Pick Up the Peace: September 15, 2010

The Town of Peace River Community Services and Tim Horton's are organizing a clean-up campaign on September 15.  I usually participate in the clean-ups, but will be away for this one. I hope there is a great turnout.

Residents can register at Tim Horton's between Noon and 8:00, where they'll get their garbage bags and gloves and be dispatched to an area of town that needs attention.

All volunteers will be treated to a complimentary bowl of soup or chili and a beverage after their contribution. Many thanks to Tim Horton's continuing support of these initiatives.

If you need more information, call Community Services at 780-624-1000.

U of A's Innovative Approach to Getting Medical Students Into Rural Practice

Peace River is one of the sites mentioned in this article from the Edmonton Journal--"U of A initiative woos future doctors to choose rural practice." Our physicians participate in this program as well as the 9-month integrated clerkship program and are to be commended for this commitment. These programs are a great way to highlight what our community and the region has to offer as well as give the students a chance to see just how varied, interesting, and exciting rural practice can be. And if we're fortunate, some may even plan to come back to Peace River when they're finished their education. Kudos to the U of A and our local medical community.

Town of Peace River on Level 1 Water Advisory

On Friday the Town of Peace River declared a Level 1 Water Advisory because reservoir levels are at or below 75%. The full bylaw is available, but I've pasted the Level I below:

Town of Peace River
Watering Restriction Schedule
Schedule “C”

ODD AND EVEN WATERING DAYS: Using the last number of your address (odd or even) determines which days you may water your lawn.
LEVEL 1: When Reservoirs level is at or below 75%
ODD numbered addresses may water lawns: Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday
WATERING: may occur only during the following hours:
6:00 a.m. — 08:00 a.m.
4:30 p.m. — 09:30 p.m.
Odd numbered addresses consumers who use sprinkler systems on timers, can water their own lawn from 10.00 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.

EVEN numbered addresses may water lawns: Monday, Wednesday and Saturday
WATERING may occur only during the following hours:
6:00 a.m. — 08:00 a.m.
4:30 p.m. — 09:30 p.m.
Even numbered addresses consumers who use sprinkling system on timers, can water their own lawn from 10.00 p.m. to 5.00 a.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday*. (*Consumers can set up their system to start as early as 10 p.m.)

Flowerbeds and vegetable gardens may be watered by hand, at anytime, using a watering can or a hose with a nozzle with a trigger shut off to restrict water flow. Sprinklers and like water toys may be used for  recreational purposes by children as long as children are present during use; includes children’s pools (capacity not more than 1000 liters).

Requests for site and condition specific irrigation scheduling for commercial or industrial operations using metered irrigation systems may be approved by the CAO or Water Treatment Plant Manager.

Alberta Summer Games in the Peace

It’s Day 3 of the 2010 Alberta Summer Games here in Peace River and the surrounding region. What a huge undertaking for this area, with around 3000 young athletes (apparently more than were at the Olympics in Vancouver) competing in 15 sports, accompanied by coaches, technical participants and families, and supported by 2000 volunteers.

Since we couldn’t handle that number of events and visitors all at once, there are two shifts, so it’s a full week of competition and celebration. As an Ambassador, I’ve already helped out at the opening ceremonies, done a breakfast clean-up, and still have three days at basketball and the closing ceremonies ahead. Many people have taken the week or days off work to volunteer and there seems to be a new pool of volunteers being created—good news for future events.

Yesterday I went out to Wilderness Park, near Grimshaw, to see the canoe polo, and was impressed with how the pond there had been transformed into a beautiful venue for the event. Today they move to the river for the kayak slalom and wildwater. In the same area, the new mountain bike track on Misery Mountain will see action.

Rugby is in Berwyn, boys’ baseball in Grimshaw, boys’ and girls’ softball in Manning, and inline hockey in Falher. In Peace River the track events will be on the brand-new rubberized track at Glenmary, the swimming events are at the pool, and beach volleyball at Peace High and TA Norris. In the next shift, we’ll see football at the Glenmary field, lacrosse in Nampa, soccer at three venues in Peace River, and water polo at the Peace River pool.

And if sports wasn’t enough, the cultural program at Riverfront Park and Athabasca Hall includes much to do and watch (scroll down on the Games website to download the poster)—an art display, craft items for sale, interactive art, and lots of entertainment. As well, the museum is hosting two nights of poetry and prose (Wednesday and Saturday) and Java Domainne offers three nights of cabaret entertainment (Thursday-Saturday at 7:00). So much to do and see!

By Sunday night, the excitement will be over, the volunteers and Games staff will get some well-deserved rest, and we’ll settle back into the usual summer activities, savouring our favourite Games memories.

Animal Control Bylaw Review

Peace River Town Council is holding a public meeting tomorrow (Monday, June 28) on the new draft Animal Control Bylaw (replacing the 1994 bylaw). The Council meeting starts at 5:00 in the Council Chambers, which are in the Town Office (9911-100 Street), accessed through the North door on the West side of the building (closest to Panago).

The bylaw covers dogs and cats, but also includes provision for keeping hens for egg production within Town boundaries. The draft is on the Town’s website.

Vancouver City Council recently approved the keeping of chickens, joining a number of other cities that already permit backyard hens (New York, Chicago, Portland, Seattle, Victoria, Surrey, and New Westminster); the City of Edmonton is working on a pilot project. But not everyone thinks it’s a good idea--a Calgary Council committee recently turned down the idea.

If you are interested in this topic, plan to attend the meeting. Council will consider second and third reading at the July 12 meeting.

del.icio.us Tags: bylaw,poultry,animal control

Peace River African Descendants Society Event: February 20, 2010

The Peace River African Descendants Society (PRADS) is celebrating Black History Month with a great event on February 20 at the Belle Petroleum Centre. There will be a dinner and then entertainment by Ezeadi Onukwulu and One Human Race. Tickets are $30 and available at Java Domain and the Belle Petroleum Centre or by emailing prad.society@gmail.com. See you there!

Local Energy and Environmental Citizenship Videoconference: March 12, 2010

Peace River and area residents have the opportunity to attend this event sponsored by Alberta Acts on Climate Change either by videoconference or simultaneous webcast on March 12, 2010. The Peace River site is at Northern Lakes College. The event is free and refreshments will be provided. 

For more details (including a list of the 30 videoconference sites around the province and the days' agenda) or to register, visit http://www.albertaacts.ca/LocalEnergyVC 

This across-Alberta event will help participants from rural Alberta better understand how they can take action on climate change by mitigating or adapting. The organizers, Bill Fricker and Andy Blundell, planned and successfully implemented the 2008 Communities Without Boundaries virtual conference, which I helped organize in Peace River (there were over 20 sites around the province). We had great attendance and the day was very worthwhile. I'm sorry that I'll be missing this one, but hope that the VC room at the college is full on March 12!

Four keynote speakers will provide content and panelists and moderators will be drawn from Alberta universities and colleges and from more than a dozen rural communities. The speakers include:

• Dave Sauchyn, University of Regina Prairie Adaptation Research Collaborative
• Rick Kool, Royal Roads University School of Environment and Sustainability
• Gary Holden, CEO Enmax Corporation
• Michael Walters, Greater Edmonton Alliance

At lunchtime, excerpts will be shown from the video "In Transition: From oil dependence to local resilience" developed by TransitionTowns.org in the UK.