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Whistler rolls out the green carpet

The eighth annual Enviro-Fest will again feature an impressive range of cinematic offerings as part of a week of educational events.

The eighth annual Enviro-Fest will again feature an impressive range of cinematic offerings as part of a week of educational events.

This is the third year that organizers from the Association of Whistler Area Residents for the Environment (AWARE) and Hilltrip have incorporated film screenings into the Enviro-Fest schedule, which runs from May 25 to 31.

This year, a total of seven documentaries will be shown in conjunction with discussion sessions, plus a panel discussion moderated by William Roberts of the Whistler Forum.

Films include Who's Got The Power, My Inventions, Lessons From Rachel Carson , and many more that bring attention to issues of global warming and climate change.

Jessica Turner and Marie Fortin are on-board as co-hosts of the screenings, and are joined by special guests Bob Brett, Kim Needham and Pina Belperio, who hope to generate some insightful dialogue on a range of environmental issues.

For a full schedule of the screenings, visit www.enviro-fest.ca .

Step into the mystic

DJ Chris CHill (aka Chris Hill) has recently returned to Whistler from a 13-year "pulsing sonic sound journey" which took him through Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. Now, he plans to reach out to the local community with his transformative music.

During Enviro-Fest activities, Hill is hosting music gatherings, workshops, activities and showcases to appeal to an eclectic crowd. On Friday, May 22, he will transfix the audience at The FireRock Lounge at the Westin with "Mystica," his selection of deep chillout lounge and world-fusion sounds.

Hill has been involved with events like Transcendance, Alien productions, Shiva gatherings, Om Festivals, and the Shambhala Music Festival. Check out his unique sound at www.greengrooves.org/chill/index.htm before catching the real deal on Friday night.

Whistler Reads takes to the ocean

Whistler Reads is plunging straight into the icy waters of the Antarctic with its latest event: a discussion of Sir Ernest Shackleton's Great South Pole Exploration . The book chronicles the journey of Shackleton's unsuccessful - nonetheless epic - expedition to the Antarctic during World War I.

"Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages. Bitter cold. Long months of complete darkness and constant danger. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in case of success." More than 5,000 replied to this ad, which was posted in the newspapers of London to recruit a crew for the expedition. Twenty-four crew were chosen.

Andrew Prossin, an adventurer and managing director of One Ocean Expeditions, will speak at the Whistler Reads event, sharing his stories and photos from the Antarctic region, while Whistler's Chris Shackleton leads the discussion.

The discussion takes place at the Whistler Public Library on Sunday, May 31 from 3 to 5 p.m. Admission is by donation at the door (suggested donation $10). To find out more about Whistler Reads and the upcoming event, visit www.bookbuffet.com .

Whistler's artistic women

Whistler Arts Council always puts on a good show with its Street Entertainment Series. But this coming weekend will feature a special all-female lineup of musicians and artists to celebrate the kickoff of the Every Woman in the World Conference.

Check out the contemporary acoustic folk of Alice Newton, who plays a killer combination of originals and classic favourites, or Dani Quayle, another acoustic musician who won over the judges of the 2009 Battle of the Bands with her upbeat tunes. Susan Holden plays a rhythmic acoustic guitar to accompany her soulful folk vocals. Another fixture on the local music scene, Rachel Thom, is taking time out of her hectic schedule to perform as part of the Street Entertainment Series; in fact, you may have heard her song, Wear and Tear, playing on heavy rotation on Mountain FM for the past month.

And if group performances are more your thing, check out Lotus, an all-female roots group with an impressive roster of harmony-driven original music, harnessing the power of piano, mandolin, bass and hand-drums to captivate their audience. Or, come out and enjoy the stylings of a 50-piece adult community band, the Delta Music Makers, who use woodwind, brass and percussion instruments in a range Broadway musicals, concert marches, pop and folk songs that are suitable for the whole family.

Vanessa Stark provides the visual artistic landscape for a weekend of entertainment, creating vibrant acrylic paintings right before your very eyes.

The artists will be performing in Village Square, Village Common, Town Plaza and Mountain Square.

Pull out that prize poetry

For the 16 th year running, the Poetry Institute of Canada is on the hunt for some of the best new, original poetry and short stories, and is offering cash prizes and prestige.

The Institute is on the lookout for poets of any age, previously published or not, who are interested in entering poems into their annual competition at no charge.

They're also hunting for great short stories (up to 850 words in length) to include in an anthology that showcases the best entries received. Not only will winning writers have their work published, but they'll also receive a cash prize for their efforts.

Entries must be received by July 31. Submissions can be sent to poetryinstitute@shaw.ca .