Revelstoke Mountaineer Magazine November 2023 issue

Revelstoke Library goes fines free. p · 8.

Stoke Roasted Coffee celebrates 15 years. p · 10.

Revelstoke hosts Bio-Heat Summit. p · 12.

NOVEMBER/2023 Revelstoke marks Orange Shirt Day with march and meals. p · 14.

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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 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

COVER AND INSET PHOTO: Marchers honour Orange Shirt Day in Revelstoke as organizers called for more community supports.

Photo by Lys Morton

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

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

WEBSITE Chris Payne chris@revelstokemountaineer.com

Introduction It’s soup season. I say that after spending a weekend batch cooking enough soup to last me a couple of weeks. Pair that with Melissa Jameson’s interview with book review and bread baker Hannah Griffin and we’ve got some cosy vibes going on. Add a cup of Stoke Roasted coffee and we are set for the winter season rolling in.

Getting settled in for the winter doesn’t mean things grind to a halt in the community, of course. This issue we also look at two community actions, the Orange Shirt Day march and the Protect Old Growth day of action. While the Orange Shirt Day march took place Sept. 30, October’s issue went to press the week before the demonstration.

Over one month later,I’m still thinking of what organizers Marlene Krug and Michelle Cole said about the purpose behind Orange Shirt Day.

“This day isn’t for Indigenous communities.

This is for Canada to acknowledge its history.”

It was a call to action, for community members to step up and take on the planning of future actions on Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, instead of expecting Indigenous communities to take on that mental and emotional labour.

It’s a call to action I’m still thinking about as we wrap up this month’s issue. Read the full story to learn by example ways you can contribute next year, whether it is providing food or helping with logistics, it is vital we all take part in reconciliation.

- Lys Morton, Community Reporter

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CONTENTS 6

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

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REVELSTOKE LIBR ARY GOES FINES FREE ALONGSIDE ALL OK ANAGAN REGIONAL LIBR ARY BR ANCHES Revelstoke library will no longer charge late fees on any materiels, citing the move as a way to keep patrons using the library.

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COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS REVELSTOKE’S OUTREACH BUILDING UNDER CONSTRUCTION CCRS’s drop-in assistant Meg Wheelwright says key services will be held at the main office and the food bank will remain operating.

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STOKE ROASTED COFFEE CELEBR ATES 15 YEARS The local roaster chats about a changing coffee market, what makes someone open up a roaster house and trying to keep from gentrifying their own home town.

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PROVINCE-WIDE DAY OF ACTION AGAINST OLD GROWTH LOGGING FINDS SUPPORT IN REVELSTOKE Local conservation group Wildsight led marchers through downtown Revelstoke, calling on B.C. to fulfil their old growth protection promise.

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REVELSTOKE HOSTS BIO-HEAT SUMMIT Learn more about the recent Bio-Heat Summit in Revelstoke, which may bring innovation to Canada’s oldest bio-energy heating system.

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REVELSTOKE MARKS OR ANGE SHIRT DAY WITH MARCH AND SHARED MEALS The Revelstoke Mountaineer chats with Orange Shirt Day march organizers to learn more about what the community can do to take part in future demonstrations and work toward reconciliation.

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GOOD BOOK, GOOD BREAD MIXES COSY WITH CREATIVE The Mountaineer chats with a local who turned her full-time job into a part-time passion, delivering book reviews in a tasty way.

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PUZZLE WITH A PUNCH Crossword Puzzle

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NOVEMBER 2023 CALENDAR SATURDAY, NOV. 4 SUNDAY, NOV. 5 DRUM MAKING WORKSHOP

THURSDAY, NOV. 2

Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre, 302 Wilson St., 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

OPEN GAMES NIGHT

Revelstoke Railway Museum, 719 Track St W, 5 p.m. - 9 p.m.

NOVEMBER EVENTS

Every Thursday evening is Games Night at the Revelstoke Railway Museum, Bring your own game or choose from the selection available provided by local games store Legends & Heroes. Bring a friend or fly solo and get a team going. $5 cover charge per player.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 1

FRIDAY, NOV. 3

YIN YOGA WITH CYNTHIA GAUVREAU

FILM FRIDAY: REVELSTOKE - A KISS IN THE WIND

Revelstoke Community Centre, 600 Campbell Ave, 4:15 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.

Join Cynthia Gauvreau for drop in yoga at the Revelstoke Community Centre every Wednesday for November and December. All experience levels are encouraged to join in, ages 16 and up are welcome to joining (participants under 18 require guardian consent). $11 per class.

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

Join Revelstoke Museum and Archives for a screening of the Italian film Revelstoke - A Kiss in the Wind. This documentary follows a young man tracing the journey his great-grandfather took immigrating to Canada.

Through a series of letters written to his great-grandfather’s wife, Nicola Moruzzi brings this story to life.

Join Indigenous Friendship Society of Revelstoke and Tourism Revelstoke for a two day drum making workshop. Cree artist Shelley Ben will walk you through the steps of making your own authentic drum, no experience necessary. $300 per person includes all materials needed, sliding scale prices available. Contact by email at indigenousrevelstoke@gmail. com to register and for more information.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 8 BROWN BAG HISTORY, REVELSTOKE DURING WORLD WAR I AND WORLD WAR II

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

Bring your bag lunch and join museum curator Cathy English to learn more about the First and Second World War’s impact on Revelstoke and the surrounding area. $8 admission fee, tickets available at revelstokemuseum.ca or at the museum. Due to staff allergies, the museum requests all outside food do not contain peanuts.

THURSDAY, NOV. 9 REVELSTOKE FARMERS’ MARKET Revelstoke Community Centre, 600 Campbell Ave, 11 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Colder weather doesn’t mean enjoying local produce and products has to end. Join the Revelstoke Local Food Initiative at the community centre for the indoor farmers market every second Thursday. Explore locally made gifts and locally grown foods in the multi purpose rooms two and three.

FRIDAY, NOV. 10 STOKE FM STAND-UP COMEDY FESTIVAL

The Roxy Theatre, 115 MacKenzie Ave, 7 p.m.

Stoke FM Radio Society along with Kate Burrell TV presents Kate Belton, Kathleen McGee, Aaron Read, Dino the Beloved and Katie Burrell for a standup comedy festival at The Roxy Theatre. Doors open at 7 p.m. with DJ Chunk, show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets on sale now at Society Snow and Skate, $35 cash only. Enjoy a live auction between sets with fantastic prizes, and drinks for sale.

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Stoke FM Radio Society along with Kate Burrell TV presents a stand-up comedy festival at The Roxy Theatre.

Photo by Stoke FM

The Revelstoke Farmers' Market will be inside for winter beginning Nov. 9.

Photo by Revelstoke Local Food Initiative and Farmers' Market

FRIDAY, NOV. 10 LEGEND HAS IT PREMIERE SCREENING

Revelstoke Performing Arts Centre, 1007 Vernon Ave, 6:30 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Enjoy the premiere of Legend Has It, a documentary capturing the tales told on ski hills around the world of legendary spots. Teton Gravity Research has spent the last 28 years traveling the globe with skiers to find some of the most sought after ski trails.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 22 BROWN BAG HISTORY, MT. BEGBIE SCHOOL

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

FRIDAY, NOV. 24 HELL BENT FOR DENIM 2023 The Last Drop Pub, 200 3 St W, Revelstoke, 8 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Red Deer’s High End Denim Records presents Hell Bent for Denim 2023 at The Last Drop Pub. Rock out to a free night of punk rock from local Canadian bands Upside Down Man from Calgary and Let’s Go from Kamloops.

Bring your bag lunch and join Rosemary Tracy in exploring the history of Mt. Begbie school and its evolution over the years. $8 admission fee, tickets available at revelstokemuseum.ca or at the museum. Due to staff allergies, the museum requests all outside food do not contain peanuts.

An open games night will be held at the Revelstoke Railway Museum Nov. 2.

Photo by Aaron Orlando

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NEWS BRIEFS

Revelstoke librarian Lucy Bergeron.

Photo by Revelstoke library

REVELSTOKE LIBRARY GOES FINES FREE ALONGSIDE ALL OKANAGAN REGIONAL LIBRARY BRANCHES ‘JUST COMPLETE JUBILATION’: LIBRARIANS CHEER ON THE MOVE TO MAKE LIBRARIES MORE ACCESSIBLE.

By Lys Morton Revelstoke Library, along with all branches of the Okanagan Regional Library (ORL) has gone entirely fines free as of Sept. 26, 2023. The move solidifies a Covid-19 response policy that halted fines during the pandemic to ease access to library resources and materials. ORL joins Vancouver Island Regional Library and nearly 50 other B.C. libraries that have gone either partially or entirely fines free.

“It was just complete jubilation,” Lucie Bergeron, Revelstoke Library community librarian told Revelstoke Mountaineer about the mood from staff when ORL announced the change.

“It felt like this took a long time for those of us who are seeing this as a way for libraries to go.”

Instead of occurring late fees, patrons will have 30 days post the due date to return materials. If after 30 days the materials have not been returned a bill for a replacement fee will be sent out and noted on the patron’s account. If the materials are brought back within six months the charge will be wiped.

“Obviously, if the book is lost or damaged, we will charge for that,” Bergeron explained.

In a press release, ORL stated eliminating late fees will allow library staff to better help patrons and maintain the space, and Bergeron agrees.

“We don't have to deal with all these huge fines and just the library shame

that goes along with fines that we don't care about, but our patrons do,” Bergeron said.

ORL recorded an overall increase in library usage since suspending fines and while the Revelstoke library hasn’t officially noted an increase in patronage Bergeron said she has seen patrons returning.

“We’re still getting people returning who haven’t been since covid,” she explained. “This is one more way to make people comfortable in accessing the library.”

Removing fines has been cited as an accessibility move by library organizations and supporters, but it’s not the only accessibility need ORL is working to address. ORL announced the formation of an Accessibility Committee and has implemented an audit of all branches and resources.

“Poverty reduction is a huge mandate for the library, but also working on that physical accessible space,” Bergeron said, noting the Revelstoke branch will continue to see accessibility improvements in the coming months along with ones already in place.

“To the gender-expansive community, we’re trying to be a safe haven,” Bergeron explained.

Library patrons who use a name not included on legal ID can have a chosen name on their card and used as reference throughout the library with a legal name only tied to the account in an administration stage, something ORL has been doing for years according to Bergeron.

Patrons looking to return to the library can visit the Revelstoke branch at Revelstoke Community and Aquatic Centre or the ORL online portal. To sign up for a card, residents can start the process through the ORL online card sign up and pick the card up the next time they visit their home library, or they can bring a piece of mail with their current address to their local library.

If an address is a potential barrier, Bergeron encourages future patrons to still come in.

“There are ways we can make it work out so you can access your library.”

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to 1 p.m., Wednesdays 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Drop in times allow community members to inquire about housing resources and health supports and access the Community Drop-in, a program providing space for residents to connect with each other and create relationships.

While Wheelwright acknowledged timelines can change during construction, CCRS has been given an estimated timeline of six weeks for the project. She encourages clients and community members to keep an eye on CCRS’s social media channels for updates or call the main office at (250) 837-2920 for the latest information.

“We'll try and keep as much up to date information there if we're expecting longer delays and things like that.”

Revelstoke Community Connections outreach office will be getting some much needed renovations starting Oct. 19.

Photo by Lys Morton

SOINTULA MASSAGE AND DAY SPA

MASSAGE

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS REVELSTOKE’S OUTREACH BUILDING UNDER CONSTRUCTION KEY SERVICES AT THE MAIN OFFICE AND THE FOOD BANK WILL REMAIN AVAILABLE DURING CONSTRUCTION.

By Lys Morton Community Connections Revelstoke Society’s (CCRS) outreach building at 416 2 St. West began renovations Oct. 19, including a bathroom upgrade.

Meg Wheelwright, CCRS’s drop-in assistant at the outreach building said clients will still be able to access key programs and services during construction.

“We still have our wonderful food bank set up,” Wheelwright told Revelstoke Mountaineer. “In sort of its own space of the building, all of our food bank hours are going to remain the same in the same location.”

CCRS’s food bank is open Mondays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., with priority pickups for families, Wednesdays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., with a priority pick up for seniors. The food bank operates in the lower level of the community outreach building with a side access door that will not be affected by construction. The outreach kitchen space will also remain operational for all partner and program uses.

“If anybody is coming to access the kitchen for cooking classes, coming to volunteer in the kitchen or rent the space for themselves, that's still going ahead at the same location,” Wheelwright explained.

Construction will impact the main office spaces at the outreach location, affecting drop-in service hours. Resources and services will be moved to the main CCRS location at 314 Second St. East. The change in location won’t alter the schedule, with drop in times remaining the same. Mondays 10 a.m.

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NEWS Stoke Roasted Coffee owner Mark Hartley can be found at the Local Food Initiative Farmers Market providing fresh coffee and beans.

Photo by Lys Morton

STOKE ROASTED COFFEE CELEBRATES 15 YEARS REVELSTOKE’S ‘FIRST’ LOCAL ROASTER WANTED TO CREATE ROOTS IN THE COMMUNITY.

By Lys Morton Stoke Roasted Coffee Company has been providing locally roasted coffee to Revelstoke and the surrounding areas for fifteen years now. During that time, the roaster has adapted to Revelstoke’s changing coffee scene, survived the Covid-19 pandemic, navigated relocation and generally weathered the storms of varying economic climates.

The desire to stick around Revelstoke and find stability in a town governed heavily by the seasons was a key point in co-founder and owner Mark Hartley’s decision to open the roastery.

“I was a ski bum, I wanted a job that was going to keep me here full time, give some more stability,” he said.

That need to establish deeper roots in the community combined with the popularity of a cup of coffee after a day on the slopes led to the opening of Stoke Roasted. Even from the beginning, Hartley and his former partner were aware of who their long-term clients would be.

“When we started, we were pretty determined not to be part of the gentrification of town,” Hartley said at the Local Food Initiative Farmers' Market Oct. 14. “Our goal always was to have a diverse array of coffee, something for everyone. And to

keep it affordable for the people who have been here working blue collar jobs for forever.”

It’s a business move Hartley notes led to tighter profit margins and more financial anxiety, but one that seems to have endeared Stoke Roasted to the community at large.

Stoke Roasted held a party held to celebrate fifteen years working in Revelstoke Oct. 5, inviting partygoers to join them at their roasting location near Revelstoke airport. The event was designed to accommodate the wide range of clientele they serve, with family-friendly fun at the beginning of the event then slowly morphing to more of a mature party vibe. Still, Hartley noted that the whole gang stayed around to celebrate and enjoy local music, food truck treats and a bouncy castle.

“We thought it would transition from familyfriendly fun to a bunch of dirtbags and riff raff,” he said.” But they all showed up at the same time, and then they all left at 8:30 p.m. too.”

The clientele that visit the farmers’ market booth are a fraction of those who choose Stoke Roasted as their main source of coffee, whether from their website, the market or the various grocery stores around town selling the beans. While Hartley notes the approaching end of outdoor market season has seen a drop in customers, more than a dozen

stopped by the booth during our interview, seeking to refill their cup or grab a bag of their Stoke Roasted Prescription subscription, the cheekily named loyalty program.

Between breaking down what different roasting techniques will do to a bean’s flavor and how keeping the fruit on the bean will change the profile, Hartley flips through a stack of cue cards – the loyalty card system tied to Stoke Roasted Prescription subscription – only occasionally needing a reminder of what name he’s looking for.

While some customers focused on what they know and love, other regulars asked for more notes about the current offerings, chatting with Hartley about what they liked from their last purchase and what else they might be looking for.

“Y’know, roasting coffee isn’t rocket science,” Hartley told one customer, but he seems an encyclopedia on all things coffee, breaking down what techniques were used to harvest the beans roasted in town, noting what flavors will be highlighted with what brew. For a self-described ski bum looking for a way to enjoy more coffee in town, Hartley has created a roast house priding itself on providing coffee lovers with a prime cup.

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Participants of the Save Old Growth Forests protest in Revelstoke march down McKenzie.

Photo by Lys Morton

PROVINCE-WIDE DAY OF ACTION AGAINST OLD GROWTH LOGGING FINDS SUPPORT IN REVELSTOKE COMMUNITY MARCHES THROUGH DOWNTOWN REVELSTOKE, CALLING ON B.C. TO FULFIL THEIR OLD GROWTH PROTECTION PROMISE.

By Lys Morton Demonstrators gathered at Revelstoke’s Grizzly Plaza, Sept. 28 to mark three years since the B.C. government announced the Old Growth Strategic Review and highlight how few of the province’s 14 recommendations have been fulfilled.

Wildsight, a local conservation organization with branches in Revelstoke, Golden and Invermere organized the march in Revelstoke. Participants were dressed in various tree costumes provided by local theatre Runaway Moon.

Over 60 participants marched down the length of McKenzie Avenue and back, starting and ending their route at Grizzly Plaza where speeches from Wildsight members and marchers were held.

In an interview with Revelstoke Mountaineer on Oct. 12, Wildsight’s conservation specialist Eddie Petryshen said the day of action showed community members “understand that these places are irreplaceable, that we're running low on them and there's not that many left.”

Of the 14 recommendations, Petryshen noted Wildsight and other conservation organizations have yet to see any completed in the three year timeline promised.

"It's time we stop talking and old growth logging throughout the province,"

Conservation Director and march leader Casey Brennan said to the crowd at Grizzly Plaza.

Wildsight, along with Sierra Club and other community organizations, said their goals for the day of action were to remind residents about the Old Growth Strategic Review and inform which commitments remain unfulfilled.

Speakers at the Revelstoke march included ten-year-old Evey , who recounted exploring the old growth patch located in the Downie River Loop area north of Revelstoke.

“There were all kinds of fungi I had never seen before,” Evey shared, dressed in a wrap resembling tree bark and wearing a foam cap shaped like a mushroom.

Evey also told participants about a hike classmates took through the old growth where they came across a tree estimated to be the oldest in the patch.

“Here we were, in a forest of big trees, in front of an even bigger tree that all made us say, ‘wow’.”

Three other young activists spoke at the march, with their words being echoed on postcards Wildsight passed around to marchers to send to premier Eby. “This is all the old growth we have in our lifetime,” one postcard read. The phrase was attributed to, “the kids already living and those to come.”

While the march disrupted traffic along McKenzie Avenue during lunch hours, the marchers faced little pushback and were cheered on by occupants of two different vehicles brought to a stop by the demonstrators. Observers unfamiliar with the topic stepped amongst marchers and asked for clarification before returning to the sidewalk and loudly chanting, “moss is boss, cedar is leader.”

Even without provincial comment or action, Petryshen is sure the day of action was a success.

“We were successful in raising the issue again and getting the issue talked about within the broader landscape of political issues across BC.”

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NEWS The Revelstoke Community Energy Corporation facility. Revelstoke was one of the first communities in Canada to have a bio-heating system. It uses waste from Downie Sawmill and has provided heat for eight buildings in town.

Revelstoke Mountaineer file photo

REVELSTOKE HOSTS BIO-HEAT SUMMIT REVELSTOKE’S BIO-HEAT SUMMIT AIMS TO LEARN FROM NEARBY COMMUNITIES TO IMPROVE THE AGING SYSTEM IN REVELSTOKE.

By Melissa Jameson The City of Revelstoke hosted a Bio-Heat Summit Oct. 19, bringing together a small but interested group, to discuss municipal bioheating systems, which are fueled using organic waste. The event included a tour of Revelstoke’s bio-heating facility as well as presentations from industry experts and local government representatives.

The evening’s presentations were led by Rob van Adrichem, director of external relations with Community Energy Association Prince George, who noted Revelstoke’s place as a pioneer of biomass district heating systems. “[Revelstoke] was one of the first communities in Canada to have a system like this, heating community buildings with heat from a sawmill and from sawmill residuals instead of propane,” van Adrichem said.

Larry Marchand, general manager of the Revelstoke Community Energy Corporation, began his presentation by talking about the pre-history of the corporation, giving credit to “innovative leaders who would revision Revelstoke, understanding and accepting that the changes in the forestry industry through the 1980s would be permanent, that Revelstoke would need to develop new directions and be strategically purposeful to hold on to what would remain of the forest sector.”

That innovation led to the city becoming the sole shareholder of the

Revelstoke Community Forest Corporation in the early 90s. The success of that venture led to the creation of the Revelstoke Community Energy Corporation in 1997. The system has been operating on bio-energy, using waste from Downie Sawmill, since 2005. It provides heat for eight buildings, including the Revelstoke Community Centre where the summit took place.

Revelstoke’s place as a pioneer in municipal bio-heating systems hasn’t been without issue. In April 2021, the Mountaineer reported on two fires at the facility that, at the time, were anticipated to take the system offline for several months.

The aging infrastructure is also less efficient than newer systems, like the Fink Machine system being utilized in Sicamous.

“There are challenges running the facility no doubt,” said City of Revelstoke CAO, Evan Parliament. “There are operational costs. There are interruptions.”

Education and solutions were the primary goal of the summit, Parliament explained.

While Revelstoke has one of the oldest bio-energy heating systems in Canada, Sicamous 70 kilometres away has one of the newest.

Parliament, who became CAO in Revelstoke in 2022, was previously town manager for the District of Sicamous. When he started as manager in 2015, Parliament said he quickly became aware that both Sicamous and Revelstoke operated primarily on oil and propane heating systems, and that there was no natural gas due to the pipe ending just outside of Enderby. The cost is in the millions to extend the natural gas pipe system to Sicamous and Revelstoke.

“So Sicamous decided to be creative,” Parliament said.

Natural Resources Canada was looking to fund bio-heat facilities in communities without natural gas, leading to project funding from them, GreenBC and the Fraser Basin Council with the District of Sicamous picking up the balance. The total for the project was $1.6 million.

Once funding was secured, Parliament said conversations started about how to bring a boiler to Sicamous.

While Revelstoke’s bio-heating system is used by civic facilities, Sicamous’s system is primarily used by the private sector.

David Dubois, manager of business development at Fink Machines, provided some specifics on the Sicamous Energy System, which is a 530 kilowatt woodchip boiler.

“It’s designed to burn wood chips up to 50 per cent moisture, so we’re looking at woodchips coming either from sawmill residuals or from harvesting operations including wildfire mitigation,” Dubois said. “There’s an existing propane backup boiler to ensure all clients connected to it will maintain heat.”

There were several other presentations, including from Peak Renewables, which highlighted bio-energy heating systems in South Korea and Germany.

Watch the full video of the presentations, as well as a question and answer session, on the city’s YouTube channel.

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There's more online:

Follow revelstokemountaineer.com for daily news and events from Revelstoke.

TOURISM TALKS Revelstoke Housing Initiatives The new council elected last October made it clear that housing was a top priority, and since then, city staff have been hard at work addressing our current housing crisis. Here are just some of the initiatives that the City has undertaken since: Zoning amendments to allow for secondary suites and other detached accessory dwellings for long term occupancy Amendments to zoning bylaws to restrict the use of residential properties for short term rentals Adoption of a Council Policy to provide guidance on short term rentals enforcement and outline that new short term rentals in the community are generally not supported Adoption of a new Official Community Plan in July 2022 that focuses on enabling higher density development throughout the community to see diversified housing forms and improved affordability across the housing spectrum Adoption of a Housing Action Plan in August 2022: Identified municipal lands that could support non-market housing and adopted policies to outline the process for 1. The disposition of municipal lands for non-market housing, and, 2. Financial support from the City for non-market housing Adopted a Tenant Protection Policy that requires potential developers to create a Tenant Relation Plan Adopted new development approval procedures that streamline the process and expedite home building Hosted a Housing Summit with resort communities to share strategies the development of non-market housing Allocated $100k to Revelstoke Community Housing Society from Provincial Grant Funding Applied to CMHC’s Housing Accelerator Fund for financial support over 4 years to add housing to the community Exploring a Revelstoke Housing Authority by initiating a feasibility analysis of local non-market housing entities Key stakeholders and the City are coming together to systematically address Revelstoke’s housing crisis, but this only the beginning. The community will require dedicated energy and significant resources to move the dial on housing affordability.

Photo | Ian Houghton @steveshannonphoto

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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NEWS Marchers honour Orange Shirt Day in Revelstoke as organizers called for more community supports.

Photo by Lys Morton

REVELSTOKE MARKS ORANGE SHIRT DAY WITH MARCH AND SHARED MEALS ORANGE SHIRT DAY ORGANIZER CALLS ON REVELSTOKE FOR SUPPORT: ‘WE NEED COMMUNITY HELP WITH THESE ACTIONS AND EVENTS.’

By Lys Morton CONTENT NOTE: This article discusses the abuses and ongoing impacts of Canada’s residential “school” system. Please take care and reach out if you need support. The Indian Residential School Survivors Society crisis line is available any time at 1-800-721-0066.

Over 75 participants joined Indigenous Friendship Society of Revelstoke for their inaugural march through town, held recognizing Orange Shirt Day on Sunday, Sept. 30. The group met at the credit union parking lot for opening songs and words from organizers Michelle Cole and Marlene Krug.

Nearly all dressed in the orange shirts and hoodies that honours Orange Shirt Day, an Indigenous-led movement that began 10 years ago in what’s been briefly known as Williams Lake in Secwépemc Territory by Phyllis (Jack) Webstad, a residential “school” survivor who shared her personal story of staff taking her orange shirt from her. The movement supports communities on a journey to reconciliation, raising awareness about the ongoing inter-generational impacts of residential “schools.”

“This day isn’t for Indigenous communities,” Cole told the crowd of volunteers and growing participants. “This is for Canada to acknowledge its history.”

Often, Orange Shirt Day events are expected from local Indigenous communities when settler Canadians should be stepping up to take on that responsibility, Cole explained. Local Indigenous resources are frequently underresourced, and the emotional tax of organizing a day recognizing Canada’s genocidal actions against Indigenous Youth can pull from other needed community resources.

Multiple university sports teams from across Western Canada that were in Revelstoke for a tournament joined the march.

“We knew we would be on the road for Orange Shirt Day, so we looked for an event we could join,” Kris Hartley, assistant coach of the Olds College volleyball team told Revelstoke Mountaineer. “This is part of what we do now, since 2019.”

The march made its way down Mackenzie Avenue before ending at Centennial Park Drive. Lunch was served at Centennial Park, potluck style, with chilli donated by the Revelstoke Legion.

The legion called Cole with the offer to provide lunch, showcasing just one of many ways the community can be involed. During lunch, participants were able to read sections of the Truth and Reconciliation calls to action and discuss what actions they were taking in their own lives.

Marlene Krug, a local teacher for the Aboriginal Education program of School District 19, encouraged parents and relatives to ask the children in their lives about what students are learning about Orange Shirt Day. “Pick up your kids books,” she advised. “I tell them how lucky they are to have these stories, this information. Read what they’re reading because we need that knowledge.”

A group of 20 participants stayed or rejoined the group for a moment of drumming and song at 2:15 p.m., a time picked to acknowledge the confirmation of over 200 burial sites at the Kamloops Indian Residential “School.”

“It was this moment of reckoning,” Krug explained to participants. Honour songs from various nations were shared, and Cole talked about the importance of Canadians learning Indigenous languages.

“These words, these languages were taken from so many,” she said. “Learn the languages of the area you live in, keep them alive.”

While this was the first march, Indigenous Friendship Society of Revelstoke has held for Orange Shirt Day, the organization previously hosted a forest walk, allowing participants to take the time they needed to walk through a forest of orange shirts.

“It was a learning experience, but I think the community wants to support something like this,” Cole told the Mountaineer. “It just can’t be expected that (Indigenous Friendship Society of Revelstoke) take this on entirely. We need community help with these actions and events.”

Orange Shirt Day marchers gathered at the Credit Union parking lot for songs and speeches.

Photo by Lys Morton

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Participants held a drumming circle during Orange Shirt Day march in Revelstoke.

Photo by Lys Morton

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Hannah Griffin pairs bread making with book reviews in her newsletter Good Book, Good Bread.

Photo by Hannah Griffin

GOOD BOOK, GOOD BREAD MIXES COSY WITH CREATIVE HANNAH GRIFFIN MARRIES BOOK REVIEWS WITH BREAD MAKING IN A BI-MONTHLY NEWSLETTER.

By Melissa Jameson

An existential crisis, a need to disconnect from a highly digital job, a love of books and a bread making hobby are all the ingredients in the rather unusual recipe responsible for Hannah Griffin’s bi-weekly Substack newsletter: Good Book, Good Bread.

Griffin, who grew up in Toronto, moved to BC when she was 21 where she’s lived in Invermere, Fernie, Squamish and on Vancouver Island. After completing a master’s degree in journalism at New York University, she worked at a community newspaper on Northern Vancouver Island, then at a paddle sports media company before traveling to Mongolia, where she spent time working on freelance projects.

“After that I had a little bit of an existential crisis about working in journalism,” Griffin said. “It was just a rough time to be in the industry, and I was having trouble finding my footing. I was starting to work at different tech companies in the climate and environmental space.”

She moved to Revelstoke with her partner Steven last fall.

“In early 2022 I was not feeling very creative and really missing writing and was getting really into baking bread,” she explained. “I wanted to find something fun and creative to do on my own time.”

When asked about the catalyst behind marrying a book review with bread making, Griffin said she just wanted to start a newsletter about book recommendations, but then realized there’s already a lot of those.

“I was feeling like my friends were getting sick of me telling them all about the books I’d read, so I started this newsletter to kind of still get to do that writing and thinking creatively about matching a bread with the book and doing it just for fun twice a month.”

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In her most recent newsletter, Griffin paired R.F. Kaung’s Yellowface with mini challah buns.

Photo by Hannah Griffin

Griffin’s venture into bread making began pre-pandemic when she saw a sign on a bakery window in the neighbourhood in Squamish she was living in at the time, offering free starter.

“Working in tech and having a job that was really online, it just sometimes felt like you never do anything tangible. It’s just really satisfying in two hours you have a really pretty, delicious loaf of bread.”

Each review has a theme, which Griffin said she thought was a more interesting way to dive into the content. To come up with the theme, Griffin often daydreams a bit. In her most recent newsletter, she reviewed Yellowface by R.F. Kaung, a story of a young woman who steals her successful author friend’s manuscript after she dies, and then passes it off as her own.

“That starts in the first chapter of the book, so the whole book is about her secret slowly spilling out,” she said. “That’s the main theme of the book, so I want to make a bread that is like a stuffed bread, so when you bake it, it can’t contain its filling.”

Sometimes, connecting the book to a bread comes easy. Like when Griffin reviewed The Wager, the story of a 1600s shipwreck written by David Grann. “[They] didn’t know if you had limes on board that could really stave off scurvy. So, I thought OK, do a citrus bread,” Griffin said.

Other times, Griffin has to think about the bread and book pairing for a really long time. Her biggest struggle to date was a graphic novel about an illustrator whose girlfriend died of cancer when he was in his 20s.

“They were just really young to be dealing with it, and it was just this beautiful book about it. I just couldn’t figure out a story about grief and death, how I could connect that to bread. I actually can’t remember what I connected with it, but I remember having to think about that one for a long time because it’s not something light or that lends itself to thinking about baking very easily.”

It’s also been challenging to switch from the objective journalism-style of writing to a more personal, first person narrative.

“It’s not my inclination to write in the first person, but I guess I’m doing it more lately,” Griffin said.

Looking to the future, Griffin enjoys writing the newsletter and plans to keep doing it. She also has plans to start a business involving bread, but she isn’t quite ready to spill that news yet.

You can read Good Book, Good Bread on Substack at goodbookgoodbread. substack.com.

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PUZZLE

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by Barbara Olson © ClassiCanadian Crosswords

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64 Plied with pinot

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