Volume 18 Issue 4

APRIL 17 - MAY 15, 2020 Volume 18 Issue 4

CRAIG RENWICK for his free online workout classes every day

MIKE AND JODI SHAW with Sun Peaks Cargo for delivering important supplies

KAYLA ALFRED and the Sun Peaks Yoga teachers for helping us keep moving with virtual classes

CLANCY O’MALLEY for helping the community get their pharmacy needs before he’s even open RESTAURANTS AND CAFÉS who donated or gave away food and supplies when they closed

THANK YOU KAREN WEAVER for making soup to feed the community every day

THE BLUEBIRD MARKET team for keeping us safe and bringing in staples we need

MOUNTAIN HIGH PIZZA TEAM for making and delivering delicious dinners

CHANDRA LEE for creating the caremongering team

SUN PEAKS COMMUNITY HELPS for their work on the food cupboard and other community supports

ALLAN MELVILLE for having the Kookaburra Lodge Bells cheer each night MOUNTAIN TIGER for providing tasty take out meals

SUNPEAKSNEWS.COM @SunPeaksNews

THE OHANA DELI MARKET team for their special shopping hour and precautions ART ZONE for making and donating masks to the community SUNDANCE LIQUOR STORE for adapting to provide online orders SUN PEAKS FIRE RESCUE for their part in the 7 p.m. cheer and transporting the Easter Bunny

THE HEFFLEY CREEK STORE for remaining open for our fuel and other necessities

THE HEALTH CENTRE team for adapting to still help patients during the pandemic

AND all the residents, businesses and workers who have stepped to help their friends and neighbours.

ECONOMIC IMPACT

Page 2

BEING AWAY FROM HOME IN A PANDEMIC

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Volume 18 Issue 4 April 17 - May 15 1

LOCAL News Small businesses lose millions in tourism revenue BUSINESS OWNERS FACING UNPREDICTABLE FUTURE JEAN STRONG

As small businesses in Sun Peaks each individually grapple with their futures in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the collective scale of the economic impact of closing the ski season four weeks early on March 18 is becoming clear. As doors were locked and staff were sent back to their homes around the globe, millions of dollars that would’ve been spent in the resort slipped away.

SPIN contacted 74 businesses in the community, 34 of which shared their lost revenue and 38 of which shared the number of staff who were laid off or lost their jobs.

The total loss over the 34 businesses which shared is an estimated $4,514,900 and 224 jobs, not including Sun Peaks Resort LLP, the Sun Peaks Grand Hotel or Bear Country, the largest employers in the village. This accounts for the last four weeks of the winter season, and no anticipated losses going forward.

“The business cycle in Sun Peaks is brutal in that we tend to build up debt through the later summer and fall and then extinguish the debt in the first two months of winter,” one business owner told SPIN. “February income tends to cover operating expenses for the current winter, given that most income prior to February is still just covering debt, then March is the gravy. By March we’re usually flush and income earned helps us pay for taxes and get us into the summer before we start back into debt.”

That sentiment was echoed by other owners forced to close by the pandemic.

Nick Cundari, owner of the Sundance Liquor Store, said the resort’s closure has heavily impacted their business despite being able to offer online orders and delivery.

“SPR is really the economic engine of Sun Peaks and without them operational, business is really not sustainable,” said Cundari. “Every operational winter day is so valuable to the business up here. It’s also hard to lose the end of the season because, due to the seasonal nature of the business, you spend the first half of the season digging yourself out of the hole created by the off

2

season, and your profit really comes in at the end of the season. New Years Eve power outage was another painful blow, many businesses were still trying to recover from when this hit.”

Tourism Sun Peaks (TSP) president Arlene Schieven confirmed the season was on track to end strong.

“It was definitely going very well, we had a really strong February and March,” she said. “With all of the key events we had we were definitely looking at an increase in March. Then with the closing on March 18 we saw a loss of about a third compared to last March and I think we would’ve expected to be a bit above that as well.”

But even businesses like Cundari’s that can remain open are being hurt by the virus and early closure.

Mountain High Pizza has remained open with hours and practices shifting depending on demand and recommendations from health authorities.

Despite being currently open for takeout and delivery at dinner, owner Ryan Schmalz said business is down around 60 per cent, compared to May of 2019, which is already one of the slowest months of the year.

He has also cut down to a skeleton crew, keeping one person working in the restaurant and one delivering orders.

“And there are only two restaurants open in all of Sun Peaks.

Last May there were 10 others open.”

Other types of businesses have also seen huge financial impacts.

Rowyn Neufeld and Tobias Koller of 3 Peaks Rentals said the sudden closure was still hard despite trying to prepare themselves for the local impact as they watched other resorts in Europe and North America close.

“We got the news, gave our staff the last two days to ski, did one final clean and they were gone,” Neufeld said. “It was sad to see people we worked with for a whole season and had grown to really enjoy spending time with having to leave.”

The couple said they are already receiving cancellations into the summer and even next winter, but have also received requests for long term rentals in the meantime. On April 6, Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipality issued a request for anyone who is not a permanent resident in the community not to travel to the resort.

While bookings have dropped,

Volume 18 Issue 4 April 17 - May 15

they said, they are trying to create other work for people by offering insurance walkthroughs and home checks for those that can’t make it up the mountain to their properties.

“We’re trying to stay optimistic but it’s hard,” she said. “It was quite a hit to us.

“At the end of the day we just want to do what’s best for Sun Peaks. It’s about sticking together, doing the right thing and helping those that might need help.”

Koller added he hopes to focus on how to encourage people to visit when travel is safe again.

“It can be scary for people to start booking again but humans have an innate want to travel. We can convey we are open again once it’s safe.”

While most businesses were forced to shut, others have found themselves even more needed by the community.

Rory Edwards, owner of Bluebird Market, said he had to make some staffing changes and is also trying to balance bringing in items residents may need while not wasting food.

The market has implemented a phone in grocery order option and other safety precautions.

Bobbe Lyall, owner of Ohana Deli Market, said her business has shifted from more luxury foods to staples and produce for residents to avoid trips to town. Lyall has designated the first opening hour for those shoppers who are immunocompromised, and is working with supplier Gordon Food Services to offer full case

orders for families.

Despite seeing more use from residents both grocery stores have seen a decrease in revenue with the loss of sales to tourists.

Sun Peaks Cargo has also been called upon for delivery of groceries and other necessities from Kamloops.

Jodi Shaw said their grocery delivery business has increased but they have lost freight deliveries of things like cleaning supplies, commercial food and liquor or linen due to the resort closing.

Sun Peaks isn’t the only community where small businesses are facing unprecedented uncertainty.

A survey by Insights West revealed 65 per cent of small businesses owners are very worried about the negative financial impact and only 55 per cent think emergency aid from the Federal government will be effective.

Another concern highlighted in the survey is that nine per cent of respondents said it will definitely or probably force them to close for good. Seven per cent of businesses surveyed say this will force them to declare bankruptcy, TSP’s Schieven said how far the impact will last remains to be seen, but a survey of business owners indicated many would be ready to open in July, if safe, with limited hours or operational changes.

“Just know that we are in communication with all the different partners and will be ready to go whenever that is.”

SUN PEAKS INDEPENDENT NEWS INC. 102-3270 VILLAGE WAY SUN PEAKS BC V0E 5N0 Phone 250.578.0276 For comments, questions, concerns email: editor@sunpeaksnews.com Email your classifieds or ads to: sales@sunpeaksnews.com

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Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipality NOTICE OF PUBLIC PRESENTATION Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipal Council gives notice that the 2020 5 Year Financial Plan will be presented to Council during the April 21st Regular Council meeting that will be live streamed on our Facebook page. The full presentation will be made available on the municipal website for public input.

Questions, comments and feedback can be forwarded to Cheryl Taylor-Gale at dof@sunpeaksmunicipality.ca www.sunpeaksmunicipality.ca

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Volume 18 Issue 4 April 17 - May 15 3

LOCAL News

OCP makes room for Sun Peaks to Chase connection competitive rates: hourly or contract

EMILY PERRINS

PLEASE HELP! New infrastructure projects may be far from some minds at the moment, but recent talks among stakeholders suggest the old idea of a new road from Sun Peaks to Chase is being revisited once again.

Sun Peaks’ mayor, Al Raine, insisted the plans are very preliminary but said small steps have been taken.

“There have been amendments to the not-yetapproved Official Community Plan (OCP) for a road to go out towards McGillivray Lake that would eventually tie into any road coming from the Trans Canada highway.”

He explained that a yearround through road from Sun Peaks to Chase would involve a merging of two different projects that are both in their infancy.

The first, a municipal project, would extend the main road through Sun Peaks from P5 section by section, progressing as development goes towards the east, according to Raine.

This new road would bypass the ski area boundary, unlike the existing forestry service road to Chase that opens during summer.

The second project, headed by the Little Shuswap Lake, Adams Lake and Neskonlith Indian Bands, would build a

road up from Chase that Raine said would likely avoid some of the steeper grades on the existing forestry road.

Rob Hutton, executive director for territorial resource stewardship with Little Shuswap Lake band, echoed Raine in saying it’s early days for the project.

On March 5, the three bands and provincial government met to discuss what a government-to-government relationship would need to look like around Sun Peaks to make collaborative projects like the road happen, Hutton said.

He explained that once the province makes a cabinet submission on the bands’ proposal, background research and assessments would need to be completed, and the interests of the neighbouring bands aligned.

“That would give us the ability to ultimately plan and then design a route,” Hutton continued.

He stated Little Shuswap Lake band, in particular, has been interested in a yearround road from Chase to Sun Peaks for some time.

“The road represents a huge benefit in terms of diminishing fire safety risk,” Hutton said. “(Also) for us

it’s really about economic development and filling up those beds at Quaaout Lodge year-round…we’re also looking at being able to ramp up our involvement in the tourism and service sector.”

Raine indicated the road would also likely expand real estate options and create jobs for local band members.

He said the municipality had talked with Little Shuswap Lake band about its projected plan—and that Sun Peaks expressed an interest in seeing it proceed—but no community-to-community discussions had taken place yet.

“There’s no real rush to get the road through the municipality out to McGillivray Lake to tie into a road that maybe won’t be built for five to ten years, so our timing would relate directly to what the agreement is between the bands and the province,” Raine said.

As it stands, funding may be the real time frame determinant.

“This just doesn’t stand out as a huge priority for government right now, even though they’re very supportive of what we’re trying to do,” Hutton said. “Without any money we’re gonna be stuck.”

Donate your used Skis, Boards, and Boots to help fund our program.

Contact us and we will arrange pick up.

Phone: 250.572.0616 Email: adaptivesportsatsunpeaks@ gmail.com

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FOR ESTIMATES: 250-851-1021 | OFFICE@POWDERVENTURES.COM

Smoke Detectors As we are spending more time in our homes due to social distancing, try to use this time to check or update your home fire protection devices.

Check that your smoke detectors are working and less than 10 years old, your fire extinguisher gauges are still in the green and your family emergency and escape plans are up to date!

If you have any questions about these protection devices, please don’t hesitate to call Sun Peaks Fire Rescue or email prevention@ sunpeaksfirerescue.com.

Non Essential Travel With Dr. Henry’s recommendation to reduce all non-essential travel, Council has issued a request to all non-resident property owners to please not come to the resort at this time. We look forward to seeing everyone once this pandemic is over.

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Volume 18 Issue 4 April 17 - May 15

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LOCAL News Nature as therapy: reflecting on a healing journey JEAN STRONG

In December of 2018 Bee Nikula’s life was upturned when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

She had just moved from Sun Peaks to Salmo, B.C. with her husband Kieran, and was working and settling into a new home. In a whirlwind, the next month she had surgery and a few weeks later learned she had been selected to attend a bucket list snowboarding trip with Boarding for Breast Cancer (B4BC), a California-based non-profit with the mission of education about detection, prevention and support for those with breast cancer.

At the time she was excited about the opportunity to snowboard at the legendary Baldface Lodge, but didn’t realize the trip would shape her entire journey fighting the disease.

“At that time I was only a month into my diagnosis. I had no idea what I was doing, where I was going to be, what my treatment options were going to be,” Nikula said. “I obviously accepted the offer and I was also aware that I was only out of surgery for about six weeks and I probably wasn’t supposed to be on a snowboard for maybe another six to ten. But I took that as a really big motivator.

“I focused really heavily on preparing myself, and I was. By the time the trip was to begin I was feeling strong, I was feeling healthy.”

Despite some nerves, Nikula said she quickly felt at ease with the group when she arrived in April 2019.

Three other women experiencing different stages of breast cancer had also been selected to join and the remaining 46 women were industry leaders, B4BC staff and athletes, many of whom had their own connections to cancer.

“Unfortunately two of the women from the B4BC fundraiser were unable to come last minute due to how their diagnoses had progressed since their application, which was really emotional for a lot of us...it puts it into perspective really quickly, that a lot is unknown still and we got to have moments for that. Moments

of silence, moments of love and gratitude towards them and just wishing them well on their journey.

That was a hard one, because at that point I was so fresh, I had only been diagnosed for about three months.”

Nikula said she was overwhelmed by attendees’ support and questions about her treatment decisions. But it helped her realize she could accept help.

“I’ve always been the person that gives to others, who cares for others, so to be sitting in a beautiful group of women and to be acknowledged as a young female with breast cancer, it was scary. It made it very real, but then it also made me realize that it’s going to be okay. Because each person would come with a kind gesture, a kind message, words of encouragement, words of support. It shifted my mindset around building relationships quite a lot because I used to hold back quite a bit but I realized the moment I let my vulnerability show to these women that I was held in such a safe spot.

And what a better place to be when you’re high in the alpine? You’re removed from the world, you’re removed from your doctors’ visits, you’re removed from the constant reminder of there’s still more to go.

And you’re not focusing on the fear, you’re focusing on the best part, which is snowboarding.”

Throughout the weeklong trip, Nikula connected with Megan Pischke, B4BC wellness director, who encouraged her to choose the treatments she believed in.

“She took me under her wing, she became very much a pivotal role in my life, and still is. She sat down with me and talked through what I was doing and my choices and what integrative therapies I was looking into...she introduced me to my integrative doctor who is a naturopathic doctor…(he) is the most incredible doctor I have ever met. So she changed my life.”

With Pischke, B4BC, other new friends from the trip and a doctor who prescribed time outdoors every day alongside other recommendations on her side, Nikula charged into a year of treatments.

“To have a doctor tell me to do what I love was a very validating

moment for me and it made me realize that it’s okay to do things a little differently.”

While Nikula tried all kinds of treatments, both traditional and alternative, one thing remained steady throughout it all— time in nature. She said the physical and emotional aspects both played key roles in improving her health.

“I believe incredibly deeply in nature therapy and what we can gain from that. The ability to just ground myself in the midst of chaos has been the best thing that I’ve allowed for myself to do. No one prepares you for these decisions that you’re going to make and when you can be at peace, when you’re outside and you’re in your element you feel the safest in, it makes those decisions easier.

“Looking around you 360 degrees and you’re up top and that’s it, nothing else matters, that is my safe place, that is my haven. That is where I still go on a regular basis.”

Months after the Baldface trip Nikula attended a women’s surfing retreat in Mexico and found the same thing applied on the beach.

“You’re working through big traumas but then using nature and our bodies to work through it... I always knew I loved sports and winter sports and being outside, but, prior to all of this, I never looked at it as self care and now it’s my greatest tool.”

One year after her diagnosis Nikula now shows no evidence of disease and recognizes the huge role B4BC played in starting and guiding how the last year played out.

“The trip to Baldface was for sure the starting point that opened the door for me and I am forever grateful to be for B4BC for doing the fundraising to make that an opportunity, and that’s just one (trip).

They do amazing retreats that are primarily much more focused on young women with breast cancer...I would love to attend one of those and that’s my goal.

“To have an organization that gets you to dream opportunities like a Baldface, like a surfing trip and helps you get there and covers that (financially) and then feeds you magically delicious food that is so

good for your mind, body and soul and takes care of you and helps you listen to everything you’re feeling.

They bring the practitioners, they bring the therapist, they bring the acupuncturists and energy healers.

They give you the tools that you can pick and choose what’s working for you and take that off into where you go next. And giving that to young women who are probably in a place of the unknown is the greatest gift someone could offer.”

Still in Salmo, Nikula is now working on education in holistic nutrition, spending a lot of time outdoors, nurturing relationships she created over the last year and making small changes to pivot her career and life toward helping others.

“I can bring that sense of joy to someone else just from being me, how easy is that? It’s like the most beautiful cycle. It’s so easy—we always overthink things. That’s my focus, I just want people to be happy and to live in a place where there feeling satisfied and recognizing that even when things get very, very hard and very dark the moment you remember it’s only temporary is the moment when you get to replace it with a good so quickly “I would obviously never wish what I went through on anyone, but I am beyond grateful for what it’s given me. If I could use my story and my experience to help others before they would ever have to experience something like cancer, that’s the biggest win.”

“when you have more than you need build a longer table not a higher fence” Although being physically close to our loved ones is not possible right now there are many ways to build a longer table!

Thank you Sun Peaks – there is no place we would rather be!

Open 7 days a week 10am – 7pm ~ safety restrictions and sanitation practices in place for your and our safety

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Volume 18 Issue 4 April 17 - May 15 5

GET OUT There AS THE WORLD SUDDENLY SHIFTED DUE TO THE WORLDWIDE SPREAD OF COVID-19, THOSE WHO WERE ABROAD HAD TO MAKE QUICK DECISIONS. FOR SHAY COLEMAN, COURTNEY JONES AND CHARLIE KINLOCH, ALL OF WHOM WERE FAR FROM HOME, THOSE CHOICES LOOKED DIFFERENT. THEY TOLD SPIN, IN THEIR OWN WORDS, ABOUT WHEN THEIR TRAVELS CHANGED AND HOW THEY HANDLED IT.

Charlie Kinloch I arrived in Christchurch, New Zealand, on March 4 to play rugby for the season. At the time COVID-19 was not an issue in the country since there were no cases.

Fast track to a month later in the future and the whole country is in a level four lockdown (only contact with your household), and there are just under 1,000 cases in the whole country.

This doesn’t seem like a large number compared to Canada but New Zealand is just 268,000 km squared while just B.C. is 945,000 km squared.

New Zealand’s efforts in combating the virus have

consisted of people staying in their “bubble” which is the house they’re living in and not being in anyone else’s bubble.

They have also used mild law enforcement to keep people at home and not going out and doing anything that’s not essential.

The worst part of the whole situation for me is our rugby season has been postponed.

In an effort to keep myself busy and paying my rent, I landed myself a job at the local shipping docks called Lyttelton Port Company. In order to stay fit for if and when the rugby season starts, I have been

running lots and have been doing some weight training with some old weights I found in the garage.

Living away from home right now is very strange as this is not just my first time living away from home, but also my first time living away from home during a global pandemic! I have been in contact with my family since it has become a pandemic and they gave me and my very worried hosts good reasons for me to stay in New Zealand. Therefore I am staying in New Zealand and will be waiting this out safely and in the nice weather. I hope everyone back home is staying safe and hope this all ends soon.

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Charlie Kinloch taking advantage of being on lockdown in New Zealand.

PHOTO SUPPLIED

Thank you, for doing your part. #ExploreBCLater

As we wait for the weeks to pass and we dream of our time in the mountains to come again, we thank everyone in the community for doing their part to help flatten the curve. A heartfelt thank you to the essential and front line workers, who continue to serve the regional communities to keep us safe and well taken care of. We will get through this, together, stronger.

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Volume 18 Issue 4 April 17 - May 15

SUNPEAKSNEWS.COM @SunPeaksNews

GET OUT There Courtney Jones No one likes to be laid off, let alone in a country that’s not your own, but that was the reality for thousands of us working at ski resorts across Canada.

I believe we all know where we were the moment we heard the news that Sun Peaks Resort was the next in line to be closed due to COVID-19.

I was working in the office at a property management company on the mountain, handling bookings and general enquiries. Except they hadn’t been general lately, the questions were very much aimed at our refund policy with the changing world landscape.

I had just caught up with the emails when I turned to a co-worker and said I didn’t believe we would close. Surely not, we’d had no reports of the virus, we had no gondolas and we had minimal

visitors compared to resorts such as Whistler and Revelstoke.

Why did I have to say it out loud?

Moments later an email arrived in our inbox, an email that made my heart drop, my stomach churn and reach for my phone all at once.

It read, “At this time, the decision has been made to cease operations for the remainder of the winter season at the end of day Wednesday March 18, 2020”.

Many of us had given up careers, possessions and a lot of money to make the journey to Canada to start a new, exciting adventure, and in a matter of moments the future of our stay seemed uncertain. Staff poured into the office, some angry, some in tears and others numb with shock.

Our boss informed us that effective

Shay Coleman On March 18 when Sun Peaks Resort announced they were closing early due to COVID-19, I was five months into my second Working Holiday Visa in Australia. I had barely grazed the surface of bucket list items I wanted to check off before returning home to my little mountain town. Things in Australia were starting to get more serious, but I was located in a country town that seemed more or less unaffected.

The decision to come home to Sun Peaks was very difficult because I was a week away from being able to move up north to Port Douglas and spend the last seven months of my visa living and working by the ocean. To add insult to injury, the fact I spent nearly five months in my first year working on farms to get the mandatory 88 days for a second-year visa, and not be able to take full advantage of that second year was a nightmare. I had not worked since Christmas and spent money travelling for three weeks. Without a job and no timeline for when I could work, returning home to Canada was the best option in a tricky situation.

On the 18th it became very apparent I needed to leave or I’d get stuck in Australia. I found a reasonable flight home on March 22. I would fly with Air New Zealand to Auckland, then San Francisco, and finally land in Vancouver. But the next evening, New Zealand announced the country’s borders would be shut in an effort to

get ahead of the spread of COVID-19.

At the time no statements were issued regarding transiting passengers, so I didn’t worry.

On Friday evening, I headed to Adelaide to spend the last night with friends who would drive me to the airport for my early flight the next morning. That evening I received an email to check into my flights. I tried to but was redirected to the airlines web page where I was advised I wouldn’t be allowed to board my flight unless I was a New Zealand citizen, permanent resident, or travelling with someone who was either a citizen or permanent resident. Panic set in because I was packed up, 15 hours away from my scheduled take off, and needed to rearrange everything.

After five hours on hold with the airline, my flights were cancelled, and a refund was on its way. I was emotionally spent but by this point in the evening it was early in the morning at home in Canada. I called my parents hoping they could find any new flights while I tried to calm down and sleep for a few hours.

Overnight, the Australian government warned it would be shutting down domestic borders between states. If I managed to get out of South Australia there was a very real possibility, I would not be able to return. The unsettling thing about that was I could get to Sydney, have my

immediately we were no longer employed and that we had just completed our last day of work in Sun Peaks. Unlike resort staff, we were lucky to have accommodation for as long as we needed it, as well as subsidized rent to what we had already been paying.

Instead of wallowing in self-pity and turning into nervous wrecks about the future, our team of staff came together in a driveway, laughed, drank and shared memories from the past five months. Groups of people would walk past and cheer, sharing in a joke that almost everyone in Sun Peaks was now unemployed.

Even the best laid plans can come undone and that’s exactly what happened days later. Myself and my boyfriend Luke, were set to work first in Fort St. John for a month at a family run private farm, followed by a summer long employment in Kananaskis on a ranch. Our flights were booked from Kamloops on April 8. We were set, or so

we thought.

Borders began to close across both Canada and our home country of Australia. Flights were being cancelled by the hour and it was becoming more and more apparent that if we didn’t make a decision to leave, we may very well be stuck in Canada for months without employment.

Summer employers were contacting their future staff to say start dates were now uncertain, mandatory isolation was coming into place and our families back home had begun to encourage us to return. I had always believed home is where the heart is, and for the most part it was in Canada, but with the uncertainty of the future, Australia was calling me home.

We chose to book a rather expensive flight back home on March 29 and got a dismal option of a refund/credit for our Fort St. John flight with another airline. This was a problem a lot of us had trying to change or cancel flights getting home it seemed.With the

border restrictions getting tighter by the hour, so did our stress levels and need to get home as soon as possible.

After over an hour of waiting, we were able to change our flights to two days later, and so began the rush to pack our lives into a few bags.

The thought of returning to Australia was a shock to the system and heartbreaking to come to the realization that we would not be able to witness Canada’s beauty in the summertime. Hardest though was our inability to say goodbye to friends who were quarantined and could only send us well wishes online.

As we entered the airport and took our last breath of Canadian air, we remembered that this was not in fact goodbye, rather a see you again soon. The world will return to a new normal, planes will take to the sky and passports will be stamped once more, but until then, we will all be dreaming of fresh powder and a Sun Peaks morning sunrise.

flights cancelled and be stuck. I didn’t have personal connections in Sydney.

While I slept, my parents had been searching endlessly for new flights, but they all were either thousands of dollars or going through countries I would not be allowed to enter.

They were also up-to-date with the news stories out of Australia so they ensured I had a contingency plan with a friend of theirs in Sydney if I got stuck behind closed borders and cancelled flights. Luckily, I found a reasonably priced ticket with a direct flight from Sydney on Monday morning and booked it right away. All I had to do now was get to Sydney.

My easiest option was to leave that night, Saturday, stay in the airport overnight and fly out to Vancouver on Sunday morning. This leg of my journey was the easiest to accomplish and I appreciate my friends for letting me stay with them and for driving me to the airport and seeing me off.

The overnight wait at the airport was horrendous. After finding a cozy area to set up camp, I was advised the terminal was closing and I needed to go to another location downstairs.

Fortunately, I met another Canadian girl and we stayed together waiting for our flights the next morning. We were moved two more times throughout the night until the security guards had corralled about eighty people into a small confined area. Confining a large number of people is exactly what was not supposed to be happening during this pandemic. I was grateful I had a face mask, hand sanitizer and gloves for the close proximity of other travellers but they offered no relief for

the hard floor we hoped to get some sleep on. At 3 a.m. the automatic doors opened on schedule and we were able to move around the airport once again.

Still, we wandered aimlessly for six more hours waiting for our check-ins to open. The best thing about that night in the airport was connecting with a fellow Canadian traveller.

When boarding for my flight home commenced, it was as if everyone but me was new to boarding a plane.

Every person was trying to be first on as if that would help with the general anxiety. With every step I took to get farther from someone crowding me, another person would step closer; it was a stifling, swarming mess of bodies.

Eventually, every traveller was in their assigned seat and we were set to go.

By this point I had not slept in twentyseven hours. Unfortunately, I was sitting in the middle and a seat mate was extremely fidgety and up and down constantly throughout the flight.

After a very long fourteen hours with only sporadic moments of sleep, I landed in Vancouver. YVR was unusually quiet, but what was most surprising was the lack of COVID-19 security precautions. From friends who had returned to their home countries, I heard there might be one-on-one interviews, paperwork to sign, and temperatures taken. At several different locations, customs and border security asked, “How is everyone feeling? If you have symptoms of COVID-19 you have to tell us.” We were also told to use the many hand sanitizer stations.

If memory recalls, returning home to Canada from Australia during a global pandemic was the easiest time I’ve

had getting home from international travels.

What was different though was last time I came home my parents were waiting for me in the airport with balloons and video rolling. This time I waited outside, they pulled up, shoved my luggage in the back and we headed right out of Vancouver. There was no traffic and snow on the Coquihalla - my least favourite way to return to Canada.

So, now what? I’m home safe, I’ve done my fourteen days quarantine, I’m now self-isolating, and trying to fill my days with productivity but mostly binge-watching Netflix. I’m so grateful I was able to make it home in time with the assistance of both my Australian and Canadian families; that airline employees and airport security were coming to work, dealing with people who had been travelling all over the world; and that the collaborative efforts of all of them succeeded in getting me home safe and sound if not sleep deprived and emotionally exhausted.

My biggest takeaway from this unusual time is how connected we are in a crisis and how important friends and family are always. In keeping with this sentiment, I’d like everyone to remember that even though the weather is getting better by the day, social distancing is still so important.

Meet up with friends but keep a healthy distance. Treat everyone as if they have compromised immune systems and you’re trying to keep them safe. The more we focus on it now, the more we can look forward to enjoying summer.

Do your part in flattening the curve. I did, and I will continue to do so.

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COMMUNITY Captured: Village Views KYLE JAMES “I’m a freelancer, send help” is one of the funny slogan ideas I had for my Instagram back when I decided to take the leap into working for myself and started my own photography/video company. As a person I am quite laid back and always joking around, but that slogan that I gave no weight to earlier is now heavy, and not just for me. We are in an unprecedented situation and freelance folks all over the world, in a number of creative roles are seeing their work postponed indefinitely or dry up completely.

Aside from the obvious financial concerns the main obstacle in a lockdown or social distancing situation is our creative vibe being more difficult to summon. As a photographer, I love to collaborate and shoot off the cuff portraits with friends. Because this isn’t an option for

the foreseeable future I’ve been forced to think outside the box, which is never a bad thing in the creative industries.

Being in the house has always meant editing or focusing on the administrative side of running my business. Now, with a new train of thought and time to play I’ve started to notice opportunities right here in my living space that passed me by when the outside world was my playground.

I’ve started to play with more creative ideas that I can manufacture and edit into fascinating photos. I am especially pleased with this photo as I always wanted to try it but “never had time.” I’ve also experimented with self portraits and cloned myself in different parts of the house. I set up product shots for some of my favourite drinks and clothes.

Most recently I brought the superpopular “Porchtrait” project to Sun Peaks - I take portraits of people on their porch from a safe distance. All of these options have kept me occupied and more importantly creatively active. It’s funny looking objectively at the difference a few weeks has made because before the lockdown I

would have opted for outdoor photos (even if less creative).

For the video side I have poured a ton of my energy and time into creating a YouTube channel devoted to photography and video tutorials and vlogs.

Again, something I dabbled with previously but “lacked the time” to do anything serious with. So we’re off to a running start in the first month of the lockdown. It hasn’t been easy and if I’m being honest, I’ve enjoyed a fair bit more of Netflix and Disney+ on the couch and some longer sleeps too!

If you want my opinion I would say to you that this time is a gift.

We may never again have this much free time in our lives. Some of us are choosing to hustle a bit harder and others to take their feet off the gas. Whatever you choose to do I hope you find balance.

Until next time, stay safe and healthy.

Kyle James is a photographer & filmmaker from Sun Peaks.

To see more of his work visit www.kylejames.co Contact: kylejamesimages@gmail.com

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TH ANK YOU

You’ve helped to guarantee the future of community news in Sun Peaks

WE’VE RAISED MORE THAN $34,000 TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY POWERED JOURNALISM Myself and the team at SPIN would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the entire community for supporting our membership drive over the past couple of weeks.

Whether it was a financial contribution, a social share, or a meaningful message, we were overwhelmed with gratitude. You helped prove what I have always felt—that we have an incredibly engaged and supportive readership who care deeply about the place that they live and their place in it. Individuals, nonprofits, and businesses all chipped in to help us.

Including the Facebook Journalism Project grant, we’ve raised just over $34,000 to keep Sun Peaks Independent News functioning throughout this pandemic. While we were short of our $50,000 goal, this still means that we have enough to continue providing important community powered, digital news for several months, especially when combined with anticipated emergency government support for small businesses.

If you were unable to support during the campaign, we do have plans in the works to roll out a lower amount, monthly contribution option in the future.

We’d also like to thank those advertisers who have stayed with us this month and have enabled us to produce a smaller print edition. For those who were unable to continue with their contracts, we, as small business ourselves, understand the tough decisions you are trying to make at this time.

Potentially most important, your support for Sun Peaks Independent News has given us the confidence to move forward toward our vision of sustainable community news, accountable to and supported by its readers. News media in this country is at an important crossroads, and I believe that we may have created a significant signpost to help others in navigating this challenge.

Thank you for believing in us and supporting us in this critical moment.

Brandi Schier Publisher

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