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Photo by Scott Tanner
Oceanside’s 9th Annual Earth Day Events Kick Off with Cake & Celebrations, Saturday, April 18th 2009
Qualicum Beach – Qualicum Beach’s Town Crier, Len Mustard will be setting off Oceanside’s 9th annual Earth Day festivities with the cutting of the “Happy Earthday” Cake at noon on the front lawn of the Qualicum Beach Town Hall on Saturday, April 18.
“Earth Day is a good day when all levels of government come together at the Qualicum Beach Town Hall to celebrate the unique bounty that nature offers us here on the east coast of Vancouver Island,” explains Annette Tanner, Western Canada Wilderness Committee Mid Island spokesperson and organizer of the popular community event.
“Bringing our local government representatives together over the famously delicious Earthday cake on such a festive occasion, is symbolic of the work and cooperation it will take by all levels of government; regional, municipal, provincial and federal to achieve the urgently needed protected areas for the east side of Vancouver Island,” Tanner continues.
“Since an unfortunate act in History has relinquished almost 98 percent of the most scenic and biologically diverse east coast ecosystems in British Columbia to succumb completely to Bermuda- based Brookfield Asset Management’s Island Timberlands, Timberwest and other corporate and private interests, it is now up to the public to have to buy back any land, if it is to be protected,” Tanner continues. “The unprotected east side of Vancouver Island comprises one-fifth of the entire island – the part of the island where most of us live.”
Saturday’s Town Hall celebrations, music, displays and activities go from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm, while the weekend fun continues on Sunday, April 19 with a tour to the 3rd tallest Sitka Spruce in BC, along the Little Qualicum River’s Salmon Forest. The ancient record tree had been flagged for logging in Weyerhaeuser’s Timbercruise back in 2000.
“Earth Day tours to the record tree started in 2000 as part of negotiations with Weyerhaeuser, to protect the 60 hectares of forested floodplain for clean, clear drinking water as well as the famous salmon runs and for public access to recreational fishing and wildlife corridors,” explains Tanner. “Before the deal to protect the area could be finalized, Weyerhaeuser sold their assets to Island Timberlands and the community is still waiting for the Salmon Forest and its famous Sitka Spruce to be protected as a public park.”
“Since our discovery of the Giant record Sitka Spruce, research by the Ministry of Forests is confirming that this tree is producing seeds that have the rare characteristic of being genetically resistant to the Spruce Leader Weavil,” adds Tanner.
The Tour to the Sitka Spruce meets Sunday, April 19, 1:00 pm at the junction of Kinkade Rd. and the Old Island Highway, (next to Riverside Resort) Qualicum Beach. Tour by donation.
There will be a fundraiser African Marimba dance, slideshow, crafts, silent auction on Saturday Night for Camp Uganda, children free, tickets at the door, Errington Memorial Hall.
Earth Day Films on Monday, April 20th at Knox United Church, start at 7:00 pm with "The Ecological Footprint" followed by "Lawn & Garden Pesticides” at 7:45 pm and "Water, Sacred and Profaned " at 8:15 pm. Parksville. Admission free. Everyone welcome.
- for more information contact Annette Tanner 250 240-7470 –
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Backgrounder:
Earth Day Films Monday, April 20th at 7pm at Knox United Church, Parksville
Knox United Church's Environmental Focus Group presents an evening of films for Earth Day. Films to help us celebrate the beauty of the Earth and consider how our treatment of the planet affects our relationship with earth and the health and well-being of all living things.
The first film "The Ecological Footprint" looks at how we can make informed choices to avoid depleting earth's resources. Then comes 10 minutes from the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) about lawn and garden pesticides. Adriane Schroeder from the Cancer Society will speak briefly and answer questions on this topic. Finally we will watch a short film on the precious gift of water. Without water there would be no plants, no food, no fish, no birds, no people….no life.
Join us to reflect on how best we can preserve the earth for future generations and enjoy its bounty.
For more information please contact Annette Tanner at –
Tel: (250) 752-6595. Fax: (250) 752-7085. E-mail wcwcqb@shaw.ca
www.cathedralgrovecanyon.com
Photo by Scott Tanner
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