Creston Valley Advance, February 12, 2015 by Black Press Media Group

TELLING RETIRES FROM HUSCROFT MILL / PAGE 3 ONE WIN, TWO LOSSES FOR T-CATS / PAGE 5 ®

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Volume 67, No. 7 | Thursday, February 12, 2015 Visit us online at www.crestonvalleyadvance.ca

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FESTIVE FACE — Face painting was one of many activities and entertainment children enjoyed at Monday’s second annual Children’s Winter Festival held at the Lower Kootenay Band gymnasium, sponsored by the Town of Creston and the LKB. More photos at www.crestonvalleyadvance.ca/ourtown.

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Canyon-Lister Fire Department Chief Glenn Guthrie says an “automatic aid” agreement for fire protection is a big step toward a valley-wide fire department. “It is a benefit to every resident in the service area,” he said. “We now have more resources coming to every fire and it’s of special value in the daytime, when we have the lowest number of firefighters who can respond to a call.” Creston Fire Rescue Chief Mike Moore says the system is designed to improve response time and quality. “The goal of an automatic aid program is to provide seamless service to enhance the level of life safety and property protection available to citizens,” he said. “In sim-

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plest terms, it is an agreement that ensures that the resources of the fire station nearest to a reported structural fire emergency are dispatched automatically, regardless of local jurisdiction boundaries.”

“It is a benefit to every resident in the area.” Glenn Guthrie CLFD Chief

The automatic aid program (AAP) was created after a Regional District of Central Kootenay director and fire chief refused to embrace a plan by three fire chiefs to unite into a single service.

Dr. Jeremy Kass hasn’t taken any shortcuts in setting up his first practice since becoming a family physician. Kass, who with his wife, Alexandra, arrived in Creston last month from Whitehorse, Yukon, will be working with Dr. Daile Hoffmann in her 14th Avenue clinic. “We probably picked the worst time possible to make the trip,” he said of their move south. They left Whitehorse with Jeremy at the wheel of a U-Haul rental truck and Alex following in their Subaru.

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“After the 2010 regional fire service work done by the area fire chiefs failed due to what I would describe as autonomy and governance concerns at the local government level, the discussion between the local fire chiefs began on how to improve operational responses in the Creston Valley for the citizens,” Moore said. “There are many examples where each fire department individually does not possess the required equipment for many types of responses, so an agreement on the types of resources to be automatically sent to specific types of incidents seemed like a reasonable solution. For example, each fire department has only one water tender for shuttling water to fires where there are no fire hydrants available.

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reston’s Pet Adoption and Welfare Society is hosting one of its popular bake sales on Feb. 13 and 14 at Overwaitea Foods. Funds raised by the bake sale will support the PAWS shelter, where volunteers care for lost, surrendered or abused animals. •••

anyon-Lister Elementary School’s Be the

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Thursday, February 12, 2015 Creston Valley Advance

A large part of the $3,800 came from chef Demetre Karountzos (bottom), who offered to shave his 35-year moustache if he raised over $1,000. The society is building a six-unit family housing complex on 25th Avenue South.

Change group (photo at right) is asking students, families and community members to join its efforts to save the environment and lives by collecting household batteries all through the month of February. This includes AA, 9V, D, C, rechargeables, button and cellphone batteries. Through Feb. 28, batteries — which must have their terminals taped over — can be dropped off in the

Call 2 Recycle box located in the school’s foyer. Did you know that the amount of batteries discarded each year in the United States alone would circle the Earth’s circumference six times? In Canada enough batteries are thrown away to fill seven school buses each year. Did you know that each AA battery contains the amount of zinc needed to save the lives of six chil-

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dren? Zinc deficiency is a global health challenge — two billion people worldwide are affected and nearly 450,000 children die each year from complications associated with zinc deficiency. Did you know that recycling batteries

prevents chemicals from leaching into our water, soil and air? Recycled batteries are made into new products including stainless steel products, new batteries, toys, phones and so much more! •••

early $4,000 was raised for the Creston Valley Community Housing Society on Saturday night, when the Creston Hotel and Jimmy's Pub and Grill hosted a fundraiser, which included a spaghetti dinner and live music.

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Canyon-Lister Elementary School’s Be the Change group.

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Demetre Karountzos (above left) with MC Alex Ewashen, before and after (right) his trademark moustache was trimmed off.

Club Cafe Celebrates Chinese New Year February 19th Thursday Lunch Special and Smorg: 11am - 2:30pm Adult: $12.99 Children 4 - 7: $6.50

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Creston Valley Advance Thursday, February 12, 2015

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Local News

Telling retires from mill founded by grandfather BY BRIAN LAWRENCE Advance Editor

From bookkeeping to lumber sales to management, Gwen Telling has been a fixture at Erickson’s J.H. Huscroft Ltd. sawmill since 1977. But that changed last week when she retired, leaving the day-to-day operations of the mill behind on Friday. “It feels natural,” she said two days earlier, just after a surprise retirement party with the mill’s staff. “It’s just like when you leave home or get married or go to a different place. It’s the right thing to do. ... “I’m a happy girl. I’ve got wings.” Those wings will take Telling on her 13th trip to Honduras — she’s been before on Rotary projects — this time to teach English and study Spanish. “It’s what I wanted to do at 19 and couldn’t,” she said. “It’s a second childhood.” Telling’s grandfather, John Henry Huscroft, started the mill on his farm in 1927 — it moved to its 32 Avenue South location in 1960 — cutting timber and selling ties to the Great Northern Railroad in Idaho. Telling will remain on the board as corporate secretary, maintaining a family presence in the mill, but plans were already underway for others to succeed her. In 2013, Justin Storm, who has now worked there for 16 years, signed a purchase agreement with the family-owned sawmill, becoming president and general manager. “It was universally supported by all the shareholders,” Telling said. “Justin was the sawmill manager and just a really bright guy. We felt he would carry on our goals. One of our top goals was the older people — that employees who stuck with us through the hard times would still have jobs.” Last month, Chris Schofer, who previously did sales for Wynnwood (then Wynndel Box and Lumber) and Colville, Wash.-based Vaagen Brothers Lumber, took over Telling’s position as lumber sales manager. With her family — particularly her father, Ken, who died two years ago at age 88, and uncles Leonard and Mickey — operating the sawmill, Telling got a head start in the industry, which served her well while she was in Vancouver studying to be a certified general accountant. After working in the

(From left) J.H. Huscroft Ltd. president and general manager Justin Storm, Gwen Telling, lumber sales manager Chris Schofer. Brian Lawrence

University of BC library for three years, she got a job at a sawmill office. “I learned to tally lumber at 14,” she said. “I got the job because I knew how to tally lumber.” In 1977, Telling came back to the Creston Valley to do the company’s books, and gradually worked her way into sales and management. At the time, business couldn’t have been better — but that didn’t last. “It was sizzling,” she said. “Business was absolutely great. Then we came to 1980, and interest rates went up to eighteen per cent. That was when I realized the business would have some challenges.” The 1980 recession was “extremely bad, but it was short-lived.” It didn’t compare, though, to the 2008 recession, which hit the industry after a few years of soft markets. “We had a lot of really bad years,” Telling said. “The whole thing was really hard on everyone.” Over the years, the mill has helped to strengthen its position as a company by not shying away from technological

advances. Over Telling’s time at J.H. Huscroft, many operations have become automated, allowing for 40 per cent more lumber to be used instead of wasted. “That’s been achieved by better technology,” she said. With that technology came workers with more skills. “As more manual jobs are being replaced, there are more millwrights and computer operators,” she said. “That trend will continue.” Over time, reforestation practices have also changed, with mills taking the lead in replenishing their timber supply. J.H. Huscroft’s licence allows the cutting of 75,000 square metres a year on the company’s blocks, which the mill must reforest. “When I started, it was the government’s responsibility to reforest,” Telling said. “They were not meeting their obligations.” That led to an outcry, and to the government requiring forestry companies to take care of reforestation — and they did the job right. Places Telling remem-

bers seeing logged when she started in the business are now 40 or 50 feet high. “The logging practices are better, reforestation is better and I think as people are recognizing that there is less hostility toward logging,” she said. “There are actually more trees in the forest because of logging, not less.” That put an end to “vicious personal attacks” over the state of local forests. “People see the new forests doing well,” Telling said. “That is a good thing for the timber supply and should be good for the future of the forest industry in Creston.” And with the mill’s 90th anniversary on the horizon, Telling is proud of the legacy created by her family. “My family has been logging in the valley for 100 years,” she said. “We’re still here and there is still a good resource here. I think it will be for years to come.” This is the first article in a series on Erickson’s J.H. Huscroft Ltd. sawmill. Next week: Looking to the future with president Justin Storm and lumber sales manager Chris Schofer.

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Thank you for your support!

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arts, culture & heritage funding Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance, in partnership with Columbia Basin Trust, invites individuals of all artistic disciplines and arts, culture and heritage groups in the Columbia Basin to apply for project funding. Program brochures and application forms are available online at www.basinculture.com.

Application forms available February 19 at: cbt.org/summerworks.

Deadline for applications is March 6, 2015, or March 20, 2015, depending on the program.

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Administered and managed by: Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance P.O. Box 103, Nelson, BC, V1L 5P7. 1.877.505.7355 wkrac@telus.net

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Photo: Symphony of the Kootenays

Planting the Seed to Entrepreneurship: Fundamentals of Business Ideas and Planning Kootenay Aboriginal Business Development Agency is pleased to host Planting the Seed to Entrepreneurship: Fundamentals of Business Ideas and Planning. The morning will focus on Fundamentals of Business and what steps to take to become an entrepreneur. The afternoon session will cover Branding – Authentic Indigenous Arts, AtBC guest. The workshop will be held at Kootenay Employment Office, 119 11th Ave N, Creston, BC.

Wed., Feb. 25, 2015 beginning at 9:00 am.

Lunch will be provided for the participants as well as excellent door prizes. For information and to register for the Planting the Seed to Entrepreneurship workshop please contact Janice Alpine, KABDA toll free 1 888 480 2464 ext 3164 or jalpine@kabda.org visit www.kabda.org

4 www.crestonvalleyadvance.ca

Doctor FROM PAGE 1

Winter weather was expressing itself in full force and they travelled on icy roads in fog and snow as they headed southward. “For some reason Jeremy’s phone GPS didn’t like the most direct route,” Alex laughed. “I would see a sign at a turnoff in the direction I thought we should be going and he would keep right on driving.” Eventually their travels would take them straight into downtown Calgary, a few hundred miles off the most direct route. “They called me and said they were in High River and I said, ‘High River? What are you doing there?’ ” physician recruiter Marilin States laughed. On the next day they put the long drive behind them as a crew of volunteers help them unload their possessions into a house they had bought sight unseen, with the help of States. Jeremy’s life path has been long and winding, too. Born in Brazil, he

LocaL News was raised in Costa Rica and attended university in Mexico. He did his final year of residency in New York City, where his father now lives. Alex was born in Eastern Europe and met Jeremy in Costa Rica, where she was working for Outward Bound. In Whitehorse, where her parents now live, the journalist and research specialist was working in the health care system. Jeremy’s original goal was to become an ophthalmologist and work in the U.S. But he and Alex had talked about settling and raising a family in a rural community, where she could enjoy her love of horses, and their dogs and cats would have space to play. “Alex pointed out that as a specialist I would be limited to living in larger cities, so I changed my focus to becoming a family physician,” he said. After having lived in the Yukon, the two couldn’t be more excited about the prospect of life in Creston, surrounded by the bounty of fresh fruit and vegetables. “People who haven’t lived in the North have no idea how good a

PUBLIC NOTICE

Information Session on the “Cherrywood Distillery District” formerly known as the “BUNKER”

The developer for the Cherrywood Distillery District will be holding an information session at the Town of Creston Chambers Wednesday February 18, 2015 3:30 to 4:30pm and 5:30 to 6:30 pm Bring your ideas and support to make the Gateway destination location a reality!

havenplex@gmail.com 604-783-6003

For further info:

HAVE YOUR SAY

We’re Listening ... Public Hearing Tuesday, February 24, 2015 4:00 pm Council Chambers 238 - 10th Avenue North

Phone 250-428-2214 ext. 233

Email donna.cassel@ creston.ca

Website www.creston.ca

Thursday, February 12, 2015 Creston Valley Advance

Town of Creston

Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 1808, 2015 (Intermodal Shipping Containers)

PUBLIC HEARING What is Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 1808, 2015 about? The intent of this Bylaw is to amend Zoning Bylaw No. 1123 to include regulations on the use of intermodal shipping containers used as storage facilities within the boundaries of the Town of Creston. How will this affect me? This Bylaw, if adopted, will treat shipping containers (not already in place) as an “accessory building” and will exclude them from residential zones, with the exception of temporary construction projects. Any persons who believe that their interest in their own property will be affected by this proposed amendment to Zoning Bylaw No. 1123 will have an opportunity to be heard at, or to present written submissions to, this Public Hearing. How do I get more information? A copy of the proposed Bylaw and relevant background documents may be inspected at the Town Ofﬁce, 238 - 10th Avenue North, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays, from February 12, 2015 to February 24, 2015 inclusive. Jamai Schile, Town Planner

fresh tomato tastes after getting used to the ones that have been frozen and are weeks old before they get to the grocery store in the Yukon,” Alex said. Kass’s arrival is another feather in the cap of the Creston Valley Health Working Group, which is funded by the Town of Creston and Regional District of Central Kootenay Areas B and C, and supported by Interior Health and local physicians. In their search for a new home, Jeremy and Alex were focused on Vancouver Island. But Creston

caught their eye when they were reading about opportunities on the HealthMatch BC website. “Creston very quickly was on our radar,” he said. States invited Jeremy to for a visit to Creston after they both attended a medical conference and he was sold. “Afterward I was talking to Alex on the phone and telling her about Creston and she said I didn’t have to sell her on the valley — Jeremy had already done that!” States said. It wasn’t only climate and

Fire program FROM PAGE 1

“It is not possible to shuttle the required amount of water for a typical house fire with one tender, so involving all three departments and utilizing all three available water tenders creates the possibility to shuttle the appropriate amount of water.” In 2004, B.C.’s Office of the Fire Commissioner (OFC) published a discussion paper on what was referred to as automatic aid programs, defining them as “an emergency fire services program that provides for and shares essential response, rescue, extinguishment and mitigation services amongst neighbouring local jurisdictions.” The OFC was promoting the concept provincially because in many large city centres, especially in the United States, there were instances where fires took place across the street from a fire station that actually belonged to a different jurisdiction, so there was no response by the closest station because of an imaginary city boundary. The responding fire department was too often a further distance away. Fire Underwriters Survey (FUS) began recognizing automatic aid agreements and providing credit towards insurance grading systems more than 40 years ago. The reason why these agreements are given more credibility over the traditional “mutual aid” agreements is simply on how these two agreements are administered. By definition, a “mutual aid” agreement is where one jurisdiction assists another jurisdiction during an extraordinary event when their resources are depleted, and only if the requested jurisdiction has available resources to send. By definition, an “automatic aid” agreement is the predetermined automatic response of neighbouring jurisdiction to predetermined emergency incidents. FUS considers that by the simple premise that a resource is being dispatched automatically to an incident, it is a real resource, whereas a mutual aid agreement tend to have a significant delay — it usually requires the responding department to get to the scene, request the additional resource and then wait for it to arrive. “This is a great thing,” Guthrie said. “It’s funny how long it took to get here when we were so close before. I would say this is the first positive step toward a regional service, which we need so we can use the resources we have in the this valley to their best effect.”

Creston Valley

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GO CATS GO!

geography that impressed Jeremy, though. “When Alex and I came down we met all of the local physicians except one, who was on vacation,” he said. “I couldn’t believe how welcoming they were.” The common message he received was about the importance of living a balanced life, one that allows a busy professional to take advantage of the opportunities that rural living affords. “Their attitude was a huge factor in our decision-making,” he said.

The Canyon-Lister Fire Department is a bit of an anomaly. While many rural departments are struggling to keep their volunteer firefighters up (including Wynndel-Lakeview, which has experienced a large drop recently), it is at a 20-year high in numbers. “We have added 16 new volunteers in the last 18 months,” Guthrie said. “It’s a good problem to have, but it is a problem. How do you train when you have 21 or 22 volunteers show up for practice?” For Guthrie and his team, part of the answer has come from its partnership with the Creston Fire Rescue. The fire departments share much of their training program. And the five work experience firefighters now residing beside the Creston fire hall go out to Canyon-Lister on a weekly basis. Their training and experience is a valuable asset, Guthrie said. “There is no real rhyme nor reason to our increase in volunteers, but my assistant fire chief said that it might be because we have such a good relationship with the other fire departments.” And the AAR has resulted in more callouts for all firefighters in the Creston Valley. “Calls are what keeps the interest up (among volunteers),” he said. “If we go for a couple of months without a call you can feel that. But then in the summer, when we might get six calls in a month, it generates interest and enthusiasm.” “Although the agreement is in place, there are still small issues with fire dispatch that are being worked out to ensure the seamless dispatching of all three departments and directing the appropriate resources to the incident,” Moore said. “As these technical challenges are worked out, each department being paged currently is confirming with the dispatcher that the other departments are being paged for the same incident. Another future step to improve this further is the utilization of a common dispatch channel between all three fire departments to make sure that communications for incidents have limited confusion on which channels are being utilized.” Guthrie said his crew is well aware of the benefits that the addition of fire protection to Arrow Creek and, soon, to West Creston, offer. “The difference now is there is a political will to make this happen,” he said. “I can’t say enough good things about the AAP — I truly wish it had happened years ago.” “At this point, my proudest achievement in my career is being able to work closely with Chief Guthrie and [Wynndel-Lakeview] Chief [Dayle] MacRae, putting aside our autonomy concerns, building a coalition of give-and-take to provide the best service to the residents of the Creston Valley with the limited resources available to us,” Moore said. “When the regional fire service failed, we continued to work to find the way that our residents received the best we could give. Although I was part of doing this before in my career, this accomplishment here feels far more valuable to the community on the whole with a stronger commitment from the fire departments within the agreement. Even though I feel it is my proudest achievement, it certainly wouldn’t have been possible without the relationship and commitment by Chief Guthrie and Chief MacRae.” This is the fifth and final story in a series about fire service in Creston. Jan. 15: The number of local calls and potential financial impact; Jan. 22: the link between fire services and insurance rates; Jan. 29: the fire department’s work experience program; Feb. 5: Town council approves the purchase of a ladder truck.

Creston Valley Advance Thursday, February 12, 2015

www.crestonvalleyadvance.ca 5

sporTs / LocaL News

Thunder Cats in third with two games left BY BRIAN LAWRENCE Advance Editor Second place in the Eddie Mountain Division is still in sight for the Creston Valley Thunder Cats, who sit five points behind the Kimberley Dynamiters with one game in hand. With 65 points, the Dynamiters are six points behind the division-leading Fernie Ghostriders. With 49 points, the Golden Rockets have secured a spot in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League playoffs, while the Columbia Valley Rockies, with 28 points, have no chance. But the Thunder Cats still have to play better than they did Feb. 3 visiting the Kimberley Dynamiters, said head coach Jeff Dubois. “One team showed up and we didn’t,” he said. “The work ethic and the level of attention to detail in the defensive zone just wasn’t there.” The Dynamiters scored three goals in the first period, and the Thunder Cats responded with two power-play goals by Connor Ward early in the sec-

ond. The Dynamiters added another goal in the second period and three power-play goals in the third for a 7-2 win. “We identified some areas we wanted to work on in preparation, and in breaking things down afterward, we realized we broke down in all of those areas.” Friday’s visit to the Columbia Valley Rockies was a different story, with the Thunder Cats earning a 5-1 win. “We got back to doing some of the things that we focused on in the offensive zone and defensive zone,” said Dubois. “The effort was better, but at the same time, you can’t pick and choose when you find that effort.” Connor Kidd scored twice in the first period, including a power-play goal, with Alec Wilkinson adding a third at 2:06. Nicholas Kovacik scored a fourth Creston goal in the mid-second period before the Rockies responded at 1:27. At 6:57 in the third period, Mason Mazur scored the final Creston goal. On Saturday, the Thunder Cats played their final regularseason away game against the Golden Rockets, coming home

with a 7-4 win. Despite the score, Dubois wasn’t happy with the first 45 minutes. “We let Golden dictate the play and were heavily outshot through two periods,” he said. Lien Miller-Jeannotte scored the game’s first goal early in the first period, and Golden’s 13 shots resulted in a goal at 2:35. Austin Steger and Kidd (power play) each scored in the second period for a 3-3 tie going into the third. After a Golden goal early in the third, the Thunder Cats bounced back with four goals, two by Kidd (one an emptynetter), and one each from Kyle Richter and Kovacik. “At the end of the day, you aren’t going to win too many games where you wait until the third period to show up.” Following a Tuesday game against the Fernie Ghostriders (after press time), Creston will play its final regular season games against Golden, hosting the Rockets Friday and Saturday. “We certainly want to use those as opportunities to be prepared for the first playoff games,” said Dubois.

Quiet week for Creston RCMP BY LORNE ECKERSLEY Advance Staff

It seems that rainy days leading into a long weekend are a crime-reduction tool. Creston RCMP were called to respond to only 39 complaints from Feb. 2-8, Staff Sgt. Bob Gollan said on Monday. February 2 •A Murdoch Street resident complained about unwanted texts and calls from his ex-wife about a child custody dispute. •An investigation into a reportedly abandoned vehicle at the rec centre led police to determine it belonged to a person who was instructing a course at the facility. •A 25th Avenue resident reported sending money to an Ontario dog owner to purchase the animal. The owner reneged on the deal but has not returned the money. •A hit and run was reported after a vehicle was backed into in an 11th Avenue North parking lot. •Participants in a landlordtenant dispute on Crawford Creek Road were advised to work with the Residential Tenancy Branch. •When police attended a scene in which a vehicle went off Goat River Road and down a 10-foot bank the smell of alcohol was present on the driver. She blew a “warn” on an alcohol screening device and was issued a three-day driving prohibition. The vehicle was impounded for three days. February 3 •Police were called to the scene of a collision involving a deer on Highway 3 to dispatch the injured animal. •Police mediated a dispute when a Riverview Road resi-

dent complained that a cable television employee was trespassing. •Creston police assisted Port Coquitlam RCMP in an arson investigation. •Creston police served a subpoena to a Simon Road resident on behalf of Columbia Valley RCMP. February 4 •A dog owner on Hanson Road reported that he had left his dog in the care of an employee last August, and she reported that she had let it run away. The owner found the dog in the care of another female in Lister, who said she had taken it in after finding it running loose. She agreed to return the dog to the original owner. •The Crawford Creek Road landlord-tenant dispute continued, which the tenant said he had been sent a threatening text message. •A 24th Avenue North resident reported that she had done online work for which she was sent a cheque from China in the amount of about $61,000. She was directed to send $58,000 of it to another bank account, which she didn’t. After spending $700 of the money received she was informed by the bank that the cheque was NSF. •A 911 call from Midgely Road was attributed to a pocket dial. •When patrolling police officers noted two males doing a possible drug transaction they found a small quantity of marijuana on one, which was seized and destroyed. •When police responded to a report of suspicious activity they located an intoxicated youth. They took him home. February 5 •Extensive damage resulted

when a vehicle went off Lakeview-Arrow Creek Road in slushy conditions and collided with a fence. •Police attended a Lipinksi Road residence to serve documents on behalf of Cranbrook RCMP. •A 911 call from CanyonLister Rd. was attributed to a telephone problem. •An alarm at an 11th Avenue North business was triggered by cleaning staff. •Police were asked to conduct a well-being check on a female when she broke off a phone call to answer the door and didn’t call back as promised. It was eventually determined that she was fine. •Police arrested a suspect in a break and entry case on behalf of Cranbrook RCMP. February 6 •When police conducted a well-being check on an Erickson Road male they found him to be in need of medical attention and he was transported to the hospital. •A white Ford pickup reported to be driving and passing at excessive speeds on Highway 3/95 was not located. •Police received a call from Pine Street about a child custody dispute. •Two males who were reported to be damaging property and refusing to leave the curling club were gone when police arrived. February 7 •Yet another 911 call was received from a faulty payphone on Fowler Street in Riondel. February 8 •A male who was reported to be sleeping in his Chevrolet Astro for five nights in a Helen Street parking lot had left when police arrived.

He also hopes to give the team’s four 20-year-olds, who will age out of the KIJHL, a proper sendoff. “We’ve been battling to find a

consistent level in terms of focus and work habits,” he said. “You want to go into playoffs on a high note, coming off a couple of wins.”

Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy and Kootenay Employment Services would like to thank: • • • • • •

Carol Wallace • Creston Valley Rotary Club Cecile Cousineau • Footlighters Theatre Society Columbia Basin Trust • Lower Kootenay Band Creston Museum • Telus Creston Rotary Club • The Source Creston Valley Public Library for helping to make the Family Literacy Week Full STEAM Ahead such a success!

Summer Student Positions SPRING & SUMMER 2015

Columbia Basin Trust has five summer student positions available throughout the Basin: 1. Technical Support Analyst (Castlegar) 2. Delivery of Benefits Research Assistant - 2 positions (Castlegar or Nakusp) 3. Operations Assistant (Castlegar) 4. Technical Assistant, CBBC (Cranbrook) Apply by February 20, 2015 at 4 p.m. PST. cbt.org/careers 1.800.505.8998

HAVE YOUR SAY

We’re Listening ... Public Hearing Tuesday, February 24, 2015 4:15 pm Council Chambers 238 - 10th Avenue North

Phone 250-428-2214 ext. 233

Email donna.cassel@ creston.ca

Website www.creston.ca

Town of Creston

Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 1811, 2015 (Temporary Use Permit)

PUBLIC HEARING What is Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 1811, 2015 about? The intent of this Bylaw is to amend Zoning Bylaw No. 1123 to include provisions for Temporary Use Permits for land within commercial and industrial zones within the boundaries of the Town of Creston. How will this affect me? This Bylaw, if adopted, allows a landowner to apply for a temporary use on a parcel, which is not already permitted by the Zoning Bylaw. Any persons who believe that their interest in their own property will be affected by this proposed amendment to Zoning Bylaw No. 1123 will have an opportunity to be heard at, or to present written submissions to, this Public Hearing.

How do I get more information? A copy of the proposed Bylaw and relevant background documents may be inspected at the Town Ofﬁce, 238 - 10th Avenue North, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays, from February 12, 2015 to February 24, 2015 inclusive. Jamai Schile, Town Planner

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Thursday, February 12, 2015 Creston Valley Advance

www.crestonvalleyadvance.ca

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Magic on the soccer pitch

A friend dropped in to my office for a chat last week, having cut short a planned longer visit to Mexico because of a health issue in his friend’s family. While staying in his friend’s small house in a not very touristy village, they slow down their otherwise busy lives, cycling everywhere, buying huge bags of oranges so they can make fresh juice each morning, wandering over to cantinas for dinner. It is all very civilized, from what I can gather. But it got more so when he launched into another story. They were cycling past a recreation area, where several soccer fields are always hives of activity. A ball came flying over the fence from one of the games and my friend, once an avid player, jumped off his bike to retrieve the ball and kick it back to the field. Then he was back on his bike and off they rode. Until they realized a few of the kids were chasing them down to ask him to join in their game. There were only five players — nine to 11 years old — and they needed a sixth to play on the small paved field. Startled at the invitation, he nonetheless accepted. He took off his sandals and for two hours joined his barefoot compadres in a spirited game. The kids were good players, he said, and some worked especially hard at challenging their new 60-ish buddy in one-on-one confrontations. They don’t like to pass, he said, laughing. My friend admitted he was in pain for the next couple of days, especially the soles of his feet, which were rubbed raw by the hard surface. But as the game went on, parents gathered to watch this older guy competing with their kids, and his presence brought a lot of intention. His friend, meanwhile, headed off to a nearby store to buy post-game

treats for the youngsters. The game was played with a badly scuffed ball that sported a bulge on one side. When he got back to Canada he fulfilled a promise to himself and headed to a sporting goods store, where

Lorne Eckersley he bought some soccer balls. They will be gifts to the neighborhood kids on their next trip. I can’t explain what a great experience that was, he said. Magic, I said. Yes, he agreed. Magic. It is exactly those sort of moments, I think, that many of us quietly hope for when we travel. Another friend recently reported that she had completed a swim of more than a mile on her Hawaiian vacation. She had long dreamed in making the lengthy crossing, but probably wouldn’t have attempted it, except that an older male who she knew was once an accomplished swimmer, joined her in the water and encouraged her the entire way. Because he made her feel safe, she was able to achieve her goal, she said. In another recent conversation, a couple of friends spoke of cycling into the nearby mountains from their Arizona condo, seeing the landscape from a much different perspective than one gets from behind a windshield. They also take joy in riding to various arts and culture venues. From my perspective, that is much more meaningful than

spending half the day on the golf course and much of the next half at the nineteenth hole. We have had a few winter vacations to Mexico and thoroughly enjoyed them. But I am much happier wandering around the Old Town section of Puerto Vallarta than I am lying on a beach and sucking back bottles of Corona by the pailful. And happier still hopping onto a rickety bus and heading south to lesser known beaches, and further away from the gated all-inclusive resorts that draw visitors by the thousands, many of whom rarely venture outside the fenced areas. Our winter getaway this year will be to New Orleans, a city I have longed to visit for much of my life. We could have chosen to go during Mardi Gras, but I don’t really like crowds and chaos, so we will visit after the madness has died down. I want to experience the local jazz and blues music scene, see some of the historical sites and dine on the southern cuisine that so well matches my own taste preferences. Bring on the oyster po’ boys. Mostly, I want to witness firsthand the culture that has helped the city survive in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and an emergency response that made it clear that the U.S. government would have been just as happy to relegate the city, or at least its less affluent sectors, to the history books. Like our recent vacations to New York and Europe, where we had stays in London, Paris and Barcelona, I want to take the time to wander without aim, to just soak in the culture that I have learned about from books and movies. And I hope I am as open to the experiences offered as my friend was when he joined in that kids’ soccer game. Lorne Eckersley is the publisher of the Creston Valley Advance.

Creston Valley Advance Thursday, February 12, 2015

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Listen to mountains and rivers

Long before Buddhism came to China, Taoists realized the power, depth and profundity of mountains and rivers. They recognized that the two are interdependent. Mountains create rivers, and glaciers create mountains. In fact, in the Chinese

A Zen'sEye View Kuya Minague language, “mountains and rivers” is often used as the word for nature. For ancient Taoists, there is a deep sanity that transcends human thought in the mountains and rivers. For this reason, Taoist monks often left the constant fighting of civilization and followed the path of the clouds. Here they found tender benevolence and a logic that transcends human suffering. Something deep in us resonates with that. There is something like nature in our human hearts, and we know that we need nature to be whole. Many people have

told me that they find spiritual truth while in nature. This has been the case through many cultures, religions and times. Moses communed with the God of his understanding on a mountain; Rumi, the Sufi poet, praised the wildness of mountains and rivers. In our own time, the back to the land movement of the sixties took adults out of the cities and into the Kootenays to try to live closer to nature. In Creston today, we have the young agrarian movement learning to rely on the earth for truth and sustenance. All of these activities reflect the idea that life in nature transcends life in the city. For Dogen, the 13th century Zen master who founded Soto Zen Buddhism, this transcendence is evoked in mountains and rivers. Mountains are eternal. The Selkirks have been here for millions of years. They never seem to move. They are constant. Water, on the other hand is always moving. In Buddhist teachings, mountains often represent form, and water represents emptiness. Water has no permanent form. It can be a lake, a cloud or an ocean. When Dogen chose the title for the essay we are examining in this column, “Mountains and Rivers Sutra”, he was probably thinking of a famous poem by

the Song dynasty poet, Sudong Bo, a monk who lived in a mountain hermitage. In an experience of true transcendence, Sudong Bo stayed up all night meditating. In the morning he wrote: “The sound of the stream is his long broad tongue/ The Mountain his immaculate body / All night long I hear wisdom verses/ how could I ever explain this in the morning?” Sudong Bo is saying that the sound of the stream is the true Buddha’s speech for which language is a crude container. For Sudong Bo, the body of Buddha is not the body of the historical Buddha who lived in 500 BC. For Sudong Bo, and for Dogen, mountains and rivers are the body and tongue of Buddha. The essay, “San Sui Kyo”, is Dogen’s attempt to translate the profound teachings of the mountains and rivers into words. Suggested practice: Take some time this week to listen the sounds of mountains and rivers. What are they teaching? Kuya Minogue is the resident teacher at Sakura-ji, Creston’s zendo. This column is part of a long essay on an essay by 13th century Zen master Eihei Dogen and is inspired by the teaching of Norman Fishcher. For more information, Minogue can be reached at 250-428-6500.

Time to end double standard

Walking down the halls of my school, you will pass lockers with the word slut scratched sloppily into the paint. In the girls’ bathrooms, you’ll see “So-and-so is a skank” and, chances are, you’ll later hear the words slut or whore spat from the

The Teen Take LoRae Blackmore mouths of young teens or used as casual commentary on anything deemed “whoreish”. All these things are almost guaranteed because the idea of the sinful promiscuous slut is engrained into not only high school culture, but the whole of popular society. So what is this whole concept? Ask a young girl what a slut is, and she’ll likely say things like, “A woman that sleeps with a lot of different guys” or “A woman that shows a lot of skin” or even “A girl that flirts or leads guys on.” As girls, it’s clear from a very young age that we must walk a fine line in order to not be a slut, and it is our duty to enforce this crazy double standard, so that every woman is rightfully shamed should she display the signs of being a slut. The exact definition of a slut is very cloudy. There is no solid, clear, identifying trait of a slut. Instead, there is a myriad of impossible criteria and contradicting qualities a woman must follow to escape the label of a slut. And escaping this label is the No. 1 goal of many young girls today. Along with, of course, being sexy and desirable. As you can imagine, this mould is simply impossible to fit. Sadly, this preposterous concept seeps its way into the major issue of rape and sexual assault. In most cases (according to SexAssault.ca, based on Canadian research, 94 out of every 100), rape goes unreported. Young girls are often afraid to report their assault because they fear being blamed. Why would a victim of rape fear being blamed? Maybe she was drunk. Maybe she was wearing a short skirt. Maybe she had “led him on” and decided she didn’t want to go through with it at the

last minute. And sadly, this concern is valid, and all these reasons have been and continue to be determining factors in whether or not a rapist walks free. The Rape, Incest, and Abuse National Network has found, based on American and national research, that “only three out of every 100 rapists will ever spend even a single day in prison. … The other 97 will walk free, facing no consequences for the violent felony they have committed.” People are quick to blame the woman because of the deep-rooted idea that women are temptresses and men are helpless, sex-driven creatures, which, of course, is not true. There is a message to women that sexy is both the best and worst thing we can be. It is common knowledge to women that we must be beautiful and sexy, but that female sexuality is a sin. With this confusing double standard, many rape victims are left with the shame and self-hatred that should rightfully be on the shoulders of rapists themselves. “Well, men get raped, too.” This argument is often used against people who advocate for the eradication of victim blaming. This fact is obvious. And although male rape is less common (over 80 per cent of sex crime victims are women, as stated by SexAssault.ca), it is equally important. However, the assault of males is most often not tied to a slut complex that leads to the blame of the victim. While females are shamed and punished for expressing/acting upon their sexualities, men are congratulated. While a woman showing skin is seen as provocative or a sign of low morals, males showing skin goes almost unnoticed. In the media, men are portrayed as stupid creatures who simply cannot help themselves, while women are the sexy pieces of meat that tempt them. In high school, a male virgin will be teased, criticized and disapproved of while a female virgin will be praised and admired for keeping herself pure and chaste. On the other end of the scale, a male who is very sexually active is congratulated, while a very sexually active female will be put down. Here is an example of this harmful double standard that occurs in high school hallways: Many guys have a system of keeping score of all their sexual conquests. They refer to each new girl

they sleep with as a “notch”, and the more notches the better. This system may also be used among girls, although less common, but the difference is that for girls, the less notches the better. The difference is, that girls are filled with shame, and boys with pride. The disapproving stares and harsh whispers and skewed perceptions of morality do not stop beyond high school hallways. The sloppy scrawl in chipped paint and viscous graffiti on bathroom walls doesn’t fade away as we get older. The slut shame is everywhere. In strip clubs, where the girls on the poles are judged more harshly than the men throwing money at them. Behind some church pulpits, where girls are damned for losing their sacred virginity — because that is all that defined them. In “funny” videos floating around social media that shame female sexual behaviour and trivialize sexual assault. In child pageants that sexualize young girls, and later in the school administrators and teachers that shame them for dressing sexually. The ideal of a sexy, modest, perfect woman who expresses no sign of sexuality yet acts and looks sexy is ridiculous and impossible to fit. Even more ridiculous is the logic that girls deserve to be sexually assaulted because they acted or dressed in a sexual way. This issue affects females much more than it does males, as male sexuality is accepted and OK, while female sexuality is demonized and stigmatized. Slut shaming is a problem that is detrimental to the freedom and self-government of women, and, therefore, the equality of men and women. Women should not be shamed or viewed as inferior human beings based on the clothes they wear or the amount of sexual partners they have. We as a society will never advance in basic human equality if we hold onto these unreasonable ideals of what women should and should not be in order to be treated equally to and with the same respect as men. We need to abandon the word slut and every bit of hateful, unreasonable, damaging garbage that it stands for. LoRae Blackmore is in Grade 12 at Prince Charles Secondary School. The Teen Take is a column co-ordinated by Creston’s Teen Action Committee.

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Wish to apply for project funding? The Regional District of Central Kootenay is now accepting project proposals for CIP/AAP funding from non-profit organizations, societies, and groups throughout the RDCK. ADMINISTERED & MANAGED BY

Judy Madelung Grants Clerk jmadelung@rdck.bc.ca 250.352.8170 Box 590, 202 Lakeside Drive Nelson, BC V1L 5R4

Application forms and guidelines are available: • RDCK office, Nelson • Municipal and Village offices • Electoral Area Directors • Online at: rdck.ca/cip-aap or cbt.org/cipaap. Apply by 4:30pm, Monday, March 2, 2015. Applicants are required to present their proposal at public meetings during April 2015. A PROGRAM OF

cbt.org/cipaap

8 www.crestonvalleyadvance.ca

What’s New For Your Tax Return? New Credits Should Mean Bigger Refunds For Families • New Family Tax Cut: The Family Tax Cut provides a tax credit to families with children under 18 equal to the tax savings that would be realized if up to $50,000 of taxable income were transferred from the higher income to the lower income spouse or common-law

your FiNaNces

Thursday, February 12, 2015 Creston Valley Advance

partner. The maximum credit is capped at $2,000.

• Pumped up Children’s Fitness Tax Credit: If your children are active, the government increased the Children’s Fitness Tax Credit to $1,000 and made it retroactive for 2014. Parents should claim the receipts in the year they paid – not the year the activity takes place. • More Universal Child Care Benefit: Though the UCCB does not show up in your tax refund, parents with children under 18 will start to see an increased benefit in July 2015. For children under six, the monthly amount will be $160 (up from $100) and for children between six and 18, it will be $60 a month. The increase for January to June will be paid in a lump sum in July 2015. And then parents can expect the increased amounts to arrive monthly after that. If you haven’t applied for the Canada Child Tax Benefit, use Form RC66. • Remember the First-Time Donor Super Credit: Much like the name implies, if you were a first-time donor in 2014, you will get some extra credit for your donation. Originally introduced last year, when we asked Canadians on a Leger survey if they were aware of the credit, 72 per cent said no. • New search and rescue credit: Meant to complement the volunteer firefighterscredit, search and rescue volunteers who put in 200 hours or more of work can claim a personal amount of $3,000, which means $450 tax savings. Submitted by H&R Block

You Want To Claim What?

Unbelievable Canadian Tax Deductions

Over the years, some creative Canadians have come up with some surprising arguments to justify tax deductions. Even more surprising is that some of these unusual deductions were accepted. Here are some Canadian examples of what worked and what didn’t: ACCEPTED • Additional food needed by couriers: The Federal Court of Appeal ruled that the additional food required by a foot and transit courier because of the extra energy he expended could be claimed as a business expense. Scott v. The Queen, 98 D.T.C. 6530 • Spousal amount for widows: If a widow remarries immediately after her husband dies, both the deceased husband and her new husband can claim a spousal amount for her. CRA Views 2003-0050255 • Cat and dog food: While you can’t usually claim pet food, a farmer was allowed to claim cat and dog food because they were outdoor pets that were acquired to keep wildlife away from their blueberries. Zeitz v. The Queen [2002] 4 C.T.C. 2292 • Golf is not an employment expense if you hate it: A Canadian executive successfully argued that the golf membership paid by his company was not a taxable benefit because he hated When it comes to your nest egg, there are many options and many playing golf. Rachfalowski v. The financial decisions that have to be made. This may be confusing. Queen [2008] TCC 258 We will set things straight to fit your financial needs. • Diamonds are a girl’s best friend: A stripper was allowed to keep nearly $2 Affordable Accounting Solutions million in gifts from a happy customer Tax Planning & Consulting• Bookkeeping • Payroll Processing despite the fact that Personal Tax Return Preparation • Year End and Corporate Tax Return Preparation the CRA tried to argue they were income. The Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm Tax Court ruled that they were indeed gifts. Landry v. The Queen [2009] TCC 399 • Gambling with no plan: The CRA tried to argue that two In the same building as Creative Fix - across from the Fire Hall brothers in Quebec were operating a 250-402-6277 denne@denneahlefeldcga.ca business by playing

What came ﬁrst?

Reminder: RRSP deadline is March 2, 2015

Denné Ahlefeld, CGA 137 - 10 Ave North, Creston

Pro-line Sports Lottery regularly. A judge ruled that the brothers had no discernable plan or system for placing their bets and had won the money by luck so it was not considered income. Leblanc v. The Queen [2006] TCC 680 REJECTED • Haircuts: Even if your job requires you to be well-groomed and get a haircut every two weeks, the cost of the cut is not deductible against your employment income. Rouillard v. The Queen [2000] 4 C.T.C. 2065 • Seized marijuana- Marijuana that was seized by law-enforcement authorities cannot be treated as a “loss of inventory” deductible against the taxpayer’s income from illegal drug trafficking. Neeb v. The Queen 97 D.T.C. 895 • Gambling as a business: A lawyer turned professional gambler had more than $100,000 in losses disallowed as a business expense because he could not prove he had an actual business plan. Cohen v. The Queen [2011] TCC 262 • Ballet lessons: While the cost of your child’s ballet lessons does qualify for The Children’s Arts Credit, it cannot be claimed as a child care expense. Levine v. The Queen [1996] 2 C.T.C. 2147 • Lost footballs: The cost charged to a professional football player for balls he threw into the stands cannot be claimed as an expense against his employment income. Ellis v. The Queen [1998] 4 C.T.C. 2373 • Income Tax Act incomprehensible: Arguing that the Income Tax Act is difficult to understand is not a valid defense when charged with failing to file income tax returns. R. v. Meikle [2003] 4 C.T.C. 294 Submitted by H&R Block

Creston Valley Advance Thursday, February 12, 2015

www.crestonvalleyadvance.ca 9

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