By Citizen Journalist, Sandra Zarqani

On May 8th, the Zanzibar restaurant in Brentwood Bay will host another Heart and Soul Cafe music night with internationally renowned guest musician, Munirih Sparrow.

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The purpose of the event is to bring people together in a spirit of harmony to enjoy soul-stirring music and engage in conversation of a distinct and elevated nature.

“I think this is a great exercise in community building,” said Toni Brassard, co-owner of Zanzibar, “and it will be entertaining as well!”

Munirih Sparrow was born and raised in Saskatoon. She has toured internationally from Australia and Africa to Israel, released two records and received national radio airplay.

“Although I experienced some success with my music career over the past 15 years,” says Sparrow, “I ignored the long-standing, burning desire to sing sacred music. Why? Because my burning desire was frozen by a deep fear: I was terrified to speak publicly about my Baha’i Faith, prayer and the big one, God. I finally reached the decision to either quit or have faith in the music that I’d been longing to make. I chose faith.” Her first full-length album of sacred music, “Morning to Midnight” was released in late 2011.

Sparrow’s music weaves Baha’i prayers with original melodies resulting in an intimate performance exploring the interplay of spirituality and art. Sparrow’s sound has been described as Norah Jones blended with a female Krishna Das or as a female, country, and Baha’i version of Matisyahu. You’ll be moved by her voice, story, and acoustic guitar.

“With this new record I hope to deepen relationship to the word of God and to breathe life into some sorrow laden hearts. All songs on this album are Bahá’í Sacred Writings. These words help to ignite the spirit and bring people together. I hope they find special meaning in your heart and life,” says Sparrow.

Sparrow ends her coast-to-coast “Morning to Midnight” Canadian tour at the Zanzibar Cafe in Central Saanich. Having performed in 14 cities she is preparing to depart on a European tour in July.

The Heart and Soul Café is the brain-child of Saanich Peninsula residents, Margo Styan and Debbie Ainsworth. This free first-come first-served event is a gift from the Baha’i community to music lovers everywhere.

When: Tuesday May 8th @ Zanzibar Restaurant, 1164 Stelly’s Cross Road. Doors open at 6pm.

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By Judy Barlow, Citizen Journalist

When Stelly’s students Kai Barlow and Lexi Haggstrom heard that Member of Parliament representing Saanich-Gulf Islands Elizabeth May had agreed to an interview with Saanich Voice Online, they had a couple of questions they too wanted to ask her, not as a politician, but as an environmentalist/activist. In essence: how to effect change and really make a difference.

Ms May welcomed the questions and had some encouraging and inspiring words, not just for the two teens, but for anyone who wants to make a difference that really matters.

The key, according to May, lies in making your voice heard. “You live in a democracy,” Elizabeth emphasizes, “and even before you can vote you have freedom of speech.”

Elizabeth encourages youth to express their opinions in letters to the editor or in comments posted online. As she points out, “Unless you write, ‘I’m 16 and a student at Stelly’s’, no one who’s reading that letter is going to know. They could think you could be a 50 year old lawyer who’s writing a letter saying, ‘I’m distressed by the fact that our government is now condoning torture.’“

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Elizabeth urges teens to speak up and speak out, whenever, wherever, and however they can. Social media like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube can be great tools for conveying socially relevant messages. Speaking out gives a tremendous boost to your sense of self-worth according to May, who asserts that the very act of engaging with issues that evoke your passion affirms that you have clout, and that you are not, nor need you be, passive.

“The worst thing to do for your mental health,” Elizabeth claims, “is to think that you’re passive victims of the stuff that happens to us as opposed to being engaged actors in a world community that matters to us and we matter to it. It’s really important for young people to realize that they have power. They do matter and they’re really important parts of our society. They can make a difference. And I don’t think they hear that nearly enough.”

If there’s one person who lives by that philosophy it’s Elizabeth May herself. An outspoken activist since the 1970s, Ms May was named by Newsweek as one of the most influential women in the world along with, among others, US First Lady Michelle Obama, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Australia’s first female Prime Minister, Julia Gillard.

“I don’t know how that that ever happened,” Elizabeth states with typical self-deprecating Canadian humour. “I have to say I guess that means the world doesn’t have all that many influential women.  I didn’t know how to take it. I was really obviously very honoured – they put me in pretty august company.” However it came about, Elizabeth May thanks God for this blessing that came along just when she needed it. “If you’re running for Parliament in Canada there’s nothing the Canadian press takes more seriously than the US media… It was pretty well timed. I found it very surprising.”

Upon reflection, Elizabeth’s best guess is that this recognition can be attributed to her never-say-die ethic. Growing up in a family that valued activism (her mother was a renowned anti-nuclear weapons activist and founding member of SANE) Elizabeth learned that if you think something is wrong you just roll up your sleeves and do whatever needs to be done to make it right. Elizabeth has spent over 40 years putting herself out there regardless of the cost. Following in her mother’s grassroots-organizing footsteps, she’s learned how to multiply the power of one by enlisting the aid of like-minded individuals.

“I’m honoured I have friends who know friends who have friends and I try to use links that I have in the world even among world leaders,” she says. It would seem grassroots organizing, which worked so well in the 70s is just as effective today, even when linking to world leaders.

Perhaps it was Edward Everett Hale who said it best, “I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.”

Words to live by for those who would make a difference.

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Photo by R. Atwell

Author: R. Atwell, Citizen Journalist

In 2009, ICBC published its list of the most dangerous intersections on Vancouver Island and three of the deadliest for vehicle collisions were located within Saanich.

These risky intersections have daunted motorists for the last twenty years, while the aging road infrastructure strains to accommodate an increasing population. One intersection that receives more than its share of emergency calls is (Patricia Bay) Hwy 17 and Sayward Rd. at the North end of Elk Lake.

Over 55,000 vehicles travel along the Hwy 17 corridor every day, which has led to 60 accidents per year and 169 rear-end collisions at Sayward Rd. from 2006 to 2010. This data, which was collected by RCMP and analyzed by ICBC, revealed that driver inattentiveness and following too closely were major contributing factors.

In 2010, Saanich South MLA Lana Popham, in cooperation with the Cordova Bay Association for Community Affairs (CBASN) assembled a working group of agency stakeholders to tackle this problem on behalf of constituents.

Members of this group include the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOT) responsible for the provincial highway system, the District of Saanich that owns the Sayward Road access to Hwy 17 and BC Transit that maintains bus stops near several highway intersections.

Graham Shorthill, chair of the CBASN Traffic Committee says, “The Ministry had engaged the municipality several times in the past 20 years with dramatic proposals for fixing the intersection, but all of those that involved an interchange for Sayward were rejected several times by residents wanting to preserve the community and limit intrusion into Cordova Bay.”

Considering the sentiment around the elimination of the intersection, the stakeholders sought to identify simple, low cost, short-term solutions that could reduce the accident rate.

The working group met over a period of one year before calling a meeting at the Cordova Bay Community Center on Feb 19th, 2012 to share their findings with residents. With over 125 people in attendance, the event was standing room only and when the meeting was called to order, residents addressed the panel regarding the proposed changes on display.

As part of on-going improvements to the intersection new signage will be erected and the road will also have to be widened.

“Congestion Ahead” signage with flashing lights will be added ahead of the intersection to warn drivers to slow down. According to Lana Popham, “The Ministry has committed that lights will be going up this summer on the approach to Sayward.”

In addition, acceleration and deceleration lanes have been proposed for each side of the intersection on the North-bound side of the highway. Shorthill says, “this will give motorists a better chance to match speed and merge with the traffic flow.”

While the acceleration lane will benefit drivers, two property owners with driveways adjoining the highway are concerned about the safety implications of the proposed changes. Bonnie Blewett is one of those owners.

“At present, north-bound drivers are looking ahead and are aware of our attempts to merge with traffic. Under the proposed changes, drivers may be looking left or into their rear view mirrors rather that looking ahead, which adds difficulties and dangers for everyone involved because of our driveway,” says Blewett.

The addition of the acceleration lane necessitates that the bus stop, currently on the North side, be relocated to the South side of the intersection; this will require MOT to acquire a privately owned property.

Lila Gill owns this property and doesn’t really want to sell it but says, “If it will help stop the accidents and be beneficial for everybody, the government can purchase it.” To date, the government has not made her any offers and it is unknown when they will be able to accommodate this acquisition.

According to Shorthill, this is just the beginning of the process of solving a complex problem. He  indicates these initial changes are simply Phase 1 of the improvements that will be required at the intersection and this work is expected to be completed in the next 12-24 months according to MOT officials who spoke at the community meeting.

Phase 2 will attempt at a later date to address the timing of the traffic lights, lane configuration and accommodating business access where Sayward Rd. meets Hamsterly Rd.

A progress report was scheduled for the CBASN Annual General Meeting on April 26.

Dangerous Intersections Ranked:

http://tinyurl.com/7fco8qu

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