"This is BC Almanac broadcasting live on 690 CBC Radio One. We've snuck up the Coast to beautiful Sechelt."
With that, host Mark Forsythe was up and running with his eclectic show from the Seaside Centre.
Usually when BC Almanac goes on the road, local issues and stars are featured front and centre. And the show March 3 was no different.
Forsythe is familiar with the Sunshine Coast. He's made a few visits over the years and is well aware that CBC has "a large listening population" on the Coast.
He recalls interviewing the late well-known sculptor Jack Harman and visiting Roberts Creek's premier eating establishment, the Gumboot Café.
"I've been around," he said. "[The Sunshine Coast] is a world away, one ferry ride away."
Forsythe was a featured author at the Festival of the Written Arts in 2001, the year of the BC Almanac and the B.C. Encyclopedia.
As only fits an area Forsythe described as having "more artists and artisans than anywhere else on this planet," his show kicked off with two songs by the Sechelt Indian Band kindergarten choir. Decked out in traditional paddle vests and cedar headbands, the kids sang two traditional songs in their native language, shashishalhem, accompanied by a native drummer.
The next and largest segment dealt with the Sechelt Harmony Project, a mining project that has seen environmentalists in our area square off against Pan Pacific Aggregates (PPA).
Forsythe interviewed Alan Whitehead, president and COO, along with project manager Cal Mark from PPA. The two men described the mining operation, saying an assessment on the impact of the project is in progress with results expected in August.
"It is an operation that will have zero net impact on the environment," Mark said.
"Can you win over the critics?" Forsythe queried the mining duo.
His next guests, representing residents and environmental concerns in the area, appeared to answer with a resounding "no."
Jan Williams from Friends of the Sechelt Peninsula and Dan Bouman, executive director of Sunshine Coast Conservation Associa-tion, took the company to task for their lack of consultation with the local community.
"Since last May, Pan Pacific has started mining, grinding, blasting and crushing. They've staked the entire peninsula. No one asked us," Williams said.
Bouman said there are concerns that the fisheries act has been violated.
Forsythe asked the pair how they counter the concerns with the 100 jobs the project will bring.
"The expectation is that we will provide leadership if everything [environmental assessment] is done properly, that will be the end of project," Bouman stated.
Other topics discussed on the two-hour show included an international award given to an independent power project. (See story page A4.)
Forsythe and the crowd listening to the live broadcast were also treated to taped Coast String Fiddlers music and some great tasting cinnamon buns courtesy of the culinary arts program at the Alternate School. Another featured group was the Choralations Choir under the direction of Janice Brunson. The choir will perform in Ottawa in July.
Local jazz musician and timber framer Trudi Diening described the building of the Seaside Centre for Forsythe. She recalled the massive turnout of timber framers from around North America to complete the unique building.
Other guests on the program talked about the upcoming 10th annual parent conference being hosted by the Coastal Parents Actively Sharing. The conference will highlight kids and drugs on March 24, and the next day Dr. Martin Brokenleg will conduct two stellar sessions.
Local celebrity Gord Hall-oran spoke on his recent ice-painting experience at the Torino Olympics in Italy.
The show closed with a feel-good story about Healthy Buddies. That program was developed at West Sechelt Elementary School and is expanding to 40 other schools in the province.
On Saturday Sheryl MacKay brought another program to Sechelt: North by Northwest. Her lively show featured many Coast artists and musicians. The morning show was well attended and her show and tell feature attracted unusual things, from collages made from used tea bags to creations that almost defied description.
Both hosts paid tribute to Teoni Spathelfer, their eyes and ears on the Sunshine Coast. She's the correspondent for BC Almanac and the community reporter for the Coast.
