Dance is back in Merritt.
Classes for a variety of age groups and skill levels will start up again on Sept. 2 at the Love to Dance Academy.
The local dance school is back on track for the coming fall after a bureaucratic debacle sent Royal Academy of Dance teacher Lizette Nel back to her native South Africa in April.
The issue in renewing her Canadian work permit in the spring arose after the federal government decided Nel worked for a lower wage than was fair.
While back in South Africa, Nel continued to work on her training and the situation with immigration, and was issued a new work permit.
She arrived back in Merritt on Aug. 17.
Funmobile rolling through town
Participaction is bringing play back to Merritt in its Funmobile, which will stop at the Nicola Valley Farmers Market on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and then make the trip over to Rotary Park between 3 and 4 p.m.
The non-profit organization is working with the B.C. Ministry of Health on its Bring Back Play campaign. The campaign includes the Funmobile tour, which will see a van full of games, activities and giveaways visit events, schools, parks and festivals with the dual goals of encouraging kids to get out and play and educating parents and caregivers on the importance of playing.
The Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines recommend kids between five and 17 get at least an hour of moderate to vigorous activity each day.
Only five per cent of Canadian youth in that age range meet that requirement, according to the latest Canadian Health Measures Survey by Statistics Canada released in 2011.
