Sun Peaks Independent News - Vol 19 Issue 9

A frosty November morning in the Whitecroft valley.

Zuzy Rocka

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Community efforts to save bear cub unsuccessful.

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Municipality looks to confirm location for skate park by February.

November 19 - December 16, 2021 Vol. 19, Issue 9

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LOCAL NEWS BRIEFS

MUNICIPALITY LOOKS TO CONFIRM LOCATION FOR SKATE PARK BY FEBRUARY

Indigenous revenue sharing slowed by pandemic and Sun Peaks Resort not requiring guests to be vaccinated to ski.

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Exact coordinates will help the skate park receive grants.

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INDIGENOUS ART INSTALLATION REFLECTS SECWÉPEMC SIGNIFICANCE

LOCAL EVENTS KICK OFF THE HOLIDAY SEASON

Indigenous art to be installed in the Great Hall of the Sun Peaks Centre.

As Christmas is nearing, it's time to get into a festive mood.

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MUNICIPALITY APPLIES FOR CHILDCARE FUNDING

LOCAL ARTIST ZUZY ROCKA DESIGNS GOGGLES FOR ANON OPTICS

The money will help fund new daycare facilities in the community.

10 HOCKEY LEAGUE RETURNS Co-ed adult hockey is returning to Sun Peaks this season.

As a snowboarder, Rocka said the project meant a lot to her.

25 BUSINESS LISTINGS & PUZZLES

Riding Sun Peaks Resort. - Photo Zuzy Rocka

local news

DISCUSSIONS OF INDIGENOUS REVENUE SHARING SLOWED

BY PANDEMIC

SUN PEAKS RESORT WILL NOT REQUIRE GUESTS TO BE VACCINATED

By Kayla Empey

The resort will continue to assess the situation through the winter, but are confident in their plan

By Kayla Empey

Over the past two years, Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipality (SPMRM), the provincial government and neighbouring First Nations bands have been discussing a resort revenue sharing package.

The Little Shuswap Lake Band (LSLB) has been leading the discussion with the provincial government, but Councilor Aaron Arnouse of LSLB said they haven’t been able to meet for a while in-person.

“It kind of slowed down a lot when COVID hit,” said Arnouse. “It’s still in a delayed process a little bit.”

Arnouse said he is unsure when a revenue sharing package will be formed, but said LSLB has had a good relationship with the province during these discussions.

“We are trying to work in good faith with everyone involved, so that it’s a good process.”

Mayor Al Raine and chief administrative officer Shane Bourke have also been meeting with the provincial minister of Indigenous relations and reconciliation, Murray Rankin.

Raine said there have been some complications with planning a revenue sharing package. “[Ski areas] share a percentage of lease revenues and land sale revenues from the resorts with the bands, but part of it is based on incremental revenues,” he said.

Incremental revenues is the profit a business gains from an increase in sales. Raine said LSLB pushed back on that because the effect of COVID-19 has reduced revenue in Sun Peaks.

Raine advocated for total revenue sharing instead.

“It seems a bit unfair when you’re dealing with title and rights because title and rights didn’t start last year. It’s been there for a long time, and that’s something the government is wrestling with.”

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After several ski resorts across the province have announced they will require their guests to show proof of vaccination or receive a negative COVID-19 test, some people have questioned whether Sun Peaks Resort (SPR) will do the same.

Christina Antoniak, SPR’s director of communications, said they will not require guests to show proof of vaccination to access the ski area this winter. Antoniak said they are confident in their approach because compared to other resorts, SPR has multiple access points.

“We've got five major chairlifts to enter the ski area,” said Antoniak.

“It keeps people somewhat separated and spread out. A lot of other ski resorts will have one or two access points. You can imagine the difference in just the crowding that can take place.”

In addition, SPR does not have a gondola and all their chairlifts are open air, which Antoniak said also reduces the risk of transmission.

Antoniak said they are still encouraging the use of face coverings and social distancing while in the chairlift lineup. She also added that guests can choose to ride the chairlift on their own or only with the people they came with, depending on what each individual’s comfort level is.

“We're very comfortable and confident in our approach, but we'll continue to assess as the winter goes on,” said Antoniak.

The resort is still following all public health orders in enforcing mandatory face coverings indoors and proof of vaccination for any indoor non-essential businesses. Antoniak said they are also encouraging proper signage and education in place for guests this winter.

“Health and safety is absolutely our top priority for everyone from staff to guests to locals, so all our decisions are being made with that top of mind,” she said.

November 1961 — 2021 From first chair to last call, happy 60th season, one and all.

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local news

INDIGENOUS ART INSTALLATION REFLECTS SECWÉPEMC SIGNIFICANCE

A computer rendering of the interior of the Great Hall once the new art has been installed. - Photo provided.

Artist Don Clarke’s pictographs to be displayed in the Great Hall of the Sun Peaks Centre

By Kayla Empey

The Little Shuswap Lake Band (LSLB) has been working with Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipality (SPMRM) to install Indigenous art into the Great Hall of the Sun Peaks Centre, to

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acknowledge the area’s significant Indigenous importance and history.

Councilor Aaron Arnouse of LSLB said the band has been working with Sun Peaks in a number of ways for decades, but their relationship has improved in the past few years. Arnouse said he is happy to see their partnership has led to the new installation.

“When they started taking their steps to implementing more First Nations things up in the Sun Peaks community, we jumped on board with them right away,” Arnouse said.

“It's good to see that Sun Peaks has taken these steps to move forward in working with First Nations within Secwépemc territory.”

The art display includes 11 pictographs throughout the Great Hall. LSLB held a meeting and originally decided on 10, but the Chief later added one more during the blessing ceremony.

With input from the LSLB, the municipality chose artist Don Clarke to paint the selected pictographs and a river to run through the hall.

“I felt deeply honored to be included in the equation,” said Clarke. “To be a part of anything that honors the community of that people group to me is an absolute thrill.”

LSLB wanted the pictographs to be community and family-oriented to reflect Sun Peaks as a family environment. Clarke said the pictographs portray that well.

“It basically is a depiction of Secwépemc life from a community standpoint, and includes all of those different things that are central to life,” he said.

The Chief is at the centre of the pictographs, with a hunting ground and a fishing weir on either side of him. Above is a mother with her children below. There are also animals that hold significance such as coyotes, eagles, mule deers and owls.

“There’s an explanation for each one of those,” Clarke said. “Different people have written what they believe those pictographs were communicating. I think one of them is even a young woman seeking a vision, which is some kind of spiritual guidance.”

The painted pictographs and river are now in place, but Clarke said the art installations are not entirely complete. There has been a proposal to put the traditional Secwépemc name under each one of the pictographs to commemorate their culture and language.

Clarke would then include a legend to also explain each one in English so it’s accessible to everyone in the community.

Clarke said being a part of this project that acknowledges Secwépemc history means a lot to him.

“I'm ashamed that my country has done in the past some of the things that they've done,” he said. “So many wrongs have been done to that particular people group, and it hasn't been made right.”

Clarke has created art with LSLB in the past, including painting stones at the Talking Rock Golf Course and pictographs on the sidewalk to Quaaout Lodge in Chase, B.C. He said he feels honoured to carry on traditions within the culture through talking rocks and pictographs that could educate future generations. Clarke said he finds it fascinating to look at talking rocks from hundreds of years ago and the meaning they hold, knowing ordinary people like him could have painted them.

“That part of their life included communicating to others, perhaps at that time, but also into the future,” he said. “Maybe they didn't realize these are gonna be around for a long time, and people are going to be looking at them and wondering what they are.

But to me, that's fascinating. That's history.

That's beautiful.”

Community members and visitors can drop by the Sun Peaks Centre at the top of the village to view the art installations, or check out Clarke’s other work on Instagram @konakahuna777.

Photo by Kyle James.

MUNICIPALITY APPLIES FOR CHILDCARE FUNDING The grant application will look to accommodate 40 to 50 students at a cost of $1.6 to $2 million

By Kayla Empey

Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipality (SPMRM) is applying for Childcare BC New Spaces Funding to help fund much needed, new daycare facilities in the community.

Shane Bourke, SPMRM’s chief administrative officer, said they received feedback in an Official Community Plan stakeholder survey from earlier this year that childcare options need to be more available.

“That started it,” Bourke said. “Also just anecdotally, talking to members of the community, staff and business owners about just how [much] daycare would help so many families in the community.”

The Childcare BC New Spaces Fund launched on Sept.

13, 2021, to provide funding for creating new childcare and helping families access inclusive care across the province. The deadline to apply is Nov. 16, and the results are expected in March 2022.

“The opportunity came forward, so we decided to jump on it,” said Bourke. “If it's successful, it's a very generous grant in being able to fund $40,000 per space, so that's kind of what drove us to look at this opportunity.”

The municipality is drafting their application to accommodate 40 to 50 students, which would amount to a grant funded cost of $1.6 million to $2 million. The only

costs SPMRM has to pay during this initial step is around $10,000 for architecture and engineering.

The application requires some conceptual design and layout, as well as the ability to begin construction within six months of being successful in receiving funds.

Bourke said this is possible because the municipality already has land they plan to use.

“Having some land already set aside for community use—it wasn't necessarily for daycare—but community use over on the east side got us a long way,” said Bourke. “We don't have to go out and purchase a lot of land for this.”

Council has also been discussing the use of portables if they need to begin building by the fall.

“Ideally [the daycare] would be attached to a new school, but we don't have a timeline on that,” Bourke said.

“This gives us some ability to get it in the ground quickly, if we were successful, and some flexibility down the road.”

Another aspect to the application is community engagement. In October, SPMRM put out a community survey to get feedback on how many people within the community could use childcare and the ages that are of highest demand.

Bourke said the survey gave the municipality valuable feedback and confirmed they are on the right track with the application.

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Photo by Scott Biggs.

COMMUNITY EFFORT TO SAVE BEAR CUB UNSUCCESSFUL The impared bear was located and taken to a shelter

By Kayla Empey

After several sightings of an impared bear cub near Heffley Lake, the community was successful in locating the cub and it was sent to the Northern Lights Wildlife Shelter (NLWS) in Smithers, B.C. But unfortunately, the bear was in bad condition upon arrival at the shelter and was euthanized to prevent further suffering.

“It is very rare that we must euthanize a cub and it is always a very hard decision,” said Angelika Langen, NLWS manager and co-founder. “We are grateful to the reporting residents and Kamloops [Conservation Officer Services] for assisting in this matter and giving us the opportunity to help this poor animal and prevent further suffering.”

Stg. Mike Sanderson of the Conservation Officer Service said they received the first report of this bear cub a few weeks ago, with concern about its peculiar behavior. As they continued to receive reports, Sanderson became worried about the cub’s health and ability to survive on its own.

“We thought it may be impaired as a result of consuming fermented fruits or berries,” said Sanderson. “Then we became concerned that maybe it was acting this way as a result of perhaps an infection or something, as it appeared to be something that continued to be persistent.”

Sanderson contacted NLWS to arrange the bear to be taken there. The shelter then sent out Lydia Koot, the founder of the Hope Mountain Blackbear Committee, to assist in capturing the bear. When Koot went to set traps, she found the cub tangled in some fencing.

Sanderson was able to get the bear into a crate to assess it.

Wildlife veterinarian Fergus Alexander from the BC Wildlife Park also came to evaluate the cub.

“The main concerns we had was that it appeared to have some neurological challenges with walking in terms of balance,” said Sanderson. “Him and I were trying to decide whether it was the best humane thing to do is to send it on to the rescue or to make the difficult decision to euthanize it based upon, you know, it's concerning condition and behavior.”

They eventually decided to give the bear a chance in the hopes it wouldn’t endure harm or suffering on the way to the shelter.

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“The tricky thing about assessing bears this time of year is they get lethargic because they get ready for denning, so they're lethargy could be a natural circumstance that's happening in their body,” said Sanderson.

Sanderson decided that NLWS would at least be able to assess the bear in a controlled environment to get a better sense of its neurological condition.

When the cub arrived at the shelter, it was sedated and assessed by wildlife veterinarian Helen Schwantje, who made the decision that it was in the bear’s best interest to be euthanized.

Behind the scenes, many Sun Peaks and Heffley Valley community members were involved in locating the bear.

Local physiotherapist Kim Grunling was instrumental in making sure the bear was found. Upon hearing the conservation office had received quite a few reports, Grunling posted in a local Facebook group to let people know they should continue to report the bear if they see it.

Over the few days after that, Grunling received support in locating the bear and keeping an eye on it from several members of the community.

“It's a community effort for sure,” said Grunling. “Really puts an emphasis on how as a community we can make a difference.”

In 2017, Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipality was working towards becoming Bear Smart Certified. It was an effort that took place for over a year, but has not yet been completed.

After a family of bears had to be destroyed earlier in the season, and now the bear cub being euthanized, Grunling said that she hopes to get a Bear Smart Committee together again. Herself and two other community members, Catharine Adams and Irene Kastner, will work alongside Sanderson and to raise more awareness before the next bear season.

“We can't do it ourselves. We are going to need community support and community voices,” said Grunling.

In the meantime, Langen from NLWS wants to remind residents to manage their attractants and to report any ill-looking bear cubs. Langen said healthy bears will soon disappear for hibernation, but all other cubs can only be considered for rehabilitation if they are not feeding on human provided food.

Photo: Reuben Krabbe Drone: Matt Brooks

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local news

HOCKEY LEAGUE RETURNS

Photo from Sun Peaks Hockey League on Facebook.

After two years without a shinny league in the village, RPM Hockey will organize games for the 2022 season

By Kayla Empey

Co-ed adult hockey is returning to Sun Peaks this season, with the four-on-four league garnering lots of excitement.

The league will be organized by RPM Hockey, a company that runs hockey leagues and lessons across British Columbia. Craig Millin, director of RPM, said he can already feel the enthusiasm within the community.

“It seems really, really popular,” Millin said.“We're getting great feedback and people are really excited...We're communicating quite regularly with all these different people, organizers, businesses that want to get involved.”

Previously, a recreational hockey league ran in Sun Peaks for about 10 years. In 2019 when construction began on the outdoor ice rink, former organizer Mike Billheimer put the league on pause. In 2020, Billheimer decided it was still unsafe to hold the league due to the pandemic and stepped down as the organizer.

This year, members of the community contacted RPM Hockey hoping the company could help start the league up again. Recognizing it was of strong interest, Millin began having conversations with the municipality and Billheimer to see what they could do to bring it back to life.

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“We’ve got big shoes to fill,” said Millin. “We'll step in and pick up where [Billheimer] left off, and see if we can continue to create the league and make it as popular as it's always been.”

Millin said they plan to run the league similarly to how it was run in the past, only with small tweaks that also work for them as a company.

“We didn't want to come in and sort of make a whole bunch of changes, you know, without getting to know everybody and getting feedback from everybody,” he said.

“I guess the difference for us would be we're more online.

You can visit our website, you can register online.”

Participants can register as an individual or as a team.

There are two divisions: the Rusty Blades (beginners) and Mid Ice Crisis (intermediate).

“I've been really pleased with the cross section of people.

I mean, for every guy that's interested in the hockey league, there's at least one or two girls that are interested,” said Millin. “Some of them are skating instructors and they've played junior hockey. They're all over the map.”

On Dec. 15, 2021, RPM will hold a skills and drills session for anyone who needs help deciding which division they belong in or wants to sharpen their skills before the season starts. Millin said it will also be an opportunity for participants to get to know each other and hear about the rules of the league.

The league will run from Jan. 5 to March 2, 2022 at the Sun Peaks Centre’s outdoor rink. Games will be held every Wednesday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., and each team will play a minimum of eight games.

Teams are limited to 12 members so each player can get enough time on the ice. Participants can register as a team for $1,440 or as an individual for $140. Goaltenders must register as individuals, free of charge, as they will be shared by the whole league.

To register, visit rpmhockey.com. All participants must show proof of double vaccination.

5FORTY SPICES UP THEIR MENU THIS WINTER Staff shortages and rising food costs prompt changes

By Kayla Empey

5Forty Cafe & Grill has changed their menu to serve Mexican-inspired food such as tacos and burritos and renamed themselves as a cantina.

Marty Ciesiolka, manager of 5Forty, said he is excited for people to try out the new menu.

“We're really proud of it, and we're excited to offer a really good product,” said Ciesiolka.

“My staff are stoked on it too. They’re really excited to serve everyone and start making margaritas and tacos.”

The menu change largely came as a result of the staffing crisis. Ciesiolka said this type of food should speed up the process of getting meals out.

“I've done a bunch of work at 5Forty to cut down the amount of staff that I need, because I can't find staff,” said Ciesiolka. “This should be easier. One person should be able to run this and be able to push it out.”

Ciesiolka said the menu change is also due to the rising cost of food. With his previous menu, he said some of his best selling products went up in cost nearly 80 to 90 cents.

Ciesiolka didn’t want to raise his prices any higher, so instead he turned to a menu in which the ingredients can be bought at a cheaper cost when the staff assemble the food themselves.

“I think it suits the room too. Like a cantina, it's a hole in the wall,” Ciesiolka said.

On Nov. 10 and 11, 5Forty began serving their new food as a “stress test” to see how it would go. On Nov. 12, they officially launched the menu. But Ciesiolka said he hasn’t been pushing the cantina menu just yet.

“I've got a few more kinks that I want to work out, so I haven't done any social media posts about it or anything really crazy. I just want to make sure I've got it right,” he said.

5Forty is open Monday to Thursday from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Friday to Sunday from 7 a.m. to 12 a.m.

The staff of 5Forty. Photo SPIN.

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local news

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MUNICIPALITY LOOKS TO CONFIRM LOCATION FOR SKATE PARK BY FEBRUARY Exact coordinates are needed for Sun Peaks Skate Park Foundation to receive grants

By Kayla Empey

The SPSP Foundation was founded in 2012 to create a free, safe skateboard infrastructure in the village that is community-focused. Since then, they have raised almost $60,000 entirely through community fundraising. SPMRM has also promised $50,000 in matching funds.

Olivia Martin, SPSP’s communications director, said the community has demonstrated a strong desire for the skate park and they have seen an acceleration of incoming funds in the last few years. The foundation now needs to turn to grants to raise the remaining costs of nearly $400,000.

“We can’t finish the fundraising because obviously that last piece is so large,” said Martin. “It makes the most sense for it to come from corporate, private or public grants and bursaries. But we’re not eligible for those until the physical four corners of the park has been established.”

When a location is confirmed, Martin said SPSP will be able to move ahead with design and engineering, which will make them eligible for grants that could cover the remaining costs.

Bourke said the municipality is happy to establish the exact coordinates for the skate park so SPSP can continue to raise money.

“This has been a very enthusiastic group and council’s been happy to support them,” he said. “We do encourage them and the community to keep up with fundraising so they can start this project.”

A rendering of what the skate park could look like. File photo.

Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipality (SPMRM) is working towards confirming the physical four corners of the planned new skate park.

In October, the Sun Peaks Skate Park (SPSP) Foundation presented a letter to council encouraging them to establish a location for the park. After a brief discussion at the council meeting on Oct. 19, SPMRM’s chief administrative officer, Shane Bourke, reached out to SPSP to inform them they are hoping to approve the location by February 2022.

“Previously, council had approved some land over on our east school and recreation site—it’s some undeveloped land on the east side of Sun Peaks—but they hadn’t identified the specific coordinates,” said Bourke.

“Nailing down the specific survey boundaries is just a piece that we have to work on.”

As the land is the municipality’s main space for the future school building and related recreation facilities, Bourke said it will require a transfer agreement with School District 73 to begin planning the site. They must also ensure to leave enough land for other recreational facilities the community might want in the future.

“We're just going through that with council on what are some priorities to make sure we keep enough land to fit everything in, but also let people move forward with their own plans,” said Bourke. “[The skate park] is still a fairly large project and there's still a substantial amount of fundraising that has to occur, so we want to help with this piece of it.”

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MORRISEY TRAILS LOOK TO BE FINISHED BY MID-SUMMER NEXT YEAR Construction stopped around mid-October when snow and freezing soil conditions began

By Kayla Empey

Photo from Sun Peaks Recreational Trail Association on Facebook.

Construction on the new Morrisey trails ceased for the winter, but the Sun Peaks Recreational Trail Association (SPRTA) completed a significant amount of the project despite the hurdles they faced.

Sam Loxton, president of SPRTA, said the original goal was to begin early in the summer this year and have the project finished by end of season. But after a high fire danger rating restricted machine use in the forest, the contractors weren’t able to begin until Aug. 24—almost two months later than they had planned.

Construction finished around mid-October when snow and freezing soil conditions began. Loxton said he was happy they could get a good chunk of the project finished before they had to pull out.

“When they did get going they did a really good job and they worked really hard,” said Loxton. “We got as much as we could done with those kind of obstacles in place.”

There are two trails SPRTA is constructing on Mt. Morrisey: an uphill trail and a downhill trail.

The uphill trail, built for biking and hiking, is approximately six kilometers and stretches all the way to the top of Mt. Morrisey. Before the frost, Loxton said they were able to finish about 80 per cent of the trail.

“They were able to build and push through all the way from top to bottom, as well as finish building a couple of bridges that they needed to put over some water down at the bottom,” said Loxton. “They still need to come back to do some hand work on that one, you know, compact the trail, make sure all the drainage is fully in place and finish off a couple of features on the trail.”

The downhill biking trail is not as close to completion. It is broken into three sections based on the road that crosses the mountain, of which the contractors almost finished the bottom third. They dug out the trail and are close to having shaped all the corners and features of the bottom section, but the two upper sections of the trail will need to be completed next year.

Loxton said the contractors are planning to begin working on the trails again by the end of May, dependent on snow melt. They will aim to finish the uphill trail and the bottom part of the downhill trail as soon as possible.

“I think we ought to get it finished off pretty early in the summer, kind of riding season next year,” said Loxton. “There should be plenty of time next year for everyone to enjoy the trail and get out and check it out.”

Loxton said he is excited for people to see the trail because it is a different type of forest than what would typically be seen by those who ride or hike Tod Mountain. He added that this trail has been a big project for SPRTA and will be a great addition to the community.

“This is kind of the biggest purpose-built mountain bike trail that we've kind of got and it'll give everyone a really nice way to get some exercise, either hiking or pedaling up to the top of Morrisey and a super fun trail for the bikers to come back down on.”

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events

LOCAL EVENTS KICK OFF THE HOLIDAY SEASON Holiday Kick-Off The Holiday Kick-Off will take place on Dec. 11 in the village. Theresa St. Louis, Sun Peaks Tourism’s event manager, said she is excited this event can happen again this year to celebrate the season.

“We definitely bring the essence of the holidays to the event with village lighting and the entertainment and the outdoor theme,” St. Louis said. “There's lots of light, colors, animation, things to look at and of course lots of things to do.”

The Holiday Kick-Off will feature live music from Lindsay May Trio, mascots around the village, free treats and giveaways, a scavenger hunt and pictures with Santa.

“We are hosting the holiday kickoff with our headliner, Santa,” said St. Louis. “We definitely have to give him the praise. We're so happy to have him back. He's looking forward to being here as well.”

St. Louis said they are asking anyone who wants pictures with Santa to register in advance to prevent long lineups. The registration link can be found on the Sun Peaks’ events website.

After the activities wrap up, there will be a fire dance performance by Kelowna-based company Kinshira Entertainment from 5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. This will take place slopeside, out front of the Village Day Lodge.

“And of course while visitors are here, they can do everything else that we have to do,” said St. Louis. “Families could go for a snowshoe or do a snowshoe tour, they could go to the skating rink...it's a great opportunity for us to bring up the local and regional traffic to spend an afternoon or a weekend here at Sun Peaks.”

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Christmas is nearing, which means lots of local events are taking place to get community members and visitors in a festive mood. This year, events include the Holiday Kick-Off, Artisan Market and Honeyberry Farm Market’s Christmas and Snowman Spectacular

By Kayla Empey

Artisan Market The kick-off also includes the Artisan Market, which will allow community members to shop for one-of-a-kind gifts from local artists. It will feature art work such as textiles, wood, paper, photography, ceramics, painting, jewelry and sculpture.

The market will take place in the Great Hall of the Sun Peaks Centre on Dec. 11 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., as well as on Dec. 12 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. St. Louis said she is looking forward to

using the Sun Peaks Centre, but it only allows for 20 vendors, which is less than they have been able to accommodate in previous years.

“We're going to have them in the center of the building, so visitors will have directional flow and just walk around greeting each vendor's booth,” she said. “And for the most part it's all the same vendors, there's a couple of vendors that are swapping out for Sunday.”

All the vendors are listed on the Sun Peaks’ website, and include links to their social media or websites.

Christmas and Snowman Spectacular The Honeyberry Farm Market is hosting a threeweekend Christmas and Snowman Spectacular in the Heffley Creek valley, featuring a 45-year collection of assorted snowmen to view and purchase.

The event will include professionally designed holiday arrangements, decor and wreaths. The market will also be selling local honey, hand-crafted candles, soaps and knitted items. Ten per cent of proceeds go to the Kamloops Food Bank.

There will also be lots of treats such as homemade eggnog ice cream, cookies, cake, squares, butter tarts, muffins, fudge, jams and jellies.

The Spectacular will take place at Honeyberry Farm Market from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday from Dec. 4 to Dec. 19.

Photo from Sun Peaks Resort on Facebook.

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events

The community gathered on Remembrance Day under the Clocktower for a ceremony hosted by the Rotary Club Photos by SPIN

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EVENTS Weekly Mondays Quizzy Rascal's Quiz Night at Masa's Bar + Grill Tuesdays Locals' Night at Bottoms Bar + Grill Thursdays Open Mic at Morrisey's Public House

November Nov. 19 & 20 Sun Peaks Gala Online Fundraiser

The Sun Peaks Volunteer Firefighters Society is pleased to present this year's Sun Peaks Gala in support of Adaptive Sports Sun Peaks and their society. Make your bids online for both the silent auction and live auction, ending on the evening of Nov. 20.

Nov. 20 Sun Peaks Resort Winterm Opening Day

Check online for the latest terrain, run and lift updates.

Nov. 20 The Sun Peaks Gala

The Sun Peaks Gala returns in-person for its 20th Anniversary. Tickets are sold out, however you can participate in the online silent and live auctions.

December Dec. 1 to 9 14th Annual Sotheby’s International Realty Art Auction

In support of Adaptive Sports Sun Peaks, the online auction opens on Dec. 1. On Dec. 8 an intimate twilight art viewing will be held at the Sun Peaks Centre to see all of the artwork in person from 5:00pm - 7:30pm.

Dec. 4 & 5, 11 & 12, 18 & 19 Honeyberry Farm Market’s Christmas and Snowman Spectacular

A 45 year collection of snowmen. Homemade eggnog ice cream and other holiday treats from 11am to 6pm.

Dec. 11 Holiday Kick-off

Santa comes early to Sun Peaks! Family events and entertainment from 1pm to 6pm.

Dec. 11 & 12 Artisan Market

Located in the Sun Peaks Centre Great Hall. Saturday, 11am to 5pm; Sunday, 10am to 4pm.

Dec. 11 & 12 Glenn Bond Nordic Ski Camp Sold out!

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arts

By Kayla Empey

LOCAL ARTIST ZUZY ROCKA DESIGNS GOGGLES FOR ANON OPTICS Local artist Zuzy Rocka has collaborated with Anon Optics, a sub-brand of Burton, to design ski and snowboard goggles as part of an artist series.

As a snowboarder, Rocka said the project meant a lot to her and is something she can now cross off her bucket list.

“I've always kind of dreamed that maybe one day I'd be able to have my art on something snowboarding, like either on goggles, a jacket or snowboard,” she said. “Aside from obviously it being really cool that people can buy it and that they paid me for it, I was just really thrilled that I can actually say that this is something I've done in my life.”

Rocka said she rode for Burton for a long time, and has been an ambassador for their brand. When Anon decided to do their artist series, they reached out to Rocka to ask if she would be willing to design a pair of goggles.

“There was definitely a lot of pressure because I really wanted to do a good job,” said Rocka. “They kind of gave me free rein, which is good, but it was also kind of hard.”

Rocka said as she came up with ideas she “scribbled them all down,” and ended up with a lot

of rough doodles for designs. After bouncing ideas back and forth with Anon, they both decided on the design of a wolf trapped in branches, with the branches appearing to look like lightning.

Rocka also said she is happy the goggles are monotone colours and unisex.

When it was time to execute the designs, Rocka said she took a slightly different approach than most people likely would.

“I actually painted it,” said Rocka. “I did the two separate paintings on really long canvases. I actually used all the mediums that I use because I also did a bit of a dark watercolour background... and I put it all together digitally so that it looks like a stormy cloud background with the watercolour.”

Rocka has been doing photography and art fulltime for the past four years. Although she has been drawing her whole life, she said she stopped painting for a while because she didn't think she could make a living from it. But over time, she began creating art seriously again.

“It's kind of cool because obviously I love the photography, but it's really fun to see my art kind of taking off in the last few years with these big

1. Rocka holds out the new googles during one of Sun Peaks' first snowfalls of the season. Photo provided by Zuzy Rocka.

2. Rocka’s designs. Photo provided.

3. Rocka painting the watercolour background. Photo provided.

3.

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commissions coming up,” she said. “I've been doing a lot of really big paintings I haven't released yet either, and I'm doing some work for the resort.”

Recently, Rocka painted a mural for the Nordic Ski Club to be seen along the ski trails.

She said she also receives commissions from local community members for custom art in their homes.

Rocka will be a vendor at the Sun Peaks’ Holiday Kick-off Artisan Market this year, bringing smaller items such as paintings and drawings, Christmas cards and painted mugs.

“It's pretty sweet that I can call this my career,” she said.

Rocka’s goggles can be purchased at burton.com, or visit her website at bythezu.com.

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alpineimages.ca | info@alpineimages.ca | 250-851-1905 23

events

A walk through art viewing will take place on Dec. 8, and the online auction will be open from Dec. 1 to 9

By Kayla Empey

SOTHEBY’S ART AUCTION RETURNS WITH IN-PERSON EVENT

This year the auction is raising money for Adaptive Sports Sun Peaks. File photo.

The 14th Annual Sotheby’s Art Auction is back this year with an in-person event and a nine day virtual auction.

The event, hosted by Sotheby’s International Realty Canada in partnership with ArtZone Sun Peaks, aims to showcase local artists while also fundraising for charity. This year, the auction is raising money for Adaptive Sports Sun Peaks.

On Dec. 8, a walk through art viewing will take place in the Great Hall of the Sun Peaks Centre from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Marj Knive, president of ArtZone Sun Peaks, said many of the artists who contributed work will be there to speak about their art, their process and what inspires them. Knive said she is excited about this in-person portion of the auction.

“Last year, we had [the art] in a few spots in the resort on display, but it's not the same as having an event where you can talk to the artists and see the work,” Knive said. “I think it'll be really fun and really informative because lots of times when you want to buy art, you want it to have a bit of a story.”

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The event will include live music from Ari Neufeld. Knive said there will also be a fire pit, hot chocolate and snacks on the patio to provide a space for people to socialize and stay warm without the hall becoming too crowded.

After the art viewing there will be a party hosted by Sotheby’s. The location is not yet disclosed, and the party is limited to the first 50 people who arrive.

“The artists will be there to talk more about their art and hopefully convince some of the people there to get their bids in,” said Knive. “We really want to raise as much money as we possibly can for Adaptive Sports and certainly the artists are behind the fundraising event.”

Knive said they have received an assortment of art submissions this year, including fiber art pieces, paintings and cards.

The online auction will open on Dec. 1, and closes on Dec. 9 at 8 p.m. Visit artzonesunpeaks.com to put in a bid or make a donation.

puzzles & business listings

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sports

BRINGING MORE WOMEN TO FREESTYLE SNOWBOARDING The Sun Peaks Freestyle Club has a new adult ladies program

By Kayla Empey

Freestyle Club competitor Katie Brayer will coach the new adult women’s snowboarding program.

Photo provided.

The Sun Peaks Freestyle Club (SPFC) has a new adult ladies snowboarding group this year to encourage more women to ride the park. The program will be coached by Katie Brayer, a 17-year-old SPFC competitor and recent graduate of Westsyde Secondary in Kamloops.

Brayer said she is excited to coach an all-women’s freestyle snowboarding group because two years ago when she was on the freestyle snowboarding team, she was the only girl and felt less experienced than the others.

“I was also one of the younger athletes as well, and all the coaches were male,” she said. “It was really intimidating to try and want to learn new tricks and try stuff that the boys have been doing for years already, you know? So I'm excited to sort of show other people that it's okay to do that.”

Janna Brown, the SPFC’s snowboard program director, said the idea for the group came from a woman in the community. She reached out to Brown and said she had a few ladies who would be interested in an adult ladies-only program.

“I said if there's enough women interested, I'll try to make it happen,” said Brown. “All these women are pumped about it.”

Brown said they had more women sign up than expected and all the spots were filled quickly. She said she is excited for the program to bring more women to the terrain park and to have Brayer as a coach.

“I've seen her ride,” said Brown, “She's a great park rider. So I think she'll just really inspire women to push themselves and learn more.

Learning from another female who can actually do all this stuff gets people that one step up. It just gives them that confidence.”

Brayer has been snowboarding for about seven seasons. She had always skied with her family when she was younger, but once she tried snowboarding she knew it was for her.

“I haven’t skied again since,” she said. “I also have aspirations to take snowboarding somewhere for myself, but I think this coaching will help me a lot as a rider to sort of look at things from the other side and more understand from a coach's perspective.”

The program runs every Sunday for 15 weeks beginning the second week of November. Participants are required to be comfortable on a snowboard, as the focus is to allow the women to develop their park skills with one another.

“It's really awesome to have a group of girls that can just ride together and sort of have a support system,” said Brayer.

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