Revelstoke Mountaineer Magazine February 2021 issue

Backcountry mentorships. p · 16.

Valuing the forest and the trees. p · 22.

Boltwood Tonewood. p · 30.

Spreading rainbow glass. p · 32.

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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 issue 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.

COVER PHOTO: Born 'n' raised Revelstoke resident Aleks Klassen finds a powder stash in the trees near Monashee Powder Snowcats Lodge. Photo by Laura Szanto

For all inquiries, 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

EDITOR Aaron Orlando aaron@revelstokemountaineer.com

STAFF JOURNALISTS Sofie Hagland sofie@revelstokemountaineer.com Melissa Jameson melissa@revelstokemountaineer.com

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

WEBSITE Chris Payne chris@revelstokemountaineer.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Bryce Borlick, Noelle Bovon, Amaris Bourdeau, Arlen Dancziger, Heather Hood, Emily Kemp, Nikki Lussier, Elouise Paabo, Louise Stanway, Laura Stovel

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS & ILLUSTRATORS Arlen Dancziger, Sofie Hagland, Elouise Paabo, Laura Stovel, Laura Szanto

CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS Benji Lowclass

Mountain community heritage can guide 2021 Covid-19 response for Revelstoke.

Revelstoke works and plays with risk everyday.

We work with mountains, avalanches, highways, forests, rivers, mills, railways, mountain backcountry industry and mountain recreation in every season.

All these activities require education, safe practices, and ongoing critical decision-making to avoid serious consequences.

Through knowledge and experience, the practice of safety becomes an essential and routine part of daily life.

A day in the mountains isn’t diminished because you’re using knowledge, making safety decisions, and utilizing safety equipment as you make your way.

Dealing with risk from COVID-19 requires decision-making based on knowledge, but doesn’t have to turn a good day bad.

Our mountain work and play culture can guide us in our approach to COVID-19 in 2021, and Revelstoke has a lot invested in safe recovery.

Like in the mountains, we look out for everyone in our group: the community of Revelstoke and our guests. Community health and safety is the top priority. Once the first wave passed, we had excellent results with zero cases from summer to Halloween. But in November they jumped and we still have high new

COVID-19 case numbers. We need to do better.

Everyone in Revelstoke benefits when we keep COVID-19 in check.

Revelstoke residents took full advantage of the outdoors in summer of 2020, and are finding open spaces in the winter snow.

By using knowledge and practicing community self-reliance we can hold COVID-19 cases as low as possible this winter as vaccines and new treatments arrive through 2021.

We all have opinions about what others -such as government or the public ­— should be doing about the situation, but the reality is as a community of about 10,000 in a province of five million, we have a limited say in bigger issues.

However, all of our time invested in keeping our community safe is stays local. In the same way you take work or recreation safety seriously in the backcountry, invest in the safety and recovery of those around you in the coming months.

Take care of those around you and don't leave anyone in your group behind.

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

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CONTENTS 8

NEWS BRIEFS Our January news briefs focus on affordability for all in the new year.

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CALENDAR: FEBRUARY EVENTS Don't forget to get your event included in our print calendar by adding it online at revelstokemountaineer.com.

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THE PAST AND FUTURE OF MT. BEGBIE With a five-year moratorium on commercial development in place for Mt. Begbie, Sofie Hagland looks at the past and future of recent plans for the local mountain.

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WHO'S WHO IN LOCAL ENVIRONMENT ORGANIZATIONS A quick primer on environmental organizations that often pop up in the local news.

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IS IT THE RIGHT TIME TO IN VEST? Laura Wierzbicki explores investment timing decision in her latest column.

Sponsored.

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BACKCOUNTRY MENTORSHIPS Sofie Hagland tours with Ascent Mentorship to find out about a program welcoming women who are newcomers into the backcountry.

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THE INSTAGR A M EFFECT In a philosophical exploration, Arlen Dancziger delves into some downsides to living your life through your smartphone lens.

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IT WASN'T ALL BAD A look back at some of the positive things that happened in Revelstoke during a rotten year.

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ROXY LIVES ON A new owner plans to continue operating the Roxy Theatre, a community hub and one of our most famous landmark buildings.

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OFFBEAT LOCAL ACTIVITIES Searching for things to do off the beaten path? Here are some lesser known Revelstoke activities for those looking for something new.

REVELSTOKE AND DISTRICT HEALTH FOUNDATION UPDATE The volunteer-supported RDHS has been busy through the COVID-19 epidemic. Here's an update on their initiatives.

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VALUING FORESTS AND THE TREES Laura Stovel delves into the challenging topic of old-growth forest management, exploring recent government policy changes and seeking out local voices on the issues.

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HOW ARE YOU DOING? Here are some local contacts for those struggling with life's issues.

BOLTWOOD TONEWOOD Spruce from Revelstoke trees goes into guitars manufactured and distributed around the world. Writer Bryce Borlick checks into Boltwood Tonewood to learn more.

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R AINBOW GLASS A Revelstoke resident's art project has morphed into an initiative to provide a more welcoming and inclusive atmosphere in the community's downtown.

34 ARTS & CULTURE BRIEFS Our briefs from Revelstoke's arts and culture scene.

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AL LEE RELEASES SECOND ALBUM With his second album, Revelstoke St., Revelstoke singer-songwriter Al Lee blends social activism and contemporary issues with his love of the mountains.

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THE GREAT LARDEAU RELIEF MISSION Historian Greg Nesteroff tells of the time avalanches cut off the remote community of Lardeau, prompting a rescue mission from the political class responding to public pressure.

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NEWS BRIEFS

Photo by Daria Nepriakhina on Unsplash.

An engineering development study into the Revelstoke Forum roof and renos should provide key information on plans to upgrade the roof and renovate the building. Photo: File photo.

Survivor of attempted sexual assault in Revelstoke speaks out after dating app encounter

Engineering study to inform Revelstoke Forum reno options

REVELSTOKE WOMAN SHARES STORY TO BRING AWARENESS, ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO REPORT AND SPEAK OUT AFTER SHE WAS DRUGGED WHILE ON A FIRST DATE AT A VACATION RENTAL WITH A MAN SHE MET ON TINDER

The Revelstoke Forum has been quiet during the pandemic with Grizzlies games cancelled for the time being, but in the background studies that will inform decisions about the future of the facility are underway.

The city engineering department will have an engineering study completed in the next few months, and the results will help council decide on plans for the facility, said city engineering director Steve Black.

The issue is the roof on the aging building. Snow load requirements have roughly tripled since it was built, so a significant renovation could trigger structural upgrades. "The roof is inadequate for current building code,” Black said. "That is what is driving the roof replacement project."

In early 2020, council applied for a $9 million grant to replace the roof and renovate the building, but that grant application was denied. At the time, the city had a concept design that was developed during a needs assessment process that started in 2017. However, more detailed design work wasn’t yet done. In addition to the engineering study, other design work is needed, including on things like the HVAC and interior upgrades, and together they are expected to take about a year. "It's looking at this from a big picture perspective and not isolation in the one component that has been identified," Black said.

He expects to bring results of the engineering study to council in about a few months. The study will provide estimates on things like costs and expected lifespan of the renovated building.

"We just want to be sure we're proceeding with this project in a cost effective and thorough way," Black said. "When we do go to council with a recommendation that it is comprehensive and well thought out."

The needs assessment presented two options. The first was renovating the existing building; the main downside would likely be an interruption in use while renovations take place. The second was building a new smaller facility, without curling, and likely without the seating capacity to host Junior B hockey.

Look for some decision points about the future of the arena in about a few months, but also expect that it will be at least a year of further development studies before any potential renovations start, likely longer as the project coordinators sort out the funding question.

By Melissa Jameson.

A Revelstoke woman is sharing her story after being drugged by a man she met on Tinder.

The woman chatted with the man for several days before agreeing to meet in person. The man, who is from another city, booked a vacation rental in Revelstoke where the two could meet.

When she arrived, the woman says she and the man chatted over drinks while he cooked dinner. Feeling comfortable, the woman messaged her roommate to ask if she could call for a ride later. The two continued having drinks, which the man made using a water bottle.

Several hours after her arrival, the woman began feeling sick and extremely tired. She went to the washroom where she looked in the mirror and noticed her pupils were quite large. She was also freezing and thirsty. Realizing the man had likely drugged her, the woman wanted to phone a friend, but felt she couldn’t while the man was in the room with her.

The man then asked if she wanted to lie down, asking if she wanted to lay with him. The woman did lie down, but told the man she did not want to lie with him. When the man left the room, the woman used the opportunity to contact her roommate and a friend. The woman said the he man returned to the room a couple of times suggesting she would feel more comfortable if she got undressed and offered to help take her pants off. The woman insisted she was fine and did not want to remove her clothes.

The woman’s friend arrived about half an hour after she had called. On the drive home, the woman called the police to report what had happened. She said police attended the vacation suite and questioned the man.

The following morning, the woman sought medical attention at Queen Victoria Hospital. There it was discovered she had been drugged with methamphetamine and MDMA. She followed up with the RCMP and was asked to file a report, along with her friend and roommate.

By Aaron Orlando.

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Grizzly Book & Serendipity Shop is closing its downtown location, meaning Revelstoke will be without a dedicated book store. Photo: Aaron Orlando/Revelstoke Mountaineer Magazine.

Revelstoke City Hall under renovation in late December. Photo: Aaron Orlando/Revelstoke Mountaineer Magazine.

Grizzly Books & Serendipity Shop closes

Three candidates file for Revelstoke City Council by-election

OWNER VANESSA SMITH SAYS IT WAS A DIFFICULT DECISION TO CLOSE THE BOOK STORE

THE THREE CANDIDATES INCLUDE A FORMER CITY OF REVELSTOKE CAO, A PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY PART-OWNER/LANDLORD, AND AN ALPINE HUT WORKER WHO PREVIOUSLY WROTE A COLUMN FOR A LOCAL NEWSPAPER

By Melissa Jameson.

The decision to close Grizzly Books & Serendipity Shop wasn’t an easy one for owner Vanessa Smith.

Way back in 1999, Smith stepped into an unfamiliar business when she opened the doors of the book shop. In late December 2020, after more than two decades in business, Smith made the incredibly difficult decision to close up shop.

“It is with a very heavy heart that I regret to inform you that I will be closing Grizzly Books & Serendipity Shop at the end of January 2021. This has not been an easy decision, just as 2020 has not been an easy year. As I try to convey how hard this decision is, I reminisce about all the amazing years I’ve had enjoying my special store,” said Smith.

In a phone conversation with the Mountaineer, Smith said the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic was a factor in her decision to close. The first wave of the pandemic saw the doors to Grizzly Books close from March 17, 2020 to June 28, 2020. Smith said it was a tough go to get everything in place and up to WorkSafe BC’s new standards to ensure employee safety related to COVID-19. The shop re-opened but the summer of 2020 saw only a quarter of usual sales with business overhead costs remaining the same.

Smith said she has had many positive responses from the community and from local businesses who are also struggling.

“They know it was a difficult decision. The support of friends and the community has been amazing,” said Smith.

While Smith is saying goodbye to Grizzly Books & Serendipity Shop, she still owns the building that housed the popular bookstore and has already leased the space to a local company, that will take over starting February.

By Aaron Orlando.

Three candidates are vying for the empty Revelstoke City Council seat in the Feb. 13 by-election.

The seat was vacated a year ago when Councillor Steven Cross resigned, citing ethics concerns about the mayor and fellow councillors following a council selfpay raise controversy. The by-election has been the subject of controversy after numerous delays, including the opaque departure of senior city hall staff usually responsible for running the election, means it is coming over a year after Cross resigned.

The three candidates are Matt Cherry, Tim Palmer and Alistair Taylor.

Matt Cherry’s disclosure papers outline Revelstoke properties he has interest in through a corporation. He’s the landlord at several older residential buildings that are sometimes rented by the room with a lot of tenants. He’s sometimes active on social media bulletin boards.

Tim Palmer is a former City of Revelstoke CAO who departed in 2015 after a mayor and council change. Palmer is by far the most experienced in municipal affairs, having served progressive staff roles in municipalities around B.C. before landing the CAO job in Revelstoke. He ran unsuccessfully in 2018.

Alistair Taylor works as a hut operator for the alpine club, and does other mountain work. His Mountain Musings columns in the Revelstoke Review newspaper have mixed philosophy, local observations, and things Scottish.

General voting day is Feb. 13, with advanced voting opportunities on Feb. 3 and 10.

Check back to revelstokemountaineer.com for by-election coverage of the candidates and their platforms.

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WEEKLY EVENTS TUESDAY REVELSTOKE READS - FAMILY STORY TIME

@ Online · 10:15 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.

Join Vanessa, Sasha and Stacy on Zoom for super fun stories, songs and rhymes. Register once to get Zoom invitation for all sessions. Visit the events page at orl.bc.ca/revelstoke for more information.

WEDNESDAY FREE MEDITATION

@ Balu Yoga · 7:30 a.m. - 8 a.m.

Free meditation every Wednesday morning at Balu Yoga. No experience needed. To view the in-studio COVID protocol visit baluyoga.com.

FRIDAY

(F)REE (ART) (S)ESSIONS

@ Okanagan Library Revelstoke Branch · 10:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

On the first and third Saturday of the month drop by the library for some inspirational, imaginative, zero waste, creative fun.

TAKE AND MAKE SUPER STEAM SATURDAY

@ Okanagan Library Revelstoke Branch · 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Drop by the library on the second Saturday of every month to pick up everything you need for a fun afternoon of family STEAM exploration.

FEBRUARY EVENTS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12 ALEX CUBA

SATURDAY

@ REVY.Live ONLINE · 8 p.m.

Alex Cuba’s sweet melodies, pop-soul hooks and powerful guitar riffs depart from the conventional stereotype that exemplifies much of the Latin music landscape today. Part of Arts Revelstoke’s free REVY.Live online performance series. Visit revelstokeartscouncil.com for details and a link to the performance.

REVELSTOKE WINTER MARKET

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13

WOMEN’S DROP IN

@ Community Connections · 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Enjoy coffee, light snacks and conversation about everything woman. Call 250-837-2920 for more information.

@ Revelstoke Community Centre · 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

The Winter Market brings together farm and craft vendors from Revelstoke and beyond. Takes place every second Saturday from November until April.

TAKE OUT FAMILY CRAFT DAY

@ Okanagan Library Revelstoke Branch · 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Drop by the library the first Saturday of every month to pick up everything you need for a family crafting afternoon.

Alex Cuba.

CALENDAR FEBRUARY 2021

CITY OF REVELSTOKE BY-ELECTION

@ Revelstoke Community Centre · 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.

This city by-election is to fill a vacant seat on Revelstoke City Council. Advanced voting opportunities are Feb. 3 and Feb. 10, 2021.

Visit Revelstoke.ca for more information.

For information on the candidates visit revelstokemountaineer.com.

RENTALS Your Gear Is Waiting At The Resort Discover Revelstoke Mountain Resort’s rental advantage offering the best inventory in Revelstoke and slopeside convenience. Try a little bit of everything and switch out your equipment as many times as you like.

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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. *Due to ongoing restrictions on gatherings due to COVID-19 some events may have changed or are cancelled.

Please check with event organizers for up to date information.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24

PUPPET PALOOZA

LUCKY GRANDMA

@ Online · 2 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

The Revelstoke Library Puppeteers present: three winter puppet shows! Join us on Zoom for some short, sweet, and slightly wacky puppet-ty fun!

Visit the events page at orl.bc.ca/revelstoke for more information.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20 COLDEST NIGHT OF THE YEAR WALK

@ Live-stream · 8 p.m.

Arts Revelstoke is excited to bring back Movies in the Mountains. In Lucky Grandma, a local fortune teller predicts a most auspicious day in her future, a newly widowed 80-year old Grandma goes all in at the casino only to land herself on the wrong side of luck by attracting the attention of some local gangsters. Visit revelstokeartscouncil.com to receive a unique code and watch the movie for free.

@ Revelstoke - Various Locations · 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.

Help the Revelstoke Women’s Shelter raise funds for its programs and operational costs through this fun do-it-yourself walk-a-thon. Walkers are invited to choose from either a 2km or 5km loop, or do their own. There will also be a post walk booth to grab some swag and vouchers from local sponsors.

For more information visit @RevelstokeWomensShelter on Facebook.

Puppet Palooza.

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FEATURE

FROM FORGOTTEN TO OVERCROWDED: THE PAST AND FUTURE OF MOUNT BEGBIE AFTER MANY HEATED DISCUSSIONS AND A MASSIVE PETITION, MOUNT BEGBIE IS FINALLY PROTECTED FROM NEW COMMERCIAL RECREATION TENURE APPLICATIONS FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. HEAR WHAT BEN WILKEY HAS TO SAY ABOUT THE FUTURE OF MT. BEGBIE AND LOCAL REVELSTOKE TRAILS.

By Sofie Hagland.

A lot has changed in Revelstoke over the last decade.

The explosion of tourists has made local trails go from overgrown to overused. Previously untouched wilderness is now filled with lodges, helicopters, and sleds buzzing abouts. Many commercial proposals have slid under the radar, but when a luxury lodge was proposed on our dear Mt. Begbie the locals saw red.

After two years of head to head collisions, the B.C. government passed a Section 17 under the Land Act in December, freezing all commercial development of upper Mount Begbie for the next five years. A man that is heavily involved in this battle is co-founder of the Columbia Mountains section of the Alpine Club of Canada (ACC), Ben Wilkey.

Forgotten and overgrown trails “I have used all these trails for just about my entire life,” said the born and raised Revelstoke local Ben Wilkey.

Before the ski hill, a lot of Wilkey’s favorite trails were being forgotten. People’s interest was withering away together with the government’s lack of funding leaving local trails “seriously overgrown,” he said.

Wilkey started the website ‘revelstoketrails.com’ to encourage the community to go out and explore these trails more often.

But to really make a difference Wilkey needed funding. He tried to gather some stakeholders to start up a trail alliance society to access grants, but it all fell through after a couple of meetings.

In the fall of 2018, Wilkey co-funded the Columbia Mountains section of the Alpine Club of Canada (ACC).

“It had been on my mind for years. I thought it was kind of weird that Rogers Pass, the birthplace of North American mountaineering, didn’t have an alpine club section. Growing up here, there weren’t

really any opportunities for young kids,” he said.

Finally, Wilkey had found a solution that would help both trail maintenance and getting youth into the outdoors.

ACC takes over Begbie trails The luxury lodge investors tried to win over the crowd promising a total makeover of the neglected trails and campsites around Mt. Begbie. However, ACC beat them to the case signing a partnership agreement with Recreation Site and Trails B.C. for the Mt. Begbie and McCrae trails last summer.

“Currently there’s four rotten tent pads and a pretty dysfunctional outhouse,” Wilkey described. As soon as the snow melts this spring, ACC will start rebuilding the Begbie trails and campsite.

“We got $30,000 dollars in the bank ready to be thrown into this project,” Wilkey said. ACC’s plan is to build around ten new tent sites, install bear-proof food containers, as well as a couple of outhouses.

Backcountry Recreational Access Plan (BRAP) The province gave the community in Revelstoke these five years to organize and make a Backcountry Recreational Access Plan (BRAP.) The biggest stakeholders are the current tenures (CMH Revelstoke and Heli Canada Adventures), the alpine club, the snowmobile club, and various trappers and hunters, Wilkey said.

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Mount Begbie in the distance.

Photo by Tom Poole. Tourism Revelstoke.

Hiking is a popular activity around Mount Begbie. Photo by Max Stussi. Tourism Revelstoke.

Stakeholder meetings will begin early this year with some support from the city and the provincial government.

Enjoy not destroy Wilkey is optimistic referring to the success with BRAP in Golden. “Really, we need a BRAP all the way from Mica Creek to Shelter Bay, but Mt. Begbie is the first step,” Wilkey said.

“I used to be of the mindset that if I could build a fence around Revelstoke and keep it a secret I would.

But I’ve realized now that I’m not the only person who thinks Revelstoke is pretty special. The trails can’t take the overuse because they are not built properly. We just gotta set them up so that people can enjoy them and not destroy them,” Wilkey said.

Co-founder of the Columbia Mountains section of the Alpine Club of Canada (ACC).

Photo provided by Ben Wilkey.

Partnership agreements will save trails Wilkey’s dream is for ACC to make partnership agreements with the government for all the trails that are on their radar in the area.

Next, he wants to start ticking off the trails that exist out there on the ground, but that don’t exist in the government archives. “If these trails are ever slated for logging, they are just going to get wiped and that’s it. If there’s no record of them, they don’t have to fix them up afterward. We don’t even get a seat at the table to talk about it,” Wilkey said.

However with partnership agreements, the alpine club will get to have a say when it comes to issues like lodges and logging.

“The third stage is the fun part where we’re hoping to build new trails around Revelstoke,” Wilkey concludes.

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NEWS

WHO’S WHO IN ENVIRONMENTAL ORGS IN THE REGION Compiled by Sofie Hagland.

Revelstoke’s geography defines us. Our municipality is surrounded by mountains, valleys and rivers for hundreds of kilometres. When environment issues arise, they are often championed by different environmental groups. This primer provides some background on groups who sometimes appear in Revelstoke news stories.

group: Protect Our Winters (POW), Revelstoke Branch year: 2019 Members: 520 goal: Turn outdoor enthusiasts into climate advocates main focus: Political change, waste reduction, reduce carbon footprint, protect old growth and wildlife latest campaigns: 12-month challenge (2021), letter campaign Argonaut Creek, waste reduction week J “The 12-Month Climate Challenge will offer different challenges each month that anyone can do to reduce their footprint. Reducing our footprint is not limited to those who already drive electric cars and are vegans. Anyone can make a small difference to their daily routine, even if they drive a large truck and work in a carbon-intensive industry,” said Leader of POW Revelstoke, Florina Beglinger group: North Columbia Environmental Society (NCES) year: 1999 members: 100 main focus: Represent and solve environmental issues that concern the residents of Revelstoke latest campaigns: Protect Mt. Begbie (create a backcountry recreation access plan), Revelstoke landfill concerns, make downtown streets for pedestrians only, protect old growth and wildlife J NCES is in the process of becoming a local, Revelstoke Wildsight branch. “Hopefully this gives us an opportunity to have a bigger voice and a larger presence in the community. The

values of the organization won’t change at all,” NCES president Kent Christensen said group: Wildsight year: 1987 members: 1,800 goal: Protect biodiversity and encourage sustainable communities through education in Canada’s Columbia and Rocky Mountain regions main focus: Old growth and wildlife protection, food and waste sustainability latest campaigns: Letter campaign Argonaut Creek (protect old growth and mountain caribou), Columbia Valley Swallow Project group: Valhalla Wilderness Society year: 1975 members: 1,800 goal: Protect species at risk, conserve wildlands as new provincial parks main focus: Improve forest practices, old growth protection Latest campaigns: Grow B.C. parks, Selkirk mountain caribou park proposal, Rainbow-Jordan wilderness park proposal group: Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation (Y2Y) year: 1993 members: 450 partner groups (First Nations, conservation groups, local landowners, businesses, government agencies) goal: Connect initiatives to protect wildlife and natural systems in the region between the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

and Canada’s Yukon Territory main focus: Land use, habitat restoration, wildlife protection latest campaigns: Making Highway 1 safer for wildlife and people, protect grizzlies in Bow Valley, protect Alberta headwaters, protect wolverines group: The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society-BC (CPAWS) year: 1977 members: 150,000 (nation-wide) goal: Work collaboratively with government, indigenous communities, industry, and other environmental groups to develop innovative conservation solutions main focus: Establish new parks, improve management of existing parks, protect ocean and wildlife, climate change, environmental education latest campaigns: Green post-COVID recovery, protect copper redhorse group: Stand Earth (formerly Forest Ethics) year: 2000 members: 250,000 misson: Challenge the fossil fuel industry, protect endangered forests, reduce global emissions through transforming corporate policy and governmental laws in Canada and the U.S. main focus: Forest conservation, stop new pipelines and oil infrastructure, reduce corporate climate pollution (single-use plastic, fast fashion) latest campaigns: Ban old growth logging in B.C., stop the Alberta tar sands, stop the Trans Mountain pipeline, No Sail Order (stop cruise ships)

Photos from top: A Protect Our Winters event.

Photo: Contributed by Protect Our Winters Ski professionals at a Protect Our Winters climate event.

Photo: Contributed by Protect Our Winters.

Giant cedars in Revelstoke.

Photo Destination BC/Tourism Revelstoke

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Photo by Trevor Wierzbicki.

SPONSORED CONTENT

IS IT THE RIGHT TIME TO INVEST?

By Laura Wierzbicki.

At any time of the year, it can be tough to set aside money to invest – either in your investments held in an RRSP or to add to your other portfolios – and that is especially true in the wake of your holiday season spending. Then there’s your assessment of the ‘state of the market.’

Will it go up? Will it go down? Should I invest now or should I wait?

These are all valid questions, of course, but there is one simple answer: Make your investments now. Here’s why.

It’s impossible to time the market – just ask any knowledgeable investment professional. Trying to hit a high return and avoid a low one by jumping in and out of the market is a sure way to curtail your returns.

Time in the market is a better path to investment success. That’s because of this historical truth: Markets always move up and down but the long haul trend is always up. So, stay true to a long-term investment strategy for higher long-term returns.

For most investors, the best long-term strategy is to make your investments immediately, regardless of whether the current market is up or down. Even better, invest regularly instead of holding off and making a lump sum investment once a year – because, by investing regularly, you will accomplish these important investment goals: You get the full benefits of dollar cost averaging – meaning you make your investment purchases (by acquiring more units of investments held in an RRSP or purchasing non-registered stocks) Regardless of whether the current price is low or high. Over time, the average cost of your investments will be lower and your potential for longer-term returns will be higher.

You maximize the value of your investments held in an RRSP. Your money grows tax-deferred inside your RRSP. By

making regular contributions, the magic of compounding can add thousands to your retirement fund. Here’s an example: Contribute $200 a month to your investments held in an RRSP (at an average compounding return of 5.5 per cent) and you’ll have $128,407 after 25 years. But if you make a single lump sum contribution each year near the RRSP deadline, your 25year accumulation will be only $122,766.

Especially at this time of year, it’s difficult to find a lump sum to invest – but at any time of year, it’s much easier to come up with $100-200 a month through a PreAuthorized Contribution (PAC) plan that automatically invests an amount you choose in investments you choose.

Sleep easier by always looking at the big picture. Don’t worry excessively about the performance of one investment. View your investments from the perspective of your overall portfolio and your long-term goals.

By investing regularly and using a balanced investment strategy, you will achieve your financial goals. Your professional advisor can help design the plan that’s best for you.

Laura’s advice comes with 10 years’ experience in financial services. She offers comprehensive, fully customizable financial strategies and solutions, working one-on-one with business owners, retirees, families, and individuals focused on building their net worth. Don’t hesitate to reach out for a holistic approach to investment solutions, insurance products, and mortgage planning.

Laura Wierzbicki BBA Investment Consultant Email: laura.wierzbicki@ig.ca Phone: 250-878-4174

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16

LIFE OUTDOORS

BACKCOUNTRY SKIING: AN EXCLUSIVE PLAYGROUND

By Sofie Hagland.

Getting into a backcountry crew fresh out of AST1 can feel like mission impossible in towns like Revelstoke where people eat summits for breakfast. Ascent Mentorships is coupling experienced female ski tourers with aspiring mentees to level the playing field.

Above and opposite page: Mentor Cassidy Randall and mentee Jasmine Clancy tour the backcountry as part of a program by Ascent Mentorships that provides a welcoming atmosphere to women newcomers to the backcountry.

Photo by Sofie Hagland/Revelstoke Mountaineer Magazine

Chaps with maps In history class we were taught about ‘chaps with maps.’

Explorers, adventurers, and mountaineers, or middle-aged, white, privileged men as they’re also called. Natives were ignored, and women simply excluded.

Growing up I was obsessed with Cecile Skog, a Norwegian adventurer and mountaineer. She was the first woman to ever climb the Seven Summits and the two Poles.

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“There are all the traditional reasons: Not having role models, and the idea that you are going to hold the group back. You don’t want to be the girl who’s crying on the run, right? That’s the entire narrative you have to overcome,” Randall adds.

It also goes back to the roots of mountain culture being “incredibly masculine,” Randall said. “There is an idea that being vulnerable, compassionate, conservative, and cautious are not things that are valued in mountain culture,” she said.

Bar too high to learn in Revelstoke?

That was in 2008. In 2014 a group of Nepalese women followed suit, and in 2018 Mrika Nikҫi became the youngest woman to complete the seven summits at 16 years old.

The last decade has proven that not only women can climb mountains, but that girls can too.

Female skiers are starting to appear on screen, and local camps such as Girls Do Ski and SheJumps work to boost women’s confidence.

Getting into the backcountry, however, can be a bit trickier if your DNA doesn’t spell ACMG, or if your lover-boy is more into party laps than kickturns. It’s the same dilemma as getting a job for the first time. Nobody will take you because you lack experience, but you will never get experience without anyone taking you in.

Ascent Mentorships When Emily Wright moved from Whistler to Revelstoke she felt intimidated. Everyone around her seemed extremely fit and experienced, making her feel naked with her AST1 and few days in the backcountry.

Inspired by a similar program called Mountain Mentors on the coast, she created Ascent Mentorships coupling aspiring female athletes with experienced female ski tourers here in Revelstoke.

The all-female bachelorette blew up beyond Wright’s expectations, with 90 young guns jumping on the opportunity to be matched with one of the 24 mentors.

Female mentors and mentees Intrigued by the idea, I met up with mentor Cassidy Randall and her mentee Jasmine Clancy for a quick backcountry lap.

Clancy moved out west five years ago to ski bigger lines and learn how to tour. Revelstoke had the cheapest season pass in B.C. on offer, and like many others she suddenly found herself Revel’stuck.’

But she quickly realized that getting an in with the ski touring community wasn’t as easy as just getting her AST1. The geologist and ski racing coach had been skiing her whole life, so her struggle wasn’t due to her lack of technical skills or fitness.

On the verge of giving up on this dreadful obstacle course, Clancy finally sensed a glimmer of hope when she read an article about Ascent

Mentorships last year. Could this be the breakthrough she had been longing for? No more feeling like she’s “pestering” guys to take her out, no more unread messages and ghosting.

Randall on the other hand “lucked out.” She learnt how to ski in her mid-twenties in the mountains of Montana, and her boyfriend at the time was happy to introduce her to adventuring in the mountains.

Her job as a freelance writer also gave her the opportunities to stay at backcountry lodges and soak up knowledge from experienced mountain guides.

Revelstoke a unique bubble When Randall first moved to Revelstoke four years ago she was baffled. “I thought oh my God, there are so many more women skiing here, why?”

The writer did some research on the topic and figured out that only 43 of Canada’s 5,000 ACMG guides were female. In Revelstoke however, a third of our mountain guides are badass women.

“There are so many mentors and women here who are willing to pass on their knowledge. It’s nowhere else that’s like this that I’ve ever heard of,” Randall said.

Exclusivist impatient mountain culture Even though there is a strong presence of women in the local ski community and several ‘women’s only’ courses here in Revelstoke, Clancy struggled to find a sense of belonging.

Randall admits it can be hard to meet people without feeling like you have to ‘muscle your way’ into a group of women who are already established.

It’s easy to think: “What if I’m not ‘cool enough’ to ski tour with these people,” Randall said.

“Until this winter, I’ve only toured with young men, a foot taller than me, and that are very fit, making the whole day a bit of a ‘suffer fest’ for me.

I am fit, but it’s hard to get the invite to go out again. For me it’s reaching a threshold of how much vulnerability and rejection I can handle from people saying we are going to do this and I don’t think that’s something you can do,” Clancy said.

She’s not surprised that so few of her girlfriends are keen on touring, when the culture is so exclusive and when it seems like every day is a big mission with no room for patience. “Bro energy is so strong in this town,” Clancy said.

The nature of Revelstoke’s terrain and mythology automatically makes the bar triple the height.

“There are just so many ninjas making you feel like if you aren’t the level of a guide, pro skier, or ski instructor and can ski Grizzly Couloir right of the bat, you can’t ask these people to go touring with you,” Randall said.

She believes that initiatives such as Ascent Mentorships is part of the solution. “Emily really solved the niche that is going to make the ski community so much stronger than it already is,” she said.

Mentorship: a two-way street Both the women were suffering from ‘imposter syndrome’ on their first tour together. Clancy tried to downplay her strong skiing abilities, while Randall felt the need to utter the fact that she is not Christina Lusti or a ski guide.

However, the girls quickly became comfortable with each other and Clancy said she has already learnt so much. “It’s been massive in the sense of providing me with confidence, super empowering,” she said.

One of Clancy’s goals of the season is to learn how to facilitate a decision-making-discussion and having the courage to speak up, even though she doesn’t know “everything.”

“What I think it’s really interesting is how mentorship is a two-way street,” Randall said. After enduring several injuries and seeing friends go through horrific accidents in the backcountry, she has become a very conservative decision-maker.

The mentor is excited to push her risk tolerance in balance with her mentee, who has more of an appetite for speed and big lines. “I am going to learn just as much from Jas, as she is going to learn from me. It’s about paying it forward.” Randall said.

Not there yet “There is a tendency to assume that we’ve already levelled the playing field, because there is more intentional coverage of women’s accomplishments and obstacles facing women. We are starting to see progress, but there is still quite a gap,” Randall said.

The mentor points out that Revelstoke is the mecca in North America where this is happening.

“We are in a unique bubble with so many female role models across the industry, which is really cool to be a part of, but it's important to acknowledge that this is not happening everywhere,” she said.

Initiatives such as Ascent Mentorships is a step in the right direction. But what about the 66 other girls who didn’t draw the golden ticket this time around? If you have the knowledge, don’t stick it to your chest and hover above the less fortunate.

Take the time, be patient, and before you know it you will have another skilled female touring buddy to balance out the ‘all boys club.’

18

Outdoors

LIFE

THE INSTAGRAM EFFECT: ARE WE EXPERIENCING REVELSTOKE TO THE FULLEST?

INSTAGRAM HAS TAKEN OVER MUCH OF MANY REVELSTOKE RESIDENTS’ LIVES; IT'S AFFECTED OUR ABILITY TO IMMERSE OURSELVES IN EVERYTHING REVELSTOKE. WHAT CAN WE DO TO GET BACK TO REAL LIFE?

By Arlen Dancziger.

Outdoors

For people living outside of Revelstoke, or B.C. as a whole, Instagram is a window into life near Begbie, Macpherson, Cartier and more. It highlights the sense of community we have here. It can be used to educate people about outdoor spaces and provides a framework for the advocacy of groups such as Protect Our Winters and Parks Canada.

But behind all of the positives, there are certainly some underlying issues that many of us haven’t addressed.

The obvious ones that come to mind would be issues related to depression, and body-image issues, especially for teens and young adults.

Although these are pressing issues, there are other Revelstoke-specific problems that we face when opening the app or snapping that sweet shot.

Misconceptions of Revelstoke Firstly, as a community, we may be idealizing Revelstoke to people who don’t live here. There are numerous awesome things about Revelstoke — this we can admit — but every town has its shortcomings.

It can be hard to find places to live. It can be hard to access certain goods and services. It can be hard to get in and out of town sometimes. There aren’t too many high paying jobs for those who can’t work remotely.

When we idealize Revelstoke on an international stage, we may attract a lot of people to this beautiful town, but it may not be an accurate description of what life is really like here.

Fear of missing out You might’ve heard of FOMO. It can fuel people to do some crazy things. A powder day at Revelstoke is a great example. There was a time when skiing and snowboarding were about getting out into the mountains and feeling alive. We certainly still do that, but there is a sense of the morning powder rush becoming more competitive year after year.

Slowly but surely, you’ll find yourself further down the line towards the parking lot at 8 a.m.

In the alps, there are numerous online reviews regarding pushing and shoving in lift lines and aversion of tourists as a whole. I’m not accusing us of getting to that level, but as the resort gets busier year after year, this becomes a possibility.

In addition, the thrill of getting an awesome shot for Instagram has ended in tragedy for some. This is a direct link to the harms of Instagram infiltrating our lives, in the worst way possible.

Are you missing the picture? Arlen Dancziger reflects on the impact of the Insta quest on the Revelstoke experience.

Photo: Arlen Dancziger.

Losing experience itself As bad as those first two examples are, the biggest intrusion Instagram has produced is the disintegration of our experiences as a whole.

There are three steps to a fulfilling experience: anticipation, sensation, and memory. Instagram has affected them all.

Before we experience something new, we visualize it. We wonder about it. We are curious about it.

Instagram is replacing a portion of our curiosity and visualization. Open the app, scroll through, and you’ll see tons of videos and pictures of Mount Mackenzie, 112 Restaurant and Lounge, and the Columbia River.

As you stroll west on Mackenzie Avenue, you see The Roxy Theatre and Macpherson. The snow cascading off the rooftops and the cliffs near the peak are certainly more beautiful when you see them in person, but there is a sense of loss in our wonder and curiosity when we’ve seen something a bunch of times already. Imagine how the first people to experience Revelstoke felt when they arrived. Compare that to how you felt when you first saw it after seeing two hundred photos of Mount Begbie.

After anticipating and wondering about what we are about to experience, we arrive at experience itself and our senses take over. Normally, when we see some new mountains for the first time, we’re awestruck, glued to their presence. We take deep breaths of the fresh mountain air, we hear birds and other wildlife circling overhead, and we soak in all of the sensory input that our brain can handle. In other words, we’re really there.

But Instagram has changed the way some of us experience these moments. Before truly immersing themselves in the moment, we see a young couple quickly pull out their phones at the Illecillewaet River with Albert Peak’s sharp edges in the background and think of all the likes and follows that come with that awesome view. In a sense, we are not really experiencing things if the goal is to snap a cool photo.

A great example of this comes from a colleague of mine. They were writing about the Revelstoke Grizzlies, and went to the rink to get some photos for the article. After setting up the shot, waiting for the perfect time, and snapping a few photos, they had accomplished their goal. But, if you asked them what happened during the game while they were there, they’d have no clue, they might not even know the score.

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After experiencing something amazing, such as the view from the top of the Stoke Chair, with all of those jagged peaks and glaciers, we might hold on to that view as a personal memory for a lifetime. That is, if we remember it.

There are numerous studies into memory, and how it can fail us. There are stories of police officers attributing fake memories to people. Our view from the top of the Stoke Chair may not be as dire, but if our memories can fail us, there’s a possibility of attributing other people’s photos as our own memories. If you’ve seen a photo of Mount Begbie a hundred times, there’s not much room left in your brain for the one time you actually saw it in person.

In addition, if you’re looking at Mount Begbie through a lens or with the sole goal of getting the perfect shot for Instagram, you could miss out on crucial parts of the experience. If you miss the experience, then it can never become a personal memory.

What can we do?

Given all of the negatives about Instagram throughout this article, you may have the inclination to delete it completely. This is a solution for some, but there are still enough positives associated with the app that it might be worth holding on to. But in a healthy way.

Firstly, we can change our mindset about the app. Rather than treating it as an individual showcase or a ‘look how awesome my life is’ promotional tour, we can think of it as an album of personal moments. This way, every time you’re out in nature and have the urge to take a photo, it’s not about showcasing, it’s about finding something personal that speaks to you.

Next, we can be more aware of when our use of Instagram is becoming negative or detrimental.

When you’re scrolling, check your posture and body language. Are you smiling? If the app is bringing more negatives than positives, consider limiting your use to certain days or times, following more positive people, and using it to meet up with your friends in real life.

Lastly, we can think about our goals more intentionally. Before you go outside, consider why you’re going. What do you want to accomplish?

What do you really care about? If the answer is to experience something cool and live in the moment, you’re more likely to enjoy yourself and make lasting memories.

So get out there, and enjoy all that Revelstoke has to offer. But remember that life is more fun through your senses, rather than your lenses.

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Outdoors

OUTDOORS

A GUIDE TO OFFBEAT ADVENTURING Revelstoke is home to an abundance of outdoor, physically distanced activities to take part in during the winter. There’s all the usual suspects: crosscountry skiing at Macpherson or the flats, taking a few powder runs up at Revelstoke Mountain Resort, fat biking along the River City Trail, ice skating and ice fishing, snowshoeing, sledding, backcountry touring and winter hiking. Sometimes, though, it’s nice to try something a little different. Here are five outdoor activities you may have not thought of:

1.Tour Revelstoke’s Art Alleries Revelstoke is home to a multitude of talented visual artists, many of whom contribute to LUNA, a weeklong celebration of art that takes place each fall.

First unveiled during 2019’s LUNA Fest, Art Alleries features permanent displays of artwork located in Revelstoke’s downtown alleys. Spend an afternoon pondering Rob Buchanan’s upcycled take on the Mona Lisa, aptly titled the Monaskisa (it’s made out of recycled skis and snowboards). Invoke memories of summer days and childhood whimsy with Kyle Thornley’s A Simple Joy; learn just how connected everyone in Revelstoke really is as you take in Bruno Long’s A Friend of A Friend, and; ponder community and national history while viewing Canadian Pacific, a vibrantly coloured stained glass steam train created

by Kelly Hutcheson.

For more information visit lunafest.ca and select “Art Alleries” from the menu.

2.Try Trainspotting Yes, trainspotting is a real thing. No, this isn’t a reference to the 1996 black comedy starring Ewan McGregor. Trainspotting — as in the hobby where people watch trains — has a history dating back to the 1800s, but surged in popularity during the 1940s and 1950s. Trainspotters spend time visiting stations where they watch trains and record the types of trains they see along with any interesting information.

Ideal locations to watch for trains in Revelstoke are near the train bridge by the Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre, at Woodenhead Park, from Grizzly Plaza, and from the Revelstoke Railway Museum.

There is also a dedicated 24/7 Virtual Railfan livestream you can watch at www.railwaymuseum.com/virtual-railfan. They YouTube livestreaming video is popular, with 287 live viewers when we checked.

3.Visit Mountain View Cemetery According to the Revelstoke Museum & Archives website “the Historic Mountain View Cemetery was first used in the late 1880s. The oldest identifiable headstone, that of Louise Beavo, dates to 1891, but we know that there were burials here prior to that time.”

The idea of visiting a cemetery is, perhaps, a bit macabre by modern standards but they were a popular place for picnicking during the 19th Century.

COOPED UP WITH SOME EXTRA TIME ON YOUR HANDS? TIRED OF THE USUAL OUTDOOR WINTER ACTIVITIES? WHY NOT TRY SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT?

By Melissa Jameson.

Trainspotting makes the list of off the beaten path hobbies to get you outside in Revelstoke during the pandemic. Image: CP Rail.

While it’s probably not practical to attempt a picnic while there’s snow on the ground, you could spend an hour or two strolling the grounds and reading the names on the tombstones. Just be sure to practice good cemetery etiquette. If you have never been to a cemetery, or it’s been a while here are a few tips: · Follow any posted rules · Be respectful. Don’t play loud music or raise your voice above speaking level · Always give way to people who are there to visit loved ones · If a burial is taking place, it’s polite to avoid that area · Avoid touching gravestones (brushing away snow to read the name is OK) · Never walk on a grave (this includes the gravestone and the area where a person was buried) · Take all of your trash and belongings with you when you leave

4.Gaze at the stars and look for the Aurora Borealis Also known as the Northern Lights, the Aurora Borealis paints the sky in a spectacular display of colour. On clear nights it’s sometimes possible to see the Aurora Borealis from town. However, your best bet is to take a short drive outside of the city where there’s less light pollution to obstruct your view (to maintain BC’s current COVID-19 physical distancing requirements that means you’ll have to limit any passengers to household members only).

Remember, patience is key when it comes to viewing the Aurora Borealis — so bring a blanket or two, a Thermos full of your favourite hot beverage and plan to spend a few hours gazing at the night skies. Even if you don’t catch a glimpse of the colourful sky display you’ll still be able to gaze at the stars.

Popular places to view the Aurora Borealis are from the Five Mile Boat Launch just past the Revelstoke Dam on Highway 23 North, Boulder Mountain and Sale Mountain.

5.Go bird watching Did you know Revelstoke is home to more than 250 species of birds? While many birds fly south for the winter, there are many that stick around including the Black Capped Chickadee, Cedar Waxwing, Northern Cardinal, several types of hawks, Pine Siskins, Red Crossbills, White-winged Crossbills and Pygmy Owls. So, grab a pair of binoculars, a notebook and camera and head outdoors. Some of the best places to go bird watching in Revelstoke are the Greenbelt Trails, Mount Revelstoke National Park and the flats located south of town along Airport Way. If bird watching is something you find enjoyable there’s even a dedicated group of Revelstoke bird watchers to join — Friends of the Feathered—on Facebook.

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TRAIN FOR A NEW CAREER Explore our online offerings for a wide variety of in-demand fields. Business, health, education, technology and wine and food programs can help you train for a new career this year.

Check out the brochure online

okanagan.bc.ca/cs Need help? Contact us for assistance.

1-250-837-4235 csrevelstoke@okanagan.bc.ca

CONTINUING STUDIES

22

OUTDOORS FEATURE

VALUING THE FOREST AND THE TREES From sprawling underground mycelia networks to insects yet unknown to us, ancient forest ecosystems take thousands of years to develop. An intricate balance evolves between trees, soil, water, climate and all other living things. Fire is part of this balance. So is human use of plants, animals and fish. Because a forest is much more than trees.

The Indigenous people who long knew this land saw themselves as part of the natural world, not dominant over it. Colonial governments changed that. They regarded land, trees, waterways and minerals as resources for human use, disregarding their intrinsic value.

Since Revelstoke was settled 136 years ago, forestry has been an economic mainstay in the region. In the 1960s, industrial logging took off.

Today, Downie Sawmills/Selkirk alone employs about 300 people with another estimated 50 to 60 local people employed, directly and indirectly, in road building, harvesting, development, silviculture, maintenance and freight, according to Angus Woodman, the company’s plant manager. Jobs with Revelstoke Community Forest Corporation, Stella-Jones, B.C. Timber Sales, Kozek Sawmills and smaller mills and logging operations around Revelstoke would add to these numbers. These are also well-paying jobs. An average full-time employee at Downie would earn “$70K/yr with full benefits extended health/pension/worker indemnity insurance,” Woodman wrote.

These economic benefits come at a cost to the land. As early as 1992, the B.C. government issued An Old Growth Strategy for British Columbia that stated, “In parts of the province … opportunities to reserve representative samples of old growth are dwindling rapidly. These pressures are leading to increased instances of conflict among supporters of competing land uses.”

Since then, further environmental protections have been put in place. Land was reserved for endangered species, especially caribou, and Old Growth Management Areas and restrictions on logging in riparian areas were established. Still, logging old growth continues and citizens have few avenues to inform themselves about logging plans and practices.

A New Future for Old Forests report Last September the B.C. government released a strategic review entitled A New Future for Old Forests, written by foresters Al Gorley and Garry

Merkel. Merkel, a member of the Tahltan Nation, brought the strong Indigenous perspective to the subject that the government sought. The panel toured the province, including Revelstoke, talking with foresters, environmentalists, and other stakeholders.

The authors called for a paradigm shift in the way we think about forests, arguing that the B.C. forest management system has its priorities backwards.

“Rather than determine what must be done to maintain ecosystem health and resilience, and then what social and economic benefits we can derive with that guidance, we often do the opposite. We consistently refer to measures required to protect ecosystem values as ‘constraints’ on timber.”

Old forests, they wrote, “are the result of complex landscape ecosystems.” In many cases they are non-renewable and cannot “be created through agricultural methods.” Rather than seeing forests as providing “value to humans … forests have intrinsic value for living things,” humans among them.

Gorley and Merkel recommended greater Indigenous involvement in forestry planning and implementation, noting that Indigenous communities, “are leading many interesting and potentially valuable on-the-ground approaches to land stewardship and management of old forests.”

They called for more “timely and objective” public information about trends and conditions in the forest. On their provincial tour, “almost every local government, community organization, and often individuals, expressed a need for a place to learn, exchange ideas and perspectives, and develop useful input to forest management.”

The day the government released the report, they announced an “immediate development deferral” protecting 353,000 hectares of old growth forest in B.C., including 40,194 hectares in the Incomappleux Valley south-east of Revelstoke. (A hectare is 100 square metres, the area of a large football field). On December 9, the government announced that logging operations on 276 hectares of forest in the Argonaut Valley north of Revelstoke would be suspended to protect caribou habitat. Both measures are temporary, allowing the government time to consult.

The Mountaineer reached out to Katrine Conroy, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development to ask about the ministry’s response to the report.

The minister wrote, “Our focus right now is on the independent panel’s first recommendation that our government engage with leaders from B.C.’s Indigenous nations.” The old growth forests protected in September, “will not be

23

I WANTED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT WHY FOREST COMPANIES LOG ORIGINAL FORESTS. WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO PRIORITIZE ECOSYSTEM HEALTH AND STILL HAVE A STRONG FOREST INDUSTRY?

By Laura Stovel.

logged while we work with First Nations, and stakeholders to develop a new Old Growth Strategy… We will engage the full involvement of Indigenous leaders and organizations, industry and environmental groups to find consensus on the future of old growth forest in B.C.” This work will “determine how we fully-implement the panel’s recommendations.”

“We are committed to a balanced and diverse forest sector that supports B.C. jobs and our commitments to the environment. We heard loud and clear that old way of protecting old growth forests wasn’t working for anyone. We also know that getting this right is going to take time.”

Why log old growth?

After reading the report and listening to public debates, I wanted to know more about why forest companies log original forests. Would it be possible to prioritize ecosystem health and still have a strong forest industry?

Put simply, the province holds 88 per cent of land in B.C. and the Ministry of Forests sets the rules for logging and protecting it. The ministry allocates or auctions off licenses to companies to log specific areas under different forms of tenure.

The province’s chief forester establishes annual allowable cuts (AAC) to maintain a sustainable timber supply on each tenure. Stumpage fees, collected when an area is logged, provide revenue for the government.

Logging companies must meet AAC targets or they lose some of their AAC, explained Mike Copperthwaite, manager of the Revelstoke Community Forest Corporation (RCFC), Revelstoke’s community-owned logging company.

“Over a maximum of five years we have to balance our cut. If we overcut, the government deducts it from our next period. If we undercut, they can put that undercut up for sale for somebody else. So we have a legal commitment to do it and there are penalties either way if we don’t.”

The largest logging tenures around Revelstoke are tree farm licenses held by RCFC, Louisiana Pacific (based in Golden) and Interfor (out of

Photos: An original forest in the Rainbow Valley north of Revelstoke. Photo of giant cedar by Laura Stovel.

Page 24: Photo of Laura Stovel by Rosemary Kelsall

Castlegar), and forest licenses, held by Downie Street Sawmills and Stella-Jones. BC Timber Sales, a provincial agency, auctions off timber sales and there are several small woodlot licenses. The annual allowable cut on a tree farm license is based on a set area that the company manages intensively. RCFC’s Tree Farm License 56 is 40 kilometres north of Revelstoke on the east side of the Columbia River between Goldstream River and the height of land between the Carnes and Downie drainages. Its AAC is 80,000 cubic metres a year.

The annual allowable cut for a forest license is volume-based and, in the local area, is tied to a much larger tenure. Downie’s tenure is extensive, covering the west side of the Jordan Drainage and the west side of the Columbia River from Frisby Ridge north almost up to Mica. It also includes public land surrounding Mount Revelstoke and the Akolkolex. Its AAC is 130,000 cubic metres a year.

For forest companies, logging original forest is not only profitable, it creates a land base where timber can be grown and harvested in a more agricultural way. Trees can be planted and tended so they grow faster than they would in an original forest. Since industrial logging began in the 1960s, trees replanted in that decade would be 50 to 60 years old today, Copperthwaite said. Second-growth trees reach their timber prime between the ages of 80 and 100 years in local ecosystems. That’s when they are ready to be logged again. Until then, the timber supply comes almost entirely from original forests.

Most forests that RCFC currently logs are not the “beautiful, old cedar stands” that many people associate with old growth, Copperthwaite said.

“Not many stands are like that.” Most of those have already been preserved. The trees that RCFC is logging “aren’t that huge. They’re old and decadent, a lot of them.”

RCFC’s tree farm license is just under 120,000 hectares, only 70,000 hectares of which has trees on it. “Of that 70,000 hectares, when you take away things like caribou reserves” (9,511 ha), old growth management areas (257 ha), riparian areas (762 ha), existing wildlife tree retention (431 ha) “and areas that we can’t get to because it’s too difficult (31,615 ha), a timber harvesting land base of 21,987 hectares remains, all of which was original forest. That means

24

Feature

LIFE

more than two-thirds of the timber harvesting land base is never harvested,” Copperthwaite said, adding that the numbers above do not overlap.

Ecological protections and difficult terrain seem to be key to preserving original ecosystems, but these protections are tenuous. New technologies or higher prices for wood might make ‘inaccessible’ land more accessible. Also, what happens if an endangered species goes extinct? Those are the two largest elements of unlogged or protected land in this area.

I asked Woodman and Jeff Lipsett, Forestry Superintendent at Downie, what would happen if original forest could no longer be logged. “If we didn’t harvest old growth, we would cease to exist,” Woodman said simply. Lipsett added that it would be “pretty tough for Downie to survive if the cut gets lowered a whole bunch more.”

Copperthwaite agreed that logging companies must rely on old growth for at least the next 30 years. However, he said, companies can slow old growth harvesting rates by caring for existing plantations. Tree farm license holders are especially equipped to do this because their planning horizons are much longer than those of forest license holders.

For example, RCFC is beginning a program of thinning, Copperthwaite said. “We’re going into an area that somebody harvested and planted in the ‘60s and now we’re going to take out all the damaged, diseased, and less desirable species.

We’ll take the Western Hemlock out now and leave a really nice-looking stand of cedar and fir.” The 4,000 cubic metres of timber a year that RCFC thins out counts as part of its annual allowable cut, reducing the amount of original forest harvested.

“We are definitely transitioning” to second growth, he said. “The more we do this commercial thinning the sooner those stands will become harvestable. This stand, for instance, will probably be managed almost perpetually. Every 25 years go back in and take 25 per cent out so in fact you’re always going to have a nice stand of trees.”

With so much riding on the future of old growth forests, so many valid, but often competing, interests, including the unspoken interests of the forest itself, the public needs clear, accurate and centralized information to engage helpfully. Yet good information is hard to find. Downie Sawmill’s Forest Stewardship Plan for the Revelstoke area is unavailable online, forest company reports are often challenging to read, and many maps and documents are outdated or lack detail.

Perspectives may differ, but basing discussions on technically sound, shared information may go a long way toward building understanding, respect and trust between those who share and care for our forests.

25

HEALTH

HOW ARE YOU DOING? THIS IS A CHALLENGING TIME FOR MANY. HERE IS A LIST OF SOME LOCAL RESOURCES YOU CAN COUNT ON IN CASE YOU NEED THEM

By Sonia García.

Food

Healthcare

Revelstoke Food Bank:

Selkirk Medical Group:

(250) 837-2920 ext. 28

selkirkmedicalgroup.ca

plarson@community-connections.ca

(250) 837-9321 24Hr HealthLink BC: 811

Employment

healthlinkbc.ca

WorkBC Centre Revelstoke: (250) 814-0244 centre-revelstoke@workbc.ca

Mental Health Revelstoke Mental Health & Substance Use:

Shelter and Housing

@ Queen Victoria Hospital (250) 814-2241

Housing Outreach:

Crisis Line:

(250) 837-2920 ext. 38

1-888-353-CARE (2273)

Revelstoke Womens Shelter:

Suicide Crisis Line:

(250) 837-1111 - 24Hr Crisis Line

1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433)

revelstokewomensshelter.com

Substance Abuse Services A.A. / N.A. (250) 837-1958

Sexual Health Options for Sexual Health: www.optionsforsexualhealth.org (250) 814-9078

26

COMMUNITY

A LOOK AT SOME OF THE GOOD THINGS THAT HAPPENED IN REVELSTOKE IN 2020 2020 CERTAINLY WASN’T THE YEAR WE EXPECTED, BUT IT TURNS OUT IT WASN’T ALL BAD HERE IN REVELSTOKE. IT WAS ACTUALLY FULL OF MIRACLES THANKS TO THE PEOPLE WHO CALL THIS PLACE HOME.

By Elouise Paabo. Illustration by Sonia García.

the nightmare that was 2020 is finally over.

Now that we’re in the new year, it may be tempting to pretend it never happened, delete it from our memory and throw out any remaining artifacts from the year.

Yet, after looking back on 2020, it wasn’t all bad here in Revelstoke. In fact, amazing things happened in Revelstoke, and it’s important to remember all the good things.

The year started off with the first community musical performance in Revelstoke in 11 years, followed by the library celebrating its centennial anniversary. The year was filled with new ways to celebrate the people of our town. There was a driveby parade full of encouraging signs to celebrate the graduating class of 2020, with onlookers banging pots and tooting horns for those on the front line.

There were cheerful Christmas parades organized by locals wanting to spread the holiday spirit. The Revelstoke Arts Council hosted socially-distanced Guerrilla Gigs in the summer. Artists Kyle Thornley,

Bruno Long and Kelly Hutcheson had their work added to the Art Alleries exhibition that we all know and love in downtown Revelstoke. As the holidays came, thirty local volunteers hosted the Community Christmas Dinner, a heartwarming act of kindness during a particularly tough time.

With a line out the door every day and one of the hardest holiday seasons to hit this town, the community showed immeasurable gratitude to the staff at the Revelstoke Post Office. A few days after Christmas, staff member Janice Jarvis wanted to return the gratitude, “The Revelstoke Post Office Staff would like to thank all our amazing customers for their patience, kind words, and gifts during this holiday season!”

The post office seemed to be a place of compassion when a stranger made Devon King’s day, “Shout out to the wonderful woman that paid the shipping for my parcel at the Post Office! I waited in line for 45 minutes, finally got up to the counter, then realized I didn't have my card with me.

Happy holidays Revelstoke!”

Similar acts of selflessness were happening throughout town when Amélia Bradbury was buying poutine for her friends at a local pizzeria, but when her card didn’t work the staff paid for everything and wished her a Merry Christmas with the simple request to pay it forward.

And paying it forward is exactly what local woman Sandra Gregory did one night in January when she was driving near the Big Eddy Pub in freezing weather, when she thought she saw someone with a walker on the side of the road. “I was sure I was seeing things, so I went over the bridge, but it was bothering me too much. I drove back.” Sure enough, it was an 88-year-old senior who couldn’t get her car out of the snow and was trying to get to her church group at the Big Eddy Pub. After picking her up and offering her number for whenever she needed help, seniors started calling Sandra taking her up on the offer. Sandra didn’t know it at the time, but she had just started

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a domino effect of kindness throughout town and Revelstoke Unstuck was born.

Sandra organically received help from two other local women, Céline Rytz and Ella Carmicheal and now the three of them voluntarily run Revelstoke Unstuck alongside multiple full-time jobs.

Céline was hooked from the first time she shoveled snow for members of our community who may be isolated or physically unable to remove the snow. “It was kind of contagious because it felt like you really did make a difference," she said.

The initiative quickly became even more meaningful when the group posted online, asking if anyone in the community needed to be shown they were loved on Valentine’s Day. Fourteen elderly ladies were nominated and the next day each woman was delivered a beautiful bouquet of flowers.

A lot of the nominated ladies were widows and couldn’t remember the last time they received flowers, “If you’ve ever delivered flowers to someone who has not had them in twenty years

or has no idea genuinely why someone would even think of them, it’s one of the best feelings in the world.”

Revelstoke Unstuck quickly became a community of taking elderly ladies out to dinner, helping a neighbour with work around the house, getting groceries for those in need and being a support network for anyone who needed it. They now have a group of dedicated volunteers and the involvement from locals is only growing, “The greatest part of Revelstoke Unstuck is that it’s not specific to one person. It doesn’t matter if you are new to town, a stay-at-home mom, working three jobs or retired.

It’s a group of people that come together to help where we can, when we can.”

Revelstoke community members also paid it forward in 2020 with their generosity to the new bargain basement shop that opened in early November. Patty Campbell says, “It’s very humbling to see the amount we received from the community. We didn’t think we were going to open

our doors until December but thanks to the people of Revelstoke, we were able to open up early. The community is awesome, they’re very giving.”

Another resident who has experienced the giving nature of Revelstoke firsthand is Justine Winser.

Through the generosity of the community, she was able to raise close to $35,000 for her young cousin who is fighting Desmoplastic Small Cell Tumor, a rare and aggressive cancer. “I've lived here nine years now and Revelstoke attracts very special people," she said. "People that I have met here and have since left, reached out from all over the globe to send donations. I have so much gratitude for the people of Revelstoke.”

With a little reflection, it’s clear that 2020 was full of silver linings and reasons to smile, especially here in Revelstoke. Perhaps we needn’t forget about the year after all. Instead, we can embrace the support we showed one another and head into the new year with more love and kindness than ever before.

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Community

LIFE

A NEW GENERATION FOR ROXY THEATRE NEW OWNERSHIP AND PLANS FOR REVELSTOKE'S HISTORIC LANDMARK THEATRE

By Sofie Hagland.

The historic Roxy Theatre was previously known as the Avolie Photo: Revelstoke Museum & Archives.

Greg Rose in front of the marquee at Roxy Theatre. Photo: Sofie Hagland

Some buildings have a soul. You get that feeling when walking up the squeaky wooden stairs, through a beaten metal door, and into the projector booth of Roxy Theatre in Revelstoke.

In a corner stands an old roll of the movie ‘Hurricane’ from 1999.

Looking out on the empty auditorium you can feel the generations of laughter and cries lingering in the walls.

The building is over a hundred years old. It was originally built as a hardware store in 1905, but in 1937 it had an Art Deco makeover and became Avolie Theatre, named after the owner’s wife.

Since 1952 the movie theatre has been known as the Roxy Theatre, and the new owner Greg Rose intends on keeping it that way.

“It’s an emotional experience running this place, I already feel that the first few days. You quickly get an idea of how much this building means to the city and the people. That’s something that rests on my shoulders for sure,” Rose said.

Rose used to manage the local pub The Last Drop, but when the business temporarily shut down this spring due to COVID-19, he threw in the towel and started looking for a new challenge.

When Rose’s friend, Dan Gnenz, suddenly bought Roxy midpandemic and asked Greg to steer the ship, his immediate thought was no way. But as he sat with the idea for a while, he realized that this was exactly what he wanted to do.

Motivated, Rose started pouring his heart and soul into his new project. Nobody said it would be easy, but after only a week Dr. Bonnie put a halt to the fun until January.

However, this doesn’t mean Roxy has turned into a haunted house behind the closed doors and sparkling lights.

Despite the loss of business, Rose is appreciating the extra time to tidy up the place and make exciting plans for the future.

Turns out running an ancient theatre is more than just figuring out the perfect popcorn to butter ratio. It can also include weeks of looking for that exact light bulb, or figuring out how to make it possible to stream live hockey matches, host bands, or what about a liquor license? All these ideas are racing through Greg’s head, his hands itching to get to work.

To keeps the wheels spinning while locked down, the theatre has still been open every Thursday and Sunday night selling popcorn, candy, and punch passes.

Some nights have seen “surprisingly high sales,” showing Rose that the local community really don’t want to see this place go.

A thoughtful and cute campaign that also has been running is Candy for a Can. Rose didn’t want to see all the candy that was about to expire go to waste. Why not exchange food donations for candy? Countless sugar rushes later Roxy has donated 300 pounds of food and $260 in cash to the Community Connections Food Bank.

Rose tells the Revelstoke Mountaineer that the devil is in the details and that he really wants to put on more events. “I want to make a more viable Roxy,” he said.

Remember the words of previous owner Tammy Van Sickle: “Don’t forget Revy, if you truly want to keep a theatre in town you have to go see the movies. It isn’t enough to like our posts. You have to go to the movies!”

Community

Queen Victoria Hospital staff show off neck guards provided by RDHS during the pandemic. Photo: Contributed

Residents at Mt. Cartier Court enjoy shade provided by a new outdoors Shade Sails cover. Photo: Contributed by RDHS

REVELSTOKE DISTRICT HEALTH FOUNDATION LENDS A HELPING HAND DURING COVID-19

By RDHS/Melissa Jameson.

The Revelstoke District Health Foundation spent much of this past year providing assistance for local initiatives aimed at combating the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Steven Hui, Revelstoke District Health Foundation chairman, said while 2020 was a busier year than anticipated it’s “always good to help where we can.”

Some of the projects the foundation provided assistance on include manufacturing neck guards for medical personnel, funneling donations towards the purchase of personal protective equipment, assisting with the purchase of a ventilator and sponsoring a series of local radio ads reminding people to practice physical distancing and take precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The importance of personal protective equipment (PPE) became apparent to the Revelstoke District Health Foundation (RDHF) early on, said Hui. “We were seeing masks, gloves, disinfectant, those kinds of things hard to come by early on. We started hearing about organizations and businesses struggling to keep workers and clients safe,” said Hui. The RDHF made a $2,600 donation towards PPE, hand sanitizers and disinfectants. Non-profit organizations in Revelstoke were able to access funds by making an application via the Revelstoke Community Foundation.

A project that saw 126 neck guards made for medical personnel at Queen Victoria Hospital came about when hospital staff said they weren’t able to obtain them

through regular channels. A $1,000 donation from Speers Construction went towards the cost of labour to manufacture the neck guards, while Shade Sails made a donation of labour to manufacture 40 of the 126 masks.

Hui also pointed to the efforts of local businesses such as Monashee Spirits & Distillery and Kawakubo Japanese Restaurant as examples of how the community has come together to help out during COVID-19. Early on, Monashee Spirits began providing sanitizer made from distillation by-product at no cost to the community. Hui said the RDHF and the RCF were able to come forward to help out.

During the first lockdown in the Spring of 2020, Kawakubo held a one-night fundraiser before temporarily closing.

The restaurant’s owner, Shinji Kawakubo, announced all sales would be donated to the RDHF to assist in purchasing equipment for Queen Victoria Hospital.

Kawakubo raised an incredible $9,793.

That, coupled with a $52,446 grant from the Canadian Medical Association, allowed the RDHF to purchase a ventilator for Queen Victoria Hospital.

Subhead: Revelstoke Heath Foundation continues to support healthcare studies Education is a large part of the work the foundation has done historically, said Hui. In January 2020, the RDHF provided eight annual scholarships of $1,500 to students enrolled in post secondary health related fields. In Spring 2020 a class of students graduated from the health care assistant program at Okanagan College Revelstoke.

The RDHF provided 10 scholarships in the amount of $1,000 each to local students in that program.

Other donations provided by the RDHF during 2020 included: -A $7,328 donation to purchase a blanket warmer for Mount Cartier Court.

-A $2,500 donation to support the Together in Movement and Exercise (TIME), a program offered through the Revelstoke Recreation Program for people with mobility issues.

-A $9,000 contribution towards purchase of a permanent shelter for the Mount Cartier Court transportation bus.

The new shelter will be located onsite at Queen Victoria Hospital and construction is slated fro spring 2021.

-Assisting with a project that saw the addition of a shade sail to the courtyard at Mount Cartier’s Cottage A. The total project cost was $22,243 and was made possible with the assistance of the Revelstoke Hospital Auxiliary, the Revelstoke Credit Union’s Community Giving Program and Shade Sails Canada.

As well, the RDHF is giving special recognition to Pauline Baird and Ann Ratchford, who have organized an annual raffle for many years to raise money for the Mount Cartier Court Fund to allow for the purchases of services and items that add to the safety and quality of life of the residents who live there.

For more information about the Revelstoke District Health Foundation, or to make a donation visit revelstokehealthfoundation.com

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30

MADE HERE

BOLTWOOD TONEWOOD It’s a cool winter morning in the Big Eddy and steam rises from the Bertrand mares in the paddock. Through the fog, a figure approaches me, with a distinctive shock of white hair and a rowdy moustache. I already know it’s Dan Boltwood. He’s well known in these parts — as a road and bridge builder, a family man, and as the guy who still rides a horse drawn carriage into town from time to time. But what many don't know is that his unassuming shop, perched high on the hill, has produced millions of the world’s best spruce guitar tops over the last 25 years, and that his company, Boltwood Tonewood, became the world’s largest supplier almost purely by coincidence.

It’s a question he’s answered many times: what exactly is a guitar top? It’s the finished wooden face, or soundboard, of an acoustic guitar that gives it a distinct tone, depending on the species of wood used and overall design of the instrument. Englemann Spruce — what Dan cuts — is known for its rich tone and generous mid-range. The clear-grain raw logs are first cut into two-foot sections and then carefully sliced into delicate nine inch by 21-inch wafers that are just one-fifth of an inch in thickness. The tops are inspected, bundled and shipped to distributors and manufacturers, or luthiers, who carefully join two pieces on each guitar.

Considering the niche product that Dan produces, you’d think that he has a long history with music. On the contrary, Dan came to Revelstoke from Alberta in 1974 and has worked on most major construction projects in the area, from building bridges on Highway 23 north, to building coffer dams for hydroelectric projects and boring train tunnels under Mount Macdonald in Rogers Pass. The steady work combined with the stunning beauty of the area convinced Dan to put down roots, start a family and build a home with a panoramic view over the Big Eddy.

“Revelstoke was kind of boom and bust back then,” Dan reminisces. “There was always mining and forestry, and CPR was steady forever. But then Mica came and really made it good, and then the Revelstoke dam really pumped it to the top. And when that was done, the tunnel came.”

By the 1990s Dan had moved on to building forestry roads. It was work that Dan loved doing, but with forestry always pushing further into distant valleys in search of fresh timber, it meant spending weeks at a time in remote work camps. For a family man it just wouldn’t do, and Dan sought out opportunities that would have him home each night for supper with his wife and kids. As fate would have it, a friend who was an avid guitarist showed Dan a magazine ad depicting old growth logs and a list of wholesale prices for the guitar tops that were made from them.

“I said, ‘Holy smoke, you can get five bucks for one top?’” recalls Dan. “Well how many tops can you get from a log that’s four foot in diameter?”

Dan did the math his own way — by bringing home a log and cutting it up. His efforts were well-rewarded and once he figured out how to navigate the distribution system, his new guitar top enterprise grew in leaps and bounds. Dan invested in better saws and additional labour, and by the late‘90s his company, Boltwood Tonewood, was in full swing, producing roughly fifteen hundred two-piece guitar tops daily. The shop ran efficiently but the real competitive advantage was the location. Englemann spruce grows particularly well in our nearby temperate rainforests, so logs were easier to source and cheaper to transport. As a result, Boltwood Tonewood soon cornered the market and, for roughly two decades, was the world’s biggest supplier of Englemann spruce guitar tops.

“They just couldn’t compete with me back then.”

But the winds shifted, as they often do.

Asian guitar manufacturers eventually opted to bring the production of the tops in-house and flexed their financial muscle to buy up entire lots of logs in single purchases. As a result, it has become more difficult for Dan to secure a steady supply of timber, and more difficult to sell his milled tops. So, for now, the saws are silent but the extra stock of tops that Dan had the foresight to cut when timber was cheap and plentiful, continues to be sold off.

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A LOCAL WOOD SHOP FINDS INTERNATIONAL SUCCESS PRODUCING ENGLEMANN SPRUCE GUITAR TOPS

By Bryce Borlick.

“Well there’s a gold mine in stock, so we’ll sell that and maybe come back to it later,” Dan muses.

Always one to have an iron in the fire, Dan now has his sights set on another kind of gold mining: gold mining. Off to the side of the corral sits a new trammel which will be put to use this summer washing sluice and separating the gold flakes, once permits are in hand. It’s amazing that after decades of toil, he’s still keen to put in a hard day’s work and make a go of a new venture. On our way out of the shop, he pauses and asks me if I have experience with book publishing: turns out he’s got some stories bouncing around in his head. Maybe he’ll turn his hand to that after pulling a few nuggets out of the ground.

Looking out over the Big Eddy, we don’t say much and don’t need to. It’s a clear day and a distant Mt. Albert crackles brightly against the blue horizon. It’s a wonderful place for Dan to call home and to hang his hat, regardless of what hat he may find himself wearing from year to year.

“It’s like paradise here, just a lovely place.

Always has been, always will be.”

Photos facing and this page: Dan Boltwood of guitar face manufacturer Boltwood Tonewood shows us around the shop at a Revelstoke manufacturer that has produced millions of them over the past 25 years. Photos: Sofie Hagland/Revelstoke Mountaineer Magazine.

32

Made Here

CREATING A RAINBOW REVELSTOKE ARTIST CHARLOTTE BLUNDELL IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN REVELSTOKE WITH HER STAINED-GLASS RAINBOW FLAGS

By Elouise Paabo.

Revelstokian Charlotte Blundell lives a double life.

Charlotte spends half her week as a snow-plough driver and the other half as a self-taught artist.

Blundell knows that many people in the queer community also live a double life, but not out of choice. The Revelstoke artist wanted to have a positive influence on this cycle by creating stainedglass rainbow flags that would make a difference.

Charlotte knew the flags would be meaningful to Revelstoke and started selling them to businesses throughout town to display in their windows, signifying them as an inclusive place. Blundell decided to donate one-third of the proceeds to Rainbow Railroad, an organization that provides immediate assistance to members of the LGBTQ+ community who are facing a serious threat to their lives and safety.

The plough-driving artist saw it as a great opportunity to get the community involved, “I recognized that I had the ability and means to facilitate a project that supported a marginalized population within the community. The initiative was a way for people to contribute to an important cause and feel good about it.” revelstoke mountaineer: How did you come up with the idea for the Rainbow Railroad project? charlotte blundell: In picking out different panels of stained-glass I knew that I wanted to create rainbow flags. I had to ask myself what such a symbol meant to me, and I knew that just by creating them, I was already backing a cause. I figured why not involve a charity that really does the legwork for the LGBTQ community, while also spreading awareness within our town. There's more meaning behind pieces that are a symbol of something and are made for the purpose of sending a message. I wanted these rainbows to have an impact on as many people as possible in a positive way.

RM: Why did you think something like this was important for Revelstoke?

CB: I noticed that Revelstoke really lacked what other communities had such as a rainbow crosswalk or flags displayed in windows. There are a few if you look closely, but I didn't feel it was enough.

Revelstoke also has such a transient population

and I think it's important to make everyone feel welcome for when they arrive or simply pass through.

RM: What’s it like being a young, female plough driver in Revelstoke?

CB: Being a female snow plough driver is really empowering! I mean, everyone with a big truck likes to boast about it right?! I am proud to be a heavy equipment operator, and it makes me so happy when other women become involved as well, because it speaks to gender equality.

RM: What is your ideal vision for this town in terms of visibility for the LGBTQ community?

CB: Love is love, people are people — I just wish that everyone could see and accept that.

RM: How many businesses are involved now?

CB: So far 31 businesses have gotten involved, having either purchased a rainbow or expressed interest and currently waiting upon my artistic process. It brings a big old smile to my face to see these pop up in the windows around town, whether walking around in the day or passing by at night. I think this is something so unique for our community. So far, we have raised $400 for Rainbow Railroad! And that number is only going to keep growing!

Businesses or individuals who want to get involved with Charlotte’s Rainbow Railroad Project can email Charlotte at blundell.charlotte@gmail.com or message her on Facebook or Instagram @CharlotteDaydreams, it’s a great opportunity to support local artists and help create a Revelstoke full of rainbows.

Photos: Artist by night, snow removal driver by day, Charlotte Blundell is behind a new initiative to make downtown Revelstoke more visibly welcoming for the LGBTQ+ community. Photos by Elouise Paabo/ Revelstoke Mountaineer Magazine

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34

ARTS & CULTURE

Photo by Josh Davies.

Shred Kelly performs at a summer REVY Live show at RMR. Photo: Aaron Orlando/Revelstoke Mountaineer Magazine.

Rapid Media opens new office in Revelstoke

REVY Live online winter series

“WE’RE HERE TO STAY,” SAID SCOTT MCGREGOR, FOUNDER OF THE PUBLISHING FIRM

By Sofie Hagland.

REVY LIVE BRINGS SPECIAL RECORDED CONCERTS AND AWARD-WINNING MOVIES TO YOUR LIVING ROOM FREE OF CHARGE THIS WINTER

By Louise Stanway.

Rapid Media, the publisher behind two internationally circulated publications - Paddling Magazine and Kayak Angler Magazine - has found a new home base here in Revelstoke.

Scott McGregor, Founder of Rapid Media, said opening the new Revelstoke location is a good fit for the business, as the town “felt full of smart people” immersed in the outdoor lifestyle.

While the company’s head office will remain in the Ottawa Valley in Ontario, the hope is that this second office will provide an opportunity to expand the business—namely through hiring industry professionals with a shared passion for mountain sports.

“Our staff team needs to be full of enthusiasts, people who enjoy paddlesports and have the experience in the industry,” McGregor added. “These days, paddlers and our staff team are involved in so much, and Revelstoke has it all: paddling, skiing, climbing and riding.”

Paddling Magazine covers content from gear reviews and trends, to culture, stories, news and events in the canoeing, paddleboarding and whitewater kayaking world. Its sister publication, Kayak Angler, is one of the world’s leading fishing kayak magazines.

The company recently posted various job openings wherein the successful applicants would be given the choice to work from either the Revelstoke or the Ontario office. McGregor describes the Ottawa Valley as a “hot bed for whitewatewater canoeing and kayaking,” but admits that — owing to the absence of mountains — not all of his team were content living there yearround. Recently, two members of his core team have bought property in Revelstoke and are settling in for the long haul.

After being stationed in Palmer Springs, Ontario for the past twenty years, this new Revelstoke office represents an exciting new journey for the business and doubles-up as convenient base to coordinate the Paddling Film Festival World Tour; a travelling film tour (pre-pandemic) with stop-offs throughout B.C. and beyond.

REVY Live won’t let a pandemic sabotage their plan of being Revelstoke’s centre of attention this winter.

To fill the black hole of social events and community gatherings, Arts Revelstoke has moved REVY Live online.

Their goal is to provide some much needed “heart-warming connections” and create a sense of shared experiences during “this time of separation.”

So what can you expect to find in their little treasure box you might ask?

Your deepest desires. Come on, we all know you miss standing in the back, tapping your Blundstones to the beat of some legendary tunes, while sipping on a pint of watered-down beer.

You might have to pour your own, but REVY Live makes sure you don’t miss out on their concerts this season.

And the best part? REVY Live will be absolutely free for everyone to enjoy!

The shows will be streaming from 8 p.m. on their website, as well as directly on YouTube and Facebook.

The season will be kicked off with a limited edition concert from the bluegrass, banjo-making couple Pharis and Jason Romero. From the Juno awards to Revelstoke house concerts, this duo has been there and done that.

In the upcoming months, REVY Live can also tease with some soulful sounds from Alex Cuba, and tunes from indigenous singer-songwriter Kym Gouchie.

The dance company Ouro Collective will spice up your living room with their imaginative virtual youth residency, followed by some serious Latino action with Locarona.

More of a Netflix and chill kind of gal? REVY Live got you covered with three funny, dark and moving movies (Arab Blues, Lucky Grandma and Honeyland.)

Awards want them and reviews love them. Just remember to sign up to their website to receive your uber special livestream code and you’ll be ready to go.

See you there or be square!

BACKCOUNTRY TRAINING AST 1 & 2 COURSE DATES NOW AVAILABLE Learn to safely navigate the backcountry in an Avalanche Skills Training 1 or 2 course with seasoned professionals at Revelstoke Mountain Resort.

VIEW COURSE DATES & REGISTER ONLINE AT revelstokemtn.com/backcountry

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Douglas Sproul. Photo by Jon Walsh.

Susie Kathol drinking out of one of her ceramic mugs. Photo provided by Susie Kathol.

The new Rogers Pass guidebook: A little piece of Douglas Sproul’s soul

Susie Kathol Ceramics

DOUGLAS SPROUL HAS DONE IT AGAIN. A NEW ROGERS PASS GUIDEBOOK WITH 173 NEW ROUTES WILL BE AVAILABLE THIS WINTER

By Sofie Hagland.

After stumbling upon Revelstoke on a pilgrimage for powder in his youth, Sproul has explored every peak and creek of the mountains we like to call home.

“I am a mad scientist, you know over the top. I used to note my heart rate, what I ate that day, what the weather was, where we went, vertical feet, the whole thing. It’s just me here after 20 some years of keeping track of this stuff and realizing I should share this beta,” Sproul said.

The new guidebook is like the man quite the pioneer. The 100% Canadianmade book comes in a landscape format and is divided into two books (Rogers Pass North and Rogers Pass South) for those Dynafit gram hunters. With 173 new routes adding up to a total of 273 epic adventures, you will not get bored anytime soon.

The author assures us that print is not dead, and that even though apps are great, nothing beats a good old book with a companion map for inspiration, execution, and navigation.

Knowingly, Sproul hosted a Kickstarter at the worst possible timing, right before Christmas mid second wave pandemic. “But I concluded this is exactly what the ski community needs right now,” Sproul said.

After a close call in the woods this summer, the author has been writing nonstop. Even though that means missing out on the early season pow this winter, he says it’s all worth it for the inspiration he gets back from people.

“I like to keep my ego in check, but it’s frickin’ incredible. I am super stoked on it,“ Sproul said.

By Sofie Hagland.

Life has it’s funny ways of surprising us. Looking back, Susie Kathol had no idea that the pottery class her artist mum signed her up to at 15, would bloom into a full-time business decades later.

Travelling the world as a contract wildlife biologist and botanist, Kathol used to look upon her subjects with analytical eyes. It wasn’t until she moved to Revelstoke and became a part of the potters guild to socialize, that she started to see the real beauty in the nature around her.

The hobby quickly became an addiction. While always eager to learn new methods, Kathol mainly uses the sgraffito decoration technique where you paint and carve on leather hard (not entirely dry) clay. Besides helpful advice from other potters, she “pretty much” just googled how to do it.

Having this artistic outlet has been life changing for Kathol. “It really gives you a different outlook on the world, period,” she said. Kathol thinks it’s a myth that people are either scientists or artists. In her three years working with ceramics, Kathol has noticed a big difference in her psychology and emotional wellbeing. “I think it’s very healthy for your brain to have both in your life,” she said.

Kathol’s first gallery show at the Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre two years ago was a success. “That was a really good kick in the butt to work hard and get better,” Kathol said.

While the pandemic has slowed business for others, Kathol’s output shot up when her studio closed this spring, inspiring her to build her own home studio, as well as launching a website, and hosting her second show.

“People are immensely supportive of the potters here. It has been fantastic. I am really grateful for the community in general,” she said.

Now Kathol balances biology fieldwork in the summer with pottery in the winter. “When I am carving I always feel closer to the subject material, especially in the winter when I really miss the green and all the creators. It’s a bit of escapism when you are carving a desert scene and you envision being back there,” she said.

Keen for a dinosaur mug, jewel spider cup, or uterus bowl? Check out Kathol’s ceramics at her website susiekatholceramics.ca and her Instagram @susiekatholceramics.

APRES WITH US! OPEN | THURSDAY - SUNDAY 3:00pm - 9:00pm | TASTING ROOM & GROWLER FILLS

CR A F

T B R E WE D I N

REVELSTOKE,BC SINCE 1996

36

Arts & Culture

AL LEE RELEASES NEW ALBUM, REVOLUTION ST. REVELSTOKE MUSICIAN’S WORK COMBINES LOVE OF MUSIC WITH LOVE OF THE MOUNTAINS.

By Aaron Orlando.

Al Lee releases his new album, Revolution St. on Feb. 8.

Photo: Jeff Rogers/Next Level.

We were flying in a helicopter over burning forest in Glacier National Park when the fellow sitting behind me said he might throw up. The pilot improvised, suggesting we touch down and pick up parks workers who’d been out hiking the hills, locating and disposing of unexploded artillery shells used for avalanche control. They needed a bump, so we landed and disembarked at a backcountry helipad so the airsick passenger could get a breath of smoky air to settle his rumbling guts.

That’s when I first met Al Lee, an avalanche technician and ski guide, who’d spent the day with a small team looking for artillery shells. With a climbing helmet on his head, skin reddened by the sun, and chunky hiking boots on his feet, he looked the part of a mountain guy who spends his spare time studying topo maps for hidden backcountry stashes. I’ve since learned he was spending a lot of that extra time song-writing and practicing the guitar.

Al Lee, his stage name, released his eponymous first album in 2018, and returns with the Feb. 8 release of his newest album, Revolution St. Lee is originally from Montreal, but left a career in computer science behind him many years ago and followed his dreams to the B.C. mountains, eventually settling in Revelstoke where he works in avalanche control, ski guiding and runs Oh My Guide!, a small backcountry guiding business.

With one life dream accomplished, Lee is working on his second: becoming a musician, a journey that has meant overcoming self-doubt, overcoming obstacles and “being true to yourself and what you want out of this life.”

Revolution St. is named after a women’s protest movement in Iran, where thousands took to the streets, including Tehran’s Revolution Street, to protest compulsory hijab laws, fighting for a future with respect, dignity and hope. "That symbolized the struggle of everyone in the world fighting for the cause,” he said. "These are things that just resonated with me."

Lee was also inspired by activism like the #MeToo movement, and also out of concern over troubling world events, ranging from school shootings and despotic leadership.

The title track, 'Revolution St'., explores the inspiration he found in the movement. 'Evil Feels No Shame' explores the psychology of leaders who are unconstrained by shame, committing terrible acts and lying blatantly. Lee said experiences of discrimination and oppression helped shape the direction of the album. In a mountain town that sometimes feels sealed off from the issues and activism elsewhere, Lee said he sought to strike a balance. “I think all have our different ways to be an activist if we choose to be. It's a balancing act in a small town,” Lee said. "I am carefully not to alienate people, and not to alienate myself. My activism is through my songs."

Lee grew up listening and drawing inspiration from Bob Dylan and Neil Young, and is influenced by contemporaries like Colter Wall, Ben Howard and the Barr Brothers. The tracks on Revelstoke St. are blues and rock based, with a heavy dash of contemporary folk and country.

Lee was inspired by a Muriel Buckley performance at Revelstoke Street Fest, which led him to connect with her producer, Leeroy Stagger, who recorded the album at Rebeltone Ranch in Lethbridge. Ryland Morantz plays banjo, mandolin, and electric slide, and Tyson Maiko on bass.

The result is an earnest and soulful exploration of challenging issues. “It's an album that confronts many of the issues that face the world today and the struggles and experiences I have faced personally over the last few years,” he said.

Lee has played many small live shows, ranging from house parties, Revelstoke Street Fest, the Last Drop, and venues from the Okanagan to Calgary. The COVID-19 pandemic put an end to that, allowing him time to create the album and put work into the next phase of his career, including the album rollout.

"My main goal is to get it out to as many people, and to just have as many ears hear it as possible,” he said.

For more, including links to buy Revolution St., live show dates and more, check out his website at www.al-lee.net.

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ARTS & CULTURE HISTORY

THE GREAT LARDEAU RELIEF MISSION AFRAID OF A PR DISASTER, THE POWERS THAT WERE DECIDED TO MOUNT A RESCUE MISSION

Mary Johnstone is seen somewhere on a West Kootenay road, ca. 1930.

Her husband Walter was the district highways manager when stranded Lardeau Valley residents appealed for help in 1935. Silvery Slocan Historical Society.

By Greg Nesteroff.

The telegram was alarming. After weeks of being cut off from the rest of the world due to heavy snow, Lardeau Valley residents were running short of food and medical supplies.

It was March 1935 and massive avalanches over a three-mile stretch had forced the CPR to suspend service between Gerrard at the south end of Trout Lake and Lardeau at the north end of Kootenay Lake. No train had made the 53-kilometer trip since mid-January.

The telegraph line was still operating, though, and residents issued a plea to Kaslo-Slocan MLA Sid Leary: “Just

received word from CPR saying expense of clearing would be too high. Please persuade government to assist CPR to come to our aid.”

Leary went to premier Duff Pattullo, who summoned his public works minister. Kootenay West MP Billy Esling similarly advised the acting prime minister, who in turn alerted the board of railway commissioners. They demanded to know why the CPR hadn’t reopened the line.

The CPR was caught off guard. Snow slides on the Lardeau branch were nothing new; while the snow this

Arts & Culture

year was unusually high, the line was routinely closed for lengthy periods each winter. Residents of remote communities along the way were hardy, self-sufficient sorts who could cope with nearly anything — or so the CPR thought.

So company officials were understandably skeptical about the distress call, but could hardly refuse to respond and risk a public relations disaster.

Various options were considered. A plan to send supplies by plane was quickly abandoned because landing would be tricky. Walter Johnstone, the district highways foreman, suggested a tractor and sleigh filled with supplies.

Writing about the incident 35 years later, he observed: “Had the CPR resorted to this simple maneuver after the snow slides blocked the line and before the storm of protest had time to blow up, it would have saved them a lot of trouble.”

Instead, the CPR went to the opposite extreme and sent a snowplow, locomotive, and crew of 50 to 60 men — a response that would have been more fitting for the TransSiberian Railway. They hauled with them almost a ton of provisions and 18 sacks of mail.

The divisional superintendent, Fred Sharpe, accompanied the expedition in a private car along with his divisional engineer and Walter Johnstone.

Fallen trees hampered the work and problems with railway ties forced the work train off track. But finally, after three gruelling days, they pulled into Gerrard, where two bales of hay were triumphantly tossed from a boxcar onto the station platform.

“There’s your hay,” Sharpe announced, expecting a hero’s welcome. “Now if you’ll get your sick folk into my private car I will see that they get to Kaslo safely.”

Someone replied: “Oh, we don’t need any help, Mr. Sharpe. We’re all fine here.”

Until this time, Sharpe had been a picture of equanimity in the face of adversity. Now, he exploded.

“There’s your god-damned hay, you sons of bitches! It cost us $35,000 to get it here. Now we’re leaving.”

The great Lardeau relief mission — also dubbed the wild Gerrard chase — was over. The CPR provided biweekly train service until conditions improved enough to resume using their Motor Car M600 — a 1920s Ford Model B truck on flanged wheels that carried passengers, freight, and mail.

But it may or may not have been a coincidence that barely a month after moving heaven and earth to reopen the Lardeau line, the CPR applied to abandon it. To their chagrin, the board of railway commissioners refused to let them walk away. A few years later, however, the company returned with the same request, arguing the population was too small to make the service profitable.

The public works department opposed the closure and asked Walter Johnstone to appear at a hearing in Nelson, armed with his photographs of the Herculean snow removal efforts of 1935. Johnstone found this request baffling, as the photos demonstrated the extreme difficulties of trying to keep the line open.

Finally called to the stand after waiting several hours, Johnstone circulated the photos to the commissioners. The chair asked: “Does anyone deny that there is snow in the Lardeau?”

“No, sir,” Johnstone replied. And thus ended his testimony.

This time, the board granted the CPR’s request to dispense with the line. The tracks were removed in 1942 and Gerrard soon became a ghost town.

But if you drive Highway 31 between Gerrard and Lardeau today, you’ll be on the former rail bed whose impassibility once touched off a massive and not entirely necessary rescue operation.

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TOURISM TALKS THE ECONOMICS OF VACATION RENTALS

Short Term Vacation Rentals (“STVRs”), or Airbnbs and other private rentals, are an increasingly important consideration in the tourism industry. On one hand, they offer visitors a great opportunity to get a unit with a kitchen and to have at-home amenities.

They also offer property owners a chance to profit from their investment. On the other hand, STVRs are difficult to regulate, occupy potential resident housing, and are often unlicensed, leading to decreased tax revenues for the City of Revelstoke.

Revelstoke has seen an increase in the popularity of private vacation rentals, followed by an effort by the City of Revelstoke to ensure that these vacation rentals carried commercial licenses and were paying into both city and provincial taxes. Unfortunately, there are still many illegal STVRs operating in the City as the City works to develop a new bylaw.

In a world stricken by COVID-19, it’s understandable that many visitors are seeking out private accommodations. However, STVRs are not regulated like hotels are, and private owners do not need to ensure that provincial guidelines are being followed, for example, restrictions on gatherings. STVRs are popular with travelers and have the potential to contribute to our tourism economy in a positive way; however, with limited enforcement and regulation, it is more difficult to conceive of STVRs as contributing rather than adding a burden to our already cramped housing market. STVRs occupy potential rental housing so that property owners can benefit from the more lucrative tourism market.

As a community that collects the MRDT, or the hotel tax as it is commonly known, to a limited extent the City of Revelstoke is able to decide where the revenue from Online Accommodation Platforms goes. Revelstoke’s share of the revenues from Online Accommodation Platforms goes into a fund for affordable housing. This is collected on both legal and illegal vacation rentals, as it is remitted directly through the platform.

However, illegal vacation rentals fly under the radar with respect to paying commercial taxes to the City. Additionally, STVRs do not face the same regulations and controls as the hotel industry, so visitor safety is a potential issue.

The number of active listings for STVRs in Revelstoke is gradually increasing (AirDNA.co)

According to AirDNA, a website that provides analytics on vacation rentals, there are 248 operational vacation rentals as of January, 2021. STVRs are increasing their market share in Revelstoke. In December 2020, STVRs averaged an Occupancy Rate of 48% with an Average Daily Room Rate (ADR) revenue of $299. In comparison, hotels in Revelstoke were operating at 23.5% occupancy, with an ADR of $139. Now that STVRs are taking on a greater market share of accommodation revenues, it’s more important than ever that we seek avenues to enforce compliance.

Now that STVRs are taking on a greater market share of accommodation revenues, it’s important that we seek avenues to enforce compliance.

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

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DINING DEALS YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS There’s nothing better than wrapping up a ski day with a delicious meal and a cold beer. Enjoy the moment even more with these smokin’ deals to be found across Revelstoke Mountain Resort. Reservations are recommended but not required. If you don’t feel like dining in, please note you can order take out for all of our Food & Beverage outlets online.

EVERY DAY Happy Hour from 2:30pm - 5:00pm featuring $7 poutine and $6 shaft, fireball & burt reynolds shots.

MON: Wing Night | TUE: Under $20 Chef’s Dinner Feature | WED: $15 Burger & Beer THU: $15 Steak & Fries, $6 Glass of Wine | SUN: $7 Appetizer Feature

EVERY DAY $5.00 cans of beer and $4.00 Honey Badger shots.

FRI: Two for one hand-crafted pizza.

MON-FRI $5 pints of Stoke Lager, Passholders receive double the discount on food.

Order online or make a reservation at revelstokemtn.com/dining