A New Years greeting from TS co-president Bernie Klassen ahead of our monthly meeting this Wednesday night, 7 to 9 p.m., at Harbourside Cohousing, 6669 Horne Rd. in Sooke’s town centre. Everyone is welcome to attend in heeding Bernie’s urgent call to action.

“Happy 2019 to everyone on the Sooke Transition Town mailing list!

2018 was a busy year in Sooke. From the Planet Earth Party: Sooke Region Earth Day Celebration back in April, through issues around transit and pipelines, to the municipal elections, where we made a real difference, we had a heck of a year. Everyone in Transition Sooke needs to take a moment to reflect and, yes, to give ourselves a pat on the back for a job well done.

The Transition Town movement was born in Totnes, UK, only 13 years ago as a way forward in the face of peak oil (which petroleum scientists figure has come and gone, regardless of propaganda to the contrary), and climate heating. Transition Towns have accomplished a great deal, even in the face of government inaction and corporate push-back.

But 2019 dawns in the shadow of two new reports ~ the US Fourth National Climate Assessment and the IPCC Special Report 15 (aka “An International Panel on Climate Change Special Report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways, in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable development, and efforts to eradicate poverty”). Both detail the horror-show we knew was coming and now, has already begun.

The IPCC report points out that “pathways limiting global warming to 1.5°C with no or limited overshoot would require rapid and far-reaching transitions in energy, land, urban and infrastructure (including transport and buildings), and industrial systems. These systems transitions are unprecedented in terms of scale, but not necessarily in terms of speed, and imply deep emissions reductions in all sectors. If we followed these pathways, we would have clear emission reductions by 2030.”

2030. That’s only four thousand days away.

We are not on track for those “emission reductions by 2030.” Not here in Sooke, not provincially, not nationally. Not even close. And, according to the Special Report, we are already at 1.0°C of global heating—and we have to hold heating to 1.5°C or less. So business as usual means runaway global heating likely within the lifetimes of those now born.

We have a meeting coming up on January 9. And at that meeting I know that I would like to hear fresh, bigger ideas, new ways forward. This town we love has to become sustainable and we have about 4,000 days to get that done. We also have to think a bit bigger in how we get our provincial and national governments to get off their collective rears and start making hard, significant changes to the way we live our lives.

We’ve done a lot—more than we think we have. But the gun is here and we are under it. We need fresh ideas, fresh faces, fresh energy. Let’s start thinking about how the changes we need are going to happen.”

(image credit: Global University Network for Innovation)

All welcome to this public brainstorming event as our Sooke Region Multi-Belief Initiative fields input and ideas for a Sooke Compassionate Action Plan.

Saturday, October 27, 1 to 4 p.m

Sooke Baptist Church, 7110 West Coast Road, Sooke. 

Bring your ideas and energy as we identify key local social issues, look at how they’re being dealt with in the Sooke region … and then hone in on practical ways to tackle them further as a united Sooke region community.

This open-space meeting is the important first step in the development of a realistic, achievable Compassion Action Plan (CAP) for Sooke. Please contact the SRMBI’s Mark Ziegler (markziegler@shaw.ca) or Donald Brown (donhbrown@shaw.ca) to confirm your participation, or if you have any questions or comments. The SRMBI is a collective of caring individuals who share in common a belief in the golden rule. It is not a religious or political organization.

Much is already being done by individuals and organizations on such issues as homelessness, social isolation, community engagement, harm reduction, and other critical matters impacting youth, adults, families and seniors in the Sooke region.

The goal of the afternoon will be to identify as many as five key priorities that we as a community might want to tackle collectively with specific actions tagged to realistic timelines.  Under the direction of facilitator Michael Tacon, co-chair of Transition Sooke and a founding member of the SRMBI, the afternoon will unfold as follows:

 

i) Brief context-setting presentations from four speakers:

* Constable Sam Haldane, Sooke detachment of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police;

* Kim Kaldal, president of The Sooke Food Bank Society

* Sherry Thompson, co-founder of the Sooke Shelter Society

* Jonny Morris, Director of Planning and Strategic Priorities for the BC Division of the Canadian Mental Health Association

ii) Attendees will then join breakout groups to develop lists of local issues and/or projects that a Sooke Compassionate Action Plan might address;

iii) Collectively discuss and identify which of these issues/projects should be included in the final CAP plan;

iv) Create specific activities (with time lines and resource requirements) through which community associations and agencies would work to implement the plan.

This Compassionate Action Plan will be subsequently submitted to Charter for Compassion International along with all else the SRMBI has been doing as we strive to secure official recognition for Sooke as a Compassionate Community.

We will also request that the document be incorporated within Sooke’s new Official Community Plan.

“We look forward to your participation in this important and ambitious workshop,” says Ziegler. “Building on the exceptional services provided by volunteers and service groups throughout our caring community, Sooke can join Victoria, Nanaimo, Parksville, Powell River and 400 other cities and towns around the world officially recognized as Compassionate Communities.”

Breach of Trust: Indigenous Rights
and the Future of the Site C Dam

A thought-provoking evening with Amnesty International Canada‘s Craig Benjamin, Julian Napoleon from Saulteau First Nations, and Sarah Cox, author of Breaching the Peace: The Site C Dam and a Valley’s Stand Against Big Hydro (UBC Press).

A timely follow up to our Sooke Justice for the Peace evening with the Peace Valley Environment Association‘s Ken Boon in the spring that we co-presented with Rolling Justice Bus.  Special thanks to newly arrived Sooke resident Lily Mah-Sen for making the evening possible.

Admission free or by small donation to cover modest event costs.

About the speakers:

* Sarah Cox is an award-winning journalist who specializes in energy and environmental issues. Her work has appeared in numerous magazines, online publications, and provincial and national newspapers. Breaching the Peace is Sarah’s first book and tells the inspiring and astonishing story of the farmers and First Nations who fought the most expensive megaproject in BC history and the government-sanctioned bullying that propelled it forward. She lives in Victoria.

* Julian Napoleon is Dane-zaa/Cree from the Saulteau First Nations in Treaty 8. He recently moved back home to Moberly Lake after completing a Biology degree at UBC. He is dedicated to his role as a community hunter and fisher-person. As an uncle to many youth and children in his community, Napoleon carries the responsibility of passing on the traditional subsistence practices and cultural protocols of his people. He is also working closely with his nation on various food sovereignty initiatives.

* Craig Benjamin is an Amnesty International Canada campaigner for the Human Rights of Indigenous Peoples (First Nations, Inuit and Métis) in Canada. A non-Indigenous person currently living in Mi’kmaw territory in Nova Scotia, Craig is honoured to have had the opportunity to work alongside Indigenous activists from across Canada and around the world.

About Breaching the Peace (UBC Press)

“In the pages of this book, we read of the shameful litany of excuses offered up for government failures to uphold Treaty 8, respect human rights, and protect the environment. Federal officials pretend it is out of their hands and up to the province. The Horgan government now asserts it is hamstrung by the money already invested by its predecessors. Indeed, the overarching calculus comes down to money. Too expensive to turn back, says Premier Horgan. But the truth really is that he and all other political leaders before him have been unwilling and unable to accept their responsibility to treat the Peace River Valley and its people as something more than a resource to be exploited for the benefit of the rest of the province.

And as goes Site C and the Peace River Valley, so goes the rest of the country. Too expensive. Too entrenched. Too cowardly. Too short-sighted. Sarah Cox tells us a story that points to a history that defines more than 150 years of failure to respect the rights of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis in Canada. She shows us how failing once again to commit to reconciliation is also inextricably tied up with disregard for the rights of non-Indigenous families and communities and the prospect of devastating environmental destruction.” ~ Alex Neve, Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada from the foreword.

“This is a necessary book, truly a parable for our time.” ~ John Vaillant, author of The Golden Spruce: A True Story of Myth, Madness

“Sarah Cox has written a great book. Not only does she provide searing insight into how Site C developed, she does so through the eyes of the people most affected by it…a must read.” ~ Marc Eliesen, former president and CEO of BC Hydro, former chair and CEO of Ontario Hydro, and former chair of Manitoba Hydro

“Economic logic fails, a valley is inundated, and treaty rights are set aside in pursuit of political power: that’s the story of Site C.” ~ Harry Swain, former chair of the Site C federal-provincial review panel

Our 2018 Mayors’ Candidate Forum is set for the EMCS Community Theatre on Wed. Oct. 3 from 7 to 9 p.m. It will follow the same format as a session hosted by Transition Sooke in 2011. Each of the three candidates has been sent a set of questions prepared by Transition’s board of directors that reflect the organization’s own concerns and those of the community at large. Candidates will appear on stage together. In a rotation to be determined by a draw made by MC Michael Tacon at the start evening, they will answer these same questions as posed in person by two of our former board members, Yvonne Court and Mark Ziegler. They’ll have two minutes each for answers. Following a break at approximately 8:30 p.m., time will be allowed for questions from the audience. All welcome, no admission charge. 

For the record, here are our 15 questions:

1. How can we effectively control growth and ensure that the values enshrined in our Official Community Plan (OCP) are respected and maintained?

2. The principal of “Smart Growth” is integral to the OCP. What does Smart Growth mean to you? Do you see smart growth revitalizing downtown Sooke? What else, if anything, is needed to “fix” the downtown core?

3. What have you already done personally to reduce your carbon footprint?

4. A mayor is in an excellent position to lead by example. What would you personally do as mayor to encourage others to use less energy? To recycle, reduce, re-use? 

5. The Transition Town movement recognizes that individuals and communities want to be authors of their own stories — hopeful, active, and connected rather than despairing, passive and cynical. What would you do to encourage hope, civic participation, and a sense of belonging in Sooke?

6. How might you promote growth in quality of life rather than in dollars and cents

7. Localization: We are hearing more and more about the importance of local economies. i) How do you plan to kickstart local business and ensure more people who live here also work here; and ii) Should the District take a position on encouraging independent, locally-owned businesses and discouraging the arrival of more chain businesses?

8. Local and sustainable procurement policy.  A sound municipal procurement policy should include a variety of criteria for evaluating bids. One might be “locality” (that is, a consideration of whether the bidder is a local enterprise). Another is “sustainability” – for example whether the bidder uses recyled products. Would you agree to review Sooke’s procurement policies with a view to including locality and/or sustainability as considerations in evaluating bids and purchasing materials?

9. The Official Community Plan includes a commitment to “thriveability.” What does that mean to you, and how would you encourage thriveability in Sooke?

10. A safe, walkable community is essential in encouraging people to get out of their cars. Walkability is also important as we build a more densely populated downtown in Sooke. What steps will you take to improve walkability in the town core?

11. On a similar note to question #10, what would you do to encourage cycling and improve cycling safety in Sooke?

12. Cosmetic pesticide ban: BC municipalities have the right to ban the use of “cosmetic” or non-essential pesticides (i.e., the use of pesticides to enhance the appearance of lawns and gardens) within their borders. Would you support such a bylaw in Sooke? (It is Transition Sooke’s view, shared with the Canadian Cancer Society and many reputable, peer-reviewed scientific studies, that pesticides pollute our streams and harbours and endanger the health of people, pets and wildlife).

13. Food Security: One measure of a community’s resilience is its ability to feed itself.  Our local nonprofits Sooke Region Food CHI and the Sooke Farmland Trust promote farmland protection, regional food security and a vibrant, locally grown food economy. What might the District of Sooke do to promote and support these critical objectives? What new initiatives are possible?

14. Please share your knowledge of how the District of Sooke is working towards carbon neutrality, developing a clean, renewable-energy economy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

15. Traffic Congestion: Polls indicated that this is the number one issue for Sooke residents. What steps are being taken — and might be taken — by the District to deal with congestion on our main roads and in residential developments? How would you encourage the mode shift from cars to other forms of transportation?

 

 

 

 

 

Transition Sooke is going through a transition of its own. Jeff Bateman, our president these last nearly five years, is stepping down to focus on his bid for a seat on Sooke council in the October election. Best wishes to Jeff in the months ahead, and our warm thanks for his dedicated service since he first joined our board in 2011. Past-president Michael Tacon and fellow board member Bernie Klassen will be taking over the reins until our next Annual General Meeting early in 2019. They’ll be leading our current team of Paivi Abernathy, Martin Bissig, David Hannis, Stephen Hindrichs, Paula Johanson, Wynne LeComte, Wendy O’Connor and Jo Phillips. As we move into this new chapter, we’re seeking fresh energy, interest and engagement from our supporters. To that end, we’re pleased to invite you to a TS open house on Wednesday, September 5 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Harbourside Cohousing, 6684 Horne Rd.  We sincerely would appreciate getting to know you better in a social context in Harbourside’s lovely common room. Bring your ideas and enthusiasm. Coffee, tea and treats will be served. Promise: No obligations! You won’t be press-ganged into volunteer service.   (image: alternative logo designed for us in 2014 by the late East Sooke artist Kay Lovett)   Transition Sooke is dedicated to a spectrum of what we believe are critical local concerns. These include: * Smart Growth civic planning * Local jobs and the local economy * Waste reduction, recycling and reuse * Green energy * Transportation and public transit * Reskilling education * Permaculture and food security * Social issues * Compassionate communications * Ecohomes and alternative housing * Much else! We’re a relaxed, friendly, consensus-based group operating as a big-tent society that welcomes, supports and facilitates individual and working group initiatives that align with our values and those of the international Transition Town movement. TS was officially recognized by the Transition Network in 2010 after foundational work by residents John Boquist, Margaret Critchlow, Andrew Moore and Michael Tacon. Our first public gathering was held at the T’Sou-ke Nation solar facility on June 23, 2010, and we’ve been busy on a wide variety of fronts ever since. Learn more about our working groups and history online at https://transitionsooke.org.  If you’ve questions or wish to confirm that you’ll be attending , please email us at sooketransition@gmail.com.

Nearly five decades after it’s birth at a Kemp Lake Road farmstead, the Caravan Stage Company is returning to Sooke’s Government Wharf for a three-night run of its urgent and spectacular “climatopian” rock opera Nomadic Tempest.

Moored at the foot of Maple Ave. South, the company’s troupe of actors, musicians, aerial artists and sound/visual technicians will perform aboard the tall ship Amara Zee. They’ll mount one show per night at 10 p.m. on Thurs., Fri., Sat. July 12, 13 and 14.

Nightly attendance is limited to 250 people. The site will open each night at 9 pm and it’s recommended you arrive no later than 9:30 to ensure a prime view. Dress warmly for this outdoor show. Please bring your own low-slung chair or blanket. 

Thanks to a community grant from the District of Sooke, tickets are by donation. Reserve and print-out tickets online at Eventbrite. 

A limited number of tickets may be available at the gate each night. Please consider purchasing your tickets in advance to guarantee admission.

Volunteers are needed for a variety of positions in return for a free ticket. If you’re interested, contact tour coordinator Miranda Feldtman at amarazee@gmail.com with the subject line “Sooke volunteer”, cc sooketransition@gmail.com.

Nomadic Tempest envisions a world devastated by climate change. The Vancouver Sun described it as “an outdoor Cirque du Soleil and IMAX hybrid with a smattering of J.R.R. Tolkien and David Suzuki.” The production continues a long Caravan tradition of presenting accessible agitprop theatre that delivers impactful wake-up-calls about the planet and modern culture.

Paul Kirby and his life partner Adriana Kelder (ne Zigay) rolled out of Sooke in 1970 with their one-wagon, horse-drawn puppet show to perform in communities across Vancouver Island. In time, the company grew to feature six wagons drawn by teams of Clydesdale horses that toured every corner of North America from its base in Armstrong, BC, racking up more than 20,000 horse-drawn miles.

After a hiatus in the mid-1990s, the Caravan switched from dry land to open water aboard the custom-built Amara Zee, a 30-meter long ship modelled after a traditional Thames River sailing barge. A shallow draft of 1.2 meters has allowed it to access hundreds of waterfront communities large and small around the world.

Audiences gather on the shore and experience original music, soaring vocals, aerial artistry and large scenic elements backed by spectacular lighting and sound effects. The production is a continuous cinematic panorama of originally designed video graphics, animations and images. Within the upper trusses and the lower decks, as the Aerialists cavort, a palette of surprises, colors, and mechanical transformations unfold.

After performing Nomadic Tempest along America’s gulf coastline last summer, the ship was transported through the Panama Canal for dates on the BC coast in the fall and a local moorage over the winter. Performances in Nanaimo and Courtenay will have preceded the Sooke dates, following which the tour will sail to Port Townsend, Bellingham and Seattle.

Our TS working group, the Sooke Region Multi-Belief Initiative, is hosting a summer solstice celebration on Sat. June 23 in the apple orchard at InishOge Organic Farm, 6698 Helgeson Road just east of Otter Point Rd. All welcome, no charge. Bring a picnic lunch, whatever you need to be comfortable and your playful spirit. It promises to be a fun, communal and meaningful afternoon in the heart of the idyllic Sooke farmbelt.

Get to the farm at 11 am to participate in an hour-long work party involving lightweight chores as we offer some help to our hosts, Steve, Mary, Finn and Chloe.

Or arrive at Noon for the lighting of the fire pit and the start of festivities. On the afternoon’s relaxed schedule will be a circle dance led by Vivi Curutchet; a witness circle led by Hum (Eric Anderson); a multi-faith singalong with Phil Rossner; and, if we’re all so moved, a drum circle (bring your own drums, rhythm instruments and noisemakers).

As InishOge’s Mary Coll will tell us, the longest days of the year signal the start of mid-summer and the time when, metaphorically and literally, the fruit of another growing season is ripening and ready to be picked. What might that bounty be in your own life? How can whatever it is be of service to yourself, your circles and the community at large? Thoughts to ponder and perhaps share during Hum’s witness circle.

By the way, the summer solstice is exact at 3:07 am Pacific Time on Thursday.

Also upcoming: 

* Tues. June 19: Ministry of Transportation & Infrastructure Open House, 4 to 8 pm, in the lobby at Edward Milne Community School. Drop-in anytime to talk to Ministry officials and share your ideas and frustrations about the winding road home as MOTI planning proceeds for phase two improvements to Highway 14. Slow-car pullovers and signage? Passing lanes? Roundabouts? Stop lights? Speed enforcement? More crosswalks? Now’s your chance to weigh in. If you can’t make it in person, feedback can be offered via email. More info on the current improvement program here.

* Wed., June 20: Zero Waste Sooke‘s regular third-Wednesday monthly meeting at the Sooke Library on Anna Maria Rd. Everyone welcome. 6:30 to 8 pm. Topics to be discussed include the next ZWS delegation to council (July 9), the Earth Day legacy fund, and early planning for the next Sooke Repair Cafe in October.

* Thurs., June 21: National Indigenous Peoples Day in Canada. Local events are scheduled for the Victoria Native Friendship Centre (10 am to 3 pm), Royal Roads University (10 to 3 pm), the Royal BC Museum (starting at 10:30 am) and West Shore Parks & Recreation(11 to 3 pm). (shared on from the T’Sou-ke/Sooke Reconciliation Group.)

* Sat., June 23: Drop by and visit with Zero Waste’s Jo Phillips at the Sooke Country Market from 10 am to 2 pm. Corner of Eustace and Otter Pt.

* Sun., July 1:  Sooke Canada Day at the flats  www.canadadaysooke.com

* Sat. July 7: Afternoon Tea in a Metchosin Country Garden.  Rolling Justice Bus presents a fundraiser for Site C dam legal challenges.  Featuring Sarah Cox, author of “Breaching the Peace”, hand-crafted eats and live music. 4856 Jelkinek Place. Recommended: $50/person, otherwise pay-what-you-can. To reserve a ticket: GardenParty@sitecsummit.ca

*Thurs/Fri/Sat, July 12, 13, 14: TS presents  Caravan Stage Company at the Sooke Government Wharf.  A world-travelling troubador group that originated in Sooke in 1970 performs from the deck and rigging of their ship the Amara Zee. Presenting “Nomadic Tempest” a Cirque de Soleil type production that is a cautionary tale about climate change. 9:00 p.m.  Tickets by donation.

* Sat., July 28: Compost Education Centre will be at the Sooke Saturday Market as guests of Zero Waste Sooke.  They will bring some demo composters and answer questions about the art of making compost no matter what your circumstances. 10-2

Closing with a few links from our social media streams: 

* Sooke residents are wanted for a new District of Sooke Affordable Housing committee led by Councillor Ebony Logins. Apply here. Deadline: June 29.

* High five to Sooke council for unanimously affirming the Charter for Compassion  following the June 11 presentation by the Sooke Region Multi-Belief Initiative’s Mark Ziegler. The SRMBI emerged from Mayor Tait’s 2016 Health Summit as one among other ways Sooke can evolve into even more of a caring community than is already the case. We’re planning a workshop in the fall as the local campaign continues. If you’ve not done so yet, please affirm the Charter online.

* Download the District of Sooke’s 2017 Annual Report. Offer feedback in person at the Mon. June 25 Committee of the Whole meeting at the Municipal Hall starting at 6 pm.

* BC’s new Wild Salmon Advisory Council: x-month of public process vs this short-cut to solutions (aka the Cohen Commission) and action on its recommendations regarding fish farms.

* Years of Living Dangerously: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nk8izVrznFk. David Letterman investigates India’s solar revolution and SNL’s Cecily Strong learns how US utility companies are blocking renewables in many states.  Sound somewhat familiar?

* The CRD seeks public input regarding its new EV and E-bike Infrastructure Planning Project. Deadline for survey submissions is July 8.

* Become a Witness for the Peace and support the Treaty 8 legal challenge to the Site C dam.

* Andrew Coyne takes five minutes to explain why Canada’s electoral system is broken (recorded before Doug Ford’s victory in Ontario, where 17 percent of eligible votes delivered 100 percent of the power). Click here for a PDF of BC Attorney General David Eby’s How We Vote electoral-reform referendum report.

* Next on our speaker wish list: Dr. Peter Carter, founder of the Climate Emergency Institute and co-author of Unprecedented Crime: Climate Science Denial and Game Changers for Survival. The Pender Island resident delivered a fascinating talk in Metchosin last month and we’d like to bring him here for a Sooke audience in the fall. A few (among many) reasons we need to hear from Dr. Carter: Exhibits A … B … C … D … E … F.

* A proposal for tiny home villages from Practical Utopian Guy Dauncey

* A wonderfully close encounter with a pair of Sooke’s wild things captured by a Project HOWL trailcam last month. Fast forward to 3:50 for a sniff and muzzle of the camera.

* A fab and timely closing song … and one Phil might play by request on June 23 at InishOge Farm. Please join us 🙂

* Tues., May 15, 7 pm, Sooke Region Museum, 2070 Phillips Rd. With bear season heating up, Wild Wise Sooke‘s Debbie Read and her new sidekick Samantha Webb from the Wild ARC will host an information/volunteer recruitment night. No charge. On a related Wild Wise note, please complete this online survey on local bear-habituation issues being conducted by Royal Roads University students.

* Wed. May 16, 5:30 to 8 pm, downstairs in the Community Hall. Library 2018 preview! Drop-in to see the blueprints, meet the architect and say hello to current library staff as we all rub hands gleefully in anticipation of the new Sooke branch of the Vancouver Island Regional Public Library system. (Check the Sooke PocketNews story, which includes links to earlier episodes in this happy saga.)

* Wed. May 16, 4 to 7 pm, SEAPARC. District of Sooke open house and opportunity to offer feedback re: the proposed Demamiel Creek Pedestrian Crossing.

* Wed. May 16, 6:30 pm, Sooke Library. Regular meeting of Zero Waste Sooke. All welcome to drop-in and join the discussion as this TS working group led by Bernie Klassen continues to shape Sooke’s future as a model zero-waste community. Time for a plastic bag ban and drinking water fountains in Sooke? Can we expand and promote the BYOB campaign? Your ideas and energy are essential.

* Fri., May 18, 8:30 to 4 pm, Prestige Hotel. The Sooke Region Communities Health Network‘s Age Friendly Committee presents “Aging With Grace,” a day-long summit focused on health, housing, transportation, seniors activities, lifelong learning and more, all with a Sooke twist. Speakers lined up by SRCHN’s coordinator Christine Bossi will include Mary Dunn, Andrew Moore, Carol Pinalski, Janet Raynor-Thorn, Doni Eve and Rick Robinson. Free admission, lunch included. Limited seating. Register ASAP by calling SEAPARC at (250) 642-8000. (This is the latest in a series of follow-ups to the 2016 Community Health Summit, from which our Sooke Region Multi-Belief Initiative arose).

* Wed., May 23, 6:30 pm, Sooke Library. Timothy Snyder‘s On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century will be discussed by the Transition Sooke Book Club. All welcome to join Paula Johanson, the regulars and new faces for what’s guaranteed to be a lively, far-ranging discussion about a slim book that started life as a Facebook post and has rapidly evolved into an essential guide for those alarmed by the rising tide of nationalism, closed borders and authoritarian governments.

* Wed. June 13, 7 pm, EMCS Community Theatre. Awareness Film Night‘s 2017/18 season finale will be the rousing short documentary Water Warriors. It details how indigenous and non-native locals in a small New Brunswick town dared to challenge the oil and gas industry. AFN’s Jo Phillips is working on further plans for the night, which will include either another film, a panel discussion or both. Thank you once more, Jo, for delivering timely, thought-provoking alternatives to mainstream media.

Recently featured on our Facebook page and Twitter feed … 

~ Starhawk interviewed by Transition Network founder Rob Hopkins.

~ Globe & Mail infographic tracks the projected impact of increased west coast oil tanker traffic + Naomi Klein weighs in + this Paul McKay article from the Energy Mix. <clip> “Despite new ultimatums from Ottawa, Alberta and Kinder Morgan, take a deep breath, Premier John Horgan. Hold your ground. Follow the molecules, not the money. When the bitumen bubble inevitably bursts, it will be obvious that your most abrasive opponents were full of sound and fury, signifying nothing in the way of scientific honesty, international ethics or even viable exports.”

~ Author Sarah Cox on what’s wrong with Site C (from The Tyee). (PS Want to get involved with Sooke Citizens for the Peace? Send us an email and we’ll put you in the loop with this group arising from our March Justice for the Peace night with Ken Boon and friends.)

~ Updated: Our Pesticide Education Group’s webpage, including a recent response from a Monsanto Canada spokesman that reads in part: “As a retired landscaper who used these products (Roundup) for over 25 years at levels the table cosumer will never experience, and now as an employee of Monsanto Canada, I sleep well at night knowing glyphosate is still ranked as less toxic than coffee, red meat or wood dust.”

~ Kudos to Dogwood Sooke’s Roland Alcock for winning Sooke council approval on a proposal that the District of Sooke join the climate accountability movement by seeking reparations for the costs of climate-change mitigation from 20 of the world’s largest fossil fuel companies + hat tip to council for sending an SOS (Save Our Salmon) resolution re: fish farms to the Association of Vancouver Island & Coastal Communities convention last month, where it passed and will now be voted on by UBCM delegates in the fall before being forwarded to the BC government. In the meantime, however …  😦

~ “Death knell for net metering” BC Hydro sets new guidelines for surplus solar

~ CBC Radio Ideas episode featuring On Tyranny author Timothy Snyder

~ “Researchers discover trees have a ‘heartbeat,’ it’s just so slow we’ve never noticed before” + “The secret life of plants, no really” (Macleans) + encourage government action in the campaign to preserve Muir Creek.

~ Anticipation 🙂

Author, activist, permaculture designer and teacher Starhawk is returning to Sooke on Thurs. May 10 for a TS-presented encore talk and Q&A session at the Sooke Legion. Her address will be titled “Vision, Hope and Strategy”and it will explore how all three of these factors are critical in working towards a better tomorrow.

As with Starhawk’s local debut at the Legion a year ago, doors open at 6:30 for an evening that will run from 7 to 9 pm. Tickets at $15 each will be available at the door or in advance via Eventbrite (search term: ‘Sooke Starhawk’). The evening’s MC will again be TS board alumnus Lee Hindrichs.

“My own feeling is that the business-as-usual forces, the centralized power Oilasaurus, is like a dying dinosaur, wounded and thrashing about,” says Starhawk. “The question is how do we limit the damage it does on the way out? And also hold to a vision of what comes after?”

Starhawk brings social justice, care of the earth and spirituality to a vision of how our societies can function for the benefit of all. She is cited as one of 2018’s  “100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People” by Mind, Body & Spirit magazine.

She is the author of thirteen books on earth-based spirituality, group dynamics and social permaculture. Her bibliography includes The Spiral Dance, The Earth Path, The Pagan Book of Living and Dying, The Empowerment Manual, and the novels The Fifth Sacred Thing and its follow-up City of Refuge.

Through her organization Earth Activist Training, Starhawk directs courses in permaculture and regenerative design grounded in earth-based spirituality and with a focus on organizing and activism. She is travelling to Sooke during a break a course she is teaching at O.U.R. Ecovillage in the Cowichan Valley.