Oct
29
Please note the following change of venue for the Victoria Evening Newcomers Club dinner meeting:
Tuesday, November 16
6:30 for 7:00 p.m.
Venue: Gorge Vale Golf Course at the corner of Tillicum and Craigflower Roads
Oct
29
James Bay will have a new addiction support group called LifeRing Secular Recovery starting at 7pm pm October 28th at the JBCP and thereafter every Thursday evening. This will be our seventh group in the Sothern Vancouver Island region and growing. LifeRing is an alternative to the present AA groups. We are quite different in a numbers of ways and we provide an important option for those that do not find success with other groups.
ABOUT LIFERING:
LifeRing Secular Recovery is a popular alternative for those confronting addiction. We have a three point philosophy: Sobriety - 100% abstinence from drugs and alcohol; Secularity - without religion (not anti-religious), discussions avoid divisive belief systems like religion or politics; and Self-Help - by creating a Personal Recovery Plan that is designed by you and works for you. In Victoria we currently have 5 meetings weekly (4 in the community and one closed meeting at the Victoria Community Medical Detox) We also have one meeting in Langford and Qualicum. LifeRing USA offers scheduled online "meetings" and "chat rooms", and has a tremendous number of resources available. We are a provincially registered non-profit.
Oct
29
Who cares for the caregiver?
It`s a question gaining prominence as more Victoria families find themselves in caregiving situations, due to an aging population.
It`s also the theme of a free workshop coming to the city on Nov. 2, offered by the non-profit Alzheimer Society of B.C.
Self-Care for the Caregiver, designed for family carevigers dealing with Alzheimer's disease and related dementia, explores what contributes to stress and burnout and how to recognize the signs.
"When supporting a person with a chronic illness, it is vital that the caregiver stays well," says Christin Hillary, the Society`s support and education coordinator for Greater Victoria.
The session runs from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 2 at James Bay New Horizons, 234 Menzies St. For information and to register call 250-382-2052 or email chillary@alzheimerbc.org
Participants should bring their own lunch. Coffee and tea will be available by donation.
The workshop is partially funded by Pfizer Canada Inc., RBC Foundation, Provincial Employees Community Services Fund, Janssen Ortho Inc., Province of B.C., Lohn Foundation, the Province of B.C. and The Victoria Foundation
More information on Alzheimer's is available at the Society website at www.alzheimerbc.org
Oct
29
It's that time of year again, where we gather to celebrate the spooky and for the GVCEC to host our largest event of the year - our 6th Annual Pumpkin Smash. The event will be held November 6th and 7th from 10 AM to 3 PM each day. Bring your family and friends, and of course your pumpkins, and join us for Tombstone Tipping and other family games to help us raise awareness for composting! Last year we managed to divert over 13 tonnes of jack-o-lanterns from the landfill - let's see if we can beat that this year!
Saturday, November 6th - Cloverdale Thrifty Foods, Fairfield Thrifty Foods & Iroquois Park in Sidney
Sunday, November 7th - Hillside Thrifty Foods & Iroquois Park in Sidney
Oct
29
Based on valuable community input, the City of Victoria has developed a draft transportation plan that will guide traffic and trail improvements to make Beacon Hill Park safer and more enjoyable. Drop by an open house to learn more and provide input. Some of the proposed improvements include road closures to reduce cut-through traffic, methods to slow down traffic, ways to maintain access to the park's recreation features, parking, and trail improvements. Tuesday, November 16, 2010, 6 p.m. - 9 p.m., Fairfield Gonzales Community Centre Out of School Care Room, 1330 Fairfield Road, and Wednesday, November 17, 2010, 4 p.m. - 7 p.m., James Bay New Horizons Activity Room, 234 Menzies Street. Registration is not required. Complimentary refreshments will be served. Free childminding available. For more information, visit www.victoria.ca and click on What's New?
Oct
20
On October 29, 2010, the Odeon Theatre in Victoria will be showing a spectacular new movie about the epic journey of Rick Hansen, our very own Man in Motion. Heart of a Dragon tells the gut-wrenching tale of Hansen's arduous climb up the Great Wall of China. You are there "up and close" to see courage and tenacity played out against the exquisite beauty of a far eastern landscape. This movie will challenge every pre-conceived idea about people with disabilities and is a ' must-see ' event. Please see my full article in the December Beacon on this poignant movie that left an imprint on my heart and soul.
By Doreen Marion Gee
Oct
13
City Planning - James Bay Planning
Oct 2010
City planning is much talked about these days, and that is importantbecause Year 2050 is not so very far ahead of us.So much for the city, but how about James Bay?When I ponder about what makes our community so important, I look at theOgden Point breakwater, the cruise ships, Beacon Hill Park, Toronto Street,Irving Park and Five Corners, and I wonder: which of these could beimproved? I have many ideas; and so could others.I don't suppose City Hall cares much about my imaginations, but mayor andcouncil might give some thought to the payoff to Tourism Victoria. Havingmore items to laud in its literature about our fair city would be a plus indestination competition in Western Canada.Costs have to be factored, of course, but added value is alwaysprofitable.
Just one example: Five Corners could be transformed into a plaza (giving James Bay a true heart), where, in preparedness for a crippling earthquake,we could organize relief activities and under which we could stockpile vitalsupplies. More agreeably, a beautiful, and peaceful oasis.There would be no capital cost waste--a plaza would be a beautifulmeeting-place in what, by Year 2050, is destined to be a concrete jungle.The costs of such a project by then would be prohibitive.
Redner Jones