7 months in the making, (our first post went live May 16, 2012), theWellnessAlmanac has welcomed its 5000th visitor!

Thanks to funding support from the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation, the site, developed by the Winds of Change Steering Committee, is a:

• Celebration of place
• Invitation to pay attention
• Opportunity to discover common ground between First Nations and non-First Nations residents and celebrate unique differences
• A tool to explore and build a holistic framework around our understanding of health and wellness.

“We wanted to connect with individual citizens more and to connect across the divide in our communities. We want to share information about services that are available, about issues that affect us and to enjoy this place we call home. And it’s working.” Sheldon Tetreault, Winds of Change Steering Committee Chair

Thanks to our regular columnists:

• Pemberton foodies (and keepers of the Pemberton facebook group page, Gary and Zoe Martin,
• child and youth therapist Tanya Richman,
• herbalist Evelyn Coggins,
• and Stewardship Pemberton’s Dawn Johnson,

and our 2012 contributors –

• Winds of Change Steering Committee members including Village of Pemberton Councillor James Linklater, Chair Sheldon Tetreault, Bettina Falloon,
• Lil’wat Fisheries Manager Maxine Bruce, Lil’wat Cultural technician Johnny Jones, Veronica Woodruff, and
• local bloggers Christine Cogger and Sarinda Hoilett,
• as well as all the One Mile Photo Feast contributors including Katrina Wallace.

Thanks also to the supporters, readers and sharers, who helped get us to this milestone!

Highlights: We’ve shared hundreds of ways to come to a personal definition and practice of wellness, from attending a range of community events, to learning how to pickle beets, pit cherries, tell a bobcat from a coyote, harvest seeds from your flower garden, understand the sobering effects of coffee, know why and where to keep your Xmas shopping local, plant a winter garden, wow dinner party guests with harvest box recipes, say “sunflower” in Uc’walmicts, and understand why stress is no joke.

Just 10 days ago, we did a round up: By the Numbers. (May 16 – November 30)

• 222 posts, and counting
• 4740 views
• 50 blog subscribers
• 149 blog followers
• 10+ contributors
• 68 twitter followers
• 107 facebook friends

Coming up in the New Year, TheWellnessAlmanac.com will offer more seasonal recipes (including a One Pot Winter Warmers series of local’s favourite soup recipes), profile front line health workers, feature work from local artists, and continue with regular columns from community members.

We invite contributions from community members in Mount Currie, Pemberton, Area C, D’arcy, and Samahquam.

Contribute a:

• Guest opinion column (personal essay on some aspect of wellness or community, max 300 words)
• Regular column idea
• Seasonal recipe (especially One Pot Winter Warmers)
• Information and promo posters for upcoming events
• Shout out of recognition or thanks
• Photo from the region (Submit photo or use the hashtag #WindsofChange on Instagram, to let us know you’d like to share an image on the site)

Email TheWellnessAlmanac@gmail.com with comments or submissions.

(Or get in touch via the facebook page or send a tweet to @Winds4Change.)

Subscribe to receive daily updates at www.thewellnessalmanac.com so you don’t miss any breaking news.