COMMUNITY

The Fernie Museum has gone through multiple transformations since the Fernie and District Historical Society was founded in 1964. Its first museum space was opened in 1979 in the Catholic Church rectory, which then closed in 1999. In 2004, the Society opened a temporary Museum at Town Centre on 2nd Ave (where C21 is today). It was then that the City of Fernie recognized the importance of a permanent home for the Museum and purchased the former BC Hydro building for this purpose. The Fernie Museum Project was initiated and was completed in 2013 with a beautifully renovated space in one of Fernie’s most beautiful historical buildings – a perfect fit for both the Museum and Fernie.

As the organization grew, so did the need for an executive director. James Takenaka was recently chosen to fill this role within the organization, and he couldn’t be happier with the move to the Elk Valley and new direction in his career.

James was born and raised in Winnipeg, and after completing high school moved to Lethbridge for college to study renewable resource management. He went straight to work, starting out with Alberta Parks providing interpretive guided walks and shows in the amphitheatres.

“I was at Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park that first summer and spent the next few summers in Kananaskis country. I always loved the mountains and would have stayed with parks but there were no full-time jobs at the time. So, I went back to school at the Alberta College of Art and Design in Calgary – I enjoyed the whole graphic design thing and doing my own type of art. It’s very interesting, as there is something different all of the time,” he shares with me. After receiving his Bachelor of Arts, James segued into museums developing and hosting programs and events.

“The last few decades I have been at the Reynolds Alberta Museum in Wetaskiwin, which focuses on mechanized history. It’s a big museum, provincially owned and operated,” he adds.

“I mostly enjoyed working with people – my colleagues and the visitors. The position was always evolving and was never the same year after year. Wetaskiwin is about 45 minutes south and east of Edmonton with 12,000 residents, so not a big place to live. I enjoyed the museum, and the town had a great arts and culture community too. I taught Karate there for quite a few decades,” James says, adding that it kept him busy!

James’ wife’s family had a condo in Elkford, so as a family with their two daughters, they always spent time in the Elk Valley.

“Both of my daughters are in BC,” James says. “One is in Elkford and her husband teaches there. The other moved to Fernie with her three kids, and recently to

James Takenaka

by KRISTA TURCASSO

Krista Turcasso Photo

Creston to run a cherry farm. My wife moved to Elkford full time in September of 2021 to help with the grandkids. I decided I didn’t like commuting every weekend, and when I saw a posting for the position in Fernie I applied and got the job. I’ve only been here about a month, so I’m brand new, but feel as though I’m living the dream,” he says with a smile.

“It’s been very enlightening and very busy. It’s a steep learning curve, but I am enjoying it. It’s great to work with a very active board, they walk the talk and are very supportive.”

With James’ background in events and planning, he is looking forward to seeing the museum vibrant and operating as a community hub again after two years of COVID. “We have a lot of re-building, but also a lot of things in the works,” he says.

July starts off with a new exhibit in their gallery space, In This Together by Michael Hepher. In the fall, the popular Chautauqua Fall Festival is back and with it the art installation, Women of Michel.

“We are also looking at refreshing the standing exhibit and doing some business strategy to see what we come up with. I like how active this community is, and it’s different having a board for bosses. Volunteers are wonderful.”

There are also extensive renovations taking place at the museum, including re-doing the stairs, sanding and refinishing the floors, and more, thanks to the support and funding from Canadian Heritage, the CBT and the City of Fernie.

While James will be kept busy at the Fernie Museum, he is also excited to embrace Valley life.

“I’m going to be doing a lot more hiking, there is no lack of hiking trails here! My wife bought me a fly fishing kit, which I have never done in my life. As a hobby I also custom make knives, so I will approach hunters and restaurants to see if there is interest. I have a whole lot of things to keep me busy, including my pencils and paints. Living here in the mountains, it’s easy to get back into my art!”

Welcome to the Elk Valley, James! We look forward to working with you at the Museum and to attending the upcoming exhibits and events.

For more details and to keep up to date on all that is happening at the Fernie Museum, visit ferniemuseum.com.

1. When did you first arrive in Elk Valley and what brought you here?

It must have been 20 some odd years ago, and my wife brought me here as my in-laws had a place and we thought it was great!

2. Who did you first meet?

I met some of the other condo owners in Elkford around the campfire.

3. Do you remember your first general impression of the Elk Valley?

I thought the mountains were just gorgeous, and remember seeing deer in the back of our condo and a bear wondering by and thought, this is the wilderness.

4. What keeps you here?

Family, friends and mountains. Family especially.

5. Do you have a favourite pastime?

I like making knives.

6. What time of the year do you love most and why?

I still love the fall, the trees changing colour, when the larch turn bright yellow and the leaves are vibrant.

7. Where do you see or hope to see the Elk Valley in five years.

I hope it continues to grow in terms of tourism. Fernie has become a lot of fun, a few years back it was a little quieter.

8. How do you start your day or what is one of your daily rituals? 9. Tell us something people might be surprised to learn about you.

When I first started out in parks, one of my job duties was moving rattlesnakes. At Writing-on-Stone, it is a desert climate. A rattlesnake would come through to get to water and I would have to move it to the archeological reserve. It was a little more dangerous that I would like, sometimes.

10. Quote to live by:

Just Do It. Whenever I want to try something, I usually do. I wanted to know what skydiving was like, so I took some lessons and jumped out of plane a couple of times. Twice was enough. I also decided I wanted to know what it was like to fly a plane, so I got my pilots license. This was before marriage, mortgages, kids and car loans.

Interior and Exterior Renovations Residential Concrete Property and Facility Maintenance

Daniel Wells

250.430.7711 www.wellswood.ca

Grants, Why Bother?

by ANGE QUALIZZA

I’ve heard some grumbling in the community about a few of the projects we’ve undertaken lately, and I often hear - we don’t need it, or why spend the money?!

There are a few reasons why we chase grants, but the thing I want to impress most in this column is simply that you’ve already paid for them. Whether a federal infrastructure grant, or provincial grant ear marked for special projects -you the taxpayer- have already paid for them. Our goal is to make sure that investment stays in our community.

The more important reason we chase grants is because we are in what we call an infrastructure deficit, and infrastructure deficit is the measure of the amount of infrastructure that has passed its theoretical service life but still provides value to the community.

In 2021 Council and staff worked to advance many projects with grant funding and secured approximately $8.78 million dollars that will support our community in meaningful ways.

This includes $790,563 of investment in tourism infrastructure through the Tourism Dependent Communities Fund, $197,00 for evacuation route planning, $126,945 in fuel management and Fire Smart funding, and $171, 875 through the Union of BC Municipalities to support modernization of our planning services.

We continue to invest in active transportation, and flood protection with the Annex Dike project being valued at approximately $4.8 million dollars (grant funded). Just last night in Council we approved another grant application to renew more infrastructure that would specifically support a coordinated capital renewal project to include reducing Inflow and Infiltration, to assist in reducing the flow volume being processed in the City’s Wastewater Treatment system, replace failing manholes and coordinate improvements to implement recommended active transportation features. If you take anything away from the article this month, it should be that we have a lot of aging infrastructure that needs renewal and replacement, and chasing grants is critical to our success because we can’t afford to do it any other way.

“Whether a federal infrastructure grant, or provincial grant ear marked for special projects -you the taxpayer- have already paid for them. Our goal is to make sure that investment stays in our community.”

Submitted Photos

Creek-o-systems

by SYLVIA AYERS, illustrated by SARAH PULLEN

Did you know?

Some people build U-shaped rock dams to create pools in creeks and rivers to cool off in the summer. These partial dams are called ‘weirs’ and–while they might look like harmless fun–they can be damaging to the ecosystem.

How are they damaging?

Weirs prevent fish from finding refuge and food. Fish travel up and down waterways to feed, reproduce, and find cool areas to escape the summer heat. Restricting their movement can affect their wellbeing and survival. Weirs change stream shape and water quality. As water is forced around the edges of weirs, stream banks are eroded which increases sediment levels and makes the streams wide and shallow.

A shallow stream, with lower oxygen, and full of sediment impacts the entire river and stream ecosystem. Weirs can decrease oxygen levels. By slowing down water, it doesn’t have a chance to mix with air as it travels through riffles and rapids. Additionally, slow water is warmer, and warm water holds far less oxygen than cold water. Oxygen is essential for all animals that live in the water.

So just enjoy the natural rivers and streams! Find natural eddys to relax in (without oily sunscreens!) and river banks to set up your chair and dip your feet in the water. Make sure to clean up after yourself, and avoid wading in the streams during trout mating season (May-June). Learn about the biodiversity within these dynamic, complex creek-osystems and support your local watershed groups!

Reactive Dogs

by VALERIE BARRY

Like any dog loving community, reactive dogs are a part of the dog world we occupy. It’s a generally accepted rule that most dogs who react to things in their environment do so out of fear and anxiety. There are other reasons, too, and often more than one, but fear is a common starting point.

It’s not fun being the guardian of a reactive dog – I’ve owned several and it can be a life and lifestyle altering experience. There are, however, many things you can do to help your dog. Many factors play into those behaviours we wish would simply go away, but there are always ways to make things even a little bit better.

Some simple tips for owners of reactive dogs:

1. If you use a leash and collar, consider a body harness instead. The change in sensation on your dog’s body can make a big difference. At the very least, taking the pressure and discomfort off your dog’s delicate throat area can only help.

2. Teach your dog to look at you when asked, and then use this behaviour to teach your dog not to stare at other dogs.

Staring is often perceived as a threat between dogs who don’t know each other. This simple act can make a world of difference on your walks.

3. Train your dog to walk with a loose leash and to engage with you frequently.

Tension begets tension – add in staring at dogs and things can escalate quickly.

4. Distance is your friend. Every dog has a distance from which they are most comfortable from things that might concern them; from where they are able to display interest, not concern. Find your dog’s comfort zone and use it to keep you both relaxed.

5. Daily reactions raise and keep arousal high. Sniff breaks, enrichment toys and mental games help. Use these tools frequently before, during and after walks to lessen the effects of all that adrenaline.

Working with reactivity is challenging. A tag line I like to use is, “Training is something to do with your dog, not to your dog.” Nothing is more important than that when you’re working through a troubling behaviour problem with your dog – you need to work together. Fernie is such a great dog community and such a positive place to be whether you’re a seasoned dog owner, raising a new puppy or adopting your first dog!

I’m really thrilled to be here and to be able to connect and collaborate with local trainers and local dog training enthusiasts. I’m looking forward to bringing you some helpful tips and interesting information about dogs and offering fun new things to do with your dogs.

Welcome Home, Jack | Submitted Photo