Flip of the Coyne

www.FeedtheValley.ca

Valley First Credit Union has teamed up with local food banks/cupboards to help keep the shelves full.

Feed the Valley has 3 goals:

1. Food
2. Funds
3. Awareness

Feed the Valley is a great program where you can donate food or money to your local food bank but the best part of this program would have to be that when you make a donation the donation stays within your community.  Many times large organizations will take your donations and bring them to where their head office is.  Not this time.  Feed the Valley has teamed up with food banks across in Kamloops, the North, Central, South Okanagan and the Similkameen to keep the food and money donations at home where they are needed.

Another great thing about this program is that they will be setting up a way for you to make a regular donation.  So if you wanted to donate every payday or once a month you can have it automatically debited or you can make a one time donation.

Visit the website http://www.FeedtheValley.ca for more information the site has information on how to get involved, facts, and more so visit today and find out how you can help out.  I will be following this program as it develops and grows.

Princeton also hosted the Olympic torch as it made its way to Vancouver. Here is a little video of it coming though Princeton.

We made a few videos that helped us win the GamesTown 2010 competition and here they are

Published Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Vol. 61 Issue 6 Page A4

Since I have started writing about food security people have been coming up to me on the streets in shops and even at work and have asked me, “What can I do?”

This week I am going to focus on what we can do.  Although there will be a role for local government I believe that most of our local food economy needs to be driven by we the people.  Food security needs to be a grassroots movement.  Food has become part of the global economy and when this happened government stopped concerning itself with feeding the local population and became more concerned about imports and exports and how it affects GDP.  We all need to eat; without food you die.  For this reason food is something that we need to take ownership in and work together to secure.

I have talked to many local residents who all say they would shop at a local farmers’ market.  I love this idea but saying you would shop there is one thing.  If there is to be a farmers’ market there needs to be two things: a group of residents who are willing to organize it, and farmers who will supply the market.  Before farmers will grow produce for a market they need a market for which to grow, so if people in Princeton really want a farmers’ market they need to get one organized.  It’s that old saying; if you build it they will come.

Plant a garden this spring.  People think that gardening is hard.  Growing is easy.  Some of the preparation is hard.  With the economic climate everyone should be thinking about planting a small garden even if it is just some lettuce and tomatoes you can offset some of the hard times with only a few dollars in initial expenses.

A program I have been reading about lately is called “Grow a Row, Share a Row”.  This program helps those who might not have the ability to help themselves.  If you have a garden, you grow an extra row and it goes to a local food bank or other local social program.  This could be taken a step farther if you have a neighbour who cannot garden due to health, age or living condition.  You could grow a garden with them in mind.  I am starting to really love this idea as it is not about me but about helping my community.

Lastly we come to a community garden project.  I have stayed off this topic for a reason. I was once an elected official and when I look at projects now I have to admit I look at them and ask how much will this cost the taxpayers?  For this reason I have been looking at how can we do a local community garden plan that costs taxpayers little to nothing at all.  I have come up with two ideas: firstly, Town Council grants use of some public land to a community garden society to develop.  I am not sure if this would work.  My second idea costs taxpayers upfront but would see the costs recovered over a period of time.  Town Council would need to see if there is really a need first then depending on demand council would develop a percent of a park or parks with a deer fence and plots and water.  Water is already accessible in the parks so there would only be a need for some hydrants.  The costs would then be recovered with a plot rental or lease.  The recovery cost would be spread across the plots and time to make it affordable to those who need the plots.

Published Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Vol. 61 Issue 6 Page A4

Inspect yourself. The Federal government has proposed that poultry processing plant employees would be responsible for policing themselves under the proposed “poultry rejection program.” The program would make processing plants responsible for monitoring the birds as they pass down the line, and according to veterinarians who monitor food safety, the plants would no longer have to publicize the reasons that the birds were rejected.

This is mind-boggling to me. We have an avian flu outbreak in the Fraser Valley, an ever growing peanut recall, and recalls on some products for listeria and our government has turned over the safety of our food system to someone who may have just started working in a processing plant making less than 12 dollars an hour. I just cannot wrap my head around it.

I have been talking about food security and the need for local, sustainable and safe food systems. I have begun to pay more attention to what is happening with our food systems and it is not good. All you need to do is turn on the evening news and you will hear of more health risks due to our factory farm system. Take the peanut recall; it now seems that the peanuts that contaminated the products being recalled were actually turned away at the Canadian border for being dirty and then taken to a plant in the US where they were processed and sent around North America. A handful of dirty peanuts have contaminated millions of dollars worth of products.

Food is a commodity because we trade it, but food is not like other commodities; we cannot live without food. We have allowed our governments to dismantle our agriculture in return for agribusiness. Agribusiness has centralized the means of production and has over processed our food stuffs to the point that when we have a small outbreak or contamination we end up with a large percentage of our system being compromised. Be it lack inspection or new unproven science or genetically modified seeds our food system is under attack twenty four hours a day seven days a week. Small family farms are swallowed up by larger ones that need to produce more to stay competitive and keep costs down so food processors can bring us the newest, cheapest and fastest way to make dinner.

Take a look at the products on the shelves at your local grocery store. How much of it is raw natural food? A bit of produce, some meat, and a bit of dairy and in some places there is natural flour. You can now buy a roast that you take out of your ice cream tub looking container put it in your slow cooker, add water and you’re done. It might have taken a couple extra minutes to add a couple spices and a potato, but a roast is a roast. The difference is the frozen one you buy has preservatives and has been prepared and frozen for you before packaging. I would wager the one you bought from the local rancher and some fresh vegetables would taste better and would only add five minutes to your cooking time. If we have fewer controls in these massive processing plants the chances of things going wrong shoot up drastically. So at a time when our food system is under siege our government has decided to take a page from Wall Street and let the processors police themselves.

Town of Princeton

Trades and Business Licence Amendment Bylaw No. 744, 2002

WHEREAS the Council of the Town of Princeton deem it advisable and expedient to amend Bylaw No. 555, 1991.

NOW THEREFORE the Council of the Town of Princeton in open meeting assembled enacts as follows:

1. That Bylaw No. 533, 1991, the Town of Princeton Trades and Business Licence Bylaw No. 555, 1991 be amended as follows:
1. That a new definition be established titled (35) Local Crafters and Farmers Market

(35) “Local Crafters and Farmers Market” shall be defined as Local Crafters means individual residents of Princeton and Area “H” only, cannot have a Commercial outlet. Local Farmers can mean home grown vegetables and fruit in the surrounding area not limited to Princeton and Area “H”, cannot have a Commercial outlet. Market is open to a maximum of two (2) days per week. Market must be held on Commercial property with sufficient parking. No Commercial Enterprise s are allowed in the Market.

1. That Bylaw No. 555, 1991, Schedule “A” be amended as follows:

Part I, Item 5. be added as follows:

Local Crafters and Farmers Market – $300.00/year.

1. That this Bylaw be cited, for all purposes, as “The Town of Princeton Trades and Business Licence Amendment Bylaw No. 744, 2002”.

Read for the First Time this 2nd day of December, 2002.

Read for the Second Time this 2nd day of December, 2002.

Read For the Third Time this 2nd day of December, 2002.

Reconsidered and Finally Adopted this 16th day of December, 2002/

___________________________________________
Mayor Keith Olsen

___________________________________________
Administrator Cornie Froese

Published Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Vol. 60 Issue 53 Page A4

Have you made your New Year’s resolutions yet? There is a lot to think about: the financial crunch, Coal Bed Methane, the provincial election and food security just to name a few.

2009 should be a year of political intrigue with the excitement on Parliament Hill. The CBM issue still looms over our community and proves to be a hot button topic in the provincial election. A candidate on the Liberal ticket took her opening salvo on the issue during her nomination campaign calling the “SOS a small pocket of people”. The NDP MLA quickly responded to her nomination and her comments about the SOS in a letter to the editor before the election has been called.

According to recent news reports the federal government is preparing for a $30 billion deficit. If the economy continues to fall we will all feel the pinch. If oil prices skyrocket again next summer we could see food prices jump to prices that will push those already struggling over the edge. The financial situation will not only affect everyday people but will have repercussions on council spending. The provincial government is spending big money but as the economy slows so will government’s cash flow. All of these factors will have ripples that will touch everyone.

With all the doom and gloom on the table it’s time for us as citizens to step up to the plate.

Plant a garden this spring. It will help offset your cost of living not to mention the health benefits of eating fresh vegetables. Plant an extra row in your garden. There is a program in many areas called “plant a row, share a row.” In this program, those who can plant a little extra can donate to a food bank or to those in need.

It’s also time to volunteer. Many of our service groups have a membership that is getting older and there is no new blood. I know many do not have time but if we lose these service groups the community will feel the effect.

As you are planning your New Year’s resolutions think about what you want next year to look like. If you want a better financial outlook, think about ways to save money. If you are concerned about your community think about joining a service group. If you want to cut your carbon footprint think about the 100 mile diet, shopping consciously, gardening or not using chemical cleaners. The main thing is to become proactive in your life. I have come to the conclusion that you need to be the change you want to see. You cannot expect others to do it for you. Getting involved in your community and taking your life by the reigns gives you a feeling of accomplishment like nothing else.

Published Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Vol. 60 Issue 51 Page A4

Have you ever got up in the middle of the night, went to the sink and poured yourself a cold glass of water? It’s one of the most refreshing things in the world and it’s something that we take for granted every day: clean, safe water.

We, the people of Princeton, the Similkameen Valley, BC and Canada have seldom had to worry about our water supply. We have always had enough to drink, water our yards or grow our crops, but that is now being threatened. There has been a struggle in our area for a number of years over the proposed Coal Bed Methane or CBM extraction. Some in our community have tried to minimize the efforts of those opposed by labelling them “environmentalists” and by trying to claim that they are “anti-progress”. I am going to tell you today that this fight is about more than environmentalists. It’s about you and me and our future in this valley.

Remember my opening statement about how we have taken our water for granted? There is a reason CBM production has a bad name. It has destroyed water supplies and it has destroyed farmland. Coal Bed Methane is being fought in Alberta by ranchers, in Montana by ranchers and in BC it is being fought by ranchers and people like you.

In our municipal election there was some major opposition against the people who have spoken out against CBM production and now our new BC Liberal candidate has tried to minimize the SOS members by calling them “a small pocket of people.” The SOS has a membership into the hundreds and across party lines. That does not sound like a small pocket of people to me. CBM protest is not about progress or no progress. It’s not a movement to stop job creation, or to keep Princeton small. The protest against CBM is about protecting our way of life. It’s about keeping our water source safe.

The pro Coal Bed Methane lobby would like you to believe that those who oppose CBM are trying to stand in the way of our community’s future. If this was true why is there not a movement to stop the mine from reopening? The people in the SOS and those trying to stop CBM from moving forward are doing so because they have seen the other side of the story. They have heard the stories of ranchers of Montana who can no longer water their livestock. They have done the research and understand that the provincial legislation is not strong enough to protect our community from the harmful effects of CBM production. The people who are opposed to Coal Bed Methane are looking out for you and me. They are fighting it because they want to ensure that we can still get up in the middle of the night and get that nice safe cold glass of water from the tap.

Published Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Vol. 60 Issue 49 Page A4

They say a team is only as strong as its weakest link. I see a community as a team. We struggle together in hard times and we prosper together in good times. The needs of some of the most unexpected members of our community are proof that we are heading into some hard times.

There is a growing problem in our little town: poverty. Poverty is a powerful word with a lot of connotations. When most people hear the word “poverty” they think of laziness, drunkenness and drug abuse, but what many do not understand is that many who are in a state of “poverty” are just like you and me. Sometimes they are the people who serve us coffee, clean our hotel rooms, or they are the veterans who sacrificed their youths to give us the freedom that we enjoy so much.

The economic climate has hit the most vulnerable of our little community the hardest and the first. Earlier this year the rising cost of fuel drove up prices in almost every part of our lives, making it hard for those on a fixed income (like pensioners) to afford the basic necessities, such as food. Some have benefited from rising property assessments and were able to sell their homes for a profit, but what about those who might be renting or have a mortgage, or own their homes but have a limited or fixed income and now have to pay for the extra taxes?

Most people live hand to mouth, meaning they get their paycheque, and before the next one arrives, all the money is gone. They pay their rent, their utilities, gas and insurance for their automobile, and with what’s left, buy groceries for the next two weeks. With any increase to the cost of living, without an increase in income, they might have to skip buying that extra tank of gas or paying that utility bill or dare I say buy the less healthy food at the grocery store. No matter what their choice, it will have ramifications on the rest of their lives. What if they get sick? They might miss a paycheque, meaning they might not be able to do what I listed above. Many in our society live just two paycheques away from bankruptcy!

With Christmas, these stresses of daily life get worse as there are added financial woes, not to mention a number of other issues like increased heating costs as winter sets in. Our weakest link becomes a couple more links and as it adds up our team becomes less able to function.

You can help this Christmas season. You can make a donation to the Princeton Crisis Assistance Society in the form of food, money, or clothing. When at the grocery store, add a couple of items to your cart for the food hamper. After getting the mail, walk over to the Crisis Assistance Thrift Shop and drop off a donation. They are open Tuesday to Thursday 10am to 3pm. Let’s work as a team this Christmas and help out the less fortunate in our community.