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Spring 2012

arts eats outdoors alive

Inside: Revelstoke spring season events guide Photographer feature: Bruno Long Exploring the Columbia River flats Business Profile: New Welwinds Therapeutic Spa Touring the Asulkan

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This spring in Revelstoke T HURSDAY, APRIL 5 DENIS CHANG MANOUCHE QUARTET Heralded jazz guitarist influenced by likes of Django Reinhardt, Bach, Chopin, George Benson and Michael Jackson. Live at the United Church. $20.

SOCIETY SHREDFEST FILM FESTIVAL Enter your own locally-produced short snowboard flik for this show at the River City Pub to benefit the Columbia Valley Skateboard Association skate park fund. Fest is from 1 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Info at Society Snow & Skate.

sic in the plaza. Join as a team of three or go solo. At Revelstoke Mountain Resort. 12 p.m.

MICHAEL JEROME BROWNE Live at the

SUNDAY, APRIL 8

S ATURDAY, MAY 5

SEASON PASS HOLDER APPRECIATION DAY Pancake breakfast for season

FIRST FARMERS MARKET Revelstoke’s

pass holders and $5 lift ticket special for Revelstoke locals. At Revelstoke Mountain Resort.

famous Saturday farmers market kicks off in May. Featuring all sorts of foods, crafts and more. Every Saturday until October from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

APRIL 10-11

M AY 11

RICK HANSEN RELAY 25TH ANNIVERSARY Cross-Canada relay making the

LIGHT & BEAUTY OF LANDSCAPES

S ATURDAY, APRIL 7

25th anniversary of Rick Hansen’s Man in Motion World Tour in 1987. The relay will arrive at Grizzly Plaza for a celebration, including speeches, presentations, bands and other entertainment at 5 p.m. The next morning will begin with a rally at Revelstoke Secondary School before the relay hits the road towards Golden.

EASTER SWIM Show your Easter Spirit.

APRIL 13

Bring a non-perishable food item and swim for a toonie. All donations go to the food bank. At the aquatic centre. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. VINTAGE SNOWMOBILE RIDE Dust off your old snowmobile (at least 15-years-old) and join the Revelstoke Snowmobile Club for a ride to the Boulder Mountain cabin. Includes a poker run and show and shine at the cabin. $30 to enter, includes trail pass and first hand on poker run. For more information contact Dusty Dancer at 403-850-5266. STOKE TO SPOKE RELAY RACE This three-leg relay race features skiing, biking and an obstacle course. Followed by live mu-

A SENSE OF PLACE Members’ art show

FRIDAY, APRIL 6 REEL PADDLING FILM FESTIVAL Watch a collection of the world’s best movies about kayaking, rafting, stand-up boarding, canoeing and exploring wild water places of the world. At the Big Eddy Pub. 7 p.m. $15.

Sangha Bean. $15.

MAY 4

at the Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre. Show opens Friday, Apr. 13 at 6 p.m.

J UNE 1

Art show by Bryan Stevenson. The side galleries featured Sandra Flood’s Fragments and the Golden Girls Watercolour Group Recent Works. At the Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre. Show opens May 11 at 6 p.m.

S ATURDAY, MAY 12 HEART & STROKE BIG BIKE Come take a ride on the Heart & Stroke Foundation’s big bike. The bicycle will be making loops of Revelstoke from 12-5 p.m. Trips start on Mackenzie Avenue between First and Second Streets.

JUNE 8-10 R/C CLUB SUMMER HUCKFEST Come watch remote control pilots from all over fly their planes and helicopters over the Columbia River Flats. Micro’s to giants, all skill levels and types of flying with 3D encouraged. At the R/C Club airfield at 6 Mile.

JUNE 6

JULY 8

COLUMBIA BASIN TRUST COMMUNITY ART PROJECT Art show at the Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre. The side galleries feature Coreen Tucker’s Behind the Mask and Dawn Thrasher’s Upward Bound. The show opens on Friday, June 6, at 6 p.m.

S ATURDAY, JUNE 9 PONY RIDES at the Selkirk Saddle Club equestrian grounds. Rides are $5. Trails rides are also available. Please bring your child’s bike helmet. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

FRIDAY, JUNE 15

SUNDAY, APRIL 15

CHICKADEE NATURE FESTIVAL Activi-

ENCHANTED FOREST HUMAN SOCIETY FUNDRAISER Bring your dog for a

STAND UP FOR THE GREAT BEAR RAINFOREST Environmental film fest and

ties for children and adults to learn about local flora and fauna. At various locations around Revelstoke. See the Times Review the week of the event for details.

walk at the Enchanted Forest and 20 per cent of your admission will go to the Revelstoke & District Humane Society. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

S ATURDAY, JUNE 30

M AY 28

SUMMER STREET FESTIVAL STARTS

M AY 25

speaker night. The films spOIL, Stand Up 4 Great Bear, Oil in Eden, and Cetaceans of the Great Bear Rainforest will be shown. At the Royal Canadian Legion Hall. 7-10 p.m. $5 for children, youth and seniors; $10 for adults. All proceeds will go to Pacific Wild.

J UNE 3

BIKE TO WORK WEEK Celebrate cycling as a mode of transportation by biking to work. Details TBA.

Come enjoy live music every night throughout the summer in Grizzly Plaza. Music starts at 6:30 p.m. (Note: start date is tentative).

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Arts

Bre reaking in with Bruno Long Bru

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Wakataua

Revelstoke-based photographer makes inroads into professional ski and bike photography scene By Aaron Orlando Cork Oak

or Revelstoke ski and bike photographer, quitting the day job actually meant cutting back on the night job. The full-time groomer operator at Revelstoke Mountain Resort cut back to slim part-time hours this season to focus on photography. Over the past couple of seasons he’s received many credits in big name magazines and their affiliated websites. Current and upcoming credits include work for Solomon Freeski TV, Powder, Paved Magazine, Bike, Backcountry Magazine, Ski Canada, Bike Magazine and Kootenay Mountain Culture. Long photographs the ski touring and mountain biking scene in Revelstoke and is branching out into storytelling as well. A day’s work means rising early and keeping up with some of the world’s top athletes on ascents – all while lugging a heavy pack of photo gear. “Just be there,” is the first step, he explains. Along the way, Long has developed an organic style that’s of the mountains and valleys around Revelstoke. He’s an “opportunistic” photographer who takes advantage of the angles and scenes that present themselves through physical exploration. Revelstoke’s notoriously cloudy winter season has also shaped Long’s style, forcing him to be more creative and fluid with the lighting that’s available. He explores composition and contrast to draw images out of the otherwise challenging grey-on-grey of a socked-in day. Long’s images are defined by the Revelstoke ski lifestyle, which is more laid back than the amped breakneck stunts that command the front page of the ski press. “You just want to ski as much as you can, but you don’t want to push your boundaries too far,” explains Long. “It’s all about being able to go skiing again tomorrow and the next day and the next day. There’s a place and time to do the more serious stuff.” Along the way, he’s worked with local skiers and boarders famous here and abroad, as well as visiting professionals. “It definitely helps,” Long says of working with the likes of Greg Hill and visiting pro teams. “Your images, not only are

Yggrasil

Nido Ella

IPREXYVEPMWXE GE Top: Skiing at Sol Mountain: “The moment when the shutter releases and you didn’t quite see it happen but know that your camera did. That feeling of knowing you got the shot is ecstasy for a photographer.” Top left: Bruno Long. Bottom: Powder at Rogers Pass: “In my opinion, it captures the essence of skiing at the Pass: steep relief, deep snow, skiing right to valley bottom and the trans-Canada Highway and the railway,” says Long. “If you look close at the top of this run, you can see your car at the bottom.” Bruno Long images

they high quality but they have big-name athletes which definitely helps for exposure.” Long has been instrumental in bringing the gravity biking scene into the sanctioned cycling fold in Revelstoke. He’s excited to work on trail expansions and renovations. “It’s going to be world class,” he says. Find Bruno Long at www.brunolongphotography.com

Universal Footwear 7-555 Victoria Road, Revelstoke 250-837-3855

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Outdoors

Down on the Flats

Revelstoke Theatre Company presents...

MENDING FENCES Written by Norm Foster Directed by Anita Hallewas April 26, 27, 28 & May 3, 4, 5 8:00 pm at Powder Springs Inn

Tickets available April 4th at Revelstoke Credit Union, Powder Springs Inn & Talisman Fibre& Trading Co. Students & Seniors: $12 Adult: $15 Adult Themes & Language

WHEN THE SNOW MELTS IN THE VALLEY AND THE WATER LEVELS ARE LOW, REVELSTOKIANS HEAD OUT THE COLUMBIA RIVER FLATS TO PLAY. By Alex Cooper

Welcome Back Connie & Taryn

Crystal Stylist

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· KMS · Crew · Matrix · Hempz · Redken · Morrocanoil photos by Keri Knapp

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Connie

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Taryn

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300 First Street East 250.837.2344

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pring is a joyous season in Revelstoke. As the snow melts in town and the sun makes more frequent appearances, the thoughts of winter powder turn into dreams of biking down mountains, scaling rocky faces and venturing down logging roads in search of that amazing new adventure. Yet, with snow lingering in the alpine into July (and sometimes later), those dreams are tempered. Instead, outdoor experiences are sought in the valleys, where the snow goes first. That’s when Revelstoke flocks to the Columbia River Flats – that vast stretch of lowlands that emerges in the spring when the mix of sun and rain melts the snow and the low water levels on the Arrow Lakes means that all that former farm land is still accessible. The Flats are where high schoolers go party away from the prying eye of parents and the law. It’s where families go for a picnic, where couples walk their dogs, where adults go for a bonfire, where friends go camping, where riders go dirt biking and where people fish and launch their boats to wander in and out of the many channels that form as the river fluctuates. Before the Flats became the Flats, they were farmland. From Revelstoke down to 12 Mile, there were some 200 family farms. The first farm in the area was established at the Montana Slough by Samuel D. Crowle in 1887. In the early 20th century, Ukrainian immigrants established a number of farms along the Flats between 11 and 16 kilometres south of Revelstoke. The Arrow Lakes region was once regarded as one of the most fertile areas in British Columbia, rivalling the Okanagan. Then the dams came and the land was flooded. Hundreds of farms were submerged and small communities were uprooted. South of Revelstoke, evidence of that farm land is evident by the network of dirt roads that show up in the spring when the water is at its lowest. According to Adam Croxall of BC Hydro, following the flooding the Flats were a big dust bowl into the early 90s. “It used to be really inhospitable,” he told me. A re-vegetation program along most of the area has brought dust storms to an end. he Flats are mostly BC Hydro land but 35 per cent is Crown Land, two per cent private and the rest run by others such as the city and regional district. The vast majority is open for public use. A code of conduct has been developed and posted at each main access point. The Flats are accessible by taking Airport Way south from Revelstoke past the airport. The main spots are known by their distance from Revelstoke – they are 6 Mile, 9 Mile and 12 Mile. It was just announced that access to the area near the airport would be restricted for security reasons. The first stop is 6 Mile. Drive south until you see a small white sign for the R/C Club. A small turnoff provides access to the Flats below. 6 Mile is where the Revelstoke R/C Club have a landing strip where they can launch their remote control planes and helicopters. If you come out on a nice day, you can see them manoeuvre their aircraft high in the sky, with the Monashees as a spectacular back-

drop. Beyond the landing strip, the land stretches seemingly forever. This is probably the flattest of the Flats, almost Prairie-like in its barrenness. The Columbia River snakes through the area far across the valley and Mt. Begbie soars above. Walking out to the river gives you a view from the middle of the valley of the Monashees on one side and the Selkirks on the other. 9 Mile is the next access point to the Flats. The turnoff is to the right, just past the small bridge that crosses over Kokanee Creek. On the way there, you’ll pass Cartier Road and the remnants of the Ukrainian farming community. There is a small parking lot at the 9 Mile turnoff. After that, you can follow one of the old roads further out, water level permitting. The terrain at 9 Mile is undulating, perfect for dirt biking or finding that hidden nook. Thick grasslands and scattered trees provide habitat for birds and other animals. 12 Mile is the most distant and most expansive of the Flats. To get there, keep going along Airport Way past the end of the pavement. Stay on the dirt road, making sure to take the right fork when necessary, until you come to the end of the road. With long, sandy beaches, expansive grass lands and rolling terrain, there is lots to explore at 12 Mile. Boaters can drive right down to the water to launch their vessels and dirt bikers zip about. This is where high schoolers go to celebrate graduation and fishers come in hopes of luring a Kokanee or other catch. f course, everything about the Flats depends on the level of the Arrow Lakes reservoir. At high water in summer, they are almost completely submerged. However, in the spring, before the snow melts and the runoff from the mountains descends to the valley, the Flats are accessible. The changing nature of the landscape also means a change in activities. What was once grassland might make for great boating. It also means that if you venture too far out, you might find yourself stranded should the water level rise. That said, the water level doesn’t fluctuate so rapidly as to make it so that if you go camping, you run the risk of waking up underwater. The Flats are important wildlife habitat. Deer are frequently sited and for birds, the area marks an important stopping point on their migration from south to north. A number of species nest on the Flats in the spring, hatching their young before continuing north. For birders, this presents a tremendous opportunity for bird watching, with hundreds of thousands of birds making use of the area during the spring. There are some concerns about the flats – mud bogging can damage wildlife habitat, fires can burn rapidly on the dry grassland and illegal dumping is also an issue, said Croxall. Camping isn’t allowed in the code of conduct, but the code is voluntary and enforcement is difficult, he said. BC Hydro’s main goal, he said, is to get the idea across that the Flats are along a working reservoir. Still, as Croxall put it, as one of the few lowlying, flat areas in the area, “There’s not a better place to go sometime.”

Opposite: The grasslands of 12 Mile.; Top right: A dirt biker goes for a ride along the flats.; Bottom right: A long, sandy beach at 12 Mile. Alex Cooper Photography

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Business

WELWINDS SPA CREATES WELLNESS HUB

Welwinds is a fusion of tea bar, yoga studio, massage therapy clinic and acupuncture clinic. Owner Diane Mahoney hopes her new Fourth Street East establishment will serve as a new community hub for wellness practitioners

The yoga studio at the newly opened Welwinds Therapeutic Spa features a ‘unisex’ colour scheme featuring lots of exposed wood treated with environmentally-friendly finishes. Aaron Orlando photo

We can represent you to purchase any MLS Property Listing in Revelstoke or British Columbia, or to list a local property

Joe Verbalis

Stoke Realty Ltd.

Managing Broker joeverbalis@telus.net

By Aaron Orlando

“Your Real Estate Brokerage Alternative”

www.stokerealty.ca Suite H, Enter at 200 Campbell Avenue. Ofﬁce: 250-837-6300 Mobile: 250-837-8987 stokerealty@telus.net

Also a great selection of

> PRINTING, FAXING SERVICES

Art Supplies including Golden products!

> INTERNET KIOSK > HARTLEY & MARKS JOURNALS

Rick Hansen Relay

309 First Street West • 250.837.3070 www.yourofficeandart.com Arriving in Revelstoke at 3.00pm on Tuesday April 10th. The relay will be moving from McDonalds to Grizzly Plaza where the medal celebration will take place. The medal will then leave Grizzly Plaza Cheer on the people who are making at 9.30am on a difference in your community Wednesday April 11th. visit RickHansenRelay.com for information

he dates on the newspapers that lined the cedar chip insulation provide the best evidence of a construction date of the building: 1926. Since then, 506 Fourth Street East was Vince’s Italian Grocery, and Bocci’s Groceteria -- another Italian grocery serving the Southside neighbourhood amongst a small, nearly-extinct cluster of retail shops. When current owner Diane Mahoney bought the building about five years ago, it was in need of serious repair. Faulty sealing of the old coal chutes on the sidewalk had flooded the basement. There were structural issues. The building bowed like a saddle. The back end wasn’t far from falling over. It was a mess. After five years of work the bright, newly-renovated building is completely transformed into Welwinds Therapeutic Spa. Other than exposed brick chimneys that bring warmth to the treatment rooms, there’s little to indicate its past use. “It’s a historic building that belongs to Revelstoke,” says Mahoney as she tours me through the yoga studio and three treatment rooms in the back. Wood features prominently in the makeover. Locally-milled tongue and groove cedar planks line the walls; fir, hemlock and other local varieties form everything from structural post and beams to trim on the windows. A barn door suspends from the ceiling to separate the tea bar from the yoga studio. The colour patterns are concrete greys, light creams and muted environmentally-friendly stains that bring out white and blue hues from the grain. Creamcoloured leather chairs line the concrete-slab tea bar. Clear glass and exposed metal fixtures add to the neutral tones. The theme, says Mahoney, was unisex. A majority of massage clients are male skiers looking to get their legs rejuvenated to finish off their ski vacation. Lots of men go to yoga classes these days. Mahoney wanted a neutral look so everyone can feel at home. Mahoney developed the design and worked with Simon Duval of Mack Dog Construction to complete the renovation. Welwinds Therapeutic Spa is a combination tea bar, yoga studio, massage therapy clinic and acupuncture clinic. Mahoney describes herself as a long-time skier who’s spent much of her life working and playing around skiing. The registered massage therapists spent seasons working in Whistler, Crescent Valley, Nelson, Vernon and Rossland. She’s spent much of her career working as a massage therapist in heli-ski lodges. When came to Revelstoke and bought the building she saw an opportunity to settle down and found a business that would allow her to indulge her love of skiing. Welwinds Therapeutic Spa is open for business, but Mahoney explains many facets are still in development. Her website (www.welwinds.com) is up but she’s still working on it. Yoga classes have started, but she’s looking to offer specialized classes and also develop the space into a yoga teaching centre. The tea bar is also open for business. It features a wide variety of loose teas. She hopes to develop the afternoon trade and also make the tea shop a focus of summer Saturday market outings, including a summer patio space. She’s also exploring buying the raw products in bulk and mixing her own locally-made brand; she’s off to a tea convention in Las Vegas to explore the idea. Mahoney hopes to make the combined tea bar/yoga room space available for non-alcoholic social gatherings. Massage therapy is at the core of Mahoney’s business, as is acupuncture. “People don’t get better unless they move,” she explains of her core philosophy. Local clients with extended medical will also form a core component of the business. Much of the business, she explains, follow the rhythms of the ski market. Massage therapists work through the ski season and tend to be mobile. Mahoney hopes that Welwinds can evolve into a centre for practitioners in Revelstoke for the season. Welwinds Therapeutic Spa is located at 509 Fourth Street East. Find them at www.welwinds.com or call 250-837-6084.

arts council concert series Denis Chang Manouche Quartet Brazilian music, dance and capoeira Greatly inﬂuenced by the music of Django Reinhardt, guitarist Denis Chang, the “Godfather of the Montréal Gypsy jazz scene” brings his highly regarded and unique style to Revelstoke for a one-off concert. Tickets: $20 or $40 for Families

Thursday April 5th, 7:30pm at the United Church

arts council concert series A Celebration Concert Axé Capoeira Brazilian music, dance and capoeira Featuring traditional Brazilian music with upbeat vocals and instrumentals, Axe Capoeira showcases professional capoeiristas and dancers at the height of their skill. The group has enthralled audiences of all ages and sizes across the globe for more than 20 years.

Sunday April 29th, Venue to be announced

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A must see...

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Top left: Welwinds owner Diane Mahoney in one of three treatment rooms. Top left: Loose tea served in tea sleeves with foamed milk at the Welwinds tea bar. Centre: Welwinds Therapuetic Spa is located at 509 Fourth Street East.

revelstoke arts council

Bottom: Cream leather chairs line the concrete bar at Welwinds. The space can be combined with the yoga studio for events.

will once again be holding their annual

Street Fest from june 29th - august 31st

Aaron Orlando photos

Watch your local newspaper and revelstoketimesreview.com for more information.

FIVE GREAT REASONS TO PLAY IN REVELSTOKE COMPLIMENTARY

shuttle

Beer, Wine & Liquor delivery available from the Big Eddy Liquor Store. Call for delivery

250.814.0096

Full Pub Menu Open 7 Days a Week! Large Summer Patio

Great food. Relaxed atmosphere. Great Patio all Summer long.

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TO 3 GREAT LOCATIONS The Big Eddy Pub The Village Idiot The Great White North We’ll pick you up and bring you home safe

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3 days at the Asulkan

Alive

Words and pictures by Alex Cooper

WHEN YOU ENVISION A PERFECT SKI TRIP WHAT DO YOU PICTURE? OVERNIGHT STORMS, BLUEBIRD DAYS AND NO CROWDS? FOR THREE DAYS LAST APRIL AT THE ASULKAN HUT IN GLACIER NATIONAL PARK, TEN OF US WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO ENJOY ALMOST JUST THAT.

DAY 1 – FRIDAY

DAY 2 – SATURDAY

DAY 3 – SUNDAY

I get up early, ready to hit the road to Rogers Pass for an early start. The route to the Asulkan Hut follows the creek bed for several kilometres before it passes through the Mouse Trap – a treacherous terrain trap with avalanche paths coming into from both side and no easy escape. We leave in three groups, the eager ones up at the crack of dawn, Chris and I in the middle, and three more pulling up the rear. The skin up isn’t too bad, even with the extra food and clothing. I feel bad for Chris, who overpacked and suffers the whole way. Fortunately for us, the first group set a nice skin track, so we didn’t have to break trail. We arrive at the cozy cabin before noon. The stove isn’t working but a bit of tinkering gets it going. With two picnic tables and a small kitchen downstairs, and 12 beds upstairs, its cozy but not cramped. The first group to arrive goes out for a ski while we recover. When the last of the group shows up, a few of us head out up the Seven Steps of Paradise for a quick run. We only ski three or four of them – soft snow, and gentle, rolling terrain back to the hut. It’s a short but satisfying run and a good way to kick off trip. There’s no sense killing ourselves on the first day. Back at the hut we fall into a routine of melting snow for drinking water, cooking dinner, and playing cards. As night falls, a storm moves in.

We wake up early to a foot of fresh, fluffy powder. And its still snowing. With white-out conditions in the alpine, we descend below the hut to the protection of the Tree Triangle. For our first run we head to the left, shredding around the trees, the turns effortless and the face-shots numerous. The snow continues to fall and the wind blows to the point our tracks are filling in as we hike back up for another lap. This time we spot a nice pillow in one of the openings. Time for some jumps! One at a time we take off, soaring one-by-one, old school style It doesn’t matter if we crash, the snow is so deep you don’t feel a thing. We ski off to the right of the triangle. The snow continues to fall. For our third lap, we go right down the middle. There’s no day-trippers in the area today; not once do we cross tracks and the snow is blinding as it flies up in our faces. After three laps in the trees, we skin back up the hut for lunch. During lunch, the skies clear and we look at the Seven Steps of Paradise – a sparkling white tapestry of snow. After some rest we go for another lap and some more powder. That evening the sky stays clear and we enjoy the mesmerizing sunset from the shelter of the hut. It’s a full moon and as it rises in the sky we can make out our tracks on the Steps above the hut. The stars dazzle in the night sky. Who needs television when you’ve got this?

It’s another bluebird day and a few of us have our sights set on one goal – 2,850 metre high Young’s Peak. We set out early and make our way to the steep, foreboding headwall. With all that new snow we’re wary of the avalanche hazard so we dig a pit to get a measure of the snowpack. A few of us are confident, others not. I’m torn but the risk-taker in me wins out and I follow three others up the headwall while the rest turn back. At the summit, we’re treated to 3,100-metre-plus peaks of the Dawson Range, shrouded in clouds beyond. The sun produces a rainbow-coloured halo as it shines through the thin veil of clouds. The skin down is what we hoped – steep and deep – and, most importantly, the snowpack holds and we get to enjoy the long ski back to the hut. There’s still time to do some more skiing but the general consensus is to call it a weekend and head back to town. We ski down through the Tree Triangle, past the Mouse Trap and along the creek to our cars. It’s a slog, but thoughts of the skiing we enjoyed make it fast. The Asulkan Hut is located in Glacier National Park. Bookings can be made through the Alpine Club of Canada. You must be an ACC member to make a reservation. For more information visit www.alpineclubofcanada.ca.

Downtown Revelstoke’s Finest

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