Home Page | ROTARY CLUB OF SALMON ARM

The commemorative plaque for Christmas Island at the Salmon Arm Foreshore was just refurbished after showing some wear and tear. Christmas Island was built and dedicated in 1991 to Eric Christmas, a long-time Rotarian who was very involved in saving the foreshore and developing the sanctuary. Eric passed away in 1990 and a plaque was erected in his honour.

BE CANADIAN PROUD 2021

RENT A FLAG FROM ROTARY!

You may have missed getting a flag for May 24, but you can still sign up for a flag for the rest of 2021.

The club will install a large flag on a 10 foot pole on your front lawn over three long weekends in 2021. For a donation of $45, we'll put the flag in the week before and remove it the week after the following Canada holidays:

July 1, Canada Day

September 6, Labour Day

November 11, Remembrance Day

The registration fee of $45 covers ALL THREE instances.

Provincial Government Recognizes our 75th Anniversary

Greg Kyllo, our MLA, handed our President Norm Brown a congratulations citation certificate - this year is our 75th year of service in Salmon Arm and the Shuswap.

Rotary is Still Tops

Storefront School

A.J. Decker from the Shuswap Storefront School talked to club members at the June 14 meeting about the school, its focus, and programs. The school currently has 40 students aged 16-19, in two sessions, 20 in the AM, and 20 in the PM. The school runs a relationship based program designed to help the students gain graduation diplomas and sort out life's challenges. One aspect of the program that the students particularly enjoy is the Indigenous Carvings. Under the guidance of John Sayer, Knowledge Keeper, the students learn carving and have created many works of art, notably walking sticks, masks and totem poles. Many of the masks have been mounted on trees and posts at Little Mountain Park.

Victoria DuBois

Our Monday 31 May speaker was Victoria DuBois, Youth Exchange student from Brussels, Belgium in 2012-13, who reviewed her exchange in Salmon Arm and her life since her return. In her talk she emphasized how her stay in Salmon Arm had influenced her personal growth and enriched and directed her life. She attended university, obtaining both a bachelor's and master degree in business management and is going in to a specialized master's degree.

She works as a director for a non-profit organization working in integration of newcomers. She is very involved in her community activities. Victoria clearly embodies the Rotary motto of Service Above Self.

Be FireSmart!

Our speaker on May 17 was Len Youden from the CSRD FireSmart program.

His role is to educate and help residents prepare for the wildfire season. He illustrated many ways that homes and properties can be fireproofed. There is a BC Homeowner’s Guide available online on the BC FireSmart website. It contains valuable tips. on how to reduce the threat of wildfire to your home and community. Check out www.firesmart.bc.ca and www.csrd.bc.ca/firesmart for more information.

2021 Shuswap Music Festival

Club member Kimberly Rees spoke to the attending members about the Shuswap Music Festival, a yearly event, sponsored jointly by the Shuswap Music Teachers' Association and the Rotary Club of Salmon Arm.

Frog Friendly Coffee

May 3rd's speaker was Karla Fester from Frog Friendly Coffee, an ethically sourced coffee roasting company based in Canoe. The family-oriented business is eco-friendly with a history in Oaxaca, Mexico. Begun as a partnership 14 years ago the coffee beans are sourced in that region from a variety originally from Ethiopia. They are grown wild in the cloud mountains above Oaxaca. The company invests in the health and well-being of the local residents and makes their business work to the benefit of everyone. The beans travel to Vancouver and on to the roasting facility in Canoe, BC, where they are roasted to order as freshness is important. The company now supplies close to 2000 grocery stores across BC.

Shuswap Food Action Society

Our 26 April speaker was Serena Caner, President of the Shuswap Food Action Society, a registered charity in Salmon Arm, dedicated to improving food security in the area. To that end the society has many projects on the go. They include a Community Teaching Garden, the Downtown Farmers' Market, the Shuswap Box Program, Foodie Fridays, Family Food Boxes, Kinderbuddies, and Shuswap Farm Tours. Future projects include a Community Teaching program, a Soup business for schools, a Community Food Assessment, and a Gleaning program. They are involved with several of the local support groups in Salmon Arm and on the Food Hub steering committee.

World Wide Life Update

Linda Soles of The Rotary Club of Kamloops West was our guest speaker on Monday 19 April. She gave an overview and update of the work of Brian and Karen Shaben from her club, who live and work with orphaned and abandoned Hill Tribe girls in Chang Rai, Thailand. The Shabens currently have five girls living with them. By being provided a homelike family atmosphere, the girls gain life skills and self-confidence. Our club has supported these girls in the past. Their successful graduation guarantees their freedom from human trafficking in the Thai sex trade.