vol6issue52

Your Weekly Source for News and Events

Vol. 6/Issue 52

The Columbia

Valley

December 25, 2009

P ioneer

FREE

Serving The Upper Columbia Valley including Spillimacheen, Brisco, Edgewater, Radium, Invermere, Windermere, Fairmont and Canal Flats

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MERRY CHRISTMAS! Kadey Holland, a kindergarten student at Windermere Elementary School, played an adorable Mary at the school’s annual Christmas concert. For more photos, see Page 34.

54

Photo by Cayla Gabruck

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2 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer

December 25, 2009

Blessings of the Season Gone

Valley NEWS

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This beautiful photograph of a Clark’s Nutcracker, named after the famous explorer William Clark, was taken by local naturalist Larry Halverson. During the winter season, remember to feed the birds. A wonderful recipe for Christmas dinner for our feathered friends, courtesy of retired Conservation Officer Rick Hoar, appears on Page 41.

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The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 3

December 25, 2009

Valley NEWS

Ghostbuster claims he can remove three ‘earth-bound spirits’ from CPR Lodge

By Brian Geis Pioneer Staff In a plot line ripped from a Hollywood blockbuster, three ghosts might be conspiring to prevent the relocation of the old CPR lodge from Fort Point to Kinsmen Beach.

Michael Rowland, a Kootenay Lake-based ghostbuster, says he has established the presence of three ghosts in the old building.

“I did some testing,” he said, “and, apparently, there are three earth-bound spirits in the lodge.”

And for $95 an hour, Mr. Rowland claims on his website at www.healinghauntedhouses.com that he can remove the spirits, with a money-back guarantee that they will never return.

Mayor Gerry Taft said he is considering hiring the real-life Ghostbuster to rid the languishing lodge of a gaggle of ghosts who may be preventing him from relocating their historic haunt to Kinsmen Beach.

Mayor Taft is currently raising funds to save the 1920 structure so the Fort Point land on which it is situated can be sold. Already, the district has earmarked $30,000 for the cause and dedicated land to host the historic building. He said he likes the concept of a professional ghostbuster.

“It’s a great idea,” Mayor Taft said. “It would be fun and would draw attention to the lodge, as well as, maybe, help with the success of the project.”

The Weir family, owners of the lodge, have long believed the building is haunted. In an earlier Pioneer article, Jenny Weir of Invermere described one occasion when she was sleeping in a room off the kitchen.

“I heard someone in the kitchen,” Jenny said. “The big black Labrador we had was sleeping at the foot of my bed and he heard it as well, because his ruff came up. I thought someone was unwell, and since I was a

nurse, I got up to look. But there was no one there.”

The family believes the ghost could be the wife of former CPR president D’Alton Corey Coleman.

While visiting the bungalow camp, Mrs. Coleman drowned at the beach below the lodge and the Weirs wonder if perhaps she still walks the halls today.

“It’s kind of creepy, but nothing bad has ever happened,” said Nancy Ballard, Jenny’s niece. We just say, ‘Oh, it’s Mrs. Coleman.’”

“My opinion is that all three ought to be crossed over so they can finish their journey, because it is the right thing to do from a spiritual point of view.”

– Michael Rowland, haunted house healer

Ghostbuster Michael Rowland says Mrs. Coleman is not the only one at play in the house. In fact, she has two partners in crime who might like things to stay just the way they are. If the lodge is moved, he said, one of the ghosts will move with it and the other two will stay behind to haunt the land.

Mr. Rowland said he left a 25-year career in corporate business after becoming aware of his natural ability for working with energy and spirits.

With several years of training in what he terms the “Healing Way Method,” Mr. Rowland claims he has successfully been clearing and relocating unwanted energies from houses, land, cars and businesses throughout North America.

“It’s not ghostbusting as you might have seen in the movies,” he said. “The reality is that it is a lot less dramatic and suspenseful. It does come with a guarantee. We are sure, once cleared, that the same ghost will not return because they are sent to where they

are meant to be, not just to say . . . your neighbour’s house. What we do is sacred work and very spiritual in nature, although it is not tied to any religion.”

According to Mr. Rowland, the trio of spirits could very well be responsible for a series of setbacks that have plagued the project. Not only has there been opposition to the project and difficulty raising money, misunderstandings have driven wedges between the community and the Historical Society and have resulted in resignations by key volunteers — including organizer Nick Berzins who spearheaded the campaign — over philosophical differences with Mayor Taft.

While the community could choose to create a permanent home for the ghosts, Mr. Rowland explained, the right thing to do is to help them move on.

“My opinion is that all three ought to be crossed over so they can finish their journey, because it is the right thing to do from a spiritual point of view.

“If they are not crossed over, there is the potential for them to negatively affect the success of the sale and development of the property, as well as the success of the lodge in its new location, particularly if there is a reason one ghost has chosen to move with the lodge.

“If having a haunted lodge is important to you, which is a position I do not personally support,” he said, “maybe an alternative would be to ‘clear’ the ghosts and then have a plaque or sign that tells of its haunting. If the ghosts were relatives of yours, would you want them to remain stuck?”

Invermere Mayor Gerry Taft said he agrees, and would prefer to let the spirits cross over. “I don’t think I would want to be stuck hanging around an old building or piece of land forever,” he said.

Nick Berzins agreed it is something to consider.

“Although I am an engineer and supposed to be purely logical and scientific,” he said, “I don’t dismiss spiritual forces.”

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4 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer

December 25, 2009

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A 51-year-old Radium man was killed during a treacherous day on valley roads last week.

Gurmail Parmar was struck by an out-of-control vehicle as he stood beside the highway near Juniper Heights at 10:45 a.m. on Thursday, December 17th.

“He was taken to hospital by ambulance and pronounced deceased at the hospital,” RCMP Staff Sergeant Marko Shehovac said.

It was the second time this winter that a pedestrian has been hit by a stray vehicle. In late October, 57year-old Barney Weismiller died after being struck by an out-of-control vehicle on Toby Creek Road while he was putting snow chains on his tires.

Last week’s collision was the third incident at the site in the space of an hour. At 10 a.m., the driver of a

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red pick-up truck hit black ice on the gentle curve and ran into the ditch. “The pick-up was left on scene for later recovery,” Staff Sgt. Shehovac said.

Forty minutes later, Mr. Parmar was alone in his car driving south when his 1996 Ford Taurus spun out of control on the same curve and ran into the ditch.

“He got out of his vehicle and walked up to the road, where a citizen had stopped to provide assistance,” Staff Sgt. Shehovac said.

As they stood at the side of the road, the female passerby waved at the driver of a 2001 Chrysler who was approaching the corner, warning her that the corner was treacherous.

“The driver of the Chrysler – a 45-year-old Invermere woman – applied her brakes and started to lose control of her vehicle,” Staff Sgt. Shehovac said.

Continued on Page 9 . . .

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The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 5

December 25, 2009

Record number of hampers packed

By Sally Waddington Pioneer Staff

HELPING OUT – The volunteers of the Christmas Bureau prepared 207 food hampers. Photo by Cayla Gabruck

Best of the Season to our valued customers from Cindy, Deb, Crystal and Rose Marie.

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Invermere Barbers Mike and Nicole would like to wish their friends and customers a MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

More hampers than ever before were ordered from the Columbia Valley Christmas Bureau this year.

On Friday, December 18th, volunteers for the Christmas Bureau handed out 207 hampers to families in need at the Invermere Community Hall. That’s up from 167 hampers last year.

“There are many more people in need,” said Gail Hoffmann, who volunteers with the bureau. “The support from the public is awesome, but some people who were previously sponsors can’t manage it this year.”

As a result, the Christmas Bureau needed to put together 40 hampers itself. It wouldn’t have been possible without a $10,000 donation from AG Valley Foods, raised from a silent auction during the grocery store’s renovation celebration last month.

“As soon as we found out how much money had been raised by AG, we knew it would be okay,” Gail said. “If someone needs something, they will get it.”

Struggling families will be able to prepare a Christmas dinner after all, thanks to the generous contributions of hundreds of valley residents.

“This is the warmest village in the whole world,” Gail said.

Merry Christmas And best wishes for the new year.

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6 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer

December 25, 2009

perspective

The meaning of ‘home’ for Christmas

By Elinor Florence Pioneer Publisher Home for Christmas has always meant one thing to me: spending it with my parents. In all my 58 years, wherever I was living, we’ve always spent Christmas together except once. That was the year when, as a newlywed, I dutifully went to my husband’s parents and was so miserable and homesick that he relented and we resumed the tradition of being with my parents.

When I was travelling in Europe, I cut my trip short to come home for Christmas. When living in California, I braved blizzards and iced-up runways to fly home for a three-day break.

Sometimes I couldn’t get home, and my parents came to me instead. I still

considered myself “home” for Christmas because we were together.

After my parents moved to Invermere in 1996, being home for Christmas was easy, with no tiresome travelling involved. My father died in 2002 and ever since, being home now means being with my mother.

This year, for only the second time in my life, I won’t be “home” because my mother is going to my brother’s farm in Saskatchewan. I’m happy for my brother’s family that they will enjoy her company for the holidays, but it will be a very different Christmas for me.

I hope to follow in my mother’s footsteps and create a Christmas holiday so wonderful that my children will always want to come “home” to me for the holidays.

Merry Christmas postcard Back in the late 1930s, W. R. (Roy) Lake, now deceased, created this Christmas card with a photograph of himself posing by the Radium hot pool. According to his brother Gordon Lake, who still lives in Invermere, Roy was an avid swimmer and diver.

Photo (A717) is provided courtesy of the Windermere District Historical Society

The Pioneer’s Annual Christmas Gift List This is the time of year when our staff puts their heads together and comes up with a gift list for the locally famous and infamous. Please remember, it’s all in good fun.

• Gerry Taft: Couples counselling to patch up his troubled relationship with Nick Berzins over the fate of the CPR Lodge.

• Mary-Ann Rombach: The contract to do the couples counselling for Gerry and Nick.

• Manny Osborne-Paradis: A gold pen to sign all the product endorsement contracts he will be offered after bringing home the gold in Vancouver.

• Striking B.C. Ambulance Service: A collective

agreement that pays them what they deserve.

• Mark Himmelspach: Intestinal fortitude to endure yet another round of boundary expansion negotiations with the District of Invermere.

• Dee Conklin: body armour to deflect the slings and arrows of the anti-Jumbo coalition among her political colleagues.

• Al Miller: Divine intervention to salvage the second half of the Rockies’ hockey season.

• Nick Berzins: An ice axe to dig his digital temperature sensor from deep within the frozen surface of Lake Windermere.

• Norm Macdonald: The first two seasons of Gossip Girl on DVD so he can learn how to relate

to teenagers.

• Jim Abbott: A big bag to carry all the economic stimulus money we couldn’t spend back to the federal treasury.

• Marko Shehovac: Tuition money for a College of the Rockies course on how to use e-mail!

• Hank Swartout: A Lone Ranger mask so he can remain undercover when he visits the valley.

• Gordon Campbell: A sharp macheté for use in reviewing provincial budgets.

• Stephen Harper: Dinner with Al Gore to discuss the inconvenient truth about climate change.

• Tiger Woods: A photo album to store his favourite memories of this Christmas.

The Columbia Valley

Pioneer

is independently owned and operated, published weekly by Abel Creek Publishing Inc. Box 868, #8, 1008 - 8th Avenue, Invermere, BC V0A 1K0 Phone: 250-341-6299 • Fax: 250-341-6229 Email: upioneer@telus.net www.columbiavalleypioneer.com

Elinor Florence

Brian Geis

Sally Waddington

Cayla Gabruck

Dave Sutherland

Zephyr Rawbon

Michele McGrogan

Publisher

Editor

Reporter

Reporter

Advertising Sales

Graphic Design

Office Manager

The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 7

December 25, 2009

Ministry covering up truth about accident Dear Editor: I’d like to make reference to Dale McKay’s sharp comments regarding the provincial Ministry of Transportation’s absurd statement on road conditions in Barney Weismiller’s critical tragedy.

Mr. McKay hit the nail right on the head, period. When I first read of this horrible incident, I felt considerable compassion for the wife and family in this tragedy. You can’t help wonder why something of this nature occurs. It’s beyond comprehension.

As Mr. McKay stated, the Ministry of Transportation investigating their own people is ludicrous. What is disturbing about this issue is that we’re expected to believe this is the gospel. Maybe we’re a bit dense, but not stupid by any means.

The investigation must be exposed to the proper authorities. It should not be

acceptable as it now reads.

Cover-ups are number one on the agenda, starting with the RCMP and that terrible zapper incident at the Vancouver Airport. Paul Kennedy, Chief Police Commissioner, singed their feathers real good, which was most deserved. It would be interesting to know the total cost of this super snafu. Possibly we could consider tapping into their pension fund for a portion, or maybe the full amount.

The politicians are masters of coverup. They get their training at the provincial level, then drift up to the federal level where they complete their apprenticeship. It’s most disturbing, plus so frequent that now you don’t know who or what to believe.

George Guimont Fairmont Hot Springs

Beware of monopolies Dear Editor: A 1969 Davey Special Committee Report on Mass Media concluded: “This country should no longer tolerate a situation where the public interest, in so vital a field as information, is dependent on the greed or goodwill of an extremely privileged group of mediaowner businessmen.” Beware of media monopolies, was the warning to Canadians.

The 1981 Kent Commission Report on newspaper ownership opens with the statement: “Freedom of the press is not a property right of owners. It is the right of the people. It is part of their right to free expression, inseparable from the right to inform themselves.”

We’ve come a long way, baby! Today, a handful of businessmen control what Canadians read, watch and hear.

Tabloid sensationalism, blood-and-gore crime, celebrity gossip and sports hype has replaced debate on political and social issues.

Preaching openness and account-

ability in his campaigns, Harper is largely the problem. The Canadian Association of Journalists thinks so, continually honouring Harper with its Code of Silence Award.

The association president stated the award was the easiest decision the judges ever made, adding: “Harper’s gone beyond merely gagging cabinet ministers and professional civil servants, stalling access to information requests and blackballing reporters who ask tough questions. He has built a pervasive government apparatus whose sole purpose is to strangle the flow of public information.”

Under the Harper autocracy Canada is no longer a free and open society.

Harper’s stranglehold on the flow of information leaves voters uninformed or misinformed – hardly democratic. With 42 percent of Canadians not showing up on Election Day, Stephen Harper’s free rein could well destroy the Canada that we used to know.

Bryan Stawychny, Edgewater

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8 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer

December 25, 2009

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Bighorns wrap up season with gratitude and pride Dear Editor: Well, the 2009 Bighorn season has wrapped up with another successful outing.

This community has rallied around these boys and it has made a real difference in their lives and a huge impact on mine.

The players not only successfully defended the Kootenay Bowl, but they continue to get recognition off the field.

They were true gentleman when the B.C. Lions invited us to a game, which included sideline passes.

During the year we had our irrigation system rebuilt and powered up.

We purchased our own team bus and we now have 10 coaches that have taken the level one National Coaching Certification Program certification.

The British Columbia Community Football Association has chosen me as the director for the Kootenay region. They flew me to Vancouver last weekend to present some trophies in the provincial championships.

This will definitely benefit our program as we now have some exposure in B.C. Minor Football and they know we want to be part of the provincial picture.

Our plans for next season are to add Bantam Football to the Bighorns and organize some flag football

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The province runs provincial championships in flag football in Kamloops, and we want to be part of this. More news will follow.

Last but not least, I would like to thank the coaches, parents and players for all the hard work they put in. The corporate and private community has been unparalleled in the outpouring of support.

Thank you.

I want to wish all the graduating players all the best in whatever endeavours they take on. They will be missed. However, they have set the ground work for the next group to step up.

We are looking for some people interested in becoming a referee in this area. I would like to have five referees ready for the spring.

I will organize the clinic with the B.C. Community Football Association and we will have to plan a weekend that works for all. I will get more info out as soon as I have it ready.

Spring camp is just around the corner.

Special thanks to Bob Gadsby, Susan Fahrni and Jim Nelson for their support and insight.

The Bighorns are calling you!

Bruce Marlow, Bighorns Coach Invermere

Blessings of the Season

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The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 9

December 25, 2009 . . . Continued from Page 4 The out-of-control vehicle crossed onto the shoulder where Mr. Parmar and the female passerby were standing.

“The citizen was able to jump out of the way, but unfortunately the man was struck. He was thrown a distance while the Chrysler entered the ditch,” Staff Sgt. Shehovac said.

Jim Conley, general manager of Mainroad East Kootenay Contracting, said the road had been sanded earlier that morning.

“We had three plough trucks north of the crossroads and the last went through 10 minutes prior to the accident. When he went through, the road was bare and wet.”

But rapidly rising temperatures created a hazard.

“When the temperature rises that quickly, it pulls the frost out of the ground. Black ice set in within a matter of minutes,” Mr. Conley said.

It was a bad morning for road accidents all over the valley. Staff Sgt. Shehovac said the RCMP were responding to a non-fatal accident near Columere Park when Mr. Parmar was struck. There were at least another three minor accidents that morning.

Gurmail Parmar was the caretaker at the Park Inn in Radium. He is mourned by a wife, Gurdashan, known as Pinky, and three children: a son Parmjot, 6, and two daughters, Naujot, 11, and Harjot, 15.

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10 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer

December 25, 2009

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE PIONEER – Left to right: Editor Brian Sally Waddington and Reporter Cayla Gabruck. Thank you to everyone in the Geis, Office Manager Michele McGrogan, Graphic Designer Zephyr Rawbon, Columbia Valley for your patronage, your support and your good wishes in Publisher Elinor Florence, Advertising Manager Dave Sutherland, Reporter 2009, and best wishes for the new year!

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Page 11

What’s Happening in the Columbia Valley

Music • visual arts • dining • Bar Scene • entertainment • performance ARTS

HOLIDAY CHEER

MOVIE REVIEW

Zachary Stevenson and Jeff Bryant, the Human Statues, will bring their flavourful, upbeat music to the valley on January 8th. See Page 14 for more.

PAGE 12

AT THE ARTYM

PAGE 15

Out & About Your Weekly Guide to What’s Happening Around the Columbia Valley Page 13

Season’s Greetings from the CV Arts Board of Directors Check out our website for upcoming events:

What does ART mean to you? www.columbiavalleyarts.com

Visit columbiavalleyarts.com for our current events calendar, or call 250-342-4423.

12 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer

December 25, 2009

Music • visual arts • dining • Bar Scene • entertainment • performance ARTS

Movie Review: All About Steve Their date is brief – they make it to Steve’s car but never leave Mary’s driveway – but memorable, as far as Mary is concerned.

She rushes home and pens a crossword for the paper’s next edition that is, you guessed it, all about Steve.

Mary’s infatuation doesn’t stop there and soon she is traipsing around the country, following Steve as he records oddball news stories.

While the plot sounds more creepy than quirky, Mary is so sweet-natured and innocent that you want to defend her actions, instead of condemning them.

All About Steve is funny and light-

Reviewed by Sally Waddington Stalking is fun in this light and fluffy comedy with a big heart.

Sandra Bullock plays Mary Horowitz, a single thirty-something who works for her local newspaper, writing crosswords.

Actually, she is obsessed with crosswords and the odd facts she uses to compile them.

After one particularly demoralizing day at work, Mary reluctantly agrees to go on a blind date set up by her parents with news cameraman Steve Mueller (Bradley Cooper).

hearted, but it has a deeper message about acceptance that gives it an unexpected significance.

The climactic scene, where hundreds of people hold candles aloft in an all-night vigil, will bring a tear to your eye and warm your heart.

There’s a certain role that Sandra Bullock has honed to perfection in romantic comedies like Two Weeks Notice – but this is not that role. Her character is weird and a little bit annoying, yet Bullock makes Mary more lovable than the picture-perfect Steve she idolizes.

RATING: 7 OUT OF 10 HEADS

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The Columbia Valley Pioneer •13

December 25, 2009

Music • visual arts • dining • Bar Scene • entertainment • performance ARTS

Out & About Please call 250-341-6299 or e-mail us at upioneer@telus.net to enter your event in our FREE listings.

Toby Theatre • Closed until December 28th • December 28th-30th, 7:30 p.m.: Planet 51

Thursday, December 24th: • 5:30-7 p.m.: Annual Torch Light Parade and Fireworks at Fairmont Hot Springs Resort family ski area. For info: 250-345-6000.

• 6 p.m.: Skating, coffee and hot chocolate by donation with fireworks to follow at Conrad Kain Park, Wilmer.

• Christmas Eve/Day church services: see Page 55.

• Vegas-style New Year’s Party at Bud’s Bar & Lounge.

Party with Elvis and DJs Wil C, Futa and Goober.

Tickets $30. For info: 250-342-2965.

• Recession Buster New Year’s Party at Copper City Saloon. No cover, bubbly. For info: 250-341-3344.

• New Year’s Eve at Eagle Ranch. Cocktails, live acoustic music, dancing. $30 for a three-course meal, $80 for a five-course meal. For info: 250-342-6560.

• Chinese Buffet and New Year’s Celebration at Radium Resort. Entertainment by Paul Filek. Tickets $69. For info: 250-347-9311.

• 6:30 p.m.: New Year’s Eve buffet dinner and dance at La Cabina Ristorante, Radium. For info: 250347-2340.

Friday, January 1st: • 8:30 p.m.: Two Banff Mountain Film Festival movies and Salem, a chill-out band from Colorado, at Bud’s Bar & Lounge. For info: 250-342-2965.

Saturday, January 2nd: Friday, December 25th: • Merry Christmas to all our readers, from everybody at The Columbia Valley Pioneer.

• Rabbits Skills Development Program begins at Nipika Mountain Resort, run by the Toby Creek Nordic Ski Club. For info: 250-342-6504.

Sunday, December 27th:

Sunday, January 3rd:

• 11 a.m.: Grand opening of the Lake Windermere Whiteway at Kinsmen Beach. For info: 250-3426504.

• Boxing Week sales begin in valley stores.

• Skate Ski Learn to Ski Clinic begins at Nipika Mountain Resort, run by the Toby Creek Nordic Ski Club. For info: 250-342-6504.

Friday, January 8th: Thursday, December 31st: • 8 p.m.: New Year’s Eve Dance at Edgewater Community Hall. Adults only. $10 admission.

Tickets available from Pip’s Store and members of the Edgewater Recreation Society Board. For info: 250-347-9324.

• 9 p.m.: New Year’s Eve Frolic at Brisco Community Hall. Tickets available at Brisco General Store from December 1st.

• New Year’s Eve Gala at Fairmont Hot Springs Resort. Buffet dinner and live entertainment with Ray “The Hatman”, party favours and glass of bubbly at midnight. Tickets $59. For info: 250-345-6000.

• 7 p.m.: Folk/pop duo The Human Statues performs at David Thompson Secondary School for Columbia Valley Arts Council. Tickets $20 for adults, $10 for students, available at Essentials and One-Hour Photo in Invermere, N’Deco in Radium, and Smoking Water Cafe in Fairmont. For info: 250-342-4423.

• 7:30 p.m.: Rockies Hockey team plays Princeton at Eddie Mountain Memorial Arena.

Sunday, January 10th: • 7 p.m.: Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour at Invermere Community Hall. Tickets $20, sold at

Crazy Soles, Kootenay Coffee on Main, Columbia Cycle, Spring Health Foods, and RK Heliski. All proceeds for the Lake Windermere Whiteway.

Monday, January 11th: • 4 p.m.: Winter session of the Columbia Valley Otters swimming lessons starts. For info: 250-3479562.

Friday, January 15th: • 7:30 p.m.: Rockies Hockey team plays Spokane at Eddie Mountain Memorial Arena.

Saturday, January 16th: • 7:30 p.m.: Rockies Hockey team plays Kimberley at Eddie Mountain Memorial Arena.

Tuesday, January 19th: • 7 p.m.: Goodbye Solo screens in the Cinefest @ Pynelogs Winter Film Series by Columbia Valley Arts. For info: 250-342-4423.

Friday, January 22nd: • The Olympic Torch Relay passes through the Columbia Valley. Celebrations will be held in Radium, Invermere, Windermere, Fairmont and Canal Flats.

• January 22nd-24th: Bonspiel on the Lake at Kinsmen Beach and Invermere Curling Club. For info: 250-342-3315.

Saturday, January 23rd: • 9 a.m.: Winterfest in Radium. Pancake breakfast, snowman-building contest, ice-sculpting contest, fire pits, potato cook-off and entertainment. Fireworks finale at 5:30 p.m. For info: 250-347-9331.

• Nipika 30-kilometre Classic Loppet at Nipika Mountain Resort. For info: 250-342-6504.

Sunday, January 24th: • Toby Creek Nordic Ski Club 20-kilometre Skate Loppet at Nipika Mountain Resort. For info: 250342-6504.

Ashtanga Yoga with Jaime Lynn Monday and Wednesday 7:15 p.m. - 8:45 p.m. • Saturday 10:00 a.m.- 11:30 am.

Endeavor Fitness, 491 Arrow Road (next to kicking horse cafe) Drop in: $15 •10 Class pass: $120 • Try your first class free • All levels welcome

14 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer

December 25, 2009

Human Statues the perfect cure for January blues

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Submitted by Mike Ewen Columbia Valley Arts Council

Celebrate New Year’s Eve at Eagle Ranch · Open for lunch and dinner seven days a week, · a la carte brunch on Saturday, · Fabulous Sunday brunch buffet from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm with a chef attended carving station.

During this holiday season Eagle Ranch will be closed December 24th, 25th, reopening on the 26th at 5:00pm, closed for the day on December 28th and January 1st.

3 course early bird special. Seating from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. To follow at 7 p.m., a delicious 5-course meal, starting with cocktails in the living room while listening to ‘Live’ acoustic music throughout the dinner hour.

Taped music and dance to follow.

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DANIEL ZURGILGEN 250-342-1612

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January blues get you down every year?

No need to worry this time around, because the Human Statues are coming to Invermere, just in time for the new year!

With their upbeat music, tight harmonies, and infectious personalities, Zachary Stevenson and Jeff Bryant are sure to brighten even the darkest of winter days.

Building on years of experience as performers and buskers, the Human Statues are a folk/pop duo that know how to entertain a crowd.

Originally hailing from Vancouver Island, and now based in Toronto, the duo is an all-Canadian mix of music, humour and pure fun!

Furthering their commitment to spread “jubilation across the nation”, the Human Statues will be first-time performers in the Columbia Valley in January.

As the performing arts branch of the Columbia Valley Arts Council continues to expand its horizons and bring to the valley a variety of music, the Human Statues are a perfect fit. Young and rising on the Canadian music scene, the duo will bring a new twist to an already diverse concert line-up.

As another twist, the concert will take place at the David Thompson Sec-

GEOFF HILL 250-341-7600

GLENN POMEROY 250-270-0666

JAN KLIMEK 250-342-1195

ondary School Theatre on January 8th.

The committee in charge of the concert series has received repeated requests for concerts at a venue other than Christ Church Trinity, and this is in response to that.

“We aren’t going to stop hosting concerts at Christ Church Trinity, as it is a wonderful venue and (the congregants there) are gracious and generous hosts, but we want to do our best to serve a growing audience and the population at large,” stated committee chair Silena Ann Ewen.

“I hope everyone will embrace the changes we’re making this year in an effort to appeal to a wider audience in the Columbia Valley. We don’t want to throw out the old, but we think that there is plenty of room for the new!”

So at the beginning of January, come out and spread some post-holiday jubilation and make some changes for the new year with Columbia Valley Arts Council and the Human Statues.

For a preview of the show, check out the Human Statues online at: www. thehumanstatues.com.

The Human Statues will be performing at the David Thompson Secondary School theatre on January 8th at 7 p.m.

Tickets ­— $20 for adults and $10 for students — are available at Essentials and One-Hour Photo in Invermere, N’Deco in Radium, and Smoking Water Café in Fairmont Hot Springs.

JENNY BUECKERT 250-342-5711

KATE WALLACE 250-342-5785

SCOTT WALLACE 250-342-5309

BERNIE RAVEN 250-342-7415

926-7th Avenue, Invermere, BC (next door to Fairmont Goldsmith) Office: (250) 341-6044 • Fax: (250) 341-6046 • www.maxwellrealtyrealtyinvermere.ca

The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 15

December 25, 2009

During the holidays, visit Artym Gallery getting new work from our painters, sculptors and jewellers, all professional Canadian artists.

Angela Morgan is always a favourite at this My name is Deanna Berrington. I am time of year; she paints her winter scenes of the manager at the Artym Gallery and I skiers, snowboarders and kids of all ages playhave been writing articles about our shows ing in the snow. Vance Theoret and his playand happenings for the past seven years. I ful bears invariably bring a smile to your face, hope you’ve had the opportunity to read and Alex Fong has been painting his signature some of them. On behalf of the owners chickadees perched on snow-covered skis! Neil Connie Artym and Grey Braditsch and mySwanson has started a new series with polar self, I’d like to take this opportunity to wish bears under a starlit sky – they are gorgeous! everyone the best of the season and to welThere is no way I can name all my favourites come you to stop by the gallery for a cup of and keep this article to a reasonable length. hot apple cider!

I was born in Invermere, and I rememThe Artym Gallery, on main street right ber walking into the Artym for the very first across from the Invermere Medical Clinic, time and thinking: “This is just what our town Wait Until Tomorrow is the title of this watercolour by Alex Fong. has been open for over eight years, seven of needs!” I still feel that way every time I come to which I have been here. It never ceases to work in the morning. If you are an old friend We have just started representing two new artists amaze me how many people haven’t been in of the Artym Gallery, please stop by and join us – Julia Lucich, a painter from Salt Spring Island, with or don’t know where we are! This is a wonderful time in celebrating the holidays. If you haven’t been in for of year to get to know your neighbours and local busi- her “Party Animal” series, and Martin Ebbers, a new a while (or ever), come in for a peek and enjoy a cup nesses a bit better – I can’t think of anywhere better jeweller (yes, we have original jewellery, too!) of hot apple cider. If you can’t make it into the Artym, The gallery is always fresh and exciting (even for you can see our amazing artists (and some great gift than the gallery to take a little time for yourself in this those of us who visit every day)! We are constantly ideas) on our website: www.artymgallery.com. busy season and feed your soul.

Submitted by Deanna Berrington Artym Gallery

Please visit this holiday season to see all the new and wonderful art.

New paintings by Angela Morgan and 35 other painters

New sculpture by Greg Metz and 3 other sculptors

New jewellery by Martin Ebbers and 7 other jewellers

New glass by Nicole Tremblay and 6 other glass artists

View paintings, sculptures, jewellery and glass online at artymgallery.com downtown Invermere ~ 250-342-7566 ~ info@artymgallery.com

16 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer

December 25, 2009

December 25, 2009

The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 17

18 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer

December 25, 2009

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JINGLE BELLS – Fairmont was alive with the sound of sleigh bells and horses’ hooves on Sunday, December 13th, when Smoking Water Café held its annual Christmas celebration. Around 75 revellers visited the store to take a sleigh ride, have pictures taken with Santa, and decorate cookies. “It was so awesome,” said owner Stephanie Clovechuk. “We hope it gets bigger and bigger every year.”

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The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 19

December 25, 2009

from your favourite Columbia bia b ia Valley l y real estate companies Christmas is so much more than a holiday, it is a feeling that is reected all around us - in the beauty of the season, and in the faces of the many good people we have come to know this year.

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20 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer

December 25, 2009

YOUR MONEY

Your options when buying mutual funds The mutual fund industry is always evolving and creating new ways to attract investors. The past several years have seen the development of no-load funds, exchange-traded funds, lower management expense ratios, wrap accounts and index funds as ways to attract a larger share of Canadians’ savings.

Probably the least understood aspect of mutual funds is the options investors have when purchasing a new fund. Part of this confusion can be blamed on industry jargon and part of the confusion can be blamed on a lack of detailed disclosure in the industry.

The following is an explanation of the options available with most mutual fund purchases, the impact on investors and how the financial advisor is compensated.

Front-end funds

When an investor buys a front-end fund, the selling advisor can charge the client anywhere from a zero to five-percent fee to purchase the fund. This fee comes out of the invested amount and goes to pay for the advice. The investor is free to move out of the fund at any time in the future without penalty. The selling advisor is then compensated by the fund company through what is referred to as a trailing fee. Trailing fees generally fall in the range of 0.5 percent to one

MANULIFE SECURITIES INCORPORATED MANULIFE SECURITIES INSURANCE AGENCY

percent per year while the client stays in the fund.

Many financial advisors are moving to a zero-percent front-end structure. In fact, the Financial Post reported that from 2000 to 2006 the number of advisors selling zero-percent front-end funds rose from only 25.8 percent to 43.5 percent.

Deferred sales charge funds

When an investor buys a deferred sales charge fund, the advisor is generally compensated by the fund company with a five-percent commission and the investor doesn’t have to pay out of pocket to purchase the fund. As a result of the hefty compensation, the investor gets locked into the fund for a period of five to seven years. If they attempt to sell the fund during the lock-in period, they will be penalized with a declining fee schedule that can start as high as seven percent.

The trailing fee paid to the advisor on a deferred sales charge fund is generally much lower over time, in the range of 0.25 percent to 0.5 percent.

Low-load funds

Almost all mutual fund companies now have what is called a low-load option. When an investor buys a low-load fund the advisor is compensated by the fund company similar to a deferred sales charge fund, but

Brendan Donahue BCOMM, FMA, CIM

Senior Investment Advisor Insurance Agent 250-342-2112

Stocks, Bonds, GIC’s, Income Trusts, Preferred Shares, EFT’s, Mutual Funds and more.

Accounts

RRSP’s, RRIF’s, TFSA’s, LIRA’s, RESP’s Corporate Accounts Cash Accounts

Services Sara Worley Investment Advisor Insurance Agent 250-342-6441

Estate Planning Financial Planning Insurance Planning Retirement Planning

No-load funds

Banks that sell their own mutual funds or some mutual fund companies — like Mawer, Phillips Hager & North, McLean Budden and others — offer their funds only as no-load funds. No-load funds do not allow the advisor to charge a fee to buy the fund nor do they allow their investors to be locked in to a deferred sales charge or low-load structure.

Ask your financial advisor

With industry trends pointing to fewer sales of deferred sales charge funds, and more sales of low-load and zero-percent front-end funds, it is becoming clear that many advisors are starting to explain the fee options and that investors want greater flexibility with their investments. Financial advisors are supposed to explain all the options available. If you are uncertain of your options, call your financial advisor.

Strength, Resources, Reputation & Independence Investments, Insurance & Financial Planning

Offering the valley more than just mutual funds.

Investments

for a lower amount. The investor doesn’t pay out-ofpocket to buy the fund and is locked into the fund for a shorter time period such as two to three years. The penalties to move out of the fund are generally much lower than a deferred sales charge fund and the trailing fee paid to the advisor is either the same or higher than a deferred sales charge fund.

Selection

19 GIC Companies 15 Insurance Companies 100 Mutual Fund Companies

Research

TD Newcrest Credit Suisse First Boston First Energy Capital Corp.

MFC Global Investment Management This material is not to be construed as an offer or solicitation. The securities mentioned may not necessarily be considered suitable investments for all clients. Contact your Investment Advisor to discuss your individual investment needs.

GIC Rates* as of December 144th

Cashable 90 Days 1 year 2 yrs 3 yrs 4 yrs 5 yrs

1.00% 0.80% 1.50% 2.00% 2.55% 2.90% 3.25%

*Rates subject to change without notice.

Corporate Bonds Issuer GE Canada Shaw TD Capital Trust

Term Sept. 28, 2012 Nov. 20, 2013 Jun. 30, 2019

Yield* 2.48% 3.32% 5.28%

*Yield factors in the current share price, call date and set quarterly dividends. Rates are subject to change without notice. Can be sold prior to maturity.

Income Trusts Issuer A&W Income Fund Davis & Henderson CML Healthcare Fund

Yield* 8.30% 11.50% 8.00%

** Estimated NET yield as of December 14th, 2009, based on minimum commissions. Subject to change without notice and subject to availability. Actual yield obtained may differ.

Insurance products and services are offered through Manulife Securities Insurance Agency (a licensed life insurance agency and affiliate of Manulife Securities) by Manulife Securities Advisors licensed as life agents. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company is the sole issuer of the Manulife GIF Select insurance contract which offers the IncomePlus benefit and the guarantor of any guarantee provision therein. Manulife Securities Incorporated is a member CIPF.

Call us for local, friendly, professional free consultations! • Ph: 250-342-2112 • Fax: 250-342-2113 • 712-10th Street, Invermere

The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 21

December 25, 2009

Join us over the holiday season to view new work by gallery artists 1033 7th Ave (Main St), Invermere, BC, 250-341-6877

www.effusionartgallery.com 3.25� x 4�

THE FIXERS – Valley Auto Body’s Todd Pollock, George Bordas, Jenn Renpel and Erwin Prevost outside the shop.

Photo by Cayla Gabruck

New auto body shop glams up valley vehicles

By Sally Waddington Pioneer Staff Expect to see more sexy vehicles on the valley’s roads next year, as a new auto body shop has opened up in Windermere.

But that doesn’t mean an influx of sports cars are on their way. George Bordas of Valley Auto Body said he treats every vehicle that enters his shop like it’s worth $100,000. “We treat every car like a hot rod,� George said.

The garage opened on December 1st in Windermere, on the corner of Highway 93/95 and North Street, previously the home of McGillvary’s Landing.

The business is run by five friends: Todd and Nicole Pollock, George Bordas and his partner Jenn Renpel, and Erwin Prevost.

All five moved to the valley this year from Calgary, Winnipeg and Saskatchewan, after vacationing here and falling in love with the valley. “I liked it here right away and wanted to stay – it was just finding a way,� Todd said.

Since he moved here in March, George has been commuting to Cranbrook to work in auto body shops there. “At Halloween I said, ‘Enough is enough; I gotta find a shop out here,’� he said.

Between them, Todd and George have 43 years experience in auto body work. While Todd focuses on window tinting, George is a graphic artist whose spe-

ciality is airbrushing and graphics.

The two met through a mutual friend earlier this year and talked about combining their expertise into one business. When George got fed up with the trip to Cranbrook, he got in touch with Todd.

Valley Auto Body opened up in Athalmer, beside Valley Shine Shop, on November 9th, but quickly moved to its current, more visible location.

Already, the crew has repaired 10 vehicles, and they’re picking up speed. Eventually, George said, they hope to take over the entire building with multiple garages.

With such a range of experience, the business is a one-stop shop for auto body repairs. Not only can the boys repair damage from vehicle collisions, they can restore old vehicles and freshen up a tired vehicle.

Valley Auto Body’s list of services includes rust repair, custom painting and airbrushing, installation of car accessories, rock chip repair, window tinting and auto detailing.

Unique to the valley is the rock protection technique Valley Auto Body offers. “A clear film protects the car from rock chips,�

Todd said.

More than anything, the friends just love working together. “We’re a bunch of monkeys. We tease each other all day long,� George said.

And the job comes first. “We care about what we do and we have fun,� said Jenn.

Wishing you a joyous holiday season, and a New Year filled with peace and happiness.

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22 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer

December 25, 2009

Valley RCMP officer reflects on tour of duty in Afghanistan

By Cayla Gabruck Pioneer Staff

DIFFERENT WORLD – Just one year ago, RCMP Constable Chris Sheppard returned to Nova Scotia to spend

Christmas at home after serving in Afghanistan.

Photo by Cayla Gabruck

A veteran of the war in Afghanistan is one of the new faces at the Columbia Valley RCMP Detachment.

Twenty-three-year-old Constable Chris Sheppard, a member of the Canadian Armed Forces and a native of Nova Scotia, was posted in the Columbia Valley in October, bringing the number of officers at the Invermere detachment to 12.

“I’ve always had a passion for being in the police force,” Constable Sheppard said. “Growing up, my neighbour was an RCMP officer and he always had a lot of good stories. I never wanted a job where you do the same thing every day.”

Const. Sheppard grew up in Halifax, and at age 18 joined the Canadian Armed Forces. He had just begun classes at Dalhousie University in Halifax, taking sciences.

“I joined the military to help me pay for university, because it gave me $2,000 a year for school,” he said.

Six months after applying and completing numerous tests, including aptitude, medical, physical fitness and an interview, Private Chris Sheppard was officially recognized as a member of the Canadian Armed Forces.

His parents – Karen, a data analyst for a fuel shipping company, and Randy, manager of meteorological services with Environment Canada – were both thrilled with the idea . . . at first.

“It was only when I started going a little deeper with it and really enjoying it that my mom had a little bit of concern,” he said.

“When things in Afghanistan were starting to heat up and I was starting to show interest in going there, she wasn’t very pleased about it.”

Const. Sheppard began his military training between classes at Dalhousie, but after two years of juggling the two, he quit school to pursue a full-time position in the 33rd Service Battalion of Halifax, Nova Scotia.

“When I walked into my first training session, I almost walked right back out the door,” he said. “It was a little overwhelming at first, especially seeing everyone in the uniform and everyone was using their ranks with their names.”

Continued on next page . . .

The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 23

December 25, 2009 . . . Continued from previous page He spent four years moving up in the ranks, training to drive an armoured car at various locations across Eastern Canada, but in 2008 things changed for Constable Sheppard, by then a Master Corporal.

In September, he was asked to serve with the Joint Task Force Afghanistan out of Kingston, Ontario.

“I was excited. I put my name in for it and then they called me and said I was going to go – then it hit me, ‘Oh no, I have to tell my parents I am going,’” he said.

“My mom cried and my dad said that when he was younger he would’ve liked to have done that himself. So, he could see where I was coming from.”

After a month-long crash course on training, Master Corporal Sheppard was shipped to the United Arab Emirates, a small country east of Saudi Arabia.

“It was a bit of a culture shock at first, just being in a hot desert, seeing all of the different people,” he said. “There was sand everywhere and camels. We ate at the airport in Dubai when we first got off the plane and that was quite a bit different. I couldn’t really make out what it was I was eating, but it was different.”

From there, the force travelled outside of the city to the military base.

They spent most of their days loading and unloading vehicles that had been damaged overseas and prepared them to be shipped back to Canada.

“Some of the damage done to the armoured vehicles was unbelievable,” he said.

“You would see an armoured vehicle just riddled with holes from an improvised explosive device that had gone off underneath it. It was incredible to see the amount of damage that could be done by these things.”

Six weeks into his tour, Master Corporal Sheppard and his crew were transferred to Afghanistan and, for the most part, were greeted warmly by the Afghani civilians.

“But some of the people didn’t really look like they liked you or trusted you,” he said.

“Just the way someone would look at you could get a reaction of how they feel about you. Some of them were very

approachable and would try to speak your language or communicate with you and shake your hand. But then there were others that would just stare at you – a cold stare, basically.”

Despite the mixed reaction, Master Corporal Sheppard is still full of support of Canadian troops serving in Afghanistan.

“I think we are there for the right reasons and we are making differences.

Even if a lot of people don’t think we are, there are differences being made,” he said.

“And a lot of people are giving their lives for that as well. I definitely support the whole Afghanistan mission.”

Some of those differences, Const.

Sheppard said, include building schools and delivering supplies to the Afghani people.

“It helped them so much,” he said.

“You could tell because they would come up to you and thank you for helping and being there.

“Yes, it has been controversial. However, a lot of people don’t know the full extent of what is going on over there,” he said.

“And unless you put the boots on and know what’s going on you won’t get the full experience. Yes, we’ve lost a lot of troops but there are a lot of changes being made.”

The federal government plans to withdraw Canadian troops from Afghanistan in 2011. Const. Sheppard disagrees with the idea.

“The way I see it is, if we were to just pull out in 2011, it might revert back to the way things were before,” he said.

“Their military and their people, from what I think, aren’t quite ready to take over. They still need our presence until they can be in a proper position to take charge.”

Const. Sheppard returned to Canada a year ago, after receiving word of his acceptance to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

The Columbia Valley is his first posting, after completing police training in Regina earlier this year.

Now that he has arrived in the Columbia Valley, he is looking forward to gaining experience in the area, tackling the drug problem and impaired driving, and eventually getting involved in police dog services.

shing everyone a peaceful holiday sea

Michael, Karel, and staff.

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24 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer

December 25, 2009

Tickets to Paralympics offered in Radium contest

Unbelievable b li bl Value!!!

By Cayla Gabruck Pioneer Staff

Immaculate l t Condo

Two lucky locals will attend the 2010 Paralympic Games this March.

The tickets were awarded to the Village of Radium Hot Springs as an early bird prize in GamesTown 2010, an online competition designed to ramp up excitement for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

The village has teamed up with Husky, Esso, PetroCanada, and Radium Rotary Club to put together a package for the winner of the tickets, which will include $200 in gas vouchers and accommodation for two nights.

To win the tickets, Olympic enthusiasts must submit a letter to the village indicating why they would like to attend and what it would mean to be at the games. The winner will be announced at Winterfest in Radium on

Acreage Living At Its Best

Beach Ownership

January 23rd at 3:30 p.m. Applications can be e-mailed to the village office at vradium@telus.net or dropped off at the village office by January 15th. The contest is open to residents and second homeowners in Radium and Edgewater, and the winner will be picked by members of the Radium Rotary Club.

Radium, along with Invermere and Windermere, are competing in the GamesTown competition. All three communities want the chance to be named Gamestown 2010. The grand prize winner will receive $100,000, five pairs of tickets to Olympic Winter Games events, five pairs of tickets to the Paralympic Winter Games events, a plaque identifying the community as a gold medal winner, and a visit from one or more 2010 Olympic and/or Paralympic athletes. Silver and bronze prizes will also be awarded. To cast your vote, visit www.gamestown2010.ca.

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The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 25

December 25, 2009

New conservation fund seeking proposals for improving habitat Submitted by Loree Duczek Regional District of East Kootenay Proposals are now being accepted for the Columbia Valley Local Conservation Fund and up to $200,000 will soon be available for on the ground projects.

Project proposals must be related to improving conditions for water, fish, wildlife and habitat or conserving natural areas.

East Kootenay Conservation Program Chair Nancy Newhouse says anyone with proposals in mind should review the terms of reference prior to submitting their application.

“For proposals to be considered they must be targeted within the fund area, address threats to biodiversity, be technically sound and effective, and be submitted in conjunction with a registered society.”

The terms of reference are listed on the East Kootenay Conservation Program website at www.ekcp.ca.

“The Local Conservation Fund has generated a great deal of interest across not only B.C., but the rest of the coun-

try and even from the U.S.,” says regional board chair David Wilks. “We are excited to be at the point of receiving proposals and look forward to funding the first projects.”

Proposals must be submitted to the East Kootenay Conservation Program

by January 29th, 2010. A technical review committee will then review all applications and make recommendations to the regional district board of directors, who will make the final funding decisions.

“This is a great opportunity for the public to directly benefit the environment that makes our part of the world so special,” said Ms. Newhouse. “By sustaining biological diversity and ecological processes we are also supporting economic and social well-being.”

The new conservation fund was set up last November following the municipal election, when a public referendum approved the concept. Wayne Stetski is the new manager of the program.

To submit a project proposal or learn more about the Local Conservation Fund, go to www.ekcp.ca and click on Local Conservation.

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

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492 ARROW ROAD (Next to Home Hardware) INVERMERE BC V0A 1K0 250 342 8668 1 877 342 8668 INFO@THENATURALHOME.CA

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26 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer

Monday to Thursday Lunch Special

December 25, 2009

The Old Zone: Happy Holidays!

By Harold Hazelaar Pioneer Columnist

CVOHA League Standings

La Cabina Ristorante

& Happy New Year!

Team

W L

T Points

Aquair Waterboys

8

3

1

17

Lake Auto Mustangs

7

4

1

15

Finish Line Phantoms

7

6

0

14

Kicking Horse Coffee Junkies

5

5

3

13

Radium Petro-Can Killer Tomatoes

5

4

3

13

Huckleberry Hawks

4

5

3

11

Hi Heat Hustlers

5

7

0

10

Warwick Wolves

5

7

0

10

Inside Edge Black Smoke

4

8

1

9

So here are the top five things that happened locally in 2009 that we can be appreciative of in this holiday season: 5. The so called “recession” didn’t clobber us as badly as some other communities.

4. The cost of golf in our valley decreased.

3. The long-awaited completion of the Pot Hole Park refurbishing began.

2. We get the Olympic Torch here next month.

1. The Eddie Mountain Memorial Arena will get a new ice surface! Works starts in early March. I can’t wait for next September when OldTimers starts again.

Happy holiday wishes to everyone and my hope for the best in 2010.

#109-901 7th Ave., Invermere

Christmas Greetings

from our family to yours.

copperpointgolf.com

The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 27

December 25, 2009

‘Twas the Last Game Before Christmas

By Steve Mantyka Rockies Hockey ‘Twas the last game before Christmas, and all through the rink The Rockies fans were stirring coffee, their favourite drink.

The ice surface was ready, shining bright white, With the promise of goals, on this wintry night.

The Rockies were listening to Coach Rice’s pep talk, While they adjusted their jerseys, helmets and jocks.

With Shedden, Moen and Belanger all dressed up in their suits, The broadcast team settled down in their cozy warm booth.

When from the stands there arose such a clatter, It was the Aussies yelling, “Hey, let’s get at ‘er!”

Selling his tickets, Roger paced the stands, Kids blowing trumpets and clapping their hands.

Al Miller announced, “Please rise and remove your caps.”

Lisa Claffey sang the anthem and music filled the gaps.

As tension grew and the goalies gave the nod, The puck was dropped and it was “game on!”

With the click of the skates and a swoop of the stick, The puck shot to the goal, a save just as quick, It was Magee in net, he flashed the leather, Dagg sat out tonight, a little under the weather.

On the stick of MacLellan, the puck ready to move on, “Should I pass to Dunlop, Movold or Vaughan?”

Zack cradled the puck, and then fired a laser, Across the blue line onto the stick of Fraser.

The crowd gave a yell and hoped for a score, But the goalie made the save, he kept shutting the door.

The players skated to the bench, ready for a change.

The doors opened and they shuffled out onto the range.

The puck squirted loose, into the grip of Tye Moses, He moved the puck quick, just past their noses.

From across the ice, a yell from McNaney While Bird checked a player onto his fanny.

Groenheyde called out, “Pass back to the point!”

And the crowd cheered loudly, rocking the joint.

Hynes drove to the slot, looking for a pass, The puck down in the corner, the fans rising en masse.

Brndjar skated along, looking for someone to hit, The opposing player went from standing to sit.

Skating quick like lightning, Rail blasted in, He shot the puck to the net, battling to win.

Wolfe was on the ice, howling down the wing, The biscuit kept bouncing, like a yo-yo on a string.

Hustling to the corner, Milliken joined the fray He skates with heart, always eager to play.

Into the slot, Leslie poised to shoot, Quick with the puck, he fired a beaut’.

A shot off the iron, the fans cheered loud, It was no goal, an ooohhh from the crowd.

The whistle blew, the music sounded chords.

The next line jumped up, over the boards, Coach Rice yelled, “Go get ‘em this time!”

It was Michalko, Anderson and Bullock, the energy line.

The game it would end, the fans still in their seats, The team had played hard, they looked tired and beat.

But they all exclaimed as they gathered at centre, Rockies fans are the best, you won’t find any better.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the Columbia Valley Rockies!

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*Prices shown do not include GST or applicable taxes

28 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer

December 25, 2009

Valley PIONEER

German finds valley via far north and Grandma” Elgert. Grandpa was in his 70s and wanted to adopt Fred as a grandson. Fred remained close to Fred Thode was born in July 1931 the Elgerts and visited them every few in Kiel, Germany, a naval port on the years when he came out of the Yukon.

Baltic Sea. His father, Paul, was in the Grandpa Elgert visited him there and, German Navy. His mother Emma’s once, they even took a trip together to maiden name was Thode, too, though Mexico. she and Paul weren’t related. The couple Fred applied for a labourer’s job at divorced before Fred was born, and his United Keno Hill Mines in the Yukon. maternal grandparents Daniel and AgHe got the job because he had his minnes Thode raised Fred from the time he ing engineering degree, and also spoke was a baby. fluent English, which was a requireA precocious boy, Fred started ment of high school students in Gerschool when he was four years old and many. wrote his high school entrance exams at Once he arrived in Keno Hill, Fred nine. The same year, on April 9th, 1940, wrote to his German grandparents and the German heavy cruiser, Blucher, with told them where he was and that he was 2,200 souls on board, sank in the Oslo sorry to disappoint them. Two weeks ARMED AND DANGEROUS—Fred Thode-Hamilton in his long johns. fjord during the invasion of Norway. later, he got a letter from his grandfaEight hundred and thirty men died, inther with an international money orcluding Fred’s father Paul. der, demanding he return home immeFred recalls that in those days, children were taught him because he was younger than his classmates. In diately. Fred replied that he has signed a contract for to be proud of someone who had died for Germany, his graduating class, there was a 21-year-old man who work. His grandfather wrote back agreeing he must to look at them as heroes. A member of the Hitler had been a prisoner of war in Russia. Fred recalls it fulfill his obligation to his employer, but he was to Youth, Fred says he was brainwashed. Two years later, was, “two different worlds.” The ex-soldier and other return when his contract expired. his mother Emma Thode died of cancer when Fred older boys resented Fred due to his academic achieveOver the next while, Fred got 10 letters from his was 11 years old. ments and the fact his grandparents were fairly well- grandparents. Then, the letters stopped. In 1957, Fred During the war, the young boy travelled from his off financially. was 480 kilometres from Whitehorse, where the closcountry home by train to high school in Kiel. After It was required that he be 18 years old to enroll in est overseas phone was located. He drove there and the train was attacked, his grandparents arranged for the Aachen School of Mines in Aachen, Germany. Fred called the farm several times but got no answer. He him to live near the school with his great-uncle. Due had to work for two years first, but graduated with his then called his cousin Agnes, who told him they had to the danger of air raids, the school had strict rules: degree in engineering in 1954 at 24. He planned to died and the rest of the relatives blamed him for their the boys were locked inside and couldn’t leave the join the German Army, but their officer’s school wasn’t deaths. His grandfather was 89 and his grandmother grounds. They nicknamed it The Penitentiary. ready yet, so they told him to take his training with 82. Three years later, Fred went home to visit, with When the war ended, 13-year-old Fred was dumb- the United States Army, which he did. some trepidation, but Agnes defended him and things founded. “Since we lost the war, which I didn’t believe Fred was with the U.S. Army for 20 months until were patched up. could happen at the beginning, I thought I would he got the call from the German Army. He reported While working at a mine near Faro, Yukon Terriscare the British troops. My friend Karl and I got our to Bonn, the capital of West Germany in 1956. There tory, Fred shared a room with a man named Patrick hands on grenades, machine guns and ammunition. he ran into a problem with an officer, so he decided to Hamilton. Patrick had served in the Second World We threw the grenades, exploding them, and fired the immigrate to Canada instead.

War in the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion and had machine guns into fields and we had the British miliA friend had told him great stories about the Yu- taken part in the Battle of Normandy. Of the 27 oftary police looking all over for who was doing this. My kon, and Fred was determined to go there. When he ficers and 516 men from the Battalion who took part friend and I were grinning.” told his grandparents about his plans, they forbade in the battle, 24 officers and 343 men were killed.

His grandfather got the truth out of him and took him to leave. Fred went anyway.

The Germans broke the Geneva Convention rules by all the weapons and ammunition and dumped them Landing in Montreal in 1956, the trip across the shooting at the men parachuting down. They were not in a pond. Fred says this action saved his life.

Atlantic took seven days. While on the ship, Fred be- supposed to shoot until the men hit the ground.

He graduated from high school at 16, and re- friended a man with whom he travelled by train to members that school had some unique difficulties for Edmonton. The man and his wife became “Grandpa Continued on next page . . .

By Dorothy Isted Special to the Pioneer

The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 29

December 25, 2009

Valley pioneer

PHOTOGRAPHS AND MEMORIES — Above left, Fred Thode-Hamilton on his fourth birthday; centre top, Fred seated in the Jeep when he served in the U.S. Army; centre bottom, his cabin near Ross River, Yukon, January 1972, at 45 below zero; Fred in front of his tent in the mining camp.

Photos submitted Continued from last page . . .

In spite of national and political barriers between the former Hitler Youth member and the paratrooper who had seen most of his comrades slaughtered by the Germans, they developed a close bond. Patrick was divorced and estranged from his two daughters, who refused to have contact with him. He was 25 years older than Fred and the two men were lonely. He decided he wanted to adopt Fred and Fred liked the idea because he “had nobody.” They lived together as family for the next 13 years until Patrick found a female companion, retired and moved to Outlook, Saskatchewan.

One winter, Fred developed pneumonia. While Patrick was having breakfast in the cookhouse, Fred became delirious and wandered outside in minus 52 degree weather. When Patrick came back, he went looking for Fred and found him 20 minutes later in a snowdrift. Patrick carried him back to the bunkhouse and phoned the doctor, who figured he would have to amputate Fred’s right foot. Patrick refused to let them do this and took him by ambulance to Whitehorse and stayed by his bed for four days until Fred regained consciousness.

In 1959, Fred was the team captain for the Calumet Kickers soccer team in Keno Hill. At that time, they were the Yukon champions and played in Whitehorse against the Alaska All Stars and beat them.

Fred still has his 1959 hunting license. It gave him permission to hunt mountain sheep and goats, moose, caribou, grizzly, black bear, grouse, ptarmigan, ducks and geese – all for two dollars. Fred also attained his black belt in judo in 1970 and taught judo for about 10 years in Keno Hill.

In 1968, Fred spotted what he still believes is an Unidentified Flying Object, or UFO. He received a phone call from a lady whose husband was on night shift at the mine, saying that there was something strange in the sky. He went outside and took four pictures, all the film he had in his camera. There were two objects that came together, hovered for a while, came together and then took off in opposite directions.

Fred then notified the RCMP. “At that time, it was the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the Americans,” he said.

At 6 a.m., the next morning, the RCMP showed up at his door with a search warrant and demanded the film. Fred told them he didn’t take any pictures.

They searched his room but he had the film in his shirt pocket. He later got the film developed in Vancouver, but he kept quiet because he didn’t want the police coming back.

Fred took a job as a professional prospector for a firm in Vancouver. His adoptive father didn’t want him in the bush by himself so Fred hired Alexander McKinnon as a guide. This 72-year-old man was a

hereditary chief of the Necosle Band of the Carrier Nation. One day he asked where Germany was and what it was like. Did they have cowboys, Mounties, Indians there? No. “So he figured out why I’d come to Canada: no cowboys, no Mounties, no Indians. Why would anybody want to live there when they could live in Canada?”

In January 1972, they used a forestry fire lookout cabin as their base camp. It was anchored on all four corners to rock by cable due to “enormous winds.” The temperature was minus 45 degrees. On the roof, there was plywood to keep the wind from blowing snow down the chimney. One day, when the men came back from prospecting, they had to take an axe to chip away ice from the gas tank and the door so they could get in and get warm.

Patrick was a mine foreman and Fred got the job as the mine manager in 1975. Fred asked him, “Dad, when we’re having staff meetings, since I’m the big shot now, would you mind if I called you by your first name instead of Dad? He replied, ‘No way! You’re my boy and I’m your dad and you’ll bloody well call me Dad, no matter when or where.’”

In the 1960s Fred met a woman who stole his heart and ran away with it. It all started with a New Year’s party at Fairmont Lodge.

Next week The Pioneer will publish the story of Fred’s true love, now Mrs. Shirley Thode-Hamilton.

30 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer

December 25, 2009

Our fresh chicken is marinated-seasoned and pressure cooked in 100% Trans fat free vegetable oil to lock in flavour and moisture.

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Thanks Merry Christmas

OH, DEER – The valley’s deer population continues to be a source of controversy, since people either love them or hate them, and also a source of entertainment. Here

a curious deer stuck his head through a piece of plastic lawn furniture, and was captured on film by Invermere resident Mike Bradford.

The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 31

December 25, 2009

Kinsmen Home Show cancelled to allow for arena renovations

By Pioneer Staff A great opportunity for the Eddie Mountain Memorial Arena has turned out to be bad news for the Kinsmen Club of Windermere Valley.

The arena is set to undergo major renovations in the spring and summer of 2010, forcing the Kinsmen to cancel the 2010 Kinsmen Home and Recreation Show, the group’s single largest fundraiser.

“We have examined other possible venues for the show, but we have not been able to find a suitable location that would properly meet the needs of our exhibitors and enable us to maintain the high standards of previous years’ shows,” said Steve Mantyka, chairman

of the Home and Recreation Show.

“Therefore, we have reluctantly made the decision to put our show on hold for 2010.”

Renovations to the arena will begin in March and will include removal and replacement of the concrete floor. The Kinsmen Home and Recreation Show was traditionally held on the May long weekend.

For this year, the Kinsmen Club is directing its vendors to the Kinsmen Club of Cranbrook’s Home and Recreation, which is being held from April 30th to May 2nd. For more information, please call 250-489-3455.

For more information on the 2011 Kinsmen Home and Recreation Show call Steve at 250-342-3825.

Feel the Miracle this Christmas

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A Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all our friends in the valley.

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32 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer

New park safety website here

December 25, 2009

Submitted by Parks Canada Parks Canada has launched a new website at www.parksmountainsafety.ca to provide one stop for mountain national park recreationalists to find information on all areas of mountain safety in the mountain national parks.

The information covers Banff, Jasper, Yoho, Kootenay, Waterton Lakes and Mt. Revelstoke and Glacier National Parks.

The website provides information from the history and types of work associated with mountain safety as well as information on back country trip planning, avalanche reports and other urgent notices.The site also allows for people to report near misses and accidents so that other recreationalists can be aware of current conditions and learn from other people’s experiences.

Public safety is a top priority for Parks Canada and this new website is one way

that Parks Canada is working to increase information about safe back country travel in the mountain parks.

It is recommended that people take avalanche safety training, know how to use the resources available like avalanche bulletins, the avalanche danger rating scale and back country safety equipment. If you are going into the backcountry tell someone where you’re going, when you’re expected to return and do not go alone.

Holiday Greetings from all your friends at Tim Hortons. from the management and staff of the

Skookum Inn In the new year, we’ll continue to bring you the friendliest service in the valley.

1470 Highway 93/95 • 250-342-6293

Our warmest wishes to everyone in this great community, during this special time of year. Happy holidays and best wishes for the New Year from Donna Chen & family, and the staff at your local Tim Hortons in Invermere.

© Tim Hortons, 2007

The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 33

December 25, 2009

Rocky Mountain school district elects new board chair Submitted by Bendina Miller Superintendent of Schools Rocky Mountain School District No. 6 Roberta Hall was elected Chair of the Rocky Mountain School District No. 6 Board of Directors at the regular meeting on December 8th.

The following were also elected: • Golden Zone Vice-Chair: Trustee Dan Soles.

• Kimberley Zone Vice-Chair: Trustee Sandra Smaill.

• B.C. School Trustees Association Provincial Council Representative: trustee Jim Jenkinson, and alternate trustee Shannon Hood.

• B.C. Public School Employers’ Association representative trustee Sandra Smaill, and alternate trustee Dan Soles.

This was not a community election year, and the

Warm Wishes to our Valley Clients! from

elected trustees continue to serve as follows: • Windermere Zone: Roberta Hall, Greg Anderson and Jim Jenkinson.

• Golden Zone: Dan Soles, Shannon Hood and Rhonda Smith.

• Kimberley Zone: Sandra Smaill, Ron Roberta Hall Christensen and Betty Lou Barrett.

The board committees will be ratified at the January board meeting. Ms. Miller extended her sincere appreciation to all trustees for their dedication in recognition of the important work of public education in our Rocky Mountain School District No. 6.

No. 3 108 Industrial Rd. 2

250-342-8331

THE HOLIDAY SPECIAL IS NOW ON 10 PASSES @ $7500 ( 7 PER ROUND) 20 PASSES @ $14500 ( 7 PER ROUND) $ 50

$ 25

REGULAR

1-866-458-0919 • 250-347-2460 • www.radiumvacationrentals.com

Merry Christmas

Wishing you and yours the best of the holiday season.

from the staff at

Just north of the Crossroads, Invermere Phone: 250-342-8885

& Auto Service

Invermere • 250-342-0800

Propane delivers the power.

We deliver the freedom.

PER ROUND

Please Call (250) 347-9401 To Reserve Your Christmas Passes

Happy Holidays Our New Management wishes you and yours all the best during the Holiday Season

9

$ 00

Invermere’s RUNNING & YOGA STORE

Open 7 Days A Week Boxing Week Sale December 26th -31st Great Deals All Week!

Call 250-342-2074

Located next to Bavin Glassworks (Near Home Hardware)

Tidings of Comfort & Joy from all of us at

PHONE (1-8 Fax: (

www.superiorpropane.com ww. uperio orpro orpr ropane opane e com om

“It was a pleasure serving you”

34 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer

December 25, 2009

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to everyone in our community from the management and staff at…

V

1881 Windermere Loop Road, Windermere, B.C.

www.windermerevalleygolfcourse.com w ddeer ermee f ours ouurse r

We’d like to wish all of our friends and neighbours a Happy & Healthy Holiday Season!

From all of us here at L i v e

w e l l

w i t h

733 - 12th St. Invermere

(250) 342-8877

Christmas concerts bring out hundreds Around the valley, schools performed their annual Christmas concerts last week, to the delight of family, friends and community members. A huge crowd gathered at the Windermere hall last Wednesday to watch Windermere Elementary School

perform. Above: Grade 6 student Ally Hatalcik, enrolled in the Intensive French program, performs in French. Opposite page: Logan Powell and Michael Godlien rock their rendition of Silver Bells.

Photos by Cayla Gabruck

FROM ALL THE STAFF AT NIPIKA MOUNTAIN RESORT Luxury Log Cabins

50 km Groomed Ski Trails

Windermere Valley’s Cross Country Ski Destination For more information: local 1-250-342-6516 toll free 1-877-647-4525 www.nipika.com

The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 35

December 25, 2009

Seasons Greetings RV • Truck • Car Wash • Open 7 days a week Lube Shop open Monday to Saturday RV Supplies open Monday to Saturday Sani-Dump

Warm wishes for a merry Christmas from your friends at Valley Spas 503B - 7 Avenue, Invermere • 250-342-3922 www.valleyspas.ca • www.arcticspas.com th

Thanks to our 4-legged guests and owners for a wonderful 2009

time than the holidays to say Thank You for your business

Phone 250-342-8774 1361 Industrial Rd. #4 Invermere, BC

Season’s Greetings to the Citizens, Services and Businesses of the Upper Columbia Valley with love and joy and that you enjoy peace, happiness, good health and good fortune throughout the coming year.

Irene, Anne, Shizu, Jean & Justin Futa

• Reserve your pet a suite NOW for Winter Vacations, Olympics, Spring Break.

• NEW 2010 “Tail Waggin” Indoor Play Centre • Orijen Dog and Cat food • Luxury Pet Resort for your Pet.

www.rockiespetresort.ca. • 250-347-9911 • 10 minutes North of Radium

36 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR www.valleyhawk.com

250-688-HAWK

Licensed & Insured Invermere & Surrounding Areas

to all, and to all a good night.

Hwy. 93/95 • 250-342-2695

December 25, 2009

A Very Cold Christmas

By Ray Crook, Invermere Aged 91 For many years the Charles Crook family had their Christmas dinner with my godparents, Sinclair and Angelina Craig of Windermere.

At first we didn’t live very far apart; however, by 1934 we had moved to Kootenay Park where Dad had built a one-pump gasoline station.

It was located 21 miles northeast of the park gate at Radium and the nearest neighbours were five miles away at Kootenay Crossing.

They were Dudley and Marie Harrison, with two young children – Howard and Ronald. Dud was the district park warden and a very good neighbour.

On Christmas morning the thermometer read 30 degrees below zero on the Fahrenheit scale.

As there wasn’t much snow on the road, and even though it was pretty cold, we decided to drive to Windermere.

This all depended on getting the car to start. The night before, the old had been drained from the crankcase and it, together with the battery, had been taken inside the house.

BOXING BOXINGDAYBLOWOU BOXINGDAYBLOWOUT! BBO OXINGDAYBLO OOXIXINGDAY XING ING DAY DDAAAYAYBLO Y BLOWOUT! BLOLOOWWO WOUT! UT!T!

Saturday, December 26th • 12 – 4 p.m.

Door Crasher Specials • 12 – 1 p.m.

4 Hours of Storewide Savings

Details by JoAnne • Invermere

With warm oil in the engine, hot water in the radiator and a fairly warm battery, after a bit of handcranking, the motor started.

The Harrison family came along and we followed their car as far as Radium, where they turned north to Edgewater.

When we got close to the top of the “Mile Hill” on our way to Windermere, the motor stopped and wouldn’t start again. The old 1926 Nash was dead in its tracks!

Luckily, Harold Harrison, Dud’s younger brother, came along and took Mother to Windermere.

He also got word to Lloyd Tegart, owner of the Windermere Garage, of our car problem and Lloyd sent a truck to tow us in.

Meanwhile, Dad and I were getting pretty cold so we had hiked over the hill to old Felix Larrabee’s log shack to get warmed up.

It was located just where the road turns into the Radium Golf Resort.

We finally got to the Craigs’ house at Windermere to enjoy a good Christmas dinner.

Continued on next page . . .

Season’s Greetings and All the Best in 2010 from

100 Capilo Way PO Box 2440, Invermere, BC Phone: 250-342-0120 Fax: 250-342-0130

The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 37

December 25, 2009 Continued . . .

Mother and I stayed the night there, but the Dudley Harrisons had come for Dad and taken him home. Otherwise everything in our house would have frozen.

The next day Lloyd Tegart had the car fixed, and I was able to drive us home, even though at 15 years old I didn’t have a driver’s licence. In those days, driving a vehicle in cold weather was no “joy ride.” There was no inside heater, no antifreeze (you had to cover part of the radiator), and no winter tires. But, for a 15-year-old kid, it was a lot of fun.

Season’s Greetings

CHRISTMAS WITH THE CROOKS ––The gasoline station and store at Crook’s Meadow, photographed in moonlight by Ray Crook.

Merry Christmas

Wishing you a Merry Holiday Season! from the staff at

Invermere Dry Cleaners 507A 7th Ave. Invermere

and Green House

250-342-6610

Christmas Greetings to all our customers

Best of the Season to all our Customers from From the Mayor, Council and staff of

141 Industrial Rd. 2 • 250-342-9424

Box 159, 8853 Grainger Rd., Canal Flats, B.C. V0B 1B0 Ph: 250-349-5462 • Fax: 250-349-5460 village@canalflats.ca

(250) 342-6978 Invermere

Happy Holidays from From the staff at

Invermere Medical Clinic 937 7th Avenue, Invermere • 250-342-9206

1241 7th Ave. Invermere 250-342-9268

38 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer

December 25, 2009

Put your vacation home in good hands.

Holiday greetings from MLA Norm Macdonald

By Norm Macdonald MLA Columbia River-Revelstoke

Interested in generating revenue from your vacation home?

Let the experts at True Key Resorts rent your recreation property today.

True Key Resorts currently manages 190 rental units in the valley. Our proven Rental Program exceeds average occupancies and average daily rental rates. Take advantage of our professional experience and our marketing campaigns, which reach far and wide and are backed up by solid property management. Give us a call to find out how to rent your property with us and ask about our Absentee Owner Services as well.

Michael Anderson (250) 347-2980 manderson@truekeyresorts.com www.truekeyresorts.com

I want to wish everyone the very best over this holiday season.

Christmas is a time to remember the value of family and the importance of friendship. And for many of us, it is time to visit with those we love.

It is also a time to remember those who are unable to be with their families. There are those who are experiencing their first Christmas without a loved

one. I know that in this community people will reach out to those who will find this holiday season difficult.

And this Christmas we will share what we have with those who are less fortunate. We will continue to support organizations like the food bank that not only provide food for the hungry but gifts for children who might otherwise go without.

Christmas is a time for giving, and each one of us can make a difference for someone else this Christmas.

Nollaig Chridheil dhuibh (A hearty Christmas to you) from all of us at

FUN ADDICTS BOXING DAY PART Y 11AM  4PM! 20-50% Off Select Clothing and Equipment 20-40% Off All Downhill Skis, Snowboards & Boots

FREE HOT CHOCOLATE and HOURLY FREE DRAWS! *December 26th only*

Regular Hours: Monday – Saturday 10:00 am to 6:00 pm

SPECIAL Annual Gas Fireplace Clean and Service

$

EPA RATED

89

99*

Archgard Sale! Up to $500 OFF

Wishing you all the best for a joyous Holiday Season! from 514 13th St. Invermere • 250-342-6901

The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 39

December 25, 2009

College campus offers array Season’s Greetings of continuing education classes Thank you from all the staff at

By Sally Waddington Pioneer Staff A new schedule of evening classes will be announced next week by the College of the Rockies.

The pamphlet will arrive in Invermere mailboxes before December 30th, and it is jam-packed with fun, educational pastimes.

“There’s so much in here. There is something for everyone,” said Jessica Fairhart, program coordinator.

This winter, there will be a dozen different courses at the Community Greenhouse, including a guide to Winter Composting, and Getting your Garden Ready for Spring.

“We’re opening up and showing people what’s in our fantastic greenhouse,” Jessica said.

Meanwhile, the college’s popular Spanish classes continue next semester with three levels of the language, and there is a new course on beginner’s French.

Outdoor adventurer and filmographer Pat Morrow will be teaching a weekend-long Adventure Video Workshop.

The class is conducted at the college on Friday evening, before venturing outside to get practical.

There will be two pottery classes, one at a beginner level and one intermediate.

“Our introductory to pottery had a huge response

last season,” Jessica said. “We ran two classes and had a waiting list.”

This semester, Jessica is herself teaching a short session called An Introduction to Social Networking.

“It is dedicated to new users – the older generation wanting to figure out what social networking is all about,” Jessica said.

Courses include an Introduction to Oil Painting, Writing Brochures and Writing News Releases, and several classes about the use of computers for beginners and advanced users.

As usual, there is a full complement of safety courses including Forklift Safety, Occupational First Aid, Canadian Firearms Safety, and Avalanche Skills Safety.

Outdoor courses offer such varied subjects as Boat Operator Training, Bike Maintenance, and an Introduction to Fly Fishing for Women.

Business people will find invaluable the ongoing courses in Business Planning, Construction Law, Marketing and Sales, and Project Management.

The health and wellness section includes courses such as Introduction to Thai Massage, Introduction to Meditation, and Morning Yoga.

For more information, call the College of the Rockies’ Invermere campus at 250-342-3210 or visit www.cotr.bc.ca/coned.

Happy py Holidays y from

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 1229 – 7th Avenue • Ph: 250-342-9271 Toll Free: 1-888-433-3777

Merry Christmas!

ROSS’S POOLS & SPAS S SP Darren Ross, 4890 Stoddart Creek RR#2 Invermere, BC V0A 1K2

Cell: 250-341-7727 • Fax: 250-347-6363 • poolman-911@hotmail.com

Merry

Christmas! from

Invermere

(250) 341-6888

www.cordnerarchitect.com

NOTICE Would any witnesses to the motor vehicle accident which occurred on June 19, 2009 at the location of Althalmer Road or Highway 801 in Invermere, B.C. at approximately 9:30 p.m. please come forward by contacting our office at the number that follows.

A lady and a gentleman were each riding separate motorcycles when a white 4 door truck (2001-2003) veered into the gentlemens lane, striking the motorcycle on the left side causing a loss of control, resulting in him being thrown to the pavement. Thereafter, the truck accelerated up the hill and neither persons involved were able to get further information. The gentleman sustained serious, multiple injuries as a result.

We would greatly appreciate ANY new details.

KAY & RIGGINS, BARRISTERS & SOLICITORS BROOKS, ALBERTA T1R 1C1 PH. 403-362-5733 • FX. 403-362-5770 GORDON W. KAY

RR#3 4874 Ridge Cres. Invermere, BC V0A 1K3 250-342-3052 • shubman@telus.net Odyssey would like to take this opportunity to communicate with our customers about our current and future plans. During this past August and September, Odyssey was working hard at restoring Mickey’s Auto body shop into our new warehouse.

Unfortunately our offer to purchase the lots and building fell through in October and Odyssey was forced to move back into our old location of #8 1340 Industrial Rd. #1, Invermere. We have been in this location for the past three years. Odyssey will still be expanding warehouse space to provide extensive quality service for the East Kootenay region. By combining forces with Angel Restoration out of Vancouver, this partnership will allow Odyssey to take on any size of restoration job, large or small in the valley, while still maintaining our small town service and dependability. We hope this might clear up any confusion about our location. We look forward to continuing our restoration and cleaning services for the East Kootenay.

Dec. 24th 8:00 am – 4:00 pm (No Classes)

Dec 31st 8:00 am – 5:00 pm (No Classes)

Dec 25th and Dec 26th

January 1st, 2010

Dec 27th to Dec 30th Regular hours

January 2nd and beyond!!

Regular hours & classes

CLOSED

CLOSED

The Pioneer office will reopen for business on December 28, 2009.

Merry Christmas!

40 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer

Season’s Greetings g

from the staff at

amily Din sual F ing Ca

Since 1976

No. 100, 5211 Macleod Trail South Calgary

from everyone at

Unit 4, 108 Industrial Road #2, Invermere, BC Ph: 250-342-2999 • www.palliserprinting.com

Merry Christmas La Cabina Ristorante

December 25, 2009

Edgewater residents invited to determine water priority

By Sally Waddington Pioneer Staff Edgewater’s dilemma over water supply is rearing its head again.

The community gets it water from MacAuley Creek, which feeds into the man-made Baptiste Lake.

However, Gerry Wilkie, director of Area G in the Regional District of East Kootenay, said several ranches also get their water from the lake.

“The supply is close to being fully allocated,” he said. “The situation is not desperate but it is reaching its capacity.”

Gerry Wilkie In the future, Mr. Wilkie said, the regional district will need to look for another source. But until then, Edgewater’s Official Community Plan will be amended to outline which properties

have priority for hookups to the water system.

The regional district is proposing that properties outside the existing service area that request a hook-up will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

First priority will be given to a list of vacant lots inside the service area that have already asked to be connected to the system.

“Our existing commitments will be honoured before other properties are considered,” Mr. Wilkie said.

Given the difficulties, Mr. Wilkie stressed the importance of conserving

the community’s water supply.

“The more water we conserve, the more water there is for new families moving in,” he said.

Edgewater has already started conserving water on its prerogative.

“Voluntary conservation has proven to be successful,” Mr. Wilkie said.

To increase conservation efforts, the regional district will install water meters in the community next spring.

A public hearing on the priority amendment will be held at Edgewater Community Hall on Tuesday, December 22nd at 7 p.m.

would like to wish you and yours a wonderful Christmas Season!

1484 Hwy. 93&95 Windermere

250-342-4426

Warmest wishes for Christmas and the New Year

Warmest wishes and a big thank you to you, our customers, neighbours and friends. Your support means the world to us and we hope you enjoy a truly memorable holiday season and all the best in the new year.

From the team at

The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 41

December 25, 2009

Christmas dinner for our feathered friends Coming to

Radium Hot Springs

Saturday, January 23, 2010 Mark your calendar!

Submitted by Rick Hoar, Invermere Many of us seek out recipes to prepare dishes for Christmas dinner and festive gatherings, but what about our feathered friends, and even the pesky squirrels?

Here is a recipe that has been used by my family for over 40 years and remains an all-time favourite at the feed trough!

This is mainly for the birds, but if there is a squirrel around he will enjoy it as well.

Ingredients: 1 cup sugar 1 lb. suet (finely ground) 1/2 cup natural peanut butter 3 to 4 cups oatmeal 1 cup bird seed made up of small

black sunflower seeds, Niger seed and crushed dried corn Directions: Prepare sugar syrup by adding one cup of sugar to three cups of water.

Bring this to a boil and add one pound of suet, stirring to make a broth.

Add one-half cup of peanut butter and stir to blend.

Remove from heat. Add enough oatmeal to make a heavy mixture.

Stir in birdseed mixture, then set aside to allow mixture to cool.

We place the cooled mixture in a variety of feeders from screened box feeders, firewood drilled with holes and pinecones wired together.

Leftover mixture can be frozen for future use.

Happy bird-watching!

DCS Plumbing & Heating

Happy Holidays!

24 hour emergency service

250-342-6816 • www.bavinglass.com I N V E R M E R E / PA N O R A M A

Wishing you all the joy and happiness of the season! from the staff at 1201 7th Ave.

250-341-8501 Merry Merry Christmas and Year! and Happy New Year!

From

Invermere Bottle Depot & Recycle Centre

250-342-2468

250-688-0213 250-688-0213

Happy Holidays

to all our customers from

1210 7th Ave Invermere 342-9661

Merry Christmas Happy New Year From Pat, Leisa, Heather, Christine, Anita, Yvonne, Allison, Georgette & Denise

O’SULLIVAN DENTAL CLINIC #602 - 14th Street, Invermere • 250-342-9663

MISTER TIRE

42 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer

December 25, 2009

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year from Barb, Arlene, Darcel, Doran,Tanis, Terry and Val

Barb J. Smith, CGA 906 8th Ave. Invermere

250-342-8304

Merry Me y Christmas Chr Ch C hr stt hr S

nn nne ne,, ne

ey y

t

C t rrbb ry Flowers F o rs rs Canterbury

10 102 02 – 021 Ave veen ven en 25 3 2-0 2 03 03 38 8 w

ve u ow ow owe

Silent auction bags big bucks for Invermere library (Since 1988) Donna Hazelaar

PHONE: 250-342-7260 • FAX: 250-342-8358

TOLL FREE 1-888-650-HEAT • WWW.HIHEATINSULATING.COM

Sheryl Thomas of Invermere was on hand last week to tally the bids from the silent auction at Invermere Public Library. Running from November 28th to December 16th, the auction raised $3,060 for the library. More

than 300 bids were placed on 130 items, which included golf passes, dinner vouchers, and art. The auction was the major winter fundraiser for the Friends of the Library.

Photo by Sally Waddington

Your Local Bernie Raven

Professionals

MaxWell Realty Invermere 926-7th Avenue, Invermere, BC

www.teamraven.ca

Paul Glassford Strata, Apartment & Commercial Property Management

For professional management of your strata corporation, overseen by a Certiďƒžed Property ManagerÂŽ, with the accounting done by a Certiďƒžed Management Accountant, please contact Bill Weissig CPMÂŽ, RI, RPA, CPRPM, CLO, SMA, CRES.

Sales Consultant $FMM t

Invermere, Windermere, Panorama, Fairmont and Radium Hot Springs

Our six Strata Managers are licensed under the Real Estate Services Act of B.C. For more information regarding their extensive qualiďƒžcations and experience, please visit our website at www.mountaincreek.ca.

Phone: 250-341-6003

Email: bweissig@mountaincreek.ca

RE/MAX Invermere

Independently Owned and Operated 1022B - 7th Avenue Box 459 Invermere BC V0A 1K0

E-mail: remaxbilly@telus.net Website: www.remaxbilly.com EACH OFFICE INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED

Billy Thompson 250-341-5168

Wende Brash Broker/Owner

Daniel Zurgilgen www.maxwelldaniel.com

Glenn Pomeroy

MaxWell Realty Invermere 926-7th Avenue, Invermere, BC

glennpomeroy@shaw.ca

RE/MAX Invermere Independently Owned and Operated 1022B - 7th Avenue, Box 459 Invermere BC V0A 1K0 E-mail: wendebrash@telus.net Fax: 250-342-9611

Office: 250-342-6505 • Cell: 250-342-1300

The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 43

December 25, 2009

HERE TO SERVE YOU Advanced Wood Burning Stoves

Serving The Valley for over 15 Years

Paddy Brown

120 Spokane St., Kimberley BC Ph: 250-427-3394 • Cell: 250-908-4861 Fax: 250-427-4455 • paddybrown@shaw.ca www.advancedstoves.com

Al Tallman Complete your renos NOW before the Tax Credit runs out in February. Call for estimates.

From Framing to Finishing – We do it all!

Wood • Pellet • Gas • Outdoor Boilers

• Drinking Water Systems • Duct Cleaning Service • Water Softeners • Whole House or Specialised Filtration including iron lters that really work!

Call (250) 342-5089 385 Laurier Street Invermere, BC V0A 1K0

RENOVATIONS REFERENCES AVAILABLE

LICENSED

1422 12A Avenue, Invermere B.C.

attheshop@live.ca NEW

Complete Automotive Repairs

250-341-5096

(Beside the Petro Canada Car Wash)

Phone: 250-342-6614 • www.autowyze.com

Sewer/Drain Cleaning

Septic Tank Pumping Portable Toilet Rentals • Snow Removal • Sanding/ Sweeping

• Landscaping • Property Maintenance

Kari & John Mason

• Trucking • All Grading • Mini Track Hoe

250.270.0821 Invermere • Panorama

colorworks

• Complete sewer/drain repair • Reasonable rates - Seniors’ discount • Speedy service - 7 days a week • A well-maintained septic system should be pumped every 3-5 years • Avoid costly repairs

Bruce Dehart 347-9803 or 342-5357

You’re invited to see our

Cranbrook Pest Control We use the most successful products available.

Environmentally-friendly ironmentally-fr ronmentally-fr onm nm nm men me ennnt y eent integrated pest est m ma management.

Asskk about As Ask aabbboou out ut our o r mai maintenance mainte m ce programs program prrrogram ograms gram am ms PESTT QUESTIONS? PEST QUUE UES ESTIIOON ES EST OONS NS? Vis Visit our website website: eebsite: bbsite: bsite ite:

Painting Inc.

MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT CERTIFIED & LICENSED

ALL WORK

250-346-6886

pwallace@confederationloghomes.com

DCS Plumbing & Heating • Plumbing, Repair and Installation • Drain Lines • Hot Water Tanks 24 hour emergency service

250-341-8501 Senior Discount

GUARANTEED

www.cranbrookpestcontrol.com info@cranbrookpestcontrol com

250-426-9586

TREE-MENDOUS Tree Specialists

r 1SVOJOH 3FNPWBM 0G "MM 5SFFT 4ISVCT

Now’s the time to have your chimney and eavestroughs cleaned!

r 4UVNQ (SJOEJOH r '3&& &45*."5&4

Now taking NEW lawn maintenance

Please call Steve for a free estimate • 250-342-1791

0WFS

28 :34

&YQFSJFODF

44 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer

December 25, 2009

HERE TO SERVE YOU Dunlop Contracting • FURNACES • HEAT PUMPS • AIR CONDITIONING • FIREPLACES • HOT TUBS • CHEMICALS • SERVICE & MAINTENANCE 385 Laurier Street, Invermere, BC Phone: (250) 342-7100 PO Box 86, Athalmer, BC V0A 1A0 email: info@diamondheatingandspas.com Fax: (250) 342-7103

• Trusses • Engineered Floors • Wall Panels

Bruce Dunlop

Tel: 250.341.6075 Fax: 250.341.3427 Email: info@duskbuildingsystems.com www.duskbuildingsystems.com

www.diamondheatingandspas.com

Custom Home Design Specializing in ALL types of stone!

• Residential • Commercial • Jesse Vader – Ken Johnson Call:

250.349.5564

Specializing in Single Family Homes, Additions and Renovations, Drafting Services.

Contact: Paul Aubrecht Invermere (250) 342-0482 Calgary (403) 874-0483

• • • •

Doors Windows Flooring Painting/ Interior/Exterior • Kitchen Renovations

250-342-5682

Fine Homeservices

VACUUM CENTRE

Sales • Repairs • Warranty Phone: 250-342-9207

1320 Industrial Road #3 Box 159, Invermere, B.C. V0A 1K0

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

5077 FAIRMONT RESORT RD., FAIRMONT BC EMAIL: fairmontridge@telus.net

ph/fax 250-347-2144 glenfireplaceandwoodstove@gmail.com

Gel Nails, Gel Toes, Eye Lash Perming, Lash & Brow Tinting.

Located behind Tim Hor tons • Ph: 250-688-0787

Fireplace and Woodstove 15 YEARS EXPERIENCE

WETT Certified Inspection and Technician Licenced and Bonded Gas Contractor

Deep Connective Tissue/Fascia Bodywork Structural Balance

• Autoocaad 20110 • Home Deesig gn • Innterrioor Design

H E L L E R W O RK Jean-Luc Cortat

Certified Hellerwork Practitioner @ Renaissance Wellness Centre Box 185 / 505 – 7th Avenue, Invermere, BC V0A 1K0 • 250-342-2535

INTELLIGENT

CREATIVE C REATIV VE ENERG ENERG GY

Janet Watson iccegirrl1@ttelluss.nnet 250-3 342--59 937

• De s i g n • B u i l d • L i a s o n

Need Blinds?

READY MIX CONCRETE

window fashions

Proudly Serving the Valley for over 50 years

Call Bill Cropper (250) 342 4406

For competitive prices and prompt service call: 250-342-3268 (plant) 250-342-6767 (office)

Interior World

Concrete Pump • Sand & Gravel Heavy Equipment Rentals • Crane Service

The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 45

December 25, 2009

HERE TO SERVE YOU INVERMERE GLASS LTD. •Shower Doors•Mirrors •Auto•Home•Commercial

Scott Postlethwaite

CVCC Contractor// Trade Builder of the Year 2008 0

Telephone: 250-342-3659

Residential, Commercial Electric Furnace and Hot Water Tank Repair and Service For All Your Electrical Needs invermereelectric@gmail.com

1710 10th Avenue – Invermere, BC V0A 1K0

invermereglass@cyberlink.bc.ca

Jeff Watson

Serving the Valley since 1995• #3, 109 Industrial Road #2, Invermere

LAMBERT-KIPP

Come in and browse our giftware

Open Monday - Saturday 9:00 am - 6:00 pm 1301 - 7th Avenue, Invermere

250-342-6612

Relaxing - Comfortable - Therapeutic

• Structural Timbers and Posts • KD Tongue & Groove (Pine, Cedar and Fir)

• KD Bevel & Channel Sidings • Radius Edge Cedar Decking 5/4 and 2” • Wide Plank F/L Flooring

Box 80 SKOOKUMCHUCK, BC V0B 2E0 PHONE (250) 422-9229 FAX (250 422-9227) Email: mardis@cyberlink.ca

RADIUM HOT SPRINGS ESSO Automotive Repairs 7 days a week

Your search for quality and dependability ends with us.

Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning Specialists Truck Mounted System • Customer Satisfaction Guaranteed

Dean Hubman

Certified Technician

250-342-3052

We’re back at our old location in the Industrial park!

Invermere, BC V0A 1K3

GAS • PROPANE • DIESEL Freight & Passenger

7507 Main St. West, Radium Hot Springs

(250) 347-9726

ROSS’S POOLS & SPAS

(250) 341-6888

www.cordnerarchitect.com

SHOLINDER & MACKAY ACK A CK CKA EXCAVATING A ATING TIN TING ING G IInc. n nc. nc

Septic Systems ste t ms Installed Installe nss d ~ Pumped Pum P Pu ump ped d ~ Repaired Re ire Repair i ed ired Prefab P Pr reffab refa fab Cement Cementt Tanks Installed IIns In nssta alle W Wa Water Lines nes Dug Dugg IIn Insta Inst Installed allled d Basements B nts ts Dug D

WINDERMERE 250-342-6805

Farron Chandler Registered Shiatsu Therapist Over 12 years of experience Phone : 250 342-6347 Mobile : 250 688-0364

#106, 901 7th Ave. Parkside Place Downtown Invermere V0A 1K0

Available Monday–Wednesday at Mei Mei’s Asian Market.

Make an Appointment Today, let your worries melt away!

250.342.4426

Cell: 250.341.7227 Toll Free: 1.877.342.4426 Fax: 250.342.4427 redeye48@shawbiz.ca 1484 Hwy 93/95 Windermere, BC V0B 2L1 next to Skookum Inn

Residential • Commercial • Construction Sites

Darren Ross

SECURITY PROTECTION INSPECTION INSPECTIONSERVICE O SERVICE

4890 Stoddart Creek RR#2 Invermere, BC V0A 1K2

Security Specialist

Commercial – Residential Installation – Maintenance – Repairs

Invermere

INSURANCE AGENCIES LTD.

Shiatsu & Acupressure

P H A R M A C Y LT D .

J. Douglas Kipp, B. Sc. (Pharm.)

Laura Kipp, Pharm D. Your Compounding Pharmacy

Lambert

BOX 2228 BOX 459 742 - 13th STREET 7553 MAIN STREET INVERMERE, BC. RADIUM HOT SPRINGS, BC V0A 1K0 V0A 1M0 PHONE: 342-3031 PHONE: 250-347-9350 FAX: 342-6945 FAX: 250-347-6350 Email: info@invermereinsurance.com • Toll Free: 1-866-342-3031

Cell: 250-341-7727 • Fax: 250-347-6363 • poolman-911@hotmail.com

Sigfried Staff

Office: 250-342-3040 • Cell: 250-270-0757 • spis@live.ca

Commercial and Hospitality IT Computer Consulting, Service and Support 100% Satisfaction Guarantee

250-342-6008

info@mountaincreektech.ca @ With four service Technicians and two support staff we have the resources to solve your computer problems.

Computer Networks Remote Backup Services Custom Programming

Data Protection Computer Repair IT Consulting

3D Modeling and Virtual Rendering Home Automation and Green Technology Computer Sales and Support

46 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer

December 25, 2009

HERE TO SERVE YOU NEW AND USED ARCTIC CAT SNOWMOBILES AND ATVS REPAIRS, PARTS, SALES, WARRANTY, FINANCING

250-342-5047 • 1-888-357-4449

• Furnaces • Heat Pumps • Fireplaces • Full Heating and Ventilation Systems Call for your FREE conultation and estimate

Quality Hand-crafted Steel

LIFE’S BRIGHTER under the sun.

Pierre E. Trudel Bus 250-270-0363 Fax 250-347-6948

• Structural Steel • Welding • Fabricating & Machining • Custom railings and ornamental iron #117 Industrial Rd. #2, Invermere, BC Ph: 250-342-9926 • Fax 250-341-3956 e-mail: txn@telus.net

pierre.trudel@sunlife.ca 4798 Selkirk Ave. Box 108 Edgewater BC V0A 1E0

Corporate Logos: Trade Name + Dea

Q Q

Colour: QQPANTONE 349 English

Industrial ~ Commercial ~ Residential • Garage Doors • Passage Doors • Truck Doors • Sun Rooms • Patio Covers • Vinyl Decking • Aluminum Railings • Gutters • Siding • Soffit • Fascia • Window Capping • Renovations

3/16" Minimum size to be used on business cards

Warbrick Towing & Salvage

Phone: 250-342-6700

YOUR PRIVATE CONNECTION Darryl Stettler Insured and WCB Hand Crafted Log , Timber and Conventional Frame Homes.

Crane Service, Septic Systems, Rent or Hire Excavator, Compact Excavator, Dump Truck, Flat & Dump Trailers, Scaffold, Foundation Forms, Tools.

Call Tim Anderson • 250-341-7260 tim@westernloghomes.net• www.westernloghomes.net

Your Weekly Source for News and Events

Professional Window Cleaning • Snow Removal • Carpet Cleaning • Janitorial Services • Chimney Sweeping • Gutter Cleaning • Moving & Deliveries Fax 250-342-0488 • www.yourprivateconnection.com Email: yourprivateconnection@yahoo.com

250-342-7622 VJ (Butch) Bishop Owner/Operator

4846 Holland Creek Ridge Rd. Invermere, BC V0A 1K0

N E W S PA P E R

Dave Sutherland Sales Associate

#8, 1008 - 8th Avenue Invermere, BC 250-341-6299 • upioneer@telus.net www.columbiavalleypioneer.com

Worried about providing income in 1/4" Minimum size to be used on the standard sized your retirement?

MANULIFE SECURITIES INSURANCE AGENCY

See our ad on Page 20 for more details.

• Excavators • Mini-Excavators • Bobcats • Dump Trucks • Water Trucks • Compaction Equipment 5/16" to beEquipment used on •all oversized • SnowThis Plow size • Sanding Crane Truck brochures.

• Mobile pressure Washing & Steam Cleaning • Underground Services • Site Prep & Demolition • Road Building • Land Clearing • Controlled Burning • Rock Walls • Rip Rap • Top Soil • Sand & Gravel

CONTRACT OR HOURLY MACHINE RENTALS AVAILABLE

The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 47

December 25, 2009

from the staff at…

MERRY CHRISTMAS to everyone from The Pioneer!

Tourist takes extreme measures to “show her love” Identified only as Neoli, a Brazilian native who currently resides in Kamloops, this scantily-clad woman braved the winter cold and revealed her Brazilian heritage to show her love for Fairmont Hot Springs!

The photo above won this month’s draw in the I Love Fairmont Hot Springs.com online photo contest hosted by Marble Canyon Developments and The Residences at Fairmont Ridge.

To show your love, and enter to win one of the prize packages, visit www.

Ilovefairmonthotsprings. com.

Photo submitted

R DE K Ho li day Hou r s COLUMBIA VALLEY LANDFILL December 24 9:00a-3:30p December 25 Closed December 31 9:00a-3:30p January 1 Closed All other days through the holiday season, the Landfill will be open from 9:00am to 6:00pm.

COLUMBIA VALLEY OFFICE December 22-23 December 24 December 25-28 December 29-30 December 31 January 1 January 4

The RDEK’s Cranbrook Office will be open the same dates and times as the Columbia Valley Office; however, it is open during the lunch hour.

For more information, contact the RDEK at 1-888-478-7335 or 250-489-2791.

8:30a-4:30p (closed 12p-1p) 8:30a-3:00p (closed 12p-1p) Closed 8:30a-4:30p (closed 12p-1p) 8:30a-3:00p (closed 12p-1p) Closed 8:30a-4:30p (closed 12p-1p)

48 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer

December 25, 2009

PIONEER ON THE ROAD

Happy Travels!

Pictured here, clockwise from top are: Mick and Teena Godlien, Greg Langdon, Sasha Taylor, Frank Feldman, Larissa Dutcher, Dave Gulbe, Elke Budenholzer, Kendyl Hart, Tina and Scott Brunner, Tammy Mytopher, Scott and Nicole Barsby, Kim and Pam Frocklage, Jody and Neil Clark, and Geoff Dutcher in Puerto Vallarta; Eric and Marg Rasmussen in South Carolina; Grant, Sherri and Keegan Kelly in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico; Doug, Lorna, Cooper and Skylar Mountford at Manly Beach in Sydney, Australia; and Pamela, Taylor, Kendyl, Quintynn, Wyatt and Trystan Hart in Cancun, Mexico.

The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 49

December 25, 2009

Pioneer Classifieds

• Phone: 250-341-6299 • Fax: 250-341-6229 • Email: upioneer@telus.net • www.columbiavalleypioneer.com

thank you

storage

commercial space

suite for rent

Suite for rent

house for rent

The Table Top Christmas trees were again a success, benefiting the Columbia Valley Christmas Bureau $500. Thanks to Home Hardware, AG Foods , Lori at Sign Artists, The Pioneer newspaper, and especially the people who purchased a tree.

You own it, we can store it!

Secure, fenced compounds any size up to one acre. Secure containers available. Would also build building to suit for long term tenant. Zoned heavy industrial. Invermere Industrial Park. Phone 250-342-5297, 250346-3011 or 250-342-2100.

Panache Building, Invermere, B.C. Beautiful building near public beach and walking distance to hundreds of condos in Canada’s most perfect four-season town! 2400 feet on main, with two 1200-foot world-class apartments up. Perfect location for restaurant or retail. For info, call 250-342-5525.

Affordable accommodation in Invermere, $550 and up.

Furnished, utilities, phone, cable, and some housekeeping/ laundry service included, 250342-6618.

Radium, 1 bdrm apartment, $650 including cable & utilities.

2 bdrm apartment, $800, including cable and utilities.

Bachelor efficiency, $550, available immediately. DD, N/S, N/P, references required. Call Don or Susan, 250-342-6908 or 250-347-7775.

Beautiful newer A-frame home in Fairmont, 5 bdrm, 3 bath, 2 fireplaces, large deck, walk-out basement, perfect for large family or singles, available immediately, $1400/month + utilities, 403-239-7037 or 403836-9701, email cleawhite@ shaw.ca.

Edgewater upper level 1500 sq.ft. on 3 acres, 2 full baths, 5 appliances, very good condition, $1200 including utilities, available immediately, 403650-8654.

Invermere, 3 bdrm semi, near schools, $850 + utilities, DD, N/S, N/P, references required, available immediately. Call Don or Susan, 250-342-6908 or 250347-7775 (home).

Wilmer, 1 bdrm walk-out basement suite, $700 includes utilities, cable, private entrance, W/D, available immediately, 250-342-0035.

Radium cabin, $625, utilities included, 250-347-6420 or 250341-1577.

Announcement Dance survey was a success.

Looking for dance instructors for ballroom, Latin and jazz swing.

Call Margaret, 250-347-6885.

New Years Eve Celebration at the Whitehouse Pub. DJ, drink specials, no cover.

Appie buffet, $10.

Alcoholics Anonymous. Open to all. Regular meetings of the Columbia Valley A.A. are held at 8 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday at the Valley Connection, far end of the Service B.C. building, 625-4th Street, Invermere. The Radium Friendship Group meets at 8 p.m. Friday at the Catholic Church, east side of Main Street, Radium. Call 250-342-2424 for more info.

NEWHOUSE MULTI 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, 250-342-3166.

commercial space 864 sq.ft. warehouse space with loading dock, unheated, $656.25/month includes GST, available immediately. Call 250342-3637.

1350 sq.ft. store front property, 7549 Main Street West, Radium, 250-342-6633.

s obituary s Clarence James Pettapiece 1935-2009 Jim passed away on November 26th, with his family by his side. Jim leaves behind his wife, May, 3 children, Irene, Roy, and Barb, 8 grandchildren, 5 great-grandchildren, a sister, a brother, and many nieces and nephews. A family graveside service was held on December 3rd at the Invermere Cemetery. Jim will be sadly missed and always remembered.

shared accoMmodation 2 rooms in Westside Park, $400 + shared utilities, 250-3423399.

suite for rent ATTENTION CONTRACTORS! One or two bdrm bungalows, by the week or month! Call 250-3456365, Fairmont Bungalows.

CARRIAGE COURT APARTMENTS. Conveniently located behind Sobey’s within walking distance to downtown. 2 bdrm townhouse units, outside entrance. Sliding glass doors open onto balcony, overlooking private courtyard.

Fireplace and W/D included in each unit. Long term preferred, N/P, $750 - $850/month + DD. Utilities not included. Available immediately, 250-342-8781.

Hillcrest furnished apartments, utilities included. 1 bdrm units, $600/month, 2 bdrm units, $800/month. 250-341-1182.

Call 250-341-6299 to place your Classified Ad.

Spacious 1 bdrm furnished suite close to shopping & Panorama pickup, off street parking, separate laundry & entrance, N/S, N/P, available Dec 1, $650/ month, utilities, cable and internet included, 250-3429690.

2 bdrm apartment, 13th St, Invermere, minutes from downtown, furnished, utilities, cable, N/S, N/P, $1100/month, 250-341-1650.

2 bdrm, lower level apartment, stove, fridge, W/D, $800/month, includes power and heat, N/P, N/S, 250-342-6349, 250-3423418.

Bachelor studio for employed mature person, N/S, N/P, furnished, W/D, cable, utilities included $600/month + DD, 250-342-0355, Mom’s Upholstery.

Radium, 2 bdrm, 1 bath, spacious suite, private entrance, laundry, pet friendly, $700/month + hydro + DD, 250-347-9970.

Invermere brand new bachelor suite, $525, includes everything, available immediately, 250-6880566.

Invermere, 2 bdrm apartment, separate entrance, W/D, N/S, N/P, $750/month + utilities, references required, 250-3423245.

house for rent Radium duplex, 2 or 4 bdrm, all appliances included, N/S, N/P, new building. Call 403-2576253 or email bradyh@telus. net.

Fully furnished executive 3 bdrm ranch home, available Jan 1st.

Located on the 12th fairway at Riverside Golf Resort in Fairmont Hot Springs, nestled between the Rocky and Purcell Mountains. $1000/month + utilities with 1 year lease agreement, N/S, N/P. If interested, please contact Darren Still at darrenstill@ hotmail.com.

Radium, 2 bdrm trailer with addition, partially furnished, fenced yard/outbuildings, $900/ month + util, 250-342-3841.

Downtown Radium large 3 bdrm, all appliances, $800 + hydro + DD. References required, available immediately, 250-688-3825.

Invermere, charming 4 bdrm, 2 bath home, next to Kinsmen Beach, N/S, N/P, available immediately, $1600/month + utilities, references and DD required, 403-246-6680.

Wilmer, clean cozy, 2 bdrm log home, 1 ½ bath, 2 fireplaces, wrap-around deck, fenced yard, mature persons only, N/S, N/P, no partiers, $1100/month + utilities + $550 DD, 250-3429470.

New 3 bdrm, 3 bath with master bdrm ensuite. Located close to schools in quiet cul-de-sac location. Beautiful kitchen, shared laundry, $1000/month, (with lease) + 2/3 utilities + 1/2 month DD, references required, 250-342-3399.

50 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer

December 25, 2009

Pioneer Classifieds condo for rent

condo for rent

vacation rentals

acreage for sale

FOR RENT

Radium, 2 bdrm ground floor with patio, all appliances, $950/ month includes utilities, available immediately. Call Richard, 250-341-6888 or 403613-6815(cell).

Invermere on the lake, new, luxury, fully furnished condo, 2 bdrm + den, 2 baths, facing lake, underground parking, $650/week, 1 week minimum.

Call 403-561-0111.

8 acres of hay meadow, beautiful mountain views with great building opportunity, on town water, near Wilmer, Toby Hill Road, $425,000. Call 250-3422802.

house for sale

resort property

STOP RENTING – No Bank Qualifying owner financing or rent-to-own. Three nice homes to choose from. 250-984-7787 or www.canadianhousingcorp. com.

Calgary family seek to partner with like minded family for purchase of Radium Vacation Condo, 403-620-1794.

Peaceful creekside 2.5 acres, $639,000. 4950 Stoddard Creek Road, 5 bdrm, 4 bath. See WeList.com, #40848 for details and pictures, 250-347-6532.

Architectural Shingles, 4000 sq.ft. dark green, used 16”x36” panels, $6500 OBO. 2’ x 8’ insulation panels, best offer. Call Bob, 250-345-6668 Fairmont.

condo for sale

Full sized 8 person hot tub with cover. Excellent working condition, only $1000. Call Todd, 250-341-1966.

Contact

250-342-5914 for seasonal or long term rentals or go online at

www.EricRedeker.com “Available Now”

FIRST MONTH

FREE!!!

PET FRIENDLY CONDO! 2 bdrm townhouse in Black Forest Village $1000/month.

Call 250-342-0838.

Invermere on the lake, new luxury fully furnished condo. 2 bdrm plus den, 2 baths, facing lake, underground parking.

Available immediately. Monthly or long-term. Call 403-5610111.

3 bdrm, 2 bath + garage, N/P, N/ S, available now, $1350/month, 250-341-1182.

2 bdrm condo, D/T Invermere, furnished. N/S, N/P, available immediately, $900/month, utilities included, 250-341-1182 Radium Golf Resort, fully furnished, 1 bdrm condo, $600 + utilities, N/S, N/P, 403-2382543.

Radium, Stanley Street, 2 bdrm, 2 bath + den, insuite laundry, laminate flooring, fireplace, A/C, 2 underground parking stalls, N/ P, N/S, available November 1st, $1100/month + DD, utilities included, 403-472-8992.

Invermere, beautiful condo close to downtown, 3 bdrms, 3 bath, 5 appliances, large storage room and attached garage. Will go fast @ $1150/month + utilities!

Call Kevin for evening showings, 780-982-1140.

Akiskinook Resort, 1 bdrm condo, fully furnished and equipped, indoor pool, hot tub,$675/month, includes cable, 403-281-3991.

Invermere, new, furnished 2 bdrm, 2 bath condo.

Underground parking, available immediately, long or short term. $1100/month + DD, 403650-1238.

The Aspen, Radium, 2 bdrm main floor condo, 2 bath, fireplace, heated parking, N/S, references, $975/month, 403-328-2944, or 403-892-2731(cell).

2 bdrm + den condo in Radium.

Fully furnished, 6 appliances, granite, cast iron fireplace, hot tub, pool, underground parking, long or short term rental, 403861-7754.

Brand new 1600 sq.ft. D/T Invermere, 3 bdrm, 2 bath + garage. Reduced to $299,900 + GST, www.cedarwoodglen.com, 250-341-1182.

Affordable condo downtown Invermere, fully furnished, 2 bdrm, 1 bath, $139,900, 250341-1182.

• • • •

Phone: 250-341-6299 Fax: 250-341-6229 Email: upioneer@telus.net www.columbiavalleypioneer.com Legal notice

miscelaneous for sale

Firewood for sale. Pine/fir mix $225/cord. Larch and pine also available. Delivered anywhere in the valley, 250-341-5551.

3 drawer Captain’s bed, frame only, $100, 250-347-9886.

CONDO for sale

603 Horsethief Condos

$116,900

3-1005 7th Avenue, Downtown Invermere 250-342-5914 • www.1stChoiceRealty.ca

The valley’s only locally owned, locally operated newspaper

N E W S PA P E R

Phone: (250) 341-6299 • Fax: (250) 341-6229 • Email: upioneer@telus.net

The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 51

December 25, 2009

Pioneer Classifieds

Phone: 250-341-6299 Fax: 250-341-6229 Email: upioneer@telus.net www.columbiavalleypioneer.com

VEHICLE WANTED

services

services

careers

careers

Wanted, Astro or Safari Van. 1995 or newer. Needing TLC okay, 250-422-3691 (Wasa).

Tile & Slate Installs Journeyman Tilesetter 30+ years experience Custom Steam Rooms, Showers and Floors All work Guaranteed Competitive rates.

Call 250-341-5645.

Custom installations of ceramic, mosaic, quarry tiles, slates, glass blocks, repairs etc. For estimates call 250-341-6869.

2 permanent full-time cashier ASAP at Gas Plus in Fairmont, BC. 40 hours/week, $13.26/ hour, medical, dental and life insurance. Candidate must be able to read, write, understand, speak the English language, be flexible, motivated and willing to learn, have secondary school education, be able to work overtime, weekends, days, and nights, and have knowledge of POS. Main duties are customer service, receiving payments, reconciling sales at end of shift, accepting reservations and takeout orders, stock shelves and cleaning check-out counter area.

Fax resume 250-245-6600, attention Mr. Muhammad Azeem Jutt.

Full time service station manager required to work shifts and start immediately at Gas Plus, in Fairmont, BC. $20.30/ hour, duties include managing staff and assigning duties, good customer service relations, motivated and flexible. Must have at least 1 year minimum related experience, have knowledge of Versa POS, and info net systems, able to handle cash registers and Lotto machine, able to resolve customer complaints.

Fax resume 250-245-6600, attention Mr. Muhammad Azeem Jutt.

Legal notice

Phil’s Carpentry – Everything from roofs to decks, completion of basement and bathrooms.

Phone 250-341-8033 (cell) – 24/7. Not on valley time.

Furnace & duct cleaning services using the patented rotobrush system. Call AQUAIR for free estimates, 250-342-5089.

Heaven’s Best Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning. Dry in one hour! Call 250-688-0213.

Water treatment & purification, includes drinking water systems, softeners & conditioners, iron filters. Call AQUAIR, 250-3425089

Vacuums Parts, repairs & accessories, All makes & models Central Vacuums – sales and installations Bonded & licensed Fine Homeservices 250-342-9207, fhs@telus.net DK Woodworks Kitchen refurbishing, furniture repair/refinishing, custom cabinets, mantles, bookcases, benches…etc. for all your woodworking needs 250-688-1335.

CASH! CASH! CASH! We buy houses, any price, any condition. Quick close. Call 250344-4890, www.homebuyerbc. com.

Flooring installations, lino, carpet, laminate and hardwood.

30 years experience. Call 250347-9192 or 250-341-1235.

Need a unique Gift?

Give a Gift Certificate; a gift that lasts a lifetime..

Blinds, Drapery, Bedding Customized...plus a savings!

High quality & lifetime warranty commercial or residential Shannon’s Blinds & Designs Call a professional today; for a free consultation 250-349-7507 or 250-342-5749 shannonsblinds@yahoo.ca RESIDENTIAL SNOW REMOVAL Call 250-342-9479.

Administrative Assistant

careers Local electrical contractor requires journeyman electrician.

Wage $26-$30/hour, benefit package, service van. Send resume to 1-866-673-5175.

Busy Property Management office requires a full-time Administrative Assistant. The successful candidate will be a highly organized, flexible and energetic team player with excellent computer skills that include MS Word, Excel and Outlook. Remuneration includes a Benefits package.

Please send resume with salary expectations to LPeppard@mountaincreek.ca or fax to 250-342-2029 or mail to Box 249, Invermere, BC V0A 1K0

Massage practitioner/therapist required, part-time. Pleiadis Massage & Spa, Radium Hot Springs Pools, 250-347-2100.

Fairmont Creek Property Management is accepting applications for a Head Housekeeper responsible for the overall management of the housekeeping department. For detailed job description or to submit resume contact: info@ fairmontcreek.ca.

Looking for a job or career?

The Trades Industry Wants You!

SOUTHERN INTERIOR CONSTRUCTION ASSOCIATION

Call 250-341-6299 to place your classified ad.

• • • •

Check out one of our upcoming sessions to get information on specific trades.

Next information session: Thursday, January 20th, 7-9 p.m.

College of the Rockies 2-1535 14th Street, Invermere

Call Today!

Roy Cimolai, Trades Assistance Program Ph: 250-421-9212 • E-mail: rcimolai@sica.bc.ca

Funded in whole or part through the Canada-British Columbia Labour Market Development Agreement

52 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer

No more texting while driving

December 25, 2009

Submitted by Ministry of Public Safety As B.C.’s distracted driving legislation gets set to kick in on January 1st, a new study on teens and distracted driving validates B.C.’s move to curb talking and texting behind the wheel, Solicitor General Kash Heed has announced.

The report, entitled Teens and Distracted Driving, by Washington D.C.based Pew Research Centres, found that of those teens aged 16 and 17 who own a cellphone or text regularly, more than half have talked on a cellphone while driving and one

in three has texted while driving.

“This study is a good snapshot of just how rampant the problem of distracted driving is throughout North America,” said Mr. Heed.

As well, the report found that 40 percent of teens say they have been a passenger in a car when the driver used the cellphone in a manner that placed them or others in danger. Approximately 75 percent of all American teens aged 12 to 17 own a cellphone, and 66 percent use their phones to send or receive text messages.

The province is targeting distracted

driving with changes to the Motor Vehicle Act that will take effect on January 1st. At that point, only hands-free cellphones and devices that require one touch will be permitted while driving.

Violators will face a $167 fine to be levied starting February 1st. If drivers are caught texting or e-mailing, they will receive an additional three penalty points.

Drivers in the Graduated Licensing Program will not be permitted to use hands-free phones in addition to other prohibited activity, and will receive a $167 fine and three penalty points for any violation.

To place your Community Classified call The Pioneer at 250-341-6299 or toll free 1-866-669-9222 classifieds@bccommunitynews.com www.communityclassifieds.ca

Auto Financing

Career Training

Financial Services

For Sale Misc.

Help Wanted

Services

$0 DOWN at auto credit fast.

Need a vehicle? Good or Bad credit call Stephanie 1-877-7920599 www.autocreditfast.ca. $500 Free Christmas Cash with purchase. OAC. DLN 30309.

MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTION RATED #2 for At-Home Jobs. Achieve your goal. Work from home!

Start your Medical Transcription training today.

Contact CanScribe at 1- 8 0 0 - 4 6 6 -15 3 5 , www.canscribe.com, info@ canscribe.com.

DEBT CONSOLIDATION PROGRAM. Helping Canadians repay debts, reduce or eliminate interest, regardless of your credit. Steady Income? You may qualify for instant help. Considering Bankruptcy? Call 1-877220-3328 FREE Consultation Government Approved, BBB Member.

A FREE TELEPHONE SERVICE - Get Your First Month Free.

Bad Credit, Don’t Sweat It. No Deposits. No Credit Checks. Call Freedom Phone Lines Today TollFree 1-866-884-7464.

#1 IN PARDONS. Remove your criminal record Express Pardons offers the FASTEST pardons, LOWEST prices, and it’s GUARANTEED. BBB Accredited. FREE Consultation Tollfree 1-866-416-6772, www.

ExpressPardons.com.

CRIMINAL RECORD?

WANT A VEHICLE BUT STRESSED ABOUT YOUR CREDIT?Last week 11 out of 14 applications approved! We fund your future not your past. Any Credit. $500 Christmas Cash! www. coastlineautocredit.com or 1888-208-3205.

Education Train to be an Apartment/ Condominium Manager from home. Jobs registered across Canada! Thousands of grads working. Government registered.

29 years of success. Information: www.RMTI . c a o r 1- 8 0 0 - 6 6 5 - 8 3 3 9, 6 0 4 - 6 81- 5 4 5 6 .

$ NEED MONEY $ Do you have a locked in pension plan from an exemployer (LIRA) or (LIF)? 3 easy ways to help. Call 1-866341-3274.

Employment Opportunities

Business Opportunities

CHEAP TELEPHONE RECONNECT!

Call 1-866- 287-1348. Prepaid Long Distance Specials! Feature Package Specials! Referral Program! Don’t be without a home phone. Call to Connect NOW! 1-866-287-1348

FUN, PROFIT, SUCCESS. Great Canadian Dollar Store, a dollar store leader since 1993 has new franchise opportunities coast to coast. Call today 1-877-3880123 ext 229; www.dollarstores. com.

Low rates, fast connections, reliable service. Internet & long distance offered. Ask about holiday discounts! Call now - Phone Factory Reconnect 1- 8 7 7- 3 3 6 - 2 2 74; www. phonefactory.ca.

H&H TRAILER SALE. Bow Valley Ford, Canmore, Alberta.

Thousands in discounts. Clearing the lot. Cargos, flatbeds, car haulers, goosenecks, more! 1800-403-0084 ext. 257 or alan_ way@bowvalleyford. com.

Building Materials #1A STEEL BUILDING SALE! Save up to 60% on your new garage, shop, warehouse. 6 colors available! 40 year warranty!

Free shipping, the first 20 callers! 1-800-457-2206. www. crownsteelbuildings.com.

For Sale Misc.

HOME PHONE RECONNECT

AT LAST! An iron filter that works. IronEater! Fully patented Canada/U.S.A. Removes iron, hardness, sulfur, smell, manganese from well water.

Since 1957. Phone 1-800-BIGIRON; www.bigirondrilling.com Help Wanted MANAGER OF TR ACK Kelowna Pacific Railway Ltd (KPR) is accepting applications for our Manager of Track position.

KPR operates in the Okanagan Valley and this position will work out of our Vernon, BC office. Experience in all aspects of track work is essential for this position including track equipment, track inspections, rules and regulatory, budgeting, costing and good computer and communication skills. Please submit resumes to: info@ khawk.ca. Only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

Personals 1-877-20-TAROT To know everything about your future, love, money, health, work.

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The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 53

December 25, 2009

Regional District of East Kootenay

On December 25th alone, over

30,000,000 bags of garbage will be put out in front of Canadian households.

Much of that garbage will be made up of boxes and paper.

Please recycle your cardboard and paper based wrapping paper. It truly does add up!

Glass goes in the yellow bins marked GLASS ONLY. The ONLY glass accepted for recycling is container glass.

That means jam jars, salsa jars, wine bottles, olive oil bottles, etc.

NO other glass (including dishes or drinking glasses) is accepted.

If in doubt, please leave it out.

When the wrong glass gets thrown in, the entire bin has to be landfilled.

Wrapping Paper - all paper based wrapping paper can be recycled in the yellow bins or Invermere’s blue bag program. Foil based papers cannot be recycled and are garbage if they can’t be saved and reused.

Ribbons & Bows - cannot be recycled. They can be saved and reused. If they can no longer be reused, they go in the garbage.

Aluminum Pie Plates & Roasters - cannot be recycled. They can be rinsed and reused. If they are not longer usable, they go in the garbage.

Cardboard Boxes - all cardboard and boxboard (like cracker and cereal boxes) are recyclable. Please flatten them down to conserve space in the bin or blue bag.

Tin Cans - all tin food and beverage cans can be recycled. They must be rinsed out.

Labels can be left on if they are difficult to remove.

Styrofoam - Even though Styrofoam is marked with a #6, it is NOT recyclable in our program. It should go in the garbage if it can’t be reused.

Plastics - all plastics with the triangular recycling symbol and the number between 1 and 6 (except Styrofoam) can be recycled in the yellow bins or Invermere’s blue bag program. They must be clean. Plastics NOT accepted include #7 plastics, dirty plastics and un-numbered plastics. They go in the garbage if they can’t be reused.

There is no recycling program in place for regular alkaline batteries; however, rechargeable batteries can be recycled at Invermere Home Hardware and Selkirk TV.

For more information, contact the RDEK’s Cranbrook Office at 250-489-2791 or 1-888-478-7335.

54 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer

December 25, 2009

Why not give a goat for Christmas?

By Lisa M. Rohrick Special to The Pioneer The 2009 United Nations Human Development Report names Niger, West Africa, as the world’s least liveable country.

Compare that to Canada, which ranks as the fourth-best place on earth. It can be pretty bleak here on the edge of the Sahara Desert where extreme heat and poor Lisa Rohrick soil lead to frequent food shortages.

Life is hard work, especially for the women, many of whom walk long distances to carry home water of questionable quality.

Most of their time is spent in food preparation, pounding their grain before cooking it into a porridge over the open fire. Illness is frequent and life expectancy is only 51 years of age.

My teammates and I are working with a program called Community Health Education, which, as its name suggests, has the goal of increasing the health of communities. It is a community-based program in which the decisions are made at the local level.

The Fulani people, with whom I work, depend on their herds – cattle, sheep and goats – for their livelihood. So, it isn’t surprising that they identified animal health as a primary issue in their community.

We hired a local veterinarian to train the people in animal care and vaccinations, leading to improved health in their herds.

For people whose herds are their livelihood — their savings account, their status, and their children’s milk — it’s important that their animals are healthy. But the very poor among them cannot afford animals.

There is a beautiful tradition among the Fulani called “habbanaye.” A wealthier friend or family member lends a female animal to someone in need.

When that animal has young and the young is weaned, the mother is returned to its owner and the poorer friend keeps the young.

That is something we decided we could do — purchase animals for loan. But instead of the animals being returned to us, they are passed on to others in need.

I started out with lending a handful of cows.

Then, last year, we lent 100 goats in the village where we started our community health program. And, now, we’re branching out into other communities.

Three villages were recently chosen by the local committee and the villages each chose their 20 most needy women. We gathered these 60 women for a day of teaching where a veterinarian explained how to care for goats and answered their questions.

We then purchased 210 goats: three females for each woman and a male to be shared between two women.

Each goat was vaccinated and given a numbered ear tag. Then came the fun of distributing them. It felt a bit like Christmas Day. The chosen women excitedly gathered and waited their turn in the afternoon sun.

As each one’s name was called, she handed over a piece of rope with which her goats were tied together.

She then “signed” for the goats. All of the recipients are illiterate, and most have never even held a pen, so their signatures were just lines, circles and scratches on the page. But we wanted them to sign anyway to communicate that they will be held responsible for the goats in their care.

When it was all over, grateful women thanked us repeatedly as they went home with their goats. One woman summed up the sentiments of many when she told me, “It is very sweet to me to receive these goats.”

One of the village leaders told the women that the goats were provided by people in Canada.

“Our Canadian friends work with us to help our community move ahead,” he explained. “And that makes us brothers and sisters with them.”

Money for this project came from many groups and individuals across Canada, much of it from folks in the Columbia Valley. Most notable is The Friends children’s club at Lake Windermere Alliance Church who collected bottles and cans for several months last year. Those dirty scraps of glass and aluminum have turned into goats.

Niger is a Muslim country and aside from a few cheesy decorations in shops run by Lebanese merchants, the Christmas season goes unnoticed. So the goats have nothing to do with Christmas really, except that I’m writing about them at Christmas time, the season of gift giving. As you give gifts to those you love this year, let me encourage you to also remember those who struggle simply to stay alive.

Thank you for your generous support of our goat project. Your generosity has made a difference in the lives of some very poor families in the world’s poorest country.

Merry Christmas!

Lisa Rohrick, formerly of Invermere, has been working for several years among the poor in Niger.

GOATS FOR GIFTS – This Christmas, the women of Niger were provided with goats, many purchased with funds donated by folks in the Columbia Valley.

Photos submitted by Lisa Rohrick

The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 55

December 25, 2009

FAITH

Walk, leap and praise God!

By Pastor Wayne Frater Radium Christian Fellowship I would like to take time, on behalf of the ministerial association and all those who read the faith page, to thank The Columbia Valley Pioneer for it, and the blessing it is to so many.

I was going to share once again what happened when Jesus was born. The Christmas story, with Mary, Joseph, the shepherds and the angels, is all around us. Take time to listen. It is in the songs we sing, it is in the words we say as we wish one another a very Merry Christmas, and I am sure that when you find a church service this weekend you will hear the minister share from Luke, chapter 2, or maybe Matthew, chapter 1.

However, I felt led to look at what happened after Jesus was born, and what is still happening today, not just at Christmas, but every day of the year – what it means, or what it should mean, for each of us.

Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour is born, in Luke, chapter 2. In Luke, chapter 4, Jesus is a full-grown man about to start His ministry on earth – God in the form of a man, God’s only son.

Jesus goes to the synagogue on the Sabbath, takes the book of Isaiah and reads chapter 6, verses 1 and 2.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim

the acceptable year of the Lord.”

Jesus goes about teaching, healing, and ministering to many. According to Luke 23, Jesus is crucified.

In Luke 24, He arises, and before He ascends He tells His followers to go to Jerusalem and wait to be empowered to fulfill the great commission. One hundred and twenty of them do this, Acts chapter 2 happens, and 3,000 new believers come to know the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let’s focus on what happens next. In Acts chapter 3, verses 1-6, Peter and John go to the temple to pray, and attract the attention of a lame man.

He asks for money, and Peter answers in verse 6: “‘Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.’ And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength, walking, leaping and praising God.” To me that is what Christmas is all about. Not only did Jesus come to give us eternal life, through the Gospel, but also to set us free from anything that would keep us from walking, leaping and praising Him. Are you walking, leaping and praising God this Christmas? If you aren’t, take time to get close to God, study His Word, find a Bible-believing church, and give God a chance to lift you up in that wonderful name of His Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ, so that you can walk, and leap, and praise Him, today, tomorrow, next year, and on into all eternity.

Over the Christmas season and on into the coming years, my prayer for you is: “May the Lord bless you and protect you; May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you; May the Lord show you His favour and give you His peace.” Numbers 6:24-26, New Living Translation.

Christmas church services Lake Windermere Alliance Church Christmas Eve: 2 p.m. The Summit, Panorama Resort; 6 p.m.: Lake Windermere Alliance Church,; 8:30 p.m.: Great Hall at Panorama Resort.

Windermere Valley Shared Ministry Christmas Eve: 4 p.m.: Family Christmas service, Christ Church Trinity; 8 p.m.: All Saints, Edgewater; 10 p.m.: St. Peter’s, Windermere; 11:30 p.m.: Communion, Christ Church Trinity.

Roman Catholic Church Christmas Eve: 5 p.m.: Canadian Martyrs Church, Invermere; 7 p.m.: Canadian Martyrs Church, Invermere; 11 p.m.: St. Joseph’s Church, Radium.

Christmas Day: 10 a.m.: Canadian Martyrs Church; 1 p.m.: St. Anthony’s, Canal Flats.

St. Peter’s Lutheran Mission of Invermere • 7 p.m.: Christmas Eve, Christ Church Trinity, Invermere.

Valley Churches Lake Windermere Alliance Church Sunday, December 27th, 10:30 a.m.: Celebration Sunday.

“God’s Workmanship.” Pastor Trevor ministering.

The Lord’s Supper will be served.

K.I.D.S. Church, for children ages 3 to 12, during the service.

Pastor Trevor Hagan • 326 -10th Avenue, Invermere 250-342-9535 • www.lakewindermerealliance.org Windermere Valley Shared Ministry ANGLICAN-UNITED Sunday 10:30 a.m.: Worship at Christ Church Trinity, Invermere Rev. Sandy Ferguson • 110 - 7th Avenue, Invermere 250-342-6644 • www.wvsm.info or www.christchurchtrinity.com Valley Christian Assembly Sunday 10 a.m.: Worship and Word Wednesday 7 p.m.: Adult Group Life First and third Thursday: Youth Home Group Pastor T. Scott Peterson 4814 Highway 93/95, Windermere 250-342-9511 • www.valleychristianonline.com Roman Catholic Church Saturday: 5 p.m. at St. Anthony’s Church in Canal Flats 7 p.m. at Canadian Martyrs Church in Invermere Sunday: 9 a.m. at Canadian Martyrs Church in Invermere 11 a.m. at St. Joseph’s Church in Radium Father Jim McHugh 712 -12th Ave., Invermere • 250-342-6167 ST. PETER’S LUTHERAN MISSION OF INVERMERE Worship services every Sunday at 1:30 p.m.

Christ Church Trinity, 110 - 7th Ave., Invermere Pastor Rev. Fraser Coltman • 1-866-426-7564

Radium Christian Fellowship Sunday 10 a.m. Worship service 7 p.m. Special Praise, Special Prayer and Especially the Love of God Pastor Wayne and Linda Frater • 250-342-6633 No. 4, 7553 Main St. Radium • 250-347-9937 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Worship Service, Sunday 10 a.m. • Sunday School, 11 a.m.

• Relief Society, Noon.

President Barry Pratt • Columbia Valley Branch 5014 Fairway, Fairmont Hot Springs • 250-341-5792

• Books • Music • Stationary • Children • Educational

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56 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer

December 25, 2009