April 2021

VOL. 29, NO. 12, APRIL 2021 POWERED BY KAMLOOPS THIS WEEK | A PROUD PART OF ABERDEEN PUBLISHING

Art in Public Spaces and local businesses team up to support artists Page 3

Creating a Productive Vegetable Garden Page 5

Death Doula

Local meal kit service available in Kamloops

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Page 16

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Birds in the hand Page 19

KFF 24.5 rises against all odds Submitted by Emily Brown, Patron Engagement Coordinator, KFF

hat a year! Many of us are reeling from the fact that it has now been over a year of pandemic life, of this “new normal” that we have all become semiaccustomed. The Kamloops Film Society (and every business for that matter) has been through many highs and lows. This time last year, we had just wrapped up our 24th annual Film Festival. Our closing party was one of the last parties any of us would attend for a long time. The pandemic hit and we had to close the doors of the Paramount Theatre to the public. The world shut down, and like everyone else, we waited in lockdown. In the meantime, we painted upstairs, organized, and kept occupied, but it wasn’t the same as making our delicious popcorn and seeing our favourite patrons. Months passed and finally, a

silver lining: a drive-in! Private bookings! Things to occupy our time and give us a source of revenue. The Twin Rivers Drive-In was a huge success last year, and gave the community a fun and safe event to attend. Summer came and went, the nights started getting colder, so the drive-in closed. However, cases were low so we were able to reopen the Paramount Theatre with a capacity of 50 patrons in each theatre. We started with only our Thursday Film Series, and then cautiously added the weekends as well. The usual stream of patrons was more of a trickle, but it was something! Sadly, as the fall season wore on, the cases grew higher and we had to close once more: no private bookings, no public showings. In February, we were briefly allowed by Interior Health to reopen with private bookings, however, that was revoked by the

Ministry of Health. We were back to waiting. But in the distance, a film festival was on the rise! This journey has been difficult, but we’ve persevered and we’re back in the office fulltime to get ready for our 24.5th Kamloops Film Festival. Once again, the City of Kamloops has been our saviour, because we are able to host the Film Festival

at McArthur Island from April 21 – May 2. We’ll also be offering films online, which means we’ll be showcasing more movies than ever before! We won’t be having any in-person events this year, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have some fun and interactive plans up our sleeves. The rise of Zoom meetings and virtual hang outs has given us a unique opportunity to

bring in stars and film lovers from around the globe to enjoy and take part in our festival. In times where we must stay safe and healthy for ourselves and for our loved ones, we’re glad that we can continue the festival in this unique way. Stay tuned for a one of a kind film festival that Kamloops will never forget!

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2 APRIL 2021

Advance KFF Drive-In tickets and passes are available online and at the Paramount Theatre. Advance online tickets and passes are available online only.

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APRIL 2021 | 3

Art in Public Spaces and local businesses team up to support artists An ongoing program with the Kamloops Arts Council works with businesses to support artists By Elizabeth Nygren, Kamloops Arts Council

hat better way to liven up a space than with art from local artists. This is exactly the goal of the Art in Public Spaces program with the Kamloops Arts Council. Art in Public Spaces provides local businesses with new artwork on a rotating basis. Pieces range from photography to paintings to much more in common public spaces, such as the Kamloops Airport and the Royal Inland Hospital. Anyone wishing to view the artwork can visit the Royal Inland Hospital, the Kamloops Airport, the Old Courthouse Cultural Centre, or the Kamloops libraries. Patricia House, an artist whose focus is with oil paints, has been participating in the Art in Public Spaces program for years now and believes it has given her access to opportunities she may have never had without it. House said “I thought it was a great program and a way to get my art to people who might not necessarily come to a show or look for websites for art.”

House added “I think it’s a good program for artists to be able to get their work out there in locations where people might not necessarily come to see their work, but they can enjoy it.” House currently has pieces at the Kamloops Airport and the Old Courthouse Cultural Centre. Over the years, she has sold four pieces, earning a commission on each of them. “It’s nice to have an opportunity to have your work out there for an extended period of time to be seen,” House said. “It’s very cost-effective. It’s not costing me anything to submit pieces, it’s just commission based, and I like it from that perspective as well.” House joined the initiative to have the opportunity to get her work out there, without having to hold an exhibition with multiple pieces or look for places to have her artwork displayed herself. “I think for myself, it’s just personally satisfying to get the work out there,” House said, “but it’s also great to get the positive

feedback in terms of what pieces people are liking.” House finds that the Art in Public Spaces program gives established and emerging artists opportunities and a platform to showcase and celebrate their work. “It’s not just great for older artists, either established or emerging,” House said, “but it’s also a way for kids to get their stuff out there. My sons actually have some pieces at the hospital right now.” Submissions to the Art in Public Spaces program are currently closed and will re-open in the Autumn of 2021, but anyone interested in learning more about the program or wishing to purchase artwork on display can check out the Kamloops Arts Council website, kamloopsarts.ca. Any business interested in hosting artwork for the Art in Public Spaces program can contact KAC’s Gallery Coordinator, Leah Bojey at kacgallerycoordinator@ gmail.com

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March turned out to be a surprisingly lucky month for me. Not only did I finally receive and manage to start up the long-awaited hot tub that we had ordered last fall, my mom received her first shot of the Pfizer vaccine AND I actually won a large sum of cash in a 50/50 draw on St. Patrick’s Day of all days. As with so many windfalls, My two cents this one was easily spent and Moneca Jantzen I haven’t even received the Editor actual cheque yet. After our move last summer (a move I continue to regard as “lucky”) our air conditioner decided to call it quits back in September and was sadly deemed beyond repair. Goodness knows I wouldn’t want to break my streak of installing an air conditioner in EVERY home I’ve ever purchased! Sigh. Two days after my ‘Publisher’s Clearing House’ worthy moment with the oversized cheque presented to me in my driveway, I had a new air conditioner installed. How’s that for easy come, easy go? No complaints from yours’ truly, however—the timing was impeccable and what a wonderful surprise to get a phone call telling me that I had won thousands of dollars! The TRU 50/50 Dollars for Scholars was the first draw of any significance that I’ve ever actually won. I’m glad I finally opened that email and bought some tickets the night before the draw closed. It turned out to be a great decision. And the weird part was I went to bed on Tuesday night stressing about money. Prayers were definitely answered. As a rule, I don’t consider myself the luckiest person. I usually win the odd raffle at work and I enter lots of other draws and try to support good causes when I can. I don’t like going to the casino at all. I’m absolutely cursed when it comes to slot machines so I never bother with them. The only other time I have won anything significant was probably 30 years ago when I won my share of a small lottery prize with a group of co-workers at The Kamloops Daily News. Each share was about $250 and lo and behold my dog injured himself that same night and I ended up passing my winnings along to the vet. Murphy’s Law is like that it seems or maybe it’s really one of the Laws of the Universe trying to keep things in some kind of so-called balance. That’s how my luck works at least, or so it seems. While I don’t think of myself as particularly “lucky,” I do consider myself to be fortunate. I will always count my blessings rather than dwell on my misfortunes. In the grand scheme of things I have nothing to complain about. I’m sure most people are familiar with that feeling of a windfall where the truth is you could spend it multiple times over on so many different things. You’d need a cool million, at least, to guarantee there would be any leftovers and that would require modest spending. We’ve all fantasized about how we would spend our big multi-million dollar lottery win. How long we would wait until we claim it? Who would we tell? What would be our first big purchase? How would we invest it? What causes and people would we give to? I do the same thing with the big fundraising draws for dream homes, luxury cars and vacation packages. Which package would I choose? Would I want to move or would I just go for the cash? Needless to say, its fun to think about even though the odds are what they are. I definitely got a taste of how it feels to win. It’s also going to make it harder for me to refrain from buying tickets for draws now because now I know it isn’t always just a fantasy. I’ve already bought tickets in the upcoming BCSPCA ande Kamloops Food Bank draws. Apparently TRU will also be doing more Dollars for Scholars 50/50s too. I’m not sure lightning will strike twice but I’ll keep trying. I know my limit and I’ll continue to play within it.

Voices of Experience www.connectornews.ca Telephone: (250) 374-7467 Office Hours: Monday – Friday 8:30 am – 4:30 pm Please address all correspondence to: Kamloops Connector 1365B Dalhousie Drive Kamloops, BC V2C 5P6 Publisher Bob Doull General Manager Liz Spivey (778) 471-7537 publisher@connectornews.ca Editor: Moneca Jantzen editor@connectornews.ca Graphic Designer: Dayana Rescigno creative@connectornews.ca Kamloops Connector is a monthly newspaper dedicated to inform, serve and entertain adults 45 and over. We aim to publish on the last Wednesday of each month and copy/booking deadlines are either the 2nd or 3rd Thursdays of each month. Please request a publishing schedule for specific information. Kamloops Connector is published by Kamloops This Week, part of the Aberdeen Publishing Group. Letters to the Editor must be signed and have a phone number (your phone number will not be printed unless requested). Other submissions are gratefully received although Kamloops Connector reserves the right to edit all material and to refuse any material deemed unsuitable for this publication. Articles, group and event listings will run in the newspaper as time and space permit. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from Kamloops Connector. The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of Kamloops Connector, Kamloops This Week or the staff thereof. Subscriptions are $35 per year in Canada. Any error which appears in an advertisement will be adjusted as to only the amount of space in which the error occurred. The content of each advertisement is the responsibility of the advertiser. Kamloops Connector recommends prudent consumer discretion.

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APRIL 2021 | 5

Creating a Productive Vegetable Garden By Hamish Plommer (aka. The Happy Scotsman), Kamloops Food Policy Council

s I stroll through Kamloops’ back lanes and community gardens, I am sometimes struck by the huge productivity of some gardens and also by the obvious unproductivity of others. Why are those gardens unproductive and how can we increase their productivity? Organic Matter Unproductive vegetable garden soils usually lack organic matter. To increase productivity in new gardens, organic matter should be added once a year. In the Spring, peat moss, decomposed compost, and at least one-year-old manure will improve the performance of gardens. In the Autumn season, gardeners could include uncomposted materials such as

fine bark mulch, sawdust (pine, spruce, fir – but not cedar) and dig in fresh (6 – 11 month old) manure. In all seasons, some form of nitrogen (the first of the three numbers on fertilizer bags) should be included. If you are digging in uncomposted organic matter, spread the organic matter evenly on your garden and turn the garden over with a shovel to allow for proper integration. To increase organic matter you can also grow, then dig in, “green manure” crops like fall rye, oats, peas, vetch, buckwheat. Lack of Fertility Unproductive vegetable gardens often lack fertility. If you grow organically, you can fertilize your garden with bagged or bulk animal manures, mushroom manure, compost, blood, bone meal, sea soil, alfalfa meal and a whole raft of other additives. It is very possible to feed a garden without spending a fortune. If you are not growing organically, you can use any number of granular fertilizers. Fertilizers which contain approximately the same amount of Nitrogen, Phosphate and Potash (the three numbers on the container) may be the best. So, something like 18-18-18 is great…and 13-16-10 is close

enough. It is an excellent idea to get a quality soil test done every few years, for example, at MB Labs, in Sydney (mblabs.com) to establish your exact fertilizer needs. If you can’t test, consider sprinkling about 1.5 pounds of 18-18-18 (or 2 pounds of 1316-10) per 100 square feet of garden. Dig the fertilizer in prior to planting. Poor Soil Structure Unproductive gardens often have poor soil “structure”. Soil with good structure forms into aggregates, little clumps made up of sand, silt, clay and organic matter. Think “snowflakes”. Soil structure can be improved by adding organic matter, avoiding rototilling, and not digging when soil is wet or super dry. I remember a co-worker once said “I water my whole [shrub] garden every two days, but I water my vegetable garden every day.” My co-worker’s implication was: “I really take good care of my vegetables” when in fact, my co-worker was watering way too often. While it is true that vegetable gardens love to get well watered, it is also true that vegetable roots really like to dry out regularly. Sandy soils lacking organic matter might need to get watered well every four days in midsummer Kamloops but

sandy or silty soils containing lots of organic matter (there I go about organic matter again) will be quite happy receiving an inch and a half of water every six days. If you are over watering, always water in the morning to reduce the plant diseases on the leaves of crops like beans, tomatoes, melons, cucumbers, and squash. Weeds Many gardeners allow weeds to overrun their veggie gardens. One way to control weeds is to mulch between veggie rows with materials like straw, chopped up leaves and grass clippings. Alternatively, heat

loving crops enjoy growings being transplanted into a sheet of black plastic. If you don’t use mulches make sure to hoe, to a depth of about one centimeter, ideally with a stirrup hoe about every ten days. Have fun in the garden this year! And remember: if you want to make your veggie garden more productive: add organic matter, provide fertility, respect your soil structure, water thoroughly, infrequently and in the morning. And don’t let those weeds win. Grow early, grow late. For details related to the suggestions in this article, ask at your fine local garden centers.

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Contributed by Janet McGregor

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6 APRIL 2021

The Miracle of Light Therapy W

ould you like to look 10 years younger, lose fat, improve hormonal health, fight pain and inflammation, increase strength/endurance, heal faster, improve your brain health and increase your energy levels? The solution is not a “pill,” its light therapy. Everyone knows about the importance of vitamin D from sunlight or UV light, but fewer are aware that there is another type of light that may be just as vital to our health - red and nearinfrared light. Think it’s all just hype? Think again!

There are over 3,000 peer-reviewed scientific studies showing incredible health and anti-aging benefits of red and nearinfrared light therapy. It’s not just any red light that delivers this performance-optimizing boost. Wavelengths between 610 nanometers and 850 nanometers deliver the best biological response. For example, at 660 nanometers, the light is more quickly absorbed by the skin, making it the goto for cosmetic treatments that address signs of aging. At 850 nanometers wavelength (near-infrared),

it penetrates 1.5 inches deeper into your body significantly aiding with muscle recovery, joint pain, and full body health. Photobiomodulation (PBM) is activated by light therapy. It works by stimulating cellular regeneration and antiaging systems by activating cellular mitochondria that enhances the Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP)— the source of energy for every cell in the body. Red light therapy also boosts circulation, bringing more oxygen and nutrients to your cells and tissues. What does this mean? When your

cells are hit with the red light wavelengths, a host of regenerative effects occur, leading to younger looking skin, enhanced muscle repair, and diminished scarring. Would you like to experience the relaxing benefits of light therapy? • Book an introductory session (we tailor the treatments to your needs) or, inquire about purchasing your own, very affordable light therapy products such as: 2021 - 7 colours LED Facial Mask. • All natural, highly effective skin toning, wrinkle reduction, collagen increase, colour balancing

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APRIL 2021 | 7

Can you lower your “reliance rate” during retirement? Two FA Photo Ad

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f you have decades to go until you retire, you don’t need to panic over volatile financial markets – you have plenty of time to regain lost ground and potentially achieve more growth in your investment portfolio. But what if you are nearing retirement or already retired? After all, you will probably need to draw on your investments to pay for some of the costs associated with housing, food and the many other expenses you incur in daily life. So, is a down market cause for alarm? It shouldn’t be. And you can help reduce your stress level by understanding your “reliance rate.” As its name suggests, your reliance rate tells you

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portfolio, and the options you have for reducing this reliance, the better prepared you’ll be to withstand the inevitable market downturns.

other short-term incomeproducing vehicles. Having these assets available can help you avoid liquidating longterm investments when their prices are down. Your investment portfolio will certainly be a key source of your retirement income. And by understanding how reliant you are on your

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Many people will everyone, But, how much you rely start taking their as a general rule, on your portfolio government pension the higher your – rather than other at age 65, however, sources, such as CPP/ reliance rate, the you can start drawing more sensitive your QPP and OAS, your as early as age 60 or as portfolio may be investments or an late as 70 years of age. to fluctuations in employer pension The monthly amount investment prices. – to meet your you receive will be income needs during What can you do, of two financial reduced the earlier then, to either lower retirement. So, for Maximum you start drawing this ratephotos. or, at least, example, if you need advisor and will increase to a moderate the risk $60,000 each year, maximum if you wait level attached to and $40,000 comes If more financial advisors until 70 years of age. it? Here are some from your portfolio, should be included, use the So, if you can afford suggestions: your reliance rate is community name listing or back the date to push • Adjust your 66 percent. EdwardJones.com version. at which you start expenses. During Your reliance taking your benefits, retirement, some of rate can influence your expenses, such as you could lower your your emotions and commuting and other reliance rate – just investment behavior. remember to factor costs associated with A higher reliance in all the relevant work, will go down, rate may tempt you considerations, such but others – like to make emotional as the impact a higher health care – may go decisions during CPP/QPP could have up. You can’t control a market decline, on your marginal tax all these expenses, since your portfolio rate. but the more you is supplying more of • Review your plans your needs. However, can keep them under for Old Age Security control, the less if you respond to a (OAS) - OAS may pressure there will be steep market drop be taken beginning on your investment by making dramatic at age 65 and can be portfolio to provide changes to your deferred for up to 60 you with income. portfolio, you may • Review your plans months in exchange actually increase the for a higher monthly for your Canada likelihood that your amount. Pension Plan or money may not last. • Keep cash Quebec Pension This is especially and Plan (CPP/QPP)true if you move a See page 2 for short-term financial investments in The amount you will large portion of your advisor listing. your portfolio. Try receive depends on portfolio to cash, as cash does not typically many factors – the age to keep about one year’s worth of living you start taking your provide growth potential to help keep benefits, your average expenses in cash or cash equivalents, earnings throughout up with inflation. and about three to your life and how There is no five years’ worth of long and how much “recommended” If you’re advertising expensesinsurance, in GICs and you have contributed. reliance rate for

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8 APRIL 2021

Merritt Senior Centre

Calendar of Events

250-378-3763 • 1675 Tutill Court | Nellie Holuboch, President

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

*The library is open when the centre is open* *Please call the centre for more information regarding times etc. 250 378 3763* All health and safety protocols are in place. 4

Exercise Class 10:00 - 11 am Pool Room Open 12:30 pm

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SATURDAY

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APRIL 2021

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Celebrating Volunteer Week | April 18 – 24

Kamloops Hospice Association

GRATEFUL

We are to our volunteers at Kamloops Hospice and Flutter Buys Thrift Store.

365 days aAssociation year Kamloops Hospice Kamloops Hospice Association www.kamloopshospice.com www.kamloopshospice.com

Happy and Safe Easter everyone! from the Village of Chase Our office will be closed April 2nd and April 5th for Easter

kamloops birdwatch NAOMI BIRKENHEAD Dashing through the trees with effortless ease Noisily chatting up the forest skies Puckish intentions on his mind Flash of blue and crested head Give no hint to this bird’s friend Thievery and mischief

s part of the Corvid Family; Crows, Ravens, and Magpies, the Steller’s Jay intelligent levels are next to that of Primates. But this particular avian is like one of the lost boys from Peter Pan. Tom foolery and jest is more his style and he welds his big bird brain to do so. Mimicry is one of the Steller’s Jay notorious talents. From falsifying calls of the Red Tailed Hawks, Bald Eagles and

even Screech owls, for the purpose of scaring away competition from feeders, other food sources and protection. Some birders and researchers have also witnessed Squirrel, Chicken, Dog and even human and mechanical noises. This deceptive demeanor is not noted amongst all Jays though. It seems to be linked to bolder more aggressive Jays with larger territory ownership. If you are wishing to attract this year-round crested prankster, leave a feeder filled with whole unshelled peanuts and sunflower seeds. Due to the Steller’s Jay diet, they have modified mandibles for cracking tough nuts and tight gripping claws. Closer to the fall and winter months you may witness their uncanny ability to expand one’s throat for seed collection, often making a thousand trips into the woods in a single day creating food caches. Researchers have discovered this particular behavior to have beneficial impact on certain species of trees, as the seeds left

behind by this avid forager, will often sprout. Along with being our provincial bird, they are one of the only Corvid to use mud to construct its nest. Monogamous pairs share in this task, choosing a location in a tree top and near the trunk. During the 16-18 day incubation period of light green-blue eggs with brown, purple and olive tone speckles, the male Jay will diligently feed his missus. Although known as a blue jay, the feathers are actually a dull brown and have modified prismatic cells that scatter light waves, reflecting the blue wave spectrum back to our eyes giving us the cobalt perception. So as annoying a reputation this rambunctious avifauna has, all this is really just a wonderful show of the Jays cunning and intelligent ways to adapt. Even their shenanigan mob tactics and playful pestering is about banding together to ensure survivability. Stay Curious Kamloops!

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APRIL 2021 | 9

Join Zone 8 55+ BC Games as We Spring Forth By Linda Haas Janine di Giovanni’s inspirational quote states: “Easter is meant to be a symbol of hope, renewal, and new life.” While our hopes for the Games in 2020 and 2021 were not fulfilled, things are looking good for 2022 in Victoria. Therefore, it is not too early to renew our dedication to the 55+ BC Games motto: For Life, Sport and Friends, and begin to prepare mentally and physically for taking part in the 2022 Victoria Games. We encourage all people 55+ to consider joining or renewing their membership in the BC Seniors Games Society, Zone 8. The fee is only $20 for the year, and you will be eligible to take part in decision-making and

activities as they open up in our communities. What’s more, you will be part of the provincial community of inspired 55+ folk in 12 zones. For more information about Zone 8 and its great group of inspired seniors who take part in around 30 sports and activities, please contact president Peter Hughes, zone8information@shaw.ca or 778-471-1805. While not really a sport, Zone 8’s next activity is a fundraising virtual auction. It costs just $10 to be a bidding participant, and there are already 23 items on the block, including handmade crafts, services, books, beauty items, clothing, drink containers, and even a horse-drawn sleigh

ride to make next winter more fun. We welcome more donations which should be photographed and sent to Linda Haas haaslindatony2@gmail. com. If you want to become an auction bidder, please e-transfer $10 to the same address. All funds and donations will be acknowledged. There will even be a prize draw going to one of the participants. If you do not have an email connection, please phone Linda at 250-573-9263 to make arrangements. The virtual auction starts in April and will continue until May 7. There will be weekly updates to all bidders on current bid status, with final results announced May 8. Zone 8 encourages you to take part in this worthwhile fun

spring fling! Another timely quote is: “Golf is just the adult version of an Easter Egg Hunt.” And speaking of golf and 2 dedicated Zone 8 supporters, this limerick is dedicated to Heather Sirianni, our Zone 8 Director and Revelstoke rep, and Monty Kilborn, former Director and still men’s golf coordinator, both of whom are avid golfers:

A golfer tries hard to survive with grit, dedication, and drive. Inflation, they’ll claim, is affecting their game; They used to shout “fore,” now it’s “five!”

Remember, stay well and stay tuned for more Zone 8 news.

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10 APRIL 2021

How do you collect what you are owed? Personal Injury ICBC Claims Civil Litigation Wills/Estate Planning Probate/Estate Administration Corporate

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f a collection is necessary, it is because someone has lost in Court and has a judgment against them or they have had work done or received a product and now refuse payment. The trades people are often affected, as they pay their employees and pay for supplies and then can’t collect on their invoice. Similarly for tow companies that get called onto the scene by the Department of Highways or the RCMP to clean up an accident

and then the insurance company refuses to pay the cost of that. Especially difficult is the litigant that goes all the way through trial, paying lawyers and court fees, only to get a judgment and realize they have to start a whole new process to collect what they were awarded. In many cases, obtaining a judgment is the easiest part of the collection process. Once a judgment is granted, it is left in the creditor’s hands to take the appropriate steps to enforce it and collect the amount due. Many creditors are unaware of how to go about collecting unpaid debts or face difficulty in doing so. Also, they have to front the money to go through the collection process and get paid. The debtor may have to pay more in the end in interest and penalties, but it never seems to be enough to cover the whole cost of the collection for the creditor. The construction industry recognized this

Is your spa safe?

issue long ago and created the Builders Lien Act to make it more accessible and affordable for trades to get paid for the work they do. The bankruptcy industry as well does its best to make sure the debtors pay what they can to the people they owe and prevent fraud to avoid payment. The family law industry has a government agency (FMEP) to collect from the debtors if child support is involved. Otherwise, small businesses and regular people are in the court system for collections to use whatever tools are available and in their budget. No one really feels sorry for the big banks and lenders making record profits, and they have the resources to deal with debtors and can afford to wait them out. For everyone not a big bank or credit card company, it really isn’t fair most of the time when they have to pay to collect what they are already out of pocket for and are rightly owed. Lawyers can do a lot to assist – they can commence collection actions, put liens

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Sponsored Content on property, commence bankruptcy petitions, hold payment hearings, get an order for seizure and sale, garnish bank accounts and paycheques and renew judgments registered against liens so that if the debtor is having hard times now, they may not down the line and sometimes collection is waiting until the debtor is doing better financially. Lawyers can also work closely with collection agencies to use the services they provide to help people who are rightfully owed money to best collect it. There are so many collection strategies. Sometimes it means moving fast and sometimes you have to play the long game – it is always case specific. Lots of creditors simply give up when they cannot collect on a debt or a judgment – they think you can’t squeeze blood from a stone. I always say that may be true, but you can squeeze wine from a grape if you wait long enough and have the right advice.

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s you sit down to have your nails done, your nail tech opens a drawer and pulls out a file. She begins to file your nails, then puts the file back in the drawer. Have you ever wondered how many people have been exposed to the same file? Or wondered about how they clean cuticle pushers and nippers (which can be exposed to blood). How do you know if a salon or spa is safe and takes precautions to avoid contamination and the spread of communicable disease? Read on to find out! Pre-COVID, many salons and spas had cleaning and sanitation procedures in place. During the pandemic, additional guidelines and rules were implemented to ensure public and employee health and safety. Some of these include: Not accepting walk-in appointments (must be booked in advance), booking additional cleaning time in between clients, eliminating refreshments and waiting areas (and additional guests in the space), providing sanitizer upon entry, doing a COVID-19

screening of guests, and of course personal protective equipment (PPE) for staff. Aside from the obvious general state of cleanliness, other procedures are in place and mandated by the Provincial Health Authority. They have rules in place about how a salon needs to clean and disinfect to protect the public. We are advised of everything from where our sinks need to be to how we store our tools and launder our linens. Unfortunately, as in almost every business sector, some people choose to cut corners and costs and therefore put the public at risk. The following are some red flags to be aware of when visiting a spa or salon. 1) Files, buffers, cuticle sticks are being reused. These items are not able to be sanitized and should never be reused, but disposed of or sent home with the client. 2) Waxing services are done with a resusable metal spatula. NO, the wax is definitely not hot enough to kill bacteria. Wax should be applied with a disposable applicator, which should

then be disposed of and NEVER double-dipped. Yes, this means that several applicators will be used and discarded during a waxing treatment. 3) Acrylic dip powders are still used. These are not “vitamin dip powders” for your nails. They are acrylic and are definitely an unhygienic breeding ground for bacteria. Please don’t put your fingernails where so many others have been. 4) Pedicure bowls with jets. It has been proven that harmful bacteria can lurk in the pipes of these systems. When the jets are turned on, this debris and bacteria is pushed into the soak bowl where you feet will be soaking. Free-standing foot soak bowls are much more hygienic, provided the spa uses appropriate cleaning measures after each client. 5) There is no time booked to allow for extra cleaning between clients. Look around for Lysol wipes or cleaning spray. Everything that the previous client touched needs to be sanitized, as well as hightouch areas (payment area, door handles, etc).

6) Check the floors! Are there hair or nail clippings lying around, or little balls of dust in the corners? This is a great indication that cleanliness – and your health – is not a priority at this business. 7) Is there signage in place regarding B.C.’s current social distancing requirements? Are there children present, or people who don’t appear to be working but just hanging out? Lastly, tools and implements such as cuticle pushers and nippers, need to be scrubbed with hot water then soaked in a hospital-grade disinfectant. A UV “sterilizer” is not an acceptable mode of sanitation as it does not kill enough bacteria to be effective. Towels are never to be reused on clients, or left in a towel warmer overnight. This article is intended to educate, not cause fear. Don’t be afraid to ask what their policies and procedures are for cleaning. It’s well within your rights to know what the business is doing to prevent spread of any disease.

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APRIL 2021 | 11

Kamloops Symphony bending genres with next performance

he second concert experience in the Kamloops Symphony’s Spring Series is Charlie Parker w/ Strings, which will be available to view on-demand online from Friday, April 9 to Saturday, May 8. Charlie Parker w/ Strings will see the orchestra bending genres by exploring the works of jazz legend Charlie “Bird” Parker from his pivotal recording sessions “Charlie Parker with Strings.” Much like classical composers of the early 20th Century, Charlie Parker expanded the boundaries of rhythm, harmony, and form, as he developed what is now known as the bebop style of jazz. Parker was also willing to try other performance formats beyond the typical small group in which he normally played, which led to the idea of his playing accompanied by a string ensemble for these seminal recording sessions. The music is all jazz standards from the 30’s and 40’s, such as “I’m in the Mood for Love” or “Summertime” without

any original compositions from Parker. The result was an inspired combination of familiar tunes put into the hands of a performer who is a master of melody and a gifted improviser whose skills expand and elaborate those melodies with the expressive and decorative language of bebop jazz. Joining the KSO to tackle these tunes is saxophonist Cory Weeds, one of Canada’s most important jazz impresarios, and his high caliber jazz quartet. Weeds may be best known as the founder and owner of Cory Weeds’ Cellar Jazz Club in Vancouver, which he successfully ran for more than 14 years. But he was more than just the owner – as a saxophonist who studied at Capilano University and the University of North Texas Weeds spent many nights on the Cellar bandstand as a leader and sideman, as well as performing on numerous tours with many of the top jazz musicians. He has recorded seventeen albums as a leader

and established The Cellar Music Group which has produced over 180 recordings. Weeds celebrated a win at the 2017 Juno Awards when the album “Metalwood” won Jazz Album of the Year: Group. Weeds has also worked as an educator, leading the BC Music Educators Association’s Honour Jazz Ensemble, clinics on saxophone and the music business, and teaches privately. In addition to a selection of tracks from the seminal “Charlie Parker with Strings” recording sessions, this concert will also feature a few of Weeds’ original tunes. Charlie Parker w/ Strings is perfect for jazz aficionados and classical adventurists alike. Tickets are $15 for an Individual and $25 for a Household Pass, with a special $5 COVID price available as well. All tickets can be purchased from Kamloops Live! Box Office at 250-3745483 or www.kamloopslive.ca.

The Chamber Musicians of Kamloops present

Cantillation

A concert featuring the young flautist Bailey Finley and local CMK veterans Sally Arai and Martin Kratky. You will hear Canadian music - mellifluous and resplendent works for flute, clarinet and cello, both solo and accompanied by pianist Alena Kratka. There will be works by Gluck, Jamieson, Etheridge, Sung, Enescu, Bozza, Friedman, Clark, and others. Streamed at 7:30 PM on Saturday, April 17th Available for viewing until 10:00 PM on Saturday, May 3rd. Tickets are $15, $10 for students/CMK members, available through Eventbrite.

GROUPS

Lawn Bowling on the North Shore. McArthur Park Lawn Bowling is recruiting new bowlers. Try lawn bowling free. Lawn Bowling is low impact, easy to learn, very affordable and played outdoors. For more information or to arrange a safe try-it session call Brenda at 250-574-1726. We follow all Covid-19 protocols.

Editor’s note: A true sign of spring and an indication that some things may start to return to something closer to ‘normal,’ we have received our first group listing since the pandemic began. The Kamloops Connector will begin adding listings as they are submitted. Please send your group and event listings to editor@ connectornews.ca. We will do our best to accommodate everyone’s listings but space constraints may force us to rotate amongst submissions. Time sensitive items will be given priority.

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12 APRIL 2021

KAMLOOPS’ BEST SELECTION OF VQA WINES AND BC CRAFT BEER “Hop on in and check out our specials for Easter” We’re In Lansdowne Mall! 225-450 Lansdowne St. 250-571-1377 Lansdowneliquor.ca lansdowneliquor

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ACROSS 1. Time gone by 5. Full of attitude 10. E ffrontery 14. N orway’s capital 15. N evada’s neighbour 16. F ar from land 17. Interesting occurrence 19. Invitation card letters, often 20. M aster of the spray, in a cartoonish kind of way 21. Inventive thoughts 22. M orsel for a pangolin 23. Where to build a house 24. L ugs around 26. D isallow 27. L ittle Rock native 30. B ecomes indistinct 33. O peratic solo piece 34. B agel feature 35. R ajah’s Indian consort 36. Alternative to a roll-on 37. Items to put in a smelter 38. Vinegar, basically 39. O ctober birthstone 40. P ositive balance sheet item 41. M ine fields, border walls and moats 43. B efore (pref.) 44. C oastal Honshu city 45. “ You ___ My Sunshine”

46. Masseur’s workplace, maybe 49. Mythical halfwoman, half-bird 51. Spray that might save the office from burning down 54. Buckshot, e.g. 55. What lost drivers are hoping for 56. Knotted neckwear 57. Join forces 58. Crazy 59. Strong undertow 60. Played a Halloween prank 61. Ready for customers DOWN 1. Momma’s main man 2. White as a sheet 3. Dozed off 4. Signal to start your phone message 5. Bulgaria’s last king 6. Very capable 7. Of sound mind 8. Rigged courtroom proceeding 9. In that direction, quaintly 10. Needed spraying aid for watermelon growers 11. Tax men, often 12. Small Bulgarian coins 13. Drinks like a cat 18. Mexican clay cooking pots 21. Milan’s nation (abbr.)

25. “All right!” 26. Lily of the valley at a wedding kind of spray 27. Ornate wall hanging 28. Out of the gale, nautically 29. Crow’s home 30. Actor Pitt of “Fight Club” 31. Doily material 32. Like military personnel or chauffeurs 33. Having a calming effect 36. Foot covering 40. “You ___ serious?” 42. A vote against 43. Set an asking figure 45. Knife-edged rocky ridge 46. John B. of song 47. Some old British coins 48. Fire bug’s felony 49. Abhor 50. Right in the heart of 52. Snob 53. 1000 grams, briefly 55. Anticipated

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APRIL 2021 | 13

Clearwater Seniors’ Activities

APRIL 2021

Virtual Options through Clearwater Community Recreation and Healthy Living Program in Facebook. Phone Lynne (250-674-8185) for further info.

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

Calendar of Events 1

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Writer’s Circle “Sharing by E-mail” 2:00 pm 5

6 WGCSS Meeting on7 Live Streaming Zoom at 10:30 am “Somatika on a Chair” Live Streaming with Sharon Sit & Be Fit with Sylvia 11:00 am @ 10:30 am 13

APRIL 2021

Calendar of Events

Salmon Arm, BC V1E 1H1 | Phone 250-832-7000 Fax 250-833-0550

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

Book Club “Zoom” 2:00 pm

320A Second Ave. NE (Office Hours: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm) MONDAY

Legion’s 17 Take out Dinner Order between 1:00 - 4:00 pm, Pickup 5:00 - 6:00 pm

Seniors’ Resource Centre - Salmon Arm SUNDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Income Tax by Appt. or Drop off 5

Income Tax by Appt. or Drop off 19

Income Tax by Appt. or Drop off 26

Income Tax by Appt. or Drop off

Foot Care 6 (by appt. only)

Foot Care 7 (by appt. only)

Income Tax by Appt. or Drop off Foot Care 13 (by appt. only)

Income Tax by Appt. or Drop off Foot Care 14 (by appt. only)

Income Tax by Appt. or Drop off Foot Care 20 (by appt. only)

Income Tax by Appt. or Drop off Foot Care 21 (by appt. only)

Income Tax by Appt. or Drop off

Foot Care 27 (by appt. only)

Foot Care 28 (by appt. only)

Income Tax by Appt. or Drop off

Noopiming:

Live Streaming Live Streaming “Somatika on a Chair” Sit & Be Fit with Sylvia with Sharon @ 10:30 am 11:00 am

Writer’s Circle “Sharing by E-mail” 2:00 pm

Live Streaming Live Streaming “Somatika on a Chair” Sit & Be Fit with Sylvia with Sharon @ 10:30 am 11:00 am 27

By Marilyn Brown

The Cure for White Ladies

Live Streaming Live Streaming “Somatika on a Chair” Sit & Be Fit with Sylvia with Sharon @ 10:30 am 11:00 am

Book Review

Income Tax by Appt. or Drop off 15

Income Tax by Appt. or Drop off

Income Tax by Appt. or Drop off 22

Income Tax by Appt. or Drop off

Income Tax by Appt. or Drop off 29

Income Tax by Appt. or Drop off

SUDOKU

By Leanne Betasamosake Simpson

House of Anansi Press, 2020, Fiction, 355 pages

he narrator is ice-bound, frozen, in limbo for an undetermined time. Mashkawaji, referred to as “they,them” speaks in meditative waves, first introducing us to some of the circumstances of their life, then gradually revealing seven distinct characters, beings who are both supernatural and human, with wondrous capabilities combined with human quirks. These characters, including Ninaatig the maple tree and Adik the caribou, are part of Mashkawaji’s existence, her neighbours and friends, the seven vividly animated, walking, talking, philosophizing. The beginning of the book is (purposely, I’m sure) slow-moving, rhythmical, like frozen waves, then the pace picks up as we become more deeply connected to the seven characters whose stories revolve like a wheel. The characters are literally and figuratively grounded in their indigenous culture, their experiences at times bonemarrow sad when describing the degradation of planet Earth, and at times whimsical, funny, and outrageous, to say nothing of startlingly true. Mindimooyenh, the old lady, is my favourite character. She is exceedingly practical, up for a good “bargoon” or bargain, particularly pleased when Canadian Tire puts the blue tarps on sale. They are useful for so many things. She makes wry comments about the absurd actions of some white people: “Canoeists means white people in canoes. This is different than canoers, at least for Mindimooyenh…Over the course of your life you became good at it or you became dead at it. There were no personal flotation devices, or expensive paddles or whistles or Tilley hats. There were no badges or levels. It wasn’t an exercise in choreography… Going nowhere fast…” In a short series of the sayings of Mindimooyenh, each about one sentence long, standing by itself on one page each, include the following: “If you don’t take care of your hurt, it comes out big when the _ _ _ _ hits the fan.” “Grief is saving yourself over and over again.” “ Your hair looks like a hen’s ass in a windstorm.” When Akiwenzii, the old man, and Sabe the giant grant Mindimooyenh’s dream to have her own houseboat, Sabe lifts the salvaged Jayco trailer over his head and rests it on a floating platform. Sabe admires the 1970s décor in shades of green. “Mindymooyenh thinks: ‘It looks like they sewed that thing with their elbows, and the colour choice is a dog’s breakfast.’ They put that in their do-not-say bin.” One of the stories that non-indigenous people may find gives a fresh perspective on the homeless, refers to “the Unceded Nation under the Gardner,” the highway through Toronto. “The ones we are all related to. The forgotten ones. The ones that we think need help, but we don’t help. The only ones not on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram… Taking care the best they can. Using whatever they find. Sharing everything they have.” The title of the book, Noopiming: The Cure for White Ladies is a reference to Roughing It in the Bush by Susanna Moodie, who immigrated to Canada from England in the 18oo’s and wrote her book as a guide to settlers. Leanne Betasamosake Simpson’s book is its antithesis – a guide to decolonization, self-determination, resistance and regrouping of First Nations people. Powerful imagery, startling and beautiful depictions of the 7 beings/spirits/humanoids combine with bleak vignettes of life for the First Nations people in Canada. Above all Simpson communicates a sense of the sacredness of Mother Earth and the obligation to protect her. As a non-indigenous reader I found it useful to make a chart of the 7 beings/spirits/ humanoids, to help me remember who was who. I also used The Ojibwe People’s Dictionary, an on-line print and audio site, searchable in English and Ojibwe, for some of the Indigenous terms. This site gives a succinct summary on the importance of their language, “among the greatest treasures of their cultural heritage.” Noopiming: The Cure for White Ladies may leave the reader with a sense of the spirituality inherent in the indigenous world view, and in awe of the creative drive of the author. Recommended. Leanne Betasamosake Simpson is a Nishnaabeg author of half a dozen books, including the well-received The Accident of Being Lost. She has a PhD from the University of Manitoba, is a musician and song-writer, and hails from Ontario.

www.connectornews.ca

14 APRIL 2021

Before Your Last Breath

AN INTERVIEW WITH ERIN CHAMBERS, AN END OF LIFE DOULA & HOLISTIC LIFE & HEALTH COACH

What exactly is a death doula? A death doula (also known as an End of Life Doula) can choose to take on many different tasks. Essentially, we are support for a person and/or family during the dying process, understanding this process can be anywhere from days, weeks or years. Each person’s needs are different so our support/tasks/ activities can vary, The objective is always the same: to assist in empowering, educating and encouraging people to make choices. The sooner we become involved in the decision making process, the smoother and less challenging it will become further down the road. What does a death doula do specifically? Although support and advocacy can be attributed to the definition of what

a doula does, this is very general. Each doula can be very specific in what they do. Not all of us offer identical services. In my case, I assist people in creating Advanced Care Plans. These can be as general or as detailed as you would like. For example, in the event of an at home death: what songs do you want to listen to, what things do you want to look at (pictures, etc.), what aromas do you like... in other words, what would you like your surroundings to be? Other services include: legacy work, assistance in planning services, ceremonies, circles and vigils. We also facilitate family meetings or assist in communications with families who don’t all live within close proximity to each other. How long have you been a death doula? I have been a death doula for close to 20 years, although, until recently, I did not recognize this or know what to call it.

What attracted you to this vocation? I have always been very close to my grandparents and ‘giving back’ and supporting seniors has always been very close to my heart.

My story started years ago when I trained and became a Certified Holistic Health Coach. Part of the reason I did this was to bring me closer to my grandfather. He was very health conscious, in fact, he was a naturopath in the 1940s. Due to life circumstances, I put my training on hold until very recently. I decided to dive a little deeper, knowing I wanted to help people, I took a specialty course on the Psychology of Emotional Eating. A was step closer, but not completely on the mark with my passion. An opportunity to train and become a Certified Life Coach presented itself and while I was deciding if I should ‘go for it’, a friend of mine had her terminal cancer reappear. That was the catalyst to move me forward. I was still puzzling over how I could combine my skills, knowledge and passion for service to seniors. As a firm believer in signs, on the anniversary of my grandmother’s death I encountered information about becoming a death doula. I did some research and very quickly decided THIS IS IT! This is the missing link. THIS is truly where the heart of my

service and passion is at. The fact that the training started on the anniversary of my grandfather’s death, I felt I had come full circle. My grandparents, in both life and death, had influenced and guided my path in profound ways.

What kind of training do you require? Although death doulas have been around for many years, maintaining a standard of education and training is quite recent. The mission statement from the EOL Doula Association of Canada is as follows: To promote high-quality End of Life Care (EOLC) by setting the standard for the doula profession through membership and training based on need and recommendations made by the Ministry of Health, Health authorities and outside agencies such as Canadian Hospice and Palliative Care Association. These associations are working diligently to create/ maintain education and training standards. Why should someone hire a death doula? Firstly, doulas are not meant to replace anyone on a care team. Needing help or assistance in any of the following areas would be

reason to consider hiring a death doula: advocacy; support (no matter what form, i.e. conversations with self and/or family, facilitator, addition to care team, etc.); assistance with creating and completing Advanced Care Plans; Legacy work; support in creating and maintaining a plan for an at home death—basically in any way personal care can be supported and assisted. How does this compare to hospice? The biggest difference is that a doula’s services are non-medical in nature, where hospice is more of a clinical setting. Doula work doesn’t necessarily have the same timeline as hospice. A doula can become involved in the death process, when necessary, years prior to death. Hospice and doula work are very similar in the goal of providing comfort and dignity to a person near the end stages of their life. Hospice can be free of charge, where doulas charge for their services. Doulas can be used in addition to hospice care but are not meant to replace hospice care if that is what is required. Death doulas offer

compassion and hold space. I help people plan for the future, as well as, deal with loss and grief. Above all, I hold space and encourage people to start a conversation, to talk about death and dying, ask questions, be curious. How do you describe what you do for your clients? I am a Holistic Life & Health Coach. Specifically, I am a Compassion Coach— empowering my clients to discover themselves and live with purpose. I am also a Death Coach. I hold space for people, allowing room to express oneself in whatever way is right in that moment. I allow exploration, whether through words, tears, confusion, reflection or silence. Clients will be made to feel safe, heard and respected in the space we create together. I encourage people to start a conversation which, typically, results in a better connection with your life and your journey, regardless of where you are currently at.

Contact Erin at beforeyourlastbreath@ gmail.com

It’s Springtime Again By Gary Miller, Retired Service Advisor & Certified Automotive Specialist

was just enjoying the weather changes as they were occurring and here we are — it is springtime again. As we wake up our vehicles from winter’s hibernation, it’s time to look into what we have to do in preparation for the upcoming seasons. I was at a local boat/RV location and their contribution to the topic recommended a very thorough form of dewinterization of both your RV and your boat. Most boat and RV winter prep requires the installation or adding of water system antifreeze to minimize the potential of freeze-up of any water trapped in a fluid hose or pipe. As mentioned in a previous article, flushing of the antifreeze from the fresh water system can be rewarding or a headache, especially if the cheap antifreeze is used.

The reward of using the better fluid is that it flushes out quite easily and doesn’t leave an aftertaste that takes months to disappear from the plastic lines. I experienced that just once in my motorhome and learned greatly from it. I also appreciate the dryness in environment of the Kamloops area to be a real bonus as I find the drying crystals not absorbing as much liquid as when I was located in the Lower Mainland. Simply saying, this drier climate is good for a recreational vehicle. It was also brought to my attention to mention the use of the correct polish/wax when preparing the watercraft. Since they are painted with a gelcoat based paint as opposed to automotive acrylic enamel, the proper wax must be used to get the best results. All the elbow grease of polishing

should utilize the correct substance. Spring can’t be acknowledged without talking about things like the snow blower—change the oil and add fuel stabilizer to the gas tank. I recommend the motor be run for 10-15 minutes to flush the old gas out of the carburetor thus filling the fuel reservoir with fresh treated fuel. Also this is a good time to check the spark plug(s) because if they are in need of replacement, now is a good time to do it. I make the same recommendations for your snow mobile and 4 track if it used primarily in the winter. Next is your day-to-day vehicle. It will need some maintenance too. Check in the maintenance manual to see which services are needed. Yes, there is the usual oil and

filter change but it is also time for a multi-point inspection to see what damage winter has dumped on your vehicle. Be sure to have an alignment inspection done as winter roads lay a real beating on your steering geometry and suspension. Most people have this done when there is the tire rotation from winter to summers. Something that has been noted of late is the misalignment of headlights. Rough roads can cause headlights to shift decreasing the effectiveness of the vehicle’s illumination capabilities. While in the shop, inquire or ask the service outlet if they can polish your lenses if they appear to be foggy or grey. As we all know at this time it is also opportune to install your summer tires. Please

be sure to check the posted tire application dates as some highways recommend the date of March 31st and others may say April 30th for the use of winter tires. As stated in previous articles, the best tires go on the back of the vehicle. This provides for more predictable handling especially in adverse weather conditions. During tire changes ask the repair outlet to provide a measurement of the remaining tread depth. If winter tires have 3/32nd of an inch of tread remaining I would highly recommend replacement before next season. As for summer tires if the reading is 2/32nd or less, replacement is required to maintain good driving control. Please do not accept a reading of remaining tread depth in a percentage point. It

is incredibly inaccurate. This is also a good time to replace wiper blades and to start using warmer weather washer fluid. Be sure to check the windshield for chips or cracks and if discovered, repair as soon as possible. If you have comprehensive ICBC insurance, chips can be repaired at no cost to the owner. Just do it before the chip becomes a major crack. Also be aware that most of the newer vehicles have “in cabin” air filters. Replacement at this time will help keep the spring pollen count low inside the vehicle. Any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me at bigsix8280@ yahoo.ca and be sure to continue to be COVID-19 smart.

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Organizing the garden Sponsored Content

everything organized SHAWN FERGUSON Everything Organized

his is one of my favourite times of the year; time to shake off the cold weather and get out to enjoy the warmer days. There is always so much to do to prepare for the coming warm weather and the garden is one place you can’t skimp on during this time of year as it sets the timing for the entire year in your garden. I talk like I know what I’m doing but gardening is still fairly new to me as my better half does the planning and seedlings for the upcoming year and I tend to do the heavy

lifting. A few weeks ago I was chatting with a childhood friend on the phone and he proceeded to say how they are on their third year into gardening. His wife is growing seedlings for friends and family that were unable to start their own and tends to sell the overstock online to help pay for the gardening costs of the year which I thought was a great idea. During this chat we got to talking about plants that didn’t do well the year prior and Richelle offhandedly mentioned that everyone should know about ‘companion planting’ so plants all grow together happily. This is where I grew to understand why Richelle draws out little maps of where plants will be grown when crops are added or removed. I knew tall plants at the back not to block sun, but didn’t realize that some plants really don’t like to be near other plants and other plants assist the growing of others, so organizing helps everything. So lets dive into what I’ve learned with the assistance of Richelle to keep me on the right track. It is important to think of light but many plants will not grow properly near each other so poor crops can be due to poor planning and organizing of your growing areas.

A lot has to do with water and the nutrients certain plants require and if there is competition then one or both may be affected. One example she points out is how plants can work together such as maize or corn. Beans and peas can be placed to grow up and around and even on the corn as they are good partners and then putting squash around the base so their broad leaves shade the ground so less water is lost due to evaporation makes them all very happy. If you put cabbage, tomato or celery close by then water and nutrients will be robbed from the corn making for a poor crop. Its just that simple and there are many resources online to find good companions and bad ones. Richelle explained to me why certain crops will go to raised beds to grow with no competition for best results. With some research you will have a great gardening experience for the new and old growers. Something we are doing now is finding cover crops for around plants to assist with keeping water in the ground and limit weeding and watering in the future. Do you have a topic that you would like Shawn to write about? Please email him at Shawn@ everythingorganized.net

APRIL 2021 | 15

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Light vs Dark Toned Flooring Sponsored Content

Flooring SHAWN VANDERWAL Nufloors

ith trends constantly evolving, it can be hard to decide exactly what flooring to go with in your home. When selecting a flooring and floor colour, the most important rule is to go with a floor that suits your own style.

Flooring is a big feature in your home and the colour you decide on will have a great impact on the look and feel of your space. With so many different colours to choose from the first question I like to ask is “do you prefer lighter or darker toned floors?” Answering this question for yourself will help you on your floor selection journey. No matter, where you land on the colour palette there will always be multiple lighter and darker shades of the colour. Let’s explore some of the differences between light and dark toned floors. Light-Toned Floors Light toned flooring is great for brightening up a space and giving a room that airy feeling. Typically, your space will feel larger and the light tones will help create that comforting and welcoming atmosphere. Lighter flooring also adds a visual interest without taking away from other, stronger design elements. One benefit to lighter

toned flooring is that it is easier to clean as dust and footprints tend to not be as noticeable. Dark-Toned Floors Dark floors can accommodate just about any design style as it is incredibly versatile. Dark flooring can create both a timeless elegant look or a modern and contemporary look depending on the surrounding decor. The distinctive beauty of rich, dark floors works very well in open floor plans and shows a greater contrast between cabinets, furniture, walls and ceiling. Dark toned floors can do very well as hiding small scratches and life marks especially, when they are a little more rustic in style. No matter your flooring colour preference there is an option for you! If you would like to see what is out there don’t hesitate to call to book an appointment or stop by our showroom. Spring is a time for new samples and we have already seen many of them arrive!

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16 APRIL 2021

Remember

AhhYay: Local meal kit service available now in Kamloops

Love never dies but does hide, in the recesses of our mind, to blossom and glow, with the memories, that warm our heart, On cold and bitter days, remembering the loss.

Love keeps us safe, when darkness tries to defeat the logic, that truth lies within and shows us, again and again, That love was there, in all its majesty. Love never dies, it carries us on a journey, to share and care, for others, that are alone and bleeding, from the loss, Or maybe that love hasn’t found them yet. Remember, Love never dies, we are never alone.

By B. Cadre

2021

Payment Dates for Old Age Security & the Canada Pension Plan

If you have signed up for direct deposit, your Old Age Security (OAS) and Canada Pension Plan (CPP) payments will be automatically deposited in your bank account on these dates:

January 27 February 24 March 29 April 28 May 27 June 28

July 28 August 27 September 28 October 27 November 26 December 22

he popularity of meal kit delivery programs have exploded over this past year. Now there’s a local option with ahhyaymeals.com Avoiding busy places such as the grocery store and restaurants has led to the dramatic growth of the fresh food meal delivery industry. These services bridge the gap between take-out and home cooked meals. As a recent viral social media image expresses so eloquently “Who knew the hardest part of being an adult is figuring out what to cook for dinner every night for the rest of your life.” Simple preparation eases the stress of meal planning, shopping and

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ready to eat lunches, simply heat and serve, as well as options for more robust dinner kits for 2 or 4 people that require some assembly, but are a fun activity. We are proud to make everything (including dressings) from scratch. For example, the new Spring Fling meal kit is a 3-course dinner, including a fresh beet and feta salad with candied pecans and grapefruit infused vinaigrette, braised short-ribs with a natural jus over smashed baby potatoes, Brussels sprouts and honey glazed carrots, and for dessert a strawberry cream cake with fresh berries and a red berry dust.

Eating well every day has never been so easy. Everything is preportioned so there’s no waste. We deliver within Kamloops, right to your door—no dealing with lines or parking lots. To order go to ahhyaymeals.com and create an account to look at the meal options. Unlike some of the bigger meal kit companies, there aren’t any commitments or inconvenient autoships. With this locally owned service, we only make it and deliver once you’ve ordered. Thoughtfully designed, nutritious, delicious meals can be there for you when you need them, every time you open the refrigerator.

Bill C-7 rushed through and lacking safeguards

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chopping. With a focus on supporting local businesses, we realized that adding the Home Meal Prep service to our existing ahhYaY Wellness Café, located beneath Royal Inland Hospital on Columbia Street, meant that we could source from local producers, offer seasonal specials and pivot to bring Kamloops some new and tasty meals to spice up their menu rotation. With the addition of local rockstar chef David Tombs joining our team, instant heath-minded eating doesn’t sacrifice taste. With ahhYaY’s prep services, just a few clicks and your fridge is stocked with a combination of both

your voice in ottawa CATHY MCLEOD MP

s many of you know, I was supportive of the original Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) legislation in 2016 and in the years since as I felt the Federal Government was listening, taking in amendments and adapting the legislation carefully. During that first debate, were some of the most thoughtful, heartwrenching speeches I have witnessed and been

part of. We came up with what we thought was a reasonable framework for the first five years and I was comforted by some very careful safeguards for something so new and profound. However, in 2018 a judge from the Superior Court of Quebec struck down a provision that allows assisted dying only for suffering individuals whose natural death is “reasonably foreseeable.” This sent the legislation back to the House of Commons to remove this “unconstitutional” language under a strict timeline. Personally, I feel this court ruling undermined Parliament’s power to issue broad legislation aimed at protecting the rights and interests of the elderly, ill and disabled, and preventing suicide. It should have

been appealed in the Supreme Court of Canada. Reintroduced as Bill C-7 last fall, the government moved quickly to push their revised version of the bill through the House and on to the Senate. The Senate then passed amendments in February far beyond what elected MPs approved in December, including expanding access to those with mental illness. These changes were pushed through in the House of Commons, as the Liberals and Bloc Quebecois banded together to shut down debate and ram this bill forward despite outcry from the Official Opposition and NDP. It received Royal Assent on March 17. Mental health advocates, persons with disabilities and medical

professionals have made it clear they believe this expansion of Bill C-7 is dangerous and requires more scrutiny. In fact, not a single mental health advocate appeared before a House or Senate committee to speak to the dangers this could cause to those who suffer from mental illness. When a life-ordeath bill comes before Parliament, it is essential that legislators have time to fully review and analyze it. Conservatives believe that MAID required a thoughtful and careful legal framework. The government suggests it has struck the right balance, but in my opinion, it is appalling that a piece of legislation that is poorly crafted and removes protections will now be the law of our land.

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APRIL 2021 | 17

CHIP AND DALE Creative Writing by Rita Joan Dozlaw

uring a serious bout of bad health, Dale laid helpless on the couch where she’d suffered a stroke. In her agonizing crucible, within minutes, the octogenarian was carefully lifted onto the ambulance gurney and whisked off to the emergency room of the Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops, British Columbia. The first night she was there, without using the call bell for help, she left her bed. Slumping to the floor, a young intern heard her groan and rushed to her aid gently getting the disoriented elder lady back to bed. Archibald Ortega, an international student of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Courses at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops was on alert the rest of the night popping his head in her cubicle to double check that she was still safely in bed. Before the light of day, Dale awoke at the sound of the curtain moving along the rod around her bed and looked up from her covers. “Who’s that?” “It’s me, Miss Dale; I’m Archibald, but just call me Chip. I’m your man, your Mexican medic you might say… temporarily, that is. I’m interning here till my next semester… aiming to be a registered nurse.” “Wow. When did you learn English and how’d you wrangle coming way up here to Canada?” “I picked up English growing up and spoke it well enough, as a teen, to assist an orderly in our town’s clinic. That’s where I found my niche. I’m originally from Nogales,

Mexico. My uncle’s wife lived up here and they wanted to see me in a good med school so they financed my trip. I’m the youngest boy in our family; the luckiest too, because they’re supporting me and funding my education.” “That’s amazing… did you say your name’s Chip? That’s gotta be a nickname.” “Yes, ma’am, it is. My little sister couldn’t pronounce Archibald, and it came out ‘Chip.’ I took a liking to it so it stuck.” The attentive intern had a most compassionate bedside manner. Dale found herself asking for his assistance rather than interrupt busy nurses for menial tasks. She once suggested he’d be a great geriatric nurse. It was a thought-provoking idea. One night when a nurse on shift brought Dale her meds, she couldn’t make a large pill go down and coughed violently, but it lodged in her throat. The night dragged on and, as it eventually went down, she suffered chest pain. Chip rallied the doctor on call and Dale was taken to get x-rays. They showed water on her lung which warned of inflammation or infection. Chip was close by when she was wheeled back to her room and remained near to comfort her until the trouble passed enough for her to sleep. But the pain persisted and she was taken to the OR for a thoracic surgeon to perform a bronchoscopy. Down her throat, a surgical tube with camera revealed a shadowy mass on her lung which would have to be removed later. In the meantime, she was on an inhaler to help her breathe.

The morning after, Archibald asked, in his charming way, “Anything my beautiful lady needs this morning?” Dale laughed and whispered, “No thanks, my man!” The procedure had left her tongue swollen and her jaws sore as though her whole mouth had been clamped into a horse bridal. Time passed and the coughing spells continued as did other conditions like high blood pressure, low sodium levels, stroke risks and weakness. Masked and gloved, Chip often helped lay her back down. He was keenly aware of her fragile bony spine and the misery of cramps, spasms, swollen legs and ankles even though she rarely complained. He elevated her painful legs to ensure better blood and oxygen flow, with no bent knees to restrict circulation, and the edema subsided. The more Chip worked with his patient, the more he learned about caring for the aged. During some periods of Dale’s hospital stay, she could have suffered very disarming indignities, but his assistance in professional and respectful ways spared her the atrocities some elders suffer when, unfortunately, they’re handled with less sensitivity. It all prepared him for the career he dreamed of taking up in his home town. To remove the mass, which threatened cancer, a second bronchoscopy was performed on Dale’s lung; this time, with a rigid instrument. No cancerous tumour was found. Instead, to the thoracic surgeon’s shock, the pill Dale had swallowed down the wrong way weeks earlier was

still intact! It blocked an airway in her lung! The foreign mass broke up during surgery and was removed successfully by the astounded surgeon. “No one will ever believe me,” he told her. All the while Chip got to know Dale, she got to know him. She saw that he was anxious for his term of internship to be complete and for the next three months of formal classes and exams to be over. He hoped to bring his family up from Mexico to witness his graduation. Unfortunately, during the Corona Virus pandemic, they’d endured financial burdens. The night was dark when Chip and Dale spoke of opportunities lost due to Covid restrictions. By the end of Chip’s final exams, people were being vaccinated but his grad ceremony had to be virtual. It struck Dale to thank Chip deeply from her heart and her pockets for incessantly helping her in practical and emotional ways. She was strong enough to be discharged and was soon back on her feet. She arranged a monetary graduation gift which would get her dear friend and his family back on theirs. Epilogue: In 2021, as Dale wrote the account of her extraordinary care and eventual recovery, she was honoured to write about her man, Chip. He’d returned to Mexico to nurse his own people in a Nogales Polyclinic… as he’d dreamed of doing. He wrote Dale of his plans to marry “my best girl, next to you, Miss Dale” as he put it.

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18 APRIL 2021

The cycle of life

UNITED CHURCHES OF CANADA Kamloops United Church

www.kamloopsunited.ca 421 St. Paul St. • Sundays 10 am Rev. Dr. Michael Caveney

full moon after spring equinox, which happens on March 19, 20 or 21, depending on the year. The spring equinox celebrates the day the hours of light are more than the hours of darkness. It is believed the Christian holiday of Easter has associations with Eostre, the Germanic goddess of light and spring. Stories of Eostre tell of her relationship with a hare, sometimes crediting her with saving the life of a bird by turning it into a hare, offering us the origin of the Easter bunny. Another Easter tradition, hot-cross buns, also has ties to the natural world as the four quarters of the buns symbolize the four segments of the moon. Whatever its origins – and however we choose to celebrate this holiday – Easter is about hope. Hope that new life will indeed emerge after autumn’s season of death and winter’s long dark days of hibernation and stillness. Hope that “love is come again,” or as another Christian song puts it, “love crucified arose.” And hope that there is deeper meaning to the difficult times of life, such as this current pandemic. The Christian story of Easter begins with Palm Sunday and moves through the betrayal of Jesus by a friend, his condemnation

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GRANTS

his Christian hymn of Easter gives melody to the truth of this sacred holy holiday: Easter is tied very much to the earth – and to the resurrection of life that we see every spring. The grass greens up. Buds emerge on tree branches, leaves waiting to be born again. Bulbs sleeping beneath the soil all winter push new life up through the ground, seeking the solar activation of the chlorophyll to nourish its life through the summer and into fall. The date for Easter Sunday also is tied to the cycles of the earth. It is always positioned on the first Sunday after the first

the symphony as

Voilà Viola!

they cover The Bird’s original jazz tunes.

FRIDAY

to SATURDAY

THE CORY WEEDS QUARTET

MAY 8

Now the green blade rises from the buried grain, wheat that in the dark earth many days has lain; love lives again; that with the dead has been: love is come again, like wheat arising green.

Cross genres with

DINA GILBERT Music Director

APRIL 9

REV. LEANN BLACKERT Wild Church

Web Experience FRIDAY

APRIL 23 to SATURDAY

MAY 22

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Lemon Fresh

Colouring outside the lines

of his resurrection gives us hope that this love is available to all – and is a love that cannot be extinguished, killed or buried deeply. The idea of resurrection means this love lives again. And again and again. Just like the cycle of our seasons, spring always follows winter which follows fall. The cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth is as old as our planet. Now the green blade rises from the buried grain, wheat that in the dark earth many days has lain; love lives again; that with the dead has been: love is come again, like wheat arising green. Perhaps the cycle will continue until everyone gets this message of love – and learns to live it just as Jesus did. Imagine the “Easter” celebration that would set off! Rev LeAnn Blackert works with Michele Walker and Lesly Comrie in ministry with Wild Church in Kamloops, Sorrento and the Okanagan (wildchurchbc.org). She lives in an evolving world and finds her own understanding of God/ Great Mystery/Holiness also evolving, and loves exploring questions of faith in a community of seekers.

See the symphony shine a light on the sometimes-forgotten member of the string section.

DINA GILBERT Music Director MARINA THIBEAULT Viola

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20 APRIL 2021

Let’s Talk Hearing Loss & Hearing AIDS Any hearing aid related purchases (aids, batteries, repair costs etc.) are a medical expense and to include them in their tax return.

Try and find a face mask that has the elastic around the head like the one that “Fred the Head” is wearing in the picture, if using a disposable face mask try to remember to place the hearing aid between the elastic and your head so that it is not caught when you remove the mask. You may also want to try using two hands when taking the mask off, one hand on the aid the other can gently remove the mask from the ear. Did you know that each hearing aid has a serial number and can be traced back to its original owner? If you find a hearing aid, you can take it back to any hearing aid office in town and they should be able to track it back to its original owner. More so now than ever, we’ve had people come to our office with found hearing aids. It doesn’t matter where or when the hearing aid was purchased, manufacturers have a master database to identify who they belong to. If you find a hearing aid, no matter what condition it’s in, bring it in. Hearing aids are a costly investment and it’s amazing what can be repaired. We’re sure that the original owner would be thankful for the return. If you’ve lost your hearing aids, and it doesn’t look like they will be found, there’s steps you can take.

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Some new hearing aids even come with a “FIND MY HEARING AID” feature just like the “find my phone “ application on your cell phone. You can contact your hearing aid office and see if your aid is still under loss and damage warranty. All hearing aids come automatically with a one to three-year manufacturers loss and damage policy. (Deductibles apply).

3 4

Most hearing aids are covered under your house insurance. It’s worth asking the question even paying the deductible and increased premiums for a few years often is more cost effective than spending thousands of dollars out of your own pocket to replace something that you have insured. If the hearing aids are provided by a third party; Provincial or Federal program, you can ask if they will cover the cost of the replacement.

Hearing testing, hearing aid fittings and hearing aid programming by appointment only. PLEASE CALL 250-372-3090 TO BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT. Drop in for a cleaning! Please call us from your cell phone when you arrive or come and knock on the door and we would be happy to assist you.

414 Arrowstone Drive Kamloops, BC 250.372.3090 Toll Free 1.877.718.2211 Email: info@kamloopshearingaidcentre.ca or online at:

www.KamloopsHearingAidCentre.ca Find us on facebook: /KamloopsHearingAidCentre

KamloopsThisWeek

Published on Mar 31, 2021

Kamloops Connector April 2021

Published on Mar 31, 2021

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