Saturday, July 18, 2015

Anarchist Mountain Garage Sale

On July 5th I traveled up Anarchist Mountain
 to attend the 2nd Annual  Anarchist Mountain Garage Sale

I really enjoyed the time I spent visiting the Anarchist Mountain Garage Sale, even though I was there for an hour it felt like no time at all had passed. I was thoroughly enjoying the tranquil Anarchist Mountain Rest stop where the Garage Sale was held,  a place I had never visited before. 

It was refreshing to spend time talking to some vendors whilst enjoying the crisp Mountain Fresh Air, and savoring the cooler temperatures the trees on the mountain top provided. During my time at the sale I talked to several different vendors including Local Watkins Consultants, Oliver Tupperware, and consultants from Arbonne and Scentsy.

During the afternoon I met Janel who is an Arbonne Canada Consultant located here in Osoyoos. She and I had a lovely chat about self help books and she presented me with a small gift. When I got home I learned she had given  me a bag full of mini samples of Arbonne products including FC5 Ultra-Hydrating Hand Creme and a complete RE9 Sample kit including Hydrating Body lotion, Facial Cleanser, Facial Toner, Intensive renewal Serum, Corrective Eye Creme,  and Restorative Day Creme with SPF 20,  All of which I plan to try out during the BC Ambassador Program Judged events taking place in Merritt from August 10th to August 15th! 

This was the second annual Anarchist Mountain Garage Sale and having never been to the first one I was plesantly surprised at how popular the event was for both Vendors and people visiting the sale! I want to wish the Anarchist Mountain Garage Sale organizers for successfully putting on their second event and I hope you host another one next year! 

Concert on the Beach with Tasman Jude Band

"Music is our talent, our gift, our passion and joy, Music is Life..." 

I had the unique opportunity to attend a special band performance as it was the 400th show for the Tasman Jude Band on July 4th! This is a band I was first introduced to During the Desert Live Music Festival held last year in the last week in June of 2014. 

Since appearing at Desert Live Music Festival the Tasman Jude Band has played shows at the Nk'Mip RV Park, along the private Spirit Beach shoreline right next to the Spirit Beach Cantina Bar 


This Summer alone Tasman Jude has planned 4 shows right here in Osoyoos with the first two on July 3rd and 4th and the next dates happening on August 7th and 8th. 
Which is just before I leave Osoyoos to go to Merritt for the BC Ambassador Program Judged events on the week of August 12th to 15th. 

I really love the spirit of Tasman Jude whose main goal is to play Reggae inspired music that promote messages of Love. Tasman Jude is currently a 4 person ensemble consisting of 
 Caleb - Vocals / Djembe
Derek Wilder - Bass / Backing Vox
Bethanie Earle - African Drums
Jose Luis Gonzalez - Guitar / Backin Vox  

As of October 2014 the band released their first full Album Titled "Green" Which debuted as number 1 on the Itunes Reggae Charts. The band would like to release Green as the first album in a trilogy with the other album called Gold [Which is currently in pre-production] and the 3rd album tentatively titled Red.  

I sincerely look forward to attending one of the August shows and know that with the messages of the band and the atmosphere of the crowd, it will send me off to Merritt with the perfect Frame of Mind! 



The First ever Music in the Park Osoyoos

This Summer is the debut for another Summer based outdoor Activity to take part in with the Inaugural first season for Music in the Park Osoyoos

Each week will feature different Local talent and musicians as well as feature talented artists  from the rest of British Columbia. Every weekend on either Friday nights  [or two Saturday evenings] from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m there will be different a musical act taking the Gyro Bandshell in Osoyoos in the newly renovated Gyro Park area, Each concert is family friendly and free of charge. 
I attended the First ever Music in the Park Osoyoos concert held on July 3rd which featured the musical talent of Cindy Doucette, who is often seen performing at the Cherry Fiesta and Canada Day Celebrations! 

The first crowd was made up of around 50 people 

who came out to hear the free music. The evening 
included a short presentation by Mayor McKortoff 
as she welcomed the crowd to the first ever event. 
It also included short speeches by various 
Music on the Park Osoyoos Committee members! 










BC as a Host to Sporting Events

British Columbia and Sporting events

British Columbia has developed an International Reputation for hosting Major Sporting events. Some of these including acting as one of the Canadian Host Cities during the FIFA 2015 Women's World Cup and the 2015 Canada Winter Games.

As the biggest city in BC, Vancouver is home to 4 different notable Sports Teams. 
Including the Vancouver Canucks - National Hockey League, BC Lions - Canadian Football League. Vancouver Giants - Western Hockey League, and the White Caps with Major League Soccer.
BC continually supports the BC winter and Summer Games which are held every 2 years. 

In the past Decade between 2005 and 2015 BC has also hosted the Grey Cup Championship, World Wheelchair Rugby Championships, World Police & Fire Games, North American Indigenous Games, World Women's Curling Championship, FIFA under 20 World Cup Soccer, World Junior Hockey Championships and the Grey Cup Championship.

In 2010 Vancouver was the host city for the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Games! 

BC Business

Doing Business in British Columbia 

Small Businesses make up over 98% of the Province's businesses and provide jobs for 1/2 of the Province by employing 1 million people and represent 56%  of British Columbians working in the Private sector. 

Back in 2008 the BC Government cut the small Business Tax rate from 4.5 to 2.5% making it the third lowest in Canada. Since 2001 the Government has reduced regulatory requirements by 42% and met it's net goal of having Zero new Regulations as of 2012. 
The Corporate taxes are among the lowest in Canada and British Columbia has the lowest Provincial Personal Income tax for individuals who earn up to $122,000 per year. 


 BC FILM Industry 
British Columbia has earned the rightful title of Hollywood North and is the 3rd largest television and Film production Centre in North America. 
The BC Film industry is now a $1.2 billion industry in BC and employs an estimated 25,000 people in BC. With secondary jobs being created in the Construction, Tourism, and Small Business Sectors. 

The BC Government offers two distinct Tax Credit programs for the Film and Television Industry such as the Production Services Tax Credit and the Film Incentive BC Tax Credit. Which provides labor based incentives through refundable tax credits to eligible Production Companies. 
The Government also offers the B.C Interactive Digital Media Tax Credit. 


BC Natural Resources

Natural Resources

In British Columbia the four main Industries include Forestry, Tourism, Mining, and Fishing. With most of them based around the abundant Natural Resources found within BC. 

The Natural Resource extraction or Processing industries in BC include Fishing, Mining, Forestry, Natural Gas, and Hydro-Electricity. British Columbia is Canada's third largest Generator of Hydro-electricity which accounts for some of the lowest Power Costs in North America. BC is also Canada's Second largest Natural Gas Producer with the Oil and gas industries continuing to see tremendous growth in the Northeast. 

British Columbia's Major Exports include Lumber, Agriculture, Pulp and Aqua-Culture Products. 
Lodgepole Pine and Spruce Trees account for 60% of BC's Timber alone with Softwood lumber and pulp being the most important Forest Exports. 

In the past Forestry used to be the biggest part of the BC Economy but now Hi-tech, Retail, Tourism, and other service industries are more prominent and have become important economic drivers within the last decade. 

BC Economy 
Vancouver is the business capital of BC however business is dispersed through out the Province in the Forestry, Tourism, Mining, and Fishing Industries  and are the 4 main industries in BC. 

The Service Sector includes a multitude of industries that provide services to Individuals, businesses and the government, It includes various industries such as Transportation, communication, real estate, Financial services as well as retail, Hairstyling, education, health, and public administration. 

The Goods sector is made up of primary and secondary industries and includes any industry that harvests, extracts, or transforms raw materials into a product that can be handled, stored in a goods producing industry. 
Including under this sector are the Agriculture, Fishing, Forestry, Mining, Manufacturing, Construction and Utility Industries. 

In the Province Manufacturing is the largest industry within the Goods Sector with Construction being the 2nd largest industry. Primary Resource extraction and harvesting include agriculture, logging, mining, as well as fishing and account for 1 in 6 jobs in the Goods Sector.  




The Great outdoors of British Columbia

Picture of sẁiẁs Provincial Park [Formerly Haynes Point] in Osoyoos

British Columbia has the second largest parks system in the world after Canada's National Parks. 13.9 million hectares or 14.7 % of British Columbia is Protected which is more than any other Province in Canada. In 2011 BC Parks celebrated it's 100th Birthday - BC Parks 100 marking the establishment of the first BC Provincial Park, Strathcona Park, on March 1st, 1911. 

The Government of BC owns about 90% of the Land within the Province nearly half of which is covered by trees and is home to 2/3 of the Provinces bird Species and land mammals.  With the Provincial Government working since the 1970's to protect British Columbia from excessive logging and development. 

Today has 1,030 designated Parks and Protected areas
Which takes into the account the hard work of the BC Government since 2001 who established 84 new parks, 156 conservancies, two ecological reserves, and thirteen protected areas. As well as working towards the expansion of 75 parks, six ecological, three protected areas. The Government accounts for the responsibility including protection of 2.3 million Hectares of land which is over 4 times the size of Prince Edward Island.
Part of this protected land includes the 200,000 hectare habitat for the Spirit Bear which is also called the Kermode Bear and is the Provinces official Mammal. 

The Current Parks and Protected areas in British Columbia include Regional, Provincial and National Parks, Provincial and National Historic Sites, Recreational areas, Provincial Marine Parks, Conservation Areas, National Park Reserves and Ecological Reserves 

BC Parks and Protected areas attract more than 20 million visitors yearly with almost 90% of British Columbians having used a Provincial Park at Some point, with an estimated 6 out of 10 residents of BC using a Provincial Park Annually. 

 Roughly 1/3 of the parks offer some developed facilities such as Picnic Shelters, Boat Launches and parking areas. With more than 230 of those parks having facilities that cater to those with Disabilities. Within the Provincial Parks there are 340 campgrounds accounting for 11,000 Campsites. 

Nearly 1/10 of the Provincial Parks are wilderness that is largely undisturbed and untouched by Civilization, there is an estimated 6,000 KM of Hiking trails that are frequently used by Backpackers and Mountaineers. 

The oldest Park in BC is Strathcona Park which was the Province's first established Provincial Park in 1911 and is where you can find the 440 metre Della Falls which is the highest Waterfall in Canada and one of the 10 Highest Falls in the World. 
The Largest Park is Tweedsmuir Park with 989, 616 hectares of land with the smallest park of Memory Island clocking in at less than 1 hectare.  

Other parks of note include the Tatshenshini-Alesk Park which is 947, 026 Hectares in size and alongside adjacent parks in Alaska and the Yukon Territory forms the worlds largest international World Heritage site. The Khutzeymateen park is Canada's only Grizzly Bear Reserve and is home to at least 50 Grizzly Bears. 
The largest in tact Coastal Temperate Rain forest in the world is in Kitlope Heritage Conservancy. The world's most productive Sockeye Salmon Run can be viewed at Roderick Haig-Brown park. 



British Columbia is also home to an abundance of Forests with roughly half the Province Covered in a variety of Trees. 

Coniferous/Evergreen Trees 
Douglas Fir,   Lodgepole Pine,  Arbutus,  Grand Fir,  Ponderosa Pine, 
Subalpine Fir,  Western White Pine,  Sitka Spruce,    Black Spruce, 
White Spruce,  Yellow Cedar,  Mountain Hemlock,  Western Hemlock, Rocky Mountain Juniper and  Western Red Cedar which is the official Tree of BC. 

Deciduous Trees include
The Dogwood which is the Provincial Flower,  
Red Alder,  Big Leaf Maple,  Mountain Alder,  Pacific Crab Apple,  
Choke Cherry,  Sitka Mountain Ash,  Pacific Willow,  Paper Birch, 
Sitka Willow,  Water Birch,  Garry Oak,  Greene Mountain Ash, 
Balsam Poplar (Black Cottonwood)  and the trembling Aspen which is the most wide spread and abundant deciduous Tree in BC.