Sun Peaks Independent News Volume 19 Issue 6

SPFR crew member James Griffiths fights the Embleton Mountain wilfire in mid-July.

Photo Submitted.

06.

Whitecroft residents challenged by extended evacuation order.

04.

Volunteer fire crew played critical role throughout Embleton Mountain blaze.

Life as a local: Jamie Jeffreys.

10.

August 6 - September 2. 2021 Vol. 19, Issue 6

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IN THIS ISSUE

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For comments, questions and concerns contact us at: brandi@sunpeaksnews.com Visit us: sunpeaksnews.com 250 578 0276 editor@sunpeaksnews.com Sun Peaks, B.C.

BRANDI SCHIER Publisher & Managing Editor brandi@sunpeaksnews.com

JARRETT HOFMANN Community Journalist jarrett@sunpeaksnews.com

JOEL BARDE Community Journalist joel@sunpeaksnews.com

SONIA GARCÍA Layout & Graphic Designer sonia@sunpeaksnews.com

4

VOLUNTEER FIRE CREW PLAYED CRITICAL ROLE THROUGHOUT EMBLETON MOUNTAIN BLAZE

Local firefighters provided structural protection duties.

8

15 PASSING ON HER PASSION Cheryl Beattie continues to offer coaching, mentorship, at Sun Peaks Bike Park.

16

HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATOR REFLECTS ON THE EMBLETON MOUNTAIN WILDFIRE

KAMLOOPS ENDURO RACER LOOKS TO IMPROVE ON IMPRESSIVE FIRST HALF OF SEASON

Jason White was coming off a stressful morning when he found out about the Embleton Mountain wildfire.

Johnathan Helly will be back in Europe this fall to continue the U-21 Enduro World Series.

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17

LIFE AS A LOCAL: JAMIE JEFFREYS

TOP NORTH AMERICAN TRIALS BIKING DUO RETURNING TO SUN PEAKS

BCWS director Jamie Jeffreys has been living on her hobby farm near Heffley Lake with her partner and two daughters, enhancing community partnerships.

The pair will be showing off their skills on Labour Day weekend.

12

18

MY FRIEND MIKE

STEWART IMPROVES IN CANADA CUP APPEARANCES

An homage to the late Mike Wiegele.

14 ONE CANADIAN OLYMPIC CAREER ENDS, ANOTHER BEGINS

Catharine Pendrel wrapped up her Olympic mountain biking career while Matt Berger competed in the inaugural skateboarding street event.

local news

VOLUNTEER FIRE CREW PLAYED CRITICAL ROLE THROUGHOUT EMBLETON MOUNTAIN BLAZE Experience will 'last a lifetime' for staff and volunteers

By Joel Barde

Sun Peaks Fire Rescue in fine form following some long days working on the Embleton Mountain wildfire.

Photo by Joel Barde.

sun peaks fire rescue (spfr) has had a busy couple weeks. After the Embleton Mountain wildfire broke out on July 9, local firefighters were called to Whitecroft, where they provided structural protection duties for area homes until the morning of Friday, July 23, rotating on 12 hour shifts.

This work involved preparing for a scenario that everyone wanted to avoid, namely the wildfire making its way into the community, or a stray ember starting a home on fire. SPFR firefighters also put out small fires when they breached the perimeter fire break built by BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) crews.

SPFR Fire Chief Dean Schiavon was fatigued from a series of long days spent heading Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipality's (SPMRM) Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) when SPIN met with him at the Sun Peaks fire hall the week SPFR’s role at the wildfire was coming to an end.

"This was the biggest event that we've seen in years up here," he said. "It's certainly the biggest event I've ever seen up here."

Looking back, Schiavon said his team of volunteer firefighters performed phenomenally over the course of the fire, which was in its latter stages and has been contained

by BCWS crews. As of Aug. 2 the wildfire was listed at 991 ha and was classified as "being held" by BCWS. On the same day, the final evacuation alert in the area was rescinded to "All Clear" by the Thompson Nicola Regional District.

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Schiavon said the experience of working alongside BCWS and other contracted crews was one that will "last a lifetime," with the knowledge gained far surpassing what could ever be taught during SPFR's weekly Tuesday night training.

"The truck was down there basically 24 hours a day, and if it wasn't there, it was coming back up here to get fuel," said Schiavon.

As part of their work, SPFR firefighters set up sprinklers on and around people's homes. The idea was that if an ember storm was coming, they could "turn on the sprinklers and help provide a humidity bubble around peoples' homes, and hopefully prevent any startups around the house," he explained.

SPFR was joined by Barriere, Golden, and Armstrong fire departments along the way.

During the blaze, SPFR won praise from BCWS, and SPFR's fire prevention officer, Martin McQuade, was made a structural protection supervisor.

Schiavon said running the EOC largely involved planning for a potential evacuation and logistical work, such as organizing meals for firefighters and purchasing supplies.

He said he was grateful for the team of volunteers he worked with at the centre.

SPMRM was put on evacuation alert on July 11, which was not lifted until July 22.

Reflecting on his experience, Schiavon said there were tense times, including on Monday, July 19 when the fire breached a fire break set up on the southern perimeter of the fire, not far from Heffley Louis Creek Rd. "There were a lot of helicopters flying around. People were having to work later. And then they brought in the night crew as well," said Schiavon. "You can really tell that something has changed when they bring in night crews to work."

Throughout the event, many have wondered aloud online about how they can support the SPFR firefighters, whether that be donating money or organizing a beer tab in their name.

Asked about this, Schiavon suggested residents direct money towards those who have lost so much during this wildfire season, such as Lytton residents.

"Donating to the Red Cross in support of the B.C. wildfires, I think, is a really good way for people to show their support," he said.

The Sun Peaks Firefighter's Society is also currently accepting donations, and traditionally holds an annual fundraising gala for the community in the early winter.

Robin Kierstead, a volunteer with SPFR, said the Embleton experience confirmed something she already suspected.

"I always suspected, but I learned just how great of a team our whole hall is," said Kierstead.

Her days started early and involved patrols of Whitecroft, the Heffley Louis Creek Rd. out to Honeyberry Farm, and even putting out small fires where the blaze made it past fire breaks built by BCWS crews.

"This was the first large-scale incident that I've been part of. It was nice to sort of learn and confirm that the skills I've received in training work, and that all of the practice scenarios that we do really come into play and are very, very important," she added.

James Griffiths, an SPFR truck operator, said his day began with making sure the truck he was operating was in good working order before heading off to do work related to structural protection.

"During the day, we would be checking all the structural protection equipment that was ready to run if it needed to," he said. "And then in the afternoons, especially towards the latter end of the second week, we were getting deployed out to do fire suppression on the road."

SPFR firefighters will be paid according to the Whitecroft fire coverage agreement with SPFR, meaning SPMRM was responsible for costs incurred during the first 12 hours of the wildfire response, after which the provincial government and the BCWS were responsible for personnel and equipment costs.

During its July 20 regular council meeting, SPMRM council approved paying SPFR volunteer firefighters the industry standard rate of $46 / hr straight time and paying the Emergency Operations Centre volunteers $25/ hr for their time responding to the wildfire.

With the Embleton Mountain wildfire largely behind the community, there is reason to celebrate.

But it's also worth remembering there is lots of wildfire season ahead.

Given this, Schiavon encouraged everyone to take the time to FireSmart their homes, making sure that they adhere to a set of provincial guidelines aimed at protecting them from potential wildfires. You can learn more about the FireSmart BC guidelines online.

"If you want to help us out, clear out a space of 1.5 meters away from your house," said Schiavon. "Make a defensible zone around your house. That's what's going to help you if a wildfire is coming up."

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5

local news

WHITECROFT RESIDENTS CHALLENGED

BY EXTENDED EVACUATION ORDER

The Embleton Mountain Wildfire burning not far from Whitecroft on July 11.

Photo by Joel Barde.

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Residents able to return home as of July 22

By Joel Barde

The Embleton Mountain blaze tested the nerves of many area residents, but perhaps none were inconvenienced as much as Whitecroft residents, who were evacuated from their homes for 12 days.

After the evacuation order came down on July 10, residents of the unincorporated community were asked to leave immediately, leaving many to scramble to find alternative places to live.

This evacuation order was finally lifted on July 22, once the blaze had been somewhat contained by the BC Wildfire Service.

The "All Clear" was issued by the Thompson Nicola Regional District (TNRD) on Aug. 2.

With extremely low vacancy rates in Kamloops due to the province's many wildfires, residents had to get creative in terms of finding accommodation.

Whitecroft resident Zuzy Rocka went to her parents' acreage in Westwold. She was happy to find a safe place to stay, but soon ended up having to leave due to the White Rock Lake wildfire.

Again, a wildfire had her and her partner on the run.

"It was okay for like a week, but then they kind of had a fire starting up," she said.

Rocka and her partner then evacuated to Kamloops, where they stayed with her brother-in-law's parents.

"It's been a bit draining for sure, being evacuated twice and not being able to work and have my life together," she said.

Rocka, who works as an artist and freelance photographer, said the evacuation has impacted her business as well.

"Besides canceling shoots, my work computer seems to have been damaged in the second evacuation," said Rocka. "I'm so behind on delivery of photos...it’s [also] been a nightmare moving delicate art….It’s been a nightmare to be honest."

Michelle Landry of Peaks Bed and Breakfast said it was the "ups and downs" of not knowing how things were going that brought on the stress.

She said photos that emerged on social media would all give a different impression, leaving her to wonder about how threatened her home actually was from the fire.

Landry and her partner also saw a financial loss from the blaze.

"We had to cancel a lot of new reservations through the fire," she said, adding it represents an especially hard hit after COVID. Luckily, Landry and her partner were able to access commercial insurance through their business.

They ended up relocating to Calgary. They have family there and the company her husband works for has an officer there, allowing him more space to work.

Whitecroft resident Kelsey Dodd and her family were also forced to move around. First to Barriere, then Falkland, then finally to a friend's home in Sun Peaks.

She said she was disappointed with the communication from the TNRD regarding when they might be able to return home.

"I guess I always kind of had it in my mind that evacuees would be given [additional] information," she said. "And we're not. Like our information source is the same as what everybody else's is."

Dodd added while the financial supports for groceries were appreciated, their distribution was a bit "bizarre."

With Whitecroft residents now home, things will be getting back to normal for many.

Reflecting on the evacuation experience, Rocka said she was heartened by how many people reached out to offer a place to stay or support.

"It was pretty nice to know that we had a lot of options," she said. "We just kind of selected what was best for us."

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7

community

HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATOR JASON WHITE REFLECTS ON THE EMBLETON MOUNTAIN WILDFIRE

By Joel Barde

Sun Peaks resident, NASCAR racer and heavy equipment owner / operator, Jason White was coming off a stressful morning when he found out about the Embleton Mountain wildfire.

He'd crashed while driving a race car at Area 27, a motorsports park in Oliver, B.C., and was on the beach relaxing "with his toes in the sand" when he got the news on Saturday, July 10.

"I destroyed a race car at 10 in the morning and then at 10:30 [at night] I was getting phone calls that Whitecroft was on fire," said White, who then jumped into action.

Having worked with the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) since 2003 as a heavy equipment operator and contractor, he knew he wanted to be home for the fight, so he and his wife quickly left and headed back to Sun Peaks.

Over the course of the Embleton Mountain wildfire—which is now declared as 'under control'—White played a pivotal role organizing and directing the heavy equipment that was used to build fire guards around the perimeter of the blaze.

As a longtime area resident, the BCWS tasked him with liaising with residents about what was going on and also helping oversee the heavy equipment used to build the guards.

White and his work partner were some of the first people on the fire, playing a support role for BCWS's Structual Protection Unit, which began setting up infrastructure to protect people's homes on July 11.

Jason White and Cory Donald worked on the Embleton Mountain wildfire together. Photo Submitted.

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"My protege, Corey Donald and I were the first ones basically heading towards the fire with a water tender, filling up bladders for the Structural Protection Unit, because the structural protection started right away," he said. Donald is a long-time employee in White’s local business, Powder Ventures Excavating.

"As soon as structural protection was set up, we were driving right into the fire."

What followed was a series of long and undoubtedly stressful days, as White, BCWS personnel and contracted fire crews raced to build the control lines (better known as fire break) that were used to contain the blaze.

During the fight, White found himself working closely alongside the famed Lytton Rattlers Initial Attack Team fire crew.

White said he was in awe of the crew's determination and work ethic, having recently undergone the unspeakable tumult of seeing their own community burn to the ground.

(A GoFundMe campaign for the team has been set up and can be found at: www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-lytton-rattlers-fire-crew) "Five of those guys had lost their houses two weeks before and here they are coming for a 17-hour shift," said White. "They came in, and not one of them complained, there was not one sour face, there was not one of them who didn't want to be here. They just got to work."

Like many involved in the fight, Monday, July 19, seems to be seared into White's memory as an especially trying time.

That's when the fire, spurred on by strong winds, ended up breaching the southern fire break and threatening homes located along Heffley Louis Creek Rd. BCWS crews responded, and a group of locals—now affectionately known as the Stoneyview Fire Brigade— also worked on the fire, putting out a pile burn that sat approximately 80 metres north of Clark Hooton's home.

White said everyone was expecting the winds to materialize earlier in the day and he was surprised to see things pick up during the night.

"Most of us went home at 6 or 7 p.m., and then we all got called back out at 7:30 p.m, and it was like, 'Everybody get back here as soon as possible.'”

Hooton said that night was about as "intense" as he's ever seen a wildfire, save for the devastating Barriere wildfire of 2003.

White said he was floored with the resolve and dedication of everyone involved in the battle to contain the Embleton Mountain Wildfire, whether it was the professional firefighters with BCWS, all of the volunteer firefighters or residents who leant a hand when it was most needed.

"Everybody pitched in. Everybody did well. And to be quite honest with you, that's why I live in Sun Peaks, and that's why I'm never leaving—everybody comes together in times of need."

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life as a local

LIFE AS A LOCAL: JAMIE JEFFREYS Jamie Jeffreys has been living on her hobby farm near Heffley Lake with her partner and two daughters, enhancing community partnerships using skills and strategies from her director position at the BC Wildfire Service

By Jarrett Hofmann

Jamie Jeffreys, director of partnerships and strategic engagement for the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS), has been humbly working to simultaneously keep her neighbours, their cattle and the province safe.

Jeffreys lives on her hobby farm near Heffley Lake with her husband, their two daughters, seven horses, 11 cows, six sheep, a flock of chickens, one cat and a dog since 2012.

They moved to the community after she and her husband met at the University of British Columbia where they became registered professional foresters before seizing an opportunity to move back to the Interior for jobs in their field.

“We’ve always been interested in horses and the outdoors,” explained Jeffreys. “We like hiking and hunting and things like that so when we moved [to Kamloops] we spent a year searching for property and ended up on Heffley Louis Creek Rd. just past Heffley Lake.”

As their family grew, so did their love for the area. Together they discovered local hiking and horseback riding trails and hunting spots.

They continue to frequent Sun Peaks in the winter with their 15 and 17-year-old daughters who hold part-time jobs at the resort.

Not only has the proximity of outdoor activity made Heffley the perfect area for the Jeffreys, but so has the 4-H club and small tight-knit community feel.

“It’s been an amazing place for our kids to grow up. There’s four or five other families in the valley that are part of our [4-H] club. We all share that sense of pride in where [we] live and the community,” Jeffreys said.

Going above and beyond As director of partnerships and strategic engagement for BCWS, Jeffrys found herself in a unique and difficult position when the Embleton Mountain wildfire threatened her neighbours, her animals and her farm.

“I was doing my job and supporting communities that were impacted, then all of a sudden we were a local that was [being] impacted,” Jeffreys said.

Her role with BCWS began in 2018 after an action review was completed following the destructive 2017 wildfire season to specifically focus on developing community partnerships and include stakeholders in wildfire information processes, such as the community bulletins and meetings regarding the Embleton Mountain wildfire.

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“During fire response, people who live and work in the area, they need to know what’s going on and what’s happening,” Jeffreys explained.

“It’s no different than the community Zoom meetings hosted by Sun Peaks. Several years ago those kinds of things didn’t happen.”

One of her ideas was to include specific community groups and stakeholder liaisons, such as the BC Cattlemen’s Association, in BCWS incident management meetings.

The Cattlemen’s inclusion dates back to 2019, but at the time, Jeffreys didn’t think it would come into effect for her and her neighbours’ farms so suddenly.

“You’ve got lots of ranchers and people with cattle that are out there [grazing] in the area [where there are fires],” she explained.

During the Embleton Mountain wildfire, the liaison represented its community of Heffley Lake area ranchers and relayed information such as forecasts of the fire and what the tactics are to fight it so ranchers could be informed.

“An example is some of the ranchers were cutting hay [which] they need to do, but at the same time they don’t want to conflict with any of the fire operations. It’s a chance for the ranchers and fire crews to work together.”

Too close for comfort During the Embleton Mountain wildfire, there were cattle on the range and it was vital for everyone involved to know where the cattle were if a coordinated evacuation was needed.

Luckily, an evacuation was not necessary for those Heffley Lake area rancher’s cattle.

However, for Jeffreys’ farm animals, an evacuation was the best option when her family’s farm was put on an evacuation alert.

“When the alert first came on...it was nice to move them right away and not have to worry about them when all of a sudden we were evacuated and had to leave for a couple nights,” Jeffreys recalled.

As for everyone impacted by the recent wildfire on Embleton Mountain, Jeffreys was ready and knew a wildfire in her community was always possible but was surprised when such a potentially devastating fire unfolded so close to her community.

“I’ve worked for BC Wildfire for three years now...and we’ve had a couple of quiet seasons so this is the busiest season I’ve been a part of,” Jeffreys explained. “[I knew] There’s the chance a wildfire could happen at any moment...But, certainly I didn’t ever really imagine being in a season like this.”

Jeffreys knew she had to strike a balance between helping her home community, and the larger province-wide emergency at hand.

“At one point my husband said ‘Wow, I’m proud of you, you’re carrying on with your job and here we are looking after ourselves and the risk that’s right above us. You can’t stop supporting the rest of the province with the emergency situation we’re in, just because we're in it ourselves.’”

One day during the Embleton wildfire, BCWS crews needed to work behind a neighbours property, and Jeffreys was able to implement

Jamie Jeffreys alongside two of her trusty steeds.

Photo submitted.

her communication and community partnership skills to help comfort a neighbour whose home was threatened by the fire. “[I told them] You’ve got to trust the plan. It was me as a neighbour supporting a neighbour, but also as somebody working for BCWS saying ‘They know what they’re doing, so go with the plan and trust what they’re telling you.’”

“It was fantastic to know the crews were able to stop each morning and say hi and tell them what they were doing behind the house and then have them come out at the end of the day and say ‘Hey, it all works, the plan came together,’ it’s so nice.”

Reviewing and rebuilding for BCWS Jeffreys will continue to work alongside all of the BCWS crews and contractors who continue to keep communities like Whitecroft and Heffley Louis Creek area safe.

Once the fire season is done, they will review the systems in place and be able to see how BCWS’s new communication tools (such as the mobile app and improved website) helped, to plan for similar, or worse, fire seasons ahead.

“We know with climate change, the fuel conditions and the forest conditions that are out there, we’re going to experience more seasons like this,” said Jeffreys.

Looking forward, Jeffreys said the organization and its contractors will be thinking about what else can be done in terms of prevention and risk mitigation for communities.

“I really want to acknowledge the efforts of everybody that’s out there and all the people that we are working with beyond just our organization. We bring people from out of province and country and work with industry people in the province and all kinds of groups.

There’s lots of appreciation and recognition for what they’re doing.”

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11

community

MY FRIEND MIKE Mike Wiegele, a legendary figure in the ski industry, passed away on July 15

By Ron Betts

In November 1990, my best friend and I boarded a train in Truro, Nova Scotia. We were lured by the mountains of Western Canada; our destination was Silver Star Mountain in Vernon. It was the first time either of us had travelled further west than Quebec and we spent much of the trip staring out the train window at the changing geography of Canada. The monotony of northern Ontario and the prairies gave way to the foothills and finally the Rocky Mountains.

We were literally awestruck by our first views of the peaks that towered above the train tracks. There was a whistle stop in Jasper and we were the quintessential tourists, taking it all in and trying to imagine skiing from the tops of those giants.

That train trip had several memorable moments but the one I remember more than any other was the feeling I got when I spotted the sign for Blue River. My friend Jeff was sleeping in his seat, I shook him awake to let him know we were in one of the magic places. For us, young skiers from Nova Scotia, our only ties to big mountains were the Warren Miller ski movies on VHS that we watched over and over. That was how we knew who Mike Wiegele was, and how we came to know about Wiegele World.

At the time, I had no way to know what an influence Blue River would have on my personal and professional life. I also couldn’t have dreamed that Mike Wiegele, someone who I held in almost mythical status, would become a friend and colleague for nearly 20 years.

There has, and will be, much written about Mike since his passing. About how he had a dream of building the perfect playground for skiers from around the world. About how he immigrated to Canada from his home country of Austria with nothing more than a love of skiing, his tenacity and his steadfast belief in what he wanted to achieve.

The Mike Wiegele I got to know so well was perfectly imperfect.

Yes, he was a visionary, a passionate skier, and one of the most amazing hosts I’ve ever seen, that is without question. He could also be stubborn, direct and a provocateur extraordinaire. He was uncompromising in his belief that avalanche forecasting needed to be improved; many guide’s meetings ran long because Mike didn’t agree with the forecaster’s assessment of the conditions.

That was one of the things that made Mike special; he was never satisfied with doing things a certain way because that’s how they were always done. He was constantly evolving, learning, improving and that passion had a way of bringing out the best in the guides he employed. It wasn’t always easy, but we knew we worked for an owner who expected the best and provided opportunities for his staff to be their best.

For many years I was the grouper for the guiding department.

In that role it was my job to put the ski groups and guiding combinations together for the week. Mike knew many of his repeat guests like they were family. He would often make suggestions based on personalities and, wouldn’t you know it, he was usually right. That was a part of his magic, the ability to connect people and bring together like minded folks, regardless of their economic status, countries of origin or any of the other things that make us different. Mike recognized that, as skiers, we had more in common than we had differences.

I’ll always cherish the time I spent in Blue River, especially the quiet moments with Mike, talking about skiing. He will always be a force of nature in my mind, larger than life but at the same time, very down to earth. We shared many breakfast meetings over the years and those are the moments I’ll remember. Where he shared all the origin stories of his remarkable business. I’ll also cherish the days spent chasing him around the mountains him in his element, never missing a beat.

That’s how I want to remember my friend Mike.

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The author and Mike Wiegele. Photo submitted

arts

LOCAL ARTISTS ORGANIZE PICASSO INSPIRED EXHIBITION A new art show will run at the Old Kamloops Courthouse from July 23 to Aug. 14

By Jarrett Hofmann

Check out the Chromotopia display at the Old Kamloops Courthouse from July 23 to Aug. 14.

Photo provided.

Scrugg's piece was created using a trapunto method, making the central theme of lichen pop on the canvas.

Photo provided.

The new “Chromotopia” art exhibition was coordinated by two Sun Peaks ArtZone members and fibre artists, Janet Scruggs and Victoria Gray, who thought of the idea four years ago during a long drive to northern Alberta.

The exhibition will travel for three years, kicking off at the Old Kamloops Courthouse in the main and hallway gallery from July 23 to Aug. 14 before moving onto Vernon, followed

by Chilliwack.

Chromotopia will display 94 art pieces from 47 artists, including Gray and Scruggs, who all provided pieces subject to two randomly assigned colours.

“The theme of the whole exhibit is colour, and Jan and I are doing black and white. The rest of the exhibit is the whole [colour] wheel,” said Gray.

Each piece of art is presented on a 12 inch by 12 inch canvas and is displayed in two rows so the colour wheel is presented in parallel rows from left to right on the top row, and vice versa on the bottom row.

“For example [Victoria’s] white is on the top, black is on the bottom. It moves through the spectrum on the top [row] and then the opposite way on the bottom so by the time it gets back to me I'll have black on the top and white is on the bottom,” explained Scruggs.

The Chromotopia show was inspired by famous artist Pablo Picasso’s blue period, when he would paint using shades of only a single colour.

“Everybody can only stay within that small section of tint and shade with the colour they were given and they can’t go outside of that or even add a neutral colour,” said Scruggs.

“And that’s quite a challenge,” said Gray.

“You really have to rely on the value of the colours in order to make subject matter show up. There has to be a lot of contrast between them but only within that colour.”

The show will have a variety of themes as the artists’ were allowed to choose their own.

Scrugg’s was inspired by lichen, which she has always enjoyed working with.

“I took a photograph of lichen and then I changed it into a darker value of black, and lighter value for white. Then I sent those away and had them printed on cotton,” Scruggs explained.

She then used a fibre art method called trapunto.

“It’s sort of like adding extra padding in that one area, so in the piece that lichen will have more loft [and] it’ll stand out more from the rest.”

Gray’s piece will be a crazy quilt style of fibre art.

“You could say it was inspired by Sun Peaks because of all the crazy people up here,” Gray joked.

For more information on the “Chromotopia” art exhibition, visit: www.kamloopsarts.ca.

13

sports

ONE CANADIAN OLYMPIC CAREER ENDS, ANOTHER BEGINS Two Kamloops athletes competed in this year’s Olympic Games

By Jarrett Hofmann Catharine Pendrel wrapped up her Olympic mountain biking career in Tokyo this summer while Matt Berger competed in the inaugural skateboarding street event.

While neither athlete brought hardware home to Kamloops, they each left the games with poise and valuable lessons learned.

Tokyo 2020 marked both Pendrel’s first Games as a mother, but likely her last Olympics.

She finished the race placing 18th with a time of 1:23:47, eight minutes and one second behind the gold medalist Jolanda Neff of Switzerland.

Fellow Canadian Haley Smith was unable to finish the race, and pulled out in lap four. Pendrel took to Instagram to share her perspective and experience, saying this time she was racing for her daughter and other mothers out there.

“In another year 18th place would definitely have been tough to swallow, but in every other Olympics I had come in with at least one

Sunny

World Cup win that season. This one I came in with less stellar results, but a little girl and other moms to ride for. If there’s anything the Olympics have taught me it is to dream, yes, but also to appreciate and value executing your best race on the day. That is what I was able to do and that is what leaves me satisfied and content.”

The race wasn’t without drama though; long-time rivals Neff and Pauline FerranPrevot of France battled hard in the first lap to gain the field.

Ferran-Prevot led the pair into the biggest feature of the course, a large rock drop.

Rolling into the feature, Ferran-Prevot broke hard, and forced Neff to redirect her bike at the last second. Neff missed the wooden feature and made a last second adjustment to drop off the rock, and barely kept her bike upright on the landing.

Twenty seconds later Neff gained the lead after Ferran-Prevot fell backward on an uphill rock-garden section dubbed ‘Chopsticks’, and dropped to tenth place.

Neff remained dominant for the rest of the race on her way to the top of the podium, which she shared with two of her Swiss teammates.

In the Men’s Street Skateboarding event, athletes performed tricks in a skateboard park mimicking street style skateboarding on handrails, stair sets, drops, curbs, benches, walls and banks.

They used the park’s features to combine grinds, gaps, board-flips and spins, in two 45

second runs, followed by five attempts to land single spectacular tricks.

Athletes received a combined score from the two runs and five trick attempts based on their four best scores from the seven scoring categories.

Berger was well positioned going into the event, ranked 10th in the world after finishing sixth in this year's Street Skateboarding World Championships.

Unfortunately, Berger placed a disappointing last place with a combined score of 4.02 after he was unable to link together any clean runs and missed all five of his attempts at best trick.

The Kamloopsian took to Instagram the day after to share his insights from the competition and thank his supporters.

“Never would I have thought yesterday would go the way it did and I apologize to the ones I may have disappointed. There’s lots of variables that come into play that make or break your days and yesterday was one of those days. You best believe we’re learning, growing, and moving forward stronger after this one though! Massive thank you to everyone sending in their support leading into this one! The love has been real!”

Meanwhile, fellow British Columbian Micky Papa finished 10th with a score of 30.39, narrowly missing finals which took the top eight competitors from the preliminary heats.

Yuto Horigome of Japan took home the Game’s first ever Olympic gold medal in the event after scoring 37.18 in the finals.

A Lifetime of Bright Smiles

SHORES DENTAL

Monday - Friday 7:30 am - 4:30 pm 1-1222 Tranquille Road Kamloops, B.C V2B 3K2 (250) 554-2032

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SLEEP DENTISTRY | EMERGENCIES | DENTURES | IMPLANTS 14

PASSING ON HER PASSION Cheryl Beattie continues to offer coaching, mentorship, at Sun Peaks Bike Park

By Jarrett Hofmann

Cheryl Beattie has been helping women forge new paths and relationships in the mountain biking community for decades with her depth of experience and expertise in racing, coaching, running the Bicycle Cafe and organizing events, including the recent downhill ladies mountain bike camp in Sun Peaks.

On July 24, Beattie’s Downhill Skills Camp for Women started off with excitement and uncertainty but ended with progression and skill advancement.

The clinic introduced an intermediate level group of women mountain bikers, with a predominantly cross-country mountain biking background, to the gravity trails of Sun Peaks.

“Everyone was excited and decided they had come to get better, so they kept choosing harder trails that they were comfortable with,” Beattie said.

The group warmed up with basic skills and moved into more technical aspects such as drops, jumps, braking, steeps and cornering.

By the end of the action packed day, the group was able to build up to a blue technical trail called Resurrection.

Beattie coached the camps alongside two other Professional Mountain Bike Instructors Association certified coaches Lacee Smith and Kelly Kozevnikov.

She also helps run the Ladie’s Bike Nights on Mondays, a six week progression program, alongside Kim Guiguet and local racer Kyleigh Stewart.

Turn out for each of the clinics has been huge, according to Beattie, marking evidence that not only is the number of women in the mountain bike community climbing, but so is the number of women in the Bike Park.

“It’s awesome because Sun Peaks has always traditionally been a pretty hard mountain, really difficult, really challenging, really technical, and I’d say previously it hasn’t attracted a lot of women,” Beattie explained.

“Now, there’s so many women on the mountain so the more we can provide guidance and coaching, the better. Because they’re going to love it, instead of being scared, they’re going to get better really quick.”

A priority in these camps has always been to help create positive change for women in mountain biking, a sport that has been male dominated.

“I have found in the industry men are always telling women what they want, telling them what they need, telling me I don’t need a downhill bike because I’m too small, [saying] I’m not going to use it and I’m just like ‘who cares, shut up,’” Beattie said.

In addition to offering women in mountain biking better advice, which Beattie was able to do while running the Bicycle Cafe in Kamloops, she has also enjoyed seeing women create their own groups of friends to ride with.

“Making a connection with others at a similar level is an important part of women’s mountain biking. A lot of people have had the experience of just kind of riding with their [partner] or riding with a group of guys and just kind of getting blown out the back. It’s not as much fun,” Beattie explained.

For the rest of the season, Beattie is looking forward to continuing with Ladies Night at Sun Peaks (which was temporarily put on hold due to the recent evacuation alert related to the Embleton Mountain wildfire), organizing the Yeah Bru! Grass Dual Slalom World Cup on Sept. 5 and riding some of her favourite trails in the bike park.

“I love the old school Sun Peaks stuff, trails like DH and High Octane and Smitty’s Steeps and I love Resurrection. I always say I love having to scrub speed, I hate having to get speed.”

To learn more about mountain biking camps with Beattie, or the Yeah Bru! Grass Dual Slalom event, visit www.sunpeaksresort.com.

15

sports

Photo of Johnny Helly by Andy Vathis.

KAMLOOPS ENDURO RACER LOOKS TO IMPROVE ON IMPRESSIVE FIRST HALF OF SEASON Johnathan Helly will be back in Europe this fall to continue the U-21 Enduro World Series

By Jarrett Hofmann

Johnathan Helly, recently found himself in the starting gate of his first ever U-21 Enduro World Series (EWS).

The 17-year-old Kamloops-bred rider was calm and collected in his first four EWS races, finishing the first half of the season 16th overall in the U-21 standings.

“I was hoping with the first block of racing to go over [and] learn as much as I can,” said Helly.

The impressive ranking did not come easily considering Helly had to battle back after two separate mechanical issues including a broken brake in the second Val di Fassa race and a popped tire in the first stage of La Thuile.

“Going into the first corner I pulled [the brake] and I think one of the seals must’ve blown up. All the fluid came out and I lost my back brake,” recalled Helly.

To boot, the stage was very muddy, adding more drama to the race.

“I was sitting between my frame and my back wheel, using my ass as a [rear] brake. I had to keep pulling up my pants with one hand to keep my shorts from dragging off,” he explained with a chuckle.

The loss of his back brake unfortunately resulted in a last place finish at that stage, but Helly battled back in following Val di Fassa stages.

“The next stage I came in being as positive as I could. I was running pretty conservative, not trying to push too hard and crash, just make it through and have a clean race and I pushed back up to 17th.”

More conservative riding followed in La Thuile after Helly had to plug up a flat tire and make sure it didn’t cause him any more trouble.

The tactic would pay off.

16

“I got sixth and eighth place on the last two stages that day. I was pretty pumped.”

Looking to improve on his position, Helly rode with confidence.

“I know my speed’s there to be in the top 10, but I’ve got some more learning to do.”

Helly explained his riding style is fairly aggressive, making it difficult to maintain energy throughout the day, especially on tracks that are unfamiliar.

“It’s different from Canada. We’re racing down hiking trails over there [that have] jankey corners, no berms, lots of rocks and it’s pretty wet over there too.”

While the courses weren’t exactly what Helly is used to, he attributed training on the Sun Peaks Bike Park trails as part of his success.

“The trails are super sick [in Sun Peaks]. You can just beat yourself up.

After a full day up there, you’re pretty cooked and pretty stoked,” explained Helly. “It’s like one of the only bike parks where there’s more than like three downhill trails where you can really work on speed while you’re fatigued.”

Helly said his three favourite runs to train on (in no particular order) are: Sugar, Behind Bars and Gnar-Boom.

Before the latter half of the season begins in Loudenvielle, France, on Sept. 6, Helly looked to gather inspiration from fellow Kamloops-based mountain biking athlete Catharine Pendrel who raced in the Olympics, and sit down with her husband (and Helly’s coach) Keith Wilson to improve his strategies.

“I’m pretty happy with getting in the top 15 [in the last race], but I got 13 [in the race before], so I know I can do better.”

To keep up with the EWS, go to www.enduroworldseries.com.

puzzels & events

IT'S NO BIG THING

by Barbara Olson © ClassiCanadian Crosswords

TOP NORTH AMERICAN TRIALS BIKING DUO RETURNING TO SUN PEAKS The pair will be showing off their skills on Labour Day weekend

By Jarrett Hofmann

Across 1 Mark of disgrace 7 Reverse of reverse: Abbr.

10 Hip-hopper's homey 13 Ensure the job gets done 14 Extra-wide shoe size 15 Competed against Andre de Grasse 16 Grunt worker of yore 17 Target of sports fan abuse, at times 18 What certain candles represent 19 "Just ___" (Barenaked Ladies song) 20 Loan stmt. fig.

22 Former U.N. head Annan 24 Pounds, as a headache 26 Tasteful luxury 30 Nth degree, in brief 31 Years upon years 32 Honchos: Abbr.

33 One saying "Boo!", say 36 Begin to drop off 37 Scallion's big cousin 38 Farley Mowat's "Never Cry ___" 39 "I did great!"

41 "___ Said" (Neil Diamond hit) 42 "The Thin Man" terrier 43 "Rah!", in Rio 44 Hero played by Hogan 46 Machu Picchu locale 47 Panthers' home: Abbr.

48 "B-___-O, and Bingo was his name-o" 49 One whose project is a bust?

51 "Season" opener, for carollers 55 "That's my final offer, take ___

leave ..."

56 Abbr. after poly or before fi 58 Something to pack, for a cop 59 Semi radios 61 French consenter's word 63 Tropical sunscreen scent 65 Something to shake on 66 Alta.'s Macleod and McMurray 67 Thankless sort 68 H.R. worker's stack 69 Silencer 69 "___, or do you think so too?"

Jeff Anderson and Steve Dickin are two of North America’s top trials biking athletes with North American Championships, UCI World Cups and World Championship experience under their belts.

On September 4 and 5, Anderson and Dickin will be returning to Sun Peaks to wow audiences with their unique balancing act.

Known as trials biking, athletes ride through obstacle courses while jumping and balancing on the obstacles without letting a foot touch the ground.

“On the obstacle courses, in competition, you have six gates that you have to go through. If you get through the gates without falling off the bike, then you get points,” explained Anderson.

While the event at Sun Peaks isn’t about collecting points, rather about impressing crowds, the duo have acquired quite a few points from international competitions in their respective careers.

Anderson, who grew up in Coquitlam and has been training since 2007, recently returned from the North American Championships in Arkansa, U.S. where he won the competition for the fifth time.

Dickin, who has been honing his bike balancing skills for over 20 years and is known for his incredible balance and technical skills, is no stranger to world class competition either, having competed in three UCI World Championships in China, Australia, and New Zealand.

Although the events aren’t typically televised, Anderson said it’s a greater spectacle in person anyway.

“You don’t really see it on TV or anywhere, you can look it up on YouTube but live it’s definitely more impressive than on a little video screen.”

The obstacles at the Sun Peaks event will be set up by Anderson and Dickens, with several elevated four inch by four inch wooden beams.

“We can basically jump onto it, either with both wheels landing on it directly. From there [we] can jump to a higher box or obstacle, or just land [our] rear tire on the beam and then jump on the beam and turn to jump to another obstacle,” Anderson explained.

He said that the two riders can essentially place their rear tires wherever they like with great accuracy.

While it may seem straightforward, the primary technique used in trials biking is something most people may not know about according to Anderson.

“The main technique that trials riders use is called the pedal kick, which is basically a wheelie but you just do one kick with the pedal, and then you jump up and down or just jump out and then you can essentially ride the bike on the back tire and kind of jump like a bunny to wherever you want to go.”

For more information check out the event calendar on www.SunPeaksResort.com and to view examples of what Anderson and Dickens will be presenting, check out their website www.trialstars.com.

1 Lay eyes on, Biblically 2 "___ coffee?" (flight attendant's query) 3 Blamer's accusation 4 ___ long way (be successful) 5 Winston Smith's workplace in "1984" 6 Office mail abbr.

7 Hillbilly pro?

8 Newspaper issues with large crosswords 9 Clear up, as a windshield 10 Stupider than stupid 11 It goes with a dipstick 12 Vowel's value in Scrabble 13 Lover's tiff 21 Ages twelve to twenty 23 Not up to par ... or, literally, this

puzzle's theme words (see circles)

24 Megahit "Riptide" singer ___ Joy 25 Wheat, in Québec 27 ___ large (be ominous) 28 Café lightener 29 Stamp's football rival 33 Is involved in a trade 34 Sine's reciprocal, in trig.

35 Do-gooders?

40 "Hello?", au téléphone 45 Prefix meaning 12-Down 50 Vanishing sounds 52 Morning break time, maybe 53 Word with couture or cuisine 54 Room extension?

57 202, in Roman numerals 59 "$chitt's Creek" airer 60 Former Tory cabinet minister Oda 62 Guesstimator's suffix 64 3-D movie graphics, for short

Parse and Parcel - solution

Down

17

sports

STEWART IMPROVES IN CANADA CUP APPEARANCES

By Jarrett Hofmann

Kyleigh Stewart spent her weekends off from mountain biking instructing last month to attempt to run a clinic of her own at the Canada Cup Downhill races.

The first stop in Fernie, B.C., from July 16 to 18, was Stewart’s first race in over a year.

Unfortunately, overconfidence led to a late crash in her finals run.

“The way the course is set up,” Stewart explained. “The top half is really steep. So once you get through that you’re feeling pretty good about yourself and then you get into some higher speed tech stuff.”

The Sun Peaks local found trouble in the latter half, crashing after she committed to a fast corner.

“I think I just was a bit too overconfident, over committed. I hit a root, got bucked then I was on the ground,” Stewart recalled. “There went my run.”

Stewart looked to improve at the following Canada Cup held in Panorama Resort outside of Invermere, B.C., on July 20 and 21.

The event posed initial challenges with a reduced amount of practice laps, putting the athletes straight into initial seeding races. determine the starting order for the finals.

Stewart kept her cool though, heading into finals with a strategy to best her performance in Fernie.

“It was already a bit of a challenge because I really wanted to redeem myself from [Fernie] because I knew I could do better after that crash.”

The lack of practice laps added a sense of urgency, leaving Stewart overwhelmed.

“I was just trying to keep my shit together, for a lack of a better word,” she said.

However, determined to improve and prove herself, Stewart found confidence and put down a fast, clean run and finished sixth.

“I managed to have a pretty decent time and I got down without a crash so that was a big win in my books.”

With the National Cup looming at Kicking Horse Resort outside of Golden, B.C. the following weekend, a course that is known for being fast, rowdy and potentially dangerous, Stewart decided to quit while she was ahead.

“I really just do it for fun these days. I used to be serious about racing but as I’ve gotten older, logistics to race have become more of a reality, trying to fund things and I was definitely risking injury. It wasn’t really worth it when I weighed the potential outcomes. As someone who works as a coach, I have to be back on my bike on Monday,” Stewart explained.

Stewart on the course in Panorama, B.C. on July 21. Photo by Danyal Taylor.

THANK

YOU

To all firefighters, first responders, security personnel, volunteers, and communications teams who worked day and night to keep the communities of Sun Peaks, Whitecroft, and Heffley Lake safe during the Embleton Mountain wildfire, we share our sincere gratitude for your tireless service.

P _ Blake Jorgenson

18

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19

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Locally owned and operated we aim to introduce you to the beauty of Sun Peaks as we know it. We are here to ensure every aspect of your transaction is taken care of professionally, accurately and in a timely fashion. Looking to purchase your vacation property or new permanent home? That’s what we’re here for.

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