of Government, including Saanich.
This past week a new owner has been announced after a receivership sale. It is my understanding and my sincere hope that with new ownership comes the responsibility for remediation that would be a requirement of the Agricultural Land Commission. Full remediation means rehabilitating this land back to its original state.
This would mean the removal of approximately 60,000 cubic meters of construction fill, and more extensive soil testing. This land must be returned to its original soil classification of Class 3 or better.
It is the desire of our community to see this situation fully rectified. I am hopeful that the new owner wants the same outcome. It is my expectation that the Mayor of Saanich accepts nothing less for the community he represents. And it is my hope that the Agricultural Land Commission commits to enforcing its order to remediate.
As MLA of Saanich South and as a community member who adored Babes Honey farm, I will continue to work to see Babes Honey farm restored back to its full agricultural potential. We may have lost a part of our agricultural history, but we have the opportunity to change this story for the future.
Lana Popham
MLA Saanich South
How to Compost Leaves
Phyllis Heuerman
Frederick County Master Gardener Program
Leaves are often referred to as "Gardeners' Gold". Their bright green appearance in the Spring is a harbinger of the beginning of a new life cycle. Their presence in the summer provides much needed shelter from heat and rain for wildlife and humans alike, as well as being the vehicle through which trees produce their own food. Their dramatic beauty in the Fall can be unparalleled. In addition to all of this, properly used as mulch or compost they provide outstanding organic matter and nutrients to the soil.
Unfortunately, to use leaves effectively as mulch and compost they still must be raked or blown from your gardens and lawn so that you have control over where they are used. Leaving a thick layer of leaves on your lawn or garden can create conditions that lead to rotting of the grass or perennials beneath. So, to start with rake the leaves up into a pile.
Once your leaves have been gathered, you have a choice between using them undecomposed, as mulch, or composting them before you put then in your garden. Regardless of how you are going to use them, the first step is to chop or shred your leaves. This will save space if you are placing them in a bin, it will minimize their blowing around and matting if you are placing them in the garden, and it will hasten their eventual decomposition into composted organic matter.
If you do not have a shredder, and do not wish to rent one, you can use your lawn mower to shred the leaves. If the leaves are on your lawn attach a bagger to your lawn mower before you begin cutting. As you cut the lawn, the leaves will be shredded and gathered into the bagger. You may also gather leaves in a pile and run the lawn mower without a bagger through the pile. Direct the discharge shoot in one direction at all times so that the shredded leaves are placed in a pile and not blown all over the place.
Once you have your shredded leaves, you may place them in your garden as mulch immediately, if you wish. However, do not place an excessive layer of mulch directly on the crowns of herbaceous perennial flowers. This is not necessary, and it can lead to root rot. If you are trying to extend the season for winter root vegetables, like rutabagas, carrots, leeks, kale or beets, you may use a heavy layer of shredded leaves to cover them. You may find that you can harvest these vegetables all winter with this added protection from the leaves. If you do use uncomposted shredded leaves as mulch in your garden, you should add some slow release nitrogen fertilizer to the garden in the Spring, as the process of leaf decomposition may rob the soil of nitrogen.
Another alternative for your shredded leaves is to compost them, either alone or with other organic matter. The simplest but longest process is to place the shredded leaves in a wire bin. Leave them there for two years, turning them occasionally, and you will have a really nice product. Leaf mold is a special fungus-rich compost that can retain three to five times its weight in water, rivaling peat moss. The "Leaf-Gro" that is available in most of or local garden centers is leaf compost. The only disadvantage of using leaves alone for composting is you will find that you need a tremendous amount of leaves to produce any quantity of compost.
Leaves can be used more effectively as a component in a compost pile that contains a variety of organic matters. A good balanced compost pile contains materials rich in nitrogen and others rich in carbon. Leaves can provide the carbon component of your pile. Other good carbon components include straw, nonglossy paper, wood and bark chips. Good nitrogenous materials include grass and plant clippings, uncooked fruit and vegetable scraps, eggshells, and coffee grounds. Use your shredded leaves and other carbon materials to layer between your nitrogenous materials in a bin. Turn the pile occasionally to aerate it, and make sure that it is moist, but not soggy. It is not necessary to add commercial compost starters or fertilizer to a compost pile to start it "cooking" but doing so may hasten the process. The amount of time it will take to produce compost depends upon its size, composition and conditions. The process can take anywhere from three months to one year. My small suburban compost bins take 6 to 9 months to produce a fully composted product. I cut the materials I am placing in the piles into small pieces, and I turn the piles about once every 3 to 4 weeks.
I find reusing organic materials such as leaves for mulch and compost to be one of the most satisfying aspects of my gardening. I hope you will give it a try.
The principles of 'reduce, reuse, and recycle' must govern the use of all materials and energy. Renewable resources use should be less than the rate of replenishment, while non-renewable resource use must be decreased in order to conserve and share equitably with future generations.
Ways to apply Resource Conservation,
In Your Daily Life
· Use low flow showerheads, washers, taps
· Insulate homes, replace windows to lower heat loss
· Buy second hand
In the Community
· Reduce consumption – reusing – recycle – refuse waste
· More bike lanes
· Public transportation
Provincial Government Policy
· Need for a non-renewables extraction strategy
· Funding for public transit – & more discounts to regular users using the system
· Stop old growth logging on Vancouver Island
Just Transition
Mechanisms must be in place to manage the transition toward a Sustainable BC so that everyone takes responsibility and no one bears an unfair share of the burden of change.
Ways to prepare for Transition to sustainability:
In Your Daily Life
· Consider your purchases, where they come from, and if you really need them
· Resist victim mentality, be proactive and demonstrate leadership
· Purchase from environmentally & socially responsible companies whenever possible
In the Community
· Set up carpooling at work
· Set up walk or run groups in the community
· Make Quadra Street more bike friendly!!! Increase the amount of bike lanes in Victoria
Provincial Government Policy
· Policies that assist small family farming
· Student loan relief for ‘green’ training or free education for reviewable tech, etc
· Government purchases of land from ALR and made available via lease at reasonable rates to farmers so they don’t have the full burden of land acquisition and maintenance (as with park lands)
Social Equity:
Ways you can encourage Social Equity
In Your Daily Life
· Monitor what your kids watch on TV, encourage shows like “Jamie Olivers Food Revolution”
· Organize community meet ups to address issues in the community
· Advocate for the need for publicly owned and managed water etc. Water as a human right.
In the Community
· Support and volunteer for local politicians who campaign on social housing
· Get rid of standardized testing in schools
· Start a garden at a homeless shelter
Provincial Government Policy
· Policies promoting community farming and supporting food banks
· Address and promote healing for the legacy and harm caused by colonialism. First Nations have much to teach in regards to living in harmony and responsibly, these ethics cannot be lost.
· Raise minimum wage to $15-$17 and hour which families and live on and have the opportunity to make better socially conscious choices
I regret that I am unable to be here is person today. It was a great pleasure for our Saanich South Constituency office to assist the Dots Rally from the beginning. The awareness that DOTS is bringing to our Capital Region and to our Province is extremely valuable. Political will is often driven by public
awareness and demand, and taking this issue to the streets, literally, is an excellent use of time and resources. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Jean- for her dedication and passion.
I was thinking about who I would wear my dot for?
This is a question that emphasizes the incredible need for seamless mental health care in Canada and in BC. This is a question that can't be answered without feeling a sense of sadness and frustration due to the lack of connection for people of all ages who suffer with mental illness.
So who does my dot represent? My dot represents Rusty, Brendan and Cam; friends who are not here today because they couldn't find a way to connect the dots and they fell between the cracks. My dot represents all of us who have lost people or feel we are losing people because there are too many spaces between the DOTS here in BC. My DOT is for our community that is suffering because we don't have a plan. And my DOT is for you, because you are here today, and my DOT is standing beside yours making the connection.
Thank-you so very much for taking part is this incredibly important event.
Your Sincerely,
Lana Popham
MLA, Saanich South
(Hands Photo: Daphne Shaed)
Resilience:
Diversity needs to be fostered in communities and ineconomic, social and infrastructure systems in order to lessen vulnerability to risk, uncertainty and surprise, to maintain flexibility, to aid adaptation in the face of adversity and to facilitate future innovation and infrastructure.
Ways that you can foster resilience,
In Your Daily Life
· Get to know your neighbours
· Grow your own food and increase your consumption of organic foods
· Re-skill – learn how to do basic things such as canning, sewing, cooking, and fixing things rather than throwing things out
In the Community
· Engage youth & children
· Bring dynamic innovative training into the school system from an early age to foster creative caring citizens and solutions
· Give feedback to municipal councils for positive actions taken (eg. Infrastructure, transportation)
Provincial Government Policy
· Mandatory food composting for dense areas
· Incorporate gardening skills into elementary school curriculum
· Prohibit genetically modified crops or imported goods
Do you donate blood?
I heard a radio ad today letting us know that there is a real need for blood right now. I have donated in the past but it's been awhile. I know it's an important thing to do and many lives depend on it.....so I called and made an appointment.
On Tuesday I will be donating 450ml (1 pint) of B+ blood.
Lana
Information about donating blood to Canadian Blood Services:
Every minute of every day, someone in Canada needs blood. Much of the blood that is transfused every year is done under emergency or trauma situations. In Canada, hundreds of thousands of people each year receive blood components or blood products following accidents, during surgery or for cancer treatments, burn therapy, hemophilia and other blood-related diseases.
· The average amount of blood in one person is five litres or 10.5 pints
· There are approximately 450 ml of blood in a unit
· On average, 4.6 units of blood are required per patient
· In 2004/2005 Canadian Blood Services collected approximately 850,000 units of whole blood
It is estimated that about one in two Canadians can give blood. However, this year only one in 60 has and Canadian Blood Services needs this to change.
Basic Eligibility
Please note that this information is subject to change. Final eligibility determination rests with the screening staff at the donor clinic.
Identification
Identification with full name and signature, or full name and photograph required.
Age
To donate, you must be at least 17 years of age, in general good health, and feeling well on the day of your donation. If you have never donated before and have had your 61st birthday, or if you are between the ages of 67 and 71, and have not donated within the last two years, you must be assessed by a physician who must fill out and sign the following letter. You must also meet the other standard requirements for donation. To find out more, please call us at1 888 2 DONATE.
Letter to the Attending Physician (Please bring the completed letter with you to the clinic when you next come in to donate)
Weight
At least 50 kg (110 lb).
Frequency of Donation
Minimum interval between blood donations is 56 days.
Health
In general good health and feeling well. You should have had something to eat and adequate sleep. You must also meet hemoglobin (iron) requirements (test done at clinic).
Screening
At the time of donation, you will be asked a number of questions to determine your eligibility. For example:
· Had dental treatment (extractions, fillings, cleaning, restoration)
o For cleaning or filling: until the day after treatment
o For extraction, root canal or dental surgery: 72 hours provided there is full recovery
· A cold, flu or sore throat
o Full recovery
· Had ear or body piercing or tattooing
o 6 months
Donating blood does not put you at risk of disease. All needles are sterile, used only once and discarded. The usual blood collection - a "unit" - is about half a litre, or one pint. Your body soon replaces all the blood you donate.
Stem Cells
To be eligible to join the Canadian Blood Services OneMatch Stem Cell and Marrow Network, you must:
· Be between 17 and 50 years of age
· Meet certain health-related criteria
· Fall between certain height and weight levels
For more information please call 1 888 2 DONATE (1-888-236-6283).
Biodiversity:
Protection of diversity of plant and animal species is essential if ecosystems are to thrive and maintain the resilience necessary for adaptation and survival.
Ways that you can support biodiversity:
In Your Daily Life
· Plant only native gardens
· Replace lawns with plants that attract mason BEES!!! And butterflies!
· Help remove invasive species
In the Community
· Agriculture technologies that incorporate wildlife habitat, drainage systems in watersheds
· Preserve natural habitats
· Stop your pet from chasing or killing other species
Provincial Government Policy
· Urge No bottled water, educate B.C. water is among the best in the world
· Grow and harvest sustainably more from the sea
Then there were those who wanted to challenge whether that Petition Initiative was legitimate. It was.
Then there was the referendum and people champing at the bit to get their voting package– even in the middle of a postal strike.
Now for the count. Elections BC staff are madly verifying and counting HST ballots.
The numbers will be released on a riding-by-riding basis tomorrow. Here is the link where the results will be posted:
