Your Weekly Source for News and Events
Vol. 11/Issue 9
The Columbia
Valley
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February 28, 2014
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From the left, Don McBlain, Matt Krebs, and Dan McLaughlin were awarded with plaques after winning the category of Mule Deer Typical during the Lake Windermere Rod and Gun Club’s annual Wild Game Banquet at the Invermere Community Hall. The building was at capacity on Saturday, February 22nd, as those in attendance were eager to take a bite of everything from cougar meatballs to moose meatloaf during the organization’s largest fundraiser of the year.
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2 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer
February 28, 2014
Thank you to all our Canadian athletes.
VALLEY VIEWS
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Icy acres near Windermere Creek A series of February cold snaps have created a bizarre ice landscape near Shadybrook Resort, where an ice layer up to three feet thick is spread out over five acres. Circumstances around temperature and creek flow have created the seasonal flood and freeze, explained Shadybrook Resort owner Mike Dubois. When temperatures in the valley hit -20 C, the creek starts backing up, and the water in it turns to slush, he explained. Five or six days of similarly cold temperatures causes the creek to start flooding and freezing, a problem that only gets worse until the temperature rises to above -10 C, he explained. These photos taken on February 9th illustrate the problem. The ice flooding this winter is the worst in the 60 years the Dubois family has owned the Shadybrook Resort property. The family contributed funding to the Regional District of East Kootenay’s Windermere Creek flooding study, which was completed last year, but the flooding problem remains.
Photos by Dani Tschudin / Visual Exposure Photography
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February 28, 2014
The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 3
VALLEY NEWS
Council ponders national street hockey championship By Steve Hubrecht, Pioneer Staff Although talk at Invermere council’s most recent meeting was dominated by the new community centre (see story below), several other items generated some discussion as well, including potentially playing host to a national street hockey championship, a Canal Flats request for more funding for its arena and the idea of a national dementia strategy. Council sent a letter of support to district events coordinator Theresa Wood, letting organizers of the Redwood Cup (the Canadian national street hockey championship tournament) know the district will provide road closures, the necessary permits and municipal services such as water, power and waste management at no cost if the organizers want to host the late September event here in Invermere. Ms. Wood had originally been talking with organizers about bidding to host the tournament outright, with the possibility of a CBC broadcast, but doing so came
with a price tag of at least $400,000, so Ms. Wood had not entered a bid. The organizers have continued to stay in contact with Ms. Wood and may possibly be interested in having their tournament here, likely minus any CBC broadcast, even without any kind of bid. “You just see those big numbers and it’s scary,” said Councillor Spring Hawes. “I think that’s just if you want the broadcast and to make an official bid, I think mostly what they want from us at this point is support from us, saying ‘yes we’ll close a downtown street for you and let you use our garbage system’,” said councillor Justin Atterbury. The two locations in town Ms. Wood thinks suitable for the tournament are on the main street (7th Avenue) in front of Parkside Place, or on 13th Street from the curling centre to the Bank of Montreal. Council also discussed a request from Canal Flats mayor Ute Juras at the most recent Regional District of East Kootenay Columbia Valley directors’ meeting for
$100,000 in funding for the Canal Flats arena for 2014 and $500,000 for the next five years. “It was quite a shock and, to be fair, I have to say it wasn’t so well received,” said Invermere mayor Gerry Taft. “I think a lot of people thought there wouldn’t be any need for more upgrades for quite awhile on that arena.” The Canal Flats arena had recently had upgrades costing in the neighbourhood $1.3 million dollars, said Mr. Taft, expressing concern that extra money flowing to the Canal Flats arena might mean less money available for Invermere’s new community centre, and saying that although they are two different facilities the politics and dollars for both could easily overlap. Council also resolved at its February 25th meeting to send a letter to federal MP Claude Gravelle supporting his efforts to establish a national dementia strategy. “I think it’s an emerging issue that needs to be looked at, for sure we should support this MP,” said councillor Spring Hawes.
Design options narrowed down By Steve Hubrecht, Pioneer Staff Invermere’s new community centre drew a fair bit of attention last week, as consulting architect Bruce Carscadden unveiled some design concepts for the centre at an open house and then presented his ideas at Invermere council’s most recent meeting.
CONCEPTUAL CROWD — Invermere councillor Paul Denchuk talks with Invermere residents about some of the design concepts created by architect Bruce Carscadden for the new Invermere community centre during an open house on February 25th. Photo by Steve Hubrecht
At the February 25th open house at the Invermere Community Hall, Mr. Carscadden presented two design options, mostly as an exercise to generate public comments. He had originally created eight options but left six out since they included constructing aspects such as a library and municipal offices. Continued on page 30. . .
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4 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer
February 28, 2014
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and 32-year-old male. A court date was given for first appearance in Invermere Provincial court on Monday, April 7th. All three remain in custody while awaiting transportation back to Calgary. • On Saturday, February 22nd at 12:26 a.m., the Columbia Valley detachment attended to a complaint of domestic assault in the 1500 block of 13th Avenue in Invermere where a female was assaulted by a male. No medical attention was required. On police arrival the male had already departed the area. The investigation is continuing to locate and charge the male.
Submitted by Staff Sgt. Marko Shehovac Columbia Valley RCMP
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• For the past month, the Columbia Valley detachment has been working with Calgary City Police in regard to an investigation of a group of individuals now living in Canal Flats that have been active in breaking into vehicles, stealing identification and credit cards, and then using the credit cards at stores and on line. In some instances they use the stolen identification to apply for further credit cards. The investigation has resulted in numerous charges laid in Alberta. As a result of the charges in Alberta, warrants were extended into British Columbia for the arrest of these individuals. Columbia Valley detachment members are investigating this same group for theft and fraud in relation to stolen identity from a vehicle in Invermere that was later used in Radium Hot Springs. The Columbia Valley detachment also with the assistance of Calgary Police will be recommending similar charges when a stolen credit card was used in Cranbrook. • On Thursday, February 20th, the Columbia Valley detachment received a complaint of theft from a vehicle parked in the underground parking lot of the Pinewood condo’s in Radium. The vehicle was left unlocked. • On Friday, February 21st, the Columbia Valley detachment members executed a warrant in the 4800 block of Burns Avenue in Canal Flats. A 32-year-old male was arrested along with his 31-year-old common law wife as well as a 52-year-old female. The 52-year-old female has seven outstanding charges for credit card fraud and possession of stolen property. A second adult male also related to this family has been charged as well. During the search of the residence a quantity of cocaine was seized resulting in charges of possession for the purpose of trafficking to be laid against the 31-year-old female
• At 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, February 23rd, the Columbia Valley detachment received a report that an emergency SPOT beacon was activated indicating an emergency in the area of Tiger Pass west of Brisco. A phone call revealed that a group of about five males were in the Tiger Pass area with their snow machines. Search and Rescue were activated. RK Heli Ski and CMH helicopters were working in the area. They, along with their staff, responded. It was learned that a 32-year-old-male from Calgary had injured his shoulder and required medical attention. The RK helicopter was able to land and pick up the male and fly directly to Invermere hospital. The injuries were non life-threatening. Tiger Pass, west of Brisco, is not the safest area to be using machines. The Columbia Valley detachment, along with our local Search and Rescue group, appreciate the quick response to this emergency by RK Helicopters and CMH Helicopters. With backcountry assistance, regardless if it is their clients or not, they are quick to respond to all emergencies in the back country, whether the client is theirs nor not. A wrong turn in life This one’s not really police-related, but we all experience making the wrong turn in life and suffer the consequences. It’s how you work to get back on track that defines character! Watching the men’s Olympic down hill competition jarred my memory. To appreciate this story you have to know I am not a good skier. Green runs scare me. When friends from Ontario came out to visit us while stationed in Maple Ridge, I took them to Whistler to go skiing. Continued on page 28 . . . Beatrice Milk
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February 28, 2014
The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 5
Dangerous new “hillbilly heroin” drug results in eight overdoses in the East Kootenay region By Steve Hubrecht Pioneer Staff Illicitly manufactured Fentanyl is being peddled on the streets across the East Kootenay, including here in Invermere, and has resulted in eight overdoses — one of them fatal — in recent months. “We are concerned because the dosage in the pills is really variable and that’s why we are seeing people getting into overdoses, because they don’t know what they are taking,” said East Kootenay Addiction Services executive director Dean Nicholson. “It’s tending to be younger people who are overdosing, people in their late teens or early 20s.” Some of the overdoses, although not the fatal one, occurred in the Columbia Valley. The illegal Fentanyl is being sold in the form of greenish tablets, going by the name “greenies”, “green jellies”, “street oxy” or “fakes 80s.” Often it is being passed off as OxyContin. Genuine Fentanyl is an opiate used as a prescription painkiller. The version circulating in the East Kootenay, however, is much more toxic than normal, making it easier to overdose on the drug, harder to reverse the effect of overdose with Naloxone (more Naloxone than usual may be required) and making withdrawal more difficult. “We don’t typically get people trying to get off these types of substances here in the East Kootenay,” said Mr. Nicholson. “It’s a fairly new thing on the scene. People using it are not as familiar with it and with the risks it brings as they are with other drugs.” The previously low number of opiate users in the East Kootenay region, before the new illicit Fentanyl arrived, tended to be older, typically in their late 20s if not 30s or 40s, with long backgrounds of drug use, which is why the younger profile of the toxic Fentanyl overdosers is alarming, said Mr. Nicholson. “What’s concerning is that all of a sudden we’ve seen a big increase (in opiate use),” he said. “This illicit drug is a shift and I think it’s catching people unaware. It’s not a classic drug that we see a lot of in this area.” From what Addiction Services staff can gather, the tox-
ic Fentanyl is manufactured in Alberta, has been sold in the East Kootenay for about a year and is often introduced to potential users by marijuana or other soft drug dealers. Fentanyl, like other opiates, produces a dream-like intoxication and feeling of warm well-being in users. It is used clinically to relieve pain since it essentially blocks pain receptors, said Mr. Nicholson. Somewhat counterintuitively, “What’s concerning is that all of a sudden we’ve seen a big increase (in opiate use),” he said. “This illicit drug is a shift and I think it’s catching people unaware. It’s not a classic drug that we see a lot of in this area.” Dean Nicholson, East Kootenay Addiction Services executive director
this results in users coming off the drug to have a much higher sensitivity to pain. The user’s body doesn’t receive pain signals properly, so the nervous system becomes hyperactive and ratchets its sensitivity to pain up a few notches. Fentanyl seems to be more intense with this effect than other opiates, according to Mr. Nicholson. “Withdrawal is more severe than with other opiates because of the higher level of pain and agitation than we would normally expect. It’s so much higher that it makes it really hard to stick with withdrawal,” he said. Most people who fatally overdose on opiates often end up with respiratory failure — the drug lulling the body’s capability to automatically breathe until the user simply stops breathing. Drug users can often counteract the effects of an overdose with Naloxone — a drug that can be administered much as an EpiPen. Those who do choose to use the toxic Fentanyl despite the potential risk are advised to get and carry Naloxone kits. OxyContin — or “hillbilly heroin” — was taken off the market in Canada in 2012 (replaced by OxyNEO),
FIENDISH FENTANYL — The illicit Fentanyl being peddled in the East Kootenays is a street-level version of a prescription drug, like the patch seen here. Submitted photo but abuse of other prescription opiates, including Fentanyl, quickly shot up in OxyContin’s stead. Fentanyl abuse has become a large problem in Newfoundland and parts of northern B.C., but until now hadn’t been a big part of drug use in the East Kootenay. Addicition Services staff have been trying to raise awareness of the toxic Fentanyl in the East Kootenay by creating posters and contacting media. Several staff members will be meeting with local physicians across the region, including here in Invermere, in the coming weeks to increase the physicians’ knowledge about the drug and its effects. Interior Health may chose to do even more, according to Mr. Nicholson. For more information on the toxic Fentanyl or on how to get Naloxone call the East Kootenay Addiction Services Society in Cranbrook at 250-489-4344 or the organization’s local Upper Columbia Valley branch in Invermere at 250-342-3868.
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6 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer
PERSPECTIVE
Employment holes prove tough to fill
February 28, 2014
Historical Lens
By Greg Amos Pioneer Staff Jobs, jobs everywhere, and not a person to fill them. This is the reality in the Columbia Valley, where the seasonal nature of our tourism-based economy creates an employment feeding frenzy every spring. Want work in a hotel, restaurant, golf course, or resort? You got it — and bring a couple friends while you’re at it. It’s about making hay while the sun shines, and if you’re prepared to work long hours for modest wages, you can save up a good bundle before heading back to the city in the fall. But if it’s a career you’re after, I hate to break it to you — there’s not a lot of those out here. It’s ironic that the valley’s status as a mountain and lake paradise makes this such a desirable place to live (or at least own a second home), which drives up real estate prices and the costs of living in general, while requiring fairly low-paying jobs to make the tourism infrastructure functional. As one restaurant manager put it, the severe staffing shortages meant they were, in her words, “annihilated” on the recent B.C. Family Day weekend. When tourism hits various long weekend spikes, some restaurants and resorts simply can’t keep up — yet the dreadfully slow seasons in the valley mean they struggle to retain employees year-round. There are no obvious solutions on the horizon — while one temporary staffing agency in the valley tried to meet this demand, it was ultimately unsuccessful. The valley swells incredibly in the summer months, but for the remainder of the year, the economy is too slow and lacking in diversification to keep potential employees interested. After all, there is good money to be made at a few local sawmills, or in various industrial jobs in the northern parts of B.C. or Alberta. It’s up to our local tourism-dependent business to work together to find solutions, whether it be job-sharing, more long-term opportunities, or simply by offering better wages.
Lounging at the Centennial, 1971 Before taking a dip in the lake, two men are seen lounging in front of the Centennial Building, which was built by the Kinsmen Club as a concession stand and change room at Kinsmen Beach in Invermere. If you have any more information, e-mail us at info@cv-pioneer.com . Photo A1361 courtesy of the Windermere District Historical Society
Protect yourself from financial fraud Dear Editor: Every year, millions of Canadians are targeted by fraud regardless of their age, education level, income, profession or ethnicity. March is Fraud Protection Month in Canada and the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada is joining the Competition Bureau and several other organizations in raising awareness about the issue of fraud. It’s an ideal time for Canadians to find out how to recognize, prevent and report fraud should they become a victim. It’s easy to fall for a financial scam. Criminals use creative tactics to catch potential victims at different stages of their lives. Whether you are starting your first job, moving out on your own, maintaining a home or living in retirement, be mindful of the potential scams that could target you. Protect your assets, property
and identity by recognizing and reporting the warning signs to the proper authorities and by visiting itpaystoknow.gc.ca to learn more. Lucie Tedesco Commissioner Financial Consumer Agency of Canada Columbia Valley RCMP Staff Sergeant Marko Shehovac adds: in the valley we are getting letters sent to people claiming that they are looking for a relative that has the same name as yours and that they want to deposit the money into your account. Some will phone and try to pass themselves off as a grandson or granddaughter and claim they are in trouble and need money — but don’t tell Mom and Dad. Do not fall victim to these scams.
The Columbia Valley
CANADIAN COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER AWARD 2013
Pioneer
is independently owned and operated, published weekly by Misko Publishing Limited Partnership. Box 868, #8, 1008 - 8th Ave., Invermere, B.C. V0A 1K0 Phone: 250-341-6299 • Fax: 1.855.377.0312 Email: info@cv-pioneer.com www.columbiavalleypioneer.com
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February 28, 2014
The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 7
LETTERS Invermere a safe place to give birth Dear Editor: There has been an awful lot of talk recently, about the safety of delivering babies in Invermere and District Hospital. Over the years, we have watched with dismay as rural community physicians all over B.C. opt out of doing obstetrics. The community eventually loses the maternity service altogether. Interior Health believes for any OBSTETRIC OPTIONS — Nurses, physicians program to remain viable, it needs to and a midwife recently completed a MOREob be sustainable, and needs to be able workshop in Invermere. Submitted photo to deliver a high-quality service, and there needs to be enough competent they become instructors of those courses! staff available to safely support the proInterior Health has committed hungram. When it comes to delivering ba- dreds of thousands of dollars to all of bies, you need a team that is passionately our communities to support advanced committed to the work they do as well. nursing practice in many areas, includWe believe that the maternity program in ing perinatal and obstetrical practice. All Invermere has all of these things. of the nurses, and the physicians and the The Society of Obstetrical Gynaecol- midwife on the maternity team in Inverogy Canada has suggested that not only mere have taken these courses. One big are there many advantages for women to program, the MOREob program (Managdeliver their babies as close to their home ing Obstetrical Risk Efficiently) “builds a community as possible, there are some culture of safety through the developdisadvantages for women who travel to ment of knowledge, skills, attitudes, other communities to have their babies. behaviours, and practices that make paThe Society has laid out a clear standard tient safety the priority for all caregivers”. of care the rural health care team and This is a three-year program commitfacility needs to meet to deliver babies ment that the maternity team has made in safely in the absence of an available surgi- Invermere. When it comes to delivering cal backup. Again, in Invermere, we be- babies, we feel honoured to work in partlieve we meet that standard. nership with women and their families We have a passionate team of health to provide quality maternity care here in care providers; nurses, physicians and a Invermere. midwife who are committed to creating a unique rural maternity program in Inver- Deborah Austin mere for low-risk pregnancies. This multi- Acute Health Service Director, disciplinary team not only participates in Golden and Invermere training to maintain skills and certifications, Interior Health
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MARKET UPDATE February 17th-21st Level Wkly Chg Ytd S&P/TSX 14206 1.1% 4.3% Dow 16103 -0.3% -2.9% Nasdaq 4263 0.5% 2.1% CAD/USD 0.900 -1.2% -4.4%
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We want to hear from you Email your letters to info@cv-pioneer. com or visit our website at www.columbiavalleypioneer.com. Mail your letters to Box 868, Invermere, V0A 1K0, or drop them in at 1008-8th Avenue. We do not publish open letters or third-party letters. Letters for publication should be no
longer than 400 words, and must include the writer’s address and phone numbers. No attachments, please. Letters may be shortened for space requirements. We reserve the right to edit for space, clarity, civility and accuracy. Opinions expressed are those of the writer, not The Pioneer.
SNOW REMOVAL
8 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer
February 28, 2014
Watershed Heroes: BC Rockies Adventures Watershed Wanderings By Kirsten Harma
Firearms Courses & Challenges Restricted, Non-Restricted and Youth Licence. Courses and Challenges offered Call: 403-679-8122 (Mark, Invermere) Serving the Columbia Valley in Firearms Safety
DENTURE SERVICE
• Full and partial dentures • Repairs • Relines • Rebases
Invermere B.C. • 1-250-999-9191 Donald MacDonald – D e n t u r i s t
Columbia Valley Arts Council
Annual General Meeting Wednesday, March 12th, 7 p.m. at Pynelogs Cultural Centre
• Election of Officers • Review of Financial Position Join the CV Arts Board for birthday cake and refreshments to celebrate 100 years of Pynelogs. Come out and support your community Arts Council.
Everyone Welcome!
This year, the Watershed Wanderings column will celebrate the “watershed heroes” throughout the Columbia River Headwaters region. Wa t e r s h e d heroes are ordinary people doing extraordinary work to protect water quality, water supply, and freshwater ecosystems. Their work will ultimately benefit the Columbia River and the people and wildlife that depend on it. Cleaning up the Columbia The first story I’m going to share takes place on the Columbia River between Fairmont Hot Springs and Lake Windermere. This section of the river flows through Riverside Golf Course and residential neighbourhoods. In the summer, the river is a popular place for people to float on blow-up boats and tubes. Unfortunately, with so much use, the river has suffered from garbage accumulating in the water. BC Rockies Adventures, a division of Fairmont Hot Springs Resort, offers adventure tours, including kayaking down the Columbia River. When staff saw the beautiful area they were trying to showcase becoming clogged with garbage, they decided to do something about it. In 2011, BC Rockies Adventures, along with the Glacier Raft Company, conducted the first clean-up of the Columbia River. Donning snorkels and flippers, staff and volunteers (experienced in swimming in moving water), dove down into the cold September water bringing up enough garbage to fill ten super-sized trash bags. “I couldn’t believe what was in there!,” said river
clean-up leader Jocelyn MacGregor. The most waste by volume was from old tarps and home construction material like house-wrap that had blown into the river. Landscape fabric and plastic bags were also found tangled in roots and branches in the river. Since the 2011 clean-up, it has been possible, with regular maintenance, to keep up with most of the new trash that enters this stretch of river. The staff of BC Rockies Adventures continue to clean up while taking people on kayak trips. Prevention is easier than restoration With the increasing use of the Columbia, there is a growing need to keep waste from getting into the river in the first place. “Today, the biggest contributor of garbage is from the inflatable plastic boats and tubes that pop while on the river. Not only do the tubes end up as garbage in the river, but also everything the tube was transporting,” said MacGregor. “Our guides often find full cans of beer from floaters that have lost their loot,” she said. “Full cans of beer means there’s a lot of disappointed floaters (and happy guides), which is yet another reason to take steps in reducing your garbage contribution while floating the river.” BC Rockies Adventures, along with other businesses, are helping to reduce the problem by renting commercial-grade tubes that won’t pop. The aim in offering rentals is to reduce the number of popped boats and tubes in the river and to decrease the amount of waste created from this growing recreational activity. Instead of purchasing a one-time-use boat, people can rent tubes that will be used over a number of years and by a large number of people. BC Rockies Adventures’ future plans are to install serviced trash areas and port-o-potties at the raft takeout points. Admirably, they are demonstrating that they intend to continue to be Watershed Heroes. Author’s note: If you or someone you know has a watershed hero story you’d like to share, please contact: 250-341-6898 / info@lakeambassadors.ca . Kirsten Harma is the Program Co-ordinator for the Lake Windermere Ambassadors.
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Any Pizza $15
Burger comes with 1 side order
Pound of Wings and a Pint of Beer
Half rack of Ribs 1 appy to share and your and your choice of 2 choice of any 2 Burgers, different pasta specials Sandwiches or Salad Meals. Upgrade to any 2 Entrees for $10 more
250-342-5557 • the new station pub ~ now on
Any Jug $15 Pizza and a Jug $27
Page 9
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE COLUMBIA VALLEY
MUSIC • VISUAL ARTS • DINING • BAR SCENE • ENTERTAINMENT • PERFORMANCE ARTS MOVIE REVIEW
Night Delights of the Columbia Valley
PAGE 10
CURATOR’S CORNER A shooting star (far left) appears to radiate from the heart of Perseus during the annual Perseid Meteor Shower in August 2013. Photos like this will be part of Night Delight, where stunning astrophotos by hosts Arnor Larson and Bob Ede will be presented. Night Delight is happening at the David Thompson Secondary School theatre on Friday, March 7th at 7 p.m. Incredible images and stories from under the stars will be followed by questions and discussion. Admission to the event is by donation at the door. See page 17 for story. Photo by Bob Ede
PAGE 18
Out & About Your weekly guide to what’s happening around the Columbia Valley PAGE 13
Happy Birthday pynelogs · 1914 - 2014 What does ART mean to you?
Stories, Photos, Memories of Pynelogs?? Give us a call 250.342.4423
Visit columbiavalleyarts.com for our current events calendar, or call 250-342-4423.
Happy BirtHday to pynelogs! 1914 - 2014 · Celebrating 100 years
10 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer
February 28, 2014
MUSIC • VISUAL ARTS • DINING • BAR SCENE • ENTERTAINMENT • PERFORMANCE ARTS
Movie Review: Gravity Reviewed by Lizzie Midyette If I was ever to be hopelessly lost in space, I would really hope to have immediate access to George Clooney equipped with a jetpack and the knowledge of where the Russians hide the vodka on the International Space Station. Jam-packed with talent from Sandra Bullock and Clooney, and directed by Alfonso Cuarón (Children of Men, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban), this film plunges the audience into chaos and adventure that is literally out of this world! Bullock plays Dr. Ryan Stone, a scientist
C
with six months’ training prior to her inaugural mission. Stone is aided by Clooney’s portrayal of Matt Kowalski: cool, humourous, and very experienced in space travel (he knows where the secret stash of Russian vodka is hidden). A spacewalk is intended to give the pair time to fix a thingy on the outside of a space shuttle thingy (let’s face it, this knowledge isn’t important to the movie), but they become forced to abort quickly from some very fast-moving debris that (gasp!) destroys the shuttle. Kowalski tells us Facebook is going to be knocked out, pretty devastating stuff, but nothing compared to watching Stone forcibly plunge deeper into space as she spins uncontrollably head over heels. If there is ever a time to invite yourselves over to a friend’s place with a 3D television, this is it!
PETITIVE PRICIN M G O
RATING: 8.5 OUT OF 10 HEADS
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The visual effects from the descent into survival mode are stunning, and I felt dizzy through several scenes watching them on a flat screen. This has to be some of the best use of 3D technology since its inception. Bullock and Clooney have plenty of screen time together, being tethered to one another with only a jetpack to fly themselves back to the relative safety of the International Space Station (sorry movie aficionados, cameo by the incredibly awesome Chris Hadfield not included). Nominated for ten Oscars, fans of the awards night will want to have seen Gravity so they can watch it scoop up the awards it claims!
DINNER and DANCING Buffet Dinner 6:00 – 7:00pm Music & Dancing 7:00 – 10:00pm
TICKETS $45/person on sale at THE BOOK BAR, BLISS HAIR and Eagle Ranch 250-342-0562
SATURDAY, MARCH 1, 2014 starts at 5:30pm
Sunday – Thursday, 5 p.m. – 11 p.m. Friday & Saturday, 3:30 p.m. – 11 p.m. Phone: 250-347-2300
Gone
HOLLYWOOD V
I D E O
eagleranchresort.com
Gone Hollywood’s TOP FIVE OF THE WEEK Last Week’s Top 5 Rentals New Releases March 4 1 2 3 4 5
Last Vegas Enders Game The Councillor Captain Phillips The Dallas Buyers Club
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Against the Wind Barbie: The Pearl Princess The Book Thief Easy Money – Hard to Kill Homefront
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503 - 7th Ave., Invermere • 250-342-0057
February 28, 2014
The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 11
MUSIC • VISUAL ARTS • DINING • BAR SCENE • ENTERTAINMENT • PERFORMANCE ARTS
Out & About Please call 250-341-6299 or e-mail us at info@cv-pioneer.com to enter your event in our FREE listings.
Donahue at 250-342-2112.
Wednesday, March 5th • 5 - 9 p.m.: Tips night: “How to make or update my resume,” at the Summit Youth Centre. • 6 p.m.: Ash Wednesday Service at Christ Church Trinity. • 6 p.m.: eReader/eBook workshop at the Invermere Public Library. Contact 250-342-6416 to pre-register.
Thursday, March 6th
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-off events, so weekly events may only run occasionally. • February 28th and March 1st, 7:30 p.m.: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.
• 5 - 9 p.m.: Documentary Night at the Summit YC. • 7 - 9 p.m.: The Killer Rollbots drop-in skate night. $5, at the white bubble building on the highway. Bring your own roller skates or blades and safety gear. All ages! 250-342-5321 for more info. • 7 p.m.: DTSS Theatre students present Say Something, a one-act play by Alaya Simpson at the DTSS Theatre. Also March 8th. Tickets available at The Book Bar and DTSS for $5. This drama, written and produced by students, addresses serious and sensitive issues that adolescents are dealing with today. Not recommended for children. 14A due to mature content and language.
Friday, February 28th
Friday, March 7th
• 12 p.m.: Soup, bun and dessert at the Edgewater Legion for $6. • 6 - 11 p.m.: Spaghetti Night at the Summit Youth Centre. • 7:30 p.m.: Columbia Valley Rockies playoff game vs. the Creston Valley Thundercats at the Eddie Mountain Memorial Arena. Also March 1st at 7:30 p.m. Additional games March 3-5th, if necessary.
• 6 - 11 p.m.: Pool tournament at the Summit YC. • 7 - 9 p.m.: “Night Delight” at the DTSS theatre. Astrophotos, stories, Q&A, displays, and handouts for adults and kids. Presented by Invermere Under the Stars. All ages. Admission by donation. • 7 - 10 p.m.: Fresh Fridays open mic night at Pynelogs. All ages, licensed bar. $2 at the door. Visit www. columbiavalleyarts.com for more information.
Toby Theatre
Saturday, March 1st • 6 - 11 p.m.: Climbing at Laird from 6:30 - 8 p.m., leaving the Summit Youth Centre at 6:15 p.m. • An Unrestrained Expression of Emotion at Effusion Art Gallery. Show features new artists Bill Brownridge, David James Veres and Louis Hughes. Runs through March 31st.
Monday, March 3rd • 7 p.m.: Bingo at the Canal Flats Civic Centre, on the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month.
Tuesday, March 4th • 5:30 - 7 p.m.: Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper at Christ Church Trinity, Invermere (Windermere Valley Shared Ministry). $10/person. • 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.: OPT clinic at the Invermere Health Unit. 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month. Confidential service: low-cost birth control, and STI testing.
Saturday, March 8th • 6 p.m.: Syndicate Rail Jam series at Panorama. Open to both skiers and snowboarders. Cost $10. Come out, show your skills and have some fun. Competitors must be registered at Guest Services by 5 p.m. Also runs April 12th. For more information, contact events@panoramaresort. com or go online to SkiPanorama.com. • Panorama’s Stampede Festival.This stampede-style festival pays tribute to Western Canada’s heritage with cowboy cookouts and rodeo-inspired activities for kids and adults. On the schedule: tobogganing, live music, Rail Jams. Also runs March 9th.
Monday, March 10th • 7 p.m.: Columbia Vallley Little League Baseball meeting at Manulife Securities office. Coaches, volunteers and umpires needed! Contact Brendan
Tuesday, March 11th • 7 p.m.: Cinefest movie night presents Amour. Master director Michael Haneke creates a powerful and moving portrait of an elderly couple struggling with their mortality. French with English subtitles. At Pynelogs Cultural Centre. Tickets at the door, $10. Cash bar and light refreshments. All ages. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., film begins at 7 p.m.
Wednesday, March 12th • 1:15 - 2:15 p.m.: Seniors’ Day at the Invermere Library on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month. • 6 p.m.: PJ Story Time at the Invermere Library. • 7 p.m.: Andrew Watt will be discussing the rare book used to prosecute witches in the 1600s, A Discourse on Magic by Martin DelRio at the Invermere Public Library following PJ Story Time. • 7 - 9 p.m.: CV Arts Council AGM at Pynelogs Cultural Centre. Election of officers and review of financial position. Join the CV Arts Board for birthday cake and refreshments to celebrate 100 years of Pynelogs.
Thursday, March 13th • 7 - 9 p.m.: ICAN AGM at Lakeview Meadows Recreation Centre. All welcome to attend. Please consider joining the Board of Directors or becoming a volunteer. Contact info@ican.bc.com for more info.
Friday, March 15th • 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.: Windermere Valley Gogo Sisters’ annual Saint Patrick’s Day Tea at Christ Church Trinity. Admission by donation. Proceeds go to the Stephen Lewis Foundation Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign. • Kootenay Freestyle Classic at Panorama. A two day celebration of the art of skiing and ski culture. Featuring a Slopestyle competition on March 15th and a Mogul competition on March 16th. A BC Freestyle-sanctioned event. Info and registration online at www.pmfc.ca.
Saturday, March 16th • BC Tier 4 (Bantam) Provincial Hockey Championships at the Eddie Mountain Memorial Arena. Games from March 16th to March 19th. The Bantam Rockies play at the following times: March 16th - 10:30 a.m. and 8 p.m.; March 17th - 8 p.m.; March 18th - 8 p.m.; March 19th - 2 p.m. Opening ceremonies March 16th at 7:30 p.m., championship game will be played March 19th at 8 p.m. Come out and support your Rockies!
NEW LOCATION! 1214 -7th Ave.,
Invermere, B.C.
Box 2280, Invermere V0A 1K0 maxwellrealtyinvermere@gmail.com
Ph: 250-341-6044 Fax: 250-341-6046
www.maxwellrealtyinvermere.ca
DANIEL ZURGILGEN 250-342-1612
SCOTT WALLACE 250-342-5309
BERNIE RAVEN 250-342-7415
GLENN POMEROY 250-270-0666
GEOFF HILL 250-341-7600
danielzurgilgen@gmail.com
scott@scottwallace.ca
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connect@geoffhill.ca
CHRIS RAVEN 250-409-9323
KEN MACRITCHIE 250-342-1565
chrisraven09@gmail.com kdmacritchie@gmail.com
12 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer
February 28, 2014
905 7 Ave, Invermere • 250-342-0012
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Carter Melnyk is a stay-at-home defenceman who joined the Columbia Valley Rockies in mid-October. At 6’2” Carter added some important size to the blue line along with one goal and two assists. He likes to spend most of
his free time working out at the gym adding muscle and strength to his frame. Carter is planning to play one more year of hockey before pursuing a trade perhaps as a fire fighter. He came to the Valley from Coquitlam.
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February 28, 2014
The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 13
Resume tips: a human resources perspective By David Sheedy Human Resources Manager, Fairmont Hot Springs Resort In my seven years as human resources manager at Fairmont Hot Springs Resort, I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that I’ve looked at thousands of resumes. Each employer is different, and each human resources person has their preferences. However, I think the following tips would serve any prospective job hunter well. Spelling counts It doesn’t matter if the job for which you are applying needs good spelling as a skill; your resume has to have perfect spelling. Has to. It speaks to your commitment to detail, how seriously you take the process, and yes, your ability to actually spell correctly. Once you have written any resume, spell check it. Then send it to a friend for proof reading. Then send it to an even smarter friend, to proof-read again. I may not need a room attendant who can spell well, but I won’t consider any candidate who can’t be bothered to make sure their resume is perfect.
David Sheedy
Lead with your strengths Whatever it is that you think is your best advantage, lead with that. Have lots of education but not much experience? Start with the courses you took that pertain to the position for which you are applying. Lots of experience, but not much schooling? Start with the jobs that most closely connect to the job in which you are interested. Always put on the first page what you think shows you off the best.
Start with skills and qualities A general summation of your overall skills and qualities – things like “leadership” or “customer service skills” or “handling cash” can pertain to a variety of positions, including ones that aren’t advertised. Let the human resources person figure out what jobs fit your skills and
qualities; don’t let the jobs you’ve done do that. Show what you can do for me Too often I get a resume with a career objective that says something like “to get a job that earns me money for school.” While that may be accurate, it isn’t of much interest to me as the employer. I want to know what it is that you are going to do for me. So consider a statement that shows what contribution you can make; something like “to use my considerable customer service skills to increase the revenue of any employer for whom I work”. Now that is someone I want to employ. Keep it to two pages I don’t know about other human resources departments, but I have a lot of resumes to read; I want the important information on the first page, the supplementary information on the second page, and no third page. Keep it brief and concise, with lots of white space. At Fairmont Hot Springs Resort, we are right now looking for the resumes just described. We’d be delighted to be reading yours for positions both permanent and seasonal.
Employment centres seeking to connect businesses with applicants By Greg Amos, Pioneer Staff The East Kootenays face no shortage of employment opportunities, but enabling employers to tap into the existing workforce is a challenge at the best of times. That’s where WorkBC employment centres
and similar agencies come in. There are a wealth of programs that help bridge the gap between job seekers and the positions that need filling. “As a WorkBC Employment Centre, we work very closely not only with the services and supports that are available through our programs, but also those delivered by the Columbia Basin Trust and other fund-
ing sources,”explained Amber Riel, the business services coordinator at EK Employment in Cranbrook. Starting last week, the Columbia Basin Trust is offering a wage subsidy of up to $8 per hour for students age 15 or older. Employers can learn more by going to cbt.org/summerworks . Continued on page 14 . . .
3.25” x 2.7”
Tony’s Greek Grill Career opportunity
FIREPLACE INSTALLER, SERVICE AND MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN
AnAlyst, seCtor initiAtives this position researches and analyses various issues and provides analytical support to programs, initiatives and other responsibilities of the sector initiatives department. this is a 14-month, full-time position, preferably based out of either our Castlegar or Golden office. Apply by March 14, 2014.
Required by a large established local business. A full-time position is available for a responsible, self-motivated individual with a professional appearance. A suitable candidate should have knowledge of B.C. installation codes as well as service and maintenance of fireplaces however training may be provided to the right applicant. Must have a valid B.C. Driver’s License. Please email or fax resume with references to Diamond Heating and Spas 385 Laurier Street, Invermere, B.C. V0A 1K7 Email: info@diamondheatingandspas.com • Fax: 250-342-7103
cbt.org/careers 1.800.505.8998
Connect with us
We are now accepting resumes for a qualified
first-cook chef
for a popular Mediterranean Greek cuisine restaurant in Fairmont Hot Spings, B.C. This is a full-time position requiring a minimum of three years experience.
In Fairmont
We are also seeking an experienced prep cook, kitchen help, and ice cream attendants. Seasonal work from April to October.
Please fax resume to 250-544-3475 or email tonysgreekgrill@gmail.com.
14 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer
February 28, 2014 • Employment in the Valley • . . . ‘Employment centres’ from page 13
FHSR is looking for a Groups & Events Assistant. Job Description: As a member of the Sales and Marketing team, the Groups & Events Assistant will assist the Sales & Events Manager in ensuring successful execution of weddings and other group events. The ideal candidate will have an outgoing personality with strong organizational and customer service skills, be detail oriented and work well under fast pace, high pressure situations. This is a temporary position effective March 3 to October 31, 2014. Please visit fairmonthotsprings.com/employment for a full list of required qualifications for this exciting opportunity!
Please forward your resume to hr@fhsr.com, attention David Sheedy, or call 250.345.6004. SHOP
DISCOVER
GOLF
SKI
SOAK
EAT
RELAX
fairmonthotsprings.com/employment
We Work At Play! Stone Creek Resorts is looking to further bolster our Resort Operations Team. We are seeking qualified and enthusiastic individuals to join our team. Our resorts – Eagle Ranch Resort in Invermere, B.C. and Silvertip Resort in Canmore, Alberta – include world-class golf courses, rated 4.5 stars by Golf Digest. Our approach to resort development and operations is simple – we strive to provide the ultimate guest experience - which means hiring and retaining employees who strive for excellence in all that they do. We are looking for a team player with a ‘can do’ attitude to contribute positively to our continued growth and success. Our ideal candidate will possess characteristics that reflect our corporate values of caring, integrity, excellence, team spirit and financial responsibility.
Assistant Golf Services Manager – Eagle Ranch Resort Assisting with the leadership of the entire golf services operations; the ideal candidate will have a passion for golf and providing an exemplary Service Beyond™ experience to each and every guest. A dedication to strive for perfection and to continually improve the golf operations is a key attribute that would set you apart from the rest. We are seeking a “hands-on”, mature leader that is willing to get involved and work alongside our staff. Ideally, your background has at least 2 years of golf management or supervisory experience, primarily in a public golf environment with experience in outside services, retail and inventory management. This role is suited for a customer-focused individual looking to manage day-to-day operations to drive the resort to the next level. Application Deadline, Thursday March 6th. Cover letter and resume may be sent confidentially to: Eagle Ranch Resort Attention: Laurie Klassen 9581 Eagle Ranch Trail, Invermere, B.C. V0A 1K3 Email: lklassen@eagleranchresort.com • Fax: (250) 342-2563 For detailed information about Eagle Ranch, visit www.eagleranchresort.com Stone Creek Resorts thanks all applicants for their interest, however only applicants who are considered for the position will be contacted.
Just a reminder… The classified deadline is 12 noon Tuesday.
The program could be a boon to many of the 60 different employers who currently have job ads posted in Invermere’s EK Employment office. Those job postings can also be found on the website at www.ekemployment.org , where employers are able to post job openings at no charge. “Many employers rely on social media, such as LinkedIn or Kijiji, to promote opportunities,” added EK Employment self-help host Jim Jenkinson. “Of course, some employers prefer personal networking, so job seekers shouldn’t rely entirely on job postings when seeking employment. A few job seekers have reported success simply by walking around There are two valley residents we at The Pioneer can safely say are town and handing out their resumes to pronot looking for a change of careers. Canadian Olympic ski team spective employers. This strategy has been utimembers Ben Thomsen (left) and Manny Osborne-Paradis (right), lized by students looking for summer jobs.” seen here at the start of the downhill course, didn’t bring home any A WorkBC Employment Centre’s prihardware from the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Rusmary goal is “to ensure that employers and sia, but had amazing experiences that came after many years of job seekers are aware of and have access to working very hard to reach their goals. Photo submitted resources that meet their needs,” added Ms. Riel. “Programs such as the ones mentioned “With all initiatives of this nature, awareness of above work towards providing employers programs and services are half the battle,” said Ms. Riel. with incentives to tap into under-utilized workforce groups. There isn’t a one-size fits all approach for any “Our aim is to identify employers interested in wage subprogram or service, but we have heard positive feedback sidy placements, then communicate this information to from both employers and job seekers who have utilized our staff, who assist in making a match between eligible a variety of wage subsidy programs whether that be job seekers and employers. “Many of the tourism-based communities utilize the through WorkBC or other funding streams.” Labour market information from B.C.s’ provincial temporary foreign worker program when they are unsucgovernment shows that employment in the Kootenays is cessful in finding the needed workforce locally,” she added. projected to grow from 78,560 jobs in 2012 to more than “In this regard, wage subsidy incentives such as those offered 83,000 jobs in 2020, with many jobs arising as a result of through the Employment Programs of BC (WorkBC), or existing workers retiring. The age-related attrition will open those offered by the Columbia Basin Trust present options new opportunities for job seekers, but will also create pro- that assist employers in hiring untapped local workforce groups to meet their hiring needs.” ductivity gaps due to the loss of experienced workers.
Happily employed
Now Hiring!
Bighorn Meadows Resort is currently seeking an energetic, service orientated
FRONT DESK AGENT to join our dynamic team of professionals, full-time/part-time.
We are looking for fun, upbeat, and professional staff to join our team! We offer the following services:
• Gel Nails • Manicures • Pedicures • Body Sugaring • Waxing If any of those are your specialty, send your resume to info@getalldolledup.ca, or drop by! 492 Arrow Road • 259-342-3727 • www.getalldolledup.ca
We’re looking for an individual who has strong commitment to customer service and a passion for high-quality work. Successful applicants must have proven customer service and organization skills, along with the ability to problem-solve, multi-task all while working in a fast-pace environment. Strong telephone mannerism and computer skills are a must. We offer a competitive wage, a great work environment and an opportunity to develop with our young and growing company. We are committed to extraordinary service and building our reputation as the premier luxury resort in the Columbia Valley. Located in the Village of Radium Hot Springs, our resort is centered at the heart of the Springs of Radium Golf Course. Interested applicants for the following positions please forward your confidential resume to guestservicesmanager@bighornmeadows.com
February 28, 2014
The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 15 • Employment in the Valley •
The top ten tips for a successful job interview
1. Dress for success — Professional business clothes are always appropriate, regardless of the type of job for which you are interviewing. Proper hygiene and a tidy appearance are important. Iron your clothes if you can, and avoid strong perfumes or colognes. 2. Be there on time — Try to arrive five or 10 minutes early to be safe. Find out ahead of time where you’re going and how long it will take to get there. Drive or travel the route a day or two ahead, at the same time of day as you will on the day of the interview. Confirm how often the buses run. Have a back-up plan. 3. Let your personality shine — If you’re excited about the job, don’t be afraid to show it. Employers want passionate employees, so be yourself. Just remember to always keep it professional. 4. Be confident — Feeling nervous in an interview is perfectly normal; just don’t let your nerves overpower your interview. Eye contact and a calm, clear speaking voice are excellent ways to show your confidence. 5. Watch your body language — During your interview, relax and sit naturally, but don’t slouch in your chair or lean on the interviewer’s desk. Avoid chewing gum, or fidgeting with jewelry or your hair.
6. Be professional — This begins with a smile and a firm handshake. Remember, this is your first introduction to the organization, so be polite to everyone you meet and turn off your cell phone. 7. Listen and ask for clarification — Remember to listen carefully to the interview questions so that you actually answer the question. If you don’t understand something, don’t be afraid to ask for clarification. 8. Let them know what you have to offer — When answering the questions, let the employer see what you have to offer their organization. Talk about your past experiences and accomplishments without bragging, and tie those experiences to how they can help you contribute to their organization. 9. Think before you speak — Although you want to be open and honest in your interview, avoid talking about your personal or financial problems. 10. Don’t linger — Leave as soon as the interview is over, making sure you don’t linger. Shake the interviewer’s hand again, restate your interest in working for the organization, and thank them for the interview.
Wellness wayfarers During a presentation by Sarah Gibson at Creative Wellness Workshop held at the Hot Springs Studio in Fairmont Hot Springs on Saturday, February 22nd, guests were asked to send negative energy towards the subject in order for Sarah to apply an energy-based stress relief technique. Photo by Dan Walton
— Government of Canada, Services for Youth
Inspiring careers start here. Une
carrière stimulante qui commence chez nous. Parks Canada Summer Recruitment & Information Events
for the Lake Louise, Yoho & Kootenay Field Unit Coming up in • Radium Hot Springs, March 5th • Golden, March 12th • Lake Louise, March 13th For details visit:
www.pc.gc.ca/mpcareers
Des séances de recrutement estival et d’information de Parcs Canada
pour l’Unité de gestion du secteur de Lake Louise et des parcs nationaux Yoho et Kootenay se tiendront • le 5 mars, à Radium Hot Springs • le 12 mars, à Golden • le 13 mars, à Lake Louise, Pour en savoir davantage, rendez-vous à :
www.pc.gc.ca/carrierespm
JOIN THE SUNCHASER TEAM!
JOB FAIR
Saturday, March 1st, 2014 • 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. Sunchaser Vacation Villas at Fairmont in the Riverside Rec Centre
SEASONAL • Front Desk Attendants •Van/Delivery Drivers • Housekeepers • Lifeguards • Experienced Grounds Supervisor • Grounds Labourers
YEAR-ROUND • Maintenance Labourer
MANAGEMENT • Recreation Director • Maintenance Manager
We offer COMPETITIVE WAGES, the opportunity to use our facilities, and our full-time employees have a great benefits package! Bring your resume and any questions you have and meet the management team! Get ready to find the job you’ve been looking for! See WORKBC.CA for individual job details.
Can’t make it? Send Resumes to jobs@sunchaservillas.ca
16 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer
February 28, 2014 • Employment in the Valley •
High Country Properties has been in the Vacation Rental Property Management business for over 26 years in the Columbia Valley. We specialize in short term rentals of privately owned condos, town homes, and homes in Fairmont, Invermere, Kimberley, Panorama, Radium, and Windermere. We are seeking applicants for the following position
Reservations
Please forward your resume before Wednesday, March 5th to High Country Properties Management Ltd. at ken@highcountryproperties. com or mail to PO Box 760 Invermere, B.C. V0A 1K0.
0911611 BC LTD o/a Tim Hortons 496 Highway 93/95 Invermere, B.C. V0A 1K2
Part and Full Time Positions Available Start date: ASAP
Food Service Supervisor 7 positions available
No education required One to two years experience required. Nights/early mornings/weekends $10.25 - $12.41/hour + medical/dental/group benefits.
Food Counter Attendant 12 positions available
No education or experience required. Nights/overnights/early mornings/ weekends. $10.25/hour + medical/dental/group benefits. Apply in person, via email (timhortons.invermere@gmail.com) or by fax (250-341-3177) for both positions.
A restaurateur’s recruitment blues By Lara McCormack Co-owner, From Scratch: A Mountain Kitchen Recruiting the right employees is a big issue for employers in the Columbia Valley. This year at From Scratch, we are proceeding with applying for labour market opinions (LMOs) to bring foreign workers in, because we can’t find the right qualified people in the valley. An LMO gives us the commitment that we need to push our business to the next level. We advertise with the government agencies, national employment websites, on our website, within our market bistro, on our Facebook page and in our monthly emails. This year, we will be spending a lot of money to get the word out that we have jobs available. We’re putting word out wherever it has made sense for us to advertise! Since the day we opened, we have received very few local resumes when we advertised locally through the paper, placed notices on community boards and our website. We hired those who fit the job as we pride ourselves on fabulous customer service and kitchen talent. These staff did not have unrealistic demands on their schedules and know how the business cycle works here. Our ratings on sites like Tripadvisor, Yelp and Urban Spoon have had some people send resumes but most are looking for a short-term gig; we are looking for commitment meaning you work as needed including weekends and holidays. Summer is long hours full-on, winter is shorter hours but can be very quiet. The seasonal business is the ultimate challenge to keep your staff motivated and to keep the business buoyant. It’s feast or famine in our current eco-
nomic situation for the food and beverage business. Upon discussions in interviews and even with the local employment centres, the younger students these days do not want to work for minimum wage. Although you make tips in our business, there is no guarantee on your salary in this industry. Some days are better than others; it’s the nature of the beast in this business. It’s a very seasonal business cycle here in the valley. Serving is serving: it means minimum wage plus tips. Kitchens that have a larger volume of consistent business can obviously pay more to their staff. The bonus about having a restaurant in a city is your business is more level, whereas here we work our hardest in the summer, saving enough to make it through the winter. Some students who have families here choose to stay in the city as they are more settled. There is no doubt that focusing on culinary tourism may draw more interest to this valley, but there are other challenges, such as the distances between towns, minimal transit and taxi service, high rental costs, high utility bills (more so in the winter), high gas prices, and a very seasonal business pattern, leading fluctuating work schedules. The valley infrastructure is not exactly economical for those who make minimum wage plus, yet most of the jobs available are at this level. We have been very fortunate to have amazing staff who are committed, yet most were only here temporarily as some went back to school in Calgary, and others decided to make a change into a job with a different schedule. Some are hopefully coming back to help us this summer as we triple our staff level in the summer months. We are currently looking for front of house staff, a dishwasher or two, a cook who loves to bake and staff for outside catering.
Job # CGV-021406
CAREER OPPORTUNITY
WORK AND PLAY AT ONE OF CANADA’S PREMIER GOLF RESORTS
Invermere’s Premier Seniors Housing and Care Community
Radium Resort is currently hiring for the 2014 season:
Registered Care Aide Licensed Practical Nurse
• Attractive compensation package • Innovative support team to ensure your success • Opportunity for growth within an expanding company • Vibrant professional atmosphere Columbia Garden Village Invermere, B.C. Please apply by email (include job #) or call us at: 250-341-3350 Email: careers@glm.ca F: 250-341-3340
• • • •
Front Desk Agents Room Attendants Laundry Attendant Pro Shop Attendants
• • • •
Outside Guest Services Cooks Servers Accounting Clerk
Limited onsite staff accommodation is available. Benefits include complimentary access to both golf courses and fitness facility, 50% off meals and Pro Shop discounts.
Please submit resumes to info@radiumresort.com 250.347.9311 RadiumResort.com
Genuine by Nature
Looking for a way to spend the summer at the lake and get paid doing it? There is an opportunity for you at Lakeshore Resort and Campground as long as you have a positive attitude, physically fit, a superior work ethic, team focus and the ability to laugh; you may enjoy working with our team.
-
Assistant Manager Campground Attendants Customer Service Clerks Night Security Persons
These positions are 40hrs/week and require persons that are available evenings and weekend shifts, with a performance bonus available at the end of the season. Students are also encouraged to apply. Training will be provided once you are hired. To apply for one or more of these positions, please submit your cover letter and resume to: LAKESHORE RESORT AND CAMPGROUND ATTENTION: KAYLENE EARL 3050 HIGHWAY 93/95 WINDERMERE, B.C. V0B 2L2 Phone: 250-342-6301 ext 3808 Fax: 250-342-9693 Email: lakeshore@akisqnuk.org
February 28, 2014
The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 17 • Employment in the Valley •
We are growing!
Expanding recruitment’s reach By Rose-Marie Fagerholm, Pioneer publisher Black Press is a B.C. partner to an already established Ontario recruitment website – www. LocalWork.ca where active job seekers spend more time per visit and view more pages then any other job search site. LocalWork.ca has over 2.6 million monthly page views. Just like our community papers, LocalWork.ca reaches deep into the hearts of local communities. LocalWork.ca offers 30 day on-line job postings. It includes unlimited text, a company logo, unlimited bold, spotlight job posting, feature job posting, a highlight option and a company profile page in our employer directory. All ads will
automatically be included on websites for BC Classifieds, Used Everywhere, SimplyHired and Wow Jobs at no extra charge. LocalWork.ca will far exceed the success of current paid recruitment websites and is advertised in over 80 local community newspapers and 89 web portals to keep potential employees engaged. LocalWork.ca is supported by Black Press, and locally by the Valley Echo. A significant investment has been focused on search engine optimization in order to ensure LocalWork.ca ranks high with any job seeker’s searches when using Google, Yahoo et cetera. Contact Dean or Bette today by calling 250-3416299 to ensure that when recruiting you are reaching an even greater audience in B.C.
Star gazer group presents Night Delight astronomy event
By Steve Hubrecht Pioneer Staff
Star gazers are in for a special treat with the valley’s informal astronomy group Invermere Under the Stars putting on a “Night Delight” show next week. The evening will feature an array of stunning astrophotos, stories, handouts and lively star-focused discussion hosted by Arnor Larson and Bob Ede at the David Thompson Secondary School theatre on Friday, March 7th from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. “It’s informative and it’s fun,” said organizer Brian Fenerty. “Basically, the idea is to enhance a great slide show with talks, handouts and other supplements. The two presenters both have some excellent slides and it’s a real treat for those two to show them and tell some stories about the particular stars in each of the slides.” Although the presentation is about stars, it will be indoor and there’s no potential for it to be clouded out, as the previous Invermere Under the Stars gathering to watch the Venus transit was last year, said Mr. Fenerty. “It’s a mixture of stuff; it’ll be 80 minutes of great images and stories about them and then about 40 minutes or so for questions and discussion,” he said. The event is for all ages and for seasoned and new-
bie star gazers alike. “Some people simply love the nighttime stars, some people are fascinated by the physics of it and some people are drawn to the poetic, romantic aspects of astronomy,” he said. “People usually just can’t resist looking up in wonder at the night sky.” “It’s not just the science stuff,” added Mr. Fenerty. “One of those things about astronomy that I find so fascinating is that astronomers are constantly learning new answers, but for each answer they uncover there are more ques- AWESOME AURORA — A tions raised. So it’s an fir tree is silhouetted against ongoing process of some stars of the Big Dipper learning and wonder.” and an aurora seen in the CoAdmission is by lumbia Valley. Photo by Arnör Larsen donation at the door.
Valley Spas is looking for the right individual to help us to expand our ever-growing business. The qualified applicant would learn the trade, the product and the business that we hold to very high standards. We offer complete training with very competitive wages and great room for advancement to the individual that can be hands on and a team player. This is a full-time position, serious inquiries only. Must have a valid BC drivers license. Please drop off resume with references in person to 503B 7th Avenue, Invermere.
We are hiring for the following positions:
•
Chef De Partie
• • • •
Room Attendants Houseman Resort Support Guest Service Representatives Porter/Bellman Server Banquet Porter
• • •
(Red Seal Certified)
Copper Point Resort is the newest luxury four season destination located in Invermere, BC. We are looking for strong candidates who are energetic and passionate about providing an exceptional guest experience. We are committed to bringing together the industries best talent to create a diverse team of innovative thinkers. All those applying must be able to have fun!
Resumes can be emailed to careers@copperpointresort.com or faxed to 250-341-4001
Follow us on…
Your Best Source For Local Jobseekers! Call 1-855-678-7833 today for more details.
Pioneer Newspaper
@PioneerNewsTip
18 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer
February 28, 2014
A museum curator’s constantly shifting role Curator’s Corner
tions. I get to be a public relations person, answering all the questions that people have when they come to visit. And then there is my role as a builder, putting things together in a display that portrays the history that is fun to
By J.D. Jeffery Museum Curator Happy anniversary! This month marks the end of my second year as Museum Curator. Considering myself a newbie, I still find myself on a steep learning curve. There are many things to learn here at the museum: when things happened, who was involved, why was it done, where did it happen and other questions. I feel like a reporter when researching and checking details for the information requests, and like a detective when I find details don’t all match one another, making me ask more ques-
learn. All this can happen in thirty minutes. By the end of the day, I thank all the volunteers for the work they have done to make my historical education a whole lot easier. All references to other professions in no way implies it is all they do. Historical records show there is more to the jobs than mentioned here! Contact us to learn more about anything, 250-342-9769.
Webcam clarification from Fairmont In the February 14th edition of The Pioneer, we failed to mention the Fairmont Hot Springs airport also has a webcam. The view, found at goo.gl/0iIoae , is especially handy for pilots, as they know if they can see the peaks in the Fairmont Range of the Rockies in the webcam’s view, they’ve got a cloud ceiling of 10,000 feet or more.
Outside Sales Representatives Kootenays Opportunities
Sysco is the global leader in selling, marketing and distributing food products to restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, lodging establishments and other customers who prepare meals away from home.
Outside Sales Representatives (Marketing Associates) At the heart of our customer relationships is our ability to listen to our customers’ needs and respond with products and services that help them succeed. Sysco continues to invest in and train industry leading sales representatives; each committed to providing the exceptional level of service and innovative solutions that differentiate Sysco in the marketplace. Requirements: • Post-secondary education in a business related field • Outside sales and/or food service/hospitality experience beneficial • Must thrive in a high energy customer service environment • PC skills and e-commerce knowledge • Own vehicle and valid operator’s license required If you love the food industry, can walk the talk and have what it takes to share your enthusiasm with others, start your career at Sysco today! We offer our associates the opportunity to grow personally and professionally, to contribute to the success of a dynamic organization, and to serve others in a manner that exceeds expectations...and we have the best training in the business. Qualified candidates please send cover letter & resume to Human Resources via email: hr.calgary@cgy.sysco.ca Subject line: HR - K014 Committed to Employment Equity
February 28, 2014
The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 19
Wolf Pack combining art studio with quality furnishings By Dan Walton, Pioneer Staff Invermere’s art community is expanding as Wolf Pack Art Studio and General Store gets ready to open its doors next week. The valley’s newest business will offer creative lessons for artists of all ages, as well as home goods, clothing, and hand-made furniture. Co-owners Jodi Benson and Tyler Nufeld transplanted themselves to the valley from Red Deer, Alberta last summer. They married in October, and decided shortly after that they would combine their talents and go into business. As a painter and photographer in Red Deer, Jodi, who earned a degree at Emily Carr University of Art and Design in Vancouver, will be concentrating her strengths when she presents a series of sequential art classes. “I want to do an art program for kids and teenagers that focuses as much on the education as doing the projects,” she said. Her first batch of programs will cater to the youth. Students between the ages of six and 17 will qualify for some of the initial classes offered, which include Art Adventures, Drawing for Kids, Mixed Media for Young Artists, and Acrylic Painting for Teens. The programs will explore painting, drawing, and mixed media. Classes begin the week of March 17th and cost $150 for six hour-and-a-half-long lessons with supplies included. Jodi will try and integrate classes for adults shortly after the first round. Refreshments will be part of the lessons, and developing artists will present their most appealing work at an evening art show following the program. The space at Wolf Pack will also be available after hours for scrapbooking or craft groups at hourly rates. Tyler was a carpenter before moving to Invermere, and has since built a workshop to be a part of their new
March 12th, 2014 7p.m. • Community Hall Come hear about the HUGE PLANS slated for the ball diamond and rink this year! We are in search of suggestions and ready to answer your concerns. For more information call Tammy at 250-347-9324
SEE YOU THERE!
ANIMAL ENTERPRISE – After readying their new work space, Wolf Pack Art Studio and General Store co-owners Jodi Benson and Tyler Nufeld are excited to introduce their enterprise to the valley. Photo by Dan Walton home. His favourite furniture will be on display at Wolf Pack, but Tyler’s eager to fully satisfy customers with custom-designed pieces. The hand-made furniture will appeal most to homeowners who appreciate quality, he said, which coincides with the rest of their inventory. Wolf Pack’s clothing will come almost exclusively from Canada and the U.S., and a Calgary farmer will be supplying the shop with unpasteurized honey and handmade candles. The community is invited to see what the Wolf Pack is all about when the shop celebrates its grand opening on Saturday, March 8th, when Jodi will be sharing some of her own baked goods. The shop is located at unit 109 of 809 7th Avenue in Invermere, one unit north of Her Public Boutique in Parkside Place. You can get ahold of Wolf Pack by email at wolfpackjodi@gmail.com, or check out their Facebook page by searching the business name.
Your Local
COLUMBIA VALLEY REAL ESTATE
Professionals
Wende Brash Broker/Owner
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Glenn Pomeroy
MaxWell Realty Invermere 1214-7th Avenue, Invermere, B.C.
glennpomeroy@shaw.ca
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Cell: (250) 270-0666 Office: (250) 341-6044 Fax: 866-600-0673
EDGEWATER RECREATION SOCIETY ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
1022B - 7th Avenue, Box 459 Invermere BC V0A 1K0 E-mail: wendebrash@telus.net Fax: 250-342-9611
Office: 250-342-6505 • Cell: 250-342-1300
PO Box 159, Canal Flats, B.C. V0B 1B0 Phone: 250-349-5462 Fax: 250-349-5460 village@canalflats.ca
WATER PARCEL AND SEWER FRONTAGE TAX ROLL REVIEW The Parcel Tax and Frontage Tax Roll will be available for inspection by the Village of Canal Flats property owners at the Village office located at 8866 Grainger Road, Canal Flats, B.C. during regular office hours Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. until March 18th, 2014 at 9 a.m. Complaints must be submitted in writing from owners of property situated within the village boundaries at least 48 hours prior to March 18th, 2014. The Parcel Tax Review Panel may review and correct the Parcel Tax Roll and hear complaints on one or more of the following grounds • • • •
error or omission respecting a name or address; error or omission respecting the inclusion of a parcel; error or omission respecting the taxable frontage of a parcel; improperly allowed or disallowed exemptions.
For further information contact the Village Office at 250-349-5462.
Buying or selling… Your greatest investment is worth a second opinion! Cell: 250•341•1395 Toll Free: 1•888•258•9911 pglassford@telus.net www.PaulGlassford.com
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492 Highway 93/95 Invermere, B.C. V0A 1K0 CELL: 250-342-5889 TOLL FREE: 1-877-347-6838 FAX: 1-866-788-4966 scott@rockieswest.com www.rockieswest.com
20 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer
February 28, 2014
Learning that fits your lifestyle!
Upcoming Courses: n n n n n n n n n n n n n
Intermediate Watercolours MS Word Level 2 Home Alone for Kids Irish Cooking Occupational First Aid Level 1 Fall Protection FoodSafe Level 2 Chocolate Making Emergency First Aid & CPR Airbrakes Graduated Licensing Conversational French 2 Core Hunter
Mar 4-18 Mar 4 & 6 Mar 7 Mar 12 Mar 15 Mar 22 Mar 24&25 Apr 8 Apr 11 Apr 11-13 Apr 11-12 Apr 15-May 20 May 2-4
Contact the Invermere campus today: 250.342.3210
www.cotr.bc.ca/Invermere
“It pays 2% and it’s not locked in? YES!” Let’s talk TFSAs. What’s new with Tax-Free Savings Accounts? Our Summit Savings TFSA gives you 2% interest and total freedom. Only at Kootenay Savings. Let’s talk. Rate applies to all Summit Savings TFSAs through to March 31, 2014.
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We want to hear from you Email your letters to info@cv-pioneer.com or visit our website at www. columbiavalleypioneer. com. Mail your letters to Box 868, Invermere, V0A 1K0, or drop them in at 1008-8th Avenue. Letters for publication should be no longer than 400 words, and must in-
clude the writer’s address and phone numbers. No attachments, please. Letters may be shortened for space requirements. We reserve the right to edit for space, clarity, civility and accuracy. Opinions expressed are those of the writer, not The Pioneer.
High school presenting two plays this year after student pens script By Dan Walton and Greg Amos Pioneer Staff An ambitious drive by a teenage playwright will see two dramatic plays this year at David Thompson Secondary School, as Grade 12 student Alaya Simpson wrote the script for “Say Something”, a play in which she’ll be performing. “It’s a tragedy — it’s about depression, and it deals with mature subject matter,” Alaya said. “It’s not recommended for children.” She compared the extent of its edgy content to that of a 14-A movie. “Say Something” is set in present-day, and will allow the audience to experience a friendship between two people which goes DEALING WITH DEPRESSION — Playwright and actor Alaya Simpson, left, awry after one develops depression. rehearses a scene with Jayme Renaud as the cast of 11 student actors prepares to “This one girl feels so alone perform her one-act play, “Say Something”, next week. and she spirals downward,” she Submitted photo said. “And the other friend distanccally correct,” she said. “It’s kind of confrontational, es herself.” After brushing up her knowledge on the subject but I want to bring the issues to light and have people by speaking with counsellors and peers going through discuss it.” The entire play will run in one act, which will run struggles, Alaya wrote the play hoping most people for about an hour in duration. Eleven actors will be will be able to be relate. “It’s a delicate subject that I’m dealing with in this taking part while the two main roles in the story replay, and I tried to be really careful and to be politi- volve around the two good friends, Hazel (played by Alaya Simpson) and Reese (played by Grace Webber). “I’m really happy with the cast that we have,” said Alaya. Students normally perform just one play at the end of each school year. But with encouragement through teacher Shelley Little, who teaches drama and English at the high school, Alaya prepared “Say Something” in her free time for an additional production in the winter. “I want to make people think and understand that their actions; things they do and say, whether knowingly or not, can really affect someone,” she said. The first performance is on Thursday, March 6th, with an encore presentation on Saturday March 8th – both at THE LIGHTER SIDE — Alaya Simpson, left, and Grace Webber share a 7 p.m. at the David Thompson Secondlaugh while rehearsing a scene in the play, which deals with serious subject ary School theatre. Tickets are $5 for matter and is not recomended for kids. Submitted photo adults and $3 for students.
February 28, 2014
The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 21
From Blueway to Whiteway: a complete history Contributed by the Toby Creek Nordic Ski Club While last week’s article “Whiteway gearing up to shatter world record” in The Pioneer is correct in that Brad Kitching was the first to lay down nordic skiing tracks on Lake Windermere at Indian Beach, the club feels it’s important to emphasize that the actual “Whiteway” concept of linking Windermere to Invermere with a skating and nordic skiing trail came out of a conversation between (then-Greenways member) Nick Berzins and Toby Creek Nordic Ski Club member Max Fanderl. The two were working on a kayaking and canoe guide for the Upper Columbia River, which Nick wanted to call The Blueway. Out of this conversation arose Max’s idea for the “Whiteway”, which he took to members of the nordic club who were interested, but unsure how to start it. Aware that Brad had created a nordic skiing track at Indian Beach, Max suggested to Brad that he create a loop of trails to connect the Windermere and Invermere communities. With Brad’s enthusiasm for the project and agreement to do the work, the nordic club agreed to support the Whiteway as long as funding could be secured, which Nick managed to do. “To have the Whiteway extend to where it is today is thanks to the countless volunteer hours of the Toby Creek Nordic Ski Club to manage, organize and raise the money every year for it,” said Max. “As mentioned in the article, the donation of the broom made a huge impact on the skating surface, but we should also mention Redeye Rentals, who give the nordic club a Bobcat for $1,000 a year to be able to sweep the ice. One thousand dollars sounds like a lot, but if the daily rental of a Bobcat is about $300 a day, the club received a very sweet donation.” In order to continue to maintain the Whiteway safely and efficiently for years to come, the club is working on securing funding for a machine that will be able to plow and sweep in one pass, and effectively harvest the snow on the skating track for better skiing trails.
WHITEWAY WINDFALL — On behalf of the Invermere Bay Condos strata council, Bob Clare presented Mayor Gerry Taft with a $500 donation towards the maintenance of the Whiteway. The funds, given to the District of Invermere, have been forwarded to the Toby Creek Nordic Ski Club. The Invermere Bay Condos strata council is challenging other strata and community associations, especially those on the east side of Lake Windermere, to make donations as well. Photo submitted A funding campaign has just been launched and if you would like to make a donation towards this exciting project, please contact the club at info@tobycreeknordic.ca or call 250-341-6141.
Play like a girl Old man and the lake Invermere resident Fritz Riechert was a familiar sight to many, as the independent senior took long walks almost every day until he passed away peacefully three weeks ago on February 7th. Fritz is seen here testing the newly formed ice on Lake Windermere on November 23rd, 2013. Fritz loved water and was often the first person in the valley to swim in Lake Lillian or Munn Lake each year. Photo by Dan Walton
Undoubtedly drawing inspiration from the Canadian women’s Olympic hockey team’s gold-medal performance, 27 girls from age 9 through 12 competed in an Atom and Peewee girls hockey jamboree in Invermere on Saturday, February 22nd. “It was a huge success,” said coach Jye Carder, of the jamboree that drew players from Invermere, Golden, Kimberley and Creston.“The girls had a super fun time and are all excited to play more girls hockey! I was really impressed with the level of play and how well they bonded and improved their confidence over the day. It was a great start to rebuilding junior girls hockey within the East Kootenays. I look forward to hosting another girls jamboree in early September.” Photo submitted
22 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer
February 28, 2014
HERE TO SERVE YOU BOUTIQUE VACATION HOME MANAGEMENT RENTAL SERVICES
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Certified General Accountant • FURNACES • HEAT PUMPS • AIR CONDITIONING • FIREPLACES • HOT TUBS • CHEMICALS • REPAIRS & MAINTENANCE 385 Laurier Street, Invermere, B.C.
Phone: 250-342-7100 Email: info@diamondheatingandspas.com
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“Your key ingredient for business health and success”
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Mark Digney, CPA, CGA
Phone: 250-342-8404 Email: mdigney@digco.ca
1022A 7th Avenue Box 1084, Invermere, B.C. V0A 1K0
Fall Cleanup/ Winter Servicing • • • •
• Trusses • Engineered Floors • Wall Panels Tel: 250.341.6075 Fax: 250.341.3427 Email: info@duskbuildingsystems.com www.duskbuildingsystems.com
1320 Industrial Road #3 Box 159, Invermere, B.C. V0A 1K0
Everett Frater Enterprises Phone: 250-347-9228 • Cell: 250-342-5645
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CVCC Contractor/ Trade Builder of the Year 2008
Residential, Commercial Electric Furnace and Hot Water Tank Repair and Service For All Your Electrical Needs invermereelectric@gmail.com
1710 10th Avenue – Invermere, BC V0A 1K0
FAIRMONT RIDGE RENOVATION
Doors Windows Flooring Painting/ Interior/Exterior • Kitchen Renovations
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• Bathroom Renovations • Additions • Decks • Finish Carpentry • Basement Renovations
5077 FAIRMONT RESORT RD., FAIRMONT BC EMAIL: fairmontridge@telus.net
Your Local Pest Control Professionals
250-688-1235 Insured-Bonded-Licensed
February 28, 2014
The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 23
HERE TO SERVE YOU LAMBERT-KIPP
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BOX 2228 BOX 459 742 - 13th STREET 7553 MAIN STREET INVERMERE, BC. RADIUM HOT SPRINGS, BC V0A 1K0 V0A 1M0 PHONE: 250-342-3031 PHONE: 250-347-9350 FAX: 250-342-6945 FAX: 250-347-6350 Email: info@invermereinsurance.com • Toll Free: 1-866-342-3031
Come in and browse our giftware
J. Douglas Kipp, B. Sc. (Pharm.) Laura Kipp, Pharm D., Irena Shepard, B.Sc. (Pharm.) Your Compounding Pharmacy Open Monday - Saturday 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. 1301 - 7th Avenue, Invermere
250-342-6612
READY MIX CONCRETE Concrete Pump • Sand & Gravel Heavy Equipment Rentals • Crane Service Proudly Serving the Valley for over 50 years
For competitive prices and prompt service, call: 250-342-3268 (plant) 250-342-6767 (office) • • • • • • •
General Contracting Renovations Property Value Enhancement Decks & Fences Painting ~ Interior & Exteriors Landscaping Irrigation • Bobcat
Your search for quality and dependability ends with us. Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning Specialists Truck Mounted System • Customer Satisfaction Guaranteed
Dean Hubman
Full service printer for the Columbia Valley DESIGN, PRINT & BINDERY 250-342-2999 info@palliserprinting.com Unit 4, 108 Industrial Rd #2 Invermere, BC
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building & renos
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E: rigidplumbing@hotmail.ca P: 250-341-5179
SERVING SMALL BUSINESSES IN THE COLUMBIA VALLEY Call 250-341-6299 to discuss your advertising needs. N E W S PA P E R
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24 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer
February 28, 2014
HERE TO SERVE YOU ROSS‛S POOLS & SPAS
SHOLINDER & MACKAY EXCAVATING Inc.
Commercial – Residential Installation – Maintenance – Repairs
Darren Ross 4890 Stoddart Creek RR#2 Invermere, BC V0A 1K2
Cell: 250-341-7727 • Fax: 250-347-6363 • poolman-911@hotmail.com
Motor Vehicle Inspections Heavy and Light Duty Repair Welding ATV Repair
Ken: 250-341-1078 Rick: 250-342-5720
Septic Systems Installed ~ Pumped ~ Repaired Prefab Cement Tanks Installed Water Lines Dug and Installed Basements Dug
WINDERMERE 250-342-6805
Kitchen cabinet & counter top SpecialiStS Westridge Cabinets Dealer ~ Granite and Quartz Counter Tops
• Gel Nails & Pedicures • Coloured Gel • Nail Art
Come visit our showroom,
492 arrow rd., unit 1b 250-342-hoMe (4663)
Call Judy ~ 250-341-5245 • Days, Evenings, Weekends Invermere and East Kootenay Region
New Home Construction
• Journeyman Carpenter • Contracting • Framing/Siding/Finishing • Timberframe • Custom Log Railing & Decks Scott Wilisky
• Furnaces • Heat Pumps • Fireplaces • Full Heating and Ventilation Systems Call for your FREE consultation and estimate
UNIVERSAL DOORS & EXTERIORS Arnold Scheffer 250-342-6700
unidoorext@live.ca • unidoorext.ca
Industrial ~ Commercial ~ Residential
Complete, Ready-To-Assemble, Highly Efficient Dovetail Log Home Kits
Visit us online for more details about our innovative building techniques
Top Value, Highly Efficient, Healthy & Natural Building System for Home Owners, Developers and Contractors.
stwcarpentry@live.ca • cell 250 270 0745 Sales ~ Service ~ Installation
TRAPPEUR HOMES.COM
WETT Certified
Call Aaron: Call Max:
250 688 0985 250 270 0396
Standard or Custom Plans Available
VJ (Butch) Bishop Owner/Operator
4846 Holland Creek Ridge Rd. Invermere, BC V0A 1K0
• Excavators • Mini-Excavators • Bobcats • Dump Trucks • Water Trucks • Compaction Equipment • Snow Plow • Sanding Equipment • Crane Truck • Mobile Pressure Washing & Steam Cleaning • Underground Services • Site Prep & Demolition • Road Building • Land Clearing • Controlled Burning • Rock Walls • Rip Rap • Top Soil • Sand & Gravel
CONTRACT OR HOURLY MACHINE RENTALS AVAILABLE
AUTO & MARINE DETAILING • high speed polishing QUALITY • scratch removal GUARANTEED! • shampooing
• head light restoration • detail packages available • autobody repair service
4836 Athalmer Road, Invermere, B.C. lboautobody@gmail.com 250-409-4385
why should you join the columbia valley chamber of commerce?
One Voice for Business
join today: info@cvchamber.ca
in the Columbia Valley
February 28, 2014
The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 25
PIONEER CLASSIFIEDS
• • • •
ANNOUNCEMENT
ANNOUNCEMENT
ANNOUNCEMENT
CHEERS & JEERS
CHEERS & JEERS
CHEERS & JEERS
Alcoholics Anonymous. If alcohol is causing problems or conflict in your life, AA can help. All meetings are at 8 p.m. For more information, please call 250-342-2424. Columbia United AA, Invermere: Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday, and Wednesday at the BC Service Building, South End – 624 4th St., Invermere. 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 affected 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 250-3428255.
WILDLIFE SAFETY SURVEY for the Village of Radium Hot Springs is complete. For results, please visit the Village’s website at www. radiumhotsprings.ca.
A big cheers to the person responsible for clearing the path around Munn Lake.
Jeers to the person who gave Telus and BC Hydro my address instead of his or her own. Both of my accounts were cancelled and I had to spend many hours on the phone to get everything fixed. Next time, maybe triple check that you are giving the right address, as this has been a major inconvenience.
Cheers to all involved in the Girls Hockey Jamboree. From the coaches to the refs to the organizers and, of course, the girls themselves, a great day was had by all. Big cheers to you all!
Narcotics Anonymous meeting now available. Thursdays at 8 p.m. Call 250-342-1071 for more info.
THANK YOU
Thank you! The Windermere Valley Peewee team wishes to offer a sincere thanks to Chris Boulton of Kootenay Coffee Works and AG Valley Foods for their generous support of the annual spaghetti dinner. Thanks as well to all who attended the event.
S OBITUARY S Susan Caroline Wells May 28th 1946 - February 16th, 2014 On February 16th, our beautiful mother, grandmother, sister, and friend passed away peacefully at the age of 67. Susan will be dearly missed by her children Tara, Tyler, Riley, Carly, granddaughter Alisha, brother David and sister Jennifer. Her passion was spending time with her children and granddaughter. She had a deep appreciation for the arts and natural world. As a talented artist, she created many works of art in a variety of mediums. Later in life, she focused on developing her granddaughter Alisha into an amazing artist. There will be a celebration of life on Saturday March 8 at 2 p.m. at Pynelogs Cultural Center & Art Gallery in Invermere, B.C. In lieu of flowers or gifts, donations can be made to Columbia Valley Arts in Invermere. Donations will fund a children’s art program.
Looking for other COPA members interested in forming local flight chapter based in Fairmont/ Invermere area. Phone Dennis at 250-345-2161. Erika Schnider turned 80 in February. We are having a party to celebrate her birthday on April 19th, 2 p.m. at the Edgewater Legion.
CHEERS & JEERS Cheers to Canal Flats Public Works for the tobogganing hill behind the arena. Cheers to Stacy, you rock! GALS would be proud to have you any day! Cheers to Chris Boulton of Kootenay Coffee Works for your fantastic food and amazing generosity to the community.
CHEERS to Calsea from New Heights Cleaning, for going above and beyond for her staff and guests all the time! We appreciate working for and with you!
Phone: 250-341-6299 Fax: 1-855-377-0312 Email: info@cv-pioneer.com www.columbiavalleypioneer.com
Cheers to Fairmont Pizza, chocolatier Margo. Imagine! Organizing for after-hour pickup of amazing sanity-saving chocolate mousse cheesecake. Margo’s Chocolate really does fix everything.
Cheers to the town of Invermere snow and sanding crews for the great service on tiny but not forgotten Upper Lake View lane. Cheers to Ken Mitchell and Stephanie for the amazing Senior Girls basketball season. We appreciate you for making it a great season to remember. PLEASE COACH US AGAIN NEXT YEAR!
Cheers to female hockey in the valley! Cheers to Tania Roe, Brandi Riches and Jye Carder for the huge success of the girl’s hockey jamboree. My daughter says it was the best hockey ever!
Cheers to the person who gave Telus and BC Hydro my address instead of his or her own. You have been paying for my hydro since last June, thanks for allowing me time to create a large credit on my cancelled account. By the way, you might want to get that fixed, as you will owe them a large amount for your actual bill.
Cheers to hockey-pizza and ponytails. Cheers to Jerry who helped clear the tables at the Rod and Gun dinner. We really appreciated it.
THANK YOU
Thank You!
Thank you so much to all the people and businesses who donated to our Annual Family Fun Dance. Your continued support is greatly appreciated. We had a very successful fundraiser and all the kids had a lot of fun! • Fairmont Pizza & Ice Cream Parlour • Fairmont Hot Springs Resort • A&W • Fat Boyz 2 for 1 Pizza • Dairy Queen • Lotusmonk: Zen Energy • Home Hardware • Rainbow Donkey • The Monkey’s Uncle • Valley Foods • The Trading Post • Painted Porch Designs
• • • • • • • • • • • • •
Eagle Ranch Blackstar Studios Sobeys Fire Vixen Tattoo Pharmasave Quality Bakery Motel Tyrol Julie St. Amand - Tupperware Tim Hortons Stickernut Three Bears Gift Shop Lambert Kipp Pharmacy Corix
• • • • • • • • • • •
Copper Point Resort The Crossroads Collective Panorama Mountain Village Smoking Waters Cafe Copper Point Golf Club CIBC Mark’s Work Warehouse Bighorn Meadows First Impressions Painted Sun Photography Kimberley Rae Sanderson Photography
Thank you, Windermere Valley Child Care Society.
Jeers to the bookkeeper who takes 7 months of pretending to be professional and has not done what has been promised. And nothing is being done to fix it. Shame on you. Cheers to all the witches in the valley who keep our practice alive and well. Blessed be. Cheers to George and Audrey for seeing my painting in their driveway covered in snow and not running over it. Jeers to people who are ignorant about a spiritual path and practice that has been around for thousands of years. Yes, witchcraft is real, and yes, it is still practiced. We don’t fly brooms, use eye of newt or worship the devil as fairy tales have led people to believe, but we witches and our practices are as real as any other spiritual path or religion. Cheers to quick responses and professionalism from the Panorama Ski Patrol Team. Fire will crush you in Broomball though! Jeers to the guy in the old red truck pulling into the Fairmont BigWay parking lot when all the kids were getting off the bus. You DID NOT need to speed up and try to get around them. The bus lights were flashing, and that means STOP and wait. Watch out for our kids please! Cheers to all of the local businesses that supported Puppy Love 3 this weekend with donations of time, raffle items, and goods. Special cheers to Safta’s for the last minute, late-night donation and delivery of food for the celebration afterwards! Cheers to Fire Vixen and GALS for raising $6,200 for animals in need!
26 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer
February 28, 2014
CHEERS & JEERS
COMMERCIAL SPACE
SUITE FOR RENT
Cheers to Santa Al for pulling my truck out of the snow. You rock!
Retail opportunity in Invermere. 2,100 sq. ft. located on Main St. Rare vacancy in the busiest area of town. Don’t miss out on this golden opportunity, call now 250-2700570, ask for Josh. Short or long term okay.
Invermere: affordable 1-bdrm and 2-bdrm apartments. $600 - $800/ mo. Includes all utilities. 250-3411182.
Cheers to Peter for the gift of a small flat screen T.V. I really appreciate your kindness.
STORAGE NEWHOUSE MULTI 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: 250-342-3166.
COMMERCIAL SPACE For Lease: Micro office space, Panache Bldg., 250 - 300 sq. ft. each. All new, available immediately. Phone 250-342-5805.
NEW HOUSE MULTI STORAGE 20 x 25 heated shop $450/ mo, first and last D.D. required. 24 x 36 shop power included, propane heat at tenant’s expense, $650/mo first and last D.D. required. Contact New House Multi Storage 250-342-3637.
SHARED ACCOMMODATION Private room, phone, laundry access, internet, and all utilities included, $400/mo + $200 D.D., N/P. 1-866-222-0325. Please email classified ads to info@cv-pioneer.com
NOTICE In the Matter of Part 3.1 (Administrative Forfeiture) of the Civil Forfeiture Act [SBC 2005, C. 29] - the CFA
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT on January 17th, 2014, at Highway 93/95 south of Invermere, B.C., Peace Officer(s) of the East Kootenay IRSU seized, at the time indicated, the subject property, described as: $13,775 CAD, on or about 23:30 Hours.
Radium: 4-bdrm, 2-bath basement suite. W/D, N/P, N/S, no partiers. $1,100/mo, + utilities. References required. 250-342-6010. Radium: Fully furnished units for rent. Bedsitting, 1-bdrms, 2-bdrms. N/S, pets negotiable. Call Joan at 250-342-7517 to view and check availability. Rent includes heat, hydro, cable and all linens. STARTING AT $500/mo. Downtown Radium: Small bachelor suite, $350/mo, utilities included, D.D. Call 250-688-1582 or 250-3476420. Black Forest Village Apartment, 2-bdrm, washer/dryer, dishwasher, garage, N/S, N/P. $875/mo. 250342-3790. WALK TO DOWNTOWN AND KINSMEN BEACH: 3-bdrm, main floor of house, separate entrance, 5 appliances, deck, view. Shed, yard, N/P, N/S, no partiers, references/ deposit required. Rent includes, water/hydro/heat. Call 250-3427590.
The subject property was seized because there was evidence that the subject property had been obtained by the commission of an offence (or offences) under section 5(2) (Possession for purpose of trafficking) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act of Canada (CDSA) and was therefore property obtained by crime pursuant to section 354(1) (Possession of property obtained by crime) of the Criminal Code of Canada.
WALK TO DOWNTOWN AND KINSMEN BEACH: Spacious, clean 2-bdrm, basement suite, separate entrance, 4 appliances, backyard amenities, N/P, N/S, no partiers, references/deposit required. Rent includes water/hydro/heat. 250342-7590.
Notice is hereby given that the subject property, CFO file Number: 2014-1946, is subject to forfeiture under Part 3.1 of the CFA and will be forfeited to the Government for disposal by the Director of Civil Forfeiture unless a notice of dispute is filed with the Director within the time period set out in this notice.
Invermere: 2-bdrm ground level suite , close to hospital. $750/ mo + utilities, N/S, N/P. Available immediately, references required, 250-409-9801.
A notice of dispute may be filed by a person who claims to have an interest in all or part of the subject property. The notice of dispute must be filed within 60 days of the date upon which this notice is first published.
Invermere: bright furnished 1-bdrm basement suite, $700/mo + DD, utilities included, shared W/D, N/S, N/P, 250-342-3595.
You may obtain the form of a notice of dispute, which must meet the requirements of Section 14.07 of the CFA, from the Director’s website, accessible online at www. pssg.gov.bc.ca/civilforfeiture. The notice must be in writing, signed in the presence of a lawyer or notary public, and mailed to the Civil Forfeiture Office, PO Box 9234 Station Provincial Government, Victoria, B.C. V8W 9J1.
HOUSE FOR RENT In Athalmer, 2-bdrm home with huge kitchen, yard and parking. N/S, pets negotiable. $900/mo + utilities. 250-341-5639.
HOUSE FOR RENT
FOR RENT INVERMERE
3 bdrm. furnished home in Pineridge Mountain Resort. $1,650 /month.
RADIUM
2 bdrm. furnished condo in Copper Horn Towne $1,050/month. 2 bdrm. unfurnished condo. $900/month plus utilities.
FAIRMONT
2 bdrm. home on the river. $1,150/month. Available long-term only.
Eric Redeker 250-342-4040
FirstChoiceRentals.ca
3-BDRM HOUSE - GREAT LOCATION AND LAKE VIEWS! One level, W/D, F/S, dishwasher. Available March 1st. $775/mo plus utilities. Jeff 250-688-1105.
CONDO FOR RENT
FIREWOOD
Newly renovated half duplex, main floor and upper 2-bdrm + den. Large master. Large kitchen, 5-appliances (all new), deck, downtown Invermere. 1,000/mo + utilities. Available April 1st. 403874-0483.
Support Rockies Hockey firewood. Larch, fir, and pine split and delivered. Call 250-342-6908.
CONDO FOR RENT Radium: 2-bdrm, 2-bath, 6 appliances, fireplace, balcony, underground parking and storage locker. $925/ month, utilities included. N/S, N/P. Phone 780-554-8150 or 780929-5458 or email schedlerhome@ hotmail.com.
Firewood delivery right to your doorstep. Split or whole I can do it all. Call Franz at 250-347-6553.
WANTED Looking for a house/cat sitter in Fairmont. Need a reliable person to care for our home and cat on the occasions we go on holiday. It could be for just a few days to a maximum of two weeks. Nonsmokers only. Please respond to Margaret at 250-345-6635.
Invermere 2-bdrm pet friendly house for rent. Great location, large fenced yard, many upgrades inside, W/D, N/S. $1,000/mo. Available April 1st. 250-342-5400. 3-bdrm, 2.5 bath end unit house in Westside Park. Close to schools and park. $1,400/mo, please call 250409-4733.
CONDO FOR RENT Canal Flats: 2-bdrm, 1.5-bath with in-suite laundry. 1,000 sq. ft. of beautiful, comfortable, living space in quiet neighbourhood. $700/month + utilities. Available immediately. Call 403-873-8158 or e-mail canalcondo@live.ca . Serious inquiries only. Invermere furnished condo. Close to downtown, 2-bdrm, 2-bath on two levels. N/S, N/P, no partiers. References, $1,000/mo + utilities. Call 403-978-4559. Radium Peaks condo, 1,450 sq. ft., 2-bdrm, loft, 2 bath, fireplace, laundry, 1 underground parking stall, storage, unfurnished, pool, hot tubs. Utilities included, $1,150.00/mo. No partiers, N/P, references required. 403-660-2120.
Firewood for sale cords and half cords. 250-342-9390.
VEHICLES FOR SALE 2006 GMC 3500 6 liter, 270,000 km, fully loaded, Crew cab, 4 door. Checker plate aluminum deck with cargo tray. New winter and summer tires on rims. $13,500, call 250342-5148.
SERVICES Water treatment and purification, includes drinking water systems, softeners and conditioners, iron filters. Call AQUAIR, 250-342-5089.
Rockies West Realty Independently Owned and Operated
492 Highway 93/95, Invermere, BC
Kim Collens
Representative
toll free: 1.877.342.3427 cell: 250.342.1671
kim@rockieswest.com www.kimcollens.com
Recipe Of The Week
MINI CHEESECAKES 1 pkg (12 oz) Vanilla Wafers 2 Eggs 2 pkg (8 oz) Cream Cheese 1 tsp Vanilla Extract ¾ cup Sugar 1 can (21 oz) Cherry Pie filling Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line miniature muffin tins with paper liners. Crush the vanilla wafers and place ½ teaspoon of the wafers into each paper cup. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy. Fill each muffin liner with cheese mixture almost to the top. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool and top with 1 teaspoonful of the pie filling. Try other pie filling flavours for variety. See all my recipes at recipes.kimcollens.com
Home Of The Week Living the life . . . Lakeview Meadows Style!
Custom built beauty loaded with upgrades offers a quiet location, fully landscaped grounds, oversized garage for your boat and amenities for the entire family to enjoy!
$699,000 WOW!
MLS®
2395292
February 28, 2014
SERVICES NEED A PASSPORT or VISA PHOTO? ...guaranteed to meet Passport specifications or your money back or complimentary re-take! Walk-ins accepted; appointments preferred. Ready in an hour. KRS Photography Printing - Picture Framing 505-7th Avenue Invermere Open Tuesday-Saturday 10-5 or by appointment. Look for the red door behind the Invermere Laundromat! www.kimberleyrae.ca or 250-342-5102 Home Building and Renos Chuck Newhouse Builders 250-342-3637 chucknew@telus.net Dryer Vent and Furnace Cleaning and inspections. Call AQUAIR today! 250-342-5089. Heaven’s Best Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Environmentally friendly products. Dry in 1 hour! Call 250-688-0213 or visit www.heavensbest.ca . Buy One – Get One 1/2 Off “You were a lovely person to do business with. Very reliable, accommodating and efficient. Would recommend Shannon’s Blinds any time. Thank you for such a great job.” Lisa New – “Drapery & much more” Phantom Retractable Screen Doors Shannon’s Blinds & Designs 250-342-5749. Guitar lessons and Mac computer tutoring. Available most evenings and weekends. Call Emily at 250409-4104. Kootenay Bayou Hot Sauce is now available online at www.kootenaybayou.com Check out our online special for six or more bottles. www.dragonflydiscoverycentre. com is accepting registrations for spring break 3yrs - Kindergarten.
The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 27
Lambert Insurance Agencies
LESSONS/TRAINING
HELP WANTED
HELP WANTED
Learning in the Outdoors! Classroom skills at the College and the Rod and Gun Range. A course for youth aged 10 to 15 years interested in actively participating in outdoor recreation activities. Please contact 250-342-3688 or e-mail abtrask@telus.net.
Strands is seeking a chef with 3 to 5 years experience in European and Canadian fine dining to start immediately. This is a hands on position. Apply to Tony Wood at tony@strandsrestaurant.com or 250-342-6344.
FAIRMONT GAS PLUS AND SUBWAY IS SEEKING F/T, P/T EMPLOYEES PLEASE DROP OFF RESUME
HELP WANTED We are now accepting resumes for full-time positions for qualified first-cook chef in Mediterranean Greek cuisine in Fairmont minimum three years experience. Also, experienced prep cook, and kitchen help, ice cream attendants. Seasonal work from April to October. Please fax resume to 250-5443475 or email tonysgreekgrill@ gmail.com.
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. Helna’s Stube is looking for kitchen help/dish washer and part-time evening server. Please call 250347-0047 or email mail@helnas. com. Black Forest Restaurant is looking for a F/T Server. Previous experience in fine dining required. Email or drop off resume. 250-342-9417, careers@blackforestrestaurant. com.
Housekeeper wanted 13Km south of Invermere off Westside Rd. 3-4hr wanted 1day/week at $24/hr. Experience and references wanted. Call 250-341-3418.
is seeking a full-time Customer Service Representative. The successful candidate must be able to work well in a group, as well as independently, in a fast paced environment. Must be outgoing, positive, and a team player. Duties include ICBC and Driver licensing transactions, general insurance, answering phones, and other general office duties. Candidates must be willing to do the required licensing on their own time. Experience preferred, but willing to train. Grade 12 required. Please drop off resume with references in person to our office at 742-13th Street, Invermere. Successful applicants will be contacted for an interview.
HELP WANTED
Marriage Commissioner The Vital Statistics Agency, Ministry of Health, is looking for an individual to serve as a Marriage Commissioner for Invermere. The individual will perform civil marriages within their community on behalf of the Agency. For information and an application form please visit our website at: www.vs.gov.bc.ca/marriage
HEALTH & WELLNESS
Fiona Wilfley, AEP Intuitive Reader
Power Facilitation and Counselling Donna Power RPC, CTSS
FR
250-342-1713
EE
les & Lifesty 2013 –
2014
“Supporting Mindful Living”
make ow to e Pg 12 H space sparkl your
www.powerfacilitation.com 250-270-2727
in Inviting ts Pg 14 emen ural El the Nat ream Pg 21 D in the homes y valle
HELP WANTED
Check out our employment feature on pages 13-18! This feature includes additional job postings as well as informative stories about job search tips and local companies looking to hire the right individuals ~ just like you!
& Lifestyles ADVERTISING DEADLINE
March 14th, 2014 Columbia Valley Homes & Lifestyles is a complimentary, high-quality glossy magazine distributed throughout the Columbia Valley, from Canal Flats to Spillimacheen. “Valley Vogue”is the theme of the 2014/2015 issue, which will showcase the popular and recurring sections of Local Treasures, Eco Everything and Artist’s Profile, as well as feature stories tentatively based on the following concepts (still subject to change):
• Valley Vintage - enhance your house with history • Design Your Own Day Spa - perfect purchases for in-house pampering • Compact Cabin Living - transform a tight squeeze into a cozy cottage • Energy Exhaustion - lower your home’s consumption and liberate your wallet • Interior Innovation - featuring some of the valley’s top interior designers • Life on the Lake - featuring some of the valley’s most beautiful lakeside homes
Book before March 7th and receive a 5% early booking discount
Contact Dean Midyette or Bette Segstro N E W S PA P E R
N E W S PA P E R
250-341-6299 • ads@cv-pioneer.com Box 868, Invermere B.C. V0A 1K0
28 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer
February 28, 2014 . . . RCMP from Page 4
An accountant correction In the Friday, February 21st issue of The Pioneer, the Think Local advertorial on page 8 featuring Barb J. Smith & Associates Inc. inadvertently misspelled the name of Mark Digney of Digney & Co. as “Dingey.” The Pioneer regrets the error.
DISCOVER NEW GROUND WITH CN Looking to make an exciting career move? CN is North America’s leading railroad and we’re now hiring Train Conductors. We’re seeking candidates who are interested in relocating permanently to Saskatoon, Edmonton, and Northern British Columbia. As a new Conductor, we’ll provide you with relocation assistance, paid training, a competitive wage and outstanding benefits.
My friend’s wife was a skilled skier and at one time practiced with a women’s ski team. It just so happened that Whistler was preparing for a Men’s World Cup downhill competition. It’s my first time on the hill, I’m just following my friends. We stopped and then decided to go to the right – the wrong turn in life. I didn’t know it at the time, but this fateful turn took us on the run being prepared for the World Cup competition. I was fighting just to go side-to-side and my legs were killing me. I was looking down at what I considered cliffs and thought a parachute would be desirable. There was no turning back. I ended up on my butt pretty much to the end of the run. When I say ended up on my butt, this is not because I’m constantly falling down, it was a life saving choice. I clung to the edge of the run and at one point I actually saw they were icing the run. They are icing the run and my butt has no grip. I had no crampons, no spiked boots. Once I got through the ice field I eventually get to an area they must have called the Mount Everest drop, because I’m looking at one hell of a drop. One of many I must say. The problem with this drop is I didn’t see bottom. So I crawled further to the side where there was soft snow and some fencing. I’m not exaggerating when I say that it took me about an hour and a half to reach safety. I was done for the day. Every ounce of energy was all used up in the process of saving my life. I later watched the competition on TV from the comfort of home, trying to convince people to believe me when I repeatedly bragged that I went down that run. And that Mount Everest drop as I called it, I don’t know why they even bothered to groom it, as skis never touched the majority of that portion of the hill. When I watched my peers go down the hill at the 2014 Olympics in a matter of two minutes, I truly appreciate the limits to which they are pushing themselves.
Columbia Valley Pioneer Friday, February 28
Inspiring ink for animals
Cranbrook Townsman/Kimberly Sarah Eastick (left) and Nick Hylo (right) tattoo Beth Foster (left) and Shane O’Laughlin Thursday, February 27 (right), helping raise more than $6,200 for Global Animal Lovers on Saturday, February 22nd as Fire Vixen Tattoos held the third annual Puppy Love fundraiser. Last week’s story incorrectly called the fundraiser Paws for a Cause; they are separate events which support East Kootenay Valley different animal welfare organizations. Photo by Dan Walton Thursday, February 27
Kootenay News Advertiser Friday, February 28
Ready to discover a new territory? No experience necessary! Our recruiters are coming to Cranbrook on Tuesday, March 18 and Trail on Wednesday, March 19. As space is limited, THESE EVENTS ARE BY INVITATION ONLY. Submit your application online today.
Trail Daily Times Friday, February 28
Visit jobs.cn.ca for details and to APPLY ONLINE before Monday, March 10. Job ID 3904 for Cranbrook and 3905 for Trail. CN is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Find your place at CN jobs.cn.ca
West Kootenay Advertiser Friday, February 28 (3) 4.312 x 112 192,720 family meals from you...
Happy 89th Birthday from us, Mom! to
Love from ! Laura Ronacher The Family Artist:
February 28, 2014
The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 29
Canal Flats celebrates completion of arena renovations By Dan Walton Pioneer Staff Whether skating on the rink or watching from the stands, the Canal Flats Arena has undergone major upgrades to make the experience more enjoyable from either side of the glass. The arena’s seating was replaced after it was noticed that the former bleachers were rotting. The discovery came during the replacement of the surface under the ice which was noticed to have been cracking. “Now we don’t have wavy ice any more,” said Canal Flats mayor Ute Juras, who added village would have had to close the doors on the arena had the upgrades not taken place. An official re-opening was held at the arena on Saturday, February 22nd, where members of Canal Flats council were joined by regional district Area F director Wendy Booth and regional district board chair Rob Gay. There was hot chocolate and goodies for those in atten-
dance, and Ms. Juras said it was a pleasant afternoon for all. “We’re really happy that the project is done and we’re grateful for the contributions from the local taxpayers, the provincial grant, the Columbia Basin Trust, and Canfor.” The rink is used for tournaments by local minor hockey leagues, Calgarybased minor hockey leagues, oldtimers teams, and is a venue for public skating, shinny and moms with tots skating. Adding insulation to the arena, which lacks any insulation at this point, and completing drainage work will take place next. The regional district board approved $140,500 in capital funding at its February RINK RATS — Regional District of East Kootenay board chair Rob Gay meeting. The funds will paid by the Canal shares a laugh with elected officials and the public at the official re-opening of Flats Recreation Service Area over the the Canal Flats Arena on Saturday, February 22nd. Photo by Lizzie Midyette next two years.
A tale of two Gibraltars Top left: Windermere residents Rod and Christine Turnbull stood atop Gibraltar (off the southern tip of Spain) earlier this month, at a point where “the rock” is less than two kilometres wide and rises 1,340 feet (408 metres) above sea level . The last time the pair were in the area, 38 years ago, the border to Gibraltar was closed, so they were happy tick the peak off their bucket list. By snapping a shot of The Pioneer during their travels, the pair will be entered into a draw to win a pair of tickets to a Calgary Flames home game next season (submitted photo). Above: here in the valley, another Gibraltar — the 140-foot (43-metre) Gibraltar Wall ice climb east of Canal Flats — was climbed on Sunday, February 16th by two valley locals and a visitor in varying sunny and cloudy conditions. Bottom left: Craig Waters, a visiting climber from Tumbler Ridge checks the placement of his crampons while lead climbing the second pitch of the climb, in temperatures slightly above freezing. Photos by Greg Amos
30 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer
February 28, 2014
Home is where the heart is The valley’s own Morgan Childs, one of Canada’s top jazz drummers, brought three more talented musician friends (saxophone player Chad Makela, pianist Daniel Reynolds, and bassist Adam Thomas) to deliver a slick jazz performance at Christ Church Trinity on Friday, February 21st. Morgan put in his two cents about the need for a performing arts centre in Invermere, stating if one was built, he would like to organize a local jazz festival and pull in some of the best bands in the biz. ”To have a real theatre in town, would be a great thing, don’t you think?” he asked the audience to delighted applause. “I was talking to your mayor on Facebook a few months ago, which is easier than talking to my Mayor,” added the Toronto-based Mr. Childs. “He doesn’t want to talk to me; it’s real bad for my mayor right now.” Above photo by Greg Amos; right photo by Nicole Trigg . . . ‘Design options’ from page 3 Those building components could prove quite pricy if added on to the lobby and community hall. The two options presented involve initially building a community hall with a lobby, with the potential to add the other aspects in the future — a plan that better suits the budget for the project. The two options presented were similar, with the major difference being that one has the new community centre as a two-tiered building on a slope, akin to a house with a walkout basement, and the other has the new centre as a simpler one-level building. “Being a bit of a romantic, I like the two-tier design, since in terms of urban design, I think it would really strengthen the intersection of 4th Street and 7th Avenue, giving you a feeling of really having arrived in Invermere and also it creates more of a parklike area around the building. The one-story design is more about parking than about park-like,” said Mr. Carscadden at the open house. However the two-tier design comes with a bigger price tag, likely about $8.6 million, while the onestory design is much closer to the $5.6 million figure council was approved to borrow for the project by Invermere residents in a referendum last fall. “The district is in the process now of applying for matching grants, so maybe that makes the difference
between $5.6 million and $8.6 million or perhaps council would prefer to go with the one-story option and use those matching grants to lower the borrowing cost. That’s a political decision I’m not privy to,” said Mr. Carscadden. “These sketches are meant mostly to solicit comments rather than to be final designs. It’s likely the final concept will be some blend of the two options along with other ideas thrown in,” he said. Several Invermere residents asked about the capability of the hall for hosting theatre productions and other arts events. Both design options allow for this use, but involve the theatre set-up being movable. Having anything other than a movable theatre set up would make it difficult to have the space truly be multi-use and also make it difficult to fit into the existing budget, according to Mr. Carscadden’s local representative, Jillian Cochrane. “We don’t have a $20 million budget,” said Ms. Cochrane at the meeting. “You can still have quite luxurious, comfortable seating, great acoustics and an overall really impressive (theatre) facility and have it be movable.” At the council meeting a few hours after the open house, Mr. Carscadden presented the design options to council and discussed some issues related to the new community centre, chief among them the idea that the local judo club’s space requirements like-
ly mean it will be hard to fit the club into the new centre. Council had been hoping to move all groups using the existing community centre — including the judo club — into the new centre’s multipurpose rooms. However the judo club requires a 10-metre by 10-metre fighting space, surrounded by a fourmetre perimeter and that fighting space is composed of tatami mats built on a raft of wood that is actually suspended over a shallow pit in the floor — a feature necessary to prevent injuries. The space requirements for the judo club are about 75 to 80 percent of the whole size of the new community centre and the specialized floor makes it difficult to accommodate other uses in the same area, Mr. Carscadden told council. “It is an exclusive, dedicated use. It’s not like you could have judo in there one hour and then kids’ play the next,” he said. “Council has a choice on how they want to accommodate the judo club and I’m sure the club will be accommodated somewhere. I’m just not sure if it will be in the new community centre or somewhere else.” Several council members said they thought that since the Valley Fitness Centre now seems to be likely to move into the new community centre, the fitness centre’s current location might be a good new home for the judo club.
February 28, 2014
The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 31
FAITH
What’s your favourite Bible story? By Laura Hermakin Reverend Christ Church Trinity Most everyone has a favourite Bible story. What’s yours? Mine is the Road to Emmaus story from the Gospel of Luke (24:13-35.) It has enough detail to give a clear mind’s eye picture of the scene and characters as the story unfolds. It follows Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. Jesus has died; it’s all over, empty tomb or not, and two former followers are headed home, back to reality, when Jesus appears and walks with them. They don’t recognize him! They’re so absorbed in themselves, their worries and problems, that they don’t recognize their friend, teacher and Lord! I love the way the followers retell the story, to Jesus no less, as though he doesn’t know it only too well.
Jesus then patiently explains, beginning with Moses and the prophets, that all this had to happen. He opens all scripture to them and they still don’t get it. At least they invite him to stay with them since it’s evening. Hospitality to a stranger is how they finally make the connection: when they reach out, see him as a person in need of their ministry and care. Jesus knew he couldn’t just come among them and show himself fully; he had to wait until they invited him. It’s not that he isn’t already there, walking and talking with us, but we need to invite him into our lives and into our very being. It’s in the act of breaking bread, which is so often where we connect with people, that they recognize Jesus. Sharing food: in these important acts of being together we find love and hope because in the mundane details of living, we come closest to sharing our deepest selves. Then he vanishes. But that brief glimpse is enough for them to know their lives are forever changed. He has blessed their lives. They have seen and known Jesus of Nazareth, a great man who became a trusted teacher and friend, a miracle worker and healer; they have seen and known Jesus Christ, the risen Lord.
Valley Churches LAKE WINDERMERE ALLIANCE CHURCH Sunday, March 2nd 10:30 a.m.: Worship And Life Instruction, “H2 0...Mirage”...Pastor Trevor ministering.“K.I.D.S.” Church for children age 3 to Grade 1, and Grades 2-5 during the morning service. Pastor Trevor Hagan 326 - 10th Avenue, Invermere 250-342-9535 • www.lakewindermerealliance.org WINDERMERE VALLEY SHARED MINISTRY ANGLICAN-UNITED 9:30 a.m.: Bacon, Friends and Faith 10:30 a.m.: Worship at Christ Church Trinity, Invermere Reverend Laura Hermakin 110 - 7th Avenue, Invermere 250-342-6644 • www.wvsm.ca VALLEY CHRISTIAN ASSEMBLY Sunday, 10 a.m.; Worship service. Kids’ Church provided. Pastor Murray Wittke 4814 Highway 93/95, Windermere 250-342-9511 • www.valleychristianonline.com ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH Saturday, 4:30 p.m.: at St. Anthony’s, Canal Flats. Saturday, 5 p.m. and Sunday, 9 a.m.: at Canadian Martyrs’ Church in Invermere Sunday, 11 a.m.: at St. Joseph’s Church in Radium. 712 -12th Ave., Invermere • Father Gabriel • 250-342-6167 ST. PETER’S LUTHERAN MISSION OF INVERMERE Worship services every Sunday at 1:30 p.m. Christ Church Trinity, 110 - 7th Ave., Invermere Pastor Rev. Fraser Coltman • 1-250-426-7564 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 Barry Pratt • Columbia Valley Branch 5014 Fairway, Fairmont Hot Springs • 250-341-5792
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Going Greek at Martin Morigeau Elementary On February 12th, 2014, Ms. Habart’s Grade 4 through 7 class at Martin Morigeau school hosted a Greek Extravaganza Evening. They set up the gym as a dinner theatre, served Greek food and preformed a play called “The Trojan Horse.” It was a fun, educational evening for all! Photo submitted
To donate In Memory or In Honour: www.cancer.ca | 250-426-8916 or call toll-free 1-800-656-6426 or mail to: P. O. Box 102 Invermere, BC V0A 1K0 Please include: Your name and address for tax receipt Name of the person being remembered Name and address to send card to
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32 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer
February 28, 2014
YOUR MONEY
How to Identify an Investment Scam Investment fraud is a common problem around the world, including Canada. According to the Canadian AntiFraud Centre, 167 victims of investment fraud in Canada reported more than 15.62 million dollars in losses to investment scams in 2011, with the average loss per victim in excess of $93,000. Further, in a report by the Canadian Securities Administrators, 56 per cent of Canadians agree they are just as likely to be a victim of investment fraud as anyone else. This number suggests that the majority of Canadians don’t have a lot of confidence identifying a fraudulent investment. Here are some key features that usually indicate fraud, and how to protect yourself. Aggressive salespeople If avoiding pushy salespeople was as easy as it sounds, very few people would ever be defrauded. Beware of any investment where you are being pressured, especially if there is urgency. By rushing in, you won’t have time to check things out before you buy. Licensed financial advisors are bound by fiduciary duty, and must understand their client’s investment objectives, risk tolerance and time horizon before recommending investments. Always ask yourself, does this person know me? Do I know them? One way to ensure you are dealing with someone who is qualified to offer investments to others is to check their registration. Registration is public knowledge and can be
checked on online. Those offering financial investments to BC residents should be registered under the BC Securities Commission, www.bcsc.bc.ca, and those selling insurance based products should be registered with the BC Insurance Council, www.insurancecouncilofbc.com. Lack of information Questionable investment strategies often have scarce or incomplete information available to prospective buyers. Private investments and those that trade on the exempt market are excused from issuing a proper legal prospectus. If a promoter won’t give you information in writing or offers details that can’t be verified, there might be a problem. Hot tips Hear about it on the golf course? Not supposed to tell anyone? People with hot tips usually have their own interests in mind, not other’s. In many cases, promoters may be trying to create hype to increase a buying traffic to a stock so they can dump their own shares at a higher price. This can especially be a problem when using blogs and email newsletters as a source of information. The bottom line is, you don’t know the people who create and promote blogs or newsletters, or their ulterior motives, no matter what they say. If the tip is about a stock that trades on a recognized exchange, ask a licensed investment advisor to research it and give an opinion. Beware of any investment that can`t be researched through credible public means.
Abnormally high returns Does an investment promise to make lots of cash fast with little to no chance of losing your money? This is impossible. In general, investments that have a greater chance of high gains also have a greater chance of permanent loss. That’s known as the risk/return trade-off. Private real estate investments are particularly guilty of claiming high returns with little to no risk. It’s important to understand that when you invest in a private real estate project, you are giving money to a corporation to do with what they please. It is not illegal in Canada to set up a corporation, gather investors and then spend all the money on administrative costs, even if those costs consist solely of salaries! Final thoughts Always be wary of aggressive salespeople or promoters, especially if you don`t know them. Never give money or personal information to a stranger. Additionally, be careful with investments that seem too good to be true. Always check information online from credible sources and with an investment advisor. For more information, visit the BC Securities Commission`s investor knowledge website at www.investright.org. If you want to know more about all kinds of scams, visit the Competition Bureau’s website at www. competitionbureau.gc.ca. Their Little Black Book of Scams is a great read, and is available as a free download.
Investments, Insurance & Financial Planning Brendan Donahue BCOMM, CIM, FCSI
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