Stories

• nursing
• medicine
• physiotherapy
• occupational therapy
• med lab tech
• med rad tech

• April 19th - RCMP Constable Jody Chamberlain & Carmen De Menech Talk: Youth Support Team
• April 26th - Shannon Croy – YMCA Foundry Talk Youth Wellness Centre
• May 3rd - Carolyn Holmes – Two River Gallery Talk: what is going on at the Gallery, New things happening
• May 10th - Stephanie Wall – UNBC Masters of Engineering Talk: What is going on in her area of expertise
• May 24th - Alice Croenne – Our exchange Student Talk: What she experienced during her year stay with us
• May 31st - Nancie Krushelnicki – Farmers Market Talk: New things happening at the Farmers Market
• June 7th – Serena Black – PGPIRG Talk: teaching people how to start and grow gardens.
• June 12th - Le Cercles des Canadiens Francais – Isabelle

• paint supplies (art supplies)
• an ugly Christmas sweater
• isolated lunch bag
• tupperware storage containers
• toaster
• a step stool for Fin to reach the counter
• child's rocking chair
• Fisher Price Little People
• size 3 diapers and wipes
• 24 month sized clothes for a boy
• squish packs

• Work bee to put the school furniture together on February 13th
• Tri-Club Cross-Country Ski day and Potluck dinner at Otway on February 28th
• Alpine Ski day at Purden on March 5th
• Nechako Rotary Club Pub Night at the Legion on February 12th at 5:30pm
• Yellowhead Rotary Club Taste of India on February 20th - tickets are $100.00 and Dolly bought a table
• PG Chamber of Commerce Top 40 Under 40 on February 4th at 5:00pm at UNBC
• ​Looking for a Vice-President and Chair of the Foundation committee in lieu of William Osei's absence

• Brian Bethel
• Layne Bixby
• Jim Blake
• Don Blight
• Geoff Bonser
• Terry Brown
• Lloyd Clay
• Bob Crosbie
• Don Dunaway
• Bob Fortier
• Don Grantham
• Bill Gurney
• Phil Hartl
• Allan Husband
• Mike Jenkins
• Hans Johansen
• Ivan Jorgenson
• Wayne Kidd
• Norm McGee
• Dan Marcotte
• Eamon McArdle
• Mickey Milns
• Dennis Nore
• John Paterson
• Lyell Rodger
• Gordon Smith
• Greg Springall
• Peter Twidle
• Glen Wicklund
• D. Eisenbrenner

• Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako
• Regional District of Fraser-Fort George
• City of Prince George
• Town of Smithers
• District of Vanderhoof
• District of Fort St. James
• District of Houston
• District of Mackenzie
• Village of Burns Lake
• Village of Fraser Lake
• Village of Granisle
• Village of McBride
• Village of Telkwa
• Village of Valemount

2015 Christmas Breakfast and Annual Ugly Christmas Sweater Contest

• Focused on 9 to 12 year old children
• Provides 8 flexible sessions
• Integrates physical literacy both locally and globally
• Provides training for volunteer facilitators
• Provides for a coordinator

We enjoyed an excellent and informative presentation at our July 30 meeting from Nechako Rotarian Loraina Stephen and her husband Don whose contracting company, Quartz Contracting, operate nine northern BC provincial parks in the Omineca region around Prince George. They, and their four kids, began the operation in 1985, when the BC Parks system was changed. Since then, it's been a family affair. Their parks include Purden Lake east of Prince George; Crooked River, Whiskers Point, Tudyah and Carp Lake north of Prince George and Sowchea and Beaumont west of the city. Park visitors are attracted to camping, hiking, and fishing opportunities, as well as the bounty of flora and fauna. Over the years, their son Ian has become quite the photographer, capturing fabulous images of the all the parks. They are also using social media to inform visitors and campers of how many sites are still open every weekend as well as events happening at all the parks.

They were thanked by Rotarian Garry Howse and President Brian.

Rotary Exchange student Elyse Donck pulled the winning ticket for the 1971 Ford Torino at the Nechako Club's meeting this morning at 8:00am. The winner is FERN HOLLAHAN of Prince George,   ticket number 1718.  Fern was immediately contacted by the Rotary Club and was quite excited about her win!  The car will soon be deliverd to a very happy winner!

The recipients of the proceeds will be the Salvation Army for the purchase of their Emergency Response Support Unit.

This was a major fundraising undertaking thanks to Rotarians and Friends of Rotary who believe in Rotary's motto "Service Above Self."

Special recognition goes out to Past President Ken Pendergast for the countless volunteer hours he put in as chair of club fundraising and to the team captains that worked tirelessly throughout the past four months!

The World Baseball Challenge is coming to Prince George again this July 2011.  Prince George hosted the WBC in 2009 with a very successful week of Baseball.  The event is hosted every 2 years.

Jim Swanson, Shawn Rice and Lori Wolfe explained to the Nechako Rotary Club this years highlights for the WBC with the Blue Jays being major sponsors this year.

Cuba is the number one team in this league and they have recently announced their commitment to come to Prince George as part of the games.

In 2009, the three Rotary Clubs in Prince George sponsored the 4 day Kids Training Camp and now have first right of refusal to retain this sponsorship in Prince George.

Lori Wolfe has been brought into the WBC program in Prince George to provide the overall directorship for the Kids Camp.  Lori is very optimistic that this years Kids Camp will be even bigger and better than last years program.  Lori indicated they already have 70 kids signed up for the 4 day camp scheduled for July 3rd through July 6th.

The WBC is once again looking to Rotary in Prince George to provide sponsorship in this Kids Camp.

The WBC representatives were thanked by President Elect Kelly Zammit, with a donation to our Polio Plus Program. 

Rotarian Doctor Steven Chang just returned to Prince George from his most recent trip to Sierra Leone, and came home to a pleasant surprise.

Before leaving Prince George, Steven had passed around a number of letters to members in the Medical Community in Prince George, asking for donations for assistance to help ship the current container of Medical Equipment, School Books and other supplies collected in Prince George and surrounding northern communities, to Africa.  These materials have only recently been shipped to the RWHN Warehouse in Vancouver awaiting placement into a container for overseas transport.

Steven found that people in the north had donated over $4200.00 to assist with the transport of the container.  The Rotary Club of Mackenzie has also assisted with a cheque for $500.00.

A total of approximately $6000.00 is required for shipment of the container, plus a further $2000.00 to cover port fees on arrival into Africa.

Doctor Chang also presented the Nechako Rotary Club with a Banner he received while on his trip.

Thank you Steven. 

Rotarian Gail MacLaren provided the club members an update on our new inbound exchange student arriving in Prince George in August.

Our new student, Maike Adams, is from Germany and will be turning 16 years of age this year.  Maike is a great young person and has already been communicating with our club electronically as she eagerly awaits her arrival date to Canada.  Maike speaks English from her studies in Germany, and will fit in nicely with Rotary and her new friends in Prince George.  

The first couple of Host Families have been arranged for Maike, but Gail indicates we still need some hosting.  Anyone that can assist should contact Gail directly.

Gail also mentioned that it is necessary for many of our Rotarians to get their Criminal Record Checks completed as these are necessary for all Rotarians having involvement with our Youth Exchange Program.  The CRC is necessary to be completed every four years.  

Operation Red Nose Chair and President Elect Kelly Zammit accepted the Community Service Project Award at the District 5040 Rotary Convention in Vancouver on May 8th, 2011.

District Governor Penny Offer presented the Award to the Nechako Rotary Club. 

This award is in appreciation for the extent of Community Service and Recognition in Prince George through Rotary by our hosting of the Operation Red Nose Program during the past decade, during the Christmas Festive Season. 

Thank you Kelly for your Leadership in ORN and all the hundreds of hours donated by Nechako Rotarians, families and friends to make this program such a wonderful success story in Prince George. 

Dennis Kiffiak, Director of Development for HOPE AIR provided an informational presentation about the service of Hope Air to our communities around the province and across Canada.

Hope Air is a relatively unknown organization despite the fact they are celebrating their 25th Anniversary in Canada this year.  

Hope Air has provided over 66,000 Air Flights to people in need of medical assistance during the past 25 years, that are financially unable to afford these flights without some assistance.

In Prince George, a full 365 flights have been provided during the current year, one per day on average, and another 900 needed.  The program is growing by over 90% with many aspects of the clients changing to include seniors as well as single parents living on fixed income and under the poverty line.

Hope Air have three criteria they use to help determine their willingness to assist people.  These are: Assessment; Treatment,; and Follow-up Treatment.

Hope Air provide most of their Flight assistance through WestJet, where they have to pay the taxes and Airport Charges on the flights that are otherwise donated by WestJet.  Another source of flights is the private Aircraft flown by pilots where Hope Air fund 50% of their fuel costs and expenses, allowing these pilots to enjoy their flying at a reduced rate.

Hope Air is a non profit organization and is constantly looking for assistance to provide this service through support from communities and organizations such as Rotary.

Dennis was thanked for his presentation by Rotary Garry Howse with a donation to our Polio Plus Program. 

Past President Rotarian Ron Fichner, of the Downtown Rotary Club provided the Nechako Club members with a power point presentation of the Plans, Sponsorships to date and background details regarding the Kordyban Cancer Lodge being built in Prince George in conjunction with the new Cancer Clinic.

The Lodge will be an attractive and comfortable building designed to help people that require access to the facilities provided through the Cancer Clinic in Prince George, as well as their families and care givers.  

The Lodge will be constructed using lots of wood products and glass to provide an open and warm atmosphere.  The building will provide a total of 18 rooms and 36 beds for accommodation in addition to a comfortable lounge area and eating area for three meals a day.

The sixteen Rotary Clubs serving the northern regions of BC have all been asked to get together to help raise a minimum of $100,000.00 required to sponsor the "Hair Salon and Wig Bank."

Rotarian Larry Parker thanked Ron for his presentation with a donation to our Polio Plus Program. 

Rotarian Adele Sjoberg  brought a cardboard box to the Nechako Club meeting this morning to collect the donated shoes for the Soles4Souls Program this year. 

The program ends for this year on May 7th, so you only have a few more days to dig out those old shoes and take them to Adele's Timberline Footfitters Store for collection.

Thanks to Adele, her Store is providing a $10.00 discount coupon to anyone that donated their old shoes to the program.

Thank you Adele for being a Rotarian and taking this initiative. 

One of the many tasks or challenges for Rotarians involved in projects like the Rotary World Health Nework, is the preparation for shipment of equipment and materials to far of locations such as Serra Leone in Africa.

Most of this equipment and supplies, have not packaging available and require some work to prepare for shipment.  This is especially apparent when looking at some heavy, fragile equipment such as X-Ray machines that still have a use in other locations but have been surpassed by our technology here in Canada.

However, Rotarians like a challenge.  Rotarian and Charter member Lloyd Clay is one of those Rotarians.  When Lloyd took on the task of preparing the latest piece of equipment, a very heavy and fragile X-Ray component, he thought is was a relatively easy task.

One week later, with donated plywood, wafer board and 2X4's, the job is completed and the piece of equipment is ready for shipment to the RWHN warehouse in Vancouver.

Thank you Lloyd Clay, Harold Spensley, Garry Howse, for your help in making this "easy task" a success. 

Rotarian Adele Sjoberg is asking Nechako Rotarians, friends and family to clean out their closets of the older, slightly worn shoes, boots, sandals and footwear that still has some miles left in them, to donate to this years "Soles4Soles" program.

The Soles4Soles program is currently being sponsored as a Rotary Project in Kelowna.  Due to the lateness in the year, the Nechako Rotary Club decided not to be directly involved in 2011, as we did not have time to arrange for media, storage and transportation of the donated footwear.

For 2011 however, Adele is arranging for the footwear to be dropped off at her store for short term storage, where the shoes will be organized and donated to various locations.  

Some of the shoes will remain in the communities in northern BC, while some will be relocated to needy recipients in the other parts of the province, or shipped to other locations, including offshore countries.

Please drop off your donations to Adele's store "Timberline Footfitters" or bring them to the next Nechako Club meeting for Adele to collect.  Otherwise you might find Adele literally "taking the shoes right off your feet"

Thank you Adele for helping coordinate this very worthwhile program in Prince George this year.  Hopefully, next year we can expand this into a local Rotary Club Project.. 

Local Green Party Candidate Hilary Crowley spoke to the Nechako Rotary Club about some of the Policies, views and mandate in politics that the Green Party would implement if they are successful in the upcoming election.

Hilary is a long time resident of Prince George, serving as a Physio Therapist in Prince George for many years, and now providing this service to children in outreach areas such as Vanderhoof, Fort St James and Burns Lake that do not have access to therapy in their communities.

Hilary outlined the 10 Guiding Principles for the Green Party, including: Sustainability, Social Justice, Grass Routes Democracy, Non Violence, Community Based Economy, Gender Equity, Diversity, Decentralization, Personal and Global Responsibility and Ecological Wisdom.

Hilary also addressed some of her views regarding local issues such as Site C Hydro proposal, Tar Sands and the Embridge Pipeline proposal.   All difficult types of projects when facing some of the current ecological challenges with sustainability of our environment during at least the next 7 decades.

Rotarian Adele Sjoberg thanked Hilary for her presentation with a donation to our Polio Plus Program. 

Emotional Intelligence is one of the newer practices to help people improve their communicator skills.  These practices are especially helpful for people in their workplace.

Emotional Intelligence is sometimes called "likeability".  The ability to effectively manage your own emotions and respond to the emotions of others in a positive and useful way.

Zelda Craig, Partner, Trainer and Consultant of JAZ Training and Facilitation provided an interesting presentation on Emotional Intelligence to the Nechako Rotary Club.  Zelda is capable of providing training and assessment of Emotional Intelligence Skills with people.  I am certain that many people would have enjoyed spending a number of hours working with Zelda on these management concepts.

Zelda was thanked by Rotarian Bob Guy with a donation to our Polio Plus Program. 

The Nechako Rotary club donated $3000.00 to AIMHI to assist with the updating and purchase of materials for their "Games Library" located in the AIMHI facility on 950 Kerry Street in Prince George.

AIMHI has been in existence in Prince George for 54 years as a None Profit Charitable Organization.    AIMHI provide assistance, counsellings and training for hundreds of young people in our community, as well as assisting some of these people with employment opportunities.

The Nechako Rotary Club has been presented with a "Silver Donor" certificate during their Sponsor Recognition Meeting on April 5th, 2011.

32 young men and women from around northern BC attended a week long training academy at Kelly Road School during their spring break.  These young students, ages 16 to 18 years old, were accommodated, fed and trained at Kelly Road for the entire week.  Part of their training was the usual "Drill Team" required by the RCMP as part of their regular Boot Camp.

17 of these young people are Prince George residents.  The remainder come from other communities in the north.  These young people took the training in earnest and it is hoped that many of them will pursue a career in Policing as a result of this Youth Academy.

The Nechako Rotary Club provided $2500.00 sponsor ship to this program.  Additional sponsorship was provided by Integris Credit Union, The Yellowhead Rotary Club, School District 57 and Just Good Food. 

One of the many programs supported through the Family Y is the Youth Assistance Program (YAP).  Misty Koster is the program coordinator with the Family Y and she is very passionate about the YAP program.  The YAP Program is about "Empowering Young People to Empower Themselves". 

The program provides every assistance reasonable to the youth in Prince George that apply for help, including the opportunity to get cleaned up, clothed and enrolled in programs that will aide in their recovery back to being able to sustain and empower themselves.

The Family Y is pleased with the support provided through the Nechako Rotary Club to assist these youth in our Community.  Rotarian Diane Nakamura is a strong component in this program too. 

Tiana Kelly, accompanied by fellow staffers from the Prince George Family Y, Faydra Aldridge, Misty Koster and Karen Cameron, made a joint presentation on the large activities and programs provided and made available to residents in the community to demonstrate clearly that the Family Y is "Not Just A Gym". 

The YMCA has had a presence in Prince George since 1964.  The Y is a family based type of operation, relying on its membership and Charitable donations to make their programs available to citizens in Prince George.  The Y provides at least 100 group fitness plans for people in addition to all the other programs including such things as Child Care and Seniors Programs.

The Family Y is pleased to be a member and partner with Rotary in Prince George and to share in the efforts to provide assistance to the many types of programs we share in the community. 

Tiana, Faydra, Misty and Karen were thanked by Rotarian Gina Rawson for their presentation with a donation to our Polio Plus Program. 

About 40 Rotarians, friends and spouses came out to ski, snow board and play in the snow on March 12th.  The day and the event was great, followed by some great hospitality, Chili, liquid libation and Rotary Fellowship hosted by Bill and Cathy Hellyer and Steve Forster at their cabin at Purden Mountain Ski Hill.  Of course both Harold and Nancy Spensley were there to assist with the event and hospitality too.

The Nechako Rotary Club had a good turn out for the event.  Almost enough for a meeting. Thank you for a great day. 

The Nechako Rotary Club has made a significant Donation of $2500.00 to the UNBC Debate Society to help host the Northern BC Debate Championship March 18th to 20th, 2011 in Prince George.

James Alexander, Executive Vice President and Tournament Director of the Debate Championship attended our cheque presentation this morning with Rotarian Adele Sjoberg.  James gave a short outline of how the Debate Championship is being scheduled with students from across northern BC. 

The Debate Championship is expected to draw up to 180 students to UNBC for the event. 

James will be back at a later date to make a presentation to the Club regarding the Debate Championship.

Thank you James and Adele and her committee for their recommendation to help sponsor this Worthy event. 

The RCMP Youth Academy 2011 is scheduled in Prince George in March 2011, with 18 students from Prince George and another 11 students from other locations around BC.  The event is planned in conjunction with Kelly Road Secondary School.

The program is focused on youth with a specific interest in Policing.  Special Constable Davey Greenlees from the Prince George Community Policing Office, in addition to Bruce Northrup from Kelly Road School, attended the Nechako Rotary Club to receive our cheque for $2500.00 as our donation to help sponsor this event.

The chegue was presented by Rotarian Adele Sjoberg, Chair of the Funding Program Committee. 

Lois Boone, former MLA, Highways Minister, School Board Member and long time resident of Prince George spoke to the Nechako Rotary Club this morning about her background, her political views and concerns regarding some of the issues currently facing people in BC and Canada.

Lois is campaigning for representation as the NDP Candidate for the Prince George - Peace River Constituency.

Lois was thanked by Rotarian Bonnie Urguhart with a donation to our Polio Plus Program. 

Evelyn Lee, Director of the Prince George Cantata Singers, and her group of Choir, lead the Nechako Rotary Club in a great singing of "Oh Canada" in both the English and French version, followed by a short Slide Presentation of their "Choirfest 2011" Opera Choruses that is scheduled for May 20 to 22nd 2011, in Prince George. 

The event is expected to draw between 200 and 250 Chorfesters from all over BC. 

The theme is "O is for Opera" and the Nechako Rotary Club has donated $1000.00 to the Chorfest 2011 event.

Thank you Chorfest and good luck with Chorfest 2011 in May. 

Linda Liss  Co-Executive Director of "Making Ourselves Matter Services Society " in Prince George spoke to the Nechako Club about MOMSS, 

MOMSS's "Mission" is to provide a supportive nurturing environment that will empower young women at risk to become competent, productive, and contributing members of the community."

MOMSS  focuses on young women between the ages of 19 and 29 years of age, with the goal of "Empowering" these young women to succeed in our community with training to be:

Self Supporting, Resilient to negative peer pressures, Effective at managing drug and alcohol challenges, and being competent employees or post secondary students.

The program is an extensive 18 month holistic life skills empowerment program, utilizing therapeutic and healing strategies in overcoming the effects of the clients negative experiences.  The clients have the opportunity to practice independent living prior to reintegration back into the community. 

Linda was thanked by Rotarian Neil Godbout with a donation to our Polio Plus Program.  Thank you Linda and Neil. 

Gary Wilson is a Professor of Anthropology & Political Science at UNBC.  Gary took a few minutes to explain their upcoming "Field School" where 11 students will be traveling to The Isle of Man for a 3 week period in May 2011.

During this field trip, these students will explore cultural change, the place of heritage and the politics of identity in Ireland and the Isle of Man, two of the most dynamic and intriguing parts of Celtic Europe.  During the trip the students will be required to prepare studies and reports on their experience.

Gary indicated various reasons for the trip, including; career aspirations, travel experience, learning outside of the classroom and personal interest.

The trip is budgeted to cost each student approximately $6,000 dollars.  The students are looking at a variety of fund raising opportunities to help with the expenses.  They are open to ideas and eager to work with groups such as Rotary to help raise the funds. 

Past District Governor and current Director of the Nechako Rotary Club Membership Committee led the Club through a "Fireside" type Membership Slide Show to demonstrate some of the background of Rotary and the many activities that the Nechako club is involved in. 

Today's meeting was dedicated to the Club's hosting a Membership Drive, where many Rotarians brought friends and associates as prospective new members of Rotary.  

Thank you Ron, for your leadership and dedication to bringing new members into Rotary. 

Joan Stevens, with her parents, was  introduced to the Club this morning as the Nechako Rotary Clubs next outbound student to go to another country for a one year long Rotary Youth Exchange.  Joan was recently selected through a rigorous process by Rotarians in Prince George.

Joan is not sure yet which country she might be going to, but is hopeful that it might be Brazil.  We are certain that Joan will make a good Ambassador for our country and city, no matter where she  goes.

Rotarian Gail MacLaren introduced Joan and her parents to the Club.   

Savannah Westgarde, Co-Founder of Ek Duniya, provided a short follow up to the Nechako Rotary Club, including a Certificate of Appreciation, for her opportunity to present to the Club on December 1st, 2010 regarding the Ek Duniya Program in Jodhpur, India.

The Ek Duniya Program is a Support and Awareness Program, designed to assist women in other countries that do not share the same level of recognition and liberalization that women enjoy in other parts of the world. Ek Duniya currently has over 150 women uniting together to help women to access resources, education, human rights and health.

The Ek Duniya Foundation is creating a Centre for Change in Jodhpur, India and is  seeking financial assistance for the start up costs for this centre from organizations such as Rotary.

Past District Governor Ron Neukomm received yet another Paul Harris Fellow Pin, making this one his 6th Paul Harris Fellowship.

PDG Ron is a regular and faithful contributor to the Rotary Foundation.  Ron has also used his Foundation credits to assist with other Paul Harris Awards on behalf of the Nechako Rotary Club.

Congratulations Ron on your latest achievement and Thank you for your generosity to the Rotary Foundation. 

Cpl Carissa Hornoi, the head of the Community Policing Office in Prince George, and Liaison officer for our partnership between the RCMP and Operation Red Nose, spoke to the club regarding the requirements of the Criminal Record Checks (CRC) that Rotarians and volunteers are required to complete each year for our Operation Red Nose Program as well as the CRC that is required every 4 years for our Rotary Youth Exchange Program.

The annual CRC is a requirement of the National Office of Operation Red Nose, as a condition of our contract to host the Red Nose Program.  Cpl Hornoi has been very helpful in accommodating these CRC's for the program, despite the fact that the CRC conditions seem to get a little more detailed each year.  This year, 2010, many volunteers including a few Rotarians were required to be finger printed as part of the process, due to the fact that an applicant for a CRC had the unfortunate reality of being the same gender and have the same birthday as an individual somewhere else in Canada that had a previous conviction of an offense under similar criteria, such as a sexual offense.  These few cases took longer to process, but did not impair the delivery of the program.

Cpl Hornoi is also convinced that as the Administrator for our CRC applications, she is in a position to apply the one CRC to cover the Youth Exchange CRC requirement that is only required every 4 years.

Any other organizations that require a CRC for a volunteer, such as Scouts Canada or a Youth Service Program, must be dealt with as separate applications.

Cpl Hornoi as thanked by President Elect Kelly Zammit, with a donation to our Polio Plus Program. 

Cameron Stolz, a member of the Yellowhead Rotary Club, spoke to the Nechako Club this morning regarding his candidacy for the Prince George - Peace River Riding of the Federal Conservative Party. 

As everyone knows, Cameron is currently a member of the Prince George City Council and claims to be a dedicated political junkie, having been interested and concerned with all levels of politics from a n early age.

Cameron did not dwell on all the reasons that people might want to support him in his bid for the position.  Instead, he delivered a thought provoking presentation about the low level of political involvement by the general public as there seems to be a substantial level of apathy around politics these days. 

Cameron provided to challenges to the members this morning.

1) in the next week, have a serious discussion with your family about politics, local community, provincial and federal.  The future of our political leadership will be determined by our youth.

2) In the next week, have a similar political discussion with your friends, colleagues and work mates. 

Cameron is convinced that our political future will be determined by "Those People Who Show Up".  This requires people to be informed or the debates and asking the questions of all the candidates to help ensure we have the right people in the positions of government.

Cameron was thanked by Rotary Mark Miller, with a donation to our Polio Plus Program. 

Jay Hill, Conservative Member for the Prince George-Peace River riding announced his resignation in October 2010.  

Colin Kinsley, the previous Mayor of Prince George for 12 years, as well as previous Rotarian with the Nechako Rotary Club spoke to the Club this morning about his intent to enter the race as one of the Candidates to replace Jay Hill as the Prince George-Peace River member for the Conservative Party.

Nominations for Candidates are required on February 14th, 2011 with the elections to take place on March 7th.  

Since his retirement as Mayor of Prince George, Colin Kinsley has been actively involved in the Embridge Pipeline Project as well as maintaining his contacts with people  in both business and politics.  Colin indicated he is ready, willing and able to accept the challenge if he is successful in his campaign.

Past President Harry Hufty thanked Colin for his presentation with a donation being made by the Club to our Polio Plus Project. 

Mayor Dan Rogers provided some slides and background information on the City of Prince George trip to China during October 2010, along with other Cities and the Province of BC, to further discussions on Education, Tourism, Economic Development, Transportation and Government Services.  The trip was specific to Shanghai, Jaingmen, Taishan and Kaiping.  Mayor Roger's identified the main objectives of the trip were to Observe and Learn from the Chinese Culture, to gather information relative to potential future relationships with these cities and the opportunity to invite an inbound delegation of Chinese people to visit Prince George in 2011.  The trip was successful, with a contingent of people making a short visitation to Prince George following their trip to the USA before Christmas.  Mayor Rogers indicated a more formal delegation is expected to arrive in Prince George, likely in July 2011. 

Mayor Rogers was thanked by PDG Ron Neukomm, with a donation to our Polio Plus Program. 

Rotarian and Chair of Operation Red Nose Kelly Zammit provided a brief update to the Club regarding the Volunteer Appreciation Banquet held at the ICBC Claim Centre in recognition of the tremendous efforts of all the volunteers that helped to make our 2010 Campaign the huge success that it is.  135 volunteers came out for the dinner provided by Just Goode Foods, along with lots of presentations and door prizes.  A number of cheques were also distributed to organizations that came out to work as volunteers for the program.  A total of $10,500.00 was presented during the dinner.  A Special Recognition of "Gold Medals" was made to all of the "Toombs Family" for both their support with 78 person nights of volunteering, plus recognition for the fact they helped in all capacities including organizing, registration, set-up, take-down, dispatch, driving, runner, etc.  Our Operation Red Nose Program would not be the success that it is without the support of the Toombs Family.  Thank you very much.

Past District Governor Ron Neukomm is only a few short months from being one of the Charter Members of the Nechako Rotary Club.  Ron maintains 100% attendance in Rotary and has done so for his entire membership as a Rotarian.

In addition to perfect attendance, Ron is another shining example of our "Every Rotarian Every Year" program.

Ron donates weekly to the Rotary Foundation and these donations quickly accrue to amount to another $1000.00 (US) donation and another Paul Harris Fellowship Award.

Ron has received his eighth Paul Harris Fellowship Award in recognition of his annual giving.

Thank you Ron for your continuous generosity to the Rotary Foundation.

Rotarian Brian Pearson is the Nechako Rotary Clubs Past President and currently co-chair of the Prince George Rotary Foundation Fund Raising Dinner scheduled for January 24th, 2015.

Brian has been a regular example of "Every Rotarian Every Year" with his weekly donations to the Foundation.

These donations rapidly add up to the amount of $1000.00 (US) funds.

Brian currently now has a total of three Paul Harris Fellowship Awards.

Thank you Brian for your annual giving.

Dr Osei has joined the Paul Harris Society as a Sustaining Member, with his pledge to donate $1000.00 annually to the Rotary Foundation.

Thank you Dr. Osei for your generous donations to the Foundation.

Isabel Fleck spent a number of years in the Nechako Rotary functioning in may capacities including President of the Club.

Isabel was very instrumental in Chairing our Operation Red Nose Program, as well as coordinating our Nechako Rotary Club Literacy Program, with the donation of dictionaries to school children and assisting with the "Raise a Reader" program.

Isabel has been a strong supporter of the Rotary Foundation with her annual giving donations.

Isabel resigned from Rotary a few short years ago due to both job and family pressures, but remains a supporter of Rotary.

The Nechako Rotary Club had the honor of recognizing four people with Paul Harris Fellowship Awards during the regular Club breakfast.

Paul Harris Fellowships were developed in 1957 in recognition of Rotarians and friends of Rotary that have contributed $1000.00 (US) to the Rotary Foundation.

This prestigious Award was created in Honor of Paul Harris, founder of Rotary in 1905.  Additional Awards are provided when Rotarians and Friends of Rotary contribute additional amounts of $1000.00 to the Rotary Foundation.

The Rotary Foundation is the Charitable Organization created by Rotary to manage and direct funds through Rotary into all the various avenues of Service.

Contributors to the Foundation are helping to allay suffering, improving living conditions and providing educational opportunities for young people in the world.  This is a truly Selfless Action.

Today the Paul Harris Awards were presented to:

Isabel Fleck, Past President of the Nechako Club, recognizing her 5th Paul Harris Fellowship.

Dr. William Osei, also a Sustaining member of the Paul Harris Society, with his 6th Paul Harris Fellowship.

Brian Pearson, Past President of the Nechako Rotary Club, with his 3rd Paul Harris Fellowship.

Past District Governor Ron Neukomm, with his 8th Paul Harris Fellowship.

Thank you Rotarians for continuing to contribute to the Rotary Foundation.

Congratulations on being recognized for your generous contributions.

This morning, the Nechako Rotary Club inducted their newest Rotarian, Debbie Nielsen from UNBC.

Debbie has been a guest of the Club for a number of meeting prior to being asked to join the Club

PDG Ron Neukomm inducted Debbie into the Club with the assistance of her sponsor, Rotarian

Gina Rawson and President Leona Wilkinson.

Please Welcome Debbie into the Club and insure Debbie is included in all the activities and fellowship enjoyed by our members.

Executive Director Donalda Carson of the Prince George Rotary Hospice House spoke to the Nechako Rotary Club membership this morning.

Donalda is a former member of Rotary and a Charter member of the New Caledonia Club.  Donalda has been with the Rotary Hospice House for many years, having great interaction with the Rotary Clubs in Prince George through various activities including fund raising for Hospice.

Donalda is retiring from the Rotary Hospice House role of Executive Director on March 10th, 2015 and going on a much deserved holiday to Brazil.

Donalda received a standing ovation from the Nechako Rotary Club for her performance as Executive Director of the Rotary Hospice House during these past years.

The Rotary Hospice House has recruited a new Executive Director, Donna Flood, whom will be following the great leadership style demonstrated by Donalda in the past, and will certainly continue to interact with Rotary in Prince George.

Donalda was thanked for her presentation by Rotarian Loraina Stephen, with another donation to our Rotary Polio Plus Program.

Many Nechako Rotarians, friends, family and Exchange Students came out for one last 2014 Breakfast on December 31st, to socialize and prepare to bring in the New Year together with our wrap up evening of Operation Red Nose.

2014 has been another great year for the Nechako Rotary Club as demonstrated by the membership today.

Happy New Year fellow Rotarians.  2015 promises to be another great year for everyone.

The Inn of the North has been hosting the Nechako Rotary Club during the past year, with the excellent service provided to the Club by "Elaine".

Elaine has been one of the catering staff for many years at the Inn of the North and is well know for her excellent service to the "Rotary Clubs" there, as well as to the "Winston's Group" that meet at The Inn of the North each Thursday.

President Leona Wilkinson recognized "Elaine" and her dedication of "Service" to the Nechako Club during the Christmas Breakfast.

Thank you Elaine for your dedication and service to the Nechako Rotary Club.

Nechako Rotary Club's current Exchange Student "Vini" (Vinicius Richert), was recognized for his Birthday, during his weekly update of experiences while visiting Prince George.

Congratulations Vini, on your Birthday.

Thank you for being a great "Ambassador" to your country and to the Rotary Youth Exchange Program.

Will the real Don Cherry please stand up?

Rotarian Dr. William Osai, won the Ugly Sweater contest during the Nechako Rotary Clubs 2014 Christmas Breakfast, not with an ugly Sweater, but a colorful jacket that he allegedly acquired from "Don Cherry". infamous NHL Hockey commentator, known for his fashion designer cloths.

Move over Don Cherry, you have some serious competition here in sunny Prince George.

William was thanked for being a participant and winner by Rotarian Terri McConnachie.

Congratulations William.  You are clearly a winner.

The "Prince George Cantana Singers" entertained the Nechako Rotary Club during the annual Christmas Breakfast this morning.  The Cantana Singers have been in the business of bringing Christmas Carols to the Citizens of Prince George for a very long time, and have not lost their ability to bring in the "Christmas Spirit" through their songs.

Rotarian Doctor William Osai made a very informative slide show and presentation regarding "Ebola."

Ebola is not a new disease, having been recorded and experienced in many countries of Africa from 1976 to the current 2014.

Recently though cases of Ebola have been reported in North America, raising significant concern regarding another very serious and often deadly disease.

Dr. Osai provided some background data regarding Ebola.  The disease is normally contacted through:

• Consumption of infected "Bush Meat."
• Coming in contact with body fluids of sick Ebola patients, such as blood; urine, feces; vomit; sweat.
• May be transmitted through animals, such as bats.

People that may have contact with people suspected of being sick with Ebola need to be very careful and protect themselves with the appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in addition to avoiding any body fluids as mentioned earlier.

No one is immune from Ebola, and there currently is no cure for the disease, although early detection and treatment has been successful in saving 50% of infected people from death from the disease.

Survivors can carry the disease for a prolonged period of time, and their body fluids can be dangerous to others for up to about 3 months.

Ebola is not transmitted through water, air, food or contact with pets.

Doctor Osai was thanked for his presentation by Rotarian Loraina Stevens and President Leona Wilkinson, with another donation to our Rotary Polio Plus Program.

Meet the 2015-16 Nechako Rotary Club Executive.  Absent is Dean Simpson, Director of Fund Raising.

The Slate of officers was elected by acclamation, during the year end AGM.

Andrea Palmer, Marketing & Communications Coordinator for the Prince George Public Library made a presentation to the Nechako Rotary Club regarding the "Raise a Reader" program, hosted again this year in Prince George.

The "Raise a Reader Program" has been a regular occurrence in Prince George since 1997, and the Nechako Rotary Club has been a faithful sponsor and participant of this program, during most of those years.

The "Raise a Reader" Program, through sponsorships has received over $300 thousand dollars during this time, which has helped to fund and make the program the success it is.

Numerous volunteers frequent a number of popular locations, such as the local Starbucks, Tim Horton's, MacDonald's, etc. helping to raise some of these funds, in addition to the regular sponsorship donations paid directly to the program by organizations such as the Nechako Rotary.

Andrea was thanked by Rotarian Neil Godbout for her presentation with another donation to our Rotary Polio Plus Program.

Rowdy Cat, the Prince George Cougars Mascot, was also quick to pose with Operation Red Nose National Office representative, Marie Chantelle.

The Cougars mascot, "Rowdy Cat" visited the the Cougars box, which was donated to the Operation Red Nose Prince George Program for the game.

During Rowdy Cat's visit, he took a couple minutes to entertain and have pictures taken with the two Rotary Exchange Students.

Never miss an opportunity in front of a camera.  Rowdy Cat is always a great performer.

National Office of Operation Red Nose representative, here in BC is Marie Chantelle.

Marie Chantelle has been representing Operation Red Nose here in BC since 1997, which is the first year the Red Nose Program was hosted in Prince George, through UNBC.

In 2001, when the Nechako Rotary Club became the Official Host of Red Nose in Prince George, it was Marie Chantelle, working with the current Rotary Club President, Harold Spensley and Rotarian Ken Pendergast, carrying the program on from the previous hosts at UNBC.

During the past years, Marie Chantelle, who actually likes to be addressed as MC, has worked with all of our Nechako Rotary Chairs and representatives, to ensure our program is adequately registered and supported through the provincial sponsors and the National Office.

This year is the 31st year of Operation Red Nose across Canada, with some branches of the program now being hosted in other countries, including Switzerland.

MC said part of her job, which is now only 6 months of the year, is to work as a sort of watch dog or policeman, to ensure that the program is operating according to the rules. No monies are received from the individual campaigns.  All funding for the Program at the National Office level, is generated through their own sponsorships and some profit from the sale of Operation Red Nose materials.

MC and her associated were extremely pleased to see the Prince George hosts of the ORN Program meeting them on arrival at the airport at midnight on Monday evening, and showing the support of Prince George during the "Punch Bowl" launch, as well as the "Official Puck Drop" during the Cougars Hockey Game.

MC was also very impressed by the amount of exposure Operation Red Nose and "Rudy" received during the Cougars game and the intermissions.

Rotarians, President Leona Wilkinson and Lorainna Stevens thanked MC for her presentation to the Nechako Rotary Club with another donation to our Rotary Polio Plus Program.

The "Official Operation Red Nose" Campaign in British Columbia was "Kicked Off" yesterday with the "Punch Bowl" Celebration in Prince George at the Canada Games Plaza.

Speakers for this years Campaign included Prince George Operation Red Nose Chair Neil Godbout, in addition to our current Mayor Sheri Green, Carol Gass representing our Vista Radio Sponsor, and representatives from ICBC and Operation Red Nose National Office.

The Punch Bowl was well attended by Sponsors, Prince George Administration and leaders of both the Nechako Rotary Club and our Operation Red Nose Prince George.

Prince George Fireman Brian Burleigh has been a Fireman with the Prince George Fire Department for the past 12 years and is the current Chair of the Prince George Firefighters "Burn Fund Centre" Campaign.

The Prince George Fire Department has pledged $100 thousand dollars to the "Burn Fund Centre" Campaign over a three year period.

The "Burn Fund Centre" has been identified as the first of its kind in North America.  A home away from home for patients and families while undergoing treatment, on discharge transition or returning for follow up treatment.

The Burn Centre will be the best place for burn and trauma survivors to recover.  The ground breaking ceremony for the Burn Centre building was on September 17, 2014.

The location of this new facility is: 3891 Main Street and East 23rd Avenue between the BC Professional Fire Fighter's Burn, Trauma & Plastics Unit at Vancouver General Hospital and BC Children's Hospital.

The "Burn Centre" will provide 8 short term stay, Free of Charge, furnished accommodation suites for patients and families while undergoing treatment at VGH or Children's Hospital.

The Prince George Firemen are selling Calendars for $20.00 each to assist with their fund raising pledge of $100 thousand dollars.

Calendars are available by contacting any one of the Prince George Fire Department centre.

Personal donations may also be made, with tax receipts for any amount of $25.00 or more.  If a personal donation of $25 dollars or more is made, you can make the donation in support of the Prince George Firemen by marking "Prince George" on your pledge form.

On line information and pledges can be made at:  burnfund.org

Rotarian Dean Simpson and President Leona Wilkinson thanked Brian for his presentation with another donation to our Rotary Polio Plus Program.

PDG Ron Neukomm describes some of the hard work and early projects embarked on by Rotarians in the 1988 to 2000 battle to raise funds for Polio Plus.

Fortunately, because of this hard work and dedication by Rotarians, volunteers and gracious sponsors, many of our younger generation have not had to deal with or become associated with the horrible disease, Polio Militias.

Those that have been exposed directly or indirectly, reflect back with tremendous respect and awe for those that were afflicted and survived.  Sorrow for those that did not survive, and renewed commitment to see the Battle to the very end.

The Nechako Rotary Club recognized and celebrated the wonderful work and progress achieved by Rotary through out the world in the long battle to eradicate Polio, with the year 2000 as the expected date of achievement.

Rotarians Kelly Zammit and PDG Ron Neukomm took a few minutes to enlighten the Nechako Rotary Club membership of the long battle with some statistical benchmarks on our Rotary achievements in the battle against Polio.

Rotary"s fight to eradicate Polio throughout the world commenced in 1988, when they originally pledged to raise a whopping $300 Million dollars, which was deemed sufficient at that time to beat Polio Militias.

The original $300 Million dollars was raised in many ways, including the sale of Rotary Cook Books throughout the Rotary Clubs in BC.

The Battle against Polio has proved to be much more complicated and challenging than originally expected, with costs rising into the billions of dollars with the help of huge donations from around the world, including governments and charitable organizations such as the "Bill and Malinda Gates Society".

Polio Plus has become the biggest Project ever tackled by Rotary, but the fight has been rewarding as each year marks success in the eradication of Polio, with the exception of 2013, which saw a slight increase in the outbreak of Polio due to access problems in some remote areas.

Unfortunately, lives have been lost by a few Rotarians and Volunteers attempting to provide Polio Vaccine into some of these remote areas.

But the fight must, and will go on, as we move toward the entire eradication of Polio in the World.

Polio still lurks in three countries around the world.  Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan.  We are that close to meeting our goal.

A further 5.5 Billion Dollars are needed to take the fight to a conclusion, with the greatest costs required to continue to reach into these remote and sometimes hostile areas.

The new target date to reach this conclusion is now 2018.

Rotary, Rotarians, Volunteers, Governments and gracious Sponsors are up for the fight, and we will succeed.

The "Polio Plus Program" will eradicate Polio in the World.

Rotarian Karen Toombs received recognition during the regular meeting of the Nechako Rotary Club for becoming a member of the "Paul Harris Society".

Membership in the Paul Harris Society is achieved when a Rotarian commits to making an annual contribution of $1000.00 or more to the Rotary Foundation.

The Rotary Foundation is the Major Rotary Fund Raiser used throughout the Rotary World to support funding for all of the Rotary Programs, including the contributions required to match the Rotary funding for Polio Plus.

Karen Toombs is a former Paul Harris Fellow from earlier contributions and has taken the significant step forward to join the many other Rotarians that are members in the "Paul Harris Society."

Congratulations Karen and thank you for putting the Rotary Foundation on your list of Annual Giving.

Operation Red Nose chair Neil Godbout updated Rotarians on the progress of the 2014 campaign.

So far, 45 volunteers have signed up towards our goal of 450. A sign-up day will be held at the club Nov. 5.

Neil, Lloyd and Lisa Redpath had a very productive meeting with Andy Beesley and his staff at the Prince George Cougars on Oct. 7.

The game on Tuesday, Nov. 18 will be dubbed Operation Red Nose night.

The Cougars are giving us a table for volunteer sign-up, a guest box, discounted tickets and Rudy (aka Jackie) will drop the puck.

Since it's game-day for the team, they can't participate in the rally earlier in the day, but they will take a photo with their Red Noses on and put it on the score clock.

After the rally Neil will show her around town, take her to T & S Communications, have Warren and Jackie show her the database and smartphone dispatch system.

It is hoped that MC can stay overnight Nov. 18 and join us for our Rotary meeting Nov. 19.

Giulliana Tamblyn of the United Nations Association of Canada (UNAC) - Prince George joined us Oct. 8 as our guest speaker.

There are currently 20 UNAC branches in Canada, including the newly created branch in Prince George that was founded in March 2014. Its goal is to promote awareness of international issues and help build a sustainable world, ie through eradicating poverty and hunger and achieving universal primary education.

The Prince George branch meets the second Thursday of every month at CNC and is open to the public. There are currently 11 board members/volunteers involved.

UNAC Prince George is hosting a fundraising dinner at the Twisted Cork on Monday, Oct. 20 from 7 to 9 p.m. That follows a public forum from 11:30 - 1:30 p.m. at UNBC in Rm 5-123. The branch is also celebrating UN Day on Friday, Oct. 24 with a flag-raising ceremony at 9 a.m. at City Hall.

Guilliana was thanked for her informative presentation by president Leona Wilkinson and Tom Leboe.

District 5040 Governor Ken Wilson and his wife Peggy visited Nechako Rotary for its regular breakfast meeting on Oct. 1. DG Ken is a long-time member of the Rotary Club of West Vancouver Sunrise and is in the midst of touring the clubs in the northern half of District 5040.

In front of a full house, DG Ken touched on the importance of membership, Rotary Foundation, New Generations. He was impressed that all members in Nechako Rotary are engaged in the club supporting various Prince George and Rotary initiatives.  DG Ken then met with President Leona and her board of directors after breakfast.

Nechako Rotary recently provided $801 to Prince George Youth Rugby Club to buy pinnies, tackle pads and bags.

The club is for all youth, boys and girls, between the ages of 13 to 18 in Prince George which practices twice per week on the fields at Duchess Park secondary.

President Leona, past DG's Neil King and Ron Neukomm, Brenda Peacock and Andrea Johnson recently stopped by the club's practice for a photo.

Our new Rotary exchange student, Vinnie from Brazil, took a few minutes to update the Nechako Rotary Club on his experiences during the past week in Prince George.

Vinnie also took the opportunity to present Club President Leona Wilkinson with a small gift from his sponsor club in Brazil, including a short letter of introduction and the "Banner" from that sponsor club.

Vinnie has produced his initial "Wish List" of activities and events he would like the opportunity to participate in while here on his exchange.

Please take the opportunity to invite Vinnie to participate in some of your activities.  He is a very nice young man with a good sense of humor.

Andy Beesley is no stranger to the Nechako Rotary or Prince George, where he has lived for the past 35 years.

Andy assumed the role of Vice President-Business for the PG Cougars following the recent change in ownership of the Cougars.

Andy has been a long time supporter of Hockey in Prince George, as well as the past Manager of the CN Centre.

The PG Cougars are making a clean sweep of their former image and operating principles under the direction of the new owners and the VP-Business.

The Cougars are Rebuilding under the theme - "The New Ice Age."

This includes the hiring of new coaches, a new team psychologist, a series of new team building processes, complete rebuild of the teams dressing room facilities, to name a few of the changes verbalized by Andy.

The team has also hired a new Director of Sales & Marketing.  Fellow Rotarian Marnie Hamagami of the Yellowhead Rotary Club assumed that Directorship recently.

The PG Cougars have also invested in a new electronic 50/50 Program, that will completely enhance the 50/50 ticket sales with instant electronic read-out for the fans during the game.

There is virtually nothing the PG Cougars will not try or do to re-establish themselves in Prince George and are very happy to remain a part of Prince George.

The Cougars expect a number of "sell-out" games, showing that the people of Prince George still love hockey and their team.

Maybe the Nechako Rotary Club can arrange to hold one of our regular weekly meetings at the CN Centre with a special tour of the PG Cougars dressing room and training facilities.

Rotarian and PDG Ron Neukomm thanked Andy for his presentation with another donation to our Rotary Polio Plus Program.

Rotarian Doctor William Osei assisted with the promotional program at the Pine Centre on Saturday September 6th, 2014, helping to start this years recruitment process for much need volunteers to make our Operation Red Nose Program successful again during this Holiday Season.

Doctor Osei demonstrates the correct wearing of the "Red Nose" as part of his usual good humor in promoting our Rotary Programs in Prince George.

Thank you William, for being a good sport in promoting this years campaign.

Allan Langdon, Director of Multi-Materials BC provided a detailed presentation to the Nechako Rotary Club regarding the latest in Recycling with BC.

Multi-Materials BC is a non profit corporation created by the many producers in BC that are compelled effective September 1st, 2014 to provide recycling opportunities within BC for all of the containers and packaging utilized in the sale of their products.

There is currently over 1000 producers in BC contributing to Multi-Materials BC.  Smaller producers can opt to pay a regular fee for their product packaging.

There is currently 1.25 million households in BC being serviced by the Multi-Materials Program.  An additional 400,000 multi Family households are also being included, with the exception of dwellings such as apartments and condominiums.

The contract for collection of these recyclable products in Prince George was awarded to Emterra Environmental.

For more information on the new recycling program, you are directed to the website:  www.recyclinginbc.ca

You can also download the recycling apps on your smart phone to quickly check on the date of pickup in your area.  The app is:  multimaterialsbc

Rotarian Harold Spensley thanked Allan for his presentation with another donation to our Rotary Polio Plus Program.

Doctor Marie Hay presented a very controversial opinion on "The Adverse Health Effects of Oil Pipeline and the Tar Sands" in Canada.

The effects from published information are seen as serious health risks causing such medical problems from Cancer to headaches and nausea.

Dr. Hay refers pipelines and Tar Sands development to "Dirty, Destructive Fuels".

Dr Hay cites situations in her presentation where pipelines have ruptured causing unrepairable damage, and creating huge health effects where many if not all the people have died from being in close proximity to the spill.

Dr. Hay claims that the Inuit People of the north are the most "at risk" and effected people due to their proximity to the Tar Sands.

Dr. Hay claims that Quesnel Lake is now totally polluted and will never survive since the recent spill of the mining storage effluent pond into Quesnel Lake.

As usual, Rotarians are interested in seeing and hearing both sides of the story regarding news and happenings in our world.  Each Rotarian has the opportunity to research and understand the information to their own satisfaction.

The information provided by Dr. Hay provides the opportunity for people to analyze the topic and make their own informed decisions.

Past President Brian Pearson thanked Dr. Hay with another donation to our Rotary Polio Plus Program.

Pat Bell is a former Honorary Member of the Nechako Rotary Club.  Pat Bell is a local businessman in Prince George, and served 12 years as the Prince George/Mackenzie MLA.

Since retiring from Politics, Pat has been involved in the Board of Conifex Timber Inc. where is now holding the position of Executive Vice President.

One of Pat's latest projects, which he refers to as "a vision or a delusion" with his son Doug and wife Brenda, is the creation of a winery in Prince George.

The new winery, called Northern Lights Estate Winery, will produce a variety of 10 wines made from fruit.

Some of the popular fruits will be Rhubarb, Apple, Cherry, Saskatoon, and some blends that they feel confident will become popular through sales.

The Northern Lights Estate Winery is scheduled to be open for production in 2015 with a slower start up at an on site store with production to increase to approximately 4000 cases over the next 6 years.

The winery is currently purchasing various quality fruits for production, while they pant and grow a variety of their own stock on their acreage.

The Winery site will include among other things, an amphitheater, a patio for customers to sample the products and enjoy the scenery and an ample building for wine manufacturing and sales.

A future plan also includes a "culinary kitchen" where people will be able to practice their cooking skills and pair the results with fine wines.

Rotarian Tom Keller thanked Pat for his interesting and enthusiastic presentation, with another donation to our  Rotary Polio Plus Program

Pat also donated two bottles of wine which he auctioned off to Lorainna Steven and Gina Rawson, at a very competitive value.  Maybe the Northern Lights Estate Winery prices will now go up substantially.

The Texas 4000 Bike Group attached a short "Thank You" note to the picture post card sent to the Nechako Rotary Club, thanking the Club for the support to their group as they biked through Prince George again this year from Texas to Alaska.

For the third year in a row, the Nechako Rotary Club has assisted the "Texas 4000" group during their short stay in Prince George while they bike from Texas to Alaska and return.

The Texas 4000 people are very grateful for the donations of food and assistance during their visit.

Many of the Nechako Rotary Club members took the opportunity this morning following Leti's presentation on her year as our Exchange Student, to have a group picture with Leti, prior to her departure next Wednesday, July 30th, back to Argentina.

Not all of the Rotarians in the Nechako Club could be there for the picture, but those that are not in the picture, are there in spirit, to wish Leti a hearty Thank You for being a great Rotary Exchange Student.

Everyone wishes a good safe trip home and an open Welcome to come back to Canada in the future.

Leticia Emilio is our Exchange Student from Argentina.

Just a short year ago Leti arrived at the Prince George Airport from her home in Argentina, a shy young girl.

During this past year, Leti has led a very active lifestyle, jam packed with excitement and activity both with Rotary functions and friends.

Leti has been an an active and successful student during these past months too.

Leti started her exchange attending the Tweedsmuir Trek along with fellow Exchange Students, where they enjoyed the camping, boating, fishing, swimming and really getting to know each other.  Leti caught her fist Canadian Fish during this trip, and a memorable fish at that.

Leti has had the opportunity to visit most parts of British Columbia and Vancouver Island during her exchange, as well as to visit Edmonton, Alberta.

Leti experienced the Prince George Polar Bear swim at Ness Lake, skiing at Purden and Otway and Whistler.

Ice skating and hiking, with both summer and winter treks to key locations.

Leti will be returning to her home in Argentina on Wednesday July 30th.  She has only been here a year but has touched the lives of everyone she has known in Prince George during this exchange.

Thank you for being a great Exchange Student with the Nechako Rotary Club and an excellent Ambassador to your country of Argentina.

We truly wish you well during your return to school in Argentina and that you will find the opportunity to come back to Canada and visit us again.

Rotarian Cheryl Voyt thanked Leti for her presentation on her travels and experiences during this past year, with another donation to our Rotary Polio Plus Program.

Former Prince George City Mayor and current consultant for Embridge, Colin Kinsley, provided the Nechako Rotary Club with an update on the status of the controversial "Northern Gateway" pipeline proposal.

The pipeline proposal is to transport crude oil from the Tar Sands to a new port being constructed in Kitimat with a 36 inch pipeline and return "condensate" back through a smaller 20 inch line.

The pipeline project is designed to be constructed with a number of "spreads" which are the working areas for each of several sections of the pipeline.  Each spread is typically a section of about 60 kilometres in length.

The constructed pipeline is laid into a trench at depths of a minimum of 3 feet, with some areas being much deeper depending on the topography.

For major river crossings, the pipeline employs a horizontal directional drilling (HDD), which will bore a hole underground, placing the pipeline well below the water in the river, so there is no impact on the water body.  This HDD method is also employed under highways or rail lines that are encountered.

Distribution of the oil from Kitimat is planned to use the latest technology including double lined tankers to haul the crude oil to markets through sections of the Douglas Channel, which is wide enough and deep enough to handle this transportation safely.

During construction of the pipeline, Northern Gateway will employ 3000 workers, and will require 560 full time employees, when the pipeline is operational.

The pipeline is estimated to provide $1.2 billion dollars in taxes annually, plus over $800 million dollars in local goods and services annually to northern and central BC.

Northern Gateway is committed to providing skills training and education to workers on the project, with a good percentage of the jobs being promised to aboriginal people.

A total of 26 Aboriginal Bands are reported to have agreements with Northern Gateway project to date.

For more information on the project you can sign on to their website:  www.gatewayfacts.ca

PDG Ron Neukomm thanked Colin Kinsley for his presentation with another donation to our Rotary Polio Plus Program.

Gerry Bomford is a well known and distinguished Bee Keeper in the Prince George area.

Gerry was raised in a Horticulturist/Beekeeper environment as a young boy in Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island and moved to Prince George in 1991, where he purchased property in Salmon Valley, providing the opportunity to indulge and foster this lifetime interest.

Gerry is a member of the BC Honey Producers Association, and was the President of the Prince George Beekeeper's Association for 10 years.

Gerry was asked to provide comments on the recent Honey Bee Swam that occurred in the downtown core of Prince George.

To do so, Gerry provided substantial background information on the history of Beekeeping which dates back a couple thousand years.  Further, Gerry provided very interesting commentary about the life cycle of Honey Bees and the selection and growth of the "Queen Bee" and her drones.

Honey Bees are relatively placid insects, that are very busy doing what they are known for, the production of honey in their hives.  They are not normally aggressive when managed and not alarmed or disturbed.

Gerry has 50 colonies of bees within a few mile radius of Prince George, and estimates another 50 colonies in the area owned by other Beekeepers.

The situation of a "Bee Swam" is not uncommon and need not be a real concern to manage if handled by people that know what they are dealing with.  In fact, it could be a fairly lucrative situation to a Beekeeper.

The recent situation was not managed well as a result of the people involved being inexperienced and alarmed by the "Swam."  With out knowing what proper steps or actions to take, a large percentage of the Bees were destroyed, including the "Queen."  The surviving Bees ultimately left the area in search of other hives or opportunities.

Rotarian Lisa Redpath, also a Beekeeper, thanked Gerry for his very informative presentation with another donation to our Rotary Polio Plus Program.

The Nechako Rotary Club Annually recognize one of their members as Rotarian of the Year, with a Paul Harris Fellowship, for their exemplary Service to Rotary and their Community.

A Paul Harris Fellowship is the highest Award that can be bestowed on a Rotarian in Rotary.

The Rotarian of the Year Award in the Nechako Rotary Club is through a selection process by secret ballot of the membership.

This year's Award was presented to Dr. William Osei for his personal dedication to Rotary through participation, as well as his leadership of the Nechako Rotary Club as Director of the Rotary Foundation and the World Help Network.

Dr. Osei has shown strong leadership and representation in these roles with the collection of Books and Medical Supplies with the appropriate arrangements for shipment to Vancouver and countries selected as recipients through the Rotary World Help Program.

Dr. William Osei is also a strong example of the support to the Rotary Foundation with his regular donations to the Foundation under the concept of "Every Rotarian, Every Year."

Dr. Osei also was presented with an additional Paul Harris Pin in recognition for these regular donations.

Thank you William, for your leadership and congratulations on your "Rotarian of the Year."

Rotarian Gary Gurnsey was also inducted into the Nechako Rotary Clubs Honorary Members, during the Annual Presidents Ball.

Gary and his wife Betty have been involved for many years with the Nechako Rotary Club.  Gary was active with the Rotary Youth Exchange Program of the Club during the years when the Club took the Prince George Students on the Bowron Lakes Canoe Trip.

Gary left the Nechako Club for a few years while working in Vanderhoof and Tumbler Ridge, where he was active in the Rotary Clubs of both Vanderhoof and Dawson Creek.

Gary rejoined the Nechako Rotary Club in 2003 and was the Club President in 2004.

Gary then functioned as Assistant Governor for the North Eastern Region of District 5040 from the years 2008 to 2011.

Gary is now restricted in his activities by his current medical conditions, making regular attendance and participation difficult.  As an Honorary Member, Gary and Betty will be able to maintain contact with the Club through ebulletins and participation during special occasions.

Thank you Gary and Betty for your service through Rotary.

Rotarian Neil King is both a Past President of the Nechako Rotary Club and Past District Governor.  Neil served as District Governor in District 5040 during the 1998-1999 year of Rotary.

Neil and his Wife Darlene have been dedicated to Rotary since Neil joined the Nechako Club in 1987.

Neil and Darlene now spend half of their year in the warmer climates of the United States, where they are also actively involved in Rotary during the winter months.

As an Honorary Member, Neil and Darlene can stay in touch with the Nechako Rotary Club by receiving the regular ebulletins, and can participate in Rotary activities when they are able to do so, including some of the fund raising programs, and the Fun Events.

Welcome Neil and Darlene, to the role of Honorary Member.

Rotarian Allen LeFebvre has been a member of the Paul Harris Society since his year as President of the Nechako Rotary Club in 2001-2002.

 A member of the Paul  Harris Society is a Rotarian that has committed to supporting the Rotary Foundation with an Annual Contribution of $1,000.00 or more per year.

these Society Members are very instrumental in making the commitments of Rotary through the Foundation a reality.

Thank you very much for your donations Allen and demonstration of Leadership in Rotary through example.

Former Rotarian with the Nechako Rotary Club Jos Van Hag and his wife Wilma, were recognized during the Annual Presidents Ball, for the continued support to the Nechako Rotary Club.

both Jos and Wilma have supported the Nechako Club with the use of their warehouse at Art Knapps Plantland for storage of medical equipment and supplies for shipment to third world countries for a number of years.  In addition to storage facilities, the Van Hags have donated the use of their pallet jack and forklift plus the very generous transportation of these supplies to the Rotary World Help warehouse in Vancouver each spring, and all free of charge.

this is the second Paul Harris Fellowship presented to Jos for his generosity.

The Nechako Rotary Club is endebted to the Van Hag family for their generosity and Thank them very much for their kind and generous support.

Rotarian Karen Toombs received her second Paul Harris Fellow recognition during the Presidents Ball for the Nechako Rotary Club, as a result of Karen's regular contribution to the Rotary Foundation, "Every Rotarian, Every Month".

thank you Karen for your participation in the Rotary Foundation.  This regular contribution is what helps allow Rotary to make a difference in the communities at home and abroad.  Programs such as our Polio Plus program would not be the success they are without support for the Rotary Foundation.

The PGATV Club provide assistance to the Recreation Sites and Trails BC Ministry for installation of signage for both directions and safety of the user public.

This bridge was constructed by the PGATV Club and volunteer equipment and labor across another un-named creek crossing, where the former rough crossing has deteriorated and was no-longer safe for ATV use.

George Hohnich is the President of the PG All Terrain Vehicle Club.

George and  Rotarian Ken Pendergast provided the Nechako Rotary Club an overview of some of the work being done in Tabor Mountain as part of the Tabor Mountain Recreation Society, as well as work completed on the Prince George to Wells route.

The Tabor Mountain Recreation Society, is a non profit organization that represents snowmobilers, ATV's, Bikers, Horse Riders, Hikers and Environmental enthusiasts with over 400 kms of trails on Tabor Mountain.

The PGATV is one of those groups, that use the trail network as well as dedicate many hours of volunteer time and money to help upgrade and maintain the trail system.

During the last few years, much time and money has been dedicated to improving the trails that have deteriorated through natural erosion, regrowth of plants and trees, and encroachment of beaver dams on the trails.

This work has included the use of heavy equipment, construction of two bridges, installation of many culverts and the regrading and contouring of slopes and washouts.

Substantial manpower has been spent on the cutting of windfalls and alder growth that traditionally occur on these trails throughout the seasons as part of the natural rehabilitation of the forest.

The PGATV Club also assist the Provincial Recreational Sites and Trails BC Ministry with installation of directional signage for the public, as well as general information to ATV users on the safety and environmental usage of the trails network.

PGATV Club provide regular ATV training and safety courses to people of all ages, to help make their experience more rewarding while operating machines in a safe manner.

The Province of BC has introduced legislation with Bill 13, which is expected to be enacted this fall, requiring all ATV's in BC to be both registered and licensed.  This legislation requires that all ATV's also be insured with Public Liability Insurance for operation on any Forest Roads or crossing of Public Roads.

George was thanked for his presentation by Rotarian Ken Pendergast, with another donation to our Rotary Polio Plus Program.

Derek Baker is the Community Relations Advisor for Pacific NorthWest LNG, a BC Based subsidiary of PETRONAS, which is seeking to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility in Port Edward, BC.

The proposed LNG plant at Port Edward, just outside of Prince Rupert, BC, would actually consist of two LNP plants.  The plants and the two associated storage facilities would be located on Lelu Island, just off shore of Port Edward.  The development would also require construction of a bridge to connect the mainland with Lelu Island.

Pacific NorthWest LNG are already in the business of exporting and have a skilled workforce with expertise in the business.

BC and the North West have have world class natural gas reserves, projected to last for between 100 and 150 years, at current consumption.

The Port Edward operation is tied closely with the current proposed Trans Canada Pipeline, which would be over 900 kms in length when completed.

Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) is 600 times more condensed than when it is in the gaseous stage, making LNG the more logical and preferred method for shipment.  The Natural Gas is converted to the liquefied stage at minus 162 degrees.

Pacific NorthWest LNG plan to be in commercial operations in 2019.  Construction of the facilities and bridge will take 4 years, with an estimated $11 Billion dollars investment.

During the construction period, it is estimated to employ up to 4500 workers.

The completed project will provide a further 330 local jobs in operations, plus an additional 300 spin-off jobs.

The process is estimated to provide $1.3 Billion dollars in tax revenue.

Derek was thanked by Rotarian Bill Bateman for his presentation with another donation to our Rotary Polio Plus Program.

Anne Hogan is the current Secretary of the Prince George Naturalists Club.  Both Anne and Shanelle Marshall, President of the PG Naturalists Club, attended the Nechako Rotary Club meeting to provide a clear and comprehensive overview of the Naturalist Clubs plans to enhance The Hudson's Bay Wetland.

The Hudson's Bay Wetland is often referred to by locals as the Hudson's Bay Slough.  This wetland divides South Fort George area from the Fort George Park area.

Currently, a walking and biking trail exists from the Nechako Bridge, through Cottonwood Island, along the Fraser River and under the Yellowhead Highway Bridge, through Fort George Park, and continues across and along the Hudson's Bay Slough to Carrie Jane Gray Park and the Carney Street Hill.

The PG Naturalists Club have prepared a comprehensive plan that will allow people to walk, jog or run from Fort George Park on a nature tour around the full expanse of the Wetland area, with the addition of improved trail development and a bridge, connecting the existing trail on the southern portion of the Slough with a trail around the northern section.

The goal of the Hudson's Bay Wetland Project is to enhance the wetland as a natural setting for birds, fish, animals and plant life while creating an interpretive walk covering both sides of the channel draining to the Fraser River and circling the lake west of Queensway.

The PG Naturalists Club is partnering with The Exploration Place and the City of Prince George as primary partners for the Project. Additional organizations are providing support including REAPS; Caledonia Ramblers; BC Nature; Fraser Basin Council; Fisheries and Oceans; Ducks Unlimited; Northwest Invasive Plant Council; PG Community Forest Advisory Committee and the Overhang Education Centre.

Costs are projected to be in excess of $200 thousand dollars.  These funds will need to be acquired through donations and fund raising programs.

Additional information can be found through the PG Naturalists Club, or phoning 250-963-9520, or websites:  hbwetland.wordpress.com or pgnaturalists@hotmail.ca

Anne was thanked by Rotarian Dean Simpson, with another donation to our Rotary Polio Plus Program.

Our current Inbound Exchange Student Leticia Ermilio from Argentina provided the Nechako Club with an update of all her activities during the past two weeks including attending the Outbound Orientation session in Vancouver during the May long weekend, followed by the District 5040 Conference in Squamish on May 23rd weekend.

The Conference hosted over 120 Rotary Youth from across the Province, and Leti assured everyone they had a great time.

Thank you Leti for being a good Ambassador for your country and a great exchange student for the Nechako Rotary Club.

Rotarian Gary Gurnsey and wife Betty were present this morning during the regular Nechako Rotary Club Meeting.

Gary, a long time Rotarian with the Nechako Rotary Club has functioned in most capacities during the past years, including President and Assistant Governor.

Gary has been absent from club participation during the past number of months due to illness.

It was a pleasure to have both Gary and Betty come out to a meeting, and they were greeted by fellow Rotarians by a welcome round of applause.

We will enjoy Gary and Betty's presence during the President's Ball on June 21st.

Operation Red Nose Chair Neil Godbout gave the Nechako Rotary Club a very candid update on the Club's current status with the ORN Program in Prince George.

The Nechako Rotary Club has been sponsoring Operation Red Nose in Prince George since 2001.

The Program has become a resounding success in Prince George, as one of the top Community Supporters.

The Program provides large dividends to the Community in support of youth and youth sports events, including the entire funding for our Nechako Rotary Youth Exchange Program.  All our New Generations Programs are funded through our ORN funding.

The Nechako Rotary Club ORN Program consistently provides in excess of 1 thousand safe rides home during the Christmas Festive Season.

The ORN Program requires a considerable amount of time and effort throughout the entire year by a handful of dedicated Rotarians to make the program ready for delivery each and every year.

The ORN Program requires a large number of dedicated Rotarians, plus volunteers from the community to make the program successful for 9 nights each year, generally starting at 7:00 PM with set-up and training, through to driving and clean-up after 3:00 AM.

During the past couple years the support and participation from the regular Rotarians in the Nechako Club has been waning, leaving a significant shortfall to be carried by the remaining club members.

Chairman Neil provided the Club membership with a couple options to consider:

1)  Does the Nechako Rotary Club want to continue to support the Prince George Operation Red Nose Program as sponsor?

2) Does the Nechako Rotary Club want to consider an independent Safe Ride Home Program, removed from the current Operation Red Nose Program and administration under the current Charter of the National Office in Quebec?

A Unanimous vote was provided by the Nechako Rotary Club to continue to sponsor Operation Red Nose in Prince George during the current 2014 Program.

The Nechako Rotary Club also voted in favor of a small committee to review the options and dialoque necessary for the Club to consider operating an independent Safe Ride Home Program, outside of the scope of the current program in future years.

Thank you Chairman Neil and Rotarians for this continued support for Operation Red Nose in Prince George.

John Rankin, President of JR Canadian Mapping Ltd  referred to as CANMAP in Prince George, was the guest speaker for the Nechako Rotary Club this morning.

CANMAP was established in Prince George in 2001 and became incorporated in 2009.

CANMAP is a combination of UAV and Photogrammetry.

So, what is UAV you ask?  Good question.  Most people would think that most of the aerial photography was still being conducted by high flying aircraft and space shuttles.  Well, guess again.

UAV stands for "Unmanned Aerial Vehicle."  In fact there are many earlier varieties of UAV and the one currently used by CANMAP is a small unmanned plane with a wing span only 2.1 metres wide and a weight of approximately 5 Kg.  This unmanned plane looks much like a large bird when in flight, with a maximum ceiling flight of about 400 feet above ground.  The UAV is equipped with a digital camera and video camera.

The digital camera can take 10 aerial pictures per second, and cover an area of approximately 1000 hectares, in a systematic flight plan, which provides very accurate aerial reconnaissance information, with flights of up to 90 minutes with the current battery capacity of the plane.

This information is all contained and managed through computer technology to provide valuable information in a few minutes of flight that used to take weeks of hard physical work and ground truthing by experienced professional field staff.

Wow, isn't technology great.  So, when you think someone might be looking over your shoulder when you are out in the bush, the technology is there, so maybe you are on candid camera.

John was thanked for his very informative presentation by Rotarian Rachelle Delorey and President Brian Pearson.

Lola Dawn Fennell, Manager of the Prince George Council of Seniors, and President Ernie Myers of the Council of Seniors, provided a detailed presentation of the multitude of "Services" provided by the Council, through the newly established "Senior Resource Centre".

The Prince George Council of Seniors represents 24 different Seniors organizations and Service organizations in Prince George.  Collectively, these 24 organizations represent approximately 4,000 seniors in Prince George.

The Nechako Rotary Club is one of those Service Organizations, with Rotarian Lloyd Clay as our representative on the Council's Board of Directors.

The Council of Seniors have 8 separate Committees of dedicated people, all volunteers, that work together to provide the huge list of services to seniors in Prince George. Programs include "Meals on Wheels; a Dental Program; a Radio Program; a Better at Home Program; a Seniors Housing Program; Seniors Access Program; to mention a few."

The Council also provides assistance to seniors through things such as basic computer training, assistance with completion of Income Tax Returns, various forms of representation with Civic, Municipal and Provincial Government issues.

As Lloyd Clay stated, " he is constantly amazed and impressed by the quantity and quality of representation provided by the Prince George Council of Seniors in Prince George."

Both Lola Dawn and Ernie were thanked for their presentation by Rotarian Lloyd Clay and President Brian Pearson, with another donation to our Rotary Polio Plus Program.

Lola Dawn Fennell, Manager of the Prince George Council of Seniors, and Ernie Myers, President of the Prince George Council of Seniors provided a Recognition Certificate to the Nechako Rotary Club for all of the support received by Rotary during the past years, through the Annual Christmas Hamper Program, the Council of Seniors fall Garage Sale and the sponsoring of the hundreds of cloth bags purchased to deliver the Christmas Hampers to needy Senior Citizens receiving the Hampers.

The Recognition Certificate was presented to President Brian Pearson on behalf of the Nechako Rotary Club.

Thank you Rotarians, for being there to support the Prince George Council of Seniors.

Marnie Hamagami is the General Manager of the Prince George Symphony for the past 15 months, having moved from Vancouver Island with her husband and baby.  Marnie is orignally from Cranbrook, BC and holds degrees in German Literature and International Business.

Marnie is also a Rotarian with the Prince George - Yellowhead Club and an active particpant in the community.

This morning we heard about some of the amazing outreach projects that are being done by the Prince George Symphony Orchestra.  Of particular interest and pride of the symphony is a program that was inspired by El Sistema from Venezuela which has proven successful in creating social transformation through teaching music to groups of children.

A Sistema program was launched in Prince George, in September 2013, at Quinson Elementary School.   The program was opened up to vulnerable students.  These students would not have had the opportunity to participate in music lessons.  They were each provided with a violin, something nutritious to eat, and instruction in playing the instruments.  The instructors are senior students from the Prince George Conservatory of Music and volunteer their time to teach the youth.

In addition to many benefits in improving the children’s learning, the parents and families have also become a stronger community.  The Prince George Symphony is proud of bringing this valuable program to Prince George.

Marnie was thanked for her presentation by Rotarian Harold Spensley, with another donation to our Rotary Polio Plus Prgram.

The Prince George Rotary Club celebrated their anniversary with the traditional Lobster and Steak Dinner at the Prince George Kinsmen Centre.

The dinner was attended by 102 members, friends and family from the 3 Prince George Rotary Clubs.

Everyone enjoyed themselves, except for the Lobster.

Beth James, Chief Executive Officer for the City of Prince George provided a brief but comprehensive update on some of the changes and direction being taken in Prince George since she was hired almost one year ago.

Beth is a recruit from Vancouver and has held many executive positions both in Government and the Private Sector prior to moving to Prince George.  Beth reports she loves Prince George and our weather.

The City has been actively engaged in a series of planning and public involvement reviews during the past year, with Beth's direction.  Beth also expressed concern that they have not received sufficient input from the youth in Prince George, and will be going back to some areas to get further input before the plans are finalized.

The City is also moving forward with the direction of the Core Review, which Beth explains is not a one shot deal, but an on going process.

Rotarian Gina Rawson thanked Beth for her presentation with another donation to our Rotary Polio Plus Program.

Past District Governor Ron Neukomm and Art Erasmus are joined by Past President and Charter Member Lloyd Clay at the Nechako Rotary Club Meeting, to demonstrate some of the "Wisdom in Rotary" supporting our Clubs by the more senior members of Rotary that help provide the strength and wisdom to our Clubs.

So, just because there is a little snow on the roof, doesn't mean the fire is out, as some wise person was apparently quoted to have said.

Past District Governor (2001-2002) Art Erasmus is the current Chair of the Rotary Foundation Committee in District 5040.

Art joined Rotary in Prince George in 1984, and became the President of the Prince George Club in 1991-92.  After moving to Terrace, Art became the President of the Terrace Rotary Club in 1998-99.

Art and his wife Leslie are sustaining Rotary Foundation Members, Paul Harris Fellows and Rotary Foundation Benefactors, Foundation Bequest Society members and Major Donors.  These credentials are a very strong indication that both Art and Leslie are firm believers in The Rotary Foundation.

Art was a Rotarian for 6 years before he became acquainted with the Foundation.  When he discovered the Foundation and what kind of achievements were the result of the Foundation, he and Leslie became involved, to help make a difference in promoting those goals. 

Some of Art and Leslie's work has involved work in Ethiopia, providing water wells, education and sanitation and health to a village in Ethiopia, as well as involvement in the National Immunization of Children under 5 years of age against Polio.  The Theme supports "Engage Rotary and Change Lives."

Art's Foundation Presentation explains that many people are not currently supporting the Foundation because they either never heard about the Foundation or frankly, do not know of the details of what the Foundation is and does within Rotary.

The Rotary Foundation (Canada) is a Canadian not-for-profit corporation supported solely by volunteer contributions from Rotarians and friends of the Foundation.

The Foundation's goal is to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education and the alleviation of poverty.

More information on the Foundation is available on the website: trfcanada.org

Art indicated some people with little knowledge of the Foundation, have made contributions to the Foundation because if Art Erasmus believes in the Foundation, it must be good.  Well, from Art and Leslie's track record, that is a strong indicator, but the real truth requires each and every Rotarian to check it out and make their individual donations, that they feel they can afford, based on their own research and recognition of the wonderful things that Rotary achieves every year through membership support.

The Foundation is one of the best not-for-profit Corporations with the lowest administration fees in the world. 

Rotary is asking each and every Rotarian to become a donor, every year. Each small donation helps make the power of the Foundation much bigger and capable of carrying out the goals identified.

If you are not a donor, Why Not?  Check it out. 

PDG Ron Neukomm thanked Art for his presentation with another donation to our Rotary Polio Plus Program.

Bags of Love, may cause a person to wonder about the nature of the presentation. 

However, Irena Lipovsky from the Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Prince George, clears up that impression quickly, when she talks passionately about a program she and a number of her fellow members got involved in about 2008.

Irena and her people learned about a number of "Foster Children" that were being taken from their homes through the local child protection services program, and relocated in a new and strange environment to live as "Foster Children."

This experience is extremely upsetting to young people, some in their very early lives, ranging from a child of 18 months up to their teens.

Often these young people are removed during the night, with nothing but the cloths on their backs.  They are frightened and very alone.  Their parents may have just been arrested and taken away, or worse.

A child orphaned by their parents, under these extreme conditions, often loose everything, toys, clothing, personal items, and even family pictures.  These young people are in need, as they have become victims, through no fault of their own.

The "Bags of Love" is a program designed to help erase the transition for children when they have been removed from their home.

The contents of each bag are very basic, but very special.  They include: a kid sized handmade comforter, a soft cuddly toy, some personal care items such as a comb, hairbrush, toothbrush, toothpaste and such.  A couple of toys are also included for the appropriate age and gender of the child.

The "Bags of Love" are delivered to the local agencies charged with the removal of these children from their homes, to be given to each child when they are moved due to abuse or neglect.

To date, the Program has delivered over 600 "Bags of Love" in Prince George and surrounding communities, including Quesnel, Vanderhoof, Fort St James and Mackenzie.

The program is not funded other than through various fund raising efforts, donations and volunteers.

Volunteers are always required to assist with sewing comforters and duffle bags, or donation of money to purchase needed items.  All gifts are tax deductible and go directly to help children in the local communities.

Irena can be contacted at 250-564-8967

Rotarian Karen Toombs thanked Irena for her presentation to the Nechako Rotary Club with another donation to our Rotary Polio Plus Program. 

Karen Toombs is also involved with the "Bags of Love" program through the Pathfinders in Prince George, and will gladly receive donations and provide additional information as required.

Thank you Karen and Irena for a very caring and giving program in our community.

Len McNamara, Executive Director of the Prince George Youth Soccer Association, and Zoe, his assistant, provided an update on the Soccer Association and some of the activities that take place on the Rotary Soccer Fields in PG.

Len advised that there is about 1600 games of soccer scheduled for the Rotary Soccer Fields each season. 

For youth Soccer, this involves children as young as 3 years old, up to the age of 18 years.

Soccer is a very popular youth sport and requires approximately $40 thousand dollars in referee expenses, in addition to the cost of equipment and maintenance.

However, on what is referred to as "Super Saturdays" there will be as many as 6,000 people on the Rotary Soccer Field grounds.  Anyone frequenting the area during these days has seen the crowds of people and vehicles around the area.

Len and Zoe handed out pamphlets outlining one of the PG Youth Soccer Association fund raising efforts called "Score-A-Thon" with CLUB11.

Score-A-Thon will collect pledges by players and coaches up to the Active Start Soccer Festival on June 21, 2014.

Score-A-Thon raised over $13,000 in its inaugural year, as is expected to raise $100,000 in funding this year.

Businesses are encouraged to make pledges and Naming Rights are available for Score-A-Thon and other CLUB 11 Events.

PDG Ron Neukomm thanked Len and Zoe for their presentation with another donation to our Rotary Polio Plus Program.

Kathleen Moir is the Manager of Infinite Employment Solutions with AIMHI in Prince George.

Kathy provided the Nechako Rotary Club with a detailed presentation on many of the factors involving the hiring of people with disabilities within the community.  Disabilities can be identified in a number of ways from both physical and mental. 

AIMHI has a remarkable track record of working with disabled people in our community, assisting these people with preparing themselves for employment, as well as working with business in the community to help provide employment opportunities.

Many people with disabilities can or only want to work part time hours within a week, providing an opportunity for some companies to select or provide specific jobs for people with disabilities.

Many companies have found significant return on investment for hiring people with disabilities.  These disabled people have displaced honest and reliable service skills in return for the opportunity for a job.

AIMHI also provides community services such as gardening, lawn care, snow removal, etc. with the aide of disabled workers, with reasonable competitive rates.  AIMHI provide supervision for these people while they are carrying out the work they have been hired to do. 

Rotarian Neil Godbout thanked Kathy for her presentation, with another donation to our Rotary Polio Plus Program.

Nicole Lewis and Walt Kaln of the BC Lottery Corporation provided some incite and details regarding the "Responsible Gambling Awareness" programs offered in BC to people that participate in the variety of gambling activities throughout the Province.

Gambling can become an addiction to people much the same as smoking or the use of drugs and alcohol.

The Province of BC currently has 17 gambling establishments spread throughout BC.

Each of these Casino's has people trained in the identification and assistance of people that might be subject to problems associated with gambling.  A similar program has now been adopted by other provinces including Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

Problem Gamblers statistically effect some 4.6% of BC Adults.  A further 8.7 % of the adults in BC are considered at risk Gamblers.

Because Gambling is a personal choice, similar to smoking and other addictions, people must ask for and seek assistance to help them with their problems associated with this problem.  They cannot be forced to submit to assistance. 

The membership of the Nechako Rotary Club made a couple of very strong recommendations to both Nicole and Walt regarding the size and quantities of future prizes controlled by the BC Lottery Corporation. 

Rotarian Dolly Hilton thanked both Walt and Nicole for their presentation with another donation to our Rotary Polio Plus Program.

Pam Tobin spoke to the Nechako Rotary Cub on the current initiatives taking place in Prince George with the new Cancer Clinic and Kordyban Cancer Lodge during the regular breakfast meeting program.

Pam was thanked for her presentation by Rotarians Lorainna Steven and President Brian Pearson, with another donation to our Rotary Polio Plus Program.

Chrissy Blok, Membership & Events Manager for the Prince George Chamber of Commerce provided the Nechako Rotary Club with a brief update on the role of the Chamber in Prince George.

Chrissy is new to her position at the Chamber and has been working hard to become familiar with the many activities of the Chamber during her short tenure.

Chambers of Commerce function as the Voice of Business in the Community.  This role provides a strong network for business across the province and interaction with government.

The Chamber is seen as the Connection and Engagement Tool for Business.

One of the current initiatives is arranging to assist business with a trip to China to promote the business opportunities in Prince George and possible market connections.

The Chamber brings the business community together in Prince George on a regular basis through their business meetings and luncheons.

Chrissy was thanked for her presentation by Rotarian David McDougall, whom is also a member of the CofC in Prince George.

Chrissy was recognized for her presentation with another donation to our Rotary Polio Plus Program.

Wheee, who said there were no hills on Pine Flats at Otway?

Letti is doing just fine on her new skis while navigating some of the groomed ski trails on Pine Flats at Caledonia Nordic Ski Club at Otway.

Wait until I show them back home.

Letti took a couple minutes to update her host Nechako Rotary Club members on her adventures as our Rotary Youth Exchange Student from Argentina.  Leti spent a few days in Whistler with her colleagues and described the experience as "Wonderful".  Leti also had the opportunity to try out her new cross country skis at Otway with Rotarian Andrea Johnson.  Letti indicated this was also great and that she liked skiing.

Thank you Letti for your weekly updates,

Lauren Galbraith and Stefan Widmer are the Co-Directors of the Prince George Street Soccer program.

Both Lauren and Stefan are 2nd year UBC Medical Students studying at the UNBC Northern Medical Program.

Seeing the disparity between certain populations in Prince George and the health care system through their studies at the Northern Medical Program, they decided to start a soccer initiative in an attempt to improve health outcomes for people that fall within the classification of homeless, drug afflicted or mentally ill.

During their youth, both Lauren and Stefan have been heavily involved in athletics, and have been fortunate to experience the benefits and positive outcomes that come from sports participation.

For these reasons, they decided to start a Street Soccer Program here in Prince George.

Street Soccer is a Registered Charity Program commenced in 2006 with 13 teams in 8 cities with BC.  The founder of the program is Doctor Alan Bates, starting the Vancouver Street Soccer League.

In Prince George, a survey of a number of street people revealed that 30% of these people are absolutely homeless, while an additional 51% have drug additions.  These people are referred to as "Marginalized Populations".

Current participation in the Street Soccer Program is restricted to young adults, 18+ years of age.  This program is in its first year of operation in Prince George, with the goal of retaining a strong connection to the Northern Medical Program at UNBC.

The Street Soccer events are held weekly at the Ron Brent Elementary School, between 8 and 9 PM.  The local teams are competing with other sport teams in Prince George, such as the RCMP, Northern Health or any other organized group that wants to be involved.

The Prince George Street Soccer Program is planning to participate in the National Tournament held in Vancouver in May 2014, where they will have the opportunity to compete with other teams from some of the other cities.  

The Prince George Street Soccer Program requires help with securing: Funding; Equipment; Volunteers and expenses, such as rental and insurance costs for their venue.

For additional information, contact:  princegeorgestreetsoccer@gmail.com  or Facebook: pgstreetsoccer  or Twitter: pgstreetsoccer

Rotarian Bill Bateman thanked both Lauren and Stefan with another donation to our Rotary Polio Plus Program.

AG Lorne Calder, member and Past President of the Rotary Club of Prince George (Downtown Club) brings considerable knowledge and experience to Rotary in Prince George. 

Lorne Welcomed the new Rotaract Club at UNBC in his capacity of Assistant Governor for District 5040, with some background comments about Rotary and the role of the younger generation in helping to sustain the goals of Rotary.

Sylva Falk thanked all the Rotarians and guests that turned out today for the Inauguration of the New Rotaract Club at UNBC.

Sylva identified with the new Charter Members and their Mission and Goals to grow and sustain this new Club in Prince George.

Prince George Rotary Clubs assisted in the Inauguration of the latest Rotaract Club at UNBC today, by welcoming the new Club President Sylva Falk and her fellow Rotaractors as founding members of the new club.

Both Interact in the High Schools, and Rotaract for the younger adult population are the future cornerstone of Rotary in the future.  These young people often have been exposed to Rotary initially through our Youth Exchange Programs, Adventure Programs or RYLA, (Rotary Youth Leadership) and were effectively impressed with these experiences.

Many of these young people received huge personal growth during their involvement in these programs, helping to shape their future in such a way that they want to get more involved in Rotary.

This is truly "Growing our own Rotarians today and into the future."

Both New Generations Director Gina Rawson and Assistant Governor Lorne Calder spoke to the new Rotaractors about Rotary and the opportunities these young adults have to offer and share in their roles as new Rotarians.

One of the realities of both Interact and Rotaract is that these young people are just commencing their education and or career paths respectively, and therefore will often be moving on to other locations in a few short years.  This necessitates bring newer members into these clubs on a constant basis as their club turn over is typically about 25%.

This new Rotaract Club is starting on a good foundation with promises from Rotary in Prince George to provide support and council as and when required, as well as a standing invitation to participate in other Prince George Rotary activities and functions.