The Chilliwack 21
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Progress Thursday
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Walmart sees renewed protest against farmed fish
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Chilliwack gets a third community garden
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Jennifer Feinberg The Progress
Jennifer Feinberg The Progress
Chilliwack members of the Salmon Feedlot Boycott were making some noise at the Chilliwack Walmart Wednesday. Chants of “Boycott farmed salmon!” and “Wild salmon forever!” were heard across the busy parking lot in the Eagle Landing development. They were at the local Walmart to again for the second time this year, to ask the big retailer to remove open-pen Atlantic farmed salmon products from their shelves, because of perceived risks to human health and threats to the survival of wild salmon stocks. “They’re too full of toxins that are harmful to our health,” said spokesperson Eddie Gardner, a Skwah elder. “We’re warning the customers who come in and out of this store to avoid buying and consuming this crap because it’s going to destroy their health. And we’re going to keep on doing this until we get this job done. “We’re going to be moving (the boycott) to Superstore, moving to Costco, moving to Safeway, and we’re going to ask anyone and everyone to boycott feedlot salmon wherever it is sold.” Another rally against farmed salmon was held last February at the same Chilliwack store, with the same request that it be removed from store shelves. Ultimately they want all open-net salmon feedlots removed from the migration routes of Fraser River wild salmon in 2013. The Progress asked Walmart Canada Continued: WALMART/ p7
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Laurea Palmantier of Amari Yoga, a mobile yoga studio, holds her class outside St. Thomas Anglican Church on Monday evening. While she was teaching her outdoor yoga class, three young adults walked by, saw them, and decided to join.
By the time the weekend rolls around, the new community garden should be ready to start growing vegetables downtown for low-income Chilliwack residents. The newest community garden project is a partnership between Ruth and Naomi’s Mission and City of Chilliwack. “We took it on because there was strong interest shown in a downtown garden, with almost 40 people coming forward,” said Bill Raddatz, executive director of Ruth & Naomi’s. They were going to use donated land that had been offered for mission use, measuring about an acre and a half. But that initial plan that didn’t work out, which left them scrambling a bit. Then someone suggested at a board meeting that the city was possibly interested in establishing community gardens. A series of back and forth communications ensued, and Ruth & Naomi’s reps stepped forward to become the operators and coordinators of Chilliwack’s latest community garden project. “I never saw city hall move so quickly,” Raddatz joked. They’re all set to go now. About 40 low-income residents will be able to sign up for a free plot in the community garden. They’ll be growing a range of produce, with half set aside for donation to Ruth & Naomi’s Mission to be used in the kitchen. “I think everyone is getting pretty excited about the garden,” he said. “It’s going to look beautiful, and be so valuable to local families.” Other project partners aside from the city, include local businesses and donors who’ve come forward to donate
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