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All Those Canada Flags!

Have you seen all the Canada flags around Salmon Arm this Labour Day?

Those flags were placed by the Rotary Club of Salmon Arm to show Canadian pride as well as support of Rotary. Community businesses and householders rented a flag for $25 that was installed before Labour Day and will be taken down a few days after September 7th. These flags will be put up again to acknowledge November 11, Remembrance Day.

Rotary is Still Tops

Project Amigo

This Monday we were privileged to hear Elly Contreras, the Canadian Intermediary for Project Amigo, tell us about this program, which is dedicated to improving the lives of Mexican children in the state of Colima, one of Mexico's poorest regions. She outlined the extreme poverty and hardscrabble existence of the people, whose children, through lack of educational opportunity, also face a life of extreme poverty.

Transitions

Alex Galvez of Transitions Foundation in Guatemala showed this organization in action as he spoke from a wheelchair distribution centre in Guatemala. While he was telling the club about the foundation, all around him were children in wheelchairs, who, with their parents, were picking up their chairs and having them adapted and checked so that they fit each individual child.

MisMack Cosmetics

Our speaker, Missy MacIntosh of MisMack Cosmetics, told about her entrepreneurial struggle through the cosmetics industry to develop a line of non-toxic Clean Beauty products for Professional Performing Makeup. With no business background, Missy was a finalist for Best Youth Entrepreneur at the 2020 Small Business BC Awards and is now nominated as "One to Watch" in the 2020 RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards presented by Women of Influence.

Missy has pushed through the small town barriers to become a pioneer in the Clean Beauty Industry, all from the comfort of her basement in Canoe, BC, Canada. She is now recognized worldwide in the industry for her products, all of which are manufactured in Canada.

Celebrate Shuswap 2020 Concert Series

Today, Ted Crouch, of Acoustic Avenue Music, gave us some great news about a series of concerts happening here in Salmon Arm over the Thanksgiving Weekend - October 8, 9, and 10 this year. Yes - this year.

The New School Year

Peter Jory, District 83 Superintendent of schools, spoke to the club on Monday, August 31, regarding the new look of the schools in the face of Covid-19. He explained that the schools will be operated on the cohort model, which, for elementary and middle school students will mean groups of 60 and for high school students, groups of 120, limiting the contact to students within the cohort. While this is not a complete solution, it will help and is appropriate for right now.

The Aging Eye

Dr Joan Hansen, retired Optometrist and Past National President of the Canadian Association of Optometry, is a charter member and Past President of the Rotary Club of Tsawwassen. On Monday 24 August, she spoke to the club via Zoom about our eyes and what happen to them as we age. Four common things happen as we get older: cataracts, macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diabetes. Her talk included a clear explanation of what each of these conditions is, how they affect our vision and what can be done to correct each. Using a power point presentation, and simple language, Joan was able to make a complex subject very clear and easily understood.

Shuswap Immigrant Services

On August 17, we were pleased to welcome Mary Regier as our speaker. Mary is Past Co-Chair of Shuswap Immigrant Services. Dr. Brian Ayotte, who also came to our meeting, is also Co-Chair.

This organization's goals are to help with the integration and settlement of new immigrants in the Shuswap area. Many of us were surprised to learn how many newly settled people there are in our community, and the diversity of their origins. In addition to all the services they help provide, including language classes, adaptation to the workplace, medical and housing availability, they host an annual Multicultural Festival where we can all get an introduction to other cultures (food, dance, art, etc.). You can find out more about the organizatiion and learn how to get involved at their website.