World Water Day 2009

108 Lake, 108 Mile Ranch.

World Water Day 2009 - more information.

The Lies and Deception behind Gordon Campbell's BC Rail Deal

An NDP motion has resulted in the release of many documents revealing what actually went on behind the scenes of the sale of BC Rail: the violation of a promise Campbell used to get elected. Unfortunately the deception and lies allowed Campbell and his government to get away with this at the time but the truth is at least a vindication and may play a part in the defeat of his party in the upcoming BC election.

Photo © Chris Harris

• Campbell still haunted by BC Rail deal - details of the incriminating documents
• BC Rail - British Columbia's Great Train Adventure - Photography book by Chris Harris
  
  Update March 12, 2009: Query raised about what Kinsella did for BC Rail
  

Nature Diary of a Wilderness Dweller by Chris Czajkowski

My current and recommended reading for those interested in the life and world immediately around them:

A MOUNTAIN YEAR
Nature Diary of a Wilderness Dweller

In 1988, Chris Czajkowski walked into British Columbia's Central Coast Mountains to build a homestead, a business, and a life. A Mountain Year is a beautifully-produced art book full of original paintings, sketches and diary entries, offering an awe-inspiring glimpse into the life of this independent spirit and the landscape that she calls home.

In this illustrated journal, Czajkowski intimately describes the splendour of seasonal transformation with her trademark expressiveness; each day brings new obstacles and surprising revelations. At the start of the year, she writes, "The night was bright with a silvery soup of moonlight refracted off snowflakes fine as stardust." Spring arrives with breathtaking beauty and summer brings company from abroad. In the fall, Chris travels back to her first autumn at Nuk Tessli when she views "an extraordinarily beautiful moment. The clouds hung low enough to almost touch the water . . . and a wonderful, bluish, pearly luminescence covered everything." Prepare to witness the magnificence of a year in British Columbia's high-altitude wilderness, a place of astounding natural beauty like no other.

More about Chris Czajkowski

Kootenay Energy Conference

An encouraging event:

Kootenay Energy Conference
October 17-18, 2008 at Selkirk College, Castlegar, British Columbia

Post Carbon Cities Program Manager Daniel Lerch will present via webcast to the Municipal Planners and Leaders Seminar on Friday, Oct 17, 2008, to an invited audience of planners and elected officials.

Post Carbon Institute Senior Fellow Richard Heinberg will present via webcast on Saturday, October 18, 2008 to the general audience at the Kootenay Energy Conference, presented by Selkirk College and Kootenay Association for Science and Technology.

BC Rivers Day - September 28

Fraser River valley. Photo © Stanton Newman

"BC Rivers Day began in 1980 with 40 volunteers helping to clean up a stretch of the Thompson River. The event has now grown to become the biggest celebration of its kind in North America. It has been proclaimed by the BC Government and by more than 90 cities and municipalities across the province."

Hundreds of our rivers are being threatened by private power companies who would like to build dams, transmission lines, and miles of pipelines in pristine areas. Let's find a way to celebrate the beautiful rivers we have and find out how to help save them.

• More information on an event near you
• Facebook page
• More on BC rivers

The arts have great potential in the BC Interior

Here's an article from The Tyee that invites thought and may inspire more ideas and action. At least, here are a few extracts. If they interest you, check out the full article.

Some of Canada's most renowned work, Inuit and Northwest Coast aboriginal art, is some of the most remotely produced. End-of-the-road communities like Atlin and Wells have been put them on the map because of their artistic resources. Yet existing arts and culture in rural areas, particularly in B.C.'s northern region, have traditionally gone unrecognized by urban centres and remain largely under-funded.
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In its 2006-2007 annual report, the B.C. Arts Council recognized the importance of arts and culture in building community by noting that, "Cultural tourism, the fastest growing segment of the tourism industry, is emerging as a key element of new economic development plans in many communities. The need to develop the arts and cultural products in conjunction with the infrastructure of transportation, accommodation, restaurants and marketing is only now being understood."

Read it all

From Indian Summer into Equinox

After an impressive Indian Summer, the turn of the year may be a little harder than usual to adjust to . . . and not just for us humans:

Chris Czajkowski's summer at Nuk Tessli filled with colour and adventure

Chris Czajkowski's photo-journals chronicle the mountain and floral beauty of summer in her corner of BC's Chilcotin wilderness - and a bit of adventure too. Here's a sample from the 2008 journals:

The only inland temperate rainforest in the world

An ancient interior BC cedar forest is getting attention and, fortunately, also some extra care. This may include government protection.

More on this story

Birds From a Cariboo Deck No.8: Evening Grosbeak

Male

Female

Those of you living in Douglas fir territory might have noticed flocks of these birds from time to time, especially if you have a feeder with good supply of black sunflower seeds. Apparently they tend to follow the outbreaks of spruce budworm (right). These are the worms that descend from the higher branches on a thread of silk, until they land on lower branches where they begin to feed on the tender shoots and buds of their host; or on bare ground, where they usually die. The grosbeaks are no doubt one of an array of natural controls and they seem to enjoy chasing the moths too.

Spruce Budworm

For more on Cariboo birds, see my Birds from a Cariboo Deck