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World of wellness

Gaia Gala to unite community through entertainment and education

Wellness isn’t simply the state of an individual’s mind, body and soul — one local organization wants Whistler to extend the concept of wellness into the health of our world as a whole.

The inaugural Gaia Gala, to be held on Friday, June 6, the first day of the seventh annual Envirofest, will act as a bridging event for Whistler Wellness Week, which wraps up the next day.

Kevin Damaskie, Sustainability Coordinator for the Resort Municipality of Whistler, will host the gala, which is presented by Hilltrip, a local events and promotions organization that aims to improve the sustainability of the environment by promoting key issues through events and actions.

Marie Fortin, Envirofest Co-ordinator for Hilltrip, said the upcoming Gaia Gala promises to be a feast for the senses, offering educational opportunities combined with a relaxed social atmosphere and entertainment to help unite the community on issues of environmental sustainability and overall wellness, and inspire people to act to create positive global change.

The evening starts at 7 p.m. with a cocktail reception and entertainment by musician and performer, Toby Beaulieu.

A little later in the evening, well-known author and speaker, Bruce Sanguin, will present “Global Warming: Spiritual Crisis and Opportunity,” and introduce the Be The Change Earth Alliance, followed by a question and answer period.

“It puts climate change into a much bigger picture than you’ve never seen before,” said Fortin, who has attended one of Sanguin’s public speaking events before.

“This is something I had been craving, for information about how climate change and spirituality (were connected),” she explained. “It’s a deep feeling that I had, and when I heard him… it brought my awareness level way up and helped me with my day to day action.”

Finally, Beaulieu takes the stage again to wrap up the evening, presenting an innovative and inspirational multimedia show, featuring live guitar and vocals to help engage and energize the audience and encourage them to think about unity with the environment.

“Everybody in the wellness community is just so excited to come to the event already,” said Fortin, adding that everyone is invited to attend.

“…The purpose is to inspire people to be the change, and with the format of the event, it’s perfect for people in Whistler.”

Tickets are $20 in advance, or $25 the day of the gala, and can be purchased at MY Millennium Place or Ticketmaster.

 

(Briefs to run on same page)

 

Cash pot for poets and writers

 

Whistler’s aspiring authors take note: Polar Expressions Publishing, a publishing company based in Maple Ridge, is looking for talented writers.

They are holding a poetry and short story writing contest, with cash prizes for the top entries. First prize for each contest is $500, while second and third place entries will take home $250 and $100 respectively. There will also be 20 honourable mentions and the top third of all entries received will be published in a soft-cover keepsake collection.

All work must be original, poems can be a maximum of 48 lines in length, and short stories can be fictional and creative non-fiction, provided they are 750 words or less. There is no entry fee, and the submission deadline is June 30.

To find out more, visit www.polarexpressions.ca

 

Bigger isn’t always better

 

Blind Mute Productions is at it again. It’s been just over a month since organizers hosted their last group exhibit, “Let’s Talk About Feelings…” and this weekend, they’re getting ready for their next show, “6 Inches of Fun,” this Saturday.

The exhibit features the work of 21 local artists, who are creating a piece of art on or out of a six-inch square of post-consumer paper, handmade by Arne Gutmann. Chili Thom, Dave “PEPE” Petko, The Incredible Amoeba, Lauren Javor, Darren Camplin, Pamela Mason and Daniel Poisson are just a few of the artists participating.

The prices for pieces range from $85 to $200, and all will be on display at the exhibition, which will be held at unit #10, 1208 Alpha Lake Road starting at 9 p.m. Cover is $5.

 

Sex and the … village?

 

The women of Whistler will be breaking out their high heels and pricey handbags and heading to Village 8 Cinemas on Friday for the premiere of the highly anticipated Sex and the City movie.

But busy mommies won’t have to worry about finding a sitter — they can take their little ones along to a special parents and tots screening of the movie on Thursday, June 5 at 1 p.m., and enjoy their favourite ladies of NYC without worrying about disrupting other moviegoers.

For a full schedule of show times, visit www.village8.ca .

 

Arts Council hosts AGM

 

Though they recently held a meeting with local artists, the Whistler Arts Council is also hosting its annual general meeting next week.

This year, the AGM will be held on Wednesday, June 4 at 5 p.m., at Nita Lake Lodge, Whistler’s newest boutique hotel, which has just come on-board as a sponsor for the Whistler Art Workshops on the Lake program.

Programs, events, new initiatives, partnerships, staffing changes and budgets will all be discussed at the upcoming meeting. They will also present financial statements from the 2007 fiscal year and appoint the 2008-2009 directors to their board.