EDITOR’S FIX

By Krista Turcasso, Editor

Over the last couple of months, I have had multiple dreams of being with my Nana. (The most recent the night before writing this.) She was my best friend and passed away seven years ago April 1. I was expecting my second daughter at the time, whose due date was mid-April but we would wait an extra two weeks before meeting her, as I became extremely ill after my Nana’s passing with a chest infection.

These dreams and recent losses both in our community and within our family have resulted in me ruminating on this time. What has become most apparent is my withdrawal… from everything. Myself, my family, my friends, and worst of all, my Nana. I would sit with her for hours, I would hold her hand, but I could not say anything. I think it must have been a form of self-preservation. I knew I was on the edge of falling into pieces.

Seven years later, I remember what my acupuncturist said to me. That I would not go into labour until I could process the grief. In Chinese medicine, we hold grief in our lungs. I also recall one of my favourite quotes from Rumi, “The wound is where the Light enters you.”

I was very fortunate at the time that my partner organized for me to travel to the Cranbrook hospital so I could tell my Nana that if we had a girl, we would call her Maria. It was the last time I saw her in person, she squeezed my hand. I let some light in. The last couple of years have been riddled with loss, confusion, division and challenges, both individually and as a community, and now we have the opportunity to transition and to receive positivity, change, love, togetherness. Let’s celebrate and let that light in, and hey - if it takes a little help from a friend, that’s okay!

In the Fernie Fix - Summer Guide 2022 “Cool Off This Summer: Swimming Holes Near Fernie” we included Grave Lake. The access road is often an active logging road so please take precautions and have proper communication gear to ensure you and your party are safe. Additionally, Grave Lake has a $5/day fee for a boat launch and campsite camping fees are $25/night.

As with any backcountry exploration, know before you go. Check status of roads as many are used for logging, or were impacted by recent flooding.

Contributors

ANDREW VALLANCE is a cinephile nerd who currently lives on the west coast. Girlfriendless, he spends his time going to movies, buying DVDs and flirting. ANGE QUALIZZA is a nutty economist who has a passion for policy, governance and everything to do with municipal government! Let’s lift up the carpet and take a closer look inside City Hall. ASHLEY KRISTINA has studied astrology for over twenty years and has been reading/teaching for five. For an in depth natal chart reading, email mountainashastrology@gmail.com. ASHLEY LORTSCHER of Valley Vitals is a market gardener and local food advocate, here to share her knowledge on growing food in the Elk Valley. BRAD PARSELL is the manager of the Fernie Chamber and loves working with our local vibrant business community. He is also a music nerd with an ever-growing collection of records in his basement. FRED GIETZ is a self-professed science nerd and lover of all things outside. KEVIN MCISAAC haunts the coffee shops and streets of Fernie to find his column source material. MICHAEL HEPHER is a painter, printmaker, sculptor and musician living and working in Fernie. His work is collected internationally and can be seen at Clawhammer Press and a variety of galleries in Western Canada. PATRICK ROBERTSON is a travel writer and long-time resident of Fernie. He is an expert in planning independent travel and finding budget travel deals. Visit his website at budgetslowtravel.com and on Facebook at facebook.com/budgetslowtravel. Every month SADIE ROSGEN teams up with some of Fernie’s brightest young writers collaborating on a given theme. If you are reading this and think that you are that person, drop her a line at sadiepumps@gmail.com. SARAH PULLEN is a grade 12 student at Fernie Secondary with a passion for all things creative. She looks forward to pursuing some form of artistic studies post-secondary. SHONA RUBENS is a science by day, adventure by weekend kinda gal. Calling Kimberley, BC home, she wonders and wanders in the natural world around her. Her background as an Olympic downhill skier keeps her searching for her next rush and thankfully the Kootenays have an eternal supply. SYLVIA AYERS Sylvia is a tenacious naturalist and believes each one of us can have a big impact on making things better if we just know how. TAINA TURCASSO is a naturopathic physician, midwife, and new mama who is at long last practicing in Fernie. She is enjoying getting reacquainted with all of Fernie’s offerings with her family. TYLA CHARBONNEAU is a Registered Psychologist (CPBC2385), dog momma, and nature lover. She loves talking with others about mindfulness, self-compassion, and human nature.

FERNIE FIX | FERNIEFIX.COM

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Editor | Krista Turcasso Creative Director | Vanessa Croome

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Claris Media acknowledges that the land on which we work, gather and recreate is the traditional and unceded territory of the Ktunaxa people. We are very grateful for this place and the abundance it provides.