John Reynolds Staff Writer @JohnReynoldsSJR

ASHLAND -- Mike and Martie Senkler had one of the best camping spots around Saturday for the annual Crazy Horse Bluegrass Festival.

The couple, from the small town of Dunfermline, which is south of Canton in Fulton County, had a spot just behind the Crazy Horse lodge. The back porch of the lodge served as a stage for the festival, which meant the Senklers could sit at a picnic table under their campers awning and watch and listen to the bands.

This is the first bluegrass festival Ive been to where the stage is outside on a back porch. Usually, youre inside a building sitting in a row of chairs. This is a lot more informal, Martie Senkler said. I can sit here, listen to the music and read my book.

Andy Egolf, one of the owners of the Crazy Horse Campground, said that this is the 10th year for the festival. The campground has a rural Ashland address and is about halfway between Virginia and Jacksonville.

The festival usually draws a couple hundred of people, which includes people like the Senklers who camp for the weekend and others who stop by for the day to hear the music. While the Senklers had their picnic table, other people brought chairs or blankets and set up on the grass lawn behind the lodge.

The crowd here, especially the bluegrass crowd, is a wonderful crowd, Egolf said. Theyre very happy and easy to get along with -- very polite. Its a great crowd.

Eight groups were scheduled to play at this years festival. As the Senklers sat outside their camper Saturday, they listened to High Fidelity, a bluegrass band out of Nashville, Tennessee.

Jan Lease of Jacksonville, who helps books the acts at the festival, said High Fidelity is an award-winning bluegrass band.

Most recently in 2014, they were the national champions of the SPBGMA, the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America. SPBGMA has an annual competition in Nashville, Lease said.

Michael Feagan and Fiddlegrass Band also played at the Crazy Horse festival. Feagan previously played with Bill Monroes Blue Grass Boys. Monroe, who died in 1996, is known as the father of bluegrass music.

The Crazy Horse festival started Friday evening and concludes Sunday morning. When theyre not on stage, the musicians have time to visit with the fans.

This is a small, intimate setting. It makes it more personal, Lease said. You dont stand in long lines to talk to the performers. In fact, many times at festivals such as this youll see a young musician from the local area come in and they might even sit down with him and show him how to play this tune or that tune.

The only event scheduled for Sunday is a gospel service, which runs from 10 to 11 a.m. Admission to the gospel service is $5 per family. The address for the campground is 2113 Crazy Horse Road, Ashland.

Egolf said next years festival will be held June 22-24.

The Senklers said they will back next year in the same spot.

Its a very relaxing weekend. We enjoy it out here, Mike Senkler said.

Contact John Reynolds: john.reynolds@sj-r.com, 788-1524, twitter.com/JohnReynoldsSJR.

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Bluegrass Festival brings out campers - The State Journal-Register

Nancy Hastings nhastings@hillsdale.net nhastingsHDN

HILLSDALE The Tuesday Night Summer Concert season starts Tuesday, offering another season of free summer concerts.

Since 2004, Mrs. Stocks Park has been the setting for these 7:30 p.m. concerts. The concert season will go from June 27-Aug. 8.

Organizer Cory Champion said he believes this will be the 15th season of concerts in the park.

We are looking forward to our 2017 Tuesday's in The Park series at Mrs. Stocks Park in downtown Hillsdale as the line up for entertainment is high quality, exciting and diversified, Champion said.

First up is Band of Tara, which covers many genres of music. Some of the talent in this group are multi-talented, giving the band a sound of a six to eight-piece group, Champion said.

Tara's vocals are strong and her voice will grab your attention, he said. Some people say they have goose bumps after hearing her strong, wonderful voice.

The Band consists of Bob Pogue on guitar and vocals, David Kincade on keyboards and vocals, Otis Marti on bass and vocals as well as Kent Bowen on percussion. Band of Tara is a return group who made their first visit last summer.

They are looking forward to another great night being able to entertain right here at home in Hillsdale County, Champion said.

The next scheduled night is July 4 and in the past, a concert has not been scheduled on this date.

This year, Champion felt compelled to have a program featuring local talent in a family-friendly event by encouraging Americana, Patriotic and a bit of formal music.

Since July 4th seldom falls on a Tuesday, after speaking with some local talent, we just decided to try it out, test the waters and see what happens, Champion said.

Refiners Fire Brass Quintet will be performing a variety of classical music, including some Americana selections, as well as a tribute to our armed services. After the brass quintet finishes, which is half of the program, a group of local musicians will finish up with some Americana music from the country music genre. The yet-to-be-named group consists of Bob Pogue, guitar and vocals, Tim Nichols, keyboards and vocals, Cory Champion, bass, acoustic guitar and vocals, Nathan Wiley, acoustic guitar and Scott Donihue on drums.

Weve really had a good time fellowshipping and practicing together for this gig, Champion said. While Champion, Nichols and Donihue have been playing and performing together for over 15 years, this is the first time any of them have worked with Pogue, and it's Wileys first public appearance on guitar.

Continuing with the regular Tuesdays in The Park series brings Dennis Guizdala from Bay City July 11. Guizdala is a high energy, gospel jazz saxophonist and vocalist. He said he is living his dream of a Christian recording artist, touring across the country.

Music has been and always will be a big influence in my life, Guizdala said. I am living a very blessed life in that I get to play music for a living. God is Good!

July 18 brings the Town and Country Chorus, ready to entertain with their variety of classic barbershop harmony with a great mix of humor, Champion said.

Ive been working with them in the park for over 10 years, and they have yet to disappoint! he added.

July 25 introduces the Day Break Trio from Coldwater.

Husband and wife team, Dan and Barbara Hefner along with long time friend Rob Cooper, will bring a great blend of oldies and folk in three part harmony, Champion said. This will be a relaxing, entertaining and delightful evening.

August 1 brings another new act to Hillsdale. Colin Dexter is an Elvis tribute artist from Jackson, who just graduated from high school and has traveled throughout Michigan and Canada.

August 8 will wrap up the 2017 concert season with Dave Trippett and The Marcella Singers.

We thank the community so much for the support they have shown over the past number of years, Champion said. We look forward to a great season.

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Concert series diversified - The Hillsdale Daily News

Need a little creativity and color in your life? Visit the 17th Annual Arts Alive, a fine arts festival this weekend at Northside Park on 125th Street to enjoy culture in a beautiful setting. Set near a picturesque bayside park, attendees can enjoy a scenic stroll while perusing art from more than 90 booths, featuring artists from the tri-state region. Other artists have traveled from from states up and down the East Coast to show off their work, be it paintings, jewelry, sculptures or furniture, in Ocean City. More than half of the vendors at this weeks festival will be new additions. All artists will compete for roughly $5,250 in prizes in nine juried categories. Awards for best in show and peoples choice will be presented at the artist reception Saturday night at the Art League on 94th Street. Attendees can take home their own masterpiece, from soap carvings or ceramics. If youre looking for a family-friendly outdoor event this weekend, this is the one, Ocean City Special Events Director, Frank Miller said in a press release. Arts Alive is more than a fine art festival. Musicians will also help set a relaxing ambiance in Northside Park. Janet Spahr, who performs with handpans, will create a soothing, ethereal music for the walks on Saturday and Sunday. Island Fusion will perform on Saturday, and will be fusing traditional island tunes with classic rock, blues standard and other music during their set. River & Rhodes, a acoustic duo, will also entertain at the festival on Sunday. Free childrens activities, including soap carving, drawing and painting, will be offered to younger visitors to make the event more pleasurable for the whole family. Rosenfelds Jewish Deli will be there and provide variety of delicious food options, like their world-famous reubens and dill pickles. Smoothie lovers can stop by the Maui Wowi smoothie stand for a refreshment if it gets too hot during the Arts Alive festival. Vendors will also sell beer and wine to adult patrons, truly making that stroll through our 58 acre park just a little more enjoyable, Frank Miller said. Bring the whole family and enjoy art. Like last year, official Arts Alive merchandise will be sold during the event, giving guests another option to take home the festival with them. Merchandise includes pins and T-shirts. Arts Alive will take place rain or shine from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on June 24-25. For more information on this free event, contact the Ocean City Recreation and Parks Department at 410-250-0125 or go to ococean.com.

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Take a art walk this weekend - Ocean City Today

Organic food sales have gone through the roof. Its no wonder. Its widely believed that organic foods are more nutritious and safer than non-organic; theyre even said to fight cancer even though the evidence is far from clear. Consumers have been paying a lot to eat organic; food certified as organic sometimes costs twice as much as conventional products. The premium prices may not be buying everything thats promised. The Situation About three-quarters of grocers in the US sell organic food, including specialty markets, like Sprouts, and mass-market retailers, like Wal-Mart and Target. While thats only 4% of total food sales, demand in the US and Europe is growing. The trend is driven both by rising interest in locally grown food two-thirds of US farmers markets have at least one certified organic producer and fears about food safety. Roughly 48mn Americans every year become sick and 3,000 die from food borne diseases. To be labelled organic, the US Department of Agriculture says food must be grown without synthetic fertilisers and must be free of genetically modified organisms; meat must be raised without antibiotics and growth hormones and the animals must have access to the outdoors. There are similar standards in the European Union and Japan. In China, demand for organic food is skyrocketing after a series of scandals over tainted food has consumers willing to pay double for organic items. The Background Until the invention of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, all agriculture was organic. Sulphuric acid was first used to extract phosphate from bones and rock for use as fertiliser in the mid-1800s. Poison gas research in World War I led to bug-killing nerve gases, including sarin and DDT, which was so effective at killing malaria-carrying mosquitoes it won its inventor a Nobel Prize. After Rachel Carsons book Silent Spring documented the dangers of DDT, the chemical was banned for use as a pesticide in the US in 1972. In the 1970s, the first industrial-scale animal farms in the US began popping up, first for egg production, later for pigs and cattle. Yields increased, but so did worries: These animals are often treated with antibiotics and consumption of the meat has led to more drug-resistant infections in humans. Health-food stores began appearing in the 1960s; New Age Natural Foods, opened in San Francisco in 1965. In 1990, after the USDA passed the Organic Foods Production Act to develop national standards, organic products became more common. Mainstream grocery chains started their own lines of organic food, while large foodmakers began snapping up smaller organic startups. Coca-Cola bought juice and bar maker Odwalla in 2001; Stonyfield Farm, an organic dairy producer, became a subsidiary of Danone in 2004; and Hain Celestial Group bought Rudis Organic Bakery in 2014. The Argument Proponents say that organic produce has more nutrients, including antioxidants and vitamins that may prevent or delay cell damage, than conventionally grown fruits and vegetables. They also argue that eating organic produce and meat reduces diners exposure to toxic chemicals, such as pesticides and fertilisers, that may increase the risks of certain types of cancer. A 2016 study found that organic milk and meat have more essential fatty acids and other key nutrients. Eating organic can also help the environment by supporting farms that send less toxic runoff into water and soil. Big supermarket chains like Aldi and Kroger are filling more shelves with organic products, driving down prices for low-income shoppers and biting into the bottom lines of traditional organic and natural-foods stores like Whole Foods. Non-organic makers also see the commercial appeal and have piggybacked on the organic reputation by using labels like all-natural or local, though these can contain pesticides and chemicals. Just because food is organic doesnt mean that it wont make people sick, and fertilising crops with improperly composted manure can result in E. coli contamination. Some say eating organic food doesnt improve health. In fact, plenty of foods labelled organic arent inherently healthy. (Organic gummy bears?) And fears of pesticides may be driving people away from eating enough fruits and vegetables. Nutrition aside, one thing organic foods have going for them is popular opinion 41% of Americans say organic tastes better than non-organic.

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Organic food - Gulf Times

CROMWELL, Conn. Anirban Lahiri has covered the emotional spectrum this week at the Travelers Championship, following his opening 73 with a 63 on Friday that moved him to 4 under par.

For most players, those kinds of swings can be difficult. But then Lahiri isnt most players.

Following his runner-up finish at the Memorial a few weeks ago, Lahiri spent 12 days at the Dhamma Dhara Vipassana Meditation Center in Shelburne Falls, Mass. For nine of those days, he did not speak.

You go to the center for 10 days, you switch your phones off. There is no TV, you're not allowed to read, said Lahiri, who has gone through the Vipassana program three times since 2004. You're meditating. You're not allowed to talk. So there is like complete silence for nine and a half days or so, and you're meditating 10, 12 hours a day.

Travelers Championship: Articles, photos and videos

Lahiri, who admits he can be his own worst critic, said the program has helped him deal with the inevitable on-course issues a professional will face, but the real benefit comes when hes away from the course.

I find it very healing for me, and a lot of people who have gone there benefited from it, he said. It's not something I do specifically for my golf, but it's something that's helped me.

It was interesting that Lahiri spent his time at the Vipassana Center during the U.S. Open, which he almost qualified for with his tie for second at Muirfield Village. While most players would be upset they narrowly missed qualifying for a major, the 29-year-old considered it an opportunity.

After [the Memorial] my wife was like, what are you going to do if you [qualify for the U.S. Open]? I said, I don't know what I'm going to do because I really want to go meditate. I guess it all worked out, Lahiri said. Funny I say it worked out in the sense of me not getting in, but that's what I wanted to do at that point in time.

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Anirban Lahiri Extols Virtues of Meditation | Golf Channel - Golf Channel (blog)

A couple years ago, I heard ABC News anchor Dan Harris speak at Chicago Ideas Week. He told all of us in the audience how mindfulness meditation changed his life. He was a self-proclaimed "fidgety skeptic" who had an on-air panic attack, then discovered meditation and became a happier, more focused person. I was sold.

Though I wouldn't necessarily categorize myself as a "fidgety skeptic," I often feel like a human ball of chaos, trying to balance work, getting things done at home, spending time with family and friends, exercising, and just chilling out. I struggle with anxiety. I get overwhelmed and stressed easily. And the more my to-do list and calendar fill up, the less focused I become.

So if taking even a few minutes a day to literally just breathe would help me manage all of that, I was definitely down. I loved the idea of starting every morning with a nice, peaceful five- to 10-minute meditation to clear my head before diving into my day. I thought for sure it would be the answer to slowing down, calming, and focusing my mind. Instead, it made me kind of angry: I tried meditating on my own using various techniques I read about and under the guidance of all sorts of apps, but I just couldn't keep my mind from wandering to all the stressors I was trying to avoid. So instead of waking up and taking those five to 10 minutes to myself before starting in on emails and work, I begrudgingly (and sporadically) tried and failed to find my zen. Two-and-a-half years later, I hadn't completely given up, but I'd gradually come to view meditation as a chore, and not one I feel satisfied after completing.

And then I heard about sound baths. After the initial letdown when I found out they weren't some sort of cool spa experience involving water, bubbles, and perhaps some aromatherapy, I became intrigued by what they actually were: an ancient form of sound therapy that uses gongs and quartz crystal bowls during meditation to promote healing and relaxation. "Different parts of our bodieseach organ, bone, etc.vibrate at a specific frequency that is unique to you when we are in a state of health and well-being," says Elizabeth Meador, owner of Anatomy Redefined, the Chicago sound meditation and Pilates studio. "When we become ill, stressed, encounter disease, etc., the frequency of various parts of our body actually changes, and our own body can experience literal dis-harmony. Through the sound meditation, your body is able to absorb sound waves to help restore harmony to the body, mind, and spirit."

To be honest, I wasn't (and am still not) sure if gongs can really help me heal on that kind of level. But I did read that the sounds give your mind something to focus on, making it easier to ease into the meditative state, which did make a lot of sense. "In our busy, modern world, our minds are so used to having something to focus on," says Meador. "We are switching from phone to computer to tablet and so on, leaving the mind racing. To take the average worker and place them in a silent room after a chaotic day can be challenging for anyone, let alone those new to meditation. With a sound meditation, the soothing music actually gives the mind something to focus on to keep it occupied, gently guiding you into a state of deep meditation." Maybe what was missing this whole time in my efforts was a good, strong sound to focus on. Still wanting to embrace meditation despite the struggle, I headed to Meador's studio to try it myself.

First, let's be honest: I wasn't in a good mood when I got there. It was the end of a long day, I was tired, and I drove through Chicago's patience-testing rush-hour traffic for pretty much the entire four miles from my condo to the studio. When I walked in, I really just wanted to be home on my couch, hanging out with my cats and my husband, catching up on Bravo's latest. But I tried to put those feelings behind me, which did get easier when I entered the studio itself. It was a dark room, lit only by candles and some soft decorative fixtures. Five gongs and six white bowls in various sizes were in front, and on the floor were six rectangular cushions, each set up with a couple pillows (one for propping up feet or legs, if I wanted), a blanket, and an eye cover. I took my place on one of the cushions.

Meador, who was leading the class, took a few minutes to explain the benefits of a sound bath (also known as gong meditation, gong bath, or sound meditation) and the instruments she'd be using. There are four "planetary gongs," which she says vibrate at the same frequencies as their corresponding planets and pull in "the energetic, emotional, and astrological qualities of the planets." If you're still with me, I'll give you an example: The Venus gong theoretically helps with matters of the heart or with encouraging feminine energy; while the Mars gong encourages "warrior" energy and inspires courage. Meador also plays a "Flower of Life" gong that she says "has a very grounding and soothing energy that nurtures the nervous system." As for the singing bowls, she says some sound practitioners believe each note coordinates to a specific energy center or chakra on the body, though it's hard to know if each sound affects each person's body in the same way. Regardless, the notes blend well with the gongs for a balanced sound experience. (Related: Everything You Need to Know About Energy Workand Why You Should Try It)

Meador told us she'd play for an hour and asked us to lie down and get comfortable under the blankets. She noted that our body temperatures would drop by about one degree in the meditative state. I immediately had mixed emotions: There was panic upon realizing that I'd be lying there for an hour with only sounds and not some vocal guidanceI can't meditate for five minutes on my own, much less an hour! Then again, the setup was pretty comfy. All of my meditation apps tell me to sit upright with my legs crossed or feet flat on the floor. Lying on a squishy cushion under a blanket seemed much more my speed.

I closed my eyes and the sounds started. They were loud and, unlike the ambient sounds that sometimes accompany meditations, impossible to ignore. For the first few minutes, I felt pretty focused on my breathing and the sounds and, if my focus did begin to fade, each new hit of a gong brought it back. But as the time passed, my mind did begin to wander and even those loud noises faded into the background. Over the course of the hour, I did recognize several times that I had lost focus and was able to bring myself back to the task at hand. But I don't think I ever fell into a fully meditative state. For that, I was a bit disappointedpartially with the sound bath for not being the miraculous meditation solution I wanted it to be, but more so with myself for not being able to successfully submit to the experience.

I thought about it some more when I got home that night. The bad mood I was in when I arrived at the studio was gone, and I did feel more relaxed. And sure, that could have been the case after any screen-less, "me"-time activity I could have done after a long day on my computer. Then again, I also realized that, while there was some disappointment, I didn't come out of that meditation frustrated and angry like I did with my many, many previous attempts. So I decided not to discount it.

I downloaded a Gong Bath app and started the next day with a five-minute session, lying on my squishy shag rug under a blanket. It wasn't a perfect meditationmy mind still wandered a bitbut it was...nice. So I tried it again the next day. And the next. In the month since I took the class, I've used the app more mornings than not. I don't know if my internal frequencies are being reharmonized or my chakras are being realigned with each mini-session, and I'm not sure I buy into the whole planetary thing. But I do know that something about this sound bath keeps me coming back. Rather than feeling obligated, I feel compelled to do it in the mornings. When the timer goes off at the end, I sometimes start it over for a few extra minutes, rather than feeling relieved it's done.

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I Took a Sound Bath And It Changed the Way I Meditate - Shape Magazine

SYCAMORE What a difference two years makes.

Two years ago, the Sycamore Park District closed its building on Fair Street because of budget constraints. The superintendent of recreation's position was elimiminated. Fewer recreational programs were offered.

On Wednesday, the district announced the hire of a new superintendent of recreation, Meghan Jourden-Messerich, who is scheduled to begin work July 17 with an annual salary of $76,500, executive director Dan Gibble said. She is currently an assistant superintendent of recreation for the St. Charles Park District.

Fitness facilities and classes and an indoor jogging track are some of the features the district plans to offer when its new community center is complete about 10 months from now.

"We've been in a scaled-back situation since [closing the Fair Street building]," Gibble said. "Now, we're going to be back in expansion phase, and we need someone with good experience managing those facilities."

Jourden-Messerich's duties will include staffing, scheduling and organizing programs offered in the new community center space, such as dance, fitness, arts and crafts and tumbling classes.

Gibble said a community-wide survey indicated strong interest from adults and older individuals for indoor excercise facilities, such as a place to walk or jog during extreme cold or heat.

The 22,400-square-foot community center is projected to open about 10 months from now, barring construction delays, with concrete walls already beginning to form the building on the site of the future recreation campus along Airport Road.

The next major step in the community center construction will be adding structural steel and panels to form the roof shortly after the Fourth of July, Gibble said.

The recreation campus will also include a dog park, splash pad, sled hill and an outdoor ampitheater and patio. Those features, along with other ACTION 2020 projects a new golf course irrigation system, bike path extensions and sports complex expansion are being funded by about $9 million in property taxes, $3 million in grants and $1 million in donations.

The district is now about $32,000 short of its $1 million fundraising goal in the Leaf a Legacy campaign, Gibble said.

The community center should be the first ACTION 2020 feature open for public use in March or April 2018, followed by the splash pad that summer, he said.

The dog park is tentatively scheduled for fall '18 and the sled hill for winter '18 or '19, but their openings will depend on the turf having enough time to settle so that it is ready for heavy activity, Gibble said.

Live updates to construction on the recreation campus are posted to the Sycamore Park District website.

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Sycamore Park District back in expansion mode with community center - DeKalb Daily Chronicle

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jarvis Landry recently teamed up with 180 volunteers to build a playground in Middle River Terrace Park.

In just six hours, the volunteer group constructed a 2,500-square-foot playground from the ground up. It contains 14 components such as a triple racer slide, monorail and a cozy cocoon.

The outdoor zone gives 3,000 neighborhood kids have a safe place to enjoy the fresh air and excercise. Previously, the closest playground was across a busy arterial and nearly a mile away.

Landry kicked off the work party with his mom, Dietra Landry. Building a play space has a personal connection for Jarvis. As a kid, he spent many hours playing football at a local park. It kept him off the streets and out of trouble, he said.

The playground was built in partnership with Landry, the city parks department, Middle River Terrace Neighborhood Association, Target and KaBOOM!, a national non-profit that provides play areas for kids.

Target's district team leader Alexandra Slaton said KaBOOM! met with residents in the neighborhood to gather their input on the playground's design last spring. It took another eight weeks to formalize the plans.

Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler, commissioner Dean J. Trantalis, assistant city manager Stanley Hawthorne and parks and recreation director Phil Thornburg were on hand to dedicate the new space located at 1329 NE 7th Ave. in Fort Lauderdale.

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NFL star joins volunteer effort for new playground - Sun Sentinel

A "major incident training exercise" that took place in Hull on Saturday has been hailed successful.

Called Exercise Orange Falcon, the test run was organised by the Hull and East Yorkshire NHS Trust, alongside crews from the police, fire service and ambulance staff.

The "scenario" created was said to be a "lorry crash with potential chemicals involved".

It saw Humberside Fire and Rescue Service, St John Ambulance Service and Humberside Police all at the scene at the Army Reserve Centre, Londesborough Barracks, in Londesborough Street, Hull.

"Casualties involved also descended on Hull Royal Infirmary to test the hospitals response to a major emergency.

Mock decontamination arrangements then got underway at the hospital following the "crash".

Around 40 casualties were made up with fake wounds as part of the excercise.

Makani Purva, deputy chief medical officer at HEY NHS Trust, said: "What we have seen today is a decontamination exercise.

"We have had an accident where there have been people who have been immersed in a contaminated liquid and from the accident site we capture the journey of the patients and how they were managed by the various agencies who were involved in it.

"We have about ten organisations who were involved in it, taking you right from the incident side all the way into the main hospital."

Mr Purva said it has been a real learning process for those involved.

"They key factor in patient safety is excellent communication so what we have learnt today is that we need to improve even better all our communication skills, not just between individuals and between departments in an organisation but between organisations as well.

"That has been a key underlining message that we have learnt."

Ms Purva said although the exercise was not related to recent tragedies, it is reassuring that it has taken place.

"On the one hand it was mandatory but I think it is very reassuring considering the recent incidents that have happened around the UK and the world that what we are doing today in Hull has put us in a good position to look after not only our patients but also the people who live in this area," she said.

"We were able to free up dozens of beds very quickly, we had enough surgeons with enough nursing staff who could have easily looked after these patients so it demonstrated to you how well we have performed as an organisation in rising to such a challenge."

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Hospital staff 'rise to challenge' in chemical spill exercise at Hull Royal Infirmary - Hull Daily Mail

CTV Vancouver Island Published Friday, June 23, 2017 10:22AM PDT Last Updated Friday, June 23, 2017 6:23PM PDT

Temperatures will push into the low 30s on inland and eastern Vancouver Island this weekend as a heat wave scorches areas across B.C.s South Coast.

Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for Metro Vancouver, Fraser Valley, Howe Sound, Whistler and the eastern and inland island, saying a strong upper ridge of high pressure building over the province will result in a heat wave.

It expects record-high temperatures will be broken in some areas over the weekend.

The current forecast says temperatures in the Port Alberni area will hit 32 degrees Saturday and a scorching 34 degrees on Sunday.

On the east side of the island, the weather statement was extended from Courtenay to Campbell River, Duncan to Nanaimo and Nanoose Bay to Fanny Bay.

On the South Island itll be a little cooler, but Victoria is still in for a sunny weekend of roughly 28-degree weather, according to Environment Canada.

Temperatures will start to dip again on Monday due to an onshore flow of cool, marine air.

Environment Canada is warning residents that the heat could pose risks for young kids, pregnant women, older adults, people with chronic illnesses and people who work or excercise outdoors.

Those at risk should be aware of the symptoms of heat illness, which can include swelling, rashes, cramps, fainting, heat exhaustion or stroke.

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Temperatures to hit 30s on parts of Vancouver Island this weekend - CTV Vancouver Island