Revelstoke Mountaineer Magazine March 2020 issue

Silence of the songbirds. p · 24.

Writing our ending. p · 28.

MARCH/����

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revelstokemountaineer.com

Revelstoke responds to Aus. bushfires. p · 14.

The lessons of the 1910 disaster. p · 20.

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· NOW · Photo by: Vincent Schnabl

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Revelstoke Mountaineer Magazine is a free monthly publication featuring the best of Revelstoke outdoor life, food, style, visitor experiences, lifestyles, entertainment, home style and healthy living.

We are an independent, locally owned publication dedicated to showcasing our amazing mountain town and the great people who create the stoke.

Each month we distribute over 3,000 free copies to over 200 public venues across Revelstoke, including hotel rooms, shops, restaurants, cafes, community centres — everywhere people meet.

For all enquiries, including details on our surprisingly affordable advertising rates, please contact us at info@revelstokemountaineer.com For Revelstoke daily news online, please see our sister publication www.revelstokemountaineer.com · 250 814 8710 info@revelstokemountaineer.com 606 Railway Avenue. Revelstoke, B.C. P.O. BOX 112 · V0E 2S0

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Aaron Orlando aaron@revelstokemountaineer.com

COVER PHOTO: Revelstoke Mountaineer Magazine contributing artist Benji Lowclass created the cover illustration for our special climate emergency issue. Climate disruption is already bringing many changes to the Revelstoke region, and it's just getting started. As part of this issue, we explored how climate change will impact what we cherish most, including our ability to slide in the snow.

EDITOR Aaron Orlando aaron@revelstokemountaineer.com

STAFF JOURNALIST Melissa Jameson melissa@revelstokemountaineer.com

EDITORIAL DESIGN/ADVERTISING DESIGN Sonia García sonia@revelstokemountaineer.com

WEBSITE Chris Payne chris@revelstokemountaineer.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Vilja Arnsteinsdatter, Emily Beaumont, Bryce Borlick, Alex Cooper, Emilie Corbett, Amaris Bourdeau, Heather Hood, Jean-Marc La Flamme, Shannon MacLean, Christy McLean, Jonathan Parr, Cara Smith, Charlotte Sit, Louise Stanway, Laura Stovel, Matt Timmins, Greg Utzig

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Ryan Creary, Keri Knapp, Jessica Milaney, Jonathan Parr, Robert Sim, Daniel Stewart, Laura Szanto, Matt Timmins

CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS Benji Lowclass

Climate emergency.

It took high-resolution time-lapse satellite weather videos to crystalize concepts I had learned years before in Oceanography class at university. The highly detailed images allowed me to gaze from space at the world unfolding below. They brought into sharp relief the regular annual regional weather patterns.

Year-to-year comparisons showed me of how precise, complex and predictable these annual cycles were. The swirling cloud formations appeared as a thousand spinning tops on a coffee table, each twirling away contentedly in its own space on the surface of the ocean. But what if one strayed from its space, colliding with another? We're getting our first look at what that chain reaction will look like, and it's not good.

Climate science has evolved by orders of magnitude since I left university. We once thought of climate change as something that would affect future humans. We now know we're experiencing its first effects now, and it's going to get a lot worse over our lifetimes.

Beyond that the future is a grim dystopia unlike anything we can imagine. We now know we have about a decade to make a dramatic reversal in our greenhouse gas emissions or we'll seal the fate of the planet.

What an exciting decade to be alive! Has any other generation in history had the opportunity to literally save the world? To transform how we live and radically rethink our purpose on this globe?

For our climate emergency-themed issue, we explored local climate issues, drawing out stories of how climate change is already affecting Revelstoke residents. We also touched in with scientists and science writers to look at the impacts it will have on local ecosystems and communities. I'm happy to present these stories this issue.

A final note: reframe the debate. I remember when there was a hubbub about banning smoking on commercial airplanes. We're at the same point with the climate debate. The paradigm has shifted. We know it needs to be done, what is for the better of everyone — including the descendants of the worst polluters. Like banning smoking on planes, it'll mean some short-term discomfort for some, but the future will be a much better place to be. It's time to get on with it. It's time to butt out.

—Aaron Orlando, BA, MJ; Creative Director, Revelstoke Mountaineer Magazine, revelstokemountaineer.com

Two floors of exhibits in a beautiful heritage building.

Enjoy interactive exhibits, quizzes, and more.

Children’s play area and scavenger hunts available.

Extensive archives and photo collection.

O PEN Monday to Friday: 10 am to 5 pm Saturday: 11 am to 5 pm

Revelstoke Museum & Archives 315 First Street West PO Box 1908, Revelstoke, BC V0E 2S0 Ph: 250-837-3067 www.revelstokemuseum.ca

Supporting the community! This ad sponsored by

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CONTENTS 8

NEWS BRIEFS Our review of news items from the past month.

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CALENDAR: MARCH EVENTS Find out what's happening in the bars, clubs, community centres and cafes in our monthly events calendar.

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AUSTR ALIAN BUSHFIRES Revelstoke has a big Aussie contingent and some were on the front lines of the fight to save homes, farms and lives. We share their stories.

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FICTION: THE END OF A SEASON Vilja Arnsteinsdatter reflects on our changing climate.

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LIFE: LESSONS OF THE 1910 AVALANCHE DISASTER Peter Worden explores one Revelstoke resident's journey into a massive avalanche disaster.

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SILENCING THE SONG: REVELSTOKE BIRDS IN DECLINE A new study in Mount Revelstoke national park shows a decline in the local bird populations.

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SPONSORED CONTENT: SUMMIT CONSTRUCTION Revelstoke construction company brings in a new build at under $400,000.

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WE'RE WRITING THE ENDING NOW Science educator Jade Harvey surveys the impacts climate change will have on the Revelstoke region and its ecosystems.

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BC WILDFIRE FIGHTER IN A CLIMATE CRISIS Revelstoke wildfire fighter Jonathan Parr reflects on time on the front lines of climate change.

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DISRUPTED FUTURE Regional climate scientist Greg Utzig explores the inevitable and preventable changes Columbia Basin residents are facing.

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SELLING MY CAR FOR THE EN VIRONMENT? Laura Stovel gives up her car and shares what she learned through the experience, including transportation gaps that need to be filled.

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LIFE: A BRIGHTER FUTURE Climate change has

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EIGHT REV Y-RELEVANT WAYS TO SHRINK YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT We took a crack at one of the oldest genres in environment writing: the how to tread lightly list.

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FINDING COMMON GROUND. It's not the cow, it's the how.

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THE STOKED PALATE Charlotte Sit explores a new Revelstoke cookbook.

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CONTRIBUTORS

Jade Harvey

Peter Worden

Cara Smith

GEOGRAPHER AND WRITER

FREELANCE WRITER

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Jade graduated from QMUL London with a 1st Class (Hons) in Physical Geography. After working as researcher and contributor to the science department at The Times London she set off to travel the world, looking to spending more time in the nature than just writing about it. Continuing her main passion for science in communicating it to others, she has spent the last ten years across the UK, New Zealand, Australia and now Canada designing and delivering scientific field trips and workshops for schools. After completing studies in Canada as a ski guide she made Revelstoke her permanent home in 2015. Finding the most joy in guiding young people, she is a trip leader for the Alpine Club of Canada, volunteer adaptive ski guide for the Revelstoke Adaptive Sports Program and runs Stoked On Science - an education company that delivers engaging science content both in schools and in after school programs. She is the Director of Communications for the North Columbia Environmental Society and is passionate about sharing and developing our understanding of science and our environment in our community.

Peter Worden — aka "Pete on the Street" — is the former publisher of Reved Quarterly and a current board member with the Revelstoke Museum & Archives. He moved to Revelstoke five winters ago from Nunavut because he thought the weather would be easier here, and boy was he wrong. His work has included both print and broadcast journalism, filing for CBC Sunday Edition, Globe and Mail, VICE and others, as well as one month as a resident in the Banff Centre's Literary Journalism Program. As a local freelance writer, he gets most of his best story leads at the Grizzly Pub.

Cara Smith is a freelance writer from Fredericton, New Brunswick. After studying English literature and fine arts at St. Thomas University, Cara began writing for the TelegraphJournal, the provincial daily newspaper in New Brunswick, where she landed a silver Atlantic Journalism Award for arts and entertainment reporting in 2015. Cara went on to work as a staff writer for Huddle, an online business news magazine, before going out on a limb to check out life in the West last year. Originally only planning to stay in Revelstoke for a couple of months, she was drawn to the unique culture, lifestyle and people here and has traded the salty shores of the East Coast for the fresh air of the Columbia Mountains for a bit longer.

She's now focusing on writing features for Revelstoke Mountaineer Magazine and has a keen interest in arts and culture.

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NEWS BRIEFS

By Melissa Jamesson

Construction on the new roundabout on Fourth Street starts this spring.

A B.C. government grant will help introduce residential composting at the Revelstoke landfill.

Construction on Fourth Street roundabout will begin this spring

Province announces funding for compost at Revelstoke landfill

AGING SEWER AND WATER INFRASTRUCTURE TO BE REPLACED SIMULTANEOUSLY

THE REVELSTOKE LANDFILL WILL SOON BE HOME TO A COMPOSTING FACILITY

Construction of the roundabout at the intersection of Townley Street, Fourth Street East and Victoria Road is set to commence this spring.

The City of Revelstoke says the Townley/Fourth/Victoria roundabout project “aims to address safety issues, reduce crash frequency and severity, and improve traffic flow for all modes of transportation.” Replacement of aging sewer and water infrastructure in the area will take place in conjunction with the roundabout project.

The project, along with the aging infrastructure project, was approved for $5,078,300 of Federal Gas Tax – Strategic Priorities Fund grant funding by the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM), which supports infrastructure and capacity building projects.

According to a long-term financial report prepared by City of Revelstoke Director of Finance Tania McCabe in early January, the budget for the roundabout project is $6 million. The project will use grant funding “to extend the use of city funds on needed public infrastructure.” Partial funding for the project comes from a UBCM grant. The remaining costs will be paid for with Development Cost Charges ($250,000), Sewer Replacement Reserve funds ($122,200), Water Replacement Reserve funds ($261,100) and Transportation Infrastructure Reserve funds ($218K).

Mayor Gary Sulz said he is pleased the hard work in obtaining UBCM grant funds for the construction of the roundabout project come to fruition. He also thanked Canadian Pacific Railway for their efforts to help the project move forward in a timely manner.

Director of Engineering and Public Works, Steve Black said he is excited to see the project get off the ground, saying it will be an excellent addition to the community while helping to ensure the safety of both residents and visitors.

The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy’s Organics Infrastructure Program will contribute $100,000 to develop a composting facility at the Revelstoke landfill.

In a statement, the Ministry of Environment announced it had partnered with federal and local governments to create the new $30 million Organics Infrastructure Program. The program is aimed at helping communities expand their infrastructure, divert organic waste from landfills and help the province meet its CleanBC commitment of helping communities achieve 95% organic waste diversion for agricultural, industrial and municipal waste.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Environment, it is estimated more than half of the waste currently entering the landfill is organic. The composting project will create usable compost, while prolonging the life of the landfill and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

George Heyman, B.C. Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy said the program will help communities, the province and Canada meet shared climate action goals.

“It will also help build B.C.’s clean economy by creating green jobs and setting the stage for the economic opportunities that come from the reuse of organic materials,” said Heyman.

The Organics Infrastructure Program combines $10 million in federal funding from the Low Carbon Economy Leadership Fund, $10 million from the Province and $10 million in matching funds from local government applicants and their partners. A total of 12 projects have finalized agreements to date. Additional projects are expected to come on board in the coming months. The initial projects are expected to break ground starting in the spring.

Organic waste currently represents 40% of material sent to municipal landfills in B.C. and generates 7.5% of the province's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In Revelstoke, the landfill and recycling centre on Westside Road are operated by the Columbia-Shuswap Regional District.

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The City of Revelstoke plans to overhaul the city's wayfinding signage.

Image: City of Revelstoke

A method through the wildfire remains. Photo: Jonathan Parr

City approves new wayfinding signage plan

Regeneration explores wildfire altered landscapes

THE $3.2-MILLION, SIX-PHASE PLAN INTENDED TO IMPROVE VISITOR EXPERIENCE

FILM EXPLORES BACKCOUNTRY RIDING IN THE CONTEXT OF WILDFIRE

Public wayfinding signage in Revelstoke is about to get a $3.2 million facelift.

Revelstoke city council approved the updates at its regular meeting on February 11, 2020.

The six-phase plan, intended to help improve visitor experience, will take place over the next decade, with any existing wayfinding signage being updated.

Phase one of the project, budgeted at just over $500,000 is scheduled for completion over the next two years and includes: - Replacing the two primary gateway signs - Replacing centre gateway signs - Replacing the existing welcome sign - New signage at the Fourth Street roundabout - Park identity signs for Kovach, Williams Lake, Farewell and Centennial Parks - Updated banners - Social Engagement signs According to a city staff report, phase one will be funded through resort municipality funding. The city is hoping to pay for the remaining five phases through grant funding.

City economic development director Ingrid Bron said the wish list for the signage project was $3.8 million but that had been pared down.

Bron said that funding for subsequent phases and the details of what’s included in those phases will likely evolve as the project develops over the years.

The overall plan will require new funding at each phase, and Bron said that the full plan will require development as it goes along. “Ultimately It will depend on all of these variables, especially external funding sources and identification, phase by phase, of priorities,” she said.

The city has hired Cygnus Design to do project management for the sign installations.

The total cost of the project was listed on a city report as $3,182,035.

As Jonathan Paar and Jeffrey Hurteau set out to shoot a snowboarding film in the Sitkum Valley near Nelson, climate change wasn’t exactly the first thing on their minds. But the more time they spent in this area where the landscape was completely altered by wildfires four years previous, the more they began to think more about the impact we have on the environment.

Regeneration made its premiere at the Protect Our Winters Revelstoke Winter Kick-Off back in November. While it includes many elements typical of a snowboarding film, it also reflects on how we can work to help the environment regenerate and enjoy our natural playground more harmoniously.

The creators of the film both work in forestry fields, Paar as a wildfire fighter and Hurteau as a treeplanter, and their close connection to nature shows in the care they’ve taken with Regeneration.

Paar’s finance Kate Borucz worked on the film as well. She says the very fact that they were snowboarding in an area that hadn’t been accessible before wildfires helped determine the direction of the film.

“While they were in the [Sitkum Valley], they realized they were only able to access that area due to a pretty devastating occurrence,” she says. “With both of them working in forestry-related industry, they’re seeing more and more of that pop up.”

“As people who enjoy recreation in those areas, it is kind of startling to see how much devastation occurs through these natural cycles.”

The film also features a shot of a snowmobile as their method of transportation into the backcountry. While this might seem counterintuitive for a film that draws attention to climate change and reducing carbon footprints, Paar wanted to point out the fact that they aren’t perfect. They’re simply aiming to be conscious of their consumption in the hopes that others will do the same.

“We’re not here to preach anything in particular,” Borucz says. “Obviously we want to be able to enjoy these areas for years and years to come.”

“We’re the next big decision-makers here. It’s time to start acting like it.”

Regeneration is available to view on Paar’s Instagram page (@jonathan.paar).

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CALENDAR MARCH 2020 WEEKLY EVENTS

Find farm and craft vendors from Revelstoke and beyond at the winter market, held every second Thursday.

TUESDAY

SPORTS NIGHT

GAMES NIGHT

@ Alliance Church · 6:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Free drop in games night every month on the second Monday. All kinds of table-top games welcome, card games, board games, dice games, tile games, RPG, strategy, cooperative, creative, whatever. Fresh games and faces welcome.

@ Eternal Riders Hall · 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Active games for young adults (16 and over) like dodgeball, spikeball, ping pong, skateboarding and more. The hall is located at 622 Second Street West.

POOL TOURNAMENT

WEDNESDAY

@ Traverse · 8:30 p.m. $10 buy in, maximum 18 people. Sign in at 8:30 p.m., start at 9/9:30 p.m. First place gets the pot. All entries get a prize.

FREE MEDITATION

FRIDAY

@ Balu Yoga · 7:30 a.m - 8 a.m.

An easy and accessible meditation practice for all levels. No experience required.

WOMEN’S DROP-IN HOCKEY

@ Revelstoke Forum · 8 p.m. - 9 p.m.

The Kodiaks are a non-competitive drop-in team, welcoming all skill levels. Drop-in fee is $10. For more info search Revelstoke Women’s Hockey on Facebook.

OPEN STAGE & LIVE BAND KARAOKE

@ The Last Drop · 9 p.m Open mic with super hosts Catnado & The Subaneers featuring the all new Catnado karaoke.

LOCALS’ NIGHT

@ The Cabin · 5 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Every Wednesday is Locals’ Night. Enjoy $4 bowling.

THURSDAY REVELSTOKE WINTER MARKET

@ Revelstoke Community Centre · 12 p.m. - 5 p.m

DROP-IN CURLING

@ Revelstoke Forum · 7 p.m.

Give curling a try in a non-competitive environment. Instruction, grippers, brushes and sliders provided. Just bring clean running shoes to wear on the ice. Cost is $5.

KARAOKE

@ Revelstoke Legion · 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Sing your favourite songs every Friday at the Legion.

SUNDAY SUNDAY SESSIONS

@ River City Pub · 8 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Join host Jesse Booth and other invited local musicians for a night of music at River City Pub.

LATIN NIGHT

@ Last Drop Pub · 8 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Free Latin Night with mainly Salsa and an introduction to Salsa Dancing. For more information look up Revelstoke Latin Night on Facebook.

The Revelstoke Local Food Initiative presents Grocery Story: The Promise of Food Co-ops in the Age of Grocery Giants with John Steinman. At the Revelstoke Library on March 7 at 7 p.m.

THURSDAYS 2-5pm SATURDAYS 1-4pm

FRIDAYS 8-11pm

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VISIT REVELSTOKEMOUNTAINEER.COM/CALENDAR TO SUBMIT YOUR EVENT FOR FREE. WE INCLUDE A SELECTION OF THOSE EVENTS HERE IN OUR MONTHLY PRINT CALENDAR. *Please check the event online on the day of the event as details may change*

SATURDAY, MARCH 7

MARCH EVENTS

KING & QUEEN OF THE MOUNTAIN

MONDAY, MARCH 2 PROTECT OUR WINTERS: REVELSTOKE MONTHLY MEETING

@ Dose Cafe · 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.

The monthly meeting reviews upcoming community and environmental events, volunteer opportunities and provides a space for anyone to speak up about climate issues, persona/community goals or just come down to listen.

THURSDAY, MARCH 5 LFI SEED SWAP + SALE

@ Revelstoke Winter Market · 12 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Get ready for planting season with a variety of seeds available. Donate or swap seeds with the seed library or purchase seeds from West Coast Seeds and Naramata Seed Company.

THE JORDAN DICK DUO

@112 Restaurant · 9 p.m.

The Jordan Dick Duo perform at the 112 restaurant March 5, 6 and 7.

@Revelstoke Mountain Resort · 8 a.m.

The home-grown King & Queen of the Mountain contest is returning for a third year to the slopes and terrain park of Revelstoke Mountain Resort. For more information or to register visit revelstokemountainresort.com. Runs March 7-8.

VINTAGE RIDE

@ Revelstoke Snowmobile Club Welcome Centre · 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Join the Revelstoke Snowmobile Club for the annual Vintage Sled Ride. Meet at the welcome centre before heading up to the Boulder Cabin for photos and chilli and a bun. Full details at revelstokesnowmobileclub.com.

RED BULL XL APRES

@Revelstoke Mountain Resort Red Bull is taking over Revelation Lodge for an on-mountain apres after the first day of the King & Queen of the Mountain Contest. Join a DJ on the dance floor as the sun sets over Mt. Begbie. No cover.

GROCERY STORY PRESENTATION W/JON STEINMAN

@ Revelstoke Library · 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Join the Local Food Initiative for a presentation of Grocery Story: The Promise of Food Co-ops in the Age of Grocery Giants, with John Steinman.

FRIDAY, MARCH 13 IFSA JUNIOR REGIONAL 2* COMPETITION

@Revelstoke Mountain Resort · 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Come watch juniors ride RMR’s big mountain terrain during this two-day regional freeski event for athletes less than 19 years old. For more details visit revelstokemountainresort.com.

THE GUESS WHO’S DONNIE MCDOUGALL UNPLUGGED

@ River City Pub · 10 p.m.

Donnie McDougall of the Canadian Rock Hall of Famers, The Guess Who performs at the River City Pub March 13-15.

The Revelstoke Arts Council presents Kim’s Convenience by Ins Choi at the Revelstoke Performing Arts Centre on Saturday, March 21.

LGBTQ NIGHT

@Traverse · 10 p.m.

Come out for Traverse’s first ever LGBTQ night with hosts Ginger Snapp, Alexa Nerreza and Ella Lamoureux. Tons of games, prizes and an amateur drag contest. DJ Sternloff will be pumping tunes all night long for the rainbow dance party.

FRIDAY, MARCH 6 MARITIME KITCHEN PARTY

@ River City Pub · 10 p.m.

Revelstoke’s own MKP play everything from Celtic fisherman songs to Newfie/NS tunes and fun, upbeat pop/classic rock music complete with their own flare.

Emily Beaumont

R E V E L S T O K E

Royal LePage Realtor

Helping you “Home” in Revelstoke, BC

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Calendar

SLY VIOLET

@Rockford Grill · 8 p.m. - 11 p.m.

Indie pop folk rock husband-and-wife duo Sly Violet perform at the Rockford Grill.

SUNDAY, MARCH 15 LOCALS DAY

Irish-born contemporary Canadian folk artist Irish Mythen performs at the Revelstoke Performing Arts Centre Sunday, March 22.

@ Revelstoke Mountain Resort · 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Revelstoke residents get $10 lift tickets, $10 lessons, and a $10 rental package when they bring proof of residency and a cash or food donation. This year’s donations benefit the Revelstoke Community Foundation and Community Connections Revelstoke Food Bank.

THURSDAY, MARCH 19 GOOSEBUMPZ

@ Traverse · 10 p.m. - 2 a.m.

Goosebumpz plays an eclectic assortment of original bass heavy, broken beat productions.

SATURDAY, MARCH 21 KIM’S CONVENIENCE

BY INS CHOI

The Revelstoke Local Food Initiative Seed Swap takes place at the Revelstoke Winter Market on Thursday, March 5. Photo: Pixabay.

@Revelstoke Performing Arts Centre · 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Mr. Kim, a Korean shopkeeper, grapples with both a changing neighbourhood landscape and the chasm between him and his second-generation offspring.

Tickets: $30. Purchase online at revelstokeartscouncil.com, at the Revelstoke Visitors Centre or at the door.

SUNDAY, MARCH 22 IRISH MYTHEN

@Revelstoke Performing Arts Centre · 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Irish-born contemporary Canadian folk artist Irish Mythen delivers a sonic and emotional experience that transcends language and location. Tickets: $25.

Purchase online at revelstokeartscouncil. com, at the Revelstoke Visitors Centre or at the door.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25 Watch as Emmy award-winning filmmaker John Chester and wife Molly trade city life to start their own farm on a stretch of depleted soil outside Los Angeles.

At the Revelstoke Performing Arts Centre March 25 at 7:30 p.m.

MOVIES IN THE MOUNTAINS: THE BIGGEST LITTLE FARM

@ Revelstoke Performing Arts Centre · 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Emmy Award–winning filmmaker John Chester and his wife, Molly, a culinary writer, trade city life to start their own farm on a stretch of depleted soil outside Los Angeles. Tickets $10 available online at revelstokeartscouncil.com, at the Revelstoke Visitors Centre or at the door.

THURSDAY, MARCH 26 SMALL TOWN ARTILLERY W/ AZA NABUKO & ALEX MAHER

@ Traverse · 8 p.m.

Small Town Artillery perform in Revelstoke with Aza Nabuko and Alex Maher during their cross-Canada tour.

FRIDAY, MARCH 27 SKII PARTY

@ Traverse · 11 p.m. - 2 a.m.

Whistler-based electronic music addicts Tim and Dave love shredding fresh powder almost as much as they love smashing out hit records in the studio.

SATURDAY, MARCH 28 STOKED SLALOM

@ Revelstoke Mountain Resort · 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Revelstoke’s only banked slalom event returns — with a twist. Check revelstokemountainresort.com for event details.

JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH @ Revelstoke Performing Arts Centre · 3 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

CircusWest presents its newest theatrical circus creation inspired by the famous children’s book by Roald Dahl. Matinee tickets: adults $15, kids $5. Evening tickets: $25, Kids $10. Purchase online at revelstokeartscouncil.com, at the Revelstoke Visitors Centre or at the door

GNAR DAY ABC PARTY W/ IN/VERTIGO

@ Traverse · 10 p.m.

Dress in your best ABC costume (private areas must be covered and shoes are required) and dance to Calgary hard-rock band In/vertigo.

UPCOMING EVENTS AT REVELSTOKE MOUNTAIN RESORT KING & QUEEN OF THE MOUNTAIN MAR 7-8

XL APRÈS MAR 7 & 21

STOKED SLALOM MAR 28 & 29

more info at revelstokemtn.com/events

Calendar

The Winter Permit System Permis d’accès hivernal Planning to ski Rogers Pass?

Vous comptez skier au col Rogers?

The Winter Permit System is in effect between November and March annually. Learn it.

Get your permit.

Le Permis d’accès hivernal est en vigueur entre novembre et mars de chaque année. Apprenez-en le fonctionnement. Obtenez votre permis.

In Rogers Pass, artillery is used to fire explosives and trigger avalanches for the highway avalanche control program.

Before you go:

Dans le col Rogers, le programme de déclenchement préventif d’avalanches pour la Transcanadienne est axé sur des tirs d’artillerie. Avant de partir :

• Learn how the system works at pc.gc.ca/skirogerspass.

• Check daily to know what areas are open or closed before you park, ski or ride.

• Get your winter permit and national park pass at the Rogers Pass Discovery Centre.

• Look after your own safety. Have the skills and equipment to travel in avalanche terrain.

• Apprenez le fonctionnement du système : pc.gc.ca/skicolrogers.

• Chaque jour, tenez-vous au courant d’où vous pouvez vous stationner et faire du ski ou de la planche à neige.

• Obtenez votre permis d’accès hivernal et votre laissez-passer de parc national au Centre de la découverte du Col-Rogers.

• Possédez les compétences et l’équipement nécessaire pour voyager dans le terrain avalancheux.

Learn more at pc.gc.ca/skirogerspass

Pour en savoir plus, consultez pc.gc.ca/skicolrogers

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FEATURE

AUSTRALIAN EXPATS COPE WITH DEVASTATING NEWS FROM HOME AFTER DISASTROUS BUSHFIRES RAVAGED THEIR HOME COUNTRY, SIMON RODD, JESS BOOTH AND KAT LOUGHLIN WERE LEFT TO FIGURE OUT HOW BEST TO DEAL WITH THE AFTERMATH FROM REVELSTOKE

By Cara Smith

We all saw the striking photos of smoke, flames, and red skies and heard the news about unprecedented wildfires ripping through Australia. Countless people lost their homes, wildlife species were decimated, and the country was left to try and recover some semblance of normality — the new normal of climate change.

As rains began to put out many of the fires, Australia and the effects of this natural disaster were no longer at the forefront of our newsfeeds over 14,000 kilometres away here in Canada.

Many of us might have been under the impression that the worst was over.

But for Australians living both at home and abroad, recovery is just beginning. I spoke with three Australian expats, who had their own ways of dealing with being in Revelstoke while disaster struck back home.

Photo: robdownunder (flickr.com)

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Simon Rodd

I ran into Simon in the midst of his going away party a few weeks ago, a surprise to me, since I knew he’d been working towards his permanent residency. He tells me he’s moving back to his home country the following week because he can’t in good conscience stay in Canada with what’s happening in Australia.

Simon seems slightly agitated as we sit down at a cafe a few days later to talk about his experience. And it’s no wonder. He’s so troubled by what’s happening in his home country, he hasn’t been able to sleep at night.

After weeks with an eye on the news and hearing reports from family and friends back home, he can’t enjoy the natural playground Revelstoke has to offer any longer.

“It made me feel weird and wrong living next to a hydroelectric dam, skiing chest-deep powder, sweet cruisy summers. It’s beautiful here, but it just kind of feels like a bubble,” he says. “I’d never felt any sort of urgency until now.”

At the beginning of February, Simon packed

up the life he’d built here and went back to Australia.

He doesn’t yet have solid plans for what he’s going to do there, but as a strong believer that governments need to be doing more to combat climate change, he feels that he couldn’t criticize the actions of the Australian government if he was living abroad.

A carpenter by trade, Simon hopes to use the fact that there is much rebuilding to be done as an opportunity to rebuild houses and businesses using sustainable methods and materials.

“I’m not going to go back and single handedly do anything. I can’t. But it’s a feeling of if I don’t and people like me don’t do anything at all, nothing’s going to change.”

“I just feel kind of wrong doing nothing at all and saying nothing at all. It also feels equally wrong saying a lot and still just living here,” he says. “I don’t want to leave. I love it here. I don’t want to leave but I don’t want to not be in Australia.”

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Feature

Jess Booth

As I’m wrapping up my chat with Simon, he calls out to a woman walking through the cafe and introduces her to me as Jess Booth, another young Australian. Like Simon, Jess feels strongly that not enough is being done by the Australian government to address climate change. She speaks passionately about the fact that the fires wouldn’t be as severe as they have been if we weren’t in the midst of a climate crisis.

The disaster hits even closer to home for Jess. Her family has spent weeks in fear of the fires destroying their farm near Jervis Bay. The situation was at its worst for them on New Year’s Eve and Jess remembers the panic she felt as news came in that the fires were getting dangerously close to the property where she’d grown up.

During the first round of fires near their property, Jess’s mother and stepfather rushed around their lawn, stamping out small fires started by bits of burning bark flying from nearby trees. Luckily, a fire crew came in before the fire reached their home. The close call left Jess feeling helpless this far from home.

A week later, a second wave of fires were meant to go through the same area.

Jess’s family was even more serious about preparations the second time around, sending their horses, chickens, dogs and cat to a safe place to wait it out.

“That was a really hard week or so,” Jess says. “I just felt like I was living in two different worlds. The home that I knew was completely on fire and so many of the places

I love on our property, just knowing that they would be totally burned … The fire was so hot that I know they won’t be able to recover.”

Jess felt a stark contrast between what was happening back home and the life she was living in Revelstoke. As she was shovelling out from under meters of snow, her family was fighting to keep themselves and their homes safe from record-breaking wildfires.

“It felt like I wasn’t living in either place.

It was this weird limbo land for a while,” she says. “I felt terrible for my family that I wasn’t there. I probably would have been a nervous wreck and terribly distraught and not that helpful, but at least I could have been moving animals or there for moral support. I feel pretty guilty about not being there.”

Jess feels that the landscape of her home will be so changed that she’s hesitant to go back. She wants to remember the rain forests and creeks she played in as a child the way they were before the fires so she’s now reevaluating what her future will look like.

With a background in environmental science, she’s aware that the scale of the Australian wildfires is likely a result of climate change. Like many young people, she’s frustrated that the climate crisis has been allowed to get to this level of severity.

“It’s hard to feel positive sometimes,” she says. “I feel like you can [make] small changes in your life, which add up for sure. But it’s at a point now where I feel like unless it’s a public policy change across the planet, how can we make that much of a dent?”

Feature

Kat Loughlin

It comes as no surprise that Australian expats are so well-connected in Revelstoke and I quickly find that out when Jess mentions someone she wants to connect me with: a veterinarian specializing in bird and wildlife care who has been rehabilitating animals injured and affected by the fires.

I reach Kat as she’s about to return to Canada after spending two weeks back in Australia. Kat was visiting her partner in Revelstoke for the winter when the fires and their effects on the local wildlife worsened.

Feeling a sense of responsibility because of her background and profession, Kat joined forces with Todd Driggers, a veterinarian from Phoenix, Arizona, to fundraise for the relief efforts. Kat raised over $600 by setting up donation jars in Revelstoke cafes and combined that with the funds raised by her American counterpart to help out the Adelaide Koala Rescue and their work to rehabilitate 150 koalas back into the wild.

At first, Kat was hesitant to return to Australia, concerned about whether the trip would be worth the carbon footprint.

“Flying back was not an easy decision,” she says. “It’s my belief that a lot of what we’re facing is due to the current climate crisis and I’m aware that travel is one of the massive contributors to that.”

“But my colleague persuaded me in the end that my contribution here was going to be worth the detriment that I would be having with my carbon [footprint] to come back to Australia.”

Kat and the rest of her group formed a team of volunteers working with AVERT, the emergency animal rescue program at Vets Beyond Borders in Australia. Through this work, she’s been most struck by the sheer scale of destruction caused by the wildfires and by knowing that while there were animals that could be saved, there were also so many more that could not.

The image of all the animals they couldn’t reach haunted her as she worked with drone pilots to find injured animals among the skeletal remnants of burned trees and fires still smouldering in the undergrowth.

Kat is returning to Canada affected by what she’s seen, but remains encouraged by those she worked side by side with.

“I’ve been overwhelmed by the strength I’ve seen in the people in these communities and the ability of nature to restore itself,” she says “It’s true that this country does need fire to regenerate and the issue is not the fires. The issue is the scale of the fires.”

“You’re meant to have fires that are survivable, not Armageddon.”

While recent rains have helped calm much of the fires, the bushfire season could run as late as April in New South Wales. And with climate change increasing temperatures worldwide, the Australian bushfires could very well just be a taste of what’s to come.

In the meantime, Australians far from home will continue to face the decision of whether to stay abroad, or return to find a homeland that’s been permanently changed.

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18

FICTION

THE END OF A SEASON

By Vilja Arnsteinsdatter

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the animals left first. We had a beautiful fox that used to come by our house at night. We saw her sometimes, rummaging around our yard, her paws like feathers on the misty summer grass. The last time she came around was the last time we were waiting for snow.

At night I dreamt that the fox spoke to the polar bears up north, carrying whispers of futility, wishing them the best of luck in the hardships to come.

The caribou had gradually wandered off, almost unnoticeably at first, eventually moving steadily and in large numbers, leaving the Columbia River and its mountain ranges behind for good. The bears were slow to leave. For a while, they even benefitted from the changes. Food was plenty and available at all times. But at last, even they walked away, as if some instinct told them that this isn’t natural, this isn’t how it’s supposed to be. An early morning at the top of a mountain, I watched the trail of bears as they made their way elsewhere, looking for what once was. The last one turned around, gave our mountain town a mournful glance, then kept moving. I heard rumours of the wild horses on the Prairie, how they ran and ran, then walked and walked, until all they could do was lay down. I heard about how the horses went mad with thirst, and how they were driven into a frenzied chase as their creeks and lakes and rivers dried up before their eyes. And one day, as if someone had flicked on a light switch, I could no longer remember the last time I heard a songbird.

I imagined the sadness they must have felt.

We can adapt to almost anything, if we have to.

They can’t. I took solace in the fact that the wild animals at least had somewhat of a choice – they could roam as they please, perhaps finding an oasis no humans had reached and not yet destroyed. For what would we do with all of our domesticated ones? When the earth beneath us became too hot to touch; when the winds rustled forest fires, not leaves; when our wells ran empty and our technological saviours failed – what then could we do for the animals we claimed to love.

Then the people started leaving. The families were the first to set out in search of what we all had lost. Maybe they would go north, they debated.

Nothing there, someone scoffed. Maybe the coast?

Once upon a time we had an entire planet at our disposal – now, our actions had circled back to us and the formerly inexhaustive amount of options we held was depleted. Think of the children, they said. What will they grow up to see? What kind of world are we leaving behind for them? It’s funny you should ask, I thought. Many people asked the same questions before you, a long time ago, when time was still a luxury we thought we had and apparent solutions lay hidden just below the horizon. Any day now, everything will be OK. And then it wasn’t.

The elderly decided their time was up and that they’d rather depart from life on earth in this

place, the place where they’d lived and loved and watched the seasons go by with appreciation in their eyes. They waved solemnly as the families departed. Then the occasional straggler followed suit, tearing up and taking off in the quiet of night.

I’m staying, we all said. But one after one we watched our friends change their mind, fall victim to despair, and usher themselves onto the road, leaving everything behind and bringing nothing but memories.

We told you so, the critics would natter sagely.

And they did — but what good is retrospect when there are no second chances, when time has run out and it is truly is too late? We let them leave, we wished them well, and we stayed behind as a slightly lesser version of a community. Perhaps it is human nature to cling to hope until the opposite is proven.

Then he left. The ski patroller, the ski tourer, the enthusiastic collector.

Is there nothing here for you? I asked. Not anymore, he said. Not even me? I wondered. No, he said, because you’re not staying here either.

You’re leaving too. And he was right. My home, my sanctuary, my place in this world. Like migratory birds, at last we all left as the seasons ended. But we got confused and lost on the way. The seasons blended into each other now – warm, sunny skies in a consecutive row of perpetual summer days, offering little else in the form of relief than the occasional autumn rain and spontaneous cold spring breezes; remnants, I called them.

The skiers left last. The last to give up, the last to resign, the ones who cared the most. They had been sliding off grass and mud for months, desperately looking for answers, for technology, for unattainable dreams. Many left with them. We will be back, they all said. It will come back. Then they followed as their pack started drifting, refusing to admit defeat, repeating the mantra of the past decades — someone will fix this. But no one did, and here we were.

At night I dreamt that I stood by my window and watched the silent snow fall. The cars that drove by seemed muted; the neighbouring houses’ sharp outlines were softened. The trees became white, magical creatures, and everything else became hidden underneath a forgiving layer of cotton. It used to be one of my favourite sights — truly a magnificent thing to behold. Snow! In unimaginable quantities, and in all forms. I had my preferences — but I would take any kind of snow and in the most minimal amount, over this; over nothing at all. In the morning, my window offered naught but greenery and fronds, conifers lazily brushing against each other in the warm air.

I had stood by that window and watched as the world changed, watched as an era came to an end: silently watched as we lost winter. A season had ended for the final time.

"At night I dreamt that I stood by my window and watched the silent snow fall."

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LIFE

Archival 1910 The aftermath of the 4 March 1910 in Rogers Pass. Fifty-eight men died in what is still the nation's worst avalanche disaster. (Courtesy: Wikipedia/public domain)

LESSONS OF 1910 WHAT THE MOST DEADLY NATURAL DISASTER IN REVELSTOKE’S HISTORY TEACHES US 110 YEARS LATER

By Peter Worden

“The bereaved relatives and friends realized the reality of the death of their loved ones as each train brought bodies from Rogers Pass back to Revelstoke. It was a heartbreaking scene at the station as the caskets arrived.” The Continental News (published in Vancouver) March 9, 1910.

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The winter of 1910 was no ordinary winter. Not only was it the year of Canada’s worst avalanche disaster in history, it was the year of the worst avalanche in American history, too.

It’s a grim lesson in snow science our two nations share. The Rogers Pass avalanche on March 4, 1910 killed 58 men. The Wellington avalanche three days earlier on March 1, near Stevens Pass, Washington, killed 96. A look back at weather records for the 1909/10 season paints — for us now, anyway — a foreboding image of a disaster (or disasters) just waiting to happen.

"1910 was a complex snowpack year,” explains Tomoaki Fujimura, a Revelstoke ski guide and avalanche technician. He compares this season (2019/2020), which saw one ‘Pineapple Express’ storm systems, with that 110 years earlier. “That winter, there were five Pineapple Expresses.”

This series of huge storms hit the area back to back to back to back to back, each depositing Revy-levels of snow. March 4 was the ninth day of one cycle still hovering around the Pacific Northwest — the same one that hit Stevens Pass. Precipitation was high, and daytime temperatures over the week had gone from a low of –20°C to above zero.

This alone primed the landscape for massive avalanches. On top of all of that (or actually, below it) the mountainside was largely bare of tree cover since wildfires had swept through Rogers Pass in the 1890s. There was little in the way of forest anchoring the snowpack. “At the summit of Rogers Pass, more than two metres of snow had fallen – a half meter on March 4 alone,” reads the Revelstoke Museum and Archives webpage Overwhelmed: Remembering the March 4, 1910 Avalanche at Rogers Pass. If you live in Revelstoke, then you probably know the disastrous outcome as a matter of local lore.

Late in the afternoon on Friday March 4, a passenger train was heading east to Vancouver and stopped at the Rogers Pass summit after an avalanche on Mount Cheops buried the mainline. Passengers waited as a work train was dispatched from Revelstoke as well as other stations as far away as Field and Golden to the western edge of the slide.

Scores of men, aided by a rotary snow plow, toiled in the night to clear the line. The rotary plow slowly churned a deep trench through the dense debris. The men worked within the trench with shovels, clearing the snow from the tracks. It was near midnight when the deadly slide hit. It came from the opposite side of the valley, off the slopes of Mount Avalanche. The trench where the men were working became a tomb. (RMA) In all, 58 men were killed.

It took seven weeks to uncover the final snow-entombed bodies. The foot of the avalanche measured seven metres deep.

Accounts from two survivors described being thrown by, not snow, but a wall of wind, which is known to precede only the largest avalanches.

“Think about that intensity,” says Fujimura, who himself now appears half-snowed under a pile of 1910 research. He has amassed his own avalanche of papers, including work records, death certificates, cemetery information and clips from both Japanese- and English-language newspapers.

He studies the 1910 disaster as a personal research project as well as a cultural tribute to 32 Japanese men who were killed.

Little else is known about them beyond how many hours they worked as snow shovellers during the days leading up to the avalanche. (You can tell who was killed, he says, by their work hours. Most had between 200 and 300 hours in January and February, and a mere 20 or 30 in the month of March.

At home, Fujimura plays a History Channel-type teledramatization, titled: Disasters of the Century circa late-1990s,

in which the baritone narrator describes the avalanche that swallowed the work crew. Snow came down with such speed that some of the recovered victims’ bodies were found perfectly frozen in place like the ash petrified people of Pompeii — one man lighting a pipe, another rolling a cigarette, and so on.

Avalanche Mountain, in more ways than just one, was like Canada’s Vesuvius. It highlighted a certain human naiveté and called into reconsideration an overconfident sense of conquering the natural world. Just as archeologists study Pompeii after the 79 A.D. eruption, we can our science based on the 1910 avalanche, and other deadly ones like it.

Today, it seems Canada, or at least Revelstoke, may have learned its lesson. Avalanche fatalities, particularly en masse, are rare.

“We have enough experts now flying around who give advice and collect data,” said Fujimura. “That helps a hell of a lot.”

Outside of B.C., however, maybe not so much. This winter saw heightened and deadly avalanche hazards around the world. Fujimura uses some of the information he gleans from longview historical weather activity to educate international guides and forecasters in Japan and elsewhere around the world on avalanche safety. Japan, for example, he says is generally known for its consistent mix of snow in the winter and rain in the monsoon season. But this winter has been unseasonably warm with buried weak layers. Drastic changes like this combined with more people heading into the backcountry (and few existing forecasting or rescue programs) have created, in his opinion, a disaster waiting to happen.

“They usually have 50-metre snowpack,” he said. “They have half that this year.”

Buried weak layers combined with more people heading into the backcountry (and few existing forecasting or rescue programs) have spelled higher numbers of avalanche fatalities.

In February, Avalanche Canada warned residents in eastern Newfoundland about the potential danger of avalanches after the province was hit this year by one of the largest winter storms on record. (Newfoundland!)

“People don’t think Newfoundland gets avalanches,” said Fujimura, listing off other unlikely areas of the globe seeing increased avalanche risk due to unordinary weather.

In Kashmir, 77 people died and nearly 100 were injured in an avalanche in January. Two avalanches killed 41 people in Turkey this winter, too; the second avalanche buried rescuers, which of course is what happened in Rogers Pass in 1910. Those who forget history (or never knew it in the first place) are doomed to repeat it.

Closer to Revelstoke, an avalanche last December derailed a Canadian Pacific train in Rogers Pass. Little attention was paid to the minor incident as it affected only private property and there was (thankfully) no loss of life. What was unique, however, was that it was a new avalanche chute the railway had not previously accounted for.

Fujimura says more precipitation, more wind, and more high pressure persistence in the area means extra energy, which looking into the future, will make it hard to predict potential risks. For him, it's less about global warming than about global weirding.

It isn’t just avalanches, he says. Rivers damned by mudslides, and banks overflowing with flooding, he predicts, will become a much larger issue in keeping up with adequate infrastructure in the years to come. It may already be happening. This February, both CN and CP rail lines in B.C. were temporarily rendered impassable after a wet, mild weekend toppled mud and debris down the hillside, covering sections of the tracks in parts, and washing out the ground below them in others.

As a climatic event, 1910 seems like a no-brainer now.

But 110 years later, predicting similar disasters may prove equally murky when attempting to factor in increasingly complex systems of a warming planet. Precipitation, wildfires, avalanches, and temperatures all play off one another in unexpected, and in the case of March 4, 1910, tragic, ways.

“Major weather events are happening more frequently at the same time as more people are coming into these areas,” says Kim Vinet, one of the athlete ambassadors for POW

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Feature

(Protect Our Winters), a geologist by trade, and an earth and atmospheric science degree.

Vinet echoes Fujimura’s point that the issue is about more frequent and intense storms, coupled with humans accessing new terrain.

“The 1910 avalanche was a combination of very unlikely events, not the least of which was we were there in Rogers Pass.

We’re putting ourselves in these situations. As a species, we think that we can control everything.”

Speaking from heliski experience, this year she says pilots have had to account for ice fog or TROWALs (heli-speak for “troughs of warm air aloft”). Warm air sits on top of a cold air mass and snow turns to freezing rain. It’s not the most detrimental weather on earth, but it spells more down-days for the industry as helicopter blades ice up.

“That’s one of those weird weather phenomenons that affect how humans interact with the outdoors” she said.

“Unprecedented events are becoming normal. The question is what does that new normal look like? … It’s hard not to be ridiculously depressing or esoteric,” she said, adding: “But shit’s going to get crazier, and populations are going to change.”

The only question now is how are we preparing? As humans, we put ourselves in vulnerable positions and counter risk by collecting knowledge.

When word of the disaster reached Revelstoke in the early morning on March 5, 1910, people grabbed blankets and shovels and gathered at the train station. The locomotives revved their engines, signaling a major emergency.

1.

Alarm bells summoned the town to the rescue.

The citizens of Revelstoke were quick to respond. Within hours, a train of railway men and volunteers – old and young – headed into the night. Over the next few days, hundreds of workers converged on the site for the grim task of recovering the dead. (RMA) We ignore history at our peril. Are we prepared for new avalanche paths, more frequent mudslides, higher precipitation, and other freak weather occurrences? Of course we cannot beat Nature; the best we can do is mitigate it. Think. Plan. Build.

And when it comes to disasters of the last century, remember.

2.

3.

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1. The funeral procession “It was a heartbreaking scene at the station as the caskets arrived.” The Continental News, published in Vancouver March 9, 1910.

2. Kim Vinet is an athlete ambassador with POW (Protect Our Winters) (Photo submitted).

3. Tomo Fujimura …. (Photo by Daniel Stewart) .

The 58 men who lost their lives on March 4, 1910 are: Masatora Abe, Charles Anderson, Richard Buckley, Victor Carlson, John Fraser, Thomas Griffiths, James Gullach, Matsuei Hayashida, Isamu Hirano, Shinzo Hirano, Heikichi Horiuchi, Ralph Hughes, Naosaku Ikeda, Takefusa Imamura, Kinsaku Ishiyama, Axel Johnson, Rennie Jones, Kenichi Kanegawa, Andre Klem, Koichi Kobayashi, Shokei Kumagai, Dougal Macdonald, Kanjuro Maeda, John Mahon, John Makawicjuk, Harold Martin, Kiyoshi Matsumoto, Mike Mazur, John McLennan, Thomas McMurray, Harry Meikus, Kitaro Miyake, Fusakichi Mizukawa, Yasujiro Mochizuki, James Moffat, George Nichols, Samuel Oliver, Kesakichi Omura, Takeshi Onodera, Kisaburo Otake, William Phillips, Albert Pottruff, Hikohachi Sakoda, Kitaro Sasaki, Seiichi Sasaki, Kenjiro Sato, Tokuichi Takeda, Yasuharu Takeda, Ginzo Tanabe, Aitaro Tsuboi, Genichi Tsuboi, Sentaro Tsujimura, Keisaburo Ueno, Fred Wagner, Otokichi Wasa, Fritz Wellander, Charles Wheatley, Mannosuke Yamaji. (Information courtesy of the Revelstoke Museum & Archives.)

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LIFE ENVIROMENT

SILENCING THE SONG The sky is crystal clear in Mount Revelstoke National Park. The sun is shining through the leaves, giving your path a warm, green glow. As you walk, pine needles and twigs crunch beneath your feet and you feel a cool breeze of fresh, mountain air. White, pink, and lilac bellflowers perfume the trail, giving you a sense of happiness and ease. You stop to absorb the wonders around you but notice that there are very few birds. The absence of birds in our forests is a huge red flag in the scientific community.

Because birds are so sensitive to environmental changes and the effects of climate change, scientists can use them to gauge the ecosystem’s health.

Scientists have recently noticed that birds are disappearing all over North America.

Lisa Larson, a wildlife ecologist with Mount Revelstoke and Glacier National Parks (MRGNP), has been recording the number of birds in the parks and surrounding areas since 2007.

In 2013, Lisa started recording bird data at alpine sites to gather more information about these sensitive ecosystems. She discovered that there has been a significant decline, around 25 per cent, in bird species here in Revelstoke.

Some of the birds in decline include Pine Siskin, Red-breasted Nuthatch, and BlackCapped Chickadee. Parks Canada also recorded data in Jasper, Kootenay, and Banff national parks and found that the bird species are declining at a rate of more than 10 per cent per year.

She collected her data by setting up stations equipped with microphones all around these areas, taking 10-minute recordings and then bird experts identified the bird calls by ear and the data was entered into the regional (mountain park) database.

The Black-Capped Chickadee are small birds that measures from 12 to 15 centimetres long.

They have been a very common bird in North America and adored by many. Their small, fluffy bodies are often plastered on mugs, candles and Christmas cards, sometimes accompanied by a whimsical, winter backdrop.

Sadly, this bird has the fastest rate of decline with a whopping 39 per cent a year.

The National Audubon Society has reported that Brewer’s Blackbird is another bird that seems to be in decline. The Brewer’s Blackbird is a black, glossy, medium-sized bird that can normally be found in local parks, as well as grasslands, woodlands, meadows, and coastal scrub. They have declined two per cent every

year since 1966, amounting to 69 per cent in all.

But why is this happening? Although it’s not completely understood why birds in North America are disappearing at such a fast rate, scientists do have theories.

Harry van Oort, a Revelstoke biologist, believes that one of the reasons we are seeing such a decline is due to the destruction of the birds' habitats.

“In Canada, many neotropical migrant songbirds are declining due to habitat destruction on their winter grounds, and likely due to increasingly more hazardous migrations (e.g., hitting wind farms, buildings, and power lines)."

But the loss of winter habitat to the south can’t explain declines of resident species like the Black-capped Chickadee. “Black-capped Chickadees are adaptable forest birds and are known to tolerate habitat disturbance, so a decline in this species is particularly puzzling.

Changes to breeding and winter habitats are normal over long time periods, and these communities are continuously re-arranging themselves. Recently in Revelstoke, we had a couple of species (White-throated Sparrow and Tennessee Warbler) start nesting here in the year of the Fort McMurray forest fires,” van Oort said. “It’s possible that these migrants were forced to backtrack to look for other breeding habitat options outside their normal range."

Another reason why the birds may be declining is due to cat predation and collisions with windows, cars, and power lines. A recently published article in the Aviation Conservation and Ecology Journal reported that combined, these cause 95 per cent of human-caused bird deaths annually. The reason birds crash into windows at daylight is because they see the reflection of vegetation, and try to fly towards it. In cities, skyscrapers, power lines, and tall buildings often disrupt birds’ natural aviation path. Avian Conservation and Ecology have discovered that bird deaths are more common in places that have a higher density of people, such as Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia.

This information may seem disturbing, but there are things we can do. We can start by placing multiple sticker decals on our windows. Placing stickers on your window creates the illusion of an object blocking their path because birds often see windows reflecting vegetation as more forest to fly into. Closing our curtains when we go out is another thing that we can do. Closing curtains make the windows visible to birds and prevent

STUDY FINDS THAT REVELSTOKE-AREA BIRDS ARE IN DECLINE, THEIR SPRINGTIME SONGS GROWING FAINTER EACH YEAR

By Emilie Corbett

pine siskin

Spinus pinus

red-breasted nuthatch

Sitta canadensis

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mountain bluebird Sialia currucoides

red-breasted sapsuckers Sphyrapicus ruber

Photos: www.audubon.org/climate/survivalbydegrees/state/ca/bc Vulnerable Birds in British Columbia. National Audubon Society.

them from flying into the windows. And the last, most simple way of preventing birds flying into your windows is turning off your lights when you’re not using them. Not only is it good for the environment, but it stops nocturnal birds from getting confused and hitting the glass.

Although birds might not seem to make a great impact on our daily lives other than making pretty sounds, they are living things that are dying because of human destruction. This is just one of the many examples of animals and ecosystems that have disappeared.

It’s hard to feel connected to issues such as this one when we are not directly affected, but we all need to start making an effort to acknowledge that humans as a species are directly causing the deaths of species with our excessive infrastructure and destruction of ecosystems. Birds are not the first to vanish, and definitely won’t be the last.

The Pine Siskin

steller's jay

Cyanocitta stelleri

The Pine Siskin is a small bird, measuring about 10 centimetres long. From far away, this bird looks a dull, brown colour, but as it takes flight, you can see vibrant yellow streaks flashing from its feathers. They have a joyful, yet sporadic call that can often be heard in coniferous forests, local parks, and suburban forests. Pine Sisken has a very high tolerance for low temperatures. They have a small pouch in their throats where they can store seeds for energy on a cold, winter’s night. There have been many sightings of this bird in Revelstoke, so next time you’re taking a hike up Mount Revelstoke, or just through the park, make sure you keep your eye out for these tiny birds, flitting about in the branches of trees.

The Red-Breasted Nuthatch The Red-Breasted Nuthatch is a bird similar in size to the Pine Sisken. This little bird has smokey-grey feathers on its back and fluffy, peachy-orange feathers on its breast. Its head is adorned with black and white pattern similar to a raccoon's. Its head squishes into its tiny body and creates a round, cartoonish like physique. These birds like to create cozy nests in the hollows and nooks of trees. The Red-Breasted Nuthatch likes snacking on

insects, mainly beetles, caterpillars, spiders, and ants. They have an energetic and feisty temperament, so they tend to make sharp, zigzag motions.

Mountain Bluebirds Mountain Bluebirds are the gems of the sky. They are a brilliant blue colour that catches your eye. They gravitate towards open woodland, so they can be spotted on the Greenbelt or the flats, here in Revelstoke.

Mountain Bluebirds have an exceptional ability to catch their prey, such as insects, in mid-air. They will also eat berries and seeds when given the chance. They have an almost picturesque, elegant, sing-song, call. They like little man-made boxes, so if you want to see more of these little guys, you can build a home for them in your backyard.

Red-Breasted Sapsuckers Red-Breasted Sapsuckers have been called “hot-headed” birds because of their fiery red feathers atop their heads. The red melts down into a white and black speckled feather coat on their stomachs and backs. Red-Breasted Sapsuckers like eating fruit and sap, hence the name. They drill holes into the sides of trees to suck up the sap and won’t say no to eating a bug or two if they come across one in the process. Hummingbirds are drawn to the Sapsuckers because of the sap wells they make. The hummingbird will sometimes follow the Sapsucker around throughout the day if it’s feeling extra hungry for tree sap.

The Steller's Jay The Steller's Jay is a very dramatic looking bird. From its black and blue feathers to its striking tail feathers, this bird is sure to draw attention. They will eat anything they can get their hands on such as fruit, seeds, insects, small animals, hatchlings, eggs, and even garbage. If they have trouble finishing their food, they will hide it in small caches. They have incredible spatial memory, so they will always be able to find where they hid their food. The Steller’s Jay likes to live at elevations of 3,000 to 10,000 feet, so it can usually be spotted when hiking in higher elevations.

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Exterior photo: Megan Voigt Photography Interior photo: Moxie Marketing

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BREAKING THE MYTHS OF RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION IN REVELSTOKE Choosing a homebuilder is a hard decision, especially in Revelstoke where investing in new build can come with many issues. We often hear about how a build has exceeded the estimated cost by nearly double, or how the construction team has suddenly left the job site for weeks, causing excessive delays. But it does not have to be this way. And yes, it is still possible to build an energy-efficient home for under $400,000 in Revelstoke, as SUMMIT Construction has just proved with their most recent build.

Simon Gagnon is the owner of SUMMIT Construction, a Revelstoke-based construction company that’s been operating since 2018. Simon was driven by a profound motivation for changing the way people see the construction industry when he started SUMMIT Construction. Having worked in the trades for the past six years in Revelstoke, he knew he had a challenge on his hands. He wanted to build high efficiency homes for the community, sourcing material as locally as he could and encouraging helping local businesses. Simon has achieved this by going back to the roots of fine craftsmanship.

SUMMIT Construction’s first clients approached Simon with a bi-generational project. They wanted to build a home in Arrow Heights and were seeking some advice. The clients originally planned to earn their owner-builder's license and build the home themselves, but after much discussion around coffees and beers, they hired SUMMIT Construction as the general contractor for the project, a decision they did not regret. Even though the clients had plenty of experience with new builds, they realized the value of the construction company’s expertise.

“It is all those steps which must be anticipated in order to create an efficient process, avoid mistakes and provide the top-quality final product that Simon has given us. There are so many things we would have not thought of on our own,” said clients J-F and Michel Bigras.

This first SUMMIT Construction home was finished in eight months. Located in Arrow Heights, it features three bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms and a garage with a full suite above it. The total cost of this build was way below the industry average.

“This is when we realized a super-efficient project could be affordable,” Simon said.

Starting their second year of operation in February 2019, SUMMIT Construction had already lined up a second residential build to start the following May. This time, the owners were seeking a budget home under $390,000 and no other contractor in town was willing to commit to this. Simon,

who has been a member of the Revelstoke community since 2012, understood that this was an ongoing issue here and has done everything possible to help the clients achieve their goals.

This second build by SUMMIT Construction was completed within six months, reaching the step-four standards according to the BC Energy Step Code. By choosing a more traditional building style, SUMMIT Construction built a proper family home with three spacious bedrooms and two bathrooms.

The myth that a building under 400 thousand dollars is not achievable in Revelstoke has been officially debunked, but we asked Simon how the cheapest build can be achieved without compromising quality and square footage. The first step, according to him, is to exchange ideas with your general contractor before going ahead with any professional architect drawing. The general contractor will often be the best starting point for a construction project.

“It is way easier to build a house around a budget than it is to fit a budget around existing plan,” Gagnon says.

The contractor will take every significant element into consideration as inside finishing selection, siding material, built shapes and land-related challenges. All those will greatly influence the overall price and are often the reasons stated for going over budget.

Another way of lowering costs is to source materials locally.

Even though this might seem counterintuitive, sourcing locally means more flexibility, better customer service, less time spent on project management and lower handling and delivery costs.

It also reduces the risk of delays and improves planning.

“We have very good relationships with the local tradespeople and suppliers,” Gagnon says. “They know that when we settle on a specific time frame, we will be on time. They organize themselves to be on time too so the project can keep going.”

Finally, planning ahead in order to have inspectors when they’re needed is a crucial step in avoiding unnecessary delays, which usually translate into extra costs. We all know that navigating the maze of the city permits and inspections can be challenging, but this becomes easier with a solid team behind you.

SUMMIT Construction is a small team of four employees in the winter and up to six in the summer. Simon strives to help people get a top-quality home reflecting their needs and capacities. Each project is a collaborative process with the homeowner, who more often than not ends up in forging a strong bond with the team. A new homebuilder can be dedicated to your project and deliver it on time and on budget.

You simply need to find the right one!

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LIFE ENVIROMENT

WE'RE WRITING THE ENDING

LARGE-SCALE CLIMATE CHANGE THAT WILL DRAMATICALLY ALTER THE REVELSTOKE REGION IS COMING

By Jade Harvey

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I want to tell you a story. It’s a long one.

About 4.54 billion years long to be precise. It’s about a giant floating rock in space. A story about a rock? How boring. Except this one is about an exceptional, one of a kind rock, enveloped in gases, not too hot not too cold, where life exploded from sludge in a pool.

It’s your planet. It’s your one and only home.

It has evolved and changed, slowly, over its time, to be an incredibly hospitable rock, full of complex, beautiful and diverse life. Its story has ebbed and flowed with incredible forces enacting on its life forms. It’s been happily supporting our intense species for millennia. No longer. This part of the story concludes with difficulty, despair and ultimately death. It is upon us.

The climate is changing. It is an emergency for life on Earth. The ending to the story hasn’t been written yet — and there is still time to influence the outcome.

I teach your willing kids about this. They listen avidly to how our planet is changing in response to anthropogenic (human) inputs. Some of them have stood in front of city hall and declared their young minds in support of caring and contributing to this cause, and yet there is resistance. How is possible to trust a bunch of youths with placards who stand against governments and industries that refute the irrepressible, undeniable science?

Climate change: two words that have become deeply politicized. A study published in the scientific journal Global Environmental Change analyzed over 37,000 media articles and considered national factors of the publishing country such as economic development, weather and energy consumption.

The most consistent predictor of how the issue was framed was each nation's gross domestic product per capita. The author spoke of the results.

"We showed that the issue is more politicized in richer countries. In poorer countries, it was framed more as an international issue. Which makes sense, as poorer countries don't have the resources that richer countries do to fight it."

We do have the resources to fight it but, instead, political parties use the issue as way to divide the population on a particular stance, generating fierce debate that doesn’t engage the issue. With their posturing and, often, bad advice, our politicians obscure the need for action — instead, wasting valuable time with arguments of who is most in the wrong.

In place of collaborating with industry and scientists to move forward environmentally, economically and socially, we are locked in a game of tit-for-tat popularity contests whilst our precious, fast-changing home environment remains under-represented. The true and vital story missed.

Our climate, at least since 1.8 million years ago, is modulated by long term cycles, operating over tens of thousands of years that come from our life source, the sun, and how we move around it.

Changes to the shape of our orbit — from circular to egg shaped — plus the intense (but never felt) wobble as we hurl around our axis at 1053.754 km/h (that’s specifically in Revelstoke!) and the changing tilt and movement of our pole, all impact the longterm climate we experience on Earth.

The scale is beyond normal comprehension.

With the extreme variability we can see from one

summer season to the next or difference in annual snowpack, it’s incredibly difficult to reconcile the seemingly unordered and random way our climate presents itself in our day-to-day weather compared with long-term trends.

For the last 200 years, since our species industrialized, we have generated (and the atmosphere has absorbed) a significant increase in atmospheric greenhouse gases. These gases remain in the atmosphere for long periods, retaining heat that warms our planet. The only reason Earth is habitable is because of this band of existing gases surrounding us, but we’re changing the concentrations … and much too quickly.

Carbon dioxide alone has increased 43% since the 1700s, resulting in global mean temperature rises of 0.3 to 0.6 degrees Celsius since the late 19th century. In the Columbia Basin it’s even more pronounced; average annual temperatures have increased by 1.6° Celsius in the last 100 years. It doesn’t seem a lot does it, but it really is.

Scientists predict temperature rises in the next century that have not been experienced on Earth within the last 10,000 years, which was when Earth was at a hugely different point on its long term climate cycles, and population was restricted to sparsely populated, early human communities. To place this into context, our Earth fluctuates between glacial and interglacial periods, and we’re currently in an interglacial epoch called the Holocene.

The long-term climate cycles of the sun interact with glaciers, oceanic and atmospheric currents to distribute heat from the equator to the poles. Here we reach a key issue in communicating climate science. Our climate is determined by interactions between such differing time and physical scales, and to understand the present and our local micro cycles, you need to establish the fact that we feedback into a system that extends well beyond our locality and lifetimes.

For now, let’s skip to the page where in Interior of B.C. 7,000 people reside on the valley floor, in the shadow of mountainous giants, as a giant blue snake, slithers past. The Canadian Columbia Basin is already experiencing hotter, drier summers, warmer and wetter winters, and more extreme weather as a result. Climate scientists are projecting these trends to continue into the foreseeable future.

Studies of ecological systems dating from the 1990s onwards show that ecosystems are more vulnerable to external changes at high altitudes than on low lands. The amplitude or power of climate variability increases with altitude, and the flora that inhabit higher altitudes are sensitive species that need selective conditions under which to thrive — at the very least, Revelstoke’s sensational wildflowers will be affected negatively by more extreme weather, while the most important conifer species in British Columbia is expected to lose a large portion of its suitable habitat.

Housing, building and infrastructure are being affected and, with continuing climate change, the effects will be more pronounced. Wildfires, flooding, extreme storms, and water shortages all represent threats to the safety and wellbeing of our community. The threat from wildfire to our community is increasing.

Canada is home to about 30 per cent of the world’s forests in total, including 10 per cent of

“The climate is changing.

It is an emergency for life on Earth. The ending to the story hasn’t been written yet — and there is still time to influence the outcome.”

dense forest cover. British Columbia declared a state of emergency in both 2017 and 2018, when we had two record-setting years for forest fires.

In 2017, 1.22 million hectares burned in B.C., and this increased to 1.35 million hectares in 2018.

Not only do increased temperatures allow fires to burn hotter, they also generate ripe conditions for lightning — and lightning strikes are the cause of more than half of the wildfires in Canada.

Professor Mike Flannigan, a University of Alberta wildland fire expert, says that for every degree of warming, the number of lightning strikes goes up by about 12 per cent. Warming temperatures also enable pests, such as pine beetles, to proliferate.

The dead trees they have destroyed act as fuel for fires, which might have otherwise been more manageable.

When we look to our buildings, many of our heritage homes are wood structures. The rate at which this wood decays is dependent on temperature and precipitation. In Revelstoke, as both these factors increase, the fungi which decay the wood do so more quickly. Retroactively treating buildings and ensuring that new structures are prepared with this in mind is important to protect our heritage, and to ensure longevity for our infrastructure. The economy, and what climate change in Revelstoke represents for our forestry and recreation industries, is a divisive subject.

However, according to scientists that spend their lives researching this topic, changing weather patterns present risks and opportunities for Basin businesses and the economy.

Scientific studies show the resulting alterations in temperature and precipitation patterns in B.C. will have a direct impact on both natural and modified forests. The extensive Mountain Pine Beetle (MPB) epidemic has driven change in silvicultural system choices, and this has not only dramatically reduced mid-term timber supply in the interior of B.C. — but, even more fundamental to the global crisis of climate change, the MPB epidemic has contributed to the shift of B.C.’s Interior forests from being net carbon sinks to net sources of carbon.

To ensure longevity for our forestry industry, collaboration between industry and scientists to better understand how climate affects our forests is needed. Forest management needs to adapt and integrate with forest health management to secure this key resource. For agricultural growers, a study in the Okanagan Valley projects that the growing season will increase from 5.5 months to 7 months by 2050. This effect would occur in Revelstoke too. This

Life Environment

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16 14

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High Carbon

Modeled mean annual temperature for Revelstoke from 1950 to 2099

double-edged sword, of decreased rainfall in summer leading to an increased risk of wildfires and extreme weather events, might also enable farmers to be productive over longer periods of the year.

However, if all businesses operating locally can reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, we can begin to look at climate change on the lower — rather than the highest modeled outcomes.

Environmentally friendly tourism is a strong pull for many people and, if focused upon, could be a selling point of our wonderful community.

So many of us live in Revelstoke primarily for access to nature. As temperature and precipitation patterns shift and change, ecosystems in the Basin must also be expected to change, too. These changes will affect not only our environment but, by direct association, our lives too. This includes more natural disturbances such as wildfire and pests, changes to the water cycle and water availability.

It’s so difficult to anticipate or imagine issues with water supply, particularly when we are blessed to see the mighty Columbia River dancing past our doorsteps each day. These climate change impacts don’t just affect the water though. In a study of the Illecillewaet drainage, it was found that climate change will not only affect the precipitation and temperature, but also the distribution of glaciers (sadly, we face losing them over time).

Important soil processes, such as drainage capacity and soil quality, will decrease while land surface processes, such as erosion, will increase. Vegetation characteristics, the type and coverage, will be affected and sensitive species will die out. Also, the treeline will move upslope into sensitive alpine biomes. These changes then feedback and affect how much precipitation and cloud cover we get, further impacting the environment’s ability to adapt.

Shall I explain more? I must. Everyone needs to

be aware of the realities of climate change. This is where you fit in to the story.

In Volume I of the Canada Country Study: Climate Impacts and Adaptation, they found that in the Interior of B.C., "existing flood protection works may no longer be adequate and spring flood damage could be more severe and frequent along rivers and streams." Conversely, stream flow in late summer and fall will likely decrease, while stream temperatures will rise. This will reduce fish survivability. Soil moisture will also diminish in our region. Without access to more reservoir capacity, water supply will be reduced in the dry summer season when irrigation and domestic water use is greatest (and there goes that potential and financially- beneficial longer growing season).

In addition, landslides and debris torrents in mountainous areas will become more common as winter precipitation rises and glaciers retreat. Water quality, fish and wildlife habitat, as well as roads and other man-made structures (think CP Rail) will all be at increased risk.

Migratory birds have already been affected by higher winds, meaning they can’t reproduce. As previously noted, many glaciers in southeastern B.C. could substantially melt or disappear completely.

The flow of rivers and streams that depend on glacier water in the late summer and fall will then diminish.

Environment Life

“Canada is home to about 30 per cent of the world’s forests in total, including 10 per cent of dense forest cover. British Columbia declared a state of emergency in both 2017 and 2018, when we had two record-setting years for forest fires.”

The Columbia River.

Photo: Aaron Orlando/RMM

This will negatively impact tourism, hydroelectric generation, fish habitat, and the lifestyles we so cherish in Revelstoke and our region.

In 2012 a systematic study of mass balance (whether a glacier is getting bigger and advancing, or smaller and retreating) was conducted on the glaciers of Mt. Revelstoke and Glacier National Parks. They used weather and climate data from observations over the past 100 years and dendrochronology — tree ring data — to look back at what the climate, and thus the glaciers mass balance, would have been like since 1780. Taking core samples from Engelmann spruce, mountain hemlock and subalpine fir and looking at the tree ring width, maximum density and cell wall thickness, they can use this as a proxy or estimate of past climate as these factors change in response to temperature in precipitation. They then look at models of how glaciers behave under these different conditions and can build a history of what has happened over the past 300 years.

Based on the information I’ve already outlined in this article, it’s not good news. Despite some blips in variable temperature, short and unusually cold periods, for example, the rate of cumulative mass balance decline (the rate at which glaciers are receding) within the last 30 years exceeds that observed at any time over the last 250 years.

The scientific evidence says that they’re going.

If they go entirely, they take with them the balance of ecosystems that rely on their melt plus the positive support they provide in radiating heat from the sun back out of the atmosphere from their highly reflective albedo surface. It’s true that glaciers have disappeared before in the long history of planet Earth, but not at a time when there was such complex life and communities reliant upon them.

During the past 540 million years, there’s been five mass extinctions that took out more than 75 per cent of Earth’s species, and that’s just those that were alive at that time. The true total over the five mass extinctions is 99 per cent of species that have ever existed.

Common features of these "Big Five" extinctions suggest they came about because of unusual climate dynamics, atmospheric composition and abnormally high-intensity ecological stressors that negatively affected many different species.

Scientists have published research in the journal Nature (a very serious publication, not a magazine!) showing that by co-opting resources, fragmenting habitats, introducing non-native species, spreading pathogens, killing species directly, and changing global climate, we’ve entered into the sixth mass extinction already.

It won’t likely be you or me, but our grandchildren and generations beyond them will most definitely be living in a very different, less diverse world … and this moves the topic on to quality of life. As we consider the impact on animals, plants, trees and glaciers. The big question is, what about us?

Why should we care about this climate emergency? The research is not in doubt, just look at the news. Wildfires and flooding are the new norm at the commencement of this new decade.

Climate change undeniably presents a real risk to our health and lifestyles in Revelstoke. Our physical and mental health will be increasingly challenged by rising temperatures and, as more

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frequent wildfires pollute the air we breathe, the incidence of vector-borne diseases (human illnesses caused by parasites, viruses and bacteria that are transmitted by mosquitoes and other insects) grows as temperatures rise.

Extreme weather events damage property and our collective feeling of safety in this world.

Vulnerable individuals such as the elderly, young children, those with chronic conditions are at the greatest risk. Cultural, recreation, and lifestyle practices; our skiing, sledding, hiking, biking, climbing and the rest, will have to be adapted to new climate and environmental conditions.

In response to this modern change we have to reconnect with our evolutionary capabilities as a species — we have to adapt.

So, what can each of us do — tucked away here in Revelstoke? How can we influence the outcome in this impossibly long story?

Economically, we need to commit to a circular economy as opposed to linear one. To explain this, "linear" means our current "make, use and dispose" economy — whereas the "circular" economy seeks to extract the maximum value from natural resources by designing products for longevity, and for easy recovery of materials at end-of-life. In this way, they can be reused and repurposed with a minimum investment of energy, and the carbon footprint of products and services is minimized across their entire lifecycle.

As supply chains are redesigned to embody a circular economy, benefits can be expected for the economy and environment. We can make simple behaviour changes such as stopping using single use plastics wherever possible. For example, take a dish from home to your favourite takeaway restaurant and avoid buying fresh food products that come prepacked in plastic.

Manage your home energy carefully and be stringent about turning off lights, unplugging power adapters (when not in use) and wearing an extra sweater instead of turning up the heating. Build more energy-efficient homes or retrofit our homes to meet the recommended standards. Insulate thoroughly, use high efficiency windows and doors, seal and caulk your property. Furthermore, and of huge importance, we must all be in support of switching to renewable energy sources from fossil fuels, and take a greater interest in where the energy we use so readily comes from.

As consumers, let’s demand and support the changes that move us away from the fossil fuel economy we currently rely on. Wind and solar energy are free (in terms of production, if not infrastructure). The supply is endless and with increased sun and winds in our changing climate they offer a chance to capitalize on the changes in climate that have already occurred.

It’s not too late to save our much loved home, to help limit the expected, projected changes. The science is there, and it’s real. So we must all support the efforts of hard-working scientists who toil away to find esoteric solutions for the problems we face, but then get dismissed by those with vested interests when they try to share unpalatable truths. he scientific community don’t usually get much of a voice, so we must be their voice … We must write the end of this story, so we can believe in a better ending for our families, our community and our Revelstoke home.

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LIFE

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THE EVER-CHANGING ROLE OF A BC WILDFIRE FIGHTER IN A CLIMATE CRISIS Words and photo by Jonathan Parr In the three years I have been employed by the BC Wildfire Service, I have observed a wide range of conditions, a variety of seasonal extremities, an assortment of stresses on resources and infrastructure, and of course, an unmeasurable amount of hectares burned.

These are some of my observations from a boots on the ground perspective about how a state of climate emergency has been and will continue to affect my job.

I started my career with the BCWS in 2017 at the Southeast Fire Centre, a year that set records for wildfire activity in the province of British Columbia. There was very minimal precipitation, the storms that rolled through brought short rain falls and lots of lightning, setting off small fires in remote areas that grew quickly due to high fire indices. Weather warnings continuously put crews at risk to fly in or camp overnight near small fires, giving them an opportunity to break out into larger and less controllable fires. The fires burned deep and hot, eroding layers of soil and making regeneration a near impossible feat for the delicate ecosystem.

As BCWS employees, we also get deployed to assist and manage floods and respond to emergency events before the wildfire season takes off. It was evident to us that as a result of the deep burning and inevitable soil erosion that took place in 2017, water retention in the steep alpine and treeline was non-existent and resulted in heavy flooding, road and culvert washouts, and mudslide events. The 2018 fire season was predicted to be less aggressive, but that was not the case.

The season started off with flood mitigation, which was a result of a quick seasonal melt and quickly shifted into another recordbreaking burn season. Over 1.3 million hectares of B.C. forests burned that year, and we were exhausting our resources to control the damage. As the fires get bigger and the incidents get more complex additional

resources for operations, planning, logistics, finance and administration may be assigned toward these projects. Personnel, pumps, hoses and helicopters are a small portion of what goes into the operation.

After two back to back record-breaking fire seasons, it was unclear how the 2019 season would pan out. As June and July approached the average precipitation was higher than normal (it should be noted that fire activity and precipitation vary throughout the province, another variable of climate change that makes it difficult to predict how, where, and when resources should be dispersed). In the Southeast Fire Centre (which covers an area from the U.S. border to Mica Dam, and the west side of the Monashee Mountains to the Alberta border) the fire season was lacklustre, which directly affected staff wages. Most crew members of the BCWS are classified as “part time auxiliary” employees; we make most of our money working overtime on the fire line. As a result of two very lucrative seasons, whether you’re a university student or working to provide for your family, we relied on overtime hours to make up our annual income. It was becoming evident that our earnings in 2019 would not compare to the earnings from the last couple of years.

The wild unpredictability of the fire season affects environmental, economic, and social factors. Deep burns due to drought make ecological restoration nearly impossible, displacement of wildlife is a reality, and the release of insurmountable amounts of carbon into the atmosphere are inevitable; financial stressors on the Ministry in staff retention and equipment maintenance are increasing and fire fighter wages are unstable and unreliable; finally recreation and tourism decrease due to smoke. These are all observable facts which I attribute to climate change and its effects.

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FEATURE

DISRUPTED FUTURE 'NO MATTER WHAT WE DO, THE FUTURE WILL NOT BE THE SAME AS THE PAST.'

By Greg Utzig

Greg Utzig is a conservation ecologist and land use planning consultant based in Nelson, B.C. He has over 40 years experience in environmental impact assessment, watershed analysis, terrain and vegetation mapping, habitat modelling, and a wide range of activities related to forest management and biodiversity protection. He has worked with a variety of clients, including government agencies, non-governmental organizations, First Nations and the forest industry.

At present his focus is on adapting biodiversity conservation measures to the realities of rapid climate change. He has completed projects and presentations related to climate change throughout the Kootenays, Columbia and Shuswap regions. Whenever he can avoid his computer, he spends his time on Kootenay Lake or in the surrounding mountains. We asked him to provide insight into future climate change in the Revelstoke region.

Climate change or climate disruption?

Imagine this: the lush green forests of cedar, hemlock and Douglas-fir that now surround Revelstoke are gone. Instead, open forests of Douglas-fir, larch and ponderosa pine cover the lower slopes, interspersed with patches of open grassland and shrubs maintained by frequest forest fires. Think Grand Forks or the Okanagan. At higher elevations, spruce and subalpine fir have declined, and it’s unclear what will replace them.

It’s hard to believe, especially for someone like myself who spent a decade mapping forest zonation in the Kootenay/Columbias. But this scenario will likely be one of the close-to-home effects of increased global temperatures caused by our insatiable desire to burn fossil fuels – to heat our homes, mow our lawns, drive our SUVs, or power our 4x4s and snowmobiles. What else will be affected by changes in climate and day-to-day weather patterns? What can we no longer take for granted?

Let’s look at snow. Projections for the Revelstoke area anticipate a modest increase in winter precipitation. That sounds good for skiing, except that a greater percentage of that precipitation will fall as rain. Snow is anticipated to make up only 30% of winter precipitation in valley bottoms by the middle of this century. Cross-country skiing will have to move up in elevation to maintain consistent snow availability. And lower-elevation downhill ski operations will be challenged as well.

We can also anticipate more winter thaws that reach into the high elevations. This will create more discontinuities in the snowpack and potential shifts in avalanche activity. A recent

study in Glacier National Park has already recorded increased occurrence of snow crusts in early season snowpacks since 1994. Back-country skiing, snowmobiling and heliski operations should all prepare for complex avalanche conditions and shorter seasons. Many glaciers will disappear by the end of this century.

And what about summer? Of all the seasons, summers will have the largest increases in temperatures accompanied by potential decreases in precipitation. Picnics and hikes might be easier to plan. However, the extensive wildfires and accompanying smoke that dominated much of interior B.C. in 2017 and 2018 will occur on a more frequent basis. The Kootenay/Columbia region won’t escape. Based on modeling of future wildfire frequency and extent, the region will have similar experiences in the coming years. It’s a matter of when, not if.

As mentioned above, vegetation communities will change with the shifts in climate and fire regimes.

Generally warmer and drier conditions will not support the forests we’ve become accustomed to over the past millennia. Exactly what will replace them may not be certain, but significant change is guaranteed.

We’re all aware that extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and more intense. This has spawned a new term – “climate whiplash.” It is the rapid shift from hot to cold temperatures, from drought to torrential precipitation, or vice-versa. We saw this in Australia recently, when the extended drought and catastrophic wildfires ended with hail, torrential rains and flash flooding. Closer to home, these whiplash events are often associated with another phenomenon – “atmospheric rivers.” These narrow bands of intense moisture are strengthened by a warming Pacific Ocean, leading to intensive rainfall and high winds along the west coast, often extending into the interior. In its benign form we used to fondly refer to one of these as a “Pineapple Express.” We recently experienced one in early February and watched the freezing level rapidly rise to over 2000m. My backcountry ski weekend was a combination of heavy wet snow and rain one day, followed by concrete the next day.

These extreme events are what drive many of the changes that we will see, and why climate change is now more often referred to as “climate disruption.” Early spring warming and late spring frosts contribute to the disappearance of birch trees. New pests and disease change the forest landscape. Increased drought results in forest regeneration failures, low summer and fall stream flows, and loss of some wetlands. Rapid snowmelt and extreme precipitation cause roads and highways to wash out. Wildfire and extreme precipitation events disturb watersheds and cause increased

Slocan Lake at sunset.

Photo: Aaron Orlando/RMM

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“Let’s look at snow. Projections for the Revelstoke area anticipate a modest increase in winter precipitation. That sounds good for skiing, except that a greater percentage of that precipitation will fall as rain.”

frequency of landslides and debris flows. Fish habitat is already suffering from increased water temperatures, low water levels, as well as stream channel disruptions.

Many of these extreme weather patterns are associated with shifts in the polar jet stream, the undulating high altitude winds that move weather systems west to east across North America. The jet stream is driven by the temperature differential between the Arctic and temperate regions.

As the Arctic continues to warm at twice the rate of temperate regions, that temperature differential is diminishing, causing the jet stream to weaken and wander. When the jet stream is particularly weak, weather systems stall, like the hot weather that persisted during the extended B.C. fire seasons in 2017 and 2018. When the jet stream wanders north, warm dry air can be pulled north contributing to extreme early fire seasons in northern Alberta. Just think of the Fort McMurray fire in 2016 or the burning of almost 900,000 ha of Alberta’s forests in 2019. Or the jet stream can stall warm moist weather systems like what drove the floods in Calgary and southeastern B.C. in 2013. Alternatively it can wander south, allowing arctic air to invade eastern Canada creating their recent harsh winters.

One piece of good news is that the area northeast of Revelstoke, roughly bounded by the triangle between Revelstoke, Golden and Mt. Robson, is the one area in Southeastern B.C. that may maintain at least some habitats similar to what exist throughout the entire Kootenay/Columbia region today.

Conservation of old growth forests within that area is key to maintaining those habitats and to locking up as much carbon as possible.

The other good news is that there are things we can do to stop, or least slow down, the present trends in climate disruption. We can stop building pipelines, LNG plants and opening new coal mines. We can start buying electric vehicles, insulating our homes and preserving natural stores of carbon locked up in old growth forests. We can manage our ecosystems and communities to increase their climate change resilience. But time is running out. And no matter what we do, the future will not be the same as the past. It’s important to recognize and prepare for that.

For more information: CMI website cmiae.org/event/climate-changeadaptation-in-the-north-columbiamountains or www.kootenayresilience.org

TOURISM TALKS

The Resort Municipality Initiative (RMI) is a program administered by the provincial government, the goal of which is for small resort municipalities to build and diversify their tourism infrastructure, deliver exceptional visitor experiences and incorporate sustainable tourism practices and products.

Revelstoke has been a resort municipality since 2007, which is the first criteria towards qualifying for RMI funding. Only communities that collect the Municipal and Regional District Tax are eligible to receive RMI funds, and each eligible community had to outline a Resort Development Strategy (Strategy) for 2019-2021.

The Strategy identifies the long-term vision for the community and outlines the plans and projects the municipality will undertake to achieve the objectives of the program. Once the Strategy has been completed, the resort municipality (the City of Revelstoke) signs an agreement with the Province (specifically, the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture) and, subject to an annual appropriation, funding is provided to communities. RMI is an incentive based program, where a community’s MRDT growth gives communities an additional portion of RMI funding.

Revelstoke’s portion of RMI funding has historically been approximately $550,000.

That funding has gone to a number of projects ranging from park upgrades to funding non-profit projects.

Some notable RMI projects include: • • • • •

The Revelstoke Splash Park - a large portion of the 2018 RMI went to constructing the splash park; The Kovach Skatepark - RMI funding was a significant funding source for the new skatepark; Grooming equipment for the Revelstoke Nordic Ski Club - the RNSC’s grooming is largely done by volunteers, and the new groomer has made the trail quality top notch; Revelstoke Live Music - every summer the Revelstoke Arts Council coordinates daily music in Grizzly Plaza that is enjoyed by visitors and locals. RMI Funding goes towards paying the musicians, staffing costs, and production costs; and The implementation of a wayfinding strategy for Revelstoke.

RMI funding is managed by the City of Revelstoke’s Community Economic Department, and is allocated in accordance with the recommendations of the Tourism Initiatives Committee (a group of Revelstoke citizens who evaluate the strength of each application). Ultimately, council can approve or decline the recommendations made by the committee.

Revelstoke Live Music - an RMI funded project. Photo: Bruno Long

RMI funding is an example of how economic growth in tourism can benefit our community as a whole. Not only does money from tourists boost our retail, restaurants, and accommodation sectors, but it also helps fund community projects and recreation opportunities for locals and visitors to enjoy.

To read previous Tourism Talks columns, check out https://seerevelstoke.com/tourism-talks/

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MADE HERE ESSAY Last April, in an effort to reduce my carbon footprint, I sold my truck. After ten months of walking, biking, cross-country skiing, car sharing and bussing to my destinations, I broke down and bought a car. My experiment in living well without owning a car had not completely failed. I learned a lot along the way and will try again once the infrastructure to support car-free living is in place.

Lots of people live without a vehicle, often for economic reasons, but many choose not to own a car because they have good transportation options available. I didn’t buy my first car until I was almost 40 and I was perfectly happy. Back then, the Greyhound Bus service still ran on a good schedule, providing an effective and affordable alternative for inter-city travel.

I’ve been worried about climate change for years. We are seeing unprecedented storms, longer droughts and fire seasons and more extreme temperatures, with worse to come if we don’t change our fossil fuel habit. My friends in Sierra Leone tell me their weather is growing hotter and the rainy seasons are longer and more intense. At the same time, I look around me and see bigger and bigger vehicles and more carbon waste for the sake of recreation.

I felt that I had to do my part, if only to show that living without owning a car was not only possible, it improved my quality of life and saved me money.

I keep track of all my expenses. In 2018, a year when I had significant truck repair costs, I spent an average of $673 a month on truck-related expenses. I set my monthly vehicle budget for 2019 at $500.

Shortly after I sold my truck, I joined friends Rosemary Kelsall and Bruce Granstrom for eight days on their 790-kilometre walk

on the Camino Frances in Spain. It was a great way to start off this experiment. Walking between 24 and 30 kilometres most days taught me that I could cover a good distance on my own two feet – and enjoy the experience.

Living in downtown Revelstoke, I can walk and bike most places. I only need a vehicle for long-distance travel, carrying heavy or bulky items, getting to hiking and cross-country skiing trails and visiting friends in Arrow Heights or Columbia Park at night. I have friends who don’t hesitate to bike or walk between the suburbs and downtown Revelstoke at night, but at 9 or 10 p.m., after a lovely evening of socializing with friends who live several kilometres away, I prefer a ride.

After analyzing my needs, I looked at my options. I treated myself to a new bike and a bike trailer for carrying heavy groceries. This came in handy when going to the farmer’s market or when picking up bulk flour or sugar from local stores.

I joined the Kootenay Carshare. For a refundable deposit of $500 and a minimum monthly fee of $6.72 (including tax) if I don’t use it, I can use their pickup truck if I need to take things to the dump or move big loads. Last September, when I made two trips by truck, covering 40 kilometres over a total of 3 ½ hours, I paid $44.17. All charges include insurance and gas. I probably make four to six trips a year requiring full truck loads. Using the carshare truck is much cheaper than owning a truck for occasional needs.

Taking the Kootenay Carshare out of town requires different calculations. Last May I booked their economy car for a four-day sightseeing trip covering 928 kilometres. Carshare costs decrease

SELLING MY CAR FOR THE ENVIRONMENT? FOR ME, NOT YET after eight hours and the trip cost me $427.42. This works for me if I make few out-of-town trips but adds up if I make many long trips.

In May I entered a car sharing agreement with friends. I paid half of all insurance and repair costs and filled up the gas according to my use. I could take the car out of town for a few days at a time but didn’t feel comfortable taking it for longer periods because it was my friends’ car, not mine. I also agreed not to use the car to go to work. We used the Teamup app to book the car in advance.

This worked really well. I love walking or biking to work, even in the winter. I never once regretted a walk or wished I had a car.

One day, during a particularly heavy snowfall, I even cross-country skied to work. Still, it was nice to know that I had access to a car when I needed it. If our timetables clashed, I could book a Kootenay Carshare vehicle in a fleet that now includes two electric cars.

In 2019, I spent only $343 a month on average on vehicle expenses, well below my $500 monthly budget.

Revelstoke has local transportation options that I didn’t try, and didn’t even think of until recently. With my savings, I could have afforded an occasional taxi ride and stayed under budget. There are also two bus services in town. The BC Transit bus would not have worked for me because I need transportation at night, when it doesn’t run. However, the Resort Express Shuttle, run

by Everything Revelstoke, crosses the entire city and runs up to midnight from November 30 to April 19 at a cost of $4 a ride. This service covers the main months when I cannot bike.

Last night I took the Resort Shuttle from a friend’s place after dinner. The shuttle arrived right on time and I was introduced to

the colourful world of Geno, the friendly driver, and his “party bus.” Lights of all colours swirled around the bus from a projector in the front. It was a fun ride and in less than 10 minutes, I was home. A crowd of young people were waiting at my final stop to get on. I would definitely take that bus again.

With good options available for local transportation, why did I buy a car?

The main difficulty for me is intercity transportation. Like many people in Revelstoke, I sometimes travel to the Okanagan to shop or catch a flight. I also need to travel south, in the West Kootenays and Slocan, for business purposes. And I plan to do a fair amount of travelling this summer, especially to northern B.C. and Haida Gwaii.

The medical bus, which runs every Wednesday (Tuesdays to Kamloops), is a cost-effective option for travel to the Okanagan and it does accept people travelling for non-medical reasons as long as there is space available. However, it is not really meant for casual use and only stops in Kelowna for a few hours before returning to Revelstoke.

Everything Revelstoke runs a shuttle to the Kelowna airport, but the cost for adults each way is $150 in the summer and $114 in the winter. For me, that’s not an affordable option.

Since Greyhound ended its service in the western provinces,

37

A vintage car at a Revelstoke vintage automobile rally.

Photo: Aaron Orlando/ RMM

WRITER LAURA STOVEL GAVE UP HER CAR AND SHARES KEY LESSONS SHE LEARNED FROM THE EXPERIENCE. DID YOU KNOW THERE'S A NON-PROFIT CAR SHARING ORGANIZATION IN TOWN? UP TO DATE ON RIDESHARING APPS? TRAVEL OUT OF TOWN? STOVEL HAS TIPS FROM THE EXPERIENCE. EVEN THOUGH SHE ENDED UP BUYING ANOTHER CAR, HER AUTO ABSTINENCE HIGHLIGHTED GAPS IN SERVICE AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT, WHICH SHE SHARES HERE

By Laura Stovel

B.C. has been served by a mix of bus companies. Rider Express has a good daytime schedule for its daily trips between Vancouver and Calgary and prices for those destinations are fairly reasonable. I recently travelled to Vancouver by Rider Express for a cost of $110 each way. The ride was comfortable and the drivers were skilful and courteous.

However, Rider Express does not go to the Okanagan and if I want to ride to Salmon Arm to catch the daily Ebus to Kelowna, Rider Express would charge me $48 each way – almost half the price of a Vancouver trip. By contrast, Ebus only charges $25 to travel from Salmon Arm to Kelowna.

On paper, the connections between Rider Express and the Ebus are good, with an hour-and-ten-minute layover in Salmon Arm. However, buses are often late, especially in winter – our bus to Vancouver was four hours late. With tickets increasingly needing to be pre-booked, I can’t count on making a connection to the Okanagan.

The situation is even more challenging for travellers wanting to head north from Kamloops. Buses from Kamloops to Prince George run only twice a week and the connection with the Rider Express bus only works on Thursdays with a half-hour window between buses. Any delay would mean missing the connection.

I also have many friends and connections in the Columbia River Basin and Slocan areas. On recent trips south, I noticed that the BC Transit bus system runs as far north as Slocan City and connects with Nelson, Castlegar and Trail. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the people of the entire upper Columbia Valley were connected with an affordable and convenient public transit system?

If we’re serious about getting people out of their cars we need a better inter-city transportation network I often think with longing about the excellent transit system in Europe, where people can live well without a vehicle. Frequent trains and buses get people where they need to go quickly and efficiently. My friends point out the obvious: we are a much bigger country with fewer people and greater distances between cities.

Yet I say that our highways are busier than they have ever been.

If we invested a fraction of what we invest in road repairs and upgrades on a serious and affordable inter-city transportation system, if we had good options so that visitors didn’t have to drive the hazardous winter highways, we would save lives and get people out of their vehicles.

My effort to go carless made no real impact on the climate change picture but it did show me where our efforts need to lie if we want to get people out of their cars. I realized that I don’t need a car to live well in this town, though some people, especially those with mobility challenges, may need one. I do need access to an efficient intercity transportation system, though. After my year of serious travelling around B.C. is over, I might sell my car and return to car sharing. I might also share my new car with others in town who need a vehicle part time. This experiment is far from over.

38

LIFE

A BRIGHTER FUTURE Curious what are you feeling about climate change this far? Angry, sad, helpless, guilt, fearful, cynical, denial, shame, anxious or perhaps hopeful and engaged in positive change? These are all appropriate feelings and it is very human to empathize with the planet we depend on for life.

This article was an inquisitive delight to create. The process stirred feelings of hope, fear, shame, guilt, love, helplessness and anger. Listening to the people I interviewed share their feelings of climate change made me realize that it is a important subject for all ages. As I write these words, I sit perched on a snow bench carved out of the mountainside with my snowboard, Mackenzie Peak basking in all "Only 11 years left to its glory towers behind me, beautiful sparkly snow ghost trees are beside my slope-side writing oasis. Below I can see and hear prevent irreversible positioned eager ski tourers heading out to slack country, the warm sun touching damage from climate my face for the first time after a long winter. I purposely ditched my laptop, packed a Thermos of soup, and hiked up the mountain to the change, speakers quiet of nature, an attempt to hear my own heart's thoughts on climate change and mental health. I feel immense gratitude while I reflect, warn during General grateful for the peace and joy it brings everyone. It is a dream to breath fresh, clean air and snowboard the most beautiful snow in the world.

Assembly high-level in A priceless moment to be sure. I can feel the jabs of guilt. Why do I get meeting." — United to be so lucky when people are starving and struggling to find clean water to drink and food to eat? Then fear creeps in. How long until Nations 2019 this happens to all Canadians? Uncertainty rings a bell. Will there be a forest left to hike in? Snow left to ski on? Clean water to drink? Clean air to breathe? Panic sounds an alarm. Is it all too late!? Alarm bells are ringing. Is anybody listening? The anger “While government crashes through the party of thoughts. Why are we not changing faster?

Why are we being complacent and not taking action now? My feeling consults, and consults bubble pops, goes flat and falls into a dark hole of helpless despair. I am only one person, against a complex mess of bureaucracy and greed. some more, logging The sounds of joyful laughter, hooting and hollering in the distance snaps me out of my spiraling thoughts, bringing me back to the present in B.C.’s old-growth moment. Across the valley, skiers hoot their approval after finding a new forests continues.” stash. I am reminded of how lucky we are to be here. Hope and faith remind me that no one is too small to make a difference.

— Globe and Mail Emerging research concludes climate change is the biggest threat to the 21st Century, and is affecting our mental health.

Nov 2019 Fardous Hosseiny, The Canadian Mental Health Association’s Interim CEO, concurs: “The climate emergency is not just a question of wildfires, or rising temperatures and rising oceans. What will we do about the rising despair and of the mental health impact of climate trauma?”

Groups such as the Climate Psychology Alliance, a group of “The North Pacific Gyre, psychology professionals in the UK, and the Good Grief Network, a U.S organization, are creating support groups for eco-anxiety sufferers. known as the Great based Organizations are popping up to support the growing number of people Pacific Garbage Patch, seeking support for anxiety, depression and trauma related to climate change. Climate psychology is an emerging genre that is responding to occupies a relatively the need.

For this story, I wandered the streets, schools and cafes of Revelstoke stationary area that is to ask residents and friends for their feelings on climate change. How do feel about climate change? It turns out, it's something that occupies twice the size of Texas.” you a lot of space in our minds. Here are their thoughts:

— United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

In a word … HELPLESS. What can I, one insignificant person do to a global phenomenon that studies seem to suggest is already passed the tipping point? Age 47.

Significant, measurable, serious, consequences. Age 38.

I can see change in things. We do not have the hard winters we used to have. Used to have snow up your head. It is very different now than when I was young. Snow used to be so high we couldn’t get up the road with the truck, we had to use a team of horses and sleigh. We did not drive much in the winter because the snow was so high, there was no equipment to clear it either.

Things have definitely warmed up. Age 94.

Climate change is not real; it is just like the banking system and stock market. It is a ploy for the governments to make money. Age 53.

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EXTINCTION, BURNING, FLOODING, MELTING, PLASTIC, FAMINE, DROUGHT, PLAGUE, OVERPOPULATION, TSUNAMIS, EARTHQUAKES, HURRICANES, WAR, EXTREME WEATHER, CATASTROPHIC EVENTS, POLLUTION!

By Christy McLean

I feel concerned about climate change. I want to protect nature; it is my peace. My livelihood depends on it. Age 47.

Looks like the world is falling apart. Flooding, fires and illness. Weather changes seem extreme and it makes people feel down in the dumps. It is hard not to get negative. Have to take it one day at a time, it is the only way to do it. Age 88.

Climate change is our foremost concern as a species. Global consciousness is needed on a mass scale, to not only prevent further damage but to restore order to our beautiful planet. Age 54.

I don’t feel that I have enough information and feel uneducated on the topic. It is a major focus at school and littering has become a real stigma. We have attached status with things that help the environment like reusable water bottles such as “The Arctic is warming hydro flasks and driving Teslas. I am not sure if we can make a true impact humans will always find a way to survive, even if it means finding a new at triple the global — planet to live on in the future. Age 17.

rate and is considered one of the more vulnerable regions to climate change in the world.”

Canadian Public Health Association

Climate change is used as an excuse for more taxes. Canada does not have enough industry left to change the channel, let alone the earth. Age 63.

I am concerned. It seems like such an enormous challenge with massive consequences. With the little we individually do, will it be enough to make a difference? I’m worried it’s too late. There are a lot of changes I would love to make but we can’t afford it. I wonder how many others are in the same boat as our family. Money is a major factor in what’s holding us back from making a true difference and it’s sad. Age 37.

I don’t feel there is enough focus at school. I worry about the future. I think that death is a real risk. I worry that we will not be able to grow food and we will run out of natural resources. Age 14.

My family in Jamaica might get wiped out from hurricanes and flooding. We recycle, compost and turn off the lights to save electricity at home to try and help. If you bring unnecessary garbage to school the kids tell each other ‘save the turtles’ — that is how kids remind each other to be aware of global warming. If the kids have a nice reusable water bottle it gives them status and they say to each other, 'nice job saving the turtles.' Age 13.

The earth has survived for hundreds of millions of years. The dinosaurs didn’t go extinct because of climate change. The earth will survive. The worst thing to happen to the earth is humans. Slowly we are messing it up. People are using the earth as a public wastebasket. We really have to focus on ourselves and go the extra distance. Throw the stuff in the recycling bin. The earth doesn’t need us to survive, but we need the earth to survive. Age 38. *** Greta Thunberg, the straightforward 17-year-old Swedish activist on climate change, has recently led worldwide school strikes and opened up in her 2018 TED Talk. She says that knowing about climate change was hell on her young mind. When she was 11 years old she became ill and fell into a debilitating depression. She stopped talking, stopped eating and lost weight. She was told she had Asperger’s, OCD and was selectively mute. When she came out of her despair she stood up and spoke out against what was really bothering her, climate change.

According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA) mental health effects of climate change can manifest as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, aggression, trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder, diminished autonomy and control and feelings of helplessness. Chronic illness and severe stress associated with these mental health challenges can contribute to the destabilization of communities.

Life

Mindful strategies to deal with climate despair The power of now Finding presence can restore your mental health and help to create agency and empowerment in the present moment.

Shifting from the overwhelming sizable global threat, to what can I do as one person right now to make a difference.

Remember you are one person that can do one small thing every day to help the planet. Small daily actions contribute to a larger overall impact. Mindfulness enhances self-awareness interconnectedness and illuminates how our actions have a direct effect on the environment and ecosystem.

Taking action Experts say taking action by changing your lifestyle to reduce emissions or getting involved in activism can reduce anxiety by restoring a sense of agency and connection with the community. Collective action is a great intervention for a collective concern.

Building resiliency Embrace change. Unexpected change can be very stressful for people. There was no announcement that the entire world has completely changed and continues to do so at a fast pace.

Change the narrative, the world of the past that served us no longer exists. Adapt to the changes that are here on our doorstep right now. This is why resilience is important. The human species is historically good at this. Evidence is that we adapted to an ice age, meteors hitting the earth, world wars and the great depression. It makes sense that resilience is key.

Aim for the heart Gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with better health. Find something to be thankful for. Instead of doom and gloom, catch hope from youth whose activism is moving big mountains. Find faith in your heart that it is not too late.

We are living in a time of extremes. Dealing with change in a meaningful and healthy way requires courage, faith and resilience.

If you or someone you know is suffering please reach out and talk to someone. You do not have to be alone.

Get in the magazine: info@revelstokemountaineer.com

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44

HEALTH ENVIROMENT

YOU DO SOMETHING! EIGHT REVY-RELEVANT WAYS TO SHRINK YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT We’re all (mostly) well aware that climate change is a massive issue, but what can we do about it? Even though global change is more than any one of us can accomplish on our own, there are some practical steps you can take to reduce your own carbon footprint. Here are a few things you can try, some major and some minor, to make a bit of difference right here in Revelstoke.

1.

2.

Get an energy evaluation of your home

Small adjustments at home

If you have the time and resources to renovate your home, be sure to have an energy evaluation completed according to BC’s EnerGuide rating system. The evaluation is performed by a certified energy advisor who will examine things like your home’s air leakage, insulation, furnace and ductwork and produce a personalized report with recommendations for upgrades to improve your home’s efficiency. If you decide to renovate, there are a lot of government, utility and manufacturer grant and incentive programs available.

Renting or just not ready to make major renovations to your home? There are plenty of small adjustments you can make around the house that will add up. Keep the heat as low as possible, turns off lights and appliances when you’re not using them, choose laptops over desktops, replace old bulbs with LED lights, and make sure your fridge isn’t set to a lower temperature than it needs to be.

5.

Reduce your plastic consumption with refillable household products Revelstoke salon Birch & Lace offers a great program that lets you buy hand soap, dish soap, laundry detergent, all-purpose cleaner, bubble bath, body lotion, and baby shampoo/body wash in reusable containers. The products come in 32oz and 16oz jars that you can exchange for full jars when they run out. To start, you can either pay a $2 one-time deposit fee or bring in your own jar and lid. It's what we use.

6.

Generate your own green energy with solar panels While you’re at it with the home renovations, consider making an investment in solar panels. Using solar panels complements the hydroelectric, wind and biomass generation in place in B.C. and reduces local demand on BC Hydro’s electricity infrastructure. While it may come at a bit of a steep cost now, prices are dropping as the technology develops. There are solutions for Revelstoke's heavy snowfall/load environment.

Provincial and private incentives can also help offset the cost.

Revelstoke Electric advertises their solar installation services and is involved in new builds in Revy.

45

WE GIVE YOU OUR LIST OF EIGHT PRACTICAL THINGS YOU CAN DO TO REDUCE YOUR GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS IN REVY. TA-DA! WE COVERED THE BASES AND HOPE YOU DISCOVER SOMETHING THAT SAVES YOU SOME MONEY AND REDUCES YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT

By Cara Smith with Aaron Orlando

3.

4.

Grab a travel buddy with rideshares

Ditch your ride for a carshare program

Before you hop in your car to drive the couple hours to Kelowna or beyond, offer a ride on an app like Poparide or post in the Revelstoke Rideshare group on Facebook to pick up a passenger.

Not only will you have someone to chat with and contribute to gas cost, you’ll also be helping to lower the number of vehicles on the road.

If you only need to drive on occasion, consider ditching the car altogether before you replace your beater with a new ride.

Kootenay Carshare Cooperative serves 325 members across Nelson, Kaslo, Rossland and, of course, Revelstoke. With a 21-vehicle fleet of cars, vans and pick-up trucks, the cooperative offers a solution that’s cheaper and better for the environment than owning a car. Forget about insurance, maintenance and gas costs. All you’ll pay for the hours and kilometres you’ll drive. The have two new Kia Kona Electric cars in Revy.

7.

Be conscious of where your food comes from Shopping more local means cutting back on emissions from food transportation. We’re quite lucky in Revelstoke to have the access to local foods that we do. Check out the Le Marché, Mountain Goodness near the roundabout (ask about bulk buying), the Revelstoke Winter Market and the outdoor markets (Revelstoke Local Food Initiative and Revelstoke Farm & Craft Market) in the summer for great local food options.

The main supermarkets, Save-on and Southside, also have local options. The food thing is a massive topic, we know, but there really is healthier living through the right foods and lifestyle for you, and that can also align with GHG reductions.

8.

Moderate meat When it comes to emissions, what you eat is important.

Consider thinking critically about all aspects of what you consume from its origin to your fork. As a starter, the research points to cutting back on meat consumption as a significant way to reduce GHG emissions. Moderating your meat consumption can be a healthy approach. Chat with your health practitioner about what's right for you. Going vegetarian is an option for some. Change can be good, like a pan of potatoes and roasted root vegetables fresh from the oven a few winter nights a week.

46

HEALTH

FINDING COMMON GROUND

By Shannon MacLean, RHN, CHNC, BA-IR

Diet. Climate change. Use the two in a sentence and you’ll find food has become more political than … well, politics. Opinions turn into values, and what’s prioritized becomes proselytized. The decisions we make every day, about how we eat and vote with our dollar are indeed no less than a political act with great power to affect our health and that of our planet. Yet North American media and Netflix documentaries tend to romance us with an oversimplification that leaves important details by the wayside. This media contributes to an animal-food-abstinence campaign not unlike the botched sex ed of the ‘80s. I’m as surprised as you are that I’m drawing a parallel between sex education and diet dogma, yet it illustrates the issue with peddling fear and avoidance rather than creating a dialogue that includes informed options for both abstaining and enjoying responsibly.

What if the answer to eating for the health of both your homes — body and planet — lies in finding common ground? Both in the values seemingly divergent diets can agree upon, and the living ground beneath your feet?

Defeat feedlots It’s commonly believed that the production of beef emits huge amounts of greenhouse gas and contributes to climate change. The Food and Agriculture association contributed to this belief by stating that the livestock sector is responsible for a level of emissions on par with all forms of transport in the world combined. However, these statistics are misleading: the FAO compared a full life cycle analysis (LCA) for livestock with only direct (aka “tailpipe”) emissions from transportation. While the senior author of the FAO report has since admitted his error, those numbers have been repeated to the point of assumed validity. When we compare direct emissions from transport with only direct emissions from livestock, we see livestock is not even in the same ballpark. More importantly, these numbers are for conventional, feedlot beef. Research has shown that holistically managed, regenerative beef operations not only don’t contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, they actually sequester carbon from the atmosphere!

Plant-centric

It’s not the cow: it’s the how

All diets can be plant-based, as long as they’re plant centric. We can all celebrate colourful vegetables and let them stretch their legs, taking up the majority of our plates. Vegetables deserve all that space; they’re full of fibre, nutrients, water, prebiotics, polyphenols, antioxidants, and flavour.

Choosing 100% grass-fed and pastured beef over factory-farmed meat frees up substantial amounts of grain production, can contribute to health of the soil, supports humane livestock production, and produces a more nutrient-dense and antiinflammatory product. Likewise, organic/free-range eggs, and organic chicken and pork, reduce monocropping required for feed, improve animal quality of life, protect longterm use of soil, and create a healthier product for you. Watch out for terms like “free-run” eggs (more aptly named crowded wobble), “farm-raised,” “natural,” “sustainably/ethically/ humanely raised” (these are potentially meaningless, unregulated terms), or “Alberta beef, Angus beef, A, AA, AAA, Prime” (these refer to marbling and say nothing about how the animal was raised or what it ate). Check out www.dolanhomedelivery.com for quality meat delivered right to your door, or ask your local Farmer’s Market and store-front vendors about these terms. When budget is an issue, pick quality over quantity and circle back to point #1. If you are carrying Veganuary through 2020, ensure you are eating whole foods and supplementing wisely.

Don’t panic: eat organic The use of chemical fertilizers, fungicides, herbicides, and pesticides pollute lands, degrade soil, destroy habitats, devastate bee populations, waste freshwater resources, create loss of biodiversity, and increase toxic burden on the human body, contributing to chronic disease. These inputs also devastate soil microbiota, leading to a decrease in phytonutrient content of crops, which reduce flavour, color, and health benefits. Organic farming methods can improve our health, give us more “crop per drop," and boost yields, reducing use of water and chemicals by incorporating cover crops, mulches, and compost that improve soil quality and build up nutrients. If voting all-in on organic isn’t feasible for you now, familiarize yourself with the clean 15 and the dirty dozen on www.ewg.org.

Think global, act local.

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Keep it real I have yet to find a plant-based meat mimicker that isn’t worse for the planet than regenerativelyraised/grass-fed livestock, and isn’t full of a long list of inflammatory ingredients. Beyond Meat, for example, utilizes mono-cropped soy, and goes beyond the carbon footprint of regenerative beef two-fold. If you are set on a meat substitute, stick to organic tempeh and flavour it to your liking, or make your own burgers using veggies, grains, and legumes.

Waste not, want not According to National Geographic, an estimated 25 per cent of the world’s food calories, and up to 50 per cent of total food weight are lost or wasted rather than consumed. In North America, most of that waste occurs in homes, restaurants, or supermarkets. Try serving smaller portions with the option to go back for seconds, making new meals from leftovers, using as many parts of both animal and plant as possible, finding reliable recipes to use up that fresh fridge food instead of letting it shrivel its way to the bin, and embracing the unique appeal of imperfection — be it a twoheaded tomato, a cuddling carrot, or a characterridden, scarred squash.

Locavore lore The idea that big agriculture is the answer to feeding the planet is a myth born from ingenious marketing. Our future depends on the health of our soil, and we can invest in our body and planet by supporting local, organic, heirloom, and seasonal foods at the farmers market, or growing our own. Eating local, seasonal food is exciting; it can challenge us to try new foods, provide us with the food our body needs for the climate we’re in, build excitement for that first crop of the season, and allow us to enjoy fresh, tasty heirloom varieties that didn’t travel far from pick to pocket. When purchasing imported products, look for Fair Trade labels that protect and support family farmers from afar.

Heirlooms: a legacy Plant and animal species the majority of the world eats can be counted on two hands, leaving our food systems vulnerable to climate change. Small, local farms bolster biodiversity and increase food security by growing heirloom and non-commercial varieties. As the climate changes, keeping these varieties alive is essential to the resiliency of our food system, as plant breeders may need to use traits from one variety to make another more resilient to changing weather and disease.

Shannon MacLean, of Spruce Tip Holistic Nutrition, is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist with a BA in International Relations. She is passionate about empowered , root-cause healthcare, wild foraging, recipe creation, and all things health and wellness.

She is currently offering one-on-one wellness consulting as well as menu plans.

Visit her website www.sprucetipholistic.com for online booking, send her a message at sprucetipnutrition@gmail.com, and follow her on instagram @sprucetipnutrition.

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THE STOKED PALATE Revelstoke’s new cookbook, The Hungry Toque.

Photos: Anthony Cassell.

Trout, Beet, New Potato & Spaghetti Squash from Mica Heli.

Photo: Anthony Cassell.

CHOWING DOWN IN POW TOWN A LOOK AT THE NEW COOKBOOK THAT CELEBRATES REVELSTOKE’S CULINARY IDENTITY

By Charlotte Sit

A newly released cookbook is finally giving Revelstoke a place alongside other mountain towns on the cookbook shelf of local bookshops.

The Hungry Toque, published by Black Press Media, is a glossy magazine style collection of recipes and stories from some of the town’s most recognized food producers, suppliers, and dining establishments.

Chef Josh White, currently of Dose Coffee, cooked up the initial vision for a cookbook that would showcase Revelstoke’s culinary identity.

Teaming up with Myles Williamson, of the Revelstoke Review, the pair then started working out the details of how to bring the concept together into a printed product.

To its creators, The Hungry Toque represents more than just the recipes between its covers. For White, the cookbook was meant to inspire local chefs to think about the dishes that they would be proud to showcase. According to him, “It’s easy to deliver mediocrity [to a captive audience]," when prospective diners are faced with a limited number of options in town. Instead of happily serving up the same old fare; however, many chefs are willing to offer creative and exciting dishes that aim to exceed expectations of run-of-the-mill ski town food.

Local chef Glen Cherlet, who arrived 12 years ago and has cooked at various locations in town, agrees that the approach to food in Revelstoke has

changed for the better. He describes how a stronger emphasis on locally produced ingredients, increased global cuisine influences, and a demand from diners for something different have motivated chefs to “rise to the occasion” and put their best work forwards. For Cherlet, the cookbook offers a “taste of Revelstoke” with recipes that showcase “a little bit of everything."

The cookbook comes at a time when travellers are beginning to value memorable food experiences as a key part of their vacation experience. With this cookbook, visitors to Revelstoke can now bring home a tangible souvenir of their meals, as well as gain unique insight into the stories behind the food, and those who supply the town with high quality ingredients. Along with a diverse sampler of recipes, beers pairings and customized cocktail recipes are featured in the cookbook from some of the town’s local brewers and distillers.

While The Hungry Toque has only been released for just over a month, its creators are already looking forward to dishing up more of Revelstoke’s culinary culture in a potential series of cookbooks.

For them, there’s no shortage of material to draw from, in a town with an appetite for deep powder and good food.

Cookbooks are available for purchase at various restaurants and specialty grocers in town. $5 from every book sold is donated to the Revelstoke Local Food Initiative.

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Charlotte Sit is a backcountry chef with a boundless enthusiasm for sharing the joy of eating well. She has cooked for hundreds of hungry adventurers at over a dozen backcountry lodges throughout B.C. and Alberta and is the owner of Mountain Standard Catering.

Smoked salmon oeufs en cocotte, contributed from Mountain Standard Catering.

Photo: Anthony Cassell.

Smoked Salmon Oeufs en cocotte (makes 4 servings) 150 g smoked salmon, thinly sliced.

4 large eggs.

1/3 cup heavy cream.

1.5 tablespoons butter, softened.

Small handful of fresh dill and radishes (optional garnish).

Salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter the insides of 4 ramekins and place them in a rectangular baking dish. Arrange slices of smoked salmon along the bottom and sides of the ramekins.

Add 1.5 tablespoons of cream into each ramekin along with one cracked egg. Season with salt and pepper.

Add boiling water into the baking dish until it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Carefully place the baking dish on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 17 min, or until yolks are set to your liking. Garnish with thinly sliced radishes and a few sprigs of dill. Serve with warm buttered toast for dipping into the eggy goodness.

For a vegetarian version, substitute the smoked salmon with a leafy green of your choice such as spinach, arugula, or watercress.

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