News Leader News
MINDS GRIND OUT ANOTHER WIN
Princeton has done it again! For the fourth year in a row, Princeton Secondary has brought the Environmental Mind Grind trophy back to the Okanagan-Similkameen, after victory at the BC Finals. To do this, the team had to beat out seven other middle school teams who had all won their own local competitions.
The competitions hosted by Mike Roberts and Sandy Dawson of CHBC Television was a rousing event held in Kelowna at Okanagan College.
Wiltse Elementary from Penticton also gave an impressive showing in the Elementary battle, with a second-place finish! It was an extremely tight race, with the final against unbeaten Coldstream Elementary going to a second game to satisfy the Odouble knock-outą game format.
RDOS teams received awards at all three levels of the competition, with South Okanagan Secondary in Oliver winning the prize for Most Sportsmanlike Team at the high school level. They will receive $100.00 for their school.
Winners at each level of the competition will receive a grand prize of $1,000.00 for their school and have their name engraved on a handcrafted environmental trophy. Runners-up will receive $100.00 for their school.
Congratulations to Princeton Secondary and Wiltse Elementary, and all the other students as well, who worked so diligently to learn the study material. Whether they returned with prizes or not, they all look like winners.
2006 BC Final Terasen Gas Environmental Mind Grind Winners
High School Winners: Rutland Senior Secondary, Kelowna
Runners-up: Kalamalka Secondary School, Coldstream
Most Sportsmanlike: South Okanagan Secondary School, Oliver Middle School
Winners: Princeton Secondary, Princeton
Runners-up: W.L. Seaton Secondary, Vernon Elementary School
Winners: Coldstream Elementary, Coldstream
Runners-up: Wiltse Elementary, Princeton
Sponsored by Terasen Gas for 2006, Environmental Mind Grind is a Jeopardy-style contest that tests the environmental knowledge of students from grades 4 to 12.
NATURALISTS HOST MANY EVENTS
Vermilion Forks Field Naturalists have a busy schedule of events lined up in the coming week.
Thursday, May 18th the group will kick off the Meadowlark Festival, sponsored by the Lower Okanagan Field Naturalists, with a dinner and slide presentation from 5:30 to 8:00 PM at the Christian Education Hall.
Roseanne VanEe will show her slide presentation "Mountain Wild Flowers: Reflections, Insights and Inspirations."
Tickets for the dinner and evening program are set at $16.00 each and are available from Trish (250) 295-6002 or Joan (250) 295-7743.
On Friday, May 19th the group will host two hikes.
Madelon Schouten will host 'Swan Lake Birding' from 9:00 AM to 12 Noon. The fee to participate in $15.00 and meet at Princeton Museum from 8:30 AM for coffee and muffins. For more information call Schouten at (250) 295-7078.
The second hike is 'Vermilion Bluffs and Hoodoos' with Joan Kelly and Trish Reid. The fee to participate is $15.00.
Meet at the Museum at 1:00 PM with finish time set for 3:00 PM. This hike will follow the KVR.
TRAIL CHALLENGE RETURNS JULY 9th
Trails BC is pleased to announce two more Trans Canada Trail Challenge events in 2006 that follow the successful editions staged from 2003 to 2005.
They allow participants to explore significant sections of the Trans Canada Trail in BC. So far, a total of more than 1,200 people have participated in these events. Many have participated in all of them.
In 2006, the fifth and sixth edition of the Trans Canada Trail Challenge events will again take place in two different regions of the province.
In Southwest BC, the Lower Fraser Valley event will cover a varied and interesting 53-kilometre route from Haney Centre, Maple Ridge to New Brighton Park, and Vancouver by going through Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, Port Coquitlam, Coquitlam, Port Moody, and North Burnaby.
It will take place on Sunday, June 25th. Shuttles are provided from various points along the route to the start in Haney.
In the Okanagan Region, the Osprey Lake to Princeton event taking place July 9 follows a 52-kilometre course along the much celebrated Kettle Valley Railway. Participants will be bussed from the finish line in Princeton to their chosen starting point between Princeton and Osprey Lake.
The full course of each event is in the 51 to 54-kilometre range. One can choose to walk, bike, ride, or run a shorter distance. The Central Fraser Valley event also offers a combined cycle and walk/run possibility.
The level of trail difficulty for both courses is considered easy to moderate. Outside of some climbing after the 33-kilometre mark in the Lower Fraser Valley event, the routes mainly follow dikes, or rail grades as well as easy forest and urban trails.
The focus of the Trans Canada Trail challenge events is to experience the spirit of the Trans Canada Trail in a non-competitive and personally challenging way as a cyclist, walker, runner, or equestrian.
The trail also: provides educational opportunities with the assistance of an interpretive guide; involves the communities along the trail; and provides strategies and services for the benefit of participants.
Participating in this event will inspire some to go out on their own on other sections of the TCT near them and in other parts of the country. It is a great way to experience the Trans Canada Trail in British Columbia.
This unique Trans Canada Trail experience is hosted by Trails BC. All proceeds go towards trail construction and maintenance of the Trans Canada Trail.
For full details go to the Trails BC website: www.trailsbc.ca.
Trans Canada Trail Challenge 2006: Osprey Lake - Princeton
Date: Sunday, July 9, 2006
Distance: 52 kilometres (or less)
Start of event: 8:45 AM
Start Location: TCT Gateway in Princeton
A shuttle will take participants to the various starting points.
Contact: Jim Stolth, Vermilion Trails Society, Box 2104, Princeton, BC V0X 1W0
Telephone: (250) 295-3735
e-mail: challenge@vermiliontrailssociety.com
Registration: For information and online registration and registration forms, visit www.trailsbc.ca
