Revelstoke Mountaineer Magazine January 2024 issue

JANUARY/2024 Revelstoke Library home to a host of in-person clubs, p · 12.

New year, new skills: Opportunities to grow in Revelstoke, p · 14.

Over a century of snow sports in Revelstoke, p · 16.

Revelstoke Ready: Preparing businesses for emergencies, p · 18.

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revelstokemountaineer.com VOL. 9, ISSUE 1

Photo credit: Sarah Mickel 2

HISTORY

HAPPY NEW YEAR! What does 2024 hold for Real Estate

As the calendar rolls over to January 1, 2024 and we’re cleaning up the left over needles of our Christmas trees or working through the those remaining chocolates; we reminisce about last year’s endeavors and focus on resolutions (eek what a nasty word) for the upcoming year. I have a couple of thoughts on the subject. One thought being, anyone born in January will tell you strict resolutions have ruined many a birthday plan. Another thought is that I prefer to set my resolutions and goals for other times in year. The start of a new year does hold some wistfulness for me but I prefer to set intentions at the start of a fiscal year, which for me is May 1 and personal goals at the start of September.

It just makes more sense to me; the start of a school year lends itself to new routines and practices. Now that I’ve shared my personal preferences, all of which I’m sure you were dying to know, I’ll talk about real estate.

As I have mentioned previously, at the time of writing these articles full statistical information will not have been released so my statistics are not as up to date as I would like. That being said, I can give you monthly information from November 2023. I will endeavor each month to provide the most up to date information available.

In November 2023 there were 11 real estate transactions, 6 single family homes, 1 strata unit and 4 manufactured homes on PAD. The highest priced single-family home sold at $1,320,000 and lowest at $492,500. Ranging from 40 days to 115 days to sell. There are 36 single family homes listed ranging in price from $449,000 to $19,500,000. 18 of those listings are over $1,000,000.

This year I am very interested to see many of the existing developer offered properties reach occupancy and how those sales impact our local market.

What is more impactful to the realty market are the 2.2 million mortgages up for renewal in 2024 and 2025. This represents 45 per cent of all outstanding Canadian mortgages. About one in three borrowers have seen their monthly

revyrealestate revyrealestate

Tara Sutherland Associate Broker 250-814-8677

mortgage rates increase since interest rate hikes began in March 2022, according to data released by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) on Nov. 9 2023. Some economists forecast that the increased cost of mortgage payments could lead distressed homeowners to sell their properties in order to find more affordable housing. Alternatively, it could cause housing inventory to increase and tip the scales in favour of a buyer’s market with increased competition among sellers***.

In these uncertain times, the same consideration should be exercised when making a purchase: patience, information, education and putting your trust in an experienced real estate professional. Do you, a family member, colleague, or neighbour need some real estate advice or want to know what houses in your neighbourhood are selling for? This is my invitation for you to call or pass along my details. I look forward to connecting with our great community! ** info taken from the MLS for the Revelstoke Area on December 28, 2023** ***https://www.ctvnews.ca/business/as-millions-of-mortgages-approachrenewal-what-will-canada-s-real-estate-market-look-like-1.6647801***

REVELSTOKE REALTY Each Office Independently Owned

209 First Street West, Revelstoke BC V0E 2S0

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Cynthia Kidd

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Cell: (250) 837-1616 cynthia@revelstoke-realty.com

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Owner/Managing Broker

Owner/Managing Broker

Each Office Independently Owned and Operated.

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 2,000 copies to public venues across Revelstoke, including hotel rooms, shops, restaurants, cafes, community centres — everywhere people meet.

For all inquiries, please contact us at info@revelstokemountaineer.com For Revelstoke daily news online, please see our sister publication www.revelstokemountaineer.com · 250 571 9525 info@revelstokemountaineer.com 606 Railway Avenue. Revelstoke, B.C. P.O. BOX 112 · V0E 2S0

PUBLISHER Brandi Schier info@revelstokemountaineer.com

PARTNERSHIPS MANAGER Julianna Horvat info@revelstokemountaineer.com

EDITOR Hollie Ferguson info@revelstokemountaineer.com

REPORTERS Melissa Jameson melissa@revelstokemountaineer.com Lys Morton lys@revelstokemountaineer.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Connor Arsenault

EDITORIAL DESIGN/ADVERTISING DESIGN Chris Payne chris@revelstokemountaineer.com

WEBSITE Chris Payne chris@revelstokemountaineer.com

COVER AND INSET PHOTO: The CPKC Holiday Train rolled into town Dec. 15 to help bring community together during the winter season.

Photo by Lys Morton

Introduction By the time you’re reading this the days will be getting longer again. I’m not even remotely ashamed to admit I’m kind of counting down to that. While I have been an astronomy nerd nearly as long as I’ve been a dinosaur nerd, I also suffer from some pretty intense winter blues. It can make this time of year a mental struggle.

One of the ways some folks combat their own mood slump this time of year is with community and events. Whether it’s the host of clubs available at the library, volunteering and supporting organizations like the food bank or winter sports in general.

Make sure to check out our website for an article with some tips to work through the winter blues and send me an email at lys@revelstokemountaineer. com with your own strategies for thriving during the winter in Revelstoke.

Welcome to the new year, I’m excited to be one of your sources of news for 2024.

- Lys Morton, Community Journalist

BE WHERE YOUR BEST LIFE IS REVELSTOKE, BC

N OW SEL L I NG TOWNHOMES, CONDOS & PENTH OU SES

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CONTENTS 8

EVENTS CALENDAR Find out what's happening around Revelstoke in January by checking out our events calendar. Don't forget to add your community event online at revelstokemountaineer.com.

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR What does the future hold for the Revelstoke Mountaineer now that it’s part of Discourse Community Publishing? Interior Editor Hollie Ferguson shares the guiding principles we are bringing to Revelstoke.

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RESIDENTS FLOCK TO REVELSTOKE MOUNTAIN RESORT FOR LOCALS DAY, BRINGING IN $4, 420 IN DONATIONS Locals Day provides Revelstoke residents with reduced tickets and rentals. Check out the schedule for upcoming Local Days to see when you can hit the slopes.

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REVELSTOKE LIBR ARY HOME TO A HOST OF IN-PERSON CLUBS Check out a few of the clubs offered through Revelstoke’s public library.

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REVELSTOKE FOOD BANK R AISES $400,000 THROUGH HOLIDAY DONATIONS. Learn more about the food bank's holiday fundraising goal and how you can still help.

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NEW YEAR, NEW SKILLS: OPPORTUNITIES TO GROW IN REVELSTOKE Check out a few opportunities in Revelstoke to gain more skills in 2024.

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FROM SNOWSHOES TO WORLD CLASS SKIING – OVER A CENTURY OF SNOW SPORTS IN REVELSTOKE Learn more about this history of winter sports in Revelstoke.

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REVELSTOKE READY: IS YOUR BUSINESS PREPARED FOR EMERGENCIES? The Mountaineer chatted with The Community Futures Development Corporation (CFDC) of Revelstoke to learn more about preparing businesses for emergencies.

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REVELSTOKE VISUAL ARTS CENTRE ENTERS THE NEW YEAR WITH FRESH EXHIBITS Learn more about Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre’s new offerings for January.

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PEOPLE LIKE US SCREENING R AISES $4,500 FOR OPEN MOUNTAINS PROJECT’S WINTER PROGR A MS FOR YOUTH Local filmmaker Ryan Collins’ directorial debut grapples with why 2SLGBTQ+ community members feel isolated in outdoor sports and rural towns.

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LEGEND HAS IT FILM TOUR R AISES FUNDS FOR KOOTENAY-BASED NONPROFIT. Learn more about the fundraising efforts benefiting Kootenay Outdoor Research Enterprise (KORE).

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CROSSWORD PUZZLE Check out a new crossword and check your answers for last month's puzzle.

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JANUARY 2024 CALENDAR stages of pregnancy to join in classes designed specifically to calm your nervous system, reduce stress and stay healthy during pregnancy. Learn stretches and movements that can prepare you for labour and aid in the movement of your baby.

No previous yoga experience required.

JANUARY EVENTS

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 17

SUNDAY, JAN. 7

BROWN BAG HISTORY CELEBRATES CATHY ENGLISH

MAKE YOUR OWN ZINE

Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre Kitchen Studio, 320 Wilson St, 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.

A fun spin on magazines, zines have a cult following as a format for artists, writers, photographers and activists to share their work.

Come learn the art of making zines and develop your own in this class at the Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre.

FRIDAY, JAN. 12 REVELSTOKE MOUNTAIN RESORT RAIL JAM Revelstoke Mountain Resort, 2950 Camozzi Rd., 4 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Meet at the Revelstoke Mountain Resort village to show off your ski and snowboard trick skills or cheer on your favorite competitor at this month’s Rail Jam. Contestants ages 19+ will showcase their best tricks, creativity and enthusiasm in front of a panel of judges and an all ages audience.

Revelstoke Museum & Archives, 315 First St. West, 12 p.m. - 1 p.m.

Come celebrate Revelstoke Museum & Archives curator Cathy English at the Wednesday, Jan. 17 Brown Bag History. Revelstoke Mountaineer file photo

FRIDAY, JAN. 12 BILL USHER AND THE SPACE HEATERS PRESENT GOOD GETTING OLDER

Revelstoke Performing Arts Centre, 1007 Vernon Ave., 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Multi Juno award winner Bill Usher and his band Space Heaters present the Good Getting Older show of stories and songs looking at the highlights of aging “gracefully.” Heralding

from Golden and other areas of B.C., The Space Heaters are sure to bring some regional humor to their growing old advice.

SATURDAY, JAN. 13 SATURDAY, MARCH 9 PRENATAL YOGA SERIES

Balu Yoga & Wellness, 414 1st St. West, 12 p.m.

Starting Saturday, Jan, 13 Balu Yoga & Wellness welcomes pregnant individuals at all

Previously delayed, Brown Bag Lunch is now excited to invite you to the Revelstoke Museum & Archives to celebrate Cathy English’s 40 years working at the museum and curating the stories of Revelstoke. Bring your lunch and enjoy the stories of Cathy championing for all of Revelstoke's communities.

SATURDAY, JAN. 20 THE LAST STOP: CANADA’S LOST LOCOMOTIVE SCREENING

Revelstoke Performing Arts Centre, 1007 Vernon Ave., 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Learn the story of Slocan Lake and the train it claimed in 1947.

The locomotive had never been reclaimed from the depths of the lake and some believe the

Make Your Own Zine Workshop by Kira Makela will take place Jan. 7.

Photo by Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre

Those at any stage of pregnancy are welcome to Balu Yoga & Wellness's Prenatal Yoga series.

Photo provided by Balu Yoga & Wellness

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Show of your trick skills or cheer on your favorites at RMR's Rail Jam Friday, Jan. 12.

Photo provided by Revelstoke Mountain Resort

accident was the nail in the coffin for the rail industry in the region. Colten Wilke, a diver fascinated with the story, sets out to find the lost train. Part of a fundraising event, $5 from every ticket sale will go towards The Revelstoke Railway Museum’s fundraising efforts for the restoration of the historically significant 5500 SD40 diesel locomotive.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 31 BROWN BAG HISTORY COLLAPSE OF SURPRISE CREEK BRIDGE

Catch a screening of The Last Stop Saturday, Jan. 20 at the Revelstoke Performing Arts Centre.

Photo provided by Arts Revelstoke

can be found at the Revelstoke cemetery.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 31 SNOTTY NOSE REZ KIDS HOT PLANET TOUR Revelstoke Performing Arts Centre, 1007 Vernon Ave., 7:30 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Hip Hop duo Yung Trybez and Young D, hailing from the Haisla Nation in Kitimat, B.C. bring their lyrical prowess and storytelling skills to Revelstoke for Snotty Nose Rez Kids Hot Planet tour.

Revelstoke Museum & Archives, 315 First St. West, 12 p.m. - 1 p.m.

Bring your lunch and enjoy a deep dive into the 1929 collapse of the Surprise Creek Bridge east of Rogers Pass. Jeffrey Hoban Griffith, aged 20, and Bert Woodland, aged 45 were killed in the crash and their graves

Jam along with Hip Hop duo Snotty Nose Rez Kids and their Hot Planet tour Wednesday, Jan. 31.

Photo provided by Arts Revelstoke

VISIT REVELSTOKEMOUNTAINEER.COM/EVENTS TO SUBMIT YOUR EVENT FOR FREE. WE INCLUDE A SELECTION OF THOSE EVENTS HERE IN OUR MONTHLY PRINT CALENDAR.

Add your event.

Add your community event to this calendar for free by filling out our events submission form on revelstokemountaineer.com/events

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR We are committed to getting it right — every time We’re dedicated to fairness, accuracy and editorial integrity. We maintain the highest journalistic standards, and we think critically about our sources of information, seeking lived experiences and community-based knowledge, in addition to sources that are conventionally considered authoritative. AND we’re transparent about our mistakes.

Interior Editor Hollie Ferguson.

Photo by Kasha Terry

Revelstoke Mountaineer encourages productive conversation To solve the complex problems facing us (and other resort municipalities), we need to have honest conversations with people we disagree with. Our journalists set the table for conversation between people who wouldn’t normally engage with each other.

The Mountaineer prioritizes impact over clicks We measure the success of our journalism by the value it gives our community. In addition to informing readers about problems, we highlight solutions and ways for our supporters to take action. Instead of trying to reach the largest audience possible, we focus on empowering people to effect change in their communities.

Hi there, As we celebrate a new year, we at Discourse Community Publishing (DCP) want to use this fresh beginning as a way to re-introduce ourselves.

“DCP is excited to welcome the Revelstoke Mountaineer into our family of B.C.-based local news outlets and continue serving the Revelstoke community with in-depth, valued community news,” said Brandi Schier, CEO of DCP after the acquisition in June. “The Mountaineer has established a strong commitment to serving Revelstoke through this publication which we plan to continue and build on.”

As our community reporter Lys Morton has seen firsthand while getting acquainted with Revelstoke, the tight-knit community here has already embraced our work. Through interviews with community non-profits, local businesses, artists and athletes at Revelstoke Mountain Resort’s first Locals Day of the season, Lys has experienced the commitment Revelstoke has to the Mountaineer and has been inspired by the stories he’s heard.

Like our other outlets, which include Sun Peaks Independent News, The Wren in Kamloops, IndigiNews and The Discourse (serving the Cowichan, Comox Valley and Nanaimo regions,) the Revelstoke Mountaineer is an original, independent, community-powered media organization dedicated to serving the place we call home.

What does the future hold for the Revelstoke Mountaineer now that it’s part of Discourse Community Publishing? As we start fresh in 2024, I want to share with you the guiding principles we are bringing over to Revelstoke.

The Mountaineer is for everyone We’re working hard to build a genuinely inclusive journalism outlet — from our content to our research sources, from our staff to our internal culture, from our funding sources to our supporters. We value contributions from community members with different backgrounds, politics, ages and more.

The Mountaineer is always listening We aim to produce valuable, relevant, trustworthy stories by listening without an agenda to the communities we serve. We involve our audience at every stage of our work, from story selection and research to conversations after publication. Have thoughts about a piece? Let’s talk.

We are radically transparent We want to earn your trust by being transparent about why we chose a story, what we don’t yet know, our biases and our mistakes. Radical transparency applies to our business practices, too, which is why we share our funding sources, how we spend our money and what we’re grappling with as a company.

We are always experimenting We never assume we have all the answers, and we invite our community to participate in our experimentation. We value ideas from everyone, and strive to create a culture in which disagreement is accepted, risk-taking is encouraged and failure is viewed as valuable learning.

The Revelstoke Mountaineer collaborates to have a larger impact We partner with media outlets and other organizations that share our values to pool resources, data and stories. Whenever possible, we make the data behind our investigations open source and publicly available.

The Mountaineer is authentic to Revelstoke We strive to tell authentic stories about issues, people, experiences and services that make Revelstoke unique. Our content highlights the best of our mountain playground’s events, entertainment, news, music, culture, lifestyle, business and so much more.

While these guiding principles may give you an idea of how the Revelstoke Mountaineer will contribute to the community going forward, connecting with us is the best way to make Revelstoke Mountaineer reflect your community. Send us a note via email, give us a call, drop by our events, sign up for our weekly newsletters or strike up a conversation while we are out delivering our monthly print editions. The Mountaineer is your magazine and we want to get to know you.

Thank you for having us, Hollie Ferguson Interior Editor

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GET OUTSIDE The first Locals Day of the season on Dec. 17 raised $4,420 for the Revelstoke Community Foundation.

Photo by Lys Morton

RESIDENTS FLOCK TO REVELSTOKE MOUNTAIN RESORT FOR LOCALS DAY, BRINGING IN $4,420 IN DONATIONS A DELAYED START TO THE SEASON DIDN’T DETER LOCALS FROM SHOWING UP TO TAKE ON THE MOUNTAIN.

By Lys Morton Despite periods of dense fog, Revelstoke Mountain Resort’s (RMR) first Locals Day in December saw 400 locals take advantage of discounts, raising $4,420 for the Revelstoke Community Foundation. With tickets for local residents priced at $20 and complete standard rental packages $10, Locals Day gives many the opportunity to hit the slope.

For Morgan Cooper, Locals Day provides access to the hill in her family’s backyard.

“Three adults, three kids, rentals for everyone. This is the only way we’re affording a day at the hill.”

The $20 lessons also provide a much needed refresher for the start of the season and opportunity for her kids to make friends.

“Next year it might be kids on the hill and adults at the hot tub,” Cooper said.

Some runs remain closed as the delayed start to snow season continues to bring lower than average snowfall to the region. Riders accessing RMR’s main green run, Last Spike, were met with warning signs of icy patches and degraded conditions shortly after leaving Mackenzie Outpost. While the sun attempted to make an appearance at higher elevations, thick patches of fog reduced visibility for many of the mid-mountain runs.

Still, that didn’t deter Allie Valaes from taking advantage of Locals Day to get in her first snowboard run ever.

“This is my first time for board or ski,” Valaes told the Revelstoke Mountaineer. She moved to Revelstoke a month after the end of last season and learned about Locals Day from a roommate.

Having both moved internationally for their careers, Valaes partner Vincent said many people assume they are just visiting because of their accent.

“But here I am, at Locals Day. Hopefully for so many more.”

For them, Locals Day feels like a right of passage for someone looking to call Revelstoke home for the long term, and they’re eager to attend more.

Proof of residency is needed for guests to gain Locals Day perks, whether government ID, mail or official documents including a Revelstoke address.

Along with reduced lift ticket prices and half off standard rentals, locals can take advantage of 50 per cent off high-performance rentals and $20 group lessons for Level 1 to Level 3 skiers.

The rest of the 2023-2024 season Locals Days are scheduled for January 14, March 10 and April 7 depending on weather and snow levels.

REACH OUT

I am working for you!

As your MLA I want to hear about what matters most to the people of Columbia River-Revelstoke www.DougClovechok.ca 1-844-432-2300 doug.clovechok.mla@leg.bc.ca

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LOCAL NEWS The Spanish Conversation club is one of various programs and groups available at the ORL Revelstoke library.

Photo provided by ORL Revelstoke library

REVELSTOKE LIBRARY HOME TO A HOST OF IN-PERSON CLUBS FROM BOOK CLUBS AND SPANISH CONVERSATION TO CRAFT CLUBS, THERE’S LOTS TO DO THIS WINTER AT THE LIBRARY.

By Lys Morton Okanagan Regional Library’s Revelstoke location is home to a collection of clubs this winter season. Cosy crafters and book lovers have choices this year, including the long-standing Craft Club and the newly-formed Silent Reading Club.

Inge Anhorn, long-time member of Craft Connections told Revelstoke Mountaineer the clubs offered at the library become cornerstones for social connections.

“Many members, this is the only time I get to see them,” Anhorn said. “And sometimes we get people from other countries, or visitors here only a few days or a few weeks.”

Lucie Bergeron, librarian at the Revelstoke location said Craft Connections, originally a knitting club, has become a popular space for all crafts and skill levels to join.

Additionally, the book club has been running for nearly 20 years, Bergeron

said. The Revelstoke library supports the club by bringing in books from other branches, and Bergeron noted the library is also able to support another book club or two if community members are interested.

For those looking to choose their own reading material but still meet up with fellow book lovers, the recently launched Silent Reading Club offers a chance for book lovers to come together and share space while reading their latest pick.

“The idea is simple, get together and read in companionable silence,” Bergeron said.

For a more boisterous time, Bergeron recommended checking out the Spanish Conversations Club, a place where folks of all levels can practice conversational Spanish and get help from community members also learning the language.

Another community-requested club is the weekly Chess Club, offering multiple boards so folks can drop in and play through a game or two.

“We are always willing to work with anyone who wants to start a program or do a presentation. Our mandate is to provide as much programming as we can for free.”

The clubs not only provide space for folks to explore their passions, but it also highlights the diverse nature of Revelstoke, with members from Sweden, Australia and other countries finding a place at Craft Connections.

“You’re not just connecting to the community,” Anhorn said. “You can also connect to the world.”

REVELSTOKE FOOD BANK RAISES $400,000 THROUGH HOLIDAY DONATIONS. IN PLACE OF GIFTS FOR THEIR HOLIDAY PROGRAM, REVELSTOKE FOOD BANK REQUESTED MONETARY DONATIONS TO MEET INCREASED NEED, NEARLY MEETING THEIR END-OF-YEAR GOAL.

By Lys Morton As need continues to increase, Community Connections Revelstoke Society (CCRS) sought to to combat food insecurity with an end-of-the-year fundraising goal of $150,000. Their goal was to double the usual $75,000 in community donations received each holiday season to meet the rising need.

As the food bank’s financial need led them to put other seasonal traditions on hold, they also prioritized food support before the holidays, rather than gifts.

While they didn’t quite meet their end-of-year goal of $150,000 for 2023, they fundraised a collective $140,000 in December, inducing a $10,000 donation from The Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) Holiday Train.

CPKC Kevin Hrysak, Director of Heritage Operations presented Revelstoke Mayor Gary Sulz and CCRS staff Hannah Whitney and Deborah Hogan with a cheque for the donation.

“This is you,” Hrysak told the crowd. “This is your community that you're supporting through these events."

Whitney told Revelstoke Mountaineer community donations added up to over $2,600 and 320 lbs of food on top of the $10,000 donated by CPKC. The money was “the most we have ever raised at the event in donations,” Witney said.

CCRS also received a collective $25,000 from Mackenzie Village and contractors working on the neighborhood expansion. A cheque was presented to CCRS by David Evans, Shelley Evans, Sheena Wells and Rick Kermack from Canyon Industrial Electrical. Jake-Jay Construction, Canyon Industrial

CCRS accepting a cheque from Mackenzie Village David Evans, Shelley Evans, Sheena Wells and Rick Kermack from Canyon Industrial Electrical. Photo provided by CCRS

Electrical, Light-weight Building Systems Inc., Eagle Builders and Chapman Mechanical Ltd. All contractors working on the Mackenzie Village project donated a combined $15,000 and Mackenzie Village matched the donation up to $10,000.

The need for donations comes at a time when the rising cost of living is bringing more clients to the food bank, while various funding streams are drying up, CCRS told Revelstoke Mountaineer.

“Funding that was present pre-COVID has not returned and COVID specific emergency funding has ended as well,” Hannah Whitney, CCRS’s community food and outreach coordinator explained. “It's kind of left us in this place of not really much funding to support the program to go around.”

How to donate to the Revelstoke Food Bank CCRS has set up various ways folks can financially donate to the Revelstoke Food Bank, including a virtual food drive, dropping off donations at the 2nd Street main office or by eTransfer to finance@community-connections.ca.

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2024 Publication Schedule Month

Issue Theme

Ad Submission Deadline

January

Dec. 16

February

Jan. 25

March

Feb. 22

April

The Home Issue

May June

Mar. 28 Apr. 25

The Bike Issue

May 30

July

June 27

August

July 25 Arts Annual

September

Aug. 29

October

Sept. 26

November

Oct. 24

December

The Winter Issue

Nov. 28

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NEWS make your backcountry adventure safer.

“It's just so important to educate everyone out there who wants to learn and wants to explore and discover a little bit of what the backcountry has to offer,” he said. “Even the fundamentals we teach throughout this Level 1 can be something life saving in the situations you might encounter, so it's quite important.”

Visit revelstokemountainresort.com for more information and to register for upcoming courses.

Build confidence in language and home skills with Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy

Participants in the avalanche skills training course.

Photo by Hywel Williams/Revelstoke Mountain Resort

NEW YEAR, NEW SKILLS:

OPPORTUNITIES TO GROW IN REVELSTOKE

THERE ARE A NUMBER OF LOCAL OPPORTUNITIES TO ACQUIRE A NEW SKILL IN 2024, FROM SAFETY SKILLS TO READING AND CRAFTS.

By Revelstoke Mountaineer Staff Thinking about New Year’s resolutions? Many Revelstoke organizations offer opportunities to learn something new, brush up on your skills or expand your creative frontiers. Here’s some of what’s in store for 2024.

Survive 2024 with Avalanche Skills Training from Revelstoke Mountain Resort Living in a mountain town comes with unique challenges, including the risk of avalanches. For Revelstoke powder hounds, backcountry explorers and heli-skiers, avalanche skills could very well be the difference between life and death.

Vincent Lafontaine, the Mountain Snow School director at Revelstoke Mountain Resort (RMR), chatted with the Mountaineer about the school’s Level 1 avalanche skills training course, available to participants ages 15 and up.

“We cover basic avalanche protocol, and safe mountain travel,” Lafontaine said. “Those are some of the other things that are discussed over a two-day course. It's practiced and taught by our own trainers on the mountain, and we follow the curriculum that's established by Avalanche Canada.”

The groups have a small student-to-instructor ratio, averaging eight people per course. Though the classes stay in the resort’s boundaries, Lafontaine said there is plenty of terrain that offers good situations to learn about the type of environment you might encounter in the backcountry.

For backcountry explorers, best practice is to never travel alone, and Lafontaine said a good portion of the Level 1 course is focused on companion rescue. Overall, the course is a great opportunity to jumpstart safety skills that will

The courses offered by the Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy Revelstoke (CBAL) are free ways to add numerous skills to your toolbox in 2024. In addition to many classes geared towards youngsters, CBAL teams up with local organizations to offer classes for adults.

Children and youth can work on their DIY skills in an array of sewing classes. Younger kids start off with hand sewing and the courses get progressively more involved for older students, said Koreen Morrone, CBAL’s community literacy outreach coordinator.

For teenagers, a current offering is an eco-sewing course, which teaches how to refurbish, fix and up-cycle fabrics. Because of the amount of interest in sewing fundamentals, Morrone said she plans to include an adult sewing class in 2024.

They also have a course dedicated to seniors called Telling Our Life in Stories, which allows participants to explore different eras of their lives and share what they learned.

“It's a journaling program, but it's more looking at actually telling their story,” Morrone explained.

“With seniors, they have so much to say, even though they don't necessarily think it, but especially like they've seen things and witnessed things that some generations would never even be able to fathom.”

Their scrapbooking class also helps participants tell their life stories, but through photos, words and mixed media.

For caregivers just starting their stories, CBAL also offers a program called Mother Goose. It’s for families with children under three, and helps build reading and bonding skills.

“We sing rhymes, we sing songs — and really the concept with that one is developing early literacy, like oral skills with children and helping the caregivers with ideas for songs. Because sometimes, you forget all the songs that you knew when you were little,” Morrone said. “So we're giving them early literacy skills along the way.”

For more information on upcoming classes, visit cbal.org/revelstoke.

Make Your Own Zine Workshop by Kira Makela will take place Jan. 7.

Photo by Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre

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Grow your creative side with Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre (RVAC) offers a range of classes and workshops, including many free opportunities to nurture your creative side.

The pottery classes are very popular and fill up quickly, said Taylor Sandell, programming director at RVAC. The centre also offers free drop-in art nights, various painting and drawing classes, poetry and creative writing and even an intro to power tools workshop.

“We run huge reams of workshops and lately we’ve kind of reestablished the programming committee as well, so the real focus on our workshops is connecting the Revelstoke community with a broad range of different mediums,” she told the Mountaineer.

In the past, Sandell said art has had the reputation of being daily exclusive, so RVAC is working to make it more accessible and broaden the programs being offered. As the centre’s classes are regularly selling out, Sandell added she feels they are having success in meeting the needs of Revelstoke’s craftiest.

For those who doubt their creativity, Sandell encouraged bravery and curiosity in exploring new art mediums or even jumping into making art for the first time.

“I’m a huge believer that art is for everybody, regardless of skill level or background,” she said. “Your work also doesn’t have to be ‘good.’ It can be because it feels good or because it is fun to make and explore. I think the best art is art that doesn’t have a lot of pressure on it, and personally my favourite art to make is ridiculous art.”

If you’re still intimidated by leaning into your creative side in a group setting, Sandell assured that most of the workshops offered are beginner-friendly and low pressure.

“Come on down, everybody is welcome!”

Visit revelstokeartgallery.ca/education/ for more information on workshops and to sign up for classes.

William Clack operates a machine at the Revelstoke Idea Factory.

Photo by Jamie Forbes

Fresh start, bright ideas with Revelstoke Idea Factory Revelstoke Idea Factory’s new membership model removes one more barrier for community members wanting to learn a new skill in the new year. The Idea Factory is a collaborative fabrication lab, offering training, support and equipment to bring ideas to life. Machines include laser cutters, 3-D printers and other equipment to digitally design and build your creations.

Potential members can now purchase a yearly membership at $50 and get one month of free equipment use. After one month of testing things and learning in the factory, users will be charged per minute of machine usage.

“That one month is sort of meant to get all the mistakes out of your system,” Clack said. New members can familiarize themselves with the equipment, trial project ideas and not worry about the cost of mistakes made while learning.

Clack and other supporters are also onsite to help share knowledge and troubleshoot hurdles on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.

“It’s hard to get just an intro to the machine and then come back and start using it right away,” Clack explained. “A lot of people seem to want to come back the next three or four times while I’m here. Then maybe the fifth or sixth time they’re comfortable coming in on their own and they won’t need any help.”

The free month of equipment usage is available to all new members until March 2024. The Idea Factory also hosts courses for available equipment, with membership included in the course cost. Visit revelstokeideafactory.ca to check out what’s available at the Idea Factory.

TOURISM TALKS Community Giving: Part 2 Last month we invited you to come check out our holiday photo station at the Big Eddy Winter Market to help raise funds for Community Connections. And Revelstoke, you did not disappoint! With over a hundred photos taken and 90+ Revelstoke Christmas cards distributed, we’re thrilled to announce that this event raised $3000 from the public to support our local food bank. With Tourism Revelstoke matching donations through this campaign, that brings the total fundraised from this evening to $6000!

In addition to this, Tourism Revelstoke was also prepared to contribute more funds in exchange for sign-ups to their marketing newsletter. Once again, Revelstokians pulled through, so we’re sharing an additional $17,000 with Community Connections this holiday season.

We had a great night spreading holiday cheer, pumping up the REVELSTOKE. brand, and meeting locals and visitors from around the world. Stay tuned for our next pop-up photo station fundraiser!

To read previous Tourism Talks columns and to learn about destination management in Revelstoke, head to DestinationRevelstoke.com or listen to Think Revelstoke wherever you get your podcasts.

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SPORTS Mount Macpherson 1964.

Heliskiers prior to leaving for Museum and Archives Photo provided by Revelstoke

FROM SNOWSHOES TO WORLD CLASS SKIING – OVER A CENTURY OF SNOW SPORTS IN REVELSTOKE A LOOK BACK AT THE COLOURFUL HISTORY OF THE WINTER SPORTS WE HOLD DEAR.

By Connor Arsenault Revelstoke hasn’t been around for quite so long as some other towns, especially when you look towards Eastern Canada, but we take the lead when it comes to all the creative ways we make the most of the snow that descends on these mountains year after year.

Snow sports here in Revelstoke owe their beginnings to the humble snowshoe. According to the Ontario Heritage Trust, Indigenous peoples throughout North America have been using snowshoes to travel across snowy landscapes for at least 10,000 years. Originally modeled after the large feet of the animals that make snowy winters their home such as snowshoe hares, lynx and bears, snowshoes have been helping people stay afloat in snow since time immemorial.

When Europeans first came to the region around the turn of the 19th Century, they recognized the value of snowshoes and quickly adopted this technology. According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, snowshoes in Western

Canada were originally made from pliable birch wood and deer, caribou or moose hide.

Snowshoes were the preferred method of winter locomotion in this valley until one miner from Norway called Ole Sandberg used homemade wooden skis to descend from his mining claim in Albert Canyon. According to The Revelstoke Museum and Archives, these “Norwegian snowshoes” were up to 10 feet long and mostly used for transportation, but it didn’t take long for them to gain momentum with the sportier crowd in town.

From snowshoes to the Big Hill One of the many Scandinavian immigrants to arrive in Revelstoke in the early 1900s, Nels Nelson contributed to popularizing the sport of skiing, which has its roots in Scandinavia. After arriving from Norway at the age of 18, he quickly went on to become one of the leaders of his cohort in ski-jumping, and he was one of the main proponents of the creation of the “Big Hill” on Mount Revelstoke. This was the biggest-ever natural contour ski-jump in Canada, according to Parks Canada, and the site of many new ski-jumping world records by Nelson and his contemporaries. It can still be seen to this day from downtown Revelstoke.

The Big Hill played host to many competitions over nearly six decades, and served as the proving ground for so many young Revelstokians in the early

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Called the "Big Hill," this natural contour ski jump on Mount Revelstoke was the scene of many ski-jumping world records and international competitions.

Photo by Connor Arsenault

20th century. Not the least of these fearless athletes was Isabel Coursier, whose statue stands in front of City Hall. Coursier was the first woman to set world records in ski-jumping here in Revelstoke and served as a champion of the sport for women of her generation.

A fact that still proves true today, Revelstokians have always been at the forefront of athletic pursuits. According to Parks Canada, the Big Hill was such a steep and committing jump that in a competition in 1931, visiting jumpers and judges from Eastern Canada deemed it too extreme and refused to have their competition there. That same day, Bob Lymbourne of Revelstoke still sent it on the Big Hill with four spectacular jumps to great local acclaim.

Longtime local Dave Threatful, born in Revelstoke in 1945, reminisced while speaking with the Mountaineer about ski jumping and the Tournament of Champions that was held yearly in the 1950s and 1960s.

“I remember the ski jump, I remember 1958, ’56, ’57 in Mount Revelstoke National Park. People gather up there and watch the skiers. They had to pack the hill before the skiing started. The guys would be up there, getting the snow just right before the big tournament.”

Threatful also recalled his family using skis as a means of transportation.

“My father and my uncles, they were born on skis. They’d ski to town from my grandfather, [William Threatful’s] farm at Mount Macpherson and ski back.

That was in the 1920s. Roads weren’t plowed. There were really no roads in those days anyways, just trails… Highway 23 didn’t exist at the time.”

Vera Threatful, one of William’s daughters describes in Pioneers of Revelstoke how her brothers and the boys at that time would make their own skis out of birchwood and build their own ski hills in the neighbourhood.

The shift to machine-powered mountain movement Over time, engines began to replace the need for all that human power to get around, and the snowmobile was born.

Snowmobiling, or sledding, that popular sport which some people use to access powder deeper and deeper in the backcountry and some enjoy for its own sake came to Revelstoke in the late 1940s. As reported by Revelstoke local Earle Dickey in the Vancouver Sun in 1948, the first snowmobile in Revelstoke was called a motor toboggan with a 25 horsepower engine. It was owned by

Angus Beaton, Louis Bergen and Snow mobile.

Photo provided by Revelstoke Museum and Archives

Louie Berger, who used it to get to and from Boat Encampment, 160 kilometres north of Revelstoke.

In his article, Dickey referred to this first snowmobile as “mechanized dogs,” as it served to replace dog-sled teams for frontiersmen travelling along snowedin routes.

One look at Revelstoke these days and it isn’t hard to tell that there’s one other type of machine that has taken the ski world by storm.

Used for the first time to transport skiers to the top of a mountain over 50 years ago, helicopters have since soared in popularity for transporting people to the deepest and most incredible powder these mountains have to offer.

According to Tourism Revelstoke, the first heli-ski trip in Revelstoke was to the summit of Mount Macpherson in 1964, when three local men were flown to the summit and took four hours to make their way back down to the base of the mountain.

Now, heli-skiing as an industry is flourishing here in Revelstoke, with countless companies holding tenure in the mountains around town.

Since the opening of Revelstoke Mountain Resort in 2007, and the myriad technological innovations of ski-touring gear, practically everyone is now able to access legendary terrain and snow.

The history of winter sports here in Revelstoke has taken many twists and turns, and the limits continue to be surpassed and horizons broadened by Revelstokians. Snow sports are evolving and local shredders are taking these sports to new heights. Who knows what developments we’ll see in the years to come? The only thing for certain is that Revelstokians are sure to keep leading the way in pioneering new ways to get out and enjoy this winter wonderland.

Heather Lodge and Skiers. Pho

to provided by Revelstoke Mu

seum and Archives

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LOCAL NEWS

REVELSTOKE READY: IS YOUR BUSINESS PREPARED FOR EMERGENCIES?

The Community Futures Development Corporation (CFDC) of Revelstoke hosts programs like Revelstoke Ready to help businesses prepare for emergencies.

Photo courtesy of CFDC

REVELSTOKE READY SUPPORTS LOCAL BUSINESSES IN EMERGENCY PREPARATION WITH WORKSHOPS AND ONLINE TUTORIALS.

By Melissa Jameson

In 2017, The Community Futures Development Corporation (CFDC) of Revelstoke, a non-profit agency that supports local entrepreneurs, hosted a business continuity workshop. Only two businesses showed up.

When the program originally launched, one of the emergencies it covered was a pandemic. In December 2019, that scenario came to pass with COVID-19, and Carolyn Gibson who works as a coach with Startup Revelstoke, a CFDC program that helps new entrepreneurs through networking, educational seminars, oneon-one coaching and mentoring, said many local businesses were left scrambling without a plan in place. That was the catalyst for Revelstoke Ready, offered as an online tutorial on CFDC’s website, and through occasional in-person workshops.

After looking at the information from the sparsely-attended business continuity workshop, Gibson immediately realized the 77-page document wasn’t going to fly with small business owners.

“During COVID, we decided to relaunch this program and rebrand it as Revelstoke Ready to help business owners simplify it a bit more, so they could be ready for any of the emergencies when they might happen,” Gibson said during an interview with the Mountaineer.

How can you be Revelstoke Ready?

The Revelstoke Ready program explores all the possible emergency scenarios that could happen in Revelstoke, from quite likely to rare, and helps businesses prepare for each of these scenarios, Gibson explained. While many people have emergency-related grab-and-go checklists at their homes in case of fires, utility outages or flooding, it’s not always the same case for local businesses. However, Gibson pointed out that many people spend a majority of their time at work, so it’s well worth having an emergency plan in place. “[Your staff] might not be able to get home,” Gibson said. “You might not be able to get home.”

During the workshop presentations, Gibson said she highlights the importance of having critical business information handy – including a General Sales Tax number, employee contact information, and information on key suppliers and major customers, along with a basic emergency contact list.

She recommends printing out paper copies of these documents and other

important information as well, citing a recent visit to the Revelstoke Chamber’s monthly coffee chat, along with representatives from the Revelstoke RCMP and Revelstoke Fire Rescue Services, where they discussed scenarios involving the loss of cell towers and internet.

Revelstoke Ready workshops also include information on preparing evacuation guides, and making sure your business has the right type of insurance as well as other ways to mitigate risk.

“You want to avoid risk, but what we’re talking about are natural disasters, wildfires or something you can’t avoid,” she said.

How can you mitigate risk?

Ensure you have security cameras, back-ups of your computers, up-to-date insurance and the right type of coverage, Gibson said.

It’s also a good practice to go around your place of business with a video camera a few times a year, as a way to document all of the assets.

Perhaps one of the most integral pieces of information centres on knowing how to get information from the city during an emergency. During a recent workshop, Gibson said only a few people were aware of the phone app Alertable, which provides emergency alerts via cell phone notifications.

A good emergency preparedness plan goes beyond knowing where to look for information though. It’s also imperative for businesses to ensure any contact information is updated. Prior to COVID, Gibson was working with other outreach advisors in Merritt and Hope and in one case, the city had out-of-date information, which made it difficult to get critical information out to business owners.

“Maybe your cell number has changed, does the city have that?” Gibson asked. “The other part, I think from Hope, is that some stores were closed and some weren’t. One of the stores after the wildfires, didn’t update [its] online information or voicemail. They were open but no one knew they were open.

They got to go back earlier because they were essential, but they didn’t bother updating any of the communication strategies.”

You can find more information about Revelstoke Ready, including the online tutorial, on the CFDC website. An in-person workshop is being planned for spring 2024.

The best time to become your best is now.

Begin You. Freemasons

revelstoke15@gmail.com

19

ARTS

REVELSTOKE VISUAL ARTS CENTRE ENTERS THE NEW YEAR WITH FRESH EXHIBITS

By Revelstoke Mountaineer Staff New year, new art! Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre (RVAC) debuts new exhibits ongoing until Jan. 28.

Antonia Otoya is a new artist to Revelstoke. Photo by Aaron Orlando

VISTO by Antonia Otoya Antonia Otoya is a mural artist and her new exhibit VISTO explores a unique but universal experience.

“It’s a collection of paintings and murals that showcase the duality of being a newcomer to a foreign land, being constantly amazed by the beauty of nature and the loneliness of being surrounded by strangers,” she told the Mountaineer.

Check out her recent work on instagram @anto.otoya.

Axel Morrison’s art explores self expression. Photo submitted by Axel Morrison

STRENGTHENING THE PLACES WE LOVE

Headspace by Axel Morrison Morrison’s exhibit Headspace is a mixed media project inspired by the concept of self expression.

“With the current complex environments we all navigate in a digital world, it’s interesting to explore the mixed visual elements that can represent ourselves,” Morrison told the Mountaineer.

Check out more of Morrison’s work on his instagram @axel.savoury or on his website axelmorrison.com.

Andrea Simmonds. Photo submitted by Andrea Simmonds

Meadows in the Sky by Andrea Simmonds Simmonds exhibit Meadows in the Sky is inspired by the alpine wildflower meadows and “the celestial influences that shape these places.”

“I see the stars as a reflection of the plants, and was taken by the way the sunlight hits petals midday,” she said. “In short, the show is inspired by place, petals, and stars.”

Find more of her art on her website andreasimmonds.com.

Admission to the Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre is a $5 suggested donation, and members get in free. For more information about this month’s exhibitions, visit revelstokeartgallery.ca.

Columbia Basin Trust gratefully operates on the unceded traditional territories of the Ktunaxa, Lheidli T’enneh, Secwépemc, Sinixt and Syilx Nations.

ourtrust.org/stories

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ARTS/CULTURE

PEOPLE LIKE US SCREENING RAISES $4,500 FOR OPEN MOUNTAINS PROJECT’S WINTER PROGRAMS FOR YOUTH LOCAL FILMMAKER RYAN COLLINS’ DIRECTORIAL DEBUT SCREENED AT REVELSTOKE PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE IN DECEMBER TO A SOLD OUT THEATRE.

By Lys Morton A screening of local filmmaker Ryan Collins’ People Like Us, hosted by Arts Revelstoke at the Revelstoke Performing Arts Centre in December, offered the sold-out theatre a peek into the 2SLGBTQ+ communities on the slopes.

Before the screening, guests had a chance to peruse through a pop-up market and connect with Open Mountain Project, a 2SLGBTQ+ supportive outdoor activities group in Revelstoke. Proceeds for ticket sales were donated to Open Mountains Project’s winter programs for youth and QTBIPOC skiers and snowboarders, totalling over $4,500.

“It is fantastic to see our community gather to support not only a local filmmaker but also the queer community in Revelstoke,” Nora Hughes, general manager for Arts Revelstoke told Revelstoke Mountaineer.

People Like Us, the film People Like Us holds two truths at the same time: 2SLGBTQ+ folks often feel isolated in rural Canadian towns and the overall outdoor sport culture, and there is community to be found within these spaces.

While the film largely focuses on the Revelstoke area, Collins told the Mountaineer that stories throughout rural mountain towns in B.C. share the same themes.

Craft Beers & New Menu!

People Like Us showcased queer spaces within mountain towns and outdoor sport communities.

Photo submitted by People Like Us

“It's really easy to feel isolated when a core part of yourself is not being seen, or even feeling like you don't have that strength in numbers,” Collins explained, noting isolation is a feeling that affects all marginalized communities within snow sports and outdoor sport communities.

At the screening, Hughes said a panel of 2SLGBTQ+ community members featured in the film and from around Revelstoke provided a space for community to discuss the themes of the film and personal experiences finding queer communities in mountain towns and outdoor sport spaces.

The film itself interviews skiers, snowboarders and other 2SLGBTQ+ outdoor sport enthusiasts, who share tales of finding community on the slopes, ski lifts and throughout the town. It also affirms the feelings 2SLGBTQ+ folks might have when a larger sport community welcomes you but doesn’t provide space for a key part of your identity.

“In regards to rural living, I think everyone felt that sense of being on display,” Collins said of the common threads in the stories shared in People Like Us. Whether youth building the courage to explore their identity, or adults trying to find space to be fully themselves, Collins said the small-town vibe can stifle the fluidity of identity.

“There's a lack of anonymity in these towns.”

Collins wanted People Like Us to answer personal questions on why he felt detached from these seemingly open spaces as well as provide answers and comfort to the rural mountain 2SLGBTQ+ community as a whole.

The way outdoor sport spaces can have blinders on when it comes to inclusion is another part of mountain culture Collins hopes the documentary can shine a spotlight on.

“There are groups of people, whether they're queer or BIPoC, that definitely aren't experiencing these spaces in the same way as they are.”

There are voices still lacking within the documentary Collins added, a symptom of those voices missing in mountain towns, and also still overshadowed within 2SLGBTQ+ spaces.

“The lack of that diversity is a pretty solid representation of the reality of these communities. As cis, white queer people it's maybe easier for us to fit in, for lack of a better word. But for anyone that's BIPoC or trans, [ski towns] are probably very unwelcoming spaces.”

For Collins, that fact remains a continued call to action for his spaces and the overall world of mountain towns and outdoor sports.

“It's something that I think people should maybe open their eyes up to as proof that maybe there's some change that could take place.”

COME FOR APRES! Tasting Room Thursday to Sunday 12-8pm

Retail & Beer Store Monday-Wednesday 12-5pm Thursday-Sunday 12-8pm 2155 Oak Dr, Revelstoke (Catch the Resort Shuttle)

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Christina Lustenberger, Jim Morrison and Nick McNutt make their way up the Karakoram Mountain range in Pakistan in the new film Legend Has It. Photo by Griffin Kerwin/Teton Gravity Research

the Mountaineer, noting the event at the Revelstoke Performing Arts Centre saw nearly 200 people in attendance. Revelstoke had the second highest attendance, with Vernon’s premiere in top spot.

To raise funds for the Re-Hub, film attendees had the option to purchase a raffle ticket for $10. A total of $370 was raised in Revelstoke. The winner of the raffle was Mick Lough of Kimberly who won an overnight stay and heli-ski at Mike Wiegele’s in Blue River.

Argouin also gave a shout-out to Revelstoke Mountain Resort for its part in helping to promote the film’s showing in Revelstoke along with donating merchandise for the raffle.

Legend Has It, the film

LEGEND HAS IT FILM TOUR RAISES FUNDS FOR KOOTENAYBASED NON-PROFIT ‘REVELSTOKE WAS ONE OF THE BEST EVENTS,’ SAYS KORE BOARD MEMBER, NOTING HIGH ATTENDANCE AND INTEREST.

By Melissa Jameson A recent film tour of Teton Gravity Research’s film, Legend Has It featuring Revelstoke local Christina Lustenberger raised a total of $1500 for Kootenay Outdoor Research Enterprise (KORE). The money will be used to write a grant to help fund the non-profit’s new project, the KORE Re-Hub Centre.

According to information on KORE’s website, Re-Hub “is the Kootenay-based centre for outdoor gear circularity.”

The hub is an outdoor gear and up-cycling facility that focuses on gear repair, repurposing textiles from gear users and major outdoor gear manufacturers with an overall goal of sustainable change across the industry.

Organized by KORE board member Francis Argouin, the six-stop film premiere tour started off in Kimberly in October with the final stop taking place in Invermere at the end of November. Other stops included Vernon, Cranbrook, Kamloops and Revelstoke. Revelstoke was the only stop to include a double feature of Teton Gravity Research (TGR) films with a showing of Flying High following Legend Has It. “Revelstoke was one of the best events,” Argouin said in an interview with

Inspired by ski lore, legendary tales of mythical storm cycles, heroic feats and whispers of fantastical terrain, the film builds on the stories told on chairlifts, backcountry skin tracks or over beers.

Legend Has It features a cast of world-renowned skiers and riders including B.C.-natives like Ian Mcintosh, Janelle Yip, Marcus Goguen, Nick McNutt, Alex Armstrong and Revelstoke’s own Christina Lustenberger. Lustenberger, who moved to Revelstoke 16 years ago, is an ACMG accredited guide and former racer with the Canadian Ski Team.

It’s in Pakistan that Lustenberger appears, joined by McNutt and Jim Morrison, as they ready to ascend the Karakoram Mountain range. While it’s not shown in the film, that ascent had to wait, both for weather to improve and for illness to make its way through the trio. All in, they waited eight days in camp before they could make the ascent.

“The mountains there are beautiful, exactly what your imagination would build them up to be,” Lustenberger said in a phone interview with the Mountaineer. “Looking at the line, it’s a climbing route so it’s hard to find out exactly when the most ideal time would be to go there. It’s fun, you have to completely figure it out on your own and try to crack the code of the area.”

Ultimately, Lustenberger and the team weren’t able to crack that code, making them all the more determined to return. Still, in her eyes the trip was a success.

“We all came home safely; I think that’s always at the forefront of those big trips,” she explained. “We learned a lot in terms of what we could do there.”

THE PERFORMANCE SERIES REVELSTOKE PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE | WINTER PROGRAM 2024

BILL USHER AND THE SPACE HEATERS MUSIC FRIDAY JAN 12 | 7:30 PM THE LAST STOP: CANADAS LOST LOCOMOTIVE FILM/DISCUSSION SATURDAY JAN 20 | 7:30 PM SNOTTY NOSE REZ KIDS MUSIC WEDNESDAY JAN 31 | 7:30 PM DAVID FRANCEY MUSIC SATURDAY FEB 3 | 7:30 PM RAINBOW DANCE THEATRE KIDS THEATRE SATURDAY FEB 10 | 3:00 PM ALEX ZERBE: THE ZANIAC KIDS THEATRE SUNDAY MAR 3 | 3:00 PM BALLET KELOWNA: TAQEŠ DANCE SATURDAY MAR 16 | 7:30 PM THE VERY OLD MAN WITH ENORMOUS WINGS KIDS THEATRE FRIDAY APR 12 | 7:30 PM PHARRIS AND JASON ROMERO MUSIC THURSDAY APR 18 | 7:30PM TICKETS:

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20 Archie's "Dingbat" 22 Old French coins 25 Tour takers' trips, often 27 Easily taken by whim 30 Love handle?

31 "Am ___ the right track?"

32 Boozers 34 ___Hammarskjold ('50s U.N. head) 35 Close, to Coleridge 37 Parkinson's treatment 39 Frosty's makeup 43 Fish caught in a pot 45 Becomes compost 47 Lei wearer's instrument, for short 48 Dismissed as foolish 52 Sees red 54 Get closer to, as the truth 56 Dirt biker's road hazards 57 Lay ___ (bomb bigtime) 58 Beyond rescue, in the E.R. 60 Alias abbrs.

63 The whole gamut ... and how the circled words progress 67 "Relax, troops" 68 Canoeist 69 Strings that stand taller than their players 70 Skirmishes Down 1 ___ en scène (stage setting) 2 Soon, once 3 ___ for a bruising 4 Pom or peke 5 Letter carrier?: Abbr.

6 Word after new or old

There’s more online.

by Barbara Olson © ClassiCanadian Crosswords 1

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A Happy, Healthy New Year to All! Trust a Local Real Estate Expert I work hard and play hard in the Robson Valley! $999,900 MLS#R2821485 1485 Cranberry Lake Rd - 29 acres - 6 bed, 5 bath - Income helper - Only 2 minutes from town!

I would love to hear from you with any of your Real Estate needs or quessons about our area!

250-566-1022 Sherrimalone@royallepage.ca properresinvalemount.com

Sherri Malone

Residennal & Commercial Realtor Serving Valemount and the Robson Valley

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P: Dan Stewart