The Atlin Whisper, October 27, 2021

Wednesday October 27th, 2021

The Atlin Whisper “Never doubt that a small group of committed citizens can change the world.”

Margaret Mead

Words

“Powerful Words”

What are words?

We speak them everyday.

Some are spoken in passing some are spoken with meaning I ask what do they mean?

Some are good Some are bad Words can build you up Words can tear you down It is said the pen is mightier than the sword I believe the tongue is sharper than the pen Simple words have caused war Simple words have ended war Words spoken softly can heal Words spoken sharply can maim We must remember to speak one must listen as the art of speech comes from listening to start Words the foundation of all conversations Words from the heart Can heal the heart The greatest weapon of mass destruction is not a bomb or a chemical The greatest weapon of mass destruction is inside each of us if used without care or thought Words Dana Hammond

Words parachuted one by one to the floor Then marched together in cadence out the door.

A mighty force were they to see Bent on good health for all that be.

The words they spoke for all out there Were meant to help, to show they care.

The foe soon made their presence heard By spreading lies against each word.

The foe tried hard to undermine, But words spoke truth, they held the line.

Then words dispersed to travel ‘round To spread their message clear and sound, “For the sake of your health, don’t wait.

Wear a Mask!, Distance!, Vaccinate!”

Jeff Salmon

ATTENTION Flu vaccines at the Rec centre Monday November 1st from 09:00 to 16:00 Monday November 8th from 09:00 to 16:00 Wednesday November 10th from 09:00 to 15:00 Dolores Gwerder RNc BSN Site Coordinator Atlin Health Centre Tel: 250 651 7677 P0 Box 330 Fax: 250 651 7687 Atlin, B.C. V0W 1A0

HO! HO! HO! 10% Christmas Discount On all of Bill Wallis’ wood burnings and oils.

Check out this great Christmas gift opportunity!

All art pieces are displayed at the Atlin Inn.

NORTHERN HOMES REAL ESTATE Mi 43 Atlin Highway 34+ acres of land, surrounded by grazing lease, with 1700 sq.ft., 2 BR, full basement home, great well, septic field, solar and generator plus lots of extras. If you wish, will come with 2 loveable nags who consider this home.

Quick possession is possible. $535,000 4th of July .78 acres of Crown Land lease, gated, partly cleared, the perfect spot to keep your RV and recreational necessities, there for year around enjoyment. Lease term to 2042. $53,500 Secret Paradise Off the beaten path but close enough to the lake that you can walk your kayak, canoe or paddle board down to the water! 1784 sq.ft. on 3.34 acres near and overlooking the lake and mountains. Modern interior, 2 bedrooms, great windows in every direction. Fabulous 24x40 heated shop with a 24’ door, second heated garage 12x24 perfect for all those extras, 13x21 garden/tool shed plus a couple of greenhouse and great garden plot with a fabulous well to supply all your needs! So much here just waiting for you! $795,000 Hidden Heaven!

This stunning gem in an Enchanted Forest has been lovingly crafted by the hands of this talented owner – never to be duplicated! On 4 acres with guest cabins and a short walk to hidden lakes plus easy access to the highway, $399,000 Atlin Highway 72 acres along the Atlin Highway with fabulous view of the mountains and lake, overlooking Surprise Lake Road as well. Not suitable for subdivision but offers an incredible homesite. $185,000 SOLD $187,500

Coming Soon This gem is off grid, well maintained and absolutely the perfect retreat. 2 bedrooms, spacious living area and kitchen with pantry. Several outbuildings and a natural spring running through.

Hopefully should soon be available for viewing.

Trond Gulch In a pastoral setting, backing onto Munro Mtn, this one-bedroom, 715 sq.ft. off-the-grid home on 9.88 acres is surrounded by Crown Land and extremely private. Sauna and guest cabin.

Was lived in year around for many years with well established raised garden beds. Possible to be totally self sufficient in this hide away! Truly unique with perfection evident throughout! $350,000 SOLD 2nd Street Stunning custom built home featuring fabulous open floor plan with vaulted ceilings, 2 bedrooms, full bath, a lift that takes you to the lower level with pantry, storage and a 16’x28’ heated shop with 10’ ceilings. R40 walls, R60 ceiling! Soffit has been completed and heated floors installed in the spacious bathroom! Private location with guest cabin included. Cross country ski trail out your door! $295,000 SOLD Third Street 2 bedroom, bright home on a quiet 75x100 lot with a 24x40’ shop with 12’ ceilings. Some updating needed but most rooms are 15’+. Major foundation and roof work already done. $189,900 SOLD 3rd Street Gold rush cabin on 33x100 lot plus a storage shed, right downtown. $59,700. SOLD $62,000 Warm Bay Road 12.4 acres with great mountain views, log home, several outbuildings and shop. Well on site.

Off grid. Two titled lots. $195,000 SOLD for full price

Call Myrna at (250) 775-1019

Leave message via text or email myrnablake1@gmail.com Next visit November – dates to be determined Go to

northernhomesbc.ca

for more details.

THE RETURN II Where I peer through half-closed eyes at mountain vistas.

By Paul Lucas

B.C.August,1977. After the hubbub had settled down, I prepared to resume my trip, this time by rail, bus and ferry.

The train line that ran by my digs in West Vancouver had a history. The Pacific Great Eastern ran from the Vancouver’s North Shore up through what is now the Whistler corridor, past Anderson and Seton lakes, through Lilloet and into the Cariboo. In the old days, the locomotives were steam.

One of those famous engines was the Royal Hudson. In the seventies, they reconditioned this old beauty and put her back in service. Every morning, at 8.30, it would steam by my house as it hauled tourists to Squamish. It was a sight.

This was the train I took on the first leg of my journey north. The trip is spectacular, and seeing the land from an open vestibule on the back of a train is even better.

At Prince Rupert I caught the Alaska ferry north, roughly following the route I had taken in 1965.

Then in Skagway, twelve years after my first visit, I finally got to climb the iron steps onto one of those old White Pass train cars that would transport me to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory.

------------------------------Every journey has a soul. Gut feelings about an upcoming adventure can run the gamut from, ‘What the hell am I doing here?’ to, ‘This is written in the stars.’ The moment I climbed on that train to head over the pass, I knew it was all meant to be.

Pulling out of the station in Skagway, you click clack north on the valley floor, then you start to climb - fast.

In fact, within 10 miles as the crow flies, you go from sea level to 3300 feet. Jagged peaks separated by glaciers surround you as you climb above treeline and into a moonscape of rock that looks like it was transplanted from the barren lands of the arctic coast.

Then you descend a little, dropping into the welcoming landscape of northern B.C. and the Yukon.

The coastal, wet weather gives way to a drier, friendlier environment where pine, spruce and poplar line deep blue lakes. The air is softer, the breezes lighter and the colours more pastel.

The engine throbbed, the cars swayed, and the wheels clattered as we slid through that majestic landscape. I sat and stared at the spectacle through the windows of that old railway car, completely gobsmacked.

And it didn’t let up. My friend Jamie picked me up in Whitehorse. After driving the final 60 miles of gravel down the Atlin Road, we turned the final corner into the town itself and bingo! - there it was - Atlin Mountain rearing up out of an eighty mile long, glacier fed lake. My chin was on the floor.

Atlin is on what they call the ‘Southern Lakes.’ That, of course is relative, straddling as they do, the Yukon border. These are big bodies of water that are the headwaters for the Yukon River.

Most of them lie tucked into the coast mountains, and many have glaciers flowing into them from the south and west.

My visit there was a series of firsts - first time in the Yukon, first time in a small aircraft, (a little Cessna 172 on floats), first time on a sheep hunt, (entirely unsuccessful), and the first time I truly felt that anything was possible.

I was sitting on the back porch of Jamie Stephen’s house one evening, looking out over a startlingly blue Atlin lake. It was fall, and the poplars had turned brilliant yellow. They shimmered in a light breeze. Peering down Torres channel, I could see the outline of Cathedral mountain and a tongue of the Juneau Icefield dropping into the lake from the Coast Mountains. I felt like I had ingested some sort of hallucinogen. Wherever my eyes turned, they were assailed by indescribable beauty.

Then the most peculiar of things happened.

The residents had been complaining recently about open range horses in the area. The local outfitters were in the habit of letting them loose when they weren’t in service, and they often ended up poking around town and making nuisances of themselves. One in particular, we’ll call him Andy for the purposes of this tale, had wandered through the trees, sneaked towards the porch and was now in the process of trying to stick his head through the top two beams of the back porch fence.

It was a big old head, so it wasn’t an easy task, but he seemed determined. Finally, job done, he directed a pair of mischievous eyes at me, shook his mane, and snickered, “Roll up your sleeves pal. This is the spot.”

‘Unbelievable,‘ I thought, ‘Marching orders from a horse. It’s come to this.’ I started to laugh and, with head a-bobbin’ and lips a-flappin’, Andy joined in.

--I have the mind of a gerbil. It scampers here, it scampers there. It’s just as happy running on a wheel as anywhere else. Lucky for me, every major decision I’ve had to make roosted in my gut before it registered in my head - a good thing too, because ‘thinking things through’ is hard work for the average gerbil. It also tends to eliminate the passion component.

No thinking was necessary that day on Jamie’s back porch. The decision had already been made.

One way or another, I was moving lock, stock and barrel to Atlin B.C. And that was that.

ANNOUNCEMENT Just a friendly reminder from the Conservation Officer Service. Bear activity has increased recently in the Atlin area as they search for food before winter. Please limit the attractants available on your property to mitigate any further human-wildlife conflicts.

Attractants include unsecured garbage, compost, bulk feed, wildlife parts etc.

To report a human-wildlife conflict or resource violation please call our ‘Report All Poachers and Polluters’ hotline at 1-877-9527277(RAPP). For non-urgent matters including general questions or concerns please call the office line at 250-651-7501. Please note the office line is not continuously monitored while in the field.

Invitation to Tender PROJECT

Snow Clearing Front and driveway of Fire Hall and Pumphouse VIEWING OF SITE The corner of Second Street and Pearl Avenue, Atlin, BC. The corner of Lake Street and Pearl Avenue, Atlin, BC SCOPE OF WORK Front and side entrances of the Fire Hall must be accessible for Fire trucks, Ambulance & staff. Snow removal is expected at 10 cm (4 inches).

The access loop at the Pumphouse must be cleared for vehicle entry. Snow removal is expected at 10 cm (4 inches).

OTHER Bids must be submitted each year.

Closed Bid - accepted by mail or email. See addresses below.

Invitation Closing Date: October 31, 2021 Start Date: November 1, 2021 Contract Term: November 1, 2021 – October 31, 2022.

Contract may be terminated after two weeks’ notice if work is unsatisfactory.

Successful bidder must supply proof of $1 million liability insurance coverage.

Please include WCB number with bid.

The lowest or any bid not necessarily accepted.

Mail: PO Box 388 Atlin BC V0W 1A0

Email: atlincid@gmail.com

Prayer

A lesson from a tree

haiku

The willow trees,

Arms open to sky Face upwards in devotion Giving thanks for all

Bend with the wind Bow low beneath the snow But seldom break.

Man’s creations,

Patience Man dreams Nature waits Man creates Nature waits Man destroys Nature waits

The Gift Life, The gift granted each day One day slips away Oftentimes while we’re not watching Too busy to stop To smell the flowers Watch the children play Or listen to the wind.

It’s so fleeting, Yet it’s ours to rejoice in Ours to cherish Ours to live.

Snub the wind Shirk the snow But eventually snap.

Walking Softly All land as sacred Our footsteps our homage.

Gardener’s Delight Sunny autumn day Crisp air Colours turning Mountains rimmed with white Bountiful harvest Healthful food Sweet stillness Good night’s sleep It’s as good as it gets.

Stephen Badhwar

Please note that requests for same day water delivery must be received no later than 11 am of said day. Thank you!

Water delivery and Sewer Removal are available Monday through Friday Did you know we sell and service Toyo Stoves? We offer competitive pricing on the latest models. Call the office for more information Phone 250-651-7463

Email grizzlyhomeservices@gmail.com Mailing address is Box 318, Atlin BC V0W 1A0 Summer Office hours – Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday 8 am - noon With thanks, Dana and Mary Hammond

HELP WANTED Driver - Class 3 with Air Brakes To do Water Delivery and Septic Pump outs for the community.

Monday – Friday hours Wage Negotiable Potential for Year Round Employment APPLY TO DANA OR MARY AT 250-651-7463 GRIZZLYHOMESERVICES@GMAIL.COM OR STOP BY THE SHOP

COUNSELLOR KATIE ISRAEL @ BIG WATER SOCIETY Do you experience mental health challenges including depression, anxiety, substance use and addiction? Maybe you are at a crossroads and feel stuck?

Come and let’s join hands in creating new pathways to increase wellness and inner peace.

CONTACT: bwscounsellor@bigwatersociety.org Office: (250)651-2189 Cell: (867) 334-9524 Mondays and Wednesdays

Sincerely Yours General Store & Canada Post Location OPEN

Mountain Shack Café Restaurant Fast Fancy Food Great Service 110 Discovery Avenue In Atlin, B.C.

EAT IN OR TAKE OUT 250-651-7789

Monday to Friday 10am – 5pm Closed for lunch 12:30 – 1:30 CLOSED weekends and Statutory Holidays

Atlin Lot for Sale

Atlin Pet Care 287 Tatlow Street

Your pets home away from home!

Indoor/Outdoor Runs Heated Kennels Boarding-Grooming-Pet Supplies Emergency Care-Veterinarian Referrals SPCA AGENTS George Holman 250-651-7717 Marj Holman 250-651-7758

Custom Fish Art- Fiberglas and Wood GARY HILL’S FISH ART

Fishing Charters

SVOP Licence, 24 ft. Boat, Transport Canada Commercial Registration – Insured Gary Hill, Atlin B.C. V0W 1A0 Licensed, B.C. Guide Call -250 651-7553 Email garyphill59@gmail.com $850.00 per day - $550.00 per 1/2 day

Atlin Christian Centre Affiliated with the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada Services Sunday 11 a.m.

Come join us!

(778) 721-0710

Downtown Atlin Right beside The Gold Claim (Jessica’s café) On 6th street across from the Rec Centre • 50’wide x 100’deep • flat level gravel pad • Clear of any obstructions • Room for parking along 50’ frontage • Great site for business or home REDUCED from $90,000 to $75,000 Contact: Elissa Miskey atlinwellness@gmail.com Message: 604-265-5700

GARY HILL’S – CUSTOM, FISH REPRODUCTIONS PHONE 250 651 7553 EMAIL – garyphill59@gmail.com

MOBILE WELDING SERVICE AVAILABLE Contact: Alain Vanier 250-651-0037

Reasonable Rates!

7 MONARCH Drive – ATLIN – BC. V0W 1A0 WEB SITE – http://gary-hill.com

St. Martin’s Anglican Church 10 a.m.

Sunday Everyone welcome!

May your right hands always be stretched out in friendship, but never in want.

Irish Proverb

Sewing Machine Cleaning, Repair, & Setup Terry 250 651-7769

SHORT TERM RENTAL Short term rental available: December to January 31st OR December 15th to January 31st Contact Rhoda @ Dancing Aspens 651-7668

Bob’s Contracting & Services We provide Concrete, Drain Rock, Screed gravel, Sand, Topsoil and Septic systems.

We also provide Equipment Rentals, Excavations, Covered Storage, Firewood and Snow Removal.

Please call (250) 651-2488 or email bobscontracting2020@gmail.com

Atlin Community Library Open Every

Friday and Saturday 2-4p.m.

Everyone Welcome

The next Whisper is Wednesday November 10th Submissions are due no later than Sunday 6pm November 7th .

Compiled and edited by Lynne Phipps. Paper for printing courtesy of Northern Homes Real Estate Printing courtesy of RCMP Atlin; Ink costs courtesy of Literacy Now. Classifieds, news, upcoming events Contact 1-250-651-7861 or lynnephippsatlin@gmail.com if you have, pictures or articles you would like to submit.

Please note that submissions should be sent in either WORD or JPEG whenever possible. PDF must first be printed and then scanned back into the computer in order to format it into the paper. This costs in both paper and ink. We know that at times a PDF is the only way, which is okay when necessary, but otherwise, as the Whisper is a FREE community service we appreciate your support in helping to keep the costs down as much as possible. Thank You!