Columbia Valley Pioneer, June 11, 2020

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Vol. 17/Issue 24

Your Weekly Source for News and Events

The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 1 June 11, 2020

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CONFLICT OVERBLOWN

3 TRAPPED IN TEXAS

5 ONLINE EXCLUSIVE •

Indigenous families say loved ones’ deaths in custody are part of pattern

Jim Ashworth (centre), a 101-year-old veteran, walked 101 blocks to raise funds for the Columbia Valley Food Bank. “I’ve been so happy to do this and I’ll certainly be glad to go back into (obscurity),” he said at a celebration in his honour on Saturday, June 6.

Mayor Al Miller (left) thanked Ashworth for his service both to the food back and to his country, while Lawrie Mack (right) of the food bank credited Ashworth with being an inspiration and bringing in close to $30,000 in donations for the organization. “He’s a national treasure,” Mack said. For more information on Ashworth’s mission see page 8 of our May 28 edition.

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June 11, 2020 Highlights of the @LiveColumbiaValley Instagram account, brought to you by the Columbia Valley Community Economic Development Office, a service of the RDEK.

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HIGHLIGHTS #ColumbiaValleyBC The Windermere Valley Saddle Club hosted a Fun Day this past Sunday, June 7. The club still offers group riding every Wednesday night and has three more Fun Days this summer.

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Anti-racism reading recommendations Submitted by the Invermere Public Library The Invermere Public Library has this entire cart of books by and about People of Colour. Blair McFarlane provided the following recommendations and said: “This isn’t an exhaustive list but is a good jumping off point for a lot of readers.”

Black authors and titles Angie Thomas: The Hate U Give, On The Come Up Maya Angelou: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Rainbow in the Clouds, Mom & Me & Mom Lawrence Hill: The Book of Negroes, The Illegal, Blood: The Stuff of Life Michael Bennett: Things That Make White People Uncomfortable Damon Young: What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Blacker

Barack Obama: Dreams From My Father Indigenous non-fiction titles Bob Joseph: 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act Bob and Cynthia Joseph: Indigenous Relations: Insights, tips & suggestions to make reconciliation a reality Smokii Sumac (local Ktunaxa poet): You Are Enough: love poems for the end of the world Joseph Auguste Merasty: The Education of Augie Merasty: A Residential School Memoir Legacy: Trauma, Story and Indigenous Healing by Suzanne Methot Indigenous fiction Richard Wagamese: Indian Horse, Dream Wheels, Keeper’n Me, Ragged Company Eden Robinson: Son of a Trickster, Trickster Drift Thomas King: The Back of the Turtle, A Matter of Malice, Cold Skies Drew Hayden Taylor: Chasing Painted Horses Tracey Lindberg: Birdie

Markets return to Columbia Valley Submitted by Marius Hoofd Farmers markets in the East Kootenay are huge weekly attractions during the summer months and part of a tradition in rural B.C. for more than a century. No matter how small or large they might be, they draw enthusiastic crowds.

Visitors to farmers markets come for the season’s best home-grown fruits, vegetables and herbs which are beautifully displayed in colourful stalls, alongside local meats, eggs, home-baked breads, buns, cakes, jams, pickles, and even delicious local honey. Some markets sell farm-fresh eggs and locally-produced meats and cheeses as well.

Farmers markets offer much more, though. You can spend a delightful hour or two browsing the displays of paintings, photography, hand-made soaps and lotions,

sewing, knitting, ceramics, woodworking, glassware and more.

Here’s the valley schedule for markets: • Windermere Agri Park Farmers Market at the Crossroads runs every Wednesday until Sept. 2 from 5 to 7:30 p.m..

• Radium Market on Main runs Fridays from June 26 to Sept. 18 from 4 to 7 p.m..

• Invermere Farmers and Artists Market runs Saturdays from June 13 to Sept. 26 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m • Fairmont Farmers Market runs Sundays from June 28 to Aug. 30 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m..

• Spillimacheen Gardeners Market runs Saturdays in the summer. Times TBD. • Canal Flats market runs Sundays from June 28 to Sept. 27 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m..

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June 11, 2020

The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 3

VALLEY NEWS MLA says no COVID-19 cases here in seven weeks, clash between B.C. and Alberta exaggerated

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Doug Clovechok, MLA for Columbia River – Revelstoke, said the clash between residents and visitors from Alberta during the pandemic isn’t nearly as bad as it may seem on social media and that no police detachments in the area have any related files.

“The whole concept of the ‘conflict’ has been completely blown out of proportion. I have seen no examples whatsoever of bad behaviour ... The only time I ever see it is on social media,” he said. “When I checked with all the RCMP detachments in my riding from Revelstoke to Kimberley, not one formal file has been opened for any of these types of things.”

While Clovechok said that cars were keyed and nasty notes were left on vehicles, he believes the incidents were isolated.

“That’s a minority of people (and) there’s no excuse for bad behaviour,” he said. “The people who have been doing that have offended not only the folks from other provinces, but they’ve offended British Columbians as well.”

(While he said the issue seems to have been amplified in the media, the Pioneer has been treading lightly here.

Our approach has been to call for kindness, to offer local politicians the opportunity to share their thoughts and to continue our practice of running letters from readers.)

“We certainly haven’t seen the normal traffic that we do and we need to thank those people that decided to stay home. But I think we also need to thank those people that actually decided to come because (the numbers demonstrate that they) played by the rules because we haven’t seen any increases,” he said.

Instead of focusing on the negative actions of a few people, Clovechok would like to turn everyone’s attention to the good news in the riding, which is that there hasn’t been a new case of COVID-19 here in over seven weeks.

“I think we need to move on from this and start to celebrate the amazing job that British Columbians have done to flatten this curve because in Interior Health you can’t get any flatter than zero.”

While Clovechok didn’t have an official number, his best guess is that the riding has seen fewer than 10 cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began.

“We’re not out of the woods yet ... (but) the things we’ve been doing have been working,” he said. “It’s amazing what we’ve done together.”

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By Dauna Ditson dauna@columbiavalleypioneer.com

GARRY PATTISON

AVAILABLE NOW! Look at our online catalogue to choose titles, then call or email us with your order!

Phone: 250-342-6416 or email: publiclibrary@invermere.net

invermere.bc.libraries.coop

Windermere Valley Museum OPENING FOR THE SUMMER MONDAY, JUNE 15th The Museum will be open Monday to Friday from 10 am to 4 pm.

Please be prepared to follow the COVID-19 guidelines that will be in place.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Hosted via ZOOM Monday, June 22 2020 at 7 pm

FireSmart bags Susan Clovechok (Area F director) and Gerry Wilkie (Area G director) received their own FireSmart resource bags that are being given to every Wilmer household as we approach wildfire season. The bags contain great information on how to FireSmart homes and property, as well as how to prepare to evacuate when wildfires do occur. They are pictured along with Sue Hoyne and Pam Meunier of the Wilmer Community Club, who thank the directors and the Regional District of East Kootenay for their support.

All members of the public are welcome to attend.

Please contact Donna at 250-342-3699 for registration information.

Board of Directors The Governance Committee of WeCONNECT is currently seeking interested candidates for appointment to the Board of Directors including, but not limited to, candidates with the following experience: • Previous service on non-profit Board of Directors • Knowledge and/or interest in Board Governance • Knowledge and/or interest in programs and services to persons with diverse-abilities

Photo submitted by Pam Meunier

Please direct all inquiries to Corinne Tansowny at wdsss@shaw.ca

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4 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer

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June 11, 2020

RCMP Report Submitted by Sgt. Darren Kakuno Detachment commander Columbia Valley RCMP This past week, June 1 through June 7, the Columbia Valley RCMP responded to 82 calls for service. The following is a summary of the files our officers responded to.

On Tuesday, June 2 at about 3:15 p.m. police responded to a report of a disturbance at a residence on Stanley Street in Radium Hot Springs. While speaking to the occupants of the residence an officer noticed two mountain bikes, which matched the description of two bikes that were reported stolen from Radium Hot Springs the week prior. An adult female was arrested for possession of stolen property and released on conditions to appear in court at a later date. The bicycles were returned to the rightful owner.

On Tuesday, June 2 at about 4:30 p.m. an officer observed a black Honda Accord traveling on Laurier Street in Invermere. The officer noticed the vehicle did not have a front license plate and the rear license plate was terminated and previously registered to a different vehicle. The officer conducted a traffic stop and spoke to the driver who was found to be prohibited from driving in B.C..

The driver was served an appearance notice for driving while prohibited and a violation ticket for no insurance.

On Tuesday, June 2 at about 9:45 p.m. an officer conducted a traffic stop with a blue Chevrolet Trailblazer on

St. Josephs Street in Radium Hot Springs. While speaking with the driver the officer formed suspicion that the driver had alcohol in his body.

The driver complied with a breath demand and blew two “fails.” As a result, the driver was issued a 90-day immediate roadside driving prohibition and his vehicle was impounded for 30 days.

On Thursday, June 4 at about 3 p.m. an officer was conducting patrols on Highway 93/95 near Windermere when he observed a white Chevrolet Equinox with inactive plates. The officer conducted a traffic stop and discovered the driver had a suspended driver’s license. The driver was issued an appearance notice to attend court in relation to driving while suspended.

On Friday, June 5 Columbia Valley RCMP received a report of a blue Hyundai Sonata without plates traveling near Lakeview Drive in Athalmer. An officer located the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop. The driver was found to be a prohibited driver. The driver was arrested for driving while prohibited and released on an appearance notice to attend court at a later date. The vehicle was impounded.

On Sunday, June 7 at about 5:15 p.m. officers from the Columbia Valley RCMP and East Kootenay Traffic Services attended a single vehicle collision on Highway 93 about 14 kilometers north of Radium Hot Springs.

The driver of a red Chevrolet Cobalt struck a guard rail, spun around and came to rest against the guard rail. The driver was not injured, however, the vehicle sustained significant damage and had to be towed.

The bears are back in town and so is WildSafeBC Submitted by Corinna Strauss

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WildSafeBC is the provincial leader in preventing conflict with wildlife through collaboration, education and community solutions and is delivered by the BC Conservation Foundation in communities across B.C..

Corinna Strauss is back this season as the WildSafeBC Columbia Valley coordinator.

While the COVID-19 pandemic may be keeping many of us at home, that is not true for the bears and other wildlife that live nearby. As a community coordinator, Strauss will be working hard to reach out to community members in new and innovative ways that maintain physical distancing and safety for the community.

From May to November 30, 2020, Strauss will be involved in a number of WildSafeBC modified program initiatives including door-to-door information delivery campaigns, garbage tagging (if relevant in your community), and webinar delivery of our highly requested WildSafe Ranger Program for school–aged children as well as our Wildlife Awareness and Safety Education sessions. Please email Strauss for more information on how to register for these free programs.

We will continue to provide local wildlife activi-

ty news and tips as the season progresses on our local Facebook page. We look forward to hearing from you.

With your help, we can reduce conflict with wildlife and keep our community safe.

For further information on wildlife and how to reduce human-wildlife conflict visit www.wildsafebc. com or follow WildSafeBC Columbia Valley on Facebook. You can also contact Strauss at columbiavalley@ wildsafebc.com or 780-722-2589.

Please report wildlife in conflict to the Conservation Officer Service 24/7 at 1-877-952-7277. Residents can also report sightings of a bear, cougar, coyote or wolf in an urban area. These reports are uploaded daily to WildSafeBC’s Wildlife Alert Reporting Program (WARP), available at www.wildsafebc.com/warp This program allows the public to see what wildlife has been reported in their neighbourhood and be alerted of new sightings.

WildSafeBC Columbia Valley is grateful for the generous support the program receives from its funders including Regional District of East Kootenay, Village of Radium Hot Springs, District of Invermere, Columbia Basin Trust, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, and BC Conservation Foundation.

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June 11, 2020

The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 5

Trapped in Texas A terrifying solitary month in lockdown isolation, far from home

By Steve Hubrecht steve@columbiavalleypioneer.com Imagine this. You’re outside of Canada on vacation.

Suddenly you are gravely ill, then hospitalized. The multiple conditions besetting you are life threatening, but you have to advocate constantly to get even moderate care, let alone a proper diagnosis. The pain is unbearable, and you are rapidly deteriorating physically and mentally. You may be dying. In fact, you know you’re dying. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hits full force, and you’re stuck in full-scale lockdown. You can’t leave. Nobody can visit you. No friends, no family. Not even your husband, who is a doctor. Not even your five-year-old son. All around you the world, in the veritable blink of an eye, has gone from normal to something else entirely, a place where the doors of schools and shops are locked shut, city streets are eerily empty, and the television beams in images of health workers clad in Tyvek suits and masks. You are completely alone. And things are getting worse by the day.

Stop imagining, this isn’t make-believe: this was the terrifying reality faced by Invermere resident Brittany Schaffer earlier this spring, when she spent nearly a month stuck in a Texas hospital as COVID-19 exploded across the U.S. and Canada.

Vacation on the border Brittany was in McAllen, a mid-sized border-town city at the very southern tip of Texas, just across the Rio Grande from teeming Reynosa. She went, along with her son Calder, to visit her mother-in-law Dorothy. McAllen has been in the headlines plenty in recent years: It’s the site of the largest immigrant processing facility in the U.S.. Those images of migrant children being separated from their parents at the border? Many of them are taken in McAllen. But beyond the news reports, McAllen is, by many accounts, quite an appealing place. There’s a warm dry climate all winter, plenty of Hispanic culture and great restaurants. The cost of living is low and the town more than lives up to its ‘City of Palms’ nickname. In other words, it’s a great place to visit. Or to be a seasonal resident, like Dorothy, who spends her winters there, surrounded by many other members of her extended family.

The town more than lives up to its ‘City of Palms’ nickname ... the vacation started out pleasantly; bicycle riding, dips in the pool and family time.

The vacation started out pleasantly. Brittany and Calder arrived on March 9, and were enjoying quality time with Dorothy and the rest of the family in Adobe Wells, a gated snowbird mobile home community within McAllen. Think ‘mobile home community’ is a euphemism for a down-at-heels trailer park? Think again. Adobe Wells is smart and upscale, with beautiful double-wide mobile homes set on meticulously landscaped grounds with immaculate lawns, and ‘Texas rooms’ attached. A Texas room is a huge sunroom-like living space: part outdoor patio, part indoor family room, with large couches, televisions and often with gorgeous tiled floors.

Calder enjoyed riding around on a two-wheeler bike two sizes too small for him, even if it made his knees come up to his chest and resulted in a few extra wipeouts. There were dips in the swimming pool for a break from the 30 degree-plus heat, and plenty of delicious botanas (platters of chicken, beef, cheese, beans, rice and crushed taco chips) and fresh-made gas station breakfast

burritos to go around. Of course food and fun are part of any get together with Dorothy’s side of the family – a mix of Canadian, American, Ecuadorian and Argentine heritage, all descended from Russian Mennonites by way of Saskatchewan. The COVID-19 epidemic had begun, and was battering China and Italy. Cases in the U.S. were small in number at that point, but climbing rapidly. In

The Columbia Valley Pioneer is here to help you!

Brittany noticed that the attitude in McAllen seemed relaxed. Too relaxed.

a matter of just a few days, several hot spot cities, such as Seattle and New York, were overwhelmed and major events and public institutions throughout the U.S. were being cancelled and closed left, right and centre. McAllen was far from the hot spots, and Brittany noticed that the attitude there seemed relaxed. Too relaxed.

“We started taking social distancing protocols because we had been listening to Canadian recommendations,” said Brittany. “We couldn’t find any information coming out of Texas to provide guidance to the situation.” She and Calder played it safe, deciding not to venture past the Adobe Wells entrance gate.

A worrying situation suddenly grew much more complicated and much more personal as by March 13, severe health troubles landed Brittany in the local hospital. The care she got was spotty at best, a stark contrast to the building’s brand new, sparkly appearance, everything gleaming and accentuated with pillars and pink stucco.

She was shunted off to a holding area for her first few days in the hospital, with little medical attention. The only bright spot was that Dorothy was allowed to stay by her side.

Meanwhile COVID-19 continued detonating across the U.S., with new cases erupting everywhere.

We are making every effort to support our local businesses during this difficult time. Advertise here to let people know that you’re still open.

What’s Happening This Week • Invermere Farmers and Artists Market Saturdays from June 13 to September 26 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m..

• Agri Park Farmers Market at the Crossroads Wednesdays until September 2 from 5 to 7:30 p.m.

Full Service Open Mon.–Fri. Gas at 7 am – 6 pm Self-Serve Sun. 8 am – 6 pm Price with restricted access ● Propane/Diesel ● Convenience Store

Last night together Brittany’s husband Edward had been trying to get to Texas, starting from the moment she went to the hospital, urgently at first and then increasingly frantic, but was thwarted at every turn as international flights were cancelled, one by one, all over the place.

Continued on page 7 . . .

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TEMPORARILY CLOSED We would also like to thank all of our customers for their support at this time.

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Visit us on Highway 93/95 between Invermere and Windermere

“Zero health precautions by healthcare staff were being taken. It appeared as though COVID-19 did not exist.”

Brittany was taken aback by the hospital’s seemingly lackadaisical approach to the pandemic. “Zero precautions by healthcare staff were being taken. It appeared as though COVID-19 did not exist,” she said. She asked the staff why and found they’d been given literally no information on procedures or policies for COVID-19. It was only on March 17, four days into her stay, that hospital workers began taking measures for the virus.

This despite the tumult unfolding across the continent, with grocery store shelves emptying out, students sent home from school, businesses shutting down, and people holing up at home, holding their figurative breath. In the middle of all this chaos, Brittany’s condition quickly become critical, literally life-threatening.

She realized she required hospitalization for an indefinite, extended time period. She was far too sick to even think about being transferred to Canada by medevac flight.

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6 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer

PERSPECTIVE

A home window in Invermere is decorated in solidarity with those around the world who are demanding an end to racism.

Some activists are calling on everyone to read books by and about Black and Indigenous people and minority groups.

Jacqueline Wagner, director of the Radium Hot Springs Public Library, recommends the following titles and said the library has many other books that deal with race: • From the Ashes by Jesse Thistle • We Have Always Been Here by Samra Habib • Becoming by Michelle Obama • The Break by Katherena Vermette • The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (young adult novel) • The Girl and the Wolf by Katherena Vermette (children’s book) “I am also working on bringing in more children’s books that encourage critical conversations about race at a young age,” she said.

Photo by Dauna Ditson

Our insides are showing

By Dauna Ditson dauna@columbiavalleypioneer.com I’ve been inundated with letters about the clash between residents and out-of-province visitors over the past two months. I won’t rehash their points since you’ve seen them in the paper many times and have likely had countless conversations about who should or should not be visiting the valley at the moment.

What surprises me is how surprised we are that resentments some residents feel toward our visitors is showing. Maybe we thought we were better than this. We don’t get better as individuals or as society by hiding our less-savoury inclinations; we get better by acknowledging them, questioning them, deciding if we want to keep or change them, and then working relentlessly to improve.

Our local clash of Us and Them is a miniature example of humanity’s tendency to categorize others as different and use it as grounds to mistreat them. This is how discrimination starts, and – as we’ve discovered by how quick we are to check the colour of someone’s licence plate – we are not immune to it.

Glennon Doyle, an author and advocate for the disadvantaged, said in her newest book Untamed: “We are mugs filled to the brim, and we keep getting bumped.

If we are filled with coffee, coffee will spill out. If we are filled with tea, tea will spill out. Getting bumped is inevitable. If we want to change what spills out of us, we have to work to change what’s inside us.”

What’s inside us shows in how we respond when people say: “Please stay away because I’m afraid of the virus you could unknowingly give those I love.” It shows when we are so upset with visitors that we chase them away or when we choose instead to be kind.

I am awkwardly trying to talk about racism, George Floyd’s murder in the U.S. and all those who have been killed simply for not being white.

As racial tensions were escalating in Saskatchewan a few years ago, my car broke down on a cold, dark night in the countryside and I had to walk to a farm house to ask for help. As I approached, I deliberately lowered my hood to show that I was white. I used my skin to prove that I was not a threat. That moment still dismays me as my white privilege had never been so apparent. I wish we lived in a world where no one would feel safer or less safe due to the colour of their skin.

But wishing isn’t enough. It isn’t anything at all, and it’s part of what got us into this mess. Black Lives Matter activists see that and are asking us for more than our thoughts and prayers; they want us to become anti-racist.

That means taking action, educating ourselves, and addressing any glints of racism that may be inside us and our communities.

What actions are you taking to be anti-racist? Send your letters to dauna@columbiavalleypioneer.com for inclusion in a future issue.

Albertans won’t forget valley hostility Dear Editor, It’s a jungle out there.

I’m listening to the crashing waves of disparaging sentiment toward Albertans these days as I quietly isolate in my second HOME in the Columbia Valley.

There’s a popular saying: “Home is where the heart is.” For so many of us, British Columbia IS our “primary” residence and Alberta is where we “do” our workdays.

Many of us were born and raised in this beautiful province! We LIVE in B.C.!! We pay property tax; we shop local; we generously support local charities; we support local artisans, businesses and the trades. And contrary to some “vocal locals,” wildlife and nature conservation are very precious to our urban hearts!

Speaking of heart, where is the love people? If it weren’t for the influx of out of province money in this valley, COVID-19 financial austerity could prevail as a permanent way of life here! CERB will soon end, and “out of valley” dollars are necessary to make this economy churn.

Where is the voice of business in this valley? So many of you have sprung up and thrived because of the simpatico relationship developed over the years.

“Locals” have, along side “us,” appreciated the expansion of retail choice. We’ve all enjoyed not having to travel to Calgary, Lethbridge or the U.S. for better options or having to “haul” our groceries and “supplies” across borders.

Valley folks have been treated at our specialty centres and at our hospitals; they’ve worked in our province; they’ve availed themselves to the services that our larger population offers. We’ve all enjoyed mingling and sharing common interests and events; it appeared that we had created a unique team dynamic in this valley.

Why are you so silent now, NOW when we’d expect to take refuge in the HOME we’ve built together?

Whichever way your political persuasion swings, Western Canada has done a good job of flattening the curve.

Now that it’s time to move to stage 2 and open the economy back up, will you put a “No Albertans” sign on your Worksafe BC COVID-19 certification?

Will you turn away a sick “out of province” child at your healthcare centres? Will you turn a hungry “out of province” teen away from a food bank? Will you vote for your shortsighted RDEK and municipal representatives next election?

The “elephant in the room” has long been the undercurrent of resentment towards (perceived) “rich” Albertans owning and renting in the valley; we’ve been very “Canadian” in understanding your angst.

But on a certain level even an elephant never forgets!

Terry Barber, Panorama/Calgary

The Columbia Valley

CANADIAN COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER AWARD 2013

Pioneer

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June 11, 2020

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June 11, 2020

The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 7

Trapped in Texas: local resident in lockdown . . . ‘Trapped’ from page 5 Finally after days of frenetic efforts he managed to secure a seat on what was literally the very last flight to McAllen on the evening of March 16. Edward went straight from the airport to the hospital, making the drive in less than 30 minutes. Things were still nonchalant there, and hospital staff let Edward in with barely a second thought. His arrival was a huge relief for Brittany.

But, cruelly, a temporary one.

“That night the tone of the hospital began to change. The nurses rushed in and told Edward he had to hide in the bathroom if he wanted to remain in the hospital.”

“That night the tone of the hospital began to change.

The nurses rushed in and told Edward he had to hide in the bathroom if he wanted to remain in the hospital with me overnight, despite earlier information we were given,” said Brittany. “I was so sick, and in such a substantial amount of pain, that I was terrified.”

Edward obliged, ducking quickly into the bathroom.

Brittany urged him to get into the stand-up shower and pull the curtain across. He did, standing stock still and keeping as silent as possible. She turned out all the lights and pretended to be asleep. Security guards came by, propped open her door and, seeing nothing but a resting patient, moved on. Edward stayed in the dark shower a good 20 minutes more, to be sure the coast was clear.

“It started to feel militaristic and uncomfortable, and yet no information on why this was happening was relayed to us. To this day, I am very grateful to those nurses that evening. They gave us a few more hours together,” said Brittany.

Early the next morning Edward left to check on Calder, who had been staying with relatives ever since Brittany went to the hospital, and who hadn’t seen either parent for almost four days. A few hours later, a nurse burst into Brittany’s room, blurting out that security was now turning away all family and visitors to the hospital regardless of patient condition – palliative or otherwise.

“She helped me frantically phone my husband. Edward quickly rushed back to the hospital, where he was met with hostility by security. From what I understand, the situation for him and other desperate family members became tense and heated. No amount of desperation made a difference, and Edward quickly realized that he was not going to be with me,” said Brittany.

Alone The understanding that she was alone, utterly and completely alone, that none of her loved ones, nobody

The Schaffer family: Edward, Calder and Brittany at all, could be by her side slowly dawned on Brittany, filling her with a cold dread.

“It was terrifying. There is no other way to explain that. I felt like I was dying, was still not being treated with any kind of proper diagnosis.”

“(It) was terrifying. There is no other way to explain that. I felt like I was dying, was still not being treated with any kind of proper diagnosis or appropriate treatment or medical management,” she said. “The hospital was beautiful, but the medical staff were, for the most part, not knowledgeable.”

As a doctor, Edward’s medical perspective and his knowledge of Brittany’s health history would have been invaluable. He could have championed for the care Brittany needed. Instead, he couldn’t even be beside her to provide emotional and mental support. Outside, he could only try his best to stay up-to-date on her condition, and even

ADMINISTERED & MANAGED BY

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Photo submitted that was difficult. Inside, Brittany’s situation grew ever more dire.

“I no longer had an advocate, and being so sick, I was in complete survival mode. It was quite primal actually,” she said.

Her focus became narrow. Just get through this hour, she told herself. Just this hour. When even that became too much, she began taking things minute by minute.

Just get through the next 60 seconds. She watched the black hands on the old analog clock on the wall slowly creep around, or kept checking the time on her phone.

Second by second. There was nothing else to take in but the bare white walls in her strangely cavernous room. It was large enough for a whole football team to sit down together in, but not a single decoration, not a touch of human warmth, broke up the endless white around her.

Continued on page 10 . . .

Successful Projects COMMUNITY INITIATIVES AND AFFECTED AREAS PROGRAMS The Regional District of East Kootenay has approved 110 projects for a total of $1,139,095. The approved funding list can be found at: www.rdek.bc.ca/departments/ community/cbtprograms

rdek.bc.ca A PROGRAM OF

8 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer

June 11, 2020

CHRISTINE JOHANSEN

Métis make do with minimal financial aid; CBT offers support

hair ar tist Back to work at…

By Breanne Massey Special to the Pioneer

#3, 305 – 3rd Avenue • 250-342-3727 www.facebook.com/alldolledupinvermere @alldolledupinvermere

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1.587.777.6881 garry@phmg.ca Strata Management Services

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THRIFT STORE DONATIONS STARTING SUNDAY, JUNE 14TH, donations may be submitted to the Thrift Store via a separate trailer located behind the store and on the following days:

Sunday & Monday, 9 - 11 am & 1 - 3 pm Tuesday, 1 - 3 pm & 4 - 6 pm All donations are to be bagged or boxed.

Clothing bagged separately from other soft items.

Please ensure all items are clean and ready to be sold.

Please note that donations will only be accepted at the times noted above.

Any donations outside of these times will not be accepted.

Thank you for all your donations!

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Social Distancing: Meet Outdoors Bring your own chair, drinks and Personal Protective Equipment 455 Panorama Drive (ICAN Shelter), Athalmer, BC 250-341-7888 • info@icanbc.com • www.icanbc.com

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With $306 million in financial aid donated to First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities from the Trudeau government to assist the needy during the COVID-19 pandemic, a mere 12.5 per cent of the financial aid awarded to the Métis National Council (MNC) has recently become available to Métis citizens within the province of B.C.. However, Métis citizens within the Columbia Valley community have forged ahead with some help thanks to support from local leadership and community groups.

Debra Fisher, president of the Columbia Valley Métis Association (CVMA) who acts solely as a volunteer to the appointment, and the local board have been busily reviewing and processing applications for emergency response financial aid during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, thanks to Columbia Basin Trust’s (CBT) latest community program geared toward supporting vulnerable populations with the COVID-19 pandemic. “Each province gets only so much (financial aid). Of course, we’re not happy with that,” Fisher explained about the support being offered to Métis communities through the federal government.

However, the Métis Nation of BC (MNBC) is currently reviewing financial aid intended to support those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic, and MNBC has been dispersing monthly payments to communities in need while encouraging local leaders to find solutions for what their populations need the most.

But there have been several Métis advocates located in B.C. who have criticized the emergency financial aid for

the COVID-19 pandemic as poorly planned, while elected officials volunteer their time to forge partnerships within each of the communities they represent.

“We’re second class citizens,” said Patrick Harriott, president of the Métis Nation of Greater Victoria, during a phone interview. “We’re Métis whether we’re in B.C., Ontario or Manitoba. It shouldn’t matter where we live ... We need a national registry to regulate citizenship, but we’re just not there yet.”

According to the Canadian Press, the federal government announced $306 million in aid for Indigenous communities, including the governing body for the Métis population in Canada. The founding members of the MNC include Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

Ontario and B.C. joined the MNC last, but unfortunately, that has resulted in ongoing challenges for provincial leadership, especially for Métis communities in need during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“The funding model (that was used to distribute federal funding for the pandemic) is about 20 years old,” explained Harriott. “It’s super unfortunate they went with that model because it’s not based on population or needs.

It’s just based on an old funding model from 20 years ago to support the founding members of the Métis National Council.” That means Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan communities each received 25 per cent of the federal funding intended for Métis citizens from the Trudeau government, Harriott added, but B.C. and Ontario shared 25 per cent, resulting in payments of 12.5 per cent for emergency financial aid in their communities.

District of Invermere

FireSmart Rebate Program

Continued on page 12. . .

As a part of our continued efforts to increase our community’s resilience to wildfire, the District of Invermere is excited to introduce the new FireSmart Rebate program. Homeowners who take steps to FireSmart their homes may be eligible to be reimbursed through the FireSmart Rebate Program. Through funding received from the Union of BC Municipality’s Community Resiliency Investment Program, the District of Invermere is offering $500 rebates to residents who take steps to FireSmart their homes or property.

The focus of the FireSmart Rebate Program in 2020 will be on the reduction of combustible vegetation in and around residences at this work is home of the simplest, yet most effective way to improve a home’s ability to survive a wildfire.

To qualify for a rebate, residents must first have a Fire Smart Home Assessment by the District of Invermere Certified Local FireSmart Representative completed. Next, residents will need to take action on the recommendations made during the home assessment. The homeowner will submit their receipts (or copies of) to the front counter at the District of Invermere Municipal Office along with the Work plan / Estimate. The District will then inspect and approve the completed work at the property. If designated work is successfully completed, the homeowner will be reimbursed for 50 % of material and labour costs to a maximum $500 rebate per property.

The FireSmart rebate program will be available from June 12th to November 30th, 2020, on a first come first serve basis. There will be approximately 40 rebates available.

Contact 250-342- 9281 or email info@invermere.net for your free FireSmart Home Assessment.

June 11, 2020

Columbia Valley

The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 9

C VID-19 UPDATE

Working from home: an insider’s perspective on this new ‘normal’ Submitted by Kootenay Employment Services Working from home is the new reality we are facing as we maneuver through life with COVID-19. Kootenay Employment Services (KES) delivers employment-related programs in Invermere, Fernie, Cranbrook and Creston and is considered an essential service. When the country shut down in mid-March, the management team had hours to make it possible for 46 employees in four separate offices to work remotely. This included developing a virtual services delivery plan that follows contract policies and accommodates a wide range of clientele.

“We already had the capacity to deliver services virtually, and COVID forced us to expedite the steps needed to move completely virtual,” said Londa Morris, regional employment programs manager at KES. “For many of us it has been challenging to be so isolated and feel such uncertainty and we know that these are the same feelings our clients are experiencing. In some ways the switch to virtual services has brought our four regional offices closer together. With all of us zooming into meetings we are getting to know staff from other offices much better. Having said that, I think many of our staff, myself included, are experiencing a loss of that in-person connection with our teammates and clients. We are trying our best to come up with creative ways to connect virtually to remedy that.”

Employment resource advisor, Sarah, is the first connection people have when they walk in or call the KES office in Invermere. She has found ways to adapt her usual duties to accommodate working from home and overcome new challenges.

“The phones are busier as there has been an increase in people reaching out with questions and for help,” she said. “Some calls are about our services and some are not. Overall people are thankful that we are available whether it is something we can assist them with or not. From a technical standpoint, helping people complete and submit applications for jobs and programs has been tough but we get through it.”

Sage is an employment counsellor at the KES office in Fernie. Her day-today routine involves meeting with clients which she now does from home. “The switch to Zoom has been challenging in some ways because many clients, as well as myself, rather enjoy the personal and social interaction that is involved with meeting face-to-face,” she said. “However, it has also given us the ability to explore the positives that are involved with meeting from a distance and to indulge in the technologically-forward world that we are in. From personal experience, having friends and family that are close to my heart that live all over the country has given me the opportunity to adjust to virtual means in order to continue to have these great relationships in my life.”

KES has been delivering employment services in the Creston Valley since 1990 and recently expanded with three new offices in the East Kootenays. KES also delivers several community and economic initiatives as well as operating a small daycare.

KES’ regional employer and community liaison for the east, Kris splits her time between Invermere, Cranbrook and Fernie. She said COVID-19 has presented many challenges. “This is a new position I started right around the time we closed our offices. My plan was to regularly travel to each community to meet with employers and community groups, but it is now mostly being done via phone, email and Zoom, and our discussions are much different than I had anticipated.

Employers talk to me about similar struggles in connecting with clients and customers and how much more personable this process has become. It is the opposite of what I had expected a move to non face-to-face service would look like. We are in fact putting more into connecting with people to compensate for safety and distancing and it’s bringing people closer together.”

As restrictions begin to ease, KES is expecting many existing and new clients will be needing services to find employment in this new labour market. For many, this might mean a change of career path while others will be recalled to their previous industry and may just need a short course or clothing/transportation supports.

“At this time, we feel the deep impact of how COVID has touched the lives of our community members and local employers,” Morris said. “This is a hard time for those who are unemployed, and it has been very powerful for our staff to support clients through this time. It has also been difficult to see the impact on businesses who face shutdowns and layoffs. Moving forward, we are touched to play such a pivotal role in supporting our communities through this crisis as we begin to rebuild.”

For more information contact Kootenay Employment Services in Invermere at 250-341-6889 or visit www.kes.bc.ca.

Pharmasave reports positive community support

By Breanne Massey Special to the Pioneer After being deemed an essential service for the community, Pharmasave began evaluating safety policies and social distancing measures to ensure the Columbia Valley community’s welfare came first. Pharmasave owners Alicia Shanks and Keith Irwin, who are both pharmacists by trade, began evaluating their daily operations and reaching out to their expansive network of pharmaceutical peers in both B.C. and Alberta to figure out what makes the most sense for the community. In fact, Pharmasave and Lambert Kipp pharmacy collaborated on their solutions to ensure the experience would be consistent across the Columbia Valley.

“The transition was a challenge for sure,” Shanks said. “As an essential service, we felt like we had to come up with a lot of policies and changes without a lot of guidance initially. We had to think quickly and get things in place quickly, but we did it ... Now things have started to settle down and I think we’ve found what works.”

Daily operations at the local Pharmasave have been modified in support of the social distancing movement for the COVID-19 pandemic, but the hours of operation remain in a business-as-usual state to encourage the community to stagger their visits to the physical storefront. There is a hand-sanitizing station at the entrance of Pharmasave, plexiglass in front of the cashiers and pharmacists and markers on the floor to encourage social distancing. While the option to have prescriptions delivered between Canal Flats and Brisco was offered to Pharmasave clients in the past, the biggest change to their business model was in support of curbside pickup.

“For the most part, we are seeing one person come into the store instead of the whole family coming in,” she explained. “We haven’t been putting in those restrictions (about the number of people in the store at one time because) a lot of the vulnerable people we serve are sending someone on their behalf, using curbside pick up or requesting a delivery.

“Curbside pickup, we have never offered before, but it quickly became a very popular trend.”

Before the pandemic, there was one driver on contract who spent one day per week making deliveries, but at the height of the outbreak, there was a significant spike in deliveries in the Columbia Valley on any given day. “At the beginning, when lots of people were coming back from travelling and needing to quarantine, we were seeing (approximately) 30 deliveries per day,” she said, indicating that deliveries within Invermere are now offered on a daily basis while the surrounding communities from Canal Flats to Brisco are being offered weekly on Monday and Friday. “That has calmed down. Now, it’s mostly vulnerable populations who are requesting that service.”

Going forward, Pharmasave is hoping to automate requests for deliveries to create efficiencies for the community, but it’s still a work-in-progress. “With prescription pickup, the Pharmasave website or eCare app, you can actually order your prescriptions online and it comes directly to our system to prepare,” she explained. “It’s pretty slick, but we’re finding there’s a need for other items such as pain relief or cold and flu products as well.

We’re looking at other options to streamline operations but we’re not there yet.”

For the time being, the community is encouraged to call 24 hours ahead, when possible, and ensure prescriptions are stocked and prepared in advance. “One thing that we’ve noticed is that there’s a trend where people are limiting their trips to town for errands and everyone wants to be fast, efficient and organized in their outing which is great,” said Shanks. “If it’s possible, please think of us for these outings and call us in advance of doing these runs to prepare these prescription refills. It helps us prioritize urgent prescriptions and to ensure there’s enough stock.”

Initially, Pharmasave — along with many other businesses worldwide — experienced the strain on the supply chain. “It took time for the world’s supply chain to catch up with the needs of its communities, but now it seems to have caught up,” she explained, indicating toilet paper, face masks (disposable and/or reusable) and gloves are currently in stock.

But overall the community and the team working at Pharmasave have had a positive experience. “I’ve been extremely proud of our team,” Shanks said about the staff on the ground.

“I feel like they’ve handled a lot of change in a really short period of time, while managing their own personal lives and feelings in a fantastic way. I don’t know what I would do if that wasn’t the case.” The majority of the community has followed the safety precautions without restrictions being enforced by the Pharmasave team. “The morale of the community has changed over the timespan of the pandemic,” said Shanks. “For the most part, we get a lot of thanks and appreciation. Of course, in this business, we’re going to see people with medical complications and frustrations that they’re learning to cope with and this demographic has been really patient with us during this transition.”

The biggest change in daily operations has been the fact that clients are no longer stopping into the pharmacy to drop off a prescription. “A lot of our prescriptions from the doctors’ offices are arriving via fax now,” Shanks explained. “People aren’t coming in to drop off prescriptions anymore because they’re sending in family members to pick them up or requesting deliveries. We miss seeing all of our patients and their families, and we miss having that direct contact with our patients. I know that’s the way it has to be right now for everyone’s overall safety, but from an emotional standpoint we miss seeing our patients right now, just as I’m sure all of the other health care workers are too.”

10 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer

June 11, 2020

C VID-19 UPDATE Trapped in Texas: local resident in lockdown

Columbia Valley . . . ‘Trapped from page 7

Even items such as Kleenex boxes had to be specifically requested — and then specifically scanned electronically, to be added to her bill.

“Time meant nothing. Much of it is now a blur as I rapidly deteriorated physically and mentally due to sepsis and as several other physical ailments took over,” she said.

Allowed a last goodbye Finally, on March 19 hospital staff allowed Edward in, informing him that Brittany was about to go for surgery and would be brought to the intensive care unit af-

“It was as though they were allowing us to say our goodbyes. Those moments were surreal.”

ter. “It was as though they were allowing us to say our goodbyes. Those moments were surreal,” said Brittany.

“They allowed him to remain in the hospital during my surgery, but provided no updates despite the surgery running exceptionally longer than expected. My husband obviously assumed the worst, and was already phoning his family for support as he awaited terrible news.”

But Brittany made it through the surgery. Minute by minute, hour by hour. Made it through yes, but the surgery came with complications and several very serious health issues occurred as a result. Edward was promptly ushered out of the hospital after the surgery. It would be the last he would see of Brittany until she could get well enough to leave. The COVID-19 lockdown had now sealed the hospital completely, and the automatic sliding doors at the hospital entry might as well have been the gates of Alcatraz.

“My husband obviously assumed the worst, and was already phoning his family for support as he awaited terrible news.”

The disorder and tumult the pandemic was causing across the U.S. outside the hospital was mirrored inside it. Safety protocols seemed to vary from staff member to staff member, with no centralized direction of any kind.

“The nursing staff did not contain their disgust at the lack of precautions the hospital was providing. Many nurses and care aids also worked at other facilities, and zero regulations for that were put in place. Some wore masks and gloves, and some barely sanitized,” said Brittany. “Everybody did something different upon entering my room, which was alarming for me given my high risk status, and since I had developed very critical lung issues during my hospitalization.”

Brittany was shuttled between rooms and an atmosphere of tension took hold as — bizarrely — some health care workers were dismissed from their jobs.

“Many staff were being forcibly laid off, and it visibly had an effect on the remaining staff. They became insanely overworked, which affected my care. Many confided in me, and I learned a lot about the lack of support they were being given. I was told the lay offs were a direct result of elective surgeries being cancelled during

The tiny jet that carried Brittany, Edward and Calder back to Canada.

COVID-19, despite the hospital also wanting to prepare for a COVID outbreak. It seemed counterintuitive, but happened nevertheless,” she said. “I was moved several times to different floors and rooms, and units completely shut down. Those units were not being converted into potential COVID-19 units at that time, and they were going to sit empty. The fear amongst staff was obvious, and yet (centralized) safety protocols were not implemented.”

The patchwork of safety procedures was especially perplexing given the stringent policy of no family or visitors allowed in the hospital, no matter the state of the patient. And so, with the complications from the surgery, Brittany was back to being on her own and being unbelievably sick, subjected to invasive procedures without sedation, fighting to get proper care, and occasionally being ignored. Back to survival mode. Back to taking things moment to moment.

“My concentration had to be on self advocation, monitoring my own condition, and what medications they were administering. I ended up diagnosing several of my resulting conditions, and had to continually argue for proper care, sometimes without success,” she said. “I began to be filled with dread, and my resolve to survive became quite intense.”

Photo submitted

ods of being completely emotionless. Toward the end of her stay in the hospital, as Brittany became more lucid, CNN News became her window to the outside world.

The giant wall-mounted black box of a television in her room was both a blessing and a curse. Brittany finally had some reliable outside information about the pandemic.

But what alarming information it was. With the global COVID-19 situation intensifying all the time, “panic became a real emotion,” she said.

Brittany, although still gravely ill, was able to get to a state of health in which flying back into Canada via medevac was now a possibility. Unfortunately it was a fraught possibly, one that had become increasingly political with the couple’s health insurance company and accepting Canadian hospital.

“According to the insurance company, I was a high risk patient that could be COVID-19 positive, and they wouldn’t organize or pay for transport on those grounds.

They insisted that I must have a negative COVID-19 screening before boarding a plane. The problem was, Texas did not have COVID-19 testing available yet, and

Flying back to Canda via medevac became increasingly political with the insurance company.

Panic becomes ‘a real emotion’ FaceTime calls to Edward, as well as to her sister and her father, became a lifeline for Brittany, allowing her to see her family, to get medical opinions from Edward, and giving her a small break from her otherwise grim situation. Sometimes she made FaceTime calls just to see Edward and Calder’s faces, not talking much because there was nothing good to talk about. At one point, she was on FaceTime, watching her family play UNO in Dorothy’s Texas room from the vantage point of Edward’s proppedup phone. She tried to limit her FaceTiming with Calder, not wanting him to too often see his mother hooked into a breathing machine with an oxygen mask over her face.

“It was such a visceral pain as a mother to be forcefully separated from your child. A piece of my heart had left my body.”

“It was such a visceral pain as a mother to be forcefully separated from your child. A piece of my heart had left my body, and my focus turned to doing everything I could to retrieve it,” she said.

Pain wasn’t the only feeling on Brittany’s plate, and her emotions ran a daunting gamut from fear to peri-

a test result was going to take three to four weeks after the initial swab,” said Brittany. “So I would be required to remain in hospital for an additional three to four weeks in isolation, or discharge myself against medical advice, and have five days to exit the country without health insurance covering me any further.”

There were no commercial flights back into Canada whatsoever, and even if there had been Brittany was unable to fly without a chest tube, since she had developed a pneumothorax (collapsed lung). With few options left, Edward took over, and single-handedly negotiated Brittany’s return by acquiring an accepting Canadian hospital and finding an accepting Canadian physician. The insurance company stood its ground, refusing to pay. Overwrought, distressed and exhausted from battling the insurance company, Edward withdrew a large sum of money and booked a private jet through a Calgary-based medevac company, with the hope of seeking reimbursement later.

A flying ‘coffin’ to Canada Brittany finally rode out of the hospital on April 1 in an ambulance heading to a small airfield on the outskirts of town.

Continued on page 19 . . .

June 11, 2020

The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 11

Steamboat Mountain Music Festival heads online for 2020 Submitted by Anne Jardine All aboard!

This year is a little bit different. With our public health emergency, Edgewater’s Steamboat Mountain Music Fest had to chart an alternative course for 2020.

Instead of our outdoor porch parties, main stage, tweener stage, and workshops on July 3 to 5, we will be offering an online festival instead.

We have set up a recording studio, and we will be making short (15 minute) videos of each of our local bands, one-by-one, on various days, by appointment, during the month of June.

Our studio will allow us to keep our sound system and some musical instruments set up and safe over a multi-day work period; it is a spacious environment where we can easily maintain social distancing, and it gives us easy cleaning access to all touch surfaces.

We have devised a safety plan so that there will be time between recording sessions to do the necessary sanitation.

We got started last week and intend to have all the recordings completed by June 22. We intend to stream the video clips over our festival dates of July 3 to 5 and then have them available on a Steamboat channel on YouTube after that.

Each band will get a DVD of their session, which they can keep for their portfolio and hopefully that will help them get more opportunities for gigs.

We know that musicians and artists have been hit hard this year, and most of their shows have been cancelled. We want to help as much as we can. We will be paying all our performers a flat fee, which, for most, is equivalent to one-third of their festival performance rate - but for a 15-minute, rather than a 65-minute set. We are not sure yet if everyone we had booked will be able to participate, but we’ll definitely be able to present our local acts. We will be paying our sound and video technicians at their usual professional rate.

Because we have not been able to do our local business sponsorship campaign this year, we are keeping our expenses as tight as possible. We are grateful to our major sponsors, who have come on board despite all the uncertainties. We appreciate the generous support of the Arnie J. Charbonneau Foundation, the BC Arts Council, Gaming & Lotteries, BC Hydro, Columbia Basin Trust, Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance, Columbia Valley Community Foundation, and the Regional District of East Kootenay Community Initiatives Program.

We are still holding our Duck Race to raise funds for our annual Steamboat Mountain Music Society Bursary. Duck tickets can be purchased at the Edgewater Post Office or Edgewater Legion, and we hope to have them available online soon too.

The real-live Steamboat Festival in Edgewater Park will be back up and rollin’ for July 2 to 4, 2021, which will be our tenth anniversary.

For this year, though, we’ll see you online.

‘Imagine 2021’ Music Festival Poster Contest

Visit www.columbiavalleyarts.com for participation details.

Win a 4-pack of tickets to the 2021 Festival love a good photo submission.

Shutter bugs WeIf you have a snapshot to share, welcome! email dauna@columbiavalleypioneer.com

Pynelogs at Kinsmen Beach

PYNELOGS CULTURAL CENTRE, ART GALLERY & CAFE HOURS: CALL FOR MORE INFO AT 250.342.4423

12 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer

June 11, 2020 . . . ‘Métis’ from page 8 “It’s still being worked out with the (MNC),” Fisher said.

But another local group has stepped up to the plate to start fielding requests for the community in short order. The CBT has made financial contributions to support community-based organizations that provide direct services to vulnerable populations such as Métis associations, First Nation communities, food banks, social service agencies, child care operators, hospices and housing societies.

On Thursday, April 2, the CBT announced $11.7 million of funding to support basin residents who are being impacted by the global healthcare crisis. Their goal was to support small businesses, vulnerable populations and community organizations with new and existing programs. “The COVID-19 pandemic presented everyone with unprecedented challenges,” said Johnny Strilaeff, Columbia Basin Trust president and CEO. “In March, we announced immediate support to food banks, child care operators, housing societies, hospices, social service agencies, First Nations communities and Métis associations. We’re pleased to help these organizations, like the Columbia Valley Métis Association, adapt their service delivery and continue to support the people who rely on them.”

A portion of this funding came to the CVMA to help citizens cover unexpected costs, outstanding bills, education, substance abuse, mental health, groceries and child care programming.

The CVMA has created a financial assistance program for self-identified Métis residents of the Columbia Valley to apply in the event the impacts of COVID-19 have left someone vulnerable in need of support.

“We screen all the applications within 24 hours,” Fisher explained. “And we review requests on a case-bycase basis with a follow up screening interview on the phone. People can fill out the application to tell us what they need, whether it’s grocery or gas cards. We look at individual needs as well, and what I mean by that is: some people are short $200 for their mortgage after everything

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Tuesday, June 23rd, 2020 at 6:30 p.m.

Little Badger Early Learning Centre 3050, Highway 95, Windermere Options to use Zoom for those who cannot attend in person. Please email cvcb@shaw.ca for more information or find us on Facebook.

REQUEST for INFORMATION Greenways, in cooperation with the Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK), is seeking to pave Segments 6 & 7 and a 1 kilometre reroute of the Markin-MacPhail Westside Legacy Trail between the communities of Invermere and Fairmont Hot Springs, paralleling the Westside Road.

We are requesting qualified offers from established organizations which have a proven track record with all aspects of paving multi-use trails in the Columbia Valley. These aspects include mobilization of equipment and product, traffic control, placing base crush on pathway 4m wide and supply and place 50mm hot mix asphalt 3m wide.

The paving of approximately 9.8 kilometres is planned for summer 2020.* *funding pending

Find out more: OurTrail.org/RFI2020-1 Greenways.ca info@greenways.ca Box 2377 #203 375 Laurier Street Invermere, BC V0A 1K0

is said and done.”

Interest in the programming has gained traction within the community at a rapid pace. “Lots of Métis community members have reached out to see what’s available,” Fisher explained. “We have single parents (and) families where both parents are unemployed and waiting for EI, or CERB to kick-in.”

Criteria for the program is based on the total number of dependents as well as parents, and the employment status of guardians.

To apply for financial assistance through the CVMA, visit: http://www.columbiavalleymetis.ca/resources/ covid-19-resources/ and your request will be reviewed within 24 hours.

Ongoing support initiatives for Métis citizens in the valley • MNBC has provided hand sanitizer, face masks and gloves at no charge to Métis citizens throughout the province, including the Columbia Valley community.

• The CVMA has recently donated $500 to the Summit Youth Centre Hub (formerly known as The Hub) to support teens who may require snacks.

• Up to 30 food hampers were delivered by the CVMA volunteers before food and gas cards were offered to Métis citizens in the community.

• The CVMA would like to reimburse the Columbia Valley Food Network (CVFN) for several meals to be delivered to isolated, vulnerable individuals, including two widows.

• Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has a partnership with MNBC to promote literacy where one age appropriate book per month is distributed to Métis children for early years programming (0 to 5 years old).

• Students from grade 1 up to grade 12 can apply for $500 grants to be used for internet installations, buying tablets, educational games or laptops to support remote learning.

Loca

NOTICE OF INTENT Temporary Use Permit – Windermere North To Radium

The Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) Board of Directors is considering an application by 1228099 BC Ltd. (Diamond Heating and Spas) for a Temporary Use Permit for outdoor boat storage located at 4846 Athalmer Road in the Windermere North area.

If the application is approved, the RDEK will issue a Temporary Use Permit to allow outdoor boat storage on Lots 12, 13 & 14, District Lot 4347, Kootenay District, Plan 4001, as shown on the attached map.

The Board will consider the proposed Permit at its meeting on July 3, 2020. If you believe that your interest in property is affected by this proposed Permit, you may prior to June 22, 2020:

To Highway 93/95 ---->

• request a copy of the proposed Permit by contacting Tracy Van de Wiel, Planning Technician by email at tvandewiel@rdek.bc.ca; • mail, or email written submissions to the addresses/numbers shown below.

Subject Property

All written submissions are public information pursuant to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. All submissions will form part of the public record and will be published in a meeting agenda posted online. Personal contact information such as phone and email will be removed from written submissions.

Questions about the disclosure of your personal information may be referred to the Corporate Officer at 250-489-2791 or 1-888-478-7335.

For more information contact Tracy Van de Wiel, Planning Technician at 1-250-409-4462 or by email at tvandewiel@rdek.bc.ca.

REQUEST FOR QUOTE Hauling for Mattress Recycling

The Regional District of East Kootenay is looking for Quotes on the following: 1. A 53ft monthly trailer rental at the Columbia Valley Landfill for the recycling of mattresses and delivery to recycling facility in Calgary AB. 2. A 53ft monthly trailer rental at the Cranbrook Transfer Station for the recycling of mattresses and delivery to recycling facility in Calgary AB. Quote and additional questions can be submitted to: Jim Penson Solid Waste Superintendent | Environmental Services – Regional District of East Kootenay jpenson@rdek.bc.ca

19 – 24 Avenue South, Cranbrook BC V1C 3H8 | 250-489-2791 | 1-888-478-7335 | Fax: 250-489-3498 | info@rdek.bc.ca | www.rdek.bc.ca

June 11, 2020

The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 13

THANK YOU! To our donors for making it possible to bring back our printed edition of the Pioneer. We would not have been able to do it without you.

The Columbia

28, 2020 22 May Vol. 17/Issue

FRE

ey Pioneer • 1 Vall May 28, 2020

Events rce for News and Your Weekly Sou

The Columbia

Valley

PIONEER

E

Serving the Uppe

r Colum

Akisq’nuk bia Valley including

and Shuswap First

Nations, Spillimach

een, Brisco, Edge

water, Radium,

Invermere, Wind

PERSONAL REAL

Special Thank Y ou!

ESTATE CORPORATION

Cell: 250•341•1395 1 Toll Free: 1•888•258•991

ermere, Fairmont

and Canal Flats

Wild Wings

CLIFF RESCUE

3 COVID-19 UPDATE

To everyo ne w to suppor ho have continu ed t us throu ghout the difficult times. se to suppor Please remember t local sh opping.

Supporti ng lo help ever cals yone thrive.

have ies Festival may s Over the Rock but the The annual Wing due to COVID-19 this year, are still been cancelled other wildlife this osprey) and 7 for more. page birds (such as See . in town Niddrie Photo by John

9-12 RADIUM AUTHOR

19 ONLINE EXCLUSIVE g • Drug-pr icin peti tion gar ners tho usa nds of sign atu res

:

Visit our website

er.com

ypione www.columbiavalle

$799,000

call... to buy or sell When it's time MLS: NEW

peop le exce ption al Conn ectin g s for al prop ertie with exce ption Than k you!

15+ Year s -

$799,000 N EW

us : Connect with

est.com Sean@rockiesw .ca www.roggeman

250-341-5300

250-341-5445

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Alison Bell Allen Borak Amanda Nason Andrew Stuart-Hill Anne Jardine Anne Rogers Arnold Malone Barry & Eileen Jonas Beverley Deck Brad Cable Brad Stevens Braeden Logan Brenda Danyluk Brent Woodward Brian & Lynda Devenish Brock Cairns Cal Bjorgan Carol Stanford Carolyn & Charles Hyndman Charleen Evans Charles Robinson Chris and Sharon Murray Christa Carter Clara Reinhardt

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

LIST OF DONORS

Coleen Duncan Columbia Valley Food Bank David & Marguerite Gee Dawn L. Sommerville Deirdre Conklin Dennis Allen Diana & Lan Gilbert Diane Katherns Don Parkin Donald L Pearson Donald MacLeod Dorothy and David Gilbride Dot Hughes Douglas & Joyce Leibel Douglas Watson Eileen Rose Elaine Wallace Elizabeth Power Fairmont and District Lions Club Frank & Anne Keely Family Dyanmix Food and Farm G.M. Ellis

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Gaetane & Jim Ashworth Gary Niemi Gayle Rooke Gerold & Carol Wilkie GerritJan van de Walle Gerry Hildebrandt Gilbert & Corinne Kirker Gonda Sinagowitz Greg & Dagmar Jopp Gregory Aitken Gudrun Trescher Halloran Watson Hans Jonasson Heather Bear Horsethief Pub Ian Dewey Ian Robbins Ian White Invermere Judo Club Jack Shaw James Gibb James Mitchelson Jane Power Jeannette & Norman Hendricks

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Jenny & George Richardson Jill McCorry Jim Fisher & Maureen Thorpe Jim Galloway Jo Anne Meyers Joan Selzler Johanna Zurbriggen John Thomson Joyce McLeod Julie McDonald Kelsey Patterson Ken & Doreen Mattson Ken Stainsby Larry & Heather Meadows Lawrence Stotts Lawrie Mack Linda McConnell Linda Snelling Linda Warner Loni Funnell Loreen Jacobs Lori Hennig Lynette Markham Lynn Hodgson

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Madeleine Jenkins Manuel Osborne-Paradis Marfret Kunze Margaret Bashnick Margarett Prinz Marian Swatschina Marilyn Puskaric Marion Hoover Martin Davies Mary Beth Knight Mary McGovern Maurice & Lorraine Ruault Mrs Carolyn Kolochuk Mrs Martha Christie Mrs. Eileen Fiell Murray & Helen Kubian Murray and Sharon Trussler Nicole LeBlanc Nora Efford Patrick Morrow Pete and Karen Hecker Peter Mah Peter McIsaac Philip & Sharon Lindo

• • • • • • •` • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Radium Motors Ltd. Rita Spurgeon Robert & Lorraine Campsall Robert Nimmo Ron Pelachuk Ronald Syainthorpe Rosemary & Ronald Clarke Ruth Gordon Salley & Raymond Woodward Sandra Burns Sandy & Brian Meyers Sandy Carlson Sharron White Stephen Cliff Susan Kristiansen Theresa Rogers Thomas Symington Tony Berryman Tracy Flynn Val Forshaw Vi Polier Victor Didowsky Warren Jukes Wayne DeBoice Zalika Adamson

Plus a few generous anonymous donors

If you would like to donate, please go to support.columbiavalleypioneer.com or drop by the office at 8, 1008 8th Avenue, Invermere, B.C.

14 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer

June 11, 2020

HERE TO SERVE YOU BUSINESS OF THE WEEK

SERVICES

SERVICES

HANG IN THERE COLUMBIA VALLEY!

SERVICE EXCELLENCE IN THE COLUMBIA VALLEY

SINCE 1991 ICBC Glass Repair Out of Province Vehicle Inspections Auto Body Repairs • Painting • Quality Parts

We give all students 15% off with valid student ID

North American Warranty All Makes and Models Tire Sales and Installation

141 Industrial Rd. 2 • 250-342-9424 • Open Monday - Saturday, 8:30 am - 5:30 pm Your Chamber is here to support you during this challenging time. Stay up to date with reliable, local information by visiting

www.cvchamber.ca

COLUMBIA VALLEY

Sales ~ Service ~ Installation

Call for your FREE consultation and estimate

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOIN YOUR CHAMBER AND REAP THE REWARDS! P. 250-342-2844 E. membership@cvchamber.com

• Air Conditioning/Heat Pumps • Fireplaces • Full Heating and Ventilation Systems

UNIVERSAL DOORS & EXTERIORS Arnold Scheffer 250-342-6700

unidoorext@live.ca • unidoorext.ca

WETT Certified

Industrial ~ Commercial ~ Residential

SERVICES

WINDOW COVERINGS SHOWROOM

• Patches • Driveways • Crack Sealing • Parking Lots • Roads • And more!

• • • •

Doors Windows Flooring Painting/Interior/ Exterior • Kitchen Renovations • Window Coverings

• Bathroom Renovations • Additions • Decks • Finish Carpentry • Basement Renovations

KITCHEN CABINETS & COUNTER TOPS

492 Arrow Rd., Unit 1B, Invermere • EMAIL: fairmontridge@telus.net • 250-342-4663

Kootenay Paving

Beat the fall rush ~ clean your Chimney this spring!

ROCKY MOUNTAIN CHIMNEY SWEEPS LTD. 804 Almberg Road, Golden, BC V0A 1H2 CELL: 250.272.5599 OFFICE: 250.344.7323 todd@rockymountainchimneysweeps.com rockymountainchimneysweeps.com

Toll Free 1-888-341-2221

Call now for a free quote!

Locally operated, with full-time staff to serve you better.

Plumbing • Boiler Systems

Andy Charette

CLEANING & MAINTENANCE ON ALL WOOD BURNING APPLIANCES • WETT INSPECTIONS

1756 Hwy 93/95, Windermere, B.C. V0B 2L2 Phone: 250-342-6500 • Fax: 250-342-3484

Fully Insured & WCB Covered

Rigid Plumbing Ltd.

E: rigidplumbing@hotmail.ca P: 250-341-5179

FREE ESTIMATES

Chimney and Eavestrough Cleaning and Repair Specialists

You name it!

I’ll take care of it!

YOUR ONE-STOP SHOP for all home maintenance from raking your lawn to renovating your entire house.

• Pruning and Removal of ALL Trees and Shrubs • Stump Grinding • Fully Insured & WCB Covered

OVER

30 YEARS EXPERIENCE

Keep your local businesses alive.

Get your tree services right here in Invermere!

Please call Steve ~ a real local you can trust! 250-342-1791

(Servicing the Valley since 1999)

NEW SEWER CAMERA

• Septic Tank Pumping • Portable Toilet Rentals

• A well maintained septic system • Complete sewer/drain repairs should be pumped every 2-3 years • Reasonable rates – Seniors’ discount • Avoid costly repairs • Speedy service – 7 days a week

Bruce Dehart 250.347.9803 or 250.342.5357

Professional • Lawn Maintenance Serving the Valley for over 20 years!

Commercial

Resdential

East Kootenay Plumbing Services & Renovations Available 24/7 Red Seal Journeyman Plumbers/Gasfitters (B)

Everett Frater Enterprises Cell: 250-342-5645 • efrater@telus.net

eastkootenayplumbing@yahoo.com 250-272-3374

June 11, 2020

The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 15

HERE TO SERVE YOU PHARMACIES

SERVICES

LANDSCAPING

LAMBERT-KIPP P H A R M A C Y ( 2 0 1 9 ) LT D .

Scott Postlethwaite Residential, Commercial Electric Furnace and Hot Water Tank Repair and Service For All Your Electrical Needs

Free Estimates

Come in and browse our giftware

Landscaping & Design

Irena Shepard, B.Sc. (Pharm.)., Émilie Lamoureux, Pharm D., Laura Kipp, Pharm D.

2016

Your Compounding Pharmacy Sue Coy

1301 - 7th Avenue, Invermere

Lloyd Wilder

250-341-5353 sdcoy@shaw.ca

250-342-6612

1710 10th Avenue – Invermere, B.C. V0A 1K0

• FireSmart• Equipment 62”x74” Brushcutter

Quality not quantity

Open Monday – Saturday, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

invermereelectric@gmail.com

• •TTrucking•• Excavating T Earthworks • •• Civil •

250-342-5326 www.decoylandscaping.com lewilder@shaw.ca

LANDSCAPING

INSURANCE

THE COLUMBIA VALLEY’S TREE CARE SPECIALISTS WINDERMERE, BC 250-341-7029

GOLDEN, BC 250-344-0188

INSURANCE AGENCIES LTD.

BOX 2228 742 - 13th STREET INVERMERE, BC V0A 1K0 P: 250-342-3031 F: 250-342-6945 info@lambertinsurance.ca

GET YOUR QUOTE AT WWW.GREENLEAFTREE.CA INFO@GREENLEAFTREE.CA

R O O T E D I N T H E C O L U M B I A VA L L E Y S I N C E 2 0 0 7

CONTRACTING

CONTRACTING

Specializing in all heating, electric, gas and wood.

1320 Industrial Road #3 Box 159, Invermere, B.C. V0A 1K0

P.O. Box 130 Invermere, BC V0A 1K0 Office: 250-342-2175 • Fax: 250-342-2669 Cindy.mackay@kootenayinsurance.ca

• Fireplaces • Commercial and residential • New builds • Renovations.

• Trusses • Engineered Floors • Wall Panels Tel: 250.341.6075 Fax: 250.341.3427 Email: info@duskbuildingsystems.com www.duskbuildingsystems.com

BOX 459 7553 MAIN STREET RADIUM HOT SPRINGS, BC V0A 1M0 P: 250-347-9350 F: 250-347-6350 TOLL FREE: 1-866-342-3031

A licensed, registered and bonded company

Give us a call! James, 250-688-1267 or Jerry, 250-342-5299 Email: jeffersoncontractingltd@gmail.com

Kekuli Bay Cabinetry

Our services

kekulibaycabinetry.com

•

Excavation

•

Hauling

•

Landscaping

Here to Serve You Advertising 250-341-6299

Can this be recycled?

•

Basements

•

Water lines

Invermere and Golden, British Columbia

•

Gravel Screening

250-272-0468

•

Gravel Products

•

Site Prep

CO N T R AC T I N G

www.kootenayinsurance.ca

We also offer roundthe-clock service calls.

Check the BC RECYCLEPEDIA www.rcbc.ca RECYCLING COUNCIL OF B.C. MEMBER

CONCRETE

• Authorized dealer • Designer • Installer

Dale Elliott Contracting 25 years experience installing cabinets Custom Woodwork and Finishing Serving the Columbia Valley for over 40 years.

dale@decontracting.ca • 250-341-7098 Pioneer Classified Advertising 250-341-6299

READY MIX CONCRETE Concrete Pump • Sand & Gravel Heavy Equipment Rentals • Crane Service Proudly Serving the Valley for over 50 years

For competitive prices and prompt service, call: 250-342-3268 (plant) 250-342-6767 (office)

Have an opinion? Email your letter to the editor to dauna@columbiavalleypioneer.com

16 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer

June 11, 2020

Energy efficient home takes up residence in the Columbia Valley

By Breanne Massey Special to the Pioneer Tomaž Stich and his wife, Jasminka, are nearing completion of the first passive house (PH) in the Columbia Valley. “Every province moves at a different pace, but I think right now, B.C. is seriously ahead of the game,” Jasminka explained about their home which serves twofold for their consulting business on passive houses.

A PH is a construction concept that focuses on building energy efficient homes with on-site renewable energy. There are a total of 27 certified residential PH properties in Canada, including 18 PH in B.C. with three located in the East Kootenay region.

Stich, who is a carpenter, engineer and certified passive house designer, now runs a consulting business for building PH for individuals and helps to educate engineers, architects, carpenters and DIY-ers about the scientific benefits of renewable energy through Stich Consulting and Design.

“When we came 11 years ago, there was nobody to talk about passive houses, but the awareness has increased because of the step code implementation ... and it’s gaining popularity,” explained Tomaž. “The biggest challenge is providing knowledge about the cost part. Energy in North America is very, very, very cheap compared to Europe, but the consumption is huge, so it’s difficult for people to connect that and make a decision to go efficient with better materials.”

However, thinkBright owners Paul Denchuk and Meredith Hamstead have been collaborating with the Stich family as general contractors on the project and gaining hands-on experience to the provincial standard of construction that is soon to become the highest standard (Step Code 5) for what’s required on new home builds by 2032.

“There’s a national building code review happening right now that will come in line. Those reviews happen once a decade. This is a major leap forward for the building code in B.C.. There’s an incredible opportunity, particularly right now with build back B.C. for the future of the housing industry of B.C. to be better than it is today. B.C. really is the leader in the country for regulating better, more energy efficient homes and we at thinkBright view the Stich home as a leader in our community,” they said.

Eighteen months from now, every new home being built in B.C. will be required to be 20 per cent more energy efficient under BC Energy Step Code 3. The BC Energy Step Code was an objective introduced by the province of B.C. in 2008, which the National Building Code of Canada is working towards achieving by 2030. In B.C., the highest performance designs, materials and systems are expected to be available in a

Passive home.

Photo submitted. cost effective way for new builds as a minimum requirement for construction by 2032.

“The Stich house is the first passive house (in) Invermere,” Hamstead explained, as the guarantor of the home. “It’s the gold standard for high-performance housing. Our community now has an example to look at for energy efficient, draft free, low operating cost homes. It’s essentially a living case study in Invermere, so hopefully it will continue to push customers to this kind of model and this product going forward.”

In addition to working together and being close friends for more than a decade, Denchuk and Tomaž work, study and travel together.

“Canada used to be a leader in energy efficient housing, but we are no longer the leader,” Hamstead said. “Europe is, so we work closely with Tomaž to learn more about the reality of high-performance housing in B.C.. It’s a really mutually beneficial business model.”

When asked about the cost of renewable energy homes, Hamstead replied: “It is a myth that energy efficient, environmentally friendly housing needs to be more expensive. We, at thinkBright, build high-performance houses for mid-market prices in Invermere and the Columbia Valley ... We believe every home can be built more efficiently for the price of a standard code built price; that’s what we can commit and that’s what we’re delivering.”

In an effort to promote awareness about PH, the Stich couple offers certified PH courses and exams four times per year that are regulated through the Passive House Institute (PHI) via Germany. “What we offer is officially a preparation course for the passive house exams,” said Tomaž. “It is a very challenging exam,” Jasminka added.

“Tomaz checks the exam. Then it goes to Germany for another check.”

HERE TO SERVE YOU CONCRETE

CARPET CLEANING

• Ready Mix Concrete • Commercial concrete sealer • Concrete Pumping retarder for exposed • Over 50 colours available aggregate and in stock • DELIVERED ON TIME • Concrete stamps for rent at a fair price • Full range of coloured release • Full range of sand and agents for stamping gravel products.

Phone: 250-342-5833 • Cell: 250-270-9444

All products are available at 9120, Hwy 93/95 which is five kilometres north of Tim Hortons I N

P U R S U I T

• Manufacturers & suppliers of quality concrete & gravel products • Experienced, professional operators and the right equipment to get your job done • Serving the valley for over 30 years

• Environmentally responsible • Steamed aggregate beds for top quality year-round concrete supply • We stand behind our service, quality and products

1756 Hwy 93/95 Windermere B.C. Office: 250-342-6500 • Toll Free: 1-888-341-2221

Business: 250-342-9692

RR#4 2117–13 Ave. Invermere, BC V0A 1K4

Cell: 250-342-1273 Fax: 250-342-9644

ptarmiganrugclean@gmail.com

Your Local Professionals

O F

EXCELLENCE Skandia Concrete

TILE AND GROUT CLEANING

COLUMBIA VALLEY REAL ESTATE

JanK limeK 250.342.1195 janklimek@shaw.ca JanKlimek.ca

Wende Brash Broker/Owner

RE/MAX Invermere Independently Owned and Operated 1022B - 7th Avenue, Box 459 Invermere B.C. V0A 1K0 E-mail: wendebrash@telus.net Fax: 250-342-9611

Office: 250-342-6505 • Cell: 250-342-1300

June 11, 2020

The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 17

P IONEER C LASSIFIEDS

• Phone: 250-341-6299 • Fax: 1-855-377-1312 • Email: info@columbiavalleypioneer.com • Web: www.columbiavalleypioneer.com

GARAGE SALE

ANNOUNCEMENTS

THANK YOU

CHEERS & JEERS

SUITE FOR RENT

SUITE FOR RENT

We are moving and wanting to sell many items that will be spread out on the driveway to allow social distancing. 7063 Elk Ridge Road (Elk Park Ranch) Radium Hot Springs. Saturday June 20th, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Alcoholics Anonymous. If alcohol is causing problems or conflict in your life, AA can help. All meetings are at 8 p.m.

Columbia United AA, Invermere: Saturday, Sunday, and Tuesday at the BC Service Building, South End – 624 4th St., Invermere.

Due to COVID-19 and the need to slow the spread of the virus, all other AA rooms in will be closed until further notice. We have created other alternatives for meetings using “Zoom” at 7 p.m. every evening except for Monday’s. Please call 250-3422424 for more information or to speak with someone from our fellowship.

A huge Thank You to the Village of Radium Hot Springs and the volunteer Fire Department for the surprise serenade of sirens on my 90th Birthday. The Birthday wishes, the beautiful bouquet of flowers and the teddy bear for my great grandson. Also, the many friends who attended.

Phyllis.

Cheers to Rob Dunn Valley Peak June 4-10 page 3: “Avoid the Virus”. Your voice deserves to be the one leading us, to long term COVID recovery. A healthy immune system indeed! Cheers for your practical positive option and your willingness to speak up. You are appreciated.

Renovated large, bright, 2-bdrm basement suite in downtown Invermere. Private entrance and enclosed patio, five appliances, N/S, N/P, $1000/mo + utilities. 1 year lease. Call 403-874-0483.

3 bedroom apartment, downtown Invermere, long term, N/S, N/P, 250-341-1650, invermerehomerentals@gmail. com .

GARAGE SALE Everything must go!

Saturday June 20th, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

7063 Elk Ridge Road (Elk Park Ranch) Radium Hot Springs.

ANNOUNCEMENTS Al-Anon. Are you concerned about or affected by someone else’s drinking? If so, please join us on a “ZOOM” meeting every Monday at 7 p.m. For more information or to speak with someone from our fellowship, please call 250-342-8255.

S

CHEERS & JEERS Cheers to newly painted road lines - another favorite time of year.

IN MEMORIAM

S

CHEERS & JEERS BIG Cheers to Mountain Bikers Jeff Murray and Rich Brunner for rescuing the bike out of Toby Creek after her fall on The Johnson Trail! Way to go guys!

Another HUGE CHEERS to our Columbia Valley Cycling Club for their super speedy action on re-routing that section of trail on The Johnson! WOW! Way to get things done! You Mountain Bikers Are Awesome!

Cheers to community members and visitors for taking care of each other, being responsible, and socially distancing.

Cheers to all the positive articles/ letters in last week’s Pioneer. We need all the positivity we can get right now. Great job!

In Loving Memory of

Cody Widmer “Code” July 6,1993- June 14, 2015

To A Special Son Of all the special gifts in life However great or small To have you as our son was the greatest gift of all A special time A special face A special Son we can’t replace However hard it is though We’ll take comfort in thought Of all the memories we have And the happiness you brought You always lived life to the full But ours won’t be the same Until the day when we can see Your smiling face again Forever loved, always remembered.

Dad, Mom and Kalie

Huge shout out Cheers to Wyatt and Shawn from Chasse Holdings. Wyatt found us walking out 5 km. down the road and relayed the situation to Shawn. While working up in the Kindersley FSR area, Shawn took time out to pull our truck out of a washout on the road which we had stupidly tried to drive through and found that our 4-wheel drive was not working.

Jeers to us for not checking to make sure it was working before entering the water. You guys saved us from a long walk out.

CHEERS to our Kinderowls and Families for working through the past 10 weeks. We are so proud of everyone’s effort and attitude under the challenging times. What a memorable Kindergarten experience!

Cheers to Tim Hortons for their speedy service at the drive thru and for offering my dog a treat, made my day!

Cheers to Brent Woodard for his essay in the Pioneer last week titled, “Life wants to make us more conscious”. A very good thought.

Weekly Featured Listing

CONDO FOR RENT CONDO FOR RENT Radium The Peaks Complex, Birch. Loft unit 1,450 sq ft. living, dining, 2-bdrm, 3-washrooms.

Kitchen with all appliances + microwave/dishwasher. Laundry room with washer/dryer.

Propane fireplace, heating, A/C, blinds. One parking space/ storage in the U/G parkade.

Facility has an outdoor pool, hot tub and indoor hot tub. 2 balconies, 270 degrees of views.

No pets, No smoking. Equifax report and references required.

Call Jeff Owen 403-660-2120. $1375/mo, utilities included.

2-bdrm, 2 bath Condo downtown Invermere for rent.

Call 250-270-0464.

LOT/ACREAGE FOR SALE ACREAGE FOR SALE 4.7 acres. Has its own graveled access road from Kootenay #3 road already constructed. Drilled well, views, privacy. $219,000 plus GST. Phone Elkhorn Ranch, 250-342-1268.

NOTICES

‘HUGE DECK!’

(Who says size doesn’t matter?)

Rare spacious 3 Bedroom Unit!

$274,900

#3116 Lake Windermere Pointe Invermere MLS 2452334

BUYING OR SELLING CALL 250-341-1202

gerrytaft.ca

DISTRICT OF INVERMERE 914 – 8th Avenue, PO Box 339 Invermere, BC V0A 1K0 Tel: 250-342-9281 • Fax: 250-342-2934

2020 PROPERTY TAX IMPORTANT CHANGES DURING COVID-19

Rockies West Realty Independently owned and operated

STORAGE NEWHOUSE STORAGE Various sizes available.

Now with climatecontrolled units.

Call 250-342-3637.

COMMERCIAL SPACE 864 sq. ft. Shop space in the Industrial Park. Electrical included, $700/mo. 250-3423637, newmulti@telus.net.

The District of Invermere’s property tax due date will remain as July 2, 2020 and all property owners are encouraged to pay their property taxes, if they are able, on or before the due date. In order to assist you, District of Invermere Council has passed a bylaw delaying penalties for late payment by roughly three months due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. All taxpayers can make payments until September 30th, 2020 without penalty. A 5% penalty will be applied to any unpaid property taxes after September 30th, 2020. This includes penalty on any unclaimed Home Owner Grants. A further 5% penalty will be applied to any unpaid property taxes after October 30th, 2020.

This allows you to make payments without penalty until September 30th, 2020. Although you may still pay your property tax before then if you are able.

We hope this provides some relief during these challenging times.

18 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer

LOT/ACREAGE FOR SALE

BARRY BROWN-JOHN Managing Broker “Rocky Mountain Land Man”

250-342-5245 b.brownjohn@gmail.com ELKHORN COUNTRY ESTATES Phases 1 and 2 sold out.

Selling Phase 3 now. 2.5 to 4.7 acre parcels. Starting at $189,000 + GST. No building time commitment.

Phone Elkhorn Ranch 250-342-1268. www.elkhornranches.com

HOUSE FOR SALE

CONDO FOR SALE

Lakefront Condo with Boat Slip, Downtown Invermere. Realtors welcome. www.forsalebyowner. ca Listing ID: 544326 780-2717658.

WANTED Wanted a boat slip in Windermere. Call 250-342-2846 or 403-560-4942.

MISC. FOR SALE For Sale: Grass-Fed Beef Hormone & Antibiotic Free Ground Beef, Beef Bones Buy online: www.localline.ca/ brisco-enterprises Brisco Enterprises 250-346-3227.

Yamaha Scooter 49cc, low kilometers, good condition, $1,200. Phone 250-342-6488.

FIREWOOD Support Rockies Hockey firewood. Contact email cvrockies.firewood@gmail.com or call 250-342-1624 for more info or to place an order.

SERVICES Beautiful 4-bed, 3 bath townhouse with garage, $289,000. #6-4878 Ridge Road, Borregos, Radium. (See kijiji for pictures and info) Call: 250-4094876, email: bighornblinds@ gmail.com.

2,400 sq. ft. home situated on .62 of an acre in Windermere.

4-bdrm, 3 bath, walkout basement, large outdoor living space. $448,000. 250-342-8334.

CONDO FOR SALE

FOR SALE: Newly renovated 2-bdrm condo, Invermere, $150,000. Call 250-342-8860 for more info.

LEE’S SMALL ENGINE REPAIR SHOP Specializing in chain saws, tillers, trimmers and lawn mower repairs and maintenance.

It’s time to get your tools tuned up and ready for spring!

Industrial #2 Road across from NAPA Hours: Tuesday - Friday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Saturday 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

250-341-2551 Offering excellent service and fair pricing!

B.B.’s Home & Lawn Care Services: Renovations, Handyman Repairs, Small moves, Dump runs, House Checks, House Cleaning, Yard Maintenance, Eavestroughs, Tree removal.

250-688-2897.

June 11, 2020 DISTRICT OF INVERMERE

SERVICES

HELP WANTED

Heaven’s Best Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Environmentally friendly products. Dry in 1 hour! Our disinfectant is formulated to kill COVID-19. Call 250-688-0213

HIRING Summer Youth for the Museum.

Must be between the ages of 15 and 30 Start date: June 29th.

Please drop resume off at the Museumafter May 31st.

Deadline for resumes: June 12th, 4pm.

For further info, phone 250 342 9434.

Pike Contracting Excavating and Skid Steer services.

Call Jason 250-342-5277.

LESSONS/TRAINING Rocky Mountain Swim Lessons is open for registration. Sign up now for the weeks you want. Red Cross Swim Lessons, Bronze Level Lifesaving Lessons and DIVING lessons.

Learn to swim at Fairmont Hot Springs Resort. Email info@ rockymountainswimlessons.ca..

HELP WANTED Invermere Petro-Can is currently accepting resumes for F/T and P/T employment. Apply in person to 185 Laurier Street, Invermere between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Wanted 2 F/T Restaurant Cooks, Rocky River Grill, 8888 Arrow Road, Invermere, B.C. Permanent, F/T shifts, overtime, weekends, days and evenings, $16/hour for 40 hours per week. Overtime after 40 hours. Minimum several years’ experience and completion of Secondary School. DUTIES: Prepare and cook full course meals, prepare and cook individual dishes and foods, ensure quality of food portions, work with minimal supervision, prepare dishes for customers with food allergies or intolerances. Inspect Kitchens and Food service areas. Please forward resume to Justin Atterbury by fax 250-342-8889 or email justatterbury@hotmail. com.

An exceptional opportunity to join a fun, fast-paced scene at the Rocky River Grill. We are now accepting resumes for experienced servers. Please send to steve.kuffler@gmail.com or Alicia at 250-342-8885.

The Black Forest is looking for a daytime cleaner. Must be available weekends.

Email resume to careers@ blackforestrestaurant.com or call 250-342-9417.

Cafe Allium 2.0 is looking for Kind and Competent dishwasher, Server, Bartender and Cook for Serving Small dishes, Cocktails, Craft beer and BC wines by the beach. Email cafeallium@gmail. com to apply.

COLUMBIA RIVER PADDLE IS HIRING! Want to spend your summer on the beach or the river? We’ve got a job for you! Positions available for outgoing, hard working, dependable people to join our team at the Canoe Docks, Kinsmen Beach SUP and Boat Rental, and Cafe. Please email resumes to paddle@ ColumbiaRiverPaddle.com, or if you have any questions Suitable applicants will be contacted by email for an interview.

COLUMBIA RIVER PADDLE is hiring Class 4 drivers. Parttime and full time. Please email resumes to paddle@ ColumbiaRiverPaddle.com or if you have any questions. Suitable applicants will be contacted by email for an interview.

914 – 8th Avenue, PO Box 339 Invermere, B.C. V0A 1K0 Tel: 250-342-9281 • Fax: 250-342-2934

COMMUNITY AMBASSADOR As part of the East Kootenay Restart, the Community Ambassador Program is being introduced to help provide public education and awareness about how to safely and responsibly move into new phases of the COVID-19 response in our community.

ROLE: • To educate the public about the importance of physical distancing; • To safely engage with the public, provide information and answer questions; • To provide education and awareness about the personal responsibility principles in the BC Restart Plan; • To encourage the safe use of our open amenities and services; • To promote our community and local initiatives; and, • To assist with other duties as required.

RESPONSIBILITIES: • Follow a schedule to ensure sites are being regularly visited; • Contact Compliance/Bylaw Enforcement if violations are observed; • Provide ongoing reporting on successes, opportunities and challenges.

TRAINING: • A general ambassador training session will be provided by the Regional Emergency Operations Centre; and, • Ambassadors will become familiar with both the Ambassador Program and other community resources.

REQUIREMENTS: • Ability to communicate with co-workers and members of the general public in a courteous, tactful, and professional manner; • Willingness to wear Ambassador Program identification while on duty; • Willingness to work in varied weather conditions; • Ability to use sound judgement; • Commitment to continue to learn and promote provincial and local messaging around COVID-19 and each phase of the Restart plan; • Willingness to follow the guidelines, decisions and directions of the local governing body; • Willingness to work varied hours and days throughout the week, including weekends; and, • Valid driver’s license.

This position will run from June – August and earns $22 per hour based on a 20-hour work week that can be renegotiated during the course of the contract. Applicants are invited to submit their resumes by 4:30 pm on June 19th, 2020 to: District of Invermere Attn: Kindry Luyendyk, Interim Chief Administrative Officer Box 339, Invermere, BC, V0A 1K0 Fax: (250) 342-2934 • Email: corporateservices@invermere.net We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those considered for an interview will be contacted.

Windermere, BC 250-688-2797 info@mountainridgeacademy.ca www.mountainridgeacademy.ca

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY Position Title: Early Childhood Educator (ECE) Position Overview: We are looking for an enthusiastic ECE to work with a group of 8 children between 3 and 5 years old from 1:00pm to 6:00pm Monday to Thursday, starting September 01, 2020. We are looking for an individual, who has a passion for young children and is motivated to work hard while having fun. The applicant must be comfortable to work on their own. The competitive hourly wage for this position will be based on the level of experience.

Responsibilities and Duties: • Supervise, care for and educate young children; • Develop and direct children’s activities to include all aspects of development, including social, emotional, intellectual and physical aspects; • Contribute to a safe and clean classroom, following all guidelines; • Communicate on a regular and consistent basis with parents regarding their child’s program and progress; • Comply with all licensing regulations in accordance with the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Child and Family Development; • Follow all safety, maintenance and security requirements for the program; • Interact regularly with all Mountain Ridge Academy staff to exchange information, ideas or advice on educational development policies, initiatives, child behaviour issues, and monitor child health; • Maintain a high level of confidentiality with regard to student information, child behaviour issues, and the families that Mountain Ridge Academy serves.

Qualifications: • Early Childhood Education License to practice in BC; • Current First Aid Certificate and Child / Infant CPR Certificate; • A clear Criminal Record Check, Vulnerable Sector Qualification; • Physician’s letter/form stating candidate is fit and able to work with young children will be required; • Character references from three (3) individuals; • Excellent oral and written communication skills; • Punctuality and reliability to meet all scheduled shifts; • Ability to communicate and build positive relationships with other team members, parents, children and community members; • Experience working with and supervising the care of children in a daycare, homecare, learning, recreational or other setting is desirable; • Excellent organizational and multi-tasking skills, and the ability to remain calm in busy situations; • Knowledge and ability to lead activities and learning in indoor and outdoor environments.

To apply please submit your resume and cover letter to info@mountainridgeacademy.ca

June 11, 2020

The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 19 . . . ‘Trapped’ from page 10 C O N T R A C T I N G LT D A DIVISION OF GREGSON HOLDINGS

COPCAN is currently accepting resumes for skilled labourers and flag persons.

Please send resumes to info@copcan.ca

Join our team!

LaTour Group Management Canada, Inc. (LTC), is now hiring for full-time and part-time Room Attendants at Panorama Vacation Retreat at Horsethief Lodge in Panorama British Columbia. LTC offers competitive salary and an abundant benefits package, including discounted travel opportunities, medical and dental benefits, subsidized staff accommodation, and RRSP matching. Wage starting at $15 per hour. Must be available to work weekends. Join our team!

POSITION SUMMARY The Room Attendant cleans rooms consistent with LTC standards and interacts with guests in a manner that promotes a positive impression of the staff and property. This position creates a comfortable and clean guest environment, which contributes to guest satisfaction and the success of the rooms division.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS • Maintains and cleans rooms, including all common areas, in accordance with our brand standards.

• Utilizes the approved checklist to inspect, clean, and secure the facilities.

• Replenishes guest rooms with amenities, supplies, and linens in accordance to our standards.

• Inspects rooms for repairs and reports needs to Management.

• “Pitches” in and helps co-workers with their job duties as part of the housekeeping team.

• Perform other duties as needed to ensure smooth property operations.

Please email your resume to Andrea Hopkins, General Manager ahopkins@latourgroup.com or fax to (778) 508-9806.

Application deadline: June 19th, 2020.

Safe Homes Program Support Worker Casual On-Call Position Hours: Scheduled On-Call - weekday evenings, weekends and statutory holidays Location: Family Dynamix – West office Start date: Immediately Shift schedule: Flexible days, evenings and weekends as required Duties: The Safe Homes Program- Support Worker is part of a team of casual staff that agrees to carry a cellular phone and serve scheduled on-call duty for the Safe Homes Programs. When called-out, they deliver a confidential emergency service providing temporary, safe, and supportive accommodation for women and their children who have experienced or who are at risk of domestic abuse, threats or violence. Support Workers will provide transportation, information, support and when appropriate, follow-up services for women.

Qualifications: A Grade 12 diploma, along with excellent verbal and written communication skills, and some knowledge of women’s issues with a feminist perspective. A valid B.C. driver’s license and a reliable vehicle are essential. This position requires union membership. Pursuant to provincial legislation, the applicant must agree to undergo a criminal records investigation.

Application deadline: Ongoing until filled.

Application process: Submit a resume and cover letter to Purnima Gosavi, Director of Program Management, Family Dynamix, pgosavi@familydynamix.ca, Box 2289, Invermere, B.C., V0A 1K0

She looked out the window as the ambulance rolled through the streets of McAllen. The city is an agglomeration of several smaller urban areas that grew together, creating a hodgepodge landscape of suburban mansions and gleaming strip malls interspersed amid fields of goats munching grass next to farming shacks. She was shocked, after nearly a month of enforced isolation, to see the city bustling and many people ignoring social distancing rules, despite the now clear warnings about the danger.

“Several areas of the United States were becoming debilitated by COVID-19, and yet McAllen, Texas appeared to be doing business as usual,” she said.

The airfield was more like a storage yard, and the jet was nothing fancy to look at: old and tiny. Certainly the smallest aircraft Brittany had ever seen. But it was a ticket back to Canada, and that was all that mattered. It was so small, in fact, that to get in, Brittany had to get off her

“It was so tight, it really was like a coffin.” stretcher and crawl in the hatch-like door on her hands and knees. In the plane, Brittany was back on a stretcher-like bed so narrow she had trouble staying on it. The bed was sucked up against the wall, medical equipment was stored under floorboards, and the medical crew’s personal belonging were stacked up everywhere around them.

“It was so tight, it really was like a coffin,” said Brittany. Space was at such a premium that when Brittany needed medical attention during the flight, the medical crew literally could not stand over her, so they had to swivel in their chairs to reach her and pile extra medical equipment on her legs while they worked.

In a touching moment of compassion, the crew snuck Edward and Calder onto the flight last minute, despite the close quarters, as “cargo weight.” Otherwise the two of them would have had to rent a car, drive from southern Texas all the way across the U.S. back to Canada during the height of the pandemic, and then head straight into quarantine without seeing Brittany. On the plane, Edward acted as a flight physician, while Calder was treated like royalty, getting fed from the ‘snack bar’ (a few bags of Oreo cookies and Doritos the crew had on hand) and watching iPad movies.

The crew snuck Edward and Calder onto the medevac flight as ‘cargo weight.’

The medevac plane landed in Cranbrook. Edward and Calder went into home quarantine in Invermere, and Brittany was transferred to the Cranbrook hospital. The difference from the Texas hospital was night and day, not least in the full-scale COVID-19 measures in place in the Cranbrook hospital.

GROUNDS HELP Terravista in Windermere is looking for some help to maintain its grounds.

Can start immediately, competitive wages.

Students welcome!

Please send your resume to terravistagm@gmail.com with “grounds help” listed as the subject.

“I was in full isolation, and my nurse and physician would only enter my room in full personal protective equipment (PPE) gear. Googles, gowns, masks, hairnets, everything. I couldn’t tell anybody apart aside from their voices,” said Brittany.

“Googles, gowns, masks, hairnets, everything. I couldn’t tell anybody apart aside from voices.”

Her room at the Cranbrook hospital was not new; ancient standup radiators from the 1960s, old linens, and the bed basically took up the whole room, but Brittany barely noticed because the care was exceptional. After just a week there Brittany had already been COVID-19 tested, and as soon as she saw a negative screen on the results, she asked to be discharged. Her medical team in Cranbrook wasn’t in full support, but eventually consented to her release because her husband was a physician.

“I realize that I should have stayed longer in their care, but my mental health was starting to decline to the point that I needed my family,” she said.

Home Finally, more than a month after heading out the door, off on vacation, Brittany arrived back home to the couple’s place in Juniper Heights. The homecoming, however, was anything but easy. Everything was familiar but strange at the same time. Something was off and she felt like an outsider in her own house.

“It isn’t how you would expect it to be. It felt unnerving, and I was very unsettled. I realized quickly how sick and in pain I still was without my IV medications, and how inaccessible our homes really are for those enduring medical issues. I felt like a tremendous burden to my family, who were also trying to navigate quarantine,” said Brittany, adding she was wracked with guilt and stress about her decision to leave the Cranbrook hospital, when she probably should have stayed.

Once Edward finished his post-Texas quarantine, he was back working full time at Chisel Peak Medical Clinic and the Invermere hospital. He and Brittany both agreed that his possible COVID-19 exposure at work was problematic, given Brittany’s high risk health state, so Edward moved out, housesitting for a fellow doctor who was away in northern Ontario, in an effort to protect his family.

Walking from the bedroom to the living room couch “felt like a marathon.” Even opening the refrigerator door was too much, and a few times Brittany had to ask Calder to open it for her.

With Brittany still quite weak, Dorothy came up from Texas, and, after her own quarantine, moved in to help. Walking from the bedroom to the living room couch “felt like a marathon,” said Brittany, and tasks such as reaching up to grab the waffle maker from the pantry shelf were impossible. Even opening the refrigerator door (the Schaffer’s fridge is new and, as a result, has pretty strong suction) was too much, and a few times Brittany had to ask Calder to open it for her.

Eventually, bit by bit, Brittany gained back her health and strength. And as the COVID-19 pandemic curve began to flatten in B.C., Edward was able to to move back home, although the couple is keeping a close eye on the COVID-19 situation, and consequently his exposure to the virus, as it continues to evolve.

Brittany feels lucky to have the loving family she does. The days alone with Calder passed with plenty of books, shark-themed nature documentaries, and snuggling on the couch. At one point Calder even brought over a blanket to cover his sleepy mom.

Continued on page 20 . . .

20 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer

June 11, 2020

The GoPro that refused to drown

By Dauna Ditson dauna@columbiavalleypioneer.com

LAKE WINDERMERE ALLIANCE CHURCH Online Sundays at 10:30 a.m.

Visit https://lwac.online.church 326 10th Avenue, Invermere 250-342-9535 • www.lwac.ca

WINDERMERE VALLEY SHARED MINISTRY ANGLICAN-UNITED Please email office@wvsm.ca to request a link to our online services which start at 10:30 a.m., Sundays.

250-342-6644 • www.wvsm.ca

VALLEY CHRISTIAN ASSEMBLY Worship services are discontinued for the foreseeable future.

Pastor Murray Wittke 4814 Highway Drive, Windermere 250-342-9511 • www.valleychristianonline.com

ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH St. Anthony’s, Canal Flats., Canadian Martyrs’ – Invermere, St. Joseph’s – Radium.

Father Jojo Augustine • 712 -12th Ave., Invermere 250-342-6167

When Fiona Pickett lost her GoPro camera while paddling in the wetlands, she looked for it until she was convinced it was gone for good. Then she gave up and bought a new one.

“I went back, and I could never find it,” she said.

That was more than two years ago, but the submerged GoPro wasn’t dead. It was biding its time below the surface waiting to be found.

Hansen Dumais, 11, was snorkelling in Lake Windermere last summer when he came across something shiny and fished the GoPro out of the water.

After drying it out, Hansen and his uncle looked through the footage to see if they could identify the owners and track them down to return the camera. The camera was valuable, Hansen said, and he felt responsible for doing what he could to reunite it with its owners.

Odds weren’t good because the Dumais family was just visiting the valley and because who would think to record their contact information?

After about two hours going through photos and videos, their detective work yielded more than a clue: the GoPro footage included a name.

When Adam Pickett, Fiona’s husband, had started working at Panorama Mountain Resort, he had documented a welcome card that came in an envelope that

Lake Windermere Pulse Check www.lakeambassadors.ca

ST. PETER’S MISSION OF INVERMERE Due to COVID-19, we have restructured our physical Sunday worship services to be online at our YouTube channel “Hungry for Life.” For updates, inspirational resources, and prayer requests, please go to our website: www.eklutheran.ca Pastor Doug Lutz, 250-464-0100 mtzionlc@hotmail.com

RADIUM CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP Sunday 10 a.m. Worship service Pastor Wayne and Linda Frater • 250-342-6633 No. 4, 7553 Main St. Radium • 250-347-9937

CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS Worship Service, Sunday, 10 a.m.

Relief Society, 11:15 a.m.

President Rick Daniels • Columbia Valley Branch 5014 Fairway, Fairmont Hot Springs 250-421-3756

Volunteer - Treasurer The Invermere Health Care Auxiliary Society is searching for a Volunteer to fulfill the role as a Treasurer with a 2 year term. As the volunteer Treasurer for this non profit organization, you will oversee the accounting and financial management duties required for a non profit organization. You will supervise the Administrative Assistant who maintains and processes accounts payable transactions and maintains a data base of the members and non members. As the Treasurer, you will approve all accounts payable invoices and sign cheques for various payables. Knowledge of Accounting Software an asset.

For further information please contact Wendi Ede at 250-342-6348 or email wendi_pooh@hotmail.com

had his first and last name.

From there, the search was easy. Hansen’s family found the Picketts on Facebook and offered to return their GoPro, which seemed as good as new except for a bit of moisture under the screen.

“It sounds like it was just awesome for the 11 year old. He loved the little adventure of finding it and then trying to track down who owned it,” Fiona said.

Instead of taking their GoPro back, the Picketts invited Hansen to keep it to record his future adventures.

The memory card was all they wanted, having replaced the missing camera long ago.

“We don’t need it, and it sounded like he was just so happy. It’s pretty neat that he was going to give it back to us,” Fiona said.

Hansen said he was pretty excited to find the device and more excited to get to keep it because he “did the right thing.”

“It will be fun to see what’s on it,” Fiona said. “We have no idea what’s on there.”

She was stoked when the card full of their memories arrived. It included footage of the couple settling in at Panorama, practicing their wedding dance in their condo and paddling with Wings over the Rockies.

“It’s awesome to have these videos back,” Fiona said.

“We love using clips to make videos to keep as memories and now we’ve got some embarrassing footage of us dancing to add!”

Lake Windermere Pulse Check for June 2, 2020 Average water temperature: 15.3°C Average water depth: 5.9m Average turbidity: 15.345 NTU Average D.O.: 9.6 mg/L Average pH: 8.2 It was a beautiful clear morning out on the lake!

We enjoyed lots of sunshine and relatively flat waters at the three sampling locations. The lake temperatures are continuing to rise and so is the average water depth. We noticed a lot of floating debris on the lake surface this morning because of the heavy rains experienced this weekend. The average turbidity is quite high this week as our measurement for the

bottom of the lake at the north station came back with a reading of 39.8 NTU. In previous weeks the highest turbidity measurement we recorded was 3.97 NTU. This large jump shows the large impact the rainstorm had on the lake, besides just increasing the water depth. Turbidity is the clarity of the water, and a higher measurement means the water is more murky. This is a common occurrence following heavy rainfall because of the increased water flow as well as increased sediment from runoff.

Unfortunately social distancing measures are still in place so volunteers are unable to join us in the boat, however we hope this changes in the near future.

To join the Ambassadors out on the lake on a Tuesday morning this summer, please contact Clare at (250) 341-6898 or intern@lakeambassadors.ca

this community, is overwhelming. So many people have brought us so much joy during all of this, and I “Fortunately, and unfortunately, my son has am really soaking it all in.”

Although things are not yet completely back to experienced more than the average five year old in regards to dealing with parental health issues. He un- normal, the Schaffers are doing just fine for now, and Brittany has a new perderstood much more spective on life. than I wish he had, “Focus on something beautiful or something or “Focus on something but he also showed an immense amount of someone that you value. Hold onto it, and fight beautiful or something or compassion and em- for it ... Embrace the anxiety that unfolds. Out someone that you value.

Hold onto it, and fight for pathy. He has done of adversity and anxiety comes resilience and it. Find joy in the munexceptionally well gratitude.” dane, for that is life,” she through all of this, and has truly bloomed said. “Too often we place through this storm,” she said. “My time alone at value on things that don’t matter. Allow yourself to home with my son has been a blessing. It has been get uncomfortable. Embrace the anxiety that unbeyond difficult, but immensely beautiful at the folds, because out of adversity and anxiety comes resame time. My gratitude for my life, my friends, and silience and gratitude.” . . . ‘Trapped’ from 19