Dear Friend of Children,

You are invited to become a Signatory in a campaign of global importance.
We have become increasingly alarmed by the prevalence of violence against children worldwide.

We believe the times provide an opportunity for a new religious moment, in which the public and the world’s spiritual leaders act in concert in honour of the world’s young. This could profoundly impact human behaviour for generations.

The Centre for Child Honouring’s Children & Nonviolence Initiative—supported by the Dalai Lama, and by Honorary Patron HRH Prince El Hassan of Jordan—provides a focal point for faith leaders to express their commitment to honouring the dignity of children.
• We invite all citizens to sign the PLEA TO FAITH LEADERS and send it to their community faith leader and to the leader of your religion or faith tradition. The PLEA calls on faith leaders to sign a PROCLAMATION in a show of unity.
•  We invite all faith leaders to sign the PROCLAMATION.

We trust that a massive outpouring of public and religious support for respecting the
personhood of children would:

a) have significantly beneficial impacts on behaviour in families, communities,

schools and institutions worldwide, and

b) bring renewed awareness and support for implementing the articles of the
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Such an outpouring could also spark a historic multi-faith decree upholding the sanctity of the child, and urging the elimination of physical, mental and emotional violence against children.

Such a new religious moment would be a vital step forward towards a new era of peace with and for our young.

Please sign the Plea, or the Proclamation
at www.childhonouring.org/plea

In gratitude,
CENTRE FOR CHILD HONOURING

Raffi Cavoukian, C.M., O.B.C., founder and chair
Advisory Council members:
The Very Reverend Bill Phipps, former moderator, United Church of Canada
Carolyn Pogue, author, peace activist

On April 22, millions of Canadians will participate in the 40th annual International Earth Day. What are you doing to celebrate?

Submitted by Clare Cullen

As volunteer coordinator for Earth Day Canada on Salt Spring Island, I am hoping to get groups to work together to promote their events, engage our community and celebrate the Earth.

Please contact me, Clare Cullen, at ssearthday@telus.net or 250-537-2682 to have your event included in promotion materials, as well as receive resources and assistance in planning.

Let’s have a meaningful impact and lots of fun on Salt Spring’s Earth Day.

Front page banner photo: Alicepopkorn

Photo this page: Dirac3000

Salt Spring Island’s Hooper Family band presents a seasonal CD with home-made versions of holiday classics and some brand new holiday songs. Featuring Owen Hooper’s original song “It’s Christmas Time” available to download for free below, and nine other tracks. The Hoopers are:  Shane 12, Owen 14, with Dad and Mom, Tom Hooper and Suzanne Little.  Available now at Fables Cottage on Hereford Ave, $20 each.

Click here to download Owen’s new Christmas song:

Saturday 12th December 10am – 4pm:  The first annual Legion Christmas Craft and Collectibles Fair at Meaden Hall, Royal Canadian Legion, Blain Street, Saltspring Island (right behind the RCMP station)

Everyone welcome!!!

Jewelry, art, pottery, crafts, comics, collectables.

You name it we just might have it!!

Food and fun.

Come one come all and buy your Christmas gifts right here at home on your island.  Great bargains to be had….

Submitted by Fran Fenly-Leask

Holiday Hours: The SOLID Exchange located at 125 McPhillips Avenue next to the library is opened Wednesday through Sunday from 10:30 to 2:30 until Christmas.

Submitted by Simon Rompre

We are a non profit community run store that focuses on raising money for the many projects SOLID is  involved in various parts of  Africa (for more info go to www.solidsaltspring.ca) and we carry fine crafts and fair trade goods from all over the world such as jewellery from southern Africa, batiks from Zimbabwe, clothing from Kenya, knittings from Salt Spring, organic teas from Nepal, soaps from the Middle East, candles from Guatemala,  silver from Thailand and much more.
See you there!

December 13th – 11 am. Everyone is welcome to come to any of the churches on December 13th and stand in solidarity with us for climate justice. And bring your bells!

Article Submitted by Dale Storm
Parish Secretary, Anglican Parish of SSI

World Council of Churches’ Bell Toll Sun Dec 13th 11am at All Saints Church (110 Park Drive). It will take about 1 1/2 hrs for the bell to be tolled 350 times for climate justice. Churches around the world will be tolling their bells 350 times which refers to 350 parts per million: the safe upper limit for CO2 in our atmosphere. For all of human history until about 200 years ago, our atmosphere contained 275ppm of CO2, but now the concentration stands at 390ppm.

The United Church, at 111 Hereford Ave., having no bell in a steeple, will ring hand bells, cowbells or even pots and pans, whatever people have that can make a holy racket, starting at 11:15 am.

The Unitarians at the Seniors Centre at 379 Lower Ganges Rd., will ring hand held bells at noon.

St. Paul’s Roman Catholic Church in Fulford Harbour will ring their bells after their 8 am mass.

This is more than about our church communities. It is about all of us, so everyone who wishes to join in will be more than welcome. Come to any of the three churches or the Unitarian fellowship during or after their services on December 13th, bringing your “bell” to ring.

Part of an international action, the Salt Spring events are being organized by the ministers of Salt Spring Island: special thanks to The Rev. Ruth Cairns of the United Church, The Rev. Richard Stetson of the Anglican Church, Father Bill MacDonald of the Roman Catholic Church, and the Unitarian Fellowship.

To the right is a photo of All Saints’ By-the-Sea at 110 Park Drive.  The bell tower is the box-like thing slightly to the right of centre. I don’t think anyone has a photo of the bell inside it (yet!).

Above is a photo of our 100-yr-old bell that was taken from our St Paul’s Anglican  on Dean Rd that burned down about 1939 … the date on this bell is 1860.

Photo Credit: banner photo

Recommendations for PARC Ten Year Plan Up for Community Review

Submitted by Kees Ruurs

November 24, 2009 – presentation at the Lions Hall from 4.00pm to 8.00pm.
Following a process begun in early 2009, the report from Yates, Thorn and Associates, the consultant firm commissioned by the Parks and Recreation Commission in the formulation of a ten year strategic plan, has been completed and received by PARC.  The report contains recommendations for a new strategic plan to guide the provision of park and recreation services and facilities over the next ten years.

“The strategic plan needs to provide an affordable balance between maintenance of existing services and provision of new ones,” noted Commission chair, Rob Wiltzen. “It will guide the parks and recreation budgets and the timing of new services over coming years so public input into the final plan adopted is vital.”

The consultant’s recommendations will be presented at a public open house on Tuesday November 24th, at the Lions Hall from 4.00pm to 8.00pm with presentations by the consultants who have prepared the plan, at 5.00pm and 7.00pm.

Extensive public consultation has been incorporated in the process to date including surveys, focus groups and workshops conducted with a variety of organizations and representatives for a wide range of recreational interests on the island.

The strategic planning process has also included research to identify the current demographics on the island, review trends in parks and recreation across Canada, and to review many reports and documents, including the Official Community Plan. Inventories of facilities, parks, programs, and organizations have been developed and the current budget and taxation level for parks and recreation was reviewed in context with those in similar, neighboring jurisdictions.

“The consulting firm’s task was to incorporate all of that wide-ranging input into a cohesive plan and come up with recommendations based on it all,” said Wiltzen.  “Now it’s time to go back and check in with the community before the commission considers the recommendations for adoption and devises an implementation plan.”

The consultant’s report delivers a draft vision for the Ten Year Plan and identifies six key strategic areas around which recommendations were developed that included recreation partnerships, trail development, passive park development, athletic park development, facility development, and financing.

In addition to the public meeting scheduled for November 24, the report is available for review on the PARC website at http://www.crd.bc.ca/ssiparc.  Comments can be submitted electronically at PARC@saltspring.com  Copies of the report are also available at the PARC office at 145 Vesuvius Bay Road, and at the public library located downtown.

For more information, please contact the PARC office.