10 • Wednesday July 28, 2010 The Valley Sentinel
» COMMUNITY
New Chamber website Marie Birkbeck Contributor uilding a website from scratch is no easy task! We knew that we needed a website that was linked to but not attached to another website. We had to first get quotes from a few web designers, then apply for funding, and wait. Meanwhile, we pursued the creation of a LOGO that would be truly our own, and we got one that we are proud of. At the same time, we collectively researched and scoured numerous websites to find various features that we felt we would need for our website. How much content do we want? How man-y pages? What colors? Decisions, decisions; hundreds of emails were fired back and forth among Board members as we made these choices. Our major goal for building our website is to really showcase all the businesses, services and events taking place in Valemount and Area. We are also taking a proactive role in providing as much information and resources to the public as we can. As a Chamber of Commerce, we feel it is very important to represent ALL Businesses and Services in Valemount and Area, whether it is a corporate chain or a home based cottage industry, and everything in between. We knew in order to do this we would have to build a comprehensive business directory, so that if someone is looking for a towing company, an abattoir, or a massage, they will be able to find what they are looking for on our website. One of the big challenges we are facing with this, is how many categories will we need? There is a powerful search engine that will be able to cross reference listings. Listings
B
are free but paid Chamber members will have the added bonus of a link to their website. I have recognized a need for a Community Events Calendar in Valemount since I became involved with the Chamber in 2007. It just took time to get the tools in place to do this. We are very excited about finally being able to create a Community Events Calendar that we hope will encompass all functions planned for the Village and the Area, so we are not all constantly fighting for the same audience. The calendar will have a print option on it, and it may also have a "subscribe" feature where people can receive a bi-monthly email listing of events on the calendar. One big hurdle to overcome here is finding contact information for the numerous activities that take place in the area, so we are relying on the public to step up and submit their information to us. Other things a visitor to www. valemountchamber.com will find are our member application form, member benefits, quick links to the BC Chamber Policy Manual, the numerous notes and newsletters that we receive on a weekly basis, a photo gallery of Chamber members and events. There will be a section under Resources for Going Green - for the environmentally conscious, and links to as many resources as we can get our hands on. More content will be added as time and manpower permit. Until the end of August Umesh will be inputting most of the information, but once the summer is over updates will be done by a dedicated group of volunteers. Let's all work together to showcase what Valemount really has to offer!
More impressions from Costa Rica: Happy Planet Index Donalda Beeson Contributor
O
ne of the things that interested me most while living in Costa Rica (CR) is how happy the local people are, even though by my standards, they live with much less and have less opportunities in life than we do in North America. In general the ultimate aim of most people there is not to be rich, but to be happy and healthy. Delving deeper into the studies claiming that CR is the happiest country in the world, I found that in fact CR ranks high by whatever system is used. The World Database of Happiness rates them 1 out of 148 countries. The Happy Planet Index (HPI), an index of human well being in relation to their environmental impact, rates CR as being the happiest country in the world in 2009, up from 3rd happiest in 2006. Canada came in 111th happiest in 2006, and went up to 89th happiest in 2009. This is based on 143 Countries. Given that happiness and human well-being is very subjective and personal, this is difficult to measure. However the HPI makes a good attempt. It is generally based
diminish the opportunity of future people and people in other countries from achieving the same thing. Human well-being is measured in relation to “happy life years”, (a measure merging from life expectancy and self reported life satisfaction), and adjusts for environmental impact or ecological footprint. Ecological footprint per capita tries to estimate the amount of natural resources
SENTINEL SIGHTSEER
Amanda and Sean Silverstein (Center) show off their favourite local paper during a themed Bocce Tournament in Eagle Hills, Alberta. The theme of the tournament was “Famous Dead People/Characters.”
Take The Valley Sentinel with you on your next vacation! Send your sentinel sightseer to editor@thevalleysentinel.com Don’t forget to send us a brief description, include who is in the photo, where they are and what they’re doing!
Donalda making friends with a rescued monkey.
on the utilitarian principles, that most people want to live long and fulfilling lives. Hence the country that does this best, not only supports its citizens in doing so, but also does not allow them to
that are required to sustain a country's current lifestyle. A country with a large ecological footprint probably uses more than its fair share of resources, and is likely draw-
ing resources from other countries, and sometimes causing permanent damage to our planet which will in turn impact future generations. CR has a very small ecological footprint, so they are not infringing on other countries’ rights to happiness, they are highly satisfied with their lives and they live relatively long lives, with an average life expectancy of 78.5 years. Canada’s life expectancy is even higher at 80.3 years, and we are equally satisfied, but our ecological footprint is unfortunately much bigger. According to the HPI website, ecological footprints are a measure of the amount of land required to provide all the countries resource requirements and the amount of vegetated land required to absorb the CO2 emissions they produce and CO2 emissions of the products they consume. This number is expressed in units of global hectares, and represents an estimate of the total amount of productive hectares available on the planet divided by the world’s total population, equaling a global, per capita figure, on the basis that everyone is entitled to the same amount of the planet’s natural resources. So, then, a person using up to 2.1 global hectares (gha) is, by these standards, using their fair share of the world’s resources. This standard rates Costa Rica with using 2.3 gha and, Canada using 7.1 gha. The U.S. uses a whopping 9.4 gha. Life satisfaction however, based on surveys, rates CR and Canada about the same. CR gets an 8.5 out of 10 and Canada is only slightly behind with an 8. There is much to learn about happiness, hence my exploration and pursuit.