Flip of the Coyne

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, January 14, 2009
Vol. 61 Issue 2 Page A4

Reading a recent article in Small Farm magazine got me thinking back to the last municipal election and the call by so many for a farmers’ market. When the topic came up during the election I was excited that people were actually thinking about having a discussion about a real famers’ market in town. Only months before while our garden was in full swing I had the same discussion with friends about selling our produce at a local market. Now maybe there would be a movement, after all if it was an election topic there must be others out there thinking along similar lines as I was. But alas like so many other election topics once the votes were cast the ideas seemed to be put back on the shelf for another three years.

The reason I started to think about our own situation was because in the January/February 2009 issue of Small Farm there is an article that talked about how “Farmers’ Markets” were selling products from China and other far off places. The problem was not that these products were for sale but that they were being sold at a farmers’ market which is perceived as selling local goods but when oranges and bananas are being sold next to garlic from China there was nothing local about it. The article then went on to explain that a farmers market could be almost anything from a flea market to a producers market. This is where Princeton came in.

When you think about the idea of eating locally we in Princeton are very lucky. We are less than an hour from the lush orchards of the lower Similkameen or a few hours from the fertile fields of the Fraser Valley. Despite that we have no Farmer’s Market.

How does a community in the middle of all this farm country go about getting a farmers market? Turns out there are a number of ways to do it but as it turns out there is a provincial organization called the BC Association of Farmers’ Market that has an abundance of information for market managers and vendors. There is another step that needs to take place and it is at the municipal hall level. Currently the Farmers’ Market bylaw an extension of the business licence bylaw (bylaw No. 744, 2002) actually prevents a farmers’ market like in Penticton from happening here in Princeton. This is a problem that could be easily remedied as legislation is never written in stone and can always be amended.

I believe that with a change in the bylaw and the creation of a society to run a market this would be a good first step towards getting local producers to look at selling their products in Princeton. If we are going to try to eat local we need to grow local and buy local.

Published Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Vol. 61 Issue 1 Page A4

Could you live for one year on food sources that fall within a hundred mile radius from your home? It is a challenge and would take some work, some sacrifice, but it is possible.

The 100 mile diet is a movement that is having a real impact on some food service providers, as well as raw food retail. This past summer I had the pleasure of talking to a lady working at one of the fruit stands in Keremeos. She told me that although things were slower, they were seeing more people looking for food that was grown within 100 miles of their homes. She was surprised just how many people had started to live by this lifestyle.

Before anyone jumps up and says “Let’s do it,” there are some sacrifices that will need to be taken before one decides to join the movement towards eating locally. We do not have sugar production and we cannot grow coffee beans, oranges, bananas and a lot of other foods that we take for granted. On the other side of the coin, we do have an abundance of orchards, vineyards, dairies, honey production, cattle, poultry and other necessities. We also live in a region where we can grow a lot of staples like potatoes and beans.

It would be harder to do some things, but you may discover that locally we can support ourselves and live a healthier existence. You are probably thinking to yourself, “What about you, Spencer Coyne? Are you practicing what you preach?” Good point. Last summer my wife and I grew the majority of the food that we ate. Our vegetables came from the garden. Most of our meat came from our farm, a local river, or lake. I still bought my bread and milk from the grocery store as well as other items, but it was a start. Since the garden was dug under for the winter, I have been looking for local dairy sources as well as other local sources for the basics.

We have a great resource in town for locally grown foods. The Healthy Harvest Box program works with a supplier that tries to keep the majority of the products that it supplies within 100 miles. We do like to find the easiest way to do things. The Healthy Harvest Box may just be the way to do it.

I hope I have given you something to think about for the New Year. It may not stop climate change and it may not stop pollution, but when you sink your teeth into a fresh apple off the tree, or into a steak from a local rancher, there is nothing else like it.

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 24, 2008
Vol. 60 Issue 52 Page A4

Can you correctly answer four simple questions about our government?

1. Who is the head of state?
2. How can Canada’s system of government best be described?
3. Do Canadians elect the prime minister directly?
4. Can the Governor General nix a prime minister’s request of a new election?

Write out your answers before you read further.

If you can answer those four questions correctly, you are smarter than the average Canadian. These questions were taken from a recent poll done by the Dominion Institute. The poll found that only 24% of Canadians could answer all the questions correctly! There are a couple of startling numbers to come out of this poll: 17% of Canadians said we live in a representative republic and 25% said a co-operative assembly, and maybe one of the most worrisome is that 51% of citizens polled said that we elect the prime minister directly! Also, a recent Ipsos Reid poll found that 75% of Canadians believe that the prime minister or Governor General is the head of state.

I suppose shocking findings such as these explains some of the outrage and confusion over what is happening in Ottawa. When people do not understand how their own government works, how it is elected or how it represents them, it takes very little to persuade them that what is happening in the House of Commons is wrong.

That being said, you have to question the motives behind some who have tried to paint our duly and lawfully elected members of parliament as traitors. Not only are such allegations borderline slanderous, but they fan the flames of ignorance. I do not care what your party affiliations are, when you call a lawfully elected member of parliament a traitor you are walking on very thin ice, especially when the now prime minster has hinted at coalition governments in the past (press conference April 20, 2005). The proposed coalition government of the Liberal and NDP is not only a legitimate proposal, but it is also a constitutionally legal proposal.

What it all really boils down to is that the majority of Canadians do not have the basic knowledge to be able to participate fully within our democracy. I am worried about these findings. I am scared of what it means for the future of Canada. I urge our schools and educators to take a more active role in educating the next generation of citizens. I call upon elected officials to make the right choice and find a way to educate the electorate on how our system of government works. If we are to stay a democracy, we need an educated and active citizenry.

Here are the correct answers to the four questions:

1. the Queen
2. Constitutional Monarchy
3. No
4. Yes

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.