Community Updates – July 13, 2012

Community Updates – July 13, 2012


Here are community updates from within the community:

1) Dancing in the Light Conference is raising awareness of sexual abuse in Williams Lake on July 17, 18& 19th.This event is sponsored by the Cariboo Friendship Society, where registration is available at the front desk. The conference is being held at TRU and there will be a number of keynote speakers and conference leaders coming in from Vancouver, Kamloops and even New York including:
Jassy Bindra (RCMP human trafficking coordinator from Vancouver), Katherine Gulley (team leader with the Kamloops North Shore child & youth mental health care), Amy Fix (singer-songwriter, survivor and lecturer from New York), Don Wright (psychology counselor and educator from the BC Society for Male Survivors of sexual abuse), Tamara Garreau (Counsellor and coordinator from the Children Who Witness Abuse program with the Cariboo Friendship Society), Sensei Lee-Ann Lainchbury (second degree black belt and 13 years of martial arts coaching) and Sam Moody will provide a workshop on the Internal Medicine Wheel and discovering your gifts. Contact Monique at 250-267-3703, Sim at 250-267-3119 or Pat at 250-305-9645 for more information.
On a related note, BC’s Friendship Centres celebrated 40 years last weekend and over 100 delegates from the province’s 25 Friendship Centres along with aboriginal youth and elders met at the BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres AGM in Nanaimo. Our local Cariboo Friendship Centre celebrates it’s 23rd year on July 23rd. Friendship centres programs are open to everyone in the community, not only for First Nations. Their programs include Pregnancy Outreach, Little Moccasins Learning Centre, to mental health services for youth and children who witness abuse.
2) Boitanio Day Camp – The City’s Boitanio Summer Day camp is a great alternative for children to enjoy outdoor activities this summer. The camp runs M – F 8 am – 5 pm and costs $135/week or $30/day. Children must have completed kindergarten and be no older than 12 years of age. Each week offers a different activity theme: July 2 is Invention week, July 9 is Space week, July 16 is Weird Science week, July 23 is H2O So Cool week, July 30 is Under The Sea week, Aug 6 is Super Sonic Sport week, Aug 13 is Enchanted week, Aug 20 is Tacky Tourist week, and Aug 27 is Safari week. Information and registration is at the CAriboo Memorial Recreation Complex, recreationservices@williamslake.ca or call 250-398-7665.

Summer swimming lessons are taking registrations for the following start dates: July 16, July 30th and August 13th. Register early to reserve your spot. Contact the Recreation Centre for more details at 250-398-7665.
3) Alexis Creek Daze – on July 23rd there is a host of fun activities for the whole family out in Alexis Creek. There will be Horseback & Cyclist Poker Rides, biking skills competition, youth fair, children’s games, horseshoes, arm wrestling, tug-of-war, Chilcotin 4H achievement day, talent contest and plenty of food and beverages (refreshment garden open at 1pm). There is also a “Chilcotin Chefs” chilli contest (Judging is at 4pm), silent auction and dinner with entertainment starting at 6pm. Come and join the fun filled family events to raise funds to keep their Visitor’s Information Centre & bathrooms open.

4) High School Students Invited to Apply to Serve on Junior Council: Williams Lake high school students are invited to submit an application to serve on the Williams Lake Junior Council for the September 2012 to September 2013 term.
The Junior Council is a group of seven high school students from Grades 10-12 that suggest ideas that could enhance life for youth in the city. Junior Council members are appointed by City Council and provide a youth voice to decisions made by the city. It is an opportunity to learn about and participate in the process of local government.

Junior Councillors will attend 2-4 meetings a month, will take turns attending City Council meetings, and help plan activities to engage youth in civic affairs, among other duties. Requirements to serve on the Junior Council are that the person be a student at a Williams Lake high school, is 18 years old or younger, and must be able to attend at least 75% of Junior Council meetings.

“Since our first Junior Council was formed last year, I have been inspired by the level of effort, dedication, and creativity our Junior Councillors have brought to Council and to the city,” says Councillor Geoff Bourdon. “I am looking forward to the next term of Junior Council, and I encourage all high school students to consider serving their community in this capacity.”

Applications can be submitted by e-mail to juniorcouncil@williamslake.ca or by dropping off the application form at the city or giving it to one of the current Junior Council members: Talia Baptiste, Cody Haley-York, Ivona Ognjanova, Abbi Taylor, Patrick Newsome, and Ana Lomavatu.

For more information, contact Manager of Social Development Anne Burrill at 250-392-8480.