On March 29, my family and I partook of the Earth Hour observance of turning off our lights for one hour from 8-9pm. In fact we left the lights off all evening.
This act was not to save money or to make a difference in worldwide power consumption as many people believe. It was done to create awareness that we are consuming the earth's resources and are contributing to global climate change. It was an event to symbolize that people worldwide can work together in an effort to fight climate change.
The statistics are out in regard to energy savings, and I am disappointed to say that Prince George the worst reduction of 'savings' in the province of British Columbia. We managed a whopping 0.2% of electricity, while the provincial average was 2%.
My family and I will continue to save energy where we can. Energy saving tips to make Earth Hour every day can be found here. Please do your part!
Easter is almost here and I have been dyeing eggs. This year I'm using natural dyes and have found them just as easy, (not quite) as colourful, and healthier than artificial dyes.
Here is what I did:
I gathered up my dye ingredients. I used blueberry juice, turmeric and spinach for this batch.
Eggs were placed in a pan (single layer) with enough water to cover and added one tablespoon of vinegar to the water.
I then added my dyes. I didn't use any exact measures - just enough for what I figured would be effective. I think I put in 2 tsp of turmeric.
Bring the pans to a roiling boil and then simmer for 30 minutes. Rinse the eggs and then use some vegetable oil to polish.
Final product: - as you can see the turmeric and blueberry juice worked very well. The spinach did turn the eggs a very pale green, but I think I didn't use enough in the pot. 
Other frozen or fresh fruits and vegetables you could use are:
Beets, Beet juice, Skins from red or regular onions, Pomegranate juice, Grape juice, Curry powder, Mustard powder, Red cabbage, Cranberries, Grass, Instant coffee, Lemon peels, Orange peels, Blackberries.
His name is Larry and he followed me home - hitchhiked actually.
I did some shopping and decided to purchase some indoor plants for the house at Home Depot. Our old place was so dark, I wasn't able to keep any plants alive. This home was build with very large windows for passive solar energy, plus is south facing - very bright and sunny indeed.
I found a large Mass Cane at the store that I picked up. My daughter squealed in delight when she saw it. There was Larry attached to the side of the plant!
Considering I have about a meter of snow (3 ft) in my yard, and snails are not indigenous to our area - I am not able to send him out.
I guess I got two for one - a new plant and a new pet!
Spring is in the air and this year I am preparing to plant only heritage and heirloom plants in my vegetable and flower gardens this year. I am able to do this as I have just moved into a new home and all gardens will also be new.
Why heritage and heirloom seeds? Because, it is not only animals that become endangered and extinct - so do plants. By preserving these plants we are also preserving our food biodiversity. The world's current agricultural gene pool is becoming smaller and smaller. The danger here is that if those varieties become prone to diseases, the only way to save crops in failure is to find an old variety. What happens if there are no heritage varieties left? Our food supply could become threatened.
Not only is it important to save these seeds, it is extremely interesting to learn the history of the varieties of vegetables and flowers. You can find out where they originated, when they first appeared in seed catalogues, how the seeds were brought to North America and sometimes even about the person who brought them.
You can find out more about heritage and heirloom plants as well as a list of seed companies at Seeds of Diversity (Canada) and Seed Savers Exchange (United States). You can learn how to save your own seeds here.
Regional companies are beginning to see the impact of the intermodal service in Prince George on
their bottom line. Del Tech and Nechako Mechanical announced in February that they have been
able to reduce overall transportation costs on a $4m mill equipment sale to Russia and can bid on
further jobs in this growing export market because of the efficiencies of loading containers locally.
CN Worldwide will continue to work with regional manufacturers to facilitate regional growth.
The opportunities related to mining continue to look promising as well. A new review will be
undertaken for the Galore Creek mine northwest of Prince George, renewing the positive
expectations for this project. Mineral exploration hit another record high in 2007, with more than
$270 million spent on exploration in northern and central BC. This is an indicator of the excellent
potential for the development of the mining industry, which will help curtail the effects of the
downturn in forestry.
Economic Activity Statistics
Employment
Employment in Prince George continues along the strong trend established in 2007. The
unemployment rate remained steady at 5.1% in January, and the employment rate rose slightly from
December (from 70% to 70.7%). An annual comparison reveals that unemployment was 1.1%
lower in January 2008 than January 2007, and employment was 4% higher. This can be attributed
partly to the fact that the labour force has grown 5.1% since January 2007 while the number of
employed persons has changed by 6.3%. Overall, while the year-over-year comparisons show
dramatic growth, the past few months show relative stability in the labour market. The labour force
grew slightly between December 2007 and January 2008 (from 49,000 to 49,500), with the number
of employed persons increasing by the same amount (46,500 to 47,000).
Real Estate
1,824 properties, valued at $373.7 million, exchanged hands in Prince George through MLS in
2007, compared to 1,991 properties worth $322.1 million in 2006. The average resale price for a
single family residential home was 21.7% higher in 2007 than in 2006 ($240,245 compared to
$197,444). New home prices also continue to be strong relative to the previous year; the average
cost of a new home was $417,067 in December 2007, almost 50% higher than in December 2006.
Housing starts
There were 17 housing starts in January; 4 more than in the same month last year. This is an
indicator that housing starts should continue to be strong in the upcoming year. 2007 completions
finished with 16 in December, bringing the annual total to 224 completions for 2007. The year also
finished with 263 single housing units under construction; 64 more units than at the end of 2006.
Building permits
Building permits issued for the month of January totaled $5,825,966, an increase of 156% over
January 2007. Institutional and Residential permits accounted for the majority of permits issued, at
60 and 29 percent, respectively.
Business licenses
The number of business licenses is unavailable for January.
From: Initiatives Prince George 250-564-0282
www.initiativespg.com
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I enjoy working with residential & rural properties, and out-of-town buyers. I pride myself in offering exceptional service to my clients in an honest and caring manner and keep their interests first.
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