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Vol. 6 • Issue 53

Indoor soccer tourney wraps up See Page 12

Sisters slide into creek during holiday crash See Page 3

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“It was a fantastic year,” project manager Roger Ley said this week. “The support from the community has been incredible. Just think where we were a year ago.” In the 12 months since the society took possession of the building, it cleaned and painted the auditorium, installed new seats, screened the Civic’s first movie in 2½ years as well as the last 35 mm film, raised over $181,000 through a community challenge for a new digital projector and sound system, screened the first digital film, began operating five days a week, secured a couple of first-run hits, and hosted an annual general meeting attended by nearly 300 people. But they won’t rest on their laurels: in 2014 the society will launch a couple more fundraising campaigns to add air conditioning and fulfill plans to add two more screens. The former will cost $150,000 and the latter about $1.5 million. “We’ve got a big push in front of us,” Ley said. “But we don’t want to be the project that takes all of the fundraising dollars.” One campaign will quietly target corporate donors, while the other is expected to launch in early spring so the air conditioning system can be installed by summer.

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Year in Review National and international media attention

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Nelson landed on the front page of the National Post in January, but many locals weren’t thrilled with the portrayal. Freelance journalist Elizabeth Hames called Nelson Canada’s pot capital and took the city to task over its downtown dog bylaw. “It is perhaps a law unfitting a city that free-love flower children and organic cannabis helped build,” she wrote in a lengthy feature. “The dog ban was part of a sweeping series of bylaws targeting the young nomads.” (Partly as a result of the story, city council briefly entertained the idea of relaxing the bylaw — before deciding against it.) Chamber of Commerce boss Tom Thomson said the story was “full of half truths and conjecture” while city councillor Deb Kozak called it “unfair” and “simply wrong.” But though she focused on a contentious topic, Hames told the Star she was left with a very positive impression of Nelson overall.

Two weeks after the Post article appeared, The Globe and Mail mentioned Nelson’s Civic Theatre in a story about small theatres raising money to buy digital projectors. Culture reporter Marsha Lederman noted the Civic society’s campaign to raise $150,000

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fore you arrive. But if you’re a fit thrill seeker, the payoff is huge.” GQ Magazine mentioned Baldface in its “GQ Skis” special section. “Sure, the snow and terrain are incredible and the food is excellent,” Josh Dean wrote, “but it’s also laid-back and built first and foremost on the idea that everyone, at pretty much every level, should be having fun.”

6) Nelson’s dog ban (above) was the subject of a scathing front-page article Bob Hall photos in the National Post this year (below). (attained and exceeded within a few months) and quoted project manager Roger Ley.

Soon after, the Edmonton Journal ran a 1,000-word feature about Nelson and Whitewater. “Hype aside, Whitewater is worth the trip, and since it’s more than eight hours by road from a major city, it’s not an overcrowded weekend resort,” wrote D. Grant Black. “[Nelson is] populated with a colourful mix of the newly arrived turned-on-crowd, the entrepreneurial tuned-in folks and the hippie dropouts.”

hamlet” that “has long harbored artists, adventure seekers, and copious, car-concealing amounts of snow.”

Baldface Lodge earned major magazine exposure: Outside listed it among its Best Cat Skiing Destinations in North America. Writer Gordy Megroz said Baldface’s 50-degree pitches and 3,000-vertical foot runs made it a prime destination for filmmakers and expert skiers. “Of course, skiing 20,000 feet a day means you better listen up when the company recommends you get in shape be-

nationalgeographic. com named Nelson as one of its Top 10 Emerging Ski Towns, giving it kudos as being tops for those “seeking an off-the-trodden path, powder-smothered destination that’s more about relaxed authenticity than thread count.” Writer Aaron Teasdale described Nelson as a “funky

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On the heels of Whitewater’s win in the Powder Magazine Throwdown, the Los Angeles Times’ online travel section also praised the local ski scene, calling the region “among the best destinations few folks have ever heard of ” and stated “Some of North America’s finest skiing can be found just outside the Victorian community of Nelson.” Writer Jay Jones didn’t actually come here, but that didn’t dampen his effusiveness: “Given the setting on Kootenay Lake in the heart of a mountain range, Nelson is an outdoor enthusiast’s dream.” Year in review compiled by Greg Nesteroff with files from Bob Hall, Kirsten Hildebrand, Kevin Mills, Sheri Regnier, and Sam Van Schie.

Nelson Star Wednesday, January 1, 2014

News

nelsonstar.com 3

Dramatic Christmas Eve incident as icy road forces vehicle down embankment

Accident sends sisters into creek Kirsten Hildebrand Nelson Star Reporter

A dramatic accident on Christmas Eve sent two sisters down the bank and into Cottonwood Creek just outside Nelson. It was early afternoon when Julie Lawrence and her sister Kristi Pepperdine, who was visiting from Victoria for Christmas, were headed toward Salmo when their Toyota 4-Runner hit a patch of ice and they lost control. “It was beautiful and sunny and warm and all of a sudden the road was just so slick. We started to fishtail,” Lawrence told the Star. “You feel completely helpless.” Their car rolled down the bank and landed in Cottonwood Creek and the two women were trapped inside. It was an incredible ordeal for the sisters who spent the next few days feeling extremely grateful. They spent Christmas with their family, thankful to be alive. “Both my sister and I are here today, intact and well and very grateful to be able to tell this story,” Lawrence said. Emergency responders, including Nelson Fire Department wearing waders, were able to stabilize the vehicle in the freezing creek water. “Looking at each other aston-

Two sisters who grew up in Nelson were trapped in this vehicle Christmas Eve in a dramatic accident that left them reflective and grateful over the holidays. Submitted photo

ished, and confused — Are we okay? — My sister and I held onto each other’s hands tightly with the sound of rushing water too close for comfort,” said Lawrence.

Pepperdine was against the passenger door as the car lay on its side in the creek. Water was rushing past her amazingly unbroken window.

“It was the only window that didn’t break in the car,” said Lawrence. Other crews set up ladders to traverse the creek and provide better access up and down the bank. With the vehicle stabilized the women, who grew up in Nelson, were able to exit onto the ladder across the creek and come back up the bank where BC Ambulance personnel treated them. Thankfully, they were okay except for the emotional trauma that stuck with them over the holidays. “How do you bring up such a horrific tale that you have not a scratch to show for? People ask how your Christmas was and you say, ‘Beautiful, full of gratitude, love and disbelief ’ or ‘Magical, the way it should be,’ or ‘Simple and complete, full of sister cuddles.’ “Or, ‘It started with a scary carnival ride Christmas Eve — one that spins you into a dark, tumbling slow motion time warp. It was silent, except for the sounds of crunching metal around you and breaking of glass. Black thoughts. And, then awakening not knowing quite where you are,’” Lawrence wrote in reflection to the Star. The women are thankful — not only to the emergency responders who “quickly, compassionately and

skillfully” helped them out of their vehicle to safety, but to a man who appeared and stayed with them until further help arrived. They don’t know who he was, just that his presence made a huge difference to the visibly upset sisters. “He had on a yellow safety vest and was so calm and controlled,” said Lawrence. There were two additional accidents that day on the same stretch of highway. In the first incident the vehicle just slid off of the road and passersby helped push them out of the ditch. In the second incident the vehicle ended up on its roof. Fortunately there were no injuries in either of these incidents. Another accident involving a logging truck and an elderly driver earlier in December happened along that stretch as well. No one was injured in this case either but Lawrence wonders if it’s only a matter of time. “Fortunately, we were all very lucky this day. But, do we need to consider more proactive, preventive road maintenance practices?” she asked. “Do those sections of our highways that are prone to black ice need to be better identified for high priority maintenance? Could more sand on our roads have prevented all of this?”

L.V. Rogers graduate was found dead over 20 years ago

New trial ordered in Jennifer Cusworth case

KATHY MICHAELS

Kelowna Capital News

The Kelowna man convicted in 2011 of killing L.V. Rogers graduate Jennifer Cusworth nearly two decades earlier will get another trial. The BC Court of Appeal set aside Neil George Snelson’s manslaughter conviction because of an error by the trial judge. In particular, the trial judge allowed the jury to hear a portion of Snelson’s interview with RCMP, which the appeal court felt was prejudicial. According to transcripts released in the

appeal document, once in custody, Snelson, now 50, held a long conversation with Sgt. Peter Tewfik, where he repeatedly declined to make a comment about his circumstances. In some moments he was silent, in others he would explain he was waiting for his lawyer. Then the following exchanged played out. “You keep talkin’ about what’s gonna happen, you know, that you’re gonna bring closure to this. Is your intention to plead guilty then?” Tewfik asked. “I haven’t made that decision yet. I gotta talk to my lawyer about what I want to do,”

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Snelson replied. The Crown was able to get that statement before the jury by arguing it was relevant to the issue of guilt, and “inconsistent with innocence.” “It’s a confession essentially. And the jury could conclude — and the jury could accept that, and that’s the obvious inference to draw, and a perfectly permissible inference to draw,” said Crown counsel Iain Currie. The trial judge sided with Crown, but in their appeal document Snelson’s defence lawyer successfully argued that the judge erred in that decision.

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He said the prejudicial effect of the statement clearly outweighs any probative value. “Once the statement was admitted and the Crown sought an inference of guilt from the content of the statement, the trial judge had an obligation to instruct the jury that no inference of guilt could be drawn from the exercise of the right to counsel,” read the decision by Justice Elizabeth Bennett. “Instead, the trial judge reviewed the evidence as part of the theory of the defence, endorsing the Crown’s proposed use of the evidence, and Continued on Page 7

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Wednesday, January 1, 2014 Nelson Star

Year in Review

As profiled in the Star

The most interesting people of 2013

Diana Dunsmore and Jean Broster: They attend every Nel-

racing on the World Cup circuit in the next five years,” he said. (Lutz is pictured below in a Harrison Mendel photo.)

son Leafs home game, shaking their custom-made pom-poms. The pair — Dunsmore is 80 and Broster 84 — are a team fixture. They sit behind the players’ bench, always buy a program, always play the 50-50, and always have candy. “I don’t know what we’d do if we didn’t spend our winters here,” Broster said.

11)

Kate Moran: The Nelson

Matti Erickson and Jordan Andrusak: These Jean Broster (left) and Diana Dunsmore (right) have missed very few Nelson Junior Leafs games young Nelson athletes brought home

bushelfuls of medals this year: Erickson (seen above left) from the junior development track and field championships in Nanaimo, where he earned gold in five events; and Andrusak (seen above right) from the Swim BC AAA provincial championships in Victoria, where she notched eight individual and team medals, including five gold.

Allison Girvan: The local

singer and choirmaster received the Nelson Rotary Club’s vocational award of merit this year, honouring high ethics and leadership. She also provided musical direction for the Capitol Theatre’s summer production of Sweeney Todd, and was heard on stage several times, including a rare solo performance as part of the Nelson Overture Society concert series.

over the years. The dedicated hockey fans love the civic pride that goes along with the intense acKirsten Hildebrand photo tion on the ice. with more than 1,900 “That was a pretty big thrill for me,” Hus women, some of whom said. “If you asked me if I could open for anywere overcoming abuse body — Johnny Cash or U2 or anybody — it stemming back to would have been Stompin’ Tom.” childhood. “I’ve worked with a Ava Koeltgen: The 13-year-old number of people who Nelsonite suffered horrendous tap-danced abuse and now they’re her way to Germany doing very well,” she this year for the said. “It is most satisfying to see people heal world championship. and move toward fulfilling their potential.” She started tapping with Dance Umbrella when she was five and this fall began training in Chilliwack with 14 other dancers as part of Tap Team Canada. What sort of music makes for good tapping? “Older music usually works better but you can tap dance to everything,” she said.

Lena Horswill: When she

Jackie Hodgins: The Fernie

hockey mom (pictured above) was shortlisted for the Kraft Hockey Goes On competition celebrating contributions to the game. She drove daughters Cori-Anne and Kimberley back and forth to Nelson 54 times in one season so they could play for the midget AAA Kootenay Wildcats. “My mom does more to support us in our dedication to the game than any other parent I know,” Kimberley said.

Candace Holt: After 18 years,

Holt retired as a counsellor with Nelson Community Services. She worked

started 26 years ago with Nelson Community Services, her job paid less than unemployment insurance. But great things happened, including the opening of supportive youth housing and a transition house for women and children. “I’m so grateful for the board and staff,” Horswill (pictured above) said just before retiring. “They’ve made my professional life a dream come true.”

Tim Hus:

The Nelson-raised heir to Canadian songwriting legend Stompin’ Tom Connors lost his mentor this year and served as a pallbearer at his funeral. Connors passed the torch to Hus while the two toured together in 2009-10.

artist received an Insta-boost when Grammy-award winning musician Jason Mraz posted a photo of one of her macrame necklaces on Instagram and Twitter. Within 24 hours, almost 18,000 people followed Mraz’s lead in liking the necklace (which isn’t for sale) and over 500 people started following the textile artist online. “It was so exciting,” Moran said. “It was an Internet frenzy.”

12)

Len Mulholland: Dur-

ing the Second World War, the Nelson retiree, now 93, was a saboteur for the Dutch resistance. He organized air drops of weapons, blew up trains, sank ships, and generally caused misery for the Axis. He insists he wasn’t scared: “Never. We didn’t know the word.” His own family didn’t know about his past until decades later. You can read about it in his book, Childhood, War, and Peace.

13)

10)

14)

Bronwyn LeBlanc: The Nel-

son teen secured one of five seats for cellists at the National Arts Academy’s young artist program, a two-week camp. She’s been playing for five years and spends two hours a day practicing — more on weekends. “It started because my sister wanted to play the violin,” she said. “I saw the cello and it looked like a cool instrument. It really fascinated me from the beginning.”

Sebastian Lutz: The Nel-

son teen secured one of four spots on the PerformX Downhill development team, which trains young mountain bikers to compete at the World Cup level, and spent the summer competing in races across BC and Quebec. Despite his cycling acumen, only recently did he consider turning pro. “My goal is to be

Maddy Murphy and Lara VonMaydell:

The two L.V. Rogers students attended the Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations in New York in March. “There are a lot of problems with how we treat women in our society. I think it’s good to start making a change when you are young,” said Murphy (pictured above right), who was inspired by attending a peacemaking camp led by Madelyn McKay.

Robert Neufeld and Adham Shaikh: For their

collaboration on the National Geographic series Untamed Americas, the two local musical talents were nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Music and Sound. Although they didn’t win, both enjoyed attending the awards ceremony in New York. “We had a fun evening. It was an honour to Story continues on Page 5

Nelson Star Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Year in Review

www.brucemorrison.ca nelsonstar.com 5

CLAIRE HALLAM

The Canadian singersongwriter played the Spiritbar in October. {vurb} editor Sam Van Schie ran into him at Oso Negro, where he let her take his picture, provided she wait a little while before posting it online. He later tweeted in reply: “Good coffee.”

2) 3)

Renowned American folk rock duo Amy Ray and Emily Saliers played a sold-out show at the Capitol in September as part of their first

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Ron Sexsmith:

The federal Liberal leader received an enthusiastic welcome from a crowd of 300 at Lakeside Park in July. The next day he visited Kokanee Glacier Park, where his brother Michel was killed by an avalanche in 1998. Later that week he stirred the pot by telling a Kelowna audience he supports legalizing marijuana. The band leader and member of reggae royalty played the Capitol Theatre in June. He and family members also visited Touchstones and signed the guestbook for the City in Flames exhibit.

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Justin Trudeau:

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ABOVE: Justin Trudeau meets supporters at Lakeside Park. (Bob Hall photo) RIGHT: The local paparazzi caught Ron Sexsmith mid-sip at Oso Negro in October. (Sam Van Schie photo) comprehensive Canadian tour. “Canada is very, very passionate about music,” Saliers told {vurb}.

The Culture Club frontman-turned-DJ performed at The Element night club in Castlegar in September. While in the area, he posted an Instagram photo of Kootenay Lake and the orange bridge.

Mickey Hart:

The Grateful Dead drummer played two sold-out shows at the Capitol Theatre in February. First in line for tickets was Chris Ray, who waited three hours. “This is great,” he said. “A home town show.”

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Peter acquired some beautiful Montana Sapphires and commissioned Max to create a white gold setting for them. Merry Christmas sweet wife! ABOVE: Adham Shaikh and Robert Neufeld at the Emmy Awards; one of Bryan Ralph’s images; Carol and Lee Rushton working on their birdhouses. Continued from Page 4 be nominated,” said Neufeld.

15)

Mitch Popadynetz:

A former Nelson Youth Soccer midfielder, Popadynetz joined the UBC Thunderbirds this year and helped his team to a second straight Canada West men’s title. He scored once as UBC routed Saskatchewan 6-1 in the championship match. Before that, he helped Team BC win silver at the Canada Games in Sherbrooke, Que.

16)

Bryan Ralph: In April,

the Nelson photographer attended the Olympus Pro Photographer Showdown in Whistler, which he called “the holy grail of action sports photography.” Ralph was one of five chosen for the competition, and wowed onlookers with 150 shots in a nine-minute show. “Capturing real moments in the lifestyle side is what got me here,” he said. “That’s always been sort of my thing.”

17)

Heather Robertson: The longtime L.V.

Rogers and Mount Sentinel teacher set off on a learning adventure of her own early in the year, as the Bhutan Canada Foundation sent her to a high school in the Himalayas. “I do challenge myself so I’ve always had a bit of adventure in my life,” she said. “But this is huge — nothing like what I’ve done before.”

18)

Lee and Carol Rushton: Shocked by

the mass shooting at a Connecticut school last year that left 26 people dead, including many children, the North Shore couple came up with a creative and cathartic project: they built birdhouses to send to the community as memorials. Each bore the name of a victim with a butterfly attached to the front. “Butterflies are free — that’s an old saying,” Lee explained.

19)

Cst. Lisa Schmidtke:

Nelson’s newest beat cop joined the department in

March. Schmidtke, who came here with her family after 11 years with the West Vancouver police, previously lived in Nelson. “It’s a wonderful community and we’re really proud to be part of it,” she said. Chief Wayne Holland said Schmidtke’s “personality and energy are most welcome here.” She’s the fifth woman to serve on the force.

20)

Taavi Wickman: An

L.V. Rogers student, Wickman participated in the BC youth parliament in Victoria, giving him a taste of politics. Although he called the week in the legislative assembly learning about governance an “amazing experience,” he has his eyes set on Ottawa, hoping to one day become an MP: “I prefer federal politics to provincial politics.”

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Editorial

Wednesday, January 1, 2014 Nelson Star

Editor: Kevin Mills Publisher: Karen Bennett

Our View

Bring on 2014

If you are a regular reader of this paper, or have just perused the last two editions highlighting all the events and stories that took place in 2013, then it’s easy for you to come to the realization that Nelson is a happening place. And it’s a positive trend we’d like to see continue into 2014. Have there been troubles? Of course. Look at the top 10 stories of the year and you will see plenty of them. A fuel spill in Lemon Creek, the controversy over the Kaslo ER and the terrible impact of heavy flooding are all examples of the negative side of the news. But in between those headline grabbing stories are the positives that make Nelson, and the Kootenay in general, the community it is. Entering into the top 10 rankings, alongside all the tragedy, is the re-opening of the Civic Theatre, the Kootenay Co-op’s Nelson Commons

residential/commercial project, the creation of a new skateboard park, the beautification of Nelson and perhaps the one story that best sums up the heart of this community, the huge rally of support for well-known Nelsonite Pat Henman — who along with her daughter was seriously injured in a car accident. This community’s willingness to get behind a cause — whether it be Henman or another positive idea — is a major piece in the puzzle that makes Nelson so unique compared to other areas of BC. Change is inevitable, especially for a community with as much to offer as Nelson. But some things should not be altered. So here’s a New Year’s resolution that hopefully will come true. Whatever changes do come in the next 365 days, don’t let it alter the spirit, sensibility and most importantly the heart of the people who call Nelson home.

Council Comment – Deb Kozak

‘We sang, we danced, we had fun poking fun’ “All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players” — William Shakespeare How very true that statement is. Most of us play our parts in everyday life without a stage, but if you live in Nelson, you can be onstage. Really. I walked the boards of the Capitol Theatre for the 26th anniversary of the Christmas Pantomime with a cast of wonderful players. We sang, we danced, we had fun poking fun — and it was wonderful. I might not have auditioned at all if it weren’t for my friend Pat Henman. Pat and I have sung together for a long time and on a memorable road trip, we shared some stories. I told Pat that the theatre was a big part of my life a long time ago and that I missed it. Little did I realize that Pat would remember these words. This fall, when Pat returned to Nelson after months of hospital stays, I went to visit her. The first thing out of her mouth was, “Well, the pantomime auditions are coming up. Are you auditioning?” I don’t know if any of you have tried to say no to Pat, but let me tell you, no is not an option. Suddenly I was in the thick of rehears-

als, costume fittings, singing, learning dance routines and rubbing elbows with some very fine neighbours. There were Moms and Dads stretching their comfort zones so their kids could be a part of the excitement. Men who are not comfortable in women’s clothing were not only putting it on, but actually enjoying themselves. The kids were amazing. They threw themselves into their parts and were very patient with those of us who needed a little more time to loosen up. After weeks of rehearsals, we had our first look at the stage set. Not only were we impressed, but I do believe the excellence of it all encouraged us to step it up. And the props! Brooms, axes, and the first ever perogies on a stick. They looked good enough to eat. From Baba and Rapunzel to the Dame and the Wicked Witch, each character came alive. What started out as an impossible task with a cast of 55, became a reality with the guidance of director Karen Agnew. All too soon, opening night was upon us and all five performances flew by. There were a few glitches like the power outage at the Sunday matinee — the Baron

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Liz Simmons Circulation

did his amazing skipping routine in the dark. Or opening night when the Dame clobbered me in the eye. We took it all in stride and each performance was too much fun, and over all too soon. When people found out I was in the pantomime suddenly stories were told. Mel Reasoner, owner of the Willow Point Lodge, has photos and a news article from the early 1900s of one of the very first Christmas Pantomimes in Nelson. Mel will be giving these treasures to the Capitol Theatre for everyone to see. Tom Thomson told me that he too walked the stage in his younger days. I fully expect to see Tom and his daughter in next year’s panto. Like Pat, I’ll be following up with him next fall. How very fortunate we are to have a place where young and old can gather to perform or to watch; to meet new people and come together as a creative community. Thanks, Pat, for reminding me that it is not only easy, but so much fun to participate. I’m wearing my “perogy on a stick” pin with pride and feeling pretty thankful to live here. Nelson city councillor Deb Kozak (right) on stage with I’ll be seeing you at the Capitol in the New Mackenzie Hope in The Capitol Theatre Christmas PanYear. tomime production of Rapunzel. Sam Van Schie photo

(L-R) Kirsten Hildebrand, Sam Van Schie, Greg Nesteroff

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Nelson Star Wednesday, January 1, 2014

nelsonstar.com 7

Year in Review

Birthday candles for boat, businesses, and buildings

Anniversaries we celebrated in 2013

ive local institutions marked their centennials this year while two others celebrated only slightly lesser anniversaries.

SS Nasookin: The

largest and grandest ship to sail Kootenay Lake was launched in April 1913 as the CPR prepared for rising tourist traffic — but the First World War derailed those plans. The Nasookin was converted into a ferry in 1931 and ran between Fraser’s Landing and Gray Creek until it was retired and sold in 1947. The pilothouse and ladies observation deck were later towed to the North Shore where today they’re part of a unique home.

Nelson’s fire hall: Built in 1913, the

city’s fire hall is without a doubt the oldest one still functioning in BC. City engineer G.C. Mackay designed it in Italiante Villa style and contractor John Burns and Son built it for $17,973 (about $367,000 today). It could accommodate the chief and ten firefighters on the ground floor plus two wagons and five horses. The hall’s 100th birthday was marked in several ways, including a community barbecue and the restoration of one of its brass poles.

Gray Creek Store:

Its nicknames include the Woodstove and Fireplace Capital of the Kootenays and the Most Interesting Store You’ve Ever Seen. The two-storey emporium at Gray Creek began life in 1913 as a much more modest affair established by Arthur Lymbery, who later added a post office, gas pump, and auto camp. His son Tom inherited the business and built a new store complete with hardware, grocery, and clothing departments. It remains in the family at 100.

Capitol Theatre:

Nelson’s art deco theatre marked its belated 75th anniversary (it opened in 1927) as well as the 25th anniversary of its

restoration. The most poignant part was the return of the visionary who helped rescue the building from oblivion. Patrick Saintsbury left Nelson in 1985 before the job was done, and never saw a performance in the Capitol until this spring’s anniversary gala. To cap the year, the theatre’s exterior received a paint job.

Hipperson’s Hardware: The

family-owned business turned 90 this year. Present owner Randy Horswill’s great grandfather Bill Hipperson started the store in 1923 and built the current Baker Street location in 1937. He passed the torch to his sonin-law Jack Horswill on the promise that he would keep the name. Jack in turn sold the business to son Mike, who turned it over to Randy, who started the building centre on McDonald Drive a decade ago. A fifth generation may yet take over.

Nelson Rotary:

This year marked the 100th anniversary of Rotary in BC. The Rotary Club of Nelson — otherwise known as the noon club — chartered in 1922 and the Rotary Club of Nelson Daybreak, chartered in 1993, joined in Rotary Week in BC by hosting an open house. From 18 charter members over 90 years ago, membership grew to 91 by 1972, then fell to around 50 by the early 1980s. It has since rebounded to more than 100 between the two clubs.

Annable block: In

1913, future Nelson mayor John E. Annable completed the brick commercial block now home to Ward Street Place, the Stepping Stones emergency shelter, and six commercial units. In time for its centennial, the Nelson CARES Society completed fire safety improvements, the first phase in a major overhaul. They received a large donation from Isabelle Ramsay, whose father Howard Dawson used to own the building.

Clockwise from top: the SS Nasookin was launched in 1913 (Greg Nesteroff collection), the same year Nelson’s fire hall opened (courtesy Nelson Fire and Rescue). The Capitol Theatre (seen here in 1985) marked the 25th anniversary of its reopening with a gala in May (courtesy Touchstones Nelson/Nelson Daily News collection). The Gray Creek store (seen here with second-generation owner Tom Lymbery in front) also marked its 100th anniversary. (Greg Nesteroff photo)

Victim’s friend reeling after hearing of judge’s decision

Continued from Page 3 compounding the error in law.” This piece of evidence was one of three pillars on which the Crown rested its case. “It cannot be said that the verdict would necessarily be the same had the error not occurred.” Cusworth, 19 at the time of her death, was a first year college student after graduating from Nelson’s L.V. Rogers high school. Her mother was

a local school principal. her accused killer was She was last seen alive getting a new trial. at an October house party, “It feels like a roller following a night of drinkcoaster with that instant ing. Her body was found knot in your stomach,” two days later in a ditch. said Jennifer Watson, a She had been strangled and friend of Cusworth who bludgeoned to death. Snelsat through Snelson’s son’s DNA was found in the Jennifer Cusworth 2011 trial. body. Although she hadn’t Cusworth’s friends and family spoken to them herself, Watson has were left reeling following news that heard Cusworth’s parents were also

shaken by the news. “We are all very devastated and disappointed in the legal system,” she said. “We felt she could be at peace, which is what I needed. I needed to know that somebody was held accountable for what happened to her. This just reopens it all.” Making things worse is the realization that Snelson’s next trial will be on a lesser charge.

“Because the jury found him guilty of manslaughter not first degree murder, his next trial will be for a manslaughter charge,” she said. “It’s a slap in the face. The most we can hope for is that he can get more time.” Yet to be announced is where and when Snelson’s next trial will be held. Snelson was serving a 15 year sentence for the overturned conviction.

8 nelsonstar.com

Wednesday, January 1, 2014 Nelson Star

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Wednesday, January 1, 2013 Nelson Star

Sports

Tell us how your team is doing, email: editor@nelsonstar.com

Sunday’s 6-2 loss to Beaver Valley sets up rematch for top spot

569 Ward St. Nelson, BC

250-352-fish (3474) restaurant

Leafs fall out of first place Nelson Star Staff

SCOREBOARD

KIJHL

Kootenay Conference

Neil Murdoch Division TEAM GP W L T OTL P Beaver Valley 35 26 6 1 2 55 Nelson 34 25 5 1 3 54 Castlegar 36 16 16 1 3 36 Spokane 36 13 20 0 3 29 Grand Forks 32 10 18 2 2 24 Eddie Mountain Division TEAM GP W L T OTL P Creston Valley 30 21 9 0 0 42 Kimberley 35 18 16 1 0 37 Fernie 32 15 12 0 5 35 Columbia Valley 35 11 18 3 3 28 Golden 35 9 23 0 3 21 Okanagan/Shuswap Conference Doug Birks Division TEAM GP W L T OTL P Kamloops 35 28 6 0 1 57 100 Mile House 35 17 14 0 4 38 Chase 35 17 16 0 2 36 Sicamous 32 13 17 0 2 28 Revelstoke 33 7 23 0 3 17 Okanagan Division TEAM GP W L T OTL P Kelowna 35 23 9 0 3 49 Osoyoos 36 21 14 0 1 43 Summerland 35 18 13 1 3 40 N. Okanagan 33 16 16 0 1 33 Princeton 33 12 18 0 3 27

Leaf Stats PLAYER Travis Wellman Jamie Vlanich Alec Wilkinson Carson Willans Linden Horswill Darnel St. Pierre Robson Cramer Aaron Dunlap Cole Arcuri Brandon Sookro Patrick Croome Nolan Percival Troy Petrick Austin Seaman Blair Andrews J.J. Beitel Bryce Nielsen Nick Trefry Austin Lindsay

GP 32 28 34 34 27 32 31 34 34 33 31 33 9 29 33 10 7 7 29

G 37 20 16 14 10 6 6 11 4 9 3 5 6 3 1 0 1 1 1

A 28 39 30 25 25 22 21 12 17 9 8 5 2 5 7 6 4 4 1

GOALTENDERS Brad Rebagliati Adam Maida

GP 15 5

W-L-T 9-4-0 3-0-1

P 65 59 46 39 35 28 27 23 21 18 11 10 8 8 8 6 5 5 2 AVG SV% 3.99 .880 2.64 .909

Robson Cramer scored one of Nelson’s two goals during the Kirsten Hildebrand photo Leafs 6-2 loss on Sunday.

You can’t call the Nelson Leafs a first-place team anymore. At least not for now. That honour belongs to the Beaver Valley Nitehawks who claimed top spot in the KIJHL’s Neil Murdoch Division thanks to a 6-2 win over the Leafs on Sunday. The victory gives the Nitehawks 55 points, one better than the second place Leafs. However, Nelson has the chance to reclaim top spot as the two teams play again on Tuesday afternoon (December 31) at 2:30 p.m. at the NDCC. Sunday’s game saw Beaver Valley jump out to a quick lead. Braden Fuller gave the Nitehawks a 1-0 advantage in the opening 10 minutes

of the first period. It appeared Nelson was going to keep it close as Carson Willans bulged the twine before the end of the first to tie the contest at one. However the second period was all Nitehawks. Goals by Archie McKinnon, Russell Mortlock and Mitch Foyle blew the game wide open as Beaver Valley took a 4-1 lead into the final frame. Dallas Calvin made it 5-1 before Nelson’s Robson Cramer scored the Leafs’ final goal. Braden Fuller closed out the scoring. Leafs goaltender Brad Rebagliati was busy in net, stopping 43 of the 49 shots the Nitehawks peppered his way. Brett Clark earned the win in net for Beaver Valley.

10-team indoor soccer tourney becoming a holiday tradition in Nelson

Playing just for the fun of it

Kevin Mills Nelson Star

Here 4 Beer took home the Open Division title, defeating In Deep 5-1 in the final of the 2013 Christmas Co-Ed Indoor Soccer Tournament held at Nelson’s SoccerQuest on Sunday. In the Rec Masters Division it was Abacus downing CoCo Pops 4-1. In all, 10 teams took part in the fun tournament, four in the Rec Division and six in the Open Division. “The tournament has gone great. Everyone seems to have had a good time,” said SoccerQuest’s Jamie Spendlove, one of the organizers of the event. Each year, 10 teams participate in the holiday series, designed to allow soccer players to enjoy a little exercise and camaraderie during the holiday break. “It’s all for fun. Everybody comes in from out of town, so families play together. No one takes it that seriously,” explained Spendlove. However, he did say the final match could be, and eventually

The final in the open division of the annual Nelson indoor soccer tournament saw Here 4 Beer (orange) defeat In Deep (green) 5-1. Kevin Mills photo

was a little heated. “They both like to win. The Here 4 Beer team is full of university players and In Deep are the guys who used to play university soccer.” In the battle of the ages, it was the younger squad who held the upper hand. Here 4 Beer had the advantage of numbers as In Deep had only two substitutes for the contest.

Here 4 Beer opened the scoring when Kevin Lewis hit the back of the net early on to give his squad a 1-0 lead. “This is a great tournament. It’s fun to play with all your friends who came back for Christmas,” said Lewis. With just over five minutes to go in the first half, Mitch Popadynetz scored to make it a 2-0 contest.

LEAFS HOCKEY

HOME TUES. DEC. 31st 2:30 PM vs. Beaver Valley Nitehawks

AWAY FRI. JAN. 3rd 7:00 PM vs. Kimberley Dynamiters

AWAY SAT. JAN. 4th 7:30 PM vs. Golden Rockets

Can’t get to the game? Listen on the webcast at www.nelsonleafs.ca

As In Deep began to tire, Here 4 Beer took full advantage, opening the second half with another goal, this time from Ryan Lewis, to make it 3-0. About 20 seconds later Andrew Tranfo scored to make it 4-0 to put the game out of reach. With 11 minutes left in the contest, In Deep got on the board when Marlissa Crosland scored to make it 4-1. But Popadynetz notched his second of the game, late in the match to make the final 5-1. The Rec Master final was a different story as Abacus and CoCo Pops played evenly in the early going. Bronwyn Precious scored the only goal of the first half on a nifty steal to put the ball in the back of the net and give Abacus a 1-0 lead. In the second half, Mike Gerun tied the game at one with a hard shot that found the back of the net. But it was all Abacus after that. Two goals by Jennifer Garant and one by Holly McRann gave Abacus the 4-1 win.

Nelson Star Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Year in Review

nelsonstar.com 13

Pirate ships, cheetahs, and Cold War bunkers

The strangest stories of 2013

ABOVE: Gary Ramsbottom raises his hands in celebration after his partially-sunken pirate ship, the Obsidian, was successfully righted in February. “It’s a huge weight off my shoulders,” he said. “When you have a boat like this, you want to see it dancing on the waves, not sitting on the bottom of the lake.” (Bob Hall photo) CLOCKWISE FROM BELOW LEFT: Earl Pfeifer and Carol Plato proposed to bring their cheetahs, Robin and Annie, to Kaslo;

Pirate ship res- brief scene where he exposes his cue: A favourite buttocks.

spectacle on the Nelson waterfront, Gary Ramsbottom’s pirate ship took on water this year and partly sank. He tried to pivot the 22-foot vessel upright and pump enough water out to float it to the Prestige marina, but that didn’t work. The second rescue attempt was more successful: ropes were tied around the ship and a barge crane set it straight. The Obsidian, built as a film prop but never used, has been moored in Kootenay Lake since 2010.

Kaslo’s cheetah debate: A proposal

Touchstones gave us the first public glimpse of the Cold War-era fallout shelter in the basement of the Gray building and decorated it for the occasion (Greg Nesteroff photo); Kristan Green and Brook Hoskins took their wedding photos on the face of Pulpit Rock; Michael Chesney was ordered to remove tobacco plants from the window of his Victoria Street storefront or face a fine (Sam Van Schie photo).

to bring a pair of cheetahs to Kaslo won the support of village council, but was roundly condemned outside the community. Earl Pfeifer and Carol Plato, who own Kaslo’s Kane Manor, wanted to bring the endangered animals to town from Toronto, in a conservation effort with tourism benefits. Despite the village’s blessing, the couple is now looking at moving their cheetahs to Discovery Wildlife Park in Innisfail, Alta.

Guilty conscience?: What be-

gan as an opportunistic crime took a weird but welcome turn. Someone broke into four homes hit by the deadly Johnsons Landing slide and stole tools, computers, and other items. But some items soon turned up along Highway 31, about 18 kilometers away, and later two pieces of computer equipment showed up on the front steps of a Kaslo church. Police speculated that it was the sign of a guilty conscience.

Move those plants: Interior

Health instructed Comment magazine publisher Michael Chesney to move tobacco plants from his Victoria Street window or face a fine. Under legislation enacted in 2008, it’s illegal to display tobacco products anywhere where they can be seen by minors. Chesney was advised he was welcome to grow the plants at home or in a back room, so long as they were out of the view of passersby.

Lucas Myers’ banned bum: Nel-

son’s cultural ambassador ran into problems in Grand Forks this year when he was prevented from performing his one-man show Deck in the high school auditorium because of a

Myers, who said it had never been an issue before, offered to wear underwear, but the local arts council insisted he shouldn’t censor himself and moved the show to another venue.

Tallis comes home: Jim and Jean

Simpson had all but given up hope of seeing their Welsh corgi Tallis again. After all, he’d been missing for two months after slipping his lead during a walk with a caretaker while the couple was away. But then they got word that someone had found a dog on the Burlington Northern rail trail, starving and shivering in a creek. It was Tallis. He’d lost half his body weight and suffered liver damage, but everyone was overjoyed at his return.

The Diefenbunker: For the

first time, the public had a chance to explore a secret space in the basement of the Gray Building — a Cold War-era bunker that would have served as a regional fallout shelter for officials in the event of an atomic war or other catastrophe. As part of a Touchstones fundraiser, members were given tours of the large, well-lit facility which only contained a few remaining hints of its original purpose. For decades, it hasn’t been used for anything more than storage.

Weird wedding No. 1: When Steve

and Lorelei Sullivan set their wedding date, they didn’t realize it conflicted with Nelson’s Cyswog ‘n’ Fun triathlon. But Lorelei didn’t let it stop her from doing both. During the race, she wore a hat with the word “bride” and a veil attached, plus a t-shirt with a to-do list: “swim, bike, run, hair, wedding party.” Afterward, she changed into a wedding dress and said her vows in Gyro Park.

Weird wedding No. 2: Kristan Green

and Brook Hoskins were looking for a unique place to take their wedding photos. So after their ceremony, they climbed the face of Pulpit Rock, still in full altar attire. Green explained they’d wanted to scale the cliff since moving to Nelson in 2012, and it seemed a novel way to combine the two experiences. She had to modify her dress to climb in it, and attached her veil to a helmet.

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Wednesday, January 1, 2014 Nelson Star

Calendar

Want your event advertised here? Please email event details to: reporter@nelsonstar.com. Submissions must be sent by Friday prior to the week you want it printed. Your listing may be edited for length.

Jan 3rd - Cass Rhapsody Free Show! Jan 4th - Pink Mammoth Burning Man Sound Camp Jan 9th - Mr.B & Isis Top Spin Thursdays Jan 10th - SkiiTour Jan 11th - Funkanomics with Ben Fox Jan 17th - Timothy Wisdom Jan 18th - Love & Light Jan 22nd - Royal Wood Jan 23rd - Selkirk College Music Program Jan 24th - Kastle Jan 25th - Fred Penner, Lucas Myers & More Grown up Show

Feb 1st - Shane Phillip with Buckman Coe Feb 6th - Bob Marley Bday Reggae Show with Foundation Stone

Feb 12th - Good For Grapes w/ Willhorse Feb 15th - Kytami w/ Mishap Phonic Ops Feb 22nd - Delhi 2 Dublin Feb 27th - Top Spin Thursday w/ Dope Soda

T O P S P I N T H U R S DAY S AT S P I R I T BA R TA B L E T E N N I S & D J S

FOOD DELIVERY: SUNDAY TO THURSDAY 9AM- 11PM FRIDAY AND SATURDAY 9AM - MIDNIGHT

LIQUOR DELIVERY 9AM - 11PM 7 DAYS PER WEEK

& BEVERAGE DELIVERY

FOOD

352-5331

For a downloadable menu go to: www.humehotel.com/Menus

Pizza now available 11am till Late!

Tell us about your upcoming event, email: reporter@nelsonstar.com

Community Events The Nelson Rhythm Ropers hosts the annual Polar Bear Dip at Lakeside Park on New Year’s Day (Wednesday, January 1). Festivities begin around 11:30 a.m. with the count down to get in the water at noon. Proceeds will help the Rhythm Ropers with the cost of hosting provincials here in Nelson at the end of April.

and services. It also offers affordable help with household tasks. The office is open Monday to Thursday from 10 to 2 p.m. at 719 Vernon Street. Available on Tuesdays from 10 to noon are seniors’ counselling and free income tax service. On Wednesdays from noon to 2 p.m. learn about elder abuse prevention. Call 250-352-6008 for more information.

All seniors welcome to the monthly meeting of the Senior Citizens’ Association Branch No. 51, located at 717 Vernon Street. Meeting commences at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, January 8. Tea and goodies will be served after the meeting. Some of the activities enjoyed at the centre include bridge, crib, whist, dominos, chess, euchre and snooker. For further information, call 250-352-7078 weekday afternoons.

Workshops An Argentine tango workshop with Lori Mitchell and Patrick Marsolek of Tango Missoula will run January 17 to 19 in Nelson. The pair will offer six workshops at different levels over the weekend. Please contact franwallis@redmtn.ca for all the details and to prepay. And earlybird registration discount will be offered until January 7.

Nelson’s second Death Cafe will take place on Tuesday, January 21, 7 to 9 p.m. at the The Vienna Cafe (411 Kootenay Street). All are invited to come take part in conversations about death, with the goal of making the most of our (finite) lives. Admission is by donation ($5 recommended). Kootenay Kiltie Pipe Band hosts Robbie Burns Night on Saturday, January 25 at Eagles Hall. Tickets are $30 for adults and $15 for children under the age of 10. Reserve your ticket by calling 250-825-9418. The 2014 BC Family Day Fishing Derby on Kootenay lake goes February 8, 9, and 10. This is the largest freshwater fishing derby in Western Canada, with 600 participants, plus officials and staff. The event is sold out. Weekly meetings Free iPad for Seniors group every Wednesday at 3 p.m. to explore your iPad and learn new tips and tricks. All levels welcome! Located in the Learning Place (lower level of City Hall). Call Joan for more information at 250-352-3218. Spark! is a free after-school arts group for girls ages 12 to 16 every Wednesday from 3:30

The Nelson Rhythm Ropers will host the annual Polar Bear Dip at Lakeside Park on January 1, 2014. Brave swimmers will hit the chilly waters at noon. File photo to 5:30 p.m. at the Nelson and District Youth Centre. Snacks are provided. Facilitated by Ursula Twiss. Drop-in table tennis at the Blewett Elementary School every Wednesday from 5 to 7 p.m. when school is in session. Please bring clean gym shoes, no street shoes allowed. A drop-in fee of $2 will be collected. The Nelson Technology Club hosts a Hackerspace Wednesdays, 6 to 8 p.m., in the annex building at Selkirk College Tenth Street campus. Nelson Knitting Co-op meets Thursdays from 12:30 to 3 p.m. at the Nelson and District Community Complex. The meeting is open to anyone interested in sharing their projects, learning new techniques and socializing with other fibre enthusiasts. The St. Saviour’s Anglican Church Food Pantry is open every Friday 9 to 11 a.m. at 701 Ward Street (Silica Street side entrance) to all those in need. Barrier free, everyone welcome. The Kutenai Art Therapy Institute hosts an Open Art Studio every Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. Community members of all ages are invited to come and make art. We have a wide variety of materials available to entice your imagination. There is no art experience required.

Please drop in — no registration, no appointment necessary. Bring your friends and family. KATI is located at 191 Baker Street in Nelson (entrance on Falls Street). We are on the second floor with Medi-chair access. For more information, please contact 250-352-2264 or kutenaiarttherapy@shaw.ca. Nelson Chess Club meets Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Senior’s Centre (717 Vernon Street). All ages and levels welcome. Al-anon meetings are held Wednesdays from noon to 1 p.m. at the Cellar, 717 Vernon Street, and on Fridays from 8 to 9 p.m. at 601 Front Street in the basement. For more information about the Cellar meetings contact Norma at 250-352-3747 and for the Front Street meetings contact Sharon at 250-352-7333. Alcoholics Anonymous holds 14 one-hour meetings weekly in Nelson, at 717A Vernon Street (in the Cellar downstairs), including early morning, noon hour, and evening meetings on specific days. For a schedule please call 250352-3391 or pick up a complete meeting list at the Cellar during meeting times. Nelson and District Seniors Coordinating Society is a seniors’ one-stop centre for free information and on community

Recruiting SUPERSTARS

Starts Here. Call 1-855-678-7833 today for more details.

Announcement The L.V. Rogers Grade 9/10 leadership students are offering yard services to the community in exchange for donations to their fundraising drive for Canadian Lutheran World Relief, a non-profit organization that provides emergency relief, medical care and supplies, education for community development and sustainability practices. If you are interested in having a student shovel your driveway or help with another task, email Josie Day at jocelynday101@hotmail.com with your name, address, phone number, and the date you would like the work. Students are available until January 9. Glacier Harmonies, a singing group for women — Barbershop Style — invites ladies who like to sing and have fun, to our Wednesday evening practices at the First Baptist Church, 611 Fifth Street, Nelson at 7 p.m. The group is also available to perform at events such as birthdays, weddings, Christmas parties, community events, etc. For info contact Dorothy 250352-7199 or Joey 250-352-3393. To include your event in the online calendar visit nelsonstar. com. Or email reporter@nelsonstar.com to add your event to the community calendar.

Nelson Star Wednesday, January 1, 2013

nelsonstar.com 15

Entertainment listings

Film

German ghetto funk trio Funkanomics will be at Spiritbar on Saturday, January 11. Ticket info available at the Hume Hotel.

The Nelson Civic Theatre is screening Wadjda on Thursday January 2 at 7:30 p.m. Wadjda is a movie of firsts. This first feature film shot entirely in Saudi Arabia is the story of a young girl living in a suburb of Riyadh determined to raise enough money to buy a bike in a society that sees bicycles as dangerous to a girl’s virtue. Even more impressive, Wadjda is the first feature film made by a female Saudi filmmaker. In a country where cinemas are banned and women cannot drive or vote, writer-director Haifaa Al Mansour has broken many barriers with her new film. Wadjda has won numerous awards at film festivals around the world. The film is rated G. Check civictheatre.ca for showtimes.

Vancouver’s Timothy Wisdom will be spinning at Spiritbar on Friday, January 17. Ticket info available at the Hume Hotel.

Toronto singer-songwriter Royal Wood is once again bringing his folk pop sensibilities to the music lovers of Nelson on Wednesday, January 22 at Spiritbar. Doors open at 8 p.m. Advance tickets are $10 at the Hume Hotel or online at ticketweb.ca by searching “Hume Hotel.”

At the pub

Finley’s Irish Bar and Grill hosts a rock ‘n’ roll jam night Tuesdays from 8 p.m. to midnight.

Visual Arts

Requiem for a Glacier, a video and sound installation by Victoria artist/composer Paul Walde, will be exhibited at the Oxygen Art Centre from January 4 to February 8. Local, independent curator Kiara Lynch, who led the coordination efforts for the project, is the guest curator at Oxygen Art Centre for this exhibition. The opening reception will be held on Friday, January 3 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Oxygen Art Centre (320 Vernon Street, alley entrance). The artist talk will take place in the gallery on Saturday, January 4 at 4 p.m. Nelson artists — Brian Kalbfleisch, Branda Avis, Dan Farden, Richie McBeath, James Robert Harris and Claire Wensveen — are holding a group show at the Rossland Art Gallery from January 3 to 26 with an opening reception on January 10 from 8 p.m. to midnight. The exhibition will feature works of wood, weaving, glass, metal, ceramics, plus paintings and design work. The gallery is located in the beautifully restored historic Bank of Montreal building in downtown Rossland at 2004 Columbia Avenue. Touchstones Nelson has two exhibits on display. In Gallery A see The Shapes of Place, an exhibit of paintings by David Alexander, and in Gallery B is Powell River artist Meghan Hildebrand’s semi-abstract collection called Restless Fables. Touchstones is open Wednesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday evenings from 5 to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Rock ‘n’ Roll Bingo is back at Mike’s Place Pub on Tuesday nights. Round up your friends, your bingo dabbers, and good luck troll. Tickets are $2 for one or $5 for three. December ticket sales benefit the Kootenay Kids Society. Finley’s Irish Bar and Grill hosts Karaoke on Wednesday and Sunday nights from 9 p.m. to close. The film Wadjda was shot entirely in Saudi Arabia and tells the story of a young girl who is determined to raise enough money to purchase a bicycle, despite the fact that her society views bicycles as dangerous to a girl’s virtue. The film will be shown at Nelson’s Civic Theatre on Thursday, January 2 at 7:30 p.m.

Theatre

The Capitol Theatre Presentation Series continues with The Old Trout Puppet Workshop’s Ignorance: The Evolution of Happiness on Wednesday, January 22. It’s a puppet documentary about the evolution of bliss, from our primeval origins in the mighty Age of Stone to our modern discontent in the feeble Age of Tweet. Showtime is 8 p.m. Tickets are $30 for adults or $24 for students and season subscribers, available at the Capitol Theatre box office and capitoltheatre.bc.ca.

Music

San Francisco’s Pink Mammoth music/arts collective brings an unforgettable night of

house music and deep vibe to Spiritbar on Saturday, January 4. Ticket details available at the Hume Hotel. Selkirk Pro-Musica is presenting a concert featuring rising stars Natasha Hall (violin) and Nina Horvath (piano) on Saturday, January 11 at 7:30 p.m. in the St. Savior’s Pro-Cathedral located on the corner of Silica and Ward Streets. The concert, which features Stravinsky’s musical theatre piece The Soldier’s Tale, also highlights the talents of Nicola Everton (clarinet) and Bessie Wapp (narration). Tickets are $15 and are available in advance at Otter Books on Baker Street or at the door. For more information visit facebook. com/SelkirkProMusica.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! From the Staff at the Nelson Star!

Spiritbar hosts Top Spin Thursdays, a free weekly ping pong tournament with prizes each week. Doors open at 7 p.m. for registration and the tournaments begin at 7:30 p.m. sharp. Details at facebook.com/topspinthursdays.

BREAKAWAY

DANCE ACADEMY Winter registration Jan 6th, 2014 4-6pm At the Dance Connection 612 Front St. Nelson.

Classes offered in Ballet, tap, hip hop For those 3yrs & over. Contact 250-352-5932 for more information.

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Wednesday, January 1, 2014 Nelson Star

Year in Review

Honourable mentions

More noteworthy news stories of 2013

The more things change

Winlaw walk out

Before the May provincial election, BC had a Liberal government and Nelson-Creston and Kootenay West were represented by New Democrats Michelle Mungall and Katrine Conroy respectively. After the election, BC had a Liberal government and NelsonCreston and Kootenay West were represented by New Democrats Michelle Mungall and Katrine Conroy. Only the first part was a surprise, as all signs pointed to an NDP victory, leaving leader Adrian Dix to wonder what went wrong and what might have been. Mungall in particular could have been in line for a key role had the NDP won, given her strong support for Dix during his leadership campaign.

Winlaw firefighters walked out in solidarity of suspended chief Jon Wollenberg. The trouble began when regional chief Terry Swan ordered Wollenberg to provide traffic control at a public meeting on the Lemon Creek fuel spill. He refused on the grounds that it wasn’t their job, and further his members wanted to attend the meeting themselves. Swan suspended Wollenberg for three months and required him to complete a fire service supervision course before returning to duty. “The reason is insubordination — willingly disobeying a direct order,” Swan said. Wollenberg said he understood the chain of command in the case of a fire but “if no emergency exists I do not believe the regional fire chief should demand actions from volunteers ... I have done nothing wrong in refusing to respond to a non-emergency event.” In support of their chief, Winlaw firefighters announced they would not respond to calls. Although the Passmore and Slocan departments were willing to pick up the slack, residents could have lost their fire insurance. Instead, the regional district revoked the suspension and referred the matter to a committee of chiefs. That satisfied Winlaw’s firefighters, who returned to duty. The portion of the committee’s report made public revealed nothing more about the specific dispute, but suggested a review of regional district fire service bylaws and job descriptions.

Dog debate revisited

Following the National Post’s front-page indictment of Nelson’s downtown dog ban (see related story page 2), city councillor Deb Kozak let it be known she would be willing to relax the rules for a six-month trial. After 75 minutes of presentations from businesses supporting the change as well as police and bylaw enforcement, Kozak introduced her motion. And then ... silence. No other councillor was willing to entertain the idea and it died on the vine. “I think we could have learned a lot more if [the trial period] happened,” Kozak said afterward. “I’d hoped council would have had a little more faith and confidence in the support of the business community to make a positive change.” For now, Fido remains unwelcome on Baker Street.

Community in limbo

Sayonara to Slocan’s sawmill

Nearly 50 years of sawmilling in Slocan ended with the buyout of the Springer Creek Forest Products workforce, the sale of its timber licenses, and the beginning of demolition on the mill site. Early in the year, the 75 or so remaining employees on the seniority list overwhelmingly accepted a reduced settlement package in lieu of severance, entitling them to three-quarters of what they might have been entitled to. It came after Springer Creek reached a deal to sell its timber holdings to Interfor. In late summer, the village issued a demolition permit for the site. The work is expected to continue into the spring, but the future of the land is uncertain. The mill, built in 1964 and previously owned by Triangle Pacific, Slocan Forest Products, and Canfor, last operated in mid-2011.

Map moves

Changes to federal electoral boundaries were confirmed that will see Nelson, Kaslo, and Salmo added to the Kootenay-Columbia

TOP: Nelson-Creston MLA Michelle Mungall hugs a supporter on election night in May. She enjoyed a personal victory but her party suffered a stunning defeat. (Kirsten Hildebrand photo) ABOVE, LEFT: MP Alex Atamanenko was unimpressed with changes to local federal electoral boundaries, but insisted that isn’t why he won’t seek another term. (Bob Hall photo) ABOVE, RIGHT: Demolition began on the Springer Creek Forest Products mill at Slocan City following the sale of the company’s timber licenses and buyout of its remaining workforce. (Greg Nesteroff photo) riding and Castlegar, Trail, and the Slocan Valley join Penticton in a new riding called South Okanagan-West Kootenay. The proposal was panned for separating Nelson from Castlegar and Trail and for lumping local communities in with much larger centres, but the electoral boundaries commission insisted its hands were tied by population quotas. “I think this is a disaster,” said Southern Interior New Democrat MP Alex Atamanenko, who acknowledged it will be harder for his party to win given strong Conservative bases in Cranbrook and Penticton — although he insisted that isn’t the reason he recently announced he won’t run again. Atamanenko’s predecessor, Conservative Jim Gouk, said partisan-

ship aside, the new boundaries are a disservice to the area. “It’s absolutely absurd — terrible. We’re two parts at the hind end of different ridings.”

Timber tussle

An industry group lobbied government for access to more fibre but critics called it a timber grab. The Interior Lumber Manufacturers Association approached the Regional District of Central Kootenay in July, saying their economic viability was threatened due to difficulty finding enough wood to operate their mills. “We believe it’s because of restrictions on the land base,” Ken Kalesnikoff of Kalesnikoff Lumber told the board. “We need an area we can work in and farm the land, but those areas are being taken away. It’s

becoming very hard to deal with.” The group won support from the board, but Nelson city councillor Candace Batycki, who was long involved with ForestEthics, said timber supply reviews shouldn’t be based on market demand. “The problem is that running all the mills at full capacity is not sustainable,” she said. The ILMA met with forests minister Steve Thomson in August, which one industry professional described as “very positive,” but he made no promises. “While a full re-opening of the Kootenay-Boundary higher level plan is unlikely, Minister Thomson has asked staff to look at options to address timber supply constraints and opportunities,” a spokesman said.

Johnsons Landing residents devastated by a deadly landslide in 2012 didn’t get much good news in 2013. First, a thief victimized several affected homes (although most of the stolen property was returned). Then a geotechnical report released in May found the risk of further landslides remains high and didn’t give evacuated residents much hope of returning home — or of disposing of their now-worthless properties. Government agencies provided financial support to residents whose homes or businesses were destroyed but stopped sort of buying unsafe properties. “Nobody’s going to buy land they can’t occupy,” said resident Kate O’Keefe. “I would like to see the land purchased by the crown.” But David Curtis of Emergency Management BC said that was unlikely as there was no mechanism to buy neighbourhoods affected by disasters. Last month, the Regional District of Central Kootenay announced it was continuing the evacuation order. Story continues on Page 17

Nelson Star Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Year in Review

Following the highest water levels on the Kootenay River in nearly 40 years, BC Hydro began looking at deepening the bottleneck at Grohman Narrows, about three kilometers downstream of Nelson. Based on encouragement from local government, they spent about $70,000 on riverbed surveys and sediment evaluation to determine if it was feasible. But the Star received letters from several people who thought it was a bad idea. “The adverse effect ... will change the West Arm of Kootenay Lake forever,” wrote Vern Hellekson. “It will do more harm than good.” There wasn’t a lot of overt support for the project at a public meeting in June either. Skeptics thought it had more to do with increasing power production than flood control, although BC Hydro insisted that wasn’t the case. Not all were against it. “I think it’s a worthy project. Go for it,” said Beasley resident Al Craft.

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

ACROSS 1 Approaches aggressively 8 Like some scenic highways 15 Avant-garde neighborhood 16 On the line 17 Call from a collection agency? 18 Questionable alliance? 19 Compass pt. 20 Malicious look 22 “You __!”: Ren, to Stimpy 23 Social attire? 25 Rash symptom 28 Best 29 Eastern priest 33 Playground troublemakers 36 Something that’s going around 39 Sheep transport? 41 Message from the captain? 42 Internal device on most cellphones 43 German port 44 Strong cleaners 45 “Keep it down!” 48 Stamp of approval letters 49 Suggestion from one waiter to another? 53 Agamemnon’s father 57 Flubs the shot, e.g. 58 Stranded stuff 61 Hive workers? 63 Lasik ray? 65 Humor 66 Tease mercilessly 67 Always-open merchant 68 New York tribe

Pot petition

Power outage

The Nelson Star is running new crossword puzzles! The answer for Wednesday’s paper will be printed in Friday’s paper while the Friday answers will be published in Wednesday’s paper. FOR RELEASE NOVEMBER 29, 2013

Dredging Grohman Narrows

The longest-running labour dispute of the year saw FortisBC’s electrical workers locked out for nearly six months. The company closed the gates on members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 213 on June 26, affecting over 200 employees in power generation, transmission, and distribution, including at South Slocan. Talks had barely begun before the two sides saw a widening gap between their positions, generally around the introduction of a twotier pay and benefit package for newly hired employees, contract language around travel pay, and discussions around a compressed work week. Twice during the lockout workers rejected offers from the com-

3 6

Continued from Page 16

The Sensible BC campaign to decriminalize marijuana in BC fell short province-wide, but succeeded in Nelson-Creston and Kootenay West, where canvassers secured the signatures of more than 10 per cent of voters. Nelson-Creston actually topped all ridings with 16 per cent, while Kootenay West met the target with only a few days left before the deadline. Overall, 210,000 people signed, but only 19 of BC’s 85 electoral districts met the threshold. Had the campaign succeeded, it would have forced a referendum on the issue. “We find a lot of people are concerned about the soaring police costs related to cannabis prohibition,” Nelson-Creston canvasser Herb Couch said early in the campaign. “Those people, like us want to focus on real crimes. Cannabis prohibition causes way too much harm. It doesn’t work.” Sensible BC’s Dana Larsen says another attempt is likely.

nelsonstar.com 17

DOWN 1 Take __ 2 Intimidates 3 Enjoy some Trident 4 Anthem preposition 5 Facial arc

TOP: BC Hydro studied Grohman Narrows as the first step toward a possible dredging project. (Courtesy BC Hydro). MIDDLE: Herb Couch and Ann Remnant were among the SensibleBC campaigners in Nelson-Creston. (Sam Van Schie photo) BOTTOM: FortisBC’s lockout of its IBEW workers lasted nearly half the year. (Jim Sinclair/Castlegar News photo) pany, but last month the parties agreed to go to binding arbitration. In the meantime, employees have returned to work under the terms of their expired agreement. IBEW business manager Rod Russell said he was glad the lockout is over but disappointed they couldn’t negotiate a settlement. “It was a war that nobody won and could have easily been avoided,” he said.

Duhamel Creek dispute

North Shore residents around Duhamel Creek worried that logging above their homes could increase the risk of landslides. “The people who live below are asking, begging them not to do it,” longtime resident Glen B. Jones said of Kalesnikoff Lumber’s plans for the Lower Duhamel watershed. However, district forest manager Garth Wiggill said the company conducted a full terrain assess-

ment: “Kalesnikoff ’s preparation for logging in Duhamel is consistent with current procedures for managing timber harvesting on provincial forest land.” The geoscientist the company hired to assess the risks said residents should be concerned for their safety — but from flooding, not logging-related slides. Nearly 100 residents attended a community meeting, after which some took a workshop in nonviolent protest. By fall, the Duhamel Watershed Alliance decided to draft its own long-term logging plan with professional help and asked Kalesnikoff to meet with them to jointly plan the next cut block. The company was willing to meet but said the group didn’t have the right to impose its own plans. Story continues on Page 19

By Mark Feldman

6 Skin woe 7 Most like a guru 8 Avian cry 9 With “The,” 1971 best-seller about an evil twin 10 So far 11 Dutch town 12 Sitcom set in a garage 13 Japanese wrestler Sato 14 “__ we forget” 21 Greek consonant 23 Ancient city whose ruins are in modern Luxor 24 Wall St. debuts 25 Perfect 26 Yellowish-brown 27 Land of the Minotaur 29 Get in position for the parade, as a band 30 Proton carriers 31 Rationed (out) 32 Amphitheater 34 “Arrested Development” narrator Howard

11/29/13

Friday’s PuzzlePuzzle Solved Thursday’s Solved

35 __ Miguel: Cozumel city 37 Confederate 38 Musical measure 40 Zap, in a way 46 Tint 47 Contract adverb 49 Put down 50 Custom 51 Test, in a way 52 Rhone feeder

11/29/13

53 Rose’s Broadway beau 54 Simple shelter 55 Prynne’s stigma 56 Holder of needles and such 58 Bit of derring-do 59 Granny 60 Qts. and pts. 62 Côte d’Azur view 64 Ratio involving ht. and wt.

A18 www.nelsonstar.com

Wednesday, January 1, 2014 Nelson Star

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Nelson Star Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Year in Review

Air conditioning planned

Continued from Page 1 Ley says now that digital technology has been installed, the theatre’s potential is limited only by the community’s imagination. “We’re starting to use the term cultural media centre. Now we’re getting inundated with rental requests and different ideas — somebody suggested a sonic therapy session.” Ley says the seats, projector, and sound system give them the opportunity to do things besides just showing movies, including webinars and live shows. However, film distributors’ rules limit what can be accomplished with a single screen. For instance, to get a big film like The Hobbit sequel means the theatre can’t be used for anything else during the week. The three-screen model will allow them greater flexibility in scheduling screenings and other events, Ley says, as well as ensuring the society’s financial stability. “As a cinema with three screens we’ll be able to bring in three times the revenue and that allows us to follow up on our social enterprise model by putting some of the profits back into the community to stimulate more art and culture.” Even with a single screen, the theatre has done well, achieving

Civic Theatre Society project manager Roger Ley says they’re asking the community to imagine what the revamped space could be used for. Sam Van Schie photo

up to 80 per cent occupancy when industry standards suggest you’re doing well with 25 per cent. At the packed annual general meeting in the fall, Marilyn Mint took over as society president from Anne DeGrace. Mint says a moment at that meeting epitomized the whole effort. “I think Anne said ‘Thank you all for coming. This is amazing.’ There were 300 people sitting there. Someone at the back said ‘You asked us to come, didn’t you?’” Mint, who called 2013 a “learning year,” got involved in the soci-

Previous Star top newsmakers 2012: Mother Nature 2011: Nelson Search and Rescue 2010: Pastor Jim Reimer ety from the beginning “because I thought it was abysmal there was no cinema in Nelson. It grew from there and became an exciting community project. “So many times we’ve been in the lobby working or holding a meeting and people walk by and put their thumbs up to say ‘Great job, guys.’ That has probably been the most rewarding aspect of the whole experience so far.”

nelsonstar.com 19

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The Royal finds new operators

Con’t from Page 17

Dock debate

A proposed dock at Five Mile on the North Shore had locals in an uproar over access to a popular beach. The applicants, summer residents Jane and Mark Andreychuk, wanted to build private moorage that would bisect the beach. “This dock would clearly make a statement and ruin the public swimming access in this area,” fumed Debbie Bird, who started a Facebook campaign to kibosh the idea, which was then open for public comment. Soon after, the Andreychuks withdrew their application and later submitted a different one. “It’s totally changed from the original plan,” Jane told the Star, adding the proposal to build a dock had “nothing to do with the beach. It’s in the water on the edge of the spit.” But residents were still worried. “To even contemplate building a structure that serves only one family out of all of us

The Royal re-opened last month under the management of a pair of Shanes — Vassell and Dayman — following a tumultuous year. Sam Van Schie photo ... is to interfere with the righteous stewardship of the lake,” said Jody Leila Howard.

A Royal mess

A popular Nelson music venue was closed much of the year following a dispute between the

owner and leaseholders. Paul Hinrichs and Howie Ross, who brought many big-name acts to town, cleared out when their lease-to-own arrangement expired and they couldn’t afford to buy. Their exit was has-

tened and several shows were moved or cancelled when building owner Luke Menkes demanded the pair transfer the liquor license back to him. Ross had his own demands: quit the eviction threats, return a financial deposit, and stop copying their emails to the media. When the venue reopened in May with an all ages party, it was marred by people who decided to drink en route to and outside the event. Police issued several tickets, but Menkes said it was a case of a few bad apples ruining it for all. In September, new tenant-operaters were found: Shane Dayman moved here from Langley while Shane Vassell has a telecommunications company in Fort McMurray. “We’ve heard from a lot of bands that can’t wait to get back here,” Vassell said. The Royal reopened last month and cleared out its basement with a garage sale benefiting the BC Firefighters Burn Foundation. A new liquor license is still pending.

WE ARE LOOKING FOR PARTICIPANTS WHO ARE WILLING TO COMMIT TO 3-5 DAYS PER WEEK TO TRAIN AND CHALLENGE THEMSELVES! If you are selected to participate in our challenge, you will receive 6 weeks of FREE training at one of our participating facilities! The winner will receive a pass at the participating facility to continue their training. How to enter:

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Wednesday, January 1, 2014 Nelson Star

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P R IC E

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*Easy Tablet is only available to existing TELUS mobility customers with minimum three months tenure or greater and good payment history, subject to existing credit policy. Not available to customers on the credit limit program. Only available at participating locations. Customers must subscribe to an eligible monthly TELUS tablet rate plan in order to qualify for the Easy Tablet o er. The monthly Easy Tablet repayment charge is subject to applicable taxes. If the service agreement is cancelled before the end of the term, the remaining balance of the purchase price will be applied as a one-time charge to the account, along with a $50 cancellation fee in applicable provinces. Once the purchase price has been paid, the service will continue on a month-to-month basis without the monthly charge for the tablet. †16 GB iPad mini is $0 up front. You pay the rest of the purchase price over time by adding $19.12 per month to your monthly rate plan on a 2 year term. Taxes, long distance, additional airtime, roaming and pay-per-use charges are extra. ‡Based on testing of voice-call success rates, data-session completion rates and industry-standard call-quality measures against other national wireless service providers in metropolitan areas across Canada. TELUS and the TELUS logo are trademarks of TELUS Corporation, used under licence. TM and © 2013 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. © 2013 TELUS.

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