We have faced tough challenges the past two years with the COVID-19 pandemic. To watch our community, continue to support each other, our families, our businesses and our City has brought us closer together, made us resilient and focused on the important days to follow.
We continue to stand together, Cranbrook and we look forward to the possibilities the future will bring to each of us and our community. The future is bright.
Photo: Cranbrook Tourism
A good place to be overdoin’ it.
Downtown Marysville? Platzl? Blarchmont? No matter what part of town, Kimberley businesses have gone above and beyond to stay open for you! Now is the time to support them with all of your might. Shop, eat and spend local and by all means, go ahead and overdo it...we won’t tell.
Our Commitment to Community
As we head into the 20th year since closure of the Sullivan, we remain proud members of the community and are looking forward to continued collaboration.
To learn more about the Sullivan please visit the website and keep an eye out for upcoming events.
www.teck.com/sullivan
Elevated Tastes
This ain’t your regular old pub food.
The Sullivan Pub offers a diverse, multifaceted menu that will fulfill the hopes of anyone in your party — from the plant-based vegetarian, to the modern foodie craving fusion fare, to the classicist craving, well, good old fashioned pub food.
But even the classics — like hamburgers, beef dip, and nachos — are far beyond average. Every menu item is created with care: fries are hand-cut, mozzarella sticks are handcrafted and smoked in-house, and caesar salad dressing is whipped up from scratch. Chefs even grind steak and brisket to make their hamburger patties, sourcing the best ingredients possible, like certified AAA Angus beef. The commitment to high quality is one you can taste in every bite.
It’s clear that this team of chefs is passionate about what they do. They’re given total creative freedom in the kitchen, and when it’s time to revamp the menu, the team sits down to create it together. A great deal of time goes into making the menu as fantastic
Locals and tourists alike will often share that the Sully is now their first choice for a dinner out.
as possible, often incorporating suggestions from patrons — helping to ensure that as many customers as possible have their expectations exceeded when they dine at the Sullivan.
That crowd-pleasing variety shows up in distinct dishes like homemade butter chicken, zesty jambalaya, and mouth-watering pad thai. The kitchen has also been smoking its own meat in-house for over a decade.
The popularity of the Sullivan’s menu speaks for itself. Since purchasing the pub in 2004, the owners have doubled the kitchen’s size not once, but twice: once in 2005 and again in 2019. These extensive expansions are proof that good food is one of the establishment’s highest priorities — and that the community is highly receptive to what comes out of the kitchen. Locals and tourists alike will often share that the Sully is now their first choice
for a dinner out — whether they heard about it from a friend, have been coming for years, or stumbled upon it by accident.
Good food isn’t the Sullivan’s only priority. The company also donates generously to the community by supporting various causes and fundraisers throughout the year. This includes ongoing, long-term support of the Kimberley Dynamiters, the local junior hockey team. The Sullivan has been a major sponsor of the Dynamiters since 2004, through thick and thin, and even has its name on the ice.
The owners and team at the Sully believe community involvement and support is of the highest importance — as is really good food. And they do both incredibly well!
To try the Sullivan’s fantastic menu, swing on by: they’re located in the heart of Kimberley and open seven days a week.
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MANAGING EDITOR
Karen Vold
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Grady Pasiechnyk
SALES & DISTRIBUTION
Grady Pasiechnyk
ART DIRECTION & DESIGN
Ashley Dodd
COPY EDITING & SOCIAL MEDIA
Monica Karaba
CONTRIBUTORS
Britt Bates
Ferdy Belland
Monica Karaba
Dan Mills
Jeff Pew
COVER WINTER 2021
Photo: Dan Cockram
12 FORGING CONNECTIONS: The Mind-bending, Heartwarming Art of Paul Reimer
20 HOPS AND SUDS AND FUN, OH MY! Local Craft Brew Culture, and Why We Care
28 CREATIVE BY NATURE: Found Art in a Winter World
32 AMPLIFY YOUR IMPACT
36 ARE YOU READY TO PARTY YET? 'Cause Kimberley's Leather Apron Revival Is!
Forging Connections:
“Art can lift up a community and energize the spirit of the individuals within it.” ~ Paul Reimer
The Mind-bending, Heartwarming Art of Paul Reimer
IF YOU HAVE EVER COME ACROSS the whimsical, larger-than-life metal book gracing Cranbrook Public Library or the more recently constructed Elk Hair Caddis Fly at Fly Fusion Magazine’s office, or marveled at the uplifting beauty of Spirit Tree in Cranbrook’s clock tower square, or stopped to take a photograph with an out-of-town visitor at the profoundly moving Reconciliation sculpture at Canadian Rockies International Airport, then you have encountered some of local resident Paul Reimer’s collaborative (often working alongside fellow artist Mike Hepher), elegant, and timeless architectural art. Paul even had a hand in the iconic People of the Mountain Cranbrook sculpture that welcomes visitors to town.
Growing up on a farm in Crawford Bay, Paul learned the importance of responsibility from a young age. With all that needed to be tended to, there was never a day off. And because of the cyclical seasons of farming, Paul felt that it was hard to feel tangible satisfaction with the perishable output of all that labour. At the age of fifteen, Paul started gravitating towards his next-door neighbour, a blacksmith named John Smith, soon becoming his apprentice. The impressionable teenager admired John’s vision of resurrecting this thousand-year-old craft and enjoyed the sense of significance and permanence its metal fruits yielded. As he reflected on the pivotal years that formed his lifelong passion for blacksmithing, Paul told me why it inspired him, “Someone’s going to touch, look, and see this ironwork...maybe forever.”
W: Monica Karaba | P: Courtesy of Paul Reimer
PHOTO: MICHELINE RYCKMAN
SUMMER'S TRANQUILITY
PHOTO: ANDI EADY
AT AGE TWENTY, Paul found a unique and perfect position for himself when he became the head blacksmith at Fort Steele Heritage Town, a role he held for seven years. Not only did he get to practice his craft daily forging items to be sold on-site, he did this in front of the public eye where he gave regular demonstrations and answered the questions of curious visitors. When asked how he was able to handle such responsibility at that age, he told me that one of his other well-forged skills happened to be a knack for public speaking. Paul used to enter debate contests in high school, even traveling internationally to compete. He won regional and provincial championships and had high-placing finishes in the States. The confidence he developed speaking along with the discipline given him by farm life led to his ideal placement at Fort Steele. And while most visitors oohed and aahed with admiration as the sparks flew while Paul pounded red-hot iron into curving shapes, Paul admitted that he did occasionally take some ribbing from folks wondering about his expertise, “You’re too young to be a blacksmith. What do you know?” an old timer asked. He smiled amiably and kept on plying his craft.
“In the West, I sometimes think we’ve forgotten how good physical labour is for the soul.” Paul states, explaining the feeling that blacksmithing gives him.
During the winters when Fort Steele was closed, Paul would sometimes work holiday craft markets. One fateful Christmas while he was vending at Tamarack Centre, an interior designer happened to pick up Paul’s card and pass it onto his boss, real estate developer Mike Delich. That connection led to Paul branching into a new arena to develop and showcase his skills further, working on large-scale architectural adornments such as gates, staircases, and chandeliers during Fort Steele's off-season.
After many rewarding and busy years where he established quite a handsome portfolio, Paul and his team suddenly found themselves laid off from Fort Steele, which also meant that Paul no longer had access to the heavy-duty blacksmithing equipment he had been using for most of his work. After taking time to regroup, Paul and his wife began strategizing what might be next for their family. With one of the couple’s driving values being a strong sense of faith, they believed that if they stayed to true to their vision and kept trusting in the divine hand of providence that things would work out.
Sure enough, a few months later Paul received an unexpected and astonishing offer. His former contractor Mike Delich reached out, offering him a large advance to acquire enough equipment to start up his own blacksmithing shop. Mike recognized Paul’s talent and wanted to help him continue fulfilling his potential just like a prized athlete, so he took it upon himself to invest in Paul. “I think he’s a very valuable artist and community asset in our region of British Columbia,” he stated matter-of-factly.
BOOK BENCH , CRANBROOK PUBLIC LIBRARY, 2008
DOOR AND LIGHTING, WHITEFISH MT, 2006
PAUL, AS A YOUNG MAN, WORKING AT FORT STEELE.
THUS IN 2001, Paul started his own blacksmithing business, eventually growing to six employees, and built a great reputation for creating intricate custom furniture, inspiring public art, and artistic showstoppers for homes, offices, and galleries.
While Paul’s giant iron pieces seem to defy gravity — appearing light and ephemeral despite the material with which they’ve been cast, a deeper appreciation for his genius comes when you witness the underlying stamina and strength that is involved to bring his visions to life. If you haven’t seen Paul do a live demonstration, you can watch one of his videos online to observe for yourself an art form that is highly physical, intensely hot, and fierce.
“In the West, I sometimes think we’ve forgotten how good physical labour is for the soul.” Paul states, explaining the feeling that blacksmithing gives him. There is a buzz and an energy that comes with heavy, large-scale forging that Paul likens to mountain climbing. He describes his process as constantly having to overcome self-doubt and pushing himself to the limit with each new challenge, “The things we are happiest and most proud of are usually the things we struggled with the most.”
Besides the undeniable artistry that goes into everything he touches, Paul’s work has the impact it does because of his commitment to ensuring that every piece he creates really connects and represents the community where it will live. He states, “Art is about forging connections: connections between places, cultures, ideas; between the past, present and future; and most importantly between people.”
“I would like to initiate more collaborations and engage with more communities to explore how we can use art to help our communities to heal, grow, and cultivate a stronger identity.”
One of Paul’s most poignant and beloved sculptures that illustrates a statesman-like ability to bridge communities is the notable Reconciliation piece at the Canadian Rockies International Airport, which he created with Mike Hepher. The story of their vision and fortuitous meeting with a Ktunaxa elder that led to the sculpture's creation merits its own full story. The short version is that with humility and open hearts, Paul and Mike approached the Ktunaxa Nation who was at that time also seeking more resolution and transformation in its relations with non-indigenous settlers. Through deep dialogue and exploration, Paul and Mike partnered with the Ktunaxa to design a profound piece of art that tells a story that while painful is yet true and is also still unfolding. This sculpture serves as a beacon of partnership and hope, of healing and moving forward in a spirit of understanding and collaboration.
The sculpture consists of six figures: three representing the Ktunaxa people and three representing white people and their culture. The figures navigate around a troubled river to relaunch a canoe in more peaceful waters ahead. The journey the figures take symbolizes the challenges and inequality that have affected the relationship between the Ktunaxa Nation and white immigrants in the past along with the increasing levels of cooperation and communication that can lighten the burden and help all people unite for a more peaceful and easier path forward.
RECONCILIATION . CANADIAN ROCKIES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, 2010 | PHOTO: ANDI EADY
THE PIER. 2018
PHOTO: ANDI EADY
Too Many Irons in the Fire?
Have you ever heard or used the phrase “too many irons in the fire?” Well, thanks to Paul Reimer, we now know the origins behind this oft-used expres sion. In one of his demonstrations (which you can view online), Paul shows how a blacksmith optimiz es efficiency by forging one piece of red-hot steel while another is firing in the oven. A blacksmith aims to get as much bending and shaping done as possible in each “heat” before the steel cools and has to be reheated. By carefully rotating a couple of pieces of metal from oven to anvil and back again, a blacksmith can create a speedy and rhythmic work flow until each piece is complete. However, if one becomes overly ambitious and puts too many piec es in the oven at once — aka “irons in the fire” — you risk falling behind and ending up with a puddle of molten metal instead of the finished masterpiece you were aiming for.
TODAY, Paul’s sculptures can be found across Western Canada and more and more in the States. He is also a regular contributor to the Canada House Gallery in Banff, one of the country’s pre mier art galleries. “It was blacksmithing that drew me to art.” he explains. “How can I make something that’s never been made before using a technique that’s a thousand years old? That grabs my attention and I think it grabs other people’s too because they’re like, ‘Wow! You’re really doing it.’”
As we concluded an illuminated and quite spiritual conversation, I asked Paul what his next mountain would be. He replied, “I would like to initiate more collaborations and engage with more communities to explore how we can use art to help our communities to heal, grow, and cultivate a stronger identity.”
When asked why Paul loves his hometown and the East Kootenays so much, he responded, “I have always felt so supported, appreciated, and cared for by my community here, most importantly emotionally. I also want to thank Columbia Basin Trust for understanding the importance of public art’s ability to contribute to a healthy community identity and fellowship. They have supported almost every one of my public projects.”
Our community is indeed a more beautiful, unified, and fun place to live thanks to Paul’s mastery at bending some of the hardest and heaviest metal on Earth into wispy, curvy, organic flowing shapes. There is a paradoxical quality to Paul’s delicately detailed work that belies the strength and permanency with which it is made. Tendrils of steel reaching across time, place, and people to touch hearts and awaken souls.
To view more of Paul’s art or to commission a custom piece, please visit paulreimer.ca.
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Youcanexchangeyourbatchforanyreason.
Hops and Suds and Fun, Oh My!
LOCAL CRAFT BREW CULTURE, AND WHY WE CARE
W : Ferdy Belland Canadian Beer Culture kicked off in 1668 when New France ’s colonial governor Jean Talon opened La-Brasseries-du-Roy amongst the monolithic masonry of Quebec City in a valiant effort to keep disgruntled/homesick/mosquito-bitten voyageurs docile, compliant, focused on the fur trade — and free from scurvy. Three-and-a-halfcenturies-plus down the happily buzzed road, a proudly scurvy-free Canada enjoys an ever-thriving, beer-drinking atmosphere, and it’s not just the monopolized imperial domains of Labatt ’s and Molson. Those oh-so-fine institutions certainly earn their rightful place as part of the social cement which makes Canada as great as she is, but since the turn of the 21st Century there’s been an explosive growth in microbreweries that have taken the artisanal example of the US Pacific Northwest and gone wonderfully berserk with it. As of this writing, Canada boasts no less than 814 licensed breweries, with 191 in British Columbia alone (the largest beer-brewing province besides Ontario). But let’s narrow the scope to what’s happening around our neck of the East Kootenay, shall we?
The modern, local craft-brewing scene begins with the comely Heidi Romich, who has already established herself as a beloved Cranbrook restaurateur with her traditional German-themed Heidi’s Restaurant before that fateful day around mid-2012 when she decided her hospitality career needed a shot in the arm — and a new direction.
“I was spending a lot of time on the coast,” explains Heidi, “and I saw the expanding local trends in microbreweries. I enjoyed their fresh local beers, and I believed that would be a great dimension to add to our establishment — incorporating good local beer into a revamped food experience. It was the right time. Cranbrook didn’t have a local brewery...it was an exciting new venture!”
“It ’ s exciting to see all these new local microbreweries emerging in our wake. There ’s no anxious competition or uptight rivalries between us. As far as we ’re concerned, there ’s room for everybody.”
Combining her imagination, enthusiasm, and passion with that of her partner Jordan Aasland (an internationally acclaimed brewmaster who apprenticed under the Granville Island Brewery’s mastermind Mark Simpson) and head chef Rusty Cox (a colourful story unto himself), the newly rebranded Heidout Restaurant and Brewhouse (the home of the Fisher Peak Brewery) opened its snappily remodeled doors in 2013 and the delighted citizenry of Cranbrook immediately flocked en masse in room-bulging numbers to enjoy a wholesome, urban-style microbrewery vibe.
Boasting eight regular taps and three rotating taps, the fine products of Fisher Peak Brewery enjoy respectable sales either under the Heidout’s roof or as canned six-packs available at local liquor outlets. The much welcome appearance of the upscale-uptown
Heidout has indeed done immeasurable good in sparking off the current resurgence of Cranbrook’s downtown revitalization efforts, and local support for the enterprise has not slackened off one iota since Opening Day. The Heidout is one of Cranbrook’s more desirable locations for live music, conference meetings (in the downstairs VIP section), and virtually any special event under the sun and moon — usually with a pint of Prospector Pilsner or a Soggy Otter close at hand.
“I take pride in being a pioneer,” beams Heidi. “It’s exciting to see all these new local microbreweries emerging in our wake. There’s no anxious competition or uptight rivalries between us. As far as we’re concerned, there’s room for everybody. It keeps everyone excited! Never a dull moment.”
INDOOR VIBE AT THE HEIDOUT. Photos courtesy of Heidi Romich. THE HEIDOUT'S BIG THREE: Brewmaster Jordan Aasland, Head Chef Rusty Cox, and Restaurateur Heidi Romich.
Kenny Dodd formed Overtime Beer Works
in the tiny, mighty town of Kimberley in 2016 simply because no self-respecting mountain hamlet should be without its own brewery — and that glorious mission statement alone qualifies the wily Mr. Dodd for the Order of Canada. The townsfolk of Kimberley joyously took to Overtime Beer Works the way deserts joyously take to rain, and OBW’s recently installed brewmaster Grant Klippenstein (a transplanted Saskatchewaner with over 15 years’ brewing experience behind him) informs us that, pandemic or not, OBW is here to stay.
“One of our biggest tasks is simply keeping up with production,” says Grant. “People love our beer! Kimberley, Cranbrook, Fernie, Invermere — a lot of places have our stuff on tap. We’re always moving truckloads of beer from on-site off-sales and the outbound liquor stores, and we’re trying to expand into the markets of Golden, Revelstoke...even into the West Kootenay. We move a lot of our standard four styles, and it’s with the pilot batches and rotating taps that I get to put my imagination to the test.”
Overtime Beer Works features a minimalist yet cozy industrial-chic indoor vibe, big on stainless steel and polished wood, and even bigger on tasty beers. There’s a sizeable outdoor patio that dominates the backside of the property which becomes the place to be during the warmer, sunnier months; the patio’s stage accommodates the thriving local live music talents virtually every weekend. The place always feels busy, even if you’re there with a buddy and there’s no one else around. The vats are always churning and bubbling, much like the cheery demeanors of both staff and clientele.
“Being on the BC Ale Trail certainly helps,” says Grant. “People walk in our doors from all parts of Canada! A lot of people take dedicated microbrewery road trips, any day of the year, and now that there’s more than one microbrewery here in Kimberley, our town’s on the provincial map. We’ve certainly taken root here in town. Everyone loves hanging out here. We don’t really have
'slow' days — whether it’s a Saturday afternoon or a Monday afternoon, there’s always people here, spending time with family and friends and loving on our beer. All the non-stop activity keeps us sharp. I’m always reading up and researching new formulas and new flavors, but this doesn’t feel like work to me at all — this is my Dream Job!”
Originally hailing from Oregon, the lovely couple of Tyrone and Natalie Reitman were lured to the vast wilderness splendor of the Canadian Rockies via family living in Vancouver, and Kimberley is lucky to have them. A self-taught home-brew enthusiast with a previous brewery establishment already under his belt (specializing in Belgian-style sour beers), Tyrone yearned to run a true dedicated taproom. And so he does with Kimberley Square now boasting the tastefully rustic Grist &
SUMMERTIME FUN ON THE OUTDOOR PATIO AT OVERTIME BEER WORKS. Photo courtesy of Grant Klippenstein.
TYRONE AND NATALIE REITMAN OF GRIST & MASH BREWERY. Photo courtesy of Tyrone Reitman.
Beer is a cornerstone of not only human civilization in general, but of Kootenay living in particular.
Mash Brewery, kitty-corner from that lone stoplight that will probably remain alone for as long as the city of Kimberley exists.
“What keeps me going as a brewer is making a wide variety of styles,” says Tyrone.
“Our setup here allows me to experiment and flex my imagination. I couldn’t just crank out the same old stuff, vat after vat, year after year — that’s just a boring factory environment. Our taps always rotate, and some styles come back into brew. Nothing stagnates. Everything’s in flux. And that keeps it all exciting and creative for us and our staff. Brewing has always been a labour of love for me, and that won’t ever change.”
The ever-changing wide varieties of beer produced by Grist & Mash Brewery are also available for outside commercial sales in the form of cans, bottles, and growlers; and while the taproom’s kitchen does offer a modest yet intriguing selection of tasty appie fare (their in-house beer-cheese dip is rapidly becoming world-famous), the Reitmans happily partner with next-door neighbours Grubstake Pizza to augment their clientele’s indoor eating experience.
And as a boost to the local performing arts communities, Grist & Mash’s Pinebox Stage has immediately been snapped up by the best in local live music, with events running every Thursday.
“So far, everyone in Kimberley has been loving what we do. We love Kimberley. It’s such a wonderful place. Everybody’s so friendly and supportive, and they see Grist & Mash as another desirable destination for socializing. A lovely town to be in, in so many ways.”
So: the Future of East Kootenay microbreweries?
Even beyond the amazing establishments previously described, nothing is settling down or calcifying in either Cranbrook or Kimberley as far as craft brewing goes. The Dynamic Duo of Jesse Roberts and Fred Williams (of Firehall Kitchen & Tap fame) recently nabbed Cranbrook’s venerable bowling alley Juniper Lanes to transform it into another brewpub/ restaurant/hipster-kegler enterprise; a mystery-entity distillery/brewpub is set to break ground on Baker Street in Downtown Cranbrook in Spring 2022; and we’re sure there’s some beer-loving maverick in Kimbo who ’ll emerge from the shadows sooner than later.
The fermented skies are indeed the limit around these parts, happily with no end in sight. And if the good times are indeed a-rollin’ as the world gradually winds its way out of the pandemic and into the Roaring Twenties, the East Kootenay is going to need an onionskin-and-pencil-shavings-infused thistlebush radler (or something like it; you can make good beer out of almost anything organic, it would seem) to keep our Kootenay spirits high and mighty. Beer is a cornerstone of not only human civilization in general, but of Kootenay living in particular. Long may it fizz.
Fnd Art in a Winter World
W & P: Dan Mills
MOTHER NATURE IS A HARDWORKING GAL. Overseeing the well-being of the natural world leaves her little time for leisure pursuits, let alone creative diversion. If there is a time where Mom Nature does get a bit of a break, it is surely the winter season.
With much of the flora and fauna either dormant, hibernating, or just laying low and trying to conserve every possible ounce of life-sustaining energy, the Mother has less to oversee; her workload is slightly lightened. And that, gentle reader, means Mom Nature has time to play at her passions, which in this case, is to create frozen magic.
A Kootenay winter is a winter of water. At no other time is H2O more evident than during the frozen months. Precipitation no longer disappears into the ground, it accumulates. Moisture, so transient and ethereal in summer, shows itself in winter: dew becomes frost, rain transforms into delicate crystals of snow, and our once invisible breath becomes a puff of swirling, life-attesting steam.
Perhaps this abundance of water in winter is the reason Mother Nature chose two hydrogen atoms bonded to an oxygen atom as her preferred medium — using what she has at hand to create her icy art. And yes, winter can be cold and dark but oh my, she is decorated beautifully.
More than two hundred years ago, poet and painter William Blake wrote that you could “see the world in a grain of sand.” Insightful words to be sure, but can you imagine if old Bill could have gotten a closer look at the delicate, hexagonal structure
of a snowflake? It would have blown his beautiful 18th-century mind! Amazing what Mom Nature can do with a speck of dust in the high atmosphere, some chilling water vapour and a little gravity.
As the snowflake falls it adds other ice crystals, which are symmetrical and reflect the internal structure of its water molecules, thus forming a totally unique, six-sided work of art. Now saying that no two snowflakes’ patterning is exactly the same is a truly mind-bending proposition but as a full comparative inventory has never been done, we’ll just have to take their word for it.
What is certain, however, is that a blanket of snow utterly transforms a landscape. The world seems cleaner, quieter and gentler when draped in a shroud of these heaven-sent crystals — which, if Mr. Google is to be trusted, number over a billion snowflakes per square foot. (I will leave it to you to convert that into square metres.) Mother Nature then takes this blanket of art and reshapes it into drifts, cornices, snow ghosts and the like. Natural sculptures made of natural sculptures.
— FREEMAN PATTERSON
Another of Mom Nature’s delicate crystalline creations
is frost. There are different types of this icy coating, but one of the most common and certainly most beautiful here in the Kootenays, is hoarfrost.
its essence into solid art. Art that allows us to appreciate water’s form and grace, in stop time.
Residents who have spent a few winters here will have had an opportunity to experience an inversion or six. It is common for the Rocky Mountain trench to fill with cold air, capped with gloomy low cloud, while higher up, the sun shines and the air is much warmer. This valley-trapped, moisture-laden air — often in the form of fog — comes into contact with objects already below the freezing point, causing frost crystals to form on them. Trees, grasses and even barbed wire become coated in a silver-white rime of delicate ice and it seems the world has turned to glass.
While the Mother’s work with snowflakes and frost crystals shows off her abilities to create art that is both delicate and intricate, it is her winter work with ice that exhibits her powerful side. While in spring and summer, the water is in constant motion, either evaporating, falling or flowing quickly towards its Pacific Ocean destiny, in winter, Mom Nature pulls on the reigns, and with a “Whoa Nellie,” water’s hectic liquid world becomes considerably more solid.
As a liquid, water molecules are in constant motion, jostling and colliding with each other. When water temperature drops to below freezing, the molecules slow and settle into place as ice formations. Ms. Nature transforms the once liquid beauty of flowing water and sculpts
As an artist, the Mother uses her powers to produce all manner of creative ice works: from the translucent blue daggers of icicles hanging above the creek, to concentric circles drawn on the surface of an iced-over puddle. Still too artsy-fartsy for ya? How about taking the immense power of a waterfall and stopping it in its tracks? That is the kind of sculpted magnificence that should impress even the most philistine of us.
When she isn’t creating with crystals, she often paints on them. Sometimes playing with subtle shades of blue in the shadows of snow, other times, using broad strokes to apply brilliant, alpenglow hues of orange and magenta onto the stark, white, crystal canvas of a winter mountainside. Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh and Georgia O’Keefe knew their way around a paint palette, but it is said that they spent their lives trying to replicate Mom Nature's way with colour.
So gentle reader, I beseech you, don’t hide inside from the cold. Put on a toque, a warm jacket and your snow boots, then head out into the art gallery that is your backyard. Our earth Mother caters to all tastes, literally freezing time — or at least the appearance of time — so that we might ooh and aah at the magic that is water in winter.
The Rocky Mountains have hosted many adventurers over the ages; people as interested in the journey as the destination. We take inspiration from those who came before, which is why our programs focus on a combination of academic and hands-on learning, providing real-world experiences that will expand your horizons and prepare you for future success in your field.
College of the Rockies. Let the adventure begin.
BACHELOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
In Sustainable Business Practices
BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
Accounting | General Management | Marketing
TOURISM MANAGEMENT
RECREATION MANAGEMENT
ADVENTURE TOURISM BUSINESS OPERATIONS
HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT
AMPLIFY YOUR IMPACT
W: Britt Bates
P: Jocelyn Treleaven
Time is money: it’s a truth that any entrepreneur can attest to. And Becky Warkentin — the warm, friendly, and enthusiastic owner of Amplify Management Group — is passionate about helping you create more of both.
While Becky is the frontwoman of Amplify, she built it as a truly collaborative venture. Becky has cultivated around her a community of driven women consultants and service providers, who she matches with business owners depending on their needs. Thanks to the diverse professional skillsets these women bring to the table, Amplify is able to offer business management, social media management, small business bookkeeping, human resources administration, warranty support, data implementation, systems management, and more.
Essentially, Amplify’s mission is to take on the tasks that clutter business owners’ days and calendars, so that they have more time to work on their business and toward their most meaningful goals, rather than constantly working in it, and scrambling to stay ahead.
“We’re the people that take the weight off your shoulders, so you can build what you’ve always wanted to build.”
Amplify Management takes a “Who Not How” approach — a term and concept coined by the renowned business coach Dan Sullivan — which suggests that it’s a more optimal use of time, energy, and money to outsource the tasks you’re not skilled or experienced in to someone else who is, rather than learning how to do them. “When you find someone who already knows how to do it,” Becky explains, “it takes so much less time.”
The concept builds on Sullivan’s idea of “unique ability” — also commonly referred to as our zone of genius — which proposes that we each have our own individual gifts and talents. These point us toward the tasks that feel easeful and energizing to us, rather than depleting. However, for every
task that feels challenging or draining to us, there’s someone out there whose unique ability orients them perfectly to it.
Amplify Management successfully finds those people who are lit up by those tasks and connects them to your business. “The idea is to get people together in a space where each are doing their unique ability,” Becky explains. “This way, everyone’s more productive and energized; they become truly great.”
Bringing out excellence in others, and helping them build the life of their dreams, is a natural priority and motivator for Becky — and it applies to both her clients and her colleagues. Amplify’s work, she says, “provides people with the space to do what they love and to have the work-life balance that they truly want.”
With both business owners and service providers doing what they love, Amplify creates a synergistic sense of flow, collaboration, and success.
Becky — an ideas person by nature, and gregariously excited by life — has cultivated that freedom in her own life, too, and is passionate about sharing it. Just before Covid hit, she and her husband embarked on a motorbike trip around the world (literally!), visiting 22 countries — and realizing through it all that, while there's an incredible world out there, Kimberley is home.
The adventure gave Becky time on the open road to think about how she truly wanted to serve her community while creating her livelihood. “Supporting women and women-owned businesses is really the driving factor,” she says happily.
She created Amplify to give entrepreneurs the flexibility to live and work on their own terms, instead of being buried by tasks that consume too much of their energy and distract them from their bigger goals. The small businesses that the Amplify team supports often include tradespeople, construction companies, and local brick and mortar stores — but truly, businesses in any industry and of almost any size can benefit from the diverse and meaningful services the group provides.
“When you hire someone who knows what they’re doing, your life becomes infinitely better and easier,” Becky says. “We’re the people that take the weight off your shoulders, so you can build what you’ve always wanted to build.”
And her words couldn’t be more true: by outsourcing the tasks that drain you and refocusing your effort into your passions and vision, so much is amplified: your business’ impact, your own energy level, and your lasting sense of deep satisfaction and fulfillment.
Amplify is currently accepting new clients. Inquiring about working with them is quick and easy: simply visit their website at www.amplifymanagementgroup.com. Becky and her team look forward to hearing from you.
ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS!
PROFESSIONAL DENTAL SERVICES FOR CHILDREN, ADULTS & SENIORS
Kimberley Family Dental is a dental practice serving clients of all ages from family-friendly dentists in Kimberley and surrounding areas of southeast British Columbia. We offer a full range of professional dental services to sustain your oral health and improve your smile, including routine care and restorative treatments such as crowns, bridges, and implants.
OUR SERVICES : GENERAL DENTISTRY
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DR. D. ERIC NELSON | DR. JORDAN ENNS | DR. SPENCER DUNN
Snapshots
A glimpse into the remarkable stories of people and places in the Columbia Basin.
Cranbrook’s
pockets of joy
Coco Seitz’s passion for food moved her to begin cooking traditional Northern Chinese dumplings to share with her friends and family. This passion grew into the beloved Mama’s Dumplings food truck—out of which wafts mouthwatering, savoury smells and the enticing sound of oil sizzling in a pan. To be able to continue expanding into new territory Seitz reached out to Basin Business Advisors, a Trust program that provides free, one-to-one, confidential business counselling and assessment services. With some help it’s clear that Seitz’s business is just getting started, with her plan to bring Mama’s Dumplings fantastic fare to more foodies than ever.
Columbia Basin Trust operates in the unceded traditional territories of the Ktunaxa, Lheidli T’enneh, Secwepemc Sinixt and Syilx nations.
PHOTO: JEFF PEW
Are You Ready to Party Yet?
‘CAUSE KIMBERLEY’S LEATHER APRON REVIVAL IS!
W : Jeff Pew
P: Dan Cockram
“I’VE ALWAYS COMPILED GUITAR RIFFS and had these endless thoughts about where to put them until I met these guys,” Lennan Delaney, lead singer and guitarist of Leather Apron Revival, says in the Kimberley Elks Hall an hour before their second night of sold-out shows. Delaney and the band — Jeff Rees (drums) and Grady Pasiechnyk “pa-chez-nyk” (bass/vocals) — are clustered downstairs in a quiet corner of the Elks’ banquet hall. They’re describing the band’s genesis and how they’ve soared into the rock world with a publicist, producer, a Grammy-winning sound engineer, radio play, videos and their upcoming album, Light & Shadow
Upstairs, the stage lounge is buzzing, the energy palpable. People are calling for ticket returns and milling anxiously by the front door for scalped tickets. Kimberley is ready to burst free from the past twenty pandemic months. The town is ready to party and has found the perfect band to do it with.
DELANEY’S
first major endeavour as a front man. “I still consider myself a fiddle player,” he says. “A side guy.” However, Delaney looks every bit the frontman: he’s roguishly handsome with a stylish salt-and-pepper undercut, a closecropped beard, and a floral-embroidered western shirt. Originally from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia he moved to Kimberley in 2015, armed with an impressive musical background: he toured Europe and the U.S. playing fiddle for an Irish dance company; he played fiddle and mandolin with most every Toronto Celtic band; and played as a hired gun for countless East Coast bands, filling in when they needed fiddle, mandolin or harmonies.
“Often, we’ll be listening to bands,” Pasiechnyk says and Lennan will casually mention, ‘Oh, yeah, I partied with those guys.’ We haven’t found a Canadian East Coast band that Lennan hasn’t played or partied with.”
So how did Leather Apron Revival begin? When Delaney first arrived in Kimberley, he appeared at the Marysville Pub for open mic night. “I asked a bunch of acts if I could accompany them and no one was really interested. Finally, someone said, ‘I’ll give you a shot.’”
“It was the meat draw,” Pasiechnyk says laughing, never having met Delaney or been to a meat draw. Lennan took a verse of “The Weight” by The Band. I listened to him and thought he must be a professional musician travelling through the Kootenays. He was so damn talented.”
That spring, Lennan brought his fiddle to the Kimberley Golf Course deck where Pasiechnyk was drumming with his dad’s band. They asked Delaney to join them for a verse of “Folsom Prison.” Soon after, Pasiechnyk and Delaney got chatting. “I said, ‘Let’s ditch these old guys and jam,’” Pasiechnyk jokes. The next month, he asked Rees if he wanted to join with his cajon.
“Jeff’s always been a legit drummer, ten times better than me,” Pasiechnyk claims. “When Jeff joined us, I realized I’d have to pick up my childhood bass if this trio was ever going to perform together.”
They gathered around Delaney’s wood stove, pulling out acoustic instruments and creating different riffs and ideas. “It felt really good,” Rees says laughing. “We were just courting at this time, yet it wasn’t long before we realized we were into the same sound. It was a good dynamic that just got more serious every time we jammed.”
Although Rees and Pasiechnyk had previous experience playing in bands, something uniquely different emerged from the chemistry of playing with Delaney.
By 2017, the jam sessions were no longer enough. “If you can pull off enjoying the company of others before the music, then you’re laughing,” Delaney says. “It was pretty organic how naturally we formed the band.”
Although Rees and Pasiechnyk had previous experience playing in bands, something uniquely different emerged from the chemistry of playing with Delaney. “We just clicked,” Rees says, “with our musical and creative aspirations. And most of all, we had fun hanging out.” They decided to take this venture seriously. They came up with a name (based on Benjamin Franklin’s 1727 social, business and cultural group, the Leather Apron Club), a logo, a sign and a website. They held weekly practices, which included a business agenda where they’d discuss what’s going well and what they could improve upon.
KEEP STAYING, KEEP PLAYING
WE’VE GOT OUTDOOR ADVENTURE COVERED
We could be stuck anywhere in the world, but here we are, smack dab in the middle of a mountain paradise. How lucky is that! There’s never been a better time to get outside and discover what makes our home a destination. Whether you need to stay warm, dry, or hydrated, we’ve got all the gear you’ll need this winter.
“THERE’S SO
MUCH TO LEARN,”
Delaney says.
“We’ve repositioned ourselves and are humbled by the positions we’ve taken on. This discomfort has given us a platform to work off.” Originally formed as an acoustic cover band, it wasn’t long before they were writing their own material, plugging in and buying drum sets, guitars and amps. “I hadn’t played electric guitar since the dirty pubs in high school,” Delaney says. “Grady only had his $150 Squire bass from when he was a kid and Jeff was playing a Cajon box drum.”
It’s getting close to show time.
A waitress arrives and takes drink orders. Delaney holds his neck and asks if they’ve got lemon tea with honey, something to soothe his throat from the night before. “I got swept up in the energy of the show last night,” he says. “I’m a little nervous about tonight.” The woman working the door inquires about the iPhone ticket app. The sound man interrupts to discuss levels.
“Last night, we could barely breathe after the show, we were laughing so hard,” Rees says. “I think we got the jitters out.”
“We got a jam space nestled between Christmas decorations, luggage, and stacks of wire. We just pushed things around. It was hilarious but it gave us the space to crank up the volume.”
Shortly after forming, they realized they’d need a place to get loud with electric instruments. “We basically rented someone’s personal family storage locker,” Delaney says. “We got a jam space nestled between Christmas decorations, luggage, and stacks of wire. We just pushed things around. It was hilarious but it gave us the space to crank up the volume.”
“And, it had a beer fridge,” Pasiechnyk chuckles. “We felt like rock stars.”
In their new space, they’d record riffs with their iPhones. Rees would add a backbeat on it and Pasiechnyk would throw down some bass. Delaney and Rees would refine the lyrics, some of which Delaney has been working on for over twenty years. “If three of us are smiling at the same time,” Delaney says, “it means we have a song.”
When asked to describe Leather Apron Revival’s sound, they chuckle. “We’ve got a publicist in Vancouver,” Pasiechnyk says. “She writes the press releases and currently, she’s defined us as grunge. The ‘90s are back!”
We've only released one song off the new album up until yesterday,” Delaney says. “They’re still trying to figure out where we land. If you have a low rock-and-roll voice, people say, Eddie Vedder. Grunge.”
“We never tried to land there,” Rees says. “We’re more blues-infused modern rock like the Black Keys.”
Although the world of live music slowed during Covid, it provided the band time to focus on writing and recording. During lockdown, they held Zoom meetings, hammering out and refining lyrics. “As well, it gave Grady time to concentrate on the back end of things,” Delaney says. “His eyes light up when he talks about business. Grady’s goal has always been to shoot for the stars and land on the moon. He’s always been the driver in so many ways.”
DELANEY
REMINISCES
about some previous bands he was in:
“Some bands had grit and drive but were sloppy in other areas. There’s a sweet spot when you understand responsibility. There’s a maturity to what you’re doing. You don’t just sit around and get high or drunk. I’ve never been in a band that has the same level of engagement and broad experience.”
And if being in a band is a small business, then Leather Apron Revival has certainly been reaping dividends.
“Hearing your song on the radio is pretty cool,” Pasiechnyk says, referring to a time he was in the hospital for his daughter’s birth when “One of These Days” came on.
“The feeling of being in a rock-and-roll band has just dawned on me in the last six months,” Rees says. “Finally, we have enough original material to put on a ninety-minute show. We’ve got some pretty cool things planned for summer.”
“You see where your music is played now,” Delaney says. “Our third biggest follower after Canada and the U.S. is Turkey, but we’re also getting a lot of play in Portugal, Brazil and Germany. But there’s nothing like a live show. People sit differently when they're into your music. Their faces shift. Everyone’s shoulders square up to the show. All eyes are on you.”
“Music isn’t the only thing in our lives,” Pasiechnyk says. “We’ve got families and careers. This is all the dream of rock-and-roll, but we still have jobs to go to in the morning and our kids to put to bed.”
It’s 9:30, and the lounge is packed to capacity: 120 people are seated at their tables and clustered around pool tables. All eyes are on Leather Apron Revival as they launch into the instrumental build-up of “One of These Days.” No one is talking or shooting pool. A few songs in, Delaney is sweating, growling and wailing on his guitar. The frontman is all blues and rock-and-roll. He is the frenzied preacher standing on a table at an East Coast
“People sit differently when they’re into your music. Their faces shift. Everyone’s shoulders square up to the show. All eyes are on you.”
kitchen party. Suddenly, we’re hoisting our glasses and slamming our drinks as Delaney rallies the crowd into the East Coast drinking greeting of ‘Sociable!’ before they blast into the next tune. Our heads are nodding, our feet tapping. But it’s still Covid. Let’s not lose control. Yet, we’re barely able to stay in our chairs when a crowd of women rush the dance floor, laughing and dreaming about the day they can tear off their masks and fling them at the band.
BLINDS. SHUTTERS. AWNINGS. SOLARIUMS.
ONGOING, MONTHLY CHANGING ART EXHIBITIONS
Tuesday - Saturday | 1-5 pm | Centre 64 Gallery | Entry by Donation Also available to view online at: kimberleyarts.com/in-the-gallery/
LIVE @ STUDIO 64 – SPRING CONCERT SERIES 2022
Four Live Music Shows | March – June | 8 PM | Studio 64
Individual tickets: members $30; non-members $33 Series pass: members $80; non-members $90 kimberleyarts.com/musiccentre64/
DECEMBER 2021
“Snowed In” Winter Art Exhibition
Ongoing Gallery Exhibition
November 23 - December 24 | Tuesday - Saturday | 1-5 pm Centre 64 Gallery | 64 Deer Park Avenue | Kimberley | 250-427-4919 info@kimberleyarts.com | Also available online at: kimberleyarts. com/in-the-gallery/
JANUARY 2022
“Challenge Accepted!” Group Art Exhibition
Ongoing Gallery Exhibition
January 4-29 | Tuesday - Saturday | 1-5 pm | Centre 64 Gallery | 64 Deer Park Avenue | Kimberley | 250-427-4919 | info@kimberleyarts.com Also available online at: kimberleyarts.com/in-the-gallery/
FEBRUARY 2022
“We Paint!” Group Art Exhibition
Ongoing Gallery Exhibition
February 1-26 | Tuesday - Saturday | 1-5 pm | Centre 64 Gallery 64 Deer Park Avenue | Kimberley | 250-427-4919 | info@ kimberleyarts.com | Also available online at: kimberleyarts.com/ in-the-gallery/
MARCH 2022
Annual General Meeting
March 1 | 7 PM | 250-427-4919 | kimberleyarts.com/annualgeneral-meeting/ | Kimberley Arts at Centre 64 members will receive an AGM package closer to the date. Only members that have renewed their Kimberley Arts Council membership can vote at the AGM. Non-members are welcome to join the AGM. Please contact the office: 250-427-4919/info@kimberleyarts.com for more information.
Art Exhibition by Judy Winter
Ongoing Gallery Exhibition
March 1-26 | Tuesday - Saturday | 1-5 pm | Centre 64 Gallery | 64 Deer Park Avenue | Kimberley | 250-427-4919 | info@kimberleyarts.com Also available online at: kimberleyarts.com/in-the-gallery/
Live @ Studio 64 Spring Concert Series
TBA
March 26 | 8 PM | Studio 64 | Individual tickets: members $30, non-members $33; Series pass: members $80, non-members $90 64 Deer Park Avenue | Kimberley | 250-427-4919 | info@ kimberleyarts.com | For more information: kimberleyarts.com/ musiccentre64/
Winter Events
DECEMBER
DEC 1 – 24 | “Snowed In” Ongoing Winter Art Exhibition | Centre 64 Gallery & Online Tuesday–Saturday | 1 – 5 pm
DEC 1 – 24 | Christmas Pop – Up Art Market The Laundromat | Kimberley Platzl 10 am – 6 pm
DEC 9 – 12 | A Christmas Carol | Mount Baker Secondary School Wild Theatre | 7:00 pm Matinee: Dec 2, 2 pm
DEC 18, 31 | Cranbrook Bucks vs. Trail Smoke Eaters | Western Financial Place Arena | 7 pm
DEC 18, 28 | Dynamiters vs. Fernie Ghostriders | Kimberley Civic Centre | 7 pm
DEC 23 – 24 | Santa Visit | Kimberley Alpine Resort | 12 – 3 pm
DEC 26 – JAN 1 | Holiday Night Skiing Kimberley Alpine Resort | 5:30 – 8:30 pm
DEC 31 | 9 to 5 the Musical − New Year’s Eve Gala | Key City Theatre | 7:30 pm
JANUARY
JAN 8 | Dynamiters vs. Grand Forks Border Bruins | Kimberley Civic Centre | 7 pm
JAN 15 | Dynamiters vs. Creston Valley Thunder Cats | Kimberley Civic Centre | 7 pm
JAN 6 – MAR 12 | Night Skiing | Kimberley Alpine Resort | Every Thurs, Fri, Sat 5:30 – 8:30 pm
JAN 4 – 29 | “Challenge Accepted” Ongoing Open Art Exhibition | Centre 64 Gallery & Online Tuesday–Saturday | 1 – 5 pm
JAN 7 – MAR 11 | College Ski & Board Nights Kimberley Alpine Resort | Every Friday, 5:30 – 8:30 pm
JAN 7 – 8 | Cranbrook Bucks vs. Prince George Spruce Kings | Western Financial Place Arena 7 pm
JAN 13 – FEB 17 | Thursday Night “Rec Rut Runners” Race Series | Kimberley Alpine Resort | Every Friday | Inspection at 5:45 pm, Race at 6 pm
JAN 13 | Cranbrook Bucks vs. Wenachee Wild Western Financial Place Arena | 7 pm
JAN 14 – 16, 21 – 22 | 9 to 5 the Musical | Key City Theatre | 7:30 pm, Matinee: Jan 16, 3 pm
JAN 18 | Dynamiters vs. Golden Rockets Kimberley Civic Centre | 7 pm
JAN 21 | Dynamiters vs. Fernie Ghostriders Kimberley Civic Centre | 7 pm
JAN 28 – 29 | Cranbrook Bucks vs. Salmon Arm Silverbacks | Western Financial Place Arena | 7 pm
JAN 29 | Symphony of the Kootenays: Night at the Movies | Key City Theatre | 7:30 pm
FEBRUARY
FEB 1 – 26 | “We Paint!” Group Art Exhibition | Centre 64 Gallery & Online Tuesday–Saturday | 1 – 5 pm
FEB 4 – 5 | Cranbrook Bucks vs. Vernon Vipers | Western Financial Place Arena | 7 pm
FEB 4, 18 | Dynamiters vs. Creston ValleyThunder Cats | Kimberley Civic Centre 7 pm
FEB 5 | Dynamiters vs. Grand Forks Border Bruins | Kimberley Civic Centre | 7 pm
FEB 5 | Snowed In Comedy Tour | Key City Theatre | 8 pm
FEB 11 – 12, 17 – 20, 24 – 26 | The Aliens by Annie Baker, Directed by Duncan Chalmers | Cranbrook Community Theatre 11 11 Ave, S. Cranbrook
FEB 25 – 26 | Cranbrook Bucks vs. Wenachee Wild | Western Financial Place Arena | 7 pm
MARCH
MAR 1 – 26 | Art Exhibition by Judy Winter Centre 64 Gallery & Online | Tuesday–Saturday | 1 – 5 pm
MAR 3 | Cranbrook Bucks vs. Salmon Arm Silverbacks | Western Financial Place Arena | 7 pm
MAR 10 – 11 | Cranbrook Bucks vs. Merritt Centennials | Western Financial Place Arena | 7 pm
MAR 18 – 19 | Cranbrook Bucks vs. Penticton Vees | Western Financial Place Arena | 7 pm
MAR 27 | Relive the Music – 50s & 60s Rock N’ Roll | Rock Opera Musical Concert with a Broadway Feel | Key City Theatre | 7:30 pm
15% VETERANS DISCOUNT + FREE
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TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS
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250 489-6952 | john.reinarz@cibc.ca
Cranbrook Branch | CIBC Wood Gundy
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