Columbia Valley Pioneer, November 11, 2021

November 11, 2021 Vol. 18/Issue 45

The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 1

Your Weekly Source for News and Events

November 11, 2021

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The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 3

VALLEY NEWS

UBCM makes STR report public

By Steve Hubrecht steve@columbiavalleypioneer.com Last week the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) made public its priorities for action report on short term rentals (STRs), an issue of ongoing burning interest in the Columbia Valley.

The UBCM report was the work of a joint advisory group (consisting of UBCM and provincial government officials) and contains a list of 13 requests for the provincial government to consider in terms of potentially creating a B.C. wide-regularly framework for STRs, or for other policy options to deal with the issue.

As loyal Pioneer readers are no doubt all-too-keenly aware, the explosion of STRs in the Columbia Valley has created all kinds of headaches for local governments and some residents, as well as many positive opportunities for homeowners in the past five or six years.

The Village of Radium Hot Springs adopted a bylaw on STRs this past August, the Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) board of directors is expecting regional staff to present a report and recommendations on dealing with the issue this coming spring, and the District of Invermere launched a survey on the topic earlier this fall, in addition to Invermere councillors regularly being pressed by residents to catch up with Radium and the RDEK on the matter (see last week’s Pioneer for more).

Although the Columbia Valley (with its considerable

tourism industry, high number of vacation homeowners, and close proximity to Alberta) may have been more pointedly bedevilled by the STR issue than B.C. communities (those with fewer second homeowners and smaller tourism industries), there are indeed many parts of B.C. that are, in their own unique ways, feeling the STR crunch, and STRs are indeed a province-wide concern.

“While local governments in B.C. have tools to regulate short-term rentals for vacationers and others, most lack the capacity to enforce them,” noted a UBCM press release accompany the report, which was made public on Thursday, Nov. 3. “The ever-expanding online accommodation bookings industry has reduced long-term rental housing capacity at a time when housing availability and costs are already under pressure. At the same time, a property’s earning potential from short-term rental use leads to higher prices in the market than local incomes can support.”

The report is a “discussion paper” indeed to prompt further discussion and examination of possible policy approaches, Radium mayor, Clara Reinhardt, told the Pioneer. Reinhardt, as the Association of Kootenay Boundary Local Governments (AKBLG) president, and consequently a member of the UBCM executive, has been closely involved with the report.

“The recommendations put forward by the UBCM report can only assist communities in regulating STRs. In the opening paragraphs, there is a recognition that

every community is experiencing the STRs differently, and certainly, in the Columbia Valley, we are evidence of that,” explained Reinhardt.

Other online platform-based industries have already seen provincial regulation, she noted, but STRs are perhaps trickier in some respects.

For instance, in terms of taxation, which is one of six broad umbrellas topics the 13 requests fall under, the UBCM has recommended creating a new — or expanding existing — split classifications of properties, “because an STR, or at least most of the STRs we have in Radium, are not entirely residential and are not entirely commercial. The owners are living in them some of the time, and they are renting them out some of the time,” said Reinhardt.

The six umbrella topics are: platform accountability or regulation; data sharing on STRs (including property information, host details, frequency of use and income generated, licensing information, and information on complaints); taxation; local government regulatory tools; local government capacity to deal with STRs; and a lack of data on long term rentals markets in B.C. communities.

On the last topic, the UBCM press release noted that “local governments are unable to obtain complete and accurate data needed to understand exactly what is happening with short-term rentals in their own community.”

Continued on 4 page ...

Local RDEK director takes run at board chair position

By Steve Hubrecht steve@columbiavalleypioneer.com The Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) held its annual board chair and vice-chair elections last week, and for the first time in a long time, multiple candidates were running for the top position.

The competition for longtime incumbent RDEK chair Rob Gay came from a Columbia Valley candidate: RDEK Area F director, Susan Clovechok.

Clovechok and Gay were both nominated for the board chair position during the RDEK board of directors Friday, Nov. 5 meeting. The board of directors then voted 10 to five to re-elect Gay. Following that vote, Clovechok was then nominated for the vice-chair position, and with no other candidates running for that role, she was elected as

vice-chair by acclamation.

Gay is the longest-serving board chair in RDEK history, having been in the position for the past ten years. Clovechok had already served as vice-chair last year, and she continues a yearslong streak of having a Columbia Valley regional district director as vice-chair: prior to Clovechok, Radium Hot Springs mayor, Clara Reinhardt, was vice-chair, and before that, former RDEK Area F director, Wendy Booth was vice-chair.

Clovechok told the Pioneer her inspiration to run came partly from conversations she’d had with Gay earlier this year, in which Gay had said he wasn’t sure if he would continue to run for election as an RDEK rural area director (and consequently as RDEK board chair) beyond 2022 (the RDEK chair Rob Gay and RDEK vice chair Susan Clovechok. next municipal election).

Submitted photo Continued on 22 page ...

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RCMP Report Submitted by Sgt. Darren Kakuno Detachment Commander Columbia Valley RCMP This past week, Nov. 1 through Nov. 7, the Columbia Valley RCMP responded to 61 calls for service. The following is a summary of some of the files our officers responded to.

On Tuesday, Nov. 2, at about 2 p.m., emergency crews responded to a single vehicle rollover on Toby Creek Road west of Invermere. The driver of an eastbound Honda sedan reportedly hit the shoulder of the road, then overcorrected and rolled his vehicle several times before coming to rest in a ditch. The driver and lone occupant was uninjured.

On Friday, Nov. 5, police received a report of a single vehicle motor vehicle incident on Highway 93/95 near Dry Gulch. The driver of a Toyota Sienna reported she

was southbound on the highway when she drifted onto the shoulder, overcorrected then drove into the ditch on the opposite side of the road. No injuries were reported, and the owner was able to drive the vehicle home.

Over the weekend, Columbia Valley RCMP received two reports of theft of fuel from vehicles. On Saturday, Nov. 6, an individual discovered someone had stolen fuel from a Ford F150 in Radium Hot Springs by drilling a hole in the fuel tank. The following day police received another report of theft of fuel from a Ford F150 in Invermere. The owner of the truck discovered someone had drilled a hole in his fuel tank sometime overnight. Residents are asked to call police if they observe any suspicious activities in our area.

cators have sufficient information and awareness to deal with STRs; develop an outreach program to The first seven requests in the UBCM report in- help local governments deal with housing needs, clude: introduce a provincial regulatory framework including STRs; collaborate with federal and other (similar to the one for ride-sharing, for instance); agencies (such as Statistics Canada) to better collect and analyze rental housrequire online accommodaing data; and expand tion platforms to make data Photo by Alex McCarthy on Unsplash Housing Needs Reavailable; require platforms to ports requirements to validate business licenses or include data on STRs. permits; require tax collection “These requests for at the point of booking; share action would signifiprovincial sales tax (PST) revcantly reduce the reguenues with local governments latory burden for local affected; consider changing governments, while the municipal and regional continuing to offer flexdistrict tax (MRDT) to allow ibility to balance regutax revenue to be used to offset lation with the benefits impacts to housing and neighof having short-term bourhoods; and expand split rentals available,” said classifications of properties to reflect STRs dual commercial Whistler mayor and STR advisory group coand residential uses. The other requests include: amending the Local Government chair, Jack Crompton. “The report also acknowledgAct to allow regional districts to issue business li- es that there is a need for improved data on STRs in cences (to regulate STRs); increase the fines local B.C. communities to support effective regulation, governments can levy agains noncompliant STR and the need for a provincial interface that is availoperations; ensure provincial bylaw notice adjudi- able to local governments.”

Continued ‘STR’ from page 3

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November 11, 2021

The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 5

Resident seeks update from Invermere on climate change efforts

By Steve Hubrecht steve@columbiavalleypioneer.com Concerned Invermere residents are keeping the torch to district officials’ feet when it comes to climate change. Invermere council members made dealing with climate change one of the district’s official strategic priorities earlier this summer, but local residents — eager to not have council rest on its laurels too long thereafter — are now looking to council for updates and the opportunity to give input into the district’s efforts on the matter.

Invermere resident, Tracy Flynn, sent a letter to council last month, prompting discussion at the Tuesday, Oct. 26 council meeting. Flynn noted that the Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) has held thorough discussions about what is being done in the RDEK about climate change adaptation, what still needs to be done, and how residents can be informed about it but added she hadn’t yet been able to determine a way to provide input into Invermere’s own climate change action priorities report.

Flynn’s letter outlined several suggestions the district may want to consider for its report, such as figuring out ways to protect those most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, setting up clean air and cooling shelters or centres offering residents respite from forest fires and heatwaves, encouraging homeowners to install high-efficiency air filters before the next wildfire season, putting more solar panels on district buildings, transitioning such

Did you know Albert Einstein had a brother named Frank?

buildings completely to non-renewable energy sources in 30 years time, replacing district vehicles with zero-emission vehicles, and immediately implementing the B.C. Energy Step Code building code.

She also suggested having the bylaw officer dedicate one day per month to educating about or enforcing the district’s anti-idling bylaw, updating the climate change adaption page on the district website to include greenhouse emission reduction targets and links to reports listed on the page, as well as current incentive programs, and having an Invermere council or staff member join the Climate Caucus organization.

“I like that it’s action-focused and solution-focused,” said Invermere councillor, Gerry Taft, of the letter, adding that unfortunately, things are not moving quite as quickly as it appears Flynn may think, based on her letter. “It doesn’t feel like we’ve started any projects yet...it’s going to take time to start working on this,” he said, adding Flynn’s clear passion for the topic is valuable, and the district should “keep her engaged.”

Invermere mayor, Al Miller, said the district and council may need to better communicate to the public some of the climate change mitigation efforts it had already undertaken, noting that last summer, the district did, in fact, set up one of the clean air and cooling shelters or centres Flynn proposed in her letter.

“We’ll try and get our communications up,” said Miller.

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PERSPECTIVE

November 11, 2021

Historical Lens

Freedom

By Camille Aubin camille@columbiavalleypioneer.com

For many, Nov. 11 is an observance and a tribute to those who died in the military service of our country. The cenotaphs will be covered with flowers brought by people who come to have a moment of silence in front of these monuments filled with history, all wearing the symbolic poppy.

Canada’s Veteran’s Memorial Park across the country will be the setting for a less crowded service than usual, even though this year marks the 100th anniversary of the poppy. Several of the usual events of that the Royal Canadian Legion here in Invermere have been cancelled or scaled back for the general public due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, including scaling back access to the Cenotaph for the ceremony (invitation only) that will take place.

Even so, as the clock strikes 11 a.m. on the 11th day of the 11th month, everyone is invited to pause and think about those who served in the military; no matter where they are.

Now is the time to contemplate the sacrifices of those we remember today. They have much to teach us about the true meaning of responsibility, honour, uprightness and courage in the face of adversity. And also, to comtemplate the freedom for which they fought, and for which some lost their lives.

The freedom to think; to love; to make one’s own choices; the feeling of well-being and security; to defend ourselves; to choose our own path.

This is the important and precious legacy they left us a long time ago. A gift that is often taken for granted.

As citizens of a free and democratic society, there are so many things we have to be thankful for. So many left our country to defend liberty for generations to come. It is our responsibility to remember every day and forever that the way we are living today, this great freedom that we have and enjoy daily, has been paid for with the ultimate price, that of all the sacrifices, small and big, known and unknown, suffered and made by the soldiers who served our country.

Lest we forget.

George Barbour with wolley chaps, rifle and a hat by a trappers’ cabin in Horse Thief area.

C1882, 1943, courtesy Windermere District Historical Society

Re: Speed limit on Hwy 95 Dear Editor

Photo by Bart Ros on Unsplash

I am writing to you regarding a letter printed in Nov. 4 issue. It was from Norm and Loni Funnell in Edgewater regarding the speed limit on Highway 95.

The Funnells are absolutely correct. The speed limit should be reduced until the Golden to Radium

detour is no longer required.

The B.C. Ministry of Transportation has been very negligent in this matter. They should take remedial action immediately before someone is killed or seriously injured.

Jim Galloway, Brisco

The Columbia Valley

CANADIAN COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER AWARD 2013

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November 11, 2021

The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 7

13th Avenue gets paved

By Steve Hubrecht steve@columbiavalleypioneer.com

Nov. 5, and the road opened to traffic on Sunday, Nov. 6.

Invermere mayor Al Miller cautioned that not all the work is done, but did express relief that the bulk of it is complete and that vehicles are able to drive on it.

One of Invermere’s most noticeable infrastructure projects took a major step toward completion late last week, with 13th Avenue getting paved.

Work on 13th Avenue includes sewer and water upgrades, as well as realignment and repaving of the avenue itself and the creation of a separated pedestrian and bicycle pathway beside the avenue. Construction began several months ago, and has been a major talking point for Invermere resident ever since, in part because 13th Avenue is one Invermere’s main thoroughfares and in part because the closure of 13th resulted in a bottleneck of traffic during drop-off and pick-up times at Eileen Madson Primary School (which sit squarely along the detour around the closure).

Several residents had recently expressed concern to the Pioneer that the work would not be finished 13th Avenue was recently paved and is now open to traffic. before the end of this fall and that the closure and bot- Photo by Ryan Watmough tleneck would continue through the winter. No doubt these residents and others were delighted, then, to see “We’re very happy with the result,” Miller told the 13th Avenue paved on Thursday, Nov. 4 and Friday, Nov. Pioneer. “It is nice to have it paved. Certainly, we didn’t 5, the driveway tie-ins along 13th paved on Saturday expect it to take this long. But it turned out to be a more

difficult project than was anticipated.”

One of the biggest complicating factors was that the water main was on one side of the road, and the sewer on the other.

“That meant they had to take up the whole road, but could only do half the work at a time,” explained Miller, adding he took a drive over the newly paved parts of 13th Avenue and “I believe they’ve done a fantastic job.

It’s very smooth. Where the driveway tie-ins are, you can barely see the seams...It looks really nice. You also can see quite clearly how the road was shifted to the east to allow for the pathway.”

Work still needing to be done includes line painting and inspection chamber boxes, which are needed at all the manholes, and finishing off the stormwater swales, said Miller.

“The line painting should happen soon, but it is weather permitting. Given the time of year, who knows for sure, it will depend on the conditions,” said Miller.

“The contractor is also looking to do the inspection boxes this fall, and it is possible that in order to get them done, 13th Avenue may need to go down to single lane traffic.”

The stormwater swales still need some soil work and hydro-seeding.

Federal ended the Canada Recovery Benefit

By Camille Aubin camille@columbiavalleypioneer.com The Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB), and Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS), which has provided financial assistance to Canadian individuals and businesses affected by the pandemic, ended on Oct. 23. More targeted programs will be put in place until May 7, 2022, to protect workers and businesses in sectors such as tourism and restaurants.

“Every different area in the provinces or country has probably got their issues with COVID-19 and how it affects them. In this area, our businesses have been able to roll reasonably well all through COVID, and we haven’t had too many shut down. So the need to have this benefit in place has been less for our area,” said Invermere mayor, Al Miller.

Chystia Freeland, the national Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, announced new measures will be introduced to replace the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy and Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS). “Today, our support needs to be more narrow, more targeted and less expensive, and we need to look forward to the day, now not too far off, when we will be able to bring it to an end entirely,” said Freeland during a news conference.

In recent weeks, some employers have criticized Canada’s benefits, particularly the CRB, claiming it has slowed the return to work of some Canadians and thereby worsened the labour shortage that affects several sectors.

“It did hinder our businesses well-being here of being able to hire staff,” said Miller.

“It hasn’t helped.”

But according to Miller, there’s more behind the staff shortage than the COVID-19 pandemic. “One other area I think is a concern is our demographic as a whole. We’ve been warned about this long before COVID,” said Miller to the Pioneer. “Our baby boomers are going to be retiring, and there’s not enough of the next generation, not as many (workers), to take positions. So that, I believe, is a major factor in our employment.”

As a solution, Miller proposed to increase the number of immigrants entering Canada. “I read and learned and was spoken to about this many years ago — that we need to really have a larger scale immigration of people from other countries, because we don’t have that population to support all these jobs,” explained Miller. “I think we could demonstrate our good Canadian values to a lot of people that are definitely in need.”

The federal government has introduced the Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit (CWLB), which will give workers $300 a week if their employer shuts down operations due to a provincially or nationally ordered lockdown, including those ineligible for employment insurance. This newest COVID-19 benefit will be available until May 7.

“It appears to be a program designed to activate quickly in the event of a “government-imposed public health lockdown,”” said Pete Bourke, executive director at the Columbia Valley Chamber of Commerce. “Of course, we hope that we don’t see more lockdowns in the future. However, having ready-to-go programs to respond to specific

circumstances is welcomed.”

This assistance would be offered only to workers who can no longer get to work due to a government-imposed public health lockdown order from public health officers or the government. Unless they receive employment insurance benefits during the same period, all workers would be eligible for this new benefit, said the federal Ministry of Finance.

These benefits will not apply to workers who lose their income or employment as a result of not being vaccinated or failing to comply with public health regulations.

“Individuals whose loss of income or employment is due to their refusal to adhere to a vaccine mandate would not be able to access the benefit,” the government said on its website.

“Hopefully, this is a program that is never called to action; however, it is good to know that is there if needed,” said Bourke. “While more details are yet to be released, hopefully it will help businesses retain their employees should we be affected by another lockdown.”

The Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit and the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit would be extended until May 2022, with the maximum duration of each benefit increasing by two weeks to help workers who are caring for a family member who has fallen ill with COVID-19, or who have been exposed to COVID-19. Both benefits are extended until May 7, 2022.

“At this time in our valley, the need for more kindness and acts of kindness to all of those who are trying to provide a service. That’s where we need to be,” said Miller.

“We need to show our support for all those people in the service industry and health industry.”

The estimated amount of new targeted measures could reach $7.4 billion, according to Freeland. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, the federal government said it had spent $289 billion to support employees and businesses.

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8 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer

November 11, 2021

Flood assessment executed as precipitation increases in Columbia Valley

By Haley Grinder Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

NOVEMBER 7:00PMPM NOVEMBER 15TH 15TH @@7:00

The Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) is COLUMBIA MÉTIS COLU MBI A VVALLEY A LRL1EY I SVIRTUAL I R T UA L NOVEMBE 5 THM @ÉT 7 :00 PVM in the fieldwork stages of its Regional Flood and Steep 2021 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2021 A N N U A L G ENERA L M EET I N G

Creek Risk Prioritization Project. BGC Engineering was in charge of consultations, conducting site visits between Nov. 1 and Nov. 3.

Due to the uncertain and everchanging weather patterns caused by climate change, increasing precipitation patterns have impacted the frequency and magnitude of flooding. Fiona Dercole, RDEK Protective Services Manager says, “this project will modernize our understanding of flood and steep creek risks across the region and inform the region’s Hazard, Risk and Vulnerability Analysis, which forms the foundation of the East Kootenay Emergency Management Plan.”

The site visits in the Columbia Valley focused on areas where steep creeks had the highest potential to produce debris flooding. This was determined based on past events, along with terrain mapping tools and a terrain review using LiDAR. “The geotechnical engineering qualified professionals that conducted the site visits were looking primarily

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at the sediment discharged by the creeks and at the character of the creeks to determine if the creeks had potential to generate debris and/or sediment versus clear water flooding,” explains Dercole. “As these generally have more destructive potential than clear water flooding.”

The goal is to update the team’s current data, as well as prioritize areas for further assessment and/or mitigation planning. Dercole says they also wish to raise the community’s awareness of flooding and steep hazards within the region.

The project is funded by the National Disaster Mitigation Program, which encompasses the RDEK’s member municipalities, along with the First Nations within the East Kootenay. Once the data collected from the site visits is analyzed, a report will be put together that will be available to the community in late spring of 2022.

“Community members should be aware of the hazards at their own property level, monitor weather conditions particularly during spring freshet season, register for the Evacuation Notification System and have a family emergency plan,” says Dercole. “If community members have experienced flooding in the past, we would like to hear from them.”

Indigenous Youth Summit teaches practical life skills

By Haley Grinder Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The National Aboriginal Trust Officers Association (NATOA) is hosting its second Indigenous Youth Summit from Nov. 15 to Nov. 17. The three-day virtual event aims to teach useful life skills for Indigenous youth ages 18-35 in a fun and social atmosphere.

The summit was created last year due to the rising mental health issues emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic. “During the pandemic, we felt that a lot of the events geared towards Indigenous youth were either cancelled or postponed as well as none of them have incorporated financial literacy or mental health,” says Michele Young-Crook, CEO and president of NATOA. “With the pandemic, we felt mental health would be so important due to such an uncertain time.”

The goal of the event is to improve awareness of mental health management strategies and resources available for those in need. The summit also teaches fundamental life tools such as entrepreneurship, employment skills, and both personal and professional financial strategies.

Young-Crook organized the event, and says the workshop will help provide, “confidence in financial decisions, and confidence in themselves as a whole to develop skills that

FALL

will help them achieve their goals as they grow and make life decisions.”

She adds that the youth will be taking home an invaluable skillset in budgeting, filing taxes on and off reserve, indigenizing their workplace or business, managing your credit and assets, learning the best practices in growing their business, strategizing plans to work abroad, creating lasting business concepts, and ultimately, building a healthy relationship with money.

The summit will also be hosting a “Race in Your Moccasins,” a competition where participants are placed in random groups and given challenges to complete. The fastest and most efficient solutions for the problems will receive a cash prize.

Last year, the Indigenous Youth Summit had over 200 participants, close to the same amount currently registered for this year. Some participants last year went on to open a nonprofit, become youth trustees for their community, and join their community council, and one even successfully opened their own corporation.

The summit costs $25 for all three days, although sponsorship may be available for select individuals.

For Indigenous youth interested in learning more, visit https://natoa.ca/events/indigenous-youth-summit/.

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November 11, 2021

The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 9

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Have something to say? Letters to the editor can be e-mailed to info@columbiavalleypioneer.com

BC LOTTERY CENTRE

10 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer

November 11, 2021 "On this fun-filled night, we will celebrate excellence in business by highlighting success, innovation and remarkable contributions to the Columbia Valley."

OUT OF OFFICE…

TICKETS ON SALE NOW CVCHAMBER.CA Tickets include admission to the event, cocktail hors d’oeuvres, dessert and a knee slapping good time with your business community!

From the end of the COVID tunnel, a beam of light

This coming week on November 18 the local business community will convene (in-person!) at Copper Point Resort for the 22nd Annual Business Excellence Awards. This will be the first time, in a long time where members of the public, business owners (and their teams) will let off some steam, be merry with peers and celebrate the hard work they have all shared in over the past two years!

The Chamber sat down with three major supporters of the BEAs to find out what this event means to them AND what to look out for from their businesses in the near future!

Brett Wilson – PrairieWIND Developments.

The celebration of the spirit of entrepreneurship in the Valley is critical to PrairieWIND’s passion for improving the experience of visitors, regulars and locals in the region. We believe the pursuit of excellence is the highest standard for anyone or any business.

BU

SI

NE

SS

ES

OF

TH EW

EE

K!

PrairieWIND is pleased to confirm that three well known national tenants will be building/leasing space on the highway side of the development next to the Invermere RCMP site in the spring of 2022. Clearly a boom for local investment, for regional jobs, for needed services and all related taxes for the benefit of all in the Valley. With more to come as the lower site is developed beginning in the summer of 2022.

Al Miller - Home Hardware The Business Excellence Awards are very important to bring appreciation and honour those who work so hard in their profession. Customer service, professionalism, and quality products are at the heart of what we all should strive for. People like to be recognized for good work and their personal achievements. We like to show leadership with the Chamber in efforts to raise everyone’s benchmarks in service. It is our sincere pleasure to work and live in this beautiful Valley and support our Columbia Valley Chamber.

We at Home Hardware are busy planning for our renovations and remerchandising. We are installing a new roof on our building which will improve our insulating factor and leaks that we had. We are going to see a big change inside the store. And it will keep us quite busy

for the first quarter of next year. We ask for everyone’s patience while we reconstruct.

France Andestad – Avenue Ladies Boutique We believe in bringing public awareness to all business’ in the Valley. It’s about supporting each other so we can all continue operating in the Columbia Valley. We also love seeing the who’s who, dressed in their finest on the BEA Red Carpet.

There is so much happening in the retail sector these holidays! The shop local and win campaign will be giving away over $10,000 in cash and prizes, Late Night Shopping is on November 25th til 8 pm and we are thrilled to have Got to Have One 2 Jewelry and Copper Antler Jewelry set up in Avenue with their beautiful creations. The perfect holiday gift!

The Business Excellence Awards is an open event to all the Valley community for a fun night out! There will be live music, food, drink and a lot of laughs.

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November 11, 2021

cvevents cv events.ca .ca WHAT’S HAPPENING?

Thursday, November 11

• 10:50 am : Remembrance Day Ceremony, Live Stream https://www.facebook. com/invermerebcevents. Observe 2 Minutes of Silence at 11 am, join millions of Canadians in observing two minutes of silence to honour, remember and thank all who served and sacrificed.

Friday, November 12 • 9:30-11:30 am: Chamber Coffee Talk~ Labour Shortage. The Village Social in Canal Flats. We want to chat with local businesses about the current labour shortage and how we can work together on a solution. Drop in or book a time advsior@cvchamber.ca

Saturday, November 13 • 10 am-4 pm: Windermere Valley Saddle Club Open House and Photo Session.

Family Photos, Pony Rides, Visit with Santa, Riding Demonstrations, Concession. Bring the family and meet the horses! Please leave dogs at home.

• 10:30 am-5 pm: Goddess Gathering Day Retreat. Under the energy of the waxing moon and the shift into the cool fall season, we use this to enhance the work we come to do together in the sacred circle of women - the Goddess Gathering. Sacredprana.com

Tuesday, November 16 • 7 p.m.: The Summit Trail Makers Society 2021 Annual General Meeting will be held this year via Zoom. Register by emailing summittrailmakers@gmail.com

Ongoing Events • The Invermere Public Library will be collecting donations ongoing until November 17th for the annual Christmas Auction which will take place November 20th -30th online. Now accepting items and gift certificates.

Thursdays • 9 am: Thrift Store donation Drop Off.

THE COLUMBIA VALLEY COMMUNITY EVENTS CALENDAR IS POWERED BY

• 10 am: Parent and Tot Connect. Parent and Tot Connect program by Family Dynamix for children ages 0-6, starting September 21st. Pre Registration is required, contact Contact mferster@fdx.family or text 250-341-8678.

• 10:30-11:30 am: Drop-in Seniors Fitness Class at the Columbia Valley Centre. $2 per class. Proof of vaccination required.

• 3 pm: Youth Drop-In Fun. The Summit Youth Hub is back open for FREE after-school fun! Grades 7-12 are invited to come for free food, safe hang out areas, Friday skate nights, virtual reality, gaming computers and our music room! MASKS ARE MANDATORY.

Fridays

• 9-10:30 am: Momfit & Preschool Group at the Columbia Valley Centre. Proof of vaccination required for caregivers. Invermere Public Library Storytime to follow at 10:45 am.

• 10:30 am: Story Time with the Invermere Public Library. Story time will take place outside the library on the front lawn while the weather is nice! Join us for stories, songs and a take-home craft!

• Wing Day at the Edgewater Legion. Every Friday is Wing Day at the Edgewater Legion! 12pm Take Out, 5pm Dine In! www.facebook.com/RCL199 or call 250-347-9725 • 4-8 pm: Pub Grub at the Invermere Legion, Every Friday and Saturday, Wings & Things, Pub Grub in the Branch.

• 5 pm: Magic the Gathering, Come for Friday Night Magic & play Magic the Gathering! 5:30 pm start. Entry: $10-40 depending on format. Call 250-3423440 for details. No registration required, but space is limited. Ages 10+.

• 6 pm Rotary Community Bingo. Must be 19+ to play. Online live bingo games with the purpose to raise money for various community charities, organizations and businesses who have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Choose to support a local Rotary Club with your ticket purchase!

• 7:30 pm: Beer League Hockey, Canal Flats. If you are interested in participating in a non-contact BEER league season please send us an email at badgershockey2019@gmail.com and we can fill you in on the details. Carpooling from Invermere available.

Saturdays

• 12 noon - 4 pm: Canal Flats Market, Come check out the diverse artisans and producers at this Mixed Market in Canal Flats, every Saturday! Located at 9110 Highway 93/95.

• 4-8 pm: Pub Grub at the Invermere Legion, Every Friday and Saturday, Wings & Things, Pub Grub in the Branch.

The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 11

scan me!

Sundays

• On Sundays and Mondays, the Rotary Club or Kinsmen Club collects refundable bottles and cans at the Invermere Transfer Station! We sort and deliver for refund - this money goes “right back into the community” through our Projects and Initiatives!!

Mondays

• 10:30 am: Rhyme Time. If you are a parent or caregiver of a child under 2 years old, come and learn some fun songs, rhymes and stories with us! Email skalesnikoff@cbal.org for the Zoom link.

• 10:30-11:30 am: Drop-in Seniors Fitness Class at the Columbia Valley Centre. $2 per class. Proof of vaccination required.

• 6 - 9 pm LGBTQ+ and Allies Youth Group. LGBTQ+ and Allies are invited to attend the Summit Youth Hub’s weekly drop-in for youth. Every Monday, ages 12-18. Snacks + a safe space!

Tuesdays

• 10 am: Parent and Tot Connect. Family Dynamix will be running an indoor Parent and Tot Connect program for children ages 0-6, starting September 21st. Pre Registration is required, contact Contact mferster@fdx.family or text 250-341-8678 • 6-10 pm:Youth/Teen Drop in Fun - Invermere. NEW this year, the Summit Youth Hub is taking our youth centre on the road to Edgewater and Canal Flats!

We will be bringing our mobile skate park, BBQ, tunes and so much more! This is where you can pick up your Summer Snack Pack too!

Wednesdays

• 10:30-11:30 am: Family Dynamix hosts a Catch-up Cafe for the Columbia Valley every Wednesday morning on ZOOM for those isolated and unable to get out as much because of Covid 19.Tricia at patkin@familydynamix.ca • 4-5 pm: Sparks and Brownies For girls 5-7yrs. Meeting at Spiderweb park (west of the Invermere hospital) • 6 pm: Drop in Utimate Frisbee. JA Laird Sports Field. $20 registration fee for the season. Please bring cash or transfer to justin@justinkeitch.com • 6-8 pm Legion Legend Wednesday Dinners. Reservation by Saturday

is required.

• 7 pm: Trivia Night at the Station Pub. $3/ person, max 6 people per team. No cell phones allowed! Minors must be accompanied by an adult.

CVCHAMBER.CA/ OUTOFOFFICE

CONTACT US TODAY AND GET EYES ON YOUR NEXT EVENT

12 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer

AGM

Wednesday, November 17 7 pm | Radium Brewing on Main Street in Radium

*In accordance with Provincial Health guidelines, masks and vaccine passports are required for in person attendance up to a maximum of 50 participants. A ZOOM link will be available for those who prefer to attend on-line. Please email info@columbiavalleycyclingsociety.org for more information.

columbiavalleycyclingsociety.org

VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS FOR SHOPPING AT THE INVERMERE THRIFT STORE The Invermere Thrift Store has implemented COVID-19 Vaccination requirements for all our shoppers.

Effective November 22, 2021, all shoppers must provide proof of vaccination, or medical exemption.

In order to enter the Store, we ask that all shoppers 18 years and older provide: • proof of identification, with photo ID • proof of a COVID-19 vaccination (Provincial Vaccine Card) or proof of a valid medical exemption And that children 12 years and over provide: • proof of a COVID-19 vaccination (Provincial Vaccine Card) or proof of a valid medical exemption Children under 12 years, will be admitted to the store when accompanied by a vaccinated adult, on Fridays and Saturdays only.

Please respect these requirements.

The Invermere Thrift Store is dedicated to providing a safe and welcoming space for all our shoppers, staff and volunteers. We continue to maintain protocols and procedures to keep everyone safe while shopping. For the safety of yourself and others, please practice physical distancing when in the Store.

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Please recycle this newspaper

November 11, 2021

Columbia Valley outdoor education profit sees explosive growth

By Steve Hubrecht steve@columbiavalleypioneer.com A Columbia Valley-born social enterprise focusing on providing resources for outdoor education has gone from strength to strength since launching a bit more than a year ago, and this fall has extended its reach right across Canada.

The local nonprofit Outdoor Learning Store (which goes by the official name Canada’s Nonprofit Outdoor Learning Store) sources outdoor educations resources and equipment, quite a lot of which can be hard to come by for teachers and other experiential educators and interpreters, and collects in under one roof, giving educators easy access “one-stop” shopping for pretty much anything they might need to get students (of any age) learning.

The store is run as a social enterprise for the Columbia Basin Environmental Education Network (CBEEN) in partnership with other regional, provincial and national nonprofits. The idea for it came after realizing the lack of a similar service anywhere in Canada, explained Outdoor Learning Store executive director, Duncan Whittick.

“We kept looking to order outdoor learning supplies from within Canada, but kept having to order from stores in the U.S. We thought, surely we can do better here in Canada, so we decided to set it up,” said Whittick.

When the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic hit, it highlighted the importance of outdoor eductions, said Whittick, and the Outdoor Learning Store began operating (with a physical headquarters in Athalmer) in fall 2020, starting initially by serving schools and other outdoor learning organizations across the Kootenay and elsewhere in B.C. Interest and uptake were strong, to put it mildly, and this fall, the store has upped the ante and is now serving outdoor educators and institutes nationwide.

“Comparing last October to this October, we’ve more than tripled the number of schools and organizations that we’re serving — 41 last October to 127 this October,” noted Whittick, adding in the Outdoor Learning Store’s first full year of operation it has sent shipments to more than 1,000 schools across Canada and is getting more than 1,000 educators registering for each of its online outdoor learning workshops. Indeed, the store’s upcoming winter workshops are already chock-full. Its staff (many of them based here in the Columbia Valley)

has grown to 13 people. The store is not stopping at the national level, however, and Whittick has already been in conversation with some of his U.S. counterpart about bringing our outdoor learning store south of the border.

“The fact that a social enterprise can be so successful, and so quickly is inspiring,” said Outdoor Learning Store communications manager and rover, Natalie Forrest. “In many ways, it has become a hub for outdoor eduction, in our valley, but also for a larger education community that extends well beyond our valley.”

“It is filling a void that needs to be filled, and is giving environmental educators additional resources and support — that’s helping not just educator and students, but by helping foster environmental awareness, it also helps the whole Columbia Valley,” said Outdoor Learning Store Indigenous advisor, Jenna Jasek, adding that part of what makes some of the resources the store offers particularly impactful is the ability educators have to connect, through the store, with specific resource authors and creators, and learn how to use those resources to their fullest potential.

Submitted photo

“One of the best parts is seeing this filter down to the level of our own kids,” said Outdoor Learning Store administrator, Chris O’Shaughnessy, adding that just two weeks ago, she saw her son Jasper (in Grade 3) sitting at Richie’s Point (in the area also known as the Wilmer Wetlands), on one of the store’s yellow sit-pads, absorbed in a firsthand lesson about wetlands.

“The whole idea is to give teachers the tools and the inspiration to get kids outside more,” said Jasek, adding her own daughter Kayli (in Grade 2) had recently been on a field trip to see the salmon.

“For the younger kids, the focus is primarily on being in nature, and the awe and wonder that comes with that,” said Whittick. “As the kids get older, the resources and equipment we have, hopefully, it moves into helping to foster engaged citizens.”

To learn more, visit outdoorlearningstore.ca.

Remembrance Day 2021

November 11, 2021

The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 13

In Flanders Fields

By John McCrae

In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie, In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.

Lest we forget

N E W S PA P E R

We honour those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

8, 1008 8th Ave. Invermere, B.C. Ph: 250-341-6299 info@columbiavalleypioneer.com www.columbiavalleypioneer.com

Remembrance Day 2021

14 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer Valley Pioneer 14 • The Columbia

November 11, 2021 November 11, 2021

Sam leaves behind lasting legacy: A True Hero “He was always there with an orange pop, a coffee crisp, and a smile on his face.”

By Haley Grinder Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Remembrance Day brings with it a time of solemn silence—communities nationwide gather together to stand unitedly in support, each person bearing a small, red, velvet poppy over their heart, symbolizing both remembrance and hope for a peaceful future. Cheeks turn a rosy shade of red, and bodies begin to shiver, however, whether that is from the colder temperatures that accompany Canadian Novembers or thinking about the soldiers that didn’t make it back home, is unknown. The feelings of loss, remembrance, and love fill the cold, stiff air, amplified by the soft crunch of fallen leaves beneath one’s feet.

Frank Sam served in the war, enlisting in 1941 at the mere age of 15, making the day of particular importance within the Sam family growing up shares Glady Sam, the middle of four children to Frank and Patricia. Waking up at the crack of dawn, Frank would be polishing his shoes, getting ready to slip them on and participate in the march up to the cenotaph. Glady, who couldn’t march with her father in the parade itself, would march alongside on the sidewalk in sync with him, each step a tribute to her immense pride in growing up with Frank as a dad. His other children would march as well, occasionally in the parade it- Frank Sam is photographed on Teneese Flats on Akisqnuk First Nation circa 2012.

Photo by Adrian Bergles self, but always on the sidelines, watching

We Remember

as Frank set the bar of what is expected for Remembrance Day. Frank’s contagious smile continuously transcended the hardships he faced. Being taken from his family at only five-years-old, Frank was placed in a residential school where he stayed until he was 15. His long braids were cut off, and he was subjected to a life of arguable slavery, where he was fed porridge and molasses on bread— a meal his family said he swore to never eat again.

Glady remembers Frank talking about the number of eggs he gathered from the chicken coop, yet never saw in his own breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

At 15, his future was left with minimal options and zero job prospects, which ultimately fueled his decision to enlist in the army. Becoming a paratrooper, he loved the breathtaking adrenaline that came from jumping out of a plane. But even an adrenaline rush as strong as that could not prepare him from the horrors he saw when he was unexpectedly sent overseas directly into the heart of the war.

Though the memories he had in the war remained his own—too painful to speak about aloud to even his closest family— they sometimes poked through at night, in the form of dark, twisted nightmares that woke everyone within radius.

Continued on page 15...

Lest we forget

the sacrifices made by all who serve our country.

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Remembrance Day 2021

November 11, 2021 November 11, 2021

Columbia The Columbia The Valley PioneerValley • 15 Pioneer • 15

ankle, one to his arm. Getting sent back to Canada, at a hospital in Vancouver, Frank narrowly avoided What isn’t talked about is the injustice that Aborig- having his foot amputated and spent just over a year inal Canadians faced when dedicating themselves to healing from his injuries in rehabilitation. military service. The Indian Act ruled that Indigenous Yet, despite all that, Frank’s magnetic personpeoples who spent four or more years living off the re- ality and positive outlook on life never wavered, serve would lose their status as Aboriginals when or if eventually getting back to a point of doing what he they returned from overseas. Identifying with the Akis- loved most, which consisted of an active, outdoorsy qnuk community where he was born, he came back to life. He held an especially special spot for playing a tradeoff of his official Indian status for post traumatic hockey and baseball, fishing with his family, and stress disorder (PTSD). hunting. He needed a change of scenery to process past events, which ultimately helped fate lead him to his wife, Patricia. Moving to Washington State in 1966, he worked at an apple factory, where he passed Patricia’s designated station every morning.

Their chemistry was undeniable, getting together Submitted photo in 1967, and officially marrying in 1971. The cer- Frank Sam (left) emony was small and special, occurring in Salmon Frank loved talking to new people and cracking Arm with just four family members present.

“He was an honorable man. In loving and just ev- jokes, often posting up on the bench outside of BMO, erything that he did,” says Glady, the intense love ev- where he would happily chat about life with those who ident from the tears pooling in the corner of her eyes. passed by. “He was always there with an orange pop, a “He loved fiercely. He committed fiercely. He was de- coffee crisp, and a smile on his face,” says Jill Nicholas, pendable in a way that, not just from my eyes but from Frank and Patricia’s youngest daughter, fondly rememanybody’s, if somebody needed something, he would bering her dad’s charismatic identity.

This year’s Remembrance Day will be different for find a way to help them. It was him going out of his the Sam family. Facing it without Frank by their sides, way to be that person.”

Patricia, his daughters Jill and Glady, and granddaughters Frank was a man of strong family values, evident Nyla and Elani, say it will be extremely hard. Glady Sam, even now in his beautiful children, grandchildren, and Frank’s grand daughter Nyla (back left), daughter Jill Nicho- of course within Patricia, his wife of 50 blissful years. Executive Assistant to Chief and Council for Shuswap las (back right), wife Patricia Sam (front left), grand daughter Joining the Shuswap Indian Band, he lived every day Indian Band, has the honor of placing the wreath on Elani (front middle), and daughter Glady Sam (front right). as though it was a blessing, touching the hearts of ev- the Cenotaph during the ceremony. Although a smaller

Photo by Haley Grinder eryone he talked to, to the point that tourists who met event than in years past, due to the ongoing COVID-19 him in past visits would even go to Radium’s Tourism pandemic, the love and Remembrance transcends previous years for the Sam family, who will be remembering But he did come back from the war, something that Centre in search of him when they were in town. thousands of Canadians sadly cannot say. Serving as a “He’s a rockstar,” she says. “If I went anywhere with not only the soldiers who gave their lives along with the Private for Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders of Cana- him, people gravitated to him and his stories would res- veterans who made it home, but also Frank and the outda, second division, Frank was discharged after receiving onate. Anywhere he went. Everywhere he went, he knew standing legacy he left behind.

Continued ‘Frank Sam’ from page 14

two gunshots when acting as a paratrooper: one to his

people. People were just gravitated to him.”

Lest We Forget

In honour of our veterans and the men and women in the Canadian Forces currently serving our country.

Serving the Valley for over 23 years.

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Remembrance Day 2021

16 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer Valley Pioneer 16 • The Columbia

November 11, 2021 November 11, 2021

Remembering the guys who wouldn’t go Submitted by Elinor Florence This is excerpted from an interview with Ray Crook of Invermere. The complete article, along with other wartime stories, are found in the book My Favourite Veterans: True Stories of World War Two’s Hometown Heroes, by Elinor Florence of Invermere, available at Lambert-Kipp Pharmacy in Invermere, or from the author’s website at www. elinorflorence.com.

About 11,000 Canadian men refused, mainly for religious reasons, to perform military duties during the Second World War. Instead, these conscientious objectors were sent to work camps, several hundred of them right here in Kootenay National Park.

Ray Crook of Invermere remembers them well. He was rejected from military service because of a heart murmur. (Ironically, Ray turned 103 years old on September 1, 2021).

Ray’s father Charles Crook homesteaded 30 kilometres east of Radium Hot Springs, before Kootenay National Park was established in 1920.

In 1932 Ray and his brother Charlie helped their father build seven log cabins, and Crook’s Meadows became a summer tourist campground.

But war put the brakes on their livelihood. Since gasoline was rationed, people weren’t driving anywhere on holidays. “When war broke out, Dad’s business was nil,” Ray said.

Charles Crook then accepted a position with the federal government, supervising conscientious objectors (sometimes called COs for short). These men were sent to two camps inside the park – one called Sixteen-Mile Camp, and the other called Twenty-One Mile Camp -both located on the banks of the Kootenay River.

The men operated small sawmills, fought fires, built bridges and fixed roads. They laboured from sunup to sundown, summer and winter, in most cases with the most primitive hand tools.

How it came about The issue of Conscientious Objectors was a thorny one.

When war began, Canada under Liberal Prime Minister Mackenzie King vetoed conscription for overseas service. All men could be drafted for military training

and home guard duties, but only volunteers would be sent overseas.

Ray Crook holds a copy of Park Prisoners by Bill Waiser, describing work camps in Canada’s national parks.

Submitted photo However, about 11,000 men (a small number overall) refused to participate in any type of military activity.

In 1940, a compromise was reached with religious leaders: COs would be required to perform civilian labour for four months, the same length of time as standard military training.

COs included Mennonites, Hutterites, Doukhobors, Jehovah’s Witnesses and Seventh Day Adventists. There were a handful of others from all mainstream churches including Roman Catholic, Anglican, United and Presbyterian. (As Ray recalls, there was even one German Canadian who didn’t want to fight his own people.)

They were sent to work in Western Canada’s national parks and paid 50 cents a day (well below military pay of $1.30 a day), plus room and board. The two camps in Kootenay Park housed three main groups: Mennonites, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Hutterites.

(By April 1942, when things were looking particularly bleak overseas, the government ordered COs to serve

REMEMBRANCE DAY November 11th

& Auto Service

Brenda Braund-Read Representative 250-342-1146 brenda@rockieswest.com www.brendabraundread.com

Mennonites

By May 1941, the work camps were ready to accept them. “The Mennonites were the first ones to arrive,” Ray recalled.

The Mennonite faith began in Europe around 1500, named after Menno Simons, one of the historic “peace churches” committed to pacifism. When war was declared, about 110,000 Mennonites were living in Canada. Some of them believed that the Nazis were purely evil and had to be defeated at all costs. Others refused any form of military participation.

About sixty percent of Mennonites became COs, and the other 40 percent joined the armed forces. It was a difficult choice that divided families (much like vaccinations today).

The Mennonites who chose to follow pacifism were sent to work camps, where they meekly accepted the hardships and isolation of camp life.

“They were nice people, very hard-working,” Ray said. “My Dad was a bush foreman for many years, and he said he had never worked with a bunch of finer young men in his life.”

Ray, who worked as a truck driver, hauling supplies into the camp, became very friendly with them. “The accommodations were fairly primitive, just bunkhouses covered with tar paper,” he said. During the coldest months of winter, the men almost froze.

“The food wasn’t bad,” Ray recalled. “Sometimes when I had to haul supplies into the camp, I sat down and ate with them.”

Although they were prisoners, the men had rare breaks. “The workers were given occasional weekends off, and they got leave once or twice a year to go home and see their families.”

For many, it would be their first time away from their close-knit communities. The desperately homesick men amused themselves by singing hymns, writing letters, reading, hiking in the forest, playing games such as horseshoes, and forming lifelong friendships. They were forbidden to speak German, although an old form of the German language was their native tongue.

Continued on page 17...

Thank You!

Lest we Forget

Lot 156 Industrial Road #2 • 250-342-0800 Invermere • 250-342-0800

for the duration of the war. The inmates who arrived in the camps after that date were kept there until after the war ended.)

We Remember

Rainbow Restoration 250-342-0090

invermere@rainbowkootenays.ca

invermerebakery.com

To all servicemen and women, past and present, we thank you for your service.

Remembrance Day 2021

November 11, 2021 November 11, 2021

Columbia The Columbia The Valley PioneerValley • 17 Pioneer • 17

Continued ‘remembering’ from page 16

Memories of camps still exist In 2009, Ray answered a knock on his door and found two Hutterite men. Just Jehovah’s witnesses as many of us yearn to know how our fathers spent their wartime years, so did these The next camp to open in Kootenay Park saw a different group of religious objec- two brothers named Paul and Sam Kleinsasser, from Rose Valley Colony in Assiniboia, tors arrive, mainly Jehovah’s Witnesses. This is an offshoot Christian denomination, Saskatchewan. directed by a group of elders in New York. The group emerged in the late 1870s and is “There was barely a trace left of the two camps in Kootenay Park,” Ray explained. known for door-to-door preaching, distributing literature such as The Watchtower and “For a few years, the cabins were neglected and fell to pieces, and later the government refusing military service. bulldozed everything.”

Their refusal to serve in the military or salute national flags has caused them no end But the brothers came to the of trouble. Witnesses have been persecuted in many countries. From 1940 to 1943, right man, as Ray is perhaps the their religion was banned in Canada, meaning they could not claim CO status and only living person who knows were sent to work camps. (In Nazi Germany, the Witnesses were sent to concentration exactly where the camps were locamps where many died. They also had to wear a purple triangle, just as the Jews had cated. He took the brothers out to wear a yellow star.) to the park, and showed them where to look.

There was once a telephone line running through the park, removed decades ago. (Ironically, telephone service seventy years ago was better than it is today.

Currently there is no cell service available in much of the park,) But Ray remembered where the telephone line came into the main office, threaded through a piece of pipe. After several hours of searching, Sam Kleinsasser found the pipe still sticking out of the forest floor. He also found the cast-iron leg of a stove showing where the cook shack was situated, a pile of tin cans and some other remnants. And he even Sawmill at 16-mile camp in 1942.

Photos by Ray Crook found a huge pile of sawdust Hutterites where the sawmill stood. Thus The third group to live and work in Kootenay Park were Hutterites. the Hutterite brothers learned Hutterites are one of three major Christian Anabaptist groups (the others are Menexactly where their father had nonites and Amish) surviving today, and the only group to insist on communal living. spent his long and lonely years.

Hutterite history dates back to 1528 when a small group of German-speaking Anabaptists established a communal society in Europe to escape religious persecution. UnCrook family remembered der the leadership of Jacob Hutter, they established their beliefs, including separation Sadly, Ray’s father Charles Hutterite CO with son of the cook. of church and state, and opposition to war. Hutterites have retained the dress and the Crook was killed by a falling language of their ancestors. rock on November 20, 1945, just a few months after the war ended, and was buried on After the war ended in August 1945, the government refused to allow any of the his homestead. His grave was dug by COs from the nearby work camp. work camp inmates to go home until the last man in uniform was returned from overIn 1970, the mountain behind was renamed Mount Crook. In 1987 Kootenay seas. (Or perhaps the government was just trying to squeeze a few more months of work National Park officially declared the site as Crook’s Meadow Campground. You can eat out of them). your picnic lunch there, and pay your respects at Mr. Crook’s nearby grave.

The last Canadian camp in existence was in Banff National Park, where the final Five of the cabins are gone, but two of them survive: one at the home of Marg inmate was released in July 1946.

Christensen in Invermere, and one at the Windermere District Museum.

Remembering ur Veterans

Invermere Industrial Park

250-342-8331

Always Remember

250-342-9281 invermere.net

LEST WE FORGET

Remembrance Day – November 11th

Remembrance Day 2021

18 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer Valley Pioneer 18 • The Columbia

The price of freedom

Fresh old ideas

For many things, we attach a value. A new car is forty-five thousand dollars, and a toaster oven is one hundred and forty dollars.

By Arnold Malone A dollar value can’t be atPioneer Columnist tached to freedom. If there is any doubt, ask the women of Afghanistan. Would ten million dollars compensate for having to stay in your house until given permission to leave, never allowed to be educated, or unable to use your skills in meaningful activities?

What value is money without freedom?

In 2019 Susan and I took a European trip of a lifetime. We toured many military sites in North Europe. We were at war cemeteries in the Netherlands, Germany, crossed Belgium (Flanders), and walked the WWI and WWII landing beaches on the shores of Northern France.

The sky-scraping monument at Vimy Ridge is a reminder of the enormous sacrifice that Canadians made during World War I and it is a striking marker for Canada’s entry into nationhood.

We visited a war Cemetery in Germany and stood by the graveside of my cousin who, as a child, I had known.

On his headstone was his age, 23. Other members of his family had the privilege of living full and productive lives. His was given in the struggle for freedom. He was not alone. There are 63 Canadian war cemeteries in

1988

November 11, 2021 November 11, 2021

30

2018

INDERMERE WV ALLEY

Europe. Row upon row of young men and women lost forever. It is a long walk across the length and breadth of these cemeteries. We whispered our heavy thoughts as we walked beside those youthful saviours of our freedom.

I have no idea how much freedom is worth, but anyone who has ever visited a military cemetery will forever know the price we paid. Given their sacrifice, we owe so much for our present privileges.

In the new war museum near Groesbeek, Netherlands, we witnessed the horror of war. Among our experiences was being in a simulated bomb shelter.

We opened the heavy door and went inside. On either side, there were long bench seats. Only Susan and I were in the shelter.

On the wall was a button beside the word START. We pushed the button.

For nearly a minute, there was only silence, then we heard the faint drone of a far-off fleet of bomber planes.

While scarcely audible, it was obvious we were hearing the sound of an in-coming fleet of bombers.

In time we began to hear the muffled sound of distant bombs exploding. As minutes passed, the impact of bombs drew closer. The sounds grew louder, and the shelter began to quiver. The lights flickered and then went out. The bombing mission continued until we were in the midst of direct hits with bombs ex-

250-342-3004

www.windermerevalleygolfcourse.com

Arnold Malone served as MP for Alberta’s Battle River and Crowfoot ridings from 1974 through 1993. He retired to Invermere in 2007.

WE HONOUR THOSE WHO SERVE.

Golf Course

Lest we forget

ploding above us. We were in the dark. The shelter shook violently. The percussion sounds of the loud explosions tortured our ears. The feeling of being attacked seemed real. There were continuing rapid explosions as direct hits shattered our surroundings.

A person could not help but feel fear even though it was only an enactment of war. If we sensed fear, then imagine what a real war-time experience would be like.

In time, the sound of planes began to retreat. The bombing became muffled, then vanished.

As we left the bomb shelter, we walked out into the rest of the museum, and Susan said, “Consider, that in a real war, people would not return in to a museum but rather see their city devastated.”

The fight for freedom has come with such a heavy price and, now, upon each of us lays a heavy burden. We too must be vigilant in defending freedom. Those brave persons must not have died in vain, lest we forget.

#3 755 13th Street, Invermere B.C. V0A 1K0 Phone: 250-342-6978 • Toll Free 1-888-982-8888 Email: tvlworld@shaw.ca

Lest We Forget

Valley Hair Styling

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Lest we forget Est. 2005

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Licensed & Insured

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Lest we forget 1756 Hwy 93/95 , Windermere B.C. Office: 250-342-6500 • Batch plant: 250-342-2812 • Toll Free: 1-888-341-2221

Skandia Concrete I N

P U R S U I T

O F

EXCELLENCE

November 11, 2021

The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 19

HERE TO SERVE YOU

CONCRETE I N

P U R S U I T

CONCRETE • Ready Mix Concrete • Commercial concrete sealer • Concrete Pumping retarder for exposed • Over 50 colours available aggregate and in stock • DELIVERED ON TIME • Concrete stamps for rent at a fair price • Full range of coloured release • Full range of sand and agents for stamping gravel products.

O F

EXCELLENCE Skandia Concrete • Manufacturers & suppliers of quality concrete & gravel products • Experienced, professional operators and the right equipment to get your job done • Serving the valley for over 30 years

• Environmentally responsible • Steamed aggregate beds for top quality year-round concrete supply • We stand behind our service, quality and products

Phone: 250-342-5833 • Cell: 250-270-9444

All products are available at 9120, Hwy 93/95 which is five kilometres north of Tim Hortons

READY MIX CONCRETE 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)

1756 Hwy 93/95 Windermere B.C. Office: 250-342-6500 • Toll Free: 1-888-341-2221

CONTRACTING

Where to recycle?

CONTRACTING

Where to INTERIOR • EXTERIOR • WALLrecycle?

COVERINGS

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• Fireplaces • Commercial and residential • New builds • Renovations.

A licensed, registered and bonded company

We also offer roundthe-clock service calls.

Give us a call! James, 250-688-1267 or Jerry, 250-342-5299 Email: jeffersoncontractingltd@gmail.com

CARPET CLEANING

Professional Painting 604-RECYCLE (732-9253) & Decorating Ltd. 1978

www.rcbc.c

1-800-667-4321

Local Resident

CUSTOM WOOD FINISHING Recycling council of B.c. MeMBeR FAUX FINISHES JOURNEYMAN RED SEAL

Recycling questions?

BC RECYCLING HOTLINE 604-732-9253 1-800-667-4321 Recycling council of B.c. MeMBeR

CARPET CLEANING

Enjoy life, we’ll clean it up!

250-688-0213

Kekuli Bay Cabinetry

Recycling council of B.c

403-650-4622 • garysptg@gmail.com

Specializing in all heating, electric, gas and wood.

Call NOW:

Can this be recycled?

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Seniors Discounts

Check the BC RECYCLEpEdia www.rcbc.ca • Trusses • Engineered Floors • Wall Panels Tel: 250.341.6075 Fax: 250.341.3427 Email: info@duskbuildingsystems.com www.duskbuildingsystems.com

CONTRACTING

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Recycle? Yes or no?

Get the BC ReCYClepedia app

• Authorized dealer • Designer • Installer

Dale Elliott Contracting

25 years experience installing cabinets Custom Woodwork and Finishing Serving thewww.rcbc.ca Columbia Valley for over 40 years.

dale@decontracting.ca • 250-341-7098 Recycling council of B.c.

MeMBeR PHARMACY

LAMBERT-KIPP

PHARMACY (2019) LTD. TILE AND GROUT CLEANING Business: 250-342-9692

RR#4 2117–13 Ave. Invermere, BC V0A 1K4

Cell: 250-342-1273

ptarmiganrugclean@gmail.com

Irena Shepard, B.Sc. (Pharm.)., Émilie Lamoureux, Pharm D., Laura Kipp, Pharm D. Your Compounding Pharmacy

Open Mon. – Sat., 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. and Sun., 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

1301 - 7th Avenue, Invermere

250-342-6612

SHUTTER BUGS WELCOME We love a good photo submission. If you have a snapshot to share, email info@columbiavalleypioneer.com

20 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer

November 11, 2021

HERE TO SERVE YOU

INSURANCE

LANDSCAPING

THE COLUMBIA VALLEY’S TREE CARE SPECIALISTS WINDERMERE, BC 250-341-7029 P.O. Box 130 Invermere, BC V0A 1K0 Office: 250-342-2175 • Fax: 250-342-2669 Cindy.mackay@kootenayinsurance.ca

GOLDEN, BC 250-344-0188

GET YOUR QUOTE AT WWW.GREENLEAFTREE.CA INFO@GREENLEAFTREE.CA

www.kootenayinsurance.ca

R O O T E D I N T H E C O L U M B I A VA L L E Y S I N C E 2 0 0 7

SERVICES

SERVICE EXCELLENCE

INSURANCE AGENCIES LTD.

BOX 2228 742 - 13th STREET INVERMERE, BC V0A 1K0 P: 250-342-3031 F: 250-342-6945 info@lambertinsurance.ca

IN THE COLUMBIA VALLEY

SINCE 1991

BOX 459 7553 MAIN STREET RADIUM HOT SPRINGS, BC V0A 1M0 P: 250-347-9350 F: 250-347-6350 TOLL FREE: 1-866-342-3031

ICBC Glass Repair Out of Province Vehicle Inspections Auto Body Repairs • Painting • Quality Parts

We give all students 15% off with valid student ID

SERVICES

Fresh Farm Eggs Available Daily

5

$ 00

Tire Sales and Installation

Sales ~ Service ~ Installation

Judy: (250) 341-1903

Text Only: 403-707-5915

Pickup in Windermere or Invermere (Delivery may be arranged)

valleysolutions@shaw.ca

House Checking and more!

/Dozen

• Free Range • Hand Gathered • Farm Fresh• Multi Colored

Bob: (250) 341-5014

PROVIDING SOLUTIONS FOR THE VACATION HOME OWNER SINCE 2006

UNIVERSAL DOORS & EXTERIORS Arnold Scheffer 250-342-6700

unidoorext@live.ca • unidoorext.ca

Industrial ~ Commercial ~ Residential

WINDOW COVERINGS SHOWROOM

Beat the fall rush ~ clean your Chimney this spring!

ROCKY MOUNTAIN CHIMNEY SWEEPS LTD. 804 Almberg Road, Golden, BC V0A 1H2 CELL: 250.272.5599 OFFICE: 250.344.7323 todd@rockymountainchimneysweeps.com rockymountainchimneysweeps.com

CLEANING & MAINTENANCE ON ALL WOOD BURNING APPLIANCES • WETT INSPECTIONS

• • • •

Doors Windows Flooring Painting/Interior/ Exterior • Kitchen Renovations • Window Coverings

• Bathroom Renovations • Additions • Decks • Finish Carpentry • Basement Renovations

KITCHEN CABINETS & COUNTER TOPS

915 7th Avenue, Unit B, Invermere • EMAIL: fairmontridge@telus.net • 250-342-4663 • Interior/Exterior Painting • Staining • Clear Coat • New Construction • Renovations

Scott Postlethwaite

Residential, Commercial Electric Furnace and Hot Water Tank Repair and Service For All Your Electrical Needs

Free Estimates

All Makes and Models

141 Industrial Rd. 2 • 250-342-9424 • Open Monday - Friday, 8:30 am - 5:30 pm

Zimmer Ranch ~ Windermere

“Fresh every day by happy hens!”

North American Warranty

invermereelectric@gmail.com

1710 10th Avenue – Invermere, B.C. V0A 1K0

HOW WE ROLL Gerard Rehman 4950 Hot Springs Rd. Fairmont Hot Springs, B.C. V0B 1L1

Ph: 250-688-ROLL (7655) LetUsRoll4U@Gmail.com

(Servicing the Valley since 1999)

NEW SEWER CAMERA

20 years experience • Satisfaction guaranteed!

• Septic Tank Pumping • Portable Toilet Rentals

• A well maintained septic system • Complete sewer/drain repairs should be pumped every 2-3 years • Reasonable rates – Seniors’ discount • Avoid costly repairs • Speedy service – 7 days a week

Fraser Elrick • 250-688-1271

www.columbiavalleypioneer.com Phone: 250-341-6299 • Email: info@columbiavalleypioneer.com

N E W S PA P E R

November 11, 2021

The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 21

P ioneer C lassifieds ANNOUNCEMENT

ATTENTION ASPIRING MUSICIANS FROM PARSON TO CANAL FLATS Applications are open for the Steamboat Mountain Music Bursary. Musicians of all levels and any age may apply.

Funds may be used for: workshops, music camps, lessons, master classes, college, or university music programs.

Deadline: Monday, November 30th, 2021.

Download application: www.steamboatmtnmusicfest.ca

Alcoholics Anonymous. If alcohol is causing problems or conflict in your life, AA can help. All meetings are at 8 p.m.

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

Al-Anon. Are you concerned about or affected by someone else’s drinking? If so, please join us on a “ZOOM” meeting every Monday at 7 p.m. For more information or to speak with someone from our fellowship, please call 250-342-8255.

CHEERS WITHOUT TEARS Cheers to DOI staff member that stopped his truck to make sure my dog and I were safe when we encountered some aggressive deer. Thanks for noticing!

Cheers to Steve and Audrey at The Local View. You guys are great!

Cheers to the Rock Painters fellows. We removed the Halloween rocks at the Owls Perch and the Ravine Trail to make room for the Holiday Season rocks. Let’s Paint!

CHEERS WITHOUT TEARS

CHEERS WITHOUT TEARS

Big Cheers to a lovely person who paid for my kids’ and my dinner at the station pub on Nov 2nd. I wish I knew who you were and said thank you in person. I will pay it forward!

Cheers to Murray and Sharron for all their kindness and love. From the French lady upstairs.

To the folks at RIO restore for wrapping my picture for shipping and being SO helpful and pleasant!!

Cheers to the guy in Radium who painted the rocks for Halloween.

Equidae Benefit Society would like to give a big cheers to Kootenay Paving/Skandia Concrete a division of Terus Construction Ltd for making the generous donation of new arena footing. Thank you to Jared Babich for providing the skid steer and delivery of the footing.

As well as to Chris Hamp, Franz Schwabel and Matt for spending the weekend putting it in. We are one step closer bringing a therapeutic riding program to the valley because of you!!

Cheers to Steve for writing a fabulous article on our amazing Mom, Anna Engdahl Cheers to Linda Pattison for your healing hands and for being an all-around amazing person. I am grateful to call you my friend.

Cheers to the Columbia Valley Chamber of Commerce and our Windermere Valley businesses.

Cheers for your generous donation to the Valley GoGo Sisters our local chapter of the Stephen Lewis Foundation Grandmothers Campaign.

Through your successful Valley Strong Burger Month donation, we are able to provide support to Grandmothers of Sub Saharan Africa and their families. Such generosity in these difficult times.

LISTINGS NEEDED! I WANT TO SELL YOUR HOUSE!

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

Rockies West Realty

SUITE FOR RENT

SERVICES

HELP WANTED

2-bdrm apartment for rent downtown. Dec. 1st to Apr. 30th.

Furnished. No pets, no smoking.

References. Timing of lease negotiable. Please text 1-403968-0647.

B.B.’s Home & Design Services Master Craftsman & Stonemason, Renovation’s, Blinds & installation. Home interior/exterior repairs , dump runs, house checks/cleaning.

Book now for snow removal.

Over 35 year’s experience.

Call 250-688-2897.

Kootenay Country Electrical Qualified Electrical Service Licensed, Bonded, Insured Highly skilled electrician Call Dean 250-342-5516.

THE BEST DEAL

TOWNHOUSE FOR RENT For Rent 3-bdrm Townhouse backing onto Radium Springs Golf course. Renovations now complete. Double front drive garage, wood burning fireplace, West mountain and golf course views, fully developed walk out basement, and 3 baths. Long term rental only, six months minimum. $3500/mo. Plus Utilities. No pets and no smoking inside. Contact Gerry: 1-403585-6886.

Independently owned and operated

LOST AND FOUND Lost: Black iPhone, Oct 25th between 12th ave and hospital, in the early afternoon. If found please contact 250-342-5444.

Men’s gold ring with ruby stone the initial J Reward offered please call 250-342-7617.

COMMERCIAL SPACE INVERMERE DOWNTOWN For Lease 2,400 sq. ft. of Commercial space.

712 – 10th St., UNIT “D” street level M&B Properties 250-341-1940 bruce@brucem.com

FOR RENT 2-bdrm apartment for rent downtown. Dec. 1st to Apr. 30th.

Furnished. No pets, no smoking.

References. Timing of lease negotiable. Please text 1-403968-0647.

• Phone: 250-341-6299 • Email: info@columbiavalleypioneer.com • Web: www.columbiavalleypioneer.com

LOT/ACREAGE FOR SALE

BUYING OR SELLING? I specialize in rural, recreational, farm and ranch properties.

BARRY BROWN-JOHN “Rocky Mountain Land Man”

Call or text

LESSONS/TRAINING Christmas Carols adapted to your level. Play for self or family.

Just enough time to learn them. Arne Sahlen, Invermere arnesahlen@hotmail.com celltext 250-540-4242

HELP WANTED General Carpenter Finish Carpenter Jack of All Trades If you are looking for a change, or a new start, The Home Renovation Centre is looking to add some new, permanent staff to our team. Transportation is required. Call David 250-3425682.

250-342-5245

All Dolled Up is looking for an experienced Lash Artist!

WANTED

Bonus if you have manicure, pedicure, and waxing experience. Large clientele already built up! Monday to Friday year-round position.

Please email your resume to Carmen at info@getalldolledup. ca along with pictures of your lash work. Only successful applicants will be contacted.

b.brownjohn@gmail.com

Cash for all silver and gold!

Bullion, bars, rounds, coins, jewellery + also buying coin collections and old money!

Todd’s coins 1-250-864-3521 Wanted Golf Carts, dead or nearly dead will hall away for free. Call Jeff 250-341-8146.

Have an opinion? Email your letter to the editor to info@columbiavalleypioneer.com

2577 Sandstone Circle

$784,900 Executive Castlerock Home MLS 2459822 Check out the 3D tour at Rockies.realestate

Geoff Hill PREC* REALTOR® Fair Realty

250-341-7600

www.geoffhill.ca

Wanted 2 F/T Restaurant Cooks, Rocky River Grill, 8888 Arrow Road, Invermere, B.C. Permanent, F/T shifts, overtime, weekends, days and evenings, $16/hour for 40 hours per week. Overtime after 40 hours. Minimum several years’ experience and completion of Secondary School. DUTIES: Prepare and cook full course meals, prepare and cook individual dishes and foods, ensure quality of food portions, work with minimal supervision, prepare dishes for customers with food allergies or intolerances. Inspect Kitchens and Food service areas. Please forward resume to Justin Atterbury by fax 250-342-8889 or email justatterbury@hotmail. com.

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22 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer

HELP WANTED

November 11, 2021

Hockey minute

HELP WANTED

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Part-time, permanent www.valleyfoundation.ca

Reporting to the Chair of the Board of Directors, the Executive Director (ED) manages the operational and administrative functions of the Community Valley Community Foundation. The successful candidate will: • • • • •

Support day-to-day operations of the CVCF including communications, financial management, bookkeeping, grant management, marketing, and administration Within the governance structure, provide support to the Board and committees Ensure continued growth of CVCF’s donations and major gifts, through fundraising, donor engagement, and increasing the profile of the CVCF Grant management and administration for annual community granting and student awards Ensure financial strength of organization through diligent bookkeeping and financial reporting

The ideal ED candidate will have proven management, finance, administration, and communications experience, including the following qualifications: • • • • • • • •

Experience in the charitable, not-for-profit sector or business administration Post-secondary education or equivalent professional courses preferred Detail-oriented with strong organizational and administration skills Exceptional written and oral communications skills Strong marketing and public relations experience Financial management and bookkeeping knowledge and experience Previous experience with fund development, grant management, donor engagement, and financial reporting for the charitable sector preferred Proficiency with technology and related software, including accounting, database, website maintenance, social media, and communications systems

CHARTERED PROFESSIONAL ACCOUNTANTS

We have an opening for a

Staff Accountant at our busy public accounting office in Invermere.

Formal training, strong bookkeeping background, public accounting experience, or a CPA designation would be a definite asset for this position.

Please submit your resumé in confidence to Kevin Andruschuk,CPA, CA

GREEN ANDRUSCHUK LLP

Chartered Professional Accountants Box 460, 1229 – 7th Avenue, Invermere, B.C. V0A 1K0 kevin@valleycpa.ca • Ph: 250-342-9271 Fax: 250-342-9274

Interested in this opportunity? Please email a cover letter and resume to info@valleyfoundation.ca by 12 pm Monday November 15th, 2021.

Remuneration based on skills and experience.

If you are looking for a stimulating, dynamic opportunity And you are interested in home decor, design, and dealing with people we would like to consider you for our team.

We require a professional, respectful, confident person

Early Years Coordinator Part-time 4.5 month Term Position Hours: Up to 12 hours per week Start date: Immediately Schedule: Monday to Friday between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm.

Some evenings and weekends may be required.

who is friendly, positive and has a genuine interest in people and customer service. Someone self-motivated, who can work independently and with others efficiently and who is interested in learning and in variety in the workplace. We require computer and typing skills with a desire to grow in all areas required.

This is a long-term opportunity available immediately.

Please apply in writing with resume and letter of interest to: ereiddesign@gmail.com

The Early Years Coordinator plans and implements activities for families and their children under six, related to Early Childhood Development from Canal Flats to Spillimacheen.

Functional Responsibility: 1. Offer parenting support information and/or programs to support children’s social and emotional well-being.

2. Provide access to early intervention information, referrals, and/or services.

3. Provide health promotion and prevention information and/or services.

4. Provide information and/or linkages that support young children transitioning to Kindergarten.

5. Provide information on child care programs available in the local community.

Accountability: The Early Years Coordinator is accountable to the Director of Program Management and in her absence the Executive Director.

Qualifications: Two year post-secondary in a human services discipline and one year related experience. Other appropriate combinations of education and experience may be considered.

Application process: Email a resume and cover letter to Pat Cope, Executive Director, Family Dynamix Association at Pcope@fdx.family by 4:30 p.m., November 15, 2021.

If you have what it takes to work with a great Snow and Ice Management team, we want you!

Can you drive a plow truck? Operate a skid steer?

How about a shovel? Do you appreciate working with good equipment, an organized company, and other hardworking individuals?

Are you a student, retired or self-employed? Do you have a current job with flexible work hours? This is the perfect way to make some extra money! We offer a variety of opportunities to fit in with your life, whether it’s a couple of hours in the morning clearing sidewalks, a full shift, or something between.

Of course, snow work is a bit sporadic. You must be available and committed to work on an on call basis. To be a good fit for this position you must be reliable, punctual, and hard working. We expect the best from our crew, so we pay them $25/hr from day one!

If Snow Fighting is the kind of winter challenge you are looking for, please email enquiries to info@brigadeltd.com

Got an entertainment, sports or news tip? Give us a call! 250-341-6299

Submitted The U13 Rec team travelled to Nelson to play in a tournament against many interior teams. They played hard and were in every game until the very end. They lost to Trail 7-5, Grand Forks 4-2, and Nelson 6-4, but tied Kelowna. In the Nelson game, they were ahead 4-2 after two periods, but just ran out of steam. Throughout the tournament Kade Shaw, Crosby Vernon (4), Tanner Cropley, Hayden Walker (2), Sawyer Wright (2), Theodore Wilson (2), Braydon Rice, Ethan Dewey, all scored goals, spreading goals throughout the team. Sawyer (3), Tanner, Meika VanderVinne, Ethan (2), Bryce Konge, Kade, and Sawyer all had assists. Great games boys.

The Midgets travelled to Cranbrook on Sunday, where they did not play their best against the Cranbrook team, losing 10-2. However, they did have fewer penalties than their last game. Lukas Pfisterer on a pass from Leif Dubreuil scored the first goal for the locals and Brydon Fleming scored in the third on a pass from Lukas.

The U11 team hosted a home tournament where the competition was quite stiff. They lost both games Saturday, one to Kimberley and one to Elk Valley as they are getting used to playing on full ice for the first time. Then on Sunday, they won two games against Cranbrook on Sunday, one 3-2 and one 4-0, with many of the goals having assists. Goals were scored by Jack Gramlich, Hudson Lapointe (4), Teagan Wolfenden, and Pistol Keith (2). Assists were recorded by Addison Chasse, Nash DuBois, Jackson Baron, Jack Hildes, and Jack Joy. In the last games, Nicholas Buttle, the goalie, had a shutout, leading the team to a 3rd place finish. The improvement over the weekend pleased the coaches and the parents.

Continued ‘RDEK’ from page 4 The first seven requests in the UBCM report include: introduce a provincial regulatory framework (similar to the one for ride-sharing, for instance); require online accommodation platforms to make data available; require platforms to validate business licenses or permits; require tax collection at the point of booking; share provincial sales tax (PST) revenues with local governments affected; consider changing the municipal and regional district tax (MRDT) to allow tax revenue to be used to offset impacts to housing and neighbourhoods; and expand split classifications of properties to reflect STRs dual commercial and residential uses. The other requests include: amending the Local Government Act to allow regional districts to issue business licences (to regulate STRs); increase the fines local governments can levy agains noncompliant STR operations; ensure provincial bylaw notice adjudicators have sufficient information and awareness to deal with STRs; develop an outreach program to help local governments deal with housing needs, including STRs; collaborate with federal and other agencies (such as Statistics Canada) to better collect and analyze rental housing data; and expand Housing Needs Reports requirements to include data on STRs. “These requests for action would significantly reduce the regulatory burden for local governments, while continuing to offer flexibility to balance regulation with the benefits of having short-term rentals available,” said Whistler mayor and STR advisory group co-chair, Jack Crompton. “The report also acknowledges that there is a need for improved data on STRs in B.C. communities to support effective regulation, and the need for a provincial interface that is available to local governments.”

November 11, 2021

The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 23

Steamboat Mountain Music Festival’s 10th Anniversary

Submitted by Anne Jardine COVID-19 has been hard on live gatherings such as music festivals over the past two years. Steamboat Mountain Music Festival had been growing gradually over its eight-year history, but in 2020, large gatherings were prohibited by public health rules. In its ninth annual venture, Steamboat Society had to adapt. The festival organizing committee put the music online on their website. They created a studio in the old Our Lady of Peace Church in Radium and recorded a dozen fifteen-minute sets by local and regional performers. All the artists got paid for their performances, although the payroll was small, due to a much-modified budget.

This year, 2021, Steamboat was hoping to host a best-ever festival to celebrate the event’s tenth anniversary. But phase 3 and then phase 4 of the coronavirus raged on, and public health restrictions continued. In the spring, BC Arts Council rolled out cultural resiliency grants to performing arts presenters around the province. Without even applying, Steamboat was awarded a one-time grant. That funding, along with grants from

the Arnie Charbonneau Foundation, and the Columbia Valley Community Foundation, has helped to create a double-disc CD of all local artists playing twenty-six all

original tunes to mark the festival’s ten years of showcasing Columbia Valley’s homegrown music. The festival organizing committee brought back producer Michael Wallace, who had done the video and sound engineering of the Online Steamboat 2020. The committee held an album cover art contest, which was won by Cimone Zimmer for the cover and Bill Ark for the inside art. The songs were recorded in Edgewater over the summer, and the production work was completed in September. The much-anticipated shipment finally arrived on November first.

The album is on sale for $20 at Edgewater Post Office, and a few more outlets will be announced over the coming days. Money raised from the sale of the albums will be used to present the 2022 Steamboat Mountain Music Festival in Edgewater next July. There is a bit of a story behind the album’s title. Shake a Tree comes from a quote by the legendary local musician Mickey Maione: “Shake a tree in Edgewater, and a musician will fall out.”

Also, Mickey’s witty love song to COVID-19, “Kiss of Death,” opens Side A of the album.

Columbia Valley Rockies weekly roundup - Week 6

Submitted by Mark Teterenko The Rockies came out of week six with three of four possible points. They finished Friday night with a 3-2 overtime loss versus the Creston Valley Thunder Cats and followed that up with an 8-4 win against the Beaver Valley Nitehawks on Saturday.

When asked how they thought the team performed, Coach Briar McNaney stated that “if you sit back and take a look at the weekend as a whole, 3 out of 4 points is successful. However, we were unhappy with our game Friday night. We felt the energy was missing, and we could not execute to our usual standards. A team like ours that has the goal of winning our league needs to bring those qualities every game. Saturday night felt much better as a whole. The team responded quite well to the challenges that the staff gave them, and I feel like we found another gear that our young group may have not known they had. It was a real proud moment from not only the staff perspective, but [also for] the countless volunteers and fans to see that they were able to bounce back so quickly in the way that they did. This young group took a big step Saturday.”

GM Wade Dubielewicz stated that “versus Creston, I thought we started really well. We stopped skating and managing the puck in the second period, which allowed Creston to carry out most of the momentum. I think we were fortunate to get to overtime and get one point. However, good teams find ways to stay in games even when they might not deserve to.”

When asked if there are any areas that are going to be of focus this week to better prepare the team for their week 7 matchups, McNaney stated, “I think there needs to be a few systematic reminders,” but that the team is at their best “when [they] hammer down on fundamentals and principles.” Dubielewicz highlighted that the team will

need to “focus on improving special teams and tightening up defensively in all three zones. The division is incredibly tight and every weekend moving forward is very important”.

The Rockies have a rematch away versus Creston on Friday, Nov. 12 at 7:30 p.m.

MST, followed by a home game against the Kimberley Dynamiters on Saturday, Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. MST. For more information and up-to-date news on the team, visit rockieshockey.ca.

Let’s go Rockies!

Your Weekly Source for News and Events

The Columbia Valley

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NOTICE

Serving the Upper Columbia Valley including Akisq’nuk and Shuswap First Nations, Spillimacheen, Brisco, Edgewater, Radium, Invermere, Windermere, Fairmont and Canal Flats

As a precaution, our office will be closed for 14 days due to a COVID-19 exposure.

We will be reopening to the public Tuesday, November 23rd.

If you need any assistance please call or email Amanda Nason, Associate Publisher Ph: 250-341-6299 ext. 102 Email: advertising@columbiavalleypioneer.com Payments can be taken over the phone by credit card.

Forward Kyran Gromnisky breaks away from a defender on the Thunder Cats.

Photo by Mark Teterenko

N E W S PA P E R

24 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer

FAITH

November 11, 2021

The gift of peace

LAKE WINDERMERE ALLIANCE CHURCH Now open for in-person services.

Sundays at 10:30 a.m.

326 10th Avenue, Invermere 250-342-9535 • www.lwac.ca

Submitted by Murray Wittke Valley Christian Assembly

WINDERMERE VALLEY SHARED MINISTRY ANGLICAN-UNITED Please email office@wvsm.ca to request a link to our online service which starts at 10:30 a.m. Sundays.

Recorded services can be accessed by typing WVSM Invermere Anglican United Church.

250-342-6644 • www.wvsm.ca

VALLEY CHRISTIAN ASSEMBLY Sunday 10 a.m. Worship service Pastor Murray Wittke 4814 Highway Drive, Windermere 250-342-9511 • www.valleychristianonline.com

ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

St. Anthony’s, Canal Flats., Canadian Martyrs’ – Invermere, St. Joseph’s – Radium.

Canal Flats: Saturday 4.30 pm Canadian Martyrs, Invermere: Saturday 5 pm, Sunday 9 am.

St. Joseph, Radium: Sunday 11.00 am Father Jojo Augustine • 712 -12th Ave., Invermere 250-342-6167

For me, war has always been… “Once upon a time in a land far far away…” All I’ve ever known is peace. Unlike many others in our war torn world, I’ve never lived in fear; never heard machine gun fire or ran from a bomb blast; never walked by burned out homes or dead bodies in the street; never had to hide in the dark, steal food, or flee for my life. I’ve never had brutal paramilitary kick down my door, ransack my home, or threaten me because of my nationality or religion. For me, those things only happen somewhere far away, on the news, or in movies.

For 64 years, I’ve been privileged to live in a country that enjoys the rare and unique gift of peace. I lead a quiet life. I sleep well at night. There are no bars on my

windows, and my front door is seldom locked. I feel safe everywhere I go because I live amongst peaceful people that cherish the gift they’ve been given. Unlike other gifts, the gift of peace comes at an incredible price. Once upon a time, young men and women went to a faraway land and gave their lives to purchase our peace. They sent it home never experiencing it themselves. Today young Canadians still guard our peace entering the world’s warzones attempting to make peace. Some never come home, and many that do, carry war wounds that make peace for them impossible. Peace is costly, yet day and night, those we don’t even know continue paying the price.

So how do I respond to such an expensive gift?

Wearing a poppy and showing respect on Remembrance Day is a good start. Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers...” It’s unlikely I’ll ever have to fight for peace carrying an assault rifle, but I can be an instrument of God’s peace; where there’s hatred, sowing love, where there’s injury, forgiveness, and where there’s despair, hope. I begin by extending my hand to all of you… “The peace of Christ be with you!” Pass it on.

ST. PETER’S LUTHERAN CHURCH Sunday 1:30 p.m. Worship Service at Valley Christian Assembly 4814 Highway Drive, Windermere www.eklutheran.ca mtzionlc@hotmail.com

RADIUM CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP 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 Rick Daniels • Columbia Valley Branch 5014 Fairway, Fairmont Hot Springs 250-421-3756

h e Pioneer ca T n

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take you r do llar With 4,400 copies far th in circulation each week, er

Phone: (250) 341-6299 info@columbiavalleypioneer.com N E W S PA P E R

Books galore and more sale!

Submitted by Cindy Reekie, Friends Coordinator, and Jacqueline Kozak, Library Director

CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS

your message is resonating with residents and visitors alike.

Photo by Tom Hermans on Unsplash

www.columbiavalleypioneer.com

Friends of the Radium Library welcome you to join us on Saturday, Nov. 20, for their Annual Book Sale!

The sale will be held in the Radium Gymnasium (Parks Canada Administration Building) 7511 Columbia Avenue from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

There’s something for everyone: hundreds of books to choose from, including fiction and non-fiction for adults, youth, and children!

Please bring your own bag. Radium Library book bags can be purchased for a toonie, or take advantage of our special promotion. Pay $10, get a library bag, and fill it.

Books range in price from $1 to $5, and payment is cash only for this sale. All book sale proceeds support Radium Library programs.

It’s a great way to get out with family and friends, and experience all that the Village of Radium has to offer – specialty coffees and teas, craft beer and great places to eat. We look forward to seeing you there!

Radium Library Updates The Radium Hot Springs Public Library has partnered with our Kootenay neighbours to offer online programming for teens and adults. This includes virtual author visits, a teen newspaper and online book clubs. We also have our popular seasonal grab & go activities available in lieu of our regular children’s programming. Stop by the library for a good book, computer needs, a study or workspace, or print or scan a document.

While many of the restrictions have been lifted for public libraries, the provincial health order still requires all patrons ages five years and older to wear a mask inside the library. If you forget to bring your mask, we do have extras available at the front desk. We can accommodate you with curbside and over-the-phone services for those who cannot wear a mask or are immunocompromised. We are open Tuesdays to Fridays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Radium Library would like to thank our community for its kindness and understanding.