West Kootenay Advertiser, April 11, 2024

Monsters invade Selkirk College’s Tenth Street Campus

Submitted by Selkirk College

An otherworldly vibe of creativity permeated learning on Nelson’s Tenth Street Campus when both college and elementary school students got together for a Monster Party.

An annual springtime tradition, the Monster Party is a partnership between Selkirk College’s Digital Arts Program and Hume Elementary School. A major assignment for first-year students in instructor Kerry Pagdin’s class, college-aged learners were tasked with coming up with brilliant illustrations based on drawings and stories from Grade 3 counterparts.

The cute and creepy digital artworks were revealed at an early-April party where both sides had a chance to chat about the final result.

“I loved it!” said eight-year-old Jacob Osbourne. “I thought of a character and named it after a stuffie chicken that I have at home named Cluckers. It’s a demon chicken and she did a really good job by adding two extra eyes because I stated that it had mind control powers.”

The youngster’s bold imagination was matched by his college buddy’s growing skills, transforming Osbourne’s original crayon drawing and backstory into a compelling work of art.

“I was so excited when I first saw Jacob’s story because I knew that I could make a super cool monster,” said 18-year-old Selkirk College student Ava David. “This was my favourite assignment of the year because we were also able to show the kids what the future might look like for them if they decide to go to college.”

All through the room, the younger students were giddy with excitement as they gazed upon the multitude of digital illustrations and accompanying stickers. “It was a fun assignment,” said college student Ian MacDonald. “It was a little nerve-wracking because you are making something for a kid and they are very honest. We had a nice talk about her original design and why she chose the different elements of both the drawing and the

story. She seemed very happy with what I put together. ”

Grade 3 teacher Janet Mushumanski was equally as delighted with the project. In January, the Hume Elementary class of 22 students set to work on their crayon drawings and were asked to provide a story to go along with it. The package of imagination was then delivered up the street to the Tenth Street Campus where college students began applying what they have learned so

far in their two-year program.

“This was really about the kids sharing what they have inside and out,” said Mushumanski. “The writing part was very important and the younger students were able to see how a picture can evolve when people work together through a creative process. It also helped introduce them to college, where the possibilities are endless at a place like Selkirk College.”

For eight-year-old Osbourne, he

didn’t need any prompt to pursue post-secondary in his future.

“I’m really into dinosaurs,”he said. “So I might want to be a paleontologist.”

Whatever the future holds for both little and big students, a day focused on teamwork, creativity and monsters is surely one to remember.

Learn more about educational pathways in Selkirk College’s School of the Arts at: https://selkirk.ca/programs/arts

Hume Elementary School students and first-year students in Selkirk College’s Digital Arts Program were brought together for a Monster Party where creativity blossomed on Nelson’s Tenth Street Campus. Photo: Submitted

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Selkirk College honours excellence in sciences and arts

Submitted by Selkirk College

Selkirk College students determinedly pushing towards the end of the winter semester hit pause to recognize outstanding achievement in the classroom over the last academic year.

The annual UAS Excellence Awards are handed out to celebrate students in the School of University Arts and Sciences for both masterful marks and fantastic effort. A total of 77 learners received awards in a plethora of study areas that include humanities, social sciences, sciences and applied sciences.

“We’d like to thank all the award recipients for being excellent and all the ways in which you have enriched the environment here,” said

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Leesa Dean, a Creative Writing Program instructor and co-ordinator of the School of University Arts and Sciences.

“If you are receiving an award today, it’s because one of your instructors nominated you. They may have nominated you for your excellent grades, or for the incredible ways you grew and pushed yourself as a student in their class. Whatever the reason, you stood out to them. We hope you will take some time today to recognize your own achievements.”

The School of University Arts and Sciences has more than 100 university-level classes to choose from in 28 subject areas from history to economics, geology to engineering and almost ev erything in-between. A vital

part of regional post-secondary since Selkirk College first opened its doors in 1966, students are provided interactive classes and experiential learning opportunities from an academic team of highly qualified instructors.

An affordable option with small class sizes, getting a terrific start on a four-year degree is the focus for most UAS students. British Columbia has one of the best transfer systems in North America, so students who start at Selkirk College can finish half of the academic requirements before moving onto larger degree granting universities for the final two years.

“We each face our own challenges in life and we each have our own strengths

to overcome them,” said Jennah Al-Hanafy, who spoke on behalf of students at the UAS Awards ceremony on the Castlegar Campus.

“What I hope to see is that we can make the most of this greatness, of this talent, of this passion, and that we can share our gifts. I am sure we all know there is space for so much improvement in this world, and I truly believe that we can make it better. It will be hard work, but if today proves anything, it’s that you are hard workers.”

Applications for the September 2024 start in the School of University Arts & Sciences are now being accepted. You can learn more at: https://selkirk.ca/programs/university-arts-sciences

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Tending campsites and trails while strengthening their futures

Submitted by Columbia Basin Trust

In the Columbia Basin, there’s no denying the presence of exceptional campsites and recreational trail networks, which are among the best in the province if not the entire country. But what’s the secret behind their upkeep and management?

It’s not by chance. The recreation crews formed through a partnership between Columbia Basin Trust and Recreation Sites and Trails BC are one of several such entities making a difference in the region.

Here are some impressive figures: 116 recreation sites and trails overseen, seven outhouses dug, 54 tables built, nine fire rings added, three kiosks put up, six entrance signs installed and nearly 200 kilometres of trail maintained and inspected, all in the Columbia Basin and all in the year 2023 alone.

As user numbers increase annually, there’s been a growing need to improve and upkeep recreation sites and trails. There’s a huge demand to develop the skills of Basin residents through employment opportunities and specialized training, which this program also does.

“We have people in the program who are returning for their fourth and fifth seasons,”says Kevin Eskelin, regional recreation manager with Recreation Sites and Trails BC, Southern Interior East Region. “It is a stepping stone for career growth; we designed the pro-

gram that way. We recently had our Nelson crew leader accept a position as an Auxiliary Recreation Technician. It’s working.”

Training and teamwork

Over five years, the program has created 66 jobs in the Basin, covering four recreation districts and overseeing 557 recreation sites and trails. For the 2024 field season, the four crews will have three members each, creating 12 seasonal positions in the Basin. Crew members gain useful skills and leadership experiences that will forever come in handy, while also having fun camping and making friends.

“The campout trips have been a highlight! Doing big crew cookouts, having crib and Yahtzee tournaments after a day of trail building was really fun,” says Dexter Gauthier, crew leader for the Cranbrook crew in 2023.

Based out of Cranbrook, Nelson, Revelstoke and Invermere, crew members and leaders are hired for about four months of field work. Training has a strong emphasis on safety in an outdoor setting, such as the proper use of hand tools, trail building, first aid, two-way radio communications and wildlife safety.

“Most of our crew members come from an environmental background, which means they’re very capable in the outdoors. Our training builds on the skills they already have,”says Eskelin. Once crews are trained, boots hit

the ground. Following project lists developed by area recreation officers, and working alongside local clubs and volunteers, the crews undertake tasks that range from reconnaissance and scouting to tree planting, to the installation of much-needed infrastructure like bridges, boardwalks, and tent pads.

“Trail building is such a rewarding job as you get to see the progress of your hard work each day. We had insightful conversations, funny conversations, and were lulled into the simplicity of moving dirt and rocks,” says Paula Martens, crew leader from Revelstoke in 2023. “Whether this year’s crew members ever fill another bucket up with dirt or haul heavy rocks, they have built up new resiliencies to move beyond what is comfortable. I believe we all learned lots this season and grew as workers together to strive to be our best.”

Remote work is not uncommon with helicopters and boats often part of the commute. Crashing in a tent after a long-day on the end of an axe or brush saw seemed like Club Med for the outdoor-loving bunch; dealing cribbage hands over the constant buzz of a mosquito swarm became commonplace as camaraderie blossomed amongst crew members.

“The reward wasn’t just the view(s). To know that the work we did opened up a trail for the public to experience was the true reward and just part

of what made it an unforgettable, skill-building, friendship-creating and life-changing season,” says Brennan Wittig, crew leader in Nelson in 2023.

The bigger picture

The 2024 season will see an even stronger focus on collaborative work between crew members. More concentrated training will encourage overall team building, which in turn will enable crews to partner effectively on larger projects.

“Our crew members all have unique skillsets that we want to bring together on some cross-district work this year,” says Eskelin. “There are multiple benefits of having our crews work together, so we plan on making that happen more this season.”

It’s an additional goal for an already

successful program. The program has garnered positive attention elsewhere in the province and is working as a blueprint to build off, with 16 other recreation districts having adopted its approach.

“This program has allowed us to enable community vision. It’s been great to put our heads together and get some of these important projects complete,” says Eskelin. “We’re proud that the program has become a model.”

Since 2021, the program has helped create 152 positions, with an additional 42 slated for the upcoming season. In addition, since 2020, recreation-focused organizations have developed, enhanced or maintained over 450 kilometres of trails in the region with Trust support.

Since starting in 2019, program crews have overseen rec sites and trails in the Basin that includes coverage areas in Cranbrook, Nelson, Invermere and Revelstoke. Photo: Submitted

Rossland council: short-term rental bylaw up for adoption

by Jim Bailey

The short-term rental (STR) debate for Old Town Rossland has almost reached the end of a long and controversial journey.

https://mountaintownproperties.ca/ https://mountaintownproperties.ca/ 4630 MANN 4630MANN ROAD Be

Rossland council gave the amended Bylaw 2828 its third reading at its April 2 meeting, and after more deliberation, passed the bylaw along with the amended licensing fees Bylaw 2801.

Following a lively and well attended March 11 public hearing on STRs, city staff came back to council with an amended bylaw that will remove the 3-month allowance for permanent residents to rent short term while they are away, and added a clause that allows only one Residential STR per lot.

Coun. Jeff Weaver supported the amendments but questioned the increase in fees in Bylaw 2801, which city planner Stacey Lightbourne attributed to administration, bylaw services and enforcement, and costs for updating processes, operationalizing, and processing.

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“There may be future budget implications for regulating, licensing, compliance monitoring and enforcement of STRs,” she said in the report.

Weaver pointed to section 7.29 of the Official Community Plan (OCP) which states that council should amend STR Bylaws to protect long-term rental housing.

“That is precisely what we are doing in this process,”said Weaver. “So I have zero regrets, other than it’s a very complicated topic and what we are striving for is the least unfair option.”

Coun. Eliza Boyce voiced her support for the amendments but was concerned for the bed and breakfasts that would be impacted by the bylaw for having secondary or detached suites.

However, Lightbourne clarified that the existing property licenses would only be affected if the owner tried to sell the properties.

Coun. Craig Humpherys went on record saying he did not support the amended bylaw, but was content with the upcoming provincial legislation, which allows secondary suites. He pressed staff to compile and provide the STR statistics listed in the staff report’s analysis.

“I think it’s important that we follow up with these rules and get an understanding of what we are doing,” said Humpherys. “We went into this with limited data, some of it from other communities and I think we need our own set of data following up on this.”

Mayor Andy Morel pointed out that a housing needs assessment study will be undertaken for the city of Rossland that will provide information on the current housing predicament.

“This bylaw will always be open for re-evaluation,” said Morel. “It took us a

long time to get to this point, but we are in a position to be able to revisit things down the road.”

Changes to this bylaw will also coincide with lifting the moratorium on STR applications in Rossland’s city core that was implemented in 2022. Boyce sided with concerns raised by Mike Maturo in his letter to council about the resulting densification of Old Town Rossalnd due to a changes to STR restrictions to single family dwellings.

“With a proliferation of STRs in the traditional town site, the DNA of the municipality would change forever,” wrote Maturo. “Short-term renters would periodically (initially), and eventually permanently, be the predominant population cohort, with high risk of the evolution of ghost neighbourhoods in the off-seasons.”

Coun. Mya Provencal did not believe STR densification merited concern, as the province has been incentivizing property owners to become long-term renters.

“I think the incentive is there enough for people to choose to build secondary suites and carriage homes for longterm rent over Air B&Bing a bedroom in their home,” said Provencal. “I also don’t think somebody is going to make more money off of renting one bedroom in their home than they will be able to make off of renting a detached carriage home long term.”

Council voted to approve the third reading of amended Bylaw 2808 with Humpherys against.

After brief discussion, a motion to give second and third reading of the fees Bylaw 2801 also carried.

PublicConsultationNotice

2024Budgetandthe2024-2028Five-YearFinancialPlan

Inaccordancewiththe CommunityCharter,RosslandCityCouncilinvites thepublictoprovidewrittensubmissions(commentsand/orquestions) regarding2024-2028FinancialPlanBylawNo.2830.Submissions regarding BylawNo.2830willbeconsideredbyCouncilata Committee-of-theWholeMeetingonMonday,April15th,2024,at5:00p.m. Thismeeting willbeheldatCityHallat1920ThirdAvenue,RosslandBC.Pleasevisit www.rossland.catoviewacopyofthe2024-2028Five-YearFinancialPlan. TheCity’sFinancialPlanincludesdecisionsaboutgeneralCityoperations anddeterminationsregardingproposedtaxation,utilityrates,andservice levelsprovidedtothecommunity.Additionally,itprovidesinformation regardingtheCity’sproposedcapitalimprovementprogramfortheyears tocome.

IfyouwishtomakeasubmissiontoCouncilorreceivefurtherinformation, pleasecontacttheCityofRosslandat(250)362-7396orbye-mailat cfo@rossland.ca.

CityofRossland – 1920ThirdAvenue,Rossland,B.CV0G1Y0

Rossland City Council.

tanya.williams@c21.ca

Rossland financial plan ready for review

by Jim Bailey

The City of Rossland is inviting residents to read and provide feedback for the 2024-28 Five-Year Financial Plan.

The public can read the balance sheet and send feedback or attend a public consultation meeting on April 15 at city hall.

While the title may be uninspiring, inside chief financial officer (CFO) Mike Kennedy invokes a very readable account of the looming costs of capital projects, a complex system of municipal services, and, for some, a dramatic increase in taxes.

“Accounting tells the story of business and organizations,” said Kennedy in his address. “This budget outlines the journey council, staff and other contributors to our community will undertake to bring the City’s Corporate Strategic Plan to life.

“It is a harrowing tale of addressing affordability, confronting climate crises, improving infrastructure, and sustaining services.

“The goal of this document is to provide readers with a detailed discussion of how and why the City plans to spend resources in 2024 (and beyond).”

The well thought out, often humorous and always informative read makes accounting palatable and brings the financials down to a level most can understand.

“This plan outlines our priorities and commitments for the year ahead and provides a road map for how we will achieve them,” said Rossland Mayor Andy Morel. “It includes a balanced budget, a strategic approach to asset management, and continuous improvement of service delivery.”

Home owners will see a 5 per cent increase in property taxes, in addition to a 10 per cent hike in both the Parcel tax and Water/Sewer Utility rates. In all, the average home owner with a property value assessment of $618,000 can expect a total increase of $258 in taxes in 2024.

The city tries to keep tax increases equitable over the five year span to avoid higher tax increases in the future.

Grants make up almost 40 per cent of revenue for Rossland from a combination of provincial and federal government and non-government sources, and account for about $3.1M in 2024.

The Plan allocates just over $16.8M to the city’s total budget, and includes an operating budget of $10.2M, a capital budget (major projects) of $6.2M, and an intent to invest $398,000 into reserves.

In addition to capital expenditures, some of the higher expenses are the budget for General Government at $2.17M, Transportation and Public Works $2M and Recreation and Cultural Services $1.7M.

The CFO then breaks down all the costs and resources applied, such as the $2.1M for the Second Avenue Renewal project which falls under capital expenditures.

According to CAO Bryan Teasdale, despite the finan-

cial and operational challenges carried over from the pandemic, Rossland council and staff have engaged the community and local governments to create a financial plan that is comprehensive, optimistic and sustainable.

“Our five-year financial plan embodies a holistic approach to city planning, incorporating key infrastructure projects, regional collaboration, and the sustainability of essential services,” said Teasdale.

“It reflects our dedication to creating a resilient, vibrant, and sustainable Rossland.”

Rossland’s financial plan is on track to be adopted by the May 15 deadline.

Residents are invited to attend Rossland’s public consultation on the budget on Monday, April 15 at 4 p.m. at City Hall, located at 1920 Third Avenue. The third reading of the Financial plan is scheduled for council meeting that evening, and its adoption at the May 6 council meeting.

Go to rossland.ca to access the provocative document and provide feedback to the city.

Noticeisherebygivenpursuanttosection59(2)ofthe CommunityCharter thatRossland CityCouncilwillbeconsideringtheadoptionofBusinessLicenceBylawNo.2801,2024,a bylawtoreplacethemunicipality’scurrentBusinessLicenceBylawNo.2326,2017andallits amendments.

CopiesoftheproposedbylawandrelateddocumentsareavailableontheCitywebsite: https://rossland.civicweb.net/document/36185oratCityHall.

TheproposedBusinessLicenceBylawNo.2801,2024will,ifadopted:

•Providemoreclarityregardingtheapplicationprocessandrequirements;

•IncludeprovisionstohelpregulatetheoperationofShort-TermRentalAccommodations (STRs)intheCityofRossland;

•UpdateScheduleB-Fees&LicenceFees;

•UpdateScheduleC-Fines&PenaltiestoincludeShort-TermRentalAccommodation regulations.

Councilwillprovideanopportunityforpersonswhoconsidertheyareaffectedbythe proposedBylawNo.2801,2024tomakerepresentationtoCouncilattheRegularMeetingon: Monday,April15,2024at6:00p.m.atRosslandCityHalllocatedat1920ThirdAvenue, Rossland,BC.

ThosewhowishtoprovidewrittencommentsontheBylawcansubmittheminthe followingways:

•MailordeliveredtotheRosslandCityHallat1920ThirdAvenue,POBox1179,Rossland BC,V0G1Y0.

•emailtodco@rossland.caby12:00p.m.PST,Friday,April12,2024.

WrittencommentsreceivedwillbedistributedtoCouncilfortheirconsiderationpriortothe April15th,2024meeting.

WRITETOUS:

•emailto:dco@rossland.ca

•mailto:POBox1179,RosslandBC,V0G1Y0

•droppedoff:RosslandCityHall

c/oDeputyCorporateOfficer 1920ThirdAvenue

SPEAKTOCOUNCIL:

•email:council@rossland.ca

•attendthepublicinputperiodatthe

beginningoftheApril15,2024Regular Councilmeeting,atRosslandCityHall locatedat1920ThirdAvenue

City of Rossland seeks feedback on Five Year Financial Plan. Photo: Jim Bailey

Feel the beat, join the Rossland Community Drumming Experience

By Jim Bailey

Looking to feel more upbeat? Need to drum up some fun in your life?

and inclusive drum series to Rossland.

Destination BC.”

Participants can join the drum circle at Miners Hall, and bring your own drum, or use those supplied by Carrick.

Then join the 2024 Spring Community Drumming Tour coming to Rossland on Wednesday, April 17.

Patrick Carrick is the lead facilitator of Rhythm by Nature, a percussionist movement he started in Invermere in 2017, and is now bringing his interactive

“I have been running interactive drumming workshops and experiences throughout the Kootenays for the past seven years at community events, schools, wellness centres, festivals, and more,” said Carrick. “I’m excited to have the opportunity to tour the Kootenays with support from the Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance and

His approach to facilitation is not only rooted in his deep knowledge of world rhythms but his ability to connect with people of all ages and backgrounds.

“No matter who you are or where you come from, we all have a heartbeat and the ability to connect with rhythm… it’s in our nature!”

facilitator that my mind and heart really opened up to the powerful potential of one internal rhythm and the transformation that can happen when you drum in a community setting.”

Carrick is an accredited “Circles of Rhythm” Master Drum Circle Facilitator and Trainer, and uses this training to facilitate healing, connection and joy with his workshops, drum circles and events.

ativity, and playfulness.”

Originally from Australia, Carrick’s passion for percussion began as a teenager and has taken him to locations all around the world. He ultimately settled in the Rockies and laid the groundwork for Circles of Rhythm.

“I’ve played in many different groups and ensembles throughout my life,”Carrick told Black Press. “However, it was only when I moved to Canada and trained to become a drum circle

Carrick said Rhythm By Nature follows the “Integrative Community Drum Circle” (ICDC) methodology, which has a large focus on inclusivity.

“This means that our drumming is not based on any ethnospecific traditions, cultures or rhythms,”said Carrick. “This practice is not serious, but very sincere. “The ICDC has a multicultural approach so that the experience is available to everyone. It’s not about right or wrong. It’s about celebrating diversity, cre-

According to Carrick, group drumming releases stress and negative emotions, induces deep relaxation, provides a sense of empowerment, can reduce chronic pain and boost the immune system, connects one to the natural world through a non-verbal communicative tool, allows for personal transformation, and on top of everything - is a whole lot of fun!

“The event is available to everyone in the community. No experience is required and all the instruments are provided.”

Rossland Community Drumming Expe-

rience is scheduled for Wednesday, April 17 at 7 p.m. at Miner’s Hall. Tickets start at $28.50 but can be bundled at a discount ie: receive 20 per cent off when you buy five tickets.

Interested in having Carrick participate in your event or festival?

From schools and youth programs, to team-building and conference events, wellness retreats, and community gatherings, he has become a go-to, wow-factor experience that clients seek out year after year.

For tickets or more information, go to his website: rhythmbynature.ca.

Register now for teens’ six-day backpacking program

Submitted by Wildsight

For teens wanting a summer adventure with training in leadership, teamwork, and wilderness skills, Wildsight is now accepting applications for the Go Wild! program.

Go Wild! is a six-day backpacking program for youth ages 14-to-18.

With tents and sleeping bags, hiking boots and backpacks, 14 teens will experience the wild Rockies wilderness as they may never have before.

“Go Wild! isn’t just a backpacking trip; it’s an education in backcountry

camping and hiking that will open the door to a lifetime of adventure,” says Dave Quinn, Go Wild! co-ordinator and lead guide.

Quinn, a Kimberley-based wildlife biologist, ACMG-certified wilderness guide, outdoor educator and teacher, will lead this summer’s excursion alongside Revelstoke’s Leah Evans, a professional skier who focuses on helping women reach their full potential on skis through Girls Do Ski camps.

Participants learn no-trace camping, route planning, map reading,

navigation, wildlife safety, wilderness survival, mountain botany, basic wildlife ecology, and how to thrive in the wilderness in all conditions. They learn about the extraordinary diversity and abundance of Kootenay wildlife, and how critical wilderness areas for wildlife to thrive. This summer’s specific destination in the southern Rockies will be determined closer to the trip dates. Past Go Wild! programs have explored the Purcell Wilderness, Height of the Rockies, the Hornaday Wilderness and Top of the World Provincial Parks.

Students start the trip with heavy packs and leave with light hearts.

“I learned so much, from facts about the alpine to flowers, to how a diverse group functions. I learned the capability I had and the capability others had. And I definitely expanded my skills that I previously had and learned more about myself,” says 2023 participant Joy Harris.

This year’s program runs Aug. 5-10. The 14 spaces fill up fast, so apply early. Learn more: wildsight. ca/gowild Go Wild!

students and trip leader Dave Quinn. Top of the World 2018. Photo: Leah Evans

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The carriages of Peter (Lordly) Verigin

by Jonathan J. Kalmakoff and Greg Nesteroff

First of three parts.

During the first two and a half decades of Doukhobor life in B.C., Peter Vasil’evich (Lordly) Verigin (1859-1924) spent much of his time travelling between their settlements on Community business. His chief means of local conveyance were horse-drawn carriages, carts and sleighs, dutifully maintained by his followers at key stopping points. But whatever became of them?

Remarkably, several of these vehicles still exist today, over a century later. This series traces their subsequent history and fate to the present day.

In the first decades of the 20th century, horses provided the primary means of transportation in western Canada. A single horse could pull a wheeled vehicle and contents weighing as much as a ton. At a walk, a horse-drawn vehicle travelled approximately three to six kilometres per hour; at a trot, the speed was around Continued on A11

Peter V. Verigin seated in a democrat carriage in Fruktovoye west of Grand Forks, 1912. Photo: GR-197904-015 courtesy of the Royal BC Museum and Archives

Continued from A10

12 to 16 km/h; horses rarely cantered or galloped with a vehicle.

This mode of transportation was not without limitations. Horses required large quantities of feed and water. Their range of travel when drawing a vehicle was between 16-to-32 km per day, depending on the terrain, weather, horse and weight of vehicle. In many rural areas, there were still few roads except for rough, uneven trails, which were often impassible when wet.

When the Doukhobors first arrived on the Canadian Prairies in 1899, they had few horses and wagons, forcing some Doukhobors to carry heavy supplies on their backs over long distances by foot, and others to hitch themselves to wagons and plows, as human draft animals. Following the arrival of their leader Verigin in Canada in December 1902, the Doukhobors communally pooled their earnings to acquire much-needed horses and vehicles.

Under Verigin’s management, in 1903, the Community purchased 404 horses, 16 wagons, 152 sleighs, as well as two cutters (lightweight, open sleighs holding one or two people) likely for the leader’s personal use. And in 1905, the Community purchased another 30 wagons, 41 sleighs, as well as two buggies probably for Verigin’s personal use. Bulk purchases of horses and horse-drawn vehicles continued thereafter.

Verigin spent much of his time travelling between neighbouring Doukhobor settlements on Community business, visiting with villagers, and inspecting their progress on various endeavours. His preferred means of conveyance was a horse-drawn carriage — a four or two-wheeled vehicle that was lighter and more maneuverable than a wagon and capable of greater speed and efficiency. The distance between Doukhobor settlements made effective transportation essential to managing the Community.

A skilled horseman, Verigin most often drove the carriage himself, typically with a spirited team at breakneck pace! A sense of his energetic driving style can be gleaned from the comments of Nelson realtor Charles F. McHardy, who wrote in 1911: “We were met at the Kootenay river ferry by Mr. Veregin’s driving team and had one of the swiftest drives we ever had, Mr. Veregin himself driving. I like fast horses but freely admit that I cannot drive as he does. We certainly had to hang on when rounding the curves. He made a point of commenting on my providing him with a quiet horse to ride. I regretted that I had not given him a bucking horse that I thought too bad to

take along.”

From time to time and place to place, various types of carriages, carts and sleighs were acquired by the Community for Verigin’s exclusive use. Those which have been documented include the following:

• Democrat or buckboard – a light, fourwheel, flat-bed open carriage with no sideboards or top, leaf spring suspension and with one or two seats, usually drawn by one or two horses;

• Phaeton – a sporty open four-wheel carriage with a very light-sprung body atop a curved frame with four extravagantly large wheels, pulled by one or two horses;

• Buggy or roadster – a light, four-wheel, one-seat carriage with low sides, side-spring suspension and a folding top, usually drawn by one or two horses;

• Brougham or rockaway – a light, fourwheel carriage with one passenger seat in an enclosed body with two doors, and a box seat in front for the driver, leaf spring suspension, drawn by two to four horses;

• Barouche – a large, heavy, four-wheeled carriage with low sides, a back seat and front box seat for the driver and collapsible half-hood for passengers, curved frame, leaf spring suspension, pulled by one or two horses; and

• Gig or chaise – a light, two-wheeled, one-seat cart with side-spring suspension, usually driven by one horse.

• Cutter – a light, open sleigh with a single set of runners and a single seat that held two people, drawn by one horse; and

• Bobsleigh – an open sleigh with two seats that held up to four people, with dual sets of runners for easier maneuverability, pulled by one or two horses.

These vehicles were stored and kept in Community stables and sheds at major centres of Doukhobor settlement: Verigin and Kylemore in Saskatchewan, Cowley and Lundbreck in Alberta, and Brilliant and Grand Forks in B.C., as well as at commercial centres such as Yorkton, Sask., Nelson and Trail, where Verigin had stopping houses. The vehicles and their horse teams were dutifully maintained by Community members so as to be ready for use upon request.

After Verigin’s death in October 1924,

History

these vehicles were sometimes used by his son and successor Peter P. (Chistyakov) Verigin (1881-1939) following his arrival in Canada in September 1927. However, by then, the automobile had largely supplanted horsepower as the preferred mode of transportation of the leadership.

During the bankruptcy of the Christian Community of Universal Brotherhood, Ltd. in 1936 and its subsequent foreclosure in 1937-38, many of Peter V. Verigin’s carriages, carts, and sleighs — like other Community assets — were presumably liquidated at fire sale prices. Others were likely destroyed by arson. Remarkably, however, at least four of them have survived in B.C. and are now part of museum and private collections. We’ll look at them individually in the rest of this series.

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We are seeking a Communications Manager, responsible for researching and developing tactics, programs, and policies that support City Council and organizational priortities and objectives. The Communications Manager provides support to all levels of the organization, assists with the delivery of City events, and coordinates the City’s print and digital content.

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castlegar.ca