Art in the Park
The Kamloops Arts Council is encouraging local and regional artists to take advantage of the early bird application deadline of February 4 for the annual Art in the Park event on Canada Day. Artists are able to show and sell work in a variety of mediums, including paintings, jewellery, pottery, sculpture, fashion, woodwork, metalwork, glass, and leather. There are also categories for specialty foods and health and beauty products. Work must be handcrafted, and applications are juried based on originality, quality, and craftsmanship.
Art in the Park is the largest arts event in Kamloops, with approximately 30,000 people attending each year. There is an application fee of $15, and a registration fee of $100 is due upon acceptance ($150 if the application is made after February 4). Guidelines and the registration form can be found at www.kamloopsarts.ca.
Loon Lake Winterfest
The Loon Lake Winterfest, dinner, dance, and auction will be taking place on Saturday, February 11 from 5 p.m. until 1 a.m. The event features a roast beef dinner with all the fixings, dessert, and coffee, as well as a cash bar serving wine, beer, spirits, and mixers. There will be a silent auction and a live auction (conducted by a professional auctioneer), and music and dancing after the live auction.
Tickets can be purchased in advance for $20 each, and the event usually sells out. To purchase tickets, call Cathie Johnstone at (250) 459-2007, or email klennox14@gmail.com.
Alzheimer Society tele-workshop
The next tele-workshop being offered by the Alzheimer Society of B.C. is “Helping with Memory Loss” on Wednesday, February 8. Participants will learn strategies to help the person with dementia better cope with a decline in memory and preserve their independence, and find out how simple adaptations to your routine and to the environment can help minimize frustrations for both caregivers and those with dementia.
The workshop is offered at 2 p.m. and again at 7 p.m. A computer is not necessary in order to take part. Connect by phone at 1-866-994-7745 (participant pass code 1122333) or by internet at https://momentum.adobeconnect.com/alzheimerbc (enter as a guest).
Ice fishing derby
The Lillooet Lions Club is holding their annual ice fishing derby at Pavilion Lake on Sunday, February 12 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The grand prize is $500, sponsored by Savona Specialty Plywood Ltd.; second prize is $200, third prize is $100, and there will many consolation prizes. A concession will be available all day, and there are bathroom facilities on site. The entry fee is $20, and registration is at Pavilion Lake on February 12. Fishing regulations apply, and all proceeds go to community activities.
Calling Kamloops and area writers
The Dr. Robert and Elma Schemenauer Awards are now open for submissions until March 21, 2017. There are two categories of awards: “Writing with a Kamloops Theme” and “Writing Showing an Appreciation of Nature”. Each award is issued annually to a member in good standing of the Interior Authors Group, based in Kamloops. There is no fee to enter (other than the IAG membership fee of $35), and winners receive a certificate and a cash award of $200.
Submissions can take the form of poetry, short stories, novels, or other forms of writing, and must be original and previously unpublished. For more information about the awards, go to http://elmams.wixsite.com/awards. For more information about the Interior Authors Group, got to https://interiorauthorsgroup.wordpress.com/about/.
Top ten listing for Vancouver
Getting onto a global “top ten” list is usually something to aspire to; unless it’s a top ten listing of the most unaffordable cities in the world for housing. The 13th annual Demographia international housing affordability survey, which ranks the affordability of middle-income housing, surveyed 406 cities around the world, and Vancouver was the third most expensive city, behind Hong Kong in first place and Sydney, Australia in second. Toronto finished in 13th place, while Montreal placed 33rd and Calgary was in 37th place. Among the cities Vancouver “beat” to achieve its dubious honour are London, New York, Singapore, Honolulu, and Miami.
On the other side of the coin, the most affordable cities in Canada for middle-income housing are Moncton, NB; Fredericton, NB; Charlottetown, PEI; Moose Jaw, SK; Saguenay, QC; Saint John, NB; Sudbury, ON; Thunder Bay, ON; and Trois-Rivières, QC. The least affordable smaller housing markets in Canada are all in B.C.: Victoria, the Fraser Valley, and Kelowna. For the full report and listing, go to http://www.demographia.com/dhi.pdf.