At the Oscars: Joe Biden and Lady Gaga pay tribute to victims of sexual assault

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/lady-gagas-oscars-performance-til-870679

Disney apparently has now blocked some of the videos of this impressive performance with a very important message.  If the small version below does not play at this time, it can be found at the link above. (Monday Feb 29th)

Biden, who received a standing ovation from the audience, said of the song, "Too many women and men … are still victims of sexual abuse."




Take the pledge:

https://rainn.org/its-on-us-take-action

Another oil crash

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-02-24/another-oil-crash-is-coming-and-there-may-be-no-recovery

Another Oil Crash Is Coming, and There May Be No RecoverySuperior electric cars are on their way, and they could begin to wreck oil markets within a decade.

Tom Randall tsrandall

Kootenay refugee sponsor groups praised in Parliamentary speech by MP Wayne Stetski

CHR

The Cranbrook Hub for Refugees

see video posted Feb. 25th

Kootenay refugee sponsor groups praised in Parliamentary speech by MP Wayne Stetski

Cranbrook Hub for Refugees co-chair Bonnie Spence-Vinge address a recent 

meeting of the group at Christ Church Anglican Hall in Cranbrook. 

The Cranbrook Hub for Refugees (CHR) was praised on the floor of Parliament last week along with several other Kootenay groups working to bring Syrian refugee families to Canada.

Kootenay Columbia MP Wayne Stetski told the House he was proud of the efforts being made in the Kootenays to provide new homes for refugee families in the Kootenays and earned an enthusiastic parliamentary round of applause for his efforts.

Stetski began by saying, “I rise in the House today to recognize the hard work of the constituents of Kootenay–Columbia who are organizing to bring Syrian refugees to Canada. Across my riding, we are blessed to have many groups of dedicated citizens working toward this important goal . . .” 

The Kootenay-Columbia MP then listed nine Kootenay Volunteer groups currently working to bring Syrian refugees here including CHR, the Catholic Refugee Group and the Baptist Group of Friends  all located in Cranbrook as well as the Kimberley Refugee Resettlement Group, the Creston Refugee Committee, the Kalso Refugee Committee, the Nelson Friends of Refugees, the Kootenay Refugee Committee and the Cathedral Refugee Committee, all located in Nelson.

He later added another group, Kootenay Cares for Refugees, a local grass roots group of friends after finding out they brought a Syrian family of four to Cranbrook Feb. 19 after originally trying to sponsor a family from Burma.

“My sincere thank you to everyone involved in this important initiative. It is a clear demonstration of the generosity of spirit that is so widely held in Kootenay-Columbia! I look forward to personally meeting many of our new citizens - having them here will enrich our lives and our communities,” Stetski said.

CHR co chairman Gerry Warner said it was gratifying to hear this kind of support coming from one of our local politicians. “Sponsoring refugees is a monumental effort and we welcome MP Stetski’s support. This is an extremely challenging  project and we need all the support we can get.”

Warner said CHR has now raised close to $32,000, just $8,000 short of its budgeted $40,000 to support a refugee family of four. But many of the families coming over are larger than four and more money be needed. he said. “And we’re only budgeting to support them at social assistance levels so it would be nice if we could raise more than we’ve budgeted,” he said.

Kootenay Anglican Diocese Refugee Co-ordinator Elizabeth Huether said since Jan. 21 no new refugee families have been available for the Kootenay groups that hold private sponsorship agreements in partnership with Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). However, Huether said she expects this situation will change after March 9 when a new list of families needing sponsorships will become available.

“Some families have already been referred for settlement and there will be more. It’s a day to day thing and we just have to be patient and wait our turn. There will always be more families.”

Meanwhile close to a dozen CHR volunteer settlement teams are doing everything they can to prepare for the refugees. Temporary accomm0dation has been found, long term accommodation is being arranged, translators have been recruited, clothing collected, cultural workshops held and discussions held with School District 5 officials to arrange for the refugee children to go to school.

“There will be no problem with schooling,” said CHR Education Team Leader Anne Beurskens. “They will go to the school closest to their house, and if that one is full, they will go to the next closest school. We are ready for this.”

For more information, contact:

Gerry Warner – (250) 489-3271

Bonnie Spence-Vinge – (250) 426-4274

Reminders from Wildsight

This Changes Everything - Film and Climate Presentation

On March 1st and 2nd, we'll be showing This Changes Everything, the film inspired by Naomi Klein's international bestselling non-fiction book, in Kimberley and Cranbrook. Along with the film, Wildsight's Lars Sander-Green will give a short presentation demystifying our national and local carbon emissions - and exploring what we can do to reach carbon sustainability before it's too late. See the trailer.

Kimberley: Tuesday, Mar 1st, 7:30PM, Centre 64
Cranbrook: Wednesday, Mar 2nd, 7:30PM, College of the Rockies Lecture Theatre

Admission is by donation.

Net Zero Homes with Shafraaz Kaba

On March 4th, architect Shafraaz Kaba will present the fourth in our Net-Zero Homes speaker series. In his presentation, Chasing Net Zero: Lessons learned from designing and building a net zero-ready home in Edmonton using passive design principles, Shafraaz will share his experience creating a unique home that is low-tech but high-performance. Shafraaz will cover passive solar strategies, wall, roof, and foundation construction, low cost heating and ventilation systems, and more.

See details (and a short video on Shafraaz's home) at wildsight.ca/netzero.

Professionals: Friday, Mar 4th, 1PM - 5PM, College of the Rockies,
Lecture Theatre S114, Cranbrook, $25, Register online (all welcome).

Public: Friday, Mar 4th, 7:30PM,
Centennial Centre, Kimberley, Admission by donation.

Our Wild Purcells with Dave Quinn

The wild Purcell Mountains have long been filled with adventurers, photographers and rabble rousers. Join award-winning local author and photographer, Dave Quinn, to celebrate the grassroots efforts that created the Purcell Wilderness Conservancy 40 years ago, and get inspired to help protect these rugged mountains into the future. See vintage photos, hear personal stories and tour the stunning geography of the towering mountains in the Central Purcells, the ancient forests in the north and the Mallandaine Wilderness Area in the south. Details at wildsight.ca/ourwildpurcells.

Kimberley: Wednesday, Mar 9th, 7PM, Centre 64
Cranbrook: Thursday, Mar 10th, 7PM, College of the Rockies Lecture Theatre
Admission is by donation.

A Good Night for Reconciliation, Gerry Warner

An incredible opportunity awaits us

Perceptions by Gerry Warner

Thursday evening, Feb. 25 was a good night for reconciliation at the College of the Rockies (COTR).

More than 100 people had gathered in the grand entrance foyer of the college underneath the giant, curved, wooden beams to hear former St. Mary’s Band Chief and BC Treaty Commissioner Sophie Pierre speak on reconciliation between the Ktunaxa people and we who came to dominate the land the Ktunaxa lived on for more than 10,000 years.

Given the topic of Pierre’s address – reconciliation – it wouldn’t have been surprising if the former chief and treaty commissioner had used the occasion to lament the sad history of the Ktunaxa people’s subjugation by the interlopers who arrived little more than 100 years ago and quickly displaced the first peoples with their industry, technology and sheer numbers.

Pierre, a residential school survivor, acknowledged those were difficult times, but she didn’t dwell on that painful history. Instead she challenged the crowd to look to the future and think about what they could do to build a new era of harmony and progress with the Ktunaxa as full participants instead of being marginalized as they’d been in the past.

She pointed out that a new era had already begun with the conversion of the formerly dreaded residential school, which she had attended for nine years, to a modern, four-seasons resort with a hotel, golf course and casino. This was a difficult and painful accomplishment because the Ktunaxa people feared the imposing, brick, structure where they were educated, but at the cruel price of having their language and culture taken away from them.

They even feared to enter the building which stood empty for 20 years after it closed in 1970 and was left to its ghosts and bad memories. But this all changed when Elder Mary Paul said at a meeting the only way to recover all that had been lost in the hated building was “go back and get it,” said Pierre. And although it took several more years of hardship and financial difficulties, this is exactly what the Ktunaxa did with the help of four other bands in their traditional territory and a financial partnership with the Sampson Cree from Alberta and the Mnjikaning First Nation from Ontario.

Today the St. Eugene Golf Resort and Casino is a $40 million destination resort and source of pride for the Ktunaxa nation and a major attraction for the entire region. Right next to it stands the ?aq’amnik Elementary School where Ktunaxa culture and values are proudly taught as well as the Ktunaxa language, a cultural language isolate unique in the world. Times have improved for the Ktunaxa people but there’s lots of room for improvement yet, said Pierre.

This was the challenge Pierre made to the crowd and it sparked a lively discussion among the people there which were a diverse mix of local residents including many non-Ktunaxa. I was also there out of general interest and made a modest proposal myself in response to Sophie’s challenge, which she eagerly endorsed. Given this event took place in a college located on Ktunaxa traditional territory with Ktunaxa and non-Ktunaxa students alike, I asked what better location could you get for a degree-granting program in archaeology?

I admit I never really thought of this before, but listening to Sophie’s address, it just popped into my head and the more I thought about it the more it made sense. COTR is located adjacent to one of the richest fossilized areas in the world, a fact known to a relative few in the region, but one that’s gathering increasing attention outside our area. And along with all those ammonites and trilobites below the surface is 10,000 years of Ktunaxa history.

What better place could there be for a new archaeology teaching program in B.C.?

It’s a natural. So why don’t we link hands with the Ktunaxa and just do it?

Gerry Warner is a retired journalist with an amateur – extremely amateur – interest in archeology.

Good Country Party

Good country party | Simon Anholt

So what needs to change? The way countries, cities, regions and companies are run. Our politicians and corporate bosses need to understand that they have a new mandate: not the traditional single mandate that holds them responsible only for their own people and their own slice of territory, but a new, dual mandate. A mandate that says everyone in a position of authority is responsible for their own people and for every man, woman and child on the planet; for their own slice of territory and for every inch of the earth’s surface and the atmosphere above it.

That’s a big responsibility, but a necessary one. And it’s perfectly possible, because national and international interests are much more compatible than most politicians imagine. My own experience as a policy advisor for more than fifty governments over the past twenty years has shown me that dealing with domestic issues from an international viewpoint is nearly always more effective than having a myopic inward focus. Simply put, it makes better government.

The Wild Purcells, March 10th

The wild Purcell Mountains have long been filled with adventurers, photographers and rabble rousers. Wildsight is proud to present Our Wild Purcells, a multimedia event celebrating the grassroots efforts that created the Purcell Wilderness Conservancy 40 years ago and inspiring action to protect these rugged mountains into the future. 

The evening will be hosted by award-winning author and photographer, Dave Quinn, and will feature vintage photos and tales from wild landscapes: from the stunning geography of the towering mountains in the central Purcells to the ancient forests in the north and the Mallandaine wilderness area in the south. 

“The Purcell Wilderness Conservancy is an immense legacy, achieved by passionate people coming together because of their love of the wild. It’s a story that inspires me daily and it will surely inspire you to celebrate the wild Purcells and stand up for this landscape we all love so deeply,” said Robyn Duncan, Wildsight’s Executive Director. 

Our Wild Purcells will tour both sides of the Purcell Mountains in March. The tour will be stopping in Kimberley on Wednesday, March 9th at Centre 64 and in Cranbrook on Thursday, March 10th at the College of the Rockies Lecture Theatre. 

Both shows are at 7pm and are by donation. More details can be found at wildsight.ca/ourwildpurcells.

MP Stetski in the House

What's Happening.....

Feb 9th to March 16th

"By a Thread"
A fibre arts exhibit by Virginia Anderson, Sioban Staplin and Darlene Purnell

Until February 26th

Last chance to view
Cranbrook and District Arts Council
Member's Exhibit
"Passions"
1013, Baker St.
Upcoming exhibit
Members' Photography begins March 1st

Saturday February 27th

Cranbrook Farmer's Market
10:00 to 1:00pm
Ktunaxa Gym

Monday February 29th

Wednesday March 2nd

'This Changes Everthing'
College of the Rockies
See post below

March 2nd - 5th
Rockies Film Festival
Tickets Lotus Books

March 4th and 5th

Regional Science Fair
College of the Rockies

March 5th, 11th, 12th

Free Motion Quilting Workshop
with Darlene Purnell
Key City Theatre
250-426-7006
$95

What's Up?

Hellebore, Primula and Crocus.

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This Changes Everything, March 2nd. College of the Rockies

What if confronting the climate crisis is the best chance we’ll ever get to build a better world? 'This Changes Everything' is an epic attempt to re-imagine the vast challenge of climate change.
Wildsight Kimberley/Cranbrook will present the film on Tuesday March 1st, 7:30pm at Centre 64 in Kimberley and on Wednesday March 2nd ,7:30pm in the College of the Rockies Lecture Theatre in Cranbrook.

 Along with the film, Wildsight’s Lars Sander-Green will give a short presentation on our national – and local – carbon emissions and what we can do to reduce them to sustainable levels before it’s too late. Admission is by donation.
“Climate change is such a complex subject and we all hear so many huge numbers that are hard to make sense of,” said Sander-Green, “so I’ve put together this presentation to break down our carbon emissions into simple terms - where we are now, what’s sustainable, and how we can reduce our emissions to sustainable levels before it’s too late.”

'This Changes Everything', filmed over 211 shoot days in nine countries and five continents over four years, is an epic attempt to re-imagine the vast challenge of climate change. Inspired by Naomi Klein’s international non-fiction bestseller 'This Changes Everything', the film presents seven powerful portraits of communities on the front lines, from Montana’s Powder River Basin to the Alberta Tar Sands, from the coast of South India to Beijing and beyond.

Interwoven with these stories of struggle is Klein’s narration, connecting the carbon in the air with the economic system that put it there. Throughout the film, Klein builds to her most controversial and exciting idea: that we can seize the existential crisis of climate change to transform our failed economic system into something radically better.
The trailer for the film is available at wildsight.ca/thischangeseverything.

New ICU Wing

The new six bed Intensive Care Unit opened for public viewing last week at the Cranbrook and District Hospital.  Designed with input from staff, the most noticeable feature to many might be the flood of natural light in all areas.  For those able, being able to see beyond a wall or a curtain and a few clouds, when looking outside from a hospital bed, will surely promote mental well-being and healing.  For staff working in very difficult situations, the benefit of not only the natural light but plentiful space and modern equipment will be a huge assets.

Spacious rooms with inbuilt screening at the push of a button (within window glass)

Nurse monitoring station

All rooms are equipped with pull out sleeping accommodation for next of kin

Family wait room

Medical conference room

Physician rest area

Christy Clark's Inequality Budget, Paul Willcocks,Tyee

Christy Clark's Inequality Budget

Unfairness grows in BC's tax system, with families paying more and businesses less.

By Paul Willcocks, 19 Feb 2016, TheTyee.ca

Christy Clark likes talking about B.C.'s low taxes.

But since she's been premier, a fairly typical retired couple has seen their provincial taxes increase by 19 per cent.

A low-income family with two children has faced an even larger increase, paying 20 per cent more in provincial taxes since Clark's first budget in 2012. That's an increase of 4.6 per cent a year, more than twice the inflation rate.

There is nothing wrong with higher taxes, if they're equitable and the money helps build a stronger society.
But Clark falls down badly on equity, according to this week's budget documents.

While seniors getting by on modest pensions and low-income families have faced 20 per-cent tax hikes, their more affluent neighbours have pretty much escaped tax increases.

A family of four with $90,000 income is paying only 1.1 per cent more in taxes than they did in 2012. A single person with $80,000 income has faced a 2.2-per-cent increase in the Clark years. 

The family of four with a household income of $90,000 is paying $102 more in taxes and fees after four years of Clark's leadership. The single high-earner person is paying $165 more.

Yet the family of four scraping by on $30,000 is paying $448 a year more. (These numbers are all from Page 112 in the main budget report.)

Partly, this is a consequence of the government's focus on spin and sloganeering. Clark likes to be able to go around saying income taxes are the lowest in Canada, so government managers increase other taxes, like MSP premiums, to keep her happy.

To read the entire article go to:

http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2016/02/19/Christy-Clark-Inequality-Budget/

Weekend Walkabout with Stewart on the St. Mary

Stewart's photos demonstrate life springing into action as the temperature rises and snow recedes. From taking some rays in someone else's pad, making the journey home, gathering new building materials, the St.Mary is a busy neighbourhood.  It appeared the sun's warmth is appealing to many of the critters out there although the small rodents may not enjoy having their winter runs exposed.

Give Peace a Chance, Gerry Warner

There are ways to end the Middle East madness

Perceptions by Gerry Warner

“When war is declared, the first casualty is truth.”

 Hiram Johnson

I don’t know a much truer statement than the one above. But it’s one mankind never seems to learn as war seems to hard wired in our DNA as the history of the human race demonstrates with numbing regularity.

And it’s happening again now in Ottawa with our Prime Minister being hammered from all corners for withdrawing our jet fighters from the Syrian civil war, surely one of the most senseless and destructive wars in modern history.

This is a war so terrible that it has killed close to 300,000 people to date, including  115,000 civilians in Syria – the bulk of those made up of women and children – while some 4 million Syrians have fled the country to get away from the carnage, according to an article in the Feb. 19 Huffington Post. And who’s killing the civilians? Certainly the army of Syria’s sadistic President Bashar al-Assad has killed the most, but we’ve got blood on our hands too with documented incidents of the US-led coalition, which includes Canada, killing civilians as well.  These incidents are always labelled as “accidental,” but the sad fact of the matter is that civilians are inevitably killed in any war no matter who’s fighting it.

Think about it. Before they were pulled out Feb. 15, our six CF-18 jets in Syria flew numerous missions over Syria at 30,000 to 40,000 feet firing supposedly

“smart bombs” (missiles actually) at targets given to them by US “intelligence” obtained from God knows where that claimed it knew where the “bad guys” (ISIS militants) were down below and the missiles would pick them out from the

crowd while leaving the “good guys” (non ISIS members) untouched as they sipped their chai or knelt on their prayer rugs.

If you believe that, I’ll give you some pills that’ll turn water into wine! That’s why we end up killing civilians in Syria too – men, women and children – and why almost a quarter of Syria’s population has fled the chaotic country with little more than the shirts on their backs literally walking and drowning their way to the Western World where at least some semblance of civilization exists.

This is a migration of Biblical proportions. There haven’t been this many refugees on the move since the end of World War II. And we’ve only seen the beginning of it. According to a United Nations report, 60 million refugees have been forced  from their homes by violence world-wide with 4 million of these coming from Syria alone. Growth of the refugee population has already accelerated dramatically this year overwhelming Europe including Germany which has accepted more than a million.

As they pour out of the Middle East, Africa and Asia, where do you think they’re heading? Certainly a large portion will try to come to North America where there is lots of space, democratic governments (mostly) and a standard of living beyond their wildest dreams. As a result, we’d better get ready for a sea change in world-wide population distribution because it’s coming whether we like it or not. And yes, there are those who would like to bar the doors and retreat behind their fortress walls and ignore the misery the refugees are going through.

I can understand people feeling fearful and uneasy because change is always disruptive. But ignoring the situation in a globalized world is no longer an option. Neither is a Donald Trump wall to keep the refugees at bay. And the war we’re waging now just makes the situation worse. Far worse!

So what’s the answer? Obviously the war must be ended to stanch the flow of refugees, giving them the opportunity to return home, which most of them want to do. A UN Peace Force must be sent to Syria to keep the peace with boots on the ground instead of “smart bombs,” which have never worked and never will. Finally we’ve got to learn how to love our neighbours without reservation because killing them just doesn’t work.  

Gerry Warner is a retired journalist and militant pacifist.

Climate Scientist Who Does not Fly, Peter Kalmus

'I'm a Climate Scientist Who Doesn't Fly'

It took three years to quit air travel. Here's one man's carbon-cutting journey.

By Peter Kalmus, 17 Feb 2016, YES! Magazine

http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2016/02/17/Climate-Scientist-No-Fly/

I'm a climate scientist who doesn't fly. I try to avoid burning fossil fuels, because it's clear that doing so causes real harm to humans and to nonhumans, today and far into the future. I don't like harming others, so I don't fly. Back in 2010, though, I was awash in cognitive dissonance. My awareness of global warming had risen to a fever pitch, but I hadn't yet made real changes to my daily life. This disconnect made me feel panicked and disempowered.

Then one evening in 2011, I gathered my utility bills and did some Internet research. I looked up the amounts of carbon dioxide emitted by burning a gallon of gasoline and a therm (about 100 cubic feet) of natural gas, I found an estimate for emissions from producing the food for a typical American diet and an estimate for generating a kilowatt hour of electricity in California, and I averaged the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and Environmental Protection Agency estimates for CO2 emissions per mile from flying. With these data, I made a basic pie chart of my personal greenhouse gas emissions for 2010.

 To read the complete article, go to the link above.

Out and About with Stewart

At Elizabeth Lake

This is Not the Muppets, February message from MP Wayne Stetski

 This Is Not the Muppets

Parliament started up again on January 25^th, so I have once again been dividing my time between Kootenay–Columbia and Ottawa. One of the concerns that many of you have expressed is the lack of decorum in Parliament, particularly during daily Question Period, which at times can be rude and disrespectful, setting a very poor example of how democracy should work. I share this concern but I am encouraged by the work being done by the new Speaker of the House of Commons to change the atmosphere in Parliament. I encourage him every chance I get to continue this important work. Here are just a few of many statements made by Speaker Geoff Regan to address Parliamentary decorum:

·         “Let us listen up so we can get through this. Let us all pay attention and show respect for each other.”

·         “Order please colleagues, we are going to hear things that are provocative. Sometimes it is hard not to react, but I know we can do it. Let us restrain ourselves.”

·         “I know we want to have more and more women parliamentarians in the House of Commons and it is important that we have a workplace that is civilized, so let’s ensure it is not like a 1950s old boys club in here.”

·         “After the member asks his question, he might remind the gentleman in front of him that this is not the Muppets.”

Needless to say, this is a work in progress.

The spring Parliamentary session continues until June 23^rd, with a total of seven weeks back in Kootenay–Columbia before the summer break. Last week I spent four days in Golden, Field and Revelstoke meeting with constituents, park superintendents and elected officials. It was good to hear from them about their concerns and priorities. I heard about the need for funding for infrastructure, affordable housing, high speed internet, park operations and maintenance, and fixing the Trans-Canada Highway.  I also heard about issues related to immigration, the Temporary Foreign Workers program, and the need to protect the Columbia River wetlands.

I am looking forward to hearing more from my constituents in the coming months, as I travel around our riding. You can always contact my office with any concerns about federal issues by calling 250-417-2250 or by emailing us at wayne.stetski@parl.gc.ca.

We will be officially opening our community offices in the coming weeks. The grand opening for our Cranbrook Office at 111-7^th Avenue will be held on February 29th. Our Nelson office, located on the 5^th floor of Nelson City Hall, will have its grand opening on March 2nd. Check out our website at www.waynestetski.ndp.ca for details about these and other upcoming events in our community.

A number of constituents have asked what I can do to help them as a Member of Parliament in an opposition party. The answer is quite a lot. 

IN OUR COMMUNITY: I have great staff in my offices in Cranbrook, Nelson and Ottawa, who are here to help constituents resolve issues with federal programs and services. They have access to information and contacts within the federal government who can provide information on topics ranging from citizenship to Employment Insurance to income taxes. We can also provide you with current information on grant opportunities, tax tips and new pieces of legislation.

You can learn more about the services we provide on the “Service Desk” section of our website.

I can also write letters of support to Ministers regarding constituents’ interests and projects. Both in the riding and in Ottawa, I meet with delegations from many stakeholder groups like the BC Dairy Farmers, the BC Building Trades, the Canadian Federation of Students and Health Action groups, who share concerns about issues relevant to our riding.

IN THE HOUSE: In Ottawa, I can raise constituents’ concerns directly with government Ministers. I recently walked across the floor of the House to discuss an issue on behalf of the Ktunaxa with the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs. I also have the opportunity to hold the government accountable by asking questions in Question Period, speaking in the House, and presenting petitions signed by constituents. In early February, I presented a petition signed by 700 constituents in favour of proportional representation.

As a party, the NDP submits motions for debate in the House on Opposition Days. The first NDP motion was debated two weeks ago. I was very proud of our party for putting forward a motion to set up an all-party committee to determine a way forward to end pay inequity for women in Canada. The motion was supported by all but the Conservative party, which means that the special committee will be formed in the near future.

MPs also have the opportunity to sponsor private member’s bills. I will be working with my staff to develop and introduce a number of private member’s bills, and would like to hear from you about your priorities. Feel free to email us at wayne.stetski@parl.gc.ca with your ideas on how to build a better Canada.

As the NDP Critic for National Parks, I work to ensure that our parks have the resources they need so that our natural treasures can be enjoyed for generations of Canadians. I know our national parks are important to the people of Kootenay–Columbia, and I am honoured to be able to work on this file.

An MP’s life is very busy, both in Ottawa and in the riding! You can receive regular updates about my work by signing up on our website to receive our E-Newsletters. You can also follow me on Facebook and Twitter.

I look forward to speaking with more of you in the coming weeks and months and to sharing with you more stories from this place that is definitely not the Muppet show!

Wayne Stetski

Member of Parliament, Kootenay–Columbia

NDP National Parks Critic

Jumbo Wild Film Screening and Keynote by Dr. Cam Ownes

Net-Zero Homes Speaker Series Continues with Dave Spencer and Jan Pratschke

Net-Zero Homes Speaker Series Continues with Dave Spencer and Jan Pratschke

Wildsight Kimberley/Cranbrook is presenting two more sessions in their Net-zero Energy Building Speaker Series: Dave Spencer of Calgary, founder of the EchoHaven sustainable development, Jan Pratschke of Invermere’s Collective Carpentry, and architect Shafraaz Kaba of Edmonton. Dave and Jan will be presenting a four-hour seminar for professionals from 1-5PM at Centre 64 in Kimberley and an inspirational evening presentation for the public at 7:30PM at COTR in Cranbrook on Friday, February 19th.

“Dave Spencer not only built his own net-zero home, but he founded a whole ecological development in Calgary to build it in,” said Wildsight’s Lars Sander-Green, “and local Jan Pratschke has a lot of knowledge to share about constructing high performance homes in the Kootenays.”

Dave built his net-zero home in 2011 and has been living in it - and monitoring the home’s performance - ever since. He’ll be sharing details about his home, his development, net-zero living, and a look forward at the net-zero industry in Canada, with plenty of construction details and discussion. Jan has worked on a number of high performance homes with his partners at Collective Carpentry in Invermere, focusing on shop-built building elements to maximize thermal performance and air sealing.

Two weeks later, on March 4th, architect Shafraaz Kaba will present the fourth and final session in the series, focusing on the modern net-zero home he built in Edmonton, along with details from other net-zero projects he has worked on.

“Edmonton has been a worldwide leader in net-zero homes over the past decade,” said Sander-Green, “and so we are very pleased to have Shafraaz in Kimberley and Cranbrook to share with us.”

In his presentation, Chasing Net Zero: Lessons learned from designing and building a net zero-ready home in Edmonton using passive design principles, Shafraaz will share his experience creating a unique home that is low-tech but provides high-performance. His experience builds upon lessons learned from the Equilibrium Housing program and from advice to keep it simple. He will also share what he’d do differently if he could do it all over again.

“The professional sessions are Homeowner Protection Office - approved as continuing professional development, so builders can cover some of their required training hours with our professional sessions” added Sander-Green, “and there is always plenty of time for Q&A to really dive into the subject.”

The professional seminars run from 1-5PM (Feb 19: Centre 64 in Kimberley, Mar 4: College of the Rockies in Cranbrook, Room S114) and cost $25. Interested members of the public are also welcome at the afternoon session. The public sessions start at 7:30PM (Feb 19: College of the Rockies in Cranbrook, Lecture Theatre, Mar 4: Centennial Centre in Kimberley) with admission by donation. More details and registration for the professional seminar can be found at wildsight.ca/netzero.

Wildsight Kimberley/Cranbrook gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Columbia Basin Trust for this project.

Contact:

Lars Sander-Green

Climate, Wildsight

250 427 6274

lars@wildsight.ca

2-495 Wallinger Ave
Kimberley, BC V1A1Z6
Canada