12 Gifts with 'Local' and 'Sustainability' in Mind

Although most Christmas craft fairs and markets are now over there are still places you can buy locally produced items or something that will lighten your impact on the local environment.

1.   Plastic bag dryers, kits $3 available from Mount Baker School until Thursday December 16th
426-5241 ext.657 or paul.knipe@sd5.bc.ca
To read about this great project go to http://livablecranbrook.blogspot.com/2010/12/santas-workshop-at-green-home.html

2.   Locally blended teas http://www.purcellorganics.com/

3.   Tickets to the Banff Film Festival which will be in Cranbrook on January 8 at the Key City Theatre – tickets $20 at High Country Sports, and Key City Theatre

4.   Memberships in Community Forest Society $10 single $15 family cranbrookcommunityforest@gmail.com

5.   Ice grippers or hiking poles(for more walking through all kinds of weather) available at most sports stores in town

6.   Rotary Film Festival tickets
 http://www.clubrunner.ca/CPrg/Home/storyitem.asp?cid=926&iid=176287
Until Christmas, the 4 movie Silver Pass can be purchased for $35, and the 8 movie Gold Pass for $65. After Christmas they will return to their regular price of $40 and $70.

7. On January 6th, at 7p.m.Rotary will be continuing with our Rotary Rockies Film Series at the Columbia Theatre, by showing Tamara Drewe. " Tickets for Tamara Drewe are also available at Lotus books, for $10. Tickets sold at the door with be $12. The official trailer can be viewed at http://youtu.be/56hwLwCTngc

8.   Timers for your Christmas Lights – inside and out

9.   Biltong meats, http://biltongcanada.com/ecom/index.cfm

10.  Local Affordable Art - Key City Theatre Gallery

11.  Anything locally or home made - e.g Gem soaps avilable at Lotus Books where books by local authors may also be found

12.  Make a gift donation to the SPCA  http://www.spca.bc.ca/branches/east-kootenay/

Cranbrook Connected Surveys due NOW!

Cranbrook Connected Surveys are due in tomorrow Wedenesday December 15th.  If you do not have one of these surveys, they are available at City Hall, the Library and at the Rec Plex.  This is your chance for input into a sustainable vision for Cranbrook.

A Developer's Guide to Green Building

The LEED-Neighbourhood Development program was designed to provide encouragement to developers who offer alternatives to sprawl. Individual projects will be given points for certain smart growth principals exhibited in their developments. Some of the principles that the initiative encourages are choosing environmentally sound locations, reducing the need to drive, using less land, and conservation of energy and water. There are already many developments that have been registered for this project. Many municipalities are now encouraging or requiring these sort of developments. Perhaps our local developers would be willing to provide us their visions for similar developments that will lead Cranbrook into the future.  The  old development model has led to sprawl and expensive infrastructure that we can no longer afford. Would any of our new developments meet any of the LEED - ND standards? If local developers are serious about building sustainability then its time to start seeing projects using LEED standards right here in Cranbrook.

For more information on Building Green and LEED standards please go to
http://www.cagbc.org/leed/systems/neighbourhood_developments/index.php

Six or Sixty, 25 Below and Snow - Revel in it!

Protecting Freshwater Top Priority for Majority of British Columbians

We posted several articles on the topic of Water this fall.  Many of the topics included in the Cranbrook Connected Questionnaire have to do with water. Without a healthy and secure source of water we are in serious trouble.

This article was posted by Vicki Burns on the Community Foundations of Canada Blog.  It is reassuring that survey participants feel this way - can we count on action I wonder.

http://canadawater.wordpress.com/


Protecting Freshwater Top Priority for Majority of British Columbians -Vancouver Foundation and WWF-Canada Team Up to Survey the Public’s Attitudes

A recently released poll of British Columbia residents is good news for all of us who are focussing on water issues in Canada. It confirms once again that Canadians view freshwater as our most precious natural resource. The McAllister Opinion Research Poll found that 91% of British Columbians surveyed felt that freshwater resources in their province were the most important resource and a resounding 94% felt that nature and wildlife needs related to water should be a top priority in new water rules being developed by the province of B.C.
I was impressed to see the Vancouver Foundation partnering with WWF-Canada in polling the public about their attitudes regarding water. When I asked Mark Gifford, the Director of Grants and Community Initiatives for the Vancouver Foundation, what motivated them to be involved he quickly responded “Water and its protection are fundamental in thinking about the long term health of our province and its residents. It made sense for the Vancouver Foundation to be involved in this initiative”.

These poll results will surely give the B.C. government the support they need to move ahead with modernizing their Water Act.

Some of the measures the public would like to see included are:

* Stricter rules for managing industrial and municipal water use (89 per

cent).

* Using science to inform water management decisions (89 per cent).

* Requiring commercial enterprises to obtain licences for groundwater use

(89 per cent).

* Requiring active monitoring and reporting of all water use by industry and

municipalities (91 per cent).

Actually, wouldn’t it be great to see these types of considerations for water management put into a federal act for all of Canada? The same principles of protection for one of life’s most essential elements, water, should be consistent across the entire country. It’s hard to imagine a logical argument why not.

Rockyview OCP Discussion Update

To keep our readers informed, a letter from Joseph Cross Community Forest Society appears in the Daily Townsman today.
http://www.dailytownsman.com/article/20101210/CRANBROOK0303/312109995/-1/CRANBROOK03/rockyview-ocp

Our comment on this subject was posted on December 2nd under For the Record Rockyview OCP.

Santa's Workshop Update

An elf at Mt. Baker School informs us that 100 more plastic bag dryers are been made as orders keep coming in. The kits sell for $3 and are available by phoning the school.  Confused? - read the post of
December 4th  Santa's Workshop at the Green Home!

Cranbrook's School Christmas Concerts

The last two weeks of school seem packed with various concerts from all the schools and if you haven't attended any yet you still have Mt Baker's production of A Christmas Carol,The Musical which starts next week and runs for several nights.  Many Thanks to all the teachers who put in many extra hours at this time of year preparing for these very special events.  These concerts are an important part of the Christmas Season, showcasing our younger citizens and making our season bright.  We appreciate you all.

Parkland Choir at the Key City Theatre

Parkland Grade 7 Band

How far they have come in such a short time - Well done



Parkland Grade 8 and 9 Band





Elementary School Mass Choir College of the Rockies

This concert was started in the seventies by the late Roy Barnett and is a favourite every year. Roy's wife Elsie still attends the annual event and looks after the collection of food and cash at the door.  This collection goes to the Salvation Army.  Every elementary school, many teachers and several hundred students are involved and the sound of so many childrens' voices is impressive as well as beautiful, especially when they come together with only one mass rehearsal.

What’s Happening

Friday December 10th and Saturday December 11th
It’s a Wonderful Life
Studio Stage Door
Tickets $15
Highly recommended – if tickets are still available


Friday and Saturday December 10th and 11th
Artist Demonstrations
Fisher Peak Art and Gift Gallery


Friday December 10th
George Canyon
Key City Theatre
7:30pm
Ticket Information Key City Box Office
250-426-7006


Friday December 9th and Sunday December 11th
Polar Express
7:00pm Saturday
2:00pm Sunday
Fort Steele Wild Horse Theatre
Tickets$7 at SaveOn Gas Bar and Safeway


Saturday December 11th
Cranbrook and District Arts Council
Christmas Crafts Workshop
With Colleen Routley
For children
$25
Artrageous Gallery
250-426-4223


Twice Loved Art Auction
Cranbrook and District Arts Council
Closing date for bids is Saturday December 11th at 2:00pm
Artrageous Gallery


Saturday December 11th
White Christmas at Fort Steele
Dinner, Sleigh Ride and the movie
Tickets $30 for all
250-417-6000
Film only $7

Sunday December 12th
Sleigh Rides at Fort Steele
11:00am – 3:00pm
$2.25

Sunday December 12th
Photo with Father Christmas at Fort Steele
Lambi House
11:00am – 3:00pm

Highland Dancers at Fort Steele
Sunday December 12
Wild Horse Theatre
6:00pm 250-427-8757
Admission by donation
Proceeds to Diabetes Research


Get your tickets NOW for

Wednesday thro’ Sunday December 15th to 19th
A Christmas Carol, The Musical
Mount Baker School Production
Key City Theatre
Adults $15, Children and seniors, $12
Tickets at Key City Box Office

Banff Mountain Film Festival
Saturday January 8th
Tickets at Lotus Books $20

Kootenay Ice vs Prostate Cancer. Check.