Columbia Valley Pioneer - February 22, 2024

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VOL. 21/ISSUE 8

Your Weekly Source For News And Events

FEBRUARY 22, 2024

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THE COLUMBIA VALLEY PIONEER

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Above, locals celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Whiteway, which has set a record as the longest ice skating trail in the world. At right, children play sledge hockey as part of the Polar Plunge weekend in Invermere.

PHOTOS CORTNEY PITTS

FEBRUARY 22, 2024

THE COLUMBIA VALLEY PIONEER

VALLEY NEWS

3

Police seek further witnesses after arrest Columbia Valley Pioneer staff The Columbia Valley RCMP is asking any potential witnesses in an alleged child luring case in Invermere to come forward with their information.

Police say a teacher at David Thompson Secondary School (DTSS) has been charged and is facing allegations that he engaged in inappropriate communication with a student.

The RCMP initiated an investigation in January, and based on the information reviewed, the matter was forwarded to the BC Prosecution Service, which approved a charge against Jason Walker on February 13. He is charged with sexual exploitation, making sexually explicit material available to a child, and luring a child.

“The offences took place over the Internet, specifically social media. As such, investigators believe it may be possible other individuals are aware of these offences”, says Cpl. James Grandy, BC RCMP spokesperson. “Police are encouraging anyone who may have further information to contact the Columbia Valley RCMP.”

Walker was arrested and placed on a number of conditions, and is to appear in Columbia Valley Provincial Court on March 4.

The Pioneer attempted to contact Walker through his employment with Rocky Mountain School District No. 6 but did not receive a response. As of last week his contact information was still available on the DTSS website.

Steve Wyer, the school district’s acting superintendent, told the Pioneer that they learned about the charges by the BC Prosecution Service on Tuesday, Feb. 13.

“The (school) district has been aware of this situation for some time.

Since the time the employer became aware, the teacher has been on leave,” Wyer said, adding the district is fully cooperating with the RCMP to monitor the situation.

Wyer noted that since the matter is currently before the courts the school district will not be providing any additional statements. “The focus for the (school) district continues to be student safety and supports for staff and students through this difficult situation.”

Columbia Valley RCMP are investigating an Invermere teacher who has been charged with child luring.

PHOTO MARGARITA-YOUNG/GETTY IMAGES

Where Real Estate Happens™

Survey on budget highlights concerns

By Steve Hubrecht steve@columbiavalleypioneer.com The District of Invermere has its budget in place for the coming year.

The budget outlines revenues of $13.1 million and expenses of $12.4 million, for an annual surplus of $686,000.

At a council meeting earlier this winter, council approved a few last-minute tweaks to the budget. These included updating the estimated price for the Fort Point bridge over the Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) rail tracks to $5 million.

A public survey on the budget resulted in 84 responses, which provided mixed answers to several questions.

Asked what is the main issue facing Invermere and what should receive the most attention, more than 25 people responded that it is a lack of affordable housing and long term rentals (several of them termed it “the housing crisis”); while nearly 20 respondents said that it is aging infrastructure (paving, roads, water and sewer system).

A couple of people suggested it was the absence of a community recreation facility (which one suggested should include a pool). Other topics raised included climate change resilience and

mitigation, better public transportation in town, better sidewalks, and better relationships with local First Nations.

Another question in the survey asked if respondents thought there was enough affordable housing in the community.

A total of 92 per cent said no. In fact, almost 33 per cent of respondents said the lack of affordable housing in the district has made them consider leaving Invermere.

In another question, 64 per cent of respondents were in favour of the district offering developers an increase in density if they guarantee a certain amount of affordable housing units in a project.

Nearly 66 per cent liked the idea of the district offering incentives to help create secondary suites.

While the questions mentioned above dealt with affordable housing in general, the survey also touched on staff housing, asking respondents if they think it is the District of Invermere’s responsibility to help create workforce housing for employers within Invermere. Some 30 per cent said yes, 60 per cent said no, and 10 per cent were unsure.

Continued on page 5

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By Cpl. Jeff Witzke Columbia Valley RCMP This past week, February 12 to 18, the Columbia Valley RCMP responded to 57 calls for service. The following is a summary of some of the files our officers responded to.

On February 14, police were dispatched to the hospital to assist in dealing with a patient who was suffering with some mental health issues. The patient had locked themselves in an unlocked vehicle in the parking lot.

Upon members attendance, the person of interest was now in the hospital lobby displaying odd behaviour, however, not deemed a threat to themselves or others.

Hospital staff and police attempted to locate other places for the person to stay but the individual eventually was given a bed at the hospital for further assessment.

Early next morning on February 15, members were called back to the hospital to deal with the same person who had walked away from the hospital. Extensive patrols were made, however, the person was not located. At approximately 9 a.m. the police received a report of an unknown female stealing a garbage truck that had backed into a vehicle causing damages. The owner of the damaged vehicle was able to prevent the suspect from leaving while police were en route. The suspect was arrested for theft of a motor vehicle and driving while prohibited.

On the evening of February 16, the RCMP were made aware of a person loitering around a gas station when they brandished a large kitchen knife. Members promptly attended and arrested the suspect without issues. In speaking with staff, the suspect pulled out the knife and asked one of them if they would like to use it for cutting some meat. The knife was seized and the suspect was lodged in a cell without charges since no threat was made during the incident.

Fire burns buildings, shed Columbia Valley Pioneer staff Thanks to a neighbour, homeowners in Wilmer escaped an early morning fire on February 13.

Invermere Fire Rescue responded to a call at 1 a.m. for a structure fire on Mays Avenue where 10 firefighters and three apparatus showed up.

“Firefighters’ quick actions were able to contain

the fire to two outbuildings and a neighbour’s shed, and only minor damage to the house,” Fire Chief Jason Roe told the Pioneer.

Roe said a neighbour notified the sleeping owners of the situation, and fortunately no injuries were reported. A crew remained on scene until approximately 6 a.m. to watch for hotspots.

The cause of the fire is still being investigated.

POOL NOW OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!

FEBRUARY 22, 2024

THE COLUMBIA VALLEY PIONEER

5

‘Cowboy’ Cole grabs dual moguls gold

By Steve Hubrecht steve@columbiavalleypioneer.com Panorama resident ‘Cowboy’ Cole Carey struck gold earlier this month, winning a NorAm dual moguls competition in Deer Valley, Utah.

The 19 year old is in his third season competing on the NorAm (North American) circuit with the B.C. provincial freestyle team. He’s been getting progressively better each season, and hit a peak with a best-ever finish of ninth in the singles mogul event on Wednesday, Feb. 7 at Deer Valley. He then raised the bar even further the next day by winning the dual moguls competition on Thursday, Feb. 8.

“I’m really stoked,” Cole told the Pioneer a few days after his victory. “I was really happy with the ninth place finish. To then go out the next day and win it all, that was something else . . . it was huge.”

In freestyle mogul competitions, skiers do timed runs down a mogul-filled slope, turning at a furiously quick pace and catching air off large jumps on the course. In the single moguls event, skiers take to the course solo, one after the other. In the dual event, skiers compete on parallel courses side-by-side. Each round of the dual event involves two skiers going head-to-head, with the winner of the two progressing, knockout style, to the next round.

In all, Cole skied six rounds en route to winning the gold in the dual moguls competition on Feb. 8, winning each of those six head-to-heads.

The Deer Valley moguls course is renowned for being one of the most difficult on the continent, if not the world, which makes Cole’s victory all the more special.

He is also happy that he beat out several Canadian national team moguls skiers in order to get the gold. If Cole keeps getting results like he did in Deer Valley, he

could be competing with the national freestyle team instead of the B.C. provincial freestyle team.

“This win helps with that for sure, but there are still four big competitions ahead, so the job’s not done,” said Cole.

Those four other competitions are the three remaining NorAm moguls events — one at Apex Mountain Resort in B.C., another in Quebec, and the last in Vermont — as well as the Canadian nationals.

Cole grew up at Panorama Mountain Resort, where his dad has been on ski patrol for nearly three decades, and graduated from David Thompson Secondary School (DTSS) in June 2022. He started skiing with the Freestyle Panorama Ski Club when he was young, and stuck with it.

“It always kind of seemed cooler than alpine racing. With freestyle, they let you hit jumps and go in the terrain park, which I really liked,” recalled Cole.

As he grew he found he got better results in moguls competitions than in slope style and park competitions, so he started focusing more on moguls.

“When you put down a clean mogul run that you’re happy with through a tough mogul course, there’s nothing else like that feeling. You’re on top of the world,” said Cole.

‘Cowboy’ Cole turns heads for more than just his on-slope results. He is serious about his ‘cowboy’ nickname, and always wears a black Smith cowboy hat at the bottom of the mogul course after he’s finished the run. The hat is also on whenever he travels between competition venues, as are cowboy boots, jeans, and button-down shirt everywhere he goes. Cole said his family has always been a ‘Western’ family. That’s not just rhetoric either — Cole’s family has been volunteering at the Calgary Stampede for four generations.

“Cowboy’ Cole Carey wins gold in dual moguls at the NorAm in Utah.

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EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY Temporary Library Director Start Date: Tuesday May 14, 2024 End Date: June 14, 2025 Term: 13 months (35 hours per week Tuesday to Saturday) Wage and Benefits: $24.00- $30.00/hr (To be negotiated based on experience).

This is a non-unionized position.

A strong candidate will have an understanding of the community and surrounding areas the Library serves, be familiar with library management and organization and be able to work and interact with others from varying backgrounds and abilities. While prior experience working as a Library Director is ideal, a combination of alternative experience, education and local knowledge will be considered.

Invermere adopts budget Continued from page 3 In terms of infrastructure improvements, 66.6 per cent of respondents said they were willing to pay higher utility fees for municipal water, sewer and wastewater treatment to fund future capital improvements to those systems.

Only 67 of the 84 respondents answered the questions on the Invermere Integrated Community Sustainability Plan, and of those only 12 indicated they

were pretty familiar (level 4 or 5, out of a possible 5) with the plan. Perhaps not coincidentally only 12 respondents indicated fairly high levels of support (level 4 or 5 out of 5) for increasing taxes to implement parts of the Imagine Invermere Integrated Community Sustainability Plan or other sustainability programs. Asked how much of a tax increase they personally would be willing to pay for such programs, respondents gave answers ranging from no money up to $500.

Interested Candidates are invited to email boardchair@radium.bclibrary.ca for a full job description.

To apply, please email boardchair@radium.bclibrary.ca with a cover letter and resume by March 15, 2024.

While we appreciate interest from all applicants, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. https://radium.bc.libraries.coop/

6

THE COLUMBIA VALLEY PIONEER

FEBRUARY 22, 2024

PERSPECTIVE

Use privacy stalls, please

Historical Lens

Editorial There are times when good intentions inadvertently go too far.

This was the case in Vernon recently when it was reported that two teenage girls unwantedly observed a person with a penis in the female change room. The transgender individual was putting on a swim suit in a change area with which they identified.

When a complaint was filed, a city spokesperson reportedly told the concerned uncle of one of the girls that pool staff could not dictate what area the adult swimmer could change in based on their choice of gender (because under law you can’t discriminate).

It’s unfortunate because there was an easy solution: Use the private change stalls to avoid the problem altogether.

Why would anyone with a penis, no matter what gender they identify with, think it is okay to strip naked in front of teenage girls? That shows no respect for the girls’ rights not to be exposed to nudity if they don’t want to.

Gender diversity is recognized under the Human Rights Act as something you cannot discriminate against, which is understandable and largely supported in this day and age. But the above case raises questions about how the rights of gender identification ought to be balanced with the rights of minors you don’t want to subject to indecent exposure. A lack of guidelines in this regard theoretically opens the door for practically anyone to use the gender argument to waltz into a female (or male or transgender) change room to ogle others in various stages of undress.

Obviously more has to be done to change this loophole and protect people’s privacy. Many facilities now have private change rooms which are necessary and should be used. Some facilities even have a policy prohibiting nudity in open areas, which makes sense.

It is a very unfortunate possibility that criticism of the transgender person’s actions in Vernon could be misconstrued as being homophobic, and the complainant labelled a racist, bigot, unprincipled, and all-around horrible person. But that shouldn’t be the case, at least not in this instance.

One of the greatest things to ever happen to humankind is human rights. Imagine where we would be without them. Just look at some other countries and count your blessings.

But in the pursuit of these rights and freedoms, we must be careful they are fairly distributed and do not come at the expense or detriment of others.

Columbia Valley Pioneer

Albert Edward Ball joined the military when he lived in Edgewater in the 1940s. He died on February 1, 1991.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE WINDERMERE AND DISTRICT HISTORICAL SOCIETY

FireSmart needs to be wiser Is FireSmart wise?

We will need more than clean yards and metal roofs to keep our valley safe from wildfires.

Could we not consider a forest service coordinated tabletop exercise that links areas of low fire rate spread to hard barriers such as rock bluffs, water bodies, roads, etc? Possibly give tax breaks for timber harvesting to private landowners and wood lot licenses including Crown forest lands?

There are fewer opportunities for gathering fire-

wood and there are also smaller mills that could produce useful building materials as they once used to.

I'm thinking of something similar to the old land use planning process that coordinated grazing, timber production, recreation, and wildlife management.

Strikes me as a possibility to add ‘wise’ to the equation. Some of our local forest neighbours are already on this path.

DM Herman, Fairmont

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FEBRUARY 22, 2024

LETTERS

THE COLUMBIA VALLEY PIONEER

7

Council ignoring needs of housing community As much as short-term rental (STR) owners say their properties support economic development, the truth is they don’t – well, they don’t beyond their own personal economic development as a small business.

Small businesses are great. But small businesses that eliminate longterm housing stock are not so great.

Yes, single family home properties can earn an owner over $100,000 per year as an STR. But do you know what else would bring in $100,000/year to our community? A household of yearround local employees and income earners. STRs actually inhibit economic development for the broader community as each STR property displaces a household of workers that would be both earning and spending locally.

Currently, and with the proposed STR bylaw, Invermere council is choosing to short our community a reasonable supply of long-term housing (many of those STRs that once were occupied by local families). As outlined in a recent edition of the Pioneer, you’re paying tax dollars for recruiting for jobs that our community can’t keep because we cannot house those who move here. It appears there is no unified, strategic plan to address the housing crisis and attract new residents. The mayor’s task force on housing is in place but council has crafted policy that makes long-term rental housing financially unattractive.

We seem to have a council bound and bent on making a balanced housing market impossible and a reasonable supply of long-term rental housing unobtainable. Invermere’s 2021 Housing Needs Assessment outlines a 145-unit shortfall of housing, where two-thirds of businesses said housing is a challenge

for staffing.

With hundreds of STRs and an identified shortfall of housing, the answer seems painfully obvious.

The wild west treatment of STRs has perverted the housing situation so much that there is no current interest in Invermere from hotel developers. Too many STRs undercut the business case for an additional hotel. Simultaneously, STRs contribute to over tourism as more will become available during peak seasons, creating service failure in our downtown, our beaches, parks and on our streets.

You have all seen the properties sit vacant at the east end of 13th Street for decades (albeit for one day of the year when a small portion of that land is used for bull riding). A jewel of downtown Invermere, centrally located and with stunning views, is not much more than dusty vacant land, earning very little revenue and none through economic activity. Imagine 100 fewer STRs, by requiring the licensed STRs to be a secondary suite or an accessory dwelling unit (like the rest of BC will be doing on May 1) and owner-occupied in the community and suddenly the financial viability of this “comprehensive development zone” becomes much more appealing to resort developers.

Resort developers don’t have to be from a publicly traded company. And builders don’t have to be from another province. Invermere has the capital, expertise and workforce to do this with a combination of local firms. Think Fogo Island Inn. But those 100 new hotel rooms would make an immense impact in the occupancy and sustainability of our public assets (like the arena and Co-

Not everyone agrees with Invermere council’s bylaw on short-term rentals and their regulation.

PHOTO RYAN WATMOUGH lumbia Valley Centre, which costs local taxpayers over $1.5 million every year).

If you don’t want to have a downtown so quiet in the fall and spring that business owners choose to shut down for weeks at a time, then you want events to be booked in your community assets that you’re paying for yearround. Downtown hotel development would provide reason for downtown retailers to open after 5 p.m. or have restaurants open every day of the week, year-round – not just in July and August.

In the end, you could have 100plus STRs eating up long-term housing units or you could have a new hotel, a vibrant, year-round downtown, and 200-plus local workers (assuming two workers per housing unit). But you can’t have both. And that’s why the District of

Invermere council needs to revise their draft STR bylaw immediately.

Yes, there are many items that have to be weighed with this issue. There are 100-plus STR operators and their exorbitant profits they have been able to make in the unregulated past who will be impacted. There are residents and businesses that can’t, and won’t, find housing or staff or both.

If council continues to ignore the needs of the community, resident families and businesses who require workers and they pass this STR bylaw, then I urge resident families and businesses to make their voices heard in the next election and bring in a council that will do what is best for the community.

C. Bakos, Invermere

Is our weather really changing out there?

Weather is a fact of life with which we are all familiar. We live it, we feel it, we see it. Consequently, we are all qualified to have opinions based on life experience.

Is our weather changing?

Age will influence our opinion since years of observation provide a wide angle or close up picture of lived experience.

My picture is a wide angle impression based on 70-plus years while yours may be a close up photo, based on say, 30 years.

Prince George, Mackenzie and Peace River is where my weather observations began in the early 1960s. Winters were cold, freeze-up came sometime in November, and spring breakup came sometime in March, most likely near the end or even into April. In between there were plenty of minus 20-40 degree days and very few days of thaw.

Those were the years I spent working for the BC

Forest Service clearing the shoreline for the proposed new hydro reservoir. Williston Lake, it was to be named, a manmade lake flooding the Parsnip, Findlay and Peace River valleys; a surface area of 1,761 square kilometres now warmed by the summer sun.

Within a few years of the flooding we saw the winters change. Freeze-up came later, sometimes not until Christmas. Cold days were fewer, with many more mild days of thaw.

Some dam history: In 1932 a dam was built at Nelson which enlarged Kootenay Lake to cover 389 square kilometres.In 1952 a dam was built on the Nechako River, another reservoir to provide hydro power for the new aluminium smelter in Kitimat. This lake surface area covers 890 square kilometres.

The 1960s also saw a dam built near Castlegar on the Columbia River which raised the Arrow Lakes by 40 feet, making one lake out of the former lower and

upper Arrow Lakes with a surface area now 525 square kilometres. Also in the 1960s a dam was built on the Duncan River, with a surface area of 72.9 square kilometres.

The 1970s saw another blockage of the Columbia River, the Mica Dam, this time exposing 430 square kilometres of surface water to the summer sun.

Again, in 1972 the Libby Dam in Montana was built on the Kootenay River, backing up Lake Koocanusa 40 miles into Canada and exposing a further 188 square kilometres of surface area to warm summer sun.

Back on the Peace River a second dam was built just below the WAC Bennett Dam in 1980, with a surface area of 8.6 square kilometres.

Later in 1983 one more dam was built on the Columbia at Revelstoke to further warm another 115 square kilometres of lake water.

Continued on page 8

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THE COLUMBIA VALLEY PIONEER

FEBRUARY 22, 2024

‘The Zaniac’ Alex Zerbe performs in Invermere at Columbia Valley Centre on Wednesday, March 6.

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

Madcap juggling comedian can’t help it

By Steve Hubrecht steve@columbiavalleypioneer.com When self-described professional “zaniac” Alex Zerbe arrives in Invermere in a few weeks, residents should brace themselves for a storm of high-octane comedy. Not just any old comedy, mind you, but old-fashioned variety show physical comedy, complete with beatboxing, juggling (of flaming torches and bowling balls no less), jokes, dancing, stunts, singing, music, absurd ideas, random odd skills, and just for good measure a little bit of magic too.

Zerbe will tell you he moves on stage like a rubber band with the energy of 1,000 suns. It’s easy to believe him, because when the Pioneer spoke with him on the phone last week, he talked like a rubber band with the energy of 1,000 suns. He pinged from topic to topic at manic speed (Jim Carey is tame in comparison).

In between explaining his background, his love of

foot bag (more commonly known as hacky sack), his appearance on Chinese television and his Guinness world record titles (he held two), Zerbe managed to give the Pioneer a running commentary on the dinner prep he was simultaneously doing (avocados deftly diced, cheese supremely shredded), and at one point burst into an impromptu rap about the tomatoes he was slicing. It was hard to keep up, even just listening by phone. No doubt the zaniness is ramped up even more when watching Zerbe perform in person.

“It’s a family show, for the whole family. Yes, of course kids love it. But so do the adults. Even teenagers love it,” Zerbe told the Pioneer last week.

Zerbe’s zaniac comedy show comes to Invermere on Wednesday, March 6 at the Columbia Valley Centre and will offer a taste of everything mentioned above and more. If that sounds like a lot to pull off, it is. But Zerbe honed his craft for 25 years and has it down to a fine art.

He grew up in Seattle, graduated high school and quickly decided that the path his parents had trod as academics was not for him. Zerbe met a professional street performer and juggler who watched Zerbe for a bit before declaring that he had the talent to go professional.

“I said ‘what? That’s a job? I can make a career of this? Sign me up.’ So he trained me,” recalled Zerbe.

As a teenager he’d gotten into freestyle foot bag.

Most of the world knows freestyle foot bag as hacky sack, but Zerbe is quick to point out that ‘Hacky Sack’ is the brand name of a foot bag maker. Foot bagging became a passion for him, then an obsession, and eventually Zerbe got his first Guinness world record for performing an ‘eclipse’ (a specific foot bag trick) 26 times in a row. (Zerbe set the record back in 2002, and it stood until 2020).

Continued on page 9

Climate change question needs answer Letter continued from page 7 This year the third dam on the Peace River is scheduled to be completed, warming another 93.3 square kilometres of barely moving lake water.

The total area that the above reservoirs have opened to the blaze of the

summer sun is 4,491 square kilometres.

There is little argument amongst those of us who were there that the flooding of the reservoirs warmed the winters. We saw it! We lived it! We felt it! After the flooding everything weather related changed.

Trees provide cooling shade and

NOTICE TO OUR READERS Due to a scheduling change by our supplier, the Columbia Valley Pioneer will be delivered Thursday afternoons until further notice.

N E W S P A P E R

transfer vast amounts of moisture into the atmosphere which also lowers the ambient temperature. They are our natural air conditioning units. They cost nothing and they reproduce to further enhance our comfort.

Trees also provide food and accommodation for a multitude of life forms, bugs being just one of them. With the warming winters, bugs now thrive and reproduce like only bugs can. Some bugs eat trees and over the years since the building of the dams, bugs have destroyed over 18 million hectares of BC forest. Eighteen million hectares of forest canopy have been eliminated, no longer shading us and the ground from the heat of the summer sun or circulating moisture into the atmosphere.

Ground moisture quickly evaporated; this vast unnatural dead terrain now creating a huge vortex of heat sucking moisture even from the remaining green forest, creating perfect conditions for wildfires.

Wildfires. Now we are all in famil-

iar territory. We all know and have experienced these horrendous events.

They are no longer natural processes of nature rebalancing - they are the consequences of our actions. From 2001 through to 2021 we lost 86,000 square kilometres in BC to wildfires and forest practices (Global Forest Watch).

Over my lifetime reservoirs, bugs, wildfires and lack of intelligent forest management have destroyed more than 50 per cent of our forest canopy in BC. Our World in Data points out that deforestation has been occurring for a very long time. However, their data also shows that one half of the forested area lost has taken place since 1900. This is an area the size of the United States! In just the last 20 years worldwide we have lost more than 12 per cent of our remaining forest cover.

Climate change driven by greenhouse gases and farting cows? Or could it be deforestation, hydro reservoirs and bugs?

Barrie Hawes, Radium

FEBRUARY 22, 2024

THE COLUMBIA VALLEY PIONEER

9

Zany comedian born to make people laugh

Continued from page 8 The physical dexterity developed during his foot bagging youth came in handy for physical comedy routines. Zerbe started out doing shows in schools, three times a day, five days a week. Eventually he and another comedian formed a duo, Brother from Different Mothers. The pair went on to win awards for their shows (and together set a Guinness world record for juggling) before Zerbe branched out on his own. His solo career has landed him on America’s Got Talent and a nationally broadcast variety show in China.

“I make a living doing what I love.

It’s really fun. It’s fantastic,” he said.

Asked to pick the highlight from two and a half decades of performing, Zerbe was quick to reply “the show in Invermere, obviously. That’s going to be the one. Make sure you get a ticket.”

Zerbe has toured B.C. before, and even driven past Invermere several times, but the March 6 show will be the first time he’ll turn west at the crossroads and actually make it into town.

The 70-minute all-ages show begins a 7 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickers are $15 plus service fees and can be purchased online at www.eventbrite.ca.

Alex Zerbe is a real ‘Zaniac’ and will prove it in Invermere on March 6.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Nominations open for conservation award Submitted by Wildsight

Last year’s conservation award recipient was Annette Lutterman (middle).

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Do you know of a conservation champion who deserves recognition for their hard work?

Nominations for Wildsight's 2024 Ellen Zimmerman Award are now open.

This award recognizes an individual who works to protect nature or to inspire a love of the wild through environmental education.

Golden resident Ellen Zimmerman was a tenacious champion for nature conservation in the Columbia Valley for more than 40 years until her passing in 2020.

Her legacy includes the protection of the Columbia Wetlands, one of the longest intact wetlands in North America and the only stretch of the Columbia River that remains undammed, and the Cummins River Valley, an intact watershed in the Inland Temperate

MAKING SENSE

of the

DOLLARS & CENTS FINANCIAL PLAN CONSULTATION We want to hear from you!

The RDEK’s 2024 – 2028 Draft Five Year Financial Plan is open for public comment as of 5:00 pm February 12.

Copies of the 5-Year Financial Plan and comment forms are available at engage.rdek.bc.ca/budget or can be mailed to you by calling 1-888-478-7335.

COMMENT PERIOD ENDS MARCH 4, 2024 AT NOON

Rainforest.

The award was established to support conservation and environmental education champions in the Columbia headwaters region (stretching from Canal Flats to the Mica Dam).

Last year's recipient was Annette Lutterman, a Golden resident who works to restore local habitats, improve air quality and brings a wealth of knowledge and wisdom to local conservation issues.

Other award winners include Kootenay biologist Rachel Darvill and Living Lakes founder Kat Hartwig.

The award recipient receives a commemorative ceramic art piece and a $1,000 gift to celebrate and support their contributions to environmental protections in the region.

Deadline for nominations is March 31.

For more information, see wildsight.ca/the-ellen-zimmerman-award.

PUBLIC NOTICE – PARCEL TAX ROLLS The Regional District of East Kootenay is updating parcel tax rolls for the following service areas: • Tie Lake Water Level Control • Columbia Valley Local Conservation Fund • Elko Water • Moyie Water • Moyie Water – 2006 Project • Lazy Lake Water Level Control • Wasa/Ta Ta Creek/Skookumchuck Mosquito Control • Rushmere Water • Edgewater Sewer

• Edgewater Water • Windermere Water • Windermere Water Treatment • Holland Creek Sewer • Holland Creek Water • Spur Valley Water • Baltac Sewer • Timber Ridge Water • Wasa Recreation Contribution

Owners of property located in these parcel tax areas may request that the roll be amended, in relation to their own property, on one or more of the following grounds: • there is an error or omission respecting a name or address on the assessment roll; • there is an error or omission respecting the inclusion of a parcel; • there is an error or omission respecting the taxable frontage of a parcel (for water or sewer service areas that use frontage for taxation); and • an exemption has been improperly allowed or disallowed.

The parcel tax rolls are available for inspection, at the Regional District of East Kootenay office in Cranbrook during regular office hours.

Requests for amendments must be made in writing to the Regional District of East Kootenay, 19 - 24th Avenue South, Cranbrook BC V1C 3H8, on or before Tuesday, March 5, 2024 at 12:00 pm. If requests are received, a Parcel Tax Roll Review Panel will meet at 1:00 pm on Friday, March 8, 2024 in the RDEK Board Room.

19 – 24 Avenue South, Cranbrook BC V1C 3H8 | 250-489-2791 | 1-888-478-7335 | Fax: 250-489-3498 | info@rdek.bc.ca | www.rdek.bc.ca

10

THE COLUMBIA VALLEY PIONEER

FEBRUARY 22, 2024

OUT OF OFFICE… Job & Volunteer Fair at the Columbia Valley Centre Staffing is hard – finding the right person for the right position can feel like a near impossible task. The Job & Volunteer Fair at the Columbia Valley Centre is an annual event that is dedicated to helping you find the help you need. The fair is on Thursday March 7th and will not only be a great way to find employees and volunteers to fill the gaps in your organization, but an opportunity to learn about accessing talent from a pool of candidates that you might not have considered.

The morning will start with setting up of booths and tables (you did register, right?

The link is on the website: cvchamber. ca), and keep in mind that there might be discount codes for you to sweeten the pot – check the registration page for details.

Each registration includes one admittance to the Lunch & Learn presentation (don’t worry, you can buy more if you have a crew with you!) and includes a choice of three delicious lunch options from Fuze. You can also register solely for the Lunch & Learn if

you feel so inclined; the topic this year is Recruiting International Talent: Accessing International Workers Through Immigration.

This presentation will delve into how BC employers can access international talent through both federal and provincial government immigration programs.

These economic initiatives are designed to help employers to both hire and retain international employees; ‘cause once you’ve got them, you want to make sure you can keep them! There are several relevant programs that will be touched on in the presentation. On the provincial level, presenters will touch on the BC Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) which is designed to select skilled workers and/ or entrepreneurs into the province to fill job vacancies or operate businesses. The federal aspect will include an examination of federal immigration program criteria and processes which will include Express Entry (which can be streamlined through the BC PNP system). The federal Express Entry

program is an umbrella for 3 immigration programs: Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Traded Program and the Canadian Experience Class; all of which are designed for immigrants who are both skilled workers and want to settle in Canada permanently. Best of all, the presenters are provincial and federal government staff, with program expertise, and will be fielding a question and answer session at the end of the presentation – you can ask anything you have ever wondered about immigration employment recruitment and retention, and acronyms (or specifically, initialisms)!

After filling bellies and minds, the doors open to the public at 1pm until 5pm – and recruitment begins! Although crossing a parapet and several deadly trials were in the works, we felt like weeding out the weak is really the purview of the employers at their tables. Maybe for next year? See you on Thursday March 7th at the Community Centre!

-Deanna Berrington

FEBRUARY 22, 2024

THE COLUMBIA VALLEY PIONEER

11

Thursday, February 22

Saturday, February 24

Tuesday, February 27

• 10:30am-11:30am: Senior’s Fitness Columbia Valley Centre, $2 dropin.

• 11:30am-12:00pm: Little Lambs – Baby Program. Radium Public Library. Join us for songs, rhymes, and stories with your babies! No registration required.

• 2:00pm-3:00pm: Seniors Tea. Invermere Public Library. Join us for a cup of tea and a chat on the 2nd & 4th Thursday of each month. All welcome!

• 6:30pm-8:00pm: Read it & Eat. Invermere Public Library. A NEW program at the library! Read it and Eat is a cookbook club where we choose a featured cookbook each month, participants choose a recipe to make, and then bring the dish to the meeting to enjoy food and good company! Please contact the Invermere Library for details. The featured cookbook this month is: The Modern Proper • 6:45pm: Texas Hold ‘Em Poker Invermere Legion. $30 buy-in.

• 7:30pm: Families Housing that Fits. Zoom meeting with host Ben Postmus. Inclusive and supportive housing in your community. diversefamilyroots@gmail.com • 7:30pm: Trivia Night Windermere Whitehouse Pub. Host Mandi Cox $3/ person, teams of more than 6 will be split into two groups. Ages 19+

• 10:30am-11:00am: Family Storytime. Invermere Public Library. Join us weekly on Saturdays for Family Storytime at the library! With stories, songs & a craft. Geared towards preschool age (2-5) but all welcome.

• 11:00am-12:30pm: LEGO/Duplo Club Invermere Public Library. We'll have Lego, Duplo, big blocks & more out to play with on Saturday mornings! All ages welcome.

• 2:00pm-4:00pm: Buddy Reading. Invermere Public Library. Contact the library to book a 30 minute session to read with a librarian. Practice reading aloud one-on-one to build skill, confidence & a love of reading!

Open to all ages and reading abilities.

• 6:30pm: Meat Draw and 50/50 in the Legion! Members and guests welcome!

• 10:30am-11:30am: Senior’s Fitness Columbia Valley Centre, $2 drop-in.

• 10:30am-11:30am: Homeschool Meetup. Invermere Public Library.

Drop-in, all-ages programming with open-ended STEAM play, group activities and art projects. A chance for homeschool kids and families to get together! Please contact us to get on the Homeschool email list to stay up to date and see what extended programs are coming up.

• 1:00pm-3:30pm: Art in the Afternoon. Radium Public Library. A free program for local artists and art enthusiasts! Whether you sketch, paint, carve, knit or crochet, bring your supplies and work alongside fellow artists.

• 6:30pm-8:00pm: Second Winds Community Band. Practice at Invermere Catholic Church Annex. For info please email dalvande@ shaw.ca • 7:00pm: Ullr Presents: Musical Bingo with Tim Richards. Ullr Bar. Every Tuesday - $5 per card.

• 7:30pm: Families on Tuesday. Zoom meeting with host Ben Postmus.

Families connecting, Families Sharing, Families Supporting Families: Support, Listening, Sharing, Connecting. diversefamilyroots@gmail. com

Friday, February 23 • 10:30am-11:00am: Family Storytime. Invermere Public Library. Join us weekly on Fridays for Family Storytime at the library! With stories, songs & a craft. Geared towards preschool age (2-5) but all welcome.

• 2:00pm-3:00pm: Friday Funday. Invermere Public Library. STEAM: Open-ended play with Ozobots, Dash bots and other fun tech. Drop-in programming. Drop-off for ages 7+. Younger children are more than welcome to join with a grown-up.

• 2:30pm-4:00pm: Teen Connect and Create Radium Public Library.

Every fourth Friday of the month. Connect with other teens while making different creations each month! For ages 13 to 18. No registration required.

• 6:30pm - close: Meat Draw and 50/50 in the Legion! Members and guests welcome!

Sunday, February 25 • 2:00pm: Cards, Cribbage and Darts Come to the Legion and have some fun! Members and guests welcome.

• 7:00pm: Live Music Horsethief Creek Pub & Eatery. Accompanied minors are permitted. No cover.

• 7:30pm: Dads Matter. Zoom meeting with host Ben Postmus. Dads connecting, Dads Supporting, Dads Inspiring. Do you have a son or daughter with Diverse Abilities? So do I. diversefamilyroots@gmail.com

Monday, February 26 • 10:00am-11:00am: Senior's Yoga Columbia Valley Centre, Invermere. $2 drop in, open to all seniors.

• 10:15am-11:15am: Baby Goose. Invermere Public Library. Learn new songs and rhymes to share with your baby and meet other parents/ caregivers with young children. Drop-in program. Hosted by Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy- Windermere Valley. Six-week session from Feb. 12-March 18.

• 6:30pm: Poker (Chip up for Charity). The Station Pub $20 buy-in. Every Monday.

•

Wednesday, February 28

• 10:00am-11:00am: Senior's Yoga Columbia Valley Centre, $2 dropin.

• 11:30am-12:00pm: Story Time. Radium Public Library - preschool & all ages.

• 3:00pm-4:30pm: After School Club. Invermere Public Library.

A window of transition time between school and home or extracurriculars. Come colour, bead, play with LEGO and catch up with friends! Open to all school-aged kids and teens. Drop-off allowed for Grade 2 students and up. Younger kids are welcome with a grown-up.

Please bring your own snacks! Register: https://invermere.bc.libraries.coop/ • 6:00pm-8:00pm: Craft Connections Club for Adults. Invermere Public Library. Creating stamp printed designs on tote bags this month. One bag per participant. Registration required. Phone 250342-6416 or email publiclibrary@invermere.net to sign up. Bring your own bags (etc) from home to print on too (natural fibre works best).

• 6:00pm-9:00pm: Wednesday Dinners & Meat Draw & 50/50 Invermere Legion. All welcome.

12

THE COLUMBIA VALLEY PIONEER

FEBRUARY 22, 2024

DTSS students want peers to ‘disconnect’

By Lyonel Doherty editor@columbiavalleypioneer.com A couple of David Thompson Secondary students are fighting an uphill battle to convince their peers to put down social media to “reconnect” with one another. But they’ll be damned if they don’t try.

Keira Neal and Daven McMurray have embarked on a project to eliminate Snapchat so that teens can live healthier lives, both physically and mentally. The hope is to motivate fellow students to place their focus on more productive activities while re-learning to communicate without the use of wifi.

The duo says the human brain is not designed to consume so much online bombardment, resulting in social media sites being their puppet masters.

Their research shows that platforms like Snapchat are strategically designed to make interactions more rewarding and anxiety inducing. They harvest a fear of missing out and create self-judgment among teens who compare themselves to others.

The “addictive platform welcomes a shallow form of communication through pointless ‘snaps’ that waste time with no real benefit.” The duo also says that Snapchat has been recorded by law enforcement as an app used to sexually lure and exploit youth.

“Regardless of how the app is used, Snapchat is a deterrent to genuine connection. We are going to change that,” said Neal. But how?

They have set up a three-month challenge for students to restrict all use and consumption of Snapchat by hosting a competition with rewards.

Here’s where the public comes in: the students are asking people for contributions of their choice, preferably funding or vouchers (gift cards) to help motivate

students to take part.

Donations can be made through the website www. snapout-nonprofit.squarespace.com. All other inquiries can be made via email at snapout-nonprofit@outlook.com.

Neal said they came up with the idea after watching the film ‘The Social Dilemma’ on Netflix, which inspired her to delete her social media despite the fear of being left out.

Their research, including the BC Adolescent Health Survey, uncovered some startling facts. Neal noted it was very troubling to learn that 13 per cent of students slept five hours or less at night in 2018 because they were online. Nearly 60 per cent of students reported being online after bedtime.

McMurray said it’s too early to tell if there are longterm impacts, but he expressed concern about what little regulation there is when it comes to online apps opening the door to potential predators.

Neal said she was quite addicted to social media in Grade 8 and 9, but in Grade 10 she had to devote more time to school work and sports, therefore didn’t have time to “scroll” on social media. She acknowledges that some students feel bored without social media, but “it is healthy to be bored, to be with your own thoughts, it allows you to reflect.”

McMurray hasn’t had Snapchat for over a year now. “It helps you realize who’s important to you. You have more time to just be mindful. Not every minute needs to be filled. But I think above all, I actually look forward to catching up with people.”

Neal cited cases where Snapchat has negatively affected friendships. For example, obsessive access to information such as knowing the exact location of friends every time they use the app. There is also the non-consensual distribution of intimate images that take a big toll on students.

“Out of the thousand snaps a student sends in one day it only takes one mistake of an intimate image to spiral into a bad situation and it is more common than people think,” she said. “By deleting Snapchat it will eliminate the assumption that every photo that is sent will disappear.”

The impact on sleep, grades, self-esteem, anxiety and eating disorders is not over-dramatized, Neal pointed out, adding that social media also affects your attention span, which is why it’s hard for teachers to keep kids engaged.

Neal thanked the local organizations and businesses for stepping up and seeing the project’s value by giving monetary donations and gift cards.

“We also would like parents of the students at DTSS to help encourage and support their kids throughout this challenge (which has never been done before),” she said, adding her hope is that parents can understand how much this can shift the lifestyle of their children.

Neal said the reaction they’ve received so far has been surprising and eye opening.

“I knew that it would be hard to get kids to buy in but I didn’t think it would take so much convincing.

Students are showing signs of anxiety around it.”

Neal was taken aback to hear that ‘streaks’ are a huge factor that plays into a student’s decision to take up the challenge. A streak is the number of days a person has consecutively snapped another person.

“One student in Grade 10 has a streak that is over 2,000 days, which means over five years and that is the largest reason why she doesn’t want to delete the app.”

Many students flatly rejected the challenge with a hard “no.” However, 79 students signed up, but only one day into the challenge 41 of those people dropped out (logged back into their accounts).

“I was absolutely shocked. The first set of rewards for the challenge come out at the end of February so I thought most students would hold on until then at

DTSS students Keira Neal and Daven McMurray have quite the challenge in getting their peers to give up Snapchat for a healthier lifestyle.

PHOTOS SUBMITTED least,” Neal said. “I talked to one of the students who had joined . . . she was doing fine until she was in class and saw her friend on Snapchat scroll past her name and that made her want to re-download the app and log back on.”

Neal said her early conclusion is that it is not the students’ fault, it is the apps. “I was talking to a teacher and she said something that really put the whole thing into perspective for me —“You are battling against years of expert psychologists’ work that have designed the app to be addictive.”

This made Neal realize that the change shouldn’t have to come from the students. “They are responsible for their actions but they are not responsible for reacting the way that they are to the app that is manipulating them. The change needs to happen higher up.

There need to be more laws in place (to protect adolescents from becoming addicted to the material on their phones).”

So, if they could turn back the clock, would they totally eliminate Snapchat and Instagram?

“The short answer, no. Social media can have healthy outcomes,” said McMurray. “Great conversations, making plans, sharing media and memories.

However, that same framework can leave too much room for unhealthy usage.”

He pointed out that if youth didn’t have social media, they would be far more creative, curious, motivated and empathetic.

“Ultimately, mindlessly scrolling on social media is stealing the time of our lives away from us and we need to start to make a change,” Neal said.

FEBRUARY 22, 2024

THE COLUMBIA VALLEY PIONEER

13

Get outside to beat the winter blues

By Steve Hubrecht steve@columbiavalleuypioneer.com The sunny, relatively mild conditions that Columbia Valley residents are used to this time of year have returned.

Winters here see plenty of snowfall and conditions below freezing. But the valley isn’t nicknamed the ‘warm side of the Rockies’ for nothing, and the sun usually shines fairly frequently from December to March and temperatures often hover between just above freezing to about minus 10 degrees Celsius. Anything colder or cloudier than that and locals begin to grumble.

They’ve been grumbling almost continuously since late November.

Thick clouds obscured the sky from then until mid-January. Then the polar vortex arriving, finally bringing a bit of sunshine, but sending the mercury on thermometers down to minus 30 degrees Celsius. Most residents sensibly dealt with the extreme cold, and before that with the greyer than normal skies, by hiding indoors.

But so far in February the sun has been out at least a bit more often, and temperatures for the most part have fallen into their normal winter range of a few degrees above freezing to minus 10 degrees Celsius. In other words, it’s been pleasant.

The improved conditions couldn’t come at a better time, with many valley residents feeling cooped up and pent up. And no surprise, since being active and getting outdoors can contribute positively to your mood and your well-being, according to local professionals who deal with mental health.

Blue Monday, the so-called most depressing day of the year, comes on the third Monday in January and gets plenty of media attention. That attention comes despite plenty of academics (and media reports) highlighting the fact that Blue Monday was quite literally made up by a travel company-funded psychologist report, with the not-so-hidden aim of convincing people to buy vacation trips.

The academics and reports emphasize that the ‘science’ behind picking any one day as the most depressing of the year is sketchy at best.

That said, two Columbia Valley professional counsellors — Alana Cotterall and Sue Bradley, from Hearthstone Counselling and Consulting — and East Kootenay Addiction Service Society (EKASS) clinical team lead Dean Nicholson all told the Pioneer that they do see a rise in mental health concerns during winter months.

“There is an increase in depression and anxiety in the winter months, particularly January. This can be due to multiple factors, including post-holiday stress. After holidays, there can be triggers of grief and loss, complicated family dynamics, increased financial stressors and loneliness,” wrote Cotterall and Bradley.

Cotterall and Bradley say that sea-

sonal depression impacts many people and is due to many factors. “When daylight savings time ends each fall, the shift backward reduces the amount of light exposure. There can then be a misalignment between the sleep-wake cycle, eating schedules and other daily routines. When our brain receives signals of limited daylight, it releases melatonin to support sleep, even when it’s not bedtime, so this can negatively affect the amount of energy we have and our brain’s ability to adapt to changing environments. For some people this can also cause moodiness, daytime sleepiness, and less appetite regulation, they wrote. “With more grey and cloudy days recently the low amounts of sunlight can also trigger a reduction in serotonin, which can affect mood. Physiologically we need the sunlight to get a lot of our energy, not just Vitamin D.” When people stayed inside more during extreme cold snaps, such as the one created by the polar vortex, they detach from their normal activities, explained Cotterall and Bradley. In some cases “some people can go into ‘hibernation mode’ which increases depression. This can mean our bodies produce even less serotonin and more melatonin. So the neurotransmitter associated with happiness — serotonin — is decreased while the chemical associated with depression and sleepiness — melatonin — is increased.”

Nicholson had never heard of Blue Monday, but said that people’s mood does tend to shift during the winter months, although he cautioned that does not necessarily lead to clinical depression. He also noted that when winter leaves and spring arrives in full force in April and May, EKASS clients typically miss or cancel a noticeable number of appointments. “It makes sense, because the weather’s better, there’s more daylight hours and so people’s mood shifts,” he said. “So it probably holds up that when the weather is better, people feel better.”

That boost can be helpful for mental health, but Nicholson added that how this relates to addiction “is not straightforward. For some people, they are outside more, they are more active in the summer months, so they are drinking less, or they are smoking less. They are using substances less when the weather is nice. But for other people, they are out socializing more and so they are, say, having drinks at the golf course, or in the backyard while mowing the lawn. They are using substances more when the weather is nice. It really comes down to the individual’s relationship to substance use.”

Nicholson urged people to get outside and get moving when they can, especially in the winter. “We are lucky that we have so many ways to get outside in the East Kootenay. There are opportunities to ski, cross-country ski, skate, snowmobile, ice fish, snowshoe. But it doesn’t have to be skiing or skating or

PHOTO GARGONIA/GETTY IMAGES any of those things. I often feel better just getting out for a walk, even if it’s winter and the weather is bad.”

If you can’t get outside at all, Nicholson suggested trying a seasonal affective disorder (SAD) lamp – a light box-like device designed to simulate sunlight.

Cotterall and Bradley also suggested light therapy, noting it can be as simple as just getting some light shortly after awakening. “If possible, one hour of natural light during the early morning hours, preferably one hour after usual morning wake-up time when the circadian clock is most sensitive to light.”

They also recommended improving sleep quality by avoiding stimulants such as coffee, tea or heavy meals close to bedtime; exercising during the day to increase serotonin production and

support circadian regulation; sticking to your sleep schedule and self-care routines; and finding creative ways to stay connected.

“If the weather is a barrier, reach out to friends online and over the phone.

Explore online groups and courses,” they wrote.

Cotterall and Bradley echoed Nicholson in pointing out that, in winter, there is such a wide variety of options to get outdoors that are accessible and affordable. “There are also multiple organized events that combine being outdoors, exercising and connecting with others, such as the ice fishing derby and the bonspiel,” they noted. “Regular access to green spaces has been linked to lower risks of depression and improved concentration and attention.”

PUBLIC NOTICE SHORT TERM RENTAL BUSINESS BYLAW NO. 503, 2024 Notice is hereby given that the Council of the Village of Radium Hot Springs is considering adoption of Short Term Rental Business Bylaw No. 503, 2024 at the Regular Council Meeting held: MONDAY, MARCH 11TH, 2024 AT 4:00 PM COUNCIL CHAMBERS, VILLAGE OFFICE 4836 RADIUM BLVD. RADIUM HOT SPRINGS, BC

In general terms, the proposed Short Term Rental Business Bylaw No. 503, 2024 will replace STR Bylaw No. 466 and amendment bylaw No. 470, and will include, the following additions and/or amendments: 1. Requires owners to post contact information for the STR 24-hour property manager on an exterior door or wall of the STR premises; 2. Removes the fees from the STR bylaw and sets out the fees as a new schedule in a new Fees and Charges Bylaw; 3. Removes the option for a new owner to pay a STR transfer fee upon sale of a STR property; 4. Removes the prorated fee after June 30th.

All persons who consider themselves affected by the adoption of the proposed ShortTerm Rental Business Bylaw No. 503, 2024 may make representations to Council by: 1.Providing a written submission by mail, fax or email to be received by 4:00 PM on Wednesday March 6th, 2024 (contact information below); or by 2.Presenting written and/or verbal submissions at the Council meeting.

There will be an opportunity to attend the Council meeting virtually, with details provided on the Council meeting agenda, which will be posted in the Document Centre on theVillage website onThursday, March 7th, 2024. Submissions cannot be accepted after the Council meeting.

The Bylaw is available for inspection on our website: www.radiumhotsprings.ca

Village of Radium Hot Springs P.O. Box 340, 4836 Radium Blvd, Radium Hot Springs, B.C., ph: 250-347-6455

fax: 250-347-9068

email: cao@radiumhotsprings.ca

14

THE COLUMBIA VALLEY PIONEER

FEBRUARY 22, 2024

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FEBRUARY 22, 2024

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An Indigenous generation through clothes

By Julia Magsombol Local Initiative Reporter julia@columbiavalleypioneer.com A piece of clothing does not only represent fashion but also identity and culture that can be passed down to the next generation.

Laura Salo, a Métis, a mother, and a retail worker at the Indigenous store Old Tribes, shared different stories on her cultural roots. One of the significant parts of her story is the ribbon skirt.

"They're really beautiful to me," Salo said. "They're just so beautiful on Native women."

Salo said that most ribbon skirts are worn in powwows and certain ceremonies. Some Indigenous women wear them every day, and others wear them on special occasions. Different patterns and colours of the skirt also have different meanings.

Growing up in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Salo described her childhood as a time when she didn't have very much knowledge on her cultural roots. She was also not fluent in Métis language or beliefs. "[Our] culture was repressed in the earlier years," she pointed out.

However, as Salo grows older and

meets more people, she tends to learn more about her Métis roots. She discovered some important things from her mother, grandmother, and friends. One of the things she learned from a friend is how to make a ribbon skirt since they would always make skirts and jewelry together.

"I just started learning about all of these things," Salo said. "I like culture.

I like my heritage. I wish I knew more about it growing up."

Working in Old Tribes for almost two years helped Salo learn more about the clothes of Indigenous Peoples, from learning and talking to the store’s owners and patrons.

"I'm going to support my heritage," she laughed.

Salo also started to learn about their language through her grandmother.

She would ask for a few words and sentences, which were difficult to learn but worth it.

"I love to listen to my granny talk. I'd love to understand her fully," she added.

As Salo gains more knowledge and experience about her culture and identity, she remembers with fondness the hunting stories that her grandfather used to tell.

"You're sitting there around a table full of elders, and they're having all these great conversations and telling all these good stories," she said. "I'm hearing hunting stories from my grandfather. I love hearing those."

Salo's family had a trapline, and she also remembers how they traditionally cooked meat. She treasures these memories. "They've been just slowly telling me little things here and there, and I try

and keep them in my head.”

Salo said she would like to see people embrace their culture more. “It'd be nice to see the younger generation do that. I wish that more kids would grow up with their traditions. It's so amazing to see a little Native boy running around with a long braid."

For more information, visit the Old Tribes store website at https://www. oldtribes.com/.

The Old Tribes store based in Alberta offers clothing heaped in Indigenous culture and tradition.

PHOTO JULIA MAGSOMBOL

Mainroad outlines plan, projects for 2024 Columbia Valley Pioneer staff Mainroad East Kootenay has a lot of work ahead in 2024.

This work was highlighted in a recent presentation to the Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) by Mainroad general manager Teagan Burton.

The presentation outlined the company’s Service Area 11, which includes 3,600 kilometres of maintained roads, 570 kilometres of numbered highways, 11 rest areas, 100 bridges, and 40 retaining walls.

With a staff of more than 75 employees, Burton said Mainroad likes to get involved in the community. For example, she cited the company’s Ktunaxa Hunting Camp where at-risk youth learn traditional hunting ways. “We provide them road kill to bait their

traps,” Burton said, adding the company also purchases wall tents for the camp.

Another program that Burton highlighted was Project Heavy Duty, where Mainroad partners with WorkBC to give high school students hands-on experience operating heavy equipment; the company offers its crane truck for training purposes.

Burton informed the RDEK about upcoming Mainroad projects, including 8,500 metric tons of sideroad paving, side road crack sealing, and 20,000 litres of side road spray patching. She also outlined a few Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure projects, such as resurfacing, upgrading the Akisq’nuk First Nation intersection, rest areas on Highway 93/95, and the big horn sheep overpass near Radium.

During question period, Mayor of Elkford Steve

Fairbairn asked what is being done about the “poor” highway conditions on Highway 43 that have resulted in people (motorists) “dying.” Burton said they can set up a meeting with public works to discuss the concern, noting that Mainroad follows the highest standard of highway maintenance at the moment.

Area F director Susan Clovechok noted that she receives phone calls from people asking why certain roads haven’t been cleared of snow. She then asked if Mainroad has a mapping classification to address this issue. Burton said they will check into that.

RDEK Board Chair Rob Gay asked how can citizens bring forward projects or concerns about wildlife issues and “blind areas” on highways.

Burton said they can schedule a meeting on site to discuss these issues.

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THE COLUMBIA VALLEY PIONEER

FEBRUARY 22, 2024

PIONEER CLASSIFIEDS 250-341-6299

info@columbiavalleypioneer.com

ANNOUNCEMENTS

OBITUARY

Al-Anon. Are you concerned about or affected by someone else’s drinking? Meeting Mondays 7:15 pm. at Canadian Martyrs Parish front side door.

712 12 Ave. Invermere. For more information or to speak with someone from our fellowship, please call 250-8782448 or 250-342-8392.

Alcoholics Anonymous. If alcohol is causing problems or con ict in your life, AA can help.

All meetings are at 7 p.m.

Columbia United AA, Invermere: Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday at the BC Service Building, South End – 624 4th St., Invermere. Please call 250342-2424 for more information or to speak with someone from our fellowship.

Narcotics Anonymous Open Meeting Mondays 7 p.m. at the BC Service Building, South End. 624-4th St. Invermere.

www.columbiavalleypioneer.com LEGAL/PUBLIC NOTICES

NOTICE OF DISPOSITION

In Loving Memory Frederick Thode-Hamilton July 24, 1931 — February 8, 2024

It is with sad hearts we announce the passing of Frederick Paul Thode-Hamilton.

Fred was born in Kiel, Germany and came to Canada in 1956 by boat to Ottawa, train to Edmonton and plane to Yukon Territory with his brother Hans. Together they worked as miners at the United Keno Hill Mines where they met their lifelong friend Hermann Mauthner. His recreational activities in the Yukon included soccer and judo.

Between 1955 and 1971 Fred moved on to various mining positions including exploration for MacDonald Consultants. He also worked in Faro as surface superintendent. In 1975 he moved to Saskatoon to work at Rabbit Lake Uranium Mine as General Manager until his retirement.

During his time in the Yukon, he met the love of his life Shirley at the Mauthner residence. In December 1977 Fred and Shirley married in Australia, Shirley’s birthplace. After Shirley’s retirement from the Saskatoon University Hospital, they both relocated to Invermere, B.C. Fred was a councillor for the District of Invermere, enjoyed nature, his cookies and coffee, and loved his family, but his wife was his passion. To see them dance was like watching Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

Family and friends of Fred Thode-Hamilton would like to extend a huge Thank You to all staff and doctors at Columbia House for the outstanding level of care you provided.

He is survived by his sister Maggie in Germany, brother Hans in Idaho, nephew Brian, niece Brenda (Tony), and children Breanna, Savanna and extended Mauthner family.

Shirley and Fred are together again and dancing to all the classics.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a future date.

CHEERS

WANTED

Happy to be Back!

Providing real estate services for Buyers & Sellers!

Connect with Gerry for honest advice! cell 250-341-1202 gerry@gerrytaft.ca

CHEERS

BUSINESS SERVICES

A few minutes before the B.B.'s Home & Design Services closing of Screamers in Radium, Renovations, Masonry & dine-in delicious tacos were Handyman Services, Blinds, served rather than take out. My Housechecks, eavestrough/ half eaten ice cream cup upside yard cleaning/dump runs. down on the oor was kindly 250-688-2897 or 403-861-8782 CHEERS replaced with a full cup of ice cream.

I love a place like this. Affordable options for 0ltered Cheers to my neighbor Dan for water. No more buying bottled taking care of shoveling my Kind and delicious. driveway. I don't know what I Cheers to Hans, the best of men. water. We can treat your well water also. Hard Water, Iron, would do without your help. You You will be missed.

Arsenic, Bacteria, Manganese, are a godsend!

Searching for Traditional Artist with experience in sewing moosehide.

Phone or text 250-688-1581

BUSINESS SERVICES

Cheers to The Graham Family for sponsoring Edgewater THE HEARTFELT COMPANION: Elementary School’s February Services for Seniors hot lunch! Your support to our Since 2014 we've provided Cheer to Keith for your school’s program is appreciated. kind and compassionate non-medical care, generosity and treating me to A very special Cheers to Andrew transportation to Cranbrook, lunch. and Bryce for checking out my overnight care, meal prep, Cheers to Karen for hosting card vehicle at Canadian Tire and grocery shopping and more. games at her house. I look ensuring it was okay. You went Excellent local references. forward to them. The snacks above and beyond and I am very 250-341-5683 appreciative.

Carol Heartfeltcompanionservices.com and tea are a bonus.

Sulphate etc... Offering a 10% percent discount on all systems until the end of winter. Call us at 250-342-5089 or email us at info@aquairwater.com for more information.

Re: Property owned by ALEXANDER FASTHUBER of site 6-8614 Highway 93/95 Green Acres Mobile Home Park, Dry Gulch, BC V0A 1M0 Take notice that pursuant to Section 37(3) of the Regulation of the Manufactured Home Park Tenancy Act, the landlord of the Manufactured Home Park at Site 6 - 8614 Highway 93/95 Green Acres Mobile Park, Dry Gulch, BC V0A 1M0 intends to dispose of a 1972 Chinook Manufactured Home, registered in the Manufactured Home Registry under 042822, and its contents (the “Property”) located in the Manufactured Home Park, 30 days after the publication date of this notice, unless: • You establish a legal right to possession of the Property, or • You make an application to the Supreme Court to establish such a right.

After the expiration of the 30 day period, the Property will be disposed of with no further notice to you.

Landlord: c/o Drouillard Lawyers

Suite 1910, 777 Hornby Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1S4, 604-757-6389

2023-2024 ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION ANNUAL PLAN & OPERATION MAP The Rocky Mountain Trench Ecosystem Restoration Program and partner agencies and organizations would like to inform the public that the activities planned for Grassland Ecosystem Restoration are available for public viewing at the following website: https://www.trench-er.com and select Current Plan Link.

The 2023-2024 Annual Plan document identifies the project leads and their contact information should the public have concerns or questions about individual projects.

Deadline for comments or concerns is April 15, 2024

HELP WANTED

H E L P WA N T E D Ravenhead Fabrication Services is seeking a detail-oriented Metal Fabricator/Welder to join our team.

Apply in person at 128-B Industrial Rd. 2, Invermere, or email resume to jobs@ravenheadfab.ca

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FEBRUARY 22, 2024

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17

HELP WANTED

Family Dynamix is looking for an experienced part-time bookkeeper to join our team of vibrant, sincere, and professional individuals.

Responsibilities include a variety of bookkeeping and clerical duties in support of the organization’s accounting policies and procedures within a computerized accounting system.

Submit a resume and cover letter to Cari Stewart, Director of Program Management, Family Dynamix Association at cstewart@fdx.family, or Box 2289, Invermere, BC., V0A 1K0, by March 4, 2024 at 4pm.

Lighting the way - The Toby Creek Nordic Ski Club hosted its annual lantern ski night at Panorama Mountain Resort on Sunday, Feb. 18. It is estimated that 300 people showed up, a significant increase from the 200 who participated last year.

PHOTO STEVE HUBRECHT

Open gym program offers youth options

By Steve Hubrecht steve@columbiavalleypioneer.com

The Summit Youth Centre provides youth with access to the DTSS gym on Fridays after school and on Saturdays.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Teens looking to stay active throughout the winter now have a new option, with the Summit Youth Centre having just launched its Open Gym program.

The program provides local youth access to the gym at David Thompson Secondary School (DTSS) on Fridays after school and on Saturdays, with Summit Youth Centre staff on hand to run recreation programs. The first Open Gym days were earlier this month, on February 2 and 3, with volleyball, badminton and indoor soccer.

“It went really well,” said Summit Youth Centre manager Pauline Chevanne. Turnout was decent, with 10 teens at the first-ever program on Friday, and Chevanne expects it will climb as the program progresses over the next few months.

“It’s not really well-known yet,” she said. “When more youth know about it, we’ll probably see more of them coming to it.”

This coming Friday, Feb. 16 there will be volleyball and badminton; Saturday, Feb. 17 is badminton and open gym time; and next Friday, Feb. 23 will be dodgeball.

Open Gym will run most weekends from now until the end of May. The idea for it came from a survey of Columbia Valley youth and from in-person feedback to Summit Youth Centre, stretching back for years. Through both those avenues local youth made clear that they wanted more free indoor recreation programs through the winter and spring.

“There’s a lot of great outdoor recreation in the valley in winter. But the

gear to go snowboarding, for example, can be expensive,” said Chevanne. “If you can’t afford these things, or don’t have a good option for transportation, there isn’t necessarily a whole lot to do through the winter.”

The Open Gym program seeks to address that.

“It’s good for mental health, it’s good for physical health, and it’s good just for helping kids to not be bored and on screens all the time,” said Chevanne, adding that physical activity can reduce stress, reduce anxiety, improve mood, boost self-esteem, enhance cog-

“When more youth know about it, we’ll probably see more of them coming out to it.”

Pauline Chevanne nitive function, and reduce symptoms of depression, according to the Mental Health Commission of Canada.

Open Gym runs from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays and from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays and is open to any youth aged 12 to 18. To participate youth must be registered with the Summit Youth Centre (for insurance purposes), but organizers want joining to be as easy as possible and so will have forms available at each program session so youth can sign up on the spot.

The program is funded by the Radium Rotary Health and Wellness Endowment Fund and #BrettBrettBaltacBoat Concert, through the Columbia Valley Community Foundation. Visit the Summit Youth Centre Facebook page or visit invermeresummityouthcentre.org.

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THE COLUMBIA VALLEY PIONEER

FEBRUARY 22, 2024

SPORTS

BEY ND THE BLUE LINE Rockies heading into playoffs after wins

By Stephanie Stevens Boom, boom, boom indeed.

The final two regular season games for the Columbia Valley Rockies were both against the Golden Rockets, and while the Friday, Feb. 16 home game was a runaway win for the boys, they had to earn their stripes the following night in the Golden barn.

Friday night scoring was opened up in the first period by Carter Velker (assist from Bryan Kim), followed by Ben Sharp (assists from Justin King and Carter Krause), and an unassisted effort from Paddy Donahue. Johnny Lozeman

closed out the first with one more (assists from Teo Fath and Jamieson Franz).

The second period saw Kim pot another (assists from Velker and Wyatt Wurtz) and the third saw Lozeman step up again (assists from Franz and Fath), and Wurtz got the last goal of the game (assists from Sharp and Luke Hamilton).

Netminder Nate Glenn stopped 24 of 25 shots on goal.

“I was happy with both games,” said head coach Tayler Sincennes. “I thought we did a good job building momentum heading into the post season. The year has been a long grind at times so we are very excited for the playoffs to get kicked

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off next weekend.”

Assistant coach Tanner Wit echoed Sincennes’ sentiments, especially “starting off very strong in front of a great pre-playoff crowd.

“It's always nice to put some of our offence on display in front of the support we get. Nate Glenn was solid this weekend once again which will be integral in our playoff push. Saturday’s game was a nice finish to the regular season focusing on good habits and playing within our systems.”

Associate coach Tucker Braund noted that the team is feeling their groove again at the right time.

“The team has been working hard to dial in the details and putting in the effort that can make those details shown,” he said. “Saturday night was a tough task. Golden was playing their last game of the season (no playoffs for them) they had a really good crowd and they were amped up to try and get a win.”

The first period saw Kobe Mason (assists from Velker and Kim) and Kade Cohlan (assist from Wurtz) beat the Golden goalie, but the Rockets played hard and the game went into overtime.

“We slipped a bit in the second pe-

riod and late in the third to let them tie it up,” said Braund. “But our trade deadline acquisition Nathan Kaye (Moose) came up huge in overtime which really got everyone amped up on the win.”

“It was a storybook ending to have Nathan Kaye score the overtime winner against his former team in his last regular season game in the KIJHL,” said Wit. Franz and Kim assisted in the game winning goal.

Braund said it was a nice way to finish the regular season, and the truly hard work begins this week for playoffs.

“We are excited about our young team going into the first round; we want to go and stir the pot for sure … and I think we have the team to do it with,” he said.

The third place Rockies will be in Kimberley Friday and Saturday for their first two playoff games in the Eddie Mountain Division against the second place Dynamiters.

Games three and four will be in Invermere at Eddie Mountain Memorial Arena Monday, Feb. 26 and Tuesday, Feb 27, with the final game (if needed) on Feb. 29 in Kimberley.

Find talent, develop your team’s skills and access resources to help support your growing business.

Visit WorkBC.ca/FindAnswers

From left, Tucker Braund (associate coach), Tayler Sincennes (head coach and GM), and Tanner Wit (assistant coach) are ready to guide the Rockies through the playoffs.

PHOTO STEPHANIE STEVENS

FEBRUARY 22, 2024

THE COLUMBIA VALLEY PIONEER

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Brave souls take the Polar Plunge

At least the sun was out to bring a little warmth to those who took part in the two-day Polar Plunge at Taynton Bay in Invermere last weekend. The icy dip was a jolt to the senses but a refreshing tradition to make one feel alive.

PHOTOS CHRIS MOSELEY

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THE COLUMBIA VALLEY PIONEER

FEBRUARY 22, 2024

Columbia Valley

Churches LAKE WINDERMERE ALLIANCE CHURCH While you are with us, you are always welcome to join us.

Sunday at 10:30 am 326 10th Avenue, Invermere 250-342-9535 | www.lwac.ca

WINDERMERE VALLEY SHARED MINISTRY ANGLICAN-UNITED Minister: Brent Woodard Sundays at 10:30 am, in-person or on Zoom.

For the Zoom link, please visit our website at wvsm.ca.

110 - 7th Ave. in Invermere.

VALLEY CHRISTIAN ASSEMBLY Pastor: Justin Furse Sunday 10 a.m. Worship Service 4814 Highway Drive, Windermere 250-342-9511 | www.vcachurch.net

ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

Going through the hoops - The youngest members of the Toby Creek Nordic Ski Club took part in the club’s annual Olympics at Nipika Mountain Resort on Saturday, Feb. 17.

PHOTO STEVE HUBRECHT

Radium library filled to the brim seniors to make connections and foster creativity. We do our best to partner with many local organizations to bring programs and services to the community. The Radium Library also hosts a free volunteer income tax clinic each year for individuals that qualify for the program. This service will be available February 21 to April 30th. Check out our website or Facebook page for more information about services and programs.

This week’s column was written by Jacqueline Kozak, director of the Radium Public Library, and Donna Tunney from Friends of the Library. Call 250-347-2434 for more information.

The Radium Hot Springs Public Library is located inside the Radium Hot Springs Community Centre.

Our facility is equipped with an interactive children’s area, craft table, public computers, study spaces, free wifi, and a cozy reading area. In addition to our collection of books and resources, we also have a ‘Library of Things’ available to library cardholders. This collection includes digitization equipment to preserve photographs and slides, chromebooks, e-reader devices, activity kits, and a radon testing kit.

We also offer programs for all ages, and they are all free to the public. Our winter program calendar features a weekly ‘Storytime’ program every Wednesday at 11:30 a.m., a weekly baby program every Thursday at 11:30 a.m., and a weekly tech support program courtesy of our community partner – the Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy, every Thursday from 2 to 4 p.m. (by appointment). We also have seasonal crafts and monthly STEAM programs for children ages 5-plus.

There are also monthly programs for teens, adults, and

Friends of the Library As we mentioned last month, our third annual book sale was a resounding success. So much so that we’re already planning our fourth. But for that, we need your help.

We’re looking for gently used books in every genre — history, romance, mystery, science fiction, women’s fiction, new adult, and self help, as well as cookbooks, children’s titles, classics, and more. Jigsaw puzzles and board games are welcome too.

This past year we also sold a variety of artisan creations. So, if you’re a knitter, a quilter, a tatter, or an all ‘round creative, and your craft room is overflowing with small, completed items you no longer have room to store, we’d be delighted to take those treasurers off your hands and find a new home for them.

All proceeds from the sale go to support the Radium Public Library, so you’ll be donating to a great cause that gives back to the community. And clearing off your bookshelves for new titles at the same time. A win-win!

If you have gently used books, puzzles, and crafts you want to donate, please drop them off at the library located in the Radium Hot Springs Centre, 4863 Stanley Street.

St. Anthony’s, Canal Flats: Saturday, 4 pm Canadian Martyrs’, Invermere: Saturday 5 pm, Sunday 9 am St. Joseph’s, Radium: Sunday 11 am Father Francis Dela Cruz | 712 -12th Ave., Invermere 250-342-6167

ST. PETER’S LUTHERAN CHURCH Sunday 1:30 p.m. Worship Service at Valley Christian 4814 Highway Drive, Windermere lutheranstpeter@gmail.com

RADIUM CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP Sunday 10 a.m. Worship service Pastor Wayne and Linda Frater | 250-342-6633 #4, 7553 Main St. Radium | 250-347-9937

CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS Worship Service, Sunday, 10 a.m.

Relief Society, 11:15 a.m.

President Kendyn Mackensie • Columbia Valley Branch • 5014 Fairway, Fairmont Hot Springs 250-439-9041

CHURCH OF CHRIST (Iglesia ni Cristo) Worship Service: Sunday 9 a.m., Thursday 7:45 p.m.

Chamber of Commerce (Lions Hall) For inquiries: 250-688-1643 250-270-2208 or 250-688-0629 For more info about the church, you can Google online at incmedia.org or pasugo.com.ph

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