FLOWER POWER More than just a pretty face, blooms also offer health benefits P.8
Peachland POST
The week of June 12, 2026
“WORLD CUP” Turner Park serves as backup after field closure in Penticton P.6
REACHING THE SUMMIT
ABOUT TOWN Find out what’s going on and where it’s happening P.11
PINCUSHION
By Jeff McDonalD local JournalisM initiative reporter
There are plenty of hikes to do around Peachland, but Pincushion Mountain occupies a special place in hikers’ hearts. The iconic mountain rising to the west above Peachland is special enough to warrant a certificate of completion offered by the District of Peachland to anyone who completes the trail.
Pincushion got its name after a fire in the 19th century reduced the trees to short blackened sticks, and the mountain resembled a sewing cushion with pins stuck in it.
The Peachland Post decided to see for themselves why Pincushion and its 245-meter elevation gain is a must-climb for so many. Spoiler alert: it’s all about the views. Here’s our report.
First you drive up to the
ON THE UP AND UP
Pincushion Mountain hike tough but views are killer
trailhead near the top of Ponderosa Drive, preferably on a sunny day. You shoulder a pack with water and snacks, and set off up the trail. And ‘up’ is the operative word, the first 40 or so meters are steep! Trail builders have installed steps for this early section, and that’s helpful because if, as we found, you do this when there’s been no rain, the packed dirt offers little traction for one’s boots.
A few minutes up, the trail curves south into open ground, and you are rewarded with the first view of Okanagan Lake, shining like a blue jewel in the sun. The terrain here is flatter and relief for the legs, but to the right the mountain above looks a little daunting.
The trail rises again to the first of many switchbacks. There is some protruding rock but the footing is good, and the view keeps
Photo: Jeff McDonald
Pay down debt or invest? BRIEFS
By eDwarD Jones
Choosing to pay down debt or invest is a personal decision based on many factors. To determine which choice would be better for you, we need to look at your situation holistically. Start by understanding your relationship with risk and the nature of debt you have.
Your relationship with risk deals with your risk tolerance, risk capacity and the time horizon of investments.
Risk tolerance measures your ability to withstand volatility in your portfolio. Some people can accept significant changes in value while others get anxious at the thought of their investments losing value. Risk capacity considers how
much your investments could drop in value before affecting your life. If you’re on a fixed income, you’d likely have a lower risk capacity than someone with a well-paying job and little debt.
Time horizon refers to how long you intend to invest. Generally, the shorter the time horizon, the less risk you should assume.
The type and amount of debt you have can come in many different forms. When used responsibly, debt can help you reach many of life’s milestones, like owning a home or completing education. Bad debt includes carrying a balance on a credit card with a high-interest rate. Consider if the potential return is higher than the interest rate you pay on your debt.
Advantages of paying down debt:
• Reduces money-related stress -- Many Canadians are experiencing anxiety and depression over financial worries. If this sounds familiar, reducing debt may have a bigger influence on your life than just the financial impact.
• Improves cash flow and financial flexibility -- When you reduce debt, your cash flow improves because you now allocate less money to principal and interest charges, leaving you more money for other goals and it may improve your credit score.
Some trade-offs:
Peachland Climate Action Plan
After thirty months of research, consultation and analysis a remarkable a 145 page report setting out the findings and recommendations of the Peachland Climate Action Task Force has now been published in final form and is displayed prominently on the District of Peachland website.
At the June 9 Committee of the Whole meeting, Councillor Rick Ingram, who chaired the Task Force, presented the report to Council on behalf of fellow task force members Shelly Elverum, Gail Karish, Sheila Kerr, Mark Meisner, Craig Thompson, and Alex Morrison.
The report notes that scientists who study climate unanimously agree that the recent shift in average temperature is caused by human activity with the direct cause being the release of greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide and methane, primarily from the production and burning of coal, oil, and gas, as well as burning wood.
• Reducing debt might be a smart decision for your personal situation. But delaying investing leaves less time for your money to grow. The earlier you invest the more your assets will accumulate.
• Since savings incentives, like RRSPs and TFSAs exist, many people opt to carry a low-interest rate while investing their savings.
What may be right for you is unique to your situation. Consult with your financial advisor to help you determine the best option for your unique circumstances.
Peachland POST
Peachland Community Newspaper Society
5878C Beach Ave., Peachland, B.C. V0H 1X7 250 859 4295
• Board of Directors
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Treasurer Ted Cave
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Director Donna Cave
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• Managing editor Keith Fielding 250 859 2429 editor@peachlandpost.net
The Plan addresses both the causes and the effects of climate change. It offers steps we can take to reduce our contributions to the climate pollution that causes climate change (mitigation) and steps we can take to prepare for the impacts we are already experiencing and will continue to face (adaptation).
The report contains more than 100 recommendations, some addressing actions the District can take, and others directed to actions Peachland residents can take. These recommendations are presented within an organizational framework of nine Focus Areas: Health and Wellness; Food and Agriculture; Water; Buildings; Energy; Transportation; Local Economy; District Assets and Operations; and Wildlife Habitat & Ecosystems.
Over the next few weeks Peachland Post will profile one of the Focus Areas in each edition, highlighting the recommendations and the rationale for their adoption.
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AGING CONCERNS
Guest speaker highlights the challenges facing older population
By JuDy wyper
Dan Levitt, B.C. Seniors Advocate, was visiting the Peachland Wellness Centre last week. The PWC sponsored his presentation and a scrumptious following luncheon. Dan complimented the PWC on the “robust array of services” on offer, among them being:
• Better at Home
• Service navigation (hooking up to services)
• Breakfast/ dinner/socials
• Tax program
• Help with filling out forms
• Personal support groups: Bereavement/Parkinsons
• Healthy, connected community
Dan touched on a lot of topics. The cancellation of long term care home projects, which involved Cottonwoods, was one disappointment. Also is the challenge of decreased funding for not for profit groups like the PWC, as there are less funding streams available.
There were a lot of statistics. 95% of people 65+ live independently. 77% are over 85. 15% of seniors are employed. 80% have a driver’s license.
four seniors lives on less than $23,000 per year. 50% live on less than $37,000. The impact of this is that fixed incomes leave no ability to manage unexpected expenses. In addition, some seniors are forced to choose between essentials like food and medication or paying rent.
Housing instability is a concern. Dan sees a big risk of some seniors becoming homeless. Over the past five years there was a 59% increase in applications for seniors subsidized housing. (from 8,700 to 13,900 applications) Only 6% of the applicants received a unit last year. That’s 884 people.
B.C. is experiencing a shortfall in the availability of home supports provided by the government. This is resulting in many seniors not being able to manage daily tasks on their own. And this leads to an increase in the risk of injury and health care decline. More visits to emergency care.
AGING WELL:
Health care
Staying connected
Stable & affordable housing
Accessing support when needed
Maintaining independence and dignity
Feeling valued & heard
There is no single experience of aging in B.C. “If you’ve met one senior, you’ve met one senior.” They’re all different.
Older adults report that ageing well is about:
• Health care
• Staying connected
• Having stable and affordable housing
• Accessing support when needed
• Maintaining independence and dignity
• Feeling valued and heard
But how about this? One in
Over the past 10 years, there has been a 200% increase in funded long term care waitlists. The numbers went from 2,300 to 7,200 people. The provincial average wait time went from 146 days to 290 days. Families and caregivers are being stretched beyond capacity. This has put extra pressure on hospitals and emergency departments to deal with crises.
Dan talked about age-friendly communities. WHO and the Government of Canada have several documents promoting this. A local government or organization can determine this is a civic goal, and that opens the way for an application for Canadian government grants to fund a pilot project to establish an age-friendly community, and for subsequent projects.
The Age-friendly topic areas focus on:
• Transportation
• Housing
• Social participation
• Respect and social inclusion
• Civic participation and employment
• Communication and information
• Community support and health services
• Outdoor spaces and buildings
An age-friendly community is beneficial for all ages. Food for thought. In the 2021 Canada Census, 49.6% of Peachlanders were 60 or above. I look to the 2026 Census for an update on this.
Judy Wyper is a Past President of the PWC and is now with the Peachland Watershed Protection Alliance and the South Okanagan Chapter of the Council of Canadians.
Photo: Submitted
Dan Levitt, B.C. Seniors Advocate, touched on a variety of topics related to seniors at a luncheon hosted last week at the Peachland Wellness Centre.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Road access changes raise concerns
Dear Editor,
The Hwy 97 road access changes being made by MOTI are making things much more dangerous and inconvenient for residents on the north end of Peachland. Left turns onto the Highway at both ends of Buchanan are now blocked meaning we have to drive seven minutes along Beach Avenue to the Bliss Bakery before we can turn onto 13th and exit at the traffic light. Without a left turn option people will not accept a seven minute drive to turn left, and will be pulling U-turns on the highway making things infinitely more dangerous. It will also be easier to get our groceries in West Kelowna, than to purchase locally, as most would prefer. As well, residents will not have a safe escape route to the south--important in the event of a wildfire like the one last year which came right down the highway from the north.
If our council had any input to these changes they did us a great disservice. Perhaps they
can now lobby for a concrete structure on the Highway at one end of Buchanan that allows drivers to enter, pause and merge with southbound traffic.
Gary Stannell, Peachland
Election a chance to shape the future
Dear Editor,
Mayor Van Minsel’s early launch of his re-election campaign gives our community an important head start on a critical question: who should be steering Peachland’s future?
Many of us moved here for a quiet restful retirement. It is incredibly tempting to just enjoy the view and hope for the best. But hope is not a plan.
This peaceful, vibrant town we enjoy today didn’t happen by accident, and it won’t survive on autopilot.
Peachland’s real engine is its citizenry. From running local events to anchoring community organizations, we are the force that actually builds the lifestyle everyone here enjoys.
To share your thoughts about any issues, write to us at: editor@peachlandpost.net
Drop us a line - we’d love to hear from you!
ROAD NAME OF THE WEEK
Now, we need to channel that same powerhouse energy into helping to ensure a robust and responsive local government.
The Mayor’s early announcement serves as our invitation to get involved. Maybe it’s time to step off the sidelines and consider running for office. It doesn’t require a specific skill set or mean sacrificing a quiet life.
It means bringing to the table your common sense, altruistic passion, wisdom and lifetime experience to ensure our town moves forward constructively. It means taking ownership, staying informed, and asking tough questions.
It is a fundamental civic responsibility to show up, speak up, and help actively shape the future we desire. The coming election provides a perfect opportunity to do so.
Madeleine Nixon, Peachland
Logging practices unsustainable
Dear Editor,
We just returned from a trip to Japan and were amazed at their endless mature forests which serve as a massive carbon sink and fresh water reservoir. Very impressive.
I think we need to ask the provincial government to ban
This road, leading from Princeton Avenue to the cemetery and beyond, is marked on J.M. Robinson’s 1902 map of Peachland and is clearly named, not as Vernon Avenue, but as Mount Vernon Avenue.
Robinson had grown up in the Niagara Falls area of New York and had evidently absorbed the American tradition of naming roads leading to a cemetery as Mount Vernon Avenue. This honours the name of the estate of George Washington, the first President of the United States.
In Peachland, we do not know when the
logging on all watersheds that are directly linked to fresh water supplies for municipalities. Present BC logging practices are unsustainable and the damage planned cannot be reversed in the near future and in some cases never.
It seems to many of us that BCTS and the provincial government are no longer acting in the public interest. It is our hope that Mayor and Council will do so on our behalf.
Murray Trusler, Peachland
Thanks for the history lessons
Dear Editor,
I wanted to write to thank you for the column “No History Know History” and “Road Name of the Week.” I thoroughly enjoy weekly facts about our beloved town as I’m sure many do. It even settled a longstanding argument about Huston Road which has always been debated to be “Houston” (as it’s correctly pronounced) vs how it’s spelt phonetically in our household. Keep up the good work! With thanks, Dan Selter, Peachland (Editor’s note: Thanks are appreciated Dan, but really should go to Richard Smith and Don Wigfield.)
“Mount” was dropped, but from early maps the road appears still to have been Mount Vernon Avenue as late as 1922.
George Washington had inherited his estate from his elder half-brother Lawrence Washington. Lawrence had served in a huge British naval fleet which, in 1741, attacked the Spanish fortress of Cartagena, suffering one of the most severe defeats in the history of the British Navy. Oddly, Lawrence Washington was so impressed with the fleet’s commander, Admiral Edward Vernon, that he re-named his plantation Mount Vernon.
by Peachland author, Don Wigfield
The guy who invented the door knocker got a no-bell prize
I saw an ad for burial plots, and I thought: “That’s the last thing I need!”
Son: “Dad, can you tell me what a solar eclipse is?”
Dad: “No sun.”
POST LETTERS
We encourage readers to submit letters to the editor on appropriate subjects. We reserve the right to edit letters for clarity, brevity and legality. Keep your submissions under 250 words and they are more likely to be published. Send your submissions to editor@peachlandpost.net
Kudos to the Climate Action Task Force for offering us a lifeline MUSINGS
Because we go to press on Tuesdays (the same day as Council and Committee of the Whole meet) it is sometimes best that when an important report or presentation is on the agenda, rather than scramble to summarize matters before deadline, we simply profile the issue and report at a later date on the discussion and any decisions made. Such was the case when the Climate Action Task Force report was presented to council at the Committee of the Whole meeting on Tuesday of this week. An important “report later” issue concerns how our council will deal with a recommendation regarding the creation of a Climate Action Coordinator position to facilitate adoption and implementation of the report’s
findings and recommendations.
The coordinator role is not one that can be undertaken effectively by assigning additional duties to an existing staff person. It requires the dedicated attention of someone skilled at managing complex change processes.
In this case, changes that involve the need for action by council, district staff, external agencies, suppliers, the community at large and each of us individually.
As we have reported elsewhere in this edition, the report includes more than 100 recommendations that span nine distinct Focus Areas and, as the report states:
“It is expected that the Climate Action Plan will be a long-lived and dynamic document whose implementation is reported on regularly and whose content is
POLICY MATTERS
Keith Fielding
reviewed and updated at least every 5 years. Updates will be needed to reflect new risks, new technologies and other changing circumstances.”
In further recognition of the magnitude and urgency of the challenges being addressed, the report also recommends that the Climate Action Coordinator be supported by having all future
Councils establish at their first meeting, a Climate Action Task Force, each being designed to run for the entire Council term.
Over the next several weeks Peachland Post will be reporting on the specific recommendations contained in the plan -- coverage that reflects our respect for, and commitment to, the Plan’s content, and our belief that the cost of creating the structures necessary to mitigate and adapt to climate change, pale in comparison to the benefits to be derived.
Keith Fielding is President of the Peachland Community Newspaper Society and editor of Peachland Post. He is also a former Peachland mayor and councillor.
FIELD SAVES THE GAME
Peachland’s “World Cup” at Turner Park Saturday, June 6
Flooding at Penticton’s Kings Park last week temporarily closed some soccer fields there, so a total of six youth Central/South Okanagan soccer games were shifted to Peachland’s Turner Park last Saturday, June 6, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
A total of 12 teams, 144 boys and girls and their parents, from Osoyoos, Oliver, Penticton, Summerland and Peachland played a total of six soccer games. This, by far, is the largest number of soccer kids playing and games ever played in Peachland on a single day.
Long term, the benefits to the town from having youth soccer tournaments here are obvious. Peachland played in two of the games Saturday, as the Peachland U9/10 girls played Penticton U10 girls team 1 at 9 a.m., with Penticton prevailing 2-0, and Peachland U9/10 boys
played Summerland U10 team 2 at 10 a.m. with Peachland winning a high scoring 10-8 game.
LOCAL COMMUNITY SPORTS
Randey Brophy
In the latter game, Summerland was ahead 5-3 at the half, but Peachland worked hard scoring seven goals in the second half to win the game. Peachland forwards and midfielders Ben Sawyer, Lincoln Bishuty, Tyson McIntyre, Easton Christianson and Jaden Forster all figured in the scoring, with Jaden getting
Gone but not forgotten, as the man it was named for NO HISTORY? KNOW HISTORY!
by RICHARD SMITH
George Pringle was a United Church minister who preached in both churches, Westbank and Peachland. When World War II came, he signed up in RCAF, to serve as a navigator on Coastal Command bombers. His Halifax bomber crashed near Southampton, England. His crew is buried with him in Bransgore Churchyard, Hampshire. Thanks to our school board chairman, his name will be preserved in the new school being built and opening soon...Lest we forget!
what might be the team’s goal of the year with a 35-foot rocket of a shot into the Summerland net.
Peachland was missing our 2 starting defenders, Dominic “the Dominator” Boden and Sawyer “the Destroyer” Hann-Cox, along with good midfielders Finn Conroy and Max Stripling. Note: There is absolutely no truth to the rumour that these four 9 and 10 year old Peachland boys have been called up to the Canadian Men’s National Soccer team for the upcoming World Cup.
The rest of the team had players Easton Christianson, Archie Manson, Carsen Charlesworth, Auston Bowers and Chase Braun all stepping up to each play hard at various times on defense. Chase Braun in the first half, followed by Jaden Forster and Auston Bowers all took turns playing goal and each made many great saves off a very good Summerland team.
Peachland coaches Martin Desaulniers and I thought it was the best game so far in the season.
Both before and after the game there was a lot of work done in field preparation.
Peachland had budgeted for a new field liner and staff to line the fields at Turner park, while the field liner equipment was approved, but the staff to operate it wasn’t, so unlike most neighbouring communities, where park staff
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line the fields, for this first season, lining is left to the user groups. From Friday afternoon to Saturday I was lining and relining the field, after the rain, to make it playable.
But it was worth it! There were nothing but positive comments from the visitors.
The former head of the Penticton Pinnacles has already said that in his opinion Turner Park is the best youth soccer field in the Okanagan valley.
There is still work to do. We need a water fountain at the park, probably more swings for the kids, and the washrooms need to have more than one toilet and be a bit longer to double as a change room for visiting teams. We also need delivery on the ordered additional two portable goalposts so we can have more than one youth soccer game being played at a time.
But this park is now a Peachland highlight, and a destination field for Okanagan youth soccer. Peachland kids, on Peachland teams, playing in Peachland parks.
Randey Brophy has coached youth soccer and baseball for 32 years. He spearheaded the drive for Turner Park to be redeveloped as a multiuse field in 2022 and formed the Peachland Youth Soccer club in 2023. He also manages and plays on a Peachland seniors slo-pitch team.
REACHING THE SUMMIT
Climbing the iconic Peachland trail a satisfying challenge
FROM PAGE 1
improving as you climb. Typically, legs are burning a little by this time and one’s breath is deepening but that dissipates as you get into the rhythm of the uphill climb.
About ten minutes in, you cross an old road that might have been used for forestry. The trail appears to continue on the other side, so you cross into the forest but almost right away the trail looks faint. Experienced hikers know that if you are not sure you’re on a trail, you’re not on a trail. There’s no mistaking that truth here. So you circle around back to the road and finally notice an obscurely placed sign on a tree with an arrow pointing to the right. Down the road, you can see an unmistakable crushed gravel trail heading up to the left. You’re back in business.
On the road you may see some fresh bear scat -- a reminder that if you didn’t think to take bear spray with, you should have.
The trail rises, moving through deadfall. As you can’t fight a steep trail, there’s nothing for it except to put one foot in front of the other, stay steady and lean into it. You can’t wish yourself to the top.
You can improve your fitness before you go on a hike, but on any given day the mountain is the mountain and you are you.
If you don’t wear high hiking boots you may need to pause to remove gravel and debris. But despite that discomfort it’s likely that by now your legs have warmed and are no longer complaining about the slope.
Soon you are rewarded with the first major open view on an exposed bluff. This height lets you see far up the lake almost to Kelowna, and far down the lake almost to Summerland. The switchbacks continue and you are climbing steadily up in
a westerly direction. It’s nice to see a little blue and white marker with a stick figure hiker on it indicating that you’re on the trail, but there’s really no mistaking it.
Now the Ponderosa pines are a bit thinner and shorter, and the trail curves to the south toward a series of higher bluffs. If this is unfamiliar territory you won’t necessarily know which is the summit. The trail splits off here and one part heads west. To where? Somebody in Peachland knows. But you continue southward on what is another less-used but clearly travelled trail that heads up to switchbacks.
You want to watch your footing, with the trail skirting some steep drops. To your left Peachland below is getting smaller and smaller, and more of Okanagan Lake is visible to the south. Plenty of birds and butterflies are around, and you probably want to pause to take photos.
Now the trail drops about 10 metres down the side of a bluff, and you are down climbing using handholds and footholds.
A little tricky, and one wants to be careful here. A fall wouldn’t likely be fatal but you’d bounce off a few rocks on the way down.
The trail then rises to another bluff, which requires another tricky downclimb on the other side. You may think you are close to the top but this is a false summit. That’s when you think you will be finished just over the next rise, but there’s another and another. If you’ve hiked in the Rockies you will be used to that.
But eventually you do get to the final bluff, almost a table-top, and it’s an unrivalled and spectacular view.
Peachland lies far below, and Okanagan Lake stretches to the northeast and south. A maze of trails around the summit
offers lots of different angles and places to take photos.
Or you can just enjoy the incredible lake views and mountains stretching off into the distance in many directions. There’s a Canadian flag and a guestbook to sign south and a little below the summit bluff.
It may have taken you an hour or so to make it this far, and you
are now eligible to join the “I’ve done Pincushion Mountain” club. Now, all you need do to is to get down and apply to the District for your certificate of completion••
Photos: Jeff McDonald Trail signs point out the way, along with what to expect along the hike.
FLOWER POWER
Natural remedy: blooms can improve your mood and health
Seeing the seasonal flowers blossom this spring makes me think of the significance of not only visual impression, but the impact flowers have on our other sensory organs. Colours are therapeutic. Colours trigger neurotransmitters and affect our mood. Yellow is warmth, happiness and helps us face new challenges as well as relieve sadness. Blues and purples are calming and can help with relaxation. If you’re ticked pink, it’s because you feel emotional support and a sense of gentleness and care. Red is energy, confidence and courage. Green is associated with nature, grounding and balance, in addition to stress reduction. The smells of flowers are impactful in our olfactory bulbs, or limbic superhighway. This is the emotional centre that manages our memories. Lavender is soothing and decreases stress; rose can reduce blood pressure and improve memory; rosemary enhances
LOCALLY-INSPIRED ARTWORK
WELLNESS
Dawn Boys
cognitive function and therefore memory; mock orange reduces anxiety and helps in relaxation; Russian olive’s sweet aroma is also soothing to the nervous system and aids in relaxation. Some of the flowers that are blooming in Peachland also have positive effects on our physical bodies. I forage arnica flowers and once infused in a carrier oil, these flowers pack a powerful punch in reducing inflammation, bruising, trauma from strains and sprains as well as helping with some dermal conditions. Rose petals are also a
multi tasking botanical as it aids in skin hydration, restoring the PH of skin, reducing eye strain and inflammation, and calming skin heat disorders. Calendula flowers infused in a carrier oil aid in inflammatory skin conditions, act as an anti microbial infusion and have antioxidant properties as well. This speeds healing and helps produce collagen as well as aids in wound healing.
And now for the edible flowers. And there are many. I love to forage the forest and garden to create a botanically beautiful salad. If you have kale or arugula going to seed, collect the flowers as a sprinkle atop the various greens that you’ve chosen. Add pansies, rose petals, nasturtiums, elderberry, lilac, dandelion, honeysuckle, cornflowers, wild chicory, chive and chamomile flowers for surprising flavours. And if you want a savoury dressing to top it off blend sage, rosemary, basil, nasturtium, lilies, arugula, and other bitter
flowers with garlic scapes, lemon and grapeseed oil to enhance the salad with a nutritious infusion.
By the way, if you don’t know what a garlic scape is, that’s the less garlicky tasting long green bit that grows from the top of garlic and results in flowers. Gardeners cut these off to give the underground bulb more energy to mature. So flowers are not just for the vase. They offer us many healing benefits in all of our sensory organs of perception and absorption. And nature provides what we need, when we need it most. Enjoy all the ways that you can benefit from flowers…visually, in their scent, body care and in the flavours that they offer.
Dawn Boys is a IAYT Yoga therapist, Ayurvedic counsellor, personal trainer, student counsellor and outdoor enthusiast.
Photos: Martha McKenzie
Peachland Elementary School students used pastels and chalk to create some beautiful artwork on a recent outing to the waterfront. Drawings included our lovely lake and the hills on the other side.
‘Not Just Tourists’ supports struggling hospitals in Cuba
By Jeff McDonalD
Iam in Santiago de Cuba, the second biggest city in Cuba, and I have been working toward this day for several months. Representing the Canadian organization Not Just Tourists (NJT), I am delivering 100 pounds of medical and surgical supplies to two hospitals.
Cuba is suffering under the US oil blockade, along with decades of US economic sanctions and a slowly failing non-market economy. The health system was not that long ago the best in Latin America and for years some population health indicators in Cuba were better than in the US. But I am quickly learning that the system is under severe strain, with even basic services and medicines no longer available.
bright pink. We wind through busy Santiago streets and arrive at the door of the bustling cardiology center. We are met by an administrator who doesn’t know why we’re there, but I explain and she goes off to confirm with the center’s director, Dr. Justo Pena.
We are ushered into his office and I meet for the first time Dr. Leandro Gonzalez, with whom I have been communicating from Canada to set this up. He’s young, maybe in his early thirties, a vascular disease specialist and surgeon.
Two local friends, Yoan and Alexander, arrive at my guest house to help me transport the supplies to the hospitals. I have been texting with a doctor I will meet today and he is waiting for us at the cardiology center in the Saturnino Lora hospital, a large regional and teaching hospital with some 600 doctors and nurses.
It’s Cuba, so of course the only taxi we find at the square is a perfectly restored 1957 Chevy, painted
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The contacts we have made with this hospital are important to NJT. The Vancouver chapter is led by Jeanine Mitchell who used her Cuba connections to establish a new one for these deliveries. Hundreds of Canadians like me have taken medical supplies to Havana and area. But eastern Cuba has always been visited by far fewer, especially now with visitor numbers to Cuba having collapsed, so my trip and delivery to Santiago de Cuba is an important first for NJT.
And here I am with these remarkable health professionals. (I think all health professionals are remarkable, especially since COVID.) We review the equipment list in one of my two large suitcases which includes, among other items, thousands of dollars’ worth of specialized cardiac surgical sutures. They are beyond appreciative, almost relieved it seems, to see them. I don’t want to take up their time, so we take some quick photos and say goodbye.
On to the maternity hospital next door, escorted by Dr. Gonzalez, who has very helpfully made a contact with a surgeon friend there, which we were not able to do from Canada. This large maternity hospital is Materno Norte where women from
around the region stay and are treated for pregnancy issues and deliveries requiring surgery. Like Saturnino Lora, it’s a busy place, with family members wandering around among the 200 nurses and doctors who work there.
Dr. Gonzalez takes us to a second-floor ward to meet Dr. Fernando de Valle Piñiera, who is quiet and formal. I did not communicate with him in advance and
I don’t know what Dr. Gonzalez has told him, but he pores over the list of surgical supplies we’ve brought and he’s very grateful. Again, after a quick photo, we say goodbye and make our way onto the street into the bright Santiago sun. My little delivery job is done but their work must go on, hopefully with these new supplies some better outcomes for some pregnant women in Santiago de Cuba.
Photo: Jeff McDonald
Dr. Fernando de Valle Piñiera and Peachland Post reporter Jeff McDonald with a case of surgical supplies at a Cuban maternity hospital.
CROSSWORD SUDOKU
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UYBDJAIOTFSAWAO
RRWALRARXROTZRG
AACFIRALEILREBA
GTEDULOILRIIAML
EIRLIQDWGVROLEL
OLEADLENTPPTAMI
UIMCOHSUOSAINEP
WORD LADDER
(6) Welsh
SMOSTXXYKORCDRO
(5) Fairness (8)
(5-7)
(8)
Keyword:
HOW TO PLAY: You are provided with ten clues that, when ordered, form a word ladder. Each clue is associated with an answer that is made up of between one and ten letters. The answer to the clue at the top rung of the ladder (position 1) consists of ten letters, the second rung consists of nine letters and so on. As you descend the ladder, the typical “drop-a-letter” rules apply whereby a letter is dropped and the remaining letters form the next answer, often in anagram form. Remember that the clues are in random order; it’s up to you to determine the number of letters in each clue.
THE CORRECT ORDER? CLUES (in no particular
Ten letters: hint: “E____”
Nine letters
Eight letters
Seven letters
Six letters
Five Letters: hint: “M____”
Four letters
Minor illness
Baseball’s Mickey
Formicarium resident
Black garnets
Poker stake
Elemental nitrogen
Most masculine
Intended
Eradicates
Inde nite article
POST EVENTS
JUNE 13-19
We invite you to post your group’s meeting times. Registration may be required. Please contact the organization for more details.
SATURDAY
50 PLUS CENTRE 250-767-9133
Carpet Bowling 9:30-noon
OKANAGAN FOLK SCHOOL
Shards & Shine 11 AM-1 PM and 1-3 PM
Story Slam Doors 5:30 starts 6 PM
PEACHLAND ART GALLERY
Hours Wed. to Sun. 10 AM-4 PM Exhibit “Dwell”
PEACHLAND LEGION
Tues. to Sun. opens at noon
Smash Burgers Meat Draw
50/50 3 PM
PEACHLAND LIBRARY
Global Justice 10 AM Drop in PEACHLAND MUSEUM & VISITOR
CENTRE 250-767-3441
Open Tues. to Sun. 10 AM-4 PM Train exhibit is operating
SUNDAY
50 PLUS
Church rental 10 AM -4 PM
OKANAGAN FOLK SCHOOL
Foraging as a way of life
3:30-5 PM
PEACHLAND ART GALLERY
Wed.-Sun. 10 AM-4 PM
Encaustic Art demo and join in Free 11 AM-1 PM
PEACHLAND LEGION
Steak Sandwich 13 Broken Bones
3-6 PM
Events listings are free to non-profit and community groups. Submit by Friday, 3 PM for publication the following Friday at info@peachlandpost.net
LITTLE SCHOOL HOUSE
English Cream Tea on June 28 Reserve
MONDAY
50 PLUS ACTIVITY CENTRE
50+ Fitness 8-9 AM
We Art Here 12 PM
Bridge 1-3:30 PM
Tae Kwon Do 5:30-7:30 PM
PEACHLAND COMMUNITY CENTRE
Indoor Walking 8-9 AM
Summer Pickleball All Play
Drop-in
10:30 AM-12:30 PM
Yoga Strength 10:45 AM-noon
Summer Pickleball All Play
Drop-in 1-3 PM
Fitness Blast 6:15-7 PM
Spin, Core & Stretch
6:30-7:30 PM
PEACHLAND WELLNESS CENTRE
Adult Day Service 9 AM
Ladies’ Social 1 PM
TUESDAY
50 PLUS ACTIVITY CENTRE
Yoga 8:30-9:30 AM
Carpet Bowling 9:30-noon
AA 12-1 PM
Mahjong 1-4 PM
Passion 4 Art 1-4 PM
Line Dancing 4:30-5:30 PM
Cloggers 6-7 PM
Treasure Hunters 7-9 PM
PEACHLAND COMMUNITY CENTRE
Flow Yoga 9-10 AM
Remedy Yoga 10:30-11:45 AM
Summer Pickleball All Play
Drop-in 10:30 AM-12:30 PM
Fitness Blast 12:30-1:15 PM
Summer Pickleball All Play
Drop-in 1-3 PM
Yoga for your Back 3:45-5:00 PM
Cycle Fusion 5:45-6:45 PM
Kata Flow Tai Chi 6:30-8 PM
Cousins Park
PEACHLAND LEGION
Catch the King 5 PM
Darts 7 PM
PEACHLAND LIBRARY
Summer Reading Program
Pick up registration packages
PEACHLAND WELLNESS CENTRE
Parkinson’s Support Group 10 AM
Ladies’ Cards 10:30 AM
Men’s Coffee & Crib 1 PM
Love, Loss, Grieving Group 1:30 PM
Register Meet at United Church Hall
PEACHLAND WHEEL NUTS
Show and Shine at Heritage Park 5-7 PM
WEDNESDAY
50 PLUS ACTIVITY CENTRE
50+ Fitness 9 AM
Chair Yoga 11-noon
Bridge 1-3:30 PM
Zumba Gold 1-2 PM
Tae Kwon Do 5:30-7:30 PM
PEACHLAND ARTS
Drawing with Terry Moore 1-3 PM $5
PEACHLAND COMMUNITY CENTRE
Indoor Walking 8-9 AM
Summer Pickleball All Play
Drop in 10:30 AM-12:30 PM
Summer Pickleball All Play Drop in 1-3 PM
PEACHLAND LEGION
Wings Special Karaoke 3-6 PM Sherry
PEACHLAND MODEL TRAIN
GROUP 6:30 PM Museum
PEACHLAND WELLNESS CENTRE
Tai Chi 10 AM in Heritage Park
Sunshine Singers 1 PM
THURSDAY
50 PLUS ACTIVITY CENTRE
Zumba 8:30-9:30 AM
Art In Peachland 10 AM-2 PM
Ukelele 1-2:30 PM
Bingo Doors 5 starts 6:30 PM
OKANAGAN FOLK SCHOOL
Natural Bug Spray 1-3 PM
PEACHLAND ARTS
Talent Showcase 6 PM
PEACHLAND COMMUNITY CENTRE
Yoga for your Back
9:15-10:30 AM
Summer Pickleball All Play
Drop In 10:30 AM-12:30 PM
Yoga Strength 11 AM-12:15 PM
Fitness Blast 12:30-1:15 PM
Summer Pickleball All Play Drop-in 1-3 PM
Kata Flow Tai Chi 6:30-8 PM
Cousins Park
PEACHLAND LEGION
Liver & Onions
Meat Draw 50/50 3 PM
PEACHLAND WELLNESS CENTRE
Adult Day Service 9 AM
FRIDAY
50 PLUS ACTIVITY CENTRE
50+ Fitness 9-10 AM
Coffee Beans 10:15-noon
Chair Yoga 11 AM-noon 1-4 PM Canasta
PEACHLAND ARTS
Paint with Wally 10 AM-noon Register for space 250-801-0416
PEACHLAND COMMUNITY CENTRE
Indoor Walking 8-9 AM Flow Yoga 9-10 AM
Creative Playtime 9:30 AM-12:15 PM
Myofascial Yoga 10:30-11:45 AM
Summer Pickleball All Play Drop-in 12:30-2:30 PM
PEACHLAND LEGION
Fish & Chips
Rollin Coal 6-9 PM
PEACHLAND LIBRARY
Cozy Stitch Group 1 PM
Drop in adults
For information on more programs at Peachland Community Centre search on-line at peachland.ca/recguide or phone 250-767-2133.
To
contact
Chief Operating Officer • Estimator/Project Manager Email: kris@intervalleyelectric.ca
Cell: 250-212-5622 Fax: 250-767-2275 www.intervalleyelectric.com
Willie’s PAINTING
