Vol. 20/Issue 15 Your Weekly Source for News and Events April 13, 2023 Serving the Upper Columbia Valley including Akisq’nuk and Shuswap First Nations, Spillimacheen, Brisco, Edgewater, Radium, Invermere, Windermere, Fairmont and Canal Flats FREE The Columbia Valley P IONEER CURLING MEDAL COMEDY A paraglider heads for the valley bottom after taking o from a ski run at Panorama Mountain Resort earlier this month....Photo by Greg Skinner 3 5 FRESH SNOW 12 SEAN & PAUL ROGGEMAN P e r s o n a l R e a l E s t a t e C o r p o r a t i o n s Your listing on the front page with 250-341-5445 250-341-5300 Independently owned and operated Sean@rockieswest com FATHER & SON REAL ESTATE TEAM WITH 16+ YEARS OF EXPERIENCE THINKING OF SELLING YOUR HOME OR COTTAGE IN 2023? TEXT OR CALL SEAN FOR A FREE VALUE ESTIMATE TO HELP YOU MAKE YOUR DECISION : 250-341-5445 Rockies West Realty NOT INTENDED TO SOLICIT BUYERS OR SELLERS CURRENTLY UNDER CONTRACT WITH A BROKERAGE 250-341-5445 250 •341• 6044 | 250•341•1395 PERSONAL REAL ESTATE CORPORATION Realty Inver mere G e off Hi l l Personal Real Estate Corporation Fair Realty 250-341-7600 www.Rockies.RealEstate Serving Invermere, Panorama and the entire Columbia Valley
a , R o n a n , L e x i ,
E l a n i , J u l i a n , J a c k s o n , E m i l y, L u x , J u l i a n ,
J a c k s o n , E m i l y, E l l i o t , A n a l i s e , C h l o e ,
C h a r l o t t e , L u cy, O l i v e r, E m i l y, E a s t o n , S k y, L i l a , A n n a , Z a c k , L a y n e , S c a r l e t t , K e a r r a , Ta l y o r, S a s h a , K i a n n a , J a n i c e , S o f i e , E l l i s , C a m e r o n , E l l i e , C a r t e r, L i l l y, D a x t o n , M a d d i s o n , D y l a n , L e x i , M y a , A l y s s a , B e n j a m i n , N o v a , B e n t l e y H O N O U R A B L E M E N T I O N : L e x i , J u l i a n , J a c k s o n , E m i l y, E l l i o t t , A n a l i s e , C h l o e , C h a r l o t t e , L u cy, O l i v e r, E l a n i , E a s t o n , S k y, L i l a , A n n a , Z a c k , L a y n e , S c a r l e t t , K e a r r a , Ta y l o r, S a s h a , K i a n n a , J a n i c e , S o f i e , E l l i s , C a m e r o n , E l l i e , C a r t e r, L i l l y, D a x t o n , M a d d i s o n , D y l a n , L e x i , M y a , A l y s s a , R i v e r, A i r a , S a s h a , L a r n i n , J a n i c e , O l i v e r, L a r k i n
2 • e Columbia Valley Pioneer April 13, 2023 VALLEY VIEWS
Geese, swans and other migratory birds are back in the valley, joining the local birds.( is image is looking north from Windermere Creek Beach).
annual Adult Easter
without
Photo by Ryan Watmough
e
Egg
Hunt went off
hitch at Hopkin’s Harvest on April 7. If you want to see big kids on an egg hunt, follow @hopkinsharvest to get the inside details on next years’ event.
invermere.bc.libraries.coop gnivreS t eh oC l u mb i a Vall e y U P COM I N G EV E NTS C raft Connec tions C lub April 19th at 6 pm Painting garden marker rocks Space limited, contac t us to register 250-342-6416. Te mp er ed Gl ass for indoor or outdoor railings Custom fitted tempered glass for indoor or outdoor ilings. Prompt, professional service with guaranteed workmanship #3, 109 Industrial #2, Invermere B.C. 250-342-3659 • Fax: 250-342-3620 www.invermereglass.com Serving Residential and Commercial Clients Ser v ing Invermere, Panorama and the entire Columbia Valley • w w w. R o c k i e s . R e a l E s t a t e Br yan Gibb hello@br yangibb ca 250-341-5263 Geoff Hill Personal Real Estate Corp REALTOR® Fair Realty 250-341-7600 F A I R R E A L T Y C ottage Vibes…In Town! 30-10th Ave. Invermere $449,900 MLS# 2468923 Bruno’s Plumbing Service Mike Sylvestre 250.342.5105 brunosplumbing@shaw.ca Serving The Columbia Valley ~ We now service drains ~ This week ’s winner is… D e l o r e s R o s e Many, many more draws will continue through 2023. GREAT GAS GIVEAWAY E A S T E R C O L O U R I N G C O N T E S T W I N N E R S S O FA R : Te s s , A y l a , S a r a h , B e n t l e y, Pe y t o n , L a y l a , G u n n e r, B r a y a , Tr e y s o n , B e n j a m i n , C h e y a n n e , Z a r a , S e n n a , Z a r r i
Photos by Ryan Watmough
VALLEY NEWS
Curiosity leads to bronze curling medal
Invermere resident leads ad hoc Alerta team to fire fighter curling nationals
By Steve Hubrecht steve@columbiavalleypioneer.com
Invermere resident Richard Brunner won a bronze medal on March 31 as part of Team Alberta at the Canadian Fire Fighters Curling Association Championships.
e bronze represents tremendous success for Brunner and his teammates, Scott Jordan, Cory Campbell, Josh Van Arnam and director Trish Young. For all of them ,it was the first time to compete at the national level. Making their odds longer was the fact the team had never actually curled together before this season.
“We really were just thrown together,” said Brunner.
e Canadian Fire Fighters Curling Association Championships were held from March 24 to April 1 in Montague, P.E.I. e event is open to volunteer, full-time, and military fire fighter curling teams. It was the first time the event was held since 2019, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Brunner, who plays lead, and his
teammates played together for the very first time at the Alberta Fire Fighters Association Provincial Championships on Jan. 28. Brunner and his family have lived in Invermere for 14 years, but he works for the Calgary Fire Department. at’s why he represented Alberta instead of British Columbia.
All had played in the provincials before, and all were good curlers. But they did not expect to pose a genuine challenge to the three teams that typically dominate the provincials. en they beat the topranked team in their first game. After their first win the team took the whole competition differently.
“We took it a bit more seriously after that. We realized we could win,” said Brunner.
“It turns out our dynamic was pretty good,” said Brunner.
Brunner and team won the provincials, punching a ticket to P.E.I.
e new Team Alberta was excited to head to nationals, but weren’t dreaming of a medal there, he said.
At the 2019 nationals, Team Alberta
Concern for train sparked res near dense forest and CastleRock estates
By Steve Hubrecht steve@columbiavalleypioneer.com
Invermere Fire Rescue investigated a recent burn along the Canadian Pacific rail tracks at the south end of Invermere, but officials said they are waiting for a response from the railroad before they can complete their work.
“[ e investigation] is not complete because we are still waiting to hear back from CP,” said Invermere fire chief Jason Roe.
Invermere Fire Rescue initially planned to investigate the burn mark on April 3, but snowfall the night before postponed the plan. By the morning of April 4 the snow had disappeared, so the fire crew conducted its investigation, spending several hours at the site.
Roe explained that Invermere Fire Rescue reached out to CP Rail, but has not yet heard back. Consequently the
cause of the burn “is still undetermined,” he said.
“It’s the second close call we’ve had in our community,” said Mitchell-Banks, member of the CastleRock Estates FireSmart Committee. e other was a 2015 blaze that started when a tree fell on a power line, he said.
Invermere mayor Al Miller echoed Roe’s comments, noting the District of Invermere has not received the report.
“As soon as (Roe) has his communication with CP finished, then we (the district) can report back. at’s probably going to be next week some time,” said Miller.
came eighth out of 10 provinces.
“So that was our baseline,” said Brunner.
Brunner’s team was delighted with their results in P.E.I., having won the final
three round robin games, finishing with an overall record of 6 wins and 3 losses. at’s how they squeaked into the fourth and final playoff spot.
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Continued 1214 -7th Avenue, Invermere Ph: 250-341-6044 • realestateinvermere.c a
April 13, 2023 e Columbia Valley Pioneer • 3
Richard Brunner in action at the Canadian Fire Fighters Curling Association Championships in P.E.I. photo submitted
e Pioneer reached out to CP Rail for comment first on March 31 about the burn mark and then again last week about the district’s report. Salem Woodrow, a CP Rail spokesperson, said that a detailed response from the company would take time. 8 . . . Continued on page 9 . . .
SECURITY SECURITY
RCMP Report
Released by: Sgt. Darren Kakuno
Columbia Valley RCMP
Hospice Gala
April 3rd through April 9th, e Columbia Valley RCMP responded to 63 calls for service. e following is a summary of some of the files our officers responded to. April 6th the Canal Flats Fire Department notified the RCMP of recent fire activity that occurred near the Martin Morigeau Elementary School. e first fire was located on Monday (April 3rd) and extinguished without incident. e following day another fire was located in the same area and again extinguished without incident. Both fires were started on old tree stumps intentionally. On Wednesday a tree stump in the same area was observed with dry pine needles and small kindling stacked on the top but was never lit on fire. British Columbia Wild Fire Service and the RCMP are investigating these fires. If anyone has any information with regards to these
fires please contact the local RCMP detachment.
April 6th the Columbia Valley RCMP were made aware that all schools in Invermere and Windermere initiated a hold and secure as a result of some information they had received regarding a student mentioning on social media that they had access to weapons. No actual threats were made toward the schools or any students. Members were able to locate the student, who was not at the school, and confirmed they had no weapons nor were any threats made.
April 7th a member of the Columbia Valley RCMP was on patrol on Hwy 93-95 when they observed a vehicle being driven by prohibited driver. A traffic stop was conducted where it was confirmed the driver was in fact still prohibited and suspended from driving. e driver was issued an appearance notice and the vehicle was impounded for 7 days.
Fundraiser a success
Purchase your tickets at HospiceSocietyCV.com or call the Hospice office at 778-526-5143
On behalf of the Radium Hot Springs Public Library, thank you to everyone who participated in our third annual Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt! We would also like to extend a big thank you to all of our dedicated volunteers and staff who helped make this event possible, and a special shoutout to our Assistant Library Director, Jan - thank you for all the work you put in to make this event happen, and for all you do for the library and our community! We have a few library updates. ere are a few programs coming to an end this month. Our Art in the Afternoon program will wrap up for the season at the end of the month and will resume in the fall. Our Crafty Saturdays program will also wrap up for the season at the end of April when we switch to our summer programming schedule. Our free tax clinic will be available until April 30th – eligibility criteria can be found on our website. We will continue to offer our weekly story time program every Wednesday at 11:15am, as well as an assortment of senior programs. Stay tuned for summer program updates! Friends of the Radium Library: It’s spring—no matter what Mother Nature thinks—and that means it’s time to clean and organize! When you’re
clearing out your garage and closets, set aside your gently used household items for our May 20th Community Garage Sale and BBQ, hosted by the Friends of the Radium Library, the Radium Rotary Garden, and the Radium Fire Hall. We’re looking for donations of seasonal décor, small appliances and electronics, luggage, toys, games, puzzles, baby items, tools, camping and sporting equipment, fashion accessories, outerwear, and small furnishings, as well as tables and chairs for the patio. No large items, please. We’ll begin collecting donations May 1st. Or drop off your items at the Radium Fire Hall the evening before the event—Friday, May 19th. en come shopping on the Saturday May 20, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., for new-to-you, low-priced treasures. Bring the kids to meet Randy the Ram, Radium’s mascot. And enjoy the mouth-watering BBQ, prepared by the volunteer firefighters. If you have items you want to donate, contact us at friendsoftheradiumlibrary@gmail.com, @ Friends of Radium Library on FB, or call 250-347-2434. And stay tuned for our summer fundraiser—Adventure Auction: A Celebration of Community, Commerce, and Culture—July 1st to August 31st.
4 • e Columbia Valley Pioneer April 13, 2023
Recycle? Yes or no? Get the BC RECYCLEPEDIA App RECYCLING COUNCIL OF B.C. MEMBER www.rcbc.ca Recycling questions? RECYCLING HOTLINE 604-732-9253 1-800-667-4321 COUNCIL OF B. Where to recycle? RECYCLING COUNCIL OF B.C. MEMBER Check the BC RECYCLEPEDIA 604-RECYCLE (732-9253) 1-800-667-4321 Check the BC RECYCLEPEDIA www.rcbc.ca Can this be recycled? RECYCLING COUNCIL OF B.C. MEMBER
3- Course Meal • Live Entertainment by Bryant Olender Silent Live and Dessert Auction Free chocolate tasting provided by Wild Mountain Chocolate Saturday, April 22nd, 2023 Doors open at 5:30 p m Eagle Ranch Resort Tickets $60 Casual or going out for dinner dress Buy 8 tickets for a table reser vation
the
between noon and 4 p.m. All Proceeds to benefit Hospice Society of the Columbia Valley 8th Annual
or drop by
office
the Hospice
the Columbia Valley Theme: “For the Love of Chocolate”
Week ly Specials (Dine -in Only!) Sunday: Prime Rib Dinner Monday: Burger and Draf t Beer Thursday – S aturday: Chef 's Special Open Thursdays – Mondays for Breakfast and Dinner Scan QR code for more details
Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of
Society of
Hospice Society of the Columbia Valley Presents
250-688-HAWK Invermere & Surrounding Areas Licensed & Insured w w w v a l l e y h a w k c o m • Uniformed Guards • Mobile Patrol • Alarm Response • Property Checks Est. 2005
Dirt pile developed as critical bird habitat
Bank swallow habitat project to become part of new park
By Steve Hubrecht steve@columbiavalleypioneer.com
ere is no doubt that encroachment affects wildlife, some species move off and some turn human structures into homes. Sunken Second World War shipwrecks becoming artificial reefs is one happy accident. Another, much more local, example is the dirt pile by the Athalmer boat launch — now home to a nine pairs of breeding bank swallows.
e dirt pile has sat in Athalmer for more than three decades, but it wasn’t until last year that a volunteer bird monitor realized it was habitat for the at-risk species. Now the pile is an official habitat protection project for the District of Invermere. e birds face danger from loss of habitat and exposure to pesticides in their diets, according to Nature Canada.
e project involves preserving the one-third of the pile the bank swallows are using, creating fencing barriers to keep people a safe distance away from the birds, and adding interpretive signs explaining the ecological significance of the species and their importance of bank swallows to the Shuswap Band and the Ktunaxa Nation.
Golden-based wildlife biologist Rachel Darvill spearheaded the efforts.
Darvill leads the Upper Columbia Swallow Habitat Enhancement Project, which focuses on bank swallows and barn swallows between Canal Flats and Kinbasket Lake. Both species are designated as at-risk in Canada.
Volunteers with this larger project do inventory of bank and barn swallow nesting sites. One Columbia Valley volunteer noticed banks swallows living in the dirt pile west of the boat launch and south of the boat launch parking lot in Athalmer.
Invermere planner Rory Hromadnik said he didn’t know exactly how long the dirt pile has been sitting in Athalmer, but said it was part of the original resort development proposal at the site, and so likely dates to the 1980s.
e development was never complete, but “people were protesting down there, because they were filling in the wetlands,” he said. e dirt pile was probably being used by the developers for compaction, he added.
e two-thirds of the pile that the district removed amounts to 3,000 cubic metres and will be used for landscaping or the natural amphitheater in the planned park, said Hromadnik.
Continued on page 8 . . .
Stand up for bighorn Comedy show to raise money for Radium Hot Springs most beloved roadside hazard
By Steve Hubrecht steve@columbiavalleypioneer.com
It’s comedy for a cause.
An East Kootenay-raised standup comedian is returning to the region with a new show that will double a fundraiser for Radium Hot Springs’ bighorn sheep herd.
Sarah Stupar will bring her Big Horn(y) Comedy show to Invermere on April 23 at the Columbia Valley Centre, with shows in Golden on April 22 and in Cranbrook on April 24. She is a former Cranbrook resident.
Stupar now lives in Calgary and will be joined at Big Horn(y) Comedy by fellow Calgary-based comedians Jarrett Campbell and Brittany Lyseng.
All three come from rural, smalltown backgrounds, and the comedy is expected to resonate with an “East Kootenay audiences,” said Stupar.
“A lot of my humour revolves around small town living and the difference between what people think it is, and what it actually is,” she told the Pioneer.
She said her jokes are not meant
to disparage Kootenay communities, but instead make light of the stereotypes many urbanites hold of small towns.
Stupar grew up in Cranbrook, then lived in Vancouver and Montreal for 12 years. She returned to Cranbrook in 2019. Like many standup comedians she works other jobs to make ends meet. In 2020 and 2021 that other job was being a construction flagger in Radium Hot Springs while the Radium roundabout was built, and the traffic signs for it put in place.
Continued on page 12 . . .
Celebrating
ty, Wittman Field Ball Park and the RDEK Teacherage Lot.
To better understand the scope of the proposal, please request a proposed contract by emailing edgerecsociety@gmail.com.
Submission Deadline is: April 27, 2023
Edgewater Recreation Society Box 114, Edgewater, BC V0A 1E0
18 holes Scramble, with cart and box lunch
Come as a single, twosome or put your foursome together
Registration 9:15 to 10 a m Start time
Hosted by:
NOTICE TO CREDITORS, HEIRS, AND OTHER CL AIMANTS
In the Matter of the Indian Ac t, R.S.C. 1985 c. 1-5 as amended, and in the matter of the Estate of JAMES NICHOLAS WHITE
No. 078, 01 Akisq’nuk First Nation in the Province of British Columbia, DECEASED
Notice is hereby given pursuant to sec tion 8 of the Indian Estates Regulations that all creditors, heirs and other claimants having claims or demands against the Estate of the said
JAMES NICHOLAS WHITE who died on or about FEBRUARY 17,2023, are required to send by post prepaid or to deliver on or before MAY 15, 2023 to:
CHRISTAL WHITE PO BOX 1887
FORT ST. JAMES, BC V0J lP0
their names and addresses, full par ticulars of their claims, statement of their accounts, and the nature of the securities (if any) held by them
And take notice that after such last mentioned date the Administrator will proceed to distribute the assets of the deceased among the par ties entitled thereto, having regard only to claims filed before that date or which the Minister orders may be later received, and that the said Administrator will not be liable for the said assets or any par t thereof to any person or persons of whose claims notice was not filed by that date unless the Minister orders it may be later received
Dated at For t St James, British Columbia, on MARCH 10, 2023
Administrator /Executor, CHRISTAL WHITE
April 13, 2023 e Columbia Valley Pioneer • 5
OBJECTIVE, CREATIVE, INFORMATIVE! N E WS P A P E R Read us online at: www.columbiavalleypioneer.com E-mail: info@columbiavalleypioneer.com Phone: 250-341-6299
All Proceeds to benefit Hospice Society of the Columbia Valley
10th
of the Hospice
the
the
Anniversary
Society of
Columbia Valley
at 10:30 a m $140/per person Purchase your tickets at HospiceSocietyCV com or call the Hospice office at 778-526-5143 or drop by the office between noon and 4 p m First Annual Golf Tournament
22nd, 2023 SEEKING BIDS
Maintenance
tive May 8, 2023 until Oc tober 31, 2023 Edgewater Recreation Society is requesting quotes for the maintenance of grounds which include the Edgewater Community Park , Post O ffice and Old Credit Union proper ty, Frank ’s Rink proper
April
Grounds
Effec
GENERAL MEETING
ANNUAL
in the pre-school room Contact Pat Miller for more information 250-342-3168 Licensed Program • Quality Care • Group Day Care (3-5 yr olds) • Pre-School • Infant/Toddler Program • Out-of-School Program
Thursday, April 20, 7 p.m.
Seek fair regulation
By Greg Skinner
e egotism of single-use anything has been a topic of criticism of North American culture, at least as far back as 1996’s Chuck Palahniuk book “Fight Club,” probably a bit farther.
Without some form of materials regulation on all single use products sold commercially, no change will come because margins will always drive business decisions that feed products to a consumer society that wants a bottom price with luxury comfort.
e Canadian Single Use Plastic Prohibition regulations are unbalanced and place the primary political of many other plastic-heavy industries, solely on the prepared foods and takeaway sectors, which are the only markets currently facing plastics regulation.
e ready-to-eat food industry, which is largely behind the single use plastic boom of the last 30 years, has been an untaxed luxury of the developed world. Since 2018, the legal cannabis industry has added to the annual total tonnage of single use plastics. at first year alone saw 10,000 tonnes enter the great Canadian waste stream.
It is accepted that about 78 grams of single use plastic is put into the world along with every 3.5 grams of marijuana sold legally. A person can find plastic “doob tubes” floating in the eddies of the Columbia River wetlands ready for the 1,200 mile journey to the Pacific, or in the rough along the Westside Legacy Trail next to the now-banned plastic bags and the ubiquitous half-filled Gatoraid bottles.
e Cannabis Council of Canada noted that the creation of Canada’s legal cannabis system was focused on health safety with no thought to sustainability or the environment safety. e council called the Cannabis Act “blind” in regard to packaging regulation and sustainability built into law.
Restaurant industry groups publicly favour the move away from plastics as do some in the cannabis industry. e CEO of the largest producer and seller of cannabis in Canada asked Health Canada to address plastic use in the industry.
Considering recent statements by the District of Invermere council regarding its preference for the environment in which its citizens live over business, in many cases, it would be reasonable and perhaps prudent of the council to consider inclusion in any bylaws regulating single use plastic also address the selling of cannabis in single use plastic.
ere seems to be no sight of federal regulation of the cannabis industry’s plastic use, which presents a very unbalanced state of regulation by laying a cost burden upon the forced hand of the restaurant industry the hand while leaving a similar industry alone entirely.
Historical Lens Historical Lens
history
e Agricultural Land Commission learned last fall that the Columbia Valley Recreation Planning Initiative completed its first set of recommendations for the Steamboat Mountain Landscape Unit, an area comprised of a significant amount of actively grazed Crown range land within the Agricultural Land Reserve. Agricultural interests throughout the planning process have been represented by the Windermere District Famers Institute and the Feldman Ranch, which is directly impacted.
e planning initiative was started by the Ministry of Forest but has recently transitioned to the Ministry of Land, Water and Resource Stewardship. e recommendations by new office recommends 114 kilometres of trails and several camp sites covering about 90 percent of the Feldman Ranch Crown grazing tenure. e Feldman Ranch is a three-generation operation and one of the most productive ranches left in the Columbia Valley. e spring will see the 60th year of ranching and along with it incredible knowledge of the landscape and wildlife. e Feldman ranch suggested the trails be put elsewhere in the grazing tenure to minimize the impact of new users. Very few of the concerns raised are being addressed.
Agricultural land is the backbone of communities across the Provence. It’s a resource that supports the livelihoods of thousands of British Columbians and the man who want greater access to food grown and processed in the province. Often recreation amenities are seen as economic drivers without fully realizing the the potential downfalls, and without recognizing the need for an approach that ensures agricultural values are understood and protected.
6 • e Columbia Valley Pioneer April 13, 2023
Jennifer Dyson, Chair of Provincial Agricultural Land Commission and Vancouver Island resident.
is photograph of a black bear standing at the window of Commander Powels’ car once took a prize in a British photography magazine. It was made by A. Ashworth in 1928 0r 1929.
PERSPECTIVE is independently owned and operated, published weekly by Robert W. Doull, President and Publisher, Misko Publishing Limited Partnership. Box 868, #8, 1008 - 8th Ave., Invermere, B.C. V0A 1K0 Phone: 250-341-6299 | Toll Free (866) 496-8047 info@columbiavalleypioneer.com | www.columbiavalleypioneer.com e Columbia Valley P CANADIAN COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER AWARD 2013 Amanda Nason Associate Publisher/ Sales Manager Ext. 102 Steve Hubrecht Magazine Editor/ Reporter Ext. 105 The Columbia Valley Pioneer is available free of charge at 13 essential businesses in the Upper Columbia Valley, limited to one copy per reader. This publication has been made possible, in part, by the Government of Canada and the support of our advertisers and is published every Thursday. The Columbia Valley Pioneer may be distributed only by its authorized contractors and employees. No person may, without the prior written consent of The Pioneer or its Publisher, take more than one copy of each issue of The Pioneer. The content is protected by copyright. Reproduction by any means is prohibited except with the permission of the Publisher. Christina Boucher O ce Administrator Ext. 101 Jamie Baes Sales Representative Ext. 103 Gregory Skinner Editor Ext. 107 Letters: Consider the
Photo by the Windermere and District Historical Society
Public hearing to consider land use
Family has kept illigeal livestock on Canal Flats property for more than two years, community now wants to comment
By Steve Hubrecht steve@columbiavalleypioneer.com
An effort to turn an old golf course situated in the center of town into a ranch has concerned residents stirred up in Canal Flats.
Canal Flats council agreed on March 27 to hold a public hearing on legalizing livestock on the old golf course property in the village. e owners of property, Anora and Cory Kobza, are seeking a temporary use permit (TUP) allowing them to keep the five cows, six goats and flock of 40 egg-laying hens already on site. e lot was once a golf course, but has not been used for golf in years. e Kobza siblings want to develop the property into an urban agriculture site featuring a small farm,“agri-tourism” and mini golf.
“It is 40 acres literally in the middle of town. It is important to the community,” said Canal Flats chief administrative officer Richard Wayken.
Neither Wayken nor development consultant Jean Terpsma, acting on behalf of the Kobzas before council, could say with certainty how long the golf course has been defunct.
“It has been awhile,” said Wayken. e cows and goats have already been there for about two years, said Wayken. e Kobzas put them on the property to help shorten long grass, to deal with concerns that the grass was a potential fire hazard, he said. Terpsma said the Kobzas did not realize having the cows and goats was illegal at the time, and have been trying to legalize them ever since.
In 2021, the property was rezoned for urban agriculture, which allows for most of the farm and recreation operations the Kobzas hope to do, but does not allow livestock.
In September 2022, a TUP application for the livestock was rejected, after a Canal Flats council vote on it ended in a two-two tie. A majority of votes was needed to accept the application.
In October 2022 a new village coun-
cil was elected.
“So the Kobzas are trying again with basically the same proposal,” said Terpsma at the March 27 Canal Flats council meeting.
Anora Kobza is a Canal Flats councillor, and left the room for the discussion to avoid any conflict of interest.
Terpsma spoke to potential concerns about the goats spreading Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae to wild Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep. Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae is a bacteria causing pneumonia in domestic and wild sheep and goats.
“ e Kobzas have had the goats tested annually for the last two years, and they’ve been negative each time,” said Terpsma.
e entire property is surrounded by a chain link fence, and more internal fencing will be added if the TUP is approved, she explained.
“We’ve been working on this for a long time,” said Terpsma. “ ey’ve had these animals on site for the last couple years and to our knowledge there really has not been much for complaints, really, if any official complaints to the village. We are trying to legalize this and move forward with it. We feel like what they are proposing is suitable for that particular property.”
e Kobzas already have a greenhouse on site and plan to add an orchard, a mini golf course, a pumpkin patch and perhaps even a goat petting zoo.
Councillor Patricia Reed asked about pesticide use.
“ ey have no intention of using it. ey’re going to run it as an organic operation,” replied Terpsma.
e TUP, if granted, would be valid for three years. After that, it would need to be renewed.
is “provides the village the ability to see if it is compatible with the neighbourhood,” said Terpsma.
Council agreed to hold a public hearing on May 4, at 6:30 p.m. at the Columbia Discovery Centre.
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Email your letters to info@columbiavalleypioneer.com or visit our website at www. columbiavalleypioneer.com. Mail your letters to Box 868, Invermere, V0A 1K0, or drop them in at #8 1008-8th Avenue. Letters to the editor should be sent only to e Pioneer, and not to other publications. We do not publish open letters or third-party
Email your letters to info@columbiavalleypioneer.com or visit our website at www. columbiavalleypioneer.com. Mail your letters to Box 868, Invermere, V0A 1K0, or drop them in at #8 1008-8th Avenue. Letters to the editor should be sent only to e Pioneer, and not to other publications. We do not publish open letters or third-party
letters. Letters for publication should be no longer than 400 words, and must include the writer’s address and phone numbers.
No attachments, please. Letters may be shortened for space requirements. We reserve the right to edit for space, clarity, civility and accuracy. Opinions expressed are those of the writer, not e Pioneer.
letters. Letters for publication should be no longer than 400 words, and must include the writer’s address and phone numbers. No attachments, please. Letters may be shortened for space requirements. We reserve the right to edit for space, clarity, civility and accuracy. Opinions expressed are those of the writer, not e Pioneer.
(Municipal S anitar y S ewer and
Water Pipes)
T
The District of Invermere has contracted Mackay Contracting Ltd (Cranbrook) to construct a new municipal sanitary sewer syphon line to help address capacity issues in the existing sanitary sewer system The new sanitary sewer syphon line will be installed by directional drilling from 13th Avenue (between 5th Street and 2nd Street) down the embankment to connect with the wastewater treatment plant located on Industrial 2 Road
The project will also involve removing approximately 450 meters of paved road surface, followed by excavation, and replacement of sanitary sewer pipes, and connection with the existing residential sewer system
Mackay Contracting will notify residents in advance of potential service interruptions
It will be necessary at times to close sections or lanes of 13th Avenue and Industrial 2 Road to vehicle and pedestrian traffic to maintain safe conditions, as well as protect the public and workers at the job site In addition, driveway access to some properties will be unavailable at times When required, traffic will be diverted to other roads
Please pay careful attention to directional signage / reader boards near the project site; those directions will be updated regularly The District of Invermere and Mackay Contracting apologize in advance for any traffic delays and disruptions this important work may impose on the public
If you have any questions or concerns about the project, please contact the District of Invermere by phone 250-342-9281 or by email info@invermere net
Angela MacLean, P Eng
Andrew Young, MCIP, RPP Director of Public Works Operations Chief Administrative Officer
April 13, 2023 e Columbia Valley Pioneer • 7
N O T I C E O F W O R K 13th AVENUE SANITARY SEWER SYPHON PROJEC
914 – 8th Avenue, PO Box 339 Invermere, BC V0A 1K0 Tel: 250-342-9281 • Fax: 250-342-2934 O INVERMERE – PO Box DISTRIC T OF INVERMERE
Treat your Shelf
e Canadian Fire Fighters Curling Association Championships use the page playoff system. is meant fourth-ranked Team Alberta played third-ranked Team Manitoba in the quarterfinal. Team Alberta won, advancing to the semifinal against Team British Columbia. e semifinal was closely contested and ended tied after regular play, prompting extra ends. ere, B.C. narrowly prevailed and left Alberta with a bronze. Brunner was gutted to just barely miss winning the final.
“But we were still really pumped to get a medal” he said.
Team B.C. beat Team Southern Ontario in the gold medal game.
Brunner’s wife Jocelyn and their children Ireland, Embry and Alexandra traveled to P.E.I and turning the competition into a family vacation. Rain and snow while they were out east meant the island’s famous red dirt became car-caking red mud.
“It was great,” said Brunner.
Brunner grew up in the Columbia Valley, then left for post secondary education in Calgary. He met Jocelyn and the couple lived there for almost a decade. After their oldest girl was born, they relocated to Invermere for its outdoor lifestyle. Brunner began curling in high school. He stopped playing when he left the valley, but picked the sport up again during his second year with Calgary Fire Department. At that time the Calgary Fire Department had a 16 team curling league. at eventually fizzled out seven or eight years ago but Brunner kept curling with some fire department friends in Calgary, and with the local league in the Columbia Valley. Brunner kept his job with the Calgary Fire Department and has been there for 22 years commuting to and from the city for two 24-hour shifts every eight days.
“Fire fighting is something I’ve always enjoyed, so I stuck with it,” Brunner said. “ e Calgary Fire Department is really great to work for.”
Castle Rock Wildfire Emergency Mock Exercise
What? This is a multi-disciplinary exercise based on a wildfire that is threatening our community There will be NO ACTUAL FIRE for this exercise
Where? The exercise will focus on the Castle Rock community
When? Friday April 14 and Saturday April 15, 2023
How? By mimicking a wildfire emergency, our teams will gain insight into the management of an actual emergency scenario through a multi-disciplinary approach
Why? To increase the capacity of our emergency management systems and personnel and to bring awareness to the community of the response required during an emergency event
This project is made possible by the Columbia Basin Trust
If you have questions or would like to learn more, please contact FireSmart@Invermere.net.
Darvill came to investigate and identified nine breeding pairs (18 adults in total). She soon found out that the part of Athalmer containing the dirt pile is to be redevoped. e pile is part of the Lake Windermere Resort Lands, which the District of Invermere bought in 2019 and which it plans to turn into public parks and other green space.
She contacted the district and proposed not only conserving the pile, but also enhancing it as habitat. As far as the swallows are concerned her timing was excellent, since the district had initially planned to remove the entire pile and use it elsewhere on the site.
“It was lucky. ey were going to destroy it,” she said.
Darvill couldn’t say with certainly how often bank swallows use manmade dirt piles as habitat, but explained that from what she understands it’s not very common.
e reason she’s not certain is because there is not a lot known about bank swallows in general. Darvill said she was not aware of any research on bank swallow colonies in urban habitats, and her experience in the Columbia Valley is that most of the bank swallow habitat tends to be on the lakeshores or in steep banks of the Columbia River.
In fact there are “not a lot” of bank swallow colonies north of the steep river banks on the Columbia north of Brisco, she said. Still, Darvill was clear that any bank swallow habitat that can be preserved should be. e species suffered a 93 per cent decline in population in Canada between 1970 and 2010.
Lake Windermere supports a “significant amount of bank swallow habitat,” she said. But one of the swallows’ favourite nesting site on the lake — Lake Windermere Provincial Park — has also recently seen a drop in nesting.
At one point Lake Windermere Provincial Park supported 260 documented
bank swallow burrows. A few years ago there were only four nesting pairs occupying those burrows. Part of the problem was people using the park for recreation and disturbing the birds.
“ ere was a trail right through the colony, which caused some slumping. And people were coming right up to the nests and jamming sticks in the burrows,” said Darvill. “It was quite a bit of negative impact.”
e nesting areas at Lake Windermere Provincial Park have since been fenced off and signs put up telling the public to stay away.
e swallows probably chose the dirt pile in Athalmer because it is the right soil type. “Friable soil” has crumbly texture, and bank swallows like it because it is not too hard to dig in, but is still hard enough to retain its shape, said Darvill.
e pile will be enhanced as habitat by making the small vertical face where the bank swallows have burrowed into a more distinct vertical face. Bank swallows likely prefer vertical faces because this makes it hard for would-be predators to get at the burrows, said Darvill.
e bank swallow habitat project “fits very nicely” with the district’s plans for the area, he said. is includes the park as well as Invermere’s planned trail network expansion.
People will be able to read about bank swallows, see the habitat project, and then look across the Columbia River at the bank swallow burrows on the other side, he explained.
“It’s a neat opportunity and will be a great educational piece,” he said.
e project is set to be complete before mid-May, when bank swallow breeding season begins.
e total cost for the project is $22,500 — $5,000 from a grant and the remaining $17,500 from district reserves.
8 • e Columbia Valley Pioneer April 13, 2023
1225 7 T H AV E , I N V E R M E R E , B C Visit Four Points Books to find these books & more local reads from Heritage House We acknowledge the financial suppor of the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Canada Book Fund.
heritagehouse.ca
. . . ‘Curiosity leads’ from 3
. . . ‘Dirt pile’ from 5
New Bylaw adopted
By Steve Hubrecht steve@columbiavalleypioneer.com
e District of Invermere adopted a bylaw on February 28, allowing the municipality to borrow up to $900,000 from Kootenay Savings Credit Union, if needed.
e first line in the bylaw is attention getting without a larger context. “Whereas the District of Invermere may not have sufficient money on hand to meet the current lawful expenditures of the municipality.” at the line of credit exists is a matter of practicality, much like some families that keep a line of credit for emergencies and the unforeseen.
Invermere chief financial officer Karen Cote and Invermere Invermere chief administrative officer Andrew Young explained the district’s financial position is solid and not forecast to have a revenue shortfall or be blindsided by unexpected capital expenditures.
e line of credit is a solution to a problem that hasn’t happened.
“You could think of it as a form of insurance,” said Young. “It’s very common for municipalities through-
“Our folks are looking into it,” she said on April 7. An Invermere resident walking along the tracks discovered the burn mark on March 30, while out for a walk on the western shore of Lake Windermere. It is a few hundred metres south of Walker’s Lane. Nadine Hale described the burn as about 10 to 15 metres by five metres in size and it spread uphill towards homes from the tracks.
out B.C. to have a revenue anticipation borrowing bylaw for, as the cliche goes, a rainy day that we hope never comes.”
District documents accompanying the bylaw twice use the term “unlikely” to describe the chances of district bank accounts being in overdraft or of needing the line of credit for operational cashflow.
Maintaining the line of credit is free for the district, as long as it doesn’t actually use it, said Invermere mayor Al Miller.
e district has had the line of credit since 2005, and is required by the credit union to adopt a new revenue anticipation bylaw each year. e line of credit is a worst-case-scenario backup plan: the district has never touched it in the past, and does not anticipate doing so in the future, said Young
e bylaw and the line of credit are “a tool available for local governments that allows municipalities to borrow money for a short term to continue municipal operations while waiting for anticipated revenue (such as property taxes) to be received,” said Cote.
Mitchel-Banks said the burn mark is alarming, but added “I’m not surprised.”
He said that sparks from trains and other rail activity have caused wildfires in the past. He pointed to comments made by federal Transportation Safety Board (TSB) chair Kathy Fox in October 2021. Fox said at the time that the TSB received 170 reports from rail companies about fires on trains or in rail right-of-ways in 2021.
is was nearly 100 more reported fires than the year prior. Fox suggested climate change and the associated increase in extreme hot and dry conditions means more needs to be done by rail companies to help prevent possible wildfires.
ankfully the blaze that created the burn mark by the tracks came at a time of year when the ground is wet, and seems to have extinguished itself naturally before it was even found, he said.
“But if it had happened in early August, with a south wind, it would’ve spread quickly before detection,” added Mitchell-Banks.
CastleRock made extensive efforts to be FireSmart and was one of the first three neighbourhoods in the Columbia Valley to be officially recognized as a FireSmart Canada Neighbourhood. e other two neighbourhoods are Rushmere and the Akisqnuk First Nation.
Still, Mitchell-Banks and O’Neill are wary about the potential for wildfire. e risk for CastleRock is rated as extreme, said Mitchell-Banks. at’s in part because the community is within the forest interface, in a part of B.C. with a hot dry, climate, and in part because CastleRock is bordered on one side by privately owned land covered in dense and overgrown Douglas fir forest, he said.
FireSmart practices recommend keeping tree density to 70 stems per hectare, but in the Douglas fir forest by CastleRock the density is 3,000 stems per hectare, he said.
“I’m definitely happy the fire department and the district have looked at it and everybody is taking it seriously. But I am keen to hear CP’s response and to hear about further mitigation that could be done to assure us that they (CP Rail) are doing their best for public safety,” Hale said April 7.
e CastleRock Estates subdivision is directly west of Hale’s neighbourhood and CastleRock residents are also concerned about the burn marks.
“ e ecosystem has never been like this,” said O’Neill. Historically it was treed grassland, but decades of fire suppression has now changed that, she explained.
In addition, not all CastleRock residents follow FireSmart principles as much as they ought to, said Mitchell-Banks.
“We still have residents that put bark mulch right up to and adjacent to their homes. Which is like putting kindling against your house. We still have challenges getting people to understand that,” he said.
Keeping Columbia Valley communities safe from wildfires is “a shared responsibility,” said O’Neill.
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CALLING ALL ARTISTS & MURALISTS
The Village of Radium Hot Springs seeks Expressions of Interest (EOI) to create a mural In the Village’s Main Park, adjacent to the Radium Hot Springs Centre.
The Mural is intended to beautify all three sides of a large three-sided concrete structure 30’ long by 7’ high on its largest (southern) side and 10’ wide by 7’ high on each side.
It intended that this mural will and become a focal point in the community
The EOI period will close May 1, 2023 and it is intended the mural will be painted over the summer
One or more of the themes should be included in the concept: Water, Wildlife (Rocky Mountain big horn sheep), Indigeneity If Indigenous content is included, the artist must seek permission in advance of painting from the relevant First Nation(s), if applicable. The Village may be able to assist with this process.
The artwork should convey the Village’s vibrancy, majesty, and modernity
For more information visit the “News button” tab at www.radiumhotsprings.ca
April 13, 2023 e Columbia Valley Pioneer • 9 P.O. Box 340, 4836 Radium Blvd, Radium Hot Springs, B.C.,
250-347-6455
Couple Kathleen O’Neill and Ben Mitchell-Banks sit on the CastleRock Estates FireSmart Committee.
. . . ‘Concern
3
for’ from
A recent burn started near the Canadian Pacific Railroad tracks south of Invermere below the CastleRock subdivision, which is situated in overly dense wooded zone. e Invermere Fire Department is investigating the cause. Photo submitted
OU T O F O F F I C E … Advocacy in Action!
The Columbia Valley Chamber & Columbia Valley Economic Development offices were on the road last week! Pete, our executive director and Bill Kirkpatrick, the new project manager of the Columbia Valley Housing Society attended the Union of BC Municipalities Housing Summit in Vancouver
This was a fantastic oppor tunity where Pete & Bill got to meet with housing exper ts and solutions seekers from across the province Presentations and panels took place on the future of housing in BC, with an emphasis on rural housing needs We heard lots of encouraging announcements regarding the future of housing and what’s to come throughout 2023
The Housing Summit also presented lots of great networking and oppor tunities to connect with BC government officials Having a seat at the table is something we are very proud of, to represent the Columbia Valley on the provincial scale We are thrilled with the work we are doing, where regionally we have a good foundation of entities set up to maximize oppor tunities when they become available We look forward to more oppor tunities to learn and connect as our housing effor ts evolve.
Chelsea was also on the road in Calgary! She was at the SAIT hospitality campus and the Calgary Youth fair for recruiting She spoke with youth aged 16-24 to inspire them to choose employment & career oppor tunities in the valley Joining her was Mike from Valley Zipline Adventures and Justin, from Taynton Bay Spirits
Together they spoke to youth about the diverse sectors and oppor tunities that we have to offer young professionals, and, of course, the fun outdoor lifestyle that we all enjoy here! We were able to highlight that “ we don’t wait for weekends, and neither do you”, as lunch break Whiteway skates, and after-work hikes are par t of our reality There were over 4,000 young adults and students that walked through the fair, leaving a good impression of the valley as a place to come live, work and enjoy.
We are thrilled about this exciting week! We invite you to contact us with any questions: Pete – executivedirector@cvchamber ca; Chelsea - community@cvchmaber ca; Bill – housing@cvchamber ca
10 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer April 13, 2023
cvevents.ca
POWERED BY THE COLUMBIA VALLEY CHAMBER
Thursday, April 13
• 5-7 p.m. Ar t from the Hear t: An ar t show from the 6th – 22nd at Pynelogs Come enjoy ar t from elementar y school kids of the Columbia Valley
• 6:30 p.m.: Invermere Pickleball League play
• 6:45 p.m.: Texas Hold 'Em Poker Tournament at the Invermere Legion ever y Thursday for members and guests $30 buy-in.
• 7:30 p.m.: Trivia Night at the Windermere Whitehouse Pub, 3/person, teams of more than 6 will be split nto two groups
Friday, April 14
• Youth Leadership Camp with the Columbia Valley Youth Network Space limited www.columbiavalleyyouthnetwork.com (costs $50). April 14-16
• 9:15 a.m.: Strong Star t Eileen Madson. Ever y Monday and Friday Ever y 1st and 3rd Wednesday For chi dren 0- 5 and caregivers!
• 10 a.m.-noon: Pickleball Club drop-in play
• 10:30 a.m.: Family Stor ytime at the Invermere Public Librar y Join us at the librar y each week for stories, songs and a crafts!
• 1 p.m.: FREE Youth Drop-In Fun at the Summit Youth Centre Hub For grades 7-12, come meet hang out and enjoy some great times with your friends
• 1 p.m.: Tennis Club at the Kinsmen Beach Cour ts
• 3 p.m- close: Wings & Things at the Legion, pub grub done right!
6:30 p.m. - close: Meat Draw and 50/50 in the Legion! Members and guests welcome!
• 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.: Drop-In Adult Parkour Unit 6, 1340 Industrial Road #3. Adults are invited to drop-in for $20!
Ever y 2nd Friday
7 p.m. - 9 p.m.: Dynamic Intuitive Archer y Speed Shooting Come tr y Archer y at the Brisco Community Hall Call Luraina at 250-688-1451 to register
9 p.m.: Karaoke Windermere Whitehouse Pub Ages 19+.
Saturday, April 15
• 10 a.m.-noon: Pickleball Club drop-in play
• 10:30 a.m.: LEGO/Duplo Club at the Invermere Public Librar y We'll have Lego Duplo, big blocks and more out to play with on Saturday mornings!
10:30 a.m.: Pokemon Club at Main Street Fun & Games for ages 7+, Reading proficienc y required
• 3 p.m. - midnight: Wings & Things at the Invermere Legion, pub grub done right!
• 6:30 p.m - midnight: Meat Draw and 50/50 in the Legion, members and guests welcome
• 8:00 p.m.: Ranger plays live at Arrowhead Brewing. $10 cover
Sunday, April 16
• 11 a.m. -2 p.m.: Toast & (music) Jam at the Village Social, Canal Flats Bring your own instrument join the am or come enjoy live music
• 2 p.m. - midnight.: Cards Cribbage and Dar ts Come to the Invermere Legion and have some fun! Members and guests welcome
2 p.m.: Invermere Pickleball open play
• 3 p.m. - midnight: Wings & Things at the Invermere Legion, pub grub done right!
• 7 p.m.: Live Music at Horsethief Creek Pub & Eater y Accompanied minors are permitted No cover
Monday, April 17
• 9:15 a.m.: StrongStar t at Eileen Madson. Ever y Monday and Friday ever y 1st and 3rd Wednesday for children 0-5 and their caregivers!
10 a.m. Senior's Yoga at the Columbia Valley Centre, Invermere, B.C. $2 drop in, open to all seniors 10:00 a.m.-noon: Pickleball Club drop-in play
• 3 p.m.: Youth Drop-In at The Edge in Edgewater Youth grades 4-8 are invited to drop-in for fun with the Summit Youth Hub
• 4 p.m.: FREE Youth Drop-In Fun: LGBTQ+ Summit Youth Centre Hub For grades of 7-12, come to meet hang out and enjoy your friends FREE fun! Mondays are for LGBTQ+ and allies!
5 p.m.: Industr y Night at the White House Pub in Windermere Free pool + cheap drinks for resor t and restaurant staff
• 6:30 p.m.: Pickleball Club open play
• 6:30 p.m.: Poker (Chip up for Charity) at the Station Pub Butter hosts poker night for a $20 buy-in.
• 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.: Dynamic Intuitive Archer y Speed Shooting Come tr y your hand at Archer y at the Brisco Community Centre Call Doug at 250-347-9048 to register
Tuesday, April 18
• Li’l Peeps Ar t Show: Columbia Valley Centre Foyer. Fantastic Ar t on Display from Columbia Valley Childcare Societies. Hosted by CVAr ts, until May 15.
9 a.m.: StrongStar t/CAP-C at Edgewater Elementar y Tuesdays and Thursdays 9 - 11:30 am Join this free drop-in program for children ages 0 to 5 and their caregivers
• 10 a.m.: Parent & Tot Connect at Frater Landing Parents and their young children (ages 0-6) are invited to this FREE drop-in program!
• 10 a.m.-noon: Pickleball Club drop-in play
10:30 a.m.: Homeschool Meetup at the Invermere Public Librar y All homeschool families welcome to join.
10:30 a.m.: Senior's Fitness Columbia Valley Centre on Tuesdays, $2 drop-in.
• 1 p.m.: Ar tists' Gathering at the Radium Public Librar y a weekly get-together for budding ar tists of all forms and skill levels! Bring your own supplies
• 3 p.m.: FREE Youth Drop-In Fun at Summit Youth Centre Hub For grades 7-12, come hang out and enjoy some great times with your friends FREE fun!
7 p.m.: 19+ Games Night Ullr Bar, $5/card Prizes and giveaways weekly
Wednesday, April 19
• 6 p.m.: Craft Connections Club is making Garden Maker Rocks Space limited, register at 250-342-6416.
• 9 a.m. - 11 a.m.: StrongStar t Canal Flats Join this free, drop-in program for kids 0-5 and their caregivers Songs, stories play centers, crafts snacks and more!
• 9:15 a.m. -11:45 a.m.: StrongStar t Ever y Monday & Friday Ever y 1st & 3rd Wednesday
• 10 a.m.: Parent & Tot Connect Canal Flats Village Office Parents kids (ages 0-6) are invited to this FREE drop-in program!
10 a.m. - 11 a.m.: Senior's Yoga at the Columbia Valley Centre on Mondays & Wednesdays $2 drop-in.
• 12:30 p.m.: Telling our life stories: Free memoir workshop at the CBAL office (weekly until the end of April).
• 1 p.m.: Tennis Club at Kinsmen Beach Cour ts
• 3 p.m.: Youth Drop-In at The Edge Edgewater youth grades 4-8 can drop-in with the Summit Youth Hub at The Edge 3-8 p.m.
6:30 p.m. Meat Draw and 50/50 at the Invermere Legion. Members and guests welcome
• 7 p.m.: Trivia Night at the Station Pub in Invermere! $5/player Max. 6 players per team.
• 8 p.m.: Live Music: James Rose & Friends Ullr Bar Ever y Wednesday at ULLR BAR
April 13, 2023 The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 11 WHAT’S
HAPPENING?
scan me!
9:15
Join this free drop-in program; ages 0 to 5 + caregivers 10 a.m.:
to this FREE drop-in program.
10
10:15
10:30
a.m.: StrongStar t/CAP-C at Edgewater Elementar y on Tuesdays and Thursdays
Parent & Tot Connect at Frater Landing Parents & ages 0-6 are invited
Tuesdays & Thursdays
a.m.-noon: Pickleball Club drop-in play
a.m.: Tech Time at the Invermere Public Librar y Come for one - on- one tech help drop-ins
a.m.: Senior's Fitness at the Columbia Valley Centre $2 drop-in. 2- 3 p.m.: Senior's Tea at the Invermere Public Librar y All community members welcome to stop by the librar y for a cup of tea and a chat! Ever y 2nd & 4th Thursday of the month.
• 2 p.m.: Tech Time at the Radium Public Librar y Come for one - on- one tech help – bring your device • 3 p.m.: FREE Youth Drop-In Fun at the Summit Youth Centre Hub Grade 7-12 come to meet, hang out and enjoy time with friends
Fresh snow saves otherwise starved season
Panorama tied for worst total season snowfall of last decade — 241 centimeters
By Greg Skinner
Somewhere a sacrifice had to have been made. In the closing days of the ski season at Panorama Mountain Resort, Ullr provided what was asked for, provided what was needed by the faithful to worship properly — fresh snow.
e 2022/2023 snow year at Panorama ended on April 9 with a tich less than 30 centimetres of snow that fell during the last week of skiing and snowboarding at the resort.
For connoisseurs and the committed, it was a difficult year. With 241 centimetres total snowfall this season, Panorama tied the worst snowfall season during the last decade. is year’s meagre snows mirrored the 2014-2015 season, which also saw 241 centimetres total, according to onthesnow.com, a website that collects snowfall data from ski resorts all over the world.
From the local perspective, the year ended not so different than it
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started; alpine ski racing on artificial snow on the front side, and “natty” party laps in the back bowl for free riders. A sprinkling of tourists are always in the way of it all.
Evan Pacey, Panorama’s snow reporter, wrote that one person managed to make 10 laps through Taynton Bowl in a single day, during closing weekend.
Andrew Hill spent Monday April 3 searching for his last runs of the season and chose to stay lower on the frontside of the mountain to enjoy the day’s offing of fresh fallen inches laying atop well groomed runs, rather than wrestle bad snow in most of the double black diamonds around the mountain.
Hill, a snowboarder and valley resident, encountered churned gravel on the surface of the snow at some cat track intersections and along random patches of “brown” in high traffic areas on piste. Otherwise, he made a powder day of it by running
“It was a long project,” she said. In the winter there were days when it was minus 25 degrees (Celsius) and Stupar had to wear a parka under her hi-vis vest. “But those were the best days, because the bighorn herd would walk down the road, right by us,” she said.
top speed laps through “Bosnia,” which is officially known as Founder’s Ridge.
e conditions were not great and not typical of late season skiing, even at Panorama, the least snowy of all the ski hills on the famed Powder Highway.
A founding member of the Panorama Bootpacker’s Association and a season pass holder with excellent knowledge of the mountain, Hill, like many other regulars and locals, spent most of his snowboard-days this season riding groomed runs rather than face the difficult and sometimes dangerous conditions off piste and in the back bowl.
In a normal year, Hill would spend most every day snowboard lapping Taynton Bowl.
“Well at least the fat biking was good,” Hill said of his snow year that also saw ridiculous avalanche conditions in the backcountry.
Continued on page 20
she became interested in standup comedy.
“I was watching the comedians on stage and kept wondering if I could do that,” she said. When you are acting, you are playing a character, saying lines someone else has written, but in comedy you need to create your own lines, explained Stupar.
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Fairmont Plaza, 5 5019 Fairmont Resor t Rd. Open Daily • 250-345-6807
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SATURDAY APRIL 15, 2023
COLUMBIA VALLEY CENTRE
9:00 - 11:00 am: Drop off gear for sale
11:30 - 1:00 pm: THE BIG SALE!
1:00 – 2:00 pm: Pick up your money/unsold gear!
A 10% commission up to a maximum of $250 on all gear sold will go to support the CVCS
Stupar spend nearly a year in total working in Radium, and by the end she had developed a deep affection for the wild sheep.
She moved to Calgary in February 2022 and has been doing standup comedy and working in the entertainment industry there ever since.
When Stupar read about a surge in traffic-related bighorn sheep fatalities in Radium last winter, she decided she wanted to help out. at was the inspiration for Bighorn(y) Comedy. Proceeds from the show will be donated to East Kootenay environmental group Wildsight, to aid its efforts to help the bighorns.
“It’s beautiful and it’s unique. ere are not that many places where you can have daily interactions with wildlife like bighorn sheep. Where you can go into the forest and literally get lost,” said Stupar. “ at changes the way you see the world. I’m really grateful for it.”
Stupar enjoyed the outdoor lifestyle of the East Kootenay, but after graduating high school in 2007 and leaving for the Vancouver Film School, she “never thought I would come back to Cranbrook.”
She had loved being on stage and a Grade 2 school production of the Nutcracker eventually morphed into a career in venue and events management. While working as a venue manager at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal,
She went to an open mic night in 2012 and was hooked.
“It’s very rewarding. In standup comedy, I can write a joke today, go to an open mic tonight and I get instant feedback,” she said.
Stupar was unhappy with big city life and moved back to Cranbrook in 2019. She thought her comedy work might suffer outside of an urban setting. She decided to do a standup show in her hometown, but had no expectations of any real success.
To her surprise, news of the show spread “like wildfire”, she said.
“I was blown away. In Montreal or Vancouver, if you get 10 people at a first show, that’s good. In Cranbrook the only promotion I did was to make a Facebook event page and there was all this interest,” said Stupar.
is shows there’s demand in the East Kootenay for comedy and live entertainment aside from music, she said. Even though she’s based in Calgary, she hopes to do more standup in the East Kootenay in the future.
“I want to grow this,” she said.
Big Horn(y) Comedy is organized with help from Vancouver-based comedy production company ECL Productions. For tickets visit eclproductions.com/ big-horn-comedy/.
12 • e Columbia Valley Pioneer April 13, 2023
Entr y by donation
MEMBER OF THE COLUMBIA VALLEY GREENWAYS TRAIL ALLIANCE
Radium resident and Panorama Mountain Resort bootpacker Andrew Hill enjoys the final snow of the season on Zehnder’s Way in the Founder’s Ridge area of Panorama Mountain Resort on April 3, 2023.
Pioineer photo by Greg Skinner
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5
‘Stand up for’ from
Emergency personnel set for mock disaster scenario
By Steve Hubrecht steve@columbiavalleypioneer.com
ere will be no flames, but firefighters and other emergency personnel will be out in force on April 14 and 15 as part of a large-scale mock disaster scenario.
e scenario to be enacted is an urban interface wildfire sweeping into the District of Invermere from the southwest, at the CastleRock subdivision, where by coincidence a recent grassfire is being investigated.
A real version of such a threat is not far-fetched, and emergency crews want to be as prepared as possible if it does: that’s the point of the scenario, said Invermere FireSmart coordinator Carey Collin.
e mock disaster will see 60 to 100 responders on site at CastleRock and at the Invermere fire hall and will begin at 3 p.m. on April 14.
“It’s going to be impressive. e members at the fire hall are excited. ey’ve got a lot of toys at the fire hall, and they are eager to try them out in this scenario,” said Collin.
ose ‘toys’ will include several fire engines, water tenders, wildland structure protection units ( a sort of sprinkler trailer), specialized hoses, specialized sprinklers and pumps.
“It’s a lot of dollars in hardware, that’s for sure,” said Collin. “If you feel like viewing, please do it from a safe distance, as if it was a real emergency.”
ere will not be any live fire during the exercise. e required permissions are not easily obtained, he said.
e exercise will involve first responders from Columbia Valley including; Invermere Fire Rescue, the Radium Hot Springs Volunteer Fire Department, the Fairmont Hot Springs Fire Department, the Columbia Valley Rural Fire and Rescue Service, Columbia Valley Search and Rescue, the Columbia Valley RCMP, Elk Valley South Country Fire Rescue, and District of Invermere staff.
ere is a lot of value in a large scale multi-disciplinary scenario like this, in part because it has not been done much in the past. e various response crews often end up working together on actual calls, so it makes sense to practice together, said Collin.
“Most of the fire crews practice on their own, once a week for one or two hours at a time,” said Collin. “It’s not on the same scale as what we can do in this two-day scenario.”
e mock disaster has “no relation at all” to the recent burn near the Canadian Pacific Railway tracks, the scenario has been planned for almost a year, said Collin. e exercise and a prescribed burn over about 20 hectares
Estate Auction
Estate of GUNNER, JORGENSEN
Saturday, April 15, 2023, 11 am SHARP! 2031 - 13th Ave, Invermere, BC
HOUSE: 2 antique wardrobes, snowshoes, tables & chairs, lamps, stereos & TV’s, wall units, books, pictures, sewing machine, vacuum & more!
SHOP: Metal lathe, metal band saw, drill press, band saw, bench grinders, bench vices, grinders, router & table, toolboxes, full of tools, power tools, hand tools, quantity assort. See, plywood, lumber, jacks, carts, steel tables & much much more!
OUTDOORS: 1985 BIGFOOT camper, canoe, camping gear, fishing rods, electric motor & MORE!
PREVIEW: Friday, 14, Noon-5 pm Saturday, 9 am till sale time.
TERMS: CASH, VISA/MC, DEBIT
For inquiries call: Tex 250-341-5316
below (to the east of) CastleRock, slated for next year, cost about $80,000. ey are funded com-pletely by a Columbia Basin Trust (CBT) grant for wildfire readiness.
Wildfires are a constant risk to Invermere and other Columbia Valley communities each summer, given the relatively dry conditions.
“We’re in the highest risk class along with several other areas in the province,” said Collin.
Collin recommended that local residents take whatever FireSmart measures they can.
“If you have a home with a lot of FireSmart practices in place, it makes it easier for firefighters, with lim-ited
resources to help save that house,” he said.
Volunteer fire departments in remote communities are easily stretched to capacity by only a few burning houses.
“It’s something people maybe don’t think about, but it doesn’t much for their (a local fire department’s) resources to be tied up,” said Collin.
Some FireSmart practices can be expensive, but authorities urge valley residents to do things, such as clean out gutters, cleaning up under decks, and make sure not to stack firewood against homes.
“Every little bit helps,” he said.
April 13, 2023 e Columbia Valley Pioneer • 13
A Recreation Community pineridgemountain.ca Vista Chalets, C ottage Homes & Mountain Villas DEVELOPING LIFESTYLES FOR HALF A CENTURY Visit us in our SHOW HOME Thursday to Sunday 11:00am – 4:30pm o r b y a p p o i n t m e n t #21 – 1904 Pineridge Mtn Link, Invermere 250-688-1247 Call today for more details or to book your personal viewing Only 1 left Don’t Wait T h e L a s t C h a l e t av a i l a b l e f o r s u m m e r f u n ! • Designer Kitchen • Large Master Suite with Walk-In Closet and Ensuite • 3 Bedrooms • Computer Bay • 2 1/2 Bathrooms • Second Floor Laundry • Deck with Amazing Views • 2 Car Garage $ 5 3 2 , 9 0 0 1 4 4 1 S Q. F T. T WO STO R E Y ! M o v e - I n b y M a y
14 • e Columbia Valley Pioneer April 13, 2023 Please recycle this newspaper Skandia Concrete I N P U R S U I T O F E XC E L L E N C E • Manufac turers & suppliers of qualit y concrete & gravel produc ts • Experienced, professional operators and th i ht equipment to get your job done • Ser ving the valley for over 30 years • Environmentally responsible • Steamed aggregate beds for top qualit y year-round crete supply We stand behind our ser vice, qualit y and produc ts o t 1756 Hwy 93/95 Windermere B.C. Office: 250-342-6500 • Toll Free: 1-888-341-2221 We are loc ated at 9120, Hw y 93/95 which is five kilometers nor th of Tim Hor tons • Ready Mix Concrete • Concrete Pumping • O ver 50 colours available and in stock • D E L I V E R E D ON TIME at a fair price • Full range of sand and gravel produc ts Phone: 250-342-5833 • Cell: 250-270-9444 Ko otenay Pavin g Toll Free 1-888-341-2221 Call now for a free quote! Locally operated, with full-time staff to serve you better. 1756 Hwy 93/95, Windermere, B.C V0B 2L2 Phone: 250-342-6500 • Fax: 250-342-3484 • Patches • Driveways • Parking Lots • Roads • And more! • Trusses • Engineered Floors • Wall Panels Tel: 250.341.6075 Fax: 250.341.3427 Email: info@duskbuildingsystems.com www.duskbuildingsystems.com 1320 Industrial Road #3 Box 159, Invermere, B.C. V0A 1K0 Call NOW: 250-688-0213 Carpets Dry in 1 Hour • Fastest Dr y Time • Environmentally Friendly Produc ts • Citrus Based, No Steam • Area Rugs and Upholster y • Stain Removal Specialists • Prompt Reliable Ser vice Visit w w w.heavensbest.com for more information Give us a call! James, 250-688-1267 or Jerr y, 250-342-5299 Email: jeffersoncontrac tingltd@gmail.com Specializing in all heating, elec tric, gas and wood • Fireplaces • Commercial and residential New builds Renovations We also offer roundthe-clock ser vice calls A licensed, registered and bonded company TILE AND GROUT CLEANING Business: 250-342-9692 RR#4 2117–13 Ave. Invermere, BC V0A 1K4 Cell: 250-342-1273 ptarmiganrugclean@gmail.com www.kootenayinsurance.ca P.O. Box 130 Invermere, BC V0A 1K0 Office: 250-342-2175 • Fax: 250-342-2669 Cindy.mack ay@kootenayinsurance.c a C olumbia C oncrete Inc. 250-688-3739 Ser ving the Columbia Valley 20 years’ experience • Anything concrete! • Basements • Garage pads • Driveways • Patios • Decorative • Exposed • Stamped concrete • Acid staining READY MIX CONC RETE Concrete Pump • Sand & Gravel Heavy Equipment Rentals • Crane Service Proudly Serving the Valley for over 50 years For competitive prices and prompt service, call: 250-342-3268 (plant) 250-342-6767 (office) HERE TO SERVE YOU CARPET CLEANING CONCRETE CONTRACTING INSURANCE CONCRETE CONTRACTING
Broadband project funded for RDEK’s Edgewater infrastructure
By Greg Skinner editor@columbiavalleypioneer.com
High speed internet is bound for Edgewater as part of a Columbia Basin Trust grant that will run fibre optic cable to support high-speed internet at Regional District of East Kootenay infrastructure and its local offices. Inadvertently, and after the fact, those same cables could bring high-speed internet into homes.
Matt Sopko, Project Specialist RDEK said the district is about to launch a request for proposals for the project build, which will see the Edgewater Fire Department, the Edgewater Community Hall, the Edgewater Sewer System and the Edgewater Transfer Station connected by fibre optic cable to Columbia Trust Broad Band running along the Highway 95 corridor, above town.
e basic intended outcome is fast and stable connectivity. Community assets are our business, Sopko said. Once complete, the RDEK can monitor their systems in real time.
e $400,000 infrastructure upgrade is paid for by the Columbia Basin Trust and was passed through the RDEK five year budget, which was approved in March. Several other large valley-based projects were approved including a new solid waste transfer station for Radium Hot Springs.
ere is no current intent for this project to deliver high-speed internet into Edgewater homes, said Sopko. But, with the cables running down the streets to RDEK buildings, the potential for an internet provider to come along and connect Edgewater homes exists.
“Close the last mile, as they say,” he said.
April 13, 2023 e Columbia Valley Pioneer • 15 * Vinyl Window Sales and Installation * New Construction and Renovation * Glass Replacement * Professional Installation 250 270 0086 • 20+ years of experience Renew Windows Limited E N E R G Y S T A R NEW Warehousing/ storage now available Secured facilities at ‘Bays of Windermere’ (5 km south of the Invermere turn off ) on Hw y 93/95…. 1,200 sq.ft Up to 3,200 sq.ft For inquiries c all Dennis at 250-729-1620 or e -mail: ohman@telus.net BC Corp Complete Drywall Services • Insulation • Boarding • Taping • Texturing • Ceiling Detail • Mouldings • Cultured Ceilings • Custom Detailing 250-409-5186 infoBC@greatwesterninteriors com M RKS , Fabricator, Blacksmith 1298 Sunridge Road, Windermere, B.C. Cell: 250-270-1 Beat the fall rush clean your Chimney this spring! CLEANING & MAINTENANCE ON ALL WOOD BURNING APPLIANCES • WET T INSPEC TIONS ROCKY MOUNTAIN CHIMNE Y SWEEPS LTD. 804 Almberg Road, Golden, BC V0A 1H2 CELL: 250.272.5599 OFFICE: 250.344.7323 todd@rockymountainchimneysweeps.com rockymountainchimneysweeps.com Sales ~ Service ~ Installation UNIVER SAL DOO RS & EXTERIORS Arnold Scheffer 250-342-6700 unidoorext@live.ca • unidoorext.ca Industrial ~ Commercial ~ Residential GET YOUR QUOTE AT WWW GREENLEAFTREE CA INFO@GREENLEAFTREE CA R O O T E D I N T H E C O L U M B I A V A L L E Y S I N C E 2 0 0 7 W I N D E R M E R E , B C 2 5 0 - 3 4 1 - 7 0 2 9 G O L D E N , B C 2 5 0 - 3 4 4 - 0 1 8 8 T H E C O L U M B I A V A L L E Y ’ S C H O I C E F O R C E R T I F I E D T R E E E X P E R T S Tree Pruning Tree Removal Stump Grinding FireSmar t Treatmemts Cer tified Insured WCB Coverage (Ser vicing the Valley since 1999) • Septic Tank Pumping • Portable Toilet Rentals • Complete sewer/drain repairs • Reasonable rates –Seniors’ discount • Prompt ser vice • A well maintained septic system should be pumped ever y 2-3 years to avoid costly repairs 250-347-9803 NOW OFFERING HYDROVAC SERVICES! 141 Industrial Rd. 2 • 250-342-9424 • Open Monday - Friday, 8:30 am - 5:30 pm ICBC Glass Repair Out of Province Vehicle Inspections Auto Body Repairs • Painting • Quality Parts SERVICEEXCELLENCE INTHECOLUMBIAVALLEY SINCE1991 North American Warranty All Makes and Models Tire Sales and Installation 1710 10th Avenue – Invermere, B.C. V0A 1K0 Scott Postlethwaite Residential, Commercial Elec tric Furnace and Hot Water Tank Repair and Service For All Your Elec trical Needs invermereelec tric@gmail.com Free Estimates HERE
SERVE YOU LANDSCAPING SERVICES SERVICES
TO
P IONEER C
WAY, NIGEL HUGH CARLTON
May 31, 1927 – Merriott, England
March 26, 2023 – Calgary, Alberta
Nigel Way of Calgary, AB, passed away on Sunday, March 26, 2023 at the age of 95 years He was predeceased by his beloved wife of 50 years, Ann Way
Nigel was born on May 31, 1927 at the family home in Merriott, Somerset, England
As a young man in post war England, Nigel apprenticed as an electrician, spending time in Alderney of the Channel Islands He immigrated to Alberta, Canada in 1955 to join his older brother Larry in the Crowsnest Pass His work took him to Medicine Hat and eventually Calgary, where he met his wife to be, Ann
In his professional life, Nigel worked with the Calgary Board of Education for over 30 years becoming head of electrical maintenance He was respected for his hard work, dedication, and expertise
In 1962, Nigel became a Charter member of the Stampede City Gyro Club Through Gyro, Nigel and Ann made many lifelong friends and participated in numerous club events over the 60 years
Nigel lived life to its fullest He loved spending time in the Windermere Valley He and Ann purchased a small cabin in Trethewey in 1978 They spent many summers in the valley before purchasing a lot and building their dream cabin with a beautiful view of the lake They made countless friends and participated in block parties, campfires, and many social events Nigel was a marksman with a water balloon and spent many hours tinkering at the cottage Nigel was a devoted husband and father who took great pride in his family’s accomplishments He will be remembered for his unwavering kindness, generosity, and love
Nigel is survived by his two daughters, Sarah Kesler and Emma (Dave) Smith, three grandchildren, Carolyn Kesler, Teagan Smith, and Aiden Smith, all of Calgary He was predeceased by his parents, Dorothy and Philip, three brothers, Philip, Larry, Basil, and one sister, Mary
The family of Nigel is grateful for the care and support provided by the staff and friends at United Active Living Garrison Green Their compassion and dedication for Nigel during his stay there was deeply appreciated In true Nigel fashion, he made many dear friends at Garrison
A Celebration of Nigel’s Life will be held in the spring Condolences, memories, and photos can also be shared and viewed at www MHFH com
In living memory of Nigel Way, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McInnis & Holloway Funeral Homes, Park Memorial, 5008 Elbow Drive SW, Calgary, AB T2S 2L5, Telephone: 403-243-8200
16 • e Columbia Valley Pioneer April 13, 2023 Look up to a higher standard with our classified ads. Pioneer Classifieds N E WS P A P E R info@columbiavalleypioneer.com Ph: 250-341-6299 Get your FREE copy every Thursday on newsstands near you! T HE P IONEER
It is with great sadness that we announce the peaceful passing of James (Jim) Michael Mickelson on March 24th, 2023 (born on October 25 1957) He will be forever remembered for his stories, wit and humor He always created a vibrant atmosphere Everyone knew him to be selfless and carefree He will be forever in our hearts A memorial service will be held at Edgewater Legion at 1:00 pm, April 15th, 2023. A Celebration of Life will be held at Serenity Cemetery, Cranbrook B.C on April 22nd, 2023 at 1:00 pm MICKELSON
(Jim) Michael Rockies West Realty Independently owned and operated WHY LIST WITH GERRY? ✔ Website/Social Media ✔ 3D Tour, YouTube, Drone ✔ Responsive, Local, Expert LIST WITH GERRY: FOR RESULTS! *Not intended to solicit those already working with an agent. BUYING OR SELLING CALL 250-341-1202 gerrytaft.ca Personal Real Estate Corporation LISTINGS NEEDED! I WA NT TO SELL YOUR HOUSE!
James
LASSIFIEDS • Phone: 250-341-6299 • Fax: 1-855-377-1312 • Email: info@columbiavalleypioneer.com • Web: www.columbiavalleypioneer.com ANNOUNCEMENT CHEERS WITHOUT TEARS CHEERS WITHOUT TEARS LOST AND FOUND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
WITHOUT TEARS
CHEERS
STRATA GROUNDSKEEPER
POSITION SUMMARY – Akiskinook is looking to fill seasonal groundskeeping positions. This is an outdoor hands-on role assisting with lawn maintenance and gardening, as well as care of the marina, beach, tennis courts, boatyard, recreation centre, and overall grounds.
UTILITY OPERATOR
Full time, Year-Round. On Call
Mission
Qualifications and Terms
• EOCP certified Water / Wastewater operator level 1 or 2
• Any other EOCP courses would be beneficial (cross connection, treatment, stormwater)
• Relevant Red Seal Trades Certificate
RESPONSIBILITIES –
You will be accountable for the overall maintenance of the common areas throughout the resort at a level consistent with the high standards expected of Akiskinook.
Under direct super vision of the SR Utility Operator, the proposed Utility Operator will use their wealth of knowledge from the water & wastewater industr y to help efficiently deliver these ser vices at optimal capacity The incumbent will complete daily operations and maintenance of the systems while helping to mitigate risks and plan for future expansion This rotation may include regular weekend work with your days off during the week
Who Are You?
• Basic computer skills in Microsoft Office, excel, HMI, SCADA and maintenance software
• Experience with pumps (submersible, positive displacement, centrifugal)
QUALIFICATIONS –
The successful candidate must possess the following competencies and experience:
• High attention to detail
• Team player
• Ability to run and maintain equipment
• A love of the outdoors and a great work ethic
Wage will be determined based on experience and qualifications. Resumes may be submitted to akisk01@telus.net or faxed to 250-342-0122.
Wanted 2 F/T Restaurant
Cooks, Rocky R iver Grill, 8888 Arrow Road, Invermere, B C
Permanent, F/T shifts, over time, weekends, days and evenings, $16/hour for 40 hours per week
O ver time after 40 hours
Minimum several years' experience and completion of secondar y school DUTIES:
Prepare and cook full course meals, prepare and cook individual dishes and foods, ensure qualit y of food por tions, work with minimal super vision, prepare dishes for customers with food allergies or intolerances Inspec t kitchens and food ser vice areas. Please for ward resume to Justin Atterbur y by fax 250-342-8889 or email: justatterbur y@hotmail.com
You have significant experience working in utility operations and/or a relevant red seal trades certificate
You are a proven hard worker with ample room for improvement and growth You chase excellence in ever y aspect of life and work is no exception
You exhibit confidence, versatility and navigate challenges with positivity and apply innovative solutions with your team
You’re a methodical thinker and analyze the outcome of ever y situation By planning, prioritizing, and executing you manage your time efficiently and accomplish tasks accordingly
You are a team player that is a coachable and actively participates in progressive discussions towards a common goal
What Will You Do?
• Pipe laying / Pipe fitting experience
• Knowledge of electrical and instrumentation equipment
• Familiar with motors and compressors
• Confined Space, WHMIS, First Aid and other safety courses considered assets
• Able to provide a cleared RCMP Criminal Record Check
• Possess a Drivers License with a clean drivers abstract
• Must be able to work onsite, in Invermere, BC
Personal Attributes
• Excellent communication skills Proven ability to communicate clearly and professionally both orally and in writing
• Excellent organizational skills Proven ability to manage multiple tasks with consideration to timelines and directives
Are you passionate about mountain bike, moto and snowmobile, highly organized and excel in customer ser vice, computer and admin
Come join our team!
https://ion2suspension com/ pages/job -posting
Framers/Carpenters needed. Work in the Windermere/ Invermere area Willing to train, zoom boom on site.
Competitive wages.
Contac t Rene @ 250-688-2068
Please
PYNELOGS CULTURAL CENTRE
Food Service Operations
Open to Tender
Food Service Opportunity, available for lease
Columbia Valley Arts is currently seeking proposals for Food Service based out of the historical Pynelogs Cultural Centre, at Kinsmen Beach Opportunity is available for mobile units/foodtrucks/pop ups also Beachside setting, large patio overlooking the lake and surrounding greenspace Includes kitchen space and furniture, storage space Additional opportunities for year round operations, catering and special events in collaboration with Columbia Valley Arts
Application package is available by email info@columbiavalleyarts com
250 342 4423, tues-sat 11am-4pm
Application closes April 22nd. 2023
You will analyze and track system data while performing routine maintenance and periodic repairs to the system
You will be part of a passionate team that looks to deliver the best possible utilities, safely and efficiently to its members and customers
Participate and provide feedback on system operations and maintenance
Key Responsibilities
• Perform routine maintenance programs
• Troubleshoot and anticipate system issues
• Respond to emergency situations (On-call, Nights/Weekends/ Holidays)
• Conduct assessments and condition reporting
• Analyze test results and instrument readings
• Collect and test water samples for chemical and bacterial content
• Collect waste and sewage samples, test and analyze results
• Complete and maintain plant logs and reports
• Maintain and repair installation equipment, help with the installation, the assembly, and repairs to equipment
• Monitor and inspect plant equipment and systems to detect equipment malfunctioning and to ensure plant systems are operating normally
• Operate and monitor computerized control systems and related equipment to regulate the treatment and distribution of water
• Operate and monitor computerized control systems and related equipment to regulate the flow of sewage and to treat and dispose of sewage and wastes
• Patrol plant to check pumps, motors, filters, chlorinators and other plant equipment
• Attention to detail Able to use critical thinking skills to be able to troubleshoot challenges and find solutions
• Understand general practice of maintaining confidentiality
• Collaborate effectively with community members, band staff and external partners
• Understanding of the Shuswap Band community, culture, and Secwepemc values
• Team player You understand your role in a team and can make those around you grow to their full potential You delegate properly and help your team improve by putting them in positions to succeed
This is a full-time, year-round position
Regular work week: Must be able to work weekends – days off ar flexible but must be during the week Ie Wednesday to Sunday 8-4 30 or Thursday to Monday 8-4 30 (30 minutes unpaid lunch)
The ideal start date is June 1st 2023
We offer a wide variety of perks including:
• Employer matched pension plan after 3 months
• Company Vehicle
• Extensive health and benefits package
• Bi-weekly healthy food box
• Dynamic work environment
How to Apply
We value diversity and welcome all qualified candidates to apply Employment and promotion of a qualified Indigenous person or Shuswap Band member will be administered in a fair and reasonable manner and is consistent with the Canadian Human Rights Commission Policy on “Aboriginal Employment Preference ”
If interested, please apply to sstump@shuswapband ca Only qualified candidates will be contacted
Moving S ale
All kinds of furniture, household items and tools 954 Swansea Rd Invermere Friday April 14 noon to Sunday April 19, 3pm
Mant yka's Garage S ale
April 15th
4349 Wells St Wilmer 9am-2pm
MULTI FAMILY GARAGE SALE/ESTATE SALE
SATURDAY April 15th 9:30 am to 2:00pm 4833 Mckay St. Radium Hot Springs Large variety of small kitchen appliances Silverware/Dishes • China/Kitchen Utensils Multitude of household items and much much more!
2.5 to 3.4 acre parcels
Great mountain views, privac y, individual wells, no building time commitment.
Located on sunny side of the Valley
For more information contac t Elkhorn Ranches 250-342-1268
w w w elkhornranches com
Please
Top qualit y round bales Stored in shed Phone Elkhorn Ranch 250-342-1268
Please email classi ed ads to info@columbiavalleypioneer.com
April 13, 2023 e Columbia Valley Pioneer • 17 Got an entertainment, sports or news tip? Give us a call! 250-341-6299
recycle
newspaper
this
email
ed ads to
classi
info@columbiavalleypioneer.com
FOR SALE Snowmobile Polaris RMK 700 Blue Year 2000 Excellent condition $2600 Indian B each Estates 403-618-7723
EMPLOYMENT GENERAL EMPLOYMENT HELP
ACREAGE FOR SALE HAY/BALES FOR SALE SPORTS UTILITIES & 4X4S HELP WANTED HELP WANTED GARAGE SALES GARAGE SALES
GENERAL
WANTED
ADDesigner
The Columbia Valley Pioneer is looking for a full-time Ad Designer/Production Person for our newspaper operation based in Invermere The Columbia Valley Pioneeer operates a weekly print publication, daily news site online, and various special projects The Ad Designer will work in conjunction with sales reps and the clients to produce creative, effective and engaging advertisements for both print and digital applications
If you are skilled at planning and illustrating concepts, creating a wide range of graphics and layouts, working collaboratively with a team to meet deadlines, we would love to hear from you
The successful candidate must work well in a team setting, but also be selfmotivated
Qualifications
• Diploma in graphic design or related field is an asset
• Demonstrate graphic design skills with a strong portfolio
• A strong eye for visual composition
• Effective time management skills and the ability to meet deadlines while juggling multiple priorities
• Can do attitude and a sense of humour
• Proficient in Adobe InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator
• Knowledge of newspaper dummy and producing press-ready files
Interested candidates should for ward their resume to: Amanda Nason, A ssociate Publisher adver tising@columbiavalleypioneer.com
The company offers competitive benefit and pension plans. The position is based in our office at 1008, 8th Ave Invermere, B.C. The position is available immediately
Grow a Garden, Build a Community
Julia Magsombol
Growing your garden is impressive, but growing your garden while building your community is more fantastic. Invermere Home Hardware believes so — they are excited to share the new project they have been working on. e project consists of two new greenhouses, triple the size of their current garden centre. Home Hardware also plans to add a new way of accessing their soil — with a drive-thru. is way, people can load up their vehicles without entering the store.
“We [plan to] have a much bigger garden center area surface,” says Sabrina Boileau, a horticulturist and supervisor of Home Hardware’s garden centre.
e plans for the new project are excellent — thanks to mayor Allen Miller, who also contributed to the planning.
“It’s always been one of the things that he really wanted to expand for a long time,” says Chris Corey, the Home Hardware’s general manager.
Corey says Miller wants to focus on providing food to the food bank and the community. Miller believes it can be done through a project — where customers can buy garden products, get planting advice, and build their gardens. rough this, the people in the community can sustain their own food, and all of them can grow as a community.
“Giving back to the community is our focus,” Corey says. “We’ve got a team here…. [and we] can put [Miller’s] vision to work.”
Another reason why this project was decided on, was because of the high prices of food and its production.
“We really want to help our customers be able to grow a small greenhouse at home or a larger one …. to help them sustain their own food [and] to help with some of the costs,” Corey says.
We are seeking a meticulous and adaptable team member to support day to day administrative and customer communication duties within our growing company
To ensure success, the Customer Services & Administration candidate should have 3 or more years experience in similar positions.
Experience in the solar industry is an asset but not necessary Training will be provided on all aspects of this position.
Responsibilities: -
Work well in a team as well as be able to work independently
Exceptional interpersonal and customer service skills.
-
-
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Able to work comfortably in a fast paced environment.
- First point of contact with customers, answering phones and directing calls.
- Updating company’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) when appropriate
- Ability to work efficiently across multiple software platforms (CRM, file networks, email and calendar, design software)
- Assisting with permit applications (pdf, online)
- Providing periodic updates to active project clients. - Maintaining and updating CRM customer records.
Term and Compensation:
35-40 hrs per week. 3-month probation period.
Permanent position as company grows.
Starting $21/hr
Company profit sharing
Please submit a resume and cover letter explaining your suitability for the position to admin@kootenaysolarpower.com. Only qualified applicants will be contacted.
But finally, they could plan and put the project together with the help of the 12 teams, consisting of management, excavation, and construction of Home Hardware. ey partnered with Groundswell, a community greenhouse garden on this project. In the past, they’ve partnered with different high schools as well to build community planters.
e project includes not only an expansion of the garden centre but much more that can help people in the community.
e new project can provide professional advice to people who are looking to learn how to garden for the first time. It also includes different plants, trees, shrubs, flowers, and much more that people can buy in spring and summer. A workshop is also included for people interested in learning how to garden.
In the future, they plan to look for more natural, alternative energy sources that can help the community and the environment.
“As the years keep on passing by, we’re just going to keep on improving it and making it better,” Boileau added.
e project will happen in phases. And like gardening, they know that it takes time.
“We just consciously made the decision to not rush the ….. greenhouse,” Corey concluded. Martin also concluded that “[People] can come … as a community and build on their knowledge.”
e garden centre’s grand opening and the project’s starting date is on May 12. Come and visit them now to grow your garden and build an amazing community with people.
18 • e Columbia Valley Pioneer April 13, 2023 Get your FREE copy every Thursday on newsstands near you! T HE P IONEER Look up to a higher standard with our classified ads. Pioneer Classifieds N E WS P A P E R info@columbiavalleypioneer.com Ph: 250-341-6299
N E W S P A P E R
BUSINESS SERVICES Get your FREE copy every Thursday on newsstands near you! T HE P IONEER
up to a higher standard with our classified ads. Pioneer Classifieds N E WS P A P E R info@columbiavalleypioneer.com Ph: 250-341-6299
Customer Ser vices & Administration HELP WANTED
Look
The Columbia Valley Pioneer is looking for a full-time Print and Digital Reporter/Photographer for our news operation based in Invermere. We operate a daily news site and a weekly print publication.
The successful candidate works well in a team setting, but is self motivated. You will be responsible to write multiple news stories ever y week for print and on-line publication, take photographs to accompany stories, attend community events and lay out pages (all while respecting Social Distancing requirements).
Qualifications
• Journalism education: degree, diploma or certificate; or equivalent work experience.
• Valid driver’s license and reliable vehicle.
• Positive attitude, must be organized and able to work both independently and in a team setting
• Experience in InDesign, Photoshop, and posting to social media The company offers competitive benefit and pension plans.
Interested candidates should for ward their resume to Amanda Nason, Associate Publisher/S ales Manager: adver tising@columbiavalleypioneer.com
Applications are open until the position is filled and is based in our office at 8 – 1008, 8th Ave Invermere, B.C.
April 13, 2023 e Columbia Valley Pioneer • 19 PrintandDigital Reporter/Photographer
N E W S P A P E R v N E W S P A P E R Full Page $4,025 1/2 Page (hor. or ver t.) $2,350 1/3 Page $1,725 1/4 Page (hor or ver t.) $1,300 1/8 Page $825 1/12 Page $700 Print and online exposure Quality publication with a trusted reputation Complimentar y and professional ad design Includes: B R I T I S H C O L U M B I A • C A N A D A 80,000 copies Year-round distribution • Calgar y & area ~ 25,000 • Red Deer, Edmonton & area ~ 5,000 • B.C. (inlcuding all visitor centres) ~ 45,000 • Northwestern US 2023 COLUMBIA VALLE Y map book 2 0 2 1 Map Book C O L U M B I A V A L L E Y O R G U D E Deadline for booking is Tuesday, April 25 Jamie Baes, Adver tising S ales No 8, 1008 - 8th Ave Box 868 • Invermere B.C. • V0A 1K0 Phone: 250-341-6299 ex t. 103 jamie@columbiavalleypioneer com w w w.columbiavalleypioneer.com Amanda Nason, Adver tising S ales No. 8, 1008 - 8th Ave. Box 868 • Invermere B.C. • V0A 1K0 Phone: 250-341-6299 ex t 108 adver tising@columbiavalleypioneer.com w w w.columbiavalleypioneer.com
In spring thaw, Lake Windermere Whiteway transforms into blueways and greenways. A greenway is a non motorized trail, while a blueway is a water path or trail that is developed with launch points, camping locations and points of interest for canoeists, paddle boarders and kayakers.
Photo by Ryan Watmough
‘Fresh snow from 12
By Wednesday, two larger storm pulses dropped more snow and shifted the vibe at Panorama by turning Taynton into a playground for a few last hours before temperatures rose and destroyed the surface.
With that last bit of natural snowfall and wind transported snow filling in certain zones, White Tail or Spector could be run wide-open top to bottom and the scram down Taynton Trail back to the lift line for the next lap was high tempo as well. Even C Spine, normally over run by skiers, offered a good runs late into the ski day. Wednesday’s skiing saw powder shots resulting from summit laps into the early afternoon.
Taynton was perhaps at its best Wednesday, no Monster Cat traffic and fumes and maybe a couple dozen skiers and snowboarders making the walk to the hunting grounds.
Only a few snowfalls during this season rivalled the last week and those were in December and February, much of the base fell before the season started.
e biggest single snowfall this season was six inches that fell overnight during a six-day storm that dropped 19 -inches total, said Panorama spokesperson Clarissa Amaro.
e 2014-2015 took 62 days of snowfall to reach 241 centimetres. is year it took 63 snowdays to hit that same mark. Back in 2014 a visitor from Saskatoon wrote on TripAdvisor about the snow conditions at Panorama that February said the snow would have better been described as “ice.” Long know as “Ice-O-Rama” to locals, Panorama’s focus and investment in snowmaking mixed with quality grooming has paid off. Longtime skiers and holidaymakers were often vocal this year, saying the skill of snow management between storms made difference.
“I’m proud of the efforts of our team and the tireless work they have done to deliver an exceptional moun-
tain experience. Panorama’s strong snowmaking product, our fleet of modern snowcats and our investment in efficient, state of the art technology and summer and winter grooming, made an impact this season from early November ski race training to April spring skiing,” said Steve Paccagnan, President & CEO - Panorama Mountain Resort.
Invermere: Saturday 5 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m. St. Joseph, Radium: Sunday 11 a.m.
Father Jojo Augustine • 712 -12th Ave., Invermere 250-342-6167
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Sunday 1:30 p.m Worship Ser vice at Valley Christian 4814 Highway Drive, Windermere lutheranstpeter@gmail.com R
Sunday 10 a.m. Worship service
Pastor Wayne and Linda Frater • 250-342-6633 No 4, 7553 Main St Radium • 250-347-9937
Worship Service, Sunday, 10 a.m Relief Society, 11:15 a.m
President Kendyn Mackensie • Columbia Valley Branch • 5014 Fair way, Fairmont Hot Springs 250-439-9041
CHURCH OF CHRIST (Iglesia ni Cristo)
Worship Ser vice: 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
20 • e Columbia Valley Pioneer April 13, 2023 Recycling questions? BC RECYCLING HOTLINE 604-732-9253 1-800-667-4321 RECYCLING COUNCIL OF B.C. MEMBER
WINDERMERE ALLIANCE
Now open for in-person ser vices Sundays at 10:30 a.m. 326 10th Avenue, Invermere 250-342-9535 • www.lwac.ca W I N D E R M E R E V A L L E Y S H A R E D M I N I S T R Y A N G L I C A N - U N I T E D Minister: Brent Woodard Sundays at 10:30 a.m In-person or on zoom For the zoom link, please visit our website ( Windermere Valley Shared Ministr y). 110 - 7th Ave. in Invermere. V A L L E Y C H R I S T I A N A S S E M B L Y Sunday 10 a.m. Worship ser vice 4814 Highway Drive, Windermere 250-342-9511 • www.valleychristianonline.com R O M A N C A T H O L I C C H U R C H St Anthony’s, Canal Flats., Canadian Martyrs’ –Invermere, St Joseph’s – Radium Canal Flats: Saturday, 4 p.m. Canadian Martyrs,
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C H U R C H O F J E S U S C H R I S T O F L A T T E R - D A Y S A I N T S
A snowboarder finds fresh snow below the Summit Chair late in the ski day at Panorama Mountain Resort on April 5, 2023. Panorama closed for the season on April 8. Pioneer photo by Greg Skinner
Looking down White Tail in Panorama Mountain Resort’s Taynton Bowl Wednesday April 5, 2023. at day’s snowfall was the last of the year. Pioneer photo by Greg Skinner
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