Ok Sun May 2016 by Okanagan Sun Magazine

MAY 2016

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Finding Home

Syrian refugees in the Okanagan

CONTENTS Osoyoos Desert Centre’s animal and plant life always changing

Page 22 PUBLISHER

ABERDEEN PUBLISHING INC. www.aberdeenpublishing.com

EDITOR

RICHARD MCGUIRE reporter@osoyoostimes.com

AD DESIGN

RONDA JAHN production@osoyoostimes.com

SALES

BRIAN HIGHLEY brianhighley@aberdeenpublishing.com

Firehall brew chief turns to crowdfunding for growth

Fruit growers looking at early harvest this year

Fungal disease threatening bats approaching

Syrian Refugee families find new homes here

Osoyoos photographer gets image on U.S. stamp

Gallery: Photography by Lyonel Doherty

Osoyoos to host medieval jousting event

Around Town events calendar

“

Theatre festival coming to Oliver

You have to quit worrying about yourself and worry about other people, especially your wife.” ~ Fred Tomlin, an Oliver man who recently celebrated 75 years of marriage to his wife Dorothy, reveals his secret. (Page 12) MAY 2016

CONTRIBUT0RS KELSI BISSONNETTE is a Certified Fitness Trainer and Instructor. She has been working in the fitness industry for 20+ years and has owned her own fitness studio.

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Finding Home

Syrian refugees in the Okanagan

ON THE COVER The Tabanjat Karbouj family, refugees from Syria, are adjusting to a new language and culture in Osoyoos after arriving on a cold night in mid-January. We also look at the Al Lwisi family, who were recently reunited in Oliver. (Richard McGuire photo)

We welcome feedback from our readers. Send comments to reporter@osoyoostimes.com or mail to Box 359, Osoyoos, BC V0H 1V0, Telephone 250-495-7225. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in whole or part by any means without the written permission of the publisher. While every care has been taken with this publication, the author(s) and publisher cannot be held responsible for any errors it may contain. No liability is accepted for any loss or damage resulting from the use of this publication. © 2016 Aberdeen Publishing. We reserve the right to refuse any submission or advertisement. ISSN 2291-2991.

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Sun Sightings

Kyra Linders and Shea Ruck from Oliver Elementary School admire the tulips in the veterans’ plot at the Oliver Cemetery during a Royal Canadian Legion ceremony to mark the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Holland from German occupation. The tulips were planted by school children last fall. (Lyonel Doherty photo)

Great stories from the South Okanagan

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Firehall brew chief turns to crowdfunding for growth By Trevor Nichols When Sid Ruhland, the “brew chief” at Oliver’s Firehall Brewery, needed money to expand the business, he didn’t go to a bank for a loan, or hunt down rich investors; he simply asked the internet. And the Internet responded. The brewery’s Kickstarter campaign wrapped up in April, with the final tally coming in at $16,891. That money will allow Ruhland and his crew to open a brand new tasting room, installing a draught system, fridge and refurbishing with new furniture and decorations. “The people have spoken,” Ruhland wrote on the Kickstarter web page after reaching the fundraising goal. “We cannot overemphasize our sincerest thanks of deep appreciation to every backer for joining the effort by taking action. We look forward to rewarding you for your belief in our dream.” That kind of communication, the enthusiastic thanks and frequent public updates, are some of the hallmarks of crowdfunding. As Ruhland pointed out in an interview after the campaign reached its goal, crowdfunding is all about the community. Crowdfunding works by harnessing the power of the internet to bring a whole bunch of small donations together in one place. A Kickstarter campaign, for example, will ask backers to pledge a small sum in exchange for a “gift” of appreciation (the Firehall’s gifts ranged from free high-fives for small donations, to designing a beer with the brewmaster for the largest). If hundreds of people all donate a small amount, it can quickly add up to a significant chunk of change. Typically, crowdfunding is used to collect money for charitable causes or to fund passion projects, but Ruhland also saw it as an opportunity for his for-profit business. Collecting many small donations from individuals and

community members on the Internet is a powerful way to raise money, but it also allows a business to bypass the monolithic organizations that for so long have controlled the flow of money. “We could have gone to a bank as well, or look for investors, but crowdfunding allowed us to go straight to the people who will use this new beer room,” he said. “That is part of what the Kickstarter was about, was instead of taking years accumulating the stuff we need and eventually get the doors open down the road … if everybody is willing to chip in 25 bucks, it’s getting a shop open now.” Ruhland said he sees crowdfunding as part of the “share economy,” which he says, “seems like it’s an answer to the capitalism that has been created by past generations.” “Opening a business, there’s just an incredible amount of organizations that put their fingers in your pocket: every year some of our biggest expense items are licenses and dues and fees and permits, and everything like that,” he said, adding that the share economy can be a great way to build a strong local economy with businesses that aren’t dependent on big banks. But Ruhland admitted a Kickstarter campaign is not the same as a typical loan or investment; the money raised is all from donations, and the people who donated naturally feel like they have a stake in the business now. Ruhland said that is actually a good thing for him, as it will help create more of a sense of ownership and belonging with the new tasting room, but it also means people will expect more. “I’m sure that if people pledge for the project, and they’re also people in town who would become customers, if we create something they’re not happy with then they’re going to feel not only that it’s not a business they

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Brewmaster Sid Ruhland has been successful in his crowdfunding campaign to build a new tasting room at the Firehall Brewery in Oliver. (Photo courtesy of Paul Eby, OK Photo Lab, Oliver)

want to spend money at, but also that their investment, so to speak, is not a success,” he said. To combat any potential ill will, Ruhland said he has spent a lot of time interacting with backers on social media, asking for input on T-shirt designs, the colour of the beer fridge and even some larger operational questions. There is also a detailed financial plan on display on the campaign’s website outlining exactly what all the donated money will be used for. Ruhland said they’ve already started ordering equipment, and the new tasting room could be open within a few weeks. The lion’s share of the money collected will go towards the new draught system, with a little more going to the

product fridge and the rest to spruce up the room with new furniture and signage. Ruhland said the final product would be a retail space that has a pub feel to it, featuring an open space with standing tables and a bar. Customers will be able to come in during the day and evening and drink a pint, listen to a few tunes on the record player and hang out for a while. There are more plans for the future, but Ruhland said they will be starting with the most important things first. “We’re going to start simple: beer.” Ruhland says the new beer tasting room will feel a little like a cross between a traditional pub and a wine tasting room. OKANAGAN SUN • MAY 2016 • 5

Casey Hamilton is the founder of the Okanagan Fruit Tree Project, which distributes abandoned or unused fruit from growers and farmers across the Okanagan Valley to the less fortunate. (Keith Lacey photo)

Fruit Tree Project helps less fortunate By Keith Lacey The Okanagan Valley is blessed with an abundance of food sources and there’s simply no good reason why less fortunate people should struggle to feed themselves, says the founder of a unique program that has helped feed thousands of citizens across the Okanagan. Casey Hamilton is the founder of the Okanagan Fruit Tree Project, which is currently in its fourth year of operation across the Okanagan Valley. Hamilton, 34, is pursuing her Masters Degree in urban agricultural policy at the University of British Columbia Okanagan in Kelowna, while also working as the new executive director of the Okanagan Fruit Tree Project. The whole idea behind the Okanagan Fruit Tree Project is to gather abandoned or unused fruit from growers and farmers across the Okanagan Valley and distribute the food to the less fortunate through food banks and community organizations, said Hamilton. “Our mission is to collect food that would otherwise be abandoned or end up in local landfills and get it to the mouths of those who need it,” said Hamilton. Thanks to a small army of more than 300 volunteers from across the Okanagan Valley, the Okanagan Fruit Tree Project has become a resounding success. In its first year, volunteers collected and distributed 5,000 pounds of fruit and that number grew to 17,000 pounds in 2013. Last year, volunteers collected more than 37,000 pounds of food and the goal for 2015 was to try and reach 50,000 pounds, said Hamilton. The food is distributed to food banks in Kelowna, Lake Country, Peachland and Penticton and more than 30 other community organizations, including Okanagan 6 www.oksun.ca

Boys and Girls Club, numerous drug and alcohol rehabilitation centres, numerous church groups and women and children’s safe houses. Volunteers not only work with farmers and orchardists across the region to “organize picks”, but they also distribute all of the food to the food banks and community organizations, said Hamilton. The Okanagan Fruit Tree Project recently added a new South Okanagan project co-ordinator named Deb Thorneycroft, which has resulted in the group offering its services to places like Kaleden and as far south as Okanagan Falls, she said. One of Hamilton’s top priorities is to expand the project to help the less fortunate in the most southern and northern regions of the Okanagan Valley. “I would have to say that my biggest priorities now that we’re pretty well established would be to work towards ensuring our long-term financial sustainability through stable funding sources and to expand the program further north and south,” said Hamilton. “I would really like to be able to hire a co-ordinator for the Oliver and Osoyoos area and also the Keremeos and Princeton region in the very near future. “We’ve grown the program quite substantially in four short years, but we changed our name this year from the Central Okanagan Fruit Tree Project to the Okanagan Fruit Tree Project because we want to be able to offer our services to residents across the entire Okanagan Valley.” Since moving to Kelowna from Calgary nine years ago, Hamilton said she has become heavily involved in food policy decisions at the local level and could not believe that a region that produces so much amazing food could

still have citizens who struggled to gain access to healthy and nutritional food. While pursuing her studies at UBCO, she gathered six undergraduate students majoring in dietetics back in 2012 and they spent several months coming up with a plan to collect and gather much of the food that was being wasted across this plentiful valley. They quickly discovered “so much food was going to waste” and this frustrated farmers and orchardists as well as those who work to help feed the less fortunate, she said. “There were a lot of reasons so much food was being wasted,” she said. “Farmers couldn’t find enough workers, some of the owners of the orchards were just too old and couldn’t pick all the fruit, some went on vacation and only picked what they needed to make a profit. “The bottom line is there was this abundance of fruit that was going to waste.” Farmers and orchardists that get involved in the Okanagan Fruit Tree Project can keep up to 20 per cent of the fruit and vegetables picked by volunteers, she said. When the apple harvest begins in late summer and early fall, there is so many apples being picked, distribution becomes difficult, so Hamilton works with her many partners with the various food banks and community agencies to travel to Kelowna to pick up bins of apples. While the focus remains on fruit, there are some farmers donating vegetables to the project, she said.

The volunteers range “from couples with toddlers strapped to their backs during picks right up to seniors … they come from all walks of life and backgrounds,” she said. “The common thing they share is they believe all citizens should have access to healthy, nutritional food regardless of their circumstances in life.” Hamilton likes to stay involved and continues to “go on at least one pick per week”, but acknowledges more and more of her time is spent conducting administrative duties and trying to secure government grants and other financial support for the project. Hamilton is deeply proud of the difference this project has made in helping feed thousands of less fortunate citizens from across the Okanagan Valley over the past four years. “I just love it knowing we’re making an actual difference,” she said. “The attitude amongst everyone I deal with is basically ‘let’s get this done’.” Farmers and orchardists across the region deserve most of the credit for wanting to contribute to the project and giving away large quantities of fruit and food they’ve worked so hard to grow, she said. “We couldn’t do this without their help,” she said. If anyone from Osoyoos or Oliver would be interested in expanding the Okanagan Fruit Tree Project to this region, they can contact Hamilton at 1-778-214-5664. The organization also has a Facebook page at facebook.com/OkanaganFruitTreeProject/

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Fruit growers looking at early bloom and harvest this year By Lyonel Doherty Abnormally warm temperatures this spring are having quite an impact on fruit trees as blooms are early, signaling an early harvest. This can be good or bad, depending on who you talk to. Fred Steele, president of the BC Fruit Growers’ Association, said the early bloom is not the problem itself, other than being inconvenient. “The problems continue through the season. There can be a frost, which would create problems, but as far as I know that didn’t happen.” Steele said an early bloom means an early season; the bugs and fungal problems come earlier, throwing out spraying timetables. He added that thinning comes early and soft fruit picking comes early, meaning more stress on finding pickers. “If we have an early season and high heat it creates agriculture water stress on the irrigation supply system.” Steele said it could also mean early picking of apples, which means picking in the heat that could cause colour problems (because you don’t have the chilly fall evenings that help colour the fruit. “Right now in the Central Okanagan, in my view, we are about the same as last year and I would like to see some cooler weather for sure.” Steele said seasons that are early are very unpredictable, and people should be buying their crop insurance early, anticipating storms. “We all know the problems of last year, so be prepared and get coverage now.” Steele admitted that early seasons put a strain on the entire growing system, but he noted that farmers are a hardy breed and can adapt. Pinder Dhaliwal, a local grower and vice-president of the BCFGA, said the situation is almost identical to last year at this time. He agreed it depends on who you talk to whether you think being early is good or bad. “I think it’s good so that the season is over earlier. It’s a good start for the cherries.” 8 www.oksun.ca

But Dhaliwal said the many youth who come from Quebec to pick fruit in the South Okanagan might miss the boat if the harvest is too early. And if there is a freak frost, you will start to see some damage, he stated. If the warm weather continues, they could start picking cherries during the first week of June, Dhaliwal said. Last year they started picking on June 8, he noted. Historically, cherries are picked on June 13-14, he pointed out. “When I was a kid, the first cherries (harvested) were on July 1.” With early harvests, such as the cherry crop, the fruit stands might not be happy because the tourists will be asking where the cherries are, Dhaliwal said. Overall, the crops are looking very good, he said, noting the blossoms are heavy and there has been no frost. Veteran cherry grower Greg Norton said it could be one of the earliest harvests, noting his crop is progressing fast. Norton said he has already contacted his picking crew to inform them that they’ll likely be picking earlier this year. “The BCFGA needs to get the word back to Quebec,” he stated, but said the word will likely get out soon enough through social media. However, some pickers will still be committed to finishing their schooling before they come out west. Historically, an early harvest is not a good thing, Norton said, but noted that this season’s pollination was “marvelous” and the trees are in perfect shape. “The leaves look good, there has been no winter problems … it looks great.” If the warm weather continues, Norton predicts Osoyoos will be picking cherries in the first week of June, while the Oliver area will start in the second or third week. Normally it’s July 2-4, he pointed out. Norton has been phoning his buyers, saying the cherries are going to be “rolling” soon. As for the tourists, Norton said there will be plenty of cherries (later varieties) left for them to enjoy.

Cherries are expected to be early this year, possibly the first week in June. (Richard McGuire photo)

Robert Wise prunes cherry trees on Test Orchard Road in Oliver’s beautiful sunshine. Wise is part of Talwinder Bassi’s work crew that is working hard to produce quality fruit. (Lyonel Doherty photo) OKANAGAN SUN • MAY 2016 • 9

Fungal disease threatening bat population nears Okanagan By Trevor Nichols Okanagan Valley bat populations might be facing dire peril after the surprise discovery of a deadly fungal bat disease in Washington. Recently, a Little Brown Bat found outside Seattle was discovered to have died from White-Nose Syndrome (WNS). The fungus has been devastating bat populations in eastern North America, and since its discovery in New York in 2006, has been slowly spreading across the continent. Researchers and wildlife conservation officers have been planning for the seemingly inevitable arrival of the fungus in B.C., but according to Dr. Cori Lausen, a bat specialist based in the province, the fungus’ arrival in Washington likely means WNS will soon show up in the Okanagan. “The likelihood of bats migrating seasonally between [the] coast and inland is high, and so we’d expect WNS to arrive in the BC interior shortly,” she recently explained in an email. Lausen did note, however, that bat migration and breeding patterns in the B.C. Interior aren’t well understood, so “it’s hard to say if this will be weeks or years.” White-Nose Syndrome is so scary because of intensity and severity with which it can wipe out entire bat colonies. The fungus infects bats while they hibernate, essentially sending a “root system” into their skin and feeding on the animal’s skin tissue. This invasion causes bats to wake up multiple times through the winter, interrupting the hibernation process and effectively starving them to death. The white spores at the top of those invading “roots” are the visible manifestation of the fungus and dead bats are often found with a white ring around their nose, which 10 www.oksun.ca

is how the fungus earned its moniker. Margaret Holm is the program co-ordinator of the Okanagan Community Bat Program. She explained that if (or likely when) the disease finds its way to the Okanagan, the impact could be very significant. “Likely one of our most common bats (little brown bat) would be possibly severely affected,” she said. While bats are an integral part of the ecosystem, eating zounds of small insects each year – a little brown bat can eat as many as 1,000 mosquitos in an hour – they also potentially play a very significant role in battling agricultural pests. Lausen said studies focused on bats’ impact in the Okanagan are scarce, but that work done in other parts of the world suggests bats are “critical for natural control of forestry and agricultural pests.” She pointed to research by Dr. Gary McCracken that found the economic impact of bat loss in North America could cost anywhere from $3.7 to $53 billion a year. Keeping all that in mind, Holm said she and others in the Okanagan Community Bat Program are working overtime to try and better map out what the bat population looks like here, in the hopes that more information can help scientists curb the spread of the disease. “Now that WNS has been confirmed in Washington, it’s increased the urgency to work with landowners so we can do counts,” she said, referring to the bat counts the group has been trying to organize across the Okanagan. She asked anyone who knows of colonies on their properties to contact officials with the bat program so they can arrange for a count. She also asked anyone who finds a dead bat to contact the bat program so the dead animal can be collected and tested for WNS. To contact the Okanagan Community Bat Program, see www.bcbats.ca, email okanagan@bcbats.ca or call 1-855-922-2287 extension 13.

Little brown myotis showing fungus on face and wings. (M. Moriarty, US Fish & Wildlife Service, photo)

Bat specialist Cori Lausen holds a healthy female California myotis. (Richard McGuire photo) OKANAGAN SUN • MAY 2016 • 11

Their secret? A lot of hard work and . . . “You have to quit worrying about yourself and worry about other people, especially your wife.” That was Fred Tomlin’s response when asked the secret to a long marriage. He and his wife, Dorothy, should have some idea after 75 years together, and they’re probably tired of answering this question. But they took it all in stride in April during a special gathering of friends and family to celebrate at Park Drive Church. It was quite overwhelming for Oliver’s most famous couple with the most experience in matrimony. (Lyonel Doherty photo)

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Flying high Curtis Pangrass flies and flips through the air propelled by powerful jets of water in the sport of flyboarding over Osoyoos Lake. For this night demonstration May 7, he wore a suit with lights and the water jets were lit up with brilliant red lights. A member of Team Canfly, Pangrass, from Edmonton, did demonstrations on the weekend at Walnut Beach Resort. The event was arranged by Travis Blacklin, proprietor of Canadian Jet Pack Adventures, who is operating a flyboarding concession at the resort again this summer. Watch a video of this demonstration at http://bit.ly/1rD3tGQ (Richard McGuire photos)

OKANAGAN SUN â&#x20AC;˘ MAY 2016 â&#x20AC;˘ 13

Teacher Wendy Neumann gives Mohamad and Aya their two-hour daily English class at the Sonora Community Centre. In the afternoon, a volunteer tutor often comes by their home. (Richard McGuire photo)

Syrian refugee family learning English, adapting to life in Osoyoos community By Richard McGuire When the Tabanjat Karbouj family arrived at Penticton Airport on Jan. 15 around midnight, they expected to be met by perhaps a couple of people. Instead there was a welcome party of more than 30, not only from Osoyoos, but also from other parts of the Okanagan Valley. Mohamad Rabee Tabanjat, the father in a family of four Syrian refugees, was marking his 34th birthday and those riding on the chartered bus with the family back to Osoyoos on that chilly night sang “Happy Birthday” to him in English and Arabic. None of the family spoke more than a little English, but Mohamad managed to say a few words, such as,

“Justin Trudeau, I love you,” expressing gratitude for the welcome the recently elected Liberal federal government extended to Syrian refugees. Just over three months later, the family’s English had improved greatly and they were settling into life in Osoyoos. And once again, a welcome party was singing “Happy Birthday” in both languages at a reception in the basement of St. Anne’s Catholic Church in Osoyoos. This time they were singing it for daughter Fatima, who was celebrating her ninth birthday and her first in Osoyoos and Canada, since the family’s arrival from the Middle East. The mother, Aya Khantoumani, and son, Samer, 6, were also at the April 24 welcome reception, which was

The idea of sponsoring a family was hatched in September and a steering committee was put together in early October. By December, fundraising had exceeded the target of $30,000 to help the family settle and get through their first year in Osoyoos. Since they arrived, the family has been hard at work trying to learn English. Mohamad and Aya take two hours of English as a second language at the Sonora Community Centre each morning, five days a week. In the afternoon they often have volunteer tutors drop by to help them practice what they are learning. The family has also been learning to adapt to a culture very different from the one they left. Even little things like shopFatima gives Osoyoos Elementary School Principal Dave Foster a spin as her ping for groceries are an Grade 3 class plays a game. (Richard McGuire photo) adjustment – in Syria and an occasion to thank the many volunteers and donors Lebanon, they shopped daily. Here they’ve adapted to who have helped the family settle in Osoyoos. shopping weekly. That effort was conducted by the Osoyoos Refugee Some of the foods they’re used to can only be bought Project, a community-wide campaign led by former Osin Penticton, though they were happy to learn that Buyoyoos town councillor Michael Ryan and his wife Vera. Low Foods in Osoyoos sells some Halal meats. The committee, which operated under the umbrella When spring arrived, Mohamad wasted little time of St. Anne’s Catholic Parish, but included people of all installing a large vegetable garden in the backyard of the faiths, received an award as the “outstanding volunteer house they rent a short distance from downtown Osproject” at the town’s Volunteer Appreciation Awards and oyoos. Luncheon in early April. Here, he plans to grow eggplant, a Middle Eastern At the late-April welcome reception, each family memstaple, along with zucchini, tomatoes, radishes and other ber in turn spoke at the microphone to say “Thank you” vegetables that he names off in English. in English to the community, though Mohamad, probably He also plans to take up fishing and the family will be the most outgoing of the four, showed off some of his stocking a freezer in an effort to reduce grocery costs, other newly acquired English to thank individually the which they find much higher in Canada than in the volunteer teachers and tutors who have been helping the Middle East. family learn the language. At the same time as he works on his English, MohaVera Ryan spoke about the night the family first saw mad is eager to find paying employment, ideally using his Osoyoos in mid-January. skills as a stone carver. “It was such an exciting time for us,” she said. AddressHe shows off pictures on his phone of his exquisite ing the family, she added, “You must have been excited, work in marble and other stone with which he’s made but also maybe a little scared, a little nervous. You are so fireplaces, chimney decorations, columns and other brave coming to a new country with a new language and pieces. It’s a skill that has been passed down from father a totally different culture.” to son through generations. No sooner did the family arrive when there was a whirl Several committee members have put him in touch of activity to register the children for school, set up acwith people involved in stone and building, and MP counts for banking and utility bills, arrange medical and Richard Cannings introduced him to Pat Field, a stone dental appointments – all requiring local Arabic speaking sculptor from Castlegar. volunteers to act as interpreters. Marie Therrien, the committee member who moderated All of this activity followed several months of fundraisthe April reception, predicted that the children, Fatima ing and preparing a house. OKANAGAN SUN • MAY 2016 • 15

Fatima and Samer sit in the driver’s seat of one of the Osoyoos Fire Department’s trucks. and Samer, would soon surpass their parents in English language skills. “Before we know it, these kids will be totally fluent in English and they’ll be our new interpreters,” Therrien said. Both children have been attending Osoyoos Elementary School where they receive language help, but are otherwise integrated with the other students. Fatima is in Grade 3 and Samer is in Kindergarten. Fatima’s teacher, Julie Dias, says she sometimes uses a smartphone app that translates spoken English to spoken Arabic when they hit a language barrier. And Fatima usually responds in basic English. “She does everything that the other kids are doing,” said Dias. “I may modify it differently to her needs, but for the most part she is able to do what kids in the class are doing. She is following routines very well and she’s doing really well.” Unlike her younger brother, Fatima also has the advantage of having had schooling in the Middle East. Nonetheless, Samer engages with his classmates as he shows a booklet of his drawings. The two children fit right in when they recently took part in Easter Eggstravaganza. There they hunted down Easter eggs, sat on the knees of two Easter bunnies and were lifted up into one of the Osoyoos Fire Department’s shiny red engines. The family has been introduced to other Osoyoos traditions while they’ve been here, including watching an Osoyoos Coyotes hockey game in the stands with the rest of the community. 16 www.oksun.ca

Tutors and others have taken them on outings through the area and they’ve also formed friendships with other Arabic-speaking families in Oliver, Summerland and a family of new Syrian arrivals in Cawston. Asked what the family’s biggest difficulty has been since coming to Canada, Mohamad replies: “Brother, sister not here.” They were surrounded by family in Syria and Lebanon, where they fled to when the war devastated their northern Syrian city of Aleppo. They’ve had to leave family behind, though they converse with them regularly by phone over the internet. “We are so delighted with our lovely family,” Vera told those at the April reception. “They came with their skills, their hopes and dreams and we are just delighted to have them in our community. It’s not easy to come to a new country with a strange culture, and so now we are entering the next phase of our project and again we look to you for help.” Michael spoke of the three phases of the refugee project: preparation and arrival; settlement, which is still ongoing; and integration, when the family becomes an integral part of their new community. “I’d like to encourage you to become a friend of Aya, Mohamad, Fatima and Samer,” said Michael. “To meet them and to invite them into your activities and reach out to them. Show them your favourite activities and places here in Osoyoos. Make them feel that this is, in fact, home and they are receiving Canada’s warmest welcome.”

LEFT: Aya and Mohamad arrive at the terminal building in Penticton, followed by their children, around midnight on Jan. 15 after three days of travel. RIGHT: Mohamad works in his garden. (Richard McGuire photos)

The Tabanjan Karbouj family thanks the Osoyoos community and volunteers who have helped them settle. OKANAGAN SUN â&#x20AC;˘ MAY 2016 â&#x20AC;˘ 17

Syrian family reunited in Oliver after application mix-up separated them Al Lwisi family had bittersweet arrival in December before mother, brother arrived at Oliver home in February By Trevor Nichols Mohammad Al Lwisi, his wife Nesreen Nehme and their children arrived in Oliver in December, after a group of local citizens fundraised, sponsored the family and set them up in their new home. The arrival signaled the start of a new life for a family that had fled war-torn Syria, but it was somewhat bittersweet. For some reason, Mohammad’s mother Khadijeh, brother Ahmed and sister Maria had been left off the application, and the family was forced to separate. On Feb. 28, two more members of the Al Lwisi clan made it to Oliver after their plane touched down in Penticton. Mohammad, Nesreen and their kids Yazan, Ghazal and Manessa were reunited with Mohammad’s brother, Ahmed, and mother, Khadijeh. Now, after months of work, Mohammad is finally under the same roof as his brother and mother. His sister is likely soon to follow. The Al Lwisi house was bustling when we met them in late March, as the whole family – minus a few napping children – gathered in their spacious living room. “It’s like a dream come true,” Mohammad said of having his extended family with him. Life with his mom and brother around is “100 per cent different,” he said. Not only does he know they are safe, but spirits are lifted now that (almost) everyone is together. “All the family living together is very good. Eating together and going outside,” he said, adding that with his mother Khadijeh providing extra support looking after the kids, everyone has more freedom. Nesreen and Khadijeh have started attending weekly cooking classes, where they experiment with different international cuisines. Nesreen admitted that Chinese cuisine was okay, but with a smile said her favourite is still Syrian. 18 www.oksun.ca

Ahmed and Khadijeh’s English is limited, so they spoke in Arabic about arriving in Canada, as Mohammad interpreted. Mohammad explained that both appreciated almost beyond words that, in Canada, “Nobody looks at us as bad, like we are Syrian, or refugees or anything else.” He explained that before they made it to Canada, living as a refugee was difficult and dangerous. They waited for years for visas in Turkey, and during that time Ahmed was unable to go to school because local kids would bully him into staying away. “Most of all, it’s safe here,” Mohammad said. He also explained how surprised Ahmed and Khadijeh were to find their family living in such nice conditions. Most refugees believe that they would be put up in hotels or camps when they arrive in their new country, and Mohammad said that no matter how many times he explained that they lived in a spacious house, with a car, his mom and brother didn’t really believe it until they arrived. “Finally they arrived and found a big house,” he said, chuckling. But the new arrivals are already beginning to settle in: Ahmed has enrolled in school to finish the education he was denied in Turkey, and boasts that he has some serious soccer skills he would like to put to use in Canada. “Next Team Canada star,” Nesreen explained, showing a comfort with English that has grown significantly since she began attending classes shortly after she arrived. She said she and Khadijeh would also like to someday host a cooking lesson for Oliver residents, to introduce them to Arabic cuisine. Mohammad said the family plans to relax and enjoy the relative quiet of their new life for the next few months. His kids are doing well in school – just that day eightyear-old Yazan asked in English to go outside – and Mohammad has begun searching for a job. He said he couldn’t thank the people of Oliver enough for everything they have done for him and his family.

The extended Al Lwisi family stand outside their home in Oliver, three weeks after Khadijeh and Ahmed’s arrival. Ahmed (second from right) has enrolled in school to finish the education he was denied in Turkey, and boasts that he has some serious soccer skills he would like to put to good use in Canada. (Trevor Nichols photo) OKANAGAN SUN • MAY 2016 • 19

Richard McGuire shot the photo used on this U.S. stamp while on vacation in 2009. The stamp series commemorates the 100th anniversary of the U.S. National Park Service and will be available at the start of June. (Stamp © United States Postal Service; Photo © Richard McGuire)

Times photographer gets photo on U.S. postage stamp By Lyonel Doherty Not too many people can say that one of their photographs is on a postage stamp. But Richard McGuire can. The award-winning photographer/reporter who works full-time for the Osoyoos Times is very pleased to learn that his photo of Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico now graces a stamp celebrating the centennial of the U.S. National Park Service. McGuire has had to keep this revelation top-secret until now, but proudly spilled the beans last week. “Obviously I’m happy about this and I’ve received many compliments from old friends through Facebook.” McGuire’s name appears on the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) news release, but not on the stamp itself, so he remains anonymous in that regard. The USPS says McGuire’s “dramatic” photograph of the interior of Carlsbad Caverns is the fifth of 16 Forever Stamp images revealed over a three-week period to celebrate the National Park Service’s 100th anniversary. Carlsbad Caverns is one of more than 300 limestone caves in a fossil reef laid down by an inland sea 240 mil20 www.oksun.ca

lion to 280 million years ago. McGuire took the photo on Dec. 23, 2009 when he drove from Ottawa to the Southwest U.S. for two weeks. “The pathway through the caverns is very long. It’s a paved path that is wheelchair accessible, so it’s not like some of the other caves I’ve visited where you are actually climbing over rock or wading through water.” McGuire took a number of photos in the caves, but this particular image worked the best because of the way the columns frame other columns, and also because of the mix of light and colour. Unlike some caves that are lit with coloured lights, these caves are lit with non-coloured lights so the dramatic greens and reds are the natural colours. Carlsbad is very dark, so he had to use a tripod and take exposures of several seconds in length. Also, because the range in light between the lit areas and the shadows is so extreme, he had to use a technique in software to blend several exposures into a single image in order to bring out the shadow detail. He didn’t, however, alter the colours or change the content of the image. The photo was taken with an ultra-wide lens to capture

Richard McGuire has won previous awards for his photography including a Ma Murray Award for this shot in the Osoyoos Times of a wildfire at Spotted Lake in August 2013. important. the spaciousness of the caves. “As humans develop and alter the landscape, there It doesn’t, however, portray the fact that these caverns are fewer and fewer places that reflect the rare natural extend at great length. beauty.” McGuire posts his photos to a photography website McGuire said national parks in Canada and the United called Flickr and he properly keywords and captions them. This makes them easy to find in search engines on States are among the few places where nature is preserved as a legacy for future generations. computers and mobile devices. He noted that some of the larger parks in the U.S. He is often approached by publications that ask to use his photos, which have been published in a number of Southwest are very crowded, even during the winter books and magazines, including Outside magazine and a months. But you quickly lose the crowds when you walk a couple of hundred metres from the nearest parking lot. travel book published by National Geographic. “Most people never stray far from the paved roads to A company called PhotoAssist that was hired by the experience the natural beauty. For those who do, it can U.S. Postal Service to put together photos for the series be a quasi-religious experience.” of stamps to commemorate the centennial contacted McGuire said Carlsbad Caverns is somewhat different McGuire about his cavern photo last year. in that you can’t really escape the hand of man. Although “At the time, I was sworn it’s immense, it’s a confined space with a paved walkway to secrecy, but they told me and lighting. “Still, for many people, especially those with mobility right away how the photo issues, it’s the only chance they’ll have to experience the would be used and we comfascinating world under the earth.” pleted a contract,” McGuire McGuire said these stamps, along with other publicity said. “I won’t become rich for the 2016 centennial, raise the profile of these natural from the sale of this photo, treasures and hopefully help people to appreciate how but it did cover the cost of vital national parks are to the story of our planet. my gas for that trip.” The photographer said See a slideshow of McGuire’s photos at: this series of stamps is Richard McGuire http://bit.ly/1s0Zg0f OKANAGAN SUN • MAY 2016 • 21

The ever-changing desert By Richard McGuire Rufous hummingbirds darted about at feeders and a number of plants were in bloom next to the boardwalk of the Osoyoos Desert Centre, when it opened for the season in late April. Plant and animal life at the Desert Centre constantly changes with the seasons, but spring is a fascinating time to visit this 67-acre pocket of arid South Okanagan landscape just north of Osoyoos. Among the plants in bloom when the centre opened for the year were antelope brush, a shrub growing throughout, which was covered in small, yellow flowers. Phlox too was abundant, with several varieties ranging in colour from almost white, through shades of pink to a more purple colour. The indigo-coloured larkspur (delphinium) could also be spotted in clusters growing amidst the antelope brush. One small, yellow flower looks innocent, but its common name, death camas, suggests it’s not to be messed with. This plant, explained Valerie Blow, restoration co-ordinator, is very toxic. Eating a sufficient amount will kill a human or livestock, while just handling it and then bringing your hand in contact with your mouth can make you quite sick. Small prickly pear cactus plants hide on the ground, their long spikes ready to grip onto passing people or animals. These don’t bloom until June, when their yellow flowers last only a few days. Visitors in May can look forward to seeing arrow-leaved balsamroot and bitterroot in bloom. Later in the summer, visitors can expect mariposa lilies, long-leaved phlox and rabbitbrush to be flowering. In several small ponds, little spadefoot tadpoles were swimming about. These toad relatives are endangered. Although sightings may be rare 22 www.oksun.ca

Different plants bloom throughout the year at the Osoyoos Desert Centre

Valerie Blow (left), restoration co-ordinator at the Osoyoos Desert Centre, leads a guided tour where she talks about plants.

Indigo-coloured larkspur (delphinium) blooms along the boardwalk. for some animals, you may find scat from a coyote on the boardwalk. Black bear, mule deer and the Nuttal’s cottontail are among other animals that live in or pass through the Desert Centre. You’re very likely to see birds, which can sometimes include hum-

mingbirds, bluebirds, red-tailed hawk or even golden eagles. Local invertebrates, rare or unknown elsewhere in Canada can be found here including scorpions and black widow spiders. For more about the Osoyoos Desert Centre, visit: desert.org

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: A male rufous hummingbird hovers beside a feeder; pink and purple phlox plants were in bloom; this innocent-looking white and yellow flower is the highly toxic death camas; antelope brush was in bloom throughout the centre in April; prickly pear cactus blooms in June, but don’t blink – the yellow flowers only last a few days.

Richard McGuire photos

OKANAGAN SUN • MAY 2016 • 23

LEFT: Brideto-be Cariss Carbonneau (in white) from Chilliwack celebrates her stagette in style on a giant jumping pillow during the Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country’s 5th annual ‘PigOut’ at Covert Farms. BELOW: Nathan Robinson from Culinary Adventure carves up a pig’s head during ‘Pig-Out.’

24 www.oksun.ca

Gallery

Lyonel Doherty photos

ABOVE: Chef Richard Desnoyers of the revamped Smoke & Oak Bistro presents a sampler dish from the more diversified menu at Wild Goose Vineyards in Okanagan Falls. The menu now features a greater variety of cuisine, but retains the favourites, such as smoked ribs. LEFT: Alicia Schutz and Gavin Buttar from Southern Okanagan Secondary School act up during the recent production of ‘Footloose’ at Frank Venables Theatre in Oliver. The performance drew rave reviews from parents, teachers and town officials. OKANAGAN SUN • MAY 2016 • 25

Fitness with Intention By Kelsi Bissonnette Health and Wellness Coordinator Watermark Beach Resort

Calm and Strong….. Inner Peace with Abs of Steal…. Less Stress with more strength, welcome to the new age of mind body fitness. The new way of fitness and wellness involves balance and you know you are a part of it when you can be in a “ZEN” like state and feel the “BURN” all at the same time. As written so perfectly in last month’s Women’s Fitness, “Mindbody workouts are no longer bound by any one discipline. They can happen anywhere – at the yoga studio, in the weight room, on a foggy morning run. Integrative fitness with Intention treats the whole you – physical, mental and emotional. More importantly, it’s an approach that works for life, so it is sustainable.” We have yoga, pilates, Zumba, cross-fit, boot camps, weight classes and beyond. By all accounts we should be fitter and healthier than ever before. When we found out that due to our inactive lifestyle we cannot possibly exercise enough to counteract our increasingly sedentary lives, the fitness tracker or FIT BIT, exploded to help us track our daily steps. Problem is, we are stuck in a state of strong, steel and strength 24/7. Our fight or flight responses and adrenaline are not turning off and we are struggling to

get back to a resting state. Workouts alone won’t give us a healthier body. We need the ability to link the intention and why we are doing something, or what our body really needs to progress. I was inspired to start this style of teaching, when I myself was recently faced with the most emotionally challenging time in my life. I could feel the burn in my legs on the hills we were climbing in spin class as though it mirrored my life, a heavy, hard, muddy climb. I started to tell everyone to breathe and BE calm and strong. It had true intention, purpose and it worked! Here are a few Steps to Fitness with Intention. Access your Readiness – Understand what your physical and emotional body is going through that day. How much gas do you have in the tank? How do you feel on a scale of 1-10? Tailor your workout or class participation on how you feel that day. If your tank is empty, work accordingly, knowing tomorrow will be better. Breathing Awareness – Never hold your breath, and use your breath as energy, or prana life force. Exhale on exertions and inhale on extensions. Take deep long breaths and focus on your breathing as much as you can.

Set Intentions for the workout – Do you want to release stress? Do you want to feel powerful? Do you want to let go of some old baggage? Do you want to release anger? What is the purpose of your workout? Keep your monkey mind quiet and ego in check by focusing on your workout intention. Relaxation – Savasana (yoga relaxation), deep stretching, myofascial release, massage, hot tubs, steam baths, and beyond. If you rush out of a workout, there is no time for your body to recalibrate. Make time for any of the above, and reward your body so it will be ready for the next workout.

YOGA • PILATES • SPINNING • TRX • STEP • SUP • MEDITATION • WORKSHOPS • RETREATS • WELLNESS

15 Park Place Osoyoos BC 250-689-6020

www.osoyoospilates.com Email inquiries contact us wellness@watermarkbeachresort.com 26 www.oksun.ca

MEETINGS

at Osoyoos Baptist Church (lower level). We are a support group interested in eating healthy and losing weight. New members welcome. For more info, call 250-495-0410.

Grandmothers for Africa meetings are the 2nd Wednesday of the month, 1 p.m. at the Osoyoos United Church.

Osoyoos Elks #436, 2nd Wednesday meet at 7 p.m., Elks Hall, 8506 92

O’s Own Writers meet the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 2 p.m. at the Osoyoos Arts Centre. New members welcome. Call Jody 250-495-2170.

Avenue. Call Annette at 250-495-6227 or Ken Thibault at 250-495-3936. AA meetings every Monday 7 p.m. St. Anne’s Catholic Church. Every Friday 7 p.m. St. Christopher’s Anglican Church. Call Louise 250495-1627.

OLIVER THEATRE Enjoy your evening out, taking In a movie at the Oliver Theatre!

Osoyoos Photography Club meets the 1st and 3rd Tuesday in Room 3 upstairs at the Sonora Community Centre. Informal meet at 6:30 p.m. regular meeting at 6:45 p.m. For more information 250495-4960 osoyoosphotoclub@gmail.com.

May, 2016 Programme

Visit Our Website

www.olivertheatre.ca

Regular Showtimes Sun. – Mon. – Tues. – Thurs…7:30 p.m. Fri. – Sat………….……….7:00 & 9:00 p.m. (unless otherwise stated)

Phone 250-498-2277 Oliver, BC

Thurs. - Fri. May 19 - 20

Thurs. - Fri. May 5 - 6 Showtimes on Fri. @ 7:00 & 9:10 p.m.

The Multiple Sclerosis group meets the second Thursday of the month at 10 a.m. at the Interior Health office, 4816 89 Street, Osoyoos. Call Ron at 250-498-4372 or Donna 250-495-5001. Oliver & Osoyoos Search & Rescue. 7 p.m. every Thursday. 100 Cessna St., Oliver (beside the Air Cadet hangar) www.oosar.org.

Sat. - Sun. - Mon. - Tues., Thurs. – Fri. Sat. Sun. Mon. Tues., Th Fri. May 7 - 8 - 9 - 10, 12 - 13

Showtimes on Fri. & Sat. @ 7:00 & 9:10 p.m.

Osoyoos Quilters meet on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays at the Elks Lodge, 8506 92 Ave. at 9:30 a.m. Call 250-495-2254 or 250-495-4569 for more info. Evening quilting every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month. Patricia at 250-495-7769.

Violence, coarse language.

Sat. - Sun. - Mon. - Tues., Thurs. - Fri. - Sat. May 21 - 22 - 23 - 24, 26 – 27 - 28

Double O Quilters Guild meets on the 2nd Monday of the month, September through May. 9:30 a.m. at the Oliver Community Hall. Contact Lynda at 250-498-8804. Communities for Kids Osoyoos Table Meeting. 3rd Monday of month 4 p.m. at Sonora Community Centre. 250-498-8433 for info.

Violence, frightening scenes.

Sat. - Sun. - Mon. - Tues. May 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 Sat. Sun. Mon. Tues. May 14 15 16 17

Parkinson’s Support Group meets on Monday from 1 - 3 p.m. at Sunnybank Lodge in Oliver. Call Maureen at 250-495-7978 for more info.

Showtimes on Sat. @ 7:00 & 9:15 p.m.

Toastmasters... “Where leaders are made”. Drop in any Tuesday 7 p.m. at 5876 Airport St. in Oliver. Contact Shauna 250-485-8465 or meandwine@gmail.com. T.O.P.S. meets every Thurs. at 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Open 7 days 7:00 am - 4:00 pm www.jojoscafe.ca

May frighten young children.

Sun. – Mon. – Tues., Thurs. May 29 - 30 - 31, June 2 Coarse language.

Closed

Programme Subject To Unavoidable change without notice

8316 Main St Osoyoos 250.495.6652 OKANAGAN SUN • MAY 2016 • 27

Desert Park is hosting its inaugural Tilt and Lance Joust event from May 21-23. (Photo contributed)

Osoyoos to host medieval sport of jousting on long weekend By Keith Lacey The Town of Osoyoos will be taken back to medieval days over the Victoria Day May long weekend as the Desert Park racetrack facility hosts what promises to be one of the most unique events ever held at that facility. Knights in full body armour will challenge each other over three days – from May 21-23 – as the inaugural Tilt and Lance Joust will transform Desert Park into a medieval village, said local organizer Paddy Head. Organizers have invited six of the very best “jousters” from North America to compete in the three-day event in Osoyoos, said Head. Jousting is a medieval competition where competitors in full body armour ride on top of their powerful horses with a 10-pound wooden lance and attempt to knock off or disarm their opponent coming directly at them from the other direction at full speed. For more than 500 years, jousting was the most popular competitive sport in the world and it has made a remarkable comeback in popularity over the past decade with competitive circuits in Canada, the United States 28 www.oksun.ca

and many countries in Europe, she said. Head originally got involved with the Society of Tilt and Lance Cavalry just south of Calgary when that organization put together a jousting competition at the Aldergrove Fall Fair in the fall of 2013. As a dedicated lover of horses her entire adult life – she was one of the first licensed female jockeys in Canada dating back to 1970 – Head was so impressed that she helped organize other jousting events in B.C. and even a few near Calgary. One of the first things she did when she moved to Osoyoos a couple of years ago was become an active member of the Desert Park Exhibition Society, said Head. “I’ve had a love affair with horses my entire life,” she said. “I didn’t grow up around horses, but I had a fascination with them and started riding as a teenager. Then I became hooked and was training them and decided to go for my jockey’s license when I was only 20 or 21 back in 1970. “My passion for horses has never gone away since then.” Head talked to other members of the society about the

Mental Health Check Up

Mental illness is surprisingly common. One in every five Canadians will have a mental health problem at some point in their lives. Mental illness Greg Wheeler, is not a single Pharmacist disease but a term for many disorders, including anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, personality disorders, eating disorders and organic brain disorders. The good news is that all mental illnesses can be treated. To assess your own mental health, answer these questions: possibility of hosting a jousting event in Osoyoos after attending several events the past three years and being thoroughly impressed with the pageantry and competitiveness of the sport. She contacted her good friend Radar Goddard from the Society of Tilt and Lance Cavalry in Calgary and she agreed to help her get in touch with several of the top competitors on the Canadian and American circuit. Head is hoping there will be solid fan support for this unique event, as organizers would love to bring a jousting event to Desert Park annually. “It’s a fascinating sport to watch,” she said. “The horses are magnificent and the competitors are very skilled.” There will be two rounds – one at noon and one at 4 p.m. – during all three days of competition, said Head. Judges, who provide a score for each competitor after each round, determine the winner. “The competitor with the highest score after three days of competition is the winner,” she said. Goddard, who competes on the Canadian circuit, said the cost to purchase a full set of armour ranges

from $8,000 for a used set up to $20,000 for the latest state-of-the-art materials. Jousting was a popular sport in many parts of the world for hundreds of years and reached its height of popularity in the 15th century, when tens of thousands of fans would pour into large open-air stadiums to watch competitions, she said. Many communities in North America host medieval festivals and hosting jousting competitions have become increasingly popular over the past decade, she said. In medieval days, fathers would send their sons to receive training to become jousting champions. “It was exclusively a sport for the rich,” she said. “These young boys would be sent away for training and would be top competitors when they were 16 and 17 and their fathers would send them on the tournament circuit.” The competitors who have agreed to compete in Osoyoos are among the very best in Canada. Tickets for the event are now on sale at $15 apiece. They are being sold at the Osoyoos Times office and online at www.eventbrite.ca.

Ability to enjoy life – Can you live in the moment and appreciate the “now” without dwelling on things from the past or worrying about the future? Resilience – Are you able to bounce back from stressful events and hard times without losing your optimism? Balance – Are you able to juggle the many aspects of your life? Self-actualization – Do you recognize and develop your strengths so that you can reach your full potential? Flexibility – Do you feel, and express, a range of emotions? If you or someone you know is concerned about mental illness, be sure to contact a healthcare professional for diagnosis and treatment.

105-291 Fairview Rd Oliver

250.485.4007

OKANAGAN SUN • MAY 2016 • 29

MAY The Fabric Art Show is on at the Osoyoos Art Gallery until May 23. Be sure to stop in and see Shirley Nillson’s amazing art pieces – her life’s work on display. Gallery is at 89th St. and Main Street in Osoyoos. Osoyoos Concert Series early bird 2016/2017 seasons’ tickets are now on sale. Order your tickets before May 31 for all 4 concerts at the low price of $70. Call Jessie at 250-4953537 to order or drop a cheque off for Jocelyn at the Osoyoos Times. Times. The Osoyoos Senior Centre will be hosting free Intermediate Ballroom Dancing from 1 to 3 p.m. every Sunday. ‘Spring into Song’ with the Okanagan International Chorus on Friday, May 13 at the Osoyoos Community Theatre at 7 p.m. Also on May 14 at the Free Methodist Church in Oroville starting at 2 p.m. The Lonely…A Tribute to Roy Orbison is coming to the Frank Venables Theatre in Oliver on May 14. Tickets are $42 and available online at www. venablestheatre.ca or get them in person at Beyond Bliss in Oliver (cash sales only at this venue). Soroptimist garage sale fundraiser. Cactus Centre, 6609 Chickadee Crt., Osoyoos, Saturday, May 14. 8 a.m. – noon. Osoyoos Market on Main is held at Town Hall Square in Osoyoos every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. until the end of September. On May 14, catch live music by Allan and Gord and August Accord, locally made produce, art, crafts, breads, wineries, cideries and distilleries. Fun for the 30 www.oksun.ca

whole family. “Fallen Feather” is a free film on Thursday, May 19 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Sen Pok Chin School, 1006 McKinney Rd. in Oliver. Between 1879 and 1989, upwards of 100,000 children in Canada were forcibly removed and placed in residential schools. Presented by South Okanagan Immigrant and Community Services for “Respect Lives Here,” promoting unity in diversity. RSVP 250-498-4900. Blood donor clinics at the Penticton Seniors Drop-in Centre at 2965 South Main Street. May 18, 19 and 20 from 1:30 - 5:30 p.m. Download the GIVE BLOOD APP, book online at www.blood.ca or call 1-888236-6283. Check your eligibility to donate. The Front Street Gallery presents guest artists Sharon Snow and Lynne Marand “Here and There” from May 20 – June 16. Join them at the “vernissage” on Saturday, May 21 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Gallery located at 60 Front Street, Penticton and is open Monday – Saturday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. A Tilt and Lance Joust event will be at Desert Park on May 21, 22 and 23. Jousts are at noon and 4 p.m. Tickets available online at eventbrite. ca, Osoyoos Times or at the gate. $15 and kids under 6 free. Food vendors and a beer garden. If interested in being a vendor or volunteer please call 250-495-8181. Osoyoos Lake Water Quality Society is hosting Osoyoos Lake Appreciation Day, May 21 at Gyro Park from 2 to 5 p.m. This free event features great speakers, music, kids zone with face painting and bouncy

castle, 25th anniversary cake and an opportunity to view the boat and testing equipment. www.osoyooslake.ca. The South Okanagan Players have been gearing up for the Okanagan Zone Drama Festival from May 21 to 28 at the Frank Venables Theatre. Tickets, discount packages and awards banquet reservations are all available online at www.soplayers. ca/festival. A single ticket at the door is $22.50. Students get in for $8 a show. “Girl Rising” is a free film showing Thursday, May 26 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 428 Skagit Ave., in Oliver. Journey around the globe to witness the strength of the human spirit and the power of education to change the world. Presented by South Okanagan Immigrant and Community Services for “Respect Lives Here,” promoting unity in diversity. JoJo’s Café presents a night of local art and music. Artist Sanaz Busink and music by Misty Rose Knol. Saturday, May 28 from 7 – 9 p.m. 8316 Main St., Osoyoos. Oliver-Osoyoos Naturalists walk Kruger Saddle on Sun., May 29. An uphill walk with great views. Meet at the Osoyoos Plaza at 9 a.m. Leaders Dwayne 259-495-7645 and Philip 250-495-8071. Radio Astronomy Observatory at White Lake open house on Saturday, June 11 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Visit and celebrate 100 years of NRC, including the ground-breaking radio astronomy work done at the Observatory. This is a family event, with interest for people of all ages and lots of activities for kids. Free.

Actors (front) Diane Gludovatz, Tom Szalay, and Trevor Leigh and (back) Aimee Grice stage a scene in the South Okanagan Players production of ‘Sleeping Indoors.’ The play is one that will be featured in the upcoming 2016 Okanagan Zone Theatre Festival in Oliver later this month. It was produced by Nathan Linders and directed by Jen Jensen. (Jen Jensen photo)

Okanagan Zone Theatre Festival coming to Oliver By Trevor Nichols Fans of live theatre are in for a special treat in late May. This month, amateur theatre groups from across the Okanagan Valley will come together to showcase their talent, putting on seven different plays over seven consecutive days. The 2016 Okanagan Zone Theatre Festival, hosted by Oliver and Osoyoos’ own South Okanagan Players (SOAP), is coming to Frank Venables Theatre starting May 21. There will be seven productions presented between May 21 and 28. According to Nathan Linders, the president of SOAP, the festival will be the biggest theatre event to hit the area in decades. Theatre troupes hailing from Vernon, Kelowna, Oliver and other South Okanagan communities will compete for a spot in the provincial Mainstage Festival, which will be held in July in Chilliwack. Gary Davies, the director of the William Davis Centre for Actor’s Study, who has appeared in shows such as the XFiles and Da Vinci’s Inquest, will judge the productions. Linders says the event is not only the perfect chance for Oliver and Osoyoos residents to take in some great theatre, but a rare opportunity to peek behind the curtain for a glimpse at what happens behind the scenes. A “public adjudication” and “coffee critique” will follow each night’s play, where ticket holders would be invited to sit in as Davies critiques the performances and works with the troupe to improve certain scenes. “Davies is going to actually have them work on scenes, almost like a personal coaching session,” Linders says.

“It is a glimpse to the backstage that many of us crave.” The process that actors go through to arrive at the finished product is just as, if not more, fascinating than the performance itself and for the public to get to experience some of “the rush” for themselves should be a blast, he said. Amateur theatre is special because the actors are there for no other reason than their love of the theatre, said Linders. “No one is paid. There is no obligation for anyone to show up, but still they put in hours and hours of their time to create something,” he said. That effort creates a bond like none other, Linders says, and that bond shines through in the final production that hits the stage. Linders explained how he used to work for a big bank and every time there was a shakeup in management, they would trot out a new supposedly motivational video about teamwork, featuring smiling people manning a boat or some similar ideal of unity their employees would never even come close to reaching. “But those managers would be eating their hearts out to see the teamwork that I see every time we get together, this group of amateurs,” he said. “And that’s probably the best part of it, is the people in this aren’t here because they have to be here, they’re here because this is what they want to do in their spare time. And I think it shows in the product.” Anyone wishing to pick up tickets to attend the 2016 Okanagan Zone Theatre Festival, can visit the South Okanagan Amateur Players website (they are only available online). The site at soplayers.ca also features a synopsis of all seven plays and more information about this year’s festival and its history. OKANAGAN SUN • MAY 2016 • 31

ALLAN TAYLOR www.allantaylor.ca Â· 250-498-9886

NOTHING SUCCEEDS LIKE SUCCESS.

List and and sell with Allan Taylor. List A Successful Realtor.