VILLAGE VOICE INSIDE THIS ISSUE
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JULY 2021 VILLAGE VOICE SUMMER EDITION INSIDE THIS ISSUE MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR YOUTH CENTRE page 2 Haawa, Thank You and Merci, Queen Charlotte for coming together and STUDENT BURSARIES supporting each other and our page 3 community throughout the pandemic. WILDFIRE UPDATES Covid-19 has challenged all of us in so page 3 many ways and it is nice to know that we VOLLEYBALL live in a community that cares. page 4 By now the majority of community MEET YOUR COUNCIL members that are allowed have received page 5 their second vaccination. On behalf of the MUNICIPAL UPDATES Village of Queen Charlotte Council and page 6 staff I would like to say how appreciative we are of everyone's efforts in rolling out the mass vaccination program in our community. It was nice to see how smooth the clinics worked at the community hall and how excited students at the high school were when Northern Health staff utilized the school gym to set up a mass vaccination site. One thing we must remember is we all are going to be dealing with opening up differently, just as we all dealt with Covid-19 in our own way. Please respect each other as we start being able to socialize with each other again. Summer is here and it is hot, so please follow all water and fire restrictions. We had a small wildfire on the back roads about 8 kilometers from town. This is a reminder that wildfires can and do occur here on Haida Gwaii. The Village of Queen Charlotte would like to thank everyone involved with putting the fire out and protecting our community. Over the past couple of months, the Village Council and staff have been working hard updating the format of our Strategic Plan. Please take a look at it on the Village of Queen Charlotte website. A lot of hard work went into creating a document that is easily understood and is achievable. Council has also been recruiting a new Chief Administration Officer for our community and a number of excellent candidates have put their names forward. We are looking to have the position filled in the near future. Please reach out to your Council members on any matters of concern. Your Council is committed to making the Village of Queen Charlotte a better, more accessible, and inclusive place to live and visit. Have a great summer. Respectfully, Kris Olsen “Dluujuu” Mayor, Village of Queen Charlotte
QC YOUTH CENTRE! We are so excited to introduce our new Youth Centre coordinator, Jay Myers! Jay Myers first moved to Haida Gwaii in 2012 and is grateful to call it home. With a grassroots background of mental health/addictions work, music education, and community organizing, Jay is keen to be promoting healthy lifestyles on Haida Gwaii. He loves playing and producing music, sailing his lil' dinghy (and generally being outdoors), having adventures with the fam, and food growing and gathering. Jay is passionate about organizing around matters of social and ecological injustice and is excited to effect positive change on the islands. Jay out on the water with Declan The QC Youth Centre has lots in store this summer! Follow our Facebook page (QC Youth Centre) to find out about workshop and engagement opportunities. Contact jmyers@queencharlotte.ca to register. These include: Drop-in day, for all youth aged 8-19! We will be open for drop-ins and outdoor play, supervised by the Youth Centre coordinator(s). Thursday afternoons from 2-6pm Dance classes for kids (5-11): try out a range of fun styles in a fun, friendly environment - ballet, jazz, hip hop, rhythm and sound! Mon-Fri July 19th - 23rd, 10:45am - 12pm. Lino printing workshop for teens (13-18): learn how to carve lino blocks to make prints - print with multiple colours, on fabrics, and with different patterns! Wed-Fri July 21st - 23rd, 1-5pm. Skateboarding & street art workshops in mid-August Bike clinics & other outdoor events We are excited to be collaborating with the Skidegate Youth Centre to co-deliver programming and expand our reach. Everyone is welcome to drop by the Community Pride Picnic on Sunday, July 11th from 2-5pm in the QCYC field, featuring the Minstrel Cramps, snacks, resources, and activities!
2021 STUDENT BURSARIES Congratulations to Annika Martynuik, Myles Husband and Caden Ives for being awarded the 2021 Village of Queen Charlotte Bursaries! Annika is working towards her Bachelor of Education from Vancouver Island University with the goal of becoming an elementary school teacher for SD50. Myles is attending the University of Northern BC where he will be majoring in BSc. Biology. He plans on staying in the North to work with Indigenous peoples and rural communities to solve ecological problems. Caden Ives is attending the .BC Institute of Technology to become an x-ray tech on Haida Gwaii. Congratulations to the recipients, keep up the good work! Information on the $500 Bursary can be found on the Village website, Policy FIN-004 Left: Myles Husband & Mayor Olsen. Above: Annika Martynuik & Councillor Pineault who donated an additional $500 so each applicant could receive a bursary. Caden Ives is off-island and was unavailable for a photo. CAMPFIRE BAN & WILDFIRE SAFETY REMINDER: BC Wildfire Service issued a Campfire and Open Burning ban across all of BC on June 30, 2021. This prohibition continues until October 15th, or otherwise rescinded. In addition to campfires, Category 2, and Category 3 open fires, the following activities are also prohibited: The use of fireworks The use of sky lanterns The use of burn barrels or burn cages of any size or description The use of binary exploding targets The use of tiki and similar kinds of torches The use of chimineas The use of outdoor stoves or other portable campfire apparatus without a Canadian Standards Association (CSA) or Underwriter Laboratories of Canada (ULC) rating The use of air curtain burners in Cariboo, Coastal, Northwest, Prince George and Southeast fire centres. For more information, please refer to the news release: http://ow.ly/V7aO50Fksx7
COMMUNITY PARK VOLLEYBALL In June, the Grade 11/12 Outdoor Ed Physical Education class at GidGalang Kuuyas Naay approached Council with a request to add a temporary volleyball net to a community space in town, both for their own use and as a legacy project for the community. The request was approved, and with the assistance of Public Works, the students and teacher Ross Flemming, have erected a volleyball net in the field at the Community Park (Bear Park). They hope it will encourage people to get outside and active, and have residents build and maintain volleyball skills. Thank You! TO THE STUDENTS AT GKNSS COVID-19 UPDATE & VACCINATIONS All communities on Haida Gwaii are now in alignment with the BC Provincial guidelines and restrictions. As of July 1st, 2021, the Province is in Phase 3, with updates to mask recommendations, guidelines for businesses and events, Canada-wide recreational travel and more. Please continue to refer to www.gov.bc.ca/covid-19 for up-to-date information. The BC COVID-19 Surveillance Dashboard updates cases, vaccination rates and more. http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/covid-19/data#COVID-19Dashboard VACCINATION UPDATES Easing of restrictions has largely been the result of increased vaccination rates and a decrease in COVID-19 cases. Northern Follow Northern Health - Health has completed it's phase of mass-vaccination clinics on Haida Haida Gwaii & Area on Gwaii, and as of July 6th, 2021 83% of the population 12+ has received at least one dose. Facebook Drop-in clinics will be occurring at the Haida Gwaii Hospital with no or contact your health care appointment required, and you can also register with provider for updates! getvaccinated.gov.bc.ca if you cannot make a pop-up clinic.
MEET YOUR COUNCIL - Ayla Pearson Each edition, one of the Village Councillors will provide an update on something they are working on. Ayla Pearson was elected via by-election in November 2020. Here, she is sharing in her own words, why she ran for Council and what she is working on. Happy Summer! I hope you have had a chance to enjoy this warm weather. It has been nice to see the boat launch busy again and photos from the top of Sleeping Beauty. I was elected in the November by-election and am excited to be stepping in to this role to serve our community. A good backstory helps to paint a clearer picture, so here is a bit of what inspired me to run for Council. Several years ago, a group of my friends got together with the goal of getting more engaged with local politics because we saw it impacting our daily lives without an understanding of how it all worked. We started to attend meetings, ask questions, and we got familiar with the processes and lingo. This experience gave me an admiration for municipal administration as I could see how quickly policies and by-laws can be passed and the role public input has in shaping them to fit the spirit of our community. I am currently appointed to be the alternate on the Misty Isles Economic Development Society (MIEDS) board and alternate on the North Coast Regional District (NCRD). Jennifer Rutt, Executive Director of MIEDS recently gave a presentation on their current projects during our June 7th Council meeting. A few of the highlights include hiring Hyland Fraser as a contractor to help with the Annual Allowable Cut (AAC) negotiations for the Community Forest, working on creating a Haida Gwaii Online Marketplace to help local businesses reach a larger audience by increasing their selling cycle from the three month tourist season to year-round, and investing in a plastic shredder to help contribute to the Clean Oceans project. Since over 90% of marine debris picked up is plastic, this device will assist with the recycling of ocean plastic or the ability to convert it into other useable products. Check out the June 7th recording on Facebook or the website to watch the whole presentation. The Village has awarded three student bursaries this year to Myles Husband, Annika Martynuik and Caden Ives. We had planned on two bursaries out this year, because one wasn't awarded in 2020 due to COVID, but Councillor Pineault donated an additional $500 so all three applicants could receive funding. I know how important it is to support the youth of our community, and how it helps students, as that was me a few years ago. I was grateful to be a bursary recipient in 2013. I hope they all have another successful year in their studies. Finally, there recently was a proposal from the Grade 11/12 Outdoor Education Physical Education class at GidGalang Kuuyas Naay (GKN) to put up a volleyball net on Village property. The students worked collaboratively with the Village staff to erect a volleyball net in 'Bear' Park (the Community Park). If you’re a volleyball player like me, you will be happy there is a place to play in our community this summer!
MUNICIPAL UPDATES WATER RESTRICTIONS With the hot, dry weather Phase 1 Water Restrictions have been implemented for the Village of Queen Charlotte. Let's all do our part to ensure the availability of water for our homes and community. NOTICE: LEVEL 1 WATER RESTRICTIONS AS OF JULY 7, 2021 Driveways and walkways may only be swept with a broom. Please do not refill swimming pools or hot tubs unnecessarily. Watering of lawns is not permitted. Vehicle washing is allowed, but limited to washing with a hand-held hose fitted with a restrictive device only, and we ask this to be kept to a minimum. Gardens and flower beds may be watered with a hose fitted with a restrictive device. You are permitted to use water on: Odd numbered houses on odd numbered days Even numbered houses on even numbered days Village of Queen Charlotte Municipal Office Hours 8:30 am - 4:30 pm Monday - Friday Closed 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm for lunch. Closed Statutory Holidays CONTACT US Mayor Kris Olsen Interim Operations Manager - Mary Kellie Box 580 Councillor Jesse Embree Superintendent of Public Works - Ben Greenough 903A Oceanview Drive Councillor Ayla Pearson CFO - Allison Sinkins Queen Charlotte, BC, V0T 1S0 Councillor Lisa Pineault Deputy Clerk - Sandra Brown Phone: 250 559 4765 Councillor Sean Young Development Clerk - Jeni Bulbrook Fax: 250 559 4742 Communications/Finance Clerk - Carolyn Beaumont Youth Coordinator - Jay Myers office@queencharlotte.ca www.queencharlotte.ca
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