Northern Groove

BC Hydro and the City of Fort St. John Visitor Centre are partnering to host Fort St. John's first ever Candlelight Conservation Dinner on October 21. This event takes place annually all across the province. The idea is to promote energy conservation by turning the lights out at the restaurants while you enjoy your dinner by candlelight!

Eight local restaurants will be participating this year:

• The Uptown Grill
• Tim n' Tyc's
• Egan's Restaurant
• JD Fitzgerald's
• On the Rocks Pub
• Patch Java
• Tony Roma's
• Roustabout's (formerly Fogg n' Suds)

Each of the restaurants will be turning down the lights and turning up the ambiance during their dinner service hours.  This is a great time to try out a new establishment or visit an old favourite.

Bon Appetit! 

Contact the Visitor Centre for more information.
T. 250.785.3033
E.  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

There is art all around us!  You may have noticed the beautiful flowers around town... but pay close attention!  The pots that these flowers grow in have been carefully hand painted by local artists!  I went around town and took a few pictures (winter seems to come too fast... ).  There are way more flower pots than pictures I was able to take, but hopefully here are a few good ones!  A big thanks to the The Fort St. John Community Arts Council and the City of Fort St. John for putting in the extra time and effort to make our city a little easier on the eyes.  Click "Read More" too see all the photos.

Music that Moves You is a project of the City of Fort St. John and BC Transit.  Checkout some pictures taken from the the last Music That Moves You Event!  The final event for the summer is on August 18th, 2010 from 7pm - 9pm.  Come out and check it out!

Music That Moves You from Image Build Team on Vimeo.

The City of Fort St John will be celebrating Municipal Government Day on Wednesday, May 19. And you are invited to join the party!

Plans are underway for a great day of fun in Centennial Park. There will be something for everyone to enjoy!

Staff will be on hand from each of the City's departments to answer any questions you may have and give information about the exciting programs and initiatives the City is working on. Complete a 'passport' to be eligible to win a grand prize of two tickets for nine holes of golf at the Links Golf Course, and two grand prize draws for children's bicycles - one boy, one girl.

The festivities include:

• Live bands onstage in Centennial Park from 4 - 8pm
• A free community barbecue will be available from 4 - 7pm  ~ graciously contributed to by PriceSmart Foods
• Many draws for free prizes generously donated by World Gym, Today's Techniques, Shapes of Success, North Peace Leisure Pool, Backcountry and FSJ Public Works
• The first 500 residents be the lucky recipients of a recyclable shopping bag, donated by PriceSmart
• Vendors will be onsite to satisfy your sweet tooth

The children will be entertained by many fun activities:

• Games in the park, coordinated by the Community Services staff
• Free fish pond
• Temporary Tattoos
• Flower pot painting with NEAT
• Face painting
• Bouncy toys
• Photo opportunities with RCMP in Red Serge; Fire Department Members; Public Works Staff

City residents ~ with proof of residency ~ will have the opportunity to purchase an apple tree for $25 to beautify their yards. (limit 200 trees-first come, first served)

This promises to be a day of fun. Be sure to join in!

Northern Groove has been given the opportunity to present to City Council on March 22, 2010, at 3:15pm.  Our interest is to help bridge the gap between the City of Fort St. John and our thriving arts and entertainment scene.  We believe that even though it is understood amongst people who are involved in arts what an abundance of great local talent we have, it is necessary to help spread the word about our arts to the general public, including the City of Fort St. John and the general community.

The Presentation to City Council is on March 22nd, at 3:15pm.

A little blurb about our arts community...

The local arts community in Fort St. John consists of a huge number of people. We, as a community, have a local theatre group that presents many great productions. There are musicians, school bands, individual performers, and garage bands. There are dance schools, potters, and local painters. Textile artists like spinners and weavers and a quilting guild. There are many arts groups and organizations, arts related businesses, and many independent artists. This artistic community is very impressive in their impact and effectiveness in our community.

The arts community is relatively unknown to a visitor, and even to many residents of Fort St. John. In fact, we think it’s the best kept secret in Fort St. John! Our town is home to world class artists in almost every single arts discipline. Ranging from Irish dancers raised here who now perform in Riverdance, to world class Juno recognized musicians. Our goal is to expose them to the town and beyond!

An industry is created when the community supports the arts. Residents and visitors are spending money and making an impact at events, venues, and local businesses. Local entertainers, galleries, arts educators, music stores, cultural centres, theatres, and studios all receive a positive economic impact. The hospitality and tourism industry also thrives when these audiences explore the town and spend their money.

What is the vision of Northern Groove?

Northern Groove is an organization that supports and informs the city and Peace Region about the arts community that exists in Fort St. John. Our mission is to expose all of these groups and organizations, and more importantly the individual artist, to the entire city. In doing this we build a strong community, support our local economy, and draw visitors from all over to explore Fort St. John.

The City of Fort St. John is excited to announce a series of upcoming events aimed at promoting environmental awareness, energy conservation and emissions reductions.

Thursday, March 4

The City of Fort St. John Presents: Awareness Film Series at the Lido.

Fifth in the city's Awareness Film Series, the evening will feature a Canadian documentary film that explores the challenges and rewards of living more lightly. The film runs about 45 minutes in length and will be followed by three presenters from the community outlining what they are doing to support living more lightly and offering advice on steps anyone can take to be the change. Presentation topics covered will include:

Community Gardens in Fort St. John

Sustainable Building Options

Save Green – The Benefits of Green Real-estate

Admission is free! Doors open at 6:30pm. Show starts at 7:00pm.

Thursday, March 11

The City of Fort St. John Presents: “Be the Change – Fort St. John” at the North Peace Cultural Centre. 

This event features a powerful musical performance by Holly Arntzen and Kevin Wright - the Voices of Nature (more info about them below) accompanied by a choir of 130 local school children, keynote speaker Tzeporah Berman , and an unveiling of our new Community Energy & Emissions Plan by our Mayor and the City Manager. This event is sure to inspire you to be the change.

Admission is free! Doors open at 6:30pm. Show starts at 7:00pm.

Tzeporah Berman is executive director of PowerUp Canada – Canadians for Climate Leadership. She's different kind of environmentalist -- one with deep roots in the nascent environmental movement, but also armed with uncanny business and media smarts. At the not-for-profit Forest Ethics, she works with massive corporations to transform their buying habits and reinvigorate their public image. The companies she partners with -- including Home Depot, Dell and Staples, the world's largest paper retailer -- have boosted employee morale, extended the public life of their brands, and saved millions in costs (and inpotentially ruinous boycotts). The Globe and Mail calls her "one of the most prominent environmentalists in Canada." In the States, The Utne Reader named her One of the 50 Visionaries Changing the World. Through her work at Forest Ethics, Berman has helped save over 12 million acres of endangered forests in Canada, the United States, and Chile.

A young star of the environmental movement, Berman appearaed in Leonardo DiCaprio's documentary The 11th Hour. She was also nominated for the Schwab Social Entrepreneur Award, and named by the BC Royal Museum as one of the 150 people who have changed BC's history. She has been featured in The Globe and Mail, Green Living and The Vancouver Sun, among other publications. In her uplifting keynotes, she draws from her groundbreaking work -- in the boardroom, in the legislature and in forests -- to show us that the notion of activists vs. corporations, of good vs. evil, no longer applies in the age of global climate change. It's about creating dialogue, and finding the solutions that will be mutually beneficial to all. "It's not about whether or not it's nice to have forests anymore," she says, "It's about our future."
 

Friday, March 12

The City of Fort St. John Presents: Holly Arntzen and Kevin Wright - the Voices of Nature at Whole Wheat & Honey.

Here is an opportunity to enjoy some upbeat music, enjoy complimentary coffee, snacks, and find out more information on the Community Energy & Emissions Plan.

Admission is free! Show starts at 7:00pm.

Based on Vancouver Island, BC, Holly Arntzen and Kevin Wright perform music about sustainability, ecology and the human dilemma: folk pop to rock your world! They are creating the new edge of environmental music by blending their very diverse musical backgrounds and weaving them into songs that touch people’s souls and make them think about the world around them. When Holly and Kevin sing together - think Joni Mitchell and Bon Scott.  With Holly on slide dulcimer and piano and Kevin playing percussion and sax, they produce a wide range of sound and feeling.

With over 30 years as a folk/jazz performer, Holly has appeared at most major music festivals in Canada and has shared the stage with artists such as Bruce Cockburn, Stan Rogers and Herbie Hancock. Since the mid-80s, Kevin has been a pioneering member of the Victoria rock scene performing in seminal bands such as Armoros, Turk and the Rat (Rocktoria 1 winner) and After Dark.

Holly and Kevin form the core of the Artist Response Team (ART) - a ground breaking production house that delivers fabulous Voices of Nature community outreach events throughout BC and Alberta. Using their award winning and provincially recommended Cycle of Life learning resources, they travel the land bringing music and science education to entire school communities.

You may have been wondering over the past months: "What the @$%* happened to Cosmic Grounds Open Mic?"

Although I don't know the answer to that question, I do know that in conjunction with the City of Fort St. John's Spirit Week, Cosmic Grounds will be hosting one of their famed Open Mics this week!  Thursday, November 26 will see the coffee shop opening its doors to performers and patrons of all-ages.  Being one of the few all-ages venues in town, this is an important event in our local music scene so come out and support it ... there can be no Open Mic if no one shows up!

The Open Mics at Cosmic Grounds always prove to be especially open - I've listened to everything from bluegrass to hip hop to punk rock to poetry readings!  So don't be shy, this welcoming and diverse atmosphere makes a great place to try out new material or even to get on stage for the first time.  Open Mic will get rolling around 7pm and all you need to do is bring your instrument down and sign up!

This morning on CBC Radio, the City of Fort St. John released news about the "Downtown Music and Art Map" which will be appearing in the July / Aug edition of Northern Groove.

The premise of the map is that there will be a dozen locations where musicians and artists can setup and perform, without the need for a permit or permission from the City of Fort St. John.  The purpose is to encourage the music and arts community to use downtown as a place to showcase Fort St. John's great musicians and artists.

Attention Musicians and other talented folks!

The City of Fort St John is hosting the Annual Canada Day Celebrations. We are looking for local talent to perform on stage. This includes but is not limited to... Singing, Dancing, Drumming, Interactive story telling, Bands. You can choose to perform for 1 hour or 1/2 an hour. We have honorariums for all that participate.

The stage will be running from 12:00pm - 4:00pm at Centennial Park on July 1st, 2009.  Come out and show your community spirit and talent!

Contact Suzanne Anderson, Recreation Programmer, at 250.794.3262 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

After some scheduling problems, the Cosmic Grounds Open Mic has been re-announced for Thursday, November 20.  The open mic will start sometime between 6:30 and 7:00pm and will go until about 9:30.  The sound system will be provided with a monitor for performers, but please bring your own guitar with pickup, hand drums, keyboards, etc.

If you're new to town and want to checkout a great diverse night of local music, this is the show to see.  If your a new performer, come out and try out your songs... if you're an old performer... well you can come too ;)

Thanks to Cosmic Grounds for hosting these Open Mics.  They are as far as I know, the only all ages open mics around for the City of Fort St. John, and I'd like to thank them for keeping them going.  If you haven't noticed, I've added them to the "Local Music Supporters" list in the right hand column -- so an additional thanks for helping this site grow with your support!

Facebook Event Info @ http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=34263849402