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HILLS OF GARLIC FESTIVITIES
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DAZE OF FUN IN BURTON
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Vol. 90 Issue 37 • Wednesday, September 11, 2013 • www.arrowlakesnews.com • 250-265-3823 • $1.25 •
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Incommapleux expedition filled with ‘exhilaration and levitation’
The Incomappleux team, at the end of their journey – from left: Sven Perschmann, Sam Butler, Carl Jacks, Sam Ewing, Sean Bozkewycz, Stephan Paetsch, Christian Foster, and Randy Speers. Photo courtesy Randy Speers cier National Park, followed by 3.5 days of ALEX COOPER kayaking down the Incomappleux River. Black Press I met half the group while they enjoyed a post-expedition dinner at the Village Idiot “Exhilaration and levitation.” That was how Carl Jacks described the in Revelstoke on Sunday night. I sat down sensation of completing a first ever descent of with Jacks, Randy Speers, Sam Butler and Sven Perschmann as they enjoyed some the Incommapleux River last week. Jacks made the trip with seven other kay- beers and a greasy meal of poutine and pizza. akers and a hiker, Steve Ogle, who was there The other four members of the group – Revto document the expedition. The trip brought elstoke’s Sean Bozkewycz, Christian Foster them through vast forests of Glacier National and Sam Ewing; and Stephan Paetsch – had Park, across many alder-filled avalanche just missed the ferry and didn’t make it to the paths and, finally, down the fast-moving and restaurant while I was there. Jacks and Speers took the lead in talking overflowing Incommapleux River. The crew, which included three Revelsto- about the trip – the excitement and thrill of kians, set off on Tuesday, Sept. 3. The trip having completed a true wilderness advenstarted with 2.5 days of hiking through Gla- ture greatly evident.
“It was a world class adventure trip,” said Speers. The aim of the trip was not only to paddle the river, but also to document the remote upper Incomappleux valley to help the Valhalla Wilderness Society in its mission to protect the river as a park. They talked about the slog over Flat Creek Pass, the painful bushwhacking through devil’s club, the unexpectedly high water on the river, the majestic old-growth cedars the abundant huckleberries and the grizzly bears they saw. First was the hike with 100 pounds of gear, in the rain, through 13 kilometres on a little travelled and sometimes-disappearing trail in Glacier National Park. They left from just inside the park’s western boundary, with their kayaks and everything else on their backs, and their paddles in their hands. It took them through classic Interior hemlock forest, up through the pass, past the Fortitude warden’s cabin, and down the steep slopes along Slick Creek. “The hike was awesome. So many huckleberries and blueberries. I saw two Grizzlies,” he said, adding: “It was one of the most physically demanding things I’ve ever done. “You can use my word, ‘Funishment.’” Jacks seconded him on behalf of the rest of the group. “The trail was a Godsend but at the same time I think everyone agreed it’s the most difficult thing they’ve ever done as far as long days and hour after hour of just grind-
ing through.” It took 2.5 days to reach the river. Perschmann called the feeling of reaching the river “euphoric.” “There was a locked-in feeling that once we got down to the river, there was no way we were getting out but the river,” added Jacks. “We were faced with a complete unknown, and it was raining even more, which changed it.” The crew had seen aerial photos of the river taken 10 years ago, but the river had changed. Avalanche paths flowed from the glaciercapped peaks right into the river. Landslides they believe were caused by the June floods had sent big debris flows into the river, altering its course. As well, the water level in the river was higher than expected, the result of constant rain throughout the week. The river came up two feet one night, they said. “It resulted in some of the most ridiculous portages we have ever done,” said Jacks. Going through the water was fast, but when they were forced onto land, they moved at snail’s pace, crawling with their boats through alder and devil’s club-filled slide paths. They spoke of the many blisters and cuts they received. “Everyone’s got devil’s club in every part of their body right now,” said Jacks, showing me his red hands. “You can’t see them but you can sure feel them.”
See Kayak page 7
New federal ridings don’t reflect majority opinion Black Press
The people spoke and the federal government didn’t listen. An overwhelming majority of people in the West Kootenay region asked to not be divided politically when the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission toured through last October and proposed changes to the political boundaries. Through a series of town hall meetings, West Kootenay people asked the commission to respect geographical challenges—keeping together communities nestled in the same mountain valleys—and not separate neighbouring places like Castlegar and Nelson, grouping
them with far off, larger centres of Penticton and Cranbrook, respectively. But the commission did not heed the request and elected to group Rossland and the communities of Trail, Castlegar and Grand Forks, and most of the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary, in with Penticton and parts of the Okanagan. The Golden City will become part of the South Okanagan-West Kootenay riding, with the total population of Rossland and its far flung and fellow Kootenay and Boundary places not even equal to the population of Penticton alone at over 32,000 (2006 Census). What’s more confusing is the
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nearby West Kootenay communities of Nelson, Salmo, Kaslo and Creston will be looking east to Cranbrook as they now join the Kootenay Columbia riding. B.C. Southern Interior member of Parliament—that used to represent the entire West Kootenay and Boundary region—Alex Atamanenko, was saddened by the severing of ties, and the lack of compassion by the commission for geographical ties. “I’m disappointed because when we had the public hearing process an overwhelming majority of people basically said they don’t want our communities to split up,” he told Black Press.
The commission reviewed electoral boundaries across Canada and has redrawn them to account for movement and growth in population. As a result, the commission for British Columbia has introduced six new districts. The intent of the commission was to redraw boundaries to keep all electoral districts around the 105,000 population quota. The South Okanagan-West Kootenay will have approximately 113,000 people, more than the under 100,000 it contained as the Southern Interior. The Kootenay Columbia district will increase to about 108,000 people. The South Okanagan-West Koo-
tenay riding will consist of: • Regional District of Kootenay Boundary; • Castlegar; • the villages of New Denver, Silverton, Slocan and Nakusp; • Regional District of Central Kootenay subdivisions H, I and J and part of K; • parts of the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen comprised of: • Penticton; • Oliver and Osoyoos; • Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen subdivisions A, C, D and E and parts of F; • Penticton Indian Reserve No. 1 and Osoyoos Indian Reserve No. 1.
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