Columbia Valley Pioneer, November 22, 2018

Photo by Dauna Ditson

Flats hotel feeler falls at from accid gures

By Lorene Keitch lorene@columbiavalleypioneer.com

It’s not a lucrative choice to build a hotel in Canal Flats. At least not yet, according to a report presented to Canal Flats Council by a company that specializes in feasibility studies.

Canal Flats commissioned CBRE Limited to investigate the possibility of pursuing a hotel build in the village. David Ferguson of CBRE presented their ndings via teleconference at the Council meeting Tuesday, November 13th.

“Don’t look at a hotel as being a catalyst for economic development,” he told Council. “We don’t believe a hotel, unfortunately, for Canal Flats at this time would be a viable opportunity.”

Mr. Ferguson walked Council through a 20 minute presentation, taking a brief look at the accommodations market in the Columbia Valley, projected market demand over the next few years, and informed estimates on what volume of guests a potential hotel would attract.

Across the region, Mr. Ferguson said the occupancy rate ranges between 40 and 50 per cent annually.

“It’s very high seasonality you deal with in that part of the province,” Mr. Ferguson commented from his Vancouver o ce.

Currently, Canal Flats only has one public accommodation: the Paddler’s Inn, owned by Mayor Karl Sterzer, which o ers two vacation rental suites and one standard cabin-themed room for rent, and only for multiple-night stays.

e way to make a hotel viable in the Flats would be nding a way to draw in overnight visitors Sunday to ursday, in the seven to eight months of year that do not typically bring in a lot of visitors to the Valley, Mr. Ferguson suggested. Otherwise, the pro t margin is too low for most major hoteliers to sign on at this time.

“ e projected nancial returns are marginal at best,” said Mr. Ferguson.

Should Canal Flats want to move forward with a potential hotel, CBRE made a few recommendations. One, it should be located on the highway. Two, it should be a ‘limited service, midscale-branded hotel’, meaning there is a nationally recognized name attached to the hotel branding such as Best Western, Ramada, or

Travelodge. ree, it should include a small restaurant or breakfast room, a meeting room, tness room, be situated on 1.5 to 2 acre property, and include an indoor pool.

“You would be at a competitive disadvantage,” without a pool, Mr. Ferguson said.

CBRE Hotel’s projected capital costs to build a 50room hotel in Canal Flats would be roughly $6 million, not including the land.

e two main sources for potential revenue streams would come from build-out of the Columbia Lake Technology Centre, and the ow of visitors to the Canal Flats Arena which is well-used by teams from Alberta who come for weekend tournaments each season.

Adrian Bergles, Canal Flats CAO, said this winter there are 19 out-of-town tournaments booked for the Canal Flats Arena. e tournaments are running from mid-October to the end of March, and this year’s numbers are similar to years past for bookings. Eight teams per weekend, with typically 15 youth players per team plus families, descend on the Flats for the games. ere are no readily available statistics for how many visitors are seeking overnight accommodation to Canal Flats on an annual basis aside from the hockey tra c.

Following Mr. Ferguson’s presentation, Council had several questions. Councillor Doug McCutcheon asked whether hotels in conjunction with senior’s home residences has ever been considered to help generate higher occupancy rates. Mr. Ferguson cited several examples where either a seniors home/hotel has been combined, or the potential to convert later on, has been done.

“ ere is potential it can be done,” Mr. Ferguson said, adding further population trend discussions would need to take place should the Village wish to investigate that option further. No further direction was provided to sta at the Council meeting on the matter.

In answer to Mr. Sterzer’s query on when it would be worth revisiting the idea of a hotel, Mr. Ferguson said when Brian Fehr (who owns the former CANFOR lands and has plans for multiple projects that could bring in new business and residential development) moves his project along, there could certainly be potential to re-investigate building a hotel.

e feasibility study cost $15,000, paid for by a BC Rural Dividend grant.

VALLEY NEWS

Second-story pot shop snuffed out

Mr. Miller said council also wanted to ensure Mr. Matthews and his business part ners didn’t lose their $7,500 application fee.

By Dauna Ditson reporter@columbiavalleypioneer.com

Richard Matthews said he and his co-owners at Ullr Bar hoped to open a recre ational pot shop and that it was “crazy frustrating” to learn that their application was being declined.

Mayor Al Miller said there was “a lot of discussion” at the council meeting on Tuesday, November 13th and that “council really wasn’t in favour” of allowing a pot shop to operate in a second-floor location at Parkside Place across from the conveniently-named Pothole Park.

While the location is outside the downtown area the District wanted to keep off limits from marijuana shops and is zoned for residential and commercial use, Mr. Mill er said it was clear that council “wouldn’t put through a favourable answer for them unless they changed locations.”

He said the second floor of Parkside Place “is basically residential” and that parking and access were points of concern.

“Rather than just simply saying no... we deferred (making a decision) for two weeks in order to be able to actually talk to the applicant and see if they could find another location to write up for their application,” Mr. Miller said.

It may have seemed like a considerate idea but that’s not how the process works. Mr. Matthews has since learned that he will have to start “from ground zero” and send in a new application if he wants to try again.

“We just wanted to save a local business person that aggravation,” he said.

Staff later confirmed that Mr. Matthews would receive a refund from the province.

Even so, Mr. Matthews and his team won’t get back the time they put into creating the detailed security and floor plans specific to their proposed location that were re quired for their application. They’ve also lost the competitive advantage of being among the first in line to start a Valley pot shop.

“We applied the first day that you could legally,” Mr. Matthews said. “We were being really proactive... to get our foot in the door and be ahead in the game.”

The provincial application process required a secured lease on a commercial space, but he and his partners ar en’t on the hook to pay for an empty shop. Rather than risk signing a lease without first having a business licence in hand – like another pot-shop applicant Mr. Matthews knows – they chose to apply for a permit for a location they already owned.

He said he and his Ullr Bar co-owners are passionate about being positive forces in the community and about bringing more fun and entertainment to the Valley.

“Ideally do we still have that dream of opening our own shop? Sure we do,” he said. “We have to sit down and decide what to do next.”

Ullr Bar is currently closed for renovations and will reopen on Friday, November 23rd with new menus and a new look. Mr. Matthews is proud to announce that Ullr Bar will be showing the Columbia Valley Rockies’ away games so fans can gather to cheer for the team.

Columbia River treaty seeks input and imparts information

By Lorene Keitch lorene@columbiavalleypioneer.com

Columbia Valley residents will get to add their two cents to the latest round of discussions into the renegotiation of the Columbia River Treaty.

Doug Clovechok, Columbia-River Revelstoke MLA, pushed to have a meeting brought to the Valley as this area is at the headwaters of the Columbia, which flows from Columbia Lake all the way to the Pacific Ocean in Portland, Oregon.

The treaty between the two countries is up for renegotiation. While prelimi nary discussions started a couple years ago, formal discussions are now underway between Canada and the United States, with various players at the table including the B.C. government and BC Hydro.

Provincial officials will be at the meeting to listen to Valley voices and share general information about the treaty renegotiation process.

“Come out and listen,” urges Mr. Clovechok. “This is a great opportunity for people of the headwaters’ communities to not only listen, but share their values and thoughts they have.”

Mr. Clovechok says the treaty renegotiation has been a fascinating file to take on as MLA. He has monitored the portfolio closely through discussions in the

riding, at the provincial level, and in talks with Minister Katrine Conroy, MLA for Kootenay West and minister responsible for the Columbia River Treaty.

When the treaty team came through the Kootenays last summer, they had community meetings in Golden and Revelstoke. However, they bypassed the Co lumbia Valley. Mr. Clovechok credits Ms. Conroy for listening to his concerns and opening up the opportunity for discussion locally on this historic treaty renegoti ation.

This issue surpasses political lines, Mr. Clovechok says.

“This is nonpartisan. It has such an incredible affect on the people of the Co lumbia Basin,” he remarks.

A major benefit to Basin residents has been the formation of the Columbia Basin Trust. In the early 1990s, Canadian Basin residents approached the Prov ince to ask for funds from the treaty to flow to Basin residents, to receive a fair share of the benefits created by the treaty. CBT was established in 1995, endowed with $276 million to invest in regional hydroelectric projects and $45 million to invest otherwise. The Trust now earns money by investing in power projects, Basin businesses and market securities, which generate a predictable, sustainable

Matthews, marijuana shop applicant

RCMP Report

13th Street in Invermere. A gym bag containing workout gear and an iPod was stolen from the passenger side seat. e gym bag was recovered nearby but the iPod was missing.

is past week, November 12th through November 18th, the Columbia Valley RCMP responded to 37 calls for service. e following are some of the more notable les our o cers responded to.

• Sometime during the evening of Sunday, November 11th or the morning of Monday, November 12th, a wallet was stolen from an unlocked truck parked on 8th Avenue in Invermere.

• Sometime between 6 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. on Monday, November 12th someone threw a rock through the window of a Volkswagen Tiguan which was parked on

• On the same date a Mazda parked on 13th Street in Invermere was also broken into. A wallet was stolen from the unlocked car. e wallet was found nearby but cash from the wallet was missing. Evidence was collected for forensic identi cation.

• On Sunday, November 18th, an individual stashed her gym bag in the front lobby of a grocery store on 4th Avenue in Invermere while she was in the store. She returned approximately 30 minutes later to nd someone had rummaged through her gym bag and stolen some cash out of a wallet that had been left in the bag. Police are in the process of obtaining the video surveillance footage.

Decoy tricks tourists and hunters alike

Tales from the eld

By BC Conservation O cer Sgt. Drew Milne

Recently the Columbia-Kootenay Zone Conservation O cer Service ran a decoy operation to target dangerously hunting. e decoy operation was set up to target unlawful Firearm Act and Wildlife Act o enses – common public complaints we receive in that speci c area. is decoy operation included the Conservation O cers setting up lookalike animal(s) in a hunting season with the goal of catching people who have a blatant disregard for speci c safety laws. e operation was conducted for a better part of the morning in an area where there was a high level of hunter activity. Conservation O cers were able to intervene on two separate occasions and educate

the parties of the speci c o ences. On an interesting and much lighter note, we had more tourists than hunters stopping and photographing the animal(s) as they believed they were observing a beautiful majestic moment.

O cers are reminding the public that it is unsafe and unlawful to:

• have a loaded rearm in a vehicle;

• discharge a rearm from a vehicle (without authorization/permit);

• discharge a rearm in a no shooting area.

ese laws are in place to keep you and others alive and safe.

Conservation O cers are asking the public to report hunting, shing or trapping trespass occurrences to 1-877-952-7277 (#7277 on your cell). Calls can be anonymous.

Submitted by Sgt. Darren Kakuno Detachment Commander Columbia Valley RCMP

and appreciating income, then distributes to a wide range of projects, business and nonpro t organizations throughout the Basin.

“ e CBT itself is so important to the people of the Basin,” says Mr. Clovechok. “Where would we be without that Trust today? . . . ey have an incredible mission. Not only the social, economic, and environmental wellbeing of Basin residents, but they also invest in business.”

e Columbia River Treaty was signed in 1961 (rati ed in 1964), with two main purposes in mind: ood mitigation and power generation.

“When you look at the treaty itself . . .it’s likely one of the most successful transboundary agreements anywhere in the world,” he comments.

But many spino bene ts to Americans were not even addressed in the original treaty.

“ e Americans need our water for their agriculture, their wine, their apples and all those sorts of things – and for navigation and shipping. ere’s recreational real estate involved here. ere are a lot of reservoirs – which very, very wealthy Americans have very large houses around, which they’re concerned about and certainly are lobbying their government, I’m sure,” Mr. Clovechok said during debate in the legislature about the treaty.

e current deal expires in 2024. According to the Provincial government, in May 2018, negotiators representing the governments of Canada (including British Columbia) and the United States met in Washington, D.C., to formally launch discussions about the future of the Columbia River Treaty. In August, a second session

took place in Nelson, and the third session took place in Portland, Oregon, in October. e next session is scheduled in Vancouver December 12th and 13th. Following the meetings in Portland, Ms. Conroy said, “ e renewed discussions about how we can work together to modernize the treaty are still at an early stage. is is a time to build relationships and nd common ground. I know that negotiators from both sides of the border are working very hard as they look at options for the future of the treaty.”

e Columbia River Treaty community meeting takes place at the Columbia Valley Chamber of Commerce/Lions Hall Monday, December 5th from 5-8 p.m. A light meal is available at 5 p.m.

If this meeting is of interest to you, you may want to mark your calendar for another series of meetings coming up next fall. CBT and the Northwest Power and Conservation Council are hosting the 6th International Columbia River Transboundary Conference in September 2019 in Kimberley. at conference will cover topics including renegotiation of the Columbia River Treaty, reintroduction of salmon to the Columbia River above the Grand Coulee Dam in Washington and B.C., impacts of and response to invasive species including northern pike and invasive freshwater mussels, energy issues and climate change-related impacts on Columbia River water resources.

For more on the treaty renegotiation, or the history of the treaty, visit: https://engage.gov.bc.ca/columbiarivertreaty/ https://thebasin.ourtrust.org/columbia-river-treaty/

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE - BYLAW 2880

Bylaw Amendment - Edgewater

approved, the bylaw will increase the maximum permitted parcel coverage of the first storey floor area of a single-family dwelling for specific strata lots within the Valley’s Edge Development as long as the habitable floor area of the larger dwelling is located on one level. The subject properties are located at 4868 Riverview Drive in the Valley’s Edge Park in Edgewater as shown on the attached map.

Bylaw No. 2880 cited as “Regional District of East Kootenay - Upper Columbia Valley Zoning Bylaw 900, 1992 - Amendment Bylaw No. 341, 2018 (Edgewater / Ortt)” will amend the text of the R-1 (B) Zone to permit up to 105 m2 of parcel coverage on Strata Lots 14, 15, 30, 118, 119, and 186 -200, all within Plan NES3039, subject to there being no habitable areas above the first storey of the dwelling.

A public hearing will be held at: Edgewater Community Hall 4818 Selkirk Avenue, Edgewater, BC Tuesday, November 27, 2018 at 7:00pm

The Board has delegated the holding of this hearing to the Directors for Electoral Area G and Electoral Area F.

If you believe that your interest in property is affected by the proposed Bylaw, you may prior to the hearing:

• inspec t the Bylaw and supporting information at the RDEK office in Cranbrook from November 9, 2018 to November 27, 2018 between the hours of 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday, excluding statutory holidays;

• mail, fax or email written submissions to the addresses/numbers shown below; or

present written and/or verbal submissions at the hearing.

SUBMISSIONS CANNOT BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE PUBLIC HEARING.

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.

This notice is not an interpretation of the Bylaw. For more information, contact Tracy Van de Wiel, Planning Technician, at 250-489-0306, toll free at 1-888-478-7335, or email tvandewiel@rdek.bc.ca.

Annual General Meeting

Tuesday, November 27th at 7 pm

Pynelogs Cultural Centre

Including a presentation by Pat Morrow “Explore! Yukon to Uganda” Everyone welcome ~ refreshments provided.

WINGS IS SEEKING VOLUNTEERS Information about volunteer positions can be obtained by contacting Doug Yukes at 250-342-0428 or dougyukes@telus.net

Columbia River Treaty Community Meeting

Invermere

Columbia Valley Chamber of Commerce, 651 Hwy 93/95

Wednesday, December 5 from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Receive Treaty Negotiations Updates

Discuss Key Community Interests

A light meal will be available at 5 p.m.

For more information, visit engage.gov.bc.ca/columbiarivertreaty or follow the Columbia River Treaty on Facebook and Twitter

“People Helping People in our Community” Volunteer Columbia Valley

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Check it out at www.volunteercv.ca

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Wildsight Film Festival

Saturday, November 24th, 4 to 8:30 pm 1-3 hrs,

For more information visit www.volunteercv.ca

FOR GOOD. FOR COMMUNITY. FOR EVER.

PERSPECTIVE

Problems with pot shop application

By Lorene Keitch lorene@columbiavalleypioneer.com

e e orts by local businessowner Richard Matthews to establish Invermere’s rst legal marijuana shop are commendable. He waited until it was legal to do so, sought out a business location that made nancial sense and was out of the core earmarked by the District of Invermere as a ‘no pot shop’ zone. He followed the lengthy process to get all the t’s crossed and i’s dotted on his provincial application form.

e license requires input and a “positive recomendation” from the local government where the proposed store is located. On the local government’s shoulders rests the responsibility to gather residents’ views on the proposed location, through methods suggested such as receiving written comments in response to a public notice of the application; conducting a public hearing; holding a referendum; or using another method the local government deems appropriate.

e process to establish legal cannabis shops is costly and timely. e application fee is $7,500. Applicants must go through security screening, nancial integrity checks and more. Locations must be self-contained (so not part of another business such as a bar, restaurant, or pharmacy). Applicants must submit detailed oor and site plans, physical security requirements; even the naming has rm boundaries: “A store’s name cannot mislead the public about what kind of business it operates. e name cannot imply a licensee is selling medical cannabis . . . Store names will be reviewed for approval during the application process.”

Across the province, other entrepreneurs are lining up for the chance to open up similar businesses. According to the B.C government as of November 15th, there were 289 paid applications; 127 forwarded to local government or Indigenous nations, 76 applications forwarded to a ‘ready’ jurisdiction, two licenses approved in principle, and one license issued.

Mr. Matthews jumped through many hoops before hitting a wall at the District level. He is likely frustrated, and understandably so. Wanting to be among the rst to light up a new cannabis storefront, he did everything he thought he needed to do. While the District is not saying ‘no’ to the shop, they are saying ‘no’ to it in its current proposed location, which means Mr. Matthews needs to go through the whole licensing process again.

It would be a shame if established, reliable, committed Valley business owners aren’t given the best odds to build up business opportunities in the Valley. Personal opinions aside around retail cannabis - if we’re going to have pot shops, one would hope they will be run by people such as Mr. Matthews who has put his money where his mouth is to see the Valley thrive and grow.

Historical Lens

Wagon load

A two-horse team owned by Lake + Crook Stable in Athalmer, circa 1910. is photo was donated to the museum courtesy of Invermere centenarian Ray Crook. If you have any more information about this, or any other, historical lens image, email info@columbiavalleypioneer.com

Photo (A 1110) courtesy Windermere District Historical Society

Status to minority diminishes majority

Dear Editor:

Despite the number of letters you have published concerning the voting referendum, I believe a couple of points have not been fully addressed.

e Pro-Proportional position originates from a false premise – that a minority point of view has to be given special recognition in order to be fair to everyone. It purports to promote fairness but in fact facilitates disproportionate emphasis away from the views of a majority of voters. e moment we give special status to one party we automatically reduce the status of all others.

Giving special status implies that a certain position has speci c merits that others do not. However, in an election there is no overall judge of merit other than each individual voter. e determination of merit is done by the voter in the ballot box. Changing the process will unfairly assign merit to some parties rather than recognize the signi cance of an individual’s vote.

Elections are not about the merits of speci c political parties.  ey are about popular appeal of speci c political parties based on each individual voter’s

view of a party’s relative merits. Pro-prop supporters assume there is overwhelming value in propagating alternative views. What that overlooks is the fact that the voter has already determined party merit in the ballot box by choosing one party over another. In that context, for example, if a particular party gets 15 per cent of the province-wide vote, it actually means 85 per cent voted for other choices. Where is the fairness in not recognizing that disparity?

e Pro-prop supporters maintain that all votes must count. e problem is that once you give one party special status you automatically diminish the others. e value of my vote for a major party could be reduced by trying to increase minor party representation.

Some say that a greater number of di erent voices would be good for the workings of the legislature.

e major parties are broad-based and incorporate many views. ey hold policy conventions to determine platforms designed to attract voters. Unfortunately, single-issue parties choose some policies which are unacceptable to major parties for ideological or practical reasons. As a result some of these par-

on page 7 . . .

Dean Midyette

Amanda Nason

Dauna Ditson

Katie Watt

Lorene Keitch

Steve Hubrecht

Amanda Murray

Emily Rawbon

LETTERS

Keep what we know best

Dear Editor:

Which voting system will B.C. use in future provincial elections? Gerry Taft issued a dire warning in his letter to the editor (November 8th), “No matter how you chose to vote, please take the time to do some research, and recognize that if you chose not to rank the three electoral systems (the second question), you are passing on your democratic right to have input, and the decision will happily be made by those who lled in their ballot.”

I did some research and voted to preserve “ e current First Past the Post voting system” (FPTP). If you also want to keep the voting system we know best then complete your voting package today. If you do not act now, the electoral voting system will be changed to something completely di erent to what we’ve become accustomed to and expect. Don’t mistakenly assume that nothing will really change despite your inaction. You must vote; otherwise, B.C. will experiment with an unknown, unproven, and risky proportional representation voting sys-

to run as separate entities in competition with the other parties for the popular vote and cry “foul” when they lose but subsequently demand special recognition for views they feel deserve special merit.

ere is no reason to believe that a single-issue party would be more agreeable to compromise in the legislature when it was unwilling to adjust its views to become part of a major party.  I believe it is the responsibility of each party to pursue voter support. All parties have equal ability to attract voters by hard work and persuasion. If you want voters to support you, give them something to support. Failure to attract voters is not a failure of the voting system--it is the failure of a political party to persuade voters.

A Pro-prop voting system will guarantee that we will have minority governments in which splinter parties will hold disproportionate leverage. One party will have to lure a minority

tem for at least two provincial elections. To keep FPTP, simply darken the top circle in the rst question on the ballot. You are not required to vote on any options beyond the rst question, but you may – that’s your decision. FPTP will only be retained if that option is supported by the majority who cast their ballots, and only if they submit their packages on time. Your “2018 Referendum on Electoral Reform” package must be received by Elections BC no later than Friday, November 30th. e current postal strike may impact mail delivery service, so it’s imperative that everyone who still intends to vote do so now. You can mail the package postage free, or you may drop o the completed package at the Service BC o ce (opposite the Invermere Fire Station and new Community Hall). I hope you will vote to keep FPTP – the traditional voting system that has made B.C. and Canada the envy of the world.

Jim Jenkinson Invermere

single-issue party by o ering certain policy concessions in order to form a government.  at gives the minority an unacceptable level of in uence based on its popular support. To cite a current example: a major reason we have an NDP government in B.C. is because a handful of Green Party members  prop them up. If the Greens had chosen to support the Liberals, we would have a Liberal government. is is too much power to grant to an electoral minority in carrying out a province’s wishes.

Finally, I question the need to rush to judgment on revising the current electoral process. e alternatives are too complex and ill-explained. To change something without fully understanding the lasting e ects is folly. Just because we don’t like the result of something does not always mean there is something wrong with the result.

2018 referendum on election reform

Your completed voting package must be received by Elections BC by 4:30 p.m. November 30th, 2018. ere may not be enough time now to complete your form and mail it in by the deadline. However, did you know the ServiceBC location in Invermere is also accepting ballots? ey are open ve days a week. As

long as you have your ballot delivered to the ServiceBC location by 4:30 p.m. November 30th, your vote will still count.

ServiceBC Invermere’s hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30-4:30 p.m., closed from 12-1:15. ey are located at 625 - 4th Street, Invermere, across from the Invermere Fire Hall.

John D. Balcers

Fairmont Hot Springs

ank

e Mennear family would like to sincerely thank Fraser Smith, Megan and Dwayne Broughton, Greg, Sydney-Ann and Eric of Valley Foods, Palliser Printing, e Columbia Valley Pioneer, Heather McLaughlin, Shawna Cevraini, Copper Point Resort, Kanata, Windermere Valley Childcare Association, Local View Printing and Design (Steve & Audrey Mantyka), Lisa Ede, Inspire Floral Boutique, Rocky River Grill, Kimberley Rae, Verna Barns, Ashley Gottinger, Tom Mennear, Bruce Dehart, Jane and Terry, Ricky Shoana, Justin Atterbury, Pastor Wayne Frater, and Diamond Heating.

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Métis flag raising

The District of Invermere and the Columbia Valley Métis Association partnered to raise the Métis flag in downtown Invermere last week in honour of Louis Riel Day, which falls on November 16th each year. Debra Fisher (at right) said Invermere was one of the first B.C. communities in 2017 to raise the flag, and was pleased the District opted to continue the tradition this year. Mayor Al Miller (at left) told her he was happy to continue with this, noting “It’s the right thing to do.”

Ms. Fisher read a speech at the event, held Wednesday, November 14th, saying, “All across our beautiful prov ince of British Columbia MNBC’s Chartered Commu nities celebrate and honour this day or within the month of November with great pride and take the opportunity to raise the awareness to others within their respective communities who the Métis are, what our struggles were then as a people and what they are today.”

Photo by Lorene Keitch

A Fleury of hope

By Dauna Ditson reporter@columbiavalleypioneer.com

Theo Fleury said he is one of only a handful of men on the continent who speak publicly about the sexual abuse they endured.

Mr. Fleury’s abuse as a young teen was so painful that it derailed his $50 million hockey career and led him down a path filled with drug and alcohol addictions and littered with failed relationships. That path very nearly ended in suicide. At the final moment, he pulled himself back from the brink.

“I tried absolutely everything on the planet to deal with my trauma, mental health, addictions, everything,” he said.

But it wasn’t until he shared his secrets that they be gan to release their hold on him, he said in an interview before speaking to a crowd of hundreds who gathered to hear his story at the Columbia Valley Centre on Tuesday, November 13th.

Over the nine years since his first book Playing With Fire was released, Mr. Fleury has seen his words set others free.

“I was so scared and so afraid because I didn’t know how all of you were going to react to what was in the book,” he said to the audience, but what happened next blew him away and gave him a sense of purpose.

Some have said that his story saved them from sui cide. Others have simply looked him in the eye and said “me too.” Still others have confided their deepest secrets and took comfort in the steadiness of his gaze.

“When I shared my story for the first time in a very vulnerable way... it allowed (others) the permission to talk about what happened to them,” he said. “I’m not going to judge you. I’m just going to love you until you can love yourself.”

Trauma teaches its sufferers that they are unloveable and not good enough, he said, but no one has to believe those harmful lies. Instead they can rewire their brains by learning to love themselves.

“Self love is very simple,” he said, adding that “being uncomfortable is part of the process.”

For Mr. Fleury, self love means getting enough sleep, eating well, meditating, doing yoga, exercising and par ticipating in traditional First Nations practices. As a

Theo Fleury autographs memorabilia for a fan during an event at the Columbia Valley Centre. Photo by Dauna Ditson

Métis person, he also values drumming, smudging, pow wows and sweat lodges, which are “all for healing.”

His first act of self love was having the courage to meet his own eyes in a mirror back in 2005. That’s when he recognized that he was on his own side and when he was able to walk away from drugs and alcohol.

“When I finally got rid of my secrets, I wasn’t sick anymore,” he said. “We weren’t put on this earth to suffer in silence... This is why we’re given voices.”

Mr. Fleury encouraged his audience to share their se crets with safe people, asked those trusted to listen to re spond with empathy and invited the community to come together to support one another.

“Everybody in Invermere is part of the mental health team,” he said. “You all gotta be there for each other.”

After the crowd rose to applaud Mr. Fleury, many lined up to thank him in person as volunteers stood to the side, ready to provide additional support and lend their ears to anyone in need.

Mr. Fleury spoke in Invermere as part of National Addictions Awareness Week activities offered through a partnership between the Akisqnuk First Nation, the Shuswap Indian Band, the Columbia Valley Métis Asso ciation and the Columbia Basin Trust.

apologies to

Sultans of String to bring a musical Christmas Caravan to the Valley

By Dauna Ditson reporter@columbiavalleypioneer.com

e Sultans of String are taking their Christmas Caravan on the road and making Invermere their rst stop.

“We’re going to be taking people on a world music tour of Christmas songs,” said bandleader Chris McKhool. “ e idea with Christmas Caravan is to bring the energy and the drive of the world music rhythms that we love to play to Christmas songs that people love to hear.”

e Sultans of String will play a Greensleeves collaboration developed with a traditional Turkish string ensemble and will perform Jingle Bells and e Little Drummer Boy like you’ve never heard them before. Listeners will also be treated to the sounds of a Himalayan sleigh ride, African roots music, Quebecois ddle tunes, rumba amenco, ska, the symphony and more.

Mr. McKhool, who has Lebanese and Egyptian heritage, grew up celebrating both Christmas and culture.

“Christmas songs as well as music from around the globe were always part of my upbringing,” he said. “With this record we created the spiritual Christmas album I have always wanted to hear that honoured this tradition, as well as bringing in diverse cultures.”

He also took e Huron Carol back to its roots. e classic song, which he said is “kind of the rst Christmas carol” was originally written in the 1600s but the version people sing today underwent “a complete re-write of the lyrics.”

e Sultans of String dug through archives to nd the original lyrics and had them translated and set to music “so people can hear the intention of that song for the very rst time,” he said.

In addition to hearing holiday music from around the world and listening to an old classic as it was intended, audience members will also get to perform.

“ ere are a couple of songs that people will sing along with,” he said. “We love it when people sing along with us.”

Following the lead of Good King Wenceslas who blessed the less fortunate, the band supports UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency in Canada.

“As a world music band, we work with a lot of people who come to North America as refugees, as those eeing persecution and as those seeking freedom,” he said. “We’re so lucky when we get to share music with people who come from other cultures, other countries.”

Sultans of String will donate ten per cent of all merchandise sales and will have UNHCR brochures and donation boxes at the show.

e Sultans of String caravan will arrive at Pynelogs Art Gallery and Cultural Centre on ursday, November 29th.

e opening act – new Valley resident Nathan Lamb – starts at 6 p.m., with the Sultans of String bringing good tidings to you and your kin at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25 and are available online at columbiavalleyarts.com.

e Pioneer is partnering with Sultans of String for two tickets and a CD giveaway! Enter the contest on our Facebook page, live now. Or drop in and we will add your name to the draw. Contest closes at 10 a.m. Monday, November 26th. See the Pioneer Facebook page for more details: https://www.facebook.com/ColumbiaValleyPioneer/.

Are you a former resident of Woodlands?

If you were a resident of Woodlands, also known as Woodlands Institution and Woodlands School, in New Westminster, B.C., you may be eligible for a payment from the provincial government.

People who resided at Woodlands prior to August 1, 1974 will receive $10,000 in an ex-gratia payment. In addition, people who resided in Woodlands after August 1, 1974 will receive up to a maximum of $10,000.

The process to determine eligibility is very simple. To apply, you or your guardian or caregiver can call toll free 1 888 523-7192 or email woodlands.care.facility.residents@gov.bc.ca.

Out & About

Submissions must be received by the Monday prior to publication. We may only run an entry for two weeks prior to the event. Please limit your submission to 30 words. Priority is given to one-o events, so weekly events may only run occasionally.

ursday, November 22nd

• 10:30 a.m.: Stretch and Move Classes for Seniors at the Invermere Seniors Hall every ursday and Monday.

• 1:30 p.m.: Seniors Carpet Bowling at Radium Hot Springs Centre every ursday and Sunday.

• 2 p.m.: Seniors Tea at the Invermere Library the 2nd and 4th ursday of every month. If you need transportation, contact the library at 250-342-6416.

• 6 p.m.: Author Barbara Brown at the Invermere Library. Touring with her artwork on display, a short lm about her work, and readings from Sylvan Re ections

• 6 - 8 p.m.: Free English Conversation Class for newcomers to Canada at downtown CBAL o ce every ursday. Email windermerevalleysettlement@cbal.org or call 250-341-7188 for info.

• 8:30 - 10 p.m.: Indoor Pickleball at DTSS gym, every ursday. All are welcome. (Please note the times listed in last week’s edition were incorrect and the Pioneer apologizes for this error).

Friday, November 23rd

• 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.: Intergenerational Program between Seniors and Kindergarten children, every Friday at Invermere Seniors Hall. Seniors interested in assisting please call Madelene at 604-798-3061.

• 1 p.m.: Duplicate Bridge at Invermere Seniors Hall, $2. Every Friday and Wednesday.

• 5 - 8 p.m.: Christmas Market and Lunch at the Invermere Legion.

• 6 p.m.: Meat Draw and 50/50 at Branch 71 Legion in Invermere. Every Friday and Saturday.

• 6 - 8 p.m.: Friday Night Dinner at the Edgewater Legion Branch #199. Adults $10, Kids $5. is week features Ham and Cheese Bake.

• 7 p.m.: Learn to Curl at the Invermere Curling Centre every Friday to December 7th. Includes 2 hours of instruction. $25 drop in.

• 7:30 p.m.: Rockies Hockey plays Fernie Ghostriders at the Eddie Mountain Arena.

Saturday, November 24th

• Friends of the Library Silent Auction November 24th to December 8th at Invermere Public Library. Stop by to bid on more than 100 items.

• 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.: Christmas Market and Lunch at the Invermere Legion.

• 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.: Annual Fairmont Craft Sale in the lobby of the Fairmont Lodge. Wide variety of crafts such as woodworking, quilting, knitting, tatting, baking, etc.

• 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.: Columbia Valley Makerspace Society presents a Repair Cafe at the Canal Flats Community Center. Bring your broken item and they will x it - for free! Visit www.cvmakerspace.ca for more info.

• 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.: Christmas in the Mountains at Wilmer Community Hall. A craft show created by Artist Kelly Tomalty. Baking and refreshments provided by DTSS dry grad.

• 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.: Family LEGO Club at the Invermere Library, every Saturday morning. DUPLO free play will also be out for the younger builders.

• 2 p.m.: Holiday Card Making for adults at the Invermere Library. A free afternoon of seasonal scrapbooking— space is limited so please pre-register, 250-342-6416.

• 5 - 9:30 p.m.: 5th Annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival with 10 lms, door prizes and draws, silent auction, 50/50 and great food to purchase. At the Columbia Valley Centre. Doors open 5 p.m., lms start 6 p.m. Tickets: $25 (Wildsight members $20) available online at Wildsight.ca/invermere or at Circle Health Foods.

• 7:30 p.m.: Rockies Hockey plays Spokane Braves at the Eddie Mountain Arena.

Sunday, November 25th

• 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.: Sunday Toast and Jam, an all-ages music jam at e Base Camp in Canal Flats every Sunday.

• 12 p.m.: Cribbage at the Edgewater Legion every Sunday. Doors open 12 p.m., games start at 1 p.m.

Buying or selling?

contact Doug Yukes at 250-342-0428 or dougyukes@ telus.net.

• 7 p.m.: Trivia Night at Bear’s Paw Bar & Grill at Fairmont Hot Springs Resort every Tuesday. $2 entry, teams up to 6 people, winners take all.

Wednesday, November 28th

• 10:30 a.m.: Seniors Chair Yoga at Invermere Seniors Hall, $2, every Wednesday.

• 11:45 a.m.: e Rotary Club of Invermere meets every Wednesday at the Rocky River Grill/Kanata Inn.

• 12:30 - 4:30 p.m.: Radium Art Guild meets every Wednesday at the Radium Library to create and share.

• 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.: Happy Hands Knitting and Crocheting group meet every Wednesday at Columbia Garden Village.

• 5 - 8 p.m.: Holiday Lights and Winter Nights Festival - an Artisan Market at Fairmont Hot Springs Resort including photos with Santa, face painting, crafts and a lighting celebration at 6 p.m.

• 6 p.m.: Annual Christmas Crafting for adults at the Invermere Library. Space is limited so please preregister, 250-342-6416.

• 6 - 8 p.m.: Columbia Valley Cohousing meets at the Invermere Library the last Wednesday of the month.

• 7 p.m.: Play Cribbage at Invermere Seniors Hall, every Wednesday.

ursday, November 29th

• 6 p.m.: Love it Live Music Series at Pynelogs Art Gallery & Cultural Centre features Sultans of String - Christmas Caravan. Opening act Nathan Lamb. Tickets online at columbiavalleyarts.com.

• 6:30 - 9 p.m.: Join Groundswell Network Society for their Mid-Campaign Mingler and Community Potluck at e Mountain Hub in Invermere. is event is being hosted to support their recently launched crowdfunding campaign. Bring a potluck dish along with your questions, ideas and insights. Contact Katrina at 250-409-4195 for more details.

Friday, November 30th

Monday, November 26th

• 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.: Indoor Walking at the Columbia Valley Centre in Invermere every Monday and Wednesday. Indoor shoes required.

• 10 a.m.: Senior Singalong Group meets every Monday at Columbia Garden Village.

• 1:30 p.m.: Carpet Bowling at Invermere Seniors Hall every Monday.

• 7 p.m.: Monday Night Drum Circle at Pynelogs led by Patrick Carrick. $10 if you bring your own drum, $15 if you don’t. Call Patrick for more info 250-409-4110.

• 7 p.m.: Fairmont and District Lions Club meet the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month at the Lions Den.

Tuesday, November 27th

• 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.: Co ee Break at Women’s Resource Centre in Invermere. e last Tuesday of every month.

• 10 a.m.: Fairmont Seniors Club meets at the Lions Den in Fairmont every Tuesday, for Games, Monthly Speakers and fun. Need a ride? Call 250-345-0106.

• 1:30 p.m.: Seniors card games at Radium Hot Springs Centre every Tuesday.

• 1:30 p.m.: Games afternoon at Invermere Seniors Hall every Tuesday.

• 1:30 p.m.: Needles and Hooks Club at the Invermere Library every Tuesday. Refreshments will be supplied.

• 7 p.m.: Wings over the Rockies AGM at Pynelogs Cultural Centre including a presentation by Pat Morrow.

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please

• 4 - 8 p.m.: e 26th annual BIG Christmas Craft Sale at the Columbia Valley Centre featuring all handcrafted items. Live music by Smarty Pants. Also Saturday, December 1st from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

• 4 - 8 p.m.: Friends of the Invermere Library’s ‘Twas the Book Sale Before Christmas in the library’s mezzanine. Also Saturday, December 1st, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

• 6:30 p.m.: Hospice Society of the Columbia Valley’s 5th Annual Tree of Lights, an evening of commemoration and remembrance, in the communities of Canal Flats, Fairmont, Invermere and Radium. $10 per light. Register at the Hospice o ce in Invermere or online at hospicesocietycv.com.

Invermere Library Hours

• Monday to Saturday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

• Wednesday and ursday: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.

• Story Time: ursday 10:30 a.m.

• Baby Goose: Monday 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Radium Hot Springs Library Hours

• Tuesday: 1 - 8 p.m.

• Wednesday and ursday: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

• Friday: 1 - 4 p.m.

• Saturday: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

• Story Time: Wednesday 10 a.m.

Windermere Valley Museum Hours

• Tuesday: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Fuzzy faces

Copper Point Golf Club hosts turkey dinner in support of the local food bank

By Leah Scheitel Special to the Pioneer

e Copper Point Golf Club is mustering all of their energy to make sure no one in the Columbia Valley goes hungry this holiday season. On Sunday, December 2nd , they are hosting their annual Feed the Town event, a family-friendly tradition supporting Columbia Valley Food Bank.

“Feed the Town is a community initiative bringing the entire valley to Copper Point Golf Club for Christmas Dinner in support of the local food bank,” explained Brian Schaal, general manager of the Copper Point Golf Club. “Last year we raised ve or six truck-loads of food and between $2,000 and $3,000 in cash. is year we are hoping to raise six to seven truck-loads of food and $5,000 in cash.”

According to Mr. Schaal, Feed the Town has been an annual holiday tradition since 2004 and has grown every year since then.

“We were always going to support

the community we belong to,” Mr. Schaal said, “Back in 2004 we had an extreme amount of donation requests and we then said, ‘why don’t we just feed the entire town’, which we now do. So along with sponsors such as Gordon Foods, Sysco and Pepsi we are able to feed over 1,000 people [annually].”

e community event is family-orientated, featuring photos with Santa, who will have some toys for children with him, from 1 p.m. until 6 p.m. and a full dinner in the evening. Attendees are asked to bring a non-perishable food item as a donation, but Mr. Schaal said no one will be turned away from the fun.

“Everyone is invited, the more the merrier,” said Schaal, “We ask that you either bring a non-perishable food item or a cash donation if you can.  If you are unable to bring either, no worries, we’ll make sure you have a full belly when you leave.”

Feed the Town takes place from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday, December 2nd. For more information on the event, visit Copperpointgolf.com/feed-the-town.

Aaron Sarson, Matt Shelson, and Franz Grasegger, alongside a couple other employees at Columbia Garden Village, are growing their mustaches long and strong for Movember. ey hope to raise $500 in support of the Canadian Cancer Society. To donate, drop in to Columbia Garden Village.

Photo by Lorene Keitch

Elementary entrepreneurs

By Dauna Ditson reporter@columbiavalleypioneer.com

Don’t let the googly eyes scrunched over their eyelids fool you; the Valley’s newest group of entrepreneurs have a clear-eyed plan to wow the Valley with their wares.

Their new business, Spark, manufactures cards, holi day ornaments and one-of-a-kind snow people.

Making sure “everyone will hear and know about (the business)... is harder than it looks,” said Tess, who is on Spark’s promotion team, as she coloured a poster.

Tyral, one of her partners on the promotion team, asked to be interviewed too and took the opportunity to rave about Spark’s artists.

“It’s cool to see what other people can do. It’s impres sive,” he said.

His favourite design is one his friend Tristen crafted. Tristen made a wooden version of Frosty the Snowman and designed a pipe that looks like smoke is billowing out of it.

Tyral joined the promotions team to broaden his business skills and is enjoying everything he’s learning about marketing.

“I didn’t know what it was about. I wanted to ex plore,” the articulate entrepreneur said.

Spark’s headquarters rang with Christmas carols and chatter as the artists got to work. Some filled clear globes with paint and swirled the paint into bright designs. Oth ers glued arms onto wooden snow people and decorated greeting cards.

“Everything is homemade. We’re entrepreneurs,” Tess said before she and her coworkers blitzed downtown businesses asking to put up their posters.

Spark has a unique business model. No matter how well they do, the company’s first weekend of business may be its last. All efforts are laser focused on preparing for a one-time appearance at The BIG Christmas Craft Sale at the Columbia Valley Centre from November 30th to December 1st, after which the entrepreneurs intend to

focus on other pursuits.

Drae, who is on the event set-up team, said: “It’s not too late to start a business at any time.”

It’s also never too early, said Rhiannon Tutty, Spark’s volunteer business consultant who is an advisor with Sun Life Financial Services Inc. and Tutty Financial.

Ms. Tutty wants to “get them when they’re young” and give children the opportunity to practice what it takes to be successful entrepreneurs. That’s why she is focused on coaching tweens in Cori Wilisky’s grade 5/6 class at J. A. Laird.

The young entrepreneurs picked their company name and are making and marketing Spark’s wares to raise money for their year-end trip. They are also collect ing donations for Mountain Of Hope.

The students are having such a good time building Spark that Ms. Wilisky said it’s like “learning in disguise.”

That learning has yielded real business results. Last year Ms. Wilisky and Ms. Tutty’s class of entrepreneurs raised $1,100 for their efforts.

“It blew me away. It certainly made me want to do this type of learning more frequently,” Ms. Wilisky said, adding that she’s delighted “to see the kids ignited, fired up with real learning and passion.”

Carolyn

Students in Ms. Wilisky’s grade 5/6 class at J.A. Laird prep for the BIG Christmas Craft Fair, happening Friday, November 30th and Saturday, December 1st. Photos by Dauna Ditson

Growing support from the ground up

By Katrina Kellner Director of Partnerships and Development, Ground swell Network Society

In preparation for 2019, Groundswell Network So ciety has launched a Crowdfunding Sustainability Cam paign. We are asking community members and local busi nesses to choose a reward or sponsorship package, from our online campaign, that fits your budget. Campaign pledges will help Groundswell continue to ‘Grow from the Ground Up’. Reward packages range from $10 to $120, while sponsorship packages range from $250 to $1500. For more details you can visit our crowdfunding campaign online at www.startsomegood/groundswellnetwork. There are so many reasons why supporting Groundswell Network Society is an incredible investment. Read on to celebrate with us successes from 2018 that will guide our work going forward.

Our main areas of focus in 2018 included education al programming and community outreach at Groundswell Community Greenhouse and Permaculture Gardens. Mul tiple school groups in the district, including DTSS Chef Training Program participated in hands on learning in our greenhouse, gardens and food forest. Their participation supported Groundswell with garden preparation, compost ing, seeding, transplanting, plant care and harvest. Com munity outreach initiatives included twelve community garden bed rentals, which yielded abundant harvests for participants. Our community programming aligned with on-site innovations offered insights into gardening, seed saving, compost building, food preservation techniques, permaculture, mycology and plant care. A U-pick service, Honesty Box and Harvest-to-Market program, facilitated consistent community access to our fresh, local and organic produce.

New this year for Groundswell was an Apple Rescue program, launched to reduce human/wildlife conflict, support waste di version, and increase local food access. Submitted photo

Groundswell campus itself offers a living showpiece of solutions for sustainability that inspire ongoing learning. Our campus demonstrates multiple rainwater collection techniques including a living wetland, onsite swales and underground cisterns that collect 40,000 litres of rainwater and snow melt annually. Innovations in renewable energy are demonstrated by the use of solar panels which also sup port our solar thermal system, contributing to the season

extending capacity of the greenhouse. This is in alignment with our annualized geo-solar system, which captures and stores hot air in the summer and facilitates warmth inside the facility in colder months. These systems, along with the cold-climate greenhouse design, allow the greenhouse a longer growing season than most. On a cloudy day in mid-November, the interior of the greenhouse still sits at plus 6 degrees Celsius. Fresh herbs, greens and still-ripen ing vegetables are currently available upon request.

Two new programs were developed at Groundswell this year. A Food Preservation Tool Library is now avail able for rent, to promote food security. An Apple Rescue Program in Invermere was launched to reduce human wildlife conflict, support waste diversion, as well as increase local food access and community connectivity. The Apple Rescue Program ran once weekly, from August 28th to September 27th. With the help of 30 volunteers, Ground swell was able to rescue almost 1,600 lbs of apples, at 12 properties, totalling 20 trees. All fruit was dispersed among homeowners, volunteers, service providers, local businesses and individuals. Waste apples were composted and fed to livestock so none of the apples ended up in the landfill.

To support Groundswell’s continuing work in com munity sustainability and resilience, consider donating to our Crowdfunding Sustainability Campaign. We will be hosting a Mid-Campaign Mingler and Community Pot luck on Thursday, November 29th, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at The Mountain Hub, located at 1036 7th Ave. Bring a potluck dish, as well as your questions, ideas and insights. Please consider supporting the work of Groundswell Net work Society into 2019, financially, as a volunteer, or as a patron. To donate or get involved, visit www.startsome good/groundswellnetwork, find us on Facebook, check our website at www.groundswellnetwork.ca or contact Katrina at 250-409-4195.

Winter Car Care

Winter car maintenance tips from OK Tire

As the seasons change so do your car care needs. Cold weather is hard on your vehicle, everything from the engine, tires, battery to the brakes. Let us get your vehicle ready for winter. Below are just a few of the items that need to be checked/maintained to gear your vehicle up for winter.

Tires are an integral part of vehicle safety! ey are the only point of contact your vehicle has with the road. Properly mounted and balanced tires help to ensure you receive the maximum comfort, tread life, and security that quality tires can deliver. ere are many factors to look at when purchasing new tires. What are your personal driving habits? What are you using the vehicle for? e answers to these questions help us, help you, chose the best tire for your needs. ere are some things you can do at home to maintain tire life. It is important to check their pressure monthly to ensure the current in ation matches the speci cations of your vehicle. Improperly maintained tires and TPMS could result in some detrimental e ects on your vehicle’s performance and overall safety such as; irregular tire wear, possible tire failure, reduced fuel economy and decreased handling characteristics of your vehicle.

Did you know your car battery can su er in cold weather? A typical battery can lose voltage at -1° C. A vehicle’s electrical system has three primary components: a battery, starter, and an alternator. All three of these elements need to work together to start and run your car. Routine inspections of the battery, checking the voltage and amperage output or checking for damaged or corroded cables is only part of verifying the charging circuit is in top shape.

A dirty air lter restricts the ow of air into your engine and can cause fuel economy to drop up to 15% or more. Air lters should be replaced at least once per year to ensure the free delivery of clean air to your engine.

Fuel lters can become contaminated with water or restricted by other particles causing other fuel delivery components to work harder to sustain fuel pressure. Late

model vehicles have sealed lters that cannot be inspected and therefore must be replaced at the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended replacement interval.

Cabin air lters were introduced in the last decade to enhance the quality of the air inside your vehicle’s cabin. ese lters remove particles, bacteria, and other items harmful to human respiratory systems. ey can also reduce the impact of reactions to people su ering from allergies.

Windshield wiper blades fail in freezing temperatures. Make sure you are cleaning the ice o your windshield with a window scraper/brush so your wipers don’t wear out faster than necessary.

Regular maintenance such as services, alignments and preventative measures can help make sure that a small problem does not turn into an extensive and costly repair. Book your vehicle in today and make sure your vehicle is ready for the cold weather.

Trust the sta at OK Tire for your winter car maintenance needs including Wayne Shaw, Ryan Floesser, Sandra Shaw, Brandon Shaw, and Jared Oaks. Submitted photo

Winter Car Care

Walker’s o ers warranty work and more

the windows to the wheels and everything

between, look no further than Walker’s

Ltd.

Manager Mike Bidinger says while they o er the whole range of repairs, it is the customer service that drives clients back in again and again.

“We treat everybody that comes in the best that we can,” he says, adding they are honest and give everyone the attention they need when they walk through the door.

Not only do you get an honest job at Walker’s, it could be warranted too. For vehicles up to three years old and under 60,000 km, Walker’s o ers a 10year, 400,000 km warranty as long as owners follow the factory-scheduled maintenance Walker’s outlines.

at includes power train warranties, di erential, transfer case, transmission and engine work. Many car owners are not aware of this, but you do not need to take your vehicle back to the dealership to have it serviced. With a shop like Walker’s, you can keep your warranty and stay in town for your factory-scheduled maintenance, leading to a convenient and guaranteed way to maintain your new car. On top of that great deal, all Walker’s parts have a two-year, 40,000 km labour and parts warranty, valid across North America.

Walker’s is partnered with NAPA AutoPro, meaning they use the high-quality NAPA parts as much as possible. anks to that partnership, Mr. Bidinger says, “it allows us to give the best after-market warranty possible.”

e automotive industry is changing pace rapidly, with mechanics needing to stay on top of the latest in car technology and innovation.

“Cars are a lot more computer-controlled now; they’re not as simple to repair as they used to be,” Mr. Bidinger says. “ ere’s always something new on the horizon.”

at’s why at Walker’s, the mechanics do weekly training to stay up to date.

“We’re constantly looking at di erent courses for the guys to take to keep up,” he explains. “If we run into something where we do have an issue, we specically focus a weekly training on that particular issue.”

Walker’s o ers free services online to help keep your maintenance on-track, including auto maintenance schedules, followed up with friendly reminders to let you know when your vehicle is due for service. ey take the guesswork out and leave you with peace of mind that your car is in tip-top shape. And since they provide you with an estimate in advance, you won’t be left with an unexpected bill amount.

17 . . .

Walker’s sta include (from left) Carson Wright, Arly Franson, Natasha Hewer, John Kennedy, Cody Statham, and manager Mike Bidinger.

‘Walker’s’ from 16

Mr. Bidinger says most car owners neglect servicing. ey will take it somewhere for a fast oil change, and the important regular maintenance checks get ignored. at leads to major breakdowns and big bills for car owners. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure

when it comes to cars.

“Regardless of how much or little you drive a vehicle, a semi-annual vehicle inspection to look at brakes, look at the suspension, any leaks or anything like that, can de nitely help to reduce a major breakdown,” he urges. “See a mechanic shop twice a year to regain peace of mind.”

Make winter driving easier

By ICBC

Winter driving can be challenging for even the most experienced drivers. Poor visibility and the presence of snow, slush and ice are additional hazards we normally don’t have to deal with. Having the correct tires can make driving in winter conditions easier.

Both the all-season Mud and Snow (M+S) tires and the mountain/snow ake tires meet the requirements for winter tire designation in B.C. To be considered a winter tire, a M+S or a mountain/snowake tire must also have at least 3.5mm of tread depth. Tell your local tire retailer what kind of road and weather conditions you drive in, so you get tires that are best suited for your needs.

All-season M+S (Mud and Snow) tires: M+S tires are a safe option if you only encounter winter conditions on a limited basis and are prepared to drive with added care and caution if winter conditions are encountered.

Mountain/snow ake tires: If you live or travel in an area where you would normally and regularly expect snow, ice and slush, we recommend using four matched winter tires that carry the mountain/snowake symbol. Mountain/snow ake tires o er a higher level of traction in harsh winter conditions, and receive their special designation for adhering to a performance-based standard (developed by the U.S. Rubber Manufacturers Association and the Rubber Association of Canada). ey are the best winter tires available.

Most of us only encounter winter conditions such as ice, slush, or hardpacked snow on a limited basis. With this in mind, good quality all-season M+S tires may be ne for you. However, if you live in an area that regularly receives snow, go skiing often or enjoy other winter sports, your vehicle should be out tted with four mountain/snow ake winter tires.

Certain highways in B.C. require cars and light trucks to use winter tires from October 1st to March 31st. Signs are posted on these designated highways to advise drivers where and when winter tires are required. Vehicles not equipped with winter tires are prohibited from travelling past the signs. ese routes are on the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure website.

Driving without winter tires won’t

mean you’re automatically at-fault in a crash. However, if you get in a crash where winter tires could have helped, not having them may a ect whether, or how much, you are at-fault.

As a tire’s tread wears away, its traction, cornering and braking are less reliable. Most tires have tread wear indicator bars moulded into the tread face. It’s time to replace your tires when the tread wear indicators in any two adjacent grooves of the tread are contacting the road.

Regardless of season, ensure you maintain the same type of tires (i.e. summer, winter or all-season tires) on all four wheels — particularly for all-wheel drive, fourwheel drive and SUVs. Because acceleration, braking and cornering require a coordinated e ort from all four tires, substituting tires that di er in design, construction or their intended use can upset this balance.

If you need more information, check with your local tire retailer, your vehicle owner’s manual or with the vehicle manufacturer.

Keeping your tires properly in ated is the single most important part of tire care. at’s why we recommend you regularly monitor the air pressure in your tires. A tire that is improperly in ated is prone to irregular wear, poor handling, traction loss and reduced tread life.

e maximum in ation pressure can be found on the side of your tire. is is not necessarily the correct in ation level for your tires; always refer to the in ation level recommended by the vehicle manufacturer. is can usually be found in your owner’s manual, posted on the edge of the driver’s door or inside the glove box door.

Only check your tire pressure when the tires are cold. You should also take into account the temperature outdoors, as this directly a ects tire pressure. Pressure drops in colder conditions.

Properly storing your winter tires will ensure they last longer and are ready to go for the next season. Winter tires should be placed in a cool, dark, and dry indoor location. Store them away from electric motors, since the ozone produced by electric motors can damage the tire rubber.

If you are going to store tires while they are still mounted on wheels, the tire pressure should be reduced to 15 pounds per square inch and re-in ated when you mount them on your vehicle.

Winter Car

Top quality service at K-5 Mechanical

keep it running in a small town environment, which is di erent than a bigger centre,” says Richard.

ning

ing

Fred Kinsey

o small back in 1993,

friends’ and neighbour’s

Today, K-5, an Integra Tire centre, is an established Athalmer business,

chanical

ering full-service

takes a long time to get a good business

Fred says, adding that it was 10 to 15 years before the automotive shop “really started to turn over.”

But Fred’s patience and perseverance paid o . Twenty- ve years since he struck out on his own, his team is up to six employees, including his wife Wendy and his son Richard. His customers are like family too, with many of his original customers continuing to pull in for all their automotive needs.

Richard has been working with his father full time for the last 16 years. e shop has seen a steady progression over the years with Fred con rming that each year has been better than the last and with Richard on board, and in line to takeover the shop someday, K-5 has a promising future.

“I love to be able to work in the small town I grew up in — I was born in Invermere so all the way through I was able to know the people I worked with and to

Photo by Lorene Keitch

Richard said there’s “no intimidation factor” at K-5 Mechanical and that he and the other employees are committed to being friendly and transparent and to keeping all costs out in the open.

Fred said K-5 Mechanical also works to get vehicles in and out as fast as they can so that customers can get back on the road quickly. Depending on the amount of work required, K-5 Mechanical services ve to 15 vehicles a day.

K-5 di ers in its style of customer service by implementing a business model that is slightly di erent from its competitors.

“Lots of places are booking two and three weeks ahead of time and we don’t like doing that. We try and work on a weekly schedule so we can get to those repairs as quick as we can. We have lots of response from people in Canal Flats all the way to Edgewater and people in those areas recommend us to the tourists,” said Fred.

Customers are the highlight of the business for the family and they enjoy daily interactions while helping them get back on the road.

“We meet lots of good customers, even people that are passing through, we get to be friends with a lot of them and we try to make their situation into a better situation,” said Fred.

Fred,Wendy, and Richard Kinsey in front of K-5 Mechanical.

– in the –MOUNTAINS

Saturday, November 24th, 10 am – 6 pm

WILMER COMMUNITY HALL 9179 West Avenue

Wilmer Community Club

Submitted by Windermere Minor Hockey Society

Last week, the Senior Girls Hockey team had an excellent weekend, winning two games.  ey won 6-4 over Siksika, and 6-4 over Canmore. Naomi Gervais scored her rst goal on Sunday, and both Tasha Barsby and Kyra Doehle had hat tricks. Coral Eccles was strong in net.  is past weekend, Canmore beat the girls 3-2 in a very close game. Kyra Doehle and Tasha Barsby scored the goals and Soren Douglas received the Hard Hat for her excellent play.

Peewee A team travelled to Revelstoke for a tournament where they played against some tough competition, including two tier 3 teams. ey nished the tournament with a record of 1-3.

e Peewee B team travelled to Canal Flats where they played a tough Fernie team.  e game was close until midway, when Fernie exploded. Tobias Andruschuk scored the team’s rst goal, and then Bryce Nicholas-Hall scored his rst goal ever. is was an early birthday present for Bryce. Jessie MacIntosh was extremely busy in goal, with many saves.

e Atom team travelled to Salmon Arm where they also met some sti competition. ey lost to Summerland and Mission, then almost beat Sicamous, losing 6-5.  ey won their last game against Kamloops 8-2. Players of the games were Cohen Lawrick, Chase Kinsey, Tobin Donahue, and Ryker Chasse. During the tournament, Ryker and Tobin each had a hat trick and other goals. Lane Warriner and Jake Gramlich each scored 3 goals and Chase had one.

e Novice Rockies hockey team hosted their home tournament this past weekend which saw the White Team undefeated in 4 games and the Blue Team won 2 of their 4 games, only losing by one goal each game. Shout

outs to goalies Myan Twogood and Nicholas Buttle for their outstanding play keeping the pucks out of the net! A big thanks to coaches, volunteers and sponsors who all made this tournament a huge success.

e Bantam team had two games on the weekend.  e rst was played in Cranbrook where they won handily.  Goals were scored by Connor VonNiesen, Carson Je erson, Carter Digney, Evan Tsiladis, Brydon Flemming, Jake Bradley, and Braydon Mastronni (2), making it a real team e ort. e second game was not as easy.  It was against Trails West from Calgary, and the team won 3-0, with the last goal being an empty net goal.  Parker Nichol got the shutout, with help from his defensive crew of Ryan Neal, Ayden Taylor, Carson Je erson, Baylon Douglas, Jake Bradley, and   Braxton Guilford. Parker was the Player of the Game.

The Christmas Bureau of the Columbia Valley is a non-pro t organization that provides assistance to families in need over Christmas. Everyone should be able to celebrate the season without the added stress and nancial burden that often comes with it, so each family is provided a grocery gift card, a small box of “goodies” and a gift for children aged 12 and under and a gift certi cate for teen 12 thru 18. In order to do this, the generous support of Columbia Valley community is needed. There are a variety of ways you can help:

1. Sponsor an individual or family (or families) at a cost of $75-$225/ family depending on the family size. This means you provide the funds to cover the cost of the grocery gift card and also assemble a wrapped gift box of goodies (shoe-box size). If you are unable to assemble the gift box, there is an option to provide an additional $25 to cover that cost.

2. Make a at donation to the Christmas Bureau.

3. If you are not able to provide funds to cover the cost of the grocery certicate but you want to help, you may choose to donate a box of “goodies”.

4. Donate any items that would be suitable to enclose in a gift box, such as candy, baking, toothbrushes, soaps, dish/face cloths, games, puzzles, crayons, coloring books, scratch tickets, homemade items, etc. These items will then be used by the volunteers to make “goodie” boxes for any unsponsored families.

5. Visit one of the Angel trees at Dairy Queen, Fields or Red Apple, pick up a tag and purchase a gift for a child and/or senior. Return wrapped and labeled gifts to the store by December 14th.

Email cvcb@shaw.ca or call Angie at 250-342-2611 to advise how you would like to support or if you have any questions.

If you are a family in need of support over the Christmas season, registration forms

Shuswap

Soren Douglas with the Senior Girls in their game against Canmore.

Submitted photo

e Columbia Valley Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors would like to invite you to our rst...

Mix, Mingle & Jingle

Tuesday, December 4, 2018 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. CVCC/Lions Hall, 651 Hwy 93/93, Invermere BC

is will be fun FREE interactive event where you can learn about all the bene ts of Chamber Membership while sharing some appies and holiday cheer with members and guests. Register now at www.cvchamber.ca

e Novice Rockies team hosted their home tournament last weekend at Eddie Mountain Memorial Arena. Submitted photo

Year-end

By Laurie Klassen, Executive Director Columbia Valley Community Foundation

through Columbia Valley Community Foundation

Autumn. It is a time of transition from summer to winter, a time when we re ect how fortunate we are – for our health, friends and family – and to consider ways that we can give back to causes close to our hearts.

In the not-for-pro t world, charitable giving is often referred to as ‘philanthropy’ – a word many of us associate with the wealthy. In reality, there is no dollar amount connected to the word. Anyone can be a philanthropist. We give what we can, where we can, as often as we can.

As we approach the holiday season, our mailboxes will soon be lling up with year-end giving appeals. With

so many worthwhile causes to consider, deciding which one, or ones, to support can be challenging. When you give a gift to your local community foundation, you aren’t just giving money – you are making a di erence in our community. Here are some considerations for your year-end gift:

What are you passionate about? Do health and wellness organizations top your list? e environment? Or are you a lover of the arts? e community foundation can help you create a giving plan to help you think strategically about how you give.

Include your loved ones. Charitable giving provides an opportunity to teach your children, grandchildren and others close to you about the needs within our com-

munity and causes you care about. Providing them with your insight and the importance of giving back will instill a value in them that will last a lifetime.

What can I give? Gifts can be made now or planned for the future. ere are many ways to support the causes you care about. ese can include cash, cheques, stock, life insurance policies and estate gifts (through wills). Advisors (accountants, nancial advisors, lawyers) can help with the impact on your taxes and estate.

Your Community Foundation helps people like you enrich the lives of others in a meaningful manner. To donate or to learn about creating your legacy through the community foundation contact Laurie at laurie@valleyfoundation.ca or at 250-342-2845.

Berg, Dylan Russell

1982-2018

Dylan died on November 16, 2018 at 1:15 a.m. at Victoria Hospice from cancer caused by Human Papillo mavirus (HPV). He was surrounded by friends and family as he requested. He was 36 years old.

Dylan was born on September 30,1982 in Hazelton, British Columbia but lived most of his life in Victoria. Prior to his death he was studying Applied Chemistry and Microbiology at Camosun College with the intention of going into Nuclear Medicine. He had a keen intellect and was well read.

Dylan was an ardent atheist. He had a passion for cooking, loved heavy metal music, travel, spending time with friends and maintaining his fitness. He obtained a brown belt in Kyokushin Karate.

Dylan is survived by his mother Gail Berg of Windermere, father T. Bell (estranged) of Telkwa,B.C., brother Jesse Berg (Karen and Ruben) of Kimberley and brother Aaron Bell of North Vancouver. Dylan also has a broad extended family spread across North America.

The services provided by Victoria Hospice were crucial in maintaining his independence and quality of life as his disease progressed. We would also like to thank Dylan’s community of friends and all of our friends and family for their caring and compassionate help during his journey.

There will be a wake in Victoria some time in December.

Vandonselaar, Kodyn “Ko”

Herman

1933 – 2018

Kodyn was born on July 27, 1933 in Eindhoven, Netherlands. He arrived in Edmonton with his family as an immigrant in 1959 and worked as a salesman in Edmonton prior to studying at the University of Alberta where he obtained his PhD in Psychology. Once he obtained his degree, Ko started working as a student counselor in Edmonton and Vermilion and then went on to teaching psychology at the University of Saskatchewan. While in Vermilion, Ko met and married his wife Margaret. Ko had a love of classical music, sports, crosswords and reading all his life until he developed Parkinson’s disease in 2005. In 2015 Ko move to Columbia House in Invermere where he was well cared for until his passing on Sunday, November 11, 2018 at 85 years of age.

Ko is survived by his loving wife Margaret, his children Herman Vandonselaar, Marjola Muellner, Monique Vandonselaar and Ralph Vandonselaar, his grandchildren Nicole, Jesamyn, Sola, Kaleigh, Sarah, Erik and Patrick, and is predeceased by his brothers Jan, Hans and Frank.

Ko requested there be no funeral service. Those wishing to make a memorial donation in his honour may do so to Columbia House Healing Garden at www.cohogarden.org.

Arrangements entrusted to McPherson Funeral Service. Condolences for the family can be offered at www.mcphersonfh.com

S IN MEMORIAM S

Hilda Brown

1927 – 2016 Mom,

Two years have passed, and tears still fall when we think of you. But we have such wonderful memories of a Mom so strong and true. We miss you so much! Love you Mom. Your Family

ANNOUNCEMENT

Alcoholics Anonymous. If alcohol is causing problems or con ict in your life, AA can help. All meetings are at 8 p.m. For more information, please call 250342-2424. Columbia United AA, Invermere: Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday, and Wednesday at the BC Service Building, South End –624 4th St., Invermere. Thursday at the Firehall Building, 8853 Grainger Rd., Canal Flats. Radium Friendship Group: Friday at the Catholic Church, East Side of Main St. With the exception of Tuesday, all meetings are open.

Al-Anon. Are you concerned about or a ected by someone else’s drinking? If so, please join us. Al-Anon meets EVERY Monday in Invermere at 7:15 p.m., at the Canadian Martyrs Catholic Church, 712 – 12th Ave (behind the Invermere hospital). For information, please call 250342-8255.

Narcotics Anonymous. If Drugs or Alcohol are causing problems or con ict in your life, NA can help. All meetings are at 7 p.m. every Thursday at 4878 Athalmer Rd.

CHEERS & JEERS

Cheers to ALL who participated at our fabulous Survivor Event on Saturday night at the Wilmer Community Hall. It was a blast! Cheers to those who donated door prizes - and especially to our larger than life MC - Wilmer’s own - Bill Cropper, who kept the program going with air! See you next year!

CHEERS & JEERS

Cheers to the Horsethief Pub in Radium and our waitress Vicki. Amazing service, awesome food and always smiling! You make our Friday nights fun. Much appreciated!

Cheers to Mike and his crew at Mr. Tire for year, after year, after year, providing a superb level of service to all of us in the Valley.

Cheers to Windermere Real Storage. Tracey you are amazing, much appreciation for everything you do.

Cheers to all those that donated and bought pies to support the Edgewater Church Guild. Without your support we would struggle to keep the little church in Edgewater operating.

A huge Cheers to Sobeys, No Frills, Mountainside Market and Pip’s Country Store for their generous donation to the Edgewater Church Guild which helped in our fundraiser of selling pies. Also, to those that bought or donated money. This is tremendous and it helps us to keep the little heritage church operating.

Cheers to the Invermere Cadet Squadron on Remembrance Day and at the Legion. Each of you were disciplined, respectful, helpful and a ne legacy to honour veterans.

Cheers to the community and area of Edgewater, such a great turnout for Remembrance Day! Big Cheers to everyone who stepped up and helped the Legion during a “hiccup” for the dinner! Cheers to the Volunteers and support from everyone for making the whole event such a success! You are all appreciated. Special Cheers to Mrs. Rogers and the 2 Cadets who rang the church bells at sundown, the bugler Samuel, the bagpiper, the Lost Bells, and the Cadets who laid the ags!

CHEERS & JEERS

Cheers to Garett Brockmeyer and Eric Vanderkruk for being good Samaritans and helping an old guy when he slipped o the road in Wilmer on November 14th. Much appreciated!

CHEERS & JEERS

Huge CHEERS to Donald MacDonald our local Denturist. He truly cares about his patients and providing quality dentures, good t and fair price. Don, our community is lucky to have you.

Cheers to Elevation Massage for providing such a wonderful working environment! I’m so proud to be working with such a professional and kind team of people. I genuinely love coming to work.

Huge Cheers to the ladies at United Dance! You provide such a positive, fun and exciting environment for the dancers to learn. It really shows that you put your heart into teaching the kids!

Jeers to the over hard egg complainer! How fortunate for you to have the luxury of frequenting the local establishments on a regular basis. May all your problems be so small and all your eggs be over easy!

Cheers to the sta of local establishments that even though overworked, underpaid and shorthanded still attempt to go above and beyond for their customers...most of whom are very appreciative!

Cheers to Chris, the best patient ever, for both bringing me back shortbread from Scotland and resisting eating it until your appointment. You made my day!

Huge Cheers to AG Valley Foods for donating gift cards to Columbia Garden Village’s Bingo. Under the “G” for GREAT!

Cheers to Rocky River Grill for their superb service for the surprise birthday party we had there November 16th. Service was fast, food hot and delicious. Best sh and chips anywhere! Everyone was very happy with their menu choices. Cheers to Nicole; excellent job, well done!

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

Instill Yoga Therapy Do you want to live with less or no pain, feel stronger, and return to the hobbies and active lifestyle that you love? Give yoga and movement therapy a try!

Sharyl Paull, BA C-IAYT www.instillyoga.com sharyl@instillyoga.com

Sponsored by

CHEERS & JEERS

Cheers to the “Driveway” insert feature that relayed useful information to seniors: “Vision greatly affects driving ability”.

A playful Jeers to the font size; which was too small for many seniors with deteriorating visual acuity to decipher. My daughter read the article to me instead. It’s a good thing the font on the car sale ads was large enough for squinty old me.

Cheers for my faith and ho’oponoopono, helps me forgive- or for starters be willing to be willing to forgive you for stealing money from me; I earned it, had commitments to keep. If you needed help you could have asked. You know me, you know that. Praying your life feels different, lighter, safer for you. Who knows where the money tree is? I’m looking to make up the loss.

Three Cheers to the kind customer in the Thrift store who found my lost keys and the wonderful staff who returned them to me.

Mega CHEERS to Dave the Purolator delivery man. Not only is he always so kind and happy, but he goes out of his way to make things easier for the people/businesses of the valley! Much appreciated Dave, keep up the amazing work.

CHEERS to teachers Christa Stimming, Katie Niddrie & Andrea Jacobson for coming out to their students Novice Rockies tournament on Friday to cheer them on! Best teachers EVER!

Cheers to everyone that came out and supported all the businesses for Light Up. And to Elizabeth for helping out.

Huge Cheers to Mark Topliff our awesome bylaw officer. Mark heard that there was a gentleman with Alzheimer’s who may have wandered from home in CastleRock. Mark not only drove around all through the neighbourhood but also walked trails around the neighbourhood looking for him. Wow!

Cheers to Mrs. Verge for her Cinderella slippers and mittens for the hospital. There will be lots of warm tootsies and toes this winter. Big thumbs up.

CHEERS & JEERS

Cheers to Peter Banga and the Invermere Bakery for providing tasty treats for our volunteers at the flu clinics.

Jeers to the scoundrel who took Gumby and Pokey from my car last week. You are a Block Head and bad karma is real. Drop them in the Library book drop when you want your life to get better; no questions asked.

Cheers to Sara at Lambert Insurance for walking us through the maze of ICBC requirements when we moved from Alberta recently. We appreciated your patience and kindness so much!

STORAGE

NEWHOUSE STORAGE

Various sizes available. Now with climate-controlled units. Call 250-342-3637.

STORAGE SPACE – assorted sizes, easy access, immediate availability, long-term or short-term. Deck Properties Warehouse, Industrial Park: 250342-3166.

SUITE FOR RENT

2-bdrm suite close to downtown. N/S, N/P, Cable, utilities and W/D included. $900/mo. References D/D and lease required. Available Dec 1/18. Call 250-342-6480.

HOUSE FOR RENT

Very nice 3-bdrm, 2 bath home. Short term month to month, January to May. Five months or portion thereof. All-inclusive except Hydro, $2,200/mo, 250688-0379.

Yearly House Rental in Fairmont, $1,600/mo plus utilities.

Available December 1st. Newly renovated 3-bdrm, 2 bathroom single family home. Single under drive garage and new electric heat exchange system. Includes appliances F/S/D and W/D. Water softener and R/O unit. E-mail girldale@hotmail. com or text 403-863-5798. Sorry, no children or pets.

Newly renovated, 2-bdrm home with large back yard and decks. New bathroom, new kitchen/ appliances. N/S, N/P. Walking distance to downtown. Call/text 250-342-5685. $1400/mo heat included. Available immediately.

CHEERS & JEERS

Cheers to all the volunteers at the flu clinics.

CONDO FOR RENT

For rent in Radium, 2-bdrm, 4 bath, ground level condo. Beautiful views backs on to Springs Golf course. All appliances, fireplace, fully furnished. 2 car garage. N/S, N/P, references please. $1,650/mo, call 250-342-3790.

MISC. FOR SALE

Massage Table. 24”x69” with head rest. Dark blue, sturdy and in excellent condition. $150. Call 250-345-0065.

LOT/ACREAGE FOR SALE

ELKHORN COUNTRY ESTATES

Only 1 acreage left in phase 2, 5.3 acres, water well up to 30 gallons per minute, no building commitment. $199,000 + GST. Phone Elkhorn Ranch 250-342-1268. www.elkhornranches.com.

FIREWOOD

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

Pine Firewood. Pine available. Call 250-342-1586.

Dry Pine firewood $250/cord delivered. Dry Fir firewood $300/ cord delivered. Contact 250-6880373.

SERVICES

THE HEARTFELT COMPANION: Services for Seniors

Non-medical care, meal prep, transportation, outings and companionship with seniors living at home, Ivy House, Columbia House or Columbia Gardens. Excellent references and credentials. Leanne Brooks 250-341-5683, invermerehomecare.com for more info.

Heaven’s Best Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Environmentally friendly products. Dry in 1 hour! Call 250-688-0213 or visit www.heavensbest.ca.

SERVICES

Shannon’s Blinds & Designs

Thank you for your votesBest of Business Awards! Blinds, Drapery, Phantom Screens & more 250-342-5749, shannonsblinds@yahoo.ca.

B.B.’s Home & Lawn Care Services: Eavestroughs to fall clean-up, tree cutting, deck repairs, roofs, moves, blinds-installation. Handyman services. Book now for snow removal. 250-6882897 or 403-861-8782.

HELP WANTED

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 year’s 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.

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.

Strands Old House Restaurant is accepting applications for a full-time chef. Experience in casual fine dining an asset. Evenings and weekends. Apply to Tony Wood at tony@ strandsrestaurant.com or 250342-6344.

HELP WANTED

Big Horn Cafe, Radium is expanding the baking team and we are looking for full-time Assistant Baker. No evenings, flexible hours, potential for medical and dental benefits, we will train. Competitive wages. Apply to bighorncafe1@ outlook.com or 778-527-5005.

Annual General Meeting

Timber Ridge Property Owners Association Property Manager

IMMEDIATE OPENING

Reporting to the Timber Ridge Property Owners Association (TRPOA) President, the Property Manager is a contracted position, responsible for the day-to-day year-round preservation, security, maintenance and repair of the Timber Ridge Community assets and common areas. Peak activity times are generally April through October, December and March. However, this is a year-round position, requiring an individual and TRPOA approved contractors working or on-call, to be available 365-days of the year. As the Property Manager, you will hire and oversee approved Timber Ridge contractors, and approved sub-contractors hired to work on behalf of TRPOA and Terridian Utilities Ltd., on an as needed basis, for project-speci c common area work.

Ideal candidates will have a strong maintenance and operations background, preferably in a service-oriented setting. Your ability to get the job done, while, at the same time, getting to know Timber Ridge residents makes you the perfect candidate. Previous training and education will include a combined experience and/or certi cates/tickets to support a yearround residential and recreational common property. You are well-versed in using tact and diplomacy to describe and follow best practices, while communicating with many different personalities. Previous experience, where an individual has been required to work an unconventional schedule at times, needing to be on-call, is a t. This position is a lifestyle not a “job”. Basic construction, landscape and mechanical maintenance knowledge/ training is an asset. *Upon request, a more detailed position description, can be emailed.

Interested applicants, may submit a resume and cover letter, telling

about themselves and why they are the best person for the position, no later than November

including wage

the bakery

We

peter@Invermerebakery.com www.invermerebakery.com

Member Service Representative

Invermere/Radium, BC

The bird is the word: 2018 wetlands survey results

Submitted by Wildsight

We’re

Radium

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Please visit the

at www.kscu.com

Invermere

e results of the fall 2018 Columbia Wetlands Waterbird Survey (CWWS) are in! With the highest bird counts since the project’s inception in 2015, and with the largest number of volunteers participating, this was Wildsight Golden’s most successful round of waterbird counts! Taking place during bird migration, 102 citizen-scientists observed birds from 105 survey stations located between Canal Flats and Donald. With each survey period lasting three hours, more than 56,000 birds were counted on three survey dates! e CWWS ground-based survey area is only able to cover about 40% of the Columbia Wetlands, therefore many more birds were likely to be present in the entire wetland ecosystem. e previous CWWS record was made during the fall of 2016 with a count of 51,347 birds.

vice, as well as with a Masters student from Simon Fraser University. Together they are working to extrapolate some of the bird data that has been collected so that population estimates for some species can be formed in order to provide estimates for the entire ecosystem, not just the CWWS survey area. If the IBA status is obtained, the wetlands will become part of the globally-based IBA program. is will show the world that the Columbia Wetlands holds important conservation value and needs to be recognized internationally in terms of its habitat value to birds.

“After our great success this past spring of having the highest spring bird counts to date [48,264 birds], it is fantastic to have that followed by the project’s highest overall counts to date!”

Rachel Darvill, CWWS Program Biologist

e overarching goal of the CWWS project is to involve community members in a science initiative and use resulting baseline data to nominate the Columbia Wetlands into the ‘Important Bird and Biodiversity Area’ (IBA) program. “After ve years of consecutive data collection, we will create a report and subsequent IBA application, which will highlight speci c bird species counts that may be high enough to enable the wetlands to be designated as an IBA,” stated CWWS Program Biologist Rachel Darvill.

Some of the more interesting results from this past fall include the highest single day count on October 5th with 19,929 individual birds. e highest single day count for an individual species was 6,495 American Coots on October 5th. Additional high counts included 6,080 American Wigeons counted on October 15th, 2,806 Mallards on October 5th, and 241 Long-billed Dowitchers on October 5th. Some counts for provincially-listed at-risk birds were also submitted, including 82 Horned/Eared Grebes on October 15th, 42 Great Blue Herons on September 29th, 19 Western Grebes on October 5th, and 8 Surf Scoters on September 29th.

As

Seeking a Dynamic Executive Director

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“After our great success this past spring of having the highest spring bird counts to date [48,264 birds], it is fantastic to have that followed by the project’s highest overall counts to date!” stated Mr. Darvill. “I am continuously amazed and grateful for the large number of people that are dedicated to counting and identifying birds in the Columbia Wetlands through this project. We are learning so much about bird use and distribution in the Columbia Wetlands through voluntary citizen-science e orts.”

Ms. Darvill is currently working with Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Canadian Wildlife Ser-

e CWWS continues to be an excellent avenue for people to become more familiar with the Columbia Wetlands and the signi cant biodiversity values found within, and to become more knowledgeable about local bird species. Are you keen to join the fun and participate in the waterbird surveys? If so, next year will be your last chance before we nominate the Columbia Wetlands as an ‘Important Bird and Biodiversity Area’ (IBA) at the end of 2019, using data collected through this project.

ere will be free bird ID training sessions and a limited amount of optical equipment lent to volunteers in need.

e 2019 survey dates are April, 3rd, 10th & 16th and September 29th, October 5th & 15th. Email CWWS Program Biologist at racheldarvill@gmail.com to register, or for more details.

Holiday traditions at the library

By Friends of the Library

e Friends of the Library are continuing their tradition of staging Christmas holiday fundraising events to support the Library. First o the mark is the Silent Auction. For many years library patrons have lled much of their shopping list with interesting items o ered at the auction. Once again the Friends have collected an eclectic variety of items, all donated by generous Library supporters. Visitors to the Library can bid on things for children, useful and decorative household items, Christmas decorations, books and much more.

e Friends are very pleased to showcase the auction in a very creative way this year. ey are

most grateful to Ginny and Bob Walker who researched and created a shelving system for the display. e Silent Auction starts on Friday, November 23rd at noon and closes on Saturday, December 8th at noon.

e Friends will also present the fourth annual ‘Twas the Book Sale before Christmas. e sale features gently used Christmas and holiday books as well as books that are ideal for gifts. e book sale takes place in the Lion’s Den, adjacent to the library at the same time as the BIG Christmas Craft Sale in the main hall of the Columbia Valley Centre. Don’t miss ‘Twas the Book Sale before Christmas on Friday, November 30th, 4 – 8 p.m. and Saturday, December 1st, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Photos by Dauna Ditson

Light Up 2018 last Saturday, November 17th was a spec tacular

Christmas season,

horse-drawn

BEY ND THE BLUE LINE

The

Valley Thunder Cats in an away game

Mountain

p.m.

Friday, November 16th with a

the Castlegar Rebels Saturday, November 17th 4-2. Next game

against the Fernie Ghostriders. Come cheer on your

Photos by Amanda Nason

Invermere resident Darryl Stettler has been busy in Switzer land for his season’s hockey con tract. Recently, his team played China’s Olympic team, winning 5-4.

“I think China was expecting to beat us easily, but we won,” Mr. Stettler told the Pioneer. “I was lucky to be playing on the second line the whole game.”

Team China’s hockey team is training in Switzerland right now, preparing for when they host the winter Olympics.

Mr. Stettler is being traded to the Reinach Red Lions in the First

League on the Eastern Division group.

“It’s a much better deal for me,” he says. “Here I should be able to play a lot more in games.”

His contract goes to the end of the season. He’s also signed with another team on the B license called Boll Chiefs in the 2nd League, and will play for them whenever there is no game with the Reinach Red Lions.

“I am playing more than a lot of hockey at the moment. The ex perience is more than I have ever dreamed of and (I’m) so grateful for it.”

e greatest gift of all

By Pastor Wayne Frater Radium Christian Fellowship Church

We are into the count down, a couple of weeks ago we set aside some time and remembered the sacrice of brave men and women who gave the ultimate sacri ce so we can have the freedoms we enjoy today. We now look forward to the day we set aside to remember the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who in time gave us the ultimate sacri ce so we can have a relationship with our Creator. We look forward to celebrate Christmas in remembrance of the giving of the greatest gift mankind could receive.

Our God is a giving God, His very nature is giving, John 3:16 tells us “For God so loved the world that He gave.”

Who did He give? “His only begotten Son.”

Why did He give? So “that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

is everlasting life, this salvation can only happen if we believe in who Jesus is and what He did for us, what He did for all of mankind.

Ephesians 2:4-10  “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,  even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),  and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,  that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.  For by grace

you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,  not of works, lest anyone should boast.  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

Christmas time, a time to re ect on Christmas past, a time to plan for Christmas future, but most important to celebrate Christmas present with remembering the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

I am going to conclude with Paul’s prayer to the Ephesians in chapter 3 verses 16-21: “that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be lled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

at was Paul’s prayer for then, and it is my prayer for now.

Just a reminder on Saturday November 24th in some of the valley churches, groups of believers will be gathering to pray and fast. You can contact me at (250) 342 6633 for more information.

And on Saturday December 1st Blessings rift Store in Radium would like to give back to the community with “Turkey and a Bun” at 7553 Main Street West, Radium from 12 p.m. until we run out of meat. We appreciate the support we have received  and want to BLESS YOU. Come on out!

LAKE WINDERMERE ALLIANCE CHURCH

Sunday, November 25, 10:30 am CELEBRATION SUNDAY, “Revelation 101” Pastor Matt Moore ministering. e Lord’s Supper will be served. “K.I.D.S.” Church during the Morning Service. 326 - 10th Avenue, Invermere 250-342-9535 • o ce@lwac.ca • www.lwac.ca

WINDERMERE VALLEY SHARED MINISTRY ANGLICAN-UNITED

Worship every Sunday, 10:30 a.m. Children & Youth Sunday School at 10:30 a.m. Christ Church Trinity, Invermere 1st and 3rd Sunday, March - December 9 a.m.: All Saint’s, Edgewater 2nd Sunday, 7 p.m.: June - October at St. Peter’s Windermere Reverend Laura Hermakin 110 - 7th Avenue, Invermere 250-342-6644 • www.wvsm.ca

VALLEY CHRISTIAN ASSEMBLY

Sunday 10 a.m.: Worship Services. Pastor Murray Wittke 4814 Highway Drive, Windermere 250-342-9511 • www.valleychristianonline.com

ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

Saturday, 4:30 p.m.: St. Anthony’s, Canal Flats. Saturday, 5 p.m. and Sunday, 9 a.m.: Canadian Martyrs’ – Invermere Sunday, 11 a.m.: St. Joseph’s – Radium. Father Jojo Augustine • 712 -12th Ave., Invermere 250-342-6167

ST. PETER’S LUTHERAN MISSION OF INVERMERE

Lay Worship Services, Sundays at 1:30 p.m. Christ Church Trinity, 110 - 7th Ave., Invermere (Small Chapel) Pastor Doug Lutz, 250-464-0100 Email: 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

Photo by Je Konchak

Turkey-on-a-Bun

Winter Festival to take over Fairmont Hot Springs Resort

By Leah Scheitel Special to the Pioneer

Fairmont Hot Springs Resort is get ting into the holiday mood in prepara tion of their annual celebration Holiday Lights and Winter Nights Festival. The third annual event is a community-based holiday celebration.

Ainsley Machan, special events coor dinator for Fairmont Hot Springs Resort, says the event started as a way to create a winter wonderland and has grown from there.

“We wanted to celebrate the winter holiday and bring people together,” Ms. Machan said. “Every year we have been growing our light display here at Fair mont Hot Spring Resort. We decided to transform this light display into a ‘Hol iday Lights and Winter Nights Festival’ that we have been running for the last three years.”

The holiday lights used for the fes tival are the sparkling attraction, us ing roughly 2,000 strands of lights and 50,000 individual bulbs. Adding to the festive decorations are 27 décor animals, 19 starbursts and over 30 snowflakes.

Ms. Machan said the lights are just one attraction to the festival, which also features a variety of other indoor and outdoor activities.

“This year’s Holiday Lights and Winter Nights Festival will include the lighting of the outdoor Christmas tree, Santa’s cabin and Santa’s Sleigh at 6 p.m. followed by our Santa Social with hot chocolate and roasting marshmal low,” Ms. Machan explained, “We will also have photos with Santa along with our Holiday Market, Maple Taffy in the Snow, a Games Room and Craft Room along with our Elf Bed Time Story at 8:30 p.m.”

Along with all of the activities, there will be a Winter Market set up, featuring local vendors, for anyone looking to do

some Christmas shopping. The “winter wonderland” event is free for everyone in the community to enjoy and is set for Wednesday, November 28th, from 5 un til 8 p.m.

Fairmont Hot Springs Resort is also offering photos with Santa on December 8th, 15th, and 22nd, along with some other holiday-themed events.

“We will also be hosting a variety of different activities throughout Decem ber which will be posted on our website shortly,” said Ms. Machan.

For more information on the Holi day Lights and Winter Nights Festival or any of the other events at Fairmont Hot Springs Resort this December, visit their website at www.Fairmonthotsprings. com.