Harbourside Rotary award presented to Camosun instructors
Last month, the Rotary Club honoured chefs Gilbert Noussitou and Steve Walker Duncan, instructors in Camosun’s Culinary Arts department, with the Paul Harris Fellowship Award. The award is not given every year; rather, it is reserved for those who have made significant contributions to the community. Noussitou and Duncan have been helping make Christmas cakes for Harbourside Rotary’s annual fundraising efforts. The profits from cake sales support a variety of community projects, such as NEED2 suicide prevention and a music therapy program with the Victoria Brain Injury Society.
Local band wants more kids outside
Recent statistics show that children are spending increasingly less time playing outside, a trend that nonprofit society Child and Nature Alliance of Canada hopes to reverse. Victoria music-makers Thieves, featuring ex-members of Jets Overhead, have teamed up with director and Camosun Applied Communications Program graduate Dave Wallace to create a video as a reminder of the benefits of children spending time outdoors. The video for Thieves’ song “Never Meant to Know” is available for download at childnature.ca/nmtk as a pay-what-you-can campaign, with all proceeds going to the Child and Nature Alliance.
Better recycling pickup planned for next year
The BC Recycling Regulation requires producers of paper and packaging to recover at least 75 percent of their product through recycling programs, an obligation not necessarily being met with current collection standards, according to StewardChoice Enterprises, the company planning future recycling collection options for BC. On the top of the list for improvement is multifamily dwellings, whose compliance in recycling programs is typically low due to lack of program information. If the proposed plan is approved after consultation and submission to the government, changes could come into effect next year.
Gas company partners with Island First Nations
Huu-ay-aht First Nations have signed an agreement with Vancouver-based Steelhead LNG Corp. to build a liquefied natural gas plant on treaty land near Port Alberni. The project is in its early planning stages but intends to bring natural gas from northern BC to the western Vancouver Island site for processing and export. Steelhead LNG estimates the potential investment value at $30 billion.
Clean air feedback
The Capital Regional District is looking for public feedback on a proposed Clean Air Bylaw via a public info session with CRD and Island Health staff on July 23 from 9:30 to 11:30 am. The session takes place at the CRD boardroom (625 Fisgard St.) and will look at revisions to the bylaw that will increase the tobacco smoke ban with the region. The bylaw aims to make all parks, playgrounds, public squares, bus stops, and other public outdoor spaces smoke-free, and will extend the distance that smokers can stand outside of doorways, windows, and air intakes. The current clean air bylaw was implemented on January 1, 1999 and was amended in July of 2007. The feedback session will begin with official presentations, after which time those who have pre-registered to speak can share their comments, followed by an open mic as well as question period with staff after the session. The session will be… wait for it… non-smoking.
Input sought for Gulf Islands cycling and hiking trails
The Capital Regional District is collaborating with the Southern Gulf Islands Economic Development Commission to enhance trail systems on the islands. Upgrading accessibility and recreational options for visitors and residents is the main priority of the plan, which would encourage regional tourism. The Cycling and Pedestrian Trail Plan for islands Galiano, Mayne, Saturna, and Pender is only in draft stage, with an expected completion years from now. Public input sessions will be held in Victoria on July 21. More information on the project can be found at sustainableislands.ca.
Dutch teen’s plastic catcher gains international attention
Boyan Slat, a 19-year-old from the Netherlands, proposed a device to trap plastic waste in the oceans in 2012 but did not garner much interest. Last year, he put out a call for funding online and managed to raise over a million dollars to help develop his idea. This year a team of around 70 scientists, engineers, and advisers have helped him release a feasibility report for his design; the project has received support from various universities and organizations around the world. The report finds that an array of machines could potentially reduce a significant amount of marine plastic, with the collected plastic available as a recyclable resource. Critics, however, call for more effort in reducing waste at the source, rather than what is already in the oceans.
Washington newest state to sell legal pot
July 8 was a historic day for marijuana enthusiasts in Washington as licensed shops in BC’s neighboring state offered the plant for sale at precisely noon. Washington, along with Colorado, legalized the drug for recreational use in 2012, although Colorado had fewer restrictions on sales and a more established medical use system; Colorado shops have been selling the drug since January of this year. Due to delays in grower licences, many Washington shops were unable to obtain product for the first day of sales.
Next generation transistors in atomic scale
Researchers at the University of Alberta are working on what they predict could be the replacement for current transistor-based circuitry in electronic devices: silicon quantum dots. In a new paper, Robert Wolkow and his team at the U of A explore the electrical functionality of these units, which are made of a single atom of silicon; one electron can occupy two nearby units at one time, allowing a degree of control and measurement of charge. The lab’s goal is to create a model for atomic-based circuits in ultra-low-power electronics for the consumer market.
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