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Reminder: Members’ Meeting this coming Thursday @ Reading Room
Transition Sooke invites you to an Open Space gathering at the Reading Room Café from 7 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, April 25th. You, our members, have the power and desire to help our town respond to the major concerns of the global Transition Town movement – climate change, fossil fuel dependence and economic instability. The “Open Space” process allows attendees to set the agenda, identify key issues and offer concrete directions. You will have a chance to express your point of view, add your creativity, listen deeply, and vote with your feet as well as with colourful cards. Open Space meetings can result in transformative experiences for the individuals and groups involved. Let’s see what happens! ~ regards, Michael Tacon on behalf of the Sooke Transition Town Core Team (Yvonne, Margaret, Andrew, Lee, Stephen, Erik, Sofie and Jeff)
Call to Action: Make Vancouver Island a GE-Free Zone
Elected officials of Vancouver Island and the Coastal Communities need to know that we, the people, are against genetically engineered foods being grown on our island. So declare Vancouver Island a GE-free zone!
Where: Prestige Hotel, Sooke
When: April 13 from 11:30-12:30
Paint your message on a placard
Wear green as a sign that natural is where it’s at on Vancouver Island
Bring a GE-free seed and a friend
What have you got to lose….clean local food!
Let everyone know and show up!
Take a look at our Event Facebook page!
Plotting The Course Ahead: Wide Open Spaces @ the Reading Room, April 25
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Creating Sustainable, Affordable Housing Communities in Greater Victoria
To register for the March/April/May/June dialogue sessions (details in the link and pasted below): https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PRWBVCB
Village Building Dialogue Sessions:
Exploring Possibilities for Creating Sustainable,
Affordable Housing Communities in Greater Victoria
Intention
The purpose of this series is to help generate community readiness for creation of sustainable, affordable housing communities in the Capital Region. These facilitated dialogues will bring together the expertise of featured resource people and the creativity of diverse participants.
Upcoming dates, topics and resource people:
Thursday, March 21st – Strategizing to Attract Land and Capital, with Gene Miller, Linda Ross, William Ross & Veronica Doyle
Thursday, April 4th– Developing Co-ops and Co-housing, with Marty Frost, Joy Emmanuel, Margaret Critchlow and Bill McKechnie
Thursday, May 2nd – Designing Living Buildings, with Ann and Gord Baird
Thursday, June 6th – Conserving Water and Using “Waste”, with Anita Wolfe; Ann and Gord Baird
Details
Time: 7:00 – 9:00 pm (doors at 6:45)
Location: Garry Oak Room (1335 Thurlow, off Moss St)
Cost: by donation (suggested $5 – $20) – refreshments provided
Facilitator: James Pratt (for more information, contact james@prattconsulting.ca)
Participants: people interested in learning about, and potentially co-creating, sustainable and affordable housing in this region!
Video & Dessert Night @ The Little Vienna: Stephen Hindrich’s playlist
In case you weren’t able to gather with the lively crew at the Little Vienna on Feb. 16, here’s the full playlist of videoclips presented by Stephen Hindrichs. Once you’ve selected a clip, either watch it on your mobile device or switch the setting to “desktop” for full-screen playback. Thank you Stephen and the Little Vienna’s Susan Nyikes for your hospitality, and to all who turned out for a lively, inspiring and conversationally rich evening.
1. Co-Housing Ecovillages around the World
http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=MtNjZaXDGqM&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DMtNjZaXDGqM
2. Growing Food One Million Gardens
3. Enlightened Simplicity Masanobu Fukuoka
4. Permaculture by Sepp Holzer
5. God made A Farmer ad
6. God made a Farmer Spoof
7. Where the Hell is Matt
8. Hugelkultur 60 seconds
9. Doing it ourselves
10. Two Options
11. Low tech High impact Bio Char
12. Community; How to create your own Village
13. The Story of Streetbank
Daytimer for the month ahead
Potentially busy month ahead for Sookies of all ages interested in new possibilities and radical-shift thinking about themselves and the community at large. Here’s a countdown of what’s ahead on the calendar.
1. Awareness Film Night, Wed. Feb. 13 @ EMCS, 7 p.m. A festival of short films of interest to Transition Town disciples followed by three presentations: Frederique Philip on her downtown beautification campaign (which she calls “boatification” for good reason); Susan Nelson & Vivi Curutchet on the Village Farm Ecovillage; and Margaret Critchlow on the Harbourside, the senior cohousing project set for Ralph Hull’s Sooke Ocean Resort
2. Harbourside Information Session, Sat. Feb. 16, 1 to 4 p.m. @ Sooke Ocean Resort, 6669 Horne Rd. Find out more about the senior cohousing and the RRU course. Free Admission but please RSVP to seniorcohousing@gmail.com
3. Video & Dessert Night @ the Little Vienna, Sat. Feb. 16, 7 to 9 p.m. The JDF Cycling Coalition’s Stephen Hindrichs presents his second night of short films and friendly conversation at Sooke’s favorite bakery/bistro. Free admission + coffee, tea and sweet treats at a special price.
4. The Power of Hope @ EMCS, Saturday & Sunday, Feb. 16 and 17. The celebrated Pacific Northwest youth empowerment organization returns to Sooke for the first time in a decade with a special weekend arts and leadership camp titled “Positivity: Creativity, Diversity & Community Building” (exactly what Transition Town’s all about, in other words). Know any teenagers aged 14+ who might be interested? Point them to the EMCS Society registration page.
5. Sierra Club of Victoria film screening, Wed. Feb. 20, 7 p.m. @ Sooke Community Hall (2037 Shields Rd.). “White Water Black Gold” is about three hikers who follow an imaginary drop of water from the Columbia icelands through the Alberta tarsands focusing on the effects the tarsands is having on our water supply. There is no charge for the event and the club is trying to arrange for the director David Lavallee to be present, at least for the film’s introduction.
6. Seedy Saturday, Sat. Feb. 23, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. @ Sooke Community Hall. Sooke Region Food CHI Society’s annual seed sale and exchange promoting biodiversity, heritage plants and education. Drop by and say hello to Transition Town core-team member Sofie Hagens at our table.
7. Transition Town Cafe, Sunday, March 3 @ the Reading Room Cafe. Another monthly chance to share ideas, plot practical actions and enjoy lively dialogue with local Transition Townies.
8. Royal Road University presents “Aging Well in Community,” two Saturdays, March 9 and 16 @ Sooke Ocean Resort: Learn how to “get your head out of the sand and enjoy the second half of life.” Led by Transition Town’s Andrew Moore and Margaret Critchlow and limited to 20 participants, so please register early. PS This is the first-ever RRU course offered in Sooke, and the start of many to come, it’s to be hoped!
“Like” our Facebook page for local news, updates & inspiring reads
Our social media team keeps the posts coming on Facebook in irregular bursts, and there’s some interesting ones that shouldn’t be missed. Such as the news that Ragley Farm’s Susan Nelson and Vivi Curutchet have an exciting vision for a Farm Village cooperative in Sooke on 125 acres of farmland north of Helgeson Rd. Or that plans are progressing nicely for the Hope Centre affordable housing complex slated for the current West Coast Road site of the Saint Vincent De Paul thrift shop.
Stay current by ‘liking’ our FB page via this link here … and while you’re at it, check out these other excellent news & info sources of interest to local Transition Townies.
2013 Resolution: Meet with Like-Minded Folks @ the Transition Town Cafe, this Sunday @ Reading Room Cafe
Join STTS’s Michael Tacon & friends for the next Transition Town Cafe this Sunday @ The Reading Room Bookstore and Cafe, 2 to 4 p.m. Lively chat, good company, laughs, great coffee and engaging discussion about local issues & life in general. This month’s theme: New Year Resolutions (for practical action & sustainable change).
Sunday, Dec. 2: Dialogue about the local economy continues @ the Transition Town Cafe
Join our gang of regulars and a rotating cast of drop-ins this Sunday @ the Reading Room for the next Sooke Transition Town Cafe. You’re welcome anytime from 2 to 4 p.m. for lively debate, friendly chinwags and excellent food and drink courtesy Kathy and her crew.
December’s focus will pick up on themes discussed at last weekend’s STTS Public Forum on the Local Economy, which generated loads of wildmind ideas and some realistic proposals for the near future – notably a potential “resident’s card” program run through the Chamber of Commerce that will give holders price breaks and special incentives when shopping at local participating merchants.
The possibility of a local Sooke currency, the need for better high-tech infrastructure, cooperative business models and more food security initiatives were also discussed.
STTS chair Michael Tacon and several of last weekend’s participants will be on hand to share insights and lead the debate. Please drop by and add your thoughts on these ideas and contribute others on how we can better support existing business in Sooke and kickstart the local economy.
Community, Resilience, Climate 