Community Updates – December 14, 2012

Community Updates – December 14, 2012

1) Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex Events

Dec 16 - Surplus Herby’s is sponsoring a Free Skate from 2:45-4:15pm

Dec 28 – Johnston Meier Insurance agencies Group is sponsoring a Free Skate from 11:30am-1:00pm

*All free events are advertised under the FREE events tab on the www.activewilliamslake.ca website. Feel free to print off posters to display throughout town.

2) Reminder Christmas Wish Buffet at the Ramada Inn

Reserve your spot to attend the Christmas Wish Breakfast Buffet on December 19th at the new Ramada Inn. Donate a gift, and eat breakfast. The buffet starts at 6 am so book your table time by calling the Ramada directly.

3) Communities that Care’s Positive Action Program’s WORD of the WEEK is:

Time & Energy

Time: When something happens
Energy: The force to do something

For more information contact Carla Bullinger, Facilitator, Communities that Care in Williams Lake, BC, email: comthatcares@sd27.bc.ca or cell: 250-267-8249

4) Reminder - Punky Lake Wilderness Camp Presents – Youth Christmas Event & DJ Dance

Tuesday December 18th at 4:30PM- 8:30PM at the Williams Lake Gibraltar Room. Admission by donation - Free Food, Snack, & Drinks

Come on out for a night of Christmas Fun, Games, and DJ Dance. As this is a Youth event, it will be alcohol and drug free. Contact Samantha for more Information at (250) 392-3918

5) Local Strong Start Programs:

Marie Sharpe Elementary School hosts the StrongStart Program from Monday to Friday each week from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. StrongStart is a play-based learning program for ages 0-5 and their parent or caregiver. The school is located at 260 Cameron Street in Williams Lake. For more information, call 250-398-3843 or Joan Lozier at 250-398-3839.

150 Mile House Elementary School hosts the StrongStart Program every Tuesday from 8:30 am to 11:30 am. This is a play-based learning program for ages 0-5 and their parent or caregiver. For more information, call 250-296-3356 or contact Joan Lozier at 250-398-3839.

Wildwood Elementary hosts the StrongStart Program every Thursday from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. This is a play-based learning program for ages 0-5 and their caregiver. Wildwood School is located at 4252 Wildwood Road and they can be reached at 250-989-4701. You can also contact Joan Lozier at 250-398-3839

6) Local Food All-year Long – Cariboo Growers Farmers Coop

The Farmers and Ranchers of the Cariboo Growers Coop want to thank everyone for their support. Since opening in April of 2010, local food has been available year round in our community! The local economy is also supported by you; Funds spent in Williams Lake, stayed in Williams Lake. Thank-you everyone.

7) Operation Red Nose – Nov 30 – Dec 31/12

If you have been drinking this holiday season and don’t feel fit to drive you can call Operation Red Nose at 250-392-2222 available each Friday and Saturday night from Nov 30 – Dec 31/12. This is a campaign to reduce drinking and driving and it also raises funds that go towards programs that support youth organizations and amateur sports in Williams Lake.

8) Happy Holidays from the Social Planning Council!

Continue to send your community updates to the SPC for community wide distribution including exposure on www.welcometowilliamslake.ca . Send your updates to spc-coordinator@xplornet.com anytime (emails are sent out on Fridays).

The SPC would like to wish everyone safe & happy holidays, and a wonderful New Year. We look forward to continuing serving the City of Williams Lake and surrounding areas in the New Year. See you again in January!

9) Highlights from City Council:

City partners with ICBC to install four speed reader boards

The City of Williams Lake and ICBC have partnered to place four speed reader boards on city streets. The boards will be located on South Lakeside Drive, Mackenzie Avenue, Pigeon Avenue between Gibbon Street and Comer Street, and on Foster Way.

Speed reader boards have several benefits. They advise the motoring public of their approaching speed. They can be programmed in various ways that will warn motorists of speed limits and restrictions. The new speed reader board will remind drivers to slow down, which, in turn, reduces crashes and saves lives. The boards operate 24 hours per day 7 days a week and provide data that is beneficial for making decisions on speed reduction, traffic calming, and traffic volumes.

ICBC has purchased two of the boards, which will be placed on South Lakeside Drive and Mackenzie Avenue for one year. The boards provide valuable information that comes from the downloaded data. Data will further indicate how many vehicles are driving by and at what times of the day. The reader boards will also show the driver what speed they are traveling and can be programmed to flash “SLOW DOWN”. After the one-year term, the City may place the boards at other locations.

“This partnership will allow us not only to collect valuable data, but to help keep everyone safe on our roads,” says Mayor Kerry Cook. “These speed reader boards are valuable tools to help us make decisions and to increase awareness for us all to slow down and arrive safely.”

“We’re pleased to invest in new speed reader boards for Williams Lake to help keep the community safe,” says Diana Pozer, ICBC’s road safety coordinator for Williams Lake. “Speeding is the leading cause of car crash fatalities in B.C. and when combined with the poor weather conditions at this time of year, dramatically increases your risk of crashing. Slow down and allow extra travel time so you get home safely.”

Council passes resolutions to tackle crime

As part of its commitment to addressing crime, Council brought forward this week a number of items passed during an in-camera session to address crime and safety in the city.

The resolutions are:

The Executive Committee and staff will work with the RCMP in a working committee to develop a harm reduction strategy for weapons of choice used in crimes, such as machetes and bear spray, and the working committee will bring a report back to Council.

Council directed staff to limit vehicular access to the Dairy Fields.

Council will request to hold meetings with provincial and Crown Counsels to discuss their concerns with the prolific offender program.

Council will encourage Community Policing to reinstate the Court Watch program.

Council will request meetings with provincial Minister of Justice Shirley Bond and federal Minister of Justice Rob Nicholson, with Mayor Kerry Cook and Inspector Warren Brown to bring attention to the community’s concerns around crime and prolific offenders.

“We hear from the community that crime is a top priority, and Council agrees,” says Mayor Kerry Cook. “These resolutions represent practical, real steps forward in reducing crime and bringing some attention to the issue in Williams Lake. Council will continue its focus on reducing crime and increasing safety.

10) Take Action this Holiday Season! – Message from the BC Poverty Reduction Coalition

It's the time of year when we feel compassionate and generous towards others so here are a couple of ways to put those warm feelings to good use, for social change that will make a real difference.

BC's Hardest Working
Thanks for all your support for BC's Hardest Working launched last week. We appreciate your enthusiasm for this beautiful and inspiring collection of photos and stories from around the province.

Now if you haven't already done so, please email our political leaders from the Take Action (http://www.cccabc.bc.ca/plan/Community_Plan_ECL.pdf) page to tell them we need a poverty reduction plan for BC. It will only take 30 seconds of your time but will have a long-lasting impact. Raising our voices collectively makes a difference, especially in this critical time in the lead-up to the election!

Please spread this call for action far and wide. If you represent an organization, please pass on the following message to all your members (just copy and paste into your own e-newsletter or onto your website):

"We are part of the BC Poverty Reduction Coalition, which is a coalition of over 375 organizations throughout the province calling for a poverty reduction plan for BC. They have just launched an exciting, creative project called "BC's Hardest Working," and we encourage you to visit the website (http://bcshardestworking.ca/). It tells the stories of 100 people from around BC who are part of the working poor and those working hard to survive on income assistance in BC. It's an amazing collection of photos and personal stories from people facing the challenges of low income and high costs of living in BC.

Email our political leaders from the Take Action page (http://bcshardestworking.ca/?page_id=10) to tell them we need a poverty reduction plan for BC. It will only take 30 seconds of your time but will have a long-lasting impact. Together we can make a difference!"

The BC Poverty Reduction Coalition has endorsed the $10 A Day Child Care Plan proposed by the Early Childhood Educators of BC and the Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC. In the lead up to the provincial election they have prepared an election mobilization guide:

Dear Members and Supporters,

As we near the end of 2012, no party seeking your vote in the May 2013 provincial election has yet made a commitment to implement the 10 A Day Child Care Plan (http://www.cccabc.bc.ca/plan/Community_Plan_ECL.pdf). When asked, they say they are still working on the platforms they will take into the election campaign. The good news is that we still have time to influence those platforms.

During the next few weeks, our goal is to make sure that every candidate from every party hears that voters in their riding support the $10 A Day Child Care Plan (http://www.cccabc.bc.ca/plan/Community_Plan_ECL.pdf). That way, when party platforms are discussed, your candidates will have a stake in ensuring a strong commitment to child care.

As a supporter of the $10/day Plan for Early Care and Learning we are asking you to visit:

Your MLA if they are seeking re-election (find your MLA at http://leg.bc.ca/mla/3-1-1.htm)

The declared candidates from all the major parties (Check the party websites for updates on candidates, including the Liberals, NDP, Conservatives and Green Party. Candidates are still in the process of being chosen in some ridings.)

Tell them that:
Families in your community face a daily challenge finding affordable, quality care;

The Community Plan for Early Care and Learning is the solution and it has huge support across the province;

Old approaches like the broken subsidy system don't work;

Voters will decide based on the child care commitments they make; and we don't expect them to do it all at once - we do expect them to begin immediately.

Take a friend, a parent, or a representative from one of the organizations in your community that supports the Plan (see list at (http://www.cccabc.bc.ca/plan/endorse-the-plan/organizational-support/).

Leave a package of:
The Plan (http://www.cccabc.bc.ca/plan/Community_Plan_ECL.pdf)

The 4 Fact Sheets (http://www.cccabc.bc.ca/plan/toolkit/factsheets/)

An up-to-date- list of organizational supporters (http://www.cccabc.bc.ca/plan/endorse-the-plan/organizational-support/)

Let us know who you visit and how it goes by e-mailing us at info@cccabc.bc.ca.

Help us make the $10 A Day Child Care Plan a top election issue next spring!