The alpenglow that lit the skies one recent glorious afternoon, was one of those magical moments that makes it obvious why people are passionate about living in Pemberton. The natural beauty, paired up with so many folks passionate about our town, continue to contribute to our oh-so-vibrant community.
The weather was also magical for last weekend’s Winterfest celebrations. Congratulations to all of the event’s organizers and volunteers. Although I had to miss out on the festivities, when I drove back into town Sunday afternoon (Jan. 20), One Mile Lake was abuzz with hockey players, ice skaters and curlers — a sure sign that this year’s festival was a hit. By all accounts, folks can’t wait for next year’s edition.
Last week I chanced to meet up with Mayor Jordan Sturdy at Mile One for “Coffee with the Mayor.” Spending a bit of time with the mayor is a great opportunity to find out about what’s up and coming in the village and ask all of those questions you’d like answered about our town. We talked about the recent announcement that the Pemberton Train Station has received federal funding of nearly $44,000 to allow for its revitalization. Sturdy also noted that Pemberton has also received funding from the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation for the installation of a snow skills park and expansion of the BMX track.
Seems that life in Pemberton just keeps getting better.
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Orchard fresh oranges by the case full are coming to the Pemberton Children’s Centre in early February. They are available at a cost of $30 for a 40 pound box (88 count). That may seem like a lot of oranges, but citrus fruit this fresh doesn’t come along every day. A case of these in your house is sure to go fast. The exact date of arrival for these oranges — a fundraiser for the centre — will be determined soon. To order yours, email melissaronayne@msn.com or call 604-894-6295.
In other children’s centre news, nearly $2,100 was raised at the bottle drive held in early January. Those funds will help support the daily needs of the children and the centre’s operations. The board of directors sends out a huge thank you to everyone in the community who helped make the event such a success. Apparently the Pemberton Bottle Depot has offered to keep the Pemberton Children’s Centre account open if people would like to donate in future. Stay tuned for another bottle drive later this year.
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Mother Goose is coming back to Pemberton. Registration is now open for this free, interactive program for families with children from newborn to 18 months old.
Participants (adults attend with children) take part in this weekly program for 10 weeks. Two facilitators lead the group in learning songs, rhymes and stories. Through these sessions family bonds are strengthened, parents are given tools to help promote early literacy, and both children and adults have an opportunity to socialize. The facilitators, both trained early childhood educators with many years of experience in early childhood settings, are happy to answer questions about child development and share their knowledge of the many programs available in our community. Snacks are provided.
Mother Goose will take place on Mondays from 2 to 3:30 p.m. in the StrongStart portable at Signal Hill Elementary School, beginning Feb. 4. Pre-registration is required. This program fills up fast, so call soon. To register, call 604-894-6101 or email grace.chadsey@sscs.ca.
Send comments and event listing ideas to itsmegrace@hotmail.com. The next Pemberton column will appear Feb. 7.
