Lavender is said to have many healing and soothing properties beneficial for your health.  Walking among the rows, the smell of lavender will surround you.
 
And after a busy life in the city, Pavol and Zuzani Palovic decided to change the pace of their lives and grow lavender in Agassiz.  They fell in love with the Harrison area because of its natural and serene beauty.  Pavol’s background is in air traffic control so when he started farming lavender, there was a big learning curve.  His wife Zuzani was an architect in Slovakia, so she used her skills to design their Gift Shop, where they process and sell their lavender honeys, oils, soaps, teas and more.
 
With the help of Community Futures North Fraser, Pavol and Zuzani were able to complete the construction of their Gift Shop this past spring and have been open for business ever since.  Harrison Lavender is a labour of love, from the harvesting to drying and processing.  You can visit their boutique or shop online at www.harrisonlavender.com.

This business highlight sponsored by

​Community Future North Fraser:

Planning group travel for weddings, family events or a fun group getaway generally takes 12 to18 months for groups of 20 people or more. Now more than ever, time is of the essence whenbooking group travel to international destinations. Many destinations and attractions arealready near booking capacity for some 2022 dates.

Choose your destination. Sun and beach destinations like Mexico, Cuba and the Dominican which offer wonderful all inclusive experiences, are a great option for groups. Many all inclusive resorts offer room options that accommodate singles, doubles or families as well as adult only sections, which allow for flexibility when inviting your friends and family to join you for a magical, inclusive vacation. 
Peace of mind, an ability to stick to a budget, and a variety of options for entertainment, food and activities that keep your group connected while satisfying diverse interests within your group are all great reasons to consider all inclusive options for your group.

Creating unique, customized experiences is another consideration when choosing a destination for group travels. Getting married on a Hawaiian beach, on the grounds of Ancient Ruins, or in a Scottish castle are for some, dreams come true. Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, experiencing the Valley of the Kings or touring historic British landmarks provide wonderful experiences for families and friends to enjoy together.

Confirm your travel dates. If destination is the top priority for your group travel experience, we advise that you allow flexibility when choosing travel dates and there are a few factors that you will want to keep in mind. Consider things like weather and large events that might be happening at your destination of choice before you decide on when to visit. 

While summer can be a wonderful time to get married, it may not be the best time to travel to some regions. Heat and humidity can make wearing formal wear like wedding dresses and tuxedos very uncomfortable while rainy seasons can bring high winds which can make a beach wedding challenging. Always consider what large cultural or sporting events may also be happening at your destination of choice when you are thinking of traveling. Large scale events may be scheduled which could limit the ability of your group to participate in some activities.

Appoint a lead passenger. Every group needs a leader, or lead passenger, who will be the main contact for everyone in the group and will work with the travel agent to communicate planning decisions and make sure everyone in the group has all of the information about the travel itinerary. Having a group leader will save time and can make the group travel experience less stressful for everyone!
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Have an effective strategy for group communication. Communication is key when planning a group travel experience. We suggest starting a Facebook group, email chain, or other social media platform to keep everyone in your group in the loop. Keep the members of your group engaged by posting pictures of your destination and offer links to sites which will give more information and create excitement. This kind of communication tool is also useful for reminding members of your group about things like deposit and payment deadlines and provides a record of the information that has been shared with the group. In our experience, some of your guests will book and pay their deposits right away while others may need friendly reminders of important dates especially given the length of time before the departure date. An effective group communication strategy can prevent misunderstandings and hard feelings if someone needs to cancel unexpectedly.

Mission's own Opening Nite Theatre Society was excited to learn that live theatre has been allowed to return. Since closing their last show early in March of 2020, ONTS has been struggling to keep alive and active. Thanks to rent subsidies and grant money, private donors, and some income from online shows, the volunteer-run theatre group was able to keep the lights on, even though they couldn't keep the doors open. Despite the restrictions, ONTS produced a Christmas Pantomime in 2020, and in 2021 launched a webseries called Bev's Diner, two seasons of which they filmed at the theatre. 

But as of August, restrictions on theatres lifted, and this fall ONTS is bringing a series of short plays to the stage.

The Meeting Room Trilogy are three one act plays written and directed by Camille Atebe, each with three actors, which take place in the meeting room of a fictional small-town community centre.

October 1, 2, and 3, Karen Gardner, Henry Lau and Shawn Jodway star in The Sting of Defeat. At Lee’s Tantric Breathing for Seniors class, what should be a relaxing session turns ugly with bitter rivalries, medical emergencies and a dispute over history. Luckily there’s a doctor in the house.

October 8, 9, and 10 is Shreds of Sanity, The Sparbrook Amateur Lepidoptery Association is having a board meeting. But planning for the annual conference isn’t easy when unrequited love, unwanted advances, dead members and Francine’s mother’s terrible cooking have to be dealt with. Starring Allen Wiens, Sandeep Dosanjh and Kat Sloan.

October 15, 16, and 17 Mina Thomas, Mary Ellen Shimell and Corena Gale star as the only three to show up for Depression Group in Effective Tomorrow. But even though the coffee is cold, the discussion is red hot. After all, revenge might be the best way to pull yourself out of the doldrums.
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The first three weekends, tickets are only $7.50, and each show runs 30-40 minutes. October 22, 23, 24 all three shows run each night, and tickets are $15. Shows are at 8pm Fridays and Saturdays and 2pm on Sundays. Tickets are available at www.openingnitetheatre.com, or by calling 604-826-ONTS. All provincial regulations will be followed, which means patrons must bring their vaccine passport and ID.