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SUMMER
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Weather Forecast JUNE 9—10
SPRING
Heading to
Weather Forecast
IRON MOUNTAIN
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APRIL 13—26
A few showers, seasonable
Scattered showers, cool
APRIL 27—30 Sunny, nice
JUNE 11—15 Sunny, cool
MAY 1—3
JUNE 16—23
MAY 4-8
JUNE 24—30
Sunny, warm
Sunny, turning hot
MAY 9-11
JULY 1—6
Scattered showers, mild
Rainy periods, cool
Volume 15 Issue 6 > JUNE 9 — JULY 6
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Volume 15 Issue 9 > SEPTEMBER 1 — SEPTEMBER 28
A few showers, cool
Scattered showers, cool
Volume 15 Issue 4 > APRIL 13 — MAY 11
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RESORT TO INVEST MILLIONS in lodge upgrades
“It’s designed very much to support the wellbeing of the mountain”
under construction
>> Upcycled wood artist’s pieces stand test of time
Hostel site to transform to multi-use building
Water woes
AT HEFFLEY LAKE
Artist’s rendering of the planned building | PHOTO SUBMITTED
by JEAN STRONG
T
he distinct red-roofed hostel near the bottom of the Burfield chairlift welcomed visitors to their vacations and locals home for many years. The morning of May 20, construction crews gathered, and by the end of the day the hostel had been demolished. All that remained was a deep hole and a pile of rubble. Some on social media expressed sadness at the loss and even the hostel’s owner Ash Hanna said a part of him was emotional at seeing it go. But plans to redevelop the site meant the rounded roof and 38 beds inside had to go, and
A craft of neccesity by JEAN STRONG
>> Page 4
The end of an era, the hostel was demolished May 20 | PHOTOS SPIN
Hanna is looking forward to the next stage. By the end of November 2017 he said he hopes to have most of the construction complete, ready just in time for the new ski season and arriving staff. The new building will house 90 people, including much needed accommodation for resort and village staff. Hanna’s mother and brother had been searching for a lake house in Interior B.C. 13 years ago when they stumbled across Sun Peaks and the hostel, which was for sale. One excited call to Hanna later and it
was theirs. His brother managed it for many years but eventually it was up to Hanna to own and run the business while his family split their time between Australia and Sun Peaks. Hanna said he started to think about changing or refreshing the hostel but the 2008 recession hit the area. “I thought ‘I’ll leave it the way it is,’” he said. “I thought about selling but it was not the ideal time.”
In November 2015, he said he started thinking of change again. “I went to an architect and I
The current Sunburst Lodge sits near mid-mountain. | PHOTO SPIN
said ‘let’s see what we can do with the property,’” he said. “We knew it was due for renovation, it was tired. The old girl stood there for a long time without any drama.” Hanna said he looked at many options before settling on the final plan. Residential units, apartments or a new hostel were all considered. He said meetings with the municipality told him high density housing was needed. His first application for residential units was declined by council because of insufficient
by JEAN STRONG
A
s the end of another busy season approaches, Sun Peaks Resort LLP (SPR) announced on March 21 that over $3 million will be invested to improve two food and beverage outlets. Bento’s Day Lodge, located by P1, and the mid-mountain Sunburst Lodge will each see larger seating areas and new food and beverage options. Aidan Kelly, director of marketing for SPR, said the planned investments are a reflection of increased inter-
CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
Vol 15 Issue 6 June 9 — July 6
sunpeaksnews.com
est in Sun Peaks and faith in continued growth. “It’s the first investment like this in a while,” he said. “Since before 2008. It shows that the market is back.” The announcement comes on the heels of another strong season for the mountain which could beat records set last year. Kelly said the improvements follow the resort’s set master plan but were also requested in feedback from guests. “As a management group, we review all guest comments and feedback on a weekly basis and that was a very common one. The availability of
seats at lunch time and also the quality of the experience.” While the building’s footprint won’t change, Bento’s will receive a 45 per cent increase in capacity and a full interior remodel which will add more dining options for guests. More bathrooms will also be added. The extra space in the lodge will come from the current ski patrol clinic and offices moving out of Bento’s and into the new health centre. Kelly said the building will still serve as a cafeteria style space where guests can eat food brought from home or get ready for their day on the slopes.
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Sunburst Lodge, at the top of the Sunburst chairlift, will double in size and see a significant increase in capacity for dining mid-mountain. There will still be a patio space available for spring and summer use while construction is underway. A full service bar, a variety of dining options and a separate area for teams and clubs to warm up, eat and meet will also be added. “On busy days when we do really well with our International Race Centre and all the Sun Peaks racers, they need somewhere to go in and warm up in between runs and there’s just not enough
seats for everyone,” Kelly said. “So there is going to be a warm up and brown bag lunch area in the downstairs of the Sunburst and then the seating and size upstairs will essentially double.” Construction on both projects will start at the end of this ski season for a Nov. 2017 completion, just in time for the 2017-18 ski season. Bento’s Lodge is rarely used during the summer months but Kelly said the resort is looking at options to provide bathrooms and food at the top of the Sunburst chair for summer guests while work is completed on that lodge.
Vol 15 Issue 4 April 13 — May 11
sunpeaksnews.com
Changes
TO CAMPFIRE BYLAW >> Read more on Page 6
AUTUMN
Weather Forecast SEPT 1—7 Showers, then sunny, cool
SEPT 8—20 A few showers, cool
SEPT 21—28 Sunny, cool
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When you drive past Michelle Maule’s Whitecroft home you would never know that just down the driveway is a fairytale-like oasis. Handmade mobiles and tribal masks hang over plush benches covered in sheepskin and strewn with colourful pillows. Felt appliques line the walls and handwoven baskets hang in a line from the ceiling. It’s cool out of the summer heat and it gives Maule and me a place to sit and talk about her artwork that surrounds us. She hasn’t always been a creator; she studied political science and english at Upper Cariboo College (now Thompson Rivers University) in Kamloops and the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. But she moved back to Whitecroft to ski Tod Mountain and open a bed and breakfast. Short on cash, through trial and error she taught herself to
make furniture needed for the B & B. Beds, tables, bars, chairs and more were carved out of timber from an old bridge in Pritchard, B.C. She learned hospitality wasn’t for her. “I don’t really like housekeeping and making beds and cooking,” Maule said. But guests passing through fell in love with her work, asking to buy pieces from the home and submitting requests for custom work. Now, nearly 30 years later, she has outfitted entire homes at Sun Peaks, created unique pieces for local businesses and sent her work north to Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing’s lodge in Blue River, B.C. “I had no idea (it would come this far),” Maule said. “I just started making furniture because I couldn’t afford to buy it and I had all this wood.” The pieces have character. Maule has to dry, grind, cut, sand and oil the wood, often a few times, to make her imagina-
Michelle Maule at home in one of her custom made rocking chairs. | PHOTO SPIN
tion come to life. “Every piece of wood is an individual and it tells you what to do with it,” she said. Custom rocking chairs are one of her favourites, she said. They can mix up to seven types of wood to create a piece unique to the person who will use it. Maule also likes to incorporate antlers and bone and use marbles to fill small holes. It adds even more character to the work. Mutations or burls on the tree are crafted into large bowls. Woodworking is her summer project, and when I visited it was clear she was in full swing with projects scattered around her large yard. But when the days are cooler and shorter she heads inside to weave baskets, create felt appliques and write short stories. It’s another case of teaching herself a craft. “My mother told me a long time ago you can learn how to do anything if you know how
to read.” Her baskets are woven from long ponderosa pine needles and feature antler and bone handles. The appliques are detailed and colourful featuring loons, herons and bears. One that portrays Sun Peaks features flowers planted under the Burfield chairlift from the phantom gardener, the famous red fox and the family of bears who are the namesake of Three Bears run on Sundance Mountain. Her newest project is a book of short stories, inspired by creative writing classes, which a friend wants to publish. She isn’t likely to slow down anytime soon, she said. Throughout the winter she can still be found racing in the Friday Race Series with her daughter and she spends six months of the year travelling the world. “I still think I have a lot of energy and it’s nice to be able to work from home.” Maule can be contacted at michellemaule700@gmail.com.
Vol 15 Issue 9 September 1 — September 28
sunpeaksnews.com
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