Columbia Valley Pioneer, November 15, 2018

Auction raises funds for library programming

By Lorene Keitch lorene@columbiavalleypioneer.com

Sheila Bonny grew up dreaming of owning her own bookstore some day, or perhaps becoming a librarian. She ultimately chose a di erent career path but her love of books has never faded. Her passion for the written word led her to volunteer with Friends of the Library, a group of about 15 that raise funds for the Invermere Public Library.

Ms. Bonny is chair for the silent auction, an annual fundraiser put on by Friends of the Library each Christmas season.

Ms. Bonny and approximately 12 other volunteers gather regularly in a chilly metal outbuilding to save, sort, and stack. ey strategize over the best combinations to incorporate in each basket, and deliberate over how to display items. en on Friday, November 23rd, baskets assembled, they will make the short hop across the street to the Invermere Library to display the items in the annual silent auction.

Friends of the Library is currently seeking donations for the auction. Donations can be dropped o at the library until Wednesday, November 21st. Amongst the more popular items to consider donating include crafts, artwork, Christmas items, books, children’s gifts, kitchenware, other treasures, and even ready-made gift baskets. Altruistic citizens will sometimes come up with a theme and build a basket, such as with locally-crafted items or foodstu s.

Some of the treasures already donated this year include a ‘Downton Abbey’ tea set, a copper planter box,

and a ‘slow juicer’, valued at more than $140.

“ e items don’t even have to be new,” says Pat Conway, treasurer, adding so long as they are good quality and in good condition, Friends of the Library will gladly accept them.

Friends of the Library gives the money to the library to spend as they see t. Programs that bene t from the local fundraising committee include buying books and hosting story times, seniors’ tea, book club, author readings, STEAM programs and other programming.

“ e Friends of the Invermere Library are such a dedicated group of volunteers,” comments Nicole Pawlak, Library Director. “ e funds that they raise go a long way to support programs and services at the Invermere Library. We are able to provide a variety of special events throughout the year because of their e orts on our behalf.”

Last year, the silent auction made close to $1,200 while the joint Christmas book sale brought in another estimated $1,000.

Elaine Johnson, vice president, says if anyone is considering joining Friends of the Library, or even just wants to sign up to be on the volunteer list, to reach out to a member to nd out more, stop in at the library to pick up an application form, or visit the Friends of the Library page at https://invermere.bc.libraries.coop and click on ‘About us / Friends of the Library’.

“It’s a really good group of women,” says Ms. Johnson.

e silent auction runs from Friday, November 23rd at noon until 2 p.m. Saturday, December 8th.

VALLEY

Collective commitments from Council

News analysis by Dauna Ditson reporter@columbiavalleypioneer.com

Leading up to the Invermere election, candidates o ered voters their best solutions for issues in the community. No councillor or mayor operates alone, but together they will set the District’s direction going forward.

Where three or more council members support the same initiative, they can make the local government changes they want to see, so the Pioneer tracked your new council’s responses throughout the campaign period and pulled their answers together to show voters how they can expect their new council to govern.

Water quality:

Drinking water quality isn’t likely to improve as the majority of council members – Mayor Al Miller, Gerry Taft and Greg Anderson – don’t see an issue with water quality, at least not one that is worth the cost to x. Even so, they support general ongoing repairs and maintenance.

Ute Juras would like more to be done.

“Water quality should be one of the highest priorities of Council,” she said. “I will commit that I will work with council and sta to review (the District’s water) studies and advocate for implementation

of any recommendations that will improve our water situation.”

Kayja Becker’s response was more general although she said addressing water-quality concerns is one of her biggest areas of focus.

“Council will need to focus on the sourcing of water, the infrastructure for water delivery, and encouraging grey water and rainwater usage to further reduce consumption of potable water,” she said.

A ordable housing:

Residents can expect council to address the need for a ordable housing as all elected candidates identi ed issues and proposed solutions that could be merged into an action plan.

Mr. Miller said, “I believe mayor and council will need to take a look at our subdivision bylaws (and) re-look at the costing involved to encourage further development of available lands in the core of lnvermere where transportation and get-

ting around is easier. e short-term rental business needs to be regulated properly. Licensing, amount, collecting taxes, etc.”

He also wants to “(facilitate) a strategy to build more rental units” and said council will need to consider allowing smaller lots and smaller homes.

Ms. Becker is also keen on tackling the issue on many fronts.

“ e best approach to solving our housing problem will involve a combination e ort of bylaws and initiatives... we need to consider o ering initiatives and lower tax rates to those who o er their property as a long-term rental.”

She would also like to encourage secondary suites.

Like his council colleagues, Mr. Anderson wants to see a comprehensive approach. He wants to partner with other groups who have a stake in a ordable housing and would consider a residential zone for tiny homes.

“We must review our bylaws related to short-term rentals,” he said. “We have to carefully consider what limitations and restrictions to potentially implement in 2019 (i.e. business licenses, limiting bed units, tax implications, residency requirements) that could lead to positive impacts on long-term rental availability.”

Direction and vision in Canal Flats Council

News analysis by Lorene Keitch lorene@columbiavalleypioneer.com

Canal Flats Council will have an adjustment period as three of the ve new Council members are new to municipal politics (though Doug McCutcheon served as a school trustee for seven years in a separate district). rough the election period, the new mayor and councillors asserted what they would like to see accomplished moving forward into

a new four-year term. Compiled here are topics brought up by at least three candidates – enough votes on a Council to see a change move forward. e answers are not a comprehensive look at all platform items of each candidate. Instead, they are a re ection of answers given in both the Pioneer weekly questions as well as the all-candidates debate held Wednesday, October 10th.

Canal Flats Council includes Mayor Karl Sterzer and councillors Marie De-

lorme, Bill Lake, Douglas McCutcheon, and Kimberly Swerdferger.

Development / Growth: e former CANFOR lands are taking on new life with the purchase and development into new projects, including the Columbia Lake Technology Centre as well as plans for housing and business ventures. Expect to see an amiable relationship between the new Council and the new owner as each can-

didate vowed to work with the landowner while staying community-focused.

On the more general topic of development in Canal Flats, the unsurprising answer from candidates was there needs to be a balance between keeping the avour of Canal Flats the same while encouraging responsible growth.

“We need a balanced approach to development,” said Ms. Swerdferger.

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e new Invermere Council includes (from left) Councillors Gerry Taft, Kayja Becker, Greg Anderson and Ute Juras, and Mayor Al Miller (seated). Photo by Dauna Ditson

RCMP

Submitted by Sgt. Darren Kakuno Detachment Commander Columbia Valley RCMP

This past week, November 5th through November 11th, the Columbia Valley RCMP responded to 50 calls for service. The following are some of the more notable files our officers responded to.

• On Monday, November 5th at 12:30 p.m., police received a report of four males “tagging” a semi-trailer with graffiti near Lau rier Street in Invermere. Officers immediately responded and located and arrested the four male youths. The inves tigation

ongoing.

Ms. Juras said that “there is virtually no rental inventory available and what we do have is sometimes unattainable for someone on a minimum wage.”

She would like to see more regulation for AirB nBs and would be interested in considering rezon ing to allow for smaller houses or mixed uses in the downtown areas.

Mr. Taft said: “Invermere, like most communi ties, needs to do more work on regulating short term rentals.”

He also advocated for continuing with Inver mere’s “very liberal approach” to allowing secondary suites.

Athalmer land purchase:

Everyone except Ms. Juras wants to purchase the land near the Athalmer bridge.

Ms. Juras said she was reserving her judgement until the results came in from the public-opinion poll that was included in the general election.

(In the election, 66 per cent of voters supported purchasing the Lake Windermere Resort land.)

Mr. Miller said he “would hate like heck” for the community to miss out on the chance to invest in the property.

Mr. Taft said: “It is a pretty exciting (opportuni ty), and offers a blank slate.”

Mr. Anderson said the opportunity the District has to buy the land “comes along once in a genera tion.”

Ms. Becker said, “The land’s not going to sit there waiting for us forever” but that the District needs to determine how it would use the property effectively.

• On Wednesday, November 7th, staff from the Invermere Tim Hortons reported someone had stolen their poppy fund do nation box. Police viewed the surveillance footage and interviewed several individu als before identifying a suspect. The suspect subsequently returned the money to the Tim Hortons and is now banned from the busi ness.

• Snowfall on Friday, November 9th re sulted in five minor motor vehicle incidents. Three single vehicle collisions occurred in Windermere, one in Radium Hot Springs and one in Invermere. Fortunately, no injuries were re ported in any of the incidents. With winter driving con ditions upon us, please remember to drive to the condi tions.

Columbia Valley Centre:

Each Invermere council member wants to see the new community hall fully functional. Ms. Juras would also like to see the hall generate the funding to pay for its ongoing costs.

Listening to your concerns:

Each of your council members committed to lis tening to your concerns.

Ms. Juras said, “My promise to you is to be ap proachable, to listen, bring your concerns forward and advocate for them.”

Ms. Becker said, “I believe Invermere deserves a candidate who will listen to the views of all citizens, and advocate on behalf of those who are often under represented.”

Mr. Miller said: “My hope as mayor is to spend time with our management and staff in regular meet ings, bringing council and citizen concerns or wants to the table and help guide from the elected official side.”

In an all-candidates forum he also invited resi dents to “grab me in the coffee shop or on the street corner.”

Mr. Anderson said he is “always available and al ways approachable.”

The Pioneer didn’t make note of Mr. Taft spe cifically inviting residents to reach out to him but he confirmed that he had and added that his phone number is widely available.

Note: This analysis is not comprehensive. It’s based on responses the candidates provided at two all-candi dates forums, written statements they provided during the Pioneer’s election coverage and other public com ments they made during the election period.

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. ‘Collective’ from 3

Calendars, not clones

Spacing out the Valley’s events

By Dauna Ditson reporter@columbiavalleypioneer.com

Have you ever found yourself wishing for a collection of clones so you could attend all the amazing Valley events happening on a particular sunny Saturday and then wondered where all the fun went when you can’t nd anything new to do the following weekend?

at’s a predicament the Pioneer sta occasionally nd ourselves in. On a single weekend in June we had eight events to cover – each of which would have warranted a cover-page photo. Other weekends we can be found loitering around playgrounds or on the beach, desperate to nd someone doing something interesting for us to put on the front of the paper.

Ryan Watmough, economic development o cer for the Columbia Valley, pulled together a group of more than a dozen event planners and representatives from local organizations on ursday, November 8th. He called the meeting to discuss the Valley’s annual events and to propose collaborating on a Valley-wide schedule to render cloning unnecessary.

“ ere’s no shortage of great things happening here,” said Mr. Watmough, who can often be found anywhere anything is going on. But he suggested that the Valley could pace itself and space those events throughout the year, allowing for a more balanced economy.

Other participants agreed, saying that the heavy summer schedule can mean that employees feel burned out, that employers struggle to ll job vacancies and that in the busiest periods guests can end up receiving less than the phenomenal Valley experience they’ve come to expect.

Kaylene Earl of Lakeshore Resort and Campground, whose Indigenous Cultural Festival was featured on the Pioneer’s cover the weekend of the eight events, was all for dividing up dates for future gatherings in the Valley.

“ ere is way too much going on all in the same time,” she said. “It would be nice if we could plan and spread the events out to create momentum.”

A participant from a large resort agreed and said that collaborating on dates for events would mean that hosts weren’t “ ghting for people” as they are now.

Mr. Watmough suggested that planning events in the shoulder seasons and spreading out events would mean that organizers wouldn’t be competing with each other, that individual events could be even more successful and that guests would then be more able to attend each of the gatherings that appeal to them.

While there was a general consensus in the room that the Valley’s parties should be spaced out, questions remain about who would manage the proposed calendar and how planners could book their dates.

Discussions will continue during the winter. ose who would like to be involved can reach Mr. Watmough at cvced@rdek.bc.ca.

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE - BYLAW 2880

Bylaw Amendment - Edgewater

approved, the bylaw will increase the maximum permitted parcel coverage of the first storey floor area of a single-family dwelling for specific strata lots within the Valley’s Edge Development as long as the habitable floor area of the larger dwelling is located on one level. The subject properties are located at 4868 Riverview Drive in the Valley’s Edge Park in Edgewater as shown on the attached

Bylaw No. 2880 cited as “Regional District of East Kootenay - Upper Columbia Valley Zoning Bylaw 900, 1992 - Amendment Bylaw No. 341, 2018 (Edgewater / Ortt)” will amend the text of the R-1 (B) Zone to permit up to 105 m2 of parcel coverage on Strata Lots 14, 15, 30, 118, 119, and 186 -200, all within Plan NES3039, subject to there being no habitable areas above the first storey of the dwelling.

A public hearing will be held at: Edgewater Community Hall 4818 Selkirk Avenue, Edgewater, BC Tuesday, November 27, 2018 at 7:00pm

The Board has delegated the holding of this hearing to the Directors for Electoral Area G and Electoral Area F.

If you believe that your interest in property is affected by the proposed Bylaw, you may prior to the hearing:

• inspec t the Bylaw and supporting information at the RDEK office in Cranbrook from November 9, 2018 to November 27, 2018 between the hours of 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday, excluding statutory holidays;

• mail, fax or email written submissions to the addresses/numbers shown below; or

• present written and/or verbal submissions at the hearing.

SUBMISSIONS CANNOT BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE PUBLIC HEARING.

All submissions will form part of the public record and will be published in a meeting agenda posted online. Personal contact information such as phone and email will be removed from written submissions. Questions about the disclosure of your personal information may be referred to the Corporate Officer at 250-489-2791 or 1-888-478-7335.

This notice is not an interpretation of the Bylaw. For more information, contact Tracy Van de Wiel, Planning Technician, at 250-489-0306, toll free at 1-888-478-7335, or email tvandewiel@rdek.bc.ca.

Annual General Meeting

Tuesday, November 27th at 7 pm Pynelogs Cultural Centre

Including a presentation by Pat Morrow “Explore! Yukon to Uganda”

Everyone welcome ~ refreshments provided.

WINGS IS SEEKING VOLUNTEERS

Information about volunteer positions can be obtained by contacting Doug Yukes at 250-342-0428 or dougyukes@telus.net

DISTRICT

REQUEST FOR FEE PROPOSAL

Sealed

The District of Invermere

to provide a

Proposal for this project.

All works are to be conducted in compliance with WorkSafeBC Regulations and in accordance with the Ministry of Environment

Interested

Scope of

wastes.

the

the building.

before

hours.

Please note that

Please direct questions to Mr. Kim A. Leibel, Manager of Building

Protective Services, inspections@invermere.net or 250-3429281

1226.

There will be no public opening for this request for fee proposal. All submissions received after the closing date and time will be rejected. Faxed or emailed submissions may be accepted with prior approval from the District’s CAO, Mr. Chris Prosser.

The District of Invermere reserves the right to accept or reject all or part of any proposal and to accept the proposal in total or in part or to accept the proposal which it deems as most favorable in the interest of the District of Invermere and to waive any informality, incompleteness or error in any proposal.

Contract documents have been posted and are available for download on the Districts of Invermere web site at www.invermere.net.

PERSPECTIVE

Caribou are the canaries in coal mine

Op-ed by Eddie Petryshen, Conservation Coordinator, Wildsight

e provincial government recently announced plans to capture the remaining six caribou from the South Selkirks and South Purcell herds and translocate the animals to a maternal pen near Revelstoke. is is the latest chapter in an ongoing heartbreaking story of a species on the brink.

As one of North America’s oldest mammals, southern mountain caribou survived ice ages 12,000 years ago. Once abundant throughout the Columbia, today they exist in 18 isolated subpopulations, hanging on in remote areas of our heavily-altered mountain landscapes. Last week’s government announcement came as no surprise—the situation is dire. e decline of mountain caribou has mirrored the destruction of the inland temperate rainforest ecosystem. As industrial disturbance increases, caribou populations decrease.

e truth about extinction or extirpation is that we don’t fully understand the complex ecological e ects when a species disappears from the landscape. What does the fate of local populations of mountain caribou in B.C. tell us about the future health of other species that rely on the same temperate ecosystems the caribou rely on? Animals like shers, wolverines, ying squirrels, northern goshawks and grizzlies.

Caribou are the ‘canary in the coal mine.’ ese herds, once abundant in our Columbia Mountains and now reduced to tiny isolated herds, are an indication that we are facing an ecosystem in crisis. is is a wake up call to wildlife managers, citizens and politicians who must take proactive steps to protect and enhance habitat and ensure the health of the inland temperate rainforest as a whole.

e mountain caribou conservation story in Southern B.C. is not over and I will personally commit to doing everything in my power to push to restore and recover healthy caribou populations.

e B.C. government’s plan is to capture the caribou when the snow is hard-packed enough and transport the remaining individuals from the South Selkirks and South Purcell herds to the Revelstoke maternal pen. A captive breeding program is also being planned so that there can be a source population to introduce mountain caribou back into areas where they are likely to succeed.

though there will be no mountain caribou in these landscapes for years to come, habitat protections for the South Purcells and South Selkirks will stay in place in all habitat areas. at means that winter access closures will remain and will be enforced under the provincial wildlife act. Once intensive recreation has been established in an area it’s di cult to enforce and enact closures

Historical LensHistorical Lens

for habitat refuge. is winter will be a critical one for the remaining caribou, as the planned capture timing for both herds is unknown and packed trails from winter recreation increases access for predators and puts the caribou at risk. Logging and road building in protected caribou habitat will not be allowed as these landscapes are recovering and the caribou will need a suitable landscape to be introduced back into.

Caribou recovery is not a short term initiative, there will be setbacks and herd losses. It will span generations and will ultimately set a precedent for how we recover a species and an ecosystem on the brink. A glimmer of hope is o ered by recovery e orts lead by e Saulteau and West Moberly Nations’ in central B.C. e Klinseza herd has nearly doubled in size since recovery e orts began in 2014, with 67 caribou in the herd today. ese recovery e orts, including strong habitat protections, restoration of the landscape by closing and rehabilitating roads and speeding up cutblock growth, a maternal pen and a predator control program, are beginning to show that mountain recovery is possible even in heavily impacted landscapes if there is a comprehensive recovery e ort.

Last weekend on a cold snowy day I hiked into the heart of the Southern Purcell range, a crescent shaped hoof print in fresh snow lead me down through subalpine forest lled with ancient whitebark pine. My heart raced as I followed the track into a lower elevation cutblock. Maybe in 30 years we’ll see a whole lot more of those crescent shaped tracks in that same caribou country.

Cold poles, hot pools

Radium Hot Pool bathhouse covered with hoar frost, circa 1932, which later burned down.

Photo by Herb Blakley

Dean Midyette

Amanda Nason Advertising Sales

Dauna Ditson Reporter Katie Watt Intern

Lorene Keitch

Steve Hubrecht

Editor/ Reporter

Amanda Murray

O ce Administrator/ Classi ed Sales

Emily Rawbon Graphic Design/ Associate Publisher

Six caribou from the South Selkirks and South Purcell herds will be translocated to a maternal pen near Revelstoke.

Photos courtesy Wildsight

LETTERS

MP for Pro-Rep

Dear Editor:

I am writing to urge people to con sider supporting proportional represen tation. While I recognize that PR seems more complicated that the current firstpast-the-post system (FPTP), there is an overriding principle that makes it essen tial. Proportional representation makes every vote count…it makes YOUR vote count.

Under FPTP, the party with the most votes wins all of the riding, even if other parties collectively have far more votes. People who voted for anyone other than the winning party feel like their votes are wasted – because they are. In a democracy, every vote should count. The wasting of votes produces cynicism about elections, which explains why our voter participa tion rates are falling. When around half of eligible electors stay home, democracy is not healthy. And the newest voters, the youngest ones, have the least hope for our system. That compromises our democrat ic future.

The BC Liberals, many of whom are Federal Conservatives, are waging a cam paign of fear against PR because they don’t want to make every vote count. It will re duce their chances of forming a majority government – that is their motivation and people need to recognize that.

That is also why the Federal Liberals dropped their support for PR after Mr. Trudeau’s 2015 election promise to im plement PR in time for the 2019 election. They didn’t like the implications for their party, which would have to learn to share power in the future. Many of us felt be trayed, and rightfully so, when the Federal Liberals walked away from PR.

We can lead the rest of the country with democratic reform. Encourage ev eryone you know to vote for proportional representation and give democracy a bet ter future in British Columbia!

Wayne Stetski Member of Parliament Kootenay Columbia

Debate equals democracy

Dear Editor:

The debate between Proportional Representation and First Past the Post is healthy for Canadian democracy.   It is important that all sides of the debate are heard, because both sides have valid argu ments and may point out the weaknesses in both electoral systems.   This enhances democracy by allowing different points of view to contribute to the discussion of electoral reform.    The Canadian judicial system has the term “audi alteram par tem,” which means “hear the other side”, that is a Charter of rights requirement in Canadian courts.  I believe this concept also relates to democracy.  We must not take for granted that we have the freedom to debate.  I thank the current BC govern ment for allowing us to have a vote in elec toral system and I am more appreciative to the men and women who fought for us to have these freedoms.     We may not like certain outcomes, but we live in a diverse country with many different views.   In Britain, former PM Cameron allowed his country to vote on Brexit, which he personally was opposed to.    Cameron’s

fellow party members were for Brexit and won the people’s vote; as a result Camer on stepped down as PM.   Regardless of what side you choose, this was a demo cratic process.   I have travelled to many different countries where you cannot ex press your views and must accept the rul ing class or be punished for not.     So, we must all be involved in voicing our views and maybe learn from other people’s con cerns.  My opinion: a PR system will en hance our democracy, because every vote will count. In contrast, B.C.’s current sys tem the majority of the community you live in decides who is represented in gov ernment and if you vote for another par ty in that community your vote is wast ed.  In conclusion, I will finish with what I heard a former PM say that resonated with me.  I watched an interview with former Prime Minister John Turner who was on the Strombo show, he stated, “democracy does not happen by accident, we must get off our butts and make it happen.”

Marc Elwakeel Invermere

We want to hear from you

Email your letters to info@columbia valleypioneer.com. Letters to the editor should be sent only to The Pioneer, and not to other publications. We do not pub lish open letters or third-party letters. Let ters for publication should be no longer than 400 words, and must include the

writer’s address and phone numbers. No attachments, please. Letters may be short ened for space requirements. We reserve the right to edit for space, clarity, civili ty and accuracy. Opinions expressed are those of the writer, not The Pioneer.

BC not ready for Pro-Rep

Dear Editor:

Having just returned to Premier Hor gan’s “hip” or not hip brouhaha of elector al referendum, from a wonderful month at the Wallace Stegner Writer’s retreat in Eastend, Saskatchewan, I am once again troubled by the barrage of pro or no PR propaganda. During the recent televised debate Premier Horgan advised us that we should vote for his PR experiment based on how “hip” we are or not. (It sounded a little like a dealer trying to persuade some one to try the latest addictive substance.) Others say simply change is good. Obvi ously all change is not good.

According to various letters to the ed itor we should vote for PR because 22, 80 and now 90, (I’ve lost track of the num ber) tinpot democracies have used some form of PR to elect their leaders. On the other hand scare tactics about whether or not 5% of the population of the province would vote for an extreme form of govern ment thereby giving extremism a seat in our legislative assembly are being debated. Ridiculous as this may sound one might recall what percentage of the population supports North Korea’s fascist regime or supported Mao’s Red Guard. At least

100% according to these leaders! These are all superficial arguments.

What is really at stake is not percent ages of representation but how under this new regime our elected leaders will con duct themselves and the business of the Province?

Will we live happily ever after once PR has produced ever expanding assem blies of agreeable, consensus minded, proportionally represented MLAs who will find utopian pathways through the current nightmare of discord? Or will this new form of assembly dissolve into an even more power hungry debacle where unsavory deals and the sell-out of ethics, (such as is the case in the Site C disaster underway on the Peace River) where both Greens and BC NDP caved into the same old mega development exploitation that has scourged the hinterlands of British Columbia for the last one hundred years in order to promulgate and fund personal agendas?

BC is not ready for Proportional Rep resentation, it gives too much power to elected officials!

Peter Christensen Radium Hot Springs

Is electoral reform necessary?

Dear Editor:

I have been doing some research be fore completing my electoral reform bal lot. A National Post Article: “Why First Past the Post isn’t to be abandoned lightly” (https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/ why-first-past-the-post-isnt-to-be-aban doned-lightly) was informative. Several links were included for readers to easily access articles in support of the alternate view.

Luana Gilles (letter to the editor No vember 8th) compared Canada to Italy when she said, “Italy, often put forward as having too many elections, had 19 elec tions since WWII compared with Canada with 23.” Although Italians have only vot ed 19 times, they have had 65 governments formed since 1946. During that same pe riod Canada has had 23 governments and the UK 25. Italy has had 13 governments in the past 20 years, and most recently 5 prime ministers in 5 years; which has resulted in unstable governance – unlike in Canada and the UK. Italians are con sidering changing their electoral system with a recent proposal to move toward as pects of first past the post (FPTP) to grant majorities to any party that receives 40% of the vote. Proportional representation (PR) has caused post-election mayhem in Italy; such as hung parliaments, extended negotiations before any government can

be formed, and with small fringe parties holding the balance of power. While they are pre-occupied with forming coalitions and maintaining power, politicians are less focused on all of the important issues that really matter; such as health care, public education, security, economics, the envi ronment, and infrastructure.

I agreed with some of what Gerry Taft wrote in his letter to the editor (Novem ber 8th). Mr. Taft stated that; “Democ racy is messy, and because humans are involved, no electoral system is going to be perfect.” The National Post article con tends that voting should be kept as simple as possible. “There are merits to all three PR systems being considered by B.C., but they can’t beat First Past the Post on raw simplicity.” The author warns that; “Ru ral-Urban Proportional, even has the con fusing twist of mandating different voting systems for rural vs. urban areas.” Will voter turnout decline if we cannot easily comprehend any of the proposed new vot ing systems?

Please do take the time to complete your “2018 Referendum on Electoral Reform Voting Package”. As you do, ask yourself; “How engaged do you want to be during elections?” I believe that the current system of FPTP is preferable to the alternatives offered in the referendum.

Jim Jenkinson

Shuswap leaders

Shuswap

Timothy Eugene,Chief Barb Cote,

councillor Mark C. Thomas.

Photo by Lorene Keitch

No fish without flows

Watershed

By Thea Rodgers Lake Windermere Ambassadors

Earlier this year, the federal govern ment tabled Bills C-68 and C-69 in the House of Commons. You might remem ber there was some local media attention around Bill C-69.

Amendments to the Navigable Wa ters Protections Act in 2012 stripped pro tections from 99% of Canadian waters (including here on the Columbia River headwaters up stream of Kinbasket Lake), by eliminating environmental assessment requirements and narrowing federal govern ment oversight to an exclusive list of waterways under the Navigation Protection Act (NPA).

Bill C-69 proposes changes to the NPA which would restore several of those lost protections, requiring projects with significant impact to any navigable waters to per form an impact assessment and notify and engage with the public about any major developments.

Bill C-68, on the other hand, is a bill to update the Fisheries Act, one of the oldest pieces of federal legisla tion in Canada and one that also lost important protec tions when it was amended in 2012. Bill C-68 proposes changes to better protect fish and restore their habitats, develop a clearer permitting system and assessment pro cess for development projects in fish habitat areas, and strengthen the role of Indigenous communities in project reviews, monitoring, and policy development for Fisher ies-related projects across Canada.

And, for the first time, the amendments to the Fish eries Act brought by Bill C-68 would include an expand ed definition of fish “habitat” which explicitly includes

the concept of quantity, timing, and quality of water flows for fish.

Salmon, trout, and many other fish need adequate cool, flowing water in order to survive. Droughts and low-flows caused by climate change and growing human consumption of water will continue to put pressures on fish-bearing streams. This up dated definition of “habitat” would give policymakers an extra tool to protect water for fish during times of drought and water scarcity.

All in all, these are important changes to both Acts that will strengthen environmental protec tions and ensure our fish and their environmental flow needs are front and centre during future decisions about how water is to be managed and allocated in Canada.

However, as is usually the case with change, these updates are being met with resistance. While the changes are currently under review in the Senate, some industry groups are lobbying to have these amendments altered, or removed entirely.

If you care about Canada’s fisheries and want to see these changes go through, I recommend you take a quick visit to our website where we have a template letter ad dressed to the Federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans regarding Bill C-68.

It’s really easy to copy and paste the letter into an email. By reaching out to our national leaders about this issue, you can add your voice to the many voices across the country that are urging our representatives to pass Bill C-68 in law before next year’s federal election.

You can find the template letter and more water news on our website, www.lakeambassadors.ca.

Special thanks to Coree, Megan, and Natalija with the Canadian Freshwater Alliance for their assistance with this article.

Photo by Crisanna

Questions on the referendum

By Pioneer staff

The

of

has been getting a lot of questions regard

the three

systems. Here are

questions as they apply specifically

of Columbia River/Revelstoke:

What’s the difference between FPTP and PR?

FPTP is our current system. You vote for a person who (most often) represents a party. The person who earns the most votes in a riding wins.

PR is a system where you vote for a candidate or par ty of your choice. Additional candidates are then chosen based on the percentage of overall votes political parties receive. If a party receives 40% of the vote they will get approximately 40% of the seats.

Give me some examples of what PR would look like:

In 1996, the NDP party under Glen Clark won 39 out of 75 seats after earning 39.5% of the votes. The Liber al Party earned 41.8% of the votes and won 33 seats. The Progressive Alliance Party received 5.7% of the votes and won 1 seat. The Reform Party of BC received 9.3% of the votes and won 2 seats. Under a PR system, the Liberals would have had the opportunity to form government with the support of Reform Party. The six other parties that ran in the 1996 election received less than 5% of the vote and would not have been awarded a seat.

• In 2001, the Liberal Party under Gordon Campbell received 57.6% of the votes and won 77 out of 79 seats. The NDP received 21.6% of the votes and won 2 seats. The Green Party received 12.4 % of the votes and won 0 seats. Under PR, the Liberals would have formed a majority gov ernment with 48 out of 79 seats. The NDP would have had 20 seats and the Green Party 11 seats. The other 16 parties and 36 independent candidates would have received no seats as they earned less than 5% of the overall vote.

• In 2017, the Liberal Party received 40.4% of the votes and won 43 out of 87 seats. The NDP received 40.3% of the votes and won 41 seats. The Green Party re ceived 16.8% of the votes and won 3 seats. All other par ties/independent candidates received less than 5% of the votes and did not win a seat. Under PR, the Liberals would occupy 36 seats, the NDP 36 seats and the Green Party 15. Both the Liberals and NDP would have negotiated with the Green Party to form government.

What are we voting on? Make it simple!

• First Past the Post (FRTP) – this is the system we cur rently use. The candidate who receives the most number of votes wins and represents us in Victoria as MLA.

• Dual Member Proportional (DMP) – the riding would get two MLAs. The party that receives the most votes gets to select an MLA from a party list. The second

representative would be elected based on achieving propor tionality across the province.

• Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) – the riding would get one local MLA who would be elected directly by voters. A regional MLA would be chosen from a list of par ty candidates based on people casting a vote for a political party or independent.

• Rural-Urban Proportional (RUP) – in rural ridings like Columbia River/Revelstoke, the MMP voting system would be used (see above).

How Many Votes Do I Get?

• FPTP – one vote for your candidate of choice.

• DMP – one vote for your party of choice.

• MMP – two votes. One for your candidate of choice and one for your party or independent candidate of choice.

• RUP – two votes. One for your candidate of choice and one for your party or independent candidate of choice.

Will I get a locally elected MLA?

• FPTP – Yes

• DMP – Maybe. It depends on whether the political parties are required by law to publish their party lists in advance of the election and whether they will be required to have local representation if a seat is won.

• MMP – Yes and maybe. You will have one locally elected MLA and one regional MLA. It kind of depends on how local the regional MLA is.

• RUP - Yes and maybe. You will have one locally elect ed MLA and one regional MLA. It kind of depends on how local the regional MLA is.

Can fringe parties win a seat?

Yes but it’s very difficult as there is a 5% threshold they must meet to earn a seat in the legislature. They would be forced to run candidates in almost every riding and that is an expensive proposition. In 2017 all of the fringe parties and independent candidates earned a total of 2.52% of the votes cast. For example, if the Marxist/Leninist Party want ed to win a seat they would have to run candidates prov ince-wide. The issue for the Marxist/Leninists is that all of them live in a commune on Vancouver Island.

What happens if I vote for PR and hate it?

After two elections (approximately 10 years) there will be an automatic referendum. If PR is adopted and you don’t like it you can vote to change it then. If you vote for FPTP there is no mandatory referendum scheduled to revisit PR.

Are they using this system anywhere in the world?

• FPTP – Yes, obviously.

• DMP – No.

• MMP – Yes, notably New Zealand and Mexico.

• RUP – No.

** Currently 94 countries worldwide use some form of a PR system**

Submissions must be received by the Monday prior to publication. We may only run an entry for two weeks prior to the event. Please limit your submission to 30 words. Priority is given to one-o events, so weekly events may only run occasionally.

ursday, November 15th

• 10:30 a.m.: Stretch and Move Classes for Seniors at the Invermere Seniors Hall every ursday and Monday.

• 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.: Black Press Extreme Education and Career Fair at the Ktunaxa Nation Building, 220 Cranbrook St. N. in Cranbrook.

• 12 - 1 p.m.: East Kootenay Columbia Community Investment Coop are holding a free public launch session at the Prestige Radium Hot Springs Resort. Also 6 - 7:30 p.m. at the Columbia Valley Centre in Invermere.

• 1:30 p.m.: Seniors Carpet Bowling at Radium Hot Springs Centre every ursday and Sunday.

• 2 - 4 p.m.: e Akisqnuk Bank Hall is the site of a Wellness Fair hosted by East Kootenay Addiction Services Society.

• 6 p.m.: Craft Connections for Adults at the Invermere Library. Learn how to do the corner to corner crochet stitch. Pre-registration required. 250-342-6416.

• 6:30 p.m.: Texas Hold Em’ Tournament at the Invermere Legion every ursday. $35 buy in.

• 7 p.m.: e Rod & Gun Club meet the 3rd ursday of each month; Executive meeting at 7 p.m. General meeting at 7:30 p.m. at Invermere Legion.

• 7 - 9 p.m.: Indoor Pickleball at DTSS gym, every ursday. All are welcome.

Friday, November 16th

• Invermere Caregiver’s Support Group monthly meeting on the 3rd Friday of each month. Contact facilitator Leanne Brooks at 250-341-5683 for more information.

• 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.: Intergenerational Program between Seniors and Kindergarten children, every Friday at Invermere Seniors Hall. Seniors interested in assisting please call Madelene at 604-798-3061.

• 1 p.m.: Duplicate Bridge at Invermere Seniors Hall, $2. Every Friday and Wednesday.

• 2 p.m.: e documentary Addiction will be screened at the Akisqnuk Bank Hall. e lm deals with how opiod addiction a ects the brain and how evidence-based treatments are saving lives.

• 6 p.m.: Meat Draw and 50/50 at Branch 71 Legion in Invermere. Every Friday and Saturday.

• 7 p.m.: Learn to Curl at the Invermere Curling Centre every Friday to December 7th. Includes 2 hours of instruction. $25 drop in or $120 for all 6 sessions.

Saturday, November 17th

• 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.: Winter Wonderland Market, a festival of crafts and artisans, at the Columbia Valley Centre. Free admission. Also 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Sunday, November 18th.

• 10:30 - 11:15 a.m.: STEAM children’s program at the Radium Public Library. Ages 3-9 years old. e third Saturday of the month.

• 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.: Family LEGO Club at the Invermere Library, every Saturday morning. DUPLO free play will also be out for the younger builders.

• 1 - 7 p.m.: Holiday Pop-up Market at Mountain Hub in downtown Invermere. Handcrafted gifts, warm refreshments plus a Holiday screening of Elf at 8 p.m.

• 1 - 8 p.m.: Invermere Light Up: A Night at the North Pole with horse drawn wagon rides, re pits, photos with Santa, live music with Dos Equis, holiday shopping, treats and more. Snowball Drop at 3 p.m. at the Cenotaph, Light Up Parade starts at 6 p.m. from Pothole Park to Eddie Memorial Arena. Road closures downtown.

• 6:30 p.m.: Wilmer Community Club 2018 Wine Survivor is SOLD OUT!

• 7:30 p.m.: Rockies Hockey plays Castlegar Rebels at the Eddie Mountain Arena.

Sunday, November 18th

• Breakfast with Santa at the Invermere Legion, includes pancakes, bacon, ham or sausage and eggs. $10/adult $5/ child 12 and under. Two seatings: 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Reservations required and can be made by calling the Best Western Invermere at 250-342-9246.

• 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.: Sunday Toast and Jam, an all-ages music jam at e Base Camp in Canal Flats every Sunday.

• 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.: Winter Wonderland Market continues at the Columbia Valley Centre in Invermere.

• 12 p.m.: Cribbage at the Edgewater Legion every Sunday. Doors open 12 p.m., games start at 1 p.m.

Buying or selling?

• 1:30 p.m.: Games Afternoon at Invermere Seniors Hall every Tuesday.

• 1:30 p.m.: Needles and Hooks Club at the Invermere Library every Tuesday. Bring current projects or start a new one. Refreshments will be supplied.

• 4 p.m.: Columbia Valley Community Foundation is holding an informal presentation to explain how the Community Foundation works. At the Invermere Chamber of Commerce boardroom. Please RSVP to info@valleyfoundation.ca.

• 6 p.m.: Shuswap Indian Band Bingo - Fundraising for National Aboriginal Day Pow wow 2019. 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month at the Shuswap Indian Band Hall. Doors open 6 p.m., games start at 6:45 p.m.

• 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.: Options for Sexual Health drop in clinic in the Public Health Unit the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month. Call 250-342-2360 for information.

• 7:30 p.m.: Columbia Lodge No. 38 freemasons meeting the 3rd Tuesday of the month at 1301 7th Ave.

• 7 - 9 p.m.: 4th Annual Ladies’ Night at Home Hardware, an evening of food, drink, fashion, music, shopping, draw prizes and gift bags. Admission is free.

• 7 p.m.: Trivia Night at Bear’s Paw Bar & Grill at Fairmont Hot Springs Resort every Tuesday. $2 entry, teams up to 6 people, winners take all.

• 10 p.m.: Karaoke at the Farside Pub in Fairmont every Tuesday night.

Wednesday, November 21st

• 8 a.m.: Radium Hot Springs Sunrise Rotary meets for breakfast every 1st and 3rd Wednesday from November to March at Big Horn Cafe.

• 10:30 a.m.: Seniors Chair Yoga at Invermere Seniors Hall, $2, every Wednesday.

• 11:45 a.m.: e Rotary Club of Invermere meets every Wednesday at the Rocky River Grill/Kanata Inn.

• 12:30 - 4:30 p.m.: Radium Art Guild meets every Wednesday at the Radium Library to create and share.

• 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.: Happy Hands Knitting and Crocheting group meet every Wednesday at Columbia Garden Village.

• 2 p.m.: Genealogy Group meets at Columbia Gardens Co ee Room the 3rd Wednesday of the month.

• 7 p.m.: Play Cribbage at Invermere Seniors Hall, every Wednesday.

ursday, November 22nd

Monday, November 19th

• 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.: Indoor Walking at the Columbia

Centre in Invermere every Monday and Wednesday. Indoor shoes required.

• 10 a.m.: Senior Singalong Group meets every Monday at Columbia Garden Village.

• 1 - 3 p.m.: Brain Injury Support Group meets on the 3rd Monday of the month at Columbia Garden Village. Contact Debbie for more info 250-344-5674.

• 1:30 p.m.: Carpet Bowling at Invermere Seniors Hall every Monday.

• 7 p.m.: Lake Windermere Lions Club meet the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month at the Lions Hall (behind Chamber o ce).

• 7 p.m.: Monday Night Drum Circle at Pynelogs, led by Patrick Carrick. $10 if you bring your own drum, $15 if you don’t. Call Patrick for more info 250-409-4110.

Tuesday, November 20th

• 10 a.m.: Fairmont Seniors Club meets at the Lions Den in Fairmont every Tuesday, for Games, Monthly Speakers and fun. Need a ride? Call 250-345-0106.

• 1:30 p.m.: Seniors card games at Radium Hot Springs Centre every Tuesday.

• 6 p.m.: Author Barbara Brown at the Invermere Library. Touring with her artwork on display, a short lm about her work, and readings from Sylvan Re ections

Invermere Library Hours

• Monday to Saturday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

• Wednesday and ursday: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.

• Story Time: ursday 10:30 a.m.

• Baby Goose: Monday 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Radium Hot Springs Library Hours

• Tuesday: 1 - 8 p.m.

• Wednesday and ursday: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

• Friday: 1 - 4 p.m.

• Saturday: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

• Story Time: Wednesday 10 a.m.

Windermere Valley Museum Hours

• Tuesday: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Columbia Valley Food Bank Hours

• Tuesday and ursday: 1 - 2 p.m.

• 3rd Wednesday of the month: 5:30 - 7 p.m. by appointment only, 250-342-0850.

YOUR MONEY

Are investment fees tax-deductible?

Submitted by Sara Worley & Brendan Donahue Investment Advisors, Manulife Securities Incorporated

e answer is, yes and no. It depends on many factors, including the type of fee, the account it was charged on and to whom it was paid. Here are the qualifying characteristics of tax-deductible fees, and how they relate to the most common types of investment fees.

e Factors

In order to qualify as tax-deductible, investment fees have to be paid for advice connected to the buying or selling of a speci c investment within a non-registered account, the fee is not a commission, and the investment must be owned by the person making the claim.

Further, the fees must be paid to a person whose principal business is advising others to buy or sell speci c shares, or whose principal business includes the administration or management of shares or securities.

So, let’s look at a few types of fees to determine if they qualify.

Fee-based account fees

Under the fee-based account model, investors pay management fees directly to their advisor’s rm in exchange for advice. ese fees are charged directly to one’s account with the rm rather than being embedded within investments or charged for trading securities such as stocks and bonds.

Because the fees are connected to advice and not directly paid as a commission, fee-based charges on non-registered accounts are tax-deductible as a carrying charge.

Trading Commissions

When investors trade securities such as stocks and bonds, they are typically charged a commission unless the trade is included in a fee-based account. So even though people generally receive advice from their advisor before trading, the fees paid to trade securities are considered commissions by the CRA, which are not tax-deductible.

It should be noted, however, that commissions increase the adjusted cost base (ACB) of an investment at purchase and consequently reduce proceeds when the investment is sold. In other words, commissions reduce

the potential capital gain (or increase a loss) on an investment and consequently, the resulting tax payable. erefore, in a way, there is an element of tax savings built into trading commissions.

Annual Administration Fees

All full-service brokerage rms charge an annual administration fee on transactional registered accounts such as RRSPs, RRIFs and TFSAs. Fee-based accounts are usually exempt. ese fees are to co-ordinate the account with the CRA during the year.

As these fees are only charged to registered accounts, they are not tax-deductible.

Mutual fund MERs

Contrary to popular belief, investors in mutual funds do not pay fees directly. ey pay a management expense ratio (MER) which is built into the fund, so the fee is implicit. ere are tax savings, however, because mutual funds report distributions net of fees.

Some people prefer to have a fee-based non-registered account and use f-class mutual funds. e fee-based account collects the advisor’s portion which is tax-deductible, and only the mutual fund company’s portion is charged as an MER. is strategy can be more cost-effective for some people depending on factors such as the account size and their overall tax situation.

Interest Paid on Investment Loans

Interest paid on a loan is tax-deductible if the loan is used to buy securities in a non-registered account, as long as the intention of the securities is to earn investment income.

Even though people buy RRSPs or TFSAs to provide income, interest paid on these types of loans is not tax-deductible. is is chie y because the income generated is not directly taxable to the owner. RRSP contributions themselves are tax-deductible, however, and income and growth from TFSAs is non-taxable, no matter how substantial.

Final thoughts

Fees are a necessary part of professional investment management. If you are unsure of the fees you are paying and if they are tax-deductible, be sure to ask your advisor or accountant for assistance.

Wildsight Film Fest

The 5th Annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival comes to Invermere’s Columbia Valley Community Centre on Saturday, November 24th. Wildsight Invermere organizes this much anticipated, always sold-out, event

bring a diverse audi ence

watch films that speak to the environmental concerns and celebra tions of our planet.

“The combination of compelling story telling with stunning cinematogra phy is what you can expect at our festi val! It’s a natural extension of Wildsight’s work to inspire people to act on behalf of the environment,” says local organiz er and Wildsight Invermere president, Baiba Morrow. “Our changing Earth is at the forefront of conversations nation ally and globally. Now, more than ever, it is imperative that individuals propel the groundswell of the environmental move ment. Collectively, we CAN make a dif ference!”

This year’s line-up of 10 films offers uplifting and diverse stories from around the world: from Canada’s Arctic and our sacred headwaters of northwest B.C. to locations around the world, including Alaska, Utah, Nepal, Norway and Zanzi bar. The stories give us a sense of place and what it means to be responsible stewards of the earth. My Irnik is about a young fa ther who teaches his son about the value of shared adventures, exploration and his ancestral Inuit heritage. The film Moth ered by Mountains follows Nepal’s leading female mountain guide and a local punkrock icon, Sareena Rai, as they make per sonal discoveries on a Himalayan climb. Blind Sushi follows a Vancouver travel writer (who is also blind) as he learns what it means to be the world’s first sus

tainable sushi chef. The full program can be viewed on the website: https://wild sight.ca/events/wsff-invermere/wild-sce nic-film-festival-in-invermere/.

The Wild & Scenic Film Festival is a collection of films from the annual festival held in Nevada City, CA that is now in its 16th year. Its history goes back to 2003 when the watershed advocacy group, the South Yuba River Citizens League (SYR CL), founded it. The festival’s namesake is in celebration of SYRCL’s landmark victory to receive “Wild & Scenic” sta tus for 39 miles of the South Yuba River in 1999. The home festival kicks off the international tour to over 170 commu nities around the globe, allowing SYRCL to share their success as an environmental group with other organizations. The fes tival is building a network of grassroots organizations connected by a common goal of using film to inspire activism.

Doors open at 5 p.m. for a chance to enjoy delicious pizza, a cash bar and to view the exciting silent auction items; the films start at 6 p.m.

Wildsight Invermere depends on the support of local and regional sponsors to make the festival a success, and as a fund raiser for its ongoing programs, including Connecting with Nature and the more recent Columbia Valley Electric Vehicle Share. Wildsight Invermere would like to express its gratitude to all its sponsors.

Tickets are $20 for Wildsight Mem bers, $25 General Admission. Youth are free. Purchase online at https://se cure.wildsight.ca/civicrm/event/regis ter?id=247&reset=1.

The first 150 people to buy online get a copy of the Canadian Rockies An nual Magazine (value: $15). Or buy tick ets at Circle Health Foods, #103-901 7th Ave., Parkside Place.

Putting on a show for the Christmas Bureau

By Lorene Keitch lorene@columbiavalleypioneer.com

Valley musicians Bill Cropper and Kurt Reichel have been playing together in a band of some sort or another for four decades now. ey are the pair that now makes up the band ‘Smarty Pants’, and are busking for a good cause this holiday season.

e Christmas Bureau of the Columbia Valley is a cause close to their hearts, Mr. Cropper says, citing how it helps single moms with little kids, people that can barely a ord their rent, elderly citizens on a tight budget.

e bureau coordinates and distributes food vouchers and gift boxes to families in need around Christmas time, including presents for children and seniors, and gift cards for teenagers. e approximately 250 hampers are picked up on one day each December. ree or four years ago, Smarty Pants began volunteering to play at the event to help lighten the mood and provide some festive music for what could otherwise be a tough day for some.

Spring through fall, Smarty Pants are busy with gigs. In the slower winter season, they saw an opportunity to give back in a way that makes sense and is meaningful for them.

“ e rest of the year we’re incredibly busy,” he says. “ is time of the year, we’re prepared to give back.”

Two years ago, the pair decided to busk around the Valley to help raise money for the Christmas Bureau. Angie Smith, Christmas Bureau sponsor contact coordina-

tor, says it is actions like this that allow the bureau to be able to provide for Valley families in need.

“Without funds raised, we would not be able to provide support to families in need in the Valley,” Ms. Smith says.

In their rst e orts, they raised about $750 for the charity. is year, they are working to get more organized with venues to raise even more for the organization. First up will be a performance as part of Ladies Night at Home Hardware Tuesday, November 20th. ey will also be

playing at the BIG Christmas Craft Fair November 30th and December 1st. Following that will be Copper Point Golf Course Market Collective Friday, December 7th from 6-9-p.m. And watch for them at other businesses over the coming month, including AG Valley Foods and Kicking Horse Co ee.

“Wherever we can t in a warm, dry place to play, we’ll set up,” Mr. Cropper comments.

Smarty Pants formed about eight years ago. Originally a trio, when their drummer moved on the pair were left scratching their heads about what to do next. However, Mr. Cropper reports, the pair evolved their o erings as a duo, and have been happily strumming primarily “Old People Music” (60s, 70s, some 50s thrown in) ever since. ey also write and perform some Smarty Pants originals in their sets. With a couple hundred songs in their toolkit, “we both have a barrage of songs in our background,” Mr. Cropper reports.

And working as a duo has meant they spend “less with the mechanics of what you’re doing, more time with the creativity.”

e secret to their band success, con des Mr. Cropper, is in not taking themselves too seriously.

“We play to humour an audience.”

ey would love to have the season lled up with these charitable gigs. If any businesses would like to be involved with this initiative, contact Mr. Cropper at 250342-3264 or email billcropper@gmail.com.

Home Hardware o ers delight at Ladies Night

By Lorene Keitch lorene@columbiavalleypioneer.com

For one night only each year, Home Hardware shuts its doors to the guys and opens it up to women only for a special event full of shopping, entertainment and socializing.

Scores of women literally line up outside the bright red building for more than an hour before the annual Ladies Night in hopes of getting one of the coveted prizes given to the rst 100 people through the door (50 goodie bags donated by Home Hardware with a value of between $30 and $50 each, and 50 bottles of wine, donated by Rainbow International Restoration). Coordinator Mandi Cox says an average of 200 women come out each year.

“People love it,” she comments. “Ladies start asking me about it in the summer; they’re excited to come.

It’s a fun night out, and it could cost them nothing if they want.”

e night is not just about shopping. ere’s servers walking around with trays of food. ere’s vendor booths to peruse, there’s live music, and even a fashion show at 7:30 p.m. with Avenue Modern Clothing this year.

“It’s a little bit of social, a little bit of shopping, combined with a little bit of fundraising,” describes Ms. Cox.

e shopping includes great deals and discounts on Home Hardware products, wandering the aisles in search of Christmas gift ideas, as well as local vendors who set up shop for the evening.

e social side includes catching up with friends and neighbours while enjoying a beverage, watching the fashion show, or getting your picture taken with Santa.

Holiday Lights&winter nights

e fundraising is an opportunity to try your luck for some big prizes in exchange for helping out those in need in our community. ere are three grand prizes up for grabs this year: a top load washer/dryer set worth $1,600; a Christmas prize pack valued at $800; and a kitchen accessories prize pack valued at $500.

For your chance to win, bring a gift certi cate for a teenager valued at $20. ose gift cards will be given to teenagers in the Christmas Bureau hampers, to be distributed to families in need this December.

ere are also ve secondary prizes valued at $100 each. You can buy ve tickets for $5 each for your chance to win one of these prizes, with money raised going to a local charity.

Admission is free. Ladies Night happens Tuesday, November 20th from 7-9 p.m.

us

Join us for our Santa Social and the Lighting Celebration at 6pm!

Photos with Santa S'mores & hot chocolate Face painting & crafts Maple taffy on snow & much more!

Kurt Reichel and Bill Cropper make up ‘Smarty Pants’, a Valley duo seeking to raise funds for a charitable cause.

Santa says shop local

By Dauna Ditson reporter@columbiavalleypioneer.com

Everyone wins when residents shop locally, especially over the holidays when Santa’s personal shopping service – also known as the Columbia Valley Chamber of Commerce – is handing out Christmas Star shopping sprees to those both naughty and nice on behalf of participating businesses.

Susan Clovechok, executive director of the chamber, said the goal behind the Christmas Star program is “to encourage people to shop local and reward them for doing that.”

Santa also endorses shopping at local retailers all year and especially over the holidays.

First o , it saves him from having to make extra deliveries on Christmas Eve if your packages are lost or don’t arrive on time.

Secondly you get your items immediately without having to leave the community or wait for your package to arrive. You also save on gas costs and on shipping fees. While those are admittedly boring gifts to give yourself, Santa has seen your bank account and is certain you could use the savings.

Unless you have a system to bring gifts in via your chimney in the dead of night, Santa recommends buying presents at brick-and-mortar stores. at way you can control when you bring them home and keep them hidden from the ever-watchful little eyes that aren’t meant to

see new toys before they’re wrapped and tucked under the tree.

Santa says shopping locally is a gift not just for yourself and the recipients of your thoughtful gifts but for the entire community. Each item you buy at a local business helps keep the Valley thriving, the shops open, the shelves stocked and the employees paid.

Plus shopping locally could win you a whole truckload of gifts from participating retailers in the Christmas Star program, with three draws for $50 in gift certi cates, a draw for $250 in gift certi cates and a draw for a $750 shopping spree.

“It’s a fun way to celebrate the holidays and to encourage people to shop local and really discover how much shopping there is and some of the great things that are o ered in many of our local retailers,” Ms. Clovechok said.

To enter, write your name and phone number on a receipt from a participating Columbia Valley shop and send a photo of the receipt to shop@cvchamber.ca or ll in a ballot at any participating retailer.

Ms. Clovechok said shoppers can also buy gift certi cates from the chamber that can be used at participating businesses any time throughout the year. She said the local gift certi cates make great stocking stu ers and gifts for sta .

P.S. Santa said his belly can never be too full of cookies from local suppliers and that the reindeer are always eager for more Columbia Valley carrots.

by

RDEK Board of Directors

from 3

Mr. Sterzer said the village needs to create partner ships and communicate community vision while growing the population. Mr. McCutcheon said they need to focus on the quality of life for all citizens, and look at long-term plans which will include the Flat’s new industrial client, to “grow with care and grow in a balanced way: business, taxation, industry, community residents, - those kinds of things all work together.”

Ms. Delorme advocated for reasonable, measured growth: “We cannot put a gate on the community and stop growth, but we can get bylaws, processes and plan ning in place to handle the growth.”

Mr. Lake stated that it is the responsibility of council to ensure the community’s vision is included in plans.

“The community needs a diversity of people, and business; from permanent and seasonal homeowners, to those that just wish to visit us for the day,” said Mr. Lake.

Seniors:

Ms. Delorme said there is a real need for senior hous ing. Mr. Sterzer agreed, saying he wants seniors to be able to live in the community for 10 years longer than they can right now because of expanded amenities, “so the end of life situation isn’t eight years living somewhere far away from the community. That is a goal we should work towards.”

Mr. McCutcheon touched on the need too: “We need to find a way that our senior citizens can exist and

live their lives out here in Canal Flats with the services they need so they do not have to travel.”

Housing:

All candidates had something to say about housing issues in Canal Flats. The previous Canal Flats Council was already working towards innovative housing strate gies, reported Ms. Delorme. Mr. Sterzer said there needs to be more housing, and Council will need to address it in OCP and zoning bylaw plans. Mr. Lake and Mr. Mc Cutcheon both pointed out housing is already affordable in Canal Flats. Ms. Swerdferger said there is a significant need for multi-family housing in the community.

Water:

Keeping Columbia Lake pristine while also accessi ble played the leading role in answers on the subject of water. Both Ms. Delorme and Mr. McCutcheon suggest ed that the Kootenay River should be monitored. Ms. Swerdferger suggested a boat wash station to ward off in vasive species should be installed at the boat launch.

Teamwork:

All promised to work as one voice in part of an over all team.

“You have to be a team player (with Council). You have to be a team player with constituents too. We have to be aligned with you more than we ever have in the past,” said Mr. Sterzer.

Paying more now means saving a million

By Dauna Ditson reporter@columbiavalleypioneer.com

At the Village of Radium Hot Springs council meet ing on Tuesday, November 7th, council considered pay ing off the new Radium Hot Springs Centre in 20 years rather than carrying the $3.2 million loan for an extra decade.

The change means property owners would be billed $136.98 per year for the centre. While the fee is around $30 higher than the Village estimated at the time of its 2017 referendum, paying the tab off so much earlier will save tax payers over a million dollars in interest.

Council was in favour of the change, but the decision will come back to council again for final approval.

Douglas McCutcheon, Marie Delorme, Karl Sterzer, Kimberly Swerdferger, and Bill Lake. Photo by Dean Midyette

Dale Shudra joins Todd Logan and the rest of Radium Hot Springs Council at the swearing-in Council meeting of Wednesday, November 7th. Also on Council are Mayor Clara Reinhardt and councillors Tyler McCauley and Mike Gray.

Photo by Dauna Ditson

New Area F Director Susan Clovechok (above left) joins Area G Director Gerry Wilkie (below left) at the Regional District of East Kootenay, alongside fellow board members, including Canal Flats Mayor Karl Ster zer, Invermere Mayor Al Miller, and Radium Mayor Clara Reinhardt. The new Board was officially sworn into office last Thursday, November 8th.

Photos courtesy RDEK

A fireless firecracker

By Dauna Ditson reporter@columbiavalleypioneer.com

Ekamnoor Singh said it’s impossible to express how much he misses spend ing Diwali with his family. The holiday is like India’s version of Christmas and New Years rolled into a five-day period of cel ebrations.

The 18-year-old College Of The Rockies student who is enrolled in the hospitality management diploma is an ocean away from his loved ones who are celebrating Diwali back in the Punjab re gion in India.

To help Mr. Singh and the rest of the Indian cohort of students feel at home in Invermere, the college held a party where the students sang, danced, feasted on a buffet from Spice Hut and shared their culture with their classmates and faculty.

Before the dancing began, Mr. Singh gave a presentation to teach everyone about the holiday.

Sharing about Diwali with his new Canadian friends “was a top-of-the-world moment,” he said.

Diwali is a celebration with origin stories in the Hindu and Sikh traditions

that celebrates hard-fought freedom, he said. It’s about good triumphing over evil and knowledge defeating ignorance.

“Basically it is a festival of light, joy and happiness,” he said.

For Mr. Singh, the holiday is also about firecrackers.

“It will burst on you,” he said. “I would throw one on you. Sometimes it’s dangerous; sometimes it’s cool.”

Last year a firecracker burst on his head, singeing off a patch of hair.

He had to shave his head, but that didn’t change his appreciation for the fes tive firecrackers.

“They are just adorable. They are out standing,” he said.

This year, due to Canadian safety standards, his firecrackers are fireless. He folded a piece of paper and shook it until it made an impressive popping sound but singed nothing.

Mr. Singh set down his mock fire cracker and beamed as he danced with the other students and faculty members.

“I was happy to celebrate with new Canadian friends,” he said. “I’m having the feeling like it’s my own family.”

Ekamnoor Singh (middle front) joined his cohort at Invermere’s College of the Rockies campus to celebrate Diwali Wednesday, November 7th. Students in the hospitality program, who hail from India, gathered to celebrate the important cultural holiday in their new Ca nadian surroundings.

Photos by Dauna Ditson

CHEERS

JEERS

Cheers to the person who found my Mazda Key Fob and turned it in to the RCMP detachment. You made my day.

CHEERS

Cheers to Lauren Gagatek for her lovely letter with shared memories about her grandparents’ home.

Mennear, Daniel Robert

1951– 2018

Daniel Robert Mennear 67, passed away Saturday, November 10, 2018, unexpectedly at home. Dan was born July 21, 1951, in Olds, AB. Dan spent his early years in Sundre, AB, later graduating from NAIT, and eventually returning to Sundre where he and his brother, Tom Mennear, owned and operated the IGA. The grocery business brought Dan and his family to the valley in 1988, where he remained for the last 30 years. Dan spent the last 22 years with his wife, Mary Christensen.

Dan was survived by his mother, Lorraine Mennear, sister, Gloria Czerniak-Martin, brother Tom Mennear, wife, Mary Christensen, daughter, Nicole Mennear (Cory), daughter, Danielle Peterson (Steve), son, Ryan Karl, grandchildren, Jaxson Karl (12), Harley Karl (10), Hailey Peterson (10), Jordyn Peterson (6), Denton Peterson (3), Jazzmine Karl (19), Brayden Karl (10), and many nieces and nephews.

He was predeceased by his father, Cliffton Mennear, son, Aaron Karl, and brother-in-law, Bill Czerniak. Dan will be fondly remembered by friends and family as a loving, caring husband, father, grandfather, uncle and friend.

A celebration of Dan’s life will be held on Saturday, November 17, 2018 at 2 pm at the Chamber of Commerce Hall in Invermere B.C. Contributions in memory of Dan Mennear can be made to the RAD Society at 5B Wolf Crescent, Invermere, BC V0A 1K2. For more information please contact info@RADsociety.ca or 778-678-5568.

Forever In Our Hearts

CHEERS & JEERS

Cheers to Ross, Arley and John of Walkers Auto Repair for the super customer service they give to us and our vehicles. You deserve a gold star for sure.

Cheers to Columbia Valley Youth Network for keeping our teens occupied with an exciting array of activities and experiences! Keep up the great work!

Cheers to the Columbia Valley Technology Center in Canal Flats for wholeheartedly connecting with, and supporting, Martin Morigeau Elementary School.

Your donation of three iPads, Halloween treat bags for our student body and tours for students of your facility are much appreciated. We’re excited about the future of our small town and school too!

Jeers to the local establishments that don’t know how to cook eggs. I’m pretty sure an over hard egg is the easiest thing ever to cook however I am constantly disappointed!

Cheers to Monica, Alana and Marlene for the extraordinary and beautiful

display at Fairmont Resort.

Cheers to Tyler at The Source; you are very helpful and pleasant person; always smiling whenever I’m in the store.

ANNOUNCEMENT

Al-Anon. Are you concerned about or a ected by someone else’s drinking? If so, please join us. Al-Anon meets EVERY Monday in Invermere at 7:15 p.m., at the Canadian Martyrs Catholic Church, 712 – 12th Ave (behind the Invermere hospital). For information, please call 250342-8255.

Alcoholics Anonymous. If alcohol is causing problems or con ict in your life, AA can help. All meetings are at 8 p.m. For more information, please call 250342-2424. Columbia United AA, Invermere: Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday, and Wednesday at the BC Service Building, South End –624 4th St., Invermere. Thursday at the Firehall Building, 8853 Grainger Rd., Canal Flats. Radium Friendship Group: Friday at the Catholic Church, East Side of Main St. With the exception of Tuesday, all meetings are open.

Narcotics Anonymous. If Drugs or Alcohol are causing problems or con ict in your life, NA can help. All meetings are at 7 p.m. every Thursday at 4878 Athalmer Rd.

Hotel Sales Representative

Mountain View Villas at Fairmont Hot Springs is undergoing renovations this winter and will open with a fresh new look and feel in the Spring of 2019!

We are currently looking for an individual to join our team in advance of our re-opening in the role of Hotel Sales Representative.

This is a full-time position with an annual base salary of $40K plus, along with an incentive plan, health and dental bene ts.

We o er: Competitive compensation package

Reasonably priced sta housing - fully furnished one-bedroom villa with kitchen, Wi-Fi and Cable. For more information visit

mountainviewvillas.ca/employment-opportunities Send resume to: vstackhouse@mountainviewvillas.ca

Kootenay Insurance Services Ltd.

Kootenay

On November 10, 2018, Allen passed away peacefully in his sleep at the Invermere Hospital.

Allen will be greatly missed by his three children, Joan (Neil) Holder of Hinton, Dave (June) Lymburner of Invermere, and Cathy Lymburner of Edmonton, nieces, nephews, as well as many family members and friends. Allen was predeceased by his loving wife of 66 years, Kay, and daughter Roberta Ann.

Allen was a loyal, generous, and kind father, husband and friend. His witty sense of humour will be missed and remembered. He was blessed with good caring staff and many friends at the Columbia Garden Village, all of whom he loved to tease.

A huge thank you goes out to Dr. Weber, and the many other doctors who helped throughout the past month as well as the incredibly compassionate nursing and care staff at the Invermere Hospital.

As per Allen’s request, there will be no funeral service. Tributes to Allen can be made to the Columbia Valley Food Bank.

Join a team that

and

the

and for Kootenay Insurance Services Ltd (KIS). We offer the stability and resources of a leading, locally-based organization, an employee focused culture that values your individual contribution and encourages work/life balance, plus a commitment to serving and helping our community.

have

The ideal candidate will possess a combination of skills, ability, education, experience, and motivation:

• Level I Insurance License

Minimum 1 year experience in a retail sales environment

• Ability to communicate effectively in a sales and service environment, both verbally and in writing

• Ability to organize work to meet deadlines within an environment of constantly changing priorities

• Competitive wage

Kootenay Insurance Services Ltd. is owned in equal partnership by East Kootenay Community, Kootenay Savings, Nelson & District and Summerland Credit Unions.

Sponsored by

STORAGE

NEWHOUSE STORAGE

Various sizes available. Now with climate-controlled units. Call 250-342-3637.

STORAGE SPACE – assorted sizes, easy access, immediate availability, long-term or short-term. Deck Properties Warehouse, Industrial Park: 250342-3166.

LOST AND FOUND

Lost Ford key fob. Likely lost at ski sale Saturday Nov. 3rd in Columbia Valley Centre. If found, please call Sandra at 403-4047506.

OFFICE SPACE

1313 - 7th Ave.

Prime second oor o ce space, complete with o street parking. 1 - 735 sq. ft. o ce, 1 - ,1167 sq. ft. o ce. Can be divided into two o ces 1 - 710 sq. ft. + 1 - 457 sq. ft. Prime ground oor o ce/retail space, complete with o street parking. 2,425 sq. ft. Call for availability 403-899-9480 or carykienitz@ rockypeakent.com.

COMMERCIAL SPACE

Prime commercial space, complete with industrial bay and o street parking. 108 Industrial Road #2, 2000 sq. ft. unit. Available Oct. 1st. 403-899-9480 or carykienitz@ rockypeakent.com.

SUITE FOR RENT

Brand new 2.5-bdrm, main oor of duplex in Edgewater, W/D, child or cat welcome, no dogs, no smokers. Available Oct. 15, 2018, $1,500/mo includes utilities. 250-342-6904.

2-bdrm suite close to downtown. N/S, N/P, Cable, utilities and W/D included. $900/mo. References, D/D and lease required. Available Dec 1/18. Call 250-342-6480.

CONDO FOR RENT

Invermere - Furnished Upper Level two-storey Condo, close to downtown. 2-bdrm, 2 bathrooms. N/S, N/P, No Partiers. References please. $1,200/mo. Utilities and internet included. 403-978-4559.

Lakefront, Resort lifestyle, Rec. centre Fully furnished 2-bdrm Condo for rent on Windermere Lake. $1,200/mo. Damage deposit and references required. Utilities negotiable. 403-8181890.

HOUSE FOR RENT

Very nice 3-bdrm, 2 bath home. Short term month to month, January to May. Five months or portion thereof. All-inclusive except Hydro, $2,200/mo, 250688-0379.

BOATS FOR SALE

2 boats, Bayliner inboard Volvo, Canaventure, 75 horse outboard. Both on trailers. As is $800 for both. View at Larry Bottle Depot/Storage in Industrial area. 250-270-0175.

LOT/ACREAGE FOR SALE

ELKHORN COUNTRY ESTATES

Only 1 acreage left in phase 2, 5.3 acres, water well up to 30 gallons per minute, no building commitment. $199,000 + GST. Phone Elkhorn Ranch 250-342-1268. www.elkhornranches.com.

FIREWOOD

Support Rockies Hockey rewood. Contact email cvrockies.firewood@gmail.com or call 250-342-1624 for more info or to place an order.

Dry Pine rewood $250/cord delivered Dry Fir rewood $300/ cord delivered. Contact 250-6880373.

Pine Firewood. Pine available. Call 250-342-1586.

VEHICLES FOR SALE

$11,000 in aftermarket extras, 2003 Chev Silverado 1-ton Dually 4x4, Fully Loaded, Stainless Full-Length Running Boards. New Winter Tires. Rear/ Front Brakes replaced 2016. 4-Spare Steel Rims and Hub Caps. 2 New Batteries 2016. New Turbo, P/S and Coolant hose 2017. Herd Aluminum Bush Guard Bumper. Total of (4) Light Force lights. Spray in Box liner. Rock Guard Dually ares, Oil changes every 5000 kms. 293,400 Highway kms. Lear XL Canopy (c/w Numerous Extras) $18,500. 250-342-5727.

SERVICES

Heaven’s Best Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning. Environmentally friendly products. Dry in 1 hour! Call 250-688-0213 or visit www.heavensbest.ca.

B.B.’s Home & Lawn Care Services: Eavestroughs to fall clean-up, tree cutting, deck repairs, roofs, moves, blinds-installation. Handyman services. Book now for snow removal. 250-688-2897 or 403-861-8782.

Shannon’s Blinds & Designs

Thank you for your votesBest of Business Awards!

Blinds, Drapery, Phantom Screens & more 250-342-5749, shannonsblinds@yahoo.ca.

SERVICES

THE HEARTFELT COMPANION: Services for Seniors Non-medical care, meal prep, transportation, outings and companionship with seniors living at home, Ivy House, Columbia House or Columbia Gardens. Excellent references and credentials. Leanne Brooks 250-341-5683, invermerehomecare.com for more info.

HELP WANTED

Invermere Petro-Can is currently accepting resumes for F/T and P/T employment. Apply in person to 185 Laurier Street, Invermere between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Everett Frater Enterprises is looking for a reliable Plow Truck Driver for the upcoming winter season. Please inquire at 250347-5645 or 250-347-9228.

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 year’s 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.

Big Horn Cafe, Radium is expanding the baking team and we are looking for a full-time Assistant Baker. No evenings, exible hours, potential for medical and dental bene ts, we will train. Competitive wages. Apply to bighorncafe1@ outlook.com or 778-527-5005.

Strands Old House Restaurant is accepting applications for a full-time chef. Experience in casual ne dining an asset. Evenings and weekends. Apply to Tony Wood at tony@strandsrestaurant.com or 250-342-6344.

•

Instructors - Invermere Campus

Instructors

ACCOUNTING AND HOSPITALITY COURSES

EMPLOYMENT

JANUARY

Instructors

Please see

numbers: 18-FA-48 or 18-FA-49 or 18-FA-50

JANUARY

Closing date: NOVEMBER 16,

For a full description

JANUARY

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY cotr.ca

Part Time/Casual YARD LABOURER POSITION

Brisco Wood Preservers Ltd., a major Canadian Pole Producer of CCA treated wood poles to Western utilities and communications companies, is seeking to hire Part Time and Casual Labourers for our plant in Brisco, BC.

Our main treating facility is located just north of Radium Hot Springs in the beautiful Columbia Valley in British Columbia. Brisco Wood Preservers’ second treating facility is located in Peers, Alberta. In addition to our pole manufacturing and treating, Brisco also produces large engineered beams from LVL (Laminated Veneer Lumber) in our laminating plant Brisco Manufacturing Ltd. Brisco sells treated posts, rails, plywood and lumber and we also custom treat a variety of wood products.

General Summary: Reporting to the Operations Supervisor, the Labourer is required to learn various tasks including plywood production, counting inventory as well as general cleanup and other duties as required. Position could work into full-time.

Key

Perform tasks efficiently focusing on Safety, Quality and Production while

Working on the plywood line stickering and destickering lifts of plywood.

Fill out

Work effectively

Qualifications:

Experience in

Ability

This

results.

We’re Hiring

BC speed reductions leave Canal Flats in the dust

By Lorene Keitch lorene@columbiavalleypioneer.com

A local stretch of highway was left out of a provincial government decision to reduce the speed on 570 kilometres of highway throughout the province.

Canal Flats has actively sought to have the speed reduced along Hwy 93/95 near the village. Mayor Karl Sterzer says his concern is the area of highway from the trestle bridge on the north side of Canal Flats to the south end crossing over the river.

“ ere’s all kinds of dynamics taking place there,” Mr. Sterzer says, describing the various points of concern along that stretch: areas with no passing lane, multiple signs lobbying for drivers’ attentions, a railway spur, wild animal corridors, and several busy side streets, especially those that will soon be accommodating gypsum mine trucks from the new mine up past Canal Flats. Coming from the south end towards Canal Flats is also hazardous, Mr. Sterzer explains, as vehicles approach the village down a long hill where the speed limit is 100 km/hr, then an immediate deceleration to 50 km/hr upon entering the village.

e biggest concern for Mr. Sterzer, who lives by the highway, is the ungulate corridor.

“I constantly hear animals being hit,” he describes. “ ere was a period of time where we literally had wolves feeding o the side of the highway.”

Mr. Sterzer, alongside another councillor and CAO Adrian Bergles, took Ministry of Transportation o cials along that stretch of highway in February of this year to point out their concerns and ask for a speed reduction zone. However, ministry o cials told the village that ICBC statistics did not back up a need for a speed reduction. e problem, suggests Mr. Sterzer, is that ICBC does not hear about all the crashes or near-misses there. At one point he asked several people who live by the highway to send him a text of video if they saw something

‘crazy’, like RVs taking wide turns, high tra c volumes backed up or other tra c concerns to collect evidence of the need for a reduced speed. Mr. Sterzer had to ask the people to stop sending him texts about it because he was getting so many examples.

“We’re asking for something as simple as a 10 km/ hour reduction,” said Mr. Sterzer. “In a perfect world, we’d like 20. But at least 10.”

e Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure reviewed three years’ worth of data on 33 segments and 1,300 kilometres of highway to make their recommendations, according to the press release (see below). As a result, 15 sections of highway, totalling 570 kilometres, will have speed limits rolled back by 10 km/hr. Along with the two corridors that were lowered in 2016, this represents 660 kilometres of B.C. highways where speed limits are being rolled back. e remaining routes did not show higher accident rates and the speed limits will remain the same, including the Coquihalla where variable speed limits are in operation.

“Speeding has been one of the top three factors contributing to car crashes, especially in rural and remote areas of B.C.” said Dr. Bonnie Henry, provincial health o cer. “Research has shown that reducing speed lowers the number of crashes and severity of injuries, so I am very supportive of the speed limit reductions announced today. I look forward to the safety measures that will be implemented on B.C. roads, and will continue to work with the Road Safety Strategy Steering Committee to advocate for initiatives that will help keep all road users in B.C. healthy and safe.” While the government’s announcement did not include Canal Flats, Mr. Sterzer says they will continue to push the issue.

“We’ll keep bringing it up at any opportunity we have, whether at UBCM, or followup letter writing,” the new mayor says. “To me there’s only one answer and that answer it to reduce the speed there.”

IMMEDIATE OPENING

Reporting to the Timber Ridge Property Owners Association (TRPOA) President, the Property Manager is a contracted position, responsible for the day-to-day year-round preservation, security, maintenance and repair of the Timber Ridge Community assets and common areas. Peak activity times are generally April through October, December and March. However, this is a year-round position, requiring an individual and TRPOA approved contractors working or on-call, to be available 365-days of the year. As the Property Manager, you will hire and oversee approved Timber Ridge contractors, and approved sub-contractors hired to work on behalf of TRPOA and Terridian Utilities Ltd., on an as needed basis, for project-speci c common area work.

Ideal candidates will have a strong maintenance and operations background, preferably in a service-oriented setting. Your ability to get the job done, while, at the same time, getting to know Timber Ridge residents makes you the perfect candidate. Previous training and education will include a combined experience and/or certi cates/tickets to support a yearround residential and recreational common property. You are well-versed in using tact and diplomacy to describe and follow best practices, while communicating with many different personalities. Previous experience, where an individual has been required to work an unconventional schedule at times, needing to be on-call, is a t. This position is a lifestyle not a “job”. Basic construction, landscape and mechanical maintenance knowledge/ training is an asset. *Upon request, a more detailed position description, can be emailed.

Interested applicants, may submit a resume and cover letter, telling us about themselves and why they are the best person for the position, no later than November 20, 2018, including wage expectations, to:

President, TRPOA Board c/o Business Manager info@timberridgebc.ca

Province rolls back speed limits on 570 km of highway

Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure

e British Columbia government is lowering speed limits on 15 sections of highway in the province to keep people safer and reduce the chance of speed-related collisions.

“We know people want to get where they’re going quickly. Our job is to help make sure they also get there safely,” said Claire Trevena, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. “Since the former government raised speed limits in 2014, serious crashes have been on the rise. By rolling back speed limits slightly, our goal is to reduce accidents, keep roads open and protect the lives of British Columbians.”

Ministry sta considered all contributing factors in serious highway collisions. is includes speed, distracted driving, wildlife, changing

weather and people driving too fast for conditions.

“ e BC Trucking Association is very supportive of the government’s decision to roll back speed limits on selected highway segments,” said Dave Earle, president and CEO of the association. “ e stopping distance for heavy commercial vehicles increases at higher speeds, as does the force of impact, so safety measures that help reduce these risks for both commercial and passenger vehicle drivers are important. As well as safety, lower speeds mean greater fuel e ciency and fewer greenhouse gas emissions, a welcome side e ect worth noting.”

On all corridors where collisions increased, the RCMP will be boosting its enforcement to make sure people are respecting posted speed limits and driving safely.

Timber Ridge Property Owners Association

Manager

MINOR HOCKEY MINUTE

termere

sic

Rocky Mountain House, Chestermere, and Okotoks.

their rst

Okotoks

er Nichol

Luke Schaal, won

honours. Aiden Taylor, Daven McMurray,

Nikolai Feissel,  and Braxton Guilford won the Sportsmanship awards.  Goals were scored in abundance by the forwards, and it was a great trip home with the banner.

e Initiation Team  had their rst game of the year in Kimberley on Saturday. No score is kept at this level, but it was an exciting time for the team to play in another arena, with real referees,  and against someone they didn’t know. e team was split in half and there were two games going so everyone had lots of ice time. Initiation and Novice players use 1/2 ice for their games.

e PeeWee B team hosted a home tournament with teams from Cranbrook, Kimberley, Bow Valley, Bonavista, and Midnapore.  After losing the rst game to a strong Cranbrook team, they tied their second game, lost their third game  in a close game, and then tied the nal game, losing it in a shoot out.  e team, which has mostly rst year PeeWee players improved immensely throughout the weekend. It was Cameron Charette’s birthday weekend, and he scored a hat trick on the Saturday – a great birthday present.   Heart and Hustle awards were given to Cameron, Lucan Kinsey, Sahara Eccles, and Jessie MacIntosh.

e Midgets played a league game against Cranbrook on ursday night at the Canal Flats arena.  It was a close fought battle with Cranbrook winning the game. e Midgets then travelled to Cres-

ton on Saturday where they lost another close contest, looking sharp in warm-up but were at in the game.

e Novice host a home tournament this coming weekend.

by Windermere Valley Minor

Association

e Bantam team won the Chestermere Bantam Classic last weekend. Submitted photo

e Initiation team played in Kimberley last weekend. Submitted photo

Minor hockey players attended Invermere’s Remembrance Day service. Photo by Lorene Keitch

BEY ND THE BLUE LINE

Rockies take on Golden Rockets

Submitted by Columbia Valley Rockies

The Columbia Valley Rockies started the Remem brance Day weekend with a home series against the Golden Rockets. The team was focused on creating sep aration in the standings against their division rival, and this weekend provided that opportunity. This weekend they would take three out of a possible four points avail able and expand the gap on the Rockets.

The initial minutes of the first period on Friday, No vember 9th saw both teams try to impose their will, and with 7:42 seconds remaining in the first the Rockies took the initial lead. On the power play Greg Parker with help from Joshua Antunes and Brennan Nelson opened the door giving the Rockies a 1-0 lead. Just over a minute lat er Gavin Fleck and the Rockies would silence the home crowd by popping the second one in of the night. He was helped by Connor Davison and Dylan Fontaine. Then to try and put things away with just 43 seconds remaining in the first Chase Hawkins with help from Mason Rob inson and Zachary Giacobbo had the Rockies leaving the ice surface up three to zip.

The Rockets pushed back in the second with new life after having an opportunity to reflect. The Rockies however were determined and pressed hard peppering the other goalie who made some terrific saves to keep the second at a stalemate.

In the third the Rockets quickly scored on a power play goal and then nine minutes later pushed another one passed closing the gap to one. The Rockies then dug deep and pressed hard keeping the puck in the Rockets’ end for most of the remaining time. With the Rockets’ goalie out of the net Fraser McMann with help from Ryann Skytt closed this one out with 30 seconds left and sent the crowd home heartbroken with the Rockies winning 4 -2.

On Saturday, November 10th the Rockets came to the Rockies’ arena and tried to even the score.

The game began with a colour guard of the 2756 Royal Canadian Army Cadets, who took to centre ice to mark Remembrance Day and the end of Veterans Week 2018. The Rockies would like to thank Captain Meagan

McConnell, the colour party and those who sold poppies at the front door.

The Rockies invited everyone to join the team and the 2756 Royal Canadian Army Cadets in a period of silence in appreciation for all those who have fallen or served to secure our freedom and for all those who con tinue to keep us safe each day.

When the puck dropped and play began on home ice, the Rockies came out jumping and were pressing the visitors hard. Fraser McMann with help from Eric Lloyd and Cooper Krauss opened the scoring at the 14:24 mark. The Rockets answered back seven minutes later only to have the Rockies push back again. This time it was Eric Lloyd with help from Dace Prymak on the pow er play with just over three minutes remaining in the first giving the hometown crowd an opportunity to cheer. The Rockies took a 2-1 lead into the dressing room after the first period.

Although the Rockies were the team taking the play to the visitors and having glorious opportunities, they were denied from adding to their score. Second period ended all tied up at two after the visitors took advantage of a broken play.

The third opened with the Rockies again taking the play to the visitors but they were not rewarded for their efforts until the 11:23 mark when Brennan Nelson gave the hometown crowd a reason to celebrate on a dish from Ryann Skytt, putting the Rockies ahead 3-2. Despite many close calls the Rockies could not push the puck past the visitors’ goalie. With 1:44 remaining in the third the visitors evened the score sending this one to overtime. Just 26 seconds in the Rockies were dismayed when the puck got past them and they went down 4-3.

Coach Dubielewicz provided this insight: “Over all it was a successful weekend. It was nice to see some offensive creativity come back into our game. I felt we controlled a lot of the play throughout the weekend. We have a big weekend of practice to prepare for Creston on Friday and Castlegar on Saturday.”

The Rockies’ next home game will be on Saturday, November 17th against the Castlegar Rebels.

Photo by Dauna Ditson

Diner opens doors to bring in locals

By Dauna Ditson reporter@columbiavalleypioneer.com

e Diner at Skookum Inn opened less than a month ago, but manager Emily Blackmore said business is already booming.

“It’s been busy every day,” she said.

venue has had 12 di erent owners in the past 20 years, but Ms. Blackmore expects the new diner to outlast the others.

“It’s been all sorts of di erent restaurants but when it was successful it was a diner and we’ve chosen to go back to the diner to make sure that it’s successful again,” she said.

A returned local, Ms. Blackmore has waitressed and managed restaurants around the world from Australia to ailand to Guatemala and Mexico before coming back to the Valley to be closer to her family.

She said the diner’s new owner, Mark Skinner, had a couple of restaurants in his past and that their combined experience meant they were well prepared for the task at hand.

“We’re really trying to focus our pointer on the locals and that’s why we’re starting in the wintertime,” she said. “We’re full of locals every day. We want them to know that they can feel comfortable coming here for breakfast, lunch and on break.”

She envisions the diner becoming a hub for residents and the sta that keep the Valley running and said focusing on customers who are staying for the long term is a strategic choice.

“ ey’re going to be the ones that keep us alive through the winter. We want them to have a local spot to go to. I’m local, my dad’s local, and we used to love coming here,” she said.

Guests can expect “good food, big portions and friendly service” at the diner which is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.

e restaurant serves classic diner food like eggs Benedict, pancakes, wa es and club sandwiches but with a twist: the meals are made from scratch and with local products where possible.

Even as a vegan, Ms. Blackmore has plenty to choose from o the menu. Anything can be made vegan or vegetarian, and there are gluten-free options as well.

Her current favourite dish is billed as Mark’s Favourite. It’s zucchini noodles and vegetables in a rich cashew sauce.

“We’re open and we’re excited. We want people to come see us,” she said. “We’re con dent that we’re going to be successful and we appreciate everybody’s support.”

Photo by Katherine ielmann

LAKE WINDERMERE ALLIANCE CHURCH

Sunday, November 18, 10:30 am Worship And Life Instruction, “Revelation 101” Pastor Matt Moore ministering. “K.I.D.S.” Church during the Morning Service. 326 - 10th Avenue, Invermere 250-342-9535 • o ce@lwac.ca • www.lwac.ca

WINDERMERE VALLEY SHARED MINISTRY ANGLICAN-UNITED

Worship every Sunday, 10:30 a.m.

Children & Youth Sunday School at 10:30 a.m. Christ Church Trinity, Invermere 1st and 3rd Sunday, March - December 9 a.m.: All Saint’s, Edgewater 2nd Sunday, 7 p.m.: June - October at St. Peter’s Windermere Reverend Laura Hermakin 110 - 7th Avenue, Invermere 250-342-6644 • www.wvsm.ca

VALLEY CHRISTIAN ASSEMBLY

Sunday 10 a.m.: Worship Services. Pastor Murray Wittke 4814 Highway Drive, Windermere 250-342-9511 • www.valleychristianonline.com

ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

Saturday, 4:30 p.m.: St. Anthony’s, Canal Flats. Saturday, 5 p.m. and Sunday, 9 a.m.: Canadian Martyrs’ – Invermere Sunday, 11 a.m.: St. Joseph’s – Radium. Father Jojo Augustine • 712 -12th Ave., Invermere 250-342-6167

ST. PETER’S LUTHERAN MISSION OF INVERMERE

1:30 p.m.

CHURCH

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Emily Blackmore and Mark Skinner in front of the Diner at Skookum Inn. Photo submitted