CTV British Columbia - Thousands defy driver cell phone ban - CTV News

By: ctvbc.ca

Date: Monday Aug. 30, 2010 5:33 PM PT

Thousands of British Columbians are defying the seven-month-old law that bans drivers from talking on their phones.

A new report shows that an average of 3,000 tickets a month were handed out to cell phone abusers from March to May, according to the Insurance Corporation of B.C. In February, a slow month due to the Olympics, 2,400 tickets were given out to drivers.

Those figures show that B.C. drivers have turned a deaf ear to the new law, says ICBC's director of road safety, Nicholas Jimenez. He'd like to see hand-held phone use while driving become stigmatized.

"There are a lot of people who are still doing this, that haven't bought into the idea that this is risky behaviour," says Jimenez. "We want [passengers] to really express the fact that this isn't cool, ‘I don't accept this… I don't want you doing this.' Or another driver, [say] ‘It's not what we want people to do on the road.'"

ICBC is retaliating with a hard-hitting new campaign aimed at educating drivers on the hazards of driving while using a hand-held device. There are plans to release a graphic new television commercial next month, as well as a youth-targeted poster campaign throughout high schools and university campuses. Young drivers are the most common offenders.

Police are also reminding drivers about what it means to be "hands free." Phones should be hard mounted and secured to the vehicle. If drivers want to talk while driving, they need to use a Bluetooth or remote microphone.

A phone kept within range, on a driver's lap or in the passenger seat, is not considered legal. It's also illegal to make a hand-held phone call or text while at a stop light, which is one of the biggest offences. If the phone rings, a driver should pull over, say police.

"We see people with no seatbelt talking on the phone, and they let go of the steering wheel to put their seatbelt on, rather than put their cell phone down," said Sgt. Paul Ballard of the Vancouver Police Department traffic section. "It's sad. But it's the truth."

As of Feb. 1, drivers became subject to a fine of $167 for talking while using a hand-held phone or electronic device. Drivers caught texting or emailing became subject to three penalty points.

With a report from CTV British Columbia's Leah Hendry

CTV British Columbia - Thousands defy driver cell phone ban - CTV News

CTV British Columbia - Countrywide arrest warrants issued in torture case - CTV News

Disgusting!!
I hope they find him and throw away the key.
CTV British Columbia - Countrywide arrest warrants issued in torture case - CTV News

BC Berrie Smoothie

The BC Berrie Smoothie

Ingredients:

1/2 c Vanilla or Vanilla Lemon Yogurt
2c Milk
1/8 c Frozen Blackberries
1/8 c Frozen Blueberries
1/8 c Frozen Raspberries

You may substitute your Berries for other fruit.
Frozen fruit is best though.

Instructions:

1. In a blender put all ingredients & Blend.
Check consistancy of smoothie,
you may need more milk or more berries depeneding on how you like it.
2. Drink & Enjoy

Discovery Health "Childhood Obesity"

Really??
If Childhood Obesity is something that you are curious about, please read this article.
It really is astonishing how we've let his happen to our children.

Discovery Health "Childhood Obesity"

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:

1 1/4 c Flour
1 c Oats
1 tsp baking soda
1tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 c softened butter
1/2 c peanut butter
1c brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 Eggs
1 1/2 c Chocolate Chips
1c Chopped Nuts (Optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. In a small bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt & spices.
3. In a large bowl, cream butter, peanut butter, sugar & vanilla. Add in eggs one at a time.
4. Gradually beat in flour mixture until mixed.
5. Add in Chocolate Chips & Nuts (optional).
6. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased baking sheets.
7. Bake 9-12 minutes, do a test batch of 3 first to find your best baking time.
8. Cool on wire racks.


I took a recipe and revamped it to the way I like to make cookies.
I like my cookies thick n chunky just like me. lol no skinny flat cookies for me.
The original recipe had no oats, peanut butter, spices and more sugar.
Way too much sugar, so I lessened it by 1/2 c.

BC Berrie Oat Muffins

BC Berrie Oat Muffins
Made with real BC Raspberries, Blackberries & Blueberries. ;)

• 1 1/2 c Flour
• 1 c Oats
• 3/4 c brown sugar
  
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
  

-----------------------------------

• 1 Egg
• 1c Sour Milk
• 1/3 c oil (or apple sauce)
  
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 1/2 c Raspberries
• 1/2c Blackberries
• 1/2c Blueberries
  

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 F.
2. In a large bowl mix all dry ingredients together, mix well.
3. In a medium bow add sour milk, egg, oil (or applesauce), mix well.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, add fruit and stir until just mixed.
5. Put in muffin tins & bake for about 2o-25 minutes
6. Cool and enjoy.

I've altered the original Muffin Recipe to make it my own.
The original had no oats and way too much sugar, no spices.
Also applesauce is a great substitution for oil.

Banana, Carrot, Zucchinni & Oat Muffins

Banana, Carrot, Zucchinni & Oat Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 c Flour1 c Oats
• 3/4 c brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
  

-------------------------------

• 1 egg
• 1c sour milk
• 1tsp vanilla
• 1/3 c oil or apple sauce
• 1/2 c of mushed banana
• 1/2 c finely shredded carrot
• 1/2 finely shredded zucchinni
• 1/2 c mini chocolate chips (optional)
  

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 F.
2. In a large bowl mix all dry ingredients together, mix well.
3. In a medium bow add sour milk, egg, oil or applesauce, mix well.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, add fruit and stir until just mixed.
5. Put in muffin tins & bake for about 2o-25 minutes.
   

I've altered the original Muffin Recipe to make it my own.
The original had no oats and way too much sugar, no spices.
Also applesauce is a great substitution for oil.
Also shown is BC Berrie Oat Muffins in which I will post their recipe shortly.

Woman puts cat in wheelie bin

Wow, I hope they find this woman and toss HER in a trash bin!
No need for such behaviour. The cat wasn't even doing anything wrong.

Chewelry Kid Companions- A Special Companion for your special child.

While on twitter I came across this tweet about this site.
If you have a child that has Autism, ADHD, Aspergers, Sensory Processing Disorder chances are this site might be something you'd be interested in.
Take a peek and check it out.
I don't think it's something my son may need, but if you know of any family that might, please tell them about it. It could help their child out.
Chewelry Kid Companions- A Special Companion for your special child.
Hugs, Bonnie

Canada's Best Restroom ?? Seriously??

LOL I've never laughed so much as I have when I came across this poll!
Canada's Best Restroom - Vote| Presented by Cintas
Mind you 2 of the bathrooms representing Vancouver.
The Shangra-la & Cactus Club Cafe.
But seriously.. a friggen poll on the best bathroom is Canada?
Ohhhh boy!! lol
hugs, Bonnie

Ten or more black bears found guarding B.C. pot farm

Ten or more black bears found guarding B.C. pot farm

Police investigating an outdoor pot farm at Christina Lake stumbled across a strange menagerie of guards.

Between 10 and fifteen amiable black bears popped out of the Kootenay woods to greet the officers, Sgt. Fred Mansveld said.

They were extraordinarily docile and mellow, Mansveld said.

And they weren’t the only unusual tenants on the property.

Police discovered more than 1,000 marijuana plants; about a dozen big black bears, some with cubs; a young raccoon; a pot-bellied pig; a large dog; and two human residents, who some people were feeding dog food to the bears to lure them into hanging out on the property, RCMP Const. Dave Smith said.

“It was like a cross between Jurassic Park and Jellystone Park,” Smith said.

The pot farm and its inhabitants were discovered when police executed a warrant on the property July 30, though the story didn’t develop legs until this week.

“Common behaviour of a bear is usually to avoid humans,” Smith said. “The ones that are used to people are quite wary of you, they don’t just sit there and watch you, and these bears were just sitting around, laying around just watching, wandering around,” he said.

One relaxed bear hopped up on a police cruiser to watch the action as the police dismantled the marijuana-growing operation.

Two houses where located on the property. In the first house a raccoon was dozing, “spread-eagled on the bed, like a cat,” Smith said.

The raccoon woke up and followed officers around as they searched the house. Smith said it had to be shooed away when it started rooting through a box of evidence.

In the other house, a pot-bellied pig slept right through the search, Smith said.

The human couple, a man and a woman, will face charges of production and possession of marijuana, Mansveld said.

Smith and Mansveld said the bears could have been fed to encourage them to stick close to the property to discourage a “rip” or theft of the plants by other criminals.

But Smith said the story has taken on mythical aspects as it makes the media rounds.

For example, there was an electric fence around the two residences and the bears did not go into the houses as suggested in some reports, he said.

Almost as soon as the story broke earlier this week, comment boards on news websites lit up with suggestions the bears were being fed marijuana along with dog food. “No, we don’t know about that,” Mansveld said. “I suppose it’s possible, but we don’t have any evidence of that.

“But it might be the reason for their laid-back attitude,” he added.

Conservation officer Dave Webster said he doubted the bears where getting anything more than a steady food source. “Lack of activity is more likely due to the fact that they’re getting a large amount of food in the area and feel completely comfortable there,” he said. “There’s really no need for them to act in a more natural way.”

“We saw no evidence they were consuming the plants,” Smith said.

In addition to drug charges, the couple may face charges of feeding wildlife, according to Webster. But he doubted the bears where being encouraged to help guard the pot farm. He thought it was more likely “misguided good intent” and added that it wasn’t the first time conservation officers had been called out to the property because the residents were feeding bears.

What becomes of the bears depends on whether they easily return to their natural habitat and food sources, Webster said.

“Once those bears don’t have that food source, we’ll see which bears move on and can adapt to more natural settings. And the bears that can’t, we’ll have to deal with those bears accordingly as those issues arise,” he said.

That could turn farce into tragedy. Bears that lose the ability to find natural food sources are far more likely to come into conflict with humans, and “any bear deemed a safety risk to the public will have to be destroyed,” Webster said.

Christina Lake is in B.C.’s southern Interior, about 21 km east of Grand Forks.

jabeita@vancouversun.com

© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun

CTV British Columbia - Wildfires rage as B.C. heat wave sizzles - CTV News

CTV British Columbia - Wildfires rage as B.C. heat wave sizzles - CTV News
By: ctvbc.ca

Date: Tuesday Aug. 17, 2010 10:24 AM PT

Evacuation orders are in alert for several B.C. communities Tuesday as the wildfire situation continues to intensify across the province.

The Dean River fire, burning 45 kilometres north of Bella Coola, on the province's Central Coast, forced evacuations Monday night from Kalone Creek to the Takla River.

The nearly 600 hectare blaze, started by lightning more than two weeks ago, also prompted the evacuation of two remote fishing villages along Dean River.

Evacuees are being told to register in Bella Coola, but that town is also cut off by a wildfire that severed Highway 20 through Tweedsmuir on Sunday.

Trucks with groceries and other supplies can't get through, leaving an estimated 2,000 people cut off.

A growing problem

The Bull Complex fire continues to grow near Alexis Creek, around 100 kilometres west of Williams Lake. The fire, which started July 28, now covers 24,000 hectares – or 240 square kilometres.

The largest of the B.C. wildfires is the Meldrum Creek fire, just west of Williams Lake, which registered a stunning 36,000 hectares late Monday night.

Almost 400 firefighters, aided by 14 helicopters and 53 pieces of heavy equipment, are working to conduct burn-off operations in hopes of reducing the tinder dry fuel at the fire's perimeter.

Provincial Fire Information Officer Alyson Couch says exhausted firefighters are being pushed to the limit.

"We are pretty much just holding our own right now," she said.

"Sometimes the (fire) behaviour is so extreme we have to pull our crews off in the afternoon. It's just not safe enough to be out there."

Air quality is plummeting across the province due to fine ash the fires are spewing into the air.

It's turned the Lower Mainland into a hazy mess and prompted warnings from Metro Vancouver on Monday.

Julie Saxton says people with health problems should stay inside and avoid strenuous activities outside for the time being.

"Those people who are sensitive, who have existing conditions, such as lung conditions, heart conditions, the elderly and very young people are certainly most at risk so be especially careful if you're caring for those people," Saxton told CTV News.

Air advisories are also in effect for the northern, central and east coast of Vancouver Island, as well as the Bulkley Valley & Lakes District.

Part of the haze in the air is also due to the extreme heat.

Eight temperature records were broken across B.C. Monday and another seven came within one degree of doing the same.

The heat wave has pushed the fire danger rating to critical levels. Three-quarters of the province is now at a high or extreme risk of fires.

Crews are hoping they can hold on just a few more days until the temperature is expected to cool.

"We are expecting a breakdown in the temperatures later in the week which means we might be able to get the upper hand," Couch said.

"So right now we're just holding our guards and hoping that the fires don't cross those guards."

There are currently more than 3,000 firefighters battling 260 wildfires burning in B.C.

A total of 1,434 fires have scorched more than 1,700 square kilometres since April. About 550 fires are said to be human caused. Roughly half are caused by lightning.

With a report from CTV British Columbia's Penny Daflos