City of Vernon offering two programs to plant trees and fight climate change – Vernon News

Photo: Darren Jacklin

Sir Darren Jacklin is going to new heights to raise awareness for mental health and to help educate children on the other side of the world.

The Vernon man, who was knighted into the Royal Order of Constantine the Great and Saint Helen in 2022, will be heading to Antarctica in January 2025 where he will climb Mount Vinson.

The highest mountain in Antarctica, Mount Vinson rises 4,892 meters (16,050 feet) above sea level.

Jacklin has adhered to a stringent training regime for months to do the climb that will raise awareness for mental health and generate funds for the LYNK Foundation to build 100 schools worldwide.

“Over the past few months, I’ve intensified my physical training regimen to ensure I’m in peak condition to face the extreme conditions of Antarctica. This includes endurance training, cold exposure practices, and mental resilience exercises,” Jacklin said.

“Each step brings me closer to not just tackling the physical challenges of the expedition, but also shining a light on the importance of mental health, a cause very close to my heart. Together, we’re not just hiking, we’re building a brighter future with each stride.”

Jacklin said Antarctica is “a magical place to visit, yet less than 100 climbers per year venture to climb Antarctica’s highest peak, Mount Vinson, because of the logistical complexities in getting there.”

With guidance from the Canada West Mountain School, Jacklin is honing essential skills needed for the expedition, including snow rescue techniques and setting up specialized anchors.

On June 29, Jacklin will be leading a fundraising hike in Mt. Seymour Provincial park, starting at 6 a.m.

Vernon’s Allan Brooks Nature Centre has opened for the season.

This year marks the 24th year for the centre located off of Commonage Road south of Vernon.

Since its inception, the ABNC has grown from a discontinued weather station into an interpretive centre with activity rooms, display space, indoor and outdoor classrooms, picnic and play areas, a pond, native plant gardens, viewpoint sitting areas and a wheelchair-friendly grasslands trail around the grounds.

ABNC displays and features a variety of nature-associated learning opportunities, information, activities and experiences for all ages.

The centre provides visitors a first-hand opportunity to see and learn about the Okanagan’s unique and diverse natural heritage through views, information, programs and displays of the region’s natural areas.

The ABNC is also one of only a few places where you can see Swan, Okanagan and Kalamalka lakes from a single vantage point.

Angie Ioakinidou, with the ABNC, said the centre will be hosting a variety of programs throughout the season, including youth summer camps.

Ioakinidou said education about nature and all that lives in it, is one of the main goals of the ABNC.

And while the centre is geared towards educating children, adults will a lot by visiting as well.

Ioakinidou said it is also a nice just to hang out at the centre.

“It’s a beautiful place to come and have a picnic or go for a walk. We have trails that go all around the centre, and you are outside in nature, there’s nothing better than that.”

For more information on the ABNC, click here.

Gwyn Evans – Apr 21, 2024 / 4:00 am | Story: 483258

Photo: Vernon Museum

An undated photo of a baby loon next to an egg. Loons are among the migratory bird species for which ornithologist James Munro advocated. Photograph taken by James Munro’s nephew, Maurice Munro.

On April 22, Earth Day will be commemorated in 192 countries around the world.

Since its inception in 1970, the event has sought to raise awareness of the need to protect Earth’s natural resources and foster a global environmental movement. Over the years, Vernon has been home to many environmental champions, one of whom was considered a leading authority on waterfowl in western North America.

James A. Munro was born in Kildonan, Man., on Nov. 8, 1884. He grew up in Toronto, where he was introduced to naturalists, including Dr. William Brodie, Sam Wood and John Edmonds. Munro moved to Okanagan Landing in 1910 with his wife, Isabella, who was recovering from tuberculosis.

Here, Munro crossed paths with fellow ornithologist Major Allan Brooks. While they reportedly went on numerous field expeditions together and held each other’s abilities in high esteem, their strong-willed and opinionated natures often led to disagreements.

In 1913, Munro became a member of the American Ornithological Union, and by 1920, assumed the role of Chief Federal Migratory Bird Officer for the four Western Canadian provinces. He held this position until his retirement in 1949, during which period he authored more than 175 publications on the birds of British Columbia.

Over the years, Munro’s concern about the human-induced degradation of waterfowl nesting habitats across the province grew steadily. He was deeply trouble by the observed pollution of lakes and streams and was one of the first to draw attention to this issue. His advocacy spurred further field studies investigating the effects of economic expansion and population growth on migratory birds, fish populations, and mammals.

Munro passed away in 1958, and a decade later, the Canadian Government erected a monument commemorating his achievements at Summit Creek, near Creston. This marked the federal government’s first acknowledgment of the accomplishments of one of its dedicated conservationists. On the occasion, Ian McTaggart, Dean of Graduate Studies at UBC, remarked Munro “had been the chief spokesman in Western Canada for the cause of migratory birds for 38 years.”

Photo: City of Vernon/file photo

The City of Vernon will temporarily be pumping treated wastewater into Okanagan Lake as it works to repair a broken irrigation pipe.

To complete the repair of the pipe in the 500 block of Commonage Road adjacent to Roses Pond, the city’s spray irrigation system must be shut down and water will be temporarily diverted to Okanagan Lake via the deep-lake outfall pipe.

The shut down is expected to take place the week of April 22 and last for approximately one day.

Unique in the Okanagan area, the city typically uses 100 per cent of its high-quality treated wastewater to supply irrigation water to local golf courses, agricultural lands, parks and other properties.

The city also has the ability to divert treated reclaimed water to Okanagan Lake when necessary. When treated water is diverted from the spray irrigation system it enters the Okanagan Lake through a pipe than runs approximately seven km into lake and ends 60 m below the surface.

To ensure that both the land and lake ecosystems are protected, reclaimed water from the Vernon Water Reclamation Centre (VWRC) is treated to high standards, set by the Ministry of Environment, and monitored accordingly.

To learn more about the water reclamation process and spray irrigation in Vernon, visit the city’s website.

To learn more about the irrigation pipe repair currently in progress, click here.

Photo: Facebook

Support for a slain North Okanagan woman and her family continues to grow.

On April 13, Tatjana Stefanski was allegedly abducted from her home west of Lumby.

Two days later, it was confirmed her body had been found, sending shockwaves through the community and sparking anger that the suspect in her death was arrested and released.

There has been talk on social media about holding a rally demanding justice for the 44-year-old mother of two. One such event planned for Friday afternoon was cancelled, however talk of holding a rally continues to build.

On Sunday in the Lumby Curling Rink starting at 4 p.m., a “co-ordination meeting” is being held to organize a future event.

A post on the Lumby Rant and Rave Facebook page says attendees can learn how to “use your grief for good” and support Tatjana’s family.

Lumby’s Okanagan Outpost is selling ‘Justice for Tatjana’ decals at the store, located at 1960 Vernon St.

The store is donating 100 per cent of the proceeds to Tatjana’s family.

A GoFundMe has also been set up to help the family receive things like counselling, therapy, living expenses and lawyers.

Some people have expressed frustration with the RCMP for releasing the prime suspect in the case, but Tatjana’s partner, Jason Gaudreault, has defended police and their handling of the situation.

“I would like everyone to please understand that the problem lies at a way higher level than the police. Trust me, they are doing all they can do within laws and regulations. Do not lash out on them. This is about the catch-and-release laws that need to be changed at a way higher level,” Gaudreault wrote on a Facebook post Friday.

On Saturday Gaudreault posted: “Tatjana deserves to be remembered as the case that changes our catch-and-release laws forever. There is no reason anyone should have to live in fear. There are better ways to keep tabs on violent offender crimes. Together let’s make a stand we can make it happen. And lastly please do not blame the police or RCMP they have to follow these laws and honestly have been quite helpful in many ways. Be safe everyone, love each other and let’s all come together.”

Because of concerns for their safety, Gaudreault and Tatjana’s two children have vacated their home.

Photo: Jen Kirkland

Wearing a pair of shoes that fit is kind of a given for most people in Canada.

In fact, most people have numerous pairs of properly fitting footwear, but for impoverished children in Romania, a single pair or proper shoes are a godsend.

Vernon’s Jen Kirkland is on a long-term mission trip in Romania, one of the poorest countries in Europe, and she recently had the opportunity to provide children with shoes that actually fit.

Kirkland volunteers at a children’s hospital, working with families trying to survive well below the poverty line.

The shoes she was working with were donated, but the impact they had on children was heartwarming.

“As I pulled off their old shoes, I noticed a lot of the time that the shoes didn’t fit properly, or were very run-down, which made the moment of finding the perfect shoe – think Cinderella’s slipper moment – that much sweeter,” she wrote from the former Soviet Block nation.

“I smile thinking about one boy’s reaction when I slid the shoe on and his face just lit up and he said it was perfect. For us, we may have lots of shoes at home, but for a lot of these kids, they are usually just getting hand-me-downs from older siblings. So to get their own pair of shoes is very special.”

Kirkland spends every Tuesday, and the occasional Thursday, working with the Kids Clubbers, ages three to six.

“It helps both with language practice – slowly slowly getting there – and also to build a connection so I’ll hopefully be able to watch these kids grow through our programs all the way until they finish high school. Seems a long way off but I’ve already been here two years so who knows,” she said.

Kirkland also helps teach English to Romanian teachers, which is one of the numerous tasks she performs.

Kirkland is paying for the long-term missions trip on her own and through donations. She receives no government funding of any sort.

She is working in Romania under the umbrella of Firm Foundations Romania.

To help Kirkland continue her work with children and teens, click here.

Tax receipts will be issued.

Vernon’s Peter Kaz and David Scarlatescu are back with the latest episode of Hello Okanagan.

This week, the Hello Okanagan crew recap four years of visiting hot spots throughout the Valley.

Each week, Kaz and Scarlatescu talk with Okanagan business leaders, debate issues facing the region, and promote the Valley as a whole.

A big cat was caught on camera roaming a Coldstream neighbourhood.

The cougar was seen walking past a house in the Stoneridge Drive area just after 10 p.m. Friday night.

The homeowner, who did not want her name used, said she wants people to know the cat is on the prowl in the area.

Local wildlife expert Pete Wise said there are plenty of cougars in the Okanagan.

Cougars feed primarily on deer, of which there is an abundance.

Wise said urban deer live in areas that are more confined with fences and hedges than they would be in the woods, making them easier targets for predators.

Cougars will also prey on household pets like dogs or cats.

Unlike bears, cougars are not attracted to garbage, bird feeders or other such food sources.

“The cougars are just travelling around, doing what cougars do,” Wise said, noting Coldstream has an abundance of natural areas in an urban setting which is one of the things that attract people to community in the first place.

But those natural areas are also home to wildlife such deer, bears, cougars and other critters.

If someone encounters a cougar, Wise said to make yourself look as big as possible.

“A cougar is not like a bear. With a cougar you want to be aggressive towards them,” he said. “You want to throw things at them, yell at them, wave your arms in the air.”

It is not advisable to run from a cougar as this could trigger the cat’s natural inclination to pursue fleeing prey. Instead, instead face the cougar and make eye contact.

Wise said it is also a good idea to carry bear spray as it will work on cougars as well as bruins. Carrying a thick walking stick is also recommended.

For more information on what do to should you encounter a cougar, click here.

Photo: VCS

A team of Grade 9 students from Vernon Christian School built the best spaghetti bridge in the province.

Marcos Braul Vidal, Levi Driediger, Tristan VanderDeen and Eli Zuidhof took top spot at the Jr. Skills Canada Spaghetti Bridge Provincial Championship April 17.

The students won gold at the competition at the Tradex Convention Centre in Abbotsford as part of the 2024 Skills BC Provincial Trades & Technology Competition.

After defeating other teams from the Vernon Christian School, the fab four moved on to the regionals at Okanagan College in Kelowna.

From there, they advanced to the regional level where they qualified to participate in the provincial competition.

“The Junior Skills Challenge is designed to allow grades 6 – 10 students the opportunity to explore trades and technology careers in a research fashion as well as to experience hands on practical application of skills,” said Skills Canada BC.

The competition challenges teams of students to design and build bridges out of nothing more than spaghetti and hot glue. Teams have three hours to build their bridges that must have a minimum height of 10 cm and a minimum span of 50 cm.

During evaluation, the bridges must hold a one kilogram of weight for 60 seconds.

All bridges that can hold the weight are then weighed and the team that builds the lightest bridge wins. The VCS team won by the slightest margin, with their bridge weighing 56.3g. The second-place team’s bridge weighed 56.5g, and third place had a weight of 57.4g.