Slocan Trail Head Improvement Project-

On July 9, Daniel Scott, Trail Specialist with RSTBC along with members of the Slocan Valley Historical Trail Society made a presentation to Council of the Village of Slocan about future development possibilities of the Slocan portion of the Rail Trail.
Improvement ideas have been discussed for years by SVHTS, such as easing parking congestion, beautifying the Beach access, making better use of the gazebo and improving the surface of the Trail.
RSTBC has made this project possible with funding from FLNRO and Trans Canada Trail.
This past winter, we have been busy talking to user groups and local volunteers to see what options we could offer.  A new public toilet has already been built in the Spring funded by RSTBC and maintained by a partnership of Village of Slocan and SVHTS volunteers.
Suggestions for the Slocan Trail Head Improvement Project include:
a) paving a small portion of trail to provide a year round hard surface for walkers, seniors and cyclists who use it extensively, from new parking lot to Park Ave or a little beyond to the future site of the Historical Boat exhibit.
b) providing a wheel chair accessible path from gazebo, new toilet, parking lot, picnic table, to future site of Historical boat.
c) developing a separate gravel parking lot for Trail users away from the present congestion near the Beach.
d) greening up the space next to the dog Beach and adding picnic tables.
e) creating a dedicated horse trail parallel  to the Trail (where possible) that would  separate activities for safety and maintain hard surface for cyclists and walkers.
f) installing new safer bollards and fences where appropriate to maintain the non-motorized status of the Trail.
g) creating a new equestrian parking lot close to card lot off Slocan Rd South Trail to provide safe access to horse riders.
It is hoped the plan will be finalized soon and work can start this Fall. Your feedback would be appreciated!"

by Sharon Butler

Telus plans to provide cell phone service to Slocan City next year

Telus is planning to install a macro cell site in the Village of Slocan next year, providing cell phone service (4G LTE  technology) within the village and to parts of Slocan Lake. “Telus has been exploring our options to enhance wireless  coverage in the Slocan area over the past couple of years, particularly given the strong support and advocacy from the  Village and its residents.
This type of feedback plays an integral role in our planning process,” Telus spokesperson Liz Sauve told the Valley Voice
.
Sauve said that Telus will replace an existing wood utility pole at 903 Hume Street with a moderately larger pole that will provide new wireless coverage. “This location was selected for a number of reasons – it will dramatically enhance  coverage in the community, and is located in a fairly open area that will have the least impact on the landscape and  aesthetic of the community.”
Sauve said Telus is still in the engineering phase, and is determining the feasibility of offering internet service through  this new connection, as well. Slocan Mayor Jessica Lunn explained that council received a petition in favour of cell  service and a number of letters of support about three years ago, at the time that Telus was proposing a cell tower in  Winlaw.  (The Winlaw plan was abandoned because of public opposition.) Lunn said that council forwarded the petition  and letters of support from Slocan residents and businesses to Telus.
“Most of the letters of support cited public safety and economic development as reasons for wanting  the service,” Lunn  said. “Many cited the de Groot incident and said cell service might have changed things.”.... “We thought it was important to make sure the lakefront was covered for public safety, and to have the site as removed as possible from residences.”
Lunn said that once Telus told the Village that they’d be starting the public consultation phase, “we wanted to let the  public know, so we did so in the last newsletter. In addition to Telus’ process, we’re expecting comments from the public, and we’ll forward all comments to Telus.”
A comment form is available at the Village office.
Lunn says her understanding is that Telus is required to notify all residents and businesses within a radius of three times the pole height – in this case, a 60-metre radius – of
the proposed tower.
As published in the Valley Voice, by Jan McMurray July 12, 2018

by Sharon Butler

Improve your business skills this summer at Community Futures

Small business workshops offered at Community Futures!

Pinterest & Instagram for Beginners
Nelson: September 7 (9.00 am - 4.00 pm) with Instructor Chris Holland
$80+GST
Learn to use the mobile apps Pinterest and Instagram for Beginners  to reach potential customers and/or promote a virtual store.  Instagram is visual digital organizer that will help you to present images of your business in a professional manner; it is also a complement to other Social Media and a potential hot spot for business. This workshop will review the features of Pinterest and Instagram and help you understand how best to use them to market your business, your products/services and yourself. You’ll also learn how to set up your accounts and find new followers.
Registration Deadline: September 4.

Branding - Company Identity Design
Nelson: September 11 (9.00 am. - 4.00 pm) with Instructor Brad Steele
$80 +GST
Branding - Company Identity Design starts with creating an identity (logo) for your business as it's an essential way to communicate your business philosophy and offerings with your customers. This class will give you the fundamentals to design your own professional-looking company business logo. We'll cover basic design principles, ideation phase, creative concept phase, typography, colour theory and file formats.
Registration Deadline: September 5.

DIY Videos for Social Media (YouTube)
Nelson: September 18 & 25 (9.00 am - 4.00 pm) with Instructor Zeb Hansell
$200+GST
People love watching videos online. Video can be extremely effective for business marketing to boost your product and brand awareness. This 2-part DIY Videos for Online Marketing workshop will aid you in planning, shooting and editing video for your business. Students must have a recording device for shooting video, and a computer for editing. Instruction in editing video on both Windows and Mac is available. Explore different software and resources that help get the job done. Learn to optimize your YouTube channel and upload your video to gain exposure in your markets.
Registration Deadline: September 13.

Selling Products Online 101 
Nelson: September 26 (9.00 am - 4.00 pm) with Instructor Nikta Boroumand
$120+GST
This is not a computer workshop.  The formatting of the Selling Your Products Online 101workshop is a combination of lectures, presentations and Q & A. Explore ways to sell your products online like online Marketplaces (eg: Amazon), Online Craft Fairs (eg: Etsy), Social Networks (Facebook) as well as your own online storefront. But before you pull up your sleeves to build an online store, there are some fundamental elements that you must account for like how to package, ship, accept payments, and provide customer support just to name a few. Learn about the components required for building a successful online store that generates income. You will get an introduction to the basics of trusted online services, as tools for selling online: PayPal integration, WordPress.com for Artisans, Wufoo forms, Etsy, Wix, Volution, Squarespace and Shopify. You will also learn about the importance of understanding regulations and legalities of selling online in Canada with tips as to where to find this information.
Registration Deadline: September 20.

JULY
July 16       Send Me Something - The Art of Being Prepared  (9:00 am - 1:00 pm

July 25       Contests, Promotions & Events  (9:00 am - 1:00 pm)
July 26       Bookkeeping Basics  (9: 00 am - 4:00 pm)

AUGUST

August 1     Secret to Generating Revenue in the Digital World (9:00 am - 1:00 pm)
August 15   Bookkeeping Lab (9:00 am - 12:00 pm)
August 22   Business Plan 101 - Free (9:00 am - 4:00 pm)
August 24   Bookkeeeping Basics (9:00 am - 4:00 pm)
August 30   Facebook,  Twitter, LinkedIn - Beginner (9:00 am - 4:00 pm)

SEPTEMBER

September 7       Pinterest & Instagram - Beginner (9:00 am - 4:00 pm)
September 11     Branding:  Company Identity Design (9:00 am - 4:00 pm)
September 12     Bookkeeping Lab (9:00 am - 12:00 pm)
September 13     Search Engine Optimization (9:00 am - 1:00 pm)
September 18 & 25 DIY Videos for Social Media (You Tube) (9:00 am - 4:00 pm, both days )
September 19     Bookkeeping Basics (9:00 am - 4:00 pm)
September 26     Selling Products Online 101 (9:00 am - 4:00 pm)
September 27     Podcast 101 - Beginners Guide to Producing and Publishing (9:00 am - 4:00 pm)
To register for any of our workshops at Community Futures Central Kootenay:Call (250) 352-1933 ext 100
Or visit our office 201-514 Vernon Street, Nelson (above Canada Post)Enrollment fees may be paid by cash, cheque or credit card.

by Sharon Butler

Slocan Valley CANNABIS SURVEY: Land Use and Community Notification Guidelines

The RDCK is soliciting feedback from the public and stakeholders on those matters that local government can address: such as appropriate land use regulations for Cannabis Retail, Nurseries, Cultivation and Processing, as well as Community Notification Guidelines for Cannabis Retail.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KK3XKQP

Your feedback is important to decision makers- please respond to the survey.

For more information please see:

http://www.rdck.ca/EN/main/services/community-planning/cannabis-regulations.html

by Sharon Butler

Silverton Gallery re-opens on Canada Day

July 1, 2018 will finally see the reopening of the historic Silverton Gallery, a much-loved venue that has been closed for the past  four years and sorely missed. A pro-active village council and the Slocan Lake Arts Council secured funding to meet fire standards and bring the grand old girl back to life.

$400,000 has been spent thus far on heating, cooling and venting systems plus fire suppression systems throughout the  two-story building, so once again the doors will be open for the business of art, culture, art education and entertainment.

The Silverton Gallery has served for the past 37 years as a cultural hub for the Slocan Lake area, featuring dances, theatre  performances, musical entertainment and art exhibitions, as well as many hands-on educational opportunities.

More fund-raising events are forthcoming to complete many tasks; your energy and ideas are welcome.

Memberships will be available for purchase; consider being on a committee to help launch a new era of cultural  inspiration in our neighbourhood.

For more information: visit https://silvertongallery.ca/

by Sharon Butler