Community Updates (20) - July 25, 2014

1) Housing Need and Demand Study Update Released
2) Williams Lake Kidney Walk - Sunday Aug 24th in Boitanio Park
3) Join the call for a Poverty Free BC
4)"Collective Impact in Rural Communities" - by Anne Burrill
5) New Realities, New Relationships program draft online
6) Scout Island Nature Centre Programs & Activities
7) Performances in the Park - Schedule
8) Water Safety Instructor Course - Aug 11 - 15th
9) Rookie Hockey lessons (ages 5-9) - August 2014
10) Free Outdoor Film in Boitanio Park- Thur Jul 31st
11) Junior Council - Want to serve your community?
12) Summer programs from the Recreation Complex
13) Boys & Girls Club - free weekly activities
14) Punky Lake Wilderness Camp - summer camps
15) Annual - ArtsWells Festival from Aug 1 - 4th
16) "Master the Game of Math" youth series Aug 5 - 28th
17) Big Brothers Big Sister's Annual "Tour de Cariboo" - Sept 6th
18) Little Chiefs Primary School - enrollment for K4 - grade 3
19) Online survey from TRU - Child & Youth Care programs
20) Letter of Support for ECE Program at TRU

1) Housing Need and Demand Study Update Released
The City of Williams Lake is pleased to release the 2014 Housing Need and Demand results. The document supplements and updates the full study, which was completed in 2012. It provides a snapshot of the existing affordable housing stock, along with outlining future needs for affordable housing.

“It is our intention to use this information for the community to move forward in addressing the wide range of housing needs in our community” says Anne Burrill, Manager of Social Development.

“Understanding housing needs can be a real challenge as there is a wide range of housing types and needs,” says Mayor Kerry Cook. “This study outlines the needs along the whole housing continuum, from shelter beds to rental housing and affordable home ownership.”

The update identifies housing for youth, as well as low income single people, families and seniors as a priority for the community. Although Williams Lake currently has 330 units of affordable supportive housing (including shelter beds) in the community, the study estimates that there is a need for at least 200 more, plus additional housing for students. And within the bigger picture of affordable market and non-market housing, the study identifies the need for over 800 more units of affordable housing.

“This gives us a great tool to move affordable housing forward,” says Mayor Cook. The City is grateful to the United Way for $9,800 in funding for the housing study update.

View the report online at: http://www.williamslake.ca/DocumentCenter/View/828

2)The 2014 Williams Lake Kidney Walk is happening on Sunday August 24th in Boitanio Park

Be the Movement. Be Involved. Make a difference. Join our 2014 Kidney Walk in Williams Lake on August 24, 2014 at Boitanio Park! Small steps can make a big difference in the lives of the 1 in 10 British Columbians affected by kidney disease.

What: 2nd Annual Kidney Walk
When: Sunday August 24th
Where: Boitanio Park
Registration: 9:00am
Walk Start: 10:00 am
Registration Fee : Free
Website: www.williamslakekidneywalk.ca
Other: Silent Auction, Food Vendor, Kids Events
Contact: williamslakewalk@kidney.bc.ca

"One in 10 Canadians has kidney disease, and there is no cure.  But you can help!

Be part of The 2014 Williams Lake Kidney Walk.  The Kidney Walks are community-led events dedicated to raising awareness and funds for kidney disease, and the importance of organ donation.   Be the movement! Register to participate @ williamslakekidneywalk.ca sponsor a walker, volunteer or register to be a donor.

This year marks a very special occasion – it’s The Kidney Foundation of Canada’s 50th anniversary. We have a lot to be proud of and it’s in large part thanks to our wonderful volunteers and supporters over the years who have contributed significantly to the Foundation, including our Kidney Walk/Run in BC which has raised over one million dollars since our first Kidney Walk in 2008. With your help, we can make the 2014 Walk campaign an even bigger success!"

Like us on facebook to receive announcements and keep up with Kidney Walk news: www.facebook.com/kidneywalksbc

Register online at www.williamslakekidneywalk.ca or call Barb at 1-800-567-8112 ext. 228. For additional information please visit williamslakewalk@kidney.bc.ca or contact Tracy Short, 2014 Williams Lake Kidney Walk Coordinator, The Kidney Foundation of Canada, BC Branch at 250.392.1022

3) Join the call for a Poverty Free BC - support the Poverty Reduction Act

BC has the highest poverty rate in Canada and no plan to tackle it directly. Join the call for a Poverty Reduction Plan for BC, and be part of the almost 400 organizations that have already signed up. This represents a collective membership of over 300,000 people throughout the province. Together we can make a difference!
Read the Letter Template below, and then click the link at the end to submit one on your behalf within seconds.

"Dear Premier Clark,
(cc'ed to other political leaders)

We are ashamed of the levels of poverty and homelessness in a society as wealthy as ours. At 10.7 per cent, BC has the highest poverty rate in Canada. Yet BC is one of only two provinces left without a comprehensive poverty reduction plan.

You have an opportunity before you to take strong and meaningful action on this issue and we urge you to support Bill M212: The Poverty Reduction and Economic Inclusion Act.

We know that all of us pay for poverty. We pay in increased health care costs. We pay in higher crime. We pay in higher demand for community, social and charitable services. And we pay in lack of school readiness, reduced school success and in lower economic productivity. People who are poor get sick more and die earlier, and poor children may not reach their full physical and social developmental potential.

There is a false economy in failing to act boldly. Paying for the negative effects of poverty costs much more than dealing with it directly. Let’s stop mopping up the floor and fix the hole in the roof.

This is a critical issue in communities throughout the province. Now is the time for bi-partisan collaboration and action in addressing the root causes of poverty.

Sincerely,
Your name"

CLICK the following link to submit letter on your behalf: http://bcpovertyreduction.ca/email-the-premier/

For more info visit: https://www.facebook.com/BCPovertyReductionCoalition or http://bcpovertyreduction.ca/

4)"Collective Impact in Rural Communities" - Submitted by Anne Burrill on June 25, 2014
http://tamarackcci.ca/blogs/anne-burrill/collective-impact-rural-communities

A fishbowl for developing collective impact models

Rural and small communities typically have fewer resources in terms of services and programs to address social needs, and they often are focused on direct service delivery with little opportunity to take a step back to look at the 'big issues'. Sometimes they feel like those issues are so big and unwieldy, and that there is little a small community can do beyond band-aid approaches. They have trouble getting on the political agenda of decision makers at the provincial and federal level, and accessing funding for new and innovative initiatives requires more resources than are available. But I believe small communities have the ability to mobilize effectively in a way that can model the collective impact approach and offer insights for larger communities. Here’s why.

Collective impact has five key conditions: a common agenda, shared measurement, mutually reinforcing activities, continuous communication, and backbone support. But the key ingredient for realizing these conditions is relationships. And small communities are immersed in relationship. In fact they are dependent on them. Organizations are generally small, and there are few of them. In order to do good work, collaboration, coordination, and shared approaches are necessary. That’s not to say that relationships among social service organizations are always easy, or even good. Sometimes they are fraught with conflict, competition for funding dollars, accusations of mission drift, and the challenges of filling gaps vs. duplication of services. But despite this landscape, in small communities relationships are necessary. And they are the foundation for collective impact.

I’m involved in and have initiated several collective impact initiatives in our small community (~ 15,000 pop.). They are at various stages between start-up and mature initiatives that have been underway for several years. A week ago we held a workshop on Housing First, which is essence a collective impact approach to ending homelessness. With 35 people representing less than 10 agencies, we had everyone we needed to muster a collective impact initiative, and to do so relatively quickly since we were able to agree on a common agenda (with some refinements to come). That’s because we know what services and resources we already have, what else we will need, and most importantly we know each other. There were certainly folks in the room who were challenging the Housing First model, and raising many issues, but because we have a relationship with those folks, we were able to see the debate as a constructive part of the process rather than an attempt to derail the initiative. And they will come back to the table in future discussions because of those relationships.

Rather than taking months or years to develop, collective impact approaches can get off the ground quickly in small communities where there are existing relationships and shared understanding of the challenges the community faces.
- See more at: http://tamarackcci.ca/blogs/anne-burrill/collective-impact-rural-communities#sthash.BfpRVrIb.dpuf

5) New Realities, New Relationships conference program draft is now available online

Good afternoon,

We are pleased to announce that the draft preliminary program for the 2014 Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation (CRRF) National Conference, New Realities, New Relationships is now available online (see link below). The conference will be co-hosted by the Community Development Institute at UNBC and CRRF from September 25-27, 2014 in Prince George, BC.

The conference program focuses on strategies for building community and economic resilience in rural and resource-based regions. Workshop topics include community impact benefits agreements, regional economic development, land use planning, relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities, community capacity and the health sector, recreation infrastructure, quality of life in communities, retaining youth in rural Canada, and more.

One of this year’s keynote speakers is Dr. Keith Storey, an Honorary Research Professor in the Geography Department at Memorial University. His presentation Fly-in/Fly-out: Addressing New Realities in the Resource Economy will focus on the need for mobile workforces in remote locations where both labour and accommodation shortages are key challenges. Dr. Storey’s presentation will briefly trace the evolution of fly-in/fly-out and its variants and some of the key issues that have emerged from the perspectives of communities and policy makers concerned with the new rural and resource economy.

Dr. Storey’s primary research interests are focused on three key areas: social and economic consequences of resource development, social and economic impact assessment and management, and regional and community development. His work also examines the implications of growth and closure in resource-dependent communities and impact management of large-scale resource projects. In recent years much of his efforts have been concentrated in the oil and gas, mining, hydro, and construction sectors in Newfoundland and Labrador, northern and western Canada, Western Australia, and the Gulf of Mexico.

Please click on the following link to review the draft preliminary program: http://www.crrf.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/ProgramOutline18July2014.pdf

For more information contact:
Marleen Morris, Co-Director    
Community Development Institute at UNBC
3333 University Way, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9
Tel:  250-960-9806 Email: marleen.morris@unbc.ca

6) Scout Island Nature Centre Activities
a) Aug 11 7:00 pm - The Sustainable Living Leadership Program participants will be at the Nature House for a potluck dinner.  Williams Lake is a traditional stop on their annual journey from the headwaters of the Fraser to Vancouver, tracing the route of salmon migration.   Come learn about this exciting program and the sustainability projects the participants are designing.  Please RSVP 398-8532 and plan to bring extra food to share with the voyagers. http://rivershed.com/sustainable-living-leadership-program

b) Aug 19 7:30-9:30 - "Night Life" at Scout Island Nature Centre.  Listen for bats - Visit the beavers at work - Watch the underwater invertebrates with flashlights (they’re very active!).  Free for all ages

c) Discovering Nature close-up - a new program each day, weekdays Jul 2 - Aug 21st - two groups: 1) Ages 3-8 ($10/per session), and 2) Ages 8 - 13 ($10/per session). For more information or to register call 250-398-8532 or email scoutisland@shaw.ca

Note: Change of schedule for Nature Fun at Scout Island Nature Centre

Pre-teens have been asking for more Nature time this summer.  So, we will welcome 8-12 year olds on Monday to Thursday afternoons, from 1:00 to 3:00 pm ($10 per session) in addition to their all-day Tuesdays from 9:30-3:00 ($20).  Mini-lessons, games and adventures will be geared to that age group.

The 3-8 year olds can still come for morning (Mon-Fri 9:30-11:30) or afternoon (Mon-Thurs 1:00 to 3:00) sessions and will have their own activities.

As always, parents need to register beforehand at 398-8532 or scoutisland@shaw.ca to be sure there is space available .

7) Performances in the Park - Schedule
Presented by the Central Cariboo Arts and Culture Society, the Cariboo Regional District and the City of Williams Lake. This year’s line-up for Performances in the Park summer concert series rocks!  Get your lawn chairs ready and prepare for a musical celebration for the whole family every Thursday night in Boitanio Park from July 3rd to August 21st, 2014 with talented local, national and international performers.

From 6 – 6:45 pm and then from 7 – 8 pm, each night will be filled with family friendly entertainment.  Having two time slots provides opportunity for young performers to grow their stage legs and, on some nights, we will have two main acts.

Cody‘s Bannock, Smashin’ Smoothies and Taylor Made Cakes will be on hand with snacks available during the performances.  July 31 to August 21 will have exhibitions with Art as part of the 2014 Art Walk and Sale. The WaterWise Brigade will be on site on dates yet to be announced.

Schedule of performances:

July 31st will feature Cariboo Idol, a local contest that is about confidence building, supporting community and each other through music and song followed by local rock band Soupbone a funk powered blues/rock band from Williams Lake BC. Just take some crazy Texas-style blues guitar - mix with some smooth Soul and R&B and add to that the funkiest rhythm section this side of Motown, strong vocal performances, great song writing and a bunch of fun and you’ve got SOUPBONE!

The WLBIA and Fortis BC is presenting a Big Screen Movie following the Performance on July 31 at Boitanio Park.  The Movie will be Despicable Me 2.

On August 7th, Point Blank, a new exciting duo that plays the best of blues and rock covers on acoustic versions and Genevieve Chatwick from Australia, who ‘looks like an angel, roars like a lion and plays guitar like a demon’ will take the stage.

The Cariboo Men’s Choir and Just for Fun Ladies’ group are teaming up on August 14th to open the show for Don Alder, our ‘home-town boy Guitar Hero’ who dazzles audiences with jaw dropping performances.  He is returning to Williams Lake to celebrate his Grandma’s 100th birthday.

The final performance night on August 21st will see Robyn Ferguson and Oren Barter team up once again on stage.  Following this act is Sam Tudor, who after a year in Vancouver that was both performance intensive and full of genre bending musical projects, is at home playing songs from his new album.

Please check out www.facebook.com/performancesinthepark or www.centralcaribooarts.com/events/performancespark.html for updates, details and pictures from the summer Performances in the Park concerts.

For more information or for interviews please contact Angela Sommer performances@ centralcaribooarts.com or call 250-305-4784

8) Water Safety Instructor Course - Aug 11 - 15th
Aug 11 - 15th, Monday to Friday from 9am - 2pm. Cost - $313.13

Instructor candidates will focus on how to apply information from the assistant water safety instructor course and develop additional instructional skills, stroke development, drill and corrective strategies to plan, teach and evaluate the entire Red Cross swim continuum. The course is twenty-five hours with twelve hours of practice teaching. For more information please call 250-398-7665.

9) Rookie Hockey lessons (ages 5-9) - Aug 18 - 22nd or Aug 25 - 28th
Rookie Hockey lessons for children ages 5-9 - get a jump start on the hockey season! Learn hockey fundamentals - skating, passing, shooting, and maneuvering on the ice. Participants must be able to get up by themselves on the ice and take a few steps prior to registration. For more information call 250-398-7665

Aug 18 - 22nd - Monday to Friday 10:30 am - 12pm ($50.50)
Aug 25 - 28th - Monday to Thursday 10:30 am - 12 pm ($41.00)

10) Free Outdoor Film in Boitanio Park- Thur Jul 31st
"Despicable Me2" the film starts at 9 pm in Boitanio Park

11) Junior Council - Want to serve your community?
Do you know a returning high school student in Williams Lake who wants to serve your community and learn about local government? Encourage them to be the voice of the future for youth in Williams Lake.

For more information contact Anne Burrill at the City of Williams Lake by emailing aburrill@williamslake.ca or call 250-392-8480.

12) Summer programs from the Recreation Complex
Summer Day Camp:
It is really this much fun! Join qualified and energetic instructors each action packs week for theme activities including games, field trips, crafts, experiments and more much more. Register for one day, one week or the whole summer.

Ages: 5 - 12 and must have completed Kindergarten
July 2 - September 2, 8:00am - 5:00pm

Mountain Biking Skills Camp:
Join Kelli and Darren from Endless Biking this July and improve your mountain biking skills. These two have been biking professionally, teaching and guiding for year.

Check out the website @ www.activewilliamslake.com or give them a call @ 250.398.7665

13) Boys & Girls Club - free weekly activities
a) Baseball for ages 6 - 12 until August 27th on Tuesday's from 3:30 - 4:30 pm in Kiwanis Park

b) Mountain Biking Program - two levels: 1) Intermediate/Advanced (suggested ages 12 - 18) on Mondays from 3:30 - 5:30 pm, and 2) Beginner/Intermediate (suggested ages 7  - 11) on Thursday's from 3:30 - 5:30 pm.

14) Punky Lake Wilderness Camp - summer camps
Punky Lake Wilderness Camp is hosting a boys only camp out at Punky Lake on August 5-8th, and a Hockey camp in Williams Lake on August 28, 29th. For more information please visit http://punkylake.com/ or call 250-392-3918

15) 11th Annual - ArtsWells Festival from Aug 1 - 4th
From Aug 1 - 4th in Wells & Barkerville BC

ArtsWells Features:
• A Four Day Cleebration of the Arts
• Loads of Amazing Workshops and kids activities
• Over 80 musical acts of folk, jazz, country, funk, hip hop, electronic, world, pop, roots & more
• Other Performances include juggling, spoken word, fire spinning, puppetry, and more
• The International One Minute Play Festival
• A visual ArtWalk around the town of Wells
• Artisans Village
• Discounts to local attractions like Barkerville Historic Town - where you can catch more ArtsWells musical acts located just 8 km down the road

Mission: The ArtsWells Festival aims to promote, support and involve professional and emerging artists from all disciplines and areas of the province of British Columbia, in partnership with community members, business, government and tourism, in a weekend festival in the vibrant and historic town of Wells, BC. Through performances, workshops, exhibitions, networking and mentorship opportunities artists will gain skills, experience and exposure while providing the community with an enriching cultural event that will draw audiences from near and far.

For more information please phone 1-800-442-2787 or visit www.artswells.com

16) Learning Disabilities Association & the CDC's "Master the Game of Math" Aug 5 - 28th
Child Development Centre & Learning Disabilities Association of Williams Lake is offering a math group called "Master the Game of Math" series from Aug 5 - 28th. This group is intended for students aged 10 - 14 who struggle with mental math (especially times table facts). They will meet Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday's Aug 5 - 28th to build skills through games and mini lessons. The cost is $100 for the month. Contact the Child Development Centre for more information at 250-392-4481.

17) Big Brothers Big Sister's Annual "Tour de Cariboo" - Sept 6th
Set your next fitness challenge on the Tour de Cariboo, a 76 km bike ride from Williams Lake to Gavin Lake. 76km a bit much for you? Split it up with friends and family and form a relay team. There are absolutely no rules for the team. Make up your own with as few or many riders as you like. Ride a little ride alot - challenge yourself.

To learn more visit www.bbswlake.com or call 250-398-8391

18) Little Chiefs Primary School - enrollment for K4 - grade 3
Creating the Future Together. Enroll your child today. Little Chiefs Primary School is now offering enrollment for K4 (born in 2010) to grade 3.

At Little Chiefs, we have the unique opportunity to provide students with individualized and experiential learning in our smaller classroom setting. We believe in positive learning experiences which are triggered by authentic learning in an environment where students, parents, teachers and the community can grow together. Nutrition Program, Read Well and Saxon Math programs, Language and Cultural Activities.

For more information please contact Lisa Boyd and Ashlie Pickles at 250-296-3507 or lisa.biyd@williamslakeband.ca or ashlie.pickles@williamslakeband.ca

19) Online survey from TRU -  support Child & Youth Care programs
The TRU School of Social Work and Human Service are investigating the feasibility of a new Child and Youth Care diploma program. We are eager to offer a program that meets the needs of all our community partners and stakeholders. For this reason, we are asking you to read a definition about Child and Youth Care Practice, and then complete this brief survey which will support us in understanding your agency/organizations interest and needs.

You are strongly encouraged to participate in the online survey being administered by TRU. The survey is by invitation so please send an email to Tanya Pawliuk at tpawliuk@tru.ca and she will forward you the link.  More background information is below.

20) Letter of Support for ECE Program at TRU- please read below and submit
Dear Community partners:

As you know, housing, transportation, and childcare have been identified as barriers to recruitment, retention, and sustainable growth in nearly every sector in the Cariboo.

Recently, the Williams Lake Human Service Advisory endorsed a recommendation to offer a full time Early Childhood Education diploma program beginning in Fall 2015. Jay Goddard, Human Service Worker Program Coordinator, also recommended that the program be staffed with a full-time limited term faculty (rather than with sessional instructors or through community U which increases the cost).

The TRU-Williams Lake leadership team is presently looking into targeted post-secondary funding available for programs with high employment demand.

To decide in favour of the program, the Provost of TRU needs to be convinced that the community can demonstrate the high employment demand for grads and give some indication that there will be enough students to offer the program locally. The broader the base of community support is, the more likely a favourable result is.

We are asking members of local industries, businesses, and organizations to write letters in support of TRU once again offering an affordable coordinated ECE (with regular tuition), either from a personal or an organizational point of view. The more anecdotal evidence we as a community can supply, the more convincing our argument can be.

Additional points to consider in writing letters:
the impact of not having day care spaces and thus limiting opportunities for new professionals
the focus of Humans Service on Child and youth care as a laddering opportunity for ECE grads.
Letters should be addressed to Dr. Ray Sanders, Executive Director, Williams Lake Campus rsanders@tru.ca and Patricia Neufeld Acting Dean, Faculty of Human, Social, and Educational Development pneufeld@tru.ca. If you prefer to mail a letter, the Williams Lake  and Kamloops addresses follow:

Thompson Rivers University, Williams Lake
1250 Western Avenue
Williams Lake, BC, Canada
V2G 1H7

Thompson Rivers University
900 McGill Road
Kamloops, BC, Canada
V2C 0C8

We hope to organize a stakeholder meeting in late 2014 or early 2015 to discuss this issue further. If you would like to be involved, please let Jessica Knodel know by return email.

"Talk" to you next week

Kindly send us any updates you would like included in next week's community updates that will be sent out on Friday July 25th!