Sno鈥檜yutth means 鈥渟preading good energy鈥� in the Lekwungen language spoken by the First Nations peoples of southern Vancouver Island.
Sno鈥檜yutth is also the name of听the totem designed and carved by father and son Butch and Clarence Dick, which was erected at Oak Bay Secondary School in听2015. It is now the name of a legacy scholarship for Indigenous graduates from the Victoria School District.
Canadian jazz singer Joe Coughlin helped kickstart the original Sno鈥檜yutth Legacy Scholarship with a rare concert back in 2015, and is preparing to do it again at the Dave Dunnett Community Theatre in Oak Bay Secondary.
To support the scholarship for a听third year, Coughlin will sing a fundraising concert, Salute to the Saloon Singers. The event will pay tribute to greats such as Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald.
Born with a physical disability, Coughlin now moves with the aid of an electric wheelchair. Few performance venues can accommodate him, with the exception of the Dave Dunnett.
Coughlin sings Salute to the Saloon Singers on Nov. 23. Tickets are $30 in advance, $35 at the door and available at the McPherson Box Office, Oak Bay Recreation, Oak Bay High School, Scotiabank Oak Bay and online at rmts.bc.ca.
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Grant will aid in braille teaching
The invention of braille, the system of raised dots signifying letters, has long been recognized as one of the best tools to assist people with sight problems.
So ABC Life Literacy sa国际传媒 recently awarded $20,000 to the Victoria-based Pacific Training Centre for the Blind to assist with teaching braille to blind adults.
Elizabeth Lalonde, blind herself and executive director of the Pacific Training Centre for the Blind, says braille remains extremely useful for the blind for even ordinary tasks: labelling spices in the kitchen, identifying cleaners under the sink or jotting down telephone numbers.
Lalonde also said braille has kept up with new technology. There are now braille printers and transcribers. There are even braille computer screens that can be read with the touch of a finger.
But she said new technology, such as magnifiers, talking books and talking computers, is killing braille by default. Instructors simply steer people to devices and don鈥檛 bother teaching braille.
Lalonde said that鈥檚 unfortunate because braille readers gain a new confidence and independence. They even have lower unemployment rates than blind people who don鈥檛 read braille.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an amazing learning experience for people,鈥� said Lalonde. 鈥淭echnology just can鈥檛 replace the printed word.鈥�
The Pacific Training Centre for the Blind is a non-profit, grassroots organization founded in 2011 and run by blind people. Instructors are blind and teach programs to empower and improve life quality for others living with blindness. For more information go online to [email protected].
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Sing your heart out with Village Squires
The Victoria Village Squires barbershop harmony chorus has a new leader who is looking for recruits to pursue a new goal.
Director Peter McBride, recently transferred in from Vancouver, is looking for 50 men to sing with the Squires on their 50th anniversary. McBride is also planning on taking the Squires to a divisional contest in Nanaimo next year.
He comes to Victoria with a solid background in singing barbershop. McBride sings tenor in the championship quartet the Squares.
鈥淪inging is not for everyone, but could be鈥� is a motto.
So the Victoria Village Squires extend an invitation to all men who wish to experience some fun, camaraderie and musical achievement.
Visit the group鈥檚 website at villagesquires.com
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Tips for Halloween safety
Police and civic authorities are issuing warnings to keep Halloween fun without becoming dangerous.
鈥� To prevent tripping, avoid long, billowing costumes with trailing fabric.
鈥� When making a costume, choose material that won鈥檛 catch fire easily. If making costumes for children, make sure the eye holes are large enough for the little ones to see through.
鈥� Dried flowers, cornstalks and crepe paper are all highly flammable. Keep these decorations away from fire, candles or heat sources such as light bulbs.
鈥� Provide trick-or-treating children with flashlights or glow-in-the-dark props and even safety vests.
鈥� Flashlights or battery-powered candles or lights are the safest way to light jack-o鈥�-lanterns. Candles should only be used with extreme caution, and children should be watched at all times.
鈥� Keep children away from fire or any open flame. Make sure they know how to stop, drop and roll.
鈥� Keep outdoor pathways clear of tripping hazards, and keep exits clear of decorations.
鈥� Many municipalities have rules and restrictions about fireworks. Check with your local municipality to see what鈥檚 allowed.
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Halloween house is a fundraiser
Maybe it鈥檚 her chosen profession assembling bones of dinosaur skeletons or maybe it鈥檚 her art-school background, but the colour and fright of Halloween have always appealed to Carly Burbank.
Burbank, her husband and three kids, now nine to 21, moved into their 1910 house in Saanich five years ago from Calgary. The family had always played up Halloween while living in Alberta. Once in sa国际传媒, there was only a tiny hesitation before leaping right back in.
鈥淲e came in September,鈥� said Burbank. 鈥淲e had our Halloween stuff unpacked before our kitchen.鈥�
Now the Halloween transformation of the Burbank home into the Heritage Haunted House has grown into a community event. It鈥檚 assisted by 40 volunteers, and is a fundraiser for Help Fill a Dream.
Those visitors stout-hearted enough to enter get a minimum of 20 minutes to stroll through a variety of spooky scenes and receive a piece of candy. In return, it鈥檚 hoped they can make a donation. Volunteers are on site accepting cash, credit cards or debit.
The Heritage Haunted House is recommended for children seven years and older. Parents are advised to go through without their kids to determine if it鈥檚 suitable.
The Heritage Haunted House is at 3808 Heritage Lane and will be open 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Halloween night, Tuesday, Oct. 31.
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Help name new library branch
The City of Victoria wants citizens听to help name the newest branch of the Greater Victoria Public Library with an online survey event called Name That Library.
The new branch will be located in James Bay at the corner of Menzies and Superior streets in the Capital Park development. It is expected to be completed in early 2018. It will be the 12th for the region and the second for Victoria, after the Central Branch on Broughton Street.
Citizens can support a geographical name such as the James Bay Branch. Or they can choose a commemorative name to honour a person, past or present, an event or an accomplishment.
Of the 11 existing branches, seven have geographical names and four are commemorative: Goudy, Emily Carr, Bruce Hutchison and Nellie McClung branches.
For the newest branch, people are asked to submit a suggestion along with a short rationale. The suggestions will be presented to Victoria city council for consideration. The name will be announced in December.
Citizens can suggest as many names as they like. But they should restrict their suggestions to one per individual survey or email.
To participate, go online to fill out the survey at victoria.ca/NameThatLibrary or email a response to [email protected].
The newest branch is being completed in partnership between the City of Victoria and the Greater Victoria Public Library.
