http://www.freethechildren.com/mediaroom/photos.php

This picture speaks to me. It shows something that we often take for granted living in Canada. Our education. For this Child the, pencil he is holding is the first step towards a better life, a life where he can hope to become a doctor, a teacher, a business man, or an aid worker, joining the ranks of people who helped him towards a better life.  To you it may be just a pencil but to this boy this pencil represents hope for a new, better life.

This is the perfect picture to put up in schools, its simplicity speaks volumes, it sends a hopeful message, which would inspire other children to go from me to we.

For more information about Free The Children go to http://www.freethechildren.com

 

 

Hi everyone, I would like to invite you to come watch me and the other contestants compete for the title of Miss Teen Canada World! Your support would be greatly appreciated by all. Here is a link to purchase tickets from Ticket Master to view the Miss teen Canada World pageant.

http://www.ticketmaster.ca/event/100042D1FFD9C356

 

Hello everyone, the blog post “ The Okanagan” is a guest post by Brittany Grey, Miss Teen Okanagan for our second assignment.  I hope that you all enjoyed reading about another contestant’s part of Canada!

 

 

This is an article that the local paper wrote about my pageant experience, enjoy! :)

Thanks Nadine for coming out to chat to me, you wrote a wonderful article!

http://www.novanewsnow.com/article-353756-Pageant-winner-proves-beauty-more-than-skin-deep.html

 

  Hi there everyone, my name is Brittani Gray. Im 14 years old, and I was crowned Miss Teen Okanagan World- 2009. I am very happy to have the privilege of competing for Miss Teen Canada in July. I love the stage; I have a passion for acting, singing, dance, and modeling.

 The Okanagan Valley is located in Southern British Columbia. Established in 1859, the first European settlement was established when Father Charles Pandosy settled in now known as Kelowna. The valley is one of the warmest regions in all of Canada. The Okanagan is the premiere wine valley, with over 200 wineries and vineyards. Also the Okanagan has wonderful golf and ski hills.

  Ogopogo is a legend that the Native people spoke of "N’ha-a-itk". They say it’s a fierce the sea monster that lurks beneath the surface of Okanagan Lake. Ogopogo is

green, with a snakelike body about 25 meters long. The Indian legend has it that the large lake creature was originally a demon possessed man who had murdered a well known and respected local man. To pay for his sins, the Indian gods changed the murderer into a lake serpent so he would forever be at the scene of his crime and suffer forever. The creature’s name became "N’-a-itk which translates into sacred creature of the water, water god or lake demon. Over 1,170 people say they have seen a monster in Okanagan lake.

 The Okanagan is perfect for both summer and winter. In the summer the beach is a great way to spend a hot day, Fishing, Boating, and water sports are only some of the wonderful thing the lake offers. The sandy beaches are perfect for sun tanning and building sand castles. In the winter, the ski resorts are the best way to have fun in the snow. Big White is the biggest ski hill in the Okanagan. It has 2,565 acres of ski able terrain, and 16 lifts. Big White is not just for skiing and snowboarding, it has snowmobile, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, sleigh ride through the wilderness, ice skiing, and snow tubing. Also with the great restaurants, lounges, and shopping, Big White is the perfect places for a winter holiday.

  Each town and city in the Okanagan has there own charm and is different from everywhere else. Osoyoos has the dryest climate . It is the only desert in Canada, with the lowest rainfall, and the highest temperatures. Stroll along the pioneer walkway, have a blast at the Rattlesnake Canyon park, and swim in one of Canada’s warmest freshwater lake, Osoyoos Lake. Osoyoos is located near the Canada/ United States border. With its population 4,963 , making Osoyoos one of the smallest towns in the Okanagan.

  

 Oliver is surrounded by desert to the south, and lakes, mountains, and orchards, every other direction. The Oliver Heritage Museum displays the history and natural history of Oliver. Oliver is the wine capital of Canada. With the population of 4,369, making it the second smallest town in the Okanagan

 

  Okanagan Falls is a charming little town, that is best known for it’s largest ice- cream cone seller in the Okanagan valley, Tickleberry’s. Vaseux lake is perfect for those who love to fish. With it’ rainbow trout and kokanee fish, you will love the landscape around you. The population of Okanagan Falls is 6,005.

 Penticton is known for it’s best windsurfing spot. With it’s good breeze that dose on most of the year. Apex Mountain Resort is one of the three prime ski and snowboard destinations in the Okanagan Valley. It is becoming popular for the summer hike and mountain bikes. Penticton’s Front Street, is filled with unque shops and fabulous restaurants. There are two lakes around Penticton, The Okanagan Lake, and the Skaha Lake. Both offer sandy beaches and if you want to try something different, take a float down the Penticton river channel between the two lakes. Penticton is one of the biggest city’s in the Okanagan with the population of 34,669.

 Naramata is in the heart of the sunny Okanagan. With the population of 782, Naramata is the smallest town in the Okanagan. The town offers peace and serenity in all seasons, with spectacular gold Okanagan sunsets.

 

Summerland is a small town, which has an old English theme to it. If you go down the main street, you’ll see old buildings and big trees down the street. With the population of 11,443 Summerland is a perfect place to spend a day at the Summerland Ornamental Gardens.

 Peachland is surrounded by orchards, vineyards, and the Okanagan Lake. This small town has the population of 4,883. Peachland is Ogopogo’s hometown. Peachland is known for its fruit and wines. Stroll along the lakeshore on the Peachland Promenade. With main street running along the lake, Peachland has the beach right there.

Westbank is bordered by mountains to the west and Okanagan Lake to the east. Westbank has two major golf courses, Shannon Lake golf course, and Vintage Hills golf course. They both are 18 holes . In the winter Crystal Mountain is a great place to spend the day skiing or snowboarding.

 Kelowna is the Okanagan largest and liveliest city. With the population of 112,775, Kelowna is one of Canada’s most popular vacation destinations. Prospera Place is a multi-purpose facility that is home to the Kelowna Rockets. City Park is where all the water actives go on. There’s also pathways and long sandy beaches to relax on. Kettle Valley rail road, is where you can walk, hike or bike ride alone the railroad. Kelowna is home to Big White Ski Resort.

  Lake Country, is four communities; Winfield, Okanagan Centre, Oyama, and Carr’s Landing. They are all located on the beaches above the Okanagan Lake. Winfield is the largest by population in Lake country, and is the commercial center. Okanagan Centre is a residential community that lines Okanagan lake. Oyama is the jewel of the Okanagan, with warm dry climate makes it perfect for the summer. Carr’s Landing provides a great view of Okanagan Lake and surrounding orchards.

 Vernon is the oldest community in British Columbia’s interior. With the population of 38,400, Vernon is one of the biggest city’s in the Okanagan. Silver star is a great way to show off your skills on the hills. Or even relax at the lodge.

Doodle Friends

Iona Macleod is your typical teenage girl.  She has moved with her family from one side of Canada to the other and finds herself living in the middle of nowhere, and has the whole summer ahead of her before she can go to school and make friends.

One night while doodling in her room the characters she was doodling sprang to life and jumped off her page!  Now she finds herself trying to hide an eccentric little Martian called Zazi, a cute fire breathing Dragon called Bubbles, and an all Canadian Beaver called Doug.

This TV show is about the mischief and adventures they get up to, while Iona tries to keep their existence a secret.
But what will happen when she goes to school? Who will look after them? Who will make sure they stay hidden?

Stay tuned to find out!

This show targets the younger, after school crowds, so it is played from 4:30-5:30 every week night. It is the perfect show for kids to watch to unwind from a long hard day of school.

My sponsors for the show would be….

Carry Clean
So Iona can keep her big braces smile polished!
http://www.mcptri.com/products/mcp.html

Air Plus
Doug uses their YakTrax to keep from slipping on the ice when he shovels the driveway and their hand warmers to keep his paws warm. 
http://www.implus.com

Jergens
Bubbles uses Jergens to keep his scaly skin soft and silky.
http://www.jergens.com/

Mom, Uncle Jim, Cousin Alex on Jim's shoulders, Aunt Heather, my friend Kate, Me, my twin Skye, and Dad on the end! In front of the Lobster Pound!

Last night I went out to dinner at Halls Harbor. My Aunt Heather, Uncle Jim, and my new little cousin Alex, are visiting from Ottawa Ontario, and when anyone comes to visit with us we give them the ultimate Nova Scotian experience and take them to the Lobster Pound at Halls Harbor! Halls Harbor is Canada's largest exporter of lobster.  At the restaurant you can select the lobster that you want to eat. There were some massive lobsters whose claws were almost the size of my head!! The lady working there was kind enough to let me take some pictures with the huge monster! The lobsters front claws had elastic bands around them to keep them from pinching me, but its smaller claws were not. Unfortunately I didn't know this and ended up getting pinched by the lobster!

Me holding the massive lobster.                      Me getting pinched by Massive Lobster!

I got revenge on the lobster at dinner, I felt kind of bad but it tasted soo good!!! My Aunt Heather and Uncle Jim really enjoyed the dinner.  Alex was to young to have a lobster, but hopefully next time she comes to visit she will be able to enjoy one herself! 

Here is the link to the Lobster Pound website.

http://www.bulldogcomputers.ca/lobsterpound/

Lobster is not the only thing that Halls Harbor has to offer, it also has a beautiful beach, lined with a rocky cliff face. The rocks contain crystal minerals, which rock collectors come from far and wide to collect. Being on the Bay of Fundy, Halls Harbor has one of the world's highest tides of 42 feet!

           

Halls Harbor Beach!

Before dinner my friend Kate, my sister Skye, and I went out to explore the beach. We had fun looking at the mineral rocks, and found a huge rock, which of course we climbed! ;)

Kate (on the left) and Skye (on the right) on the rock!

Skye and I on the rock (Skye is on the left I'm on the right)

After Dinner we walked around the harbor for a while, the tide was out so Kate, Skye and I climbed down into the harbor! It was really cool because all the boats were on the ground, and the ground was scattered with empty scallop shells that were thrown off the boats, so we got a bag to collect some to decorate later :P  Of course there were some disgusting things as well. Kate touched a rotting fish head, it was really gross!! We climbed up the huge ladders on the sides of the harbor to get out. I never realized how high they actually were until I was half way up! 

                       

Me climbing up the ladder to get out of the harbor!                   In the harbor.

Today I went to the UTATA gallery to cut, fold and package 200 cards, which I am selling as my fund raiser for Free The Children! Luckily I had help from my twin sister Skye and my friend Kate. Thanks a lot guys!!! :D I cut the cards, Kate folded them, and Skye packaged them. It took a while but the end result was well worth it!! Iona's Tulips was specially painted by Guenter Burr, one of Nova Scotia's most beloved artists, in honor on me, Miss Teen Nova Scotia-World 2009. The UTATA Gallery has been incredibly supportive of me in my fund raising efforts.  A big thank you to Catherine, Dana and Jackie at UTATA.

Iona's Tulips.  This is the front of the card.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the back of the card, it explains who I am and why I am selling them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kate and I hard at work!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Skye and Kate folding and packaging the cards.

 

 

 

At the Miss Teen Canada-World Nova Scotia Pageant in May we had he chance to speak about our causes and what we believe in.  My platform was and is Malawi Girls on the Move.  My Grade 6 science teacher Christie Johnson worked as a volunteer teacher in Malawi for a few years, and each of the girls that attended her school graduated and went to college or started a business.  Sadly the funds for this school were cut and the school was closed, so Miss. Johnson and and one of the girls that attended the school, Memory Chazeza have built a new school, so that girls can get the education they deserve.  The school is open but there is still a lot that needs to be done, if you would like to help go to http://www.malawigirlsonthemove.com.

 

My twin sister Skye, Memory Chazeza, and me ( I was in Grade 6)

 

Life for Girls in Malawi

This is Martha, she is one of the young orphan girls that Memory Chazeza has been working with at an orphanage near Baraka, in the Southern Region of Malawi.  Martha lost both of her parents at a young age and at the time this picture was taken, she was living alone and trying to continue going to school.  Memory describes her as one of the brightest girls she has ever met.  Shortly after Memory took this photo, Martha became pregnant and dropped out of school. Within a very short time Martha was pressured into early marriage.

Martha's story is heartbreakingly common in Malawi where girls are so desperate for money that they will have sex with men to pay for their own school uniform or their younger sister's school fees.  Even the brighest and most promising students must run the gauntlet of sexual abuse from their own teachers and male classmates.  Young girls can not even dream of a future in which they have the power and right to make their own decisions.  Education is their only hope and it is an almost unattainable goal.  With education comes self esteem and confidence and the ability and reason to say no to sex.  Girls need to believe that their life has value and that they have the power to choose their own path and set their own goals.  Only education can do this for them.  Beyond this, girls need marketable skills that they can use to make their own living, giving them yet another reason to value themselves and say no to unwanted sex.  Education is their only hope and if you've ever met one of these incredible girls and looked into their eyes, you will know that hope is one thing that they have an abundance of.

Memory, Henry, Christie, and all of their supporters spanning the globe, are doing everything in their power to keep this hope alive. Malawi has very few secondary schools and the vast majority of students in these schools are boys.  School fees are expensive and sons are selected above daughters to attend these schools.  Even if the girls do manage to go to school, the emotional and physical abuse is often enough to make them give up their dreams and give in to the urgings of their families to get married at a very young age.  This is not what these girls want.  All they need to be able to hold their heads up and withstand the pressure is a chance to go to a school that will protect them from harm and teach them well.  This is what Memory plans to do.  Her school will offer scholarships to girls, and it will give them training in trades as well as the academic rigor that will lead to further education.

"Female education is one of the most powerful tools to empower women within the family and society. As that happens, women not only improve their own welfare but, through their "agency," act to improve the well-being of their children and help transform society itself." (Amartya Sen,  2000. Development as Freedom. New York: Anchor Books)

Educated women...

• Wait longer to get married and have fewer children
• Marry men who will treat them with dignity
• Space their children farther apart, helping them to live longer, healthier lives
• Choose to educate their children
• Are independent and able to provide for themselves and their families
• Teach their sons to treat women and girls with respect, ending the cycle of abuse.
• Are less likely to contract HIV
• Spend a greater proportion of their resources on the health and education of their  families

Under the [Malawi] Constitution, women have the right to full and equal protection by law and may not be discriminated against on the basis of sex or marital status; however, in practice discrimination against women is pervasive, and women do not have opportunities equal to those available to men. Women have significantly lower levels of literacy, education, formal and nontraditional employment opportunities, and access to resources to increase agricultural productivity. The literacy rate among women between the ages of 15 and 45 is less than 37 percent. Male literacy in the same age group is approximately 45 percent. (Source: US Department of State, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices – Malawi. Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, March 4, 2002)

http://www.malawigirlsonthemove.com

Last night I participated in the Relay For Life organized by the Canadian Cancer Society (www.relayforlife.org/relay/). The relay took place over 12 hours, there were 4 teams participating in the relay, the windsor wrecks, Fire Fighters #1, Fire Fighters #2, and team Sconestone (http://sconestone.com/) which was the team I was relaying for. Teams would have a minimum of 2 people walking around the track at a time ( but most of the team was usually on). The relay started at 6:30 p.m., and ended at 6:30 a.m., so we were all exhausted! I was really tired, I walked for 10 hours! I had to sleep for two.

There was a competition between the teams to see who could walk the most laps. After each lap the walker would receive a ticket and at the end the tickets would be tallied. Team Sconestone got 1466 tickets, our number of walkers changed through out the night, but at the end we had 3. Fire Fighters #1 won the competition with over 4000 tickets !!! In the last hour they were giving out 10 tickets per lap if you ran, I ran, and was very very tired.

I was given the honor of speaking at the opening ceremony, I recited a poem called Celebrate, Remember, and Fight Back, by Dave Hurt

It was a fun experience and I will defiantly participate again next year! Sconestone raised $1640, how much can you raise?!?!

 

Me and the Mounties! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Me and the mounties again! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Me and my Dad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Me and My parents.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Me reading the poem.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Me running at 5:00 in the morning :D