Creston Valley Advance, February 25, 2016 by Black Press Media Group

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BY LORNE ECKERSLEY Advance Staff Four members of the Creston Judo Club are Penticton bound to compete in the BC Winter Games, which run today through Sunday. Brae Booth, Kyle Qualtieri, Kaeden Rendek and Joseph Albert will be part of an 11-member Kootenay judo team that includes athletes from Invermere and Fernie. Male and female Winter Games participants in judo must be 14-16 years of age. Brae Booth, 14, will fight in the U-16 under 70-kilogram female

class. Only three weeks ago she brought home a silver medal from the B.C. championships in Kamloops. Booth has been a judo enthusiast for six years, starting out “because I needed a sport” in Prince George. She continued with the sport until her family moved to Creston and is at the Creston dojo three times a week, going to tournaments whenever she gets the chance. Kyle Qualtieri, 14, said on Monday evening at the dojo that he developed a passion for the sport soon after he took it up eight years ago.

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“And it’s something to do after school,” he smiled. Qualtieri heads into the Winter Games as a B.C. champion, having won gold in his U-15 under 66-kilogram age and weight class in Kamloops. That victory followed up a silver medal in the Saskatchewan provincial championships earlier. Kaeden Rendek, 15, is the only Creston judoka making a return to the Winter Games. In Mission two years ago, he won a gold medal in his U-16 under 46-kilogram class.

With 300 regular attendees, averaging about 210, each Sunday, the Erickson Covenant Church congregation has been finding space rather tight. But starting March 6, there will be a bit more breathing room, when the church begins offering two services, at 9:15 and 11:15 a.m., spreading out the members and allowing the recent increase to continue. “It’s kind of like a family that kept growing and their house was never expanded,” said pastor Tom Greentree, who has been with the church for nearly five years. “Everyone sees the need, everyone feels the need,” added Jo-Ann Ewing, the children and family ministry pastor.

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Thursday, February 25, 2016 Creston Valley Advance

LOCAL NEWS

Lorne Eckersley

Creston Judo Club members Brae Booth, Joseph Albert, sensei Ben Reinhardt, Kaeden Rendek and Kyle Qualtieri are attending the BC Winter Games in Penticton this week.

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Judo club FROM PAGE 1

Encouraged by his dad, Rendek took up the sport as a six-year-old and has had remarkable success as a member of the Creston Judo Club. Around his neck he wears gold medals from the recent B.C. and Saskatchewan championships where he competed in the U-18 55-kilogram class. Joseph Albert, 14, has been a judo practitioner for 11 years, having been introduced to the dojo at an early age by his dad, who is an instructor, or sensei, with the club. Albert brought home a bronze medal from the

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B.C. championships. The four athletes will be wearing the yellow sweaters of the Kootenays (Zone 1) when they march in the BC Winter Games opening ceremonies this week. It takes a village to raise a child, and a support from volunteers and parents to keep a dojo in operation. Senior sensei Ben Reinhardt sets an example of dedication and enthusiasm for his students, driving up from Bonners Ferry three times a week to teach and coach. Reinhardt, 53, who is head male coach for the Kootenay contingent in the Winter Games, got his start in judo in 1980 at the YMCA Judo Club in his hometown of Wichita Falls, Texas. His stepfather had

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been a judoka and “I wanted to do martial arts,” he said. Only brief breaks for school and work duties, and the occasional injury, have interrupted his participation in judo since he first started. He fought in competitions until four years ago, when a shoulder injury ended that part of the sport for him. Reinhardt learned about the Creston Judo Club when he moved to Bonners Ferry — where he works as a court bailiff — in 2004. “I’ve been coming up to Creston pretty much since 2005, three times a week,” he said. “It took lots of volunteers to help me over my career and for me, it’s a pay it back, pay it forward thing. “I’m really happy for these men and women to be part of the BC Winter Games. They put in time, money, blood, sweat and tears, and so do their parents. It’s a big commitment to get to training camps and tournaments around the country.” Rendek’s father, Terry, says his son puts in 18-20 hours a week, including practice and weight and cardio training. The Creston Judo Club has experienced success, and one of the female members is also making her mark. Shianne Gronen, 17, also won gold at the B.C. championships in the U-21 under 78-kilogram class. The Grade 12 Prince Charles Secondary School student is too old to participate in the Winter Games. Surprisingly, Gronen only took up judo 14 months ago. “I stopped playing volleyball and wanted to try another sport,” she said. “I knew Leelen (Samuelson, a longtime dojo member and now instructor) but didn’t know much about the sport.” What does she like about judo? “Everything!” She smiles as she talks about physical effort and competition, travel. “But mostly it’s the connection with the people in the club — the senseis and coaches, everyone. And I love teaching the little guys!” Gronen plans to include judo in her life after she graduates next year. As club president, Terry Rendek credits the Creston Valley community for their continued support of youth activities. A gala dinner fundraiser two weeks ago drew 180 people. “We had $10,000 worth of items donated by business for our silent auction,” he said. “This community is a fantastic example of why we choose to live in a small town.” Readers can follow the Creston contingent’s success this week at www.bcgames.org; hover over “Participants”, then click on “Results and Participants.”

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Creston Valley Advance Thursday, February 25, 2016

Local News

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Overwaitea donors help kids’ health needs BY LORNE ECKESLEY Advance Staff

Those invitations that Overwaitea Foods customers get to donate a few cents or couple of dollars to raise funds for children’s hospitals have an enormous impact on the families of children who need specialized medical care. “Fifteen families from the Creston Valley had kids who were treated in children’s hospitals in 2014 alone,” said Overwaitea’s Ellen Tzakis. She leads the Creston store’s promotion efforts, which include asking customers if they want to “round up” their grocery bill to the next highest dollar, or put their name on a Valentine card for a minimum $2 donation. In 2015 the Creston store raised $8,700 through the various promotions, and the Overwaitea Food Group donated a total of nearly $3 million to children’s hospitals, including Calgary and Vancouver, where Creston Valley children go for care. “And (owner) Jimmy Pattison matches a lot of the donations, so it really has a huge impact on those hospitals, and on our local families,” Tzakis said. In February, Overwaitea walls are red and white with the hundreds of signed cards from donors. And this year Tzakis has added a special feature — printouts of some of the families’ stories. “I think it is important that our customers get a genuine sense of how much their donations, however small, mean to families who might be their friends and neighbours,” she said. “So I asked them to write their stories to share on our display.” Tzakis is no stranger to the value of children’s hospitals. Her baby, who is now about to become a mother herself, had a blocked tear duct. Each morning Ellen or her husband, Ken, would have to wash her left eye so Kayla could open it. Massage and cream therapy didn’t work, and eventually surgery at a children’s hospital was required to cure the condition. Many of the stories involve diagnoses of life-threatening diseases, including cancer, but accidents can also lead to a child’s need for treatment at a children’s hospital. “Our son, Cameron Holder, was involved in a serious car

coloured hospital will always be known to us as our safe house, a building that made our family feel comfortable and hopeful.” At the age of two, when Garrett Sorenson was diagnosed with Stage 3 high-risk neuroblastoma (a disease in which malignant cancer cells form in nerve tissue), the Sorenson family was destined for long stays at the children’s hospital in Calgary. The Sorensons express their gratitude for the knowledge, compassionate nature and honesty they found in oncology unit. “We felt confident in his treatment,” they wrote. “When we were admitted for Garrett’s course of treatment to Unit 1, we were not allowed to leave our room for the duration of the treatment; some of the medications run over 96 hours and limits activity for Garrett. The staff would bring toys and organize games such as bingo so that all the children are able to participate… We are grateful. At present time Garrett is ‘cancer free.’ ” The displays go on, and tell only some of the stories of local families affected by childhood disease and injury. Unsaid is that not all stories have happy endings, but that treatment in children’s hospitals often gives sick kids the best chance they have to live a long and healthy life. “We have a number of events lined up for the next few months, and we hope this display helps our valued customers understand why our store’s employees, and the entire Overwaitea Food Group, are so passionate about fund-raising for children’s hospitals,” Tzakis said. “We are grateful to all those who support our cause.” Overwaitea is also now selling tickets for the huge BC Children’s Hospital Choices Lottery, in which winners will share in more than 3,100 prizes worth over $3.8 million. The seven grand prizes include a $2.1 million cash award.

accident in 1995. He was travelling with friends to a hockey tournament in Kimberley when the accident occurred. Cam was seven years old at the time,” his parents wrote. “With serious injuries, Cam was air lifted to Calgary Children’s Hospital where he received excellent care during his two week stay. The doctors and staff were fantastic and they communicated with us every step of the way during his recovery. The hospital environment was always positive and as Cam’s condition improved, the nurses provided entertainment and games to help with his recovery. When it was time to leave Children’s Hospital, he asked if he could come back one day because ‘he liked it there.’ ”

“I think it is important that our customers get a genuine sense of how much their donations, however small, mean to families who might be their friends and neighbours.” Ellen Tzakis Overwaitea Foods

In 2010, with the diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia for two-year old Chloe Davidson, the lives of her family were turned upside down. Chloe developed severe bruising and she was soon on her way to Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary. “Chloe received hemoglobin and platelets almost every day for the first week,” her parents wrote. “We settled into our new routine for the next two and a half years. The Children’s Hospital became our second home. The doctors and nurses are incredible, making Chloe feel comfortable and safe in a world that she had no control over. “Chloe has since gone into remission and check-ups have dwindled down to once a year. Although we go back to Children’s Hospital rarely now compared to before, Chloe still looks forward to seeing Rav, her favourite nurse, and Dr. Lucie, her favourite oncologist. The

Ellen Tzakis, who leads Creston Overwaitea fundraising events for children’s hospitals, at her frontof-store display acknowledging local families who have benefited from the medical services. With her is assistant manager Andrew McIntosh, who has been with Overwaitea for 25 years and recently arrived from Kitimat. Lorne Eckersley

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LOCAL NEWS

Thursday, February 25, 2016 Creston Valley Advance

Calls include domestic dispute, jerry can theft BY LORNE ECKERSLEY Advance Staff

Creston RCMP responded to 74 calls for service from Feb. 15-21, Staff Sgt. Darryl Hammond said on Monday. February 15 •A vehicle caught on fire on Cory Road but there were no injuries. •A barbecue found in a Pine Street alley is believed to be trash that was dumped. •Charges are pending following a domestic dispute on Cook Street.

•A group mailbox near the Kootenay Bay ferry landing was damaged on Feb. 11, repaired soon after, and then damaged again on Feb. 15. •The owner of a business vehicle reported to be driving erratically on Highway 3A near Wynndel has been notified. •A complaint about a possibly fraudulent Internet sales site in Calgary was determined to likely be legitimate. •Police were called with regard to a family dispute over finances in East Arrow Creek.

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Creston Council 5299 thanks all local participants

DISTRICT SCHOOLS & FACILITIES PLANNING MEETINGS  February 24 Central School Gym, Nelson  February 25 PCSS Auditorium, Creston  February 29 J.V. Humphries School, Lighthouse  March 1 Salmo Secondary School  March 2 Mount Sentinel School Meetings will be held from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. (local time)

Crawford Bay residents are welcome to attend in Kaslo or Creston

Picking up on the Facilities Plan process from Nov/Dec 2014, please join SD8 in your community for a presentation of the scenario scoring and follow up Q&A, as we move toward a draft facilities plan in early May. See how your suggestions scored using the Board’s weighted criteria. For more information contact: Kim Morris, Secretary Treasurer ‐ 250‐505‐7039 or facilities@sd8.bc.ca or http://www.sd8.bc.ca/?p=3507

•The ongoing problem of a loud, high-pitched noise in the 6000 block of Highway 3 has not been resolved. •A tree was reported to be blocking Highway 3. •When police received a report of an eastbound prohibited driver the case was referred to Cranbrook RCMP, who stopped the vehicle and are investigating. February 19 •A male visited the police detachment to assist with an investigation by Nanton RCMP. •Police attended a collision involving two vehicles and a pedestrian in a Cook Street parking lot. •A neighbours’ dispute was reported in Kitchener. •A reported missing purse in Canyon was located in the owner’s home. •An elderly driver moving slowly and weaving was reported on Highway 3 in Yahk. •Information about a suspicious person was called in from Canyon Street at 14th Avenue. •An injury resulting from a broken window was reported on Simon Road. February 20 •Numerous items were stolen from two vehicles and a garage in Erickson, including binoculars, a GPS, hunting knife, beer and pickled eggs and sausage. •A theft from a vehicle in a 20th Creston Valley Hospice Society Avenue South driveway was reported. •Tools valued at Trained Volunteers about $1,000 were stoprovide free compassionate and len from a garage on emotional support to terminally ill Canyon Street in the patients in home, hospital, or care last 40 days. facility. We also visit the •An erratic semi driver was stopped on chronically ill and shut-ins. Highway 3 at Canyon Street, where he told Volunteers Needed police he was tired after waiting for the 250.428.7575 highway to reopen following an avalanche control operaEmployment Opportunity tion. He was found to have an unmaintained Labourer (Temporary Term Position) logbook and charged Public Works Department accordingly. February 21 •When police The Town is accepting applications for the position of Labourer (Temporary Term Position) with the Engineering & Public Works Department. Reporting to the Works Superintendent, the person stopped a vehicle that filling this position will perform various labour intensive tasks under general supervision. The had rolled through a work involves general maintenance of parks and cemeteries, including other Works Department stop sign on Dogwood labour functions as required. Street at 20th Avenue South the driver was This position requires teamwork and commitment to provide the highest level of service to our found to have conWorks Department customers. sumed an excess of Essential Qualifications: alcohol and issued a • Equivalent to secondary school education. 90-day driving prohi• Valid British Columbia Driver’s Licence - Class 5. bition. The vehicle • Municipal works experience. was impounded for • General understanding of the use of a variety of tools and equipment, including 30 days. mowers, weed eaters and single-axle truck not exceeding a GVW of 10,500 kg. • Be physically fit and able to perform labour intensive work. •A person sustained a minor dog This is a temporary full-time (40 hours per week) Union - term position, with a bite injury on Elm starting wage of $27.23 per hour, plus ten (10%) percent of gross pay in lieu of Street, and a dispute benefits and vacation, as per the current collective agreement. The term of this with the dog’s owner position shall be from March 8, 2016 to December 31, 2016 or earlier. A full job ensued. description is available upon request. •A cellphone found Detailed applications containing resume and references to be submitted no later than in the 3900 block of 2:30 pm, Friday, March 4, 2016 to: Highway 3 was “Labourer - Temporary” returned to its owner. Town of Creston •A suspicious male PO Box 1339 reported in Yahk was Creston, BC - V0B 1G0 determined to be living in his car while Fax: 250.428.9164 • Email: bev.caldwell@creston.ca Only those applicants being considered for an interview will be contacted. looking for work and a place to stay.

February 16 •A vehicle was reported to be doing burnouts on the Crawford Bay Community Hall field. •No problems were found during a checkstop of vehicles in Crawford Bay. •Two vehicles went off Highway 3 on an icy curve near Goatfell. •The theft of about $40 worth of gas in a jerry can was reported on Birch Street. •A letter to the owner has been sent after a vehicle was reported to be passing on a double solid line on Highway 3A near Duck Creek Road. •A vehicle with a loud exhaust was reported on Highway 21 at Canyon Street. •An abandoned vehicle with an expired licence plate was reported on Cook Street. •An 85-year-old male died suddenly in his Kuskonook home of apparent natural causes. February 17 •A vehicle struck a pail of oil in the 4000 block of Highway 3, sustaining $3,000 in damages and spreading oil over he road. •Keys and ID were stolen from a vehicle on Erickson Road. •A wallet found on 36th Avenue North was returned to the owner. •A vehicle that raced

through the Kingsgate border was eventually stopped by Cranbrook RCMP. The incident involving a Spokane driver is being investigated by the RCMP and Canadian Border Services Agency. •Charges are pending in a single vehicle crash on Eighth Avenue South. The driver was injured and driving the vehicle with permission of its owner. •The owner of a vehicle has been warned, and denied that a child was seen riding on a passengers lap on Northwest Boulevard. •Vehicle occupants were injured in a collision with a deer on Highway 21. •Creston police were asked by Saskatchewan RCMP to deliver news of a death to next of kin. February 18 •A 911 call from Regina Street was made as a result of a pocket dial. •A shotgun was turned in for disposal from a Wilmot Road residence. •When police saw males acting suspiciously on 11th Avenue North, they stopped them and determined one had a warrant out for his arrest. •A break-in to a Yahk residence last week netted thieves a variety of items, including frozen food and two firearms. The investigation continues.

Creston Valley Advance Thursday, February 25, 2016

Community members appreciated To the Editor: Each morning when I drive to Rick’s Iron Kettle, I thank the Lord for the mountains, the snow, the sky and the clouds, the trees, the flats, the water and the beauty of it all. I thank the Lord for the good people of Creston. I am finding there are many. Like the day that I went to the hospital lab and realized I wasn’t supposed to

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take my pills before the blood test. They didn’t give me heck. They said, “Come in tomorrow early and we will take you first and get your tests down so your doctor gets the results on time.” I did, and they did and it worked out fine. Isn’t that nice? A few days later, I went to Town Hall for a dog tag. I was a little winded after going up all those steps and I leaned against the counter. The girls quickly got two firemen to check out my vital signs, and the clerks were also very concerned. They even offered to walk me back down the steps. Isn’t that nice? From there, I went to Extra Foods, still a little shaky. I leaned against a post there and a cashier named Jen quickly came over, sat me down on a chair, did my shopping for me and called my granddaughter to pick me up. Isn’t that nice?

A week later, at 3:30 a.m., I called 911 and five attendants quickly came with the ambulance, professionally checked me over, put me on a stretcher and took me to the emergency room, where a doctor and nurses were waiting. They quickly started to treat me. I told them my big concern was my pup I had left home alone, so one of the nurses made some calls and connected with my son, who went and picked up my dog. They were all very considerate. While in the hospital, all of the nurses and doctors were especially good and thorough, and I appreciated all the good treatment. I am lucky to have great neighbours, a great church family and relatives that help me all the time. God bless you all! Ernie Todd Creston

station playing in the background and outside the birds were beginning to chirp. While the colours are drab and the fog rolls around the hillsides in the mornings this time of year, it is still a pretty wonderful place to live! Earlier in the week, I had cleaned all the leftover plant debris from my halfacre asparagus patch. Besides getting out in the sun for some fresh air and exercise, this removes any overwintering pests and disease from the garden area. Just as I bleach the floors and tables in the greenhouses, some farmers even spray bleach through their orchards in the off-season. In the old days of greenhouse production, a 10 per cent bleach dip was given to geranium cuttings before they were placed in trays to grow roots. Actually, in any modern production greenhouse or wholesale nursery you are required to disinfect your feet before entry to the facility. When you drive

into a Clean Plants certified nursery you will be required to stop at the office and sign in. The wheels on your truck will be sprayed with disinfectant too, and they will want to know what other farms you have been to recently. This kind of certification helps these companies to sell and even export their nursery stock with confidence they aren’t spreading around any soil-borne diseases. It is part of your guarantee that they take their business very seriously and offer a quality product. While it would be impossible to do this in a retail nursery with all the customers coming and going, if you want to grow and sell wholesale this is the way to go — fencing, signage, closed circuit TV and disinfectant. I digress, but the point is to start your greenhouse or garden off on the right foot for fewer nasty surprises later. Hopefully none at all! Evan Davies owns Beltane Nursery at 2915 Highway 3 in Erickson.

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Rainbow Dance Theatre iLumiDance

Cleaning part of nursery business

I am sitting in the comfort of my sunroom having a coffee. It is 10:10 a.m. I have four articles half written placed in front of me. I am just back from the greenhouse’s potting table room and this morning’s work, filling seedling trays. Which article to finish... before the deadline.

Nursery Notes Evan Davies I enjoy digging my hands into the seedling mix. It’s nice and light. There’s no “dirt” in it. It is clean and sterile. Once the trays are filled, I lightly water them in for later use. The tops of the trays should be dry before seeding. I had the new radio

Lives are bigger than problems

For the last year, this column has been attempting to explicate an essay called, “Mountains and Rivers Sutra” written in 13th century Japan by a Zen master named Eihei Dogen. In this essay, Dogen offers an expanded view

A Zen'sEye View Kuya Minague of what it means to be alive. He says, “You don’t understand that mountains are like flowing water because you are drowning in small views and narrow understanding.” He is talking about us. He is saying that when we have that sinking feeling that we are drowning it is because we are hemmed in by the limited way in which we view our lives. He goes on, “Yet, no matter how we feel about our lives, mountains will always manifest their own life force.” In other words, even though we are stuck

in our small views and limited understanding, the mountains are fine. Unlike us, they aren’t yelling and saying, “Hey wait a minute. That’s not right. We are flowing. What’s the matter with you? You are not giving us credit.” We humans insist that others see us the way we want them to see us. But mountains are not like that. They don’t care how others see them. They just continue to manifest their form and life force. Of course, this is also true of us. Even as we protest and complain, we too are manifesting our life force. No matter how much we complain about our health, the cost of food or the inconsiderate actions of others, the miracle of living goes on regardless of what we think about it. Awareness of this simple truth is the secret to how we can bear our own and our friends’ suffering. Even if we don’t understand why we suffer, we can know that life goes on no matter what, doing what it needs to do. We can rest in the certainty that life is always life, and it always goes forward without concern about how we want our own situation to be. Dogen continues, “There is walking, there is flowing and there is a moment when a mountain gives birth to a moun-

tain child.” This is beautiful! What is he talking about? He is reminding us that even though life continues to vacillate between joy and sorrow, every now and then something happens and we have a moment of transformation, a moment, if you will, of enlightenment. Diligent effort in Zen practice will transform our lives, so that every now and then we will have a moment when we experience total awakening. Even though transformation is constant when we practice, even though life itself is change, sometimes a surprising birth occurs and “a mountain gives birth to a mountain child.” Suggested practice: On those days when you feel overwhelmed by life’s difficulties, let go of worrying about your problems and remember that when we are immersed in our own suffering, we have taken a narrow view with limited understanding. Our lives are bigger than our problems. 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 Fischer. For more information, Minogue can be reached at 250-428-6500, and previous columns are available at www.zenwords.net.

UOTE OF THE WEEK “We

Story on page 1

don’t want to hang out a ‘no vacancy’ sign.” — Tom Greentree

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Sunday, February 28, 2016 • 2:00 pm Prince Charles Theatre, Creston BC

Tickets available at Kingfisher Books • Creative Fix • Black Bear Books Adults $22 ($25 at the door) • Students $10 ($12 at the door) www.crestonconcertsociety.ca With the support of the Creston and District Credit Union and the Government of Canada, Department of Canadian Heritage

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Thursday, February 25, 2016 Creston Valley Advance

OPINION LINE

The feeding frenzy

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“We like the zoo because we’re animals, too.” That catchy little ditty was playing on CBC Radio as I drove home for lunch the other day, and I thought it was a strange coincidence because at the same time I was composing — in my head, as always — this week’s column. My theme was easy — not my monkeys, not my zoo. It is the phrase I use to calm myself with each time I read about the lunacy that passes for the U.S. presidential race. Say what you like about Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, neither of whom are likely to restore the U.S. to a country that once used ideals to frame its constitution, big idea ideals that sound as good today as they must have when they were written. But when Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio — two pandering, anti-everythingthat-is-decent creeps if there ever were any — are running second and third in the primary race, having defeated yet another Bush (who was almost starting to look like a plausible option for a few days) and looking like the only options to Sideshow Don, it gets downright scary to think that we live within a few minutes of a border that could soon be secured with the Trump Wall. Those who thought Donald Trump’s entry into the presidential race was a bit of a lark and yet another way to draw attention to himself and his burgeoning reality show image can be forgiven. Not so many months ago it would have been unthinkable that such a character could, or would, take even his own candidacy seriously. After

all, a guy who has never run for, let alone won, a public office, who declares bankruptcy with impunity, who stomps on little people for the fun of it all, shouldn’t take himself seriously. Should he? Well,

Lorne Eckersley I suppose he’s entitled, but what of the large number (though admittedly far from a majority) of citizens who have jumped on his bandwagon? How is it that they cannot see this carnival barker, this shill for his own interests, this man who is void of policies and ideas, poses more of a danger than any candidate in recent history? It’s easy enough to see why a large number of citizens are frustrated, even angry, with the status quo. Selfserving to the point of corruption, elected candidates in both parties have been an affront to democracy. But they were, as Trump would be, elected by the very people who are angry. No voter gets a free pass on this decline in political morals and ethics. But to turn to a multibillionaire, who inherited a fortune and yet proclaims himself to be a selfmade man, is nothing short of obscene. To elect him would be the equivalent of putting Robert Picton in charge of the prison farm

(does anyone seriously believe that he wrote that book?) or letting Clifford Olsen run the prison staff day care centre. I mean, seriously, what in Donald Trump’s past would indicate that he has compassion for the very people who are now supporting him, or the complex skill set a president should have? More to the point, does anyone actually trust him to a position of power that includes the ability to activate a nuclear bomb with the push of a button? With an ego equal to, and an intellect far beneath, that of Vladimir Putin, it doesn’t take much of an imagination to think that Trump could attempt to outsmart the former KGB man, to out-bully the bully. I can’t imagine that American voters will ultimately elect a selfdeclared socialist to the presidency, and I think that the only positive thing about Hillary Clinton is that she would be the first female president. The appearance that she seems closely allied to Wall Street and big banks, which have not changed significantly since their shenanigans nearly brought the world economy to its knees, means more of the same old, same old. The Democrats have for decades operated under the assumption that not being the Republicans is good enough. And not being a Republican might be enough to defeat The Donald, but it won’t be sufficient to ease the fear and distrust of those who support him. Not my monkeys. Not my monkeys. Not my monkeys. Om… Lorne Eckersley is the publisher of the Creston Valley Advance.

Byelections send message

On Feb. 2, two new women were elected to the B.C. legislature in Victoria. Jodie Wickens won the byelection in Coquitlam-Burke Mountain and Melanie Mark won in Vancouver-Mount Pleasant, making her the first First Nations woman elected as a B.C. MLA. Both women are with the NDP and I am so very looking forward to working with them. While both ridings are in the Greater Vancouver region, they are quite different. Vancouver-Mount Pleasant is home to the Downtown Eastside, Canada’s poorest neighbourhood. It also has a high population density and very urban environment. Coquitlam-Burke Mountain is suburban with most people commuting to work and activities by car and a household income on par with the B.C. average. Yet, this election both communities were talking about the same thing to candidates on the doorstep: the cost of living. Wages have stagnated or are down, while food, housing and clothing are all up. Making ends meet feels harder than ever. That’s what Jodie and Melanie heard from voters. It’s what I hear in the Kootenays too — not just on the doorsteps either. Seventy-five per cent of Kootenay respondents to the Chartered Professional Accounts’ Business Outlook Survey said that lack of affordable housing makes it

harder to do business and retain skilled employees. Whether through surveys, statistics or on the doorstep, it’s clear that the high cost of living in B.C. is a major issue everywhere.

In Your Corner Michelle Mungall So what’s going on and what can we do to make life more affordable? Well, Christy Clark isn’t interested in studying the issue, or is she? One day she’ll say there is no need to look into the housing cost crisis, another day she says government is looking into it. This kind of wishy-washy attitude is not what British Columbians deserve. We deserve concrete action based on solid information. But that’s not what Christy Clark’s government is doing. While they increase your MSP, ICBC and electricity rates, they are also footing millions in legal bills for BC Liberal insiders and staff who have done something wrong. Space doesn’t allow me to go into all the details of all the scandals that have followed Christy and her friends in recent years, but I

invite you to read up if you haven’t already. I’ve let her know that she has to stop increasing costs to you so that she can pay her friends’ legal bills, but she doesn’t come to work in the legislature very often and when she does she typically says one thing and does another. Meanwhile, you have to pay those increased MSP premiums and read about rundown bungalow homes selling for $2.4 million. Unlike Ms. Clark, John Horgan and my NDP colleagues are seeking solutions to the affordability crisis. For example, we hear your concerns and are talking to experts like UBC’s Sauder School of Business’s Thomas Davidoff. He is proposing a way to address the housing cost crisis. Through taxation tools that apply to foreign housing speculation and unoccupied homes, we can build a fund that invests in more affordable housing. It’s a simple and doable solution that the NDP is supporting. When talking to voters in the recent byelections, Melanie and Jodie showed that they listened, they cared and were ready to solve the big challenges their constituents faced. Voters responded by sending them to Victoria. I can’t wait to work with them on building a better B.C. Michelle Mungall is the member of the legislative assembly for the NelsonCreston provincial riding, and is the Opposition critic for social development.

Creston Valley Advance Thursday, February 25, 2016

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