“I sat myself down on the ground in front of the Swedish parliament on a school strike for the climate.” After a summer of heat waves and wildfires, that was ninth-grader Greta Thunberg’s one small action last August. It has sparked a growing international student movement.
“Some people say that I should study to be a climate scientist so that I can solve the climate crisis,” she said in a recent TEDx talk. “But the climate crisis has already been solved. We already have all the facts and solutions. All we have to do is wake up and change. Why should I be studying for a future that soon will be no more?”
“Today we use 100 million barrels of oil everyday. There are no politics to change that. There are no rules to keep that oil in the ground. So we can’t save the world by playing by the rules. The rules have to be changed.”
You can see her amazing talk on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAmmUIEsN9A. And thanks to Brian Creelman for pointing me to it.
ONE SMALL CHANGE
One small change we can make is to stop using single-use plastic packaging. Now we can participate in a 15-minute workshop on alternatives to plastic, and receive a $30-kit (market value $75). The workshops are between June 1st and July 13, in the parking lots of IGA Cookshire and IGA Couture in East Angus. The initiative is by the Jour de la Terre (Earth Day) organization and the Fonds Éco IGA. Here’s the link to register online as of March 19 (there is an English version): https://www.jourdelaterre.org/qc/tous-les-jours/programmes/distribution-d-articles-ecologiques/
BEST SINGER, March 7th
Will the Searchlight find Tim Brink? CBC Radio’s 2019 Searchlight competition for the best new musician in Canada has been underway for some time, and our very own Tim Brink was among the 100 selected in the first cut. His song: I Ain’t Leavin’. The top ten finalists were announced on Thursday, February 28. Visit www.cbcmusic.ca/searchlight/ to see if Tim made it to the top ten, and then listen to Q at 10:45 a.m. on Thursday March 7, when the winner will be announced. (Tim, you’ll always be Number 1 in our hearts!)
PERFECT WOMEN, 8th
Marking the March 6th International Women’s Day, a photo vernissage entitled Perfect the Way They Are, organized by the La Passerelle Women’s Centre, is Friday, March 8, 5-8 p.m., at the Armoury Community Centre, 563 Main St., Bury.
Photographer Kim Gaudreau’s blurb says “By sharing these photos of themselves, the women involved in this project wish to raise awareness of the importance of valuing body diversity.” In an email, she explained in French, “In order to appreciate and celebrate the body’s diversity, most of the photos are partially or totally nude. The women who participated came from an Anglophone background, and others, Francophone, and we are happy to have participants aged 20 to 70.”
Diverse people are welcome: English- and French-speaking, women and men, “and even children,” wrote Gaudreau. Some presentations will be in English. Tickets are $5 until March 5, or $7 at the door; free for children under 12. Info: 873-825-7060.
HEALTHY EATING, 20th
Eating Healthy on a Budget is the topic of a Health Link presentation by the Cuisines Collectives du Haut-Saint-François (community kitchens) on Wednesday, March 20, at the Armoury Community Centre, 563 Main St., Bury. Lunch is at 11:30 a.m. ($5 donation), followed by an interactive presentation (no fee) offering tips to help keep grocery costs down while still eating healthy. “Be ready to get your hands a little dirty!” they tell us. Reservations required for lunch: Contact Kim Fessenden at the Eaton Valley CLC, 819-872-3771, ext. 2.
COLOUR CAFÉ, 27th
A Colour Café is on Wednesday, March 27, at 2 to 4 p.m., at the John-Henry-Pope Cultural Centre, 25 Principale West, Cookshire. No registration; just show up for some fun colouring and conversation, with snacks and hot beverages. Info: Townshippers’ Association at 819-566-5717 or ml@townshippers.org.
BU SINGERS, 29th
Now is the hour to get tickets for the spring show of the Bishop’s University Singers, Gospel and Other Good News. It features Gospel-inspired favourites from such popular songwriters as James Taylor, Dolly Parton, Levon Helm and Joe Cocker. It is Friday, March 29, at 8 p.m. in the Centennial Theatre. Tickets: Adults $25; seniors $23; students $15. Purchase from the Centennial Theatre box office, 1-4 p.m. weekdays, or call 819-822-9692. (Psst: Melanie Cutting wants ticket-buyers to mention her name; she’s in a ticket-sales contest. We heard it from her!)
CHURCH SERVICES
World Day of Prayer. The Sawyerville United Church Women is hosting the World Day of Prayer Service on Friday, March 8, at the Sawyerville United Mance, 46 Principale North. The service of readings, praying and singing begins at 2 p.m., followed by a light potluck lunch of cheese, crackers, fruit and sweet breads.
Justice, peace and reconciliation for women is supported not just by prayer, but also by a collection which offers grants by the Women’s Inter-Church Council of Canada. The grants aim to “restore hope for women touched by injustice.” Info: worlddayofprayer.net or wicc.org/grant-programs/grant-stories.
Baptist. In Sawyerville, the Sunday worship service is at 9 a.m. in French, and 11 a.m. in English. Sunday school is at 10 a.m. in English and French. Info: 819-239-8818.
Anglican. An Ash Wednesday service will be at the St. George’s Church in Lennoxville on March 6 at 5 p.m. Sunday worship services are at 9:30 a.m. at the St. Paul’s Church in Bury, and at 11 a.m. in Cookshire. On both March 10 and 17, the service is in the lower level of the Trinity United Church, 190 Principale West.
United. Sunday worship services are at Trinity United in Cookshire at 9:30 a.m. and at the Sawyerville United at 11 a.m. Info: 819-889-2838 (listen to message).
Do you have news to share? Call 819-300-2374 or email rawrites@yahoo.com by March 11 for publication March 20 and by March 25 for April 3.